Pray for person who robbed our home

A weekend of emotional highs and lows
I was spending a delightful weekend along the beach in Delware with my mom and 5 sisters only to receive a phone call late Saturday night that our house was broken into while my husband and son were at the movies. My daughter was with a friend and not home either. I returned home to Michigan last night and from what we can determine, my husband's laptop and all my best jewelry is gone. It had to be an older kid or small adult as they came through the kitchen window which I can't imagine myself crawling through.

We have proof
One interesting thing is that this was caught on the security camera that our neighbor (who just happens to be our brother in law). We can clearly see a bicycle go by the house and then around the house to the back yard.... 15 mins later we see a person walk around the house (as he came out the front door) and then a bicycle drive down the driveway. It was pouring rain and lighting during this time so quality is not the best. Today a copy of that will be taken to the police.

Things can be replaced
All this stuff will be covered by insurance so we are not upset by the loss of "things"... although the loss of the laptop is a huge inconvenience for my husband. My family is safe and damage to the window was minimal.

Pray for the boy
I ask for prayers for this young boy as obviously he needs some guidance in his life. I pray our house is the LAST house he ever steals from and someone will share Jesus with him and he change the direction he is going into. I'm much more concerned about this boy's soul than diamonds and pearls. My husband and I have already forgiven this boy and continue to pray for him.
Thanks and let's watch out for our neighbors!

Inspirational Thought for Today

Empty pockets never held anyone back.

Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that.

- Norman Vincent Peale -

Yard Sales a Necessary Evil?

This past weekend, we had a 2 day yard sale at my house. I was telling my sister that I do NOT like having yard sales. They are an incredible amount of work and there are always leftovers when its all done. She agreed and said they are a "necessary evil". That's a perfect description!

My church's fund raiser

The yard sale was really for my church's building fund... so it was not for personal profit. I did give up 3 full days of my time for this and for 3 days did no business related work... thats like taking 3 days off without pay but its also the nice thing about working on eBay as I am able to be flexible and take days off here and there.

While people from the church did come by here and there to help over the three days, I was the only one who was here 8am to 7pm each of the three days. I didn't have much choice as its was in my driveway! I am not complaining as I love to serve the Lord and this is one way I can serve Him.. giving up my time and my home for His work. We earned $367.45 so not bad.

Leftovers

Last night after we packed up, my husband took one look at our garage and said... we are back where we started! LOL.. yeah we are... those are the leftovers I dread. I told him last week that anything that went into the garage for the sale was not coming back into the house. I did change my mind about a few minor things but most things are boxed and will be taken to Goodwill tomorrow afternoon.

One benefit of this necessary evil

I will admit that one thing I do like about hosting the yard sale is that I get first dibs at things people donate for the sale. I gave the church a generous donation for the things I picked out for my own use and yes...some of those things will find their way on eBay! That's one benefit of this "necessary evil"!

ok... another benefit is the fellowship we enjoy as we sit around and talk with customers and each other. The deaf may not talk outloud but they sure love to talk!

A thought to Ponder

The Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.

When God takes something from your grasp, He is not punishing you but merely opening your hands to receive something better.


Those thoughts were posted on a board I visit often. A visitor who lost her husband 2 years ago shared that she had a hard time accepting that God took away her husband with the intention of giving her something better. She didn't want something better. She wanted her husband.

Another visitor commented "I am not here to suggest someone better is coming in your life. I am here, sharing from my experience, that something amazing can and has come from something awful. I am here to suggest that some THING better is coming to your life. You already have it within you and it is HUGE. I am here to suggest that you look inside to see it:

That is really profound.

Another visitor comments... "Do you know the story about the tapestry in the sky? It is hard for us to see the beauty that God has made of each of our own lives because we see the back side of the tapestry, with all of the threads hanging uncut and all of the knots and tangles. But, on the side that God sees, it is a beautiful picture of a full and fulfilled life. I may not understand what God is doing at any given time in my life - especially when I am living through a hardship or trial, but that in time, I can see with clearer eyes and with a broader view."

Yet another writer shared this quote which says a lot....
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, its about learning to dance in the rain.

The End Times... are they near?

On Saturday my husband was talking to a mutual friend. That friend was asking John about the "end times". She had all kinds of questions and was a bit anxious. Of course my husband has no idea when the "end times" will happen anymore than the next person. The only person who knows is God Himself. Even Jesus doesn't know when this will happen.

My husband asked our friend about her relationship with Jesus. She brushed around the question and didn't give a straight answer so we do not know her relationship with the Lord but we surely hope she is saved. If she is, then she and everyone else who is saved, have absolutely no reason to be anxious about the future. We already KNOW what is going to happen! If you truly believe and accepted Christ as your Savior, you will go to Heaven when you die or when the rapture happens if you are still alive during that time. That's how I want to go... all together with my friends and family... lets all join hands and meet Jesus in the air together!

A book called, "23 Minutes in Hell"

Recently, I read a book called "23 minutes in hell". oh my goodness.. you DO NOT want to go to hell. Please please please don't think for a moment this is a place where you party all day and do what you want. No.. this is the opposite. You will be totally ALONE in the dark pit of fire in hell and in constant pain and suffering...not just for a short time but FOREVER. You won't even be given a drop of water. This book talks about the author's experience of 23 minutes in hell. God granted him that experience so he could come back and share with us about it. It just filled me with terror reading about it. I'm not going near that place and I do not want anyone else to either. This is total separation from God forever. Its your worse nightmare many times over. There is NOTHING good about this place. DO NOT GO THERE!

A B C's of salvation - fire insurance from hell

And how can you not go there? All you have to do is believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins. You need to ask for forgiveness and admit you are a sinner. You need to believe that Jesus is God's son. ABC...Admit you are a sinner.. Believe Jesus is the son of God and Confess your sins and ask him to come into your heart. That's all there is to it! DO IT TODAY and you have no reason to be anxious about the future or the "end times".

If the rapture happens today or tomorrow or next year, I am READY! I hope you are too!