“Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God”

J. Oswald Sanders

You would think I would have much more time on my hands considering I really don’t have a house to clean.  Though our bedrooms are a mess, it’s hard to keep organized when things are topsy turvy. I don’t even know where most of my stuff is. Not that that’s a good excuse for not making the bed, but I’ve never needed a good excuse for that. (I’m in the “I’m going to sleep in it anyway” camp.) My SIL is fab and we have settled into their spare bedrooms. It’s not like home, but it is a blessing. I’m just hoping we get the chance to repay that blessing to them one of these days. I’m pretty sure our dirty socks really aren’t doing the job my kids think they are.

Crazily enough though, I don’t feel like I have a lot of extra time. While applying for jobs I am volunteering at a couple of local museums, mostly to feel out their programs and see how they do things, which has been both boring and entertaining. Yesterday I spent time at a semi-living history sight. I applied for an educational assistant position last week for this museum, but didn’t realize that meant dressing and playing the part of a 1904 school teacher (right down to the slamming the yardstick on the desk and scaring the pee out of small children) I’m not sure that is going to work out…….  

But things have been busy. Kids are everywhere for the summer. Church camp, Texas, China, Montana, Manhattan and here.  Before we know it summer is gone, Em leaves for college on the 17^th of August and Caleb the week after. Poor Ethan is stuck with us all by himself after that. My classes start again on the 26^th.

Randy has an interview tomorrow. The position looks promising, but honestly several have at this point, only to not go anywhere afterwards. Two positions we have felt great about disappeared because the company decided not to fill them at all. He is on hold for the one in Florida where the company is going through a merge. They put all hiring on hold in time to cancel his third interview.  He interviewed with one company in KC that was all fired up about him and asking him to call next week to continue and not to take another offer without letting them know blah blah blah. When he called back no one responded to voice mails so we assumed they weirdly had changed their minds. Then a six weeks later another call saying sorry they got caught up with lower hires but were ready to pursue him again was he still interested? Then no response to emails or calls again. What the heck?! I have an all new appreciation for what people go through trying to find work.

People think they experience peace when life is in order and things are good. But reality is that peace is something offered only by the presence of a living God whether life is good or bad. It’s hard to explain really, it’s like describing ice cream to someone who can’t taste. There is no foundation for understanding what’s missing when you haven’t experienced what is being described. Suffice it to say that God is offering our family peace right now. Life is good because God is.