WELCOME to an odd mixture of Posts, Links and Videos on topics such as Family, Music, Religion, Current Events, Politics, etc. and all with my humor mixed in. And trust me, I'm verrrry funny.
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TWO THINGS...First, always make sure (quadruple check if you have to WITH your insurance company) what your CURRENT plan covers and what you will owe (this time it was a $700+ lesson for us). I'm sure this gets easier to keep track of the longer you deal with having multiple types of insurance - at least I hope it does.
Second and much more light hearted, in my latest poll I gave the option of "Other" but now that someone has selected it I am trying to think of what all could be considered "Other." So, for those that select "Other" please, if you don't mind, use this post and let us know what you are referring to. It might be something we would like to get news info from too.
You know, I killed a big evil spider outside on our building this morning. Perhaps he was related to someone that was works for our dental insurance company and that's why our insurance plan is now different than we thought....hmmmmm.
Well, after inquiring about what we thought was an error on our statement my (OLD) dentist's office is saying that our insurance is only covering about 50% rather than the 80% originally thought. Meaning my $700 lesson is now a $1300+ BILL. Needless to say I am fighting it and this is not the end of this story. Perhaps eventually I will have to appeal to the insurance company (if the dentist's office does not) but I do not intend to go down without a fight before I fork over almost double what the dentist's office said I was going to owe!!
That office had a duty to at the very least to explain that they are basically guessing because they never checked to see if my insurance would actually cover them at the assumed 80% even after our discussion that there had been changes in my insurance coverage. They needed some basic customer service and should have at least told me upfront that they did not contact the insurance company to confirm any charges - that is until after it was too late and I called to ask about a crazy bill. I accept my part and what my responsibility should have been (that's the $700 lesson) but that's where my willingness to just suck it up stops.
That's the SHORT version. I'll let you know what happens next.
You know, I look around at my home and while others may see just a stepping stone to something "better." Today I took a few minutes and saw wonderful pieces of my life so far. Wow how blessed am I! It can be difficult for me to take a step back and really see that sometimes. I am trying to get better at that. I find it easier to do so when you are in the valley and hope to continue to do so during those times at the mountain top.
When Marty was in the hospital it was a very hard time for me. Probably the hardest in my life in many ways. So when I find myself ready to leap across the room and choke him (metaphorically speaking!) for spilling his tea, yet again, I try to remember how wonderful it is to just have him home and getting better. In addition I can't express just how greateful I am that God gave me the family and friends that I have.
When you reach those times in life where you realize you simply can't do it on your own, I pray you choose to rely on God to get you through. It is a humbling, peaceful place with a joy you have to feel to truly understand. It is amazing to see what God can do that you think is impossible!
Clearly I cannot do it on my own. This I am learning. And this actually gives me peace.
My dad use to pull over for the "Scenic View" or "Historical Markers" on the side of the road (actually he probably still does) when we were traveling somewhere. It drove me crazy to stop on the way but now I not only have funny stories but can appreciate as a parent why he did that. Forcing yourself to stop and look around, really look around. Not a bad habit in regular everyday life too, don't you think?
I found this link on
MN Representative Michelle Bachman's website (great site as well!). The Gas Buddy link provides info on gas prices in the USA and Canada.
A friend of mine said that she hoped I am finding "jewels of a joy in each day."
I love that! What a great "treasure hunt" each day can be!
God has certainly been helping us walk through these trying times and when I look, those "jewels" are definitely there. What a blessing!
PICTURE SLIDESHOWS
Coming soon: pictures of the kids!!
One Last Thought From Me
Why not remember this act of love and sacrifice daily rather than just at Easter? Yes, this event is an indescribably joyous one because Jesus did rise from the dead but we should never forget how and why He suffered unimaginably before defeating Death and Hell itself on our behalf. He did so while thinking of you and me. In doing so he personally took on our sin, our pain and a debt we could not pay in order to provide a way to complete forgiveness and redemption. The truth is, either way death is not the end and being a “good person” isn’t a substitution for being truly forgiven.
God tells us that by simply believing Jesus rose from the dead, confessing and turning away from our sin and making the Bible the true foundation of our life, we will be forgiven for our sins and live eternally in Heaven.
As you may know, I am far from perfect and if you have doubts about that I’m sure you can find a multitude of people who can confirm that. I have made countless mistakes and bad judgments and will again in the future despite my best intentions. It is because of this that I am exceedingly thankful I can go directly to God and ask for help, ask for forgiveness and know that God's mercy is new every morning as I continually work to keep my foundation on God's Word. Truly accepting God's love, mercy and a true freedom offered in a life firmly anchored in His Word is something there simply aren't words to describe.
I have to admit that I regularly take that for granted and listening to the words in a song like “Via Dolorosa” is one way to help remind me of the sacrifice Jesus made on that cross. Deciding to live for Christ was without a doubt the best decision I made in my life. Don’t get me wrong, it didn’t solve all my problems and make my life perfect. But I have a peace and hope only God can offer and I know in God’s eyes He sees a child forgiven rather than condemned. Now that I am a parent I can’t even begin to imagine what it must be like for God to watch His children exercise their free will when they chose to reject Him rather than embrace the salvation He offers each of us.
Regardless of your feelings on God and Jesus I hope you enjoy the power of the images and music I posted. And thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts about what can be a very sensitive issue.
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