Times they are a-changin'

Almost 15 years ago Tom began to sell cars. That in it self has been an economic challenge for the entire time. There have been some good times, but even more so there have been even more lean times - and as you can imagine this is one of the leanest.

A friend of ours recommended Tom when his company needed a new salesman. Tom applied and was hired. But hired into an industry he knows very little about.

All the employees there have training so Tom is no exception. The training is in Toledo and will last for 2 weeks. I am sure that he will do great. Product knowledge is his speciality. Tomorrow he leaves.

That leaves me at home with the kids and no more "usual". In truth, this week is normally the auto show which always raised havoc with the schedule so although it is a little different and a little longer maybe it isn't that unusual after all.

God is good---All the time

Yes, God is good. I know that in my head but if I am being honest, I don't always live like that. When things are not so good, I complain and I gripe and I forget to look at what I do have.

Now, though, things are going well - and I am practicing what I know to be right. I am not going recognize that He has sent good and not just think that it was "about time" or "I deserved it" I am concentrating on really giving him the glory for all the things - especially the good that is going on right now.

So what is the good right now? Let me tell you what God is doing in my life!

A friend of ours saw that they needed a new sales man in his company. He recommended Tom for the position. Just yesterday we found out that Tom got the new job. It has the real possibility of doubling or tripling (or even more) our income! It would be so nice to get out of the poverty zone! There was only one real concern about taking the job. We have only owned one car for over a decade - my van. Tom always had a demo from whatever dealership at which he was working.

That brings me to the next thing that I have to praise - I did the taxes yesterday. We are getting enough to get a car (Not a new one certainly but one that will run til we have the money to get a better one) for Tom.

There are several other things going on as well that have an effect on my life - for the good - but as they are not directly connected to me, I am not going to write about them. But rest assured that I am going to give thanks for them as well. Right now all things in that all things verse are working together for good - and I am seeing it live and every day. And I am going to give praise and thanks to Him who made it possible.

Valentine's Day Cards

Tom's Card:

Eva's Card

Timothy's Card

Emily's Card

This year I challenged myself to make cards for every member of my family for Valentine's Day. I am glad to say that even though cardmaking is not where my passion is, I am very happy with the results. Here they are

a new home

One of the first churches we looked at, Tom and I liked, but they really did not have anything for the older kids. So that one went off the list right off the the list. However, in November they started a Saturday evening service.



We decided to attend that, and I am so glad that we have. As you might expect, it is fairly small - but then again it is a small church. They have a class for Emily too so she comes with us. It is really a winning situation all along. Tom and I get to go to church and have made some new friends. Emily gets to go to Sunday school, and The other 2 can just be teens.



Tonight, being Valentine's Day they had a movie - Fireproof -after the service. We had heard alot about the movie but had not seen it yet so we made it a date night for Tom and I. Knowing that it was going to be a late night we left Emily home.

It was during the evening that I really began to realize how comfortable we have become there. At this point everyone knows who we are and it dawned on me that for the first time since I began this process of looking for a new church, I have found someplace where I feel comfortable and even somewhat "home" and that is a GREAT feeling.

Football is EVIL!

Ok, I am going on the record to say I HATE football. I have a number of reasons and I intend to vent and lay them out here, so strap on your seat belts and get ready to go...

First of all I grew up in a house where football was a sacred event. No one ever bothered to explained how the game worked and if I would try to ask I was neatly and clearly put in my place and told to be quiet they were watching the game - and we all know that the football game is more important than I was.

When I arrived in high school I was in the marching band. I didn't particularly want to be in the marching band, but if you wanted to play in the concert season, you had to play in the marching season as well. This meant that I was at every football game every Friday night for 3 years. I was bored to tears as I either fried or froze in my band uniform sitting on the sidelines. The one advantage of my experience is that I was finally around people who were willing to answer my questions about how the game was played and didn't just tell me to be quiet.

So as the years pass, living in Cleveland, I came to the sad conclusion that football would always be a part of living here. After all, although we never had a winning team, routing for the Browns was an experience akin to nirvana here for most people. Then there was a glorious day! Art Modell moved the Browns out of Cleveland to Baltimore. I have rarely experienced such bliss! I remember the day well. It was the same day that Yitzak Rabbine was assassinated, but you barely heard that on the news here because everyone here thought that football was much more important than the assassination of a major political player who was in the leadership of one of the most important countries of the world - but who wants to know about that?

Alas for me we got the team back. Cleveland has one of the worst school systems in the country. It is one of the poorest cities with some of the highest national foreclosure and unemployment rates. So everyone can see that we should ignore the failing school system, and pretend that the temporary jobs that were created to build the new stadium (because of course we couldn't use the old one) would fix the job problems. So the new Browns arrived in town a few years back.

Over the years I have learned that I am just about alone in my viewpoint. But that doesn't mean I have to like it or that I have to be quiet about it. Neither of which I am going to do.

Church is VERY important to me. I really wish that the superbowl was not on Sunday. It ruins the day - that is all anyone talks about. If however having a superbowl party is more important to you than being in church then, STAY HOME! I was just appalled as a couple in our church was whispering in a very loud whisper during communion as well as the sermon of everything that they had to do for their party. I do not doubt the faith of this couple but I see the poison that this obsession when chips and dip become more important than worshiping and communing with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Not much has changed over the years. I still feel like Jeremiah - a lone voice calling in the wilderness. This year one of the churches where Emily goes to Awana the commander is one of the Browns. He is the first person I have ever met that seems to have put football in the correct perspective - behind God. I really look up to him for what he is trying to do. However I also see him failing at it. I used to look forward to going to Awana on Wednesday nights. I had met and become friends with other moms there and we would talk and chat during the meeting.

Now everything has changed. It is no longer the moms who bring the kids but rather the dads. I don't pretend that they are the least bit interested in Awana or even what their kids are doing. The only reason that they are there is because the commander is a football player. It is funny and sad to see a bunch of middle aged men following the poor commander around like puppies. The commander seems almost as annoyed with it as I am.

There is a reception area with a couch in that church. It is where my friends and I used to sit and chat. This week the commander was not there so all the football dads ended up there. Unlike the welcoming women I knew for years the guys sat and talked about football.

All of my life I have hated the game. I see how it has destroyed a family, a city and a church. So I can not help but believe that football is EVIL!