Hec-tick!

4:38 p.m. Today's project was to get everything ready for my trip to Dallas for the Mary Kay Seminar. I've been trying to figure out why I feel so incredibly stressed this past week, considering I used to fly to conventions around the country for thirteeen years when I was a school board trustee, between state, regional and national conferences.

When I was elected to my first term in 1992, Steve and I had 5 kids at home, the youngest three pictured, ranging in age at that time from 3 to 16. Our children attended preschool, elementary and high school. You can just imagine all of the school and after school sports and programs our family participated in, as well as time spent at church as a family and in kids' activities like scouts.

I was a Christian school teacher where the youngest two attended, and Steve worked long hours, sometimes 6 days a week. To say we were a busy household on the run is putting it mildly, especially with added school board trustee meetings and responsibilities. But the Lord worked His purposes for the years I served, never allowing a defeat in three elections, supported by the citizens for fundamental change in how kids are taught. As God said in Isaiah 46:9b-10:

I am God, and there is none like Me,

Declaring the end from the beginning,

And from ancient times things

That are not yet done,

Saying, "My counsel shall stand,

And I will do all my pleasure"

With the graduation of my youngest son coming up, and heeding the call to further ministry and Bible teaching opportunites on the mission field in Wales and at Calvary Chapel Moreno Valley, I decided not to run for re-election in 2005. School officials, parents and voters were shocked, but the only place to be is in the center of God's will!

Steve and the kids and I did some traveling by airplane, and while there's always plenty to do before a vacation, like paying bills ahead of time, and getting the paperwork in order, I didn't feel quite so overwhelmed as I do now.

This will be the first time that Steve will be home without me or our recently married daughter since his Alzheimer's caused him to be at home full time and me to retire. This year we have needed to utilize our longterm care insurance to bring caregivers into the home for various periods of time, 2-3 hours usually a couple of times a week, for Bible study, or business appointments. With Heidi at still at home, I was able to spend a couple of nights in Fresno with our youngest son, checking out his living situation and visiting his church.

This opportunity to go to the Seminar came from the Lord, who made all of the arrangements fall into place, even as recently as my to-the-airport transportaion. My part has been to earn the total hotel fees, which the Lord did for me over the last two days. But with Steve not being at home like any other retiree, I've arranged for our regular caregiver to stay with him for 5 nights. That means tons of written instructions, because Steve won't be able to stay on schedule even for his personal habits. At 7 p.m. when Carlos arrives, I'll be showing him the meals I've cooked and frozen for the two of them, where all of the daily breakfast and lunch foods are, the gardening and lawn mowing schedules, trash pick-up, too.

If the two of them want to go to church for studies this week, it works out well, because Carlos is a member there--which we didn't know when he was first assigned to Steve by Brightstar! Heidi and her husband know him from the Thursday night Young Adults group.

Though the Lord's hand has been on every aspect of my trip, the details required to make it work have been daunting and time consuming. But there's no way we can afford for the guys to eat out, so I've stocked the pantry, freezer and fridge. I was glad to hear Carlos say that he likes pretty much everything!

As I see all of the details of my attendance at Seminar this week falling into place, I am overjoyed, not because there won't be odd difficulties and unseen issues--because that's life on this fallen planet. I am overjoyed to know that my God is faithful, and will always be!