2 Peter 3

What sort of people should we be? Living lives of holiness and godliness as we await the return of christ. 

Day 74 of the pivot year:

Don't allow your comfort zone to become your cage. The walls we build for protection can become walls of a prison. 

51 questions: p.144

Who do I find inspiring? 

My grandfather

Month learn

Phil Hoffine

My dad

Shake My Head

Since September 11, 2001, there have been 43 clear incidents of Islamic inspired terrorism on United States soil.  In these incidents of Muslim actors attacking innocent men, women and children, 89 people have been killed and countless more injured.  How does the Obama administration deal with the problem?  Threaten to prosecute derogatory speech about Islam; and they go after the guns owned by people who are not the problem.  They also push to bring thousands of more Muslims to this country.

There is really no question that the vetting process is basically non-existent.  The FBI has made that perfectly clear the vetting process currently used cannot filter out any bad guys.  The process is a set of forms filled out by non-american workers in foreign countries, an interview (where they are asked if they are coming to attack the USA), and a background check (for which there is really no database to check these people against).  This process can take up to 2 years...not because it's thorough....because it is government.

We have agencies like Catholic Relief Services and the USCCB Committee on Migration making reckless and misleading statements about the situation.  Bishop Elizondo, chair of the USCCB Committee on Migration, recently exhorted bishops to push for refugees to be resettled in the USA.  On the question of security and safety, he says there is a government vetting process that takes up to two years.  He says that perhaps this process could be improved, but there is a process.

Bishop Elzondo ignores the growing evidence that the vetting process is basically non-existent and that terrorists have clearly slipped through and continue to slip through.  I heard a Catholic Relief Services leader on Catholic XM Radio channel basically just say the vetting process is up to the government.  CRS is pushing for more immigrants, for which they receive government funding, and punting the issue of safety to the "government."  They do this knowing full well that there is no safety or security.

All of this takes place while Jordan has put forth a plan to settle refugees there.  The USA would be safer, but the relief organizations in the USA wouldn't get money...organizations in Jordan would get funding. There is a safe, reasonable alternative to settling these people here, but there are other agendas involved.

309



A little over a year ago I weighed 309 lbs. I’m 5’10” and I was definitely obese. In November 2008, I started exercising at HealthTrac, a local hospital affiliated fitness center, and on April 9, 2009 I decided to run. When I ran that first mile that day I weighed approximately 290 -295lbs, but I was able to run to the local dam and back, about 2 miles, in approximately 38 minutes. I felt amazing. My only real goal was to feel better physically and about myself.


Since then I have been running pretty consistently. I did have to take a total of about 4 weeks off for an ankle injury and a bronchial infection, but I pushed day after day. After a while, my body had to run. The endorphins are addictive, and I very gradually got faster, more stamina and lost weight.


I discovered racing. I raced in Ann Arbor twice, Dowagiac, Niles, Concord, Nappannee, Portage, Berrien Springs, etc… I found that racing is the only true test of how well I’m doing in my daily discipline of exercise. I’ve shaved almost 10 minutes off my 5K (3.1 miles) time, and I’m anticipating a run under 30 minutes in one of my next few races.


In November 2009, I ran 71.75 miles, and my goal is to regularly hit 100 miles a month. I weighed myself after my run on Sunday, and I weighed 250 lbs.


Some of the things that surprised me:


The quickest way to gain speed in running is to lose weight.


I am now much more immediately effected by what I eat…I feel the effects almost immediately.


I feel muscles, sinews, and bones that I haven’t felt in years.


The right shoes and clothing is extremely important. It took me a long time to know how to dress appropriately.


People drive horribly. I’ve only been hit by a car once though I’ve had numerous near misses.


Running in the rain is the most incredible experience in the world!


I started off with everyone making fun of me, but now people are coming to me asking advice. Former runners are coming to me telling me that I have inspired them to take up the cross again.



I should note that my wife had been running for about 6 months before I took up the sport. She inspired me. We had a rule that we didn’t tread on each other’s hobbies, but she’s been gracious…especially since her injury and subsequent inability to run. Now I run for her.

SELF DISCIPLINE

This has been my year of least writing. This has been a challenging year for me, and it has been a year of refocusing on the important.



As I anticipate Y2K+10, I feel the need to simplify, prioritize and more than anything discipline.


So, here is what I want my life to be about next year (not in any order of priority):


Work


Running


Writing


Reading


WRWR – I believe that as I follow this formula, I will better follow Christ and be a better husband.


So, I plan on writing many more blog posts, and I plan on bringing my body into total submission.


May this be the Lord’s will!

The Devil Inside

Introspection is a tightrope between self flagellation and self pity.

What would your reaction be…I mean your real inside thoughts…about someone who was very friendly and sought your advice continually but who would exaggerate your mistakes and humorously come off as if it’s truly an act of benevolence that they talk to you at all. Now this is all done in a friendly, funny, non-threatening way.

Truthfully, it wears on me. I get really tired of it. It makes me more circumspect in my acquaintances in order to prayerfully never treat anyone even remotely like this.

Why? I’m probably self centered and selfish about it. I want people to like me, and I know how I feel pretending to like this person. Wow. I didn’t realize that until I wrote it (the pretending part).

Hmmm.

Daniel

I read the book of Daniel last night and wondered about a few things.

1. What was it like to study and prepare for three years as the Jewish captives?

2. What would have it been like to have guards show up with orders to kill you, and you have no idea why? What would my reaction have been? Would I have believed that God would tell me the dream?

3. What would have it been like to rule the kingdom for all those years? Daniel was a very old man when he was thrown into the lions den. He had basically been a very powerful man for many, many years.

4. Who did Daniel and the three who were thrown into the furnace marry? Did they have children?

5. How did the kingdom function when the king went crazy for seven years (or time periods)?

6. Did God perform any other miracles or especially gift Daniel in a supernatural way other than what was recorded?

Abbreviations:

I remember when I was in school having teachers teach us the traditional abbreviation of our state, "Mich.", and then teach us the new fangled two digit "MI". They made a point that the government wanted everyone to use the two digit way now. That would likely have been in about 1980 or so.

The two digit system for state codes went into effect at the post office in 1963 and for the rest of government in 1987. The 1963 innovation accompanied the zip code institution.

Just something weird I was remembering.

That Really Grinds My Gears

I felt like starting a list of things that are pet peeves for me. Don’t know why. Maybe I’m just an angry white male today….

1. People who fly around me in town at upwards of 60 mph only to slow down to 50 mph right in front of me for the next 12 miles.

2. When there is one speck of snow on a parking lot and everyone just ignores the painted lines.

3. Business owners who think they own you just because you’ve frequented their establishment.

4. Women who fish for compliments.

5. People who take up two parallel parking spots when they could easily fit in one. Also people who park too close in the parking lot.

6. Drive through attendants who say, “Pull forward to the LAST window.” How am I supposed to know which window was the last until it’s too late?

7. Waitresses who ask if I want a refill on my iced tea. Bring it. If I don’t want it…I won’t drink it.

8. People who expect me, the customer, to know what I want and need (like model numbers and part numbers etc…). If I knew that, I wouldn’t need help at the store then would I…and you could be at home collecting unemployment.

9. Guys who let women carry heavy things without offering to help.

10. NY Giants fans who take life a little too seriously.

11. The "one upper". Guys who start every part of a conversation with, "you think that's bad..." or "you think that was big...". Always got one better than everyone else.

12. People who make stupid lists…

EMOTION

I don’t know what is “mini” about a mini-stroke or Transient ischemic attack.

Seems dad had one on Sunday. I need to get to the doctor and get things straightened out with me. I love my wife too much not to.

Our mortality breeds emotion.

Love and Marriage



When I was a kid, I observed situations where wives or husbands were unfaithful and I was shocked at how the offended spouse would sometimes just deal with things, putting it behind them, and the marriage would continue. It was easy as a kid to flippantly assert that I’d throw him or her out and find someone else.

I’m older now. Over the years I’ve grown to rely on my wife. I’ve grown to need her companionship and her respect. I need to love her and I need to be near her. Lately, I’ve observed several situations involving spouses being unfaithful, and I thought. Here are my conclusions:

1. Without my wife, I would die.
2. If, God forbid, I ever found myself as the offended spouse, I don’t know what I’d do.
3. I have appreciation for the way I’ve watched people older than me handle situations.

I wonder if I’m starting to really feel what the two becoming one is like. I feel conjoined to her…no…I am joined with her.

Why John McCain Will Lose.


You cannot attack the conservative base of the Republican Party, stake out a position as a liberal, anti-Christian, pro-abortion, etc…., and repackage yourself as the Republican Candidate for President. I can remember being at huge Republican events and watching McCain be booed off stage. I remember his stands when he was the opposite of everything he now claims to be. It’s just not going to get us to work or even vote for him.


Since part of being a Democrat is the absence of principles, it is relatively easy repackage oneself and lead the party…but in the Republican party conservatives remember.

What is my prediction? Blowout!

Below is an article from May 2006 I found on www.gunowners.org

John McCain: Liberal In Disguise
by Matthew A. Robertsas seen in National Ledger

Over the past three decades, America in some respects has moved slightly to the Right. Although conservatives have not yet won the wars on political correctness, education, and culture, Americans nevertheless are now more skeptical than they were thirty years ago of big government, high taxes, entitlements, judicial activism and secularism. In these areas, conservatives have proven most successful. The word "liberal" has become a bad word in most states, and consequently many leftists hesitate to label themselves as leftists.
In many states it now rings popular to call oneself a conservative, even if one truly resembles a liberal. As with any popular movement, dilution occurs, opportunists blow with the wind, and pretenders abound. John McCain is one of these pretenders. He is a leftist in disguise, using his popularity and charisma to masque his liberal leanings. In reality, McCain resides as far to the Left as John Kerry. Anyone who thinks otherwise deludes himself.
McCain has most feigned conservatism in his militarism. McCain, a Vietnam veteran, is hawkish and patriotic. These attributes support his political stump. As long as he can play the veteran card and remain pro-war, he can downplay all his other shortcomings. Appearing hawkish, however, does not necessarily constitute conservatism. (Recent history shows that leftists can be militaristic too: Stalin, Mao, Castro). Military force always will remain crucial in many cases, but willingness to use it does not incontrovertibly make one a conservative.
And when one gets beyond McCain's bellicism, his true liberal character crops up. Outside martial matters, McCain sides with the American Left on most key issues. The greatest irony of McCain's masquerade is that he packages himself as a principled conservative, one with character, who rises above partisan politics. In reality, however, he is as disingenuous as the Clintons and presently bends whichever the way the wind blows to bolster himself for 2008. Analyze him issue by issue.
First, regarding religion, McCain looms as no lover of Christians. Recall his comments about key religious leaders in 2000, calling them "agents of intolerance." And McCain's vitriolic vilification of Christians was not limited to a single occurrence, for he later said, "I must not and will not retract anything that I said in that speech at Virginia Beach. It was carefully crafted, it was carefully thought out." (Hardball, 3/1/00). More recently, however, McCain, positioning himself for 2008, has repackaged himself as pro-Christian, lauding key religious leaders and duping the devout. (Is this not as reptilian as Bill Clinton's waffling?)
Second, on the issue of gay marriage, in 2005 McCain opposed a federal gay-marriage ban (Los Angeles Times, 1/25/ and 3/8). Now, however, likely realizing that most Americans think otherwise, McCain says he supports a gay-marriage ban (Meet the Press, 4/2/06). Which is it? Given his penchant for progressive politics, we can only assume the former.
Then, regarding abortion, McCain most certainly is pro-choice. In the San Francisco Chronicle (8/20/99) McCain sided with the pro-abortion camp, suggesting that overturning Roe v. Wade would lead to illegal abortions. Realizing, however, that he could not inveigle the GOP nomination with such views, McCain more recently has resold himself as pro-life, even saying he would support the South Dakota ban on abortions. What are Americans to believe? He either is pro-choice or lacks any real conviction on the subject.
Furthermore, regarding campaign-finance reform, the McCain-Feingold Campaign Reform Act is perhaps one of the more left-wing acts of Congress in the past twenty years. As recently exposed by Brian C. Anderson, "The Plot to Shush Rush and O'Reilly" in City Journal, McCain-Feingold (which passed with overwhelming Democrat support) is a convenient contrivance to silence conservatives. As noted by a whole host of commentators (George Will, Jonathan Rauch, and even Justice Clarence Thomas), this act poses blatant restrictions on political speech. It especially affects AM Radio and political internet blogs -- the only two spheres of popular media where conservatives can truly compete. Critics remain divided why McCain supported a dictate so damaging to conservatives. Was it perhaps so that he could silence many on the Right whom he laconically loathes?
Last, but not least, McCain's liberal tendencies show in the immigration debate. McCain has proven to be farther Left on the immigration issue than even many Liberals. At the very basis of most conservative thought is the idea of law and order, which are essential for the continuity of society. Bypassing tradition and sanity, and slapping in the face those who have come here legally, McCain has sought to sweep aside law and order to engage in the unbecoming business of pandering to ethnicities. (Isn't this the dominion of Democrats?) McCain's radical views on immigration threaten numerous components of the wellbeing of the United States and, more generally, Western Civilization: national security, standards of living, and cultural homogeneity, to name a few. McCain has courted the cheap-labor lobby for some fast cash for 2008 and now attempts to convert the U.S. into a third-world country.
McCain's liberal laundry list goes on and on. Senator Lindsey Graham, another liberal in disguise, comments correctly that the present is a defining moment for the Republican Party, although his underlying analysis is wrong. The choice is between a party of McCain's vision, a party indistinguishable from the Democratic Party, or a party that at least maintains a modicum of conservatism. If McCain loses, hopefully he will depart for the Democratic Party (where he belongs); but if he wins, expect to see a mass exodus of conservative voters from the GOP, probably over to a third party.

Why $

I heard tonight that the greed of the financial company CEOs and the rich wall street types led to the riskier and riskier loans until everything finally collapsed…now we need to rescue these rich, fat cats from their own designs.

Well, I own stock, as do many people, and I want higher returns in order to prepare for retirement and grow my family’s wealth. I count my investments in tens of thousands…not millions, but I contributed to the “greed” of wishing for higher returns. Stock holders, retirees and families and IRA holders, want higher returns which means higher risk.

Stock holders have demanded higher returns, and CEOs who didn’t pursue those returns were threatened with the loss of their jobs. Bank A is getting 15% returns and Bank B 8%. Which stock will you buy? That’s what it comes down to…not the vague rich and powerful and greedy.

It’s about us.

The Front

This is the front that moved through today. A great storm came behind it.

Received a letter yesterday from a relative.

It was an apology for something that happened over 25 years ago. It wasn’t any kind of abusive situation, just about the way I was treated during a particular event.

My reaction was twofold.

First, the letter brought back long forgotten memories of what happened, and I was angry and sad.

Second, the letter comes at a time when my respect for some relatives is at a real low point. I’m suspicious of the true intent, and yet my inclination is to take it at face value.

The letter expresses the hope of going on from this point with a new and improved relationship.

Forgiveness doesn’t necessarily include a new and improved relationship.

Update

I haven’t had much time to reflect and be introspective these days, and I think that can be a good thing. Too much navel gazing can lead to depression and guilt. Troy Foster complained about me not updating enough…so here goes:

Digestive Track Issues:
You’ll find that I wrote about colon and digestive track issues starting back in February. These never really got resolved except that as I’ve lost weight the discomfort has decreased. I’m eating somewhat what I want now, but I still need to be very careful. The doctors were completely unhelpful, and I have little or no regard for the Three Rivers Health System anymore. If I have significant recurrence, I’m going to go to Kalamazoo.

Church Issues:
Our pastor had to go back to Canada because of immigration issues, and I don’t know if he’ll be back or not. We’ve heard all kinds of things from different attorneys, but in the mean time he’s on leave until Aug. 31. We have in interim pastor who is fulfilling the Sunday duties at this time. I need to step up and schedule more family visits.

Work Issues:
We’re on track this year to do two to three times as much business as ever before. The hard parts are managing growth and finances (inventory and cash flow) as well as adding personnel who reflect our commitment to service. I have certain goals for the company, and we’ll see if they can be achieved. No one dominates this market area as some have in the past, and I want to be the next. I know that sounds majestic, but as long as we simply take care of people and have “friends” rather than customers I think we can do well.

Jennifer:
Jen is off of school teaching for the summer, and she is taking 4 classes at Western Michigan University. She’s taking her last two now. This fall she’ll have a seminar and capstone and be done with her Education Administration degree. She’s currently working very part time at Piasano’s Bar and Grill down the street from our apartment. It’s about a block away and lets her meet a lot of local people.

Hope this gets everyone up to speed.

Mihills System

I sold this towable center pivot to Norm Mihills. It ran well this year so far, and hopefully he'll get a good crop of wheat off this field.

Flower in Scidmore Park Again

I really like this picture of a flower... The lens I used has a focal point of something like 10 inches.

Red Flower in Scidmore Park

Took this a couple of weeks back with my Nikon D80.

It amazes me how much time and energy some people have.

I don’t have the time to worry about you and make sure that you don’t get something that I don’t think you deserve. I don’t have time to hold you accountable to my standards and lay awake at night plotting retribution for your shortcomings.

I don’t have time to listen to your ideas on how someone else needs to have retribution exacted for their shortcomings, and I don’t have time to go around exacting the retribution of everyone you disagree with.

I don’t have time to get upset about the details and bully people into submission to my ideas. I don’t have time to recall every project or idea from the last ten years that never really got off the ground, and I don’t have the time to work how who is to blame.

I don’t have time chase you down and ask you about every minute detail of every minute decision and make sure that you get your input. I don’t have time to worry about whether or not you give me the respect and attention that I think is due me.

I don’t have the time to go around to all the people you’ve gossiped and lied to and set the record straight.

Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs. Proverbs 10:12

flower behind our home