Busy, busy week so far!

On Monday, the Beloved Husband and I accompanied the Darling Munchkin to the very nice, awesome, and excellent school we hope she'll be admitted to for her high school years. I had very high expectations of this school going in to the orientation - and they blew them all to smithereens! If our Munchkin is accepted there, she will get a stellar education, and will be perfectly well prepared fr college.

Of course, the price tag is a shocker (what a surprise!), so it will take a lot of prayer and hard work - but the Beloved and I know it will be worth it.

Then that evening, I went to my tax prep class, since I'd missed my normal morning session. It was a very good thing I did, because I got some excellent gouge (that's mil-speak for "good information") about the mid-term exam on Wednesday.

Tuesday, I studied, and then went to the after-school robotics workshop and "enjoyed" the enthusiasm of the kids (IOW, they have the attention span of gnats [sorry to insult gnats], and drove me nuts). Regional competition is barely a month away, and they've got to pull things together!!!

Wednesday, I aced my mid-term!!! One Hundred Percent Correct!!! I knew I'd pass, but I really wanted to get everything correct. It was a good thing (well, for me, anyway) the other two students weren't there, because I muttered and reasoned and commented my way through the whole exam; for some reason, talking through the problems aloud tends to help me concentrate and double check my work.

And then, that afternoon, I had an excellent ride on my dear buddy Jimmy, who is a wonderful Saddlebred gelding. He generally doesn't care to take the left lead when cantering (he'd rather try to rack, which is rather an odd feel if you're expecting the three-beat pace of a canter), but Wednesday, he picked it up right away. Apparently, I was also looking good, because the stable owner (a wonderful lady; I love her to bits) advised that I really ought to just buy Jimmy - and was only half joking! LOL Nooooooo, cant buy a horse when we have tuition for the Excellent School coming up in a few years! (Darn... 'Cause Jim-Jimmy-Jimmers is a great horse, and I adore him).

Yesterday... What did I do yesterday?! Oh, yeah, I went with a friend to WalMart, where we purchased a lot of supplies for the three Robotics teams. Her husband came along, too, and we all had lunch together... And then talked politics on the way back home (arg - not fun!).

The main thing we spoke of was the whole "Joe the Plumber" issue. My friend's husband claimed that "Joe" was mistaken, and that his taxes would not be affected - and missed the entire point of Obama's socialistic/communistic response:

This is a more complete video than the one I saw originally (which I prefer: I like things as much in context as possible), but at around the 1:20 and 3:00 minute marks, Sen. Obama talks about "spreading the wealth around," which is socialistic and communistic. That is government forcing people to give up an excessive amount of their hard-earned money, and penalizing them for their work and effort.

Now, I understand that taxes are a necessary evil - to some extent. The Federal government has to maintain the military to defend us, interstates need to be kept up, and so on - but our tax code has become so large and unwieldy that even the IRS can't keep up with it all! Joe bought up a flat tax, and Obama's response, though it sounds good and thoughtful, is merely an avoidance of a serious problem. Frankly, our tax code needs to be scrapped in its entirety and replaced (*wince* Ow - that hurt just typing it!) with something that gets out of the way of productivity, entrepreneurship, investing and saving; is simple, clear and easy to understand; and which is locked in so that lobbyists and special interest groups cannot screw around with it.

Yes, even if I get a job in tax preparation, I would love for that job to become obsolete because something like the FairTax was passed and adopted. Until then, I will do my best to serve my clients by making sure that the government doesn't get one red cent that my client doesn't owe them!

*sigh*

So, at the moment, I've got a stew bubbling away in the crock pot, I've completed my homework for my tax class, and I'm going through the news... And I'm feeling a little troubled and worried, because I cannot see anything good coming, no matter who gets elected in November! So, I need to remember Jesus' words to His disciples:

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Thank You, Lord, for Your watchcare over Your children. You know our fears, our worries and our troubles, You know our frailties and failures. Please let us turn to You when we are burdened with the cares of the world; remind us that You are still in control, You are still sovereign, and there is nothing that comes to pass that You have not foreseen and permitted and brought to pass. You alone are God, and Your mighty hand works to order history according to Your good and perfect will.

In Your Providence, nations rise and fall, rulers reign and die, and countries wax and wane in influence. You alone are God, You alone are ruler over all the universe, and You alone will receive the glory at the end of the age. All knees will bow before you, and every tongue will confess that You reign in righteousness. Your judgment is just and holy and true, and You will mold all things for Your glory and for the good of Your children.

Thank You, Father, for Your mercy and grace, for Your patient lovingkindness, and for the abundant blessings You shower upon us. I pray that Your love and forbearance will do their work and turn all our hearts to You in repentance and willing obedience to Your will. I pray that You will receive glory from a nation that returns to her Eternal Father, and again lifts up the name of Christ Jesus in honor, thanksgiving and praise for all He has done. In His blessed and exalted name, amen.

Even in the little things that never seem to big to me
In the things I thought didn’t matter much at all
As simple as my daily bread
To the strength I need to get out of bed
When I fly or when I am about to fall
Oh it's you in me that I fail to see

Make me aware, make me see
That everything I am is not all about me
So Take my world and turn it around
So that the obvious can finally be found
Make me aware, make me aware

When my life is hanging from a thread
And I think about the things you said
that in this moment seem so far away
Help me see the guarantees
That first brought me to believe
So I can make through another day
Oh it's you in me that helps me breathe

Make me aware, make me see
That everything I am is not all about me
So Take my world and turn it around
So that the obvious can finally be found
Make me aware

I have been missing so much
Not recognizing your touch
Or Acknowledging that you’re the reason
I'm even here
I have been missing so much not recognizing your touch

Make me aware, make me aware
Help me see that everything I am is not all about me
Take my world turn it around so that the obvious can finally be found
Make me aware, make me aware

                                                     Salvador, "Aware," from their album Aware (2008)