A lot of changes have occurred at macro economics level in our city, state, country and in the world. In the micro level changes are happening as well.
One of the best resources in tough financial times, is to get your house in order. Give 10% somewhere, Save 1000 in an emergency fund, pay off your debt, save 3-6 months pay, invest 15% and then invest in real estate.
All these principles are from Financial Peace University. For more info check out daveramsey.com and read up and apply these principles to your life. It will change your life.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
mingus mtn, trail 353
Today was an amazing day. Drove out to Mingus mountain and visited Mingus springs camp. We were able to dream about our first ever summer staff camp (for returning staff).
It makes me thankful for quality time with my team members and the conversations that happened during our hike along ash creek and down trail 353.
Oh yeah, and thankful that we live in such an amazing place.
It makes me thankful for quality time with my team members and the conversations that happened during our hike along ash creek and down trail 353.
Oh yeah, and thankful that we live in such an amazing place.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Deadliest Catch
I'm not a huge fan of reality shows...but I love the deadliest catch. I saw an interview last night with Larry King and Phil Harris that really got me excited about this Tuesday night.
I'm looking forward to the new season. Giddy up!
I'm looking forward to the new season. Giddy up!
Cuyler
I'm thankful for my son. He is so unique from his brother and sister. More than anything it is peaceful watching him grow each and everyday. He has already gained 11 ounces...it won't be long and we will be able to wrestle around with another.
I can't wait!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Yesterday at church
At church yesterday one of our members, Dean Cox, gave a final defense of Christianity. This was following a year of walking through the Bible at the Heights. I am thankful for what he shared and wanted to share it with others. Here is the link to our church website heightschurch.com. Click on sermons, it is the message from April 5, 2009.
Here is the direct link, www.heightschurch.com/20090405.mp3
Here is the direct link, www.heightschurch.com/20090405.mp3
Prayer
Prayer is something that I've never been "good" at. I was the kid who struggled to bow his head, fold his hands and remain quiet. After about 30 seconds of the best prayer possible, I would start thinking about how good my baseball team was going to do that afternoon or I would pray selfishly by asking for things like my favorite team to win or to win a 1000 dollars on the scratch ticket I bought in college.
Prayer is important, but why is so hard to do. Is it the act of asking for something that we truly need? Or is possibly because we have such a hard time differentiating what we truly need and what we want in life? Prayer can serve as the filter where we speak open and honestly to God.
Whatever the struggle is, prayer is to be an essential part of the life of a Christian. Here is a commitment that the early followers of Jesus made, But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. (Acts 6:4)
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42)
Prayer is seen as the catalyst to forgiveness, Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16) I love this verse and the context around it because it emphasizes how relational prayer should be to God.
Prayer is helpful at all times and we are to give thanks to those who are encouragement in our lives. Pray without ceasing.
Whatever the need is, whenever it arises, however big the mountain is that we have to climb or how difficult the road is ahead. Pray.
Prayer is important, but why is so hard to do. Is it the act of asking for something that we truly need? Or is possibly because we have such a hard time differentiating what we truly need and what we want in life? Prayer can serve as the filter where we speak open and honestly to God.
Whatever the struggle is, prayer is to be an essential part of the life of a Christian. Here is a commitment that the early followers of Jesus made, But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. (Acts 6:4)
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. (Acts 2:42)
Prayer is seen as the catalyst to forgiveness, Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16) I love this verse and the context around it because it emphasizes how relational prayer should be to God.
Prayer is helpful at all times and we are to give thanks to those who are encouragement in our lives. Pray without ceasing.
Whatever the need is, whenever it arises, however big the mountain is that we have to climb or how difficult the road is ahead. Pray.
When in doubt, give
It's easy for me to hoard things. Random stuff, that is weird at times to think about. I'm a fan of it...here are few examples.
baseball cards:
I have two boxes completely full of baseball cards that I haven't gone through since 1990 something.
deodorant:
I collect deodorant sticks although our current budget doesn't allow me to purchase a large amount of these. If my wife would let me I would have like 25 in my medicine cabinet.
books:
I enjoy books any can about any subject. I'm curious to learn new things pretty much all the time. So, we have a lot of books, but I would take more if you are giving them away.
music and movies:
I'm a fan of every kind of music and movies. I think both teach us things about our culture and are telling us something bigger than the genre they are assigned to.
I'm in transition again. Having a third child in the house is making rethink of ton of different weaknesses in my personality. Such as collecting, hoarding...
When I give away my possessions, clean out the closets, give money to someone who needs something warm to drink. Whatever it is I'm giving away, I'm so much freer than I was without the action of letting go of all the above things.
What do I need to learn about giving personally?
In my life, how do I learn to give, so as not to approach everything from the feed me culture that is crippling generations of gifted followers of Jesus?
What do I want my kids to take away from what we are learning about giving to others?
Here's a story I read that made me start to contemplate the idea of giving. (It's summarized) C.S. Lewis and his friend Walter Hooper were walking from the university home and a beggar stopped them. Lewis reached into his pockets for change. Hooper asked "aren't you worried that he will spend it on a drink?" Lewis said, "I'm worried, I will." C.S. Lews said to his friend he was led by a specific principle "when in doubt, give."
I don't know about you, but this hits home with me. I don't operate this way. I don't always need to know where something is going..I need to be faithful in giving away what God has given me simply.
Stewardship is an important element. I think one of the only ways we are going to move forward is to get out of debt so we can give generously to others. Our government is going the opposite way be emphasizing someone else giving to us. But practically we have to unlearn our dependency on others to hand something to us. Work hard, give generously and get out of debt so we can give freely to others.
When in doubt, give.
baseball cards:
I have two boxes completely full of baseball cards that I haven't gone through since 1990 something.
deodorant:
I collect deodorant sticks although our current budget doesn't allow me to purchase a large amount of these. If my wife would let me I would have like 25 in my medicine cabinet.
books:
I enjoy books any can about any subject. I'm curious to learn new things pretty much all the time. So, we have a lot of books, but I would take more if you are giving them away.
music and movies:
I'm a fan of every kind of music and movies. I think both teach us things about our culture and are telling us something bigger than the genre they are assigned to.
I'm in transition again. Having a third child in the house is making rethink of ton of different weaknesses in my personality. Such as collecting, hoarding...
When I give away my possessions, clean out the closets, give money to someone who needs something warm to drink. Whatever it is I'm giving away, I'm so much freer than I was without the action of letting go of all the above things.
What do I need to learn about giving personally?
In my life, how do I learn to give, so as not to approach everything from the feed me culture that is crippling generations of gifted followers of Jesus?
What do I want my kids to take away from what we are learning about giving to others?
Here's a story I read that made me start to contemplate the idea of giving. (It's summarized) C.S. Lewis and his friend Walter Hooper were walking from the university home and a beggar stopped them. Lewis reached into his pockets for change. Hooper asked "aren't you worried that he will spend it on a drink?" Lewis said, "I'm worried, I will." C.S. Lews said to his friend he was led by a specific principle "when in doubt, give."
I don't know about you, but this hits home with me. I don't operate this way. I don't always need to know where something is going..I need to be faithful in giving away what God has given me simply.
Stewardship is an important element. I think one of the only ways we are going to move forward is to get out of debt so we can give generously to others. Our government is going the opposite way be emphasizing someone else giving to us. But practically we have to unlearn our dependency on others to hand something to us. Work hard, give generously and get out of debt so we can give freely to others.
When in doubt, give.
Friday, April 3, 2009
i don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul
I woke up to this song that was in my head this morning at 400....isn't it weird how the brain works at times.
But then it didn't go away...it was like the annoying toyota commercial save by zero jingle that my son Colin and i would sing all day long this summer.
Back to the point, so I looked up the passage again to take a new look at the context of the verses.
Mark 8:34-36
34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his lifec]">[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
It's easy at times to get so caught up in ourselves, our accomplishments, what we do, produce, invent, create. Instead of giving any pause to the need of giving up what is ours, so we can experience, know, follow God with a surrender we have never had before. It's an easy trap to follow into today.
Practically, one of the best things that can happen today is to look at the things that I own. The places that I invest my time, family, work, relationships, fun. Does it really matter how what I due with my time if my aim..if my objective is only what I get out of it. Giving up whatever is ours, so we can gain Christ has to be the driving force of a journey of following God. Otherwise, it's easy to end up with a compartmentalized faith.
In this verse, verse 37, the question is raised or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
Augustine defined the soul as "a special substance, endowed with reason, adapted to rule the body". If we give up what matters most to us in our core beliefs, our soul. We begin to give up, our thoughts, convictions and gradually slide toward preferences in the way we follow Christ. We will move further down the road of becoming "men without chests," as C.S. Lewis said in The Abolition of Man.
So I woke up to a tune by Toby Mac and ended up revisiting a fundamental question that Jesus asked his disciples.
What good is it for a man to gain the whole and forfeit his soul?
But then it didn't go away...it was like the annoying toyota commercial save by zero jingle that my son Colin and i would sing all day long this summer.
Back to the point, so I looked up the passage again to take a new look at the context of the verses.
Mark 8:34-36
34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his lifec]">[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
It's easy at times to get so caught up in ourselves, our accomplishments, what we do, produce, invent, create. Instead of giving any pause to the need of giving up what is ours, so we can experience, know, follow God with a surrender we have never had before. It's an easy trap to follow into today.
Practically, one of the best things that can happen today is to look at the things that I own. The places that I invest my time, family, work, relationships, fun. Does it really matter how what I due with my time if my aim..if my objective is only what I get out of it. Giving up whatever is ours, so we can gain Christ has to be the driving force of a journey of following God. Otherwise, it's easy to end up with a compartmentalized faith.
In this verse, verse 37, the question is raised or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
Augustine defined the soul as "a special substance, endowed with reason, adapted to rule the body". If we give up what matters most to us in our core beliefs, our soul. We begin to give up, our thoughts, convictions and gradually slide toward preferences in the way we follow Christ. We will move further down the road of becoming "men without chests," as C.S. Lewis said in The Abolition of Man.
So I woke up to a tune by Toby Mac and ended up revisiting a fundamental question that Jesus asked his disciples.
What good is it for a man to gain the whole and forfeit his soul?
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