It's so easy nowadays to lose sight of the true meaning of Easter Sunday. When I was growing up, my mom always had a nice Easter basket filled with goodies for us kids to enjoy; Chad and I always get some yummy chocolates and less yummy Peeps for our children. Our family plans to spend part of today dyeing eggs, and tomorrow we'll join our church in our annual Easter Egg Dash held after the morning service. All of these things are fun and traditional, but they do not reflect the reason why we as Christians celebrate Easter Sunday. Jesus rose from the grave---that's why we rejoice on this day. If Jesus had been born, lived, and died, we would still be on our way to hell. He had to rise to prove He had power over death; He had to live again to truly conquer death for all who believe.
Can you imagine that morning when the angel rolled back the stone? Can you imagine the initial disbelief of His friends and disciples when they were told the tomb was empty? This was the Son of God Who had already foretold the events that would take place, and yet, when told of His resurrection, His disciples didn't believe at first. Can you picture the looks on their faces when Jesus showed up in the room that night, proving that He had indeed risen from the dead? I wonder, if I had been present during that time, what would my reaction have been? Would I have believed what Jesus had said? I wonder if I would have, like the disciples, been in such shock that God's Son could actually die that I would have forgotten His words that He would rise again in three days. Surely Jesus expected them to be waiting to for Him when He arose, but they were still so stunned by His awful, tragic death that they lost faith. I'd like to think that I would have held on to His words and been ready the third day to welcome His triumphant resurrection, but I know me. My faith is not strong at times, either. I'm glad I get to look back on that day and rejoice, not live through those days. I'm so thankful that Jesus rose again from the dead, that He didn't just die but lives again. We serve a risen Saviour, not a dead God. Thank You, Father, for creating this master plan to save us from our sins. Thank You, Jesus, for being willing to die such an awful death to save us from an awful eternity. What a reason to celebrate!
Our kids (and I) are rejoicing extra today because we have a week off school next week! This is our official Spring Break, and it looks like we might actually have some really nice weather this time. Amanda already has a job for the week, and I'm sure Katie and Ashley will find some work as well. Dale, Emily, and I plan to laze around and act like we have earned the right to do so! I'm sure we'll do some spring cleaning---the girls' closets definitely could use it---but mostly we'll just be lazy. :-)
Chad has settled into his new schedule pretty well. It's so nice for him to know what each week will bring, rather than having to call in each day just to find out what the next day's schedule will be. God has certainly blessed us with regards to Chad's work and our finances. We have what we need but not more. You know, I'm glad we've never been "rolling in the dough" because I don't think I could handle having tons of money. I am well aware that I don't trust God to supply my needs as much when I've just cashed my paycheck as when I'm waiting for it. God's plan for my life is perfect; He knows what is best for me!
Happy Easter, everyone! Don't eat too much candy or ham!
Matthew 28: 5-6 "And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay."
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Hooray for spring!
Officially, according to the calendar, spring has arrived. However, judging by the most interesting weather we have been experiencing, I'm not at all sure which season we are presently in. Over the past couple of weeks here in Washington state, we have had gloriously warm weather, scattered showers, heavy mists, and even snow! Yesterday morning there were snow flurries mixed with rain (everything here is mixed with rain!), and again in the afternoon there were quite a bit of flurries. Of course, nothing stuck, but it was pretty to watch. Our temperature has dropped considerably, leaving the house freezing at night but warming up a good bit during the daytime. Who knows---maybe spring is actually here but winter is giving her last best shot?
Our annual school auction is being held today. You know this means that for the last few weeks our staff has been running around madly, scrambling to get donations, workers, decorations, etc. to make our auction a success. Our theme this year is a tailgate party (minus the alcohol!) and the servers (high schoolers) will be dressed as fans at a football game. Miss Caryn Coffey and I are in charge of the nurseries again this year; we took over that job a few years back, and apparently we do a good job.........either that or no one else wants to do it! :-D This year, we only need be concerned with the children ages birth - three years old, although we are keeping an unofficial eye on the K4 - 1st graders room since they are in the same building with us. Next year we might be in charge of the kids all the way up through sixth grade; this idea was presented to us yesterday by one of the main people in charge of the auction, after a particularly stressful day trying to work out last-minute snags that always arise in the undertaking of a big event like this. Caryn and I were somewhat taken aback by the offer but agreed to give it some thought, especially since this would relieve the burden that some of the higher-up people carry. We may change our minds after tonight!
Our family is finally getting over the worst of our illnesses. I still have a lingering cough which causes me to consume scads of cough drops; Ashley got sick last night but she slept pretty well afterwards so I hope it was just a temporary bug. Chad started his new schedule yesterday after months of being a relief driver; his hours are still crazy some days, but at least we know what he'll be doing on each day---and what services he'll be able to attend! Chad has been fixing up a place in our garage for his father who will be moving in with us next week. We don't have a spare bedroom, but we've created a space in the garage with room for his bed, dresser, microwave, and fridge, plus a space heater or two. I hope he'll be comfortable there; Chad has gone to a good bit of effort to make the place seem homey and comfortable. We wrapped up the third quarter of school this week; now it's on to the home stretch! With Amanda graduating this year, there are all sorts of extra plans to be made and expenses to be handled, not to mention getting her ready for college. She wants to attend Golden State Baptist College in Santa Clara, CA, and is already trying to get herself ready to go (although the actual departure date isn't until fall). Life is certainly going to be different without her here! We've gotten used to five children, and she, being the oldest, has assumed a good deal of responsibility around the house. Katie, next in line, will have to take up the slack, I guess! (I say that like Katie does nothing in our house already, which is absolutely false.) Ashley, our third daughter/fourth child, is going into the seventh grade next year, so she is eligible to attend Youth Conference in Santa Clara this summer. She (along with Amanda and Katie) is busily trying to earn the money to pay her way. She does odd jobs for some people and is also selling candy bars to help pay her way. Emily is going to be the only child still left in the elementary classes. She's getting so big now but is still that mixture of baby and young girl. She's missing her two front teeth on top; this makes for an adorable smile but difficulty pronouncing some words! Dale is plugging along, having trouble walking some days and others doing all right. He's resigned himself to having to stop frequently whenever he wants to walk somewhere---something which his father and I (and sisters!) have been at pains to tell him is simply not true. But he's still growing so his arms and legs seem extra long and his steps are not settled into their permanent gait yet. If he were a normal 14-year-old boy, we'd call him uncoordinated and gangly. Since it's Dale, his sisters have come up with all sorts of other names to call him!!! He's got a small moustache growing on his upper lip; I know we need to shave it off, but, frankly, I'm not ready yet to acknowledge that my son has grown up so much that he needs to start shaving! He's only fourteen!!! And I am dead sure not handing him a razor to take care of the matter himself. He'd lop off an ear! We keep teasing Dale that we're going to wax it.
All things considered, God has been very good to us. Especially when the things you consider include our salvation, our health, our jobs, our children, etc.! Our God loves us, indeed, not because of who we are but because of Who He is.
I John 4: 7 - 8 "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
Our annual school auction is being held today. You know this means that for the last few weeks our staff has been running around madly, scrambling to get donations, workers, decorations, etc. to make our auction a success. Our theme this year is a tailgate party (minus the alcohol!) and the servers (high schoolers) will be dressed as fans at a football game. Miss Caryn Coffey and I are in charge of the nurseries again this year; we took over that job a few years back, and apparently we do a good job.........either that or no one else wants to do it! :-D This year, we only need be concerned with the children ages birth - three years old, although we are keeping an unofficial eye on the K4 - 1st graders room since they are in the same building with us. Next year we might be in charge of the kids all the way up through sixth grade; this idea was presented to us yesterday by one of the main people in charge of the auction, after a particularly stressful day trying to work out last-minute snags that always arise in the undertaking of a big event like this. Caryn and I were somewhat taken aback by the offer but agreed to give it some thought, especially since this would relieve the burden that some of the higher-up people carry. We may change our minds after tonight!
Our family is finally getting over the worst of our illnesses. I still have a lingering cough which causes me to consume scads of cough drops; Ashley got sick last night but she slept pretty well afterwards so I hope it was just a temporary bug. Chad started his new schedule yesterday after months of being a relief driver; his hours are still crazy some days, but at least we know what he'll be doing on each day---and what services he'll be able to attend! Chad has been fixing up a place in our garage for his father who will be moving in with us next week. We don't have a spare bedroom, but we've created a space in the garage with room for his bed, dresser, microwave, and fridge, plus a space heater or two. I hope he'll be comfortable there; Chad has gone to a good bit of effort to make the place seem homey and comfortable. We wrapped up the third quarter of school this week; now it's on to the home stretch! With Amanda graduating this year, there are all sorts of extra plans to be made and expenses to be handled, not to mention getting her ready for college. She wants to attend Golden State Baptist College in Santa Clara, CA, and is already trying to get herself ready to go (although the actual departure date isn't until fall). Life is certainly going to be different without her here! We've gotten used to five children, and she, being the oldest, has assumed a good deal of responsibility around the house. Katie, next in line, will have to take up the slack, I guess! (I say that like Katie does nothing in our house already, which is absolutely false.) Ashley, our third daughter/fourth child, is going into the seventh grade next year, so she is eligible to attend Youth Conference in Santa Clara this summer. She (along with Amanda and Katie) is busily trying to earn the money to pay her way. She does odd jobs for some people and is also selling candy bars to help pay her way. Emily is going to be the only child still left in the elementary classes. She's getting so big now but is still that mixture of baby and young girl. She's missing her two front teeth on top; this makes for an adorable smile but difficulty pronouncing some words! Dale is plugging along, having trouble walking some days and others doing all right. He's resigned himself to having to stop frequently whenever he wants to walk somewhere---something which his father and I (and sisters!) have been at pains to tell him is simply not true. But he's still growing so his arms and legs seem extra long and his steps are not settled into their permanent gait yet. If he were a normal 14-year-old boy, we'd call him uncoordinated and gangly. Since it's Dale, his sisters have come up with all sorts of other names to call him!!! He's got a small moustache growing on his upper lip; I know we need to shave it off, but, frankly, I'm not ready yet to acknowledge that my son has grown up so much that he needs to start shaving! He's only fourteen!!! And I am dead sure not handing him a razor to take care of the matter himself. He'd lop off an ear! We keep teasing Dale that we're going to wax it.
All things considered, God has been very good to us. Especially when the things you consider include our salvation, our health, our jobs, our children, etc.! Our God loves us, indeed, not because of who we are but because of Who He is.
I John 4: 7 - 8 "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Are we a normal family?
Perhaps I should ask, Is there any such thing as a "normal" family? And who gets to decide what's normal? I mean, even if you go all the way back to the first family---you know, Adam and Eve and their kids---you find problems. Cain killed his brother Abel out of rage and jealousy, right? At least we Ostranders have not gotten that bad, so maybe there's hope for us yet! (Although the Bible does say, As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he...........)
We have always had a good sense of humor running through our family. Chad has always liked a good joke and been ready to laugh at life, as have I. Either he and I have always had similar funny bones or we've simply grown that way throughout our marriage. My mom is a fun person and my dad has a warped sense of humor (inside joke!), so there was no possibility of any of us kids reaching maturity without learning how to be silly. Chad and I have passed that on to our own children, poor things! If there is any chance of cracking a joke or making a play on words or being just plain sarcastic, we'll find it..........and then spend the next ten minutes enlarging on the possibilities until we're rolling on the floor. (This makes it difficult to sit soberly on the front pew during a service!) Anyone who does not know our family may well think that we hate each other's guts sometimes, due to the lack of compassion shown to each other during one of these silly spells.
For instance, Amanda's thing with her brother is to say, "If you don't stop that, I'm going to push you over." Mind you, Dale probably has been doing something annoying and deserves to be suppressed (anybody read Alice in Wonderland? the Red Queen saying, "Suppress that pig!"), and of course Mandie would never actually push Dale over just to see him fall.........well, maybe! But, to someone who is unaware of our family's sick idea of a joke, she sounds like a mean big sister. :-) After Sunday school this morning, Dale was trying to talk me into letting him get a second donut before the main service. I was not in the mood to try to keep Dale upright (he's gets shaky when surrounded by crowds), steer through the jumble of kids in the gym, and keep him from squashing his donut when he jerks---all at the same time. So I said no to the donut. Dale began semi-whining about how unfair it was and how much he wanted another donut, trying to change my mind. I stood firm, saying no repeatedly, until I finally said, "Dale, you know I can just walk off and leave you here." Now, to those around, I probably sounded rather uncaring of my poor son's condition, him having drowned in the Pacific Ocean a year and a half ago and being miraculously brought back to life and being unable to just up and walk away on his own. Whatever. He laughed; I laughed; and together we ignored any looks anyone may or may not have given me. (I don't know if there were any looks; I didn't look to see!)
If we didn't have laughter, if we didn't have a smile, if we didn't know how to look for the humor in every situation, our family would be in a world of hurt. I am, by nature, a very depressing person to be around. I tend to see the negative in any given situation; I make myself sick with worry any time we plan even a day trip for the family; I can instantly list a dozen things that will go wrong if we are asked to help out with something. I'm not kidding........ask my family---they'll tell you, "Mom gets overworked about the smallest thing." I try to balance this natural negativity with humor as much as I can (sometimes to the point that I feel bi-polar). I try to deliberately see the light side of things because I don't have to work to see the dark side. Are you this kind of person, too? Do you habitually see all the bad things that could happen and have to work at seeing the good? I know our God is not a depressed individual---although He could be, seeing how very wicked mankind has become. God implores us to look for the good in life, to focus on His blessings and not on our troubles, to seek to make ourselves and those around us better each day by our attitudes. I do not want to be one of those people who others dread to see coming, thinking, "Oh, no! They're going to pull me down with them." I want to be one who lifts others up, who makes them feel better about themselves and their day, just having talked to me. Who knows---maybe I'm expecting too much of myself. Who am I to think anything I say or do could seriously impact another person's life? Of course, I'm being deliberately negative right here. But, sometimes, that's how I feel..........as if I'm no good, as if there's no point in even trying. And then the Holy Spirit smacks me upside the head and says, "This is why Jesus saved you? So that you could wallow in your self-imposed misery?' God did not create anyone to be miserable. He loves us each the same and desires us to rejoice in the Lord. Sure, sometimes it is impossible to rejoice in life itself; I do not take joy from Dale's drowning, nor do I believe God expects me to. If you get into a car accident, you do not have to say, "Oh, yes! This is wonderful!" If your children get sick (as one of mine was this week), God does not demand we clap our hands for joy. But, there is that verse in the Bible that says, "In everything give thanks......." Not for everything, but in everything---while you're in it. This I can do! I can stop and deliberately say, "Thank You, Lord, for allowing this into my day today. Please help me bring glory to You by my actions and reactions to this." Easier said than done---takes a great deal of practice---but well worth it!
Our family is no different from yours; we have our ups and downs; we get sick and pass it all around; the kids fail tests at school and bring down the wrath of Dad and Mom on their heads; we fuss and fight with each other and then make up and be best of friends again. (A little too much of that last one!) Chad and Katie and Emily have been fighting a nasty cold for a couple of weeks. Just when Katie starts to get better, she catches another germ and starts coughing all over again. Emily started throwing up early Saturday morning and continued until about 6:00 Saturday evening. I caught the family cold around Thursday and am steadily getting worse with it. My throat was horribly scratchy until Saturday morning; now I'm just snuffily and sneezing and coughing. I made it to morning church, but Chad told me to stay home tonight. Hopefully, I'll feel better tomorrow for school or the day's lessons might be unintelligible. Dale started out the day rather roughly yesterday---he almost had a seizure twice on the stairs, coming down in the morning. His legs were jerking nonstop and his eyes got wide; he called out "MOM!" twice even though I was right there. Dale said he can hear a high-pitched whine in his ears when a seizure starts; if it gets louder and stronger, then the seizure will take over. He also feels a sensation (maybe like numbing?) in his feet each time a seizure starts. Both of these were present yesterday, causing him to panic. He hates knowing he's about to have a seizure, and who wouldn't? I held his legs still for him and tried to help him calm down. When he was able to listen I told him, "Dale , if you do have a seizure on the stairs, I can handle it. It's happened before, and I know what to do. Don't worry." This helped him realize that, even if he did have another seizure, he'd be safe and taken care of. We still haven't figured out yet what brings on his seizures, although my husband believes it may be attributed this time to the change in his sleep schedule. We had a couple of days off school, so Dale stayed up a bit later and slept in each morning. Chad's probably right---he always is!
Well, find something to praise God for! We each have our own problems and cares in this life; if we choose to focus on those, we'll miss all the wonderful blessings and downright joy God has for us. God made us to praise Him. Are you fulfilling your purpose?
Psalm 150: 6 "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD."
We have always had a good sense of humor running through our family. Chad has always liked a good joke and been ready to laugh at life, as have I. Either he and I have always had similar funny bones or we've simply grown that way throughout our marriage. My mom is a fun person and my dad has a warped sense of humor (inside joke!), so there was no possibility of any of us kids reaching maturity without learning how to be silly. Chad and I have passed that on to our own children, poor things! If there is any chance of cracking a joke or making a play on words or being just plain sarcastic, we'll find it..........and then spend the next ten minutes enlarging on the possibilities until we're rolling on the floor. (This makes it difficult to sit soberly on the front pew during a service!) Anyone who does not know our family may well think that we hate each other's guts sometimes, due to the lack of compassion shown to each other during one of these silly spells.
For instance, Amanda's thing with her brother is to say, "If you don't stop that, I'm going to push you over." Mind you, Dale probably has been doing something annoying and deserves to be suppressed (anybody read Alice in Wonderland? the Red Queen saying, "Suppress that pig!"), and of course Mandie would never actually push Dale over just to see him fall.........well, maybe! But, to someone who is unaware of our family's sick idea of a joke, she sounds like a mean big sister. :-) After Sunday school this morning, Dale was trying to talk me into letting him get a second donut before the main service. I was not in the mood to try to keep Dale upright (he's gets shaky when surrounded by crowds), steer through the jumble of kids in the gym, and keep him from squashing his donut when he jerks---all at the same time. So I said no to the donut. Dale began semi-whining about how unfair it was and how much he wanted another donut, trying to change my mind. I stood firm, saying no repeatedly, until I finally said, "Dale, you know I can just walk off and leave you here." Now, to those around, I probably sounded rather uncaring of my poor son's condition, him having drowned in the Pacific Ocean a year and a half ago and being miraculously brought back to life and being unable to just up and walk away on his own. Whatever. He laughed; I laughed; and together we ignored any looks anyone may or may not have given me. (I don't know if there were any looks; I didn't look to see!)
If we didn't have laughter, if we didn't have a smile, if we didn't know how to look for the humor in every situation, our family would be in a world of hurt. I am, by nature, a very depressing person to be around. I tend to see the negative in any given situation; I make myself sick with worry any time we plan even a day trip for the family; I can instantly list a dozen things that will go wrong if we are asked to help out with something. I'm not kidding........ask my family---they'll tell you, "Mom gets overworked about the smallest thing." I try to balance this natural negativity with humor as much as I can (sometimes to the point that I feel bi-polar). I try to deliberately see the light side of things because I don't have to work to see the dark side. Are you this kind of person, too? Do you habitually see all the bad things that could happen and have to work at seeing the good? I know our God is not a depressed individual---although He could be, seeing how very wicked mankind has become. God implores us to look for the good in life, to focus on His blessings and not on our troubles, to seek to make ourselves and those around us better each day by our attitudes. I do not want to be one of those people who others dread to see coming, thinking, "Oh, no! They're going to pull me down with them." I want to be one who lifts others up, who makes them feel better about themselves and their day, just having talked to me. Who knows---maybe I'm expecting too much of myself. Who am I to think anything I say or do could seriously impact another person's life? Of course, I'm being deliberately negative right here. But, sometimes, that's how I feel..........as if I'm no good, as if there's no point in even trying. And then the Holy Spirit smacks me upside the head and says, "This is why Jesus saved you? So that you could wallow in your self-imposed misery?' God did not create anyone to be miserable. He loves us each the same and desires us to rejoice in the Lord. Sure, sometimes it is impossible to rejoice in life itself; I do not take joy from Dale's drowning, nor do I believe God expects me to. If you get into a car accident, you do not have to say, "Oh, yes! This is wonderful!" If your children get sick (as one of mine was this week), God does not demand we clap our hands for joy. But, there is that verse in the Bible that says, "In everything give thanks......." Not for everything, but in everything---while you're in it. This I can do! I can stop and deliberately say, "Thank You, Lord, for allowing this into my day today. Please help me bring glory to You by my actions and reactions to this." Easier said than done---takes a great deal of practice---but well worth it!
Our family is no different from yours; we have our ups and downs; we get sick and pass it all around; the kids fail tests at school and bring down the wrath of Dad and Mom on their heads; we fuss and fight with each other and then make up and be best of friends again. (A little too much of that last one!) Chad and Katie and Emily have been fighting a nasty cold for a couple of weeks. Just when Katie starts to get better, she catches another germ and starts coughing all over again. Emily started throwing up early Saturday morning and continued until about 6:00 Saturday evening. I caught the family cold around Thursday and am steadily getting worse with it. My throat was horribly scratchy until Saturday morning; now I'm just snuffily and sneezing and coughing. I made it to morning church, but Chad told me to stay home tonight. Hopefully, I'll feel better tomorrow for school or the day's lessons might be unintelligible. Dale started out the day rather roughly yesterday---he almost had a seizure twice on the stairs, coming down in the morning. His legs were jerking nonstop and his eyes got wide; he called out "MOM!" twice even though I was right there. Dale said he can hear a high-pitched whine in his ears when a seizure starts; if it gets louder and stronger, then the seizure will take over. He also feels a sensation (maybe like numbing?) in his feet each time a seizure starts. Both of these were present yesterday, causing him to panic. He hates knowing he's about to have a seizure, and who wouldn't? I held his legs still for him and tried to help him calm down. When he was able to listen I told him, "Dale , if you do have a seizure on the stairs, I can handle it. It's happened before, and I know what to do. Don't worry." This helped him realize that, even if he did have another seizure, he'd be safe and taken care of. We still haven't figured out yet what brings on his seizures, although my husband believes it may be attributed this time to the change in his sleep schedule. We had a couple of days off school, so Dale stayed up a bit later and slept in each morning. Chad's probably right---he always is!
Well, find something to praise God for! We each have our own problems and cares in this life; if we choose to focus on those, we'll miss all the wonderful blessings and downright joy God has for us. God made us to praise Him. Are you fulfilling your purpose?
Psalm 150: 6 "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD."
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
How easily we forget.......
Thank you, Eric, for reminding us to look back and see just how far God has brought Dale since that fateful day at the beach in August, 2011. I confess, I haven't viewed any videos of that time for a while now. We still have some of the newscasts recorded on our DVR, and a kind family in our church put together a video disc of several news pieces on Dale, but I haven't taken the time to watch them for over a year. Watching that video link now, I could only thank God for His kindness and care. It is amazing, isn't it, to look back and remember how hopeless things seemed and revel again in God's miraculous healing of Dale!
It's good, too, to see how much God has allowed Dale to regain when we remember the grim prognosis the doctors gave. Dale lay unresponsive for so long that our doctors told us he would probably never wake up. The words one doctor used were, "There's no response whatsoever to any stimuli. It's too soon to pull the plug, but........." We were warned that, even if Dale woke up, he'd not be able to walk, talk, maybe breathe, feed himself, think, etc. If you could see him now!!! We get frustrated sometimes because Dale shuffles along---but he can walk! His speech is sometimes slow and he loses his place in the sentence easily---but he can talk! In fact, he can tell jokes and carry on a normal conversation. This is good because our family is "quick on the draw" when it comes to repartee. Dale might not get as far as we'd like in school since his learning abilities have changed (he has trouble recalling stuff for tests)---but he's in school and learning! Isn't God good?
Hooray!!! Our boys basketball team won the tournament! We've been dying to win that tournament for years (decades!) Our preacher has had a long-standing arrangement with our teams that, if they ever win the tournament, we all get a day off school. Whoo-hoo! PLUS, we finally have guys tall enough this year to dunk the basketball. Our preacher also said that, if any of our guys ever dunk the ball during a game, we'd get a day off school. One our guys, Nathan, had dunked the ball during practice but couldn't ever get a dunk during a game..........until the tournament! He took the ball down and dunked it! Preacher teased him that it looked more like a glorified lay-up, but it counts as a dunk. So we have two days off to work into our schedule! Go, Knights!!!
The varisty teams got back around 7:20 p.m. Wednesday, just as Preacher started his sermon. They were exhausted, hoarse, and excited all at the same time! Amanda and Katie got to sleep in Thursday morning, but each had to go to a babysitting job later that day. Our church holds a Marriage Conference each year; this year it was held a few hours' drive away in Westport. Amanda, Katie, and I each watched children so that their parents could go to the conference. This meant Amanda and Katie only got to sleep in one day of their school break. The rest of the time they were babysitting at different houses: Katie had two children to watch, and Amanda had three kids. Ashely helped me with the two boys who came to our house for those days. They were very good but rambunctious! As much as we enjoyed helping these families out during the conference, we were all glad to be home with just our family Saturday night.
Praise the Lord for His goodness to us! There is no way we could ever give enough thanks to our gracious Father for all He has done for us. From creating us in His image, to sending His precious Son to die in our place, to giving us abundant life here on earth, to promising us eternity in Heaven---we have much to be thankful for.
John 6: 35 "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
It's good, too, to see how much God has allowed Dale to regain when we remember the grim prognosis the doctors gave. Dale lay unresponsive for so long that our doctors told us he would probably never wake up. The words one doctor used were, "There's no response whatsoever to any stimuli. It's too soon to pull the plug, but........." We were warned that, even if Dale woke up, he'd not be able to walk, talk, maybe breathe, feed himself, think, etc. If you could see him now!!! We get frustrated sometimes because Dale shuffles along---but he can walk! His speech is sometimes slow and he loses his place in the sentence easily---but he can talk! In fact, he can tell jokes and carry on a normal conversation. This is good because our family is "quick on the draw" when it comes to repartee. Dale might not get as far as we'd like in school since his learning abilities have changed (he has trouble recalling stuff for tests)---but he's in school and learning! Isn't God good?
Hooray!!! Our boys basketball team won the tournament! We've been dying to win that tournament for years (decades!) Our preacher has had a long-standing arrangement with our teams that, if they ever win the tournament, we all get a day off school. Whoo-hoo! PLUS, we finally have guys tall enough this year to dunk the basketball. Our preacher also said that, if any of our guys ever dunk the ball during a game, we'd get a day off school. One our guys, Nathan, had dunked the ball during practice but couldn't ever get a dunk during a game..........until the tournament! He took the ball down and dunked it! Preacher teased him that it looked more like a glorified lay-up, but it counts as a dunk. So we have two days off to work into our schedule! Go, Knights!!!
The varisty teams got back around 7:20 p.m. Wednesday, just as Preacher started his sermon. They were exhausted, hoarse, and excited all at the same time! Amanda and Katie got to sleep in Thursday morning, but each had to go to a babysitting job later that day. Our church holds a Marriage Conference each year; this year it was held a few hours' drive away in Westport. Amanda, Katie, and I each watched children so that their parents could go to the conference. This meant Amanda and Katie only got to sleep in one day of their school break. The rest of the time they were babysitting at different houses: Katie had two children to watch, and Amanda had three kids. Ashely helped me with the two boys who came to our house for those days. They were very good but rambunctious! As much as we enjoyed helping these families out during the conference, we were all glad to be home with just our family Saturday night.
Praise the Lord for His goodness to us! There is no way we could ever give enough thanks to our gracious Father for all He has done for us. From creating us in His image, to sending His precious Son to die in our place, to giving us abundant life here on earth, to promising us eternity in Heaven---we have much to be thankful for.
John 6: 35 "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Thank God for vacations!
I'm telling you---whoever first decided to break up the school year with mini vacations was a genius! I mean, we start the school year strong with decorated classrooms, new students, and a head full of ideas. Through September we roll, excited about the curriculum and challenging our classes to be their best. October means that we've begun to lose steam but are still thankful for our profession and willing to keep working. Several weeks and a field day later, we find ourselves nicely ready for our first break, Thanksgiving. Once we get back, there's only three weeks until Christmas break---and that's two weeks long! Then, back to school in January. This is when the rubber meets the road, so to speak. Oh, we get a day off here and there, but we also find that coming back to school after two weeks off is not easily done: no more staying up till all hours, knowing you can sleep in later; no more jumping in the car any time you want to run a quick errand. Now we're halfway through February, and parents are beginning to realize that we've hit third mid-quarter. Now they start to wonder if their child will pass the current grade which leads to conferences with the teacher or more pressure put on the student. Nerves get frazzled, both parents' and teachers', so that this mini vacation (for us, February 18-22) is a welcome chance to reasonably leave all class work in the classroom and enjoy this administration-sent week of relief from all cares!
Of course, not everyone gets the week off. Our varsity teams are traveling to a tournament over the mountains in Pasco, WA. They plan to leave after the service Sunday night and will return (hopefully) just about the time our service starts on Wednesday night. Amanda and Katie will both be going, so they are busy washing clothes, packing clothes, unpacking clothes, and repacking better clothes! You know how teenage girls are. Chad and I are trying to encourage the kids to help get the house in some semblance of order before the girls leave, because you know it's much easier to pick up after just three kids than five. As a result, the washing machine is being run, the dryer is going, the dishes will need to be washed, garbages must be emptied, rooms straightened, floors vacuumed, etc. before we consider the house "clean." (At the moment, some of the kids are not too happy, but they'll get over it!)
Leading up to this chaos, we had Spirit Week at school. Monday was Crazy Hair Day; Tuesday was Nerd Day/Hillbilly Day; Wednesday was Crazy Sock/Slipper Day; Thursday was Favorite Sports Team Day; and Friday was Bethel Knights Day. We had a blast! Most of the school, elementary and high schoolers alike, dressed up each day, with even the teachers participating. In addition, each class made a poster cheering our varsity teams to victory; the winning class received ice cream bars. Plus, each class needed to present a cheer at our Pep Assembly late Friday afternoon, with the teams themselves judging the cheering contest. My third grade class won the cheering competition! We were so excited!!! My students worked hard to memorize the short cheer and, since everybody participated, we did great. The ice cream bars were a perfect reward for our efforts!
Something to note: remember the young man who injured his arm so badly last year playing basketball? He's back on the team this year and doing great. His arm doesn't extend fully straight now as a result of the injury, but he's able to compensate for it and shoot hoops just the same. In fact, last Friday at the game, he made some good shots! And, yesterday at the Pep Assembly, he actually made the winning basket during a silly game event........the varsity players had to put their foreheads on the head of a bat, spin around ten times, and then either make a free throw or do a bump-set-spike with a teammate. This was hilarious! If you've ever watched such an event, you understand. There were ball players falling on the floor and staggering around trying to hit the ball or make the shot. All in good spirits though! I think the teams appreciated the extra support we were able to show.
I finally got a call through to the neurologist's office about Dale's medication. After I explained the problem, they began working from their end while advising me to follow up with Group Health. I counted carefully the amount of days from when I picked up the 90-day supply to when we would need more, and, yes, there should have been enough to get Dale through, taking 3 1/2 pills morning and night, until February 25th (which is when our new insurance starts). However, three weeks ago, I had to cut Dale down to only 3 pills twice a day because otherwise we would run out before the 25th. When I explained all this to Group Health, they did some checking and told me that the manufacturer delivers those pills in pre-measured bottles of 100 pills each. I had received six of those bottles plus 30 more pills to make up the rest of the 90-day supply. Somehow, somewhere, we wound up several pills short. Say, about 25 or so. Group Health, because their records show that they delivered the correct amount, said they cannot just give us more meds. However, there is still one refill left on the original prescription which we can purchase out of our own pocket. My first thought was, "Oh, great, how much is that going to be?" But, thankfully, it only costs about $58, so we went ahead and ordered it. This means that Dale can go back up to 3 1/2 pills each dose (we have noticed a not-good difference since we lowered his dosage level), and it means we can breathe a little easier about having to find a doctor to see to continue the medication. Hopefully, our next doctor will be as nice as our docs at Group Health have been!
Praise the Lord for His bountiful blessings to us! It's so easy each day to find manifold reasons to complain, but it takes genuine effort to find things for which to thank God. He is, after all, our reason for living---or should be. Thank You, Lord, for showering us with good things each day.......and thank You for not zotching us when we grumble!
Psalm 108: 3 - 4 "I will praise Thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto Thee among the nations. For Thy mercy is great above the heavens: and Thy truth reacheth unto the clouds."
Of course, not everyone gets the week off. Our varsity teams are traveling to a tournament over the mountains in Pasco, WA. They plan to leave after the service Sunday night and will return (hopefully) just about the time our service starts on Wednesday night. Amanda and Katie will both be going, so they are busy washing clothes, packing clothes, unpacking clothes, and repacking better clothes! You know how teenage girls are. Chad and I are trying to encourage the kids to help get the house in some semblance of order before the girls leave, because you know it's much easier to pick up after just three kids than five. As a result, the washing machine is being run, the dryer is going, the dishes will need to be washed, garbages must be emptied, rooms straightened, floors vacuumed, etc. before we consider the house "clean." (At the moment, some of the kids are not too happy, but they'll get over it!)
Leading up to this chaos, we had Spirit Week at school. Monday was Crazy Hair Day; Tuesday was Nerd Day/Hillbilly Day; Wednesday was Crazy Sock/Slipper Day; Thursday was Favorite Sports Team Day; and Friday was Bethel Knights Day. We had a blast! Most of the school, elementary and high schoolers alike, dressed up each day, with even the teachers participating. In addition, each class made a poster cheering our varsity teams to victory; the winning class received ice cream bars. Plus, each class needed to present a cheer at our Pep Assembly late Friday afternoon, with the teams themselves judging the cheering contest. My third grade class won the cheering competition! We were so excited!!! My students worked hard to memorize the short cheer and, since everybody participated, we did great. The ice cream bars were a perfect reward for our efforts!
Something to note: remember the young man who injured his arm so badly last year playing basketball? He's back on the team this year and doing great. His arm doesn't extend fully straight now as a result of the injury, but he's able to compensate for it and shoot hoops just the same. In fact, last Friday at the game, he made some good shots! And, yesterday at the Pep Assembly, he actually made the winning basket during a silly game event........the varsity players had to put their foreheads on the head of a bat, spin around ten times, and then either make a free throw or do a bump-set-spike with a teammate. This was hilarious! If you've ever watched such an event, you understand. There were ball players falling on the floor and staggering around trying to hit the ball or make the shot. All in good spirits though! I think the teams appreciated the extra support we were able to show.
I finally got a call through to the neurologist's office about Dale's medication. After I explained the problem, they began working from their end while advising me to follow up with Group Health. I counted carefully the amount of days from when I picked up the 90-day supply to when we would need more, and, yes, there should have been enough to get Dale through, taking 3 1/2 pills morning and night, until February 25th (which is when our new insurance starts). However, three weeks ago, I had to cut Dale down to only 3 pills twice a day because otherwise we would run out before the 25th. When I explained all this to Group Health, they did some checking and told me that the manufacturer delivers those pills in pre-measured bottles of 100 pills each. I had received six of those bottles plus 30 more pills to make up the rest of the 90-day supply. Somehow, somewhere, we wound up several pills short. Say, about 25 or so. Group Health, because their records show that they delivered the correct amount, said they cannot just give us more meds. However, there is still one refill left on the original prescription which we can purchase out of our own pocket. My first thought was, "Oh, great, how much is that going to be?" But, thankfully, it only costs about $58, so we went ahead and ordered it. This means that Dale can go back up to 3 1/2 pills each dose (we have noticed a not-good difference since we lowered his dosage level), and it means we can breathe a little easier about having to find a doctor to see to continue the medication. Hopefully, our next doctor will be as nice as our docs at Group Health have been!
Praise the Lord for His bountiful blessings to us! It's so easy each day to find manifold reasons to complain, but it takes genuine effort to find things for which to thank God. He is, after all, our reason for living---or should be. Thank You, Lord, for showering us with good things each day.......and thank You for not zotching us when we grumble!
Psalm 108: 3 - 4 "I will praise Thee, O LORD, among the people: and I will sing praises unto Thee among the nations. For Thy mercy is great above the heavens: and Thy truth reacheth unto the clouds."
Friday, February 8, 2013
Is it possible to love God too much?
What an interesting thought........can we love God too much? I was listening to the song recently "That's what I'd be willing to do." The lyrics lists things I should be willing to give up if necessary in order to be like the Lord, including trading "sunshine for rain, comfort for pain" or being willing to endure hardships if that's what it takes to draw close to God. I had someone stop me this morning and express admiration for my patience and continued pleasant spirit since Dale's accident. I always cringe whenever someone says something like that because I KNOW ME! I know just how impatient I get, how much I wish I didn't have to deal with this, how much I dread the future stretching out before me filled with the constant need to be on guard for Dale, how I wish God would just heal him outright and get it over with!
You've heard the phrase, "Life isn't a bed of roses"? Well, why not?! Why can't life be easy, where the hardest thing I have to face is running out of toilet paper. (Yes, that happened in our house last night! Imagine handfuls of tissues being stashed in every bathroom.......) Every day our family is faced with numerous issues about which to complain. And, often, we do! I grumble about having to take time out of my get-ready routine to walk Dale down the stairs. We gripe about having to haul Dale's backpack everywhere. We fuss at Dale for not walking properly. We groan when we have to refigure our plans to accomodate his needs. But consider the alternative: we could be heartsore each time we make plans and realize we are one short. We could be counting the days or years until we see Dale in Heaven. We could find it unbearable to live in our house any longer, constantly having to walk by Dale's room and miss his laughter. God has been so good to us, hearing the prayers of God's people and giving our son life again. He has given us back our Dale, sound in mind (at least as much as anybody else in our family!) although definitely frail in body. Dale struggles with his memory still which makes test-taking difficult; we're still working to find the right balance of classes and responsibility for him, taking into account the fact that Dale needs extra help to get through high school. Even realizing we are human with all the quirks and foibles encumbering us, how could we grumble about God's goodness to us? I forget so easily that "this world is not my home; I'm just a-passing through." This life is not what counts; Heaven is what counts. When we reach Heaven, our troubles and trials down here will seem so minute and insignificant compared to God's wonderful presence and glory. I find it necessary to remind myself often to thank God for His goodness and manifold blessings to us instead of frowning and grumbling about my inconveniences.
Chad and I had to ban Dale from playing video games for a while until he brings his grades up. Dale has fallen into an attitude of apathy concerning his tests and quizzes. He acts like, "I don't have to study because I had an accident." He seems to think that he'll be allowed to slide through his classes without any negative repercussions from his grades. Chad and I had a BIG talk with him on Sunday about being responsible for his own studying and test-taking and homework and keeping track of such things in the planner we got him at the beginning of the school year. Dale has shown some improvement in these areas already this week, but there's still a long way to go before he's up to par!
I need to call Dale's neurologist and ask how much a bottle of his pills would be for us to purchase on our own (without insurance). I counted up the amount of pills we have left, and there was not going to enough to last him until we could see a doctor again. I cut down the amount of pills Dale takes each time, but, frankly, we've already seen some extra shakiness set in since then. I need to get him some more medicine so that he can resume taking four pills each morning and evening, thus reducing the concern about seizures again.
Today is the last home game for our sports teams! We're all excited---especially since we get out of school one hour earlier to watch the games. :-) With Mandie being a senior this year, this is the last game I will ever get to see her play in high school. I'm starting to tear up just thinking about it. (Sniff.) The varsity still has one final tournament to attend the week of Presidents' Day. We have a good chance of bringing home the big trophy this year in both volleyball and basketball. GO KNIGHTS!!!
God be with each of you today and every day. Each of us has burdens to bear and talents to share. Have a great day!
Job 1: 21 "And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."
You've heard the phrase, "Life isn't a bed of roses"? Well, why not?! Why can't life be easy, where the hardest thing I have to face is running out of toilet paper. (Yes, that happened in our house last night! Imagine handfuls of tissues being stashed in every bathroom.......) Every day our family is faced with numerous issues about which to complain. And, often, we do! I grumble about having to take time out of my get-ready routine to walk Dale down the stairs. We gripe about having to haul Dale's backpack everywhere. We fuss at Dale for not walking properly. We groan when we have to refigure our plans to accomodate his needs. But consider the alternative: we could be heartsore each time we make plans and realize we are one short. We could be counting the days or years until we see Dale in Heaven. We could find it unbearable to live in our house any longer, constantly having to walk by Dale's room and miss his laughter. God has been so good to us, hearing the prayers of God's people and giving our son life again. He has given us back our Dale, sound in mind (at least as much as anybody else in our family!) although definitely frail in body. Dale struggles with his memory still which makes test-taking difficult; we're still working to find the right balance of classes and responsibility for him, taking into account the fact that Dale needs extra help to get through high school. Even realizing we are human with all the quirks and foibles encumbering us, how could we grumble about God's goodness to us? I forget so easily that "this world is not my home; I'm just a-passing through." This life is not what counts; Heaven is what counts. When we reach Heaven, our troubles and trials down here will seem so minute and insignificant compared to God's wonderful presence and glory. I find it necessary to remind myself often to thank God for His goodness and manifold blessings to us instead of frowning and grumbling about my inconveniences.
Chad and I had to ban Dale from playing video games for a while until he brings his grades up. Dale has fallen into an attitude of apathy concerning his tests and quizzes. He acts like, "I don't have to study because I had an accident." He seems to think that he'll be allowed to slide through his classes without any negative repercussions from his grades. Chad and I had a BIG talk with him on Sunday about being responsible for his own studying and test-taking and homework and keeping track of such things in the planner we got him at the beginning of the school year. Dale has shown some improvement in these areas already this week, but there's still a long way to go before he's up to par!
I need to call Dale's neurologist and ask how much a bottle of his pills would be for us to purchase on our own (without insurance). I counted up the amount of pills we have left, and there was not going to enough to last him until we could see a doctor again. I cut down the amount of pills Dale takes each time, but, frankly, we've already seen some extra shakiness set in since then. I need to get him some more medicine so that he can resume taking four pills each morning and evening, thus reducing the concern about seizures again.
Today is the last home game for our sports teams! We're all excited---especially since we get out of school one hour earlier to watch the games. :-) With Mandie being a senior this year, this is the last game I will ever get to see her play in high school. I'm starting to tear up just thinking about it. (Sniff.) The varsity still has one final tournament to attend the week of Presidents' Day. We have a good chance of bringing home the big trophy this year in both volleyball and basketball. GO KNIGHTS!!!
God be with each of you today and every day. Each of us has burdens to bear and talents to share. Have a great day!
Job 1: 21 "And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Dale is.........Dale!
Mothers of young ones know how hard it is when the little tykes are sick: they feel miserable, they can't seem to make it to the trash can when they need to throw up, and if they happen to also have diarrhea---let's just say, things get messy!
Unfortunately, Dale kind of qualifies as a toddler when it comes to being sick. He doesn't get sick very often, but when he does---watch out! Have you ever heard of projectile vomiting? It's as nasty as it sounds, and Dale has perfected it. Forget about making it to the sink or trash can; everything comes out with such force that it winds up splashing back out and splattering whatever is nearby......feet, shirt, mother. Yuck! Dale felt really hungry just before bed on Friday night, so I got him a quick bowl of cereal. When he was done, we headed upstairs for him to get ready for bed. I'd taken just a few steps down the hall when Dale said, "Mom, I don't feel well." I barely got the bathroom trash can in front of his face when he vomited. He felt much better afterward and slept the night through. Fast forward to Sunday night........Dale had an unfortunate bout with diarrhea before he went to bed as usual; everyone else was already in bed when I heard his voice from upstairs. I quietly walked upstairs to find him sitting on the edge of his bed, grimacing. He said, "Mom, I think I have diarrhea again," so I helped him to the bathroom. He took care of business and had just finished washing his hands when I heard his stomach gurgling. I teased, "That doesn't sound good!" The words were barely out of my mouth when Dale threw up in the sink. Again, everything went everywhere! He actually woke up half the house with his vomiting: Dad came out of the bedroom, Katie came stumbling down the hall, Ashley stood nearby in case I needed her to fetch anything. Even our dog Peanut came and looked interested, although she may have been simply curious why everyone was up in the middle of the night. Finally, Dale was done and able to go back to bed.
I decided to leave him home from school on Monday with his sister Katie who wasn't feeling all that great either. I'd be tempted to think it was some kind of food poisoning except that we all ate the same things over the weekend. Dale did have one episode of diarrhea while home Monday, but he seems to be okay today. I had Katie give him applesauce and toast yesterday to try to help reset his digestive tract; hopefully, this did the trick.
Our church is winding down its theme for the month, Stewardship. I'm not sure why churches tend to talk about stewardship only in January; maybe it has something to do with New Year's resolutions. Our pastor has been preaching messages centered around giving, tithing, offerings, and general obedience to God. I grew up in a solid, Bible-preaching, Baptist church and have heard preaching on tithing my whole life. My parents taught me to be sure I gave God back His ten percent each time I received any money, so tithing is not a new concept to me. I found myself a little bored during some sermons on giving, thinking, "I've got this nailed down already. This is not something I still need to work on." The Holy Spirit struck my heart and reminded me, "God loveth a cheerful giver---is that something you've got nailed down?" And He is right; there are times that I kind of resent having to take money out of my paycheck that I frankly could use. I always give my tithe, but I don't always give my tithe cheerfully. I don't look for ways to give God more, and I certainly don't pray that He uses my small portion to further the gospel. My actions may have been right, but my heart sure wasn't. That is definitely something that I can work on. I am so thankful that the Spirit can still talk to me and that I will still listen. Can you believe my arrogance---acting as if I'd reached the top in any part of my Christian life? I am so far removed from God's perfection that I should never sit in a service and act as if there is nothing new for me to hear. If God were done with me, I'd be in Heaven! Thanks be to the Father, His work in me is not yet finished.
Philippians 1: 6 "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
Unfortunately, Dale kind of qualifies as a toddler when it comes to being sick. He doesn't get sick very often, but when he does---watch out! Have you ever heard of projectile vomiting? It's as nasty as it sounds, and Dale has perfected it. Forget about making it to the sink or trash can; everything comes out with such force that it winds up splashing back out and splattering whatever is nearby......feet, shirt, mother. Yuck! Dale felt really hungry just before bed on Friday night, so I got him a quick bowl of cereal. When he was done, we headed upstairs for him to get ready for bed. I'd taken just a few steps down the hall when Dale said, "Mom, I don't feel well." I barely got the bathroom trash can in front of his face when he vomited. He felt much better afterward and slept the night through. Fast forward to Sunday night........Dale had an unfortunate bout with diarrhea before he went to bed as usual; everyone else was already in bed when I heard his voice from upstairs. I quietly walked upstairs to find him sitting on the edge of his bed, grimacing. He said, "Mom, I think I have diarrhea again," so I helped him to the bathroom. He took care of business and had just finished washing his hands when I heard his stomach gurgling. I teased, "That doesn't sound good!" The words were barely out of my mouth when Dale threw up in the sink. Again, everything went everywhere! He actually woke up half the house with his vomiting: Dad came out of the bedroom, Katie came stumbling down the hall, Ashley stood nearby in case I needed her to fetch anything. Even our dog Peanut came and looked interested, although she may have been simply curious why everyone was up in the middle of the night. Finally, Dale was done and able to go back to bed.
I decided to leave him home from school on Monday with his sister Katie who wasn't feeling all that great either. I'd be tempted to think it was some kind of food poisoning except that we all ate the same things over the weekend. Dale did have one episode of diarrhea while home Monday, but he seems to be okay today. I had Katie give him applesauce and toast yesterday to try to help reset his digestive tract; hopefully, this did the trick.
Our church is winding down its theme for the month, Stewardship. I'm not sure why churches tend to talk about stewardship only in January; maybe it has something to do with New Year's resolutions. Our pastor has been preaching messages centered around giving, tithing, offerings, and general obedience to God. I grew up in a solid, Bible-preaching, Baptist church and have heard preaching on tithing my whole life. My parents taught me to be sure I gave God back His ten percent each time I received any money, so tithing is not a new concept to me. I found myself a little bored during some sermons on giving, thinking, "I've got this nailed down already. This is not something I still need to work on." The Holy Spirit struck my heart and reminded me, "God loveth a cheerful giver---is that something you've got nailed down?" And He is right; there are times that I kind of resent having to take money out of my paycheck that I frankly could use. I always give my tithe, but I don't always give my tithe cheerfully. I don't look for ways to give God more, and I certainly don't pray that He uses my small portion to further the gospel. My actions may have been right, but my heart sure wasn't. That is definitely something that I can work on. I am so thankful that the Spirit can still talk to me and that I will still listen. Can you believe my arrogance---acting as if I'd reached the top in any part of my Christian life? I am so far removed from God's perfection that I should never sit in a service and act as if there is nothing new for me to hear. If God were done with me, I'd be in Heaven! Thanks be to the Father, His work in me is not yet finished.
Philippians 1: 6 "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
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