Under The Wharf

This was directly under the restaurant that we used for my birthday dinner. The weather mild and sunny but a bit windy.

Quarter Final

We won the game 14 to 12. This is Peyton who lives across the street. I will post more pictures of NoDogs after the next game Wednesday night. We play the Diamondbacks for a chance to play in the championship game.

An English Christmas

It is beginning to look like an English Christmas this year. Just got a posting from Giles letting us know that he will be with us during Christmas week. We are sooooo looking forward to seeing him again. He is a great and Godly man and a true blessing in our lives.

Update on BYJNK

Update on 'Because You Just Never Know.' Our neighbor (who shall be nameless but may be called Jack-Sean for the purposes of this posting) was at an event recently where travel packs of sanitary wipes were made available. While I don't know all the circumstances, I have heard that a pack or two has joined the spare underwear in the glove box. Way to be prepared JS! You are an inspiration to all of us 'fly-by-nights' ;)

Back home again

I am back home again after 3 days in Monterey with my wife and all the kidlets. We had a great time celebrating my birthday. I will post some pictures later this evening. I got a new camera (Nikon CoolPix P80) and an external hard drive (I have been very anxious about the many gigabytes of pictures on my computer as I lost some very important ones during the last computer crash).

Having my family around me for 3 days was the best present of all!

blessings on your day

Outbound

In a little over 3 hours, we will be on the road heading to Monterey. I am really looking forward to this weekend. We love the aquarium :)

I will post pictures when I get back. Sooner if I can use one of the kid's laptops.

blessings on your weekend

Lessons From David

The focus of my daily reading of late, has been the life of David. What an amazing man he was. The way the Word lays out his life - the fears, the triumphs, the failings, the defeats, the joys and the legacy - fascinated me. Over and over, David forgot his Lord and headed off on his own. He was proud, arrogant and cocky while at the same time broken, contrite and humble.

In every way, David is show to be extremely human, yet he is spoken of as "a man after God's heart." He was a warrior, a diplomat, a musician, a poet, a father & husband and a king. In spite of all his failings, God established his line forever.

In my wanderings through this life, I have come to realize that it is in my failures and pain that I grow to be what God requires of me. David dealt with tragedy and grief early in his life (his mentor and king tried to kill him repeatedly). The bible spends little time on the peaceful times of David's life. Instead it focuses on the events that molded David into that man-of-God that was to be his legacy.

Be encouraged as you walk through your trials, difficulties and dark times. It is in those that God will forge you into a tool for His purposes.

blessings on your day

Soooooo Tired

For the second night in a row, I got very little sleep. My pager started going off at 10 pm. I had a break from about 1 until 2:45. Then I was up, online and trying to get our data warehouse back online.

SIGH....... I don't function well on 2 hours of sleep.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Last Day

Today is the last day that I can say I am in my 40's. Tomorrow I officially cross over into the second half-century of my life (got a membership application to AARP in the mail last week - I tossed it). As I look back, I am content. I made a lot of mistakes (some horrific) but I can also see the hand of God in my life over and over. I have a wonderful wife and 8 marvelous children (plus a son-in-law, a S/O and a grandson).

Speaking of my wonderful wife, next week also marks the 9 year anniversary of our marriage. Again, I am content. For all the trials that we have been through, I can honestly say that I love my wife more today than when we got married. I am looking forward to growing old together.

blessings on your day

*Cough*

That is what I am doing right now. I hate the end of a cold. It always ends up in my lungs and I end up with coughing-fits (usually at the most inopportune time, like when I am talking to my boss).

Good Morning Blogsphere

It is a beautiful morning here in NorCal. The temperatures have stayed in the mid 80's so far this week. E is off work today after putting in 40 hours in 3 days. My cold is better today (thanks for the prayers). Got to spend some time on the phone this morning with my best buddy Brian (Yo Brian! We need to go wine tasting again soon).

I am really looking forward to this weekend in Monterey, I hope it warms up a bit as it has been in the low 60's all week.

Another Cold?

Riley, the wily-whippet got out again this morning. Fortunately he never left the immediate vicinity and came running home when E put the garage door up.

Last night my lungs started getting congested - looks like yet another cold is in process. I had a quiet weekend, ran some errands, fixed a lamp, watched NoDog's last baseball game, got a haircut. E is resting/recovering after working a total of 36 hours this weekend. She pulled a double on Saturday and turned around and did the same Sunday - Oy!

Trying to get caught up at work after a week in class.

blessings on your day

Jehovah-Jireh

God is my provider. A quote from today's devotional from Chuck Swindoll "God's direction includes God's provision." How very true this is. God never sets us up to fail. God does not send us and then abandon us. God is never surprised, confused or uncertain. If we remember this - if we truly believe what He says, then we need not worry about tomorrow.

The devotional continues...

"Sometimes we settle into a humdrum routine as monotonous as growing cotton year after year," says Vance Havner, in his book, It Is Toward Evening, himself a seasoned old saint of God at the time he wrote these words. "Then God sends the boll weevil; He jolts us out of our groove, and we must find new ways to live. Financial reverses, great bereavement, physical infirmity, loss of position---how many have been driven by trouble to be better husbandmen and to bring forth far finer fruit from their souls! The best thing that ever happened to some of us was the coming of our 'boll weevil.' ... We have to learn to trust God one day at a time"

blessings on your day.

Bruised Mind

Wow has it been a rough day. I have scurried from one emergency to the next since I walked in the door at work. My brain hurts from trying to keep multiple critical tasks all going at the same time. I don't mind emergencies - it goes with the job. It does make it tough, however, when then come simultaneously.