Day 162.  I love comfort food.  Home made bread, warm soup, and yes caramel popcorn.  These are just some foods that I think of as comfort.  It doesn't matter what kind of day you have had, a good helping of your favorite food makes everything better.  I love getting the cans of popcorn that have three different flavors in them.  I like to mix the flavors some but the kids think that it's wrong to mix them.  Still, it's funny to see which flavor is gone first.  Usually it's  the cheese flavor.  I know everyone has their own favorite foods and flavors.  What about churches?  Do people go to church where they feel comfortable?  Church isn't supposed to make you feel comfortable.  It is supposed to help you grow.  If you are comfortable you will stay right where you are, because growth isn't comfortable.     

Day 161.  Oh the things you do for your kids.  Now that Matthew is attending Texas Tech University, we have to cheer for them.  We usually do anyway, but now it's more personal.  And he doesn't even play ball.  He can't go to the games wearing his OU hoodie, though.  When Texas Tech plays Oklahoma then we are on opposite sides.  There is only so much you will do for them.  It's all in good fun.  We are watching the Meineke bowl tonight, yelling for Texas Tech, and having fun doing it.  What would church be like if we would worship with as much passion as we watch football?  If someone stood up and yelled AMEN like we yell TOUCHDOWN, it might start a revival or just scare every one to death.  Maybe someone should try it.  

Day 160.  Here they are.  My new tires, well one of them anyway.  Nothing special to any one but me.  They aren't over sized or specialized.  They are just tires, and I like them.  The fact that I like them and I am satisfied with them make them that much better.  Maybe that's why God puts up with people.  I don't have to be smarter or better than anyone else, He likes me and that is what matters.  To some people, life is one big competition.  They always have to compare who they are and what they have with people around them.  I learned a long time ago that it doesn't matter how much you have, someone else has more.  And, it doesn't matter how big and tough you are, there is always someone bigger and tougher.  Trying to keep up with those around you will cause you more stress than you might realize.  In the bible Paul said that he had learned to be content with little or with much.  I think the most compared things in the world are children.  Whose is smarter or more talented, which one is better looking or more athletic.  As if our children don't have enough to live up to.  Kids are people, and people are all different.  They have different abilities and different potential.  So, if I brag on my kids, I'm not saying they are better than some one else.  I'm just bragging.  If I brag on what God has done for me, I'm not saying he likes me better than he likes others.  I'm just bragging on what he does, and he does a lot.  The snow that we got on Christmas is almost gone, except in the parking lots.  But, it sure was fun to drive through the parking lots today and not worry about losing traction.  Did I mention that I like my tires.

Day 159.  Well as you can see, or not see, there isn't a picture here.  I did take a few pictures but I really didn't like any of them.  So, I thought I would wait and try tomorrow, but tomorrow kept turning into another day.  I will get back to the pictures, but for now, I need to get caught up on the blog.  Christmas has been great.  We have the greatest kids ever.  It didn't matter what they got, or didn't get, they were happy and even excited for everything.  We didn't have a big pile of presents for each kid.  They just got a few things each.  Like every one else these days it seems there are more bills than income, but once again God provided for everything.  We are so blessed.  Not only just for Christmas but a last minute gift to us made it possible to get new tires on the jeep.  Merry Christmas to me.  Stacy said each kid gave me a tire.  Wasn't that nice of them?  I brined a turkey and roasted it for lunch.  Every one had at least one thing for lunch that they had specifically asked for except Maggie.  All she asked for was dinner rolls and we forgot to set them out to rise.  So we cooked them for supper. It turned out alright. Now its back to the office and on to new years.  What will the new year bring?  It will be good.

Day 153.  The kids were playing around today and said they hoped that if the world ends tomorrow they hope it happens before school.  Stacy told them that it wouldn't happen until after two and then the school would have to go into lock down and they would be stuck there until late.  They did not think that was funny.  We went to see a movie tonight.  We don't get to do that very often.  It was a nice evening.  I love that my family gets along.  I hear families fussing and fighting all the time.  I'm not talking about just not getting along.  I'm talking about calling the police on family members and having them arrested, falsely accusing each other of serious crimes, and, totally refusing to be associated with close relatives.  Thank you Jesus for a family that loves each other. 

Day 152. More dirt, more wind, and then it snowed.  That's right, it snowed.  The day started out with the wind coming out of the south west.  It started gusting up to about 60 mph and kicked up dirt and anything else that wasn't tied down.  And we weren't as bad as a little further south.  But, about three o'clock the wind changed directions and came out of the north.  The temperature dropped about 20 degrees and by three fifteen there were a few snow flakes, and a little later it was snowing so bad that Maggie was hoping, and praying, for enough snow that school would be cancelled on Thursday.  It only snowed enough to get the dirt out of the air, and that was good.  The wind didn't stop until almost midnight.  We had our annual church Christmas banquet but the weather didn't keep every one away.  A lot of work went into making this a great event.  We had a really good turn out and the food was wonderful.  We have an awesome bunch of people.  On another note.  As I was choosing a photo for today, I hit auto correct to see what the computer would do with it.  It corrected the sky to blue and took out all of the haze.  It made it look like it was a beautiful day.  Don't you wish that some days you had an auto correct button.

Day 151.  Tonight was Annie's school program.  She is not lacking in the drama genes.  She loves to perform.  Here she is being one of Santa's helpers singing, "Santa Clause Is Coming To Town".  She loves the part that says, "you better watch out," that's why the finger is pointing and shaking.  She got to pass out candy canes too.  So, it's Tuesday, tomorrow night is the Church Christmas banquet.  Matthew should get to come home for the banquet, and stay for a little while.  Hopefully, he will hear about a job tomorrow.  I know that will make him feel better, and us to.  We signed the lease for his apartment today locking in the rate for another year.  So it should be a pretty good Christmas.  Not much in the way of presents, but we will be together and that will be good.