Our new hire is awesome.  She's fast.  She's efficient.  She's helpful.  She's nice.  And I like being around her.  She always calls our boss "sir."  I think he likes it.  It's just another nice thing about her. We did get our across-the-board raise.  We were all happy.  My raise was the smallest though, so I was little disappointed.  Still, a raise is a raise and you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

I got a new car in April and it is duperly, superly nice.  I chose a Hyundai Elantra Limited.  It's exactly the color I wanted.  It's great on gas and I can start it remotely.  The only thing I wish it had is an upgraded sound system.  I like to be able to feel my music, as our son says.  Maybe sometime I will get better speakers and a woofer.  I miss having my husband drive me to work but it's nice having my own wheels again.  Now we have a payment for six years.  Boo.

Reading an article about grammar mistakes no one cares about (that was the title) I learned that two spaces after a period shows that you're old.  Boy, that made me mad.  I care about that!  I care about grammar too.  What yoyo wrote that article?  I have to try to start using only one space after my periods now.  It's hard to do!

Speaking of periods. I'm getting a bit of basal cell carcinoma removed from my face, the side of my nose, and the doc commented on the fact that I still have my period. He said, "Stranger things have happened."  My mom is now checking in on me and saying, "So did we get our period this month?" Haha!  Like I told the doc, every month I think it's the last one then I get another.  I do not mind though.  Except you'd think maybe I'd look younger or something, but dang, I'm 57 and I look 57.  That ain't fair.

Oh dear. I already forgot to use only one space after a period instead of two. Fresh start. Starting....now.

I'm waiting to hear back from SWBTS so I can sign up for a winter class. I'm excited to learn what class I will be taking. I'll have to hit up my savings account. My Zumba classes were killer small this summer so I didn't earn much there. I had a mere two or three students. Now I have seven to nine coming. I hope they continue.

My dad's wife was going to divorce him but changed her mind. The last time I talked to him he sounded so good. His voice was strong and he sounded like his old self. I hung up and was awash with feelings hard to put into words, but mostly, I suppose, sorrow.  Sorrow for the brokenness in all of us.

So I've been reading Psalms. The Psalms are songs and they are unique in that while the Bible is God speaking to man, the psalms are man talking to God. Some of the psalms are written by people who were in crisis, in dire situations, utterly dejected or afraid or lost or angry. You know, a lot of times you feel like when you're at church on Sunday you gotta be smiling. You gotta be smiling because you are a follower of Christ, supposed to be blessed, one of his children, a child of the One, True God. All of that is true but the psalms show that things are not always perfect or happy or great for YHWH's children. The psalms teach us how to talk to God. They teach us how to express ourselves in this relationship we have with the Author of All Things. I am a child of the one, true king. I am the head and not the tail. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world. Just like David encouraged himself, I too must encourage myself.

My mantra lately has been everythang's gonna be alright. Reminds me of a guy who worked in engineering when I was a secretary at Rockwell International in the '80s. But better is this one: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." That's from Scripture.

Monday our new hire starts work.  Her name is Carolyn and I'm looking forward to working with her.  She's has experience as a Certified Nurse Assistant and has worked in a warehouse which is a perfect combination.

I finished filling out my yearly job evaluation and am waiting for my boss to give me his eval.  I got a real good one last year.  I hope he still likes my work.  Nothing terrible happened during the three weeks that it was just he and I working.  No fires to put out.  No customers coming down to us because they lack medical supplies.  That's good.  I'm still looking for that across-the-board raise.  Boss said it was likely to happen this month.  Haven't heard a thing of it though. My regular little raise is due to begin on the 12th.  This is the longest I've ever held a job!  I've been there three-and-a-half years.

This evening I ordered a worship dress.  I've been practicing the "That's My King" sermonette by S.M. Lockridge and I just might offer to do it at church.  I will be a little nervous, but I think people would enjoy hearing it and it would be an opportunity for me to do something.

I saw a photo of a regular person wearing it and it looked pretty.  I will wear my hair in a side braid or in a Pentecostal 'do.  Been practicing.

I got an A in my class!  I was happy and pleased.  Now I am thinking of how I might earn more money to save up and take another class in August.  I need a third stream of income. I have seven months to save $1000.  The money I have saved now I want to use for a car.  A Toyota Corolla is what I want.  Everyone says "blah!"  But I like Toyota.  And I don't need a Camry.  The Corolla is plenty big enough for me.  It's super reliable.  And I don't need fancy.

At work our stock clerk's last day was yesterday.  Tomorrow I'll be filling in and doing my job too until we have a new one hired.  The CFO says there will possibly be an across-the-board pay increase for our department and it may be approved in February.  I hope it comes to pass.  It would be really nice.  I almost applied for a better paying job elsewhere, but though the money would be great, I have excellent hours and an excellent boss who runs interference where I am now, and the stress level is low.  I'd hate to regret trading.

We began our Friday Bible study.  It is soooo wonderful.  We are going through the book of Romans.  I picked a good one!  It's the Fort Knox of Bible doctrine!  We've finished chapter one.  The first meeting went okay.  The second one better.  I created a fill-in-the-answer worksheet for the second class and I think they liked it.  It helps them remember and recognize the important points I think.  And I practiced leading discussion.  I very much have wanted to do that, but it takes finesse of which I have only a little bit right now.  It went well Friday.  I want to ensure that the discussion stays on topic and that we do not devolve into "sharing our ignorance."  Once, when one person shared about a biblical event I asked if it was in Scripture.  She said no.  And it helped maintain group focus, I think.

I have a headache this morning.  Maybe dreading work next week with our three-person department down to two people. Eeek.