Did You Know; Shift Happens - Globalization; Information Age

Very interesting statistics regarding globalization and the exponential impact of technology on our nation and world.

Big Headlines at Villa Noir

The big news continues at the Black household in Sherwood. Today's big headline is Chris and Amanda's engagement. Chris had a creative proposal, Amanda acquiesced, and they plan on getting married this coming summer. We joyously congratulate them and wish them the very best as they continue to seek the Lord together and forge ahead with their plans.

A few other headlines...

"Young Lad Crashes and Totals Granny's Only Car"

Just last week, while Grandma June was up in the Seattle area visiting Debbie, Chris borrowed his grandmother's car, rounded a slippery corner on a country road as he was picking up his girlfriend for church, and ran into two trees. Long story short...he came out safe (praise God!), but dear ol' June's Honda Accord was totaled. Fortunately, her collision coverage with Allstate has only a $100 deductible. We are still awaiting Allstate's final assessment on what they'll settle on as sale value of the car.

"The emperor does not share your optimistic appraisal of the situation" (Darth Vader)

"An Offer on Mom's House in Eugene"
We are pleased to tell you that there has been an offer on 1283 Brookside, my mom's house in Eugene. She made a counter-offer, and it has been subsequently accepted by the other party. We are still waiting on a structural engineer to assess a small crack in the foundation, but we should know if everything is good to go by the middle of this month. Please lift up prayers as we
wait to seal the deal.

"Residents of Villa Noir Continue to Learn Important Spiritual Lessons"
With everything from breast cancer to "strep arm" infections, to crashed cars and wedding plans, we continue to learn that we puny humans are not in control. I'm always amazed at our Heavenly Father's loving (yet seemingly harsh) methods for conforming us into the image of His Son (His ultimate plan for his adopted kids). In times like these, I'm reminded of this quote from one of Alistair Begg's recent sermons I listen to on my iPod via podcasting:

"If dependency is the objective, then weakness is an advantage."

This clearly runs counter to most Americans' materialistic, autonomous, "self-made-man" mentality, but it is undoubtedly right where God wants us as He takes His "trial lumps of clay" and transforms us for a life in the Eternal Kingdom.

God Knows What He's About

When God wants to drill a man

And thrill a man, and skill a man

When God wants to mold a man

To play the noblest part,

When he yearns with all His heart

To build so great and bold a man

That all the world shall be amazed

Then watch His methods, watch His ways!

How He ruthlessly perfects

Whom He royally elects;

How He hammers him and hurts him

And with mighty blows converts him

Into shapes and forms of clay

Which only God can understand

While man's tortured heart is crying

And he lifts beseeching hands...

Yet God bends but never breaks

When man's good He undertakes

How He uses whom He chooses

And with mighty power infuses him

With every act induces him to try His splendor out

God knows what He's about!

Four Hands Guitar

Okay, I'll admit it has been a rough week...I need a little light humor in my life right now!

William Tell Overture

Here's a humorous take on motherhood (sung to the tune of "The William Tell Overture"

Popeye and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Well, just when we thought things were quieting down in the ol' Black household here in Sherwood, lo and behold, I found myself out of school for nearly a week and in the hospital for a few days. While I was at school last Monday, my elbow starting tightening up and by early evening, I had a high fever and couldn't get warm. After seeing my primary care physician in Sherwood, she started treating me for an infection, but my arm continued to swell from my elbow to my fingers. If I had drawn an anchor on my right arm with a black Sharpie, it would have been a dead ringer for Popeye's.


By Thursday morning, we decided I was going from bad to worse, so we headed for the emergency room at the Providence Hospital in Newberg, where I was treated for some form of "cellulitus" (infection of the skin). After a couple of I-V's of vancomyacin (a heavy-duty antibiotic used to treat resilient staph infections and such), we finally got the blood test results back and discovered that I actually had a "Group C Strep" form of cellulitis. So, once my temperature stabilized, I was sent home on Saturday with oral penicillin, vicadin, and ibuprofen.

These last couple of months, with all the family health issues, have seemed filled with pestilence and other challenges. When I was laying around in the hospital, I was encouraged by several verses from the Psalms, notably this from Psalm 41:3:

"The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health."

Tim

Mom's House on the Market!

Sabrina and I spent last weekend in Eugene putting the finishing touches on the house. Despite a toilet that consumed about half a day's energy (a VERY long story!), we were able to get everything reinstalled after the carpet and vinyl flooring had been laid.

You can check out the MLS listing at this link: http://ellengroen.mywindermere.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Listing.ListingDetail&ListingID=18591613

We'd appreciate your prayers for a quick sale and a sense of calm in the midst of everything.

On the medical front, Mom has established her connections with a primary care physician in Sherwood and a new oncologist, Dr. Keith Lanier (http://www.oregonhematology.com/)
Today, I'm battling what I think is tendinitis, so I'll be spending time with a doctor today--oh, joy!

Back to School!

Today marked my first day at school with students. Just before Labor Day, I had done some setting up in my classroom, participated in meetings at Bridlemile, then traveled down to Eugene to finalize the move (of my mother) up to Sherwood. I had almost thought that the ball had been dropped with the Uhaul I had to pick up in Junction City, until the auto detailing shop proprietor's wife showed up unexpectedly and walked me through the rental while talking to her husband in another state via telephone. It seems he was on the road to deliver a motorcycle to someone in Las Vegas and someone hadn't informed him that my online Uhaul reservation had to be addressed. Anyway, I considered it divine intervention that she "accidentally" drove up to run an errand. I sure appreciate how the Lord delights in addressing the "nitty-gritty" details for his kids (especially when they are under immense stress!)

We finally got everything packed up, drove up to Sherwood, and got everything unloaded by Saturday evening. We're slowly "de-cluttering" the garage with trips to the storage unit and talking friends into taking extra mattresses and other items off our hands. I'm hoping by winter we'll be able to actually fit a car in the ol' garage.

Mom is doing relatively well. We have turned our downstairs office room into a bedroom, and there's a full bathroom right next to her room. She has made contact with her primary care physician in Sherwood and will see her new oncologist in Beaverton this coming Friday.

Thanks again to all of you who keep praying, writing, calling, and/or keep mom (and all of us!) encouraged. It really means a lot to all of us!

In case you're interested, here's a couple of websites you might be interested in. The first (http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/TBlack1/) is my new classroom website, and the second (http://www.pps.k12.or.us/schools-c/pages/bridlemile/index.htm) is our school website at Bridlemile Elementary School.
Tim