Rick really put a challenge out to us tonight. He is doing a series on Sunday to Sunday, and the topic this week was One Day. He talked about Christ's promise to be with us always. All we need to access this promise is to meet him. In order to meet him Rick 's plan was to take it one day at a time. In the Bible a day begins in the evening. Gen 1:5 loosely paraphrased is " ..it was evening and then the morning.. the first day. So to begin this journey before we go to bed we tell God that we are looking forward to being with him all day. When we wake in the morning spend the first few minutes with God, go over the calender of the days events, anything that brings anxiety... turn over to God. As we shower in the morning removing the impurities from the outside of our bodies, ask God to cleanse and remove the impurities from the inside of our bodies. We are to eat in Jesus' name. Ecc 9:7 says "Eat your bread with joy"... thank God for what he provides for you, and for being with you. We need to slow down and walk with God, no where in the bible does it say that we are to run, sprint, trot, speed with God. We need to slow down and meet God. We need to ask for his attitude. At the end of the day we need to thank God for the day.
I know that I didn't present this nearly as fluidly or eloquently as what Rick did, but it really spoke to me. I have been struggling lately to become intimate with God. I feel like I am so far away from God at times. What I pulled out of tonight was that if I want to be intimate with God I need to be intentional about it. (There is that word again Phil). What Rick was challenging us to do was to try and do this on Monday, or our next work day. I want to try this for tomorrow, and Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday....
So let us be intentional about being intimate with God.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
I can't belive it has been a week and a half since I posted! Where does the time go?
I had a good week last week. Worked Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and then had Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. Thursday I worked out in the garage finally, took a bunch of stuff out to the shed. Made quite a bit of room in the garage, actually got two cars in it again. I also put the plow back on my truck. Friday it started off sunny then started snowing mid morning for a little bit. Then it snowed heavier in the late afternoon. By evening it turned to a sleety/ rainy/ snowy mix and then it froze. The roads were a mess. We went to Good Friday Service. They had a Tenebrae service, which was real neat. Very introspective. I do not believe I have ever been to one.
Saturday I was suposse I imagd to go down to Bourbon to facilitate a group that was coming in to work on one of the Tornado rebuild houses. Cal a call from Chris late friday night saying the group had cancelled. He wasn't sure, thought that they were from Michigan, and Michigan really got hammered with the snow (like eight inches). We only had an inch or so, not even enough to plow. When I got up Saturday we had gotten more snow and it was still snowing. Went to my study, and then went out plowing driveways. Did ours before I left, did Mom's after the study, went over to do Missy's and she didn't even have enough to plow, I ended up just shoveling hers. I then went over to Phil's and plowed his. In the afternoon the sun came out and by evening the roads were all clear and melted. Leigh, Mom, Leigh's aunt and I went to church service Saturday night. It was pretty packed. That was nice to see for a Saturday night, because they have been running pretty light. Rick had sent out a pleading email asking people to consider the Saturday night or Sunday early service, because they expected the 10:45 to be SRO. I imagine people (like us) took the opportunity to come Saturday night so that they could spend time with family Sunday. Again the service was very good, and Rick had a powerful salvation message about where our priorities should be.
Sunday Leigh , Mom, Leigh's aunt and I went to Old Country Buffet for breakfast. We then went over to Mom's to celebrate my birthday, which was Saturday. Yeah, 49, one more year until I am o the slippery down hill side. Where did the first 49 go? And what have I accomplished? That is another blog, another time. I opened presents, got a book by Max Lucado, silicone cookie sheets, and money (always good). We then chatted (or the others chatted while I napped), then played Skip Bo. It was a very nice time. I then came home and took the plow off my truck, because basically all the snow had melted. It didn't get all that warm, mid 30's, but it was sunny all day.
Today was sunny and it got to the lower 40's. After I got home from work and we ate, Leigh and I took the puppies for a walk. we haven't done that in quite a while it was nice and relaxing. Going to go. Maybe if I blogged oftener they wouldn't be so long!
I had a good week last week. Worked Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and then had Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. Thursday I worked out in the garage finally, took a bunch of stuff out to the shed. Made quite a bit of room in the garage, actually got two cars in it again. I also put the plow back on my truck. Friday it started off sunny then started snowing mid morning for a little bit. Then it snowed heavier in the late afternoon. By evening it turned to a sleety/ rainy/ snowy mix and then it froze. The roads were a mess. We went to Good Friday Service. They had a Tenebrae service, which was real neat. Very introspective. I do not believe I have ever been to one.
Saturday I was suposse I imagd to go down to Bourbon to facilitate a group that was coming in to work on one of the Tornado rebuild houses. Cal a call from Chris late friday night saying the group had cancelled. He wasn't sure, thought that they were from Michigan, and Michigan really got hammered with the snow (like eight inches). We only had an inch or so, not even enough to plow. When I got up Saturday we had gotten more snow and it was still snowing. Went to my study, and then went out plowing driveways. Did ours before I left, did Mom's after the study, went over to do Missy's and she didn't even have enough to plow, I ended up just shoveling hers. I then went over to Phil's and plowed his. In the afternoon the sun came out and by evening the roads were all clear and melted. Leigh, Mom, Leigh's aunt and I went to church service Saturday night. It was pretty packed. That was nice to see for a Saturday night, because they have been running pretty light. Rick had sent out a pleading email asking people to consider the Saturday night or Sunday early service, because they expected the 10:45 to be SRO. I imagine people (like us) took the opportunity to come Saturday night so that they could spend time with family Sunday. Again the service was very good, and Rick had a powerful salvation message about where our priorities should be.
Sunday Leigh , Mom, Leigh's aunt and I went to Old Country Buffet for breakfast. We then went over to Mom's to celebrate my birthday, which was Saturday. Yeah, 49, one more year until I am o the slippery down hill side. Where did the first 49 go? And what have I accomplished? That is another blog, another time. I opened presents, got a book by Max Lucado, silicone cookie sheets, and money (always good). We then chatted (or the others chatted while I napped), then played Skip Bo. It was a very nice time. I then came home and took the plow off my truck, because basically all the snow had melted. It didn't get all that warm, mid 30's, but it was sunny all day.
Today was sunny and it got to the lower 40's. After I got home from work and we ate, Leigh and I took the puppies for a walk. we haven't done that in quite a while it was nice and relaxing. Going to go. Maybe if I blogged oftener they wouldn't be so long!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Another week, another post. It was good to see my friend Steve last week. He and his wife came up from Little Rock to help out a friend of theirs that had surgery. I didn't get to see Sara :( , but Steve dropped by our Thursday morning study and we got to spend about three hours catching up. It was good to hear what God has been doing in their lives. Even though we miss them bunches up here, they are where God wants them.
Anybody need a job? We had to term two more associates this week. It is difficult, we are trying hard to find the right people, not just a body to take the space. Hopefully we will have a back room coordinator in place next week, and that will help us out there. We have been struggling to get the right combination back there.
Mike and I have a meeting this afternoon to see about insurance for BOH. It will be interesting to see what is available for us. I understand that Pat has been having a real challenge to find something for us. It is the nature of what we are doing, construction, with volunteers. It is one thing to have employees, they theoretically know what they are doing (at least they are supposed to), volunteers are something else (Tim Taylor types come to mind, LOL). Hopefully Mike will have more info on where we are with our board.
It is supposed to be a relatively nice day today. Supposed to get up to 50! And the sun is starting to come out. This winter it seems that we have had so many more cloudy days than usual. I don't know if that is true, or if I am really getting tired of northern Indiana winters. After being back up here for ten years, maybe that is it. Possibly it is time to start being snow birds! Or possibly just outfitting the whole house with sun lamps!
Well I suppose I better go and actually accomplish something today. Since I built a new house for the puppies, I am going to use their old one for storage, and actually get my garage so that you can walk through it (and maybe I can find something when I need it!)
Anybody need a job? We had to term two more associates this week. It is difficult, we are trying hard to find the right people, not just a body to take the space. Hopefully we will have a back room coordinator in place next week, and that will help us out there. We have been struggling to get the right combination back there.
Mike and I have a meeting this afternoon to see about insurance for BOH. It will be interesting to see what is available for us. I understand that Pat has been having a real challenge to find something for us. It is the nature of what we are doing, construction, with volunteers. It is one thing to have employees, they theoretically know what they are doing (at least they are supposed to), volunteers are something else (Tim Taylor types come to mind, LOL). Hopefully Mike will have more info on where we are with our board.
It is supposed to be a relatively nice day today. Supposed to get up to 50! And the sun is starting to come out. This winter it seems that we have had so many more cloudy days than usual. I don't know if that is true, or if I am really getting tired of northern Indiana winters. After being back up here for ten years, maybe that is it. Possibly it is time to start being snow birds! Or possibly just outfitting the whole house with sun lamps!
Well I suppose I better go and actually accomplish something today. Since I built a new house for the puppies, I am going to use their old one for storage, and actually get my garage so that you can walk through it (and maybe I can find something when I need it!)
Monday, March 3, 2008
Yeah, I know, it has been a couple of eons since I posted. Just not in the mood.
A lot of things going on in the last couple of months. I got a new to me pickup in January. It is a 2000 Dodge 2500 extended cab long bed. It is wonderful.... except the gas mileage. I traded my car, which got like 22 - 24 mpgs, for 7 -9 mpgs. Oh well, you can't plow snow with a Plymouth Breeze. LOL. I also got an eight and a half foot snow blade to go with it, now we haven't had a whole lot of snow. We have had some, just enough for me to practice with. My brother is really loving it, because he has lots of driveway I can use to practice on!
I happened to run across this truck, which is exactly what I have been looking for for like four years, and decided it was time to get it. With me pursuing this ministry I really needed it. It would have been nice to have it last spring when I was in Mississippi, but it wasn't God's timing.
We are still working on getting our non profit going. We have separated from the organisation that we had been partnering with.. all parties thought it was for the best. We definitely will be working with WCN, just not a part of it. Right now we are trying to line up a board of directors, and then we will be ready to file for our non profit status. Also when we get the board in place then salaries can be determined, and I can start raising support. I am sooo ready to get out of retail.
Speaking of retail. things at Marshalls are about the same. Sales have been pretty good, we are trending up over ly. We are just having our usual chalanges with hanging onto/ hiring associates. The company changed the policy on tardies and absences last May, and it is starting to catch up with some of our associates. We have had to term three associates in the last two months for it.
Then there is the new associates that we hire that do not show up for orientation then. I realize that we do not have the best wage out there, but with things the way they are, at least it is a job. Besides, they get to work with me, and what a GREAT fringe benefit that is!
I have done a little more on the house since the first of the year too. I had a wood furnace when I lived over in Shipshewana, and for the last four and a half years it had been setting in Phil's barn. So I closed in the stair/ outside entry for the family room and put the furnace in there. I had cut some wood in the fall of 2006 and had it stacked here. I have got the furnace going and it is wonderful! It keeps the house between 70 and 80 degrees, vs 62 to 68 degrees we kept it at with the gas furnace. I got our February gas bill and it was one fourth of what it was last year, and it was so much more comfortable in the house. The electric bill is about 25% more, but I can live with that. I also built a little room on the side of the furnace room for the puppies, just got that closed in on Saturday. So far they seem to like it. It should be some what warmer than what they had before. Two of them turned 14 in January, and the other one was 13 in December, so I think they appreciate the additional warmth. It is real interesting how deaf they have gotten in the last year. It used to be I would open the sliding glass door and they would hear me. Now I go out in the morning, walk into their house , start talking to them, and they are still zonked out. I sometimes have to start petting them before they realize I am there, and that of course startles them. Of course they can't hear me yell at them when they go charging off to the back corner barking up a storm either.
Well I am going to log off now, maybe it won't take me two months to post again!
A lot of things going on in the last couple of months. I got a new to me pickup in January. It is a 2000 Dodge 2500 extended cab long bed. It is wonderful.... except the gas mileage. I traded my car, which got like 22 - 24 mpgs, for 7 -9 mpgs. Oh well, you can't plow snow with a Plymouth Breeze. LOL. I also got an eight and a half foot snow blade to go with it, now we haven't had a whole lot of snow. We have had some, just enough for me to practice with. My brother is really loving it, because he has lots of driveway I can use to practice on!
I happened to run across this truck, which is exactly what I have been looking for for like four years, and decided it was time to get it. With me pursuing this ministry I really needed it. It would have been nice to have it last spring when I was in Mississippi, but it wasn't God's timing.
We are still working on getting our non profit going. We have separated from the organisation that we had been partnering with.. all parties thought it was for the best. We definitely will be working with WCN, just not a part of it. Right now we are trying to line up a board of directors, and then we will be ready to file for our non profit status. Also when we get the board in place then salaries can be determined, and I can start raising support. I am sooo ready to get out of retail.
Speaking of retail. things at Marshalls are about the same. Sales have been pretty good, we are trending up over ly. We are just having our usual chalanges with hanging onto/ hiring associates. The company changed the policy on tardies and absences last May, and it is starting to catch up with some of our associates. We have had to term three associates in the last two months for it.
Then there is the new associates that we hire that do not show up for orientation then. I realize that we do not have the best wage out there, but with things the way they are, at least it is a job. Besides, they get to work with me, and what a GREAT fringe benefit that is!
I have done a little more on the house since the first of the year too. I had a wood furnace when I lived over in Shipshewana, and for the last four and a half years it had been setting in Phil's barn. So I closed in the stair/ outside entry for the family room and put the furnace in there. I had cut some wood in the fall of 2006 and had it stacked here. I have got the furnace going and it is wonderful! It keeps the house between 70 and 80 degrees, vs 62 to 68 degrees we kept it at with the gas furnace. I got our February gas bill and it was one fourth of what it was last year, and it was so much more comfortable in the house. The electric bill is about 25% more, but I can live with that. I also built a little room on the side of the furnace room for the puppies, just got that closed in on Saturday. So far they seem to like it. It should be some what warmer than what they had before. Two of them turned 14 in January, and the other one was 13 in December, so I think they appreciate the additional warmth. It is real interesting how deaf they have gotten in the last year. It used to be I would open the sliding glass door and they would hear me. Now I go out in the morning, walk into their house , start talking to them, and they are still zonked out. I sometimes have to start petting them before they realize I am there, and that of course startles them. Of course they can't hear me yell at them when they go charging off to the back corner barking up a storm either.
Well I am going to log off now, maybe it won't take me two months to post again!
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