WE’RE MOVING!

 It’s official!

Our house has sold and we are moving to our new home on Tuesday. I really want to thank all of you who have prayed. We’re in high gear over here getting everything ready. We had help today to most of the boxes into the UHaul. The rest of the move will start on Tuesday.

Thank you for all your prayers!

I’m 51 years old and if there is one thing I’ve learned it’s that a  daughter is never too old to learn from her mother!

It’s been nearly 2 years (in October) since Daddy left for heaven. My mother had many things to learn since Daddy took care of all business matters plus the maintenance of the house. My mother jumped right in and did her best to learn everything she could so that she could be independent. One thing that amazed me was her determination to fix things on her own before she called a repair man.

So, this is what Mama taught me. SAVE & READ your OWNER’S MANUAL!.

This week I was having problems with my vacuum cleaner. The self-propelled  feature wasn’t working. I thought possibly I could vacuum anyway but it was nearly impossible to move it. I had the same problem several years ago and ended up taking it to a repair shop which cost me quite a bit.

I remembered Mama’s example and went to find the owner’s manual which I had thankfully filed away and was able to find (in spite of our life being in boxes from the move). Normally there is a ‘problem’ area in the manuals which give you a solution. The manual suggested checking a belt that was located under the vacuum cleaner. Once I took off the bottom panel I was able to see that the belt was indeed  broken. A quick trip to town with a $4.00 purchase for the belt solved the problem.  

Mama would be so proud!

Our visiting pastor on Sunday made a statement that resonated blissfully within my soul. He said, “the highest honor we can receive on this earth is to do what God has called us to do”.

I’ve been thinking a lot about what he said. You know.. it’s so very true. What greater honor is there on this earth than to obey God’s Word and thereby bring Him glory by living it out in our lives. Titus 2 instructs the older women to teach the younger women what will bring glory to God so that they will not blaspheme the Word of God.

 So, my heart is again brought back to His Word.. searching His truths to remind myself how I can bring Him glory. You would think that after all these years of studying what God commands for a godly woman that I would have it cemented into my thought life. Much of it is.. but I find that the agenda of this present world is continually and subtly chipping away at it. It does my soul good to remind myself of these truths on a continual basis.

God’s Word says I am to:

… love my husband (Titus 2:4)

… love my children (Titus 2:4)

.. be a keeper (guard) at home (Titus 2:5)

… be subject to my husband (Titus 2:5)

… be hospitable (1 Timothy 5:10)

… be known for good deeds (1 Timothy 5:10)

… teach the younger women the list of things taught in Titus 2

… help widows in my family (1 Tim. 5:16)

… help those in trouble (1 Tim. 5:10)

… use my gifts in the local church (Eph. 4:11-14)

The list seems inexhaustible!!!

I was reminded the other day about a bible study for women I went to over 10 years ago. The pastors wife encouraged us to keep a notebook and in that notebook she taught us how to write our ‘mission statement’ as Christian women. It was to be solely written from scripture and was to become our ‘marching orders from the Lord’ for the coming year. We took specific commands from God’s Word (like the ones above) and then wrote them into our own personal goals for the coming year. It was quite powerful!

 ’Mission statements’ are quite common in large corporations to help them stay on track. I think it’s a very helpful tool to help a godly woman keep focused on God’s calling for her life.

My FRUGAL FRIDAY tip for the day is to save the comics from the newspaper to use as children’s wrapping paper.

I used to order the newspaper just on the weekends for the coupons and ads. It cost me $20.00 for the entire year and I received it on Fri, Sat. and Sun. I cancelled it at the beginning of the year because I didn’t have time to read it and I wasn’t using many of the coupons. I’m considering ordering it again since I’m learning about couponing through Walgreens and CVS Pharmacy where you can end up with free products.

One thing I did save when I recieved my Sunday paper was the comic strips. I used them for children’s wrapping paper.  It really makes for a cute package. I would use the colorful ribbon on a spool that you can purchase at the dollar store to tie around the package with a matching bow on top.

It makes for a colorful package from an item that is normally thrown away! I like that idea!

*~*~*

Moving Update: The loan docs didn’t come in yesterday for the sale of our house but are expected today. But, we did sign on the papers for the house we are moving in to. So, it looks like we won’t be moving this weekend but mostly likely will be moving on Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. I still am finding things I can do around the home to make the move easier on my husband. I noticed there are mirrors on the dressers that need to be removed and padded with newspaper so they won’t break during the move. I’m also trying to clean everything I can now so that I won’t have as much to do after the move.. (ceiling fans, mini-blinds,cobwebs, etc.) So, please continue to keep us in your prayers. We’re not over the hurdle just quite yet but closer than we’ve ever been.

Does anyone understand THEMES for Xanga? I just don’t get how to change my page over. I also read that I would probably lose my links because they don’t support the old codes.

Do any of you gals use THEMES for your blog? Do you like it better than the old style? How did you learn to use it and how did you transfer your old work into the new format.

Enquiring minds want to know.

HELP!

Gina over at ‘Chats with an Old Lady’ has come up with the idea of a Titus 2 Tuesdays. I like that idea so here goes my thoughts for this Tuesday. (Oh, and we’re still not moved and probably won’t be until next week. BUT.. at least we’re moving forward as of today. Thank you, Lord! *S*)

Hospitality

I’ve been thinking a lot about hospitality lately. Possibly because I am confronted with sharing my home on a daily basis since my son and his family moved in last month. I’m always amazed at God’s provision and timing because right before they moved in with us I had finished a book on radical (biblical?) hospitality called “Open Heart, Open Home”. It was one of the best books I’ve ever read on hospitality (even though I didn’t agree with every jot and tittle of the book).  It really challenged me to look at our home and ask myself if we have an ‘open door’ policy.. especially to our beloved brethren.

During the beginning of the early church there was no social security or Medicare to care for the elderly. If a widow’s children or family did not take care of her then she could find herself starving and homeless. The New Testament church set up feeding programs to care for the widows but they had a very specific list of ‘good deeds’ that qualified the widow for care. Washing the feet of the saints and being given to hospitality were a few of the requirements on the list.

Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.
1 Tim 5:9-11  ESV

I like to use the exhortations in 1 Timothy 5:9-10 as a very clear directive for my life today. Apparently, these ‘good deeds’ were highly valued for women in the New Testament church. I can imagine that their younger women made these acts a high priority in their daily lives. .

“Open Heart, Open Home” really caused me to examine the practices of our home in light of this scripture to see if we would be considered hospitable. I felt as if I fell short in several areas.

I seem to do fine when “I” am the one doing the inviting and it’s on my time table. I love to serve those we invite into our home and so this is not a problem. But, I believe I am lacking when it comes to an ‘open door’ policy.  I really spent some time evaluating if people feel free to just stop by for a visit. And how do I respond to those who DO stop by for a visit. Do I drop everything in order to welcome them into my home? Or is my ‘to do list’ more important than those whom the Lord has sent.

Jesus said in Matthew 25:31-46 that one day He will come again and gather all the nations. He will separate the people from each other just as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats. He will put His sheep on his right and the goats on his left. The sheep will enter His heavenly kingdom while the goats will be sent to everlasting judgment.

Now, look closely at the dividing rod the Lord chooses to separate the sheep from the goats. He says very clearly,

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’”
Matt 25:35-37   ESV

Several of the good deeds above are directly connected to hospitality… feeding the hungry, giving them drink and taking strangers in and welcoming them.

And I love what Jesus says next, “I tell you that whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

Doesn’t that help change the entire way we may think of hospitality? No longer is the knock on the front door an intrusion of our ‘to do list’  but an opportunity to set aside what we are doing and to serve Christ. No longer are we irritated when the phone rings for the upteenth time because it may be another opportunity to minister to Christ.

I want to remember that this home I live in is not REALLY mine but it belongs to the Lord just as my days belong to Him. I am a steward of it.  I hope that I’ll be found faithful.

Blessings to all who enter your home,

Georgene

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. John 15:18-20

Question posed by Pastor Mike… Do non-believers hate you because of what you stand for? and for what you live for?

I think my answer would be typically NO.

My frugal tip for today is FREECYCLE.

We have several FREECYCLE groups listed through Yahoo in our local area. If you click on the link above you can find out if there is a group near you. The way it works is that you are allowed to post for an item wanted once you post an item you are offering. Everything is FREE. So, for instance, this past week I posted the following:

Offer: 4 boxes of ceramic tiles with tile spacers.

Needed: Boys (10-12) and girls(6-8) school clothes.

My tiles were taken within the first hour. Within a one week span we were offered plenty of wonderful school clothes to help my grandchildren start school next month.

I’ve used FREECYLE for several years and they have been a great blessing. Just be sure to put the items on your porch to help with safety issues instead of opening your door to people you don’t know.

*~*~*

Update on the sale of our home:

It’s been a rough couple of weeks but it LOOKS like we MAY be moving towards the end of next week.

Our title was finally cleared. We will end up paying almost $3,000.00 to clear several bills on the title from the previous owner. I’ve put in a claim and we’re hoping to get back all but $150.00 of it.

Our appraisal came in $50,000.00 less than our offer. My husband initially decided that we would not accept the offer. I just assumed we were not going to move. But, over the weekend our children encouraged us to consider the deal. We did some figuring of numbers on paper and even though we won’t come out as low on a house payment as we had hoped for we will still be better off than we are here. We’ll save $700.00 a month on our house payment along with less in fuel bills and electric bills plus my husband will have nearly 2 hours less commute time each day. All positive things except for the fact that we’ll be farther from our church. That makes us very sad but we are still planning on driving back for church services and hope to continue ministering there as long as the Lord directs.

May I continue to ask for your prayers for the coming week? We are ‘supposed’ to have our keys on Wednesday but were told to count on Friday. I’m all packed except for the things we are using daily. I’m trying to do as much ‘precleaning’ as I can. I’ve painted windowsill and my daughter in love patched and painted nail holes. I’m going to wash out my cupboards today and clean the side yard plus I hope to shampoo one of our chairs so it will look nice and clean for our new home. My husband and son will be taking things to the dump on Saturday. I think we are on top of things (oops.. did I say that? *S*)!

Blessings to all!