You'r a Tease

You heard me - that's right. You are a real teas and that is not right.

I admit that I am tired of winter. We had snow - plenty of it. There were winters that barely seemed like winter but this wasn't one of them. We had snow -about 3 feet of the beautiful, but oh so cold white stuff. Winter came and now it is time to make way for spring.

I said that it was that time, but you are being a tease. It was beautiful for a few days. It even got close to 70. then every time you have to let winter back in the door. That is just not nice.

So spring, please, come and stay

Spritual Mutt

One of the churches we are currently attending is on Saturday night. It was the first one we visited when we began to look. We liked it, but there was nothing there for the older kids so we sadly crossed it off the list. This fall they began a Saturday night service and we began attending then. We still make sure to get the kids to church on Sunday, but Tom and I really like the intimate evening service.

This week's sermon was on Freedom from Religion. One of the points made was that many people just follow the rites and practices prescribed by whatever church they are going to and think that makes everything "right" with God. They also get the idea that there is one way - whatever they are doing - and that everyone else is wrong.

It was then I realized how much of a spiritual mutt I am. I was raised in the Christian church - Disciples of Christ. I went to a United Church of Christ youth group growing up. I married a Catholic with both his priest and my minister presiding over the ceremony. When that church closed I found an American Baptist church (the one place that has felt like home more than any other). I attended MOPS at a Lutheran church when my kids were young. My kids began attending Awana at a Southern Baptist church. They grew out of that Awana program so we began going to a different Awana at a church that I don't even know what the "official" denomination is. When scouts came along they met at churches, Timothy at a United Methodist and the girls at two different Catholic parishes. Then the search for a new church was upon us. I won't even list all the denominations that we looked at briefly. Now however we are attending and Assembly of God on Saturday night and an Evangelical church on Sundays.

With all that church background I have managed to sort out what is really important to me and my walk with the Lord. It isn't a certain kind of music, or a particular translation of the Bible or even the way a church is set up. Being a spiritual mutt, I have discovered what is the most important and that is HIM - everything else is just earthy trappings of religion.

Two Winners

Emily's Car: She won second place in the race for her age group.




Eva's Car: The artistic award was for all ages. She took fourth place in that. Although it is not clear in the photo the "crayons" tell the salvation story and the 3:16 stands for John 3:16 which says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life." rather than the number of crayons

Today was the Awana Grand Prix. I am not usually fond of this because of the way it was run at the Awana that we had gone to in the past. There was no classification by age etc. The youngest kids always won, because other than possibly picking the color they had nothing to do with it and just by looking you could tell that dad did all the work.


Add that to the general insanity of my house that is doubled at race time and I really don't care for the Grand Prix. It is tough enough to get the cars cut (which we didn't really do this year - just check out the pictures) and painted. Then Tom, being in the car industry, has to obsess and make one too - but his is always "special" and I just dread it.

This year things were different. The church where the girls are now attending Awana really seems to know what they were doing. They broke the kids down according to age and the races were much more fair because of it. We went for very simple designs because we missed the week where the kids could use the tools to cut them so we worked with just blocks.

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.