power of agreement

In the midst of the busy of the day God heard our cry. My brother is an adventurist, full time, at least this year anyway. He is in Seattle, Wa today and came very sick during the night. He was doubled over in pain and nausea. He was convinced he needed a doc so his friends took him to a hospital. He had some airport food the night before and thought it might be the culprit. They ran test for 3 hours. CAT Scan the whole 9 yards. I get a call at about hour 2, and am privy of all the information. After I sent a shout out to some prayer people at about hour 3 he walked out of the hospital perfectly well. Within 1 hour he was healed of whatever. That is my God! I really needed God to do something Big in my life today and that was real Big for me. I am super tired.

it's busy today

In response to a comment on last post. Today has been NUTS! 2 employees called in. I started off the day by myself, E came in for a bit and then had to leave. The phone has rang off the hook. I have a whole afternoon full of activities, plus all the stuff that 2 people are supposed to get done. I don't like stress!

First week... alone

My main man left BRM last Friday. Jesse had been with me since the early part of BRM. First it was Cole the first year and then Jesse for the last 4 years. I am all alone now. It really hasn't been that bad, but of course we haven't been overwhelmed with work either. Eric S. is going to work a couple of hours per day, to do all the heavy lifting. I did all the lifting for 2 days and my shoulder was hurting for the first time in several months. I guess if I don't want to live in pain right now, I got to lay off all the lifting.

I really don't like pain, but I have become accustomed to it. It hurts, but that is life. Pain is inevitable as long as were are stuck in this flesh. That is why Galatians 6 hurts to read. It's all about doing the right thing and not the cry out or lash out like the flesh wants to do. This part caught my eye.

Gal. 6:10. "Therefore as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. " O boy, I guess here again I don't have a choice in the matter, I must do good ESPECIALLY to family of believers.

I haven't slept much this week, I lay awake thinking about all the people that are close to me that are hurting. Praying for them and hurting with them. Sometimes I wish I could be the Holy Spirit and mend broken hearts.

I know that I must do good To all. Then I had this profound though. Could we the church be prolonging the return of Christ because we are not without spot or wrinkle. Because we fuss among ourselves and allow strife to come between each other in the Body of Christ. I am not sure, but if I was God I wouldn't be too excited about spending eternity with a bunch of whiners. Just a thought. Thank you for your time and attention. Have a marvelous weekend. You can probably find me hanging out at my new place, doing my new past time. Tennis! I haven't picked up a racket in 11 years, til last Sunday. I did pretty well with it competitively in HS, but that is because I didn't want to do track.

All In

The grand canyon was a physical challenge . Today i am living a true life challenge. I have had to examine my heart, ask myself what I believe, and seek council that I can only find in the word if God. Matthew 18:35. "So also My Heavenly Father will deal with every on of you if you do not freely forgive your brother from your heart his offense."I have been asked by several In leadership at my church to forgive them. I have. I don't have to know why or what all the details are. I don't have a choice in the matter. I have decided to start with a clean slate giving all parties involved the benefit of the doubt. I decided that I am not in a position to judge. I am willing to give relationship a chance and see what God has in store for this body. I am not willing to let everything I have worked for be destroyed in one day. I have worked hard in relationships that I don't want see broken because of a difference of opinion. I am Not willing to let he enemy divide me. I came here because God said to. And I am not leaving until HE says leave. I still have dreams and prophecies that I want to see come to pass here. This is only the beginning of the rest of eternity and i am not willing to miss it because of my stupid offense. Proverbs 17:9 "He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter seperates close friends." I have been our new pastors biggest critic in the past. We have reconciled our differences, which weren't that many. God told me very clearly to get on board or get out of his way, because some very powerful stuff is coming. I will not be the reason that close friends separate. I refuse to let the enemy taste victory at any level. There is too much at stake. Lives are at stake. We are not the enemy, Satan is. I refuse to take the bait. I am all in 100%. I got nothing to gain by Folding.

losing the filth, learning to laugh... on purpose

I heard a podcast recently about the day we live in and the man said that God didn't ever intend for our mind, will, and emotions to consume so much information, mostly bad information. We consume so much information. I recently went to an advertising forum and they said that some 6,000 impressions a day are made on each person for advertising. That is why they press "top of mind advertising" so much. I have recently taken a stand and have turned off talk radio, the evening news, and hourly news on the radio and the T.V shows that depict death (CSI, and the like). If I need to know what is going on I go to DrudgeReport.com and read the headlines. I feel so much lighter, care free, less stressed, and happier. I purchased some comedy on DVD and watch some each week just to purposefully laugh and take some good medicine. It is so fun to laugh. It's good medicine.

who am I, Where am I, Where am I going

I can answer the first 2, but the 3rd one is a little fuzzy. I have a short term plan, but I don't really have a passion that I live for or do I?....Like Paul Manwarring said last night. He lives to defeat cancer, to see lives transformed, and the kingdom come.
I often suppose that I live to change the way the world does business, with honesty, integrity, and with the best interest of the employee in mind. I want to see people debt free, but I don't know what that feels like myself. I used to want to mentor people on how to budget and live, but I really don't know how to do that.... I don't have the platform to see that come. I like to encourage people and give to financial needs. I don't know that I would call that a Passion. What makes one passionate about something? Is it living through an experience such as cancer. My life was never really transformed. I was saved a child and never have strayed away from the Kingdom,I don't have a passion to see lives transformed, it's good but not a passion. I don't understand people who live worldly life styles.
I used to have a passion for the nations, lost people groups, because that was passed down to me from my spiritual father, who is no longer living on this earth, so that passion has been lost. I am very passionate about my wife and kids.
As I am writing this I thought about this...I do have a passion to see my pastor succeed. Being an armor bearer is a passion of mine, I take it very seriously. What are your passions? What do you live for? What do you see in me that I don't see?

31st

The 31st year of my life was the best I could ask for. This year I can say without a doubt that I have learned how to be in relationship. The key is to realize that every relationship is different, and one must adapt to each one individually. One must sacrifice consistently. Even though I don't drink wine and smoke cigars, it's okay if my friends do it. I can still hang out with them. Even though I don't really like playing Xbox, I have friends that do, so I have learned to play the games and make them better at it. and so I look forward to those times. I don't like playing Texas Hold'em, but I have learned that some friends do, so I have learned to play, and the game is now enjoyable, even though I am not very good. I like to eat, and most people do, so I have learned that some relationships are meant to be shared over a lunch or dinner. Some are shared during the NBA playoffs, and playing the "newlywed game on DVD". Some are shared during Fantasy Football season, deer season, fishing season. or to talk about business. Still others are to discuss the Bible and pray together. I am convinced that when one waits around for the perfect friend to come along, that you can totally relate to you are going to be waiting for an eternity. Life is here now, enjoy it with people close by. Find out what they like, adapt. I lived isolated for many years, mainly because people might hurt me and I didn't like pain. Pain is inevitable no matter how isolated one is.

Thank you to my friend and Pastor for showing me that it is okay to open up and share what's on the inside, no matter how vulnerable it makes you. You are the most vulnerable man I know.

Thank you to all my friends who spent some amount of time with me during the last year, you made my life better and more enjoyable.

Thank you to those of you who showered me with good gifts. I will cherish them.
Thank you for sharing my day with me. It was fun!

Conquering the GC

We left the house at 4:10 Am on Friday, drove 12 hours and arrived just in time to switch the name on the reservations from our friends name to ours. The next morning at 3:30 am we hit the trail. Pictured at Nathan, Joel, Roy and Aaron. Eric is taking photo.

As the sun rose the temperature began to rise quickly. It reached a 100 F by 10 AM when we arrived at the bottom at our campsite.



This is about halfway down the hill.














The temperature in the shade for the 3 days we cmaped was 110 to 115. In the sun it was 125-140 F. The 2nd day we took a 12 mile hike to this water fall called. Ribbon Falls. After descending 5000 feet in 6 hours a total walk of about 6.5 miles, we were exhausted.
























Joel and I at the bottom of the grand Canyon next to Colorado River.









The Water was cold!!!!!
Joel Cooling off in the Bright Angel Creek. It was nice. We spent many hours per day relaxing in the cold water.
We made up a game called, "throwing rocks at rocks"

We stopped many times on the way back from the falls to dip in the river. in the 130 degree heat it didn't take long to dry out.
The trip was really exhausting physically, The heat took it's toll on me. The morning we left out for the hike up I got really sick, I was vomiting and the other too. I was really nervous about the hike up. We left at 3 Am and it was 98 F. the nights were the worst. We would get up in the night and go dip in the river and get back in bed soaking wet. Evaporative cooling was the only way to stay cool. The humidity was zero most of the time. We have hundreds of pictures. If you want to see them all drop by the house soemtime.
The 19 hour ride home might have been the worst part of the trip, Right after the hike out!. I have never wanted to give up like I did that day. It was brutal! We had to encourage each other because there was no relief in site just straight up the hill one switch back after another. O, and it was hot! We conquered one of the 7 wonders of the world, Next is riding the falls at Niagra. ;)
This was definitely a trip of a life time. I did it before I turned 31. I will blog about my 31st year later.