Fire Fire Fire....

Psalm 37:23 NLT

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.

Last september I had an epiphany. and it all started with one sentence. It's amazing to look back on an entire year and think about how your whole life has changed.Changed because of one moment, one event, or in my case one comment. Think about it now. How is your life different now, and what was that defining moment that put you on this path?... Although I found out last year that Alyssa was pregnant, which is definitely a life changing moment, that is not what I am talking about...this time...

My Gas savings bucket list...

So Since the gas drama is in full swing, I thought I would put my own handy little list together (serious and not so serious) to get in the spirit of frugality. Maybe we can help each other out.   Putting gas in your car is a necessity in life. To get to the places we need to go we need cars and unfortunately cars need gas. As you drive around, those precious droplets of liquid gold are slowly (for some not quite slow enough) disintegrated into oblivion. They're gone, never to be seen or heard from again. That is, unless you have an exhaust leak. In which case ROLL those windows down! CO is not good for you!! 

Now unless you are willing to move out to a rural area and buy yourself a horse and buggy (horses have a different kind of exhaust, but we won't get into that) and work toward your goal of self sufficiency (as well as exclusiveness), then we must learn to cope. We can't just sit by and reminisce about the days when gas was only 40 cents and a gallon of milk wasn't infused with steroids (supposedly)! We can't just live the same way as if it might go back to "normal". I have news for you... Now is the new normal, so buckle up and get used to it. 

We have to be pro active. For those of you, like myself, that are spur-of-the-moment- never-think-ahead type people, this will be more of a challenge. 

Here is my list of things we could do, might already do, or probably never would even want to do.!..

Who's your Daddy...

Before Julian (my Son) was born all the fathers that I talked to told me that it would be the greatest experience of my life. I didn't know what to think and to be honest I didn't feel much of anything... Yet.

It was a freezing cold dreary morning. I got out of bed and went through my normal routine. I was unusually awake and although I knew that at any moment Alyssa could tell me "it's time" I didn't think much of it. I started my normal work routine and was listening to some songs on my phone through my radio. The song turned off and I thought it was strange but kept working. I then Heard the ringing of the company phone over the loud speaker...

Looking ahead...

It's hard to remember what exactly you were doing at any given moment in the past. Unless of course it's not... There are those times I remember exactly what I was doing. I was sitting on my couch exactly 4 years ago tonight trying to convince Rachael that my plan was a good one.

You see, she told me she wanted me to make some pictures in the house out of wood. I thought I could do it out of poster board and markers. She wasn't convinced...

Tv, tv, or tv...

I was listening to the radio the other day and heard something interesting. The broadcasters were talking about a show that they were watching and how awful it was and subsequently, what they ended up watching instead. They posed the question "what did you watch instead?" 

Caller after caller talked about the useless things they flipped the channel to. It begged the question inside of me, Why not just turn the tv off? I have to wonder how many people just watched any useless thing because they were already there in front of... What else but their Tv.

I am guilty of it too. Once the tv is on there are so many choices to waste your time watching(even without cable). I have at times, got caught up with watching something I really didn't  want to just because there was nothing else on at that time. I know now and even then that I could have done something far more productive, but I got sucked in. Of course I'm talking about Tv here, but we all have our vices. I can waste an entire day online, gaming, facebook whatever it is... and never really do the things that really matter. I am not trying to say these things are wrong. In the words of Paul, "everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial".
 The bible tells me to seek first the kingdom of God but most times I don't even choose to seek him last. I instead choose not at all.
 What Are your choices today?
 Is it tv, tv, or tv? If your so busy you don't have time for God but plenty of time for all these other things, then it is time to re-evaluate your choices, then... Choose Christ! 

"If it means so much to you that you would be crushed without it, then it's an idol"...
Crush it! 

No car+no money=gift

I had the privilege at one point in my life to have a car given to me. It was a Gold and rusted pontiac sunbird(Imagine all that beauty). It was basically a car that no one would ever want... That is, unless you had no car. When you have no car, even the ugliest one on the road is the greatest thing in the world. You can go to work and make money so you can fix it when it eventually breaks (yea it will). The windows probably wont work and the air, air whats that! Your lucky if the heat works. I guess I can say that i have been there. I know how it feels to only have one car. I know how it feels when that car breaks and the desperate feeling you get hoping that it isn't a major problem. I have also had the opportunity to give a car away and help pay for another. What makes it more amazing for me is that I know how it feels to get that (busted) car that you couldn't live without. Well you could live, you would just be a lot thinner from walking everywhere.
So an amazing thing happened. I had some...

old T-shirt, new perspective...

I have in my closet some older clothing. It is not so old that you could take it out and think "Why did I ever wear this?". Those outfits are long gone (thank God!). Just recently I told Alyssa about an old shirt I own. How I got it and the whole story. It wasn't anything special, But I still remember it and all because I can still hold it in my hands. Its funny how things in life bring you right back to a specific moment in time. It makes me wonder, "If I didn't still own that shirt, Would I ever remember that day when I bought it?" Not likely, It would be just another day that fell into the landscape of the past. A Mixture of memories flung together with all those fleeting moments, most likely never to be thought of again. In fact I can say with confidence that there was nothing noteable that would ever make me think of that day, except that I still own that shirt.

I am by nature a forgetful person... Just today, I stood up and walked into the other room to get my computer. As I walked back I wondered to myself "why did I even walk back there?" Thats me!(yea i don't know how I function either) Needless to say I am not alone. There must be so many all around the world that are just like me. We all at some point need to be reminded about things. Who would know this better than God? After-all he designed us this way. I came across this in my reading recently and it really made me think.

Numbers 15:37 God spoke to Moses:38 "Speak to the People of Israel. Tell them that from now on they are to make tassels on the corners of their garments and to mark each corner tassel with a blue thread.39 When you look at these tassels you'll remember and keep all the commandments of God, and not get distracted by everything you feel or see that seduces you into infidelities.40 The tassels will signal remembrance and observance of all my commandments, to live a holy life to God.

So I ran out right away and started sewing tassels to all my clothing... No I didn't (or did I). 

 It stopped me because God knows me so well. He knows that I will forget how great He is and has been to me. As I live my life there will be moments that I will never want to take for granted... but I will. There will be situations that will tear me off the path He has for me. There will be times when I think I am all alone and there is no hope. What will I do in those situations? Remember!

 I think its great that God blatantly says it right here. "Hey Moses, They are going to forget, I know it, so make them walk around with silly tassels. Then when someone asks or they ask themselves why their clothes look ridiculous. They can say, it's so I don't forget." Maybe this was the thinking behind the good old WWJD(We Want Jury Duty) bracelet. So what do I do to remind me to live a Holy life? I don't think I have anything as ridiculous as a tassel or bracelet. But it helps me to realize if I don't put it front and center it could end up in the back room, hidden behind an old workout machine(thats right hide those too so you be guilted into using them). These words are as true to me today as they were then to the Israelites. I'm probably going to forget, so Tassel me up (no not literally)... What is your tassel?