And just like that – February is almost gone!

I can’t believe that almost a month has passed since I last visited.

When I last popped in here, I was crocheting a scrapghan. I finished it and Ron delivered to the recipient. She said she started to cry when she opened it up. I am glad she liked it. I have already started another one. This time it’s going to be a large granny square.

As you know Ron totaled our truck on January 19th

as we were checking it out up close, I just kept saying “Jesus thank you for keeping Ron safe” The outcome could have been so different.

After looking at so many pictures of used cars, talking with coworkers, texting with my Bestie and her hubby we finally decided to purchase a new to us car – we went to look at a Trax but it had sold before we got to the car lot. Our salesman, Stefan was wonderful and listened to what we were wanting. He said he had a car that had just arrived. Okay, let’s check it out. After about 15 minutes he came back and said he wasn’t going to sell us that car – it had been purchased and returned, purchased again and returned again with some major issues. We appreciated his openness with us. He said they had a Hyundai Santa Fe…we said let’s check it out. He brought it around, we test drove it, we chatted and both said at the same time “this is perfect for us.” So back inside the dealership, Chevrolet of Wesley Chapel and we are now the owners of a 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe. The funny story about purchasing this car is that as we were driving home I told Ron “I really didn’t want a black car.” What a surprise when we went to pick it up on Friday, February 13 and it was a pretty midnight blue!!!

Blessing in Disguise ~ we have really started embracing “looking for the blessing in disguise” and has Poppa God shown up for us!!! I won’t go into all the details, but on February 3rd, Ron submitted his resignation/retirement at Charles S. Rushe MS where he has worked for the past 2 1/2 years. His last day of employment was 2/13/26 but his official last day of work was 2/12/26. Those were our plans – Poppa God’s plans were a bit different – on the afternoon of 2/10 Ron went into work expecting to work the rest of the week. After cleaning the school cafeteria he was handed a letter of reprimand and put on notice…so he walked into the principal’s office and said he quit. Mr. S said he understood and wished him luck. He walked up to his supervisor B and said I’m done, I don’t need your attitude/actions in my life. Gathered up his stuff and went out to the Expedition – what an almost flat tire! He drove to Mavis Tire and ended up purchasing 4 new tires. While he was waiting for the tires to be put on the car, he sent me the following text: I started thinking about how old the spare tire was. I asked the boss to check it out. The tire was the original from 2005 – never been used but definitely not a safe tire. If I hadn’t got mad at work, I wouldn’t have found the flat tire until 10:30p and there would have been nothing he could have done about it. I would have been screwed. God’s timing is impeccable!”

After I got home from work he told me they literally had to pound the tires to get them off. He would not have been able to get the tire off by himself. The date on the tires that were removed were 2015 – when we were in Gresham before moving to Waco, TX. It’s 2026!!! Thank you Poppa God for keeping us safe for all these years in the Expedition, for perfect timing of a flat and taking a difficult situation (Ron’s work atmosphere) and using the accident of the totaled truck to pay off the $800 a month payments which all allowed

And for that we are very thankful!!!

One of the nice things about Ron not working is that he made me dinner two nights this past week which was a true blessing as I was working 10 hour days! Yippee me!!! We managed to attend Bible Study ~ something we have both missed!!!

We ended the week with Ron driving B to Orlando so he could catch the train to Miami for work. I went to church this morning and had quite the talk with Poppa God. The message was about David, a man after God’s own heart. You can read the story in I Samuel 16 to 2 Samuel 12. The little nuggets I gleaned are:

• Poppa God looks at my heart, man looks at our outside appearance
• ? Where is my focus ~ looking faithful or living faithful

One of the songs that was played today was Stained Glass Masquerade by Casting Crowns. The words really spoke to my heart:

Is there anyone that fails?
Is there anyone that falls?
Am I the only one in church today
Feeling so small?
‘Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they’ll soon discover
That I don’t belong

continuing with:
Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles that hide our pain
But if the invitation’s open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we’ll close the curtains
On our stained-glass masquerade

• Nothing I say or do can be hidden from Poppa God.
• Hiding from Poppa God doesn’t work
• I am loved and accepted by Poppa God
• God’s mercies are new every morning.
• He is ever faithful; it is me who stumbles and falls.
• Even though my plans fail; His plans never fail

And as my Bestie tells me often!!!

As I walked out of church I found myself talking to Poppa God; telling him I really want to be the person He wants me to be and one of my biggest struggles is not getting caught up in the negativity that permeates my work environment. Please join me in praying that my involvement in the negative talk is kept to a minimum.