New Car and Reflections

OUR "NEW" 2002 DODGE STRATUS (THIS IS NOT THE ACTUAL)

We are pleased! Marc's car started to poop out a few weeks ago, and we knew it was time. It's actually a pretty good time too...hopefully we can get this one paid off before we need to trade in mine. We did fairly well for our first big buy. We think we were overcharged a bit, but we learned a lot for sure. So we're choosing to be okay with that. =) We went back to the verse I posted below about not loving money. We've realized that even when you don't have a lot like we do you can still make it an idol by worrying about it. There is no telling what the future holds, but we know that God is watching over us. Grandma Goodwin once photographed a sign she saw at a church for us. We at first thought it was silly she would do that, but now we have it taped in our bathroom to see everyday: "WHEN GOD ORDAINS HE SUSTAINS."

Speaking of sustaining, I have further reflection on that thanks to Oswald Chambers. God loves us, but there is a time where he just has to shake us out of our so-called misery. Marc and I have realized that we can both be wimps. So here goes:

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me and I will give you rest."

that is "I will sustain you causing you to stand firm." He is not saying, "I will put you to bed, hold your hand, and sing you to sleep. But, in essence, he is saying, "I will get you out of bed-out of your listnessness and exhaustion, and out of your condition of being half-dead when you're alive. I will penetrate you with the spirit of lifeand you will be sustained by the perfection of vital activity." Yet we become so weak and pitiful and talk about "suffering" the will of the Lord! Where is the majestic vitality and the power of the Son of God in that??

Thanks, Oswald. As Marc likes to say of men of high esteem, "He's the dog!"

Much love,

Steph