Keep Me Sane!

Nine years and two kids ago ...

Isaiah 6:1-8 February 6

UNV-Reno and UCA-Davis students; Martha @ Ramstad [Middle School] 10402.06

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?

Then I said, Here am I; send me. 8

I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive those who criticize me unjustly.

Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

And that's what I want to do at work and whenever I'm out, reading people's name tags and using them in conversation. Ray's [my original boss who hired me … last September as I wrote this] back from his vacation, the majority of which he and his wife Cassie spent celebrating his grand-daughter's first birthday in Washington D.C. They all had a good time in a city that, since I went in the fourth grade [1981-82], I'm sure has changed a lot!

[This is followed by my review of John Barnes' The Sky So Big and Black, a photo of Angelina Jolie in a green evening gown out on the town, and the Ensign I'd posted for that day – February 6, 2004 was a Friday – titled, “I Will Forgive Even Those Who Don't Ask”.]

Today …

The last Saturday I was able to get to Breakfast With The Boys, that would be January 26^th, I remember bringing up how I've kept journals of my own for more than twenty years, and another person there commented why the heck would anyone do that – we don't need to be living in the past. And now as I think about Allan's comment, YES we don't want to live in the past, but we do want to know how we got to where we are. And my making visual written records of what was important to me then and is important to me now is how I pour out some of the thoughts I have. Who knows if my kids will learn anything from that after I'm gone, but they're seeing how it's important to me, keeps me sane.

Speaking of our kids, our youngest Jeffrey we elected to keep home from school today because early this morning (about 1:30) he was up and spewed all over his pants, socks, and the toilet with the lid down – just missed it. And the only reason I can approximate the time was because I woke up to use the bathroom and got to see it myself and clean it. When I was done I didn't even realize Jeffrey was on the couch until I looked. I had him change and go back up to sleep and then when the kids woke up at 7:30 am and were having breakfast Martha and I took a good look at him, felt his head, and decided he ought to stay home because his bathroom business was coming out both ends.

Of course, I did have to bring him to my mother-in-law Sharon's so I could get to work today, and by the time I left him with her and Martha's aunt Shirley visiting from Garrison, Jeffrey was back a little to his ornery self. He was ready to cry at our house because he thought we were – and for a minute I admit I was – mad at him for being sick on this one hundred fifth day of school, but I'm learning better. This gets to something I had revealed to me good for this year's Lent starting next Wednesday and going to Easter, but I'll get into that another day … as it is and as I am, I'm feeling more focused than ever and have to use that power for something good!

Any suggestions?

David