Categories
Culture Design Stories

You Should See My House

I’m really happy with how my house is looking, check out the pictures: http://www.Obeo.com/585718

Call me partial, but I have to say I think I have one of the coolest houses on the block, if not in all of Plano for it’s price range. Listed at 165,000 my home is a great first-time buyer property and the furniture, minus the green chair and the artwork, can be included with the property. I’m down-sizing dramatically and simplifying my life and I hope that this house sells quickly so I can get moved back to Denton. Am I a bit apprehensive? Yes. I’ve gotten used to having my own place with a garage and lots of space, but the trade-off is that you have more to take care of and the costs are really astronomical.

When you buy a house they don’t tell you that your mortgage can go up even if your rate is fixed due to increases in taxes and home owners insurance. My mortgage went from $1167 a month to $1451 after living there for 1.5 years. I asked why and they said, “Your taxes went up by 1000 dollars a year” and my response was that they increase the money they were taking from me by $3000.

Anyway, long story short, having a house is awesome, but as a single guy I don’t think the investment is worth it. I would have done better if I had just saved all the money I invested in this property… but on the upside, I got to live in a really great house in a really great location.

Categories
Relationships

Hoopo Maino – To Bear Under Pressue Like a Wine Press

I’m not sure of the spelling, but I did my best to reproduce it phonetically. “Hoopo Maino” was taught to us on a retreat probably 10 years ago. I don’t really remember the sermon, but the jist was that we sometimes have to bear up under pressure and that we are being squeezed like grapes in a wine press.

Right now I’m being squeezed, but only mildly. I’m under pressure with putting my house on the market and trying to get it ready all while being financially strapped. I’ve mixed paint colors to make them stretch and I’ve spent money that I didn’t have to get things done so my house will sell.

The house looks great, but my checkbook looks like a nightmare. I feel the weight of change bearing down on me and although times are hard now, it’s really nothing in the grand scheme of things.  When it comes right down to it, money problems aren’t so bad, I’ve got my health and good friends and the electricity is still running for now.

But the point of this Posted Note is not to talk about me, but to talk about Caden Miller. Cody and Amy Miller’s son is being tested for Cystic Fibrosis on Tuesday March 9, 2010 at 1 p.m.  I can’t imagine the kind of stress that would put on parents. I don’t have kids, but from what I’ve heard when you have a child of your own it opens up a new capacity for love that you didn’t know could exist.

Life is funny like that. It has a singular way of balancing things out. The greater the love, the greater the loss. The bigger the joy, the bigger the pain.

My heart hurts for Cody and Amy and for all parents who have to deal with sick children. I don’t know what it would be like not being able to fix something for them that is broken. Not to be able to take away their pain and to make their lives easy and blissful. But I don’t think God put us on this Earth to have easy lives. Easy would get boring after a while.

I’d like to think that I would have the courage to bear up under the pressure of a great adversity, but I don’t know what it would do to me. So far my biggest challenges in life have been to deal with personal struggles that really don’t amount to much more than me feeling sorry for myself at times and envious at others. Perspective can really make you feel ashamed of yourself.

If you have a moment, pray for Caden and the Miller family. I know that Cody is strong enough to face any adversity, but I’d rather he didn’t have to. Nope. I’d prefer that Caden be healthy and strong and happy for many years to come and I believe in healing and that God can make him healthy no matter what the outcome on Tuesday.

With Love,

Eddo

Categories
I'm Just Sayin

And Your Eyes Were Staring Back at Me…

When I imagine us together I see your face staring back at me from your pillow. Your hair is tousled, your smile crooked, your breathing content.

I see you in the kitchen drying your hands. I hear your laugh while you play with the kids.

When I think of you, I remember the way you smell and the way you make me feel. Like soap and flowers and home and then guilt for being so happy and knowing that no one should feel this much joy.

I see you scratching the dogs head. I listen for your voice while you talk on the phone. I hear your breathing when your lying on my shoulder, I feel your heartbeat when your in my arms.

I’ve been picturing your face for years now. I’ve been searching for you every day like treasure and each day I keep hoping to see your eyes staring back at me.

I keep looking for your smile. I keep listening for your voice. With eyes wide open I keep looking for your eyes and hoping one day, I see the eyes that were seaching just as hard for me.

Categories
Culture Relationships

Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones…

But Words will never hurt me.

I’m not sure that there has ever been a more untrue children’s mantra. I think bones heal long before wounds created by words.

While at Boyd High School in McKinney I saw this circle of flowers right in the middle of the hall area where students enter. I asked this student, “What is with those flowers?”

“A Student Died, a freshman…”

“Was it suicide?”

“Yes, he was picked on a lot.”

This type of things makes me sick to my stomach. As someone who was bullied incessantly all throughout school I know what it is like to wake up every single day and dread going to class and facing cruel peers. Toss in hormonal imbalance and pressures at home and you have a recipe for disaster – especially if you feel like you have no place to turn or no one in your corner.

My mom was always there for me when I was hurt by words, but it took years for that pain to heal.

The student I was mentoring today brought up the subject of using false confidence as a way to push back the negativity. He said that he was picked on in 6th grade and that he became good at defending himself by insulting students back. I did the same thing. It wasn’t until I was in my twenties that I really started to understand that when I tear someone down it is really just me trying to make myself feel better about me.

Eventually I gained self-confidence and I stopped insulting others or comparing myself to others. It’s a lesson in futility – there is always someone in the world that is better than you at something or has something better than yours. It is so much better to just be content with what you have and to find peace in the Lord. It’s really so freeing when you’ve finally taken a hold of that concept.

If you have young students, please remind them that words do hurt and that if they are being picked on that they can come to you and talk about it. Then do something to help them in their situation. If nothing else, just be there to listen and to love on them – a little love can go a long way to healing a broken spirit.

Categories
Finances Technology

iPod Raffle to Support Mission Work

Hi Gang, I’m posting a quick link to an iPod Raffle for Senator Barnes who is going to be a Missionary in China. I don’t know why anyone would want to pack up their wife and 3 kids and move to China… wait, I do know why, to SHARE JESUS CHRIST!

And you can help by buying some raffle tickets. Just $2 per ticket and the raffle ends February 14th. Go now and help the Barnes family. http://tinyurl.com/ipodraffleinfo and check out their cool website http://www.onelesspizza.com You know you wanna.