Ever play that game Kerplunk. It’s the game where you pull out the straws hoping not to be the one to let all the marbles fall.

Well about three months ago. I pulled out the wrong straw. Of course, I would blame Terry my husband for all my marbles falling out. Things were just hitting the fan, and Terry seemed to have some kind of hand in it all.

We recently downsized our home and moved into a mobile home which is much, much smaller. (and I must admit it is a wonderful home and neighborhood).

We had some reno issues in our new home and Terry had to do some overdue renos on our previous home to prep it for sale. This meant a vast majority of packing and downsizing fell to me. Terry also had no time to downsize his things in the garage so once again Dawn, to the rescue. I single handily unpacked and organized our new home.

In the midst of all this, our youngest son and his wife had to move from her mom and dad’s home of 45 years into their own new home. But that came with helping her dad who was moving into a seniors home. They needed help to downsize her parents’ home especially after her mom had passed the year before. Mom to the rescue!

Within less than 30 days our granddaughter also buys a home and needs help – grandma to the rescue!

Already I’m on shaky footing and then I received a text from Terry; he had been in an accident. Now the whole container of my marbles is starting to shake like an earthquake has just happened. I go into rescue mode once again. We get through the scary moments of the hospital. And thank the Lord that Terry was not seriously injured. By the look of our van, it should have been muvh worse. But now our relatively new vehicle that had everything we wanted and was our retirement vehicle is now in a steel graveyard.

During this our nephew passed away and we had to go to Paradise Valley Alberta for the funeral as Terry was to give the eulogy. The night before we leave (Saturday at 9pm) I get a call from the wife of our web guy, who is like a son to me that he has had an emotional breakdown and can’t continue working for us. Now we are down a pivotal staff member.

As you can imagine my marbles were now scattered everywhere. And all I could think of was blame somebody and of course Terry was my target.

With the storms passing. I have had a bit of time to reflect on these events. I know I must change how I handle things or I’m going to collapse and our marriage will suffer because of it.

So, I have decided it is time to play a different kind of Kerplunk. I realize I need to build on a much more solid foundation than straws. Remember what happened to the first little pig who built a straw house. Isn’t it funny how all these old stories tend to foreshadow the Word of God. Like “The man who built his house on the sand. “Well, that’s what I had done.” I had placed all my expectations on Terry, my husband. While he is an amazing man of God and a wonderful husband, he can’t meet all my expectations, only God can.

Here is the new plan I have been working on: Build on a firm foundation – God’s Word!

Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” – Matthew 7:24

Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others

Eph 6:12 ^For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Psalm 55:22 Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

Mark 12:31 – “Love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.” Loving yourself is the foundation for loving others, showing that self-care and self-respect are integral to Christian living

Ephesians 4:29 – “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen,” This emphasizes that our speech should uplift rather than harm others. Remember, our thoughts and actions are powerful. You may not say it but thinking it is just as damaging. Doing something you know you shouldn’t have or as painful not doing things you competed to.