Sunday, September 20, 2009

Call me butter

'Cause I'm on a roll - - - -
OK, I'll stop now -
Gee, I am posting two nights in a row...
Better? ;)
Hehe - Had a wonderful day - great Lord's day - nice service and wonderful lesson - the pastor has been going through Judges, specifically the story of Gideon - great stuff. I'm a big fan of Judges, wonderful "action" stories, my most favorite one is just before Gideon, in chapters 4 and 5 of Judges, that's Deborah and Barak - totally cool stuff - if you haven't read the story, or if you have but have forgotten it - do yourself a favor and read it again, or just read it.

Or how about Shamgar the son of Anath - this guys story is told in one verse - Judges 3:31 "After him came Shamgar the son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad; and he saved Israel." Powerful testimony to the strong right arm of God.

Which leads me to what I wanted to bring up - New Testament - The Gospel of John - Chapter 17 - this is sometimes called the "High Priestly Prayer" - In this Jesus asks His Father to bless us, to guard us, to give us His Holy Spirit and to bring us to where He (Christ) is (at the Right Hand of His Father) - I dunno know about you, but I simply cannot think of a better place to be, nor a better person to be there with.

Please, take some time and think about accepting Christ as your savior. He's always there, just waiting for you to call on Him.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Update and so forth

Hi, I know it's been a while, but I'm still around. Monday, September 7, was my Fifty Tooth birthday!! WooT!! ;)
Anyway - some friends and I went (on Sunday the 6th) to Oroville to a Phil Keaggy, Randy Stonehill concert. Awesome!! I managed to video the concert, fairly good footage for being a small hand held
Here's a song he did called Shades of Green: (sorry the video and audio aren't synched - darn compression engine...)




Anyway- On the eighth, my mom and I went to lunch to celebrate what would have been my dad's 92nd birthday and my mom and dad's 53rd wedding anniversary - always nice to go to lunch with my mom :)
Then on Wednesday, 9-9-09, Amber and I went and saw the movie "9" - and we were both sad :(
The trailers made it look like such a good movie, but we left thinking that it was more like a very long commercial for a video game - even though the movie was only 75 minutes - that's one long commercial...
Friday - September 11 - was Amber's 23rd birthday - she really didn't do too much as all her friends were either out of town or working... I felt bummed for her :(

What else... Not a lot, still loving and serving the Lord :) That's good. Oh, I'm not smoking! Yea!!! Yep, July 12th - gave that to the Lord and He has been totally faithful and took that from me! Praise Him!! Forty plus years, and trying to quit for the last ten... Such a blessing :) And this October - the 17th - will be one year since He took the drinking!!! November 7th will be 3 years since I accepted Christ as my savior, lets see, been saved not quite 3 years and He's taken the drinking and smoking and countless other vices that had me hung up for years - I'd say He has a plan for me and is actively working it!!

Well anyway - that's what I've been up to. See you all again sometime :)
In the meantime - Think on this:

"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool" Isaiah 1:18

Trust in the Lord, Believe He is the Son of God, Ask Him to forgive your sins and you will be forgiven. Please read John 3:14-17 and Ephesians 2:1-9

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Just passing

Hi - I was just passing by on my way to some where else and thought I'd drop in and say hi - Hi! :)
Hope you are well. Have a nice day - I might have some photos to post later - maybe not. Bye :)

Monday, May 4, 2009

You want to hear about my day?

Here’s a true story (it happened to me just this morning) – Yesterday afternoon (Sunday May 3) My mom loaned me her car as she needed me to put gas in it and check a few things on the car (oil, tranny fluid, etc) I parked the car in my driveway at about 730PM. It was still there at 930 when I went to bed, it was still there at around 130AM when my son went to bed. This morning about 515AM, I went out on the front porch – it was gone. I called my mom a bit after 6 and got the plate number and the make and model and called the police (this was about 615AM) – right after I hung up, I was on my knees praising the Lord and asking that He be glorified and that His will be done in this. About 715AM I got a call from my mom, she said the police lady was there at her house and that they had found the car and would give me a ride so I could pick it up and bring it home!! I went right back on my knees – again praising Him and giving Him glory!

But wait – it gets better – The police lady comes and picks me up and we go to where the car is parked – it is parked right in front of an outreach church!! The sign on the church says “Where Jesus Christ is changing lives”…

What an AWESOME and wonderful God we serve!!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Seriously - Good food

If you like good food - and who doesn't? I recommend Simply Recipes - really, this blog is the best. I have a binder of recipes that I have printed out and take into the kitchen when ever I want to create something outstanding. The instructions are simple, easy to follow and the ingredients are not really special order (well once in a while there will be something, but not too often) - take this for example:
Meatballs with Ricotta in Tomato Sauce

Like I say - good food made easy ;)

Friday, March 27, 2009

Alright, one more story then it's bed time!

Seriously... You kids would have me tell you stories all night if I let you ;)
(Update: To make more sense of this story, read the one before this one)
This was back in December, Christmas eve to be exact. It was nasty and raw here in Redding, rain, freezing rain, snow, wind - yep it was "winter in Redding" - oh, did I tell you I was walking? no? Well I was, on suffering feet. I have a skin "issue" that sometimes makes walking so very painful - like walking on broken glass in fact - well this night there was the Christmas eve service at church and I was going no matter how bad it hurt - after all Christ suffered for me didn't He? So what's my little discomfort. Well anyway, I walk to church, in the cold, rainy night. I did have on a nice rain suit and coat and water proof boots though so I was dry. After the service I go to Burger King and have a bit to eat, I had taken $40 with me to the service, I gave $20 and was going to give the other one too, but - again His small voice said "wait" - so I had $10 in my pocket. I'm walking downtown by one of the "darker" parts of town, and as I'm coming to the crosswalk, I see a man standing there waiting for the light. I step up to wait for the light and he says "nice suit, looks dry" I look and see that he is standing in a soaked down jacket, a ball cap and tennis shoes... In the freezing rain. He tells me that he camps in the park, but that it was so cold and wet, that he is trying to get up enough money to buy a cup of coffee at the doughnut shop and get in out of it for a while, "How much" I ask, "Buck fourty five" - we are across the street now and under the street light I reach in my pocket and pull out that $10 and hand it to him - and wished him a Merry Christmas and told him Jesus loves you brother - He took me by the shoulder and arm and lifted his face to Heaven and blessed me and praised God, thanking Him for that gift. I told him go, get inside and have a good hot cup of coffee - Coffee!! he said - I'm getting me something to eat! Bless you, he said, you are the first person in years to wish me a Merry Christmas and mean it. I left him as he went, a bit jauntier now, on his way. I walked home on feet that had up to a few minutes before, been in screaming pain, but now were strangly comfortable and painfree.

See, God puts you right where you need to be, right when you need to be there, to do His will.
Abraham entertained The Lord and didn't know it, Jesus said "When you share a cup of water with one who is thirsty, or feed one who is hungry, you do the same for me" :)

Well, that's my stories for tonight. I pray that you enjoyed them, and that maybe, you are a bit better off - maybe there's someone who's waiting for you to "call" ? Maybe He would like to hear from you. Confess with your tongue and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is God's son and that He came for your sins, and you will be saved :) And that's a great place to be :)

Blessings

God - He is Awesome!!

And He is too :)
Gather round and I'll tell you a story - yellow onions and all...
A while ago, several years - I used to date a gal, not hot and heavy kind of dating, just drives in the country and simple stuff like that. She lives out in the country, used to work at a bank in Palo Cedro. Well after a while we stopped seeing each other, nothing bad, just drifted apart. A little while after that I saw that she now worked for the county, felt odd seeing her there, but it wasn't bad or anything, just odd (now remember this was before I came to Jesus). Years later I saw her crossing the street going to her car and I said hi and we talked for a bit, just two old friends saying hi. Now we get a bit closer to present day, I had just accepted Christ and was riding that initial buzz when I saw her again and we talked, albeit briefly, but I saw around her neck the pentangle of the neo-pagan... We parted, still friendly, but parted. Fast forward to this week - Payday was Tuesday and I have $150 of my check taken from my checking and put into my savings - so there's that money sitting there and I like to spend money :) but every time I looked at something neat or cool, His little voice said "wait" so it sat there. Backstory flash - sideways I guess - for months I have prayed and asked the Lord that He give me His will to do - to bless me - to pour out the old man that I was and fill me with His beautiful and Holy Spirit - all this week I have felt the power and joy of Him in my heart - almost like I was jumping out of my skin - I wanted to just jump and sing and laugh with the power inside me. I know that He is in me - moving me in His Way - Amen! - Flash forward to today - this very afternoon. I am working with a colleague when I get a message that this woman is trying to find me - I go and look for her but she has left. I get her phone number (she works in the same building I do) so I call her. There is a sad and poignant pause on the other end of the phone "Gordon, can I see you? Please?" Sure I say and tell her I'll be out in the hall. Seconds later she is there, eyes barely holding back tears she asks "Gordon, could I please borrow $150?" *WHAM*!!!
"Of course, let's go to the bank"... We walked the few blocks and she just unraveled; tears and crying and sobbing her story - my heart breaking inside me - wanting to hold her and cry with her. We got to the bank - the guy ahead of me went off and left his card in the ATM, BTW ;) I yelled at him and he came running back to get it ;) I took out $160 (from my own account, not his...) (the 150 she wanted and 10 just cause - well just cause that's what the ATM gives is $20's ;) ) On the way back to work, I causally asked if she was still wiccan - she said that she was having real trouble wearing the necklace because it just felt so heavy and it didn't feel right, she asked if I was still a pagan - *cue His loving wonder* I said no, I've been a Christian for a few years and witnessed to her, telling her of His love for her and encouraging her to just "give Him a call, He's been waiting for you".

Now this evening as I was sitting here reading the Scripture, it hit me - God's hands were there years ago - she and I met, got to know each other, went our own ways - our lives - so intwined - yet so different - that decision to have that money taken out of my check (by the way - I had $155 in savings and $35 in checking when she asked) - hadn't spent it - had been praying for His Spirit to move me in His way - and there He was. I pray that He's smiling as big as I am right now, I pray that she's "on the phone" with Him right now...

"Be still and know I'm here - we are not alone"
Friends - I love you all.
Be blessed :)

P.S. Kira, there's a lot we don't know till it's too late, then there's stuff we know but don't do anything about, then there's stuff like this. I love you so much hon, I pray for you, for you and Dawn and Annika - you all are so precious to me.

Anyway - there :)
Love you,
Always,
Dad

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Heat

Ahhh!!! Praise the Lord! He took pity on us freezing fools and got the stove lit! He is good :)
It's 57 in the house now - good stuff :)

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Ever have one of those days?

Here's how it happens, and it happens this way...
Came home from work, tried fixing the pellet stove (it's been on the fritz - it's 50 in the house - 42 outside) it won't fix. Go in my room - there's a heater in my room - it must be all of 60 - AHHH!!! Tropical. Decide to loose myself in the interwebs, which as we know are a series of tubes, and was reading one of my favorite blogs when in the comments of one of his posts (comment #25) I found a link - and down the rabbit hole I went - "Ah we can go when we want to, the night is young and so am i, And we can dress real neat from our hats to our feet, And surprise em with the victory cry!" Which lead to "
Reached out a hand to touch your face - You're slowly disappearing from my view - Disappearing from my view - - Reached out a hand to try again - I'm floating in a beam of light with you - A beam of light with you". By now I'm caught - hopelessly going deeper and deeper and deeper
I'm stuck, caught in a web of nostalgia until I hit rock bottom... I'm sad to say I ended up - HERE

Yes, I'm like this guy only without the speedo, beer and the shark in the pool, and I'm not Pierce Brosnan (I also notice there's not a FRIKIN LASER to be had...) That's when it hit me - this could be a blog post!!!
Consider your self blog posted...

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Something I just remembered

Do you know that you can get seeds, plants and trees with food stamps? Well you can - The Department of Agriculture says so - Item #10
Households CAN use SNAP benefits to buy:
Foods for the household to eat, such as:
-- breads and cereals
-- fruits and vegetables
-- meats, fish and poultry; and
-- dairy products
Seeds and plants which produce food for the household to eat.
That means you can get the stuff to grow your own garden, or even get a few friends or the neighborhood together and grow your own food. I know it takes a bit to get it started, but you can invest once and eat all season long, fresh fruit and veggies, plus you get to work out side in the dirt! How fun is that? :)

Been a while

Hi,
Was just over at Kira's blog, and it got me thinking that I haven't been here in a long time. So I figured I'd come by and get you all caught up on what's been going on in my neck of the woods. Well for starters, I don't drink any more, yep October 20, 2008 - Praise the Lord! That stuff is no more in my life, now just to stop smoking... Work goes on, again, Praise the Lord! In this day and time (almost said age... and sounded like my mom) I am just glad to have a place to work. Now to be honest, I haven' "worked" in over 10 years, work - to me - describes something you do just for the money, you don't really like what you do, but it pays the rent, puts food on the table, etc. What I mean is, I truly love what I do, if I could get food and shelter and an allowance doing what I do, I'd do it... Well that came out all weird... And thinking about it, that's exactly what I do get, *whew* circular logic and now my head is spinning. Ok, regroup, I don't "work" - I do what I love to do. I enjoy every day of my life some days are more enjoyable than others to be sure, but all in all, I enjoy every single day. *Yellow Onion Story Alert!!* When I was a boy, my mom would tell me and my brother every day "Find something beautiful today" and at the end of the day we would tell about the beauty that we had found - my brother was a gloomy soul, never had anything beautiful happen in his life (to hear him not talk about it) (side note, maybe that's why his third wife is a psychiatrist... I'm just sayin) But every day I would find a leaf or see something like the way the sun would shine through the clouds, something, that was beautiful. Years later I understand what mom was doing, and it applies to life, everyday of your life there will be beauty, wonder and awe - it's our jobs to see it and appreciate it and apply it. That's where me not working comes back into the story. Long ago I "worked" at a job that was killing me, I lost touch with the beauty in my life, nothing was beautiful any more and it was horrible. I ended up in the "quiet room" for a while, and the grey bar hotel as well... That's when I made a deal with my self, I'd get better, if I promised to NEVER "Work" again. So that's what I did, I have a skill - computers - that absolutely thrills me, I'm obsessed with figuring them out, what makes them tick, how can I get them to do my bidding - in short - I see the beauty in what I do, and I love it. Outside of that, I don't do much. I read the Word and go to church - watch the occasional movie - but all in all, I live what I love and I love my life.
OK, I have vented and ranted and dispensed homily advice till it's overflowing and you're sick of hearing it. I - truly - hope you find the beauty in your day today. I pray that the good Lord will smile upon you and that you will be blessed in all the things you turn your hand to.
Amen - Sela
Gordon
Ah! P.S. Psalm 40, it's long, but it's great! :)