I changed my routine a little this year and decided not to publish an “end of the year” post and to post a “new year” post instead. I briefly contemplated providing a summary of my 2022 calendar, complete with the statistics of my fasting labs, doctor’s visits, ultrasounds, MRI’s, etc., but I decided against it.
The first week of this new year was a busy week but a good one. I will provide information about each day below:
On Sunday, January 1, I sang and played the piano at a local nursing home. I decided that this year, I would not obligate myself to sing and play every Sunday afternoon but only for the first Sunday of every month. Since the first Sunday was on January 1, that is when I held the service.
On Monday, January 2, I was off work for the New Year’s holiday. I used that time for completing some household chores and for coloring my hair.
On Tuesday, January 3, I took plastic, cardboard, and newsprint paper to the recycling center. My internet bill had gone up unexpectedly, as it does sometimes. I went by the local office to have that adjusted to a more reasonable fee by getting a “special promotional offer.” When I asked how long the promotion would last, the associate said that it was good for two years. I smiled at him politely and said, “Okay. I will see you again in two years.” I have been told that I sometimes have a mischievous gleam in my eyes when I am in that frame of mind. I don’t know for sure, I would say that my eyes were gleaming.
On Wednesday, January 4, I took some aluminum and tin to another recycling center and was paid two dollars and some coins. I wish that I were paid for all the plastic I recycle. I have more plastic than any other recyclable material.
On Thursday, I went to the hardware store and purchased some wooden dowels to use for bracing my windows in my seasonal home. Someone had torn the screen off one window and had apparently shaken the window enough to break the dowel that was in that window. I replaced the dowel with one that was a little thicker, and although I couldn’t straighten out the bent screen, I was able to get it placed back in the window. On Thursday evening, I packed my bags for a trip to my seasonal dwelling except for the items that I would be needing to get dressed and ready for work Friday morning.
Friday morning, I packed my car with the items I would be needing on my trip. I went to the gas station and filled up the car at lunch time. I bought a slice of beef pizza, also, to avoid having to go to another business for lunch.
These trips to the recycling centers, the hardware store, and the gas station all occurred during my lunch hour. For the rest of the day, I worked. I started learning something new at work this week. I also paid several invoices and assisted with the scanning process. My job is actually fun. I enjoy my work.
Friday afternoon, I left my office around five. I stopped at the post office and then headed for “the open road,” which in our town is called the bypass. It bypasses the city square and the courthouse and eliminates some traffic lights. It is a four-hour drive to my seasonal dwelling. I had some business which required me to be there; it was not a typical vacation weekend. However, since I try to make any trip fun, I had packed a couple of books, my journal, and, of course, I had my phone on which I have a few game apps. Since it is sometimes hard for me to immediately go to sleep after driving that long, it was nice to have something to do before getting ready to sleep. I wrote in my journal, “I am sitting at my table in [name of the town where the seasonal dwelling is located].”
I have plans for 2023, and I am trusting the Lord to bring them to pass. Toward the end of 2022, I believe the Lord spoke to me regarding five prayers that I have been praying for a long time. I feel that He said that He was going to answer all five prayers in close proximity and that He was going to answer them soon.
I have some medical appointments already scheduled in 2023, and I am waiting for a report of the findings of an MRI which I had done at the end of the year. My doctor’s office has already received two calls from me last week and will receive more calls during the upcoming week if I do not receive a call from them, as I was promised. The doctor had received the results last week but “hadn’t had time to look at them yet.” If you are not pro-active about your health, I encourage you to be. Some doctors’ offices not only “drop the ball”; they let it go flying all the way out of the court. A friend who used to be an athlete helped me with this metaphor. We worked it out together. In the situation I was describing, I knew that “dropped the ball” was a definite understatement. She helped me complete the more accurate comparison.
Whatever the year brings, I am trusting in God for a successful, healthy, holy, prosperous 2023.
Happy New Year to you and the people you love! (That should be everybody, of course.)
Kind regards,
Barbara Barkley for Faith Evermore
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