Update - Moving is......a process

I thought I would stop working for a bit and write a little update on our progress with the house and moving.  The last two weeks have been a bit crazy, even for me.  Actually, the last two or so years of my life have been either stressful, strenuous, trying, or crazy.  That is definitely another story for another day.  Thankfully, I have a faithful God who has proven that His peace is never far, if I am only willing to tap into it.  I must admit, however, that I have fallen apart more in the last few weeks than I have in my entire life, no kidding.  I have just about reached my limit of trials, tests, setbacks, issues, and drama.  I am normally one of the calmest, un-angry (my word) people I know.  Not lately.  I mostly fall apart either by myself or around Jeff.  I have been trying to hold it together around everyone else, although Amber and Josh seem to be fine-tuned to my moods and always know when I am having a bad day.  They get HUGE credit because they have been my faithful assistants through it all.

At any rate, most of the projects we were in the middle of during the last update are either somewhat or mostly completed, but none of them are completely completed.  We are very, very close to being done with the flooring, but last night we ran out of flooring for the living room, so off to town we go later today.  I estimated the flooring based on the floor plans for the house, so something was obviously off.  That's okay, because Amber blessed us with money to go on a much-needed date while we are in town.  We have been neglecting that area more than we normally do, and are thankful and excited to get to spend non-working time together.

We got the tile laid in the small corner of our living room where our wood stove will go.  Jeff did a really good job.  I always have the job of grouting and sealing, but I haven't gotten to it yet.  We will probably end up tiling the wall as well where the pipe will be, but he hasn't decided that for sure yet.

The only truck we currently have running is Jeff's small Nissan Frontier, short bed.  This is the only thing we have been using to move our furniture to the new house.  Slowly.  One piece of large furniture at a time, with a couple boxes thrown in to complete the load.  It seems that we aren't destined to be able to do anything easily, but that's life as I know it, so I am used to it.  I try to just roll with the punches, but I must admit it is a part of the stress.  We have our bed frame at the new house, the kitchen table of my mom's we were storing in our attic, our new-to-us sofa sleeper, a couple of wardrobes, a couple of desks, a couple of chests, and one kitchen cabinet from our other house.  We have a LOT more left, and right now we have nowhere to store anything that goes outside. 

Amber, Josh, and I have been ramping it up this past week, taking at least one load just about every day.  Fortunately for us, our new house is only about 8 miles from our old house.  Then, Jeff and I come back every evening after work for at least 2 hours to see what we can get done.  I installed some new stainless steel shelves in our kitchen, hollow wall anchors and all.  I was truly proud of myself because Jeff is normally the one to do all that. 

I should say that he has been the one to do all that in the last five years, because at our other old house we lived in for 20+ years, I did just about every project alongside Jeff when we built the addition of a master bedroom/bath and extra bedroom.  I bought and transported block 9 months pregnant, screwed and nailed walls, flooring, decking, crawled under and put up insulation with hangers, the whole caboodle.  So I can do stuff, I just normally prefer to stick with my wifely/motherly duties.

So today, I am putting stuff away that we brought from the house, and Jeff is building a set of steps for our back deck.  I have bruises on my legs from crawling up onto the deck (it's 5 feet off the ground), and I have almost twisted my ankle a couple of times jumping down at night when we are leaving, so I am glad for the addition of steps.  I may have said several times that I was too old for this.  Joshua is busy cutting firewood for back at the house, and Amber is back there cleaning and keeping the home fires burning.  Jessie and Dylan are working on their camper, getting it ready for when they get married in January.

I hope everyone has a good day, and I am going back to listen to football on my Sirius and put stuff away.  If you pray, Jeff and I would both appreciate prayers for peace and sanity.

Love you all,
Debbie

Why it shouldn't anger you when Christians have biblical beliefs

If the atmosphere of today's society could get any more politically correct, I couldn't imagine it.  I am thankful for the right we have to stand for what we believe, for what it's actually worth these days, even when those beliefs don't line up with mine.  I'm glad that everyone can figure out what he thinks for himself and aren't made to adhere to any certain creed.

What I am addressing today is the scorn, anger, and even hate that is directed at Christians when we uphold traditional biblical beliefs that contradict popular socio-political thinking.  I can understand in a way that us thinking certain things are wrong, even sinful, could offend those who don't agree with the Bible or its teachings.

However, when we are true, born-again Christians, we are SUPPOSED to hold every single word of the Bible as truth.   If we fall prey to popular thinking and start to embrace certain things that the Bible makes clear are sin, then we are failing as Christians, or else we were never Christians to begin with.  The Bible is our truth, and it is very, exceedingly, and abundantly clear on a lot of things.

Among those things are abortion, which God considers murder and equivalent to the sacrifices to Molech of old.  Sexual perversion from God's clearly, unarguably established way (one man, one woman in covenant bond of marriage) is wrong.  That means pre-marital sex and shacking up, post-marital affairs, pornography, lustful thoughts and daydreams and yes, homosexuality, is sinful.  Not because I say so, or the preacher says so, but because the one true God, the creator of everything, says so, and He says so quite clearly (regardless of what some people try to argue) in His word (the Bible).  And as a believer, I am supposed to agree with Him, even when and if I don't really agree with Him. 

And that is why, if you don't believe in God, you shouldn't get mad at those of us who do when we believe what the Bible says.  It's part of our job description.  It is really kind of non-negotiable, even though a lot of "Christians" don't think so.  When you read the Bible all the way through, study it, and take God at His word, there is no room left for argument, at least about the above-mentioned things. 

Who you really don't agree with is God himself.   And that's okay, because He gives us all a choice to accept Him and His truths or not.  He wants willing followers.  Just know that He has also established an end for those who ultimately reject Him, and refusal to believe in Him or that end (Hell) doesn't make them any less real,  just like not believing in gravity will not save you from splattering on the pavement when you jump off the roof.

So, coming to terms with who you really have a beef with (God) will release you from the anger you feel towards us Christians when we just do what we are supposed to do- believe God and everything He has said.  That way, we can just agree to disagree and still be friends.  :)

Blessings,
Debbie