Change is not Easy

Change is not easy!

After 20 years in the same salon, it was hard to leave.  There were so many reasons to leave but not the ones that usually prompt a change.  

This summer was the summer of no tan, no swimming and no vacation for me.  I took on a new career or rather two new careers.  The first as the Coordinator of Pastoral care for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.  This lets me do work in a ministry area that is close to my heart by leading the chastity talks to the youth in our area, hoping to make a difference in the choices they make upon entering high school.  In other words, maybe they can do things in a better way than I did.  I also get to coordinate Project Rachel which helps women who are suffering from post abortive stress.  1 out of 3 women have had an abortion and many suffer the forbidden grief that Project Rachel tries to heal. 

As if that was not enough, I took on the position as Director of Community Life at St. Johns.  This position is about energizing our parish and engaging parishioners. As a "HOLY EVENT PLANNER" I hope to motivate parishioners to live in community and form lasting friendships, helping them to live an authentic family life. There is much work to be done and with the help of the Holy Spirit I hope to do the work I am called to effectively. In case you are wondering, I am still homeschooling and yes I do think I am a slight bit crazy. 

All of these changes make it quite impossible to work many hours as a stylist and God willing I will be able to retire from that sometime soon.  I have a relationship with my clients and I love them so I have to try and hang on at least for a while which means a change in salons for me. This is bittersweet because leaving to work with my cousin, Kim as she chose a new salon makes me happy but leaving the comfort of a place I have been for 20 years and a boss I loved is hard.  I worked with her for 20 years and watched her daughter grow up into a wonderful woman.  But on my last day there were no warm goodbyes, hugs or understanding of why.  There was just a text message asking me to leave my key. Heartbroken, I left and waited until I got into the car to cry.  I have to make a choice to remember the good times, be grateful for the opportunity my friend Donna has given me to continue to be a part time stylist and create new memories with a new team.  

For I know the plans I have you, says the Lord, plans for welfare, not for evil, to give you hope and a future...Jeremiah 29:11

Not so SUPER lice

This is my laundry room. I am sure you are wondering why I am sharing a photo of my messy laundry room. There is a load in the washer, dryer, and I already took two loads upstairs.  All of this is bedding from a lice infestation that hit the Golden Kiddie Ranch. I wonder myself how everyone, including myself ended up with lice. I really thought all the scratching Jillian was doing had to be dry scalp because there is no way we could have lice AGAIN. I think we just became "that family". We have had lice a few other times and my house may become the one kids are banned from visiting. Every time a kid within a ten mile radius gets lice they will probably be asked if they were at the Goldens'. Odds of getting lice do greatly increase in a large family. I have to keep saying that so I don't feel so crazy over it.  I no longer get rattled. I calmly pick microscopic sized nits and bugs from my children's hair repeating to myself that I did ask God to give me girls. I am thankful that they have their fathers straight and not very thick hair as well as I'm picking through their head like mama monkey (although I'm not eating them.) Now I hear there is a super lice going around. My 12 yr old informs me of this as I am desperately trying to find every last one. So now the worry is they won't die. Oh dear Lord, please no!!! Kids are sleeping in one room to avoid a laundry crime scene such as this in the coming days. By the way, lice picking would be easier if I had my under 40 eye sight back but I can do it. And I will do it every day for 3 weeks until I want to shave the girls heads and say it's a hot new trend. So this is a big apology to all my friends who itch every time I text the word lice. Thanks for not shunning us and remember if you think bad things about us you will have to go to confession. LOL! 

Having lice is nothing compared to what my dear friend Jeanette is going through right now.  She tragically lost her son during a very brief deployment. She sits and waits in foreign country to return with her son Nathan's body.  Her husband and other children wait for her return as they mourn the loss of a child and brother. We continue to pray for her safe return as well as the repose of the soul of Nathan. As I spoke with Jeanette, for a moment I was thankful we had lice when she actually laughed out loud when I told her. It was nice to hear her laugh although I am not sure why it is funny. Ok, it's a little funny. 

Please pray for the Sudano and McDavitt family in this time of grief. 

I'm back!

It has been quite a while since I have been inspired to write this blog.  As I look back I realize many of the blogs I posted don't reflect who I am now. I even thought about starting a new blog and leaving this in the past.  But that is not the answer because who I am is because of who I was. I am not ashamed of my silly posts because every situation has helped me to grow as a person, mother, wife and friend.  My family does funny things and I have not taken the time to share and that is going to change. I could spend hours writing about the trials and amusement of homeschooling alone.  As I reflect on the posts of the past I wrote during dark times while trying to find some humor in the situations that were tearing me apart.  Nothing and everything changed all at once.  I surrendered to the only One who could help me.  I surrendered slowly until my heart became full of love and forgivesness.  Now I am that wierdo, the "religous girl", church lady, etc... and that is okay.  I am still the same silly, miller lite drinking, camping girl but now I have someone tagging along with me in everything I do.  Everyone should get to know Him because you will never be alone again and I promise you can handle things much better with His help. The dark times I spoke about could not touch what this family overcame recently but as hard as they were I had hope.  
When the restaurant closed I wasn't sure if I should be happy or sad.  I was so sad for Joey who had spent the last few years working hos fingers to the bone.  Sad that he was wronged by his partner when Joey is so honest.  I was happy for myself and the kids to have him back but unsure how he would fit back into our lives after so long.  And then the biggest obstacle we had to face was financial.  We struggled through for awhile and then nearly lost our home.  Stress was definitely the greatest struggle for me and daily I prayed for a solution to the situation so we were not on the street. Thank God for being granted a modification on our mortgage so we could stay in our home.  I realized that all the times I had longed for a nicer, bigger home that none of that matters. I have never been so happy to just keep our home. People have been generous to us, helping with the kids tuition and prayng for us. We are not fully recovered by any means but we are thankful, hopeful and happy. There are many other things that jumped in our way and knocked us down during the last 18 months but we kept getting back up and trudging forward. This family has faith, hope and love even when we are yelling at one another!
It is time to revive this blog and share my "Golden" moments at the "Golden Kiddie Ranch" so stay tuned for posts to come.
This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad.  Ps 118:24