Halloween treat?

Our Daily Bread
It is Halloween in the United States.  I have mixed feelings about this holiday!  As a gay man, I don't celebrate it like a lot of my friends with lavish costumes and wild parties.  I like handing out Halloween candy to the little beggars in my neighborhood.

Just as some of our friends can be difficult to recognize in costume, Jesus was difficult to recognize because of the way he came to this earth and the way he chose to live his life.  He was not a royal born king of this world, rather a humble king of the spiritual world.  The latter was MUCH more difficult for us to understand!  He didn't LOOK like a messiah!  He didn't TALK like we thought the messiah should talk.  Shouldn't he be like Moses?  Shouldn't he be like David or Solomon?  Like many times in our lives, God had a different, better idea of what should happen.

Jesus came to earth to help the beggars that we are, not for bits and bites of chocolate and other treats, but for spiritual food that would help us to never hunger again!  Praise God!

Lord, thank you for the ultimate treat of Jesus!

Movie Monday
I didn't make it to the movies this week.  I spent a lot of my free time with a friend in the hospital.  We had some good visits.  He may get out of the hospital today.

Instead of a movie review, let's look at the movies that are coming out on DVD and Bluray.  Most of the big summer blockbusters are coming out now just in time for Christmas!  Woohoooo!  Here is a list of recent releases (some are just Bluray releases) and some upcoming releases:

Currently Available
Captain America: The First Avenger
Jurassic Park Trilogy
Winnie the Pooh
Attack the Block
Dazed and Confused

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Bad Teacher

Batman: Year One

Tree of Life

Green Lantern

Horrible Bosses

Beautiful Boy

Fast Five

Upcoming

Cars 2

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Water For Elephants

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Toy Story 3D

Trespass

Cop Land

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

Tabloid

An Invisible Sign

Other Stuff
I visited my friend in the hospital after church yesterday, then went home for a nap.  I was tired.  Mens chorus rehearsal went well.  I will work on my music some more this week.

I talked with a couple of guys at church yesterday.  Got shot down for a date for the concert on Friday.  Oh well.  I am not going to worry about it.  ;-P

I am looking forward to handing out candy tonight to the little goblins in my neighborhood!

Let go, my friends!  God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms...

Attacks from a liar

Our Daily Bread
Ever had someone in your life that just couldn't seem to tell the truth if their life depended on it?  Satan is like that.  He will try to deceive you into damaging your relationship with God any chance he gets!  Yikes!  God knows this.  He will give us power, through his Spirit, to overcome the wiles of Satan if we trust him.

I have been going round and round with a friend that "adjusts" the truth to his own liking and convenience.  I have to admit that I have not been patient with him.  I have been too judgmental about the whole situation.  I also have to admit that I never realized that I over exaggerate at times and this is a form of lying!  I didn't like hearing that.  I am working on pulling the log out of my own eye while I am praying for this friend to take the splinter out of his!

Lord, I want to put on your spiritual armor to fight the good fight against Satan and sin.

Psalm Sunday
The psalm this week is Psalm 28.  Verses 3 and  4 go along with the devotional today!  How cool is that!  I try to remember these psalms each day as I remind myself to fight evil (Satan) and rely even more on the strength of my life, our God.


Psalm 28

Of David.
 1 To you, LORD, I call;
   you are my Rock,
   do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent,
   I will be like those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear my cry for mercy
   as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands
   toward your Most Holy Place.

 3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
   with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
   but harbor malice in their hearts.
4 Repay them for their deeds
   and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done
   and bring back on them what they deserve.

 5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the LORD
   and what his hands have done,
he will tear them down
   and never build them up again.

 6 Praise be to the LORD,
   for he has heard my cry for mercy.
7 The LORD is my strength and my shield;
   my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,
   and with my song I praise him.

 8 The LORD is the strength of his people,
   a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
9 Save your people and bless your inheritance;
   be their shepherd and carry them forever.


Other Stuff
What a football game last night!  I laughed!  I cried!  I screamed really loud!  Congratulations, Buckeyes, for a great win.  We will remember this one for a long time.

I attended a church workshop yesterday.  It was nice.  I met some new folks.  I saw some folks I met here and there.  I saw a guy that I would love to date IF he wasn't partnered already.  Oh well.  He feels the same way about me, which is nice.  It was a good day.

I thought I had a flaw in my plan for the day when I tried to drive to the OSU Hospital.  They had several exits closed off for the football game.  Yikes!  I had to circle around a little, but got to the hospital OK.  I found a quick way out of the mess after I left my friend's room.  We had a good visit.  He is not sure how much longer he will be in the hospital.  We will see.

I stopped by Target to pick up my Halloween candy. I really enjoy handing out candy on Halloween!  That will be my Monday night activity.

I worked on cleaning the house some more.  I am making progress.  I still need to do some vacuuming and dusting.  I found some major cobwebs around the house.  Yikes!  I will catch all of those with my Swiffer Duster this afternoon.  ;-)

Looking forward to church and mens chorus today.  I hope you have a great day as well!

Let go, my friends.  God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms...

How does your light shine?

Our Daily Bread
I saw a commercial for a wireless carrier that emphasized fast results for their network.  The commercial had a Boy Scout starting a camp fire in less than a second.  Results!  Does your light shine like a pleasant glow that people want to walk towards or does it burn like a bonfire out of control that people want to run from?  We can sometimes be so focused on the results we want to achieve for God that we don't really show God's love in the process!

In my younger days, we used to call it "Bible thumping".  A concerned Christian would push a "sinner" so hard as if to thump their heads with his Bible to get through to the sinner!  Where is the love?  hehehe

IMHO and according to the devotion, we are to live God's love and tell God's message.  No thumping involved!

Lord, I want to be a witness for you in all the right ways.

Simply Saturday
I had a nice evening last night.  I visited a friend that I hadn't seen in several months.  He has been sick all of this year.  He is finally starting to recover a little bit, but has some major life changes to make after his illness.  We live close to each other, so I reiterated how much I want to visit more often!

I came home to work on the house.  I got the laundry washed and dried.  Need to fold it and put it away.  I got some cleaning done.  I need to dust and vacuum and do some cleaning on my master bathroom.  I keep the house pretty neat (except for my office), so the place wasn't a disaster area.  ;-p

I am attending a church workshop today about telling my story.  It is for folks that are willing to tell their life journey to folks that don't want to hear it!  hehehe  Seriously, this is part of the Reconciling Ministries group in the Methodist church.  Should be an interesting day!

I plan to visit my hospital-bound buddy on the way back through downtown.  He might be transferred back to Dayton in the next few days.

I will work on the house again tonight around watching the football game.  Go Bucks!  If we can win this one, it will be a big step towards winning the Big Ten Championship!

Let go, my friends!  God will be there to catch you and hold you in His loving arms...

I will wait upon the Lord...

Our Daily Bread
Some days I feel like the authors of the devotionals are watching me, and then changing the devotional to exactly what I need to hear each day!  I know that sounds a little paranoid, but it sooooo uncanny how often the devotional is EXACTLY what I need to hear!  Today is no exception.

The devotional is about not trying to understand God and his greatness.  Not trying to understand his plan.  We are just supposed to let go, and let him hold us in his care!  Does that sound like the last line of my blog entries the past few weeks!  God has been working on me in this area.

I have been questioning why some things have been happening to me.  Questioning God's timing.  Questioning why I can't seem to move on in my life since I feel some things holding me back are actually from God.  As usual, I am being painfully frank.  I feel like I know who my special man is, but God hasn't told him yet!  Why not?  Why can't we be together now?  I have been trying my best to let go and let God on this one.  I really have.  From what I read today, I need to quit crying like an unweaned baby and rest in the Lord.  Understanding is not necessary.  Obedience and faith without reservation is necessary.  I will do my best to let go!

Lord, thank you for the important messages you bring to me and remind me of each day.  

Foodie Friday
Haven't been cooking much.  Haven't had time.  I thought I would remind you of the neat cooking sites where I found the Halloween treats last year:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/holidays-and-events/halloween/main.aspx

http://www.marthastewart.com/275177/our-favorite-halloween-recipes/@center/276965/halloween

http://www.bhg.com/halloween/recipes/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/halloween/index.html

Enjoy!

Other Stuff
I visited my buddy in the hospital after work last night.  He had a better day and some good news.  Very cool!

I got to church in time to do some reading before choir practice.  I got most of my D1 reading done.  I will continue reading and review stuff until next Wednesday.  Choir practice was fun as we started Messiah rehearsal.  We plan to sing the Christmas portion on December 18.  Woohooo!

I plan to visit a friend after work.  He has been sick for a long time now, but finally got to settle in at home.  That will be nice.  I need to work on laundry and house cleaning after that.  I have a workshop for church tomorrow.

Let go, my friends!  God will be there to catch you and hold you in his arms...

Be careful, little tongue, what you say...

Our Daily Bread
There is a contemporary Christian song that has a child's voice singing "Be careful little eyes what you see".  The points of today's devotional are be careful what you say and what you hear!

It is easy to get caught up in talking about someone.  It is not always easy to tell when talking about someone out of concern becomes gossiping about the person.  The point of today's devotional is to stop even if you THINK you might be gossiping.  Eliminate any doubt!

Also, gossipers wouldn't have much to say if there weren't people to listen.  The devotional suggests being more disciplined about NOT listening to gossip.  Don't even be associated with it!

I am thinking and praying about this devotional, asking the Spirit to cleanse my tongue.  There may have been times where I have slipped from "being concerned" to "gossiping" without realizing it (or not wanting to realize it!).

Lord, I want to follow the guidelines you gave us for relationships, including loving others as myself and not gossiping!

Technology Thursday
The technology world is sooooooo boring right now!  Many of the tech articles are on three topics: what Apple is going to do next, what Google is going to do next and what new phones are coming out trying to dethrone the iPhone.  Is the iPhone the perfect phone?  Nah.  The iPhone 4S is a great phone now and a great device.  I am looking forward to a 4G iPhone next  year.  I think Apple will do it right compared to the Android devices that have a battery life of 45 seconds on a 4G connection.  My HSPA+ speeds on the ATT network are OK for now and I get good battery life!

I am going to look for a new laptop during the holiday season.  I saw some good deals and discounts through my work discount site.  I think I can do better.  I don't know how much I will use it, so I don't want the top of the line.  I also don't want an entry level laptop either because I would probably throw it against a wall if it was too slow.   ;-p  Not really.  I am spoiled...  I will post my laptop purchasing guide next week.  I wrote it a few years ago.  I recently updated it for a friend.

Other Stuff
I had a nice visit with my acquaintance at the hospital last night.  I went to church afterwards to pray and for my D1 class.  We had some spirited discussions in class.  It was fun.  I had to stop by Kroger on the way home to pick up some milk.

I plan to visit my acquaintance again today after work, do some reading, and then attend choir practice.  I get to rest some Friday night.  I need to clean my house sometime.  I feel like I am done with the landscaping for this Fall.  I might grab a few more perennials if I catch them on sale.  I did so much work already, I am satisfied.  It will be nice to see how things look in the Spring!

Let go, my friends!  God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms...

In God's time...

Our Daily Bread
I have to apologize.  I am impatient sometimes!  DOH!  hehehe  When I am driving.  When I am in line at the grocery store.  When I want to look at directions on my iPhone.  Waiting for the special man in my life.  Oh well.  I try to be patient!

The devotional today talks about how God's time is not always our time.  We can see delays and things not going as we planned as inconveniences instead of opportunities from God.  I have actually been patient and looked for these opportunities a few times in my life.  ;-p  They can be amazing.  God can use you to speak to someone who needs a kind word.  Make someone smile who had a hard day.  Call a friend that needs some encouragement.  Or, call your best friend to vent about your week!  I have done them all!  Sometimes I just wait and listen for God to speak to me.  How cool is that!

Lord, I want to be patient so I can act on the opportunities that you send my way -- even if I might be late!

Witness Wednesday
Deliverance...
I thought a lot more about the first part of Exodus over the weekend.  I kept thinking to myself how much I am like the children of Israel in that period.  They kept romanticizing the past life in Egypt.  The food tasted better (they actually HAD food...)  hehehe  They had water.  They didn't have to walk around the desert.  They didn't have to fight for their lives.  Blah, blah, blah.  None of those complaints were really valid.  God promised them an exciting new life of freedom and blessing if they only served him.

I kept thinking about how I romanticize some of the unhealthy things in my life.  Wow, that box of Hohos was the best yet!  Wow, that guy was the nicest guy I have ever gone out with! (not by a long shot).  I decided that I will do my best to stop that!

I am listening to a song by Holly Cole called "I can see clearly now".  You have probably heard the song by other artists.  I am finally letting God open my eyes to the things around me.  I can see clearly now (despite my eye problems!).  It IS going to be a bright sun-shiny day in my life because I have God in my life.  Wow!

So when I start to think about the past and romanticizing the old life I now say "I will NOT go back to Egypt! I will NOT go back to Egypt!"  Yes, things will be different.  I will not take one step forward and then two steps back.  I will NOT look back!

What thing or relationship or situation in your life is an "Egypt"?  Identify them.  Vow to yourself and to God "I will NOT go back to Egypt".  If I can do it, then anyone can!  ;-)

Other Stuff
I was very tired after work so I took a short nap when I got home.  I bounced up and went outside to work on the landscaping one last time this year.  I broke up the clump of hostas that my buddy gave me last night and planted them.  I relocated the decorative grass from the side of the garage to the back beds.  I raked the leaves on the street in front of my house.  Whew.  I also poured my two gas cans into my gas tank.  I started filling up three five gallon gas cans when I get a large gas discount at Giant Eagle.  I can save the discount on another fifteen gallons.  Woohooo!  The cans paid for themselves the first time I used them!  I have to admit that pouring the gas in manually is a pain in the patootey.  I save money.  I can deal with it.

I had a reasonable supper that was very tasty (turkey and veggies).  I picked up a box of high fiber brownies at Costco that are low in sugar.  They help me feel full in the evenings.  I have lost 15.8 pounds so far during my lifestyle change.  Woohooooo!  I will keep plugging along.  I would like to be at the 25 pound mark when I drive to St Louis for Thanksgiving.  I can almost fit in my normal pants again.  Double Woohoooo!

Let go, my friends!  God will be there to catch you and hold you!

Justice

Our Daily Bread
It is very difficult for me at times to "let things go" when it comes to justice.  If I see something that is unfair or someone not acting in the way they profess, I usually have to say or do something about it!  That is not always a good thing as I have learned over and over.  I don't always say things in love the way I should.  I guess I picked up some Bible thumping ways from my earlier life!    hehehe

Mordecai was a Jewish man who would not bow down to any man, only to his God.  The irritated Haman, who decided to get rid of Mordecai and his entire people!  Talk about vicious!  In a dramatic turn of events in the book of Esther, Haman was hanged on the gallows that he had built for Mordecai!  Isn't God amazing!

The lesson for me (and you) is this: fight injustice by doing the right things at the right time.  We are not judge and jury.  We are to use appropriate activism.  We are to pray for things to change.  God showed over and over again in the Bible that he hears the cries of the weak and indigent.

Lord, I want to be your light in the world of injustice.  Please help me do the right things at the right times.

Teaching Tuesday
I had a hard time reading the passages for this week.  The lesson is about the laws that God handed down through Moses.  The passages were from Exodus, Deuteronomy, Leviticus and Numbers.  ZZzzzZZZzzzzzzz Sorry, they were very detailed and very repetitive.  They still spoke to me though.  I can see where people get some of the rules and regulations today.

The most notable of the passages to me were the ten commandments and the greatest commandment.  We are all pretty familiar with the ten commandments.  We sometimes forget the greatest commandment, which is basically the first commandment with more details in Deuteronomy 6:5.  When all else fails and you don't know what to do, follow this directive!

Other Stuff
I had a busy evening (again).  I stopped by OP Gallo to get fitted for my tux vest and tux shirts.  They had some used shirts in stock, so I got a deal there.  The lady was very nice.

I stopped by a friend's house to pick up some hostas he gave me.  I will split up the rather large clump into three pieces for my back landscaping bed.  I will try to get those planted, the grass relocated and maybe a few more plants in the ground tonight.  The landscaping will officially be DONE for this year!  Woohooo!  ;-)

I visited a friend in the hospital.  We think the power of prayer is at work in his life as he may not need the surgery he was brought to OSU for.  Woohoooo!  We will wait prayerfully to hear the final word from the doctors.

I did some stuff around the house and on the computer before working on my D1 reading.  I will finish the reading tonight.

God is allowing me to be tested this week.  I had an "up" week last week.  God is allowing some more temptation and situations in my life this week to test my faith and "letting go".  I will write more about my new mantra tomorrow in Witness Wednesday.  Stay tuned!

Let go, my friends!  God will be there to catch you and carry you!

Walk, even when weary...

Our Daily Bread
Once again, the devotional spoke to me where I am living!  Yikes!  How does God do that?  These devotionals were written long before I even knew these situations were going to happen!  It just shows that God has a plan.  If we follow his will as best as we can, we can know without a doubt that he is with us!

The prophet Jeremiah had a tough job -- he had to proclaim an unpopular message to a rebellious Hebrew people.  It is amazing how God continues to do this kind of work through people today if they will follow his guidance!  I am not Jeremiah, however, God has been using me in such a way.  I was complaining to God this morning about how unpleasant this task is.  I don't like doing it.  I am not popular with some folks because of some of the things that I say.  It is difficult to deliver these messages without sounding judgmental and condescending.  I am praying about my delivery!

At the end of our talk, I promised God that I would continue to do my best.  That is only the way I know how to act in my life at this point.  Praise God!

Lord, help us say what you want us to say.  Help us to listen to what we should hear.

Movie Monday
I got to see two very different movies last week: Attack the Block and The Way.

Attack the Block
This is a horror movie about aliens that landed in the block of a local gang.  The gang takes it upon themselves to fight the aliens after they killed the first one they found.  They didn't realize they killed the smaller, weaker female until the larger, vicious males landed!  The monsters were sort of cool looking.  The characters were varied and interesting.  I recommend seeing it for a little scare if you like lighter horror movies.  There are some blood and guts, so avoid it if you are sensitive to that sort of thing.

I give this movie two bear paws.  No need to see it at the theater unless you want to see the aliens on a much larger screen.

The Way
I read about this movie online and decided to give it a chance.  It is about a father who loses his son on the first day of his son's quest for spiritual enlightenment on the El Camino (the walk) from France to Spain.  The father decides to do the walk in honor of his son.  The movie is about the walk and the relationships he made along the way.  I thought it was very well acted. There were some holes in the credibility of the story, but that didn't distract me too much (a 60 year old man takes on a very long walk with no training and no major issues...).

I give this three bear paws for the incredible acting.  You will see some beautiful landscapes and cinematography if you see this on the big screen.

Other Stuff
We had a great service at church yesterday.  I really enjoyed the sermon and the music!

I came home after church to work on my landscaping.  I dug out all the overgrown bulbs in one of my beds and replanted them.  I hope it looks OK when they come up in the Spring.  I had enough bulbs to plant some in another bed.  I also cleaned up more of the rear bed.  It was a mess.  It looks much better now.  I may have scored some hostas from a buddy at mens chorus.  I can plant those in the bed behind my office.  Those hostas and the grass I want to replant there should fill out that bed!  Woohoooo!  All the beds should look very nice if everything comes up next Spring!

I got a short nap in before driving to mens chorus rehearsal.  The music for this concert sounds amazing already.  I am very excited about it.

Let go, my friends!  God will be there to catch you and carry your heavy load!

He guards me well...

Our Daily Bread
I need to look up the hymn quoted in today's devotional.  I love the two verses that I read there.  I never thought about rewording the psalm when I wrote about it in this blog a few weeks ago.  ;-p

God put this devotional in my life today to remind me once again that he knows my needs.  He knows the desires of my heart (and he knows all of this stuff about you as well!!!).  God is there for us.  If you haven't noticed, I changed the closing line of my blog after reading a devotional last week.  Always be assured that God is there for you.  When we can't feel him near, we are the ones who moved, not him!

Lord, thank you for being my loving shepherd and guide.

Psalm Sunday
This is what I call a "typical" psalm.  It is one that we usually think about when we read the psalms.  I had forgotten how amazing and powerful the "typical" psalms are!  Read Psalm 27 below out loud.  The meaning jumps out even more!  I have a sacred song setting of this psalm that is very powerful.


Psalm 27
Of David.
 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation—
   whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
   of whom shall I be afraid?

 2 When the wicked advance against me
   to slander me,
it is my enemies and my foes
   who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me,
   my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
   even then I will be confident.

 4 One thing I ask from the LORD,
   this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
   all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the LORD
   and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble
   he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
   and set me high upon a rock.

 6 Then my head will be exalted
   above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
   I will sing and make music to the LORD.

 7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD;
   be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
   Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
   do not turn your servant away in anger;
   you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
   God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me,
   the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, LORD;
   lead me in a straight path
   because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
   for false witnesses rise up against me,
   spouting malicious accusations.

 13 I remain confident of this:
   I will see the goodness of the LORD
   in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD;
   be strong and take heart
   and wait for the LORD.

Other Stuff

I had a nice visit with my mother yesterday.  My sister acted a little funny.  Oh well.  As soon as I got back to Columbus, I visited an acquaintance in the hospital.  He is a close friend of a close friend.  I hope I lifted his spirits a little.

I plan to work in the landscaping this afternoon and work on my D1 reading.  Mens chorus rehearsal tonight.  Need to put the rest of my laundry away as well.  Housecleaning will have to wait until Monday or Tuesday.

Let go, my friends!  God will be there for you!

Some glad morning...

Our Daily Bread
"Some glad morning when this life is o'er, I'll fly away..." is what the hymn says.  The devotional this morning talks about there being "no goodbyes" for the children of God!  We will be together forever in heaven when we all get there.  Amen!

I struggle with this theology at times.  Yes, I believe in heaven and hell.  I believe only the folks with a relationship with God will be there.  I believe Jesus reveals himself to whoever he wants, however he wants.  We cannot restrict him to the New Testament version we read about at church!  The problem I have is folks that use this as "fire insurance" insurance so they won't go to hell!  They live the way they want and have little regard for God's ways.  I pray for all those folks!

Lord, thank you so much for the gift of your Son and for heaven.  

Simply Saturday
When I got to church last night to usher, I found they had too many users in place.  I chose to come home to do stuff around the house instead of seeing the show.  I started laundry.  I paid bills.  I got some other things straightened out.  I got cold.  I finally had to turn the heat on this morning!  I had been using one or two electric heaters the past few weeks.  I was really cold this morning, so the heat came on!  I run it on a program to optimize the gas usage.

I had a nice lunch with my associate pastor yesterday.  We talked about stuff.  We talked about the projects we want to work on in the Technology committee.  It was nice.  I have always felt close to her for some reason.

I went to a movie after work.  It was interesting.  I will write about it on Monday.  I could have gotten more done around the house if I had known I wasn't needed to usher and gone home after work.  Not a big deal.

I received an email that my iPhone 3GS was received by the company that is buying it from me.  They will audit what I sent in and hopefully send me an nice Apple gift card!  Woohooo!

Going to visit my mother today.  I picked up a few things she needs, including muffins from Mimi's Cafe.  ;-p  I am going to work on my mens chorus music during my drive.

I hope to get some more work done on my landscaping Sunday afternoon.  I want to replant some bulbs that are overgrown.  I want to move some ornamental grass to a new bed.  I would like to get some more plants for my rear bed.  I am also thinking about just putting fertilizer in that bed for the winter and planting stuff in the Spring.  I will think about that more.  The weather is supposed to be decent for a few days.  I may have time to work on it some more before the weather turns cold for the Winter.


Let loose, my friends!  God will be there to catch you!

Any friend of Paul's is a friend of mine...

Our Daily Bread
I get to travel a lot for fun.  There have been times when friends directed me to their friends in other cities.  "Duane is a good friend of mine.  Please show him around".  Does this sort of sound like the scripture and devotional today?

Paul not only ministered to many folks around the Mediterranean Sea, but he also directed others to the different areas for ministry and support.  He also warned others about some possible charlatans and folks that mislead new Christians.  He was sort of the spiritual quarterback for that age!  hehehe

How do we respond or do these things today?

Lord, thank you for the leaders and spiritual quarterbacks today.  

Foodie Friday
One of the questions I get asked is "how do you afford to eat out all the time?".  I don't eat out ALL the time, but I do eat out a lot because of my busy schedule.  I like being busy!  Here are some tips I learned over the years.

1. Use coupons.  There are lots of coupon sites from Groupon to Entertainment book, etc.  Some are BOGO (buy one get one).  Use those even though you are buy yourself.  Box up the second meal for another night that week!  One helpful tip is to stay away from side dishes that don't warm up well in the microwave (like squash...  ewwww).  
2. Use gift cards.  If you have a Giant Eagle in your area, buy restaurant gift cards at Giant Eagle so you can earn gas discounts.  I have earned as much as $1.20 off each gallon of gas at times by letting these discounts accumulate.  Keep your gift cards in an organizer so you don't lose them.
3. Enroll in restaurant loyalty clubs.  You give our your email address so you can receive coupons periodically for your favorite restaurants.  There is some useless spam at times, but there are also useful coupons many times!
4. Don't feel like you have to eat the entire meal.  I sometimes get combo meals, then split the meals in half.  At O'Charleys, I get the shrimp and steak special and then save the steak, potato and broccoli for another meal.  I eat the salad or soup and the shrimp for my meal.  Two meals for the price of one!
5. Take advantage of restaurant specials or happy hours.  There are some restaurants that have special meal deals before 6:00.  I have eaten $40 meals for less than $20 several times because I ate at 5:00 instead of 7:00!

I hope this helps.  Find what works best for you.  I will write some tips for making the most of eating well at home next week.


Other Stuff
I had a busy evening last night.  I had an appointment with my counselor.  I had a quick dinner with my walking buddy and her husband.  I went to chancel choir practice.  Very nice evening!  I was pretty tired when I got home.

I am fighting turning on the heat at home. I may have to break down and turn it on this weekend.  ;-p  I use a small heater in my bedroom since I am not at home that much right now.

Going to usher at the play at church tonight.  Will do some D1 reading before that.

Let go, my friends!  God will be there to catch you!

Hold on ... loosely...

Our Daily Bread
I laughed when I read the devotional for today.  When tough times come, I don't hold on by my fingernails -- I chew them!  Yikes...  I have been pretty good about not biting my fingernails the past few years.  I still bite them to trim them.  I am working on that, too.  ;-p

I also thought about what I usually say to friends -- "Hang in there!"  I guess I need to change it to "Let go!"  Let go so God can hold you and support you in his loving hand!  God loves us and wants us to rely on him when things in life don't go the right way.

Thank you, God, for being there to hold me up when I can't hang on by myself!

Technology Thursday
I have been using my iPhone 4S for almost a week now.  It is a big improvement from my 3GS model.  Here are some notes from my week.

• The 4S is a little heavier than my 3GS.  Not a big deal
• I love the retina display screen.  Very easy to read.  Pictures and video pop off the screen.
• I love the dual processor power.  Very fast in most cases.  Some apps are just slow regardless of how much power you have!
• The 3G/HSPA+ from ATT is much faster in general.  I did a speed test on my 3GS and then on the 4S.  The 4S was 2.5 times faster on downloads and about 5 times faster on uploads.  Very cool!
• The Safari browser was updated in iOS5.  Web browsing is faster.  Very cool!
• The new camera hardware is very nice.  The pictures are beautiful.
• Battery life is OK.  Not great.  Not a lot worse.  I don't use the Bluetooth feature on most days.  I use wireless, Siri and location services every day.  
• Siri is pretty cool.  I gave it the command to "search internet for Psalm 23".  Siri brought up Safari and googled Psalm 23 for me.  Cool!  There are some odd answers at times.  Siri is still in beta.  It will get better.
• I am not sure I am crazy about iCloud yet.  I don't trust it.  hehehe  The syncing of Calendar left me questioning how things work.  Oh well.
• I haven't tried all the new features yet.  I will try more next week and write about it!

Other Stuff
We had a good D1 class last night.  I enjoy it more and more each week.  I am remembering stuff from D2 as we go along.  God is reminding me about stuff, like the children of Israel so long ago!

I used my free muffins coupon at Mimi's last night.  I will take those to Mom on Saturday.

Waiting to hear back from the doctor about my antibiotic.  Feeling a little under the weather.

Let loose, my friends!  God will be there!

A wise investment

Our Daily Bread
Some of my friends make fun of me because I don't watch TV very much.  If my TV is on, I am either watching a Bluray movie or a sports event (Go Buckeyes!).  I watch other stuff occasionally, but I would rather spend my time on other things.

I like to think I spend my time investing on things "not of this earth".  I can't always say that honestly.  I probably spend too much time watching movies, either at home or in the theater.  I may spend too much time on the computer, though I deleted most of my online accounts two years ago.  I have this blog, my Twitter account and my email accounts.  We even have to be careful doing too much church stuff that isn't building up things in heaven!

What things are you spending too much time on?  Are there things keeping you from getting to know God better?  From investing in things not of this world?  Think and pray about that today!

Lord, I want to put all unnecessary things behind me so I can focus on you!

Witness Wednesday
This has been an interesting week for me.  The sermon on Sunday finally got through to me the second time I heard it in the 11:00 service.  I have to admit that I have been walking a fine line between "trusting God to work in my life" and "demanding that God work in my life because of all I have done for Him".  Yikes!  I didn't realize that when I was praying a line from the Merton prayer "And I know if I do this you WILL lead me by the right road", I was inadvertently demanding from God things that I had no right to demand.

My prayer now is that I do everything I do for God for the honor of serving him.  I will do my best to not expect anything in return.  Following his ways instead of mine are what is best for me.  I know that now.  The peace and calm I have felt this week have gone deeper than I ever remembered.  I will trust in the Lord.  He is worthy to be served and praised!

FYI, I am at the 13 pounds lost mark this week.  Whew!  I will keep working on it.  I still have days that I don't make great eating choices.  I will continue to work on that.  Part of my problem is that I don't always know how much insulin to take.  That can leave me feeling too high or too low.  Feeling too low means I have to eat something even though I am not hungry.  I am finally learning that I don't want or need to do that.  Praise God!

Other Stuff
I took a short nap when I got home last night.  I am fighting a sinus and ear infection.  Whew...  I made a run to Costco.  I spent more than what I planned, but I am not stocked up on a lot of stuff for the winter.  The only clothing items I bought were some socks and a shirt (didn't really need the shirt, but it was cool...).  I also bought some white crew socks for New Life.

I went home and did a few things around the house.  I had some of the pork tenderloin I made on Sunday for supper.  It was tasty!  Emptied the dishwasher.  Evaluated a piece of software for church.  Worked on some stuff in iTunes.  I am not sure I like the iCloud sync thing.  Hmmmmm..  Still getting duplicate calendar entries at times.  Don't like that at all!

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

Got a booboo?

Our Daily Bread
How many times have we looked in the mirror and told God "You just don't understand.  I am hurting here..." or "Yes, I know Jesus was in human form, but he never got dumped by a boyfriend, lover, spouse, etc".  How could he understand?  I asked these questions a lot the past few years!

The answer that comes back to me over and over is "we are fearfully and wonderfully made".  God knows and understands because he created us in his image and knows exactly how we work inside.  He really does understand!  Not only does he understand, he can give us peace through any circumstance, regardless of how much we are hurting.  Peace and joy run much deeper in the human psyche than hurt!  They push hurt out of our bodies and hearts and minds so we can focus on the real purpose of our existence -- to serve and praise God!

As I write a lot in this blog:  I don't always understand where the road is going or what God is doing in my life.  It doesn't really matter where the road is going as long as God is leading!

Lord, thank you for your peace and love and joy.  Praise God!

Teaching Tuesday
The Disciple 1 lesson this week was about deliverance -- God delivering his people out of the land of Egypt.  I got something new out of reading the first half of Exodus again. God reminded me about he has delivered me out of many, many situations in my life!  Don't we have an amazing God!?!

I found that my life is very similar to the Hebrew people of old.  I have situations in my life that cause me to suffer -- some I created myself and some were thrust upon me.  I pray to God to deliver me from these situations.  God calls me to obedience since are partners in deliverance.  I can't keep running back to the situations that kept me captive if I expect to be delivered!  We have to accept God's deliverance so we can move on to a better place in our lives.

We need to trust God along the way.  It will not always easy.  For me, I complain about being lonely at times or not having someone to attend a concert with or to check on me after a surgery.  God flooded my life with family and friends who care about me and who want the best for me.  That has not always been the case for the men in my life.  ;-(  We need to keep a spirit of thanksgiving and remembrance for the things God has done for us.  None of that "what have you done for me lately, God" stuff!  No, sir!  hehehe

Lastly, we need to accept no less than what God promised us.  So many times we compromise because we grow tired of being patient on the Lord.  We accept a substitute or a "this is good enough for me" solution, usually something that we came up with on our own.  There have been a couple of guys along the way that would "have been good enough", but I would have known in my heart that they were not the right one for me. God will lead me to him.  I will keep an open and loving heart along the way!  I will not be like the children of Israel who HAD to make idols of gold to represent their god.  None of that for duanebear!  hehehe

What is God calling you to do?  To be patient for?  He honors his promises.  We have to trust always and obey without reservation.  Praise God!

Other stuff
I had a nice evening last night.  I had a late doctor appointment, then finished my D1 reading before meeting a friend for dinner.  We had a nice chat.  I went home to check on a few things then went to bed.  I was tired.  I hope to avoid a full blown sinus and ear infection.  I will see how that goes.  ;-p

I need to run some errands tonight.  It rained at my house last night, so I don't need to water the plants I put in the ground last week.  I will work on the landscaping some more if the weather is clear.  Scotts aerated my lawn last night.  I hadn't had that done in a few years.  It needed it!

I want you to know how God has been in my life the past few days.  A peace has come over me that I need to remember and ask God to keep in my heart and mind.  I know without a shadow of a doubt that everything will work out OK, regardless of what I have to face.  God will not leave me to face my perils alone.  He is there to share my joys as well.  I praise him for working in my life and in the life of my friends as I continue to pray for them.

The rest of the week will be busy.  It should be a good week and a good weekend.

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

Seven Godly qualities

Our Daily Bread
I think all of us have heard of the seven deadly sins.  There was even a movie made about them!  Today's devotional talks about the seven Godly qualities that should strive to attain as children of God.  They are:

Virtue. Fulfilling God’s design for a life with moral excellence.
Knowledge. Studying God’s Word to gain wisdom to combat falsehood.
Self-control. Revering God so much that we choose godly behavior.
Perseverance. Having a hopeful attitude even in difficulties because we’re confident in God’s character.
Godliness. Honoring the Lord in every relationship in life.
Brotherly kindness. Displaying a warmhearted affection for fellow believers.
Love. Sacrificing for the good of others.a

Wow!  I found this scripture many years ago.  I try to live by them all, but find myself challenged by one or all of them at one time or another!  God convicted me of the self-control virtue in the past few years.  It is not an easy one to live out on a daily basis!  As I wrote in the blog several times, I suck so bad at it so often!  I am thankful that God is so patient with me (and all of us!).

Lord, please accept my meager attempts at being virtuous.  I promise to try harder to turn these things over to you!


Movie Monday
I got to see two movies last week: Real Steel and Abduction.

Real Steel
This movie is about a down on his luck guy that finds out he has to take custody of the 11 year old son he has never met.  The father is an ex-boxer turned robot boxer.  The robot fighting scenes are very cool.  I liked them a lot.  Seeing them on the big screen was cool.  The sappy father-son scenes were not acted very well.  I could have gone without those.  They sort of left the movie ending open for a sequel.  I am not sure anyone wants to see that!

I give it one bear paw.

Abduction
Are you an Edward or Jacob fan in the Twilight series?  If you are a Jacob fan, then you should see this movie.  That is what the movie producers are counting on!  He is the star of this action thriller.  It is not too bad.  It is not great either.  His character finds out that he has been living with protectors instead of his real parents for most of his life.  The bad guys try to find him to get to his real father, who is a master spy.  There are some cool action scenes.  There are some scenes that just don't make any sense.  You get to see him with his shirt off...  hehehe

I give this one bear paw.

Other Stuff
I had a good Sunday.  I went to both worship services again.  I like doing that since I get to hear the sermons twice!  I need that!  The choir special was good.  The childrens choir special was great!  I went home immediately afterwards because I was tired and hungry.  I had a sandwich for lunch, and then took a nap.  I did a little cooking after I woke up.  I baked a pork loin (garlic peppercorn, mmmmmm) and made some oatmeal chocolate chip pecan cookies.  My favorite!

I really missed taking part in the dinner group last night.  I miss the gang!

Mens chorus was good.  I need to get started on memorization this week.

I am supposed to have dinner with a buddy tonight.  Not sure where we are going yet.  I also have a doctors appointment with my endocrinologist.  I didn't realize until today that I forgot to get lab work done.  Oh well.

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

Parts is parts...

Our Daily Bread
I like the analogy of the "body" of the church.  Just like the body shouldn't have to function with all of its amazingly designed parts, each person in the church also fits into the body of Christ just like our body parts fit together.  As a friend of mine joked many years ago "Yes, there are even a$$holes in the church, too!"  hehehehe

As human beings, we all wonder where we "fit" in this world.  One of the lesser recognized benefits of being a child of God is that we all have a place in the body of believers.  How cool is that!  We are all equal even though some get more attention than others.  We should recognize and thank all the parts!

Lord, thank you for letting me be a part of the body of believers.  Help me do my part!

Psalm Sunday
Let's look at Psalm 26 this week:

Psalm 26

Of David.
 1 Vindicate me, LORD,
   for I have led a blameless life;
I have trusted in the LORD
   and have not faltered.
2 Test me, LORD, and try me,
   examine my heart and my mind;
3 for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love
   and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness.

 4 I do not sit with the deceitful,
   nor do I associate with hypocrites.
5 I abhor the assembly of evildoers
   and refuse to sit with the wicked.
6 I wash my hands in innocence,
   and go about your altar, LORD,
7 proclaiming aloud your praise
   and telling of all your wonderful deeds.

 8 LORD, I love the house where you live,
   the place where your glory dwells.
9 Do not take away my soul along with sinners,
   my life with those who are bloodthirsty,
10 in whose hands are wicked schemes,
   whose right hands are full of bribes.
11 I lead a blameless life;
   deliver me and be merciful to me.

 12 My feet stand on level ground;
   in the great congregation I will praise the LORD.

I can relate to this one more than some of the others we looked at the past few weeks.  I have a situation in my life where I feel like I have been acting as the Lord led me.  I was not perfect in all situations due to some frustration and fear on my part, but I did the best I could.  I was told I was horribly wrong. None of the things that God told me were correct and that I needed to let it go.  Vindication would be nice.  God has been teaching me that vindication is not required -- obedience without reservation is required!  Yes, there may be times that obeying the Lord may make us look like fools in the eyes of the world.  I am fine with that.  Looking like a fool to a possible romantic interest was (and still is) difficult for me.  I will hang in there.  Like I said many times:: What does it matter where the road goes as long as God is leading?


Other Stuff
I had a nice day at a training seminar for church.  God moves in wonderful ways!  I am looking forward to this new opportunity for ministry in my life.  God is so great!

I went home so i could watch the OSU game.  I tried to get the lawn mowed and leaves picked up during half time, but it took me longer than what I thought.  I got to watch the last bit of the third quarter and the fourth quarter.  I was so afraid that we were going to get a big lead and lose it again like last week!  Yikes!  The Bucks only gave up one score against an Illinois team that was undefeated.  Great job!  We have a bye week before we play Wisconsin.  Do we have a chance?  No clue!

I had nice conversations with some close friends after the game and then started my D1 reading for this week.  I plan to finish it up today.  If it doesn't rain, I may do some more landscaping work.  I will see how that goes.  I have the bug and won't be stopped!  hehehe

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

Thanking those who influenced you

Our Daily Bread
Are there folks in your life that influenced you in your life or Christian life?  I have been so fortunate to have several of those folks.  I feel like I thanked them along the way.  I hope they know/knew how much they mean(t) to my life.  There were two previous bosses.  Several preachers.  Several close friends.  Thank God!

Who are the folks in your life?  Parents?  Grandparents?  Teachers?  Bosses?  Think about it.  Thank them the first chance you get!

Lord, thank you for sending along the special folks in my life!

Simply Saturday
I received my iPhone 4S yesterday afternoon.  It took me over four hours to get it activated due to the ATT servers being overwhelmed.  I finally got it activated about 5:45 or so.  Woohooo!  It is a nice phone.  I got the phone synced and all the apps loaded the way I wanted.  I think I have everything working the way I want now.  Very cool!  I had some issues with the calendar, but I got that fixed.  I will review the phone next Thursday on the Technology Thursday entry.  I also dropped off my old iPhone at the Fedex office.  I found a company that made me a nice offer for the device.  Woohoooo!

After work, I worked on my landscaping again.  I took a totally different approach than planned.  I cleared out most of the bed at the back of my property.  It was a mess.  I planted most of the new plants there.  It should look very nice if everything comes up.  I need to finish clearing that bed.  There is also some replanting that needs to be done with a bed on the side of the back yard.  I want to move the ornamental grass from the side of the house to the bed behind my office window.  I will add some more hostas and stuff there as well.  I may even edge it all out again if I get really motivated.   hehehehe

I made a Target run after I finished in the yard.  I picked up some stuff for Mom and some stuff for me.  I resisted the temptation to buy some new pants.  I have plenty.  Just because they were a good deal doesn't mean I have to buy them.  I need to keep losing weight so I can wear the twenty pairs of pants that I can't fit into right now!  I can do this!

I am attending a workshop for church today.  Not sure what to expect.  I will write about it tomorrow.

I need to make a Costco run sometime.  I will get that done in the next few days.  I volunteered to bring baked goods for the play at church.  I am also ushering on Friday night.

Lastly, I want to praise God for his love and forgiveness and strength and hope and everything else he has meant to me this week.  God is so good.  I hope you know this without a doubt.

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

Only the beginning...

Our Daily Bread
Ever been hooked into a new activity the first time you tried it?  I remember the first time I touched a computer.  I was hooked!  I remember trying bowling or tennis or other things for the first time.  I was hooked!  That first experience was only the beginning of my adventure of getting better at the sport!

Well, the Christian life is not a sport, but the basic concept is the same.  We are "hooked" during our first experience of conversion.  God wants us to build on that first experience to try to get better the rest of our lives!  It is not a "one and out" kind of experience!  hehehe

The passage in Deuteronomy is one of my favorites, especially verse 11:13.  Wow!  That is the goal and the prize!

Lord, I want to get better, practice the things I know you want me to do...

Foodie Friday
I made a beef roast last weekend.  It was great!  I did it a little differently than my normal recipe.  I placed the roast in the crock pot, added the sliced carrots and potatoes (salt potatoes this time!), and then used a can French onion soup (plus 1/2 can of water) instead of the powdered onion soup mix!  It was great!  Very nice taste.  I didn't add salt or pepper.  You can if you like.  There is a lot of sodium in the French onion soup.  Lastly, I prefer chuck roast to most other kinds of roasts.

Other Stuff
I went to the movies last night after work to unwind a little.  I have had a weird week.  Choir practice was fine.  I finally received my shipment of plants when I arrived home.  The box looked like it had been through a war.  Oh well.  The plants looked ok, I guess.  I will plant them tonight if it is not raining.

My new iPhone arrives today!  Woohooo!  I am a little excited.  I like gadgets...

Going to finish laundry tonight.  Going to spend Saturday night cleaning and reading.  Exciting stuff.

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

Too busy for God

Our Daily Bread
I wrote an email to a friend of mine last week asking him if he was really getting to know God or just learning about God!  I know.  I ask the most inappropriate things sometimes.  I need to keep my mouth shut and my fingers silent...

It is true.  We can DO so many things, including learning about God, that we don't take the time to develop a closer relationship with him.  For example, I can read a lot about Albert Einstein and learn a lot about him.  That doesn't mean I have a personal relationship with him!

Lord, I want to KNOW YOU and ABOUT you!  

Technology Thursday
My new iPhone 4S arrives tomorrow!  Woohooo!

I worked on downloading and installing the iOS5 software last night on my iPhone 3GS and my iPad. It was a challenge.  Something happened that wiped my phone.  It was restored successfully from backup, thank goodness.  Note: you have to upgrade iTunes to 10.5 before you can download and install iOS5.  The iTunes download took longer than the iOS5 download.  Yikes!  The new OS is pretty cool, I have to admit.

Other Stuff
I went to the gym after work last night.  I had a bizarre day.  Got thrown under the bus a few times at work before I even had my coffee!  Oh well.  I can handle it.

I went to Oodles for the chicken and broccoli special.  One more meal and I earn a free meal!  Woohoo!

D1 class was good.  I love the stories from Genesis!

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

Living with disappointments...

Our Daily Bread
I titled this blog entry based on my witness below, and then found out that it fits with today's devotional!  Wow!

Living with disappointments can wear you down.  They are sort of like a chronic disease like diabetes or chronic heart disease.  The main difference is that we can turn over our disappointments to God for healing and wholeness (we can also turn over our heal issues as well, but that is a different blog entry!).  God wants us to be whole.  Whole doesn't always mean "in the best of health".  From my personal experience, I know I learned a lot through my health issues the past three + years.  Praise God!

I also know that these things wear you down.  I LOVE the passage from Isaiah mentioned in the devotional.  The last two verses carried me through many difficult times - Isaiah 40:30-31:

30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.


Lord, I want to rely on your for my strength and hope.

Witness Wednesday
As I have been listening to God and reading his Word, I learned (very, very slowly) that living with disappointments is my own fault!  I didn't want to hear that!  hehehe  As I understand it, living with disappointments can be (but not always) attributed to being stubborn about what we really want or not being patient.  I will talk about the "but not always" statement in the next paragraph.  I am a stubborn guy that tries to get what he wants.  I go for things in life.  I have been successful at that in general.  I have a life that is not ordinary!  Praise God!  I can also "want" things that aren't what is best for me.  It could be a new gadget, a relationship, [fill in the blank for you], etc.  I let my self be disappointed because I want something I shouldn't have.  Doh!  Then there are the times that I know that God has something for me, but I act like a child waiting for Christmas.  I get so impatient!  God is helping me with that as well.  "Wait upon the Lord... He will renew your strength".  ;-)

Now the "but not always" discussion.  Sometimes life deals us disappointments.  There is really no avoiding that unless you are dead!  hehehe  We do have a choice in how we respond in these situations.  We can choose to live with the disappointments or we can choose to give them over to God so he can renew our strength.  Yes, it is hard.  Yes, God will be there for you.  There are not always lessons to be learned except for maybe how to turn everything over to God regardless of how strong or mature we are.

Other Stuff
I went to see the movie Real Steel last night after work, and then went to my walking buddy's house for supper.  We had a nice supper.  I helped them out with a computer problem as well.  We had a nice evening.

Going to the gym after work tonight.  I am going to try some interval training to bolster my weight loss.  I will see if the articles I read this week will help!  I am stuck at about 12 pounds lost so far.  My pants are already fitting better.  I have lots of pants that are about 10 pounds away from wearing again!  hehehe

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

I know something you don't know...

Our Daily Bread
There are time sin our lives that we can pretty cocky about our relationship with the Lord.  Yikes!  We make a new friend that is just starting his or her journey.  We get to know a current friend better only to find out that there are major areas in his or her life that the Spirit needs to address.  What do we do?

First, make sure you don't have a log in your own eye while trying to pluck out a splinter from the other person!  We can sometimes focus on other people so much that we don't realize our own shortcomings and faults.  It is so easy to do!

Second, pray for the person, specifically asking the person's heart to be receptive to the Holy Spirit.  Starting this process can be very scary and painful and wonderful and joyous all at once!  I remember!  Be patient with the person if s/he needs to talk and/or pray with you.  Always remember what it was like for you!

Lord, I want to love the way you love.  I want to be open to the Holy Spirit to open my eyes, mind and heart.

Teaching Tuesday
The D1 lesson this week was the remaining chapters of Genesis.  It was a long read, but we didn't focus on all the details like we did when we covered this book in D2.  The overall theme of "God uses imperfect people" was prevalent throughout.  As we try to figure out our place in this world, we should always remember the promises of God, including his ability to mold and make us like he did the Bible characters of old!

Skim over the Book of Genesis.  Read about Abraham and Sarah.  Read about Isaac.  Read about Jacob.  Read about Joseph.  Some amazing stories!

Other Stuff
I went home after work hoping to find my shipment of plants waiting for me, but nooooooo!  It was a good thing because I didn't feel like working on them any way!  I had plenty to do.  I paid some bills.  I downloaded some software to evaluate for church.  I downloaded the CGMC practice tracks.  I created a Yahoo group for a committee at work.  I finished my D1 reading.  I sent out some emails.  Busy evening.  I hit the sack about 9:15 and fell asleep quickly!  Woohoooo!

I praise God for the work of his Spirit in me this week as I continue healing from my last "relationship" (if you want to call it that).  It is amazing what God can do if we just step out of the way.  I need to be disciplined going forward like so many other areas in my life.  Discipline has been the theme of my life the past 18 months.  I suck at it so bad sometimes.  Heavy sigh...

I am having dinner with my walking buddy and her husband tonight.  She is having a computer problem.  I keep telling her that she doesn't have to make me supper to get me to help!  Oh well.

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

Grateful

Our Daily Bread
The devotional today was appropriate again for me as God had been reminding me of the victories in my life this weekend.  As I wrote last week, I am finally working through some personal issues.  God has been there waiting for me to let him work in my life instead of holding on to the junk from the past.  Junk, I say!  hehehe

I think the devotional could have gone one step further.  Instead of just remembering all the wonderful ways that God worked in our lives, we should also be grateful!  I have a friend that gave me a book about happy people and the things they do and think about.  As Christians, we have the source of all joy in our lives.  Praise God!  We need to thank him and praise him in all situations by remembering all the times he has been there for us.  It is difficult at times.  I know.  Trust me, I KNOW....  hehehe  You can do it!

Lord, I want to be a conduit for your joy and love...and be grateful...

Movie Monday
I got to see two movies last week -- 50/50 and Drive.

Drive
I wasn't too impressed with this movie.  It was odd from the start.  My best friend saw it before I did and had the right summary -- "it was more slasherish than what I thought it was going to be".  Hmmm.  It was an ok movie.  In short, a young guy makes his living by driving cars -- in movies and in crimes.  He had some really odd interactions and a bad situation that got worse.  It was odd...  ;-p

I give it one bear paw.

50/50
This was one of the best movies I have seen for a while.  The story line touched me because I am a cancer survivor.  The acting drew me in and kept me interested.  It was very well done.  In short, a young man finds out he has a very rare and serious form of cancer.  The movie tells his story as he goes through chemo and surgery, including how this all affected his relationships.

I give this movie three bear paws (yes, I say, three!)

Other Stuff
I had a good Sunday afternoon.  I had leftover tacos for lunch.  Took a nap.  Planted the rest of my second shipment of perennials.  Went to mens chorus rehearsal.  I was tired when I got home!

I received an email this morning that my iPhone was shipped from China.  I should receive it on Friday.  Woohoooo!  My cases and screen protectors should also arrive Friday or Saturday.  Very cool.

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

Why fight?

Our Daily Bread
I really, really hate it when the devotional timely for a topic I don't want to think about!  Yikes!  hehehe  I really don't want to think about making peace with someone right now.  I continue to heal, but I don't think I am ready to make peace and forgive someone who professes to be a holier than thou Christian but continues to lie through his teeth to my face.  I am struggling with reconciliation because I don't want a close freiendship any more.  Am I wrong to ask for friends that are honest and emotionally available?

While writing this I think I am putting myself in the same category if I don't try to make peace. Would I be professing to be a Christian, but not willing to forgive.  I don't think I would mind forgiving if he asked for forgiveness.  He usually doesn't recognize he did something wrong (aka holier than thou).  OH well.  I will do my best to be what God wants me to be.  That is all I can promise.

Lord, I want to be a instrument of your peace.  I guess I am not supposed to beat the other person over the head with the instrument! 

Psalm Sunday
Trust in the Lord.  That is the theme of Psalm 25.  Very nice psalm.


Psalm 25

    Of David.
 1 In you, LORD my God,
   I put my trust.

 2 I trust in you;
   do not let me be put to shame,
   nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one who hopes in you
   will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
   who are treacherous without cause.

 4 Show me your ways, LORD,
   teach me your paths.
5 Guide me in your truth and teach me,
   for you are God my Savior,
   and my hope is in you all day long.
6 Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love,
   for they are from of old.
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth
   and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
   for you, LORD, are good.

 8 Good and upright is the LORD;
   therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
9 He guides the humble in what is right
   and teaches them his way.
10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
   toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
11 For the sake of your name, LORD,
   forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

 12 Who, then, are those who fear the LORD?
   He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.
13 They will spend their days in prosperity,
   and their descendants will inherit the land.
14 The LORD confides in those who fear him;
   he makes his covenant known to them.
15 My eyes are ever on the LORD,
   for only he will release my feet from the snare.

 16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
   for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 Relieve the troubles of my heart
   and free me from my anguish.
18 Look on my affliction and my distress
   and take away all my sins.
19 See how numerous are my enemies
   and how fiercely they hate me!

 20 Guard my life and rescue me;
   do not let me be put to shame,
   for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
   because my hope, LORD,[c] is in you.

 22 Deliver Israel, O God,
   from all their troubles!


Other Stuff
I had a good time during my busy day yesterday.  Very cool.  I was pretty tired when I got home.  The biggest disappointment of the day was the Buckeyes losing a three touchdown lead over Nebraska.  Yikes!  I hope Braxton Miller heals quickly!

The Nationaires retreat was nice.  I had a good time singing with these folks.

The CUB anniversary dinner was fun as well.  I got to see some friends and have a nice meal at Level.

The CGLF tailgate social was nice as well.  We had a great turnout and a great night for it.

I have a few things to do this afternoon, including a nap!  I want to finish planting my latest batch of plants.  I have about 20 bulbs to plant.  The last shipment should be in early next week.

I can't wait for my iPhone 4S to arrive!  The cases and screen protectors I ordered from Amazon should arrive about the same time.  I will then ship off my 3GS to the company that is buying it from me.  Woohoooo!

I know I wrote a little bit about my healing at the beginning of this post.  I am really doing much better.  I am allowing God to heal me this time for good instead of holding the hurt and behavior inside my selfish heart and mind.  I can do this.  God is great!

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

Don't know any other way...

Our Daily Bread
When I read the devotion today I thought to myself "I don't think I know any other way to act now rather than have God in my life each and every day".  My second thought was "you foolish, human, how many times have you turned from God and forgotten your faith?"  The balance between humility and strength and pride is very difficult for me most days!

Daniel was a great leader in his kingdom.  His enemies plotted to use his religion against him.  Daniel kept worshiping the Almighty God.  He didn't know what would happen if he was thrown in the lion's den.  It didn't matter.  He HAD to worship his God.

Whether we could be thrown into a lions den or an overheated furnace or dismissed by our peers, worshiping our God is the most important thing we can continue to do with each breath we breathe!

Lord, I want to always remember to not bow to any idols or people of this earth.  I only bow to you.

Simply Saturday
I had a weird week, but it is ending well.  I started off the week recovering from some kind of flu symptoms.  My voice was giving out.  I was tired and stressed from work stuff.  I hadn't been to the gym in a week or so.  I managed to take a few good walks, go to the gym on Wednesday, get two deliveries of perennials planted (or almost all of them), have some long talks with friends and family, and finally commit to letting God heal me of my biggest challenge of late.

God is a merciful God.  He is patient.  He is loving.  Yes, I have some pet sins that I am not proud of.  I am working on getting my discipline to all areas of my life.  It disturbs me when I think "I am so good in so many ways, I deserve one little sin in my life".  Not good!  One little sin leads to another, to another, etc.  Sin is like Lays potato chips -- you can't have just one!  hehehe  God will help us overcome to the best of our abilities.  Never let perfection be your idol.  It won't happen.  Being the best God can make you in this human form is the goal!

I thank God for healing.  For patience.  I pray that I can always be open to hearing his voice and the movement of the Holy Spirit.

As far as a relationship?  I know what God promised me.  If the man he has for me is more wonderful than the last guy, then I am truly blessed already!  I will be patient.  I will trust God.

What things in your life is God asking you to be patient for?

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

Love one another as I loved you...

Our Daily Bread
One of the questions in my D1 reading this week asked why we needed to come together at church.  I didn't think about the topic of today's devotional -- to show love for each other.  Isn't that one of the "perks" of being a Christian?  Having a loving community of believers around us?

I had forgotten what it was like to have just that when I started back to church about four years ago.  I found so many new friends that I couldn't believe it at first.  I don't know what I expected!  I guess I had several bad experiences around me the past churches I attended.  One as a paid bass section leader and the last church I served as a minister of music.  Those were some real doozies!  My ex partner and I decided not to attend church when we were together.  We were both burned out by our previous experiences!

Lord, I want to be involved in a loving community of believers.  Please help me do my part!

Foodie Friday
I made a Spring mix salad last week for my potluck, though I didn't get to attend.  Here is what I put in it.  You can make this any size you want.  My secret is to toss the dressing in ahead of time and let it set in the fridge for a while before serving.

Spring mix salad
Spring mix salad (as much or little as you desire)
shredded mozzarella cheese
bacon bits
mushrooms (if desired)
dried cranberries
asiago parmesan balsamic dressing
Sliced almonds

Mix all the ingredients well.  Add dressing to taste.  Top with some freshly ground black pepper and the sliced almonds before serving.

I found a nice recipe for oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, one of my favorites!  Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.


Other Stuff
I had a nice evening, though busy again.  I drove home right after work.  You may think that is not odd, however I usually stay downtown for supper and reading on Thursday night before choir practice.  I drove home to do a few things, then met a friend for supper.  We hadn't talked in a while so it was nice to get together.  She is a like a little sister to me.

I got a little laundry done here and there as well.  Very cool.  I won't have to do as much tonight!  I am supposed to receive my next shipment of plants today.  I want to mow the lawn and put the plans in the ground if the weather is nice.

As I describe it now, I was more receptive to God's healing and strength in the past 36 hours.  I had a thought back to an old saying: If you feel distant from God, He wasn't the one who moved!  I feel better about my relationship issue.  I really can move on if I let God help me.  "This is where the healing begins" as a song says...  I also laughed when I remembered some of the lyrics to Blessings "He loves us too much to give us lesser things".  We have to be careful what we ask for!  hehehe

I am trying to pre-order my new iPhone today.  I will see how that goes....

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

This little light of mine

Our Daily Bread
..I'm gonna let it shine.  This little light of mine..I'm gonna let it shine!  Yes!  We need to be one of those new halogen high performing headlights on the newer cars!  Lots of light!

I remember singing the song when I was a child and leading a children's choir singing it after college.  The children seemed so excited about letting their light shine!  They also seemed very determined not to let Satan blow it out!  How many of us are that determined?

Light is good in most references in the Bible.  It is scary in others.  Let us all be the good light that shows God's love.

Lord, I want to let my light shine for you.  

Technology Thursday
Talk about a bust!  Not Pamela Anderson!  I am talking about the Apple iPhone announcement on Tuesday, October 4.  I think most of the Apple and iPhone fans were disappointed.  Some were OK with the fact that the iPhone 5 will wait for another year or two.  The iPhone 4S had enough improvements to let it continue to lead in the smartphone category.  Here is a summary of the press conference.

iPhone 4S
Faster processor
Better antenna
Better camera (8MP with some processing upgrades as well)
New iOS
Better web browser (no Flash support)
Some very cool new apps, like Siri
Same basic form factor as the Verizon iPhone 4

Disappointments:
Still no removable storage
No LTE support or WiMax support for Verizon or Sprint
No other real eye-popping hardware specs to speak of.
No swipe and pay.
No keyboard enhancements

Is the upgrade worth it?  Maybe.  I have a 3GS.  The 4S would be a much better phone.  Ideally, I would like to buy the 4S without a contract so I could upgrade to a 5 when they come out within the next two years. Not sure that will work out.  We will see.

Other announcements included the release of iOS5 in the next few weeks.  Apple also announced the new iPods.  The iPod Touch is faster and can store up to 64 gig of stuff.  The price also went down.  The iPod Nano has some new features that make it easier to use.  The price went down.  I would like one of the new Nano's with the watchband.  You can clip the Nano on the watch band and use one of the many watch faces included with the Nano for your watch!  How cool!

Other Stuff
I had a hard time last night.  I let someone bother me again with his lies.  I got over so many odd and horrible things in my life.  I must finally get over this situation.  This one is more difficult in some ways because I see the person every week.  I can do this with God's help and with lots of self-discipline.  I feel like I am like the SNL character sometimes "I deserve a great relationship. Men like me. God loves me.  I am OK".  Seriously?  That is so not me!  hehehe  I have so much self-discipline in so many areas of my life.  I will trust in the Lord.  I will ask for a clean heart and a mind that will think of His ways instead of my own.  Can you tell we read Psalm 51 last night at D1 class?  hehehe  I praise God for being with me even when I disobey.  He gently picks me back up and helps me stop beating myself up.  He knows my needs.  He knows the right time for things to happen.  I can trust in his promises.  Praise God!  Please know that you can trust God for the challenges in your life.  Yes!

I went to the gym after work.  I overdid it a little bit, but feel OK.  I used some previously unused muscles again.  Yikes...  I had a nice supper at Oodles.  I tried the Mongolian beef tonight.  Very tasty!  Only a few more dinners to go before I get my free one!

I have a busy Saturday coming up.  l am looking forward to it.  My next batch of plants should arrive in the next few days.  I will get those in the ground as soon as I can.  I will check the ones I planted on Sunday when I get a chance.  They may need some water.

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

Are you at your desk?

Our Daily Bread
We have a chat application at work that includes a feature to list your current site like Columbus, Marconi, Home, etc.  Folks use it for the actual location or for something funny at times, like "Living the dream" or "Heaven" or a planet from the Star Wars movies!  It is intended to let your coworkers know where you might be if they are looking for you.

There are things in our life that can help us identify and communicate our "location" in our relationship with God.  Jesus took us to a new place in our lives when we accepted him.  We should keep moving forward in our relationship with him so we can grow and give him glory each day.  Things like putting aside our sinful humanity as best as we can is a continuous process in our lifetime.  I know I keep going back to the same silly sins more often than I care to admit!

Lord, thank you for helping me put aside the silly things of this body and this world.  Help us bring heaven to earth each day.

Witness Wednesday
Yes, I am human.  I sin.  I am not proud of my sins.  I am also not one to take whip to my back sitting in a corner cursing my flesh every time I sin.  Finding the balance of knowing our place in God's kingdom and truly trying to put aside "pet" sins can be difficult.  I keep remembering that I hurt God each time I sin.  It hurts our relationship when I do things the he asked me not to do or ignore his promises for my immediate gratification. That box of Hohos or seriously considering casual sex because I HAVE to get some immediate gratification is not healthy for me at any time.

Trying to MAKE something happen that is not God's will is another thing I am bad about in my daily life.  Why can't I trust the many promises that God made us in his Word?  Why can't I trust the many promises God made me in my prayers while sincerely seeking him?  He does not want to give us lesser things.  He knows the desires of our hearts, often when we do not.

Trust God as much as you trust the ground below you each day.  Trust God as much as you trust the sun to traverse the sky.  Remember that God is the one who put those things in place with just his words!

Other Stuff
I am feeling better today.  I needed to relax last night, so I went to the movies.  I hadn't been in almost a month.  I got some good news -- AMC is crediting my Stubs account when I use the discount passes I get from work.  Woohoooo!  I wasn't getting credit for my ticket purchase when I used the passes.  I do now!  Woohooo!  I used my $10 Stubs card credit and two passes tonight.  I didn't have to spend too much on my gift card for all my snacks.  ;-)  I had a large drink (free upgrade from a medium price), chicken fingers and a medium popcorn (free upgrade from the small price).  Not too bad.  I will review the movies on Monday.

I exchanged a few texts when I got home and then went to bed.  I was tired.  Looking forward to D1 class tonight.

I have a busy weekend, especially this Saturday.  I have four events!  Yikes!  I should be able to attend three of them.  That should be fun.  I will rest on Sunday.

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

Ants really are amazing...

Our Daily Bread
I sometimes look at ants, the hard working little creatures that seem to make a nest in my back yard each year, and wonder why God didn't make humans like ants.  I am so glad he didn't!  I know there are times that some of us feel like worker ants when we work away in our cubicles in the office day in and day out, sometimes overtime, sometimes nights and weekends.  It feels like we are lifting ten times our own weight and carrying it across town!

God gave us a choice.  Choice is good -- if we make the right ones!  We also have the choice to make bad decisions.  What constitutes a good or bad decision?  It is based on what God tells us to do with our lives.  There are some things that are right or wrong for all of us, like the ten commandments are right.  There are some things that are personal depending on where we are in our "walk" with God.  There are some things that God asked me to do and not to do that are major changes of behavior for me.  My friends don't really understand.  I have to explain that this is what's right for me -- regardless of what you do!

Lord, I want to follow the path that you have for me.  Some may walk along beside me.  Many times I will be alone -- except for your Holy Spirit!

Teaching Tuesday
The Disciple 1 lesson this week is on Sin.  What is its origin?  What does it mean?

I like the lesson in that it started with the original sin when Adam and Eve. How the sin continued with the sons Cain and Abel.  How mankind continues to think WAY too much of itself by trying to outdo God with the Tower of Babel.  How God cried when he wiped out his creation except for the faithful man Noah and his family.  It must be heart-wrenching for God to see us do the same stupid things over and over.  I know I do!  Lord, please help me stop!

As I mentioned above, God doesn't want worker ants.  He wants free-thinking humans with a choice -- the choice to be in communion with him!  That is what is best for us.  That is what is best for humanity.  We need to work to bring heaven to earth.

Other Stuff
I was really tired after work last night.  I laid down for a short nap, then got up and fixed supper.  I had the last leftovers from the beef roast I made Friday night.  It was sooooo good!  I used salt potatoes and carrots in the crock pot with a can of french onion soup.  The soup was a different choice than normal.  I usually add onion soup mix.  The french onion soup from a can was a very nice touch.  I will remember that.

I worked out for a little while.  I framed two pictures that my best friend took in San Francisco.  I called my mother.  What a nice evening!  It was nice having some time at home.  I am still not over the crud I had over the weekend.  I will take it easy the next few days.

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

Healer of the broken (fill in the blank)

Our Daily Bread
The devotional today is pretty amazing.  Once again, God lead me to it during a time when I was asking for his healing and wholeness.  This devotional, written maybe as much as a year ago, was written just for me.  That's my story and I am sticking to it!

The person discussed in the devotional had great tragedy in his life, losing all five of his children in his lifetime.  I remember what it was like for my grandmother to lose two of her six children.  She was devastated!  I imagine that Thomas Moore may have felt like Job!  I know I would have!  Yet, Thomas continued to write beautiful words and music that offered consolation to himself and to others.  What a blessing!

As I was praying at bedtime last night, God told me to get up and read the devotional for today.  I couldn't sleep, so I got up and read it.  How timely!  How wonderful is our God to give us what we need when we need it.  He is there to console us even when we don't know what to ask for.  I know.

Lord, thank you for being there for us.  Help us to serve you with all of our minds and all of our hearts.

Movie Monday
OK, didn't get to the theater again this week.  I didn't feel up to it on Saturday when the weather was too bad to work outside.  I used it as an opportunity to rent a movie from Amazon.com's streaming service.  Apparently I got a free rental for a movie that I purchased on DVD.  First, let me say that getting the service setup on my bluray player was a pain.  You set this up.  You set that up.  Yikes!  I finally got it all setup on both the Sony site and the Amazon.com site.  Whew...  Once I finally started the movie, it worked very well.

The movie was Zardoz.  You might ask: Zardoz?  Seriously?  The only reason I watched the movie is that Sean Connery made the movie right after the Bond movies.  He was scantily clad most of the movie, which doesn't suck in my silly mind!  I loved seeing his hairy chest and legs running around doing whatever he was doing.  I guess the movie had a plot and other characters too!  hehehe

The movie was about the human race, who had an elite group of humans escape earth before it was destroyed.  The elite figured out a way to become immortal.  It wasn't all it was cracked up to be they learned later.  Some of the elite managed (and I say poorly managed) the beasts (uneducated humans) that didn't make it to the elite status.  They were savages.  Sean Connery's character, Zed, was the special man who would bring death to the immortals.  Zed is also the last letter in the Latin and Greek alphabets.  It was rated R, so there was other stuff in it too.  Ewww!  Interestingly enough, Zardoz was derived from The Wizard of Oz Zardoz!

I give this movie one bear paw.  I also give it lots of kudos for hiring Sean for the part.  He was hot!

Other Stuff
I finally work up about 10:35 Sunday morning.  I got out of bed about 11:15.  I felt better than I did Saturday night, but not by much.  There was some outside work that had to get done because it was a nice day.  I got the lawn mowed.  I planted the shipment of plants that I received the other day.  I potted the two mums I bought for the front porch.  I was very tired after that and took a nap.

I awoke in time to get ready for mens chorus rehearsal.  I also talked to my new neighbors for a few minutes. They want to build a fence around their house for their dogs.  They seemed very nice.

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