Friday

So, Friday morning I went out to the garage (AKA dad's shop. He's an auto mechanic that works out of the garage in the back) and sat down to get some intensive lessons on options trading. My dad began doing that this week after studying it for several months and trading various things in the stock market for 30 years. It looks like he has finally found something that is going to work! He started officially trading on Monday and by Wednesday he was up a couple of hundred dollars. On Thursday, he traded with mom right there all day and made over a thousand dollars!
So Friday, I sat down with him and the trading was all over the board!! There are ways to read where the trades are going to go next and no one was doing what was predicted! We ended up behind over six hundred by the end of the day. But that's alright. We're still ahead overall. I'm so proud of my dad. He's been working on cars for the last 35 years and has been sick and tired of it for quite a while now. He's tried starting up other companies that he thought would not only get us ahead, but always plans that would benefit a large number of people. Unfortunately, those sorts of things made us bankrupt twice. I've pretty much grown up penny-pinching. I've never had name-brand clothing, or even new clothing at that. We nearly always shop at thrift stores (unless it's our birthday or Christmas) and we usually don't have snacks in the house simply because of how much they cost. Yes, they're not healthy either, but if we had the money there would be goodies lying around on a regular basis. I have never travelled with my family outside of Wa., Or., or Id. because dad can't take time off of work. There were times when I did not have more than three pairs of clothes and two pairs of shoes (tennis shoes and church shoes). The hardest thing to take in my life because of money was stopping piano lessons. I was crushed.
But you know what? God had a plan for all that. Because of that, I know how to care for a garden, darn socks, sew and mend clothes, repair the house, and generally make money stretch farther than you ever thought possible. If my piano lessons had not stopped when they did, I would have had a much harder time switching from a music major to a nursing major when God told me to. He was saving me from much worse pain in the future while allowing me to grow in my skills enough so I could continue on my own (somewhat) and still be valuable with my hard earned talents.
When we were at our family reunion a couple of weeks ago, my dad gave us the credit card so we could go shopping at an outlet store in Seaside. When we returned dad asked for the card back and I teased him that I emptied it for him because he got some ribbing from my aunts and uncles that he was giving us the credit card before we left. As I handed it back to him he said "yeah, sure" with a face that seemed to read that he completely trusted me with his money. As I excitedly told him of the great buys I found on some clothes that I really needed his face glowed with appreciation and trust that I was a money saver, not a money spender. I was so happy that he was proud of me!!
I've recently read a book called "Created to Be His Help Meet" which has not only helped prepare me for marriage and helping my man according to what is outlined in the Bible, but it has also helped me understand my dad's personality. He is what Debi Pearl describes as a "steady" man. "...They make wise, well-thought-out decisions. They are rarely rash or foolish, although (to their discredit) they will sometimes tolerate foolishness or error without dissent...." "...A steady man likes a woman to walk beside him, yet grow in her own right before God and him. If you are married to a Mr. Steady [or a daughter to him] you need to get familiar with Proverbs 31 to know how to be an active help meet to your man. Your husband [or father] will enjoy and share your triumphs in business. He will be proud of your accomplishments. He will want you to use your natural skills, abilities, and drives. Your achievements will be an honor to him, but lazy slothfulness will greatly discourage him. Your wasting of time and spending money foolishly will weigh heavily on him, robbing him of his pride and pleasure in you..."
Along with him being proud of me for being a hard worker, I have come to realize the real reason why he will not get involved with my relationships. I currently have three different guys that would most likely give me a ring at the drop of a hat. I had been rather bitter at my father for several years for not seeming to care about if a guy was pursuing me. Life would have been much easier for me if my father had taken the opportunity to at least tell me what he THINKS of a guy, let alone help chase him off if the necessity arises. But it's not that he doesn't care, it's that he is happiest when others around him are happy. He is so concerned with me making my own decisions (because he trusts me) so that I will be happy at all costs and when I am happy, he will be happy. His standoffishness is really only his expression of love to me. His current success is a culmination of 30 years of hard work trying to study the stock market and still working his daily mundane job in the mean time to provide for us.
For all you girls out there, I HIGHLY reccommend this book by Debi Pearl if you want to know the biblical outline for a biblically successful wife from a biblically successful wife with a successful mom and several successful children. If you have a problem with the whole wives being in submission to their husbands, first off, you should read the bible, second, you'll probably hate this book. It is geared and directed towards married women needing to save, repair, rebuild, or grow their marriages as well as unmarried women preparing for marriage. Very little is mentioned about the husband's role to love his wife like Christ loves the church and such because that is not the target audience! If you want the book, let me know. I can get it to you for 12.00$ because we get a discount direct from the Pearls for bulk orders.
I have more opinions on the above topics. Let me know if you want an earful! For now, that's enough. I have to go to bed now.
Hmm....I do believe this is my longest blog yet!