30AUG10 Rat Dogs

30AUG10 Rat Dogs
Originally uploaded by Sarge Jan08

Today's daily pic is of the rat dogs, my name for these guests. Day 1 of 3 for the visitors, reminding why I don't have my own pets. We love to help out Cindy, occasional visits are enough for me.

When my wife's sister leaves town, these two gals frequently land at our place. They are a good reminder of the freedom I have to pick up and go without pets. I have no desire to tend to the needs of animals except in the service to others. For some people the work is worth the companionship and the emotional bonds grow stronger over time. I have had my share of pets over time from my youth through my twenties. Now at fifty-one, I have no desire of pets.

The last pets I had were a pair of collies, Barney and Clyde. I have many very good memories of those dogs and the enjoyment they provided for me. I also remember the time of bankruptcy in the early eighties when I had to choose whether to feed them or my two daughters. It was a very difficult day as I gave my friends away for the sake of my family. I think that is when my desire for pets ended.

Life_According_To_Sarge :: View topic - Heavenly Minded

Life_According_To_Sarge :: View topic - Heavenly Minded

This is the message to be delivered at Suite Living in Blaine, Mn. Come join us if you are in the area.

Not The Place To Be

16AUG10 Dealer Shop
Originally uploaded by Sarge Jan08

On a Monday during the prime mid-morning production time, sitting at the dealer shop is not the place that I want to be. The truck may now be paid off, but 4 years later it still demands a payment of some sort.

I noticed that it was turning over a little more on the stiff side on Friday and wondered if it was misperception on my part, the heat getting to it or if there was a developing issue. Today the truck seemed to crank even slower and I became concerned about eventually being stranded somewhere. Of course we know that wouldn't happen unless I had three deliveries on board, two of them rushes and far away from the shop. I decided to take preventive action and sacrifice the morning for peace of mind.

The electrical checked out perfectly so it is a mystery to me. Now the mechanic wants to check the engine side to see about some noise. It is possible that an injector is going out yet again and the somewhat loss of power the past week was more than the heat, lack of additive to the fuel and the A/C compressor being fully engaged which also turns on the fan and draws down on the power.

Well, if it's not one thing, it's another. If it's not another, then it's something else. And if it's not something else, then it must be something completely different. And doesn't it always happen right after the disposable income has been spent? Timing is everything.

09AUG10 Humidity

09AUG10 Humidity
Originally uploaded by Sarge Jan08

The thick humidity with this heat is oppressive without a breeze or A/C. We went to the OCB for dinner to sit in the air conditioning and as usual, I ate more than I needed to. So now it is like post Thanksgiving dinner with the external pressures knocking me down. bllllaaaaahhhhh!

Pray and Play Retreat Part 4 of 4

Saturday morning at 7:45AM had our group gathering in the living room with common descriptions of soreness and fatigue from the active play on Friday. We began the day with a talk about praying for the lost followed by discussion of what our role is in the course of salvation for both the effective prayer and the practical witness.

After being served another excellent breakfast, we regrouped in the living room so Pastor Ron could present a lesson on listening to God followed by a short quiet time. We came back together and began the process of praying for all of the families in our congregation using the church directory and notes of the newer attendees. This procedure carried through a time period on the pontoon and in the van on the ride home. We cleared out of the house we had been staying in and loaded our gear into the van.

We took the pontoon out for a lunch cruise and found a calm spot near the lily pads to dine. We dined on sloppy joes, pasta salad, baked beans and an excellent strawberry dessert. We had plenty of laughs as we enjoyed one another’s company. After lunch we had a little free time as Ron took a couple of the kids on a short tubing ride while driving the speed boat over to the landing to pull it out of the water.

The ride home included a little bit of debate and lots of laughs as well as the finishing of our praying through the directory. We had a discussion about the retreat; what people liked and what they would like to see changed and then a suggestion time for ideas for the prayer ministry. All in all, people seemed to enjoy themselves and found value in attending the pray and play weekend. Thanks to Jeff for driving and for the use of his van for the transportation. Thanks to Pastor Ron for providing the facilities and giving us the last couple days of his vacation time there. And a special thanks to the great ladies at Mogasheen Resort who prepared the fabulous meals for us, including the wonderful desserts.

Read the full article.

Pray and Play Retreat Part 3 of 4

After lunch we had a session on Effective Prayer. As I said, it was after lunch so some eyelids were looking fairly heavy. People did perk up however as a lively discussion ended the session. The lesson was mainly on switching our prayer motivations from being self-serving to God glorifying and God’s will in the situation being prayed about. The discussion took a bit of a turn to whether or not our reason for being created was to simply glorify God or if there was more than that and also considered how much God truly wills for our individual daily decisions in life.

We then had free time from approximately 1:30 to 3:00PM. Some napped or sat and relaxed while others took care of some personal matters such as sermon prep or photo and blog uploads. At 3:00PM the speed boat was loaded into the water and the water skis and tubes were about to get wet. Some skied and tubed while others went along for the ride and watched. It was a warm, sunny afternoon that we were blessed with for some fun. The most popular comments dealt with being sore from using muscles differently than normal and wait to see how you feel tomorrow. Other than Jeff banging his knee jumping into the water behind the boat and Josiah taking a skidding slide across the gravel road that he was running on, we seemed to survive the afternoon with no casualties.

At 5:30 we had a short session before dinner which was an hour later. Having covered praise, thanksgiving and intercession earlier in the day, we now focused on confession. This was mainly a solo effort as we received a copy of a reprint from Finney dealing with the sin that we sometimes ignore or deal with in less than a sincere manner. We each went to a spot where we could sit alone to read the 3 pages and do a little self-introspection and confession. I know that I will have to address this one again as the allotted time did not seem to do it justice.

Dinner was what I would call a spaghetti lasagna, salad, garlic bread and milk or Kool-Aid. We were treated to a chocolate cake, pudding and whipped cream dessert that was very good to top off the fabulous dinner. The gals at the resort have provided excellent meals for us throughout our visit and we are grateful for their efforts.

After dinner at the picnic tables, we headed back to the house and spent about 45 minutes praying for the Cornerstone mission, vision and 2010 goals. We were then free for the night which included a Rook game and laughing at some of each other’s favorite YouTube videos.

Pray and Play Retreat Part 2 of 4

06JULY10 Pray and Play 08
Originally uploaded by Sarge Jan08

This morning we began at 7:45 with a pre-breakfast session, then had breakfast together in the house. After breakfast we had a message on praise and thanksgiving, took 10 minutes to reflect on our own prayer lives and our approach to God before gathering together for an outdoor activity.

We occupied 2 canoes and 4 kayaks and set course for the island. Along the way each person prayed alone quietly offering praise and thanksgiving to God. On the island we hiked across to a campsite where we settled in to hear some more thoughts on praise and thanksgiving before praying as a group. We reloaded into the watercraft and made the trip back to the resort for a lunch outside at the picnic tables.

After lunch we went back to the house and heard a message on effective prayer followed by a discussion about determining how a prayer was effective or not.

Pray and Play Retreat Part 1 of 4

The Pray and Play Retreat is a time for us to get away and focus on prayer. There is teaching followed by application and then conversation regarding the topic and experience. Between each session is time to play and enjoy the beautiful area here at Mogasheen resort near Cable, Wisconsin.

We all rode up here together in a 12 passenger van and over the three hour ride we took time to discuss prayer and had a short time of prayer. We learned of the backgrounds of each other concerning prayer in our upbringing and we discussed our current prayer habits. We also talked about why we were along on this adventure, all with differing reasons.

We arrived at 9:45PM and unloaded the van. We were shown our rooms and were free to explore our surroundings. Four of us went for a moonlight swim and then headed to the pool which felt like a hot tub after swimming in the refreshingly cool lake. After a little conversation time, people wandered to their beds. 7:45AM is start time in the morning.

Cancer cells slurp up fructose, U.S. study finds | Reuters

Cancer cells slurp up fructose, U.S. study finds | Reuters

Better re-evaluate the diet I think.