So when the mama bear is away the cubs play. The "big" boys and I planned hikes both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday we drove Aufderheide Memorial Drive between Oakridge and Blue River to go to the Skookum Creek campground trail-head to hike in to the Erma Bells however the trail to the Erma Bells was closed so we went to Otter Lake. As we left the house I was thinking I should get a jacket "just in case" but I was already out the driveway and I had the boys in long sleeve shirts so we should be okay. But as I drove I thought that maybe that was not such a good idea. I was right … it was cold! But we survived and had a nice time. Hamburgers at the Vida Café ended our day on the way home.
Sunday after church we headed back up HWY58 to look at a mobile home park that is for sale this side of Westfir (Oakridge) and then hike the Moon Falls and Spirit Falls trails. This time we all wore long pants and jackets. There had be a very slight drizzle off and on during the afternoon but when we got out at Moon Falls it was dry. I had the boys put on hats but I left mine in the van … it was dry out. Well, about 5 minutes into the hike it started raining. Not the "slight drizzle" of before, but rain. We got wet. But it was warm and beautiful, so no problem. It is an easy (1.2 round trip) and beautiful trail through tall canopy trees with healthy undergrowth. In the fall, the change in colors will be very nice. Moon Falls are very tall going over huge rocks.
Spirit falls is also beautiful. It is a moss-covered water-fall, the moss makes the water separate into thousands of streamlets, stunning. The trail is steeper but short (.8 round trip). Hamburgers and ice cream at P-Hill DQ ended the day nicely.
Lori had the camera with her so I have no pictures this time. I am taking up an offering for a new camera (I am lusting over the Canon 40D). Let me know if you want to donate (cash, check, paypal accepted).☺
Sep 21, 2008
Hiking Weekend with the Boys
Sep 19, 2008
"Talk Like A Pirate" Day!
I almost missed it!
This international holiday started by two guys playing racquetball at the YMCA in Albany, OR back in 1995 (www.talklikeapirate.com/about.html).
But it did not really take off until Dave Barry wrote about it in 2002 (www.miamiherald.com/283/story/100129.html).
They have a website -- www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html
MySpace site -- www.myspace.com/pirateguys
YouTube site -- www.youtube.com/user/OfficialWench
Sep 11, 2008
Purdue should offer Oregon first test
September 10, 2008 6:35 PM --- Posted by ESPN.com's Ted Miller
Purdue coach Joe Tiller apparently is playing the San Francisco 49ers -- Joe Montana variety -- this weekend, not the 16th-ranked Oregon Ducks.
Oregon's offense?
"Well, you try to see if Coach [Mike] Bellotti will agree to allow us to play -- I spent nine years in Canada, playing Canadian defense, which is 12 men, versus 11," he said. "That's probably where you start. Outside of that, I don't have any answers. They're a very explosive team with both the run game and the pass game. So they're just a handful."
And what about that Ducks defense?
"Fast, faster, and fastest is how I would describe their defense," he said before comparing the Ducks to the Washington defense for the Huskies 1991 national championship squad.
"I don't see a weakness in them defensively," he concluded.
Hmm.
The Ducks have been dominant in dispatching Washington and Utah State by a combined count of 110-34.
Even with a number of key injuries, the offense ranks No. 1 in the nation with 592 yards per game -- 332 yards on the ground -- and is fifth in scoring (55 ppg).
As for the defense, it shut the Huskies out in the second half and has yielded just 274 yards and 17 points per game.
So Tiller, who will retire at the end of the season, isn't just being silly.
Still, it's clear that the Ducks haven't been tested, a fact that Bellotti freely admits. The offense, in particular, has faced a pair of pillow-soft defenses, so it's probably premature to compare this year's offense to last year's nearly unstoppable unit led by QB Dennis Dixon.
"We'll certainly find out this weekend," Bellotti said. "We haven't been stopped too much in the first two games."...
Painter figures to test the Ducks athletic, veteran secondary, which -- surprisingly -- hasn't grabbed an interception this season after ranking second in the Pac-10 with 20 last year.
On the other side of the ball, Oregon, despite its eye-popping numbers, still has questions, such as its three-man rotation at QB, topped by Justin Roper, with Jeremiah Masoli and Chris Harper offering relief.
"All three have done some really good things," Bellotti said. "They complement each other."
Also, tailback Jeremiah Johnson is nursing a bum shoulder, though he's expected to play. If he can't go, LeGarrette Blount stepped in with 132 yards and two TDs against Utah State.
Oregon, of course, is hoping for a repeat of its last Big Ten road trip: A 39-7 win at Michigan last year.
"Now it's up to us to carry that Pac-10 banner," Bellotti said. "But that's secondary in my mind to us winning the game.
Sep 8, 2008
Sep 6, 2008
Funny story of the day…
We went camping Thurs-Sat up at Olallie Lake, which is above Detroit, which is west of Salem. It was a very nice time (I will post many pictures later). It was beautiful, the only sad point was being in the mountains … I missed hearing or seeing anything about the Duck game until it was over.
On the way home we stopped at Burgerville in Albany for dinner this evening. Now Albany is Beaver Country being that it is the closest town to Corvallis, but on game days I-5 becomes coated with green and yellow as cars drive down and back from the towns and cities all along the I-5 corridor. When we arrived at Burgerville there were a three groups of Duck fans already in there and I was wearing my green OREGON hat and a green shirt. After we sat down another family sporting the green and yellow showed up, also.
After we had been eating for a few minutes a guy pulls into the parking lot and gets out of his car, but he pauses as he looks into the windows of the restaurant. You see his car has an OSU flag and he is sporting a Beaver jersey. It looked as if he sees the sea of green in his restaurant and decides is not safe in there. That is want it looked like, another guy in green noticed it too … the Beaver fan really got out of his car started to walk around it, stopped as he looked in the windows of the restaurant paused and then got back into his car and drove off.
BTW … the following scores from this afternoon might have had something to do with this young man's actions.
W --- Ducks 66 v Utah St. 24
L --- Beavers 14 v Penn St. 45
 | Currently reading : Modern Business (23 texts prepared as part of the Modern Business Program, 23 volumes) By Alexander Hamilton Institute |
Aug 30, 2008
Political Resume - 10 Facts About Sarah Palin - TIME
I think I like Mrs. Palin.
I see how the opposition will attack ... lack of national and international experience, however, like she says, "That's a healthy thing," she told TIME. "That means my perspective is fresher."
Michael Jackson’s b-day was yesterday (50th)
Go to the link below to watch a very good slide show and commentary (photo essay) ... The commentary is similar to my point of view on this part of pop history. Its part of my history ...
http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/2008/michael_jackson_50/
Or click on the title of this blog to see the photo essay.
Aug 26, 2008
1955 "Vintage" Camp Trailer
The guy in the photo is John, the guy we bought it from. You'll have to ask Lori about the gator made from bread.
They also went to Winchester Bay and played in the water for awhile...
Class Reunion - Wil-Hi Class of ’88’
This past weekend Lori and I participated in two events for my 20th Class Reunion.
Yes, it is true ... 20 YEARS! The first two numbers make me feel slightly old are the 20 year class reunion and 40 years old. The first has now happened, the second is still 3 years in the future.
Sadly, I have not kept in touch with any of my classmates, so we were a little nervous about attending.
The first event was at Quackers Bar and Grill Saturday night. Neither Lori nor I have frequented bars, in addition to the fact we were not sure if we would know anyone there made us almost back out of attending. However, once went in, we had an alright time. It was good to see old friends. It was interesting to get re-acquainted with friends of 20-25 years ago. There were some in attendance I never got a chance to talk with, which I feel bad about.
Sunday afternoon we joined classmates and their families at Roaring Rapids Pizza in their outdoor eating area. It overlooks beautiful rapids on the McKenzie river. Nice place. It was good to see and talk to a few more friends at this venue, as well, but again I did not get to talk to a few people I would have liked to.
Fun times ... after twenty years!
 | Currently reading : The Ohio River Trilogy 1: Betty Zane (The Ohio River Trilogy) By Zane Grey |
Aug 4, 2008
Tamolitch - McKenzie River
They have two hot springs-fed swimming pools that are cooled down to 105 degrees. Yeah … a little too hot to swim in, but very nice to soak in.
We were able to go on a couple hikes while there. I got the opportunity to take Lori to the beautiful Tamolitch Falls (a.k.a. Blue Pool or Tamolitch Pool).
I have hiked in there 5 times, but this time the pool was different. The water level was higher and there was water coming out of the rock wall. I guess all of my previous trips have been later in the season. I understand that earlier this year there was actually water flowing over the falls.
Next Spring I hope to make it up there earlier to witness this.
Most of the year the water flows in from below. A lava flow from a few thousand years ago spread across the McKenzie valley. The water of the McKenzie River now flows under ground through the porous lava rock and lava tubes for a stretch that ends at Tamolitch. The pool is very cold and very clear and very beautiful.
Aug 3, 2008
Clear Lake Cabin - Boys Fishing
Lori's folks rented a cabin for all of us at Clear Lake this past Thursday night. The cabins are simple fishing cabins with no indoor plumbing and the lake does not allow motorized boats so it is a little like going back in time. It is a very nice place.
Bud rented two row boats for us to use Thursday night and Friday.
All three boys caught fish! Cade's first, Zane's 2nd, and Luke's 3rd. Cade's reaction was the best tho, he caught his as we were heading back to the docks on Friday. As soon as he gets it in he starts yelling to everyone in sight "I caught a fish!", "Boom-Boom, I caught a fish!", "I caught a fish", "Papa, I caught a fish!", "Lolly, I caught a fish!", "I caught a fish!", "Joy, I caught a fish!", "I caught a fish!"... I am fairly sure everyone on the lake knew this 2 year old (he turns 3 this month) caught a fish.
Jul 24, 2008
Diamond Lake - The Boy's 1st Fish!
Zane and Luke caught their first fish this weekend. We went camping with my mom and Bruce at Diamond Lake ... a place I spent many a weekend, both summer and winter, as a child.
Anyway, the first night Luke caught two rainbow trout and Zane caught one. The biggest two were, 15 1/4 and 15 1/2". Nice fish!
| Currently reading : Cottage Living, July/August 2008 Issue By Editors of Cottage Living |
Jul 3, 2008
Jun 10, 2008
Funny story of the day…
Jun 3, 2008
New Wearable Feedbags Let Americans Eat More, Move Less
New Wearable Feedbags Let Americans Eat More, Move Less
Excellent idea, I can't wait to try it. They have not made it to Eugene yet, must just be in the big cities so far.
Jun 1, 2008
Challenge to You - 30 Days of Proverbs
It's June, probably my favorite month of the year.
Both my birthday and wedding anniversary are celebrated the second week! 38 years and 15 years respectively, by the way.
These two reasons are not the reason I love this season though. I love the weather change in Western Oregon. The cool mornings and evenings and warm days, plus all the green around make it my favorite. Green grass, green new growth on the trees and shrubbery, and flowers all around. The cool air is crisp and clean. New life. It reminds of the new life we have in Christ.
June is also the month I chose a few years ago to be Proverbs month. 30 days of Proverbs. There are actually 31 chapters in the Biblical book of Proverbs but it works.
CHALLENGE TO YOU:
Over the next 30 days join me it reading one chapter a day from the book of Proverbs. It is an excellent book of wisdom in Godly living. According to the first chapter the Proverbs were compiled "to give prudence to the naive, to the youth knowledge, and discretion ... and to make the wise wiser" (1.4 & 5). And the secret of all wisdom is extolled in verse 7 "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction."
Along the way post your favorite verses ... there are some good ones and some slightly funny ones, even if true, such as:
"It is better to live in the corner of the roof, than in a house shared with a contentious woman" (25.24) or "a constant dripping on a day of steady rain and a contentious woman are alike, he who would restrain her restrains the wind, and grasps oil with his right hand" (27.15 & 16).
To be contentious is to be argumentative or quarrelsome. This is a life lesson for the young man and the young woman. Men chose wisely and women behave like a ladies.
 | Currently reading : Finish Carpentry (For Pros by Pros) Release date: 2003-02-01 |
May 23, 2008
Books read (2005-present)
In 1993 I started recording all the books I read (completed, that is, there are probably many others I never finished).
I got the idea from a book Louis L'Amour wrote about his own life, The Education of a Wandering Man. It is a good book by the way, he lead a very interesting life. Much of the information in his books are from the adventures of his life and from the fact he was a voracious reader. At one point in his life he was living in Portland, OR and was living on one sandwich a day and the books at the library. All of his novels and short stories have historical and geographical accurate details.
I record the books I have read in a small leather bound journal that my wife purchased for me to record my "accomplishments, goals, and dreams". In the journal I have also recorded major events in our lives. Like the birth of our boys, new jobs, house purchases, travels (i.e. Mexico and Washington DC and backpacking Eagle Cap Wilderness) etc.
Reading is enjoyable, I desire to read more, however I am a slow reader and get distracted easily. My family, TV, work, friends have taken priority in the last few years, but this year I am planning on reading more. In looking at my journal 2002 marks the year that my reading decreased substantially. This coincides with the birth of our first born. My wife and boys are priority, however, TV and internet time hopefully will move aside for more book and study time.
Have you read these books?
Are there any you would like to read? I have most of them in my library.
What do you think of my choice of reading?
Do you have a question about a book in the list?
Did you learn anything about me?
Below is a my list of books read by year, giving title, author, date published, and total pages.
2005-present
2005
1. The Journey Towards Relevance, Kary Oberbrunner, 2004, p 174
2. The Things That Matter Most, Bob Welch, 2001, p 234
3. As A Man Thinketh, James Allen, ~1900, p 31
4. River's Edge, Terri Blackstone, 2004, p 363
5. Experiential Storytelling, Mark Miller, 2003, p 157
6. A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller, 1970, p 142
7. Tested by Fire, Kathy Herman, 2001, p 314
8. What the Monks Can Teach Us, JK Jones, 2004, p 79
9. As A Man Thinketh, James Allen, ~1900, p 32
10. The Practice of the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence, 1958, p 112
11. The Dream Giver, Bruce Wilkinson, 2003, p 157
12. The Story of My Life, Hellen Keller, 1902, p 406
13. Yonderling, L'Amour, 1980, p 177
14. The Teeth of the Tiger, Tom Clancy, 2003, p 480
15. Paper Money, Ken Follett, 1977, p 253
2006
1. Body by God, Ben Learner, 2003, p 357
2. Child and Youth Immersion, Stephen M Compton, ~2005, p 36
3. What You Don't Know Can Hurt You, Raygene Wilson, 1999, p 147
4. Monster, Frank Peretti, 2005, p 147
5. The Godbearing Life, Kenda Creasy Dean & Ron Foster, 1998, p 220
6. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, T Harv Eker, 2005, p 210
7. Buffet-The Making of an American Capitalist, Roger Lowenstein, 1995, p 425
8. It Happened in Oregon, James A Crutchfield, 1994, p 111
9. Stories of Oregon, Anderson Collins, 1961, p 254
10. Breaker's Reef, Terri Blackstock, 2005, p 315
11. The Lonesome God's, L'Amour, 1983, p 450
12. See You At The Top, Zig Ziglar, 1975, p 384
13. Velvet Elvis, Rob Bell, 2005, p 194
14. Going The Second Mile, Mel Blackaby, 2006, p 174
2007
1. Surviving An Affair, Dr Willard Harley, 1998, p 216
2. Creating Affluence, Deepak Chopra, 1993, p 103
3. How the Markets Really Work, Joel Kurtzmann, 2002, p 156
4. Freakonomics, Steven D Levitt & Stephen J Dubner, 2005, p 242
5. Do What You Are, Paul D Tieger & Barbara Barron-Tieger, 1992, p 300
6. The Courage to be Rich, Suze Orman, 1999, p 370
7. Everyman's Battle, Stephan Arterburn & Fred Stocker, 2000, p 215
8. Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Robert T Kiyosaki 1997, p 203
9. Reminiscences of a Stock Operator, Edwin Lefevre, 1923, p 299
10. Pit Bull, Martin "Buzzy" Schwartz, 1998, p 306
11. The College Press NIV Commentary – James & Jude, Gary Holloway, 1996, p 173
12. Mountain Men, Rick Steber, 1990, p 58
13. Wilderness Trek, Zane Grey, 1944, p 304
14. Heaven, Randy Alcorn, 2004, p 516
15. American Nightingale, Bob Welch, 2004, p 308
2008
1. New Home Construction Green Building Guidelines, SLO Green Build, 2005, p 56
2. My Oregon, Bob Welch, 2005, p 289
3. Oregon Contractor's Reference Guide, 2006, p ~600
4. 12 Steps for the Recovering Pharisee, John Fischer, 2000, p 164
5. Lone Survivor, Marcus Luttrell, 2007, p 390
6. The Cowboy Way, David McCumber, 1999, p 337
| Currently reading : The Meaning of a Man: Discovering Your Destiny As a Spiritual Champion By Ronnie W. Floyd |
Books read (2001-2004)
2001-2004
2001
1. A History of The Church, James North, 1993, p 587
2. The Campaign, Marilyn Quayle & Nancy Northcott, 1996, p 478
3. Life to Life Discipleship, Kevin Greer, 2000, p 219
4. The Big Blow, Ellis Lucia, 1963, p 64
5. The Wild Water (The Big Flow), Ellis Lucia, 1965, p 72
6. Off The Mangrove Coast, L'Amour, 2000, p 273
7. Colorado Gold, Marian Wells, 1988, p 335
8. Out of the Cruciable, Marian Wells, 1988, p 317
9. A Biographical Study of Walter Scott, WA Gereard, 1992, p 252
10. The Prayer of Jabez, Bruce Wilkinson, 2000, p 93
11. Foxfire, Anya Seton, 1950, p 346
12. The Secrets of the Simple Youth Ministry, Carl A Blunt, 2001, p 94
13. Education of a Wandering Man, L'Amour, 1989, p 232
14. Flight from Natchez, Frank G Slaughter, 1955, p 284
15. May There be a Road, L'Amour, 2001, p 276
16. Jacob's Way, Gilbert Morris, 2001, p 411
17. Experiencing God, Henry T Blackaby, 1994, p 183
18. Secrets of the Vine, Bruce Wilkinson, 2001, p 126
19. Ride With Me, Thomas B Costain, 1944, p 472
20. The Lonely Men, L'Amour, 1969, p 171
21. Galloway, L'Amour, 1970, p 156
22. Treasure Mountain, L'Amour, 1972, p 187
23. The Log of a Cowboy, Andy Adams, 1903, p 287
24. The Immortal Class – Bike Messengers and the Cult of Human Power, Travis Hugh Culley, 2001 p 324
25. The Oath, Frank Peretti, 1995, p 549
26. Angels: God's Secret Agents, Billy Graham, 1975, p 175
2002
1. John Sutherland, Marguriette Overholser, 1980, p 290
2. How Teens Do Church, Mike Baker, 2000, p 160
3. Chicken Soup for the Father's Soul, eds., 2001, p 364
4. Fresh Power, Jim Cymbala, 2001, p 204
5. Bring Up Boys, James Dobson, 2001, p 269
6. The GI Side of the War, Maude Cole ed (Lori's G-Grandmother), 1973, p 143
7. Stringtown on the Pike, John Uri Lloyd, 1900, p 414
8. Finders Keepers, Cathrine Palmer, 1999, p 282
9. Hide & Seek, Cathrine Palmer, 1999, p 282
10. True Devotion, Dee Henderson, 2000, p 328
11. The Negotiator, Dee Henderson, 2000, p 309
12. The Guard, Dee Henderson, 2001, p 275
13. Danger in the Shadows, Dee Henderson
14. The Truth Seeker, Dee Henderson, 2001, p 330
15. The Protector, Dee Henderson, 2001, p 322
16. The Healer, Dee Henderson, 2002, p 322
17. Reaping the Whirlwind (Scopes trial historical novel), Rosey Dow, 2000, p 399
18. Stark Raving Dad!, Dave Meurer, 2002, p 188
19. The Thor Conspiracy, Larry Burkett, 1995, p 324
20. Rivers West, L'Amour, 1975, p 151
21. Where the Long Grass Blows, L'Amour, 1976, p 185
22. Star Wars-Episode 2, RA Salvatore, 2002, p 353
23. North to the Rails, L'Amour, 1971, p 184
24. A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller, 1970, p 142
2003
1. Seabiscuit-An American Legend, Laura Hittenbrand, 2001, p 399
2. An Arrow Pointing To Heaven [bio of Rich Mullens], James Bryan Smith, 2000, p 284
3. Wild at Heart, John Eldredge, 2001, p 222
4. The Walking Drum, L'Amour, 1984, p 423
5. Flight 116 is Down, Caroline B Cooney, 1992, p 201
6. Wild at Heart, John Eldredge, 2001, p 222
7. The Rescuer, Dee Henderson, 2003, p 344
8. Citizen Soldiers, Stephen E Ambrose, 1997, p 528
9. Cape Refuge, Terri Blackstone, 2002, p 385
10. How To Manage Your Money, Larry Burkett, 1975, p 126
11. Southern Storm, Terri Blackstone, 2003, p 374
12. A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Café, Leonard Sweet, 1998, p 180
13. The Girl From Montana, Grace Livingston Hill, 1907, p 220
14. Under the Southern Sky
15. Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren, 2002, p 334
16. Five Loaves and Two Bowls of Borscht, Janice Lemke, 2000, p 214
17. Not Even a Hint, Joshua Harris, 2003, p 184
2004
1. Boy Meets Girl, Joshua Harris, 2000, p 229
2. The Balanced Life, Alan Loy McGinnis, 1997, p 195
3. Force 5 Recon Deployment: North Korea, PW Storm, 2004, p 355
4. The Last Jihad, Joel C Rosenberg, 2002, p 351
5. The Last Days, Joel C Rosenberg, 2003, p 384,
6. Deadline, Randy Alcorn, 1994, p 427
7. Where the Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls, 1961, p 212
8. The Five Love Languages, Gary Chapman, 1992, p 175
9. The Treasure Principle, Randy Alcorn, p 93
10. The Secret-What Leaders Know- and Do, Ken Blanchard & Mark Miller, 2001, p 124
11. The Emerging Church, Dan Kimball, 2003, p 266
12. The Man From the Broken Hills, L'Amour, 1975, p 191
13. Ride the Dark Trail, L'Amour, 1972, p. 136
14. Lonely on the Mountain, L'Amour, 1980, p 146
15. Trans Fats The Hidden Killer in Our Food, 2004, p 175
 | Currently reading : Count It All Joy By William Stringfellow |
Books read (1993-2000)
1993-2000
1993
1. Riders of the Purple Sage, Zane Grey
2. Wyoming, Zane Grey
3. Sackett Brand, Louis L'Amour
4. Ride The River, L'Amour
5. The Day Breakers, L'Amour
6. Sackett, L'Amour
7. Mojave Crossing, L'Amour
8. Lando, L'Amour
9. Mustang Man, L'Amour
10. Jubal Sackett, L'Amour
11. The Sackett Companion, L'Amour
12. The Skyliners, L'Amour
13. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, CS Lewis
14. Prince Caspian, CS Lewis
15. Rogue River Fued, Zane Grey
16. "Nevada", Zane Grey
17. The Day Christ Died, Jim Bishop
18. "Freckels", Cene Straton Porter
19. The Fool of God, Louis Cochran
20. Education of a Wandering Man, L'Amour
21. Angelwalk, Roger Elwood
22. World History: A Brief Introduction, Joseph Reither
1994
1. The Last of the Mohicans, James Fenimore Cooper, 1826, p 374
2. Reminesces of James A. Garfield, Corydon E Fuller, 1887, p 430
3. The Walking Drum, L'Amour, 1984, p 468
4. The Longhorns, J Frank Dobie, 1941, p 379
5. The Rockefellers: The Father, The Son, Peter Collier & David Horowitz, 1976, p 184
6. Cow Country, Edward Everett Dale, 1942, p 258
7. The Haunted Mesa, L'Amour, 1987, p 315
8. Directing Christian Education, Lawson, Michaels, & Choun, Robert, Jr. 1992, p229
9. An Autobiography – Tom Laundry, 1990, p 295
10. Love for a Lifetime, James Dobson, 1987, p 120
11. Ranching Traditions, Kathleen Jo Ryan, 1989, p 280
12. The Lost Wagon Train, Zane Grey, p 374
13. Ben Snipes-The NW Cattle King, Roscoe Sheller, 1957, p 202
14. Walkabout, Aaron Fletcher, 1992, p 476
15. The Kentuckians, Janice Holt Giles, 1953, p 248
16. Doctor in Buckskins, TD Allen, 1951, p 277
1995
1. Sackett's Land, L'Amour, 1974, p 185
2. To The Far Blue Mountains, L'Amour, 1976, p 287
3. The Coming Economic Earthquake, Larry Burkett, 1991, p 230
4. The Old-Timed Cowhand, Ramon F Adams, 1948, p 354
5. Whatever Happened to the American Dream, Larry Burkett, 1993, p 277
6. Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain, 1884, p 279
7. Union in Truth, James B North, 1994, p369
8. Staying Close, Dennis Rainey, 1989. p 382
9. Bowdrie's Law, L'Amour, 1984, p 214
10. The Hash Knife Outfit, Zane Grey, 1933, p 280
11. Laddie, Gene Stratton Porter, 1913, p 541
1996
1. Right From Wrong, Josh McDowell, 1994, p 300
2. Daniel Boone, John Bakeless, 1939, p 434
3. Family-Based Youth Ministry, Mark DeVries, 1994, p 210
4. Civil War Curiosities, Webb Garrison, 1994, p 266
5. Last of the Breed, L'Amour, 1986, p 366
6. The Way They Learn, Cynthia Ulrich Tobias, 1994, p 162
7. Family Culture, Alexander Campbell, 1850, p 343
8. More Than A Carpenter, Josh McDowell, 1977, p 128
9. The Californios, L'Amour, 1974, p 182
10. How to Begin & Improve Family Devotions, Clyde Narramore, 1961, p 30
11. Home Life and Reminiscences of Alexander Campbell, Salina Campbell, 1882, p 503
12. Feminism and the Bible, Jack Cottrell, 1992, p 358
13. When God Doesn't Make Sense, James Dobson, 1993, p 250
14. NIV Bible
15. Great Captian, Honore' Morrow, p 668
1997
1. The Family of God, LeRoy Lawson, 1980, p 60
2. The Harvester, Gene Stratton Porter, 1911, p 516
3. It's A Wonderful Life: A Hollywood Classic, Mary Cahill, 1992, p 111
4. I Won't Be Crippled When I See Jesus, Everett J Payton, 1979, p 158
5. The Man of The Forest, Zane Grey, 1920, p 383
6. Chicken Soup For The Soul, Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen, 1993, p 294
7. Who Moved The Stone, Frank Morison, 1930, p 193
8. Grandmother Gerda's Life, Gerda Williams-Coleman, 1994, p 64
9. The Oregon Trail, Francis Parkman, Jr, 1847, p 282
10. Solid, Jack Cottrell, 1991, p 123
11. Inerrancy, Norman L Geisler, ed., 1980, p 516
12. The Inspiration & Authority of The Bible, BB Warfield, 1948, p 442
13. Canal Boy, Karin Clafford Farley, 1978, p 158
14. Going For The Gold in Discipleship, William & Carmelita Pile, 1989, p 86
15. Faith's Fundementals, Jack Cottrell, 1995, p 95
16. Ashamed of Joseph, Charles Crane, 1993, p 271
17. Christians on the Oregon Trail, Jerry Rushford, 1997, p 543
18. The Birth Order Book, Dr. Kevin Leman, 1985, p 300
19. The Man Called Noon, L'Amour, 1970, p 184
20. Partners In Prayer, John Maxell, 1996, p 178
21. Silver Canyon, L'Amour, 1956, p 164
1998
1. The Yukon Queen, Gilbert Morris, 1995, p 285
2. The Next Generation, Gary Zustiak, 1996, p 229
3. The Oregon Desert, ER Jackman & RA Long, 1962, p 407
4. Before The First Wave-The 3rd Armored Amphibian Tractor Battalion, Larry L Woodard, 1994, p 252
5. Gender Roles & The Bible, Jack Cottrell, 1994, p 314
6. More Than A Carpenter, Josh McDowell, 1977, p 128
7. The Future of the American Family, George Barna, 1993, p 212
8. Biblical Eldership, Alexander Strauch, 1986, p 288
9. The Purpose Driven Church, Rich Warren, 1995, p 399
10. Spilt Grape Juice, Mike Root, 1992, p 178
11. The Flying U's Last Stand, BM Bower, 1915, p 353
12. Truth Slayers, Josh McDowell & Bob Hosteller, 1995, p 154
13. At The Foot of the Rainbow, Gene Stratton Porter, 1907, p 258
14. Noah's Ark and The Great Flood, Edward Warner, 1988, p 32
15. Biblical Eldership, Alexander Strauch, 1986, p 288
16. Solar Flare, Larry Burkett, 1997, p 436
17. I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Joshua Harris, 1997, p 235
18. Monument Rock, L'Amour, 1998, p 264
19. Jean of the Lazy A, BM Bower, p 322
20. Defeating Darwinism, Phillip E Johnson, 1997, p 131
21. My Friend Flicka, Mary O'Hara, 1941, p 285
22. Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, ~1817, p 240
23. Inside Out, Larry Crabb, 1988, p 223
24. The Eldership, JW McGarvey, 1970, p 79
25. The Ferguson Rifle, L'Amour, 1977, p 180
26. Thunder Over The Ochoco-The Gathering Storm-vol 1, Gale Ontko, 1993, p 436
27. Disciples are Made Not Born, Walter Henrichsen, 1974, p 160
28. The Honorable Imposter, Gilbert Morris, 1986, p 331
29. The Captive Bride, Gilbert Morris, 1987, p 238
30. The Sage of Bethany, compiled Perry E Gresham, 1988, p 187
31. How I Got This Way, Patrick F McManus, 1994, p 222
1999
1. The Quick and The Dead, L'Amour, 1973, p 154
2. The Indentured Heart, Gilbert Morris, 1988, p 288
3. The Gentle Rebel, Gilbert Morris, 1988, p 285
4. When Good Men are Tempted, Bill Perkins, 1997, p 197
5. The New Testament (NASB), p 250
6. The Song of the Cardinal, Gene Stratton Porter, nd, p 158
7. The illuminati, Larry Burkett, 1991, p 173
8. The Church: Why Bother, Phillip Yancy, 1998, p 100
9. The Cost of Discipleship, Deitrich Bonhoeffer, 1937, p 344
10. Faith's Fundementals, Jack Cottrell, 1995, p 95
11. Fresh Wind Fresh Fire, Jim Cymbala, 1997, p 185
12. Passion and Purity, Elizabeth Elliot, 1984, p 188
13. Undaunted Courage, Stephan E Ambrose, 1996, p 521
14. The Delany Sister's Book of Everyday Wisdom, Sadie & Bessie, 1994, p 129
15. Wall of Fire, Gilbert Morris, 1994, p 338
16. Stars In Their Courses, Gilbert Morris, 1995, p 302
17. Celebration of Discipline, Richard J Foster, 1978, p 210
18. The Reluctant Bridegroom, Gilbert Morris, 1990, p 302
19. The Last Confederate, Gilbert Morris, 1990, p 333
20. New Direction's for Small Group Ministry, McLauglin, ed, 1999, p 154
21. Refuting Evolution, Jonathon Sarfati, 1999, p 143
22. After The Flood
23. The Dixie Widow, Gilbert Morris, 1991, p 318
24. The Wounded Yankee, Gilbert Morris, 1991, p 304
25. Memoirs of Alexander Campbell, vol 1, R Richardson, 1897, p 537
26. Fresh Wind Fresh Fire, Jim Cymbala, 1997, p 188
27. Invited Into His Presence – Praying Effectively, Gene Barron, 1997, p 239
2000
1. Stonewall, John J Dwyer, 1998, p 634
2. The Bootstrap Entrepreneur, Steven C Bursten, 1993, p 283
3. Alexander Campbell-Preacher of Reform-Reformer of Preaching, Alger Fitch, 1970, p 134
4. The Case For Christ, Lee Strobel, 1998, p 287
5. The Not So Big House, Sarah Susanka, 1998, p 194
6. Freedom of Simplicity, Richard J Foster, 1981, p 200
7. Small Places-Stylish Ideas for Making More of Less in the Home, Azby Brown, 1993, p 93
8. Blood of Heaven, Bill Meyers, 1996, p 326
9. The Testament, John Grisham, 1999, p 435
10. The Giver, Lois Lowry, 1993, p 180
11. Ordering Your Private World, Gordon MacDonald, 1984, p 182
12. The Robe, Lloyd C Douglas, 1943, p 695
13. Too Busy Not To Pray, Bill Hybels, 1988, p 191
14. Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up, David W Bercot, 1989, p 172
15. Why & How to Defeat the "Gay" Movement, Scott Lively, 2000, p 28
16. The Warriors Path, L'Amour, 1980, p 226
17. The Silver Chalice, Thomas B Costain, 1952, p 503
18. Historic Oregon, Phillip H Parrish, 1937, p 254
19. Hope, Lori Copeland, 1999, p 279
 | Currently reading : Green By Design: Creating a Home for Sustainable Living By Angela Dean |
Apr 23, 2008
Apr 8, 2008
Grieving --By Lori Gant
Grieving --by Lori
We all heal in different ways. What is comforting to some may not be to others.
Once, when my sister was grieving, I told her that God must believe her to be strong in order to handle the circumstances that she was dealing with. She told me, "That is not comforting!"
It is always difficult to know what to say when someone else is hurting. At times I feel it is unfair for my life to continue as normal when someone else’s is turned upside down.
Today I received a call from a friend of my husband. He shared with me some heartbreaking news. After the call ended, I explained to my boys what had happened and prayed.
But then, I finished cleaning the bathrooms. It seemed odd to me to be cleaning when a friend was hurting so badly.
Today’s events reminded me of a time when I was deeply hurting and what I found most comforting. I appreciated the flowers we received; it was a reminder that people cared. One girl, who happened to be mentally challenged, simply said, "I’m sorry about ----." That touched me; a simple "I’m sorry" that acknowledged my pain without any words of advice, encouragement or clichés.
When reading the scriptures, I found a passage that provided huge comfort. I have no idea if it would resonate with others like it did with me. John 11 tells of Lazarus being sick. Mary & Martha, his sisters, sent Jesus a message, "Lord, your dear friend is very sick." Jesus didn’t leave immediately to help His friend. He waited until Lazarus was dead. He knew that this sickness was for the purpose of glorifying God and Himself through the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. However, even though He was angry that His followers didn’t have more faith & even though He knew that Lazarus would live again, he still cried. The only reason I can think of for His tears is because it hurt Him to see others hurting. He knew there would be a happy ending, but the pain He saw Mary, Martha and others experiencing moved Him.
It was a huge comfort to me to picture a more emotional Jesus; a God who not only commands us to weep with those who weep, but a God that actually does it. For me, knowing that the Creator of the universe was crying WITH ME….that was a powerful. (4/3/08)
Mar 30, 2008
Faith Leads to Hope, Hope Leads us to Love
(1 Corinthians 13.13)
In the last month Dwight and Walt have had great sermons on Faith and Hope. Listening to them gave me the desire to put together a message linking Faith, Hope, and Love. There will be some overlap but a little repetition is good, right?
As I listened to Walt’s message I realized that:
Faith leads to Hope and Hope leads us to Love. Faith and Hope are directly related to our ability to love.
These actions (faith, hope, and love) are put together in several passages in the NT.
Most clearly in 1Corinthians 13.13 (please, open your Bible to chapter 13) --- 1 Cor 13 - commonly referred to as the LOVE chapter, the Apostle Paul writes,
“But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
In this chapter, Paul is exclaiming the importance of loving others. If you do all kinds of great things, even miraculous things, if they are not because of love then they are pointless. The action becomes wrong; it becomes noisy interference. If my faith is so strong I can do amazing things, but I don’t use my faith for love, he says, “I am nothing.” If I sacrifice all my stuff and my life to gain riches in heaven, but I don’t do it for love, “I profit nothing,” Paul says in verse 3.
It seems our motivation means more than our actions. Think of Ananias and Sapphira. Why do we do the good things we do? Are there selfish reasons? Are we trying to earn our salvation? Impossible. We cannot do anything that will cause God to love us any more or any less. Our salvation is only through faith in Jesus and what He did on the cross.
Faith leads to hope and hope leads us to truly love (right motivations!).
This great chapter ends with the faith, hope and love statement. The chapter is about love. He says that these three abide now, but love is the greatest because I believe he is saying it abides forever. Faith and hope are not necessary in heaven. Because our faith will be sight and our hope will be fulfilled. Love however will continue on forever. God is love … and His dwelling place, heaven, will be all about love.
I would like us to look at each of these: Faith, then Hope and finally Love.
FAITH
Dwight’s message of a couple weeks ago brought out the episode of the two blind men of whom Jesus healed their sight. Jesus made it clear, it was because of their faith in Him that they were able to gain their sight.
Faith is to be placed in Jesus. Only He is capable of healing, of leading to true life, to salvation.
James teaches, recorded in James 2 that faith and works are inseparably joined. Faith leads us to do something. If we are not doing anything, our faith is dead or maybe it never had life in the first place. Note that the two blind men were following Him. Not an easy task for blind men. Two blind men traveling together. They could have stayed home and talked about their faith in Jesus. Saying, “I believe Jesus could fix our sight” and never do anything, no not them, they believed and went to Jesus. They were seekers.
It’s like the man who needs a job to pay the rent and feed his family. He can pray for a job … He can believe that God is capable of providing him a job, but if he simply sits at home and doesn’t search for a job. That’s faith without works, and its useless.
Speaking of blindness, our Faith must not be blind. Blind faith is no good either. Our faith can be powerful (e.g. the faith of a mustard seed and faith to move mountains is available to us). Faith without the facts is what I call blind faith. If we cannot give an answer to why we believe, is not our faith blind? Is our faith any better than the cult down the street or the false religions around the world?
The Apostle Peter writes, “Be always ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you.” There’s faith and hope linked again. But his point is you should be able to explain why you have faith and hope.
Not like how my two year old boy answers to why questions. “Why’d you do it?” “Because”. “Because why?” “Because.” “Because is not an answer,” as many a parent has said.
If your answer is … my church teaches or …my parents said or …my preacher said or …you should call the preacher or Elders, cause I don’t know. These are not the right answers. We all should be able to give reasons we believe in God, Jesus, the Bible, the resurrection, heaven, etc.
Do you have to have all the answers? Impossible. But if asked something about the Christian faith you don’t know, you can always say, let me do some research and get back to you. And do it! There are answers to every question. Build your faith and those around you. Faith, what I call factual faith is built by understanding the evidence for faith.
There are different kinds of evidence for faith. In proving historical events you may use the same methods our legal courts use to prove or disprove arguments brought before judge or jury. This involves showing something is fact beyond a reasonable doubt. The evidence is evaluated.
The types of evidence used are:
1. Oral Testimony 2. Written Testimony 3. Exhibits (physical evidence).
Do we have Oral Testimony? Well we cannot question the 500+ people who witnessed the resurrection (nor can we talk to Abraham or Noah). However, we can talk to millions of believers today who’s lives have been changed by the resurrected Christ.
Do we have Written Testimony to prove the resurrection? Yes, there is written testimony. The OT has many prophesies about the death-burial-resurrection of Christ. The four gospels tell of the events. The letters of the NT, written by the Apostles and prophets, give further evidence for the risen Christ. Josephus, who wrote a history of the Jews in the first century wrote that “Jesus was the Christ.” He also wrote in his history that Jesus “appeared to them alive on the third day.”
Do we have exhibits? Archeologists have been finding artifacts for hundreds of years. Verifying the history and claims of the Bible and Jesus’ life-death-burial-resurrection. Magazines such as Biblical Archeological Review and Creation-Ex-Niliho continue to publish new evidences that support the reliability of the Bible and everything it says.
Do you have any reason to NOT have faith? The evidence is out there. This is why those who seek Him are promised to find Him.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Mt 7.7
Deuteronomy 4:29
“But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.”
“I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.”
Proverbs 8
Open your Bible to Heb 11
“Faith is the evidence of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Heb 11.1 There is evidence, but we cannot see all. Our faith must rest on God and Jesus who are not yet seen with our eyes. Chapter 11 of Hebrews is an amazing list of faithful men and women in the OT who “by faith” did amazing things for God’s Kingdom.
“By faith…Able, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, READ vs. 13, by faith Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, and even Rahab the Prostitute” statements in Heb 11.
READ verses 32-39
They hoped for a Kingdom that they did not get to see. They anxiously waited for a Savior … a Savior we who we do get to know …. and place our faith in.
Read: Heb 12.1-3
Once we fix our eyes on Jesus … we understand Hope.
HOPE
Walt’s sermon directed us to understanding hope. Not a blind hope, not a false hope. True hope … we should understand our inheritance.
“My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.” (The Solid Rock)
Randy Alcorn writes in his book HEAVEN,
“As human beings, we have a terminal disease called mortality. The current death rate is 100%. Unless Christ returns soon, we all are going to die. We don’t like to think about death yet; worldwide, 3 people die every second, 180 every minute, and nearly 11,000 every hour … [this] means that more than 250,000 people every day go to either heaven or hell.
… Ancient merchants often wrote the words memento mori – think of death – in large letters on the first pages of their accounting books. Phillip of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, commissioned a servant to stand in his presence each day and say, “Phillip, you will die.” In contrast, France’s Louis XIV decreed that the word death not be uttered in his presence. Most of us are more like Louis than Phillip, denying death and avoiding the thought of it except when it is forced upon us. We [sadly] live under a fear of death.” (Alcorn, p. xxi)
However, we have a hope. Heaven should be looked forward to. Eternity in paradise is a welcomed thought for those who have faith and hope.
Jesus came to deliver us from the fear of death. “So that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death.” (Heb 2.14-15)
In light of the coming resurrection of the dead, the Apostle Paul asks, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Cor 15.55)
Since we avoid the thought of death, we don’t often have the right ideas about it. For the saved, for those who have faith and hope … death is a welcome thought. A pleasant reality … A dream come true.
However, there are unbiblical views of heaven. Some descriptions don’t sound like a place I would want to be.
John Eldredge writes, “Nearly every Christian I have spoken with has some idea that eternity is an unending church service … We have settled on an image of the never-ending sing-along in the sky, one great hymn after another, forever, and ever, amen. And our heart sinks. Forever and ever? This is it? That’s good news? And then we sigh and feel guilty that we are not more ‘spiritual.’ We lose heart, and we turn once more to the present to find what life we can.”
[ADDED THOT: There is a praise song, which sings over and over “I Can Sing of Your Love Forever”. It’s a nice tune and it is worshipful, but Lori thinks the thought of this song is crazy for a person who is not a singer. To some this might be more like hell.]
Gary Larson in one of his FAR SIDE cartoons captured a common misconception: In it a man with angel wings and a halo sits on a cloud, doing nothing, with no one nearby. He has the expression of someone marooned on a desert island with absolutely nothing to do. The caption reads, “I wish I’d brought a magazine.”
Huckleberry Finn learned about heaven from Miss Watson, “She went on and told me all about the good place. She said all a body would have to do there was go around all day long with a harp and sing, forever and ever. So I didn’t think much of it … I asked her if she reckoned Tom Sawyer would go there, and she said, not by a considerable sight. I was glad about that, because I wanted him and me to be together.”
Sadly, these are common misconceptions.
Charles Spurgeon had a different take on death and Heaven: “To come to Thee is to come home from exile, to come to land out of the raging storm, to come to rest after long labor, to come to the goal of my desires and the summit of my wishes.”
Jonathan Edwards, the great Puritan preacher, often spoke of heaven … when he was in his early 20s, he wrote a list of resolutions (goals) … one read “Resolved, to endeavor to obtain for myself as much happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can.”
There’s for storing up treasures in heaven.
CS Lewis wrote, “Aim at heaven and you’ll get earth ‘thrown in’, aim at earth and you’ll get neither.”
Sometimes it feels like such a long journey, or like my boys are starting to get into the habit of saying on trips, “Are we there yet?” or 30 minutes into a 2 hour trip “Dad, how much longer until we get there?” Death seems like such a long time out, however, its not. Our life is like a vapor, here for a moment and then gone.
I think of another popular country song, “Live Like You Were Dying.” He sings of all the things he would do if time was short, like climbing mountains and riding in the rodeo. However, if we knew life was coming to an end those of us with Faith and Hope should be thinking eternity. The adventures are ok but more importantly we should be seeing with our spiritual eyes.
1952 Florence Chadwick stepped into the waters of the Pacific Ocean of Catalina Island, determined to swim to the shore of mainland California. She’d already been the first woman to swim the English Channel both ways. The weather was foggy and chilly; she could hardly see the boats accompanying her. Still she swam for 15 hours. When she begged to be taken out of the water along the way her mother, in a boat alongside, told her she was close and she could make it. Finally, physically and emotionally exhausted, she stopped swimming and was pulled out. It wasn’t until she was on the boat that she discovered the shore was less than half a mile away. At a news conference the next day she said, “All I could see was fog … I think if I could have seen the shore, I would have made it.”
If she could have seen the shore … it was so close. Heaven is close, be looking for the shore. It is there. You can make it. Help others to see the shore. It is so worth it.
The resurrection is something to look forward to … if Huckfinn could have understood that amazing untold adventures await us in the next life he also would have longed for Paradise with God and encouraged his friend Tom Sawyer into Faith and Hope, as well.
Not used but good: CS Lewis’ The Silver Chair – the underworld v. the overworld… pg 12-13 HEAVEN, By Alcorn.
Col 3.1-2 “Keep seeking the things above, where Christ is. Seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.”
Hope in something so much better than anything attainable here and now.
Once we have faith and our hope is in heaven we can really love.
LOVE
Love is a result of faith and hope. Real love hopes for the best for those we love … which is nothing less than heaven. Love leads back to hope. Which leads us back to faith.
Our love for others desires they have the hope we have because of the faith we have.
Love lived out seems to be a confusing thing. We don’t do a very good job of understanding what it means to love.
There are many books written about love. In fact most books are about love in some way or another. Love stories, well all good stories include good v. evil and love. There are also many-many self-help books on love.
I have an extensive ministry library, one section includes quite a few books on relationships. I pulled out all the books with the word “love” in the title and found about 16 books.
Love- A New Look at a Old Word
Loving Your Wife
Loving Your Husband
52 Simple Ways to Say I love You
The Language of Love
Acts of Love
Love is a Decision
Do Yourself a Favor: Love Your Wife
Love For a Lifetime
The Two Sides of Love
How to Really Love Your Child
Love In The Family
The Five Love Languages
The Five Love Languages of Teenagers
The Five Love Languages of Children
Food and Love
Charlie Brown dealt the difficulty of describing love. Lucy says to Charlie Brown, “You know what I don’t understand? I don’t understand love.”
Charlie Brown responds, “Who does?”
Lucy replied, “Explain love to me Charlie Brown.’
“I can’t explain love. I can only recommend a book or poem or painting. I can’t explain love,” answers Charlie.
“Well try, Charlie Brown, try.”
Charlie says, “Well, let’s say I see this beautiful, cute little girl walking by…”
Lucy interrupts, “Why does she have to be cute, huh? Explain that! Why can’t someone fall in love with a person with freckles and a big nose? Explain that Charlie Brown.”
“Well maybe your right,“ answers Charlie. “Let’s just say I see this girl walk by with this great big nose…”
“I didn’t say great big nose, Charlie.”
In the last frame, his hands jammed down into his pockets, Charlie dejectedly walks away from Lucy and says, “You can’t explain love, you can’t even talk about it.”
In my original notes I wanted to take some time to look at practical ways of loving those closest to you by talking briefly about the Five Love Languages. However, I have gotten long winded and we need to simply know like the popular Phil Vasser country song says, “Love is Beautiful Thing.”
Col 3.14 – Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity
Phil 2 – Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves … look out for the interests of others … do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.
Read: 1 Cor 13.4-8
Love is a beautiful thing, but it is most beautiful if it comes directly from Faith and Hope. Which because of Love, we desire to pass on to others.
If you have not confessed your faith in Christ, been baptized for the forgiveness of your sins, thereby gaining the hope of heaven, we would love to talk and pray with about making those decisions.
Mar 25, 2008
What Costs More Than The Iraq War?
Social Security Change For 2008
The United States Senate voted to extend Social Security Benefits to Illegal Aliens beginning in 2008.
The following are the senators who voted to give illegal aliens Social Security benefits. They are grouped by home state. If a state is not listed, there was no voting representative.
Alaska : Stevens (R)
Arizona : McCain (R)
Arkansas : Lincoln (D) Pryor (D)
California : Boxer (D) Feinstein (D)
Colorado : Salazar (D)
Connecticut : Dodd (D) Lieberman (D)
Delaware : Biden (D) Carper (D)
Florida : Martinez (R)
Hawaii : Akaka (D) Inouye (D)
Illinois : Durbin (D) Obama (D)
Indiana : Bayh (D) Lugar (R)
Iowa : Harkin (D)
Kansas : Brownback (R)
Louisiana : Landrieu (D)
Maryland : Mikulski (D) Sarbanes (D)
Massachusetts : Kennedy (D) Kerry (D)
Montana : Baucus (D)
Nebraska : Hagel (R)
Nevada : Reid (D)
New Jersey : Lautenberg (D) Menendez (D)
New Mexico : Bingaman (D)
New York : Clinton (D) Schumer (D)
North Dakota : Dorgan (D)
Ohio : DeWine (R) Voinovich(R)
Oregon : Wyden (D)
Pennsylvania : Specter (R)
Rhode Island : Chafee (R) Reed (D)
South Carolina : Graham (R)
South Dakota : Johnson (D)
Vermont : Jeffords (I) Leahy (D)
Washington : Cantwell (D) Murray (D)
West Virginia : Rockefeller (D), by Not Voting
Wisconsin : Feingold (D) Kohl (D)
http://rense.com/general79/seniors.htm
_____________________________________________________________________________
14 Facts (I have included the URL's for verification of the following facts):
1. $11 Billion to $22 billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year. http://tinyurl.com/zob77
2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens. http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens. http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.html
4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English! http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.0.html
5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
6. $3 Million Dollars a DAY is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
8. $90 Billion Dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare and Social Services by the American taxpayers. http://premium.cnn.com/TRANSCIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.html
9. $200 Billion Dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.html
10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that's two-and-a-half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children, are going to make a huge additional crime problem in the US . http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.html
11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 MILLION illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana, crossed into the U. S from the Southern border. Homeland Security Report. http://tinyurl.com/t9sht
12. The National Policy Institute, "estimated that the total cost of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually over a five year period." http://www.nationalpolicyinstitute.org/pdf/deportation.pdf
13. In 2006 illegal aliens sent home $45 BILLION in remittances back to their countries of origin. http://www.rense.com/general75/niht.htm
14. "The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants In The United States ". http://www.drdsk.com/articleshtml
Total cost is a whooping... $338.3 BILLION A YEAR!!!
Snopes is provided for doubters: http://www.snopes.com/politics/immigration/bankofamerica.asp
Mar 22, 2008
Boy's Fun Day.
Did you see the end of the UCLA game? Portland’s own, Kevin Love dominated. Yes, I will root on teams other than Oregon, even the hated UCLA, once Oregon is done. They are a PAC-10 team!
I took some pics of the boys, this morning in front of our family room window and this evening as they worked on our HP Printer. I have said they are geniuses haven’t I? Well, I figured they could fix it, right?
I have some friends who used to work for HP, maybe they can help us ...?
Click on the pics to see them better.
Standing on the window sill, Cade is not so sure about it.
Jumping from the window sill.
They work well together.
Mar 9, 2008
The Journey Continues – Part SIX
I have been working in residential construction going on a year (actually 10 ½ months). It has been a great learning experience.
Presently, I am working on three business ideas:
1. Saturday morning I passed my Construction Contractor's License Exam and will be obtaining my license within the week. I will continue to work with my boss as a sub-contractor and begin to build my own business doing re-models, possibly flip houses, and hopefully build some houses. With the home mortgage industry in such trouble it is more difficult to get financing, but there are still possibilities.
As part of this Construction business I am planning to offer a service to Realtors and home sellers. I believe the name will be "1st Impressions Curb Appeal & More" ... the business will come up with a proposal to improve the marketability of the home. Doing everything from landscaping and paint to updating and remodels with the goal of helping the properties sell faster. It could eventually be expanded to include "Staging", as well. If the sellers were intending to continue living in the home … I will suggest ways to de-clutter.
I will also be marketing to the Santa Clara area a Home Services business where I will offer everything from landscape maintenance to kitchen remodels.
2. If you did not know, I finished all the classes I need to get started in a career as an Appraiser. The next step is to do a minimum of 2000 hours as an Assistant Appraiser. However, because of the housing slow down no one has been hiring Assistants this past year. I mailed out 50+ resumes this past summer and did receive positive responses to the resume, however no one was hiring.
I recently started handing out resumes to Appraisers once again. Only this time I am going to their offices and talking to them in person. This is working much better than simply mailing out resumes. I have gained great insights from speaking with a few of the Appraisers. And two of the Appraisers I talked to in the past couple weeks are considering hiring in the (somewhat near) future. One is starting to build a Residential Appraisal firm and the other is a Commercial Appraiser with many years experience.
3. An Oregon adventure tour company. Using a late model 12-passenger bio-diesel van to transport people to explore and enjoy our beautiful state. Hiking, skiing, cycling, wine country tours, sightseeing tours to the coast, the cascades, Crater Lake, etc, etc., etc. I have developed an extensive business plan, which I continually update and improve. I have been meeting with people in the community every couple weeks exploring whether or not I can develop a client base quickly (because I don't have the money to build a business for the expected 3 years which most businesses take). I am meeting with Dale Berg (Berg's Ski Shop and Ski Buses) next Friday.
If you would like to see my business plan let me know. Or if you have any ideas regarding these ideas please leave me a comment or give me a call or e-mail me.
So … those are some things I am working on. I have applied for some "real" jobs, but I am really hoping to develop one or more of these businesses and an 8-5:00 M-F job would make that difficult.
Feb 10, 2008
God's Creation is Amazing
Our Creator God has an amazing imagination (that's the understatement of the century):
Check out this video: Freaks of Nature: Self Inflating Fish
Feb 9, 2008
My Son
Zane (he turns 6 on Sunday) says to me, "You read the Bible on your days off, don't you dad?"
I say, "Yeah, I try to read it all the time, every day … today I read the Bible during my lunch, I read three chapters."
Zane says, "Alright dad! Can I give you a high five?"
"Ah … Yeah" … I turn to look at him an he has his hand up for a high five … "Yes you can … you are cool … Zane."
Single? Looking for Mr Right? Or Miss Right?
Tuesday, August 14, 2007 By Nate Fowler
Would Mr. Right Please Stand Up: A letter to the ladies
This generation has become a generation full of Internet. If you need information, you don't go to the local library and search strenuously until you find that perfect source. Nope, you type your subject matter into that little search bar you popped up on google. Well, I'm so sorry to be the one to point this fact out to you, but you're not going to type "Mr. Right" into that search bar and find the man of your dreams.
The waiter walked up to us and quickly put napkins on our table in order to mark as a place setting, showing that we had been greeted. He sharply began our interaction with, "good afternoon, can I get some drinks coming your way". I casually looked at my date, who for the sake of this story will be named Jill, and motioned for her to have the first order. Shortly after he took our drink orders we dove deep into conversation.
Jill has been a great friend of mine for many years. Her and I have seen each other go through great times full of laughter and joy but also the times full of tears and heartache. There was this weird connection between her and I. We were always such great friends, but yet there was no attraction between the two of us. This made for some very interesting conversations.
Jill and I have sat late into the night discussing many different topics that each and every person will go through, and has gone through. Something that Jill has struggled with in the past is finding "Mr. Right". She would often times become somewhat emotional when she began talking with me and sharing her heart pertaining to this matter. I think that this is exactly how many single girls feel today, right now. But ladies don't worry, young men are feeling the same way. Even though many young men would never admit it, we often times think about our future soul mate. Personally, I spend time in thought and prayer for my future wife. Her safety, family, happiness, friendships, relationships, every aspect of her life. I pray that God will continue to prepare my heart in order to be the best man I can be for her. Even though many men do not go about it the same way that I have, they are thinking about and are concerned with meeting "the one" as well. But, the point of this little story is not to talk about what men are doing, but to clarify some issues and challenges girls living in this generation are going through in their search of "Mr. Right".
It was well after 9:30 pm and the restaurant was getting ready to close. Jill and I were deep into a thought that I just couldn't cut short. Our server was finishing his closing duties so he really didn't mind us taking our time. Jill's eyes were red and a bit puffy from tearing as I began to share my thoughts on her tender question. Jill leaned over the table and with a sensitive tone said, "Nate, what is wrong with me? Why can't I meet him? The one?"
When those words came out of Jill's mouth I really didn't know exactly how to react. I took a second to look into her eyes and decipher how serious she was about this statement. It was serious. I took a second to think...
Jill has a pretty outgoing lifestyle. She is always telling me about these guys that she meets downtown that are just so sweet. Things go great for about a week or two, then she finds out a whole different story than the one she received from him upon first meeting. She tells me stories about how she cant find a guy that is honest about his intentions for spending time with her, often times she discovers they want to get the physical intimacy started to warm-up for the emotional relationship. They like to spend all day and every weekend with the boys and do guy stuff. Well, she thinks that's just boys being boys. Well ladies, that's EXACTLY what it is and you're never going to get more than a boy from that. Jill is such a sweet-hearted person and is often times attracted to very outspoken personalities. Guys that would be considered "rough around the edges". Jill shares with me that she has a real heart for these guys, these guys just need some love.
She spends a lot of time with her girlfriends and she loves doing all the girly things. She has sleep-overs with her best friends, drama movie nights, and themed parties with invites to all the neighbors. She is a full time student as well as a full time employee. She goes to a local Christian church once in awhile with her group of friends in order to get a "feel good" buzz and hopefully meet a guy with some decent morals. She always asks her boy interests to come to church with her but of course, he's doing "guy stuff" and can't make it. On the weekends, Jill once again spends time with her friends while wishing her interest was with her. Since she's a student at the University there is always some get together happening on or near campus. She likes to say she's going to have a drink, but ends up getting pretty crazy. She usually makes her rounds at the party meeting new guys, meeting new people, and doing some crazy dances in front of the camera. Jill loves to have a good time. But all the while, Jill is longing for a man that doesn't spend every second with his friends. A man that is going to embrace spending time with Jill without distraction of other people.
These are the thoughts that blazed through my mind before I even tried to speak a word in response to her question. The only thing I could think to say was, "where are you looking for "Mr. Right"?" She slowly mumbled and responded with, "everywhere, I guess..?"
Ladies, if you're going to read anything I have written on this page please let it be this. If you are looking everywhere, then you are going to find EVERTHING! This is the exact reason that Jill was having so much trouble in her search for "Mr. Right", she didn't even know where to look or what she was looking for specifically! Jill simply had it in her mind that she would find any random guy she thought was good looking and make him into what she thought the perfect guy was. If you're just waiting for this magical feeling of love to come sweep over your heart when you see him, then you're going to go through many times of trial and heartache that could have easily been avoided.
To be honest with you, I'm really getting tired of young ladies these days playing the "oh, poor me" card. This card has been in use for far to long and I think it is time for ladies to put it away and stop looking at how there are no good guys left in the world, but start seeking them out where they will be found. Better yet, help shape young men into the man that you are currently seeking.
If you are living a life like Jill, spending your time in constant hunt mode and still leading a life that is just fun and carefree then you are going to fall simply into a feeling of lust, not love. You so badly want to feel this feeling that you've seen on the movies, be swept off your feet and whisked away into a romantic setting in which your love speaks simple nothings into your ear. THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN DOWNTOWN IN THE LOCAL TAVERN, OR AT THE FRAT HOUSE. Ladies, you speak so strongly about how many guys out there are pigs, well I'm sorry to bring this up but we're not the only ones at fault here. Us guys are not the ones going around wearing mini skirts and tank tops, not saying there are not guys who do so, but I feel that you ladies need to step up and take more responsibility in the way that you shape the minds and thoughts of the young men around you. If you are wearing a skimpy little outfit yet you say that you need to find a decent guy, this is playing a double standard. Ladies, if you are not acting and dressing in a decent fashion then why would a decent guy be interested in pursuing you? This generation is so full of exploitation it literally makes my stomach ache. So many young ladies feel that in order to receive attention from young men you must show some skin. To tell you the truth ladies, you could walk in the room with jeans and a turtle neck on and we would still be attracted to you, that's just how we're made. I challenge you to stop looking at all the guys in the world and calling us perverts of society and start looking at one another and the standards that you have set for yourselves. This is not one or another's fault, that's not where I'm going with this. The reason that you feel you need to wear that skirt is because you saw another girl at the mall wearing a similar skirt, or a girl on MTV getting all the attention wearing a skirt like that. Not because a guy walked up to you and said, "in order for me to talk to you I want to see a skirt". If you wear the outfits, of course men will look ladies, come on! You are attracting the very guys that you are trying to avoid!
You ladies are so precious. You have so much to offer your families, friends, and others around you. It makes me so sad when I see you put yourself into a situation with a guy who is not going to offer the same. So many girls today are attracted to the rebels. Well, if that's what you're looking for then that's exactly what you're going to get. You are going to get a guy who doesn't want to see situations, love, or blessings the way that they come, he is fighting life. You are going to get a guy that you are going to have to change. If you are attracted to the guys that need your help to change them, then you are going to spend a relationship of many tears, heartache, and pain. This is not a man, this is boy who has no direction, goals, focus, and who has had very little experience in situations that build character. His lack of character is going to produce lack of responsibility. This will lead to a lack of dependability and lack of dependability will lead to a constant battle of attempts and failures. I am not saying that trying and not succeeding is a bad thing, I am saying that guys who have honestly tried and failed on their own digression seeking their OWN goals will and have built character. You will never be able to instill character into a guy who has not and does not want it for himself. IT'S NOT YOUR JOB EITHER. This is a huge burden that you are taking upon yourselves. You are nurturers by nature, seek out a MAN that will be able to love you as much as you love he. Seek out a MAN that has goals, ambitions, and a desire to treat you as the precious young lady in which you are. Seek out a man of character that is ready to love and support you the way you deserve right now, not after you get done with him.
As these thoughts came pouring out of my mouth a thousand miles a minute Jill looked at me with a somewhat blank stare on her face. I paused in silence for a moment then softly said," did that make any sense?." She looked at me with a half smile, half laugh and half cry and said, "I think so..."
I guess the bottom line that I'm getting at here ladies is; "Mr. Right" is out there but where are you looking and what is your criteria? You know deep down in your heart that you are looking for a man that is going to stand up for you even when you're wrong. A man that is going to hold your hand even when you're in public. A man that is going to softly kiss your forehead and wipe your tear with his thumb as he rests his hand on your cheek. Most importantly, you are searching for a man that is willing to step up and lead the way a man should. You want him to provide for you, to be the one that says it's "ok" even when you know the situation is not good. You are looking for a man of character, not a boy with lack of focus and no heart for anything greater than himself.
My challenge to all of you ladies and in search of this illusive "Mr. Right" is this; are you living in a way that is going to attract this kind of man? Are you presenting yourself by the way you speak, dress, act, and socialize in a manner that would be attractive to this man that you yourself have set such high standards for?
Coming from the words of a 22 year old, newly engaged male, we hold these standards also. If you are looking for love at a party full of boys, you're going to get a boy that likes to party. If you are looking for a man that holds himself with integrity and character, you are going to find a man that has something to offer you that you will not find anywhere else. You do not want to spend your life searching and changing. Spend your life loving, laughing, focused, nurtured, protected, and all the other words you could possibly ever dream of. There are those "Mr. Rights" out there, and they are all looking for that "Ms. Right".
www.natefowler.net
