Ski Ashby!

My new fave xcountry ski spot, Ashby Park. Thinking of an urban xcountry ski tour, hit the parks in my neighborhood on a snowy day. Up next: Beaverdale Park...for a ski or 'shoe. Maybe in the morning before the rain melts it all away...

Xtraining

After my personal triumph at Sycamore 8, Blizzard '09 hit. Wahoo for 15" of snow...I ran twice last week, grand total of 7 miles; I did snowshoe 2xs and ski 2xs. I figure it is an ok thing to mix it up provided I do run a bit (3xs a week, maybe?) as well. I can tell winter sports take the energy out of you much quicker than summer ones; I love it, though. Snowshoeing is stupid fun...

Personal best

Sycamore 8 was by far my best race ever. Time wise, mile/minute time, and fun. I think I could really dig a trail run series; running through the woods makes me feel like a kid again. So does walking in the falling snow...can't keep myself from smiling. What a great thing.

Saturday

Sycamore 8 on Saturday, 9 am.

Hoping to beat my time (1:06) from last year
That my knees hold up for 8 miles of trail
That the Cherry Coke waiting for me at the end will be earned.

More to come.

Life

There is life in this home tonight...our kids were WOUND and out of control; Aunt Ashley is here, she and Kari are laughing on the couch...the babies, an hour after going to bed, are still jabbering. The dog is licking; has been for an hour and now the house smells vaguely of corn chips. The TV is on, as are many lights. And I gotta say...I would not have it any other way.

Trail v. Pavement

Running is a good thing. I really like it. I'm also falling back in love with the bike, but that is for another time. Today I trail ran; a coupling of the run and hiking in the woods. There is something seriously addictive about running on dirt, dodging rocks and roots, getting a little muddy when it is wet out, smelling the earth...5 miles does not seem far when it is through the woods. Road running is kinda mindless -- I can wander about mentally, listen to sermons and music, pretty much unplug. Trail runs require focus -- gotta be aware of what is in front of me cuz one bad step and I'm on the ground. I could get really used to running in the woods; maybe a day week for sure...next 'race' I'll do is Sycamore 8 on 05 Dec. That is a fun event; last year there was a foot of snow on the ground. This year is looking differently (especially considering it is 60 today and forecast to be so for the next 2 weeks!). It has been really great reconnecting with the part of me that is wired up to be outside, in the woods, hiking/biking/running/camping/fishing...This is a great fix and something that I more and more cherish being able to do. Next up, a night run with the headlamp...

August and Everything After...

Great album.

Has it really been August? Ugh.

Thinking about some things of late...running for one. I know I'm a bit obsessed. I am not training for anything right now (Sycamore 8 trail run is in Dec, I think), yet I still am tracking miles and setting distance goals in my brain each week. I figured out this week, though, that I am not necessarily doing so for a 'goal', but rather for me. The running I do is for me -- it is selfish, possibly, but it is for my own mental, physical, and spiritual benefit. I really love it, I love how it feels when I'm going and when I'm done, and I love the clarity it brings.

All that to say...thinking about a longer race next summer/fall. This may become the 'training/complaining/all things preparing' journal. Read on if you like; might be my own benefit? We shall see...

So I hear that Budweiser is going to raise the price of beer. Hmmmm...the brew tour @ Anheiser in Ft. Collins was cool; but I gotta say that my secret desire is that Miller Coors (Coors Original, Blue Moon, Leinenkugels...) responds by holding steady or dropping prices. That would make for a happy fall and lots of good campfire fun at the Osborne home. =)

Home. It is good to be here. Trying to get back into a routine AND maintain the peaceful easy feeling of a week out West. A few more thoughts...

God's sense of humor. No wildlife to speak of; Kari is in the van praying for something, anything wild in nature. What pops its little head up, but a marmot. Wild to be sure. You gotta laugh -- He does not disappoint, just does not alway give you exactly what you are asking for...

Kristyn, Brady and Em -- they are hiking kids! give them rocks to hop, dirt to walk, tree branches for walking sticks, they are happy as a lark!

Rest -- we ran everywhere, went and went and went on vacation. But it was restful -- something about the pines and mountain air that had us sleeping well and feeling relaxed thew whole trip. I'm grateful and excited to return...

The trip is coming to an end

Well all,

We headed out on our trip back "East" now. We packed up this AM and headed to Coffee on the Rocks shop to have the kids get a fly fishing lesson from a 40 year fly-fishing veteran. He was phenomenal and the kids got the hang of it, especially Kristyn. It made her daddy so proud. Then, the trek back East led us through Big Thompson Canyon which was breathtaking. We drove and the kids read as we headed to the next destination and final stopping point on our Colorado journey, (Budweiser Brewery to see the Clydesdales and get a drink). After a half hour tour of Fort Collins, we made it to the brewery to see the horses, sample a drink and eat a bite of lunch in the car. As we headed for Kearney, Nebraska, thunderstorms built up behind us as temps soared to 95 ( a far cry from the cool Colorado air!) After a potty and gas break, we rolled into the Ramada Inn at 6:30 after losing an hour. We ordered Dominoes pizza and unloaded a bit. Then, time for a dip in the "cool" pool and off to dreamland. The kids aren't too psyched about the 5 hour trip home tomorrow, but it will be good to sleep in our own beds finally. Thanks for following us on this wonderful family vacation!!! It has been amazing at every turn. God is so good!!!

Monday

We have had an absolutely epic adventure. We went into this vacation thinking it would either be the only week long normal American family vacation we would take or it would be the first of many. The latter is definitely the case!!! What a ball we've had. One more day to go. Highlights from today:

Our goal of knocking out as many RMNP patches (there are little sew on patches for every trail and many of the peaks in the park) in one morning. 4+ miles and a few thousand vertical feet up and down later, we can proudly say that the kids earned 5 trail or lake patches today. The day was perfect for hiking and we took advantage, as did approx. 1,000 other people at every turn. Starting at 9:45, we hiked up to Alberta Falls

Then up to Bear Lake

Then up more to Nymph Lake for a quick trailside lunch

Then up MORE to Dream Lake, which is guarded by Hallet Peak, and some well fed chipmunks!

We considered another 1/2 mile to Emerald Lake, but little legs and bodies let us know it was time to head down. We went back to the Y and played some mini golf, and swam, then into town for dinner. After some shopping, it was up to Sprague Lake for a short lake side hike and some fly fishing.


We took one last quick spin through the park to see if we could see any of the bigger animal life (the ONLY disappointment of the trip was the lack of anything bigger than mule deer during most of our time in), then back to the camp to pack and get to bed. We have had the time of our lives here...The kids are mountain goats when it comes to the rocks; Kari has led the hikes up the hill and overcome (slightly) her fear of large carnivorous mammals, and I am truly relaxed. This is what vacation really should be - rest, good food, play with the kids, lots of good beer, and miles under my feet on the trails. I could not have asked for a better trip heading into the school year.

Tomorrow it is up, a quick breakfast, load the van (can't have stuff out there because of the bear activity at camp), a 9 am date at Coffee on the Rocks for a fly fishing lesson for the kids (my heart is SO PROUD!), and then to Ft. Collins via Big Thomson Canyon for the Budweiser Brew tour around noon. We figured we should end our Colorado time the way it began...then onward to Kearney for an overnight, hoping to arrive in DSM Wed. evening sometime. More pics tomorrow!

Sunday

Great day! Breakfast and coffee @ Coffee on the Rocks; church at Rocky Mountain Bible Church; downtown Estes for lunch and a bit of shopping (the boy got his first pocket knife!), then back to the Y camp for some horseback riding (Kari and Kristyn) and a hike up the short but steep trail to Bible Point for me, Brady, and Emersyn riding in the backpack. All of us had amazing times! Then into the park, up Fall River Road to the Alluvial Fan and Endovalley. We had backpack stove Mac and Cheese for the kids, and omelets for for the adults. Amazing how good they tasted (as did the Coors Original!) cooked outside and after a long day on our feet. Tomorrow it's into the park again; Bear Lake/Sprague Lake/Alberta Falls and maybe some fly fishing in Moraine Park. Looking forward to it!

Hope you all are safe and dry -- sounds like the weather has been HEAVY there!

Picture Dump

Here are pics from Friday and Saturday...again, thanks to my uploading ineptitude, in no particular order. They are from Tenderfoot, trainride, and Rocky Mtn Natl Park. Enjoy!

Ups and downs

We had a GREAT day yesterday -- up and down Tenderfoot Mtn in Frisco. Up the pass and down to Silver Plume to down a tremendous dinner aboard the Georgetown Loop Railroad. Down the pass, down to bed...

Today was more of the same; up and down the pass, up and down Berthoud Pass near Winter Park, up and over Trail Ridge Road in RMNP, down to Estes Park.

We were up and down mentally, too; really great moments, and moments of near manic energy as we are all tired and a touch out of sorts. Add to the fact that we moved out of a swanky Frisco condo into a cramped hotel style room at the Y w/ a window fan (thank God Colorado is cool!) and sleeping for six in a room that 12x12.

All in all...great great times! More to come as we conquer Estes Park.

Thursday?

I tend to lose track of the day when I'm on vacation. Thursday it is...highlights are as follows.

Up, French Press coffee, oatmeal, etc. Sleep was awesome last night!

Salt Lick Creek trail in Silverthorne; we had a great hour or so on the trail along the creek, through the aspen groves. Kids did great, had some snacks, etc.

To Breckenridge -- rode the Peak 8 ski lift up the mountain, down on the alpine slides, lunch at the park, panning for gemstones, then downtown Breckenridge. Lots of shops, some more coffee, treats for the kiddos. Cold rain over the mountains chased us back to the 'condor' (Em quote!)

Dinner in Frisco after a short snooze in the chair, music in the park, then home for showers and bed!

A full day to be sure; the kids are doing well except when they get hungry. Summit County has been a ball thus far...hoping for a great final day here before we pack up and head northeast to Estes.

more day one pics

Here are some from my 'perspective'! In reverse order: Nebraska sky, our family Christmas Card, kids in Clear Creek, the mountains to the east of the condo off the deck, and the fam. The day has dawned bright and beautiful; indeed, God is great and His glory fully on display!

Day 1

Pics from Kari's camera today; just a sampling of our adventure. Left home around 2:15 am; 4 am had us in Omaha, Brady awake sort of, and me praying like crazy he'd go back to sleep. 5:30 found us outside Lincoln, driving into a storm with some wicked lightening. Ole's for breakfast, tightrope walking railroad ties at a gas station to burn some energy, and then the Coors Brewery tour in Golden. The kids and I hung out by Clear Creek while Em napped with Kari in the car. Another hour and we moved into our temporary home in Frisco. Headed to the Dillion Dam brewery (give a church guy vacation and it becomes a brewery tour!) for dinner, then up the Old Dillion Reservoir trail for a post meal hike. Brady led the way and we all had a ball. Kids are sleeping now, and I'm right behind.

The cross picture -- we were headed after dinner to Silverthorne to walk around, and Kari spotted a perfect cross in the clouds above one of the mountains. Served to confirm what we had been seeing all along today; He has gone before us to clear the road, keep us awake, keep the weather at bay...that was a nice 'Glad you are here' moment for us.

Until tomorrow...

at Bethel

made it here safe and sound. drove the van rather than the car...might have been Spirit prompted? We shall see...good to be here, but missing home tremendously! off to sleep in my giant bed.

whoa...

Grapefruit sized hail near Sheldon. Hope mom and dad are ok!

The was a fly carcass in my water bottle today. Did not drink fly. Did touch my lips. Ewww.

Good running this morning; flyer for the DSM marathon came yesterday. Thinking the 1/2 might be doable.

I hate the expenditure of money on appliances, air conditioning and heating units, and salesmen who can talk you into anything and then do not call you back.

Henri Nouwen is the man. Like he wrote these books with me in mind.

Love the new office; Mocha walls, Mangelsen pic of White River Aspens on the wall, new big monitor w/ Long's Peak as the background...just like I am in a giant cup of coffee in Colorado. If KJ and the kids were here, it would be perfect.

Country music is rocking my world. Zac Brown Band -- way, way good.

Campfire tonight @ the home office. Hope the yutes show up!

heading home for today...

VBS. wahoo -- 90+ kids on Monday. Crazy.

Heat and Humidity -- run later tonight. I love to sweat!

Guacamole and fresh salsa -- tummy is rumbly!

Henri Nouwen -- lonliness to solitude, hostility to hospitality, illusion to prayer. Heavy, changing.

Cold beer -- goes good with the 3rd line, not so much with line 2.

Father, Son, Spirit. I like these guys.

One for the team?

I ran.

20k. 12.4 miles.

5 min. more than I was hoping for, still not too bad.

The winner did finish 48 minutes ahead of me.

It was a total, total ball. Cannot wait until next year.

Feel good, a little stiff and sore. Overall, like a champ.

What is next?

birthday week

So I turned 34 last Thursday. Crazy. We had a busy, and OUTSTANDING week. Lots of fun kid stuff, some great birthday swag, topped by a concert in Ames (Storyhill, my fave duo/musical performers of all time) with Kari. I'm listening to them as I study and type, after 'fixing?' the anti-virus on our computer. I was convinced that our desktop was shot tonight. Running crazy slow and doing all sorts of dumb stuff. Suddenly, it hooked up and let me download the new AVG and away we go. Victory! I would say that the week has been victorious; I am so loved and so lucky. What an amazing thing.

Crazy rain, thunder/lightening, and basement flooding. Ugh. But this too shall pass...

Pole Vaulting

Tonight Drake Relays held the pole vault inside Jordan Creek Mall. Thousands showed up, according to Keith Murphy and Channel 13. Murph rules, btw. Had it been earlier or a diff night, we would have been there. How sweet would it be to be on the 2nd level of the mall and look eye to eye with an athlete rocketing skyward on a 20 ft. pole? Are you kidding? I am really intrigued by the Relays -- I must go on Saturday some year and watch the pros do their deal. I love to run, but am not great at it. To see the best in the country go, that would be amazing. Not sure where this running bug came from, but it borders on addiction. My new trail runners came in via UPS tonight -- Montrail Streak shoes. Excited to hit the dirt with them. Good to move, good to run, good to be out. And good to sleep. Good night, all.

today

So I started this thing @ the kids' school last fall; Monroe Milers. It is a running/walking club that meets on Mondays; we get together on thier 1/8 mile track, warm up, and then walk or run until 4. We ended the fall with 50 kids; we started this spring with 60, today we had close to 75. It is a riot -- literally at times -- to see these kids in perpetual motion. Some have such great attitudes, they run and laugh and seem to enjoy it. Some complain the whole time, stop frequently, and ask when it is time to go home. I felt almost track-coachish today -- "keep moving, speed up, keep it up..." REALLY REALLY ODD, if you know me at all. It is crazy fun, though.

We went to Sports Authority looking for a few things this evening; it always seems like a great idea to go bump around the SA and see what you can find. I usually leave disappointed. They've got a ton of cool stuff at prices that make my head hurt. I know that Nike and North Face stuff are super cool, but come on...a tank top for $30 on sale?!? I can make one cheaper than that. Unreal.

Reading a friend's blog tonight -- use of the word "kick ass" in the context of baked potatoes nearly had me rolling off the couch. I am a fan of said word, especially when it is used in the descriptive sense. And the baked potatoes in question are in fact kick ass.

Reading in the Register (on, actually -- love the free Internet version!) and there were some pretty wild opinion posts concerning the cyclist who got hit last week in Madison County. One in particular made my stomach turn -- the cycling community has seen a bunch of folks get buzzed/hit by cars in the last year, many injuries, some deaths. And cyclists can be downright rude about sharing the road as well...but this particular quote had me ready to spout. Some jerk made a bunch of comments, like "if you cyclists knew how stupid your little outfits look, you wouldn't be out riding anyway" and "I hope more of you end up like this (guy in the hospital w/ broken pelvis and fractured skull). REALLY!?! How far down the human scale does this commenter find themselves?!? You have issues with bikes -- fine. You feel the need to spout off about a father and husband who nearly died, accidentally or not. So be it. But to spit such venom...that is ill. Really, really ill.

Night, world.

Columnist

Watching Marley and Me...I think I could be a columnist. What a cool gig...write about what you see, experience, and say what you think? Sweetness.

Great weekend w/ the family -- Dance recital, man time in the backyard w/ Dad and BW, good food and all sorts of fun. I saw angels last night and today; they happen to be my daughters (and their friends!). So proud.

Running, training (i guess?!?) for Dam to Dam. Feeling pretty good thus far...looking at a long run this week, Thursday maybe, we'll see how it goes.

And I am glad Bria is NOT Marley. No way...

Preparing...

to go run. can't wait.

to do staff. not sure what today will bring.

to go this weekend -- good to hang w/ the kids, hard to be away from home.

to study. LOTS of reading. the beauty and the pain of it all...

to share what I know with my little ones. daily, letting my life speak to theirs.

to love and be loved.

Sick kids are no fun! Influenza...ugh. Kristyn has been a SICK kiddo -- glad there is no upchucking, but fever and coughy and just feeling cruddy. I'm ready for spring, warmth, and fresh air.

Spring Break -- wahoo! it will be good to be off for a week from classes, all of the team. I'm ready for some mental free time.

Time change = very tired. Springing ahead is not fun. I like extended daylight, darker mornings, but sleeping is all wacked out. Maybe I ought to go to bed at night...that might help.

Time to eat. Done writing. Yeah.

I love Lent. Just wrote about it on the alter-ego blog site. I've been thinking a while now about trying to journal more -- write SOMETHING personal daily, coming out of a place of faith, be it reading, praying, singing, etc. So I shall try. Maybe if it is good, I'll share it here. We shall see...

Fave things about Lent:

1) Spring goes hand in hand.
2) Old school soup suppers. I wish we could bring those back. I love soup.
3) Easter waits at the end. Easter rules.
4) the music is minor keyed and kinda gloomy. Kinda nice sometimes.


That's all for now...

Stuff...

Home is where...

my own bed resides.
there are not 20 other dudes using the bathroom.
i re-engage my frontal lobes and stop acting like a junior high boy. sort of.
i am most at peace.
i am loved like crazy.
there is beer in the fridge that does not drain money from my wallet.
the dishes in the sink are mine, not some other highly paid religious professional's who does not do his own dishes.
i get to not be the smallest guy in the room.
i miss my friends in the J terribly.
where i am happiest and most content.
the place where i am most wanted,
the place where all that i am comes from. (thanks, chris and johnny!)

where i want to be more than anywhere right this moment.

This week is showing me (reinforcing, maybe?) the 'so what' nature of how I think w/ regards to ministry and scripture and whathaveyou. I wish I could engage this discussion right now at 2:43 p.m. on Thursday simply for the hypothetical; I'm sure that if I were to really dive in and grasp what's being said, there are some crazy good things to be had, but I am failing to see the big picture, 'so what?' point for today. Maybe that's an area of tweaking my faith needs -- to engage and read and enjoy simply for that process, rather than looking for a 'what do I do with this?' thing; a fortune cookie as Dr. Ferris calls them...I must say, I'm shockingly overwhelmed by my complete lack of historical Biblical knowledge. I need the "OT for Dummies"...yikes.

On a side note, I miss my family tremendously! More than I can express...excited to come home w/ Uncle Ray this weekend!

More later?

Luther, night 2.

I slept pretty well -- checked the alarm a few times, got up and lifted early, and am really pretty wiped tonight. Hope to sleep well, get up, and run in the morning (outside? Maybe not. It is foolish cold here.) Treadmill, here I come. Ugh.

Had a really thought provoking day. One thing to share...we talked about the sacrificial system in the Old Testament, and the slaughtering of the sheep and rams and how messy that process was. Yuck, right? How lucky are we that we don't have to get elbow deep in blood and gore to make our sins right. But...when you get down to it, and really start to let the Jesus impact you and buy into the deal, it IS yucky. It starts to impact how you view the world around you. It changes your perspective, and the depth of understanding with regard to what He did and WHY is a lot like being elbow deep in the gore. Maybe it isn't as easy as we sometimes make it out to be.

I am so blessed to be on this journey -- thanks, Kari, for helping me realize this. I hope it is worth it.

Man, I'm tired. 4 hours is not a bad drive, but on top of a few later nights in a row and a tough(er) parenting weekend, I'm whipped. I have a hard time going right to bed, though. I need to read and relax and slow down...hard to do up here. But I'll give it a shot! Missing my kids and wife; this is always so hard, but part of a very necessary process for them and me. So, we'll soldier on!

More tomorrow...

Day by Day

to see Thee more clearly
to love Thee more dearly
to follow Thee more nearly
Day by Day...

What a great idea. It's what I really, really want. I suppose it is good to recognize spiritual restlessness and to hunger for more of Jesus. What am I DOING about it? I've said I need to journal more, to pray w/ focus, to get my arse out of bed and do so to start the day. Will I? Maybe by stating this out loud it will encourage me to actually do it. Maybe.

Take me back

Sitting at the concert Saturday night, tobyMac breaks into 'Jesus Freak' by dc talk. I VIVIDLY remember hearing that song for the first time; it blew my mind. I had heard nothing like that in Christian music, and it stuck. They changed the landscape with that song and album. Hearing it 10 years later, live, it took me back to the Sioux City Auditorium with a handful of youth from the Union Memorial Church; seeing the album tour for that album, seeing Toby jump off the stack of speakers into the crowd...who knew being a follower of Jesus could be so...freaky? Now...I think of the kids, hearing it for the first time tomorrow (I plan on unleashing it on them in the morning)...I hope it blows their mind as much as it still does mine!

Happy Birthday, Kari!!!

33 things I love about you:

your heart for Jesus.
your passion.
your love of others.
your smile.
your eyes.
how you parent.
how you teach.
the way you love the world.
the way you love me.
the way you love our kids.
the way you live your beliefs.
how you look when you wake up.
the sound of you sleeping.
when you have long nails and scratch my back.
holding your hand.
your laugh.
when you cry and are not ashamed to do so.
your focus.
the way you check the alarm clock multiple times.
your (my, actually) ratty old sweatshirt that you refuse to throw away cuz it is comfortable!
your voice.
your beauty, inside and out.
your heart.
the way you put with my obsessions.
your facebook addiction.
your love of the Bachelor, and that you don't let me ridiculing you for it stop you from watching it.
the way you are your own person -- not feeling the need to live up to anyone elses' expectations.
the role model you are in faith and life for our girls.
how much joy you bring to the world.
that you love Caribou caramel coolers, and high rises, and...
that we laugh at the same things.
YOU!!!

Thanks for sharing your life with me, for being the biggest blessing outside Jesus. I love ya, baby!

MLK

I am thinking about change, about people who have changed the world, who have changed my world. Martin Luther King, Jr. -- I wish I could say he has had more of an impact on who I am; his "I have a dream..." is powerful. What he hoped for as a daddy resonates with me deeply; he was a man who loved Jesus and believe in the power of the gospel to draw us together as people is something I share as well. As I think about it today, here are some folks who have shaped and impacted me:

Mom and Dad -- obvious choice, yeah? But it is true. They raised me to love others, to believe in myself, and trusted me to make good decisions. That has profoundly impacted how I do my job, how I parent, and how I live. I hope the foundation that I am providing is as influential as it was for me.

Russ and Sue -- they trusted me to love and care for their daughter, which is the biggest gift to me outside of salvation. They love me like their own, and inspire me to be the same with my kids' spouses.

Kari -- she believed in me when I didn't believe in myself; loves me like Jesus does, and pushes me to be better. Wow.

John Eldridge -- "Wild at Heart" changed mine. Another push (and kick in the junk) to become a man, to be bold, to chase and realize my dreams.

John Kline -- a friend, a mentor, a damn good pastor. I'm honored to walk with him.

Brennan Manning -- a spiritual director, drowning me in a tub of God's love and grace. A voice that reminds me not to hide and to love who I see in the mirror.

Jesus -- Duh. Savior, Redeemer, Friend. Lion, Lamb, Yahweh.

My kids -- Kristyn, BW, and Em. They are the reason I'll fight for right and good in this world, the people who I love more than any other. They are maddening and bring joy beyond compare. What a gift.

I'm grateful for these folks who have made me better, have made me me.

"working" on friday?

So I'm in, wrestling about with Amos; kinda nice to study @ my desk, drink coffee, and not feel a ton of pressure today? Not sure why, might be the wedding that got moved that I was going to coordinate this weekend. Think JLo in "the Wedding Planner", without super sexy Matt Mcconahey to sweep me off my feet? I digress...Emy is downstairs, I'm NOT doing work stuff, but rather doing (think loosely) hebrew exegesis. Not sure what that means, except that I'm crazy deep in detail work that is driving me crazy. Ah well...

Thanks for Caribou Blend, Lord. It might be the vessel of your Spirit's blessing these days...

I have spent entirely too much time in my head, and I feel like Jacob tonight, having wrestled with God about many, many things. I am mentally drained. Yogurt, a non-edifying Mt. Everest book, and rest await. Adios, blogosphere. I hate buzz words.

I love Jesus.
I love Kari.
I love my babies.
I love snow.
I love to be outside, with all of the aforementioned things.

Goodnight, sweet moon.

Prayer Time

So, everything I am reading and hearing lately is the call to pray, and pray diligently. Funny as how I have a hard time getting through "A" prayer without getting side-tracked or falling asleep(which happens the most). So, on the way to work, and home, and in the mornings before I arise, I have been conscious about praying and praying boldly. Not just, oh God, if ya can, but God, I NEED YOU NOW!! I know you can hear and I KNOW you will answer and I am trying to consciously focus on Him actually answering prayers. (even the minute ones) _ it is pretty powerful- there are even some tough prayers to pray and yet I know I am to be bold and ask- he will answer! So, my thoughts lead to ask, and you shall receive. I am boldly going there----does it seem selfish, Yes maybe, but God wants to hear from me- That is where I am at that moment. Yes, whether I believe it some days or not, God does care about ME!! He created me in His inmost being and He wants to love me as I am - there is my chance to love me too, for who I am and for who He created me to be!! I am Loved!! I think of that little pin people used to wear (I am loved)and think I need that daily reminder- that is what matters! (That, and that my sins are forgiven!!) AMEN!!

winter sports 2 a days -- skiing and hiking, shoeing and skiing...looks to be a weights in the basement and shoe over lunch day. If my body was designed to hold muscle, I would be an Adonnis. As it is, I am a little man with skinny legs and a goofy smile cuz I am having WAY too much fun. Bring on the snow, baby!

Pictures to come...

Great day

waking up warm next to Kari. early morning ski. run to Lowe's with the eldest offspring to make a cool little crafty deal. Lunch at home, time with the in-laws for ice cream, then an evening snow hike. CRAZY full moon tonight. Saturdays don't get much better!

Here is some of the evidence:

Snow is on the way -- maybe 2" by tomorrow (enough for skis, not snowshoes), and then more Monday thru Wednesday. Yahoo!

Grandma is pretty sick -- not sure what to make of it, how to feel about it. Sad for sure, but happy that her life has been LIVED and she loves Jesus and ready for her not to hurt anymore. Prayers there, yeah?

Recovering from a wierd night of fever/chills. I don't remember shaking like that before -- like my teeth were going to break. I can handle cold, usually handle illness pretty well. Wed. night was one tough one, though. I'm sorry, Kari! I might have even pulled my already super tight hamstrings in the midst. Still hurts to walk.

I am a little perturbed @ the wifey -- no desire to poop in the woods? How are we doing backcountry hiking and camping? You can't hold it forever.

Fridays rule. I like days off. I could totally be a stay at home dad.

Random Ramblings

So, What would I like to do......
Go in a hot air balloon again
climb a mountain
be the best mom and wife
win a large sum of money
maybe skydive
swim with dolphins
go to Disneyworld
learn to ballroom dance (with Brent)

What would I not do........
Go anywhere with crocodiles living
poop in the woods
learn to play the french horn
live on life support
run a marathon
plus I am sure many other things that will come to me later......

I'm not sure I want to do this

My classes opened up today. 3 different classes, including my last quarter of Hebrew. It is likely going to be challenging, but worth it. I started to think this morning and last night, though...do I really want to do this? It is hard for me to think about 2 and 1/2 more years of studies, and then what? Does God call us somewhere? Does my current role change? What does this interim period look like -- more lock ins and youth retreats, and wrestling with what I think I want to do, what I think God is asking, and what is real and feasible for me and the family? I had a moment of really considering stopping this class stuff for a bit -- it is so draining at moments, I get so wound up about it, I feel like I'm not me. Then I think of what is to come, how this is benefitting my family in the long run, me personally, and how my path has been crossed with 7 other men who would come here tonight if I needed them. Those reasons are reason enough to continue. Plus, I don't want to let my loved ones, who've invested SO much in this, my church, and myself down. I don't quit, and I'm not intending to now. So it is steady on, nose to the grindstone, doing all I can to focus and carve out time to remember why I'm on this journey. It is not for me; I believe I've been called to it. I've tried to run from calling in the past, and that worked out pretty poorly. I pray and believe this run I'm on has kingdom implications, and that is inspiring for certain. So it is steady on.

Things I will never do

There a lot of things I hope to do:

reclimb Quandry Peak outside Breckenridge, CO.
See Yellowstone.
Learn to ballroom dance.
Live to see my grandkids.
Retire to a log cabin in NE Iowa, walk and fish and drink coffee and spoil said grandkids.
Write a book.

Easy to think of what I'd like to do. Here are some things I will never do:

Skydive. No sense in leaving a perfectly good airplane.
Rob a bank. Duh.
Pierce any more body parts.
Climb a mountain like Everest. Too much money. Too much risk. Way too many chances to die unnecessarily. Way too many.
Eat the crap they put on Fear Factor.
Eat the crap I used to eat regularly.

Now that I've started, there aren't many things coming to mind. More for this list later.

Test run

Hello...is there anybody in there?