Undignified - David Crowder Band

Just a quick update to share a song that makes me happy every time I hear it.




I hope that you feel the same way.

Role Models

I was reading my devotional this morning and it was related to parents being good role models for your children and the verse used was Proverbs 6:20-23

20 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

It's a very good reminder that your children watch you and use you to learn what is right and wrong or good and bad.  They watch you and mimic you and you are their hero.  Even if you don't think so.  I have seen this personally with my 3 children and have also seen it in other families.  It's an amazing thing to watch.

Also, you must remember that even if you aren't a parent that kids will look to anybody for social cues.  If you are around children you need to realize that they are watching you and learning from your actions.  You may not realize it but if you do something to help another person or speak truthfully and with an honest tongue then you have made a positive impact on others around you.  If you cheat, lie or steal then you have destroyed your credibility and set a bad example.  Little things like cutting in line, disobeying posted signs, cursing all may make you look 'cool' initially but your reputation is set and you are no longer that role model that I would want my children following. 

I know I fall short and have times when I am not the person I wish I was and when I realize that I may have set a bad example for my children or others around me I feel a pain in my heart.  I don't like feeling that way and continually strive to always be aware of the example I am setting for others as a Christian, father, husband, etc.

A Friend Gone

Last week a very close friend of mine passed away. Chris Dillon was a very caring and special person to me and my family. His passing came as a shock to everybody that knew him. He will be missed.

I am very fortunate to have become very close friends with Chris. He and I were instant friends the first time we got together. God put Chris in my life at a time when I needed it most. We spent several years growing our friendship and eventually brotherly love for one another. He was almost always a very laid back person and could make friends with just about anybody that could see past his interesting first impressions. We went through a lot of things together. We got into fights like brothers and hung out like friends.

Chris is Chloe's God Father. He loved and cared for her deeply. I just wish that there was more time for her to get to know him. He will always be remembered in our stories, pictures and hearts and she will know him through us.

If I were to start telling stories and writing about some of the adventures then this post would be longer than most people can read. I hope to occasionally post a fun memory and get a bit more deep about what Chris truly meant to me. This will need to come in a later post with some more pictures.

Airport Fun

I am headed to NYC today. I got up early and got dropped off by my wife at the airport for a 10am flight to Detroit then off to JFK. Everything was going great. Got on the airplane on time (early even) and all set. The plane pulls away from the terminal and out toward the runway. After a bit we get word from the pilot there is a flashing warning light for one of the doors on the plane (the luggage door i think). He mentions that we are headed back to the terminal to have a mechanic come check it out. It takes 20 minutes for the mechanics to get there and another 15 or 20 to head back out to the runway. Backing out of the terminal again we get word that there is another warning light. So back to the terminal we go! After a while we are told then that the engine won't start and they are waiting for information from the mechanic. Imagine how fun the people on the plane are to listen to at this point!

So we wait for the mechanics assessment and finally it is told to us that they need to replace a part and it needs to be flown in. So 3 hour minimum before that even shows up. We are then de-planed and off to the ticket counter we go. The line took at least an hour but I finally got rebooked on a flight out of MCI to JFK via Minneapolis (instead of Detroit). The problem: I am not getting in to the aiport until 10:45. That means to the hotel at 11:15 or 11:30. Yikes!

So the real point to this post isn't about the problems I have had with flying. The point is that it is amazing to watch how different people handle situations like this. Even the ones that seem calm and together get all antsy after a while.

The flight has a group of 17 kids and chapperones. They are students (highschool I assume) and the adults had to deal with getting all of the kids to Detroit. That would be very stressful if I was in that position.

I made a very concerted effort to keep a positive attitude and be happy even though it was a crappy situation. I thanked the people that were helping and trying to keep their composure. I was polite and happy. It is amazing how much easier things seem to go when you aren't all pissy about things that aren't in your control! I am waiting at MCI and my food just arrived. Yummy!

86 Years

Harold Ivan Smith was born on March 21, 1923 and lived a long life. This morning at 3am he went to be with the Lord.

My grandpa has blessed so many lives. There are two things that stand out that I will never forget. He always made me feel like I was such an important person in his life. I know that he did that for just about everyone he met and cared about which is such an incredible thing. His never-ending love and passion for grandma gave me a great role-model. Somebody that can be married for almost 66 years and still have that glisten in their eyes when they look at each other gives me something to look forward to.

The other thing that I will never forget is the way that Grandpa could talk to anybody. No matter where we were at or who we were with Grandpa could strike up a conversation and be truly involved in it with anybody. He always has some way to relate to people and that is a remarkable thing to me.

I pulled up an email that Grandpa sent my brother James about his past and am pasting it here. It makes this post really long but it is an interesting story. I have also posted some pictures below the story.

Dear Grand son ; My dad was uncertain of his true birthday all he can
remember is his folks putting him in the back of a wagon & telling him
they would come & get him there were several children in a wagon of a
German couple named Schmit he could walk but could barely see over the
tailgate which if right was about 3 ft . high[ Our friend Oscar Snyder
that I grew up with told us that Dad had told him it was at Galveston
Island & my grand parents stayed to help sand bag the dikes & were
drowned ] the German people took him to a town in Texas near Trenton he
always wrote [Dallas county ]were he lived was put in a Catholic school
were he went possibly 3rd grade .The Folks were very strict & punished
Him severely on one occasion he fell & broke a basket of eggs &the man
used a buggy whip & welted his back so bad he couldn't bear a shirt &
that was when his brother came riding in to find his little brother Dad
said he found the welts & said before he left that he had a job to do
out West & he would be back for him before he left he told the German
that if he used the whip again when he returned he would kill him Dad
said he was riding a beautiful black horse with a silver mounted saddle
he had Two pistols tied down . After he left dad was treated better for
awhile & the cruelty started with [we should never have kept an Irish
Kid.] At school in his 3rd year he heard boys talking about the cattlemen
gathering a large heard of cattle being gathered some ten
miles to the west to be driven north ,so early the next evening as soon
as the people were asleep with a pair of jeans & shirt extra put his
Demin jacket & headed to the cattle drive bye running & walking fast he
could arrived at the cattle drive which had several thousand head of
cattle ready to move before day light & hid in the cook wagons fire wood
box on the side of
the wagon which was empty of wood.,Where he stayed till night then
would find left overs& grain they carried for the horses pulling the
cook wagon After several days of this when he was far enough out so he
couldn't be taken back he came out & told the cook about the cruelty &
didn't want to go back so the cook let him stay help him do the cooking
& get fire wood , it took 2 or more years to reach KS where the cattle
on the blue stem grass put so much weight on like feeding them grain He
made several more drives but on the last drive he heard of the free land
in Ok la. the same year he met Grand ma Her name was Catherine
MaudeFairfax she lived some where near Emporia or Carbondale I think her
school records may be in archives in emporia's school records? Any way
they fell in love & at a dance she told dad that her dad was taking the
family & make the
run for land in few weeks Dad said he asked her to marry him & her dad
said it would be ok if he made the run & stake a claim so dad told him
he had came through Indian territory many times & knew exactly where he
wanted showing him where the spot was &that he had Avery fast horse &
tough from the hard work of the cantle drives so they agreed dad would
go ahead stake him a claim & one for moms folks who had two boys & 3
girls Mom youngest Dad leaving the crowd far behind arrived at his
perfect spot the bubbling spring with Two mean looking guys fondling
claim stake they were pounding in the ground before dad thought he
blurted out there is no way in H you could have beat me as he looked in
to the barrels of there pistols quickly adding unless you have some
awful fast horses which you do . Getting that said he Quickly move on
about a mile where his second choice & staked his claim & one for
Fairfax the claim is between Hitchcock & watonga just before you get to
the top of the hill south in the second Canyon is where dad homesteaded
& build a dug out cabin in the side of a hill. Mom & dad was the first
white couple married in watonga They lived there till the proved up
there claim bringing Bud, Roy ,Fred &
[Catherine MaryDiedat 2yrsTyphoid fever] Many stories of his early
life that he only told to me as I was growing up he was quite a man wish
you could have Known him? If able & you ever get time will show you the
claim am not sure if dug out is still there but the land is but I
realize am getting old too fast I could never get Ron interested enough
to even go lookJimLee did try to find it not sure if succeeded Dad spent
his whole Life in Blain county Okla[ Except a brief time in western
Okla]
tell you about it later G&G Love ya Will find out his death &
birthdate can't remember

Great Progress

The last few months have been interesting. There has been a lot going on both in my life and the lives of people around me.

I took a summer class and am now taking a fall class at UMKC. This has been harder than ever before. Chloe is getting bigger and it makes it harder to do anything school or work related while I am watching her. This is ok though because it is so much fun watching her learn and grow.

Chloe has been learning so much. She has been speaking and is learning her animal sounds. She knows how to do several sign language signs and is running around like crazy. Some of the fun things lately have been her taking the tupperware out of the cabinet and 'organizing it' and putting it back. She is treating a lot of things like puzzles. She wants to put things together and take them apart again.

Along with the good things have been some bad as well. I have some family that have had job troubles and my grandpa has very advanced cancer. This is very bad news and we have been praying hard for everybody that needs help in our family. For my grandpa I pray that his pain is minimal and God will take him quickly and peacefully when his time has come. I pray for the rest of my family that they may understand that when he does pass that he is in a better place and we will see him again. The Lord has been good to him and he has many people around him that love and care about him.

I know this isn't a cheerful or very glamorous post but these are things that I feel that I needed to express. I wanted to get them out. I have a feeling that not many people will read this or be interested but this blog is a window into my life and these things are a big part of my life.

Project Complete: Water Heater

Project Water Heater was a simple one. I am thankful that I had help however. Last Fall/Winter I saw a very slightly wet floor and a bead of water running from under the top cap of the old water heater. It was the original with the house so it must have been 11 - 12 years old. I decided that I didn't want to wait for a real mess to replace it.

I waited until we had some extra money to buy the water heater. I did the research and found the water heater I wanted and was also watching for sales. The price stayed steady for about 5 months.

I replaced a 50 gallon tank with another 50 gallon. I did, however, get the 12 year warranty due to the research showing that they are built better. Better insulation and better efficiency led to that decision. It ended up being a bit larger in diameter and height too.

There were some possible issues I was looking at when replacing the water heater. First of all is the PEX pipe running throughout the house. I wasn't willing to go buy a crimper and didn't know anyone that had one laying around. I needed to replace the shut off valve due to it leaking and corroding quite a bit.

Using our tax refund I was able to purchase the tank I wanted. It only took a couple of weeks to get a free day to make the switch. My step-dad offered and came to help.

I ended up buying a new ball valve and flex copper pipe. I purchases shark-bite connectors instead of planning on soldering fittings because of the ease of using them and their ability to work on copper or pex. They have been touted worthy of this project.

The switch went fairly smoothly. Gary and I went to Home Depot before starting anything to get some extra vent pipe in case we had to move the tank and/or raise the far elbow to give it more of an upward pitch. As it turns out the location worked out so we didn't need the extra length and the extra height of the tank did not break the "at least 1/4 " per foot" incline rule I needed.

The only problem encountered was a faint gas smell. I opened all the windows and put a fan in to clear out the smell. Then checked again and still smelled it. Although I checked the fittings with soapy water it was a low enough pressure fitting that I didn't get bubbles. I called the gas company last night and they came over, checked it, and redid the connections for me.

So, project complete. I have several more to do that I will try to post before and after pictures.

Neverending...

Over the last couple years I have made great strides to be a better person and a better christian. I have become a husband and a father and try to be the best of those I can. I have spent time with God and studied his word and learned a lot. I have been going to school and learning there. I have also changed jobs a few times and had a lot of opportunity to learn in that realm as well.

So what is this blog post about? I feel like my brain is going to explode. I am rarely able to ever just settle down and feel like there isn't something else to finish. I love to learn. I love to read and keep my mind fresh. When I finished college I stopped reading and learning much. I realize this because I just felt dumb. Once I went back to school I felt better. Then I started reading to learn rather than just to be entertained. Wow!

Now, I have books for work, books for school, books on how to raise a daughter and be a father, etc, etc. I don't feel like I can do give any one of those topics the attention it deserves because there is just so much that I don't know.

I learned this first at church. I thought that I had a lot of the God stuff figured out. The more I learned, however, the more it was apparent that I didn't know squat. As I started learning other stuff I realize that this is the same way. No matter how hard I work at something there is always so much more to learn.

I guess I am just griping today because I feel overwhelmed. I am supposed to be reading for class or preparing for our presentation. If I'm not doing that I should be reading a new book I got for work or catching up on some work to meet a deadline. I could even go get the book I have been wanting to catch up on about what's going on with Chloe now that she is 7 months old. But nah. I decide to write this instead. Helps me vent and get stuff straightened out in my head.

Sorry to be all whiney today. I feel utterly blessed to have a very supportive wife and a beautiful baby girl. I have everything I ever dreamed of having. I don't need anything else but I have such a hard time settling when it comes to how much knowledge I have.

Helping People

I am watching Secret Millionaire. It is a show on tv that takes millionaires and puts them undercover in rough neighborhoods. The idea is that they live on a welfare amount for a week. They see what it is like to live like that and live without they currently have. They also are 'on a mission' to find people to give support to. They will be giving something like $100,000 to the people they meet.

My question is: Is it better to give a large amount of money to one cause or one person or is it better to give a smaller amount to a lot of people?

This question has a lot of different answers. I believe that it is important to give. If you are able to eat every day and have a roof over your head then you are better off than a lot of people and it is your purpose to watch out for other people and help when you can. Where should you help though?

I try to give money to the church. They have teams of people that are there to figure out who needs and deserves help. They are more informed than I am. I trust them to do God's work with my money.

How about time? Where should you spend your time to help? I find this one to be very hard. I don't have a lot of extra time so this seems to be way more precious than money. There are lots of opportunites. There are food kitchens or homeless shelters. Schools need volunteers or there are always missions trips.

I know that these answers won't be given to me. They shouldn't be. They are for me to figure out. I just wanted to throw them out there and try to vocalize the way I feel. I hope it helps somebody think about this and possibly figure out what works for them.

A Ton of Stuff

A lot has happened since I was last able to put up a blog here. Kristen and I have been learning how to raise a wonderful baby girl. Chloe makes it so easy sometimes. I can't believe how fast she is growing. Kristen and I just celebrated our one year anniversary last week. Kristen's parents came in to watch Chloe while we took a weekend off at Eureka Springs. It was very relaxing but we were both glad to be home to see Chloe again on Sunday.

My brother had another baby last Sunday too. It was a bit earlier than expected but everybody is healthy and doing well.

We are taking a trip to Philadelphia in October and that will be Chloe's first plane ride. She will have another one Christmas day when we go to Texas and then again a couple weeks later when we set off for our cruise!

That's a little of a lot of information but I got to get back to work. Hope you all are doing great and hopefully we will see you soon.

Scott

Rain + Stupidity = FLOOD!

Last night my brother-in-law came home about 3 or so and I heard a knock on the bedroom door.

"What!?"

"Umm..the basement is flooding and the battery backup alarm is going off"

So I decide to get up. Figured it wasn't something I wanted to wait till morning to tackle. I get up and head to the basement with Chris and expect the worst. It turns out that the sump pump was working. In fact, both pumps were working. The battery backup has a pump on it so it was running because the water level was so high. When Chris got there he said it was overflowing. He said that we had a TON of rain that night. That he had to drive about 15mph on his way home because it was so bad. And that it wasn't just a short burst. It had been raining like that for a long time.

Luckily there wasn't that much stuff on the floor that could get damaged. And there wasn't that much water overflowing. The sump hole is in our storage area which is unfinished and most of the stuff in there is up off the floor, in rubbermaid containers or not important enough to worry about. (a good way to clean out old junk!). I look at the wall and see water coming down from the top of the foundation. It wasn't actually running. (I saw evidence of it coming down). The bathroom is next to the storage room and the floor in there was wet and the carpet just outside the bathroom was wet. That is about 9 sq ft of carpet that we cleaned up. I love my new shop vac.

It turns out that part of the reason for the backup is my fault. The other day I brought a bunch of wood back from my dad's farm. I drove through the yard to unload it so I didn't have to carry each piece all the way around the house. (Sounds lazy and it is. But it was the end of a long day and it was starting to rain). Anyway, I moved the hose that drains the sump out of the way and it ended up in the yard. This apparently was too much for the sump pump since it didn't drain freely (and pushed some water back towards the foundation). Once I moved that back into the driveway the sump pump started draining the water in the hole.

However, the alarm on the battery backup would not shut off! It was showing that the battery needed attention. There are lights on there so I can tell why the alarm is going off. Usually its because the battery needs more water in it. It went off because the water level got too high as well. But we filled the batter with water and the water level was below the sensor. So instead of deal with it at 4am I decided to unplug the whole thing, pop the hot wire off the battery and work with it today. (and hope we didn't have a power failure!).

Ok. It wasn't a little rain and not a lot of stupidity...and only a little flood. But I think you get the idea.

Hurtful Words

Something happened yesterday that really got me thinking about my actions and the way that I treat other people, especially behind their back.

I really try to be a good person and not talk bad about people behind their back. I have tried to make it a point to not say anything behind somebody's back that I wouldn't say to their face. And seriously try to understand what will and won't hurt people's feelings if I do say it to their face. However, it seems lately that I have been letting that go. I haven't been thinking about how other people would interpret the things that I say. I may not think it is hurtful but it really is.

This came up because somebody said something about somebody close to me and I saw the pain in their eyes when they told me about it. This wouldn't have been as much of a big deal except it was from somebody close to this person and was interpreted as being 100% serious (not jokingly). This person doesn't normally care what other people think and treats other people way better than I do.

I don't want to be the person that makes people feel the way I saw yesterday. It pains me and hurts deep inside to even think about the things I have said to people. If I could just think about the things I say or the way I say them before I say them then it would be so much better.

I have always tried to be an honest person. I learned quickly that lies lead to so much pain that it isn't worth it. Not even a little lie. However, this honesty has made me brash in some cases. Brutally honest isn't always the best approach. Over the last couple years I think I have gotten better but still think back to some times when I have hurt the people close to me without knowing it.

I'm done now. I just wanted to get this out. I hope that anybody reading this might think about the things that they say. Just because you aren't saying something to somebody's face doesn't mean that they won't hear about it. It doesn't even make it ok if they never do hear about it.

Follow Through!

I have been inundated lately with people who say they are going to do something and never follow through. It is really becoming one of my largest pet peeves. Seriously, if you say you are going to do something then do it. If you don't think you will be able to do it or don't want to then just say so! I would much rather have you say you don't want to do something or that you are not sure if you can or will do something and never follow through!

At the very least, if you know you told somebody something and won't be able to keep your word then you should let them know as soon as possible. This is just common courtesy and respectful.

Now that the rant is out of the way I can try to think about what lesson is being taught here. Is it patience or maybe forgiveness? It is my hope that I will eventually not get upset in the first place. Once or twice would be fine. People make mistakes. But it seems like a lot of people are doing this lately.

I know I am bitter and a bit on edge. That is adding to my frustration too. I will work on calming down and being more understanding of people. I just wanted to get this off my chest and written down. No more whining (in posts) for at least a couple days. :)

Habitat for Humanity

Last Saturday my small group volunteered for Resurrection Habitat. This is our church's (Church of the Resurrection) organization of people to help out with Habitat for Humanity. This is something that I have wanted to do for a very long time. There are a few pictures here to look at.

We had to get up very early. Early enough to meet and be at KCK at 8 in the morning. Had I not taken a couple wrong turns we would have made it. I guess I don't even like the GPS telling me what to do.

The house we were working on was almost complete. We were putting the final coat of paint on the walls and painting the trim. Four of us guys were able to make it and our wives were so kind to be Lunch Angels which are the people that make and bring the food out to the site. Kristen, Heather, Amanda and Erin made a whole ton of sandwiches and brought other snacks to us as well.
I was hoping to get in on some more construction than what they had available for us this time. Guess that means I get to go help again! :) I enjoy painting and doing all that but it is what I usually do. I am somewhat proficient at it and like putting my skill to good use. However, I really like doing the more labor intensive stuff as well. Maybe next time.

My first Indy race

Not only was this my first race out at the speedway it was my first circle track race! It was a lot of fun. I had gotten free tickets to the race as one of the Marlboro promotions. They teamed up with the Penske Racing Team and gave away a bunch of seats and a bag full of stuff. This is the second Marlboro promotion I have been to. The first was also out at the track but it wasn't during race day. We were able to go ride in a nascar vehicle around the track at high speeds. Then we got to ride along in a drift course. But that is a topic for another post.

Kristen's brother and I both got the promotions for the ride-along but he didn't receive tickets to the race. So I took him this time. We got out to the track and found the ticket redemption tent. We walked in and they gave us both bags full of stuff. Things like a disposable camera, Penske hats, binoculars and a voucher for a free headset so we can listen to the drivers during the race. We were too late though to get headsets. They ran out as we were walking up to the booth.

I never realized how loud the races really were. It wasn't that any one car was too loud but when they started grouping up together it got pretty loud. And the high pitched noise didn't help! Overall we spent about 3 or 4 hours at the track. That was plenty for me. I don't think I will be a die-hard race fan but it was a great experience to get to go at least once. Danika Patrick (sp?) was racing but didn't finish due to vehicle issues. Also the rocket man was there. He flew the start flag from the pit to the starting booth using his jet pack. Pretty impressive for a 30 second flight!

Truly Blessed

One thing that Pastor Adam mentioned in the sermon yesterday was to take the time each day to write down three things you are thankful for and why. My number one is that I am so happy that I don't have a hard time finding at least 3! I have been so blessed. So many things in my life have been giving to me even though I don't deserve them.

1) I am thankful for Kristen. She has been a blessing to me since the day I met her. She has shown me what caring really is. She agreed to marry me and now we have a baby on the way. She loves my family and my family loves her. We are still in our 'honeymoon phase' but haven't had a lot of the typical troubles you hear about.

2) I am thankful for our families. Both of our families are so supportive of us in whatever we do. Kristen and I are going to a training class so we can take in foster kids next year. Our families have been amazing. They are so supportive and we know that if we ever need help that they will be there in a heartbeat for us.

3) I am thankful for our friends. Over the last year we have made some great friends through church. I am so thankful to have these people that care about us and are really honest about it. I needed friends that I can get to know past 'going out' and that we can talk about some deep stuff with.

The list can go on and on and on but these are three of the most important things to me right now. I have been blessed in just about everything that I do. God has put his hand on us and I am so amazed every time I think about it. I don't remember doing anything special to deserve this. I Love God and try to always be open to letting him guide me.

Standing Water!

Not even 3 tons of dirt could stop the rain from creating pools in the back yard! It rained a lot today and I was able to tell where there were still low spots in teh back yard. From the picture you can see that there is standing water to the left of the picture and between the two left trees.

I can't wait for the rain to subside and the weather to warm up. This will allow the seed to set and start sprouting little grasslings. I am hoping that within a couple weeks we can be barbecuing and I can stop letting aero go to the bathroom out back instead of in the front.

NCAA Championship

Kristen and I had planned a trip to Houston and San Antonio a while back for this last weekend. It was a trip to go see her old stomping ground and her friend in Houston and then on to San Antonio to visit her parents. Her Aunt and Uncle were there and her brother and sister-in-law came up from Del Rio. It turns out that the NCAA Final Four and Championship games. This wasn't something we had planned on but it worked out to be good. Kristen's brother from Lawrence and his girlfriend ended up going to the games so they were down visiting for a while too. Her oldest brother ended up having extra tickets to Monday nights game so John and I went to the game. It was such a great choice.

I am a strong K-State fan and very much dislike cheering for KU. However, it was a necessity here. The game was awesome. As most of you know the game came down to a clutch 3 point shot clock that pulled KU up to tie Memphis. The game went into overtime and KU dominated the overtimewith 2-3 seconds left on the minutes. The excitement and atmosphere was awesome. It was a great time.

John and I didn't stay after the game for any of the special stuff or the crowds on the river walk. We headed home to bed. :)

Yard Work!

I know now why they call it work. I had 3 tons of dirt delivered on Friday last week. You can see that in the picture below. Christopher and I had already moved almost 1/3 of it by the time we got this picture. We spent all day working on the yard. I started by rototilling the whole thing. This wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. We used Kristen's grandma's rototiller. I only tilled about an inch deep all around. Enough to loosen the soil some. We got the dirt delivered and moved it by wheelbarrow to the back. I took breaks to rake leaves and trim the trees. The third picture is the pile of tree limbs I got down. This started as a small project and kept cutting more and more. I still see a bunch more that need trimmed but I think it can wait for another weekend. :)

We got all the dirt moved to the back yard and spread out to fill in the low spots. Then I spread grass seed and golf course starter fertilizer. I will go out today and do a crabgrass preventer. Then hopefully we will have grass by the time we come back from texas!

I turned the sprinkler system on a bit early this year. I wanted to get the back yard watered and it was supposed to rain saturday. It never did. So I turned on the sprinkler and am watering a few times a day to get it nice and wet. With no grass there it makes it easy to see where I need to adjust the sprinklers too! I found a couple spots that are barely getting water if any at all. That should be easy to do. Again, saving it for another day!

I will continue to take pictures and may post them up here for documentation purposes (only if the grass grows though, otherwise I will not publicly admit my failure).

Until next time.

1 Timothy 6:6-8

Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing into the world, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

I found this posting that I had started a while back and forgot about. It really is an amazing bible verse. I get wrapped up in my day to day activities and worry about the things that I have. It all boils down to things. The house you live in and the clothes you wear. The yard you try to make look nice (another post coming soon). What does any of this have to do with my salvation? Very VERY little.

I try to stop and think occasionally that all the stuff I acquire will be here when I leave this place. I can't take it with me. I need to be content with what I have and stop worrying about things that I want. I am so blessed to have more than just enough food and clothing. God has blessed me with a wonderful wife, family, house, car, job and so much more.

Does that mean that we shouldn't take pride in the things that we have accomplished? I don't believe so. I am proud that I can provide for my wife. I also realize that I couldn't have any of this without a big boost from God. He has given me everything. That is why I try to remember that if the things go away I will still be ok because I have faith and He has 'got my back'. I try to think about things that I can do to help those less fortunate than me. I am always open to ideas. It always seems to boil down to money and things. I can give those freely because of the position that I am in. It is much harder for me right now to give up my time. But I know that I am thinking inside a box and there are so many ways to help that I haven't thought of. Please offer comments if you think of anything.