The other Jude funny

I remembered it!

We drove past a train that was just sitting on a train track.

Jude says, "I've never seen a train run out of gas before..."

Maybe I'm not getting old and senile after all... Just yet.

Jude

is cracking me up here lately. I need to get these down, since, um, the kid doesn't have a baby book yet. I know. I know. I've been a little busy the last 2 years. And the 2 years before that.

We were going home late last night, and I mean, we NEVER go anywhere at night. Well, everybody already knows that. Anyway, Jude said, "Man, it's dark just like it was at Halloween."

(Yes, it's been since last October at the Fall Ball since my kids have gone anywhere at night.)

So anyway, he says, "Mama, I can't see you! Zane, I can't see you. Man, I can't even see MYSELF!"

Whew.

Then, this morning, he was sitting on the floor, in his Clifford house shoes, the kinds with the Clifford stuffed animal head on them, playing with googly eyes. You know, the kind you make crafts out of. So he asks me for some glue, and I, trying to cut him off at the pass, said, "Um buddy, you are NOT going to glue those eyes on your Clifford house shoes."

He replied, "Mom, my house shoes already have eyes. I'm gluing my eyes on my paper."

I think he may have even rolled his eyes, but I can't be sure.

He said something else funny to, later in the day, but now I can't remember it. That's what happens when you get old. And crazy. And you don't blog fast enough.

The Devil

I keep thinking about him. Not in an obsessive way, but just pondering. It started with the study on Job that Pastor David is doing.

I know that God created the Devil, and Satan made the choice to disobey God. I just don't get why God created him.

God KNEW what choice the devil would make. He KNEW what evil and horror the devil would be the father of. So why create him? Did God need evil in the world? Was evil necessary to send Jesus? I mean, did God plan evil to come into the world so that He could send Jesus?

Basically, had God not created Lucifer, then the whole Garden of Eve fiasco wouldn't have happened. Because Lucifer wouldn't have been hanging around the Garden.

I don't want to go so far as to say that God created evil, because God is pure and no evil is in him. But He willingly created the thing that would become the basis of evil.

Why?

I think of Job, hanging out, having no idea that God offered him up to Satan, not once, but twice. I KNOW the good that came from all that, and I know that Job got "reimbursed" but I always think of what a dear friend of mine says. Job didn't get the 10 original kids back. What he went through cost him greatly. Dearly. I know what it did for Job, and I know that I've walked some harrowing paths with God that I wouldn't trade for anything. Not even what it cost me. But the point is, Satan cost Job a lot. Or was it God? God allowed it. Recommended it. Whew.

So I just can't figure out why God created Satan. I even wondered if God was... bored? Is that blasphemy? I mean, not bored, like we get bored. But if there were no evil, this would be heaven on Earth, and we wouldn't need a real heaven. Or a Savior. So maybe God needed a "bad guy."

So He could send the good guy. Jesus. Look what we would have missed out on if there wasn't a Devil. Would we have missed out on Jesus?

And I think about Satan, prowling about like a lion, seeing whom he may distroy. And I think about the lake of fire, and how he'll be tormented for an eternity. I think of all the bad that people I know suffer through. And to think that it's all because of evil.

David talked about suffering again on Sunday. He talked about how suffering is a result of sin. And how when you suffer, you need to realize that you're suffering because of sin. Not just your own sin, but sin in general. And how we should take an opportunity to use your suffering to cleanse yourself of sin. Use your suffering to feed your hate of sin. Or, I thought, turn the anger of suffering toward the Devil, the father of sin. Not towards God, whom from all blessings flow.

Oh well. I just needed to ramble that out. I need to go Google "Why did God create the Devil?" and see what the really smart people say.

Question

Why did God create the Devil????

My cross wall

I love it!

Before and after

I didn't put the kids' pictures back up, because I want to do a cross wall there, like this one.

I am more than exhausted. It was such a hard room, but we really do love the color. It makes the room so warm and comfortable. It's not too dark, although it is much darker than these pictures make it out to be. It's elegant and practical. And all the smudges and marks are gone! We washed the curtains, vacuumed under the furniture and wiped everything down. It feels clean and pretty. I'm tired. Wait, did I already say that?

Now it's just the hall way, foyer and stairwell/landing. And all the trim. And touch ups. I'm tired.
:):):P

Yeah, that.

"With the goodness of God to desire our highest welfare, the wisdom of God to plan it, and the power of God to achieve it, what do we lack? Surely we are the most favored of all creatures..."

Tozer