WWBBD?

Our Daily Bread

Sorry, the title is an odd reference to the first South Park movie - What Would Brian Boitano Do? hehehe The devotional today is much more serious. Not only what would Jesus do, but what DID Jesus do.

Jesus died for your sins and mine on the cross. He rose again victorious over death. He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God. Talk about "no ordinary life'!

Our big question is: how will we react to what Jesus did for us? We all make choices each day. We all can chose to live for Christ or not. It is that simple. Yes, we all fall. Yes, we all make mistakes. The key is to get right back up and keep trying. Each time we sin it becomes easier to sin the next time.

Lord, I want to be more like you. Please help me make better choices each day.

Discipleship Two-sday

The themes for the two chapters this week are Justice and Compassion. To be frank (and I usually am), I am just not getting these two topics. I will finish reading and studying tonight and maybe a little bit before class tomorrow night. The scripture passages are all over the Old Testament. I am not connecting to the language in the passages. I will have to pay close attention tomorrow night in class!

Other Stuff

I went to the doctor yesterday to look at my knees. There is just a bruise on the left knee. We are going to do an MRI on the right knee. There might be cartilage damage. It is feeling better, but still gimpy. I will blog about my experience.

I had a nice evening with Fly bear. I always enjoy spending time with my close friend.

Busy day at work yesterday. Today will be the same. We are counting down to the upgrade weekend. Whew!

Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

My hands are not empty...

Our Daily Bread

The timeliness that God displays to me almost every day when I read these devotionals never ceases to amaze me!

I was a little "down" over the weekend. I was going through some tests and wasn't doing as well as what I wanted. Yes, God was there to strengthen me. He was there to forgive me when I failed. We had a talk this morning about helping me break my rebellious spirit when I find it necessary to do things my own way. I am not trusting enough. Not having faith in the promises that God made to me. I know that is just human. I have been working so hard to be a better child of God. When I listened, he finally got through to me that I have been trying too hard instead of relying on him more. DOH!

So what is in your hand today? I found some wonderful friendships (even though I don't have a boyfriend or partner). I found a great job (all jobs have their faults). I found a wonderful home (even though it needs maintenance and repairs regularly). I found health that is good enough to do the things I need to do (even after the Triple Axle I did off the palette at Target on Friday). I found so many things that God has strengthened me to do and have. In Christ alone will I glory. In Christ alone will I have faith and trust.

Your hands are not empty either. Take a look. Don't let the failures of the past or the worries about the future ruin the present.

Lord, thank you for being my strength and hope.

Movie Monday

I had time to see two movies this weekend: Megamind and Burlesque. Quite different movies!

Megamind: Megamind was sort of a typical Dreamworks "let's learn a lesson from the characters" kind of movie. It was cute. It had some very funny moments. It also had some odd moments. In short, the story line is two aliens make their way to earth when their planets explode. One finds his way to a rich family and has the best of everything (and turns out good). The other one lands in a prison and is raised by prisoners. Guess what? He turns out bad! Go figure! Their rivalry is not really one -- MetroMan, the good guy, always beats Megamind, the bad guy. You will have to see the movie for the ending. I give tihs movie two bear paws.

Burlesque: Seeing and hearing Christina Aguilera sing the songs in the movie was worth the price of admission. It is a good thing. There isn't a lot more there! There is a love story. There is Cher losing the club. There is her gay assistant (Stanley Tucci, grrrr, who I had always hoped was gay!). The dancing, songs and music are very cool. I give this one two bear paws as well. Oh, and there is an Best Song Oscar moment for Cher that wasn't too bad. ;-)

Other Stuff

My knees are doing better. I tried to take it easy yesterday. I kept them elevated via a large pillow. I can do more on my right knee this morning than I could yesterday morning. I will be careful. I will take it easy. I will schedule an appointment with the doctor.

I did some reading for my D2 class. I need to look at the chapters some more after I finish reading everything the first time. I am not getting some of the scripture readings. I will read the book closer to get more understanding.

More fun at work today. We plan to upgrade our next lab this week. We are still on schedule to do our production upgrade on Dec 10. Whew!

Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

What do you treasure?

Our Daily Bread

"Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." Matt 6:21 In modern day language, I translate this verse as "whatever is a priority to you, you will spend you time on it". Whoa! I learned something about this during my Walk to Emmaus. When someone says, "I am sorry, I don't have time for you" or more subtlety "Oh, I am soooo busy, you wouldn't believe it", they are really saying "you are not a priority to me". Why do say this when it sounds sort of mean?

Look at your own life. Don't you "make" time for the things or people that are really important to you? You drop everything when a close friend needs your help. You make time to spend with a family member at the hospital. You carve out time in your schedule for that special event at church that means a lot to you? We all do it. It is important to recognize that we do it and set out priorities correctly.

Lord, I want you and your will to be my priority. Please help me do that every day.

Sunday Friend

My Sunday Friend is a close friend from St Louis. I will call him the Longing One. I met him the same weekend I first met my best friend face to face. We talked a lot and found out we had a lot in common. We kept in touch over the years. We visited each other at different times during our friendship. We have the kind of friendship that we can pick up at any time and remain close even if we haven't spoken in a while. He tried to keep up with my blog, which means a lot to me.

I call him the Longing One because he has always longed for the kind of long-term relationship that God had for him. We were not meant to be together, but we could always talk about our spiritual lives and our relationships. He has been with his current partner for a long time now. I am so happy for both of them. I wish them well and pray for them as they continue to grow together as a couple. I am so proud of him and am blessed to have him in my life. He prays for me to be patient as I am waiting for my special man to come along.

Other Stuff

My right knee is doing a little better today after elevating it and alternating ice and movement yesterday. I will take it easy again today. I am still having major issues with it. The xrays showed no fractures according to the doctor at the urgent care center. I will schedule an appointment with my doctor tomorrow. The bruise on the left knee is coming out now. ;-( It is tender, but not sore. It is sort of embarrassing explaining that I injured myself in a tragic shopping accident. ;-p It is what it is!

I watched football yesterday and did some reading for D2. I have to admit that I did a lot of stress eating. I will do better today. ;-(

The testing continues. I am doing my best to pass this one. I can only do this with God's help.

Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Am I going to be tested on this?

Our Daily Bread

The devotional today was another one of those "oh, that is nice. Someone will get a lot out of this (but not me)" devotions! hehehe You know how those usually end up for me! I get more out of them than many other days!

The two main things I got out of the devotional are: trust God all the time and look forward to life and the afterlife. I thought it was amazing that the sports caster wanted to talk about his relationship with God instead of talking about his "no ordinary life". Wow! It would have been so easy to yearn for the good, old days. The second message was from the scripture about whether to leave this body for heaven or to stay and do more work for Christ. Wow! I thought that was cool as well.

Lord, help us spend our days doing your work knowing that we have a wonderful place to rest for eternity.

Simply (sore) Saturday

This verse spoke to me in a different way today: 2 Corinthians 5:8 "Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord." I would rather be away from this earthly body today. Ouch! I hurt both knees when I fell at Target yesterday. The left knee is sore, but not in too bad of shape. The right knee is a different story. I can walk on it, but that is about it. It is stiff, it doesn't bend easily and trying to rest on that knee to put up Christmas decorations hurts like heck. I will call the doctor later this morning. Did I mention ouch?

God told me that I would have something odd happen to me before the end of the year. I thought it was going to be another eye issue. The eyes aren't in great shape, but I am getting by. I plan to get glasses so I can see better. I am not happy about that, but it is what it is.

I think the knee problem will be a big challenge for me. Things have been going very smoothly for me since I made the promise to "be upbeat and steady". It is time to be tested. Having knee surgery on my right knee, if required, would be quite a challenge for me. I saw what kind of challenge it was (and is) for my mother since she had her knee surgery last Friday. I will blog about my diagnosis and the experience if it happens.

God is also working with me about being strong enough to break my relationship patterns of the past. We identified them over the past three years. I recognize the behaviors. I need to adjust my behaviors accordingly. Some examples:

1. I will be more "friend-like" instead of a longing ex-boyfriend for Ying. We still talk too intimately at times. That is inappropriate.

2. I will not flirt with my new buddy. We are becoming close friends. Nothing romantic. Not friends with benefits.

3. I will not display anger and angst towards Yang. I figured out that at this point in our usual pattern that I start asking "What are we?" I wrote about that question a few months ago on Wee-way-shun-ship Wednesday if you remember. In the past, I would not get the answer I wanted, so I would get angry and make Yang angry in the process. Not good. I don't have to ask the question this time around. I know the answer. We are close friends who are trying to find God's will for our relationship. That is enough for me. Being in his life, regardless of how big or small the role, is enough for me now.

I remember in school that I asked this question a lot: "Am I going to be tested on this?" If the material was important for me to learn, the professor would say "Yes, of course". I am asking God the question that any human would about life lessons: "Am I going to be tested on this?". It is important to learn and practice all the lessons that God teaches us. It is important to study. It is important to get tested. We may not always pass the tests, but we keep studying and learning and moving forward. We CAN pass the tests with the power of God energizing our lives and subduing our stubborn wills. We CAN live a victorious life. A life where we don't know what we want to do more -- be in heaven with God or continue the honor of serving him in this world.

I will be upbeat and steady. This is not a Thomas the Train "I think I can, I think I can" statement. This is a "with the power of God, I can stand in his glory and be the kind of man he wants me to be". In Christ alone will I glory...

Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Black Friday, but not in my heart...

Our Daily Bread

God has really used this devotional site to speak to me in the last year. I am so thankful for the messages I read every day. The devotional today is no exception. The scripture is the basis for a favorite sacred art song - The Lord is my Light. I love singing that song!

So how does one get to the point in his or her spiritual life that one "pants for God like a deer panting for water". Wow! I had a few short-lived periods like this in my life. They were way too short. I want to get back to that state of mind somehow.

What am I doing to continue growing? First, I put meaningful scripture passages in obvious places during my day. I read them almost every day to remind me. I write this blog so I read and write about my devotional each day. I am taking a Disciple class at church in which I study several chapters in the Bible each week. I also made a commitment to pray more and talk less (THAT was an adjustment!). I will keep trusting and having faith in God. I will do my best to move forward in my relationship with him. That is what I do...

Lord, help each of us to trust in you to be our light each and every day.

Special Edition: Black Friday

I had a nice day with my family for Thanksgiving. The meal turned out great. Everyone seemed to enjoy the time together. I got the mess cleaned up at my mother's apartment and then drove home to rest.

A good buddy wanted to shop the Black Friday sales this morning. I was crazy enough to go with him! We got up at 3:00 am. Made it to a horribly long line at Target before they opened. We bought most of the sale items we wanted and got out of that craziness about 5:05 am. We picked up a gift for my buddy's mother at Sears. We went to Walmart to check out the sales there. We got out of there very quickly compared to Target! We also stopped by Meijer, Home Depot and then had breakfast at Mimi's Cafe. We finished off our shopping extravaganza at Target (again) and a different Meijer store (they had a special item the first Meijer didn't carry). It was a great morning deserving of a late morning nap! After lunch, my buddy helped me carry the Christmas decorations up from the basement. I will spend this evening and tomorrow putting up the trees and other decorations. I will post some of the pictures on here.

On a sad note, I fell off of a pallet while picking up a box. My foot got caught in the corner of the pallet. I fell and landed HARD on my knees. My left knee took most of the impact, but I twisted my right knee in the process since my right foot got caught in the pallet. Ouch. Did I mention Ouch? OH well. It hurts. I will put some ice on them and alternate with heat. I am limping a little bit. I should be OK.

Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our Daily Bread

As expected, the devotional is about being thankful. Yeah, yeah, we hear that everywhere this time of year! hehehe Just kidding. I want to share two things with you about this devotional.

First, I had forgotten about the Proverbs passage associated with the devotional. These verses, though out of order, really spoke to me. I am a smart guy that likes to figure things out. As a 51 year old man, I am also at the age that finding meaning in life can be a challenge at times. I don't struggle with that much because I always try to fill my life with meaningful activities. ;-) Here are the verses from Proverbs 3:

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;

do not depend on your own understanding.

6 Seek his will in all you do,

and he will show you which path to take.

2 If you do this, you will live many years,

and your life will be satisfying.

The end of verse 2 is amazing. Your life WILL BE satisfying. Is that a great promise or what?

I also want to share with you the lyrics to a song by John Bucchino called Grateful. My prayer is that we can all be grateful today and every day, if we have all of these things or not.

I've got a roof over my head

I've got a warm place to sleep

Some nights I lie awake counting gifts

Instead of counting sheep

I've got a heart that can hold love

I've got a mind that can think

There may be times when I lose the light

And let my spirits sink

But I can't stay depressed

When I remeber how I'm blessed

Grateful, grateful

Truly grateful I am

Grateful, grateful

Truly blessed

And duly grateful

In a city of strangers

I've got a family of friends

No matter what rocks and brambles fill the way

I know that they will stay in the end

I feel a hand holding my hand

It's not a hand you can see

But on the road to the promised land

This hand will shepherd me

Through delight and despair

Holding tight and always there

Grateful, grateful

Truly grateful I am

Grateful, grateful

Truly blessed

And duly grateful

It's not that I don't want a lot

Or hope for more, or dream of more

But giving thanks for what I've got

Makes me so much happier than keeping score

In a world that can bring pain

I will still take each chance

For I believe that whatever the terrain

Our feet can learn to dance

Whatever stone life may sling

We can moan or we can sing

Grateful, grateful

Truly grateful I am

Grateful, grateful

Truly blessed

And duly grateful

Technology (and Thanksgiving) Thursday

I made the buy recommendation to my aunt for her camcorder. I selected the Sony DCR-SX63 Flash memory Handycam Camcorder. Here is the link to it on Amazon.com.

Let's review the questions I posed a few weeks ago to see how I came to this decision.

What kind of picture quality do I want (regular or HD): This camcorder does a great job of regular picture quality. My aunt doesn't have an HD TV so the HD mode would be overkill.

How long do I want to shoot video (battery life and memory considerations): This camcorder can shoot from 4 hours to 11 hours of video to the builtin 16 gig of memory. The model also has slots for SD or Memory Stick cards. The coolest part is that you can offload the internal memory to the memory cards, then keep shooting, OR you can shoot directly to the memory cards.

The battery life is not quite as good as what I would like with the included battery. Other available batteries can be purchased with a much longer shooting time than an hour.

Where do I want to play the video (DVD on my TV, Youtube, etc.)

This model comes with computer software and a USB cable that enable you to transfer the files and burn them to DVD so you can plan them on a regular DVD player. You can also hook up the camcorder directly to your TV with another included cord.

Do I want to hold the camera or mount it on a tripod? (size and steadiness requirements)

I chose this camera because it has advanced image stabilization for the times when you don't have a tripod. I think that is necessary!

Do I need zoom? If so, how much?

I selected this model because it has 60x zoom. That is incredible. Everyone needs zoom. ;-)

How much do I want to pay?

My aunt wanted to pay less than $300. I started my search on Amazon.com using the search option to filter by price ($0 - $300). Very cool. You can select other filters as you review the options. I selected the optical zoom as well.

How much do I want to pay for recording media?

DVDs are very cheap now for burning the videos to disk. The extra memory cards are also relatively inexpensive compared to what they used to be. I think the most expensive accessory is an extra battery (the more powerful version).

Ease of use (Do I have to be a rocket scientist to use this thing?)

This model was rated by many buyers as easy to use. The controls are clearly marked and they make sense. Very cool.

So that is my story and I am sticking to it! ;-) I hope this example of how to pick a camcorder will help you find a great bargain on Black Friday!

Other Stuff

I got off work later than I wanted. Most folks left early due to the holiday weekend. I worked overtime! Oh well. My only concern was getting to the Honey Baked Ham store before they closed (and everyone else at Polaris converged on the store!). I picked up my ham and my Thanksgiving meal at Mimi's Cafe. Very cool. It will only take me a few hours to warm stuff this afternoon.

I also managed to get some laundry done, look at a friend's laptop that is having issues, and do the camcorder research for Technology Thursday.

As usual, I am doing fun stuff with friends and family to relax and enjoy my "no ordinary life". I am having dinner with my mother and sister today. I plan to go Black Friday shopping with a buddy tomorrow. Walmart and Waffle House! Woohoooo! I hope to get my Christmas decorations up this weekend and see a movie or two.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady and thankful. That is what I do...

Two for the road...

Our Daily Bread

The devotional today is about order in the universe. The author gives the examples of music and medicine. Music can soothe. Medicine can heal. Neither can function without order! He ends with the point that Jesus restores God's order to the universe through his love and his sacrifice. Very cool...

Music and medicine have meant a lot to me for most of my life. As many of your know, my undergraduate degree is in Church Music. I was a voice major. I still sing when I have the chance. I need to sing more. Music is the most complete way for me to express myself and for my mind and heart to be spoken to. I am sure you picked up on that if you have read my blog at all! I refer to special songs all the time!

I have been a sickly person for most of my life. I look as healthy as a horse, well maybe an overweight horse, but still healthy looking. I am fortunate and blessed and thankful to have survived many health issues. I am still fighting some today. I will overcome with God's help. Each challenge helps me trust God more.

My prayer for you is that you let Jesus restore order to your life. I am not saying it will be easy. Remember his call to his disciples? Pick up everything and follow me. Have faith. Trust God. It is a journey on a "no ordinary life".

Lord, please help us be thankful. Help us learn to trust and have faith.

Weight Loss Wednesday

Well, I may not suck as bad at this weight loss stuff as what I thought. I have been trying harder to reduce the amount of carbs I eat and thus the amount of insulin I take. Here are the weigh in results for this week:

Last week: 271.0

This week: 265.8

Lost this week: 5.2 pounds

Lost in total: 6.2 pounds

I will try to keep it up despite the Thanksgiving holiday. I want to lose 80 pounds. I will take it easy and try to change my eating habits. I can do this -- only with God's help.

I usually watch carbs and not always calories. The higher levels of insulin I need to take to process carbs usually induces a chemical reaction that causes weight gain. Stress and overeating don't help this condition at all. I am doing better about handling both. ;-)

Other Stuff

I had another busy day at work. We got some things done yesterday, but had some other odd issues as well. I fixed some things towards the end of the day that should make things work better today. I will see how it goes.

I had a nice dinner with a close friend last night. We talked and watched a movie. He liked the dinner I made (that is always so nerve wrecking!). I appreciate the way we can talk about stuff.

I have some errands to run after work tonight. I have to pick up the Mimi's Cafe meal and the Honey Baked Ham for tomorrow. I also want to drop off some laundry. I may make a sugar free chocolate pie to take tomorrow as well.

Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Backstage pass...

Our Daily Bread

A while back, a friend of mine won a set of concert tickets that included a backstage pass to meet the performers. I forgot who the performers were. I think it was some country music group. They had a pass that gave them unlimited access to a restricted area. They felt so special!

The devotional today talks about how we have our own backstage pass to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! How special do YOU feel now! ;-) We can talk to God at any time. We can rely on his strength and wisdom at any time. We can ask for help, praise him, or just be quiet and listen at any time. During this week of Thanksgiving, please take a few minutes to be thankful for the love of our God!

Lord, thank you for the backstage pass to your boundless love. I want to show that love in my life each day.

Discipleship Two-sday

We don't have our class this week due to Thanksgiving Eve. hehehe Here are some thoughts from previous lessons.

Jacob: Talk about amazing stories! This man wrestled with God. This man worked tirelessly for the woman he loved. This man was more imperfect than a reality TV star! Somehow, God decided to use him. God decided to rename him to the nation of Israel. One man can make a difference when God is in the equation! God can and will work through imperfect people. That is the most important lesson I learned from these chapters.

Joseph: Talk about amazing stories! hehehe Joseph was a cocky young man who was his father's favorite. That is not a good thing when you have ten older brothers! Ha! He was thrown in a pit to die, but was spared when his brothers decided to sell him into slavery instead. He prospered wherever he was in the land of Egypt even though he had many obstacles (or opportunities!) in his way. He went from a lowly slave to the second most powerful man in Egypt. God does work in mysterious ways. The lesson I learned is that I need to let go and let God!

Other Stuff

I had a nice evening with my buddy Fly bear. He is working over the holiday weekend, so we won't get to see each other. I am sure we will talk and text.

My friend, Bubby, got some good news yesterday that was an answer to prayer. Thank God!

My mother seems to be healing well from her knee surgery. I will see her again on Thursday for Thanksgiving.

Work is very busy, but going OK this week. We fixed some issues yesterday. That was a relief. Still have some more things to fix today and tomorrow. Whew!

I am having a friend over for dinner tonight. I am looking forward to having him in my home for the first time.

Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Special edition -- The latest epiphany

I promised last week that I would write about my latest epiphany. I changed the names to protect the innocent. ;-)

I have been working hard on making some personality adjustments the past three years. Considering all the other things I have been through with my health, I am amazed I can find my way to the kitchen each morning much less make personality adjustments! I had another epiphany last week.

There have been two odd relationships in my life the past three years: Ying and Yang. I finally figured out that the two men represented the two unhealthy relationship patterns I have displayed my entire life.

Ying represented the codependency pattern. After much prayer and talking with friends and my therapist, I finally have the strength to treat Ying in the manner required. We are supposed to be close friends with no romantic involvement. I have known this for a long time, but was not strong enough to make this happen. I can do this now. Ying and I are doing great as close friends.

I finally figured out that Yang represented the other pattern I call the angst of unrequited love. ;-( I had this pattern mainly in my 20's when I had crushes on straight guys that I knew would never return the affection. I felt like I never really deserved a relationship (whether with a man or a woman). The angst of unrequited love felt better than feeling nothing at all. I feel so relieved that I finally figured this out. I had lunch with Yang on Friday and told him about the epiphany. It has made our friendship stronger as we both understand what has been going on.

The last part of the epiphany is this: God knows the desires of my heart when it comes to a long-term relationship. He loves me. He has helped me love myself so that I can be patient for the man that he is bringing into my life in that special way.

Why do I write about these highly personal things? I do so for several reasons. First, I want you to know that God can work in your life and make changes at any age. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to change lifelong patterns at my age? :-) God can make this happen if you trust Him and have faith.

Second, I want you to know that God has a plan for your life. He works things to the good of those that love him (Romans 8:28). You can break the negative patterns. I haven't felt this free and unburdened in many years. Praise the Lord!

Lastly, God wants each of us to have the desires of our heart. He guides us to the right people at the right time. Have faith and trust God to identify and believe in the promises He has for us.

I thank all of you for your love and concern and prayers. I am so relieved by all of this. The "inside" of me is becoming stronger each day, week and year.

As I end my blog each day -- I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do.... Duane

Which are you?

Our Daily Bread

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you have read about the ups and downs in my "no ordinary life". Actually, the ups and downs are part of any life. It is how we react to those ups and downs that define us as people and as children of God.

The devotional gave two examples: the eternal optimist and the eternal pessimist. I know both kinds of people, don't you? Are you one of them? I have swung back and forth between the two during my life. The past few years I have focused on returning to the faith of my youth. During that time, my attitude and outlook have been all over the board at times! While I was the "steady one" for most of my life, it has not always been real. The outside has not always reflected what was happening on the inside.

A few months ago, a close friend said something to me in an email that hit me hard. Aren't all of these ups and downs affecting my relationships? My job? That was another epiphany moment for me. I started praying about it that night. I started signing off my blog with "I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do..." as a daily reminder of how God wanted me to be. It would be real this time by using the strength of God through my feeble mind and heart to be the rock that my friends and family need to lean on. That IS what I do...through the power of God.

Finally, we can all be confident in the message of this verse: "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Romans 8:28 I have relied on this promise for most of my life. ;-)

Lord, thank you for your promise. I want to have faith and trust you that everything is working to the good of those who love you.

Movie Monday

The new Harry Potter movie came out on Friday. No, I didn't go to the 12:01 showing like I did last time. I took off work a little early (after going to the office VERY early) so I could see the movie Friday afternoon.

The movie was very true to the book. It was dark. It was depressing, like if you only read half the book. Some cool characters died. There was a cliffhanger ending. It was also very exciting, especially with all the special effects during the fight scenes. I thought it was very well done. After 2:20, I was ready to watch the second half right away! We will have to wait until next year! I give this movie 3 bear paws. You should see this on the big screen!

Other Stuff

I had a busy weekend, but managed to get some much needed sleep. We had a nice time at our dinner group last night. Thanks everyone!

I get to spend some time with friends this week, then take Thanksgiving dinner to my Mom's apartment on Thursday. Thank goodness for Mimi's Cafe! ;-) I know how to cook Thanksgiving dinner, but I don't really have time to worry about it this week. I will warm up the meal I ordered from Mimi's and throw in a Honey Baked Ham as well. Woohoooo!

Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

O, Lord, our Lord, how majestic is...

Our Daily Bread

"O, Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all of the earth!" I knew this phrase from the Sandi Patti song came from scripture, but I didn't know what passage. It is from the scripture lesson today in Psalm 8:1. What a great song!

The devotional talks about how God uses children to accomplish his will. How many times has a child said something profound? We see things like that at my church almost every Sunday.

Those of you that know me realize I don't have pets. I have "adopted nieces and nephews" that are pets owned by friends and family. The children at church have a project for Christmas to gather pet supplies for dogs and cats at animal shelters. They touched my heart so I had to buy some of the stuff on the list during my last Target run!

God can use children. Pay attention even if you don't have children in your life on a regular basis (like me).

Lord, help us have the faith and trust of a little child.

Sunday Friend

My Sunday friend is my college best friend, the Wolverine. I call him that because he is from Detroit and is, ughhh...., a Michigan fan! Yikes! I tried to convert him to the way of the scarlet and gray, but I was unsuccessful! hehehe

W and I met during my sophomore year in college. We immediately formed a bond of friendship that had its ups and downs in college. The lady he eventually married was a friend of mine, so we had another "link" there. We talked and talked about our lives and the things that God was doing and that God was going to do.

He was part of the rebel crowd that dressed in camo and weren't the typical preacher boy personalities. He went through a rebellious time of drinking and partying that was difficult for me to watch. I did my best to drag him back to the right road. He eventually found it himself.

I talked to W about my sexuality. He was probably the first person that I talked to about it in depth. He supported me in the journey to come out because he cared about me and wanted God's will for my life. He would have preferred me as a straight colleague and best friend for life. We are still close, though we only email occasionally after losing touch for many years.

I will always be thankful for the love and concern and prayers from W. He will always hold a special place in my heart.

Other Stuff

I had a nice visit with my Mother yesterday. We laughed. We talked. We watched TV. I made her lunch. I also cleaned her kitchen floor with the new Swiffer WetJet I took her. She is recovering from the knee surgery she had on Friday. I am a little worried that her wound isn't clearing up as promised. I will check on her today.

I had some nice texts and phone calls with friends during the day and evening. I hadn't talked to my best friend much past two weeks due to his business trip. We had a nice talk last night.

I am going to rest today and get ready for my dinner group tonight.

Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Make me an instrument...

Our Daily Bread

I was reminded this week of the methodology used my ex-partner to teach music to children. The keys to the approach are getting each child involved in movement and playing an instrument. Orff designed the approach to enable children to be successful in creating music and expressing themselves through movement.

Isn't that the kind of methodology that God uses for His children? We learn by getting involved with movement (doing thins for God and for others). Instead of "playing" an instrument, we ARE the instrument of God's peace and love. Are you an instrument of God's peace and love or are you a clanging timbrel just making useless noise?

This is a great quote. Let it be our prayer for today:

"We gain the victory when we give up sin’s pleasure in exchange for Christ’s power."

Simply Saturday

Sorry I missed my Friday entry! I had a very busy week. I had to get into work very early on Friday. I didn't stop after I left the house in the morning. I had a great day, but it was tiring!

We were able to get started on the testing phase of my big project. Whew! Things are not working the way I want, but we are making progress. I need to work some this weekend.

I had a nice lunch with a close friend. I shared with him my latest epiphany. I will write more about that when I get time.

I saw the Harry Potter movie. I will review it on Monday, so stay tuned!

I had dinner with Bub (my Sunday Friend last Sunday). I am glad God put us in each other's lives. We are already getting to be close friends.

I went to see Cats with my mentor. We had a nice time. The show was great!

I am driving to Wooster today to help out my mother. She had knee surgery yesterday. She can move around with a walker. I want to support her like she supported me during my eye surgery in June.

I am looking forward to my dinner group tomorrow night.

Go Bucks! Beat Iowa! OH -- IO!!! ;-)

Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Super size me!

Our Daily Bread

Remember when every fast food place had a "super" size meal with a really large soft drink and a really large french fries with the sandwich? I remember eating two Big Macs or Quarter Pounders with cheese plus the super size drink and fries when I was younger! Yikes! I eat better now than then, but I still need to refine my eating habits. ;-p But I digress!

The point of today's devotional is that we need to focus on a spiritual diet that promotes spiritual health. Like junk food or a poor diet in general, some spiritual food may satisfy us in the short term, but not meet our long-term spiritual needs or growth. One passage likens it to a baby having only milk and soft food. As adults, we need to eat solid spiritual food for us to grow.

How do we know what is "solid food" and what is not? IMHO, look for the things that have stood the test of time. Books and fads can fade away. The two main commandments that Jesus gave us have not: Love God and Love our neighbor. Any teachings or readings that stray from those things might be suspect!

Lord, I want to improve my spiritual diet as well as my physical diet. Please help me to grow closer to you.

Technology Thursday

I apologize, but I am having a very busy week. I will have to write more next Thursday or later tonight if I get time. The topic is how to take the information from the past two Thursdays and apply it to a video recorder purchasing decision.

Other Stuff

I had a long day at work yesterday, but it was good. We got a lot done. Barring unforeseen issues, we should complete our milestone today as scheduled. Whew! I will be upbeat and steady. I will be upbeat and steady... Whew....

We had a great D2 class last night. I will miss seeing those folks next week due to Thanksgiving Eve (yes, I really said that). We will pick up our studies in Exodus the following week. We are almost half way done with the class!

God is working in so many areas of my life. I will write about the Thomas Merton prayer on Saturday. It has meant a lot to me. I will trust God. I will have faith.

Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Just say "yes"

Our Daily Bread

Nancy Reagan made the phrase "Just say no" famous during her husband's presidency. How many times have we joked about that phrase? ;-)

The devotional talks about saying yes. I like this sentence a LOT:

"And we can say yes to “righteousness” (right behavior), “faith” (right belief), “love” (right response), and “peace” (right focus)." That is a LOT to say yes to! I like to focus on the yes's of the Bible. Many folks think there are too many no's! We think of the Ten Commandments. We often forget about how many yes's there are and how Jesus told us to live rather than how NOT to live.

Lord, help me focus on the yes's in your Word. If I do that, I won't have time to do the no's!

Weight Loss Wednesday

I probably need to get another topic for Wednesdays. ;-( I suck at weight loss worse than I did writing about relationships! ;-p Oh well. In short, I gained a pound or two this week. I am -1 pound overall, which is good news. I tried to stop stress eating. I am doing better than usual, but still not good enough. I am keeping my blood sugar under control by taking a lot of insulin. Please say a little prayer for me. I can do this. I really can. (I think I can, I think I can...) hehehe

Other Stuff

God had a different plan for last night than what I planned. I think that was a good thing. I am not so sure my plan was a sound one! Relationships are a funny thing. I will keep walking down this road even though I have no idea where it is going. It may end soon or it may never end. I have no clue. I do know that I have faith in what God has promised me. I will trust Him more than ever.

I am making great progress on my big project at work. We are at least a day ahead of schedule this week. I am happy and thankful. We will see how things go today.

I have my Discipleship 2 class tonight. I am looking forward to that.

Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

How do I get to Carnegie Hall?

Our Daily Bread

The answer to this old joke is: Practice!!! hehehe The main point in the devotional is diligence. To be diligent, we need to practice.

Being a musician, I understood exactly what Midori was talking about when discussing practice. It is so easy for a musician or singer to just go through the motions to get their time in for the week. Another check box off the things to do list.

Aren't we that way with our spiritual life sometimes? We just go through the motions with our church attendance, Bible study and prayer life, if we do them at all! We say a few words in prayer so we can check that off our list for the day. Let us all consider devoting time to "performance" level practicing of our faith!

Lord, I don't want to go through the motions. I want to be a worker who is not ashamed to come before you.

Discipleship Two-sday

We had two chapters again this week: Trials and Law.

The Trials chapter focused around Exodus 15 - 19, Numbers 10 -12, and Psalm 105. The main thing I got out of this lesson was: Like the people of Israel (and other humans..) I grumble too much! The grumbling leads to frustration. The frustration leads to inappropriate behavior like not being nice to people. God will provide for our every need if we trust him. He will provide in his time, not ours.

The Law chapter discussed the Ten Commandments. The scripture was Exodus 20, 31 - 34 and Deuteronomy 4 -6. The author challenged us to review the ten commandments and then pick two that we need to focus on in our daily lives. I picked number 1 and number 5. I have hard time with these two. I will work on them.

We have a week off for Thanksgiving. Next week, I will write about some of our earlier lessons that meant a lot to me.

Other Stuff

I had a very busy day at work as I expected. We made good progress on the big project. More fun today. I am putting more stress on myself than I need to. Please pray for me that I will relax and not let frustration build up to the boil over point.

I have a nice evening planned with a friend. Not sure where the road will go, but I will follow and have faith.

I decided not to have another eye surgery this year. The surgery is optional. If I ever have it done, I will probably go to a different doctor. I will probably fill the prescription for eyeglasses that I will wear as needed. I may even get a contact for my right eye. I am not sure about that yet. My eye sight is a challenge for me. Please keep me in your prayers.

Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

The sometimes GREAT divide...

Our Daily Bread

The devotional today is about two missionaries who were able to cross a cultural divide to witness to two rough German hoodlums. Quite a story! It shows how God can work on anyone through anyone!

What does this story mean to me? I started thinking about how different my "no ordinary life" is from many people I meet, most of my family and even some of my friends. There really is a cultural divide for many reasons. I told one friend that even if I wasn't gay that I would still have very little in common with my family (except the blood relation of course). The experiences I have had in my life have shaped me in a very different way -- different not necessarily better! I am no better than anyone else! The point of the devotional is to reach across the divide to minister and tell people about Christ.

Lord, I ask for your strength and wisdom in cross the great divide between me and persons you want me to minister to. Thank you!

Movie Monday

The movie this weekend was Morning Glory. My buddy Fly bear picked a cute one this week!

The story is about a twenty-something young professional that has a dream of producing a morning TV show. She is smart, funny, quirky, and a workaholic. The plot centered around her trials of getting the ratings for a really bad morning show out of the dumpster!

The acting was appropriate for the plot, though Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton didn't seem to have enough material to work with at times. All the other characters were pretty good as well.

I give this movie two bear paws. It was nice.

Other Stuff

I had a relaxing Sabbath. I dropped some stuff off at my hero's house for her Thanksgiving dinner extravaganza on Saturday. I went to church. I spent the afternoon with my buddy Fly bear. We figured out that our schedules won't match up again until after Thanksgiving, so we went to lunch, a movie, and then hung out at his grandparents house for a while. Good times!

The sprint to finish my big project by early December continues today. I have an IBM consultant coming in to assist. Should be exciting... ;-p Please say a prayer for me as I try to be nice and steady and upbeat at work during this stressful time.

Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Never be ashamed...

Our Daily Bread

My first thought when I read today's devotional was "This is nice. I will pray for the folks who are being persecuted. We don't see that in the USA". That is obviously the wrong attitude! Lord, I am sorry! It is so easy to distance yourself from these things when there is distance between you and where they are happening!

THEN, I read Phil 1:20: For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.

Wow, there are three points (but no poem) to this sermon topic! "never be ashamed" is the first. Have you ever been ashamed to know Christ? "continue to be bold" -- how can we continue to be something that we have never been? "trust that my life will bring honor to Christ" -- now that is a great goal for a "no ordinary life" kind of child of God!

Lord, I want to live the message in Phil 1:20. Help me to do that each day.

Sunday Friend

I nicknamed the friends for this week Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Neither one is dumb, so don't read anything into that! These two straight men sit behind me at work in the same row. We have gotten to be friends the past two years as we sat through several challenges in our department and our company. I appreciate the care and support we have for each other as we check on each other regularly when we are out of the office, when we are working too much and when things seem to have us more than a little overwhelmed.

I have to admit that I have a hard time keeping a clean mouth around these guys. We have a tendency to talk about some inappropriate things at times that can be raunchy. I have been trying to clean up my act around them. They have noticed. I am also trying to be a mentor to these guys as I am a little older and wiser. hehehe That isn't work out so well! hehehe OH well, I appreciate these men very much. It makes me look forward to going into work each day knowing my buddies will usually be there.

Other Stuff

I had a busy "me time" day yesterday. I ran errands in the morning, then did some stuff around the house. I watched OSU beat Penn State even though the first half was a little nerve wrecking! I did most of my reading for D2 so I can do some more studying over the material the next few days.

I am heading to church this morning. I need to drop off some stuff at my hero's house. I am going to a movie with my close friend, Fly bear. We might even have an early supper at Cracker Barrrel. MmmMMmmmmmm! I am not sure I will have time to see him again for the next 10 days due to our busy schedules.

I want to praise God today for the many things that happened this week. I learned so much about God's will -- what it is for me now and how much I need to trust him for the future. I don't know what is going to happen this week, but I know without a doubt that God will be with me each step of the way!

Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

My Mommy says I am special...

Our Daily Bread

Yes, we all know this joke "I am special because my Mommy tells me I am!" hehehe God thinks we are special, too. Out of all of the people that have lived throughout history, he knows each and every one of us intimately!

I have a hard time understanding why people get depressed, or at least I used to. One of the many personality "enhancements" or "upgrades" God installed in me through my experiences the past three years is being more understanding and empathetic. Yes, I have had my very low times. Times where God and I were at odds. Times when I didn't want to be around other folks at all. All I wanted to do was eat and watch movies. Not a good thing!

I found myself traveling in the wilderness like the people of Israel. God was trying to lead me to a better me. I kept whining about how comfortable the old me was! It was sooooo much easier not to change! What finally convinced me that I am on the right road? I have not been convinced. I am just having faith for the next few steps. I may not see the road ahead or where it might lead -- whether it is my love life, my health, or whatever. All I know is that there is a road and I need to follow it one step at a time. What is God asking you to do?

Lord, thank you for a life that is like the TV show "The Amazing Race". I can't imagine a life without trusting you. Please help me trust you more.

Simply Saturday

Wow, what a crazy week! I laughed, I cried, I sang songs from Wicked! I know I am such a silly bear at times!

I had a nice time at the Emmaus Super Gathering last night. I had to leave early to go to work for a while. I got home and crashed!

I am running errands, working and relaxing today and tomorrow. I didn't plan much since I have been so busy the past few weeks. The next few weeks will be very hectic as well. My second big project of the year is hitting full stride the next few weeks. Consultants on site. Lots of installing and troubleshooting. Whew! I plan to see the show Cats on Friday night. Going to visit my mother on Saturday to help her after her surgery on Friday. I have my church dinner group next Sunday. THEN, Thanksgiving will be here! Whew! I can do this! hehehe

Please be in prayer for me about my relationships. God is moving. I need to listen to and obey what he is telling me. He works in mysterious ways. I can only trust and be thankful.

Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

What are you looking for?

Our Daily Bread

What are you looking for from Jesus? The devotional talks about the people of Jesus' time expecting him to provide food and to be their liberator from the Romans (much like Moses was from the Egyptians many years before). It was an honest and reasonable expectation in their minds because of their history.

Jesus gave his answer in the scripture passage for the day. He came to bring the bread of eternal life.

What do you looking for from Jesus? I struggle with this thought sometimes. I hear songs like "Rescue" that asks that Jesus rescue the singer from the current entrapment. I understand that better now, but I think some folks think of Jesus as a life jacket when they are in deep water -- and they are always in deep water! I will pray more about that. I know I have asked for rescue many times. That is not the only time I pray. ;-p

Lord, thank you for being our eternal bread of life. I pray that all folks will partake of that gift.

Foodie Friday

I do not have a specific recipe today, but I want to let you know about free cooking classes offered by Williams-Sonoma. A friend recently attended one and loved it. The only downside is that they try to sell their products, some of which can be expensive in my view of the world, as part of the recipes and techniques. These classes are particularly cool during the holidays when cooking is usually very important. Here is a link to the classes. Find the ones offered at your local store.

I will have a new recipe next week. I am running late today! Sorry!

Other Stuff

I had a nice supper with a buddy last night. We had a nice talk and some laughs. I am still chuckling about the funny things we came up with last night.

I had to do a few things around the house when I got home, then went to bed early.

This weekend and next week will be particularly busy with my big project at work. Lord, please help me to relax and be nice.

I am looking forward to the Emmaus super gathering tonight.

Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Wuv, twue Wuv...

Our Daily Bread

Sorry, the title is another silly reference to the movie The Princess Bride. There are some very cute moments!

The devotional today is about the love of God, but with a different twist. It is about how the children of God show God's love through us. The example in the devotional talks about a soldier that threw himself on a grenade to save the lives of his four fellow soldiers. How selfless!

So how does the passage of scripture and this lesson apply to our lives? I learned about "agape love" or the kind of selfless love that comes from God. It compels us to do selfless acts to show God's love to others. It is not a romantic love or a family kind of love -- it is love that loves for the sake of love and expects nothing in return.

I tried practicing this several times since learning more about it during my Walk to Emmaus last year. I sent cards and little inspiring gifts to a friend who was down. I gave money to causes that I don't usually acknowledge. I spent time with folks that could never return the favor because they were on their death beds. Selfless. I need to be better at this.

Lord, I want to show your agape kind of love each and every day. Please help me to love and not expect anything in return.

Technology Thursday

Today is part two about camcorders (video recording devices). Here is some more information. Next week I will write about how to compare your answers to the questions last week to the list of available options to make your best buying decision. There are several types of video recorders available. Here is a summary of them.

Traditional VHS tape camcorders

I am not sure they even make these any more. You can find them on eBay if your heart is set on this type. The advantages are that the tapes can pull the tape from the camcorder and pop it directly into your VCR and play it right away. No additional work is needed. The sound and picture quality are OK, but not as good as the new cameras. The disadvantages include being very heavy and cumbersome to carry around and the battery life can be less than desirable.

Mini tape camcorders

These newer camcorders have miniature tapes about the size of an audio cassette tape (or even smaller). They are usually light with better battery life than a traditional camcorder. The picture quality is very good. The disadvantages are that the tapes usually only hold 60 - 90 minutes of video and you have have to use an adapter to play the tapes in your VCR.

DVD camcorders

These devices record your video to small DVDs They are still much smaller than the traditional camcorder, but a little larger than the mini tape kind. The picture quality is very good. Most DVD players have a place to put small DVDs to play them. The battery life can be shorter due to writing to a disk. The amount of time you can record to a disk can be limited as well.

Hard drive camcorders

Hard drive camcorders have an internal hard drive much like a computer where it stores the video files. The picture quality is very good. The battery is not bad. The main issues are that you have to transfer the files to your computer to burn them to a DVD (if the files aren't too large) and once you fill up the hard drive you HAVE to delete something or download the files before you can record again. It is also possible to attach this kind of camcorder to your TV to play the video.

Removable media camcorders

These are similar to the hard drive camcorders, but they record the video to removable cards like an SD card. SD cards are available up to 32 gig now. The advantage is that you pop out one card and put in another when it gets full. The picture quality and batter life is very good. You can copy the files from your SD card to a DVD or use the camera to play the video on your TV. Some newer TVs also have an SD card slot to play movies and pictures.

That is about it for this week. This is sort of mind numbing, I know. Technology usually is! I will write more next week.

Other Stuff

I ran to MicroCenter after work last night. I love MicroCenter! I want to buy the last generation of iMac that they have on sale. Do I need it? Nah. Do I still want it? Heck, yeah! I love that computer!

I had dinner with a buddy, then attended my D2 class. We had some great discussions.

I finished the night with some phone calls to some special friends. God is working. Thank you, God! I don't know where the road is heading, but I will have faith and keep walking.

Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Teach me to pray, Lord, teach me to pray...

Our Daily Bread

I liked the devotional today because it talks about a current topic for me. I have been working on praying more the past two months. I try to pray in the morning after I take my shower (there is nothing like being prostrate naked before God -- there is symbolism in that for me) and pray again before I go to sleep at night. I also try to remain in a spirit of prayer when I am walking or have a stressful time at work. It helps me deal with things.

How should we pray? There are so many books and theories on that topic. The devotional says start with the Lord's prayer from Jesus. That is a great idea! Read each section if you don't have it memorized. Think about what each section says and expand on it as you feel lead.

I get most confused about how to pray for others. Who am I to know what God's will is for another? I usually pray for God's will to be done, but also throw in my own personal wishes for each person as well. The same for myself. Even though I know God is teaching me a lot through my eye issues, I want to be healed. Please, God?

Lord, as the hymn says "teach me to pray". Help me to listen during prayer as well. You will put people and things on my heart.

Weight Loss Wednesday

Yikes... Been a stressful week in my life. I haven't done the usual stress eating, but I haven't had time to exercise like I normally do. Here are my weigh in results:

Starting Weight: 272.0

Last week: 267.0

This week: 268.4

Loss/gain: +1.4

Overall: -3.6

I will keep plugging away at it.

The topic this week is exercise, in general. I can't exercise the way I want to. My eye issues prevent me from doing the normal gym activities that one would usually do to get in shape. HOWEVER... I am not doing all that I am allowed to do. That is my fault. I have no excuse. Here are the things I can do:

*walk

*stretches

*tai chi

*stretch band exercises

*basic calisthenics

*stairs

The things I have to avoid because they can put pressure on my eyes:

*lifting weights or stuff over 15 pounds

*bending over

*sleeping flat ( I have to sleep at a 30 degree angle or so)

*exercises where my head is below my heart (like crunches on a exercise ball)

*holding in a sneeze

Is this a challenge for me? Yes. I forget sometimes, like when I am carrying in groceries or when someone needs a strong man to lift or carry something.

The point of this is not to make you feel sorry for me. The point is that I am not doing all I can do to lose weight. This is part of the self-discipline training that God is trying to instill in me. I can do this. I really can.

Other Stuff

I had a busy evening, especially considering I was very tired after work yesterday. I spent two hours at the doctor's office for a checkup. I dropped off my shirts at the cleaners. I returned something at Williams-Sonoma. I had dinner at O'Charleys (thanks, Chaz!). I came home to finish reading and fall into bed.

Please continue to pray for me for a relationship issue. I need to have faith and strength to know what to do. I praise him for the strength to get some other things in order this week. Thank you, God!

Looking forward to my D2 class tonight!

Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Self-discipline...

Our Daily Bread

God has been working on me about my self-discipline. There are many parts of my life that I am as disciplined as anyone. There are several parts of my life that I really, really suck at self-discipline!

I can be a man of extremes -- I can work too much, play too much, drink too much, eat too much, rest too much, spend too much money, etc. You get the picture. If you need someone to rely on for a short term project or problem, you can always rely on me. The problem is the long term self-discipline to be a steady, upbeat child of God.

God is working on me to start with little baby steps in my undisciplined areas. I want to train to be the athlete described in the scripture today!

"Runner, when the road is long, feel like giving in, but you're hanging on. Oh, runner, when the race is done, you will run into His arms" - Twila Paris

Lord, help me run your race the best I can, relying on you for my strength and self-discipline.

Discipleship Two-sday

The two chapters this week are Called and Salvation.

Called talks about the calling of three Old Testament prophets: Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel. The reading showed the parallels with the calling of Moses. Pretty amazing and similar stories about how God calls us even today. The main point I got out of the reading was that humans will always feel inadequate when called by God. We need to trust Got to give us the power to do his will and to follow his call. Very cool! The readings were:

Exodus 3-4

Isaiah 6 and 1

Jeremiah 1-2

Ezekiel 1-3

Salvation talks about how God delivers his faithful people after his prophets do their work. Pretty amazing stories as we see how Israel wavers back and forth with their faithfulness to Jehovah throughout history. Sort of sounds like the personal history of each of us, doesn't it? ;-) I know my relationship with God ebbs and flows (see man of extremes comment above!).

The readings were:

Exodus 12 - 15

Psalm 106

Other Stuff

I had a busy evening of doing stuff around the house and reading. I finished cleaning up from the Thanksgiving meal adventure on Saturday. I had to put away laundry, dishes, and do a little cleaning in the kitchen.

I also had some phone conversations with friends that I needed to catch up with. I love my friends!

Please say a prayer for me today as I deal with a relationship issue. I am trying to trust God to work in this friendship, but I feel like I am being strung along sometimes. How can I trust God and still protect myself? I can do this with God's help. God has helped me in ages past (like this weekend!). I am sure he will be with me (us) today.

Work continues to be very busy. Whew!

I am also a little nervous about my eye doctor appointment on Friday. Lord, help me to trust you yet again for your healing power.

Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

How much higher can I aim?

Our Daily Bread

I took the devotional today very personally. Those of you who know me realize that I set a lot of lofty goals for myself, almost to a fault. I was very indignant when I read the devotional and the scripture.

THEN I thought for a few moments. Yes, I have set some lofty goals for myself, even in my spiritual life. The past 39 months have been filled with glory and pain as I have been reworking my personality and some negative traits so I could be a better person and a better child of God. I likened the exercise to Tiger Woods reworking his number one in the world golf swing. It is very painful to watch (or do), but the results are worth it! I keep telling myself that -- the results are worth it. Did I mention the results are worth it? I hope so! ;-)

Lord, I want to aim high in the ways of your love and forgiveness.

Movie Monday

So fly bear and I went to see Due Date last night. We both wanted to see it so all we had to do was work out the time after he got off work.

Frankly, the movie had some funny parts. Some ridiculous parts. Some sad parts. Some WTF parts... It was OK. The good moments were few and far between. It was sort of a cross between a guy bonding movie and the movie Hangover (but not nearly as funny).

The disturbing thing to me was that I saw myself in the Robert Downy Jr character. A hard ass, insensitive hot head that could eventually be softened by the right kind of friend. Hmmm. I didn't like watching myself on the big screen! I kept reminding myself of the prayer the other day "TEWDAR". Treat everyone with dignity and respect. I learned that from a professor in my last graduate program.

I give Due Date one paw. At least the popcorn was good.

Other Stuff

It is difficult at times doing what God asks. It is difficult at times getting answers to prayers when the answers are not what you want to hear. Even when you pray for trusting and understanding, the answers aren't easy to hear. I had some relationship breakthroughs last night that were painful, but necessary for my growth. Necessary for me to move forward. Forward is good, isn't it? Sometimes old habits and behavior patterns are like a cozy bed on a cold winter morning -- you know you need to shed the covers to start the day, but it feels so comfortable to stay where you are. I still need to work on another pattern this week and will do so the best I can.

Hurt can sometimes make us do hurtful things in return. I read a prayer earlier this year "Lord, thank you for allowing me to show love to someone who is not showing it to me". Wow! That is one of the goals I am aiming for. To always show God's love, even when others are not showing it to me.

Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Surely the presence...

Our Daily Bread

Yet another song running through my mind:

"Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place,

I can feel his mighty power and his grace..."

I have a silly joke about that song:

Believer: "Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place".

God: "Yes, I am, and please don't call me Shirley..."

Sorry, I love the original Airplane movie. Those silly jokes pop up in the most unlikely of places!

On a serious note, can you feel the presence of God in your place of worship? If so why? If not, why not? Think and pray about that. The devotional gave some insight into how a church can show the presence of God. I thought that was very cool. The bottom line: we should all do our part to make our place of worship feel the presence of God!

Lord, I want to be hospitable and all the other things that help our church show your presence.

Sunday Friend

I met a new friend a few weeks ago. We actually met at a cookout in July, but didn't start talking until a few weeks ago after his testimony at church. I discovered that we have very similar life stories. He is in the stage that I was in about 20 years ago. I felt God telling me to get to know him so he would have a friend that understood what he was going through. We have talked and texted for over a month now. It is evident that we both have our strengths and weaknesses and that we can help each other. Very cool.

It is also important to me that I am a platonic gay friend. He is 17 years younger than me, which is too young for me to date in my experience. I told him I wasn't presumptuous enough to think he wanted to date me! I feel that God will use our friendship in a special way as we both continue to grow in the Lord and follow the road God put before us. We already have a nickname for each other. That is something I do with special friends. A term of endearment. Thank God for old friends and for new ones.

Other Stuff

Wow! Talk about turkey! Bubba the turkey (my hero nicknamed the turkey...) turned out great. The turkey looked wonderful and tasted great. The bacon jalapeno stuffing was excellent. The homemade yeast rolls were wonderful. The pumpkin-apple pie was out of this world. I helped with the whipped potatoes (not really mashed, but whipped). They turned out almost as good as Grandma's! We also had a side of broccoli with cheese sauce that I microwaved. It was OK, but not great. My hero and I had a great time in the kitchen. We had a great time with my friends at dinner.

I didn't have to work as long as I planned last night. That was good. I cleaned up the kitchen and was still able to get to bed by 11:30, which was only 10:30 after the time change. I slept LATE this morning!

Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

This is the day...

Our Daily Bread

This is the day! Do it NOW! Just do it! Carpe diem! We have all heard these motivational slogans or cries to make the most of this day. Today.

Being a guy that likes to plan, even I miss this sometimes. There is an element of being a child of God that requires us to listen to his still, small voice (or his loud yelling voice to get through to me sometimes) and just do it now. No planning. It is a matter of trusting and obeying -- today.

In the business world, we have a term called opportunity cost. It is the cost of missing an opportunity to introduce a revolutionary new product to market, of a missed business deal, etc. What is our opportunity cost when it comes to not obeying God today?

Lord, I want my opportunity cost to be ZERO! ;-) I want to listen and take advantage of every opportunity you put in front of me.

Simply Saturday

Today is "let's make the Thanksgiving recipes and see how they turn out" day! Woohoooo! I love Thanksgiving dinner. My hero and I have been planning the schedule and gathering all of the ingredients for the feast this evening. This is her trial run for the big dinner she is making for her friends in a few weeks. We will laugh and cry (and I will try not to sing songs from Cats) during the process this afternoon. ;-)

Speaking of Cats, I received my tickets in the mail yesterday for the Nov 19 show in Columbus. I asked a buddy to go with me, but I haven't heard back from him yet. Cats was the first Broadway show I saw at the theater (for what its worth). There are some special memories there... Pun intended. ;-)

I had a nice dinner with my walking buddy and her husband last night, then visited with my buddy, fly bear. We planned to go to a movie, but decided to stay in to watch TV and hang out. We had a nice evening. His cats like me and were all over their Uncle Duane. ;-)

I have to work some this weekend. This overtime stuff will pass in the next month or two.

Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

You're the only Jesus...

Our Daily Bread
..some will ever see, you're the only words of life, some will ever read..." These lyrics are from yet another old Contemporary Christian song I used to sing when I was in college. "IIf not in you, I wonder where will they ever see the One who really cares?" If not in me? Yikes!

This goes back to my old joke about wearing my church tshirt. I don't like wearing it for long because that means I have to be nice to people! I don't want to embarrass my church!

Like this blog, my life is an open book for all to read. Will my readers see a loving man of God, a scary character that deserves to belong in a Saw movie or a reality TV show, or something else? If not in me. If not in you. How will they see the love of God?

Lord, I want to show your love each and every day, in each and every way.

Foodie Friday
The recipe theme for this month is Thanksgiving! Yeah! I LOVE Thanksgiving meals! I am trying some different recipes this year with a friend who is cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. This will be exciting. Here is the bacon-jalapeno stuffing recipe we are trying tomorrow:

Bacon-Jalapeno Stuffing

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

15 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

8 servings

Directions

In a large deep skillet, saute 1/4 pound diced bacon in 2 tablespoons butter for 5 minutes; transfer to paper towels.

Season with salt and pepper and add 1 chopped onion, 3 chopped celery stalks, 1 diced jalapeno, 1 tablespoon thyme and 3/4 teaspoon chili powder; cook 5 minutes.

Pour in 3 cups chicken broth. Simmer until step 5.

In a large bowl, mix 2 eggs, 1 cup diced pepper jack cheese and the bacon.

Add to the bowl 8 cups toasted white bread cubes, 6 cups crumbled cornbread and the hot broth mixture.

Gently toss the stuffing, then spread in a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Dot the top with butter or turkey pan drippings, cover and bake 30 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake until golden, 20 more minutes.

Other Stuff
I messed up a calendar entry last night. I showed up for an appointment that I had on my calendar incorrectly. Oh well. I picked up supper and spent some time with fly bear. He helped me with the Thanksgiving meal shopping for this Saturday's cooking extravaganza. We had a nice time hanging out.

I had to work for a few hours last night. Lots of things going on the last part of the year. I am trying to keep a handle on them. It will all work out. I need to be steady and not stress eat.

I am looking forward to this weekend. Lots of fun activities planned as well as some rest.

Something is going on with me. I don't know what. The road ahead of me is unclear, however, I will trust God and keep walking.

Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Ordinary people...God uses...Ordinary people...

Our Daily Bread

As most of you know, I am a musician, a singer. I have heard a LOT of Christian songs over the years. One that I found interesting is in the title of the posting today -- Ordinary people. That is what the devotional is talking about today.

I have to admit that I don't always give each person the attention and respect s/he deserves. I wonder how many times I "dismiss" people and miss a blessing? Don't we all do that at times? We see someone who is different or not the kind of person we usually associate with? I know I usually dismiss Republicans! hehehe Blah, blah, blah is all I hear! hehehe Just kidding!

Lord, Help me remember TEDAR - treat everyone with dignity and respect! You may use the unlikeliest person to speak to me!

Technology Thursday

My aunt is looking for a video camera. I told here that there were many, many options now since the technology has become ubiquitous. Here is a quick list of questions to ask yourself before buying one (so you know what features to look for). Next week, I will write more about video cameras and the features to look for.

1. What kind of picture quality do I want (regular or HD)
2. How long do I want to shoot video (battery life and memory considerations)
3. Where do I want to play the video (DVD on my TV, Youtube, etc.)
4. Do I want to hold the camera or mount it on a tripod? (size and steadiness requirements)
5. Do I need zoom? If so, how much?
6. How much do I want to pay?
7. How much do I want to pay for recording media?
8. Ease of use (Do I have to be a rocket scientist to use this thing?)

I hope this quick list will give you some things to think about before you start looking for video cameras. You can use the answers to start narrowing down the list of choices. Lastly, don't forget to add the cost of a carrying case and other accessories to your budget. Those things can add up!

Other Stuff

I ran some errands last night after work, then relaxed and meditated a little while before Disciple 2 class started. We had a good class (again!). I was supposed to work afterwards, but my resource was not available due to a production issue. We will try again tonight.

Looking forward to spending time with friends at lunch and at supper tonight. Should be a good day.

Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

It happened to me...

Our Daily Bread

Is it really possible for someone to change from Superman to playing his next role from a wheelchair? The Wednesday devotional pointed out the story of Christopher Reeve. It is sooooo easy to say "That can never happen to me".

Personally, I have always had some kind of health issue since I was a child. I have always pushed forward and made the most of my life with the body I was given. Granted, I haven't always taken best care of my "temple" that God has blessed in so many ways. I have worked on that on and off over my 51 years (see the new Wednesday topic below!). My eyes haven't been doing that great the past few days. I will keep working and trusting.

The bottom line? We need to realize that we should ALWAYS find out strength in God during good times or bad times. We cannot forget God and get what my grandmother called "too big for your britches!" hehehe

Lord, you are my strength and my hope each and every day of my life. Thank you for sustaining me.

Weight Loss Wednesday

New topic! I am sure that I wore you all out with the relationships topic, so I am moving on! hehehe One of the tips for success for weight loss is having someone to which you are accountable. I pick all of you, my readers! ;-) I will write down what I am doing with my lifestyle change to get to my ideal weight (or at least close!). I can do this!

I started the new program a few weeks ago. My beginning weight was 272.

Starting weight: 272.0

Weight last Wednesday: 269.0

Weight today: 267.0

Weekly +/- 2.0

Overall +/- 5.0

The topic this week is diet. I KNOW I talk about my diet a lot on here. It is a big deal for me (as it is for anyone). I have been doing research on incorporating the best parts of different lifestyles like eating lots of fish and the vegan lifestyle into my diet. I am diabetic, so I have to be careful to count carbs and take enough insulin to maintain my blood sugar. I promised my doctor that I would try to cut down the carbs and the insulin.

I also promised him that I would cut down on the nervous eating. Since I stopped biting my fingernails, I have a tendency to eat nervously when at work. It is not pretty! I will stop the nervous eating or at least eat better stuff when I do so.

I know I can't stay on what I call the 10 year old diet forever: pizza, hamburgers and chicken nuggets. ;-p Those things are easy and filling. I will eat better.

Next week -- exercise review.

Other Stuff

I had a busy evening, but got a lot done. I needed to mow my lawn and get some stuff done in my landscaping before winter. I worked hard and got all of that done in about 90 minutes before it got dark. I took some cardboard boxes to recycling. I realized I had time to get to the cleaners to pick up my shirts before they closed. I stopped by the bank. I stopped by Bed Bath and Beyond (where do you buy lemon oil for cutting boards?) I stopped by O'Charley's so my buddy Chaz could bring me supper. I went home to put away laundry and empty the dishwasher. Whew! I also talked with flybear since he is on a trip (he is a flight attendant) and also had a text conversation with my hero.

My hero attended a Thanksgiving cooking class on Monday. I want her to do a practice run at my house on Saturday for her big dinner extravaganza on Thanksgiving. Should be fun. I will let you know how that goes.

God is working on me again (still). There is a veil in my head about the future. The road is ahead is unclear, but I will trust and keep walking.

Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Who is our neighbor?

Our Daily Bread
The Tuesday devotional talks about one of the most well-known stories in the New Testament -- The Good Samaritan. It is a nice story with a very nice ending with a very powerful message!

I have the same question as the man in the story "but who is my neighbor?" I lived in Cincinnati for 3.5 years. I have never been pan-handled so much in my life! ( I didn't say "man-handled", I said "pan-handled"! hehehe). Are each one of the homeless or pan handlers my neighbor? Am I supposed to give each and everyone money? Take them to an inn and have them cared for? Give them a card and direct them to a local homeless shelter? I feel I sound like one of the Pharisees of Jesus' time asking the minimum I can do to enter the kingdom of heaven!

As I have written in previous posts, with great blessing comes great responsibility.

Lord, I want to be a good neighbor. Please help me figure out that that means in my life.

Disciple Two-sday
I am sooooo over the iTunes Tuesday topic! ;-) I decided to change it up a little and write about the Disciple 2 class until the second week in March 2011. It has been a great class so far. I look forward to the other things I am going to learn.

We started out reading the Book of Genesis with all the stories of the patriarchs of the Jewish people. There were some amazing stories!

We started studying the Book of Exodus two weeks ago by watching the movie The Ten Commandments. We will discuss the movie tonight and talk about our readings of the first ten chapters of Exodus.

The overriding theme I have seen so far is -- God uses imperfect people to accomplish his holy will. That gives us all so much hope!

I will write more each week as my studies continue.

Other Stuff
I had dinner last night with my buddy I nicknamed Puppy Dog a few weeks ago. We hadn't talked in a while. He is so funny when we start talking about stuff. It was nice to spend time with him.

I had to work for a while after that. Lots of fun. I am trying to figure out some problems at work. That is what I do.... ;-)

Not sure what today will bring. Though I cannot see the road ahead of me, I will trust God and follow it.

Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Why work?

Our Daily Bread

A popular saying is "Don't worry! Be happy!" A saying that the casual reader could derive from the Monday devotional is "Why work? We all end up the same way we came into the world!" Yes, we should all work. The question is what type of work should be our focus. Here is my humble opinion on this topic.

Do you best in whatever you do so you can honor God. It is that simple. We all can't be rich and spend our days performing volunteer work for needy organizations. Do your best at work. Do you best at home. Do you best in your relationships. Be the best you can be to glorify God.

Lord, I will be leaving this world as I entered it. I want to stockpile riches in heaven, not here.

Movie Monday

OK, you are not going to believe this. A friend wanted to see Saw 3D yesterday afternoon, so we went to Easton for a spooky movie on Halloween. I haven't seen any of the other Saw movies, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect except for blood and guts. The blood and guts in 3D were pretty wild!

If you have seen any of the movies, you know the plot. There is none. hehehe This one had a small plot as the original Jigsaw's wife tried to kill his accomplice. The "game" continued several times as the police chased the accomplice and protected the wife. There was a dramatic twist at the end. Lots of blood and guts flying at you in 3D!

I remember now why I haven't seen any of the other movies... ;-) I give this movie one bear paw.

Other Stuff

I went in to work for a short time yesterday morning, but was disappointed. The software fix I was supposed to install was not successful. I emailed IBM about the problem, then went to early church instead of late church. I missed the church wide lunch and trunk or treat event after late church, but I ran some errands and took a short nap. After the nap, I walked about two miles and then got cleaned up. I fixed an early supper for my buddy before we went to the movie. The chicken and stuffing casserole turned out great! We had a nice time hanging out before and after the movie.

Not sure what this week will bring. I need to make some plans for the holidays, but I have an odd feeling for some reason. Not sure what is going on. I will pray and listen to see what God has in mind. I have no clue. "I have no idea where the road is going, but I will follow it any way". -- Thomas Merton

Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...