VBS Is Coming

Vacation Bible School time is a pretty big event for me (and it keeps getting bigger).   At that time, for the past several years, a sister who lives quite a distance from church (45 miles I think) comes to stay with me so that she can be close at hand to get her children in Bible School each year.  She also helps out.  It is much easier distance wise, time wise, and money wise to not have to travel that far each morning before Bible School and then again after it is over at noon.

I took advantage of her presence in the beginning and invited my grandson Blake to come and stay with me so he too could be in Bible School.  He lives quite a distance from me too and I don't get to see him regularly.

After the first year, realizing how challenging it was for my sister friend to ride herd on her children and Blake,  I decided I needed to take a vacation during that time to help out with the various things that arise in dealing with the needs of the kids.  So, for several years now, I have taken a vacation during our Bible School.

The number of children that we have to care for has progressively grown.  The sister brought two other children along with her own two last year-- a nephew and a friend's child.   And last year my other grandson Caleb was old enough to come and a step sister of his too.  So we had seven  kids last year.  This year it looks like we are going to have two more.

Anyhoo...   that means I need to GET PREPARED.

I pretty much just make myself do what has to be done to function.  Since I am all alone most of the time that means I do not have to give a whole lot of attention to the areas of my house that have begun to overflow with what is coming in.   I don't spend much time weeding things out.   Some of my kids have pretty much made a habit of making me their storage unit and since what they have brought in didn't get in my way it was never an issue.   But, trying to figure out how to house nine kids and two adults when I usually only have to think about where I'm going to bed down ONE person... well, that makes for PREPARATION.

That's a good thing.   Many people tend to put things off until they become a priority.    Things that should have done anyway.   So, it's not a bad thing that I've got a lot to deal with this stuff that been piling up.  And it's not a bad thing that I need to think of where nine kids and one other adult will sleep and keep all their stuff for our eight day Bible school. It's just a challenge.

I have four days of vacation that I have to take before that time, and because of the way things have stacked up at work, my boss and I agreed that it would be better for the work situation if I took them one day at a time instead of  altogether.   That really will work better for me anyway because having limited time to do things seems to put more pressure on me to "get at it" instead of thinking I have a whole lot of time, therefore, it won't hurt if I just.... do this.... do that... do the other... things that are not really directed toward what I need to accomplish.

I have today and tomorrow off.

This morning I will work here.  This afternoon I will give Jeni an opportunity to go get some dental work done.   Then I can come back and do more.... and I will also have tomorrow to work.  Then back to Hobby Lobby on Saturday by nine o'clock..

Things are really changing at work.  Change always requires adjustment.  I feel like the huge changes are a result of the earnest prayer that I have been doing over the work situation.  But just because I prayed doesn't mean that it's going to make it less challenging for me to get used to the changes that are being made.   I am happy for the differences but it is requiring more concentrated efforts for all of us.   Higher expectations mean you have to boost yourself up out of the groove you were used to flowing in and learn to do things a different way.   That's not a bad thing.  Just challenging.

In other words, my life is "challenging" both at home and at work right now.