Stories and other stuff

If you're a craps player, you know what this term means.  It's a bet that whoever is rolling the dice will roll an eleven or crap out (rolling a two, three, or twelve).  It's also a term used to describe some folks who identify themselves as Christians.  In this scenario, C is for Christmas, E is for Easter, and it's about the only two times some folks step into a church in a year.  We celebrate two very important milestones in Christianity on these occasions and I understand why attendance goes up at churches at these two times. What I don't understand is why more people don't go to church.  Today, I'm going to use myself as an example for the rest of you. I saw as an impressionable teenager what politics can do to a church first hand.  I saw a division in the church I used to attend.  I saw people that were Christians to things to other people for personal reasons that were, well, just flat out MEAN and un-Christian.  It happens because we'r...

I said something about blogging about the subject of losing everything, but I'd written about this before in a blog called "Lost and Found" which you can read  here. I do want to add this thought, though.  What I have now, I wouldn't trade for all the gold in the world.  There isn't money that can buy the peace and joy I know.  It comes from the King of kings, the Lord of lords.  I wonder..... do you know Him?

Rather than comment on the comments of yesterday's posts, I thought I'd share what I'm grateful for today. First off, I'm grateful for God's love.  Without Him, nothing is possible and everything is meaningless.  If you don't know this, then you don't know Him.  I'm grateful for the trials in my life because they've caused me to learn and grow.  Someday, the big one will be resolved and I'll be grateful for the outcome, even though I don't know what it is. I'm grateful secondly today that a long-overdue apology to my first wife was tendered and accepted.  It's nice to try and be civil after a couple of years of not being that.  I'm also grateful for her willingness to help me and my oldest boy fix the thing that's broken between us.  That's a good thing to be grateful for. I'm grateful that people read, and kind of take away something from my blog.  Sharing the Good News is something I'm proud to do.  I'm...

Hot water...  No, for once I'm not in any, if you'll pardon the expression, trouble.  Hot water is my new friend.  It makes coffee for me in the morning.  It makes things hurt a lot less while I'm sitting in the bathtub enjoying the hot water.  Anymore, I'm so stiff in the morning, a hot bath has become part of my ritual.  I think of all the money I wasted over the years and am kicking myself...I never bought a hot tub.  Wanted one, but never bought one.  Probably just as well, now, but boy, could I sure use a visit to one. I have this little thingie that's supposed to turn your tub into a whirlpool.  It works OK.  I haven't used it in a very long time, though.  Maybe I'll give that a try tomorrow while I'm trying to get the joints to quit throbbing.  This getting older business...well, let's just say I'm not a fan. I like the getting wiser.  Just not the creaks and groans.  They make pills for that, I know, but I...

I just never know what's going to happen in my life. I have a little story to tell.  It's about social networking, being a Christian, and a whole bunch of things, I suppose, that I have nothing to do with. About a month ago (almost to the day) I received an e-mail at my yahoo account notifying me of a friend request on Facebook.  I politely declined the request because it was from a person who isn't a friend.  Our lives may get to the point where we're going to have to be civil, but that's really about it from my point of view.  Anyway, I declined it, politely, through what I thought was a very nice e-mail to a third person in this little story (sorry, no names but you can probably figure it out....) For that, I was told I wasn't being very godly toward this person; that the person was reaching out to me so that we could find a way to get along, which is something we're going to have to do.  I'm used to having my faith called into question by the t...

I have to say the theme of today's blog isn't my own.  I've borrowed it from one of my favorite radio programs, called "Running to Win" (you can listen online, here ). The topic of the program tonight was Jesus' first miracle of turning water into wine at a wedding.  The story is in the book of John.  While talking about this, Pastor Lutzer proffered this idea to the listening audience. He said something like for those that aren't Christians, for those that don't believe on Jesus, they should enjoy this life, because it's as good as it's going to get.  He further said for those that believe, this is as bad as it's ever going to be. I get a lot out of this program.  Just yesterday, the good Pastor talked about a man he heard witness and the story went something like this:  The man was facing financial difficulties of all sorts and going through a divorce.  He'd had some other troubles too.  The man said throughout this period in hi...

I haven't been feeling very bloggy lately.  In fact, I've been feeling a bit like the tin man from the "Wizzard of Oz", no not needing a heart, but rusted stiff.  I thought it might be the weather, or attributable to folding myself up like a pretzel inside an airplane fuel tank.  I think, though, after lunch today, it might be attributable to the cholesterol pills.  Time for a visit to the doc again. I started writing this post this morning but abandoned it.  I just wasn't feeling it, but I think it's kind of the message of the day.  As I was getting ready to leave for lunch the immigrant and I had a conversation about sharing what we have.  The scouts are having a food drive which what started the conversation.  As I drove to lunch, the radio program I had on was reading from a book and the topic was about sharing.  it was interesting that I'd started my day off with writing about it, then heard two examples of it in the span of about ten ...

Over the last year I've found many circumstances that happen in life, and not just to me, that I will never understand.  I can't.  I don't have the capacity to understand why horrible things happen to good people.  I do know that as rough as the last year has been for me, others have been through hell. I had a chat tonight with a friend of mine who shared a story from a devotional about a crisis of faith.  My friend mentioned that through all the stuff, I hadn't lost my faith, which is true.  In fact, mine is stronger than it's ever been and it grows daily.  Part of that is I can see tangible things that I believe are God working in my life.  A greater part of it is spending time reading the Bible and in prayer often, giving thanks in all circumstances to God and to glorify Him at every opportunity.  It's a lot of the reason I write the blog which I've mentioned before.  I used to do it for me.  It was therapy.  Now I do it in the...

Hi gang! I keep inviting you to church with me and you keep not showing up, but I'm going to keep inviting you anyway.   I keep trying to tell you that you're really missing out on something. Today's sermon was inspiring, the music was beautiful.  During the offering,  our organist/pianist played a selection and from where I was sitting in about the middle of the church, I could hear several of the ladies in the congregation singing along softly as she played.  It was a wonderful way to worship the Lord today. I get a lot out of Pastor Karl's sermons and today was no exception.  The things I took away from today's service kind of reminded me that I'd actually done something right (sorry, can't share what); and that I still have some work to do.  I really look forward to services each Sunday and walk away a better man, a better Christian than when I walked in the door. It's just been that kind of weekend.  It's been filled with inspiration; fr...

From time to time, I share things with you from my Facebook account page to illustrate that weird things happen in my life.  Getting rid of the past to improve your relationship with God was the theme of my lesson from tonight's "Experiencing God" workbook that my pastor gave me to do. A few minutes ago, I found this  link  on my Facebook page that talks about getting right with God.  It's been an issue with the Mrs. and I this week.  In the blog you'll read about carrying around stuff from the past.  That's been a little bit of a topic of discussion on my blog this week by an anonymous reader.  The text below is from my Facebook page just so you know I don't sit around and make this stuff up. The irony?  For those that know Wendi and I really well, you know we call each other "Bob"; Wendi calls everything Bob.  The blog's author?  Bob!  You gotta love the coincidence.... Keep CHRIST in CHRISTmas ... Who's with me? My latest ...

My youngest child turns 16 on November 11th.  His birthday will be on 11/11/11!  How cool is that?  I want to do something really special for him.  I'm thinking Disneyland, but I don't think that's going to cut it.  He's going to want something with six wheels.  Four that it rolls on, one in the trunk in case one goes flat, and with a wheel to steer it. He wants my baby.  He wants Chevron.  He can keep wanting.  But I'm excited for his birthday. I had a bad start to the week.  I still don't know what I'm doing with my life.  I had to face some unpleasant things again, but I think I dealt with them fairly well.  Prayer works, I can tell you that, and by about 10:00 Wednesday night, I just had this feeling of JOY and peace that I simply cannot explain.  It's like the weight of the world was suddenly lifted from my shoulders.  Last night, I was contemplating running away from home over the three day weekend I have. ...

Hey gang!  It's Saturday and I don't have to go to work.  I did absolutely nothing but rest, read, and watch a little television.  I hung out with the dog.  I made some chicken for dinner because the immigrant has the four to midnight shift at the Wally world.  She always has dinner for me, so I returned the favor. I soaked my ankle a few times yesterday.  Stupid ankle surgery.  When it's going to rain, I surely know it these days.  I looked in the mirror and realized I'm severely overdue for a haircut.  Don't you just love days like this?  I know I do. So, I was looking at the old blog today while I was just hanging out.  I noticed a comment someone made over a week ago that I didn't answer, until today. The person asked a question I found a little odd, but one worth answering better than I did and I think I know how. I read a story about two brothers who were invited to a night out with some mutual friends.  They knew...

I find myself guilty! Of what?  Lots of things. I had to take a quick walk down "nightmare alley".  Most have memory lane, but me, I have this never-ending saga that is my life these days.  I had to explain to one of my supervisors why I couldn't make some overtime I'd scheduled this week and had to give him an overview of why I was where I was at.  He kept asking questions.  Now, he has a 50' rule for me.  He doesn't want to get whatever's on me, on him.  I told him to be careful or I'd spit on him. The other one was that I had to account for some behavior with the wife from before we got married.  She asked me a question I answered honestly on Monday.  I didn't remember what she was talking about.  The sad thing is that if she asked me that question again, I'd have to give her a different answer.  Good thing she doesn't read the blog, huh? No, I know she sometimes does. I sent her a very honest e-mail.  I have to tell...

Good afternoon, Gang.  This little post is more directed at my Guard friends.  I want to explain something that I think will kind of make them understand me a little bit more. When we joined the military, for whatever reason, it was explained to us that we would be giving up certain things we enjoyed as civilians.  It's part of the deal.  So is following orders you may not understand.  A willingness to sacrifice your life if necessary in defense of the ideals our country stand for that are laid out in our Constitution is part of the deal. Being a Christian is a lot like being in the military.  You serve your commanders.  I serve a different Master.  I volunteered to serve Him, the ideals he represents, and follow His word as laid out in the Bible, just as you volunteered to serve your country. You follow regulations.  I follow the Bible.  Like you, when I became a Christian, I gave up certain things and quite frankly, I don't miss th...

Please watch  this wonderfully inspiring video  before you finish reading today's blog.  It'll make more sense if you do. My King.  What a sermon!  I couldn't top it if I wanted to, and I don't.  But I'm going to tell you what my King is NOT! My King, nor His Father, are a curse word.  If you say His holy name as such, you don't know my King!  I was amazed by how many people do this.  I was HORRIBLE with this.   My King has nothing to do with a popsicle stick!  My King is not a Bobble Head Doll!  My King is not a punch line to a joke!  As the man said, He's the King of kings and the Lord of lords.  None of these things brings glory to Him when we disrespect Him.   I wonder, do you know Him? If you don't; you will:  From Romans 14:11--  It is written:    “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me;    every tongue will acknowledge God.’” Now, on...

Ouch.  Ummph.  Scrape, there goes some more skin.  Poke. Ouch.  Darn it, that hurts.  The joys of doing my job.  A big man in a little tiny hole, moving airplane parts in and out.  Working over my head and laying on my side, wedged like a big piece of meat between a mounting bracket and a hydraulic line. I'm sure the guy outside the tank last night was having a good laugh.  The worst of the on the job injuries though was when I smacked my knee getting out of the hole so hard that I lost my breath and almost got sick to my stomach.  THAT one left a mark.  So did the sharp edge of the bracket I was having to work around, and finally on top of to finish the task. There are some jobs on the jet that I'm just not built for.  Tonight I feel like you do when you first start lifting weights or doing any kind of physical activity.  I'm sore.  My knees are sore, my ribs are sore.  My hair hurts.  My neck is stiff from ...

Good morning, gang. If you're not paying attention to what's happening in the world, here are a few disturbing headlines I've seen in the last couple of days you really should be aware of. The first story is about Carl Ichan  returning  investors' money to them.  When a rich billionaire doesn't want to play with other people's money anymore, that should turn some heads.  Read the article and listen as he talks about why he's doing this. The second story I want to share with you is one I read on CNN.com  this morning about banks limiting how much you can withdraw on your debit card.  It's an important story because of the implications it has on your family's finances, both now and in the future and it's just a further explanation of where we're headed in this country.  Banks would be limited as to how much they can recoup when you use your card and it's going to cost them quite a bit of money.  Those costs, of course, will be passed ...

I did a bit of research on today's post.  Some of it came from the Tribune, via Huffingtonpost.com; some of it came from looking up a quote that I can't really attribute to anyone.  In that research, though, I came up with a novel idea which I'll share with you in a minute. Our beloved(?) Senator, Orrin Hatch, it seems is trying to hire so-called "tea party" members to his re-election campaign.  Shrewd move.  If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.  With the politics in this state and what happened to Senator Bennett last time around, it seems pretty smart.  I don't care for Senator Hatch's politics but I have a great deal of respect for the Senator.  I don't think he and I have agreed on many key issues over the years but when I've expressed my opinion, I've always received a reply from his office; something former Senator Bennett never could be bothered to do.  That allowed me to disagree with Senator Hatch without being disagreeable. ...

There are a lot of things going on in my life these days, most of them good.  A lot of them I can't, well, won't talk about on the blog which doesn't make it as fun to read as it used to be.  I know that.  You keep tuning in for answers, but I keep giving you things you don't want to read about.  OK, but I can't share with you what I don't know myself, so I have to tell you about how we're all going to get the answers we need. There are a lot of things that have my attention.  I'm proud to see peaceful dissent going on in Wisconsin.  Good for you guys.  This divisive politics of my way or the highway has got to stop.  Our politics never used to be "take no prisoners"; there was always room for compromise.  I'm waiting for the Republicans collectively to hold their breath so long they turn blue and pass out.  If you had money and a talent for public speaking, you could easily start a successful 3rd party in this country right now.  ...

This is going to be a short post today.  I have to get ready for church soon and I have to clean out the pig-sty that my car has turned into. I have some thoughts this morning about getting carried away.  Sometimes, people do get carried away.  I know a few of my friends wonder if I've fallen over a cliff with as much talking as I do about my faith in Christ.   On CNN.com this morning you'll find a prime example of people getting carried away by faith.  You can use this example to understand why we have an Electoral College for the office of President of the United States.  Our forefathers knew that there was the potential for some smooth-talking guy to win people over then seize power.  They figured that the masses wouldn't be educated enough to know the difference and if I remember my history right, this is why the Electoral College exists. The primary thing happening in my life is the unusual situation I find myself in, so that's what I talk abou...

Today is Saturday.  I woke up with a sweet tooth for donuts.  A quick road trip to Magna and a maple bar later, the sweet tooth has been satisfied.  What does Magna have to do with donuts?  My Guard friends know.  When you want an apple fritter, I mean really WANT an apple fritter, only Roger's will fix that. (Shameless plug, Roger's Bakery is inside the Reams in Magna on 35th So. & 72nd West.)  I'm saving the fritter for later, but trust me it's out there in the kitchen. What's the lesson about you ask?  There's homework involved.  It's a reading assignment. (curious, does anyone actually look up the scriptures I post as reference material?)  Today's lesson is from the Gospel of Luke, verses 7:36 through 8:25. For such a short read, there are many lessons in this passage of the Good Book.  The first lesson is this:  Those that have been forgiven much, love much.  Those that have been forgiven little, love little. ...

Weird things happen in my life.  I can't help that they do... they just do.  Yesterday's random was this... and it was just random, I don't think it serves any point to tell the story except it happened, but it did happen. I work at Hill AFB and there are all kinds of people that work at Hill AFB.  Thousands.  Hundreds in the section I work in.  Some of the guys that I used to serve with in the Air Guard work in the same building I do.  It's a BIG hangar.  I run into them sometimes, but last night was a bit unusual. One of the guys that used to be in my shop and I had a class together.  No big deal, it's not the first time I've run into one of the guys in a class.  However last night there were two of us in this class.  Two.  Him and me.  At the beginning of the class, they show a video that starts out with a lady standing on the Utah Air National Guard parking ramp, from back in the "E" model days.  I just laughed. ...

As we wind down operations here at Lark Circle Farm, we thought it a good idea to "thin the herd" as it were of the wild pussycat family that has taken up residence.  I have a new appreciation for the "spay and neuter" crowd because one little stray pussycat turned into 13 over the course of a couple of years. That cat, though, is MEAN and I had a choice.  Keep the pussycats around to keep the rats and mice down (they come in out of the foothills in the winter) or try to trap that nasty sucker.  We're down to I think four pussycats.  Two showed up that aren't ours but they'll be gone too in a couple of weeks.  It won't be too much longer before the vermin problem isn't mine anyway. There was one pussycat, though, that wasn't going to make it outside.  I named him "moo".  I don't know why, he's a grey tiger striped pussycat with this little black mark on his right back foot.  He's a bitty little thing for a pussycat a...