Ah, Saturday. Slept in late this morning, hopefully I won’t be so stinkin’ tired next week. The kids got to play outside and I swept out the garage. Got to meet my next door neighbors and helped them move some of their stuff for about 3 hours today. They had a bunch of friends and family helping but it was nice to get to meet them. We have a standing invite for dinner at our house once they get settled in and we exchanged names and phone numbers just in case one of us need something. All in all it was pretty cool to get to meet some new people who live close and are our age.
Have not had a good tech day though. My .name mail account was suppose to expire at the end of today but it is already gone and it appears that there is now no way to renew it. That totally sucks. Anyone have a suggestion for a provider. Guess I need to look into registering a domain name. I need a provider that offers web site space and email. Again, any suggestions?
To top that off, it appears that the hard-drive in our desktop PC is having an issue again. Whenever you hear a hard-drive go ‘cla-click, cla-click’ it is bad. Right now the drive won’t even boot up so we are having to share the laptop from work. Which may be disappearing at the end of March, hopefully we can get approval for a head-count and we can come to terms. Or at least in the mean time a month more on the contract would be good too. 
So we are waiting for the tax return so we can get a new PC and hopefully pay off a good portion of another bill. I found a company that is in Ohio that offers some really good prices on PCs. And since I have parts I can reuse it will make it a bit cheaper. Then I can start wearing my thinkgeek tshirt again. They don’t sell the shirt anymore but it says “My Computer is Bigger, Better, and Faster than yours.” Gotta love Geek Elitism.
Well I gotta go wash Evan’s hair and get him out of the tub, he just made a tidal wave! 
People ask for a King.
Samuel also had two sons who didn’t honor The Lord and the people requested a king like other countries had. They reject God as their King.
The period of the United Kingdom lasts 120 years.
Saul (40 years) — Saul had no heart for God.
David (40 years) — David possessed a whole heart for God.
Solomon (40 years) — Solomon possessed a half heart for God.
1) Samuel anoints Saul as first King.
He was an impressive looking guy. He was a head taller than everyone else. But, when the time came for him to be anointed King he was hiding among the baggage.
As Samuel steps out of power he reminds the people to keep The Lord, God as their King.
2) Saul rejected; reigned 40 years.
Saul gets impatient and makes sacrifice before God. This was not allowed under the law.
David, a shepherd boy, is anointed king by Samuel. David is chosen by God not because of his looks but because of his heart.
3) David unites Kingdom.
David kills Goliath.
David plays harp to sooth Saul.
Saul tries to kill David, David spares Saul’s life because he is God’s anointed.
Saul dies. David brings strength back to the kingdom.
Ark returns, David dances naked before God.
David sleeps with Bathsheba, kills her husband. Nathan confronts, David repents.
4) David flees; Absalom takes kingdom.
5) David reclaims kingdom; reigned 40 years.
6) David appoints Solomon as king.
1 Kings 2 – David’s charge to Solomon.
7) Solomon builds temple; reigns 40 years.
God offers Solomon anything he wants, Solomon asks for wisdom. God gives him not only what he asks for but also everything that he didn’t ask for.
Solomon has some 1000 women (wives and concubines) and this is what allowed his heart to be torn from God. He build temples and shires for then to their own gods. The Lord tells him because of this the kingdom will be divided.
One greater then Solomon is on His way.
There is NO successor to Joshua in place.
1) Cyclical leadership.
The enemies weren’t totally driven out and they become a thorn in the side of the Israelites.
In just one generation after Joshua the people totally forgot about God and what he had done.
2) Six periods of oppression.
The people fall from serving The Lord and serve other gods.
People fall away. Captivity. The people cry out to God. A deliverer is raised up. The people are delivered and worship/follow The Lord. (repeat)
3) 12 (14) Judges
Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah & Barak, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson
Eli and Samuel followed but they were more High-Priest than Judge.
4) God calls Gideon.
We are mighty warriors!
Gideon’s calling – “The Lord is with you mighty warrior.”
This same calling applies to us as well.
Gideon cleans up at home first!
God asks Gideon to go put his house in order. He tears down the idols in his family’s home. His father defends him saying, “If Baal really is a god, he can defend himself”
Gideon confirms God’s call.
Gideon had God confirm his calling 4 times.
We need to make sure that when we feel lead in a certain direction that it is The Lord’s calling. (but probably not 4 times)
Give God the glory!
30000 men show up for battle. Gideon ends up with only 300 men for battle. God does this to show that He can do big things with very, very little.
We see God continue this same pattern through the entire scripture. God takes losers and makes them winners for Christ. Gideon, David, Peter, Saul/Paul, loaves and fishes, etc.
Judges 7:13-15
The enemy has a higher perception of what we can do than we do.
Let your light shine!
When the light of Gideon’s army was seen the Midianites they began to kill themselves.
When the light of The Church is exposed evil will be destroyed. But so many of churches and Christians and just cowering in the corner with a bowl over our light.
Gideon is forgotten and the people fall into captivity again. A few more cycles occur and then we come to Samson.
5) Samson success and failures
He is called of The Lord from birth. His parents are given special instructions for Samson. Samson’s weakness was his love for women. Samson reveals the secret of his strength to Delila and she betrays him to her people. Samson is shamed and mocked, but The Lord restores his strength in his final moments as he kills more in his death than during his life.
The lesson from Samson is that ‘self interest will always bring destruction.’
6) Ark is taken captive.
Eli is the priest (judge) and has two unruly sons. The ark is captured and his sons are killed. Eli dies when he hears the news. Samuel brings honor back to the temple.
2.2 million infected emails is a big pain in the butt. Not bad for 4 hours time. Thankfully it was only email traffic and not a network DOS attack.
There is so much more to rant about but this is not the place.
I heard from God just the other night. God always seems to call at night.
“Andrew,” God said to me. He always calls me “Andrew.” I like that.
“Andrew, you have the eyes and ears of a lot of people. I wish you’d tell your viewers that both Pat Robertson and Mel Gibson strike me as wackos. I believe that’s one of your current words. They’re crazy as bedbugs, another earthly expression. I created bedbugs. I’ll tell you, they’re no crazier than people,” said God.
“Let me just say that I think I’d remember if I’d ever talked to Pat Robertson, and I’d remember if I said Bush would get re-elected in a blowout.”
“As far as Mel Gibson goes, I haven’t seen his movie, ‘The Passion of the Christ,’ because it hasn’t opened up here yet. But I did catch Gibson being interviewed by Diane Sawyer. I did something right when I came up with her, didn’t I,” added God. “Anyway, as I was saying, Mel is a real nut case. What in the world was I thinking when I created him? Listen, we all make mistakes.”
That is what God said to me. That’s about all he did say to me because I’m sure God has a lot more important things to do than talk to someone on television.
“As God Told Me…” – A weekly commentary by CBS News Correspondent Andy Rooney.
Saying he had no intention of seeing “The Passion of the Christ,” Rooney told radio host Don Imus, “I mean, I don’t want to pay $9 just for a few laughs.”
Rooney went on to bash religion in general, saying those who believe in God are “absurd.”
“I mean, it’s absurd to invent God to unburden our problems on him,” he told Imus. “And, on the other hand, there are so many questions that are unanswered that, you know, we’re looking for some solution to it. And we have invented God.”
I think it is time for Andy Rooney to retire, forcefully, and based on his comments, please pray for his soul.
The following was from an email sent by BushCheney04@GeorgeWBush.com.
Just in case you were wondering, I am planning on voting for President Bush in November. To be perfectly honest with you, I really don’t care who you vote for but I hope that you chose to exercise your right to vote. If you need any help in getting registered or finding your polling place please feel free to contact me, I will help you even if you don’t vote for “my guy”.
Last night, in a major speech, President Bush outlined our country’s priorities and his vision for meeting them.The President talked about why we should press forward with a successful agenda, and not turn back to the tired, failed policies of the past.
In short, he talked about the clear choice that Americans will face in this November’s election:
Full text of the President’s speech.
The Clear Choice on the Economy: “… Come November, the voters are going to have a very clear choice. It’s a choice between keeping the tax relief that is moving this economy forward, or putting the burden of higher taxes back on the American people…. Our opponents talk about job creation, but they’re against every one of these job-creating measures. Empty talk about jobs won’t get anybody hired. The way to create jobs is our pro-growth, pro-entrepreneur, pro-small business owner agenda.”
The Clear Choice on the War on Terror: “It is a choice between an America that leads the world with strength and confidence, or an America that is uncertain in the face of danger…. Our opponents say they approve of bold action in the world, but only if no other government disagrees. I’m all for united action, and so are the 34 coalition partners we have in Iraq right now. But America must never out-source America’s national security decisions to the leaders of other governments. Some of our opponents are skeptical that the war on terror is really a war at all. They view terrorism more as a crime — a problem to be solved with law enforcement and indictments…. After the chaos and carnage of September the 11th, it is not enough to serve our enemies with legal papers. With those attacks, the terrorists and their supporters declared war on the United States — and war is what they got.”
The Clear Choice on Trusting People Over Government: “The American people will decide between two visions of government: a government that encourages ownership and opportunity and responsibility, or a government that takes your money and makes your choices…. On issue after issue, the American people have a clear choice. Our opponents are against personal retirement accounts, against putting patients in charge of Medicare, against tax relief. They seem to be against every idea that gives Americans more authority, and more choices, and more control over their own lives…. I trust the people, not Washington politicians, to make the best decisions for their own money, their own health, their own retirement, and their own lives.”
The Clear Choice on Optimism vs. Pessimism: “Our opponents have not offered much in the way of strategies to win the war, or policies to expand our economy. So far, all we hear is a lot of old bitterness and partisan anger. Anger is not an agenda for the future of America. We are taking on the big issues with strength, and resolve, and determination, and we stand ready to lead this nation another four years.”
Is the choice clear for you? Then Get Active.
The Passion of The Christ opens tomorrow night. I don’t think I am going to go to the opening night but I will make sure that I get to it this weekend. Considering that the R-rated weekend opening record is held by Matrix II, I hope that The Passion will be able to break the record. I am really looking forward to the film, obviously I know how it ends… Jesus drops the blue heart shaped necklace into the ocean… oops wrong movie.
Anyway I will have to make sure I take a box of tissues to the film with me as I am sure I will need it. Just the thought of having more of an understanding of the suffering Christ endured brings me to tears. I suspect that while I know it will have a very emotional impact upon me I really think I am unable to comprehend how much of an impact it will have. And let me just say one thing regarding all the anti-Jew stories out there. The Jews or the Romans for that matter are not responsible for killing Jesus, I am. It was my sin that put him on that cross, and the sin of all man. Jesus was not killed, he gave his life for us willingly! Can we please try to remember this!
Official number for the Utech Transformation brought to you by the TPlanck Fitness Challenge.
Dec 12 weigh in and measure – Waist 47.5″ Weight 221lbs BodyFat 37%
Dec 28 weigh in and measure – Waist 46″ Weight 216lbs BodyFat 34.6%
Feb 2 weigh in and measure – Waist 44.75″ Weight 210lbs BodyFat 33.36%
Feb 22 weigh in and measure – Waist 43.5″ Weight 208lbs BodyFat 31.3%
Change Waist -4″ Weight -13lbs BodyFat -5.7%
When was the last time you…
1. …went to the doctor? For myself? I have no idea. For one of the kids? I think December.
2. …went to the dentist? August 12, 2003
3. …filled your gas tank? This morning. Found it for $1.48 most other stations were $1.77 this morning!
4. …got enough sleep? Can you ever get enough sleep? Last Saturday was good.
5. …backed up your computer? Uh, too long ago. How do you backup 20gb of mp3s?
We paid off a debt today! We made the final payment on the TV that we allegedly got with our tax return last year. The important thing is that it was paid off before the 1 year interest free period was up, so we didn’t get slammed with a big finance charge. Now the debt snowball gains momentum, Fleet is next!