Andrea O. Freeman

My week is nearly over thanks to flex schedule. I will miss having an extra day off, but I won't miss the longer days. I am looking forward to getting back to the traditional schedule next week. I can't believe July is almost gone...where did it go? Where did the summer go? It is just too short, too quick. Summer was so much longer when I was a kid. It has been fun, but school is approaching already. So much to do, and the daily schedule is about to become even more hectic than it already is. Rylee starts middle school, Bailey will be second grade and AJ is the big 3. I read about Paul last night in my quiet time, and specifically when he spoke in a town where he could only stay the night then head off the next day. He spoke for hours, til late at night and it apparently wore a guy out...in fact, he fell asleep and fell out a window! God gave Paul the ability to heal him and bring him back to life, what a miracle. It is cool to read about what God did through Paul....

It's a Monday, and it really was a pretty good day. I felt a little draggy today though, wishing I had one more day to enjoy before the work week started. I haven't had my quiet time yet, so I am certain God has something very cool to tell me tonight. It is a bit more quiet than normal around our house right now cause we are without two children. Having one child around is strange, but it is a nice break from all the noise, chaos, whining, bickering, etc. Rylee and Bailey are with my parent for a week and we'll join them later this week for a mini vacation. I am so ready. It ain't much, but it is what we can do this summer given the cost of fuel and food. I don't know how we make it each week. We are trying to tackle our debt, so our budget is going to be extremely tight for the next couple years. We need to do it, and we'll be so much better off in the long run because of it. I keep thinking God has a plan beyond these circumstances, and this will pa...

I was just thinking about how people have way too much to complain about and not enough to rejoice about. Actually, people are choosing to complain about stuff rather than choosing to rejoice! It's all in the choosing, isn't it? Yesterday I was talking with a coworker about how the past couple days in our office we have received more complaints from people calling from other departments. When she commented to one caller in particular about putting themselves in our place regarding the issue, she paused and said she hadn't thought about it that way. That seemed to shut her up. Well, what it will do to a person's attitude when they are asked to put someone else first. We don't do that often enough. Why not? It should start in the first moment of our day: How does it begin for you? Before I speak to a single person or arrive at work, every morning I have a conversation with God. It may not always be that interesting, or that long but I take time to do it be...

July has arrived, and although we are in the middle of summer school seems to be just around the corner for the kids. August 11 is Rylee's first day, they call it "Step Up" Day Camp. It is what the middle school does to give the kids a run through of what their day will be like. We'll get her locker, her pe uniform, schedule, supplies, etc. and she will be set to go first day, August 13. It just ain't right for school to start so early and summer to end so quickly. Today's a kind of blah day for me, headache and asthma troubles. Weather has a lot to do with it I'm afraid. We've got storms coming in, rainy couple days lately. I have gotten back on the "better lifestyle" wagon yet again. I am such a yo-yo. Deep down I really hate eating right and exercising and would love to be able to do what I want and eat what I want. Don't we all?! Well, reality is hitting me in the waistline and I don't like it when my clothes start fee...