I got a new car...yes, again!

Yesterday I went to get an oil change at the Honda service department. Yes, I drive a Nissan, or drove rather. Due to the poor customer service at Trophy Nissan and their greediness, I had it serviced at the same Honda place where Mr. Sir takes his Honda to be serviced. It's been that way since I first purchased the Nissan almost 6 months ago. The people at Rusty Wallis Honda have always been very good to us and we've received top-notch customer service.

Mr. Sir decided we should just go look while we were waiting for my car to get the oil changed. We started looking at an Accord but I didn't care for the new body style. We then looked at the Honda Pilot, the Ridgeline and I drooled as I passed the object of my desires...the Honda Odyssey. In the back of my mind I thought to myself, someday I'll have one of those.

We were referred to a sales lady there by one of the ladies that works in the service department. I told her I didn't think we could get anything since I'd had my new car less than 6 months. She said to us it wouldn't hurt to try if I really wanted to get into a Honda. I felt awkward taking my Nissan in for oil changes at the Honda place.

I gave it the ol' college try and was blown away that they were able to give me a great deal....same payment for a much better car. I told her the Odyssey is what I wanted and it had to be in white and I had no money to give them. My mind was thinking it's a long shot and I'm not getting my hopes up. All in all it worked out to our advantage and I am now the proud owner of a brand spanking new Honda Odyssey in white. I love it. Praise the Lord!! Another blessing.

Here's what it looks like.

I am in pain, heart-wrenching pain. God help us all!

As much as I don't want to allow the economical situation of others bother me, it does. I belong to several Christian groups in real life and online. This morning there were two specific ones that touched me. One is a lady that is forced to live with very little food and in a house that is in bad disrepair. Another is a family that has only a few dollars left to their name, is losing the home to foreclosure that their father has left them and they don't have money for gas to get to a job. My heart is aching. I want to cry out to God and ask Him why! Why was I given a heart like mine? Why does the pain of others have to hurt me so much? What does He want from me? What must I do to help these people when they are so far away from me? I can't seem to stop crying for these people. It's insane!

It's as if they are my flesh and blood. I can't help them all financially but I will do what I can with what I have been blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ. It won't be enough, there is no way. And it frustrates me. I want to run and scream at how unfair this world is to so many people. I know God is in control though but I want to be able to help more. I want God to send me a miracle so that I may ease the burdens that these people must live with.

Lord, I cannot do this alone. Please help me. You gave me a heart as weak as mine and now I need you to keep your word and help me be the vessel You intended me to be. It hurts dear Lord and only you can ease the pain. You promised in Your word. I stand on that promise and I know Your word will not return void. Help me to be Your humble servant and show me the way to do Your perfect will. In Jesus holy name I pray. Amen.

What are the options?

Every day I hear more and more how the economy is really bad and how people are losing their homes, their jobs, their savings, etc. It seems that at every turn there are new homes up for sale everywhere you look. I trust in the Lord and know that He will provide my family's every need. It's hard to say how these people are going to be doing in a few months. Some will probably end up losing their homes if they can't refinance them.

I feel bad for those that are in that situation. I pray that the Lord will enlighten them and show them the solution to their problems. It must be very difficult for a family to find themselves in a predicament such as is happening more and more each day.

There are too many things happening in the world and worrying about having a roof over one's head and food on the table shouldn't be something anybody living in this wonderful country should have to go through.

Just down the street in one community there are several houses up for sale. In the opposite direction there is a brand new community of homes being built, houses starting at twice as much as the one with all the houses up for sale. We went to look at one that was very nice - 4,000 sq ft. 4 bdrm, 4 bath, gorgeous kitchen. Amazing! Price - a mere $365,000. My jaw almost hit the floor; I say almost because it was already close to dragging from drooling so it gently slid and touched the floor and it lay there, motionless. This was the magnificent home of my dreams. Even I, the die hard, self-professed Victorian-era connoisseur fell in love with this gorgeous house. I wanted it. I wanted it bad. I needed it. Like the flowers need the rain. For a fraction of an instant I entertained the thought of jumping in with both feet.

Quickly and with the slap of cold reality that is life I realized that I didn't like to clean the house we now live in and it is only half the size of that beauty of a mansion, I knew it was a no go. Yes, I could just picture myself in such a lovely place and even imagine what it would be like to cook in that dream kitchen. Common sense is not a fun thing at times but this time it gently made itself at home in my cerebellum and I realized maybe this wasn't meant to be.

We went home, I went to bed and I cried. I curled up in a fetal position and I cried. I dreamt about the house, that I lived in it, I woke up and I cried. In the middle of watching my soap opera when I entertained for a fleeting moment the thought of owning the house, I cried. I pitied myself, had a piece of cake and I cried. Not really. It sounded good while I wrote the paragraph though. :)

I did, over the next several weeks, think about that beautiful house. I put it out of my mind for a while but always wondered what if...kinda like when you wonder about an old boyfriend, ya know!

Fast forward 6 months and here I am living in my same old house fighting the same old battle with the dust bunnies. My yard's too small for my liking as is our living room. My kitchen doesn't have all the granite countertops nor do the cabinets give the impression of an elegant, House Beautiful magazine page advertisement. Shoot, right now my dishwasher doesn't even work. I just had to replace the burners on my stove. My bathrooms have seen better days. Somehow, I feel incredibly blessed. In my own twisted way of thinking, I'm glad.

I'm glad that I didn't jump in with both feet into a mortgage that would've strained our budget. Sure the mortgage people painted a rose-y picture for us. They always do; that's the reason many people today are in the situation they are in.

Nope, they can keep their big fancy houses along with the mortgage payments to match. I think I will stay in my humble abode. Non-working dishwasher, small yard and all. Thank the good Lord that He has found it in His infinite mercy to bestow on our family the blessings that He so generously and lovingly does. I know of several people that now see our home as the "mansion" they'll never have. All because they were sweet-talked into buying more than they could realistically afford.

I pray for those that are in such a bad situation. God, however, does talk to us. He does tell us what to do. He does show us the way. He wants to do us good and not harm. Whether we choose to listen to His voice and guidance is up to us. Whether we choose to do His will is our choice. However, when we take it upon ourselves to follow our own desires instead of listening for His voice, it is always a disaster.

<sup>Proverbs 3

5</sup> Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

I must admit I was a little ticked that we didn't get the house at first and didn't know why it didn't happen. God works in mysterious ways and six months later, He showed me why He did what He did. So now, I know. Had I not listened to His reasoning when He slapped me upside the head with that nagging little thing we call common sense, I would've been up the proverbial creek without a paddle right about now. Thank you, again, Lord for your saving grace. May you always guide me through your paths and allow me to do Your will not mine.

Homeschool Curriculum Buying Time (Again)!

Just yesterday I got two different catalogs for homeschool curriculum for my kids. One was from the incredibly rude people at Abeka, the other was from Alpha Omega Publications. Each one with their own advertising tactics about how now is the time to purchase because they are being so generous with their percentage off discounts. I'm sticking with Alpha Omega for my Princess and well, the teenager-type doesn't know what he will use next (his senior) year.

I can't believe he will be a senior already. It seems like just a few months ago he was still singing for a dollar whenever his uncle wanted to see him sing and dance. He was 7 at the time. He has grown so fast. This is Giovanni now. That was a quick 10 years that flew by. He'll be 18 in October and he'll be off to Baylor University a year later.

I'm blessed with being able to stay at home and homeschool my kids. I'm blessed that we can afford to purchase the curriculum. I know a lot of parents that cannot. I won't be using SOS curriculum for my daughter, instead I will use the AOP Lifepacs. I like that it comes bundled with a Bible curriculum. One less thing for me to worry about.

I'll have to tell my brother and sister-in-law about the specials as they are also thinking about homeschooling their 9 yr old son. We'll see what happens.