Life and Times of Us

Looking to 2012

2011-12-28T13:51:00.000-08:00

2011 is almost over, it's been an eventful year, a growing year, and a challenging year. I found these questions helpful in looking forward to the next year:

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression than I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
3. Do I confidentially pass on to another what I was told to me in confidence?
4. Can I be trusted?
5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
7. Did the Bible live in me today?
8. Do I give it time to speak to me every day?
9. Am I enjoying prayer?
10. When did I last speak to someone else of my faith?
11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
13. Do I disobey God in anything?
14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy.?
15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
16. Am I jealous impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrusting?
17. How do I spend my spare time?
18. Am I proud?
19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
20. Is there anyone I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? I If so, what am I doing about it?
21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
22. Is Christ real to me?

Should Christmas only be about Christmas?

2011-12-19T14:51:00.000-08:00

There is a cultural war brewing in America. Each year we see traditions such as nativities, Christmas tree lighting change to holiday displays and holiday lighting. The word Christmas - which comes from Christ Mass, the celebration of Christs birth seems to be offensive to those of no or little faith. The desire of change is to create a pure commercial holiday, with out Christ. How will the next battle of this war be waged?

I just finished reading an article by Rebecca Hagelin, It's worth the time, she's done a great job of laying out the battle lines -> We need Christmas now more than ever.

Is the World Going Crazy, is is that just me?

2011-03-02T04:18:00.000-08:00

Over the last few weeks we've seen unrest break out in many parts of the middle east. Much of the turmoil has been simmering for years, but why all at once. Is this the tinderbox that past presidents have been so careful not to disturb? I believe that freedom is a right given by God to all mankind (if offended womankind also), but is freedom the end result of these outbreaks of unrest? If we carefully examine the founding of the United States, a majority of colonist opposed a war, but enough were willing to band together and fight for what they believed to be an absolute "That all men are created Equal, and are endowed by their Creator with Unalienable rights, that among these is Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness." These were rights that they would later give more definition in the constitution.
If the end goal of the Middle East upturn is to give them a higher view of Life, real liberty and the freedom to work, worship, and live in peace I would say it's admirable. As of today, I have not seen these statutes as a sign of what is happening, What I see is tyranny followed by more tyranny. There is no goal for a higher freedom, just a change to something new.
These are my thoughts on the matter, please comment if you wish to correct me.

Texas is Growing

2011-02-18T03:45:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Census data is out, and Texas has a growing population, actually growing enough that it will get four more representatives, bringing the total number for the state up to 36 from 34. This means the redistricting struggle is about to happen again! Wait and see how our state representatives in Austin will consider slicing the pie.
2010 Census Data - 2010 Census

Idolotry in a Nation of Idol Worship

2011-01-08T04:43:00.000-08:00

My very thoughts today are pondering on something I heard yesterday on the way home while listening to Wretched Radio. It was a quote from a pastor in South Carolina, he was talking about 'The Modern Church'. The church with great worship bands, great music, great lighting, great sound, the preacher doesn't use a pulpit. It's a worship service at any church today. I don't know of a single church that still has an organ and that's it. The question is... of course.. why? Why does our church need these tools for the theater? Could our church even exist for one Sunday without the video projector? Could we hold a service if the pastor didn't have a wireless mic? When the service is over, are we thinking about the 'Worship Experience' or are we convicted by the power of The Word?
The very fact that I'm pondering these things is making me rethink what I do. Each and every Sunday I'm thinking about the lighting, the visual, the sound... But am I thinking about the lyrics to the song, am I being convicted by the message? Is this idol worship? This is weighing quite heavy on my heart, because I love my church, I love my brothers and sisters in Christ. But if I'm worshiping something... anything other than God alone, it's idolatry. What's so different between the theater and the church? Why am I even go to church? Is it more for the entertainment value than true worship? If it's even a little bit towards the entertainment value I'm worshiping an Idol.

Looking forward to Advent... Looking forward to Christ's Return

2010-11-17T04:29:00.000-08:00

Advent to many of us is a time when we open the calendar with the doors and the hidden chocolate, or maybe it's the decorations, or maybe it's the shopping, the food the festivities. But, do we often get wrapped up in the festivals, and forget the true meaning. Advent is looking forward to the coming of Christ, the savior of the world, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and remembering his first entrance into the world (incarnation) and His return. Often when I think about Jesus's return I think about Jesus's parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-3. When I celebrate Christmas with the folly and festivity, am I also putting oil in my lamp? Am I prepared for His return? Am I foolish, or am I wise? Or will I simply fall in to the daze of Christmas, and not even remember the reasons for the season. Be prepared... His return is imminent.

This world is not my home

2010-11-16T10:29:00.000-08:00

This week I was blessed to hear an honest message from God, a constant reminder that this world is not our home. So often I want to be comfortable, I want to avoid suffering simply because I buy into this Idea God wants better for us because He loves us.. He does love us, but his plan for us is so much bigger than our comfort. God wants nothing of us, He needs nothing from us, He loves us so deeply, but this world is a dying world, it's simply a shadowland.
If we suffer, we must give Him the glory, because it's so much better on the other side.
When we have loss, we need to give Him the glory, because there is no loss on the other side.
When we have pain, we must give Him the glory, because there is no pain in Heaven.
When we see evil, we must give Him the glory, because there is no evil in Him.
When we are given much, we give Him Glory... Don't we? Maybe.. Sometimes we might recite a prayer... a speech of thanksgiving, a mumble of praise.
We live in a fallen world, and I want to live Gloriously giving all praise to my King, my Creator, my Savior, my God. It was God who saved us, who provides for us, and allows us to see this depraved and wicked world for what it is. It is also God who created perfection, though I don't think I can even comprehend a world that isn't bent to sin.

I would recommend if you have time this week, listen to this little sermon: CrossPointe

Where will the next year lead us

2010-11-11T18:25:00.000-08:00

It's November and I'm already looking forward to change... some kind of change, either for the better or the worse, but change is defiantly on the horizon. With Gold prices at all time highs and the dollar dropping like a lead balloon, change is happening all around us. Will our country be struggling with a stagnant economy, or will there be no economy to speak. Tax cuts won't be an issue, because there won't be money to pay the taxes, we will be a country in poverty, debt up to our eyeballs and no means to pay.
Next year we might see China take the lead as the worlds superpower, what will that mean for the world, for human rights, for everyone? We could see increased hostilities against the United States, maybe even on our own soil. Who knows, we might even see Texas secede from the union, and California become a territory because it's so broke.
What might happen and what will happen are two different things, but what's for sure we are looking for Change.

Pondering General McCrystal's Downfall

2010-06-25T02:49:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I'm a historian at heart, I want to know what was the pivotal point in our history's epochs. As anyone who studies history knows, there are points, decisions, which are made that can change the course of an outcome. Though we only see the results in hindsight, the fact is there was a decision, and it had to be made. There are two types of decisions, calculated and impulse.
A calculated decision is one that was thought out, the risks were weighed, and the facts were thoroughly investigated. This type of decision doesn't take place quickly, each decision will lead to another decision, which in turn must be evaluated and dissected. The game of chess would be a perfect example of a brute exorcise in calculated decision making.
Impulse decisions, are made from a single point, a single fact, and usually these are emotional in bases. This single decision might seem small, minuscule, not leading to anything, but usually these are the chinks in the armor of a well thought out person. I'm not stating that there is a negative value to impulse decisions, because we make them every day. This is the decision of coffee over tea, or milk vs cream. The fact is both impulse decisions and calculated decisions exist each and every day.
General McCrystal's downfall wasn't far from my own each day. He made an impulse decision due to the stress of his schedule during a few weeks where air traffic was grounded in Europe. He made the decisions to talk to a person who represented the press in it's brute power, and rather than being a short few hour discussion, led to a longer period of time when more information could be disseminated... information that didn't need to be shared. I wouldn't blame General McCrystal completely, he acted honorably, he was good at his job, and was a true leader. Where General McCrystal went wrong was having control over the situation, and calculating the risk, the risk of talking to a member of the press, and allowing his staff the same privileged.
Was McCrystal wrong in his opinions, I have to say no. He had the right to have those opinions, he had the right to voice them to the correct channels, and I'm sure he did. Where General McCrystal went wrong, was he allowed a wolf into the sheep pen, knowing he was a wolf, and knowing that the sheep were sheep. An impulse decision became his downfall.
I have a lot of respect for General McCrystal, I hope to see him prosper in our great country. He is a true patriot, a true hero.

Happy Census Day.. April Fools Day.... Maundy Thursday...

2010-04-01T10:56:00.000-07:00

Maundy Thursday is really an interesting day, it's the day we celebrate the Last Supper, or the meeting in the upper room by Jesus and the Twelve. Maundy is the old English translation of mandatum or "A New Commandment", The statement which Jesus made "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you" as he washed the twelve disciples feet. Tonight my church will have a Maundy Thursday service, where we will celebrate the Lord's supper, and also have foot washing, a service where members of the church demonstrate servitude to the body, as Jesus demonstrated to the 12.
We must also remember that Jesus knew Judas was going to betray Him, but He chose to wash his feet. He demonstrated "Love your enemy as yourself", and as I write this I ask that of myself. How am I willing to lay it all down knowing, trusting, that God will be glorified, and that he will keep his covenant. When we reach this level of trust will our lives be transparent to others that they might see Christ living in us? I have to believe so, when you look at lives of those eleven disciples. All of them but one died at the hands of others, All of them but one preached the message of Christ resurrected. Which of the twelve am I like?

In an effort to monitize my blog

2010-03-31T07:34:00.000-07:00

In an effort to monetize my blog I'll be talking about products and services that approach me for review and just to talk about what they do. Today Kodak Ink, for your Kodak printer, if you have one, has asked me to let you know that you can get your Kodak Printer Ink Cartridges directly from them by pressing the last link. George Eastman was the founder of Kodak over a hundred years ago. It was said his favorite letter was K, and with some degree of purchases and acquisitions of intellectual property, found Kodak was just a unique brand, which today still exists. Kodak was a great entrepreneur, who changed the way we remember things, making personal photography possible for billions of people. Think about purchasing a Kodak Photo printer for your computer, they make wonderful products and would really appreciate your sponsorship.

Where Will The Road End

2010-03-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

Each day I wake up with that feeling in the pit of my stomach, will today be the day that I get that Job I've been working so hard to find. This job market is a killer, and there really isn't very much more that anyone can do to stimulate an economy that's dwindling. I keep hearing reports on the news "The Recession is Almost Over". Almost is a key word in the story, since no one really knows when the economy will pick up. Currently I'm in 'Jack of All Trades' mode, where I do almost anything that anyone is willing and able to pay. The Census has been a windfall for us, but the job is 'intermittent' at best. With all work aside, it has really got me thinking about how blessed I am to live in a country where I have the right to work, where I can work has hard as I'm able, and as long as I'm able. No one can force me not to work, they can end my job, but it doesn't prevent me from finding a new job, or creating work for myself. People still put value in something, be it home, or family or just their God given ability, we all are blessed. I have a 825 square foot home with running water, septic, electricity, and internet. We are blessed to never go without food, and we are blessed to have wonderful friends who actually care about how we are doing? The fact is we are truly blessed.
Living on the edge, actually trusting that God will provide isn't exactly the easiest thing to do in life. When your son has a medical illness and needs medicine, but you have no money, it's hard to say that God will provide. When you look at an aspect of getting a job, but get turned down because the market is so competitive, it's hard to be positive. But why should I care.. obviously it's not where God want's me to be, it's not the place where God want's me to exist. The fact is God has me in his grip, and that's all that really matters.

Working on Promoting my Blog

2010-03-24T16:16:00.001-07:00

I'm finding I really need to start marketing my Blog. Below are some links of places where I'm listing my blog:

blogs directory

Can Children really be the Idol's of Adults?

2010-03-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

Now first I would never say I would knowingly worship my children, they are truly fallen, but I do love them.   Last night as I was driving, I got to hear 'Family Life Today' a program on our Christian radio station. The guest was Leslie Leyland Fields, a writer and speaker who was speaking on her book "Parenting is Your Highest Calling And 10 Other Lies That Trap Us In Worry And Guilt". I got to thinking about how I view my children, sure I want them to be happy, sure I want them to be well adjusted, educated, and ready to be adults, but really when is our expectation becoming Idolatry?
I had the pleasure last year sitting in on a lecture by Voddi Boccum at a homeschooling convention, his topic was Harvard or Heaven. So often we want our children to be smart and well educated, maybe we see success as a person who has a good job, or is 'Happy'. For many, they place expectations of high levels of education upon our children, only to find that they arn't well adjusted. The world really has nothing for us, and even a school like Harvard isn't exactly what it was when it was founded.
So how do children become the Idol's of adults? Every child is smart, beautiful, and perfect when compared to other children, they are truly a blessing from God! But the blessing is that they are for us to guide, teach, direct and a vessel of unknown potential. But what do they do for us? I guess you could see all your efforts shine as they reflect upon you... but that's really kind of selfish. Anything we do for our children expecting better rewards for ourselves is selfish, and really taking our focus off the most important thing which is Christ.
The fact is many of us have placed our entire purpose in raising our children, while we do have influence, we can't control the future. Jesus said "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." The real question is who do I love more, and If I do love Jesus more, than I can leave my children in His control. In the first chapter of 1st Samuel, Elkanah and Hannah give the one thing they cherished more than anything, their only child, back into the hands of God.   So also must I surrender my children as vessels of His purpose, never worshiping, but simply loving and guiding as He allows me.

Looking for a Blogger Theme?

2010-03-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, I redesigned my Blogger Theme, hope it fits the message of this blog. Currently I'm not doing very well with keeping up with the blog about my life and the world in general, I guess it's good to be busy. My current job just came to completion, and now I'm looking for the next job. The wonderful thing is God provides, and I know He's going to do with us as He wills, that I may bring Him Glory. Good news is I do have a job in 3 weeks with the Census Bureau if people don't fill out their census forms. So, my plan is to work on websites and themes for the next few weeks and post them on my website www.radrodweb.com, also if you have any ideas please share and I'll make you a free theme if you let me sell the idea.
Thank you for your continual prayer for us in these days, I hope to start really making this a daily action....

Kicking Your Kids out of the Nest

2010-02-19T13:05:00.000-08:00

   My wife and I have had an on going discussion about trends we see around us, kids who never mature.. Well they are physically mature, and probably cognitively mature, but spiritually and emotionally they aren't prepared to be away from home. Usually the trend is a mother and father who are very loving, very concerned about their child's well being, but maybe to an extreme. The real question I'm asking myself is: Will my kids be able to leave home at 17. Now I picked 17 because a young man or woman by the age of 17 should have enough common sense to live on their own, 18 is only a legal age (and gives us an extra year in case they are slow).
   What are the common sense type of things should your son or daughter be able to do for themselves? Laundry, cook, clean, pay bills, balance a check book, budget, self control, be a good citizen, be responsible for themselves and for those around them. Of course there are plenty of other things, but I see so many 'Kids' and I would personally call any child over 17 an adult, but they arn't because they are lacking in so many 'common sense' things. A hundred years ago, a 17 year old man would be courting, and even marring, starting a family, working in a business, a farm, they were responsible.
   So why has it all changed? If you follow the talking heads on TV, they might say it's a cultural evolution, and kids need to stay home longer, and I have to say 'Rubbish'. The responsibility is completely in the hands of the parents to train up their sons and daughters to leave home. What's the exit plan? I hope to continue this discussion over the next week as I pull my thoughts together.

Season for Giving

2009-11-03T06:53:00.000-08:00

     We serve a Great and Bountiful God who has promised to provide for all our needs. This year has been tough, as I've found the economy is not being kind. The value of labor is not exactly what it was a year ago, and declining each day. But the one thing I still cling to is the Love of God, and his provisions. It's in the tough times we really get to see His hands as they provide for our needs. Each day we see new blessings, and we know that he is providing, so we in turn can give and in turn be the hand of Christ to people who don't know Him.
     The weather here in central Texas has turned bitter quite quickly, I'm amazed at how cold it is in November. I've also noticed that there are a lot more homeless people wandering the streets of Austin without coats or blankets to keep them warm. A dear friend of mine has also seen the need and taken action. This is the third year that T.C. has collected coats, blankets and other items to help keep the homeless warm.   Consider this year to help those who are in need, as I ponder this same subject.
        Often I find myself dwelling on our current problem, and of course there is always a problem, we must accept it. But why can't I turn my eyes from our current needs to the needs of others, and provide for them as God provides for us. I challenge you, as I challenge myself to cast our burdens on the feet of Christ, and while waiting for his returning help to resolve the problems of others. I want a deeper expectation of Gods provisions, but I'm not going to wait for him, but give away what I can for His Glory.
           We say "God is always good", why don't really trust Him completely?

To Christ Be all Glory and Honor.

Should Palin go on Oprah?

2009-10-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

Politics are always quite interesting to me, and to have a degree in political science seems like an oxymoron. With that said, can there be any kind of scientific reasoning to why Sarah Palin should go on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show'?

Oprah, queen of day-time TV and diva of the media, will have for the first time as a guest Sarah Palin, former Alaska governor and plain speaking vice presidential candidate. Sarah just finished her book 'Going Rogue: An American Life' a memoir of her political career. Until now Palin has strayed away from the main-stream press, especially Oprah Winfrey, major supporter of President Obama.

So how does dialogue on a stage like Oprah's sway public opinion? There must be some impact since President Obama won the election, or is that conjecture. What are the variables needed for a potential candidate, like Palin, to become a 'real' candidate that people could actually give a vote. Will Palin's book actually influence what people think of this Mid-American Gal? Of course someone has probably got numbers, but when it all comes down, it's the fact that our political elections are more popularity contests than substantive polls of policies and procedures.

I personally like Sarah Palin from what I've read and seen in the media, but does that make her a good leader of the free world? Are there other people who could do the job that have more experience? What does it really take to be president? According to the U.S. Constitution, she totally qualifies.

I'll reserve my opinion on whether she should run for president, but going on Oprah is really a 'no-brainer' if she plans to sell her book.

like a Flower and Withers away

2009-06-11T04:55:00.000-07:00

Life is short, it's really short. According to the CDC the average lifespan is 77.7 for anyone living in the US. That sounds like a lot, sure, but the older you get you will see how short life really is. As of today I've lived only about 13519 of my 28391 days, I'm young.. but still life goes by quickly. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 103:15 "As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;". What a great word picture, a field of grass and each day. In Job 14:2 it says "He springs up like a flower and withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure." How true, when we think about our feeble lives, and how frail we will become. Eventually we all die, it's a fact, so what have we done with our lives up to now? What will we do with our lives going forward? How can we live each day with purpose and passion that it's going to be sooner rather than later we will die. If I had one request today, it's that each of my days have more purpose, more vision, and driven to Glorify God with each breath of that day. Will I fail, sure, will I fall into the the dry place, it's all going to happen, but will it happen with ambition and drive to live as if I was the only person left who is responsible for expanding the Kingdom?

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy work be done.

2009-06-09T04:06:00.000-07:00

If anything, the last few months have taught me a lot about kingdom focus. When we live in the valley of life, and the grass is green, and the waters are calm, it's really easy to be content with life. When it's comfortable, it's good for us, but is it really good for God's Kingdom? When I'm placing my focus and my inspiration on what's yet to come, I look at this world as being a stale, pale, dead place in comparison to the next kingdom, to God's kingdom. Each day I find myself yearning for Christ's return, each day I'm told to have patience.

What does it mean to let go of this world, to let go of the stuff and place my focus on things yet to come? One major area of focus would be to understand that God has placed four wonderful children under my arms, to protect, to guide to educate, to shepherd into His kingdom. Am I doing this well, poorly, not at all? My focus is usually on the roof, food, and insurance... things that are important, but under God's providential hand, not mine. I work, but am I working to glorify God, or am I working to make money? The dance steps are all the same, its just the motivation of how they are performed.

May I turn my focus away from the 'Shadow Lands' and forward and upward into the kingdom. May this world keep turning pale and dim as I walk forward in the His kingdom. May each day I live as if I'm an Alien in an Alien land, and simply passing through to my real home.

-------------------
As a side note to my daily blog, I would like to make a recommendation to one of my favorite books: The Last Battle By C.S. Lewis. It's the last book in the Narnia series, and by far the best book. He describes the "Shadow Lands" and really describes "Kingdom Focus" through this great story.

A long walk in the desert places

2009-04-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

As some of you might know, I was let go from the last job I was working. I'm not bitter, resentful or upset, it was the right course of action and I was a cost center rather than a generator, so I agree when belts need to be tightened costs must be reduced (I wish I could say the same for the federal government). This has been a great time to just trust, to lean back and let God lead my path, and a path I will place completely in His capable hands. This does not mean do nothing... These last four weeks I've met and talked to more people about business and needs, and ministry. My real desire is to work somewhere my job is ministry, where my life is transparent, and I can minister to those around me. Over the last few weeks I've felt like Elijah, who was fed by the ravens, waiting on the Lord for the next step... the right direction. The Resume's are out, and I send out a few each and every day, but I'm really enjoying the time I spend with people just learning about the needs. I would not say we are in a depression, but more in a re-tooling period. So many companies are just taking this time to rethink how they do business. Please keep me in prayer as we find where God is leading us.

Review and discussion of Hymns

2009-01-09T05:50:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I had a great lunch with a good friend of mine. We were talking about worship, but I expressed my desire for deeper expression of what God has done for me, and is doing through me. I grew up in mostly conservative northern churches, where hymns are staple. I didn't think about it much growing up, but now I'm often drawn back to the lyrics of the hymns by Wesley, Luther, Newton, and so many others. Over the next month I'll be starting a stream looking at the messages, theology, and doctrine of the hymns.

All I want is happiness

2009-01-09T05:41:00.001-08:00

Got this from a news story I ready this morning:

In tech beyond the big shows, an 18-year-old hacker calling himself GMZ admitted that he guessed the password of a Twitter administrator ("happiness") and hijacked high-profile Twitter accounts, including Obama's, Wired's Threat Level reported.

It's amazing what people's passwords can tell you about a person, we are all dreaming for some level of perfection, we are constantly striving for something better, even if it's just happiness. Where in the world do we get such a notion if we were just products of evolution. Common, my cat never dreams of having a bigger cat house. What is this 'thing' which drives us to always be looking for better, could it be that we were made in the image of God?

Just my thoughts...

How would your life change if you knew God didn't exist?

2009-01-08T02:49:00.000-08:00

We are all confronted with a life of constant churn, trying to survive to the next day. Day after day I'm faced with moral challenges, dealing with things such as need, wants and desires. I'm confronted with an advertisement system which tells me "if it feels good, do it" but a struggle with a moral consequence to that action. I was taught that stealing, slander, cheating on my wife, murder, envy, not honoring my parents, and respectful speech of God is the moral standard set down by my Christian worldview. When I'm needing money, I don't rob a bank because of my moral standard.

Does a belief in God truly affect our moral decisions? According to The Pew forum on Religious and Public life 88% of Americans are sure or fairly sure that God exists. 57% of Americans feel that you need a belief in God to have a moral standard. The funny thing is the generational gap trend is showing that this is also a changing perspective. In the US 61% of the people over the age of 40 that were surveyed and only 51% of the people between the ages of 18-39 said there must be a belief in God to be moral. That means the trend is moving to a belief system which doesn't rest upon a higher moral authority.

In my last blog I talked about altruism, and how I don't believe that any human is selfless. I think that from the infant to the oldest of us, we are all selfish by nature. When we were born, we didn't desire the best for our parents, all we thought about was our needs: Food, warmth, and comfort. My argument is that if we are left to our natural desires, without some kind of external influence in our lives, we would have no moral standard. Even those who claim "there is no god", live under the shadow of His presence.

So lets just pretend we live in a world where God never existed, there never was a god. What would this world look like, how would it function, what would be the norms and morals of this society? What would the standard of human value be based upon? What is the worth of a person, merely what they are capable of producing? What would be the purpose of living?

Is Altruism real or a product of selfishness?

2009-01-07T11:15:00.000-08:00

The term today is "pay it forward", the idea that you do something good for someone, not out of need but a desire that they in turn will do the right thing. I love the Liberty Mutual commercial which starts with one random act of kindness, observed by a third party, and then shared over and over again. Wikipedia says altruism is selfless concern for the wealfare of others, but is this true, do we as humans truly have a selfless concern for anything?
I often ask what is a persons motivation for doing something, is it fame, is it recognition, is it expecting something in return? If our volition, or motivation for doing anything has anything to do with our welfare in anyway, then I would claim it as being selfish and thus not altruism. I read a great article where a guy "payed it backwards". He even claimed his motivation was selfish, he wanted peace from a very unrest filled situation. My exploration is not into the question of "pay it forward", but rather into the motivation of a person who does that random act of kindness.
As many of you know, I am a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ. Much of my motivation to do selfless acts has everything to do with my world view. I am motivated to help people selflessly, not to gain favor with God, but rather to demonstrate the selfless act of Jesus Christ. I often question my motivation for doing anything good, it's truly a struggle for me. Am I trying to gain God's favor, when I know from the Bible He loves me without condition of my actions. If I'm doing good, am I doing it to be more righteous, like the pharisees of Jesus day? The Pharisees would make sure everyone saw the good they did, and received praise. To this Jesus gave a great response, recorded in the book of Matthew 6:2-4

2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

This is a great passage to really reflect on as I think about how do I go about doing things that will help people. First I must do it in secret, I like this, because on many situations I've run into people who give money, and demand to be recognized for what they've done. They receive fame and honor from the action, and thus would be a reward in itself. Selfless acts must be done without any rewards. As a recipient of good will, I've often wondered what the motivation of someone who gave, are they looking down at me for not having as much. But when that item just appears it is a miracle, it has no cause and effect, it has no response, there is no reason for it. But now as a Christian, am I doing this for another reason... if you read the passage you will pick up on the motivation it gives: "Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." I now push the question forward, is there such a thing as true Altruism?
I think there is only one example of true altruism, a true selfless act, which no logic can truly understand:
The Master Creator, the Author of time and Space, God. He created everything to His standard which was of course perfection, we call his perfection Holy. He created beings, to enjoy what he created, not because He was lonely, or He needed them, but truly wanted to share His creation. This would be the first major act of altruism. But something entered the world which caused his creation to become corrupted, it was anything but his design, a term we call sin, which means missing the mark, or less than perfection. We live in a world were sin is normal, it's expected, it's the way things are. I can't even imagine what the world was like in it's perfect state. As a creator, he had two options: He could of course start over, like a potter who smashes down his pot or a painter who re-primes the canvas. His second option would be to correct the wrongs, and resolve the offense. But the offense had a cost.
When I think of cost, I'm often drawn to our current economic situation, where the system of monetary balance is off-kilter. The banks who are overdrawn because of the corruption of itself, and greed of people misusing credit, are now going to be bailed out by the federal government, which represents taxpayers, which is about everyone. The cost isn't isolated, it effects everyone. So the cost of Sin is huge, it's not perfection. If a Holy God accepted any perfection, lets say he just ignores it, He is no longer Holy. For God, the logical thing would be to start over, but He didn't.. He stepped into time and space, and took on flesh, and became a man, the God Man, Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect life, something impossible for all of us under the curse of sin. As a blameless perfect lamb, died on the cross, removing the curse of sin from those he loved. Not to gain their favor, because they have nothing to give, they we slaves, they were in debt to perfection. You see, that I believe is the second truly altruistic act ever committed on our planet.
What is your opinion of altruism, am I off the mark, please let me know.

New Year, New ways to make a living...

2008-12-29T12:32:00.000-08:00

As the New Year begins, we are facing a time of financial turmoil and frustration due a lot to the fact that our economy must go through the withdraw pains of credit abuse. Think about it, we've been so addicted to credit as a nation, that even the solution involves borrowing more money! Sorry to say, this will not bode well for us going forward, and inflation will eventually take over. Currently Treasury bills are being issued at around 0% interest, meaning they will have no value to the holder (and will cost the holder with inflation accounted). This is the writing on the wall for many that it's time to get all the ledgers straight as we move to a period of belt tightening.

So what's a family to do during times of recession? Well, it means you need to produce more and make more capital in order to pay those raising prices. I know it's a tough time to ask the boss for a raise, since most companies are trying to cut those costs also. This is where innovation and creative thinking must reign.

Start with getting your household in order, make a living budget that includes what it cost to live right now. In a financial planning class I took some years ago, they suggested you create a log and write down every cent spent. Do this for 1 month including all your bills, nail down where all that money is going, down to the item purchased if possible.

Now understand what you are paying for, if a loaf of Organic top shelf bread is costing you $2.53, look for other solutions. Bread machines at a thrift store might only cost you $15.00, and a loaf of bread with a machine might only cost $0.45 to make. Consider making bread not just for you, but also for your neighbors, at $1.20 a loaf you can make up the cost of the machine, and also put a little cash into your pocket.

Electricity is another huge cost, though our bill is normally about $150.00, there are a ton of ways to save which are simple, like unplugging those voltage adapters (the big bricks on game systems and cell phone chargers) when not being used. These are often called 'Vamps' simply because they suck electricity even when not being used to charge the batteries. What did our great-grandparents do before they had electricity... well they used candles and lamps. This is also a simple solution, though does not necessarily provide for cost savings.

Another simple solution, which uses a lot of our time is TV, consider firing your TV. I know Americans spend a lot of time in front of the TV, and this isn't very productive time. Instead, read a book, take up a craft which could provide a source of income.

I know that what I've written above isn't revolutionary, actually it might seem downright barbaric to some. Times are changing, and things aren't going to get easier. Right now is the best time to pay off those credit cards, loans, and mortgages and try to get as debt free as possible.

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Disclaimer: The ideas and thoughts above are mine completely, and don't endorse or promote anything other than my thoughts. Please leave comments of suggestions if you have any ideas yourself for saving money, or making extra money during lean times.

Christmas Conspiracy

2008-12-09T08:08:00.000-08:00

This is the cheerful time of the year when we are buying like crazy, and getting ready for that one day when we give (and receive), only to have a shallow feeling of joy. The mood is comfortable, as we gather around the fire and enjoy something simple like Hot Chocolate, Tea or Coffee, not even considering that these are all made with water, a commodity so valuable, yet so many people in the world lack clean water. People are in need! Wouldn't it be better to give something which last for generations, rather than a few weeks?

I've outlined below a list of organizations who's purpose this year is to build wells for drinking water in areas where no wells exist.

Advent Conspiracy

Living Waters International

Hydrate Hope

Samaritan's purse - water filters

Samaritan's purse - Fresh water well

Your Kingdom Come, Your Will be Done!

2008-05-08T04:32:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, two weeks ago I lost my job at Dell. I lost a lot in the way of security, and self value (false self value), and just overall direction. My job was my life in more than one way, It provided me value for who I was as a person. In this way I can look back and say that my job was an Idol, it was taking up space which God wanted to occupy in my life. I was sinful and wrong for making my job take the place of God, and I fall on my face now asking God to forgive me to help me gain His vision for my occupation.
God does bless those who are in the process of discipline, He provided a nice severance package, and two months of paid Cobra. Over the past few weeks, I found out that my oldest son has epilepsy, which has also made getting a job more important. But now the question is where does God want me to work? What does he want me to do? Well the answer to this first question was actually pretty easy.

1) What should my occupation, or the purpose of my work be? I found the answer in Matthew 28:18-20 "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you . And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Of course this is simple to say, but hard to actually do, where ever God wants me to work, my purpose will be to reach out to those outside the Body and present my life as a living gospel.

2) What type of benefits package should I be seeking to cover my family? This is a really hard one, at Dell this was a security blanket I trusted but in Luke 12:22 Jesus says this to his disciples: " Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes. Consider the ravens; They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like on of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink, do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well." This is really hard, put powerful. God wants me to lay down every bit of security on His Alter, burn the Idols and trust that He will provide for me better than Dell provided for me. I know this is crazy talk in the world of "You must have health insurance" world we live today. The real question is can I live by faith that God will provide the things I need the most? Matthew writes the same quote in his gospel account Matthew 6:25-34, but in Matthew 6:33-34 he writes "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." My focus is now returning back to that Kingdom view. My job has to be kingdom focused. My occupation MUST be kingdom focused. My benefit package must be placed into the hands of God.

3) What should I do? Currently I'm unemployed. I can't stand here idle, I must work, actually work is what God created me to do. So what is my work? I'm really good at understanding technical things, I'm able to break up a project into simple tasks, I can write programs, I can learn stuff quickly, I can communicate technical things, and train people by making complex things simple. Currently I'm working on projects at my church (http://www.crosspointeaustin.org/) building technical processes. I know these are all marketable skills, I could easily get a nice cushy job in a big company. Other skills, which are just as important include teaching The Bible in a simple and practical ways, being a servant, taking on things which has no immediate gain because I envision something great. These are not very marketable in the pagan worldview.
Which is currently vexing me. The above list is what I do, It's was a gift I was given, How does this fit into the purpose, the occupation of building the Kingdom?

About an hour ago I woke up from a sound sleep with an idea, something tugging at my heart. I must find a company where I can do my work, the gifts which God has blessed me, along with building the kingdom. I want to make a global impact for the kingdom.

John 4:33-34 in this passage the disciples have just rejoined Jesus after he met with the Samaritan woman at the well. Of course the disciples being guys have that simple human response "Have you eaten yet?" The reply of Jesus is so simple: "My food" said Jesus "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'Four months more and then the harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his waves, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying 'One sows and another reaps' is true. I send you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor."

The job is simple, yet so profound. I need to be a reaper, I need to work in a company where I'm not a robot, and I have relationships with people on the other side of the globe. I need to work for a company who has no qualms about spreading the gospel, actually a company who's mission is spreading the gospel. A company who's work is allowing it to grow into the ends of the earth so it can hire people and present them with the gospel.

Back to the question of my occupation, what do I want to do with my life? The answer is simple, to do His will!

Please keep us in your prayers,

A bond Servant in Christ

Stephen Frick

Looking for a leader

2008-01-07T18:32:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, well most of you know, The United States is now in it's process to find a new President (just in case you were hiding under a rock). This time, the campaigns began a lot sooner than expected. On the path to show he or she is the right person for the top job, A job by the way that doesn't really pay well for a CEO, and has a lot of headaches. When this position originally opened, it was more of a figure head. Some of the founders didn't even want the position (like Ben Franklin), but now after 232.5 years this job has become pretty important. Today the position has the unofficial title of "The most powerful man/woman in the world" since the US is the largest superpower.
The question which I want to pose is what is the purpose of the office? Today some might say the office has the power to make people rich, provide food for the hungry of the world, cure Aids, Cancer, Drug abuse, maybe even RLS. The President can make war, and end war, and can even make peace. But what can the president actually do?

can spend or not spend money, given to him by congress.
can approve laws, or veto bills.
can appoint Judges to the Supreme court, and other federal courts.
gives guidance to the offices which report to his office.
negotiates treaties
and many more duties

Now with all this power comes the responsibility to do what is important to the American people, but what do the people think in general the president will do for them? Some think that this person elected will solve all the problems, when in reality it isn't one person who can make any decision, it takes the entire congress, courts and executive branch to make it work. So, when we vote for a person, we are voting more for the ideas of that person than the person in general.

Another New Year, time for more thought and pondering

2008-01-02T08:50:00.000-08:00

Hello friends and family. I want to thank everyone for your prayers during my major time of need. As most of you know I was burned a month ago (Dec 1st 2007) while outside burning brush. Our last year has been full of ups and downs, but the most important thing is we saw the Hand of God protect us during some very scary events.
Besides being burned, Kimberly had a large growth on a ovary which had to be removed, and my car was stuck in a low water crossing (still not running). But thru the shadow of death, we saw God protecting us each step we trod. On the high notes we see our children grow each day. Also Kimberly and I had an opportunity to again go and work with friends in the Ukraine reach out to more students for the Kingdom of God. God has been so good to us!
This next year is going to be again full of other adventures still unseen, but we know that his providence will cover us completely. My hope for the next year is that I will step out from my comfort zone, and truly stand at the edge of the Precipice and rely only on His faithfulness to truly live my life.

New Years Resolutions
I've been keeping track of my goals for the past few years, and I would like to share with you a great site! www.43things.com is a place to keep track of what your top 43 things, and you can also post messages, ask for help, and just get motivated to do what you really want to do this year. Feel free to check out my site: http://www.43things.com/person/SFrickTexas

New Blog on Homeschooling
We are actually newbie's to home schooling, but we would like to share what very little we've learned or used that works for us.

And of course we want to keep in touch more with our Friends and Family. While being laid-up after the burns, I learned (and became addicted to) face book, a really cool site for sharing with people. You can now find both Me and Kimberly on the site. Our Prayers are with all of you, and May God Bless you all during this New Year.

Faith

2007-11-10T04:33:00.000-08:00

This week I've been focusing my personal studies on the concept of faith. As I started thinking about how faith looks like in my life, I noticed I do place a lot of faith in my own works. So what does it mean to have unfailing faith in the perfect work of Jesus, and how do I live my life in this way. This morning I found this hymn 'O, for a Faith that will not shrink' by William Bathurst. Here are the lyrics:

O, for a faith that will not shrink,

Though pressed by every foe,

That will not tremble on the brink

Of any earthly woe!

That will not murmur nor complain

Beneath the chastening rod,

But, in the hour of grief or pain,

Will lean upon its God.

A faith that shines more bright and clear

When tempests rage without;

That when in danger knows no fear,

In darkness feels no doubt.

That bears, unmoved, the world’s dread frown

Nor heeds its scornful smile;

That seas of trouble cannot drown,

Nor Satan’s arts beguile.

A faith that keeps the narrow way

Till life’s last hour is fled,

And with a pure and heavenly ray

Lights up a dying bed.

Lord, give me such a faith as this,

And then, whate’er may come,

I’ll taste, e’en here, the hallowed bliss

Of an eternal home.

Wow, these words really gave me some insight into my own life, Faith is living without the fear of earthly things. I personally know earthly fear, I worry about things like 'will I loose my job?', 'How are we going to get through the week with $20 bucks in the bank', 'What will people think?'. The second verse brought me even more conviction, Would God allow bad things to happen to his children to teach them? Of course, trials are a way for God to get our attention, to bring us in line with His will for our life. Faith requires me to take notice, take comfort, and understand that God will always provide a way. I need not look to myself when bad things happen, but cling to my Lord and Savior, who is my provision. When being disciplined I need to look to God for answers.

So I found some answers on faith:

Faith must be placed only on Christ alone. Faith in anything other than Him is vain and useless.
Faith is constant, and only builds with experience. Noah had faith, and it took him a long time to build the Ark. Maybe he questioned if it would ever rain, but over the long term he kept the faith, and he finished the Ark.
Faith must be complete, and each action of life must act out the drama which points to faith in God alone. Can I look past and see each action I take as an act of following Christ without faultier? And when I do see my action as faith in something else, can I correct it?
Faith in Christ, that my failures are covered by His perfect work on the Cross.
Faith in Christ, that when bad things happen He will be glorified by it's out come.
Faith in the fact that this world is nothing but a shadow land, and what will come is the perfected of what I see today.

Care for my Neighbor

2007-10-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

At our church, we are going through a study which is making us take some introspective views of how we live our lives. Last week the discussion surrounded around the idea of who is my Neighbor? Jesus during his ministry was asked what is the greatest commandment, and Jesus responded with "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Of course the next question this guy (who happened to be a lawyer) "So who is my Neighbor?" Who do I love more than myself?

My Family? Of course that's a given
My Friends? Of course that's easy
My Boss? Sure, He's a nice guy
My Neighbor? When I see them, they seem to be nice (as they drive into their garage and shut the door)
How about the child who needs a foster home?
How about the shut-in lady down the street with all those cats?
How about the lady that you knew, who's in the nursing home?
The Hairy guy on the corner holding the sign "will work for food"?
How about the guy sitting in a prison cell for armed robbery?

Who is my neighbor? The bigger question is: Who am I called to love more than myself? Who am I willing to selflessly sacrifice so they can have what they need? Who am I willing to leave my comfort zone to reach out towards?

Also on a side note, if you are reading this blog , I would encourage you to write to me with your comments, thoughts and opinions.

Government and the Christian Worldview

2007-10-04T06:34:00.000-07:00

As we again move into a new election cycle in the United States, we are bombarded daily by political messages. Some of these messages are informative, and tell us things which the politician plans to do, and helps us understand how they will govern. Other messages tell us things about the opponent, and faults and failures, also helping us understand how they will govern. Even more there are messages, which aren't true, and will also help us understand how the person releasing the message plans to govern. But the real question is Who Governs us?
In the democratic societies we elect our government, but where does true government begin? Does it start at the White house, Congress, and the courts? Does it start at our State, at our county, at our city? Or does it start at our front door, does government start in our Hearts? William Penn, the founder of the Pennsylvania colony once said "If men will not be governed by God, they will be ruled by tyrants". These words are so true. As A Christian living in America, I understand the freedoms I hold so dear, but I also must know that these rights are a gift given by God, not by man. If I choose not to be governed by God, He has all authority to place a tyrant over me (us as a nation). I must understand that God is the highest point of government, and self-government (aka self control) is my responsibility. We live in a world which has a low view of ethics, morals, and virtue. As a Christian I must live with with a high ethics, high morals and virtue! Government starts with me.

2007-07-24T13:14:00.001-07:00

Steve is a great guy!

Currently Dealing with a complex life

2007-07-17T05:34:00.001-07:00

Please keep me and my family in your prayers. We are scheduled to leave on a two week mission trip starting the 27th of July. On the 5th of July, during some very heavy rain, I crossed a low water crossing, causing my car to stall. Thru the providence of God, I survived but my car is not in working condition. This is causing a little strain getting ready, since we live so far from anywhere. With only one vehical, Kimberly is stranded at home with four children. Please pray for their protection during the day, and also pray that we will be able to get ready to leave. On July 24th we will fly to Philadelphia and spend a few days with my parents before leaving the children in their care.
As you can see much has happened in only a month. I know that there are a lot of forces trying to keep us from getting to our destination, Kiev. Please pray for our team also, that we might be prepaired to share the Gospel in love and truth.

Learn something new everyday...

2007-06-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

I've always made this a thing I do, learn either how to do something new or learn how something works. It's amazing how we build upon our knowledge by collecting fragments of information and tie them together. Today I went to a lecture on SQL Server 2008, and the new features of that database. I can remember 5 years ago that subjects discussed would have been way above my head, but today it all makes perfect sense, because I use the information. The fragments of information I don't use, don't get tied to knowledge I already have, and probably get lost. As I think about how we as humans map out pointers to information, to tie these fragments together to see the bigger picture. Fragments of knowledge can also be false, or un-true, so we are always challenging what we know by adding more information, experience, and other fragments of knowledge. Learning is really exciting, because as we build our minds to map all this trivial information, we can build it together and actually become an expert in this field. Everyone and anyone can be expert, just by picking up information and putting it into practice.

Beauty of Nature and the hands of God

2007-03-05T14:20:00.000-08:00

Often I wonder and ponder at the beauty of the world around us. How can a person say that this vast creation is nothing but a mass of randomness. The patterns of nature are the fingerprints of the divine. Is there truly a random spot in the universe, a spot which can not be touched by the creator? If what we see is nothing but the raw forces of nature acting upon itself to it's own bitter destruction, then what is the purpose of the pursuit of beauty? There is a true understanding of beauty which we all hold, no one can say that beauty doesn't exist. If beauty was just a norm, then there would be no pursuit of the best, if it was too rare there would be no standard of beauty. Even in the heart of evlolutionary thinking, there is a best and a strive for the best. But why would this be programmed into the DNA of cingle cell creature. Does it have the understanding or the view point to understand it's total demise, and the demise of it's genology are totally built into the decision it makes? If it has no understanding of beauty or perfection what type of decsion can be made to make the next evolutionary step? That programming in itself would take trillions of years of trial and error.
As I ponder the question of beauty, I do see it as devine in it's nature. How can man in a corrupt estate of sin ever understand and admire beauty in itself. I am nothing but a worm, but with insight granted only by God can I step back and admire, but not truly understand beauty. Beauty, as I understand it, is the only glimps of God I can view thru this veil of mortality here in this life. Yes, these are my thoughts today.

100 Cards via Postcrossing!!! now I'm at 104

2006-09-26T19:58:00.000-07:00

Yes, this week (a little later than I expected) I made it to the 100 club. The really cool thing, is now I have 96 Cards received, and a few more on the way. I think I might keep going and set another goal at maybe 150. This is worth doing, and it’s really a lot of fun.

See more progress on: Send 100 cards via postcrossing.com

Mr. Chavez, Button your lip

2006-09-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

I know in the US there is always bickering and back biting over issues and politics, but when is the blow below the belt? By what authority does a dictator of a thirdworld country have the right to back bite the nation which is hosting this open forum of free speech. Yes, there is the constitution of the United States, which has no bearing on his reign. It was advantageous that he took such liberties in a free forum, when he himself affords none of these freedoms to his own people.
There is much contempt in the world for the United States. Many countries wish they could guide the destiny of this great nation, but these liberties were only afforded to Americans. Yes Hugo Chavez has the ability to look like a fool before the nations, even as his nation sinks from the scope of the modern era.
There is a public forum of the world community, but the question I pose is substance rather than personal attacks. I normally don't agree with Bill Clinton, but today I will agree that in politics, personal attacks are not in etiquette. In any of Mr. Chavez's speeches has he placed any merit of proof for this claims, or has he stated a fact which will make Americans ponder a new epoch in their history?
Remember Mr. Chavez, Americans have the choice to buy your oil or not, this is truly substance.

These are my thoughts on this matter.

It's not impossable, yet its hard

2006-05-03T05:35:00.000-07:00

I live in a rural part of Texas with my wife, and four children. Our church is 45 miles away, and getting there on time has been hard. Like any family with many children, organization is a key to success. Here are some steps I have taken and they might help: 1) Clothes out the night before to include shoes and socks. I’ve found that the shoes and socks are the things which actually take the longest to find on a Sunday morning, and matching socks and shoes are almost never to be found on Sunday Morning, having everything ready the night before saves that needed time. 2) Diaper bag always packed.. It’s really bad when you get 13 miles from home and that thought “Oh No! We left the diaper bag at home” very common for the new parents (and old alike). One thing we found is to have a ‘emergency’ diaper bag in the trunk of our car at all times, and saves on the backtrack! 3) Harmony – Often trips which are less planned tend not to have the same level of harmony. I’ve found to have things to keep the children occupied (like tapes, CD’s, games) in the car help to keep them from fighting. Also rules which don’t allow picking, nagging, or bad attitudes are a must. This way the trip doesn’t become a drag, you’ll want to drive your family to church because this is a great time for family bonding. 4) Sunday Breakfast. For our family making breakfast on Sunday morning was a huge drag on time, though eating out does cost, it saves in time. This is the one time of the week where fast food is allowed. If not fast food, then having something, which can be eaten quickly and without a mess in the car (granola bars, breakfast bars, pop tarts, etc.) 5) Pack the night before, Bibles, extra clothes, anything you need should be placed into the car the night before.

See more progress on: Get to Church on time

Calvinism and the Great Commission

2006-05-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

I have never really had a problem with sharing Calvinism with love, since it’s a theological bent, not a religion. We are all Christians, and I look lovingly on my Armenian and Dispensational brethren, who are just as much an heir of the Kingdom, as am I. We might not agree on the systematic of theology, but we can agree on the core Christian principles. There is a great misconception with our other Christian brethren, that Reformed means frozen chosen, and we do not have a zeal for the Great Commission. Even though it is very rare, that you might see an ‘alter call’ in a Reformed Church, they have a zeal for preaching the Gospel without a ‘watered down’ message. We (Christians) are not called to convince people to believe (how do you convince a fish it is a good thing to be trapped in a net), we are called to preach the Gospel. The work of Regeneration is solely in the hands of God. May the Church never be complacent in completing the work of the Great commission.

See more progress on: Share Calvinism more lovingly

Learning to lock things away

2006-01-31T12:21:00.000-08:00

CIMG4538
Originally uploaded by emma b.

In our society it's not proper to talk about personal things, things which are often hard for others to understand. Being public is only a facade of something which is much more sinister. There is of course hope, that all these things which I lock away are not to be locked in lost, but dropped and shared with God. Yes I do have comfort in knowing that He, will understand my problems, my personal things. He created me in His image, and the flaws which sin makes, can only be healed by the creators hand. I'm not perfect, I'm far from being Holy, but I do know that imperfections need to be resolved. I can not do it on my own, I can not act like I'm able and capable. But I do know that God is capable, and will, by His good will and mercy make me the Man who He wants me to be.

Day One, Road Trip to PA

2005-12-17T21:19:00.000-08:00

Hello family and friends, today is Day 1 of our road trip to the North for Christmas. Yes, I'm driving North with my wife and wonderful children. We are now at our friends house in Alexandrea LA. Tomorrow we will attend church here and head off on the road. Very exciting not having to worry about work.

Uber or Metro, What's the deal with all the labels

2005-10-12T06:44:00.000-07:00

Metrosexual - a feminized male. Ubersexual - more masculine than the Metro. But the real question, what is wrong with Masculinity in the first place? It was only about a year ago that I'd even heard the term Metrosexual, the queer eye guys (or should I say people) directed us to a more feminized fashion consciences male. Clean lines, talented, able to cook, clean and also recite poetry to woo the women (or men?). But the real question, what do women really want? I mean that's the only reason guys go to a spa to have their back hair removed (ouch!)
I think this entire question goes back to the 'Sexual Revolution' in which women really got mixed up, no longer was it acceptable to raise a family while your husband brought home the bacon. It was ok to be a professional mom, who saw the kids as they jumped on the bus and when you arrived home. The professional dad did the same, and the kids, well they survived and got a title also - latchkey (I would prefer to say, 'child with key'). Then that became unpopular when the kids (while making microwave popcorn) where burning down houses and joining gangs. Then the Idea of the 'stay at home daddy'. Think of it, little Tommy is at school and is teacher asks him what he wants to be when he grows up, 'Well, I want to be a stay at home Daddy'.
This was a good idea, but budgets got stretched, and well the guys just sucked at the nurturing thing. Women wanted a 'fixed family' opposed to a 'broken family', so growing up in 'broken families' women started to look for 'mommy like' men- well the Metromale (Metrosexual). Men who could keep house and cook and clean and be more sensitive to the offspring. But now well, these guys aren't guys - they are Metromales, not as attractive as the husky man that smelled like sweat. Ubermale? I'm confused... (maybe I'll have to retake that 7th grade sex education course again) and that's all I have to say.

Good Asian Food In Elgin

2005-10-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

This is a regular stop during my week. Usually in a given week my wife will call at least once and ask me to bring something home, and “Hong Kong” usually fits the bill. Good Chinese food, on the more normal American style, A very good house fried rice.

See more progress on: Hon Kong Restaurant

Totally Fun to get mail from People you don't know

2005-10-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

I’ve been doing this since August, and It’s Great! I wish the mail would travel quicker, but I’m enjoying the giving and getting from this great website. I would encourage anyone to give it a try and send at least one postcard.

See more progress on: start postcrossing

Does Being Productive mean showing Progress?

2005-10-10T12:51:00.000-07:00

I’m a software developer, and most of the time it’s hard to show that I’m productive. I work long hours, and I do a lot, but I don’t have anything to show for my progress (other than I’m closer than I was before). I want to show progress and I want to be productive. I’m still trying to identify the things which don’t make me productive (like distractions, and meetings, and things which don’t add to the final goal of the output). I have to determine what productive means for me so I can determine what the goal will look like.

See more progress on: work more efficiently

Amazing Evolution? Or Design?

2005-09-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

Dragon fish
Originally uploaded by sthtbs.

I was watching the Animal Channel yesterday and they had a little snip about the Dragon Fish, a small creature which lives off the coast of New Zealand. This amazing fish, blends in to it's surroundings. It gets so camouflaging that when the female need to lay her eggs in the males egg pouch (yes the male carries the children) his tail has to turn red otherwise she wouldn't be able to find him. How did the male even evolve a way to indicate he was there, because it contradicts the fact he is camouflaging, and if he is so well camouflaging then the female would have never found him so he would have had no reason to evolve such a trait since by the 'survival of the fittest' they would have all died since they wouldn't find each other. Does anyone know if the sea horse has this same trait?

When I Grow Up...

2005-09-28T11:39:00.000-07:00

My house
Originally uploaded by Beaukiss Steve.

What is it about kids that they love playhouses, playclothes, and even play tools? Do they really want to grow up, or it just the process of growing up. Actually I think I'm a big kid, with my real tools and my real things, but the play things probably where just if not more importaint. I have no Idea where this picture was taken but from the look on his face he's happy. Maybe because it's just a space he can call his for a few seconds, or maybe because he fits right in. I really need to make more point of taking pictures of my children doing the play things, so they can have something to look back upon when they have the 'real' and imagine just how wonderful the play was.

Cool New Webpage

2005-09-27T04:27:00.000-07:00

I’m woring on my new cool personal web page, actually my personal family web page to show off pictures of the children. I’m reading a book on SVG scripting, I think that will make the website very cool. I guess I should add that as a task to my 43 things, but I have too many things to do. SVG Scripting is very simple, the only thing is that you need a plugin to actually use it, so the down side is if people want to see my cool site, they have to download a plugin.

See more progress on: finish my personal web page

Those "You've been Pre-Approved" Letters

2005-09-24T15:35:00.000-07:00

We have a huge grocery sack which we keep by our sink which get’s filled in a matter of 2 weeks from all the Pre-Approved offers, which always Suck! I mean, why would I pay some company $25 bucks a month, so I can use a card, and pay them even more. I’ve started to go thru the offers with a highliter, and highlighting where I want changes then I mail the offer back without signing and give them a counter offer of lets say 0% interest for 10 Years, and you pay me for using your card. Then I fill the pre-paid envelope with this ton of paper and send it back. This must cost the Credit card company because, A) I didn’t accept thier offer, B) They need to pay someone to open the letter and read it, C) they have to pay for postage – plus the funny thing is they have to draft a custom letter back saying that they don’t accept my offers (so they need to spend even more money). I’ve made it plain all I will shop with is Federal Notes, Cash….

See more progress on: destroy credit card companies

Went to My wife's reuion....

2005-09-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my wife had her 10th reunion (I skipped my 10th) and I went along kicking and screaming… but it wasn’t really that bad. It was actually fun to meet her old friends and see how people interacted. I actually had someone come up to me and try to convince me that she remembered me from when we were in school (LOL since I didn’t go to her school, ever!). I could tell she had a good time and people actually had good memories to share even if the High School experience was awful. I think I would make the effort to go at least once because there were some good memories of High School.
I want to make the Goal to attend the next High School Reunion for my Class.

See more progress on: go to my high school reunion

My Goal

2005-09-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

To organize my Stamp collection and add at least 25 ‘newer’ stamps to the collection this year.

See more progress on: collect stamps

Buisness Plan

2005-09-23T14:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend my wife and I are working on her ‘Buisness Plan’. Trying to figure out how her buisness will work, and how she’s going to make money. I’ve found a place where we can rent a portable office (we own lots of land, and they will drop off the office near our house). This way she can work at home but also have her own place to work. Now we have to make sure that her buisness can pay for the expenses.

See more progress on: Help my wife start a buisness

It doesn't matter where you live, you need one!

2005-09-23T14:39:00.000-07:00

I think everyone should have one, I think Rita shook up people around here where the shelves are now bare (2 days before the storm even hits) and gas stations are empty. This is a true wakeup to me that if this were an emergency without warning (i.e. terrorist attack or earthquake) we would be helpless. Make sure your pack acessable at any time, and ready to move. I plan to keep our kit in a closet and keep it packed, and check it once a month to make sure nothing is expired or needs to be rotated out. It never hurts to be prepaired, it might even save your life.

See more progress on: Organize my 72 Hour Kit for Emergency Preparedness

Dinner with Family

2005-09-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

When I think about what priorities in my life take precedence, I have to say that spending more time with my family is at the top of my list. My day is hectic but I have to make a point of leaving work before 5:30 PM, so I can be home to have dinner with my family. I’m going to make a goal for the next 5 days to be home every night to have dinner, at the dinner table, with my family. I’ve heard all the experts say ” have meals with your family” and I believe in it, I just need to do it.

See more progress on: spend more time with my family

First Day without a snooze

2005-09-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

I’m proud to day today, I woke at the first beeping of my alarm clock and didn’t press the snooze or turned the alarm off. I was actually able to get up, get ready for work before getting my kids ready for school. I got to work early, and actually started a more productive day, all because I woke up on time. I feel good about my day, and I feel good that I was prepared to wake up.
I think more and more the reason I tend to sleep in, is because I don’t want to deal with the ‘stuff’ of the day. If I feel it’s more of a challenge, something I can beat, I’m more willing to go the next step. My goal is to do this for two weeks straight, and then I’ll work on making it a habit (50 days).

See more progress on: wake up when my alarm clock goes off

Not of this world

2005-09-16T11:54:00.000-07:00

My reading today is from John 17 Jesus is praying to the Father, and of course explaining who he is. He is talking about how God the Father has given Jesus from the world some "whom you have sent". I know that by the grace of God, and only by his Grace I am one of them, but later Jesus talks about Us - "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ". Wow, my protection is on the heart of God, but more so my desire should be not of this world also. Jesus then asks - "Sanctify them by Your truth, As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world". A great commission. As I dwell on this, I relies so much of my focus is on the world, and I bring Glory to God by my focus becoming part of His focus. But How do I know his focus, but to put those words onto my heart. How can I live my life as if I was a stranger, an alien in an alien world.
I do struggle with much, but I know that Jesus has bigger, and better plans for each of us, bigger and better than we can imagine. We must First trust, that he will guide us, and lead us to where we need to be. Also, we must depend on Him each day, trusting he will protect us from "The Evil One" and from the world which hates us. Do I live my life in such a way that people know that I'm not part of the world? Do I focus too much on the earthly treasures, and not focus on the ones stored up in Heaven? How should an Alien live his\her life on an alien planet?
Just my thoughts for today

Work on a Kit this weekend

2005-09-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

I’m going to set down and make a goal to work this weekend and buy everything I need for an emergency Kit. I plan to make two smaller kits for our vehicals, but One ‘Portable’ kit we can take in an emergency and move without any hesitation.

See more progress on: emergency kit

Save Money for those Rainy Days

2005-09-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

It seems at least in my life, Rainy Days seem to come whenever it looks clear. I guess Murphy had something on this type of fate. But those Rainy days are what keep me from my goal of being debt free. An example was how last spring, my wife was hit on the side by a front-end-loader. It took us 4 months to get the insurance money to pay off our vehicle, but we lost all future use of that vehicle thus we lost money, now we are back in debt more because we bought a replacement vehicle with another loan. There are a lot of costs which just aren’t covered by insurance. But how about situations like Katrina, how could having some extra cash help you be more prepared for what happened? My plan is to put together a small savings account that I can get to In case of an emergency. What is the best way to stash money away?

See more progress on: Save money

Remove the Idols of My life

2005-09-14T07:41:00.000-07:00

One of my things, my most important thing is to Glorify God and enjoy him forever. This has been a constant review in my daily study. Today I was read 2 Chronicles 23 and 24. It's a story of a Priest who was trying to rid the Idols of the nation, and one thing was to find a true king who would lead his people. The Wicked ruler Athaliah lead the people to worship baal. God was not pleased, and the new king a young man Joash was to refurbish the temple of the true God. But he too had Idols which lead to his destruction. No one is perfect, and we all have Idols in our lives. God often is merciful and gives us an opportunity to repent, in Joash's case he sent Jehoiada son, Zechariah who like his father was a godly man. But those who had the ear of Joash convinced him to kill Zechariah, who was acting on God's behalf. For this reason God turned on Joash and made the small army of Syria win over the large army of Judah.
What are the Idols of my life, what are the things I put before God? Why should I have anything that takes precedence over God? How should my life look each day as I live this principle out? How does our nation look when the Idols are removed? What are the Idols in our churches, in our schools, in our homes?

Lord, Help me to live humble, let me only gaze upon you. May the things of this world fade from my sight, may I only focus on you. Tear from my life the Idols I clutch, turn them to dust in my hand. Make my sight clear, may I Glorify you with my life.

The Search for Truth

2005-03-07T08:29:00.000-08:00

It's really amazing how many people just don't care about truth. In thier own minds, it really doesn't matter. Truth for the most part is subjective, and abstract, it's each owns decision, and realitive to the situation which a person could be in. Today my reality doesn't consist of truth, just a bunch of subjective paths which could be choosen, no one is better than another. I'm an ameba, which moves the direction I choose, but that direction has no realitive reason. But reality with out truth can't be reality, there is nothing to shine a light and compair. I understand that too many people don't care becuase they don't want to bother with figuring out what this truth could consist of, what this truth even looks like.
Today is the start of truth.

Bush, Kerry both ahead in the Polls!

2004-10-28T15:52:00.000-07:00

It's Ironic when all the news is about how the news statisticians make the news. I mean, who do you think is actually polling people beside the two parties? Well, of course the News organizations, and of course the parties polls are bias, so we trust the News.

I always try to understand a person by what angle they take things. I mean if I were to go ask a fish sales person what their favorite fish today was, well they will tell me which fish they either are trying to get rid of or the most expensive, both a means of making money. There are no altruistic motivations from politicians or news agencies, everyone has a bent.

When I use the term bent, I'm saying what is the core motivating force which causes that entity to do something. We know that the news agencies give us 30 minutes, where they tell us what they think is important. So because they think something is important, does it make that important to us? If my son hit a home run at his little league game, I don't see that being a blurb on our local, let alone our national news. So what makes something important.

Well first they need to determine what people are willing to tolerate, I mean if I don't want to watch something, I find something else to watch. If I can tolerate the news for 30 minutes, well they've hooked me to that degree. Of course why do they want a large number of Americans watching, is so they can sell us Advertising.

So besides the news they are giving us, they are selling us stuff we don't want or need, but it pays the bills. Our 30 minute news cast is now down to 25 and some change. There is no way that you can fit all the news of the world today into 25 minutes.

So we need to determine what is most tolerated by the majority of the views, so that they can sit and be sold goods they don't want or need. So they need some kind of number which tells them who is watching and what they want to see. Nielsen media of course has the nitch which tells everyone who's watching what. They simply poll (using your tuner in your cable box) or ask people what they are watching at any given point in time. This way they can determine which news company has the most people, and the general demographics of the people who are watching.

Now as far as me, I've never spoken to Nielsen Media so their statistics don't represent me, or many other Americas. (This we can say about everything including the presidential election). But what they do, is get a number from other people who might be like me in some way, and use those as a sample to determine who watches what.

Now back to what's important, as I said before the news's Bent is towards commercials, and the people who want to pay for those commercials want lots of people to see those commercials. So We can say their bent is towards the money. But, to be a devils advocate, what about those public TV stations, they don't have commercials. Of course they get their money from other places, like donations (yea, those annoying call-a-thons) and business grants (which is very much like commercials) and of course Federal funding, all three which come out to Money. Well heck, it's the American way, Almost everything has a bent towards money.

Now that I've dragged you down this rabbit trail, let me digress back to the point of topic, these wacky polls. You see right now, the polls don't matter. In some states, like Texas, people are voting in early elections. So these call around polls don't tell us anything, And the news agencies are perpetuating the suspense by making these polls drift up and down. Of course there is only one reason why? I'll let you answer that one.