Car Repairs

Being a female I almost refuse to take my car to a mechanic.  But sometimes it can't be helped especially with Scott traveling so much.  I can remember when Scott and I was dating and I took my car to a mechanic.  I took the paper I received from the mechanic showing what work needed to be done on my car and what it would cost.  Then I took the estimate to Scott and he looked it over and pointed out a part that they wanted to replace that wasn't even on my car.
Well I found this website called RepairPal that is approved by the BBB.  You can go it and find mechanics in the area in which you live.   My car is needing it's tires rotated and balanced so I went on RepairPal and not only found a mechanic close by but also an estimate of what it should cost me.
On RepairPal, you can also list the cars that you own and any car repair and maintenance you may have done on your car.  It will keep track of it all for you.  It will also let you know of any recalls there may be.
Last but not least it has a column as referred to as encyclopedia.  There it gives you helpful hints for the maintenance of your car.
The best part of it all it's free.  RepairPal has quick and easy sign-up, just and e-mail address and to know the make and year of your car.  Very simple.

This is a sponsored post but all opinions are my own.

Wednesday Hodge Podge

Welcome to this week's edition of the Wednesday Hodgepodge, the day we link our answers for all the world to see.  So hop over to Joyce's and join in the fun.


1. National Read a Road Map Day falls on April 5th. Would people say you have a good sense of direction? Do you rely on a GPS when you drive somewhere new? When was the last time you used a map?
Sense of direction, Scott would definitely tell you NO.  Especially when Megan and I travel together.  We seemed to always go the most out of way possible.  You can read about our last excursion here .
I honestly can't remember the last time I used a map.  With the age of computer I usually map quest the directions and just take them with me.

2. What's your favorite cookbook?
Well it would be a toss-up between a cookbook from the church I attended most of my life, and a cookbook that came from a Baptist church we attended around the time Michael was born.
To me church cookbooks are awesome especially the older the better is great for southern cooking.

3. What painting would you like to "walk into" and experience? Why?
Well honestly I couldn't think of one, until I read Donna's.  I totally agree with her it would be awesome and in such awe to have been there. 

4. What annoys you more- misspellings or mispronunciations?
misspellings,  I use spell check for everything, and I wish facebook had spell check because there is definitely some people that need to use it.

5. What is something your mother or father considered important?
There's so many things I can think of for this one.  But the most important one would be their salvation.  Their love for Jesus shone through to their love for their family, their church, and their neighbors.
6. Do you like or dislike schedules?
I like schedules.  I like to know what I'm going to be doing when. 

7. Let's have some fun with National Poetry Month (that would be April)...write your own ending to this poem-
"Roses are Red

Violets are blue..."

What would we do without these
interesting questions

To answer each week.

Incidentally if you'd like to read the history behind that little ditty you'll find it here.

8. Insert your own random thought in this space.
Spring Break this week.  Monday I had Emily overnight so she, Makayla, and myself planted some flower seeds.  She loves being outside.  Then Tuesday we all went to Monkey Joe's.
Today Makayla has been practicing learning how to decorate a cake.  Linda use to decorate the cakes for all the kid's birthdays.  She has since given me all her supplies.  So we got her in the kitchen showing us how to use everything.  Her vision did okay for about an hour and now she's tired so it's fading out again.

TSMSS..................Until The Whole World Hears

  For some wonderful music join in with Amy for Then Sings My Soul Saturday.  You won't regret it, it's a great way to get your day going. 

Praying for the salvation of our children

How often do we truly pray for our children?  Everyday, once a week, or only when their sick or in a crisis.
It really bothers me that two of my three children aren't actively involved in church right now.  And all three of my step-children aren't in church.   And it makes me  wonder  how I can pray more effectively for them. 
Then last night in Bible Study our pastor asked "when was the last time we weeped for the lost?" 
An important part of our job is to keep the details of our child's life covered in prayer.  In doing this we learn to identify every concern, fear, and worry. 

"The effective and fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."  James 5:16

The battle of our children's lives is won on our knees.  When we don't pray it's like sitting on the sidelines watching our children in a war zone getting shot at every angle.  When we pray, we're in the battle alongside them.
Satan can do alot of damage if we don't teach them God's way and God's word and help them to respect God's laws.

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he won't depart from it."  Proverbs 22:6

I feel alot of times that I have failed my children in the way I raised them.  I didn't always attend church the way I should when Megan was young, up until Michael was born.  Then after the divorce I got away from the church again for awhile.  And I know I have definitely not prayed for them as much as I could.  We should start praying for them before they are born and continue to pray for them. 
The peer pressures, and temptations that they face today are mind boggling.   And they seem to begin at a younger and younger age.
I can't remember my children ever giving me a hard time about not wanting to attend church.   But Brianna is at the rebellious stage of everything right now.   They're only here every other weekend if that so it's hard to actually force her to go.  They live with their Mom and she doesn't attend church so it makes it harder for us.  But what do you do when they're 13 and refuse to get dressed.  Scott took her cell phone, and we password protected the computer while we were at church.  But her Mom pays the cell phone bill so we can't keep it from her except for when she's here with us.
I got so upset with her the last time she was here, I told her if she dies a sinner she will spend eternity in hell.  And all the times we have begged you to go to church will come back to your memory.  All the times you sat in church and tried to sleep you will be reminded of all the chances you had and didn't take them.
Possible the hardest part of praying for our children is waiting for our prayers to be answerd.  Sometimes the answers come quickly, but many times they do not.  When they don't we can become discouraged, or even angry at God.  Everything seems hopeless, and we want to give up.  Sometimes, in spite of all we've done for them and all our prayers for them, our children make poor choices and then reap the consequesnces.  Those times are hard for a parent to watch, no matter how old the child.  Instead of giving up, we have to be even more committed to prayer. 
We have to remember too, that our fight is not with our child.  It's with the devil.  He is out to steal, kill, and destroy.   He is your enemmy, not your child.

Lord,
I realize that parenting a child in the way you would want me to is beyond my human abilities.  I need you to help me.  I need your strength and patience, along with a generous portion of your love flowing thorugh me.  Teach me how to love the way you love.  Help me to walk in righteousness and integrity before you.  Teach me Your ways, enable me to obey your commandments and do only what is pleasing in Your sight.  May the beauty of Your Spirit be so evident in me that I will be a Godly role model.  Give me the communication, teaching, and nurturing skills that I must have.   Help me to be the parent you want me to be and teach me how to pray and truly intercede for the life of my children.  In Jesus name I ask that you will increase my faith to believe for all the things You've put on my heart to pray for concerning my children.

Excerpts from The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian

Wednesday Hodge Podge

Well it's Wednesday so most of us know it's time for Wednesday Hodge Podge.  So jump over to Joyce's and join in.

1. April rolls in at the end of this week and in celebration of that infamous date (April 1st) answer this
question-What is something foolish you've done?
The only thing I can think of at the moment, is Makayla and I met Megan and Emily at Chick-Fil-A a while back.  When Megan saw me she asked me if I knew that I had my shirt on wrong side out.  I said no and went right then to the bathroom and fixed it.  Not really sure if anyone else noticed, didn't see anybody laughing other than my daughters.

2. With April comes Easter and that classic edible treat known as Peeps...so tell me...what's your favorite way to fix/eat chicken? That wasn't what you were expecting, was it? I 'fooled' you. teehee.
Wow!  I almost answered it that I don't eat Peeps.  But chicken, would have to be chicken and dumplings.  Yum!!!

3. What's the best museum you've ever visited? Or your favorite? Or the one you'd most like to visit?
Not really sure.  Ony one I can think of that I have been to is the Smithsonian Institute and that was in the late 1970's.  Would love to go back to Washington DC and take my kids.
4. You know what they say about April showers...what's your preference-a shower or a bath?
A shower.

5. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder"...fact or fiction? Why?
True, as the weather gets warmer Scott travels more.  That's what happens when your a commercial heating and air technician.  And it gets hard spending only two days a week with him,  so I cherish the time we have together even more.

6. What's your favorite product made/grown in your home state/province?
Peanuts is the first one that comes to mind.  We even have a peanut festival in August.

7. What is going on in the world today that affects you the most?
The economy.  Gas, groceries, utilities, and the dreaded taxes.  I wonder sometimes how much more can of an increase can the average family stand.   Most don't like to admit it but we live paycheck to paycheck and just pray no emergency comes up.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
Reference to #6, must be why I'm having a hard time going to sleep tonight.  lol

Introduction please

I want to introduce ya'll to a new blogger.  She's a great friend of mine, and also my cousin.  But  more than that she has a wonderful annointed voice.  I hope one day she can post a video of her singing at her church.
Her blog is Crea's Corner of the World, and her name is Lucretia, but everyone just calls her Crea .
She's loves God, her family, and her church. 

She's just getting started so hop on over and say hi, and introduce yourself.  I've told her how ya'll are such a great group of christian bloggers.
Visit her often I'm sure you wont' be dissapointed by her uplifting, and sometimes funny posts.

Chris is engaged !!!

We went to see Chris last weekend, I hadn't seen him since he left last October.  He is doing so good.  His voice is back to normal, and he's gone back to work.  He is working for the same company that he was working for before the accident.
But he's also engaged to get married.  He's marrying his high school sweetheart.  They have dated for about four years other than for a few months before the wreck. She had broke up with him because of the lifestyle he was living.  She has a four-year old son (Tyler) that Chris loves as if he was his own.
So we know he is staying off the drugs or she would never have agreed to marry him.  They're hoping to get married this summer at the beach in Savannah.  We've hinted that maybe they could get married at our church since Chris attended while he was here with us.
We're also still praying for his salvation.  He has such a testimony that God could use to turn other teen-agers lives around.
But it will happen one day.  God didn't spare his life for nothing.  But thankfully it has gotten him off the drugs that he was on, and he and his Dad has become really close through it all.