Chicken: Do you eat it only or Do you serve it, too?

I've seen this picture floating around the web and Facebook since last Wed. And I'm sure most of you have heard or read about the controversial, Chick Fil A (CFA) appreciation day. I had a friend and family member to post this on their Facebook page. I appreciate them posting it because it made me think about the statement on the picture and motives for that particular day. I, personally, try not to follow a popular movement only because it's just that, popular. I try to form my own opinion and reason as to why I should or should not support such a 'movement'.

When reading the statement on this picture, I can't help but agree with it. It is correct in saying that you don't see that many Christians lined up to help food banks or homeless shelters or many other facets of serving "the least of these" as Christ commanded. And we should all know that being a Christian, we serve Christ by serving others and we should be eager to do whatever is called of us to serve. Christians as a whole, dramatically fail when it comes to serving the least of these with excuses such as but not limited to: "I don't have the time"; "I don't have the money"; "I don't have the talent"; and sadly for some "They are not worth my time". We judge those who need to be served thinking they should do better for themselves, they need to learn to help themselves or they should have made better choices. While this is true to an extent we forget that Christ doesn't put a limit on 'the least of these'. And we forget that serving doesn't always come outside the four walls of church or we think it only comes within the four walls of church. Some of us don't even serve within our own church on any given Sunday while others refuse to go outside their church on any given chance. And we certainly don't see this many people, Christian or not, waiting to worship on any given Sunday.

But I do have my reservations with the picture above. I, personally, find a few prejudices with this statement. Some may agree but others may think I'm overly analyzing the statement and missing the bigger picture. I think it's prejudice to assume that everyone of those people pictured and those not pictured who ate at CFA on that particular day were Christians. I also think it's prejudice to assume that everyone ate there for the same exact reason. No doubt, the majority ate there for 2 reasons: either to support Mr. Cathey's biblical stance on homosexuality or to support his freedom to speak it. It's also prejudice to me to think that the only requirement to serve at a food bank or homeless shelter is to be a Christian or of the Christian faith. To serve the less fortunate can be one of the most neutral outlets for many faiths to come together in unity. So if one is gonna judge Christians for not serving, it's only fair to judge other faiths, right, since this photo seems to be about judging what Christians should be doing instead. Now, if one chooses to serve at a Christian only mission than obviously the Christian faith will be promoted but there are many missions that would welcome different faiths to do nothing more than to simply serve by feeding, teaching, mentoring, clothing or giving. However, as critical as I just was of the church as a whole, there are many, many individuals within the church who passionately serve for the cause of Christ in their community, nationally and globally. And there are many churches who serve their community and the globe with a passion and unconditional love that one can't help but be drawn to Christ when a witness to it. And because of these people and these churches, it's not fair to place all Christians and churches into the category of the above picture.

For me the bigger picture is this, we as Christians, are called to serve in some capacity without conditions when it comes to the 'least of these'. And eating a chicken sandwich for whatever reason one chose that day, doesn't make up for the lack of service we fail to do. Christ doesn't require us to change some one's life but through our serving 'the least of these' he can change them. And just as amazing, we are changed. We become a blessing to someone and we become humbled when we finally realize that it's not about us but through serving others, it's all about Him.

A Peaceful Rejection

It's apparent that my lack of blogging only leads me to playing catch up when I actually decide to sit down and blog.  It's not that I don't have anything to blog about but rather I don't take the time to do it.  I have all kind of stuff that goes through my head that I want to blog about but it usually swims in my brain when I'm driving or trying to fall asleep at which neither times are convenient to blog.  So time marches on with the unkept promise of me blogging about "it" later.

So here's to playing catch up, once again:

The last time I blogged, we had a contract on a house that was a foreclosure.  That house fell through of which we know to be God's plan.  Life just didn't work out for us to get it. It went a little something like this: Please note we still had a mortgage on our home in G'ville...it had not yet sold and had no prospects.

We look at the house, the price is right and we make an offer.

The offer is finally accepted through many toils and snares.

We have an inspection which, of course, included a multitude of problems but we agree to deal with. Remember, when you buy a foreclosure, it's 'as is'.

We decide to have an HVAC engineer look at the system.  The house is too big for the 1 unit is has, therefore, he recommends that we put in another unit to relieve the strain of the 1.  Ummm, not sure we want to tackle this but, anyway, the house is a great price.

Starting to feel a little uneasy about getting this house.  "God, please guide us and give us a peace"

The appraisal comes back lower than we expect due to all the repairs it needed...acceptable but to not what we thought. 

No peace.

The Monday before we are to sign, JB's car dies...dead with no life left.  More expensive to repair and not worth the car.  So we are then forced to buy another car.

No peace but we will just 'deal' with it.

Tuesday before we are to sign, our mortgage originator calls JB and informs him that Fannie Mae forces buyers to open an escrow account with an allotted amount of money for the repairs.  This is supposedly normal procedure for buying a foreclosure, one of which we weren't aware of when seeking this house.  JB nor I wanted to take this route so we opted to back out of the contract letting them have the earnest money and keep all fees we have paid up to this point. Events that had preceded also led to this decision.

Tuesday afternoon we call our realtor to let her know we want to back out of the contract.  She gracefully informs us that we can't simply 'back out' of our contract.  We can and she believed that we would be sued for breech of contract since Chase bank owned the home. And they are a corporation certainly able to show their legal power.  The only way at this point to legally back out of the contract is if our loan was denied which wasn't gonna happen b/c we had already been pre-qualified.

Still no peace and furthermore worry has set in.

So, we suck it up and admit 'defeat' but told ourselves we will be thankful for what we have instead of complaining about the circumstances.  It was still a very nice home; far more than what many have.

Wednesday before we are to close on Friday, JB asks the mortgage originator what will happen if we opt out of the "escrow account".  We honestly wanted to pay for the repairs through different means. To quote her exactly, "then we will be forced to deny your loan".  Did you just read that? Forced to deny your loan, the only legal way to get out of the contract.  Never have I been so grateful to be denied or rejected! 

Finally his Peace!!!

We took a break from house hunting and decided to fully rely on God for his timing, which we obviously failed to do but through his grace and mercy, he delivered us.

3 months later we sold our home in G'ville and found another. 

We moved in our current home July 4th weekend and did it all with his PEACE which still resides in our home today. 

Lesson learned, I'll take God's peace over any of my desires.

Our Week in Review

It's been an emotional week but one that has turned out fine.  Gizmo got into some old sausage from my parents compost pile and developed pancreatitis.  We were at the emergency vet office at midnight one night and then on to her personal vet the next morning.  she was admitted and spent 1 night and 2 full days receiving fluids and other meds.  Luckily we caught it in time but at the age of 14, we weren't sure she would pull through.  She made it and it is back to herself.  I was a blubbering mess trying to explain to the vet that she got into some old sausage.  Not something you have to explain everyday.

My grandmother was admitted to the hospital this past week and later diagnosed with congestive heart failure.  She turns 88 this month so any major medical condition is a hard blow to us all.  But she is recovering well and will be seeing a cardiologist soon to help regulate meds and any other heart conditions. 

One of my dad's cousins died this past week from lung cancer.  We, as a family didn't get to go to the funeral but my dad did.  He was one of my dad's closest cousins and will be missed by many family members and friends.

We continue with the process of closing on the house we are purchasing.  Because this house is a foreclosure property, there are lots of unexpected circumstances that come along....just par for the course, so we've been told.  If you ever buy a foreclosed house...the best you can be for this is flexible and patient.  I am learning that all too well.

This past Friday night brought on some severe weather.  We were blessed to have no damage.  During this severe weather, hubby and my dad were traveling which left the boys, my mom and me behind.  I learned alot from my boys during this time.  While I wasn't scared of the sirens going off, the boys were terrified.  Their fear brought out the best in them.  They confirmed to me the importance of teaching them the peace and control of God.  They asked if they could pray and if I would pray.  My little boys showed a faith in God that alot of grown men have yet to grasp.  I thank God for the simple reminder even through a severe storm of the child like faith He asks of us.  I am also reminded of just how fervent I have to remain in prayer for my little boys to grow into men of faith. 

As the world turns,
Me

Some Friend They Are

My Boys: "Mama, we are so cited (excited) about our best friend's birthday party!" Me: "what's his name?" Boys:"ummm, I don't know. We forgot."

Let's Play Catch Up

Well, as usual, I have to play catch up when I decide to blog. And, wow, when you stop blogging your mind becomes rusty. So you'll have to excuse this rusty writing as I try to oil the wheels. Since my last post.. Yes, we now live back in my hometown after a 2 year stint in the Delta. JB had the opportunity to transfer back with bank. He also received a title promotion and has been selected to attend Banking School. Congrats, to my sweet hubby. The boys are repeating K5 this year at our local public school. No regrets in having them repeat. They are in the same class and doing well. They have made new friends who they can't wait to invite home to play as soon as we get our own home. We have been living with my parents since September while we try to sell our home in GVille. So grateful for their willingness. But we are ready to be on or own. So, we now have a contract on a home that we hope to close on within the next month. Nervous about having 2 mortgages but excited about getting back to our family of 4. I've started back in the working world. I work at a local preschool. I get to love on babies everyday. This job is a blessing to me that God entrusted me with. I am off just in time to pick my boys up from school and I get the same holidays as their school so I'm home when they are. The best of both worlds with a little extra spending money. I haven't been able to continue Hollypops due to space issues but hope to when space allows. BB just finished his first season of Upward Basketball. He enjoyed it and we enjoyed watching him develop more athletic skills, social skills, confidence all in a Christian perspective. CB chose not to play this year. I think it was a great experience for BB to play a sport separate from his brother. We have registered CB for Spring basesball. He played fall ball and loved it. He can't wait for Spring ball as this will be his first 'real' season of coach pitch. JB will be assisting with coaching as well. We have recently added 2 new members to our family thanks to Pappaw. 2 gold fish. These have lived over a week unlike the 4 unfortunate before them. Oh, I bought me a Kindle Fire with my Christmas money and Love it. In fact, I'm blogging from it! Happy Trails, The Family Bond PS please excuse the run on paragraphs. Some things never change with Blogger.

Au Natural

Several weeks ago I was wondering and searched natural/organic shampoos.  Why, you ask? I was just curious and always looking for something better.  My hair is naturally frizzy with more of a fuzz type texture when it air dries. I've researched the Brazilian Blow Out but deferred when I found out that formaldehyde is used. 

When researching natural shampoo, I read that some of the man made chemicals can actually weigh your hair down and cause build up.  I don't know how much of that is true but I like the idea of natural ingredients. I even thought about buying the ingredients to make my own shampoo but refrained for fear of running a chemistry lab in my parents house.  Instead I bought some natural/organic shampoo at a local whole foods store.  It's pricey but not a single man made ingredient.  But we all know there is a cost to beauty.

I used the shampoo and conditioner for the first time this morning.  My hair was much softer and felt cleaner.  I didn't put any straightening products in my hair but did have to use my straightener.  I'm not gonna say that I love this shampoo just yet. I'm gonna give it more time to see how my hair reacts.

It doesn't lather like commercial shampoos b/c it doesn't contain those lathering ingredients.  It's not thick like commercial shampoo instead very 'runny'.

I also bought some conditioner which is nothing like its commercial counterpart.  It's actually much thicker; more like a paste.

None of this change may not make a difference.  But if it only makes me think I'm better for it...well, that may be worth enough....give the placebo effect the credit it deserves. 

The shampoo and conditioner I am trying can be found here:
  http://www.aubrey-organics.com/ 

Until next time; this is the way we wash our hair, wash our hair, wash our hair...this is the way we wash our hair early in the morning!

Long Time, No See

As with most of blogging lately, no time...no see.  I really wish I did a better job keeping up with this blog.  Life gets so busy that I just don't feel like sitting down to record my thoughts and events of the day.  But I will try to update what is going on with us with no guarantees that there will be any immediate follow-ups.

After a 2 year stint in the MS Delta, we have transferred back to the Jackson, MS metro area.  It was a bitter sweet move as I had grown to love my life in the Delta...not necessarily loving the Delta but rather my life there.  We made some wonderful friends and the boys, too, made some special friends.  JB is still with Trustmark and has even received a title promotion with this transfer.

We still have some ties to the Delta as we are trying to sell our home.  God has blessed us with some awesome, temporary renters but we still need to get it sold so we can fully move on with our lives.  So if you are interested in or know someone who would like to live in the Delta (Greenville) give us a shout out, we'll be glad to sell you a home ;)

Meanwhile we are camping out with my parents.  Needless to say, we have stuff stored all over MS...the Delta, storage and my parents. If I recover all my stuff when we finally perch in a home..it will be a miracle to recover everything. 

We are looking at houses but with reservations.  Interests rates are at all time low which makes it even more tempting to buy a house before selling our current home.  Not to mention, crammed in here with my parents gives even more motivation.  I love my parents and I am more than grateful for their willingness to help us out at this time but 2 families living under 1 roof can be a bit stressful at times, although, it has been going much more smoothly than I anticipated.  Either my parents are just holding it in or I'm a better house guest than I thought I would be. 

We stayed in an apartment before moving in with my parents.  That stay was 3 months.  While grateful for Trustmark for the temporary housing, it did provide a pool for the boys to enjoy for the summer.

Due to the recent relocation and living situations, I have not been able to monogram/applique.  There just hasn't been any room for it.  My business literally takes up a whole room of which hasn't been available.  So I am temporarily closed until further living situations allow for it.  I have to admit that I have enjoyed the time off.  Running your own business can take over your life and become more work than enjoyment.  When I return to it, it will definitely be different than it was before.  I may not return to appliqueing rather just monogramming with limited inventory. 

Meantime, I am working part time at a local preschool.  Again admitting, I have enjoyed being back in the working world, such as it is.  Getting up and getting out has been good for me.  I've enjoyed the adult conversations and making new friends.  I'm through each day before the boys are out of school so it allows me to pick them up from school and still remain a 'stay home mom'.  The preschool holidays coincide with the boys' school so I will not be working when they are out of school.  Another blessing God provided.

The boys are repeating K5 this year at the local public school.  I was so anxious about them starting in a new, bigger school where they would most likely be put in separate classes.  They have been together since 3 yr old preschool and the 2 schools they attended while in the Delta were small and close knit.  My worries were soon eased when I learned that MS law states that schools have to place twins in the same room if requested by the parents.  The boys have done well and seem to enjoy their new school and classmates. 

While we missed our home church when living in the Delta, we have decided to visit another local church.  JB was encouraged to visit by 2 colleagues from work of whom we also share a Mississippi College alumni with.  To our pleasant surprise, we have enjoyed our visit to this church.  This past Sunday we visited a Sunday School and found it to be as pleasant as the worship service.  We continue to pray for God's guidance to lead us to church home that we can worship and serve him to the capacity he has given us.  The smaller school was apart of the life I enjoyed while in the Delta.

I had my final Dr. visit regarding my post op MRSA from this past winter.  My Dr. had considered doing a surgery to revise some scarring that was formed from but he and I both agreed to forgo this surgery.  2 months ago, I contracted MRSA again except this time it was on my chin/neck.  Via IV therapy and weeks of oral meds, it finally went away.  With the account of the 2nd MRSA ordeal, my Dr. and I both feel it's too risky to perform a procedure that it not necessary.  I obviously have issues with MRSA and seem to contract it easily.  The last thing I want during this time of transition is to deal with it again. 

This about wraps it up for me.  One thing that never changes, is that change is in evadable.  I've learned to accept it the best I can...the less I try to fight it, the better I can handle it.  Within the past 3 years our family has experienced much change but I can only pray that it's God working us into the servants he wants us to be.