I took Potpourri for $100

If you ever watched Jeopardy, one of the best categories is always Potpourri, because it is a catch-all category. It's like they researched so much on a subject and had more than 5 questions that they had to save the 6th question for the infamous catch-all category. So, this post, like the category, will be my potpourri post.

I'll take potpourri for $200 (Weird Al is now outdated with the new money amounts.)

Micah looks like he got punched in the eye and someone clubbed him in the knee. Trina had to take him to the hospital today and tonight. This morning, he eye was all swelled up (although he could see out of it still unlike tonight when it had swelled shut.) The doctor thought it was some kind of allergic reaction. Meantime, sometime between when I get home and about 7:30, Micah comes out of his room and his knee is all swelled up. So they took him back to the hospital tonight. Well, they just got back at 9:30 (a very short visit) and he's on benedryl and amoxacillan (both spelled wrong.) So pray for him to clear up soon. He missed school today and he'll miss it again tomorrow.

How about Potpourri for $400.

My car is falling apart. It's not the nice dent in the side. It's not the interior (although I could use a nice cleaning), it's the fact that the battery has officially died. I can drive for a while, then stop the car and almost immediately try to restart it, absolutely no charge. So it's time to buy a new battery -- as if we can afford it. But that's the fun part.

Potpourri for $600

Yes, Sarah Palin. People disparage her because she is good looking, because she has no national experience, because she is a conservative, because she's a mom of a down's syndrome kid, because she should be a mom and not a politician. How much was made of the guy standing up and yelling that Hillary needed to iron his shirt?
You know what, I like her. I like that she is a person of character. Character still does count. People complain about Bush because he does not waiver from what he sees is right even if he is seen as stupid, doing the unpopular thing, or going against public opinion. One of the reasons our government was made the way it is was to protect us from the whims of the plurality. Us being in Iraq is right. It may not be popular. In fact, it may be downright hated by most (some because they don't like seeing us succeed since we are pampered, some because they hate capitalism and think socialism or communism is better, and a minority because they want to protect our soldiers) but we are following a policy we have followed since the times of Teddy Roosevelt and beyond. The idea that we are the world police -- or more appropriately -- we are the good people who stand up and make sure that evil does not succeed.
But now back to Sarah Palin. I think she is the type of person who will stand against popular whims for what is right. She is articulate. She is good looking, but more importantly, she has a history of doing what is right. Everything I read about her, usually people complaining, tells me that politically, she is by far the closest to my ideology. I'm one of those people that the media was saying was revigarated by the Palin appointment.
What's funniest is the polls that are coming out right now saying McCain is ahead of Obama 50-46. I'm sure that's got some people scratching their head.

Potpourri for $800

DAILY DOUBLE! Let's make it a true daily double.

My mom calls me tonight and tells me that someone came by the church and told dad (he was there tonight) that the state controller owes the church some money and just asked for a 30% finders donation so they can continue to find people the state owes money to. So yeah, of course it's a scam. Not only does the state not owe the church money, but charging people for finding money the government owes them is illegal -- ignore all those become a federal money finder e-mails you get -- SCAM! So anyway, my mom goes to check on the church and decides to check for everyone she knows too. Well, apparently, Pac Bell owes me $90.92 for a deposit from an apartment we rented years ago. So good news there. I guess I have some paperwork to fill out since $90.92 will do us well in buying me Heroes Season 2 (I'm just kidding Trina.)

Potpourri for $1000

Like I said in my last post, I have been reading a book called "Raising a Modern Day Joseph." I've also been reading another book about leadership and team in a changing world. One of the things the leadership and team building book was talking about (I'm in chapter 1) is that the idea of a corporation is changing. Bureaucracy is shrinking. You can't do business the same way as was done in the 50's. But one of the things was that because of the shrinking size of corporations, they can't afford to do things twice. Everything needs to be done right the first time.
Well, we saw that in motion today at work. People need to take pride in their work and make it look the best they can in the time given. One of my co-workers was doing enough to get it done but it was really sloppy. After she left (I'm a secretary -- most people I work with are she's) we had to go back and fix it. We didn't have time and tomorrow morning we are going to have to push through it and work harder than should have been worked.
But my new supervisor came in today to just visit because she was doing paperwork downtown to make it official that she will by my supervisor. My pastor's wife applied for the job, but it's not her. But anyways, she seemed nice enough for 5 minutes we saw her. It will be nice to have the ultimate authority to give us some vision and direction that we know is not going to change next week (at least we hope.) We'll see when she gets to work.

Ok, so that's potpourri. I'm sure there is more, but we only have 5 answers so potpourri on potpourri may come later.

Well, the good news is...

We are looking for the good news right now in our house. Yeah, there is good news, such as Becca's enjoyment of school, but more things are falling apart than staying together at this point.

• The biggest thing is that the finance committee of the church met on Sunday and decided that they can no longer afford to pay me from the church. I talked to Dale last night and he said that I still had the position of children's pastor, but it was now volunteer if I desired to keep it. At this point, there is nothing pointing me to another church. In fact, there are many things pointing me to get busy at the church getting parents involved in the ministry of their child. AWANA has some exciting things they are doing that I have been dreaming of doing for years and it looks like this fall may be the time to stop dreaming and start working. But it is volunteer. I don't mind working for free, but my bills do mind it.
• Speaking of bills, the mortgage is going up in September and we don't know by how much yet. I have started talking to mortgage companies about refinancing, but we got in at the exact wrong time -- the height right before the bubble started bursting, so the house is worth $60k less than our mortgage is for. So we are trying to refinance. I guess the good news is that the new law they passed to help saps like me takes affect in October, but we will definitely struggle in September if it takes that long.
• I just accidentally published this post, so it's longer than the post was before. Just ignore the accidental post.
• Micah is bored. He's been out of school for two months and I think he is eager to get back (although he'll probably fight it for a while.)
• With church income gone and umpiring done for the season, there is absolutely no extra income. We were looking at our bills and there is absolutely nothing we can cut. So now it's time to start wondering where everything is coming from. I don't know.

I guess the good news is that God is still in control. It's a matter of living a life that is trusting that God keeps his promises and no matter what, we will be taken care of, even if it is not how we think God needs to do so (who am I to tell God that His way is wrong.) This is a concept that we are going to be trying to instill in our children, and parents, in the next few months and beyond so maybe God is instilling that belief in me too.

Verse:
Romans 8:18 (Tony Paraphrase)
I consider the bad things we are going through right now are nothing compared to the great things God has in store for us!