My dog teaches me lessons.

Spikey has a harrowing way of following me around the house; from room to room, right behind me. I hear his little nails hit the hardwood floors. His i.d. tag jingles noisily. Nine times out of ten I get annoyed with him. He’s so little that if I change my step quickly, I trip right over him. When I’m cleaning or doing things around the house, I get in a mode and usually don’t like to get ‘off course’. I can be a bit scatter-brained and so when I’m thrown off-track, sometimes I forget where I was and what I was doing.



I’ll tell him to go lie down. I’ll give him a treat but shortly after get flustered because....sure enough, right when he’s finished eating it, where is he? Under my feet.



I’ve realized, though, that when I take the time to just bend down (he’s a tiny boy) and pet him, give him kisses, and talk to him, he’ll just happily prance away and go play with his toys or do what he does best: be our neighborhood watch dog by making sure no little creatures cross or persons pass by without him knowing about it and giving everyone in the house a little verbal warning.



Maybe he’s teaching me something. I need to not be so busy that I don’t appreciate the people (and animals) in my life. That it’s okay to be thrown off-track; it’s the little, even sometimes mundane, things in life that can bring us the most joy, if we take the time to appreciate them and see them as blessings. God designed it this way! He enjoys watching us do everything from work in our gardens to cooking to playing with our pets. Let’s enjoy the mundane while today is still called today!



Thanks, peanut (aka spikey), for reminding momma about the importance of being thankful. : )

Ash

         This girl just makes me smile. : )

Please God Have Mercy!

Our beautiful ocean and beaches are being destroyed by the continual flood of oil that has yet to be contained from the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, the largest offshore spill in U.S. history, which began on April 20, 2010. We need to pray!! 2,500 square miles have already been affected. How much more? My heart is deeply saddened. Seeing pictures of the wildlife, the people who live along the Gulf of Mexico...just breaks my heart.

Change is a'comin'!

Tonight when I get home, I will be applying for the Post 9/11 GI Bill. This bill is different than the Montgomery GI Bill, which I'm currently using to go to school part-time. The new bill pays directly to the school and, along with that, I will receive a monthly installment of BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing). Also, I'll receive a book and supplies stipend at the beginning of each semester. The catch?? The only way I can receive 100% educational benefits would be to go to school full-time, including one course a semester here at a local school. Right now I'm only enrolled in a Distance Learning Program, which was the easier choice when I was active duty and unsure of my future duty locations. Another drawback to doing this is that, unfortunately, the application process could take anywhere up to five months. Leave it to the Veteran's Administration to do everything at a glacial pace.

With that being said, come August (hopefully?!), I will be quitting my full-time job at Customs and running full-speed towards the finish of my Bachelor's degree; and then (FINALLY) moving on to finish my MA in Counseling Psychology. This year has been a whirlwind for me. I've seen God's hand in every area of my life, whether I was willing to admit it at the time or not. I've been 'comfortable' with my job for over 3 years. Going to school part-time, Navy Reserves, church, social life...you know, a routine. But I haven't been that settled every since, well, sometime this past January. I knew there were some things I would be stepping into (and out of) that would take me out of my comfort zone. We're always changing, right? I'm never one to back away from change. This should be a great time in my life as I'm working towards my dream with everything I can muster. Scary thing is, remembering my propensity to start things and not finish them has been more than overwhelming at times, threatening me with thoughts of failure. When those thoughts come, I will need to consider the mercy of God. He's been preparing me for this long before I even became conscious of the fact that I would become a full-time college student at 31. I'm debt-free as of this year (HALLELUJAH!), another member has been added to our team here at work and she's quickly learning the procedures, so she'll be a great asset and a fitting replacement for me; I won't feel as if I'm leaving my credit card team of 5 hanging out to dry. My best-friend and roomie is moving out, on a good note, of course, this July and so I'll have a relentless amount of time for study and quiet. Without a doubt, I will need it.

More to come as this transition progresses. Prayer and encouragement is extremely coveted at this moment. :)