Deeper & Deeper

I just watched the Disney movie Brave, again, tonight.  I asked God, briefly, beforehand to watch it with me and speak to me through it.  But as the movie went on I didn’t hear anything from Him.  In fact, I didn’t cry or feel like crying in many of the places that I usually do.   At the closing scene(s) of the mivie it hit me what I like about these movies; it’s what I’ve asked God to stir in my heart.  I love the restoration, the confession, forgiveness, and heart of it.  God is just slowly, here and there, prepping my heart.  He is slowly building a strong, well-founded, heart of salvation, restoration, the blind seeing, the list found, the sick healed, the broken restored, the hurt made well, the dead alive.  Deeper and deeper and deeper into Him.  

Investments

After having lost so much on coins in my last impulsive investment in several hundred dollars in coins, I have set a bit of guidelines.   These guidelines do not stop me from making investments nor even impulsive investments, but they really limit how I purchase them.    The last hunk of coins I purchased was not a bad investment, but I didn't do it properly and it left me with little wiggle room, which I believe was not a wise decision.  The new guidelines I set help to ensure that I will indeed make profit from what I am purchasing and that the expense to profit margin needs to be much greater.  

This week I have taken to several more investments.  I try to keep an eye out for good deals and will sometimes bid on them on eBay - keeping to the new guidelines.   I usually do not win the auctions, as I am not willing to pay that much anymore.    However I have won some recently.   Most are coins, but not all.    The one lot that I purchased was a lot of Krispy Kreme fundraiser certificates, each for 1 dozen original glazed donuts.   1 dozen Original Glazed donuts at Krispy Kremes costs $7.99.   I purchased the certificates for $2.87 apiece.  I plan to sell them for $4-$5 each (they sell for about that on eBay - though I will also try to sell them on Craigslist and Facebook so I don't have to pay eBay's fees).  

I also invested into bulk quantities of the old, large, Eisenhower (IKE) Silver Dollars (not silver - silver is just a name referencing the size of the coin).   Though they only have a face vale of $1.00, they generally sell between $1.30 and $2.00 each - generally closer to the $1.30 when buying in large quantities and sometimes closer to the $2.00 mark when buying in small quantities.  I was able to purchase a large quantities, some for $1.26 each and others for $1.22 each.   Yes it may appear that this expense to profit margin is small, could be as low as 4-8 cents per coin, and that is true.  However when sold in large quantities, such as what I purchased, it can be easy to make 20, 40, 60 plus dollars profit.   I also saw this as a great buy because I know from experience that I can sell these.  In the past I have sold lots of 100 IKE Dollars for $1.30 per coin on Craigslist, so I have little doubt that I can do that again.    

We shall see about these investments.   One goal I have with them, is as a second or third (if I get a second job) source of income on the side to help fund my car.   

Passing Out

This past Sunday I had a new experience: I fainted.    I have never fainted before, though for some reason I have kind of have wanted to experience it, and now I have.   I fainted from standing up too fast, I think.   Growing up I have almost always had low blood pressure (at least as much as I can remember), and because of that, when I would stand up too fast, sometimes I would partially black out and lose a bit of sight for a few seconds before returning to normal.   However I have noticed up until the last week or so, I haven't had that happen much if at all - a doctor even told me that my blood pressure was low last fall.   Well, the day before I fainted, I had a chiropractor appointment and they took my vitals and told me that I have low blood pressure.   So when I stood up on Sunday after sitting for a while, I started to black out.  When I first noticed that I was starting to black out I reached out and held onto the bookshelf (I was in the living room).   As I fully blacked out, I have memory of a dream-like feeling mixed with hitting the clock with my head and seeing my aunt looking down at me.   It was very dreamy and peaceful.   It took me a bit to get my bearings afterwards again.   I apparently fainted, hitting my head on the clock on the wall and bringing it down with me.  My aunt heard the loud bang (which I recall hearing as well, but it too was dreamy) and came in and asked if I was alright.   She saw that I was kneeling on the floor and holding the clock.   When she asked about it, I replied, but my reply was delayed as my mind hadn't processed it all yet.  It still took quite a while after that before I felt fully with it again.   

Bump Again

Well, come to find out there was a little misunderstanding between me and the coworker who switched schedules, and our employer who was making the schedules.  So, below is the official, new, summer schedule that I will be (and have been since Monday) working.

     Mondays: 8am-Noon

     Tuesdays: Noon-5pm

Wednesdays: 8am-Noon

    Thursdays: Noon-5pm

        Fridays: Noon-5pm

So far I have really enjoyed the new schedule change.  I enjoy working more, and being able to work some mornings.  In the mornings there is generally a lot more time playing with the kids and there is also the bonus of breakfast.   Afternoons are more nap and cleaning, but they include lunch and snack.  I like having a bit of each.

Boom, Boom, BUMP

I just posted an update this morning regarding my summer work schedule, and it has changed already.   While at work today another student worker asked if I would be willing to switch schedules with her and I agreed to do so.   So instead of the early 8am - noon shift, I have now been bumped up to the noon - 5pm shift.    With this schedule change, I gain an additional 4 hours each week (Yeah!!), Praise God!!  Though not working the morning shift means more cleaning and no free breakfast in the mornings, it does mean free lunch and nap time like I have now!  

Boom, Boom, Boom

 One thing right after another happens this week.  This morning I came in to school for an 8am final - which was a breeze - Praise God!   In just a little bit, at 9:30, I head over to work.    Normally I work from 10:30 to 3:30, but because some other student workers have finals, I get to work an extra hour.

Thursday (tomorrow) I have to head in to a mechanic shop in Normal, Illinois at 9am to have some repairs done to the car I am driving - the passenger-side outer tie rod is about broken - if it breaks, the front right tire will move at free will, not connected to the steering wheel.   Then at 2pm tomorrow I go in to take my last final exam of the semester.  I expect it to take 60-90 minutes.  

Friday is another early morning, as I will be leaving home around 7am.   I have to be in Peoria (~40-60 minutes away) by 8am.  I am getting my MRI on my right knee tomorrow at 8:15 am.  Then I will be coming back and again having the opportunity to start work an hour earlier.  I will work from 11am to 5pm.  

Saturday is not as early, but still not too much sleep-in time.  I have a 10:10am appointment with my Chiropractor.   I went to this Chiropractor twice last week and he is really good.  My mom's new chiropractor down in Texas recommended this guy (who is 10 minutes away from where I live) as the guy here in Illinois got the guy in Texas into the chiropractic field.   Anyways, he has really helped me.  My pain has dramatically gone down, not gone, but much less than it was.    He, unlike many chiropractors, doesn't have me to come in two or three times a week.  I went in twice last week, and then again this coming Saturday.  My chiropractor then said, after this Saturday's appointment, I only come back when I want to.  

Sunday Morning is another early one.  I get to serve again on Eastview Christian Church's parking team!  I have to be there by 8:15 - sometimes they will have refreshments there if I come early.   Eastview has all of there church body serving set up as one month on and one month off.   So I will be on in the odd months (May being one of them).

Monday starts the summer of early mornings.  My new work schedule for the summer is 8am to noon, so I will consistently have early mornings this summer.  

Pizza Party

In one of my Child Development classes our professor brought in Dunkin Donuts donuts and cuties (oranges) for everyone for our last day of teaching/learning this semester.  Then she asked us what kind of food she we wanted her to bring the next class for a end of the year party.  We concluded on pizza.  So yesterday she brought in two large pizzas from Papa Johns and some ginger ale.   Everyone else brought in some sort of drink or side.   Considering that there are only five of us in the class, there were some leftovers.    Over all I have enjoyed this class much more than I expected - this was the class I had thought about dropping.    God has been so good to me!!   Tomorrow I have the Final in this class, and it will be my last final for the semester.  

Parking 6,000 People

Yesterday I started on the Parking Team at Eastview!!! I am so excited.  We server for both morning services for a month, and then we get a month off - so I will sever for a month, every other month.   I am super excited about this!  I loved being on the parking team at Koinonia, and it was one of the really hard things to leave in Canada.    But, Praise God, I get to join here at Eastview!!!!   At Koinonia we had two services, somewhere around 1,000 people (I think) between the two and one entrance and one exit to the parking lot.     At Eastview we have (that we serve for) two services, somewhere around 6,000 people between the two (many bus trips, using 4 busses, are made to and from the next door high school parking lot, plus the City bus now stops there), and two entrances and three exits.  We also have a bigger team on board.  But with only 4-5 people per entrance, it still get's busy.   Plus, at Koinonia the exit was a different pathway than the entrance, but here at Eastview it's the same pathway.  So for 30-40 minutes between services each person has to manage three different flows of traffic to the same lane (1 flow leaving the row, 1 flow leaving rows further back and now lined up on the enter/exit path, and 1 flow entering).  Plus we have to make way for front parking for visitors and handicap attendees, and the entrance and exit of the drop-off flow.   It gets a bit chaotic, but it is soooooo fun, and it goes waaaaaayyy too fast!   I love it!!!!!  Praise God!!

Most Expensive Opening Message

Church this past Sunday was a bit different than most Sunday's.    Pastor Mike Baker dug into the thicket of money.  But he did something unusual, which he said was his most expensive opening message that he has ever done.    As he started the service, the usher's passed around the offering plates, as usual, however they passed them for a different purpose.  Normally you put money in the plate, this time we took money out of the plate.   Each plate had a stack of envelopes and each person took one.   Inside was a card an either a $5 bill, $10 bill, $20 bill, $50 bill, or $100 bill!  In total, between all three services, he gave out $50,000!   Then he preached his message.  He on Matthew 25:14-30, the parable of the Bags of Gold (or the Talents).  As I was getting up to leave (I stepped out early to serve elsewhere) he had offered us that we now have the opportunity to put this passage/parable into action in our lives.  That was what the money was for.   We each were randomly given one of the dollar bills mentioned above and Pastor Mike was sending us out.   We are to do basically whatever with it, to try to make more - just as the servants did in the parable.    In one month, we are to bring back what we have from it.   Out of what everyone brings back Eastview will take back their $50,000 and all that comes in above and beyond will go towards the communities in Bloomington-Normal that we will be helping this year in our Serve Project (Serving our communities).   In the past people have invested the money, bought cupcake mixes and had bake sales, and all sorts of others.   Now we get the amazing opportunity to put on our thinking caps, revive our creativity, and actually do something to help!

My envelope contained a $20 bill in it.  I, today, took it to the bank and exchanged it for quarters.  I am, and have (last night) working on finding specific key date and condition coins out of general circulation and then sell them.   For some, it may be just nickel and dime-ing it but, it's an investment.  It isn't easy to grow $20 in a month, but with God's help, I have no doubt that it can multiply.   If God will allow it, my goal is to bring back $100 from that $20 (five times the original amount).  If this was for a living, the time may not be worth it, but for the cause, I am willing to put the extra time into it.   

Chronic Pain

Over the last week or so, the 'chronic' pain that I felt God healed back in March, has returned.     I am not sure why God has allowed it to come back, but I am thankful that I was gone while it was.   I didn't think about this at the time, but looking back I can see that God knew what I was going though and what I was about to go through over the next month.   I believe that He eased the pain to help me though that time - both of emotional pain and stress in school work.    No only has the neck pain returned (it feels worse - but that is hard to say, considering that I went from almost nothing to everything just like that) - it has more solid "pop"'s when I move it certain ways (I do not like that sound, but it helps the pain temporarily (I think)).  The pain in my knees has also returned.  I have been feeling the pain in my right knee a lot more than before - which makes since as that is the knee that has some irregularity in it (as seen on the X-Rays).   I haven't been able to find a pattern for the pain yet, but it comes and goes all the time - I find myself having a bit of a limp a lot more frequently.   I also noticed that today, I had a ton of pain in my left knee - like I use to have - so this morning my limp was on the other leg.     I am thinking I may go ahead and take my rheumatologist's "order" and get an MRI on my right knee along with a few blood work tests.    I also am behind in setting up a few other appointments on my list of things to do, such as a dentist and chiropractor appointment.