Only Because He's Patient with Us

⁸Dear friends, don't forget that for the Lord one day is the same as a thousand years, and a thousand years is the same as one day. ⁹The Lord isn't slow about keeping his promises, as some people think he is. In fact, God is patient, because he wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.
    ¹⁰The day of the Lord's return will surprise us like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a loud noise, and the heat will melt the whole universe.  Then the earth and everything on it will be seen for what they are.  ¹¹Everything will be destroyed. So you should serve and honor God by the way you live. ¹²You should look forward to the day when God judges everyone, and you should try to make it come soon.  On that day the heavens will be destroyed by fire, and everything else will melt in the heat. ¹³But God has promised us a new heaven and a new earth, where justice will rule. We are really looking forward to that! ¹⁴My friends, while you are waiting, you should make certain that the Lord finds you pure, spotless, and living at peace. ¹⁵Don't forget that the Lord is patient because he wants people to be saved. This is also what our dear friend Paul said when he wrote you with the wisdom that God had given him. ¹⁶Paul talks about these same things in all his letters, but part of what he says is hard to understand. Some ignorant and unsteady people even destroy themselves by twisting what he said. They do the same thing with other Scriptures too.
2 Peter 3:8-16

Living the Dream

I have been, My DEAR friends, living for the past few weeks in a house that is fantastic.  It has been so comfortable and already feels like we have lived there for a long time.  We have had friends over, in-laws, KIDS GALORE, and still it's home to us.

In my time before Monk wakes up in the mornings, I get to read.  I ran across a verse the other day in my Bible that really got me thinking about the feelings of the past and present.  It's the good ol' story of Jonah and the big fish.  A favorite Veggie Tales movie of ours.  Jonah is running from what God wanted him to do.  When God causes a big storm and for Jonah to be thrown overboard by the shipmates, he is swallowed up by a big fish to set him back on track of his journey.

²When I was in trouble, LORD,
   I prayed to you,
   and you listened to me.
   From deep in the world
   of the dead,
   I begged for your help,
   and you answered my prayer.
    ³You threw me down
   to the bottom of the sea.
   The water was churning
   all around;
   I was completely covered
   by your mighty waves.
    ⁴I thought I was swept away
   from your sight,
   never again to see
   your holy temple.
    ⁵I was almost drowned
   by the swirling waters
   that surrounded me.
   Seaweed had wrapped
   around my head.
    ⁶I had sunk down below
   the underwater mountains;
   I knew that forever,
   I would be a prisoner there.
   But, you, LORD God,
   rescued me from that pit.
    ⁷When my life was slipping away,
   I remembered you--
   and in your holy temple
   you heard my prayer.
Jonah 2:2-7

I have always loved that story, but taking the time to read it made this sink in; reread verse 6.
How much LOVE!!!!  How much grace and fantasticness!!!!  What a divine plan for us to be rescued from our self-made pits.  I look at where I have been in my life, and look at where I am now.  I realize it is by the ever loving and continual grace of My God I am out of the pit.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I will give Him the praise for the new house, and for taking the computer away from me, so that I may focus on what is really important.  My ever daily and never ending walk with Him.  Pray that I can keep it up, and hold me accountable.  It's the least I can do for all He's done for me!  Hello?  Easter?!?!?!?!
I will tell you the house is finding it's niche.  We have been moving furniture, setting pictures, and removing things to get it just right.  We are also looking into the iPad.  So let me know what you think!  I really like it, but there are setbacks too.  I will get pics posted ASAP.  You know how it is :) 

********Update*********

OK, so we have moved!!!!  It was a tone of work, but very grateful for all the prayers and hard work that went into making all this happen.  We are surviving on 3 channels of TV, no computer (thank you library card) and a swing set/jungle gym in the backyard.  I never thought I would say how great it is to not have the constant sound.  Needless to say, God and I have been having some great quality time.  probably wouldn't be so great with the other stuff.  No distractions.  So bear with me, because it'll be a bit.

Random Makings Blog HOP

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trust

If anyone out there, and I know you are out there, has ever been through any sort of buying experience, you know that there has to be a certain amount of trust in the people you are putting your money with.  You buy a house, lots of people you need to trust.  A car, one or two people.  Groceries..................you get the picture.

What about when there is a breach of that trust?  How does one handle that stirring amount of emotion that is bubbling up inside of oneself?  It's hard for me to understand how in these tough times that the people that you are supposed to trust the "most" are sometimes the ones trying to squeeze you for all you're worth.  Taking advantage of a situation of knowledge we don't obtain. 

Buying a house to make a home has been an adventure to say the least.  We have looked at well over 50 before deciding on the right one for us.  The excitement is high, and the emotions are even higher.  I now understand why it's a piece of the American dream.  It's a dream if anything goes the way that it's supposed to.  However, through the hard work and dedication of our lovely realtor R, we are making it through.  There have been some BUMPS to say the least, but she has earned and has kept our trust. 
What a wonderful example how God puts people in our lives to strengthen our faith in Him.  Knowing His plan for us, and knowing He only has the best planned if we are patient enough to trust only in Him is such a huge step to make.  We all want the best, but even through worst, our eyes should never be fixed on anything or anyone else but Him. 

¹⁴When times are good,
   you should be cheerful;
   when times are bad,
   think what it means.
   God makes them both
   to keep us from knowing
   what will happen next.
Ecclesiastes 7:14
How can we praise Him when things are going good, and then pout like a baby when things aren't going our way?  We should always be in a state of praise, whatever the situation.  Trust.  Know that there will be slammed doors and opened ones that are better.  Know that the perserverance through the tough stuff gives us what we need to make it, and keep the faith. ²My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. ³You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. ⁴But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything. James 1:2-4     



He is not afraid of bad news;
   his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD
Psalm 112:7

⁹For every breach of trust, whether it is for an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a cloak, or for any kind of lost thing, of which one says, 'This is it,' the case of both parties shall come before God. The one whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor.
Exodus 22:9  (I'm sorry, I couldn't help it)

⁴Trust in the LORD forever,
   for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.
Isaiah 26:4