Well, I guess I'm jumping on the bandwagon! It seems like a great idea to continually remind yourself of the things that you are thankful for, especially in this time we live in! So here I go.
I am thankful for my husband, the love of my life, who loves me just as I am!
I am thankful for my sweet girl, Jessica. She continually amazes me!
I am thankful for my boy, Alex. He keeps me smiling!
I am thankful for my church and the awesome opportunity God gives me in allowing me to serve there. It has truly been an amazing blessing!
I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for a mother's unconditional and never ending love! I am thankful for my sis and the relationship we have now! I am thankful for my dad, even though we don't have the best of relationships. I am thankful for my Smith family! I am thankful for a humble father-in-law who loves Jesus with every breath he takes. I am thankful for a mother-in-law who has taught me so much over the years, who still loves me, inspite of me being me. I am thankful for a sister-in-law who inspires me to be a better person. I am thankful for the rest of the family, each and every one. It's a big family. I could go on and on. But I can't fail to mention the newest edition, Haven. I am thankful for the joy she brings and the reminder she is of how good God is!
I am thankful for my friends!
I am thankful that I continue to remain cancer free! Yea!
I am thankful that I have a nice warm bed to sleep in every night and food to eat.
I am thankful for the journey, the things God has allowed me to go through to shape me into the person I am today, good & bad.
I am thankful that God's love never fails and that His mercy endures forever!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Monday, November 3, 2008
Money, Money, Money
Money! Money! Money! This week at church we started a new series on money. It was a great sermon on the view of money. (You can listen to the podcast at http://www.viningslake.org/) Before & after the sermon I felt I already had a great view of money. I know it's all God's. I know that He has blessed me beyond measure. I thankfully give tithes & offerings because I know that it was God who blessed me with that money and am thankful that He allows me to keep the rest of it.
Then the election came & went. I knew in my heart probably what was going to happen, but was hopeful that God would not allow it to happen. But He did allow it and Obama was elected President of the United States, the greatest country on earth. I was so angry, and am still disappointed, about the results. (Stick with me!) It infuriates me to think that I am going to have to pay more taxes to help support other people who choose not to work and support themselves. I have no problem in helping those who are not able to help themselves, but I have big issues with helping those who ARE able to help themselves. Why should I work as hard as I do if I'm just going to give it all to the government anyway? I'll just let Uncle Sam take care of me just like everyone else. Another thought since I love my job, I'll just quit paying taxes. I don't agree with most of the policies of the government, so why should I give them my money to support it? You hear commercials all the time anyway about "Settle with the IRS for pennies on the dollar", which is another topic that I have big issues with, just rewards bad behavior. But Hey if bad behavior is what this country wants, they can have it!
After I had voiced my opinion, I started to read a few other people's opinions & then God spoke to me through their words. I felt REALLY convicted and ashamed of the way that I felt. Is that the way God would want me to feel and act? Is that how I as a child of God should feel and act? It is ok to get angry, Jesus did many times. Read your Bible, it's in there! But what exactly was I angry about? It does break my heart regarding the moral issues in this country & I know it must break God's heart to see the way people He created in His own image live. But if I am being totally transparent, the thing that makes me the most angry has to do with my money and what the government plans to do with it. (I know, I'm not perfect after all!) Pete quoted Ecclesiates 5:10 on Sunday, "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless." NIV I never really thought of myself as one who loves money, as I am generous to the church and other causes, but I guess I had a little more of that "love of money" in me than I thought. We live in a beautiful home, drive nice cars, and don't do without the things we need. God has blessed us tremendously!! Need was the word there, I do without a lot of things that I want. I would love to dress like most of my friends, I would love to have designer purses and sunglasses, I would love to go shopping every time I felt like it, I would love to buy my kids whatever their heart desired, I would love to go out to eat anytime I wanted to, I would love to go the movies or do something fun with my family everytime I wanted to, I would love to have a pedicure every week, I would love to have a maid clean my house, I would love to decorate my house to the T, I would love to go to the spa occasionally, I would love to take several nice vacations with my family each year, I would love to have some cosmetic surgery (girls, don't we all?). To think that I can't afford to have what I WANT and then the government is going to take more of my money away, well it just really makes me angry. I know that's not how I should feel, because it's all God's anyway and He has blessed us with so much more than we even deserve!! So my prayer today is that God would first forgive me for the way I feel, forgive me for my love of money and stuff, and that He would know that I am SO thankful for all that He has blessed me with. I pray that we, the church, would unite as a family of God and let His love shine through us even though we don't see eye to eye on all the issues. I pray for our country, that God would radically move among His people to make a difference for His Kingdom! Putting oursevles and our desires behind us, and pressing on to the call of Christ!
Proverbs 17:1 Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.
Then the election came & went. I knew in my heart probably what was going to happen, but was hopeful that God would not allow it to happen. But He did allow it and Obama was elected President of the United States, the greatest country on earth. I was so angry, and am still disappointed, about the results. (Stick with me!) It infuriates me to think that I am going to have to pay more taxes to help support other people who choose not to work and support themselves. I have no problem in helping those who are not able to help themselves, but I have big issues with helping those who ARE able to help themselves. Why should I work as hard as I do if I'm just going to give it all to the government anyway? I'll just let Uncle Sam take care of me just like everyone else. Another thought since I love my job, I'll just quit paying taxes. I don't agree with most of the policies of the government, so why should I give them my money to support it? You hear commercials all the time anyway about "Settle with the IRS for pennies on the dollar", which is another topic that I have big issues with, just rewards bad behavior. But Hey if bad behavior is what this country wants, they can have it!
After I had voiced my opinion, I started to read a few other people's opinions & then God spoke to me through their words. I felt REALLY convicted and ashamed of the way that I felt. Is that the way God would want me to feel and act? Is that how I as a child of God should feel and act? It is ok to get angry, Jesus did many times. Read your Bible, it's in there! But what exactly was I angry about? It does break my heart regarding the moral issues in this country & I know it must break God's heart to see the way people He created in His own image live. But if I am being totally transparent, the thing that makes me the most angry has to do with my money and what the government plans to do with it. (I know, I'm not perfect after all!) Pete quoted Ecclesiates 5:10 on Sunday, "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless." NIV I never really thought of myself as one who loves money, as I am generous to the church and other causes, but I guess I had a little more of that "love of money" in me than I thought. We live in a beautiful home, drive nice cars, and don't do without the things we need. God has blessed us tremendously!! Need was the word there, I do without a lot of things that I want. I would love to dress like most of my friends, I would love to have designer purses and sunglasses, I would love to go shopping every time I felt like it, I would love to buy my kids whatever their heart desired, I would love to go out to eat anytime I wanted to, I would love to go the movies or do something fun with my family everytime I wanted to, I would love to have a pedicure every week, I would love to have a maid clean my house, I would love to decorate my house to the T, I would love to go to the spa occasionally, I would love to take several nice vacations with my family each year, I would love to have some cosmetic surgery (girls, don't we all?). To think that I can't afford to have what I WANT and then the government is going to take more of my money away, well it just really makes me angry. I know that's not how I should feel, because it's all God's anyway and He has blessed us with so much more than we even deserve!! So my prayer today is that God would first forgive me for the way I feel, forgive me for my love of money and stuff, and that He would know that I am SO thankful for all that He has blessed me with. I pray that we, the church, would unite as a family of God and let His love shine through us even though we don't see eye to eye on all the issues. I pray for our country, that God would radically move among His people to make a difference for His Kingdom! Putting oursevles and our desires behind us, and pressing on to the call of Christ!
Proverbs 17:1 Better is a dry morsel with quietness, than a house full of feasting with strife.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Fall & Military Ball 2008
It was a beautiful day at the Smith's!! This is from our back yard.
I love the colors of fall!!
Alex & Skip
Jessica - Military Ball 2008
Isn't she beautiful??
Alex & Skip
Jessica - Military Ball 2008
Isn't she beautiful??
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