The Cabinets are In

Well we had a great day watching our cabinets being installed. Just wanted to put up some pictures. We are working on the countertops this weekend see you then.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas .... DU WAH

I love pictures of snow and snowy weather. This one is really pretty. I can imagine myself being there. It is so quiet when it is snowing. Cold and still, the snow covering everything, changing it from brown and dead to white clean crisp.... Ah the memories. But then another memory begins to creep in, wet clothes clinging to my cold legs and feet. Fingers so cold I can't feel them any more. Oh yeah I remember it all now.

Isn't it great to just look at pictures of snow? I think it is really pretty just to look at.

Hey I am having another memory..... Yeah this is better warm crackling ahhhh....

Have a great Christmas with or without snow. Blessings to all in this Holiday season.

Cubby, His Mommy & the Snowman

Sorry it has been so long since I posted but between computer problems and construction stuff I have been swamped. Here is Cubby and his Momma.

Here I am doing my best Snowman impression. We have completed the mudding and taping. I got to splatter( texture ) the walls the other day. New drywall in a few places a little plumbing stuff and took up two layers of linolium flooring. The day after Christmas our new cabinets will be installed. I will try to post more often. Merry Christmas to all and blessings. Mitch

Let the Walls Fall Down!!

Well I have been very busy fixing up our fixer upper. Here I am getting things ready for the new cabinets in the kitchen. Yes that is sweat!!! It has been very warm here in Texas.
This is the damage I inflicted after taking out all the upper cabinets.
Here is the original entryway, remember the funky tile?
I got busy and all the walls are removed. Stay tuned for more pics as the work progresses.

This weekend I will be traveling to East Texas. I will be ministering in Jasper TX and sharing with some people about the different ideas we have to help the poor. Sometime in the future here I will give a little overview of each of the different ideas that we want to develope. In January a group from WI and I will go to Nicaragua to drill our first low cost well. Again more on this and other projects later.

Bless you all and see you soon. Mitch

The Importance of Context

Well I have been away from the computer for the weekend. I have enjoyed reading your comments and look forward hearing from you often. I was ministering to the saints in Arcadia LA this weekend. We had a great time of ministry and fellowship.

I ministered the word Friday and Saturday night. On Friday I started with a statement about how the context where something is spoken effects the meaning of what is said. You can say the same words in different settings and they can have totally different meanings. I used an example I had used many times to help understand this in a practical way. I will repeat it here for this discussion.

Suppose I am in a city that I have not been in before and as I am walking I don't understand the way of the traffic as I cross a busy intersection. Long story short I J-walk and a policeman looks at me sternly and says, 'Come here!' Well everyone knows what that means. So after talking to the policeman and receiving my lecture on the dangers of J-walking I continue on my way.

As I walk away from the incident with the police I pass a dark alley and from the shadows I hear a voice that eerily says " Come here". When I hear these words, the same ones the policeman used, I don't know exactly what to do. One thing I do know is that going into the shadows to see what 'come hear' means is not an option I am considering. So I run.

I finally return to the motel where Ranae and I are staying and as I enter into the room out of breath, Ranae ask what is wrong. I tell her about my encounter with the strange voice. We both agree how weird that was and how good it was that I ran away. Soon after the end of this conversation she raises her one eyebrow and motions to me and says , 'Come here!'. Now we know what that means!!! She wants a kiss from me.

Now here we see the exact same words are used but in different settings or contexts and those settings effected the meaning of the words. That is the way it is as we communicate with people and as God communicates with us. If we don't consider the context, we might hear accurately but miss the true meaning of the message. Here is another contributor to miscommunication that causes problems.

There was another part of this teaching which I will write about next time. God bless all who visit here and I hope as we consider these points we will hear and discern more accurately. This will profit us in our personal relationships and our relationship with God. Bless you ! Mitch

What is YOUR Motive?

I recently heard ' It is not what you do, but why you do it!' Our motive will can change our experience. There are many people who do good things but maybe for the wrong reason. They volunteer time at the the local homeless shelter but the question is why? Some do it because it is the cool thing. Some do it because their friends do it. Some do it because it is expect of them. The question is who is expecting them to do anything?

How often in political campaigns have we seen candidates spooning mash potatoes onto the plate of some unfortunate person. You look at that scene and think to yourself, they are not really trying to help people, this is all about a photo op. Their motive is not helping the homeless. Their motive is really themselves. Making themselves look good so people will have a better opinion of them. It is not that the homeless shelter doesn't need help or even some press but a person's motive is huge in the reality of the action. As we analyze the whys of life, and adjust our motives, I think we will receive the true satisfaction that comes from our actions.

Who do we live for? Why do we do what we do? What gives us that reason to get out of bed in the morning? The answers to these questions will give us help in identifying our motives. Many people are living life to please others and it is never enough. There is never that sense of accomplishment or satisfaction because we are living to try to please someone's unstated reason for their approval of us and our actions. See, that is the problem, it is the unstated standards that we are trying to live up to. How much is enough? How can I fulfill an undetermined standard or expectation? We find ourself driven to perform, motivated by the approval of others. The end result is frustration and anger because we can never measure up. We are either driven to burnout or concede to defeat and give up completly.

As we define the motive of our life there is an accompanying peace and satisfaction that becomes ours. We begin to live, really experience life in its purest form. I love to help other people. But I can not live for other people's happiness. If that was my motive I would feel like a failure because I found out long ago you can't please everyone all the time. I personally am motivated to make my heavenly Father happy. How many times I say to Him I just want to put a smile on your face. Or when you think of me I want you to have a smile. He is my motivation. He is the reason I get out of bed in the morning.

I do want to please Him but I also know that my flesh is weak and in reality I can not please him. That is why I must trust the gift of his Son's shed blood to cleanse me and make me accepted in Him. In Jesus I am accepted now. I love God and want to please him but I am not accepted or rejected by the Father, based on my actions alone. I am accepted by my Father by Jesus' actions. I am accepted in the beloved Son Jesus.

So here is the question what is your motive? Why do you do what you do? And who are you living for ? Yourself? Others? Some undefined standard of living that will gain you acceptance? Think it through and make adjustments if necessary.

A Miscommunication Image

I found this image after I posted my last post on Miscommunication. I think this says it all, another great example. Enjoy!!! Mitch

Miscommunication one of the greatest problems on earth

When you read this title you may think what can this be about. Mitch has announced a new dog and now he is going to take on the problems of the world?!! I have been thinking a lot about how we can talk to one another and never really communicate.

Sometimes we hear the words and understand the words but misinterpret the meaning or intent of the speaker. My thinking is that the context determines the meaning of things. If we don't take into account the context of the speaker it could be very easy to miss the real intention of the one trying to communicate with us. Maybe you are understanding these words I am writing but you are not tracking with me right now. Let me give you an example to clarify.

One time Ranae (my wife) and I were watching Survivor on television. There was a women on the game whose occupation was an office designer kinda like an architect for office. Any way she was used to telling people working for her what to do. The group she was with in this remote island needed to have a shelter built before night fall so they wouldn't spend the night in the cold. The problem was no one wanted to be the leader because if you were the leader sometimes you would offend people and they would vote you out of the game. When they found out what she did for a living they instantly asked for her help in getting the shelter "designed" and built. She was kinda flattered and began to kick into a mode I am sure was very normal for her. She started to take charge and began to tell different people what to do. Put these corner post over there. Make a hole over here. Tighten up these ropes, etc.

It was interesting to see the dynamics in the group as she began to do what they had asked here to do, take charge. The project was completed quite rapidly and very successfully but she was the first one voted of f of the show because everyone said she was bossy. They said, who does she think she is telling us what to do. But they had asked her to assume a role no one else wanted to accept and frankly were unqualified for, but yet they hated her for being bossy.

I believe the answer here is the context problem that caused miscommunication. She was used to giving orders. She assumed the position thy asked her to fill. In fulfilling her role she assumed they would be subordinated to the authority they had given her. They never lowered themselves to receive her instruction. Or they never submitted to the authority she had be ask to operate in. So when they heard her orders they did what she asked but they never saw her as the boss. The proper context needed to be her as the leader for that moment and the others as subordinates. It did not mean she was better than them what it meant was that she took her position and they all completed the task. I might add when this particular task was completed she would return to her role as a peer with the rest of the group.

There was miscommunication because they others did not understand what was going on. Maybe this example did not help you to understand but if you will begin to consider the context of the one speaking to you it may help you to understand not only the words but the meaning as well.

I am not saying we should begin to analyze every situation so that every conversation becomes wooden and uncomfortable but if we will begin to examine the context surrounding our coversations and relationships it will begin to bring light to possible miscommunication.

I would love to hear some comments of personal examples of this kind of miscommunication.

The Latest Addition to Our Family !!

This little boy's name is Cubby. He is a 9 week old Yorky. Ranae was really wanting a new companion since returning to the USA. She called me in Wisconsin after she had found this little guy. She was smitten with him and called to ask if she could bring him home. Of course I said yes.

We have been enjoying all his crazy antics. He loves to growl at his reflection in the sliding glass door. He is really hilarious to watch. We are looking forward to enjoying Cubby for years to come.

Ask me and I'll post more pics. See ya Mitch