Passion

I haven't been writing much lately...a few different reasons for that...but, one of the things that has crossed my mind is about passion. What do you have passion for? There are sooooo many sites and blogs and books and channels of stuff that are all associated with the passions of these peoples lives. They breathe this stuff. They could talk all day about it and start again the next day without skipping a beat. What are you passionate like that about?
I have done 200+ posts already on this blog...that is pretty cool, but...am I going to run out of things to say? What am I passionate enough about that I will continue to post on this site for? It is an interesting question...because there are other things to spend my time doing (I find this out each time I miss posting for several days at a time...). I have a feeling that as I get back into some of my books, I will have plenty to post about, and the fact that I am starting a 2 year class going in depth through the Bible will also provide tons of material....and there is my family, whom I love to post about :)
I suppose you are all in for many posts to come :)

Filters

My bible study tonight talked a little about filters. We were talking about how things, people, media, etc influence our views on life and how we need to control that influence with filters. Philippians 4:8 was our source topic and we went through many other verses as well. I am amazed at how easily we can fall prey to these influences and how attentive we really should be...Jaden's favorite restaurant in the whole world in 'the 99' cause he can recite the song he learned from commercials...he doesn't really remember what food he ate, or if he even liked it...but he loves to sing the song and it makes him excited to go eat there...Jacob is already self-conscious about the clothes he wears and is concerned about what others will think about it...it really is amazing. It makes me almost want to home school them like my cousin is doing with her kids and turn off the Internet, radio and TV at our house. I certainly cannot control all the content they get, even when I am trying to be vigilant. But, I guess that was a good reason for the study. If I can help instill some filters that my kids will know and use as they hear and are exposed to all of this stuff, at least they will be able to discern some truth and know what is not truth. Pray for us to teach them well and pray for the kids to learn about the filters and how to use them.

Midweek already!

I am going through end of quarter at work. Kristen had school on Tuesday. I worked out Monday night...it is already late Wednesday and I am amazed at how quickly time flies by in a week sometimes. No time to post...or even to think about topics to post about. Haven't been reading as much (though I am halfway through an interesting read called The Marketing of Evil) and even feel like the hours at work haven't been as productive as I would like...Time really has been like sand through my fingers :)
Kristen and I did get to watch a movie together Sunday night called The Great Debaters. I thought it was a good movie. Kristen asked me if I was on the debate team in school...I am not sure if that was supposed to be a complement or a jab :)

Apple Crisp

It's a little grainy since all the videos came from my phone...but, it is still a good bit of fun.

QIK is cool

I was pretty impressed that by using this site (http://qik.com), and my sister Janelle graciously using her phone, both Kristen and I were able to see my sister Joy's session at David's Bridal in Colorado Springs as she tried on her dresses for her upcoming wedding. Though the time delay was a little difficult to get used to, just being able to share in that memory with my family was really unexpected. So, thanks to the family for putting up with us being 2,000 miles away and interjecting ourselves...and for dealing with the camera and constant phone discussion. We really appreciated it!

Apple Picking

We went apple picking this weekend in what was BEAUTIFUL weather. There were tons of people out with the same idea, so traffic was terrible, however, once we were there, we had a great time. I did get a couple of goods pictures too, which is always nice.

Look at the amazing color changes right now!

















This is a nice looking group of folks hanging out in the pumpkin patch right before we left...

















Even Jude got into the act in the orchard! He now LOVES apples. We start it for him and he goes to town on the juice. It was awesome.


















Overall, I think we had a pretty good day. Jacob seemed pretty happy :)

Our view of God

I read this article in the October issue of Fast Company that got me thinking about how we experience and view God. This article was an adaptation of a book called Iconoclast that was looking at some of the most creative people in the business world. The article is entitled "Rewiring the Creative Mind" and it looks at what neuroscience is saying about how people think and come up with new ideas.
According to neuroscience these days, our brain is essentially a "lazy piece of meat". "Neuroscientists have observed that while an entire network of neurons might process a stimulus initially by about the sixth presentation, the heavy lifting is performed by only a subset of neurons." Essentially, our brain has become efficient at processing this stimulus and helps jump to the end...thus, what seems to be the same, will be viewed as the same because your brain will process it down that path.
This really got me thinking about God and they way I think about Him and have perceived Him in my life. I started forming 'neural connections' about God WAY back when I was a kid. Those connections have essentially created a highway down which my thoughts want to race to get to the conclusion...or the way I see and think, recognize and understand God. It is effectively programmed in me to analyze stimuli that way.Anyway...if this is how the brain reacts...how difficult is it for every person to see God in a way that is different than the first way we experienced God? The way we first talked with and to others about God, the way we first experienced worship or our first 'spiritual' moment were the initial stimulus as we formed our neural highways. Our 'understanding of God was already mapped out.
Can you imagine how varied those experiences are for everyone in the world? No wonder it is so difficult sometimes for each of us to understand how differently each other person can relate to that understanding of God...when our synapses are streamlined and efficiently getting us to our "answer" about God?
So, now you must be wondering where am I going with this? Am I saying that we are doomed based on the way we initially hear about God, or that our brains have trapped us into always thinking the same thoughts? No, of course not.
The article actually continued to talk about these creative people who are essentially good at not allowing themselves to jump to those conclusions. They speak about the way to 'reprogram' your brain by deploying your attention differently and in new environments with new information that will re-stimulate your brain into making new associations, firing new neuron connections and allowing you to see things in ways you would not have before.
I think that is pretty fascinating stuff and yet it essentially gets down to some tried and true things that people have known for a long time: A pastor down in Washington DC puts it this way "A change in place + a change of pace = change in perception"
1 - If you keep doing what you have been doing, your going to get the same answer
To me, if we all stay cocooned talking to the same people about the same things, we are not really firing up new synapses and engaging those neurons to make new connections. We will get bored! And no one wants to be boring or in a place that is boring. We have to constantly be feeding ourselves new information that will challenge us to see things in a new way and put ourselves into new environments that will make us a little uneasy. That is when the growth happens.
2 - Walk a mile in their shoes
This really means to not stay where we are and declare judgment, but to get out to those who don't think like we do and engage them where they are...they are in a place similar to #1 and won't 'get a new perspective' on anything if something new doesn't come along that will actually get their neurons firing.
So...for me, I know that I need to go out and find new ways to perceive the things and ways of God that get more synapses firing and literally blow my mind up so that my vision of God gets bigger. Maybe something along the way struck you as well...maybe not. But, it may help you understand why someone you have been praying for has yet to 'see' things differently. So, don't give up! We absolutely have to keep reaching out to people who haven't seen God yet...because if we don't reach out to them and get them to look at things a little differently than they do now, they may NEVER see God...their brains will continue to perceive those things of God as abstract data that gets tossed (their hearts are hardened) because it doesn't align with how the brain processes things and they will be missed for what they truly are.

Jude in the tub

Too funny watching him kick like this!

Jaden's Soccer

Jaden has been playing soccer every Saturday for a little over a month already and is enjoying it tremendously. He gets very animated for goals, regardless of who on his team scores them and already is pretty competitive...I have NO IDEA where he gets it from :)

Here are some pictures from a couple of the last Saturdays...yes, you can see that it is already starting to get a little chilly out here in the last picture. Their practice time starts at 8:30 so it is usually a bit brisk as things get going...which means long sleeves and sweatpants are becoming the standard uniform.

Hand Me Another Brick

Hand Me Another Brick by Charles R. Swindoll

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book took me quite some time to get through. It is a deep dive into the book of Nehemiah through the lens of leadership. It discusses the qualities and perspectives that can enable you to be a better leader by reviewing each of the actions, inactions, reactions, prayers and petitions that Nehemiah made. There is a lot of stuff here.

I know for me, after reading this, it is more about how to apply some of these principles into my life. For that though, the particular copy I had included a study guide that walks you through both analyzing what you read as well as questions to promote application in your life.

So, while it may be a long read for a book of less than 200 pages, it is worth the time and effort.


View all my reviews.

Jude's clapping...finally

New Camera

Not sure if you have noticed the pictures I have been posting lately are a little better resolution that those of the past. That is because I have a new camera! It is very exciting. I bought a Fuji FinePix S1000 and have been enjoying it since it arrived. (I actually bought this via the TV Home Shopping Network...a first for me). It has 10mp resolution camera that also has a 12x optical zoom. So, I have been spending a bunch of time zooming in for close ups :)
Of course, the camera looks like an SLR, so it is a bit bigger than most of the little cameras that are on the market today, but...that is exactly why it is my camera. Why you ask? Well, Kristen does not like it at all :) She wants one of the skinny ones that she can throw in her purse and lose in there along with the keys. So, now instead of one new camera we will have two. Once we have decided which camera to pick up for her, I will blog about that one as well.
Anybody have a particular skinny camera that they think would be the best choice?

Jude's newest toy

Wild Goose Chase

Wild Goose Chase by Mark Batterson

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
If you have ever felt like you were in the middle of a wild goose chase you might be wasting your time, or you might be right in the middle of the path that the Holy Spirit has led you down. How do you know the difference...well, you have to look at the root of why you are doing what you are doing. Are you submitting to God's call in your life, and thus enabling Him to take you where He wants you? If so, then you are enjoying a wild goose chase that is the adventure God has planned for your life.



Ultimately, this book is about understanding those "cages" that help keep us contained and unwilling to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Recognizing them as the cages they are can give you the power to step out of them and towards God. Each of the cages is presented with biblical examples and enough substance behind them to support the conclusions Mark is drawing, but I think the reason why this book is so readable and enjoyable is that Mark does a great job of accessing those core emotional elements that we all have, like a sense of adventure and can intimately make a connection to the material he has written up. I know that I have often wondered why church seems so mundane and muted compared to how I believe God engages us...perhaps church is institutionalized our faith somewhat. But, if you are up for a challenge, then read this book and see where the Holy Spirit may start leading you on your own wild goose chase.


View all my reviews.

Church and Country Music...

I thought it was too funny that our pastor referenced this song that I had blogged about quite awhile ago this last Sunday. He was talking about leaving a legacy which I have spent quite some time thinking about as I have been getting older (yes I know that I am still young) and especially as I have had children. It simply puts things into perspective and that was the point that our pastor made. You have to have an eternal perspective and recognize that the legacy you leave behind does have an impact on all those people that you had relationships with. His acronym for LEGACY was:
L - Live your faith
E - Express what you believe
G - Goad others to care
A - Arm people for difficulty
C - Commit all to God
Y - Yearn for everyone's salvation

He definitely pointed to some truths that are important to remember and I am regularly amazed at how a good, well written song can really heighten the recognition of certain truths. I think the country western song, in this case, does just that.

Good looking couple

This is a good looking couple:

These picture was taken this weekend while we were at the local fire department for their annual open house. The kids get to ride on the firetruck, have some treats and climb into and around the other trucks. Always fun to see them get so excited.