Off to Boulder City

Well, tomorrow (or today, depending on when you read this) I will be on the road to Boulder City, NV for the annual Albatross fly-in. Talk to you all when I return.

The Running Log

 
My running log for January is at 22.5 miles.
(No, this isn't a recent photo)

God's Blessing

It is easy in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, to sometimes overlook God's blessings. I wanted to take the time to jot this one down as a token presence of His continued watchcare over His own.

In order to stay in deployment-ready status, I have to have a dental checkup. That is all well and good, but the catch is that it is not something readily provided by the Reserves. Their assumption is that you have dental insurance and that you will go to your dentist to get a checkup taken care of. Well, if you don't have dental insurance and/or a dentist, matters become more complicated.

I am currently overdue for my dental checkup, and fall into the category of those with no dental coverage. Getting a local dentist has not been high on my priority list of things that I need to accomplish while living here in Cache Valley. However, it is required by the Reserves, and I am supposed to be traveling with them for my annual tour, coming up in February.

Yesterday I bit the bullet and started calling dentists. The first one said they could do a checkup for about $70, but would recommend the full checkup and cleaning for about $120. I dutifully copied down the information and moved on to the next number. Apparently they were not open on Fridays, so it was off to the next number again.

This time I got in touch with the receptionist. She told me that it would be about $90 after a 10% discount. That didn't sound very good, but before I had a chance to thank her and move on, she asked if I had seen the coupons in the back of the phone book or received a ValuPak in the mail. She went on to explain that in the ValuPak, there was a coupon for a free checkup including four BiteWing X-Rays.

I checked the phone book and found a $25 dollar off coupon for a cleaning and an exam. Upon calling back, the receptionist told me there would be no problem in applying that strictly to a checkup. We went ahead and set up a time for me to get in there to have my teeth looked at.

When I got back last night, I checked around for the last ValuPak I had received in the mail. After some looking, I found where I had put it, and began thumbing through the offers inside. Sure enough, in the middle of the pile was a coupon for a free exam.

God really is Jehovah Jireh, is He not?!

Family in Hemet

A few weeks back, my folks went down to Hemet, CA for the memorial service for my Grandfather. My Dad's youngest brother Ron and his wife Lynn also were able to get down as well. The rental car that my folks got was a PT Cruiser convertible. I told them they should take some pictures in front of some palm trees...here are the results.

Up and Running...

Well, not only is the new blog up, an entry posted, but the first study entry has been posted as well. I will be starting out in somewhat of a logical order, but don't expect it to stay that way long. My study has been somewhat eclectic, though all falling within the confines of the little book of Ruth. All comments, ideas and suggestions are greatly appreciated. I know that sitting down to read another Bible study page can be time consuming, and I do appreciate those who are interested and have the time to do so. Have a great Friday!

The Title Is Chosen

Ok, the process is over, the blog has been created, and the first entry is typed. Now all that is left is for some of you to drop by and take a look!
CLICK HERE

Blogged Down

I have been quite suprised at the difficulty of choosing a name for my new blog. I have been trying to bring many of the thoughts of the book together in one or two words to accurately describe a blog on the book of Ruth. Sometimes I have come close, but everything seems to fall short. I'll try to decide soon, so we can get down to business! :)

CRAZY!

This pug looks about like I feel! I worked a 10 hour day on Monday which was a warm up to a 15+ hour day yesterday. There was a possibility of a visit from our regional vice president, so we spent a lot of time bringing things back up to standard. Also, I am going to be the lead over the electronics department at work, so that will bring some new challenges and responsibilities. Anyway, that's the report on the last couple of days...

To Name a Blog

It looks like there is some interest in having a "study" blog, so I am going to go ahead and do one. The main question is to its title. That it will be about Ruth is a given. Here are a few terms and titles that I have come up with:

- Repository
- Eclectic
- Symposium
- Composite
- Exposition
- Exegesis
- Reflections

- Ruth: The Writings
- Ruth: Life, Learning, Literature
- A Maiden From Moab
- Gleanings
- In the Barley Field
- From Passover to Pentecost
- From Moab to Messiah
- An Ephah of Barley
- The Gospel According to Ruth
- The Bible According to Ruth
- Grafted In
- Of Wheat and Barley
- Harvest Time

So, what do you think? Any ideas or suggestions?

Connect 4

In this satellite photo, it looks like someone was trying to play a large game of "connect 4." It was taken just north of Area 51 in Nevada.

New blog or not to blog, that is the question...

As many of you know, I've been doing an in-depth, inductive, expository study on the Book of Ruth since last March. This has resulted in a couple of steno notebooks full of ideas, thoughts, scratchings, etc. So here's the question: would you all be interested in me posting these (and upcoming studies as well) on a blog? I wouldn't be posting them on Bent Ear simply because some of the entries are too long and involved for the casual blogger. What I probably would do is create a blog strictly devoted to Ruth. Well, let me know what all y'all think...!

From The Archives - Feb 2004

Here are three from the archives. These were taken on February 16, 2004 outside of Florence, SC.

AFV - Walk This Way

Of all the different means of locomotion, these are definitely some of them!

AFV - Scared

When people appear in all the wrong places, it can be a bit unnerving!

AFV - Model Airplanes

A basic understanding of aerodynamics would have gone a long way to save these people from some of these "accidents."

A 10-Degree Run

Last night I did a 3-mile, 10-degree run. (and no, I don't mean a 10-degree incline or decline!) I was debating as to the health aspects of physical exercise in 10-degree weather on my way home from work. When I got home, I decided that neither sleet nor snow nor wind nor rain nor...so I bundled up and hit the pavement. Well, actually I was running on pavement most of the time, but there were several icy and snowy patches that I had to traverse with caution (no, caution is not my running partner!) Anyway, here are a couple pics showing me, before and after the run.

Before...

...and after!

A Couple of Sunday Afternoon Pics

I took these today after church. The temps have been pretty cold. I know we've dropped down to 2-degrees and probably lower. It is beautiful though!

Another photo looking south

Cat tracks in the snow

Flight Sim X

Here is a screenshot from my Christmas present, Microsoft FSX.

More of Boulder City

Here is another picture of Boulder City. The airport is down in the lower left corner. This is where much of the flying will be based out of. To the upper right you see the start of Lake Mead.

Boulder City, NV

Nestled in the hills to the southeast of Las Vegas lies the little town of Boulder City. While only 20 minutes or so from downtown Vegas, there is little in Boulder City that would hint at its close proximity to the "jewel of the desert."

I'm headed down to Boulder City on the 31st to attend the annual Albatross Fly-In. Last night I placed my reservations at the Hacienda Hotel & Casino. I actually went there last year, and had a great steak dinner. This time, after looking at several hotels in the area, realized that this was the best one for the money. They offer a 20% discount to military, and the hotel is only minutes away from the Boulder City airport.

Here is a Google Earth image of the hotel. Lake Mead lies just to the northeast of the hotel, and the Hoover Dam is only minutes away.

New Year's Resolutions

In 20-some years that I have noted the celebration of New Year's, (the first few don't count), I have never actually set any resolutions. I figured, since I will be 30 this year, that it was about time I do it! The way I see it, if I keep this pattern up, I won't have to make any more of them until I'm 60 ;)

Right now my pot of coffee has just finished brewing and I have poured myself a cup (there's nothing like that first cup!). Moments ago I did a Google search on "New Year's resolutions." I found out the most popular ones, how to make them, and the best site of all, how to keep them. Take a look at this gem from one of the latter.

"It’s that time of year and chances are pretty good you are going to make (or have already made) a resolution or two to change part of your life. Unfortunately most of us don’t follow-through. And then during the course of the year we set other goals that again don’t produce the result we hoped for. If this describes you, you are not alone. More than 85 percent of us make New Year’s resolutions, but almost none of us actually keep them for more than a few weeks. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that way. The even better news is that it’s not your fault. It’s simply that life happens and your motivation gets zapped." (www.resolutionsolution.com)

Anyway, in spite of the relief that it is not my fault if I don't follow through with my resolutions, I am going to type them up here. They are not presented in any particular order.

• Running - while I am pleased with the running I accomplished this last year (culminating in a 19-mile run), I want to incorporate it on a more regular basis this year. So far I have logged about 6 miles.

• Guitar - because the guitar is so useful in ministry applications, I am going to practice on a daily basis to become more versatile and to be ready if the need arises.

• Magazine - this will be the third year of publication for Grumman Amphibians and the first year of running it as a business. I want to apply myself to it and pursue sales and marketing ideas more aggressively. Part of this will include getting the new website finalized and posted, following up on potential leads, and brainstorming on ancillary products to accentuate the magazine.

• Finances - as per status quo for many single guys, finances are not my strong suit. This year I will be taking a more aggressive stance towards them, and who knows, I might even make a budget!

• The Apartment - in the same vein as above, my place is a stereotypical bachelor pad. I am going to be (this will be a process) cleaning, organizing, etc. This will definitely be a year-long process! I may even post "before" and "after" pics...but who wants to see what a bachelor pad looks like? ;)

That in a nutshell is my list. There are perhaps some noteworthy exceptions. I did not list my relationship with the Lord on here. That is something that I take to be self-evident. If it were on the list, it would definitely be the top priority, but its importance is much higher than this list that I didn't deem it worthy of mention there. For those that are interested, I am still continuing on in my study of the book of Ruth. God has been faithful in continuing to open His word to me.

As to my marital status, I am not looking for anyone at this time. I am very happy and content to be single for the time being, and have no desire to change that. If and when the Lord decides that the time is right, I'll go from there.

Another item that didn't make the list may be a potential job change and possibly some schooling as well. Qwest Communications has been hiring folks and they offer better benefits as well as competitive pay to what I am making right now. Not only that, but they offer full tuition reimbursement for schooling. We'll see what the Lord has in mind. It is my feeling that a job is primarily a mission-field, and secondarily a source of income.

Well, that is about it for now. This has gotten to be a rather long post, but I hope you all don't mind. A big thanks to all of you who have stopped by the blog to keep up on the latest in my life. May God richly bless each and every one of you in '07, definitely in a spiritual sense, but if He did in a "material" sense as well, I'm sure y'all wouldn't mind either!

The Manthem

Stupid People

The New Beetle SUV

The New Year Under Way

As the first week of the new year comes towards its close, it finds me busy as usual. I have been running (as in the exercise), playing guitar, working on the magazine and planning for the days ahead. At the end of the month I will be headed back down to Boulder City, NV for the annual Grumman Albatross fly-in. In February I will be down to Key West, FL with the Reserves for my annual tour, and at the end of March I will be headed down to New Mexico to see some friends from South Carolina. So, all in all things are shaping up quite nicely.

The Faith Anthology

My friends Bill and Annette Denton from South Carolina have a daughter named Faith. I have not been able to meet her yet, but it looks like I will be able to at the end of March. Anyway, since Bill and Annette don't have a blog up yet, I thought I'd post the Faith Anthology. Here's to one of the cutest little girls in the world!

Happy New Year!

With nothing more official than the LCD clock on my microwave, I heralded the new year. Welcome to '07!