Monthly Archives: March 2010

Funny stuff, Life experiences, outdoors

Dog vs. Pepe la pew

Well, it happened again this morning around 5:15 a.m..

our female Golden Retriever was sprayed by Pepe La Pew.

Here is a quick “what to do when everything stinks” blog post.

If you are an outdoors lover and a dog lover you might want to brace yourself for what happened to us today.

Bren let our female Golden outside early this morning and the next thing I hear is Bren struggling to get Bella in the garage after she got in a dog fight with a skunk just outside our back door.

Bella had taken a direct hit in the face and  had just been perfumed by one of natures worst smells, A skunk.

This is the second time this has happen to us so I wanted to blog breifly about what to do when your dog gets skunked.

HOW TO DE SKUNK YOUR DOG.

ABOVE ALL ELSE, DO NOT LET THE DOG IN THE HOUSE !

Here is a simple solution.

1 Qt 3% hydrogen peroxide
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tsp. liquid soap

  1. Do not just run water over your dog. This only increases the stink, and if the dog has dry, or cracked skin, the spray can get into his skin, and cause burning. This also can lead to skin problems later.
  2. Mix about 3/4 of a big bottle of hydrogen peroxide with about 3-6 tablespoons of baking soda. This is for a small dog. For a medium sized dog, use twice as much, and 3 times as much for a big dog.
  3. Scrub the solution gently all over your dog. It is advisable to use disposable gloves, or if your skin is dry or cracked, it would burn your skin. If you do this outside, your house won’t stink as much, and it would be better for everyone.
  4. If stinking persists, make some more of the solution, or call your vet for other ideas.
  5. Try to keep your dog in the backyard, if you are missing a fence or have a swimming pool, try to keep it in the basement (in their cage) or a room that you don’t usually go into.

Bella is a rescued dog and a great addition to our family. She was just protecting her territory.

“can you smell that smell?”

Steve

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Arizona, church family, Ministry

A TRIBUTE TO FRIENDS

Our friends Adam and Carrie Arnold both posted status updates on their facebook accounts tonight and here is what they had to say;

“I can’t believe the end of yet another chapter in life has closed and another is beginning. My heart is breaking but I know God asks us to give Him the blessing he already gave us in order to give us something better.” – Adam

“remembers the first morning I woke in Arizona, March 1st, 2003. The mountains left me speechless. I find such peace in the sunrise over the Arizona mountains.…” Carrie

(Adam, Carrie Elizabeth, Daniel, and Bella)

Adam and Carrie moved to Arizona in the Spring  seven years ago and tomorrow they are moving back to their home state of Missouri where we first met them.

I cannot frame into words the devotion these friends have put into our lives and ministry but I will attempt it with much emotion tonight.

For a couple to move across the country to an unknown community is amazing and a bit strange I thought…..Why would anyone move from the known to the unknown and start without any friends except a pastor and his family?
Adam and Carrie awkwardly  and slowly made the journey and set up their lives here in Prescott and faithfully attended our church and began to build from scratch a new start.
That new start was difficult and rocky at times. …many times Brenda and I prayed for their future.
But Adam and Carrie continued to do their best at finding jobs and raising their family.

About two years ago, I noticed a steadiness in their relationship and I felt that they had reached the threshold of a consistent family life together.
Adam and Carrie have become apart of the fabric of our church family and dear friends to Brenda and I .
We will miss the strength and laughter they bring to our lives and we will miss especially watching them grown together in Gods grace.

Adam – Thank you for your unending hours you have given to the “techy” part of the ministry as well as the hours standing in the sound booth. I will miss watching your calm cool ability to handle things when stuff goes wrong.

Carrie – Thank you for being a friend to Brenda and giving us both your devotion to our ministry . You are an incredible Childrens minister, Nursery coordinator, worship leader organizer and an all around amazing woman of zeal and vision.

Both of you are fantastic parents and an example of a Christian marriage .

Thank you for giving Brenda and I the opportunity to be your pastor’s these many years both in Lake Saint Louis as well as Prescott Arizona.

You mean the world to us and we will miss you more than you will know.

May God bless your future as you discover the path He has for you and your amazing family.

“You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. 3You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”  2 Corinthians 3:2-3

Adam and Carrie –   you are living letters to all who know you.

Steve and Brenda Lummer


Lead Pastors
Prescott First Assembly of God

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church family, Prescott

ONE OF THE BEST THINGS

This past weekend one of the best things happened to me again.

My good friend and buddy Bobby Snyder returned home for his father’s wedding here in Prescott Arizona.

For me, one of the best things is having the opportunity to meet and get to know some amazing people over the long term.

Sustainable relationships are a great gift in our culture today. In an atmosphere of no commitment and “here today, gone tomorrow” relationships, long term friends are to be treasured.

I really love the old framer prophet Amos who ask the question; “Can two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?”  Amos 3:3

Some of the best things in my pastoral life are not things…they are treasured long term friends who always come back to share their life, say hello now and again, and make my life much richer because they are just there with you .

Today, you get the opportunity to be with the people who will keep you from Isolating yourself in the cocoon of self banishment – enjoy every moment with them.

Bobby leaves next month for Afghanistan and you can believe I will be praying for his safe and quick return.

Steve

Lead pastor—Prescott 1st A/G

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leadership, Ministry

DON’T QUIT WHEN YOU ARE IN THE PIT

I love the story of the 14th Century Emperor Tamerlane (descendant of Ghangis Kahn) was badly defeated in battle. As he lay hidden in a barn, enemy troops scoured the countryside looking for him. Suddenly he noticed an ant trying to push a kernel of corn that was many times bigger than he, up over a wall. Sixty-nine times the ant tried and failed, but on the seventieth attempt he succeeded. Leaping to his feet, Tamerlane said, “If you can do it, I can too.” That day he changed his outlook, reorganized his forces, went back and soundly defeated the enemy.
If you’re under attack at the moment, listen to the words of Joab  in 2 Samuel 10:12 , “Be strong and let us fight bravely for…the Lord will do what is good.” Joab knew that if you do your part, God will do His. So keep fighting! As long as you’re on the battlefield God can give you victory. But if you turn and run, what more can He do for you?

Today as you face your difficulties keep these 7 things clearly in mind.
(1) Never give up when you know you’re right.
(2) Believe that all things work together for good, if you just persevere.
(3) Don’t let the odds discourage you; God’s bigger than all of them.
(4) Never let anyone intimidate you or deter you from your goals.
(5) Fight and overcome every limitation.
(6) Remember, every winner has dealt with defeat and adversity.
(7) Keep trying, confident that in God’s strength you’ll surely succeed.

I love this quote by Lance Armstrong;  “Pain is temporary – quitting is forever”

Don’t quit while you are in the pit.

Steve Lummer

Lead Pastor PFA

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Just sayin'

A NEW MAP

As the world changes, you need new maps to find where you are going and new ways of discovering your destiny.

You would not use a map that Lewis and Clark used back in 1805 to find your way through to your destination today.

In the same way, you don’t want to use tools that worked for you years ago to help you find your way today.

When I was a child, people would often ask me a question that they don’t ask me anymore for obvious reasons….they would say;

“Hey Steve, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

An astronaut? A fireman? President of the United States? A rock star? A minister? A Policeman?

Maybe you’ve already grown up, but you still don’t know what you want to be. You just know you don’t want to be what you are. Somewhere along the line you took a wrong turn, or a series of wrong turns, and now you are so deep into the forest and you can’t seem to find your way out.

You need direction. You need a compass. You need a map to move by.

God has a plan & a purpose for your life. Here are a few thoughts that can help you find and discover your destiny:

1. What gets your attention?

I know that may seem like a no-brainer, but seriously, “What interests you?” What captures your attention? I promise you are not called to do something that does not interest you. When I was in high school I took an auto mechanics class because I thought I wanted to work on cars. Until one week when I spent five days under my car trying to replace 5th gear on a transmission with my dad.  The interest in being a mechanic soon drifted and still lays in our garage floor somewhere. If it doesn’t interest you, you’re headed in the wrong direction.

2. What gets you energized?

There’s a difference in being interested in something and being energized by it. I am interested in politics, but I am definitely not energized by it. There is nothing within me that gets me energized about being politically correct or attempting to maneuver up the political later.. You may be interested in thousands of things, but within your sphere of interests, what energizes you? What makes your heart beat faster when you think about doing it?

3. What gets you to become good at something?

Just because something interests you & energizes you doesn’t mean you are good at it. I am interested in and energized by pro football. But I don’t stand a snowball’s chance at playing for a pro team. It’s just not gonna happen. So what are you good at? What are your natural abilities? What are your learned abilities? Can you acquire the skills and/or knowledge that you are lacking?

Do you have friends that are close enough and bold enough to tell you what you are NOT good at? Everyone needs a Simon Cowell in their life … . If you are not sure what you are good at, ask your friends & family members. They can probably tell you. Hopefully they will tell you the truth. …Whatever you are …be a good one.

4. What gets you frustrated ?

What bothers you about the world? Is there anything that causes you to lose sleep? What makes you think, “This isn’t right! Someone should do something about this!” Have you ever considered that someone could be you? Is it interesting to you? Would helping fix the situation energize you? Do you think you’d be good at it? Is it a burden? If so, then you are narrowing in on discovering your destiny.

If nothing burdens you, then you are not paying attention. I encourage you to pray and ask God to help you see the world through His eyes. I assure you there are enough broken things in this world that something will begin to burden you — if you are willing to see past yourself to the world around you. Hint: Your destiny doesn’t point to you; it points to the brokenness around you. If your life is going to have true meaning and significance, then you will have to use your life to help others. Sorry, there’s no way around it. What bothers you?..What frustrates you about the conditions around you?

5. What gets you going?

For some people, this is the toughest one to figure out, yet it’s the most important step in determining your destiny. In Christian circles, this is frequently referred to as a “calling.” A calling is an internal push (compulsion) that drives you to do something about the burden you feel. A divine calling (as in, “God is calling me to do this.”) feels like a moral imperative. In other words, there is something within you that forbids you from remaining complacent. You may think, “If I don’t do this, I am going to explode.” At that point, it doesn’t matter if you are paid or unpaid, recognized or unrecognized, you simply must act — that’s a calling. Andy Stanley says that complacency at this stage will begin to feel “tantamount to an act of disobedience [against God].” I totally agree.

If you feel lost or confused and have no idea what it is you should do with your life, these few thoughts can help you discover your destiny.

Life is like a coin….it is up to you how you spend it?

Steve Lummer

Lead Pastor PFA

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Bikes, God and your bod, Mountain biking, outdoors

PRAYER VACATION PART 2 – (BIKE)

My “prayer vacation” included  another priority as well as hiking the Virgin River in Zion.

One of my best outlets is discovering a new section of singletrack whenever possible.

This past weekend was pure joy when I discovered The Rockville Bench Trail, also known as Slickrock Swamp, starts in the town of Springdale (just outside of Zion National Park) and climbs onto the mesa above Rockville. This an advanced technical singletrack that features some great sandstone rock. The trail is a lariat loop, 10.5 miles in length, with a 400-vertical foot climb to the loop section of the trail. Peak altitude is 4080 feet.

When entering a new trail system I always wish that I would have a guide to show me the way.

Well, early Sunday morning  I  prayed a simple prayer. “God, it sure would be great to have an awesome mountain bike ride today…..please help me find my way.”

Has I approached the trail head I notice two other mountain bikers in front of me. I pushed hard to catch up and ask, “Hey do you guys mind if I tag behind ?” they said, “no problem.” – About half way through the 10 mile ride I found out the ride leader was Morgan Harris who actually built the Rockville Bench Trail. I guess God heard my prayer that day.

Also, I just want to put in a word for a great bike shop in Springdale.

Freddo at Zion Bikes does a great job for us out of town guys and you need to stop in to see this classic bike shop.

Also, when in Zion, don’t miss out on Oscar’s Cafe. A great breakfast or lunch after a great ride.

http://www.cafeoscars.com/

http://www.cafeoscars.com/about.html

Great getaways are needed.

Steve Lummer

Lead Pastor Prescott First Assembly

“Come apart by yourselves into a desert place, and rest a while:” – Mark 6:31

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God and your bod, Life experiences, outdoors, rivers

PRAYER VACTION PART 1 – (HIKE)

Have you ever had a prayer vacation? That’s right, “A Prayer Vacation.” It is really a personal prayer retreat. Several years ago I began the discipline of scheduling regular (and irregular) times of refreshing and prayer.

I love the Southwest Airlines media campaign that ask the question; “wanna getta away?”

This past weekend I had the opportunity to get away for a minnie prayer vacation.

I packed everything I needed to get to a river for three days of camping, hiking and biking and headed 7 hours north into Utah’s Zion National Park.

Just wanted to post a few pics of the amazing enlightening adventure on my blog.

Springdale is a small village that sits on the Virgin river just outside the park.

No photo can begin to capture the beauty…but at least we try.

The Virgin river is an amazing water way that cuts through the red rock canyon for miles.

To me Zion National Park would be compared to Sedona on Steroids with no housing developments along the creek

water falls part 1

Water falls part 2

water falls part 3

It was really great to be able to get away for the weekend and reflect, restore and pray.

I encourage you to do a prayer vacation if at all possible.

“Come apart by yourselves into a desert place, and rest a while:” – Mark 6:31

Steve Lummer

Lead pastor Prescott First Assembly

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FASTING

SIMPLE MENU GUIDLINES FOR OUR 21 DAY FAST

I am writing this blog from Zion National Park tonight so forgive me if I sound a little “out there”. haha.

The 21 day Daniel fast will begin Sunday night @ mid-night March 14th and go through Easter Sunday Breakfast at 9:00 AM.

I was checking my facebook page and many have ask me for a “shopping” list or “menu” for a resource.

So I will do my best from here to update us on our informal shopping  guidelines.

The concept of a Daniel fast comes from Daniel 1:8-14, “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Now God had caused the official to show favor and sympathy to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, ‘I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.’

Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ‘Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.’ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.”

Here are some menu helps for the 21 day Daniel fast.

GUIDELINES FOR DANIEL FAST
(Foods We May Eat)
Whole Grains: Brown Rice, Oats, Barley
Legumes: Dried Beans, Pinto Beans, Split Peas, Lentils, Black Eyed Peas
Fruits: Apples, Apricots, Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries, Cantelope, Cherries, Cranberries, Oats, Figs, Grapefruit, Grapes, Guava, Honeydew Melon, Kiwi, Lemons, Limes, Mangoes, Nectarines, Papayas, Peaches, Pears, Pineapples, Plums, Prunes, Raisins, Rasberries, Strawberries, Tangeloes, Tangerines, Watermelon

Vegetables: Artichokes, Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chili Peppers, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Garlic, Gingerroot, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Mustard Greens, Okra, Onions, Parsley, Potatoes, Radishes, Rutabagas, Scallions, Spinach, Sprouts, Squashes, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Turnips, Watercress, Yams, Zucchini Seeds, Nuts, Sprouts

Liquids: Spring Water, Distilled Water, 100% All-Natural Fruit Juices, 100% All Natural Vegetable Juices

(Foods to Avoid)

Meat (what  ??? >:()
White Rice
Fried Foods
Caffeine (are you kidding me?) 😡
Carbonated Beverages
Foods Containing Preservatives or Additives
Refined Sugar
Sugar Substitutes
White Flour and All Products Using It
Margarine, Shortening, High Fat Products

Please do not risk your health to go on this fast. Consult your doctor with specific question regarding an extended fast.

Brenda and I have been amazed to see what God has done in our lives over the years through fasting and prayer. We can only imagine what He has in store for us over the next few weeks and the year ahead, not only for our family, but for your family and our church.

I am really looking forward to this years 21 days of fasting for a change .

Let me know if you are joining us this year.

Fasting for a change

Steve Lummer

Lead Pastor Prescott First Assembly

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family

ICE CREAM IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL

I still love it when my dad takes us out for ice cream.

He would take our family out for ice cream after church, after work or after mowing the lawn in Iowa.

Our favorite hangouts were; Tastee Freeze on Rockingham road in Davenport, Baskin Robbins 31 flavors at Duck Creek Plaza in Bettendorf  and

The old A&W behind the church on Rockingham road.

That was then…this is now. For five decades the ice cream as been on dad and this past weekend he did it again.

All these years I thought it was us that was getting the treats….but for some reason I think dad likes ice cream too.

Thanks pops – Ice cream is truly good for the soul of a family.

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