Reflections on the past week

Another week is in the books. It is funny how the older I get, the faster time seems to go by. This week was no exception. We have been going through an audit all week. We have to go through this every two years. The last time we had this audit, it didn't go so well. Needless to say, I was not looking forward to this one. To make matters even more stressful, we were also working against the clock to complete our month end procedures and monthly reports at the same time. I am thankful for the hard working people I work with. We pulled together and got the job done once again. Thank you to all who have kept us and me in your prayers over the last couple of weeks. I have had some very long and tough days. God is so good in how He answers prayers.

Isn't amazing how God takes care of His people in any and all situations? I am reminded of how my Sunday school teacher puts it. God always sees to it that we are taken care of. He has a plan for our lives and His plan will ALWAYS be accomplished. He doesn't need our help. As a matter of fact, it is when we try to help Him, that we end up making a situation worse.

As I reflect on the last week, I am saddened by the world we live in. We live in a world full of evil. Our news broadcasts hardly ever report good news anymore. The stock market is down. Someone has kidnapped a child. One country is attacking another country. That is the news we usually hear on a daily basis. Very rarely do we hear anything good anymore. This is really sad. I think we have become accustomed to this and we live for bad news. We don't concentrate on the good in people, rather we look to the bad. As a result, I have decided to use this space to try and lift other people up.

Today, I want to tell you about my wife and best friend Mollie. I know I am biased, but I think that most of you that know her will probably agree with me. Mollie is very outgoing. She loves people. I don't know of anyone Mollie can't carry on a conversation with. She always wants to please. She puts others first and herself last. I have seen her go well out of her way many times to help another. Her youthful spirit makes her fun to be around. She is really good at listening and very slow about passing judgement. Mollie is very determined. When she sets her mind to do something, there is nothing that will stop her. She is family orientated. Only God comes before family. I could go on and on. I think the world of her. She makes me want to be a better person. It is such a blessing to have her as my wife!

Well, that is what is on my mind tonight. I know I have been all over the place. Now you know why I have titled this blog like I did. Before I shut down the computer, I wanted to let everyone know that Mollie and I will be hosting a Christmas Open House beginning at 3 pm on Saturday, December 6, 2008. Everyone is welcome to come. We will be sending out some invitations, but we aren't sending them to everyone, mainly family. Please don't be offended if you don't get one. Consider this your invitation. Well, I am ready to call it a week.

Until next time!

A Quite Day

"It was hours, now its just minutes." That what you can hear one of my co-workers say after we reach the four o'clock hour in regards to when we get to all go home. Today has been a relatively quiet day. I don't want to put the cart before the horse though. I have seen things go to pot really quick around here. It has been a busy day for me. We lost a very good employee last March to another company and as a result, I have inherited a lot of his work load. That is good for me, but I sure hated to see him go. The end of the year is just around the corner and with that brings the preparation of next year's budget. Now, having inherited some new tasks and duties, I am getting to actually help with this year's budget. The down side to that is that I am having to use my buddy's worksheets without the luxury of having him explain how they function. I have to try and figure it out myself. This isn't a bad thing because in doing that I get a better grip on the task at hand. I have worked like a dog on those today.

I didn't go to our Kiwanis Club meeting this morning. It has been a rough week and since it was the monthly board meeting, and since I am not a voting member of the board, I decided to sleep in (our meetings are at 6:45 in the morning). Those that know me well understand. I hit the ground running this morning only to stop to go to lunch with my lovely bride and the girls (Carolyn, Norma, and Pat). I haven't gotten my appetite back yet so I didn't even eat all of my fish. It was fun to go and visit though. It is good for us to get out and go vent. The best part was that Mollie got to go with us.

I plan to go home and not do a whole lot tonight. I guess I will do what ever Mollie wants me to. I try to do what she tells me, even though I suck at that some times. I guess that is all that is going through my mind. Please remember to pray for our country.

Until next time!

Why God?

What a day it was yesterday. My day started at 2:30 in the morning when I was "driving the porcelain bus." I can't remember the last time I was THAT sick. While it did allow me a day off from work, I can't say it was worth it. I stayed in the bed ALL day. I only got up a few times. Thankfully it was only a 24-hour bug. I feel much better now, but am still a little achy.

Now, to the election. All I can say is may God have mercy on our country. I don't understand how we could have elected this man as our president. I agree with how a co-worker of mine put it. She said, "I prayed to understand why God allowed Obama to win this election.. I received an answer and it’s because we as Christians, all of us, have set idly by and let the un-believers of this country come in and remove Him from all aspects of our lives! The moral fiber is being eaten away daily and we let it happen. It is really sad!!! I only know that it happened for a reason! Maybe we will get up and fight now!! If God had allowed John McCain to win, we would've relaxed a bit and we can't do that!!!!!! America is still worth fighting for and we have a responsibility to our children and grandchildren to fight with all our might by prayer and standing up for our beliefs!"

While it was a historic election with historic results, we must not forget who is ultimately in control here. Our next president may be Obama, but he isn't our true leader. Our true leader is the creator of the universe. He is the one who spoke us into existence. He is the one who's name is greater than any other name. He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is my Savior. He is King Jesus. It is in Him that we must place our trust. His word tells us to acknowledge Him in all our ways and "He will make our paths straight." That is what I hold on to. We must seek Him in all we do. While we may not like the outcome of last night's election, we must realize that God is still in control. He still reigns. This is all part of his PERFECT WILL. I will place my trust in Him and all will be fine. We must all seek His wisdom and understanding now more than ever. May God bless the United States of America!