"Sick as a Dog", as the Phrase Goes

     The title says it all. I've been sick for at least two days now, three if you count the windup before the pitch, and I finally think I'm now on the upward slope. It started after two REALLY hard days of work, one was moving the Kirkpatricks, the next was continuing moving the Kirkpatricks, and bucking hay at the Dales sealed my fate. I was nigh on dead by the time bible study rolled around Wednesday night, and I had to opt out early in the middle of it because I felt so bad. I went home and was about ready to crawl under the porch, I felt so bad.
     Mom first thought the reason I felt so bad was due to just the amount of hard work I went through, but she has moved beyond that opinion to "you're sick".  Needless to say, I rather agree with her. :/, but, like I learned in Worldviews not to long back, "tribulation worketh patience".
Pray for a speedy recovery.  

Open Carry: A Good Choice or Foolhardy Decision?

     This topic is drawing nearer and nearer in my life. In fact, I did it for the first time last Tuesday. I strapped on my .22 (hey, a gun is a gun) and marched into Cabelas with my dad and little brother, shopping. I had to unload it at the car, because I was trying to find a case that fit it (and stores don't like you pulling out loaded guns). All in all, it was a rather easy first introduction to carrying. I have heard many debates on this issue, ranging from  heavy do's, to heavy don'ts. One side says "hey, its our right, strap it on and display that you believe in your right to bear arms. Its also a deterrent for anyone with shady idea's about holding a place up. When they see someone packing a hog-leg, it tends to discourage any not-so-bright notions."
     On the other hand, the other crowd says "No way, you don't want to open carry, concealed carry is fine, but if you open carry, you are the primary target in case someone does play the idiot and pull a gun. You can do more good to the public if you aren't dead before you can reach for your gun."
So there is both sides of the issue. One says yes, the other no. The very fact that I carried the other day should tell you where I fall.... :)
     Granted, there is merit to both sides. If you wear it, you deter people from being stupid.  Just in case they are stupid, you are the first person they shoot. Sooooo, I have a solution.  You carry one gun concealed, the other open. So it goes like this. You carry your gun on your hip, and one inside your belt. The thug pulls his pistol, and before you can dodge or pull, he shoots you.  Here's where the other gun comes in. He see's you drop and turns around, to continue his thievery. You, in you last dying throes, pull your small pistol, and shoot him in the back. Problem solved, you're a dead hero. :)
Any thoughts?      

The Legacy of Manhood: American Hero Dick Winters

     This is an article that came out not too long ago on the Vision Forum Ministries website. Incredible. It lays out, in no-bones-about-it manner, how real men behave themselves, and how it has a profound impact in both the physical and the moral aspect of our enemies lives.
Well, I wont ruin it for you. Here's the link:
     American Hero - Dick Winters

Men and Boys Campout

     Ok, its that time of year again. Half the men in the church strap on guns and go camp in the wild wastes of the desert, braving coyotes, scorpions, and rattlesnakes, just for the sake of learning more about God and sitting 'round the campfire cracking jokes, telling stories, and sharing testimonies with fellow brothers in arms. Needless to say, it was GREAT. I was dubbed chef this year by my parents, so I basically spent almost all my time under the kitchen tent rustling up some version of meals. In the rest of my time, I sword-fought teams of marauders twice my number, I talked (a LOT, what else do you do when you're cooking and have nothing else to do?) and from about 9:00 until 11:30, I sat up around the fire or over by the lantern in the kitchen, breaking plastic knives trying to chip off burned beans from the bottom of the camp pot. Josie said the count reached seven, and each knife broke at least three times, or more. :) Fun stuff!
     Everybody was carrying a gun, well at least almost everybody. and those who weren't carrying guns and were under the age of 13 were ALL carrying capguns, airsoft guns, old play flint-locks, or high-impact training swords. Needless to say, this was the safest set of campers ever! (Churchgoer's too for that matter, how's that for counter-cultural...)  Saturday morning after breakfast we all took a hike around the hills, and had a small devotional out on the top of a big old lava flow, all perched around on rocks, listening to Pastor cast a vision for us for the future. After returning back to camp and stuffing down a few sandwiches and chips, we retreated to the men and boys of Heritage's favorite pastime: shooting. :) We must have blasted off over 1000 rounds of ammunition, its rather hard to say how much .... but we enjoyed it.

     So, needless to say, I'm TIRED and so was the rest of our crew. Kaleb and Noah were sacked out in the car before we were even halfway home, and Josie joined them for the last fifteen minutes of the ride, and I'm not sure I blame them. I'm about ready to crash myself. :) 

The "kitchen"

The hike, with young and old alike armed and ready. 

Guns...

More guns.....
(sorry about the camera strap :( )

and more guns.....

The view from the hill

Pastor casting the vision

Yours truly, armed as well

The crowd on the hill

Mr. Melton at the range, firing Mr. Ciampi's .223 ADS (this is a NICE gun, I shot it as well)

Mr. Lindley firing his .357 Colt King Cobra (AWESOME pistol, I shot that as well and came as close as a Christian can to jealousy :) ) 

Honoring Ladies For What They Are

     I was at our Wednesday night bible study this past Wednesday (obviously) and the subject was originally living in an understanding manner with our wives, based on 1st Peter 3:7. The conversation turned rather quickly (due to the fact that half of us there weren't married) to the topic of how to treat a lady properly. Pastor brought out a very important point. In this world, people tend to treat ladies in two ways, both at opposite ends of the spectrum. One is women are unique merely in the physical sense, and that their sole purpose is for men's gratification. The other view, equally as devastating to men in our culture, is that ladies are no different than guys, except in physical form, and that we should treat them as guys, joke with them as guys, act around them as we would with other guys. Each of these views are manifested in different ways. The one, is mainly manifested in the porn industry. The other, which is much more subtle, is manifested in the work force, as you work side by side with them, act around them, treat them, and work with them, just like another man on the job. Both of these views are just the extreme ends of the proper view and treatment of ladies in the culture. Yes, ladies are different, distinct, the "weaker vessel", that were designed by God, and yes, in a way, we are on a par with ladies, in equal value, worth and importance to God.
     This had a profound impact on me. I'll confess, in my sin nature in the past, I have hit both ends of the wrong mindset.  Both of these need to be in balance, and we are to honor, protect and defend ladies, because they are the weaker vessel. This doesn't just apply to men defending their wives from harm, or opening the door for her, it applies to unmarried men as well. We, as men, have the duty to honor, defend and protect ALL women, from harms way. Granted, we aren't to go marching into Walmart with an AK-47 and stand there as guard all day long, to ensure that everybody is safe, that is not our jurisdiction. (Although toting an AK into Walmart sounds like heaps of fun :) ) We are to be prepared, in season and out of season, to give a reason for the hope that is within us. This verse is commonly applied to sharing the gospel with unbelievers, but if we believe that women should be protected, shouldn't we be ready to "give a reason", or to put it plainly, to stand up for what we believe?
     This is a point so totally lost in todays culture. What happened to escorting Granny across the street when she stood there on the corner alone? What happened to tipping our hats as the ladies went by, or holding the door for them, or offering to take the heavy package?  We, as Christian men, need to take up where the world left off. So go ahead, open the door for that lady at the grocery store,  and don't mind if she stares at you oddly. Go and tip your hat (if you wear one) as a lady passes you buy on the street, as you're going to get the mail. And yes, be willing to sacrifice your life in defense of a lady when she is in harms way. Do what it takes, and be a man, by honoring ladies for what they are.

Soli Deo Gloria

Photos of me

Well, I've been thinking. (Any of you who know me real well might start getting worried at that phrase.)

Anyway, except those who live near me, or are in regular contact, many of you have no connection with my immediate life. So, I've decided to post a few recent pictures of me and my doings, as a refresher for those who don't see me often. I won't do this regularly, but its kind of nice to see the fella whose blog you're reading isn't it? :)

I can hide if I have the mind to...
My only catch at Family camp back in September (but not a bad one you must admit).
A not-so-flattering shot taken of me by some friends after I helped them move hay.

Me covered (or partially) in mud after a Sunday when I had to stay home during irrigation to locate gopher holes leaking water into the neighbors yard. I am holding my broken dowel rod that I used to locate the holes.
Plinking at the range last February with my .22lr.
An incredible shot taken at the WMH festival last November.
A point along Pacific coast highway in Ca. back in September.
This is what happens to animals that cross my sights. :)
This is what happens to gophers that cross my traps. :)
A favorite shot of mine, taken last Thanksgiving. The only thing that's missing is my gun and a horse.

Fight hard for what's right and hold fast to what's true

An interesting quote. I modified it a bit from the original quote that I saw, to add some more meaning to it, and it has some incredible meaning. In our culture of "what's right for you isn't right for me", "don't judge me and I won't judge you", and the general consensus of "all truth is relative", this statement can ruffle some feathers. After all, isn't fighting evil? I mean, don't we all want peace? I'm sure you've seen the bumper sticker "coexist" with each letter being a symbol of a different religion. The main point of this sticker is to convince us all to abandon war, religious differences, and "coexist" with everybody. What they don't understand is no society can exist apart from God's mandates.

Back to that quote. Every time I think about it, it reminds me of our mission in life. Let's start from the top.

"Fight hard for what's right" - There is so much in life we need to fight for. We need to fight hard for personal holiness to God, we need to fight hard to humble ourselves before God, we need to fight hard for holy relationships, we need to fight hard to keep from the lusts of the flesh, and the list goes on.

How about the other half - "Hold fast to what's true" Just like we need to fight hard, we need to hold fast in life, and again, there is so much to hold fast to. We need to hold fast to the truth of God's word, we need to hold fast the the fact that God is faithful and just to forgive, if we confess our sins, we need to hold fast to the fact, that if we live our lives in submission to him, one day God will say to us "well done, my good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter into the joy of the Lord" Mat 25:21.

In fact, fighting hard for what's right, is a direct result of holding fast to what's true. If we hold fast to the fact that God is faithful and just to forgive, we will fight hard to confess our sins, to God, and to man, and the examples go on.

Finally, let it be said here, none of this is possible outside of the help of God. If it wasn't for God's saving grace, we would still be lost in our sins. If we were still lost in our sins, we would never even have the want, the will, the desire, or even the ability to submit to God, confess our sins, or be in submission to his will and word. Everything in life points back to our great God sending his son to pay the penalty for our sins, to bring us back to a right relationship with him, just because he loved us. Once again, it reminds us of our mission in life. Taking ground for the creator, in absolute gratitude and submission to him, till he calls us home.

Sola Deo Gloria

Here it goes....

All right, here it goes. I have officially started my very first blog. (drum role please)

I have been begged, pleaded, and implored, at various random times, to start one, by various friends. So, here it goes. But first things first. This blog is dedicated to God and the advancement of his kingdom. not for amusement, not for pleasure, but for the furtherance of the Glory of God. Not to say I can't have fun, "he who has a merry heart has a continual feast ", Prov. 15:13b. But fun will be kept in perspective of our main goal: advancing Gods kingdom.

Yeeehawww, bring on the world!