Random Thoughts for The Day

Random Thought #1. How to Spend about $1000 in a matter of SIX hours...

A. 10:00 am: Have your husband go to the dentist to get a cavity filled and to get fitted for a crown. (Total AFTER insurance=approx. $450)
B. 4:00 pm: Have the repairman tell you that your 15 year old Maytag dryer isn't worth saving. (Total approx. $440)
C. 5:00 pm: Buy groceries + a birthday gift + baby shower gift at Wal-mart (Total approx. $150)

Yep...that's actually MORE than $1000...and just when we started reading Dave Ramsey's book, The Total Money Makeover and started on this new envelope system. Isn't that the way it always works? I am very thankful that God has blessed me with just as big a tightwad, I mean frugal, husband as I am and that we have savings for weeks like this.

Random Thought #2. Goodbye, Dear Dryer, You've Been A Good Friend to Us!

So...my dryer has been on the downhill slide for several months now but we've been in major denial. We had a repair man fix a few belts a while back and he said that this model of Maytag was really good and we'd be able to keep getting it fixed...blah, blah, blah. Well, it's been getting progressively worse...I can't even describe the loud obnoxious noises that it's been making for the last several weeks! And that's beside the fact that it's not been drying really well...sometimes I'll put it on the delicate cycle and open the door and it's BURNING hot! Other times, the regular cycle would put out no heat at all. This week the repair man gave us the diagnosis and it was only about $100 more to buy a new one. And so we did. And I'm SOOOOO glad they delivered TODAY! My laundry has been piling up SO high this week waiting for the new dryer. I have been so good to get in the "one load a day keeps the piles away" routine and now I'm all messed up. So far I've done 5 loads since the new installation at 2:30 this afternoon...I think I have about 5 more to get caught up.

So goodbye dear Maytag...our first major purchase right before we got married (just about this time of year 15 years ago)...we had to buy this lovely washer/dryer pair for 12 months/no interest back then. No savings...both new teachers...not much money to our names. Those were the days! :)
But because of you, dear dyer, this is what has become of my laundry sorter...

And this is what has become of the boys' bathroom pantry...

And hello, sweet QUIET Whirlpool. Thanks to you, my piles are dwindling load by load. Please be as faithful as our Maytag and give us a good 15 years, OK?

Random Thought #3. I am SO EXCITED about going to the Beth Moore Scripture Memory Team Celebration in just 12 days! Not only is this a FREE conference (our scripture spirals are the admission ticket) with none other than Travis Cottrell leading in worship, but Shellye & I won a FREE room at the Omni Hotel too! And we got an email the other day that there are only about 450 people attending. That means we may be able to reach out and shake her hand! Wow! I do believe my spiritual tank will be full after this special weekend...but I do need to keep practicing my verses...we have to say them to someone during the conference. I'm good at it when I practice alone, but sometimes I just have to glance at the spiral to get one word here & there. I need to start saying them out loud to Eric, Evan, & Ethan...maybe that will help me.

I must say that checking in on the 1st & 15th of every month for a year has really created a worthwhile habit for me. I have really enjoyed memorizing these verses and it's amazing how God has provided just the right verse for whatever time I need it. I'm so hooked that I'm working on my 2010 spiral for this year! One of my goals for the year is to work with Evan & Ethan to memorize at least 1 verse per month with them. Evan is at the age I was when I competed in Bible Drill, and I still remember those verses and know my books of the Bible. It's so important to "hide His word in my heart so I might not sin again Him." And it's so much easier to memorize with a young brain like theirs instead of an almost 40-year old brain like mine.

OK, those are my 3 Random Thoughts for today...I'll have more tomorrow. We're looking forward to the choir singing Revelation Song at church tomorrow. What an annointed song it is...never gets old!