Our Daily Bread
Do you remember the "fire and brimstone" sermons from your childhood? Did they scare you? I have heard many stories about children being so scared by the sermons they did all kinds of things. Run to a family friend and express concern about their eternal destination. Cry themselves to sleep because they were too afraid that God would take them in their sleep and they wouldn't seen their mom and dad ever again. I had one niece that expressed concern for me because her minister said that gays would never go to heaven. Nice.
What do I believe? I thought about this a lot the past few months after reviewing my beliefs in a Bible study class. I do believe that there is a heaven and a hell. I believe that we get to heaven based on God's grace if we accept it. There are no works we can do to earn entry into heaven. Hell is an awful place that is not filled with interesting people or endless debauchery. It is a place of damnation and suffering.
Where will you go when you die? If you have not already, please accept God's grace and forgiveness. Each person needs God's grace regardless of how good or bad a person you are. ;-)
Lord, thank you for your grace. Help each of us accept it each and every day.
Teaching Tuesday
I promise to read more and write more on this topic. I have several books lined up to read. I am partially through one book and need to finish it before I move on to others. I guess I need to cut back on the movies.
Other Stuff
I saw three movies last week (four if you count Memorial Day). I saw Kung Fu Panda 2 (twice), The Beaver and The Hangover 2.
The Beaver
Bizarre movie. Well acted. Very odd.
Kung Fu Panda 2
Very cute movie. Similar to the first one, but with more action and eternal truths. ;-)
The Hangover 2
Very much like the first except set in Thailand. Like the first one, the funny parts are gut busting, the rest not so much...
I had a nice cookout on Sunday. I love these guys.
I had a nice visit with my Mom on Monday. We did a lot of stuff. She went home this morning.
Hang in there,my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
What am I supposed to do?
Our Daily Bread
I don't know about you, but there have been several times in my life that I have asked God (or ashamedly demanded from God) "What I am supposed to do?" It is an honest and sincere question when asked in the right spirit! hehehe
To build on "the big two": love God with all your being and love others as yourself, God gave some other things to strive for in our lives in him. The scripture is in today's devotional. I have a LOOOOOOONNNNGGGG way to go before I come close to achieving any of them. Here is the passage I like from 2 Peter 2:5-8:
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Wow! I follow this up with this passage from Philippians 4:8:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Psalm Sunday
Psalm 11 inspired one of my favorite hymns: Flee like a bird. It is a beautiful and haunting and confusing hymn! I never understood the reference until I found Psalm 11. Here are the the lyrics and Psalm 11.
Flee As a Bird
Words and music: Mary S. Shindler (1842)
Lyrics:
Flee as a bird to your mountain, thou who art weary of sin
Go to the clear flowing fountain where you may wash and be clean
Fly for the avenger is near thee; call, and the Savior will hear thee
He on His bosom will bear thee; O thou who art weary of sin
O thou who art weary of sin
He will protect thee forever, wipe every falling tear
He will forsake thee, O never, sheltered so tenderly there
Haste, then, the hours are flying, spend not the moments in sighing
Cease from your sorrow and crying: The Savior will wipe every tear
The Savior will wipe every tear
Psalm 11:
1 In the LORD I take refuge.
How then can you say to me:
“Flee like a bird to your mountain.
2 For look, the wicked bend their bows;
they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
at the upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”
4 The LORD is in his holy temple;
the LORD is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them.
5 The LORD examines the righteous,
but the wicked, those who love violence,
he hates with a passion.
6 On the wicked he will rain
fiery coals and burning sulfur;
a scorching wind will be their lot.
7 For the LORD is righteous,
he loves justice;
the upright will see his face.
Other Stuff
I had a busy weekend so far getting the house ready for my cookout. It is not a big deal, but I had a lot of stuff that I wanted or had to do before the gang came over this afternoon. I am amazed at my Weber grill. I didn't use it at all last year. It cleaned up very nicely and lit the first time! Wow! This thing is 11 years old! I even opened up the patio furniture in case we wanted to sit outside in the hot weather. I plan to stay indoors in the air conditioning! We had another winter to summer year with the weather. I guess I could count the three months of rain as spring. Uggh!
My mother is staying with me for a few days. She should be arriving any moment. We will probably do a little shopping and go to a movie tomorrow. There shouldn't be much clean up needed from the cookout. Mainly just carrying stuff back down to the basement.
We had a nice service at church this morning. ;-)
I thought more about quiet, confident joy this morning while driving to church. It is a wonderful thing to have.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I don't know about you, but there have been several times in my life that I have asked God (or ashamedly demanded from God) "What I am supposed to do?" It is an honest and sincere question when asked in the right spirit! hehehe
To build on "the big two": love God with all your being and love others as yourself, God gave some other things to strive for in our lives in him. The scripture is in today's devotional. I have a LOOOOOOONNNNGGGG way to go before I come close to achieving any of them. Here is the passage I like from 2 Peter 2:5-8:
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Wow! I follow this up with this passage from Philippians 4:8:
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Thinking and acting with the mind and heart of Christ. What a "no ordinary life" that would be.
Lord, I want to love and act like your Son.
Psalm Sunday
Psalm 11 inspired one of my favorite hymns: Flee like a bird. It is a beautiful and haunting and confusing hymn! I never understood the reference until I found Psalm 11. Here are the the lyrics and Psalm 11.
Flee As a Bird
Words and music: Mary S. Shindler (1842)
Lyrics:
Flee as a bird to your mountain, thou who art weary of sin
Go to the clear flowing fountain where you may wash and be clean
Fly for the avenger is near thee; call, and the Savior will hear thee
He on His bosom will bear thee; O thou who art weary of sin
O thou who art weary of sin
He will protect thee forever, wipe every falling tear
He will forsake thee, O never, sheltered so tenderly there
Haste, then, the hours are flying, spend not the moments in sighing
Cease from your sorrow and crying: The Savior will wipe every tear
The Savior will wipe every tear
Psalm 11:
1 In the LORD I take refuge.
How then can you say to me:
“Flee like a bird to your mountain.
2 For look, the wicked bend their bows;
they set their arrows against the strings
to shoot from the shadows
at the upright in heart.
3 When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?”
4 The LORD is in his holy temple;
the LORD is on his heavenly throne.
He observes everyone on earth;
his eyes examine them.
5 The LORD examines the righteous,
but the wicked, those who love violence,
he hates with a passion.
6 On the wicked he will rain
fiery coals and burning sulfur;
a scorching wind will be their lot.
7 For the LORD is righteous,
he loves justice;
the upright will see his face.
Other Stuff
I had a busy weekend so far getting the house ready for my cookout. It is not a big deal, but I had a lot of stuff that I wanted or had to do before the gang came over this afternoon. I am amazed at my Weber grill. I didn't use it at all last year. It cleaned up very nicely and lit the first time! Wow! This thing is 11 years old! I even opened up the patio furniture in case we wanted to sit outside in the hot weather. I plan to stay indoors in the air conditioning! We had another winter to summer year with the weather. I guess I could count the three months of rain as spring. Uggh!
My mother is staying with me for a few days. She should be arriving any moment. We will probably do a little shopping and go to a movie tomorrow. There shouldn't be much clean up needed from the cookout. Mainly just carrying stuff back down to the basement.
We had a nice service at church this morning. ;-)
I thought more about quiet, confident joy this morning while driving to church. It is a wonderful thing to have.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Ready, FIRE, aim...
Our Daily Bread
Yes, it is a little out of order. Shouldn't it be Ready..Aim... and then FIRE!?! hehehe There was a business strategy in the 90's that promoted the ready, fire, aim approach. The idea was that too many businesses took so long during the ready and aim stages, that it was too late to make an impact in the market when you finally fired!
I am a doer. Someone that gets things done. My problem is that I don't always do the right thing. This approach can have disastrous results (which I have demonstrated over and over in my personal relationships! hehehe). There are other examples as well, usually resulting in costing me money to fix the problem! Yikes!
According to the devotion, our approach as children of God might be: ready, listen, obey. Get our minds and hearts into the mindset of listening. Listen to God's direction to get it clearly. Obey what He tells us.
Lord, I want to get ready to listen, listen and then obey. Thank you for your love and patience.
Simply Saturday
I don't put a lot of stock in horoscopes, but I find some nuggets of interest some days when I read it on My Yahoo. Here is an excerpt from today's:
<>
Wow, that could be a sermon starter for my ministers! There are so many things in life that this can apply to. I usually think of personal relationships because that has been on my mind a lot lately. It can also apply to lots of other things as well.
The message I get from this is: I (or you) may not be the brightest, or the cutest, or the richest, or the most gregarious personality or come from the finest family heritage, or attend the best schools, or have the best health or blah, blah, blah, None of those reasons give you an excuse to throw in your hand in life. Keep playing with the cards you have been dealt. Yes, sometimes you might have to bluff a little bit (or a lot). You may be humming Lady Gaga's song Poker Face (hehehe). Keep playing.
You won't ever win every hand. You can walk away from the table with your head held high.
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Yes, it is a little out of order. Shouldn't it be Ready..Aim... and then FIRE!?! hehehe There was a business strategy in the 90's that promoted the ready, fire, aim approach. The idea was that too many businesses took so long during the ready and aim stages, that it was too late to make an impact in the market when you finally fired!
I am a doer. Someone that gets things done. My problem is that I don't always do the right thing. This approach can have disastrous results (which I have demonstrated over and over in my personal relationships! hehehe). There are other examples as well, usually resulting in costing me money to fix the problem! Yikes!
According to the devotion, our approach as children of God might be: ready, listen, obey. Get our minds and hearts into the mindset of listening. Listen to God's direction to get it clearly. Obey what He tells us.
Lord, I want to get ready to listen, listen and then obey. Thank you for your love and patience.
Simply Saturday
I don't put a lot of stock in horoscopes, but I find some nuggets of interest some days when I read it on My Yahoo. Here is an excerpt from today's:
<
Wow, that could be a sermon starter for my ministers! There are so many things in life that this can apply to. I usually think of personal relationships because that has been on my mind a lot lately. It can also apply to lots of other things as well.
The message I get from this is: I (or you) may not be the brightest, or the cutest, or the richest, or the most gregarious personality or come from the finest family heritage, or attend the best schools, or have the best health or blah, blah, blah,
You won't ever win every hand. You can walk away from the table with your head held high.
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Friday, May 27, 2011
Panting... Seriously?
Our Daily Bread
I have been a Christian since I was eight years old. I am sort of ashamed to say that I have never "panted" for the Word of God. As I understand it, we should pant for the Word of God like we do for a glass of water on a very hot, thirsty day! Wow!
For me, I think of the Bible as more of an energy drink or Gatorade. I run low on essential bodily nutrients (or spiritual nutrients) until I can hardly function, then I drink the Bible like Gatorade. It is not the same. The panting builds you up from where you are. The replacement drink pulls you back up from being down.
My prayer for each of us is that we pant for God's Word. We take one step forward, another step forward, etc, instead of one step forward and then two steps back!
Lord, thank you for being our living Water and eternal life!
Foodie Friday
Here is the baked bean recipe that I plan to make for my cookout on Sunday:
Baked Beans
1 can pork and beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can black beans
1/4 cup catsup
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup dried onions (or use 1/2 cup fresh chopped onion)
1/4 cup bacon bits (real bacon preferred. Omit this ingredient if you don't want to use bacon)
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Pour into a prepared glass baking dish (I usually spray the dish with Pam spray). Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until bubbly. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.
You can also leave out the bacon bits and use strips of bacon on top for decoration.
You can make this a vegan recipe by using vegetarian beans instead of pork and beans and skipping the bacon.
Other Stuff
I went to see the movie Kung Fu Panda 2 last night after work, then did a few things around the house. I am trying to relax about the cookout on Sunday. I should go home after work and do stuff around the house. My current strategy is to drink margaritas and sober up at the movies.... hehehe I will figure something out.
I had a good session with my counselor last night. Please let it be known that old dogs (or bears) can be taught new tricks. Praise God!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I have been a Christian since I was eight years old. I am sort of ashamed to say that I have never "panted" for the Word of God. As I understand it, we should pant for the Word of God like we do for a glass of water on a very hot, thirsty day! Wow!
For me, I think of the Bible as more of an energy drink or Gatorade. I run low on essential bodily nutrients (or spiritual nutrients) until I can hardly function, then I drink the Bible like Gatorade. It is not the same. The panting builds you up from where you are. The replacement drink pulls you back up from being down.
My prayer for each of us is that we pant for God's Word. We take one step forward, another step forward, etc, instead of one step forward and then two steps back!
Lord, thank you for being our living Water and eternal life!
Foodie Friday
Here is the baked bean recipe that I plan to make for my cookout on Sunday:
Baked Beans
1 can pork and beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can black beans
1/4 cup catsup
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup dried onions (or use 1/2 cup fresh chopped onion)
1/4 cup bacon bits (real bacon preferred. Omit this ingredient if you don't want to use bacon)
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Pour into a prepared glass baking dish (I usually spray the dish with Pam spray). Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until bubbly. Let sit for a few minutes before serving.
You can also leave out the bacon bits and use strips of bacon on top for decoration.
You can make this a vegan recipe by using vegetarian beans instead of pork and beans and skipping the bacon.
Other Stuff
I went to see the movie Kung Fu Panda 2 last night after work, then did a few things around the house. I am trying to relax about the cookout on Sunday. I should go home after work and do stuff around the house. My current strategy is to drink margaritas and sober up at the movies.... hehehe I will figure something out.
I had a good session with my counselor last night. Please let it be known that old dogs (or bears) can be taught new tricks. Praise God!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Thursday, May 26, 2011
It is OK to be sad...
Our Daily Bread
Wow! Another "it hit me between the eyes" devotional! I have been feeling a little sad lately because some loss I felt recently. I have been hard on myself for not recovering more quickly. After seeing the movie The Beaver last night, I decided I will be more than fine and that I will absolutely not end up with a puppet talking for me! hehehe I find it amazing that there can be so much going well in a life only to have one little part mess up the mix!
So what I have learned? First, I am much harder on myself that I need to be. The sense of loss is real. I need to talk about it more with my counselor. I need to accept it and move on. I can do this. I am doing this. How long will this take? It doesn't matter as long as I keep handing God over more and more of my life through this experience. That is why God allows bad and odd things to happen to us. We can look back later and see how they shaped our lives in a positive way.
I have a wonderful life. There is not doubt in my mind. I keep pushing forward with all of my strength. I keep relying on God as best I can to grow closer to him and be more like Jesus. I have a long way to go, but I will keep pressing on. That is all I know how to do. There is no valley too deep. No mountain too high. Others have blazed the trail. I just need to follow in their footsteps even though I cannot see the where the road goes. What does it matter as long as God leads? Hallelujah!
I want to encourage you to move through your sadness or loss or whatever is impeding you from moving on with your life. Turn it over to God. God is there for you like he was and is there for me.
Lord, thank you for allowing us to experience all types of things in our lives. I am willing to do anything that will bring me close to you.
Technology Thursday
The big news is that there is some doubt over the ATT-TMobile merger will happen. Lots of fears by the regulators about creating another ATT behemoth like it existed 25 years ago. We will see what happens.
There is a lot of speculation, and I mean A LOT, about what features will be in the next generation iPhone. They can't agree when the announcement will be -- June or September! We will see what happens. Personally, I want to see a better camera, faster processor, 4G support and better battery life. I want it all! hehehe I would also like wireless sync, but that probably won't happen either... ;-(
Have you seen the statistic on Internet use and Netflix? Apparently the streaming of movies from Netflix uses the most bandwidth on the entire Internet! Wow! It will be interesting to see what happens with that going forward.
Barnes and Noble came out with the new Nook ereaders. Some cool stuff. Here is a link to the black and white version -> Nook. There is also a new color one that can use apps. Very interesting.
Other Stuff
I saw the movie The Beaver last night. I will review it on Monday.
I have a had a busy week at work. Whew...
I dropped off the brownie bites at church last night. I think it is cool that we have refreshments at intermission for the church drama productions. See The Childrens Hour this weekend at King Avenue!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Wow! Another "it hit me between the eyes" devotional! I have been feeling a little sad lately because some loss I felt recently. I have been hard on myself for not recovering more quickly. After seeing the movie The Beaver last night, I decided I will be more than fine and that I will absolutely not end up with a puppet talking for me! hehehe I find it amazing that there can be so much going well in a life only to have one little part mess up the mix!
So what I have learned? First, I am much harder on myself that I need to be. The sense of loss is real. I need to talk about it more with my counselor. I need to accept it and move on. I can do this. I am doing this. How long will this take? It doesn't matter as long as I keep handing God over more and more of my life through this experience. That is why God allows bad and odd things to happen to us. We can look back later and see how they shaped our lives in a positive way.
I have a wonderful life. There is not doubt in my mind. I keep pushing forward with all of my strength. I keep relying on God as best I can to grow closer to him and be more like Jesus. I have a long way to go, but I will keep pressing on. That is all I know how to do. There is no valley too deep. No mountain too high. Others have blazed the trail. I just need to follow in their footsteps even though I cannot see the where the road goes. What does it matter as long as God leads? Hallelujah!
I want to encourage you to move through your sadness or loss or whatever is impeding you from moving on with your life. Turn it over to God. God is there for you like he was and is there for me.
Lord, thank you for allowing us to experience all types of things in our lives. I am willing to do anything that will bring me close to you.
Technology Thursday
The big news is that there is some doubt over the ATT-TMobile merger will happen. Lots of fears by the regulators about creating another ATT behemoth like it existed 25 years ago. We will see what happens.
There is a lot of speculation, and I mean A LOT, about what features will be in the next generation iPhone. They can't agree when the announcement will be -- June or September! We will see what happens. Personally, I want to see a better camera, faster processor, 4G support and better battery life. I want it all! hehehe I would also like wireless sync, but that probably won't happen either... ;-(
Have you seen the statistic on Internet use and Netflix? Apparently the streaming of movies from Netflix uses the most bandwidth on the entire Internet! Wow! It will be interesting to see what happens with that going forward.
Barnes and Noble came out with the new Nook ereaders. Some cool stuff. Here is a link to the black and white version -> Nook. There is also a new color one that can use apps. Very interesting.
Other Stuff
I saw the movie The Beaver last night. I will review it on Monday.
I have a had a busy week at work. Whew...
I dropped off the brownie bites at church last night. I think it is cool that we have refreshments at intermission for the church drama productions. See The Childrens Hour this weekend at King Avenue!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Oh boy....
Our Daily Bread
The devotional today is based on Ephesians 5. Oh noooooo! We discussed this passage briefly in my D2 class. There were only two of us in the class (out of 14) that believed there was a role for "being submissive" in a relationship! It was an interesting conversation to say the least. One person said that he had a hard time even clicking the Submit button on an online form! I teased him that we wouldn't get into the whole "submit to God" topic for his sake! hehehe
I reworded the more accepted parts of the passage that each person should honor and cherish their significant other. It is difficult to do that at all times. We have all had times when our significant other is the last person on earth we want to spend time with!
The important point is that we need to submit to God. The other stuff will fall into place!
Lord, I want to submit to you. I also want to be willing to submit to my better half when needed!
Witness Wednesday
I will talk about my college days when I have time to write more. It was a great time in my life. I am having a very busy week at work. It is wearing me out!
Other Stuff
I took my hero out for her birthday last night. We had a nice dinner and, of course, Jeni's Splendid ice cream!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
The devotional today is based on Ephesians 5. Oh noooooo! We discussed this passage briefly in my D2 class. There were only two of us in the class (out of 14) that believed there was a role for "being submissive" in a relationship! It was an interesting conversation to say the least. One person said that he had a hard time even clicking the Submit button on an online form! I teased him that we wouldn't get into the whole "submit to God" topic for his sake! hehehe
I reworded the more accepted parts of the passage that each person should honor and cherish their significant other. It is difficult to do that at all times. We have all had times when our significant other is the last person on earth we want to spend time with!
The important point is that we need to submit to God. The other stuff will fall into place!
Lord, I want to submit to you. I also want to be willing to submit to my better half when needed!
Witness Wednesday
I will talk about my college days when I have time to write more. It was a great time in my life. I am having a very busy week at work. It is wearing me out!
Other Stuff
I took my hero out for her birthday last night. We had a nice dinner and, of course, Jeni's Splendid ice cream!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Monday, May 23, 2011
Be dependent...
Our Daily Bread
Being dependent has always had a negative connotation to me. I guess it is a personality flaw. ;-( I don't like being dependent on others, but I don't mind others being dependent on me -- to a point. I guess I need to think and pray about that some more.
I have been praying about this since my D2 class covered some of these topics. We talked about the difference between being independent using our skills and talents, and being dependent on God's strength to energize our own skills and talents. I know God gave me lots of abilities. Doesn't he want me to use them?
This is where a recent study opened my mind to my life being inside God, flowing along with him as my power source. Yes, a fish out of water can last for a short while, but a fish is meant to be in the flow of the water that sustains life. That is how I see God now. I am a big fish in the ocean of his love and grace. That is where I need to stay to sustain my life. ;-)
Lord, thank you for the vast ocean of your love and grace.
Movie Monday
I saw a few movies this week: Your Highness, Pirates of the Caribbean and Bridesmaids. All three had their virtues and downfalls.
Your Highness
I am glad I saw this one at the dollar theater. ;-) It was mindless fun, but not much fun really. The cast members were wasted on a mindless script. I mean, Natalie Portman, what were you thinking in making this movie!?! There were some very funny moments, but they were few and far between.
I give this movie one bear paw. Do not pay more than a $1 to see this movie! hehehe
Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides
I liked the story line of this movie. Lots of familiar faces. Some new faces. Some inplausible escape scenes by Captain Jack Sparrow. Some great special effects. I saw the 3D version, which was a little disappointing to me. I expected better 3D effects from a Disney movie. Oh well.
I give the movie three bear paws. See it on the big screen. Not sure if you should pay extra for the 3D version.
Bridesmaids
OK, my buddy and I were the only guys at this showing. That should tell you a lot. One lady told me afterwards how much she appreciated my laugh. This movie was filled with odd moments, strange behavior, big laughs, a few "awwww that is sweet" moments and major chick-flick moments! Did I mention that my my buddy and I were the only guys at this showing? hehehe I have to admit that the movie surprised me with the sweetness of the love story woven throughout the movie and the uniqueness of the characters. One of my favorite scenes is when the chunky bridesmaid slaps the maid of honor back to her senses... Very cool. You will laugh. You might cry. You will definitely feel uncomfortable in some scenes (like the opening scene).
I give this movie two bear paws. No need to see it on the big screen.
Other Stuff
I am getting ready for my cookout on Sunday. I promised myself that I would not stress out about it too much. ;-p It will be fine. I learned that I shouldn't make events like this my motivators to get stuff done around the house. It is way too stressful! Oh well.
I am also making or buying cookies for the church play this week. I just had an idea that I might get the mini brownies at Costco instead of baking. Hmmmmm.
I was reminded of some things weekend -- like how I need to keep my end of the bargain when it comes to God's will. Stay focused. Get and keep my house in order. Listen and obey. I can and will do this to the best of my ability.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Being dependent has always had a negative connotation to me. I guess it is a personality flaw. ;-( I don't like being dependent on others, but I don't mind others being dependent on me -- to a point. I guess I need to think and pray about that some more.
I have been praying about this since my D2 class covered some of these topics. We talked about the difference between being independent using our skills and talents, and being dependent on God's strength to energize our own skills and talents. I know God gave me lots of abilities. Doesn't he want me to use them?
This is where a recent study opened my mind to my life being inside God, flowing along with him as my power source. Yes, a fish out of water can last for a short while, but a fish is meant to be in the flow of the water that sustains life. That is how I see God now. I am a big fish in the ocean of his love and grace. That is where I need to stay to sustain my life. ;-)
Lord, thank you for the vast ocean of your love and grace.
Movie Monday
I saw a few movies this week: Your Highness, Pirates of the Caribbean and Bridesmaids. All three had their virtues and downfalls.
Your Highness
I am glad I saw this one at the dollar theater. ;-) It was mindless fun, but not much fun really. The cast members were wasted on a mindless script. I mean, Natalie Portman, what were you thinking in making this movie!?! There were some very funny moments, but they were few and far between.
I give this movie one bear paw. Do not pay more than a $1 to see this movie! hehehe
Pirates of the Caribbean: On stranger tides
I liked the story line of this movie. Lots of familiar faces. Some new faces. Some inplausible escape scenes by Captain Jack Sparrow. Some great special effects. I saw the 3D version, which was a little disappointing to me. I expected better 3D effects from a Disney movie. Oh well.
I give the movie three bear paws. See it on the big screen. Not sure if you should pay extra for the 3D version.
Bridesmaids
OK, my buddy and I were the only guys at this showing. That should tell you a lot. One lady told me afterwards how much she appreciated my laugh. This movie was filled with odd moments, strange behavior, big laughs, a few "awwww that is sweet" moments and major chick-flick moments! Did I mention that my my buddy and I were the only guys at this showing? hehehe I have to admit that the movie surprised me with the sweetness of the love story woven throughout the movie and the uniqueness of the characters. One of my favorite scenes is when the chunky bridesmaid slaps the maid of honor back to her senses... Very cool. You will laugh. You might cry. You will definitely feel uncomfortable in some scenes (like the opening scene).
I give this movie two bear paws. No need to see it on the big screen.
Other Stuff
I am getting ready for my cookout on Sunday. I promised myself that I would not stress out about it too much. ;-p It will be fine. I learned that I shouldn't make events like this my motivators to get stuff done around the house. It is way too stressful! Oh well.
I am also making or buying cookies for the church play this week. I just had an idea that I might get the mini brownies at Costco instead of baking. Hmmmmm.
I was reminded of some things weekend -- like how I need to keep my end of the bargain when it comes to God's will. Stay focused. Get and keep my house in order. Listen and obey. I can and will do this to the best of my ability.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Sunday, May 22, 2011
And they'll know we are Christians...by our love
Our Daily Bread
I liked the devotional today because it reminded me of two things: my church and the song in the title of this blog entry.
"We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored.
And they'll know we are Christians by our love,
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love."
I like that song. I also like the way the church I attend tries its best to demonstrate this philosophy. I admit that every person who enters our doors feels that love, but we try our best to love each person and make each on feel welcome. I have seen the results from this approach to church life. It is amazing to me considering how many churches I have been around in my lifetime.
Lord, I want to be your witness by showing your love. I know I need to get much better at it!
Psalm Sunday
It has been a while since I posted a Psalm. I will think of more creative things to say about each psalm. I like the psalms, but I don't like the violence part of 'strike down my enemies" sections of almost every chapter. I can understand the "kill or be killed" mind set of that era. It just doesn't sound like it applies today after Jesus taught us to love our enemies. Hmmm. Here is Psalm 10.
Psalm 10
1 Why, LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.
3 He boasts about the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
5 His ways are always prosperous;
your laws are rejected by him;
he sneers at all his enemies.
6 He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”
He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”
7 His mouth is full of lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.
8 He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent.
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
9 like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.
10 His victims are crushed, they collapse;
they fall under his strength.
11 He says to himself, “God will never notice;
he covers his face and never sees.”
12 Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.
13 Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
“He won’t call me to account”?
14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;
you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked man;
call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
that would not otherwise be found out.
16 The LORD is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
17 You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that mere earthly mortals
will never again strike terror.
Other Stuff
I had a nice time with the group from work last night. We had ten folks show up for dinner. Most of them stayed for the movie afterwards. I saw Pirates of the Caribbean. That was my first choice. ;-) I will review it tomorrow.
I went to church today, then met a friend for a movie. I ran a few errands after that. I am tried now. ;-)
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I liked the devotional today because it reminded me of two things: my church and the song in the title of this blog entry.
"We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored.
And they'll know we are Christians by our love,
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love."
I like that song. I also like the way the church I attend tries its best to demonstrate this philosophy. I admit that every person who enters our doors feels that love, but we try our best to love each person and make each on feel welcome. I have seen the results from this approach to church life. It is amazing to me considering how many churches I have been around in my lifetime.
Lord, I want to be your witness by showing your love. I know I need to get much better at it!
Psalm Sunday
It has been a while since I posted a Psalm. I will think of more creative things to say about each psalm. I like the psalms, but I don't like the violence part of 'strike down my enemies" sections of almost every chapter. I can understand the "kill or be killed" mind set of that era. It just doesn't sound like it applies today after Jesus taught us to love our enemies. Hmmm. Here is Psalm 10.
Psalm 10
1 Why, LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.
3 He boasts about the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
5 His ways are always prosperous;
your laws are rejected by him;
he sneers at all his enemies.
6 He says to himself, “Nothing will ever shake me.”
He swears, “No one will ever do me harm.”
7 His mouth is full of lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.
8 He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent.
His eyes watch in secret for his victims;
9 like a lion in cover he lies in wait.
He lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.
10 His victims are crushed, they collapse;
they fall under his strength.
11 He says to himself, “God will never notice;
he covers his face and never sees.”
12 Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.
13 Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
“He won’t call me to account”?
14 But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted;
you consider their grief and take it in hand.
The victims commit themselves to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked man;
call the evildoer to account for his wickedness
that would not otherwise be found out.
16 The LORD is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
17 You, LORD, hear the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that mere earthly mortals
will never again strike terror.
Other Stuff
I had a nice time with the group from work last night. We had ten folks show up for dinner. Most of them stayed for the movie afterwards. I saw Pirates of the Caribbean. That was my first choice. ;-) I will review it tomorrow.
I went to church today, then met a friend for a movie. I ran a few errands after that. I am tried now. ;-)
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Saturday, May 21, 2011
18 with 33 years experience...
Our Daily Bread
I hang around with several folks that are 10 - 20 years older than me. I like that. I learn so much from them. Every once in a while, they learn from me as well. ;-) The devotional today talks about getting older. I liked the tshirt mentioned. My version is "I am not 51. I am 18 with 33 years experience!"
This topic has a little different meaning for gay guys. I hate to admit it, but many gay guys are more vain and more "youth-oriented" than we like to admit. Personally, I have a different view of things. I talk about it with my friends often. They long for the days when they were young and cute. I am happy to be alive after almost dying twice in my life.
The bottom line: getting older is a privilege. Be thankful. Be fruitful through your faithfulness to God. I think the only bad thing about getting older is being unfruitful!
Lord, thank you for my days here on earth. Help me make earth more like heaven while I am here.
Simply Saturday
For the second Saturday in a row, I slept in! That is unusual for me. I have a few things to do today before going to the dinner and movie outing with the group from work tonight. My buddy from out of town may get done with his work to join us. We will see how that goes.
I am supposed to go to a movie with a buddy tomorrow after church. He had surgery two weeks ago and hasn't been getting out of the house much.
I had lunch with one of my ministers yesterday. We had a great talk. I really appreciate him.
I hope you have a great day. Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I hang around with several folks that are 10 - 20 years older than me. I like that. I learn so much from them. Every once in a while, they learn from me as well. ;-) The devotional today talks about getting older. I liked the tshirt mentioned. My version is "I am not 51. I am 18 with 33 years experience!"
This topic has a little different meaning for gay guys. I hate to admit it, but many gay guys are more vain and more "youth-oriented" than we like to admit. Personally, I have a different view of things. I talk about it with my friends often. They long for the days when they were young and cute. I am happy to be alive after almost dying twice in my life.
The bottom line: getting older is a privilege. Be thankful. Be fruitful through your faithfulness to God. I think the only bad thing about getting older is being unfruitful!
Lord, thank you for my days here on earth. Help me make earth more like heaven while I am here.
Simply Saturday
For the second Saturday in a row, I slept in! That is unusual for me. I have a few things to do today before going to the dinner and movie outing with the group from work tonight. My buddy from out of town may get done with his work to join us. We will see how that goes.
I am supposed to go to a movie with a buddy tomorrow after church. He had surgery two weeks ago and hasn't been getting out of the house much.
I had lunch with one of my ministers yesterday. We had a great talk. I really appreciate him.
I hope you have a great day. Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Friday, May 20, 2011
Do as I say not as I do...
Our Daily Bread
Aren't we all guilty of the "do as I say and not as I do" philosophy? Too many of us talk the talk, but don't walk the walk. I can't think of any other spiritual cliches around this theme right now! hehehe
Two songs come to mind: You're the only Jesus and If we are the Body. Wow! Talk about walking the walk! Click on the song titles to read the powerful lyrics to these songs.
Do we read and humbly accept God's word? Do we show his love and mercy to others?
Lord, thank you for your love and mercy. I want to show it to others to lead them to you.
Foodie Friday
I like chicken dishes a lot. Chicken Cordon Blue is one of my favorites. Here is an easy recipe that I make sometimes.
REALLY SIMPLE CHICKEN CORDON BLEU
boneless skinless chicken breasts
ham
Swiss cheese
your choice of Shake 'n Bake
This dish is different in that the chicken is not pounded or rolled up. Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are recommended. However many you want or need. Use any type of Shake 'n Bake: Barbecue Glaze, Original, Extra Crispy, or Hot 'n Spicy (recommended).
Preheat the oven to 400F°.
Coat the breasts with the Shake 'n Bake, and put them in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool somewhat.
Slice them in half, and add a slice or two of thin ham and a slice of Swiss cheese. Put the other half back on top. Return them to the oven for another 5 minutes or until cooked through (160°F).
Serve as-is or top them with your favorite gravy or sauce.
Sauce recipe:
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 env. onion soup mix
2 c. (1 pt.) light cream or half & half
1/4 c. water
Mix the soup mix and cream in a sauce pan. Add the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for about 5 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving to thicken.
Other Stuff
Did some laundry and some things around the house last night. Relaxed some. I hope you had a good evening. ;-)
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Aren't we all guilty of the "do as I say and not as I do" philosophy? Too many of us talk the talk, but don't walk the walk. I can't think of any other spiritual cliches around this theme right now! hehehe
Two songs come to mind: You're the only Jesus and If we are the Body. Wow! Talk about walking the walk! Click on the song titles to read the powerful lyrics to these songs.
Do we read and humbly accept God's word? Do we show his love and mercy to others?
Lord, thank you for your love and mercy. I want to show it to others to lead them to you.
Foodie Friday
I like chicken dishes a lot. Chicken Cordon Blue is one of my favorites. Here is an easy recipe that I make sometimes.
REALLY SIMPLE CHICKEN CORDON BLEU
boneless skinless chicken breasts
ham
Swiss cheese
your choice of Shake 'n Bake
This dish is different in that the chicken is not pounded or rolled up. Skinless, boneless chicken breasts are recommended. However many you want or need. Use any type of Shake 'n Bake: Barbecue Glaze, Original, Extra Crispy, or Hot 'n Spicy (recommended).
Preheat the oven to 400F°.
Coat the breasts with the Shake 'n Bake, and put them in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool somewhat.
Slice them in half, and add a slice or two of thin ham and a slice of Swiss cheese. Put the other half back on top. Return them to the oven for another 5 minutes or until cooked through (160°F).
Serve as-is or top them with your favorite gravy or sauce.
Sauce recipe:
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 env. onion soup mix
2 c. (1 pt.) light cream or half & half
1/4 c. water
Mix the soup mix and cream in a sauce pan. Add the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for about 5 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving to thicken.
Did some laundry and some things around the house last night. Relaxed some. I hope you had a good evening. ;-)
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Thursday, May 19, 2011
May I have a little break?
Our Daily Bread
Duane's open letter to God after reading the devotional today:
God, may I have a break sometime? Please? I know you told me to keep pushing forward in my life, but sometimes I just need a break. May I have one please?
I guess that is not really an option for me. May I have some strength and wisdom to help me understand what to do next? How to feel? How to make a certain relationship work without excluding the person from my life entirely? It is difficult to even think of him some days. You know this better than anyone because I asked you for healing for my mind and heart many, many times. I hate misreading your will. I hate wasting time and energy on something that shouldn't happen no matter how much I want it to happen.
So instead of a break, may I have more strength and wisdom to work through this relationship. You have blessed me in so many other ways that I cannot complain about my no ordinary life. I love you. I thank you and praise you for everything that has come my way, even though I don't always understand.
Your child, Duane
Technology Thursday
I love smartphones. I like keeping up with the latest and greatest even though it is difficult now with many, many new models arriving at the cell phone carriers each week. I spoke with a Verizon rep yesterday who told me that one of the new Samsung models will be called a different name on each network! That is crazy!
Here is my pick of the week:
The Droid Charge by Samsung that joined the Verizon Wireless offerings last week. It is another 4G phone built on the Android operating system. It has received great reviews, almost sounded surprised that they liked it so much. The most common comment is that the battery life is good for a smartphone. Lots of neat features including an 8mp camera!
Other Stuff
I had a free night so I ran some errands. Had a nice supper at Red Robin. Picked up a few things at Costco. I also did a few things around the house. One interesting errand was when I tried to return an extra Android tablet to Bed Bath and Beyond. There was a mixup that caused an extra device to be shipped to my house. I returned it because it was the right thing to do. I was not charged for the item, so it was not fair for me to keep it. I did get a receipt that I returned the item in case BBB tried to charge me for the second one. ;-p
Going to relax tonight. I have several social events planned over the weekend. Should be fun. ;-)
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Duane's open letter to God after reading the devotional today:
God, may I have a break sometime? Please? I know you told me to keep pushing forward in my life, but sometimes I just need a break. May I have one please?
I guess that is not really an option for me. May I have some strength and wisdom to help me understand what to do next? How to feel? How to make a certain relationship work without excluding the person from my life entirely? It is difficult to even think of him some days. You know this better than anyone because I asked you for healing for my mind and heart many, many times. I hate misreading your will. I hate wasting time and energy on something that shouldn't happen no matter how much I want it to happen.
So instead of a break, may I have more strength and wisdom to work through this relationship. You have blessed me in so many other ways that I cannot complain about my no ordinary life. I love you. I thank you and praise you for everything that has come my way, even though I don't always understand.
Your child, Duane
Technology Thursday
I love smartphones. I like keeping up with the latest and greatest even though it is difficult now with many, many new models arriving at the cell phone carriers each week. I spoke with a Verizon rep yesterday who told me that one of the new Samsung models will be called a different name on each network! That is crazy!
Here is my pick of the week:
The Droid Charge by Samsung that joined the Verizon Wireless offerings last week. It is another 4G phone built on the Android operating system. It has received great reviews, almost sounded surprised that they liked it so much. The most common comment is that the battery life is good for a smartphone. Lots of neat features including an 8mp camera!
Other Stuff
I had a free night so I ran some errands. Had a nice supper at Red Robin. Picked up a few things at Costco. I also did a few things around the house. One interesting errand was when I tried to return an extra Android tablet to Bed Bath and Beyond. There was a mixup that caused an extra device to be shipped to my house. I returned it because it was the right thing to do. I was not charged for the item, so it was not fair for me to keep it. I did get a receipt that I returned the item in case BBB tried to charge me for the second one. ;-p
Going to relax tonight. I have several social events planned over the weekend. Should be fun. ;-)
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Change is good...
Our Daily Bread
Yes, we shall all be changed. I am looking forward to that. I am not one of those gay guys that laments losing my youth and good looks. I keep pushing forward and loving who I am at any age! Do I wish some things were different? Yes. I wish I were in better health. I wish I had hair. I wish it wasn't so hard for me to keep my weigh down. I wish I wasn't diabetic. These are minor inconveniences! I am so very thankful for all the many things that are good in my life. Very, very thankful.
Do I know where the road before me ends up? No. What does it matter as long as God is leading? I need to focus on letting God lead. Being in tune to his leadership and not my own selfish desires.
This is my prayer for you as well. ;-)
Lord, thank you for your love and your leadership.
Wild, wild Wednesday
I had no idea what else to call this day. hehehe I will talk about interesting stuff happening in my life in regards to church and other things. I want to talk about my prayer group this week.
I missed the first two weeks of our six week prayer group experience. OK, maybe it was only supposed to be five weeks. I forget. I digress. hehehe The group had several folks that I had been in other groups with. It was nice to have some familiar faces. There was one person that I had not met at all. One other person that I knew, but had not shared a small group experience.
We ran the group like many of the other small groups -- sharing of ourselves and working on prayer for each other. That was cool. I was used to that from my other small group experiences. I cannot go into details into the things we talked about or our exercises, but I can tell you that God used this group to help me move through some issues I have been dealing with. It was the right thing at the right time. Isn't our God great!?!
We decided that we want to continue meeting once a month this summer, then decide what to do next (continue meeting or not and what format to use). I am sure God will continue to use this group in all of our lives.
Other Stuff
I had dinner with my walking buddy and her husband last night. I always enjoy that very much. Her husband is at a distinct disadvantage because my walking buddy and I talk about stuff during our walks. Her husband doesn't get to hear all of these conversations so I always looked surprised when he asks me something that she and I have talked about! The poor guy! I am very thankful for having them in my life.
I have free nights Wednesday and Thursday. Whew. I had a good time after returning from San Diego, but have been busy every night. I will relax these nights. I have a busy weekend planned. If it ever stops raining, I have some work around the house to do as well!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Yes, we shall all be changed. I am looking forward to that. I am not one of those gay guys that laments losing my youth and good looks. I keep pushing forward and loving who I am at any age! Do I wish some things were different? Yes. I wish I were in better health. I wish I had hair. I wish it wasn't so hard for me to keep my weigh down. I wish I wasn't diabetic. These are minor inconveniences! I am so very thankful for all the many things that are good in my life. Very, very thankful.
Do I know where the road before me ends up? No. What does it matter as long as God is leading? I need to focus on letting God lead. Being in tune to his leadership and not my own selfish desires.
This is my prayer for you as well. ;-)
Lord, thank you for your love and your leadership.
Wild, wild Wednesday
I had no idea what else to call this day. hehehe I will talk about interesting stuff happening in my life in regards to church and other things. I want to talk about my prayer group this week.
I missed the first two weeks of our six week prayer group experience. OK, maybe it was only supposed to be five weeks. I forget. I digress. hehehe The group had several folks that I had been in other groups with. It was nice to have some familiar faces. There was one person that I had not met at all. One other person that I knew, but had not shared a small group experience.
We ran the group like many of the other small groups -- sharing of ourselves and working on prayer for each other. That was cool. I was used to that from my other small group experiences. I cannot go into details into the things we talked about or our exercises, but I can tell you that God used this group to help me move through some issues I have been dealing with. It was the right thing at the right time. Isn't our God great!?!
We decided that we want to continue meeting once a month this summer, then decide what to do next (continue meeting or not and what format to use). I am sure God will continue to use this group in all of our lives.
Other Stuff
I had dinner with my walking buddy and her husband last night. I always enjoy that very much. Her husband is at a distinct disadvantage because my walking buddy and I talk about stuff during our walks. Her husband doesn't get to hear all of these conversations so I always looked surprised when he asks me something that she and I have talked about! The poor guy! I am very thankful for having them in my life.
I have free nights Wednesday and Thursday. Whew. I had a good time after returning from San Diego, but have been busy every night. I will relax these nights. I have a busy weekend planned. If it ever stops raining, I have some work around the house to do as well!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
An eye for an eye...
Our Daily Bread
I remember studying the passage in Deuteronomy about revenge in my Disciple 2 class last year. The "eye for an eye" passage seemed odd to us all. The oddest part is that passage was a vast improvement over the current practices of the day! Revenge in that day usually escalated from "eye for an eye" to "eye for both eyes" or I will hurt you WAY more than you hurt me or mine!
Jesus took that ruling even further. He talked about turning the other cheek. Forgiving others and not exacting revenge under any circumstances, EVEN IN YOUR MIND! Yikes! I don't know about you, but I sometimes wish harm on others that harmed me. I sometimes take a little pleasure when someone who hurts me gets hurt by someone else. That is wrong of me. I should only wish God's love and will for everyone, not just the folks that like me. I once told a friend "Yes, I am glad I don't get what I deserve. I would not be where I am today..." hehehe Each child of God is here and in their current state by the grace of God. Yes, God can give us strength to do the things that move us ahead in life, but it is still by his grace that we are free.
Lord, thank you for your grace and for your forgiveness. Help me forgive others and wish them well.
Teaching Tuesday
I think the text above describes some of the things I have been thinking and praying about lately. God's will and God's love are things I make too difficult to understand and fulfill in my day to day life. I need to think of the KISS principal -- Keep It Simple, Silly! Yes, I make things too difficult. Keep in simple.
Other Stuff
I found out that my ex has been very sick the past few weeks. I am sorry to hear that. I asked my prayer group to include him in our prayers.
I am feeling better today, though I still couldn't drag myself out of bed on time this morning. At least I am making it to work on time. Whew...
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I remember studying the passage in Deuteronomy about revenge in my Disciple 2 class last year. The "eye for an eye" passage seemed odd to us all. The oddest part is that passage was a vast improvement over the current practices of the day! Revenge in that day usually escalated from "eye for an eye" to "eye for both eyes" or I will hurt you WAY more than you hurt me or mine!
Jesus took that ruling even further. He talked about turning the other cheek. Forgiving others and not exacting revenge under any circumstances, EVEN IN YOUR MIND! Yikes! I don't know about you, but I sometimes wish harm on others that harmed me. I sometimes take a little pleasure when someone who hurts me gets hurt by someone else. That is wrong of me. I should only wish God's love and will for everyone, not just the folks that like me. I once told a friend "Yes, I am glad I don't get what I deserve. I would not be where I am today..." hehehe Each child of God is here and in their current state by the grace of God. Yes, God can give us strength to do the things that move us ahead in life, but it is still by his grace that we are free.
Lord, thank you for your grace and for your forgiveness. Help me forgive others and wish them well.
Teaching Tuesday
I think the text above describes some of the things I have been thinking and praying about lately. God's will and God's love are things I make too difficult to understand and fulfill in my day to day life. I need to think of the KISS principal -- Keep It Simple, Silly! Yes, I make things too difficult. Keep in simple.
Other Stuff
I found out that my ex has been very sick the past few weeks. I am sorry to hear that. I asked my prayer group to include him in our prayers.
I am feeling better today, though I still couldn't drag myself out of bed on time this morning. At least I am making it to work on time. Whew...
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Monday, May 16, 2011
Yes, Virginia, it does seem unfair...
Our Daily Bread
I haven't been around children that much in my life, but I have noticed that they can tell when something is unfair at a very young age. They look to adults to understand why unfairness exists. Why unfairness is tolerated. Why unfairness is acceptable in this world.
As children of God, we also look around at what appears to be unfairness. I am not talking about GLBT issues right now. I am talking about the things listed in the devotional and in Psalm 73. Yes, the wicked appear to get away with their wickedness (even though no one mourns the wicked! hehehe). Yes, unfairness does appear to abound when we compare our lives to those around us.
Psalm 73:28 meant a great deal to me:
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.
It IS good to be near God. When I focus on this fact, all the unfairness that seems to go against me fades away because of my relationship with the one, Almighty God. Praise God!
Lord, thank you for being my refuge and strength through all the times in my life.
Movie Monday
I had some late appointments last week so I went to three early movies. What a treat!
Thor
One of the first blockbusters of this year, Thor was worth seeing on the big screen. I saw the regular version. There are also 3D and IMAX 3D versions available as well. I liked the movie a lot. It was a nice mixture of action and humor. The story line made sense. You should see this one on the big screen. I give it 2 bear paws.
There be dragons
This was a sleeper movie that I stumbled across before it was available on all the movie houses in town. It is about two men and how their lives inter-twined from childhood. It is based on true events. The most amazing part is how one of the men was later canonized by the Catholic church. The movie is slow, but it moves along. It has some amazing twists in the last 30 minutes. It is definitely worth seeing. I give it two bear paws. You can see this one on video.
Priest
This is a vampire movie. Woohoooo! The plot is that a group of warrior priests is no longer needed due to their victory over the vampires. The problem is the vamps are breeding a new army for a new fight. One priest risks everything to rescue his "niece" from the vamps. Lots and lots of action. The vamps are scary. The city and the church are also scary. hehehe
My favorite line was "Remember, we do not serve the church. We serve God". Wow!
I give the movie two bar paws. See it on the big screen.
Other Stuff
I was sort of busy over the weekend. Actually, I did too much on Saturday and ended up sleeping all afternoon on Sunday! I feel a little better today. I had a nice time catching up with my buddy from Cincy that was visiting town to referee volleyball tournaments.
I had a great time with my dinner group last night. I love those folks!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I haven't been around children that much in my life, but I have noticed that they can tell when something is unfair at a very young age. They look to adults to understand why unfairness exists. Why unfairness is tolerated. Why unfairness is acceptable in this world.
As children of God, we also look around at what appears to be unfairness. I am not talking about GLBT issues right now. I am talking about the things listed in the devotional and in Psalm 73. Yes, the wicked appear to get away with their wickedness (even though no one mourns the wicked! hehehe). Yes, unfairness does appear to abound when we compare our lives to those around us.
Psalm 73:28 meant a great deal to me:
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.
It IS good to be near God. When I focus on this fact, all the unfairness that seems to go against me fades away because of my relationship with the one, Almighty God. Praise God!
Lord, thank you for being my refuge and strength through all the times in my life.
Movie Monday
I had some late appointments last week so I went to three early movies. What a treat!
Thor
One of the first blockbusters of this year, Thor was worth seeing on the big screen. I saw the regular version. There are also 3D and IMAX 3D versions available as well. I liked the movie a lot. It was a nice mixture of action and humor. The story line made sense. You should see this one on the big screen. I give it 2 bear paws.
There be dragons
This was a sleeper movie that I stumbled across before it was available on all the movie houses in town. It is about two men and how their lives inter-twined from childhood. It is based on true events. The most amazing part is how one of the men was later canonized by the Catholic church. The movie is slow, but it moves along. It has some amazing twists in the last 30 minutes. It is definitely worth seeing. I give it two bear paws. You can see this one on video.
Priest
This is a vampire movie. Woohoooo! The plot is that a group of warrior priests is no longer needed due to their victory over the vampires. The problem is the vamps are breeding a new army for a new fight. One priest risks everything to rescue his "niece" from the vamps. Lots and lots of action. The vamps are scary. The city and the church are also scary. hehehe
My favorite line was "Remember, we do not serve the church. We serve God". Wow!
I give the movie two bar paws. See it on the big screen.
Other Stuff
I was sort of busy over the weekend. Actually, I did too much on Saturday and ended up sleeping all afternoon on Sunday! I feel a little better today. I had a nice time catching up with my buddy from Cincy that was visiting town to referee volleyball tournaments.
I had a great time with my dinner group last night. I love those folks!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Another frickin' lesson in patience...
Our Daily Bread
I know I say this at least three or four times per week, but today's devotional really spoke to me! ;-) The lesson is about patience.
There are some areas in my life that I show extraordinary patience. Most other areas I do not. God has been teaching more about patience and perseverance the past few years. I understand why, but I don't really care of the process! hehehe There are may things that mean so much more to me now than they used to. That is all part of it, I guess.
Lord, thank you for being patient with me. Help me to be patient with myself and with others. Please help me to know when to be patient and when to move on.
Simply Saturday
Lots to do today. Whew! I had a busy week. Looking forward to getting some stuff done around the house and resting. I also have my church dinner group tomorrow night. A few of the group will be out of town, however, most of us will be attending. Very cool.
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I know I say this at least three or four times per week, but today's devotional really spoke to me! ;-) The lesson is about patience.
There are some areas in my life that I show extraordinary patience. Most other areas I do not. God has been teaching more about patience and perseverance the past few years. I understand why, but I don't really care of the process! hehehe There are may things that mean so much more to me now than they used to. That is all part of it, I guess.
Lord, thank you for being patient with me. Help me to be patient with myself and with others. Please help me to know when to be patient and when to move on.
Simply Saturday
Lots to do today. Whew! I had a busy week. Looking forward to getting some stuff done around the house and resting. I also have my church dinner group tomorrow night. A few of the group will be out of town, however, most of us will be attending. Very cool.
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Come ho-o-o-ommme, come hooooooommmmmmme...
Our Daily Bread
I am STILL amazed at the timeliness of the devotions on this web site! Thank you, Lord! I have been feeling a little out of touch with God lately. I don't need to because he is always with me and is always trying to speak to me if he can get through to me. That is not always easy. I can be stubborn at times... DOH!
I think part of the reason that I haven't been praying as much or studying the Bible as much (this devotion is NOT enough!) is that I am finally realizing some things. I need to let some things go. "It's time for letting go-o-o" as the the song says. I am a little sad about this. I am also excited about what doors this will open. i will focus on the excitement and not the sadness. ;-) That is what I do.
Lord, thank you for the strength to let go. I want you to lead my life. I know I suck at it!
Technology Thursday
As I mentioned last week, I bought an Android tablet computer at a huge discount so I could play with it. It is a nice color eReader and web browsing device if nothing else. I could not type on the thing to update my blog. The keyboard was clunky at best! I can type better on it if I use a stylus. I had an old one laying around from my old Palm Treo device!
The web browser did not support the dojo text editor on blogspot.com. I was disappointed by that. It did do a nice job of browsing the Internet. I tried downloading and using some apps from the Amazon app store. The Bible reading app is great. I will look at that some more. I will also experiment with the music and video features.
Overall, I think the version of Android that is on this device is clunky when compared to the iOS on my iPad. Very clunky... I will keep the device for an inexpensive reader to take when I don't want to take my iPad (it has sentimental value!).
Other Stuff
Busy at work this week catching up after being out of the office a few days. Whew. Getting ready for our release to production on May 20. Busy night. I will have more spare time next week. I managed to go to a movie after work and before my prayer group last night. I will review Thor on Monday. ;-)
My landscaping is coming in better this year. I would like to plan a lot more hostas in the beds in the back yard. The ones I planted last year are coming up nicely. There are some other plants that are doing well in the back and side of the house. The garage side is still a little messy. I will look at that if I have time. I may try planters or something. I have trouble making stuff grow on the side of my back porch.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I am STILL amazed at the timeliness of the devotions on this web site! Thank you, Lord! I have been feeling a little out of touch with God lately. I don't need to because he is always with me and is always trying to speak to me if he can get through to me. That is not always easy. I can be stubborn at times... DOH!
I think part of the reason that I haven't been praying as much or studying the Bible as much (this devotion is NOT enough!) is that I am finally realizing some things. I need to let some things go. "It's time for letting go-o-o" as the the song says. I am a little sad about this. I am also excited about what doors this will open. i will focus on the excitement and not the sadness. ;-) That is what I do.
Lord, thank you for the strength to let go. I want you to lead my life. I know I suck at it!
Technology Thursday
As I mentioned last week, I bought an Android tablet computer at a huge discount so I could play with it. It is a nice color eReader and web browsing device if nothing else. I could not type on the thing to update my blog. The keyboard was clunky at best! I can type better on it if I use a stylus. I had an old one laying around from my old Palm Treo device!
The web browser did not support the dojo text editor on blogspot.com. I was disappointed by that. It did do a nice job of browsing the Internet. I tried downloading and using some apps from the Amazon app store. The Bible reading app is great. I will look at that some more. I will also experiment with the music and video features.
Overall, I think the version of Android that is on this device is clunky when compared to the iOS on my iPad. Very clunky... I will keep the device for an inexpensive reader to take when I don't want to take my iPad (it has sentimental value!).
Other Stuff
Busy at work this week catching up after being out of the office a few days. Whew. Getting ready for our release to production on May 20. Busy night. I will have more spare time next week. I managed to go to a movie after work and before my prayer group last night. I will review Thor on Monday. ;-)
My landscaping is coming in better this year. I would like to plan a lot more hostas in the beds in the back yard. The ones I planted last year are coming up nicely. There are some other plants that are doing well in the back and side of the house. The garage side is still a little messy. I will look at that if I have time. I may try planters or something. I have trouble making stuff grow on the side of my back porch.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
You're the only Jesus....
Our Daily Bread
A Contemporary Christian song once said "You're the only Jesus some will ever see". Wow! That is a lot of responsibility!
I think we would get more folks in church and having a relationship with God if we did just want the devotional mentioned -- come and see! Bring folks in. Let them be around us -- the imperfect and humble servants of God. Bring them in!
Lord, I want to bring folks to you -- not push them away!
Vacation Update
Woohoooooo! I had a great vacation in San Diego over the weekend. I could not believe how many things there were to do and see. I just scraped the tip of the ice berg! Here is a quick summary of my activities.
Thursday: I arrived about noon Pacific time. The hotel was nice, though pretty old. I was able to check in early. I started looking around and found a trolley tour leaving in a few minutes. The tour gave me a great overview of the main sights of the city. I would then decide which ones warranted more attention. I spent a little while in Old Towne since it was Cinco de Mayo! The place was hopping in the afternoon! I rested for a little while then got ready to meet the San /Diego Bears at Salazar's for dinner. I met up with about 7 guys, all of whom were very nice. We had a nice dinner.
Friday: I visited the USS Midway in the morning. I had never seen anything like that before! I then jumped on the trolley tour again so I could spend some time on Coronado Island. Very, very cool place. I got back from the island in the early evening then got ready for the Padres game. Petco Park is amazing. Very nice ballpark. I left the game after the seventh inning with the Padres up 4-0. The Diamondbacks roared back only to lose in the 11th inning!
Saturday: I went to the San Diego Zoo. Another WOW! Very nice zoo. The pandas were adorable! One of the SD Bears picked me up and gave me a ride to the bears' Cinco de Mayo party on Saturday night. I met some more of the club. Very nice guys.
Sunday: The weather was supposed to be crappy on Sunday, so I rented a car and drove to LA for the Renaissance Faire! It was incredible! I had a great time looking around the huge faire. I have to admit that I was very tired when I got back to the hotel Sunday night.
Monday: I slept in and got ready to leave. Heavy sigh. I had easy flights back home. It was warmer in Columbus than in San Diego, so it was time to go home! ;-)
I am looking forward to returning to SD soon.
A Contemporary Christian song once said "You're the only Jesus some will ever see". Wow! That is a lot of responsibility!
I think we would get more folks in church and having a relationship with God if we did just want the devotional mentioned -- come and see! Bring folks in. Let them be around us -- the imperfect and humble servants of God. Bring them in!
Lord, I want to bring folks to you -- not push them away!
Vacation Update
Woohoooooo! I had a great vacation in San Diego over the weekend. I could not believe how many things there were to do and see. I just scraped the tip of the ice berg! Here is a quick summary of my activities.
Thursday: I arrived about noon Pacific time. The hotel was nice, though pretty old. I was able to check in early. I started looking around and found a trolley tour leaving in a few minutes. The tour gave me a great overview of the main sights of the city. I would then decide which ones warranted more attention. I spent a little while in Old Towne since it was Cinco de Mayo! The place was hopping in the afternoon! I rested for a little while then got ready to meet the San /Diego Bears at Salazar's for dinner. I met up with about 7 guys, all of whom were very nice. We had a nice dinner.
Friday: I visited the USS Midway in the morning. I had never seen anything like that before! I then jumped on the trolley tour again so I could spend some time on Coronado Island. Very, very cool place. I got back from the island in the early evening then got ready for the Padres game. Petco Park is amazing. Very nice ballpark. I left the game after the seventh inning with the Padres up 4-0. The Diamondbacks roared back only to lose in the 11th inning!
Saturday: I went to the San Diego Zoo. Another WOW! Very nice zoo. The pandas were adorable! One of the SD Bears picked me up and gave me a ride to the bears' Cinco de Mayo party on Saturday night. I met some more of the club. Very nice guys.
Sunday: The weather was supposed to be crappy on Sunday, so I rented a car and drove to LA for the Renaissance Faire! It was incredible! I had a great time looking around the huge faire. I have to admit that I was very tired when I got back to the hotel Sunday night.
Monday: I slept in and got ready to leave. Heavy sigh. I had easy flights back home. It was warmer in Columbus than in San Diego, so it was time to go home! ;-)
I am looking forward to returning to SD soon.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Living a Godly life...
Our Daily Bread
Once again the daily devotional hit the nail on the head. I have been thinking a lot about living a Godly life. I try to do so, but I really, really suck at it.
I don't love well enough. Well, maybe I should say I don't love in the right way. I give too much of myself when I love others. That is not always good. You have to save something in the tank for yourself -- sort of like gas in a car. It won't go if there is no gas!
I don't resist temptation enough. Sometimes I think I deserve some guilty pleasures because of all I have been through in my life. Then I read the Bible. I look around me. I have more blessings that anyone can count. I don't deserve any guilty pleasures. I don't need to sin to be happier. I need to obey and be a better child of God to be happier.
So what is your story? Be all you can be in the Lord!
Lord, I have the desire, but not always the discipline and stamina to do all the things I want or need to do.
Witness Wednesday
I decided to write about my earlier life for a while on Wednesdays since the last topic failed so miserably! I will give an account of my life from my point of view, mainly focusing on my Christian life. I will see how this goes. ;-)
I first attended church at the Baptist church across from my Grandmother's house as a child. I visited my grandmother a lot, so I attended there several times per year. My mom and dad did not attend church at that time. I remember one special Sunday morning when we were talking about salvation. It all made sense to me as the Holy Spirit spoke to me. I accepted Christ as my savior at the tender age of 8. I started attending church wherever I could until my family caught on. ;-) A close friend at school was a PK (preacher's kid), so I managed to catch a ride to his church. My family started attending church when I was 10. It was nice going to church together and being an active family.
Next week: my teenage years...
Other Stuff
I had a nice dinner with my buddy last night. We had a good chat. I also got a few things done around the house. I have to admit that I did some shopping. I usually buy new shoes in the spring if my old ones are worn out. I bought two pair last night. The latest shoe buying spree should last me for quite a while! I also ordered a cheap tablet/ereader from BB&B. I got a great deal on it. I wanted something cheap that I wouldn't mind losing or breaking on a trip. My iPad has lots of sentimental value!
I am making snacks for the prayer group tonight. I will rush home after work to get that done.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Once again the daily devotional hit the nail on the head. I have been thinking a lot about living a Godly life. I try to do so, but I really, really suck at it.
I don't love well enough. Well, maybe I should say I don't love in the right way. I give too much of myself when I love others. That is not always good. You have to save something in the tank for yourself -- sort of like gas in a car. It won't go if there is no gas!
I don't resist temptation enough. Sometimes I think I deserve some guilty pleasures because of all I have been through in my life. Then I read the Bible. I look around me. I have more blessings that anyone can count. I don't deserve any guilty pleasures. I don't need to sin to be happier. I need to obey and be a better child of God to be happier.
So what is your story? Be all you can be in the Lord!
Lord, I have the desire, but not always the discipline and stamina to do all the things I want or need to do.
Witness Wednesday
I decided to write about my earlier life for a while on Wednesdays since the last topic failed so miserably! I will give an account of my life from my point of view, mainly focusing on my Christian life. I will see how this goes. ;-)
I first attended church at the Baptist church across from my Grandmother's house as a child. I visited my grandmother a lot, so I attended there several times per year. My mom and dad did not attend church at that time. I remember one special Sunday morning when we were talking about salvation. It all made sense to me as the Holy Spirit spoke to me. I accepted Christ as my savior at the tender age of 8. I started attending church wherever I could until my family caught on. ;-) A close friend at school was a PK (preacher's kid), so I managed to catch a ride to his church. My family started attending church when I was 10. It was nice going to church together and being an active family.
Next week: my teenage years...
Other Stuff
I had a nice dinner with my buddy last night. We had a good chat. I also got a few things done around the house. I have to admit that I did some shopping. I usually buy new shoes in the spring if my old ones are worn out. I bought two pair last night. The latest shoe buying spree should last me for quite a while! I also ordered a cheap tablet/ereader from BB&B. I got a great deal on it. I wanted something cheap that I wouldn't mind losing or breaking on a trip. My iPad has lots of sentimental value!
I am making snacks for the prayer group tonight. I will rush home after work to get that done.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Nope, I am NEVER alone...
Our Daily Bread
"No, never a-l-OOO-ooo-ne, no, never alone" goes the old hymn. God is always with us. For a long time, I only thought God was with us during bad times. Remember the poem about footsteps? "It was in those times that I carried you..." sort of thing.
No! God is always with us. Through good and bad. Through the times we are more sure and confident of what we are doing than any time in our lives. Through the times when we have no idea where the next step will take us.
I have to admit that I have been feeling some loneliness. I have been better about how I handle those feelings than a year ago (not going into details here...). It seems that I listen to God more intently when I am alone. Even during these times God reassures me through my loneliness. There is a difference! God isolates me to get my attention. I have a choice to listen or to feel sorry for myself. Like I mentioned briefly yesterday, I had soooooooo many encouraging messages sent to me over the weekend. God knows. God cares. I will trust him even I seem lost, lonely or in the valley of death while traveling down this road.
Thank you God for knowing me and loving me just the same. Thank you for the encouraging words and songs you send my way.
Teaching Tuesday
As I mentioned above, what do you do when you aren't quite feeling the whole Christianity thing? You feel like God has abandoned you? You feel like you are doing your best to follow his will, but things just aren't gellin' for you? Not that I have EVER felt that way.... hehehe Yes, it can be difficult. Here are some things I do during these times.
Remember the times I was closest to God:
I remember the times that I felt so close to God that I could reach out and touch him. Talked to him like he was sitting next to me on the couch. I remember what was different then than now. Am I sinning now and I don't want to admit it? Have I stopped praying or my Bible study? What exactly is different now?
Remember the bad times:
I remember the other not so good times that God help me overcome. What did I do to enable God to help me? Did I finally turn some pesky sin or situation to him that I have kept to myself? Remembering a victory can sometimes save us from defeat...
Be grateful:
It is during these times that I try to be more grateful than normal. Like the title of my blog, I have a life that is far from ordinary. I sometimes forget that. Make a grateful list. Check it twice... ;-)
It is a choice:
I bought a tshirt at Disneyworld when I visited there in February. The shirt has a picture of Grumpy the dwarf on the front. The saying "Genius by birth, Grumpy by choice" is plastered across the front of it. It is hard to believe sometimes that being grumpy or down or whatever is really a choice. Choose something else! hehehe
You can get through this situation, my friend. You can overcome. Heck, if I can do it, then anyone can!
Other Stuff
Going to dinner with a buddy tonight. Haven't seen him in a while. It will be a nice evening.
I am making snacks for our prayer group tomorrow night. Brownies, leftover jelly beans and homemade hummus are on the menu!
I am sooooo looking forward to my trip this weekend.
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
"No, never a-l-OOO-ooo-ne, no, never alone" goes the old hymn. God is always with us. For a long time, I only thought God was with us during bad times. Remember the poem about footsteps? "It was in those times that I carried you..." sort of thing.
No! God is always with us. Through good and bad. Through the times we are more sure and confident of what we are doing than any time in our lives. Through the times when we have no idea where the next step will take us.
I have to admit that I have been feeling some loneliness. I have been better about how I handle those feelings than a year ago (not going into details here...). It seems that I listen to God more intently when I am alone. Even during these times God reassures me through my loneliness. There is a difference! God isolates me to get my attention. I have a choice to listen or to feel sorry for myself. Like I mentioned briefly yesterday, I had soooooooo many encouraging messages sent to me over the weekend. God knows. God cares. I will trust him even I seem lost, lonely or in the valley of death while traveling down this road.
Thank you God for knowing me and loving me just the same. Thank you for the encouraging words and songs you send my way.
Teaching Tuesday
As I mentioned above, what do you do when you aren't quite feeling the whole Christianity thing? You feel like God has abandoned you? You feel like you are doing your best to follow his will, but things just aren't gellin' for you? Not that I have EVER felt that way.... hehehe Yes, it can be difficult. Here are some things I do during these times.
Remember the times I was closest to God:
I remember the times that I felt so close to God that I could reach out and touch him. Talked to him like he was sitting next to me on the couch. I remember what was different then than now. Am I sinning now and I don't want to admit it? Have I stopped praying or my Bible study? What exactly is different now?
Remember the bad times:
I remember the other not so good times that God help me overcome. What did I do to enable God to help me? Did I finally turn some pesky sin or situation to him that I have kept to myself? Remembering a victory can sometimes save us from defeat...
Be grateful:
It is during these times that I try to be more grateful than normal. Like the title of my blog, I have a life that is far from ordinary. I sometimes forget that. Make a grateful list. Check it twice... ;-)
It is a choice:
I bought a tshirt at Disneyworld when I visited there in February. The shirt has a picture of Grumpy the dwarf on the front. The saying "Genius by birth, Grumpy by choice" is plastered across the front of it. It is hard to believe sometimes that being grumpy or down or whatever is really a choice. Choose something else! hehehe
You can get through this situation, my friend. You can overcome. Heck, if I can do it, then anyone can!
Other Stuff
Going to dinner with a buddy tonight. Haven't seen him in a while. It will be a nice evening.
I am making snacks for our prayer group tomorrow night. Brownies, leftover jelly beans and homemade hummus are on the menu!
I am sooooo looking forward to my trip this weekend.
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Monday, May 2, 2011
The two biggies...
Sorry I missed my posting yesterday! I had a busy weekend!
Our Daily Bread
I often tell friends or acquaintances who ask about the Bible and its complexity "the two biggies": love God and love others. It is that simple -- oh yeah, like those are simple!
My biggest problem with these two most important commandments is the second one. Where do you draw the line between loving others and being taken advantage of? I have been dealing with this a lot the past few months as some folks I let close to me hurt me on purpose. What I learned is that we can love and forgive others without putting ourselves in a place to continuously get abused. I have some acquaintances that know they can call me if they are in the hospital or are really in need of help. I will not make time for them or go out of my way to spend time with them otherwise because they are not willing to make me a priority or help me when I need it. That is the line. A healthy mix of loving and protecting yourself.
Lord, I want to love like you love. I want to put you first in my life. Those are my two "biggies..."
Movie Monday
I got to see two new movies this week: Fast Five and Dylan Dogg: Dead of Night.
Fast Five
I think this was the best installment of the series since the first movie! I really liked it. It would have been better if Vin Diesel took his shirt off, but it was exciting nonetheless! Lots of action and things blowing up. The story line is pretty cool as well. It is unbelievable and feasible all at the same time! Lots of fun.
I give it three bear paws! See this one at the theater so you can see everything on the large screen.
Dylan Dogg: Dead of Night
This is a vampire/werewolf movie based on a comic book series. Dylan Dogg is the "go between" for humans and the non-human worlds. His interest in his work becomes even more relevant when his best friend gets turned into a zombie. The move is very cute. A nice mix of horror and action and comedy.
I give this one two bear paws. Very cute You can see this one on video.
Other Stuff
I validated that I am not a pet owner kind of person this weekend. While I love my "nieces and nephews"" known as the pets of family and friends, I do not want one of my own. That might change if I marry a man with a pet or two. I will have to think about that one. ;-p I had a good time watching my hero's dog. I don't really want to build my life around a dog at home. Hmmm. Oh well.
I helped my walking buddy show a house yesterday. I had a good time. She said I was a big help. I was glad to help her.
I was a little down when the weekend started. God made it clear to me that I have no reason to be down. He sent me several encouraging words, devotions and songs throughout the weekend. It was amazing. God is in control. He knows my needs and the desires of my heart. I am so thankful for having the Creator of the universe in my life. Talk about not being an ordinary life!
Looking forward to my trip this weekend. I finished most of my packing last night.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Our Daily Bread
I often tell friends or acquaintances who ask about the Bible and its complexity "the two biggies": love God and love others. It is that simple -- oh yeah, like those are simple!
My biggest problem with these two most important commandments is the second one. Where do you draw the line between loving others and being taken advantage of? I have been dealing with this a lot the past few months as some folks I let close to me hurt me on purpose. What I learned is that we can love and forgive others without putting ourselves in a place to continuously get abused. I have some acquaintances that know they can call me if they are in the hospital or are really in need of help. I will not make time for them or go out of my way to spend time with them otherwise because they are not willing to make me a priority or help me when I need it. That is the line. A healthy mix of loving and protecting yourself.
Lord, I want to love like you love. I want to put you first in my life. Those are my two "biggies..."
Movie Monday
I got to see two new movies this week: Fast Five and Dylan Dogg: Dead of Night.
Fast Five
I think this was the best installment of the series since the first movie! I really liked it. It would have been better if Vin Diesel took his shirt off, but it was exciting nonetheless! Lots of action and things blowing up. The story line is pretty cool as well. It is unbelievable and feasible all at the same time! Lots of fun.
I give it three bear paws! See this one at the theater so you can see everything on the large screen.
Dylan Dogg: Dead of Night
This is a vampire/werewolf movie based on a comic book series. Dylan Dogg is the "go between" for humans and the non-human worlds. His interest in his work becomes even more relevant when his best friend gets turned into a zombie. The move is very cute. A nice mix of horror and action and comedy.
I give this one two bear paws. Very cute You can see this one on video.
Other Stuff
I validated that I am not a pet owner kind of person this weekend. While I love my "nieces and nephews"" known as the pets of family and friends, I do not want one of my own. That might change if I marry a man with a pet or two. I will have to think about that one. ;-p I had a good time watching my hero's dog. I don't really want to build my life around a dog at home. Hmmm. Oh well.
I helped my walking buddy show a house yesterday. I had a good time. She said I was a big help. I was glad to help her.
I was a little down when the weekend started. God made it clear to me that I have no reason to be down. He sent me several encouraging words, devotions and songs throughout the weekend. It was amazing. God is in control. He knows my needs and the desires of my heart. I am so thankful for having the Creator of the universe in my life. Talk about not being an ordinary life!
Looking forward to my trip this weekend. I finished most of my packing last night.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
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