I don’t have time.

I don’t have time. I am too busy. What do we; or what should we, do with all of our time?

I have been noticing lately how we as people in general use the excuse of I don’t have time to do that or I am to busy to do that…..what’s up with that? This has probably been happening since the fall of man but for some reason I have been noticing it lately and it has begun to irritate me. Not that it matters what I think or anything, it just appears to be another one of my “pet peeves”.

Some of the things I hear frequently are

I don’t have time to clean my house
I don’t have time to exercise.
I don’t have time to go to the movies, shopping, dinner
I don’t have time to read a book
I don’t have time to do the laundry
I don’t have time to go to church
I don’t have time to volunteer

The list can go on and on of what I have heard people say they don’t have enough time to do. It seems to me that the response has become a common excuse not to do something just because we just don’t want to and then feel like we have to have an excuse so we automatically say “I don’t have time”. It’s the same as if someone asks us “How are you today” and we habitually respond with an “I’m fine.” Our world could be crumbling but we just say “I’m fine.” I try not to ask that question of someone unless I do indeed have the time to listen to them in case they want and/or need to talk about their life as it stands at that point. Oh wait a minute. I need to get back on topic here.

We all have the same amount of time in a day. So the response of “I don’t have time” is really not a reason at all. Why can’t we call an apple an apple? I would love for someone to give of these responses instead.

I am a slob and I don’t like to clean, so I don’t.
Or
I would rather pay someone to clean my house.

I am lazy and haven’t been able to get my butt up off of the couch.
Or
I need to exercise? Really?

I would rather do other things than sit in a movie, go shopping or go out to dinner
I prefer to watch movies after they come out on DVD.
Those activities are not in my budget.

I do not enjoy reading.
I find it difficult to read and would rather watch a movie.

I don’t enjoy shopping.
I am not a shopper. I go in to a store with a list and come out after I found what I need.

I really don’t like doing the laundry so I let it pile up until I have nothing left to wear.

I am uncomfortable going to church.
I don’t feel the need to go to church.
I had a bad experience at church, so I don’t go anymore.

I just don’t volunteer.
It’s not how I want to spend my free time.
It has never dawned on me that I should volunteer.

So why don’t we really tell people what we think and feel? One of the reason’s I have experienced is that I really don’t think the person I am talking to care anything about what I have to say. This is another reason I like to give off the wall answers sometimes. It makes people blink and look at you like they just heard a foreign language. They don’t know how to respond when they hear an unexpected comment. I think this may be why some people think I am a bit odd at times. I also just hate conforming all the time.

It would be nice if we all just stopped long enough and took some time to really listen to each other. Unconditional acceptance is a cool concept isn’t it? Completely unreachable; but it's still a cool concept.

We all have the same amount of time available to us each day and we have all the time in the world to devote to things that are important to us. So saying, “I don’t have time.” is really just a way of saying that something is not a high priority in your life. So, why not call it like it is Instead of saying,”I don’t have time.” Just say “That is not a priority for me at this time.” Or even a simple “I don’t want to.”

I am done. Thanks for your time. :-)

So Sad.....

I was given the news yesterday that the son of a former co-worker had passed away unexpectedly at the very young age of 18. I can’t even imagine what this family is going through right now. One comment I heard while the news was being passed around the office was “It makes me want to go home and hug my kid.” I think that this is a sentiment that expressed in varying forms throughout the day.

From the postings placed by the family on their facebook accounts it is evident that they are leaning on their faith in Jesus to be their strength while they learn to deal with the aftermath of losing their loved one. I hope it is a comfort to them to know that he is in heaven now. My prayer for the family is that they continue to lean on our Heavenly Father and that they seek His comfort.

While thinking and praying about all this the Holy Spirit brought to my mind some of the names of God. Meditating on them has brought a wonderful sense of peace. Because even though I do not know this family well; I found this news to be unsettling. The Holy Spirit knows what to put into our mind in order to comfort us. What a wonderful Creator and Savior we have.

El-Shaddai -- The God Who is Sufficient for the Needs of His People
Jehovah-Ropheka -- The Lord our Healer
Jehovah-Shalom -- The Lord our Peace
Jehovah-Shammah -- The Lord is Present

Do you know my Savior?????? There is no rest without Him.

Reading Proverbs Devotionally……

Normally I start my day by reading Proverbs. There are 31 Proverbs in all and it makes the perfect daily devotional. So today is October 21 therefore Proverbs 21. Sorry if I am over simplifying.

Today, because I was piddling around I didn’t make myself enough time to read devotionally before I left for work so I didn’t pick up the Word until I went to lunch. The verses today just blow me away. There are so many that just jumped off of the page at me today. There are some that are pricking my conscience and then there are some that are just plain encouraging. I love it when I am having issues with someone or something and I pick up the Word and it speaks to my heart in such an intimate way that I know that God planned it that way. It is just way to perfect to be by chance.

I have copied today’s proverb below and highlighted some of the verses that have spoken to me in one way or another. I could write about each and every one ….but that would take forever. I would rather you do your own reading and ask our Heavenly Father to speak in a unique way just to you. Enjoy!

Proverbs 21 (New International Version)

1 The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD;
he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
2 All a man's ways seem right to him,
but the LORD weighs the heart.
3 To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
the lamp of the wicked, are sin!
5 The plans of the diligent lead to profit
as surely as haste leads to poverty.
6 A fortune made by a lying tongue
is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare.
7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
for they refuse to do what is right.
8 The way of the guilty is devious,
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.
9 Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
10 The wicked man craves evil;
his neighbor gets no mercy from him.
11 When a mocker is punished, the simple gain wisdom;
when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge.
12 The Righteous One takes note of the house of the wicked
and brings the wicked to ruin.
13 If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor,
he too will cry out and not be answered.
14 A gift given in secret soothes anger,
and a bribe concealed in the cloak pacifies great wrath.
15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous
but terror to evildoers.
16 A man who strays from the path of understanding
comes to rest in the company of the dead.
17 He who loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.
18 The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.
19 Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.
20 In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil,
but a foolish man devours all he has.
21 He who pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity and honor.
22 A wise man attacks the city of the mighty
and pulls down the stronghold in which they trust.
23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue
keeps himself from calamity.
24 The proud and arrogant man-"Mocker" is his name;
he behaves with overweening pride.
25 The sluggard's craving will be the death of him,
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous give without sparing.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—
how much more so when brought with evil intent!
28 A false witness will perish,
and whoever listens to him will be destroyed forever.
29 A wicked man puts up a bold front,
but an upright man gives thought to his ways.
30 There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan
that can succeed against the LORD.
31 The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the LORD.

HAPPY CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK…..

HAPPY CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK…..
This week’s theme is "A Call To Excellence."

You may or may not be aware that this week is National Customer Service Week (October 5-9, 2009) This week is a national event devoted to recognizing the importance of customer service and recognizing the people in the industry. In 1988, the International Customer Service Association began honoring Customer Service Week during the first week of October. In 1992, the U.S. Congress proclaimed Customer Service Week a nationally recognized event.

During the week thousands of customer service reps in call centers and help desks across the country will celebrate Customer Service Week. Here at my company we get to do things like dress down for the week.. Every day is casual day. Our manager provides breakfast a couple of days, snacks and drinks, daily drawings for free stuff and a luncheon to celebrate what we do on a daily basis.

So what do we do and why would this become a topic for me to ponder on besides the fact that I am a member of the community of Customer Service individuals?

As I see it we help resolve unexpected “situations” and make people feel important. How do we do this? We “listen” to what our customers are telling us and then we ask “probing questions” to help clarify and identify what their exact need is. We then use the resources and tools available to us to implement a solution that will satisfy them and they will be “delighted” with our company and the service they have received from us.

Recently our Bible Fellowship teacher has been challenging the leaders of our small group to be “servant leaders” and it dawned on me that because of my profession; I already have the skills necessary to assist me in this endeavor. The words I have put into quotation marks in the proceeding paragraph are considered buzz words within my department and are very applicable to the concept of servant leadership and are a good jumping off point to explore one approach to being a servant leader.

One way to begin exhibiting servant leadership as a lifestyle is to listen to what people are saying when you talk to them. I mean really listen. People spill their guts without even meaning too, especially to someone who is really listening. Don’t ask the question “How are you doing today?” unless you are willing to take the time to hear their answer. The majority of the time the response will simply be “I’m fine, and you?” A nice and polite exchange of pleasantries. But more often than you realize you will run into people who have real needs and intense situations happening in their life that they will allude to when they answer that simple question. If you are listening and asking caring and careful probing questions you will find that they open up and confide in you.

So what to do after you know what the need is? Use the tools you have available to you to determine what can be done. The first tool and the most important on is prayer. Pray before anything. Ask God himself to lead you in the direction you should go. Don’t pass up the opportunity to personally serve this person. If you can’t help, do you know someone else who can? Why not introduce these two people to each other. The need is not necessarily a physical one. Do they need a friend? Be a friend and introduce them to others. Do they need a mentor. Is that mentor you or do you know the perfect person to step into that role? I am not talking about enabling bad behavior I am talking about helping someone with perhaps an emergency physical need and as well as spiritual ones. More importantly I am talking about being intimately involved in the lives of other people. Not as a busy body but as a friend. It seems to me that if everyone would pay attention to each other in this way we would have bunches of “delighted” people in our lives. I truly believe that God our Father has put out the “Call to Excellence”.

Remember the words of Paul…
9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:9-11) - Italics mine

Foolishness – What is foolishness and who are the fools in your life?

We all have fools in our life. I know I do and there have been times when those people are me, myself and I. So how do you recognize a “fool”? Who does the Bible say is a “fool”?

This is gonna hurt me more than it hurts you...

Do you know someone who denies that God exists? Are you or do you know someone who is rebelling against God? Are you disregarding something you know God wants or commands you to do?
The fool says in his heart “There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).

Are you having to deal with a chronic liar? Someone who is deceptive? Are you that person?
He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool (Proverbs 10:18).

How many do you know who are quick-tempered? Are you quick-tempered?
A fool is quick-tempered, but a wise person stays calm when insulted
(Proverbs 12:16).

How many of us have a problem with acting impulsively and not thinking about the consequences of our actions or our words.
Wise people think before they act; fools don’t and even brag about it!
(Proverbs 13:16).

A wise man fears the Lord and shuns evil, but a fool is hotheaded and reckless
(Proverbs 14:16).

How about that person who can’t seem to stand “dead-air” and talks endlessly about everything and nothing? You know that saying “I know enough to be dangerous”? Have you ever said that?
A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions
(Proverbs 18:2).

Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin
(Proverbs 10:14).

A fool's mouth is his undoing,
and his lips are a snare to his soul (Proverbs 18:7).

Do you hold yourself accountable for your words and actions?
A fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence (Proverbs 15:5).

A rebuke impresses a man of discernment more than a hundred lashes a fool
(Proverbs 17:10).

Are you a good money steward?
Of what use is money in the hand of a fool, since he has no desire to get wisdom? (Proverbs 17:16).

In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has (Proverbs 21:20).

Do you or someone you know pick fights? Or look for things to disagree about?
A fool's lips bring him strife,
and his mouth invites a beating. (Proverbs 18:6).

A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control
(Proverbs 29:11).

Do you work hard to support yourself and/or your family or do you depend on others to supply your needs? (I am not talking about the person who has fallen on hard times and needs a helping hand).
Foolish people refuse to work and almost starve (Ecclesiastes 4:5).

The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.
(Ecclesiastes 7:4).

Fools are so exhausted by a little work that they have no strength for even the simplest tasks (Ecclesiastes 10:15 NLT).


Do you learn from your mistakes?
As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly (Proverbs 26:11).

Though you grind a fool in a mortar,
grinding him like grain with a pestle,
you will not remove his folly from him. (Proverbs 27:22).


I think that the term “fool” probably applies to each of us at some time in our life. If any of these scriptures have pricked your conscience then please, please make sure you acknowledge it, seek forgiveness and ask God our Father to direct your steps so that you can keep your walk straight.

If these scripture brought a particular person and/or persons to mind, what then? I mean really, what if it is a child or a sibling? What then? What if it is a parent? Face it, you can’t “fix” them. Pray for them, yes but don’t lecture them. You will be wasting your breath. Scripture also tells us that a fool doesn’t listen to good advice.

Proverbs 15:5
A fool spurns his father's discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.

Proverbs 23:9
Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words

Proverbs 26:4
Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.

Proverbs go on an on about “fools”. Me thinks that God doesn’t like them and doesn’t want us to be one or associate with them. I went to the website biblegateway.com and searched on the keyword “fool” (NIV) and came up with 79 references. So once again, what if you are related to one? In acknowledging that there have been times in my life when I have to point the finger back at myself; I also acknowledge that there a few “others” that are a part of my life on a daily basis. A few are family members and some are co-workers. How to deal with them? I turn to the same scriptures that describe foolishness to learn the wise response. Look at the scriptures above again, and this time ask yourself this question….

What does a wise person look like and how do they behave. I don’t know about you; but I would love to be thought of as a wise person.

I searched on the word “wisdom” and came up with 215 references….the Bible is the only self-help book you will ever need.

OK, I am done with my sermon. Please know I was preaching to myself. I also don't think I have any answers. The answers are in God's word...if I have pointed you in that direction then I did OK.

Mr. Right & Mrs. Right

I went to the singles Bible Study at my church last evening. It was the first time I had been since they changed the format. I found it to be very uplifting and encouraging as well as convicting and personally challenging. Ya know it stings a little (many times more than a little) when your sin is pointed out to you.

Basically the series that is being taught right now is how to find Mr. Right or Mrs. Right as well as how to be Mr. Right or Mrs. Right to someone else. In today’s culture of “anything goes” Biblical dating is a lost concept. The Biblical roles of husband and wife are also a very foreign concept to many people these days, young and old alike. Of course I was pretty clueless when I said my “I dos” 30 years ago as well which is, I am sure, the main reason I have been single now for the past 22 years. I think what surprised me last night was how many of my own peers are still in the dark as to what Biblical dating and marriage are all about. This became clear as “the old folks” sat around the table at Chick-Fil-A afterwards discussing the evening. A few of us were in complete agreement with what we had heard. To some it was new information well received and a few others weren’t sure how to digest it yet. It made for some interesting conversation and some carefully worded sentences.

I was reminded once again that we are all at different stages in our spiritual walk and it is not up to us to judge each other. We have to allow the Holy Spirit to teach us and convict us so that we can continue to be changed from the inside out until God takes us home or comes to get us. It is a good thing for me to remember that it is a life long process and we will never be perfect until that time. For me personally it means I have to keep practicing. When I fall I have to acknowledge it, confess it and change it and then keep on keeping on.

I think this ministry is very blessed to have a young preacher and his wife committed to teaching and modeling the principle of a Biblical marriage to the young people of our church as well as to us “old folks” who didn’t get it right the first time around. I certainly look forward to next Tuesday night’s teaching as well.

LET ME INTRODUCE OUR NEWEST FAMILY MEMBER

I can not believe I have taken this long to introduce the newest member of our family. I guess I have been way to busy actually playing with him to write about him
So here goes...

JAMES ANTHONY
Born 09-09-09
At 5:23 PM
6 Lbs., 8 Oz.
19” Long
The proud parents are Jared and Jodie Deppa

And he is absolutely the most handsome little thing you have ever seen.

WATER,WATER EVERYWHERE; but not a drop to drink.

So Atlanta and the surrounding areas appear to be drowning in water stained with red mud. It’s everywhere you look. The air itself is saturated with moisture. Roads are closed, some homes are flooded , others are without power and some are without (believe it or not) water. So I found it really amusing that while listening to a news anchor on T.V. I heard him say. “If you have no water in your home because of the flooding you need to boil your water for the next 24 hours.” My first thought; which as always was very sarcastic, was “Did you ad-lib that or did someone really put that on your teleprompter?”. First of all, if you have no water coming out of the faucet where are you going to get this water to boil? Out of your front yard? And second, you can’t boil it for 24 hours cause there wouldn’t be anything left. OK, I admit it, I am a smart aleck.

Having to deal with all the rain and the potential of the creek bordering my front yard invading my personal living space made me reflect a bit on just how powerful water in itself is. How it is necessary to sustain life and how it can take life. You can’t stop it or even re-direct it without the help of many people and a lot of pre-planning. The only one who can control water is God himself. I am not going to ask “Why is this happening?”; only He himself knows the answer to that age old question. What I am asking myself is “How can I use this experience?”. It is a reminder to me that He is in control of all things and that I don’t have to be concerned about the final out come.

Then the thought comes to me that it is really easy for me to say and acknowledge that God is in control since nothing bad has happened to me in relation to this event. My home hasn’t been flooded, I still have power and water. So, what is the lesson here for me personally? The next thought that pricks the back of my mind….so if you believe that God is indeed in control, why were you so anxious yesterday when you saw the creek come over it’s banks?

The message for me appears to be a very gentle reminder that I need to seek Him first (Matthew 6:33). Give Him all my anxious thoughts (Phillipians 4:6) and the only way to do this is to seek a quiet place each day and spend time with Him. If I don’t do that then I will have no idea who He is or what His Word says in regard to how I am to think and act on a daily basis. In essence I will have no way of knowing what he wants me to do or how I am to do it. A real life application to the instruction to "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." If I won’t be still, there may come a time when He will make me do exactly that. I won’t have an option, perhaps he may take away the electricity so the T.V. or the internet are not available.
He has the power……my lesson from the flood….He is indeed in control and he wants me to be still and spend more time with Him which is a reinforcement of the sermon I heard Sunday.

Psalm 46 (New International Version)
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
8 Come and see the works of the LORD,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear,
he burns the shields with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

Little Indians

One little, two little, three little Indians…….

Are they supposed to have blue eyes?

Four little, five little, six little Indians…..

I could have sworn there were only three of them when they moved in…
But they do sound more like six

Seven little, eight little, nine little Indians.

And they have enough “stuff” to supply a whole tribe

Ten little Indian girls.

Never mnd…..I am just out of my mind….there are just three of them.

Things are looking up…..

Things are looking up…..
At least I feel better, either my cold is subsiding or I have found the right “cocktail” to keep the symptoms under control.

I am looking forward to a three day holiday week-end which will be busy with the normal schedule of taking Mom to the grocery store, housework and yard work. The bonus is of course that extra day on Monday and I have made arrangements to meet an old friend from way back when. We are going on a picnic and I am so looking forward to it. I hope the weather cooperates and that it is a nice day for us to spend outside. Hopefully we will find much to talk about and discover many things in common.

Really, I am not such a depressing person normally

So why does every other post seem to indicate that I need to stop having pity parties???
I used to look at something and see that the “glass was half full” but now I see I am more inclined to look at it and determine that “it’s almost empty.” It’s probably a good thing that not too many people know about this little blog cause it is rather depressing. It’s not funny, entertaining or informative. It’s just appears to be my place to whine. What a drip.

I really do have a sense of humor and there are quite a few people in my life that make me laugh. Just not sure why I can’t look past the issues and just enjoy life. I think more than being frustrated, I am just lonely and wish I had a “someone” to share with. I have been single for a long time and never thought that I would care about that. I have been pretty content with not having a “someone” in my life. I think that this started changing last fall when I broke my ankle and was confined to my house for six weeks and had to wait on someone to come and help me do the simplest of tasks. It could also have something to do with the big “5 – O” that is looming around the corner in just a little over a month now. If that’s the issue I really need to get over it.

I am really grateful for my family. I don’t know what I would do without my kids and grandkids; my parent and siblings. I just don’t want to live with any of them. How funny is that, I don’t want to live with family but I don’t really think I want to be alone either. I don’t want just a roommate. I think I am getting to a place where I need to have an emotional connection with someone. Wow, what a concept……and how do people do that these days?

What am I doing wrong?

Proverbs 17 (NIV)
14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.

Definition of "Quarrel"according to dictionary.com
Noun
1. an angry dispute or altercation; a disagreement marked by a temporary or permanent break in friendly relations.
2. a cause of dispute, complaint, or hostile feeling: She has no quarrel with her present salary.
Verb (used without object)
3. to disagree angrily; squabble; wrangle.
4. to end a friendship as a result of a disagreement.
5. to make a complaint; find fault.

Synonyms:1. argument, contention, controversy, difference, fight. Quarrel, dissension refer to disagreement and conflict. Quarrel applies chiefly to a verbal disagreement between individuals or groups and is used with reference to a large variety of situations, from a slight and petty difference of opinion to a violent altercation: It was little more than a domestic quarrel. Their quarrel led to the barroom brawl. Dissension usually implies a profound disagreement and bitter conflict. It also applies chiefly to conflict within a group or to members of the same group: dissension within the union; dissension among the Democrats. 3. bicker, argue, brawl, fight.


I Corinthians 11 (NASB)
27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. 29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. 31But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. 32When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

So let's not have a pity party after all.....

I spent a little quite time in the Word at lunch....so glad I did

Psalm 46:10
10 "Be still, and know that I am God;

Isaiah 58:11
11 The LORD will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;

Colossians 4:2
2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

Phillipians 4:19
19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

2 Thessalonians 3:16
16 Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all

Let's just have a pity party shall we?

I have been an empty nester now for several years....off and on at least. I have never been a busy-body type of person so I have been pretty content to let them alone and live their own life. At least I thought I was.....but when I see a child going through tough times and having to make hard decisions or live with consequences of bad decisions I find my heart breaking over and over again.

Let's just have a pity party shall we?

So once again...it's been a while

Seems that I don't write very often....and it's not that I don't have anything to say. I am always running my mouth and I certainly have an opinion about a lot of different things. My issue is that I continually talk myself out of writing by telling, or should I say asking, myself questions like....So, in 2 weeks will this matter??? The answer is usually "no". But there are many things that have happened lately to people I care deeply about that I thought that perhaps if I wrote a few things down it would help to put some of it in perspective.

The first thing that comes to mind today is the death of the father of one of my childhood friends. It was quite unexpected even though he was over 80 years old. Just the week before he had mowed his daughter’s lawn for her. This particular morning he was eating breakfast and just like that, his time was up. I was talking to my friend on the phone the day afterward and she was telling me about the funeral arrangements and made mention of the fact that the funeral home was "finding a minister for them". Come to find out, nobody in the family was a member of a church. They had no minister of their own. How come I didn't know that? I knew she was not going to church currently…but I had no idea. When I talked to her about her own eternal destination she claims she is ready, she knows all the right answers….but really?

Scripture Memory Verse

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things.Phil. 4:8 NIV

I have joined Beth Moore's Blog and she has an accountability group for scripture memorization. This is my firtst one for the month.

I find that this scripture is very appropriate for me as I begin this month due to mulitple issues that I am experiencing right now. Another quote that I am using to keep myself in line is by Chuck Swindoll on

"Attitude"

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company ... a
church ... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past ... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our Attitude."

Financial Peace University

Our church is going to be participating in Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace University" beginning February 1, 2009. I have been reading his book and because of that I am waiting very expectantly for these classes to begin. There is so much that I don't know about money and how to handle it. I think it pretty well handles me. Just reading the book made wish I had someone teach me as a young child and young adult. Of course I was pretty strong willed and very impulsive. I didn't give myself a chance to learn anything before I jumped into the adult world. It is very hard not to regret past actions sometimes. I do; however, want to move forward armed with this new knowledge.

One important lesson I do know is that it is never too late for anything. God is never finished cleaning us up and He will do so until our homegoing if we let him. With this in mind I know it is possible for me to dramatically turn this part of my life around and be able to better manage my finances.

It is never too late.

Another News Update Post

So here I am again posting after a very long time.....what to tell....

Matthew is now a single father, he has custody of Jacob (now almost 3) and that is a good thing for all concerned. They are living in a townhouse in Oakwood. Matthew has a new lady in his life and I think they are very good together.

Jodie and Jared did indeed get married on Labor Day weekend 2007. They bought a house in April 2008. I just found out that I am going to be a Nana again. They think the baby is due in late September 2009. We will know more after she goes to her doctor.

Jennifer has now been out on her own for a couple of years. They are living in a nice 4 bedroom house not to far from her sister. She has a new man in her life who appears to take very good care of her and the girls. I think that they kinda like him too. :-)

I bought a house in June, 2008. It is a double-wide mobile home in Buford. It sits on a large lot. Me, who doesn't like to do yard work now has a very large yard. Go figure. I like the house itself. It has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Just enough room. There is also a good sized storage shed out in the back yard. It has a nice front porch and a large back deck. Which is wonderful for entertaining in the summer time.

Taylor had to have emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix just after the school year started. She is just fine now but it was a scary thing for her and the family to have to go through.

I broke my ankle at the end of September 2008 and had to be in a cast for 6 weeks so I couldn't drive. Fortunately I was able to work from home which saved me from dying of boredom.

Thanksgiving was celebrated at Jodie and Jared's new home. Both sides of their family attended. I think the final total of people they served was 29. It was a lot of fun and they did a great job and were excellent hosts. It was their first Turkey too!

Jennifer and Eric served Christmas dinner for both of their families and once again we had a great time and food was most excellent. Jennifer had the house decorated to the hilt as always.

Our last event of 2008 happened the day after Christmas when Mom fell and broke her hip. She had to have surgery and the then spent 20 days in a re-hab center. She has just come home this very week. She is doing well but has some more work to do in order to be completely recovered. She is so determined that I am sure she will be there soon.

My sister Ann and her family came down from North Carolina while Mom was in the hospital. This was a planned vacation trip for them, they just hadn't planned on the hospital part. They were here for New Years Eve so my nephew came over to my house as did all 4 of the grandkids to spend the night. We popped popcorn and watched movies until it was time to watch the peach drop at midnight. Everyone except little Jacob made it all the way to midnight. He was down for the count at 8:30. I had a blast and hope it can he repeated again next year. I think we will decorate and have hats and noise makers next year.

So now I think that I am caught up on the basics. Let's see if I can be more consistent in posting this year. Not sure who really wants to read this stuff but I will do it anyway.