In light of the new series at Discovery "(6? )things people hate about Christians".
One thing I hate about Christians is that they are so cliche', the same canned answers that they stole from someone else...(I am so guilty of this). Like "if you dont stand for something, you will fall for anything" or "Dear Jesus, thank you for this day...and please be with..." (guilty again daily) or "people don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care". I need some more examples...
I am not opposed to the truth behind these statements but regurgitating old quips and sermon titles to give someone counsel or help someone hurting, just doesn't cut it. Many times it shows a lack of individual thought and caring. People want to see authenticity and they want to know you are listening.
I know that I use cliche's because I feel like I have to give an answer, I mean God has all the answers, I am a child of God, so I must have something to offer. What I end up doing is frustrating people with hollow advice and reinforcing bad stereotypes, like being quick to judge.
However if you must be Cliche then...come up with your own fun ones. My closest friends hear these all the time and can even finish my sentences like...
"Thursday" if you ask me when something is going to happen expect it to happen on a Thursday.
"Change your life" is something I use when trying new foods, if you have yet to taste a grand recipe from the Rice household it will "change your life".
My newest patented phrase is "Pork and Beans" in an effort not to use potty language around my kids (cuz they are catching on) I choose the phrase "pork and beans" when i am frustrated, frazzled, or freaked out...or if I smash my thumb with a hammer.
Alright you gotta share with me your favorite expressions...
Friday, January 23, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Stop the Presses!!! Who ordered Snow??
(thanks for the pic, Jon)Winter Stormwarning
Local Weather > LOCAL WEATHER ALERT for Winterville, NC (28590)
.Issued by The National Weather ServiceNewport, NC 3:40 am EST, Tue., Jan. 20, 2009
... WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EST THIS EVENING...
A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EST THIS EVENING.
LOW PRESSURE DEVELOPING OFF THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST THIS MORNING WILL INTENSIFY AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST OFF THE NORTH CAROLINA COAST THIS AFTERNOON. RAIN... OR A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW WILL DEVELOP EARLY THIS MORNING THEN GRADUALLY CHANGE TO SNOW BY LATE MORNING. THE SNOW WILL END FROM WEST TO EAST DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATION ARE EXPECTED TO RANGE FROM 2 TO 5 INCHES... WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE.
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED... THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS.
I might be rethinking heading north after all...no one said anything about SNOW! I wont know what to do, I have only seen snow fall from the sky once in my life and now I'll be living in 2 to 5 inches! Please tell me it's dehydrated instant potatoe flakes, right?! Snow bunnies set my heart at ease!
Friday, January 9, 2009
House Hunters. Attack!
We searched high and low...from safaris in the wilderness to expeditions across the prairies, we found the lost treasure of Lake Titicaca (I love that lake..it makes me giggle) within the firy depths of the Urban Jungle called Ayden, NC...(dundunduuun).
God once again amazed us by getting us a house in North Carolina. We were blessed beyond our imagination the first Sunday. A newlywed couple had 2 houses, they have been trying to sell one since they got married in the spring. The market has been as bad there as it has been in Tampa and they couldn't sell it. So when we came into town, they were excited to show it to us and we were excited to see it.
It is a 1900 farmhouse in downtown Ayden, it has 22oo+ sqft, with all of the retro carpentry of an old home, but it has been completely updated. They are even leaving us their Foosball Table...and washer and dryer. When we talked about our max rent, which wasn't much, they actually beat it by 50 bucks per month! "
We left there optimistic but we still wanted to look around to see about other opportunities, that turned out to be a waste of time, because they were 200 dollars per month cheaper and 1000 square feet larger than the next best deal. I cant tell you how blessed and releaved we are, this is just more confirmation that we are on the right track. (as if we needed more).
God once again amazed us by getting us a house in North Carolina. We were blessed beyond our imagination the first Sunday. A newlywed couple had 2 houses, they have been trying to sell one since they got married in the spring. The market has been as bad there as it has been in Tampa and they couldn't sell it. So when we came into town, they were excited to show it to us and we were excited to see it.
It is a 1900 farmhouse in downtown Ayden, it has 22oo+ sqft, with all of the retro carpentry of an old home, but it has been completely updated. They are even leaving us their Foosball Table...and washer and dryer. When we talked about our max rent, which wasn't much, they actually beat it by 50 bucks per month! "
We left there optimistic but we still wanted to look around to see about other opportunities, that turned out to be a waste of time, because they were 200 dollars per month cheaper and 1000 square feet larger than the next best deal. I cant tell you how blessed and releaved we are, this is just more confirmation that we are on the right track. (as if we needed more).
Monday, January 5, 2009
The Magic Pliers
We were blessed with an extra large trailer to carry some of our house stuff to Greenville N.C. We are officially moving there to partner with Discovery Church and figured if we were driving all the way up there (12 hr drive) we might as well bring some stuff with us.
So here we are in north Florida driving down I-10, only 3 hrs into our trip when, POP!, Thud, Thud, Thud...we get a flat tire on the trailer. I see rubber pieces flying from the wheel well, so I decide to pull over right away, in the middle of nowhere.
I thought to myself that this is fairly routine, I have fixed a million tires in my day and we should be back on the road in 15 minutes. That was until I discovered the spare tire was secured to the trailer by a homemade bracket with 2 little nuts and washers. At that point I got a little frustrated because I knew that I forgot my tools at home and it would be 2 hours before AAA could help us (thanks grandpa) and at least that much time for Cessie to go to the local parts store to get me a wrench or pliers and to return safely to the middle of nowhere. I didn't want to get a ticket for abandoning the trailer so I decided to unlatch the hitch and send the wifey on a tool-searching adventure while I waited with the trailer.
Just as I had the SUV unhitched, I noticed some men on the other side of the 6 lane interstate trying to cross and coming right towards us. I was a little concerned because they looked homeless and dirty, so I told Cessie to get behind the wheel and take off if they attacked me or tried to get into the car. I was not scared but very leary and guarded.
The first man greeted me with a smile and asked if I needed some help. I told him of my tool-less dilemma and basically tried to send them on their way. Here is where the story gets interesting...After explaining my situation the guy looked puzzled and he kind of smirked. He said "That is a funny coincidence. I was walking along the side of the interstate and stumble upon these PLIERS, they were just on the side of the road. I didn't need them and really didn't want to carry them but something told me they would be useful. So here you go, these must be yours."
WHAT?! God sent a homeless, hitchhiker with black teeth and stinky clothes to give me a pair of pliers to fix my flat tire! Better yet, they helped change the tire and did most of the work to get me back on the road.
I only boast in Christ because God has done this throughout our life. We are so blessed to follow Jesus. He is interested in the seemingly little aspects of our lives. God is big, but He is oh so close.
So here we are in north Florida driving down I-10, only 3 hrs into our trip when, POP!, Thud, Thud, Thud...we get a flat tire on the trailer. I see rubber pieces flying from the wheel well, so I decide to pull over right away, in the middle of nowhere.
I thought to myself that this is fairly routine, I have fixed a million tires in my day and we should be back on the road in 15 minutes. That was until I discovered the spare tire was secured to the trailer by a homemade bracket with 2 little nuts and washers. At that point I got a little frustrated because I knew that I forgot my tools at home and it would be 2 hours before AAA could help us (thanks grandpa) and at least that much time for Cessie to go to the local parts store to get me a wrench or pliers and to return safely to the middle of nowhere. I didn't want to get a ticket for abandoning the trailer so I decided to unlatch the hitch and send the wifey on a tool-searching adventure while I waited with the trailer.
Just as I had the SUV unhitched, I noticed some men on the other side of the 6 lane interstate trying to cross and coming right towards us. I was a little concerned because they looked homeless and dirty, so I told Cessie to get behind the wheel and take off if they attacked me or tried to get into the car. I was not scared but very leary and guarded.
The first man greeted me with a smile and asked if I needed some help. I told him of my tool-less dilemma and basically tried to send them on their way. Here is where the story gets interesting...After explaining my situation the guy looked puzzled and he kind of smirked. He said "That is a funny coincidence. I was walking along the side of the interstate and stumble upon these PLIERS, they were just on the side of the road. I didn't need them and really didn't want to carry them but something told me they would be useful. So here you go, these must be yours."
WHAT?! God sent a homeless, hitchhiker with black teeth and stinky clothes to give me a pair of pliers to fix my flat tire! Better yet, they helped change the tire and did most of the work to get me back on the road.
I only boast in Christ because God has done this throughout our life. We are so blessed to follow Jesus. He is interested in the seemingly little aspects of our lives. God is big, but He is oh so close.
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