Birthdays

There is not much more that can make me stop and think than turning a year older. Another day, another year. It feels weird turning another year older. I have been trying to get myself used to the idea of being 31 over the past couple of months, but still not there.

I find it funny that we as people have “feelings” about different ages, and they are just numbers. Inanimate, logical, simple numbers, and yet not quite when we add them to who we are. Those numbers turn pretty quickly from objective to relative when we apply them to ourselves. “I don't feel that old. I feel like I am still 23.” “How can I be nearly 200 lbs? I was 160 in High School.” “Ahh, kids, they think they are old at graduation, 23 is not old.” And I can just imagine my parents and grandparents thinking the same thing of me at 31.

All fascinating, and what does the Bible say? We are as a vapor in the wind. A blink of an eye. And yet we hold on so dearly to what we have here. Talk about perspective.

So a recap of this year... Mostly bouncing back and forth from here to Arkansas and back. Working nights, but still getting several weeks off at a time which was nice. (Hopefully that will continue right now.) I did get out of credit card debt in August which was a huge blessing. I look back right now at where I had been over the past 10 years, and am amazed. I actually have a positive net worth, some savings, and have wise counsel I listen to. The wise counsel is by far the most valuable thing I have access to.

I don't feel like I have accomplished much over the past year, but the more I think about it, maybe I did. I got to grow friendships, which is quite important. I read some, but was somewhat random, and didn't finish all the books I started. (A bad habit) I did renew and add quite a bit to my genealogical research. The biggest goal of the year, was getting out of credit card debt. It took a little longer than I thought it would, but God has blessed tremendously. This coming year I should have a few more things to concretely show what have been done. More on that to come with New Year's Resolutions.

Well, enough reverie. It is a good day. And not just because it is my birthday. God is good regardless. And I have to remind myself of that everyday.

33 Days

Is a long time to be at work. I got off Sunday, but have been sick, so it feels like I am still not off. It is so good though to be home, at my own house, awake during daylight hours. This time off has been very difficult switching back to a day schedule, for some reason. (33 working nights probably has something to do with it.) Usually within two days I can be back to a regular sleeping schedule, but I keep waking up at 2:00 in the morning. Even Nyquil which usually puts me out for a straight 4 hours isn't helping. Strange times.

It's December! I love December. Part of it is the cold weather. Part of it is Christmas. Part of it is the month of my birthday. There is just something about the combination that I love.

There are a lot of things going through my head right now, and with my head stopped up, and my nose running, it probably will not come out just right. So I will save my thoughts till later, and enjoy a cold afternoon, waiting out a cold, resting in my warm bed, reading. (Another great reason for cold weather: warm bed, good book)

New workplace

Yes, that is Home Depot in the background. I am currently working in Arlington, Texas. I go from the backwoods of Arkansas to the DFW metropolis. It feels weird actually to have a highway right at your back. It is good though being closer to family and friends. The family actually got together for Thanksgiving this Saturday and I was able to go, even while working. I would have pictures from that, but the battery on my camera was out, and I forgot to take my charger with me.

Work has been good. A little frustrating, but most of that stems from not being able to be home and be working on my house there. Since finishing my taxes, the next step is fixing my house. I am now looking forward to it since I have some money saved for it, and know that is next.

Well, there is a brief update. Like always there is a lot going through my head, but it does not all make sense at the moment. So I will spare you all the randomness.

What a Relief!

It has been a crazy month! I have been back home for two weeks, and have just finished a project I have been putting off for some 5 years. Crazy I know. But I just finished my back taxes going back to year 2003. I would really recommend not putting off taxes for that long.

So... for the last two weeks I have been working on taxes. I ended up having to redo 2004, but it saved me about $200, so it was worth it. All in all, I am coming out a lot better than I had even hoped for. Reminds me of a verse that says something along the lines of "Now to Him who is able to do more than we could think or imagine, be glory." It has been an up and down month and still for some reason God blesses me more than I could imagine. Glory to Him.

So today, I actually accomplished something that I have not done in a long time. I actually finished all my to do list before lunch. Of course, it wasn't too too much, but they were some things that had to be done. So I think I will take the afternoon off and look forward to visiting with friends this evening.

Sunday Church Service

This is the second night this week I have worked on this post. I started it this last Sunday night. Warning that it is a little long and rambles some. Sometimes it helps my mind to just get thoughts out of my head.

I went to church today at the church I have visited the past few times I have been up there in Arkansas. Honestly I did not want to go. Once I get into my sleep schedule up here, it is often hard when something messes it up. I work 6 PM to 6 AM, get to sleep about 6:30, and wake up between 11:30 and 12:00. I stay up for a couple of hours, reading, checking email, whatever, then go back to sleep about 2:00 to wake up at 5:30.

Well on Sundays I have to get up at 9:00 and that is hard in the first place, after being up all night with only 2 hours of sleep. What got me going is the fact that I need to be a witness to the guys out here. I have gone to church before, and they know that I am a Christian, so it would be inconsistent of me to not go.

Even when I got to church, during worship, I was thinking I would really like to be back at Living Hope. I miss church at home.

During the preaching though a couple of things happened. First off the pastor started what felt like was an addendum to the sermon. It did not seem to fit with the sermon at all. He mentioned money and that you cannot out give God. He told how at a PK conference a speaker spoke about the amount of debt 60000 men represented, and how that should not be the case. So he determined to get out of debt. He was able to on an unexpected gift, even after God told him to contribute to the church’s building fund from his retirement account. He mentioned the word “hope”, which has been on my mind lately. In fact I read just last night in I Timothy to not put your hope in deceitful riches, but to put it in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

I have been struggling a little bit lately with what is next in my life. I am in a position I have never been in before. I know without a doubt the money I can make in the oilfield, and have a good idea that I could make plenty with further investments whether I stay in the oilfield or not. So I have been trying to decide how much energy and focus I should give to that, or even if I should.

My thinking has changed over the past few years. First was the no debt thing, gotten directly to me from the Bible. And for me that includes my house, so that is what I am working for. But I have been asking and just started looking at what the Bible says about accumulating money and financial independence. I have seen that true wealth or financial independence is having more in passive income than what you spend. But is that what we as Christians are supposed to strive for even if it is possible? I have gotten the idea lately that no it is not. And the idea of “Well, I could do so much with that money, time, etc!” comes to mind. But our trust, our hope must be in God, so while I believe that financial independence is not wrong, I do think that it is wrong to strive for that, to put our hope in that.

Side note: Speaking of hope – I was talking to mom about the hurricane and evacuees. (And seeing it again now with the government “bailout of Wall Street”) And I could not get over how some people put their hope in FEMA or the government. Their hope for a better life is found in the only thing they know, the government.

That just should not be the case. Our hope should be in Jesus, and the Church especially should be demonstrating that. And I just do not think we are doing that very effectively. I know for myself, I am making very good money with what I am doing, and I am scared to think of how I am going to live, if I were to quit and pursue what I know I am supposed to be doing – teaching. Lack of trust in myself.

So to get back to the second thing that happened in church that affected me… I was sitting next to a man and his 3 year old son. During the sermon I glanced over at his son next to me, back to the pastor, leaning on the seat of the chair, just closing his Bible and I heard the phrase “… and I treasure it.” What 3 year old uses the word treasure? What adult uses it? It just totally caught me off guard. Did I actually hear him say that? And then to compound the point, at the invitation he looks up at his dad and says that he is going to go and pray. So he does, as his dad follows behind to pray beside him.

It just seems strange to me that God would take the time to orchestrate two or three little things to encourage me in something as small as not wanting to go to church or even in just having the wrong attitude towards it. Honestly it blows my mind. I do believe that He does work in our lives daily, but that can be easily said or believed, and not seen.

Book Review: Desire by John Eldredge

Background: I just finished this one this week. I have not been on a good reading schedule, and am trying to clean that up. I have started and am in the middle of about 5 books. Not a good habit. So I have been reading Desire for the past 5+ weeks. I liked Eldredge’s Wild at Heart (and am reading that for the second time), so got this one as well.

Overall I liked the book, but was not captured by it. The main idea is that we cannot ignore or kill or give in to substitutes of our desires. Our desires must be protected for what they really are: the real, the eternal. He also had a very good description of heaven. Explaining how the American notion of heaven (and mine) is dominated by a very vague, not all that exciting place, but that it is better than the alternative. And yet it is so much more.

Eldredge asks us to examine our desires to see what they really are. Are we just giving in to easy substitutes the world provides? Or have we just killed any and all desires to be “spiritual”? Or are we truly seeking the desires God has instilled in us, which are for Him?

I probably should have read it more consistently to have gotten the most out of it. And therefore I would recommend it, but not highly.

First of Book Reviews - Do Hard Things

I decided to add book reviews to my blog. I have started reading a lot more in the past few months and have enjoyed it. So to futher cement the book in my mind as well as share with family & friends what I am learning/studying/enjoying, I decided to write reviews. So here is the first:

Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris

Background: I heard about this book first from Mark Henry as he was teaching on Sunday night, or perhaps leading prayer at church. I then ran across their website off a news story by Yahoo. I went to the website, and liked what I saw, so I ordered the book, just in time to pass time with the hurricane as I got back from work.

First reading I read quickly, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Very challenging. At first there was some “teenage” language that I was bothered by, but it is a book by teens for teens. And that language changed as the book progressed. The message however transcends age, which I really like.

I am currently reading it for a second time. A little more slowly. It basically challenges teens to not settle for the low expectations our culture has for them. The challenge is to do the hard things that are necessary to achieve big things, everything from the small, seemingly insignificant, to the first steps, to the huge potential that they all have. There were several ideas and stories that struck a chord with me. The story of kids (teenagers) in school able to be “above average” with little to no effort at all. Good grades, recognition in sports or other achievements, all achieved KNOWING they could do better and that they didn’t deserve the attention they got and KNOWING that they could do better, but nobody expected it of them. Also the idea of getting attention and praise for what was not done, instead of what was done. Kids are often praised for not getting into trouble, not doing drugs or alcohol, etc, instead of being praised for what they do. It is nice to know that throughout my growing up I was not the only one, and that in fact there are many different people who have had these feelings. I only wish I had this revelation when I was a teen.

But the book challenges all ages to not settle for low expectations. I tend to have high aspirations, but settle for good intentions with little to no real results. That has been my personal challenge.

Overall I would highly recommend this book to anyone of any age. It will challenge adults and their expectations of themselves as well as their expectations of teenagers. I think it will also impact the lives of teens who might read it as well. May get them to reach for the potential they have.

Authors website: The Rebelution – http://www.therebelution.com/

M.I.A.

I have been out of touch for a little while now. I have used the excuse of my computer crashing, and thus not being able to use my internet at the house, but I do have a backup work computer, and have access to the internet at friend’s house, library, coffee shop, and plenty at work. So like usual, there really is no excuse, just lack of priority.

(I have learned however that I do not NEED internet at the house. I have been getting a lot more reading in, which is a good thing.)

I have been thinking and praying a lot lately. To be honest I am a little scared. I am nervous about the coming months. Part of me is very excited, but part is very scared. I am conflicted when it comes to change. I like change, but I like to know what is coming. If I have a good idea of what is coming, then I am OK. Right now I have no idea what is coming. There are so many options.

A couple of things I would like to cover in future (not too distant future) posts:
Education
Reading list review
Natural disasters
The Church
Time, priorities, and goals

I am back at work at the moment after a very good weekend at home. I was able to come back just before Ike hit, and was able to help out with the shelter that was set up at our church. We are very blessed.

Thank you all so much!

Thank you all who came to the party, those who couldn't come but wanted to, and for all the congratulations. I am so blessed. To have such a great church and great friends and family. Who could ask for more? I should have taken more pictures Saturday, but I didn't. Honestly I didn't have a good feel for exactly how good my camera is. I took some of my family and they turned out really well. Here are a few.

The whole family. Together for once.

Dad and Mom

Brothers with dad.

The sisters (in-law)

PB and Christie - a great surprise to see them.

Ben, Court, and Chloe.

And a close-up of Chloe of course.

Dad and Luke - They are both so photogenic. I love taking pictures of them both.

My family was all able to come which was amazing. We so rarely ALL get together, that even Christmas is hit and miss. (The oilfield will do that to you.)



To answer a question that I have been asked a lot... So what is next? I have been thinking and praying about it a lot these days off. I was really hoping God would make it very clear like he did with the "No Debt" thing. But He has not. I will be focusing on my house mortgage, and hopefully will have that paid off in 3-4 years. Dave Ramsey (who's course I did not follow, though I probably should have) recommends saving 3-6 months worth of expenses. And though I REALLY want to quit my job now, (so I can be in Bryan/College Station) I don't have anything lined up, the wise thing is to get the backup savings saved. So I have a set amount to save, and hopefully will have that by November or December.

As I have mentioned to some, I know that I am supposed to be teaching in the future. I really have not known what that will look like exactly, and I still do not know. But up to this point I was thinking 3-5 years in the future. As I have this milestone of "no debt" behind me now, I can let myself think more concretely about the immediate future, and teaching really does not seem too far away. I can see myself starting to substitute teach on my days off, and start going back to any school I need this next spring. We will see how God works all that out. So teachers, I may start to ask a lot more questions and advice.

My New Toy!

I was finally able to go out and buy a toy I have been putting off for several years now. I have had the same digital camera since 2002, which was decent, but limiting. So I celebrated my getting out of credit card debt by going and getting a good camera. I was thinking slimline at first, but the zoom is what I was really wanting. So I got a Sony Cybershot, with a 15X zoom, 9.1 MP. A huge increase over my no zoom, 2.2 MP camera. So I got to play around with it a little bit at my nephew's birthday party the other day. Here are some pics:

Here is Gravy questioning my choice.

Gravy, head always propped on something.

Zoom...

And more zoom! I love it!

Zak, the Birthday Boy. Happy Birthday Zak! All of 6 years old.

All the kids, cousins, and friends, straining to see what all is in there.

Here is Lucas, the character. He was wondering why Zak got all the presents, so he kept declaring, "My Birthday." He just couldn't understand.

He was just fine after all the presents were open, and this one was left for him.

Another present utilized by the guests. :) Here is Devin, as The Hulk.

Son, learning from Dad.

I really like this picture of my sister, and it was from 20 feet away! I probably should have used a flash, but I think it works.

And here is Chris, my brother in law, again from 20 feet.

A good picture of mom.

And here is my brother and sister. I am so blessed with my family.

Long Gone!

The credit cards are long gone! I was able to pay off my last credit card today, to become credit card debt free! As some of you all know, this has been a big deal for the past 1 ½ years for me. God had made it very clear that I was to get out of credit card debt, and here I am. It is incredible to be in His will, for once.

I have been planning a celebration party for awhile, celebrating this time. I am inviting pretty much everyone I know. Barney and Joanna have been kind enough to offer the use of their ranch. The details are:

Date: Saturday, August 9, 2008

Time: 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Breakfast tacos @ about 10:30, snacks and desserts after that.

Pool and fishing pond are available. Plenty of room inside and out.

Just email me, or leave a comment for directions, and I will get them to you.

If you cannot come that is fine. I can totally understand. Do know that you all are more than welcome.

It's like a brand new truck!

You should try it sometime, just pay off your vehicle, get it washed, and it just feels like new. Great feeling.

God has continued to bless me, and today I was able to pay this truck off early. And this coming Friday, I will pay off my last credit card. That just leaves my mortgage payments. That is next on the agenda.

So to celebrate... I will be hosting an "Out of Debt" celebration at Barneyville. Anyone and everyone I know is invited. It will be Saturday, August 9, 9:00 AM to about 3:00 PM. Breakfast/Brunch will be served. Do come if you get a chance. Every get together out at the ranch is a great time. If you need directions at all, just let me know, and I will email them out to you.

I'm Back, Home and Online

I am back home, and for at least two weeks! I am very excited. Well, very tired at the moment, but very excited about the coming two weeks. I can actually plan stuff ahead for the first time in 4 months.

To do list:
Pay off last credit card.
Pay off truck.
Celebrate!

Buy an "out of debt" celebratory toy.
Have fun with it.
Visit with friends.
Update blog more often.

Catch up errands and household projects.

Lastly, but most importantly seek God for His will for the future. Prayer much appreciated.

Catch Up

Another two weeks gone. It is absolutely amazing how fast time flies. All it seems I do is work and drive. The paychecks are nice, but no consistent time home is a bit tiresome. I haven’t been to my church in the past 6 weeks!

Speaking of church, here are a couple of thoughts… I have had the opportunity to visit a couple of new churches. I am always frustrated at trying to find a new church in the area. I am beginning to think that if they have the adjective “life”, “living”, or “alive” in the name, try those first. I guess they have to have something going on, or they would automatically be hypocritical.

I was able to attend a normal Baptist church, and it seems quite the same across the country. Polite men in suits handing out bulletins at the door. Groups, families, or cliques, sitting from the middle to the back of the church, choir with mostly older people, one song and then the greeting when everybody is friendly for the 30 second greeting time, (primarily with the people they are friends with), hymns, one “contemporary” song (two if they are really progressive), offering, sermon, invitation, baptism of a kid or two, closing prayer, and everybody is off to lunch. Going in as a first time visitor, it is very noticeable how friendly or not people are. It really is no wonder how people get out of church, or are never in, how difficult it is for people to get back in.

It is probably needless to say, but I went to a different church the next week. Now this church blew me away. I was greeted by at least 12 people going into the beginning of the service. Two men gave me their phone numbers, and invited me to their houses anytime I needed a place to get away from the rig. One of the two pastors invited me to lunch afterwards. I needed sleep, so didn’t go, but met with him for lunch during the week. It is amazing what a difference seeing people who really want to be at church and enjoy it is from people who are just doing it for whatever reason.

On other notes: I was able to make a trip to Jonesboro again for the second time. I was able to get a copy of my great-great grandparents marriage certificate. Pretty cool that they let me back into the vault and go through the big binders. I actually got to handle the very same paper they signed! That was pretty cool. To think that they were actually there in that town, walking the same streets over 100 years ago.

Work has been the same, a lot, and a lot of driving. The paychecks have allowed me to pay off two credit cards in the last two pay periods though. That is exciting! I have one credit card left! That will be paid off by August 2. I cannot wait. Next step is a party, a fairly expensive toy (haven’t decided what that will be yet) and on to the final step, of getting my house paid off.

I have been so blessed to meet several people in the last month or so that are out or getting out of debt. Two couples at church at home, and one at church here in Arkansas. I have had several people in the past tell me that it is impossible for people to live without debt in this modern American culture. I beg to differ. Not only am I on my way to doing it, I know people who are doing it! And that is exciting.

Well, I better get some sleep for today. Hopefully I will get off this weekend.

Time

Time is going way to fast. I had 7 days off this last week and it felt like 3. I have been here on location in Arkansas for 4 days and it feels like 2. This is getting ridiculous.

Right now, I get a break here. It is not good, but I don’t have to worry about anything. Our tool is out of the hole, but we are stuck. Right now they are trying to jar the pipe loose, without much luck. We could be waiting another couple of days. What a job.

I am currently on a new rig here in Arkansas, in the east part. A new group of guys to work with as well. I think it is going to be good. I think I needed a change of scenery. I hope this works out, so we can follow this rig. Bad start for this hole unfortunately, but not a lot we can do about it.

Let’s see, not a whole lot new going on. I so enjoy my time in B/CS. No work to worry about, plenty of friends to hang out with. Now if I could just be there for longer periods of time, and still maintain the income, that would be great. We must work to eat I have read somewhere though.

There are some ideas going through my head right now, I will let out sometime in the future. Part of that problem though is they stay in my head, and rarely come to fruition. Please be praying that God will reveal His will for what is next. I have some ideas of what I would like, and hope that goes along with what He wants, but I need to know for sure. I need it to be clear like the no-debt thing.

Well, so much for now. It is morning, so I get to go to bed. I also get to try and find a new church this morning.

Finishing Strong

Another one down! I paid off another credit card today. What a great feeling! That leaves two. And I cannot wait until I get those paid. I am putting a firm date of August 1, as to when I will be out of credit card debt. All of this is due to God. And I cannot thank Him enough.

To be honest, I have been lax the last several months. I have gotten fat and lazy. I am on track to get out of debt, so I have just been sitting back letting it happen, instead of being proactive, and staying strong. I have noticed particularly my weight (thus the diets on and off), being out of shape, and spending more than I should on little things.

God has been gently reminding me to finish strong. This is an exciting new period quickly approaching, and I must be ready for it. I have a very strong natural tendency to just sit back and let life happen, but I cannot let that happen. Too much is at stake. So please be praying with me about this next period of time. There are so many options, it is a little overwhelming. Kind of like coming out of prison. The debtor truly is servant to the lender. It is an exciting, and still a little scary time. I am looking forward to it.

To finish strong I need to:

1. Stay in the Bible every day.
2. At least look at my expenses/budget everyday, record, balance checkbook, etc.
3. Get in shape – exercise somehow every day and lose 12-17 lbs to be 175-180.

Thank you all for this kind of accountability. It does help.

I'm Back!!

I am finally back in Bryan. I have been in Arkansas for the past 3 weeks straight, and am so glad to be back home. I have started a few entries over the past several weeks, but just have not gotten around to finishing and posting them.

I just got in late last night, and have spent the last hour just going through my mail. Fun, fun. A few things I have been up to besides work is completing our week long trip to Ohio, further researching genealogy, and taking brief side trip to Jonesboro, Arkansas, where I had some grandparents live in the 1890’s. Now that I look at the list, it has been pretty much all I have done, besides work.

History and genealogy are completely fascinating, and it appears I may have a few other members of the family hooked. I will have to give an update on how that continues to go.

So here are some updates:

Chloe – She still has to have the tube in her nose so she can be drop fed special formula. She has pulled it out twice, so it looks like they will have to surgically input it into her stomach for now. She is maintaining weight and getting bigger, so she is healthy. She just cannot digest food/milk normally right now. Please continue to keep her in your prayers.

(Me, Mom, and Dad at Lake Erie in Cleveland)

Ohio trip – We were traveling for right on 7 days. Long drives, but a good time. Dad has not been out of the state for awhile, so it was good for him to get out and away from work. After visiting with my great-aunt Dot, who was wonderful, and so knowledgeable, we left Cleveland and went to the small town of Pomeroy on the Ohio river, where my dad’s dad lived. Very interesting little town. I thought it was cool. And here is the story of our Pomeroy adventure:

(Small town Pomeroy, on the river)

We got there mid-morning and needed to leave by 5:00 or so that evening. We didn’t have any contact with any relatives in the town. Known relatives had already passed away, and we didn’t know if any children were there or not. Dad had an idea of what his Grandmother’s house looked like, and it was a small town, so why not just walk up and down the street looking for it? Our goal was to find the house, and also Dad’s dad’s gravesite.

That morning I had a feeling like something big, or unusual, or miracle was going to take place. But the day started out poorly. Me and dad got out and walked the river front looking for the house, and he just could not remember. There were a couple of possibilities, and we asked neighbors, but didn’t find anything concrete. So we went and had a late lunch. After lunch, I was getting tired, and with no prospects, and a deadline approaching, I was discouraged and expecting nothing to come of this trip. Well, mom had the idea to go to the Veterans office and see if they had anything on dad’s dad, since we knew he had medical help from them. The guy at the office was very helpful, made some calls, and gave us the last listed address he had. We went down on the river and found the address, which was indeed Dad’s Grandmother’s house. It was one of the ones he thought it was, he just wasn’t sure.

This is the fun part: As we went up to the house, dad being dad, saw a couple mowing the neighbor’s yard next door, and went up to talk to them. He mentioned what we were doing and that was his Grandmother’s house, and the guy said that he knew them, and played with the son that lived there, Dad’s cousin Jerry, when they were kids. In fact, he knew Jerry’s son and wife, and knew where she worked! They were just packing up and heading that way, and would take us over there. So they took us by there, and we got to meet with the wife. The crazy thing is, is that they wanted to keep the grandmother’s house in the family, so they bought it, and it was sitting there empty. So she took us inside, and she also knew where the family cemetery was and gave us directions.

Turns out that Jerry had two sons, when dad thought he had only had one. The one that dad knew died, so we got to talk with the one dad didn’t even know about, Mike. And Mike was really close with his uncle, my dad’s dad!

So we got to go out to the cemetery where my dad’s dad was buried, and there were all the children, all in a row, next to their parents. We had no clue they were all right there, and it just did something for dad to see them all there. Pretty cool stuff.

So from knowing next to nothing going in, we not only got to find the grandmother’s house, we got to go into it, and not only finding one gravesite, we found the whole family’s, and from not knowing anyone there, we made contact with long lost cousins, we didn’t even know existed! Miracles do happen.

Well, that is all I have for now. I have a couple of days off, so I plan on enjoying them.

Road Trip!

I am excited this morning. I just woke up in La Grange, Kentucky. My parents and I are taking a trip to Ohio, to visit my Great-Aunt. After a long driving day yesterday, and trying to get back to a night-day sleeping routine, I feel good.

Traveling with dad has been interesting. He considers vacation as stopping and seeing the sights as we go. Me and mom consider vacationing as getting to where you are going as quickly as possible, and then sightseeing. So we stopped… at Graceland in Memphis.

Now I have never been an Elvis fan. He was before my time, and I have always been more interested in further out history, rather than current history. But to put it in Dads’ words, “This is our era.” The tour of the mansion was done very well, though I never would have paid the $32 entrance fee. Dad would though.

I was impressed though, with the tour and with what I saw of Elvis. I can understand how he was so popular. So anyway, here are a couple of pictures.

Mom and Dad starting the trip.

Me in Elvis' living room.

Elvis' living room.

His plane.

And his gravesite.

Got to go for now, will update later.

Another Start

So I couldn’t go 10 days the first time, so here it goes again. I am in Arkansas starting this time, so I need to get in the habit here. Isn’t there a saying, “if at first you don’t succeed…”?

Some topics of my life... lately… pictures, the future, getting older.

Pictures: I have begun to scan some of my family’s old pictures into the computer. We really are blessed to have so many. I think I mentioned before that we probably have 30,000 plus pictures. I probably have about 500+ with me. It takes some time, and is repetitive, but I love just imagining the lives lived before mine. It is kind of exciting, visually stimulating, and a little depressing. There are so many questions, and answers that were known, that will never be known again. And I had a chance to know some of them before my Grandpa died. For instance, I was going through this bunch of pictures from the 1920’s and four of them came up labeled “Alaska.” It really throws me off, because I don’t remember anything ever being said about Alaska. Then in the next batch, I get some more about a friend from Alaska, who always labeled his pictures in a particular way.

* Note to self and to others: always label pictures. And I need to find a way to label digital pictures. *

So anyway, here a few favorites of mine from what I have been scanning. I have probably scanned about 150 so far.

My great-grandmother and her sister about 1916.

Great-grandparents before marriage about 1919.

Great-grandparents after marriage about 1925

This one caught me off guard a little. Really wasn't expecting it. But I like it. I am not sure if it is my grandparents or some friends of theirs. They went out camping with friends quite a bit.

So fascinating. It just amazes me when people say history is boring.

The future: As I am getting closer to getting out of debt, I have actually been a little overwhelmed with the possibilities this brings. I can see so much potential. As I was driving back to Arkansas yesterday however, I came to a conclusion as to where I believe God wants me. To be completely out of debt, including houses and vehicles.

The possibilities I was considering included focusing on the oilfield both on my career and investing, real estate investing, world wide traveling, or even just earning enough money to quit and not work. (Done that to a degree before, not very well.) I am so blessed to have so many options, but it makes my head hurt sometimes.

It is very humbling to know without a doubt that I don’t deserve my life at all, and yet I have it, and what I currently have, and the potential I have is far, far more than 90% of the rest of the world if not more than that. There are many people out there who would kill to be in the position I am. Very humbling.

Along with thinking about the near future, gets me thinking about my age. I am extremely blessed to be living in a college town, which keeps me younger, but I am 30, and only getting older. And with that are a few funny instances that catch my attention. Such as my right knee. I always used to laugh at “older” people who would play ball or something and stretch and complain how joints and muscles would ache for no reason. Now it is my turn. And I get to laugh at myself. For some reason, my right knee has been bothering me for no good reason.

I am realizing that the things that more experienced people say really are accurate and really do come around to the younger, though we think it never will. Youth really is wasted on the young.

I will be updating on “diet – round two” more often, and thoughts as well. I’ve done it before I can do it again.

Take care.

Day Nine

Well, I have to admit, unfortunately, the change from B/CS to Arkansas threw my “diet” off. I am just so used to having snacks and pizza around up here, that I could not/did not resist. I got a little frustrated, and hungry, with nothing planned, so I ate some chocolate, and pizza.

So today I am a little frustrated with not being able to handle even a little 10 day diet. Part of the big change from Texas to Arkansas may be the social interaction extremes. I am blessed with so many friends and family there, to very few here. And part of that is my own doing. It is so easy there, but would/will take more effort on my part here. (I am good at making excuses, and not looking for solutions.)

But even for all that, my weight has fallen to 188.4. Strange. And nice.

Day Four

Weight this evening 191.6

Estimated calories:

Bowl of cereal and milk 150

Excellent hamburger (1/2 pound) 680, 3 deviled eggs 225, strawberries, 46

2 soft tacos homemade (1/3 pound of meat) 450

Total estimated 1351

Yesterday was a busy day. I was able to attend the Community Picnic our church had with several other churches. Just around the corner from my house. I rode my bike there, and played a couple games of football.

I left and went to Waco, where I supervised some neighborhood kids mowing my lawn. Then I went and spent some time with the parents in Coolidge. So I spent the night there and had lunch today with friends and family in Corsicana. Good times.

This has kind of thrown off my “diet” a little. I didn’t realize how many calories beef was, so I ate plenty, not overeating, but not with restraint. I think that is partially showing in the weight this evening.

I leave for work in the early morning, so I have to go pack. Fun times.

April 19, 2008

Day Three

Weight this morning 190.2

Estimated calories:

5 pancakes 225, margarine 75, honey 60, 8 oz of milk 130 = 490

banana 105

hamuburger, lettuce, onion, two packets of ketchup apprx. 680

1/2 can of pineapple 140, banana 105, 5 dry pancakes left over 225

1 can of pepsi (there were no more water after 2 tag-football games) 125

barbeque sandwhich apprx. 400, small bag of chips 160

Total estimated: 2430

Day Two

Weight this morning – 192.2

Estimated calories:

Orange 86

Bowl of oatmeal with milk, and a little brown sugar 200

Bowl of rice 200 and 1 can of tuna 150

Dinner – 3 eggs (scrambled)225 with sausage 100 cals 2 pieces of toast 200 with margarine 60

Total estimated for the day is 1041

Interesting. It is 11:30 at night, and though I am hungry and could definitely eat, I am ok with not eating. I am really interested in finding out if and how much weight I can lose in 10 days.

I am noticing already that I am not as tired. I do not HAVE to have a nap. I still have to constantly be on guard about snacking though. I have one ding dong left and it just calls out my name every time I go into the kitchen. The other hard thing is bread. I could just eat toast, or plain French bread.

I went to the shop in Houston this afternoon, so I was on my feet a lot while there. But was driving there and back. I did not bike today like I should have. I really need to get my legs worked out, as I found out from my bike ride to Hope Group.

Major thought for today was finding out that I do not have to be in Arkansas tomorrow, but that I could, or take the weekend off and expect to be up there Monday. I was really split. Should I be a good worker, and go the extra mile to learn more about my job, as well as make a little extra money? Or should I do what I really enjoy doing and stay and thoroughly enjoy fellowship with church? Or should I take a trip to Waco, and work on my yard up there that really needs the work? As much as I like options, many times three or more options just overload my head.

I think I have it worked out though. This could be really cool. We have a church picnic tomorrow 12 – 3. I totally forgot about this, since I have expected to be gone to work. I wrote it off every time I heard it announced. I could leave just after that, and go mow my lawn in Waco, and then go watch Darby play Baylor with his dad and Ashley who are going! How cool could this be? Possibly even see some other friends while in Waco. And as far as work goes, my coordinator called me as I was wrestling with the work side of things, and said he would call Sunday afternoon, to let me know when to be there.

I am excited about this weekend. Started great with a 2-1 win. Beautiful night for baseball! (Picture from another game. Not tonight's)

Food for tomorrow:

Breakfast: ½ can of pineapple, pancakes

Lunch: Hot dogs or hamburgers as available, try to find some vegetables

Dinner: Sack lunch of hard boiled egg sandwiches, carrots

Day One

Estimated calories:
Orange 86
Bowl of white rice and little margarine 225
½ can of pineapple 140
4 pancakes 350, syrup 100, 1 blueberry muffin100, scrambled eggs 130
Total estimated for the day is 1131.

Not too bad. I read a little on the internet and it said that I need about 2500 calories to maintain my weight, 2000 to lose some, and 1500 for extreme loss, though it did not recommend that.
I just got in from Hope Group, and do not feel that hungry, which is good. I didn’t feel real hungry much today. And part of that may still be processing the quite a bit of food I ate yesterday. I am not shooting for extreme loss, so I feel like today was good. I definitely could have/would have eaten a lot more, but I felt good, and certainly did not have to, or even feel like I had to.

I did get some exercise in as well. I took the bike out for a run to Hope Group. Josh and Kelly were kind enough to give me a ride back since it was starting to rain. It was a good 25 minute ride against the wind.

Plan for tomorrow:
Breakfast – 1 bowl of oatmeal (I usually eat 2 with several pieces of toast)
Lunch – 1 bowl of rice with ½ can of canned chicken or tuna
Dinner – Not sure at the moment, kind of depends on how my schedule turns out.

Misc...

This may be a long post.

I have been thinking and fighting myself and God lately about my way of living life. I know without a doubt that God has called us/me to live life all out, all for Him. He has bought us with a price (His life), and we owe Him our lives. He tells us to love Him with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. I KNOW this, but still have a hard time doing it.

The big things for me are food and sleep. My nemesis: Ding Dongs/chocolate

I could probably eat Ding Dongs all day every day. With my job not being all that active, combined with a lack of self-motivation for exercise, I have been gaining some weight. Not a good thing. Most noticeable was my trip to the state park in Arkansas a little while back.

I was WALKING down to an attraction, not more than 50 yards, and I was huffing and puffing. So out of shape. Not to mention the bulge around my waist. I am up to 194.4 lbs.

This week I have been thinking about it, and have decided to go on a diet. Now I hate diets, but the time has come. An experiment of sorts. I do like experiments. For 10 days I will be logging/blogging my diet. The current plan is to eat half or less of what I usually eat. No soft drinks or juice, just water. No sweets. In the past I have gone an entire year without sugar, so I know I can do it. Why 10 days? Because that is how long Daniel’s diet was in the Bible to show a difference. And I can be a little impatient, and I am anxious to see how much I can lose in just 10 days.

I think the hardest part will be changing my eating habits, especially as I change atmospheres of home and work. I really like a Mountain Dew (or two) with M&M’s driving to Arkansas. And while at work, there is a large, easily accessible stash of goodies, just begging to be ingested all night long.

Part two of the diet will be exercise. I hate running for no reason. Many props to runners out there. I know of the theory of second wind euphoria, I have just never experienced it that I knew of. Perhaps during a game, but that is entirely different. Mind occupied, focus on the ball, not on my lungs and stomach wanting to burst. So I have rented my brother’s cool mountain bike to ride. We will see how this will work out. Hopefully it will work well.

So, to start my diet, I have refrained from breakfast this morning, and I rarely ever miss breakfast. I plan on an orange, and half a can of pineapple for lunch, with a bowl of plain white rice. Tonight I have breakfast at Hope Group, so I will indulge a little, but only ½ of what I would normally eat. That is the plan, I will update on how it goes.

On other more important matters: We got a brief update on Chloe. The endoscopy showed some inflammation, which is what is thought to be causing her to throw up. The treatment plan is to put her on some steroids, and should be seeing some improvement in 3 or 4 days. Hopefully by then she can be taken home. Please also be in prayer for my brother Ben and Courtney as they deal with all this in their first child. I know it is difficult.

Prayer Request

Please be in prayer for my niece, Chloe. She is two months now, but is not gaining any weight. She has been in the hospital for the last week. They think/thought that she was allergic to the milk, but have changed milk twice now. She keeps throwing it all back up. Hopefully we will hear more of what is going on later today.

Thanks.

Tax Time!

I can finally say I completed my taxes before the deadline. As some know that is a HUGE deal. I spent all day Wednesday working on it. And TurboTax online sure helped. Getting a pretty big refund certainly didn’t hurt as motivation either. A few things learned…

Having stuff organized definitely would help.

(Result: Bought and installed Quicken)

Our tax system is way complicated.

I have a lot more to learn.

That to say… I am glad I finally did it. And I should have done it earlier. Could be that much closer to getting out of debt.

Another Update

It has been awhile since my last update. I have been slacking.

Here is a picture of our spring break Bible Camp group.

And another of me discussing things with Landon.

The week went very well. Three of the kids accepted Jesus. And I think they understood. It was quite fascinating to me to be talking to these kids, and to hear some of the misconceptions they have. They are smart kids, they know what is going on, and know a lot of things, but they can also get so many things mixed up. It was so good to see towards the end of the week, the light come on. That a few of them really started to understand who Jesus was, and what He did for us. That was so cool.

So I pray that God would continue to work in these kids lives, and use the time we had with them, in spite of our inadequacies. I know I was not ready like I should have been.

And quite honestly I have been fighting with God since that week. I did not put the energy, time, or prayer into that week like I should have. I knew it, and still did not do it. And I have been struggling with the same stuff the last couple of weeks at work.

God has called Christians and me in particular to live all out for Him. He specifically said to love Him with all we have, heart, soul, mind, and strength. And to love our neighbors as ourselves. I have such a hard time with that. I am so selfish. I want to sleep. I want to eat sweets. I want to NOT exercise. I want to avoid uncomfortable situations.

But He has called me to a higher standard. The highest standard, Jesus. And I must quit comparing myself to others, and live up to the standard He has set for me. I got a reminder of that this week. A gentle reminder once again. He is too good to me.

I was able to have a couple of days off this week, so I made a quick trip to Bryan, then to Coolidge and Corsicana to visit family. God has blessed me with a tremendous family. I head back to Arkansas Thursday and get off Saturday.

Well, that is all for now. More later. I am sure.

Full Days Off - A Brief Update

I got off Friday, two weeks ago, and have been quite busy. Mostly I have been hanging with great friends and family. I am scheduled to go back to work this Sunday.

Last week I got to meet probably 20 to 30 people in church I did not know through a variety of activities. It was great! I am not the most outgoing person, but I am slowly learning how to talk to people. This is a good thing.

This week I am involved in Bible Camp here in Bryan. It has been very good. There are six of us in our group, and have been having a good time. It is certainly challenging working with "inner-city" kids. (They actually only live like 10 blocks from me. I live very close to the inner-city.) I have been pretty nervous actually, but once it gets going, I am so blessed to be able to know these kids. I will give a more complete update once we finish. For now, I value your prayer. For each of our team, and for all of the kids. We all need Jesus so much.

Paid in Full !!!! :)

PAID IN FULL

What a phrase. No. I am not totally out of debt yet. But I just got through paying a round of bills, and I got to pay off one of my credit cards. I still have three more with balances to go, but this one is special. I have been a card member since 1996, my freshman year in college. I do not even want to go back and see how long I have had a balance on this card. To think of the hundreds of hours worked and thousands of dollars wasted in interest paid on this card... it is insane!

If I can give any advice at all to everyone, it is to stay out of credit card debt. It is a trap. A very profitable trap made by our culture to anyone and everyone. It is just way too easy to fall into it.

It is so much more rewarding to just do what the Bible says. Stay out of debt. Do not be a servant to the lender. We have that choice. Funny how servants aren't usually thought of having choices. But we do. We can serve the lender, or we can serve God.

Thoughts

I am up late at my office… waiting.


Lots of computers, but nothing to watch at the moment. Something broke down on the rig, so we have some down time. We are still on call, but we really do not have any idea on how long this could take. We will see.

Current thoughts… time, money, the Bible.

Time: So much and so little at the same time. There are so many ideas running through my head. So many things I want to do, to read, to study. And yet, I find myself watching TV, sleeping, daydreaming. What is that all about?

Money: I just saw a documentary on the top 1% of American families financially, and the inequality found in our country. It is kind of frustrating that despite the fact of the inequality found in America, America is the richest country in the world, and compared to the rest of the world, there is even more inequality. Incredible inequality. Even minimum wage is far more and easier to make per hour, than MANY places in the world making less than that per DAY!

The Bible: If the Bible truly is our guidebook as Christians, why is it so hard to put into everyday practice? Why is it so hard for me to put into practice? I know what it says, and I know what God has told me to do, but why is it so easy to get distracted and frustrated?

If you cannot tell there is a little bit of frustration coming through. But that is OK. It helps to get all this out of my head.

On another note: Here is what I saw in Clinton yesterday.

A tornado hit here last week. We are working about 20 miles south of Clinton. A sober reminder to pray for safety, regardless of where one lives or works. God is still very good. Much more than I will ever deserve.