Month: March 2010

My car has been sick for quite a while now.  I finally know what is wrong with it though.  The timing belt slipped.  Fixing that is fairly strait forward, but if my valves are bent it becomes really expensive.  I’m really hoping the valves aren’t bent.  Either way it will be nice to have my car back.  They say you shouldn’t blog unless you have something to say, and I suspect this is one blog that should not have been written.  I have nothing to say.  My work in the Trading Post progresses slowly.  I’m counting inventory and entering it into the computer.  I’ve run into a few more snags with bar-codes, and gift cards but I suspect given a few more days it’ll work itself out (or it’ll be more than a few days, whatever… it will get worked out).  So with that I stop.  Sorry if I bored you.  I’m tired and I think that is part of the problem.  Even devotions tonight just didn’t seem to say much to me.  Perhaps I should listen more closely.

So the past couple of post’s I’ve mentioned that I’m setting up a POS system in our camp store.  The software we are using is actually DOS software that I was running in Linux.  The program worked fine, but printing receipts was simply not happening.  After spending several fruitless days trying to get it to work I’m afraid I have to admit I can’t do it.  I found a couple of Windows 98 CD’s laying around and I am in the process of installing that.  I had to swallow my pride.  I’m a Linux fan boy, and it hurt to have to give in.  The good news is that it works (at least on the first computer), so over all I guess you could say I came out ahead.  It has largely been an uneventful week.  The Arrowhead students had ministry team today.  It went well, and the pot luck afterwards was good.  I really like church pot lucks.  But I digress, and this post is getting long any ways.

Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.

II Kings 20:6 And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.

It is the last part of this verse I find interesting. For His own sake and for David’s sake he delivered Hezekiah. I don’t know why, but I find this intriguing.

So I realize now that it has been a while since I’ve posted.  Sorry about that.  Quick update.  Things have been going well.  I spent this Saturday with the guys from my Bible study working on Tiffany’s (she is interning here at BMCR) house.  That was actually fun, the weather was beautiful.  I was amazed how tired I was at the end of the day (I’ve been sitting in an office to long).  However we finished a wall, got the second story floor up, and put the roof on so all in all I think it was a productive day.   Today I spent working on Andy’s computer and more work in the Trading Post.  I had a meeting with Donna, and she gave me a whole list of things I need to figure out how to do with our new POS program, so I’m looking forward to that.  Other than that nothing is new.  I’m tired as usual but I’m not sure why.

Psalm 67:1 God be merciful to us, and bless us, and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.

Amen.

Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield to them that put their trust in him.

In whom do I trust? If it is myself or others I am lost. There is no protection there. If my trust is in Christ I have a shield that none can over come. How foolish I am when I trust in things other than my savior.

30:8-9 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

All things in moderation. How quickly I can take the blessings God has given me and some how think I have brought them about. He is the giver of all good things, and when I forget that I start putting my trust in other things, which ties right back into verse 5.

30:12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

The sad part is I read this and immediately start thinking of people I know that this applies to. How easy it is for me to point out every one else’s sin, and in the busyness of doing that ignore my own. If I had half the concern for my sin that I’ve got for others sin I would be a very different person.

I finished the Arrowhead website today.  I’ll show it to the staff at our next meeting, and they can pick it apart.  After that I’ll fix whatever it is they want me to and put it up for real (the link I gave you is a preview).  I also finally figured out how to let the staff check their own bandwidth usage.  I pretty proud of that.  It took me about three days to figure it out.

Psalm 65 again emphasizes how awesome God is.

Proverbs 29:11 A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it till afterwards.

I would do well to practice this (the second part).

29:27 An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.

Again, two sides that are mutually exclusive.

I’m going to be in a wedding (relax not as the groom).  A student from two years ago (J.D.) got a hold of me this evening and asked if I wanted to be a groomsman.  I said sure.  I think it’s cool.  Any way other than that today was uneventful.  The weather was beautiful, so it was hard being stuck in an office.  I finished ordering the stuff for the Trading Post (I came in under budget) so it should hopefully get here end of this week beginning of next.  I also finished (to the best of my ability) getting the stuff we do have set up in the Trading Post.  I’m supposed to cook lunch tomorrow.  Ok, done.

Psalm 65:6-11 Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power. Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people. They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou has so provided for it. Thou waterest the ridges thereof abudantly: tho usettlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.

What a mighty, powerful, awesome God we serve.

Proverbs 28:4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not proser: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

As much as I mock the whole “transparency” buzz word, it is not good to hide sin. However something I’ve noticed in my life, I’ve got no problem confessing my sins, I simply don’t forsake them. People fail to realize this. My confession is totally empty if I do not change. I could stand on the street corner shouting out my sins, but if I keep doing them it is meaningless. Faith without works is dead.

28:26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

“Follow your heart”, is one of the most pervasive lies in America today IMO. I hear it every where from movies, to music, to church. My heart is above all things, first and foremost, deceitful. Any time I’m following it I’m not following Christ. They are mutually exclusive. I cannot serve two masters.

What can I say, it’s the weekend and it is good.  I spent most of the day playing computer games, watched a movie with the students, and then hung out with them this evening for the un-birthday party.  Like I said today was good, and I had lots of fun.

Proverbs 27:1 Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

I really don’t know what will happen tomorrow. How silly to worry about what God will provide for tomorrow, when He has taken care of today. Especially since tomorrow may not come. This is just a small glimpse of our freedom in Christ.

27:2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

27:5 Open rebuke is better than secret love.

Now what does that mean. I think I start to get it, and then the answer just seems to slip away.

27:18 Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof: so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.

My focus must always be on Christ. He is my master, and I am to wait on Him

We got most of the stuff in for the Trading Post, so I spent today moving computers, running network cords (Jim helped with that), and plugging everything in.  As of now it all seems to work (I still need to get cash drawers).  Donna and I are going to spend tomorrow afternoon going over it.  I think that is going to be a blast.  I’m kind of excited.  The bar-code scanners are really fun to play with.  I really hope it doesn’t slow us down.

Psalm 63:3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

Some times I catch a glimpse of this, for a moment I grasp and understand it, then indeed I do praise Him. How I wish I could grasp it more fully and more often.

Proverbs 26:28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.

Those I lie about I hate.

I’m sorry, but if your not a computer geek, this post will not interest you.  I was able this morning to get SSI working for the next version of the Arrowhead website.  This means that (this is the really short version) I am now able to have my navigation bar and header made dynamically on each page.  It seems so simple, but will save me gobs of time.  Instead of having to go through and make a navigation menu for each page, I make one menu and link all the pages to it.  I can’t explain how awesome this is.  Every time I have to change something on my menu’s I have to do it to 20 or 30 pages.  Now I just change one page and it goes out to all the rest.  How cool is that?

The other thing I did today was start working on a JavaScript program to allow for a simple calculation.  I wont go into details (this post is getting long already) but that took most of the afternoon, was very frustrating, and I’ve mostly got it.  This will end up on the BMCR website (if we need it) so if your ever donating to us you just might see it.

Psalm 62:5-8 My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God.

Who is it all about? Not me.

62:11-12 God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that power belongeth unto God. Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.

How easily and quickly I will focus on one part of God or the other in order to justify my self. Silly of me to pretend God is one or the other (simply to fit my current whim or desire) when He is both, and He will hold me accountable for my work. Father forgive me.

Proverbs 25:28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

What happens to a city without walls? It is at the mercy of the invaders. The enemy can do as he pleases, there is no defense set up to stop him.

So this weekend was spring break for the students.  The majority of them took off, but three stayed.  We also had a youth retreat this weekend, that as far as I know went very well.  We had a bunch of summer staff/ABC alumni visit (ok a bunch means five) and it was fun hanging out with them a bit.  Other than that not much is new.  A new week starts tomorrow.  I plan on finishing up the Arrowhead website (so I can present it to the staff again) and ordering the rest of the stuff we need for the Trading Post.

Psalm 61:2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

I just really like that last part. “…the rock that is higher than I.” We so desperately want something bigger than ourselves, but when we find it why is it so hard to submit to it? Our desire for Him is so strong, yet we refuse to let Him fill it. Oh what was life like before the fall, and how magnificent will it be in heaven?

Proverbs 24:12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? And he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? And shall not he render to every man according to his works?

Again and again the Bible states that my soul is not hidden from God. He sees all of me. The ultimate transparency. It is a fearful and wonderful thing. Fearful because He knows me, sees my heart and my motives and will judge me for them. Wonderful because in-spite of that He still loves me, and Christ’s blood covers it. While I was yet a sinner Christ died for me.

II Kings 13:23 And the LORD was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.

If you read the rest of the chapter it goes on about how much sin the people were living in, and then right at the end this verse is thrown in. God just amazes me, and humbles me. My life is the story of Israel in miniature, and because of Christ He has compassion on me, will not destroy me or cast me from His presence.

I spent this morning working on the ABC website, and this afternoon I helped Bob go through a bunch of old irrigation pipe we had laying around.  I have to say I’m dissapointed with myself.  One afternoon of real work, my hands are all sliced open, and I think I sun burned my face.  Sitting in an office all winter is most certainly bad for me.  Oh yeah, and now I’m really tired.

Psalm 60:11-12 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

Proverbs 23:9 Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

This goes in the same vein of not casting your pearls before swine. More importantly, am I the fool or the one despised?

23:10-11 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless: For their redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with thee.

That last part seems so plain, so boring and unimportant. How scary will that be, when God comes and sticks up for the orphans and the widows? What could I possibly say in my defense?

23:22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

Even as an adult I need to listen to, respect, and care for my parents.

23:23 By the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

I just thought it is a neat illustration of how valuable those things are.