So, our Branch President has been bugging Ken about coming to work for him. Not necessarily better $ at first, but better hours, benefits, and closer to home. Ken went and interviewed there Monday and now he's got a new job! At the Detention Center (aka Jail) as a Corrections Officer.
You'd think I'd be nervous and anxious about it. Nope. Either I'm so distracted, exhausted, busy, whatever that I'm not ready to wrap my brain around it or the Spirit has kept me calmed. Or maybe it's just another change and I'm inured to it after all these years. I prefer the spiritual answer.
However, we have had a couple of talks. I don't want his work to come home with him and he needs to watch his spiritual levels. I am not naive about what goes on in there; neither is he. If anything, his Asperger's could be of benefit to him since he will be able to hold his emotions apart from the situation. And, yes, there will be training: self-defense, tasers, weapons. Not sure how I feel about that. Jonathan has a rifle, Ken will be learning about weapons. Maybe it's time to take the family to the shooting range!
COOK AND BAKE AND BAKE AND COOK
I had two more SM (Sisters to Minister to) to visit this week, so my kitchen was redolent with nutmeg and cinnamon and pumpkin. Due to assignment confusion - Is one my companion or my MS? - I took one with me to visit the other, bread in tow.
When my MS (Ministering Sister) called me to find out about how my SMs were doing, I explained the confusion. Which confused her. The Branch is having a hard time figuring this stuff out. At least, the RS is. So, I'm just going with the flowing of my own making. As long as they know someone out there cares for them, I guess it doesn't matter. And I can do that.
ASSESSMENTS
This was the last week of Seminary before the new year. I only had three official lessons with the assessment set for Thursday and reviewing it on Friday (with something special added).
One of my students took her assessment last week because she was flying out to Boston on Thursday to help transport cats for a couple in our Branch moving out there. Crazy, I know, but if I wasn't allergic to cats and had the time (which I would never!), I would have LOVED to have done it. She comes back Saturday, though, which is good. She's a big part of the Christmas program on Sunday.
Other than that, everyone was present and accounted for Thursday and Friday. Friday, a sister in our Branch had provided breakfast (muffins, fruit, juice & milk) for our class. We reviewed the assessment, everyone passing, and then I had prepared a special Christmas lesson.
I had focused on gifts. First, we talked about the gift of our Savior, and then what gifts we could offer him. Watching a 5-minute Fireside from Brad Wilcox, I appreciated the quote: "Any gift is special when it is given with love."
But my favorite was showing a clip from Mr. Krueger's Christmas where he imagines himself in the stable at the foot of the baby Jesus. Jimmy Stewart gives a touching performance as he bares his souls to the Christ child. I used that opportunity to have my students write what they would say to the Savior if they were in Mr. Krueger's place. They wrote that on special stationary and put them in envelopes to open again on Christmas and keep in a special spot where they could always remember. The Spirit was so strong! I had been wondering what gifts I could give to my students and a greater testimony of the Savior through the witness of the Holy Ghost was the best thing I could offer!
RAISING VOICES & TESTIMONIES IN SONG
In between all of that other stuff, was rehearsal and practice. Wednesday after YW; Saturday afternoon, right before Church on Sunday. Suffering from allergies on and off the last two weeks, both Analiese and I were praying that our voices would hold!
Our family was well-represented. Ken was conducting (for the month of December), Jonathan gave the opening prayer, and Analiese was the program narrator. She and I sang a duet (Away in a Manger) per her request. I also sang a duet in English & Spanish with a marvelous soprano from our Branch (Star Bright). I played the piano for the meeting in general, as well as a solo (Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring), and a duet with one of my student's on the violin (Come to the Manger). There was a flute duet (Still, Still, Still/Fairest Jesus) and a piano duet (O Holy Night).
Ken had started things off by telling the congregation that this was an opportunity to feel the Spirit and increase our testimonies of the Savior. It certainly was! Music is my favorite part of Christmas and, as a child, this is how I learned to recognize the Spirit. And I'm so grateful that I was a part of it. I don't often get to sing, and I was nervous. But it was all lovely.
CUP OF BLESSINGS OVERFLOWING
It all started Wednesday. Ken told me I had to go to the Detention Center (oh joy) to pick up a Christmas treat that they gave all the Corrections Officers, even though he hasn't started yet. This was BP's doing, of course. I figured it would be a turkey or a ham, as Ken had suggested that. Nope. It was a turkey AND a ham, along with a bag of accompanying groceries. I had exclaimed to the officer helping to put it into my car that it was too much. He said it was normal; the warden was very generous at Christmastime. My freezer was filling.
But things weren't done. Thursday afternoon, the other BP counselor drove up to our house. He had a turkey and a pumpkin pie from the hospital, where he works. He said they had extras and, since we're only a couple of blocks from there, decided to drop one off for us. NOW my freezer was full. (except I lost the pie to my stupidity. It didn't make it to the freezer, but instead to the floor where a mouse - yeah, new fun - had a field day in it).
Amazing, right? It wasn't finished yet. Friday, the missionaries were over to dinner (we had three, including one back for a visit - it was wonderful!), when I received a phone call. And somehow, I decided to answer it. It was a piano tuner (from Norman, I think), who said that someone from my church was paying him to tune my piano as a Christmas gift! What an amazingly thoughtful, personal gift! I have no idea who it is...I have guesses, that's all. He's coming on the 31st to tune my piano!
I can't begin to say how much I feel blessed, and loved, by the people of our Branch. We were fearful that we might have to move (back to Altus) because things weren't working out financially. But now it looks like we're staying, with the full support of all those caring people at Church. We haven't been here a full year, but we've come to be close to them and they love us back!
PICS OF THE WEEK
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| Pom in her little hidey box! |
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| Jonathan is a Walgreen's Shift Lead now! |
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| A rare Christmas selfie! |
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