In this present world....

I remember a long time ago I was at a women's meeting and the speaker's whole devotion was on how people lived 100 years ago. I have since heard that used as an illustration many times in different settings and it has always drove me crazy. I guess it's one of my pet peeves, we all are allowed one or two. In Titus 2:12 the Bible says "Teaching us that denying ungodly and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world". God commands us to live in this present world. Today! With whats on T.V. today. With the way people dress today. I don't need to read a history book to find out how I should live , all I need is the Bible. Are things getting worse? No Doubt but the Word of God and the Holy Spirit are just as relevant today as it always has been. As wicked sinners our hearts will always bend toward evil if left unchecked. We will invent new ways of doing evil, take things that were meant for good and make them bad. Why? Because we are! We are all hopeless rebels bent on doing evil every minute of everyday without the constant help from the Lord. Maybe I'm just carnal, but I think its hard enough to stay straight today let alone looking back to history and add more don't to my list. The Lord is "gracious, full of compassion" Psalm 145:8 He also says "Be ye Holy as I am Holy" LEV. 11:44 We should strive our very best by staying in God's Word everyday, and fleeing those carnal lusts that drag us down to "live godly in this present world." --Lois

Tis so sweet....

Why is it so hard to trust the Lord? Why no matter how faithful He is yet we still doubt and fret. Like the child who gets the proverbial hand slapping over and over again we continue to reach into the cookie jar of doubt. Knowing there really aren't any cookies in that jar at all. I guess this has come to an acute head for me since the onset of or should I say the displacement of any regular or promised income. With only $125 a month of promised income and a very blank schedule for the next 4 months on the outside things look bleak. But that is where the exercise in faith really begins, and that is unfortunately where my weakness grows by leaps and bounds. I can look at the past and see that God has never let us down, never let a bill go unpaid. We may have not had all we would like,but we've never done without. I do believe I am starting to get a little understanding into the phrase "Give us this day our daily bread." Living from God's hand to our mouth is a challenge in faith, but with rich rewards that will prepare for greater things.

New Year, New Diet....not!

New diet, I probably should go on a diet, but will I? Probably not. We are gearing up for Elizabeth's 1st birthday this Saturday, and then leaving for Disney World Sunday. We are finishing 2 great weeks in North Carolina. Which included preaching at 2 of our favorite churches. Gospel Light in Newton and Tri-City in Forest City. It also included a sleep over at our good friends the Crows, and a 6am triple coupon run with Sarah. That was definitely the highlight of my week. I got $91 in groceries for $27. Sweet! It also included a expensive repair job on our truck, ouch!
We had a party at Bubba's on new years day that was a lot of fun. We probably should move up here eventually since we have so many friends here. Olivia loves it, she gets torn between her friends here and her beloved Nan in Alabama. I would love to live more central than Mobile, its far away from everything. So only the Lord knows what 2009 will bring. My hope and prayer is that above all it will bring me closer to Him and honor and glory to the Lord Jesus.

Only one life....

Only one life will soon be past, only whats done for Christ will last. That thought has run through my brain everyday this past week. We had two events that punctuated this epiphany. Its one of those mantra's that you say all the time but it really doesn't become an epiphany until something happens to concur it in your life. Last Friday a young adult lady in our church was killed in a tragic car accident. She was only 27, she had a husband and three year old daughter. Then Wednesday a 17 year old kid that used to be in our youth group just 2 years ago was arrested for murder. He shot someone seven times. One life gone, one life ruined, both lost. It just accentuates the preciousness of life, the fragility of life. How in in a few seconds everything can change. I thank God for his grace in my life and am thankful for every normal, tragedy free day I have.

Christmas Time

Oh how I love Christmas, what a wonderful time of year. My favorite Christmas verse is John 1:14 and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." What an astounding thought that the God of heaven would humble himself to come to this junk yard of a sin cursed world. I know that we should not leave the Saviour as a babe lying in the manger but nor should we forget what a humbling thing it was for him to put upon the robe of flesh in order to one day walk the Calvary road for us. That is what Christmas means to me. He came to dwell among us, the closest thing I can think in my mind to compare it to would be the President going to sleep under a bridge with homeless people just to identify with them. I know that is pathetic illustration, but you get the point. Merry Christmas!

Black Friday!
I love black Friday, its one of my favorite days of the year. Well actually this whole week was great starting this past weekend when mom kept MaryAnne and Olivia for us while we went to Pensacola. Great weekend, very relaxing and I got some scrap booking done. Then Tuesday was our Thanksgiving meal at church which is always delish. Our anniversary was Thursday and Buddy gave me the Henry Morris Defenders Bible. Pretty Sweet. My kids spent the night with his mom last night so we could get up at 3:00am to go shopping. Yes, we did. It did pay off with a free $15 gift card to Belk and some great deals. Although I didn't make it to Wal-Mart till 6:30am and everything I wanted there was gone. Poo! Needless to say I'm almost completely done with my Christmas shopping, besides a few gift cards. I pray the next few weeks go by fast. We don't leave again until December 27th. :(

Hard Drive Crash....Learning a lesson the heard way, as usual.

Last week on our trek home MaryAnne fell into Olivia's computer as a crazed fan into a mosh pit at a concert and desecrated the hard drive. We lost 6 weeks of Olivia's school work not to mention the 50-11 movies she had on there. How could she have been mosh pit diving in the back seat of the car you might ask? Well that was the lesson I had to learn, the $130 and 3 days of work way. Buddy told me to make sure she sits down when we are driving, her seat belt was malfunctioning so she couldn't be buckled up. I just blew off his admonishment and let her climb and jump and BLAMMO! There went the computer. So after apologizing to Buddy and my daughter and explain to her "even mommy needs to obey daddy." The situation is rectified. I am now humbled into the subjective state I am supposed to be in. Why do we only learn the hard way? Anyway we have been home for a week now and Buddy is working with my dad. He does not enjoy that but at least its work. We are headed to Pensacola to be at Smyrna Baptist Church for 3 days. That should be fun, although I hope MaryAnne's allergies and asthma doesn't flare up as they have been the last few days. Then Tuesday night is our annual eat yourself into a comma night at our home church which is always fun. Looking forward to that one. Then Thursday is our Anniversary and Friday is one of my favorite days of the year. Yes it's BLACK FRIDAY! Can't wait to post all the crazy deals I get.