GOD2UIO

This was a license place that we passed on the way home from our divisional women's ministry retreat. It was on a fancy, new sports car...immediately sent me into judgemental thoughts of prosperity gospel teaching. Perhaps it would have been more effective on a humble sedan. Granted, I didn't know the owner of the car and perhaps they have an amazing testimony, but that outward appearance soured my view of this proclamation of God's work. I'm sure there's a sermon in there somewhere...

The women's ministry retreat was an absolutely wonderful weekend--it is definitely one of my favorite events that take place over the "Army Year." I had three ladies from the corps join me--and a great time was had by all. We definitely got some bonding in together as a group that we may not have had in the minutia of daily life (and I'm sure the 7-hour drive to and from had nothing to do with it). My mom also joined us as a delegate from our corps, she's worked at DHQ for 7 years and this is her first women's retreat. It was an incredible blessing to share the weekend with her as well. I got to see my dad for just a little while as there was a Silver Star Fellowship Breakfast (SSF is a really cool recognition and support fellowship for parents of officers), and I was asked to briefly speak on behalf of the officers to thank our parents for their love and support...I think finding a way to truly encompass words of thanks to parents is far more difficult than preparing a sermon. That was definitely a privilege for me!

Yesterday was getting back to life after a weekend away...it's always hard to face that "day after syndrome" from attending a spectacular event. As always, God had some great things to show me this weekend. The theme for the weekend was "God's Glamour Girls"...definitely much food for thought as I am a person who does not often find ways to love who I am, so I try to make up for it by taking the love I have and investing it in others. So much to learn...

I really missed my husband this weekend. Neither of us are much for talking on the phone, except when we were dating, so it was long three days without him. He's been so wonderful since I got home too...even though it was late on Sunday when I got home, he still had a full dinner cooked for us, and then today he ran things at the corps so I could work from home and try to relax a little. I have been in excruciating pain the last couple days in my shoulder blade. I need to get to the doctor and have it looked at again. It started to bug me at Christmas time, and the doctor attributed it to increased driving and prescribed medical massage therapy that I went through for several months, but it doesn't seem to loosen up the pain in the muscle anymore. I think it may be more involved than that--it may have gotten messed up from our car accident last February or from falling off an ATV last summer (yeah, great trend huh?). Not looking forward to what this could be now...such a hassle.

Busy rest of the week ahead--lots to do in the office tomorrow and then I have a meeting in Albuquerque (3-hour drive each way for a 3-hour meeting) with the electric company regarding our assistance program on Thursday. Thursday is also the 1-year anniversary of us living here in Alamogordo--such an amazing year, we pray for several (okay, many) more! Friday night we're going to have a special date night to celebrate :-)

Been a bit discouraged this week from a few small slights that may or may not have been intentional, one I knew is not a fan of women officers as leaders, but the other I thought was a friend--I know there's a lot of not happy changes in this person's life right now, but it doesn't give them the right to pull the "holier than thou" card on me because they feel they are entitled to have their hand in everything. I may be reading too much into their comments in different places regarding me, but I don't appreciate the insinuation that I'm not good enough to do the things that I do. Way to help support my self esteem people...get over yourself, because I'm on the verge of telling one of these individuals exactly how wrong they are to judge me solely on the fact of my role in the corps and their bias against working with female officers, and it's probably not going to be in a pretty or Christ-like manner in any sense of the word. I'll be completely straight on this one--I am past the point of ticked because of judgements against me on my age, gender, and experience (again, I'm not an expert--and am willing to admit when I don't know something, but I do know what I'm doing regardless of their opinions)

Wow...I'm rather negative tonight, and definitely not attractive in my venting. Probably a good place to stop since I'm in a rotten mood from the get-go today with being in pain. Here's praying for a brighter day tomorrow...