I Have A Confession To Make

Fourteen years ago yesterday ...


2 Samuel 24:10-25                                                   August 3
Joseph; Kelly @ UNC-Wilmington                         10208.03

And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the hands of the LORD; for his mercies are great: and let me not fall into the hand of man. 14


Lord, please open my eyes and give me the strength to do what's right in Your eyes. I've gotten a good night's sleep, but I still have this cold hanging on. Lord, let me thank You even when I'm not feeling too thankful. I can still open my eyes. Amen.


Turtledove, Harry. Worldwar: Upsetting The Balance. Ballantine Books, 1996.

The third book of the Worldwar tetraology is the best -- just don't be too disappointed by this edition's cover. Defection, mutiny, and the unease of the would-be world-conquering Race get paid back tenfold. In this alternate history [what if the world had been invaded by aliens at the height of World War II? -- D.], the Battle of Britain and the race among humans to develop atomic bombs and use them to even the odds takes up a good part of the book, but the author doesn't neglect his characters. By this novel, he's really making them -- and several bombed cities -- come off the page.Those nights and days at home ...

Because we are trying to rein ourselves in with a budget after the craziness of the North Dakota State Fair as we're coming to school-starting season three weeks from yesterday, we're planning to eat a lot more at home. And with our parsing grocery budget and well as long-term health plans, a lot less too.
I'm neither entirely at fault nor entirely innocent on this, I admit ... I just find it hard to compete with tablets and TV, and whenever I say something about something I feel is wrong or have a question about it I feel like I'm shouted down for it. Last night the kids gave me a funny look and I snapped to not look at me like I've got a disease!


I do the dishes and I fold the clothes, Martha's not happy. I don't do the dishes and don't fold the clothes, Martha's not happy. And I'm confused -- yes we want the kids to do the chores without our asking them, but I think I place a higher priority on them; at least when I get home several hours after they do I'm fool enough to think that they would tell me they had a half dozen errands to run first.
Though last night, in all fairness, Martha did call and tell me about Trinity's family night at Roosevelt Park Zoo where they got to see the animals and enjoy ice cream while I finished out my workday. And NO, she didn't rub it in.


I just place -- or at least I think I place -- a higher priority on what needs to get done around our house than I do what family thinks of us. Or me. And if it's me doing it again and again and again, even the most fun and stimulating and helpful activity gets to be drudgery. I could really use some help. Though I especially thank God -- and thank Martha -- that dinner the last two nights has been filling and we've had no leftovers! Tuesday night was the pot roast I had cooking for ten hours that we had the hardest time finding the roast for once it was done, last night was a cheeseburger macaroni dinner. If we know just what we need and trust it will be supplied, how much happier we can be.


AND since school is approaching as I said, we're starting to move the kids' bedtimes back (and my wake-up time back as well; Martha's work time with Trinity has pretty much stayed the same) to get us all ready to get up when we're supposed to arise! And with Sarah playing the flute in band next year, I have to get her and Jeffrey to school earlier than I have been -- in a way I won't mind that but I'm sure there are days ahead I will really notice it. I want Martha to notice I'm taking more of the strain off her, and I DON'T want her working all the time, but I can't make that happen any more than I can make the sun rise.


How about we end this with a riddle?

This one's from last night, and I write them for Martha, Sarah, and Jeffrey. It gets them thinking.

Fifty firsts make up one of me.
I'm not the best known in D.C.,
But through many battles you'll see
My name; it's often paired with Lee.


Who am I?David (that's not the answer!)