Patience.

Patience is a part of life. We wait in lines, we wait for our computers to boot up, we wait for our layover flights, we wait for our tires to be changed, we wait for responses to job applications, we wait for test results, we wait for our food in restaurants, we wait in construction traffic. In all of these things we always seem to tell our comrades that it shouldn't take so long, that people should be quicker and more diligent and more efficient so that we get what we want in a shorter amount of time. We as a society, as a sinful fallen human race, always want to be first and most important. In our digital age, we want everything immediately. What if we sat back and truly looked at our lives objectively? What if we stopped complaining and started looking for ways to appreciate everything? Everything means everything. Every. Little. Thing. Period. Appreciate it all. Maybe being stuck in traffic gives you half an hour to chat with your friend riding along with you, half an hour to just catch up, reminisce, laugh and develop your relationship a little more. When it takes an extra 20 minutes to get your food, remember why you went out to lunch with the person that you're with: because you wanted to devote a portion of your day to that person. Do you want to waste it complaining or do you want to use your time and be fruitful? More important, think about it selflessly. The person that you're with thought you important enough to spend that portion of the day with. Don't waste their time!! Put it to good use! The Bible says that longsuffering is a fruit of the spirit. When you have a few minutes, utilize it wisely!! Call your grandma! Read a newspaper article! Pray for a friend! Put your phone down and actually talk to a person face to face! Go mow your elderly neighbor lady's lawn. Read a few pages in a book! Make a to-do list! Be productive! Spend an hour less on your video games this week and ride your bike for that hour (bicycling gets addicting, let me tell you!). Go on a walk. Look at the stars. Look at the moon. Look at the sunset. Thank God for where He has you. Don't just live in your life. LIVE YOUR LIFE!! Pray, give, laugh, love, hope, look for the good in everyone. Follow God with your whole self.

Thanks for reading. Lord bless. I look forward to your comments :-)

Can God really be erased from society?

Face it, people. There are references to God everywhere you look. People are always searching for happiness, for peace. That's a search for God. God cannot be erased. You hear or read phrases like "mass exodus", "Armageddon", "God help us", references to Moses or Cain and Able or a messiah or Saviour. Do you people not see? You yearn for Christ, yet rebel against Him. Why? Because you have to repent of your worldly sins and live a selfless life? You don't see that He is the only thing that'll fill that empty hole within you. I realize that this is God's will, but I am saddened that you are blinded. Saddened that you do not see. That you do not believe. I will continue to pray for you all.

So, how was everyone's fall, beginning of winter and Christmas? You can leave an explanation in the comments if you want to. I've been pretty good. Some notable events since my last post have been my appendix rupturing, a baby sister being born, I turned 19, my "older" sister got her license (if you read my "About me" thing then you know that my twin sister is a mere 9 minutes older than me), I haven't been snowboarding yet (I know, how am I yet living??????), I have made up a couple of things on the guitar (I'll find the links and post them in a comment), and pretty much been living. Of course I've been reading my scriptures and praying as well.

You've heard the saying "God never gives you more than you can handle" right? Well, I talked with my uncle and Dad about this a couple of weeks ago and I've been thinking over what they said. I decided I'll share it with you. God does give us more than we can handle. He does this so that we are left with only one place to go. As Abraham Lincoln said, we go to our knees. He gives us more than we can handle so that we realize that we need Him. We can't make it on our own. God is our refuge and our strength, a present help in our distress. We cannot be our own refuge; we have no strength. This is especially hard for us guys. It's a humbling realization, yet so easily forgotten it seems.

Well, gotta run. Hope you're all doing well. Lord bless.

I AM BACK! Kind of...

Hey guys,

I know it's been forever since my last post, and I apologize for that. I have been busy with work and school.

God is good. I see His goodness in everything. I've been in North Dakota for almost 2 months (it'll be 2 months on the 16th, I believe) and I love it here. Despite the humidity, missing the mountains, missing my family, and the heat here (it's hot and humid...) I love it here. There is a small-town feel in a city of 60,000 people. I love hanging out with the people from church. Yesterday we stayed after church and talked to one family for at least half an hour after everyone else had left (standing in the humidity and heat...). It was fun.

Yesterday I played my guitar for a while. I love playing my guitar. It brings me a peace and a closeness to God that I only feel through music. I'd love to learn another instrument (violin maybe???) if I had the time. By the way, if anyone knows about a good acoustic guitar that's for sale, please let me know.

Well, time to start the day. I hope I can update more frequently than this. Lord bless. Have a good one.

Adam and Hezekiah

This morning Adam and Hezekiah, my two littlest brothers (Adam is three and Hezekiah one), were in the kitchen together. Hezekiah would point to a random object (the dishwasher, then a cup, then a cabinet and so on) and Adam would tell him the name of each one. They did this for half an hour while I was doing the dishes. It was the cutest thing!!! I really need to get some pictures on here... (Hey Blogger, if you're listening, make an iPhone app so I can post pictures on my blog from my iPod touch. Thanks very much).

In Christ,

~Thomas

400 miles over-due...

Yesterday I changed the oil in our car. It was the first time I'd done that. I change the oil in the van and Dad's truck a lot but never in the car until yesterday. It took FOREVER!!! I have been thinking over what I did yesterday and how I can do it better, and I have resolved to cut the time it took me by 4/5 the next time I need an oil change. Does anyone else enjoy changing oil, mowing lawns, whacking weeds (and yes with a weedwhacker LOL), shoveling snow, or any of the plethora of other tasks that our current society views as a hassle? I love doing all those and more!!!

Today I spent the majority of my time with my Dad learning how to use a new house drawing software program that he recently purchased. It was a lot of fun. We read through the blueprints of the first house that we built and drew it up on there. Guess what?!? It didn't have a flat-screen tv (or ANY kind of tv for that matter!!!) in the list of decorations for your house! It was also missing such necessities as bookshelves, cars for your garage, nightstand lamps (they had nightstands though), and other stuff that I can't recall at the moment. I had a lot of fun. They also didn't have *wait for it* GUITARS!!! OR GUITAR STANDS WITH GUITARS ON THEM!!! How sad.

Tomorrow is square dancing night!!! I can't wait! It is so much fun. Do any of my followers/occasional viewers square dance? Would anyone like to learn?

Well, until next time, toodles.

Stuff

I'm thinking that the picture at the top is a little bit wide. I should probably crop it down a little sometime.

Today is Saturday. I know what you're thinking: "DUH!!!" but please, bear with me. At the Pederson household on Saturday, you will find our weekly cleaning getting done. Sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, dusting, cleaning toilets, sinks and counters and so on. We have it all split up into certain allotments and you choose yours and get it done (I know I know: DUH again). Most of us can get ours done within an hour. There's usually country music going; Rodney Atkins, Trace Adkins, Eric Chuch, Keith Urban, Josh Turner, Jason Aldean and a Gaelic band called Gaelic Storm and an opera group conducted by Paul Hillier are some of our favourite artists to listen to. HOW COULD I FORGET BRAD PAISLY?!?!?!?!? Brad Paisley should be on that list!!! Put him in mentally.

Earlier when I was vacuuming, my little 1-year-old brother Hezekiah was assisting me. He is SOOO CUTE!!! When I get on to a computer I'll upload a picture of him. It's always fun when he helps me.

Have fun until next time. Leave comments if desired.

Thomas

Don't have a title

My title is entitled what it is for the simple reason that I don't have a title so I decided to state that as the heading for what will follow. Of course, I have no idea what will follow because I'm typing this out on the fly.

Alright so how has everyone been? Good? I certainly hope so. On the 22-23 of January my family and I stayed at the "Deluxe suites" of the Steamboat Springs Worldmark location. Worldmark is a timeshare, for those of you who didn't know. Deluxe makes me laugh. My bedroom is more deluxe than those suites. There was still painter's tape around the can reccessed lights, the trim isn't level at all, there were paint splatters all over the tile, there were trim stain splatters on the wall, the wall was a myriad of different shades of a light dull yellow, and the list keeps going. The lack of pride in one's work in today's society scares me. These people are the "blow-and-go" types that are found everywhere in the construction industry. And not just in construction. They're in every part of life. My family purchased a set of classical CDs that were on sale and the cases fell apart when we opened the plastic wrap. There are people everywhere that cut as many corners as possible. I could list numerous jobs that my wonderful father has worked on where the previous contractor "cut enough corners to re-pave New York". That's a direct quote from my Dad. I hope people start to care about what their name is on.

Who plays guitar? I recently learned how to play "He Reigns" by the Newsboys. I love that song. Hopefully I'll be able to learn more songs about the glories of our wonderful Creator. Please leave whatever comments you desire. Thanks for reading.