Blessings vs. Patience

But I don't WANT to!

2012-08-16T12:03:00.002-05:00

Colossians 3:23 (ESV) "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men"

It's that time of year again. The leaves are starting to turn, there is a chill in the air, and all of the stores smell of paper and pencils.

Well, that's what it was like back when old folks like me started school.

Now, it's still VERY hot outside, and the only reason the leaves have turned brown is either too little water or too much sun. School supplies do run rampant around here though.

Everyone better look out, because Boo starts school this year.

With Bug, it was easy. She was so excited to go to school. It was all she talked about the summer before she started. She even loved to play school at home.

Have I ever mentioned how different Bug and Boo are? Don't get me wrong, my Boo is a very good girl. She also enjoys to learn, but does not enjoy sitting still nearly as much as her sister does, at least not right now. Bug wants to be the teacher and have Boo be the student. Needless to say, that only lasts for a little while before the small one gets tired of the big one bossing her around and stomps off to sit alone in her room.

I've tried to get Boo excited for this new phase in her life. The conversation I remember most went like this:

"Hey, Boo, don't you want to go to school so you can meet some new friends? That will be good, right?"

"Mom, when I was born, I had friends, and that is all the friends I need."

Okay, so it's easy to pick on my kids, especially the one that is too little to be embarrassed about things I might write about her. I can see this scenario working out for me and other adults as well. How often do we have to start something new, and either do not want to or are apathetic to the idea and process?

Is there something that God wants you to do that you are running from, or trying to get out of doing?

One of the best things I did this summer was take a study on the book Radical by David Platt. It was challenging, to say the very least. Sometimes we really do not know what all we do have until we see others that are lacking some of the very things that we consider necessities.

Of all of the many things I learned while reading (ok, skimming) this book, two stood out the most, and were so simple that I felt crazy for not realizing them before:

1. There are some things that we should do for God, that we do not for whatever reason or excuse we may come up with. Whether it is something as simple as not wanting to, or more complex like worrying about ridicule or losing our job. When the end is God, should anything else REALLY matter?

2. There are things that we do or want to have and claim that it is for God as justification of our very own selfishness. How many times have we done something "for God", but it was really "for me"? Do we volunteer to be good stewards of our time and serve God, or for the recognition of being a good and helpful person? Do we want bigger, larger, and better facilities in our churches to help host more people to hear about God or just so we can keep up or out do the Jones' church? If we have all of these bigger and better buildings, are we actually doing anything to bring in the lost people of our communities? Even better, are we going out of our way and comfort zone to reach the people around us for Christ at all?

The church is not a restaurant or a baseball field. We can build it, but that does not mean that they will come.

Make an effort this week to do at least one thing that you are not quite comfortable with for God. It could be something simple. Sometimes the easiest things are the hardest to do. It could be a lot easier for some people to go around the world on a mission trip than to walk across the street and talk to their neighbor about God.

Pray this week. Pray that God will show you an opportunity to speak his word into someone's life. And when the opportunity arises, take it. Do not be scared. The worst thing that will usually happen in America is that the person will look at you weird or talk back to you in a condescending way. Is that really such a price to pay? There is a chance that even if you get this outcome you may have planted a seed in that person's heart.

You have kept count of my tossings;
  put my tears in your bottle.
  Are they not in your book?
Then my enemies will turn back
  in the day when I call.
  This I know, that God is for me.
In God, whose word I praise,
  in the LORD, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
  What can man do to me?
I must perform my vows to you, O God;
  I will render thank offerings to you.
For you have delivered my soul from death,
  yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
  in the light of life.
(Psalm 56:8-13 ESV)

Robin Hood... is he really Good?

2012-08-04T14:24:00.000-05:00

Robin Hood… Is he really Good?

Romans 2:21 (ESV) “…you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal?”

Sometimes my kids ask me things and I am just totally caught off guard.

Later I will fill you in on the questions Bug had while reading Genesis…. that is a story for another time. (Be afraid!)

For those of you playing along at home, Bug is now 8 ½ going on 30, and Boo is 4 ½ going on Princess and CEO of the entire world while being a Ninja Spy. Yeah, something like that.

One day last week we were just sitting in the truck and Bug was excited because she was able to ride in the front. We will just try to overlook the fact that she was in the front because I had too much junk in the back seat for both Boo and Bug to sit back there. It made her happy and I didn’t have to move my stuff, so it was a win-win.

A few miles down the road she asks one of her random “what you think I will ask and what I really want to know are different things” questions. She has had a multitude of these lately.

“Mom, if Robin Hood steals from the rich, and gives it to the poor; when the rich stole it first, is he a good person, or a bad person?”

At 8 years old she is old enough to understand the difference between right and wrong. However, sometimes even we adults get confused when we start trying to blur the lines and rationalize behaviors because they are done for the good of other people.

It is still wrong.

My answer was this: Robin Hood had a good idea, and possibly a good heart to try to help the poor people. However, the way he went about it was not right. A better option would have been if he tried to find a different way to help them, or a way to stop them from being robbed in the first place. It did not make him a bad person. He had a good idea, but he chose a bad way to accomplish his goal, however noble the goal was.

If Robin Hood had a little Robin Hood Jr., how would he have been able to justify his actions? How can he say that “stealing is wrong!” when everyone watches him steal from others?

In case you don't know, people watch us every single day. Our kids, coworkers, everyone. The people around us know what morals we claim to have, and sit back to see if we actually choose to live them out in our daily lives.

It is one of the hardest things to do as a follower of Christ, but he does command that we not retaliate against others. We are to stand up for ourselves, but not to seek revenge.

Matthew 5: 43-48 (ESV) “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

After all of that explaining, what was the response I received? Usually this kid is full of debate, question after question.

All she said was, “Oh, ok.”

Really?

If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to leave a comment!

Kris

Tim Hawkins Things you don't say to your wife

2011-06-15T23:40:00.001-05:00

New post is coming somethime this weekend. Until then, Enjoy!! We saw Tim Hawkins this past Sunday. He is a Christian comedian and is so very funny! If you would like to see his website, it is http://www.timhawkins.net/

Poem: Storm

2011-04-25T19:40:00.000-05:00

Okay... I promise this is the last poem that I will post... well, for a few months at least. I was going through my other website and I couldn't see this poem and not post it; this is actually my favorite out of all the ones I have ever written.

In case you could not tell, it was inspired by the song Praise you in this Storm, by Casting Crowns. If you haven't listened to it... LISTEN!

Storm

The weather of the world
Swarms and storms around me
like walking on the beach
next to a toiling, troubled sea

the angry waves of resentment
crash upon the shore
capped with foams of selfishness
leaving my skin sore

everyday has new worries
pelting my skin with hail
and winds of trouble and contempt
through the air assail

Left to my own devices
I could never beat this rain
I would be swallowed in it
and forever live in pain

I am not alone on my journey
Jesus is my guiding light
I walk close to my father
and he guides me through the night

my father doesn't promise
a life of eternal ease
even though we walk together
there is still trouble on the seas

if I wander far away
and lose sight of my Lord
the storm angrily lashes out
and I am caught once more

but when I focus on my Father
and let Jesus take the lead
I still walk through the storm
But He helps my every need

He walks close with me
through every single burden
I lean my life upon him
HE is my salvation

The storm doesn't stop
the sea continually rages
But with Him I handle them all
with Jesus... the Rock of Ages

Poem: Sins in the Sand

2011-04-25T19:27:00.000-05:00

I have a few ideas for my next post bouncing around in my head like a 3 year old that ate too much Easter chocolate. However, I've yet to round them up yet and turn them into anything that makes a lot of sense at the moment.

Because of that, and my recent dislike of Google sites (I could probably do a whole blog entry just on what, but I really doubt anyone wants to hear me rant that much), I decided to post another one of my poems today. It lets me update, while still planning how to capture my thoughts and tame them into coherent sentences.

I hope that everyone had a great Easter! Let us remember not to let the "high" of the season wear off. God's love for us is as great today as it was yesterday!

Sins in the Sand

As ocean tides erase the sand
my sins are gone by God's hand
the Son of God, healer, my friend
He bled and died, yet rose again

Born to overthrow death's victory
So we could be born again, in thee
Eternally praising God the King
Never to face sin's eternal sting

Let the mercy waves come wash me clean
as for Christ I prepare to sing
As closer to Christ I grow and mature
let fewer sins mark my shore

and while I live let me tell
the ONLY way to be saved from hell
Ask Christ to come into your life and receive
His gift that is free to all who believe

God wants to use his loving hand
To rid the world of their sins in the sand

Easter Poem

2011-04-23T09:21:00.002-05:00

Happy Easter! This is a short poem I wrote several years ago. I was trying to capture the love, the pain, the...everything that I feel about Easter and try to imagine what Jesus must have felt at the same time. We will never know exactly how much love; pure, honest love, that this act of grace and mercy made God feel. We can understand to the best of our human ability, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Thank God that He saved us! To come up with a plan for our salvation was wonderful. Then to follow through on it, for us, especially when it was this physically and heartbreakingly painful? Like I said, our human minds will never fully comprehend the level of love that he has for us.

Easter's Worth

Crucified on the cross

nailed down for our sins

a beaten body

hung upon a tree

We wonder, how could he be powerful?

dying as a common thief

the power that raised the dead

would not stop his own death

But his CHOICE is the difference

it is not that he did not HAVE the power

he simply chose not to use it

this is the most unselfish act ever

Human minds focus on the physical pain

a most horrific way to die

Usually we dwell on this

Was his cry of agony due to the nails?

No, sin was thrust upon the sinless

and because of this, he was separated

violently torn apart from God himself

The Holy had to turn his face from him

Jesus chose not to save himself-

not to call on angels or just walk down,

and let himself die, excruciatingly.

darkness before the light to come

Then He rose

three days later, he rose!

would it have been so beautiful

if the death had not been as horrible?

No one raised him up

He had the power, He raised himself

and unlike Lazarus, Jesus did not die again

no, He raised up forever

Death is conquered!

the creation can reach the creator once more

through a bridge made of the wood of the cross

and the eternal light of Jesus' resurrection

Bug got Baptized

2011-04-09T11:45:00.000-05:00

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said,"Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born?"

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. "

John 3: 1-7, 16-18 NIV

Hello everyone!!

I have wonderful news! Just a week or so ago my daughter, Bug (7), prayed one night with her dad to receive Christ and was baptized! So Amazing!! There are very few things, if anything, that as a parent I can compare to knowing that my daughter now knows Jesus personally; and that when our brief time on earth is over she will be with me and her father with our HEAVENLY Father for eternity, praising God.

Did I mention how extremely EXCITED I am?!?!

God works in wonderful and mysterious ways. The Sunday before she prayed, we had 5 children at our church be baptized. That really got the wheels turning in her brain. She has always loved watching whenever anyone was baptized, but I don't think she really understood what was happening.

That night, and the nights following, she asked many questions. She asked me, her dad, and her teachers at church. We wanted to be sure that she really understood what was going on, and was not just following the crowd because she thought it was something she was supposed to do.

She really understood! After praying with her dad, the first thing she did was start crying. When he asked her why, she said,"But what about all of my friends that don't know Jesus?"

Wow! I love my compassionate little girl. To develop a faith in Christ and then immediately have a heart for the lost, I am just overwhelmed!

To all of you who believe, celebrate with us! To those of you that do not, you should really read up on it and ask someone you know if you have any questions!!

God Bless!!

~Kris

Charlie Brown Christmas

2010-12-25T08:46:00.000-06:00

I can't explain it much simpler than that... this is what Christmas is all about.

Merry CHRISTmas everyone! Enjoy your families, friends, and all of the other wonderful things God has blessed you with and brought you through this past year!

KPL

Louise's Christmas Story

2010-12-20T22:40:00.000-06:00

This is actually from a story I am writing and posting online. However, this chapter also works as a stand alone because it is a flashback.

Please forgive me if the formatting is off because I copied and pasted it from my other site!

Merry Christmas everyone! KPL

**************************************************************

Louise, an inquisitive five year old, examines the living room for all things Christmas related. The room is full of items; candlesticks on every table, strings of garland around all the windows, Santa and snowman figurines on any extra spot on a flat surface, it was quite a wonderful Christmas sight. The small Christmas tree sat in the corner by the fireplace and was covered in handmade ornaments, a tin foil star on top, and an old sheet underneath for a skirt. Above Louise’s stocking on the mantel was her mom’s most cherished Christmas piece, a large Nativity scene. Louise pushed a dining table chair over to the mantel and stood on it to get a better look.

The set looked like dolls that someone had made out of hard concrete instead of something soft. All of the people were wearing what looked like different colored sheets wrapped around themselves instead of real clothes. Louise found baby Jesus in what her mom called a manger. She reached in to pick him up.

“Hold it right there!” came her mom’s voice from the kitchen. “You are not supposed to climb on chairs, and you are not supposed to touch the Nativity.”

“Aw, Mom, I wasn’t going to break it. I just wanted to see the baby.” Louise climbed down from the chair and gave her mom her best please-do-not-spank-me look that she could muster up.

Evelyn laughed and wiped her hands on a dish towel. Laying the towel on the counter in the kitchen she came into the living room with Louise. “Honey, if you want to see Jesus, I can tell you about him.” She picked up the baby out of the manger. “But honey, just remember, this figurine is just that, a decoration. It reminds us of Jesus and that is good, but Jesus doesn’t live in this figurine, he lives in the hearts of those who love him and in heaven with God, his Father.”

Evelyn sat on the couch and Louise climbed into her lap. “So is he like Santa, Momma? Some kids at school told me Santa is only real to the kids who believe he is real.”

“Oh, no baby, not like that at all,” replied her mom, with a concerned look on her face. “You see, where those kids think they have to believe in Santa to make him real, Jesus is always real whether we believe in him or not. But he is also a gentleman, and he will not come to live in our hearts unless we let him. He knocks on our door, but we have to let him in.”

“Oh, ok,” said Louise, but she still had a very confused look on her small features.

“I’ll tell you what,” said Evelyn as she wrapped her arms around Louise, “why don’t I tell you the Nativity story?”

“I already know that, Mom,” replied Louise. “Jesus was born in a barn and slept in the hay. Boring!” She concluded her little spell with a fake yawn to drive home the point.

“Honey, if you think that Jesus was just another human baby, then yes, his birth would not be the most impressive story you have ever heard. But do you know why he was special? Why him? Who is his dad? Why his mom? Why he had to be born in Bethlehem and no where else?”

“No, I don’t guess I know that part. Why was he so special, Momma?”

Evelyn curled her daughter up snug in her arms. The soup she was preparing for supper would have to wait on the stove. This subject was just too important.

“I’ll tell it to you, just like it says in the Bible, because I’ve read the story so much I feel like I know it by heart,” began Evelyn, twirling her daughter’s hair around her finger. “Do you remember the story of Adam and Eve?”

“Yes, Momma,” giggled Louise, “but I’m pretty sure that Mary and Joseph were Jesus’ parents, not Adam and Eve!”

“That is true, Louise. Adam and Eve were not Jesus’ parents, but that is where and when everything began. You see, God made Adam and Eve and made a perfect garden for them to live in forever. There was only one rule; they were not allowed to eat from just one of the trees in the garden. One day the serpent, who was really Satan in disguise, tricked Eve into eating from the tree, and she got Adam to eat from it too! It was awful; this was the very first sin.”

“What is a sin, Momma?”

“Well, sin is when you do something that you know God does not want you to do, and you do it anyway. Kind of like when you know you aren’t supposed to climb on chairs and you do it anyway…..” Louise looked up with a sheepish grin. Her mother continued, “Adam and Eve hid from God because they knew they had done something wrong. As punishment God told them that they had to leave the garden and make their own home and find their own food. But the worst part about it was that sin entered into the human race. From that day on, every person would sin, and God is so Holy that he can not tolerate sin. It totally separated us from Him, even though he wanted to have a relationship with us, and we need to have one with Him. To fix this, God came up with a wonderful plan. A way that we could fellowship with God again and something that could take our sins away from us. God would send his Son, and his son would never ever sin, and his son would help us get back to God.”

“God’s son, that’s what they call Jesus!” exclaimed Louise. Then her face scrunched up, like she was deep in thought. “Momma, I thought that Joseph was his daddy? That just doesn’t make sense. You can’t have two dads.”

“You’re getting ahead of me, you little jitterbug,” laughed her mom. “Now that I told you WHY Jesus had to come, to bring us back to God, let me tell you HOW.” She pulled a blanket off the floor beside the couch and wrapped it around both of them.

“Everyone waited for what seemed like forever for God to send the person to save his people. Even though God told prophets for years where and how to find the savior most of them misunderstood and were looking in the wrong places, or for the wrong person.

“Mary was a young lady, but the Bible says that she loved the Lord. God sent Gabriel, an angel, to tell her that even though she was not married, she would have a son and that she should name him Jesus because he would be God’s son, and the Savior everyone had been waiting for! Gabriel told her that God would be the baby’s daddy, but that he still wanted Joseph to help raise Jesus so that he would have a daddy on earth also. This is why you were confused about who Jesus’ daddy was.”

Louise just smiled and listened.

“Anyway, all of the prophesies God told said Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. Right before Mary had Jesus they had to travel to Bethlehem to be counted for the Roman government. There were so many people staying in Bethlehem that by the time Mary and Joseph got there no hotels had any rooms left for anyone. Traveling for so many days on a donkey was not easy and Mary was about to have the baby! The best place they could find for her to have a little privacy was a stable, and after Jesus was born Mary wrapped him and placed him in a manger, which is really just a fancy word for a feeding trough.”

“Momma,” Louise piped up, “that doesn’t sound like where God’s son should be born. Why didn’t she go to the hospital? It would be all icky in a barn, er, uh, I mean in a stable.”

“Well, baby, back then they didn’t really have hospitals like they do today. Everything happened exactly like God told them all it would, many years before it actually happened.’

“Is that it?” Louise inquired.

“Not exactly, and I think you’ll like this next part. Suddenly, an angel appeared to some shepherds and told them where to find Jesus, and that this little baby would be the Savior they had been waiting for! Then a lot of other angels joined him and began praising God. Don’t you think that would be an exciting thing to see?”

“Yeah, it would be nice. But? Well, nevermind,” Louise turned to get down out of her mom’s lap.

“What is it, Louise?”

“Well, Mom, how do we know it’s true? If we didn’t see it, how do we know? It sounds like a fairy tale.”

“Louise, it isn’t true because we believe it, we believe it because it is true. When Jesus knocks on your heart, you’ll know. Until then all you can do is learn everything you can so that when the time comes, you will know what to do.” Silently her mom sent up a prayer for her daughter. Watching her struggle and waver between accepting Jesus or rejecting him was the hardest thing she had ever done.

Trying to change the subject, her mother remembered her soup. “Come on there kiddo, we need to finish our soup and if we have enough time left we can make Christmas cookies!”

“Alright!” shouted Louise as she ran off into the kitchen.

Evelyn placed baby Jesus back into the manger.

Dealing with Loss at Christmas

2010-12-15T21:58:00.000-06:00

Loss at any time of the year is painful.

Loss during what is supposed to be a joyful season seems even worse.

Whether it is actually worse is not easy to determine. Maybe it is because our expectations of this time of year are so high, that this blow seems much worse than at other times in our lives. Whatever the reason, the loss is real, and unfortunately it will be tied with the remembrance of the holiday for years to come.

Without going into detail, I'll just share that some young people in my town lost their lives today. I ask that you pray for the families and friends: God knows exactly who they are and will comfort them in ways that we could never understand.

When faced with things like this, it can be difficult to also have a focus on Jesus, the "Reason for the Season" as all those bumper stickers call him.

However, I believe that is exactly what we must do, especially during times such as this.

Jesus is the reason we have salvation. If they believed, then Jesus is the reason we will one day again see our friends or family in heaven. Jesus is the one to bring us into fellowship with God. Jesus sent us the Holy Spirit, to live and dwell in us and comfort us in only ways that he can.

Jesus is with us, not to tell us not to worry or not to cry, but to hold us while we do so, and offer us the hope of a life beyond this everyday existence that we have now.

I pray for each of you reading this that you never have to know what it is like to lose someone during this season, however the odds of that over a lifetime are slim to none. If or when it happens, just remember who to put your hope and trust in.

Cry out to Jesus.

Thanks for Everything, Even the Bad Stuff....

2010-11-28T23:51:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Oops, I am a little bit late, aren't I?

Anyway... I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We did. The Bug and Boo behaved (that almost sounds like a tongue twister), and no one ate so much that they got sick. Anytime it does not involve a trip to the emergency room, it is a good day.

What did YOU have to be thankful for this year?

We have many things in my family to be thankful for: people that needed jobs now have them, cancer has been fought, specialists for other ailments have been sought out, we have a loving family and church family that are very supportive of us, and our children are in good health.

But...

Come on, you knew there would be a big "but" coming sooner or later...

Sometimes it is hard for us to see and focus on the positive aspects of our lives, especially when there are still negative things going on. It is kind of like that old saying "the squeaky wheel gets the grease". In our lives sometimes negative things seem to far out squeak the positive, and what we focus on becomes our outlook and attitude.

But listen to this, I am not telling you to focus on the positive instead of the negative, although I do firmly believe sometimes that helps immensely. In fact, I am telling you to praise God and thank him through everything, including the dark times.

Let us turn to exhibit A, um, I think I have been watching too many cop shows on TV lately. Or you can just listen to "Blessed be your name" by Matt Redman, or Bug's favorite, Veggietales.

Job 1:21 "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away, may the name of the LORD be praised."

In case you do not know the back story, Job had just been told over a matter of minutes that he had lost all of his animals (his lively hood, his source of income), his servants, and the last one, all of his children. At the same time.

After hearing all of this, Job had the courage and strength of character in that although he was grieving immensely, he was able to praise and thank God for what he had and the time he had it.

Do we possess this character? Let us put it all into perspective. I am not saying that we are not allowed to be sad or grieve, I just do not want us to take our eyes off of the eternal. God gives us everything. And sometimes, for whatever reasons, he takes them away.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Happy Veteran's Day!

2010-11-11T13:35:00.001-06:00

Happy Veteran's Day!

Today is a day that we try to set aside as a country to remember and honor those who have, and continue to, serve in our military to help make and keep this country what it has become today. No matter how many things our country does that are right or wrong, we must admit there are not many other places that we would have as many rights as we do here. We even have the right to complain when we do not like something, which is something many in other countries do not!

I would like to say a special thanks to anyone who served in active duty and was away from their homes and families. I do not think I could do it, but I do thank God that there are people out there who can, and do, for all of us. Words can not express the real thanks that we owe all of you.

I would also like to thank everyone else in the military. Whether you were called to serve in action or not, you were always trained to be ready, just in case, and ever vigilant. Thank you, as well.

Big thanks to both my Dad and Granddaddy, who both served in the military until they retired.

Let us all remember that today is not just about getting a day off of work, but remembering those who will fight for us, no matter what the cost.

I Love the 80s!

2010-11-02T23:17:00.000-05:00

Does Veggie Tales singing the 80s mean that I can now listen to 80s music in the car with the girls, without having to skip or speed up past certain songs or lyrics?

I love the 80s!!

Well, the 80s music anyway. I'll have to be the first to admit that the 80s fashion, which I am sure made perfect sense to us all at the time, was a bit much. There is only so much neon that the world can take before it implodes on itself, and I believe that we almost exceeded our limit during that one decade. That is without even mentioning the parachute pants, t-shirt ties, rolling up our jeans (don't look so funny, if you are even close to 30 you know that you did it too), side pony-tails, leggings under long shirts and sweaters, and mix matching everything.

Oh, wait, am I still describing the 80s or am I talking about now?

Wow-- that is a scary thought!

Taterbug adores the "new" clothes and the look that goes with them. I figure it is better than bell bottoms and peasant shirts. She also loves the music. The poor child has to, though, because after riding with me for MANY hours back and forth while we lived away from here, she was subjected to more 80s music than someone her age should be. Add that to the fact that there was an AWESOME 80s station in the city we lived, and yeah, the poor bug did not stand a chance.

I think the only part of the 80s that she does not understand at all is the men's hair styles.

We were looking through some of my sister's cds one day to see which ones I wanted to *cough*borrow*cough* for maybe an extended period of time *cough*months*cough*years*cough* when we saw one for the Labyrinth soundtrack. It had a picture of David Bowie on the front as Jareth, with his long, full, tall?, very big 80s style hair.

What did she say?

"Hey, mom, who is this ugly woman on this CD?"

After we covered the fact that even if someone is, um, homely, we should never call anyone ugly because that would hurt their feelings and we wouldn't want someone to treat us like that, my sister and I then had to explain to her that in the 80s guys just had really big, really long hair. She told us she didn't get it, and asked how could we tell who was a girl and who was a boy.

Yeah, you answer that to a (then) 5 year old.

Kids, gotta love 'em.

Excuses... and More Excuses....

2010-10-30T23:11:00.000-05:00

In the mornings my Granny and Grandaddy, who for some unknown reason to me have always woken up at a ridiculous hour before sunrise, listen to the local radio station while they eat breakfast and prepare for their day. When we lived in another city we would come down some weekends and stay with them, so I have witnessed this routine many times first hand.

First of all, I'd like to say that my Granny makes the BEST pancakes in the world. You might think that yours does, but you would be sadly mistaken. If it would not embarrass her to pieces I'd even let Granny do a cook off to prove her status as Pancake Queen. My kids love them!

Sadly for Bug and Boo, when mine aren't the frozen variety, they still come out of a box that I can just mix with water...

Anyway....

On Sundays there is one song that is almost always called in and requested on this radio station. Excuses, by the Kingmen. Here are the lyrics if you are interested: http://www.songlyrics.com/kingsmen/excuses-lyrics/
It is basically a song about all of the excuses someone can come up with for not going to church.

Man I know how that feels!

It is hard for me to get up and go to work, which I might add I have to be at a LOT earlier than church, but somehow in my mind work is in the "have to" column, and I seem to have put Church into the "when I can" column.

Yep, seeing that in black and white, that just ain't right folks.

So, here's to all of you people like me, who need to log off of the computer and go to sleep so that we can go and worship with our fellow believers tomorrow. Back away from the computer... I know you can do it.... just remember to come back another day and read again. :)

Hebrews 10: 25 (ESV)

Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

A Dad Life... A Video!!

2010-10-28T18:10:00.000-05:00

I'm just posting this because I absolutely love it!! Especially those pulled up white socks with the sandals, yeah, he's rockin' those...

Happy "Almost" Friday, Everyone!!!

Old Mother Hubbard

2010-10-27T16:35:00.000-05:00

Happy Early Halloween my peeps! Ok, don't call me out on that one, I am well aware that I am WAY too old to be using the word "peeps".... but I like the way it sounds, so I use it anyway. Grr... aren't I a rebel?

Tonight my church is having Trunk or Treat. For a lot of families it is a nice, safe alternative to going up to strangers houses and trick or treating in the dark. We still go on Halloween, but that is only to the families' houses so that they can take pictures of the girls, "ooh" and "aah" over them, and then give them a bucket load of candy that somehow I believe I wind up eating most of.

Our theme tonight is "Once upon a time". I am sure there will be plenty of people there with wonderful ideas of how to dress and a game they can do with the kiddos.

As for me, I am going to be Old Mother Hubbard.

Yep, that old lady that didn't have food for her dog, that is going to be me. I think I'm going to sit in a rocking chair covered up by a blanket, and have a pail for kids to toss dog treats into to feed my ceramic Scooby Doo. And yes, it is mine, most people think it is my kids but my in laws got it for me 3 years before I even had kids, because they love me and are aware of my Scooby addiction.

I have already looked up this rhyme on the internet, because lets face it, that was a long time ago and I had no idea how the words actually went. And I am now printing off dog coloring pages for the girls to color to put on my poster. Yep, free labor for the procrastinator. But hey, if it looks bad and people find out a kid did it, all of a sudden it is the cutest thing in the world!!

Bug and Boo are quite the little artists, I might add.

So whatever you are doing for this season, if anything, remember to do it in the spirit of Christ. Tonight we will have fun and fellowship with some of our wonderful church family. Life is good.

Horses, Teddy Bears and Stuffed Dogs, OH MY!

2010-10-19T22:31:00.000-05:00

Ok... so I made the mistake of going back to what we call the "girls'" end of the house. Yep, as sad as it may seem pretty much everything past the hallway belongs to the two lovable little urchins in my life, with maybe the exception of the hallway bathroom. Then again, the toilet seat and step stool in there seem to keep most adults except for well worn grandparents out of it. Goodness knows my brother makes an awful face if he has to move the bio hazard of a potty seat....

This weekend is Taterbug's birthday. Having survived her tonsil surgery, she is hoping to be well enough to choke down some cake this weekend with whatever friends can make it here, as well as probably every living relative she has. (Our family loves us!).

This brings me to my new dilemma... the black abyss known as the playroom... (insert scary "ooohhhh" sound here).

Here is the gist of it. The room is too small for a lot, and we had to use the whole closet for our new air conditioning/heating unit, so it became the playroom. Everything that does not fit in the girls' bedrooms finds itself cast into this place. Now, not only with taterbug's birthday looming, but Boo's birthday not only a month following, and then CHRISTMAS-- yes people, some things will have to go.

It is OZ, and unfortunately I have to be the Wicked Witch that tells Dorothy and Toto that they have to part with some of the stuff they have managed to collect.

The hardest part of this for me? I AM A HUGE PACK RAT!! That is right. I will stand up and admit it and pay attention for at least a few of the 12 steps to freedom before my mind begins to wander... what was I talking about? Oh yeah... These poor girls learned it from the best. I keep pieces of paper that I am pretty sure I will never need again, books and magazines that I may look through one day, and my filing system consists of piles-- lots and lots of piles.

I'm glad that my hubby is organized, or else we would probably live in a paper pile and plush toy prison.

But I don't like it too well when he goes through my stuff.

So it is time to adopt a new attitude. One where we do not focus on the material things, or we at least take care of the things that we do need to have. Time to purge the rooms and toy boxes to make room for the next wave that will come in this season.

My biggest solace in this is that we will be having a yard sale, and what we do not sale will go to the Salvation Army. Most of these toys are in great condition, some have never been played with. If one kid gets to have fun with something they might not have otherwise, then it is worth all of the yellow bricks in the road to me.

Hey, maybe I'll get to keep those cool striped socks that go so well with those ruby slippers.

Do We Come With Spare Parts?

2010-10-18T23:08:00.000-05:00

Here's a little quiz for you....

What functions do the following do for our bodies: tonsils and adenoids?

Do you know the answer? If not, let me help you. After many hours of exhaustive research, many antibiotics, and sleepless nights, not to mention missed days of work and school, this is the conclusion I have come to:

The sole purpose of tonsils and/or adenoids is to irritate the body they are in to death, catch every airborne/mucus born infection, and hold on to it until the body must ultimately rid itself of these burdens by having them taken out and donating a nice chunk of change to some surgeon's vacation home account.

Yep, I am pretty sure that is correct. :o)

So, in case my bitterness has not made it apparent, the Taterbug had to have her tonsils taken out last week. We did it during Fall Break, so she wouldn't miss too much school. But the poor thing felt awful this weekend, didn't go today, and I am not sure she will be able to return tomorrow just yet. However, the offensive golf balls formerly known as tonsils are safely out of her throat.

They must have been huge. The other day she told me her throat felt empty. I thought she meant she was thirsty. She said, "no, mom. Where my tonsils used to be, my throat feels so EMPTY.". Wow.

Another "wow" moment.... 3 days after the surgery she tells me she is sick of eating ice cream. We were eating chicken at the table and she stood over me, looking at it, drooling worse than any dog I have ever seen. I have taken to eating only foods I know she despises when she is around... It was unsettling the way she was watching my nuggets.

I mentioned getting pizza Sunday because we were all tired, to which she glared at me and replied, " I would have been jealous". Needless to say, no pizza that night.

There are a few good parts to this though. First of all, this should severely cut down on her strep infections... hopefully, anyway. That's the goal! The second is that we have all spent more time together lately. It has been great having more time with my daughters and my lovely hubby. I thank God every day for all the blessings he has given me, even the ones that come with spare parts and hospital bills.

I'm not me, I am a Princess

2010-07-31T15:53:00.000-05:00

The other day I called my youngest daughter (Boo) to me by her name. She answered with, "Mom, I am not Boo. I am Princess Boo. See my costume and my crown?" She was, in fact, wearing a Snow White costume. Bad mommy for me to not realize that her personality had changed along with her wardrobe....

What exactly does it mean to be "me"? To be oneself? Although it seems a very simple, if not rhetorical, question, digging deeper it means so much more than that.

Have you ever considered how many different "faces" we put on each day? There are so many: the spouse, the parent, the child, the employee, the employer, the customer... the list can go on and on.

When troubles arise in our lives, we may handle it in different ways depending on what "face" we are wearing at the time.

As Christians, something else needs to be there- something so strong and so much a part of us that it is in our character no matter which face we are wearing at the time. Christian-- our love of God needs to permeate us to the point that it is the underlying foundation of all that we are and do.

Our christian character should be apparent no matter our circumstances-- whether we are watching our child on the ball field, asked to do something at work, whether a customer is being rude to us, or if your mother in law says she hates your cooking in front of a house full of guests. (That must be for you guys, my maw-in-law loves me. Maybe not my cooking... but me enough not to do that) :o)

God's love needs to shine through us ALL the time, no matter what face we are wearing, even if you happen to be a Princess.

A Long Time Coming!

2010-05-20T12:21:00.000-05:00

Hello all you happy people!!

Long time, huh?

Guess what happened? Life, that is what happened. I do not mean in a bad way, either. Actually, the majority of my absence was actually a really good time for my family and I. My husband did get a job, we actually moved back closer to our family, and things really seemed to be looking up.

Anyone notice that the word "seemed" was in the past tense in that last paragraph?

Here we are, close to a year to the date of my last post, and this time neither the hubby nor I have a job. However, that is and easy fix and will be done soon. Granted, maybe not what we would love to do for the rest of our lives, but enough to pay the bills and that is the part that is important. Our long bout with unemployment last year did teach us a thing or two about the power of stretching a dollar, being happy with what you do have, and keeping faith that it will work out and not getting depressed.

Many in the family (mine and his) have been sick, anything from pneumonia to bone cancer. Good news- at the moment treatments are finished and we are all praying that the worst is now over.

For everything bad, there was always something good. So why did I stop writing?

It is confession time. No, nothing that I will have to go to jail for, I am not THAT crazy, but still there is something that I need to say. Somewhere along the line last year I stopped having my daily time with Christ. I kept my faith, and attended church regularly, but I stopped my daily nurturing of the relationship that I had with Christ. That is the real reason I believe that I stopped updating, God was not telling me anything because I was not listening to him.

Slowly I have felt my spirit moving, and not in the right direction. Or maybe it would make more sense to say that my spirit has been stagnant... not going backwards, but not moving forwards either. After finally figuring out what i was doing wrong, or in this case not doing right, it is now time for me to get back on track!

My dear little soon to be accountability partners, here is what I intend to do to get back on track. I am good with study groups and books, but I have never quite got the hand of self study without them to guide me. I know nothing of the ancient languages, or enough about the cultures, and a lot of times you need that background info to really dissect passages and get everything out of them that you can.

I can, however, read Proverbs!

So beginning tonight (mainly because, let's face it, if I put it off until "tomorrow" it will never happen) I will begin reading the Proverbs before I go to bed. The cool thing about Proverbs is that they are not really that long, and there are 31 of them, one for each day. Since today is the 20th, I will read chapter 20 tonight.

This will not be the extent of my studies. I have always felt my absolute best when I was deep in a study of God's word, and have just recently realized how I feel my life has been floundering around since I stopped daily searching God's word. But this is my step in the right direction.

Anyone want to take this step with me?

My Bright Side

2009-06-18T13:35:00.000-05:00

"Thank you Lord, for the day you have given us today. For all of the gifts you have given us, not the least of which is the life we have on this earth, and the eternal life we will have with you when this earthly life is over. Thank you for all of your blessings, for taking care of us, and for working all things out for Your glory. Amen."

Ah, but life should be so easy.

I say that prayer almost every day. And I mean it, I mean it with all that is inside of me. But sometimes it is much easier to say than others. Right now for instance- my husband has no job, I work part time, and we are almost 3 hours away from our family.

But God wants us to dwell on what we have, not what we do not have. The things he provides for us, sometimes even in spite of ourselves, because there can be no way we deserve it.

Here is my bright side: so far, all of our health is good, we managed to save some money over the last few months to cushion this blow, I DO have a part time job (much better than none!), the wonderful friends that I have made at work, and I have my loving family, not to mention my loving God. No matter how bad things are, we have a roof over our head, food to eat, and clothes to wear. Shelter, food, transportation, and the hope of an eternity with God. When I can focus on these, what trivial earthly matters can bother me?

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Easter - He is Risen!

2009-04-11T09:37:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter! He is Risen!

Tomorrow is Easter. In the minds of so many, even us Christians, the first thoughts in our mind when Easter is mentioned are those of eggs, bunnies, and new clothes for our kids that they usually only wear once.

Praise God, Easter is so much more than that!

I remember when Bug was 3 and learned the true meaning of Easter. When she learned that people had killed Jesus she broke down crying; she looked as if she'd lost a friend. Then we told her that he came back to life and went to heaven to live with God his Father, and that he is making a place for anyone who believes in Him to live there with Him.

As adults, we need to remember the true reason for Easter as well. In my opinion, and everyone has their own, the Easter bunny is just as ok as Santa is. There is only one time in life when you are small enough to believe in such fairy tales. However, we need to make sure our children, our families, even US as individuals, remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus.

If Jesus had not died, as an innocent for unjust people, and then if he had not risen 3 days later just as he said he would, then what is our faith? That being said, if we are a people of faith, how faithful are we honestly if we do not celebrate that which is the essence of our belief? The life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. He is not buried anywhere now, we do not have to go and view his bones or anything such as that, we do not worship a mere mortal man, we worship GOD! God, who is large enough to place a small part of himself as the Holy Spirit into each person who becomes a believer in him and accepts his gift of grace and eternal salvation. How marvelous is our God!!

Romans 5: 7-9 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! (NIV)

Being Lazarus

2009-02-02T13:04:00.000-06:00

We all have things that happen to us in our lives that we do not like. They can come in various shapes and forms, from something as small as a car that will not start and makes us late, so something as serious as a life threatening disease or death of a loved one. Or something more in the middle, like a virus that just knocks us off of our feet for a bit.

Did I mention that Bug has a tummy virus? No? Well, she does.

But that is not really what today's blog is about. This pertains more toward the more serious things that can happen to us or those we love. Sickness. Loss of job. Losing your home. Death.

So I bring you a familiar passage, but maybe we can shed a little different light on it and have you think about things from a different perspective.

These are a few excerpts from the Bible, from the story of Lazarus. The whole story is in John 11:1 through John 12:11 if you would like to read it. All scripture quoted below is from the NIV translation.

John 11:4 When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

John 11:14 So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

John 11:25 Jesus said to her (Martha), "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

John 11: 40, 43-44 Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

John 11:45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.

John 12: 9-11 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.

I know we have probably all heard this story before. As a side note, if you have not, you should really check it out. I remember mainly thinking of this story in terms of what Jesus did for Lazarus and for his sisters. He gave Lazarus another shot at life, and he gave his sisters their brother back. Wouldn't that be amazing? To be mourning the loss of your loved one, and have them be able to come back and have a second chance! Or even more so, to have your days on earth done and be given a second chance by the Son of God himself to accomplish even more for his kingdom. How wonderful a gift!

However, if you read all the verses you might be able to tell that is not my focus this time. Jesus tried to tell the disciples, and us, the reason that Lazarus got sick and eventually died. Was it because Lazarus sinned, did something wrong, or was sick for no reason? No. Was it so that Jesus could give him and his family the wonderful gift of seeing him come back? No, although that was a nice side benefit for them.

No. God let it happen so that his Son Jesus would be glorified through it. As you read further, you will see that many people came to believe in Jesus because of this miracle and the walking testimony of Lazarus himself. So much so that when the priests started plotting to kill Jesus, they even discussed killing Lazarus because of all the people who believed because of him.

Bottom line is this. Sometimes when we go through trials and difficulties, especially when it seems things are as bad as they can get, we might be going through that very thing just so that God can be glorified. Not for us, not for our better good necessarily, but for the good of God. He will work all things out for His glory. Take comfort in your trials. God might be preparing miracle that you can give the testimony for and give all the glory to God. Sometimes to do that he has to take us to a place where there is no other hope or way out, except for him, just so that everyone will be able to see that God was the only way you could have gotten out of your trouble.

In God alone, through God alone, and for God alone

Praise be to God, that sometimes he lets us take part in his wonderful work to bring people back to him. We should all hope to be Lazarus someday. Not that we want to die, but so that we could be used for him.

Being Lazarus. A walking, talking testimony of the love of Jesus. Proof that what was once dead spiritually can now be alive. How wonderful!

Carrots vs Shells and Cheese

2009-01-11T15:46:00.000-06:00

Bug hates vegetables. That is the 5 year old. Luckily so far the baby will eat anything that gets remotely close to her mouth and does not move. But Bug hates veggies. And she hates most fruit also. We have expanded her culinary horizon greatly compared to a year ago, but it is still like waging war to even mention what veggies are going to be on her plate at dinner time. She can have a plate full of shells and cheese - her absolute favorite - but all she sees and talks about and WHINES about are those few spoonfuls of carrots beside it that she must eat also. You would think I was making her go on a strict vegetarian diet with absolutely no chicken nuggets in sight to hear the way she acts when a few measly little veggies find their way onto her plate. It's like she doesn't even see the food she likes, she is too busy focusing on what she does NOT like.

As adults, I have noticed that we tend to act this same way about things in our life to our heavenly Father. He puts a few things in our path for us to go through to either grow, strengthen our character, or just to simply learn to rely on him instead of ourselves while we get through the mess. When these things happen we seem to instantly forget about all the great and wonderful things he has done and is continuing to do in our lives, and only see the horrible big bad obstacle that is now before us. Why are we so short sighted? We want our shells and cheese, but can't seem bear down and struggle through something we don't like long enough to eat our carrots.

Do you ever have one of those days? You know--you wake up late, all the shaving cream is gone, work is awful, the kids are in a bad mood, your spouse is having a bad day also, no one seems to care, you realize you forgot to mail a payment, you find out they are having layoffs at your work, and then the very last straw is when you burn dinner to a crisp! Ever have one of those days, or those weeks? The little things chip away at us slowly and if we do not notice and take action, when a big obstacle comes up it will tear a giant chunk of us off.

Lately a lot of things have been going on in the lives of people I know, and my personal life, that can bring on worry, doubt, and even discouragement. Fortunately, the new series our church is doing right now is on HOPE. This has been very timely for me! I am also reading a book Having a Mary heart in a Martha world, that speaks a lot about worry and discouragement.

What are we to do when it feels as if everything, and sometimes everyone, in our lives has turned against us? Should we lie down and give up, get mad and pitch a 2-year-old type tantrum, go shopping (sometimes even if we have no money), go out to eat and try to drown our problems in food? Or, worse yet, I have several people I know that just seem to "check out" of life when everything goes wrong. Their bodies are here, but their minds are not and they have no joy about anything, they just go through the motions of life.

Matthew 6:25 Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy about your life (Amplified Bible)

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

God knows that things bad will happen in our lives. Jesus tells us that bad things WILL happen. He also tells us that we should not dwell on them. Not that we should not be concerned and do what we can, but in the end we are to realize that everything is from God. Therefore we should turn all things over to God and let him work them out and spend our time focusing on God, instead of focusing on our problems. Think through your difficulties, then prayerfully turn them and your thoughts over to God.

Philippians 4:8 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. (NIV)

When we spend all of our time dwelling on our problems we magnify them in our mind. Whatever we continually think about will be our perception of the world. God wants us to think constantly about the good things he has done and will do for us instead of any troubles we may be going through that will depress us. Remember, even if nothing else is going right: God sent his son to die for YOU. That is right - YOU. So that you may be redeemed. How could we let anything overshadow that simple truth?

In short, if all you see are carrots, then that is all you feel the world is. If you can hunker down long enough to eat the carrots, you can get on to the creamy shells and cheese of life.

So, eat your veggies. God wants you to have the cheese.

The Evidence We See

2009-01-06T22:24:00.000-06:00

I don't know if I have mentioned it before or not, but I have 2 daughters. The oldest one, Bug, is five; and the baby, Boo, is 1yr. They are almost exactly 4 years apart. Most of the time you will see stuff about Bug in my entries more than Boo, just because she is older, can talk, and by those very reasons alone gives me more material to write about.

Among the many things Bug got for Christmas, one was her very first board game. It's cute, and both my hubby and I have been suckered into playing it a lot lately because Boo can't and would probably just eat the pieces. We have tried to tell Bug before that "it doesn't matter if you win or lose, it's how you play the game", and "just try your best", and "don't be mad at them if they win; do you want them to be mad at you if you win?". Apparently, all of this has fallen on deaf ears. She had fun while we were playing, but both times I won. The first time she didn't take it too bad, the second time she lost her "attitude coin" for today and I made her get ready for bed early. Now she says that she understands the rules of how we play and share, that she knows about being a good sport, but what do her actions show?

That may be a bit much, after all, she IS only 5 and still learning; but I want you to think about us as adults. We claim to be Christians. We claim to know right from wrong. But how do other see us? To others from the outside looking in, what do our actions show?

James 2:18-19 But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder. (NIV)

Apparently we people do not change much over the centuries. "Good" people that did not believe in Christ had the same argument in Biblical times as they do today: "I am a good person and do good things, so I will go to heaven. I'm better than that such-n-such preacher on TV that claims to be all righteous but is just a hypocrite. Just look at my deeds versus his!"

There are 2 major points in these verses:

1. Deeds alone will not get you into heaven

2. If you really have faith, you will want to do good deeds out of the abundance of love and gratitude in your own heart, and that will show others the evidence of your faith.

So what about the people that claim to be Christians that backslide? Well, we all continue to sin, whether we like it or not. But the trend of our lives should be farther and farther away from sin the longer we walk with Jesus. If the trend of our lives gets farther away from him instead of closer, then we should examine whether or not we really have a relationship with him. Like the old joke of the elderly couple riding to town in the pickup truck - the wife claims there is so much distance between them as she sits by the passenger door-- her husband tells her that he is not the one who moved. People, if we used to have a wonderful relationship with God and we feel we don't now, he is not the one who moved away, we did, and we are the ones who need to move back.

A little side note here, the verse also says something about people who believe there is a God, even people who believe that Jesus came and he was the son of God. The demons and Satan know that too, but does it save them? No! Why not? Head knowledge never equals heart knowledge in God's kingdom. You can know everything possible, memorize the Bible from front to back, yet if you have not asked God to come into your heart, asked Jesus to take your place for the punishment of your sins, well then folks, you are no more a Christian than you are a car just by knowing all about the mechanics of one.

As for my Bug, she is only 5, and we still have more time to work on her character development. In a way this game was a good thing, it brought it to our attention, and maybe we can have some time to work on this before school starts. She is already good at winning, you should see her "happy dance"!