Connecting With Old Friends

Somedays I just want to talk to old friends. Today I've talked to 4 of my old friends. I have known Amber since she was born, but I was just four months old when she was born. Although I do remember playing together when I was just 3 years old. I have lived with her and her family, and she is like a sister to me. She now lives in Tennessee, but we still see each other and talk throughout the year.

Bridgette lives in Hot Springs. She is married to a lawyer and works in the Garland County Prosecutor's Office. I have known of her since I was just a babe, but we have been close friends since we were about 12 years old. We have both married lawyers and work in the field of law. Who would have ever thought?!

I have two friends named April and I talked to both of them today. The first April I met in seventh grade. I moved to Lake Hamilton and she introduced herself and we've been friends ever since. She has adopted 5 children, and is an angel. She has blessed many children because of her big heart.

The second April is a couple of years younger than me and I've also known her since she was just a babe also. I haven't talked to her in a couple of years, but we reconnected tonight. She has recently become CFO of Farmers Bank in Magnolia Arkansas. She has a little boy that was born premature and I still remember holding him when he was as light as a feather. He is 5 now, and healthy as can be.

I have been very blessed to have lots of friends. Presently, Terry and I have some friends from our church who have decided to come and help us on our house, and they have been lifesavers. We actually have electricity now and we thought it was going to cost us $5,000.00. Good friends should be treasured and cared for. I've dealt with individuals who couldn't scrape up a single friend to support them in a divorce or in their time of need. I am so blessed that God has showered me with an abundance of friends. I actually talked to two other friends today that I see weekly. I talk to one friend everyday--sometimes multiple times. I love you all, and if you count me as a friend and haven't talked to me in a while--give me a call!

Baptism

A few weeks ago, I told you about Hannah asking Jesus to forgive her sins and be her Savior. Last Monday night on the way home from Bible Study, she asked me what Baptism was all about. I explained it to her, and she told me she'd been worried about it. She said that she felt like it was something that she needed to do. So Sunday she walked in front of the church and asked to be baptized. She will be baptized this coming Sunday. We will have lots of family there, and it promises to be an exciting day.

In other news, I still haven't actually gotten the check for my van yet. I am starting to get "antsy". She told me she would mail it on Friday. I am trying to be patient, but tomorrow it will be 5 weeks since I had my wreck. Normally these things go much quicker, and I would hate to have to find a lawyer to sic on them.

Finally!

In my last blog I said that I was supposed to learn on January 2 what I would be getting for my van. I'm glad I didn't hold my breath, because today is the day I learned. Thankfully, I get to keep my van and will get enough money to fix it.

We are also working on our house again, and after the many trials of 2007, I think that 2008 is looking better.

Hannah has decided she wants to be baptized. She is planning to go forward this Sunday. I guess we will see if she is still got her courage on Sunday. She was pretty sure of herself the other night. She wanted to be baptized, but was afraid she wasn't old enough. After I told her she was old enough--it was settled. I am so glad that she has such a soft heart. She wants to do the right thing. Like all of us, she doesn't always do it, but she has a good conscience.

I'm just glad that I can see better days ahead.

Happy New Year!

It's been many days since I've blogged--I've been hibernating. We always close the office from Christmas to New Year's and I always dread coming out of hibernation and back into the real world. I've hardly even been on the internet and haven't checked my email everyday. It's actually kind of nice to hide from the world every once in a while. Last night we went to the annual New Year's Eve singing at Mt. Tabor Community Church. We actually stayed to the bitter end--which was midnight. Normally Terry is in bed early on New Year's Eve, and it was nice to sing in the new year with friends and family. Hannah actually stayed awake for the entire evening, but she was ready for bed as soon as we got home.

I've spoken about my van, and that is a sore subject. The adjuster informed me last week (after I finally chased him down) that he was going to total my Van. I told him I wanted to keep it and he told me that I should learn the amount I will be getting tomorrow. I'm not holding my breath, because they haven't really done anything like they said yet. I didn't get a rental because they were going to charge me $13.00 a day to cover the full coverage insurance I do not have. I'm hoping things start looking up tomorrow.

So for the New Year, everyone is always making resolutions and vowing to change. My vow is to relax more and to let it go. Life is really about preparing for the hereafter and not about the stuff I can collect down here. I'm going to budget my money better, and serve God with more enthusiasm than ever.

I may also talk more about politics in the future, because I have become very convinced that based on the life of Jesus, those that have should share with those who have not. I know it's a very "democratic" idea, but I believe it is also biblical.

On that note, I will let you move on.

Thank You!

Today I got a call from the insurance adjuster and he told me that they are accepting liability and will be paying for the damage done to my vehicle. They will also pay for me to have a rental. I don't know what they thought I've been doing for the past 8 days. Regardless, I'm taking the rental for everyday that they will pay. Hopefully it's not a Geo Metro. I'm tired of being cramped in Andy's little car. It's really hard to get groceries or anything when Andy's trunk is full of dirty clothes and the inside is carrying us. The other day when we stopped, Hannah said, "finally! Now I can stretch my legs." I am very thankful to God that my van will get fixed! Merry Christmas to all!

God is Good--all the time!

Sometimes it seems that everything in life is against you. Your sink clogs up, you have a flat tire, your dryer quits working, and your dog runs away all in the same week. It's like God is tightening the screws, turning up the heat, and beating you into submission. I've had one of those weeks, and I don't know that I am passing the test. I've been grouchy today, and I keep thinking "why is everything going wrong?" "What is God trying to teach me?"

Yesterday, I dropped my daughter off at her piano lesson and was going to the bank. I was no more than a block from where I dropped Hannah off when a lady smashed into me. I have about $4,000.00 worth of damage to my van, and the lady did not have a proper driver's license, so there is a chance that her insurance will not pay. I was not hurt, and Hannah was not with me which was a good thing. This wasn't the first stressful thing that had happened this week, and I'm guessing it won't be the last thing this week either.

One thing God has been teaching me is that this life is not about me. God has a plan, and although he cares about the smallest aspects of my life, he also has a bigger plan than me. He's also been teaching me that life is not all about the here and now. I have a better day coming. There will be no more stressful jobs or hectic schedules. I won't have to be separated from loved ones. It's going to be one big fellowship dinner, and Jesus will be the guest of honor. Life is also not about the stuff I accumulate. Things are not important to God, and I don't need to be attached to the things of this world.

I know God will let His glory show in every circumstance of my life, I just have to rest in Him. It says in Matthew 11:6, "And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. " God has given me more than I deserve, and I pray that I will forever be grateful and never offended in the paths God leads me down.

Offended or Touchy?

It seems that today we are always so afraid to offend someone, and because of it we no longer say Merry Christmas, and Santa Claus cannot say "Ho, Ho, Ho". What is the matter with us. If someone says Happy Hannakuah to me, I would not be offended. I might say "Oh, it's Hannakuah, I did not know that." As a Christian, Christmas is my holiday that represents the birth of Christ. I haven't complained about Santa and his elves clouding my holiday. I also celebrate the season of giving that we have in December, because I am American and it has become an American holiday. I may choose to wish you a Merry Christmas and you are more than welcome to have a sad and depressing one instead. Don't fault me for mine though, for since Christ has come into my life, I plan to have a Merry Christmas. I pray that you will understand the meaning of Christmas someday.