The Battle

This morning, and likely the events of yesterday, was a battle for my mind and attitude. This morning at 0900 I had PWOC. I facilitate one of the Bible studies. This was also my day to have the devotion for the whole group before we split into our classes. Then right after PWOC I had a spouse club board meeting. I am chairperson of the education/scholarship committee.

The battle went like this. I bought a new ink cartridge for our printer last night as ours was out. My DH installed it and then was on the computer all night. So, I went to bed thinking that I would get up at reveille this morning and do what I needed to do. This morning, I got up and came to the computer. I had felt the Lords urging to change my subject for the morning devotional and needed to print off the words to the song I was going to sing. The printer would not print. Nothing I could do would make it print. I also needed to print off some things for the meeting after PWOC. I called hubby in. We proceeded to start to get in a snit about it. I stopped. He fixed. Problem one solved. I apologized to my husband for my snippiness. I was feeling the presence of the Lord. Next, I pulled out the background tape and began to practice my song. Then I heard the tape deck chewing up my tape. NO! I shouted and turned it off. I tried to pull it out without damaging the tape. Discouragement swirled around me. I said, "Lord if this is your will for me to sing this fix it please! Satan you will not get the victory!" Then finally it pulled loose in one still usable piece. I sat down and began to wind the tape back up. My cat came and began trying to snag it away. He would not be shooed away. I said, "Satan, you'd better get away from me, I belong to Jesus. I am His child. You'll not get the victory!" Tape wound back up and using a different tape deck. Trying to practice the song. Feeling the Spirit's blessing strongly. The cat begins attacking my legs and scratching them with his claws. He never does this. I will not be distracted. Then the phone rings. It's our stateside phone and no one has ever called us on it (this phone is new). At first I wasn't sure what that noise was. Now mind you it's 0130 in the States. It's my brother. I ask him immediately what is wrong. My brother never calls me. I mean almost never. He just doesn't. The last time he called me in the middle of the night was the time his youngest son had just been born like 10 weeks premature and was intubated and being life-flighted to Oklahoma City. Nothing is wrong. He has just called me to chat. I chat with him as long as I can and then I have to go. At PWOC something is wrong with the music system and they decide to do the devotion first instead of last so, I'm up without a chance to steady my mind in prayer or warm up my voice for high notes. The thing is this devotion was from the Lord and not from Rebecca. He blessed it and ministered through it and gave me all the right words, notes and whatnot. Satan cannot pervert what the Lord has purposed! Try though he might. All that I went through yesterday and the things this morning Satan meant for bad, for the destruction of my attitude and therefore any ministry I might have had today. But the Lord meant it for good because it caused me to run to Him and hold on in the midst of the storm.
The song I sang today was "Eye of the Hurricane" by Trace Balin. The chorus goes, "In the eye of the hurricane, in the center of the storm. In the chaos there's a comfort. A harbor safe and warm. Though strong winds may blow, they can't change what I know. When I hold to the Rock that the wind can't erode."
Perfect timing. For me and, from the response, for many of the ladies there today.
Sorry it was so long today. Take time to glory in the beauty of the Father.
Rebecca

Loneliness

In the past week or so, several of the other bloggers have written about loneliness. Today, I struggle with this. We live on an Army post in Germany. My husband is active duty, but I will post little about him or what he does for security reasons. We are involved in the Church on post, we go out, we are friendly to others, we invite others to do things with us, I volunteer with the Red Cross, Family Readiness Group, Church, I sit on the Board of the spouses club (therefore I am a member and go to all of the functions), I co-facilitate a Bible study with the PWOC, and I substitute teach at the post junior high and high school. So I keep busy, I meet people, my husband and I go out of our way to be kind and helpful to newcomers. I had hoped that by volunteering and getting out and about that friendships would form and fellowship would happen. The problem is that though we invite people they don't accept our invitations. Or, they accept and then decline later by phone. We often hear the others from my husbands office talking about a function they were all at over the weekend or the night before, but we weren't invited. The ladies I know are nice to me when they see me mostly but they don't call just to say hi or talk. They don't come by. The only time my phone rings is when someone wants something from me. They want me to bake for a sale or they want me to do some other kind of work, but its never a social call. A few months ago a lady invited me for lunch. I was so happy and looking forward to it and to getting to know her better etc. We ended up running her errands (in my car) and then she said to me that lunch would have to be a slice of pizza at a take and go bar because she told a friend of hers that morning that she would come over and spend the afternoon with her and she didn't want to be late. I have other things I could share but I think you get my drift. Today 3 different things happened to me along those lines. The third one was the breaking point for me. I came home in tears. I wanted to quit everything I do. The Lord brought to mind a verse that says (paraphrasing) be not weary in well doing. I accept this admonishment from Him. I know that He has a reason for all the pain I've gone through and am going through. I am grateful for my husband that I need not truly be alone, but I long for Christian fellowship. For couple friends that we can hang out with, for girlfriends that call me and I call them and they stop by. . . The Lord has spoken to me and asked me to do all of these things that I do as unto Him and no one else. I will do that. I also spent time thanking Him tonight for all the rotten things that are going on. Not because he did them to me ( He didn't) but because the Bible tells me to give thanks in all things. I have seen over and over how when I have given thanks for things that I'm not particularly thrilled about He shows me why He allowed it and then I am even more grateful.

Yes, I'm still lonely. I still long for friendships and fellowship. It still hurts to be rejected. The difference is that "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day."

Monday

I substituted today at the Jr/Sr High School on post. These kids wore me out today. LOL One class all switched names and wouldn't answer to their right names. I thought it was funny but after about 30 minutes it got rather annoying. Another boy kept unzipping his pants in class. Told me his -- hurt. There were more trials but honestly this gets me to seriously consider homeschooling if and when the Lord should send us children. I don't want my kids subjected to this kind of behavior.
In other news, it's raining today. Hardly a surprise for Germany, however I am grateful for it because we will have beautiful flowers this spring and summer. The Germans put window boxes on all of their windows and fill them with the loveliest flowers. Last summer my husband and I used to take walks in the town just as the sunset was at its prettiest. We would look at all the flowers and nice yards and then vote of which one we liked best. It was very nice and romantic and I can't wait to do it again this year!
Have a lovely day my friends!

Can't sleep

It's nearly 3 am and I can't sleep. I took a Claritin-D around 3pm or so, completely forgetting that it would keep me awake. My husband also took one and is sound asleep. Not much keeps him awake. He could drink an entire pot of coffee and go right to sleep. And stay asleep.
Well, I've been reading a new blog. Still can't sleep and its now 0430. Hope all the rest of you are sleeping.

Frugal Friday

CEU's

This tip concerns those out there that have a license in the medical field. When I married, I chose my home/husband over my profession. (I am a registered nurse). I took 6 months off to get my mind set on being a wife and homemaker and off being focused on my career. Then, I went back to work very part-time. Working only a few days a month. Just enough to keep up with it. My husband and I live off of his income alone and then the income I have is put in savings or for extras. (We used 5K I had saved to pay cash for a used car when we got to Germany). My tip then is about keeping up with the changes and continuing education credits. I found a free online nursing magazine. Advance for nurses. I also found a web site that has CEU's. You can buy a membership if you wish but they also offer free courses about once a week or so. I don't know if there is a limit to the number of free courses you can take, but they offer a new one to me every week or so. If anyone else has any keeping up tips please comment! For more Frugal Friday tips go to Biblical Womanhood.

Bits and Pieces

Well, here I am again. I was at the commissary and needed some bell peppers to make chili with. While in the produce department, I noticed that the red bell peppers they had were HUGE! Now, for me this is a real find. I make a stuffed pepper dish that is really good and nutritious and my husband loves it. The problem has been that here in Germany, it can be a challenge to find peppers big enough or shaped properly for the filling. So, when I saw these I jumped on them and got some. Last night I made stuffed peppers. As we were finishing up supper, I noticed that my husband had eaten the smaller pepper I gave him but only the filling out of the large one. It turns out the larger ones are also thicker and he found he doesn't like the thicker ones. Also though I usually make some green, some red, and some yellow stuffed peppers, DH always eats the green ones. The red ones taste different to him and in the thicker one it really made a difference. Interesting. So, now I know.

In other news, I have been getting quite a bit of subbing opportunities lately. (Although I am a registered nurse, there is no hospital and thus few nursing jobs available on post.) This is nice because my mom is coming to visit in about 2 weeks and so we'll have a bit extra to spend if we need while she is here and then also I wont work at all until she goes home. For those of you who may be wondering generally work less than 5 days per month. So, it's very part-time and just enough to keep busy and have a little extra spending or (saving!) money. Also, for those of you who may be nurses I keep current by doing online CEU's and I volunteer with the Red Cross at the clinic here on post a few days a month.

I wonder if there are others out there that were nurses or had another profession that must be kept current who have married and chosen home/husband over profession? If you are out there, I'd like to know how you keep up and if you (like me) work outside the home a little bit or not at all.

Back from Paris

Hello. We finally came back from Paris, and we had a wonderful trip! We went to the Eiffel Tower at night and went all the way to the top. What a sight! We had a bus tour of Paris, a cruise down the Seine river, went to the Arc De Triumph where they also have their tomb of the unknown soldier. We went on Sunday to Notre Dame Cathedral. So beautiful. We stayed at a wonderful hotel. One might think that in Paris we would go for the good French food, and we did have some, but we also ate at the Planet Hollywood and at the Hard Rock Cafe. Here in Germany, we don't get the chance to go to American restaurants so it was a real treat for us. I will post pictures as soon as I figure out how to load them from our digital camera to the computer. Anyway, we had a wonderful time. The weather was warm and the sun was shining. That was especially nice since we had just had 2 straight weeks of rain in Germany. I do have to say one thing though. The French, in our experience, were no more rude than anyone else in any other country we have been to. So, maybe we just got lucky or maybe it really isn't as bad as it's cracked up to be. And so I'll post pics as soon as I can. Feel free to comment if you wish or ask questions. Have a wonderful day all!

Weekend Getaway

OK chickadees! You all have a wonderful weekend. My husband is whisking me away to Paris. I'll let you know all about it when we get back!

Sheets and my Sister

You would think at the ripe old age I have attained that I would know better than to EVER take new sheets directly out of the package and put them on a bed. I confess. The other night when we were setting up our new bed, I was unprepared and put new sheets right on it. Today, I took them off and washed not only them but also the other set that my sister sent me. I have hopefully learned my lesson. I scratched and itched all night last night.

Speaking of the sheets my sister got me. She gets the best deals. She lives in the Chicago area and I don't know how she does it but she really gets the goods. This sheet set is 600 thread count, doesn't wrinkle and is soft as butter.

This is a picture of my sister. The baby is her granddaughter, my great niece Julia. Isn't she beautiful? Julia is about 10 months old now and I am just as proud as can be.

Music Review

Today I'm doing laundry and listening to music. Yet again I was moved to pick out Ian White's Faith Story. Much of his music is taken directly out of Scripture. It just seems so blessed of God. So straight forward and honest.

Sunday

On Sundays on post they only have one service instead of two like we are accustomed to. So, we go bowling on Sunday evenings. The first two games I won hands down. The third game DH won and so we had a great time. Earlier today we went out to eat at a local Chinese restaurant. What is it about eating Chinese food that you can be so full and then hungry again an hour or so later? Oh well, I sure do love it. Otherwise it's been a fairly quiet day and I have loved every minute of it. I hope you have had a wonderful weekend.

Homemakers Survey

I have been tagged by Lela over at The Joy of the Lord is my Strength. Feel free to leave your own answers in the comments section or if you do it on your blog leave a comment below so I can read your answers.

1. Aprons - Y/N? If Y, what does your favorite look like? No, I don't use one. I should.

2. Favorite thing to bake? Cakes or brownies.

3. Do you use a clothes line? No, we don't have one.

4. Have you ever made donuts? Yes, and I love them!

5. Name one homemaking thing that you do every day. Clean the Kitchen.

6. Do you have a separate deep freezer? No, but I sure wish I did.

7. Do you have a garbage disposal? No, and I miss it. We have had them in the past.

8. What is your favorite homemaking source? Miserly Moms by Jonni McCoy.

9. Ironing - Love it or hate it? I'd like it more if I could have a place where my board is
always set up and ready to go. I just hate setting up the board.

10. Where is your junk drawer if you have one? In the kitchen.

11. What is your favorite part of home making? Cooking.

12. Do you wash nylons by hand or in the washing machine? In a mesh bag in the machine,
and then drip dry on a door
knob.

13. Do you use the window or open the door to check during baking? Door.

14. What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment? Computer.

15. What do you put on home made pizza? Cheese, home made sauce, onions, garlic, green
peppers, and sometimes hamburger or pepperoni.

16. What does your recipe container look like? I have some small photo album like books
that the cards go in and I am making a
3-ring binder for stuff that I print off the net.

17. What style of home do you live in? Right now we are in a 2-bedroom German style
stairwell apartment. The houses we have had since
we got married are a 3 bedroom farm house, a 4
bedroom ranch, and a 3 bedroom ranch. This is the
first time we have lived on post.

18. Table cloths and napkins? Table cloth with lace overlay and paper napkins.

19. Under the sink. Organized or toxic wasteland? Organized - cleaners and sponges.

20. Vacuum. We have hard wood floors so we swiffer and use our robomaid a lot.

21. How many loads of laundry do you do per week? 5 on average.

22. Yard - who does what? We don't have one. When we did we hired out the mowing,
trimming and raking.

23. What is your last homemaking task before going to bed? The only thing I routinely do
before bed is brush, floss, and
rinse with Act.

New Bed

Our new bed finally got here. Our cat Smokey got mad at my husband and urinated on our bed several months ago. Try as I might I could not get rid of the urine smell. I would think it was gone, but we use an electric mattress pad as hubby gets cold easily and the heat would bring the stink right back. So we had to get a new one. It has taken this long for it to get here. We got a king sized bed with a very thick pillow top. So I put on the new bed skirt, electric mattress pad, sheets and comforter and then realized that though I had bought new king sized pillows to use, I had forgotten to buy king sized pillows for the shams. I'll have to go pick some up. :( It didn't stop us from sleeping on it though. We had so much room last night that I didn't even know when my husband got up this morning.

Frugal Friday

I have decided to add my 2 cents worth to Frugal Friday hosted by Crystal over at Biblical Womanhood. Today I address the much written about grocery store coupons. My tip is that I cut out coupons for things I usually would never, or never would ever buy, because you never know when it might just come in handy. For instance, I bake cookies from scratch, but I did cut out coupons for the tubes of cookie dough you find in the refrigerator section just in case. The other day, I went to the commissary and there they were. Chocolate chip cookie dough on sale for $0.80 per tube. My coupons were for $0.75 off and so I got 2 tubes of cookie dough for 5 cents each. I put them in the freezer at home and the next time someone asks me to bake cookies at the last minute for some event, I can just pull them out, slice and bake. How easy!
Another time, I saved a $4 coupon for a Schick Intuition razor. I wanted to try them, but I wasn't willing to spend $8+ on one. One day, sure enough, I went in and they were on sale for $4.11. I got it for 11 cents! Then later the same store was trying to get rid of their stock and had them on sale for $1.00. I had several coupons for a dollar off and stocked up!

For more frugal tips check out Biblical Womanhood.

Loving My Husband

Tammy, over at Tammy's Recipes wrote a post on loving her husband. Go over there and read it. It was a timely piece for me to read. I love my husband, always have always will. Yesterday however, we got into a "discussion" a very calm and polite one that I, unfortunately, began, on his lack of communication skills. As if I am the great communicator. lol Now, keep in mind that my lack of communication skills came up also. I wont go into any more of it. We resolved the issue lovingly etc. HOWEVER, I couldn't sleep last night and went to my computer and found this and the corresponding article over at Biblical Womanhood. Reading these, the Lord convicted me of my lack of patience. Instead of "calling him" on his imperfections, I need to be praying for him and allow the Lord to change them and thus change me too. My imperfections, I suspect, are more numerous than his. So my challenge to all you wives out there that might have the same issue is to practice loving your husbands by keeping your mouths shut. There are things that we simply will have to bring up, but if we take them to the Lord first and let Him direct us the changes in ourselves and our husbands might just be astounding.

Yesterday

We had a light dusting of snow last night. About an inch or so but it only stuck to the rooftops and cars, nothing else. Yesterday was such a busy day, but it all ended up working out. I finally got all signed up to volunteer with the Red Cross here on post. I'm going to work at least one day a week in the health clinic. This will allow me to keep my nursing skills current as well as donate my time to a worthy cause. I have been asked to help teach some community health classes as the need arises and I am really looking forward to this. All of this also allows me to increase skills that I have used little as a hospital and intensive care/burn nurse. I need to get my application turned to complete my BSN online. I have it all filled out but have yet to turn it in. Why do we do things like that? I'm sure Dr. Phil would have a very interesting answer.

Yesterday I also met with Terese who is co-facilitator in the Bible study. She is such a blessing! I have never met a truly more joyful person. When I look at her I see Jesus and it fills my heart with joy. She is a living example of what it means to be a contagious Christian. I love our Bible study. This past week's lessons caused me to stop and think about what my priorities are as a Christian. What I am allowing to hinder my walk with Christ. I discovered that I allow busyness to hinder me. I put Him off " 'till later " because I have all these things that I think I must do "now". The thing is that when I put Christ first and spend time in the Word and prayer every day and really make Him my priority, all these collateral things fall into place. That's not to say nothing ever goes wrong, but that because my focus is Christ, my attitude is better, my soul is calmer, my faith is stronger, and I believe my light shines brighter.

OK. On my way to PWOC now. Have a great day everyone!

Back from the Alps

Hello. Sorry I haven't posted in so long. Hubby and I have been in the Bavarian Alps. We went to the summit of Zugspitz which is the highest peak in Germany. We rode the train to the cable car station and then took the cable cars up to the summit. After looking so long we took another cable car down to the glacier and then took the train back to town. On Thursday we went to the Neuschwanstein castle. It is the last castle of Ludwig the second of Bavaria. This is the castle that Walt Disney patterned Cinderella's castle after for Disney world. It was wonderful but boy did we do a lot of walking and climbing. We took a horse and carriage ride up to the base of the castle then we had to climb a LONG WAY up to the castle itself. Once it was our turn for the tour, we went in and they had us go up a stair case. I was thinking to myself, OK so we start on the second floor. Well we went up a total of about 167 steps that day. Then of course back down them and down the mountain to the horses. Then we decided we didn't need the horses to go down hill. So, we walked all the way down the mountain and into the town. The next day my hips were complaining, but by Saturday all was well. What a fun time!

I have a busy week ahead. Lots to do to make up what I couldn't do this week. It's good to be busy. "Empty hands are the devil's work shop." lol.