A Humpty Dumpty Kind of Work

I love my work. 

From January through April of 2024, I worked in the Phoenix, Arizona area. 
For the third time in neighboring zip codes, we purchased a large property that needed “work”. 
It’s been a Humpty Dumpty kind of work with varying degrees of the “Dumpty”. 
My self-assigned job has been to organize and design every step from the demo to the execution of all the trades coming in and putting it all back together culminating in furniture and decor finishing it off. 

I love it. 

It’s challenging and rewarding. It centers around building relationships with the sub-contractors and yet holding firm to standards and schedules. 
I didn’t know that I knew how to do it. Maybe it’s a talent God gave me after my kids were grown and on their own. 🤷🏻‍♀️I’m not sure- nor does it matter, but I seem to have a gift. 

Before 2019, I had only earned $1900 (more than the cost of my student loans). I had chosen the life of being “home” with the kids as they journeyed through their school years. Recently, it’s been fun to stretch my business IQ and enter the traditional workforce. 

In my head, I circle the word “work”.
I work to lean heavily into God to help me define what He would have me do and what matters most. 

I’m often rerouted  in purpose as I hear the hymn lyrics-
“It may not be on the mountain height
Or over the stormy sea,
It may not be at the battle’s front
My Lord will have need of me.
But if, by a still, small voice he calls
To paths that I do not know,
I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:
I’ll go where you want me to go.”
Mary Brown (1891)

I want so desperately to want what God wants for my life. But it’s not always easy to choose it. 
On days where faith is small and fear seems large, I don’t even want to work to know-
Because then I know I will have to go and do…

One day during my most recent project- I laid out the plan for my sub-contractor.  
I had a flight to catch later that day to go help take care of my grandkids for a couple of weeks following my daughter-in-law’s toe surgery. 
I was excited to see my kids and grands.
About ten days into my trip- I got sick- really sick. 
My daughter-in-law was feeling better and I laid down for the evening to try and sleep off whatever ailment it was that was dragging me down. 

I felt increasingly worse as the night wore on. 
Physically I was spent and could hardly move. I wondered if my illness was more serious than I initially thought. I felt trapped in bed feeling like there were weights on my chest making it hard to breathe or move. 
Mentally, I followed suit and wallowed in my thoughts that I had failed my family when they needed me most. This is NOT who I am…

And yet- it’s who I was that night. 

I believe God grants us His power on this earth- to help us navigate our journeys. With faith in that power, I asked my son to bless me with healing. 
Morning light came. My energy returned but guilt followed it generously that I wasn’t able to help in all of the ways I had intended to. 

No success is more important to me than the work God would have me do in my family. And here I was feeling better and returning to Arizona to do work that although I love, I had a strong awareness that it mattered incredibly less than the people I was leaving behind. 
The project in AZ got back on track and I caught a flight to return home to see my family again a few weeks later.

I arrived at my son’s home at 8:30 one morning. I was greeted by my daughter-in-law who handed me my infant grandson as she finished getting my granddaughter ready for preschool. 
I soon traded kids, and we grabbed a pink (strawberry) cream cheese-topped bagel and headed out the door. As I drove my granddaughter to preschool, we sang songs and she told me of all of the things she was excited for at school. She’s an absolute delight who loves school, her teachers, and her friends. 

My drive home reminded me of the rut of thought I had been in the last time I traveled those roads. 
Hindsight- I could see how hard the adversary was working on me to allow thoughts of failure regarding my most important work. 

A few days later, I returned to sunny AZ to finish my project with renewed energy to work a lot harder to dismiss the adversary in my life. 
He was breathing his fiery darts and I was collecting them as though they were harmless seashells on the beach. 
The adversary won a round or two that season. I’ve since promised myself to be more aware of what keeps me out of his warm water before it turns hot and I’m in trouble. 

I’ve come to learn that such work is simple. It begins with me remembering what covenants I’ve made with God. 
As I remember the promises I’ve made and work to keep them, I don’t hesitate to claim the associated promised blessings. 
Those blessings are in truth a level of protection allowing me to act and think clearly. They help me understand what work matters most and the decisions which will bring me the greatest joy. 

-JC

Salted Caramel Frosted Pumpkin Cake Bars

Cookie Crust:
2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
6 Tablespoons melted butter
⅛ teaspoon salt

Mix together all of the ingredients. Press cookie crust into the bottom of a greased 9” x 13” pan.

Pumpkin Cake:
1 ½  cups granulated sugar
½  cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 ½  cups flour
½ teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Mix sugar, oil, eggs and pumpkin puree until smooth. Add the dry ingredients all at once and then mix until well combined. Spread batter over the gingersnap crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 25+ minutes.Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Frost with Salted Caramel Frosting. Garnish with caramel sauce if desired.

Salted Caramel Frosting
6 oz. softened cream cheese
6 Tablespoons soft butter
⅓ cup caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade works great)
2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Mix cream cheese, butter and caramel dip on medium speed for 1 minute. Stir in powdered sugar. Stir in vanilla extract and salt.  Mix on medium-high for 3-4 minutes.  Spoon frosting into a gallon sized Ziploc and set aside until ready to use.