I was sitting in church last Sunday morning and a light bulb moment occurred in my head.
The odd thing about it is that I've read this passage of Scripture many times in the past and apparently I just didn't get the true meaning, which just boggles my mind.
Galatians 5:19-23
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
Our world has made laws against things such as adultery, fornication, uncleanness, etc. We can go to jail, and even in some countries, be killed for committing any of the above listed in Scripture.
However, there are no laws against love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, etc.
The light bulb moment came when our pastor said this: "Imagine saying 'I love you' and then being told you are under arrest." That doesn't happen!
As Christians, we should practice and live the 'fruit of the Spirit.' I believe we will all be a lot happier if we do!
Showing posts with label lessons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lessons. Show all posts
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Welcome to Adulthood
For the last 1 1/2 years, Lyndsey has been looking for a job. Unsuccessfully, I might add.
When she came home for the Christmas break, she continued to look for a job. Application after application was filled out and turned in or submitted online. Then the followup phone calls were made and she heard time and again, "Sorry, we are not hiring."
She got somewhat discouraged.
A couple of weeks ago, her daddy and I sat down with her and had a long talk with her about life. Things that she basically knew but we needed to get them out in the open so we all were on the same page about where her life was going - back to college or not. It was a good talk, but a difficult one, nevertheless. This decision was hers to make and hers alone. We believe she is old enough to make decisions like this now and we felt we would be interfering if we made it for her. Welcome to adulthood, Lyndsey.
She wanted desperately to go back to college. But with a small outstanding balance left over from last semester and no job to promise the college she could pay the bill for the upcoming semester, it was looking very bleak for her to be able to continue this spring.
Lyndsey put job hunting into high gear for the last couple weeks she was home. Hours and hours of scouring the internet, filling out applications, followup phone calls, being told no, etc. But she kept trying.
Lots of people were praying for her. Several were fasting and praying for her. She was fasting and praying.
With each passing day, she became a little more discouraged. The prospect of going back seemed to dim more and more.
She started filling out applications locally thinking that she might as well look for a job here since she couldn't find anything in Lancaster/Palmdale.
Friday was miserable for her. Walter talked with her again. He told her to start thinking 'outside the box.' That maybe college needed to be put off for a while and she could come back to it a little later. That maybe she should think about joining the military (boy do I chuckle to myself just thinking about her joining the military - I don't really think she's military material) or something like that. Who knows? Lyndsey did NOT like that idea at all. I think it really set the tone for her day - miserable.
She struggled all day Friday. Very quiet, but totally unsure about what to do. We didn't really talk about Saturday at all. We just tried to keep the day as light and cheery as possible. Walter and I knew the weight of the decision was so heavy on her. It was a decision that we could not make for her.
Saturday rolled around and she was still unsure of what to do. There were two options: go back and stay until Wednesday (the last day she could register) hoping for a miracle or go and pick up all her things and come back home. We reassured her that if she sat out for the new semester, it wouldn't be the end of the world (though I don't believe she saw the situation from our point of view). She could hopefully get a job and save up for the fall semester as well as work on getting her driver's license.
We waited for a few hours for her to make up her mind.
She finally came to the same conclusion we had already stated as an option. She said, "I figure that I've got nothing to lose by going back and staying til Wednesday, so I'm going back." It put a smile on both her daddy's and my face.
On the drive back to school, I realized a pattern that is emerging in Lyndsey's life. God works a pattern in each person/couple but not the same pattern for everybody. For instance, with Walter and I, God always tells us both the same thing (I'm talking about major life changes) at the same time but we don't usually tell the other person for a while. Then when one of us starts the conversation, the other one already knows what will be said. But how God works with us isn't always how He works with other people.
For the last 3 semesters, Lyndsey has gone to school with only enough money to buy books. But each time she has gone back, the amount of money has been less than the time before. It was basically no different this time.
Monday, she went out job hunting and was hired at Wendy's, but only technically. She has a job but not until a position opens up. God provided a job for her but still no income. We were thrilled for her, but told her to keep looking just in case something else turned up. Nothing did.
With a large amount of money due today, she was very nervous as to what to do. She asked if she should go to the finance director and talk with him to see if he would extend her some time. She did and was a little disappointed. He told her if she could come up with $300 today, he would let her finish registering for classes. We had gotten a surprise check in the mail yesterday for her for $100 and that was all we had. I paid that money on her bill asap. But she still needed $200.
Walter called her and talked with her for a long time. He told her to form a plan - call the manager at Wendy's and find out all the little details, then go back to the finance office and tell the director what money she had and what Wendy's told her. We don't know why, but Lyndsey really didn't want to do any of it. She just knew the director wouldn't accept what she would tell him. Walter encouraged her not to pre-judge the situation and told her it was her last chance to stay.
Well, she told one of her friends the predicament she was in - she needed $200. "Valerie(for privacy sake) (a fellow student) asked her how much money she had - $100, but she was saving it to buy any notes she needed for her classes. Valerie told her to use all of it for her bill and talk to her teachers about getting the notes emailed to her. Then Valerie told her she and a couple of other friends were pitching in and giving her the other $100 she needed!
She hightailed it back to the finance office and paid the $200. Lyndsey was able to register for classes and they begin tomorrow morning, bright and early!
We have much to pray about as she still owes $5,000 for the spring semester and she doesn't have a penny to her name right now. But with God, ALL things are possible!
Job hunting will continue every day and we covet your prayers in this as well.
When she came home for the Christmas break, she continued to look for a job. Application after application was filled out and turned in or submitted online. Then the followup phone calls were made and she heard time and again, "Sorry, we are not hiring."
She got somewhat discouraged.
A couple of weeks ago, her daddy and I sat down with her and had a long talk with her about life. Things that she basically knew but we needed to get them out in the open so we all were on the same page about where her life was going - back to college or not. It was a good talk, but a difficult one, nevertheless. This decision was hers to make and hers alone. We believe she is old enough to make decisions like this now and we felt we would be interfering if we made it for her. Welcome to adulthood, Lyndsey.
She wanted desperately to go back to college. But with a small outstanding balance left over from last semester and no job to promise the college she could pay the bill for the upcoming semester, it was looking very bleak for her to be able to continue this spring.
Lyndsey put job hunting into high gear for the last couple weeks she was home. Hours and hours of scouring the internet, filling out applications, followup phone calls, being told no, etc. But she kept trying.
Lots of people were praying for her. Several were fasting and praying for her. She was fasting and praying.
With each passing day, she became a little more discouraged. The prospect of going back seemed to dim more and more.
She started filling out applications locally thinking that she might as well look for a job here since she couldn't find anything in Lancaster/Palmdale.
Friday was miserable for her. Walter talked with her again. He told her to start thinking 'outside the box.' That maybe college needed to be put off for a while and she could come back to it a little later. That maybe she should think about joining the military (boy do I chuckle to myself just thinking about her joining the military - I don't really think she's military material) or something like that. Who knows? Lyndsey did NOT like that idea at all. I think it really set the tone for her day - miserable.
She struggled all day Friday. Very quiet, but totally unsure about what to do. We didn't really talk about Saturday at all. We just tried to keep the day as light and cheery as possible. Walter and I knew the weight of the decision was so heavy on her. It was a decision that we could not make for her.
Saturday rolled around and she was still unsure of what to do. There were two options: go back and stay until Wednesday (the last day she could register) hoping for a miracle or go and pick up all her things and come back home. We reassured her that if she sat out for the new semester, it wouldn't be the end of the world (though I don't believe she saw the situation from our point of view). She could hopefully get a job and save up for the fall semester as well as work on getting her driver's license.
We waited for a few hours for her to make up her mind.
She finally came to the same conclusion we had already stated as an option. She said, "I figure that I've got nothing to lose by going back and staying til Wednesday, so I'm going back." It put a smile on both her daddy's and my face.
On the drive back to school, I realized a pattern that is emerging in Lyndsey's life. God works a pattern in each person/couple but not the same pattern for everybody. For instance, with Walter and I, God always tells us both the same thing (I'm talking about major life changes) at the same time but we don't usually tell the other person for a while. Then when one of us starts the conversation, the other one already knows what will be said. But how God works with us isn't always how He works with other people.
For the last 3 semesters, Lyndsey has gone to school with only enough money to buy books. But each time she has gone back, the amount of money has been less than the time before. It was basically no different this time.
Monday, she went out job hunting and was hired at Wendy's, but only technically. She has a job but not until a position opens up. God provided a job for her but still no income. We were thrilled for her, but told her to keep looking just in case something else turned up. Nothing did.
With a large amount of money due today, she was very nervous as to what to do. She asked if she should go to the finance director and talk with him to see if he would extend her some time. She did and was a little disappointed. He told her if she could come up with $300 today, he would let her finish registering for classes. We had gotten a surprise check in the mail yesterday for her for $100 and that was all we had. I paid that money on her bill asap. But she still needed $200.
Walter called her and talked with her for a long time. He told her to form a plan - call the manager at Wendy's and find out all the little details, then go back to the finance office and tell the director what money she had and what Wendy's told her. We don't know why, but Lyndsey really didn't want to do any of it. She just knew the director wouldn't accept what she would tell him. Walter encouraged her not to pre-judge the situation and told her it was her last chance to stay.
Well, she told one of her friends the predicament she was in - she needed $200. "Valerie(for privacy sake) (a fellow student) asked her how much money she had - $100, but she was saving it to buy any notes she needed for her classes. Valerie told her to use all of it for her bill and talk to her teachers about getting the notes emailed to her. Then Valerie told her she and a couple of other friends were pitching in and giving her the other $100 she needed!
She hightailed it back to the finance office and paid the $200. Lyndsey was able to register for classes and they begin tomorrow morning, bright and early!
We have much to pray about as she still owes $5,000 for the spring semester and she doesn't have a penny to her name right now. But with God, ALL things are possible!
Job hunting will continue every day and we covet your prayers in this as well.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Just Plain Awesome!
I started studying the book of Romans in my Bible a while back. I didn't get very far before I was distracted. Ahem.
But this week I went back to it. And I learned something so awesome.
Romans 1:7 says "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."
I wanted to know what a couple of word actually meant so I looked them up in Webster's 1828 dictionary.
Called = invited; summoned; addressed, named; appointed; invoked; assembled by order; recited.
The Greek word for called is kletos.
It means called, invited (to a banquet)
invited (by God in the proclamation of the Gospel) to obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom through Christ
And then I wanted to know the exact definition of 'saint.'
The Greek word for saint is hagios.
It means: most holy thing, a saint
I got so excited when I discovered this! We are all invited, through salvation in Jesus Christ, to be a most holy thing! Wow! Can you wrap your brain around that??!!! Incredible!!!!
It definitely put a skip in my step!
But this week I went back to it. And I learned something so awesome.
Romans 1:7 says "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."
I wanted to know what a couple of word actually meant so I looked them up in Webster's 1828 dictionary.
Called = invited; summoned; addressed, named; appointed; invoked; assembled by order; recited.
The Greek word for called is kletos.
It means called, invited (to a banquet)
invited (by God in the proclamation of the Gospel) to obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom through Christ
And then I wanted to know the exact definition of 'saint.'
The Greek word for saint is hagios.
It means: most holy thing, a saint
I got so excited when I discovered this! We are all invited, through salvation in Jesus Christ, to be a most holy thing! Wow! Can you wrap your brain around that??!!! Incredible!!!!
It definitely put a skip in my step!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
How Do You...
view your day?
Is it through the lens of "blessings" or through the lens of "how many things can I find wrong with this day?"
I don't know how many people are like me, but I'd venture out on a limb and say that because we are all sinners, we have pretty much the same outlook on daily life.
My outlook on life is usually on the negative side. I try to find the blessings, but my mind seems to always go back to something that happened that wasn't so "blessed."
I have told my children for quite a while now that the hardest job they will ever do is work with people. We all have different personalities, likes, dislikes, sensitivities, etc. Learning how to work with individuals is a challenge. But we do it every single day. We have to. There's no getting around it. The question is, am I learning to work with and encourage them or am I causing grief in their lives?
I am finding lately that relationships can be difficult. How is it that I have become so sensitive to other people and the things they do or say to me (whether intentional or not)? How is it that when someone has wronged me, I dwell on that one thing instead of all the blessings God has given me not only that day but for the last 40+ years? That sure is a blessing buster, let me tell you...and it changes my whole attitude until I confess my sin of bitterness and give the situation over to the Lord and ask Him to work it all out.
I've been thinking for a while about God's daily blessings in my life. A preacher recently said that for many years now he has kept a "blessing journal." He records his blessings daily and as of that night, he had recorded over 27,000 blessings! Wow! I bet that puts a skip in his step and it ought to put a skip in my step! This has been ringing in my head for several weeks now and I have now decided that I am going to start a "daily blessing journal." I bet I'm going to be incredibly surprised at just how many blessings I record on a daily basis!
Will you join me in starting a "blessing journal?" It will change your attitude for sure!
Is it through the lens of "blessings" or through the lens of "how many things can I find wrong with this day?"
I don't know how many people are like me, but I'd venture out on a limb and say that because we are all sinners, we have pretty much the same outlook on daily life.
My outlook on life is usually on the negative side. I try to find the blessings, but my mind seems to always go back to something that happened that wasn't so "blessed."
I have told my children for quite a while now that the hardest job they will ever do is work with people. We all have different personalities, likes, dislikes, sensitivities, etc. Learning how to work with individuals is a challenge. But we do it every single day. We have to. There's no getting around it. The question is, am I learning to work with and encourage them or am I causing grief in their lives?
I am finding lately that relationships can be difficult. How is it that I have become so sensitive to other people and the things they do or say to me (whether intentional or not)? How is it that when someone has wronged me, I dwell on that one thing instead of all the blessings God has given me not only that day but for the last 40+ years? That sure is a blessing buster, let me tell you...and it changes my whole attitude until I confess my sin of bitterness and give the situation over to the Lord and ask Him to work it all out.
I've been thinking for a while about God's daily blessings in my life. A preacher recently said that for many years now he has kept a "blessing journal." He records his blessings daily and as of that night, he had recorded over 27,000 blessings! Wow! I bet that puts a skip in his step and it ought to put a skip in my step! This has been ringing in my head for several weeks now and I have now decided that I am going to start a "daily blessing journal." I bet I'm going to be incredibly surprised at just how many blessings I record on a daily basis!
Will you join me in starting a "blessing journal?" It will change your attitude for sure!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Faith
This particular post is similar to this post from last year.
This whole summer while Lyndsey was home from college, she tried to get a job. She applied everywhere (except for some places we believe are a little too scary for her to work at). Nothing. Nope. Notta. Zilch in the job market. She couldn't find a job.
As the months wore on, we (or maybe just Lyndsey and me) began to get a little nervous. After all, Lyndsey isn't a newbie when it comes to college. She's been through it before. We KNOW this year what will happen the first week she goes back to school - that first payment is due.
But nothing happened. Our family was praying for a job for her or provision of her needs. Our church was praying for her as well. Friends and extended family were praying.
And still....the Lord seemed to be silent on the whole issue. We were completely in the dark as to what God's plans were for this situation.
Our financial situation was much bleaker this year than last and we weren't/and still aren't able to help her in any way financially.
The only thing we knew to do was to take her back to school and trust God that He would provide.
The day we took Lyndsey back she had less than $100 in her bank account (she had $400 last year). I can't even begin to tell you the number of butterflies in my stomach that day. But we took her and came back home.
My girl told me that she was incredibly nervous when we said our goodbyes. She started having doubts about whether or not she was supposed to be there. Then she went to church that night. She said when she walked into the auditorium and sat down it was like the Lord told her, "Don't be nervous. You are right where I want you." She said an overwhelming peace came over her and she wasn't nervous anymore. To that, I say praise God!
She worked so hard those first five days she was back (She works part-time on campus which helps to pay a small portion of her bill) But she was loving every second of it.
The first week on campus is when the students register for classes, get settled in the dorms, purchase books, and make that dreaded first payment (at least it was dreaded for Lyndsey this time).
She had until Friday morning to pay the bill. She was waiting and waiting and waiting until the last possible minute to go to the finance office just in case some money just so happened to come in the mail or someone gave us some money for her or the Lord dropped it in our lap somehow.
Lyndsey and I were talking and I told her she might as well go to the finance office because we had checked the mail already for the day and I really didn't think anything would happen that day money wise. She really doesn't like going there if she can't pay the bill. She gets really nervous and because of her nerves, she cries and especially if she has to talk to Dr. Rasmussen (the head of the finance department and a very kind man, too) about her bill. She said, "Mom, I don't know what it is about going in to Dr. R's office, but every time I do, I cry! I really don't want to go there!" I told her I understood but she HAD to.
We were praying Dr. Rasmussen would give her an extension on paying her bill. He already knew she didn't have any money a couple of weeks before she went back because we had seen he and his family and he told us to bring her back anyway.
She got into his office and....she bawled like a baby! He looked at her and said, "Lyndsey, I am signing this paper and giving you an extension and trusting that somehow, some way the Lord will provide your bill." She called me right after leaving his office. She was laughing and crying at the same time and I was right with her and praising God the whole time.
Also, this year at the school, a new scholarship program has been started. Dr. Rasmussen told Lyndsey he made sure she was a participant in the program because he knew how much she needed the money. As long as she meets the requirement, 25% of her bill will be paid at the end of the semester. Hallelujah!
So......we've just been praying and waiting for God's perfect timing with her bill. Oh, and her bill is five monthly payments of almost $1,000. Whew! That's no chump change!
Last week, I got a text from someone very dear to me asking me who they should write a check to for Lyndsey's bill. I told them the information and decided that I was not about to count my chickens before the eggs hatched whatsoever! I was just thanking the Lord for any amount because I KNOW that He would multiply it greatly.
We got the check in the mail yesterday. When I opened the envelope, a check for $1,500 was inside! Glory to God! PRAYER DOES WORK!
This is such a faith building lesson that continues to be so very evident not only in our lives but in Lyndsey's life as well. I heard a preacher say recently, "Faith doesn't mean you aren't scared or nervous, but that you are obedient." Wow! I've thought for many years that I didn't have the right kind of faith because so many times I have been scared or nervous over different situations.
God really does reward our faith. I KNOW and have known (as well as my husband and Lyndsey) that West Coast Baptist College is EXACTLY where our daughter is supposed to be right now. It is so evident to us. There are other little things too that have happened to solidify this to us. I can't say it's been easy to have faith, but it definitely has strengthened my faith!
Faith = obedience
If God wants you to do something, just be obedient. He WILL work out all the details right down to the tiniest. If He's done it for me, He will do it for you, too!
This whole summer while Lyndsey was home from college, she tried to get a job. She applied everywhere (except for some places we believe are a little too scary for her to work at). Nothing. Nope. Notta. Zilch in the job market. She couldn't find a job.
As the months wore on, we (or maybe just Lyndsey and me) began to get a little nervous. After all, Lyndsey isn't a newbie when it comes to college. She's been through it before. We KNOW this year what will happen the first week she goes back to school - that first payment is due.
But nothing happened. Our family was praying for a job for her or provision of her needs. Our church was praying for her as well. Friends and extended family were praying.
And still....the Lord seemed to be silent on the whole issue. We were completely in the dark as to what God's plans were for this situation.
Our financial situation was much bleaker this year than last and we weren't/and still aren't able to help her in any way financially.
The only thing we knew to do was to take her back to school and trust God that He would provide.
The day we took Lyndsey back she had less than $100 in her bank account (she had $400 last year). I can't even begin to tell you the number of butterflies in my stomach that day. But we took her and came back home.
My girl told me that she was incredibly nervous when we said our goodbyes. She started having doubts about whether or not she was supposed to be there. Then she went to church that night. She said when she walked into the auditorium and sat down it was like the Lord told her, "Don't be nervous. You are right where I want you." She said an overwhelming peace came over her and she wasn't nervous anymore. To that, I say praise God!
She worked so hard those first five days she was back (She works part-time on campus which helps to pay a small portion of her bill) But she was loving every second of it.
The first week on campus is when the students register for classes, get settled in the dorms, purchase books, and make that dreaded first payment (at least it was dreaded for Lyndsey this time).
She had until Friday morning to pay the bill. She was waiting and waiting and waiting until the last possible minute to go to the finance office just in case some money just so happened to come in the mail or someone gave us some money for her or the Lord dropped it in our lap somehow.
Lyndsey and I were talking and I told her she might as well go to the finance office because we had checked the mail already for the day and I really didn't think anything would happen that day money wise. She really doesn't like going there if she can't pay the bill. She gets really nervous and because of her nerves, she cries and especially if she has to talk to Dr. Rasmussen (the head of the finance department and a very kind man, too) about her bill. She said, "Mom, I don't know what it is about going in to Dr. R's office, but every time I do, I cry! I really don't want to go there!" I told her I understood but she HAD to.
We were praying Dr. Rasmussen would give her an extension on paying her bill. He already knew she didn't have any money a couple of weeks before she went back because we had seen he and his family and he told us to bring her back anyway.
She got into his office and....she bawled like a baby! He looked at her and said, "Lyndsey, I am signing this paper and giving you an extension and trusting that somehow, some way the Lord will provide your bill." She called me right after leaving his office. She was laughing and crying at the same time and I was right with her and praising God the whole time.
Also, this year at the school, a new scholarship program has been started. Dr. Rasmussen told Lyndsey he made sure she was a participant in the program because he knew how much she needed the money. As long as she meets the requirement, 25% of her bill will be paid at the end of the semester. Hallelujah!
So......we've just been praying and waiting for God's perfect timing with her bill. Oh, and her bill is five monthly payments of almost $1,000. Whew! That's no chump change!
Last week, I got a text from someone very dear to me asking me who they should write a check to for Lyndsey's bill. I told them the information and decided that I was not about to count my chickens before the eggs hatched whatsoever! I was just thanking the Lord for any amount because I KNOW that He would multiply it greatly.
We got the check in the mail yesterday. When I opened the envelope, a check for $1,500 was inside! Glory to God! PRAYER DOES WORK!
This is such a faith building lesson that continues to be so very evident not only in our lives but in Lyndsey's life as well. I heard a preacher say recently, "Faith doesn't mean you aren't scared or nervous, but that you are obedient." Wow! I've thought for many years that I didn't have the right kind of faith because so many times I have been scared or nervous over different situations.
God really does reward our faith. I KNOW and have known (as well as my husband and Lyndsey) that West Coast Baptist College is EXACTLY where our daughter is supposed to be right now. It is so evident to us. There are other little things too that have happened to solidify this to us. I can't say it's been easy to have faith, but it definitely has strengthened my faith!
Faith = obedience
If God wants you to do something, just be obedient. He WILL work out all the details right down to the tiniest. If He's done it for me, He will do it for you, too!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
It Takes Going To...
the school of hard knocks to get me to learn some things.
Sad but true.
The other day, my husband got a phone call from a company we were waiting to hear from about returning a book we had purchased.
The man explained to my husband that under no circumstances whatsoever would we be able to return the item. My husband explained that it was something that we could not use; we had not made copies of any of the pages in it nor had we passed the information in the book on to others. The man became irate and started yelling at Walter calling him a liar and a thief.
Walter told him what it was we thought the book included. The man said that it was not something that we would want anyway. Walter asked him why. He wouldn't answer.
The man actually made some threats, too. Shocked and absolutely befuddled with what this man was saying, Walter hung the phone up. He didn't want to say anything that would be wrong.
You might be thinking, "What's the big deal?" Well, the big deal is that this man is a Christian! Or at least he works for a Christian organization.
Walter was very upset. He can usually let things go but not this time. It almost haunted him for the rest of the day. His flesh wanted to get back at this guy, but his spirit said to let it go.
So this whole incident has gotten me thinking the past couple of days.
I know that I haven't always had the Christian testimony of loving my neighbors in every situation. In fact, I'm ashamed of the hurt I have caused other people (and Christians) down through the years. How many times is it going to take to get me to learn how to treat other people correctly?
I hope I've learned, but if not, may this man's testimony remind me of how NOT to act towards others.
Sad but true.
The other day, my husband got a phone call from a company we were waiting to hear from about returning a book we had purchased.
The man explained to my husband that under no circumstances whatsoever would we be able to return the item. My husband explained that it was something that we could not use; we had not made copies of any of the pages in it nor had we passed the information in the book on to others. The man became irate and started yelling at Walter calling him a liar and a thief.
Walter told him what it was we thought the book included. The man said that it was not something that we would want anyway. Walter asked him why. He wouldn't answer.
The man actually made some threats, too. Shocked and absolutely befuddled with what this man was saying, Walter hung the phone up. He didn't want to say anything that would be wrong.
You might be thinking, "What's the big deal?" Well, the big deal is that this man is a Christian! Or at least he works for a Christian organization.
Walter was very upset. He can usually let things go but not this time. It almost haunted him for the rest of the day. His flesh wanted to get back at this guy, but his spirit said to let it go.
So this whole incident has gotten me thinking the past couple of days.
I know that I haven't always had the Christian testimony of loving my neighbors in every situation. In fact, I'm ashamed of the hurt I have caused other people (and Christians) down through the years. How many times is it going to take to get me to learn how to treat other people correctly?
I hope I've learned, but if not, may this man's testimony remind me of how NOT to act towards others.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Out of the "You Just Never Know" File
Walter came home from work today and told me this story.
He was finishing his paperwork in his truck when one of the mechanics (Victor) came walking up to him. Victor is a short Mexican man who speaks very broken English.
The conversation went like this:
Victor: Walter, I like you. And do you know why I like you?
Walter: No, why do you like me, Victor?
Victor: I have Jesus and I know you have Jesus. I know you have Jesus because every time I get in your truck I see those books (his Bible and Bible promise book) and those cards (gospel tracts). What you don't know is I've been taking a few of the Spanish ones for a long time and giving them to my friends and family. Sometimes I run out and make photocopies and hand out the photocopies.
Walter: Where do you live?
Victor: Riverside.
Walter: Where do you go to church?
Victor: The Catholic church. The Catholic church does not talk about needing Jesus and my family needs Jesus.
Walter: Victor, you don't need to sneak taking them. I will give you a handful.
We live about an hour from Riverside. So our church's Spanish tracts are floating all over Riverside and nobody knew it except for Victor.
Goes to show that we just never know who we impact and how God will use us!
He was finishing his paperwork in his truck when one of the mechanics (Victor) came walking up to him. Victor is a short Mexican man who speaks very broken English.
The conversation went like this:
Victor: Walter, I like you. And do you know why I like you?
Walter: No, why do you like me, Victor?
Victor: I have Jesus and I know you have Jesus. I know you have Jesus because every time I get in your truck I see those books (his Bible and Bible promise book) and those cards (gospel tracts). What you don't know is I've been taking a few of the Spanish ones for a long time and giving them to my friends and family. Sometimes I run out and make photocopies and hand out the photocopies.
Walter: Where do you live?
Victor: Riverside.
Walter: Where do you go to church?
Victor: The Catholic church. The Catholic church does not talk about needing Jesus and my family needs Jesus.
Walter: Victor, you don't need to sneak taking them. I will give you a handful.
We live about an hour from Riverside. So our church's Spanish tracts are floating all over Riverside and nobody knew it except for Victor.
Goes to show that we just never know who we impact and how God will use us!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Finally, I Am Back!
I'm finally ready to write again.
Too many things have been happening and I just haven't wanted to write.
When I got home from my trip last month, we found out we were going to have to move.
As humbling as this whole situation was, we have looked at it and have seen God's hand orchestrate every single thing perfectly. Praise God!
We began looking for a home to rent. There are hundreds if not a few thousand homes empty in our little city. I was amazed! Lots of beautiful homes and the rent wasn't too bad - just more than we wanted and needed to pay.
We were able to look at one home on the inside. There was nothing wrong with the house. It was just very different from what I was used to. Pretty much everything was smaller and the carpet was blue, the blinds were pink, and the linoleum was pink and blue (ugh! Can you say, "Right out of the '80s?)). The landlord was very nice and gracious. Walter wanted to tell him yes on the spot but I was not ready for that.
We went home and began talking about it. Then we decided to get some more advice. Walter called Pastor Nolan (someone we like to call our dad because he is so special to us) and talked with him. We discovered the day before that his rental house in our little city was vacant. After getting some advice from him, Walter asked him how much the rent was on his house. It was in our budget! And, better yet, he was willing to rent it to us!!! Hooray!!
A couple of weeks later, we began the process of moving.
It was a slow move over many days. On a side note - I'm not sure which kind of move is best - moving everything in one day or moving a few things over many days. It's all HARD work!
The Lord worked out everything. We had the money to pay our attorney for his services and we had the money to move and pay rent. We are now living in a home that is 16 years newer than ours was. It's also MUCH bigger and MUCH more beautiful than ours. We are on a very quiet street now with no neighbors right next to us. I can FINALLY park my car in the garage (hooray! It's so nice to get into a car that is cool instead of sweltering!)!
The Lord has something in store for us - Walter and I can feel it. We just don't know what it is yet. Though the way is humbling for us, we KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that we have done exactly what God wanted us to do! We have had complete peace about all of it.
Blessings until next time!
Too many things have been happening and I just haven't wanted to write.
When I got home from my trip last month, we found out we were going to have to move.
As humbling as this whole situation was, we have looked at it and have seen God's hand orchestrate every single thing perfectly. Praise God!
We began looking for a home to rent. There are hundreds if not a few thousand homes empty in our little city. I was amazed! Lots of beautiful homes and the rent wasn't too bad - just more than we wanted and needed to pay.
We were able to look at one home on the inside. There was nothing wrong with the house. It was just very different from what I was used to. Pretty much everything was smaller and the carpet was blue, the blinds were pink, and the linoleum was pink and blue (ugh! Can you say, "Right out of the '80s?)). The landlord was very nice and gracious. Walter wanted to tell him yes on the spot but I was not ready for that.
We went home and began talking about it. Then we decided to get some more advice. Walter called Pastor Nolan (someone we like to call our dad because he is so special to us) and talked with him. We discovered the day before that his rental house in our little city was vacant. After getting some advice from him, Walter asked him how much the rent was on his house. It was in our budget! And, better yet, he was willing to rent it to us!!! Hooray!!
A couple of weeks later, we began the process of moving.
It was a slow move over many days. On a side note - I'm not sure which kind of move is best - moving everything in one day or moving a few things over many days. It's all HARD work!
The Lord worked out everything. We had the money to pay our attorney for his services and we had the money to move and pay rent. We are now living in a home that is 16 years newer than ours was. It's also MUCH bigger and MUCH more beautiful than ours. We are on a very quiet street now with no neighbors right next to us. I can FINALLY park my car in the garage (hooray! It's so nice to get into a car that is cool instead of sweltering!)!
The Lord has something in store for us - Walter and I can feel it. We just don't know what it is yet. Though the way is humbling for us, we KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that we have done exactly what God wanted us to do! We have had complete peace about all of it.
Blessings until next time!
Friday, April 2, 2010
An Object Lesson Just For Me
My husband and I have been struggling with some parenting issues lately.
We've been trying a few new things to get our boys' attention of which they don't seem to have worked. It's frustrating watching your children (doing what you believe to be the best for them) and wanting them to be obedient, yet they keep pushing back at us with disrespect, disobedience and outright rebellion.
Lo and behold, last weekend at church I just happened to be talking with our pastor's wife and the subject of child rearing came up. She then proceeded to tell me what they have implemented in their home.
Today Walter and I decided to implement the same thing, but with a twist to fit our home.
So here's where the object lesson begins.
I wrote a list of chores on paper that the boys had to accomplish today. I went over it with them making sure they understood what they were supposed to do.
Then I sat back (figuratively) and watched them. To my disappointment, they did not accomplish a lot of the list.
So at dinner tonight, Walter and I talked with the boys and discussed what the Bible has to say about work - that he who doesn't work doesn't eat "Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger." Proverbs 19:15 "The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest and have nothing." Proverbs 20:4 We told them that if they don't get all their chores done by dinner each night, they won't eat until the chores are completed.
We are trying to teach them good work habits. Boy, it's tough sometimes!
It seemed like the Lord hit me upside the head while I was making dinner.
We tell our boys what they need to do (obedience) but they haven't been doing it - at least not the first time. So, I decided to write them down on paper making sure that it was easy for them to understand.
God knew that if He just told us to do things, we humans wouldn't do it, most of the time (we needed something to look at, to speak out loud, to memorize, to meditate on). So....He wrote the Bible. It's for us to read so we can gain understanding and wisdom and knowledge to live the right way (obedience) and accomplish God's will for our lives.
How obedient am I to God????? Talk about a sword piercing my heart...
We've been trying a few new things to get our boys' attention of which they don't seem to have worked. It's frustrating watching your children (doing what you believe to be the best for them) and wanting them to be obedient, yet they keep pushing back at us with disrespect, disobedience and outright rebellion.
Lo and behold, last weekend at church I just happened to be talking with our pastor's wife and the subject of child rearing came up. She then proceeded to tell me what they have implemented in their home.
Today Walter and I decided to implement the same thing, but with a twist to fit our home.
So here's where the object lesson begins.
I wrote a list of chores on paper that the boys had to accomplish today. I went over it with them making sure they understood what they were supposed to do.
Then I sat back (figuratively) and watched them. To my disappointment, they did not accomplish a lot of the list.
So at dinner tonight, Walter and I talked with the boys and discussed what the Bible has to say about work - that he who doesn't work doesn't eat "Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger." Proverbs 19:15 "The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest and have nothing." Proverbs 20:4 We told them that if they don't get all their chores done by dinner each night, they won't eat until the chores are completed.
We are trying to teach them good work habits. Boy, it's tough sometimes!
It seemed like the Lord hit me upside the head while I was making dinner.
We tell our boys what they need to do (obedience) but they haven't been doing it - at least not the first time. So, I decided to write them down on paper making sure that it was easy for them to understand.
God knew that if He just told us to do things, we humans wouldn't do it, most of the time (we needed something to look at, to speak out loud, to memorize, to meditate on). So....He wrote the Bible. It's for us to read so we can gain understanding and wisdom and knowledge to live the right way (obedience) and accomplish God's will for our lives.
How obedient am I to God????? Talk about a sword piercing my heart...
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
If Thou Canst...
Mark 9:23 "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."
I read this verse yesterday in my devotions.
I have read particular passages in the Bible many times. I can read the same thing 2 or 3 days in a row and one day it will just smack me in the face with amazing understanding! That's what happened when I read Mark 9:23 yesterday.
I believe it all has to do with where I/you are in life.
Walter and I are about to embark on a voyage in our marriage that we've never been to before (our marriage is incredibly strong so please don't think we are having marital problems). We both completely agree with the direction. I am having a little bit of leeriness because I can only see this voyage through 'foggy windows' so to speak. I know that the end result will be better but going on the voyage is foggy at best right now. That's where Mark 9:23 comes into the picture for me. I must claim that verse to take away my skepticism and just believe. Believe that Jesus is leading the way for us because the verse says that ALL things are possible to him that believeth!
We have seen the Lord do some incredible things in our lives and Lyndsey's life since she went to college so I KNOW this verse is true!
I hope you will claim the verse, too!
I read this verse yesterday in my devotions.
I have read particular passages in the Bible many times. I can read the same thing 2 or 3 days in a row and one day it will just smack me in the face with amazing understanding! That's what happened when I read Mark 9:23 yesterday.
I believe it all has to do with where I/you are in life.
Walter and I are about to embark on a voyage in our marriage that we've never been to before (our marriage is incredibly strong so please don't think we are having marital problems). We both completely agree with the direction. I am having a little bit of leeriness because I can only see this voyage through 'foggy windows' so to speak. I know that the end result will be better but going on the voyage is foggy at best right now. That's where Mark 9:23 comes into the picture for me. I must claim that verse to take away my skepticism and just believe. Believe that Jesus is leading the way for us because the verse says that ALL things are possible to him that believeth!
We have seen the Lord do some incredible things in our lives and Lyndsey's life since she went to college so I KNOW this verse is true!
I hope you will claim the verse, too!
Monday, September 7, 2009
A Few Things I've Learned
In the last week, I've learned a few things.
First - parenting is H.A.R.D.!
After all the phases of raising a child(ren), Walter and I have come to the conclusion that the most difficult part is allowing them to be adults. You can tell them, show them, remind them several times of things they need to do, etc., but in the end, it's up to them to actually complete the tasks set before them the correct way. You hope they choose the correct way the first time so they don't have to learn the hard way. Interestingly, though, I believe we learn better and faster from our mistakes (or at least most of us).
Letting go of Lyndsey last week at college was easy (I shock myself when I say that - I didn't think I would be able to). Letting her learn how to be an adult now that she's 'on her own'? INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT!
Lyndsey had a few days last week that turned out completely opposite of what we had expected. In a fitting phrase I will just say that 'life bit her hard.' Add to that far less sleep than she's used to and learning time management without Dad and Mom around to remind her and you wind up with a young lady who's beside herself with stress. However, a little sleep and food did wonders for her!
Walter and I did what we could to assure her that she would make it through and to remind her that she needs to keep her trust in the Lord and Him alone to help her through this. She's only ever watched us deal with problems. She's not really had to deal with anything so stressful on her own before. But God will make a way for her.
Lyndsey made it through those rough days, but she's not 'out of the woods' just yet. I would ask you to keep her in your prayers. Her college years will hold some of her greatest memories, but they will also have some very difficult times, too.
There is a praise to go along here, too. Lyndsey was out soulwinning on Saturday with several girls and she was able to win a couple of young teenage girls to the Lord! So, even though last week was somewhat bumpy for her, the Lord rewarded her for her faithfulness to stick it out!
I do know that eventually we will hear the words, "Gee, Dad and Mom, you really do know some things!"
We love that girl so much and miss her!
The second thing I learned is from today.
Down here in our desert a lot of people take their animals to the hardware stores. I even saw a woman with her cat in a shopping cart at Home Depot once.
So being the animal lover that I am and not wanting to disappoint our very excited, happy-go-lucky little dog, I suggested to my husband that he take said dog to Home Depot with him. I mean, after all she would have a great time, right? And she's not gone anywhere in the car since she went to the groomer back in July! What could go wrong?
Wonderful husband gives in and takes Ruby with him. She is the happiest dog you've ever seen. She got to go bye-bye!
He comes home and unloads the car. A few minutes later he says to me, "It wasn't such a good idea to take Ruby to the hardware store." I asked why. "She was a chick magnet!" Those were his exact words!
Come on, think about it. Who wouldn't want to pet a cute dog? But I hadn't factored in all the women that would use the opportunity to flirt with my husband!
Can anybody ignore such a cute face? She's adorable!
My eyebrows went way up and then I started laughing. I'm still chuckling now typing this! I can envision how the whole thing went and my husband is just rolling his eyes because he wants to 'get in and get out' of the store! That's how he operates. He just doesn't like to shop.
So the moral of the story is, don't send your husband to the hardware store with your animal unless you go with him! He will get attention he didn't ask for!
First - parenting is H.A.R.D.!
After all the phases of raising a child(ren), Walter and I have come to the conclusion that the most difficult part is allowing them to be adults. You can tell them, show them, remind them several times of things they need to do, etc., but in the end, it's up to them to actually complete the tasks set before them the correct way. You hope they choose the correct way the first time so they don't have to learn the hard way. Interestingly, though, I believe we learn better and faster from our mistakes (or at least most of us).
Letting go of Lyndsey last week at college was easy (I shock myself when I say that - I didn't think I would be able to). Letting her learn how to be an adult now that she's 'on her own'? INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT!
Lyndsey had a few days last week that turned out completely opposite of what we had expected. In a fitting phrase I will just say that 'life bit her hard.' Add to that far less sleep than she's used to and learning time management without Dad and Mom around to remind her and you wind up with a young lady who's beside herself with stress. However, a little sleep and food did wonders for her!
Walter and I did what we could to assure her that she would make it through and to remind her that she needs to keep her trust in the Lord and Him alone to help her through this. She's only ever watched us deal with problems. She's not really had to deal with anything so stressful on her own before. But God will make a way for her.
Lyndsey made it through those rough days, but she's not 'out of the woods' just yet. I would ask you to keep her in your prayers. Her college years will hold some of her greatest memories, but they will also have some very difficult times, too.
There is a praise to go along here, too. Lyndsey was out soulwinning on Saturday with several girls and she was able to win a couple of young teenage girls to the Lord! So, even though last week was somewhat bumpy for her, the Lord rewarded her for her faithfulness to stick it out!
I do know that eventually we will hear the words, "Gee, Dad and Mom, you really do know some things!"
We love that girl so much and miss her!
The second thing I learned is from today.
Down here in our desert a lot of people take their animals to the hardware stores. I even saw a woman with her cat in a shopping cart at Home Depot once.
So being the animal lover that I am and not wanting to disappoint our very excited, happy-go-lucky little dog, I suggested to my husband that he take said dog to Home Depot with him. I mean, after all she would have a great time, right? And she's not gone anywhere in the car since she went to the groomer back in July! What could go wrong?
Wonderful husband gives in and takes Ruby with him. She is the happiest dog you've ever seen. She got to go bye-bye!
He comes home and unloads the car. A few minutes later he says to me, "It wasn't such a good idea to take Ruby to the hardware store." I asked why. "She was a chick magnet!" Those were his exact words!
Come on, think about it. Who wouldn't want to pet a cute dog? But I hadn't factored in all the women that would use the opportunity to flirt with my husband!
Can anybody ignore such a cute face? She's adorable!
So the moral of the story is, don't send your husband to the hardware store with your animal unless you go with him! He will get attention he didn't ask for!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Life's Education
I can remember when I graduated from high school thinking that finally my education was done and over with. Ha!!! Little did I know that I was just embarking on a life full of learning! But life's education is and has been very healthy for me. I have learned so much just from life. That said...
Ruby has been home a week now and we are so thankful.
She has put quite a bit of weight back on but she is not herself yet. She does have a couple of spots on her front feet that we are concerned about because she is limping but other than that she looks great. We will take her to the vet if those spots don't heal soon. We are anxious for her to get back to her old silly self again, but we wait patiently for that.
Last Tuesday night, we gathered as a family and went around to each one of us to find out what we learned from Ruby running away.
Tyler: He learned patience
Phyllip: He learned how to wait on God
Lyndsey: She learned not to take Ruby for granted - that we will always have her
Rhonda: I learned patience; my faith was strengthened at the EXACT moment I needed it! This taught me how BIG my God is!
Walter: He learned compassion. He said he didn't realize just how much of a friend Ruby had become to all of us until she ran away.
There are several miracles we see in this whole situation.
-The temperature outside had climbed to 110 and above for several days before Ruby came home. When she finally showed up on our doorstep, she was severely dehydrated, skin and bones, exhausted and very smelly/dirty. She would not have lasted much longer out in the heat.
-We put countless hours into finding her. We passed out hundreds of flyers, walked many miles, drove many miles, called for many hours for her, put ads on craigslist for her, looked several times a day at the animal shelters for her. None of it brought her back home. We finally decided that God would have to bring her home. Oh, how we prayed daily for her that she would be safe and that God would direct her back here. We just trusted...and prayed. It got harder and harder each day to believe she could still be alive knowing the area of the US we live in. I had prayed and begged God on Monday to strengthen my faith because I was feeling weak. I told Him I needed to see Him do something just for me. And do something He DID!!!
-From this situation I was able to get a glimpse of God's love for each and every person in this world. Just like we were looking for our lost dog and calling her, Jesus is calling each and every one of us and He wants to show us just how much He loves us and wants to care for us. He wants each one of us to live with Him in heaven for all eternity.
This small situation in our lives has given me a greater compassion for people and their eternal destination. I want to show the love of Jesus to each and every person I can. Lord Jesus, please help me to show others your love!
Ruby has been home a week now and we are so thankful.
She has put quite a bit of weight back on but she is not herself yet. She does have a couple of spots on her front feet that we are concerned about because she is limping but other than that she looks great. We will take her to the vet if those spots don't heal soon. We are anxious for her to get back to her old silly self again, but we wait patiently for that.
Last Tuesday night, we gathered as a family and went around to each one of us to find out what we learned from Ruby running away.
Tyler: He learned patience
Phyllip: He learned how to wait on God
Lyndsey: She learned not to take Ruby for granted - that we will always have her
Rhonda: I learned patience; my faith was strengthened at the EXACT moment I needed it! This taught me how BIG my God is!
Walter: He learned compassion. He said he didn't realize just how much of a friend Ruby had become to all of us until she ran away.
There are several miracles we see in this whole situation.
-The temperature outside had climbed to 110 and above for several days before Ruby came home. When she finally showed up on our doorstep, she was severely dehydrated, skin and bones, exhausted and very smelly/dirty. She would not have lasted much longer out in the heat.
-We put countless hours into finding her. We passed out hundreds of flyers, walked many miles, drove many miles, called for many hours for her, put ads on craigslist for her, looked several times a day at the animal shelters for her. None of it brought her back home. We finally decided that God would have to bring her home. Oh, how we prayed daily for her that she would be safe and that God would direct her back here. We just trusted...and prayed. It got harder and harder each day to believe she could still be alive knowing the area of the US we live in. I had prayed and begged God on Monday to strengthen my faith because I was feeling weak. I told Him I needed to see Him do something just for me. And do something He DID!!!
-From this situation I was able to get a glimpse of God's love for each and every person in this world. Just like we were looking for our lost dog and calling her, Jesus is calling each and every one of us and He wants to show us just how much He loves us and wants to care for us. He wants each one of us to live with Him in heaven for all eternity.
This small situation in our lives has given me a greater compassion for people and their eternal destination. I want to show the love of Jesus to each and every person I can. Lord Jesus, please help me to show others your love!
Monday, July 21, 2008
It Was One Of Those Weekends
The weekend started out great. We had a teen activity at our house on Friday night. There were 13 people all total - a fabulous turnout for a small church! We even were able to lead one of the teen girls to the Lord - even better!
Saturday rolls around and we were getting the house ready for company on Sunday. Walter and I paid bills and we actually had some money left over. We had been wanting to go to the Youth Conference at Pacific Baptist Church which starts tonight but weren't sure we could go until we paid bills. I'm telling ya it was a miracle! Walter asked me how we had extra money and I told him I didn't know other than the Lord was providing the way. So we made arrangements to go.
We knew our neighbor kid was having a party Saturday night. He told us and even asked us if he could face his stereo speakers away from our house (huh? I don't quite understand that one but...). I'm not sure if he thought he was pulling the wool over our eyes or not with that question. So the party got started and it was loud but we could handle it. 11:00 p.m. rolls around and we decided to call the police and have them get the kid to turn down the music (in this day and age we the citizens can't say anything - it'll only egg them on :( ). We called again at about 11:45 p.m. I didn't even try to go to bed until after midnight. We see 1:00 a.m. on the clock and the music went from loud to window rattling and we could hear every.single.word that was being sung or screamed or whatever. We called the police again - this time the police were on their way. The music was shut off - but only for 30 minutes. It started all.over.again! I moved out to the couch and couldn't quite hear it as loud. Walter ended up calling the police 2 more times. They showed up at 3:00 a.m. and made them take their sound system inside. It wasn't any little sound system, either. The speakers alone were each 5 feet tall! Not only was the music loud but there was underage drinking going on - the kids put at least 1 beer can on our fence. When I got up at 6:00 a.m. the kids were still on the patio continuing their party - only quietly.
Usually, I just get mad at the lack of consideration this neighbor kid has for everyone else (he's had parties many times before). But the Lord reminded me that the unsaved only think about themselves. These days, kids aren't being raised to have character. That's what Jose is missing - character. It's so sad! We've invited him many times to church and even tried to tell him about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. To which he laughs and scorns at. So sad!!!!
So we got all of 2 solid hours of sleep before we needed to get up and get ready for church. I so badly needed toothpicks to hold my eyes open! Thankfully, we were teaching in Jr. Church so the kids kept me awake! After church, we had a couple over for dinner - again I tried another new recipe - Calico Squash Casserole (which is a total no no - one of these times it's going to fail - yikes!). The food turned out really good (I was surprised because we had a terrible storm go thru yesterday and power was flickering and I was totally depending on my oven to have everything ready when we got home).
We went to church for the evening service. For those of you that don't know, I make the financial deposits for our church each week. We went to the bank last night. I made the night drop, got back in the car, and it DIED. Nope. Nadda. Nothing. It's an electrical problem. No lights. No fan. No air conditioning. Great - at least we were somewhere where there were lots of lights. Thankfully, I had my phone with me AND it was fully charged! We were across the street from a major hotel - another plus. We were only a couple miles away from the airport for a rental car - another plus. My husband was with me - again another plus! It happened at night so no scorching heat beating on us - another plus! As we looked back on all of this we realized the Lord was really looking out for us and we are sooooooo thankful!
We got a tow truck and had the van (aka "the beast") towed and dropped off at a repair shop. Walter got me and the boys a taxi to a rental place and I got a car (really a quad cab full-size truck). I've never driven a truck before - it's pretty nice. Another amazing thing is the rental company didn't take debit cards - only credit cards. Typically, we don't carry credit cards anymore. For some reason, I had one in my wallet. Hmmmmmm, I think the Lord worked that one out for us, too. I picked up Walter and Lyndsey and we headed home. We had a really nice ride home - we didn't feel all the bumps in the road like we do in our van - another plus.
We're not sure if we're going to the youth conference or not now. All depends on the repair bill. But if the Lord perfectly orchestrated everything that happened last night, He can perfectly orchestrate a miracle for us to go to the youth conference, too! My confidence is in Him only! We'll wait and see.
Long, I know. But it WAS one of those weekends! Ta ta for now!
Saturday rolls around and we were getting the house ready for company on Sunday. Walter and I paid bills and we actually had some money left over. We had been wanting to go to the Youth Conference at Pacific Baptist Church which starts tonight but weren't sure we could go until we paid bills. I'm telling ya it was a miracle! Walter asked me how we had extra money and I told him I didn't know other than the Lord was providing the way. So we made arrangements to go.
We knew our neighbor kid was having a party Saturday night. He told us and even asked us if he could face his stereo speakers away from our house (huh? I don't quite understand that one but...). I'm not sure if he thought he was pulling the wool over our eyes or not with that question. So the party got started and it was loud but we could handle it. 11:00 p.m. rolls around and we decided to call the police and have them get the kid to turn down the music (in this day and age we the citizens can't say anything - it'll only egg them on :( ). We called again at about 11:45 p.m. I didn't even try to go to bed until after midnight. We see 1:00 a.m. on the clock and the music went from loud to window rattling and we could hear every.single.word that was being sung or screamed or whatever. We called the police again - this time the police were on their way. The music was shut off - but only for 30 minutes. It started all.over.again! I moved out to the couch and couldn't quite hear it as loud. Walter ended up calling the police 2 more times. They showed up at 3:00 a.m. and made them take their sound system inside. It wasn't any little sound system, either. The speakers alone were each 5 feet tall! Not only was the music loud but there was underage drinking going on - the kids put at least 1 beer can on our fence. When I got up at 6:00 a.m. the kids were still on the patio continuing their party - only quietly.
Usually, I just get mad at the lack of consideration this neighbor kid has for everyone else (he's had parties many times before). But the Lord reminded me that the unsaved only think about themselves. These days, kids aren't being raised to have character. That's what Jose is missing - character. It's so sad! We've invited him many times to church and even tried to tell him about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. To which he laughs and scorns at. So sad!!!!
So we got all of 2 solid hours of sleep before we needed to get up and get ready for church. I so badly needed toothpicks to hold my eyes open! Thankfully, we were teaching in Jr. Church so the kids kept me awake! After church, we had a couple over for dinner - again I tried another new recipe - Calico Squash Casserole (which is a total no no - one of these times it's going to fail - yikes!). The food turned out really good (I was surprised because we had a terrible storm go thru yesterday and power was flickering and I was totally depending on my oven to have everything ready when we got home).
We went to church for the evening service. For those of you that don't know, I make the financial deposits for our church each week. We went to the bank last night. I made the night drop, got back in the car, and it DIED. Nope. Nadda. Nothing. It's an electrical problem. No lights. No fan. No air conditioning. Great - at least we were somewhere where there were lots of lights. Thankfully, I had my phone with me AND it was fully charged! We were across the street from a major hotel - another plus. We were only a couple miles away from the airport for a rental car - another plus. My husband was with me - again another plus! It happened at night so no scorching heat beating on us - another plus! As we looked back on all of this we realized the Lord was really looking out for us and we are sooooooo thankful!
We got a tow truck and had the van (aka "the beast") towed and dropped off at a repair shop. Walter got me and the boys a taxi to a rental place and I got a car (really a quad cab full-size truck). I've never driven a truck before - it's pretty nice. Another amazing thing is the rental company didn't take debit cards - only credit cards. Typically, we don't carry credit cards anymore. For some reason, I had one in my wallet. Hmmmmmm, I think the Lord worked that one out for us, too. I picked up Walter and Lyndsey and we headed home. We had a really nice ride home - we didn't feel all the bumps in the road like we do in our van - another plus.
We're not sure if we're going to the youth conference or not now. All depends on the repair bill. But if the Lord perfectly orchestrated everything that happened last night, He can perfectly orchestrate a miracle for us to go to the youth conference, too! My confidence is in Him only! We'll wait and see.
Long, I know. But it WAS one of those weekends! Ta ta for now!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Note to Self....
I didn't set out for an adventure today, but Phyllip and I ended up on one.
We left the house at 6 AM today for an appointment in Newport Beach (a 2 1/2 hour drive without a lot of traffic).
This is what we drove in from Riverside all the way to Newport Beach. Crazy! I'm used to sunshine 99% of the time.
We get there just fine. While Phyllip is completing a test, he complains of dizziness and then passes out falling into the specialist. Can you say "panic"? Kinda but not really because I pretty much knew why it had happened. The Lord was good enough to prepare me thru Lyndsey. His blood sugar had dropped too low and he needed to eat something. He didn't tell me that he was hungry before his appointment so I thought he would make it until after we were done there. I left him at the office and ran a couple of blocks to Burger King and got him some food. Pretty soon he was just fine.
We finished his appointment and I took him to get a full meal and I was hungry too considering we hadn't eaten since 6:00 this morning and it was 10:30.
In the meantime, I called my friend Laurie to chit chat and to find out if there was an easier way home. See, I really don't like to travel some of the freeways here in SoCal (especially the interchange of the 91, 215, and 60 freeways). (If you live here in SoCal you will understand what I am talking about on the directions) I got on the 405 N and I was supposed to exit onto the 57E and take that to the 10E and then I would meet up with Laurie for lunch. However, I never saw the exit sign. I kept driving until I finally saw the 10E exit. But guess what! I was in downtown Los Angeles!!!!
I again talked with Laurie and she laughed at me because I went WAY out of the way. I got off of the 10E and onto the 605N and then onto the 210E and it dumped me back onto the 10E (for those of you who don't know that was a faster route than to stay on the 10E all the way) to home.
I ended up getting home 2 1/2 hours later than I would have if I would have just gone home the way I went!
I started counting all the cities I went through. Man, it was a lot!!!! Banning, Beaumont, Moreno Valley, Riverside, Corona, Chino, Yorba Linda, Irvine, Newport Beach, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Rosemead, El Monte, Baldwin Park, Pasadena, Azusa, Irwindale, Upland, San Bernardino, LaVerne, Redlands, Yucaipa, Calimesa, Cherry Valley, etc. These are just the ones I can remember!!!
Laurie's husband, Delmas, said that if anyone wants to see SoCal in one day they need to ride with me!
So the note to self is.....DON'T TAKE ANY ALTERNATE ROUTES! THEY AREN'T ANY QUICKER!!!
My 180 mile trip turned into a 300 mile trip today!
I was so tired when I got home that I had to take a nap!
We left the house at 6 AM today for an appointment in Newport Beach (a 2 1/2 hour drive without a lot of traffic).
We get there just fine. While Phyllip is completing a test, he complains of dizziness and then passes out falling into the specialist. Can you say "panic"? Kinda but not really because I pretty much knew why it had happened. The Lord was good enough to prepare me thru Lyndsey. His blood sugar had dropped too low and he needed to eat something. He didn't tell me that he was hungry before his appointment so I thought he would make it until after we were done there. I left him at the office and ran a couple of blocks to Burger King and got him some food. Pretty soon he was just fine.
We finished his appointment and I took him to get a full meal and I was hungry too considering we hadn't eaten since 6:00 this morning and it was 10:30.
In the meantime, I called my friend Laurie to chit chat and to find out if there was an easier way home. See, I really don't like to travel some of the freeways here in SoCal (especially the interchange of the 91, 215, and 60 freeways). (If you live here in SoCal you will understand what I am talking about on the directions) I got on the 405 N and I was supposed to exit onto the 57E and take that to the 10E and then I would meet up with Laurie for lunch. However, I never saw the exit sign. I kept driving until I finally saw the 10E exit. But guess what! I was in downtown Los Angeles!!!!
I again talked with Laurie and she laughed at me because I went WAY out of the way. I got off of the 10E and onto the 605N and then onto the 210E and it dumped me back onto the 10E (for those of you who don't know that was a faster route than to stay on the 10E all the way) to home.
I ended up getting home 2 1/2 hours later than I would have if I would have just gone home the way I went!
I started counting all the cities I went through. Man, it was a lot!!!! Banning, Beaumont, Moreno Valley, Riverside, Corona, Chino, Yorba Linda, Irvine, Newport Beach, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Rosemead, El Monte, Baldwin Park, Pasadena, Azusa, Irwindale, Upland, San Bernardino, LaVerne, Redlands, Yucaipa, Calimesa, Cherry Valley, etc. These are just the ones I can remember!!!
Laurie's husband, Delmas, said that if anyone wants to see SoCal in one day they need to ride with me!
So the note to self is.....DON'T TAKE ANY ALTERNATE ROUTES! THEY AREN'T ANY QUICKER!!!
My 180 mile trip turned into a 300 mile trip today!
I was so tired when I got home that I had to take a nap!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
A Valuable Lesson Learned
This morning as we were getting ready to walk out the door for church, Walter went to our bedroom to turn the swamp cooler on (though at the time I didn't know that's what he was doing).
As I was walking towards our bedroom I looked up and a huge cloud of dust was coming my way!
I screamed, "Honey, what is this!" His answer - "I know. I know."
Then it hit me. He turned the swamp cooler on. A cloud of dust was thrust into our bedroom and funneled out into the rest of the house just as we were walking out the door!
Usually around the end of November we cover the swamp cooler with plastic to help keep out the cold air until spring arrives. But we didn't do it last November. Why, you may ask? I dunno! I forgot to remind my husband? I didn't think that dust would accumulate inside the cooler and blow out when turned on?
But now I have dust all over the house, but especially all over my bedroom.
I don't think we will forget to cover it again! A valuable lesson learned indeed!
As I was walking towards our bedroom I looked up and a huge cloud of dust was coming my way!
I screamed, "Honey, what is this!" His answer - "I know. I know."
Then it hit me. He turned the swamp cooler on. A cloud of dust was thrust into our bedroom and funneled out into the rest of the house just as we were walking out the door!
Usually around the end of November we cover the swamp cooler with plastic to help keep out the cold air until spring arrives. But we didn't do it last November. Why, you may ask? I dunno! I forgot to remind my husband? I didn't think that dust would accumulate inside the cooler and blow out when turned on?
But now I have dust all over the house, but especially all over my bedroom.
I don't think we will forget to cover it again! A valuable lesson learned indeed!
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