Kittens...

Worship Set 2-8-09

Our Love is Loud - David Crowder Band
Yea God - Newsong
Sing to the King - Passion
Made Me Glad - Darlene Zschech
Only A God Like You - Tommy Walker

Simplicity Found in a Rock...

Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts.
James 3:13

The simplicity present within this passage is pretty amazing if you think about it. Too often we think of wisdom coming from the words that we can offer to someone or to a situation. When it comes down to it though...are we a reflection of the words we speak?

Worship Set 2-1-09

One Way - Hillsong United
Awesome is the Lord Most High - Chris Tomlin
Everlasting God - Lincoln Brewster
Your Name - Phillips, Craig, & Dean
You Are Good - Israel Houghton

Yes! Snow!

Snow days are fantastic if there is actual "snow" on the ground. It's been such a long time since I've been around real snow. I had so much fun sledding, skiing, building snowmen/forts, ice skating(there was a rink in the park down our street)as a kid. This past winter storm provided Sarala with her first experiences with the stuff, which is awesome to watch. I want her to grow up doing the stuff I did as a kid...so that may mean an annual trip back home to Montana during Christmas break.

The Middle...Part 2

What a week! As James states below, my "faith-life is forced into the open." I needed this past week...as stupid and terrible as it was, even up to yesterday at school. When you step back and think about it, look at it...there are a lot of places where we could probably make some changes. It seems like it took a period of financial struggle/car troubles/sickness for God to remind us that He's got it all under control. It's up to us to do something with that. It's up to us to take what we've learned and make some changes in our lives. It has been humbling.

There is a break in the clouds though...a break in the storm. The plan right now is to "stick it out"

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
James 1:2-7, 12

The Beginning...Part 1

Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about; - Psalms 139:23

Okay...I was bold enough to ask God...or to tell God my plans to get aggressive with our finances and debt so we could create some margin in our lives. The verse above from Psalms reflects a similar statement that I made in one of my "talks" with God late last week. Life had been going pretty smooth at that point. Time has been taken care of...the money part of things needs work. The plan is to get in tune with what God has going on for me...not what I've got going on for me...or my family.

The reason I want to get aggressive concerns our ability...or current inability...to act on the God-action going on around us. Now...we are involved to a degree...but not at a level we could be. So...this thought process began last weekend, and if you've talked to Crystal or I since then...you know that our week since then can only be described as...a terrible week. (you may replace terrible with other adjectives;)

Alright...the car gets hit at church in an apparent hit-and-run. Our brand-new...2009 car! My first thoughts involve how stupid and inconvenient this all is. Then, as I began to calm, the thoughts turned to "Oh...well...we do have another vehicle." We take that vehicle, the Bravada or as I call it...Bravad-o, to life group that night, Sunday night, and all is well. The next day our insurance adjuster-guy comes and gives us an estimate. We decide to take the Toyota to a place in Farm-town and drive both vehicles out there so we don't have to rent one.

As we cruise out there...we notice that the vents/climate control system in the Bravad-o aren't working. I'm thinking..."it's just a fuse..." and it begins.

It's like God took this verse above as a challenge and said..."Yes Wade...let's see what you're all about."

TO BE CONTINUED....

The Day from "H"...

Strong words...strong words for a terrible day. It's over though and one of the few things that kept me sane through it all was...you guessed it, my baby girl. I had to get over to MAC before the office I needed to get to closed at 4 so I took Sarala with me. Though the day up to that point was utterly horrible, nothing worked or happened like it should've...like the car for example, the fuse for the blower went out so...a cold ride to school this morning. After school I ended up forgetting my paperwork which resulted in a trip to MAC that had me digging through my bag...realizing I just raced over there without my papers.

Sarala along for the ride helped to keep things in perspective. So...hopefully tomorrow is the day when things work like they're supposed to and I don't forget things and I can replace the fuse in the car...yes.

And then there's Sarala...she's going to be a left-handed rocker!;)

Awww...Come On!

You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.
Matthew 5:5

I feel like I had to endure something yesterday that caused me to keep perspective on things. At church we've been talking about this idea of being "rich." We are blessed. I am blessed.

As we came out of church, I come to find that someone had backed into our car...our 2009 car...and left. It wasn't a small "ding" either. Now...there was anger, frustration...rage, but it passed. Come on...our brand new car!! I guess it helped me being that it happened at church. As I thought about it though...I had peace. It's hard to explain...but it felt like things were going to be okay.

Monetarily this incident will make things a little tighter than we'd like, but I think we'll be okay. Alright...I KNOW we'll be okay. I say this because we had just written out our tithe back to God. The day before we had also written out a substantial check for a medical procedure for Crystal. Now...we discussed stopping the payment of the check from the day before...but it seems like we wouldn't be trusting God if we did that. He knew how things would go down. He's taken care of us before. It's on us to trust and have faith that our needs will be met and things will be taken care of.

It's okay that we drive our other vehicle...which happens to be 10 years old...around. It's okay that we don't go out and eat...shop...spend money. I have all I need...food...shelter...family...a loving Father...Jesus.

Perspective...I have a beautiful family with a beautiful baby girl. We have another vehicle that we can drive until the Corolla gets fixed. It is currently in the shop and we should have it back by the end of the week. Will our money be tight this month? Yes! Will we perish as a result?! Now, I'm being a little extreme...but we are very blessed here in the U.S. and we'll be fine. So, we won't be able to go out and eat as much this month...we may have to hang around the house more...that's perfectly fine.

So, as in the words of Jesus above...I feel like I'm the proud owner of everything that can't be bought.

I Thought This Was Pretty Cool...