Trying Times

Well, I was right in my last post when i said that i, unlike my sister, would sit around and waste my summer days and get not much accomplished. It is pretty much what i have been doing. Boring. Of course, there really isn't much to do around here. Well, there is always housework--
always. Can i let you in on a little secret? I hate housework. I love a clean house, but as the years go by, cleaning the same things over and over and over and over gets a bit monotonous. Yeah, i know it has to get done, but it is just not something i enjoy and i usually put it off way too long. So, other than housework, there is not much to do. Espescially since i dont have a car anymore. Being a one car family seems harder than it used to be. That could be because we are so used to having two cars and we have all grown a little and gotten more involved (mostly the kids). It turns out that in order for me to go to the doctor last week to get my hearing back, i had to walk. That's about 6 or 7 miles round trip. Thankfully, it was a beautiful morning. And thankfully, i was able to get my hearing back. But, i found out that i am not as young as i used to be (duh). I don't walk as fast as i used to, and the trip pooped me out for the rest of the day. The kids and I have done alot more walking since then, and it's gotten easier. Walking to the library was really nice too, but of course, i would prefer driving. However, for some reason, my husband has not been able to stick to his work schedule and it is becoming increasingly more impossible to plan anything around it. I just never know when i will have a car available for me and the kids. It's kind of hit or miss situation and i have made a few plans and appointments that didn't work out or had to be cancelled. The whole situation is really trying my patience. Ok, so now that I have shared my whining, what am i going to do about it? We all have school coming up in 6 weeks, two of my kids have a job they need to get to, and i may also have to start working part time. We were going to wait a few months until we could save up enough to buy a pretty good car, but now i am thinking that we just can not wait that long. We don't want to get a car that comes with a car payment, but it is hard to find a car that costs what i can afford that i can trust to not break down on us. As of right now, Erin and I are thinking about buying a car together that we will share. All the money she has saved plus all the money i have saved might be enough to buy a half-way decent car. Of course, sharing a car with my teenage daughter brings with it a whole new set of questions and issues to work out, but for right now, it seems like the best thing to do. I'm not really sure. I will need to pray about it and maybe get some other opinions about it before i make that decision.
So, that is some of what has been going on in my head and in my life since we have come home from vacation. I don't like having to deal with this stuff, but maybe it is a test of faith. And maybe it isn't. But, if it is, I pray that i have been handling it in the way that God would want me to. Well, now that i've written that, i have to say that i probably have not been handling it as well as i could. Thank you, God, for your patience with me as i struggle to handle these things in the right way. Thank you also for your never-ending forgiveness. Please help me to be the same. This is a trying time for me, and if it sounds like i am complaining, i probably am. However, i also know that, in the end, God will work all of this out for the best. And, compared to many other things that people struggle with, it's peanuts. Trying times are never fun, but if i keep my eyes on the Lord and His promises, it seems a bit easier.
Today i am thankful for:
1. God's Word to teach me and guide me and comfort me
2. God's forgiveness for when i go against His word
3. God's love for me