Never be ashamed...

Our Daily Bread

My first thought when I read today's devotional was "This is nice. I will pray for the folks who are being persecuted. We don't see that in the USA". That is obviously the wrong attitude! Lord, I am sorry! It is so easy to distance yourself from these things when there is distance between you and where they are happening!

THEN, I read Phil 1:20: For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.

Wow, there are three points (but no poem) to this sermon topic! "never be ashamed" is the first. Have you ever been ashamed to know Christ? "continue to be bold" -- how can we continue to be something that we have never been? "trust that my life will bring honor to Christ" -- now that is a great goal for a "no ordinary life" kind of child of God!

Lord, I want to live the message in Phil 1:20. Help me to do that each day.

Sunday Friend

I nicknamed the friends for this week Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Neither one is dumb, so don't read anything into that! These two straight men sit behind me at work in the same row. We have gotten to be friends the past two years as we sat through several challenges in our department and our company. I appreciate the care and support we have for each other as we check on each other regularly when we are out of the office, when we are working too much and when things seem to have us more than a little overwhelmed.

I have to admit that I have a hard time keeping a clean mouth around these guys. We have a tendency to talk about some inappropriate things at times that can be raunchy. I have been trying to clean up my act around them. They have noticed. I am also trying to be a mentor to these guys as I am a little older and wiser. hehehe That isn't work out so well! hehehe OH well, I appreciate these men very much. It makes me look forward to going into work each day knowing my buddies will usually be there.

Other Stuff

I had a busy "me time" day yesterday. I ran errands in the morning, then did some stuff around the house. I watched OSU beat Penn State even though the first half was a little nerve wrecking! I did most of my reading for D2 so I can do some more studying over the material the next few days.

I am heading to church this morning. I need to drop off some stuff at my hero's house. I am going to a movie with my close friend, Fly bear. We might even have an early supper at Cracker Barrrel. MmmMMmmmmmm! I am not sure I will have time to see him again for the next 10 days due to our busy schedules.

I want to praise God today for the many things that happened this week. I learned so much about God's will -- what it is for me now and how much I need to trust him for the future. I don't know what is going to happen this week, but I know without a doubt that God will be with me each step of the way!

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

My Mommy says I am special...

Our Daily Bread

Yes, we all know this joke "I am special because my Mommy tells me I am!" hehehe God thinks we are special, too. Out of all of the people that have lived throughout history, he knows each and every one of us intimately!

I have a hard time understanding why people get depressed, or at least I used to. One of the many personality "enhancements" or "upgrades" God installed in me through my experiences the past three years is being more understanding and empathetic. Yes, I have had my very low times. Times where God and I were at odds. Times when I didn't want to be around other folks at all. All I wanted to do was eat and watch movies. Not a good thing!

I found myself traveling in the wilderness like the people of Israel. God was trying to lead me to a better me. I kept whining about how comfortable the old me was! It was sooooo much easier not to change! What finally convinced me that I am on the right road? I have not been convinced. I am just having faith for the next few steps. I may not see the road ahead or where it might lead -- whether it is my love life, my health, or whatever. All I know is that there is a road and I need to follow it one step at a time. What is God asking you to do?

Lord, thank you for a life that is like the TV show "The Amazing Race". I can't imagine a life without trusting you. Please help me trust you more.

Simply Saturday

Wow, what a crazy week! I laughed, I cried, I sang songs from Wicked! I know I am such a silly bear at times!

I had a nice time at the Emmaus Super Gathering last night. I had to leave early to go to work for a while. I got home and crashed!

I am running errands, working and relaxing today and tomorrow. I didn't plan much since I have been so busy the past few weeks. The next few weeks will be very hectic as well. My second big project of the year is hitting full stride the next few weeks. Consultants on site. Lots of installing and troubleshooting. Whew! I plan to see the show Cats on Friday night. Going to visit my mother on Saturday to help her after her surgery on Friday. I have my church dinner group next Sunday. THEN, Thanksgiving will be here! Whew! I can do this! hehehe

Please be in prayer for me about my relationships. God is moving. I need to listen to and obey what he is telling me. He works in mysterious ways. I can only trust and be thankful.

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

What are you looking for?

Our Daily Bread

What are you looking for from Jesus? The devotional talks about the people of Jesus' time expecting him to provide food and to be their liberator from the Romans (much like Moses was from the Egyptians many years before). It was an honest and reasonable expectation in their minds because of their history.

Jesus gave his answer in the scripture passage for the day. He came to bring the bread of eternal life.

What do you looking for from Jesus? I struggle with this thought sometimes. I hear songs like "Rescue" that asks that Jesus rescue the singer from the current entrapment. I understand that better now, but I think some folks think of Jesus as a life jacket when they are in deep water -- and they are always in deep water! I will pray more about that. I know I have asked for rescue many times. That is not the only time I pray. ;-p

Lord, thank you for being our eternal bread of life. I pray that all folks will partake of that gift.

Foodie Friday

I do not have a specific recipe today, but I want to let you know about free cooking classes offered by Williams-Sonoma. A friend recently attended one and loved it. The only downside is that they try to sell their products, some of which can be expensive in my view of the world, as part of the recipes and techniques. These classes are particularly cool during the holidays when cooking is usually very important. Here is a link to the classes. Find the ones offered at your local store.

I will have a new recipe next week. I am running late today! Sorry!

Other Stuff

I had a nice supper with a buddy last night. We had a nice talk and some laughs. I am still chuckling about the funny things we came up with last night.

I had to do a few things around the house when I got home, then went to bed early.

This weekend and next week will be particularly busy with my big project at work. Lord, please help me to relax and be nice.

I am looking forward to the Emmaus super gathering tonight.

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

Wuv, twue Wuv...

Our Daily Bread

Sorry, the title is another silly reference to the movie The Princess Bride. There are some very cute moments!

The devotional today is about the love of God, but with a different twist. It is about how the children of God show God's love through us. The example in the devotional talks about a soldier that threw himself on a grenade to save the lives of his four fellow soldiers. How selfless!

So how does the passage of scripture and this lesson apply to our lives? I learned about "agape love" or the kind of selfless love that comes from God. It compels us to do selfless acts to show God's love to others. It is not a romantic love or a family kind of love -- it is love that loves for the sake of love and expects nothing in return.

I tried practicing this several times since learning more about it during my Walk to Emmaus last year. I sent cards and little inspiring gifts to a friend who was down. I gave money to causes that I don't usually acknowledge. I spent time with folks that could never return the favor because they were on their death beds. Selfless. I need to be better at this.

Lord, I want to show your agape kind of love each and every day. Please help me to love and not expect anything in return.

Technology Thursday

Today is part two about camcorders (video recording devices). Here is some more information. Next week I will write about how to compare your answers to the questions last week to the list of available options to make your best buying decision. There are several types of video recorders available. Here is a summary of them.

Traditional VHS tape camcorders

I am not sure they even make these any more. You can find them on eBay if your heart is set on this type. The advantages are that the tapes can pull the tape from the camcorder and pop it directly into your VCR and play it right away. No additional work is needed. The sound and picture quality are OK, but not as good as the new cameras. The disadvantages include being very heavy and cumbersome to carry around and the battery life can be less than desirable.

Mini tape camcorders

These newer camcorders have miniature tapes about the size of an audio cassette tape (or even smaller). They are usually light with better battery life than a traditional camcorder. The picture quality is very good. The disadvantages are that the tapes usually only hold 60 - 90 minutes of video and you have have to use an adapter to play the tapes in your VCR.

DVD camcorders

These devices record your video to small DVDs They are still much smaller than the traditional camcorder, but a little larger than the mini tape kind. The picture quality is very good. Most DVD players have a place to put small DVDs to play them. The battery life can be shorter due to writing to a disk. The amount of time you can record to a disk can be limited as well.

Hard drive camcorders

Hard drive camcorders have an internal hard drive much like a computer where it stores the video files. The picture quality is very good. The battery is not bad. The main issues are that you have to transfer the files to your computer to burn them to a DVD (if the files aren't too large) and once you fill up the hard drive you HAVE to delete something or download the files before you can record again. It is also possible to attach this kind of camcorder to your TV to play the video.

Removable media camcorders

These are similar to the hard drive camcorders, but they record the video to removable cards like an SD card. SD cards are available up to 32 gig now. The advantage is that you pop out one card and put in another when it gets full. The picture quality and batter life is very good. You can copy the files from your SD card to a DVD or use the camera to play the video on your TV. Some newer TVs also have an SD card slot to play movies and pictures.

That is about it for this week. This is sort of mind numbing, I know. Technology usually is! I will write more next week.

Other Stuff

I ran to MicroCenter after work last night. I love MicroCenter! I want to buy the last generation of iMac that they have on sale. Do I need it? Nah. Do I still want it? Heck, yeah! I love that computer!

I had dinner with a buddy, then attended my D2 class. We had some great discussions.

I finished the night with some phone calls to some special friends. God is working. Thank you, God! I don't know where the road is heading, but I will have faith and keep walking.

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

Teach me to pray, Lord, teach me to pray...

Our Daily Bread

I liked the devotional today because it talks about a current topic for me. I have been working on praying more the past two months. I try to pray in the morning after I take my shower (there is nothing like being prostrate naked before God -- there is symbolism in that for me) and pray again before I go to sleep at night. I also try to remain in a spirit of prayer when I am walking or have a stressful time at work. It helps me deal with things.

How should we pray? There are so many books and theories on that topic. The devotional says start with the Lord's prayer from Jesus. That is a great idea! Read each section if you don't have it memorized. Think about what each section says and expand on it as you feel lead.

I get most confused about how to pray for others. Who am I to know what God's will is for another? I usually pray for God's will to be done, but also throw in my own personal wishes for each person as well. The same for myself. Even though I know God is teaching me a lot through my eye issues, I want to be healed. Please, God?

Lord, as the hymn says "teach me to pray". Help me to listen during prayer as well. You will put people and things on my heart.

Weight Loss Wednesday

Yikes... Been a stressful week in my life. I haven't done the usual stress eating, but I haven't had time to exercise like I normally do. Here are my weigh in results:

Starting Weight: 272.0

Last week: 267.0

This week: 268.4

Loss/gain: +1.4

Overall: -3.6

I will keep plugging away at it.

The topic this week is exercise, in general. I can't exercise the way I want to. My eye issues prevent me from doing the normal gym activities that one would usually do to get in shape. HOWEVER... I am not doing all that I am allowed to do. That is my fault. I have no excuse. Here are the things I can do:

*walk

*stretches

*tai chi

*stretch band exercises

*basic calisthenics

*stairs

The things I have to avoid because they can put pressure on my eyes:

*lifting weights or stuff over 15 pounds

*bending over

*sleeping flat ( I have to sleep at a 30 degree angle or so)

*exercises where my head is below my heart (like crunches on a exercise ball)

*holding in a sneeze

Is this a challenge for me? Yes. I forget sometimes, like when I am carrying in groceries or when someone needs a strong man to lift or carry something.

The point of this is not to make you feel sorry for me. The point is that I am not doing all I can do to lose weight. This is part of the self-discipline training that God is trying to instill in me. I can do this. I really can.

Other Stuff

I had a busy evening, especially considering I was very tired after work yesterday. I spent two hours at the doctor's office for a checkup. I dropped off my shirts at the cleaners. I returned something at Williams-Sonoma. I had dinner at O'Charleys (thanks, Chaz!). I came home to finish reading and fall into bed.

Please continue to pray for me for a relationship issue. I need to have faith and strength to know what to do. I praise him for the strength to get some other things in order this week. Thank you, God!

Looking forward to my D2 class tonight!

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

Self-discipline...

Our Daily Bread

God has been working on me about my self-discipline. There are many parts of my life that I am as disciplined as anyone. There are several parts of my life that I really, really suck at self-discipline!

I can be a man of extremes -- I can work too much, play too much, drink too much, eat too much, rest too much, spend too much money, etc. You get the picture. If you need someone to rely on for a short term project or problem, you can always rely on me. The problem is the long term self-discipline to be a steady, upbeat child of God.

God is working on me to start with little baby steps in my undisciplined areas. I want to train to be the athlete described in the scripture today!

"Runner, when the road is long, feel like giving in, but you're hanging on. Oh, runner, when the race is done, you will run into His arms" - Twila Paris

Lord, help me run your race the best I can, relying on you for my strength and self-discipline.

Discipleship Two-sday

The two chapters this week are Called and Salvation.

Called talks about the calling of three Old Testament prophets: Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel. The reading showed the parallels with the calling of Moses. Pretty amazing and similar stories about how God calls us even today. The main point I got out of the reading was that humans will always feel inadequate when called by God. We need to trust Got to give us the power to do his will and to follow his call. Very cool! The readings were:

Exodus 3-4

Isaiah 6 and 1

Jeremiah 1-2

Ezekiel 1-3

Salvation talks about how God delivers his faithful people after his prophets do their work. Pretty amazing stories as we see how Israel wavers back and forth with their faithfulness to Jehovah throughout history. Sort of sounds like the personal history of each of us, doesn't it? ;-) I know my relationship with God ebbs and flows (see man of extremes comment above!).

The readings were:

Exodus 12 - 15

Psalm 106

Other Stuff

I had a busy evening of doing stuff around the house and reading. I finished cleaning up from the Thanksgiving meal adventure on Saturday. I had to put away laundry, dishes, and do a little cleaning in the kitchen.

I also had some phone conversations with friends that I needed to catch up with. I love my friends!

Please say a prayer for me today as I deal with a relationship issue. I am trying to trust God to work in this friendship, but I feel like I am being strung along sometimes. How can I trust God and still protect myself? I can do this with God's help. God has helped me in ages past (like this weekend!). I am sure he will be with me (us) today.

Work continues to be very busy. Whew!

I am also a little nervous about my eye doctor appointment on Friday. Lord, help me to trust you yet again for your healing power.

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

How much higher can I aim?

Our Daily Bread

I took the devotional today very personally. Those of you who know me realize that I set a lot of lofty goals for myself, almost to a fault. I was very indignant when I read the devotional and the scripture.

THEN I thought for a few moments. Yes, I have set some lofty goals for myself, even in my spiritual life. The past 39 months have been filled with glory and pain as I have been reworking my personality and some negative traits so I could be a better person and a better child of God. I likened the exercise to Tiger Woods reworking his number one in the world golf swing. It is very painful to watch (or do), but the results are worth it! I keep telling myself that -- the results are worth it. Did I mention the results are worth it? I hope so! ;-)

Lord, I want to aim high in the ways of your love and forgiveness.

Movie Monday

So fly bear and I went to see Due Date last night. We both wanted to see it so all we had to do was work out the time after he got off work.

Frankly, the movie had some funny parts. Some ridiculous parts. Some sad parts. Some WTF parts... It was OK. The good moments were few and far between. It was sort of a cross between a guy bonding movie and the movie Hangover (but not nearly as funny).

The disturbing thing to me was that I saw myself in the Robert Downy Jr character. A hard ass, insensitive hot head that could eventually be softened by the right kind of friend. Hmmm. I didn't like watching myself on the big screen! I kept reminding myself of the prayer the other day "TEWDAR". Treat everyone with dignity and respect. I learned that from a professor in my last graduate program.

I give Due Date one paw. At least the popcorn was good.

Other Stuff

It is difficult at times doing what God asks. It is difficult at times getting answers to prayers when the answers are not what you want to hear. Even when you pray for trusting and understanding, the answers aren't easy to hear. I had some relationship breakthroughs last night that were painful, but necessary for my growth. Necessary for me to move forward. Forward is good, isn't it? Sometimes old habits and behavior patterns are like a cozy bed on a cold winter morning -- you know you need to shed the covers to start the day, but it feels so comfortable to stay where you are. I still need to work on another pattern this week and will do so the best I can.

Hurt can sometimes make us do hurtful things in return. I read a prayer earlier this year "Lord, thank you for allowing me to show love to someone who is not showing it to me". Wow! That is one of the goals I am aiming for. To always show God's love, even when others are not showing it to me.

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