Monthly Archives: January 2010

what I am working on right now

What Was I Thinking?

I just wanted t do a blog about our thoughts.

The scripture has tons to say about our thought life.

Random Thoughts About Were Thoughts Come From

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7 (nkjv)

1. OUR THOUGHTS CAUSE FEELINGS.
Job 21:6 When I think about this, I am terrified;  trembling seizes my body.

2. OUR THOUGHTS CAUSE ACTIONS.
Ephesians 4:17-19 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

3. OUR THOUGHTS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
Matthew 15:17-20 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’ ”

4. WE CHOOSE OUR THOUGHTS
1 Corinthians 14:20 Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.

What are we to do with our thoughts

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Albert Einstein said, “I want to know God’s thoughts”.

Just something to think about 🙂

Standard
election, leadership, nation

Portrait Of Presidential Players

I love these two portraits by artist Andy Thomas.

Just had to put them on my blog post.

Republicans Players

George Bush senior, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Dwight Eisenhower, (down in front is Abraham  Lincoln), back up to Teddy Roosevelt, down to Gerald Ford, and up to Richard Milhouse Nixon.

Here are some quotes by these guys.

Ronald Wilson Reagan  (1981–1989)

“America is too great for small dreams.”

“We are a nation that has a government—not the other way around. And that makes us special among the nations of the earth.”

“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”

George Herbert Walker Bush  (1989–1993)

“If anyone tells you that America’s best days are behind her, they’re looking the wrong way.”

“Don’t try to fine-tune somebody else’s view.”

“I want a kinder, gentler nation.”

George W. Bush

“If you don’t feel something strongly you’re not going to achieve.”

“We will bring the terrorists to justice; or we will bring justice to the terrorists. Either way, justice will be done.”

Gerald Rudolph Ford  (1974–1977)

“Truth is the glue that holds governments together. Compromise is the oil that makes governments go.”

“A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.”

Richard Milhous Nixon  (1969–1974)

“A man who has never lost himself in a cause bigger than himself has missed one of life’s mountaintop experiences. Only in losing himself does he find himself.”

“I like the job I have, but if I had to live my life over again, I would like to have ended up a sports writer.”

“Always give your best, never get discouraged, never be petty; always remember, others may hate you. Those who hate you don’t win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself.”

Dwight David Eisenhower  (1953–1961)

“I never saw a pessimistic general win a battle.”

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)

“You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.”
“If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.”

Teddy Roosevelt (1901-1909)

“Speak softly and carry a big stick.”
“The only man who makes no mistake is the man who does nothing.”

Democratic Players

William Clinton, John F.Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Franklin Delano Roosevelt  , Woodrow Wilson, Harry Truman, Andrew Jackson, Lyndon Baines Johnson

William Jefferson Clinton  (1993–2001)

“There is nothing wrong in America that can’t be fixed with what is right in America.”

“If you live long enough, you’ll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you’ll be a better person. It’s how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit.”

“We need a spirit of community, a sense that we are all in this together. If we have no sense of community, the American dream will wither.”

James Earl Carter, Jr.  (1977–1981)

“We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.”

Lyndon Baines Johnson  (1963–1969)

“A president’s hardest task is not to do what is right, but to know what is right.”

“You ain’t learnin’ nothin’ when you’re talkin’.”

John Fitzgerald Kennedy  (1961–1963)

“And so my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”

Franklin Delano Roosevelt  (1933–1945)

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

“A good leader can’t get too far ahead of his followers….or they might mistake him for the enemy.”

Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

“If you want to make enemies, try to change something.”

Andrew Jackson (1865—1869)

“If the rabble were lopped off at one end and the aristocrat at the other, all would be well with the country.”

Standard
Bikes

Bikes I Ride

Spot Brand 29er Single Speed

I started riding a Spot Brand single speed in April of 2009 and so far I really like it.

Spot Brand bicycles in Golden, Colorado has spent over a decade perfecting the craft of the bicycle. The constant refinement to geometry, attention to detail, and the pursuit of the perfect tube set, has resulted in creating your ultimate off road ride. Not just for the big boys anymore. The larger wheels are proven to tame even the most technical trails. This bike is hands down the best single speed bike on the planet. Simple, light and fast! The 29er movement is here to stay in my biking world.

I love the simplicity of the SS.

Standard
Bikes

Bikes I Ride

Trek Remedy 5 full mountain

Trek Remedy 5

Frame: ZR 9000 Aluminium

Fork: Manitou Black Platinum Air with SPV rebound Lock Out 120mm of travel Gearing: Sram X-7 rear mech and Shimano Deore front Shifters: Sram X-7 Chainset: Bontrager Race 44/32/22 tooth chainrings Brakes: Hayes HFX-9 hydraulic disc 6 inch rotors Wheels: Bontrager Select Disc Tyres: Bontrager ACX folding Handlebars: Bontrager Race X Lite Carbon Stem: Bontrager Select Saddle: Bontrager Select Seatpost: Bontrager Select

This bike weighs in at 33 pounds.

Standard
Bikes

BIKES I RIDE

Trek Top Fuel 110

Frameset

Sizes 17.5

Frame OCLV 110 Carbon

Front Suspension RockShox SID World Cup w/carbon crown & steerer, Motion Control, rebound, floodgate, compression, LO, 80mm

Rear Shock RockShox MC 3 w/Poploc remote

Wheels

Wheels Bontrager Race X Lite Disc

Tires Bontrager Super X, tubeless ready, 26×2.1″

Drivetrain

Shifters Shimano XTR Dual Control

Front Derailleur Shimano XTR

Rear Derailleur Shimano XTR

Crank Shimano XTR 44/32/22

Cassette Shimano XTR 11-34, 9 speed

Pedals Shimano 520, clipless

Components

Saddle Bontrager Race X Lite Pro

Seat Post Bontrager Race XXX Lite Carbon

Handlebars Bontrager Race XXX Lite Carbon, 31.8mm

Stem Bontrager Race XXX Lite Carbon, 12 degree, 31.8mm

Headset Cane Creek S-8 w/cartridge bearings, sealed

Brakeset Shimano XTR, hydraulic disc, 6″ rotors

This bike weighs in at under 24 pounds

Standard
Bikes, Mountain biking, Prescott, SINGLE SPEED

Pre-Snow Ride With Buddy Schultz Today.

We are forecasted to get hammered with three major storms this entire week.
So I decided to get out before the single track  gets buried for the next two weeks.
Had a great 10 mile pre-snow ride with pitcher Buddy Schultz today.
We did the Granite Basin loop from Iron Springs and back.
The sloppy soil gives you a little more opportunity for a work out.

Over the next few months I will ride with others from the baseball card collection that sits in a box down in the man cave.
Here are some baseball face on Buddy’s career.
Buddy Schultz was born on Tuesday, September 19, 1950, in Cleveland, Ohio. Schultz was 24 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 3, 1975, with the Chicago Cubs.
He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1977 and was paid a salary of $25,000.00
Birth Name:       Charles Budd Schultz
Nickname:       Buddy
Born On:       09-19-1950
Place of Birth : Cleveland, Ohio
College: Miami University
Bats:       Right
Throwing Arms Chart Throws:: Left
Player Height Chart Height:       6-00
Player Weight Chart Weight:       175
First Game:       09-03-1975 (Age 24)
Last Game:       09-28-1979
Buddy did get a bit muddy on the back of the bike today.
Guess I will nick name him “Muddy Buddy.”

Standard
church family, Ministry

7.0 Earthquake Rocks Haiti

This Sunday morning we will offer an opportunity to give  to Convoy of Hope as they are already on the ground in Haiti serving water, food, shelter, medical triage and spiritual direction. A special offering will be taken at Prescott First Assembly this Sunday or give online at convoyofhope.org.

http://www.convoyofhope.org/go/headlines/entry/7.0_earthquake_rocks_haiti_convoy_of_hope_is_responding

 Also we are continuing the Tipping Point series – can’t wait to see our church family gathered together to give and receive.

Standard
family

Happy Birthday Brenda

Just saying happy birthday to my wife and friend Brenda.

Celebrating a birthday reminds us of the goodness of life, and in this spirit we really need to celebrate people’s birthdays every day, by showing gratitude, kindness, forgiveness, gentleness, and affection. These are ways of saying: ‘It’s good that you are alive; it’s good that you are walking with me on earth. Let’s be glad and rejoice. This is the day that God has made for us to be and to be together.

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalm 90:12

A birthday is a time to celebrate birth itself, the joy of life. It is also an occasion to rethink your life: How great is the disparity between what I have accomplished and what I can accomplish? Am I spending my time properly or am I involved in things that distract me from my higher calling? How can I strengthen the thread that connects my outer life and my inner life?

A birthday can also teach us the concept of rebirth. To recall our birth is to recall a new beginning. No matter how things went yesterday, or last year, we always have the capacity to try again. Your birthday is a refresher, a chance for regeneration–not just materially, but spiritually.

Happy birthday Brenda…… you are amazing.

Standard
Life experiences, Ministry, rivers

When God Works Upstream

I just wanted to post this about the foresight of  God and how he has “upstream” solutions for our “downstrean” situations.

(Joshua 3:13-17)  And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.” 14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

Joshua, the third chapter, records a story about the challenge the Israelites faced just before they entered the Promised Land that has application to our situation today. God’s people were finally ready to enter the land of Canaan, but they had to cross the Jordan River. Normally that would not be difficult because the Jordan isn’t much wider than a typical creek at places. But the river was swollen at flood stage so the water was deep, the current was swift, and the river was wide and hazardous. Joshua 3 records a miracle God performed that enabled all of them to cross safely on dry ground.

Here are a few observations about how God works upstream to help us downstream.

1. God PROVIDED upstream in anticipation of what was about to occur.

– God’s timing was perfect. He dammed the water several miles upstream.

– When possible the church needs to imitate God by anticipating the future and preparing for it.

– You are giving to meet the needs of people downstream—people you haven’t met who will have much similar struggles and are so lost. “He stands tall who plants a tree in whose shade he will never sit.”

2. God PROVIDED upstream even though the need wasn’t as dramatic as it had been previously.

Forty years earlier God performed an even more spectacular miracle in parting the Red Sea.

Each act of God may not be more dramatic from a human perspective, but it’s another affirmation of God’s hand of blessing and the presence of His Holy Spirit within us.

3. God PROVIDED upstream because the leadership was in transition.

– The Israelites had followed Moses for forty years.

– He was the only leader they had known and God used him in a might way.

– Moses was dead.

– God took this opportunity to demonstrate that His hand was on Joshua as it had been on Moses. .

4. God PROVIDED upstream because the people were willing to walk by faith

– God gave the people specific instructions. They showed their faith by obeying.

– God will work upstream for us if we have enough faith to obey Him.

– God has commanded us not to rely on possessions.

– God commands us to return to Him a generous portion of what we earn.

– God commands us to respond to those in need.God commanded the Israelites to do one thing first: consecrate themselves. Before performing a miracle, God commanded them to purify themselves. God works through people who are spiritually clean and fully devoted to Him. A.W. Tozer said, “God can use any vessel, even if it is cracked, as longs as it’s clean.” The same is true with us.

God is always working upstream for you…“God…goes ahead of you” (Dt 1:30 TM).

Bonus quote. “Do unto those downstream as you would have those upstream do unto you.” ― Wendell Berry

Standard