Other than the incident with our so-called friend, we have had a pretty good couple of months since the last posts. Pastor Vasile and his son, Daniel, (they are from the church where we went on our mission trip this past summer) came to America in November and were in St. Louis for a little over a week during the Thanksgiving holidays. We hosted them and a number of our friends for dinner on the holiday. We had the gathering at our church youth building so there would be more room and less mess at our house. The food was amazing and we had a really great time. Pastor Ian (pronounced Yon) is an amazing man of God. I admire him a great deal.
We were able to go home (to Alabama) for Christmas this year and that visit was excellent. We stayed for 9 days, which is a bit longer than our normal visits, but it worked out OK. It was almost over before we really started to wish we could go home. We love our families, but there's close and then there's too close. Living in Mom and Dad's house is no longer optimal. I did get to go hunting with my dad several times and we saw a lot of my sister and her family. I am very excited about moving back there in a year and a half. I can't wait. I miss the South and I miss my people.
Sandi's dad has a girlfriend now (her mom passed almost 2 years ago) and he's like a kid again. He really likes her and she's a great lady. Sandi and I went to high school with her kids; the ages were staggered, but we all knew each other. In fact, I played football with her son. She's really full of life and they are constantly going places and doing stuff together. I think it's been, and will continue to be, great for both of them. And Sandi and her brother are both very supportive, which her dad was worried about.
Our kids are doing very well, although they have both learned to dislike school now. Not sure where that came from. Well, the older one has always kind of been that way. Not that it matters, because it's not like they have a choice. Right?
My job is going very well. I find that I like being a manager more and more and that I like being in safety more and more. How blessed is that? So many people hate their jobs--the title and the work itself. And I suppose a big part of what makes me like it is that I am good at it. I wasn't sure that would be the case when I first jumped off into it. I have an inkling that my attraction to it has something to do with how closely it mirrors ministry. Don't laugh. Getting people to support and adhere to safety processes, regardless of their position within the company, is not really disimilar to getting people (who, remember, don't have to do what you say in church because they are there voluntarily) to rally around the cause of Christ and support the direction you are trying to take them. You have to inspire, lead by example, wield influence subtly, etc. in each circumstance. Or, at least that's my style in both. And how well I do my job can have profound influences in both arenas; although one is obviously moreso than the other. But you get my point.
I have another interesting thing that has been going on over the last several weeks, but that's for the next post.
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