BBBBBRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our heat has been running non stop for two days.

Thank God for it!!

We are running around with socks and long sleeves and an occasional blanket thrown over our shoulders or on our laps.

It was a bit hard to get out from under our covers this morning to go to church, but we did. We are glad we did! It was such a good service. If you want to hear it you can go here.

It should be uploaded in the next couple of days. In the mean time you could listen to the other sermons. They are good, too:~)

One thing that was taught today in Sunday School and church~~giving. In SS we read from II Cor. 8:1-10. These verses really spoke to me (3 )"For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own free will, (4) begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints (5) and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the sill of God to us.

I don't know about you but I seldom give beyond my means or beg to give. In fact, to be honest, I have a hard time giving if we need the money for other areas (bills, bills, bills) Mike and I have struggled with this issue on and off during our married life. We would do good about tithing for a while and then slack off.

It would be a cycle we would repeat many times. We decided last year to stop being hot and cold about it. We decided we needed to do it as an act of worship not because God "needed" our money and not because we were guilted into it by a sermon we heard. We decided it because God said we should do it.

Now, I would like to tell you that we have not had any money problems since we made that commitment. ABSOLUTELY NOT! In fact, it has been even harder! Why? Because the devil knows we have been weak in this area before. Not trusting God to meet our needs and not being faithful with what we have. It is a battle. Pure and simple.

What has happened though is a more intimate relationship with God because we have chosen to acknowledge what God has said is important in our walk with Him. We have sought His desires for our money and the way we handle it. We have given all that was His to begin with up to Him for Him to direct it's path.

I KNOW that everyone's walk with Christ is an intimate one and we all grow and develop differently~~just like children. We should seek His face in all our decisions and ask Him to direct our paths.

He is faithful. We are weak and He is strong.