Everything Goes Wrong

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.
1 Peter 3:18a

The hay lies dry and brittle in the noon day sun. It is indeed time to get it baled. The sun shines with full force on the pair out in the hay field. The baler bangs and clatters, the tractor chugs, and the wagon lurches along behind. The boy grabs another heavy bale and throws it to the top of the load. A shower of chaff sticks on his arms and face, which are pouring out perspiration. As the boy grabs another heavy bale, the twine bursts in mid air. The bale explodes in all directions. The bales keep coming, but the baler has stopped knotting on the right side. The bales spill out onto the wagon. The boy yells with all his might. The half-asleep tractor driver jerks awake and stomps on the brakes. The jerk is too hard. The precariously stacked bales slowly tip to the ground despite the boy who desperately tries to hold them back but is knocked flat. The sun keeps shining, hotter than ever. The load is tipped, the baler does not work, and feelings are aroused.

How do we respond to our loved ones when everything goes wrong? So often we snap and growl irritably or put a scowl on our faces and do not say a word, but inside we are boiling over. How did our Savior react when everything went wrong? All His friends forsook Him, and He was falsely accused and badly mistreated. He kept right on loving them with compassion and never lashed out with angry words.

A jar of honey and a jar of vinegar stand side by side. Their true contents are not revealed until they are upset. We, too, are revealed when we are upset. Are we sweet or sour?

Edward Lambright, Campbell Hill, IL

The true test of your character is when everything goes wrong.

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The other evening it got down to 22 degrees but the windchill made it feel like 14! There was even a thin layer of ice forming on many roads in town. All that was missing was snow.

I figured it was due time to turn on the central heat (we had been using space heaters as a way to save some money and just because it really wasn't that cold out previously) as the wind seemed to be blowing right through the walls it seems...lol.

I turned the central heat on at 69 degrees and let it run for 10 minutes. Nothing but cold air coming out. Turned it to 72 and let it run for 10 minutes. Nothing but cold air coming out. Turned it to 80. Let it run for 15 minutes before checking on it. Nothing but cold air coming out. Turned it to 90, waited 5 minutes to see if any warmness was going to come out of it. Nope. Turned the 'heat' off, added 'get the heater repaired' to the ever growing list of problems with this house, and went about my evening.

The next day we bought 2 more space heaters.

All the rooms get really toasty quickly with the space heaters except the living room. We have high vaulted ceilings and it just seems more drafty in there esp. with the doors and windows and a fireplace you could literally feel the wind come down.

Now I know many of you are like 'well, use the fireplace for heat!'. Sure that would be great if we knew the condition of it. We would like to get a chimney sweep out first before we use it and make sure it's serviceable. Don't need to start a fire and find out somethings wrong with it like everything else in this house :-)

I think we also need a new hot water heater. We have noticed that when we shower, the hot water lasts 4-5 minutes, MAX, before it becomes cold, but when we do dishes, it lasts and lasts for a long time. Your thoughts?

Thankfully our water heater is one of those small ones if it does need to be replaced.

My laptop got another virus or two so I took it back to Best Buy yesterday. They will fix it for free, but because my puter didn't have any virus protection on it they made me buy some. I should have it back by Saturday the latest.

I added it up, between the 1st visit to Best Buy and this one, it has cost us $500 just to get that hunk of junk fixed! For that price I could have bought a brand new laptop, know what I mean? Rob and I both agreed if my laptop gets another virus, it's going in the trash as it's just not worth the repair cost.

Earlier this week, we paid a visit to the AAFES (Army Air Force Exchange Services) Distribution Center in Dallas. It was actually only 15 minutes from our house. We had lunch at the food court and walked around their small PX and just got a look see of things. Robert is hoping to get a job there. It does look like an awesome place to work.

It's like a military base for civilians. :-)

There is this little Asian plaza in town and we went to it this week just to walk around and see what they offered. It was neat! I felt like I did in Germany...in a different culture. :-)

They had this restaurant called 'Bistro B' with a menu that had over 300 items on it so we ate there for lunch. It was a very contemporary, modern type place but the service was good and the food...oh wow!!!!!!! Their lunch specials are $4.99 and you get unlimited rice with your entrees.

So for $10 we enjoyed some awesome Asian food! Robert looked at me after we left and said 'we have to go back to that place soon'. :-)

I got my mom and brother's Christmas presents wrapped and mailed off.

Well I best be getting back to making our late breakfast...refried beans, potatoes and warm tortillas. :-P

Yahweh bless you ~~

Dawn