Hiked all day in this canyon looking for mountain lions but just saw lots of beautiful country and no cats. Going to give it another shot tomorrow.

My son Seth, my brother Cliff, a pastor friend Mike Silva, and myself drove 1000 miles to Greybull, Wyoming today. Left last night, Sunday at 9 pm and just got to our motel room at 8 pm. We leave for the mountains at 5:30 in the morning to look for a cougar. I am the only one hunting, the others came along for the fun of hunting and to take pictures of me. Hopefully I will have a successful hunt and will have lots of pictures. Every year I make a goal to learn something new in the way of a skill. This year I am going to learn how to do taxidermy with a book I bought and an online course. I am going to do a full body mount of the cougar that I get and put him on a shelf in our living room.  When Patty asked if I thought it would be alright if she went Hawaii to help Sally with our new grandchild, my quick response was “sure”, “no problem”. Working on earning some favor with her so that when she sees the cougar she will smile and say, “Oh, what a nice addition to our living room”! I am not sure, but I think she is praying for me to have a good time, but not to kill a cougar. I might have to take advantage of the marriage counseling offered by our church😄

Patty left for Hawaii this morning to do her grandma thing with our youngest daughter Sally and her new baby Hana Grace. Didn’t take long for Patty to start the holding and hugging routine. Hana is our 21st grandchild and will for sure be a champion for Jesus. I faithfully pray everyday for my kids and grandkids that God will protect them from evil, fill them with a knowledge of His will, fill them with wisdom, and shape them like clay into His image. Maybe I will get to go on the next visit if I am good!

Dee’s Goals for 2015

 

1. My BHAG for the year is to train, enter, and finish in 14 hours the Leadman event that is held in Bend, Oregon on September 20^th, 2015. I will swim the 3.1 miles in 2.5 hours, bike the 135 miles in 9 hours, and run the 13.1 mile half marathon in 2.5 hours hours.

 

2. In preparation for my BHAG I will enter and finish the half ironman event in Sunriver on June 27^th, 2015 and I will work at finishing in 7 hours or less.

 

3. I will sign up and take swimming lessons at the YMCA in Albany in the “Master’s Program” on Tuesday evenings.

 

4. I will do one long run outside each week that will last for 2-4 hours.

 

5. I will do one long bicycle ride outside each week that will last for 2-4 hours.

 

6. I will run on my treadmill for 3 hours each week.

 

7. I will ride my stationary bicycle for 3 hours each week.

 

8. I will lift weights for 2 hours each week.
9. I will enter at least one “sprint triathlon” in 2015.

 

10. I will enter the “Runaway Pumpkin Half Marathon” in Lebanon, October 18^th, 2015, and finish it in 2 hours and 15 minutes.

 

11. I will enter the “Avenue of the Giants” Marathon May 3^rd, 2015 and finish in 4 hours and 30 minutes.

 

12. I will plan and accomplish a six day bicycle tour down the Oregon coast during the summer of 2015.

 

13. I will pray with Patty at least 3 times each week.

 

14. I will take Patty on a date at least twice each month that is enjoyable for her.

 

15. 15. I will pray for the JBC prayer letter each week.

 

16. I will faithfully pray for each person that I respond to with an email, a text, or written note before I push send.

 

17. I will pray for visitors to church twice each week for three months, and I will correspond with them personally at least twice during that time letting them know that I am praying for them and requesting needs to pray for.
18. I will pray through my prayer directory of every person in the church every week, and keep my iPad prayer journal current with names, pictures, and needs.

 

19. 19. I will attend an average of three corporate prayer events at JBC each week.

 

20. I will pray for each of my kids, son in laws, daughter-in-law, and grandkids every day.

 

21. I will pray for a list of lost people in my life every day.

 

22. I will maintain a personal prayer journal in my IPad that I will record personal and family prayer requests in.

 

23. I will spend at least 5 hours each week in personal, private prayer.

 

24. Of the 5 hours of personal prayer at least 1 hour will be on my kneeling bench in my office.
25. I will phone my mother at least once each week.

 

26. I will write a blog and publish it online at least 300 times before December 31^st, 2015.
27. I will work very hard at mentoring and training each of my staff guys. I will pray for them daily and ask God for the wisdom and energy to stimulate them to great growth spiritually and in their respective ministries.
28. Of the 4 “face to face” men’s accountability groups that I lead, I will hand off at least 2 of them to another leader who is in the group.

 

29. I will start 3 more “face to face” men’s accountability groups.
30. I will work with Jean to plan and promote 6 “new attender” desserts.

 

31. I will read at least 100 pages in good books each week, and I will work at doing this while I ride my stationary bicycle.

 

32. I will listen to at least 2 sermons each week, and I will work at doing this while I run on my treadmill or outside.
33. I will faithfully memorize Bible verses using the “Scripture Typer” program on my IPad. I will have 500 verses mastered by the end of the year.

 

34. I will remodel the back deck of our house into an exercise room for Thomas and his physical therapy machines and for myself with treadmill and stationary bike.

 

35. I will build a 14X20 garage for my 1949 Ford Pick-up.

 

36. I will build a 10X12 greenhouse.

 

37. I will develop and maintain an aquaponics system in the greenhouse with a 300 gallon fish tank and 6 half-barrel grow beds.

 

38. I will paint the roof on my shop.

 

39. I will rebuild the 1976 Ford 300 engine and pick-up.

 

40. I will build a 20 ft pontoon boat with plywood and fiberglass, along with a trailer, and purchase at least a 15 hp motor for it.

 

41. I will plan and save so as to finance as much as possible a one week family camping/fishing trip to the Brownlee Reservoir in Richland, Oregon in the first week of June, working at getting as many of the kids and grandkids to come as possible.
42. I will exert great discipline and effort to maintain my present 188 lb weight.

 

43. I will write a presentation and syllabus for a 6 hour seminar on the topic of leadership training for men in the local church.

 

44. I will work with JBC staff and schedule and advertise for a seminar event to teach the Leadership development material.

 

45. I will read 15 chapters each day in my Bible. 5 chapters in Psalms, 1 chapter in Proverbs, 2 chapters in Old Testament, 2 chapters in Gospels, Acts, Revelations, 5 chapters in Epistles.

 

46. I will build an apple grinder and press to make apple juice from our apples.

 

47. I will plant 10 more fruit trees in our orchard.

 

48. I will put in posts and wires to support a “fruit hedge” in our orchard.

 

49. I will kill a cougar in Wyoming.

 

50. I will learn how to do taxidermy and do a full body mount on the cougar that I kill.
51. Patty and I will take each of our kids and their spouses out to dinner.

 

52. I will go archery hunting for deer and elk in the Steens Mountains with my sons and son in laws and as many other family members as possible this Fall.

 

53. I will go salmon fishing in Soldotna, Alaska July 13^th through the 20^th.

 

54. I will go skydiving.

 

55. I will faithfully, systematically, and accurately keep track of my use of time every day.

 

56. I will make a weekly and a daily “to do” list and read it several times each day.

 

57. I will pray for at least 25 hours in each of the four “Five Day Prayer” events.

 

58. I will attend at least three seminars that will enhance my ministry.

 

59. I will write 50 hand written notes each week to birthday and anniversary people, new people, and people I have prayed for.

 

60. I will attend the COV prayer summit at Cannon Beach in February and the NWCBA prayer summit at Tadmore in October.

 

61. I will plan, organize, promote and lead 20 pastor accountability lunches in 2015.

 

62. I will prepare well and teach three leadership classes from October to the end of May at JBC.

 

63. I will study diligently the gospel of John and preach through the book in 2015.

 

64. I will remind, promote, and pray for our JBC goal of 2020 in average weekend worship service attendance by the end of the year 2020.

 

65. I will build a small car that will be powered by a Kubota Diesel engine.

 

66. I will read these goals every day.

 

 

We had a three hour prayer event at JBC tonight. Started with a potluck and then about a hundred of us prayed together for the Christmas drama. Sitting here in my chair tonight thinking about the evening I recognized that as I sat here I had a very high sense of joy in my heart. Just a very happy feeling that seemed at first thought to exist for no apparent reason. As I reflected about it I knew that the reason for my “happy heart” was the prayer meeting. Prayer meetings aren’t typically  what you call fun, but I left very “up”. In Psalms 19 it says that in the “presence of the Lord is fullness of joy”. I truly believe that our prayer time was blessed by the manifest presence of the Lord, and that my spirit sensed His presence and the result was joy. I think I will do that again.

So, I am sitting here in my recliner next to the warm wood stove and it is 8:30 pm and I am feeling tired and not wanting to get up and do anything but go to bed. But, I have a goal and commitment to exercise for at least an hour each day, no exception unless I am gone on a trip. But I don’t feel like it and I really do not want to. So, what do I do? What I have been doing for the last 30 minutes is telling myself why I would be totally justified to skip just tonight. Maybe I should try telling myself all the reasons why I should get up and exercise! I think I will give that a shot and see what happens. Reason #1 to get up and exercise is important because if I give in this time I will do it again for a lesser reason and then again even sooner and again for a lesser reason and I can see where this will end up. It would be wise not to even start down this slippery slope. Reason #2 is I know that I feel so much better when I exercise and my Parkinson’s is hardly more than an inconvience when I ride my stationary bike or run on the treadmill for an hour. I also know without a doubt that if I give in to my lazy side My muscles will be stiff and unresponsive to my brain, and it will be tuff to get out of bed in the morning. Stupid disease! Reason #3 is that if I sit here even for 15 minutes I will have lost this battle and I will feel like a wimp laying in bed tonight. I would rather feel like a champion who does the hard thing instead of the easy and keeps his commitments. OK, OK here I go.

I watched a short video of a message by Billy Graham this evening. He is 95 years old and he looked and sounded it on the video. But I was profoundly moved by watching and listening to this godly man. I thought to myself, he has a definite anointing on him from God that impacted me even from a video that was made in his home. He has been a super faithful man doing with all his heart what God called him to. He is finishing the race well when many do not. I want to finish my race well, in a sprint.

i have an App in my IPad that is a photo album with large capacity journaling capacity with it. I put in pictures of people with their names and any things that I can pray for. I have most of the people who attend JBC in it, and many people who have visited. If you visit JBC I look and see if I can find you on Facebook and then download any pictures there onto my prayer journal along with your name and any information that I know or can find so I can pray with some degree of accuracy. If I don’t have a picture I put in your name with a blank spot with the goal of taking your picture sometime with my phone. I do write in prayer needs as I discover them from the prayer letter, facebook or conversations with you. I invest at least an hour every day  scrolling through all the names praying that God will bless, guide, protect from the temptations of the devil, provide needs, and that you will grow closer and closer to God. Tonight I spent over 2 hours sitting in my recliner praying through my prayer journal and it is very interesting how much love I begin to feel towards those I am praying for and many I don’t even know. It is a very supernatural experience for me as I sense God’s pleasure and presence during these marathon prayer times. if you would like to be included in my prayer journal send me your info and I will do it.

i decided after my 4,000 mile bicycle trip to the East coast that I needed to have another big exercise goal so I wouldn’t lose all that I gained in the way of physical fitness or that I wouldn’t gain all that I lost, 45 lbs. I decided that I would train for and enter an Ironman Triathlon. You swim 2.5 miles, bicycle 112 miles, and then run a full marathon, 26.2 miles. I decided that I would do the one in Tempe, Arizona on November 15th, and then yesterday looking online I saw that it was full. Yikes. All of the others available were either to far to drive to or the dates didn’t work. Both my sons were going to do it with me so last night they talked me into doing a “Leadman Triathlon” at Bend, Oregon on September 20th. It is a 3.1 mile swim, 135 mile bicycle ride, and a half marathon, 13.1 miles. It is more total miles with a half mile more swimming, 24 more miles biking, but 13 miles less running. So I guess that is what I am signing up for. Let’s see now, that is 10 months away, whoooeeee I better get to training hard!! One of my goals is to every year attempt something that is near impossible. I think this is it😄

Someone asked me why I never asked for prayer for myself that my Parkinson’s would be healed by God. Interesting question, here is my answer. This is more personal than theological so if you do pray for yourself and ask others to pray for you in regards to your trials please don’t take offense at my personal convictions in this area.

i pray for strength to manage well any situation that God would put me in. I don’t ask Him to make life easier in any way. I believe I can bear up and grow in the most difficult situation if I have God’s strength. I believe that God will always answer the prayer for strength. I ask God for wisdom to fix anything that I can fix, to change anything I can change, to bear much fruit as a result of the circumstances God has put me in. I ask God for joy that is easily seen by every one that I am around in spite of events. Not phony or pretentious joy but very real joy that is in my heart as a gift from God. I do ask for the strength to rejoice and not grumble as an act of obedience No matter how hard life may get. I ask for peace so that I never feel sorry for myself or worry about my health or future. God is good all the time. I trust Him totally with my life and the circumstances of my life. I am going to heaven and I will get a new body that will never get sick or tired and I will fellowship with the God of the universe forever. God forbid that I would ever feel sorry for myself or want an easier life.