Home for a few.

Well I am in between things right now so I thought would sit down a post a blog. I left work early so I can go to Mid-Continent to take a CLEP test. It is amazing how I can CLEP a 6hour analyzing and Interpreting literature class with flying colors and have trouble with a normal English CLEP. I hope I pass it this time so fingers crossed.

Last night I was sitting in the living room thinking about things (as I often do when alone). I remembered when Buffy's grandmother passed away. She had Bibles everywhere that she had took notes in. I thought to myself during the funeral service that I want to leave my children something like that too. Not that I am dying or anything just that I want to start now filling pages since I have 4 KIDS!!!

So last night I pulled out a journal that I had started writing in in Lynchburg, VA. I began to pour out some things I wanted my children to know. Of course the journal is full of things God has shown me in His word. Only I am now personalizing it to my children. They may never completely know everything about my life. But I will never stop trying to show them Christ. So this is my way of getting the last word in when I am old and too crazy to tell them.

Got to go take the test.......

It has been a wild day!

I get to church today and I immediately work out a BIG issue. It took me calling about 20 times and 10 different people to get something arranged that I had not dealings with. Finally it all was dealt with and seems to be back on track.

I had to visit a lady in the hospital today. She didn't really remember me so I had to refer to Bro. Dennis a lot. That wasn't really that wild but just part of the day in general.

I also had to go to town and take a check to pay an electric bill for someone in need. Then we received another call for the same issue.

Doing the regular Friday routines is busy enough without things getting me behind. That is ok because ministry is full of surprises. I rushed around to get things done so that I could go home at 4:00PM.

Coming home I realized that it is suppose to rain tomorrow and the year was so tall that I lost Hannah in is yesterday. So I hop on the mower and begin bush hogging our yard. Then afterward I would have to pick up grass clippings that were knee high.

Now I am sitting here typing on this crazy thing. I just made a promise to myself to begin posting more again. I hope you all have a great evening. Cya next time!

Say goodbye to Sozo's Devo Page.

In the last few months I have little time to post on my blog much less 2. So from now on I will just have this blog site. I am sure few of you actually looked at the site anyway. Well anyway...

Today I am in the office alone. The phone has been ringing off the hook and I am trying to update 2 websites. So I am make well of the time I have here. Tonight we have some Back to School night things to go to. I am going to chat with another bank today about housing loans. I hope we get a definite answer either way. I went by and "picked my Dad's brain" (phrase my mother used with her father) about the whole loan thing. So maybe now I will know what to ask for.

I will try to post something humorous in the next few days.

A house

I have yet to post about this topic. The last few weeks we have really been searching for a house. After finding a few that we could afford and fit in everything seemed to be where we needed it to be. Then I went to the Bank to see about loans. It appears that it is going to be a venture to get a loan. The odd thing is our budget shows us that we can swing the payment yet the bank didn't want to give us this amount on our own.

My question is what do poor people do when they want to purchase a house? I mean are we suppose to live in a one room shack while we can afford a 4 bedroom house.

I know God will work it all out if it is meant for us to move. I trust him in that. I know that I need to use a little patience and faith. I also know that he takes care of his people. I am not hurting and I live better than a lot of people.

Maybe it will all work out.

I am still kickin'

I haven't been blogging much lately. There has been a lot of things that have been taking my time away. This week our Pastor is gone and I am filling in for him. I preached Sunday and tonight I lead the Wed night worship.

Sunday night I witnessed the widow's mite in person. A missionary came to our church that we have been funding. He has been through so many trials in the last half year that it is a miracle he and his family is alive. Coming back to the US of a rest he came back with nothing. He had been robbed of all of his money in Uganda.

After his presentation we were singing the last worship song of the night. Immediately a lady in our church comes foreword. This lady is so meek and quiet that I was surprised to hear that she wanted to say something. After the last song had been said she began to speak. With a quiet shaky voice she explained that she was touched so much that she just had to do something. Then she reaches for her pocket purse. Opening it she said "I wish I had more ...But this is all I have". She pours out all the money in the purse. Coins and dollars hit the plate as I watch it in what seemed like slow motion. In that exact time I heard God say "she gave her all". I know you all may not know her but she really did give all she had.

I was speechless ...Composing myself I simple explained that I didn't want nobody giving any money unless they were giving out of the heart not because the felt like they had to. We began a prayer service then and there was people pleading for God's protection for that missionary and his family. I felt the presence of God that night. Then after the service the money began to fill the plate. In the spirit of giving $945.00 was taken up for that family. God is GREAT!

Sybil you taught me more Sunday night than I could ever teach others in a year! God Bless your sacrificial gift!

Micah's first day of first grade.

I dropped our son off today at school. It is that time again and he was excited to go back. The parking lot was full of caring parents taking their children to school for the first day back. Going into the class I helped Micah get folders, note pads and other items put away. After lunch count a little girl raised her hand and had realized she was in the wrong class. She began to cry. My heart sank to the ground. Then I saw a little boy covering his face and weeping quietly. Again I felt horrible for him. My son on the other hand was ready for Dad to leave...Hehehe!

Man he is growing up and Dad is not handling it well.

*Note*
I wrote a separate article today that is below this post. I didn't think it fit this post.*

Two worlds in front of each other and neither one knows it.

Saturday I took the youth to Nashville to go to Lazer Quest (laser tag). Before hand we decided to eat at Joe's Crab Shack. After getting our fill of seafood we had about an hour to kill before the game. So we first went back to the van and drove around a bit. That got boring quick so we launched the van back in the parking area and waited in A/C. While waiting we noticed that the van was parked on the riverfront close to where the General Jackson docks. Park benches and trees lined the sidewalks facing the river. Then glancing further I saw homeless people all over laying on the ground and benches. Most of them were sleeping in the shade trying to stay away from the heat. Finally one of the homeless people started across the road. He slowly made his way to the trash can close to our parking lot. He began digging and found an old fast food meal that had not been totally consumed. After beginning to eat he ventured to each of the trash cans and pick out any other morsel that was left. This stuck the youth silence hit the van and humbleness kicked in. This man's world was not even close to ours. He was homeless, hungry and hot. We were sheltered, stuffed and snug in our A/C'd van. While this man picked through the filth for food a limo drove by. If I had a camera I would have took the picture to show the differences of two worlds. Often we are so comfortable with our lives that we forget those who are not so fortunate.

!Warning!
If you have adopted the "some choose that life" stance while reading you need to look hard into your cold soul. Christ came to help those who needed it. We made a "choice" to sin and yet he gave everything for us. Numerous times the Bible speaks of serving so we need to get out of our comfort zones and work.

Kids gearing up for school.

Buffy took Micah to town today to shop for school items. Micah will be in 1st grade this year. He is getting bigger and bigger everyday. I know he will be in middle school before I know it. Abbi on the other hand is beginning Pre-school this year. So there goes another child from the Hughes house on the week days. That leaves Hannah (will be in pre-k next year) and Chloe.

You know I have heard people say that they grow up before you know it. I now see what they are talking about. Buffy came home the other day and was sad. You know why? Because she is starting to shop for Abbi's clothes in the little girl department. It seems like yesterday I was holding that little baby in my arms.

I just say this....Cherish the moments you have. For tomorrow they will be gone.

A simple man with a simple plan.

I was teaching the youth last night and we came to a passage that spoke to me. We were looking at some teachings that Jesus was doing. It was stuff such as parables of the mustard seeds, wheat, pearl merchants and others. Then I noticed right after his teaching the leaders rejected him. One of the phrases they used was "we know him...He is just a carpenter". Of course that is my paraphrased version but the saying is close.

Then I thought Jesus used simple applicable teachings to that we could relate. He didn't come to confuse us. It wasn't as if he spoke like Descartes, Kant, Hegel or any other philosophers. He very well could have but he wanted to communicate the truths so that ALL could understand. In fact salvation is so simple. The thief on the cross is proof of that. Yet in our human minds the simple is complex. We have made reading the word, prayer and salvation hard for the average everyday Joe or Sue to understand. We talk in riddles and phrases that is Christian lingo. Jesus didn't use those he used the simple.

Jesus was a simple man with a simple plan...Showing us to the father and making the way.