Monthly Archive for January, 2008

The Transplant

Published on January 29, 2008 in Projects. 7 Comments

jettafix.JPG

It’s almost ready to lift out! All I need to unhook are the axles, exhaust, and motor mounts.

Yes, I am really enjoying it, even though:

  1. It’s cold out there in the garage
  2. It takes me long time to do some things that should be simple
  3. It feels a bit overwhelming at times!

Other plusses so far: I got to listen to 2 Blazer games, and the State of the Union address on the radio!

Poor Jetta :(

Published on January 23, 2008 in Family. 1 Comment

Alison’s 91 Jetta died yesterday. It had been running rough for her, so I drove it to work yesterday so I could listen to it. It quit with a big plume of smoke over by Les Schwab. Pretty sad.

Well, I broke the news to Alison, and we wondered aloud what we were going to do next. I did ask God for help too! When I got home I typed “jetta motor” into the search box on craigslist… This is what appeared:

jetta1.jpg

Whoa! One of the top items was this 92 Jetta (only 1/2 mile away here in southeast Dundee!) To jump ahead, I looked at it today, and were going to do it. ($200 is pretty cheap for getting a car with a blown motor back on the road!

If you see that my fingernails look dirty in the next couple of weeks, you’ll know why! And I’ll keep you posted. Its been over 20 years since I’ve attempted such a job!

You never know what a day will bring… but God is good!

Here’s a pic of the donor vehicle:

jetta2.jpg

Something Heavy

Published on January 23, 2008 in Thoughts. 2 Comments

At church last Sunday we were given important reminders about caring for our environment and being good stewards of our resources. I really am grateful for the way Gregg presented the information and challenge. It was scriptural and practical. I like the idea that re-using, reducing and recycling can actually be a form of worshiping God. It shows that we care about what He made.

Gregg’s message has stimulated some interesting blog discussions which have all been very good. I started thinking last night about the environment and our minds. There are similarities between pollution and sin:

  • We all are stuck in a system where both are out of control
  • Maybe we can’t avoid either of them completely, but we all need to try to be as pure as we can
  • We each need to look at both pollution and sin on a personal level. It’s more important than judging what other people do.
  • Pollution is sin against the earth, sea, and sky; sin is pollution in our minds, bodies, and relationships

This comparison breaks down when I think about solutions.

The problem of pollution and wise use of resources will only be solved when we all work together. The problem of sin andbadwater2.jpg impurity will only be solved when we individually come to Christ.

This is a picture of a contaminated river. It is also what we all look like inside.