I really hate Oliver!

Oliver is the nickname that I have given my OCD, or recently I have expanded it to be the name I have given my personal demon. Just like the ravens who devoured the seeds planted by the sower in Jesus' parable, Oliver is trying to steal away the good words of comfort that God gave me yesterday.

I rebuke you Oliver, Satan and any other demons that try to steal God's word from me! God has a plan for me and this transitional time in my life and you will not distract me from His words of truth!

In the meantime, I am substituting for the last time this school year. I am watching a teacher's Biology class while kids take their final exams. YAWN! I am having a hard time staying awake. At least I'm earning $70 for my efforts.

HE Already Has in Mind What HE is Going to Do!

For the first time in a long while, I sat down and read the Bible. I am trying to practice Lectio Devina. (click here for more info) I started reading, out loud from the Book of John Chapter 6. The chapter starts with Jesus about to feed the 5000. As directed by Lectio Devina I read the first few verses out loud several times trying to let God give me a word or phrase to meditate and pray over. Here is what stood out to me;

Chapter 6, verse 5 -- "When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, 'Where shall we buy bread for those people to eat?' He asked this only to test him, for HE ALREADY HAD IN MIND WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO."

Wow!

With Jamie, my bride, accepting a new job in Waxahachie and all the effects of this (moving, selling the house, me finding a job (still) and the kids starting a new school), I have a lot of questions. I am sure Philip (and the other disciples) had lots of questions for Jesus as well, when 5000 people needed to be fed. Despite the questions I have, I do not need to worry; MY JESUS ALREADY HAS IN MIND WHAT HE IS GOING TO DO!

If Jesus were right here next to me at this moment, I could see/hear him asking me, "Mark, how do plan on finding a job and a place to live in Waxahachie, when you still have a house to sell in Longview?" All the while he is smiling on the inside, knowing that already knows what he plans to do with me and my family.

Sadly, like Philip, I sometimes forget who my Jesus really is and I respond in a similar way; "Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite." -- Philip or "Eight months wages would not even come close to getting what we need to fix up our house to get it ready to sell." -- Mark English.

My Jesus has a plan. He knows what he is going to do. I need to pray to him that I have faith and despite my negative attitude, he will do what is good for me and my family.

Changes are a Comin'

Yesterday (Tuesday), my wife, Jamie, accepted an offer to work for a Children's Advocacy Center in Waxahachie, Texas. It is the perfect job for her qualifications and it has benefits. Now, I need a job in the Dallas area. I have applied for several school districts in that area and I am hoping that one of them calls for an interview soon and that a new teaching job will soon follow.

Our most immediate concern in the meantime is the selling of our house. We will have to contact a good Realtor in the area and put our house up for sell. I hope it sells fairly quickly. Having a full-time job offer for me will give us a great starting spot to look for a new apartment or duplex to rent.

If God chooses not to have me work full-time before the end of the summer, we will just have to find an apartment close to Jamie's new job and I will sign up to substitute teach at the local school districts and see if I can transfer my Starbucks job to a Starbucks location in the Waxahachie area.

Pray that this new transition in our life goes smoothly, that our home sells quickly, and a school offers me a full-time teaching post soon!

Hobo Dinners

One of the favorite meals of our family is what we call a "Hobo Dinner". Preheat oven to 400 degrees. You will need about 1/2 pound of hamburger meat (for each dinner), some sliced potatoes, onions and baby carrots. Add the meat and veggies together, along with any spices you may wish to add, and wrap it together in aluminum foil. Place the dinners in a cake pan or cookie sheet with an edge (to avoid spilling juices) and cook for about an hour.

It is a healthy treat your whole family will enjoy.

Squirrels

I love watching the squirrels play in our yard. Something about them makes me feel peaceful. I like watching them chase each other up and down the trees. I like the sound they make when the run across our roof. I even break for the squirrels as they make their suicide runs across the streets.

Not, sure why I am blogging about squirrels. Maybe I just love the way God designed them.

This morning I watched some squirrels as they jumped from one tree to another. The "leap of faith" they take as they leap from one small swaying branch to another, takes "total faith" on their part, that the branches will hold their weight and keep them from falling. Maybe God reminds us all that sometimes we need to take a "leap of faith" and trust that He will provide a steady branch for us to land upon.

(Also check out my new gadget, added to the left. It is called Interesting Quote of the Week.)

Prayers for Tornado Victims

I woke up this morning to see that another city has been devastated by a tornado. This time it was Joplin, Missouri. Early reports say that over 35% of the town was destroyed with a death toll around 89.

Earlier this year towns in Mississippi and Alabama were devastated by tornadoes.

It's hard to understand why things like this happen and my prayers go out to those who are affected.

My hopes is that through the efforts of professional meteorologist and groups like Twistex, Vortex2, and the Storm Chasers can help local meteorologist and the National Weather Service to increase the warning times for towns in the paths of tornadoes.

On a side note: recently an outbreak of severe weather in my part of East Texas brought part of the Storm Chasers cast, in the TIV2, through the Tyler/Longview area.