tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10559798163563069502024-02-18T19:37:04.257-06:00DadFabA place for faith, family, and financial responsibilityDadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-84316346994099758052017-12-21T10:57:00.001-06:002017-12-21T10:57:46.694-06:00Faith and a Second Opinion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJbS1zWe5CSYqmcdsMvo8ktQd_1QBD843gB5p6efOf1SUCGJ6b9NVpfaCCeEuWJyeCvjos5ihvO8tYEgGcOMJi6XwPjvXUSqEujaTMsjUdbmw6HkJT-I44dGCNoDfwYmG6VYl3AnqPfxw/s1600/IMG_8360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJbS1zWe5CSYqmcdsMvo8ktQd_1QBD843gB5p6efOf1SUCGJ6b9NVpfaCCeEuWJyeCvjos5ihvO8tYEgGcOMJi6XwPjvXUSqEujaTMsjUdbmw6HkJT-I44dGCNoDfwYmG6VYl3AnqPfxw/s320/IMG_8360.JPG" width="180" /></a></div>
As a parent you always hope that decisions you make are the best for your children. That said, the daily decisions we have to make are innumerable and there's no way to guarantee that, even with the best of intentions. A little over a year ago, we embarked on a journey that we hoped would help one of our twins, 4 at the time, get some reprieve from sickness and sleeplessness. <br />
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While it has certainly helped with her sleep, the process and recovery from a routine tonsillectomy has been anything but, leaving us at times wondering if we made the right decision. From the stress filled aftercare and overnight stint in the hospital for dehydration to the extensive scarring resulting in her airway being less than 1/4" in diameter, it's been a bumpy and challenging road leaving us with many questions along the way. In these situations it's tough not to go down the path of what ifs and we certainly have at times, but the reality is that we are where we are and as a friend said "God's grace covers us in our good decisions as well as our bad ones."<br />
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The picture above is from a sleep study our new entourage of doctors conducted last night, our now 5 year old handling having stuff glued all over her like a trooper. The new entourage includes a Pediatric ENT and a Pediatric Craniofacial surgeon at Dell Children's that we've been blessed to have been referred to by the ENT we decided to get a 2nd opinion from after the original ENT repeatedly said things like "this is weird" and "I've never seen this before" at her followup appointment when he noticed the scarring. <br />
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Medical care, it turns out, is a delicate balance of trust and persistence, things that build character and resolve as aptly captured in this quote from Red Bull's <a href="https://www.redbull.tv/film/AP-1RHM1VGHS2111/as-the-crow-flies">As the Crow Flies</a>, a snowboarding film, which not so coincidentally a friend sent me a link to yesterday:<br />
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<i>Character is defined by perseverance </i><br />
<i>Unrelenting determination </i><br />
<i>A fierce resolve to hold fast when every instinct is screaming at you to give up </i><br />
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While it's hard and unproductive to deduce, maybe we erred to much on the side of trust the first go-round or maybe this just falls under the umbrella of stuff happens and life is unpredictable. Regardless, while it was a tough decision, stepping outside of where we were has put us in a place of better confidence with better resources to move towards a resolution. From a doctor that confidently stated that not only had she seen this type of scarring before but had corrected it on several occasions to a response of "we've got better tools" to the question "we've done an endoscopy before and they couldn't see much, how will this be different?" we've had multiple reassurances that we're now on the right path. <br />
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I'll close with another quote from the film linked above:<br />
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<i>There is no way to determine which path leads to a life well lived </i><br />
<i>No right or wrong answers yet a rich fulfilling existence is possible</i><br />
<i>Certain attributes lend themselves to finding substance on this mortal coil </i><br />
<i>Qualities found in those who seem to have found the key to a balanced life</i><br />
<i>It is up to each of us to find our own way along the way</i><br />
<i>So go forth with an open heart and live</i>DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-80408604731008527902017-11-29T08:10:00.002-06:002017-11-29T08:10:29.381-06:00Daily Prayer<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt;">This is something God put on my heart this morning as I was praying that pretty much sums up where I'm at and where I want to be, thought I'd share in the event it's helpful to someone else! (links go to related verses/songs)</span><br />
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Lord I thank you for
all you’ve done for me and all you’ve called me to. Please draw my focus and heart away from the
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+11:28-30">burdens</a> of this world--work, car troubles, projects (<span style="font-style: italic;">insert your own here</span>)--and towards the future-Heaven, ministry,
the work you’ve called me to. </div>
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I pray you’d help me
to be confident and persistent in those things and carry out the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+28%3A18-20">mission</a> you have for me here at home, work, and in the Church with my eyes focused on
you and what you’ve done (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3:16">the Cross</a>) and what you want (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkSBmRAVXNc">my Heart</a>) for me and from
me.</div>
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I pray you’d help me
to seek first <b>Your </b><a href="http://biblehub.com/matthew/6-33.htm">kingdom</a> and not my own on a daily basis, to give grace
to myself and those around me, to live with joy, purpose and love for others.
To cast off the weight of this world and the burdens that come with it and live
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5:1">freely</a> with my eyes focused on You--the <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+12%3A1-3&version=ESV">author and perfecter of my faith</a> and
life. </div>
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Amen</div>
DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-68338661319811986072017-11-26T08:07:00.001-06:002017-11-26T08:07:11.630-06:00PerspectiveAs I’ve thought and prayed more about how things got off in the spring and again recently I’ve come to realize that it hasn’t been the circumstances of life that have changed but my perspective. As I mentioned in my previous post, the minute details of life are plentiful and can become all consuming if you let them which can easily happen (at least for me) if the big picture perspective is lost. Things that don’t matter become the focus and their draw on our attention becomes all consuming and exhausting.<br />
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I love this quote by John Eldredge for several reasons:<br />
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"Right now I don't think it) my personality) is based on His love at all. It feels built upon Make It Happen." Walking with God<br />
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One, this is how I’m wired—Josh Simon gets things done. But the second is the seemingly insignificant statement “right now,” which indicates this is a temporary condition and can and will pass with the right amount of refocusing and realignment. Eldridge further elaborates, hitting the nail on the head, at least for me:<br />
"This is nearly constant. This sort of thinking, planning, anticipating, maneuvering comes so naturally. Seeing it so starkly now, I'm left speechless. May Jesus have mercy."<br />
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Striving to knock out task lists, flip cars, hammer down an aggressive budget, make as much happen as possible at work. Worrying about a myriad of things as Eldridge puts it "We have a bad month financially, and I run with the thought 'we're going to end up living under a bridge.' The truck makes a thumping noise when I start it, and my imagination jumps to 'The engines going. I'd better sell it before it explodes.'"<br />
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Speculating about a meeting I wasn't invited to-I bet they're talking about how much I botched up this project and are planning on how they're going to replace me-when the reality is they were just trying to cover something for me because they knew how busy I was working on higher priority tasks.<br />
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"It's a form of hypochondria." (Eldredge, Walking with God)<br />
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It’s sobering to think about how much of my imagination is wasted on thinking through work scenarios, home and car projects and other unfruitful things. How much of a blessing and heart shifter would it be to dream about the future of my family, ministries, and what God has in store!<br />
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I don’t have a magical formula here but as always there are multiple verses that can serve to realign and remind. The first is a phrase repeated several times in the book of Haggai-“Consider your ways.” A simple phrase to remind us to evaluate our priorities, motivations, focus and to turn back to God. <br />
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Another more lengthy passage I ran across that’s been very encouraging is the words of Paul in Romans 8:<br />
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For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (v18-25)<br />
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Futility, bondage and corruption is what this fallen world has to offer but freedom, glory and hope await those who are faithful and wait patiently/joyfully/hopefully for what’s to come. There’s way more than what’s right in front of us and what’s to come is way better, think about your best moments here on earth and you get a glimpse of what’s to come!<br />
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DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-7731407090537680932017-11-18T08:31:00.001-06:002017-11-18T08:31:22.047-06:00Soul CareSoul care. A lot of what I've been writing this year (or at least the first half of the year before I quit making the time to write, thanks to the friends who recently encouraged me!) has been related to this topic. Even so, being relatively at the forefront of my mind, I began to feel the weight of an empty tank as spring rolled into summer (when I originally wrote this) and again as summer rolled into fall, in fact I’m still feeling fairly drained as I write this. <br />
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I have certainly noticed this cyclical pattern in my life over the past couple of years and as one who's wired to push, persevere and generally just get stuff done, my soul can quickly get left in the back seat, forgotten amongst the list of to-dos in a very short period of time. I can very easily put myself in a pressure cooker of self-derived expectations at home and work despite a lack of outside influences leading me in that direction.<br />
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This is commonplace in a world at war against what we truly desire and the busyness, demands, and distractions of life can quickly sneak in like a thief in the night (our enemy is cunning, remember) and before we know it we feel drained, off track, and in need of a reset once again. As John Eldridge says in The Sacred Romance "Sadly, most of us watch the oil level in our car more carefully than we watch over the life of our heart." This is certainly me, even ignoring the fact that I've rarely driven anything that didn't require an oil check at every refuel…<br />
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When I get in this mode I shift from living with joy and purpose to living just to survive. Everything feels like a burden, even things I enjoy. I fall back into my default mode of checking boxes--work, home, hobbies, even my prayer/quiet time. A while back I distinctly remember even being frustrated one morning because I didn't get a chance to read as much as I wanted to and just wanted to finish a devotional and move on to something else. Warning! I'd certainly fallen out of "restful posture of faith and assurance," as John Eldridge puts it in Walking With God…<br />
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As Song of Solomon 5:2 says "I slept but my heart was awake," going over various tasks and concerns, waking up already racing through the coming day, meetings, worries, anxiety. My 2017 goal of "Ruthlessly eliminating hurry" is continually at risk of going out the window and I feel on a regular basis I can relate more and more to the opening of Breathe by Jonny Diaz:<br />
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Ninety miles an hour going fast as I can<br />
Trying to push a little harder trying to get the upper hand<br />
So much to do in so little time, it’s a crazy life<br />
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In our world this is certainly not uncommon, and I think for most expected, considering that "Starting very early, life has taught all of us to ignore and distrust the deepest yearnings of our heart. Life, for the most part, teaches us to suppress our longing and live only in the external world where efficiency and performance are everything." (Eldredge, Sacred Romance)<br />
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School, jobs, parents, even our churches, which are supposed to be a place to help water and grow the desire for God within us can turn into centers for achievement and busyness. Taking this into consideration, it's no surprise that many of us get and stay off track despite looking like we have it together on the outside.<br />
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In God's eyes, however, all that needs to be achieved is already done and while in His grace he chooses to allow us to be a part of what his is doing, he certainly doesn't need us to accomplish his purposes. <br />
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So how do we get back on track and reconnect with our heart? How do we live like a reservoir of life that constantly flows without emptying instead of a canal that fills up and then quickly transfers its contents to the world around it?<br />
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This looks different for everyone and it's crucial that we figure out what things fuel and refresh us so that we can come back to them time and again.<br />
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For me, during these times things that typically help are:<br />
-Riding my bike a lot and spending more time outside<br />
-Chillin in my quiet time, maybe reading a short devotional and just listening instead of trying to burn through a book or study<br />
-Sleeping in a little<br />
-Pausing extra efforts and side projects at work and just focusing on the core of my job<br />
-Trying to push out noise and listen to my heart<br />
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I've been asking the question of "God, what do you want" a lot. <br />
<br />
What do you want me to read this morning? Sometimes the answer is nothing.<br />
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What do you want me to learn from this situation? This person? What are you calling me to do in this situation? <br />
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This has taken time-in the summer it was probably 3 weeks before I was able to push out enough noise and distractions to get back to a place where I can hear my heart and the still, small voice of God. This fall it’s been several months and I’m still wrestling with it, clinging to the words of Galatians 5:1:<br />
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“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”<br />
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Thanks to everyone who’s encouraged me to live more freely and share here on this blog, those reminders are very valuable and much appreciated!<br />
<br />DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-74162121686458897952017-05-27T08:59:00.001-05:002017-05-27T09:01:14.801-05:00Made for Greatness<div>This may come as a surprise to you (it certainly does to me) but we are all made for greatness. Maybe not fame, fortune, and popularity, but in each of us is the greatness that only God can create and bring out in a world that is constantly telling us otherwise. In the fairy tale of our lives we are the hero, the prince or princess, the savior of the world around us, the messenger and example sent to save the village. As Frederick Buechner said "Not only does evil come disguised in the world of the fairly tale but often good does too."</div><div><br></div><div>We are sinners but that's only part of the story. As John Eldridge says in The Sacred Romance "Your evaluation of your soul, which is drawn from a world filled with people still terribly confused about the nature of their souls, is probably wrong." The fall made it much harder to achieve the greatness we were designed for but it's still possible and the goal of our lives. We are God's chosen ones, the object of His affection, created for relationship with him and greatness in his name.</div><div><br></div><div>As the Psalmist said, "what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor." Ps 8:4-5</div><div><br></div><div>So why do we run? Why do we settle for a mediocre life absent of adventure and the greatness God designed us for? I think Eldridge perfectly sums it up here: "As hard as it may be for us to see our sin, it is far harder still for us to remember our glory. The pain of the memory of our former glory is so excruciating, we would rather stay in our pigsty than return to our true home." (The Sacred Romance)</div><div><br></div><div>Acknowledging this and living it out are two completely different things, so how do we pull our heads up out of the muck, mire, and noise of life? Away from our sin and dejection, negative, defeatist feelings about ourselves, our worth and our potential to achieve the glory and greatness we were designed to embody?</div><div><br></div><div>Walking with God. It's the only answer, the only approach that is effective and feeds our desire for intimacy and for the "the courtship that began at the Garden (of Eden) and culminates in the wedding feast of the lamb." (Sacred Romance). Allowing God to woo us with his love, beauty, and adventurous character. Day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. Being caught up in His Glory, by the fact that the creator of the universe, all of the beauty around us, angels, heaven, and everything in between wants nothing more than to love, encourage, and grow us into the fullness of relationship with him. </div><div><br></div><div>As 2 Corinthians 4:16 says "Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." This is the method, the process, the only way to rise above our lowly world and lowly view of ourselves. The only way to be transformed by His love, glory, and beauty into what we were created to be. Day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div>DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-37920981275359216822017-04-08T07:59:00.001-05:002017-04-08T08:06:19.935-05:00Balance<div style="border-width: 100%; direction: ltr;">
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Now that I've set
the stage for <a href="http://dadfablab.blogspot.com/2017/03/goals.html">goal setting</a> it's time to jump back into the foundation
of my goals for the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Balance is
another thing that got way off last year and is something that is at constant
risk with all of the options and demands of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just the basics of being a parent of 4 kids,
manager of an organization and leader of a small group can be tough to juggle,
both from a time and an emotional and spiritual health perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throw in a house and a propensity for car
projects and you've got a recipe for disaster (or burnout) if not properly
managed and balanced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I know I've been
plugging the book <a href="https://www.the1thing.com/">The One Thing</a> quite a bit here, and honestly I haven't read
the whole thing, but I have been picking it up from time to time and reading a
page or two and God has consistently landed me on a concept or image that
directly relates to something timely in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Demands on your time, energy, and focus can
shift over time but as Gary Keller says<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>in the book "Pursuing a balanced life means never pursuing
anything at the extremes."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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There have been
several times over the past couple of years where I've seen work start to eat
into other areas of life, usually from a time perspective, but also from a
focus and emotional balance perspective as was the case last year amidst all
of the org changes we experienced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Around this time I ran across this image in the book and thought it
painted a really good picture of what we should be trying to achieve:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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The concept here is
that work is best served by bursts of short, focused efforts: a project or
initiative or maybe the setting up of an efficient organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully, I work in an environment where
these things are typically cyclical and allow for some re-centering from time
to time, the nature of product development naturally lends itself to this and
the key for me is to synchronize this with the natural rhythm of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Life, on the other
hand, needs constant balancing, keeping you, your focus, emotions, and energy
on an even keel with much shorter cycles of ups and downs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is also critical to success in your
work life and like at work, there is also a great need in life to evaluate and
prioritize the myriad of options to spend our time and energy as<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"It's not that we have too little time
to do all the things we need to do, it's that we feel the need to do too many
things in the time we have." (<a href="https://www.the1thing.com/">The One Thing</a>)</div>
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"Balance"
would obviously be a pretty weak and not very actionable goal but knowing
yourself and what both throws you off and lifts you up can direct you towards
things to both watch out for and make sure you do to keep life in a healthy
path.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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For example's sake,
here are some related goals for me this year:</div>
<ul>
<li>Loosen up, Have more
fun, take self less seriously</li>
<li>Spend more time
outside </li>
<li>Ruthlessly eliminate
hurry from my life (ie slow down, take on less at home, and prioritize!)</li>
<li>Don't let things
fester, take 'em head on--work, friends, home issues etc.</li>
</ul>
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As John Ortberg
says in <a href="http://www.johnortberg.com/books/the-life-youve-always-wanted/">The Life You've Always Wanted </a>"God did not create people in his
own image for passivity. He is not a passive God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we face important decisions, we must
pray, seek guidance, and exercise judgement, wisdom, initiative, choice, and
responsibility." How we spend our time each day is an important decision
and is the key and primary reason to set God-sized and God-directed goals to
ensure the decisions we make are along the path we should take.</div>
</ul>
</div>
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DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-53605454082130122402017-03-24T22:24:00.002-05:002017-03-24T22:26:59.275-05:00Goals<div>
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As you’ve probably noticed, my plan for the first part of the year is to record what I found as I unpacked the events of last fall, mainly for my future reference and reflection but also in the event it may help someone else. </div>
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Before getting too far down that road I wanted to share some thoughts on goal setting, specifically how creating and praying through "God sized goals" as Mark Batterson puts it can be a guiding force in life in growing us in the direction and into the people God created us to be. As C.S. Lewis puts it in <a href="http://www.cslewis.com/tag/weight-of-glory/">The Weight of Glory</a>: </div>
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"If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased."</div>
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This (goal setting, not being too easily pleased) is something I started last year after reading the book <a href="http://www.markbatterson.com/books/wild-goose-chase/">Wild Goose Chase</a> and goes way beyond New Years resolutions. It is a process of thinking and praying your way through both annual goals and life goals to direct both long and short term focus and activity and a way to "Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death." (<a href="http://www.markbatterson.com/books/a-trip-around-the-sun/">A Trip Around the Sun</a>)</div>
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I highly recommend a read of <a href="http://www.markbatterson.com/books/wild-goose-chase/">Wild Goose Chase</a> as the book is a life changer and has much more detail, but this PDF gives a good overview to get you started: <a href="http://chasethegoose.com/files/10-steps-to-setting-life-goals.pdf">http://chasethegoose.com/files/10-steps-to-setting-life-goals.pdf</a></div>
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You may ask, why do this? Aren't resolutions good enough? For me, no. I don't have much resolve and they tend to be short sighted, shallow, and not very compelling. Also, as I've gotten older I've found I can relate more anid more to this statement and this process has helped me combat the effects of age on my imagination: </div>
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"Neuroimaging has shown that as we age, the center of cognitive gravity tends to shift from the imaginative right brain to the logical left brain. That neurological tendency presents a grave spiritual danger: at some point, most of us stop living out of imagination and start living out of memory. Instead of creating the future, we repeat the past. Instead of living by faith, we live by logic. But it doesn't have to be that way." (<a href="http://www.markbatterson.com/books/a-trip-around-the-sun/">A Trip Around the Sun</a>)</div>
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God sized goals are a way of stretching and living by imagination. "It's not enough to dream big and pray hard. You also have to think long. If you don't, you'll experience high degrees of discouragement. Why? Because we tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in a year. Of course, we also tend to underestimate what we can accomplish in a decade. The bigger the vision the harder you'll have to pray and the longer you'll have to think. But if you keep circling it'll come to pass in God's timing." (<a href="http://www.markbatterson.com/books/the-circle-maker/">The Circle Maker</a>)<br />
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Start big (life) then narrow in on steps over the year to get you there (image from <a href="https://www.the1thing.com/">The One Thing</a>)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMyergbPPUPRKhPz9vno0k_KwbzLb6W-EIdGaULInJVasAI-K8FpNCgJ2noNuSILbCt-OMrmgTO_eKxSyo4VKGZhKFEZ3hMIOKgcLFjxkSRxMhPEhjW5r0Zk6btJrvu8JHTP-uI3vPb2H/s640/blogger-image--117904056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtMyergbPPUPRKhPz9vno0k_KwbzLb6W-EIdGaULInJVasAI-K8FpNCgJ2noNuSILbCt-OMrmgTO_eKxSyo4VKGZhKFEZ3hMIOKgcLFjxkSRxMhPEhjW5r0Zk6btJrvu8JHTP-uI3vPb2H/s320/blogger-image--117904056.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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There is some sold guidance and examples in the PDF linked above but here are some additional questions to help hone in on God ordained passions to drive goals:</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• What makes you sad mad glad?</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>○ Your true calling is somewhere at the intersection of those things </div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• What makes you angry or pound your fist on the table?</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• What makes you sad?</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• What/who brings joy to your heart?</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• What wakes you up early and keep you up late? (Netflix is not a valid answer here)</div>
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>• What am I doing that I could not do apart from God? (If the answer is nothing, pray that God would open your eyes!)</div>
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In the Bible there is the example of Nehemiah weeping for days over Jerusalem--if you feel this way about something it's a good indication God wants you to take personal responsibility to do something about it. If you need some inspiration I would also highly recommend David Platt's <a href="http://www.counterculturebook.com/">Counter Culture</a>.</div>
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Also, write them down. As Lee Iacocca said "The discipline of writing something down is the first step towards making it happen." Writing your goals down also allows you to share with friends who can hold you accountable as well as your spouse so that the two of you can dream and plan together!</div>
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So what's it going to take to stop living like God is an insurance plan? What changes can you make, whether big or small, can shift your life and focus in the direction you were designed to go? "Something as simple as a change of pace can give you a new perspective on life." (<a href="http://www.markbatterson.com/books/wild-goose-chase/">Wild Goose Chase</a>)<br />
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Think big, pray hard and then jump in with both feet. As John Ortberg says in <a href="https://www.christianbook.com/walk-water-youve-boat-small-group/9780310261803/pd/61807">If You Want to Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat</a> "When I say yes, I set in motion an adventure that will leave me forever changed."</div>
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DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-45395247549940223762017-03-10T06:52:00.000-06:002017-03-10T06:52:40.294-06:00Approval<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I headed into my goal setting for 2017 I felt I first needed to take a step back and work through how I got off track in 2016. In <a href="http://dadfablab.blogspot.com/2016/12/getting-lit-for-2017.html">this post</a> I briefly mentioned some changes my organization went through, and while it ended up being a net positive from both the organizational and workload perspective, there were also some impacts that I did not foresee going into it. <br>
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As new leaders came in I found myself having the urge to prove something while also questioning alot of what I was doing. As John Eldredge puts it in <a href="https://www.christianbook.com/walking-with-how-hear-his-voice/john-eldredge/9780718080983/pd/080983?dv=c&en=google&event=SHOP&kw=christian-living-0-20%7C080983&p=1179710&gclid=Cj0KEQiAuonGBRCaotXoycysvIMBEiQAcxV0nChG8t0c3jXZziZIs2B2fxJGTVMWqX4pkjPpRX9qwngaAsZG8P8HAQ">Walking With God</a> I'd "moved out of the restful posture of faith and assurance." Having been in my role for a few years, I'd become very comfortable with both the people and expectation aspects of our previous leadership and the reality is that while there is always room for improvement the way I had things set up and had been operating had been working well for 3 years. </div>
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The issue, I think, was as Eldridge says "We give our hearts over to so many things other than God. We look to so many other things for life… Especially the very gifts that he himself gives to us--they become more important than he is. That's not the way it's supposed to be. As long as our happiness is tied to the things we can lose we are vulnerable." (<a href="https://www.christianbook.com/walking-with-how-hear-his-voice/john-eldredge/9780718080983/pd/080983?dv=c&en=google&event=SHOP&kw=christian-living-0-20%7C080983&p=1179710&gclid=Cj0KEQiAuonGBRCaotXoycysvIMBEiQAcxV0nChG8t0c3jXZziZIs2B2fxJGTVMWqX4pkjPpRX9qwngaAsZG8P8HAQ">Walking with God</a>). A lot of prayer and intentionality had gone into how I'd formed my role and organization and had chosen to operate. As with all things earthly there was plenty broken and non-ideal but I had also not gone about them willy nilly and shortcomings aside I think God was still well pleased. </div>
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The crux was that I had put too much stock in the gift and position God had blessed me with, I was worshiping the gift (or title and responsibility) instead of the giver and had lost sight of the fact that I had not gotten there on my own nor would I remain so that way and when the questions came my pride became at stake and I was easily rattled. I had shifted to servanthood of man and my own ego as Paul writes in Galations 1:10: "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." and holding others opinion/approval above Jesus leads us to being held hostage by them.</div>
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We live our lives struggling with being worried about what we think others are thinking about us--which sounds ridiculous when you really think about it and our thinking could be and usually is completely off base. As Ortberg puts it, at some point "you realize nobody was thinking about you anyways.. (but) that information does not alone bring true freedom. When our identity is wrapped up in whether or not we are perceived as successful, we are set up for approval addiction. Our sense of self is on the line." (<a href="http://www.johnortberg.com/books/the-life-youve-always-wanted/">The Life you've Always Wanted</a>)</div>
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The solution to this is in those times "When I catch myself comparing myself with others or thinking 'I could be happy if only I had what they have', then I know I need to withdraw for a while and listen for another voice… it always asks of self-absorbed children 'What are you doing here?' When Jesus spoke, he was free from the need to create an impression. He was free to speak the truth in love." (<a href="http://www.johnortberg.com/books/the-life-youve-always-wanted/">The Life you've Always Wanted</a>)</div>
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When we become Christians our framework for approval changes. We are inherently approved by our belief in Jesus as our savior and as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8TkUMJtK5k">this song</a> so harmoniously states we are no longer slaves to others but his children and ultimately no one else's opinion matters which should be both encouraging and empowering to us. </div>
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Matthew 10:37 says: "Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Loving Him most allows us to love not only our father, mother, wife, children and others the right way, but also ourselves from the right motive, because He first loved us. We will fall short otherwise. Loving Jesus means our allegiance and affections are grounded in Him and loving him is the only requirement for approval. </div>
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DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-6291177698902416532017-03-04T07:44:00.002-06:002017-03-04T07:49:26.686-06:00Joy<div>
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"The battle in your life is against your joy." (Eldridge, <a href="https://www.christianbook.com/walking-with-how-hear-his-voice/john-eldredge/9780718080983/pd/080983?dv=c&en=google&event=SHOP&kw=christian-living-0-20%7C080983&p=1179710&gclid=CjwKEAiA6OnFBRDcgt7YmPKI33ESJACJoTJY_HTOmjKUDM0oRnLseFGlzFG3hXlHkNTcc2HaxGoSjRoCsCXw_wcB">Walking with God</a>) How often do we feel like this? Life is full of hassles, battles, disappointments chipping away, one by one, little by little wearing us down until we're just trying to survive. In fact, as I was attempting to write this several things interrupted my precious early morning time when the house is supposed to be silent. <br>
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Our 9 month old was cooing in his bed an hour before he normally gets up, one of our 4yr old twins wet her bed, and to top things off, a rat poked its head out of the linen closet (not joking) sparking an all out war on its existence. At least now we can pinpoint what's been making the occasional noise in the ceiling the past couple of weeks. Suffice it to say when God speaks, he speaks!<br>
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A lot of times we think life is just hard but the truth is "God wants us to be happy, but he knows that we cannot be truly happy until we are completely his and until he is our all. And the weaning process is hard." (<a href="https://www.christianbook.com/walking-with-how-hear-his-voice/john-eldredge/9780718080983/pd/080983?dv=c&en=google&event=SHOP&kw=christian-living-0-20%7C080983&p=1179710&gclid=CjwKEAiA6OnFBRDcgt7YmPKI33ESJACJoTJY_HTOmjKUDM0oRnLseFGlzFG3hXlHkNTcc2HaxGoSjRoCsCXw_wcB">Walking with God</a>). This leaves us with a choice-we can take joy in the weaning process as a daily reminder of how much we need God and his grace and be thankful for the transformation he's working in our lives, or we can be frustrated and disheartened at all of the struggle and strife life seems to bring.<br>
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Psalm 1:3 says:<br>
"Blessed is the man<br>
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,<br>
nor stands in the way of sinners,<br>
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;<br>
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,<br>
and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree<br>
planted by streams of water<br>
that yields its fruit in its season,<br>
and its leaf does not wither.<br>
In all that he does, he prospers."<br>
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When we're joyful and walking in the Spirit we're like that tree planted by the stream-strong, full of life, we feel bulletproof and want to love others and share in joy with them. We're more able to roll with punches and enjoy the subtle moments of life-kids giggling as they do something mischievous in the other room, the look in your infants eyes as he proudly claps his hands together, the sometimes crazy circumstances God shows his presence through.<br>
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So what does it take to get to a place where as the Psalmist says "My heart leaps for joy?" It starts first with questioning what's missing or has been overshadowed in life. I think most of us have access and opportunity for plenty of joy, we either don't notice or it is overshadowed by other things. As Gary Keller says in The One Thing "The challenge is that the right question isn't always so obvious. Most things we want don't come with a road map or a set of instructions, so it can be difficult to frame the right question."<br>
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This is not so with God, the only question that needs asking is '<b>what is it Lord?</b>' This brought out a recurring theme as I tried to unpack my lack of joyfulness in December. There was <a href="https://www.ransomedheart.com/daily-reading/joy">this post on Joy</a> from ransomed heart on 12/30, a timely chapter on Joy in a book I was reading (Ortberg, <a href="https://www.christianbook.com/life-youve-always-wanted-expanded-edition/john-ortberg/9780310246954/pd/46952?dv=c&en=google&event=SHOP&kw=christian-living-0-20%7C46952&p=1179710&gclid=CjwKEAiA6OnFBRDcgt7YmPKI33ESJACJoTJY_du8YNyKXz39Oy_lTUv4BC1fVePNp8qarkukPr_iEBoC8hDw_wcB">The Life You've Always Wante</a>d), as well as the lyrics to what's been one of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDiETOLBvxA">my favorite songs</a> over the past year (guess I got stuck on the catchy beat and didn't pay attention to the words):<br>
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We're choosing celebration<br>
Breaking into freedom<br>
You're the song<br>
You're the song<br>
Of our hearts<br>
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As the lyrics say, joy and celebration are a choice, and choosing requires us to stop and take notice there's an option. So often we run from one thing to the next, so caught up in busyness that we don't even pause to celebrate a victory before moving on to conquer the next. God created us for joy but how do we ensure it is experienced in our daily lives?<br>
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<u>Be observant</u><br>
God wants to speak to us and is persistent as clearly shown in the example above, we just have to take the time to stop and listen! Think about what would have happened if Moses was late for a meeting and hadn't stopped to take note of the burning bush or if the Samaritan had rushed off like the others who had passed by the injured man on the road. As Dallas Willard said "<b>You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry in your life</b>", one of my primary goals for 2017!<br>
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<u>Choose it</u><br>
"Extraordinary results are rarely happenstance. They come from the choices we make and the actions we take." (Keller, <a href="https://www.the1thing.com/">The One Thing</a>) On average, it takes 66 days to form a habit. This is not something that's going to happen overnight. Make Joy your priority, put it at the top of your daily to-do list, pray daily if not hourly that God would bring you to a place of Joy and take notice of all he's doing. Use the <a href="https://www.the1thing.com/resources/66-day-calendar/">66-day Calendar</a> if you think it will help!<br>
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<u>Surround Yourself</u><br>
"Each of us knows a few people who are joy-carriers. When we are around them, they breathe life into us. Prize them. Thank them. Above all, get intentional about being with them." (Ortberg, <a href="https://www.christianbook.com/life-youve-always-wanted-expanded-edition/john-ortberg/9780310246954/pd/46952?dv=c&en=google&event=SHOP&kw=christian-living-0-20%7C46952&p=1179710&gclid=CjwKEAiA6OnFBRDcgt7YmPKI33ESJACJoTJY_du8YNyKXz39Oy_lTUv4BC1fVePNp8qarkukPr_iEBoC8hDw_wcB">The Life You've Always Wanted</a>) There are certainly people in my life who fall into this category and one of my goals for 2017 is to be intentional and spend more time with those folks.<br>
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<u>Now is the Time</u><br>
The Psalmist (118:24) said "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Form a mindset to rejoice at any opportunity you get-you hit the light that takes forever green on the way to work, the elevator is waiting for you when you walk in the door, or better yet you hike up the 5 flights of stairs to your desk and are filled with joy for the oxygen you are now gasping for.<br>
Just the other day I was a bit preoccupied on the way to work and prayed "God, show me your presence in a very real way today." Shortly after, one of my favorite songs came up on my playlist and as I was rounding a corner I saw a huge puddle in the road which of course I joyfully splashed through because that's what you do in a Land Cruiser!<br>
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Easier said than done, and something I'm still struggling to practice daily, but if we take on a mindset and build a habit of joy while being observant and relying on God we can make every day, even every moment, an opportunity to experience Joy. As John Ortberg says "If we don't rejoice today, we will not rejoice at all. If we wait until conditions are perfect, we will still be waiting when we die. If we are going to rejoice, it must be this day. This is the day the Lord has made. This is the Dee Dah Day." </div>
DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-65740078510032077982017-02-22T13:04:00.000-06:002017-02-22T13:04:25.573-06:00Reset<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wouldn't it be great
if life had a reset button? I'm not
talking about starting over from the beginning- diapers, drool and all that,
but we all have moments, days and even larger chunks of time that we wished had
gone differently when we look back. The good news is
that it does, as Paul Tripp says <a href="http://www.paultripp.com/wednesdays-word/posts/new-year-new-you">here</a>
"The beautiful thing about the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that the Lord
offers grace for each of these little moments. The Bible doesn't say, 'His
mercies are new once a year.' No, 'His mercies never come to an end; they are
new every morning.'(Lamentations 3:22-23)." </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">The challenge to
this is that we actually have to stop, reflect and seek this grace from God and
ourselves, a practice that in my experience can be easily overshadowed in tough
seasons of life. As I mentioned in <a href="http://dadfablab.blogspot.com/2016/12/getting-lit-for-2017.html">my lastpost</a>, the end of 2017 was one of those times.
I pushed hard, ignoring the signs of fatigue and quite frankly got
ragged out. I think most people can
relate to the words of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bTYKwkr6Y0">this
song</a> by NF:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oh, these hands are
tired</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oh, this heart is
tired</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oh, this soul is
tired</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">But I'll keep on</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'll keep on</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'll keep on </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">We keep on, pushing,
striving, and ignoring the signs of our hearts and souls crying out for
rest. Like most people I know myself
fairly well and am well aware of the signs of my soul crying out for relief and
as Andy Stanley says in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Choosing-Cheat-Wins-Family-Collide/dp/1590523296">Choosing
to Cheat</a>: "The gauges on your
dashboard are not there to tip you off to the fact that your car is in need of
repair. They are there to keep you from getting to that point." but I just
kept rolling, blinders on, until the check engine light came on and I came
chugging to a stop. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another quote I read
by Francis de Sales captures this in a way that may not translate to future
generations but felt very tangible to me: "there is no clock, no matter
how good it may be, that doesn't need resetting and rewinding twice a day, once
in the morning and once in the evening.
In addition, at least once a year it must be taken apart to remove dirt
clogging it, straighten out bent parts, and repair those worn out. In like manner, every morning and evening a
man who really takes care of his heart must rewind it for God's service….
More-over, he must often reflect on his condition in order to reform and
improve it. Finally, at least once a
year he must take it apart and examine every piece in detail, that is every
affection and passion, in order to repair whatever defects there may be."</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">When things get off
track in life the first step is to stop and ask the question
"why?" So often we just charge
ahead, knowing something is off yet not wanting to slow down or acknowledge and
address what is going on. As Gary Keller
says in <a href="http://www.the1thing.com/">The One Thing</a> "Life is a
question and how we live it is our answer.
How we phrase the questions we ask ourselves determines the answers that
eventually become our life." </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">When we were in
school and didn't understand something we asked questions, when something comes
up in a conversation these days and we don't know the answer we hit Google, so
why is it that when things get off track in life we don't take the same approach? God is right there waiting for us to seek
him, to seek healing, restoration, and rest!
As Matthew 11:29-30 says "Take my yoke upon you and learn from
me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your
souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden
is light.”</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is my goal for
2017, to be watchful of my soul, to acknowledge the warning signs, to seek God
for renewal and restoration daily. I
plan to start with a process of looking back at what broke and setting goals for
the year to help me keep things on track, day by day, minute by minute and will
share both the process and the output here.
</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">In closing, another
quote from Paul Tripp that really hit home and was a great reminder of where my
heart and mind need to be in this coming year (and all those that follow!):</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Yes, you and I
need to be committed to change in 2017, but not in a way that hopes for a big
event of transformation. Instead, find joy in, and be faithful to, a day-by-day
and step-by-step process of insight, confession, repentance and faith." </span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span>DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-34172459944338313522016-12-30T09:20:00.000-06:002016-12-30T18:28:39.531-06:00Getting Lit for 2017<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaTdLfOo1nyo7St_dn5oVS8L-iGrxyx4mB_Up8Cd5agapJcxFgHzKMEkC3bx7mJmWxEjQsROaghXojhQG5mG-61PU7ogILRW1Rj1WnelUTq7K7fJxaZbk3VGkLGzM9mLeOk6LmlwnSBk3/s1600/IMG_5541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxaTdLfOo1nyo7St_dn5oVS8L-iGrxyx4mB_Up8Cd5agapJcxFgHzKMEkC3bx7mJmWxEjQsROaghXojhQG5mG-61PU7ogILRW1Rj1WnelUTq7K7fJxaZbk3VGkLGzM9mLeOk6LmlwnSBk3/s320/IMG_5541.JPG" width="240"></a>Well, it's been a long time (over 6 months to be exact) since I've taken the time to write anything here. Life's been a little crazy with an infant, a couple of 4 year olds and a newly minted driver in the house and writing blog posts has taken a back seat. While I doubt anyone has missed my "wisdom," I have definitely felt the gap in introspection that comes from jotting my random thoughts down here over the past several months.<br>
<br>
I took this picture of our sad Christmas tree after about a week or so of progressive bulb failure as I felt it was a good depiction of how I felt by the time the holidays rolled around this year--a few bulbs short of complete darkness. Ok, that was a little dramatic but truth be told, we had a tough fall. There was the 2 months straight of at least 1 person in the house being sick topped off by a tonsil surgery and bumpy recovery as well as the resulting pile of medical bills (meeting our out of pocket max was not a goal we set out to achieve at the beginning of 2016). I also endured (for lack of a better term) a re-org at work that was messy and left me with quite a bit of uncertainty about where things where headed and how I fit in which I struggled to take in stride. We also underestimated how spiritually and emotionally taxing leading a small group would be leaving us both pretty tapped out by the time December rolled around. <br>
<div>
<br>
There have certainly been tougher times in life and bigger obstacles to overcome and I think the difference in this time period was me letting other things take precedence over my own well being. This is a constant struggle as the rigors of life ebb and flow and back in July I had started to feel my tank going empty and received some encouragement from a friend in the form of Proverbs 23 <span class="text Prov-4-23" id="en-NIV-16514">"Above all else, guard your heart, </span><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Prov-4-23">for everything you do flows from it," which carried me through the rest of our summer travels for baseball as a reminder to take time to stay centered. As with many things, though, this takes constant vigilance and effort, something that crowded out by the noise of life as we headed into fall. </span></span><br>
<br>
As I detailed just 9 months earlier <a href="http://dadfablab.blogspot.com/2016/03/strengthened-in-lord.html">here</a>, I know what keeps me rolling with the punches (rolling on a bike!) and who I need to spend time with to get re-centered and refreshed and those things and people took a back seat to work and other less important things and my soul took the brunt of it, ironically at a time when I was reading John Ortberg's <a href="http://www.johnortberg.com/books/soul-keeping/">Soul Keeping</a> (which I clearly need to read again). The stakes are also higher now--as a small group leader, dad, and manager, staying refreshed and on-point are key to fueling others and neglecting myself is counter to that, affecting not only myself but those God has placed in my path. As my tank drains my temper becomes shorter, my focus more inward, and my selfishness and introverted personality take over which is counterproductive to all of these roles I have been blessed to be placed in. <br>
<br>
I also strongly believe that those responsibilities have brought on attacks from the enemy in the form of discouragement and shaken confidence, as David Seamands states in <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49238.Healing_for_Damaged_Emotions">Healing for Damaged Emotions:</a> <br>
“Many Christians... find themselves defeated by the most psychological
weapon that Satan uses against them. This weapon has the effectiveness
of a deadly missile. Its name? Low self-esteem. Satan's greatest
psychological weapon is a gut level feeling of inferiority, inadequacy,
and low self-worth This feeling shackles many Christians, in spite of
wonderful spiritual experiences and knowledge of God's Word. Although
they understand their position as sons and daughters of God, they are
tied up in knots, bound by a terrible feeling inferiority, and chained
to a deep sense of worthlessness.”<br>
<span id="quote_book_link_2150073"></span><br>
<span id="quote_book_link_2150073">Truth be told, on my own I am not capable of being the dad, boss, or leader I was created to be and if we take life circumstances on face value outside of the context of the bigger picture it's easy to lose heart and confidence as even our best efforts can be easily thwarted. While hard to keep at the forefront amidst life's struggles, we need to remember that we are all part of a story much bigger than what we can see on a daily or even yearly basis and as John Eldredge states "His (Satan) grand tactic in separating us from our heart is to sneak in as the
Storyteller through our fears and the wounds we have received from
life's Arrows. He weaves a story that becomes our particular 'Message of
the Arrows.' Counting on our vanity and blindness, he seduces us to try
to control life by living in the smaller stories we all construct to
one degree or another."</span><br>
<span id="quote_book_link_2150073"><br></span></div>
<div>
2017 will surely not be a year without struggles, uncertainty or bumps in the road, but looking back before I look forward has given me some clear insight to roll into plans for next year. There is a definite need in my life to have more fun, look out for and experience joy, and take better care of my soul for the sake of myself and for that of others I've been blessed to be around. While my book list is growing and I'm unsure whether a re-read of <a href="http://www.johnortberg.com/books/soul-keeping/">Soul Keeping</a> is in the cards, I do plan to read and meditate on this post about <a href="https://www.ransomedheart.com/blogs/john/soul-care">Soul Care</a> as I make plans and goals for 2017, just thought I'd share for anyone else feeling like they're running on empty going into the new year! </div>
DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-30387000405701476662016-06-18T08:45:00.001-05:002016-06-19T08:26:43.476-05:00Father's Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyf4X1FUcpaNI_evRvxoPL_j4bnp8DdeGOJfMXrEU9dWNVNnEY5-rjCwLwFCOL3f2zn-3I9d59U5tuoGIOzP60SIjCvq1IiZXeEKVNW52DPLjC_NOBptt_GQvv7F7qhWde-JYVRCYYgYHJ/s640/blogger-image-1833912914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyf4X1FUcpaNI_evRvxoPL_j4bnp8DdeGOJfMXrEU9dWNVNnEY5-rjCwLwFCOL3f2zn-3I9d59U5tuoGIOzP60SIjCvq1IiZXeEKVNW52DPLjC_NOBptt_GQvv7F7qhWde-JYVRCYYgYHJ/s640/blogger-image-1833912914.jpg"></a></div>Father's Day. Another Hallmark-created, over-commercialized, pseudo-holiday to generate sales revenue much like Valentine's Day and other nonsensical days which have their own specialized greeting cards. I may have overstated that a little but that's been my general outlook over the years. <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Gifts aren't really my love language and honestly I don't think us men need to be recognized for doing what we're supposed do, especially considering that none of us come anywhere close enough to the standard God set for us to deserve any sort of reward. </span><div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">What I have realized, however, is that this day serves as a reminder of the true and continuous reward of being a father, the honor of having little eyes constantly on you and little hearts anxiously awaiting your arrival each evening when you return home. Maybe your specialty is fighting off monsters, drinking imaginary tea, or hosting awesome dance parties in order to impart your whiteboy dance skills on the next generation. Whatever it may be, these are the true rewards of fatherhood that will be remembered by you and your kiddos for many years to come.</span><div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The truth is, while packing and unpacking 100lbs of stuff at the baseball field in 100 degree heat 5 or 6 times this weekend, taking 400 potty trips, and opening pistachios for 3yr olds until my fingertips bleed only loosely falls under the categorization of vacation, I wouldn't have it any other way. The moments in between and even during the trying times are what us men were created for and what defines us. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Sure, there are times when I'd love to jump on my motorcycle and cruise around all day with no agenda but there's way more reward in the crazy life I live now, plus the motorcycle is long gone, to the benefit of my insurance premiums and likely my lifespan. To some, the minivan that replaced it would be a death sentence but I've learned to embrace it as a badge of honor, a rolling showcase of blessings that packs 283 one-wheel-tire-frying horsepower under the hood and a home-built storage box full of redneck engineered family utility in the rear. Thank you dodge for the 6 seats and pentastar v6 that makes almost 3x the horsepower of my first car.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div>All that<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> to say I'm very thankful for the life I've been blessed with and am happy Hallmark has created a day to remind me of that. Oh and I am looking forward to a new set of lithium Ion batteries for my power tool set which will eventually be used to build a sweet treehouse, with all the proper safety measures of course...</span></div></div></div></div>DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-33544663360250209922016-05-27T19:00:00.000-05:002016-05-27T19:00:11.487-05:00Baked wings, a gametime favorite<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMe3TrsnxMozCfOqQr9E75YGNxYNGNyFsBpi4nr9LWDY6Mk0WamNdqmMTfnsRnUVU2YebRpoSysyYIv71SqSp95mMGKEL2kU4U_t87ZP2CxYJKyd9m2XgWUgRlXm9wwESHp31hsZ_xXHFq/s1600/Untitled+picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMe3TrsnxMozCfOqQr9E75YGNxYNGNyFsBpi4nr9LWDY6Mk0WamNdqmMTfnsRnUVU2YebRpoSysyYIv71SqSp95mMGKEL2kU4U_t87ZP2CxYJKyd9m2XgWUgRlXm9wwESHp31hsZ_xXHFq/s320/Untitled+picture.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
A long delayed round 2 for our new section "What's for Dinner," everyone's gametime favorite, wings! I meant to post this prior to the College Football National Championship but I obviously didn't, I think the NBA Finals are coming up so now seems like as good a time ever, plus you'll have time to perfect your recipe before the 2016 season starts!<br />
<br />
We ran across this delicious nugget a few years ago when we were dieting but still wanted to enjoy some gameday fare and it's been a household favorite since. These are on the ish side of healthy but certainly better than deep fried and battered!<br />
<br />
Wings:<br />
Preheat oven to 400<br />
Prep: <br />
2 Tbs vegetable oil<br />
1 Tsp salt<br />
1/2 Tsp pepper<br />
Mix up and toss wings in<br />
Bake for 45-50min, preferably on a cooling rack with a cookie sheet under it to ensure even cooking. After that toss in your favorite sauce and throw back in the oven for ~20 more minutes<br />
<br />
Sauces:<br />
Buffalo<br />
1 Tbs butter, melted<br />
1/4 Tsp pepper<br />
1/4 Tsp salt<br />
1/4 cup hot sauce<br />
<br />
Sweet Chili<br />
3/4 cup sweet chili sauce<br />
2 Tsp soy sauce<br />
2 Tsp chili paste<br />
<br />
Garlic Parmesan<br />
1/2 cup butter, melted<br />
1 Tsp garlic powder<br />
1/2 Tsp onion salt<br />
1/4 Tsp pepper<br />
1/2 cup grated parmesan<br />
<br />
Gold Rush (family favorite)<br />
3 Tbs butter, melted <br />
1/2 cup honey mustard<br />
1/4 cup hot sauce<br />
Pinch of salt and pepper <br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<br />DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-67567267977347527652016-05-24T18:00:00.000-05:002016-05-24T18:00:00.254-05:00How to make the equivalent of $4800/hr<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQ9IccszeCxMsMlYu7f0jVswEX_WGRBzkdDtDSFqzQVAcjYypA1PDxnjg5wWIODcZqZEZqgVlQiZoifbfN4TUkS1UqY7XUqQq643RMbY7rve4-WOgIRq50TFDwHdaEa-T44erfSylwj3h/s1600/200_s.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQ9IccszeCxMsMlYu7f0jVswEX_WGRBzkdDtDSFqzQVAcjYypA1PDxnjg5wWIODcZqZEZqgVlQiZoifbfN4TUkS1UqY7XUqQq643RMbY7rve4-WOgIRq50TFDwHdaEa-T44erfSylwj3h/s320/200_s.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
Now that your expectations are high I'll let you down softly. This post is not about getting rich quick or gleaning the salary of a high-paid CEO, but about how you might save a bundle on medical bills with a simple phone call. As many of you know, we had kiddo #4 a little over a month ago (hence the absence of posts) and the bills have started to roll in. This go-round was an experiment to see if my calculations that moved us over to a high-deductible plan were in fact correct and would actually save us money.<br />
<br />
I'll put together more thoughts on that later, the focus of this post is how a 9 minute phone call saved us 20% on the hospital bill, or roughly $725. Geico eat your heart out...<br />
<br />
The nicely organized bill we received showed the massive discounts negotiated by our insurance provider as well as the payments they'd made and ended with a comparatively small balance and a website where we could pay. A few years ago when we had the twins I remembered having to call most of the providers to pay over the phone and thought this is nice, guess the medical industry has finally caught up with the rest of the technological world. Upon logging in, however, I noticed there was only the option to pay the amount in full, and no discounts or payment options like I was offered over the phone previously. The last go round we saved an average of 13% by paying in full (on a credit card that offered cash back and was paid off of course!) so I begrudgingly dialed the 1800 number and prepared myself for the worst.<br />
<br />
To my surprise, 9 minutes later our original bill minus 20% was paid and I hung up the phone feeling like I had only lost part of an arm and leg. I'm also happy to report that no Cuban negotiation tactics were used as I've been told in the past that they make people (ie my spouse) uncomfortable, I simply asked if there was any discount for paying in full and 20% is what was offered. Just goes to show there's no harm in asking and like Geico always claims, you just might be surprised at how much you can save in a few minutes!<br />
<br />
<br />
Finally, the ROI calculation for the 9 minutes spent on the phone:<br />
$725/.15hr = 4833.33 $/hr<br />
<br />
Now if I could just find something that pays consistently at that rate..DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-71867569736837588812016-04-16T09:41:00.001-05:002016-04-16T10:19:52.236-05:00You lack discipline!<div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphZmDtpTqJHaFiGnz1Qj2-8mSTHKsk4w6NEfVWXM1E-k3cCD6a3y2-GqcpIJr9XIYb7-ztKTuwS5_kgsxrfeztsCNDGzLuH8stv1U2TY1Yk80oSmMU54wiBFVSkg1yZTnD20fGnNXqIUN/s640/blogger-image-925265363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphZmDtpTqJHaFiGnz1Qj2-8mSTHKsk4w6NEfVWXM1E-k3cCD6a3y2-GqcpIJr9XIYb7-ztKTuwS5_kgsxrfeztsCNDGzLuH8stv1U2TY1Yk80oSmMU54wiBFVSkg1yZTnD20fGnNXqIUN/s640/blogger-image-925265363.jpg"></a></div><div><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div>Gary Keller's The One Thing (http://www.the1thing.com/) has become the new buzz around our office and I've been slowly reading it a page at a time for several months in order to try and understand all of the analogies that are being thrown in our corporate slideware. In that time I've managed to make it to chapter 6 which is centered around the idea that self-discipline is nothing more than sticking with something long enough for it to form into a habit that becomes part of your daily routine. My initial reaction to this like many of the other concepts in the book (including the debunking of multitasking which struck a nerve as I'm one of those people who typically has 100 things open on his computer at any given time) was "that's BS" but like all of the other times Keller had convinced me otherwise a few pages later.</span></div><div><br></div><div>The line that really got me thinking was "The trick to success is to choose the right habit and bring just enough discipline to establish it." Looking back at the things that have been most beneficial in my life recently, that's exactly how it went down. </div><div><br></div><div>Getting up early--I signed up for a men's study that met at 6am on Wednesdays last year and while the first several weeks were pretty rough, here I am over a year later still getting up before 6 every (ok most) day. This has given me time to connect with God and get my heart and mind in the right place before the chaos of the morning begins and has also allowed me to get into work before everyone else so I can actually get some stuff done before the barrage of meetings begins.</div><div><br></div><div>Friday lunches--over the summer during the break in our small group, some of the guys and I began meeting at lunch to catch up and do a study. It was tough at first breaking away from the office and once away freeing my mind from all that had transpired through the morning, but flash forward almost a year and those lunches are the highlight of my week and the topics and prayer requests are the subject of most of my prayers throughout the week in those early morning hours. I've seen significant growth in relationships and my own faith in that time and as a side effect have gotten much better at putting work worries aside to focus on other things, including my family when I arrive home in the evenings.</div><div><br></div><div>Being relational--through one of our lunch studies, God has really started pressing me to be more relational in my daily life. Work, home, out in the driveway wrenching when I see a neighbor. Being a very task oriented person, it's really tough for me to break away from what I'm doing or what I've planned for the day and do something completely unnatural, but time after time recently God has come hard after me on this. With deadlines and numerous projects afloat, it's a challenge to remain focused on relationships as a primary mission at work so I started putting my task management system (MS OneNote) to work to help me stay focused:</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyVcCY7FRoV7qAyqLvPcy_lXOQ1f58Dz3ywhqYSlvIvuSmXOMpjvXY6b10DSjE-tAJHwzV7sN1EBpsU2AHvI-ugoLLAZ4LHu4yuivkDnC6ud-YgqDPEKyJimbKLtpwy8U1shoSc7n7G_r/s640/blogger-image--239351322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyVcCY7FRoV7qAyqLvPcy_lXOQ1f58Dz3ywhqYSlvIvuSmXOMpjvXY6b10DSjE-tAJHwzV7sN1EBpsU2AHvI-ugoLLAZ4LHu4yuivkDnC6ud-YgqDPEKyJimbKLtpwy8U1shoSc7n7G_r/s640/blogger-image--239351322.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Using Keller's One Thing idea, I narrowed in on the fact that my primary purpose in my role is to remove roadblocks to the progress of my team and their projects and each day I figure out what the most pressing is and set it as my only objective. I also try to target one person on the team (or sometimes outside) to focus on and guide any spare time I may have. Over time I've found that even on days where I don't get around to recording these goals, it still happens. A perfect example was yesterday, I was headed from one meeting to another and ran into someone I hadn't talked to in a while who wanted to chat for a bit. My first inclination was to bail on the conversation and rush off to my meeting but instead stuck around for a great conversation and showed up for a meeting 10mins late that had coincidentally been delayed by about the same amount.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Being relational is also a big challenge for me on the weekend and I've used this same technique to aid in not overdoing it (i.e. Work on Monday feeling like a break after the weekend) as well as focus time where I should on those that I love and don't get to see as much as I'd like during the week. I used to measure how good a weekend was by how much I checked off the to do list and would get frustrated when my plans were thwarted but have made good progress using this technique to get the essentials done while balancing other more important things.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">All in all, Mr Keller has once again convinced me that a little discipline goes a long way and is all we need to form habits that can make a big impact on our lives!</span></div>DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-73395194497191840582016-04-08T20:54:00.001-05:002016-04-08T21:21:37.429-05:002016 Lonestar Roundup, vintage wagons and some other stuff<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlh8nQ06TIWZ7Xiavc8snBNKery6rKUf2ki_X7nk4Mw7v6BbSZK_q67MMY1xjEX312mvqozfIPmG-WpNFgLfcdl_BrW7f2e98TLI4QLlBNEF2j5QyqeHsxUwF76E4DfhjxoezIYh-sOyM/s640/blogger-image-90222397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwlh8nQ06TIWZ7Xiavc8snBNKery6rKUf2ki_X7nk4Mw7v6BbSZK_q67MMY1xjEX312mvqozfIPmG-WpNFgLfcdl_BrW7f2e98TLI4QLlBNEF2j5QyqeHsxUwF76E4DfhjxoezIYh-sOyM/s640/blogger-image-90222397.jpg"></a></div>This year was probably the most epic roundup yet, more cars than any of the 4 or 5 previous years I've been, including plenty of awesome vintage longroofs! I also got to participate in the garage crawl for the first time and saw some really nice builds at some really nice shops. Enough words, on to the pictures!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FBrEnxbSyEYAaIgSSQ71iRo2eKm3gYGQz7KH_j8eELK2300JdJghDlTWasvxO4EUEgTRK_v5Np2YmrbIx4sIiU1J8WCGi9jM13aXY8hrUJwMpFjMYc3JCy_yiqKkL73_A_ODPmWN-SfC/s640/blogger-image--1939254986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-FBrEnxbSyEYAaIgSSQ71iRo2eKm3gYGQz7KH_j8eELK2300JdJghDlTWasvxO4EUEgTRK_v5Np2YmrbIx4sIiU1J8WCGi9jM13aXY8hrUJwMpFjMYc3JCy_yiqKkL73_A_ODPmWN-SfC/s640/blogger-image--1939254986.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">First stop, Austin Speed Shop, no Jesse James sightings (thankfully)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99fznuwBaJpbbiZeZLz1hpfF22XnKVaBYAxA-Ky3-yaA5SEL26wLPN-Vq5VU3iOaH6aBMVRkG9ueQoSPe9LNg1ua6mbJIqwqsntCcUykESr46ujgaQm8fgXQoPY9yEgwE4b1Tr7a2qc2v/s640/blogger-image--663890761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99fznuwBaJpbbiZeZLz1hpfF22XnKVaBYAxA-Ky3-yaA5SEL26wLPN-Vq5VU3iOaH6aBMVRkG9ueQoSPe9LNg1ua6mbJIqwqsntCcUykESr46ujgaQm8fgXQoPY9yEgwE4b1Tr7a2qc2v/s640/blogger-image--663890761.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Crazy metalwork</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMExwLu0ETWDsiSSl286YnOW-n_4WPgSAMvoJZ_GxE_k5MYQWsmJoQeQQk1Sr11vzRjgJZV_R7mLVB4mITBr8OWvjsVSKZZGBmDdxG7THeXk1yWZzob68miKm46-s0bWP4jfau4zw-5-F/s640/blogger-image--1431961852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMExwLu0ETWDsiSSl286YnOW-n_4WPgSAMvoJZ_GxE_k5MYQWsmJoQeQQk1Sr11vzRjgJZV_R7mLVB4mITBr8OWvjsVSKZZGBmDdxG7THeXk1yWZzob68miKm46-s0bWP4jfau4zw-5-F/s640/blogger-image--1431961852.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Stop #2, my favorite of the day, Full Custom Fabrication. Awesome shop, awesome cars, awesome setting!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6j7oHNTgYkNThrxZWZDnEfh_6hiIXYeTcScy8kRBpyy1oP7klGrHgFwHOQqWMlrBOSOIz2x2CCOOFluMnz4LO-xf3XGE-fMoEF4tzv_ejlOvghAyzywop4khkBn0UpSiiFbNxxvEm8HP/s640/blogger-image--2074200205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6j7oHNTgYkNThrxZWZDnEfh_6hiIXYeTcScy8kRBpyy1oP7klGrHgFwHOQqWMlrBOSOIz2x2CCOOFluMnz4LO-xf3XGE-fMoEF4tzv_ejlOvghAyzywop4khkBn0UpSiiFbNxxvEm8HP/s640/blogger-image--2074200205.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Was so stoked on this 56 I bought a shirt with a rendering on the back</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCZVGv-wiZ71pfqn2obQ1Yyw0oYm4HtO4LUxSgp2_C7_b0iumzK5TPmVa9XEwgDAqczkcSoKkSVPNKGdBoTzYj6bNRLToWQo-eMwHDwrgn-WX2-86vPRIkI0bL1r7K476UkJXLqfvA_Xq/s640/blogger-image-1299625516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTCZVGv-wiZ71pfqn2obQ1Yyw0oYm4HtO4LUxSgp2_C7_b0iumzK5TPmVa9XEwgDAqczkcSoKkSVPNKGdBoTzYj6bNRLToWQo-eMwHDwrgn-WX2-86vPRIkI0bL1r7K476UkJXLqfvA_Xq/s640/blogger-image-1299625516.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0TUnD3k8yhDonLLA8rDWXhLpf1wo5j24n0sZdRYXnKXdtHWbl8hmggvKiTIScWh5b7cR7yuQKv6qV0yCkKZTOgkO9xeHYN3H47sXOLaWCsnzcT55ab9ZpGMn3RzEJH5OJOZx5ulBEi0N/s640/blogger-image--1721401214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn0TUnD3k8yhDonLLA8rDWXhLpf1wo5j24n0sZdRYXnKXdtHWbl8hmggvKiTIScWh5b7cR7yuQKv6qV0yCkKZTOgkO9xeHYN3H47sXOLaWCsnzcT55ab9ZpGMn3RzEJH5OJOZx5ulBEi0N/s640/blogger-image--1721401214.jpg"></a></div>Mmmm LSA</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Qy3SLMpC_FTPdT5fp-nV6pHgbUL4wWwft3zt5LYz-uvr7PVh084BA3axuPhr-S1Zpz9vvYkcUKsctPZNtQiFVZJf6GMi_vfm4TtWQZQLUUg-3sBqd7NVTCntjY4AJzTYYlu39z0G40IZ/s640/blogger-image-772485009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Qy3SLMpC_FTPdT5fp-nV6pHgbUL4wWwft3zt5LYz-uvr7PVh084BA3axuPhr-S1Zpz9vvYkcUKsctPZNtQiFVZJf6GMi_vfm4TtWQZQLUUg-3sBqd7NVTCntjY4AJzTYYlu39z0G40IZ/s640/blogger-image-772485009.jpg"></a></div>Supra stashed in the back (next to a Charger in a container)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRljwt8tsFqInXP4G6kERVxLoJWazkAocWSt6rqaFhpxNQbnqqH-xn4Pxpx72NU1b2wNdzULlTKAowhCslWJ-FIVLPaQM74gWyD_NDW8iZo4kZLv6vNSfbjwHyGk0x3LSXZyKpbiZgOoj8/s640/blogger-image--1473536521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRljwt8tsFqInXP4G6kERVxLoJWazkAocWSt6rqaFhpxNQbnqqH-xn4Pxpx72NU1b2wNdzULlTKAowhCslWJ-FIVLPaQM74gWyD_NDW8iZo4kZLv6vNSfbjwHyGk0x3LSXZyKpbiZgOoj8/s640/blogger-image--1473536521.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Stop 3, the most impressive shop setup, Bombshell Customs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UM8aJt4PYRFg_nhWDmwpzCF8N_Yh9mrTYieXIY2V5_05SI8WOhQftqhKA5LcUKQZeLIDD0oUvdc6MW20eY2fHvM9jRilTz9W_YSf4VgmUsuH8GESuMT_GMR4v5EEdNFLa9r4F0UXzzHA/s640/blogger-image-858497620.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_UM8aJt4PYRFg_nhWDmwpzCF8N_Yh9mrTYieXIY2V5_05SI8WOhQftqhKA5LcUKQZeLIDD0oUvdc6MW20eY2fHvM9jRilTz9W_YSf4VgmUsuH8GESuMT_GMR4v5EEdNFLa9r4F0UXzzHA/s640/blogger-image-858497620.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">60s Cad with miles of flake</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQH4CDIDRMbBGee3yElWMFGR3DYBBakhH46eJhR8CkwjS-Px4nplM1Iybr5uoVTIL8hA9T5u0xnx1N2D-WWoTSSQdwfyck0MPJE8XjeHnYNt8cMR7LJjUxtEnt0jfIeJym1K6rF-ufCEdt/s640/blogger-image--653418278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQH4CDIDRMbBGee3yElWMFGR3DYBBakhH46eJhR8CkwjS-Px4nplM1Iybr5uoVTIL8hA9T5u0xnx1N2D-WWoTSSQdwfyck0MPJE8XjeHnYNt8cMR7LJjUxtEnt0jfIeJym1K6rF-ufCEdt/s640/blogger-image--653418278.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wJ8fk6rJB3di0Ljn-LEJs45hGCmHwDSxNkmlal1NN8Z-ic9bnaV7Giq5aWZl2gobxcvk3Xzb7XAGJoKtu33uTlWoSAX0Bu8ElD7oJOL7pnilSMBXLFg7vc7vcOguUTYndlyxvh8bol1e/s640/blogger-image--2017471420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wJ8fk6rJB3di0Ljn-LEJs45hGCmHwDSxNkmlal1NN8Z-ic9bnaV7Giq5aWZl2gobxcvk3Xzb7XAGJoKtu33uTlWoSAX0Bu8ElD7oJOL7pnilSMBXLFg7vc7vcOguUTYndlyxvh8bol1e/s640/blogger-image--2017471420.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZEjiM80fjzYY3m2Cu5QNWBge1HmgVLUmgjikJeAn1zZzeLJXlj6bPpicihgBf26NlvXhRGOmi-RF1IPE1W-CTasE8s9735XF_yD_mJytmoSqUoa9H6W13B6KSogSdxwb7aeJmQxxxaYF/s640/blogger-image-1635603065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFZEjiM80fjzYY3m2Cu5QNWBge1HmgVLUmgjikJeAn1zZzeLJXlj6bPpicihgBf26NlvXhRGOmi-RF1IPE1W-CTasE8s9735XF_yD_mJytmoSqUoa9H6W13B6KSogSdxwb7aeJmQxxxaYF/s640/blogger-image-1635603065.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGyLJghCRqBo8WdGU40kDRm-r7TGYHga2KW0OIlwhnjAbkmMAKK-KLJdByXYjEvQtiAW61W2o6flP5LJvAHCq2O0QoVBNOpoEqYHr10smlRCFkcL2TkbPlMDH2_LnguytBsCrpW1_wN88/s640/blogger-image-23278757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGyLJghCRqBo8WdGU40kDRm-r7TGYHga2KW0OIlwhnjAbkmMAKK-KLJdByXYjEvQtiAW61W2o6flP5LJvAHCq2O0QoVBNOpoEqYHr10smlRCFkcL2TkbPlMDH2_LnguytBsCrpW1_wN88/s640/blogger-image-23278757.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Last, Gus' garage</div></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5inPI3PLNB_eLDGMvgpPmPVQsf4cU50UvZHeciw6tC1lHICxWjvQLa0PBOa8IB-a5HdS3fQrIWUxcQP22yNB0RwpT5EWAd3EptFLKCVAVnyIthSmF3-YSTg2peBDYLfSribGfDZ0Bz9G/s640/blogger-image-790473524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm5inPI3PLNB_eLDGMvgpPmPVQsf4cU50UvZHeciw6tC1lHICxWjvQLa0PBOa8IB-a5HdS3fQrIWUxcQP22yNB0RwpT5EWAd3EptFLKCVAVnyIthSmF3-YSTg2peBDYLfSribGfDZ0Bz9G/s640/blogger-image-790473524.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>First up from the main show, the favorites of the day, a pair of red '59 Chevy wagons</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprPUMrDH4h_o2P36X9L12N_weWOjlJWcVir5_wB11HSGeq-dVMckDpqB9rWUTszNbAEiVYSXP2CR2a0cOv0KJ0WZ4l_3A_JpEX8Ql9L0jZOcQ3zNDxkVsFQcobJYrgqwKvRZ_NM9Rx6jL/s640/blogger-image--262899316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprPUMrDH4h_o2P36X9L12N_weWOjlJWcVir5_wB11HSGeq-dVMckDpqB9rWUTszNbAEiVYSXP2CR2a0cOv0KJ0WZ4l_3A_JpEX8Ql9L0jZOcQ3zNDxkVsFQcobJYrgqwKvRZ_NM9Rx6jL/s640/blogger-image--262899316.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXX-dlhnVCinTVffDj79vN5LTq5e1i1tMo4-ghDWKdRj1ErKPLuD5RXhZbDr8h4DDDZTTSt_YedomNS1nUjYP-JTxvU6dEWlfKcYgmMFVVbwzkVDMn-vfId6hHJ_pSBSXXx0AY-356cqG/s640/blogger-image--426396750.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxXX-dlhnVCinTVffDj79vN5LTq5e1i1tMo4-ghDWKdRj1ErKPLuD5RXhZbDr8h4DDDZTTSt_YedomNS1nUjYP-JTxvU6dEWlfKcYgmMFVVbwzkVDMn-vfId6hHJ_pSBSXXx0AY-356cqG/s640/blogger-image--426396750.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-dkNMJThDK4Alvq1Mk38GO6eUGRU7YBQqDIs0IrkBD7A2RAMJWcJRW9TcQ7NtLVknNT-60f1Kz5lPfhBW9OHRdiYQ5TSa8EcuAGMbfhesBOoWbQOhvsIfmS1SLDftDfLvBb8DNG0UkGY/s640/blogger-image--232585602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy-dkNMJThDK4Alvq1Mk38GO6eUGRU7YBQqDIs0IrkBD7A2RAMJWcJRW9TcQ7NtLVknNT-60f1Kz5lPfhBW9OHRdiYQ5TSa8EcuAGMbfhesBOoWbQOhvsIfmS1SLDftDfLvBb8DNG0UkGY/s640/blogger-image--232585602.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXi4jEn8NYnwUUkQ7vwx11RtzaC0Hf10L-2EaNDVy5LlB82n-qlxEqKCp3SALoDRmE9GlJ1YH6p4YF8L5Fb5jfkLJgO7zFxdU2B8CHmnbaJD33hrBGKq1d4EDH5-aKDIOZmT27szoQldmB/s640/blogger-image-802993583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXi4jEn8NYnwUUkQ7vwx11RtzaC0Hf10L-2EaNDVy5LlB82n-qlxEqKCp3SALoDRmE9GlJ1YH6p4YF8L5Fb5jfkLJgO7zFxdU2B8CHmnbaJD33hrBGKq1d4EDH5-aKDIOZmT27szoQldmB/s640/blogger-image-802993583.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoESvRqtVAyyNphqZBWkE4aGHu3UtX5avcnjqFATvK5cmPEm1PbE0IPA41Falw6AtOmH4lS_IswnDsjGP6P2Qdzj1RIuUuYPGFH57IuQRwMhXxsn21OjGtAMYt7fv5s64IgE1KdKtma87Z/s640/blogger-image-802520751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoESvRqtVAyyNphqZBWkE4aGHu3UtX5avcnjqFATvK5cmPEm1PbE0IPA41Falw6AtOmH4lS_IswnDsjGP6P2Qdzj1RIuUuYPGFH57IuQRwMhXxsn21OjGtAMYt7fv5s64IgE1KdKtma87Z/s640/blogger-image-802520751.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Next up, some sweet multi-passenger haulers for the fam</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yHUGJFKWCUtEYCCp2811OfvMn6hSl7C1W1zXvPuv5D50YDLRTaSD0r_coFQEMNllmR1YKGJUt2aNkb0z6fg0W8nih8Jc7lsyWcg3QZQTftIhIfJ0iDWbPKqQ6ih3hxINq4T3GOnYGUDe/s640/blogger-image--906902125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yHUGJFKWCUtEYCCp2811OfvMn6hSl7C1W1zXvPuv5D50YDLRTaSD0r_coFQEMNllmR1YKGJUt2aNkb0z6fg0W8nih8Jc7lsyWcg3QZQTftIhIfJ0iDWbPKqQ6ih3hxINq4T3GOnYGUDe/s640/blogger-image--906902125.jpg"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">3rd row!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpHT1hUY4WAxd9yX34imNqg7UcosKCfTRhSnK4o1SPZlfl3qMm0dYXsc3MrXLiUEp2UDw0EY2nZYYgZGDt9Fk9t43tEn2YThSMqrDp-z9tWkPEHiOV4Ba6vu3UukFz07aH4ahOj1tLvPV/s640/blogger-image--1006575726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpHT1hUY4WAxd9yX34imNqg7UcosKCfTRhSnK4o1SPZlfl3qMm0dYXsc3MrXLiUEp2UDw0EY2nZYYgZGDt9Fk9t43tEn2YThSMqrDp-z9tWkPEHiOV4Ba6vu3UukFz07aH4ahOj1tLvPV/s640/blogger-image--1006575726.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Angry 60s Buick</div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GsKbqIHSuVwYJ65zn7wb1RDJptkYitjhrz-0iraa_TTHvaom-7TdCsisbUC2pHmteDAmqq4cKdibU2mzO5ZYfGStDDkk08QKWTUMt_OcqS7GbE6L9waS0Fv0-UnUf-8AQQxHg3I2paC9/s640/blogger-image-1675378437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GsKbqIHSuVwYJ65zn7wb1RDJptkYitjhrz-0iraa_TTHvaom-7TdCsisbUC2pHmteDAmqq4cKdibU2mzO5ZYfGStDDkk08QKWTUMt_OcqS7GbE6L9waS0Fv0-UnUf-8AQQxHg3I2paC9/s640/blogger-image-1675378437.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpIViArYXDmYehe5SNdoNJmF7gv1mcOhBCI7M-0A9czpKC-mSuVI7S-isaml5f9S8WNe-KhefraVOx4hytBWQi6noJwjimucWXnrF3eNOgBHmLEXTutarn5sQ6KxDVM8LtKatN_Vtuypa/s640/blogger-image-149875153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpIViArYXDmYehe5SNdoNJmF7gv1mcOhBCI7M-0A9czpKC-mSuVI7S-isaml5f9S8WNe-KhefraVOx4hytBWQi6noJwjimucWXnrF3eNOgBHmLEXTutarn5sQ6KxDVM8LtKatN_Vtuypa/s640/blogger-image-149875153.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Little orange for good measure</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HTEzis5U7XBnut2CnfIflm5XUXuQT1p5qGfOQkhOnPcv8wWe9afr0oWUtUfmm7AvD448FbyLl90WyVFGps98Pr5saq2rNyBvnxc6b2oC_-peXqid9-A74TSDtFMuvudoS8o9vsNwOCnc/s640/blogger-image-1610352470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9HTEzis5U7XBnut2CnfIflm5XUXuQT1p5qGfOQkhOnPcv8wWe9afr0oWUtUfmm7AvD448FbyLl90WyVFGps98Pr5saq2rNyBvnxc6b2oC_-peXqid9-A74TSDtFMuvudoS8o9vsNwOCnc/s640/blogger-image-1610352470.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxzY8C_Hgl_QNm2NakExGV741JrYmWRhkIk-6ArMgpBk2Pg4bZ1WVgLNFLxEh30ppA9HXflyRd2PVMrtWCbdvt0XeItMJzK_GvrHgWphWdYjmizC1_X-lIa0uT5ZSBdosb_iBczaIUOLi/s640/blogger-image--24002564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnxzY8C_Hgl_QNm2NakExGV741JrYmWRhkIk-6ArMgpBk2Pg4bZ1WVgLNFLxEh30ppA9HXflyRd2PVMrtWCbdvt0XeItMJzK_GvrHgWphWdYjmizC1_X-lIa0uT5ZSBdosb_iBczaIUOLi/s640/blogger-image--24002564.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">An interior that matches my wardrobe</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLV5pbDGrIBWWe2zb7q7y9elY5HxbAQHNeKf2mV1GAyKlCuN4Ytv1IiScKtZGHeI4nkUDbx5Tc3mW-pdVc2G3BdQqbLsKKcjpqbpc5ySjHlN4EtOzmf_5Xrua5MJ1TVLcz2FM17A30KzFI/s640/blogger-image--1886533103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLV5pbDGrIBWWe2zb7q7y9elY5HxbAQHNeKf2mV1GAyKlCuN4Ytv1IiScKtZGHeI4nkUDbx5Tc3mW-pdVc2G3BdQqbLsKKcjpqbpc5ySjHlN4EtOzmf_5Xrua5MJ1TVLcz2FM17A30KzFI/s640/blogger-image--1886533103.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">60s Imapalas with the right stance and # of doors</div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbl5qrAIB6jSZRRls6l9IJBJg0LrwbS3A-Ad6YhqgmWDmvpTZoZJj_Nd9bmOkmyOQNZPQhbAKwtCUmF6HYUoLLAxTBvtnhL6wPc4WHhL-xl3jX2n1wOMauDk7bx2l6CxFUWJF7kSDzXHdc/s640/blogger-image-2138602985.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbl5qrAIB6jSZRRls6l9IJBJg0LrwbS3A-Ad6YhqgmWDmvpTZoZJj_Nd9bmOkmyOQNZPQhbAKwtCUmF6HYUoLLAxTBvtnhL6wPc4WHhL-xl3jX2n1wOMauDk7bx2l6CxFUWJF7kSDzXHdc/s640/blogger-image-2138602985.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Q_i493D6W5L81Qb32iK3u4NFVbb5FnshHA0r3lt5ULUSwTzTMTANjuADr8uHgUtVStv1H9RLwnHHagox1qWynZAhc8KKzDNOmtY2w52QCRION8_rpc-9AcAQwpfCn3PWM-G-2Y6mXeg4/s640/blogger-image--12830939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Q_i493D6W5L81Qb32iK3u4NFVbb5FnshHA0r3lt5ULUSwTzTMTANjuADr8uHgUtVStv1H9RLwnHHagox1qWynZAhc8KKzDNOmtY2w52QCRION8_rpc-9AcAQwpfCn3PWM-G-2Y6mXeg4/s640/blogger-image--12830939.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkSIVWUmSQ9fpNwk4Q3c4JrEJqhRA28G3XTiVZPoje6P3qt4pQyoU-U7SOLX1SdvPq9RAZklvp0W8CIJaj3onPafE3A3LFn0LOeOVSihoOV5RRylTDtN3c7D1RCC330hVSLz6Ur5B3ot9/s640/blogger-image-1688284302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkSIVWUmSQ9fpNwk4Q3c4JrEJqhRA28G3XTiVZPoje6P3qt4pQyoU-U7SOLX1SdvPq9RAZklvp0W8CIJaj3onPafE3A3LFn0LOeOVSihoOV5RRylTDtN3c7D1RCC330hVSLz6Ur5B3ot9/s640/blogger-image-1688284302.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6I4h3g2sclTmCDN00Q5NN0S2Kyul473L37zssXg6aNlZdw0i_Sbmr85pD9xuauWal97utWwsq0lHSawCROLM2grGdAX-fYZN4k7JHUdF92Z5N0dFm7CK0hCrE6TUJg2aaKxOfv6CRbIo/s640/blogger-image-1156059130.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU6I4h3g2sclTmCDN00Q5NN0S2Kyul473L37zssXg6aNlZdw0i_Sbmr85pD9xuauWal97utWwsq0lHSawCROLM2grGdAX-fYZN4k7JHUdF92Z5N0dFm7CK0hCrE6TUJg2aaKxOfv6CRbIo/s640/blogger-image-1156059130.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aP_KK9Mn95A_DRkIDzEuaHs5W07SxY9EKo5GkMIe3ZW5s2w56Dxb0zxJeno0xXbxWRdFONQa6bvDHipa2TXZtRikf2RUZjtBVwsjZDMBpU0mELIXdoy57mx1OBmAHt8yfO3xEfmqUknF/s640/blogger-image-512224018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5aP_KK9Mn95A_DRkIDzEuaHs5W07SxY9EKo5GkMIe3ZW5s2w56Dxb0zxJeno0xXbxWRdFONQa6bvDHipa2TXZtRikf2RUZjtBVwsjZDMBpU0mELIXdoy57mx1OBmAHt8yfO3xEfmqUknF/s640/blogger-image-512224018.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQDNol32Cdo2LGt4iCA1qBW-FVTwq122bqY90Xf4_wvRL6hYqKnPgf8q8QSCqqTwplOfB1ImfFDp1prqdRcwK8NuhpWFRiV6Nt989RnjGHikvWjZPOKd4eDG5OigrlHuycIu6StqO7Y-B/s640/blogger-image--1097948680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQDNol32Cdo2LGt4iCA1qBW-FVTwq122bqY90Xf4_wvRL6hYqKnPgf8q8QSCqqTwplOfB1ImfFDp1prqdRcwK8NuhpWFRiV6Nt989RnjGHikvWjZPOKd4eDG5OigrlHuycIu6StqO7Y-B/s640/blogger-image--1097948680.jpg"></a></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Don't see an Edsel every day, let alone a wagon!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RIjBAOa-cMEKkwHHLSBs39aD4nqrLmK0vb0T9dlbd5wVMzpI1mccUHe1s49L-ehKjD_07J9mRn88T659ZM2iomiW0v_8bhSMbxV3FG-BjCAuZXRgvjCaADD0ZEhjq7dLrRrHA38nOO8i/s640/blogger-image--720574622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RIjBAOa-cMEKkwHHLSBs39aD4nqrLmK0vb0T9dlbd5wVMzpI1mccUHe1s49L-ehKjD_07J9mRn88T659ZM2iomiW0v_8bhSMbxV3FG-BjCAuZXRgvjCaADD0ZEhjq7dLrRrHA38nOO8i/s640/blogger-image--720574622.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Haven't figured out what this is yet other than awesome</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-PIP-syUdxxvsevUW6IuDgwM-TPcXTRgo808CoYovUCxxKiNAgnuCsVpvy3gAHKUeeo1rJ2R0fU89gUg3PK9-j3iPRP1jSDqcqafNhoRLNDwceizFdvoN4q6H0V8MAv7uSeDy9PK6Qf62/s640/blogger-image--1804653469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-PIP-syUdxxvsevUW6IuDgwM-TPcXTRgo808CoYovUCxxKiNAgnuCsVpvy3gAHKUeeo1rJ2R0fU89gUg3PK9-j3iPRP1jSDqcqafNhoRLNDwceizFdvoN4q6H0V8MAv7uSeDy9PK6Qf62/s640/blogger-image--1804653469.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4Mop2mF62wLfOa1QiuhGFJlheNTFMpdJgCyfem5PQZKq_gc6BD8ZI22sQtLa46_tFZVD_ww64uiysHqNHXVufIfpYghVl_Fu2l99gCJqTNJxw2Qn8X318ZJ1dKHlQcPJi6FMVr9jZcb_/s640/blogger-image-604301382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj4Mop2mF62wLfOa1QiuhGFJlheNTFMpdJgCyfem5PQZKq_gc6BD8ZI22sQtLa46_tFZVD_ww64uiysHqNHXVufIfpYghVl_Fu2l99gCJqTNJxw2Qn8X318ZJ1dKHlQcPJi6FMVr9jZcb_/s640/blogger-image-604301382.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51BXR1SLyfmwcCTn_Tq2op6Yqi1j1jPZAUIvucECCTQJDcuFUkQxHc0RRXV4i-RiayAK4bPKEiVzea_dwCURZzilWQj9mxkgcyKEv0NiL9cOQMHIo23SsaN_UpdbMiLIS0KUZFVmO6y3Q/s640/blogger-image--1740224323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj51BXR1SLyfmwcCTn_Tq2op6Yqi1j1jPZAUIvucECCTQJDcuFUkQxHc0RRXV4i-RiayAK4bPKEiVzea_dwCURZzilWQj9mxkgcyKEv0NiL9cOQMHIo23SsaN_UpdbMiLIS0KUZFVmO6y3Q/s640/blogger-image--1740224323.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4LLvLWm2mm7ZLTC1jPh0CQgufv_rL1JiWOFJmJeSP98kZusiY8vJ3HQq-sh4wSIniO2DHV0URICZQVlN6JWyQvrAv1aMJRYyXB_D3_rgOmuR1ZuQHIiioH5-VR22as8Z6Bv8XvHthUe6/s640/blogger-image--1472034691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM4LLvLWm2mm7ZLTC1jPh0CQgufv_rL1JiWOFJmJeSP98kZusiY8vJ3HQq-sh4wSIniO2DHV0URICZQVlN6JWyQvrAv1aMJRYyXB_D3_rgOmuR1ZuQHIiioH5-VR22as8Z6Bv8XvHthUe6/s640/blogger-image--1472034691.jpg"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>Lots of diesel powered stuff this year too</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2Vyp08-Uk6V_qrpE5-hV9G4t0FEeBvvLht5ksM_-p9TfNg7-LYwQ0-uIv9zyIUJ2mKInLH2_lxDyUgNTUR8R2YpS_TwbU0c0T7Rwe9GqOoi8f6rdELOWnEJqJ9IyTK-2zWbSDbCcwZYo/s640/blogger-image--1173965275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2Vyp08-Uk6V_qrpE5-hV9G4t0FEeBvvLht5ksM_-p9TfNg7-LYwQ0-uIv9zyIUJ2mKInLH2_lxDyUgNTUR8R2YpS_TwbU0c0T7Rwe9GqOoi8f6rdELOWnEJqJ9IyTK-2zWbSDbCcwZYo/s640/blogger-image--1173965275.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4DeSNO1-gjXc_9smcM6l7VrQrtw7Lf4sIs3kReVNQN0O6iKnqkduuCKEwY2n3_J8GF_0b8JnhTgmKcQCJHi8QXrOjiuC7JEMYmJYer9Tbasbsb3K7qKSYj8qjE6S-o4wY9kDDh7hqHNL/s640/blogger-image--742142630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw4DeSNO1-gjXc_9smcM6l7VrQrtw7Lf4sIs3kReVNQN0O6iKnqkduuCKEwY2n3_J8GF_0b8JnhTgmKcQCJHi8QXrOjiuC7JEMYmJYer9Tbasbsb3K7qKSYj8qjE6S-o4wY9kDDh7hqHNL/s640/blogger-image--742142630.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKM1xj3Q8mulwgdI6Iko1srgPYUkI8pKyqp2z90hqFpPibw2y4BJb3xqQ44gSvran5pkf3bsggMkKkgrKG1YZB6V1M3WJSEVgpS5TA6xPj41UTkwRrfwICYNQ7W__5qwyoJYUAcfdN1TC1/s640/blogger-image--1515025352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKM1xj3Q8mulwgdI6Iko1srgPYUkI8pKyqp2z90hqFpPibw2y4BJb3xqQ44gSvran5pkf3bsggMkKkgrKG1YZB6V1M3WJSEVgpS5TA6xPj41UTkwRrfwICYNQ7W__5qwyoJYUAcfdN1TC1/s640/blogger-image--1515025352.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1X2yJmq5V_sObk9kRJhsmqOrFdpncIH0H90U75stzyW3Rl-lhIhwwPKk5xctTMthYN7_G5wH4xjT6bwXoJ1YQ5zjEcVStPsSpQ0BF7_kmz9ideAemrk8UJvAFFngD74AWEv8p7KtV1yM0/s640/blogger-image--442213523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1X2yJmq5V_sObk9kRJhsmqOrFdpncIH0H90U75stzyW3Rl-lhIhwwPKk5xctTMthYN7_G5wH4xjT6bwXoJ1YQ5zjEcVStPsSpQ0BF7_kmz9ideAemrk8UJvAFFngD74AWEv8p7KtV1yM0/s640/blogger-image--442213523.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDb4Rt-7XtO8oU1_USlY5k3SY8HSn0WmAAuNTW4zYFm7EYXJuwYpvjziV5jwioKJ3Nbc1KSdQWZtDYJ-_xXsSqt2PbUptHAlcTgHm4Aw75X27Lvil878FPC7YI8gYskmQD3tQnz_C_gxmK/s640/blogger-image--1001382033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDb4Rt-7XtO8oU1_USlY5k3SY8HSn0WmAAuNTW4zYFm7EYXJuwYpvjziV5jwioKJ3Nbc1KSdQWZtDYJ-_xXsSqt2PbUptHAlcTgHm4Aw75X27Lvil878FPC7YI8gYskmQD3tQnz_C_gxmK/s640/blogger-image--1001382033.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Other cool stuff</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">36 Chevy with a "mild" chop</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrASVM2BEWnd91qgG6JFFMAL9bXQMB5_9MQVbGEVFPHvA-S0QCZ91K0Ghx-kB70AWJt9tB_rsgPY5x5OBpf6qL8KZk_YZ7nADtlW_OL4OjFIzSTVPvekfbB6NPSeB1IVZ0R5h0nh-azuZ/s640/blogger-image-574633735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrASVM2BEWnd91qgG6JFFMAL9bXQMB5_9MQVbGEVFPHvA-S0QCZ91K0Ghx-kB70AWJt9tB_rsgPY5x5OBpf6qL8KZk_YZ7nADtlW_OL4OjFIzSTVPvekfbB6NPSeB1IVZ0R5h0nh-azuZ/s640/blogger-image-574633735.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYScuXgviAm0UigC2r0gPDfzUQOpFWb3f-bIfQ8ejsmghSem518VTb_J2Q8AElQcBbGdYlxR2L63mOTce70L6jbGouZp9y_kgCBEPpM-idg8ghsyDJpHwdQD2tG7J9rZYyItCFZnHnFUuE/s640/blogger-image-820846991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYScuXgviAm0UigC2r0gPDfzUQOpFWb3f-bIfQ8ejsmghSem518VTb_J2Q8AElQcBbGdYlxR2L63mOTce70L6jbGouZp9y_kgCBEPpM-idg8ghsyDJpHwdQD2tG7J9rZYyItCFZnHnFUuE/s640/blogger-image-820846991.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Scalloped Plymouth Cranbrook </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UxJSDt1Hv0gdkDxzS-AJO1z7G9T8PyQuwWVeN65CPWxm8t92iuwp4xTXvS5bs-2OekJPQOp_mTtNpfnsqM9j4ZzUAtEttq4KzMUNBI2Q-liAcjNmx5fcBKZyPTIjjFQPjZP5Dt6Tqrib/s640/blogger-image--170471571.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2UxJSDt1Hv0gdkDxzS-AJO1z7G9T8PyQuwWVeN65CPWxm8t92iuwp4xTXvS5bs-2OekJPQOp_mTtNpfnsqM9j4ZzUAtEttq4KzMUNBI2Q-liAcjNmx5fcBKZyPTIjjFQPjZP5Dt6Tqrib/s640/blogger-image--170471571.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Hudson!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6rpUaJU0mRoP5G6-Ih6oaC0QvGTFHs9_J8bs8Ozzx2Zy3JWGZHetIoHCBbXj6h6FgFmsIhsR6G8lcssQuLaI2JHcPz31ZXekj7hWQKKfTLaybqp0GK5UvDp2t7v-fgjqNVo1HMkvtc1h/s640/blogger-image--746456249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu6rpUaJU0mRoP5G6-Ih6oaC0QvGTFHs9_J8bs8Ozzx2Zy3JWGZHetIoHCBbXj6h6FgFmsIhsR6G8lcssQuLaI2JHcPz31ZXekj7hWQKKfTLaybqp0GK5UvDp2t7v-fgjqNVo1HMkvtc1h/s640/blogger-image--746456249.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">That bumper is off the chain!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuA-WNmICKXziGsFH3pf1lyjZZnnTR1Wv5AGmRQxc2FsSIslevkIzhwDtFwV_mA6eTfwacjKubmHD2e1uAQ3TOYzHylHeT_6CASZalCWofvjrMD4_G5ytBx8taeSufkR3jfpqtZpWQ683/s640/blogger-image-521989638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsuA-WNmICKXziGsFH3pf1lyjZZnnTR1Wv5AGmRQxc2FsSIslevkIzhwDtFwV_mA6eTfwacjKubmHD2e1uAQ3TOYzHylHeT_6CASZalCWofvjrMD4_G5ytBx8taeSufkR3jfpqtZpWQ683/s640/blogger-image-521989638.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Whole new meaning to Jesus take the wheel</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizswXKA00TdqbKHMss7tczaTSzb_ZMGzNG6TUVLkPErFdU3AUO_iuGc_M4Dyru0fTXy_FeeWCDXWNJkGLzsqkNNgI5zof5EqWKzVFuUfxxswaXjxjmYHm5mwxPBiCeQYYAxU1K0b-yt1zC/s640/blogger-image-404283828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizswXKA00TdqbKHMss7tczaTSzb_ZMGzNG6TUVLkPErFdU3AUO_iuGc_M4Dyru0fTXy_FeeWCDXWNJkGLzsqkNNgI5zof5EqWKzVFuUfxxswaXjxjmYHm5mwxPBiCeQYYAxU1K0b-yt1zC/s640/blogger-image-404283828.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNYLUf94HIWYZ3BgoG1soJB1oP3Bz1kbuUCXIw8we57Iar3r8hyphenhyphen-FEsufUTpo-ksHefxLd37uX9jEXYVkCTwGHu9rcbmG-hC7_rc7Mh1wi7FiLXjUBfL5mKaenwOXTCpVqAPwvcSP1Yy6/s640/blogger-image--69338429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwNYLUf94HIWYZ3BgoG1soJB1oP3Bz1kbuUCXIw8we57Iar3r8hyphenhyphen-FEsufUTpo-ksHefxLd37uX9jEXYVkCTwGHu9rcbmG-hC7_rc7Mh1wi7FiLXjUBfL5mKaenwOXTCpVqAPwvcSP1Yy6/s640/blogger-image--69338429.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Couldn't get anyone to trade straight up for the Volvo, guess I'll keep working on the patina and try again next year...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEham2Y72hGLEiWsY8YVctVh7ftyAFLWhauNxZZl4S-TToFw7YWV7tmez_rBYbDfEQD_J2vu3LI33QAicyAqb-KtgP3dAOZCg3_4HreiPa5lbSHXzeR_ILtIXIfCvC9-OyTDOZQkb9wXfzDu/s640/blogger-image-800090771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEham2Y72hGLEiWsY8YVctVh7ftyAFLWhauNxZZl4S-TToFw7YWV7tmez_rBYbDfEQD_J2vu3LI33QAicyAqb-KtgP3dAOZCg3_4HreiPa5lbSHXzeR_ILtIXIfCvC9-OyTDOZQkb9wXfzDu/s640/blogger-image-800090771.jpg"></a></div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div>DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-69720594678413567292016-04-07T07:54:00.001-05:002016-04-07T07:54:45.288-05:00Thriller<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTUz4b1-zTokLa6iDvt2B8e7pzQd1mP3kYgofXsLuFIvvMTEN_9dlnzXZ3XdVGLflyPkISpRScTp9Z4blwxsN-0EcnR8_WyJz_g_kpJPY40ZZUUpQQiqjAHLKM3KfahUytAdsXqfQp91Q/s640/blogger-image--1094750823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTUz4b1-zTokLa6iDvt2B8e7pzQd1mP3kYgofXsLuFIvvMTEN_9dlnzXZ3XdVGLflyPkISpRScTp9Z4blwxsN-0EcnR8_WyJz_g_kpJPY40ZZUUpQQiqjAHLKM3KfahUytAdsXqfQp91Q/s640/blogger-image--1094750823.jpg"></a></div>"Human nature, if healthy, demands excitement; and if it does not obtain its thrilling excitement in the right way, it will seek it in the wrong. God never makes bloodless stoics; He makes no passionless saints." Oswald Chambers</div><div><br></div><div>It took me 20yrs as a Christian to start to grasp this but over the past few years God has really shown me what an adventure life with Him can be when not clouded by my own lame attempts and anxious toil. From the deep and rewarding connections that came from taking a leap to a new church to stepping out and taking on a new role at work that required way beyond what I was qualified for, every day has been a new adventure and learning experience driven and supported by dependence on God and walking with Jesus. Along with prodding (sometimes gentle, sometimes not) there have been several books/studies that have really opened my eyes, the most recent being Mark Batterson's Wild Goose Chase (<a href="http://chasethegoose.com/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">http://chasethegoose.com/</a>) and Dwight Edward's Revolution Within (<a href="http://www.revolutionwithin.com/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">http://www.revolutionwithin.com/</a>).</div><div><br></div><div>As a male and somewhat of an adrenaline junkie, I'm captivated at the idea of each day being a new adventure and uncovering of yet another piece of an exciting puzzle that is the life I was designed to live. Like carving a new path in fresh powder or blasting down a new trail on my 29er, each day has the potential to be a white knuckle ride into new territory if we'll just open our eyes and let go of our own short-sighted desires and attempts to make things happen on our own.</div><div><br></div><div>Looking forward to what's to come!</div>DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-48182044466107294532016-03-26T10:21:00.002-05:002016-03-26T10:22:53.213-05:00Move, NOW!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytdQ4u8WDkU">Theme song for this post</a>. If you look back a few months to this <a href="http://dadfablab.blogspot.com/2016/01/what-about-bob.html">post</a> you'll remember/see that I was inspired by the story of Bob Hunter as told in John Ortberg's <i><a href="http://www.zondervan.com/if-you-want-to-walk-on-water-you-ve-got-to-get-out-of-the-boat-1">If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get out of the Boat</a> </i>(awesome book, I'll send you my copy if you're interested in reading it!) and began praying for orphans in the Dominican Republic as a result. <br>
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In that time our small group also did a study of the book of James and I was constantly prodded by his calls to action like <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James+1:27">v1:27</a>, where he boldly states that the religion God calls us to is to<span class="text Jas-1-27" id="en-NIV-30294"> "look after orphans and widows in their distress." But what does that really mean?</span><br>
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Flash forward several months and I'd been praying on a (mostly) regular basis everything from a simple "God help orphans in the DR" to an application of whatever it was I was struggling with or was on my heart. At the beginning of this month I hit the 45 day mark and began to wonder ultimately what I was doing this for. Regardless, I felt compelled to press on and keep at it and then on March 11th a little frustrated I wrote "God, is
there something I should be chasing after with this whole orphans in the DR
thing?" in my prayer journal. <br>
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9 days later I was manning my post at the check-in desk for our children's ministry and glanced up at one of the booths set up for our ministry campaign which happened to be for <a href="http://www.compassion.com/">Compassion International</a> and it (or rather God) hit me--"Dude, do something!" (God typically leads with "Dude" whenever he's trying to get my attention). At that moment James 1:22 all of the sudden made sense: "<span class="text Jas-1-22" id="en-NIV-30289">Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." Looking after orphans and widows may look like different things to different people but ultimately should be prayer followed by action in the direction it leads you in.</span><br>
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A few minutes later (thanks to my iPhone) I had an account set up, we welcomed 5yr old Jairo David Lucas Leon into our family, and I was on my way to putting my prayers into action at the urging of the Spirit. As with the example of Abraham used in James 2:22, our <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">faith and actions must work together so that our faith is made complete by what we do.</span></div>
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Seek, pray, do. It seems so simple but yet in our density and propensity to stay in the rut we're in so hard to live out. As the (energetic) dude that leads off the intro to the song linked above proclaims:<br>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Move! Now! Move!
Now! Move! Now! From dread to expectation. From bondage to freedom. From
mourning to dancing. Now! Now! Now! </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Now lift your hands He’s here! Lift your
hands He’s here! We can’t stay here! We gotta go! We gotta go! We gotta charge
to keep! We gotta God to serve! We gotta gospel to preach! We got broken hearts
to find! We got hurting people to heal. Come on move church. Move! We’re not
waiting on a move of God! We are a move of God! Come on and shout! Now! Now!
Now! How many believe mountains still move? How many believe God still reigns?
Our father who art in heaven hallow it be thy name! Your kingdom come! Your
will be done! HERE AND NOW!</span></div>
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DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-85001295568391639392016-03-25T08:51:00.001-05:002016-03-25T08:51:58.571-05:00What about Bob<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As we wrapped up our study of <a href="http://chasethegoose.com/">Wild Goose Chase</a> at the beginning of the year, the guys in our small group and I took <a href="http://www.markbatterson.com/uncategorized/ten-steps-to-setting-life-goals/">Batterson's advice</a> and wrote out/shared some God-sized goals for 2016 as well as our lives. I'll share more details later, but as I was thinking/praying through this I ran across the story of Bob Hunter in another <a href="http://www.zondervan.com/if-you-want-to-walk-on-water-you-ve-got-to-get-out-of-the-boat-1">book I've been reading</a> and was both inspired and blown away at how a simple and seemingly unguided act of prayer exploded into a life-changer for both the pray-er and pray-ees.<br />
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You can read the full story <a href="http://www.epm.org/resources/1998/Mar/16/uganda-bet-and-prayer/">here</a> but basically Bob was challenged (via a $500 bet) by a friend to pray for 45 days for a part of the world (that he'd never been to and knew little about) in an effort to grow the mountain-moving faith called out in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2017:20">Matthew 17:20</a>. What transpired from that simple bet is nothing short of phenomenal, leading to not only a personal connection to orphans in Uganda but also the president of the country as you'll read in the link above (since I'm sure you're hooked by now!).<br />
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While not part of my original life goals list which just included a general goal to "explore mission work," I was struck by the need to pray for somewhere and something specific and what landed on my heart was the Dominican Republic and Orphans. It might be because several members of my family did some charitable work there or maybe because of a selfish desire to explore the loggable lefts of Playa Bonita, but whatever the case, for the next 45 days I plan to pray "God help orphans in the Dominican Republic" and report back on how the words of <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+14%3A13&version=ESV">John 14:13</a> and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+11:24">Mark 11:24</a> play out...DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-24928784881555712072016-03-05T09:14:00.003-06:002016-03-05T09:15:06.658-06:00Strengthened in the LordThe first part of 2016 has been pretty rough. Along with prep for baby #4, we had at least 1 sick person in our house for about 6 weeks straight leading to not much sleep and a whole lot of exhaustion which makes just about everything else in life more difficult to cope with. <br>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">Case and point, I had an organizational review a couple weeks ago where unbeknownst to me I was going to have to defend my rationale for who my star performers were to a group of my peers who are all managers themselves, but also engineers and as such are inquisitive and argumentative by nature. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">I'll spare you the details (and myself the frustration of re-living the event) but suffice it to say I was pretty frustrated and demotivated by the end of it all, a fact not helped by how daggum tired I was after the week's events. That night in the shower as I was </span><a href="http://dadfablab.blogspot.com/2015/08/preoccupation.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">going over the scene in my mind for the 100th time</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">, I was reminded of Tim Keller's words in </span><a href="http://www.timothykeller.com/books/every-good-endeavor" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Every Good Endeavor</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"> that have brought me back to reality on many occasions since reading them: "Part of the curse of work in a fallen world is its
frequent fruitlessness." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">The reality is that struggle and strife are a natural consequence of the world we live in and our work life isn't any different. Even our best efforts will be challenged and imperfect but as Daniel Goleman states "Having hope means that one will not give in to overwhelming anxiety, a defeatist attitude, or depression in the face of challenging setbacks." Easier said than done, but viewing isolated incidents in light of the big picture of life and eternity as well has having hope that no matter how things go on a daily basis, God is working through all of it has been a constant encouragement in a challenging work and life environment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">I also really like what Ken Blanchard says in </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.kenblanchard.com/Store/Books/Lead-Like-Jesus" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Lead like Jesus</a>: "</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">One of the most difficult challenges a leader faces is not to pay too much attention to either criticism or praise." Haters gonna hate, kiss ups are gonna kiss up, just gotta keep on keepin on...</span><br>
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Challenging setbacks are something King David knew all too well, both before and after the "King" was added to his name. In <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+30%3A6&version=ESV">1 Sam 30:6</a> David is at probably what we'd consider today as rock bottom, hiding in a cave from those he had been leading fearing for both his own life and that of his family but then something happened, "David strengthened himself in the Lord" and shortly thereafter defeated the Amalekites through chain of events I don't think anyone but God could have strung together (see <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%2020">1 Sam 20-30</a> for the whole story!). <br>
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So what does "strengthening yourself in the Lord" even mean? For me on that frustrating day it meant falling on my knees in the shower (disturbing mental picture, I know) and praying the words of Matthew 11:28-30:<br>
"<span class="text Matt-11-28" id="en-ESV-23488"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">28 </sup>Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.</span></span> <span class="text Matt-11-29" id="en-ESV-23489"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">29 </sup>Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.</span></span> <span class="text Matt-11-30" id="en-ESV-23490"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">30 </sup>For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” followed by the blessing of a good night's sleep thanks to my mind now being eased through an earnest prayer. </span></span><br>
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<span class="text Matt-11-30" id="en-ESV-23490"><span class="woj">Not feeling up to a bike ride the next morning (which is my usual outlet for stress and gives me a solid amount of time for prayer/reflection), I received further replenishment via jamming out to <a href="http:///">Andy Mineo's Vendetta</a>, the line "every day we struggle but it's beautiful" being particularly encouraging that day. On that note, music, whether it be worship, classical, or good 'ol fashioned rock'n roll, is a great way to connect, refocus, and refuel in times of need, my choice musical inspiration and "pump" if you will comes in the form of Rap/Hip-Hop. My early days were fueled by the energy charged lyrics of Tupac (who was one of the common bonds that brought my wife and I together) but now that I frequently listen around little ears I've moved to Christian rap, which has progressed significantly since its early days in the 90s. A few of my current favorites if you're interested: </span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0QfbztZ8A4&list=RDw4lb9TMg5WM&index=7">KB's 100</a>, <span class="text Matt-11-30"><span class="woj"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WopyrETP-CU">Andy Mineo's You Can't Stop Me</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHnZRZiCYHE">Lecrae's Background)</a></span></span>
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<span class="text Matt-11-30" id="en-ESV-23490"><span class="woj"><br>While donning an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ephod">ephod </a></span></span><span class="text Matt-11-30"><span class="woj">and inquiring of the Lord isn't common practice today, we do still very much have the power of God's word at our fingertips and can easily find and recall verses to carry us through the challenges of life. A few that have been very helpful to me in times of struggle, sickness, and anxiety are:</span></span><br>
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<li><span class="text Matt-11-30" id="en-ESV-23490"><span class="woj">Ps 73:26: </span></span>My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.</li>
<li><span class="p">Phil 4:6-8: </span><span class="text Phil-4-6" id="en-ESV-29432">Do
not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.</span> <span class="text Phil-4-7" id="en-ESV-29433"><sup></sup>And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.</span><span class="text Phil-4-8" id="en-ESV-29434"><sup> </sup>Finally,
brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there
is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about
these things.</span></li>
<li><span class="text Phil-4-8" id="en-ESV-29434">1 Tim 4:12: Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in faith, in love, and in purity. </span></li>
<li><span class="text Phil-4-8" id="en-ESV-29434">Josh 1:9: Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go</span></li>
<li><span class="text Phil-4-8" id="en-ESV-29434">Phil 4:13: I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me</span></li>
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Activity is also a great way to reconnect, refocus, and re-find that ever elusive center. Whether it's riding bikes, jogging, boxing, or just taking a walk outside, there's nothing like changing your environment and walking away from sources of frustration and distraction. At times I've made a regular habit of slipping out of the office for a walk in the adjacent neighborhood and have recently been keeping a spare bike at work so I can hit the trails down the street when I need a break.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ultimately, trials and tribulations are part of life in a fallen world as well as a key part of our growth and development and while<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"> the answer Jesus got when he asked if the </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+26%3A39&version=ESV" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">cup could pass from him</a><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"> is not always what we want, it's certainly exactly what we need. Reading further (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+22:43">Luke 22:43</a>) we see that Jesus did in fact receive an answer to his prayer via an angel God sent to strengthen him for his mission. With that in mind, I've come to realize my main job, as John Ortberg describes it </span><a href="http://www.johnortberg.com/books/if-you-want-to-walk-on-water-youve-got-to-get-out-of-the-boat-participants-guide-with-dvd/" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;">in this book</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">, is to be one of those "</span><span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 11pt;">Leaders
who have enormous energy to lead, who can carry deep within them reserves of
optimism and confidence to fuel those under them, who have a kind of inner
gyroscope that guides them to develop others and achieve a mission" whether it be at work or at home. While it may be natural for some it certainly isn't for me and requires constant refreshing and reminders that there's something bigger going on than the right here and now in my small corner of this world. Throughout his life </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Jesus demonstrated peace most when everything around him seemed to be in conflict. People sense when a leader is in control of himself and have explicit faith in what he's doing, something I hope and pray for on a daily basis for the betterment of my self and those around me.</span></span></span></div>
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DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-31359083568336354512016-02-17T18:01:00.000-06:002016-02-17T18:17:46.659-06:00Cruisin'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSP099cWnYmt1gYBwWNQSTajlm7QJHQzCXegH68MW1xKBxyJeAgFDHtXVz1hzcSdkP4G9XNFyd0oD6tgsPvliLtC3rB4eBfv8VFaJHKuQxZwXrAezhfgwr7Ag-N1D8zkO9kM4zmMlxiG-/s640/blogger-image--993168879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSP099cWnYmt1gYBwWNQSTajlm7QJHQzCXegH68MW1xKBxyJeAgFDHtXVz1hzcSdkP4G9XNFyd0oD6tgsPvliLtC3rB4eBfv8VFaJHKuQxZwXrAezhfgwr7Ag-N1D8zkO9kM4zmMlxiG-/s320/blogger-image--993168879.jpg" width="231"></a><br>
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Last week was the week of trading old dreams for new ones. With the blessing of new things in life has come less time for car projects and after quite a long time of deliberating and prayer I passed <a href="http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2864782/1989-toyota-supra/">my dream car</a> on to a friend, allowing him to start a dream of his own. It wasn't an easy choice and while I (mostly) enjoyed my 10 years of ownership, there are just a lot of other things I need or want to spend my time on these days.</div>
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As life with God goes, with the closure of one chapter comes the opening of another and I'm really excited about what adventures the replacement fun family rig is going to bring, hence the Dr. Seuss image to the left. More on that later, I want to first start with the process that led us here. I had been toying on and off with the idea of selling the Supra for several years and actually had it sold to someone out of state at one point but the deal fell through. Unsure of what to take from that I decided just to hold onto it until a slight re-direction in November when someone pulled out of a shopping center and clipped the driver's side. 3 months later the dust finally settled and, with a renewed interest in moving on, a sale was made.</div>
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The other part of this automotive puzzle is a <a href="http://www.cardomain.com/ride/478910/1987-toyota-4runner/">project</a> I've had since I was 15 and has provided more memories and consumed more time and $$ than I care to enumerate. As with the Supra, I've considered selling on a few occasions (usually out of frustration and/or a desire for something else) but more recently with a sincere desire to simplify life a little and make sure my time and effort is directed where it can bear the most fruit. Since reading Bill Hybel's <a href="https://www.willowcreek.com/ProdInfo.asp?invtid=PR34669">The Power of a Whisper</a> several months back, I've been trying (sometimes in vain) to tune my ear to God's leading in my life, especially in areas I've typically felt like I've got stuff handled like cars, a perfect example is our<a href="http://dadfablab.blogspot.com/2016/01/presenting-uss-simon.html"> new to us family mobile</a>, which on my own I probably would have never run across let alone purchased. </div>
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Not doing well at this on a particular day, I was wrestling in my <a href="http://dadfablab.blogspot.com/2015/08/preoccupation.html">standard preoccupied manner</a> with what to do with the 4Runner while driving to lunch. I'd come to the conclusion that ultimately what I wanted (and was attempting to build, albeit not finish in my lifetime) was an off-road vehicle for the occasional family adventure that could also serve some practical purpose. Just about that time, a cherry Toyota Land Cruiser pulled up next to me. 3 rows, solid axles, front and rear lockers, the ability to fit 33" tires with minimal lift, an offroad beast that can haul the whole crew in overbuilt Toyota luxury (insert Tim Allen grunts here). It took several more months to come to a conclusion but that was a starting point to a beastly 1996 Land Cruiser ending up in our driveway:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_hNT_U3taD9b2dkJuj_8iq-c-JsKuawQBNxoyligPFxSj0fc3ugv68qGtSI9vAqlSMDs2WhRkGMb-2jupGmeVyEEsvsxqfk2zvEllIrpaeKDCB2w0K77ZV0JAxEQPHF1GCllZx_Dntwv/s640/blogger-image--1704857975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1_hNT_U3taD9b2dkJuj_8iq-c-JsKuawQBNxoyligPFxSj0fc3ugv68qGtSI9vAqlSMDs2WhRkGMb-2jupGmeVyEEsvsxqfk2zvEllIrpaeKDCB2w0K77ZV0JAxEQPHF1GCllZx_Dntwv/s640/blogger-image--1704857975.jpg"></a></div><br>
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As John Eldridge states <a href="http://www.ransomedheart.com/daily-reading/guidance-clarity-and-direction">here</a>, sometimes God provides guidance and clarity to move us in the right direction and other times he speaks to us through sheer revelation but "<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The key to receiving answers to prayers for guidance is to let go of our constant attempt to “figure things out.” </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">This is something I'm definitely still working on and am sure I'll be reminded of while</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><a href="http://youtu.be/WmeRheEfm1o" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cruisin</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">' and enjoying</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2010%3A10" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">life to the full</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">exploring the trails with my family. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As Dwight Edwards says in </span><a href="http://www.christianbook.com/revolution-within-fresh-look-supernatural-living/dwight-edwards/9781578564590/pd/6459X" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Revolution Within</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">: "When we delight most in the spectacularness of God, when his glory becomes our highest agenda, we find a taste that thrills our souls plus we experience a nonstop transformation in our lives along the way."</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-21798305470647953762016-01-29T21:00:00.000-06:002016-02-03T09:01:09.514-06:00Presenting the USS Simon<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZrAA8OYcO2pa6B6mH4IgelCppnFufm9sjmfRO3BMMoLArzeQqhyAWLgc-SXdNXddVp-mJDimGMZiA8lAV-bSB0L3lSmwcDRL27-5PyfOeDu1PcAM843oEgW6vUln-m4ldY2qJUBq6SaX/s640/blogger-image-489726216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZrAA8OYcO2pa6B6mH4IgelCppnFufm9sjmfRO3BMMoLArzeQqhyAWLgc-SXdNXddVp-mJDimGMZiA8lAV-bSB0L3lSmwcDRL27-5PyfOeDu1PcAM843oEgW6vUln-m4ldY2qJUBq6SaX/s320/blogger-image-489726216.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
It's big, it's gray, and it will undoubtedly see its share of bombs so we figured a battleship inspired name was appropriate our "new" 7 passenger people mover. Your eyes are not deceiving you, we did in fact forego our Toyota roots and buy a Chrysler product making this purchase a I-will-never two for 1 combo of Dodge and Minivan. Mopar or no car baby.<br />
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Joking aside, the Caravan was heavily revised in 2011 after the formation of Fiat Chrysler America (FCA) and they seemed to have resolved most of the age old issues that plagued them through the 2000s. The 3.6L Pentastar v6 is used in everything under the sun and is pretty bulletproof aside from a head issue (which is covered under an extended 150k mile warranty) and at 283hp it's no slouch either. If I'm going to drive a minivan it's at least going to be the most powerful one you can buy. The pre-2013 models are plagued with wimpy front brakes leading to a relatively short pad/rotor life, but a set of quality pads and rotors can be had for ~$60 shipped on RockAuto and the much better later model brakes can also be swapped in after an upgrade to something larger than the stock 16" wheels which is as good an excuse as any to throw on a set of 20" SRT replicas like this person did to a similar colored van:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguL9I7z6AUFdGe5eUS1tGh73ZF3byAy3RCzgcXW_RN8W-4-H4dL2Xw86JeHEA1RObkos1deIvmiAgl4bZ96nnq9X8MasNb0ZfLv4_tsYn7bzas9pPsK3xLgROLBcgybzi_v7Hm1UuEpdEP/s640/blogger-image--139280265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguL9I7z6AUFdGe5eUS1tGh73ZF3byAy3RCzgcXW_RN8W-4-H4dL2Xw86JeHEA1RObkos1deIvmiAgl4bZ96nnq9X8MasNb0ZfLv4_tsYn7bzas9pPsK3xLgROLBcgybzi_v7Hm1UuEpdEP/s320/blogger-image--139280265.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We were dead set on another Yota but when this 2012 Caravan popped up at close to half the price of a comparable Sienna, a little research and some soul searching led to what we hope to be a good buy that will serve us well. A non-working DVD player and a few other small things (including not much life left in the front brakes) led to enough negotiating leverage to get the price down to just above trade value so even if there are a few bumps in the road we'll hopefully be covered. One thing that's certain is it won't hold its value as well as a Toyota (evidenced by our purchase price of 1/3 it's original retail just 4 years after it rolled off the showroom floor) but I'm also certain that anything that sees the use this thing is about to see will have little to no value several years from now anyways.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">We did decide to go with a loan as we felt the $400 in interest over 4 years was well worth the freedom and potential benefits of holding onto or leveraging the cash from pairing down our now ridiculously sized used car fleet. Speaking of that, anyone need a Prius? Maybe a Volvo or two or a pair of Supras??</span></div>
DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-38509175190228530692016-01-23T07:42:00.000-06:002016-01-23T07:42:42.689-06:00To finance or not to finance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ipyOnyFZHkAsPHKG2cGzipKRvDuZ1Aen-z15B-OFJdDP5YUkktQPNqLZGGSohS7fiSIPjBY1F4y-YXemL4s_Tae-GipUZzifk8CxsWggb4d_pFIoQr2fezjoMz_7u0l0okaUiwD9Vf8W/s1600/Hamlet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ipyOnyFZHkAsPHKG2cGzipKRvDuZ1Aen-z15B-OFJdDP5YUkktQPNqLZGGSohS7fiSIPjBY1F4y-YXemL4s_Tae-GipUZzifk8CxsWggb4d_pFIoQr2fezjoMz_7u0l0okaUiwD9Vf8W/s320/Hamlet.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
That is the question, at least since we <a href="http://dadfablab.blogspot.com/2016/01/something-old-or-something-new.html">started the search</a> for our next vehicle. I'm not a huge fan of paying interest but alas it is one of the necessities of life unless you're like the people who bought our last house and had an uncle front them the money. That said, I've been approaching the car decision from a couple of angles. First and foremost being realistic about how much time I'll have to fix stuff in the coming months/years (as well as considering where my time might be better spent even if I have it) as well as my <a href="http://dadfablab.blogspot.com/2015/08/preoccupation.html">tendency to be preoccupied</a> with things (squeaks, rattles and other potentially broken stuff) which leaves me distracted from what's important and what God wants for me. The second you can probably guess if you've read anything else here: traditional number crunching.<br />
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As I mentioned <a href="http://dadfablab.blogspot.com/2015/12/good-in-all-things_23.html">here</a>, we have a student loan that's been hanging around at a pesky 4.25% interest rate and were quoted a much lower 1.85% for an auto loan. Now obviously we'd be trading tax deductible interest for interest that is not, but the almost 60% delta between the two rates makes a pretty good case regardless. Thankfully we live in an electronic age full of handy (and hand-held if you're old school) calculators so it's pretty easy to crunch the numbers.<br />
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First up, I used <a href="http://onlineloancalculator.org/">Onlineloancalculator.org</a>'s auto loan calculator to determine the cost of a $15k loan on a used van vs. paying cash (an option still pending a liquidation sale of a few vehicles):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqTMRC61cajs2hcVPvthpa8RaqaPDke7bVoRkGHqhxQa8uVx9T3kP8XTAss4u2EAZz8MXMRM37Rosvrw1jOWLVQ7xzoLC0xcECxbkK67j2v-JvImiph5c9_EUyKOD3Cy1i086FBouBD-F/s1600/Car.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTqTMRC61cajs2hcVPvthpa8RaqaPDke7bVoRkGHqhxQa8uVx9T3kP8XTAss4u2EAZz8MXMRM37Rosvrw1jOWLVQ7xzoLC0xcECxbkK67j2v-JvImiph5c9_EUyKOD3Cy1i086FBouBD-F/s200/Car.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Next up was determining how much interest we'd save applying that same lump sum to Mr. Student Loan using <a href="https://www.regions.com/Insights/Personal/Debt-Calculators/how-to-pay-off-debt-fast-using-a-lump-sum-payment">Regions lump sum calculator</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubh_AMO4syf6h1lMutrkhuZuWF0JGdK9-eh-dwEa7T8t5i0fk9KseTpVhhZqxP7x3Mk8gV8mtmDCfRXpf0ms4rkznNavYUylTFhYmsQhP1XjuURkCqKQiW3kvwb3DEjisI39IXjWO3eVd/s1600/sl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubh_AMO4syf6h1lMutrkhuZuWF0JGdK9-eh-dwEa7T8t5i0fk9KseTpVhhZqxP7x3Mk8gV8mtmDCfRXpf0ms4rkznNavYUylTFhYmsQhP1XjuURkCqKQiW3kvwb3DEjisI39IXjWO3eVd/s320/sl.JPG" width="261" /></a></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I'm still evaluating and trying to shoot holes on the numbers and logic, but</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">there seems to be a pretty compelling case (even with tax and calculator accuracy assumptions) that a car loan is definitely worth pursuing and any cash resulting from vehicle sales will make a big impact in student loan savings (almost $2k) and will allow us to meet our goal of paying the previous generation's education debt prior to the current generation's entry into the collegiate world in 2018!</span></div>
DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-15416325314563788652016-01-17T09:39:00.000-06:002016-01-17T09:39:12.677-06:00Along for the ride<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Today marks exactly 1 year since we locked in the sale of our house as well as an offer on the place we've called home for the past 10 months. It's been a wild ride ever since we put our<a href="http://dadfablab.blogspot.com/2014/12/what-year.html?m=1"> dream of lake living</a> on ice at the end of 2014 and <a href="http://dadfablab.blogspot.com/2015/01/overwhelmed.html">started prepping for a move</a> and we've continued to see the fruit of stepping out and following nudges as well as <a href="http://dadfablab.blogspot.com/2015/02/la-vida-loca.html">persevering through challenges</a>.</div>
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As I've mentioned a couple times over the past month, I've been reading John Ortberg's <a href="http://www.christianbook.com/want-walk-water-youve-the-boat/john-ortberg/9780310228639/pd/28638"><i>If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat</i></a> and earlier this week I read <a href="http://www.faithgateway.com/walk-on-water/#.VpuuByuIytL">his account of a wild ride on a horse </a>during a vacation on a ranch that was not only entertaining but reminded me of our journey through the craziness that was our move last year. There were times of intense fear, anxiety, as well as overwhelming excitement that were frequently way too much to take in when combined with the rigors of daily life, but looking back at the timeline of how things shook out it's pretty amazing how quickly God moved once we took a step out in the direction we thought he was leading us:</div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><b>11/18/14</b> - Prayed for guidance for future, options we listed - move to lake, Pflugerville, stay put (&buy beach house)</span></div>
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<b>11/26</b> - Courtney brought up not moving due to the roots we were starting to put down<br />
<b>12/26</b> - We re-ran across a the listing for a particular creekfront house we'd looked at before but this time our "hey that's cool" felt more like a "hey, let's go check that out"</div>
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<b>12/10</b> - I ran across and wrote down a few verses that became more pivotal than I would have ever thought: <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%202:22">James 2:22, </a><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+2:9">1Cor 2:9</a>, and <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2011:28-30">Matt 11:28-30</a></div>
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<b>1/11/15</b> - We made our 1st offer on the creek house contingent on selling ours and were outbid the same day. This was a tough one to interpret considering the house had been on the market for several months with no offers <br />
<b>1/14</b> - Made an offer on a foreclosure in the same neighborhood (with contingency) and were once again outbid, found several other houses that week that went pending before we could even look at them<br />
<b>1/17</b> - Hit a low point and had a very serious discussion about whether we were being led to downsize/simplify by renting and went and looked at some duplexes with the mentality of doing whatever it was we were supposed to do despite a strong desire to continue searching for the "perfect house." </div>
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Later that day (1/17) the creek house came back on market and we had multiple offers on our house allowing us to go back in with no contingency and a renewed confidence we were headed in the right direction. 5 days later we were physically and emotionally exhausted but had contracts on both houses just 25 days after deciding to sell, talk about a wild ride! Since then we've had some challenges but more than anything else further proof that we are created and blessed to have "life to the full" as promised in John 10:10. Looking back, I still almost can't believe all that transpired over that month and those that followed, but here we sit in our "forever house" (mainly because we've vowed to never move again) that's been full of laughter and joy as we gather with friends and family with an extra bedroom that will be filled yet more laughter (ok probably crying) in a few months, yet another plan that was not ours but clearly part of this adventure!</div>
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DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1055979816356306950.post-31202150881384253952016-01-08T21:18:00.002-06:002016-01-08T21:18:20.961-06:0040,000mi Prius Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUa2tBV-q_dK17uVDpmwmwpz7BjzHZkPV4tBP3Q78SeaoGkpdkh0d2ybmdFlyvVcB9ifT5wNEUm_M2_aqk7Gw-yDVuIn7nu9xzJuNdjjKb6dVAxxYWJkdd0vxGDQep8v5OvPjf8xLbpsXa/s1600/11391776_10153399086808410_3370793605039237379_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUa2tBV-q_dK17uVDpmwmwpz7BjzHZkPV4tBP3Q78SeaoGkpdkh0d2ybmdFlyvVcB9ifT5wNEUm_M2_aqk7Gw-yDVuIn7nu9xzJuNdjjKb6dVAxxYWJkdd0vxGDQep8v5OvPjf8xLbpsXa/s320/11391776_10153399086808410_3370793605039237379_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Figured it was time for a long overdue update on our <a href="http://dadfablab.blogspot.com/2014/08/4-months-10000-miles-1400-saved.html">little white driving appliance</a>. Since making the trade for our Sequoia April fools 2014 we've logged over 40,000mi, including a 3800mi road trip to the east coast and a whole summer of baseball on the road this year bringing our total fuel savings to over $5000. Maintenance thus far has been minimal, oil changes, a set of tires (a little over $200 thanks to being a super common size) and a battery (regular not the hybrid one) summing to probably <$500 over almost 2 years.<br />
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She has started burning some oil but only ~1qt between 5k mile oil changes which is common on higher mileage Priuses (or Prii??) and doesn't stop 'em from <a href="http://priuschat.com/threads/300k-miles-one-prius-one-owner.113834/">running north of 300k miles</a> so no big deal there. As far as "upgrades" are concerned, we still get a ton of use out of the <a href="http://dadfablab.blogspot.com/2014/07/making-small-car-big-prius-storage.html">cargo box</a> and a set of craigslist roof racks has allowed us to haul everything from bikes to lumber and a screen door without the need for a pickup truck.<br />
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All in all, although we do occasionally miss the Sequoia, we've been very happy with the Prius and it has certainly cured any pride issues resulting from vehicle ownership. From a payoff standpoint, the Sequoia was worth about $7k when we traded it so we're not far from the Prius completely paying itself off in gas savings which should be attainable by it's 2yr anniversary in April assuming it doesn't end up on the chopping block to fund a minivan.<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> It's not cool but it sure is awesome...</span>DadFabhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15055056815934052549noreply@blogger.com0