I know you don’t want to hear it, but I am sitting here on the couch (again) and I have nothing better to do (nothing I have the energy to do, that is) but chronicle the past two months of my life.  I am starting to believe my giftedness lies in list making…so here goes, another list.  Call this one

“A Month (or two) in the Life of a Nobody. Me.”

The month of September started well enough; great plans for a great fall…

Started a class on Sanctification at Reformed Theological Seminary
Commenced Systematic Theology at First Baptist
Began my tenure as liaison for Women’s Ministry with the Christian Ed department
Joined the ‘Anchor’ women’s discipleship group at church
Dove into the theology exam for Biblical Counseling
Began leading a small (covenant) group with some wonderful young adults
Continued pre-marital mentoring our now newlywed couple
Persevered in writing curriculum for above
(this is what artists do when they have no Interior Design business- theology—huh?)

anyway… in  conjunction with this ridiculously busy schedule the following “circumstances’ have occurred…

August 30th got ‘the flu’
Turned out to be a sinus infection
Got an antibiotic
Finished the antibiotic and, while exiting my vehicle from a Christian Ed meeting, pinched my sciatic nerve
Fixed the nerve and broke a tooth
Fixed the tooth and got another sinus infection
Got an antibiotic
Washer broke
Loaded Snow Leopard on the Mac and began experiencing a new, garbled version of Safari
Finished the antibiotic and broke another (different) tooth
Computer went away to the Apple hospital to get fixed
Fixed the tooth
Computer came home, not fixed, went to the Genius where the hard drive crashed
Genius is a genius, ‘fixed’ the computer
Had to RELOAD the computer
Three hours (and two new, surprisingly American, tech best friends) later, restored information (including the EXAM) on the computer
Dryer broke (not kidding)
Kamikaze bird hit the back window
Computer restored original problem, back to Genius
New Genius, new idea…seemed to work…
Sinus infection returned, this time it brought ‘friends’ (chest pain and flaming red itchy rashes)
Cable crashed
Got another antibiotic
Computer restored original problem

Out of all this, these are some fascinating statistics I’m sure you will be interested in…

Nights spent sleeping on the couch (due to pain) in the past 60 days; 14
Mornings making a bed I did not sleep in; 14
Days spent on the couch staring out the window; 9
Trips back and forth to the Apple store at South Park mall; 6
Visits to the chiropractor; 25
Appointments at Mecklenburg Medical; 3
Opportunities to catch the Swine Flu while sitting in a Doctor’s waiting room; 3
Hours on the phone with Tech Support; 9.5
New friends at Apple; 5 (Miller, Leo, Alex, Mike, David—2 not-so-nice guys didn’t make the cut)
$$$ spent on above; priceless
Trips back and forth to Walgreens Pharmacy; 5
Rebuilt computer with original problem still occurring; 1
Husband sick of a sick wife; 1
Blog audience tired of my health woes; 1

Hence, the reason I really have nothing else to write than to repeat what I have apparently not yet learned….

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1.2-4

and the conclusion to the Elyse Fitzpatrick quote from Sunday…

“I think that I am wise and know what is best.  His plans confound the wisdom of the wisest man and flay him in the dust.  I deceive myself into believing that I deserve better than this.  He gently reminds me that I deserve an eternity of excruciating flame eating at my soul and separation from His Son.

Peace begins to fill my soul when I remember the truth of the gospel; I am more sinful and flawed than I ever dared believe, more loved and welcome that I ever dared hope.  I deserve less than nothing but have been given everything.”