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Mon Apr  1 08:15 EST 1996
Weekend Update March 29-31

We've been busy, in between guests, house hunting.  Our house has
been up for sale by owner for some time but we have not put in more
than a casual effort (really) to date.  This past weekend, we have
two interesting calls on our home, and if these do not pan out, we
will be listing it with a real estate agent (again) tonight.  We
want to be in the MLS (Multiple Listing System) and get exposure
during the Spring feeding frenzy of house buying.  However, selling
by owner is our preferred way to handle this (saving a few realtor's
commissions).

The Magnusons spent Friday evening with us, bumming around.  I've been
scratching at the lawn, too, for a little while each afternoon after
coming home from work.  Saturday morning, Joy and I went out to do some
chores berfore her sister (Faith) and brother-in-law (BIL, John) arrived
for their annual March excursion to our place.  Among the chores for the
morning was to look at a plot of land in the woods of Massachusetts.

  Now, it pains me to think that I would even consider moving back
  into such a politically liberal and repulsive state, but I'm paying
  their state income tax anyway, so I may as well get a break on my
  property taxes.  (In NH, the tax burden is on property owners, but
  the car insurance is much cheaper and there is no sales tax so it
  comes out a little ahead (still) in NH, at least where we live now.)
  However, if things go well, I hope to be able to register to vote
  against John Kerry by this fall's election.  My only regret for
  having lived in New Hampshire is not being able to vote against
  Ted Kennedy.  And since I have paid a Massachusetts tax for some
  number of years, for what ammounts to a highway toll of about $5
  per 40 miles per day, I think I should have had a say in Massachusetts
  state politics.  I think they called it taxation without representation.

Anyway, the parcel of land was such that my wife exclaimed she was
nigh to coveting.  It was on a very quiet and out of the way place.
A four and a half acre wooded lot.  I thought she was going to kiss
the leaf-covered ground that carpeted the property.  We've told our
realtor (the one looking for a house to move into) that if we can make
the numbers work, we will want to build a home there.

Back to home and Faith and John arrive minutes later bearing unbirthday
gifts.  (They spoil us, really.)  This year everyone got a book!  Mine
is called, "Politically Correct Bedtime Stories" which is a spoof on
political correctness by telling some of the well-known fairy tales
in PeeCee terms.  It's an appropriate gift because it presses many of
my hot buttons, even knowing its a spoof.  Those Parkers were playing
me like a fiddle!  The Frog Prince begins: "Once there was a young
princess who, when she grew tired of beating her head against the male
power structure at her castle, would relax by walking in the woods and
sittig beside a small pond.  There she would amuse herself by tossing
her favorite golden ball up and down and pondering the role of the
eco-feminist warrior in her era."  Woman is spelled wommon and women
is spelled womyn.  Makes me want to puke!  Thanks, Faith and John,
for another platform to spew my neanderthalithic euro-centric bloated
patriarchal diatribes!  :-)  We taught them how to play hand and foot
and they beat us badly, to boot.

  One side note: my 7 year old no longer holds the high score on
  the Cactus Jack pinball machine.  With 69 million, my wife Joy
  assumes the top spot, relegating me to third place!  This on
  Friday.  O, the shame!  (I was proud to watch her do this.  She
  doesn't rub it in my face like my 7 year old!)

Sunday we made omelets before heading off to church.  An unexpected lunch
was offered to my family by the Scotts (the Pastor in Windham) so we
spent the afternoon with them.  It was business and pleasure though
which meant we missed our Nazarene Nap.  Now, Jessica has to be at
the (Lowell) church early on Sunday evening so when we drop her off
we often will go up to the Parsonage (where the associate pastor, Dave
and Paula Bickom live).  When we arrived, Paula had already set a table
for us for a Tea (with scones and other refreshments!).  How very
unexpectedly pleasant!  The Bickoms followed us home after church and
we cleared out the leftovers from our fridge and did some fine tubbing.

Joy shows the house this morning at 11am.  In all of this, we have
been praying for God's best, just like when we waited for my job.
It may be that what we have seen looks good to us, but may not be
His best.  We want Him to override us so that we have His best.
God has exceeded my dreams in this job with many blessings.  And
although it has been difficult at times to wait, Joy and I know that
it is for His best and we will not be disappointed by it.

Mark

P.S.  Got the advance copies of the Herald of Holiness this weekend.
I'm on Page 31 "The 'Lite' Touch."

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