Spring has sprung in Duck Ditch USA (quack quack)

Howdy from Duck Ditch USA where the trees are turning green and the
pollen (cough) is choking the life out of me. hahahahahah

For the last week I have been fighting a combination of allergies
and a head cold. How much fun this has been. NOT... I am ready to
be done with this thing..


Spring break is upon us and Kristina and Justin are off from school
which means that Katy is also taking a break. So, its almost as if
we are on vacation with everyone being at home at the same time.
Wahoooo.

I am still working Security Sunday through Wed and Goodwill Thursday
Friday and Saturday. I have my doubts with how long this Goodwill
gig is going to last so I am trying to work as many days as I can
with US Security so when the Goodwill gig finally dies all I will
have to do is get one more day back for my schedule with US
Security. So, I am working two part time jobs and Katy is working
her sub job for Berkeley county and we are surviving. I keep
reminding myself that while life sucks in general I have things to
be thankful for. Let me list them below so I can be reminded of
these POSITIVE things again...

Our family is together and healthy
We have a place to stay
We have food to eat
Our cars are still running and we can get around
We have a church home to attend who cares about us
We have a place to serve in our church home
We have an extended church and cypberspace family who cares about us
We have angel and sammy (family dogs) who bring us joy and happiness
We have our two birds who drive me crazy at times (LOL)


The bottom line is while it could be MUCH better for us it also
could be MUCH worse. I always try to remember the positive things in
life. God is the author of LIFE and while I have the ability to hear
my lungs draw in breath and feel the pulse of my heart beating I am
to be thankful for everything in my life, both good and bad. I am
reminded constantly that bad things do happen to good people. It is
so easy to get depressed about the garbage in our lives and if we
focus on those things all the time then we find ourselves deep in
the pit of depression and despondency. I know this because I
experience it.

I choose to live life above the levels of depression and despondency
that I speak of. I choose to focus on the positives and try to let
God handle the negative garbage in my life. I try to learn the
lessons that I am supposed to be learning and allow God to change my
heart and mind from the inside out. I know that through these things
in my life my faith is being tested and I am being molded more and
more into his image. Sometimes that molding requires trips to the
furnace where the garbage can be burned off and God can come shining
through to the surface. The furnace gets awfully hot and the heat
can be painful but in the end I know it is for my own good and that
God receives the glory , honor and praise that HE is worthy of.

My son Jeremy who will be 18 years old on April 14th is graduating
from high school this May and going off to college. Jeremy managed
to get some band scholarships which is going to help tremendously
with the financial side of things. I doubt that I will be able to
make the trip to Houston Texas on May 23rd to see Jeremy graduate
which really sucks. In order to get cheap tickets for the flight I
need to be buying those tickets last month. Oh well, he knows that I
love him and I try to reach out to him in e-mail and through e-
cards. This is an exciting time in his life and it is a shame that
I am not there to be a part of it.

God bless