Lori's Corner

Update on God's blessings

2009-12-17T13:01:00.000-08:00

Well it has been a while since my last post. I have settled in my job & love it. It will be 3 months on the 28^th. After working 1 month I realized I was spending a lot of money on gas. How about $160 in gas? That is a lot. So I made a decision to figure out a way to take the city bus. To ride the bus for a month it cost $30 for a month pass. Not bad, it’s better than $160. When I talked to my friends about what I was going to do God then turned the $30 a month to nothing. My friend is providing me with a free pass every month. What a blessing she is. Now all I pay is driving to the transit center which is 10 miles. I haven’t tallied how much money I spend on gas now but I’m sure it is around $50 a month. Before I even thought about taking the bus I was even looking for a second job as was John. But I guess God didn’t want us to take on a 2^nd job. Even though I am saving on gas money things are still a little tight and we have to be careful on what we buy. If you really want something and you say God do I really need this and the answer is no, don’t buy it. We have probably ate out twice in 2 months & that was just Sonic & McD’s. But it still cost money. Whenever I feel myself getting overwhelmed & worried about whether I can pay my bills I am taken back to a bible verse I read in Phillipians 4:6-18. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. This is Paul’s advice; turn your worries into prayers. Do you want to worry less? Then pray more! Whenever you start to worry, stop & pray. It doesn’t matter what you are doing, how often you do it, or where you’re at. The Bible says Pray without ceasing. My husband John told me once he went to sleep one night saying his prayers and woke up in the middle of the night still praying. You can do your work and still talk to God. He is our father and wants to talk to us just as we love to talk to our children.

I was telling one of my co-workers the adventures I’ve had on the bus and she said I should blog it. So I am going to try my hardest to blog more and tomorrow

I will bring everyone up to date on my 2 months of riding the bus.

God's Protection

2009-10-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

I realized something the other day and I’ve been meaning to post this
But you know how it is when you go back to work. You have no time.
I have come to believe that sometimes God keeps things from us to protect us.
When I started my new job it was 6 months to the day that I lost my last job.
I was told I could draw unemployment up to a year. I filed one more time on
Umemployment because it was going to be a few weeks before I got paid. What
I didn’t know was I had exhausted my benefits one week before I was to receive
My first check. If I had known my unemployment was getting ready to run out I would
Have started worrying and flipping out. But God kept that from me and I didn’t loose
Peace of mind. I’m thankful God does those things for us. There may be times when
We wonder what God is up to and why certain things happen or don’t happen. But
God can see what may not be good about the situation and he protects us from it.
I once knew a girl who was a wonderful young Christian girl. She was around 25 years
Old. Her fiancée was a missionary in a foreign country and she would join him when
He came out to get married. She had a wreck but she seemed to be ok. The hospital
Cleared her but within a week a hidden blood clot made its way to her brain. They said
She would never wake up. It was such a tragedy and everyone grieved. So many people
Who knew her asked why God could let this happen to one of his most devoted servants.
I’ll never forget what my husband said when I told him this. He said we will never know the
Reason but it may be that God loved her so much he was sparing her life from something so
Awful that she would have to endure. I know she is in a better place and I’m glad that she
Never had to suffer the things we suffer here on earth. So the next time you find yourself
Wondering why things do or do not happen just take consolation that God knows things you
Don’t and he may be protecting you from something you don’t need to be involved in.

God is Good All the Time

2009-09-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

Well its been a while since I blogged. I've been really busy with kids, husband, errands, cooking, you get the idea. For a week now I have just felt so awesome. I just know God is doing something and it will come to pass soon. I had a job interview a little over a week ago and it went great! I left there feeling my chances to get this job were great. So when I received a call from one of my references I listed I felt even greater. Because if they weren't interested in me they wouldn't have called a reference. This past Monday I received a phone call from an insurance company who wanted me to come in for a interview. I worked insurance years ago and didn't really care for it. Maybe it was because the boss left a bad taste in my mouth. But anyway when the insurance co. called I told them I had a job and wouldn't be interested in coming in. I said this without really thinking about it but deep down I believed I would get this job. In the past when I've been really sure about getting a job another offer comes on the table and I wonder which job God wants me to have. It never fails that this happens and I think it's because God is testing me to see if I know which one he wants me to have. Now I have had a concern that I picked wrong but that's were you have to have faith that you did the right thing. In this case I believe I did the right thing and truly believe in this job. I find out hopefully by tomorrow if I get the job. But if I missed the mark I know God has something for me and I just have to trust in him to show me.

God's Will

2009-09-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

You're probably thinking she's on a roll. Two blogs in 2 days. After I typed my blog yesterday and prayed to God to commit things to him I should have done a long time ago, I received a email for a job I applied for almost a month ago. How cool is that! So I say "God I've been praying for certain jobs and I closed the door on you by saying I will not do this. I am ready & willing do go & do whatever you want me to. Two hours later I got the email and from the job I really wanted. I went in for the interview this morning and felt so comfortable. I was in my element. We talked for 1 hour and they said they would call me. I have had several interviews in the last few months but I was not comfortable like I was today. I can't say what the job is yet but I really feel like this is what God wants for me. And doors might open for John in the future if I get this job. Sometimes when we feel like this is what God wants, the devil tries to move in and destroy those opportunities. It is during this time that we should be in a constant state of prayer for God's will to be done. Even though I really want this job I know God will let me find favor in the hearts of those interviewing. That is what I pray for that they seek God and hear what he has to say. Even if that means I don't get the job. I know he is in control and he see's things I may not see. He may be protecting me from something or preparing me for where he wants me.

I look above my desk to the Bible verse I wrote down so I'm reminded that I should commit everything I do unto the Lord, trust him & he will help me.

God's Blessings

2009-09-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

Well it has been over a week since I blogged. I can't begin to explain how busy I have been. I have been nurse maid for about 3 weeks. John has went from one illness to another. Ben had a
respiratory virus and missed a week of school. Mary luckily had it one day. But thank God I didn't catch any of it. In between that, picking up kids from school, trying to help John with his
homework, & normal household stuff I have barely had time to do my facebook everyday. And of course I am still on the look out for a job. One thing I'm learning about looking for a job this time is that it seems to be harder. And never tell God what you won't do because more than likely he will convict you to do it. Before the days of working Mon-Fri 8 hour days I worked in retail. I have management experience and if you are a manager you know that the hours are crazy. My first management experience was working for a bookstore chain called Books-A-Million. I really loved that job because I love books. But I got out of that because I never saw my husband or kids. The kids were still little at the time. After that I managed a small clothing store which was great. There were no shifts working past midnight. I was home most days by 7:00. But now I'm seeing there are office jobs but not many. It is usually low pay, a long commute, or they are looking for certain skills. God has always blessed me with the job I know he wanted me to have but employers today don't care if you are fast learner. They want someone with experience. I always try to point out to them that every job I've ever taken I didn't have all the qualifications but I always learned what was required of me. But I know God will give me the job he wants me to have, I just hope it's this month. God has been faithful to stretch our money and give us extra when we need it but sometimes I let fear & worry cloud my vision. I have this Bible verse on a sticky note that I read everyday. It says "Commit everything you do unto the Lord. Trust him and he will help you!" Psalm 37:5. I believe that with all my heart but sometimes I let the devil sneak in. So this morning I looked at my checking account and laid my hand on it and prayed Lord you know the amount of money we need to pay our bills this month and I give my account to you and trust you provide.

I am reminded of all that I have to be thankful for. This past Friday, Sept. 11 I celebrated the birthday of my firstborn, Mary. I thank God for the 15 years I've had with her and look forward for many more. We celebrated her birthday with her friends at youth group. She has such a great group of Christian friends & leaders. I thank God that she has found a great group of kids to share her love Jesus with. I dated John for 2 months then we got engaged. We married 7 months later and have been married 18 years. I can't imagine my life without him. I have a wonderful 13 year old son who is a joy to watch grow up. Wonderful in-laws who I consider not my in-laws but my parents. And I still have my mother, sister, niece, her husband & kids. I miss them as well as aunts & uncles. So I say this to you, treasure the people you still have in your life. They won't always be there but make great memories to remember them by.

2009-09-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

Remember what I said about trying to write something everyday? Well it probably won't happen. Especially when you have a sick husband & 2 sick kids. On Monday I picked Ben up
early at school. He had a bad sore throat. So I took him to the Dr. and it turns out it is a viral
infection. He has since then got a little worse. He has a bad cough that sounds congested, his throat still hurts, & he is having allergy attacks on top of that. His eyes swell up and turn red from time to time. So I will probably be taking him back to the Dr. tomorrow. Yesterday Mary got up not feeling to good. But if you know Mary like I do she went on to school but I ended up picking her up at lunch time. She was having a hard time breathing and her asthma inhaler wasn't helping & she had a fever. Her Dr. said as long as she had a fever she had to stay home since it was viral. Needless to say she was not happy. She actually argued with the Dr. John was still unable to go today. His cough is really bad. It is so bad that he almost passes out from coughing so hard. But with that being sad you can see why I haven't had a lot of time.

One good thing that has happened this week is for Mary. Her favorite music group Secondhand Serenade will be here Sunday night in concert. Her boyfriend Aaron is buying both of our tickets so we can go for her birthday. Mary is very excited and so am I. They really are a good music group. But I have a different kind of excitement for going. I am 37 years old and this is my first music concert to ever go to. I'm just glad it's someone I like. I'm glad I get to share that time with my daughter.

I would also like for everyone who reads this to remember a group of people for me. I just found out that the last job I had they laid off 27 employees this week. I know how they feel and I hope that they will be able to get back on their feet.

I hope you all have a great evening.

Worries

2009-08-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

I woke up on this Monday morning having a bad start to the day. I then go downstairs to take Mary to the bus and she informs me she overslept 30 minutes. For Mary that is a big deal. She then checks her backpack and discovers her PE shirt is missing. We look for it but come up empty. I take her on to the bus upset. I come back get John & Ben's breakfast and lunch ready
for them to go to school. In the meantime I find Mary's shirt & take it to the school so she won't get in trouble. I get back home to try and turn this day into a better one. Only to check my finances and pay a few bills do I start to panic & worry. To calm myself down I grab my Bible and start looking for verses to help me. I read Psalm 34 which is really good. But the one that really helps me is Matthew 6:25-34. Verse 25 says: "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-whether you hve enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? He goes on to say that he feeds the birds. And aren't we far more valuable to him than the birds are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? As for me I have food, drink, & clothing. If God cares for wildflowers won't he certainly care for us? Verse 31 says "So don't worry about these things, saying "What will we eat? Drink?or Wear? Verse 32 says "These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly father ALREADY KNOWS ALL YOUR NEEDS. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and HE WILL GIVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED. So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.

So live one day at a time to keep from being consumed with worry. There are real challenges God wants us to puruse, and worrying keeps us from them. Also worry shows a lack of faith & undertanding of God. It will hamper your efforts for today. I don't know what God has for me today but I want to be able to see it without worry clouding my vision. I hope today if you are experiencing this problem you will read this chapter and take to heart that God knows what we need before we even ask him. God bless & have a great day.

Ain't God good

2009-08-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you what God may be doing for me. I received an email from my pastor about a job opening in the United Methodist Conference office. They need a receptionist/secretary. For those of you who may not know it John was a Methodist minister for 16 years. Therefore I did all of his secretarial work and then some. I am really hoping I can get this job and that it will pay well. I am positive I would like it and it would be nice to work in a christian environment. But if I don't get it then I know God has something else planned. But the Bible says that God knows the desires of your heart. And I desire this job. Everyone please pray for me and that his will be done.

2009-08-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

Time Flies

2009-08-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

Ok so it has been about 1 year since I've been on my blog. I am going to try and stay on top of things and just write what is on my heart from day to day, hopefully. Just a quick update on what has happened in the last year. First and foremost God is good and faithful. It has been a good year yet has had many bumps in the road. The biggest trial came on March 29, 2009 when
I was one of others laid off from my job. I was absolutely flabbergasted but God has kept us afloat financially although it has been tight. We have also been blessed spiritually. John is still an Educational Assistant. This year he transferred to another middle school closer to home. Ben is in the 7th grade and he gets to ride with his Dad everyday since they are at the same school. Ben also had a birthday 2 days ago and is now officially 13. Now I have 2 teenagers on my hands. Mary is in the 9th grade at the new Cleveland High School which is only 2-3 miles from home. Over the summer Ben went to golf training camp for 2 weeks and really loves to play. Until July 24th he played a lot of golf. I say this because on this day he & John were at the park playing when Ben slipped and broke both bones in his left arm(his writing hand). He got the cast off today but the x-ray shows it has healed but is not completely healed. So he is wearing a splint for the next 2 weeks.

We were supposed to go back to MS to see my Mom & family in May but since I lost my job we haven't been able to afford to. It has now been 1 year since I've seen them. They came out here last July for 2 weeks.

John will graduate this December from Central New Mexico with a AA degree in integrated studies. After all these years of moving and losing credits from college to college we finally found one that will used the credits he has. After that he will be going to the University of New Mexico to get his History degree. He wants to be a college teacher. I am so excited for him and can't wait till he can get all of this done. I don't know if he will ever pastor a church again but I know if called upon by God he will do it. He has had the opportunity to fill in for our pastor which I know he loved doing. I think about those days alot. I miss John pastoring a church with me by his side helping him. We got to spend a lot of quality time with our kids. Not that we don't now but it was different and I loved working with him because we got to be together more often. But I know God knows our future and I just want to do his will wherever and whenever he wants me to. I will stop for now. This is basically what has happened this last year. I'm sure I will think of something else. Oh I just thought of something else, John & I celebrated our 18th anniversary this year. We had a great day together unlike what happened last year. If you want to know what happened last year read on down and you will see.

I have one more thing to share. Today John made a list of things he is praying about daily. #1 on the list was help with his student loans. When he got home I was reading the mail to him. One letter was from the holder of his loans stating they were forgiving the debt and cancelling it. We are just estatic. It goes to show God does hear your prayers. Sometimes they are answered quickly and sometimes it takes time but God always hears and answers prayer. Thank you God!

New Resident in Rio Rancho, NM

2008-08-03T19:25:00.000-07:00

My co-worker and friend, Elizabeth gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Her name is Katie Jo. I know Elizabeth is very glad to have her. She was
due Aug. 7th but she decided to come a little early. She was born today Sunday, August 3rd at 3:57 p.m. Aside from the date my daughter Mary was born on a Sunday at 3:57 p.m. Mary's b-day is Sept. 11th. I thought that was really weird.

Family

2008-08-02T11:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't written in a while. I have been really busy. My family from Mississippi came July 23rd and stayed til July 31st. It was my mom, my sister Darlene, my niece Marcia and her husband Jeff with their kids Maggie age 9 and Justin age 4. I haven't seen them in 16 months so it was great having them here. My mother is 75 years old and has never taken a real vacation in her life. She has been to Fl. and Tn. to visit relatives but she has never been sightseeing. My niece Marcia is 5 years younger than me and she is more like a sister to me than a niece. My sister was 18 years old when I was born but we were never what you would call real close. I was close to Marcia. I created a scrapbook page and framed it for my mother so she would have a few pictures of her time out here. I think it turned out good. Marcia helped me with it. I'll try not to wait so long for my next post.

Our First Christmas in New Mexico

2008-07-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

I have discovered picnik.com. You can edit pictures. It is really fun. This picture was made this past December.

The unforgetable 17th wedding anniversary

2008-07-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a few days since I promised to tell you about how John and I spent our anniversary together this past Saturday. We left the house around lunch time and took a new scenic drive through Albuquerque. So far this is the prettiest drive I've been on. It was down Montano Blvd. It reminded me of driving in the bayou's of Louisiana. The beautiful trees, the slow peaceful drive. It had to be the first place I've driven on where people are not driving like speeding maniacs. We went to one of our favorite stores, Talin World Market. This store is awesome. Every row you go on is a different place in the world. Like Bangkok, China, Japan and many other places I've never heard of. We left there and drove down a new part of Central Avenue that I have never seen. We went to Best Buy and then we went to eat at Zio's Italian Restaurant. That is the best Italian food I have ever eaten. Then we went home. This is where a beautiful day ends terrible. While we were gone we told Mary and Ben that they had to stay in the house. They finally got to go out when both grandparents were here. After we got home Mary, Ben, and her friend Sean were in the front yard playing catch. Benjamin is a left handed thrower. I don't know why but he went across the street to throw the ball back to Sean. Which meant it was going to be a longer throw. Just when I'm opening Mary's window upstairs to tell Ben not to throw the ball, he throws it right in the rear window of the van. I was just flabbergasted and screaming for John to get down there. I get down there and half the window in on the ground and in the van. I was a raving lunatic! John didn't even come look at it much less look at Ben. He was afraid if he saw both he would hurt Ben. Needless to say Ben is grounded till school starts which is a month from now. And he has to do everything we tell him to pay us back $270. So I could of really done without that but Thank God I had money in the bank to cover it. The Lord knows we could have used that money and I hope and pray we continue to have the money we need to meet our daily needs and buy school clothes and supplies.

My Wedding Anniversary

2008-07-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

Today John and I have been married 17 years! It doesn't seem like we have been married that long. Looking back over the years you wonder where the time has gone. We have had ups and downs as any marriage would but we always come out stronger with God's help. I wouldn't trade any of those moments for anything in the world. I can't imagine my life without John. He is my best friend who gave me 2 of the greatest kids in the world. We are getting ready to go out and celebrate the day together. I will update this post with what we do today. So John if you are reading this: I Love You!!!!!

2008-06-29T14:53:00.000-07:00

The following video I added is a home video by my nephews. The one running with the musket is my youngest nephew, David and he is chasing my oldest nephew, Andrew. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. It is really funny. I also added a slide show of my husband John, my daughter Mary and son Benjamin as well as my dog, Lucky.

Check out my SkinFlix!

2008-06-29T14:45:00.001-07:00

Check out my Slide Show!

2008-06-29T14:42:00.001-07:00

2008-06-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

My Favorite Genre's of Music

I am probably the only person on earth who likes a mixture of music. I love Big Band music from the 30's and 40's, christian rock, pop, rock, and some country. I have posted a website under my profile from playlist.com. This site lets you create a list of your favorite songs. I have added a few but keep checking back as I will be adding more songs. I hope you enjoy the songs I have so far. Let me know what you think.

Another New Week at the Office

2008-06-23T06:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! That is what was said on the radio this morning on the way to work. My friend and I said yea right. Monday's are not great, Tuesday is better. But I was just thinking Everyday should be a happy day. The Bible says "This is the day the Lord hath made and I will rejoice and be glad in it." We will have hard days but we can be thankful that we wake up each morning, have our health, and our families. I moved to New Mexico from Mississippi in March 2007. I haven't seen my mom, sister, neice and her family since then. Some days it is really hard but they are all coming in July. It won't get here soon enough. Funny though this time has really flown by but now that it is close it doesn't seem to be going as fast. But I am glad that I don't have as long as I did. I hope you all have a great Monday and that you can find something to be happy about today.

2008-06-22T18:21:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days since I entered a post. As I said I'm new at this. As you can see from my home page I have added a few things. My husband is John and my all time favorite actor is John Wayne. I have around 100 of his movies. I just love John Wayne. He has a grand daughter today who wrote a Great song. It is called God Bless John Wayne. She wrote this song to comemorate his 100th birthday. I have posted this video to the site. Hope you enjoy it.

2008-06-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

Hello
I have never had a blog but my friend Mandie said I should start one. So here goes. I love to scrapbook, research genealogy, read romance books, and surf the web. The first 16 years of my marriage my husband was a minister. For the last
year we have been helping his sister and her husband start a new church. For the first time in our married life we both have public jobs. I love my job in accounting and he loves his job teaching in a special needs class. I will stop for now with more to come later.