Stories and other stuff

Tomorrow is Hymn Sing and a pot-luck at church.  I'm doing Dutch Oven potatoes and services start at 11:00.  Love to see you there!  Look what happened to me at church last week!  What great thing might happen to you if you come? BTW, I'd told the story I deleted before.  It was essentially the same as the one about "P".  I gotta start reading these things before I publish them. GO NFC in the Pro Bowl!!!!! Coop

I meant to finish this blog on Wednesday but the day just kind of got away from me; so did the week.  I've been kind of focused on other things this week, unfortunately.  A couple of things from the past came up that quite frankly, would be better off left where they belong.  One was last weekend; another came up inadvertently in a conversation.  Those things have kind of had my mind a bit preoccupied, and rightfully so.  Each was an important issue.  One, I hope, is resolved once and for all.  The other will be discussed only one more time with the person involved simply to demonstrate I was telling the truth; past that, it'll never be brought up again. As I think back about the two issues, I realize I knew that there were things I had to deal with from the past.  I read an article online and for the life of me, I can't find it again, but it talked about how, once you find Salvation, that sometimes God will take you back to things and people in...

and this is one of those days.  It didn't start out that way, though.  I kinda forced myself on the kitchen gadget story.  I don't do well when I pretend there's not something going on and I really need to address it. I fought with this blog.  I started talking about what I learned in church on Sunday.  I'll touch on that later in the week, I promise, because it was well worth going last Sunday and I hope everyone there got as much out of the service as I did. So, here's where we're headed with the blog today.  This from Titus, Chapter 3 (NIV):  1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.  3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the ki...

I like to cook and I like going to yard sales because you never know what you're going to find.  Because of these two things, the Mrs. and I over the years collected quite a number of gadgets. I made some chicken Tava last night.  I brought the Tava bowls back from Turkey.  To make the Tava I used another gadget, the food processor.  I love this gadget because it'll destroy an onion in 15 seconds.  I hate chopping onions.  I used it to puree' some red peppers for the Tava too. Another gadget that made my life simple is a rice steamer.  This is the ONLY way to cook rice.  I can't do it on a stove without it coming out like a big, gloppy mess.  I steamed some jasmine rice to go with the tava and it wasn't as good as what you get in Turkey, but it was close.  It turned out pretty well. The immigrant was gathering up all the pieces of our various gadgets today.  That's when she noticed one of my gadgets needed a new gadget.  ...

And was really inspired by the sermon.  So much so, that I'm going to not quit my blog.  I have a problem. I have a way to deal with that problem, and I'm hoping that we can resolve the problem once and for all. That's it on this subject.  I'm taking down yesterday's post.  It no longer applies.

I came across a term I was unfamiliar with on a friend's Facebook post the other day.  It was FML.  A quick google search led me to the definition of the acronym and to a website where people can post little anecdotes about their little skirmishes with life.  I have to admit, I looked at this website for about 15 minutes, just kind of scrolling through the posts, but only once.  My conclusion; how sad. I know it's all supposed to be tongue-in-cheek but I think there's an underlying issue and I really have some sorrow that a) there's a website for this, and b) it's popular.  Some of the posts are just trivial; some not so much.  The reason I felt sorrow is that I just thought there are better places to post these things.  I'm a Facebook fan of a couple of pages that ask for people to post their prayer requests and people can pray for those that post these requests.  I wonder, if more people did this instead of posting FML, how many of these negat...

It's been a pretty good week.  The January thaw has allowed me to clean up after my doggie out in the back yard and revealed to me that I gotta work harder on quitting smoking and definitely buy an ashtray instead of flipping butts all over the back yard.  I'm trying again to quit.  I've cut down a lot on smoking but I've noticed my weight creeping back up too.  I feel better after gaining a little bit of the weight back but I'm keeping my 36" pants no matter what this time! Even if it means moving the exercise equipment from the garage back into the house and starting to use it. No, THIS time, I mean it. I decided to clean out the fridge this afternoon.  I had good intentions over the holidays of making this or that goodie or dessert.  I never quite got around to it and some things were getting ready to expire like eggs and cream cheese.  There was a graham cracker crust left over too from a pie I was going to make for Miss June and never got ar...

I joined a discussion this morning about comments the newly elected Governor of Alabama made about Christians being his brothers and sisters but those not knowing Him are not.  These remarks created quite an uproar yesterday.  The left-wing pundits were talking about it.  Various Jewish and Muslim groups commented on it. As I was thinking about what my friend had said on Facebook, I read two very important words in the article.  The Governor was addressing, and I quote, a "church group".  Doesn't the context of making these remarks to what I would guess would be a like-minded group of people in that particular setting change the severity of the remarks?   I asked myself this question, and the answer I came up with was, well, yes. Context does matter.  I was taught that a good speaker, or for that matter, a good writer knows his audience.  You're supposed to tailor your remarks to your audience as well as your point-of-view.  Unless I'm ve...

For a guy who likes gadgets, you wouldn't be able to tell by the type of phone I carry. I have a very basic i335 phone. This is a good phone for me because it's just a really simple phone that doesn't even have a camera.  It makes phone calls and I can kind of check sports scores on its very ineffective internet browser.  It handles being dropped pretty well. One thing it does, though is let me save photos to a file stored on the phone and I should be able to download them to a computer. I have some pictures on my phone I wanted to keep, once I figured out I could actually save them from the text messages they came with.  My phone has a USB cable port so I figured I'd just plug in the phone and copy the pictures to my Mac.  It's a newer phone, so it should work, right? I plug the phone in.  They're not compatible.  Time for plan B. I have this Dell PC.  It's old by computer standards because I've had the thing almost seven years.  It's mos...

I missed the games yesterday.  I forgot to DVR them, too, so I'm just out of luck.  I did see the play in the Pittsburgh/Baltimore game where everyone thought the play was dead, except that one guy who smartly picked up the football and ran to the end zone. It seemed the whistle didn't blow.  When everyone else quit, one guy, one very smart guy, didn't and scored an easy touchdown. I really enjoy playoff football.  All year, everyone was talking about Atlanta who met the resurgent Packers and judging by the score, that was just a beat-down!  I was surprised the Steelers/Ravens game was as high scoring as it was for two teams noted for great defense. I'm excited to see what happens with the Seattle/Chicago game today; equally excited about the Jets/Pats game, too.  A 7-9 team is two games away from the Super Bowl. One thing I really missed was my fantasy football league this year.  It's fun to talk a little smack with your friends during a frien...

What I would like to share with you today is something you're going to have to read elsewhere.  It's Ephesians, Chapter 5 .  As you read,  the things you should leave behind when you become new in Christ are discussed. The other topic it discusses is how spouses should treat one another.  In our secular society and worldly views on things, I sometimes think these are overlooked.  I know I pretty much ignored them in the past and it's not a mistake I'll EVER make again, with God's help! I'd encourage you to take a look at it.  It's a short read, maybe about five minutes is all, but well worth the time.  If you don't have a Bible, I added the link above.  One more thing, if you don't have a Bible and would like to have one, would you please let me know?  I'd be happy to gift one to you. Every day is a blessing.  Don't forget to be thankful for each and every one, no matter what it brings. God bless y'all Coop

I don't understand everything that happens in my life.  I don't think I'm supposed to.  I was reminded of this today from a little booklet called "Our Daily Bread" the church provides its members.  It's a daily devotional book. Today's was important to me.  The passage talked about whether or not things that happen in life are bad or good.  The material in the book is copyrighted so I can't share with you the exact words, but if you have a minute you can read it yourself by clicking  here . We can't understand every reason things happen in our lives.  For some things, I don't think there is an explanation we as human beings can understand.  Sometimes, things just aren't what they appear to be.  This is a lesson I've learned the hard way in life.  These days, I don't judge or make assumptions.  I ask questions.  Sometimes I just have faith that God knows the reasons why and that's good enough for me.  I guess that's wha...

How do you answer the question "Who are you?"  When someone you know changes a great deal, it's hard to understand, especially if you don't have a good understanding of the reasons for the change. If the readers so choose to follow this  link , part of the why for the dramatic changes so many see but don't understand will become evident. When people face suffering, they have one of two options; they can turn toward God, or away from Him.  Sometimes in an hour of despair, the Good News presents itself and those that choose to follow the Good News are transformed into new beings in Christ.  Sometimes this transformation is radical, sometimes, just noticeable.  What kind of past a person had before kind of dictates the dramatic appearance of this transformation to others. The story of the Apostle Paul demonstrates what a dramatic change Christ can have in a person's life.  Saul, before Christ appeared to him, was dedicated to persecuting Christians and t...

I laugh quite a bit these days.  My life is good and getting better by the day.  Sometimes I laugh when I see something random and my reaction to it is "REALLY?".  It's a good thing because it's out of happiness. Today though, the wife made me laugh.  I, being me, have to tell you a couple of stories, to tell you the one I want to tell you. I've always had to have the "best".  I don't know why and I think I've talked about it before.  If I had the money and saw something I wanted, it was mine.  It was a habit Wendi tried to break me of, by implementing the 24 hour rule.  Anything over $10 was to be thought about for 24 hours unless it was a clearance item and we had a need for it.  It helped some, but not a lot.  I spent like there was no tomorrow because I never stopped to think about tomorrow. Next story:  I used to drive Wendi nuts with cash.  If some was laying around on the counter I always assumed it was mine, wheth...

I live on the West side of Mount Ogden, about three blocks west from where the homes end and the wilderness begins.  From my backyard, I have a pretty good view of the part of Mt. Ogden that's not developed to the top where the TV towers are.  It's a breathtaking view if you like mountains and I do, so it works out well. A few minutes ago, I ran to the store which is down 36th Street from my house.  I say down because it's downhill.  Mt. Ogden slopes from the rough, jagged peaks to a downhill slope.  From the bottom of 36th Street, where the store I went to is located, the view is pretty different.  From that perspective, you see just how BIG Mount Ogden really is.  It only looks about half that size from my back yard. Perspective adds a lot to, or in some cases takes away from what we see.  It's in the perspective of how we look at things that we make our decisions on what we see.  From my backyard, it's easy to say Mount Ogden really is...

Yesterday, I talked about following where the Lord takes me.  I think that's easier for me than maybe someone else because I hit my bottom and when I started listening to the Lord, things in my life started getting pretty good.  Notice, I said "my" bottom, and not THE bottom.  I had a long way to go to hit "the" bottom.  Fortunately, the Lord blessed me with people in my life who helped me and the ability to recognize that if I didn't do something, it was going to really start to head to "the" bottom. It's easy, but as with all things, I'm not exactly perfect in this.  I'm willing to follow but found myself questioning the Lord about this a bit ago.  In the first place, who am I to question HIS perfect plan for me?  I asked out loud, but directed to the Lord, "are you sure about this?"  It wasn't out of a lack of faith nor a want to follow His will, but a lack of understanding.  I don't know "why". That...

Hi Gang.  Welcome to a snowy Monday morning edition of the blog.  Hope everyone had a good weekend.  How 'bout them Seahawks?  Wouldn't it be funny if a team with a losing regular season record (7-9) made it to the Super Bowl? Unfortunately, I missed Saturday's playoff games because I had to work.  Too bad about the Colts.  The next time the Jets play the Colts ought to be really interesting. Well, today's blog is about following.  It's something I learned at an early age in the military.  To be a good leader, you first have to learn to be a follower.  This week's theme seems to be about trusting in, and following Christ.   I'd like to share with you my pastor's blog entry about Jesus being Lord over our lives.  It's an important message . I mentioned this last week.  I told you I made a conscious decision to follow the Lord and I pretty much let Him take me through life these days.  Instead of my trying to tel...

I meant to post this blog earlier in the week.  It was written on December 30, 2011, on the outbound leg of my trip.  For the younguns' I embedded a link to the Western Airlines birdie on youtube.  Instead of champagne, he's getting pizza, but you'll get the idea. My first experience with flying was as a boy flying to California aboard Western Airlines.  Western Airlines is defunct.    Delta took it over a couple of decades ago, but I digress. My mother bought my sister and I new clothes for the flight.  She insisted we dress up for the trip.  Of course this was the decade of the ‘70’s.  A little bird on the tail of the aircraft during TV commercials, holding a glass of champagne, assured us that Western Airlines was the oooonly way to fly.  I have a good memory for dumb stuff. People dressed up for the flight. Today as I write this, I’m at 31,000 feet, headed to an undisclosed location.  I ran away from home.   I can’...

Shortly before I left my job at the ol' Air Guard last year, the idea of solving problems during our morning standup meeting took on kind of a pilot toned theme.  When there was an issue, our commander would ask us what we could do to bring the issue in "for a landing". Well, it's been that kind of a week on the blog.  Lots of things, each building on the other, from the moment I got home from my undisclosed location, to a pretty great way to end the week.  I started out with talking about being ashamed of people for their lack of any kind of empathy or concern for their fellow man.  On Tuesday, I asked if the theme for the week was going to be breaking the chains of the past to soar in God's plan.  I added a few comments here and there to that blog post that I thought were applicable to the post throughout the week; two of them from my Facebook page (be sure to send me a friend request if you'd like to see it for yourself).   On Wednesday, I asked if it...

I think by now it's pretty evident I'm not shy about sharing my faith with you.  Today, I'm going to share someone else's story with you.  His name is Ted Williams.  You may have heard his story but if not, you can read it  here I hope you find the comments inspiring.  I did.

This little post is for my friends: First, I spoke with the wife today.  No baby yet.  Soon, though.  That's her news to share and when she shares it with the world, then I'll share it with you.  The blue reference was not a "blue for boys" reference. It's something else. What I want to share with my friends is this, from the Bible: Galatians 5 (NIV) Freedom in Christ  1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.  2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus ne...

I had this whole big rant written about how our society has changed since the 1960's. I read it and didn't like it.  Instead, I'm just going to point out a thought and ask the question again. The thought:  If we know what's right and wrong, where did those things come from if there is no God? Now the question again:  Is it too much to ask: For people to be courteous to each other? To disagree without being disagreeable or finding fault? To accept the message without trying to brutalize the messenger, even if we just disagree? To have a little empathy with those whose struggles in life are different? To help someone out without expecting anything in return? To accept that we just may be the one that is wrong about something? To accept a little difficulty in life without flying off at the handle? To remember that we really are all in this together and show some compassion for our fellow man? To understand we're all human and when people make small mistak...

I talk a lot about how my week seems to run in themes.  I don't know if it's a theme for the week or just the day but it's been twice today, both random, but the same message. The message in part is about spreading your wings as a Christian and being willing break the painful chains that hold you to your past.  I found this article when I was looking for a bible quote to share with the wife.  I knew what the verse said but couldn't remember the verse number, so I googled the words.  in the article, the author kind of describes what God does to new believers to reconcile their pasts so they can move forward.  It was an interesting read, based in part, upon the verse (Luke 9:62) I was looking for to send Wendi today. After I read the article and it set me thinking about the path I was on.  I wondered if I was missing something.  Am I on the right path or is this part of the journey just to be able to let go of the past?  I'm certain as I can hu...

editorial note:  I decided the name of the airline wasn't important to the story so I removed it.  I added a bit of a detail about the end of my night.  One person who reads the blog will find it funny. Hi gang, Well, I'm home.  Betcha most of you didn't know I was gone.  I ran away from home over the holiday.  I wanted to celebrate the New Year the right way and had a fantastic time.  I'm not writing about how I celebrated the end of 2010.  I'm happy it's over, though. as I'm sure several of you are.  2011 started out much better and I know it will be better than the last several years have been. I do want to talk about my journey home, though.  I caught a connecting flight in Las Vegas last night and it's this flight I want to talk to you about. When the plane came in at Las Vegas and there was no ground crew to meet it.  It sat just outside the gate waiting for ground personnel to marshall the pilot to the gate.  Those...

Hey gang! Hope you're having a good start to the new year.  I know I am. Today's blog is about resolutions and it's going to be short.  I have a nice story I wrote a couple of days ago and will post it later on in the week.  I'm borrowing a computer this morning and the story I have is on Herbie, so it'll have to wait. Anyway, this little story about resolutions is going to pick up where I last left the blog, which is at Luke 9:23 and is half of my resolution for the new year:  " Then he [Jesus] said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." (NIV) The words just kind of jumped out at me the other day.  There are two important parts of this... the first one is the part about "deny themselves".  For me, that means putting away the things I wanted, letting go of some things, and putting others first.  This is an important, yet very difficult lesson I've learned.  I ha...