January 31, 2011

Yesterday, we got stuck on our way to church, we took the pickup, no shovel, I have problems making the new cell phone work, it doesn't want to turn on, but I finally got it going and called Steve Neilsen who lived about a mile to the west of us.  He came with two shovels, they shoveled and then he used a tow rope and they pulled, it took a few efforts, the rope wanted to break.  Carly came behind us and they were able to get through once we had broken the path,  we came home via #17.  It was a good service at church, so glad we could get there. Galen called while we were int he service, told us things were going great.  Julie sent greetings, Mark is having a good time.  We enjoyed the rest of the day in the comfort of home.  I wrote a few letters, took a nap, etc.  It got really cold, he has a heater going out by the back door.  It isn't very tight so that doesn't help.

There was a message from Ronna this morning on facebook

:Ronna NeidlingerJanuary 31, 2011 at 3:43am

Subject: Hi from Chicopee, MA

Just a quick note to say hi, and hope you are all well. Finally, got snow here, looks like winter. Finally got a chance to get on the computer, Brian always takes it with him everywhere he goes. Bought this laptop for him for his 17th BD. Always busy with my 3 older kids, keeping Steven out of jail, babysitting for Samantha, and cooking for Brain. You can see pics of the kids on Brian Phan facebook page. Need to get some sleep. Bye 4 now.

I replied and asked about the other children.   Joni wrote:

Taking Sin Seriously


"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great
compassion blot out my transgressions."

--Psalm 51:1

There are countless times when I get impatient with my husband, Ken, over little
 things. Like when he uses my good pair of scissors to trim his fishing line. Small
irritations like that build until I snap at Ken. I get mad at him, but I also get
mad at myself for failing to hold my tongue. Soon the spat is forgotten, and God,
I feel, has hardly entered into it.

We have a way of sweeping small sins under the carpet of our conscience without
ever considering how they affect God. A spat with a friend. A slip of the tongue
 in gossip. A white lie. An impatient response. An insincere word. A snide comment.

We almost ignore them, thinking that God is there only to handle the big offenses.
It's up to us and our self-control to handle the small sins, we think.

You might say that small offenses such as white lies or silly spats do not actually
offend God, that he is quite content to have you sweep little things under the carpet.
But not so. Perhaps half our problem is that we do not take sin seriously enough.
When we line up all of our offenses, major and minor, against a holy God, we are
 then able to say with the psalmist, "Against you, you only, have I sinned."

You, O God, are holy, and sin is a great offense to You. You hate sin because it
 cost You the life of Your precious Son. It has marred and stained Your beautiful
creation, including all of the human race. Today I refuse to sweep small sins out
of my conscience without bringing them before You in sincere confession. Help me
 to take sin... seriously.