Computer Crashes and Preconceived Ideas

I think my neighbors are starting to wonder about me after all the repairman I've had in the house in the past few months.  Honestly. Since fall/winter has begun, I've had the washer repaired twice, the dryer repaired once, the furnace checked and rechecked, new appliances installed, and now a computer IT repairman here twice this week.

My laptop which is one year and twelve days old crashed last week.  At first, it was just the keyboard and the mouse that didn't work, but after 3 1/2 hours on the phone with an HP repairman in India the whole motherboard wasn't working. Nothing. 

Now having had a computer crash a few years back, I had learned my lesson and sent my pictures to Picasa and Picasa Web, I send photos to Walgreens for storage and print out pictures, and I back up my entire computer onto a remote hard drive thus safeguarding me from a total crash and losing everything.

I guess, however, that I wasn't running my anti virus nearly enough ( the IT guy thinks I should run it everyday) and a result I got a virus.  A bad virus.

So, after nearly three hours on the phone, I told the lovely man from India that I did not have the time to spend sitting on the phone by my computer so what would be my next choice.  He'd send someone to my house. For the low price of $139.99, he could send someone to fix my problem and get me back up and running.   Really.  "All the way from India" I asked, only to get a chuckle of this nice gentleman who said they would probably use someone more local.  Thank goodness.

I'll admit I was a little nervous to have a "techy" come to my house so much so that  I called my neighbor just so they would know that I would be having "stranger" repairman at my house.  I might have even said "just in case I get murdered, I want someone to know."

I shouldn't have been so quick to judge.  My repairman was the nicest gentleman ever and not only did he get my computer completely backed up he came back the next day to reset up my printer, Microsoft office, and email.  All together he was here almost 6 hours.

K is a godly young man from Ghana who came to this country three years ago to get his masters degree in computers with the goal of returning to homeland to set up a business to teach his country about technology and educate young people.  During the long " downloading process," we talked about our World Vision child from Ghana, Shakum and the future of his homeland.  We talked about how Americans are so blessed financially, spiritually and with a life with everything at their disposal and yet how easily we complain or compare or give up. 

We talked about how much he loves his Church in America, a church that is filled with men and women from Africa who love Jesus and see themselves as here for a mission.  I was amazed at this young man's courage to come all by himself to a foreign country to learn and grow so he can go back "home" again to share all this knowledge with the country he loves.

Mr K fixed more than computer this week, he restored a part of my optimism for our country and our world.  He gave me much hope for the future.  In him, I saw a hope for Shakum a little boy in Ghana who loves God and Soccer.  It encourages me to write to Shakum and tell him about this amazing young man I meet and that I hope someday he can meet too.

While the process of getting back a perfect laptop was long; the end result is so much more than I could have imagined.

Church Sign Gets Me Thinking...

My husband went to a funeral today for a former co-worker and said that the most amazing thing was that at no time in the funeral were the words God, Heaven, or Christ ever spoken. No mention of God. No mention of the hope of Heaven. The service was conducted by a "chaplain" at a mortuary and the songs were either Country Music or Elvis tunes.

I was so sad thinking about this later in the afternoon that I couldn't shake the thought that there are too many people in my sphere of influence who could easily have/ attend a service just like this. While I spend the majority of my time with other Christians, it's not like everyone I know is going to heaven.

I told my husband that I might have wanted to get up the middle of the service and scream: "What about Jesus, What About Eternal Life" without those things, what's the point of a funeral. There can be no hope.

I know deep down that I would have just sat in my seat, but oh, I would hope that the spirit would move me to act. Guess that's why my husband left me at home.

I told him at my funeral the will be a huge gospel message, a lot of songs about God's Grace and, of course, the song "Blessed Be Thy Name" so we can evoke a few tears when they sing "He gives and takes away." You see I know that I'll be in heaven. I'll be rejoicing and more than anything, I'll want those around me to join me some day. It will be a huge party.

A Church Sign I saw today cheered me on and really got me thinking about being more an evangelist in my "circle:"

God's Word is Not Math.

You Don't Need to Add or Subtract From It!!

His Word is enough. Enough Said.

Heartbreak and Hope

A dear friend of mine had to say goodbye to her baby boy before she even got to say hello.

Harrison went home to Jesus while still in the comfort of his mothers womb, just weeks before he was due to come live here on earth.

There are no answers and the reality just doesn't seem right. God I know you have a plan, but sometimes in the midst of the pain it's hard to see it.

I trust you God that you are walking this path of grief with B & J, but I so much wish you could have taken this cup from them and given them a bouncy baby boy to hug and love. They would have loved him no matter what.

It's seemed like I've been living in two realities this week. On one side, my heart and mind are with my friend and her family while in the other, I am trying to capture the joy of each day with my own family realizing that it is a gift from God.

The hard truth is that, as a Christian, I live in two different realities much of the time.

I know that in this world there will be suffering and hardship, grief and pain, but I know that Jesus has overcome the world. I can live in hope that one day the pain of losing Harrison will be overtaken with the joy of knowing they will see him again in heaven.

A verse that I've been really clinging to this week is from Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your soul.

God I pray that you would give B & J and their two other little children rest, peace, comfort and an easy yoke.


Jesus Loves Me This I Know For the Bible Tells Me So.......