Cash for My Clunker

We've got a 20 year old Nissan pick-up that our 16 year old drives. We've had it for about 10 years. Good truck, reliable, have really gotten our money out of it.

Several weeks ago, our son calls on his way home from work, saying that he has broken down. I go and pick him up, have the truck towed to a garage. The timing belt had broken and we had bent a valve. So we are looking at some $ to fix it.

About this time, the ol' Cash for Clunkers deal started. So, guess what we did!

Guess again.

We fixed it. We drove it home today.

Why? Several reasons. We didn't want or need a new vehicle. We were not going into debt to get a different vehicle. Plus, we don't like idea of another government bailout.

We were able to pay cash and get the truck fixed and have good, reliable transportation cheaper than we could buy a different vehicle.

So, for us, this was the best deal. We paid cash for our clunker (to get fixed). Laugh if you want, but we're still debt free.

Romans 13:8 "Owe no one anything . . . except to love one another"

This Stinks . . . Really!

This evening Amy and I hopped in the car and drove from the house to church (for VBS), about half a mile. I noticed an odor. Amy had driven the car to and from Chesapeake today, but said she hadn't noticed the odor.

Did you leave your breakfast in the car? No. Did you leave your gym bag in the car? No, went jogging this morning, showered at home. Hmmm.

We got to the church, and opened the trunk. There it was . . . a gallon of milk left in the trunk from Saturday. Exploded!

That really stinks.

From NY to Philly

Yesterday we finished up in NYC and today we head to Philadelphia. Looking forward to taking in a few of the sights and see the Phillies play tonight. Here are a few observations from yesterday:

• We went to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. While it is neat to say we've been there, and know that is where millions were 'welcomed' to the USA, it was a lot of trouble. Herded like cattle onto the ferry boats after waiting in line for over an hour didn't quite 'make' the experience for me.
• Took a bus tour of Brooklyn. It in a nice, air-conditioned bus, so that was nice. Saw lots of sights that we've seen on TV many times. Also saw the Brooklyn Tabernacle.
• The highlight of the say was walking in and out of the shops at Times Square. Surprisingly, the prices didn't seem any different from the prices at home. In fact, Kendall got a good deal on a pair of shoes.
• We ate at Dallas BBQ at Times Square. It was fantastic. Large portions for a little price.
• Believe it or not, we went into the Hersey's Store and the M&M's store and didn't buy anything. We didn't want to wait in line and thought the chocolate would melt by the time we got back to the hotel. I saw Reese's peanut butter cups make with dark chocolate for the first time.

Getting ready to check-out and travel to Philly. One of goals is to get a philly cheesesteak.

Family Road Trip

This week our family has ventured to New York City and later to Philly. We spent yesterday in NYC taking in the city through bus tours. Here are some of my observations:

• This place is huge - every building is huge, and it seems that there are people everywhere.
• However, seeing so many huge buildings, knowing that they are full of people, I can only imagine what it would look like if everyone came out into the streets at the same time!
• According to the tour guides, the cost of housing has skyrocketed in the last 10 years. A place that cost $50,000 15 years ago is now worth over a million. Wow!
• I was surprised that your typical fast food is just about the same price at home - a little more - but not outrageous.
• However, there are plenty of $$$$$ places to eat.
• We ride the bus from NJ into NYC each morning. The money we paid - $19.60 for our family - is worth every penny. I don't like waiting in line to catch the bus leaving the city, but it is well worth it.

Looking forward to more adventures today!

Road Trip

I'm on a road trip today to Atlanta to see the Braves and Dodgers play. There's a guy in our church that is crazy about the Dodgers, so he invited me to go along. Lots of time on the road over the next two days, but great times and memories.

My son Kaleb is going as well, so we ought to have a great time. We'll be sure to pull hard for the Braves!

Ring Around a Rosie

“Ring around a rosie, a pocket full of posies.
Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.”

I heard some kids singing that the other day. I looked around and saw them holding hands in a circle – and then flop on the ground after singing the last phrase. Laughing and giggling, their enjoyment was contagious. No video games, no cell phones, no toys, no nothing. Just a nursery rhyme and some friends. Simple.

Remember when life was that simple. It seems that when you get older, life gets more complicated. For me, that particular nursery rhyme got complicated. You see, here’s how I learned it:
“Ring around a rosie, a pocket full of posies.
Red bird, blue bird, we all fall down.”

So, which way is right? If you are like most people, you’re thinking, the way I learned it is right! Why? Because that’s what I was taught. My momma said . . .

When we get older, we find ourselves defending lots of things – more important than nursery rhymes – by saying Because that’s what I was taught. My momma said . . .

As followers of Christ, we need to move from my momma said to that’s what the Bible says. The problem is that most Christians don’t know how the Bible applies to everyday life. How to raise children, how to operate a business, how to be a friend, how to have a great marriage . . .

It is the responsibility of each Christ follower to follow Christ. That means it is our responsibility to know the Bible and to live like we know it.

Jogging

While we were on vacation, Amy and I went for a jog. Actually, she left first, then a few minutes later, I left. We have jogged off and on for years. For the many years, we had to take turns jogging, so one could watch the kids while the other jogged. We looked forward to the day that we could jog together. Several years ago that day arrived, we jogged together and realized that each of us did better if we ­didn’t jog together. I digress.

Anyway, the other day Amy and I both jogged 5.4 miles. Amy’s longest run ever, my longest in quite sometime. The next day we ran 2 miles, and then the following we ran 4. In our little three days of jogging, I learned several things:

- Knowing the goal each day made it easier to reach that goal. When we ran 5.4 miles, we were mentally ready to go past the 2 mile and 4 mile marks. On the 2 mile day it would have been tough to switch to 5 miles at the end of the 2 miles.

- Each time we ran, we ran without stopping. I know for me, if Amy hadn’t been jogging, I probably would have walked some. I really didn’t want to be walking and see her jogging. So, her being around helped me keep going.

- Each day we got up early, not real excited about being up or about exercising. But, our best part of the day was the hour after exercising. Cooling down, relaxing. Realizing that we have just done something that was right, good and healthy.

- The toughest part was getting out of bed and out the door.

Our spiritual lives are very similar. It is very easy to get lazy. It is a whole lot easier to get and stay in spiritual shape if we have someone who is our “jogging” partner for our spiritual lives. Most of the time, there is no glamour in the day to day. However, living your life connected to God and others who are connected with God, can change a mundane life into one with purpose and adventure. May you connect with God and each other . . .