On the Road Again

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

After a very long, very hard week, we have finally begun our trek to Vegas. They took our fully-loaded truck on the 23rd. We'll arrive in Vegas on the 3rd of January. In between, we're stopping in Chicago (where we are now) then heading to Oklahoma & Kansas to visit family before leaving New Year's Day to head to Vegas.

We've been without internet for over a week & will only have occasional access between now & when we get to Vegas. You can follow updates in real time on my Twitter or Facebook until I have full-time access to update you here again.

We would appreciate your prayers as we travel. We'd also appreciate your prayers for my health and our peace as I am currently miscarrying again, and have had some complications.

Have a Happy New Year!

What DOES Christ Command?

What, exactly, DOES Christ command from us?

Does He command that we tell believers that they're going to hell if they don't use the “right” spelling for a word (according to us)? Does He command believers to motivate the poor to do what's right and better their situation? Does He command us to be hateful and rude to someone because they don't speak in tongues or agree with our exact doctrine? Does He command us to expect the world to live according to the Word? Does He expect us to get offended and mad if they don't?

I was accused the other day of simplifying God. I think that's exactly what He wants, though. I think He intended His word to be simple. When they asked Jesus what His greatest command was in Luke 10:27 He responded, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. The second, is like it. Love your neighbors as yourself.” Sounds pretty simple to me.

Tell me, how would you feel if your neighbor treated you as you have treated other believers let alone the world? God says we're not to treat others as they have treated us, but to love them...LOVE them...as we love ourselves. Does how you speak show love for other believers? The world?

How does the world see us? How does the world view the body of Christ?

There ought to be a term that would designate those who actually follow the teachings of Jesus, since the word 'Christian' has been largely divorced from those teachings, and so polluted by fundamentalists that it has come to connote their polar opposite: intolerance, vindictive hatred, and bigotry. -- Philip Stater, Huffington Post

THAT is how the world views us. That's not what I want. You?

God doesn't command us to motivate the poor to do better. He doesn't tell us to chastise them because they're not helping themselves. He tells us to feed them. He tells us to give them clothes. He tells us to visit them in prison and when they're sick.

You can argue all day with me, but if you're a follower of Christ, you CANNOT argue with Him. THIS is what He commands of us. He tells us to go out and spread His gospel. He doesn't tell us to do that by belittling people. He doesn't say to take offense and fulfill His commands that way. He says to feed them. To clothe them. To visit them in prison and when they're sick. He says, “Whatever you have done to the least of these you have done unto Me.” Here are the words straight from Jesus Himself in Matthew 25:

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

Why Do We Fight?

I firmly believe that God will use our current situations, our life, to speak to us many times. Today as I watched my children, I realized how much we, as the body of Christ, are like my children.

I asked my children to do something. They responded with a polite, respectful, “Yes, Mam”, and proceeded to obey. Not 5 minutes later, they were fighting. He didn't do what she thought he should, and she was being mean to him. She thought hers was the only way to do it, and as such both of the others were doing it wrong even though both of them were still obeying.

I stopped and looked at the situation. I had one child who had decided she was in charge. She had worked for a little bit with her brother and sister. At some point, she decided that she was doing it right and they were doing it wrong. After this revelation hit her, she QUIT WORKING to instruct them on how they were doing it wrong and how they should be doing it. The other two (who were still working) looked at her like she was crazy (rightfully so) and continued to work as they had been instructed. The oldest then decided that since they weren't going to listen to her she would continue to NOT WORK and would instead be mean and hateful to her brother and sister. She yelled at them, she hit her brother, and she proceeded to analyze their EVERY step telling them what they were doing wrong and why it was wrong. All the while, THEY are obeying...and she is NOT. Yet she comes to tell us that the others aren't doing it “right” and we need to instruct them. When we pointed out that they were working (even though it wasn't HER way) and she WAS NOT, she got indignant and walked away in a huff mad that we had not seen things her way.

Before I called her back to talk to her, it hit me that we, as the body of Christ, are far too often like my oldest. We start out obeying what God has commanded us to do. Then, somewhere along the way, we decide that our way is the only right way. We then STOP WORKING as God has commanded to instead correct others and tell them how THEY'RE not doing it right...even though the others are still working...and we have stopped.

Is this what God would want? Does He want us all do do it one way? Or does He want us to just obey, even if how I obey is different than how you obey? As long as we're both accomplishing the task which Christ has set forth, does my methodology (though it may be different from yours) really matter?

Priorities

It's clear my family has their priorities in order. Who can argue with that?

"Xmas"! Need I Say (or write) More?

"Xmas"  Need I say (or write) more?

I didn't think so. Most of us do one of two things when we see or hear “X-Mas” (or “Happy Holidays” for that matter). We either roll our eyes as we know the comments that will inevitably come from the person who is “deeply offended” by the fact that someone “took Christ out of Christmas”.

For the record, I'm the one rolling my eyes. I think the offense people take to this is lunacy. There are bigger things to be concerned with. Besides, I think their offense is due to a misunderstanding.

Still, let's not even go there. For a minute, let's examine if anyone is REALLY taking Christ out of anything when they say or write “Xmas” or “Happy Holidays”.

I'll cut straight to the point. Christ wasn't born at Christmas. Christmas didn't start as a “Christian” holiday. It started as a PAGAN (i.e.: secular, or not related to Christ) holiday. Somewhere back in the glorious middle ages, the Catholic Church recognized the depth of this holiday & wanted to find a way to claim it as their own in hopes of drawing more people into the church. To do so, they decided that they would celebrate the birth of Christ during this pagan winter celebration.

Back in the day, the Catholic church had a way of taking over things if/when they wanted to. And thus, Christmas as we know it today was born. Well, not exactly as we know it today because today people spend unGodly amounts of money on presents and completely forget about the created reason for the season in the process.

Side note: Yes, I do believe it is UNGodly amounts of money. Seriously? How much did you give to feeding the hungry? Helping those less fortunate? Yet you're going to max out your credit cards for gifts? Why? Any rate...that's a horse for another blog.

When WAS Christ born? It has been theorized that he was born in the fall, around September or October. Although some say it was likely closer to spring or summer. Regardless, ALL are certain that according to the Biblical account of his birth and the events surrounding it, there is NO WAY he was born in the dead of winter. I'm not Presbyterian, but they do an excellent job of breaking down the details of when Christ was likely born.

For a minute lets put aside that you cannot take a person out of something of which they were never a part in the beginning. Let's say that because the Catholic church brought Christ into the holiday He is now a bonafide part of the holiday and as such shouldn't be removed from said holiday by crass use of “Xmas” or “Holiday” instead of the full “Christmas”. (By the way, celebrating Christmas was made ILLEGAL by the colonists because they felt it was an unholy, pagan celebration. But I digress.)

Still with me? If not, here's a review. We're now ignoring the FACT that Christ was NOT born at Christmas and are instead pretending that He was. Based on this premise, we have reason to be mean and unChrist-like in our response to people should they use the “unGodly” “Xmas” or “Holiday” instead of the MORE Godly “Christmas”.

We've already established that it is, in fact, NOT wrong to use “Holiday” instead of “Christmas” because that's exactly what the day started as...a “Holiday” that had nothing to do with Christ. Even if we say Christ is now a part of Christmas, most of us can concede that those who aren't Christians would prefer using “Holiday” over “Christmas”. Still, what CHRISTIAN wouldn't WANT to use the full “Christmas” instead of “X'ing” Christ out of Christmas by saying or writing “Xmas”?

But wait. Is it really unGodly to say or write “Xmas” instead of “Christmas”? Is it really “X'ing” Christ out of Christmas as so many proclaim?

The word for “Christ” in Greek is “Xristos”. During the 16^th Century, “X” was used in place of the full “Xristos” as a form of short-hand. It was understood that the “X” stood for “Xristos” or “Christ”. People even referred to Christians as “Xians”. It was a commonly referred to abbreviation.

A quick online search will reveal to you how that abbreviation continued on through the years.

I would really encourage you to do a little research the next time you're tempted to attack another follower of Christ out of offense. I would encourage you to stop ANYTIME you're attempted to attack another and behave in a rude or unChrist-like manner even if you KNOW you're right. Even if you ARE right, there is NO justification for treating another human (Christian or not) in a rude or unChrist-like manner. As Christians, we are to be held to a higher standard. I am a FIRM believer for standing for what's right. I am ALSO a firm believer of doing so in a Christ-like manner.

On that note, Merry Christmas, Merry X-Mas, Happy Holidays, and Happy Festivus.

THAT Kind of Day

God is still on His throne. My world may be crazy right now, but my God isn't. He's got me. He's never left us nor forsaken us. He's never let us down. We have always received exceedingly and abundantly above all we could ever ask or think.

Today is no different. My God is the same yesterday, today, & tomorrow. His word is the same every day. His mercies renew every morning.

Today might be crazy, but I know that my future is in God's hands. He is able. That's just it. HE is able. Amy isn't able. Gary isn't able. But God IS able. HE is able. We'll be okay. He's got us.

Thank you, God.

Because that's the kind of day I've had. THAT'S why.

Flushing: Just DO IT!

I don't ever remember struggling to flush when I was growing up. You walked in, did your business, flushed, and waved it all goodbye. (Okay, so I didn't actually wave, but work with me here.)

It was a simple process that required little time or thought. You push down a little handle and WOOSH everything is sucked into the little hole & is gone. It's simple. So easy. Or so I thought.

Several years later, I had children. Said children apparently lack the toilet-flushing gene. I'm not quite sure how this happened as both their father and I flush after every job as do our parents...and grandparents. Perhaps it skips several generations? Or maybe my children are just pioneers at heart. Yeah. That's it. That's what I'll tell myself to sleep at night.

I've heard the ludicrous saying, “If it's brown flush it down, if it's yellow, let it mellow”. That statement was written by a child attempting to justify his or her lack of the flushing gene. I don't care WHAT color it is, I just want it flushed!

In our house, it doesn't matter WHAT color it STARTED as, it ends up covered by a white mound. (I've become firmly convinced through detailed research in my own house that the lack of a flushing gene is often accompanied by the belief that any job...EVERY job...of any color requires at LEAST a roll of toilet paper. At least. More is better, though.) People wonder why we coupon. It's so we can afford the gold...I mean toilet paper we must buy in such great quantity that the cashiers are convinced I either have 20 children or a family with severe bowel disorders.

It's so bad at our house that our plunger is begging us not to take him with us to Vegas. Yes. Our plunger has a personality. Why? Doesn't yours? When you use your plunger as much as we use ours, it becomes a valued member of your family. So valued, that he's DEATHLY afraid of continuing on in our presence. We found a note on our toilet a week ago from our plunger. It included a Menard's ad with a sale plunger circled with “BUY ME PLEASE” written above the picture. It's sad when your plunger would rather freeze in Michigan than go with your family to warm Vegas. Yes. It's THAT bad.

My children DO know how to operate a toilet. They are PERFECT at doing so ELSEWHERE! However, it appears as if the toilet-flushing gene disappears when they walk in our front door.

Several times, I've been seconds away from purchasing old Sears' catalogs at our local thrift store or saving the leaves we rake from the yard. Perhaps if they wiped like their grandparents used to then they'd think twice about wasting our gold...ahem...toliet paper.

We've pondered several solutions.

We could give them a “ration” of toilet paper for the month. Once THEIR ration is gone, then they get to use the Sears' catalog or leaves (their choice). I know. We're too kind.

If they don't flush, we could make them use a bucket outside for the rest of the day. Somehow I think that solution would be MUCH more effective in a Michigan winter than a Vegas anything, though.

For some reason, our children don't find our ideas humorous. Yet they still aren't flushing...

I have a word for my dear children. If you don't start using less toilet paper and flushing said toilet paper SOON...a Sears' catalog and/or leaves may be in your very near future.

I Want to Save Money, but I Don't Have the Time! Part 2

Last week, I talked about saving money on groceries when you're short on time. The next biggest expense for most of us is clothing (outside of housing and car expenses).

The BEST way to save money on clothes is to go to a thrift store or consignment store. Even better is to go to these places when they're having a "bag" sale where everything you can fit into a bag they give you is only $5 (or another fixed price). You can save even more money if you're willing to go to garage sales.

Let's assume, though, that you don't have extra time. You need to go into a store, look at the shirts, find one that fits & go. For the best, most immediate selection year-round, I would recommend a consignment store. They are the place where you're most likely to find clean, in-style clothes in nearly any size just as you would in a "regular" store. If you have a little more time, you can get even better deals at some thrift stores. (I don't usually bother with garage sales because I don't have the time.)

I know some people prefer new only. You'll find better deals if you'll expand your horizons & be willing to consider consignment stores, but you can still save money buying new.

There are two ways to save money buying new clothes. Both do involve a watching & waiting so you would be wise to try & plan ahead clothing-wise. The same principal regarding groceries applies here too. Find what you want on sale. Every item of clothing goes on sale at one point or another. Find your favorite store (or stores)...mine is Target..and watch their sale ads. Buy what you need when it goes on sale, but try to think ahead. If your son is now wearing a 3T & there's a great sale on jeans, then buy a pair (or 2) in 4T & 5T also so you'll have what you need when you need it without having to rush out & buy (at full-price) right then.

The second (and best) way to buy new is to buy on clearance. However, this DOES take more time than just walking in & buying what you need. What you CAN do, though, is look at the clearance items when you're already in the store. If there's something you know you need or will need in the future then pick it up. Most stores eventually take their clearance down to 75% or 80% off, but the lower you go, the less they have. As a result, if it's something you need, then you might need to buy it at 50% or even 30% off to ensure you get what you need before it's gone.

And again, don't stress what someone else is able to save. If you want to eventually have those savings, FANTASTIC! Start where you are, though, and build up to it when you are ready.

Above all, remember, that ANYTHING is better than full-price!

Contracts: Avoiding Fights in the Family

We've all heard the “He said/She said” arguments from our kids. Someone said they would do something and then later backed out on the deal denying that they ever made the deal in the first place. Who do you believe? How do you settle an argument when both parties are saying something different.

Either way, someone will be mad at you, and you may be siding with wrong person.

How do you solve this problem? How are problems like this solved in the real world? A court room. I don't want my kids having to go to the judge every time they have a dispute. That's neither healthy nor financially prudent.

My job as a parent is to prepare my kids for real life. How, in “real” life are conflicts like this avoided? Contracts. If you put it in writing, then no one can dispute who said what. Everything that was agreed upon is in writing. You can't deny what you put in writing.

How ridiculous is it to ask my kids to write a contract? I don't think it's ridiculous at all. Too many times, I think we don't ask our kids to do grown-up things when we should. We're afraid they can't handle it, that they're too young, or that it will make them grow up too fast. On the contrary, I think we will help them grow into responsible adults if we teach them what's right while they're young.

Proverbs 22:6 says to “Train your children up in the way they should go so that when they're old they won't depart from it.” Many believe this only applies to training them in Biblical knowledge. I think God's words go much deeper than that, however. I am a firm believer that one should read the ENTIRE passage and not just one scripture in order to know God's meaning behind that scripture. I believe God intends us to not only train our children in Biblical knowledge, but also in the knowledge and practice of what it means to live a life of integrity. The rest of the passage talks about honoring your word, and behaving in a Godly manner. God's wants us to train our children to have good character in EVERY area of their lives.

I believe one way we can do that is by expecting our children to behave responsibly and to honor their word from the time they are little. As soon as they are old enough, you can teach them how to make sure everyone's word is honored by putting their promises in writing.

We started doing this about 6 months ago. I'd heard one too many he said/she said arguments and knew there had to be a better way. From those fights was born the family contract. If you switch toys with a friend or family member, if you give them a toy, or if you sell them a toy, you put it in writing. That way all parties know exactly what is expected of them, and there is a written record of the deal for the judge's (Mommy's) sake. Furthurmore, the contract must be notarized by an official (Mommy or Daddy). No contract is official until the notary has read the contract and made sure all sides are in agreement.

The amount of arguing saved by these contracts has been INVALUABLE! To boot, my children are learning how to write a legal contract that fully protects both parties yet is legible to the “common” man (or child).

I Want to Save Money, but I Don't Have Time!

You know the old saying "Time is Money"? It's true. The more money you have, the more time you can save. The more time you spend, the more money you can save. So does that mean you can't save any money if you don't have a lot of time? Absolutely NOT!

The first place people usually start when trying to save money is with their groceries. That's completely logical being that it's often the most frequent and necessary purchase any of us makes.

There a couple of changes you can make to save money without having to spend much more time than you currently do shopping. You don't even have to use coupons if you don't have the time! (I do recommend using coupons to net the greatest savings, but they are not a requirement to save money.)

The only way to effectively save money on groceries without using coupons is to buy items when they go on sale. This doesn't take nearly as much time as you might think. Pick the store (or stores) that you go to the most and look at their ads every week. When something you already use goes on sale, then buy enough for about 3 months. (Most sales cycle every 12 weeks...or every 3 months.) This will net you enough to not have to buy that item again until the next sale. If you're buying items like fresh meat, cheese, or butter, then you'll want to freeze them so they'll stay good until you're ready to use them.

After you've chosen which sale items to buy (which can be as simple as circling the item and taking the circled ad into the store with you as your list), then determine which non-sale items you need to buy that week. Ideally, the more you shop sales, the less you'll have to buy non-sale items. You'll plan your menus (or meals) according to what you already have in your pantry.

If you're willing to buy whichever brand is on sale even if it's not your usual or your favorite, then you'll save even more money. You CAN still save by being brand-sensitive, but not as much as you would otherwise. Also, when you're just buying according to sales, be aware that prices at places like Aldi and Save-a-Lot as well as generics at Wal-Mart, Meijer, and other stores will often net better sales than brand-name products on sale but without a coupon. This isn't always the case, but it often is. Again, you CAN still save by JUST purchasing brand-name products on sale, but not as much as if you were willing to also consider generics.

Even with this one change, you will be surprised at how much money you save. Where before you would have paid $3 for Dove soap, you'll now pay $1. Multiply that by all your products, and the savings add up quick!

If you're just starting out, don't feel bad because you're not able to save what others do. You can get easily overwhelmed when trying to jump in feet first and do everything. Sometimes it's easier to start slowly and build up to the big savings. Above all, though, do what YOU can do...not what someone on a money-saving blog or couponing website can do. And don't feel bad because you're not where they are. You're where YOU are, and that's okay.

There have been times when we're living off of our stockpile and not couponing because I don't have the time. When that happens, I do exactly what I outlined above. That way, I'm still saving my family money without the time involved for couponing.

A Radio Wife's Guide to Moving

I generally don't like to brag about myself. However, after embarking on my 16th move and the 7th time I've changed states in 12 1/2 years, I feel I can safely say that I'm an expert at moving. Add to that the years of experience I gained moving as a child, teen, & young adult thanks to my Dad's career in the oil industry, and I think I've earned the title "expert" fair & square!

Thankfully, both my husband & I feel we're finally heading to a long-term place. After having done pretty much everything in radio, Gary has found exactly where he wants to be job-wise. As a result, this may be one of my final long-term moves. I foresee myself needing to start a moving company in the future to fill any gaps this may leave.

Many have joked after I've moved myself or helped them get their house packed in a week that I should write a book on moving. I've told them I'm going to title it "A Radio Wife's Guide to Moving".

So I did what they've asked. I have started a blog: A Radio Wife's Guide to Moving. I'll be blogging about our current move as well as writing a step-by-step guide for moving.

I'll let you guys know when I have a post over there as well.

Back to packing!