Crunch at home!

Wed. April 7th: Owner of my store, tells me if things continue down currant path, we won't be open much longer!
Thurs. April 8th: Charlene dies (car - timing belt).
Tues. April 13th: Dentist lets me know I need a crown!! ugh!
Wed April 14th: Some termites show up at the house!
God is still in control. Bad week financially. But, we praise him in the good times and we praise in the times of trial too! (I'll just keep reminding myself that!!)
C

Spring Break

Me and my gorgeous wife in front of the waterfall at Vogel with the sun gleaming through behind us, hitting the water!! (She is HOT!!)

Due to money crunch and the economy hitting my business, I couldn't take off the whole week with Donna, Bailey and Grif, but I did take Friday and we slipped out of town with the Hodorffs and the Lovetts for a much needed few days away at Mt Vogel State Park! Less than 2 hours away from here, but I've never been. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!! Amazing scenery, easy, but pretty drive. It was great. Friday when we got there it was still very windy, so that made it a little cold, but nothing a great fire wouldn't wipe away in a hurry!! There is just something hypnotic about watching, smelling, hearing, and feeling a fire isn't there?

We were able to picnic, hike, fish (in streams and on a lake), play putt-putt (Grif's personal fav!!), EAT, play four square, card games, and just spend time with each other.

It was a great time to get away from "real life" and just take in the beauty of God's creation!! Donna has almost talked me into selling the house and buying a motor home to live in for our retirement (a few years from now!!) It was an amazing weekend in a beautiful valley in the foothills of the Appalachian Mtns!!

The kids "exploring one of the many streams at Vogel!!

All the kids in front of the big waterfall!! Beautiful spot!!


Bailey and Griffin, civil for long enough to take this photo!! (Miracle!!)

Great Easter Weekend!!

We had a great weekend! The kids had practice on Saturday and I had another tourney (I am looking so forward to my team taking a weekend off!!) We came in 3rd with another good showing!
The weather for the whole weekend could not have been ordered up any better!!
Sunday was perfect. Church was incredible!! We went to mom and dad's for lunch with my sister and bro-in-law for Easter. (They are down from Cleveland for the week).
A Sunday afternoon nap followed by some time in the yard with my son, capped off a wonderful weekend!!
C

What's impossible with God?

The cable was out yesterday when I got home. A coincidental inconvenience most people would say. Maybe... But, we were about to eat dinner and put the movie "facing the Giants" in the dvd. I picked it up a couple of weeks ago when I was getting a book, because I had been thinking about the movie for a while and wanting to see it again.
Anyway, if you've seen the movie, not great acting but an incredible message. At a few points in the movie, I found I was wiping a tear off my cheek. But at the end.... They had just won the State Championship and Coach Grant Taylor walks in the locker room where the boys are celebrating. He gets the quieted down, and he looks at the kid that just made the longest field goal of his life. "David, don't you ever let anyone tell you that you are no good, or second rate.... I just watched God do a miracle through you"!! So then coach Taylor asks David, "What is impossible with God?". David replies, "nothing coach".
That question and answer were mondane enough. I would answer the same sitting here today. If you ask me, "Craig, what's impossible with God?" Nothing would be my reply. Standard "Sunday School" answer. No problem. And I was fine at that point in the movie. But Coach Grant's next question to David was the one that got me.

"Are you sure?" coach Taylor asked. His tone told me he want young David to grasp the full weight of his first question!! "Yes sir coach". The coach went on through the locker room asking both questions to everyone. You see in their school God had been doing miracles. Changing hearts, changing minds, changing attitudes. They KNEW nothing was impossible.

I can't explain why I don't. I've got no explanation. You see, when the coach looked at David and said are you SURE, I didn't feel sure. I don't act SURE. I don't pray SURE. I don't confess SURE. I don't profess SURE. And I definately don't witness SURE.

If I really believe nothing is impossible with GOD, why don't I LIVE it? Why am I afraid to tell someone I know and love that God has put them on my heart to pray for them? Or why am I afraid to tell someone God can't use you if you aren't willing? Why am I afraid to put my hands on someone and claim there broken body for God? Why can I get more worked up over explaining why unversal healthcare is going to be the demise of this country when my own unbelief could be the demise of my own family or a friend that I am suppose to be witnessing to?

God, help my unbelief. I serve The only God there ever was, is, or will be, but I act as if that service doesn't have sacrifice. I want to be willing to look like a fool. I want to be willing to take the first step. Show me what you are trying to say.

C