Stop the Insanity!

Hey everyone!  Again, it’s been crazy around here. Overtime at work, overtime at home.  So I think it’s time to stop the craziness and just RELAX.  I’ve decided to just take 30 minutes every day to something fun or relaxing.  Not a new idea or anything, but one that will hopefully worked.  The stress of everything has been getting to me, and it’s honestly driven me close to a breaking point.  Then I hear about things that other people are going through and I think, “They would probably do anything to have my life.”  Okay, my life with a lot more money, but you get the picture.  I’ve got a great husband, three wonderful boys, in-laws that take the cake, a mom, dad, brothers, sister, and niece (and another one on the way!!!) that love me.  I live in a nice house (cluttered, a little dusty, Mt. Clothesmore, lots of weeds outside, and Scooby fur everywhere despite daily brushing.  He may be bald soon if he doesn’t keep his fur to himself.) and a car that runs…on a lot of gas, but hey, it runs. I also have a job, and where I live jobs are as scarce as chicken’s teeth, especially when they are shutting down yet another furniture factory.  After I thought about all of that, I decided that even though I feel like things are pushing me down, those things are given to me by God, and those things (job, family) are worth it.  I live a mostly normal life and I’m able to serve my King.  Sometimes you have to stop and put things in perspective!  Hope everyone has a great week and doesn’t let the “stuff” get you down!  Be thankful for what you have, and if you know the Lord, that’s the most important thing of all!

It’s been a while…

Hi, everyone! I’m sorry that it’s been so long since my last entry.  It’s been really busy here at home between work, home, and church.  And of course the kids!  They are growing so fast and they face new challenges every day.  Especially my school-age children.  Whether or not you believe in public, private, or homeschooling, it’s a forgone conclusion that we have to educate our children at home.

We’ve been watching the creation seminars with Dr. Kent Hovind.  Again, whether or not you agree with his stand on some things, Dr. Hovind is excellent.  It’s really inspired some discussions and I feel good knowing that we are equipping them to stand against one of Satan’s biggest lies, evolution.  Evolution is accepted as a fact by the world in general. So I think that is a great place to start with home training.  Aaron and Shannon have birthdays this month, so we got them really nice study Bibles and are encouraging them to have private devotions every day.  If you are interested in the creation dvds, go to www.drdino.com.  They are around $99, BUT you can copy and distribute them for free; you just can’t charge for them.  Also, you can check out our site, www.fishforsouls.com and go to our shopping page to find a great selection of Bibles.

I’ve been working on some new recipes since I started on Weight Watchers.  I’ll try to share the ones that turn out well.  If anyone would be interested in seeing recipes posted, let me know.  I hope everyone has a great Lord’s Day tomorrow and a great week ahead!

Snowy Days (or Weeks!)

Is anyone tired of snow yet?  I think a lot of us are sick to death of it!  It’s snowing right now and I love it.  It’s so relaxing to watch it fall.  I remember as a kid how I would just find a spot outside to sit while it snowed.  It was so peaceful and everything was quiet.  My favorite place to watch the snow as  a kid was at my grandma’s house.  My grandma’s backdoor opened underneath her carport, so I could go out and sit on the swing and stay dry.  Even though she lived in the city, her road was several streets back from the main road, so it was usually quiet.  And when it snowed, you could almost hear the snowflakes touching the ground.  The snow could make everything pretty, because it covered everything so completely.  Even the most dirty and depressing city is transformed by a blanket of snow.

It makes me think of how the Lord’s blood covers us so completely.  No matter how ugly we are on the inside, His blood makes us beautiful in the Father’s eyes.  It transforms us into something we could never be on our own.  I know that there have been times, especially after I was saved, when I said or did something that was wrong.  I have learned a lot in the years I’ve been saved.  I know that I can say I’m saved, that the Lord has changed me, but I have to fight with my flesh every day.  I’m sure I’ve done things that made me a hypocrite without meaning to be, but I can admit when I’m wrong.  Most of the time anyway!

When this snow melts, we’ll be able to see things we forgot about.  The bare patch of grass in the yard, the neighbor’s junk around their house, the water hose I didn’t hang up.  But the Lord’s blood never goes away.  It still covers our ugly sins, no matter what.  We just have to be careful not to use His covering in the wrong way.  We can’t feel like we’re better than others that don’t have it.  We can’t look down our noses like the Pharisees and think, “I’m so glad I’m not like them!”  We can be thankful for our salvation and be thankful that we aren’t up to our necks and more in sin, but we should always be mindful of everyone’s final destination and make sure others know which Way to go!