Author Archives: Rick

Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes

Changes. Everything changes. Always.

Over the last few weeks there have been quite a few changes.

My oldest son has graduated from high school. Son number two spent a couple of days in the hospital and was separated from his appendix. In a couple of days he’ll turn 16 (huge changes for him). My wife received her official acceptance into grad school. And for me, the company I work for changed owners.

All of those changes are significant, but they also reflect stability and “sameness”.

The oldest son will continue his schooling, but it will be at the next level.

Son number two is all healed up and back to normal. He’ll turn 16 and get his driver’s license soon. Daily life will continue.

My wife will continue to be a nurse. She will also be going to grad school, but not much will change. She’ll be working during the day and studying in the evening and on the weekend.

I’ll still be performing the same duties and tasks at my day job. New logo. New shirts. Answer the phone in a different manner. But still the same.

You can do it by Kelsey Humphreys

We all go through changes. No matter what, change will happen. Stress tends to come with change. We worry about new people, new experiences, new ways of going about our daily tasks. But we adjust.

How do we adjust? When things are changing, what do you hold on to? Is there something in your life keeping you stabilized during changes?

 

A Prayer

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Father in Heaven,
I am so over it.
I’m done.
Finished.
I don’t think I can do it anymore.
What is happening?
Why is this happening?
I’m not blaming you.
I’m lost. Searching. Trying to find my way. Trying to find your way for me.
I haven’t asked you about it though.
I’ve been sinking and searching.
I’ve been floating along without a direction.
I’m at the mercy of the wind. No rudder. No sail. No compass.
I know you are my compass. Why haven’t I been using it?
What the heck is my problem?
At one moment I desperately want to know where to go, and at another I could care less.
Where?
Why?
Confusion.
Depression.
Apathy.
Help me Lord. Help me out of this funk.
Bring me back to you.
I want to desire you.
I want to grow our relationship.
Help me Lord. Please.
Crack open my heart.
Flow into me and fill me up.
Amen

Hospitals, Holidays, and Plans

It has been a week. A long and tiring week. I wasn’t feeling the greatest due to an extreme amount of tree pollen in the air, in my nose, in my eyes, etc. It seems particularly bad this year. I usually don’t have this much trouble with allergies until later in the year when the ragweed begins to bloom. But, my allergy issues aren’t really a problem when you consider what happened to my 15-year-old son.

Around noon on Friday he texted me to tell me he wasn’t feeling well. “My stomach hurts.” I told him to try to make it a couple of more hours to the end of the school day. No such luck. Within the hour he was in the school office and I was calling his older brother to pick him up and bring him home.

Long story short, he ended up in the hospital with appendicitis. Saturday afternoon his appendix was removed, and Sunday afternoon we were all back home. He didn’t sleep well (obviously), I didn’t sleep well, my wife didn’t sleep well.

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What a weekend.

Thank goodness it was a holiday weekend. We all had an extra day to recover. And for a bonus, I had Tuesday off.

Friday morning I commented to a few people about having four days off and absolutely no plans!

Ha!

Friday afternoon I began scribbling down a few ideas of what I’d like to accomplish over the four days. Oh well. We make plans. God chuckles. We adjust.

No yard work. No writing. No organizing the house.

I was able to read quite a bit.

While in the hospital we watched a few movies too. Not my ideal way to spend time, but it was relaxing.

I’m now looking forward to the next week or so, as school finishes for the year, and we can plan some activities as a family.

We’ll make our plans. God will chuckle. We’ll adjust.

Have a great week my friends!