87.5 hours

Greetings in the name of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. How is everyone doing? I pray that this blog finds you in good health and spirits. We took Micah to the Child Study Center in Oklahoma City, OK. on Tueday. We found out that his Autism is worse then we thought. We had thought (& hoped) that he had Asperger's which is a mild form of Autism. But, it turns out that he actually has Autism. The good news is that we walked out of the Child Study Center with lots of information & resources. I highly recomend the Child Study Center to anyone who needs their child evaluated.

Well, I have less then 5 days left at SERTCO. This comming Thursday will be my last day. Werner will then bus me to Dallas, TX over the weekend. I will start orientation that Monday. I can't beleive that it is coming up so fast. Part of me is excited to get back into the truck. I do like being a truck driver. It is the best job I ever had. But at the same time I hate being away from my wife and children.

Love,
The Oklahoma Tomcat
http://www.myspace.com/oktomcat
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Huge changes at the Jones Family

IS GOD PLEASED WHEN A PERSON DOESN'T USE THEIR GIFTS TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILY?   Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  How is everyone doing?  I pray that this post finds everyone in good health and spirits.  We are doing good here.  We had a barbecue and watched some fireworks on Independence day.  Today starts my two week vacation.  My plan is to get things ready around the house for a major change that our family is about to take and to spend time together.   I was going to take my vacation the first two weeks of August to visit my dad in New York who has cancer.  We realized that we were not going to do It because we are short on money.  This upset me a lot and it made me realize that we are no better off today then we were when I left truck driving two years ago.  In fact, we are worse off now.  We are living paycheck to paycheck and have been on government assistance for two years.  The way things are going, we are going to be on government assistance for the rest of our lives.  That isn't good.  Something is wrong.   For those who know me or follow me on blogger or the social networks that I am on, you know that I believe that the man must support his family.  He must be able to meet the needs of his family without being on long term assistance.  I do believe in getting temporary help when there are unexpected bills or when someone losses their job, but it is to be temporary.   Another thing is that I believe everyone is given a gifts by our Father in Heaven.  These are gifts we are given to glorify God and meet the needs of our family.  We are not glorifying God when we are depending on the government to meet our needs and being a burden on society.  You may have seen people who has a natural talent in drawing, singing, photography, ect.  These are just a few gifts that God gives people.  Other gifts that people are given are finances, business, typing, computer, cleaning, driving, yard work, and much more.  It is up to us to find out what our God given gifts are and to use them.   So, how do you know when you have found your God given gift?  Some may think that it is when you have found something that you enjoy.  That is wrong.  You may enjoy singing or acting but God gave you the gift to do missionary work.  You know that you have found your God given Gift when the work you are doing comes to you real easy with little or no training.  When you do a job and it just seems to come naturally and people complement you a lot for it.  But, remember who the true credit goes to when you are complemented.  Once this happens, you have found your God given gift and are now doing what God wants you to do.   In may of 2001 I started a new carrier in truck driving.  It was something that I wanted to do as a child.  The door was opened when I got some money from a settlement in Virginia.  So, I took that money, quit my job and went to the United States Truck Driving School in Tulsa, OK.  While in school, I found it easy to drive and back the truck.  I then drove for CRST and did real good.  I got lots of compliments from my supervisor advanced very quickly to Lead Driver and Driver Trainer.  There is no doubt that I was given the gift of driving trucks by God.   I left the road when my wife was pregnant with our son, Micah.  She was having complications so I came home to help her.  After Micah was born, I wanted to be home with my family.  So, I got a job at Sertco as a grounds keeper and janitor.  The plan was that we would get government help with food until we got our family farm up and we could grow and raise our own food.  Well, we started getting into a rut.  Need money to start a family farm and all of our money was going into other needs (medical bills, gas, vehicle maint., home repairs, ect.).  The crazy thing is that we live simple and don't have a lot of things.  No electricity, no TV, no car payments, and we own our house.  Yet, we are living paycheck to paycheck.  So, where is the problem?   Some may say, "Well, a lot of people are having problems.  It is the economy, I do not accept that.  Yes, the economy is bad.  But God paves the way for us during difficult times.  Also, if it was just the economy, then we would only need temporary help.  The way we are going, we will be needing help for the rest of our lives.   Some may think that the wife should work outside of the house to help out. I disagree in so many ways.  First of all, it is the responsibility of the husband to provide the needs of the family.  It is the responsibility of the wife to raise the children and use the resources that the husband provides responsibly.  Raising children is full time work alone.  Then of course there is many more things that a wife does around the house.  No, a wife should not have to work outside of the home.  If the family can not make it on the husbands pay without government help then the husband and wife needs to figure out what is wrong.  Remember that the husband doesn't need to make lots of money but he should be able to make enough to meet the NEEDS of the family.   My wife and I looked over our situation.  We have cut back a lot and there isn't much more we can cut back.  The little more that we could cut out will not make our situation much better.  Therefor, I must not be using the gifts that God has given me properly.  Looking back at the last two years, I do see that I don't have the gifts as a grounds keeper or a janitor.  I do enjoy working outside and in the yard but I don't do a great job.  I try real hard to do a great job, I want to do a great job, but I don't do a great job.  When I was truck driving I amazed people and got lots of complements and it wasn't that hard for me.  As a grounds keeper and janitor I try real hard to do a great job but don't get a lot of compliments.  So, grounds keeper and janitor isn't a gift that has been given to me and that is why my family is living paycheck to paycheck even after we cut back so much.  When you use the gifts God gave you, you will do real good and advance very fast.  It becomes a carrier where employers want you and are willing to pay you good for.   I filled out an on-line application that went to lots of trucking companies.  The next day I got over 30 companies contacting me and wanting me to drive for them.  I will start to call the companies today and find out which company will be the best one for me to drive for.  I will then give Sertco my two week notice when I return from vacation on the 20th of July.   This wasn't an easy decision to make.  I would much rather have a job where I will be home every night and on weekends.  But it comes down to what God wants, not what I want.  God wants me to use the gifts He gave me to glorify Him.  I am not glorifying Him by depending on the government to meet our needs and being a burden to society.   Well, I will end this blog but will keep you updated on my job change.  You can also follow me at: http://www.facebook.com/oktomcat http://twitter.com/oktomcat http://www.myspace.com/oktomcat http://theoklahomatomcat.blogspot.com/  I thank you for taking the time to read my blog.  Take care and God Bless.   Love, The Oklahoma Tomcat http://www.myspace.com/oktomcat

For Body and spirit

For the spirit: Oak and Acorn By: Caitlyn Maguire We choose not to listen to the Others; the wounded, the dying, the elders, the Children or soldiers, or the "mentally ill," for they speak a louder truth that We have spent our lives denying, pushing aside, as not really significant given The facts, the logic, the lack of intellectual theory. They speak with the voice Of the prophets, soothsayers, the saints and the downtrodden, they are the voice Of God, and he is still crying in the wilderness of our hearts, gone still, and Cold. They see differently, they understand, they love and they forgive for they know. Sometimes, they are very sad, and their bones grow weary with the weight, their Hair grows long and their mouth droops, their feet are sodden, and legs weak, Ears grow dim, because their heart is growing larger, their spirit bolder, their Soul sharper, and they have grown beautiful, fleshy, golden, wings … but if you Turn your head away in shame, you will not hear. It is said, they speak too loud, ask too much, speak at all the wrong times, say It the wrong way, and don't agree with you. We save a tree, a dolphin, a rain Forest; yet these sacred ones walk with us, whispering an unshushable wisdom and Vision. We put them away, off to the side, in homes, in "special places" … "where they can be cared for," but we lose out, for life is not made to be easy. We are their brothers and sisters and if we push them away, we will miss life's Greatest treasures, we dishonor them and pass on the message that the trials and Initiations of illness, poverty, age, and specialty mean nothing, that to grow, Or suffer has no value, to have lived, worked hard, and loved much has no place In our culture or family. The message to our children is clear: stay young and Beautiful and avoid feeling pain. I do not think we will ever be whole, until we can hear these voices, until we Are them. For it is the time we give, an earthly dimension which is the value of our gift To others, a smile of knowing, the whisper of love in the caress of our Attention, the wee spirited thoughts of them that manifest the hours they feel Beloved, deep in their bones, they will know the honor of loves might. It is how We listen, without bias, without self, how we can know them, how they feel Understood, seen, and significant. It is our willingness to dance to their Fiddler, to see the mountain from the other side. So we too will learn what love Really is; a seed, a promise, made with each rising sun. For the Body: Muffins 5 c. Flour 5 tsp. Soda 2 tsp. Salt 2 tsp. Allspice 15 oz. Raisin bran 3 c. Sugar Mix above ingredients. Add: 1 c. Oil 1 qt. Buttermilk 2 tsp. Vanilla Mix well. Butter muffin tins well and fill 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

The English Language

Lets face it English is a stupid language. There is no egg in the eggplant No ham in the hamburger And neither pine nor apple in the pineapple. English muffins were not invented in England French fries were not invented in France. We sometimes take English for granted But if we examine its paradoxes we find that Quicksand takes you down slowly Boxing rings are square And a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. If writers write, how come fingers don't fing. If the plural of tooth is teeth Shouldn't the plural of phone booth be phone beeth If the teacher taught, Why didn't the preacher praught. If a vegetarian eats vegetables What on earth does a humanitarian eat!? Why do people recite at a play Yet play at a recital? Park on driveways and Drive on parkways How can the weather be as hot as hell on one day And as cold as hell on another You have to marvel at the unique lunacy Of a language where a house can burn up as It burns down And in which you fill in a form By filling it out And a bell is only heard once it goes! English was invented by people, not computers And it reflects the creativity of the human race (Which of course isn't a race at all) That is why When the stars are out they are visible But when the lights are out they are invisible And why it is that when I wind up my watch It starts But when I wind up this poem It ends.

Independant from God

Look at all of your possessions and think of all the good that you have done in your life. Have you gotten anything or done anything independent of God?


Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. How are you doing? I pray that you find this blog in good health and spirits. Things are going good with us. We sold the last of our sheep on Tuesday. Didn't do as good as last month but still did better then we had planned. Now we have no sheep and it is time for us to prepare the homestead for milk cows, goats and chickens. I have so much to do before spring. I also have to build a new outhouse and fix up some rooms in the house. The house is real old and needs some work to keep the heat in the house during the cold months. One of the things I am going to do is lower the ceilings. The ceilings are 9” and I want to lower them down to 8” and then insulate them.

What I want to blog about is something that is very hard for humans to accept. As humans, we like to think that we actually have control over things and that we can do good and get things for ourselves. We like to take pride in our achievements and our possessions. I am really no different and have to remind myself that I can do no good without God. For me, it isn't so much my possessions. Even though I do catch myself bragging about owning a house and land free and clear. What I catch myself taking pride of the most is my knowledge of Trinitarian Theology and God's nature. But I do know better. I know that this knowledge doesn't come from human knowledge but from the Holy Spirit.1 I know that if it wasn't for God, I would not even know that Christ is Lord. I have had people say, “But Joe, you study so much. You get this knowledge from the books you read and reading the Bible.” I have a confession to make. I am not a book worm. I never did good when it came to reading and writing. I always had trouble understanding what I read. I tell you the truth, the knowledge I get from reading isn't from my own understanding. My ability to understand what I read is a true testimony of what God can do for anyone who has faith and leans on God.

So, how about our possessions. I have a house with 20 acres, an F-250, a van, a car, and a neat Ford Ranger which I have to do some work on. I am able to put food on the table and clothes on the back of my family. Surely I must be able to take pride in all this. I did work hard for it all didn't I? The truth is, God not only provides our needs2 but He provides us with everything that we have.3 Now, I am thankful for all the people who have helped us out. The biggest being my parents who sold me the house with land and the neat Ford Ranger for a real good price when I needed them. I have also been blessed with many friends who have also helped my family out throughout the year. But I know that humans can not do good without God and that God makes it possible for friends and neighbors to work together and help each other out. Now, I have had some say, “Well, then we don't have to do anything because God will provide for us.” Not true. God gave you gifts and He wants you to use to provide for yourself and your family. It is written "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." (2 Thessalonians 3:10). Yes, you must work but remember that God gave you the ability and knowledge to provide a service to someone so you may have your needs met.

Here is a big one with many Christians. Can we, as humans, do anything good without God? The first thing that comes to my mind is that we wouldn't even know what good was. We would not know that love isn't only a feeling but an action. As I said earlier, we would have no wisdom. Would would not even know that we should help each other out if it was not for Jesus Christ showing us. But there is more. Jesus clearly says that without Him, we can DO NOTHING. Jesus said, “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abides in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me.”4 The fruit that Jesus is talking about is good works. You can not do good works without Jesus. I know that some people are saying, “But Joe, I know people who do not believe in Jesus and they do good things. I am going to tell you something that non-believers don't like to hear. God doesn't need us to believe in Him in order to work with us. God can use any human for His Glory or to serve His purpose whether we accept Him or not. Another thing is that humans can do some things that may help others out on their own but they are usually conditional, temporary or for selfish gain. Even someone who does acts of good for the purpose of them thinking they are gaining credit to go to heaven is selfish. God wants us to do good works out of love and the only way we can do good for no other reason but love is if we have the love of God in us. Can humans have that love in them without God? I know I don't. Paul also knew that he could not do anything good without God. Let me tell you, Paul was a great man and could easily made himself look good but he took no credit for what he did. He said, “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God with me.”5 “Yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” What Paul is saying is that it isn't him that is doing all the work, but God. In 2 Corinthians we see that pure motives and sincerity are from God and not by human wisdom.6 So, what can we do without God? Well, we can mess things up. I have no problem doing that without God's help. I have become great at doing that. But another thing I can do is submit to God and listen to Him. I can let my human nature die and let the Holy Spirit fill me. Then, I am able to do anything.In closing I want to remind you that God loves you very much. More then you or I can ever understand. It is because of this love He has for us that He does give us the ability to do good and provides for us. Once we have this understanding, then we can do so much more and yet our burden is lightened. I pray that this blog helps you out in your everyday life. Take care and God Bless.

Love,
The Oklahoma Tomcat




11 Corinthians 2:4–5, Prov.2:6-7, 1 Corinthians 2:6-16, 1 Corinthians 12:3
2Philippians 4:19
3Luke 21:1–4, 1 Timothy 6:17
4John 15:5
51 Corinthians 15:9-10
62 Corinthians 1:12

Less worry and stress - more faith and joy

Unemployment at 9.7%, Homelessness increases among elderly adults, 35.9 million people live below poverty in the United States, 3 million children experience hunger in the United States, Tornado in Southeast kills 10, Rhode Island flooding: nobody is prepared, 12 year old boy is killed by lightning on baseball field.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?”
Matthew 6:25

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
Matthew 6:28

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
Matthew 6:31

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34

Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.
Luke 12:22

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Matthew 6:27

There is a lot of bad news in the world today. The economy, taxes, crime, and the direction of our country. But are we suppose to worry about the things that happen in this world? Are we suppose to stress over the things happening in this life? Should we always be happy?


Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. How is everyone doing? I pray that everyone finds this blog in good health and spirits. Things are going good in the Jones household. Micah is showing lots of progress. We finally got our garden tilled on Saturday and we got the tomatoes planted. We still have a lot more seeds to plant but it looks like it will be a week long project. On Sunday we heard a real good sermon by Pastor Mike of Crosswalk Community Church in Oklahoma City. The title was “Are you worthy?” It was a very good sermon that explains that there is nothing you can do to earn your way to heaven or earn God's love. One day I will have to blog about it. My parents also came down to the house on afternoon and helped with stacking the firewood. I have a lot of firewood that needs to be stacked and they were nice enough to help me. I am very blessed to have such loving parents who care about my wife, children, and me.I have been asked many times how I can always have a positive, cheerful and stress-free attitude despite personal problems and all the bad news being reported by the news networks. First, I want to assure everyone that I am not always cheerful, positive, and stress-free. I do have my down times when I am unhappy and stressed. I am human. But, most of the time I am cheerful, positive and stress-free. It saddens me to see people who are stressed and unhappy most of the time because I know that it is God's Will that everyone be joyful and stress-free (Psalm 128:2, 144:15, 146:5, Prov 16:20, 28:14, Peter 4:14) and God gives everyone the ability to have a joyful and stress-free life. I have been feeling the Holy Spirit pushing me to write this blog and tell everyone how they can also have a more joyful and stress-free life.

1. Be Baptized with water and the Spirit. I have written a blog on the Holy Spirit and how important it is to be Baptized in the Holy Spirit, so I will not go into a lot of detail on this topic in this blog. You can find my blog on the Holy Spirit by going through my blogs at http://www.myspace.com/oktomcat. It is human nature to let others control our attitude. But is that what God wants? Many scriptures show us that God wants us to be thankful, cheerful and to be content in all things. We are also not to worry about anything because God has control over all things and God is good. How can we do this though when it is human nature to worry and be unhappy when things go bad? Jesus sent us a Comforter and Counselor. That Comforter and Counselor is the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who gives us the ability to do what is humanly impossible. 2. Understand that God has complete control over all things and God is good. Why worry about anything when you have this understanding and trust? When something is going wrong then ask God for help. If God has given you the ability to take care of it, then take care of it. If He has not given you the ability to take care of it, then give up control and give it to God.

3. READ THE BIBLE!!! It amazes me how many Christians do not read the Bible. Most of the problems Christians have are caused because they didn't follow God's Word. People have said to me, "I wish life came with instructions." Well, life does come with instructions. The instruction book is called the Bible. God gives us clear instructions about finances, dating, sex, marriage, family, health, and much more. God doesn't force us to follow His instructions, but if you choose not to follow His instructions then He will allow you to suffer the consequences of your actions. You can eliminate many trials in life simply by reading and following God's Word. Remember that God created all things and He knows what is best for you. Read the Bible cover to cover a couple of times and then start studying important topics such as finances, role of the man in the family, role of the woman in the family, raising children, etc.)

4. Understand human nature. I always tell people that human nature is hateful. Don't believe me? Check out a baby or toddler when they are not getting their way. If they had the power they would kill someone. You don't have to teach a child how to hate, you have to teach them how to love. It is important to understand that ALL humans have hate in them. Now, I know I have many people sucking air by saying that. The hate that I am talking about is the hate that is described in the Bible. By this definition, we all do have hate in us. It is part of our human nature. Do we ever get hate completely out of us? Only if you let your human nature completely die so that the Holy Spirit can take control of our actions. Remember this as you deal with others. Just as you act in hate from time to time, so do others. Also keep in mind that people can mean well in their actions and yet hurt us. Many people, including myself, have done a lot of damage with our good intentions. When someone hurts you or is being mean to you, don't let it get you down. Understand that they are human and lean on God, who will comfort you. Also, stay humble. You too are human. Before you accepted the Holy Spirit, you too did many hateful things to others. So be patient and forgiving to others as God was (and still is) patient and forgiving to you.

5. Always be in prayer. You will find yourself worrying about something or getting upset over something or someone. Your human nature will come out. But the good news is your Father in heaven is waiting to help you. Just stop and pray for your Father to help you. Ask Him to comfort you and guide you through whatever it is that you are dealing with. Remember that NOTHING is too big for God. He WILL answer your prayer. You must just stop and listen.
6. Set time aside for God. OK, honestly, do you have time set aside for God everyday? I mean real quality time where it is just you and God? Jesus set time aside where He was alone with His Father. Why don't we follow His example? I find this to be so important and I do feel a difference when I don't do it myself. I like to wake up real early and spend time talking to my Father in heaven. When I do this, I feel much better throughout the day. I am able to go into work cheerful and positive. I can deal with much more and I seem to also remember that God is with me through all things.

7. Here is the most important thing you need to remember in order to have a happier and stress-free life. No matter what happens in life, no matter who bothers you or hurts you. Always remember that God loves you so very much. It is impossible to explain just how much God loves you. His love is so big and so perfect that we just can't imagine it. But it is true. God loves you and He will never let anything happen to you that you can not overcome with His help. Your Father in heaven is a perfect father. He knows everything about you and He understands you. He knows your needs and will provide them to you. All He asks is to have a relationship with you and for you to trust Him. When you think about it, when you worry about something, you are not showing much trust in God.

I know that this is all much easier said then done. It has taken a long time for me to get as far as I have. As I said at the beginning of this blog, I still have my moments. But we all must understand that God wants us to be joyful in all situations and not to worry or be stressed. The only way to do that is to have faith that God is still in control of all things. Everything will work out for the glory of God. Now, to be stress-free doesn't mean to be care-free. We must care about everything that goes on in our lives and with others. We must also be God's hands and feet. We must also be going around and saying the words that God wants us to say. We are to be His disciples. But, we are not to worry or stress when things don't go the way we feel they should.

I thank you so much for reading my blog and pray that it helps you out. Always remember that God loves you so very much and I love you too. Take care and God Bless.

Love,
The Oklahoma Tomcat

Can an Executive Order change a Law?

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. How is everyone doing? I pray that this blog finds everyone in good health and spirits. We are doing good at the Jones Family. We have had some very strange weather lately. It was nice all last week until late Friday night/Saturday morning when winter decided to pay one last visit. We had snow and strong winds Saturday and Sunday. Today it was a nice 55 deg.

I am still working on my blog titled, "How to have a happier and more joyful life." I wanted to post this quick blog after hearing President Obama state that he would sign an Executive Order that would prevent federal funds from being used to pay for abortions after the Health Care Bill was signed into law. I was shocked to hear this and that this tactic actually worked to get some Demicrats who claimed to be "Pro-Life" to vote "yes" to the Health Care Bill, which does give fedral funds for abortion. The truth is that an Executive Order CAN NOT CHANGE LAW. Our founding fathers wanted to make sure that no one person was able to change or remove a law. Can you imagine how dangerous it would be if one person in office had that much power? So, why did Obama say he would sign an executive order that would not allow federal funds to be used for abortion? Well, he can sign that executive order but it will not hold up. As soon as a pro-abortion challenges it, judges will have to throw out the executive order. I personally would like to think that maybe Obama really does think he has the power to change law but, I am afraid that he is smarter then that.

Love,The Oklahoma Tomcat