Vonage

Well, I did it. I went for the Vonage thing.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we did the high-speed internet thing, and now, since we have that, we are doing the Vonage thing. The cost of these two things combined is about $20 less than the cost of our phone bill, plus we were paying $9.99 a month for our dial-up. Which means we are saving about $30 a month! So now we have unlimited local and long-distance calling, high-speed internet, basic cable TV (which we didn't have before), and all of the really cool features that Vonage has.

If you were thinking about Vonage, I would strongly suggest it, but before you sign up, e-mail me and I will send you a referral e-mail. (I think that I get free credits or something, and I think that they give you a free month, I am not really sure.)

Who ya gonna call?

Well, on Thursday, we moved 49,000 pounds of stuff.

You heard me right. 49,000 pounds!

But we did it in one day, granted it was a long day, but we kept it in one day. This guy had 1500 boxes, and most of them weighed over 75 pounds each. He was running a business out of his basement. He was doing something with mugs and other glass ware. But we moved it all!

Oh Yeah! That's what I'm talking about! When you need something moved, you know who to call!








My back hurts.

I'm famous!

This is a little old, but I finally figured out how to post a little bit of something from a friend down-under.

Here it is:

Internationally known Matt Harmless, is mentioned in Australia!

Thanks again Rodney!

Read your Bible...

...pray every day, and you'll grow, grow, grow.

Who remembers that song?

I can remember singing that in Sunday School as a kid, but I was thinking about this song today. I know that it seems so simplistic, but I think that there is great truth in this song.

I have noticed that when I miss Bible reading in a day, that is the day that I will have the most struggles. It is like I need it. Like I can't survive without it. This morning I was reading through I Peter chapter one, and for some reason, I focused in on vs. 13 which says, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled..." And then all day I had opportunities to put that verse into practice.

Specifically the first part, "... prepare your minds for action..." So much of what we struggle with is in the mind, and I was trying all day to prepare my mind for action. The King James version of this passage states it this way, "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober..."

God knew what I needed today, and it makes me wonder how my day would have gone if I hadn't read this morning. But because I did, I was able to grow today.

I know that there are alot of students and former students that read this blog from time to time. If there is any small piece of advice that I could give you, it would be this: Read your Bible, Pray everyday. You can't survive without it.

drinking a pop

So, I am standing there the other day, taking a break, and sipping on my diet Mountain Dew...

...and my employee (Paul) says,



"Typical fat man, drinking a pop."



I think that I am paying him too much. What do you think?

Be Ready!

As I have mentioned before, my summer job is a furniture mover.

I actually like the job. It is a nice change of pace from being a teacher, and it is also my summer weight-loss program. Some teachers do summer school. Some take vacations. There are many that have a trade that thy work at to make ends meet. Me, I move furniture and drive a big truck.

But the longer I do this, the more I find things that really bug me. The other day I mentioned one about things being sticky. Today I want to mention one about being ready.

I am tired to going to people's houses and they are not ready for the movers. I am talking about stuff not being in the boxes. Now, maybe they have some emotional attachment to their house, but I don't! In fact, one of my major goals when I arrive at a house is to get the job done as quickly as possible... and leave!

I don't want to be mean about it, but when it is moving day, have your stuff in boxes.

Salvation

I am currently reading through I Peter, and I noticed something interesting in the first chapter. It is something that I have noticed before, so it isn't something new to me, but I have been thinking about it and wanted to share with you.

In the first chapter, there is this focus on salvation. But the interesting thing is that each time the word is used, it is future tense. Even though this is written to Christians, who supposedly have already been "saved" there is still this future tense, as if it is something to look forward to.

But if you think about it, that is what salvation is. It is not something that happened to you in the past only, it is past, present, and future.

In Philippians 1:6, Paul states, "Be confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you, will (continue to) perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Can you see the past, present, and future in this verse? He began it. He is currently performing it. And He will continue this Work until the very end, when it will be completed.

True Salvation is not something that gives you the stamp of approval into heaven. It also isn't a ticket, or a voucher. It is something that changes you.

Here is I Peter 1:3-9. I hope that this passages stirs up in you the same hope that is stirred up in me, that my salvation is not over yet. I know that I am saved, and that I am being saved, and that I will be saved!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade — kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.

These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.