It's Hot Outside

I'm coming up fast on a birthday (this Saturday). I always have trouble figuring out things for people to get me. This year I'm gonna go buy myself (with Michelle's help) a larger than normal gift. But I cant decide...do I get an elliptical fitness machine or a new recliner? Two opposite sides of the spectrum.

On the one hand I would enjoy my relaxing, lazy times in a new recliner. On the other, I have fallen even further out of shape since the whole back ordeal.

I guess I'll figure it out before the weekend gets here.

Other stuff: The garden is growing well, my boat seems to add problems the more I work on it, and Will is going to be starting kindergarten in a few weeks. Work is getting busier as I am losing employees to school (leaves me a little stressed, good help is hard to find).

I could blog on any one of these topics and I may in the near future, but for now I'm hungry and I'm going to get my little bit of exercise on the hike to the fridge and sit on my old recliner. Hmmm...maybe I need one of those new plasma TVs.

I came across this in another blog...thought I'd cut and paste. (I couldn't find who to give credit to but it is on the web site http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/)

Here are some examples from the Old and New Testaments that impact various aspects of how we should handle or personal finances. Some are commands and some are general principles, but they all influence how we should handle our money:

Saving: Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. Proverbs 6:6-8

Diversification of investments: Give portions to seven, yes to eight, for you do not know what disaster may come upon the land. Ecclesiastes 11:2

Controlling greed: Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15

Borrow carefully: The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. Proverbs 22:7

Being generous: You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:7-12

Helping the poor: He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done. Proverbs 19:17

More on helping the poor: If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 1 John 3:17

Giving: Just as you excel in everything — in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us — see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 2 Corinthians 8:7

Time Keeps on Slippin

How is it that when you are sitting at work with an hour left in your day, that time stands still. That hour is the longest of the day? If only we could bottle that hour.

Two things happened this past week/today that made me think about time and how it tends to slip by faster than we can blink.

Will turns 5 years old today. I think I share many people's thoughts when I say...How can that be? He and Alex both grow are growing up so fast. Will is to the age where he is very inquisitive. He asks questions about everything. Michelle and I try our best to answer them all. The funniest ever may have been the other day while in Branson. We caught fireflies outside our condo one night and watched them in a glass. Of course lightning bugs bring out some good questions...none of which I have a clue. (How do they do what they do?) But Will's question was well thought out...If fireflies have bottoms that light up, would their poop be lit up too?...brilliant question... With minds like that how can 5 year olds not be alot of fun?

Which brings up my second thought about time. Vacation time. We were gone from Monday to Friday. Folks at work probably had the same old long work week. Me...the week flew by. How can I be going back to work again so soon? Time really does fly when you're having fun.

So back to work on Monday...maybe time will pass by quickly until my next week off!

Interesting...

I have been a big tennis fan since I was very young. I don't get to play much anymore, but I still love watching it. Wimbledon will enter its second week this week while getting alot of bad press about one of their policies. To tell you the truth I have never noticed this policy until this year but I commend them on it. A major championship in tennis starts on a Monday and ends after 2 weeks of constant play. That is, except for Wimbledon. They actually do not play on the Sunday in the middle of the tournament. What? A huge event stops for church? Never has a match been played on the middle Sunday at the most prestigous tennis tournament in the world. (They do play the gentleman's championship on the last Sunday, but notably in the evening after church time.)

More and more as I ger older Sunday is regarded as just another day. I myself am not unguilty of this thinking. (Ask and I can tell you a not-so-great story about fishing on a particular Sunday)

Hopefully I can develop in my kids the habit of going to church on Sunday. In no way do I think this will gain them first in line at heaven's gate. Being a Christian is, no doubt, a whole lot more than just going to church on Sunday morning. But...#1... I firmly believe that what little I have today in terms of wisdom has developed from being at church around Christian peers. Plus...argument #2...the world needs to be able to tell tell difference between His chosen people and lost people. Lost people need to want what we have to offer. Today it is getting harder and harder to pick a Christian out of a group. Shouldn't I talk different? Shouldn't I carry myself different? Shouldn't I act different? I've never read where God guarantees we will fit into the world around us.

By standing up to even 1 Sunday, Wimbledon has made themselves different. They aren't fitting in to what the status quo says should happen. To a lost world this doesn't make sense. To Christians it should.