Thursday:

2:05 p.m.
Exhausted and frustrated, I send an email to Patti. I worried about not finding the money for school. I wondered if I had faith… or if I was just being stubborn. When was deciding to not take classes this semester not giving up… but just being real?

2:36 p.m.
I get a reply from Patti telling me to go spend 10 minutes praying… to pray in the bathroom if I have to. And to ask God for peace about what I should do. She said she was praying right then for me.

2:37 p.m.
I immediately took her advice and locked myself in the bathroom for 10 minutes. [The only place a mom can get two seconds alone.] It was comforting knowing that a friend was praying with me. Even if that friend is hundreds of miles away.

She was so right. I did find peace. And an idea. I didn’t know if it would work, but I once again had hope. I needed to get a class schedule out of my car. As I started to go outside, I still doubted that God wanted me to go to school this semester.

I opened the door and found a box from Amazon. The text books that Ava had paid for. It was as if Someone was saying, “I provided these books for you because you will need them.”

2:47 p.m.
I got my class schedule and sat down at the computer to check out some class prerequisites. There, in my inbox was an email from a Chaplain blogging buddy. Someone I’ve never actually met in person. This friend asked if he and his wife could send me some money to help with tuition.

Ten minutes on Thursday changed everything. I still didn’t know for sure how everything would work out. How everything would get paid… but I had peace.

And that was just the beginning of an exciting day.

What an exciting day for my little ones! Sarah graduated to the pre-K1 Sunday School class and Jer moved up to the big kid children’s church. [THE most fun place in the whole world!]

As we walked into the pre-school area, the teacher proclaimed, “Sarah graduates today because she’s about to turn four!”

Sarah excitedly replied, “Yes! And my Mommy bought me new panties!”

I have lots of things I want to write to you about.

Good stuff. God Stuff.

But… I’m having a little trouble focusing. Blurred vision, lack of concentration, fatigue… your run of the mill whiplash symptoms. I don’t think it’s too serious. But you will have to wait for all that Good Stuff I wanted to tell you about.

Here’s a quick outline so I won’t forget. [Did I mention the drug induced short-term memory loss?]

I’m probably going to get to go to school full time. Nine credits! [Classes start Tuesday]

I have amazing friends. Many of them that I met online. I love the Internet.

I have a problem accepting help from others. Patti called me on it. It’s true. I’m dealing. Thanks for helping anyway.

Thanks for:
The book money
The tuition money
Babysitting
Listening
Encouraging
Praying
Driving
Searching for overpriced medicine
Keeping me sane
Lasagna
Chinese food

And thanks to God for bringing all of these people into my life.

Very exciting, eventful day. One that would normally inspire a delightful post… but no.

Jer went to meet his kindergarten teacher today. Soooo fun. I registered at AGTS and went to chapel. Very cool… but my enthusiasm is clouded by an insane foggy headache… whiplash perhaps?

I don’t know. But the doctor at urgent care gave me a prescription for a new drug which is NOT readily available in Springfield, MO. Unfortunately, my friend Amber [who must be wondering why she's my friend by now] is out on a drug hunt. Driving from this side of town to the other in search of the mysterious muscle relaxer/pain reliever. I’m not quite sure she’ll ever return.

But I hope she does. Because she said she’s bringing leftover lasagna. She said, “You bring a casserole to someone when they’re in the hospital… you give them leftovers if they go to urgent care.” Hey that’s good enough for me.

Sorry for any unanswered emails or phone calls or delayed posts … Really I’m not conscious today.

But… I must tell you about my day.

Four hours of sleep.
Four shots for Jeremiah.
Need babysitter for tonight. Cry about how much I hate pretending to be a single mom.
Debbie says she’ll watch the kids.
Freaked out about paying for Seminary.
Patti told me to pray.
Peace.
Plan.
Perfect Timing.
Blessings from people I’ve never met in real life.
I love the Internet.
Dropped kids off at Debbie’s.
Car Collision. Got rear ended. Not my fault. Car’s a mess. I’m OK. Sore. Tired.
Met Jer’s kindergarten teacher.
Bought Jer school supplies.
Wrote this post.
Good Night. I’ll write more about stuff later.

Waiting.

It’s beginning to become a major theme of my life. Waiting for paperwork, waiting for answers… waiting for something.

I’ve been impatiently waiting for my Army appointment letter and oath of office. I need to say the oath before school starts so that I can get the Army tuition assistance I need for seminary.

Today I received an email letting me know that the paperwork has been delayed. I probably will not receive my oath in time to get tuition assistance this semester.

The Last Minute.
I kept hoping that it would come in at the last minute. Chaplain VanLann doesn’t believe it will. The Last Minute. I really do hate that phrase. I believe I’ve written about this before.

Now What?

Well, classes start next week and I need to find a different way to pay for them. Many have suggested that I just wait until the Spring. That’s not a suggestion I’m accepting just yet. I’ve waited seven years. I do not want to wait any longer!

So, I’m looking at my options, trying to find stuff to sell. Thinking about possible employment opportunities…

I need 2,784 dollars. AGTS will let me split that up into three payments over the semester. So… I guess that means I need 928 dollars by Monday and a plan.

Prayers and creative suggestions would be appreciated.

P.S. Anybody need a little Web design done?

Chaplain Fokas just wrote a great post titled, Hand Holding, Things Held, and Being Held

In this post, Fokas refers to “Passing the Peace.” Which I was unfamiliar with. I assumed it’s the greet your neighbor, shake hands and hug kind of thing. Is that right?
Yes, I think it is.

Update: Chaplain Fokas must have re-worked the post. He retitled it and the link changed. I’ve updated it now.