The Word

Got a lot going on here… here’s The Word…

… on The Blog… I’ve received some very helpful insight on how this blog thing is going, and decided to try to take it to the next level, I’m finding already that it needs a few fresh coats of paint. At the same time, I wrote a comment to a post on Michael Hyatt’s blog, a guest post by John Saddington. John developed the Standard Theme for WordPress and was giving away 10 free copies to folks that replied to the post and let him know why they wanted a copy, and yours truly won one!! So I’m working double time (in my spare time when not being a Geologist), trying to keep up with writing as the Spirit moves me to, and working on getting the new and improved blog up to speed.

… and The Word (Category Spotlight)… one of the comments that I fielded about the blog is that it’s hard to find what I’m looking for. My blog, like many of them, discusses a few different subjects. They’re basically the things that I’m passionate about. So I decided to write a NEW SERIES of posts about the categories, or subjects, that I’ll be writing about. So here’s the first subject that I wanted to touch on: God’s Word, which is NOT going to be a category!! Why not? Well, I’m planning to make this a central theme of all the categories (Yahoo!!!).

stick with me here for a few more days, I’m planning to have the new blog up by Happy Monday Morning.

As always, your thoughts and encouragement are appreciated….

What Day is it Anyway?

Kowa-bunga-lujah I love Mondays!!

I don’t have a favorite day of the week, but I really look forward to…

• Sunday morning… serving, worship, Stanley Jr’s message, seeing the Lord’s love shine through the awesome people at Access Church, and bringing it. Most of the days of the week blend together for me, except for Sunday (remember Rule #4 !!)

• Monday… YES!! The work week is here (please read more about Monday below… under Friday…)

• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday… these three are a mix, nothing really noteworthy here, except: – I usually stop by to see Rachael and baby Nolan during the week, and keeping life in perspective is important.

• Friday: The weekend is upon us! I wrote most of this on a Friday, at the end of the work week, and one of the things I’m fired up about on Friday is Monday… so what’s that say? I really enjoy what I do for a living, I love helping other people and the science that is involved. I believe that I’ve found a part of God’s purpose for me in my work, and that God’s love shines through me there.

• Saturday… hanging out with friends, and weekend excursions.

There seem to be a few keys to enjoying each and every day… BALANCE… finding and living out your purpose… and living happily in the moment.

This blog will be forever indebted if you share your thoughts on your favorite day of the week, and why

A Few of My Favorite Things…

I’m running the Gate River Run tomorrow, a 15k race, and trying to decide what I can’t live without during this race… here’s my list:

• some jammin’ tunes: I’ve loaded up my tiny iPod Shuffle with 90 minutes of the stuff I love to listen to really loud (YES YES YES, I SAY, I have hearing issues!!)
• Carbs!! I’m getting my body ready… Loading my skinny-ness tonight with a good dose of carbs (in addition to loving to cook I also enjoy indulging in what I make).
• Gu: this is new to me… I stopped at the Jacksonville Running Company store the other day after FOOD across the street at the Thai place, and stocked up on Gu for the race. I have no clue what Gu tastes like yet but am thinkin’ it will be macho to guzzle Gu while rippin’ up the road in my NEW New Balance ROCKETS!!
• Hydration: I’m peeing A LOT… because I’m drinking a lot of water to hydrate. FYI – peeing is not one of my favorite things but I thought I should mention it here (I’ll spare you the visual media )
• A lucky rubberband, OF COURSE!! These don’t weigh a lot, are flexible, and if I get in a jam I’m thinkin’ I can do something MacGyver-ish with it (plus I just LOVE rubberbands)…
• Enough clothes to keep me from being arrested, and to pin my necessary number on me.
• I can do all things through Him who gives me strength… yep, I’m taking Him with me too…

Ok, so, what are your favorite things?

The Elusive Buried Treasure…

Think back to one of those “ahhh haaa moments”… when you continually stumbled on the same stepping stone in life, eluded by THE ONE THING that you wanted or thought you needed most… when all of a sudden the lights came on and you declared – “GADZOOKS!!! – I’ve finally figured it out.” Or, maybe it still is eluding you to this day…

Whatever “IT” is for you, and IT’S a little different for each of us, figuring it out is transforming.

We have no clue why this “IT” has eluded us for so very long but all of a sudden, when we figure it out, it becomes crystal clear. It’s like finding your buried treasure. To give you a great example, lots of folks will tell you when you’re single that love will find you when you’re not looking for it. Or, here’s another popular one, that I may not enjoy my work but I’m making A TON of money, so one day I’ll have this big huge pile of money and be really wealthy so I can retire and enjoy myself.

Hmmmm, well, here’s what I’m thinkin’…

To me, finding your IT is all about FOCUS, and FAITH… if “it” is eluding me, my focus is simply in the wrong place. So if I’m looking around for IT, whether “it’s” money, happiness, my soulmate, a job, more time to do what I enjoy, or whatever, and if my focus on IT is out of perspective, then I simply need to adjust my perspective, and have FAITH, being content in any and all circumstances. I know, easier said than done sometimes…  but remember… “store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” -Matthew  6:19-21.

I think that part of the wisdom here too is that if we are content with the simple things in life, our blessings are given more freely and the walk is much more enjoyable. And, the bottom line is that whatever it is that eludes us, what we’re really seeking most is HAPPINESS, and that true joy, peace and happiness only comes from Him. So just focus on Him, and not IT, and you’ll be happy!!

Please share your thoughts on IT, finding IT, figuring IT out, or what IT is for you…

A divine adventure really is unfolding!!

Andy Andrews’ books are relatively new to me… six months ago I had never heard of him when my friend David Keough mentioned his books and I started checking them out at the library.  The first one I picked up was The Traveler’s Gift, and it was as if God himself handed it to me, one of those “perfect books at just the perfect time.”

It’ s funny how things unfold according to God’s plan.  Those moments of “I really don’t understand why this is happening to me,” unfold into “EUREKA!!! – Thank you Lord!!!” – I’ve learned to take it all in stride and keep living happily in the moment, learning from the past but not holding onto it, and embracing every moment of this awesome time here on the planet Earth.

The Traveler’s Gift is about the 7 decisions that determine personal success but written in a time traveler’s perspective. The time-traveler guy, David Ponder, goes from being at the top to desperation, like in a snap, and is introduced to THE 7 decisions that can turn a life around, no matter how impossible the situation may seem. Along the way our friend gets to meet and receives wisdom from Christopher Columbus, Abraham Lincoln, King Solomon, Anne Frank and Harry Truman. I loved this book because Andy takes a serious subject and makes it entertaining.

Since reading The Traveler’s Gift, I’ve been making my way through Andy’s collection, steadily enjoying them one-by-one. Thank you God for working through David Keough to introduce me to Andy Andrews, I’m forever grateful!

Cooking up the Dream that Delivers a Smile

If you didn’t already know it… no, I’m not a poet… but I do enjoy cooking! I can plant it in the kitchen for hours hanging out cooking, even better with good company, but am perfectly content here just hanging with my hero (that would be the J-man… nope, and I’m NOT talking about Jay-Z!!)

I love to make some of my old-time favorites, Steak Diane is definitely near the top of the list, have been known to overdo the brandy flambé a bit, sending flames to the ceiling… this is one of the fabulous recipes that I learned at the Gainesville Hilton, back in the Prime Rib Room days (the stories are endless from that place!)

I also enjoy new recipes, the stranger the better, last week it was low-fat cottage cheese pancakes, they were yummo! Epicurious has plenty of superb recipes, and a great iPhone app (but of course!) to boot.

Cooking just seems to be one of the most enjoyable ways for me to relax, unwind from a busy day, or share an experience with good company. I could go on and on here… I’m daydreaming just thinking about this as I write… isn’t that great! Maybe you share my passion for cooking, or maybe it’s something else that really floats your boat, please do share with us whatever it is that you’re passionate about… and make sure to spend time doing it, with passion, and for His glory… and if you like to eat fun food, see flambé to the ceiling, and enjoy intriguing conversation, send me a shout, and let’s hang out (I really am a poet, and now I’m gonna show it!!) heeheehee…

Peace,

Chris

’til their cup overflows (Part 3 of 3)

The first two parts of this article have focused on the pre-earthquake conditions in Haiti. How many of us really knew what the situation was like there related to their living conditions prior to the earthquake?

Enter the earthquake into the situation: now their stressed environment is broken. And one might ask… why in the world would the good Lord allow something like this to happen?

I really don’t proclaim to know what the message is but I’m just thinkin’… maybe we should stop for a minute to reflect on our situation. If you consider the economic crisis that we’re going through, and how so many of us have had to adjust and learn to live a different lifestyle, maybe the message has something to do with this…

“… we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” – Romans 5:3-4

Being grateful in tough times is one of the hardest things to do, we tend to think “why in the world is this happening?” and perhaps we should be praying “thank you Lord for this opportunity to grow!”

Finally, I wanted to ask that you continue to do what you can to help the people of Haiti. Remember, their fragile world is still broken, and it will be quite some time before they can even get back to the life they knew before the earthquake. Living Water is one of the many great causes that is helping out there. Please consider helping our brothers and sisters in Haiti in whatever way you can.

Thanks, and Be Great!!

Chris

’til their cup overflows (Part 2 of 3)

(Part 2 in a series about the water crisis in Haiti)

… the water that goes into the cup…

It’s helpful to understand a little more about the country of Haiti to put the water situation into perspective… According to the United States Army Corps of Engineers (US ACOE), Haiti has an average annual rainfall of 55 inches. That amount is substantial, but it is also highly variable depending on where you are in the country. Variations in the geology and precipitation affect the availability of water in Haiti.

If we think of the water resources in Haiti in terms of Surface Water and Ground Water, and at the same time focus our discussion on the geographical area of Port-au-Prince (the largest population center in the country, and the area receiving the most damage from the earthquake), we find can define some specific water supply challenges in Haiti.

Surface water is perennially available in this geographical area from two major streams that originate in the mountains to the east of Port-au-Prince. The municipal water system in the city does not use any of the surface water for its supply as the water is heavily polluted near the city from human sewage, solid wastes and industrial chemical contamination. However, for much of the city’s population, the municipal system does not provide water (the municipal system only provides water for approximately 1/3 of the population). The only source of water for the remainder of the population is from the contaminated sources, including the two major streams, along with smaller streams, irrigation ditches, and the city’s storm water drains. This usage leads to increased risk for the people of developing malaria and Dengue fever, which are endemic to the area, and gastrointestinal diseases and food poisoning, with children and seniors being at the highest risk.

The subsurface geology in the area of Port-au-Prince is highly variable and, consequently, so is the availability of ground water as a resource. The surficial and near-surface soils and rock in the area consist of alluvial and carbonate deposits as well as sandstones and conglomerates. Some of the alluvial deposits also lie within an area affected by saltwater intrusion and are, therefore, not desirable for use as a water resource. Springs are also prevalent in the area south of the city. The main sources of water for the municipal system are from two well fields to the east of the city, and from a series of springs to the south. These sources are all facing major problems that are decreasing the quantity and quality of water entering the municipal system.

Water is obviously a precious resource that we can’t live without, imagine living in Haiti where clean drinking water is not a given like it is for most of us… what else is there in your life that you feel is absolutely necessary to live? Do you think the people of Haiti would answer this question in the same way?

’til their cup overflows…

(Part 1 in a series about the water crisis in Haiti)

Living Water

First the background, and the issue…

Haiti is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and one of the poorest in the western hemisphere. Increased urbanization in recent years, shifting populations from more rural areas to major cities, like Port-au-Prince, has strained the natural resources essential for sustained life. An inadequate and unsafe potable water supply, in part due to the lack of public wastewater treatment and sanitation systems, is a key issue for the people of Haiti.

In Port-au-Prince, the domestic water supply system is capable of serving less than half of the population. The system’s water sources include mountain springs and water wells, and this system doesn’t utilize the more-heavily contaminated surface water sources.

There is currently no public collection and treatment system for wastewater in the country, leading to widespread pollution of the water resources. The primary contributors to the pollution include domestic wastes along with agricultural runoff.

Haiti has drawn recent attention due to the unfortunate, catastrophic earthquake that centered near Port-au-Prince. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) says the aftershock sequence of the magnitude-7 earthquake that struck Haiti, on Jan. 12, 2010, will continue for months, if not years. The frequency of the aftershock events will diminish with time, but damaging earthquakes will remain a threat.

In the wake of the recent earthquake in Haiti, the most critical resources for the survival of these people include safe drinking water, along with food and medical treatment.

Have you identified any good causes to help the people of Haiti address their needs since the earthquake?

Why a blog?

“Chris, why in the world,” you may be wondering, “would you want to do this blog thing?” Great question! And the answer is…

• I like to write (ok, that’s an understatement… I’m PASSIONATE about it… is that better!)
• I’ve had several friends recently encourage me to start writing more
• “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 – yep, I believe that writing is a part of God’s plan for me, and would humbly add that while I’m not thinking that I’m really good at it, it is FUN!! And I’ve found that when you really get plugged into your purpose in Him you find that life is exciting and real.

I hope that you’ll join me on this journey, let me know what you think, and subscribe or check back to see what this is all about.

Be Great,

Chris