Approachable me...

Our Daily Bread

I reviewed a very cute movie this summer called Despicable Me. It was about a man named Gru that thought of himself as an arch criminal. He turned out to be a softy when three little girls melted his heart.

The point of that paragraph is that thing aren't always what they seem. Some people are very welcoming or inviting to friendship, but may not seem like it due their gruff disposition or their "busy-ness". Today's devotional calls the people of God to be "approachable me" like Jesus was when he was on earth. Some might say "Well, Jesus didn't have to work or raise a family or take kids to soccer, etc. How could he understand why I am not more approachable?" REALLY? Would you ask Jesus that question if he were standing next to you? Well, I have to admit, there have been times in my life I would have asked questions much worse than that because of my feelings of being deserted by God.

God is approachable. We should be approachable, too.

Lord, I want to be more approachable so I can show others your grace.

Wee-way-shun-ship Wednesday

This week I want to talk about friendship. Not the kind of romantic or formerly romantic friendship I have written about in the past few weeks. I love hearing "how did you become friends?" stories. Here are a few of my thoughts.

Acquaintances

This is usually the largest group of the people we have met or know. We might know their names or something about them or their family. There may even be some kind of friendship connection, but it hasn't been pursued yet. You may only acknowledge these folks in passing on the street or a warm hello at church. Not much more interaction than that.

Casual or work friends

These are folks that you see more often than acquaintances and probably have more in common because you have some kind of bond -- work, church, singing group, common cause, etc. These are the folks that you might have lunch with or talk to at parties. There may or may not be a friendship connection. It is usually a limited kind of friendship where little sharing is done about personal things.

More than casual friends

These are the folks that you start to let into your life or who start to let you in theirs. This is a neat stage because you both realize that there could be a strong friendship here. I have some friends that have "jump-started" to this stage. I met a guy at work recently that I knew would be my friend. We had lunch one day and shared about our lives -- he is married with a child and I am a single gay guy. We found we had a strong common bond -- our faith in God. We have talked a few time since then. We both recognize the friendship as something more than casual. How cool...

Close friends

These are your "go to" friends when you need to talk or ask for favors. Most folks don't have that many close friends. Most relationships are in the categories above this. My humble advice is if you want to have a close friend (or friends), then BE the kind of person who makes a good close friend. This is a good place to insert the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Be trustworthy. Be yourself. Be honest. Be supportive. Be accepting. Be open to having feelings for someone that is not a romantic interest. Think about that.

Best friends

I am fortunate to have the bestest best friend in the world! I wrote about him as my first Sunday Friend when I started this blog a few months ago. How does a friendship go from a close friend to a best friend? Do I really have to choose a close friend to be my best friend? We have a tendency to gravitate to people like us. A best friend can be someone very similar to you or someone who is so different that you somehow made a close friendship. What is the difference between a close friend and a best friend? My opinion is commitment to each other. With my best friend, I know that I don't have to "manage" the friendship. If we don't hear from each other in a day or two, the other one calls or texts or emails a "How u doin'?" message. Very cool. There is also the additional closeness from sharing more intimate things about each other. Many folks consider their partner or spouse to be their best friend. It is up to you. You do not have to chose!

We all have our own criteria for friendship or starting a friendship. Like the devotional talked about today -- be available if you want true friendship. It can be a tough journey at times, but it is worth it.

Other Stuff

I had a busy day at work, then a busier night at home! I picked up two prescriptions after work and then headed home. I wanted to water the lawn. The new grass is starting to pop up! Woohoooo! I wanted to paint around the new door handles. I admit I may not have done the best job on installing these door handles. I will see if I leave the front door handle the way it is or try to fix it. I sort of shutter at the thought of fixing it since it wasn't easy to install. Oh well. I put laundry away. I made some BBQ chicken for supper. I made some chili for the rest of the week. I read my D2 stuff. I talked on the phone with some friends before hitting the sack.

Today will be another busy day at work, then off to church for D2 class. Should be a great day!

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

Why do we see color?

Our Daily Bread

The devotional today talks about colors -- how the colors of tree leaves work and a possible answer to why God offered color in our world. The author suggests that God created color to appear to the child-like side of humans. That is a nice thought.

When I think of questions like this, I usually think of the movie trilogy The Matrix. ;-) I am a geek. What can I say? If you really paid attention, there are several things about the design of the matrix that gave us insight on the way humans think. Things can't be too perfect. The human mind can't handle it. Things can't be black and white and grey. The human mind can't handle it. I believe God gave us color to help us discern what is good and glorious in creation (and sometimes to avoid stuff that may be growing in our refrigerator!). Stop and look at the colors today.

Lord, I need to stop and observe the colors in the world you made. Thank you for this wonderful gift.

iTunes Tuesday

Couple of things today. Have you ever tried searching in iTunes? Yikes! There is sooooo much stuff on iTunes that it can be difficult to find what you are looking for. If you can't easily find what you are looking for with the search field on the upper right hand corner of your iTunes window, try using the power search feature. Click on Store > Search. This displays the power search window. Select the media type you want to search like movies, audio books, etc, or you can search everything (not really that helpful or you could use the regular search field). The fields that display are based on your media selection. For example, if you select "Movies", you can search on movie title, actor, director/producer, year, description, etc. That makes it much easier to find the movie you are looking for! Give it a try the next time you are searching for something in iTunes.

New on DVD

The big release today is "How to train your dragon". I never saw this at the theaters, but I may rent it sometime. I heard it was very, very cute. Consider renting it or buying it soon.

Jonah Hex also comes out today. This movie is based on a western comic book. It had a luke warm reception. It might be fun since some of the guys in it are sort of cute.

There are a few more releases, but nothing I had ever heard of.

Other Stuff

I had a good day at work yesterday. Busy, but got some stuff done.

I had a follow up visit with my cataract doctor. I don't think he is quite sure what to do with my right eye. He knows I am not happy about how the "simple" cataract surgery went, nor the follow up laser surgery two weeks ago. We came up with a new strategy. I will go back in a month to see how things are going. This, too, shall pass. ;-p

I went to a work social sponsored by Cardinal Health for National Coming Out Day They invited companies from all over Columbus to join them for the premier of a documentary called Out in Silence. It was very cool. I met some new people and talked to some of my work friends from the Nationwide Pride group. It was a nice evening.

I came home and read some of my Disciple 2 readings for this week. One of the chapters talks about the story of Joseph. I had forgotten some of the details (beyond what was in the Broadway show...). While we all wonder why God blessed the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, we have to admit that in their human-ness their stories showed how we can trust God, involve him in our daily lives and how we can serve him wherever we are.

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

It is a matter of choice

Our Daily Bread

Today's devotional is another reminder for me about the things that God has been working in my life. Today is the fourth time I have read this scripture passage in the past five months! I decided to put it on my computer desktop so I can review it each day. That is the point of the devotional as I read it -- take action to be more Christ-like!

What action should you take? It is different for each of us (though some of us have the same temptations in common). The example in the devotional is porn. There are several other things listed in the scripture: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry, lying, anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. What are we supposed to do on the weekends? Just kidding! After I read this scripture, I follow it with Philippians 4:8 (KJV): " Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." These are the things we are supposed to do on the weekends and every day! ;-)

Lord, I want to apply these passages to my life each day so I can be the man you want me to be. Kyrie eleison (Lord have mercy)...

Movie Monday

I saw two movies Saturday morning: It's Kind of a Funny Story and Let Me In.

It's Kind of a Funny Story is a teen angst movie that was very cute and well-written. It had some of the relatively-new technique type scenes where the characters act out scenarios in their heads or fantasies come alive on the screen. The movie is worth seeing for one musical scene that will make you laugh your butt off. I give it two bear paws. You can rent this one since nothing in it really requires the big screen.

Let Me In is a creepy vampire movie. I happened across it when reading the movie listings one day. It was very creepy in several ways. If you like vampire movies, you will like this a lot. If you don't like vampire or creepy movies, do not see it. There could be some scenes that disturb you. I give this movie two bear paws as well. You can rent this one since nothing in it really requires the big screen.

Other Stuff

I had a good Sunday. Went to early church. Had breakfast with some friends from church. Took a long nap. Installed the new door handles on my front door and the door to my garage. I had some challenges with my drill and with getting the extra keys made for the front door. Four trips to Home Depot and NADA! I will get them made somewhere else.

I must say once again that the Disciple 2 class means a lot to me. God is reinforcing lessons to me each week in the readings. Lessons such as patience, building character, getting rid of the things that come between me and God, and a humble faith. I still think that many of the Old Testament stories sound like reality TV shows, but that may just be me... ;-)

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

I'm just popular!

Our Daily Bread

I was talking to a new friend at a party last night. He talked about being with this man and that man and how much "fun" he was having. When I teased him about it, he said "I am just POPULAR!" hehehe The devotional today talks about a different kind of popularity, for sure! ;-)

We see the same trend in today's world. People following a dynamic preacher because his ministry draws thousands. People buy items at the store because they are the cool things to have. People attend movies or frequent restaurants that are popular. The difference between all these things and our Lord is this -- Jesus will always be there. He does not go out of style. He will not be bull-dozed down when the next greatest shopping mall is built a few miles away. He deserves our constant devotion.

Lord, thank you for being there for us. I just want to be "popular' with you.

Sunday Friend

My Sunday Friend this week is a man I call "the genius". He is probably the smartest man I know (or at least I think he is). He can talk about anything and can talk about stuff in several languages! He never ceases to amaze me. We have a lot in common and have built a solid friendship on those things the last seven years.

I met the genius at a work function the first week I moved to Columbus. His nice eyes and silly grin drew me into the friendship. I was partnered at the time, so dating was out of the question. I guess dating has never been in the cards for us since we have never both been single at the same time. He met a great guy several years ago that is his perfect match. I am so happy for him. I do my best to support both of them through whatever comes along (and they do the same for me). Even though we only live a few blocks from each other, we don't get to see each other that often due to our busy schedules. Please know, my genius, that I really appreciate your friendship.

Other Stuff

I had a great day yesterday! The movies were fun. I will review them tomorrow. The only flaw in my plan was that I missed the time for the Buckeyes game! Yikes! I thought the game was at 3:30. It was at noon! Oh well. They won the game handily. Interestingly enough, they will probably be ranked number 1 in the country in the next poll since Alabama lost their game to South Carolina yesterday. Yes, I am a gay guy that loves sports, especially college football and basketball.

The party last night was a very interesting experience. I learned a lot about myself and put some things in practice that God has been teaching me. There were some people there that had been mean to me in the past. I usually avoid them or snub them. I was nice and friendly last night. I felt better about acting that way instead of avoiding them. I also met some really nice guys. The couple from Columbus was very sweet. We hung out most of the evening. The cutie from Pittsburgh was a sweetheart that I couldn't stop teasing. We both had a nice time talking and goofing around. I had some odd things happen, too, but I handled them really well.

Going to church this morning, then relax. Not sure what the day will bring. Yes, I can "not plan" everything! ;-)

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

Where is the target?

Our Daily Bread

I am a very goal-oriented person. I set goals for myself, though sometimes unreasonable, and then make plans to achieve those goals. Makes sense, right? Right??? hehehe The goals are my targets to hit in my life.

Today's devotionals talk about letting God's way for our lives to be our targets. Psalm 86:11 says: "Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." I like the words "undivided heart". A divided heart is like shooting for multiple targets with one arrow! Focus on God. Everything else will fall into place.

Lord, I know the last sentence above sounds so simplistic. Please help us believe and trust and aim for godliness.

Simply Saturday

I had a pretty good day yesterday. Talked some things over with my family doctor and had some blood drawn for my regular tests like A1c, cholesterol levels, etc. Went to Mimi's Cafe for breakfast and to Giant Eagle to pick up a few things that I forgot on Thursday night. I only worked a half day since I had put in overtime the rest of the week. After work, I got ready for my dinner guests.

I enjoy entertaining, though I am not great at it. My ex was very good at it. I am just OK. This was very informal, so I had chips and salsa and Peanut Lover's Chex mix for appetizers. I had a nice salad of spring mix greens, bleu cheese, bacon, cranberries, and a light vinaigrette. That turned out very well. For dinner, I made a chicken and stuffing casserole, carrots l'orange, and asparagus roasted with olive oil and sea salt with some Parmesan and asiago cheeses grated on top. It was the first time I ever cooked asparagus, I think, so I was a little nervous about that. I roasted them according to the recipe and then added a few more minutes. The were a little more al dente than I usually prefer. I prefer asparagus to be tender and not fight my fork and knife when I cut into them. Everything tasted good. I was happy!

Even better than the meal was the conversation. It ended up that my buddy that joined us had tons in common with my walking buddy and her husband! What a small world! It was fascinating to hear them talk about people they know now and knew thirty years ago! I was glad I got these folks together. We all go to the same church, but they had never met.

The kitchen is clean now. The last load of dishes is in the dishwasher. I can relax today Today must be filled with fun and relaxation after a very trying week. I not only made it through the week, but kicked some butt along the way. Wooohooooo! I plan to go to the movies, watch the Buckeyes game, and attend a party tonight. The weather is supposed to be warn, which will be nice.

I hope you have a great day as well. Hang in there, my friends. I will be upbeat and steady. That is what I do...

Imagine that!

Our Daily Bread

I was fortunate enough to travel to Honolulu last year with my best friend to celebrate my 50th birthday. It was a wonderful time. We booked the September trip in February. You don't know how many times that I looked at the calendar thinking "just a few more months til Hawaii!". It was comforting thinking about traveling to such a magical place.

The devotional this morning talks about how we can look forward to traveling to the ultimate destination -- heaven. There have been thousands of descriptions of what heaven will be like. Most of us have our own ideas as well of what heaven would be like for us. I know it will be a lot more than my silly idea -- a place where I can eat as many Hoho's as I want and not gain weight! hehehe Jesus told us about heaven to help comfort us and give us something to look forward to especially when life on earth is not so heavenly.

Do you have a relationship with God? Will you be joining his children in heaven?

Lord, thank you for your promise of heaven to your children. Please send your spirit to work in the hearts of everyone to draw them to you.

Foodie Friday

Here are two of my favorite appetizers. The recipes are from a church recipe book published by Walnut Street Baptist Church Choir many years ago. The recipes are for stuffed mushrooms and cheese moons.

Cheese Moons (by Vivian Kreisel)

3 cups pre-sifted flour

3/4 tsp salt

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard

1 1/2 cups butter or margarine

Paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, salt, and cheese. Add Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Cut in butter. Knead lightly to form soft dough. Roll a teaspoonful at a time into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on greased bakery sheet. Bake between 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle lightly with paprika. Can be frozen.

These are great for holiday dinners, appetizers or a fancy tail gate party!

Stuffed Mushrooms ( by Belle Workman)

2 lb Mushrooms

3 lbs sausage (mild or hot)

1 lg onion

1 cup plain bread crumbs

1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tbs butter

Cook sausage and drain well. Remove stems from mushrooms. Cut stems and onions in food processor. Sauté with 1 tbs butter until onion is done, approximately 3 minutes. Add mushroom stems and onion to bleu cheese, then add sausage. Add bread crumbs to absorb moisture. Mix well. Stuff in mushroom buttons. Bake at 300 degrees for about 5 minutes. Serve warm.

You can substitute shredded cheddar cheese if you really want to, but the bleu cheese adds a unique flavor. I wooed an old flame with these before we went out on a date one night. I guess the way to a man's heart IS through his stomach! Enjoy!

Other Stuff

So this week is FINALLY coming to an end! Woohooooo! I need to relax this weekend. I had WAY too much going on this week at work. I figured out a HUGE problem that has been hanging over me for over two months. I worked with an IBMer to get a great start on my upgrade project. I took in some great bagels from Spinelli's Deli for my coworkers yesterday. Had a great Bible study class on Wednesday. It has been a good week. I am excited to see what next week holds in store.

I have a regular checkup with my family doctor this morning. I am afraid my lab results are not going to be stellar. I am trying to work on that stuff again. I can do it.

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

Not just a life raft...

Our Daily Bread
I appreciate the fact that God is there for us to hold our hands during tough times. I don't know how I would have gotten through some of the toughest times in my life without God -- cancer, heart disease, diabetes, eye issues, etc. God is a sure and true friend and a source of strength during these times.

I don't want to be a "bad weather Christian". To me, this means that the only time I hold God's hand is during the scary parts of life. I challenge each of us to do our best to hold God's hand each and every day. We are all like little children crossing the street for the first time. We need his hand.

I liked the line in the scripture that said (Deut 31:6): "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." When we hold God's hand every day, we have nothing to fear.

Lord, I need to hold your hand each and every day. Please help me to never let go.

Technology Thursday
Like I said many times, I am a technology gadget geek. The entry this week is about home phone systems.

I know a lot of folks don't have a home land line any more. They just use their cell phone for all calls. I am not sure I am comfortable with that yet since all of my family lives away from me. I don't get that many calls so I could probably get rid of it to save some money. I need to think about that more. ;-p

One of the things I bought many years ago was a cordless phone "system". My house was built around 1970, so there aren't that many phone jacks around. It always seems that they are never in the right place! My phone system only needs one phone jack. The other handsets feed off of that one connection. The other four handsets can be placed anywhere there is an electric outlet. How cool is that! I can place them in rooms that don't have a phone jack or in places where a phone jack is not convenient.

What are some of the characteristics to look for? Here are a few.
DECT 6.0
DECT 6.0 is the latest technology for consumer home phone systems. Phones on this frequency rarely interfere with other signals in the house, like wireless networks. The calls are usually crystal clear. The handsets usually have a good range around the house. I can talk on mine outside if I want with no problem. Very cool.

Central address book
One system I had included a separate address book for each handset. Yikes! I was always running around the house trying to find the handset that had a saved number for a friend or relative! Double yikes! Many of the new systems have a centrally managed address book. If you add a new phone number to the address book on one handset, that number will show up on all the other handsets as well! Woohoooo! This is very nice and a must have feature!

Price
Home phone systems are available a lot of places like Staples, Office Max, Office Depot, Costco, Sams Club, Best Buy, Walmart, etc. Prices vary a lot. I caught a deal on mine at Office Max two years ago. Keep your eyes open for specials on a system that meets your needs. After you get one, call me! ;-)

Other Stuff
Had a great D2 class last night. I am really enjoying the class.

Another busy day at work planned. I hope to take time to have lunch with the Nationwide Pride group. I am getting to know some folks in the group. I am enjoying that.

Not sure how late I will have to work tonight. I would like to go to a movie after work and detox a little. I need to visit my buddy who had an operation on Tuesday or at least give him a phone call.

Good news! I have been watching my eating habits better this week. I have been keeping my blood sugar levels down while taking less insulin. The next step is to exercise more so I can lose some weight. I really do want there to be less of me and more of God! hehehe

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