Friday, February 16, 2007

Frigid Temperatures and Fires

Those two just do not mix well, yet, in the arctic weather is when you see the most fires. Enter volunteer fire fighters and ambulance crew. Holding a high pressure hose that spewing however many tons of water per minute is not a way I would recommend staying dry. It is however, warmer to be on the hose than outside of the burning structure. Inside it is warm, outside there is MUCH wind to contend with. Inside it is a sloppy, soggy mess. Outside is very icy. Inside it is difficult to see due to smoke and steam. Outside it is difficult to see because your breath fogs your glasses. Inside the stench of burnt wood, plastic and steamed coyote, wolf, deer, fox, etc. pee WILL make you gag. Outside the smell isn't quite so bad. (Although, I thought it was bad outside til I got inside.) I am not sure if inside or outside wins out at this point. What I do know is that it is a tough job, but somebody's got to do it. And, if there are no injuries or fatalities, I consider it a good day. Now I'm off to enjoy a nice long hot shower. I'd rather not have a smell on me that will attract a stampede of deer...

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Challenge for Today...

...or for the year. A friend of ours sent this to us and I wanted to share it with you:

This is what I believe will be one of Gods standard for victory for the next year. There will be no victory with out purity.

The Message of the Law: Be Holy

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel , and say to them: 'You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. Every one of you shall revere his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the LORD your God'." (Lev_19:1-4)

When any aspects of God’s law are being considered, what is its overall message? How could a person summarize the law of God? In this statement to Moses, the Lord mentions a few of the commandments from His holy law. He speaks of proper treatment of parents, observance of the Sabbath day, and refraining from idolatry. Then, He provides a two word summary of all His law: "be holy."

In this call to holiness, the Lord holds forth Himself as the reason for, and standard of, living holy lives. "You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy." God is holy, so He wants holiness to be a distinctive trait of His people.

What is the holiness of God? It has to do with His character. Holiness speaks of that which is innate with God, as well as contrasting that which is absolutely foreign to His being. In the Lord God there is perfect righteousness. On the other hand, in Him there dwells no unrighteousness of any type. In our God there abides complete moral purity. Contrariwise, in Him there is not even a trace of moral evil. In fact, everything about Him is spiritually pure and morally unpolluted.

This holy character of the Lord God is the standard of life that the law holds forth for humanity. God's chosen nation, Israel , was given this standard in writing. All others have this standard written on the conscience (Rom_2:15). Every one who is born into this world is measured by God's law, which demands that the holy character of God be seen in their life before God, including how they relate to God and to one another. The message of the law is: "be holy."

O Holy Father, I worship You for Your perfect holiness. None is holy, O Lord, besides You. You are pure and righteous in all of Your being and all of Your doing. Father, I am aware of, and convicted of, my lack of innate holiness. I confess that I could never produce a life that would measure up to Your holy standards. I thank You for the gracious forgiveness that is available in Your Son, Jesus Christ. I take comfort in, and find hope in, the righteousness that Your Son can bring into the lives of those who trust in Him day by day, in His name. Amen.

J Wanted to Clarify....

He has NEVER mixed Clorox and brake fluid, nor does he condone such actions. He prefers to mix amonia and bleach then mop the floor with it. Apparently it works wonders.....

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

I'm scared... He's starting to be a little like this...

Interesting things you find out when you have sons, like...

1. A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. house 4 inches deep.

2. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.

3. A 3-year old Boy's voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant. (That one actually applied to his sister at that age... wait, it still does.)

4. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound Boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20x20 ft. room.

5. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.

6. The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn't stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.

7. When you hear the toilet flush and the words "uh oh", it's already too late.

8. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.

9. A six-year old Boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-year old Man says they can only do it in the movies.

10. Certain Lego's will pass through the digestive tract of a 4- year old Boy.

11. Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.

12. Super glue is forever.

13. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can't walk on water.

14. Pool filters do not like Jell-O.

15. VCR's do not eject "PB & J" sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.

16. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

17. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.

18. You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.

19. Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.

20. The fire department in Austin , TX (or Fremont) has a 5-minute response time.

21. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.

22. It will, however, make cats dizzy.

23. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.

24. 80% of Women will pass this on to almost all of their friends, with or without kids.

25. 80% of Men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid.