To Be A Success In 2004 (Version 5)
Omaha World-Herald, September 12th, 2004, Page 14-A
The Day My Dad Died (Version 7)
Omaha World-Herald, September 19th, 2004, Page 17-A
(September 30, 2004 6:01 AM CDT)
Good morning from beautiful and very dark
"Blest are they who hunger and thirst for holiness;
Do you want to be holy?
downtown Omaha, Nebraska USA.
I just drove into work.
I really did.
There is absolutely no traffic to speak of
at this time of day.
I drove the length of Dodge Street west to east
in record time of 15 minutes or so.
There are traffic lights blinking yellow
at various intersections as you go along,
since the volume of traffic is so low.
Maybe they flip at 6am to regular cycle patterns.
The parking lot north of the building where I work
is nearly empty.
I am the first car parking on the roof
of the parking garage west of the building.
I had to turn on the lights here on my floor.
It is positively quiet.
I had to bring my Bible with me,
so I can look up a verse for you today.
I am using an Albuquerque tourist souvenir
as a bookmarker.
It is 2 by 3 inches in size and
has colorful hot air balloons all over it
with blue sky background.
To the left of my Bible is this picture
of a
jet hitting the sound barrier on July 7, 1999
.
It was in a special edition of LIFE magazine January 2000
titled "1999 The Year in Pictures" pages 70 and 71.
Why come in so early?
Because the person next to me
beat me into work yesterday
which has never happened before
that I can recall,
so I beat her in to work today.
It was no contest.
There is an order to the universe
that needs to be preserved...
or something like that.
It did scare me a little.
When people make changes like that
it can be "an indicator."
I forgot to tell you today is an "A&W" day...
air and water.
I am drinking some Aquafina water
that was left over from the party I had September 18th.
Here is the verse from the Bible
I came up with for this morning...
they shall have their fill."
Matthew 5:6
Do you want to come closer to the Lord?
He says to come and see.
Check him out.
As the day goes on,
I will get a little hungry,
but not too bad.
I truly will get thirsty.
Do you have this hunger for the Lord?
Is there something missing in your life?
Come to the Lord Jesus.
He will satisfy the hunger of your heart.
He is life-giving water for your soul.
(September 29, 2004 5:52 AM CDT)
On Monday I checked P.O. Box 261 and
"The Spirit instructed me
Is the Holy Spirit part of your life?
there was a letter from Columbus, Nebraska 68601.
I received a total of 4 emails from people
seeing the two advertisements in the newspaper.
Not many people write to Spring To Life.
Pray for all these people and their families.
God bless them.
to accompany them without hesitation."
Acts 11:12
Do you pray to the Spirit?
The Spirit will teach you.
The Spirit will give you wisdom and understanding.
These are gifts from God to you.
Ask...
ask for these gifts of the Holy Spirit.
They are free.
Take them.
Run with them.
Don't hesitate.
Go with the Spirit.
(September 28, 2004 6:08 AM CDT)
Would you believe that I copied the VHS tape
Would you believe I have 3 DVD players in my house?
God said to Solomon,
Lord, we ask for understanding.
of my trip to California at 2am this morning?
It is 93 minutes long of various places that I visited.
It starts off with all the noise at the LAX terminal
as we waited for our luggage after getting off the plane.
It ends with a walk along the park on Ocean Avenue
in Santa Monica above the beach.
There is a zoomed in close up of the sign
in front of the
Hilton Waterfront Hotel in Huntington Beach
at 29:17 on the tape.
I made an index of the tape,
so I can find things quickly.
It only costs about $214 to $289 per night to stay there,
so in other words I will never be staying there.
I usually pay around $100 per night at places in California.
I have a rental car to drive to the beach
or wherever I want.
I don't need to stay right along the ocean
and pay 2 or 3 times as much.
Now explain that.
I am trying to and I'm having a hard time justifying it.
You can only watch one movie at a time.
I only have one TV.
It does have PIP (picture in picture).
I could watch two at once, but why?
I am losing it.
I need help.
Maybe I am addicted to shopping for electronics.
"Ask something of me and
I will give it to you."
Solomon replied,
"Give your servant an understanding heart
to judge your people and
to distinguish right from wrong."
The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request.
So God said to him,
"Because you have asked for this ---
not for a long life for yourself,
nor for riches,
nor for the life of your enemies,
but for understanding,
so you may know what is right ---
I do as you requested.
I give you a heart so wise and
understanding that there has never been
anyone like you up to now,
and after you there will come no one to equal you."
1 Kings 3:5,9-12
Give us your wisdom to know right and wrong.
Change our hearts, Lord.
Shape our hearts.
Make us to be what you want us to be.
Show us what is truly important in this life.
We ask this all in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
(September 27, 2004 5:27 AM CDT)
I can't believe how September has just flown by!
"The crowds asked Jesus,
Share what you have.
It's almost over.
Lately I am just having an impossible time
finding things around my house.
I need to do some reorganizing soon...
very soon.
Well, that is what happens
when you hide just about everything you own
in the basement like I did recently.
This morning I'm making more copies of my 2 writings.
(i.e. Goal #1 9/27/2004)
A neighbor a few blocks away missed them in the newspaper.
I will toss them in her mailbox on the way to work.
I saw her after church yesterday at "Boys Town, USA."
I introduced her to my mom that was with me.
(Before Mass I introduced mom to Father Val.
After Mass I showed mom the prayer garden.)
(I just tried to reread the September 19th writing
and I started to cry, so I tossed it on the floor.
I'm not going to do any crying today.
Here let me show you what's on the floor on my right...
It's not in focus, is it?
Well, you get the idea.)
My mom has 7 sons and my neighbor has 3 sons.
I did not even know that.
I knew she had at least one son,
because a few years back she told me to pray for him
since he was going through a divorce at that time.
A very interesting moment...
to see them talking to each other
on such a beautiful "California" day.
It was beautiful!
I still have not got all the phone numbers
programmed into my new cell phone.
It takes awhile to do it,
but at least I have a written copy of them now.
Goal #7 today is buy 3 tennis balls.
I don't think there is a tennis ball in my whole house.
I have not played tennis is a long time.
I do have two tennis racquets
still in the basement, of course,
with everything else.
'What ought we to do?'
In reply he said,
'Let the man with two coats
give to him that has none.
The man who has food
should do the same.'"
Luke 3:10
It seems pretty simple.
Give to those in need that are around you.
Another point to note from this
is to ask Jesus questions.
If you don't know what to do, ask Jesus.
"WWJD: What would Jesus do," some people say/ask.
I heard that at work Thursday.
(September 26, 2004 6:23 AM CDT)
The package has arrived in Newport Beach, California.
Would you believe my new cell phone "died"?
"For a thousand years in your sight
70 or 80 years go by "quickly."
(Goal #5 of 9/20/2004.)
We have confirmation!
I read a week's worth of newspapers yesterday.
(Goal #23 of 9/20/2004.)
It was doing some strange things the last few days.
I went to Oak View Mall yesterday and got a new one.
I still have the old one,
so that I can copy all the phone numbers across.
Actually it forced me to write all these numbers down.
Some of these numbers were only on my cell phone.
I'm looking at the battery indicator this morning
and I think I need a new battery.
Maybe that was the whole problem...
the battery was bad.
That could be what was happening.
I just copied my two recent writings for
Rich
.
I will give him the copies
at church this morning at Boys Town.
He has followed my S2L writings
very closely over the years.
He asked me about them yesterday around lunchtime.
This guy is a wonderful man of God.
If S2L gave awards, I'd give one to him and his wife.
They do amazing things for the Lord!
I have lost count of how many children they have adopted.
My copy of the September 19th writing does not look too good.
It is wrinkled.
I spilled water all over it that day.
A vase of flowers tipped over that morning
as I was moving it.
Now the wrinkles are part of history.
are as yesterday...
Seventy is the sum of our years,
or eighty, if we are strong...
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart."
Psalms 90:4,10,12
It is a blink of the eye for the Lord.
Yes, there are wrinkles that are seen
and become part of history.
May we find true wisdom
in the short time that we have.
May this wisdom enter our hearts.
May we be changed.
May we be prepared for eternity.
May we see a "day" that never ends...
THE day...
the sun comes up and never ever sets...
we are home...
home with the Lord Jesus...
(Note: I seem to be "stuck" on Psalm 90.
I wrote about it on September 22nd, also.
Read the whole Psalm.
The Lord is pointing out to me it is very important.
Study it."
(September 25, 2004 5:30 AM CDT)
Last night I was watching the movie
Yes, I played racquetball yesterday.
There is the smell of latex paint in my house this morning.
Allergy season is over for me.
This morning I'm reading up on
spinnakers
.
"One day Jesus got into a boat
We are lost.
"Cheaper By The Dozen" again.
I was listening to the director's comments.
He said there was one scene where it was raining
and they created a fake blue sky
to make it a "utopian" family vision.
There were some scenes that I slept through apparently.
I must have blanked out for awhile.
Like I don't remember them moving away from their house
to their new house.
I missed it when I first viewed the movie.
Here is a picture of court number 4.
We were assigned to court number 3,
but I got confused/distracted.
Actually we could have played on any of the 8 courts.
No one was there except for us.
Two other people showed up before we left.
They played on court 5 next to us.
I painted the south bedroom yesterday afternoon.
It looks better...much better.
The walls were very dirty in spots.
You can check off goal #6 for 9/20/2004.
I don't have to take Allegra anymore.
I have never heard the term before two days ago.
Someone at work wanted a copy of a picture of a spinnaker
that I took at Dana Point, California a few weeks ago.
I just looked at all my pictures from that day
and I'm still not sure which one it is.
I will just have to copy all the pictures to a CD and
ask which one to print.
with his disciples and said to them,
'Let us cross over to the far side of the lake.'
So they set out, and as they sailed he slept.
A windstorm descended on the lake,
and they began to ship water
and to be in danger.
They came to awaken him, saying,
'Master, master, we are lost!'
He awoke and rebuked the wind
and the tumultuous waves.
The waves subsided and it grew calm.
Then he asked them,
'Where is your faith?'
Filled with fear and admiration,
they said to one another,
'What sort of man can this be
who commands even the winds and the sea
and they obey him?'"
Luke 8:22-25
We call out for help.
"Help!!!!"
(This was the subject on an email I read last night for work
written to me at 2:14pm yesterday.)
Who can help us?
Who will rescue us from perishing at sea?
The waves are huge.
It is Jesus.
He is there.
He saves us.
He asks "where is your faith?"
He will do what he promised.
He is faithful.
Do not worry.
Do not be afraid.
He will take care of his children.
(September 24, 2004 5:51 AM CDT)
Today is the day for goal #21 of 9/20/2004.
Yesterday I went for a walk downtown
"There is nothing to fear.
There will be storms in your life.
i.e. racquetball at 11:45am at the YMCA
20th and Howard Streets.
It should be a blast!
I love the game.
The person I am playing with took this picture
of the
Sears Tower
in Chicago a few weeks ago.
I asked her to get me a picture of it.
Why?
Well, it is the setting of the story I wrote
The Mind of God
a few years ago.
Maybe someday I will go to Chicago.
I've never seen the tower.
I've driven through parts of Chicago years ago,
but I've never seen downtown.
at the Heartland of America Park.
I took some pictures with my cell phone.
We had all these storms in the morning
and then the sun broke through.
Beautiful...simply beautiful!
The quality of the pictures is not great,
but you get the idea.
This is out the 8th floor window
where I work.
Where was my digital camera at?
The scene was awesome!
I mean...it was cool!
I got back my lawnmower yesterday afternoon.
It "died" last Friday (Sept. 17) as I was using it.
Instant panic attack!
Ted and gang (about 51st and Q Streets) fixed it.
God bless them!
At first I did not think it was my mower.
I didn't recognize it.
They had cleaned it up.
It did not look like my mower!
I took it anyway.
I didn't care what it looked like.
I was desperate and immediately put it to use
when I got home.
I am the First and the Last
and the One who lives.
Once I was dead
but now I live ---
forever and ever.
I hold the keys of death and
the nether world."
Revelation 1:17-18
They will come.
There will be trials and difficulties,
but Jesus says to you,
there is nothing to fear.
He is with you.
He is there by your side.
You may not recognize him,
but it is he.
He is the key to life.
If you have him, you have it made.
Take him at his word.
He has promised to watch over you.
He will do it.
Trust in Jesus.
He is your hope.
He is a ray of blinding sunshine
on your darkest day.
He is...simply beautiful!
He is...
(September 23, 2004 6:02 AM CDT)
Hey, 602 French Provincial still exists,
I am not going to be late for church today,
I saw the movie
Cheaper By The Dozen
last night.
Sorry time is up...
so Julie can order some more.
Cool!
so when it is time to go...
I am gone...
It is OK/Okay/ok!
It is very lite and something for the whole family.
I rented 5 movies to watch for the week,
if you can't tell what is happening.
Guess what the dog's name is in the movie...
bye...
(September 22, 2004 6:03 AM CDT)
This morning I'm looking at
Florida Tile
.
"O Lord, you have been our refuge
He is there.
I'm searching for style 701398 to match the tile
I already have in my bathroom.
Or "602 French Provincial" is what I said
way back on
January 26th, 2000
.
(Notice that it mentions ping pong on that date.
Since then I have acquired a table.
I did not sell my house back then.
I thought that I might at that time.)
Julie is helping with my bathroom project.
She took off for a Bible Study last night at a girlfriend's house
after taking lots of notes on changes to make.
I told her that I try to read the Bible each day also.
She said it was something she needed.
through all generations.
Before the mountains were begotten
and the earth and the world were brought forth,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God."
Psalms 90:1-2
He is your comfort.
Turn to the Lord.
Lean on him.
He is faithful.
He will hold you up.
He is your refuge in these troubled times.
(September 21, 2004 5:49 AM CDT)
Well, I accomplished (marked with "*") a few things yesterday,
Here are a few pictures from Dana Point, California
"It shall come to pass in the last days,
I want you to get splashed today!
as you can see.
Some tasks were more important than the others.
Do you see that it helps to have a list?
Hopefully your list won't be as long as mine,
but you do need a list of goals for each day.
on Sunday, September 5th.
It was a warm day.
It probably set a record high for that date,
but I have not verified that yet.
I just looked and it did not set the record.
Here is the marina.
Mahalo means "thank you" in Hawaiian.
The waitress at the restaurant where we had lunch
wrote this word on our receipt.
The light was sparkling so cool off this boat.
It was something to watch.
This is the boat we rode in with Captain Dave.
We were out on the ocean for about 2.5 hours.
This is a different boat parked next to our boat.
I mean...really...truly...
how many fishing poles does one need?
Here is a colorful sailboat.
As we headed out to the open ocean
the waves were significant.
The people on the front of the boat got splashed,
which did not feel too bad since it was a little warm.
This is the view from the front of the boat.
The water splashed up through the blue net.
I did get splashed at one point and
it took my shorts, shirt and socks a very long time to dry out.
I don't think my socks dried out until overnight.
Here is Tom giving us a lecture on types of whales and dolphins.
Tom steered the boat most of the time.
This is Captain Dave steering the boat,
as Tom gave his lecture.
Just beautiful...
I printed this picture for the people I work with
and posted it for a few days outside my cube.
We were heading back for the marina at this time.
This is Captain Dave and Tom again.
I usually go for a ride on the ocean once per year
with Captain Dave.
says God,
that I will pour out a portion of my spirit
on all mankind;
your sons and daughters shall prophesy,
your young men shall see visions
and your old men shall dream dreams."
Acts 2:17
I want you to feel the Holy Spirit.
You need that baptism of water and the Spirit.
You need to see the sparkling shimmering lights.
That is God's vision for you.
It is beautiful!
Can you see it?
Can you say Mahalo and thank the Lord?
(September 20, 2004 4:58 AM CDT)
I'm trying to put down my goals for today:
I'm showing you this to give you some insight into setting goals.
"Beloved,
God loves us to pieces.
*1) work at Qwest
*2) pray at church
*3) help at Siena/Francis House
*4) check post office box 261 (nothing in it)
*5) mail a package to Newport Beach, California
(package arrived 9/25/2004)
*6) plan for painting the south bedroom (painted 9/24/2004)
*7) deliver 18 peach roses to my mom (arrival acknowledged)
*8) update S2L web site (in progress as you can see)
*9) read entire chapter of 1st Corinthians chapter 13
and live it (daily goal)
*10) pray for a friend that is having surgery today
and plan for sending her a card and flowers
in the next few days
*11) think about God and how simply awesome he is!
*12) keep giving away extra food in my refrigerator
*13) watch the movie Seabiscuit (I kept falling asleep)
*14) say hello to a friend on 7th floor where I work
to see how she is doing (she knows person in #21)
15) continue to clean up house and put things away
and back to where they belong
(I just moved the peace lily of June 26th
from my basement back to the kitchen and watered it)
*16) pray for special intention of a family crisis situation
*17) wonder about the significance of the number 253, why 253?
(253 is not a prime number, it is 11 times 23,
it is the the smallest non-trivial
triangular star number
)
*18) verify that things in the backyard are taken away
*19) thank the Lord for his many gifts to me
20) get someone to fill out insurance forms revisions for living trust
*21) ask someone to play racquetball with me at YMCA for FREE
sometime in the near future (played Friday 11:45am court 4)
22) think about how to deliver birthday gifts
and make it a cool surprise (keep this a secret!)
*23) start to read some of Sunday's newspaper
(done 9/25/2004)
*24) go for walk at Westroads Mall
*25 added) lunch with two brothers and mom
at Spaghetti Works
(I just printed this and will keep it with me for the day.
I will mark entries with a "*" when they are done.)
I try to do this every morning.
So I look at this list and think ---
wow, it's just too much and yet it is written down...
it is there.
I probably won't get to all of it.
I will do most of it I'm pretty sure.
I will give it a try.
Yes, it takes some thinking and planning
and you can ad lib and add/delete/change
the list as the day goes on,
but the idea is to have a list of goals you make daily.
if God has loved us so,
we must have the same love for one another."
1 John 4:11
He does.
He is always planning surprises for us!
He is an awesome God!
So ask yourself:
does it show?
Is there any evidence that you're "sharing the love."
Is it there somewhere on your list of goals for today?
(September 19, 2004 6:49 AM CDT)
(Update at 7:49pm:
(Update at 12:33 PM:
Hey, I just read the newspaper.
Yesterday was a unique day.
"God has saved us and has called us to a holy life,
Jesus wants us to be holy.
This evening at 5:30pm I went to the Cathedral
at 40th and Burt Streets.
The Mass intention was for my dad.
That was a nice "coincidence" to mark the day.
I probably knew about it and had forgotten.
There is just way too much happening!
When I told my mom about the "railroad tracks"
and "keeping on track"
she thought I/we was/were crazy.
That was her reaction.
You wonder how often does a person use
the word "track" in conversation over a period of time.
Was it just a coincidence of words?
I could be.
I ask:
does the gift of prophecy exist in 2004 or not?
It takes faith to believe it.
)
Someone just sent me this web site.
Maybe it will be of benefit to you and your family.
Living With Dads Cancer
.
)
It is there on page 17-A this morning.
It brought some tears to my eyes.
I did love my dad.
I do miss him.
I don't want to think about it.
You know, who wants to cry?
Who wants to be sad?
I try not to think much about it.
I learned a lot yesterday.
My friend Margaret stopped by (birthday September 17).
We chatted for about 30 minutes.
She says that she had a vision of railroad tracks
a few days ago.
God pointed out to her that tracks was something significant
and I told her about my fasting the other day
and being on the "right track."
Another confirmation!
Amazing!
Fasting is apparently something very high
on God's agenda for us.
My thought is to fast (only have water)
one day per week (if your health allows it).
Prayer and fasting is extremely important
for our spiritual lives.
not because of any merit of ours
but according to his own design ---
the grace held out to us in Christ Jesus
before the world began
but now made manifest
through the appearance of our Savior.
He has robbed death of its power
and has brought life and immortality
into clear light through the gospel."
2 Timothy 1:9-10
He wants us to draw close to him.
He blesses us with life and light.
Death is not to be feared ---
it is to be conquered.
We are promised new life ---
life that never ends.
It is a gift given to us
whether it is our birthday or not.
God is MOST generous.
He is unbelievablely generous!
He gives gifts all the time.
Receive them.
They are free.
Margaret and I talked about this yesterday.
Receive these free gifts from the Lord!
(September 17, 2004 6:27 AM CDT)
Yesterday morning I was late for church as always,
I actually slept through the night last night.
At lunchtime yesterday I went to the public library
but I did capture these pictures around 7am.
This is eastbound Dodge Street as you get to
Memorial Park at Happy Hollow Blvd.
Sometimes there is fog as you drive by in the mornings.
This picture does not capture how neat it is to see this
in person.
These pictures are from 19th and Douglas Streets
looking east over the fog along the river
in downtown Omaha.
The second picture here is very close to how it looks in person.
The relection of the sun off the windows
in the Central Park North Tower at 15th Street
is very cool to see in person.
There are advantages to being a "morning person."
That fasting has some nice "side effects."
The alarm on the clock radio woke me up at 4:59am.
That has not happened in a long time (2 months?).
I usually can't sleep around 3am or 4am and just get up.
to check out again a book by Dr. Kevin Leman.
There were two people at the counter.
The woman helped me.
The guy was talking on the phone to his wife and said
he was going to have "air and water" for lunch.
Just like me!
Interesting.
The woman and I remarked about the "air and water" phrase.
The guy didn't have enough money for lunch
is what we figured he was trying to say.
This is what you call a prophecy.
God "confirmed" what I was doing yesterday.
I was on the right track.
(September 16, 2004 6:03 AM CDT)
This morning at 9:40am I have to report in
I'm back on that "liquid diet" again today.
I talked to Ellen yesterday at the Omaha World-Herald.
I would love to take a picture of sunrise at 7:05am this morning,
I saw 3:32am change to 3:33am on my bedroom clock this morning.
Jesus said it,
He said to ask, so I am asking today.
to Dr. Watts.
He will probably "yell" at me
for being out in the sun too much lately
(i.e. football game Saturday,
California trip in early September, etc.).
I use SPF 30, but it isn't perfect protection.
God bless him and all his staff today.
I'm fasting and praying all day today
for a miracle (or two or three).
I will probably get a cramp in my right leg,
but prayer is SO important!
It is!
She gave me a proof for the September 19th advertisement.
We corrected the page number to say Page 14-A
for last week's advertisment location.
but I will be at church.
It's going to be one of those special days.
"So I say to you,
'Ask and you shall receive;
seek and you shall find;
knock and it shall be opened to you.'"
Luke 11:9
I am more than asking...
I am begging for a few miracles!
Jesus, hear my prayer today.
I trust in you.
I believe in you.
Please, grant my requests.
Can you "agree in prayer" with me for this today?
Thank you ever so much for praying along with me!
(September 15, 2004 5:33 AM CDT)
My Uncle Joe is sick in Dayton, Ohio,
Yesterday I went down to UPS and
Was I on time yesterday?
This morning I got out my
crayons
.
"What we await are new heavens and a new earth
One day things will be set aright.
so pray for him.
Thanks!
picked up a package southeast of 27th and Q Streets.
It was a cell phone for my mom.
It had just started to rain shortly after 8am.
The rain might have caused an accident at that intersection.
There were two cars involved and
rescue equipment was on the scene.
The traffic reports on the radio (100.7 FM)
were announcing an injury accident at that location.
So pray for those involved in that accident
that they recover quickly from their injuries.
Did I accomplish one of my goals for that day?
No.
I failed.
I was about 10 minutes late.
I did drive the speed limit on I-80,
but I was just late.
That is all there is to it.
It takes an effort for me to be on time.
I have to change something.
Pray for me.
(No wonder I'm always late for things!
I need to stay focused!)
I bought them way back in August, 1998
when I was down in Albuquerque, New Mexico
at a
Target
store.
The fragrance of the different colors as you use them
brings back memories when I was a little kid.
where, according to his promise,
the justice of God will reside."
2 Peter 3:13
Today we have chaos and pain and failures,
but one day justice will reign.
The sun will shine over us.
The sky will be blue.
The flowers will bloom in all their colors
and produce "out of this world" fragrances.
It is all promised to you.
It will happen, if you only believe.
(September 14, 2004 5:49 AM CDT)
One of my goals today is to be on time
Yesterday I was turning onto West Dodge Road
This was from the Bible readings at the Boys Town Chapel
The message is there for you to see.
to pickup my Mom at 6:55am this morning.
Will I make it on time?
Only time will tell.
Are you setting goals for the day each morning?
and the Lexus RX-300
right in front of me with Nebraska license 6-A4780
had a border frame from Lexus of Santa Monica
just like I have on my car.
It would have been very interesting to talk to them,
but poof!!! off they went flying away
and I could not catch up to them.
And speaking of Santa Monica...
Here are a few pictures from September 6th.
Looking north on the Santa Monica beach.
Looking south on the Santa Monica beach.
The park along Ocean Avenue above the beach.
The pier and one of the many airplanes
with their messages flying by.
On the pier.
There were lots of people that day,
since it was the Labor Day holiday.
We watched the ocean waves coming in.
The famous sign you see in the movies.
a few days ago.
Jesus said,
"I tell you, there will be the same kind of joy
before the angels of God over one repentant sinner."
Luke 15:10
It is right there flying by.
Pay attention.
Catch hold of it before it is gone.
Embrace the Lord.
Ask Jesus to forgive your sins.
Repent means to turn around.
Turn away from sin and
turn toward God.
Run to him.
Time to go...bye...
(September 13, 2004 5:45 AM CDT)
Here...
There it is in the newspaper again on page 21-A yesterday...
Billy Graham
has a TV movie this week.
"So then, my dearly beloved,
Well, that's me...grumbling and arguing...
a friend just sent me this...
If you never...
fly to New York for $107 each way.
In fact it is on the same piece of paper,
as page 14-A where the S2L advertisement was.
It is for
midwestairlines.com
.
With taxes a ticket comes out to $240.03.
My first reaction is I don't want to travel.
Really I don't.
God wants me to go to the east coast,
but I'm not interested.
You all better pray for me!
It is titled "Last Flight Out!"
In Omaha it will be shown on KXVO Channel 15
Saturday, September 18th at 5:30pm.
The VCRPLUS number is 151234.
Check the TV Listings in the link above for your town.
obedient as always to my urging,
work with anxious concern
to achieve your salvation,
not only when I happen to be with you
but all the more now that I am absent.
It is God who, in his good will toward you,
begets in you any measure of desire or achievement.
In everything that you do,
act without grumbling or arguing;
prove yourselves innocent and straightforward,
children of God beyond reproach
in the midst of a twisted and depraved generation ---
among whom you shine like the stars in the sky
while holding fast to the word of life."
Philippians 2:12-16
It is not easy to do the will of God.
It takes an effort.
It tires you out.
You don't want to do it,
but that is your calling.
That is why you are alive here and now.
The Lord wants you to shine.
Be that very bright star in an unbelievablely dark sky.
(September 12, 2004 6:11 AM CDT)
I made 3 cakes last night.
What am I listening to this morning?
I made it to the game yesterday in Lincoln.
Hey, the newspaper arrived around 7am.
...back to the game.
Jesus asked,
I think back to this scene in
3 of my friends have birthdays this week.
I froze them, of course.
It is the soundtrack from
Spider-man 2 movie
.
I downloaded it from Itunes yesterday.
I really like the song (track 12) by Ana titled
"We are."
Why?
My nephew likes some of these songs.
When we were in California we listened to
Sirius radio
in the rental car
and these songs were on channel 18 (I think).
It was neat.
Over 77,000 people were there.
Before the game outside the stadium on the campus
the bands were getting warmed up.
Here are some of the band members.
Many people gathered around to listen to them practice.
The color of the day was red as you can see.
I dug a red shirt out of the laundry basket to wear.
I don't have many red clothes.
This is outside the stadium on the east side.
Valentino's
was there in force to provide pizza.
I asked for special pizza at halftime and
all they had was hamburger.
It cost $3 and was fine, but I like special better.
North of the stadium they use this large field
to host people outside the stadium.
It was a carnival atmosphere.
This is an award winning picture, don't you think?
These guys were trying to play some Bruce Springsteen song.
It was very loud.
The advertisement is on page 14-A.
It is big.
We just need to pray for everyone reading the paper today.
May each of them be a success!
I just reread it (7:20am).
It is all there.
It says what needs to be said.
It will be interesting to see if any lives are changed.
During the national anthem
they had us hold up signs.
I had a red sign to hold up where I was.
I was in section 40 row 34.
This is the northeast corner of the stadium.
I was on the negative 20 or 30 yard line.
North and south had the red/white stripes.
East and west had the blue/white stars.
And I just noticed you can see the jet
that flew over the stadium.
There were fireworks behind us
north of the stadium exploding.
Wow!
A lot was going on in just a few seconds!
Here is the huge flag over the north stadium
above the sea of red.
I think these are little kids holding these letters.
Here is a look back from ground level
at where I was seated below and just left of the scoreboard.
Here is the TV camera that moved up and down the sidelines.
On the drive back to Omaha
I stopped at I-80 exit 432 to see this
chapel
.
You can watch the I-80 traffic go by.
"Judas, would you betray the Son of Man
with a kiss?"
Luke 22:48
"The Passion of The Christ."
How could Judas do that?
How could he betray Jesus?
Wow!
He was that close to Jesus.
How could he do that?
He gave Jesus over to the enemy.
Let us all learn from Judas' mistake.
May we love the Lord with all that we are
and never betray him.
(September 11, 2004 5:00 AM CDT)
Today the S2L 2004 Tour continues in Lincoln, Nebraska (again!).
"God is the rock of my heart
May your heart be solid.
I have to review the rules for the football stadium.
The game is at 11 AM CDT on ABC.
Maybe you will see me on TV.
I have set up the VCR to record it with VCRPLUS number 291530.
It will be my first time in Memorial Stadium
in about 10 years.
I understand they are doing some special things
at the opening, since today is 9-11.
I will take some pictures and show you.
and my portion forever."
Psalms 73:26
May it be filled with the love of God.
May this love last forever.
Jesus, be with all the people,
still hurting from 9-11.
Comfort them this day and always.
Be near them and bless them.
Help them through this day of rememberance.
(September 10, 2004 5:45 AM CDT)
Would you believe there is a
Maggie Moo's
on Balboa Island, California?
Jesus said to the crowd,
To own a house or boat in the pictures above
It is located at 302 Marine Ave.
Here is a map of Balboa Island.
Newport Beach surrounds the town.
We went to a little church
(314 Marine Ave) there on Sunday and
5 minutes into the Mass the lights went out.
They had to open the doors,
since it was getting a little warm.
The sermon was cancelled.
Next week they will have twice as long a sermon.
I wanted to hear what he had to say.
I only come to this church once per year.
They had electricity in the shop across the street.
Sometimes I just don't understand things that happen in my life!
You drive across a bridge from the east side of town
which ends up on Marine Ave.
It takes awhile to find a parking spot on the island.
Most streets are narrow and are one way.
Here are some of the boats at the end of the previous street.
"Avoid greed in all its forms.
A man may be wealthy,
but his possessions do not guarantee him life."
Luke 12:15
you would have to possess a lot of money.
These wonderful things could block your view of God.
They could get in the way and distract you.
Beware if you have many things,
they can cost you your life.
(September 9, 2004 5:20 AM CDT)
The first thing I did when I got
"Get wisdom, get understanding!"
Ask.
to Newport Beach, California was get lost.
I had to get out the cell phone and call for directions.
Then it turns out there is a wildfire near where I am going.
The streets were blocked as you can see in this picture.
I parked the rental car and got out and walked.
The firefighters where trying to control the fire.
The people that lived near there were very concerned.
A helicopter was brought in to drop water on the fire.
We had to walk this path to get in/out of the apartment complex.
I read in the L A Times Orange County edition
the next day (September 5, 2004, Page B3)
that the fire was contained before sunset.
It started around 12 noon just before I arrived in town.
Then we went down to the beach at Newport Beach.
The color of the water was beautiful.
It was near high tide.
It was a nice day (as always) to go to the beach.
We had lunch at Ruby's at the end of the pier.
Here is an interesting way
to park your bike on the beach in the sand.
Can you imagine living in a house like this
right on the beach?
Proverbs 4:5
Ask for help.
Ask for wisdom.
Ask for understanding.
We are lost and need guidance.
We need to find that one path in the forest
that leads to safety.
Ask the Lord and he will show you the way
that leads to paradise.
(September 8, 2004 5:13 AM CDT)
Here are some pictures of a house in Laguna Beach, California
"Some were convinced by what Paul said,
I hope and pray that you would believe.
that I really liked.
It is a block or two from the Pacific Ocean.
This is the walk down to the ocean from there.
This is the beach.
Laguna Beach is one of my favorite places to visit.
others would not believe."
Acts 28:24
I am trying my best to share
what I know about Jesus with you.
Believe in him.
He is it.
There is noone else.
Hold onto him.
Trust him with your life.
I trust him completely.
(September 7, 2004 6:19 AM CDT)
Good morning!
Sorry, time to go to work!
Hey, I made it back to Omaha last night around 10:30 PM.
There is so much to write about!
Yesterday we took pictures of Hollywood, California.
Here is a few of them.
These are the streets signs near Hollywood Blvd.
This is the famous Hollywood letters on the hill.
This is from the road that leads up to the
Hollywood Reservoir
.
This is at the end of the road near the Reservoir.
They have a guard there as you can see and
you can't take any pictures.
The Hollywood letters are clearly visible
just beyond this fence a few feet,
but you can't take pictures of it.
This is probably because of all the tourists like me
trying to get up to this spot.
Notice the bar across the walkway about a foot off the ground.
That is to trip you up I guess.
You can just barely see the letters on the hill in
this picture
of the reservoir from the link above web site.
Bye.
(September 4, 2004 7:29 AM PDT)
Today we pray for all the people killed in
Beslan, Russia
yesterday.
And we pray for the people of Florida,
We made it to
6 Flags Magic Mountain
yesterday.
(Note: You need to register with the L A Times to read this story.)
God be with them in this unthinkable tragedy.
as they battle another hurricane today.
And there are people stranded there
on vacation that can't get out.
It was a day of exercise.
My nephew had unlimited energy and courage
and rode everything we could find.
We went up and down the mountain on the way from ride to ride.
I did ride about half the rollercoasters in the park.
The
"X" rollercoaster
was unbelievable.
Many "G" forces and loops and turns
and you think you should die,
but somehow you don't.
And I keep my eyes closed,
otherwise it scares me to death!
I can't watch.
It is way too scary!
The "Scream" rollercoaster was great, also,
and "Superman".
We rode "Superman" 3 or 4 times.
The wait for "X" was way too long (over an hour)!
Was it worth the wait?
I guess so, I was there and rode it.
I did not take my digital camera with me.
We took 72 minutes of video, so I'm not sure how to show you.
Sorry about that!
Many times during the day we had to put the video camera
in a locker since the ride did not allow carry-ons.
(September 3, 2004 9:06 AM PDT)
Good morning from Santa Clarita, California!
When I landed yesterday at LAX
We have free high speed internet here in the motel,
I just took some pictures of the I-5 traffic.
The Bible in my room suggests reading this verse:
Jesus is the way!
We made it.
they said we could use our cell phones
on the plane as we taxied to the terminal.
My brother John had called me and I called him back.
He said my aunt Barb had died in Dayton, Ohio,
so pray for her and her family.
She was married to my Uncle Tom
that died 30 or 40 years ago.
I do not remember him at all.
so I'm typing away on my nephew's laptop computer.
I can see the I-5 right out the window.
The sun is up.
It will be a beautiful day, of course.
How can they take this weather day in and day out?
Here they are from the Lyons Ave exit:
Traffic is heavy, but it's moving.
I purchased a copy of the L A Times Valley Edition
on my walk down and back from the I-5.
"Jesus said to him,
'I am the way,
the truth,
and the life.
No one comes to the Father
except through me.'"
John 14:6
No matter where you live.
Jesus is there.
Call on his name.
He is waiting to help you.
(September 2, 2004 4:55 AM CDT)
Last evening I was bored out of my mind
The trip to Methodist Hospital yesterday morning
You can watch me go across the USA on
As I was going into Methodist yesterday,
"There is no greater love than this:
Jesus, thank you for giving your life for us.
from being at home all day.
The nurse specifically said
not to drive my car for 24 hours,
so I took a walk to the video store.
I rented the DVD for the movie
"The Passion of the Christ"
.
I never saw it in the theaters months ago.
Very moving...very thought provoking...
very touching scenes...
Jesus loved us that much to go through
all that for us.
The message that Mel Gibson wanted to say
was very obvious.
I didn't care for the English subtitles,
but at times it did give you the feeling
of really being there as it happened.
The music is very moving.
Jesus' mother Mary becomes very real.
The "Mother of Sorrows" title
kept coming to my mind as I watched.
I did not cry.
I had heard so much about the movie
I knew most scenes.
There were no "surprises."
I knew the story well and
Mel told the story very well.
was not a big deal.
I was there and gone in no time.
The sedation didn't hit me very hard afterwards,
like it does some people.
I came home and just did a few things
around the house.
I have been in no pain at all.
Dr. Carolyn did a fine job.
JoAnn did great on explaining things
and the IV in my right wrist.
This is the first IV I have ever had in a wrist.
I think the other time it was on my arm.
Kim and someone else helped Carolyn.
These people knew what they were doing
and checked me out and I went home.
Someone took me in a wheelchair to my brother's car outside.
No polyps were found,
but I did have 4 areas of
diverticulosis
,
which I will have to read up on.
This is caused by a lack of fiber in my diet.
They will mail me information on a
High Fiber Diet
.
It was interesting when I met Carolyn.
We both had the impression that
we had met each other before somewhere.
I asked about church and she says
she doesn't go to church anymore,
so I tapped her on the shoulder and
told her "You think I need a doctor...
it's you that need a doctor upstairs..."
and I pointed up with a finger.
She needs the divine physician.
Then the IV kicked in and I went under...
end of conversation.
Maybe I know her from tennis...something...someplace.
It will drive me crazy today trying to figure it out.
JoAnn wrote down what was in the IV:
Versed 5 mg and Fentanyl 50 mg
.
I told her that I read about medicines on the Internet.
America West flights
6488
and
708
today.
OMA - PHX - LAX.
there was a car license plate in the parking lot
that said LV2DANC,
"Love to dance" or "Live to dance."
I've been looking at the
Metropolitan Community College
class schedules for dance lessons.
(Click on "Dance" in this link and then the button
to see the available classes.)
I just love country music dance, two-step, waltz,
stationary cha-cha, etc.
It is fun.
Half of country music is the dancing!
to lay down one's life for one's friends."
John 15:13
Thank you for dying for us.
Your love is too much for us to understand.
Thank you for everything that you do.
(September 1, 2004 5:39 AM CDT)
Yesterday I signed up at
omahasingles.com
.
I have a slight leg cramp in my right leg this morning.
The zoo has a
new IMAX movie
starting today.
Snoopy took a road trip with me yesterday to work and back.
The cricket is still in the basement chirping away.
At 7am my older brother will
"We know that God makes all things work together
Trust.
I like to meet people,
so this is a way for me to
make some new friends here in Omaha.
I'm giving it a try.
It is an adventure.
I just replied to an email from someone named Linda
that welcomed me to the web site.
People in Omaha are pretty friendly and easy going.
There are a lot of wonderful people in this town.
It started at 3am.
It is from this liquid diet I was on yesterday
and no food/drink this morning.
It saves a lot of time, if you don't have to eat.
I will have to remember that.
Just don't eat!
There are people that I know who fast
every Wednesday each week.
I did it for awhile 3 years ago or so
and gave it up because of the leg cramps I'd get.
I just tried walking around the house here
and it hurts a little and I walk with a limp.
One more thing for you to pray for today...
It is one dollar for today only!
It is titled
"Alaska: Spirit of the Wild"
.
I just watched the trailer and
it gives you shivers!
Alaska is so beautiful.
It is amazing what God has created up there.
I might go to the 7:30pm show, but you never know.
Life is full of surprises.
Like for example...
what if they find a growth in my colon...
well...I'm not going to think about that!
I needed some moral support to make it through the day.
He has been a faithful friend for the last few years.
He is always up
on top of my computer monitor
as you can see in this old picture.
I've tried to locate it a few times, but without success.
It is hiding behind some boxes I think.
You would think it would starve to death down there.
There is nothing to eat except an occasional spider
and it probably doesn't eat spiders.
give me a ride to
Methodist Hospital
.
At the moment I'm doing great except for that leg cramp.
Thank you so much for the prayers!
That really helped to calm me down.
I wonder how that guy is doing that sent me an email.
He has probably already had his surgery today.
for the good of those who love God and
are called according to his decree."
Romans 8:28
Have faith.
God has things under control.
He doesn't miss much.
He is watching over you and me and our families.
He is there.
Things will work out in the end.
