My Turn?

I have just been tagged. Since I’m a new blogger, this is my first time. My new bloggy friend, Annette at Annie’s Eyes, is the one who tagged me. I am to answer the following questions that will reveal a few things about myself. Annie did it so eloquently now it's my turn. (Annette, I'm not a writer so I will not flow from one subject to the other as you did.) Here goes.

What was I doing 10 years ago?
That would have been 1998 -- yesterday, right? How time flies! Our son was single, still living at home and in college. We had just returned from vacation in London. (We love to travel and enjoy experiencing different cultures.) I learned that I definitely do not like lamb (as a food).
We celebrated our 28th wedding anniversary that year. I made three trips to Louisiana that summer: 1 wedding and 2 funerals. My parents were both still living.

My five favorite snacks.
I really like chips and my homemade salsa. I like different snacks depending on the the time of year. Hot weather: iced coffee, fruit salad, ice cream (Blue Bell's Rocky Road is my fav ). Cold weather: coffee and hot chocolate. I am still a chocolate lover but not as much as I used to be. I can remember asking God to make me sick on it so I wouldn't like it any more. Uh...was that an addiction??

Five things on my "to do" list today: Freshen up my house. Wash my hair. My hair is short but it still takes about an hour to do since it is so-o-o thick. At the office I need to figure and pay taxes and complete my "to do" list there. I plan to stop by kid's house to check on my daughter-in-law and grandchildren. We have a new grandson that is 9 days old today *insert big smile*. Tonight I will be working in our Vacation Bible School. This week's schedule is much less hectic than it has been over the last several months. Note: It's possible that my husband will give me something new to do at the office that will change the course of my day (it happens fairly often).

Things I would do if I were a billionaire: First thing: pay my tithes then I would find ways to invest the rest for future use. It would need to be thought out with wisdom.

We have a dream for our retirement. It's not what most people choose to do. As I said above, we love to travel and experience different cultures. My husband has been a Senior Pastor for the past 36 years (we started r-e-a-l-l-y young:) ) After retirement, as the Lord provides, we plan to travel to different parts of the world to assist missionaries. We have been researching this for years with our missions families. At times they become homesick and long to be with someone from the home country. There are times they need to come home but have no one to take their place/pulpit for a short time.

Example of a need: More recently there was a young missionary mother (and friend of ours) with three small children who had to fly along with her little ones to their post in Ukraine. She was to have a surgical procedure right before she left. Her husband had to go three weeks ahead of her to receive their containers with all of their belongings. Had I not been out of the country myself, this would have been a perfect opportunity to assist her. The finances were available. I would have helped her fly with the children and stayed to assist her in setting up her home before returning to the USA. Instead, she had to go it alone.

Besides, loneliness and sickness there are times of marital stress. We desire to be used of the Lord to help meet the practical, spiritual, emotional, financial -- various needs that they encounter. We wish to be a blessing in all of these areas. We will not go through our headquarters but will go with their "blessing" as we have done in the past. Please know that our denomination takes very good care of our missionary families but sometimes missionaries just need a friend -- without going through the "red tape" of protocol. We will have the time and are believing for the Lord to supply the finances -- we choose to fund this ourselves.

So there you have it. Wow, couldn't much be done for the Kingdom with a billion $$??? I realize that God doesn't NEED our money, He wants our hearts.

Five jobs I've had: My first job in the corporate world was working for Owens Corning Fiberglas in Texas in the Personnel Department (aka: Human Resources). My next job was working as secretary for our Senior Pastor while my husband was Youth Pastor. Later we moved to Central Louisiana where my husband was Pastor (the only one) at a small church. I then worked at Pineville Kraft Corporation for the Vice President of Production. Next we moved to South Louisiana where my husband became Senior Pastor. We were there over 16 years. I didn't work at first but later my husband needed me in the Day Care. He needed to "see" it through my eyes and I stayed as Director for 13 1/2 years. Sixteen years ago we moved to Oklahoma, where we are now. My husband is Senior Pastor (there are three ministers on staff). I work in the office for him (I call it guarding his door - an inside joke) :) My college education was is business and I have used it in all of the jobs I've had.

Five bad habits of mine: Just five? Procrastination ... I've been working on this one. When I dread a job, I put it off to "think it through" and then when I jump in to get it done, I wonder why I thought it was such a big deal. (Perhaps giving it some extra thought pays off?)

When it comes to less important matters I'm not a routine person so my self discipline in things like exercise, dieting, taking my vitamins that make be gag, (sorry, TMI) are not done consistently.

My house is kept neat and clean, in fact, I might be a little OCD here, BUT ... don't look in my closet. I have too much for it's size and have a tendency to pitch things in there when I'm in a hurry. One time we were playing the "Oldy Wedding Game" at church. The question for the husbands to answer about their wives was: "If your wife were to be auctioned off, what is the one thing you would warn them about." His answer: "Her closet!" See, I'm begin honest here. However, I do stop and clean it fairly often but once I'm on a hectic schedule, running in and out, changing quickly, it goes to ruin again.

Considering what I've just told you, you may not believe me when I say I have a tendency to be a perfectionist. I nearly always see ways to improve things and that just drives my husband NUTS! I have to be careful because he takes it as criticism. My sister-in-law who is married to his brother says the exact same thing about her husband.

One more. Being late. To be fair, not late, just not early. I started being "there" just on time at one of the churches we pastored. If I came early, I had to deal with "talk" that I didn't like being a part of, so.... if I didn't arrive extra early, the problem was solved. I've been working on reversing that and I'm doing fairly well.

Five places I've lived: Oklahoma, Texas, Central Louisiana, South Louisiana and Oklahoma again.

Five random things people wouldn't know about me:
Don't fall to sleep here. I began taking piano lessons when I was eight years old and as an adult was church organist for years. I was queen at youth camp and I still have the trophy and pictures (no need to bow). For various reasons I have been interviewed on television, radio and over the telephone. I, too, was born and married in a year ending with zero and it does help with swift calculations. I love music; listening and making it. I am one among the soloists at church but I enjoy singing harmony in a group rather than by myself.

Five cds that I'd have to take on a desert island:
The one takes more thought. I'm assuming that there would also be some equipment there to play them on :) Hmmm.... I would definitely want some classical music by Mozart; or Paschal; Andrea' Bocelli's "Amore"; Travis Cottrell's "The Lamb has Overcome"; Chris Tomlin's "Arriving"; and teaching cds - 1 series. I appreciate so many styles of music. To be able to only choose five cds would be torturous. I love Rod Stewart's "American Songbook" series, the Gaither Vocal Band, Celine Dion, movie sound tracks and so much more.

Well, this has been spread out over three days! That “to do list”, question #3, grew. My husband surprised me with the news that he booked us for a seminar today, and yesterday he handed me a large amount of typing.

It’s my turn to tag someone. Okay, Bethany at My Life in Black and White, you’ve just been tagged. This has been fun !

Sherry