It's only words...

Our Daily Bread

"... and words are all I have to take your heart away". Nothing like the lyrics from an old BeeGees song to get your day started! hehehe If you don't know who the BeeGees are, then ask your mom and dad! Ha!

The devotional talks about using the right words when speak about God and his glory. We don't need nor should we speak in "lofty" words or extremely complicated words to communicate the simple message of God's love.

I attended a small Christian college and then attended seminary for two semesters. The preacher boys were always trying to outdo each other with their orations about God. I find myself trying to be too "smart" sometimes about the Bible or about things in general. I am ashamed to admit that I am sometimes an intellectual bully. God is helping me with that.

Lord, I want to speak your words so that even a child can understand your love.

Wee-way-shun-ship Wednesday

How to be a friend...

This is a lofty topic for such a silly bear as me. I will give it my best shot. These are the things that I try to do with new and old friends. I hope you get some good out of what I wrote.

Spend time together

It is hard to be a friend with someone if you don't spend face to face time together, if only at the beginning of the friendship. There is so much to be learned from the body language of an individual that "registers" the person in our minds in many ways. I can't really explain it, but here is an example: I have a friend that has some physical characteristics when he is thinking or uncomfortable. I can see those things when we are face to face. When we are texting or calling or emailing, I sometimes refer to those things if I say something that might make him show one of those characteristics. "OK are your eye brows furled?" "Are you rubbing your hands together?" Getting to know each other face to face helps to grow the friendship when you are apart. I have a close friend that I only see once a year. We know we will always be close friends even though we don't see each other.

Listen

It is important to really listen to what the person says, especially if you can't be face to face. Don't rely on phone calls, texts or emails to think "I really know him or her". Frankly, that is naive. The inflections in a person's voice can tell you a lot that texts or emails cannot. The phrase "I really like you" can take on completely different meanings when spoken different ways. Be sure you listen to what the person is telling you. Warning: if you are doing all the listening, then this person might not be a good friend candidate. Granted, there are times when we all need to vent. Be careful if you are always doing all the listening!

Talk

You need to talk about yourself. That is not easily done. There is always give and take in a friendship when it comes to what to share and when. There are some folks that you will never share beyond casual history and maybe connect some dots through friends. There are other folks that can talk about anything from day one! It depends on what kind of person you are. The bottom line is: if you want to develop a close friendship, then you need to make yourself vulnerable by talking about yourself. This trust can be built up over time.

Remember

My memory is sort of scary sometimes. :-O I remember simple details or other stuff long after the person tells me. I sometimes forget things so don't be offended if I forgot something about you! hehehe I sometimes take notes about stuff. I remember things like where they went to college (or not), where they are from, what they do, number of siblings, name(s) of pets and other personal information that seems important. If you care about someone as a friend, then remember stuff. There are few things more frustrating that feeling like each lunch or dinner with a new friend is like the movie "50 First Dates" where you have to start from scratch each time you meet! hehehe

Care

Have you met some folks that just don't seem to care about you as a friend? You try to listen, talk, remember and care with them, but they just can't seem to do this in return? I have a casual friend that refuses to remember my birthday even though I wrote his down and have remembered it several times. Be careful of these folks. They are sending you a message. They are either unable or unwilling to care about you as a friend. Being a friend means making friends a priority in your life. If you can't remember friends, then you are too busy.

In conclusion

You have to be a friend if you want to have friends. You have to care if you want people to care about you. It is not easy putting yourself out there for new friendships.

Please note this is about friendship -- not about dating. "Being friends" or "just friends" in the context of dating or a potential romantic relationship can drastically change the rules of friendship. I recommend being a friend first, then determining what might happen next. Freeing yourself of the "we might be more than friends someday" weight can make the friendship more meaningful.

Other Stuff

I ran a few errands last night, then did a few things around the house. I also had a fun text conversation with a new buddy. Yes, we are going to spend some face to face time this evening. I read what I wrote above! hehehe He seems like a sweet guy. We have similar life stories. I think we will be great friends.

I have my D2 class tonight. We are going to watch the first half of The Ten Commandments and discuss. Should be interesting.

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

Ever watch "Hoarders"?

Our Daily Bread

We have probably all heard of the show Hoarders on A&E. It is about people whose inability to part with their belongings is so out of control that they are on the verge of a personal crisis. As Christians, we are supposed to SHARE our belongings with folks who ARE in crisis!

Giving to others helps us appreciate what we have. It helps us appreciate when folks help us. It helps us appreciate when God provides for our needs over and over. I have a story about the latter.

When I was 26 years old, I had cancer. God was with me through the entire experience of multiple surgeries and several cycles of chemothereapy. I was so poor that I lived with friends who took me in. I could have moved back home, but I would have been away from the doctors and hospital that were taking care of me. There were days that I would open my mail almost in tears. The first two or three envelopes would be bills that I didn't have the money to pay. The last envelope was often from a friend or relative that sent just enough money to pay the bills! God provided over and over again. One of the reasons I started this blog is that I started a journey back to the faith of my youth. A faith that said with all confidence "It is OK. It is JUST cancer. God has it under control". As I continue to face my eye issues, I am almost to the point again in my life when I can say "It is OK. It is just eye problems. God has it under control". Living life in a victorious manner means not backing down from anything that comes our way. The only way I can live victorious is to have the undefeated champ, God Alimight, fighting the battles for me.

Lord, I want everyone reading this post to feel your power and love. Please help them be open to your spirit and power.

iTunes Tuesday

Over the air: Did you know that you can now purchase stuff from iTunes without using your computer? You can purchase stuff using the iTunes app that works on the iPod Touch, iPad and iPhone. The items you purchase sync back to your computer the next time you sync up. It is very cool. Those items are stored in a separate folder in iTunes so you find them easily. It works well.

Rentals: Did you know that you can rent movies and TV shows now in iTunes? You can rent in either regular resolution or HD. The TV rentals are good for 30 days. Once you start watching it, you have 48 hours to finish watching it. Many of the rentals are only 99 cents! For movies, you have 30 days to start watching and only 24 hours to finish watching once you start. Most movie rentals are $3.99, though there are some older movies available for only 99 cents. I think the $3.99 rate is too high, but I sort of frugal. ;-p

TV shows - entire seasons: You can also buy entire seasons of TV shows for less than what you would pay for the DVDs in the stores. It is very convenient.

Backups - Be sure to backup your iTunes purchases by clicking File > Library > Backup to disc option in iTunes. Select the backup option:

Backup library and playlists

Backup only iTunes store purchases

Or click only backup stuff that changed since the last backup (uses less disk space)

I usually backup everything regularly. It is easier to reload or move to another computer if I have it all backed up. I don't have to rip all those CDs again!

New MacBooks: There are rumors of new Apple laptops coming out soon. We will see how that pans out. There is talk of a mini MacBook Air that will kill most of the netbook computers out there. I am looking forward to that if the rumors are true!

Other Stuff

Progress? Do I hear the sound of progress? Yes! Things are moving along with my projects at work. That is a good thing. I am doing my best to be steady and not let stressful situatins bother me at work. PLease keep my in our prayers about that. I can't keep saying "I will be upbeat and steady" at the end of my blog each day if I don't plan to live it! That is just the way I roll! hehehe

I mowed my lawn last night and did some things around the house. The kitchen is clean again after my weekend cooking extravaganza. I made my Halloween appetizers and a veggie casserole for my church dinner group. The veggie casserole turned out great. I will keep that recipe handy! I will post it on a Foodie Friday. ;-p

I worked on laundry as well. It is under control now. Whew!

I worked hard so I could make time to have my quiet prayer meditation time. I am making an effort to make time for this every day. Cool story: I had my meditation time in the sanctuary at church Sunday morning before early church. There wasn't anyone around when I sat down in the sanctuary and looked up at the stained glass. I always notice something new in those windows! Suddenly, I heard the organist start practicing one of his specials for the 11:00 service -- Be Thou my Vision. This hymn has an entirely new meaning to me since having my eye issues the past 27 months. A new meaning, indeed. I wept for a few moments as I felt God's presence through this hymn. My prayer is that you can take time for talking to God and LISTENING to God.

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

What is your "thing"?

Our Daily Bread
Don't let you mind wander here. The question is about the devotional! The scripture passage from Ephesians 4:7-13 talks about some of the "things" that God gives us with which to serve him -- being prophets, evangelists, pastors or teachers. The goal is to build up the body of Christ. What is your "thing"?

I struggle with this sometimes because I try to do too much. I get sick and have to drop some things. It doesn't look good. God has blessed me with several abilities. I asked him to let me know where to focus. There are some things I do that others shy away from. I think he wants me to do those things, for example, care calls at church. I am still trying to figure out where to use my musical talents. I don't always feel welcome using them at church. I am sure that is my fault. I need to get over it.

What is your "thing"? Are you doing it for God?

Lord, I want to use my talents for you. I want to listen to your voice and follow your guidance.

Movie Monday
I saw two movies over the weekend -- Red and Secretariat. I liked both of them, but for different reasons.

RED: RED stands for "Retired - Extremely Dangerous". Bruce Willis stars in the flick. It also has Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirin and John Malkovich. It was sort of like an "Old School" movie for spies! There were some special effects that were very cool. Bruce Willis's character was almost "Die Hard" cool. I liked the story. I liked the characters. I give it three bear paws.

Secretariat: Who doesn't like a story like this? Diane Lane did a great job in the role of the owner of Secretariat. Please remember this was in the 70s when women were just breaking through glass ceilings. Diane's character broke the glass ceiling of the horse racing good ole' boys club all to pieces! The horse was amazing. He accomplished things over 30 years ago that some think will never be equaled. I give this movie three bear paws.

Other Stuff
I had a good Sunday. Church, church dinner group and hanging out at the marathon. My friends finished the half. My ex finished the full marathon. I am very proud of them all! I also realized that I need to get off of my fat behind and be more active. I walk several times a week, but it is not enough. It is not enough...

I am sorry for the shoddy posting yesterday. I wrote it on my iPhone where the font was MUCH smaller. That was the first time I tried that. I need to be more careful if I try that again.

I have a busy week planned. We will see what this week brings.

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

On site - Columbus Marathon

The air is cold and thick with excitement as the Columbus Marathon is starting now. I checked out the finish line since i parked near it. How exciting!

Why am I interested in this event? I have several friends running the half marathon. My ex is running the full marathon. Run, Forest, run!!! No, silly, his name is not Forest. That is a joke!

I am walking to church then walking back to the finish line to take some pictures of the finish.

I had a great time yesterday. I had a good time talking with my ex at lunch. It was great seeing Ying at supper. I am so fortunate to have such men in my life.

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

He said what?

Our Daily Bread

Today's devotional is about speaking for God. This may sound simple, but it can be very difficult to speak only what God has said without any interpretation or twisting of the message to our own desires. How many times have we seen modern day "prophets" or self-appointed people of God fall on their face or lead people astray with their own version of what God says? God will not bless those people.

I have had friends that followed those folks over the years. I see the looks of betrayal when their beloved leader falls. The best we can do is to pray for these folks that they see and speak the truth of God -- hopefully before someone gets hurt.

Lord, I want to always speak your message the way you intended. Please help me not "edit" your message for my purposes!

Simply Saturday

I said something about "adapting" the ten virtues of a virtuous woman from Proverbs 31 into the ten virtues of "virtuous folks". God, please forgive me if this is a sin, but I don't like the way the women are generally depicted in the Bible. That topic is whole 'nother party I will write about sometime.

So here is my take on the ten virtues. I am referencing this web site for the outline and adapting the text. Here is goes:

10 Virtues of Godly Folks

I want to encourage everyone to serve God in every aspect of their lives:

1. Faith - Virtuous folks serve God with all of their hearts, minds, and souls. They seek His will for their lives and follows His ways.

2. Marriage – Virtuous folks respect their spouses or partners. They do them good all the days of their lives. They are trustworthy and a helpmeet.

3. Parenting/Role model - Virtuous folks teach children the ways of our Father in heaven. They nurture children with the love of Christ, disciplines them with care and wisdom, and trains them in the way they should go.

4. Health – Virtuous folks care for their bodies. They prepare healthy food for themselves and their families.

5. Service - Virtuous folks serve their spouse or partner, their families, their friends, and their neighbors with a gentle and loving spirit. They are charitable.

6. Finances - Virtuous folks seek their spouse's or partner's approval before making purchases and spends money wisely. They are careful to purchase quality items that their families need.

7. Industry – Virtuous folks work willingly with their hands. They praise God and do not grumble while completing their tasks.

8. Hospitality – Virtuous folks are hospitable. They create an inviting atmosphere of warmth and love for their families and guests. They use hospitality to minister to those around them.

9. Time - Virtuous folks use their time wisely. They work diligently to complete their daily tasks. They do not spend time dwelling on those things that do not please the Lord.

10. Beauty – Virtuous folks are people of worth and beauty. They have the inner beauty that only comes from Christ. They use their creativity and sense of style to create beauty in their lives and the lives of their loved ones.

God gave this idea to me and helped me adapt it for all Godly folks. Please put this someplace where you can read it each day.

Other Stuff

I have a fun and relaxing weekend planned. I went to the movies last night. I LOVE going to the movies except for my weakness for buttery, salty popcorn. ;-( I soooooo don't need to eat that much popcorn! I gave up Hoho's. I don't have to give up popcorn, however, I should eat less of it! I will review the movies on Movie Monday.

I am having meals with two friends today -- lunch with my ex (we were together for 11.5 years) and supper with the man who is the closest thing I have had to an ex since that breakup. The former is in town for the marathon. Run, Forest, run! ;-) I nicknamed the latter Ying in one of my earlier posts. I am looking forward to seeing him.

I plan to cheer on some friends for the half and full marathon tomorrow, go to church, and get ready for my dinner group tomorrow night. I posted the recipes I am making for appetizers. How fun!

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

How will they hear?

Our Daily Bread

As church folks, we have a tendency to rely on our ministers to do a lot of the evangelism work. Isn't it their job to tell the good news? Isn't that what we pay them for? Well, we pay them very little for all the things that they do!

Today's devotional talks about evangelism, or telling others about God, being the responsibility of ALL believers in Christ. ALL means ALL. Did I mention ALL? hehehe

God has been working on me about telling others the past few months. Actually he has been working on me for years, but I didn't really pay attention until recently (God, please forgive me!). Those of you who know me will say I am not shy. I can talk to anyone. Why am I not putting that gift to better use than flirting with handsome men? God wants me to use that shameless extrovertedness to his glory. I will try harder.

Lord, help each of us discover how we can share you with others. We aren't all extroverts, but we all have talents that we can use to share your love.

Foodie Friday

The recipes for the rest of this months will be for Halloween food. Woohooooo! I have to make some appetizers for my dinner group on Sunday. I did some research about recipes and found several cute ones. Here are the two I decided to use: mummy toes and salty bones. Eery! hehehe I plan to serve the Salty Bones with marinara sauce.

Salty Bones (link)

Ingredients

• 1 tube of refrigerated breadstick dough (we used an 11-ounce tube to make 12 bones)

• Coarse salt (used my Sea Salt grinder)

Instructions

1. Unroll a tube of refrigerated breadstick dough and separate the rectangular pieces.

2. Working with one piece at a time, stretch the dough to lengthen it a bit and then use kitchen scissors or a knife to cut a 11/2-inch slit in the center of each end.

3. Roll or shape the resulting four flaps of dough into knobs that look like the ends of a bone.

4. Place the dough bones on an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them a few inches apart, and sprinkle on a little coarse salt. Bake the bones until they are light golden brown, about 12 minutes.

Mummy toes (link)

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package cocktail sausages
• 12 (6 inch) flour tortillas
• toothpicks
• 1/4 cup ketchup, for garnish
• 1/4 cup mustard, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Make a small slit into one end of each cocktail wiener to resemble a toenail. Cut the tortillas into strips 4 inches long by 1 inch wide, and place onto a microwave safe plate. Cook the tortillas in the microwave a few seconds until pliable. Wrap each sausage with a strip of tortilla, and secure with a toothpick. Make sure the toenail side is sticking out. Place the mummy toes onto the prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool slightly. Place a squirt of ketchup or mustard where the wedge is to resemble a bloody toenail, or of course an infected toenail. Serve to unsuspecting guests.

Other Stuff

I was a busy bear last night. I have been cooking a lot this week. What is up with that? ;-) I ate some of the chili I made on Tuesday night. It was sort of hot and very tasty.

I made five dozen cookies for the church play weekend and delivered those to church. I had to stop by work and pick up my Blackberry. I forgot it when I left yesterday.

I experimented with the Salty Bones and Mummy toes recipes. I made some marshmallow treats with Cocoa Krispies. The didn't turn out as well as what I wanted. I hadn't made them in a long time and took a short cut that didn't work out. ;-(

I changed the sheets on my bed and hit the sack early. I was tired from not sleeping well the night before.

I plan to see the movie Secretariat after work. I will see how that goes.

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

You are in good hands...

Our Daily Bread

You are in good hands -- with a wife of noble character! Sorry, Allstate! ;-) This scripture not only applies to women, though it is often used as a guide to what a good wife should be. I might have to modernize this sometime. I may also write a version for gay men. ;-) Let's call it a "virtuous person"! hehehe

Here is a summary of the characteristics from this web site that notes ten virtues in this scripture passage: faith, marriage, mothering, health service, finances, industry, homemaking, time and beauty. We can change "mothering" to "parenting" and maybe "beauty" to "attractiveness" to make this list fit both sexes. It really does apply to both sexes as the devotional implies! Take a look. I will try to write a modern version sometime soon. ;-)

I have to admit that I don't agree with what I perceive as the degradation of women in the Old Testament. Please do not think I am condoning this message in any way, shape or form!

Lord, I want to be a virtuous person having the characteristics listed in Proverbs 31:10-20. Thank you for your strength and guidance.

Technology Thursday

I am writing about home computer networks for Technology Thursday. In short, a network enables data, sent as "packets", to be shared between multiple computers or devices. They are becoming more prevalent in homes as there are more and more devices that can use them in addition to computers -- gaming systems, printers, phones, tablet devices, home security systems, etc. Let's take a quick look at the different types of home networks.

Wired networks

There was a time that a home network was always wired! There was no such thing as a wireless network, if you can imagine that! Wired networks require you to run a network cable between each computer via an ethernet port and the hub or switch. The hub or switch is then connected to the Internet connection device like a DSL modem or cable modem. There are currently three speeds: 10mb, 100mb and 1000 mb (also known as gigabit) ethernet. Ethernet wired networks are the most common wired networks as the other types of wired networks went out of vogue many years ago due the technical superiority of an ethernet network. Some modern homes are designed with the cables and outlets built into the walls. Very cool. Wired networks are the most stable kind of networks. While the ethernet cables can suffer from packet degradation due to some electrical interference, you don't have to worry about that very much.

Wireless networks

A wireless network is as its name suggests -- wireless. You don't need the ethernet cable to run to each computer or device. The data is transported over the air using a specific protocol in the 802x family of protocols. There are several kinds of wireless networks -- a, b, g and n, each with its advantages and disadvantages. The most commonly sold now in computer stores are g and n. They are the two fastest wireless technologies. Many computers and devices support all four. Some only support two or three. I usually look for a computer or laptop or device that supports the wireless n standard because it is the fastest and what I have in my home. Wireless n also has the widest range of the standards. It should be noted that only g and n wireless networks compare in speed to wired networks! While a n wireless network can be faster than a 100mg wired network, there is nothing on the wireless network market at this time that offers the speed of a gigabit wired network.

The problems with wireless networks can be interference or a dropped signal. Interference can come from cordless phones and microwave ovens and some other electrical devices like large power strips. Dropped signals can happen for many reasons (it is wireless for goodness sake!).

There are many Internet service providers that offer a wireless network router with free setup when you subscribe to their service. That is the easiest way to go. Most of the security you need to set up is already done for you.

Please be sure to secure your wireless network or other folks can piggyback on your Internet connections! ;-)

Wired via your electrical outlets

Lesser known and used is the wired network that uses the electrical wiring in your house to transfer data. This approach doesn't require you to run the ethernet cable all over the house. You can plug in a special adapter in an electrical outlet, then plug the ethernet cable into the adapter and your computer. Some folks have great success with this, especially if they live in a newer house with modern wiring. Other folks do not fare as well.

A home network is a great way to share a fast Internet connection with multiple computers and devices. I love sitting in my club chair surfing college football scores on my iPad while watching college football games on Saturday afternoon! ;-) It is very handy. I highly recommend it!

Other Stuff

Another busy day at work...blah, blah, blah. The great news is that I am working through every impedance we have faced for one of my big projects. Woohooooo! It has been a team effort that has been rewarding and fun. I am getting a few things done on the other big project, but not as much as what I want. I will keep plugging away at it

We had another great session in our Disciple 2 class tonight. Great job, R, in leading the class while J was out! Thank you! We get a two week break from our readings to watch and discuss the movie The Ten Commandments as we start our study of Exodus. Very cool. We talked about the themes of patience and trusting God that run through the book of Genesis. God, I want to trust and be patient for your will to work in me. You know that is not always easy for me.

I volunteered for two sessions in the kitchen for the Walk to Emmaus next weekend. That should be fun. I plan to stick around for the service that night. It will be nice seeing some of my Emmaus family.

I plan to make some cookies for the fall play presentation this weekend. I hope I don't eat too many of them before they make it to church. ;-p

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