Our Daily Bread
I am tooting my own horn here for a minute. I am a pretty smart guy. hehehe The devotional points directly at smart guys like me with Proverbs 3:7.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.
There is a difference between being smart and being wise. I know a lot of smart, educated people, but I wouldn't consider them wise. I wouldn't ask them for advise on life issues. I think of my grandmother who didn't get to finish elementary school because her family needed her to help make ends meet. She was wise beyond her years ever since I can remember. I lost my wisest friend when she passed away in 2002.
Lord, I want to seek your wisdom, not chase the knowledge and junk of this world!
Witness Wednesday
I had an interesting thought on Saturday. While dreaming of winning the lottery, I wondered how I would act all day Sunday after finding out I had the winning ticket. I wanted to tell everyone I won in my fantasy, but was afraid that someone would try to steal the ticket from me. I decided I would spend the day in utter joy like I was carrying a special secret. A special secret that changes a life.
God took the opportunity for a teaching moment. The Holy Spirit said "Duane, you life should be like that utter joy all the time, except you can give the ticket to changing a life away to anyone who will accept it at any time!". Wow! I have something in my heart and in my life that is worth more than winning any lottery! I CAN have that utter joy all the time as long as I remember that!
Do you remember that you have a prize worth more than winning the lottery in your heart and life today?
Second, I have been praying for several things lately. While I was listening to some dance mixes of Contemporary Christian songs, the song Everlasting God started. "Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord, wait upon the Lord, wait upon the Lord" Repeat that a lot! I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, but I think I am supposed to wait on the Lord for these things to happen! hehehe I praise God this. I have felt at peace about some things that have bothered me for some time now. Praise God!
Other Stuff
I had a nice evening at the New Life tailgate party last night. I didn't stay long. I was very tired. I bid on several Ohio State items and a few gift cards. Not sure I will get any of the things I bid on. I am sure they will call me if I won any of the bids. I wouldn't mind winning the leather OSU jacket. It was sweet.
I am having trouble loading Windows 7 on my rebuilt desktop. I will work on that more tonight around taping and painting the basement. I think I need a new DVD player in the computer. The one I have is very old. I don't think it is getting the job done. I can get a new one at Microcenter for about $20.
I will start my packing for my Vegas trip tonight and tomorrow night. I am getting excited about it. I am researching some restaurants to eat at.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Built for comfort, not for speed...
Our Daily Bread
Since puberty, I have usually been a barrel-chested stocky man. My joke with friends and family is "I was built for comfort, not for speed!" I am not a Porsche. I am a full-size Cadillac! Not that there is anything wrong with that!
The devotional today talks about the race we are running through life. God is reinforcing some things to me this morning through this devotional. I am so thankful! First, patience. Things will not happen all at once or necessarily when we want them to happen. They will happen in God's time if those things are what's best for us. Second, endurance. As I have written many times, music speaks to me. The dance mix of Everlasting God has been my mantra the past few days as I have been waiting on the Lord (Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord, wait upon the Lord). Say that a few hundred times and it starts to sink in! hehehe Lastly, we cannot rely on our own strength and determination to live our lives in Christ. It just doesn't work. We stumble and fall like little children learning to walk. God is there holding our hands to help us walk and grow strong. It is through his grace that we are whole. Praise God!
Lord, thank you for strength and mercy.
Teaching Tuesday
I promised that I would post the devotional gave at the Emmaus team meeting on August 20. I forgot to do that last week here it is:
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman
Luke 7:36-39, 47
36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Wow! I am touched by this story every time I read it! Here are some things for us to think about as leaders of this Walk to Emmaus.
1. Acknowledge our own sins and shortcomings. We know the verse that says we have all fallen short of the glory of God. Each and every one of us. As one of our talks says, we are not superior to anyone just because we have been on X number of walks or lead this or gave every talk.
As leaders of this Walk to Emmaus, we need to seek Jesus every day, acknowledging our sins and let the Holy Spirit flow through us to be more like Christ.
2. Don't be afraid to let your hair down. I know that is a challenge for many of us! The woman knew what her life had been like. She had tremendous faith and commitment to humble herself by walking into the Pharisee's house, tears flowing down her face, washing the feet of Jesus with those tears and her hair, kissing his feet, and then anointing his feet with perfume.
As leaders of this Walk to Emmaus, we should be willing to do no less.
3. Don't hate! I think we all would say that we really don't hate. Think about the Pharisee's reaction to the scene. The Pharisee was NOT happy that this woman entered his home, much less got to Jesus and made a spectacle of herself! What nerve she had! What nerve of Jesus! If he was a prophet, shouldn't he be more picky about who touches him?
As leaders of this Walk to Emmaus, we need to put all judging aside. We need to look past the sins and mistakes of others on our team and of the pilgrims. As an old song says "We need to look beyond the faults and see the needs" (paraphrased)
Our many sins have been forgiven. Let the great love that God showed us shine through us to the pilgrims.
Other Stuff
I had a nice walk with my walking buddy at lunch yesterday. I was tired, but decided to go to the gym after work as well. I had a short, but good work out. I did some stuff around the house last night, and then went to bed early. I am sleeping better now. Whew!
I was hungry for tacos last night, but ate too many of them. ;-( I have enough left over for a reasonable size taco salad.
I have a few projects that I am trying to finish this Fall before the weather turns colder. Yikes! I can't believe I am saying that!
I am looking forward to my vacation in Las Vegas next week. Should be a relaxing time. I have tickets to two shows and a tour of the Hoover Dam planned so far.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Since puberty, I have usually been a barrel-chested stocky man. My joke with friends and family is "I was built for comfort, not for speed!" I am not a Porsche. I am a full-size Cadillac! Not that there is anything wrong with that!
The devotional today talks about the race we are running through life. God is reinforcing some things to me this morning through this devotional. I am so thankful! First, patience. Things will not happen all at once or necessarily when we want them to happen. They will happen in God's time if those things are what's best for us. Second, endurance. As I have written many times, music speaks to me. The dance mix of Everlasting God has been my mantra the past few days as I have been waiting on the Lord (Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord, wait upon the Lord). Say that a few hundred times and it starts to sink in! hehehe Lastly, we cannot rely on our own strength and determination to live our lives in Christ. It just doesn't work. We stumble and fall like little children learning to walk. God is there holding our hands to help us walk and grow strong. It is through his grace that we are whole. Praise God!
Lord, thank you for strength and mercy.
Teaching Tuesday
I promised that I would post the devotional gave at the Emmaus team meeting on August 20. I forgot to do that last week here it is:
Jesus Anointed by a Sinful Woman
Luke 7:36-39, 47
36 When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38 As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”
47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
Wow! I am touched by this story every time I read it! Here are some things for us to think about as leaders of this Walk to Emmaus.
1. Acknowledge our own sins and shortcomings. We know the verse that says we have all fallen short of the glory of God. Each and every one of us. As one of our talks says, we are not superior to anyone just because we have been on X number of walks or lead this or gave every talk.
As leaders of this Walk to Emmaus, we need to seek Jesus every day, acknowledging our sins and let the Holy Spirit flow through us to be more like Christ.
2. Don't be afraid to let your hair down. I know that is a challenge for many of us! The woman knew what her life had been like. She had tremendous faith and commitment to humble herself by walking into the Pharisee's house, tears flowing down her face, washing the feet of Jesus with those tears and her hair, kissing his feet, and then anointing his feet with perfume.
As leaders of this Walk to Emmaus, we should be willing to do no less.
3. Don't hate! I think we all would say that we really don't hate. Think about the Pharisee's reaction to the scene. The Pharisee was NOT happy that this woman entered his home, much less got to Jesus and made a spectacle of herself! What nerve she had! What nerve of Jesus! If he was a prophet, shouldn't he be more picky about who touches him?
As leaders of this Walk to Emmaus, we need to put all judging aside. We need to look past the sins and mistakes of others on our team and of the pilgrims. As an old song says "We need to look beyond the faults and see the needs" (paraphrased)
Our many sins have been forgiven. Let the great love that God showed us shine through us to the pilgrims.
[I concluded by singing the verse and chorus to He Looked Beyond my Faults by Dottie Rambo]
Other Stuff
I had a nice walk with my walking buddy at lunch yesterday. I was tired, but decided to go to the gym after work as well. I had a short, but good work out. I did some stuff around the house last night, and then went to bed early. I am sleeping better now. Whew!
I was hungry for tacos last night, but ate too many of them. ;-( I have enough left over for a reasonable size taco salad.
I have a few projects that I am trying to finish this Fall before the weather turns colder. Yikes! I can't believe I am saying that!
I am looking forward to my vacation in Las Vegas next week. Should be a relaxing time. I have tickets to two shows and a tour of the Hoover Dam planned so far.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Monday, August 29, 2011
Time, perspective and prayer
Our Daily Bread
"Time, perspective and prayer" are what you need to overcome this confusion and work your way through this situation some friends told me. What do they know? hehehe The devotional today helped me understand some things even more clearly.
I never thought that God would treat me like the Israelites! What an honor! God has had me wondering in the "wilderness" the past few years to gain perspective on his will. The elapsed time has given God a chance to teach me some more very important things about myself. Things that I need to know to have the kind of lifetime relationship that I have been praying for. Yes, it has been a struggle. I can understand now why I had to go through this struggle. God taught me about having faith in his promises. He taught me about patience. He taught me about loving myself and loving someone else. In my silly terms, he has been teaching me to get over my bad self and move on to an even better life in him. Praise God! I am so thankful regardless of how difficult it has been. It is worth it. Worth it, indeed.
What is God asking you to do? Are you wandering (and wondering) in the wilderness right now?
Lord, thank you for you guidance through the wilderness. I praise you for the work you do in each of of us who seek you!
Movie Monday
I saw the movie Columbiana on Friday. The previews looked interesting, so I took a chance on it. I liked the lead actress from other movies.
The story line is the parents of a little girl are murdered in front of her by drug cartel bad guys. She vows at an early age to become a killer to get revenge on these men and their leaders. The young girl that played the character at that age was amazing! The first action scene was very cool. The girl finds her way to Chicago to live with her uncle, who directs her killing career. There are several twists and turns in the story that are cool. It is an entertaining movie and worth seeing.
I give it two bear paws. You can rent it. There is nothing that requires you to see this in the theater except earlier access!
Other Stuff
Whew! I had a busy weekend! I had an odd day on Sunday. I got an early start on my trip to Wooster to spend the day with my mother. I had a good breakfast at Mimi's Cafe and picked up some muffins for my mom (her favorite). I had a talk with my best friend before arriving at mom's apartment. Mom loved her digital picture frame that included lots of pics from the family. My sister is going to add more as she gets them. Very cool.
Mom's church was more "Spirit-filled" than usual. Even though I am not comfortable with that style of worship, I didn't want to be a hindrance to others there. I prayed most of the time. That was until my blood sugar went low and I had to go to the car to get something to eat. ;-( Mom and I left the service as it had been going for an hour and there was no end in sight! It was interesting. I am going to pray for them as there were some interesting things going on during the service.
Mom and I had a great lunch at Longhorn. We both had very good steaks. We went back to her apartment for a little while before the movie so I could unveil the big surprise for the day -- a flat panel TV. Mom was so excited! That was the good news. The bad news is that the TV was DOA when I took it out of the box! Yikes! I was heartbroken! I took a short nap and then decided to take the TV back in Columbus, and then figure out when I could deliver the new one back to Mom. Microcenter gave me a different set, which we tested in the store before I left. I decided to drive back to Wooster to deliver the TV since I didn't know when I could make the trip again. That made for a very long day for me, but it was worth it seeing the look on Mom's face when her channels came up on the TV. This is an LED LCD 26" TV mind you. Very nice. It fit perfectly in her entertainment center (I had her measure it and give me the specs). She was so excited. I talked to my sister about helping her learn how to use it. The picture was very nice. The 1/2" thick screen was very impressive! Mission accomplished!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
"Time, perspective and prayer" are what you need to overcome this confusion and work your way through this situation some friends told me. What do they know? hehehe The devotional today helped me understand some things even more clearly.
I never thought that God would treat me like the Israelites! What an honor! God has had me wondering in the "wilderness" the past few years to gain perspective on his will. The elapsed time has given God a chance to teach me some more very important things about myself. Things that I need to know to have the kind of lifetime relationship that I have been praying for. Yes, it has been a struggle. I can understand now why I had to go through this struggle. God taught me about having faith in his promises. He taught me about patience. He taught me about loving myself and loving someone else. In my silly terms, he has been teaching me to get over my bad self and move on to an even better life in him. Praise God! I am so thankful regardless of how difficult it has been. It is worth it. Worth it, indeed.
What is God asking you to do? Are you wandering (and wondering) in the wilderness right now?
Lord, thank you for you guidance through the wilderness. I praise you for the work you do in each of of us who seek you!
Movie Monday
I saw the movie Columbiana on Friday. The previews looked interesting, so I took a chance on it. I liked the lead actress from other movies.
The story line is the parents of a little girl are murdered in front of her by drug cartel bad guys. She vows at an early age to become a killer to get revenge on these men and their leaders. The young girl that played the character at that age was amazing! The first action scene was very cool. The girl finds her way to Chicago to live with her uncle, who directs her killing career. There are several twists and turns in the story that are cool. It is an entertaining movie and worth seeing.
I give it two bear paws. You can rent it. There is nothing that requires you to see this in the theater except earlier access!
Other Stuff
Whew! I had a busy weekend! I had an odd day on Sunday. I got an early start on my trip to Wooster to spend the day with my mother. I had a good breakfast at Mimi's Cafe and picked up some muffins for my mom (her favorite). I had a talk with my best friend before arriving at mom's apartment. Mom loved her digital picture frame that included lots of pics from the family. My sister is going to add more as she gets them. Very cool.
Mom's church was more "Spirit-filled" than usual. Even though I am not comfortable with that style of worship, I didn't want to be a hindrance to others there. I prayed most of the time. That was until my blood sugar went low and I had to go to the car to get something to eat. ;-( Mom and I left the service as it had been going for an hour and there was no end in sight! It was interesting. I am going to pray for them as there were some interesting things going on during the service.
Mom and I had a great lunch at Longhorn. We both had very good steaks. We went back to her apartment for a little while before the movie so I could unveil the big surprise for the day -- a flat panel TV. Mom was so excited! That was the good news. The bad news is that the TV was DOA when I took it out of the box! Yikes! I was heartbroken! I took a short nap and then decided to take the TV back in Columbus, and then figure out when I could deliver the new one back to Mom. Microcenter gave me a different set, which we tested in the store before I left. I decided to drive back to Wooster to deliver the TV since I didn't know when I could make the trip again. That made for a very long day for me, but it was worth it seeing the look on Mom's face when her channels came up on the TV. This is an LED LCD 26" TV mind you. Very nice. It fit perfectly in her entertainment center (I had her measure it and give me the specs). She was so excited. I talked to my sister about helping her learn how to use it. The picture was very nice. The 1/2" thick screen was very impressive! Mission accomplished!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Special Edition
Sorry I haven't written more this weekend. I have been so busy! I didn't realize I had so much to do! I got on a roll getting stuff done, so I kept going. I wanted to get a lot done on Saturday because I am spending the day with my mother on Sunday. Her birthday is coming up on Wednesday, so I am going to church with her and taking her to lunch. I got her a few surprises as well.
I told a friend what I accomplished yesterday. She was amazed! It is good to put some long-time projects to rest. I have one more mid-size project to do this week. I would like to get this stuff done before I leave for vacation next Sunday. I will have some time after I get back from my trip to work on it if I choose. I am sure I will need to rest when I get back!
God also managed to teach me some things yesterday during my walk and my busy-ness. I will write more about those things on Tuesday.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I told a friend what I accomplished yesterday. She was amazed! It is good to put some long-time projects to rest. I have one more mid-size project to do this week. I would like to get this stuff done before I leave for vacation next Sunday. I will have some time after I get back from my trip to work on it if I choose. I am sure I will need to rest when I get back!
God also managed to teach me some things yesterday during my walk and my busy-ness. I will write more about those things on Tuesday.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Friday, August 26, 2011
Our Daily Bread
I have done several Bible studies over the years. It has not been as obvious to me about how important consistent study of the Bible is until the past few years. I cannot express how much I got out of the Disciple 2 class last year at church. We start the Disciple 1 class in a few weeks (you don't have to take them in order...).
The stories and the people and the majesty of God speaks to us all if we let it. I even got a lot out of the Old Testament stories even though there were a LOT of times it seemed pretty obscure and pointless! All of the writings were important for one reason or another.
What are your study habits like? What should they be like? Think and pray about that.
Lord, your Word is a lamp until my feet and a light unto my path. I want to follow.
Foodie Friday
Here is the recipe for the breakfast casserole that I made last weekend for my team meeting. It turned out great. You can serve it by itself or add pico de gallo or sour cream. MmMMmmm!
Chorizo and Potato Mexican Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
1 pound uncooked chorizo
9 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (28 ounce) package frozen O'Brien potatoes (potatoes and bell peppers)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (could also use pepper jack)
1 (1 pound) jar black bean and corn salsa
green onions, chopped
Preparation method
1. Coat a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cook the chorizo in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Drain on paper towels.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs into the milk. Season with dry mustard and cayenne pepper, then add potatoes, cheese, salsa, and chorizo. Pour into prepared baking dish.
4. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Then, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and remove from refrigerator to let stand for 30 minutes.
5. Bake for 1 hour, until set completely.
Other Stuff
I had a busy evening last night. I delivered a TV to a friend's house. I started working on the computer projects in my office. The lcd monitor repair was a bust. I discarded the monitor. ;-( Not much of a loss really. I built the desktop computer, but it does not appear to work. I will troubleshoot it tonight. A friend stopped by to pick up a laptop that I sold him. I am divesting in some stuff that have just been laying around the house unused.
I got to bed early. I needed the rest.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I have done several Bible studies over the years. It has not been as obvious to me about how important consistent study of the Bible is until the past few years. I cannot express how much I got out of the Disciple 2 class last year at church. We start the Disciple 1 class in a few weeks (you don't have to take them in order...).
The stories and the people and the majesty of God speaks to us all if we let it. I even got a lot out of the Old Testament stories even though there were a LOT of times it seemed pretty obscure and pointless! All of the writings were important for one reason or another.
What are your study habits like? What should they be like? Think and pray about that.
Lord, your Word is a lamp until my feet and a light unto my path. I want to follow.
Foodie Friday
Here is the recipe for the breakfast casserole that I made last weekend for my team meeting. It turned out great. You can serve it by itself or add pico de gallo or sour cream. MmMMmmm!
Chorizo and Potato Mexican Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
1 pound uncooked chorizo
9 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (28 ounce) package frozen O'Brien potatoes (potatoes and bell peppers)
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (could also use pepper jack)
1 (1 pound) jar black bean and corn salsa
green onions, chopped
Preparation method
1. Coat a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cook the chorizo in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Drain on paper towels.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs into the milk. Season with dry mustard and cayenne pepper, then add potatoes, cheese, salsa, and chorizo. Pour into prepared baking dish.
4. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Then, preheat oven to 350 degrees F and remove from refrigerator to let stand for 30 minutes.
5. Bake for 1 hour, until set completely.
PICO DE GALLO
3 large tomatoes or 6 Roma tomatoes
2 large white onions
1 bunch green onions
1 bunch cilantro
2 Serrano peppers
2 to 3 lemons or limes (whichever is your preference)
salt
Cut tomatoes and white onion into the smallest pieces possible (or chop in the Cuisinart). Chop green onion and cilantro. Cut peppers as small as possible but make sure to taste after adding to mix for heat factor. Juice lemons (or limes) and pour into bowl with rest of mixture. Add a generous helping of salt and pepper, then taste.
Let sit for 4 to 5 hours in refrigerator to marinate.
Other Stuff
I had a busy evening last night. I delivered a TV to a friend's house. I started working on the computer projects in my office. The lcd monitor repair was a bust. I discarded the monitor. ;-( Not much of a loss really. I built the desktop computer, but it does not appear to work. I will troubleshoot it tonight. A friend stopped by to pick up a laptop that I sold him. I am divesting in some stuff that have just been laying around the house unused.
I got to bed early. I needed the rest.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Thursday, August 25, 2011
His grace is enough...
Our Daily Bread
I have a weakness. OK, I admit that I have more than one weakness! hehehe My main weakness feels debilitating at times. It feels like it swirls too many thoughts in my mind and too many feelings in my heart. I am not always rational. I am not always upbeat and steady. I sometimes act out due to this weakness. I can demand attention from folks that shouldn't be relied on to pay attention to me. I argue with God about why my weakness, my needs, are not being met. It has gotten a little worse lately. I am not sure why.
So what does my Bible study and prayer life say about these things? The devotional today put it all in perspective:
II Cor 12:9-10:
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
My sincere prayer is that I can relax in my weaknesses, although I hate them more each day, so I that Christ's power can rest on me. For when I am weak, I am strong.
Lord, thank you for weakness. If I was as strong as I think I am, I would not need you in my life! How messed up my life would be then!
Technology Thursday
More Apple rumors
There are more Apple rumors about the iPad3 and the iPhone(s). iPad3 will not be out until next year. Apple is trying to stay ahead of the competition with the new release. They have an amazing product! There are all kinds of iPhone rumors going around. There is a rumor of an inexpensive iPhone4 coming out. There are rumors of the iPhone5 being out as early as September. There is also some unsurety around Apple's future with the retirement of Steve Jobs.
HP flop
HP released a tablet computer called TouchPad a few months ago. It was not a great product, at least in the eyes of the public. They discounted the product by $50, then $100, then cleaned out their inventory with a $99 and $149 blowout last weekend! HP said they are getting out of some of the consumer products like PCs and tablets. We will see how that goes.
Google buys Motorola Mobile
Motorola split into two separate companies -- Mobile and the base Motorola business. Google bought Motorola Mobile for their patents. There is a huge patent war going on with the big companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Samsung and others. Lots of lawyers are making lots of money on these suits! We will see how it all shakes out.
Other Stuff
I had a busy evening last night. I stopped by Microcenter on the way home. I dropped off laundry. I took a very short nap since I didn't sleep well the night before. I finished working on the laptop that I am selling to a friend. I put the base on the small LCD TV I am selling to another friend. I have a lot of nice stuff that I rarely use. I am getting rid of some of it. I also have someone picking up my old couch. I have been trying to get rid of it for months. I want me new policy to be: if I own it, I use it regularly. If I don't use it, I don't need it in my house. I will see how that goes. I also had a good conversation with a close friend. I have been needy this week and fully admitted that to him. ;-(
Not much planned for this weekend. I want to see the movie Columbiana. I have my team meeting Saturday morning. I want to rebuild the computer in my office and maybe fix the LCD screen a friend gave me. I will see how things go.
Hang in there, my friends! I will do my best to be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I have a weakness. OK, I admit that I have more than one weakness! hehehe My main weakness feels debilitating at times. It feels like it swirls too many thoughts in my mind and too many feelings in my heart. I am not always rational. I am not always upbeat and steady. I sometimes act out due to this weakness. I can demand attention from folks that shouldn't be relied on to pay attention to me. I argue with God about why my weakness, my needs, are not being met. It has gotten a little worse lately. I am not sure why.
So what does my Bible study and prayer life say about these things? The devotional today put it all in perspective:
II Cor 12:9-10:
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
My sincere prayer is that I can relax in my weaknesses, although I hate them more each day, so I that Christ's power can rest on me. For when I am weak, I am strong.
Lord, thank you for weakness. If I was as strong as I think I am, I would not need you in my life! How messed up my life would be then!
Technology Thursday
More Apple rumors
There are more Apple rumors about the iPad3 and the iPhone(s). iPad3 will not be out until next year. Apple is trying to stay ahead of the competition with the new release. They have an amazing product! There are all kinds of iPhone rumors going around. There is a rumor of an inexpensive iPhone4 coming out. There are rumors of the iPhone5 being out as early as September. There is also some unsurety around Apple's future with the retirement of Steve Jobs.
HP flop
HP released a tablet computer called TouchPad a few months ago. It was not a great product, at least in the eyes of the public. They discounted the product by $50, then $100, then cleaned out their inventory with a $99 and $149 blowout last weekend! HP said they are getting out of some of the consumer products like PCs and tablets. We will see how that goes.
Google buys Motorola Mobile
Motorola split into two separate companies -- Mobile and the base Motorola business. Google bought Motorola Mobile for their patents. There is a huge patent war going on with the big companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Samsung and others. Lots of lawyers are making lots of money on these suits! We will see how it all shakes out.
Other Stuff
I had a busy evening last night. I stopped by Microcenter on the way home. I dropped off laundry. I took a very short nap since I didn't sleep well the night before. I finished working on the laptop that I am selling to a friend. I put the base on the small LCD TV I am selling to another friend. I have a lot of nice stuff that I rarely use. I am getting rid of some of it. I also have someone picking up my old couch. I have been trying to get rid of it for months. I want me new policy to be: if I own it, I use it regularly. If I don't use it, I don't need it in my house. I will see how that goes. I also had a good conversation with a close friend. I have been needy this week and fully admitted that to him. ;-(
Not much planned for this weekend. I want to see the movie Columbiana. I have my team meeting Saturday morning. I want to rebuild the computer in my office and maybe fix the LCD screen a friend gave me. I will see how things go.
Hang in there, my friends! I will do my best to be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
He knows the little birdies...
Our Daily Bread
Yes, God knows the little birdies and every flower in the field! How much more does he care of us!
I am so thankful for this message today. God has been prompting me to turn more things over to him (as I have been writing about). I am having trouble trusting him because I am not seeing any results. Doesn't he know I am a results-driving man! hehehe Of course he does! I have to admit that there are some things in life worth waiting for. I am not sure how some things will work out. I understand a little more know why some things haven't worked out according to my schedule. They would have failed miserably! Miserably I say! hehehe.
Look at the things and people and situations in your life. What do you need to turn over to God? I pray that God gives you the glimpse of his master plan when you need to see it. He helps us trust him even more!
Thank you, Lord, for knowing what is best for me. You know the desires of my heart better than I know them myself. Thank you!
Witness Wednesday
As I mentioned above, there is a situation in my life that would have worked out horribly if I could have followed my schedule the past few years. God has something else in mind. I am following his schedule now (the best I can at least). It is amazing how God knew all of these things ahead of time. He allowed things to happen in my life that disrupted my original schedule. It has been the best thing for me. Praise God! I am working on the goals from that original schedule now since the doctor removed my physical activity limitations. I am excited!
Yes, it can be difficult to be patient. It can be difficult to trust God. God knows how you feel. Talk to him about it. I know that I probably talk back too much! My friends would not be surprised by that! Oh well. You can't lie to God. You can't be upset and doubting in your heart and then try to tell God "Oh yeah, I am trusting you. Right behind you all the way". DOH! He is God! He knows your every thought and deed. Be honest even when you are doubting and disappointed and happy and sad and full of praise. It is OK to talk to God like you would a best friend.
Our God is an awesome God. He loves you more than the birds and lilies of the fields.
Other Stuff
I had a restful evening last night even though I had to get a few things done. I took a short nap when I got home. Warmed up leftovers for supper (salt potatoes, thank you my hero!). Cleaned some floors. I FINALLY read the instructions for the Haan steam mop I bought last year. Apparently, I have been using it incorrectly all this time! DOH! I understand how it works now. The tile floors look great! I also got a birthday card ready and worked on my checkbook a little while.
I don't think I have written about my friend yet. God led me to a new employee at work, actually a transfer from out of town. He is very nice. Very handsome. Very straight. God lead me to him to help him with his feelings of being alone in a new town. God used him to show me that God can use anyone in your life as long as you let him! This guy left me the nicest voice mail on Saturday because he didn't want to let the day go by without wishing me a happy birthday. God is so good to lead folks into our lives!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Yes, God knows the little birdies and every flower in the field! How much more does he care of us!
I am so thankful for this message today. God has been prompting me to turn more things over to him (as I have been writing about). I am having trouble trusting him because I am not seeing any results. Doesn't he know I am a results-driving man! hehehe Of course he does! I have to admit that there are some things in life worth waiting for. I am not sure how some things will work out. I understand a little more know why some things haven't worked out according to my schedule. They would have failed miserably! Miserably I say! hehehe.
Look at the things and people and situations in your life. What do you need to turn over to God? I pray that God gives you the glimpse of his master plan when you need to see it. He helps us trust him even more!
Thank you, Lord, for knowing what is best for me. You know the desires of my heart better than I know them myself. Thank you!
Witness Wednesday
As I mentioned above, there is a situation in my life that would have worked out horribly if I could have followed my schedule the past few years. God has something else in mind. I am following his schedule now (the best I can at least). It is amazing how God knew all of these things ahead of time. He allowed things to happen in my life that disrupted my original schedule. It has been the best thing for me. Praise God! I am working on the goals from that original schedule now since the doctor removed my physical activity limitations. I am excited!
Yes, it can be difficult to be patient. It can be difficult to trust God. God knows how you feel. Talk to him about it. I know that I probably talk back too much! My friends would not be surprised by that! Oh well. You can't lie to God. You can't be upset and doubting in your heart and then try to tell God "Oh yeah, I am trusting you. Right behind you all the way". DOH! He is God! He knows your every thought and deed. Be honest even when you are doubting and disappointed and happy and sad and full of praise. It is OK to talk to God like you would a best friend.
Our God is an awesome God. He loves you more than the birds and lilies of the fields.
Other Stuff
I had a restful evening last night even though I had to get a few things done. I took a short nap when I got home. Warmed up leftovers for supper (salt potatoes, thank you my hero!). Cleaned some floors. I FINALLY read the instructions for the Haan steam mop I bought last year. Apparently, I have been using it incorrectly all this time! DOH! I understand how it works now. The tile floors look great! I also got a birthday card ready and worked on my checkbook a little while.
I don't think I have written about my friend yet. God led me to a new employee at work, actually a transfer from out of town. He is very nice. Very handsome. Very straight. God lead me to him to help him with his feelings of being alone in a new town. God used him to show me that God can use anyone in your life as long as you let him! This guy left me the nicest voice mail on Saturday because he didn't want to let the day go by without wishing me a happy birthday. God is so good to lead folks into our lives!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
There will be a day...
Our Daily Bread
A song says "there will be a day with no pain, no more suffering". Yes, we all look forward to that! We all know folks that are in pain and suffering needlessly. We also see it on the news every night!
In a broader sense, the devotional spoke to me in a slightly different way -- "Jesus is worthy of the very best of our love and devotion". I never thought about how what should mean to me. First, in the context of the devotional, if we love someone, we want to see them as often as we can. We can even "long" to see them. An expression in the South is "I was hungry to see him". ;-) Like the devotional says, we should long to see Christ's coming. Second, Christ should be the primary thoughts of our minds and hearts. When we love someone, that person is usually on our minds and hearts a LOT! ;-) Do we put Christ first in our minds and hearts? Do we think about him above all others?
Lord, I look forward to your coming. Come, Lord Jesus, come!
Teaching Tuesday
If we take the 10,000 foot overview of being a child of God, it is really very simple. There is one page in the instruction book with two sentences:
Love the Lord God with all you heart, mind and soul
Love others as you love yourself.
Pretty simple stuff, right? NOT! As God is moving in my life and prompting me to grow, I realized that I pretty much suck at both of these things! So much for simple!
I find that I am putting some things in front of God in my life. It is human nature. I am trying to turn things over to God. There is one area that has been particularly difficult for me. I am doing better than any other time in my life, but still not where I want to be. Please know that I am not expecting perfection of myself. I am only human. Relying on the Holy Spirit makes it easier to put aside my human thoughts and desires. I have to admit that I "wrestle" with God at times over some of these things. I can see what God is doing or what I think God is doing. I cannot be certain. That is the blessing and the distraction of the Christian life -- trying to be sure what you are perceiving is from God's plan and not your own! I am really good at planning, so I know I can make all of these stuff happen on my own! NOT! hehehe
Second, I still struggle with loving others as myself. I find myself being WAY too hard on folks I love and on other people in general. I guess it comes from being too had on myself. A class at church taught me to say to myself each day "Duane, you are a beloved child of God in whom he is well pleased". I then have to say that about each person I am mad at or disappointed with! It makes you take a whole different outlook on yourself and other folks. God doesn't make junk. He sure didn't call me to be his child so I can be grumpy all the time (even though I have some Grumpy tshirts as a joke on myself!).
If you turn yourself over to God, he will help you with these things. Prayer and Bible study help move your growth along. Praise God!
Other Stuff
I had a busy evening after work. I went to the gym. Emptied the dishwasher. Put all the clean laundry away. Made my bed. Wrote some emails. Got my stuff ready for today. I sort of fell in bed for my prayers and then to sleep. Whew!
I am working on my Fall schedule. I plan to sing with the Columbus Gay Mens Chorus. I plan to sing with the church choir. I plan to take the Disciple 1 class at church. Should be a fun Fall. The month of September will be very busy.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
A song says "there will be a day with no pain, no more suffering". Yes, we all look forward to that! We all know folks that are in pain and suffering needlessly. We also see it on the news every night!
In a broader sense, the devotional spoke to me in a slightly different way -- "Jesus is worthy of the very best of our love and devotion". I never thought about how what should mean to me. First, in the context of the devotional, if we love someone, we want to see them as often as we can. We can even "long" to see them. An expression in the South is "I was hungry to see him". ;-) Like the devotional says, we should long to see Christ's coming. Second, Christ should be the primary thoughts of our minds and hearts. When we love someone, that person is usually on our minds and hearts a LOT! ;-) Do we put Christ first in our minds and hearts? Do we think about him above all others?
Lord, I look forward to your coming. Come, Lord Jesus, come!
Teaching Tuesday
If we take the 10,000 foot overview of being a child of God, it is really very simple. There is one page in the instruction book with two sentences:
Love the Lord God with all you heart, mind and soul
Love others as you love yourself.
Pretty simple stuff, right? NOT! As God is moving in my life and prompting me to grow, I realized that I pretty much suck at both of these things! So much for simple!
I find that I am putting some things in front of God in my life. It is human nature. I am trying to turn things over to God. There is one area that has been particularly difficult for me. I am doing better than any other time in my life, but still not where I want to be. Please know that I am not expecting perfection of myself. I am only human. Relying on the Holy Spirit makes it easier to put aside my human thoughts and desires. I have to admit that I "wrestle" with God at times over some of these things. I can see what God is doing or what I think God is doing. I cannot be certain. That is the blessing and the distraction of the Christian life -- trying to be sure what you are perceiving is from God's plan and not your own! I am really good at planning, so I know I can make all of these stuff happen on my own! NOT! hehehe
Second, I still struggle with loving others as myself. I find myself being WAY too hard on folks I love and on other people in general. I guess it comes from being too had on myself. A class at church taught me to say to myself each day "Duane, you are a beloved child of God in whom he is well pleased". I then have to say that about each person I am mad at or disappointed with! It makes you take a whole different outlook on yourself and other folks. God doesn't make junk. He sure didn't call me to be his child so I can be grumpy all the time (even though I have some Grumpy tshirts as a joke on myself!).
If you turn yourself over to God, he will help you with these things. Prayer and Bible study help move your growth along. Praise God!
Other Stuff
I had a busy evening after work. I went to the gym. Emptied the dishwasher. Put all the clean laundry away. Made my bed. Wrote some emails. Got my stuff ready for today. I sort of fell in bed for my prayers and then to sleep. Whew!
I am working on my Fall schedule. I plan to sing with the Columbus Gay Mens Chorus. I plan to sing with the church choir. I plan to take the Disciple 1 class at church. Should be a fun Fall. The month of September will be very busy.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Monday, August 22, 2011
A gentle reminder
Our Daily Bread
There are times when the daily devotional is not intended to spark an epiphany in my life, though it has several times in the past few years. Many of the devotionals are like the one today that simply reminds or encourages me to keep on the right road.
How do we really know what the right road is? Why can't we look on a map of our lives to see where we are supposed to go? Where is my life GPS? ;-) Well, God doesn't always work that way. If you read this blog very much, you might remember one of my favorite sayings "What does it matter where the road goes as long as God is leading?" For my life, my life GPS has the start of the road, but not necessarily where I will end up. The challenge for a child of God is to trust him with "where the road ends up". That is not always easy. I am a planner. I need to know these things! heheeh
Lord, I give all my roads to you. Please lead me. I want to trust you with all my life.
Movie Monday
I saw the movie Fright Night after work on Friday. It was sort of fun. I am a big fan of the original movie, so this one had a lot to live up to!
The story line was the same -- a vampire moves into the house next door. People start coming up missing. Some boys notice it. The vampire, played by Colin Farrell, starts hunting them down so his secret doesn't get out. There is also the vampire killer, Vegas style, that enters the mix, similar to the TV host in the first movie.
Overall, it was a lot of fun. Some suspense. Some nice makeup. Colin Farrell was good as the vampire.
I give this one two bear paws. You can rent this one, unless you want to see it in 3D at the theater.
Other Stuff
I had a nice Sunday. Went to both church services. Stayed after church for the CGLF lunch and sat wiht some friends. Talked to Yang for a little while. Went home to take a short nap. Did some stuff around the house. Went to Target. Had dinner with some friends. Had a nice talk with a buddy. Went to sleep. I was tired!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
There are times when the daily devotional is not intended to spark an epiphany in my life, though it has several times in the past few years. Many of the devotionals are like the one today that simply reminds or encourages me to keep on the right road.
How do we really know what the right road is? Why can't we look on a map of our lives to see where we are supposed to go? Where is my life GPS? ;-) Well, God doesn't always work that way. If you read this blog very much, you might remember one of my favorite sayings "What does it matter where the road goes as long as God is leading?" For my life, my life GPS has the start of the road, but not necessarily where I will end up. The challenge for a child of God is to trust him with "where the road ends up". That is not always easy. I am a planner. I need to know these things! heheeh
Lord, I give all my roads to you. Please lead me. I want to trust you with all my life.
Movie Monday
I saw the movie Fright Night after work on Friday. It was sort of fun. I am a big fan of the original movie, so this one had a lot to live up to!
The story line was the same -- a vampire moves into the house next door. People start coming up missing. Some boys notice it. The vampire, played by Colin Farrell, starts hunting them down so his secret doesn't get out. There is also the vampire killer, Vegas style, that enters the mix, similar to the TV host in the first movie.
Overall, it was a lot of fun. Some suspense. Some nice makeup. Colin Farrell was good as the vampire.
I give this one two bear paws. You can rent this one, unless you want to see it in 3D at the theater.
Other Stuff
I had a nice Sunday. Went to both church services. Stayed after church for the CGLF lunch and sat wiht some friends. Talked to Yang for a little while. Went home to take a short nap. Did some stuff around the house. Went to Target. Had dinner with some friends. Had a nice talk with a buddy. Went to sleep. I was tired!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Oh when the saints...
Our Daily Bread
Oh, I want to be in that number... when the saints go marching in! According to the devotional and scripture today, we are in that number if we are a child of God! We are saints! No, not in the Mother Theresa kind of way. We are saints in that we have a relationship with Christ. Woohooooo!
I know lots of folks that struggle with these passages. They don't feel worthy. They don't want the responsibility of being a saint! It comes with the territory. We are to put aside the activities and sins of this world as best as we can so we can focus on the things of God. I am not saying that we are supposed to walk around with our heads in the clouds. No way. I am saying that we follow the last section of the devotional that talks about putting aside sexual immorality and improper speech. We should concern ourselves with service to one another (Rom. 16:2), humility, gentleness, patience, love, unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:1-3), obedience, and perseverance during hardship and suffering.
Lord, I want to focus on the things that please you!
Psalm Sunday
I am looking at Psalm 20 this week. This one is a blessing and a confirmation. The blessing is upon folks that God may be active in their lives when they pray. The confirmation is that God really does the things he promises! That is so amazing!
Psalm 20
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.
4 May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the LORD grant all your requests.
6 Now this I know:
The LORD gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
9 LORD, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call!
Other Stuff
I need to rest today! I had a very busy birthday! The guys seemed to enjoy the breakfast casserole I made for our meeting. We had a great breakfast. My devotional went well. They were surprised by my singing! I met my walking buddy for lunch after the meeting. We had a nice lunch and a fun trip to Costco. I don't think she knows what to think of me sometimes!
The big event for the day was getting my first tattoo. It wasn't too bad. I was so tired by 4:15 or so that I wanted a nap! It wasn't too painful. It was more like annoying pinches after a while. The tattoo turned out the way I wanted. It will take a few weeks for it to heal. I already have a preliminary design for the next one on my other arm!
I came home and made a new baked chicken recipe for supper. Did some stuff around the house. Talked to my best friend on the phone. Went to sleep! I didn't sleep that great. Not sure why. I woke up oddly a few times. Not sure what that was about. I will take a nap this afternoon!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Oh, I want to be in that number... when the saints go marching in! According to the devotional and scripture today, we are in that number if we are a child of God! We are saints! No, not in the Mother Theresa kind of way. We are saints in that we have a relationship with Christ. Woohooooo!
I know lots of folks that struggle with these passages. They don't feel worthy. They don't want the responsibility of being a saint! It comes with the territory. We are to put aside the activities and sins of this world as best as we can so we can focus on the things of God. I am not saying that we are supposed to walk around with our heads in the clouds. No way. I am saying that we follow the last section of the devotional that talks about putting aside sexual immorality and improper speech. We should concern ourselves with service to one another (Rom. 16:2), humility, gentleness, patience, love, unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:1-3), obedience, and perseverance during hardship and suffering.
Lord, I want to focus on the things that please you!
I am looking at Psalm 20 this week. This one is a blessing and a confirmation. The blessing is upon folks that God may be active in their lives when they pray. The confirmation is that God really does the things he promises! That is so amazing!
Psalm 20
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 May the LORD answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.
4 May he give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory
and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the LORD grant all your requests.
6 Now this I know:
The LORD gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
with the victorious power of his right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
9 LORD, give victory to the king!
Answer us when we call!
Other Stuff
I need to rest today! I had a very busy birthday! The guys seemed to enjoy the breakfast casserole I made for our meeting. We had a great breakfast. My devotional went well. They were surprised by my singing! I met my walking buddy for lunch after the meeting. We had a nice lunch and a fun trip to Costco. I don't think she knows what to think of me sometimes!
The big event for the day was getting my first tattoo. It wasn't too bad. I was so tired by 4:15 or so that I wanted a nap! It wasn't too painful. It was more like annoying pinches after a while. The tattoo turned out the way I wanted. It will take a few weeks for it to heal. I already have a preliminary design for the next one on my other arm!
I came home and made a new baked chicken recipe for supper. Did some stuff around the house. Talked to my best friend on the phone. Went to sleep! I didn't sleep that great. Not sure why. I woke up oddly a few times. Not sure what that was about. I will take a nap this afternoon!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Blocking...
Our Daily Bread
It is almost football season again in Ohio. A time for Buckeye fans to dream about Big Ten conference and national championships. Those dreams faded quickly for this season after the events of the last year. Players suspended. Players and coach left the university. Not a pleasant scene for the fans or remaining players.
While blocking on the football field is a requirement for a successful play or drive, blocking is not a good thing for children of God. I am talking about the blocking caused by our sins and shortcomings towards others, preventing them from really seeing God.
I have a joke with my ministers that I don't like wearing the King Avenue tshirt because I have to be nicer to people! I don't want to be a bad representative of our church. I guess I need to think about wearing a "child of God" tshirt all the time so I am nicer to people ALL the time! hehehe
Lord, I don't want to block someone else from seeing your love and grace!
Simply Saturday
It's my birthday, it's my birthday.... hehehe Yes, I turned 52 years old today. I am so thankful for my no-ordinary-life with all of the adventures God has empowered me to do. While 51 was not a bad year, it did not hold a candle to the year I was 50. At least at first glance I thought that. What changed in the last year? First, I had some more eye surgeries. That is a good thing because I am in the last few laps of this race to retain my eye sight. The eye doctor removed my physical restrictions a few months ago. I can work out at the gym and be more active overall. Woohooooo! I will need at least one more relatively minor surgery sometime in the next year, but that is not a big deal. I might need to wear glasses after it is all said and done. I am fine with that too. I am so thankful!
What else changed? I did. God helped me change (or at least start the change) in some very core parts of my heart, mind and personality. Again, I am so thankful! The devotional this morning reminded me why I started down this road to a closer relationship with God several years ago -- I don't want to block others! God knows what is best for me. I will do my best to "flee to him" and turn my life over to him. There have been so many times in the past few years that God has spoken to me in one way or the other.
Lastly, I started a change in my behavior about 16 months ago. God has helped me grow and see that my old behavior patterns were not healthy for me. Yes, it is difficult sometimes to not fall into old habits. I sometimes doubt God and try to push him into the answer I want to hear. I was reminded last week that if I had my way with one of my friendships a few years ago, we would probably not be friends today because of the initial friction between us and the way we saw things. God helped us grow together as friends. Will something else happen with us? I have no clue. I want what God wants for me because I know it is the best thing for me. I can see that now. Once again, I am so thankful.
I have a good day planned. Meeting this morning where I get to share my latest creation -- a new breakfast casserole recipe. I hope it tastes as good as it smells! I am having lunch and going to Costco with my walking buddy. AND, I plan to get my first tattoo at 4:00. Here is the design that represents the Holy Spirit in my life:
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
It is almost football season again in Ohio. A time for Buckeye fans to dream about Big Ten conference and national championships. Those dreams faded quickly for this season after the events of the last year. Players suspended. Players and coach left the university. Not a pleasant scene for the fans or remaining players.
While blocking on the football field is a requirement for a successful play or drive, blocking is not a good thing for children of God. I am talking about the blocking caused by our sins and shortcomings towards others, preventing them from really seeing God.
I have a joke with my ministers that I don't like wearing the King Avenue tshirt because I have to be nicer to people! I don't want to be a bad representative of our church. I guess I need to think about wearing a "child of God" tshirt all the time so I am nicer to people ALL the time! hehehe
Lord, I don't want to block someone else from seeing your love and grace!
Simply Saturday
It's my birthday, it's my birthday.... hehehe Yes, I turned 52 years old today. I am so thankful for my no-ordinary-life with all of the adventures God has empowered me to do. While 51 was not a bad year, it did not hold a candle to the year I was 50. At least at first glance I thought that. What changed in the last year? First, I had some more eye surgeries. That is a good thing because I am in the last few laps of this race to retain my eye sight. The eye doctor removed my physical restrictions a few months ago. I can work out at the gym and be more active overall. Woohooooo! I will need at least one more relatively minor surgery sometime in the next year, but that is not a big deal. I might need to wear glasses after it is all said and done. I am fine with that too. I am so thankful!
What else changed? I did. God helped me change (or at least start the change) in some very core parts of my heart, mind and personality. Again, I am so thankful! The devotional this morning reminded me why I started down this road to a closer relationship with God several years ago -- I don't want to block others! God knows what is best for me. I will do my best to "flee to him" and turn my life over to him. There have been so many times in the past few years that God has spoken to me in one way or the other.
Lastly, I started a change in my behavior about 16 months ago. God has helped me grow and see that my old behavior patterns were not healthy for me. Yes, it is difficult sometimes to not fall into old habits. I sometimes doubt God and try to push him into the answer I want to hear. I was reminded last week that if I had my way with one of my friendships a few years ago, we would probably not be friends today because of the initial friction between us and the way we saw things. God helped us grow together as friends. Will something else happen with us? I have no clue. I want what God wants for me because I know it is the best thing for me. I can see that now. Once again, I am so thankful.
I have a good day planned. Meeting this morning where I get to share my latest creation -- a new breakfast casserole recipe. I hope it tastes as good as it smells! I am having lunch and going to Costco with my walking buddy. AND, I plan to get my first tattoo at 4:00. Here is the design that represents the Holy Spirit in my life:
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Friday, August 19, 2011
I will remember...
Our Daily Bread
For someone that has a scary memory, meaning I remember way too many details that I shouldn't remember, I have trouble remembering stuff about God sometimes.
I haven't disciplined myself to memorize scripture as much as I should.
I haven't disciplined myself to remember to pray each morning and each night.
I haven't disciplined myself to always remember God's promises and how he wants to work in my life. Here is a silly example from this morning. I saw a chocolate long john in the pastry display in the cafeteria. I really, really wanted that pastry. I decided to go to the bathroom before picking it up and taking it back to my desk. I jokingly prayed "Lord, if you don't want me to have that pastry, then have someone else buy it before I get back". IT WAS GONE when I got back! Sometimes I wish every problem or question was answered that easily and directly. Sometimes I am glad they aren't.
What are you forgetting today?
Lord, I want to always remember the things you have done for me and the things you promised me. I thank you and praise you in advance for answering my prayers.
Foodie Friday
I have two recipes for today. The first is the grilled green bean recipe I made for the dinner group last Sunday. The other one is the baked chicken recipe I am going to make this weekend. I hope you enjoy! I am making a new breakfast casserole recipe tomorrow. I will post that recipe next Friday (if it turns out OK!).
Tasty Grilled Green Beans
2 lb green beans (stem ends trimmed)
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp sherry vinegar (you can use balsamic vinegar or vinaigrette as well)
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Lightly coat the green beans and peppers with olive oil. Grill till al dente
Mix the other ingredients together. Pour over green beans and toss. Top with sliced almonds. Serve warm or chill and serve cold.
Buttermilk Baked Chicken
Ingredients
2 cups buttermilk
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
5 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic, smashed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (3 pound) chicken cut into 8 pieces, rinsed and patted dry
2 cups crushed corn flakes
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fit a sheet tray with a wire rack and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix together buttermilk, lemon juice, hot sauce, onion, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Add chicken and coat with mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours or up 12 hours.
Mix corn flakes, Parmesan cheese, and thyme together. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and dredge through the corn flake-Parmesan mixture, pressing to help it adhere.
Place on the wire rack-fitted sheet tray and bake for 45 minutes until golden and crisp.
Cook's Note: Remove the skin to save calories. Soaking chicken in buttermilk leaves the chicken incredibly moist with a delicious flavor.
Other Stuff
I had a nice evening last night. I went to the gym after work. Had a quick supper at Oodles of Noodles. They had General Tso's chicken on special. MmmMmmmmm! I got to church early to say my prayers for the church prayer requests and the Emmaus team. I practiced my devotional as well. The technology committee meeting went well. I was a little nervous since it was my first one. I am excited about the stuff we are looking at.
I went to the grocery on the way home to get stuff for my breakfast casserole and pico de gallo for breakfast tomorrow. Should be good! I have to make it up tonight, and then pull it out of the fridge 30 minutes before baking tomorrow. Whew! I don't think the pico de gallo will take too long to make. I might bake some brownies as well.
I received a text that a close friend received confirmation that he was accepted into Seminary yesterday. Woohooooo! I am so proud of him.
I scheduled my next big adventure for Saturday afternoon. I am getting my first tattoo. I will post pictures of it after it heals up. It will be a representation of the Holy Spirit. I am getting it on my left arm. I am excited and a little scared. hehehe
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
For someone that has a scary memory, meaning I remember way too many details that I shouldn't remember, I have trouble remembering stuff about God sometimes.
I haven't disciplined myself to memorize scripture as much as I should.
I haven't disciplined myself to remember to pray each morning and each night.
I haven't disciplined myself to always remember God's promises and how he wants to work in my life. Here is a silly example from this morning. I saw a chocolate long john in the pastry display in the cafeteria. I really, really wanted that pastry. I decided to go to the bathroom before picking it up and taking it back to my desk. I jokingly prayed "Lord, if you don't want me to have that pastry, then have someone else buy it before I get back". IT WAS GONE when I got back! Sometimes I wish every problem or question was answered that easily and directly. Sometimes I am glad they aren't.
What are you forgetting today?
Lord, I want to always remember the things you have done for me and the things you promised me. I thank you and praise you in advance for answering my prayers.
Foodie Friday
I have two recipes for today. The first is the grilled green bean recipe I made for the dinner group last Sunday. The other one is the baked chicken recipe I am going to make this weekend. I hope you enjoy! I am making a new breakfast casserole recipe tomorrow. I will post that recipe next Friday (if it turns out OK!).
Tasty Grilled Green Beans
2 lb green beans (stem ends trimmed)
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp sherry vinegar (you can use balsamic vinegar or vinaigrette as well)
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Lightly coat the green beans and peppers with olive oil. Grill till al dente
Mix the other ingredients together. Pour over green beans and toss. Top with sliced almonds. Serve warm or chill and serve cold.
Buttermilk Baked Chicken
Ingredients
2 cups buttermilk
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 yellow onion, sliced
5 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic, smashed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (3 pound) chicken cut into 8 pieces, rinsed and patted dry
2 cups crushed corn flakes
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Fit a sheet tray with a wire rack and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix together buttermilk, lemon juice, hot sauce, onion, thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Add chicken and coat with mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours or up 12 hours.
Mix corn flakes, Parmesan cheese, and thyme together. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off, and dredge through the corn flake-Parmesan mixture, pressing to help it adhere.
Place on the wire rack-fitted sheet tray and bake for 45 minutes until golden and crisp.
Cook's Note: Remove the skin to save calories. Soaking chicken in buttermilk leaves the chicken incredibly moist with a delicious flavor.
Other Stuff
I had a nice evening last night. I went to the gym after work. Had a quick supper at Oodles of Noodles. They had General Tso's chicken on special. MmmMmmmmm! I got to church early to say my prayers for the church prayer requests and the Emmaus team. I practiced my devotional as well. The technology committee meeting went well. I was a little nervous since it was my first one. I am excited about the stuff we are looking at.
I went to the grocery on the way home to get stuff for my breakfast casserole and pico de gallo for breakfast tomorrow. Should be good! I have to make it up tonight, and then pull it out of the fridge 30 minutes before baking tomorrow. Whew! I don't think the pico de gallo will take too long to make. I might bake some brownies as well.
I received a text that a close friend received confirmation that he was accepted into Seminary yesterday. Woohooooo! I am so proud of him.
I scheduled my next big adventure for Saturday afternoon. I am getting my first tattoo. I will post pictures of it after it heals up. It will be a representation of the Holy Spirit. I am getting it on my left arm. I am excited and a little scared. hehehe
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Thursday, August 18, 2011
He said it, I get it...
Our Daily Bread
We all have times in our lives when we need to feel God's presence or assurance a little (OK, A LOT) more than usual. The past few weeks have been such a period for me. God has been working in my life through a recent epiphany, and then the subsequent follow up lessons about being disciplined in my thoughts and deeds. It has been a difficult time. It has been an exciting time. God is answering my prayers in ways I couldn't have imagined. Praise God!
The devotional today is another example of God reassuring me of his promises. He reminded me of the promises he made to me as I read about the promises he made to David and the way he fulfilled those promises. How amazing! How amazing that he still continues to promise good things to his people today!
What has God promised you? Are you resting in his promises, believing that he will answer your prayers? I know it is hard. I know I ache for the answers to my prayers sometimes. God knows the right timing for all things. Being patient only makes us appreciate things even more!
Lord, thank you for your promises to me and to each of us. I want to put my faith and hope in you.
Technology Thursday
Still not much going on in the technology world right now. How boring! Here are a few headlines that might be of interest.
IBM working on a chip that acts like the human mind Great, a chip that sits in front of the TV eating chips and surfs porn sites too much...
Earth's moon may be 200 million years younger than previously thought With a birthday coming up on Saturday, this makes me wonder why I can't be younger than previously thought! Also, does the moon use some kind of aging cream to look 200 million years younger? hehehe
Google-Motorola deal emphasizes the patent race It appears that most of the money in the technology world is being spent on patent suits instead of innovation. How lame...
Other Stuff
I had a nice dinner with my hero last night at Zydeco. It is a Cajun restaurant south of I70 on High Street. The atmosphere was a little odd (no AC), but the food was wonderful. My hero had the paella. I had the Cajun Chicken puff pastry dish. Very tasty. We also had a great talk about stuff in our lives. I really appreciate her friendship!
I got some things done around the house after I got home. I also planned the rest of the week since I have some things I need to do at certain times, like make a breakfast casserole for Saturday morning. I also had some nice phone conversations with my mother and some close friends. I am so fortunate to be so loved.
I am going to the gym after work tonight, and then on to a meeting at church.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
We all have times in our lives when we need to feel God's presence or assurance a little (OK, A LOT) more than usual. The past few weeks have been such a period for me. God has been working in my life through a recent epiphany, and then the subsequent follow up lessons about being disciplined in my thoughts and deeds. It has been a difficult time. It has been an exciting time. God is answering my prayers in ways I couldn't have imagined. Praise God!
The devotional today is another example of God reassuring me of his promises. He reminded me of the promises he made to me as I read about the promises he made to David and the way he fulfilled those promises. How amazing! How amazing that he still continues to promise good things to his people today!
What has God promised you? Are you resting in his promises, believing that he will answer your prayers? I know it is hard. I know I ache for the answers to my prayers sometimes. God knows the right timing for all things. Being patient only makes us appreciate things even more!
Lord, thank you for your promises to me and to each of us. I want to put my faith and hope in you.
Technology Thursday
Still not much going on in the technology world right now. How boring! Here are a few headlines that might be of interest.
IBM working on a chip that acts like the human mind Great, a chip that sits in front of the TV eating chips and surfs porn sites too much...
Earth's moon may be 200 million years younger than previously thought With a birthday coming up on Saturday, this makes me wonder why I can't be younger than previously thought! Also, does the moon use some kind of aging cream to look 200 million years younger? hehehe
Google-Motorola deal emphasizes the patent race It appears that most of the money in the technology world is being spent on patent suits instead of innovation. How lame...
Other Stuff
I had a nice dinner with my hero last night at Zydeco. It is a Cajun restaurant south of I70 on High Street. The atmosphere was a little odd (no AC), but the food was wonderful. My hero had the paella. I had the Cajun Chicken puff pastry dish. Very tasty. We also had a great talk about stuff in our lives. I really appreciate her friendship!
I got some things done around the house after I got home. I also planned the rest of the week since I have some things I need to do at certain times, like make a breakfast casserole for Saturday morning. I also had some nice phone conversations with my mother and some close friends. I am so fortunate to be so loved.
I am going to the gym after work tonight, and then on to a meeting at church.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
And friends are friends forever...
Our Daily Bread
A song by Michael W Smith talks about a deep friendship that can exist between friends when God is in the friendship. How cool is that? I have been very fortunate to experience this many times in my life. I am very thankful!
The story of Jonathan and David is peculiar. Jonathan defies his father, King Saul, who wants to kill David because he is horribly jealous of him. Yes, these things happened in the Old Testament. Don't be surprised! Jonathan warns David and helps him escape. The passage talks about their deep friendship. They hated to leave each other.
On a personal note, I described myself to be more like David in the Bible than any other character. I seem to have a lot of his better qualities and a lot of his worse qualities. I explained this to a close friend to help him understand me better. It seemed to help especially when we thought about the psalms and the ups and downs that David wrote about in song. That is so like me! hehehe
Lord, thank you for friendships. Thank you for helping us know ourselves so we can better serve you.
Witness Wednesday
I am giving the devotional at the Emmaus team meeting on Saturday. I have been praying about what to say and what scripture passage to use. After some false starts in writing the devotional, God lead me to Luke 7 that contains the story of the woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears and hair. What a tremendous story! The last part of the story is: those whose who have been forgiven much, love much. I made some points about how this passage relates to our walk. I am still praying about whether or not I should sing a short song reference from the devotional. I will decide before Saturday. I will post the devotional after I present it to the group.
Other Stuff
I had a great evening last night with a close friend. Some special friends are taking me out for my birthday different evenings this week. My birthday is on Saturday. We had a nice dinner, played with his new cat and talked for over 3.5 hours! I am so excited about what God is doing in each of our lives. We are able to talk and pray about it together. That is even better! Praise God!
Going to dinner with my hero tonight. I am looking forward to that.
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
A song by Michael W Smith talks about a deep friendship that can exist between friends when God is in the friendship. How cool is that? I have been very fortunate to experience this many times in my life. I am very thankful!
The story of Jonathan and David is peculiar. Jonathan defies his father, King Saul, who wants to kill David because he is horribly jealous of him. Yes, these things happened in the Old Testament. Don't be surprised! Jonathan warns David and helps him escape. The passage talks about their deep friendship. They hated to leave each other.
On a personal note, I described myself to be more like David in the Bible than any other character. I seem to have a lot of his better qualities and a lot of his worse qualities. I explained this to a close friend to help him understand me better. It seemed to help especially when we thought about the psalms and the ups and downs that David wrote about in song. That is so like me! hehehe
Lord, thank you for friendships. Thank you for helping us know ourselves so we can better serve you.
Witness Wednesday
I am giving the devotional at the Emmaus team meeting on Saturday. I have been praying about what to say and what scripture passage to use. After some false starts in writing the devotional, God lead me to Luke 7 that contains the story of the woman who washed the feet of Jesus with her tears and hair. What a tremendous story! The last part of the story is: those whose who have been forgiven much, love much. I made some points about how this passage relates to our walk. I am still praying about whether or not I should sing a short song reference from the devotional. I will decide before Saturday. I will post the devotional after I present it to the group.
Other Stuff
I had a great evening last night with a close friend. Some special friends are taking me out for my birthday different evenings this week. My birthday is on Saturday. We had a nice dinner, played with his new cat and talked for over 3.5 hours! I am so excited about what God is doing in each of our lives. We are able to talk and pray about it together. That is even better! Praise God!
Going to dinner with my hero tonight. I am looking forward to that.
Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
That's a lot of bread and fish....
Our Daily Bread
Some friends visited the Old Spaghetti Warehouse restaurant recently for a special meal deal that included all the bread they could eat. I teased them "You ate so much bread, they had to hire Jesus in the kitchen to make it fast enough to bring to your tables!" hehehe Yes, this old bear has a silly sense of humor!
I love the last line of the devotional:
"When God says do it, He’s already planned the resources we need to accomplish the task."
Wow! How many times have I seen this in my own life? A recent example is when our church asked for pledges for our new mission. God told me immediately to give a certain amount, which I thought was a stretch for me financially. Yes, money was tight for a month or two, but God provided everything I needed and more! He will do the same for you and for anyone who calls upon his name when he leads you to "stretch"!
Lord, thank you for helping me trust and obey. Thank you for the honor of serving you!
Teaching Tuesday
If you have been reading the past few months, I have written about wholeness a few times as God has been teaching me about it. God wants us to be whole. That means something different for each person. Personally, I think wholeness for me deals in part with the desires of my heart. There are several of them that he met in the past few years.
He is making me whole to help me get ready for my long term relationship. One of the coolest things I heard in the past few months is:
"God doesn't lead us to our partner/spouse to make us whole, rather to make us holy."
Wow! God has been teaching me about the importance of a relationship being made up of two "whole" people. The miracle of him bringing two people together is making two whole people "one". I am still learning about the "one" part. I will write more about that as I learn more about it. I bounced some ideas off of some friends and one of ministers. I got some interesting responses. Yikes! Apparently, I have some different ideas about some scripture passages that many Christians think are antiquated. ;-/
Other Stuff
I had a quick supper at O'Charley's last night. Their combo meals are usually two meals for me now. I can't eat all of the food they bring me! I also had a $5 off coupon I received in my email.Woohooo! I miss my favorite server, Chaz. He left for graduate school recently. I wish him the best.
I mowed the lawn and finished laundry. I also washed the dishes from the cooking on Sunday night. The house is sort of clean, but I need to go over it some more.
I have a busy social schedule this week. It should be fun. I am struggling with what to do about Thursday night. I told a friend of mine that I didn't want him to do anything for me for my birthday if he felt like he "had" to do it since I went out of my way to make his birthday special last year. He was going through a tough time. It meant a lot to me to ensure he didn't spend his birthday alone. I was excited when he first asked me to supper on Thursday. That excitement quickly faded when we started talking about the evening. I told him before that I could tell when he did something out of duty or feeling guilty instead of truly caring for me as a friend. I admit that I have feelings for this man. These feelings have gotten in the way of our close friendship several times. He is being cautions, at least I thought that to give him the benefit of the doubt. He basically wants a friendship where I do stuff for him and he doesn't feel any expectations from me for anything in return. The last time I checked, true friendships didn't work that way. I have lots of close friends. He does not. Hmmmmmm. I will pray for him. I will talk to him about Thursday.
On the bright side, I have some other friends taking me out for a birthday dinner or lunch or drink. I am so very thankful for them all!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Some friends visited the Old Spaghetti Warehouse restaurant recently for a special meal deal that included all the bread they could eat. I teased them "You ate so much bread, they had to hire Jesus in the kitchen to make it fast enough to bring to your tables!" hehehe Yes, this old bear has a silly sense of humor!
I love the last line of the devotional:
"When God says do it, He’s already planned the resources we need to accomplish the task."
Wow! How many times have I seen this in my own life? A recent example is when our church asked for pledges for our new mission. God told me immediately to give a certain amount, which I thought was a stretch for me financially. Yes, money was tight for a month or two, but God provided everything I needed and more! He will do the same for you and for anyone who calls upon his name when he leads you to "stretch"!
Lord, thank you for helping me trust and obey. Thank you for the honor of serving you!
Teaching Tuesday
If you have been reading the past few months, I have written about wholeness a few times as God has been teaching me about it. God wants us to be whole. That means something different for each person. Personally, I think wholeness for me deals in part with the desires of my heart. There are several of them that he met in the past few years.
He is making me whole to help me get ready for my long term relationship. One of the coolest things I heard in the past few months is:
"God doesn't lead us to our partner/spouse to make us whole, rather to make us holy."
Wow! God has been teaching me about the importance of a relationship being made up of two "whole" people. The miracle of him bringing two people together is making two whole people "one". I am still learning about the "one" part. I will write more about that as I learn more about it. I bounced some ideas off of some friends and one of ministers. I got some interesting responses. Yikes! Apparently, I have some different ideas about some scripture passages that many Christians think are antiquated. ;-/
Other Stuff
I had a quick supper at O'Charley's last night. Their combo meals are usually two meals for me now. I can't eat all of the food they bring me! I also had a $5 off coupon I received in my email.Woohooo! I miss my favorite server, Chaz. He left for graduate school recently. I wish him the best.
I mowed the lawn and finished laundry. I also washed the dishes from the cooking on Sunday night. The house is sort of clean, but I need to go over it some more.
I have a busy social schedule this week. It should be fun. I am struggling with what to do about Thursday night. I told a friend of mine that I didn't want him to do anything for me for my birthday if he felt like he "had" to do it since I went out of my way to make his birthday special last year. He was going through a tough time. It meant a lot to me to ensure he didn't spend his birthday alone. I was excited when he first asked me to supper on Thursday. That excitement quickly faded when we started talking about the evening. I told him before that I could tell when he did something out of duty or feeling guilty instead of truly caring for me as a friend. I admit that I have feelings for this man. These feelings have gotten in the way of our close friendship several times. He is being cautions, at least I thought that to give him the benefit of the doubt. He basically wants a friendship where I do stuff for him and he doesn't feel any expectations from me for anything in return. The last time I checked, true friendships didn't work that way. I have lots of close friends. He does not. Hmmmmmm. I will pray for him. I will talk to him about Thursday.
On the bright side, I have some other friends taking me out for a birthday dinner or lunch or drink. I am so very thankful for them all!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Monday, August 15, 2011
Stop and smell the roses...
Our Daily Bread
I am a type A personality that keeps going and going like the Energizer bunny! I hear this phrase a LOT about "you need to stop and smell the roses". The devotional this morning gives us good reason to take pause in our busy lives.
God made an amazing world for us to live in. We have so many wonders to behold that the human mind cannot comprehend them all! Regardless of where you live or what you do, take a few minutes today to look around at the wonders of God. Take a look at the small things. Take a look at the big things. Praise God for everything!
Thank you Lord for making us such an amazing place to live. Let us praise you or the rocks will cry out!
Movie Monday
I got to see two movies last week: The Help and Final Destination 5 3D.
The Help
I have to say that I have never laughed so hard AND cried so hard in the same movie in my life! This movie, based on the popular book, was so moving. People who didn't really have very much risked all they had to help make the world a better place. I admire the bravery of each character to tell the story and write the story. I think we all need to remember where we came from and how much farther we need to go!
I give this movie four bear paws. See it soon! I want to buy the DVD when it comes out so I can catch all the dialog I missed at the theater!
Final Destination 5 3D
This movie was my guilty pleasure over the weekend. I saw the first two movies in this series, then skipped 3 and 4. I heard they were lame! FD5 in 3D was pretty cool. I think it took the best parts of the other movies and put them together in this one. The suspense of waiting for the next person in the series to die and seeing exactly how it happens. Death does not like to be cheated! There are lots of surprises! The 3D effects were very cool.
I give this movie two bear paws. See it in 3D at the theater!
Other Stuff
I went to the gym yesterday after church. I walked as hard as I could for an hour, then hit the showers. I took a quick nap before making my grilled green beans for my dinner group. They turned out great. I will post the recipe on Friday.
Not sure what this week will bring. What does it matter where the road is going as long as God is leading? ;-)
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I am a type A personality that keeps going and going like the Energizer bunny! I hear this phrase a LOT about "you need to stop and smell the roses". The devotional this morning gives us good reason to take pause in our busy lives.
God made an amazing world for us to live in. We have so many wonders to behold that the human mind cannot comprehend them all! Regardless of where you live or what you do, take a few minutes today to look around at the wonders of God. Take a look at the small things. Take a look at the big things. Praise God for everything!
Thank you Lord for making us such an amazing place to live. Let us praise you or the rocks will cry out!
Movie Monday
I got to see two movies last week: The Help and Final Destination 5 3D.
The Help
I have to say that I have never laughed so hard AND cried so hard in the same movie in my life! This movie, based on the popular book, was so moving. People who didn't really have very much risked all they had to help make the world a better place. I admire the bravery of each character to tell the story and write the story. I think we all need to remember where we came from and how much farther we need to go!
I give this movie four bear paws. See it soon! I want to buy the DVD when it comes out so I can catch all the dialog I missed at the theater!
Final Destination 5 3D
This movie was my guilty pleasure over the weekend. I saw the first two movies in this series, then skipped 3 and 4. I heard they were lame! FD5 in 3D was pretty cool. I think it took the best parts of the other movies and put them together in this one. The suspense of waiting for the next person in the series to die and seeing exactly how it happens. Death does not like to be cheated! There are lots of surprises! The 3D effects were very cool.
I give this movie two bear paws. See it in 3D at the theater!
Other Stuff
I went to the gym yesterday after church. I walked as hard as I could for an hour, then hit the showers. I took a quick nap before making my grilled green beans for my dinner group. They turned out great. I will post the recipe on Friday.
Not sure what this week will bring. What does it matter where the road is going as long as God is leading? ;-)
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Frequent flier program...
Our Daily Bread
Do ever think that some Christians think of being a Christian is like being in a frequent flier program? You so many points for doing stuff at church, being nice to people, raising a good family. have a great job, blah, blah, blah. They can redeem the points for favors from God like getting that big promotion or helping little Jimmy get out some trouble at school. Or, for that really big flight to heaven, first class of course! ;-)
God knows our hearts. Yes, God made us some promises about the kind of life a person would have if we did the best we could to follow him. He promised he would be with us always. He promised he would make us whole. Hmmmmmm. I don't see little Jimmy getting out of trouble any time soon! Ha! God does not owe us that. God bestows his blessings on those who walk humbly with him and do their best to serve others. Pretty amazing stuff.
Lord, thank you for being with me and in me always. I thank you for the privilege of serving you.
Psalm Sunday
The psalm for this week is Psalm 19. Several of these verses were set to music in one way or another. The language is so beautiful. Each verse glorifies God in some way. It is a beautiful psalm! May favorite verses is 10. There is a meaningful chorus from that verse that I loved as a youth and in college.
Psalm 19
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the LORD are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
Other Stuff
I had a good day yesterday. My Emmaus team meeting was great again. God is moving in this group of men! Praise God! I know they mean a lot to me.
I went to the gym for a decent workout. I am slowly increasing my time on the elliptical machine. Whew! I also walked a 1/2 mile.
I went to see a movie after that, then went to the grocery. I am making a grilled green recipe I came up with for my dinner group tonight. I hope they like it!
I had a nice talk with a close friend.
I finished laundry and did a few other things around the house.
I am looking forward to resting today. I may work some more on my devotional for next Saturday.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Do ever think that some Christians think of being a Christian is like being in a frequent flier program? You so many points for doing stuff at church, being nice to people, raising a good family. have a great job, blah, blah, blah. They can redeem the points for favors from God like getting that big promotion or helping little Jimmy get out some trouble at school. Or, for that really big flight to heaven, first class of course! ;-)
God knows our hearts. Yes, God made us some promises about the kind of life a person would have if we did the best we could to follow him. He promised he would be with us always. He promised he would make us whole. Hmmmmmm. I don't see little Jimmy getting out of trouble any time soon! Ha! God does not owe us that. God bestows his blessings on those who walk humbly with him and do their best to serve others. Pretty amazing stuff.
Lord, thank you for being with me and in me always. I thank you for the privilege of serving you.
Psalm Sunday
The psalm for this week is Psalm 19. Several of these verses were set to music in one way or another. The language is so beautiful. Each verse glorifies God in some way. It is a beautiful psalm! May favorite verses is 10. There is a meaningful chorus from that verse that I loved as a youth and in college.
Psalm 19
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the LORD are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
Other Stuff
I had a good day yesterday. My Emmaus team meeting was great again. God is moving in this group of men! Praise God! I know they mean a lot to me.
I went to the gym for a decent workout. I am slowly increasing my time on the elliptical machine. Whew! I also walked a 1/2 mile.
I went to see a movie after that, then went to the grocery. I am making a grilled green recipe I came up with for my dinner group tonight. I hope they like it!
I had a nice talk with a close friend.
I finished laundry and did a few other things around the house.
I am looking forward to resting today. I may work some more on my devotional for next Saturday.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Though art the potter, I am the clay
Our Daily Bread
Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way! Yes, God is the master potter than can take the broken down clay pot of my life and make is something beautiful. Something not ordinary! ;-)
I love that hymn! It reminds us that turning the clay of your life over to God takes total commitment! You can't hold back some extra pieces and stick them on later! Those pieces won't hold up under the pottery furnace used to bake the clay pot into its hardened form. The potter can then paint the pot and add a glaze to finish the work of art. God wants to do that with our lives. He wants to make us over if we will give him the clay of our life. Total commitment. We can trust God. He has done this process with millions of people over the centuries!
Lord, help me turn over all the clay of my life to you. Please make it into something beautiful in your sight.
Simply Saturday
I had a nice evening last night. I renewed my drivers license. I came home to do some cleaning and then watched a favorite DVD. I also looked at the leaders guide for the class I am working on.
I have dinner group tomorrow night. I am looking forward to that! I have a new recipe to try!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do....
Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way! Yes, God is the master potter than can take the broken down clay pot of my life and make is something beautiful. Something not ordinary! ;-)
I love that hymn! It reminds us that turning the clay of your life over to God takes total commitment! You can't hold back some extra pieces and stick them on later! Those pieces won't hold up under the pottery furnace used to bake the clay pot into its hardened form. The potter can then paint the pot and add a glaze to finish the work of art. God wants to do that with our lives. He wants to make us over if we will give him the clay of our life. Total commitment. We can trust God. He has done this process with millions of people over the centuries!
Lord, help me turn over all the clay of my life to you. Please make it into something beautiful in your sight.
Simply Saturday
I had a nice evening last night. I renewed my drivers license. I came home to do some cleaning and then watched a favorite DVD. I also looked at the leaders guide for the class I am working on.
I have dinner group tomorrow night. I am looking forward to that! I have a new recipe to try!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do....
Friday, August 12, 2011
Open my eyes that I may see...
Our Daily Bread
The Biblical stories mentioned in the devotional today are some of my favorite life changing stories. It is so amazing how God can take anyone and make him or her a vessel for God's love. Yes, we may feel inadequate. Yes, we may feel that we cannot do it alone. We don't have to do it alone. We have God and his Holy Spirit to help us along the way!
I have been trying to rely more on this strength of which I write all week. I feel confused and alone sometimes. God keeps sending his messages through many different sources reassuring me of what I need to do. I have not always obeyed. I am only human. God is teaching me that while I want and try to be perfect, I can do nothing on my own. I can do all things through him. Sometimes that promise makes me feel worse when I fail God and fail myself. If I can really do all things through Christ, then why can't I do A or B?
Let's pray for each other that we can all let Christ strengthen us to do all things through him!
Lord, thank you for being there for us. Help me let go and let God!
Foodie Friday
Here is the recipe that my hero and I made earlier this week. It is called Chicken Roulades with Chorizo and Manchego It was quite good matched up with grilled asparagus and salt potatoes. The chef on the web site paired it with kale. Yuck! hehehe
Chicken Roulades with Chorizo and Manchego
Ingredients
Stuffing:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
Kosher salt
Pinch crushed red pepper
1 clove garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1/2 pound Mexican chorizo, casing removed
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated aged Manchego cheese
1/2 bunch fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
1 egg
Breading:
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Sauce:
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
Directions
For the stuffing: Carefully slice through the chicken breasts to open the thickest part like a book. Place the chicken breasts in between plastic wrap and pound lightly with the flat side of a meat mallet to flatten and even out the chicken. Reserve.
Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and sprinkle with salt and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat and cook the onions until they are soft and very aromatic but have no color, 7 to 8 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Crumble the chorizo and add to the pan. Cook the chorizo until it is cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly.
Transfer the chorizo mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs, Manchego, parsley, almonds and egg. Taste to make sure the stuffing is delicious. It is a good idea to run this mixture gently through a food processor!
Divide the filling among the 4 chicken breasts. Make a log of stuffing across the widest part of the chicken breast. Fold the ends over the stuffing and roll the chicken up to enclose the stuffing. Secure the rolls shut with a toothpick.
For the breading: Set up a standard breading procedure with 3 bowls: 1 with flour, 1 with 2 eggs beaten together with 2 tablespoons water and 1 with the panko breadcrumbs.
Dust each chicken roll lightly with flour, then dip in the egg wash and then roll in the panko. Once all the chicken rolls have been breaded, let them hang out in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Add olive oil to a large, straight-sided saute pan until it reaches a depth of 1/2-inch and bring the pan to a medium-high heat.
Brown the chicken rolls on all sides. When the chicken is brown, remove from the pan and blot on paper towels. Transfer the rolls to a sheet tray and place in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
For the sauce: Add a few drops of oil to a saute pan and add the shallots. Sprinkle with salt and bring the pan to a medium heat. Cook the shallots for 3 to 4 minutes and then add the sherry vinegar. Reduce the vinegar by half. Add half the chicken stock, season with salt and bring it to a boil. When the stock has reduced by half, add the remaining stock and reduce by half again. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed (it probably will).
Turn the heat to medium and swirl in 1 pat of butter at a time.
Remove the chicken from the oven, slice each roll into 4 or 5 slices, plate and spoon the sauce over.
Wine Pairing Suggestion: Albarino (Spanish wine goes with the Spanish ingredients).
Other stuff
I picked up my glass from Walmart last night. I received the pair I ordered online on Wednesday. Here are pics of my wearing each pair.
I don't have to wear the glasses all the time. I have adequate vision to drive and function without them. I bought them so I could feel more comfortable driving in strange places and to see better at the movies. The odd thing that I noticed is that having my right eye at 20/20 vision while wearing the glasses only emphasizes how the cataract is growing in my left eye! I have approximately 20/30 vision in the left eye right now.
I finished the first draft of the leaders guide last night. I want to review the questions and the purpose of each question. I want to pray over the booklet to determine what God wants me to change. I will work on it some more tonight.
Going to take it easy this weekend. I need to do some stuff around the house. Not much else planned.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
The Biblical stories mentioned in the devotional today are some of my favorite life changing stories. It is so amazing how God can take anyone and make him or her a vessel for God's love. Yes, we may feel inadequate. Yes, we may feel that we cannot do it alone. We don't have to do it alone. We have God and his Holy Spirit to help us along the way!
I have been trying to rely more on this strength of which I write all week. I feel confused and alone sometimes. God keeps sending his messages through many different sources reassuring me of what I need to do. I have not always obeyed. I am only human. God is teaching me that while I want and try to be perfect, I can do nothing on my own. I can do all things through him. Sometimes that promise makes me feel worse when I fail God and fail myself. If I can really do all things through Christ, then why can't I do A or B?
Let's pray for each other that we can all let Christ strengthen us to do all things through him!
Lord, thank you for being there for us. Help me let go and let God!
Foodie Friday
Here is the recipe that my hero and I made earlier this week. It is called Chicken Roulades with Chorizo and Manchego It was quite good matched up with grilled asparagus and salt potatoes. The chef on the web site paired it with kale. Yuck! hehehe
Chicken Roulades with Chorizo and Manchego
Ingredients
Stuffing:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
Kosher salt
Pinch crushed red pepper
1 clove garlic, smashed and finely chopped
1/2 pound Mexican chorizo, casing removed
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated aged Manchego cheese
1/2 bunch fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
1 egg
Breading:
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Sauce:
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
Directions
For the stuffing: Carefully slice through the chicken breasts to open the thickest part like a book. Place the chicken breasts in between plastic wrap and pound lightly with the flat side of a meat mallet to flatten and even out the chicken. Reserve.
Coat a large saute pan with olive oil, add the onions and sprinkle with salt and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Bring the pan to a medium-high heat and cook the onions until they are soft and very aromatic but have no color, 7 to 8 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
Crumble the chorizo and add to the pan. Cook the chorizo until it is cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly.
Transfer the chorizo mixture to a mixing bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs, Manchego, parsley, almonds and egg. Taste to make sure the stuffing is delicious. It is a good idea to run this mixture gently through a food processor!
Divide the filling among the 4 chicken breasts. Make a log of stuffing across the widest part of the chicken breast. Fold the ends over the stuffing and roll the chicken up to enclose the stuffing. Secure the rolls shut with a toothpick.
For the breading: Set up a standard breading procedure with 3 bowls: 1 with flour, 1 with 2 eggs beaten together with 2 tablespoons water and 1 with the panko breadcrumbs.
Dust each chicken roll lightly with flour, then dip in the egg wash and then roll in the panko. Once all the chicken rolls have been breaded, let them hang out in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Add olive oil to a large, straight-sided saute pan until it reaches a depth of 1/2-inch and bring the pan to a medium-high heat.
Brown the chicken rolls on all sides. When the chicken is brown, remove from the pan and blot on paper towels. Transfer the rolls to a sheet tray and place in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
For the sauce: Add a few drops of oil to a saute pan and add the shallots. Sprinkle with salt and bring the pan to a medium heat. Cook the shallots for 3 to 4 minutes and then add the sherry vinegar. Reduce the vinegar by half. Add half the chicken stock, season with salt and bring it to a boil. When the stock has reduced by half, add the remaining stock and reduce by half again. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed (it probably will).
Turn the heat to medium and swirl in 1 pat of butter at a time.
Remove the chicken from the oven, slice each roll into 4 or 5 slices, plate and spoon the sauce over.
Wine Pairing Suggestion: Albarino (Spanish wine goes with the Spanish ingredients).
Other stuff
I picked up my glass from Walmart last night. I received the pair I ordered online on Wednesday. Here are pics of my wearing each pair.
I don't have to wear the glasses all the time. I have adequate vision to drive and function without them. I bought them so I could feel more comfortable driving in strange places and to see better at the movies. The odd thing that I noticed is that having my right eye at 20/20 vision while wearing the glasses only emphasizes how the cataract is growing in my left eye! I have approximately 20/30 vision in the left eye right now.
I finished the first draft of the leaders guide last night. I want to review the questions and the purpose of each question. I want to pray over the booklet to determine what God wants me to change. I will work on it some more tonight.
Going to take it easy this weekend. I need to do some stuff around the house. Not much else planned.
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Thursday, August 11, 2011
It never ceases to amaze me...
Our Daily Bread
It NEVER ceases to amaze me how God uses the Our Daily Bread devotional site to speak to me (and I am sure many, many others). The timing of each devotional seems like they are customized for my life! Thank you, Lord!
I have been struggling with temptation... DOH! We all struggle with that! I am not special when it comes to that, I know! There is a very specific situation that I am dealing that almost constantly swirls in my head. I know I need to put on the whole armor of God to resist the temptation of these thoughts and not dwell on them. Dwelling on the impure and inappropriate thoughts is not healthy for me. I cannot prevent thoughts from popping in my head. I can prevent the dwelling on the thoughts that may cause me to sin or to draw me away from God's will.
We all struggle with this in one way or another. Hang in there! The devotional talks about learning and using scripture to rebuke the temptations just like Jesus did during his temptation. Oh to be tempted like our Lord! What an honor! Oh, to resist the temptations like he did! I am only human. I will try to do the best I can.
Lord, thank you for the power of your scripture and prayer to overcome temptation.
Technology Thursday
There are a few interesting things going on this week.
Apple was the largest company in the world for a few hours this week based on market capitalization, beating out Exxon for a short time. That is pretty amazing! Apple was also in the news for cracking down on copy cats. There are copy cat iPads out there. There are copy cat Apple stores out there. There are copy cat iPhones out there. Wow!
Intel announced that they are working with hardware makers to create ultrabooks, lightweight notebooks that pack a ton of power. Apparently, they are copying the Apple model for the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro! Go figure!
Hackers are hacking away at the Black Hat conference in Vegas. Very interesting stuff. These folks are not just geeks locked away in the basement of their mothers' houses!
Other Stuff
I started working on the leader's guide for the small group that I want to teach at church this Fall. I am praying about what should be in the guide each week of the five week small group. What an adventure!
I received my new eyeglasses last night. They aren't too bad. I will try them driving on the way home tonight. I was running late this morning and forgot to put them on. They look nice too. I will post a picture in the next day or two. I also have a pair coming from Walmart as well.
I paired some leftovers with some Jack Daniels beef brisket for supper last night. I have enough for supper tonight, too. mmmMmmmm
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
It NEVER ceases to amaze me how God uses the Our Daily Bread devotional site to speak to me (and I am sure many, many others). The timing of each devotional seems like they are customized for my life! Thank you, Lord!
I have been struggling with temptation... DOH! We all struggle with that! I am not special when it comes to that, I know! There is a very specific situation that I am dealing that almost constantly swirls in my head. I know I need to put on the whole armor of God to resist the temptation of these thoughts and not dwell on them. Dwelling on the impure and inappropriate thoughts is not healthy for me. I cannot prevent thoughts from popping in my head. I can prevent the dwelling on the thoughts that may cause me to sin or to draw me away from God's will.
We all struggle with this in one way or another. Hang in there! The devotional talks about learning and using scripture to rebuke the temptations just like Jesus did during his temptation. Oh to be tempted like our Lord! What an honor! Oh, to resist the temptations like he did! I am only human. I will try to do the best I can.
Lord, thank you for the power of your scripture and prayer to overcome temptation.
Technology Thursday
There are a few interesting things going on this week.
Apple was the largest company in the world for a few hours this week based on market capitalization, beating out Exxon for a short time. That is pretty amazing! Apple was also in the news for cracking down on copy cats. There are copy cat iPads out there. There are copy cat Apple stores out there. There are copy cat iPhones out there. Wow!
Intel announced that they are working with hardware makers to create ultrabooks, lightweight notebooks that pack a ton of power. Apparently, they are copying the Apple model for the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro! Go figure!
Hackers are hacking away at the Black Hat conference in Vegas. Very interesting stuff. These folks are not just geeks locked away in the basement of their mothers' houses!
Other Stuff
I started working on the leader's guide for the small group that I want to teach at church this Fall. I am praying about what should be in the guide each week of the five week small group. What an adventure!
I received my new eyeglasses last night. They aren't too bad. I will try them driving on the way home tonight. I was running late this morning and forgot to put them on. They look nice too. I will post a picture in the next day or two. I also have a pair coming from Walmart as well.
I paired some leftovers with some Jack Daniels beef brisket for supper last night. I have enough for supper tonight, too. mmmMmmmm
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Doing too much?
Our Daily Bread
Are you doing too much? Are you stressing yourself (and maybe the folks around you)? Should you be taking more time for yourself?
I heard professors in college say that ministers have to be especially careful of this. They called it "trying to minister out of an empty well". This is a great visualization of the problem. Have you ever been a seen a well that ran dry? You can't dip any more ladles of cool water from an empty well! You can't server others the cool water of God's love when you are trying to minister or serve from an empty well inside you.
We all need time to recharge. That is why God wants us to take a Sabbath!
Lord I want to take time to charge up so I can serve others better!
Witness Wednesday
I have to give a devotional at my weekly Emmaus walk team meeting on August 20. I am praying about what to do. My first thought was to sing something (still a possibility). My second thought was to read the devotional I wrote for the D2 class earlier this year (it might be too personal for a group of guys that I don't know well). My last thought was to pray about coming up with something new. I am leaning towards this option. I will pray about it some more and ask God for his leadership.
I have been trying to flee to God this week as I move on from a relationship that is not meant to be. God has been with me in a very strong way the past few days, as I wrote in other entries. I want God's will to be done. He knows what is best for me. I sure as heck don't! hehehe
Other Stuff
I had a great time last night! My hero and I made dinner for my walking buddy and her husband. I saw the recipe on the Food Network a few weeks ago. It was a little beyond my cooking skills so I asked my hero to help me with it. We figured it out between the two of us! It turned out great! My only disappointment was the sauce. I couldn't get it to thicken the way it was supposed to. I will have to work on that for next time. My hero also made a good call when she suggested to put the stuffing in the food processor to make it more stuffing like instead of chunkier. I feel comfortable making this recipe for a dinner party or a romantic dinner sometime (if and when I ever have one of those again!). hehehe
I plan to focus on creating the leader guide for a small group I suggested for church the rest of the week. I plan to have a draft done by Sunday. If I get very, very motivated, I may work on a second leader guide as well. ;-p
Hang in there my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Are you doing too much? Are you stressing yourself (and maybe the folks around you)? Should you be taking more time for yourself?
I heard professors in college say that ministers have to be especially careful of this. They called it "trying to minister out of an empty well". This is a great visualization of the problem. Have you ever been a seen a well that ran dry? You can't dip any more ladles of cool water from an empty well! You can't server others the cool water of God's love when you are trying to minister or serve from an empty well inside you.
We all need time to recharge. That is why God wants us to take a Sabbath!
Lord I want to take time to charge up so I can serve others better!
Witness Wednesday
I have to give a devotional at my weekly Emmaus walk team meeting on August 20. I am praying about what to do. My first thought was to sing something (still a possibility). My second thought was to read the devotional I wrote for the D2 class earlier this year (it might be too personal for a group of guys that I don't know well). My last thought was to pray about coming up with something new. I am leaning towards this option. I will pray about it some more and ask God for his leadership.
I have been trying to flee to God this week as I move on from a relationship that is not meant to be. God has been with me in a very strong way the past few days, as I wrote in other entries. I want God's will to be done. He knows what is best for me. I sure as heck don't! hehehe
Other Stuff
I had a great time last night! My hero and I made dinner for my walking buddy and her husband. I saw the recipe on the Food Network a few weeks ago. It was a little beyond my cooking skills so I asked my hero to help me with it. We figured it out between the two of us! It turned out great! My only disappointment was the sauce. I couldn't get it to thicken the way it was supposed to. I will have to work on that for next time. My hero also made a good call when she suggested to put the stuffing in the food processor to make it more stuffing like instead of chunkier. I feel comfortable making this recipe for a dinner party or a romantic dinner sometime (if and when I ever have one of those again!). hehehe
I plan to focus on creating the leader guide for a small group I suggested for church the rest of the week. I plan to have a draft done by Sunday. If I get very, very motivated, I may work on a second leader guide as well. ;-p
Hang in there my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Do I really need a shepherd? Seriously?
Our Daily Bread
YES! I do need a shepherd! We all need one! hehehe Yes, there are times that I need to be alone so God can talk to me uninterrupted. Even during those times, I know that a close friend is only a call or text message away if I need someone.
God does not want us wandering the wilderness alone. We will get picked off by the wolves! Well, maybe not literally picked off by wolves, but there are many temptations and traps out there that we can avoid if we travel with the flock!
Many folks don't like this analogy because they think it means that we should follow like a stupid sheep. Even a sheep has a choice whether to follow or wander off. Isn't it good to know that there are folks who care about us to help us stay near the flock? It is our choice, regardless of the method we choose to do that. Find your own personal way to stay connected to the flock.
Lord, thank you for being our good shepherd. I want to follow!
Teaching Tuesday
How do you grow in your Christian life? I have a tendency to mull and think about things for a while, slowly bringing things to consciousness and being able to process the things that God wants me to learn. After a while, I usually have an epiphany (definition: a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.). There is no formula for having an epiphany. Here is how they work for me.
1. Start by having a basic understanding that there is something you need to learn or realize to deepen your relationship with God. This can come from a sermon, a devotional, a conversation with a friend or almost anywhere! It can sometimes take a while for this to form in your mind and heart. Be open to the feelings. Be open to God's leadership.
2. Be earnest and faithful in prayer and Bible study to deepen the formation of the learning experience. You never know what experience will trigger deeper understanding. Be sensitive and open to God's leadership. For example, God lead me to a movie the other day to help me understand what he had for me in my future. Amazing stuff!
3. You may experience deep and intense feelings as the realization grows. For me, I realized several months ago that God was not going to lead me to the man I am supposed to be with for a very specific reason. I had a problem with putting a romantic relationship before my relationship with God! Why would he lead me to someone only to be put into second place! That helped me form a deeper understanding that eventually lead to my epiphany.
4. Don't be afraid to talk to God about it in your prayers. I laugh, cry, try to demand (yikes!), try to negotiate, argue and everything in between to understand what God wants me to learn. You will probably have some partial revelations or a partial understanding as you work through this. Keep trusting God to help you move through it all and grow. Over the weekend, I had some intense prayers with God about my life, as unordinary as it is! hehehe
5. Listen! Listen when you are praying. Be sensitive to God working in your life. God filled my heart with such peace and assurance Sunday afternoon that I was overwhelmed. He reassured me all weekend with example after example of him working in my life, sending messages of his love and grace. Look for those!
6. Talk about your experience with a close friend (or two or three). I called a close friend that was familiar with my struggle. We talked about it and prayed together. It was so amazing sharing this with someone close to me.
7. Don't be fooled that the battle is over. It takes practice to put into effect the things that God taught you. It takes discipline to trust and obey God as you walk every day. I started learning more songs. Learning more scriptures. Thinking of the things that are good and pure and holy instead of the other lesser things of this world. It works!
You can do this. If I can do it, then anyone can! hehehe
Other Stuff
I had a great evening last night. I went to my hero's house to drop some stuff off for our dinner tonight. We were going to do some prep work, but talked for almost 80 minutes before we even thought about it. We went over the recipe and what we had between the two of us. We had everything we needed except for some olive oil. I brought some from home today. I am so excited about cooking this meal tonight!
We then went to see a preview showing of the movie The Help. I will be reviewing that movie on Monday. All I have to say is that you need to see it! It was amazing! My hero and I really enjoyed it!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
YES! I do need a shepherd! We all need one! hehehe Yes, there are times that I need to be alone so God can talk to me uninterrupted. Even during those times, I know that a close friend is only a call or text message away if I need someone.
God does not want us wandering the wilderness alone. We will get picked off by the wolves! Well, maybe not literally picked off by wolves, but there are many temptations and traps out there that we can avoid if we travel with the flock!
Many folks don't like this analogy because they think it means that we should follow like a stupid sheep. Even a sheep has a choice whether to follow or wander off. Isn't it good to know that there are folks who care about us to help us stay near the flock? It is our choice, regardless of the method we choose to do that. Find your own personal way to stay connected to the flock.
Lord, thank you for being our good shepherd. I want to follow!
Teaching Tuesday
How do you grow in your Christian life? I have a tendency to mull and think about things for a while, slowly bringing things to consciousness and being able to process the things that God wants me to learn. After a while, I usually have an epiphany (definition: a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.). There is no formula for having an epiphany. Here is how they work for me.
1. Start by having a basic understanding that there is something you need to learn or realize to deepen your relationship with God. This can come from a sermon, a devotional, a conversation with a friend or almost anywhere! It can sometimes take a while for this to form in your mind and heart. Be open to the feelings. Be open to God's leadership.
2. Be earnest and faithful in prayer and Bible study to deepen the formation of the learning experience. You never know what experience will trigger deeper understanding. Be sensitive and open to God's leadership. For example, God lead me to a movie the other day to help me understand what he had for me in my future. Amazing stuff!
3. You may experience deep and intense feelings as the realization grows. For me, I realized several months ago that God was not going to lead me to the man I am supposed to be with for a very specific reason. I had a problem with putting a romantic relationship before my relationship with God! Why would he lead me to someone only to be put into second place! That helped me form a deeper understanding that eventually lead to my epiphany.
4. Don't be afraid to talk to God about it in your prayers. I laugh, cry, try to demand (yikes!), try to negotiate, argue and everything in between to understand what God wants me to learn. You will probably have some partial revelations or a partial understanding as you work through this. Keep trusting God to help you move through it all and grow. Over the weekend, I had some intense prayers with God about my life, as unordinary as it is! hehehe
5. Listen! Listen when you are praying. Be sensitive to God working in your life. God filled my heart with such peace and assurance Sunday afternoon that I was overwhelmed. He reassured me all weekend with example after example of him working in my life, sending messages of his love and grace. Look for those!
6. Talk about your experience with a close friend (or two or three). I called a close friend that was familiar with my struggle. We talked about it and prayed together. It was so amazing sharing this with someone close to me.
7. Don't be fooled that the battle is over. It takes practice to put into effect the things that God taught you. It takes discipline to trust and obey God as you walk every day. I started learning more songs. Learning more scriptures. Thinking of the things that are good and pure and holy instead of the other lesser things of this world. It works!
You can do this. If I can do it, then anyone can! hehehe
Other Stuff
I had a great evening last night. I went to my hero's house to drop some stuff off for our dinner tonight. We were going to do some prep work, but talked for almost 80 minutes before we even thought about it. We went over the recipe and what we had between the two of us. We had everything we needed except for some olive oil. I brought some from home today. I am so excited about cooking this meal tonight!
We then went to see a preview showing of the movie The Help. I will be reviewing that movie on Monday. All I have to say is that you need to see it! It was amazing! My hero and I really enjoyed it!
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Monday, August 8, 2011
Victory in Jesus!
Our Daily Bread
I love the story in today's devotional. The woman was so humble and willing to humiliate herself in front of many folks to anoint Jesus's feet. How many of us wouldn't do something like that for our life partner? ;-p Jesus recognized the brokenness. He recognized the opportunity to make it clear to all that only those folks who would humble themselves would enter the kingdom of heaven.
What are we willing to do to serve Jesus? What are we willing to do to tell others?
Lord, I want to be the humble servant that continuously shows gratitude for the debt you forgave in my life. I thank you and praise you!
Movie Monday
I got to see three movies this week. One of them was a repeat as a friend wanted to see Aliens and Cowboys. I didn't tell him I saw it the first day it was out! I actually liked it a little better the second time!
Crazy Stupid Love
OMG! This movie was interesting and odd and crazy and stupid! In short, the movie starts out with Julianne Moore asking Steve Carrell for a divorce after 25 years of marriage. Sooooo many things happen after that I don't want to tell you so I don't ruin the movie.
It is worth seeing, though I had my doubts at first. I really enjoyed it. I will write a little more about it below and how it affects my life.
I give the movie two bear paws (though close to a three). See it now! hehehe
Water for Elephants
I caught this movie at the discount movie theater before it went to video. It was very well done. The story was so beautiful. It also had some violent parts in it, so be prepared. I thought it depicted the life of circus folks in that era very well. A newcomer to the circus falls in love with the owner's wife. They eventually run off together. There is a LOT that goes on in between there!
I give this two stars (though close to three).
Other Stuff
God was moving soooo much in my life this weekend. After the things I wrote the past three days, I am sure you have an idea what was going on. I am thrilled to say that I finally figured out something that has been my thorn in the flesh for years now. I praise God for helping me finally get a clue and be able to walk more fully in trusting him. In short, the two relationships I pursued the most the past four years were extensions of my lack of faith and lack of trust in God to lead me to the final love of my life. He has promised me that he would. I have been acting as a rebellious child by trying to make things happen on my own with men that I wasn't supposed to be with. I was holding on to my own will tighter than a box of Hoho's on a Saturday night! hehehe Turning that over to God flushed so much crap out of my mind and heart that I was overwhelmed with it all. The first person I called was the friend that I talked with Thursday night. I explained what happened and asked him to pray with me that I would never forget God's promise each and every day. I know I can be a close friend to him now (when he needs one the most). I know he can be comfortable being my close friend without worrying about me trying to date him again.
I called two other friends to talk to them about it. I joked with them both "If I am not supposed to meet men on my own, then why did God make me so charming?" hehehe God reinforced twice over the weekend that I cannot do this on my own (before the epiphany Sunday afternoon).
Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus! Freedom from the things that drag down our lives. Making our lives not so ordinary! Praise God!
Is there something in your life that is weighing you down? Trying to steal your joy? Making your life more ordinary than it should be? Turn it over to Jesus. If I can do it, anyone can! hehehe
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I love the story in today's devotional. The woman was so humble and willing to humiliate herself in front of many folks to anoint Jesus's feet. How many of us wouldn't do something like that for our life partner? ;-p Jesus recognized the brokenness. He recognized the opportunity to make it clear to all that only those folks who would humble themselves would enter the kingdom of heaven.
What are we willing to do to serve Jesus? What are we willing to do to tell others?
Lord, I want to be the humble servant that continuously shows gratitude for the debt you forgave in my life. I thank you and praise you!
Movie Monday
I got to see three movies this week. One of them was a repeat as a friend wanted to see Aliens and Cowboys. I didn't tell him I saw it the first day it was out! I actually liked it a little better the second time!
Crazy Stupid Love
OMG! This movie was interesting and odd and crazy and stupid! In short, the movie starts out with Julianne Moore asking Steve Carrell for a divorce after 25 years of marriage. Sooooo many things happen after that I don't want to tell you so I don't ruin the movie.
It is worth seeing, though I had my doubts at first. I really enjoyed it. I will write a little more about it below and how it affects my life.
I give the movie two bear paws (though close to a three). See it now! hehehe
Water for Elephants
I caught this movie at the discount movie theater before it went to video. It was very well done. The story was so beautiful. It also had some violent parts in it, so be prepared. I thought it depicted the life of circus folks in that era very well. A newcomer to the circus falls in love with the owner's wife. They eventually run off together. There is a LOT that goes on in between there!
I give this two stars (though close to three).
Other Stuff
God was moving soooo much in my life this weekend. After the things I wrote the past three days, I am sure you have an idea what was going on. I am thrilled to say that I finally figured out something that has been my thorn in the flesh for years now. I praise God for helping me finally get a clue and be able to walk more fully in trusting him. In short, the two relationships I pursued the most the past four years were extensions of my lack of faith and lack of trust in God to lead me to the final love of my life. He has promised me that he would. I have been acting as a rebellious child by trying to make things happen on my own with men that I wasn't supposed to be with. I was holding on to my own will tighter than a box of Hoho's on a Saturday night! hehehe Turning that over to God flushed so much crap out of my mind and heart that I was overwhelmed with it all. The first person I called was the friend that I talked with Thursday night. I explained what happened and asked him to pray with me that I would never forget God's promise each and every day. I know I can be a close friend to him now (when he needs one the most). I know he can be comfortable being my close friend without worrying about me trying to date him again.
I called two other friends to talk to them about it. I joked with them both "If I am not supposed to meet men on my own, then why did God make me so charming?" hehehe God reinforced twice over the weekend that I cannot do this on my own (before the epiphany Sunday afternoon).
Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus! Freedom from the things that drag down our lives. Making our lives not so ordinary! Praise God!
Is there something in your life that is weighing you down? Trying to steal your joy? Making your life more ordinary than it should be? Turn it over to Jesus. If I can do it, anyone can! hehehe
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Armor, boy, yes, I say armor...
Our Daily Bread
Those of you that know me accept the fact that I have a vivid sense of humor. As I was reading the scripture passage in the devotional, Ephesians 6:10-18, I couldn't help hearing the voice of Foghorn Leghorn reading it! That is where I got the title for today's entry. hehehe
Seriously, this is yet another devotional that I really needed to hear right now. Praise God! I wage a battle daily with all of the thoughts that rush through my busy brain. The past few days my brain has been working overtime! Too many weird scenarios that try to steal my joy keep running through my head. I cannot keep this up because it upsets my whole body in addition to my mind. It tires me!
The lesson and scripture today said exactly what I need to do - put on the whole armor of God. I have very little fashion sense, but I know armor is not in this season! What does this mean to a child of God? My opinion is that you do your best to fill your mind with the things of God -- scripture, prayers, thinking about holy things like church services, hymns and Christian music, remembering the times you felt closest to God, and being disciplined about not dwelling on inappropriate things. It is not wrong to think about something. It can be wrong to dwell on inappropriate thoughts. We are constantly bombarded with all kinds of images and text that we shouldn't dwell on! hehehe
I can do this. You can do this.
Lord, thank you for your full armor! It is in season any time!
Psalm Sunday
Psalm 18 is a long one at fifty verses! It fits perfectly with the passage from Ephesians, too! How cool is that? Take a read..
I know most folks don't like passages in the Old Testament because of all the talk of violence and war. I started thinking about these passages as applying to the spiritual warfare that we deal with each day. Don't the psalms apply in this realm as well? Instead of physical enemies, we have spirits of evil that try to bring us down to their level. Praise God that he is our rock and salvation from all of these things!
Psalm 18
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I love you, LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called to the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13 The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, LORD,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20 The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.
24 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28 You, LORD, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
29 With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect:
The LORD’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the LORD?
And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them so that they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
39 You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the LORD, but he did not answer.
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;
I trampled them like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations.
People I did not know now serve me,
44 foreigners cower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;
they come trembling from their strongholds.
46 The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!
47 He is the God who avenges me,
who subdues nations under me,
48 who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.
50 He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,
to David and to his descendants forever.
Other Stuff
I grilled out some boneless pork ribs last night. MmmMMmmmm! I sprinkled with my usual poultry/pork seasoning and added some smoked paprika (at the suggestion of a friend). Wow! I added some Montgomery Inn BBQ sauce to top them off. They were so good. I had a veggie with them for a low carb supper.
I also worked on laundry and mowed the lawn. That means I can rest more today! hehehe There is only one more movie currently at the theaters that I want to see. I may do that this afternoon. I will see. I need to do some stuff around the house. I keep putting things off. I also have some other church stuff to do that I am very excited about. I am so much happier when I am busy doing meaningful stuff! I have had too much time on my hands since finishing grad school last year. ;-p
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Those of you that know me accept the fact that I have a vivid sense of humor. As I was reading the scripture passage in the devotional, Ephesians 6:10-18, I couldn't help hearing the voice of Foghorn Leghorn reading it! That is where I got the title for today's entry. hehehe
Seriously, this is yet another devotional that I really needed to hear right now. Praise God! I wage a battle daily with all of the thoughts that rush through my busy brain. The past few days my brain has been working overtime! Too many weird scenarios that try to steal my joy keep running through my head. I cannot keep this up because it upsets my whole body in addition to my mind. It tires me!
The lesson and scripture today said exactly what I need to do - put on the whole armor of God. I have very little fashion sense, but I know armor is not in this season! What does this mean to a child of God? My opinion is that you do your best to fill your mind with the things of God -- scripture, prayers, thinking about holy things like church services, hymns and Christian music, remembering the times you felt closest to God, and being disciplined about not dwelling on inappropriate things. It is not wrong to think about something. It can be wrong to dwell on inappropriate thoughts. We are constantly bombarded with all kinds of images and text that we shouldn't dwell on! hehehe
I can do this. You can do this.
Lord, thank you for your full armor! It is in season any time!
Psalm Sunday
Psalm 18 is a long one at fifty verses! It fits perfectly with the passage from Ephesians, too! How cool is that? Take a read..
I know most folks don't like passages in the Old Testament because of all the talk of violence and war. I started thinking about these passages as applying to the spiritual warfare that we deal with each day. Don't the psalms apply in this realm as well? Instead of physical enemies, we have spirits of evil that try to bring us down to their level. Praise God that he is our rock and salvation from all of these things!
Psalm 18
For the director of music. Of David the servant of the LORD. He sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:
1 I love you, LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise,
and I have been saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death entangled me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
5 The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called to the LORD;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came before him, into his ears.
7 The earth trembled and quaked,
and the foundations of the mountains shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
8 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
9 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced,
with hailstones and bolts of lightning.
13 The LORD thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
14 He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke, LORD,
at the blast of breath from your nostrils.
16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the LORD was my support.
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
20 The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.
24 The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
27 You save the humble
but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.
28 You, LORD, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
29 With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect:
The LORD’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the LORD?
And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
37 I pursued my enemies and overtook them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them so that they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
39 You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the LORD, but he did not answer.
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;
I trampled them like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
you have made me the head of nations.
People I did not know now serve me,
44 foreigners cower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;
they come trembling from their strongholds.
46 The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!
47 He is the God who avenges me,
who subdues nations under me,
48 who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.
50 He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing love to his anointed,
to David and to his descendants forever.
Other Stuff
I grilled out some boneless pork ribs last night. MmmMMmmmm! I sprinkled with my usual poultry/pork seasoning and added some smoked paprika (at the suggestion of a friend). Wow! I added some Montgomery Inn BBQ sauce to top them off. They were so good. I had a veggie with them for a low carb supper.
I also worked on laundry and mowed the lawn. That means I can rest more today! hehehe There is only one more movie currently at the theaters that I want to see. I may do that this afternoon. I will see. I need to do some stuff around the house. I keep putting things off. I also have some other church stuff to do that I am very excited about. I am so much happier when I am busy doing meaningful stuff! I have had too much time on my hands since finishing grad school last year. ;-p
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
Saturday, August 6, 2011
No pain, no gain or no plan, no flan, or whatever!
Our Daily Bread
I am writing this entry late in the day considering I usually write first thing in the morning to start my day (and hopefully yours!). Reading the devotional tonight reinforces the things that God brought my way today. Praise God!
I have been having a tough time getting over something the past few days. God spoke to me in many ways today about the situation. It has been amazing! The scripture passage for the devotional includes this verse:
9 In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the LORD establishes their steps.
God gently reminded me of the ways he has been so very active in my life since I have been trying to follow him and please him with my meager service. I think if my service to God were judged like a server at a restaurant, I am not sure I would get a tip at all! hehehe We can only do our best. God knows that. He knows our hearts and the desires of our hearts. He knows what we can bear and what we can't bear.
I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13). I forget many times, especially when the silly task seems much easier to get over than the difficult tasks I faced the past four years. I can and will do this. God will guide my steps. I will turn over my plans to him.
What plans are you holding on to?
Lord, thank you for your love. Please guide my steps.
Simply Saturday
Had a good meeting this morning. I understand now what my role on the team. It was nice working in the role today. I am so excited about what God is going to do with this team and the group of pilgrims that join us.
I went to the gym after my meeting. I am working my way up on the elliptical machine. I went 40 minutes today! Woohooo! That was on the lowest settings, but I went 40 minutes! I did some light upper body weights, then ran some errands. A quest for some sherry vinegar took longer than what I wanted, I found it at Sur Le Table. Cool.
Not sure what tomorrow will bring. Not sure where God will lead my steps. What does it matter where the road ends up as long as God is leading?
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
I am writing this entry late in the day considering I usually write first thing in the morning to start my day (and hopefully yours!). Reading the devotional tonight reinforces the things that God brought my way today. Praise God!
I have been having a tough time getting over something the past few days. God spoke to me in many ways today about the situation. It has been amazing! The scripture passage for the devotional includes this verse:
9 In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the LORD establishes their steps.
God gently reminded me of the ways he has been so very active in my life since I have been trying to follow him and please him with my meager service. I think if my service to God were judged like a server at a restaurant, I am not sure I would get a tip at all! hehehe We can only do our best. God knows that. He knows our hearts and the desires of our hearts. He knows what we can bear and what we can't bear.
I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13). I forget many times, especially when the silly task seems much easier to get over than the difficult tasks I faced the past four years. I can and will do this. God will guide my steps. I will turn over my plans to him.
What plans are you holding on to?
Lord, thank you for your love. Please guide my steps.
Simply Saturday
Had a good meeting this morning. I understand now what my role on the team. It was nice working in the role today. I am so excited about what God is going to do with this team and the group of pilgrims that join us.
I went to the gym after my meeting. I am working my way up on the elliptical machine. I went 40 minutes today! Woohooo! That was on the lowest settings, but I went 40 minutes! I did some light upper body weights, then ran some errands. A quest for some sherry vinegar took longer than what I wanted, I found it at Sur Le Table. Cool.
Not sure what tomorrow will bring. Not sure where God will lead my steps. What does it matter where the road ends up as long as God is leading?
Hang in there, my friends! I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...
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