Friday night I came home from work with a sore shoulder. Robyn was a little upset because she wanted to do some real yard work over the week end and I am her pack mule. As I sat in my recliner resting my shoulder my very hyper-active teenage son came in with his equally hyper-active friends. They were amped up to go to the Waukee football game. In the predictable rough housing that followed, I somehow got punched in the leg more than once. Now I have a bad leg and a bad shoulder. If you think I am over reacting check out the knot on my shin...
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| even my ankle is messed up |
Because Robyn cares for me so much she thought it would be best if I "walked it off" so she put me to work anyway. On Saturday morning we dug out all the old flowers behind the garage and also pulled up the sod to make the garden area a little larger. We loaded the dirt in my truck. This picture dosen't do justice to the work we under took.
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| actually about 30 feet long and 4 foot wide |
We laid a border along the front, then Canyon and I headed for a house in the country where they had a sign that said clean fill dirt wanted. I believe that means no construction debris. When we pulled up to the entry I saw a sign that said no sod. So we went on a drive across Iowa on dirt roads looking for a place to dump a truck load of my yard. We drove at least 50 miles in search of a spot where we wouldn't get in trouble for dumping but couldn't find a good place. Then Canyon suggested an abandonded farm house just down the dirt road from a house where our friends used to live. It was the perfect spot. Surrounded by overgrown trees and weeds, and it was about two miles from our house. I backed into the almost hidden driveway very quickly and slammed on the brakes trying to get the load to slide out of my truck. No such luck. We grabbed some shovels and scooped like crazy. We finished unloading and called it a day.
Sunday I picked up my friend and we all went to church. It was a service about sharing God's love through your own story. The story of where you were, where you are now and where you are going. I thought about how, in the future, my friend's story could effect someone who is in the same place he is now.
After the service we were able to meet with Pastor Tom (finally) and listen to his wisdom as well as share some words of encouragement. After hearing my friend's story, and it's a doozey, Tom offered a suggestion along these lines. Most of the time when we find ourselves in dire straights, it is the culmination of the choices we made. Usually those choices were not thought out or made without regard to the consequenses of our actions, and almost always without any thought of God. One bad decision will lead to another, and that one to another and so on until you find yourself alone and afraid. To turn your life around the answer is clear. It's not about you. It's about Him. If you have accepted Jesus as your savior, then pray before you make a decision. Pray intentionally and listen intently for an answer. Make your life Christ centered instead of self centered and the fog will lift. It won't happen over night, you won't pray and open your eyes to see a chior of angles surrounding you but your life will change. And one day you will look back and see this day as a moment in time when your life did a 180.
So much more was talked about and shared, I hope my friend will meditate on the things we talked about and I pray that he chooses to follow Christ. Time will tell.
Monday at work we put the finishing touches on a table for a client's patio. It has beer bottle glass and pea gravel trails intersecting through it.
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| love the pattern |
Robyn's boss asked us to go out to dinner with them and another couple. We decided on Ohana's Steak House. One of those places where they prepare your food at your table. Our chef was quite the jokster. He tried to pose for a picture but I was shooting this video.
The mornings are getting kind of chilly. I take a dirt road out of Waukee on my way into work (just because I like the scenery) and I thought this fog bank was interesting..
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| eerie |
At work I have been making the molds for a set of fire places. They will be cool once we get them installed. Here is the small one ready for processing.
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| left side, right side and mantle (yellow ones) |
With the cooler mornings it makes me think about the coming winter, so we contacted or firewood guy and got a load delivered. Even though I don't like winter, I am looking forward to fires in the fireplace. Here is a picture I snapped of the woodmen.
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| I don't think he likes the paparazzi |
Friday night Robyn was going to go pick up the boys from work. I heard a loud noise and I thought the garage door had fallen on her car as she left the garage. I ran to the door to find Robyn locked in a tug of war with my truck. Her bumper was wedged into my bumper and she tried pulling away before I could stop her. It ripped her bumper off the car. It was hanging by a thread. I was told it was my fault. What? I guess I shouldn't have parked my truck in the exact same spot I have been parking for the last 8 years. It turns out that was not what she meant. I should have been going to get the boys because she claims to have night blindness. She may not live this one down for a while. With her little accident and my speeding ticket we aren't setting a very good example for Canyon. Luckily the damage to my truck was minimal. We will have to wait until Monday to find out what our insurance company has to say.
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| the results of night 'blondeness' |
Saturday we made a trip to the garden center to pick up some plants that were on sale. I drove.
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| Look at the pretty flower |
We had to make a stop at the landscape company to pick out some rocks for a border. It was kind of fun digging through the pile to find the rocks we wanted. It was a little tuff on my ankle though. They sell the rocks for 100 bucks a ton. After we had picked out quite a few rocks we thought we shouldn't spend that much money but when we went in to pay it was only about a third of that.
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| not really the right shoes for rock climbing |
Here is a pic of the garden area so far. I think it's gonna be nice.
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| looks almost professional. |
We have to work at church in the morning. It is going to be a special service for the 10th anniversary of 9/11. It should be really good. I will post about that and about an end of summer party we are going to tonight in my next blog. Until then, remember to pray intentionally. God listens. Don't just go through the motions.
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| This guy just goes through the motions |
Peace
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