Claudia, Gabriel, Clyde - Christmas 2010

Clyde 2011

Gabriel Fall 2011

Samuel, Carolyn, Stephen & Gabe, Clyde, Claudia 2011

Lilly 2011

First an update on our growing family. Clyde is now retired from public education. It was, says he, a good time to retire. Claudia and Clyde are both still working with developmentally and mentally disabled children. Claudia is about to finish off some education and use her professional degree for a professional position in the company we both work for. Stephen is still at home and mostly stays to himself downstairs in his basement bedroom. He has been promoted at work and, though the pay is not at a professional level, he is enjoying more freedom to help customers at the call center. He still loves video games, Japanese anime, and is still looking for a coding position that fits his CS credentials. Carolyn and Sam and their one-year-old, Lilly, live just down the street in an apartment complex. We see Carolyn much more often than we see Samuel. And sometimes we get to see our granddaughter. A new development is that Carolyn is now pregnant again. Gabriel, our little six-year-old is still full of energy and can be a lot of fun. We love him a lot and are thankful for his growth both physically, mentally, and emotionally.


Christmas is truly a wonderful holiday season!! I have always loved Christmas - the lights, the trees, the ornaments, the decorations, the music, and Santa Claus. Every Christmas I am excited about what gifts I can give to others. This is strange when I really stop to think about it. From the time I was small Christmas was always all the above and, most importantly, the gifts I was going to receive.

Why and how has the emphasis on what everyone is giving to me gone away?

I am not certain what the answer is to this question. There could be several fitting responses. One might be that I am too old to care about what anyone is giving me. Another might cite the fact that I already have so much stuff that I can hardly manage what I already have. How about the suggestion that I am so focused on helping others that I do not have time to worry about what I am getting? Or how about the guilt that I feel every time I look at Christmas as a time to get more of the stuff I want, knowing, to be sure, that Christmas is about Christ and not about me or my stuff?

One thing is certain, something has changed in my life. It has happened slowly and deliberately, without any doubt, guided by the Lord, Jesus Christ, whose sacred priesthood I hold, and whom I strive to serve by serving others each day of my life.

At this time of the year, we celebrate his birth approximately 2,000 years ago in a far away town known as Bethlehem, where Joseph and Mary had traveled to pay taxes to a foreign ruler named Caesar Augustus. As an aside I find it interesting that even in antiquity the certainties of life were already birth, death, and taxes. At the same time I marvel that such a seemingly insignificant and humble beginning of life eventually led to both Jewish and Roman trials and the Roman crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth. Why crucify the son of a carpenter for preaching principals of love and forgiveness? How could this person be important enough to merit such attention?

Eventually, after his death, Christ's apostles and disciples began spreading the good news throughout the known world. There was much persecution, but Christianity even became the state religion of the Roman Empire in about 330 A.D. Now Christianity exists in almost every part of the known world. It is the dominant religious faith in the Americas, in Europe, and in most of the former Soviet Union.

Unfortunately, the word "faith" used in the above context, refers mainly to organized Christianity, and not to how faithful its members are. For in the past century many of the teachings of the Savior have been tossed aside in favor of other interests by the general population of supposed Christians. Teachings on chastity and morality are, in particular, under the most challenge at this time, and instead of love of their fellow beings, people are siding against each other viciously and hatred seems rampant.

And yet I am so thankful for all my family and friends whom I know have exercised great faith in the Savior in doing their best to live his commandments and bring peace and joy into the lives of others. This is what He wants us to do - serve each other. His laws are laws of love.

One cannot be a true Christian without loving and serving others generously. The Lord has given us all that we have in this mortal existence, and he has commanded us to love and share and serve one another. Unless we do this, we are not His disciples or followers.

In the past year I have been through some trials. My faith has been greatly tested. My devotion to principles taught by Jesus Christ has been demanded. I have faltered and have found myself returning to succeed - returning to my senses, so to speak.

Christmas is about love and service and caring. I am so thankful to understand the very essence of Christmas. And I will do my best to always keep Christmas all the year around.


Claudia and I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Gabe's Newest

Gabe has been very busy with some activities over the past few months. He has done not only Field of Angels softball, but also Fall AYSO VIP Soccer, and now, Idaho Falls Wrestling Club. Field of Angels and Soccer are over and everyone at soccer told me he was a natural. Wrestling--well he likes to tackle dad and Stephen, but attend during wrestling practice? Way outa there!!! It is finally dawning on me that he will need more structure and support than wrestling currently offers, but I am hopeful we can give it to him and he can at least come to practices. He was ill for the first match last Saturday, so we didn't even sign him up. What does this week hold? Well, tomorrow is Halloween, and Buzz Lightyear is not quite ready to trick-or-treat. He is still sick and will probably not go to school tomorrow for the kindergarten Halloween program. Aw shucks!! Here are some photos I may not have shared before.

What a Sabbath Day!!

Today was our yearly children's sacrament meeting program, and what a day it was. The kids sang well and behaved amazingly well. Gabe--well, Gabe is Gabe. He was all over the place, but he was more manageable than usual. Another teacher took him over for me and was able to get some reasonably good behavior out of him. He said his part and climbed around the rostrum behind the bishopric during the program. He also sat on this elderly teacher's lap for quite awhile. We had several people spotting for us, but no one had full control of Gabe. He was his own little man!!

At times like this I am so very thankful for people who are so willing to assist. If we knew what to do to solve the problem, we would certainly do that. So far, even with consultation from his therapists and teachers at school and elsewhere, we just haven't solved the church problem.

After the main meeting, Gabe went to Primary class with the other children. He was worse than usual, however, for the rest of the meeting schedule.

He has become milder and more compliant lately, but has gone backward in some other areas.

And isn't that the way it always is?! A few steps forward and one or two backward.

I have felt so lost so many times, but I just keep working on new ways to help him calm himself. They didn't work today, but maybe next time.

What was it Churchill said? "Never give up! Never give up! Never give up!" Well, we don't ever give up on our son. We are thankful for him and the fun he brings into our family!!! I thank the Lord each day that we were able to bring Gabriel into our family before he got older.

Although I often find it saddening to think about how all this had to come about, I also think of the energy and sweetness he has brought into our world here. Not that Claudia and I have more energy because of him--far from it. It is more like the other way around--less energy to spare since he has come to live with us.

I often wonder what might happen one day after he grows to adulthood. What will he be like?

We hope for the best and pray. We pray as though everything depended upon the Lord. Then we go to work as if everything depended upon us.

And what does Gabriel do? He just goes right along doing his own stuff and learning how to be a better kids.

Academically, he takes after his mother. He just took the state reading test and got a 3 - higher than most kindergartners. I watched him work in class this past week, and was amazed at how engaged he was for the new student teacher. And his latest psych eval lasted a whole 3 hours total--a lot longer than the 20 minutes for his first such assessment--just over a year ago.

Sometimes I just want to take his pain away--Oh, how I feel pain over the challenges in his life!! Yet, I know that he will learn something from all of this--something that just could make him stronger and happier. For in the midst of all that we experience in this life, the only way we discover what makes us happy is by experiencing what is sad. If we never knew sadness, we could never know happiness.

My hopes are that Gabe will become happy because he has been sad--that he will learn to trust because he learned what it is like to not have anyone to trust--that he will learn to love more and more because he has somehow missed the love and nurture he has needed. If I have anything to do with the outcomes here, I will do my best to restore to Gabe as much of normalcy and nurturing as I can--as much of responsibility and success as I know how--as much forgiving as he needs to feel to forgive all others.

Gabe the Babe!!

We finally had to go get some new clothing for Gabriel. He just doesn't have very many things that fit him anymore. Going shopping with Gabriel, however, is not at all like going shopping with a "normal" kid. It is more like taking a combination of a monkey, a donkey or mule, and a bull with you to a china shop. The result can be catastrophic if you aren't sufficiently grounded in your purpose and your determination (and if you don't hold his hand constantly). From running back and forth through the store, to refusing to cooperate, to yelling and screaming, to grabbing items off the shelves and doing who-knows-what with them, to opening the fitting room without knowing what or who is on the other side of that door--a shopping trip with Gabriel is never boring!!!

This morning, however, the success of our shopping created a new-looking little guy with bright new black dress shoes and pants. Of course, by the time the day was over, things weren't quite as shiny and clean as when we started out. But you should have seen and heard him sing with all his heart in Primary!! He is finally beginning to show interest in singing and playing with others and being part of a group. It is great to see the changes.

Something I think is quite amazing: Every Sunday after Sacrament Meeting, Gabriel heads for the building library as fast as his little legs can go (and they CAN go). He goes right in--not shy at all--grabs a set of scriptures or talks a librarian into giving him one, then heads for the Children's Meeting Room, where the main Primary is held. He has to have scriptures in his hands or he is not happy going to Primary.

The one thing I wish he would change, though, is this: I sincerely wish he would sit down some time during the meeting so I can take just a tiny relaxing breath.

He knows we love him and we do kiss and hug attacks all the time. He does them back, too!! Then there are the times when we re-infant him by feeding him at the table or cradling him in our arms like a baby. Besides being our only six-year old son, he is also our little baby boy.

What a fun little one we have in our home. We just love him a lot!!

Sometimes I think about Grandma and Grandpa Hoffman, my dad, Hazel, and my mom and Lin. I hope they are looking down on us and seeing a beautiful little boy and sending their love his way!! I am certain that if they were all here, they would love him with all their hearts!!

I Am Still Here--And Very Busy--Mr. Mom!!!

School is about to start--without me!!!! What a strange feeling!! I will be home much of the day--unless I find a new job somewhere. I am not going back into public education--finished with that. So what am I doing with myself?! Well--still doing IBI and PSR with kids--all adolescents right now. Last night we went to Back-to-School Night at Gabriel's new school. We met with his Sp. Ed. teacher, his kindergarten teacher, and the principal. I also found myself being impressed into PTO service by a mother I know (not Claudia, BTW). And guess what--Monday morning at 9 a.m. I will be Mr. Mom and attend the kindergarten orientation!!!

Also, I am trying to get a clear schedule set up for my PSR clients and IBI client. This is proving more difficult than ever before--I am not certain why. One of the problems is that I have a client who lives in a town about 1/2 hour away. We thought I would not be having any commuting like that anymore--how wrong we were!!!

The relationship between a client and a counselor are confidential and need to be very close--almost like being friends. In fact, I believe all three of my clients regard me as a kind of "cookie person". This is so even if I confront them with their challenges and insist they solve their problems themselves. This is so even when I appear to "side" with their parents.

I can only love my job!!

And all of this is keeping me incredibly more busy than I could ever imagine.

Retirement?! What's that?! I don't think I have found out what that is yet?! It must be happening in some location very remote from where I am.

Yes!!! I Knew We Could Find Some Cuts That Wouldn't Hurt Our Kids and Teachers Anymore!!!

Salary of retired US Presidents .............$180,000 FOR LIFE Salary of House/Senate .......................$174,00​0 FOR LIFE Salary of Speaker of the House ............$223,500 FOR LIFE Salary of Majority/Minority Leaders ...... $193,400 FOR LIFE Average Salary of a teacher ................ $40,065 ...Average Salary of Soldier DEPLOYED IN AFGHANISTAN $38,000 I think we found where the cuts should be made! If you agree... RE-POST

When It Takes More Than Love

As a parent (permanent guardian) of a 6 year old with attachment issues, I have read with interest some of the postings on the ATTACh Parent Support discussion forum. This evening I finally was able to read some of the postings I had not previously seen.

One thing I have learned in having this little boy in our home is that he will keep us busy. We have had him for two years and he often appears to be attached to us at this point. He has a lot of little fits, but he can talk now and he has fewer of these, and they are less intense than they used to be.

Being a therapist myself (although not yet trained in attachment therapy) I have read with interest whatever materials I can grab for resources. I also work with a teenager and his dad who have only been together for about 2 1/2 to 3 years (first 6 months he had to share with another guardian), I am seeing more of what could happen if we don't get our little man as fully attached as we can.

I believe that any parent who is struggling to care for such a child needs much support. I believe that however a parent is parenting, that parent needs the support of the therapist when things are getting tough. I believe that is the best way to support the child--support the loving parent who is raising the child--whenever there is a crisis!!

How True it Is!!!

I hope you all will view the hilarious (but truthful!!) video I have posted about the difference between men and women. Enjoy!!!!

Mark Gungor - Men's Brain Women's Brain

Gabe's and Stephen's Birthday--July 21

For Stephen's and Gabe's birthdays we had Papa Murphy's pizza, ice cream, frozen yogurt, and had Gabe blow out the six candles that were on this cake from Albertsons. We had a fun time and when it was bed time for Gabe, I decided to take this picture to remind me that a new wardrobe is now needed.

Just over two years ago he came to us with these pajamas. He just keeps growing--in many ways. He can also write his letters better, and now chatters at us constantly--actually making sense. Eye contact is rarely a problem. The close-up is by Gabe, as is the second to bottom photo of his sidewalk chalk writing. You can read the word "Dsney" or "Disney" and the words "Disney Home Video" (sic). His dog, Hairy ("Harrit" on his license) now has an outside safe place--a Dogloo.

Gabe seems happier and more content in our family now. Some challenges in behavior continue, but he is doing well.

Whose Family Did This One Come From?! Phew!!

Recently my cousin, Becky, went to visit her daughter, Rachel, who was working at a summer camp. Her comments were funny and true. Now she knew what to do when she visited her kids after they moved out of the house.

Says she:

"Rachel will be home in a few weeks, but visiting her room made me think of how I’ll behave when I visit my girls’ more permanent domiciles in years to come. Hmmmm – let’s see:

- I’m flipping off my shoes wherever I want. And leaving them there. In fact – I’ll step over them.

- Coasters? Tell me again – what are they?

- I’m coming into their rooms to “borrow” socks, shoes, pantyhose, jewelry - whatever isn’t nailed down.

- My dishes? Anywhere is fine. Especially on the “rinse” side of the sink. Just sitting there.

- If I see a full trashcan in the kitchen – I’m shoving my empty Sonic cup down into just as hard as I can.

- Every one of my hot showers is going to last at least 45 minutes. And require a quart of shampoo.

And finally…..

- If the home phone rings – I’m not answering. It’s not for me."

I remember our visits to our daughter while she lived on her own in Boise, Idaho, and our son while he was up at Rexburg going to BYU-Idaho. The mess I rather expected. It was the odors that invited me to leave as soon as I could!!!

I guess most of them have to seek their "freedom" from the "oppression" of being parented, and from household organization and chores. I didn't get much of a chance to do that. In the Army we had inspections and everyone else in the barracks did not like odors. When I returned from the Army and lived with my dad and his second wife, Hazel (this was after Mom divorced Dad), you better believe I kept my room neat!! Likewise, at college my roommates were mostly rather particular--as was I--about how clean our apartment was. I never had a chance!!! And after that it was ingrained--my poor roommates!!! Luckily Claudia can't stand any messes for very long at all.

We just hope our children eventually get the idea so we can enjoy visiting more--once Stephen is out on his own. He and Gabriel just had a birthday--July 21. Gabriel is now 6. Stephen (Failure to Launch) Tigner, on the other hand is now 32 and is still at home and working on getting a job in his professional area--computer science.

One thing about Idaho right now--as well as Nevada (huh?!)--lots of water around here. We hope it stays for awhile!!

Up Late Again...Ugh Will I Ever Be Happy?

Well, here I am up late again. It seems that each and every evening I try to do things I did not get done during the day.

I finished my paperwork for my job. But I wanted so much to get the lawn mowed and complete just a few things on my "to do" lists.

I have to remind myself that all the pressures are not what are important in this life.

My wife's sister and her husband used to live in a tract home. I remember their yard was always full of weeds. Her husband told me that the neighbors had complained angrily about the weeds in his yard. I could see that running their business and managing their household and raising their kids took up all of the time they had. It was no wonder they did not keep the weeds our of the grass!!

I always think about this whenever I start to feel the pressure of getting things done--like getting the weeds out of our lawn. I feel thankful I am able to do what I do!!

Lately I have had to examine my inner self and ask myself why I have not been happy. There are several reasons I can think of for this malaise. But one thing someone once said about happiness is that it is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it will elude you. But if you turn your attention to other things, it comes softly and sits on your shoulder.

Someone else said that the best way to forget your own problems is to help someone else solve theirs.

Put these two pieces of advice together and replace the word "things" with "people"--happiness is sure to come!!!

After all, as an ancient prophet once said, "When you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your God."

What better happiness is there than that of serving others?? I don't know of any.

Life Long Learning and Kids

In my years as a counselor I have received much information and experienced many epiphanies. The past few days I have been able to really apply some of what I have learned. This has benefited several individuals around me and I am so thankful for being able to do this.

I hope that in the next few days and weeks I will be able to set forth some extremely valuable principles of parenting and self management.

I hope some readers will be added and be able to see the value of what I present.

Thanks for reading!!

Gracias, los padres!!!

I was just reminded about our family trips to Tijuana years ago. From what I have recently heard, there is a lot of violence going on there now, and I am glad we were able to go to other countries when we were kids, and places were safer.

Every other year for Christmas we we visited our Tigner grandparents and Dad's sister, Aunt
Virginia in San Diego. We enjoyed being so close to the ocean and in a place that was not so cold as was Sacramento at that time of the year. Grandma Tigner was never glad to have us children under foot for a few days. She had a dressmaking and alterations business in her home, and although she was always glad to see us, we always very quickly got the idea that we were to be seen but not heard, and that we needed to get out of her way!! We would have Christmas there and stay a few days before we returned home.

We would go to Tijuana on some of those visits, just to buy Mom a new purse. We listened and watched as Dad haggled with the salesman. It was always in a tiny stall-type store that we found what Mom wanted. Those beautiful leather-worked purses with the long straps were perfect for Mom--she loved them. Dad would haggle the price down into the forty to forty-five dollar range and then purchase the purse. We would then return to San Diego.

For me it was always frightening to be in a country other than the U.S.A. And when we went to live two years in Casablanca, Morocco, it took awhile for me to overcome my anxieties about the different laws in another country. I was so glad when we returned home!! Years later, when I was in the U.S. Army, I was stationed in Germany. At the time I was not so excited about this, but now I am glad I had to live on-post in the barracks. We lived mostly under U.S. law. It was when we went off-base to go to church or to go on an adventure that we had to be concerned about West German laws and how they might affect what we were doing. It was the same a few years ago when Claudia's mother paid for all her children and their spouses to go to Santo Domingo. In fact, I was more frightened then than I ever had been in any other country. I felt like you never knew if you were safe.

I think I would still enjoy any opportunities to go abroad, but I have learned over and over again that the good old U.S.A. feels safer than any other country and that we have more freedoms here than anywhere else. I am so thankful for those who fought and died that we might have these wonderful freedoms!!

Actions, Choices and Teaching

While observing the irrational attacks on teachers, and the attempts at revoking of teachers' bargaining and employment protections in several states I have found myself giving some input to our state senator. It has been like talking to the proverbial brick wall. And even though the overwhelming onslaught of public opinion and testimony at hearings has been against the laws which have passed our senate, our legislative conservatives just march on and ignore all the public input--except that of the corporations which financed their past election campaigns.

It is evidence to me that teachers' unions never did have any power. I once joined a statewide protest to budget cuts. Thousands of us assembled at the state capitol building. The governor and legislature just ignored us and did their cuts anyway.

All of this has reinforced an important principle of life to me. We cannot ever control another person's actions. We can control our own actions. We can never control the consequences.

Regardless of whether our society or culture believes we can control another person's behaviors (e.g. a teacher controlling how well a student chooses to do on a high stakes test) one must finally face the shear fact that people are people and they will choose their own actions. We may be able to motivate a child to achieve in school, or we may not be able to motivate that child.

This is the whole purpose of teaching--to provide as much motivation and effective instruction as possible to help a student succeed. But after all a teacher does, only the student can do the succeeding.

A parent can seek to motivate their child, but only the child can make the right choices.

A child may think that they are totally in control of their actions, and they are! However, they cannot control the consequences of their choices. One can choose to walk over the edge of a cliff, but after one has made that choice, the consequence of succumbing to gravity generally cannot be avoided, regardless of whether the choice was a wise one or not.

This is how life progresses--always choices, consequences, and surprises to deal with. Choices can be freely made. Consequences, whether good or bad, come with the choices we make. We control our choices. Consequences are generally forced upon us as a result of our choices.

I wonder when we will be able to accept that and go on?!

As Everything Develops......

[lLife has its ways of surprising us!! A few weeks ago I visited one of my medical specialists. He concluded that the medication route was not working well for me. It was time for a procedure to make my body work better.

As I thought about all of this, I realized that the problem was not that the medication was not working well. It was, instead, working too well!! It was causing a problem for me!! This meant I needed to get off the medication. I concluded that a surgical procedure that would eliminate the problem I was having may just be the way to get off the medication--for good!!

The procedure was this past Thursday, March 3, 2011, and it seemed to go okay.

The point of all this is that I don't really know what may happen whenever I seek to correct one problem in any part of my life. Interventions always disrupt the current system in some way or ways. Some of these ways are good and some are bad (usually referred to as side-effects).

This applies to all parts of life. Whether intellectual, emotional, spiritual, or physical the effects of any intervention are disruptive in some way or ways.

I am recovering well from the medical procedure so far. How will I recover from other procedures that are currently intervening in the various aspects of my life and the life of my family? Will the effects be positive, negative, or mixed?

Come what may, life is life and I am thankful for it!!

Sooner Than I Thought--Retirement?

Well, a counselor, then a classroom teacher, now a school librarian--all jobs for which I have credentials!!

I will be leaving this school district after the end of this school year!! Retirement is an option!! That is what Claudia wants me to do--totally retire from everything--maybe some part time work at the agency we both work for. This way I can be the work-at-home daddy for our little Gabe.(Last time I did something like this, I found myself saying to Carolyn and Stephen, "You just wait 'til your mother gets home!!! You are in big trouble!!!")

We shall see what is coming between now and the end of the school year, but early retirement looks like a way to get out of the public education mess in this state. The superintendent of public instruction and the legislature appear to be buying into measures that will devastate public education and its providers.

But going on with the family, Gabe is growing and talking more and more and learning to read!! He is scheduled to enter Kindergarten next year. He will be six this summer.

And what about Carolyn's little baby? Lilly is doing well and has gained weight. She is now 10 pounds. How could there be any baby any cuter than this?! We just can't figure out why she keeps throwing up so much of her formula. Claudia and I, having experience in our family with these things, are thinking this is a milk all

ergy. But she throws up the soy formula too?!

Oh Well--she is still darling!

Okay, Okay--so I'm 29!!!

Everyone knows by now--today is my birthday!! I have never made a secret of my age--uh, unless I wanted to play a guess-my-age game with someone to see if I could come out looking younger than I really am. At 63 I am no more wrinkled and ugly than I was last year about this time--just a lot more stressed.

One day last Fall I told my 5th grade class that they have to look at me and listen to me--even if I am old, wrinkled, and ugly. They protested!! "Huh?! Mr. Tigner! You're not ugly!! You're handsome!!"

I guess I came out ahead on that one!!

After nearly half a year of being in my class I am not certain they still agree with themselves on that. I've been a lot more demanding and grouchy lately. But I am so thankful for my honest and caring classroom full of 31 students who are so kind to me!!

I am soooo lucky to have these kids!! They brighten my every work day and I can never stop telling them so!!

I need to thank their parents also--more often than I have!

Such wonderful children--all of them!!

Being 63 is not so bad. After all, I have heard people say that at the moment we are born we begin to die. That is to say that the older we get, the closer to the end of our lives we come.

I just sometimes wish that I had the maturity of a 63 year old. Whenever I say I am now 63, I want to look for my drivers license and check the year I was born to make certain I am correct. I just can't believe I have been on the Earth as long as dirt!

Sixty-three years, stated more correctly, is a very long time for me. I simply do not believe I have lived that long! And yet there is no denying that I have.

Some of Claudia's family came over for a small birthday party this evening. They presented me with a very nice gift, for which I am very grateful. But the biggest present they brought me was their being with us this evening. I needed that!

My older sister has not called yet. That is amazing, in one way: Since I always call her on her birthday (March 15) and harass her about her age, she just can't resist telling me what an old man I am. In another way it is not amazing: She is full of anxiety about spending money on phone calls. I am trying to remember. But I think I usually call her and give her the opportunity to harass me. Maybe she has forgotten my birthday?!

Oh well. I guess I will be calling. But I just want to reiterate a strong belief of mine. That belief is that getting older does not affect our memories so much as the incredible increase of things we need to remember as we grow older and our extended families and our life experiences continue to increase in numbers. It is no wonder we forget so "easily". Our life's experiences have multiplied geometrically and our memories just "fall flat on their faces" trying to keep up!!!

One more thing about growing through life's experiences. I have heard the story about the person whose life was being remodeled by the Lord. I think the person had dream in which the Lord said some work would be done on their home--a nice comfortable, roomy home they had worked very hard and struggled very long to construct, and that for awhile things would get a little rough, but that ultimately everything would get better. Well, the next thing they knew walls were being knocked out and staircases torn down and a big mess made all over the house and it began to look like the house would never recover from all of this and not ever be inhabitable again. The person was very sad and distressed and began to lose hope. After all these years of faithfulness and obedience, how could the Lord do this to them. But they stayed faithful to the Lord, knowing that He had always been their for them. Eventually the person realized that the home was being slowly rebuilt and restructured into an edifice that was much larger and of much more magnificent grandeur--the likes of which the person had not ever known. Happiness and comfort had increased in manifold ways and the new home was beyond their highest dreams in splendor!!

At this point in my life, and with all the events that have transpired within the past few months with regard to my profession as a counselor, I have been very discouraged and confused. But I know the Lord is there and that somehow everything will turn out okay. Somehow, this reassignment to teach instead of counsel (what I had now considered my life's work) will find me in some type of better situation--if I will just let the Lord take the lead and follow his precepts. How can I lose by doing so? I cannot! He will bring me through all of this, as He has previously done in my life. And somehow, dare I say, my house will be re-designed and rebuilt and improved beyond my comprehension.

To all of you out there who may have missed my birthday--you didn't miss much. I haven't changed significantly from last year. I am still me.

Have a wonderful and prosperous 2011!!!