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I seem to have a lot of weird experiences in the grocery store.
One of Cheryl's favorite stories that makes her laugh and laugh has to do with one of my misadventures in a local Meijer back in Michigan.
A new Meijer store had been built near us and I decided to go grocery shopping. I walked in and was amazed that the store was so empty. I really lucked out and missed the rush or so I thought. With my cart full of all sorts of Meijer bargains a employee of the store comes up to me with a very weird look on her face and says, "Excuse me sir. What are you doing?"
What a strange question I thought and answered back, "Shopping (duh)."
Then the horridly embarrassing part... she responeded by saying, "We're not open yet." Cheryl loves that one...
Well, this one may not be as good as that, but this morning I added to my odd experiences in the grocery store. I headed off to Kroger for our first big grocery purchase for the new house. Time to stock the fridge and freezer. Loading up on cleaning supplies and all the things we'll end up needing as time moves along.
By the way, I hate grocery shopping, it ranks a close second behind cutting the grass. Too many choices and screaming kids. My brain becomes overloaded with the decisions I have to make. Trying to figure out what brand gives us the most savings, how much we really need, will we ever eat the salad before it goes bad?
So when I headed out this morning I had prepared myself for a larger than usual shopping experience. I went up and down the aisles picking up everything we needed and planning out our menu for the next week or so. As I headed down the last row of food and got ready to checkout a horrible feeling came over me. I had no way to pay. No cash, no cards, no checks... nothing. Over an hour and a half shopping and no way to purchase a giant cart full of merchandise.
I think Forrest Gump said it best... for me grocery shopping is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna' get.
If you are an avid listener to any type of talk radio, you will here many callers utter the phrase, "...the last caller kind of stole my thunder." Well, today that is me.
The reason being, Cheryl emailed me yesterday and asked for me to look for a song by Casting Crowns called "Voice of Truth." So I set out to find it (not hard at all, iTunes $0.99).
I think that I have mentioned before that songs appeal to me at first based on whether or not they sound good, not usually based on lyrical content. Cheryl is really drawn to the lyrics. I could have listened to a song a hundred times and then all of a sudden (sometimes to my horror) I figure out what they are talking about.
So Cheryl purchsed "Voice of Truth" last night off iTunes and Googled the lyrics for me and asked me to listen to the song (and read the lyrics) when I was in the right frame of mind (long story, but I have been going a little crazy lately and last night I was certifiably mental). This morning in the quiet as the sun tried to burst through the clouds I listened... and cried like a baby. After all that we have experienced over the last few months, this song hit the deepest parts of me. God is so amazing.
Here is where I steal Cheryl's thunder... posting the lyrics of this song (before she does) for you to enjoy.
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
on to the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand
But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"
Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes
to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out my name
And he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again. "Boy you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"
Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth
But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
On top of them lookin' down
I soar with the wings of EAGLES
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me
Chorus:
But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth
I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
Cause Jesus you are the voice of truth
For those of you who had no idea why today is so special let me tell you...
Today, Cheryl and I celebrate 13 years of wedded bliss!
Cheryl, I love you more today than I ever thought I could love you in my wildest dreams. You are my loving companion and fellow sojourner headed out on a brand new adventure. We are truly blessed by our Heavenly Father to share an amazing love like no other I've ever known.
Thank you for being the Sunshine in my life.
Throughout this roller coaster of emotions that has been our life the past few months, God has been so amazingly faithful to us. No matter how worried or how much I have doubted Him, He has never stopped blessing us.
There have been a lot of last ditch efforts by the enemy to throw a wrench into this move, but God just keeps doing what He does best. We've cast our cares on Him and He has taken care of us... no matter how big or how small, God has been amazing.
Today Cheryl called me to tell me about our ever changing closing costs... this has been one of our biggest nightmares. One day it's a couple hundred dollars the next a couple thousand, a roller coaster ride to say the least. So when Cheryl called to tell me our closing costs would be zero dollars and zero cents with a tax credit to boot I was jumping for joy, but not suprised because God is good and His mercies endure forever.
Thank you all for the prayers and words of encouragement. Just remember that God has your best interests at heart and will bless you until you feel like you cannot be blessed anymore. Your cup will overflow even when you don't have what the world sees as blessings, we know that God's blessings are much more than material things.
I am not gonna' lie. This is tough.
The finish line is in the distance, but I am running on fumes here.
Honestly, I can feel satan making one last attempt to derail everything. He has both guns blazing and he is gathering the troops for one last movement against us... for now. I know that there will be more attacks in the future, but the enemy really wants to stop what God has started. Too bad for him that he can't.
God is faithful. This thing is going to happen and nothing that he does is going to stop the plan that He has laid out for Cheryl and I.
Speaking of... I miss that woman. She is definitely the better half of who I am. Not being sappy here, but she completes me.
If you are a regular reader of this Blog or just like to pray for random Bloggers that you find on the internet (we'll take all we can get), please pray for Cheryl and I in this journey. The adventure we are about to take is exciting and scarey all at the same time, but we know God is in this and has plans to bless us not hurt us.
No matter how tough things get, He is protecting us.
God Bless.
Bailey and I are loving the Central Air in my old stomping grounds (Mom & Dad's house)! The temps have been close to 100 or more over the past few days in Motown... and yes, it's HUMID! Definitely not a dry heat (hello to all my Vegas friends).
Mom and Dad have been taking care of B-Boy while Cheryl and I are finishing up all the details of our big adventure in Ohio!
Keep us in your prayers, we have had a lot of interest in the house here in the Detroit area and we may have something big happening in the next day or so. God has a plan and I am trying with everything inside of me to be patient and wait on His timing... it is perfect after all.
Looks like we are closing on the new place on the 15th... The sellers were not going to let us have the place until closer to the end of the month (they are not living there), but our realtor, Virginia, and I thought it would pull on their heart strings if I sent a picture of Bailey looking sad in our old house saying, "Please let me have our new home on the 15th, I miss my family." Must have worked, because they agreed!
Cheryl and I are so thankful for all the prayers and support we have received, just know that you are always welcome and encouraged to visit us in Ohio.
God bless.
I seem to have a lot of weird experiences in the grocery store.
