The Big Storm--She Is A Comin'

Drop over to http://www.weather.com/ and you'll swear the world will be ending tomorrow for those of us in a certain 23 states. heh.

But here at my house? We're prepared, well, mostly. Plenty of groceries, coffee, rock salt, Little House books and episodes of LOST to watch. Cars under cover. Snow shovels by the back door. The outdoor stuff frozen into the snow we've already had, unable to blow away. I only wish Tom had remembered to buy some kerosene for our emergency kerosene heater out in the garage. We've never needed one so far, but as I said, I like to be prepared for anything. (Fortunately though, there's a True Value Hardware shop down the road with shelves of the stuff. I hope.)

The only slight problem? We'll need to drive to our tiny town's Rite Aid tomorrow sometime because Lennon's supply of insulin is way low, and too, that's when a prescription of Tom's will arrive. But at least Rite Aid is only one mile away. I think we can handle that. It won't be like in the Little House books (which I'm still rereading) where they risk their lives, nearly lose them and then happily, for the kids' sake, quip, "All's well that ends well!" There will be no risking of our lives around here, thank-goodness.

And speaking of the Little House books, this time of Tom's unemployment has often reminded me of Caroline Ingall's repeats of "there's no great loss without some gain." Why? Because the loss of his job has meant the gain of his staying safely inside (most days) and not risking slipping out in the snow, he who's been known to slip on a half-dollar-sized circle of ice. So I've worried much less, not that worrying was ever ok, but hey. I'll take it, I'll take having him semi-constantly around the house in winter if it means added safety for him in wintertime.

And so it goes. Stay warm and safe wherever you may be--and remember--Spring will soon be here.

Of Investments Not Related to Money

"He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." ... Matthew 10:37


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Until I was 35, every time I'd hear that Bible verse in a sermon I'd hang my head in embarrassment right there in the church pew. 

Why? Because I loved everybody more than I (truly) loved God. Oh, I appreciated Him like crazy, but love Him more than even my family? Well, not so much.

And I'll tell ya. Back then I had one rough emotional life. When you love people more than God, you're nearly always disappointed, devastated. lonely or upset. The people in our lives make tons of mistakes, say hurtful things (usually unintentionally), ignore us often when we need them most, they laugh in the wrong places, get offended when we're imperfect and __________ (fill in the blank.)

So I'm thinking that one of the reasons God asks that we love Him most is because it's healthier emotionally, mentally, even physically (since I believe all are connected). For God does not disappoint. He never walks away. He always listens, helps, counsels--even at two in the morning when you wouldn't dare call a friend on her cell phone.

If there's any disappointing and abandoning going on--it is not God doing it. God has never made a mistake and He's not about to make His first one with any of us.

But since 1994 when I fell hopelessly in love with God at age 35? Everything changed. Now I truly do love Him more than anyone, thanks to a work He's done in me and oh, my emotions do thank me! Gone (through process, much time and surrender) are my wild mood swings when the people in my life let me down. 

Gone is my tendency to invest more in people than I can emotionally afford to lose.

Now I can forgive people's imperfections and slights because hey! I still have Jesus. He's still here. He's still perfect, still hanging out with me and I still love Him most.

As long as I have Him, I'll be ok. And oh, the freedom that knowledge (and experience), brings.




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If I love God most, I'm able to love people better.



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Now Playing On My Brain

So lately Tom discovered a new tv series by way of Netflix, one called Ax Men. Majorly annoying to me who hates strife, coarse language (even with all the bleep!bleep!bleeeeeps!) and men behaving badly. 

Have you seen this show? It follows loggers out to forests where they chop down trees, have many accidents due mostly to rookies (sooo for the sake of the camera, don't tell me otherwise) and yell at each other a lot.

Tom loves it. Sits there and chuckles. Gah. 

Maybe it takes him back to his young man years of working in a lumber mill. His glory years of chopping down trees for our wood stove, the sole source of heat for nine years there in snow country. If that is the case, well, I understand, for perhaps that's why I watch shows with young, brave women (and men) doing heroic feats --perhaps they remind me of my own glory days or even just my grand dreams from back then. 

(Who really understands these things?)

My computer sits 3 1/2 feet away from the tv so often I must wear headphones and listen to the awesome music on Kim's playlist and try to ignore the yelling and bleep-bleeps I can still hear.

Yet sometimes Tom wears his headphones and watches Ax Men on his computer.This revolutionary give-and-take thing we're trying out is pretty cool. :)

Yesterday I even came up with the awesome idea of Mid-Afternoon Office Time. Immediately after we watch our current lunchtime episode of LOST (we're starting over with season 1. I know. I know.), we then have one hour of silence in which Tom does business from his computer and I sit at mine doing my surveys and coupon searches.

It only took us five months to think of such a brilliant thing.



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We went shopping on Thursday night and I saved $50 with coupons and sales items, spending $70 instead of $120. Many items I've not paid full price for since October. And the other nice thing? I've been stocking up during winter for probably 25 years, but this is the first January I've ever been stocked up so well. And all during this, our season of unemployment.

Life with God is like that. So opposite of what you'd normally think.



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And now I'm finally seeing more money from my online survey groups. More surveys from them and more payments, too. And for the ones which allow me to credit my earnings to Pay Pal, I have a terrific plan. I'll use my Pay Pal earnings at VitaCost to buy those lovely krill oil capsules which have returned sleep to me. I found this a better idea than using the amazon.com option.

So if you're doing online surveys for some extra cash or things like Swagbucks--be patient! It does start adding up when you learn some tricks of the trade and allow it all some good old-fashioned Time in which to reap from what you've sown.

Ah. Life is good.




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Give yourself Time. Give people and God some Time, too. You'll be surprised at what happens eventually.