Seeking Radiance in the Routine: 2009

It's great to be in the routine of daily life after the Christmas and New Year hoopla. I love the holidays, but I tend to be a methodical kind of gal. We are moving right along with homeschooling this year. Dan helps with this, which is quite nice! I work 3-4 afternoons each week. I started cleaning houses about the middle of last year. I have really been blessed with some wonderful clients! One family has three children; I am there about 10 1/2 hrs. each week. They have really provided a great opportunity for me. This is the only place where I do laundry. Laundry is one job I really enjoy, so this works out just fine with me. The other house which I clean each week is very large, including 7 bathrooms. Fortunately, I only clean one level each week. The couple is absolutely awesome! She started really spoiling me by having on her modern-day player piano around the holidays. It's quite amazing! She likes some of the classical music that I enjoy, so it makes the work pleasurable. The other two cleanings are bi-weekly.

We have had our share of snow and cold weather. I believe we have had snow since Nov., with about 14" being the most accumulation. I love it!

This past Sunday we had our annual Sanctity of Human Life service at church. It's always good to be reminded of the value God has placed upon life. With tender compassion I would love to one day know that I have in some way been a persuasive voice for the aborted child or the euthanized elder person of our nation.

Quote for the Week:
"If we teach a young mother it is okay to take the life of her own child in the womb, we inevitably pull the thread that permeates the entire garment of the sanctity of life — forever."– Martin Palmer, pro-life advocate

I guess if I don't update my blog I might be wishing everyone a Happy 4th of July before I know it.

A whole lot of living has gone on around here since my last post... some great and wonderful days with family and friends, some sick days of being cooped up inside, some frustrating days with no electricity due to a wind storm.... But, alas, this is the "stuff" life's made of I suppose.

We did enjoy spending Christmas in Indiana, but we all came down with the flu while there. So I didn't really get many pics.

When we returned home late Monday evening, still not feeling very well, our electricity was out due to a wind storm. We decided to light some candles and a small propane heater and brave the cold temps. Clayton was so excited. He kept saying, "I like living off the land." However, when we woke the next morning and could see our breath in the air, he kind of had different feelings about "living off the land". Ha! So, the next night we made other arrangements, and a couple of days later, we were ever so thankful to have electricity!

I have a new position to fill this coming year at our local church. It seems kind of huge to me, but I'm excited about the prospects. Our very faithful missionary president of many years moved away to St. Louis, MO. recently. We miss the Black family very much. Anyways, I was asked to fill the vacant position. I'm looking for all the resources I can get my hands on for ways to promote the missions program in our church. We will major on some home mission (local church) projects here at the outset. I think I will use the theme "The Worth of a Soul" for our next Missions service.

In family news, my Grandpa Sneed broke a bone in his hip a couple of weeks or so before Christmas. So it seemed very different not to have my grandparents with us when we gathered for exchanging gifts, etc. With the condition of his mind, it has been a difficult time. From what the social worker said, he seems to be in the moderate stage of alzheimers. About 10 years ago when we first moved here to Rochester, Grandpa came to preach for us. He just didn't seem to be himself. Dan told a few of us when we returned to the house that he thought Grandpa had alzheimers. A short time later they moved back to southern Indiana from Illinois. He was traveling by himself at night with the moving caravan to their new home when he ended up almost at a former parishioner's house. Since then, different things have continued to happen which have made our fears a reality. One of the most sad things is that Grandpa has known at times that something is wrong. Such signs as putting on two shirts or leaving the car door open everytime he would get out of the car are just a few of the mild occurances that have taken place. It's hard to see someone you love go through this. I know of no one who has been so faithful to love and care for their spouse than Grandma. She spent every night with him in the hospital. She said he would have times of dramatically praising the Lord. Anyways, to wrap this up, Grandpa had to be placed in a nursing home this past Monday. The facility is a new one in Jasper, IN. The family reports that it is very nice, smells clean, etc. He seems to have adapted fairly well so far. Friends have been so wonderful to visit and send words of cheer. My thoughts and prayers are with them. They invested so much in my life when I was younger... I do wish that I lived closer to them at this time.

Here are a few totally random pics from the holidays.

1. Clayton with a fleece blanket I made for him.
2. Amber and Clayton waiting to eat one of Mamaw's delicious breakfasts.
3. Dad giving Grandma one of her gifts. (She had the flu, so was in her robe and hair net :-)
4. Grandpa with a gift.
5. Mom enjoying Bensen.
6. 2 sisters with cheesy smiles and electric skillets (which I'm enjoying and using a lot!)
7. Dan with his gift certificate to White Steamer... Ugh! But so glad he enjoyed it.
8. My nephew Carson (Boy did we have a time with him! He's so much fun!)