It's the start of the school year. All the students are showing up with there books, new pens, and binders on top of binders [I sooo look forward to the day when everything is digital and binders are a thing of the past]. This is a time of anticipation and hope. The year is still young, and the excitement is fresh.
Somewhere buried in distant memories are the struggles of last year, but those are faded now. The remembrance of long projects, all-nighters, and cramming parties have given way to thoughts of friendships being re-established, dreams being pursued, and life goals becoming more of a reality.
I look at school sort of like pregnancy. I just want to say to the girl, "Did you forget what you went through the first time!?" And the answer is invariably, YES! Well, maybe not totally.... As much as it would be nice to attribute such actions to long term memory lost, I think it is so much more than that. It's as if, with perspective, we are able to balance out the pain of an instant with the benefit of a life time.
The truth is that I am pumped for this year. I have so much anticipation for what I am going to learn and how I am going to grow. Are there going to be hard times? Sure, but it is so worth it, which is why I am back for more!
I am leaving today for orientation!!! Ahhhh!! I am sooo excited. We are going up to Trinity Pines Lodge in Cascade, ID. I will see you all next week!!
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
With the wind in my face and my stomach in my throat, I hurtled downward toward the icy river below. A second earlier I was standing on the uppermost truss of a bridge, my feet solidly planted on the metal beneath me, and my destiny in my own hands. However after taking that epic step, all control was lost. I had no other option than to ride out the free fall, and enjoy the exhilaration from which there was no returning.
Splash!
Frigid waters encapsulated me, and tried to steal the oxygen from my lungs. Frantically, I paddled my arms to reach the surface... and air.
I Cannot believe that school is just around the corner. In one week I will be going to the HITC [Harvest International Training] Orientation. AAHHHH!! I'm so excited!!!
The fair is truly an amazing event. With roots going back over 150 years into our nation's history, it is a chance to step back into simpler times. Only a few generations back, a man would move out west with nothing more than his wife, a wagon full of supplies, and a dream. The dream was simple: start a new life, a better life, a life where he and he alone was his own master. Many men died on such a journey, but many more succeeded, and it was through the courage of men like this that the Western United States was founded.
Just like today, men in those days complained of overcrowding. The first people to arrive got their pick of the choicest land. The land was pure and untouched by the western world. They were far enough away from civilization to where they felt like the only person on earth, and at the same time just close enough to others in case of an emergency. However, as more and more people moved west, neighbors became a nuisance. People would complain about being able to see their neighbor's chimney smoke on a clear summer day.
Circumstances have changed a lot over the last couple centuries, but one thing that has not changed is people's need for community. With all this adventure and isolation, people still had the need for community, and one thing that they would do is go to the county fair. People lived off the land: they ate what they could grow or kill, they wore clothes that they made themselves, and their hobbies were making trinkets with their own two hands. However once a year people would bring all these items together in one central place to share a sense of community and engage in some neighborly competition.
Technology and modern culture have absolutely had their effect on fairs over the decades, but what strikes me most about the fair is how much has not changed. Yes there are the shows, and the rides, and all the vendors in the sides of semi-trucks. But when I went through the different exhibition halls and look at the quilting displays, and the crafts, and the painting, I was brought back to a simpler time, when these things would have been the center point of culture. It was an amazing journey back into the history pages of our country.
However, after my little jaunt of nostalgia, I needed modern-day thrill. I got three other friends and went on the meanest, wildest ride I could find. It was awesome!!
One thing that I have been thinking a lot about over the course of the last several weeks is the question of timing. When doing something new, timing is perhaps one of the most difficult questions to answer. Often times, when the government works on a new construction project, the project is completed late, and over budget. Also, new product roll-outs for companies are routinely delayed and pushed back. Then there are the numerous explorers and adventurers over the centuries who expeditions took longer, and were more difficult than they anticipated.
Timing is a difficult question to answer, and it is one that I am facing right now with my blog. As many of you know, I was originally hoping to go to Mexico this fall. While I have talked to people individually, I wanted to officially announce on this blog that this plan has been delayed, at least for one year. I want you to understand that I am not disappointed, dismayed, or discouraged by this turn of events. In some ways it was expected.
Mexico was a dream that is still very much alive in my heart and mind. This is not the end! On the contrary, one thing that I discovered is that in order to make Mexico happen, there was something else that need to happen first: training. Through talking to family, friends, and leaders in my life, I realized that I need to finish my education before I stepped out on the mission field. I have one more year of bible college before I have my bachelors degree, and I need to talk advantage of this opportunity. In looking at my life and the direction that it is headed, not only will this education be vital in fulfilling my mission in life, but it is likely my last opportunity of complete it. I am not getting any younger, and my life is moving so quickly right now, that must take this chance to finish college while the door is still open.
With that said, something I want to say to all of you is: don't be afraid of detours. Yes, it seems glamorous and romantic to drop everything and run after a dream without any inhibitions, but how effectively will you accomplish your goal? The position I am in right now is that I want to best accomplish the work that God has for me. If I were to say that I wanted to most quickly accomplish this goal, I could get down to Mexico a lot more quickly.
In truth, I have the money where I could go down there right if I really wanted to. But what would I accomplish after I got down there? How effective would I be? What work would actually get done? The way I look at it, if I prepare now, then I will be much more effective later.
And so I say to you: don't be afraid to prepare now. Don't be afraid to invest in your future. Don't be afraid to become the best you can be so that when you do step out you are equipped and ready for the work that God has for you.
I will see you all tomorrow for more adventures. I have pictures and stories to tell you from the fair last week. It was so much fun. Don't miss it!
Todd Akin: Imbecilic the Month
Provided by: en.wikipedia.org
It has been said, that the fastest way to kill a movement is
to support it with false arguments.
There has been a lot of news lately about a misguided
politician who has blundered his way though one of the most sensitive and
intimate subjects in modern politics.
This buffoon, in a few short sentences, managed to do more harm than the
entire liberal media has been able to do in the last several years. In the hearts and minds of so many Americans
across the spectrum of the political world, his comments were condescending,
offensives, and just plain wrong!
As a social and political conservative who has strong views
on the subject of the origin of a human life, I feel as though it is my obligation
to stand up for the truth after it has been so egregiously assaulted over the
last couple of days. I fully understand
that it is not the type of subject that is typically discussed in religious
circles. Christians often times do not
like to discuss this type of thing; it’s too uncomfortable. Instead, many Christians adopt an abortion
form of “Don’t ask, don’t tell.”
Christians who have grown up within the hierarchy of church know how
they are supposed to be, know how they are supposed to think, and know how they
are supposed to act. If they are out of
step with that view, then they do not say anything out of respect for those who
have gone before them. And if they do
tow the social-conservative-Christian line, then why talk about something so
uncomfortable?
Akin disqualifies himself for office in 38 seconds
The problem with this logic is that it provides little-to-no
guidance for those following after them.
It leaves new Christians open to confusion and question when they hear a
bungling idiot come along like the one who was flapping his mouth several days
ago.
In order to fully encapsulate this subject, it is vital to remember
the full context of what the Bible says.
The Bible talks about marriage being the most beautiful, sacred, and
precious relationship in a person’s life.
This relationship is distinct from anything else in all of
creation. It is given special priority
and significance in scripture, and it is designated to be the one relationship
that best helps us understand our relationship with God. In fact, out of all the rites and ceremonies
in the bible, the institution of marriage is the only one that appears in both
the Old and the New Testament of the bible.
It is designed to be a little taste of heaven with joy unspeakable,
unmatched closeness, and totally vulnerability.
And… at its most special and intimate
point, a miracle happens: life! While
science seeks to explain it, it cannot duplicate it. It is truly amazing that the combined
facilities, money, and genius of the entire scientific community cannot produce
out of inorganic material what two loving people can produce: a child.
The intimacy between a man and a woman is the single most
remarkable thing in all of creation, because out of this union an eternal soul
begins its existence.
Therefore, out of all the perversions that exist on earth,
there is nothing as abominable as one that would seek to transform what is most
precious into something vile. The act of
a man trying to “take” what can only be “given” is more than just a violation
of law. It is a violation of humanity.
While I cannot totally relate to what a woman would go
through is such a horrendous circumstance, my life has been personally touched
by this type of tragedy. Things could
have been worse for me. Others have had
it worse than I. But suffice it to say
that I have experienced more than I would have chosen, at an age earlier than what
I would have chosen. Dealing with this
tragedy has been one of the greatest victories of my life, but arriving at this
place of wholeness has only been possible through walking my own personal trail
of tears.
On the downhill side of my mountain of adversity, I am
grateful that it was not worse. It could
have been much worse. I don’t know how I
would have coped with circumstances that other people have had to face. This acknowledgement is not a repudiation of
God. He is faithful. Rather it is a simple acknowledgment of the
limitations of my own soul. I do not
know how I would have been able to deal with the questions, the shame, or the
confusion that could have ensued had things been worse. Therefore, when I hear about someone who has
been touched by this type of tragedy, my heart goes out for them. Words cannot express how this type of violation
wars against one’s own soul.
And then, after I think about all this, I let me mind wander
a little further….
What if someone was to suffer everything I suffered and
worse, and what if that “someone” was a young lady, and what if that young
lady, on top of everything, else was to be faced with an unplanned
pregnancy? I cannot imagine. The grief… the confusion… the shame…. I shake my head. I cannot imagine.
Everyone knows: this is not
how life is supposed to begin, this is not
how it’s meant to work, and this is not
how it is supposed to be…. And yet, it is…. This circumstance that never should happen…
does happen.
What do we do with that?
Where do we go? What do we do
with the innocent victim that was so brutalized? What do we do with the scum of a male [I
avoid the term “man” on purpose because he has abdicated his role in society]
who has violated the purpose of his very existence? And what do we do with the miracle of life
that is now growing inside of her?
These are tough questions.
No sane person will deny that it was not suppose to happen this
way. We are stuck in a situation where
there is there is no “good” answer. All
we have is the “least worst” answer. And
what is that answer? Where do we go from
here?
In the instance of a “planned” pregnancy, if a woman is
attacked, and the baby does not survive, the wretch of a man is guilty of two
crimes: assault, and the murder of an unborn child. Is this a good law? Is this a bad law? It all depends on your definition of when
life begins.
If a woman chooses to have a late term abortion, or a
partial-birth abortion, is that ok? It
all depends on your definition of when life begins.
When does life begin?
Does life begin when the child becomes self aware [somewhere around the
age of two-years-old]? Some actually do
say yes. Does life begin when the umbilical-cord
is cut? Again, some would say yes. Does life somehow spontaneously come into
being out of living-tissue which is simultaneous “not alive” until it is more
convenient to call it “alive?” [empathetic
shrug]. Or does the miracle of a new
living soul start when two independent and autonomous people come together and
produce a separate living soul?
What is true? My
beliefs are obvious based on the tone of this article. I do not write this article because it is
politically expedient, or because it is the convenient answer. My views are neither. No, I write it because, through my study of
the Bible, my interactions with society, and my knowledge of biology, my
conscience convicts me of the truth.
So what do we do in the case of incest or rape? How do we, as a society, handle a tragic
circumstance which is compounded by an unplanned pregnancy? This is a debate that we need to have as a
country, and it is a debate that must be handled with the utmost care and
respect for the heart wrenching circumstances of the people that must live with
the consequences of the outcome of this debate.
But it is a debate we must have, and it is an issue that we must settle.
There is one more thing I will enter into this discussion:
if “life” does indeed begin at conception, as many would suggest, then even in
cases of rape and incest, there is only one intellectually honest answer to
this debate. It may not be easiest
answer in the short-term, nor will it be most convenient answer. But if true—if life does begin at conception—then
we are left with no alternative, even in these catastrophic cases.
I'm going to the fair today! As part of small group, I am going to the Western Idaho Fair today. It will be my first time ever to this fair. Ahhh. It is going to be an awesome time hanging out with awesome friends. There will be pictures and stories to come. Stay tuned! :)
Last week we talked about being fruitful. We looked at what it took to have benefit and
increase in one’s life, we talked about discerning strengths and weaknesses,
and we talked about concentrating on developing one’s strengths to accomplish
all that God has for them.
This week we are going to explore weaknesses. What do you do about the things that you are
not good at? What do you do when you
start to become fruitful in one area, you go to prune back a different area,
and you find that the aspect of your life that you are about to cut away is
also vital?
Provided by: en.wikipedia.org
For example, let’s take the example of a photographer. Let’s say that s/he is very artistic, they
have the skill and eye to capture pictures that most could not, and they have
even taken some photography classes to augment their skills. Now, let’s also say that their business
starts to take off, but they hate doing accounting. They cannot exactly just drop the accounting
side of things to take pictures. They
will be out of business in a month. Nor
can they afford a full time accountant.
What do they do!?!?
Provided by: en.wikipedia.org
Well the good news is that they do not need a full time
accountant. Their accounting needs are
probably very small, and they are also probably fairly simple. If they were doing all of their accounting
needs on their own, then they don’t need a world class accountant. Probably the only thing they need is a
college student who is good with numbers and needs a little extra money. This photographer could hire a math-minded
college student at $10-$15/hour for a couple hours a month to take care of all
their billing needs. Even if this
college student were paid the same amount of money as the photographer makes
per hour, it would still be worth it, because this math-minded college student
could get the work done in half the time.
Now let’s take this example and apply it to any situation in
life. No matter what the circumstance
is, you will not be good at everything!
Nor are you supposed to be! The
bible says that the Body of Christ is made up of many members with different
functions. Let’s stop trying to be good
at everything, and surround ourselves with people who are strong where we are
weak!!!
So, lets say that you wanted to go off-roading with a couple of your closest friends. Which vehicle would you choose? Maybe a Landrover, or a Jeep Rangler, or maybe a Hummer H2. But as I discovered last week, there is another vehicle that trumps them all!
Last week me and some of my best friends were driving up to a young adult camp in Challis, ID when the unexpected happened. A wild fire had started right next to the highway, and the smoke was so thick that the forest rangers could not let us drive through. We had to back track 20 miles to a ranger station to find a detour. The standard detour would have taken us all the way south to Ketchum, ID before heading north again, a detour that would have added 4 to 5 hours to our trip.
And then we saw a little gray squiggly line on the map. This little gray line represented a dirt logging road that went around the backside of the fire. It would be a 90 minute detour, but it would be much shorter than the alternative.
The reason why this is so monumental is because of the vehicle that we were in. Not an SUV, or truck, or even an all-wheel-drive car. NOPE. It was a 2006 Toyota Corolla. And yet, as we embarked on our journey, this little car was amazing. We were over dips, around corners, and up loose gravel hills, all with greatest of ease. Never have I been so impressed with a little car. Thankyou Toyota for making such an impressive little car. You are my hero!!
Today, we are talking about determining which path to take in the mission of your life. Just to recap a little, we have already talked about several principles in accomplishing all that God has for you. We have talked about stepping out, even when you do not have all the information. We have talked where to begin and avoiding possible dead ends. Well today, we are going to further explore an idea that we have already touched on a little earlier: what to do with the unexpected.
It is vital to remember that God has a calling over your life. There IS something that He has for you to accomplish. You just need to find out what that is and do it!
Provided by: ogdenbotanicalgardens.com
One thing that I have found over the years, is that following God is similar gardening. Sometimes when you plant a bush or a tree, or a shrub, it grows different than you expect it to. You can prune it, and you try to tie the branches here, or manipulate it to grow there, but you as a gardener only have so much power. For example, if you plant a vine rose, you are going to be extremely disappointed if you wanted a traditional rosebush. You can prune it, and shape it, and tie it off, but in the end, it is a vine, and it will want to grow. It doesn't make a very good traditional rosebush.
Well, you are similar to this rosebush [or fruit tree, or tomato bush, or whatever]. You see we are all supposed to grow. We are all supposed to have our lives bear fruit. But we really don't know what kind of plant we are when we are first planted. There are certain rules-of-thumb which apply to all peoples life, just like there are certain rules-of-thumb when it comes to gardening. However to know what a specific plant needs, you need to know what type of plant it is. Similarly, to know what you need, you need to know what you are called to. So how do you find out!?
It's just like planting a seed in the ground. If you don't know then you don't know. You can guess as it starts to bud and sprout, and you can narrow your idea as it starts to mature, but ultimately you won't know until it starts to bare fruit.
srq-ag-food.blogspot.com
Therefore this is my suggestion in life: find out where the fruit it and develop that area. Are there general principles to life that everyone must follow? Yes. It's called the bible. But above and beyond that, if you start to be successful in an unexpected area, or one aspect of your life starts to become easy for you, or you excel more than others in this area over here, then praise God, your life is becoming fruitful. Don't get upset, that your whole life mission is not unveiling exactly as expected. Just realize that you are finding out type of person you are, and you are finding out the types of things you were created for.
My suggestion to you then is to develop those fruitful areas, and prune off the areas that don't come naturally, and the areas in which you are not excelling as much. Concentrate all your growth, and all your energy in the things that God is blessing and see where it will take you.
Next week we are going to talk about what to do about those areas that you prune off, and tomorrow I have a hilarious story for you. Don't miss it.
I know that on Monday's I have been doing a series on achieving God's mission for your life, however today there is an announcement that is so monumental that it has totally distracted me from the current structure. Tomorrow we are going to go back to the normal schedule. However today I feel compelled to talk about this recent development.
Let me frame this in: we are living in the most prosperous country in the history of the world. We are, from a global perspective, living in the most MORAL time period in the history of the world. We have, from a global perspective, never seen less hunger, more access to clean water, more morality, less violence, less discrimination, than we do right now. It is hard for someone like me, because from the perspective of the United States of America there seems to be some decline in some of these areas. HOWEVER, from the perspective of the entire world, the principles of the Bible continue to advance and revolutionize the social landscape of the world. As Jesus said, "I will build my church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it."
My hope in God and His principle shall continue, no matter what the outcome of an particular country. However today I have new hope in my country. I have renewed excitement that my country as I know it is not over. I have reasonable expectation that my country can turn things around and that the end is not here.
Over the weekend, Mitt Romney announced his running mate for Vice President: Paul Ryan. Of the many things that I admire about Paul Ryan, it is his fiscal honesty. Every democracy in the history of the world has FAILED after about 200 years because people discover that they can elect personal benefits for themselves through their votes. In every case, this type of voting has bankrupted the country and sent it into economic collapse.
In 1980, the United States was on pace to follow all the democracies in the history of the world. We were slated to follow the economic demise of every democracy that has passed before us. The country was in a state of stag-flation, there was economic distress, and hope in the country was waning. And then something remarkable happen. A politician stepped up who told the truth. A politician came on the scene who was willing to speak the truth boldly and articulately. A politician was willing to say that, "Government is not the solution to our problems; government IS the problem."
Not only did this politician go on to win by sweeping majorities, but he ushered in a time period of fiscally conservative government principles that lasted the next 25 years. To say that fiscal conservatism has been eroded by both parties since then would be true. Since Ronald Regan, each subsequent presidential administration has been LESS fiscally conservative than the previous [whether democrat or republican]. And therefore, the country is understandably in a similar position that it was in back in 1980. In some ways we are in a better position, and in other ways we are in a worse position. But the bottom line is that we need a politician who is willing to tell the truth. We need a politician who is willing to be bold in the face of adversity. We need a politician who is willing to say, that if you vote for the candidate who will make you the most expensive promises, then you will go the way of EVERY PRECEDING DEMOCRACY and your country will END.
I believe we potentially have that person in Paul Ryan. I am excited that we have a young man who is not afraid to look reality in the eye and see it for what it is. I would encourage each one of you to watch this youtube video and realize that up to this point, we have had fickle politicians who were too cowardly to tell you the truth about the economic cliff that we are on.
Tomorrow, I am going to be leaving for camp, and so, I am not going to be posting on Thursday, or Friday, but as my last post of the week, I thought it would be fun to compile a list of top 10 camp pranks. Enjoy:
10. Classic: Put shaving cream or whip cream in a sleeping person's hand and then tickle their face with a feather. This one has been done over and over, but is it simple and effective
9. Extreme Makeover: Similar to the previous one, you can give someone a makeover in their sleep with the creative use of lipstick, eye-liner, blush, etc.
8. Post-It Notes: This one is extremely practical because of how small post-it notes are to pack. Just bring up a bulk package and find something amazing to cover... like all the walls of someone's cabin.
7. Sleeping Bag Christmas Tree: If it's the middle of the day, go into a different cabin, take out all their sleeping bags, and hang them from a nearby tree.
6. For Sale: If there is a good-natured counselor with your group, then one idea is to move their car to the far end of the parking lot, put a for sale sign in the window, and then have a member of the camp staff call their cell phone as an "Interested Buyer."
5. Flour Shower: For all you guys out there, this is another classic. Get a fist full of flour in each hand and pelt someone in the shower with it. Not only is there the initial surprise, but also the flour turns to dough on their body. An alternative is to use ice cold water if flour is not available.
4. Reptiles: One of the best parts of camp is getting out into the great outdoors. The best part of the great outdoors is that there are an abundance of reptiles: snakes, frogs, lizards. Catch one or two, and hide is strategically, and the wait for the laughs
3. Boobie-Trapped Trail: At night, before everyone heads back to their cabin, tie a fishing line across the trail to the bushes. Make sure to tie the string to flexible branches! The idea is not to trip them, but rather to scare them with all the rustling. The more lines the better!
2. Claim Another's Cabin: Create a flag, a banner, or a poster, and affix it to the entrance on someone else's cabin in a location that would be difficult to remove.
1. Take all of another camper's socks and underwear, wet them down, and freeze them into a solid block of ice. Not only will the camper have a difficult time defrosting their skivies, but after they do, they are all still soaking wet.
I hope you had fun reading. See you all next week!!
I am excited to announce that I am partnering with Reap Christian Clothing to produce some t-shirts and hats for Matt's Mexican Adventure. Reap is a Christian Clothing line started by Tylor Desilet and Random Navarro, two good friends of mine. These guys are two young men who are interested in affecting their generation and making an impact in society. I would encourage you to go check out their Facebook page, and "like" them. They have some awesome clothing already in production. I know you will like their work!
The items they are producing for Matt's Mexican's Adventure are not quite complete yet, but very soon you will be able to support me in style. Stay tuned, there are more details coming. In the mean time, have a good one, and I will see you all tomorrow!
So what are the real dead ends in life? Last week it seemed as though I were saying that there are no dead ends. It seemed as though all paths lead to your life destiny. It seemed as though all things work together for good.... Is that true? In my experience, no.
Provided by: rainsalestraining.com
Right now, in my life, I have a period of 3 or 4 years that just seem absolutely wasted. There is no good fruit that came from that period of my life, and as time goes on, there is still yet to be fruit come from it. I am not saying that God cannot redeem the time, and I am not saying that it will stay that way forever, however as of right now, looking back, there was a AVOIDABLE point in my life where nothing good happened.
In my opinion there are two things that will always lead to a pitfall in someone's life. One of those things is a destructive lifestyle. When I say, "destructive lifestyles" I am talking about any behavior pattern which causes damage in an individual's life, and in the lives of the people around them. I do not have time to debate which behavior patterns are bad, and which are beneficial. I am merely going to state that if anyone has a destructive lifestyle or behavior pattern, it will hinder them from achieving the mission of their life. It will not help. It NEVER helps. And ultimately, it could end their life in absolute disaster. Destructive lifestyles are the antithesis of the mission that God has for you to accomplish.
The other thing that can cause someone to fall off the path that God has for them is selfish ambition. This one is a little more difficult to define, but basically, there is a difference between accomplishing something to bring attention to yourself, verses doing something to bring glory and honor to God. The main qualification that I always have is, "Who gets the credit?" If people are trying to advance, achieve, or accomplish something only to benefit themselves, then if they switch to try to bring honor and glory to God, they often have to start all over. Rarely can that person just switch and transfer success from one venue to another. In addition to that, it is much easier to be successful with God's help, than without it.
Well, that's all for today. Thanks for reading. I will see you tomorrow for more awesome adventures!
P.S. Here is a helpful list for identifying destructive lifestyles:
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
NKJV
So yeah, these would be things to avoid! :) Have a good one!
Over the last couple of days, I was going to post something entirely different on the blog, but a funny thing happened: I got called into work!! Ahhh....
Now before I go on with the story, keep in mind is that I have never, in my entire life, walked off a job before. I have never up and quit, or said "I am not doing this any more," or anything like that.
This last job that I was doing, I was working on painting the exterior of a house, and I was working for a friend who has been in the re-model business for over 20 years. Now here I was working on painting this house with this guy, and this was the second time I have ever, in my entire life, painted the outside of a house, and I was getting so frustrated.
Going into the job, I thought that I was a pretty good painter. I could put and ever coat down with a brush, and I could cut a straight line, and things like that. But... when you are working with a guy who has been in the business for over 20 years - a guy who painted an office for Madonna, and who also painted Jerry Bruckheimer's master bedroom - you quickly realize how good you are NOT at painting.
Can I paint a straight line with a brush? Sure. Can I do it while 15 feet up in the air, hanging off the side of a ladder, and painting with my left hand!?!?! Noooo. And yet, that was exactly what I was asked to do. We were painting the trim, and I had to paint the trim around the second story windows. Now to give you a little perspective, the reason why I was doing this was because my boss was doing the hard part. He was lying on his belly on the roof, hanging over the edge, and painting the fascia upside-down on parts of the roof that were too steep to walk on.
So here I was, up on my ladder, trying to paint my second story window trim, and my boss's head keeps poking out above me from the roof as he paints the fascia. He is just going along as if it is no big deal, and here I am making a mess. I would go over my line here, and make a splotch there, and then I couldn't quite reach, so I would have to get down and move my ladder again, and the whole thing was just a mess!!! Of course all of his work looks perfect, while my trim looks like something out of a kindergarten classroom where they were painting with their toes.
I am usually pretty talented at "stuff" in general, so to feel this inept, this sub-par, this deficient is skills was almost more than I could take. I wanted to quit. I wanted to throw in the towel and be done with the whole thing.
Fortunate for me I didn't. My boss saw I was struggling, let my finish my window, and then took over for my while I when on to something on ground level. Sigh... what a day.... Now, the house looks great, it is done, and today, we got to move on to something else. Today, I was paid to crawl underneath a half million dollar home, and chase snakes! So much better!!! :D
Small group last night was fun, crazy, and even a little weird at times. There was 3 on 3 volleyball on a court that was more the size for badminton that volleyball. There were various pool activities including a front flip high jumping contest over a fun-noodle, a driving catch into the water contest, occasional wrestling matches, and also intermittent people throwing (some people were just too dry). But above and beyond all that, there was the food. It was delicious. It was plentiful. And in one case, it was very artistic. At one point during the small group one young man [Shane Fender] showed up with an amazing display of artsy deliciousness. Let me just stay that I am still in awe of the creation. I have never had such awesome watermelon before, and I nicknamed him "Shark Bait Ooh Hah Hah." Shane you are amazing!
Well, that is all for today. Thanks for joining. Tomorrow's blog is going to be a little more of a peaceful one, and then I am really excited for Friday. Don't miss it!!
On the day that our HITC applications are due, what would be
more appropriate than talking about the man that has poured his heart and soul
into the program? HITC [HarvestInternationalTrainingCenter] is an institution
with a three pronged focus that intent on training up world changers to go out
and effect their generation. With emphases
in biblical academics, church internship, and leadership development, this
school has already helped to shape many amazing young men and women.
However today, I want to introduce you to the man at the
helm of this great college. This is a
man who has dedicated years of his life to the spiritual and academic
development of many young people. He is
a man who has successfully mentored many people into full time positions of
church leadership. And he is a man who
is very close to me, and has been instrumental in how God has shaped my life
over the last couple of years. This man
is Pastor Lee Galway.
Today, I wanted to acknowledge Pastor Lee for all that he
means to me, that the ways that he has poured into my life. I wanted to say thank you for the many talks,
the many hours, and the many tears shed in your office. You are an awesome man of God, and I am proud
to call you one of my pastors! God bless
you sir.
So how do I avoid the dreaded dead end? How do I ensure that the work I am doing is
not in vain? How do I know that the work
that I am doing is in the will of God? These
are all questions that I have asked myself over the last couple of years.
The good news is that God is real! One of the things that I found myself doing
is thinking that I was in this on my own.
Somehow I thought that God drew me to Himself when I first became a
Christian, but after that I was left to find my own way. I thought that it was now up to me to find my
path, determine my course, and arrive at my destiny. Fortunately, the bible says the complete opposite.
The bible says that, “A man's heart plans his way, But the
Lord directs his steps,” (Proverbs 16:9 New
King James Version).
One of the stories that I am drawn to in the Old Testament
of the Bible is the story of Moses.
Moses was a young man who grew up in the palace of the king [Pharaoh]. He would have learned all the strategies of
war, and he would have been taught the art of governing people.
Then, when Moses discovers his heritage and wants to free
his people from oppression and bondage, he gets run out of town and goes and
herds sheep in the wilderness for 40 years.
This seems like a dead end, but it is not!
Rather there were different aspects of Moses’ character that
God wanted to work on. His life took
different twists and turns, and eventually God united all of his training and
heritage to the calling of his life. The
thing that encouraged me the most about this story is that in God, there are no
dead ends. In God there are no wasted
opportunities.
If we are in a trial, or a circumstances, or going in a
specific direction that does not seen logical, then that means that there is
something that we must learn though this to accomplish the mission of our
life. Continue to be moldable, changeable,
and teachable, and God will bring you to your destination just like Moses.
One of my favorite things ever is mountain biking. I love riding though nature, and seeing things as God created them. It is an awesome opportunity to escape from the busy hustle and bustle, and just get away.
Mountain biking also gives me a chance to put myself to the limit. It gives me a challenge to conquer: how fast can I climb today, can I reduce my number of breaks, can I keeps pace with the other guys? Not only that, but when I go biking up in the hills it is working for the greater reward. "You ride up so that you can ride down," as my friends always say. It is such an adrenaline rush racing down the side of a hill on a single track trail with nothing more than an aluminum frame and two thin rubber tires separating you from sudden disaster.
I am hoping to do a lot more mountain biking this summer but regardless the time that I have spent up in the Boise foothills with my friends has been a blast! Thanks again Mike, Brad, and Ron for biking with me this year!!
One of the things that I have learned from my pastors at HarvestChurch is to conduct my life in a way
that others could follow me. They
encouraged me to set an example where others could stray a little to the right
or to the left and still be safe. That
is some of the best advice I have ever received. My only regret is that my pastors did not
tell this advice to the duck ;)
Have a good one everyone.
Tomorrow I am going to be telling you about a recent excursion with
friends, and then we have some awesome things on tap for Friday. You don’t want to miss it!
Today I am so very happy to introduce you to a young lady
that has been an amazing resource to me in starting this blog. This young lady is an accomplished blogger in
her own right, and she is a good personal friend. I am of course referring to Annelise of auniesauce.com.
Annelise has an amazing fashion and life blog, and her down
to earth writing style has endeared her to many many readers, including me. Annelise is a personal friend of mine, and
has helped me get my blog off the ground.
Thank you so much Aunie for all you help and support. I really appreciate you!!
Road blocks can be one of the most discouraging things when
you are trying to get somewhere. I
remember I was driving to a friend’s house, and the road was blocked off on one
of the major streets for road construction.
I had to drive three miles around just to get to the place that I was
going. I was so frustrated.
And yet, when it comes to financial goal, or a career goal,
or a kingdom of God goal, so many people, when they hit
a road block give up and go home. It can
be hard to start down a particular “path of life” and then have your goal take
longer than you expect. Columbus
was trying to sail to India
when he started sailing west from Spain. It took twice as long as he expected to hit
land, and when he discovered America,
he was not even half way to India.
Many great “life missions” are that way. We read about these people in the history
books and marvel over their accomplishments.
And yet if we where to go back and ask them, they would say that the
journey was much harder than they anticipated, and the destination was
different than what they expected.
Penicillin was discovered from bread mold, electricity from
flying a kite, and the 150 uses of peanuts from an over-abundance of
peanuts. Thomas Edison, one of the
greatest inventors in the history of the world and the holder of 1093 U.S. patents
once said, “Many of life's failures are experienced by people who did not
realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
Of all the great inventors of the success stories of the
world, I would assert that there are two qualities that are almost universally present:
(1) hard work and perseverance, and (2) a willingness and ability to adapt and
continue when challenges arise.
Also remember the title of one of my previous blogs: “Ready-Fire-Aim-Fire.” If the most difficult thing is starting, and
if you were willing to step out before having all the facts to avoid stagnation,
then by definition, you will not have all the facts. By definition, you will have to make
adjustments. By definition, you will
have to re-aim and fire again.
With this in mind, road blocks are not discouraging. No, they are exciting. They are a further definition of the
problem. They are factors that have to
be solved that will bring you that much closer to the solution. You will not have all the information you
need when you start. If you did, that
would be a pretty boring life mission.
You will need to grow, adapt, and change as you go, but that is what is
so amazing about the journey. Run with
all your heart, and with integrity, and you will make it!
Thanks so much for joining me today. Next week we are going to talk about the
dreaded “Dead End,” and how to avoid it.
Also there are tons of other amazing adventures lines up for the week. See you then.
Last week we were talking about the 3 keys to success, and the
first two that we covered were being faithful with a little, and not taking
God's role. The third key that I believe is can be the most important,
sometimes can be the most missed is what I call "Investment Banking."
In the passage that I referenced last week in Matthew chapter 25
[it's the parable of the talents... I highly recommend you all read it :) ]
there is a part where the master is scolding the unfaithful servant. He
tells this servant that he should have at least invested his "talent"
[ancient unit of money] with the bankers to that he would have received back
his talent with interest.
It is easy to think that this "Investment Banking" in
the passage is a less beneficial option to multiplying talents. Sort of
like a "Plan B." That's how I always took it. But the
more I think about it, the more I believe that there was something else going
on. I believe that "Investment Banking" is the first step
toward multiplying talents.
So reading between the lines, what is "Investment
Banking?" I believe it is saying, I have this resource, talent, or
ability, and I really don't know what to do with it. Therefore I am going
to loan it to someone who does know what to do with it. So, if I am a
good musician, maybe I will loan my talent to the church worship team until I
can develop other skills to start a Christian band. Or if I am a good
speaker, I will volunteer to give a mini-messages and testimonies in small
group until God commissions me to have my own small group. Or if I am
successful with money, I will give my money to worthwhile causes, until God
gives me my own causes to start.
God has something for EVERYONE! Every single person has a
cause that they are supposed to head-up, lead, or take the initiative with.
No exceptions. Not everyone does it, but we are all supposed to.
It will never be independent of the whole. We are all
part of the single body of Christ. But at the same time it should be a
key aspect that you are solely responsible for.
The question is how do you get there? Not by hording your
talent. And NOT by sitting back and waiting to be discovered. No!
We all need to go out and invest in other people's ministries, other
people's businesses, and other people's accomplishments. My goal should
be to find someone who is more successful that me, and make them even more
successful than they already are. In the process of doing this, the other
person's principles, skills, and abilities will start to rub off on me, and I
will learn how they got to be successful.
So, my encouragement to you today is to find a successful person.
Find someone who is doing something similar to what your dreams are...
and invest in them! Take them out to lunch. Join their team.
Volunteer. Invest your resources. Get involved! In the
process you will learn what makes a person successful, and you will be able to
apply those principles to the thing that God has called you to do.
Hope you all had a great week. Sorry again about the glitch
while I was on vacation. See you Monday for more adventures!
I just got back from an amazing trip to Seattle. I went to a Seattle Sounders soccer game, I saw a bunch of old friends [old as in length of relationship, not age of person], and I made some amazing memories. There should be some pictures on my personal facebook page of the trip in the next couple of days, so feel free to check those out.
Also, I meant to have my blogs post automatically while I was gone, but that didn't work. Apologies. I will get that worked out. See you tomorrow!!
Welcome back. I hope
you had an amazing weekend! My weekend
was packed! But it’s better than being
bored, right!?
The question for today is: how do I reconcile two opposing
ideas?
One Friday’s blog, the general theme was to be faithful with
a little, and God brings the increase, while Monday’s theme had been to go for
it, try something new, and step out when you are unsure.
How do we reconcile the two?
This is a question that I have thought a lot about, even
before this blog. Do I wait and be
faithful with a little? Or… do I step
out and do something crazy? The answer I
arrived at is… that these options are the exact same thing from different
perspectives.
In Matthew chapter 25—in the parable of the talents—the servant
with one talent was afraid! He was
afraid to step out and multiply his one talent!
Even though it would have been way less work than the other servants, he
was still afraid! He thought it was too
much!
When the bible says to be faithful with a little, that means
it is a little from God’s perspective.
Not from our perspective! From
our perspective, the task ahead can seem huge, daunting, and
insurmountable. The problem is that God
looks down and chuckles. He looks at us
and wonders when we are going to get past this one so that we can move on to
the real work.
While it is true that I have never been to Mexico before,
I have made other fairly large decisions on limited information… and had the
work out well [that last part is important J]. I have been on 4 different short term mission
trips. I do know some Spanish. Also, I do have local contacts down there
that I personally know and would be working with.
The direction for me is slightly new, but the process is
still the same. I never expected to go
down to Mexico
and live for several months. Now, that
looks like a possibility. But how do I
get there? I get there by being faithful
with a little. I get there by improving
my Spanish, writing a blog, finishing school, and several other things I will
share with you in the upcoming weeks and months.
Actually shifting direction and focusing on going to Mexico for an
extended period of time was a huge change in mindset. It was like whoa… well… ummm… okay…. But after doing that, it is still an excise
in being faithful with a little.
That’s it for today.
Next week we are going to be talking about roadblocks. Also tomorrow I am going to tell you about
another amazing person that has been a huge help to me. See you then!
What do you do when you are not moving forward in life? The bible talks about developing your gifts
and talents. It talks about coming into
maturity in Christ. It talks about being
fruitful and multiplying. The question
then is, what should we do if that is not happening?
For myself, I had a time in my life that was just like that:
I was a civil engineer, and making tons of money for a 22-year-old, but my life
was going no where.
[BTW: Hello, if you are new with us. Welcome!
I would highly recommend you reviewing my last two Friday blogs. They will really catch you up on where we are
in this conversation. The links are at
the bottom. J]
As I was reading through the bible, I found 3 keys to having
increase in my life, and I would like to share them with you. All of these are found in Matthew 25:14-30.
The first thing to keep in mind is that it is God who brings
the increase. So many times in my life,
I have strived to achieve, to be better than the rest, and to bring increase to
my own life. I strived so hard to bring
increase that I neglected my current responsibilities. Bringing increase is not my responsibility. It’s God’s.
So that’s the first key: do not try to take God’s job.
The second key is the other side to that coin: be faithful
with what we already have. Be faithful
with a little. If every day we tried to
just be faithful by developing ourselves: spiritual [with God], financially,
educationally, musically, and physically, we would find that we have more than
enough to keep us busy.
[Sigh] I really wanted to finished this series today. There are so many other things that we need to move on to. But the post was growing way too long. Therefore, part 2, and the third key to success will be next Friday. Apologies! I cannot believe it is already Friday. Have a great weekend, and we will see you back here next week for more awesome adventures!
Today, as I woke up and walked down the hall, the air was
filled with the delicious smell of bacon.
I walked around the corner, and not only did I find bacon cooking, but also a delicious smorgasbord of
breakfast being finished by my roommate Dan.
It included bacon (obviously), eggs, French toast and orange juice. Dan, David (one of my other roommates), and I
all enjoyed a delicious breakfast together and just caught up on life. We read through Psalms 19, and prayed
together, and just had a great time. It was a perfect way to start
off the day.
Well, that's all for today. Thanks for reading. Tomorrow we are going to be finishing our discussion on developing your talents. I am really looking forward to it. See you then!
For years on end in Seattle
it was said that summer actually started on July 5. That’s because there was a string of summers
where the Independence Day was cold, cloudy, and rainy, and then the next day
would be bright and sunny.
Well it was about 10 years ago when there was a break in the
trend. The sun was standing tall, the
skies were clear, and the weather was warm.
It was going to be an awesome 4th of July.
Our garage was packed with the usual array of
fireworks. We would have enough colored
explosives to last us through the night and well into the morning. Whoever thought of the phrase, “Your money
going up in smoke,” many very well have had my father in mind. Except in His case it was going to be very
beautiful colored smoke.
However there was only on aspect of the day that I am going
to write about today. Ten years ago, at
my house there was an epic one-on-one Roman Candle War.
The idea started with a passing comment. No more.
I war of fireworks. But it was an
idea that started to fester in the mind of my brother. He started to plan, scheme and strategize
about how to turn our arsenal into a war of the ages. A battle of fireworks, how incredible would
that be?
He got together with his best friend, Zack, who was over at
the house that day, and together they started carefully eying the kaleidoscope
of bright packages that was neatly displayed in one of the bays of our garage.
In the end, the weapon of choice turned out to be the Roman
Candle: a stick of gun-powered that shot ten flaming balls of fire at about two
second intervals, each one with increasing velocity.
My contribution to this battle seemed relatively small at
first, but proved to be pivotal by the end.
I insisted that they wear paintball masks for eye protection. I was not about to lead my brother about by
the hand for the rest of his life while he carried a white cane if it could be
avoided.
Our lake-front property had a relatively small back yard,
but the tight dimensions only served to heighten the rules of engagement. My brother and his friend stood at opposite
ends of the rectangular cut of grass.
They were not allowed to advance, nor were they allowed to retreat. They could only move back and forth laterally
along the edge of the lawn.
With a lighter in one hand and a roman candle in the other,
this modern day dual was about to commence.
People were lined along the balcony of back deck, looking down at the
gladiators below. A paddle boat passing
by had stopped to see what the fuss was about.
It was go time. Ready: the fuses
were lit with spits and sparks. Aim: the
weapons were raised and pointed squarely at the opponent. [Silence].
Fire: the first flaming ball shot out of the end and gently arced toward
the other side.
Each person easily parried the volley with a side step and
got ready for the next round. For a
spilt second there was a moment of let down.
Would this battle really be so anti-climactic? A second later we all go our answer. When second shot exploded from the ends with
increased force and velocity, we all remembered the nature of the weapon. This would be a fight that would increase in
difficultly with every shot.
As the set of fiery balls crossed paths and hurtled toward
their opponents, the young men had a little more trouble getting out of the
way. It was not the velocity of the shot
which made it difficult, but rather it was the surprise combined with the realization
that each subsequent shot was going to come with ever faster speed.
The third round fired, and was dodged on both sides. Each person was ready for it, bending their
knees so they could jump from side to side.
Then the fourth round, it was faster still. Zach was able to dodge the shot just fine but
in doing so, he did not keep his Roman Candle pointed at my brother. His own shot went awry. He was going to have to keep his weapon
pointed at my brother at all times, if he was going to win. Neither person could control when their
firework would go off, which only added to the challenge.
By this time, the weapons were not in sync with each other. Run.
Stop. Duck. Dodge.
It was as much of a mind game as anything else. Each person had to anticipate where the other
would be, and shot at that point while dodging at the same time.
Fifth Round. Sixth Round. The shots were coming faster and faster. By this time the boys were dodging rockets
that were being aimed straight at their heads.
Seventh Round: my brother’s shot was flying right at
Zach. He just barely ducked his
shoulder, and volley whizzed passed his and exploded off the concrete retaining
wall behind him.
Eighth Round: my brother was running right, and Zach fired
right in front of him. He tried to stop,
only to loose his footing and slide to the ground. The firey ball zipped over his head and ricocheted
off the tree behind him in a flash of sparks.
Ninth Round: my brother fired while still half on the
ground. Zach tried in vine move his
midsection out of the way. The shot nicked
his hip.
Tenth Round: as Zach was still in mid-dodge from the previous
round he pointed his weapon right at my brother’s head and it went off. The final shot went off like a cannon. It was as if time were going in slow
motion. The flaming bullet was racing
right for my brother’s face. He saw it
coming, but shot was moving faster than the electronic signal from his brain to
his muscles. There was nothing that he
could do. The flaming gun-powered
splashed off the protective mask with a splash of color that resembled a Chinese
fan of light.
Was that it? Each
person kept their weapon pointed at the other not wanting to take any
chances. They were still on the balls of
their feet, ready to dodge an unexpected discharge. Nothing.
There was a collective sign of relief that started down between the two combatants
and made its way through the entire crowd.
The battle was over. The war was
done. Everyone had survived.
The two went over to shake hands, and compare battle
scars. Zach’s shirt was badly singed,
but was no worse for wear. My brother
was absolutely fine; the paintball mask fulfilling its intended purpose. It had been a tie. One hit apiece. And although each one of these young men was
highly competitive, the intensity of the dual was more than anyone
expected. This one would be a draw for
all eternity. It would go down in the
record books as an even match, and one never to be repeated.
Thank you all for reading. If you like the page please feel free to follow it, and or share it with a friend. See you tomorrow for more adventures! Take care and God bless!
