Lazy Days

Hey everyone! Sorry I have not been around once again for a few days. The Christmas season is always so busy it seems. Also with New Years right around the corner there is much to look forward to. With that said, my family and I had a wonderful Christmas. We got to spend time with family and see the kids go crazy over wrapping paper and boxes. Now that it is all over and things are begining to slow down it will soon be time to start back to normal schedule and work. So I am going to be taking some more time off from the Blog until after the first of the year. Thanks for everyone who reads the blog and I will see you soon. I am going to take some time to just be lazy and spend time with my wife and kids. Have a great week everyone!

Mary's Prayer

Today's Blog is not my writing. This is a chapter from God Came Near by Max Lucado.

GOD. O infant-God. Heaven’s fairest child. Conceived by the union of divine grace with
our disgrace. Sleep well.
Sleep well. Bask in the coolness of this night bright with diamonds. Sleep well, for the
heat of anger simmers nearby. Enjoy the silence of the crib, for the noise of confusion rumbles in
your future. Savor the sweet safety of my arms, for a day is soon coming when I cannot protect
you.
Rest well, tiny hands. For though you belong to a king, you will touch no satin, own no
gold. You will grasp no pen, guide no brush. No, your tiny hands are reserved for works more
precious:
to touch a leper’s open wound,
to wipe a widow’s weary tear,
to claw the ground of Gethsemane.
Your hands, so tiny, so white—clutched tonight in an infant’s fist. They aren’t destined to
hold a scepter nor wave from a palace balcony. They are reserved instead for a Roman spike that
will staple them to a Roman cross.
Sleep deeply, tiny eyes. Sleep while you can. For soon the blurriness will clear and you
will see the mess we have made of your world.
You will see our nakedness, for we cannot hide.
You will see our selfishness, for we cannot give.
You will see our pain, for we cannot heal.
O eyes that will see hell’s darkest pit and witness her ugly prince . . . sleep, please sleep;
sleep while you can.
Lie still, tiny mouth. Lie still, mouth from which eternity will speak.
Tiny tongue that will soon summon the dead, that will define grace, that will silence our
foolishness.
Rosebud lips—upon which ride a starborn kiss of forgiveness to those who believe you,
and of death to those who deny you—lie still.
And tiny feet cupped in the palm of my hand, rest. For many difficult steps lie ahead for
you.
Do you taste the dust of the trails you will travel?
Do you feel the cold seawater upon which you will walk?
Do you wrench at the invasion of the nail you will bear?
Do you fear the steep descent down the spiral staircase into Satan’s domain?
Rest, tiny feet. Rest today so that tomorrow you might walk with power. Rest. For
millions will follow in your steps.
And little heart . . . holy heart . . . pumping the blood of life through the universe: How
many times will we break you?
You’ll be torn by the thorns of our accusations.
You’ll be ravaged by the cancer of our sin.
You’ll be crushed under the weight of your own sorrow.
And you’ll be pierced by the spear of our rejection.
Yet in that piercing, in that ultimate ripping of muscle and membrane, in that final rush of
blood and water, you will find rest. Your hands will be freed, your eyes will see justice, your lips
will smile, and your feet will carry you home.
And there you’ll rest again this time in the embrace of your Father.

Time Spent

If you were to ask most people; what is the most valuable thing they can offer? My guess is that the answer you would get would be Time. Why is time so valuable? Time is so valuable to man that we created a way to keep up with how much time there is in a day. This is yet another way for us to keep up with how valuable this unseen commodity is to us. Again though I bet if you asked a group of people, how much free time do you have? My guess again would be not a single one would have time to spare. We spend time faster than we spend money. There is no saving up of time, as a matter of fact we invent things like time management just so we can try and save a little bit of time. In the end though we still do not have any time left over. Then what do we do? We look towards time when we think we will have time, like days off or we might even take a vacation because we think we can have more time. The truth is no matter what we do to try and add more time to our lives and our days it is always going to come up short. Another truth is that we try and justify all this time we use up by saying things like, I am working towards a better future so I work late, long hours, I want my kids to have a full life so we have them involved in recreational activities or we say when I get to where I want to be financially and the kids get a little older I will have more time for other things. The truth sadly those days never come and you wake up and life has passed you by and those around you are always to busy to have any time for you either. I do not think that we were to ever measure time as minutely as we do today. I think James says it well "13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”(James 4:13-15). It is good we work for all this time and put effort out to makes better lives financially for our loved ones, but we are only here for such a small amount of time. If we turn our focus on God, I am betting that those late hours and the things we fill our days up with will seem so unimportant and those that are waiting on us will be much happier in life because you were there. What legacy will you leave behind to the ones that look up to and love you?

Vacation

Today is the first day of my two week vacation. I am very excited for the time off and the rest that hopefully I will experience. I think that we can all say that we look forward to vacation time. Whether we are going somewhere or just staying at home, there is always excitement leading up to the days of vacation. There is another type of vacation that we can experience each and every day. This vacation comes with the promise that our savior offers us; 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”(Matthew 11:28-30). Most of the time this is the exact reason that we take a vacation we are tired, stressed and wore out from life itself. Even though a vacation or two a year is very nice and lots of fun, is it not wonderful to know that the stresses of everyday, the exhaustion of the long work week and the weariness that it brings can be lifted from us in just a moment. All we have to do is come to Him. When was the last time you took a vacation in the savior’s arms?

The gift of life

Today there should be a new life in our family. My brother and his girlfriend are having a baby today. It is in times like these that we get to experience one of the greatest miracles that God has to offer us. There are few things as amazing as a new born baby, they even smell new. Their skin is delicate and soft their eyes and ears cannot see or hear very. In truth they have to be cared for in everything, left alone they would not survive. Much the same as the new life that is given to us through Christ. When we are born again through Christ we are a new creation and we have much the same lack of abilities as a new born baby. We do not understand the new world around us, our eyes have been opened but they are weak and new and we do not know how to take care of ourselves. The only thing we know is that we need nutrients and we must depend on others to help us get that nutrient. As we get a little older in our Christian life we start to venture out on our own at times and often we forget where we receive the nutrients that we need. As most children do we learn to venture out on our own and while this is good to a degree we never need to forget who and what feeds us. Keep your eye on Christ and you will have all the strength you need.

The Dark

There are many nights when I hear the infamous cry of my daughter. She wakes up crying scared and alone, a pretty scary place to be. Think about the dark for a minute, the dark is cold, it secludes you, and it is well dark you cannot see and you get that feeling of being lost. This is scary even to an adult, it is also easy for me to remember when I was a child and I would wake up in the dark of night and be scared. I would begin to call for my Dad and would usually continue until he or my mother would arrive. Just the same way my daughter does when I arrive, she stops cry and wraps her arms around me and holds on tight. At the very minute that I pick her up she knows that she is safe and no harm can come to her. Although there is no real danger in our home the dark and the noises of the silence keep a young child's imagination running. However there are many of us adults that are wondering around in the dark afraid and very alone. We are screaming and searching but we are not able to see any light near or far, we are lost. We find something that gives us a minute of security but soon find out that it is a false security and once again we are scared and searching. We as Christians do this often search for things to fill us and make us feel better. Sometimes we even hurt others in our search for our light and happiness. How often we forget that God sent a light into the world. All we have to do is call out Daddy and he comes for us. He lifts us up in his arms and holds us tight, wipes away all our tears and calms our fears. The world is a dark and lonely place but it does not have to be all we have to do is call out His name and the light will shine. ^12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying,  "I am the light of the world. He who ^jfollows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."(John 8:12)

Random Acts

I find it amazing when someone does something kind and unexpected that we are in awe. You know what I mean, for example when someone lets you go in front of them at the grocery store or someone does something that is in your favor but might have been a lose for them. We always sit back and think to ourselves, wow that was very kind of them. How many times have you been the recipient of one of the acts of kindness? Better yet how often are you the one performing the act of kindness? The best thing about these random acts is that when they are done no one is trying to brag about what they did for someone. The person who received the act usually goes away amazed that someone did something so kind, but the real blessing comes to the person who did it with a humble heart. When was the last time you performed an act of kindness? It does not matter what is going on in your life right now, I promise if you perform an act of kindness for someone and do it with a humble heart the blessing you will receive in return will overfill your heart with joy. We should not be amazed when someone does one of the acts this should be the norm. If everyone would do just one act of kindness our world would change, and that one random act begins with you.

Unexpected Love

There are times in life when we all experience an overpowering of love. This comes in many forms and in many ways. Sometimes it comes as a gift other times it comes as a touch or a phone call. They also seem to be awe moments in life. For instance, take something simple like a grand view of snow topped mountains or those miles of green fields with the coming of the morning sun causing the dew to glisten. You think to yourself wow; that is so beautiful. You want to know something better? It was made just for you! God painted the skies, the land and even the little spots on the lady bug just for you to enjoy and to see you smile. He spent all that time creating to show you how much he loves you. Unexpected; that is the very thing God specializes in when showing His love. Think for a moment about the point in time that God decided to show the world how much He loved them all. The world was in dire need of God's love. Israel was hurting and suffering, Rome was expanding their empire and tyranny, and a king so feared the loss of his throne to a new king that he had babies killed. The world was hurting and God was saying I love you and let me show you how much I do love the world. The gift; a child born wrapped in death clothes and put in a feeding troth, here the King of the Universe here on Earth. The problem with all this love God was giving? Much the same as it is today, just as many on that divine night missed the birth announcement that had been made years before and was written in the heavens, so we miss the love God has for us. I am not just talking about missing Jesus, although that is a great loss if you do miss the savior. I am talking about missing God's love. He shows this to you every day as all of creation announces his divine glory. However there are moments when he reaches out a touches you with His love and in that moment it is all for you. Has life become too much for you to bear? Get ready because God is about to show you His love and it is all just for you. Jesus tells us just how much God loves us here in this verse, Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? (Luke 12:24).

 

Hello

To everyone who reads my blog. I am sorry I have been out the last several days. I was very sick for a while and my internet has been out the last few days. I will be returning with new post tomorrow. Please continue to check here each day.

The Sick

Sorry I missed yesterday on the blog, I have been sick and still am. Since I am sick it got me thinking about the sicknesses that humans have. Everyone has been sick at one time or another, so we all know what it feels like. There are other sicknesses though and they are the ones that attack your very spirit. For some it is stress in their lives they stress so much not even realizing what they are doing. Then you often hear them complain about how they feel sick, tired, or over used. Not only does this affect your body but it harms your spirit. There is still yet another sickness; the one Jesus came to heal us from, the sickness of sin. Sin infects our lives and our souls and seeks out to destroy us.“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”(Matthew 9:12-13)When Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees at the time he was telling them why he chose to be with the sick, tax collectors, and those the Pharisees deemed unworthy. The very people Jesus surrounded himself with were people just like you and me. He knows how sin can infect us and he tells us that he can heal that sickness if we just come to Him. Is there something that you need to bring to Jesus to heal, do you have a sin that has been haunting you for so long that you have become sick. Jesus is waiting for you to bring your sickness to Him so that you may be healed.

I'm Human too

As we keep moving forward towards Christmas I mind sets often think upon Jesus. Our thoughts are often about God's gift to us. How God cross the distance of heaven to earth to send His son. We see Jesus and the divinity that represents. How often though we forget about Mary. Oh sure, we see her as Jesus' mother, but we forget she had an important role also. First she must have been some kind of woman for God to choose her, second she was human. This is the part that really stands out to me about Jesus. He was human too. Now there is something I can understand. This means that he had some of the same struggles I do, like hunger, being tired and struggle with temptation. God made flesh. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,(John 1:14). We serve a God that knows what it is to be the creator of the universe and at the same time knows what it is to be a man. I love the song by Aaron and Jeffery "Promise Me" It's hard to imagine that I've been there too I've felt the passion burning in you Every temptation, oh, I understand Your savior knows what it is to be a man. I believe that Jesus says to us promise me that you will remember that I was human and turn to me, because I can guide you through.

Have a great weekend everyone! I will see you again on Monday.

I'm Thirsty!

Now there is a line that I have heard and said many times. The next question is usually, what do you want? I usually have to go through a nice little song and dance routine with my daughter when she says "I'm thirsty." She never knows what she really wants, while all the time I know exactly what she needs. The problem is showing her that what I am presenting her is what she really wants. Does this sound familiar? I bet it does. We come to God and say Father I really need some help can you come with me and help. Is it not funny how somehow or another we end up treating Him much the same way my daughter treats me when she is thirsty. God says hey you told me you needed my help and I am here to help you. What we fail to realize is that He also knows what is best for us too. He knows how to fill our thirst. The Psalmist tell us in (Psalm 23:5)You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil;My cup runs over. In (John 4:13)13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” Time and time again God knows just what we need, but for some reason we keep refusing what he offers. God loves to hear us say "I'm Thirsty", this is how He wants us to come to Him, thirsting for Him.

What Law?

I often get frustrated when people say God is going to punish you because you did not follow His law. I encourage you to please listen closely to me in what I say this morning. My question; why do you keep trying to live under the old law? Why do you try and mix it in with the new covenant? First, when Jesus died on the cross, the old law was destroyed. Yes that means the 10 commandments. I know what you are thinking now. How can he say such a thing? The law was set in place to guide us to Jesus. Sure it is a good moral code, but honestly there is a lot of things out there that are good moral programs that will help you become a better person. Jesus is different. He does not just make you a better person He frees you from the law. Look at what He has to say about the law "“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. (Matthew 5:21-22)" Jesus says you want to follow the law ok then, let me tell you what the law really says. Then he tells us that even if we are angry with someone that it is the same as murder in God's eyes. None can live up to that standard. Here is a quote from Andrew Farley "When I am feeling distant from God, it is because I have measured myself and have come up short. This leads me to believe that God must be measuring me by this same standard. So I end up with the false conclusion that he's distant from me."
Now how many times have you felt like this? I tell you any emotional attempt to measure yourself is an ill conceived human emotion. The scripture is clear on how we are to get close to God. Through Jesus, that is it you are not going to get any closer. Please do not confuse what I am saying with you are able to do what you want. No we are to be imitators of Jesus, not imitators of a law that He has removed. If you try and measure yourself by the law or what you do, you will always keep coming up short. Live under the new covenant with Jesus and enjoy the new with the Holy Spirit and God's grace. Jesus says in John 10:10 (I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.)
Want to talk to me more about this e-mail me. fantomboo@hughes.net

The Gift.

I can remember as a child getting lots of wonderful gifts for Christmas. Oh I got all kinds of things, remote control cars, action figures, cd players, a TV and cloths. But if you were to ask me what the best gift I ever got for Christmas was. I would have to say time. Oh, I did not know that it was the nest gift I was receiving then as a child. I was like any other child "show me the toys!" Looking back though, it was the time; the time that someone took of themselves to give to me, to think enough of me to give of themselves. You might say well your parents have to give you Christmas gift. Do they? No, I can remember my mother doing extra things just so we would have just a little for Christmas. Again, time spent on me. I could see my grandfather every holiday making time to talk to each member of the family. Such wonderful memories made with others time. It is the same for God; He took the time to cross the vast distance from heaven to earth. Just so he could have time with you. Make time for someone this Christmas, you do not have to buy them a gift or lavish them with things. All they really want is a little of your time. Give that someone you have not talk to in a while a call. Take a friend to lunch. Find a needy family or child and meet there need as you can. Maybe it is that you need to spend some time with the creator and rest in His loving arms. I promise you that giving a little of your so called busy time, that you will not be disappointed.

Be Humble.

I heard this in service on Sunday and thought that it was good. Then this morning I read it in my devotional and thought whoa, maybe I should share this. The verse is 1Peter 5:6-7 (6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.) This verse says so much to us. First it tells us to humble ourselves UNDER the mighty had of God. How are you going to be under the hand of God. Well, by getting as close to the throne of God, so that you are under his hand. This will surely be uncomfortable for you at times and at times you may want to sit up so you can be more comfortable. But, listen to the promise that is made to us next if we remain under the hand of God. It says "that He may exalt you in due time", this is the first promise made to us for being under the hand of God. This means he has great things waiting for us and he is going to show you great things for your obedience. The second promise made to us is "cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." This is an awesome statement and promise. Cast you cares upon the Lord. Tell Him your hurt your needs and your pain. Tell Him about the terrible day you had, and how you want to hide form the world. Why, you ask? Well because like a good father He cares and loves us. That is the second promise in these verses. This tells us that He cares for us, and what do you do for someone you care for; you protect them. Satan is always on the prowl looking for someone to devour, it says so in (1Peter 5:8). So, humble yourself before God, so that he may show you His love and the power of His protection. When was the last time you got on your knees and cried to the Lord, thanking Him for your blessings and casting your cares upon Him? He is always on His throne and we are always welcome in His court.

Already!

Well the season is upon us once again. There is only 25 days until Christmas. I know, some of you are saying please do not say that I still have so much to do before Christmas is here. Well to me the Christmas season is my favorite time of the year. No! It is not because of presents. One reason is that people just seem to be happier and they seem to be full of more joy. You see people doing things for others during this time of the year that you do not see them do any other time. People seem to walk around with bigger smiles on their faces, and more cheer in their voices. I believe that people are without knowing it, filled more with God’s love. By just celebrating the holiday time you are acknowledging Christ. Oh some will say no, but the truth is we would not even have this season if it were not for Christ. So no matter how hard anyone tries you cannot take Christ out of Christmas. Here is a quote from Archie Bunker that has always given me a good laugh. "All over the world they celebrate the birth of that baby, and everybody gets time off from work. Now if that ain’t proof that he’s the Son of God, then nothing is." Although time off from work should not be your focus, Archie has a really great point. So in your shopping and hustle and bustle around, stop and think on the gift that was given for all of us: a little babe that would take on the sins of the world. In John 10:10 Christ tells us (I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.) We get a very good glimpse of this during the Christmas season. He changes the hearts of people all over the world during this time, without most even know He has. That is power.

Do you hear me?

I often think that sometimes God just does not hear my prayers. I pray and pray and yet there is still no answer. I am betting that many of you have been there at one time or another. The feeling that your prayers are just bouncing off the ceiling. This is a common thing in the life of the believer. Sometimes there is a sin in our lives that is hindering our prayer. Maybe we are asking for the wrong things, as in selfish things. I am no expert on prayer but I do know that the bible has an aweful lot to say about it. In James 5:16 we are told (fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.) We are told in Hebrews 4:16 (16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.)I think the most important thing to remember is that God hears us, we are his children and you would never ignore the child you love. Keep in mind that though you feel your prayer is not answered that maybe it is just not being answered how you would think it would be. God's power is vast and something we can not understand. Remember God is good all the time. All the time God is good.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope everyone has a wonderful time with family and friends today. Be thankful for what you have no matter how small it is. Be careful in your travels today. Oh and most of all eat as much good food as you can.

Beauty in Death

By the title of this blog you are probably thinking that I have lost my mind. But I ask you to bear with me and read on. As I sit here looking out the window of my office, I see all the leaves that have fallen, which means I have work to do in the yard. As I look at all this work I have to do now, thanks to all the trees in my yard, I look up a little and I see the beautiful changing colors in the leaves. Once again I am reminded of Gods glory. That even in the mist of everything dying, that he shows his wonder and beauty. There are few things as pleasing to the eye as the changing of the leaves; you see so many vivid colors. As my nephew would say when he was younger, "God has his crayons out". This also brings another thought to mind though. How do you approach the ugly, hard and dying things in your lives? Do you look down and think oh my how much work is this going to be, how hard this is going to be to get through. Or, do you stop and look up just a little and allow God to show you his glory. There is beauty in all things even in the death of things around you. It only changes by the perspective you are looking at it with.
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
(Psalm 27:4-5)

Little Things

How often we get wrapped up in having the biggest and the best. How often we fill our hearts will so many "big things" that there is no room left for the little ones. We as a nation focus on having better, better jobs, better cars, more money, or bigger house. Now do not get me wrong it is great that we have a mind to better ourselves, the problem is that along the way we often forget about the little things. We often think that if we just had a better car, things would be ok or if I had more money then I could take more time off. Pay more attention to the little things in your life, you want a better marriage? Take a little time and listen to your spouse. You want better children? Spend a little time with them each day. You want a better life? Spend a little more time on your knees. Remember what Jesus said in (Luke 12:34) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Where are you storing your treasure? Is it in work? Is it in your recreation time? Maybe it is somewhere else. There are those that are waiting for you to start storing little things with them.

Laughter !

Laughter, happiness expressed. How often we forget to express happiness in our daily lives. We get so focused on the things that are wrong with our lives that we forget about the happy things. Maybe it is that some of us take everything to serious and believe that laughter is only for children and the immature. Well it is not! Sure there is a time for serious talk and acting, but far too often we get trapped and forget to laugh. Proverbs 17:22 says "A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones." So do you have a merry heart? It is a proven fact that laughter is good for you. Laughter relieves stress and relaxes your body. Maybe the reason you are always feeling so terrible is because you have forgotten how to laugh. I encourage you sometime today to laugh about something even if it brings strange looks from others, remember laughter can be contagious.

November 6th, 2009

There has been so much going on that last few months and I have been horrible about keeping up with the posting here. I do hope to start doing much better in the future. Just an update on everyone, Ruth Ann is doing great along with Jordyn and Zooey and Zachary. Zooey is all over the palce now and into everything she can get her hands on. Both Ruth Ann and I have been in school this semester and that has taken up a part of our time.
We had a busy summer cleaning up around the new house. We spent two weekends in September painting and repairing and replaceing. It is all coming together good just going to take some time and money. I will post pictures later.
On to the new edition to our family. As you have probably noticed from the picture we got us a new dog.He is a Great Dane and is almost eight weeks old andhe weights almost 12 lbs LOL. Anyways his name is Ramesses and we are very happy to have him.
Well I hope everyone has a great Friday and a great weekend. I will be busy raking leaves and buring yeah for me. That is if this cold will go away.

Summer Update

Well the summer is almost over and school is about to start. It is amazing how fast the summers go by, not just summer but time itself. So here are a few updates that have happened over the summer. This could turn into a long post so be prepared to read on a bit.

First off, Zooey is now seven months old, and growing fast. She is now sitting up and appears to be trying to crawl. She is a very happy baby and is always laughing or playing, except when she is wanting something that she can't have, or is hungry.

Then there is Jordyn, yes the wild happy go lucky child, that paints the world as her own. Jordyn is now 100% potty trained and she did very well with the training. She is growing like a weed and has a very expansive vocabulary. So she is doing well and being a great little girl.

Then there is Zach, he is doing well and learning the great ways of growing up and becoming a teen. We are very excited for him in the journey that he is about to embark on over the next few years.

One of the biggest things that happened this summer is us moving into our new home. This has been very exciting for all of us. We have had to make a few adjustments in the move but nothing to serious. One thing that we have had to adjust to is having slower internet. Now this might not seem like a big deal to some, but to someone who works in technology that spends a great deal of time on the computer in work and for school it can be a bit frustrating. Don't get me wrong it is tons better than dial-up but irritating none the less. One other thing is the fact that our cell phone signal really sucks in the house, it is like I have to perform circus tricks to even get a signal, on the upside of that though I don't get many calls. Another thing is the drive into work every day. Instead of the short one mile drive I get a seventeen mile drive, which I actually enjoy now that I have been doing the drive. This gives me time to get my thoughts together for the day, and has given me a great opportunity to listen to my audio books. The biggest thing that has been more frustrating and irritating than anything is the some of the relationship strains that it has caused. There are tons of things that we do love about the new house. One being that is it new! The others are that it is in the country and it is so quiet and no one bothers you way out there. I do not have to listen to the booms in the night of some kids driving around, blaring his radio. We are closer to some of our family which has been nice. All in all we love the new house.

Aliens?

Are they there?

I read this article Here about a scientist that thinks an Alien saved earth from a meteor falling to earth. He is taking a lot of criticism on this topic, some even calling him crazy. My question is why is it that we can accept God, or evolution neither of which can be proven beyond a doubt. Both taking faith in what is seen or known. But we are shallow enough to believe that we are the only intelligent beings in the entire universe? Really? We think this. Now why an Alien would save earth who knows, and it may be the ramblings of a man who needs some attention. I do not think he is crazy though. I mean honestly when you say something is an act of God or that God did something, can scientist not turn around and explain it away in some scientific way? Even when creation is threatened by science we defend God in the matter. But have you even seen either? Or is it by denying that there might be other life forms out there makes us feel safer?

After A Long Weekend

Long Weekends

It is always nice to have a long holiday weekend. The problem with long holiday weekends, is that you do have to return from them. Thus, making a hard first day back. I hate Tuesdays as Mondays there always seems to be a back up of everything. On top of that I am tired from doing nothing or playing to hard over the long holiday. Ah, but how nice it is to enjoy all that time with your family and friends. So, is it worth all the trouble you have to go through once you get back to work? You bet!! I do hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend. I also hope that you remembered to thank someone in the armed forces for the freedoms we have.

Zooey Update

Zooey went to the Doctor today. She is now 4 and 1/2 months old! Hard to beleive it is going so fast. She is weighting in at 12lbs 3oz, 23 1/4 in. long. She is growing well and good. She got shots again today, so she is a litle touchy this evening. On other notes about Zooey, she is rolling over and making lots of sounds. Funny story about Zooey finding her voice. Ruth Ann and I went to see Star Trek on opening night, and Zooey went with us. It is so nice when they are this young and you don't have to chase them around. Anyways right as the show was starting she started making the sounds, at first we thought she was upset, but this was not it. She was laughing and screaming and she thought it was great! I guess I am going to have myself a partner in my Sci-fi watching. Well, everything is good with her that is the most important part of it all. Remember you can always see up to date photos of Zooey and the other kids at our Website.

The Tarnsman of Gor
This book is by John Norman's Gor Series. It is the first of 28 books. The story takes place on a planet that is opposite of Earth, never able to be seen by Earth. The main characters name is Tarl Cabot. He is brought to the planet Gor by his father. He is trained in the knowledge of Gor and the warrior code. He is then sent out to sabotage the city of Ar, arch enemy of Ko-ro-ba Tarl's home city. In his quest to sabotage Ar, he meets the daughter of the Ubar of Ar. He soon falls in love with her, and is forced to go through some challenges. The plot is easy and fast paced and interesting. This is a book that can be hard for some to swallow, because of the women slavery in the book. All in all this is a fun read with an interesting plot. It is primary good vs. evil where good wins out for the most part. So take the time to read this I do not think you will be disappointed. Tarnsman of Gor is a shot book only 219 pages, so even if you do not end up liking it you have not wasted much time. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

What is this guy doing.

OK this guy's name is Pastor Steven Anderson. You can look this guy up on YouTube. This guy I think has lost his mind. He is a pastor at a church in Arizona and has many videos on youtube. Each one of these videos he gets a little crazy in them. Now I know that this guy is not the majority for Christians out there but he is not doing Christians any help I don't think. Take some time out and view what this is telling people. Come back and tell me what you think about it. Now I am a Christian and I am not claiming to have all the answers, understand it all, or be perfect; but this guy is taking it to the next level I think. The scary part is not that he is saying and doing these things, the scary part is there is a congregation sitting out there listening to him. It is guys like this that make me and others turn a deaf ear to those who start to preach to us. It is no wonder that a recent poll shows that Americans in general are declining in the number of people who are saying they believe in God. You can see the write up on that poll here. I do not know where we as a people and a nation are headed but something is going very very wrong. Tell me what you think.

Zooey Update

Hey everyone, just throwing out an update about Zooey. She went and had her two month check up last week, and she is now 9 lbs and 12 oz, 20 1/2 inches long and growing well. She is starting to smile and make those little cooing sounds. Likes to be held a lot and lets you know when she is really unhappy. Well just a quick update. Want to see more of Zooey then visit our website.

Mistborn

Guys, this is a great book to add to your collection of reading. I found Mistborn and Brandon Sanderson through the forums at Dragonmount since he is writing the last book in the Wheel of Time series. I have to say this guy is an amazing writer, that will keep you wanting more. So a little bit about the Mistborn series. There are three books in the series; Mistborn, The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of the Ages. I have only read the first two books, and I am currently working on the last book. Amazing is how I explain it. The books are a kind of heist / fantasy genre. The book mainly revolve around a girl named Vin and a crew of thieves / con-artist. Basically they are fighting for the betterment of their land and for the people without even realizing what they are doing till they are doing it. The magic system in the books is very interesting and unique. The books will keep you on the edge of your seat reading to see what is going to happen next. With a lot of good unexpected twist. Just when you think you have an idea where things are going and how they are going to work out BAMM! you get hit with a surprise. I guarantee you will not be disappointed in the time you spend reading these books.

Test Test Test

This is a test to see how this is going to work!