Camera

I was just looking at our last post (from Feb!) and it reminded me that I want a Nikon P80 camera like my brothers. I miss that camera very much.....My little Kodak just doesn't cut the mustard when it comes to taking pictures in our church (or anywhere besides outside). Here's hoping I can find a good deal online...maybe...It's nice to dream!

Sense of Entitlement? I'd say so...

I just came across this email:

Love him or loathe him, he nailed this one right on the head.........

By Rush Limbaugh:

I think the vast differences in compensation between victims of the September 11 casualty and those who die serving our country in Uniform are profound. No one is really talking about it either, because you just don't criticize anything having to do with September 11. Well, I can't let the numbers pass by because it says something really disturbing about the entitlement mentality of this country. If you lost a family member in the September 11 attack, you're going to get an average of $1,185,000. The range is a minimum guarantee of $250,000, all the way up to $4.7 million.

If you are a surviving family member of an American soldier killed in action, the first check you get is a $6,000 direct death benefit, half of which is taxable. Next, you get $1,750 for burial costs. If you are the surviving spouse, you get $833 a month until you remarry. And there's a payment of $211 per month for each child under 18. When the child hits 18, those payments come to a screeching halt.

Keep in mind that some of the people who are getting an average of $1.185 million up to $4.7 million are complaining that it's not enough. Their deaths were tragic, but for most, they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Soldiers put themselves in harms way FOR ALL OF US, and they and their families know the dangers. (Actually, soldiers are put in harms way by politicians and commanding officers.)

We also learned over the weekend that some of the victims from the Oklahoma City bombing have started an organization asking for the same deal that the September 11 families are getting. In addition to that, some of the families of those bombed in the embassies are now asking for compensation as well.

You see where this is going, don't you? Folks, this is part and parcel of over 50 years of entitlement politics in this country. It's just really sad. Every time a pay raise comes up for the military, they usually receive next to nothing of a raise. Now the green machine is in combat in the Middle East while their families have to survive on food stamps and live in low-rent housing. Make sense?

However, our own US Congress voted themselves a raise. Many of you don't know that they only have to be in Congress one time to receive a pension that is more than $15,000 per month. And most are now equal to being millionaires plus. They do not receive Social Security on retirement because they didn't have to pay into the system. If some of the military people stay in for 20 years and get out as an E-7, they may receive a pension of $1,000 per month, and the very people who placed them in harm's way receives a pension of $15,000 per month.

I would like to see our elected officials pick up a weapon and join ranks before they start cutting out benefits and lowering pay for our sons and daughters who are now fighting.

"When do we finally do something about this?" If this doesn't seem fair to you, it is time to forward this to as many people as you can.

February Stuff

We are leaving in 2.5 weeks for for San Antonio. Ryan graduates from Boot Camp on the 6th. I'm so glad that we'll be able to go down to share in this huge accomplishment. I can't believe that he's almost done with Boot Camp. Time sure flies!

February has been pretty busy. On March 7th our pastor celebrated his 30 year anniversary leading our church. So in celebration of that accomplishment we had a big surprise party for him. And surprised he was! It was a good time of sharing and fellowship.

The next day we celebrated paying off the church mortgage by burning it during the morning service.





It was a very good weekend!

We had a pretty good Valentine's Day. Marshall sent me 2 dozen BEAUTIFUL roses on Friday. Saturday morning I had to take Angel Food orders, but other then that we just stayed at home and relaxed. I went to Walmart and got lasagna and stuff for dinner. Even though we watched basketball ALL night long, it was a nice evening.




Aren't those roses gorgeous? Thank you, Marshall! I love you very much!!

Dirt Roads

What's mainly wrong with society today is that too many Dirt Roads have been paved.

There's not a problem in America today, crime, drugs, education, divorce, delinquency that wouldn't be remedied if we just had more Dirt Roads, because Dirt Roads give character.

People that live at the end of Dirt Roads learn early on that life is a bumpy ride. That it can jar you right down to your teeth sometimes, but it's worth it if at the end is home...a loving spouse, happy kids and a dog.

We wouldn't have near the trouble with our educational system if our kids got their exercise walking a Dirt Road with other kids, from whom they learn how to get along.

There was less crime in our streets before they were paved. Criminals didn't walk two dusty miles to rob or rape, if they knew they'd be welcomed by 5 barking dogs and a double barrel shotgun. And there were no drive by shootings. Our values were better when our roads were worse!

People did not worship their cars more then their kids, and motorists were more courteous, they didn't tailgate by riding the bumper or the guy in front would choke you with dust and bust your windshield with rocks.

Dirt Roads taught patience. Dirt Roads were environmentally friendly, you didn't hop in your car for a quart of milk you walk to the barn for your milk.

For your mail, you walked to the mail box.

What if it rained and the Dirt Road got washed out? That was the best part, then you stayed home and had some family time, roasted marshmallows and popped popcorn and pony rode on Daddy's shoulders and learned how to make prettier quilts than anybody.

At the end of Dirt Roads, you soon learned that bad words tasted like soap.

Most paved roads lead to trouble, Dirt Roads more likely lead to a fishing creek or a swimming hole.

At the end of a Dirt Road, the only time we even locked our car was in August, because if we didn't some neighbor would fill it with too much zucchini.

At the end of a Dirt Road, there was always extra springtime income, from when city dudes would get stuck, you'd have to hitch up a team and pull them out. Usually you got a dollar...always you got a new friend...at the end of a Dirt Road! ~by Paul Harvey~

How can we thank Him?

This will be another short one as I'm tired and want to go to bed, but just wanted to type about a couple of things that have happened already this year.

Can you believe it's 2009 already? Holy cow! It's been a whirlwind already. My brother, Ryan, leaves for Air Force boot camp TOMORROW (Jan. 6th)! We had a going away open house for him on Saturday which included making lunch for nearly 30 of our family members. I spent the day before at my parents helping with whatever (mainly cutting vegetables) needed to be done. I was there all day Saturday, then back to church on Sunday! We really should live in Norwalk.

Anyway, the most exciting thing that happened to me on Saturday was when my dad opened their mail. There was a refund check for the loan on our car (my dad co-signed the loan over 5 1/2 years ago so the letters and stuff go to his address). The note said that came with the check said that the car loan had been overpaid and they were returning the money. The first thing that came to my mind was that there was a pre-pay penalty on that loan. So my dad called right away, then came out of the office with his big grin on his face. He said that the loan was closed and that the money was ours. Hallelujah! I said to my dad, "Happy New Year to me!" We were originally suppose to pay off this loan Dec 2008, but we received a letter this summer saying that the payment book was printed wrong and that our actual last payment would be due in January 2009. We've been overpaying the loan just a few dollars each month. By doing that we removed 1 1/2 payments from the loan (and didn't even know it!).

THANK YOU, GOD, for a good start to the New Year!

Another application

I put in my application at the Milan and Berlin Heights libraries. Both of them are hiring (one part-time, one full time). We'll see how it turns out.

Our Christmas Letter

Click on our newsletter to view.

Chirstmas rrr Nothing....

As many of you no doubt know I(Marshall) work at Macy's a Department store celebrating it's 150 birthday. But one thing struck me as a bit odd. If Macy's has been around for 150 years, a clear sign of having had some measurable amount of success. Why are they playing Politically Correct Christmas songs, did I miss something is or is not Christmas about the birth of Jesus Christ. It seems logical to me that is you acknowledge the existence of Christmas, shouldn't you also acknowledge the existence of Christ; or is that asking to much. Why is it so hard for people to acknowledge the existence of Jesus Christ. Seriously, why are you celebrating Christmas, if you don't celebrate Christ? Is there some magic "winter holiday" where we all exchange gifts? Why is there not a summer holiday where we can exchange gift, what about fall or spring? What makes winter different if there is no Christmas?

I just don't get it? Play a Christmas carol, instead of "I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus" . Either Christ existed and that should be celebrated or we celebrate nothing....

The Job

So, I didn't get the job at Firelands College. After waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting I finally got a letter in the mail today saying that they had hired someone and it wasn't me. I kind of had a feeling that was going to happen since it has taken so long for them to get back to me. I guess God has something else in mind for me. Thank you for those of you who have prayed for me, I appreciate it.

Snow

What we woke up to this morning:
Can't believe we had this much snow this early in the snow season! It made for a slow drive to work/school today. About 98% of the roads were covered with ice. Not fun!

Florida is looking better and better all the time.

Not much of a day off

Why is it that on my "days off" I end up working harder then I do at work?

Take today for example, Marshall's grandfather is making his way to Florida and wants to stay with us for a couple of days. I love having people here, so that's not the issue. The issue is that I feel the need to make sure that my house is clean when we have company here (especially those spending the night). So I'll spend all day cleaning my house and cooking for the weekend, which is more physical work then I do in a week between my two jobs.

I guess in the end it's not a big deal because I'm at home (which I LOVE) and my house ends up cleaner then it was (wish it could stay that way!).

How is God working in you?

For those of you who are interested, I haven't heard anything about the job at BGSU that I interviewed for last month. Don't know if that's a good or bad thing. Just trying to wait patiently until I hear.

On a different note, a couple/few weeks ago my supervisor came in my office and said that she had bad news. I thought, "I really hope I'm not losing my job." Thankfully, she didn't say that. She did, however, say that HR has cut off paying intermittent employees holiday pay. It was kind of a fluke that I was getting it anyway. In general intermittent's don't get this benefit, but ODNR is one of the only Department's that were authorized to pay it. Well, not anymore. The State is cutting the budget in just about every area as well as laying people off, so this did not come as a suprise to me. When I didn't get mad or upset about this news, she was very suprised and said, "Wow! You took that really well. If it were me I'd be really mad." Now, I'm not writing this to elevate myself in any way. I'm saying it because it shows how the power of God works in your life. I knew that whatever news came out of her mouth couldn't be that bad. Yeah, I'm a little disappointed and it inconveniences me because I have to come in on a different day to make up those hours, but overall it's not that big of a deal. In response to her shock I simply said "Well, I can't do anything about it so why get upset about it?" If God was not a part of my life I'm sure my response would have been the same as her's, but because of Him I can honestly say that I'm fine with it and He can have the glory because of it.

Job Interview

So I had my job interview at BGSU Firelands today. I think it went pretty well. I was pretty nervous this morning. As the time grew closer I got more and more nervous. On my way there I popped a CD in the player and started singing just to get my mind off of my nervousness.

I got there a little early, but Deb came out right away to meet me in the lobby. There were some papers to fill out, so I did that and wasn't nervous that point. However, when I was done with the paperwork and walked in the interview room I became a little more nervous. There were 4 people interviewing me (which I had prepared myself in advance for). Please don't ask me the names of the other 3 interviewers because I don't remember. Anyway, they had a whole list of questions for me to answer and took turns asking them. I'm so thankful that my dad called me earlier in the morning to ask if I had prepared for the interview because if I hadn't prepared myself I would have totally bombed~I just know it! THANK YOU, DAD! I spent a good 1.5 to 2 hours going over the job description and comparing my experience to what they were looking for. It was amazing how easy it was to answer the experience/situation questions when you have the answer fresh in your mind. Can you tell how long I've been out of school??? Once I got in there and was answering questions I wasn't so nervous (it always happens that way), and I think I did pretty well. The thing that concerns me is that I don't have enough PeopleSoft database education/experience. That could really hurt me at this point depending on the experience of the other candidates. But I can't worry about that right now. I've done what I needed to do, I've put myself out there, and took a chance. I'm so thankful that it's always been God's hands!

They told me that they should have a decision by Wednesday afternoon, but because of the paperwork they have to send to Main Campus they may not be able to tell me for a couple of weeks. I'll keep you updated~keep praying I guess!

Anyway, I just want to say "THANK YOU" for praying for me today. I could feel it!

My Flickr

just wanted to let everyone know about my Flickr, I'll try to update it regularly. I'm still in the process of getting my sets set up and uploading pics in general.

So bear with me.

Marshall's Flickr

So Long

I can't believe it's been a month since either of us have posted on here. I guess we've been busy or something.

I don't have to work at the Rec until 4 today, but I'm going to leave early so that I can walk the track. I'm hoping to walk for an hour, but we'll see. It's been a long time since I've done anything physical so I'm sure I'm going to be hurting, but I really need to get out there again.

I've not been feeling like myself lately which is probably why I haven't been on here in so long. I've felt better the last couple of days, and am praying that God will continue to change my heart and attitude so that I don't feel so bad anymore.

Just curious

To the person who voted in our poll~ We'd like to know why you don't think it's wise for us to move to Gainesville. Comment us on this blog~you don't have to leave your name if you don't want. If anyone else has a reason why we should or shouldn't move we like to hear them as well. Like I've said before~this is a huge move for us/me (Katie), and need all the wisdom/advice we can get. Can't wait to hear from you!

Bills. Money. Sad.

Just wanted to ask you to pray for us. We received a letter regarding the claim we filed with the Sandusky Mall. Their insurance company didn't find them liable for Marshall falling in their parking lot earlier this year (even though he slipped on ice). So that means that we have to pay for all the medical bills that have been stacking up. We don't have the money for this. Please pray that we'll know what to do (if anything), and that God will provide. A couple of our other monthly bills will be going up next month and we're not making any more money to pay for the additional expenses. I'm getting frustrated, and as I write am beginning to cry because I don't want to struggle like this anymore. Why do things have to be so hard?

Ah Ha Moment

I had an "ah ha" moment this evening. Anyone who knows us very well knows that we've had a lot of ups and downs with our finances. Seems like there have been more downs then ups, but that's not the point of this blog.

I was talking to God this evening about why I worry so much about our bank account balance. God spoke to my heart that my fear isn't that God won't provide (I know He will provide because He has before) my fear is in myself. My fear is that I will make a mistake with what we have been given. A couple of years ago I made a STUPID purchase. I mean the largest (not including our vehicle), dumbest purchase I've ever made. I felt instantly guilty for making that purchase, and I don't know if I've really forgiven myself. I've just tried to forget about it and move on.

Lately I've been feeling panicky about buying groceries and things we actually need. I'm driving myself crazy every time I go to pay our bills. Trying to figure out what we can cut out or cut back on. We have two ministry oriented things that we support every month (not including tithe). Just yesterday the thought ran through my mind that I need to stop feeling guilty and just drop those things and free up about $50 a month to put toward paying down our debt. But God very obviously and very physically told me that that's not what we need to cut out. When I got home from work there were letters in the mail from both of the people we support. That can't be ironic that has to be God!

Please pray for me that I can get over this fear and that we will make better decisions with what God gives us. We have some big decisions coming up, and I think that we need to start making better decisions with what we have now so that we can make better decisions later.

Haircut. Finally!

For those of you who haven't seen Marshall in awhile, his hair has gotten a little out of control. Well, he finally let me cut it (he helped a little). I had to cut the majority of it off with scissors, then he looked like a cancer patient.

Progression of haircut (June 28, 2008)...

BEFORE

DURING

& AFTER:

Anyone need a wig?

Check out our Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/people/mkcade/

It's just got some test photos I uploaded by we will add more.

And if you're on twitter just search for Marshall Cade on twitter.com