Oh Welcome, Darkness!

Yes...it was actually dark when I drove home this evening! Blessed time change...a welcome acknowledgement of fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving and soon, Christmastime! Our house is dark tonight...very dark! Few lights glow; the television is on low volume; the windows are black. Why, you might ask? Because I didn't buy any candy, and I don't want rotten eggs strewn on my driveway, front porch, and front windows!!
Trick-or-Treaters...I paid my dues for soooooo many years past! Is it "Bah, Humbug" for Halloween, too, or is that just Christmas (for which I am NO humbug, that's for sure).

John and I attended a Halloween party on Saturday night, and it was absolutely delightful! I haven't been to a party in so long...the theme was "wig and wine" and the participants really outdid themselves! I looked like a 70's country western singer with a brunette shag wig, crinkle cloth peasant shirt with bell sleeves, and bell bottom jeans. John looked like.....well, that's hard to say....suffice it to say that he wore a Paul McCartney-type wig. Yes....it was certainly humourous!

This week finds us preparing for the wedding of Dr. Johnny Greenfield and Jessica Kay Rowell. The event was to take place on the beach at Cancun; obviously that's not happening. We are going to Phoenix instead, and hopefully the warm desert breezes will bring just as much joy as the sandy beaches might have!

More later....in the meantime....grace and peace to each of you in our precious Lord and Saviour! I pray daily that he keeps you under His protective wing, and that you each prosper as He would have you to do!

Much love to family and friends...

Mom/Angie

Twenty-seven years ago today....

...I gave birth to my first-born...A son! And one in whom the Lord is well-pleased! And one in whom I hold extreme motherly pride and a blessed "return of my time invested" in his life!

Michael, when you read this, please know that many years ago I wondered what kind of a young man you would become; who you might marry; how the Lord might use you to His glory; what my influence on you might reflect; and how you would leave a legacy on this earth! WOW...Such parental hopes, dreams and aspirations! I can truly say there hasn't been a time when I've been disappointed in your accomplishments...Oh no...Quite the contrary, my son! You have been the epitome of discipline; the student all teachers wish for and dream about; the citizen a community takes pride in; the friend of so many fine young people across the US; the brother two sisters couldn't be prouder of; the husband a young bride so prayerfully hopes for! And last, but certainly not least, the mature young adult I prayed for as a child, spanked as a toddler, and laughed with as a teenager! I look upon you and and I bow my head with thankfulness in my heart...I raised you well, and you have become more than I could have ever hoped and dreamed for. May this be the happiest of all birthdays past!!

Love, Mom

"Wigs and Wine"

Now that's an eye-catcher, huh? I was quite flattered to receive an invitation to a Halloween "wig and wine" party at the home of one of the executive directors at Verizon! Requirements for attendance: Everyone must wear a wig! Whoa! The president of our area will be there, along with my boss and some other noteworthy Verizon leadership team members. The invitation was directed to me and my "guest"... So John will most likely accompany me! This event occurs on October 29th...Next Saturday.

This past week found me absolutely swamped at work. Ten and eleven hour days...Lots of conference calls and meetings...Some difficult employee confrontations...And some very disgruntled customers to assuage! Oh my! My daughter-in-law, Rachel Vendsel, had a wonderful couple of quotes on her blog which were very convicting...dealing with pain and how God uses pain for our sanctification. Terrific words at a very timely moment for me.

As the weeks go by, I find myself missing my adult children more and more! I have such deep-felt joy and thanksgiving in my heart that each of these dear ones are guided, protected, and kept in Him. I love reading their blogspots...catching up on their thoughts, their activities, their "blunders" and their amusements. How wonderful that our technology is such that it is and that we don't have to rely on the Pony Express to share our hearts with each other!

Karen and Dave spent the weekend in Brownwood, Texas attending Homecoming '05 at Howard Payne University. Tomorrow they will have their official engagement portraits taken, and hopefully we'll be able to send a link where you can preview them. We'll put some newspaper announcements in the Grapevine Sun and in the Fort Worth Star Telegram...I'll let you know when they are published so you can look for those online, too.

I packaged four large boxes today and sent them to dear Sarah! Fun kitchen stuff and pantry items for her first solo apartment. What a gift from God to give her a wonderful apartment right next door to a lovely Christan family.

Tomorrow John and I will attend the OPC church in MidCities. The pastor is really a great guy, and I totally like his personality. He's an expository teacher/preacher, not quite as dynamic as Skip Ryan, yet still very gifted at breaking the Word of God.

On November 3rd, John and I depart for Cancun for four days. Dr. Johnny Greenfield and Jessica Rowell will marry on the beach in Cancun...If it's still there! Hurricane Wilma is wreaking havoc on their plans; please pray with us that the devastation won't be such that all their plans will be washed away (no pun intended).

Not much more excitement in my life right now. Just sheer busy-ness! Would love to read your comments.

"California, here I come, go, leave....whatever!"

This last week found me doing Verizon business in the glorious southern California weather! I was in Ontario and Los Alamitos, both located within about 60 miles of each other in the glorious desert and coastal areas of California. I traveled with my boss, Teresa Keenan, and we arrived decked with Powerpoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets, ready and eager to present two identical meetings to different audiences in the West. They went well; we only got chewed up and spit out a couple of times...but we had our rebound defenses prepared, and I believe we came out the winners in the long run!

Traveling with my boss is a joy, yet it's hard not to be envious/jealous of her position within Verizon, her adorable figure and amazing wardrobe, and her affinity for limelight and praise! She's an amazing businesswoman, with extremely good fashion taste, travel taste, food taste, wine taste, and vacation taste! After four days of hotel indulgence, food indulgence, and corporate talk points, I was feeling desirous to further climb the corporate ladder while at the same time, feeling very tired at just the thought of it! Is it the limelight I crave? Is it the monetary reward I crave? Is it the recognition I crave? Is it the political involvement of the corporate world I crave? Or, is it better that I look to Him to satisfy these cravings for position, for stature and for lucrative reward? I believe we all know the correct answer to this...

After returning home to the normal hum-drum of life following a fun-filled, recognition-worthy business trip, I find myself longing for true purpose in daily existence! When one stops to think about it, this job I have is simply about yellow page advertising and customer satisfaction....truly, it's just a phone book! It's just a blasted phone book!!!! And yet these telphone directories (which I monitor for customer service satsifaction levels, and manage the Call Center for customer complaints) bring this mega corporation, Verizon, an amazing amount of revenue that has put three of my children through higher education (and in many respects continues to do so), has put food on my table, a roof over our heads, very cute clothes on our bodies, and opportunities to travel and play heartily! Oh my!

Sunday...today is the 16th. John and I attended Fort Worth Presbyterian Church on Hulen Avenue. A PCA church; truly a beautiful facility...one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. Darwin Jones is the senior pastor. The sermon was on Genesis 16. It was well-delivered, but I still find myself yearning for the weekly preaching of Skip Ryan at PCPC. Please keep us in your prayers as we determine where we should settle down and become committed...

Haven't finished the first volume of three books I purchased...Leslie Vernick titles. But, I'm working through the last 1/4 of her book, "How to Respond Right When Your Spouse Behaves Wrong"...

More later...I'm preparing for a busy week ahead...to my family and close friends, I love you all most dearly!

"Wait Until Dark"...

Was the live theatre production John and I saw last evening at the Grapevine Runway Theatre! It was awesome! The acting was superb; made me very pleased we had purchased season tickets for the theatre...our treat for the year as opposed to the Dallas Symphony. I miss the symphonic concerts, but we'll definitely buy a couple of individual tickets during the season.

Look into your local community theatre for entertainment! It is wonderful support for the local actors/actresses and fabulous entertainment! Very reasonably priced, too! Check out the classic movie if you aren't familliar with the story line!

The amazing aura of Autumn!

Yes...It has finally arrived! A morning walk in the neighborhood confirmed the fact that our Texas weather finally made the transition from the hot, humid summer to the cooler, breezy autumn air. I love this season...Truly my favorite season of the year.

I sit here this morning contemplating the end of 2005 and how much activity is in store for me these next several weeks. Tomorrow I leave for a four-day business trip to Southern California. I've prepared a solid presentation for some very high-maintenance sales employees in the Company. Fortunately my boss will be with me to "scrape me off the floor" if I get chewed up and spit out! The purpose of the trip is to do some serious networking and "partnering" if you will. We recently had some organizational changes in the Company which resulted in my office absorbing all customer contacts from the West...Truly a HUGE undertaking. We are experiencing some "growing" pains to say the least!

In three short weeks (November 1st) John and I leave for three nights, four days in CanCun. Son, Johnny Greenfield, is marrying on the beachfront. More than 100 family and friends will be in attendance. It's been a gala planning affair for the future Jessica Rowell-Greenfield. And I must say, all the flora and flair of an upscale wedding extravaganza is on the horizon. She has spared no detail! It should be one of the most unusual, unique weddings I've ever attended.

On November 13th I'll be traveling to Portland, Oregon on another business trip. After meetings at the Verizon office on the 14th of November, my boss and I will travel to Seattle for a repeat performance in the Everett, WA office. John will fly to Seattle on the 17th, and we'll spend my birthday weekend with daughter/step-daughter, Caroline. On Sunday afternoon, we fly from Seattle to San Francisco. We'll see the newly married Dr. and Mrs. Johnny Greenfield for a day before traveling to Santa Rosa to spend Thanksgiving with my sisters and my mother.

Christmas will find me with no more time off...At all! But...I may manage to escape early from the office from time to time, and do some shopping. I'm hoping as many family will be in the area as possible. I know that Rachel and Mike may have to spend a white Christmas in Philadelphia. I know that grieves the hearts of may...Mine included! BUT...God is good, and knows best, and some of the most precious Christmas memories I have are as a newlywed, spending my first holiday with my own new identity. Karen and Dave will be in Grapevine, and Sarah will hopefully be here, too. We'll make the best of a smaller celebration.

On New Year's Eve, John and I will attend the Grapevine Runway Theatre's Gala Celebration! It's a catered dinner, mystery theatre, dancing, midnight champagne toast, and breakfast buffet. I've never done anything like this before; should be a nice change and a delightful time! I'm hoping we'll meet some new people from the community.

January will arrive, and then the wedding countdown will be here! March 11th wedding day for Karen and Dave will be upon us before we can blink an eye. She has been the "planning queen" to say the least, and has done a great job of pulling together this lovely celebration. More to come on that...By the way, Karen and Dave are registered at Bed, Bath and Beyond and Crate and Barrel.

I'm deeply involved in reading some serious Christian titles involving relationships and marriage. The author is Leslie Vernick. I would covet your prayers for me as I search my soul for some answers to my personal struggles. I also covet your prayers for wisdom as to where we should regularly attend church. I really want active involvement coupled with meaningful pulpit teaching. I seem to find one or the other, but not both. This is so important to me! While I miss the strong teaching of Skip Ryan, I find no personal fulfillment in relationships at PCPC. On the other hand, I find friendship and love at the Bedford OPC church, but not an impacting teaching ministry. Thanks for praying.

Enjoy your week...Make it a blessing! An excerpt from Leslie Vernick's book, "How to Act Right When Your Spouse Acts Wrong"....

..."Oswald Chambers tells us...'The test of a man's religious life and character is not what he does in the exceptional moments of life, but what he does in the ordinary times, when there is nothing tremendous or exciting going on.'...I would add that the test also comes when other people in our life sin against, hurt or disappoint us. Then who we are and what we are made of is more apparent, not only to others but also to ourselves. This is the perfect time to yield to God's refining process so that we might not just endure our hardship but grow from and through it. John Calvin encourages us by reminding us 'that they may not become too complacent or delighted in married life, he (God) makes them distressed by the shortcomings of their partners.'"

Is that a cool breeze I'm feeling?

WOW! It was in the 60's today with a cool, windy breeze all day long! Did fall finally come to the humid state of Texas? I'm thinking so...

This week finds me spending 12-hour days at Verizon and planning fun activities for my employees during this national Customer Service Week. Yes...it's a national celebration; a week dedicated to front-line service professionals...actually enacted by Congress, if you can believe it! I've orchestrated breakfasts, lunches, open houses, baking contests, "crazy hat" day, and team building exercises every day. And that's in addition to my normal duties and responsibilities. No wonder I'm putting in 12-hour days!

I just received three books in the mail from amazon.com. These are recommendations from my dear daughter-in-law, Rachel Vendsel. The author is Leslie Vernick, and the titles are "How to Act Right When Your Spouse Acts Wrong"; "How to Find Selfless Joy in a Me-First World" and "How to Live Right When Your Life Goes Wrong". Hmmmm...sound like titles for a mid-life crisis, huh?!! Well, perhaps I'm actually having one!! I've started the first listed book; only a few pages so far, but already compelling.

What else am I doing in my spare time...between working at Verizon, working at home, and sleeping? Not a whole lot!! I am, however, adoring every moment of wedding planning with Karen. As each day goes by, I see God's rich blessings in her life...a wonderful husband-to-be who truly adores her and has her on a pedestal! They are participating in some very practical pre-marital counseling activities...I'm so very pleased!

On Monday I'm off to California on business; I'll return to Texas on Thursday. I'll post more "blog" journals at that time. Thank you for reading!!

Oktoberfest....no, it's really October 1st...

And an exciting first day of October it is! Daughter, Karen, and I are getting ready for the bridal portrait shoot later this afternoon. This morning we were at the hairdresser, messing around with tiara, veil, and "dos" and some "don't's...we then picked up a bridal nosegay from City Florist in Grapevine. We are getting ready to do make-up....what a scene....jeans skirt, button down t-shirt, gorgeous veil and tiara on top of a very simple yet "very Karen" hairstyle, stark clean face!!! Such fun "girl stuff"...I'm taking "before and after" shots with my antique camera throughout the day. If it was digital, I'd put them online...maybe I'll develop them on a CD so that I can post a few...but Dave Norvell will need to stay away!

More later!