Boat Hoist USA SALE! via #constantcontact

Boat Hoist USA SALE! via #constantcontact



Just thought I'd share what I've been working on at my day job.

Until next time.

In God We Trust

Trusting in God seems easy enough, right? That’s the advice we give most often when faced with tough decisions or hardship. We trust in Him for all kinds of things, like salvation, delivery of promises in Heaven and we trust that He will always be with us. What about the big things? It’s not always easy to trust in God when we are searching for a job, the money is all gone and we look to others for help.

The Bible is filled with passages where someone (either individually or collectively) didn’t trust in God. There are just as many verses where we are commanded to trust in Him. Wholly trust in Him, not partially. I remember searching for a job, placing trust in God to take care of me. I trusted Him to take care of me but not enough to find me a job.



Trusting in God is difficult – mostly because we as humans have a natural fear of the unknown. Yes, it’s nice to say we trust in Him but we still worry, anguish over what we cannot control. We sweat bullets over paying a bill that’s due, rather than trusting that God will provide for us just as He’s promised.

Also, we find it difficult to trust God because His ways don’t always make sense to our human minds. Think about Abraham about to sacrifice his son. That could not have sounded right to this proud father. But because he trusted in God and obeyed Him, the son was spared.

Another reason it’s not easy to trust in God is because God’s timetable is different from ours. Years ago, I moved to a new city hoping for a fantastic life. Things started out great but soon went downhill. Within a year I was back in my old hometown without anything to show for myself. Looking back, I realize that I was ahead of God. I moved there before I was supposed to. When I moved there on God’s time, things fell into place and life was good. At least until it was time for me to move back.

We control every aspect of our lives so it’s not easy to surrender to God. The thing is, He commands that we do it. By not trusting Him, we are sinning. When we put our focus and attention on our problems, our sorrows, our finances or whatever, we are taking our focus off of God. He wants us to focus on Him, let Him worry about the problems of this world. I know, easier said than done.

What if you try this, take it one day….one hour at a time. Put all your troubles in a box and give it to God to babysit for one hour. See how good you feel after that. See if you can do it for 8 hours while you are at work, 8 more hours while you sleep. I know 8 hours of sleep is a stretch for some but you will rest better when God is tending to your concerns.

Until next time.

Land of the Free, Home of the Brave

Our country was founded on certain rights. Most of those rights have been given away. The Bill of Rights, also known as the first 10 Amendments guarantees free speech, free press, and free assembly. If you think we have free speech, you should know that last week General Stanley McChrystal was replaced as the Commander In Chief in Iraq. His 30-year career ended because he spoke out against the President. No, he should not have disparaged his boss but doesn’t he have free speech too?

The Bill of Rights also gives us the right to keep and bear arms. We have the right to protect ourselves, our family and our property – in theory. More often than not I see news stories where someone defending their family or home is sued by the one they needed protection from. Criminals seem to have more rights than honest citizens.


Chicago’s city council moved to continue their ban on handguns although the Supreme Court threw out that ruling. It was a 45-0 vote! Politicians, the NRA and handgun supporters are calling the ban illegal and unconstitutional…which it is. They are also taking heat for defending our right to bear arms. The simple fact is that criminals are criminals by name and nature. They don’t follow the rules set forth by society and therefore don’t care if guns are illegal or not, they still carry them. Don’t make the honest, hardworking, law-abiding citizens pay the price because criminals are criminal by nature. Don’t make us vulnerable to criminals and unable to protect ourselves and our family.

We also have the right to worship who and where we want. Lately though, we have to apologize for our Christian beliefs because it offends everyone around us. Those who are offended by my beliefs don’t care that I’m offended when they say I have to give up my guns for the good of the community. They don’t care that I’m offended when I have to apologize for exercising any of my rights as a citizen of this country.

We need to stand up for ourselves, quit worrying about who we MIGHT offend and return this to the great nation it once was. To quote a Christian trio called Phillips, Craig & Dean:

I will stand and hold my head up high
I will dedicate my life
To the glory of the ones who had to die
I will live, live what I believe
If for no one else but me
I will remember
That freedom's never free

2 Eyes, 2 Ears, 1 Mouth -- Use Proportionately

The television is on some cheesy mobster movie where someone is cursing and carrying on with filthy language. Their “friend” says, “Real nice, you kiss your mother with that mouth?”

Obviously, it means that you should not love your mother and disparage fellow man with the same mouth. In addition to that, words hold value and have power. That is why the pen is mightier than the sword. The same interpretation can be applied to our relationship with God.

"With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be" (James 3:9-10 NIV).

We praise and worship Him in church then go into the real world and – in some cases – call idiot drivers worse than idiot. We should show our neighbors the same love and compassion we give to God and prove that we truly are His sons and daughters. I know sometimes our colleagues can make it difficult to treat them kindly.

Say you have only one cup and it has vinegar in it. You have some chocolate milk you want to share with a loved one. There is a dilemma because there is only one cup. You can pour out the vinegar and put the chocolate milk in the cup to share. Would you rinse the cup to get rid of all the acid? Would you chance ruining your sweet potion?

We should choose our words carefully. Think about this – God gave us two eyes, two ears, two arms, two legs, two lungs, two nostrils, two kidneys BUT only one mouth. It holds great power, so use it wisely.

Until next time -- be blessed.

Exercises For A Younger Face

I came across this in an email. I get updates from Dr. Mercola who gives advice on everything from a balanced colon to the advantages of a stress-free mental outlook. I thought I'd share!

The Best Exercises For Your Facial Muscles To Stay Looking Young

From Dr. Mercola

Your facial muscles need exercise just as much as the rest of your body. And facial exercises work just like regular muscle exercises.
Intent.com suggests the following to keep your face looking young:

1. Raise your eyebrows as high as you can and hold them for five seconds.



2. Open your mouth as wide as possible and stick your tongue out as far as you can and hold for a few seconds.

3. Using your three center fingers, press down on your cheeks and smile as hard as you can to raise your cheek muscles against your fingers.

4. Move your nose as much as you can from side to side.

5. Lift your eyebrows as high as you can, open your eyes as wide as possible and frown at the same time.

6. Pucker your lips out as far as possible into the shape of an "O." Then change your expression into a wide smile. Repeat several times.



7. Sit in a comfortable chair and look up at the ceiling. Pucker your lips and stick your tongue out as far as possible to exercise your neck muscles.

8. Tilt your head so you are looking up at the ceiling, open your mouth and close it several times. This also exercises your neck and keeps the droopy chin & neck away.

Until next time!

photo bug

I have taken quite a few pictures this year, most for money. I would love to do this all the time but the invention of digital cameras has made every idiot with a
point & shoot into a "photographer". What makes my pictures different from others? Aside from photoshopping most of the pictures I take, I've had The Rufus Experience.

My jr college photo instructor, Rufus Lovett....wait, wait, let me be correct: O. Rufus Lovett. Whenever students would ask him what the O stood for, he would say, "obnoxious". I got just the basics in his class but I also got something more profound. He instilled in me the desire to make every shot THE SHOT. This counted for more in the film days.



When I was about 12 my mom got a great SLR film camera. She took some great pictures and I caught that bug. When I take a photo, my goal is for everyone to look at it and "ooh & aww" over that picture. I know it's hard to do every time and with digital cameras it's easier to discard the bad shots. But that desire, that drive from Rufus is still there.



When I was in my early 20s I worked at an appliance/TV store. I worked in the office counting the money and assisting the sales agents. One day a man came in. I had know idea who he was but he knew me. He was a local photographer and had seen some of my work. I guess that he and Rufus were friends. Rufus had come in just about a week
before purchasing a small refrigerator and I guess he told his photographer friend I worked there. Anyway, this man I had never met before came in and told me he saw my work and knew I was talented. He told me I was wasting my time working in
retail and I should work toward becoming SOME sort of photographer. I try to remember that, try to keep it on the surface to spur myself on. I may not be a rock star but I can be a rock star photographer!



Until next time.

Update

I know I need to update my blog....new things are in the works. I've been taking lots of pictures and will post some here as soon as I get the OK from my clients to put their kids pictures on my blog.

Also, I am looking at advertising my photo skills, any ideas from my readers? Craig's List? My own web site?

Until Next Time

Living With Chronic Disease

“I DON’T FEEL GOOD!”

Sometimes I want to shout that as loud as I can. I try not to discuss my health problems at length or in detail. This is mostly because there’s no cure and it can’t be changed so why dwell on it? Besides, no one really wants to hear about my aches and pains. However, from time to time I feel the need to remind those in my life that I suffer pain….along with that pain are other symptoms also.

If I could educate everyone in the world about Fibromyalgia and Rheumatoid Arthritis, I would make it my personal mission. Since I can’t do that, I’ve actually thought about forming a support group. I know so many people who suffer as I do – people from work, church or distant relatives. Almost everyone I’ve come in contact with either suffers themselves or has a close relative with Fibromyalgia or RA. But, unless you actually go through this pain….well, it’s hard to walk in someone else’s shoes. Here are some basics.

Fibromyalgia – from the web site www.fibromyalgiatreatment.com

Central Nervous System: Fatigue, irritability, nervousness, depression, apathy, listlessness, impaired memory and concentration, anxieties and suicidal thoughts. Insomnia and frequent awakening due to pain result in non restorative sleep.



There are many nights I wake up 3 or more times and when I do go to sleep, the alarm goes off way too early.

Musculoskeletal: Pain and generalized morning stiffness could arise from muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia of the shoulders, neck, entire back, hips, thighs, knees, ankles, feet, inner and outer elbows, wrists, fingers, and chest. Injured or old operative sites are commonly affected. Though fibromyalgia is described as a “non-articular” disease many know better: Joint pains with or without swelling, redness and heat are frequent. The litany includes foot or calf cramps, numbness and tingling of the face or extremities.

Sometimes the muscles are sore similar to not being conditioned to exercise but also tender to the touch.

Dermatological: Various rashes may appear with or without itching: Hives, red blotches, itchy bumps or blisters, eczema, seborrheic or neurodermatitis, and rosacea. Nails are often brittle and of poor quality and hair falls out prematurely. Strange sensations are common such as cold, heat (especially palms, soles and thighs), crawling, electric vibrations, prickling, super-sensitivity to touch, and flushing that is sometimes accompanied by sweating.

I’ve noticed something that looks like rosacea on my face, my nails look horrible my palms are almost always heated. I’ve also noticed that sometimes I have the sensation of ants biting me all over my legs.

Head, Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat: Headaches (migraines), dizziness, vertigo (spinning) or imbalance; dry eyes as well as itching and burning with or without sticky or crusty discharge upon awakening; blurred vision; nasal congestion and post-nasal drip; painful, burning tongue, mouth and abnormal tastes (scalded, bad or metallic); ringing in the ears (tinnitus) or lower-pitched sounds; ear and eyeball pain; sensitivity to light, sounds and odors.

Recently, I thought I was experiencing side effects of a medication that was changed. The continuing symptoms didn’t make sense so I discussed them with my doctor. She told me that I was having migraines without the headache. I also have eye pain, sensitivity to light and sound as well as dry mouth, eyes and nasal passages.

Miscellaneous Symptoms: Weight gain; low grade fever; lowered immunity to infections; morning eyelid and hand swelling from fluid retention that gravitates to the lower extremities by evening where it stretches tissues causing the restless leg syndrome.

Rheumatoid Arthritis – from the web site www.rheumatoidarthritissymptoms.org

Phase I -- swelling and redness around the joint and joint areas. Usually with the swelling comes stiffness, pain, and even warmth of the joint.

Phase II – hardening and thickening of the soft tissue that lines the joint. This effect is due to the growth of cells and rapid division of this soft tissue.

Phase III – inflammation of cells and release of enzymes which will attack cartilage and bone. This attack will usually end up effecting the alignment and shape of joints, which cause the person with rheumatoid arthritis even more pain, stiffness, and less movement of the joint.

Here is a check-list of the symptoms.

Specific Joints AffectedAlthough rheumatoid arthritis almost always develops in the wrists and knuckles, the knees and joints of the ball of the foot are often affected as well. Indeed, many joints may be involved, even causing the spine to become misaligned. It does not usually show up in the fingertips, where osteoarthritis is common, but joints at the base of the fingers are often painful.

Nodules
In about 20% of people with RA, inflammation of small blood vessels can cause nodules, or lumps, under the skin. They are about the size of a pea or slightly larger, and are often located near the elbow, although they can show up anywhere.

Fluid Buildup
Fluid may accumulate, particularly in the ankles. In rare cases, the joint sac behind the knee accumulates fluid and forms what is known as a Baker cyst. This cyst feels like a tumor and sometimes extends down the back of the calf causing pain.

Flu-Like Symptoms
Symptoms such as fatigue, weight loss, and fever may accompany early rheumatoid arthritis. Some people describe them as being similar to those of a cold or flu except, of course, RA symptoms can last for years.

This type of arthritis is always called a systemic disease, because it cannot only attack or effect joints, but it could affect other organs in the body such as skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and muscles. Close to 60% of people who have rheumatoid arthritis will be unable to properly function in around 10 years from finding they had this disease.

If the disease itself wasn’t bad enough, the medications used to contain RA have extremely unfortunate side effects. The gamut runs from dry-mouth and fatigue to liver failure and cancer. If you know someone with either RA or Fibromyalgia and they say they are tired or don’t feel good, you will have some insight into knowing how they feel.