I haven't posted in two weeks and feel I should put something down. Not a lot is going on. Got my annual case of poison whatever going on where I break out in a rash in varios assorted parts of my body. Not sure what I got into, but it sure doesn't agree with me. Other than that things are about the same. Work is crazy as usual, we are running on Just Andrea and I with the two key carriers right now. Missy moved over by Chicago, so we have our latest merch manager in training right now. I say our latest because it is the seventh one we have had in five plus years! Only one ops manager (me), and Andrea is the second store manager (she was our first merch manager). We are holding our own. We have been doing good the last couple of months, basically keeping up with last year, and doing a little more some weeks. That is the benchmark in retail, to do better than you did the year before. Have not done much on the volunteer front since I got back, other than SOS a couple of weekends ago. We had the opportuntity for about four or five churches to partner with the city of Mishawaka and Builder's of Hope to do a project for an individual. He had a large two story house that was in dire need of paint, and some minor repairs. We were able to accomplish the project in about four days. It was good. Gonna run now.

It is always amazing how God works when you listen and trust him to meet your needs. Wednesday of the week I was New Orleans Jimmy and I were sitting down going over his budget. He had left some things out of it, and other things were costing more than he thought. His phone rang. When he got off, he composed himself and then told me that the St Louis church that had provided him with the insulation and drywall were, now get this, buying all his flooring, kitchen cabinets, trim, three windows, his interior doors, and providing $1500 for appliances for each unit. He was blown away! He had been strugling through all that he had been thru, and wondering if he had heard God correctly and was doing what he wanted. This confirmed that he was in God's will and God has something awesome planned for him.
When I left on Saturday the last of the drywall was going up, to be finished on Monday. When Jimmy called me last Thursday to let me know he was in LA. He told me that the floating and sanding of the drywall was done, they were texturing on Friday, and priming this past Monday. He also told me another way that God took care of him. He returned his rental car after two and a half weeks. They told him it was going to be $900 plus. He said wait a minute it was supposed to only be $234 a week! They went in and then the guy asked him if he had the car for the entire two and a half weeks. Jimmy said Yes. They then proceeded to tell him that somehow the contract got closed out and reopened, and he only owed for four days, about $200. God is so cool!
I am planning on going back down the week of July 6th to try and get the laminate flooring down, cabinets hung, trim done and about seven windows in. I am trying to get some more people to join me this time. I know it is New Orleans in July, but it is inside work and the air conditioning should be going!

I know I haven't bloged..... but I have been busy! Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday I was at Jimmys house at 5a local time. Wednesday I worked till about seven and then went and took a shower, went and got something to eat and rolled into bed about ten. Jimmy called about ten thirty wondering if he had turned off the water, I told him he had and hung up. Then I got to thinking about it, I had turned the water back on.... had I turned it off? After about five minutes of argueing with myself, I got up and drove over to the house and checked ( it was about five minutes away). It was off. Went hame and went back to bed. Thursday we knocked off about six thirty, and went and had a snowball. I then went and took a shower, went with Jimmy down to the French Quarter so he could take a shower, then went to Hme Depot to check out some prices, where they had turned off the lights while we were still looking. After that we stopped and got some dinner. By the time I got to bed it was after eleven local time. Got up at four fifty on Friday morning so I could take Pam, who was the "house mother" at the homecoming center where I was staying, to the airport. I then headed over to the house after stopping at Lowes to pick up a few things. We again worked till about seven, I went and took a shower, started a load of laundry, and met up with Jimmy to go get something to eat. He took me to Houstons and I had the Hawian ribeye with loaded baked potato. Boy was that ever goooood! When we got back to the homecoming center I went over and flipped my laundry over to the dryer. I then started packing up. Went and got my clean clothes, packed them, and rolled into bed about eleven thirty. Saturday I was at the house by five again, got some things knocked off my list and started gather up my tools. I left there about twelve thirty, went and took a shower, finished packing, and headed for home. I got home about two on Sunday afternoon. Unloaded the car, unpacked, took a shower, and sat down to watch a movie. It was about ten thirty when I went to bed.
Monday up and at work at six, off at four, went home and worked around the house. Again bed about ten thirty. Up at eight Tuesday, worked around the house, went to work where we were extremely busy for a Tuesday. Didn't get out of there about ten. Went home, tried to relax and get to sleep. Got to sleep about midnight, back up and at work at six Wednesday. Got home from work and went out to mow in the back yard (it was about three feet high!) untill I ran out of gas. Then strarted raking in the back yard. Again to bed about ten thirty. Thursday morning up and to bible study and gas station (ouch!). Went home and mowed and worked in the back yard till five thirty. Took a shower and went to church. Came home watched a movie, went to bed about eleven, didn't get to sleep until after twelve. Up and at work at six, came home and took a nap. Went out to work in the back yard some more till I got rained out, then went and worked in the garage. Came in took a shower about ten, then went to bed. Got up this morning and went to my study, after which I went over and sold my scrap metal (got $139... a couple of tanks of gas, woo hoo!), and came home. Finally found the time to write this. I will blog later on what we got done on the house and what is yet to come! I have to get ready for work. Work till ten tonight and ten am to eight pm tomorrow.

This is one of my new favorite blogs. http://teamneworleans.wordpress.com/ It is the blog of the seven students from Azuza Pacific University, four of whom helped work on Jimmy's house last week.