Category: thoughts

Categories
thoughts

Podcasts I like

Podcasts.numbers.pdf

    Podcast Artist RSS Location Description

  1. The Dave Ramsey Show http://daveramsey.ramsey.libsynpro.com/rss Dave Ramsey Radio Show 40 minute excerpts
  2. Edgewater Covenant Church http://edgewaterchurch.org/?feed=podcast Edgewater Church Sermons
  3. Everything is Alive by Ian Chillag http://feeds.everythingisalive.com/everythingisalive Humorous Interviews of inanimate objects
  4. Faith Legacy Church by FLC http://faithlegacychurch.com/?feed=podcast Faith Legacy Sermons
  5. Forgotten by Ronnie Brown http://forgottenpodcast.com/index.php/feed/podcast/ Christian Biography History of heroes of faith
  6. Freakonomics Radio with Stephen J. Dubner https://rss.art19.com/freakonomics-radio an economic take on things
  7. Get-Fit Guy’s Quick and Dirty Tips to Slim Down and Shape Up by Quick and Dirty Tips https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/xml/getfitguy.xml quick Fitness show
  8. Get-It-Done Guy’s Quick and Dirty Tips to Work Less and Do More by Quick and Dirty Tips https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/xml/getitdone.xml an odd quick productivity show
  9. Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing by Quick and Dirty Tips https://www.qdnow.com/grammar.xml quick Grammar show
  10. Hidden Brain by NPR https://www.npr.org/rss/podcast.php?id=510308 about how the the brain works
  11. IndieFeed: Indie Pop Music by Indiefeed http://feeds.feedburner.com/IndiefeedFolk original music show
  12. Most Useful Podcast Ever Popular Mechanics by Panoply https://feeds.megaphone.fm/mupe quick tips and reviews of things
  13. The Moth http://feeds.feedburner.com/themothpodcast Stories told by the people who are associated with them
  14. The Nutrition Diva’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Eating Well and Feeling Fabulous by Quick and Dirty Tips https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/xml/nutrition.xml quick Nutrition related show
  15. Radiolab by WNYC Studios http://feeds.wnyc.org/radiolab engaging show well-produced about many things
  16. The Savvy Psychologist’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Mental Health by Quick and Dirty Tips https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/itunes/5472 quick psychology show
  17. StartUp Podcast by Gimlet http://feeds.hearstartup.com/hearstartup stories about start ups in businesses, risk success and failure
  18. TED Radio Hour by NPR https://www.npr.org/rss/podcast.php?id=510298 TED talks arranged in a theme
  19. University Covenant Church Weekend Messages http://ucov.com/podcast.cfm Pastor John Fanous’s church sermons in Davis
  20. The Voice by Ezra Engle http://upstreamteens.org/blog/feed/ My daily bible chapter reading
  21. The Way I Heard It with Mike Rowe http://thewayiheardit.rsvmedia.com/rss/ short well-produced stories about things mike rowe likes
  22. 99% Invisible by Roman Mars http://feeds.99percentinvisible.org/99percentinvisible well-produced mentally engaging detailed stories about stuff
  23. 200churches Podcast: Ministry Encouragement for Pastors of Small Churches with Jeff Keady and Jonny Craig https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/8862.rss Encouragement for church leaders of small churches
Categories
politics thoughts

Patriotism?

I support Freedom, Liberty, and the right to stand, sit or kneel for what you believe in. Symbols represent different things to each of us depending on our known personal and cultural histories.

 I may not agree with a particular demonstration, but I respect the right to demonstrate. I am against the bullying of people with unpopular views.

 I hope to be supported by likeminded people when I am under fire for standing for my beliefs as well. It is just a matter of time. 

Categories
Spiritual thoughts

Men’s Monthly Meeting Talk

Me

I was asked to talk at a men’s group today, and I was honored to share some things about spiritual habits that can really help us. They would help me a lot more if I did not get so distracted at times. It takes less than 30 minutes to listen to, and a lifetime to implement.

Listen

Hope it helps you too. It helps to look in the mirror sometimes.

Categories
crying family My Kids News politics Spiritual thoughts wife

A Moving Poem

I want to move to a place where there are no tears and there is no sorrow, but that may have to wait until beyond tomorrow.

There is suffering here until death from our birth , we must strive to bring healing while we’re still here on earth.

If we don’t do this- I ask you, who will? We can’t leave our poor earth to those who would kill.

I will pray for the healers to not leave prematurely, while those who love evil can go fast and early.

Unless they would change, and join in the fight- to defeat selfish suffering and uphold what’s right.

Categories
family frugality thoughts

My Childhood Story

This story below was originally written to be shared at my church.

When I think back to my childhood, I have fond memories of my parents, my interaction with them, the priorities they modeled. Now that I am an adult, and a parent, I even remember painful moments of discipline as a net positive experience. I come from a relatively large nuclear family. Two parents with ten children; eight boys & two girls (I am the second oldest, if you attend Edgewater Covenant Church you may know Uriel & Cuyler, they are the fourth & the sixth, respectively). My parents were married on July 7th, 1973 are are still married today, nearly forty years later.
My parents met at a church youth winter retreat, married young as relatively new christians who wanted to do life differently than they had experienced it,

Continue reading “My Childhood Story”
Categories
Spiritual thoughts

Online Debates

Video Game Time It seems that a lot of my posts here are an overflow of what seems too long to just share on a single Facebook comment stream. I was engaging with a friend who seems to be subscribing to a lot of atheist news feeds that pump out lots of quotes and zingers about how God can’t exist, those who believe in God are stupid, or if God did exist, he could not be worth worshipping, because he does not turn us into a utopian society incapable of harming each other. I normally try to avoid getting into arguments just for the sake of arguing, but this friend has been willing to discuss beliefs in a civil manner in the past, so I feel pretty free to discuss these things with him.

Continue reading “Online Debates”
Categories
family My Kids Spiritual thoughts wife

The Sponsored Move

FaceTime call with Karyn, Zion, Eden and me
I read Genesis 45 today, and was thinking about how nice it would be to have such a generous offer as this:

“You are also directed to tell them, `Do this: Take some carts from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. Never mind about your belongings, because the best of all Egypt will be yours.’ ”
-Genesis 45:19-20 (NIV)

Because my family can’t be replaced, but all of my possessions can be.

Once I have a possession that replaces another, the unused possession becomes relatively useless to me, and simply becomes a burden to manage.

My first thought as I imagined this offer from Pharaoh was to think of it as a generous company sponsored distant move. Any distant move at this point would not be very appealing to me. I really like living in California.

After further consideration, I thought: God did make this offer to me. He is preparing a place for me and I am encouraged to invite my family to come, but not to worry about bringing my possessions, because He has more than I could ever earn to provide for me and my family in this new place. I may have to wait a lifetime before I leave, but it will seem like only a moment in history.

My take-aways:

  • Family Matters
  • Possessions Are not worth worrying about
  • Pay attention to the king
  • There is at least one better place than California
Categories
family thoughts

It’s the little things

Gideon Smiling in his sleep while being photographed

This photo really makes me smile. Gideon, as Karyn (my wife) takes a photo of him sleeping, spontaneously starts smiling.

Continue reading “It’s the little things”
Categories
thoughts youth

Unsolicited Advice

20130101-102336.jpg

Photo by Josiah Engle

If the passage of time depresses you, you will never recover from sadness, because time will continue to pass.

If your hope is only in your youth, you will end up hopeless, because youth is temporary.

Create thinking patterns that help you succeed, and research what happy and content people think about and do.

Nobody said you have to figure out everything on your own. Learn from the regrets of others you trust.

You only live twice. Enjoy making the first life matter, and the second life will be awesome.

Continue reading “Unsolicited Advice”
Categories
politics thoughts

Peace is Better

Frustration
I am a Christian. When I say that, it means I keep trying to be and think like Christ. He got angry at religious hypocrites, loved all people, but hated their sin. He did not care what you thought of him when he hung out with otherwise rejected people. Unlike Christ, I am not successful at doing everything right, but that does not mean I do everything wrong either. The biggest challenge is recognizing when I have done wrong so that I can change it. I don’t like how criticism feels at times, but I welcome it. Respect demands listening with consideration.

There is a movement of “Angry Militant Internet Christians” who would like to coerce me into thinking that there is a “War on Christmas” and so I should not smile and greet those who greet me with a “happy holidays” cordially, but should instead be insulted that they have omitted the name of Christ on our sacred holy day. Perhaps I should reply with a snarky, “Merry Baby-Jesus-Christ-mas to you, fine heathen!” Because that would show the love and intentions of the Prince of Peace himself, yes? No.

Maybe there are politically charged folks out there just looking to debate everyone and slam the beliefs and practices of others. I just don’t want to join them. It is too easy to get all wrapped up in that sort of thinking, and makes peacefully relating to everyone else entirely too difficult.

I was reading in the news about Congress and The President who are in a time sensitive standoff about what sort of compromise can be had to avert the impending ‘fiscal cliff’ (that refers to hitting the debt limit of the United States while spending continues to rise). When nobody respects each other, everyone suffers.

Foreign policy around the world has a similar set of issues. Countries go to war, terrorists attack, sanctions and tariffs are levied. Generally because someone else has what they want, is benefiting unfairly, or is not playing by the rules the other party made up. Selfishness encourages more selfishness.

One day when Angry Militant Internet Christians have lost their “War on Christmas” and used up all their remaining grandfathered influence on society, they will be humbled outcasts in need of undeserved respect and acceptance from those who are inspired to love unconditionally and inspire others to do the same, just as Jesus did.

During this season of giving, think about how to be generous not just with your money toward family and friends, but also be generous with your gratitude, be generous with your willingness to love those who call you an enemy, and be generous with respect towards those who think differently than you do.

Merry Baby-Jesus-Christ-mas, my friends.

And have a happy new year as well!