life in Texas

i've been in Texas for nearly two weeks. a few days after i arrived, my dad was released from the hospital, so i've been here taking care of him.

my days consist of making breakfast, lunch, and sometimes dinner. every four hours i have to give him some medicine. once a day i walk down to check the mail and feed the horses. the rest of my time is spent encouraging my dad to exercise, using the Internet, watching TV, or going to the grocery store. all the other stuff my mom takes care of either before or after work.

things, overall, are going ok. my dad still can't breathe, but he's learning how to deal with it better. he's on oxygen 24/7. the physical therapist comes out three times a week and works with him and has given us at-home exercises to do. he's getting stronger every day as far as muscles in his legs go, but his lungs aren't getting better. nature of the beast, apparently.

the Lord has really been faithful in blessing me with strength, patience, and contentment. i've been really surprised in my ability to talk with both my parents, during conflict even, and be of help.

right now this is where i'm supposed to be and i am content with that. as for my future, i don't know what God has in store for me. i have to wait for that day to come when He chooses to reveal it to me. otherwise, i will continue my work here.

P.S. my house is still for sale. i've had a few more showings, but no offers yet.

help!

i am going to Texas ... don't know how long i will be there, but am staying flexible. basically you can call it a visit since my house hasn't sold yet. therefore, for all those in Colorado, you WILL see me again. as my dad would say, "is that a promise or a threat?" well, both, probably. :-)

in preparing to go there, i've realized how much i failed the last time i was there. my dad was at home for one week and in the hospital for the second week of my visit. and i really didn't handle the situation well at all. basically i withdrew into my mom's camp of the negative and critical natures that are so much a part of me. i withdrew from my dad because i didn't know how to handle him being sick, irritable, at home, and in the hospital. i've never had to do this before, so my first attempt should naturally be awkward and imperfect. however, i still feel badly about it.
and so, for my second attempt, i pray i will be better. i pray i will seek the Lord's wisdom when my dad says, "no, i don't feel like walking." i pray i will not be so critical of everything he does or does not do. and i pray i will find understanding in his situation so i can better relate to him.

overall, i'm not really sure what the Lord has in store for my time there, but i pray, mostly, that i will be a vessel for His love. other than that, i just ask for help from Him to keep me strong and open. i know for a fact that i can't succeed without Him.

tell me a story!

so i went away for about 10 days to visit friends in Florida and Maryland. during the trip, i requested of my friends, "tell me a story!" for whatever reason, none of them were very creative.

being back from Guatemala, i realized i shared too much on this site about my life there. so much so that those who actually read the blog now know everything and don't need to ask any questions, therefore, i don't really get to share any stories.

i can't remedy the problem now, but i have learned what not to do next time.

and so, i will now share about my trip to FL and MD...

i went to Animal Kingdom at Disney World and felt like a kid again. i very much enjoyed myself, but was slightly disappointed in the safari ride. in MD i walked around a VERY large mall, played lots of games, attended a very good concert, felt like a kid again (or at least a teenager), and said a couple of times, "tell me a story!"

i just told you a story, now you tell me one.... :-)