Well after what has felt like an eternity is finally coming to an end and we are nearly completely done with our latest house purchase! We got notified by Curtis that our loan had been approved by underwriting which means all that is seperating us from our fifth move as a couple is the title company recieving the paperwork and our signatures! Kelli and I are both extremely excited and ready to get there so we can finally settle in to our new lives on this side of the divide. Typically the final week before closing on a house is fairly busy and chaotic, well when you have the GL it's even more of an adventure!
We found out that our loan had cleared on Monday while on my way over to Billings for a two day training. This part of the week was no big deal because I'm going to be home late wednesday night which gives us plenty of time to sign papers and move in to the new place. Me waking up monday morning and throwing up before even getting clothes on was not part of the plan however! I have no idea what kind of a bug I caught but I know it was strange! I tossed and turned all night on Sunday and when I woke up I did not feel good at all, after my unexpected trip to the bathroom my upset stomach continued all the way into the airport and I prayed that I would make it through my air travels without haveing to use the little brown bag in the seat pouch in front of me! Luckily I made it the rest of the day without throwing up again but the body aches and headaches kept on and I was sure I had the flu. So having ate nothing since dinner the night before, I had a small bag of goldfish, a granola bar, and two ibuprofren for dinner and went to bed. I don't know how but I woke up this morning feeling like a brand new man! I felt so good I joined dad and Ryan in the workout center for a run on the treadmill! Whatever I had has seemed to have run it's course, must have been the goldfish dinner:)
So having put that little episode behind us we move forward! Many of the things that will no doubt make this week hectic are out of our control and as those arise we will simply just enjoy the ride. Hopefully no more freak illnesses are in our near future and we can get through the rest of it relatively smoothly! My amazing wife has been packing us up one tote at a time so I think when I get home late tomorrow night she'll be ready for me to load them all up and we'll be ready to go! Now we just have to hope that Wells Fargo gets the paperwork to the title company in time or the Nagle's might have an unexpected houseguest for a few days:)
Remember, time spent worrying about the things you can't control is time wasted!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Thursday, March 21, 2013
God winks!
Often times throughout my life I have heard my mother refer to those little events that happen in which there is no denying that someone is watching out for me as God Winks. She says these are no coincidences, just God's way of reminding me that he has everything under control. Most of the God winks I have experienced throughout my life have been more of a wink and a nudge, my stubbornness usually requires more than a wink to get my attention:) Yesterday however I received a wink that not only made me smile, it verified once again that I am not just wandering along aimlessly through this life without His guidance!
Most God winks are so subtle you almost have to luck out to even notice them, mine yesterday however lasted nearly all day. It all started when Kelli and I got going for the day and she took off for work, since it's currently about a 45 minute commute(hopefully going to be drastically shortening next week!!) she usually calls me when she gets there just to let me know she made it okay. Well yesterday I missed her call because I was still in the shower, I sent her a text telling her to have a good day and that I love her and set out for my day. I went to my parents so Dad and I could run down to Dicks Sporting Goods to check out their selection of new drivers for his golf bag. While at their house my mother passed by his office door and asked me if I was going to go to the AA meeting with dad later, I simply replied "sure why not" and didn't think anything of it. It should be pointed out right here that I probably only attend 3-4 meetings a year if I'm lucky, only going with my dad whenever convenient because I've always felt like my system works for my sobriety. Without going into too much detail, my system is simply seeing the scar on my neck every morning and reliving my accident has been enough to keep me sober for over ten years.
So dad and I headed out to Dicks and after thoroughly checking out their golf section we headed towards the AA meeting. Without compromising the anonymity of the program I'm simply going to say that every time I attend one of these meetings I am moved by someones story and this day was no different. I was surrounded by people who have been through some of the same struggles I have in life and it felt as though one of them was speaking directly to me! He shared how like me he too once had over ten years of sobriety, unlike me though he relapsed and after getting his life back on track is now sober again. His story moved me because the way he described how he felt after his ten years of sobriety is almost exactly how I feel today, like we have total control over our addiction. As I left the meeting I had a slight feeling that maybe I had been directed this way by God for a reason, but it still didn't really register just how important this meeting was for me. I still felt like as much as that guys story moved me, I still had total control over my drinking.
After the meeting I went out to the Nagles to pick up dad's enclosed trailer so we can use it for the move. It didn't take long before I had nearly forgotten about what I had listened to at the meeting. Then on the way home with the trailer, Kelli called me while on her way home from work. She began to explain to me what she had wanted to tell me in the morning when I had missed her call, her dream from the previous night. In the dream I had gone out with friends while she was out of town for work and when she got home I nonchalantly told her I had a beer. She was shocked that I didn't think this was an issue and she was furious when later on I admitted to her that I had more like 6 or 7! She called my dad to inform him she didn't know what to do and couldn't handle the fact that I would lie to her like that about it so she packed a bag and left. This prompted her to wake up from her dream abruptly.
Now I know this was just a dream, but I truly believe that God speaks to us all through our dreams, and when Kelli and I sat down last night to relive the day we were both in awe of how meaningless this entire day would have been had she gotten ahold of me in the morning. I certainly would have forgotten about her dream by the time I went to the meeting, more than likely forgetting about what I'd heard at the meeting also. Now I'm not saying in any way that I believe I would have drank had I not gone to the meeting, but I will say that everything truly does happen for a reason so who knows, maybe I would have. One thing is for sure, I think I will be attending a few more AA meetings!
Whether you've ever experienced a God wink like this or not, all I can tell you is the way Kelli and I both felt last night while discussing the days events have us believing even more than before that we truly are being looked after! After a day like that I am more thankful than ever for the blessings I have in this life!
Remember, pay attention to the little things in life and you may be surprised just how many God Winks you get in a day:)
Most God winks are so subtle you almost have to luck out to even notice them, mine yesterday however lasted nearly all day. It all started when Kelli and I got going for the day and she took off for work, since it's currently about a 45 minute commute(hopefully going to be drastically shortening next week!!) she usually calls me when she gets there just to let me know she made it okay. Well yesterday I missed her call because I was still in the shower, I sent her a text telling her to have a good day and that I love her and set out for my day. I went to my parents so Dad and I could run down to Dicks Sporting Goods to check out their selection of new drivers for his golf bag. While at their house my mother passed by his office door and asked me if I was going to go to the AA meeting with dad later, I simply replied "sure why not" and didn't think anything of it. It should be pointed out right here that I probably only attend 3-4 meetings a year if I'm lucky, only going with my dad whenever convenient because I've always felt like my system works for my sobriety. Without going into too much detail, my system is simply seeing the scar on my neck every morning and reliving my accident has been enough to keep me sober for over ten years.
So dad and I headed out to Dicks and after thoroughly checking out their golf section we headed towards the AA meeting. Without compromising the anonymity of the program I'm simply going to say that every time I attend one of these meetings I am moved by someones story and this day was no different. I was surrounded by people who have been through some of the same struggles I have in life and it felt as though one of them was speaking directly to me! He shared how like me he too once had over ten years of sobriety, unlike me though he relapsed and after getting his life back on track is now sober again. His story moved me because the way he described how he felt after his ten years of sobriety is almost exactly how I feel today, like we have total control over our addiction. As I left the meeting I had a slight feeling that maybe I had been directed this way by God for a reason, but it still didn't really register just how important this meeting was for me. I still felt like as much as that guys story moved me, I still had total control over my drinking.
After the meeting I went out to the Nagles to pick up dad's enclosed trailer so we can use it for the move. It didn't take long before I had nearly forgotten about what I had listened to at the meeting. Then on the way home with the trailer, Kelli called me while on her way home from work. She began to explain to me what she had wanted to tell me in the morning when I had missed her call, her dream from the previous night. In the dream I had gone out with friends while she was out of town for work and when she got home I nonchalantly told her I had a beer. She was shocked that I didn't think this was an issue and she was furious when later on I admitted to her that I had more like 6 or 7! She called my dad to inform him she didn't know what to do and couldn't handle the fact that I would lie to her like that about it so she packed a bag and left. This prompted her to wake up from her dream abruptly.
Now I know this was just a dream, but I truly believe that God speaks to us all through our dreams, and when Kelli and I sat down last night to relive the day we were both in awe of how meaningless this entire day would have been had she gotten ahold of me in the morning. I certainly would have forgotten about her dream by the time I went to the meeting, more than likely forgetting about what I'd heard at the meeting also. Now I'm not saying in any way that I believe I would have drank had I not gone to the meeting, but I will say that everything truly does happen for a reason so who knows, maybe I would have. One thing is for sure, I think I will be attending a few more AA meetings!
Whether you've ever experienced a God wink like this or not, all I can tell you is the way Kelli and I both felt last night while discussing the days events have us believing even more than before that we truly are being looked after! After a day like that I am more thankful than ever for the blessings I have in this life!
Remember, pay attention to the little things in life and you may be surprised just how many God Winks you get in a day:)
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
tick tock
Oh how the hands of time seem to slow down to nearly a complete halt whenever there is something on the horizon in which we are eager to obtain! We've all been there, whether it's buying a house, going on a vacation, Christmas, one way or another each of us has wished at some point in our lives for the clock to tick just a bit faster. Nothing in life portrays our human nature to be materialistic than being forced to wait for something we want. In our case this is currently being played out while we anxiously await the closing of our new house!
If you stop and think about it during the course of ones time on this earth we generally have a habit of never being happy with time. When we are kids we live much like animals do and we simply have no sense of time, when we become young adults we begin to speed things up until by the time we're in our mid 30's we race through life complaining of never having enough time, then as we age and slowly begin to grasp the big picture we realize that ANY time is enough time! Eventually the older we get the more we return to thinking like a child does, not even keeping track of time because we know each day is precious.
So why can't we find a common ground and live more like a child or an elderly person during our middle years? Well the simplest answer is our lives won't allow it, somewhere between jobs, kids, dogs, friends, hobbies, habits, and sleep, we loose track of the big picture. Even those of us like me, who have been in life altering experiences, have trouble connecting with the big picture in life. It's nones fault, and we shouldn't feel bad about this, it's simply human nature. Just like anything else in life it is something we constantly have to work on in order to never loose sight of it. Do you think because I haven't had a drink in over 10 years that I have succeeded and I no longer have to worry about being drunk again? No! I have to WORK at it just as hard as the person who's been sober for one day. If I want to make it to 10 years 2 months and 14 days I have to get through today first, and that is going to take work just like any other day.
Obviously my sobriety is a pretty drastic example, but Kelli and I wishing that time would go by faster for the house is really no different. We have fallen victim to the "can't get there fast enough" mentality that far too often overcomes many of us. We simply need to slow down, understand that all good things truly do come to those who wait, and know that everything will happen as it is supposed to! Too many of us attempt to dictate our futures, even if we already know there is a greater plan in store for us all. I don't care how faithful you are, we are all susceptible to trying to control our own destiny. So the next time I look at the calendar and see that we aren't scheduled to close on our house for another 16 days, instead of wishing those days would go by faster I'm going to simply enjoy today for what it has to offer. I know it will take some work in order to do this but enjoying each day for what it brings, treating each day as another gift, that's work I think I can handle:)
Remember, I know it's difficult, but try to approach each day like the kid in you would! Don't ever get in too much of a hurry!
If you stop and think about it during the course of ones time on this earth we generally have a habit of never being happy with time. When we are kids we live much like animals do and we simply have no sense of time, when we become young adults we begin to speed things up until by the time we're in our mid 30's we race through life complaining of never having enough time, then as we age and slowly begin to grasp the big picture we realize that ANY time is enough time! Eventually the older we get the more we return to thinking like a child does, not even keeping track of time because we know each day is precious.
So why can't we find a common ground and live more like a child or an elderly person during our middle years? Well the simplest answer is our lives won't allow it, somewhere between jobs, kids, dogs, friends, hobbies, habits, and sleep, we loose track of the big picture. Even those of us like me, who have been in life altering experiences, have trouble connecting with the big picture in life. It's nones fault, and we shouldn't feel bad about this, it's simply human nature. Just like anything else in life it is something we constantly have to work on in order to never loose sight of it. Do you think because I haven't had a drink in over 10 years that I have succeeded and I no longer have to worry about being drunk again? No! I have to WORK at it just as hard as the person who's been sober for one day. If I want to make it to 10 years 2 months and 14 days I have to get through today first, and that is going to take work just like any other day.
Obviously my sobriety is a pretty drastic example, but Kelli and I wishing that time would go by faster for the house is really no different. We have fallen victim to the "can't get there fast enough" mentality that far too often overcomes many of us. We simply need to slow down, understand that all good things truly do come to those who wait, and know that everything will happen as it is supposed to! Too many of us attempt to dictate our futures, even if we already know there is a greater plan in store for us all. I don't care how faithful you are, we are all susceptible to trying to control our own destiny. So the next time I look at the calendar and see that we aren't scheduled to close on our house for another 16 days, instead of wishing those days would go by faster I'm going to simply enjoy today for what it has to offer. I know it will take some work in order to do this but enjoying each day for what it brings, treating each day as another gift, that's work I think I can handle:)
Remember, I know it's difficult, but try to approach each day like the kid in you would! Don't ever get in too much of a hurry!
Friday, March 8, 2013
Third times the charm!!
Well, after what seems like the longest roller coaster ride we've ever been on in our lives, our search for our next house finally appears as though it's over! If you follow this blog, or talk to any of our families, you probably already have a fairly good understanding of just what Kelli and I have been through. For those of you who don't know however, here is a brief recap of the past three months:
December-thought we found the perfect house only to find out the taxes put our mortgage
out of reach.
January-slipped into a minor state of depression but dusted ourselves off and got back on
the horse, found house number two as the month came to a close.
February-house number two, although being much more affordable, was much older also
and the home inspection brought up a few issues neither us or the seller wanted
to repair, deal fell through and again, minor state of depression.
Today- after dusting ourselves off one more time, we decided to give it one more shot
and found house number three as February came to a close. This one meets our
price criteria, passed the home inspection, and is scheduled to close in just
21 days!
Although this is a very condensed version, you get the idea of how things have been. Even though we have only lived on the West side of the divide for a little more than three months, this house hunt combined with Kelli's job search has made it feel more like three years! I am happy to report though that not only have we found the right house for us, she also found a job the same week! She went to work for a Montana native periodontist on the north end, there's only four of them on staff including the dentist so the office has a very good feel to it and she is really happy to have found it. She told me through this process, which has included something like 7 working interviews as well as probably double that many sit down interviews, that she figures the closest thing she's going to find that will compare to her Montana jobs is a Montana dentist working in Spokane. She lucked out and found what appears to be exactly what she was hoping for!
Throughout this process of searching for our next home and trying to find a job for Kelli, we have been through more ups and downs than either one of us can remember. There were more than a few tears of frustration shed over these ordeals by both of us, yes even me, of course if you know me that probably does'nt surprise you:) Along the way we continued to remind ourselves that everything happens for a reason and the way both the house and the job fell into place simultaneously has us believing that even more! We both know that God has our entire lives under control, but we are no different than anyone else in the fact that we have this constant inner desire to attempt to control our own fate. I believe this is probably the most common fault of all of us as it is very easy to forget that everything is always under control! This may sound strange, or you may be nodding your head in agreement while reading this, but I truly believe that this entire process was part of God's plan all along. What we didn't understand until recently was that in the grand scheme of things everything we've been through since the move has only made us stronger and more faithful.
Of course I'm not saying that we are perfect by any means, but I do think that months or maybe years from now we will look back on this and realize just how much we grew through this process. And if your still a little sceptical about whether or not God had a hand in this, less than a week after we signed the buy/sell on our house I contacted our landlord to let her know we found a house and would be moving out at the end of March. She listed the house on a Tuesday and that night she had someone set up to come look at it. I met the couple at the house to show it to them and they were an elderly couple who told me they had been in their current rental for years. Just a few days prior to this house being listed again, they were informed their landlord's house was going into foreclosure and they had to be out by the end of March! Devastated by the shock of having to pack up and move on extremely short notice, they were extremely grateful to have found this house, they had nowhere else to go. As that elderly couple left that day and I fought back tears of joy, I know God was smiling, and I could feel him telling me everything is under control!
Remember, if you look back and think about it I would bet we all could find that every crisis we've ever dealt with brought with it a positive outcome in some way!
December-thought we found the perfect house only to find out the taxes put our mortgage
out of reach.
January-slipped into a minor state of depression but dusted ourselves off and got back on
the horse, found house number two as the month came to a close.
February-house number two, although being much more affordable, was much older also
and the home inspection brought up a few issues neither us or the seller wanted
to repair, deal fell through and again, minor state of depression.
Today- after dusting ourselves off one more time, we decided to give it one more shot
and found house number three as February came to a close. This one meets our
price criteria, passed the home inspection, and is scheduled to close in just
21 days!
Although this is a very condensed version, you get the idea of how things have been. Even though we have only lived on the West side of the divide for a little more than three months, this house hunt combined with Kelli's job search has made it feel more like three years! I am happy to report though that not only have we found the right house for us, she also found a job the same week! She went to work for a Montana native periodontist on the north end, there's only four of them on staff including the dentist so the office has a very good feel to it and she is really happy to have found it. She told me through this process, which has included something like 7 working interviews as well as probably double that many sit down interviews, that she figures the closest thing she's going to find that will compare to her Montana jobs is a Montana dentist working in Spokane. She lucked out and found what appears to be exactly what she was hoping for!
Throughout this process of searching for our next home and trying to find a job for Kelli, we have been through more ups and downs than either one of us can remember. There were more than a few tears of frustration shed over these ordeals by both of us, yes even me, of course if you know me that probably does'nt surprise you:) Along the way we continued to remind ourselves that everything happens for a reason and the way both the house and the job fell into place simultaneously has us believing that even more! We both know that God has our entire lives under control, but we are no different than anyone else in the fact that we have this constant inner desire to attempt to control our own fate. I believe this is probably the most common fault of all of us as it is very easy to forget that everything is always under control! This may sound strange, or you may be nodding your head in agreement while reading this, but I truly believe that this entire process was part of God's plan all along. What we didn't understand until recently was that in the grand scheme of things everything we've been through since the move has only made us stronger and more faithful.
Of course I'm not saying that we are perfect by any means, but I do think that months or maybe years from now we will look back on this and realize just how much we grew through this process. And if your still a little sceptical about whether or not God had a hand in this, less than a week after we signed the buy/sell on our house I contacted our landlord to let her know we found a house and would be moving out at the end of March. She listed the house on a Tuesday and that night she had someone set up to come look at it. I met the couple at the house to show it to them and they were an elderly couple who told me they had been in their current rental for years. Just a few days prior to this house being listed again, they were informed their landlord's house was going into foreclosure and they had to be out by the end of March! Devastated by the shock of having to pack up and move on extremely short notice, they were extremely grateful to have found this house, they had nowhere else to go. As that elderly couple left that day and I fought back tears of joy, I know God was smiling, and I could feel him telling me everything is under control!
Remember, if you look back and think about it I would bet we all could find that every crisis we've ever dealt with brought with it a positive outcome in some way!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Action!
Many of you probably hear the word action and you immediately think of some sort of sporting event, or perhaps a type of movie that most men enjoy. For those of us inside this crazy little circle of trust we like to refer to as the Gannon family however, Action is the given name of our fearless leader. If my memory serves me correctly our dad, more commonly known as Jack, received his nickname shortly after us kids watched the 1988 crime thriller starring Carl Weathers as Jericho "Action" Jackson. In the movie Action Jackson plays a Detroit cop who is framed for a murder and hunts down his accuser in an attempt to clear his name. Now our dad bears no resemblance to the theatrical Action Jackson appearance wise, but we were led to believe from the movie that there was simply no problem in the world that Action could not solve, just like our dad. Fathers day was not long after we watched the movie and we bought our dad a money clip with the inscription "Action Jackson" on the back, from that point forward our dad was the real life Action Jackson!
Over the years, much like any given nickname, there have been numerous versions of the name Action. Everything from Action Man, Action Jackson, VIP Action, and in certain areas, Montana Jack(a slightly less familiar usage with the same meaning). One thing remains a certainty however no matter which name is used, Action can handle anything! Between us three kids Lord knows we've tested this theory to the fullest! Heck I could go on for hours just giving you examples of the tests I've put him through personally:) I'll spare you the details though as if your reading this chances are you already know exactly what I'm talking about.
I have been lucky enough to live and learn from Action for 35 years and I feel like I have only begun to crack the surface of the life lessons he continues to pass down to all of us. Much like every ones father is to them, he is the first man I turn to for advise on any subject. I am extremely grateful every day for the values he has instilled in me, from his never ending love and support for his family, to his unstoppable work ethic, If I become half the man he has I would consider my life a complete success!
Today Action celebrates his 63rd birthday and I'm happy to say that just over a year removed from his knee surgery he is nearly in the best shape of his life! He's still following us "young bucks" up the mountain in search of elk, and the thought of renting a cart for a round of golf rarely crosses his mind any more! We have made many memories along the way, and I know there are many more yet to come. Happy birthday to the man who literally brought the big screen to life, Action Jack Gannon!
Remember, take time to thank your own real life hero for all that they've done!
Over the years, much like any given nickname, there have been numerous versions of the name Action. Everything from Action Man, Action Jackson, VIP Action, and in certain areas, Montana Jack(a slightly less familiar usage with the same meaning). One thing remains a certainty however no matter which name is used, Action can handle anything! Between us three kids Lord knows we've tested this theory to the fullest! Heck I could go on for hours just giving you examples of the tests I've put him through personally:) I'll spare you the details though as if your reading this chances are you already know exactly what I'm talking about.
I have been lucky enough to live and learn from Action for 35 years and I feel like I have only begun to crack the surface of the life lessons he continues to pass down to all of us. Much like every ones father is to them, he is the first man I turn to for advise on any subject. I am extremely grateful every day for the values he has instilled in me, from his never ending love and support for his family, to his unstoppable work ethic, If I become half the man he has I would consider my life a complete success!
Today Action celebrates his 63rd birthday and I'm happy to say that just over a year removed from his knee surgery he is nearly in the best shape of his life! He's still following us "young bucks" up the mountain in search of elk, and the thought of renting a cart for a round of golf rarely crosses his mind any more! We have made many memories along the way, and I know there are many more yet to come. Happy birthday to the man who literally brought the big screen to life, Action Jack Gannon!
Remember, take time to thank your own real life hero for all that they've done!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
GL
My family often refers to our impeccable luck as the GL, or Gannon Luck. My dad is the one responsible for this phrase as through the years he has been the recipient of more than his fair share of misfortunes! I don't know where I would start or how I could stop, but all of us Gannon's have many stories that will certainly make most of you feel rather lucky! My mother always counters Action each time he starts griping about another GL incident, informing him that she believes the GL stands for Gods Love, going on to point out the positives that come from every one of these misfortunes. Not surprisingly she is almost always right, although on the surface these experiences appear to be all bad luck, if you really look at all of the details involved in them many of them have a silver lining that will make all of us smile.
These particular moments of GL have continued on to the next generation of Gannon's as I have been directly involved in more than I would care to admit. Unfortunately for our spouses, they acquire the GL the moment they vow to love us unconditionally as long as we both shall live:) Kelli used to think I was crazy when I told her of these events, until they started happening to her, even when I wasn't with her! Eventually, whether it's in your blood or you marry into it, the GL becomes a part of you and you truly begin to understand that there really is God's Love hidden in each experience! My latest moment is a good example.
I have to get licensed through the state of Washington to be a crop adjuster and now that I passed the tests required for the license I had to send in some fingerprints for a background check. This was going to be a whole new experience for me as I have never had my fingerprints taken before willingly, but those are stories for another time! Fingerprints have come a long way since the last time I had them done, they can be done electronically now, they simply scan your print and send it right over to the state! Seemed easy enough, certainly easier than the $52 they felt they needed to charge me! So I scheduled an appointment at a third party testing facility that the state uses for not only fingerprints but all of their testing for licenses as well. I arrived at my time and the waiting area was full of people there for a test and the one girl who was working at the facility was on the phone and clearly a little flustered. She paused from her phone call briefly enough to tell me they were having computer issues and she had to get these nine people testing before she could do my prints. My thoughts of this being quick and easy evaporated as I sat down and patiently awaited my turn.
The place only had one girl working and she had one tech support on the land line, another tech support on her cell phone, and she was continually going back and forth from the test computers to her desk trying to get them working. Every one in the waiting area was being quite patient as we could all tell that she was mere moments away form a total meltdown! After one of the women waiting used the restroom and came out to inform the girl that the toilet was broken I was sure she was going to break. I could see her stress level reaching it's breaking point as her face practically said "great, whats next!" There was only one bathroom in the place so having an operational toilet was pretty important. I didn't want to interrupt the girl form her never ending tech support saga so I told the woman who last used the restroom that I used to be a plumber and I would go look at it. The toilet wasn't flushing because it was completely plugged up! Luckily there was a plunger next to it so I picked it up and went to work, once the plug was cleared I flushed it a few times to make sure it was good to go then went back out and told everyone in the waiting area it was fixed.
I had been there for over an hour when she finally had over half of the people waiting taking their tests and she had just enough break to say she would check out the toilet issue, when the lady who informed her it was broken told her, "don't worry about it, we have a plumber here and he fixed it already", I thought she was going to cry! She thanked me about ten times, took my fingerprints in about five minutes, thanked me about ten more times and I was on my way. Thanks to the GL my quick little ten minute fingerprinting took an hour and a half and also included a brief flashback to the plumbing days! While she was taking my fingerprints though the girl said something that reminded me that this was indeed yet another form of God's Love, she said "somebody is looking out for me today, thank you!"
I know exactly who was looking out for her, it's the same person who's looking out for all of us at all times, and no matter how difficult it may seem at the time each one of these misfortunes we encounter most certainly are God's Love!
Remember, the next time your caught in an "unlucky" situation, stop and think about it and I bet you'll find some of God's Love hidden in there for you to find, enjoy it!
These particular moments of GL have continued on to the next generation of Gannon's as I have been directly involved in more than I would care to admit. Unfortunately for our spouses, they acquire the GL the moment they vow to love us unconditionally as long as we both shall live:) Kelli used to think I was crazy when I told her of these events, until they started happening to her, even when I wasn't with her! Eventually, whether it's in your blood or you marry into it, the GL becomes a part of you and you truly begin to understand that there really is God's Love hidden in each experience! My latest moment is a good example.
I have to get licensed through the state of Washington to be a crop adjuster and now that I passed the tests required for the license I had to send in some fingerprints for a background check. This was going to be a whole new experience for me as I have never had my fingerprints taken before willingly, but those are stories for another time! Fingerprints have come a long way since the last time I had them done, they can be done electronically now, they simply scan your print and send it right over to the state! Seemed easy enough, certainly easier than the $52 they felt they needed to charge me! So I scheduled an appointment at a third party testing facility that the state uses for not only fingerprints but all of their testing for licenses as well. I arrived at my time and the waiting area was full of people there for a test and the one girl who was working at the facility was on the phone and clearly a little flustered. She paused from her phone call briefly enough to tell me they were having computer issues and she had to get these nine people testing before she could do my prints. My thoughts of this being quick and easy evaporated as I sat down and patiently awaited my turn.
The place only had one girl working and she had one tech support on the land line, another tech support on her cell phone, and she was continually going back and forth from the test computers to her desk trying to get them working. Every one in the waiting area was being quite patient as we could all tell that she was mere moments away form a total meltdown! After one of the women waiting used the restroom and came out to inform the girl that the toilet was broken I was sure she was going to break. I could see her stress level reaching it's breaking point as her face practically said "great, whats next!" There was only one bathroom in the place so having an operational toilet was pretty important. I didn't want to interrupt the girl form her never ending tech support saga so I told the woman who last used the restroom that I used to be a plumber and I would go look at it. The toilet wasn't flushing because it was completely plugged up! Luckily there was a plunger next to it so I picked it up and went to work, once the plug was cleared I flushed it a few times to make sure it was good to go then went back out and told everyone in the waiting area it was fixed.
I had been there for over an hour when she finally had over half of the people waiting taking their tests and she had just enough break to say she would check out the toilet issue, when the lady who informed her it was broken told her, "don't worry about it, we have a plumber here and he fixed it already", I thought she was going to cry! She thanked me about ten times, took my fingerprints in about five minutes, thanked me about ten more times and I was on my way. Thanks to the GL my quick little ten minute fingerprinting took an hour and a half and also included a brief flashback to the plumbing days! While she was taking my fingerprints though the girl said something that reminded me that this was indeed yet another form of God's Love, she said "somebody is looking out for me today, thank you!"
I know exactly who was looking out for her, it's the same person who's looking out for all of us at all times, and no matter how difficult it may seem at the time each one of these misfortunes we encounter most certainly are God's Love!
Remember, the next time your caught in an "unlucky" situation, stop and think about it and I bet you'll find some of God's Love hidden in there for you to find, enjoy it!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Grateful!
As is usually the case with us, things have changed a bit since the last time I posted anything on here. We've had a busy few days as we had to back out of our house deal we had. During the home inspection process some issues came about with the fireplace chimney and to spare you all of the details we decided to back out while we still could. Although it was certainly a disheartening experience, lessons were learned by both Kelli and I and I believe we have come out of this thing in good shape. We have both had our foot on the gas pedal since we've been here to buy a house, the only explanation I can come up with is that we haven't rented for so long and we got so used to home ownership that it felt as though we couldn't get settled into this area until we owned a house. Well all it took was not one but two houses to fall through for us to realize that renting until we can find the perfect house is a luxury, not a burden!
The good news is we have both learned a lot through this ordeal and the most important thing we've learned is to be content with what we currently have in life. After the house deal was officially terminated Kelli and I sat down and evaluated what we had going for us in the present and we immediately understood how much we had taken for granted. We have a rental that works for not only our needs but all of our pets needs as well. So we decided right then and there to stop spending so much of our free time trying to find our next mortgage, and began enjoying what we had around us! All in the course of the next couple days we got library cards at the local library, ordered home Internet service since we were no longer anticipating leaving the rental, and attended the church that happens to be within walking distance of our house. These few small acts may not seem like much but they helped us realize that we didn't need to keep waiting to settle in to our lives here, we can fully settle in right where we're at and start enjoying everything this town has to offer!
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said "we are always getting ready to live, but never living". This one quote sums up how we have been acting since moving over here. We have only begun to settle in and experience this moment in our lives and it already feels much more comfortable!
Remember, if we all take a moment to think about the blessings we have, it truly is difficult to be anything short of grateful!
The good news is we have both learned a lot through this ordeal and the most important thing we've learned is to be content with what we currently have in life. After the house deal was officially terminated Kelli and I sat down and evaluated what we had going for us in the present and we immediately understood how much we had taken for granted. We have a rental that works for not only our needs but all of our pets needs as well. So we decided right then and there to stop spending so much of our free time trying to find our next mortgage, and began enjoying what we had around us! All in the course of the next couple days we got library cards at the local library, ordered home Internet service since we were no longer anticipating leaving the rental, and attended the church that happens to be within walking distance of our house. These few small acts may not seem like much but they helped us realize that we didn't need to keep waiting to settle in to our lives here, we can fully settle in right where we're at and start enjoying everything this town has to offer!
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said "we are always getting ready to live, but never living". This one quote sums up how we have been acting since moving over here. We have only begun to settle in and experience this moment in our lives and it already feels much more comfortable!
Remember, if we all take a moment to think about the blessings we have, it truly is difficult to be anything short of grateful!
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