Yellowstone -

Yellowstone in September is beautiful!

We spent the first night in Montana, then reserved a spot in Pebble Creek in the Lamar Valley. We hoped to see some wolves but didn't even hear them. We saw Elk, Deer, Antelope, Coyote, Moose, chipmunks... that's the alive stuff. The dead stuff far out numbered the breathing. Skunk, deer, raccoon, rabbits galore, coyote, antelope and so much more.

Saw the mud volcano and Old Faithful. Stayed at Lewis Lake on our way to Teton National Park. The Teton's are beautiful! Lots of fires. Drove 1500 miles! Stopped at Sierra Trading Post on the way home for some great deals. www.sierratradingpost.com

View Josiah's Photos on Picasa
View Beka's photos on Facebook

Happy FREE Birthday!

Who ever knew there was so much free food to be had?

Call me what you want, frugal, dork, I just like free food!

Beka and I signed up for a few places that give free food for birthday's and for signing up for their email lists, and below are our favorites. If you want to go crazy, just search google for free birthday meal.

Most require you to buy an entree or two to get something free, but those are not what I would define as the "best" ones. So below are absolutely free ones. Also, I'm not as big a fan of desert as real food, so I didn't list or sign up for all the places giving free deserts on birthdays.

• Qdoba - Free chips and salsa for signing up
• Benihana - $30 birthday meal! WOW!
• Red Robin - the famous free birthday burger!
• Famous Dave's - Free desert or appetizer for signing up
• TGI Friday's - free appetizer for signing up
• bd's Mongolian Grill - free birthday meal, coupon for signing up
  

These ones are cool, but have to buy something

• Noodles & Company, buy 1 get 1 free
• Maggiano's - $10 off $30 birthday coupon and coupon for signing up
• Ruby Tuesday - buy one get one free

Happy eating!

Monday - The Best Day of the Week!

Got up early and made 4 meals in 40 minutes! Tried out the crock pot for the second time with Marci's Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder - hope it tastes good. It's been simmering all day and can't wait to dish it up. It is dinner for the next couple days!

Josiah whipped up a mean and delicious home fries and eggs breakfast and put together pesto tortellini and veggie salad for lunch. We discovered that tortellini is quite good if you overcook the noodles in the microwave to crispiness!

On another note, the Quote of the week is:

One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. 'Which road do I take?' she asked. His response was a question: 'Where do you want to go?' 'I don't know,' Alice answered. 'Then,' said the cat, 'it doesn't matter.'

Having direction is so important!

Lessons to learn from the wise Cheshire cat (with some help from other devos):

Believing in God's revealed truth. Driving in the dark, we rely on the car's headlights to illuminate the way we are going. In a similar way, God has promised to light the way as we proceed on our daily journey of work and living. "I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:104-105).

Trusting in God's direction. Just as we place our confidence in the direction of a GPS system, we must trust in direction God provides, even if we do not understand it. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6).

We're married!

Thanks to all who made it to our wedding celebration, and to all you sent notes and gifts! It was a great celebration. Special thanks to those of you who made it happen and helped out. We also had a great time on our honey moon, in Alaska (not Hawaii! Hope no one had money on it)

Rebekah and I are now enjoying getting into the flow of life together, coming to work together, enjoying NOT having to drive to different ends of the city every night.

Learning how to serve my wife is not only extremely fulfilling, but also very humbling and challenging. Humbling to realize how far from a great servant I am, and challenging to rise to the occasion. Eph 5:22-27

Below are some photos to view (unofficial wedding shots)

• Ceremony from cousin Mary in Joplin and Dad John's cameras
  
• Ceremony from Mary Beth's camera
• Honey moon photos from Alaska
• Bachelor party photos

To keep in touch add this blog to your reader or bookmark us! Let us know you're reading by adding comments and let us know where your blog is!

We're engaged!

Rebekah and I got engaged on May 9th, 2009! After a long hike up Green Mountain in Boulder, around the Flatirons, we settled on a good rock (now dubbed Ring Rock) for a picnic lunch. After munching, Beka reached in the pack for desert and found the ring box. After I opened the empty box, I found the ring where Maria had hid it in another box in my pack. Thanks, Maria, for keeping it interesting!

Tentatively we have set the date for July 18th. View photos from the day here.

Reporting for Duty - Part 2

Last time, we talked about identity - and how important it is to search out some of the unique gifts, talents and circumstances you have been placed with and in so you can be closer to knowing what the Playwright is doing with your character.

This time, we'll talk about our Commander.

Have you ever known you were right, and then later realized you were wrong? How could you be so wrong when you were SO RIGHT? When you are wrong, but think you are right, it totally dictates HOW you act and behave and believe.

For example, after I had lived in my house for 3+ years, I got a statement from the energy company saying (in my own words) "By the way, we never sent you a bill, statement or anything to indicate you owed us money, but this whole time you have been racking up a debt and now owe us $3000+ for energy used. And it is past due. Here's a bill."

My world view was I was paying those charges to someone else - the city. If you asked, I would have bet the bill on it. Ah, but our world views are often tainted by misinformation, misunderstanding, misguidance, misnomers and other mis's.

Now that I had a correct view, I knew I would be shelling out more dough every month for utilities. But at least I had a correct view and wasn't going to go for another few years (or worse, for the rest of my life) only to realize I was living with the wrong information, and then be plowed over by a semi of life revealing how WRONG I was and how I wasted or misused my life.

Here it is, the one thing to remember from this post:

It is vital, paramount, essential, it is one of the most important things in life, to have a correct view of God, who He is and who He isn't.

Books you must read. If you haven't read them, do whatever it takes to get them!

• Chip Ingram - God as He longs for you to see him
  
• AW Tozer - The Attributes of God, (also see Vol 1, Vol 2 & others with same title for extra reading) and The Pursuit of God
  

When you have a right view of God, you start developing a right view of everything else! Yourself, your mission, how God works, the world, the things happening in the world, faith, surrender, love, service, family, friends and everything else that is important.

How do you let him use you to accomplish His purposes? Watch for where God is working, then join him there.

How do you get to know him more? Spend unhurried time with Him

(By the way, the energy company was gracious and we worked it out so I didn't have to pay the full balance)

Some hymns... old school, new style...

Between Two Worlds blog posted about some great hymns being made available for no charge.

Here's a cool project:

Page CXVI is a project started with the idea of making hymns accessible and known again.They are some of the richest, most meaningful, and moving pieces of music ever written.

For a limited time, you can download them for no charge!

Jackson Hole - Snowy, sunny, and super

I learned a lot on a trip to Jackson Hole, WY. Like, like the servant has a great reward for serving. I learned how to make sushi (thanks ED!), cook fondoo (thanks Leslie!), connected a little bit more with Pico de (thanks Maria!), met a cool dude from LA (Q for short), met a ton of cool people from Masters (maybe not a ton, you are all pretty skinny).

Q taught me to look for opportunities to give, to be generous, to show Christ's love to others without reservation. This IS the reward - the very act of doing it. The bonus comes later.

Eric showed me ways to connect with others.

Matthew 18:4, Matthew 23:11-12, Philippians 2:7, 1 John 3:16

See some photos here:

• Photos of snowshoeing and raw beauty
• Phil, Maria, Q, TMC team: Have any others we can link to here?
  
  

Chase Lions

Great post on Chasing Lions, my new favorite past time. Read the full post here, below is an excerpt:

“Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don’t let what’s wrong with you keep you from worshipping what’s right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don’t try to be who you’re not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away. Chase the lion!”

From II Samuel 23:20

Reporting for Duty - Part 1

Identity - We all have one. And out of 6.76 billion people on earth, no two are exactly alike. Out of the 50 million+ babies in the US that have been killed before exiting the womb, they all had their own. Out of the 11 million children who have died from starvation, dehydration, and other preventable diseases, they all had their own.

We are all part of the puzzle that makes up God's character - all our good parts. The evil parts all come from the fall, and make up the opposite of God's character.

It is so easy to misunderstand the identity God gave us - how do we know who we really are, not who we think we are, or who I wish I was, or who I want myself to be, but who did God put me on Earth to be?

I think these few steps can be helpful. They are not complete, by any means. What are your ideas and thoughts?

Grab your journal or a pen and paper and take this short journey with me...

• Find the meaning of your name - God often gives people their names for a reason, and does the same today. behindthename.com, babynamesworld, thinkbabynames.com, zelo.com, are a few to get you started. Each may give slightly different meaning, so check them all out.
• Identify your spiritual gifts - God will give you your strengths for a reason.
• Identify your favorite historical characters (from the Bible and other history), stories, movies, books, etc. And more importantly, identify why you like these. This will give you insight into who you are deep down.
• Identify your favorite scriptures - what sticks out, what really means something to you
• Write down what you want people to put on your tombstone - what do you want to be known for.

Some verses for thought: Eph 4:10, Titus 2:14, Daniel 11:32, the entire book of Ephesians.

As you go through this, remember, some people around you just need someone to believe that God can live in them and transform their lives - be that person for them! Phil 2:13, Heb 13:21

Oh, and one other thought: Often, God will reveal the answers to these questions about your purpose through crisis.

Further reading: No Great Leader initially set out to be a leader

Reporting for Duty - Part 1

How important do you think it is to know your identity?

When you go to the airport, if you aren't sure who you are you're sure to get a pat down, an odd look, and maybe a little jail time. In life, you're sure to confuse and frustrate yourself and the people around you, not accomplish your purposes that you've been put here for, and maybe a little jail time.

To me, it is all very pie in the sky talk - Know yourself, what is your identity? Who are you in Christ? What is your calling? I'd rather talk concrete stuff, like how many calories in a Jamba Juice (answer: 400+, a lot!).

Since I really believe that we all, every person on Earth, myself included, have a specific purpose and mission to fulfill, it becomes vitally important that we know who we are, who our Commander is, and what our mission is.

Can you imagine a platoon of soldiers going to battle, and no one knowing who they were (gunner or runner? Strategist or sniper? Major or Private First Class?), what their mission is (shoot the bad guys? Save the hostages? Don't get killed?) or who their commander is (that guy or this guy? Me or you?). It would be a slaughter! They would loose the battle and maybe the war!

Newsflash: We are at war. Time to get ready.

How do you discover any of these elusive elements? They seem so slippery - once you catch them, how do you keep them from falling back into the sea of oblivion?

That's what I'm going to try and work through in the next few posts. I don't have it figured out yet, but hopefully my ramblings will help you discover yours. Part 1 is Your Identity, Part 2 is Our Commander, and Part 3 is Surrender.

First up next week - Your identity - Why it matters, how you figure it out.

What are your thoughts?

Faith - surreal or practical?

And without faith it is impossible to please {Him,} for he who comes to God must believe that He is and {that} He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Hebrews 11:6

Dr. Henry Blackaby has said that “whenever God reveals something, He expects us to believe Him and adjust our lives accordingly.”

Practically, what does this act of faith look like? It means

• We trust Him implicitly for all our needs because He says He will provide Phil 4:19
• We approach crises with the assurance that God will bring good from them Rom 8:28
• We overcome anxiety during stressful situations because God instructs us to bring our requests to Him Phil 4:6
• We never worry that we are alone because God said He would never leave us or forsake us Duet 31:6
• Despite what happens in our lives, we will never doubt God’s love because He has told us that He loves us with an everlasting love Jer 31:3
• We will choose not to worry when things are rough, because Jesus promised to care for us more than the birds and flowers, besides, it’s a waste of energy. Matt 6:31-34
• We give generously because he promised to provide for all our needs, and in giving we can experience His joy and grace Heb 13:3, 2 Cor 8:1-2
• We put others ahead of ourselves, knowing that God is justice, and we will reap what we sow Eph 5:25,28,33, Matt 22:36-40, Matt 23:11,12, Matt 20:26,27

How do you live it out on a daily basis?

Love is never alone....

With Valentine's Day approaching, I thought it appropiate to share a poem by a truly gifted and anointed girl, Akiane (see her site here, www.akiane.com - you'll be amazed at her paintings and poetry).

Love

Love is never alone
Love is always crowded
Love is the shared self

We cannot own our love
And we cannot teach our love

The longest breath of love
is the shortest distance to heaven

The deepest life is love
The deepest love is an embrace

Love is not rest
Love is peace
Love is the purpose

-Akiane, age 11

"Angel of Louisville" John Breaux killed in Lafayette

Our community lost a treasure on Friday, when John Breaux was killed in an auto accident. If you don't know him, or don't recognize his face, you are missing out on one of Colorado's truest servants. If you do know him, you'll be saddened by the news of his passing, but excited for where he is now.

I only knew of him, and saw him in passing at church and on his bicycle through town.

More eloquent than I am is my sister, Maria who posted about John Breaux. Also at the LD blog.

His story, as reported by:

• The Denver Post - "Angel" killed on roadside in Lafayette
• The Daily Camera - 'He was our goodwill ambassador' (videos)
• Colorado Daily - ‘Treasure of Louisville’ killed on U.S. 287 (photos)
• Tributes

How has his selflessness impacted you?

Don't get your feathers all ruffled up

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Today I got to learn first hand the truth that God works all things to good for those that love and obey Him.

It is easy to focus on the immediate, the up front, the urgent, when things are going haywire or just not in the direction I want them to go. I'm so focused on my own plans and reputation and achievements, so focused on the rushing water, that I can't see the direction the river is going and the amazing view from my boat.

Not that things always go peachy, and nothing "bad" ever happens - far from it. But I can rest assured, my Lord is a sun and a shield, he gives favor and honor and no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.

Instead of focusing on the rushing water, the cold temperature, I should focus on keeping my walk blameless and make every effort to enter into that rest.

It is also important to work out solutions to challenges - The balance is this: the things I can control, do those with excellence, integrity, and passion. The things I can't, don't waste an iota of energy on it. One of Ben Franklin's 13 Life Virtues was:

"Tranquility: Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable."

Instead, trust the only being who was, and is, and is to be, who has nothing in all creation hidden from His sight, the one who knows the plans He has for you, who prepared good works beforehand, that we should walk in them.

How do you work things out, and yet keep your feathers unruffled at circumstances?