Sunday, February 7, 2010

Blessed in order to Bless

Timing is everything. Last year Tom was offered a job which was out of the automotive industry. The problem with that was that he had driven a company demo for years and we only had one car. With 3 active kids and 2 jobs of my own sharing one care was not tops on our list of things to do. However, God is faithful. We did not have any money in savings and our credit was less than perfect. We did have a tax return and with that we were able to get a car for Tom to use for work.

Now a year later that job was not what we had hoped for. However, God is still faithful. He provided another job for Tom. He is back to selling cars. Which also means that he is back to driving demos.

We had a spare car now. We could have sold it. The new dealership offered that it could be put on the lot. We could have saved it for when the kids were old enough (and wanted to - which who knows how long that will be) to drive. In my heart however I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to give it to someone who needed it. The question is who? All I really cared about was that whoever got the car needed it - not just some teen to take joyriding.

In Sunday school the minister always starts out by asking what we would like prayer for. One of the other woman was praying for her old car to be able to be fixed again. It was then I knew that she was the one who needed the car. She will be picking it up this afternoon.

Now I have a confession to make. I LOVE the fact that we were able to help another person. I am on high just knowing that we were able to bless someone. It is one of the greatest feeling that I have had in a LONG time. I consider myself so blessed because I am able to be part of something that gives glory to God! But I also have to confess that it makes me feel wonderful too.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

I am trying to keep this in mind. It seems to be one of my favorite "go to" verses when life gets challenging. One of the only things that are constant is change - and things are changing right now. However the only thing that does not change is God so I will at this time go to him for the support that I can not get from my swiftly changing world.

On March 1, 2009 Tom stopped selling cars - which had been a good income at one point in time but over the past few years was becoming impossible to make ends meet. He began selling security systems. I know that he didn't like it as well as selling cars but he was making a consistent wage and was happy enough. I was however ecstatic. We were able to get out of debt. Tom, who had always been gone evenings and weekends, was actually home. I loved that job.

In the beginning of 2010 the company got a new president and things began to change very swiftly. He was limited to residential sales. He was given a territory that he could sell out of. His automotive allowance was cut and the pay was changed. Things were not going well and it didn't look as if it was going to bet any better any time soon.

So in just less than a year, Tom is back to selling cars. He is at a different dealership so is hopeful that the pay will be better. I hope so too because I do not want to sink back into the poverty we lived in for years. I can tell that he is happy there. I am glad of that but I am not going to be happy until I see that he can really make a living selling cars, which I honestly doubt.

During this turmoil things around home are very strained. I just need to keep reminding myself that no matter how much things change here and now that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. And even better that he is always with me - no matter where or if we are working.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Sometimes I think I live in a zoo

I guess by now it is obvious that I love to scrapbook. Which is good because I do. However as I was making some pages this month I noticed that my animal side was coming out.

Emily loves Beauty and the Beast. She was given a Belle dress last year and whenever it is time to dress up she wants to be Belle. But what would Beauty be without her Beast - the answer is of course she needs a beast. She decided that one of her teddy bears, Cookie, would be her beast.
Animals surround me. We have a dog and three cats and a few more strays that seem to find our house very inviting. With that many animals I guess that it was natural for Eva to want to be a cat for Halloween.
Here is an example of the real wild life. Eva was able to snap this picture of a little thief. It is just so cute. How could I stay angry at this little guy?

Worshiping his way

Kids are amazing - and I don't mean just mine. They are wonderful, special creations of God. If I take the time and look then I can learn so much from them. I love it when the child shall lead them all.

We are at a new church and there are many people that I still do not know. Sunday there was a little boy I don't know the age but I would guess he was about 3 who wandered up the aisle. We were singing Great is Thy Faithfulness and he was just so into it.

Where the aisle met the front is where he stopped and started dancing with sheer joy. He was just content to worship by dancing and clapping and praising the Lord in the best way he knew how. What a lesson. How often do I get all stuffy in church. I mean really it is a totally awesome God that I worship why do I feel as if I have to sit there as if I were in a straight jacket? It was so refreshing to see this little child worship the Lord with all he had - and VERY inspiring to me.