My Television is Possessed

There is no other logical explanation. I don't know how long it's been going on, because we use the T.V. mostly for movies and video games. There are certain channels we don't watch too often. I think it was last weekend that my daughter Rachel and I were watching a movie, and while we had it stopped turned over to PBS for a Masterpiece Theater. Only it was extremely annoying because it was broadcast for the blind! Which meant that they narrated and explained every motion.

Later, my son Chase was watching a cartoon on PBS, and they were doing the same thing. I looked just now, and they aren't doing it.

Then, again flipping through the channels, I noticed that "Dancing with the Stars" was being broadcast in Spanish. Weird, but we weren't watching it, so I ignored it.

Then last night, we turned on "Survivor", and we could here the music, but no dialogue. The T.V. in the kitchen was fine. After the first commercial, the dialogue came back on. But, while I was flipping through the channels trying to figure out what was wrong, "Desperate Housewives" was broadcasting Spanish again. In the kitchen it was purely English. All the other channels were fine.

Oh, and if I received the channel through the VCR, everything was normal.

So it sounds like the TV right? I went through the menu, all the buttons I could find, but to no avail. There seems to be no logical reason.

A couple of weeks ago, one of the channels was mysteriously missing, so I did the automatic reconfigure which stations we receive. So, I thought maybe there are stations broadcasting in these special "features". We looked at the online TV guide, but there were no stations listed like this.

By the way, we don't have cable or satellite. Something's in the air...

God's Big Plans for Me

At Bible study today, we watched a slide show and heard about an orphanage in Mexico that we are helping. This "retired" couple, only in their 40's, bought a home in Mexico and waited upon the Lord. He brought them an orphan on their doorstep. Soon he brought another and another. And now they have something like 24 girls and 14 boys. I actually think it's more than that. Every month they have more bills than money. But they just keep trusting God.

If the following sounds repetitious, it's because it's a reoccurring theme in my life. When will I learn? Anyway, I want to do that!! Not that in particular, but something where I'm using my life in a big, no holds bar kind of way for Christ.

I've always been the Braveheart disembowel me for Christ kind of person. But don't ask me to gather firewood in the rain.

What I mean is, I'm one of the blessed ones that actually recognizes when and what God is telling me, if I listen. Right now, He doesn't tell me to retire and move to Mexico to start an orphanage. He tells me to send an encouraging email, make a meal for a hurting friend, play along with my son when he tries to hire me for pretend money so I can buy his stuff. It doesn't seem sacrificial enough. Big enough.

But apparently it is. Because it's so hard for me to do. My flesh doesn't want to. And it may be bigger than I think, because God knows the big plan. He knows my place in it.

So guess what he's telling me now? Back to that same old thing again...

Unload the dishwasher.

Overlooking the Grammar

It's been a long time since I posted, but this is appropriately the post after my birthday post. My son (9 at the time) wrote me this letter.

Mom. I love you so very much!! Who could ask for a beter mom. Your so awsome!!! here are the ways your awsome.
Good at cooking
teaching
tutoring
and most of all....
.....being a mom.
happy birthday mom.
your ever
loving
son,
Chase