World View

A view to those out in the world into our life.

Friday, January 28, 2005

The Great Oudoors

It is almost time for me to leave town for the men's retreat. Really looking forward to this one since I am new at the Grove (relatively) and will get to meet and get to know some of the men better. Looking forward to not having to be on call for a weekend as well. So, I will not be able to blog until Sunday. I am excited to see what God has to speak to us this weekend, we Men of the Grove.

It is starting to spit some snow and ice. They (the weather Experts) only call for an inch of snow/ice. I have a theory that when the weather forcasters call for a big snow, it doesn't (ie, just before Christmas). When they don't call for a big one, it will. So I guess I better pack my parka and ski gloves?

Fight the Good Fight

Thursday, January 27, 2005

Vote for Stumin - Be a part of history

If you read the Stumin blog which is linked under my other blogs, and you like it, then send an email to the following to vote for it as the The Best Evangelical Youth Pastor Blog. Include the link (stumin.blogspot.com) and that you are nominating the the Blog for The Best Evangelical Youth Pastor Blog . If we suceed, we will have voted in the first ever "The Best Evangelical Youth Pastor Blog".
Email the following: eblogawards@gmail.com
You can copy and paste the following:
Link: stumin.blogspot.com
Nomination: The Best Evangelical Youth Pastor Blog

Lessons from a 5 year old

Click here to read.

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

New Look?


For those of you who haven't seen me in a while. This is what happens when you one doesn't get time to go to the beauty salon very often. Some say they like it, some don't. What do you think? That is a dangerous question.

Awesome Story

Click here to read a post from the Stegers Blog about how God is working in Russia. It is awesome.

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Promise Keepers


Coming to Fayetteville this summer! I think this is awesome if considering we are one of the smallest cities that PK is visiting this summer. I have heard nothing but good things about this. If you are a guy reading this I would strongly urge you to prayerfully consider going to this and inviting as many men as you can. If you are a lady, please get the men in your life (boyfriend, husband, father, brother, etc.) to check this out.

Imagine Razorback Stadium being FULL of 70,000+ men singing praise songs to the Lord! How awesome will that be. Get excited. Click on link above to get more info. Save $20 by registering by mid February.

Monday, January 24, 2005

Interesting Quote

I am not sure who originally said this, but I heard it on the way home from work this morning (yes, on the way HOME this AM).

"Christians are a lot like tea bags. When you put them in hot water you find out what they are made of."

As much as we hate the "hot waters" of life, it is these very times which build our character. James 1:12 says, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him".

I think one thing that will help us in our walk is recognizing what these "hot waters" are. If I know that I am either being tempted or under a trial, I know that I do not have strength to do this one my own and must rely even more on God and call to Him for strength.

I am also going to post this same post on my Community Group's new blog.

Root Beer

There is nothing like an ice cold root beer in a frozen glass mug. One of my first experiences with this was when I was hiking in Northeastern New Mexico with a group of Boy Scouts around 1990. We had been on the trail for almost a week and hit one of the few cantinas that were on the Philmont Ranch. This one particular cantina had ice cold root beer on tap. It was particulary wonderful since I had been on the trail for a week with nothing but water.

I did not really start drinking (root beer) until my senior year in college. Since then I have found it especially good when I cook BBQ and have several people over. IBC has been the "go-to-guy" mainly b/c of its good taste and ease of access (Wal Mart @ $2.50 per 6). My brother-in-law PK has since exposed me to Stewart's Root Beer and I have had Diamond Bear's (of Little Rock) home brew a couple of times now which is excellent as well (you can actually buy it by the keg from them). I like A&W if it is on tap at one of their stores, otherwise I would rather have IBC.

So, I want to know what is your favorite root beer. I will start compiling a list and maybe even have a sampling party at some point. This may take a while b/c some of these will have to be ordered.

Monday, January 17, 2005

Salt and Vinegar

POLL Time

Question is simple: What do you think of Salt-n-Vinegar chips?
Just curious.

Friday, January 14, 2005

Jones Soda


Check out this cool web site here.

I discovered this web site after trying some of their root beer, which I thought was pretty good. Can't say yet that it is the best, but there web site sure is fun. One cool thing about this company is that you can submit photos and if they like them well enough, they will use your photo on their label. I think they change their labels frequently which increases one's chance of getting a pic on a label.

So, my new goal is to get a pic, or two, of mine on one of their labels. Another cool thing about this company is that if your photo's aren't good enough to make the cut, then you can pay them to get your own personalized 12 pack of soda. Cool. I intend on getting a photo published, though. If any of you think you may have had a photo taken by me and don't want your pic submitted, sorry. Actually, if you are in any of my photo's I have to obtain written permission from you to submit it.

You can also submit your own quote that they may use as well. So for all of you cool quoters out there, lets see what you got.

If anyone wants to suggest a photo from what I already have posted, feel free to let me know. I otherwise have literally thousands more here at the house. If you buy some of their soda, Target sells it I think, let me know what you think of their root beer. The ultimate root beer post will be coming soon.

Gmail

I have some free invites for anyone who wants gmail. There are a limited number, so first come first serve.

Brother Lawrence

I have been reading from a small book Cindy let me borrow called The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence. This is a collection of letters written over 300 years ago which give us insight into Brother Lawrence's heart. Just thought I would share what I read yesterday.
"Dear Friend,
"You aren't the only one to be distracted from the presence of God; I understand completely. Our minds are so flighty. But remember that our God-given will governs all of our strength. It must recall the mind of to God. Otherwise, our spirit may wander, dragging us down to the things of this earth.
"I think the remedy for the problem is to confess our faults to God and humble ourselves before Him. It isn't necessary to be too verbose in prayer, because lengthy prayers encourage wandering thoughts. Simply present yourself to God as if you were a poor man knocking on the door of a rich man, and fix your attention on His presence. If your mind wanders at times, don't be upset, because being upset will only distract you more. Allow your will to recall your attention gently to God. Such perseverance will please Him.
"Another way to prevent the mind from wandering away from God during prayer is to train yourself to dwell in His presence all day long. This will provide a sort of "practice" for you, as you remind yourself to concentrate on Him. Remaining in His presence during prayer time will thus become easier.
"You know from my other letters how advantageous I think it is to practice the presence of God. Let us take this act of loving God seriously, and pray for one another.
I remain your brother in Christ."

I hope this stimulates your thinking for the day and helps you practice the presence of God. I find this to be an area which is difficult, to go through the day and to continually be aware of God's presence. It is something which does take practice and grows with time. If you like what you read, you can download a free copy here



Thursday, January 13, 2005

Halo 2 Survival Guide

Quoted from Relevant Magazine Jan/Feb 2005 Page 11

"If you're a hardcore Halo fanatic, you've already picked up Halo 2, mastered the Banshee hijack, played Neutral Assault in Coagulation Canyon and are wondering how you ever got along without dual-wielding weapons. So rather than tell you what you already know, we're here to provide a helpful checklist of things you may have forgotten since you entrenched yourself in the Halo hole.
>>Eating and sleeping are natural ways for your real-world body to recuperate, and should not be resisted.
>>The three R's are Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Not Retrieve, Reload, and Return fire.
>>See that thing to the left of your TV screen? That's called a window. A little sunlight is good for you.
>>Never tell someone that you can't go out on a date because you have a Halo 2 party to attend. Instead, tell that person how you really feel by inviting them to join your clan.
>>Frito-Lay products are not acceptable meal substitutes.
>>Dreaming about Halo 2 is not natural. Don't argue."

So if you are not a Halo 2 player, which means you are probably a girl reading this, then share this with your significant other, who probably is.

Also, check out the Relevant Magazine website. It is pretty cool. If you like it, then buy a subscription.

Snowboarding

I am hooked. Put the skis away, no more "pizzas and french fries". After a day of lessons by a very excellent instructor (Terri) at Copper Mtn Resort, and about a half day of figuring things out, I was able to keep up somewhat with my very skilled friends Chris and Katie. (click on link to see pics of them together)

Cindy and I took lessons on our first day at Copper and then boarded together on the next day. We got fresh snow every day and night we were there, so the conditions were awesome. By the third day, was able to hit some small jumps and keep my balance. Not all the time, though. I had some pretty good falls, but with all the fresh snow it really wasn't that bad. See me in action

I must give props to our friends Flint and Rebecca and their pets Katie and Sophie for being such great hosts. Their family had a beautiful condo in Silverthorne and they graciously allowed us to be a part of their vacation, saving us a lot of money. By the way, I do now know how not to travel to Silverthorne.......more on that later. The previous picture was taken just a few yards from the back door of the condo we stayed in. We woke up looking at that mountain every morning.....awe.

I did learn one thing....I am not a very good snowboarding instructor. Ask Cindy for more details?













(Please note....the above links are just a joke and are intended in know way to mislead someone into thinking I am a better snowboarder than what the above photo indicates. Also, I am in no way intending to steal another photographers most excellent shots)


Wednesday, January 12, 2005


Ahhh....Colorado

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

I'm Back

Just got back from Colorado and few days of snow boarding. It was awesome. Lot's of snow, good fellowship, and a break from work. I am really tired and somewhat sick right now, so I will start my posts back up tomorrow. I hope to get some good results from my pictures there and post them as well.

Monday, January 03, 2005

Harris Creek


"For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD" - Proverbs 8:35