Friday morning I started to blog about how we are getting through these tough economical times, and ended up bringing up the past. Our life style has changed these last five years, and I think I needed to tell from whence we came to better understand our current mode of living. Basically, we are now truly living by faith. Before moving to Michigan we lived on Paul's salary very comfortably. Our daily needs were met through his monthly income. (Our spiritual needs were absolutely met through faith.) God has brought us to this point in our lives so we see that our TOTAL dependence must be on Him. We live day to day...we don't have stocks and bonds and savings and inheritances to fall back on. That is all gone. Slowly but surely everything was drained from our lives these past five years.
We now live in a much smaller home and with a much simpler life style. Going to church is our social life, our big outing for the week. Now and then we get a treat...a vacation, a conference to attend (at company expense), a program put on by some Christian organization. We don't have hobbies that cost us any money. We golf about twice a year, if the budget is flexible enough to fit that in. We make our clothes and shoes last. They are definitely not in the budget. We've cut out medical expenses, trusting God for good health.
Our monthly budget includes: our tithe (charitable giving), mortgage, compassionate giving (we support two children in Africa), utilities, funeral prepayment, insurance, taxes, satellite service (our one splurge) and our daily expenses. I have all of our regular occuring bills set up on automatic payment, or I write checks the first of each month to make sure the monthly expenses are covered. What I have left after the bills are paid covers our daily expenses. That would include: food, gas, personal care, household items, dog care, any incidentals that life brings. When the vehicles need major repair or maintenance, that goes on the much dreaded use of the charge card, then adding one more bill to the monthly expenses. Ugh. There is such relief when I get the charge card paid off...but then within a few months something comes up that has to be covered by the card.
The flexible spending comes in our daily expenses. I have once again put us back on the envelope system. When our sons were in Junior High, I took them through a Larry Burkett study on budget/finances, and had them learn the envelope system. Each month they had to divide their allowance
into various envelopes (tithe, savings, clothes, personal care, gifts, free spending). They handled the system very well, and were excited when they had money left over at the end of the month. They put the leftover cash into a "rainy day" envelope to use as needed.
Our current envelope system has me taking what's left after all the bills are paid the first of the month and dividing it into four envelopes, one for each week. I keep a list of things we need for household and personal care, and I plan a weekly menu so I know exactly what food items I need each week. When the money for that week is gone, we must wait until the following week, even if that means not buying everything on my list. We will not be eating out or getting a pizza unless there is enough money in that week's envelope to splurge on those treats. This takes discipline and learning to say no and learning how to cut back. It isn't always fun, but there is satisfaction in knowing we are being good stewards of what God has given us.
The bottom line is God is good, He is faithful, and He knows our needs and our desires. He never leaves us wanting or desperate. He takes care of us. He sends us surprise love gifts. He shows us how we can make it. He provides in His own way and in His own time. He has shown us that if we will be faithful to Him, prudent in our financial affairs, He WILL take care of us as we depend on Him. It really does bring more pleasure knowing how dependent we are on Him...and how He provides. It builds and strengthens our faith.
Now that I've written this, it's time to go do my weekly shopping. I shop Wal-mart for household and personal care, and I shop Meijer for groceries. Those two places seem to have the best selections and prices. The key is to stick to my list, and to get the must haves first, and leave items on the list that I can't afford this week...like maybe laundry soap. I tend to buy to keep one item in stock to back up the item in use. I don't overstock for two reasons: I can't afford it, and I don't have the space to store it. Besides, maybe Jesus will come back and I won't need the "stuff"!!
Let me remind you: God is good. God is faithful. God provides. Trust God...He will never let you down or abandon you or reject you. He will always be there for you, forgive you, AND meet your needs. Father God, I praise you today, and love you supremely!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Budget Survival - 1
Well, I didn't win the DIY Blog Cabin, so I once again must figure out how to pay the bills without going under. Meanwhile I am registering every day to win a $100,000 kitchen and bath makeover through DIY. Sweepstakes are free...just takes a moment each day to enter on-line. It's okay to dream. However, reality is what I must live with every day...so how do I do it?
When my husband and I came to Michigan to follow God's leading into a camping ministry, my husband's salary was cut by 2/3rds of what he made as a chemical engineer in the corporate world. We had to give our newly built dream house away...basically selling it at a loss of our 33 years of equity we had in the home. We left behind a 2,800 sq. foot ranch home with all the bells and whistles (including a 2,800 sq. ft walk-out basement) located in a Country Club development, on a golf course with a private pond on our two acres. We had built our dream home as our last home before retirement. Paul was a VP in the company, and we had about 15 years before be planned to move back south (North Carolina area).
My parents had a small cottage (360 square feet) on the campground to which we moved. We lived in that cottage, which was not winterized (we wrapped pipes and used space heaters and our two dogs to keep us warm and the pipes from freezing) for the 18 months it took to sell our ranch house back in Illinois. Basically we lived through two winters in the cottage...one bathroom, one small bedroom, and one main room which was our kitchen, our office, and our living room. In the summer we double our square footage by using our screen porch for relaxation. There was no room to put a furnace or a washer and dryer, so weekly I trotted to the local laundromat, five miles away. But we were content...we were where God wanted us. The cottage, by the way, had become ours since Mom and Dad both moved to Heaven.
When our house sold back in Illinois, we had no equity with which to buy another place here in Michigan, so we rented a condo for a year. It was located 8 miles from the campground, and we missed living where we worked. At the end of the year we used our cottage as collateral to get a mortgage on a 1,200 square foot house next door 2 the cottage. We had it renovated, vaulting the ceilings, turning one small bedroom into a second bath and walk-in closet for the master bedroom (which is 11'x10'). We had increased our space three times the amount we lived with at the cottage, but less than one half the space of our former home in Illinois...plus no basement, except for one bedroom which we use for our granddaughters when they come to visit. So...we obviously had a lot of down-sizing/unloading to do. The camp has inheritied much of our furniture and yard equipment. We gave some away to our former pastor and his family, and to a young couple who had lost everything back in Katrina...the hurricane of the century. We were blessed to be able to give, and it enabled us to fit nicely into our smaller home. The blessing of a small home is there is not as much to clean!! I can handle that!!
Once we made the move and started unloading items, I have been on the kick ever since. If we ever move again, I don't want to have to haul a bunch of "stuff" with us. So my library is dwindling little by little (see the side bar about the books I am reading), and every summer I have a give away table out in the yard during our annual camp garage sale days. If someone else can use it, and I don't need it...then it's time to get rid of it!! I don't like clutter, and I no longer care for accumulation.
Well...didn't know I would share this part of my story, but now that I have started, I'd like to go on. However, time for me to head to work. I'll be back later for another segment of Budget Survival.
When my husband and I came to Michigan to follow God's leading into a camping ministry, my husband's salary was cut by 2/3rds of what he made as a chemical engineer in the corporate world. We had to give our newly built dream house away...basically selling it at a loss of our 33 years of equity we had in the home. We left behind a 2,800 sq. foot ranch home with all the bells and whistles (including a 2,800 sq. ft walk-out basement) located in a Country Club development, on a golf course with a private pond on our two acres. We had built our dream home as our last home before retirement. Paul was a VP in the company, and we had about 15 years before be planned to move back south (North Carolina area).
My parents had a small cottage (360 square feet) on the campground to which we moved. We lived in that cottage, which was not winterized (we wrapped pipes and used space heaters and our two dogs to keep us warm and the pipes from freezing) for the 18 months it took to sell our ranch house back in Illinois. Basically we lived through two winters in the cottage...one bathroom, one small bedroom, and one main room which was our kitchen, our office, and our living room. In the summer we double our square footage by using our screen porch for relaxation. There was no room to put a furnace or a washer and dryer, so weekly I trotted to the local laundromat, five miles away. But we were content...we were where God wanted us. The cottage, by the way, had become ours since Mom and Dad both moved to Heaven.
When our house sold back in Illinois, we had no equity with which to buy another place here in Michigan, so we rented a condo for a year. It was located 8 miles from the campground, and we missed living where we worked. At the end of the year we used our cottage as collateral to get a mortgage on a 1,200 square foot house next door 2 the cottage. We had it renovated, vaulting the ceilings, turning one small bedroom into a second bath and walk-in closet for the master bedroom (which is 11'x10'). We had increased our space three times the amount we lived with at the cottage, but less than one half the space of our former home in Illinois...plus no basement, except for one bedroom which we use for our granddaughters when they come to visit. So...we obviously had a lot of down-sizing/unloading to do. The camp has inheritied much of our furniture and yard equipment. We gave some away to our former pastor and his family, and to a young couple who had lost everything back in Katrina...the hurricane of the century. We were blessed to be able to give, and it enabled us to fit nicely into our smaller home. The blessing of a small home is there is not as much to clean!! I can handle that!!
Once we made the move and started unloading items, I have been on the kick ever since. If we ever move again, I don't want to have to haul a bunch of "stuff" with us. So my library is dwindling little by little (see the side bar about the books I am reading), and every summer I have a give away table out in the yard during our annual camp garage sale days. If someone else can use it, and I don't need it...then it's time to get rid of it!! I don't like clutter, and I no longer care for accumulation.
Well...didn't know I would share this part of my story, but now that I have started, I'd like to go on. However, time for me to head to work. I'll be back later for another segment of Budget Survival.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Baby, It's Cold Outside!
When I was blogging on Thursday morning, little did I realize that we would have our first snow of the season that morning! Granted, nothing stuck, no accumulation, but it was white flakes, not liquid, dropping out of the sky. It's been cold this week...in fact it is 39 degrees out even as I write on a late Friday afternoon. The dogs and I took a brisk walk...the wind whipping in from the lake froze my face, it seemed.
I look outside, and the trees are still full of leaves...not that many have fallen, and we really haven't even had a peak color season yet. Last week we were driving through Kentucky and southwest Ohio, where the colors were much more vibrant than here in lower Michigan.
I am thinking perhaps this weekend we need to drain our pipes at the cottage and get it totally prepared for winter!! It's time for the camp to shut off the water in our RV section and in all of the bathhouses. The boats have been put in storage for the winter. Our Leaseholders are starting to trickle away south little by little. It's becoming very quiet on the campground. Thank goodness for our weekend guests!! This weekend we have two groups in...a church board retreat and a ladies scrapbooking group.
Well...that's it for this time...not much going on.
I look outside, and the trees are still full of leaves...not that many have fallen, and we really haven't even had a peak color season yet. Last week we were driving through Kentucky and southwest Ohio, where the colors were much more vibrant than here in lower Michigan.
I am thinking perhaps this weekend we need to drain our pipes at the cottage and get it totally prepared for winter!! It's time for the camp to shut off the water in our RV section and in all of the bathhouses. The boats have been put in storage for the winter. Our Leaseholders are starting to trickle away south little by little. It's becoming very quiet on the campground. Thank goodness for our weekend guests!! This weekend we have two groups in...a church board retreat and a ladies scrapbooking group.
Well...that's it for this time...not much going on.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Catch Up Time
I haven't posted since May...been a busy summer, I guess!! Actually, I sort of lost my interest in blogging in the midst of being a busy summer. I knew I would get back to it sometime. What is interesting to me is that since I don't have any regular followers reading my blog, I have still had almost a thousand hits during the time lapse. I still contend that I blog for my own pleasure, not for a reading audience.
This was our fifth year at Indian Lake Nazarene Camp, our fifth camping season. I would have to say it has been our best. The economy did not affect the number of people that used the campgrounds over the summer. Our youth camps were perhaps a little down, but they were some of the best camps we have had. Behavior this summer was at an all time high...no vandalism, no big issues to deal with. The speakers we had were phenomenal...Suzie Shellenberger was a hit for all ages...cross generational speaker at our family camp. The weather was camp-perfect!! It was a cooler summer and a dryer summer, which is excellent weather for camping. The "outback" (Fort Wilderness to some) was in use almost every camp, and many of the campers canoed down the Portage River. So the 2009 Camping Season gets an A+!
We were privileged to have our granddaughters with us twice this year. They came for two weeks in June and then we just had them again for 10 days while Leia was on her fall school break (her school is a year round school...nine weeks on, three weeks off). What a delight to have the two girls with us...both are so precious, so creative, so gifted. I love to pray with them every night before they go to bed, and recap God's goodness to us during that day. My purpose while they are visiting is to pour as much Jesus into them as I can. They also have many friends (children and adults) on the campgrounds who enjoy having them visit.
Fall came early...it's cold and damp most of the time...rather dreary. We are being warned that we have a severe winter ahead. I love the change of seasons, and I know beyond winter is spring once again. Therefore I will rejoice, for this is the "season" the Lord has made!!
I read a lot of books since last May, but I just updated my book list today. I usually start a new batch of books about once a month. Little by little my shelves are emptying. I'm also back into Greek again, taking Bill Mounce's class on-line. I want to keep my mind sharp, and I am hoping studying Greek will continue to push me.
Time for work.
This was our fifth year at Indian Lake Nazarene Camp, our fifth camping season. I would have to say it has been our best. The economy did not affect the number of people that used the campgrounds over the summer. Our youth camps were perhaps a little down, but they were some of the best camps we have had. Behavior this summer was at an all time high...no vandalism, no big issues to deal with. The speakers we had were phenomenal...Suzie Shellenberger was a hit for all ages...cross generational speaker at our family camp. The weather was camp-perfect!! It was a cooler summer and a dryer summer, which is excellent weather for camping. The "outback" (Fort Wilderness to some) was in use almost every camp, and many of the campers canoed down the Portage River. So the 2009 Camping Season gets an A+!
We were privileged to have our granddaughters with us twice this year. They came for two weeks in June and then we just had them again for 10 days while Leia was on her fall school break (her school is a year round school...nine weeks on, three weeks off). What a delight to have the two girls with us...both are so precious, so creative, so gifted. I love to pray with them every night before they go to bed, and recap God's goodness to us during that day. My purpose while they are visiting is to pour as much Jesus into them as I can. They also have many friends (children and adults) on the campgrounds who enjoy having them visit.
Fall came early...it's cold and damp most of the time...rather dreary. We are being warned that we have a severe winter ahead. I love the change of seasons, and I know beyond winter is spring once again. Therefore I will rejoice, for this is the "season" the Lord has made!!
I read a lot of books since last May, but I just updated my book list today. I usually start a new batch of books about once a month. Little by little my shelves are emptying. I'm also back into Greek again, taking Bill Mounce's class on-line. I want to keep my mind sharp, and I am hoping studying Greek will continue to push me.
Time for work.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
It's All About Me!
The world is a mess. Our nation is in crisis. Our homes are being shattered daily. The reason is because of that attitude that "it's all about me!" What I want, what I must have to make me happy, is more important than living responsibly.
I need more things...a larger house...a newer car...nicer clothes...all the latest electronics. I have to be in style and I have to be envied in order to maintain my self worth. I started out with one charge card, one mortgage. But my need to have more demanded that I spend with reckless abandon. It is so easy to do...I am inundated with offers to buy without paying...like that roomful of new furniture. I don't have to start payments on that until two years from now. So why not have a new look? Every day it seems I get credit companies wanting me to get their charge card with new introductory rates that I can't pass up. My kids need stuff to compete with their classmates.
Spending is so easy...until it's time to pay. I can't even afford the minimum due, so I get a home equity loan and catch everything up...and then I can't afford to make my payments to the lending institution. But don't blame me!! After all, isn't that what my government does...keeps spending money it doesn't have, and going further and further into debt....trillions of dollars into debt? If Uncle Sam can do it, then so can I!
I'm not happy at home. My friends all live a much more exciting life than I do. I'm too important to waste my time with the children every day. They have stuff to play with...they don't need me too. I need to find someone who sees me for who I really am...someone very smart, very beautiful, and very engaging to be with. I'm going to leave my husband. He's made me absolutely miserable. I'll get even with him. I will find a lover and I will move out of the home, or kick him out, and I will use my children to make him pay my way. Courts always favor the mothers...I can sue for alimony and child support, and if I work it right, I won't have to get a job. My "ex" may have to work two or three jobs to support me and the kids, but I deserve to be happy with a significant other in my life. The kids don't matter. They'll know it was important for me to be happy. They won't miss Dad so much after a while. After all, they're just kids.
My working friends...they all bring home "goodies" from work. They can build their own home office from the stuff they've managed to sneak out of the company office. And you should hear them talk about their co-workers. It seems that the work place is an absolute Peyton Place no matter where you work these days...including the post office!! Nobody has morals any more....it's good to get what you can before someone beats you to it. Nobody tells the truth in this era...that's for religious wimps. The clever ones know how to lie and cheat and steal. Everything is just a big cover up anyway...so why does it matter? Integrity? What's that??
Pay my taxes? What Uncle Sam doesn't know won't hurt him. Pay my tithe? You've got to be kidding!! God knows I can't hardly squeak by on what I make. I can't even afford to eat out every day or take nice vacations more than twice a year. And besides, what's God got to do with it? He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the old song says, so what does he need my measly little offering for? So what if the churches can't pay their bills, maybe they need to just shut down anyway. What good are they doing? It's just a little group of people who are out of touch with the real world. In the real world you have to scheme, push, shove, and manipulate to prove you are somebody worth taking note of. And believe me...it IS all about me! I can make it on my own, thank you! Now, just give me everything you have and shut up and get out of my way and if you don't...I'll see you in court! I know how to work the system.
...And we wonder why the world is a mess, our nation is in crisis, and our homes are falling apart? The "me" generation of the 70's has come into full bloom...the big "I" is all that matters. So we sit in our homes and watch the news and see the big black hole we are all swirling toward, yet we think somehow we'll get past this...this too will pass.
Somehow, I don't think so.
Meet Peter, the rock. Now there was one big tough he-man that always did things impulsively and impetuously. He was the one who was in the middle of everything, and didn't know when to be quiet and take his seat. Life was all about him. Why in heaven's name would Jesus choose such a person as Peter to follow Him?
You see, here's the secret. When God looks at us, He sees us as we are, but He sees so much more. He sees what we can become through His grace. In Peter He saw a man who had the personality to set the world on fire. Why would God want satan to possess that potential? So, even when Peter failed Jesus and denied Him three times, He knew that Peter would come to the end of himself and realize that he needed something more in his life to overcome defeat. Peter knew he needed a Power to pulsate through him to proclaim the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Jesus told Peter, along with others, to wait in the Upper Room until he received that Power. For once Peter listened, he obeyed, he waited...for ten days he waited. And then the day of Pentecost came, and everyone in that upper room received the promise of the Holy Spirit. His very Presence filled the whole room, and every person in that room was baptized with a Power so bold that they took to the streets and started proclaiming who Jesus really was. Peter finally realized life wasn't about his own self, and his own desires. Life was about Jesus, his own personal Savior. Only through the Power of Jesus could lives be changed...not by force, but by love.
The only way we are going to make it in this world today is through the Power of the Holy Spirit...Jesus in us...expressing His love to a world dying to know something, Someone is real and there is HOPE. There IS a better way to live. Life isn't all about me. Life is allowing Christ to live in us and through us, and allowing Him to reach others with a genuine love that the world is starved for, and doesn't even know it.
So, what am I going to do with this Power, this Person, this responsibility?
My destiny depends on how I answer that question, how I live my life.
Lord Jesus, I need you...now, more than ever. Amen!
I need more things...a larger house...a newer car...nicer clothes...all the latest electronics. I have to be in style and I have to be envied in order to maintain my self worth. I started out with one charge card, one mortgage. But my need to have more demanded that I spend with reckless abandon. It is so easy to do...I am inundated with offers to buy without paying...like that roomful of new furniture. I don't have to start payments on that until two years from now. So why not have a new look? Every day it seems I get credit companies wanting me to get their charge card with new introductory rates that I can't pass up. My kids need stuff to compete with their classmates.
Spending is so easy...until it's time to pay. I can't even afford the minimum due, so I get a home equity loan and catch everything up...and then I can't afford to make my payments to the lending institution. But don't blame me!! After all, isn't that what my government does...keeps spending money it doesn't have, and going further and further into debt....trillions of dollars into debt? If Uncle Sam can do it, then so can I!
I'm not happy at home. My friends all live a much more exciting life than I do. I'm too important to waste my time with the children every day. They have stuff to play with...they don't need me too. I need to find someone who sees me for who I really am...someone very smart, very beautiful, and very engaging to be with. I'm going to leave my husband. He's made me absolutely miserable. I'll get even with him. I will find a lover and I will move out of the home, or kick him out, and I will use my children to make him pay my way. Courts always favor the mothers...I can sue for alimony and child support, and if I work it right, I won't have to get a job. My "ex" may have to work two or three jobs to support me and the kids, but I deserve to be happy with a significant other in my life. The kids don't matter. They'll know it was important for me to be happy. They won't miss Dad so much after a while. After all, they're just kids.
My working friends...they all bring home "goodies" from work. They can build their own home office from the stuff they've managed to sneak out of the company office. And you should hear them talk about their co-workers. It seems that the work place is an absolute Peyton Place no matter where you work these days...including the post office!! Nobody has morals any more....it's good to get what you can before someone beats you to it. Nobody tells the truth in this era...that's for religious wimps. The clever ones know how to lie and cheat and steal. Everything is just a big cover up anyway...so why does it matter? Integrity? What's that??
Pay my taxes? What Uncle Sam doesn't know won't hurt him. Pay my tithe? You've got to be kidding!! God knows I can't hardly squeak by on what I make. I can't even afford to eat out every day or take nice vacations more than twice a year. And besides, what's God got to do with it? He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, the old song says, so what does he need my measly little offering for? So what if the churches can't pay their bills, maybe they need to just shut down anyway. What good are they doing? It's just a little group of people who are out of touch with the real world. In the real world you have to scheme, push, shove, and manipulate to prove you are somebody worth taking note of. And believe me...it IS all about me! I can make it on my own, thank you! Now, just give me everything you have and shut up and get out of my way and if you don't...I'll see you in court! I know how to work the system.
...And we wonder why the world is a mess, our nation is in crisis, and our homes are falling apart? The "me" generation of the 70's has come into full bloom...the big "I" is all that matters. So we sit in our homes and watch the news and see the big black hole we are all swirling toward, yet we think somehow we'll get past this...this too will pass.
Somehow, I don't think so.
Meet Peter, the rock. Now there was one big tough he-man that always did things impulsively and impetuously. He was the one who was in the middle of everything, and didn't know when to be quiet and take his seat. Life was all about him. Why in heaven's name would Jesus choose such a person as Peter to follow Him?
You see, here's the secret. When God looks at us, He sees us as we are, but He sees so much more. He sees what we can become through His grace. In Peter He saw a man who had the personality to set the world on fire. Why would God want satan to possess that potential? So, even when Peter failed Jesus and denied Him three times, He knew that Peter would come to the end of himself and realize that he needed something more in his life to overcome defeat. Peter knew he needed a Power to pulsate through him to proclaim the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Jesus told Peter, along with others, to wait in the Upper Room until he received that Power. For once Peter listened, he obeyed, he waited...for ten days he waited. And then the day of Pentecost came, and everyone in that upper room received the promise of the Holy Spirit. His very Presence filled the whole room, and every person in that room was baptized with a Power so bold that they took to the streets and started proclaiming who Jesus really was. Peter finally realized life wasn't about his own self, and his own desires. Life was about Jesus, his own personal Savior. Only through the Power of Jesus could lives be changed...not by force, but by love.
The only way we are going to make it in this world today is through the Power of the Holy Spirit...Jesus in us...expressing His love to a world dying to know something, Someone is real and there is HOPE. There IS a better way to live. Life isn't all about me. Life is allowing Christ to live in us and through us, and allowing Him to reach others with a genuine love that the world is starved for, and doesn't even know it.
So, what am I going to do with this Power, this Person, this responsibility?
My destiny depends on how I answer that question, how I live my life.
Lord Jesus, I need you...now, more than ever. Amen!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
God Is In Control
April 27 - May 3, 2009:
I have been trying to get to my blog and make a post today, covering the highlights of my past week, but it's been an absolutely beautiful day out, with a temperature of about 70....perfect. So we were out and about on the golf cart today, with the doggies. They like to play "sheriff"...feeling like they are in control...telling the squirrels off when they run in front of us, letting other dogs know who's the boss, chasing after rabbits and prairie dogs, showing no mercy on any cats we might see...all of this from the safety of the golf cart seat and my lap, of course. The dogs, like me, think that riding the golf cart is what "camping" is all about. This is the life!!
Well, we are finally budding out here in lower Michigan. The lilacs are coming out in full bloom and scent, and Bradford Pear trees are blooming. The leaves are coming on, as well as the rose bushes. Grass is getting hard to keep up with in all the rain. We've had nice days, cooler nights, but spring is definitely in the air. Our snowbirds are almost all back home for the summer, and this past weekend was opening day in our RV park. We had a pot luck dinner with the RVers and the 45 volunteer youth workers, grilling hamburgs and hot dogs to supplement all the side dishes. Lots of work done on the grounds yesterday and in our tabernacle, thanks to all the volunteers. This is an exciting place to be as we see life returning in all shapes and forms.
I'm proud of a couple of guys in my life...one traveling for his company to represent them at an annual conference, the other passing his GRE with a perfect math score. I'm excited to know that summer is only a month or so away, and our granddaughters will be visiting us for two weeks. And, in the midst of all the disturbing news in the media, God is still on the throne and still at work in our world. In Him I have peace, I have a future, and I have hope. What more do I need?
Now to my journal notes from this past week. I'm going to list them this time by putting the title of the Book first and then the highlights of what God has brought to my attention this past week.
Unto The Hills, Billy Graham (see reference at right):
I have been trying to get to my blog and make a post today, covering the highlights of my past week, but it's been an absolutely beautiful day out, with a temperature of about 70....perfect. So we were out and about on the golf cart today, with the doggies. They like to play "sheriff"...feeling like they are in control...telling the squirrels off when they run in front of us, letting other dogs know who's the boss, chasing after rabbits and prairie dogs, showing no mercy on any cats we might see...all of this from the safety of the golf cart seat and my lap, of course. The dogs, like me, think that riding the golf cart is what "camping" is all about. This is the life!!
Well, we are finally budding out here in lower Michigan. The lilacs are coming out in full bloom and scent, and Bradford Pear trees are blooming. The leaves are coming on, as well as the rose bushes. Grass is getting hard to keep up with in all the rain. We've had nice days, cooler nights, but spring is definitely in the air. Our snowbirds are almost all back home for the summer, and this past weekend was opening day in our RV park. We had a pot luck dinner with the RVers and the 45 volunteer youth workers, grilling hamburgs and hot dogs to supplement all the side dishes. Lots of work done on the grounds yesterday and in our tabernacle, thanks to all the volunteers. This is an exciting place to be as we see life returning in all shapes and forms.
I'm proud of a couple of guys in my life...one traveling for his company to represent them at an annual conference, the other passing his GRE with a perfect math score. I'm excited to know that summer is only a month or so away, and our granddaughters will be visiting us for two weeks. And, in the midst of all the disturbing news in the media, God is still on the throne and still at work in our world. In Him I have peace, I have a future, and I have hope. What more do I need?
Now to my journal notes from this past week. I'm going to list them this time by putting the title of the Book first and then the highlights of what God has brought to my attention this past week.
Unto The Hills, Billy Graham (see reference at right):
1. Wealth is not measured by an abundance of possessions, rather, how few the wants.
2. "Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." (Matthew 6:33 NLT)
Putting the Pieces Together, Louie Bustle (see reference at right):
1. Christian Perfection is characterized by:
- living without sin, for sin is a choice to deliberately disobey God. No one can force us to sin...we choose to sin. We must make the right choices and live without sinning.
- loving God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.
- having the purest of intentions/motives, even if our actions do not always turn out well.
- if God has set a standard for us to obtain, he will also make it possible for us to live it.
- "But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Matthew 5:48 NLT)
2. Holiness can be described simply as loving God with our whole heart. The more we love him, the more we want to please him, obey him, do his will, consecrate/submit our entire life/self to him. God wants our love more than anything else.
3. The best gift God has chosen to give us is the indwelling of his Holy Spirit. We have within us Someone on call 24/7 who will guide us, comfort us, strengthen us...whatever our need is. However, in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, we must first ask God to cleanse our hearts, as he cannot dwell where sin resides.
"The Word For You Today" (see reference at right):
1. When life knocks you down, the winners are the ones who get back up.
2. When we look hard enough, we will see good in every situation. No matter what we go through, God will get the glory, and will work it out for our good.
3. What happens in you is more important than what happens to you. Jesus living in us will help us to be overcomers in this life.
4. It's not what others do to us that determines the outcome or future...it's what we choose to do. We must accept responsibility for our own actions and reactions.
5. "And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39 NLT)
A neat thing happened in my life this week to let me know that my Heavenly Father knows and cares about me. This is a tight month financially. I pay my bills at the first of the month, then I know what I have left for daily living for the rest of the month, and somehow I have to make it work. I knew as soon as I paid the bills, for there were extra ones this month (insurance, quarterly sewer bills, misc.) that it would be a difficult month if not for God's intervention. So, the day after I wrote all the checks, including the tithe checks for the month, in the mail comes an insurance reimbursement check for a situation that occurred with our van back in 2007. Two years have gone by, and I had pretty much forgotten about it, certainly never expected a reimbursement...and along it comes just when we needed it most. That's the faithfulness of God. That's why I know I should never worry, as long as I put Him first in my life. I can trust Him. Therefore, I can love Him!! And I do, make no mistake about it. He is Supreme in my life!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Journal Thoughts
Thoughts from my journal April 13-26, 2009:
1. When we take our eyes off Jesus, life starts looking hopeless. But if we will focus on Jesus we will find that our fears turn to courage, our pain turns to joy, and our despair turns to hope. In times like these we need a Saviour, and His name is Jesus. He is our hope!
2. Filthiness and holiness cannot reside in the same heart. The Holy Spirit will only reside in a clean heart. We need to say with the Psalmist, "Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit with me." (Psalm 51:10)
3. The church becomes like dry bones when it compromises with the world. It loses its purifying influence. We need to rededicate our lives and the church to Him and become a light in the darkness. The world is counting on us!
4. There are four requirements to enter into God's presence:
- clean hands - our actions must be moral
- pure heart - we must be forgiven and cleansed by the Holy Spirit
- absence of idolatry - loyal to God alone
- sincerity and truth - God sees our hearts, we must be honest with Him for He cannot be fooled
- keep anger honest...don't stifle it, ignore it, over-exaggerate, or blame; speak in love as you resolve anger
- keep anger non-lethal...make it your goal to solve the problem, not sound-off about it
- keep anger current...deal with it quickly as storing it up leads to bitterness and will affect your health; don't drag up the past, deal with today's problems today
- keep anger solution-focused
- keep anger in the laundry room...don't spread dirty laundry out for everyone to see/hear
- be part of the clean-up crew...forgive before being asked for forgiveness; forgive even if the other party chooses to be a life time enemy
- try to understand the needs of the other person
- don't drag up the past
- don't drag in other people
- don't raise the volume
- anger handled correctly brings about the change that is needed
- seek a solution, not a victory
- admit your own faults and ask for forgiveness
- offer positive reinforcements while dealing with negative aspects
- thank the person for being willing to talk and work out the differences
8. Wouldn't it be neat to have a public ceremony to confirm the commitment a person makes when he or she surrenders his/her life to God. I mean, that is the most exciting thing that ever happens in one's life...more so than graduation or marriage. Entering into a personal relationship with God Almighty...our Creator...that is an awesome privilege for us. So, perhaps in a public ceremony the words of Moses could be read:
You are standing here today to enter into a covenant with the Lord your God. The Lord is making this covenant with you today, and he has sealed it with an oath. He wants to confirm you today as his people, and to confirm that he is your God, just as he promised you. (Deuteronomy 29:12-13)I am just thinking that perhaps taking a public commitment like that would help reinforce the new relationship, and help confirm to the person his new life. He has been released from captivity! It's a time to celebrate! Don't you know the angels in heaven are rejoicing!! We should too!!
9. To be filled with God's Spirit is to be elevated to the highest level possible in humanity in our intimacy with God. Once you have tasted His Presence within you, there is nothing else that will satisfy!
GOOD THINGS HAPPENING AT ILNC:
1. We had 25 people at our recent work day, and so much was accomplished in sprucing up the grounds.2.The campfires have started up again...a good place to relax with friends at the end of the day and speak of the goodness of God.
3. We have purchased linoleum remnants to update our Conference Center bathrooms. In the last two years the Conference Center has received a major face-lift. It's a cozy place to gather with family and friends...12 private rooms w/baths surround a two story lounge/gathering place.
4. 
Our 40 foot climbing tower has arrived and is up!! And tomorrow the pole and 400 foot zip line will arrive. This is terrific!! Just in time for our 2009 camping season. Everyone is going to be so excited when they see the tower and zip line. I get giddy just thinking about how tickled the kids will be. This was made possible by a very large donation from a private family, and a donation from the owner of the company who built the tower. We as a camp are deeply grateful for him, and ask that God bless his life in a special way. And we are very grateful to the private family who wanted to invest in the future of youth camping. May they also be blessed beyond what man can do!
5. We like to to celebrate around the campgrounds. Whether it's a birthday, and we gather at the campfire for cake and ice cream, or it's a tower going up and we gather to assist and share brownies and soft drinks. We are community, and we love to care and share. May we become more and more like Jesus and reach out to those around us with His love!!
GOOD THINGS HAPPENING IN MY PERSONAL LIFE:
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1. We had a three day get-away in Middlebury, Indiana, last week...the annual Pastors and Mates Spring Retreat at the Essenhaus Inn. That is such a lovely place to go, and it's fun to meet with our friends from across the Michigan District.- Paul and I both played in the Michigan District Rook Tournament, and in the first ever Michigan District Euchre Tournament. In fact, yours truly came out with the highest score and was named the first ever Eucharist! We laughed...had a great time playing games together, as well as fellowshipping and sharing meals and worship.
- I was able to unload two full boxes of books that I had read this past year and put in the give-away pile. I suggested we have an annual book exchange at our retreat, as pastors love to read, and this is a good way for them to pick up books without putting out any money. Meanwhile, I like watching my bookshelves lightening up a bit.
- We heard the testimony of a young man from ONU who shared his life story with us. He was raised in the ghetto of Chicago, never knowing who his father was, and his mother was shot and killed before he was a year old. His only way to get the things he needed was to sell drugs when he was a teenager. Miraculously his cousin led him to Christ, and doors opened for him to attend Olivet Nazarene University, where he graduated and now works for ONU. He has an amazing story, and I believe we will be hearing more from him. He is an anointed speaker.
- On the way home from the retreat we were able to stop in White Pigeon and tour our newest church plant and rejoice with the pastor over the work that is being accomplished in that area. We then had lunch with Pastor Bob and Marilyn in Three Rivers.
- I received a very heart-touching birthday card from my son. It moved me to tears because of its' beautiful message, which was perfect from him to me. I knew he had taken time to find a card that truly expressed his feelings, and until I received the card, I wasn't real sure what his feelings were. It was a love touch from him and God.
- My whole week was a love touch from God. He kept blessing me in various ways and through a variety of means. My allegiance is to Him, forever!!
- Yesterday I picked up my first ever Angel Food Ministries food boxes. It's a very well organized ministry, and it was fun to open the boxes and sort the food between my pantry and what I was giving away. This is a monthly ministry, and I wanted to test the quality of the food before getting too involved. I think I am going to be quite supportive of this ministry. Our local United Methodist Church and South County Community Center co-sponsor this ministry. It's great for senior citizens, which is what I want to promote on the campground.
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Closing Scripture Verse - I Corinthians 15:58:
"So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady, always enthusiastic about the Lord's work, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless."
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