Good weather

Ahhhh nice days in winter are so few and far apart. Ryan and I had to
stretch our legs a bit in the backyard this afternoon. Sorry I've been
slack on the blog, my computer is awaiting some parts (it broke on me
at the LAN party this weekend. )

Consider the Ravens

I am having a hard time starting this blog post off for some reason. I am a little nervous about putting something like this on the site just because it is a bit personal as far as my feelings and beliefs go. I actually sat down one day and wrote a short essay on how I felt about God's generosity and how he has taken care of me. I put it in a word doc and forgot all about it. It's been a few years and I was cleaning out my documents folder when I ran into it tonight. It was a nice surprise and if you have the patience to read it maybe it will refresh you and surprise you like it did me.

 

Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

This is a great scripture!  Basically it means, if you can be trusted with something small , you will be given more things to be responsible with.  This is a facet of life that most people either do not grasp or in my case just plain have a hard time with.

Why is this so hard?  What does it mean to me?  Both good questions.  It is hard to trust someone other than yourself.  Remember the old addage, If you want it done right, do it yourself?  That is pretty much how most of us feel.  Even if we profess faith in Christ we still want to run the show ourselves.  "Tithing 10% are you crazy?  Maybe if you don't want me to pay the rent!  Or better yet starve!". "Giving to the poor/homeless?  They need to get off their butts and get to work!" 

My promise to you is, if you give a little of your time and money, even if you don't think there is a chunk to break off.  And you give it up to the Lord Jesus Christ.  You will be blessed with MORE.  He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.  If you can give faithfully even a small amount you will be trusted with more. 

Have you ever heard someone say something like this? "If i won the Powerball I would do such great things with the money.  I'd give to charities, I'd help out my family, I'd help the poor"

They are missing the point!  You can do these things now.  Start small, do it quietly.  Know that you are being faithful to God and what he wants for your life and he will bless you!  Small steps, baby steps even.  Give a dollar a month to your local charity.  Hand the beggar at the intersection your spare change and tell him God Bless You!  It may seem small , but to God you might as well be giving a million dollars away. 

But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins,worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. Mark 12:42:43

The first steps of faith can be terrifying.  It's counterintuitive, it goes against what we may have been raised to believe.  The crazy thing is, it works!  It really works.  God will not let you down I promise you! 

"Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!" Luke 12:24

He is not going to let you starve or make you miss paying your bills.  I have seen amazing things happen.  When I was in my early 20's I was trying to figure out a budget.  I sat down with 2 of my friends at seperate occasions and had them help me put all of my assets and debits for the month on paper.  At that point I realized that with a tithe of 10% plus all of my bills I was going over budget 200 dollars a month before I even considered entertainment or even food!   Neither friend could see any alternatives to my plight.  It seemed like tithing would be impossible. 

Let me tell you this, I made it.  My money seemed to stretch.  Money would show up at the just the right time.  I'd get some overtime or a paid holiday would come around just when I needed it.  Someone who owed me money would pay me out of the blue.  I was blessed at every turn.  Not only did i have enough to pay my bills but what I had left over allowed me to go out and have a good time on the weekends.   

This is Good News!  God loves you!  Trust in him and the rewards will be many on earth and in heaven.

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:32-34

That's my girl

Jessi is on a roll! Our new baby must be Super creative because he's
certainly given Jessi the art bug!

Stickies and Fun times

Jessi is gone in New York for 3 days and doesn't come back to be until late tonight. In her honor I am putting up a couple of fun pictures just to help all of us who are missing her feel a little bit better.

Me and Dom hanging out

Fun times at Fun Run

Ummmmm I hope your face doesn't get stuck like that Christina ;)

Winter in February what the heck!

I have to laugh at myself sometimes...

Here it is we are barely into the second week of February and I'm looking outside in disbelief at snow.

It's Febraury for Pete's Sake of course it's supposed to snow.

But it was 70 degrees yesterday dang it! Booohoooo hoooo

Choo Choo

Well if you don't know Ryan's new obsession is Choo Choo Trains. He absolutely loves them. We have a big track and lots of trains to play with and he would watch Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends nonstop if we'd let him. If he spies anything that looks like a train he hollers CHOO CHOO as loud as he can.

I was tipped off that a fun place to bring kids on a nice day was English Landing Park in parkville. They also have a retaurant that is actually inside an old train car. The entire park is alongside some busy tracks so I thought it would be perfect for Ryan. He hadn't actually seen a train since he was little so off we went.

First we ate at Tommy T's. A nice little burger and dog spot with icecream and a great view of the train tracks.

We heard the very first whistle of a train in the distance and Ryan chimed right in, "Choo Choo!"

We played for hours. They have 2 great playgrounds right next to each other. One for toddlers and one for kids a bit older. Ryan climbed all over both and ran around in the dirt and leaves.

Finally Jessi fought through traffic and came to hang out with us after work. It was getting pretty windy so we left after 4 hours of fun at the park. Yay for nice days!

Cheese

Who doesn't like cheese with their fresh firehouse sub sandwich?