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| Celebrating after the spelling bee |
I'm a little distracted right now but it is time to say good-bye to another February.
It's quiet and everyone has gone to bed and my own pillow is calling but I'm still thinking about an email I received earlier today. I don't want to rehash the entire story but basically our 20-year-old rusty metal basketball pole was damaged in December so that it is no longer usable (unless you want to shoot baskets into a leaning net). I've been trying to get either the company who caused the damage or the company who hired the workers who caused the damage to take responsibility and make our old pole straight again (we're not asking for a new pole). The former company refuses to admit they had anything to do with this even though they had massive machines on our yard and were digging with a small excavator right beside the pole. The latter company answers their phone, listens to me, gives me a case number and then never calls. After receiving my third case number I asked to speak with a manager but they refused to speak with me as I am not their customer.
The email I received today was not helpful and I was getting riled up so I knew I should read my Bible and talk to God. I wanted an easy answer as to whether or not I should just walk away and move on and not become bitter, or, to keep trying to get justice. I'm amused by the parable that was in the chapter I was reading in Luke. It was the parable of the persistent widow in which a widow keeps going to a judge and asking for justice. It says that even though the judge neither feared God nor respected man, the judge said, "Because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming." (verse 5) Of course my first thought was that I need to be persistent in my call for justice concerning the basketball pole.
However, upon my second look at the verses I see that the message of the parable to Jesus' listeners is that "they ought always to pray and not lose heart." (verse 1) and that God gives "justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night." (verse 7) So, it's not quite as clear as I thought. Clearly I need to pray and ask for wisdom about next steps. My natural tendency is to fight for justice and to have a basketball pole that my kids can use and to not be out a bunch of money for something that we did not cause ... but on the other hand would I be more like Jesus if I just forgave and walked away? Actually, this may be an interesting question to ask the kids and see what they think.
Isaac came second at the Inaugural Waterloo Regional Spelling Bee. He is a great speller and hopes to be able to participate again next year. He also took part in the Coldest Night of the Year event this past Saturday with members of his youth group. We're going to try to all walk it next year. I've asked a friend to pressure me. Lily-Anna wanted to walk too but we didn't make it happen.
I'm just looking at my calendar to see what happened in February. Wow - Valentine's Day seems like it was a long time ago. I was able to continue my tradition of taking out each of the kids separately for a Valentine's treat on three separate days. They all chose to go to Starbucks for a hot chocolate and cake pop. Yum! Cake pops are so good!
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| Treats dropped off by a friend! |
Kohen, Graham, and Isaac were sick this month (Lily-Anna had it first at the end of January). Sadly, Graham and Isaac had to miss a concert when Graham was sick and then Isaac missed Valentine's activities at school when he was sick. We are all healthy now, PTL!
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| Baking on the snow day |
Well, I still have a little shortness of breath but it has decreased since I had Covid in January. I'm going for some sort of lung test this week to check things out. I do have an inhaler but I haven't chosen to use it as it hasn't been too bad.
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| Odometer: 222222 |
My church has a program for young adults and part of the program is to match them with a "sponsor" (someone to listen, encourage and pray). Graham was a sponsor to a young man and I've met a young woman a couple of times. What a privilege to be part of her life right now.
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| Playing at the park |
My kids opened some new books on Family Day. They were originally a surprise Christmas gift to find and open after all the other gifts were opened but I forgot about them. Then I left three wrapped books on the lowest shelf in their room but they never found them so after a month I hid them in my room to wait for Family Day. Christian children's books are one of my favourite things to buy and there are many amazing ones, especially picture books.
Kohen is counting the days until his birthday this weekend. He's going to be 9 years old!!! Wow!
It's time for bed!
Elizabeth
Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
