Dumb client extroardinaire, Pt. 2 (imported from Myspace)

On February 9th I vented about a ridiculous client. Well, she came in again yesterday. Boy, does she get my blood pressure going!! She saunters in to our office (without an appointment) and says she needs to see my boss. I tell her that he is in court and is booked up all day. She looks at me with a stupid expression and says, "Well, I have a court date on Wednesday - when are we going to talk?" I am thinking that she should have been preparing for trial before now, and, in fact, they have been to some degree. She argues with me about how she must see my boss and I explain (again) the impossibility of that for Monday. So I tell her that he could see her briefly on Wednesday morning at 8:30. She repeats "8:30" to me with a tone and look that could only be interpreted to mean, "you can't possibly expect me to get up that early." REMINDER - she does not PAY us!! So, anyway, I call and get a special appointment with her, shifting everyone else to work her in yesterday. We see her and she is driving a 2002/2003-ish Jeep Grand Cherokee, in immaculate condition. She is tan, has fake nails, dyed hair (with no roots), very cute clothes and is carrying a cappuchino with her. As soon as she gets in the office she puts on the theatrics of how she has met this great Christian guy and he is a great provider and works hard. How long had she known him - two weeks.....more specifically they met on or after the 11th of February (she had been in rehab up to that point). Brand new acquaintance. Then she tells us how she has moved in with this great, hardworking guy.......where do they live you ask?? WITH HIS PARENTS!!!! ARGH!! What part of pathetic does she not get? A good, hardworking boy does not take on a committment when he cannot even care for himself without his parents. They are supposodly getting this great apartment. And she would let us help her get a job as a receptionist at a hearing center - said that "she wasn't interested in the field" so she is working at Waffle House. Now, I don't care where she works - as long as she works and I, as a taxpayer, do not have to support her. EXCEPT that she wants custody of her children. Parents have to make sacrifices. Sacrifices like taking a good job that pays better and has better hours so that you are available for your child. Sacrifices like not moving in with men you barely know. Sacrifices like not going to the tanning bed when you say you can't afford a telephone. Sacrifices like not buying a cappuchino or getting your nails done when you say you don't have gas money to get to work. To me it all spells one word.....manipulator. She is a brilliant manipulator. Cute as a button and takes care of herself - has to - that is part of the plan. She is manipulating my boss to get her legal expenses free, manipulating a church to pay her bills (which they stopped when she tried to seduce the preacher-seriously!!), manipulating this new boyfriend to get an apartment to live in. Really, it is just tragic. As soon as she found out that my boss was a Christian she started turning on the verbage - using words like, "blessed" and "trials" and "valley" yadda, yadda, yadda. Calling me dear and sweetheart, when she is several years my junior. But it does make me sad. I pity her. I am sad that she can consider herself so without value to basically sell herself to whoever will fit the bill. So, as a co-worker reminded me, I need to remember that even though she claims Christ - there is absolutely no fruit to show and I need to treat her kindly and gently, remembering that without Christ - there I could be also. Boy that is the hard line to walk though! My boss is great - and I want to protect him from throwing his time away on people who don't appreciate it, which is a noble cause. And loving her is also a noble cause. But sometimes people need "tough" love - and I think she needs a little confrontation - especially if we are going to aid her in getting her kid back. (Frankly, I am not sure if I think she should have her kid back at this point.) So, pray for me that God will guide me in dealing with her - to be loving, but firm. But, always to be loving.....and that's the hardest part!!

Mom (imported from Myspace)

I am sick right now. Or rather, getting over being sick. My sweet mother drove all the way from Jacksonville to Dothan to take care of me. She is great. While I slept she cleaned my house! If that won't make you feel better, what will! I am a very lucky girl.

Valentine's Day - TOO much pressure (imported from Myspace)

I am happy Valentine's Day is OVER! It was fun when I was in high school, when Andy and I first met. Before we had responsibilities and bills to pay. Back when we could afford to spend ridiculous amounts of money on each other and dedicate our thoughts purely to surprising each other on this most "romantic" of days. What bothers me about Valentine's Day now is the pressure that it puts on couples to be romantic! You shouldn't only place emphasis on romance one day a year. And what is romance? I think it is so different from what the media and commercials show - more than candy, hearts, cards, dinner out, and certainly more than just sex. This is the same thing that bothers me about "chick flicks". I come away dreamy-eyed about what men do for the women that they love. Well, WAKE UP, 98% of men will not spill out soliloqueys telling of our beauty and character, ladies! And this is not because they do not love us! Real men (at least most) do not know how. This is not how they show us they love us. What is important is that they DO show us they love us. And sometimes, when I have been watching too many chick flicks I want Andy to show me that he loves me in the same ways that Romeo onscreen shows Juliet. So I become discontented. NOT FAIR to Andy. So, one of the ways that I combat discontentedness is to avoid the things that make me that way - i.e., chick flicks. Not all, mind you, but the super-sappy stupid ones. My favorite movie at present is "Shall We Dance" because of the way that Richard Gere loves his wife - and the way he is human and a little stupid about handling things. But in the end, he does love his wife and we see that.
Back to Valentine's Day.....same perspective for me. I want more than just flowers and candy, and I don't want to be disappointed if I get neither. I want to focus on my marriage and the person that I married and accept his love the way that he is able to show it. (Which, by the way, wasn't flowers and candy - instead it was frying up some shrimp for dinnner and watching a great animated flick with me!)

NO life management! (imported from Myspace)

Last blog was Purpose Driven Life Management. Why is it that some people don't manage their lives AT ALL! I mean, forget living successfully with fervor and purpose, what about just making it day by day!?
Today has been an "argh" (as Calvin would say) kind of day. Had a "client" come in to meet with my boss and I. (I say client in quotes because she is a pro bono case - free, simply because my boss is a great guy and feels sorry for her.) She is thin, very tan, very pretty. 21 years old. Has three kids - one is almost six. So she started very young. But that's not the end of the world - we all make mistakes. But come on, we know where babies come from!! It's NOT in the water, as they say! So anyway, she has lost custody of her two older children and gave her third up for adoption (a relief for me - good decision on her part). She wants her oldest child back with her, but now DHR is involved and they say she has an alcohol problem. She says she doesn't. Interesting that she says she doesn't, considering that she has gotten two DUI's in the past six months. I will cut her a little slack, one of the two, she insists was not alcohol-related - that instead she had taken medicine and had a bad reaction. So, really, only one true DUI (but still.....).....ARGH!

Purpose Driven Life Management (imported from Myspace)

It's amazing how the way that you look at ministry changes once you have been there. I have been on the mountaintop awed by the awesome "opportunity" to work with youth and then again, I have experienced the valley of discouragement when you can't seem to get through. You can't seem to light their fire, recharge their batteries, whatever metaphor you want, all the same. Kids today through no fault of their own are not challenged to think. They are challenged to watch TV and play video games. I want more for these kids. I love them. That's why I get angry. Angry that they are not realizing their potential. Angry that their parents do not force them to live to their potential (at least attempt to). Angry that they do not want to think through any material other than sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. (Which, by the way, they have already made their mind up about) Kids need to be taught theology. They need to stop and learn how to meditate on God's Word. Learn to sit in his presence. Learn to take time out and ponder on the eternal realities. I am tired of hearing about what boy is "going out with" what girl and what they said about you. I am tired of hearing the latest gossip, of the complaining about eveything, of the stressing over nothing, of the unappreciation. Teenagers: Challenge yourself! Live above the norm! Take charge and examine your own potential. Learn DISCIPLINE (no, that is not blasphemy). Appreciate your parents and honor them. Well, why am I so tired of the teenage frustration - after all, we all went through it. Yeah, that's true. But from a girl who did.....IT DIDN'T MATTER. What did matter? The relationships with people - my relationship with God - the life lessons. NOT who dumped who for whom. What do I regret? Only not following the advice I give above.....not reaching higher, not pushing myself harder. Not establishing discipline in my own life so that I could be farther along my own spiritual journey than I am already. That is where I am disappointed in myself. That's why it makes me mad. I came from good stock, did well according to the standards and still see so much that I could/should have done. But nobody told me straight up, "This doesn't matter. Concentrate on what does." Maybe that's the approach that they need. They will make their mistakes surely, and they will learn from them. I just desire that at the end of the day that they reach a place in life where they have grown into a mature relationship with Christ. I am sick of the shallows. God, I am certain, is sick of the shallows. We need to get in and get more than just our feet wet. THAT'S what I want for them. A deep relationship. Comfort when they are hurting that they can only find in Christ. Hope in the difficulties when nothing makes sense. Even joy in the face of death. This is an amazing concept, and it is one that I fear that they may miss entirely if nobody comes alongside shouting for them to live higher. They certainly are not seeing this vibrant relationship at home (most at least). But God's grace is amazing, and I guess my comfort in all of this is knowing that we must just be faithful and that the same God who can call me to a higher plane, can woo them just the same.