Another Breakdown

So my car is broke down, just happened. I talk to the mechanic and of course I need to check fire and fuel. You know are the spark plugs firing and is fuel getting to them from the tank. I just want to take a minute and say thank God I am at least a "shade tree" mechanic and can check these things myself. I may find a simple problem that I can fix and save myself $45 an hour. Yea that's cheap too. I would like to plug my great mechanic Dick Teeter of Teeters garage in Quapaw. He is a great guy and still works for $45 an hour when others are at $60. Needless to say he is swamped over and was telling me what to do to check it myself. :) Yea God is good.

Fun in the Rain

My wife and her roomate in college used to play in the rain all the time, so when it was raining this last weekend and we had some friends over we decided to have some "good ole fune" like she used to. We enjoyed it. It's fun to be a kid again sometimes so take some time grab your wife and go do something that you used to when you were younger. Don't break anything. :)

The Weekend

I had wonderful plans of working in the yard. Yea that went over well with a weekend full of rain. But I had a great time watching movies with my wife. We also had some friends stay the night and we hung out with them for most of Monday so all in all a good weekend. I will get some pics put together soon. Now back to the real world of work, so long you crazy lazy days of the weekend.

Summer Time Blues

I don't know what it is about summer but wow. I mean it is way busy. I thought I was busy during the winter months now add to that mowing the lawn like every other day and all the summer added activities and projects. Yea life is crazy for everyone right now. But I like the sun and my wife is helping me in the yard so bring it on.

Time with Family

I have gotten to spent allot of time with my dad since he got hurt. I went with him yesterday to Tulsa, then Joplin, and finally back home. All day in a car with someone and you learn new things about their life. It took me being willing to spend all day with dad when there were others things that could have been done (those 3 to-do lists: works, yours, and your wife's), but I enjoyed the time we spent together. Mental note: Life is always going to be busy, don't forget to stop and enjoy it before its gone.

Busy, Busy, Busy

So I went with my dad all day yesterday to the doctors office. His back was injured in an accident. So we wait and wait and wait some more and 15 minutes before we are finally going to see the doctor, a nurse walks out and says the doctor has been called into emergency surgery and will be gone for the rest of the day so we had to reschedule. Another trip to Tulsa on Wednesday. Sometimes it feels like in life we run around like chickens with our heads cut off (a funny sight if you have never seen it). Life gets busy don't forget to check in with the one you are supposed to be working for. He has the plan for the week. :)

Community Outreach

So I went and mowed a yard the other day. No one lived there the owner had moved away and left it a 3 foot high mess in our community (she is in a wheel chair). I was at the city council meeting when neglected properties came up in the meeting. I mentioned this particular house because I see it often, and one of the city council members (who was being a jerk the who meeting) told me the church should take care of it since we were wanting to do community outreach. Well I went and did it. I can't say my motives were completely pure, but during the process I managed to make a good impression on the mayor of the community and also a next door neighbor. I am glad that God can take our sometimes not too pure motives and make good out of them anyway. I must admit by the time I was finished (it took two days, about four hours of time total) my motives had changed.

Rain Again

I can't work in my yard when it is all wet, but I do love the fact that my yard drains now. Love it, love it, love it. There is something about not stepping into six inches of water first thing in the morning that makes me happy. :) In this pic the water drains from left to right across the bottom. I leveled the ground so it would. Started on the left and you can see how much I had to take out and I'm still working. Lots of labor, I'm actually sweating for this. My wife had better appreciate me now.

A New Day

I love the feeling of a new day. Another chance to get something right. Yesterday is over and everything that went wrong is gone with it. A fresh start for every morning another set of battles to fight but you start with a clean record (0-0). You get to chose your record for today will it be an undefeated season today or is it going to be another rebuilding day? You get to chose, chose wisely.

Disappointment

I have run across allot of disappointment lately in school board officials and also now in city council officials. It puts me in mind of the big disappointments I have experienced in others in my past. It is hard to go through a BIG disappointment, I mean the kind where people turn out to be something different than you thought not the kind where you come home and the kids haven't cleaned their room. It makes you want to lash out at others, close up and guard yourself, and even retreat from life when you experience this disappointment. However I am reminding myself this morning that people are not perfect and while sometimes you should stand up and fight for injustices done, all the time you are called to forgive them. Lord help me today to forgive the stupid, ignorant morons who do not deserve it. Help me to see the people you see and not the disappointment that I see.

Workin Hard

So I have been thinking about doing a trial membership at a fitness center. You know the whole get into shape, be healthier, live longer stuff. Well I was out in my yard working this weekend. I am still getting the front yard leveled and filling in the side yard, I'll put new pics up soon. This project is taking longer than I expected. But I was out working on it some more and it occurred to me why pay someone else to workout on there machines when I can take the same time and do things in my yard or around my house and have a free work out that also gets my to-do list done. I realize of course that this does not target specific muscle groups, but it will keep me in shape and healthy. There you go my cheap side has once again justified why I should work harder and spend less money. :)

Feelin Good

You know I did not get anything physical done yesterday afternoon, not one thing. However, I spent some time with a Christian friend and we just "hung out". Conversation was plain no deep theological discussions, just a couple fishin poles and no fish, but there was one comment in the whole afternoon that really made it worth it "Thank you". I think I was more blessed by that then he was by my being there. Oh and my truck came in handy once again, because his drive was horrible. :)

Take your own Advice

That's exactly what I am doing this afternoon. I will be spending time today building up a fellow christian by just being there and listening. Tomorrow I will be sitting down to supper with another fellow christian and doing the same thing. I am ready to "invest more of myself" as Pastor P said last night. I could argue myself out of it with an endless list of things at the church that need done or things at my house that still need done, but I am shutting off the analytical side of my brain and just going for it. I hope God will bless my small efforts and help guide conversation to His end and not mine. So if you have been handing out advice lately here is a gentle reminder to remember to follow such good advice. :)

Another Stinkin Day

So hey we all can't be super happy all the time, especially when we wear ourselves out the day before. I don't get it. I can figure out that I wore myself out yesterday so I may struggle with my attitude today. So if that is such a DUH factor why can't other people figure out hey I'm tired that's why my attitude stinks today? Your attitude is contagious, what are you spreading?

Try it

I am constantly amazed at what can be done if I am just willing to try it. I am now cutting sod in my front yard. Yea I know sounds strand but my yard is uneven and will not drain. So I am taking out the humps, but they are big enough they come out grass, roots, and all. So I am taking these sections of ground and moving them over to the dips in my yard and using them there. Total cost $0.00 but oh the labor involved. Still it is getting done and eventually my yard will be the better for it (preparing for a rock drive in front of the house). Have a problem you don't think you can fix yourself? Try it, God gave us all brains. You can figure it out.

Hidden Problems Underneath

So I have this problem in my truck, I mentioned it before, its the bell housing on the tranny. It affects the fuel mileage, the power, can't pull anything at all, and if it finishes breaking the truck won't move. The thing is unless you know where to look you can't find what the problem is you just experience the symptoms, the shaky tranny, the loss of power, and the rattling sound. Its when you examine it closely that you see the cracks in the support. Don't be afraid to examine things closely, especially when you start experiencing symptoms.

Body Work

So I have a corner on my truck that needs some work. It has been rusting out for years and it started before I bought it. So now I get to fix the mess. Ever feel like your fixin messes other people should have known better than to create? I feel your pain, but I always learn allot by the time I get finished.