The Last Laugh

More Laughter for Christmas

More Laughter for Christmas

Here's something else for you to laugh at. I hope this get you through the day...or at least until the next blog post.

Laughter for Christmas

So, I'm going to try something new. I was sitting here frustrated because I am sick and I wanted to be excited about Christmas...but I'm dreading it this year with all the preparations that I have to do (which is probably the reason I'm not feeling well). So, I decided that between now and Christmas, I am going to share some laughs with you to help lighten the mood. I know that there are other people get frustrated at Christmas. You have to do all the shopping, all the decorating, all the preparation and then there are all those annoying kids screaming for presents everywhere you go. Well, I am here to help! So without further ado...here is some Laughter for Christmas.

How do you know Santa has to be a man? No woman is going to wear the same outfit year after year.

"Anyone who believes that men are the equal of women has never seen a man trying to wrap a Christmas present."  Anonymous

"I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph."  Shirley Temple

Children's Church Christmas Party

Yesterday afternoon we had our first Christmas party of the season! This particular one was for the Children's Church kids and their parents. I am so lucky to have a great Children's Church assistant from Clearwater Christian College, Andrea Bailey. She is great with the kids and you can tell she loves working with them. When Andrea isn't able to be with us, Jeremy is always willing to help out. (He is a huge help to me and that is one of the reasons why I married him!) I hope that you enjoy looking at a few of the pictures that Jeremy and I took during our party

       On your mark, get set...GO!                                          

     It was close for a while, but the Blue team won.

       Here they are playing the last game.

         Time to decorate the cupcakes!

December in Florida!

Jeremy had to go away on a business trip this week so my mom and my aunt were able to come visit me. We had so much fun this week! Here are a few of the pictures that we took during their visit.

My mom (right) and my aunt in front of the fountain at Wal-Mart.

Me and mom at the beach.

There is hardly anyone at the beach in December. It was just us...and the surfers.

The sunset

A picture in front of our palm tree Christmas tree!

Baseball, Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet

I made my first apple pie (from scratch) today. I'm not including any pictures. It turned out all right except the crust was a little burnt. (Don't worry...it's still VERY edible!) This is the first time I have made a pie in this oven. It's a really tiny (I'm not exaggerating!) oven and sometimes, if the temperature is too high, stuff burns (depending on what I'm cooking). Anyway, so because of burnt crust, I am adding this video for your enjoyment.

Fun Facts About Thanksgiving

I love this time of year. I love the smells, I love the food, I love the fact that Christmas is just around the corner! For some interesting and fun facts about Thanksgiving, click on this blog post title.

Happy Veterans Day!

October 8, 1954: President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a proclamation calling upon all citizens to observe Thursday, November 11, 1954 as Veterans Day.

Just a quick post to give credit where credit is due. We want to thank all those who have served or are currently serving our country. So many people have fought to get us where we are today. I don't really think that there should be a specific day to remember. I think that it's important to remember every single day that someone fought to give me the freedom that I have today. I guess some people just need that specific reminder. Nevertheless, this is a very special day for many of you out there. I don't think that we can say it enough. Thank you for your service and your sacrifice!

His Way is Perfect

I know! I already wrote for today but I HAVE to share this story: Jeremy and I just got a new piano keyboard for really cheap on Sunday. It is a HUGE blessing. Just a few minutes ago, I went out to the living room to play it. (Keep in mind, Jeremy is the pianist...I just play.) Anyway, our Wilds songbook was open to this song. It fits in perfectly with a Christian's life...especially today. I hope that these words can be a comfort to every Christian out there.

His Way is Perfect by Betsy Kistler

When my way seems dark and drear and the future I don't know,

My heart feels so empty as the tears unending flow.

When my heart breaks with sorrow and a tempest fills my soul,

This one thing I know for sure: my God is in control.

His way is perfect, His way is perfect.

Though I don't understand His wise and loving plan,

His way is perfect. His way is perfect.

Take my life and make a vessel purified.

God makes no mistakes; His way is best.

When the toils of life are come and my heart is worn with care,

I faint 'neath the burden of a cross I cannot bear.

When the joy has departed from my sorrow stricken soul,

This one thing I know for sure: my God is in control.

His way is perfect, His way is perfect.

Though I don't understand His wise and loving plan,

His way is perfect. His way is perfect.

Take my life and make a vessel purified.

God makes no mistakes; His way is best.

Some thoughts for Christians after the election...

Philippians 4:6-Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Psalm 20:7-Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Jeremiah 17:7-Blessed in the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD.

Nahum 1:7-The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.

Psalm 18:30a-As for God, his way is perfect.

Psalm 37:3-8-Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit  your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, becayse of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret--it only causes harm.

Make freedom count...get a sticker!

This is my 3rd presidential election that I have participated in. I am proud to say that this year I finally received my "I voted" sticker!!! The previous two presidential elections didn't get me a sticker because I had to vote by absentee ballot since I was at school in South Carolina. 

This time around was much more exciting. Jeremy and I had voted by absentee/mail-in ballot (which is something FL does) so we didn't have to wait in those pesky lines. We decided not to mail in our ballots but take them directly to one of the election offices. It was so great! I put my ballot in the box and received my sticker. I felt like I was graduating again!

Even though today is an exciting time in our lives as Americans, some of us out there are going to be disappointed tomorrow...maybe even angry and upset. Let's remember that no matter what the outcome, God is in control. He already knows who will win and He is prepared to carry out His plan. As a Christian, I know that "in whatever situation I am to be content" (Philippians 4:11). God WILL have the final say one day. Many will repent, but many will reject Him. God is in control of our nation. He always has been, He is now, and He always will be. He will win the final war. I am glad that I won't be on earth when that day comes!

Just some thoughts...

So, today I (Sarah) am sitting here thinking about all of the things that I have going on in my life. Thought #1: People keep asking us when we're going to have kids. I am telling the public...that it won't be for a VERY long time. Our lives our too busy right now to deal with raising children. We want to make sure that our kids will be brought up in the "admonition of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). Until I have less responsibilities outside of the home, I feel that this HUGE responsibility is something that I can't take on right now.

Thought #2: Just because we don't have kids, doesn't mean that we have time to do everything else! Why do other people keep thinking this way? I have had only one person in the last few months who has agreed with me and she is a mother of two boys who works outside the home. Other people who have been telling me this say that they're just kidding...but when you hear it more than once from the same people, you start wondering if they really believe it.

Thought #3: I keep wondering why the Lord made me the type of person who wants to make everyone happy. Frankly, I'm getting a little tired of telling people that I can do something when I know that my schedule is full. There is no room left on my plate! Actually, I think some time at the end of the summer, my plate came crashing to the floor making a very big mess. I have been having trouble trying to get it cleaned up ever since. I have been getting advice from a few friends whose opinions I value greatly. (Thank you by the way...you know who you are.) They have all basically told me that if it's something that is hindering my spiritual life (no matter how "good" that thing might be), then it's probably something that I should "throw away" (in speaking with my plate analogy).

Thought #4: When I tell people that I need to give up something, why do they look as if they think I am making a big mistake? Why can't they be happy for me that I have realized that I'm not some super-hero and can't take on the whole world? Why don't they realize that I want to glorify God in my decisions? Even though something might be good for me spiritually, if I take on too much, it ends up being very bad for me spiritually. All of my other responsibilities that God has given to me just fall by the wayside. That is not something that I want to do with my personal relationship with Christ or to my relationship with my husband. Those are the two most important people in my life right now (in that order). All other things and other people come after. Why can't others understand this?

Thought #5: How is it that I ended up with the most amazing husband in the world?! Now, I know all of you other wives out there are thinking that you have the best husband...but I am here to tell you that, while God gave you the best husband for you, God gave me the VERY BEST for me! Even though my emotions go up and down a hundred times a day, I know that my husband will always be there to cheer me on...and to point out where I'm wrong spiritually. He truly is the best!

Thought #6: With election day being tomorrow, I wonder what is going to happen to America. While I don't always agree with a lot of things that Bush has done, I know that he was right for our country at that time. It was God's will. While I don't agree with everything that McCain does, I know that he would be a much better solution then the alternative. The only thing that I can do is pray that God's Will be done tomorrow. It is a struggle today, but tomorrow (hopefully) it will be finished.

Thought#7: It's amazing to me at how God is so good even in times of struggle. Especially those listed in the previous six thoughts. The only thing that I really have to worry about in life, is my relationship with Him. All other things will fall into place. This doesn't mean that life won't be easy. In fact, the Bible tells us that, "if you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:18-20). I must say, I'm glad if the world hates me, that means I'm doing something right!

Election Day is Fast Approaching!

As Christians voting in this upcoming election, we feel that it is important to share with our friends and family members what we know about the two candidates. Please check out this video. It is #10 in a countdown series. We ask that you check out #'s 9-1 as well before you make up your mind. This election is extremely important! If you haven't voted yet, please do so on November 4th! YOUR VOTE COUNTS!!!!

...and then there were two.

The Rays have done it! They will be playing Philadelphia in the World Series. This is great! I have never really enjoyed watching baseball until I moved to Florida. I have never really been a baseball fan until this year. Who knew that baseball could be so exciting?! Go Rays!

~Sarah

A Sinner's Prayer

Psalm 51:1-4a, 7-17 (ESV)

1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!

3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight...

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Sin is something that we (Christians) still struggle with every single day of our lives. We are not, nor will we ever be, immune from it. But, because of our relationship with Jesus Christ, we can, however, be sanctified from it. That will only be if we pray similarly to what David did in Psalm 51. Only then, will God restore to us our joy of salvation!

In memory of Phillip John Martin, Jr.

Yesterday was a hard day for my family. I guess that I didn't have time to really think much about it until today. I have been so busy with things going on at church. I really want to pay tribute to Phil. 

My brother, Phil, was born on October 26, 1976. He lived 29 years on this earth. He was a loved son, an amazing brother, a good husband, a wonderful father, and a great friend. On September 28, 2006, his battle with cancer ended and our great Lord chose to take him home. Though he is away from us, he will never be forgotten. We love you, Phil!

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you." Philippians 1:3

Welcome Fall!

I absolutely love this time of year. It's much different here in Florida than it is in Indiana but it is still very pleasant. It's not too hot and it's not too cold but the autumn smells are still in the air. Everyone's moods are different. They're happier...and nicer! It's as if they are anticipating the upcoming  holidays. 

I really enjoy decorating my home for the Fall season. It makes me feel like I am still in the North. Of course, who doesn't love Thanksgiving?! I love food! This year, I think I will try to make a pie...from scratch! Best of all, Christmas is just around the corner!

~Sarah (for the both of us)

Confessions of a Christian

Today I (Sarah) just want to share with you all what I have been learning in my devotions. It's rather long, but keep reading!

First it is confession time. With all that I have on my plate, my devotions have been slacking quite a bit the last month or so. I am a leader of a monthly Bible Study and just took on a weekly Bible Study within the last two weeks. I wasn't sure how to get devotions "crammed" in along with my studying that I have to do for my Bible Study as well as the children's programs that I am involved in at church. Jeremy finally asked me last week, "why don't you just do your studying for the Bible studies as your devotions?" I guess I just figured that I would be cheating God or myself. This week I took Jeremy's advice and...well...I'm proud of it! It has really gotten me into God's Word and isn't that the point of devotions? I am devoted to my personal study time more now than ever! It's great! So, now I share...

I am studying the book of Ephesians right now. Paul talks about the spiritual blessings that we can receive in Christ. The most important, I think, is the fact that we can have "redemption through His blood" (Eph. 1:7). This is the greatest blessing of all! 

This ties in with another study that I have been doing on having the mind of Christ. I have been learning the six characteristics of a Christ-like mind: Alive, Single-minded, lowly, pure, responsive, and peaceful. I'm not going to share about all six. That's for another time and another day. I am going to talk about the word "lowly." 

Paul tells us in Philippians 2:3, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in LOWLINESS of mind let each esteem others better than himself." Lowliness and humility are a lot alike but humility flows out of lowliness. How do we get lowliness? We get it by concentrating on genuine appreciation for God's holiness. It's hard to be full of yourself when you see and understand how holy God really is. I mean, look back in the Old Testament and read the accounts of all the people who encountered God. What were their reactions when God spoke? They were afraid. But remember, it was a godly fear. When they met God, they knew the need for lowliness. They immediately saw a BIG difference between God and themselves. 

It was nice to have the reminder this week of what Christ did for me. "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now I see!" Study the book of Ephesians or the characteristics of Christ and you will understand the greatness of God. When we have a clear view of God's greatness, we will have a proper view of ourselves and just how wretched we truly are!

Leaping Lizards!

I (Sarah) just have a funny story to share with you today. If you live in Florida, have lived in Florida, or have ever been to Florida then you will know what I'm talking about!

Sunday night Jeremy and I came home from church and found that two lizards had decided to grace us with their presence and take up residence in the living room. Now, these were not huge lizards, but two tiny, dark things. Still, I dread every single moment that they are in the house. It is just plain gross! (FYI-The longer they are in the house, the lighter their color.) Now, I know that lizards are scared of people so they will run away, but what if one gets confused and runs over my toes?! (Jeremy does not understand this about me but maybe someone out there will.) Anyway, after moving the furniture to try to coax them outside, they decided that it would be fun to run up the wall and behind the blinds of one of the windows. After that, I decided to just let Jeremy deal with it because I was getting frustrated with the little creatures! Eventually they decided that they had overstayed their welcome and they ran out the door.

Now, usually my story would be over, but alas! It is not! On Tuesday evening I was home alone and saw one creeping along the wall! This one was a lot lighter in color than the previous two so I knew that it had been in the house for quite some time. When I saw it, I was talking to Jeremy on the phone so he came home to "rescue" me. I kept my eyes glued on that little guy until Jeremy got home. This task was different from the last because the lizard took refuge behind our hanging wall clock. We decided that we would have to use a small bucket to hold over the clock and then try to knock the clock off the wall and into the bucket. Eventually Jeremy got the clock off the wall. Well, what do we do next? Jeremy was still holding the bucket on the wall, so I had to tear some poster board in half so that he could slide it between the wall and the bucket. Well, that's good, but how do we get it down without that lizard slipping out? So, I got packaging tape and we taped the poster board to the bucket and voila! The perfect lizard trapping device! 

Okay, still my story is not yet done! Yesterday, Jeremy was driving to work and he saw one climbing up the outside windshield of our car, hanging on for dear life! Then, when Jeremy got to work, he noticed that he had accidentally squished one in the car door as it was trying to stow away in the back seat. Now, I ask you, what is the meaning of all these lizards? Could they be trying to tell us something? No, maybe not. Maybe they just see us a nice people or our house as a nice place to lodge. 

Bye-Bye Love

Jeremy's catalog season is coming upon us, which can only mean one thing, summer is OVER. Catalog season is very busy. It usually means no time to spend with each other until December. For Jeremy, this means long days at work and staying up late. Jeremy will be working hard and he would appreciate your prayers through the months ahead.

Another reason why we know that summer is over is because the ladies Bible study at our church is starting back up. Sarah has been really busy all summer long preparing for September's meeting. The ladies will be studying the attributes and characteristics of Christ. Please pray that the meetings will go well.

Along with Jeremy's catalog season and Sarah's Bible study, we will also be starting up our Wednesday evening children's programs at church. There is a lot that goes into preparing for Wednesday night. We enjoy this ministry very much and we love teaching the kids about Christ. It's encouraging to see how they react when they finally understand what we've been teaching them!

As you can see, we have a lot on our plate this Fall. If, for some reason, we can't update our blog in the next few months, you will know why. Please keep the Dail family in your prayers. We appreciate it very much!

US Gymnastic Duo

If any of you have been watching the Olympics on prime time, then you have probably seen the gymnastics competitions. There has been a lot of controversy about the women's team from China not being old enough to compete. While watching the competitions, I have found myself becoming frustrated with the scoring of the girls on the China team. Last night, during the individual all-around competition, it was no different. I was fully expecting Yang Yilin and Jiang Yuyuan of China to come out on top because of all the scoring frustrations. Thankfully, Jiang Yuyuan did so poorly, there was no hope for her. No matter how good (or bad) the two from China were, the duo from the US was much better. There was no stopping Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson. They seemed to be on fire from the beginning. They said that they wanted the US to go 1-2 and they put up quite a fight. After all the hardships they had during the team competition, they proved that the US is the best!

2008 Olympics in Beijing

I don't call myself an athlete by any means. I try to play sports but mostly, I just watch it on television. I always loved watching the Olympics growing up. I have seen so many different events. Every chance I get, I am either following along via tv or internet. My favorites this time around have been beach volleyball, swimming, gymnastics, and basketball. I am excited for track and field to start!!

Jeremy and I have really enjoyed watching Michael Phelps race to complete his Olympic goals! He is truly the greatest Olympian of all time. It will be amazing if he can complete his goal and win the rest of those gold medals!

The highlights for me so far  have been when the US smashed the world record and beat France in the men's 4X100m freestyle relay; the US men's gymnastics winning bronze; and watching the US women's gymnastics team put up quite a fight to get the silver medal. Go USA! 

The Angels are Singing

We haven't updated our blog in a while. We had to make an emergency visit to North Carolina on July 26th. We received a call from Jeremy's family that his Grandma Dail had passed away. We enjoyed our visits with Grandma whenever we were in Goldsboro and we will miss her very much. However, we are sure that we will see her again in Heaven. We know that she is up there singing with the angels! 

In my weakness...

In My Weakness by: Cary Schmidt

When living life for Jesus Christ becomes too hard a task,

When obedience means sacrifice that seems to much to ask;

That's when I learn that my own strength isn't really strength at all,

And I find rest in humbleness when I surrender all.

In my weakness He is strong;

In my need He leads me on.

When I come to the end of all I am,

And I place my trust in Him;

That's when His strength begins-

In my weakness.

When failures in my human strength have weakened all my pride,

Andy ruined hopes in fallen dreams have crumbled me inside;

It's then by grace I fin'lly see the strength of Jesus Christ,

His victory is real in me when weakness fills my life.

In my weakness He is strong;

In my need He leads me on.

When I come to the end of all I am,

And I place my trust in Him;

That's when His strength begins-

In my weakness.

II Corinthians 12:9-10 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

"Cotton" Anniversary

Last month we celebrated our two year wedding anniversary. Jeremy surprised me by sending me flowers but the best part didn't come until a few days later. Since our anniversary fell on a weekday, it was hard for Jeremy to get off from work so he planned a weekend get away at a Golf Club Resort. Neither of us really plays golf but it was nice just to get away from the house work for a while. It rained all weekend and our electricity in our room went out due to a thunderstorm but we still had a wonderful time. I must say, it's nice to have the option to just go somewhere for a weekend. By the way, we didn't get any "cotton" anniversary gifts this year. Maybe we'll have better luck on our "Leather Anniversary." 

Spend and be spent!

Well, this is my first time ever blogging. I thought I would try it because I wanted all my friends to have a better understanding of the lives of the Dail family. 

Let me just start off by sharing about this week. Our church (Missouri Avenue Baptist in Clearwater, FL) is finishing up Vacation Bible School. We have had so much fun working with the children as well as with our friends in the church. There is a famous phrase that was always mentioned when I worked as a counselor at a Christian camp in North Carolina. It comes to my mind this week: Spend and be spent! I can honestly say that I feel that way this week. I am exhausted but I know that it was worth it to see the kids in our group smiling. Most importantly, there were a few that made some good, solid decisions that glorify my Lord. That is the best part! So, my dear friends, how are you serving others this week? Live life as though you could meet our Creator at any time. I tell you, spend and be spent!