What's yours is mine, and what's mine is mine....

Don't we often times have that attitude when it comes with God and money? I know I'm guilty of it some times. Nick and I are in the middle of a 10 week Bible Study on how to Biblically handle your finances. It's certainly been an eye opener, and a convicting but at the same time, growing experience. Who knew God has given us so much direct guidance through His Word regarding our (really His) possessions. Did you know that there are more than 2300 bible verses regarding money/possessions? Gee, I wonder why? I think that he knew us stupid, self-serving humans would have an ongoing struggle with this issue. It encompasses so much of our lives. We need money to feed, dress, and shelter ourselves. Everything we seem to do "costs" something. What should we spend the money that God has given us on?

I have always heard the term "steward", but never bothered to learn exactly what that word means. A steward is defined as someone who manages the assets of the master. How are you managing your Master's assets? OUCH.

As if I didn't think about money enough already, I now think about every purchase I make - is this a God-pleasing purchase? Though, I must admit, that this awareness has been a blessing. I worry about money much less than I used to because I know He is going to always provide. If I'm faithful, He has also promised to be faithful.

Nick and now have a "game plan" to get out of debt completely (something previously unimagined). I thought that we were doing pretty good - we don't have credit card debt, or debt on furniture, a t.v., etc. All we have is the house, the car, and student loans (lots of student loans - ON Concordia, and on and on and on!). I learned that "Just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower is servant to the lender." Proverbs 22:7 If you think about it, it does make sense. Just think of how much I could do for God if I wasn't paying all this money to creditors?

Everyone needs to learn what God's plan is for managing finances. I think it's one of those things that people don't like to talk about - it's taboo. How dare you tell someone what they should be doing with "their" money! They can handle it perfectly fine on their own, thank you very much! But if we are going to truly turn our lives over to God, that includes our finances. A really cool dude named Martin Luther once said that to love God there must be "A conversion of the heart, the mind, and the purse."

The study has been amazing so far, and I encourage everyone to learn more about God's will regarding your finances. The things He asks of us are sometimes not the easiest, and the world often screams the opposite message in our face, but with Christ all things are possible.

Change, You've got to be kidding me!

Yeah, that was the title of our sermon this past Sunday. Isn't that how we feel most of the time? I know I do. Just when you have gotten into the swing of things, something else comes into the picture and throws a kink in the wheels. A couple our age that we have made friends with down here just told us Monday night that they are going to be moving to Michigan for a job promotion. Do you know how hard it is to make friends nowadays? While I am happy for them, it still makes me a little sad for me. You know, it's my selfish human nature rearing its ugly head once more. Then again I should be used to having my friends living at the four corners of the U.S.

But I digress, not all change is bad. One exciting change that is about to begin is changes to our house. We have been wanting to make some changes to our house - it needs a few improvements, that's for sure - but we really didn't know how to go about it all and what to do first. Of course, God being the giver of all good things and the supplier of every need (and a few wants, too) brought a wonderful lady into our lives to help us out. She is fabulous. She is going to help us get a "game plan" for our house, and work with our budget and our timeline. She has already come over to our house and met with us, and tomorrow, we get to go talk to her about choosing products and getting ready for the instillation. This weekend, Nick and I will begin scraping off our popcorn ceiling that has started to fall down. Fun fun fun! Hopefully it won't be too bad. We have to get the ceilings done before the new floors come in, and that should prove to be quite a task.

Anyway, I should get you some before pictures, and then some after photos when it's all said and done.

Moral of the story, not all change is bad, and we can rest assured that we have a Changeless God who works for the good of those who love Him. So we know He uses change to mold us and shape our character. How lucky are we that we should be called His children? Change! Let it begin with me.....

The Armadillo

Have you ever seen one of these repulsive creatures? Well I have, and I saw it last night about 5 feet from me. They are gross! So, it was bedtime, and time for Charles to come inside for the night. He seemed mesmorized by something in the bushes. I figured it was the neighbor cat again that likes to come over and play sometimes. But there was no meowing. And this "thing" kept moving.

So I do what any other damsel in distress would do. I screamed for Nick to come out there and rescue me. "There's something in the bushes!!!! Get out here!" Just grab the cat and come in he replys. There is no way I'm going out there not knowing what in the world is waiting for me. What if it were a skunk, and it was rabid, or it sprayed me?

Just then the "thing" emerged from the bushes. And behold, it was a nasty armadillo digging around the yard for his dinner. This thing is pretty big too. So I scream. Finally, this gets Nick's attention. He comes out and says, "Oh, it's just an armadillo." Just an armadillo!! This nasty thing is in our yard just feet away from us and the cat. Now, I know that these things are blind, and nocturnal by nature. Nick, armed with the BBQ grilling brush, claps his hands really loud and stomps his foot. Like a lightening bolt, this thing books it across our yard to it's apparent home under our shed in the back yard. ........Lovely. The horrid beast has made it's home inches from our porch. Great. How do I know this you say? I saw the nasty thing early one morning a couple of weeks ago rooting around our back yard. Plus it ran in a perfecly straight line right to the hole below our shed....like he'd been there a time or two.

So, does anyone know how to get rid of an armadillo?