Saturdays are for resting

This has been a terribly busy week. Our middle son, Andrew, made the Pee Wee All Star league after the regular season was over. The games started last Sunday, on Father's Day, and went through Thursday. We played every day! It was terribly hot, even at 6pm in the evening.

I am still waiting to hear from the coach about going to State competition. We were fourth in our league, so we shouldn't be going, but one of the teams backed out, and offered us a place to go. The coaches have been trying to build a team of 12, since some of our players are unable to go.

After such a busy week, I'm learning that it's ok to rest and not do much. That's what we are all supposed to do anyway, right? Take a Sabbath.

Also, I'm learning that my kids eat too much. Especially with them home for the summer! And, they fight too much too. I wish I could wave a magic wand and keep them from fighting.

Here is what I've learned over the last two weeks

Man, this has been one heck of a two week period! I have learned a few things.

I need to pray and let God lead when things get tense and I get stressed. I haven't been handling that well at all. Our printer at work had a $4,000 part burn up last week. We found out what was wrong on Monday and everything just snowballed wrong from there. We just got it fixed Wednesday of this week. Then, yesterday, it was giving me trouble, and I freaked out again. I've got to stop doing that. I just need to go with the flow and let God lead.

Death really doesn't have an age. Last Monday, on June 2nd, my daughter's 6th, birthday, a teenager here in Lee County was killed in a car accident. Two of his best friends where seriously injured. It has been hard on a lot of people. Sunday is Martha Anne's birthday too. She would have been 12 this year. Her parents are going out of town to get their minds off of it all. I can't even imagine how they must feel. Death isn't cool at all. However, there is hope when you are a Christ follower, you have a promise of seeing that loved one again in Heaven...so sometimes, that helps.

I've learned that heat can be very draining. My middle son is on the Pee Wee All Star Team and we've had practice pretty much every day for two weeks. It's REALLY hot already here in south GA. It seems to get hotter earlier each year. Being in the heat has made me really tired.

My brother in law and sister in law have sold their house, and were moving to Iowa, but now they don't know where they will move. I was upset about the whole thing, then started getting used to the idea. Since it snows there, my husband said that we could fly to see them just after Christmas. I've never even been in enough snow to make a snow man, so I was excited. Then, they said that Iowa wasn't the answer. So, I'm praying with them, that God will send them to where they can serve Him. No one but God knows where that is right now. I don't really want them to leave. Jenny has been like a sister to me for the last 16 years. I have two nieces who I adore that I wouldn't get to see but a couple of times a year.

My dad is loosing his hearing and has to get hearing aids. He's not even very old.... he's like 58 or so. His health has been bad for a few years now, but he still hangs on. I had a babysitter for the summer, but it didn't work out, and he's going to keep the kids. I hope he can handle it. They really enjoy being around him. He's taught all three of them how to play chess. They "call dibs" on who gets to play against him first! Can you imagine? Most kids aren't even interested in a hard game like chess. He taught them how to play last summer when he kept them some.

We've got an extremely busy weekend ahead of us! I have a wedding tomorrow, Rick and the kids will go to my Grandma's family reunion. Then we've got a birthday party at 3pm, if we make it. I wanted to go see Kung Fu Panda tomorrow afternoon. Then, on Father's Day, we play our fist All Star game, at 2pm. Middle of the heat of the day! That, of course, is after a morning of church. So, it's safe to say by Sunday night, I'll be crashing and tired.

So, I guess this is a update blog on things. I know it sounds like ramblings... oh well guess that's ok too, huh?

What are you doing this weekend?

Death has no age

I've been thinking alot lately about death. One of my favorite singers, Steven Curtis Chapman's 5 year old daughter was killed last week in a freak accident. One of my co-workers/friend's mother passed away last week. One of my close friends dreads this month because of death. I too, have a "death related" issue with this month. I also have some close friend's who's 11 year old daughter died last year, as well as a high school friend who's baby died the same day.

Death comes at any age. But you know what? It shouldn't be something we are afraid of. Even though death brings pain and makes us miss our loved ones, if we know Christ, we will be in heaven when we die. So, what's to be afraid of?

Jesus told the thief on the cross

Luke 23:43 (New International Version)

43Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Also:

Romans 6:9 (New International Version)

9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.

This is true for us too.... because one day I'll be walking on streets of gold....

Revelation 21:21 (King James Version)

21And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

Hope to see you there!!

Jehovah's Witnesses

Please know off the bat, I'm not writing this to offend anyone.

Saturday morning, some time before lunch, we had a knock at the door. The kids answered, I was putting clothes in the dryer. It just so happened, I had my Pointe t-shirt on that says, "These ARE my church clothes."

Anyway, my husband and I both have Pointe stickers on the back windows of our vehicles. They are white stickers with black tinted windows. You can't help but see them. Our logo says, " a united methodist congregation" on it.

So, this is what bugs me. Why did they come on up to the door? They walked right past my car, and HAD to have seen the sticker. It's just there, and can't be missed.

When I realized who they were, I waved my hand and politely said "We're methodist. I work at my church, no thank you." I honestly don't even care that I'm methodist. I'm actually a Christian first and foremost, a Christ follower.... anyway...

I think visiting homes is just wrong. You are invading people's privacy. Especially when they didn't give you their information.

If I've read it right, JW's think they have to work for their salvation which is why they knock on doors. The Bible clearly says,

Ephesians 2:8-9 (New International Version)

8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.

Do I need to tell people about Jesus? ABSOLUTELY! But do I need to knock on doors? I don't think so.

Being Thankful

I just finished reading S. Truett Cathy, the founder of Chic-Fil-A's book, "It's Better to Build Boys than mend men." This is a great book. You don't have to have boys to read it. It has a lot of advice that can be used with girls as well.

Here is the last part of the book that was a letter written by Mr. Cathy's friend Charlie "Tremendous" Jones to his grandson Sammy.

Thankful

Learning to be thankful covers it all. "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God concerning you in Christ." You may not always be sure of God's will. You may not always be sure you're doing God's will. But you can easily always BE His will by thanking Him for all things.

Your thankful spirit should go beyond THINGS, BLESSINGS, GIFTS, and HEALING. Every breath you breathe you will be filled with thankfulness when you realize Jesus Christ is your Blesses, Giver, and Healer. I encourage you to commit to memory A. B. Simpson's "Himself"

"Lord, we thank You for our food. But if we had none, we would thank you anyway. Because, Lord, we're not just thankful for what You give us. We are thankful most of all for the privilege of learning to be thankful."

There are thousands of other thoughts I would love to share with you, but I know God will be revealing them to your heart more wonderfully than any human tongue can tell. Remember:

* Learn to laugh at yourself.
* Learn to help others laugh.
* Learn to laugh when you are up.
* Learn to laugh when you are down.
* Learn to laugh.

Circumstances won't allow you to always be happy, but Jesus will help you look like you are.

I want this kind of thankfulness and happiness. What about you?

Needed to keep up....

I write blogs sometimes on my My Space page, but that only reaches a few folks. So I decided to go ahead and create a blog here. I already had an account, I just didn't blog with it.

I have had a rough week, but it's been much better than my co-workers. All of the executive staff here at my job have had a stomach virus. NOT COOL! Right now, you know what I'm thinking? "THANK GOD I"M NOT EXECUTIVE STAFF!!" LOL

Actually, God is using it, and He's blessed me by speaking to me about it and giving me a peace about it. I'm actually loving life right now. Things are good.