Surely the presence...

Our Daily Bread

Yet another song running through my mind:

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

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

I have a silly joke about that song:

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday Friend

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

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

Other Stuff

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

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

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

This is the day...

Our Daily Bread

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

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

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

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

Simply Saturday

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

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

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

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

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

You're the only Jesus...

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

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

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

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

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

Bacon-Jalapeno Stuffing

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

15 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

8 servings

Directions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Daily Bread

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

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

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

Technology Thursday

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

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

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

Other Stuff

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

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

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

It happened to me...

Our Daily Bread

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

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

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

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

Weight Loss Wednesday

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

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

Starting weight: 272.0

Weight last Wednesday: 269.0

Weight today: 267.0

Weekly +/- 2.0

Overall +/- 5.0

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

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

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

Next week -- exercise review.

Other Stuff

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

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

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

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

Who is our neighbor?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I will write more each week as my studies continue.

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

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

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

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

Why work?

Our Daily Bread

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

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

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

Movie Monday

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

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

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

Other Stuff

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

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

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