Oklahoma has had a fairly mild winter this year. It snowed about 3 inches on Tuesday and by Wednesday afternoon it was gone. Today is Thursday and it is snowing again. Very big flakes. It is really nice to sit by the window with a cup of hot tea or hot chocolate and watch the snow and contemplate the wonders of creation.

I enjoy reading various stories that travel the internet but really doubt the origin of most but appreaciate the good writing and the thoughts, but . . .  I do not appreciate the fact that I MUST pass the e-mail on to receive the blessing of the content, or that if I don't pass the e-mail on I am not really very Christian but most likely send the off color jokes on every time. Well. . . my way of thinking on this is that if someone has to tell me that I will only receive a blessing if I pass it on has not sent on a blessing at all. Christians do not count or take credit for any blessing, that only comes from God. So, if I read a nice story but do not see the good news in it and then someone tells me I must pass it on to eight people or else, well, I missed it. When I do get a good story that I like and if I do send it on, I edit out the stuff at the end that tells me what to do. I am sending it on becasue I like the content of the story and I may have a friend I think may enjoy or apreciate it also. I may or may not send to eight or more friends.

Thank you for sending around good stories but send them beacuse you like them and only forward becasue you want to and please edit out the stuff at the end and we all can just focus on the content of the story. They mean so much more that way.

Jesus didn't tell us that we will only be saved if we bring eight friends along, he did tell us to spread the word, but people will only recieve it if they believe it and if the invitation contains threats, it will not be received, and well you have not reached anyone and haven't really spread God's word. I know that most people send them on with good intentions, but most of these e-mails are only started to clog the e-mail system, so thank you for helping to clean up the content and only forward what you really like on only to a few friends, and that you edit out the stuff at the end. Most of these e-mails will hit your inbox quite a few times over the next several years.

We all need encouragement and the support of our friends. May God Bless you all.

If you have trouble editing an e-mail, instead of forwarding, hit reply first, edit who you want to send it to, then you can delet the comments in the e-mail that say forward to eight friends or whatever it says. Only send on the basic story. You can also copy and paste into a new e-mail and edit there.

I have been involved in a class called Financial Peace, A Total Money Makover. The material is by Dave Ramsey who has had a radio talk show for some time and is now aslo on Fox Business TV Network. As Americans we all want it now and are victims of good advertising that tells us how to think, dress, talk and especially what we should be buying. This advertising is a part of the problem with Americans being in debt, we "need" to have things.These things only put us in more debt and don't make us happy becasue we end up focusing our whole lives on how to keep all the creditors out of our life which won't happen until you are debt free. It is possible to get debt free but you wil have to change your focus for a couple of years (you didn't get into extreme debt overnight) and not "keep up with the Jones". Find a Total Money Makeover class and change your life, I have.

www.daveramsey.com

We just have to have that new car, a fishing boat, a widescreen TV and other things including the biggest and best house on the block but end up with more month than money and no money in a savings account (emergency fund). Think about it. Pray about it. It is scriptural, don't be a borrower and end up a slave to the lender.

I recently finished a bell tower for a local church. The tower got the bell off the ground and added some benchs for a place to meditate.

Not sure what all I will post on this site. This will be a Christian based site. Look for a variety of items and I am sure that at times I will just ramble. Be sure and know that you are blessed. Keep Christ in your life.