Now, I Wait

Well, I am back from my procedure. Test results should be known within a week. Still, I had been stressing about even having it, so at least it is finished.

I also added posts for the last two days that I had queued up, but not yet posted.

Hey, Keith and Kim noted that I had 3989 songs in iTunes and made it sound like that is a lot. Is it? It is only 265 CDs with an average of 15 songs each. How many do you have?

I Got A Call!!

I got a call from a company to whom I sent my resume. I am not 100% sure if it is a match yet, but at least it is positive. I would be a project manager as they transition between systems. That is a similar experience to things we did at both US Airways and ON Semiconductor. Keep the situation in your prayers.

Head for the mountain

That was the topic of Sunday's sermon. It is based on Romans 6:15-23 and 1 Corinthians 6:12. It is the final sermon in the Beating the Heat series. Anyway, what I wanted to cover were a couple of questions that I thought were personally thought-provoking.

Why are man's laws seen as protective, but God's laws are restrictive?

Is your hiding place one where God lives or one where you hide your sin?

Good questions, right? Pastor Curt said true freedom is the ability to know what you should know, the desire to want to do it, and the faith and power to live it out.

Good Verse

Today's verse. Heb 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Isn't it sad that sin "so easily entangles?" And then, even if we overcome that, I have to "run with perseverance." Now, the positive thing here is that Christ has "the race marked out for us." So, I just need to keep moving in the direction He has laid out. I can only pray for all of my extended family that you remember that you are surrounded by loving witnesses that are urging you on in His race.

OK, Lord, Now What?

Let me start with today's news. US Airways has decided to go with an experienced HR person for the open position. So, while disappointed, I am glad to know the status. Now, Lord, guide me to Your Will.

Last night at Chorale, the director read from some devotional book. However, I did not hear the whole thing after he mentioned Martin Luther's famous quote about spending three hours in prayer because he was so busy. In searching for it, I came across the following sermon from C.H. Spurgeon. It is a little long, but it is speaking to me today.

Do what it takes to be in and enjoy God’s presence – not once a day – but all day.

Sometimes we think we are too busy to pray. That also is a great mistake, for praying is a saving of time. You remember Luther's remark, "I have so much to do today that I shall never get through it with less than three hours' prayer." He had not been accustomed to take so much time for pray on ordinary days, but since that was a busy day, he must needs have more communion with his God. But, perhaps, our occupations begin early, and we therefore say, "How can I get alone with God in prayer?" It is said of Sir Henry Havelock that every morning when the march began at six, he always rose at four, that he might not miss his time for the reading of the Scripture and communion with his God. If we have no time we must make time, for if God has given us time for secondary duties, he must have given us time for primary ones, and to draw near to him is a primary duty, and we must let nothing set it on one side. There is no real need to sacrifice any duty, we have time enough for all if we are not idle; and, indeed, the one will help the other instead of clashing with it. When Edward Payson was a student at College, he found he had so much to do to attend his classes and prepare for examinations, that he could not spend as much time as be should in private prayer; but, at last, waking up to the feeling that he was going back in divine things through his habits, he took due time for devotion and he asserts in his diary that he did more in his studies in a single week after he had spent time with God in prayer, than he had accomplished in twelve months before. God can multiply our ability to make use of time. If we give the Lord his due, we shall have enough for all necessary purposes. In this matter seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Your other engagements will run smoothly if you do not forget your engagement with God.
We must, dear friends, in order to pray without ceasing, strive against indolence in prayer. I believe that no man loves prayer until the Holy Spirit has taught him the sweetness and value of it. If you have ever prayed without ceasing you will pray without ceasing. The men who do not love to pray must be strangers to its secret joy. When prayer is a mechanical act, and there is no soul in it, it is a slavery and a weariness; but when it is really living prayer, and when the man prays because he is a Christian and cannot help praying, when he prays along the street, prays in his business, prays in the house, prays in the field, when his whole soul is full of prayer, then he cannot have too much of it. He will not be backward in prayer who meets Jesus in it, but he who knows not the Well-beloved will count it a drudgery.
Let us avoid, above all things, lethargy and indifference in prayer. Oh, it is a dreadful thing that ever we should insult the majesty of heaven by words from which our heart has gone. I must, my spirit, I must school thee to this, that thou must have communion with God, and if in thy prayer thou dost not talk with God, thou shalt keep on praying till thou dost. Come not away from the mercy-seat till thou hast prayed.
Beloved brother, say unto thy soul, thus—"here have I come to the throne of grace to worship God and seek his blessing, and I am not going away till I have done this; I will not rise from my knees, because I have spent my customary minutes, but here will I pray till I find the blessing." Satan will often leave off tempting when he finds you thus resolute in prayer. Brethren, we need waking up.

Note to non-Photoshopping Preacher Bro

I downloaded DoubleTake from echoone.com to see if it worked better than Photoshop for panoramas. I would say yes. This took 45 seconds. It did not line everything up at first, but a quick drag and drop and it was done. If I bought it, it would not have this watermark, but I wanted to try it out.

Behind the Vacation

Well, we've all seen the pictures, the people, the scenery. It is time to look on the other side of the lens. Actually, GrandDad started it by showing you "Rick's cabin." However, his photo only showed the inside. For the first time, you can now see what his cabin really looked like from the outside.




No, I am not through. Here is Keith and Kim's cabin. In fact, you can actually see them walking in to it.

Divine Shopping

No photo today, but an interesting anecdote. After lunch today with the folks and Moorings, we scooted over to the teaching store. Kathie did not find what she was looking for, but Alison wandered over to Ross and found some things. I followed her and met up with a friend that had worked at US Airways with me. She knows of some IT management openings at her new firm and asked me to send her my resume. Could this be the answer to my prayers? Well, it is certainly some type of answer, but I meant could this be the job I am to take? All I can do is send in my resume. Keep my search in your prayers.

Rick, send us your photos.

Simpsonize Me

First, let's start with a Ouray photo of Isabella. I think Kathie took it the day she kept Isabella and we went up to Owl Creek.













Now, on to Simpsonizing. You can do it, too. Upload a picture to www.simpsonizeme.com.


Here is Isabella, simpsonized using the above photo.















And Alison comes out looking like this.

Cheese Singles and Bestsellers

Here are several photos that have only one person in them...hence, the name of this blog.


One of the things we all love to do is get outside and hike and play and build dams. Here is Denise making the most of being in beautiful Yankee Boy Basin in Ouray. She is reading Marilynne Robinson's second novel, Gilead. According to amazon.com, "The narrator, John Ames, is 76, a preacher who has lived almost all of his life in Gilead, Iowa. He is writing a letter to his almost seven-year-old son, the blessing of his second marriage. It is a summing-up, an apologia, a consideration of his life. Robinson takes the story away from being simply the reminiscences of one man and moves it into the realm of a meditation on fathers and children, particularly sons, on faith, and on the imperfectability of man."


Her husband, Rick, has gone as far as he can between the twin waterfalls. Maybe he lost his book? I think he is reading The Book of Useless Information, by Noel Botham and the Useless Information Society.


Stumpy, meanwhile, went off looking for the perfect stump in Yankee Boy. Did he find it? We'll just have to wait and see. He did find an abandoned mine. I think he is reading 90 Minutes in Heaven, by Don Piper with Cecil Murphey.


GrandDad saved his alone time for Owl Creek Pass near Ridgway. Behind him is the John Wayne Meadow where a climactic scene from True Grit was filmed. Ahead of him is Chimney Rock, which you can see in the photo. I think he is reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki.


Back in Ouray, behind our apartment, Isabella found a bridge across the Uncompaghre River and paused for some personal time. I think her mommy is reading What to Expect When You're Expecting, by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg and Sandee Hathaway

Some Ouray Thoughts and Shots

Here is most of us up at Alta Lake, just south of Telluride. Notice that only the Pastor of Pahrump has on a hat, and the girls who want to look cool have on sunglasses.


Looks like Kim has identified a place with no established church. Village Missions, are you listening?


Village Missions, go back home. We can now see exactly how the Pistol-packin' Pastor of Pahrump gets people to attend his services.


I debated long and hard about revealing this, but we stumbled upon the remains of Noah's Ark in southwestern Colorado.


A possible sighting of ghosts in Animas Forks Ghost Town south of Ouray.


Well, we lost Lady Bird Johnson last week. She was well known to have worked to beautify Texas by protecting fields of wildflowers, and asking that citizens plant trees, bushes and shrubs. Here, Isabella is doing her part, watering whatever she could find, including Mommy, Daddy, and Uncle Ben.


Finally, sometimes galleries put pretty things outside to draw in customers. Look what I happened to see in front of the Ouray Gallery one evening.

Hats Off (or On) to a Good Time

A tradition with Kyle and Lyndsay. Trying on hats and taking a picture. Usually done at Disneyland. So, here we are in downtown Ouray and they came across a hat stand. The rest is photographic history.

More from Southwestern Colorado

Here is Carey taking a photo of the scenery I was taking a photo of. More soon. And Lauri, I chose one of my favorites because it is a panorama from the road to Owl Creek Pass. Whether or not there are people is incidental to a photo speaking to me...and to you, I hope.

Most of the Walkers at Cascade Falls, Ouray

Here is most all of us together in Ouray this summer. More later

New Photos from Ouray

Here is a photo from Yankee Boy Basin in Ouray, CO. As you can see, it appears that Lyndsay and Kyle are in nature's hot tub.


Poor Jay. His cabin didn't have running water, so he did what he could to wash his hair.


Let's end with a shot of Isabella. After all, it's been too long since I posted one. Here she is downing water from a huge bottle. Next time, let's just give her a 2-liter size and see how she does.

Ouray Pic for Lauri

Ouray Trip - Part 1

Let's start off a series of posts about Ouray with a few fireworks photos. That is the key reason to brave Ouray on what is probably the busiest week of the year.


Of course, I am sure there are displays that are bigger, more choreographed, longer. However, we are sitting in a valley with mountains all around, with family that we love, in cool temperatures. The noise from the explosions bounces off the surrounding hills impressively. It is worth the crowds and the 10-hour drive.

The area is isolated enough, and the town small enough, that there is little glow from the town during the fireworks, so it all adds up to be a great evening. It is becoming a tradition for the family.

Now, in case you thought there would be a post without Isabella, I cannot do that.

Before the fireworks started, the park area where our family sat had numerous smaller fireworks for almost the entire hour we waited. One of the things that most fascinated Bella were sparklers. There was a family behind us that had those huge, 3-foot tall ones. So, Isabella and I went near them and she was mesmerized. Other fireworks were set off in the park, but most were not close to us, and lasted only a short time, so we stayed near the sparklers.

Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?

Strange title, huh? Well, that's because we just got back from Ouray, CO. We went up expecting highs in the low 80s and lows in the upper 40s. We actually had highs in the upper 80s and lows in the low 50s. Rain had also been forecast. So, while it was a lot cooler that highs in the upper 110s and lows in the mid 90s here in PHX, it wasn't exactly what I expected. Still, now that we are back, I miss being in a place where the hughs are lower than our lows.

No pictures just yet. So that I would not fill my camera's memory card, I offloaded the photos to preacher brother's laptop each night. I am waiting to get a copy of my photos plus his plus sister's plus whoever else offloaded. I know we ended up with over 1200 pics, so it will be exciting. I could be posting photos from now until I get a job .