What's On Television?

It was a difficult decision, but we have decided to cancel our cable service. We spent over a year discussing and shopping for a new plan.  What we came up with is ...

No plan. 

That's right. We're cancelling it altogether. No cable for us. For the first time in our 19 year marriage (except for one year when we live at the church) we won't have cable television. Or satellite. Or Roku. We are going cold turkey.

The reason for our drastic decision? It's really quite simple. I no longer can justify paying over  $100 per month for 400+ channels when we realistically watch only five or six on a regular basis. 

You would think the kids would rebel against us for our cruel decision. After all, there won't be any Cartoon Network, Disney, or Boomerang. I won't be able to watch BBC or the Cooking Channel. My wife won't see Fox News or Hallmark.

On the contrary, everyone is amazingly at peace with our decision.  We will subscribe to Netflix and perhaps  purchase a Roku or get a dish in the future for news and sports.  But for now we are eliminating a large drain on our budget. I trust that we will learn to love it and embrace the change and the simplicity of a quieter home.

God Invited Himself To School Today

The following conversation may or may not have happened in school today ....   ;)


KID: (in front of the entire class) I went to church last night. Can I show you what I got?

TEACHER: Sure.

KID: (reaches into a gym bag) I got this! (shows teacher his "quiet time" book)

TEACHER: Cool!  That's an Olympian Club book!  My kids have those, too!

KID: I'm having trouble with it.  I can't do this.

TEACHER: What can't you do?

KID: It's on this page. (shows the teacher a page that has a crossword puzzle based on James 7)

TEACHER: Well, first you have to look up James 7.

KID: I don't have a Bible.

TEACHER: Follow me. (Kid walks to the teacher's desk. Teacher reaches into his top drawer, pulls out his Bible, and hands it to the kid.)

KID: Thanks!  I'll get it back to you when I'm done.

TEACHER: Keep it.  I don't need it back.  I have another one.

 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. (Galations 6:9)

 Sometimes an opportunity arises in the most unlikely way, in the most unlikely place, at the (seamingly) most inappropriate time.  Still, when a student needed something, God made sure this teacher had the resources at his fingertips to help the student.

God is good!

One Headlight (And Other Infractions)

Sometimes God has to kick me in the rear end to get His point across. This morning His point was procrastination.

I was running late for work (shocking, I know), so I got on the highway and immediately set the cruise at 70mph so I would make decent time without drawing attention to myself.

(PAUSE)

Okay, before I go any further, here are some background details:

• Fact: My passenger side tail light has to be replaced.
• Fact: My inspection sticker is overdue by 10 days.
• Fact: I have an appointment tomorrow to get my car inspected.
• Fact: I was waiting for my paycheck (today is payday, in fact) to take care of these things.

(RESUME)

Anyway, I was driving along when I saw a state police car with a mounted radar gun on the side of the road.  No big deal I thought. I'm going approx. 70, which puts me within the allowable range of speed. 

I passed the the trooper only to find him pulling out and following me with his lights whirling and his siren blaring. (Really, Officer?  Is the siren necessary?)

Anyway, after exchanging the required pleasantries, it turns out that in addition to the expired inspection and blown tail lamp I also have a dysfunctional headlamp (figures), so I received a "correctable citation," which means I can get my mechanic to sign a paper stating that my car passed inspection and all repairs have been completed.

God is good. I am not. I waited too long to get the car inspected. I should have taken care of it last month, but I ran out of money (hey, I've never been a master budgeter, if that's a thing). God showed me grace when He put a trooper in my path who understood my plight and extended grace and time to make the correction.  Also, He's holding me accountable to get my car inspected and repaired without one more moment of procrastination.

I could be paying a large sum of my paycheck to the great state of New York for various infractions, but instead I only have to do routine maintenance on my vehicle.

Praise the Lord!

I live to drive another day.

The Fifty Dollar Tantrum

You're grounded.

What else is new?

You have to fix the hole in the wall.

It's not my fault the wall is so weak it can't handle a door knob.

The wall isn't weak.  Your excuse is weak. AND you still have to fix the wall.

Okay.

You also have to finish your reading.

What reading??

(Yeah, okay kid. Do you think your mother and I don't talk to each other?)

The reading you didn't want to finish. The reading that caused the tantrum that ended with a door knob sized hole in my wall.

Okay, so I'll fix it.  Do you have spackle?

Nope.

Can you go and buy some?

I'm not buying spackle. YOU are.

How much is THAT gonna cost?

Probably around $7 for a small can.

Oh, good.  I thought it was gonna be like $50 or something.

Well now hold on a minute.  That's just the spackle.  You have to buy tape and paint too.

WHAT??!!?!!  THAT'S NOT FAIR!!!!

(Yes, I'm smiling on the inside.)

It's perfectly fair.  You damaged my house. You pay for it. You fix it. 

How much is THAT gonna be??!??!

I don't know, but I'm guessing the tape will be about another $7 and the paint will be about $30.

Can't we just get the little can of paint?

Well, the little one will only cover part of the wall.  There will be a difference in the color. That isn't acceptable.  The wall has to look the way it looked before you chose to damage it.

AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!
This is gonna take FOREVER!!!

Probably. And don't forget the part about being grounded.

Oh yeah.  For how long?

For as long as it takes to repair the wall to my satisfaction AND finish your reading assignment.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!

(*Sigh*) It's going to be an interesting weekend. :)

A Hiatus By Any Other Name

hiatus. 2a :  an interruption in time or continuity :  break; especially :  a period when something (as a program or activity) is suspended or interrupted hiatus
from writing>

It would appear that I have taken a hiatus from blogging.
   
Yep, that's what it was alright. A hiatus. 

There is still so much to say and my brain has been working overtime in a feeble attempt to put my thoughts in order. But try as I might it appears that my mind doesn't work that way.  

I've read many, many articles and e-books about blogging, and they all say the same thing. 

IT IS IMPERATIVE TO ORGANIZE YOUR THOUGHTS BEFORE YOU BEGIN BLOGGING.

Baloney! If that were true I would never ever have written a post. EVER.  That isn't how this mind works. True story.

So I am throwing caution to the wind and, with a fresh start, I am taking a deep breath and beginning again, with no particular plan in mind and no idea what will come of my writing.  Probably twaddle.  So be it.

I do know that if I keep all these thoughts and ideas bottled up without letting them out via fingers on the keyboard, eventually I'm gonna BLOW!!!  

I will write as the mood strikes me, sometimes calm and sometimes you've-got-to-be-kidding-me-did-he-actually-have-the-nerve-to-write-that honest. Its all about being genuine, authentic, true.  It's not about organizing my thoughts. Never has been.

Thus ends the hiatus. :)