Words of Truth Written with Love

The Great Homosexual Divide with Christianity

2012-01-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

I recently linked on my Facebook wall this picture which shows a Christian on the sidelines of a gay pride parade with a sign saying, “I’m sorry how the church has treated you” beside him as he embraces one of the marchers. Linking to this picture with the note, “Christians, have you hugged a gay guy today?” (which I meant to be an encouragement to reach out with love to others) triggered an onslaught of over 80 comments within a few hours, the most ever on my page to date.

I was surprised that so many of my Christian friends who know me well interpreted this post as some kind of message that I was condoning the gay lifestyle and preaching that the church should do the same. I felt a wave of persecution from my own brothers and sisters in the faith. One suggested real Christians should never attend gay pride parades and compared them to ‘murderer parades’ or ‘rapist parades’, yikes! Another suggested we shouldn’t hug homosexuals at a gay pride parade because they were blatantly living in sin with no repentance, as if you need to qualify for a hug. Many suggested the hug is ‘supporting their sin’ or that we should only love people that are ‘on the pathway out of their sin’. Another friend suggested hugging a gay person was the equivalent of trying to hug someone while they’re breaking in to your house with a gun trying to kill your family. Yep, that happened. The same person also said ‘Satan is smiling’ about my post. Another said Jesus didn’t go around hugging unclean sinners… really I’m not making this up!

The torrent of knee-jerk accusations, negativity, (many posts so over the top they had to be deleted and users blocked) and machine-gunning of Bible verses that followed left quite a pit in my stomach. It really helped me understand why so many gay people hate us so much.

I think it’s time for me to share the story of my Gay Controversy Ground Zero experience from 2006, the meteoric fall of Pastor Ted Haggard. I lived in Colorado at the time and my girlfriend-to-be-wife Melissa took me to New Life a few times to the young adults group there. It was a huge production that thousands attended every week with amazing music, great coffee and refreshments, cool lighting effects and videos, and all the glamour of a rock concert. One night the preaching was focused on dating, a favorite topic of mine with young adults, and the word brought that night really didn’t sit well with me as they were teaching a very humanistic trial-and-error, checklist selection approach to dating which is pretty much the opposite of how I believe we should find our soul mates… but that’s another blog for another day. About ¾ of the way through the message I couldn’t take it anymore and walked out into the New Life foyer feeling physically ill and heavy-hearted. I’m not an uber-spiritual, mystical guy, but I’ve had a couple times in my life I’ve clearly had “visions” while awake, and what follows is exactly what my mind saw in the empty grand foyer entrance of the church.

I looked up in the tall open room outside the main sanctuary and saw the huge banners with all the slogans, logos, and branding of the various ministries of the megachurch, and saw them all fall one by one into crumpled heaps on the ground. I then saw the large pillars holding up the tall ceilings begin to quake and tremble. I saw them crashing down like the whole structure collapsing right on the main entrance and bookstore area and moving inward. It was very vivid and troubling and I could barely walk for about 30 minutes it so moved me emotionally. I didn’t know what any of it meant but decided to put my attendance of this church on hold for awhile since I had at least enough discernment to realize, ‘something is not right here’.

Within a few weeks of this experience, the Denver radio stations and TV shows started to buzz with news that a male homosexual prostitute, Mike Jones, was claiming he had multiple sexual encounters with Senior Pastor at New Life, Ted Haggard. Mike had been paid by Ted for sex under a false name and Mike saw Ted on TV one day and immediately recognized him. He said he wouldn’t have told anyone his secret if it weren’t for Ted’s public stances he kept taking against homosexuality on TV. He couldn’t stand the hypocrisy. The accusations were met with vehement denial, but as evidence began to mount to the contrary, Pastor Haggard finally confessed and shocked the nation. He was one of the biggest superstars in all of Christianity, a best-selling author, beloved pastor who oversaw the tremendous growth of one of the most successful churches in America, and was the current sitting-president of the National Evangelical Association.

Melissa and I decided to go back to New Life the next week after Pastor Haggard resigned to show support to our friends and colleagues that were very close to all the pastors there. The place was packed, and God’s presence was there at the service big time. It was actually a very moving, excellent show of solidarity from the congregation, but as I was leaving something kind of troubled me… I noticed all evidence of Pastor Ted’s existence was completely, 100% gone from the building.

The bookstore in the foyer had several entire aisles dedicated to his books, sermons, and audio series’ last time I was there, but not one shred of evidence remained. All his stuff was gone, as if his life’s work was suddenly invalid. I walked upstairs where there had previously been large posters lining a main hallway which prominently told the story of the Church’s history; a history which was very much interwoven with the story and images of Pastor Haggard. They were gone; replaced by cool artwork. All banners with his name or teachings were gone as well. I imagined church elders going around wearing chemical suits carrying huge biohazard trash bags throwing everything connected to Pastor Haggard in a big dumpster out back. It was like going to Microsoft HQ and finding no mention of Bill Gates, or Apple’s and being able to find no mention of Steve Jobs.

Unfortunately, I can fully understand how this all happened. A popular catch phrase among Evangelicals is ‘Love the sinner, hate the sin’ (although this phrase is not in the Bible). This thought process focuses Christians on the snapshot of sinful behaviors of the lost that can easily be seen, rather than what we should be focused on by faith (Hebrews 11:1); God’s unseen plan of healing, restoration, and redemption for them. ‘Loving the sinner, hating the sin’ is a very carnal and judgmental way to view the world around you and gives you license to compartmentalize and segregate groups of people by their behavior. Christ died for all mankind and loves all humans so much he was willing to lay down his life for them, paying the price for every sin, and offering freely the gift of new life to all. (1 John 3:16, Romans 6:23)

It’s hard to love someone when you’ve given yourself license to hate their behavior. Gay people have their very identities wrapped around their gay lifestyle. Hating everything they do but saying you love them, does not a soul win. If you hate gayness, gay people will intuitively feel like you hate them personally. It’s as if you’re telling them the core of who they say they are is unacceptable to you, and to Christ’s Church, and they need not come around until they’ve got that behavior we hate stripped from their identity. Instead, we need to be finding things we love about that sinner, ways that we can relate from our own vast imperfect history and ways we’ve also struggled and failed. Maybe instead of going in with boxing gloves on ready to fight homosexuality, you should start witnessing by discussing something totally different God did in you and that He can do in them.

I rarely discuss homosexuality with a homosexual, it’s counterproductive, they’re ready for it, and they will close themselves off to you forever. Find something else to bless them with they’re not expecting. Maybe it’s a physical healing they need, a tangible gift, or a restored relationship with a loved one. We need to find the gold in them and call it forth with words of life. The Law of the Lord is written on the hearts of all men (Romans 2:15). It’s there already, engraved in our very DNA and consciences. If we speak love and life, building relationships founded on unconditional love of our gay friends, we can break down hard hearts so that Jesus may have a chance to enter and lovingly restore long-hidden truths, adopting them into the family the deepest part of them is aching for. If God can be made the author of their new faith, he promises he will be the perfecter. (Hebrews 12:2)

Many Christians claim they treat all sin the same, but our actions frankly don’t match our words. Jesus said, “But I tell you, that any of you that looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28) I know MANY pastors that have struggled with pornography, lust, pre-marital sex, and adultery. In fact, anonymous polling of evangelical pastors has revealed some 30-40% of pastors are currently struggling with internet pornography. But the church is much more forgiving on such struggles than they are with homosexuality, and most of these pastors are able to fight through it, recover, and still faithfully complete the work God has for them. I’m convinced if Pastor Haggard had fallen to any of the former non-criminal sexual sins like internet porn, etc… that he would still be the Pastor of New Life today or at least have been able to step down in a healthy way, not completely scorched-earth stricken from memory as he was. The Church makes the stakes much, much higher with homosexuality. We make it impossible for pastors to be honest, hanging a sword over the head of anyone who is tempted by homosexuality. This gives Satan a great point of leverage against our leadership. If only he can plant the seed of homosexual lust in a church leader… if he can get any crack of the door opened to his heart… he can isolate, tend a garden of thoughts leading to secret actions without accountability.

The Church’s collective failure to properly relate to homosexuals outside and within our midst, has created a vast cultural chasm in America we must now fight to bridge. I believe the growing American homosexual subculture is being as poorly reached by Christians as any remote people group on the planet.

An apology and a sincere hug is a great start.

I’m not advocating acceptance of sin as “A-OK!”, nor am I advocating letting unrepentant homosexuals have open positions of authority over the church (as some denominations have in a foolish attempt to satisfy the devil of political correctness).

I’m suggesting we start with four commitments:

Reach out to homosexuals that have been hurt by the church with sincere unconditional love to engage them so they might get the chance to know us as people, not their caricatures or stereotypes of Christians, fostering relationships with them wherever they are, requiring nothing in return.
Talk about homosexuality from the pulpit without an “us vs. them” attitude, recognizing that it’s just one of many sexual sins, and that ALL of us struggle with some sort of sexual issues, heterosexual lust variants being even much more prominent. Let’s not treat homosexuality like it’s some special contagious disease we must keep away from.
Take the fight to a higher level. Our war is not against flesh and blood… (Eph. 6:12) Don’t always focus on confronting individuals about their sinful behaviors, rather, focus your energy on breaking down the invisible barriers and strongholds ruled by principalities of darkness, not men. Remember the battle is Spiritual AND Cultural.
Create a church culture of honesty and loving accountability for Pastors that may be struggling with homosexual temptation. Don’t assume someone is not struggling with it just because you’re not.

Someone Believes in Me

2012-01-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

God gave me an amazing woman. It takes a special kind of mettle to love a dream-chaser...

One of the most endearing of my wife’s many qualities is that she believes in me. She won’t let me settle for less than God’s best. I can look her in the eye and tell her my dreams without fear. She never sarcastically rolls her eyes as if to say “yeah…right…” She just asks, “How?” or “When?” When I fall short, she doesn’t hold it against me and encourages me to try again. When I succeed, she celebrates with me as I talk about the next dream.

These last 6 months have been unforgettable. I quit my job to chase a dream… took a 33% paycut and lost my benefits. I left a secure career in a down economy, where I was comfortably advancing in pay and rank to form a new startup company with several of my best friends. To top it off, we found out we were pregnant with our third child right after I made the switch. We’ve been squeaking by barely paying our bills as I work long hours trying to bring the company up long grueling hills to a place where we can finally introduce brand-new products to the consumer marketplace and finally attempt to make sales, cash flow, and maybe even profit.

Melissa has stood by me, encouraged me, and kicked me in the butt when I slowed down or slacked off. She’s been my sounding board and too often a vent for stresses and frustrations. You’re supposed to give your pregnant wife foot rubs and extra help around the house, but I’ve given her a lot of nights alone with the kids and never had much less to offer her and our sweet babies when I get home.

I’m on the plane coming back from a 10-day cross-country trip where I made my first sales. I have about 48 hours with her until my next trip, of which I’ll have to get some work done in between… but I am so excited to see her. I pray God can let me love her enough while I’m home to carry her through when I’m gone. I’ve spoken to her each of the last 10 days and she’s been awesome, loving, calm, encouraging, and peaceful. She’s matured so much the last few years… I used to always get in arguments on the phone with her when I traveled on business… just how the stress of separation manifested. But the Holy Spirit seems to be holding us both by the hands more and more, making us more aware of His presence and His grace in all things and all situations.

Thank you God, and thank you Melissa. I love both of you more than words can say. I couldn’t do any of this without you two.

The Beauty and Diversity of the Bride of Christ

2011-09-22T22:58:00.001-06:00

I was raised in a Southern Baptist church (nothing derogatory intended by pointing that out, just stating a fact). It was very formal and proper. We all kind of looked alike, dressed alike, behaved alike. The church services were absolutely the same every week. It was down to an exact science. We had a full orchestra and amazing music. It was like a little mini symphony concert every week with one good soloist singer and other hymns we all sang together. When the congregation sang, emphasis seemed to be on reading the correct words off the screens at the right time while simultaneously trying to be at the right pitch to match the orchestra. Sometimes God touched me and spoke to me through those hymns, but you'd never know it by looking as we weren't a very expressive bunch.

I distinctly remember where I was the moment I first saw someone raise their hands in worship. I was probably 12 years old or so. I was in the balcony next to several of my friends, and across on the other side of the sanctuary in the other balcony was this lady... I can still see her face. Her hair was fire red and long and poofy, just flowing everywhere. She had a look of complete bliss on her face, slightly tilted towards heaven with closed eyes. She lifted her right hand above her head cupping it slightly and palm facing outward, and as the music ebbed and flowed, her hand would move around and her face would contort in emotion. I remember the thoughts that entered my head, "what a showoff", "how embarrassing it must be for her husband", "what a faker", "why is she trying to bring so much attention to herself?", and "she should be ashamed behaving like that."

Looking back it is me who is ashamed of past thoughts. I didn't know how sinful my judgmental thoughts were as a young man. Praise God he has taken me so far. I laugh thinking of what I would have said had I seen how my future wife would behave in worship! Thank God He didn't give up on me.

I'm a man's man. I like guns and meat and football. I'm hairy. I like outdoor adventures. Dudes like me have a natural tendency to gravitate towards other manly men and sometimes have contempt for sensitive types of men or those with more refined, artsy, or even effeminate qualities. But there's something that happened to me that made me different. I met Jesus. Jesus is wonderful. He doesn't think like we do naturally. He sees people the way the Father sees them. The more you get to know Jesus and the more He gets hold of your heart, the more you will too. The Father loves everyone, and sent Jesus to die for all mankind. I'm still hairy and manly and love all the manly things, but my behavior has radically changed in how I see and treat others that aren't like me. I'm now mysteriously drawn to everyone that is different than me. I really have a heart for gay people. I love effeminate, artsy men that worship with reckless abandon. I really love black people that boldly don't hold anything back in church and can't help but loudly outburst and proclaim AMEN! and HALLELUJAH! to words of truth. I love meeting people from all different nations. At church I feel most connected to some of the people that are the most opposite of me. I'm thinking of a little old hispanic lady that was a new member about the same time as me at the church I currently attend... I can't see her without hugging her. She makes me smile so much... something about her sincere motherly spirit just touches me deeply. Christ has a way of crossing every boundary and tearing down every wall.

I was at a healing conference today, and I found myself just weeping for hours literally feeling empathy for those desperate and in need of major physical healing in their lives. This is because God is touching me again. He's showing me how much he loves the broken, the damaged, the blind, the mentally ill, the oppressed. I helped lead worship tonight and just felt overwhelmed by His goodness. I remember just singing out boldly, the fear of man and of not performing correctly just falling away as I sang... just utterly not caring what people thought about me, and able to cut loose and express by sound some of these deep things that needed to be expressed. I saw two men, middle-aged, bald, waving flags and dancing with abandon... and was just so touched by the beauty of their expression. They really blessed me with their extravagant worship and I sensed deeply how much the Father was pleased with all of His kids.

This is what Heaven will be like. This is "on Earth as it is in Heaven" stuff, right here, right now, for our enjoyment. So you can ridicule it, or you can join me and get over yourself, get over your religion, get past your biases, past your prejudices, and start trying to see people with the eye of Jesus. All colors, all nations, all tribes, all tongues, all types of people... everyone is welcome at God's table. There are enough seats for everyone.

Step out of your comfort zone a little today. Find someone to hug even if you're not a hugger. Find someone that rubs you the wrong way or offends you, and ask God to show you how He sees that person... the love He has for them, and you'll be amazed. You'll be changed too. Stop looking for the worst in people and start looking for the best in them. Thank God for the beautiful diversity of His bride.

Keep working on me Lord. Thanks for never giving up on me.

30 Day Juice Fast Journal- Day 13

2011-09-13T10:11:00.000-06:00

I'm really pumped to see how many other people are giving this a try! I know of at least 5 folks that were at least partially inspired by my fast to do their own. That's really giving me strength and encouragement.

One of my best friends was in town this weekend and also juice fasting, so it was nice going to parties and restaurants and not being the only person fasting.

I've noticed food seems to come up in every conversation lately, and the social aspect of eating is one of the toughest parts of fasting. Food is just fun!

Morning of Day 13 I'm down to 197 (10 pounds lost since day 1). Weight seems to be lost in spurts, then level off for a few days, but I'm still averaging a little less than a pound a day.

I haven't been working out at all really, but I think I want to start incorporating some light workouts.

Getting a good night's sleep makes a tremendous difference on how I feel the next day. I went to bed early last night (finally), and felt 100% better than I did yesterday.

Here's my pictures from day 10. You can see I look a little less "swollen" than I did on day 1, but still have plenty of weight to lose.

30 Day Juice Fast Journal- Day 8

2011-09-08T07:55:00.000-06:00

Overcoming Trials and Temptations

Morning of Day 8. Feeling good, but I haven't lost any weight the last 2-3 days, so that's kind of weird.

I faced some great temptation and discouragement the last 2 days between now and my morning of the 6th post.

My babies have been sick which is adding extra stress to the household. The night of the 6th I was feeling very down and hungry. I watched the kids for a couple hours that night to let Melissa escape out of the house for a little bit. I was feeding my 1-year old a tuna fish sandwich, tearing it up into little bits with my hands, and without thinking I licked my fingers... I was already wanting this sandwich, but when the little bit on my finger hit my taste buds, I nearly snapped. That's when it's hardest... nobody watching... tired... down... you can almost hear the little devil on your shoulder saying, "Just take a bite. Nobody will know! It won't hurt anything!" I'm convinced I would have fallen to this temptation if it wasn't for another friend of mine also juice fasting this month I knew I'd have to answer to, and my blog. Thankfully my friend gave me some encouragement by saying, "if you fail... I will fail too" and I stayed the path.

Accountability goes a long way. I've tried to do a few 30-day juice fasts the last 2 years, but I always seem to quit sometime in the day 3-10 window, but they were always pretty secret so I could quit without shame or accountability. I believe I will succeed this time.

Here are some tips for overcoming trials and temptations during a juice fast:

1) Fast with a close friend or spouse. Then you can push each other through the difficult moments.

2) Know when you feel like crap, it's only brief and temporary. Drink some juice, and go do something else. Don't dwell on it. Your mind will convince you this is how it's going to feel 24/7 till the end and you'll want to quit. That's a lie. You'll feel fine 90+ percent of the time you're fasting.

3) Know up front you will be offered free, delicious food EVERY DAY YOU FAST. It's just some crazy cosmic rule, but I've fasted many days and never had a single day where free, delicious food wasn't offered to me. So just smile and laugh at the cosmic joke, don't let it make you mad or frustrated. The free food offers will stop, as soon you stop fasting. =)

4) Don't chew gum, and don't go shoving your nose into food trying to inhale the smells and get some satisfaction. Don't give your body hope that it's going to eat. This will only keep your digestive system on longer. You'll feel best once your digestive system shuts down and gives up.

5) Pray. Pray often.

6) Read the Bible. Read books. There's more to the Word of God being called the Bread of Life than you think. It does have a magical way of being able to satisfy, even your physical body. Try it.

7) Think of your juice as your food. That way it's less awkward when you go to restaurants or talk to people who don't know you're fasting. That way, if you've juiced earlier, you can honestly just say, "No thanks, I already ate. I'll just have a water." and don't have to go into the whole juice fasting explanation spiel with everyone.

8) Find other social activities that don't revolve around food. Eating is our #1 social activity, so you get very socially isolated when you fast.

30 Day Juice Fast Journal- Day 6

2011-09-06T14:12:00.000-06:00

Quick Update- Things are going well. I'm losing a pound a day exactly. I feel like I'm over the initial shock now and am cruising along nicely. I really WANT to eat, but I'm now feeling like I don't NEED to eat.

Here's a couple recipes I wanted to share:

1/2 Cantaloupe, take the seeds out, leave the rind on 4 out of every 5 slices. Amazing. Also works with honeydew. The rind gives you chlorophyll and green goodness but it still tastes like regular cantaloupe. This recipe also works with honeydew and other melons. Watermelon is not that great juiced unless you only leave the rind on abour 1/3 of all pieces you put in.

4-5 apples, 2-3 celery sticks, handful of spinach, and 1/4 lemon. This tastes kind of like lemonade and you'll never even taste the greens hidden in it.

30-Day Juice Fast Journal- Day 1

2011-09-01T20:59:00.000-06:00

I was inspired by the documentary, "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" to do a 30-day Juice Fast. I will be blogging periodically (no, not every day, but when I get a second here or there) about it to create some accountability and also hopefully inspire others to give it a try.

First, a little background on me: This isn't my first juice fast. I grew up the middle, short, chubby kid out of 3 brothers. I was always pretty athletic and coordinated and did okay in sports, but I just carried too much weight. I grew up eating way too many burgers, pizza, fried chicken, fried everything, huge quantities, cokes, very little water. Even when I worked out every day and played sports, I still carried at least 30 pounds unnecessarily. My brothers are the opposite of me and can eat unlimited food it seems and still have six-pack abs. I on the other hand developed hypoglycemia (I eventually overcame this condition) and struggled with blood sugar and diet. My brothers and I have very different metabolisms and genetics it seems, but I take full responsibility for me being out of shape.

Everything changed in the fall of 2002. My sophomore year of college, I was on an internship in Hereford, TX and started learning about juice fasting. I had tried to fast before on just water, but could never make it a single day without having a blood sugar crash, getting shaky, and needing to eat by dinner time. I read a book called "Juice Fasting and Detoxification" by Steve Meyerowitz, and finally got the courage to give juice fasting a try. My first successful juice fast was 42 days. It was an incredible physical and spiritual experience. I was never healthier than during my long juice fast, and came out of it a new person. I started at a robust 200+ pounds, and 42 days later recorded my lowest weight since a pre-teen of 154. You immediately gain about 7 pounds once you have food in your digestive system again, then I gained back some muscle and stabilized at a healthy 165-175 (pretty much my ideal weight range) and was able to stay trim and fit for 5-6 years after that. This was the only span of my life where I was not chubby. I fell in love with my wife Melissa in 2006, got married in 2007, and we had our first daughter in 2008. As my happiness and comfort grew, I got a good-paying desk job and slowly gained about a pound a month the last three years and settled into a more sedentary lifestyle. Now I'm back over 200, and don't like what I've become physically. I feel like I've put back on the shell of my old, inferior-self, and this isn't who I'm supposed to be anymore. I refuse to live a life with only a few fleeting years of fitness.

My plan now is to do another reboot of my body. Today, September 1st, was day 1 of a planned 30 days. This month I will only have water and fresh-juiced fruits and veggies.

As I go through this journey, I will be sharing recipes, tips, pictures, triumphs and struggles and hope to give insight into the amazing world of juice fasting.

It's 10PM on day one. So far so good. I'm hungry and have a dull headache. My stomach is growling. I've had three cups of juice today and was able to have a pretty productive day at work. The first few days are the toughest. I stopped drinking soda and coffee about 5 days ago and am still having caffeine withdrawals. I'm looking forward to getting some sleep, so I'm going to turn in for the night and pick this journal back up later.

Day 1 Pictures @207lbs (I will take pics in the same spot with the same now-too-tight-shirt throughout the fast)

And here's me at a fit 165 circa 2003 for comparison's sake.

Sally Buys a Toaster

2011-04-20T13:13:00.000-06:00

Sally wants a toaster. She wants one that will toast up to 4 slices of bread at once, looks good in her kitchen, and can even do bagels.

Her neighbor Jim hears about this in conversation with Sally and says, "Hey, you should buy mine! It can do all that. It's exactly like you want. I bought it new for $50 4 years ago and it works perfectly. I'm getting deployed to Afghanistan next month and need to get rid of it, so I'll sell it to you for $20."

Sally thinks hard about it and decides she should go to the toaster store so she can make a fully-informed decision. After all, why should she take Jim's advice when she can talk to someone whose profession is toasters. So she goes to the toaster store and meets Rick the toaster dealer. Rick is an expert on toasters and knows everything about them. He seems much more qualified than Jim to give toaster advice.

Rick tells Sally she should buy a "like new" one year old toaster from him he just got in on trade with all the features she's looking for, sticker price is $42. He brings up many excellent reasons:

1) This newer year model has a small green LED light on the front which activates when the toast is toasting. Jim's model does not have this feature.

2) The newer model is less likely to catastrophically break down. He says toasters last 20 years if well-maintained under "perfect" conditions, but tells the horror story of his poor friend Beatrice who bought a used "20 dollar toaster" at a garage sale, and 2 months later the coil went out. Then, when she took it to the toaster repair center, she was told it would be $80 to fix it. Beatrice wished she would have listened to Rick's professional advice.

3) Since Sally is "friends" with Rick, she is able to talk him down on the price from $42 to $40. Sally is proud of her excellent negotiation skills.

4) She doesn't have to pay the $40 all at once. In fact, if she buys from Rick, she won't even have to pay the $20 she'd have to pay Jim and can take home a superior toaster. Rick can set her up with easy financing where she only has to put $4 down, and can pay off the toaster with 24 easy $2 monthly payments. $2 a month is quite easy for Sally to afford, and although she knows she will pay a little more overall, she likes that she will be building a solid credit history so she can more easily borrow money in the future.

Sally decides to buy from Rick. It was an easy decision. She signs the paperwork, including buying the full coverage toaster insurance for an additional measly 75 cents per month (required to protect the toaster bank's asset).

She goes home very satisfied having such a nice toaster that she "won't have to worry about".

Happy Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

For the three beautiful loves of my life:

Sophia,

My snuggly little chunk of pure goodness... You've been such a blessing these last 6 months. You are just healthy, tough, and a joy to take care of. You're a challenge of a daily workout since you always want to be held and you somehow weigh as much as a full grown man although you're just the size of a small watermelon. You smile at me a hundred times a day, so that means I now smile 100 times a day more than I used to. Your rhythmic inhaling-laugh is addicting, and I like to get it out of you as often as I can. Amelia is even catching on and figuring out how to make funny faces, noise, and tickle you to get your laugh going... when she succeeds it's just the cutest laughter explosion on the planet out of the two of you. You have a very pure heart and will be a wonderful friend to many. We're all looking forward for you to start crawling and walking so you and Amelia can play together and discover the world together. Happy Valentine's Day my perfect little cherubim from Dad.

Amelia,

Having you in my life has just completely rocked my world. I can barely remember what life was like without you, but I know it wasn't this good. Your sweet voice just commands my attention, and I hang on your every word. You exhibit a special talent at melting hearts that is surely a gift from God. There is absolutely nothing better than when you grab my cheeks and plant a kiss on me... well... now that I think of it... I think that ties with when you greet me with "Daddy!" and run towards me with open arms when I come home. It's so hard to say no to you especially when you work those big puppy dog eyes with your head cocked and "pleeeeeeease"... figuring out how to discipline you will probably the biggest challenge I will face in my life. I have trouble being upset with you and mostly laugh when you gallivant around like you're the high queen of the world. You're an awesome big sister and treat Sophia to so much love and affection, it inspires me to be a better man. You seem destined for greatness in this life, and I am very excited and honored to be able to stand behind you on your journey. Happy Valentines Day my sweet, beautiful angel from Daddy.

Melissa,

I love you so much it hurts, right here. I am just fascinated by you. I feel like I know you so well, through and through, yet you maintain this capacity to surprise me. There's a deep well inside of you that connects to a great reservoir of the Holy Spirit. Anything can happen when you draw from it. Your ability to see right through me, intuitively see right through the schemes of this world is truly amazing. I spend all this time with my brain researching and trying to put all the pieces together on complicated issues... and when I come to my conclusions... you already seem to know them in your heart. You can't explain them by retracing the 50 steps that got you there like I do... but yet you somehow arrive at the same destinations as me, right on time.

I am truly proud of you. You have come into your own and really bloomed into this wonderful new supermom person. You've really transitioned so well, and consistently put the needs of your family ahead of your own. I feel so hopeless and lost without your help with these little girls, even when you're away just for a couple of hours! You're just light years ahead of me on your ability to simultaneously entertain two babies while still somehow accomplishing everything you set out to do. My hope is that I will never make you feel held back in life, unsafe, uncared for, or unsupported. Whatever you want out of this life... I want to lock arms with you and stroll there together. Every challenge we will face... I'm so grateful to be able to face it with you at my side.

Also, you're smokin' hot, and every bit as beautiful today as the day we met. You're beautiful without even trying... an effortless natural beauty... the envy of womankind. I never get bored of you. I want to be around you every day. I can barely sleep in a bed without you in it. It's like the best part of me is missing when I'm not around you. God really chose to extravagantly and undeservedly bless me when he set me up with you. There is no other explanation.

Happy Valentines Day Sweetheart,

Clint

Taurus TCP Review

2011-02-09T22:11:00.003-07:00

I bought a Taurus TCP awhile back as a pocket, conceal carry option in the popular .380 caliber.

I can't recommend this gun due to repeated reliability problems.

Pro's:

- Great Trigger, long but smooth; much lighter and better than the main competitor the Ruger LCP
- Very Concealable
- Very Light
- Surprisingly Accurate

Con's:

- Feeding and Ejecting Problems

I want a pistol I can trust 100% if I ever need to use it in a life or death situation. When I first bought this pistol, it was a jam-o-matic. This was due to a faulty extractor. It would fire, but fail to eject the spent brass, and the next round would jam into the back of the empty brass case of the first. This is called a "type 3" malfunction and is the worst kind of jam. To correct you need to strip your full magazine from the gun, rack the slide several times clearing both cartridges, then insert a new magazine and chamber a fresh round.... at which point it will fire once, then jam again... terrible...

Taurus has a lifetime warranty on their guns, so I sent it back to be fixed. They replaced the extractor and it worked much better, however, a new problem developed. Now, the slide occasionally locked open as if it were empty when there were still rounds in the magazine. This is much easier to clear, a simple rack of the slide puts you back into action, however, that is unacceptable to have to do if you were in the middle of a gunfight.

Instead of sending it back again, I decided to sell it for a loss to someone else to deal with it.

This was my first Taurus, and will probably be my last unless I decide to get one of their revolvers down the road. If you want a pocket .380, I would recommend the Smith and Wesson .380 Bodyguard, Kahr P380, or Ruger LCP as better quality choices than the TCP.

Defensive Readiness Scale - Where do you rank?

2011-01-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

I'm sure others that have come before me have their own versions of this, but here's a handy 1-5 scale I made up that will help you honestly evaluate where you're at when it comes to your readiness to defend yourself and/or others against violence, and what you can do to improve.

1) Fuzzball (30%)- The lowly Fuzzball is completely oblivious and defenseless. They are the ideal victims of crime and violence. They're easy to identify, self-absorbed, soft, walking around in little bubbles, with no situational awareness, no defensive skills or weapons. Fuzzballs live in a state of denial about the realities of life. They are so turned off by the thought of violence, that they've refused to ever address it as something worthy of considering. Once a Fuzzball has been robbed or attacked, their Fuzzball bubble has been burst and they can never be a Fuzzball again. Fuzzballs are precious in their own way, and having a decent percentage of Fuzzballs in your country means you live in an advanced, 1st world, civilized, society. (For instance, I would say there is a much higher percentage of Fuzzballs in Norway than in Sudan or Cambodia)However, I would prefer my friends and family to not be Fuzzballs, and take at least a little responsibility for their own safety.

2) Jackrabbit (30%)- I grew up around jackrabbits and have great respect for the creatures. They're pretty common to see but difficult to catch... but once you've caught one, you've caught it. A 'jackrabbit' on the defensive readiness scale is the kind of person who really doesn't pose a threat of harm to a violent attacker, but their increased speed and awareness makes them harder to victimize. A jackrabbit has their cranium dislodged from their posterior more often than the fuzzball, a more developed 'spider sense' to detect potential danger, and some basic skills in escape and evasion. Their best skill is by far avoidance, as in keeping themselves clear of higher-risk environments and situations. A jackrabbit is usually (90% of the time) unarmed, and their biggest liability is zero fighting skills. A small percentage of jackrabbits even buy guns and carry them, but they're still jackrabbits. A blunt object, knife, or even gun in their hands is completely useless as they have no skills or practice. Running and evading is what they do best. A jackrabbit has a longer life expectancy than the common fuzzball in an environment with predators. A jackrabbit will give a determined criminal a workout, and some fingernail scratches... if they're caught.

3) Wrong Victim (20%)- "Wow, they sure did choose the wrong victim..." A 'Wrong Victim' is someone a criminal may perceive as a fuzzball or jackrabbit, but they will be taught a harsh lesson when they discover that particular 'rabbit' can bite! A Wrong Victim is a an upgraded jackrabbit, that can and will fight when put to the test. A Wrong Victim will not always 'win', a violent encounter, but they have a fighting chance because they fight back, and are willing to counter violence with violence. The Wrong Victim has the ability to flip a mental switch from defense to offense when they or their family is attacked. A Wrong Victim usually doesn't have much training or experience in regards to violence, but they have the right mindset and heart, the ability to improvise, and usually have at least thought through the 'what if' scenarios in their heads. They have the potential to survive not just through escaping, but also by overcoming or winning. This person doesn't assume the fetal position when trapped; instead they throw their whole being into the fight and they do their best with whatever skills and tools they have at the moment. A Wrong Victim is armed sometimes (say 50% of the time) with tools like a gun, knife, taser, or basic martial arts training, etc... and all the time with their hearts.

4) All-American (17%)- The All-American is your 'Average Joe Hero'. This is a confident, competent individual that possesses all the qualities of the Wrong Victim, PLUS the added benefits of additional experience, training, skills (software), and hardware. The All-American can take many forms. They are the strong and self-reliant: cowboy, cop, farmer, fireman, athlete, serviceman or woman, hunter, martial artist, etc... They are not only situationally aware, ready and able to fight back, but they also are the ones that come running to help others. They don't usually consider themselves heroes, but they prove to be when put to the test. All-Americans have a level of comfort and proficiency in at least one 'violent art' including empty-handed fighting skills. They usually have at least a solid sharp knife on them 90+% of the time, and are familiar and comfortable around firearms. They don't wear these skills on their sleeves, and are friendly and humble (not prone to boast or brag), but their skills are there under the surface and ready if needed. Many were brought up hunting or shooting, or picked up skills with handguns, rifles, or shotguns as an adult, and they usually have multiple well-cared-for guns in either in their home, car, or on their person. All-Americans were the ones that said "Let's Roll!" and fought back on United Flight 93. All-Americans are high character individuals that you can trust and want on your side in a pinch. An All-American is an asset to their community and country, and something we should all aspire to.

5) Jedi Guardian (3%)- A Jedi Guardian is a modern-day superhero. Not everyone is capable at reaching this level even if they want to. Part of this is born, but most is developed. The Jedi Guardian has applied themselves quietly, passionately, and diligently to mastering one or more 'violent arts'. They have gone above and beyond the All-American status. Skill level-wise, the Jedi Guardian would be like a top-tier SWAT agent or Secret Service instead of the average beat cop, a Special Forces Green Beret instead of an Infantryman, or a civilian that's a master martial artist or competitive practical shooter instead of a hobbyist or enthusiast. An average criminal would be completely overwhelmed and quickly defeated when confronted by a Jedi Guardian. They not only carry the skill set, but the somber responsibility to weild their power only when it serves a valiant purpose. They enjoy the discipline and relish the journey of improving their skills and never feel like they've 'arrived' at their destination. Their weapons of choice are like extensions of their own bodies and can be employed with mind-boggling speed and precision. They train, train some more, and keep training for violence, but in their hearts they would love to live in a world without violence. Until that day comes, they have made a conscious decision to stand guard against evil, and to stack the odds as highly in their favor as possible to defeat evil when it crosses their path.

HYBRIDS

Of course there are people that are strange and unfortunate combinations of these 5 descriptions, like:

The Wannabe or 'Mall Ninja'- Who possesses the tools and equipment of the Jedi Guardian, but has the skills and brains of a Fuzzball.
The Delusional or 'Gamer'- A Fuzzball who has convinced themselves they are not a Fuzzball by mastering violent computer, role-playing, or video games.
The Martyr- The heart and mind of the All-American with the tools and skills of a Jackrabbit. Or the true All-American who encounters an evil Sith Lord (the dark equivalent of the Jedi, possessing superior skills and tools).

Where do you put yourself on this 1-5 scale? What are you going to do to improve your ranking? How would you score your spouse or other family members?

Sell Some Stuff! "FIRE SALE", A Practical Annual Exercise...

2011-01-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

So we're 17 days into a new year, hopefully you've refreshed your list of goals by this point. Most goals require at least SOME money to accomplish, and money is one of the biggest barriers we have to accomplishing all our goals. Here's a fun and revealing exercise that will help you sell stuff you don't need, in order to accelerate you towards your goals and pay for the new things and experiences you desire.

First, think of the next financial goal you want to accomplish. Is it, becoming debt free? replacing a car? going on a trip? putting a down payment on a home? Want to follow my 2011 investment guide and buy some silver, guns, and nickels but don't have a lot of cash? Think of your most pressing short-term goal, that would make you the happiest by accomplishing it... and let that thought motivate you while we do this exercise. I'll now guide you step by step through Clint's patented "FIRE SALE" system:

Step 1) Visualize the goal. Write it down on a piece of paper, include a picture if you can, and include a dollar amount needed to accomplish this financial goal.

Step 2) Imagine you lost everything you own to a fire. Your home, cars, possessions, everything you own was consumed 100% in the blaze. You now have only the clothes on your back and the contents of your pockets. There's good news though, nobody was hurt, and you were fully insured. Also, you had recently catalogued all your possessions to your insurance company, so you are given an exact 100% replacement cost check to replace everything you own. How you spend the insurance money is up to you.

Step 3) Now, with these thoughts in mind, go through your home room by room, including garage, attic, closets, basement, etc... and ask yourself, would I spend that insurance money to replace this individual item? Or would I let it stay in the ashes, and use the money towards the goal I have in my mind from Step 1?

Step 4) Everything you own needs to have a decision made about it. It can only fall into one of four categories:
CATEGORY 1) I would definitely replace this item with the insurance money. I really need it, like it, and use it.
CATEGORY 2) I wouldn't buy this item today, as I don't really need it. Anything you haven't used in the last 12 months, or forgot you had, definitely put in this category. When in doubt, put it in this category.
CATEGORY 3) This item is irreplaceable, and it would break my heart if I lost it.
CATEGORY 4) This item is irreplaceable, but I wouldn't really miss it much.

Step 5) Gather EVERYTHING from Categories 2 and 4 in one huge pile, and GET RID OF IT! If it has any value, sell it (Craigslist, Ebay, etc...), and put that money towards your Step 1 goal. If it has no monetary value, but would be useful for the less fortunate, give it to the less fortunate (Goodwill, Church, Charities, etc...). If it has perceived family sentimental value, offer it to your family members, and if they won't take it or don't want it, get rid of it. If it has no value to you or anyone else, then just simply throw it away. Seriously, throw it away.

Step 6) Think of ways to better protect your category 3 items that are both meaningful, and irreplaceable. Invest in a good fire-proof safe, safe deposit box, or make multiple digital copies to keep in multiple locations to protect it from theft, fire, flood, etc... If insurance money can't replace it, make sure you take extra steps. Also, take time to review your insurance policies during this activity to make sure you do have adequate coverage for what CAN be replaced.

If you do this about once per year, you will be AMAZED how much money you will find, how much cleaner your house will be, and how you will keep a much better perspective about what really matters when you buy new things. Also, we all grow and evolve over the years, so don't be surprised when things that used to matter to you don't matter any more or vice versa. Start fresh each time and honestly evaluate each item in the present moment, don't just use last year's results as your baseline.

If any of you that read this decide to give this a try, please post a comment about your results, I'd love to hear about your experience! Godspeed and God bless!

Clint's 2011 Investment Guide

2011-01-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

Here are my three favorite places to put money in 2011.

I look for common-sense, little to no-risk ways to protect against inflation, and ride current medium-range trends. Being a young, not-rich person, I also look for things easily accessible to everyone at low costs of entry. ***DISCLAIMER*** I am not an investment professional. Please invest at your own risk in whatever you want.

1) Silver- Once again I'm recommending BUY SILVER. I recommended it last year and it about doubled in price in 2010. We saw recent highs over $31, and as of this writing we've had a slight pullback to $28.50, so buy every time you see a little dip. Also, buy every time you can get silver below spot price for an "instant equity" effect. It's volatile, so make incremental purchases when able, especially on dips, and you will come out ahead in this long-term bull market. I predict we'll see at least $45 in 2011, and very possibly $50+. I recommend "Junk Silver" as the best way to get the most ounces per dollar invested, in an easily tradeable, recognizeable form.

2) Nickels- Yes you heard that right. Take a decent percentage of your emergency cash fund to the bank, and have them give you rolls of nickels. I predict 2011 may be the last opportunity to get the US Nickel in its current composition (75% copper 25% nickel) for the bargain price of only 5 cents! The Nickel has a melt value of around 7 cents (don't melt it though, that's illegal), and costs the government about 10 cents each to mint and distribute them. I believe 2011 or 2012 will be the 1965 of our silver coins, or the 1983 of the old copper penny. What was pocket change in 1964 now sells over 20 times its face value after it left circulation. Current nickels will be pulled from circulation when the new nickel is announced, and then it will be quickly impossible to obtain them for 5 cents. You'll have an almost instant doubling of your money for every roll of nickels you put away. Another plus is there is no risk to this strategy. If we don't change the nickel, and you need cash, just switch them back to paper as needed.

3) Imported Surplus Guns and Ammo- prices have become reasonable again, half of what they were in 2009, and it's time to buy! The communist bloc imported guns of today are the opportunity for our generation like our parents had with surplus U.S. weapons that were formerly plentiful and cheap after WWII, but are now rare, collectible, and very expensive. I recommend looking for numbers matching, good condition Mosin-Nagants (under $100), SKS's (under $300), AK-47's (under $400) and AK-74's as well as bulk imported surplus ammo in 7.62x54R, 7.62x39, and 5.45x39 and corresponding com-bloc steel magazines ($10 or less each) for the AK series'. All of these are great shooters as well if you'd like to actually use your investments for fun on the range, hunting, or running off an MS-13 gang from your front lawn. Can't do that with a mutual fund! ***DISCLAIMER*** Remember to follow all your local gun laws.

Have a prosperous new year!

Tragic Deaths in America Every Single Day Statistics

2011-01-11T11:24:00.003-07:00

It's easy to watch the hot story of any particular moment of whichever tragedy has captured the media's spotlight and be misguided into out of proportion emotional responses.

I have gathered some statistics to help put things in perspective.

TRAGEDY EVERY DAY IN THE UNITED STATES

     42 People are murdered, each day
       6 People are murdered by illegal immigrants, each day
       0.29 People are murdered each day in 'mass shootings' involving 4 or more victims
       0.08 People are murdered each day with 'assault rifles'
   102 People die in traffic accidents, each day
     32 People are killed in alcohol related traffic accidents, each day
       2.8 People are killed each day in total plane crashes
       0.007 People are killed each day in terrorism related plane crashes (including 9/11/01 in a 10 year average, the rate is zero if you exclude 9/11)
    95 People commit suicide, each day
      3 People are killed in firearm-related accidents, each day
       0.38 People under the age of 15 are killed in firearm related accidents, each day
   338 People die total from unintentional injuries, each day
     62 People die from unintentional falls, each day
     82 People die from unintentional poisoning, each day
   107 People die each day from hospital mistakes (not counting infections)
   219 People die each day from infections in hospitals
   290 People die each day from non-error adverse reactions to medications
4,000 People under the age of 1 are killed before they are born, each day

Every life matters. I simply hope this helps put things in perspective when we become so infatuated with the anomoly of the headline grabbing "mass murder", when collectively, there are mass murders every day in our society, and many more un-necessary, preventable deaths.

You can never legislate your way to complete safety in a society without completely losing freedom and liberty. I value liberty more highly than safety. However, there is a proper place for wise and prudent legislation to reduce un-necessary deaths as long as it fits within our Constitutional model of limited government. Knowing the current numbers simply helps you put your efforts towards improving public safety where they are logically most needed.

***Author's Note- I attempted to gather unbiased data from mostly government sources. If I am WAY off on anything, and you have good supporting evidence of such, I will look at it and edit this post as appropriate. Leave a comment.

Advice On Advice

2010-12-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

Brothers and Sisters,

Most people in this world do not weigh their big decisions based on "Kingdom" thinking. Please realize this when you are receiving advice or wrestling with a tough decision.

I've always marveled at how casual acquaintences and even total strangers feel perfectly comfortable giving you advice and attempting to steer you on topics as important as childbirth, parenting, marriage, faith, politics, finance, etc... Often, you will hear this same lines repeated to you, attempting to guide you towards a predestined mediocrity. People want you to be just like "them". But the mainstream firehose of homogenous advice should be largely ignored, because it is largely philosophically incorrect. Being "normal" is often embracing selective ignorance, selfcenteredness, short-sightedness, and in general a mouse-like existence. While obtaining cheese crumbs daily, producing more little mice, and keeping hidden in a comfortable little hole in the wall are not "bad" aspirations, we humans are designed to be more than mice.

The fact is, most people's highest priorities in life seem to be personal comfort, and not offending others. These priorities are not compatible with a Christian worldview. I'd say most things Jesus and His disciples did, even most "christians" would tell you not to try today. They lived in-your-face, real, supernatural lives. They walked with power and authority. They were not surprised by miracles; they expected them. They were not religious. They freaked out the religious establishments. They cared not for their personal comfort, nor were they interested in political correctness. They operated completely opposite of the "conventional" wisdom, then and now.

Redeemed, you were not purchased just for your own well-being. You were adopted for a reason, a purpose. You have been called to a higher calling. You have to think bigger. You must think bigger. However big you think God is; I promise you He's bigger still. You have to remove the borders of your mind. You must replace your finite thinking with the infinite, the eternal. When viewing your life from the perspective of eternity, you can finally begin to make correct decisions. Proper perspective will show you what really matters and what really doesn't. Jesus had that proper perspective while He walked the earth. Jesus is perfect theology. Most people thought He was crazy. Many wanted Him dead. Many more just wanted to be close to Him. He changed the world forever. He is our example.

If people who don't "get it", whose spirits are still asleep, who are presently incapable of eternal perspective, who live for this life only, and have no solid rock to stand on; if these such "normal" people think you're a fool... you're on the right track!

Which brings me to my original topic; Don't take advice from the lost. And don't take advice from the carnal-minded Christian (those saved from sin but not walking by the Spirit). As harsh as that sounds brothers and sisters, they will only tell you what you can't do. They will tell you how to be normal. Normal is the enemy of greatness. Be great. Take your advice from bold believers that are worthy to be your role models. You already know who they are. Your spirit will point you to them. Yes there is wisdom in the counsel of many, but make sure you choose the right counselors. First the Wonderful Counselor. Secondly, the mature, spirit-filled counselors and mentors God has provided for you.

Don't take this letter as meaning don't listen to anyone else. No, do listen! Do learn! Do share and interact with everyone, just know the proper place for everything. I consult non-believers all the time for advice, but I'm asking them how to do things, not what to do. There's a big difference! Your friends and family that don't believe can very often tell you correctly how to do something, yet will also often tell you incorrectly what to do. Be wise. Don't be led astray into the easy, the normal, the mediocre. Be daring. Be bold. Be great. Be perfect. Be hated by some. Be loved by many. Don't go with the flow of this world. Rather, flow (in the river of living water) and go! (to your highest destiny and calling)

Listen carefully to those who believe in Him and believe in you.

Change the world forever.

In Him,

Clint

Do Things Differently

2010-12-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

Take a hard look at the way you live your life and find things that are inefficient, wasteful, and don't make sense, and change them, even if you're going against the flow of what "normal" is. Normal is usually pretty dumb anyways.

For instance... I want to get in better shape. Normal would be trying to stop at the gym before or after work and spend an hour working out. My house is about 2.25 miles from my office.

Normal Solution- Drive to gym at 630am- arrive at 635am, work out for 45 minutes, freshen up, then drive to office in time for 8am start, then drive home and be home at 510. Total time away from home 10.75 hours. Total money spent on gas, $3 per day. Total cost of Gym Membership $35 per month.

New Solution- Walk to and from work. Leave house at 725am and arrive at office at 8am, walk home arriving at 535pm. Total time away from home 10.15 hours. Total money spent on gas $0 per day. Total Gym Membership cost $0/Month.

Just in this one example I'm saving probably $100+ a month, and 10 HOURS OF MY TIME, while still getting my goals accomplished. Side benefits- I've also realized I eat healthier when I pack my lunch, and spend less $$$ on lunch, AND I work out much more often because I often sleep through my alarm and miss my morning workouts anyways.

I can't walk every day as sometimes I need to run errands on lunch or drive to client meetings, but I can do this probably 80% of the time. Are people making fun of me for walking? YES!!!! Do I care? NO!!!!

What are your goals for 2011? Want to achieve them faster? Free up some time and money!

Ask yourself some of the following questions:

Can I go without Cable and switch to Netflix or Redbox only?
Can I go to the Library for books and videos for free?
Can I raise my insurance deductibles and cover the cost of small stuff out of pocket if needed? Have I shopped around on my insurance lately?
Can I walk or ride a bike to save money and get in better shape?
Can I buy ingredients and cook from scratch to eat healthier and cheaper?
Can I start a small garden?
Can I go without home internet and access email or facebook during free time before or after work or elsewhere?
Can I switch to a "dumb phone" and drop my data plan?
Can I drive a dumb car that's paid for and save money on insurance, car payments, etc...?
Can I work another job part time or seasonally, or start a side business?
Can I make any money with my hobby?
Can I sell some things I don't need or use any more? Or give them away?
Can I do more free stuff for recreation, like go to parks, or play outside with the family?

You'll be surprised how many things you will find can be streamlined or eliminated from your life, and that you'll actually feel like you're better off than before! Cable just constantly made me mad... piles of "stuff" just makes you stressed... pre-made food made me less healthy and more tired... not walking gave me less energy and endurance... gardening is enjoyable and fulfilling... same for my small business projects...

Your losses may just be your gains. Give up laziness and "normalness" and find contentment, health, freedom, and quality of life. The small daily decisions you make really do add up. The concepts explored here are some of the reasons I can do things, buy things, and go places other peers can't. I'm willing to live differently. Or to quote Dave Ramsey, "Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else."

Top 10 Reasons to Buy a Mosin-Nagant!

2010-12-07T15:11:00.000-07:00

What's a Mosin Nagant you ask? It's a huge, old-school bolt-action rifle made by the millions in Russia, WWII Era. Here's a whole bunch of reasons why I believe you are a stupid person if you don't buy at least one of them.

1) Guaranteed good investment. I've seen them on sale at sporting goods stores for as little as $79. You should easily be able to find one for $100 or less. They are not making more of these. The supply will never increase, and the demand for guns will not go away in your lifetime... hence... a guaranteed good investment. Better than putting money in a bank with 0% interest, or a piece of paper like a stock which can go to $0 overnight (I'm not bitter about the stocks I bought in 2007, no, not at all). The Mosin will always be there, and can be passed down for generations.

2) They work! They function great! They're pretty enough to put on display, but cheap enough to use and abuse! This is an extremely durable, and reliable gun. Sure to go bang every time you pull the trigger.

3) Power! They shoot a potent round 7.62x54r which is similar ballistically to the American legendary 30-06 Caliber. You can buy quality soft-point ammo from Winchester and take it hunting for anything North American can throw at you.

3) Accuracy! I have no problem hitting dinner plate sized targets standing unsupported with crappy ammo and the stock iron sights at 100+ yards. Trust me, they shoot straight and a good shooter will be able to wring very respectable accuracy out of this gun. A scoped version of this gun is what Russian snipers used for decades and they recorded kills out to 1000 meters with it.

4) They're so cheap! Ok, this kind of goes back to point #1. You get a large caliber, military quality firearm for the price of a BB gun!

5) Ammo is cheap too! Surplus Russian Ammo can be found for about 1/5th the cost of U.S. made new stuff. Currently it's pretty easy to find the 440 round Russian or Bulgarian Spam Cans for around $90. That's practically a lifetime of shooting for less than $100 (trust me you won't shoot this beast more than 20-30 times on any given trip to the range). If you buy surplus corrosive ammo, just make sure you clean your gun after you get home from the range to keep your bore in good shape. Or, you can buy non-corrosive Russian ammo for about $5-8 for a box of 20 rounds. Premium American hunting ammo is about $1 per shot, but that's too expensive to shoot paper at the range with in my opinion.

6) Everyone needs a real rifle! This is America, baby! Celebrate that you don't live in England and buy a gun! Freedom is a beautiful thing... freedom in this country was purchased and is maintained by good rifle-toting citizens. Let's continue this beautiful tradition and participate in safe, responsible gun ownership. Learn how to shoot and teach your kids someday.

7) This is the rifle that helped defeat the Nazi's! How cool is that? Ever watched the awesome war movie 'Enemy at the Gates'? The Russian hero sniper used a scoped Mosin Nagant! You own history when you own a Mosin, and most of them have 'seen action'. I imagine if the gun could speak, and you spoke Russian, you'd hear some crazy stories.

8) Easy to take care of and easy to tinker with. Cleaning takes no tools, just unload gun, pull the bolt rearward, and pull the trigger and the bolt assembly slides right out the back. Then you just run a cleaning rod all the way through the gun, run a patch of oil through, and you're good to go! Total disassembly can be done with just a flat head screwdriver and is super duper easy. Also, if you're a tinkerer, you can do lots of easy little free upgrades like refinishing the wood, etc... to make it really pretty.

9) They come with a bayonet! That's right, you get a rifle... plus a free spear! When you run out of ammo you can run around stabbing and bludgeoning everything in sight like a Klingon warlord! Plus, it makes your already ridiculously long rifle even longer!

10) Chicks dig em! You should have seen the smile on Melissa's face the first time she shot it. It's an experience like no other. It's one of her favorite rifles to shoot. She even commented on how much she liked the smell after the shot. Your wife will surely recognize you are a sophisticated, classy gun collector when you bring home the Mosin.

What are you waiting for, go get one or five today! Have questions? Just ask... or visit some of the great fan websites devoted to this wonderful firearm.

I Hereby Declare Myself Black - Published in American Thinker

2010-10-04T13:26:00.000-06:00

Please stop by American Thinker and check out my latest blog, a tongue-in-cheek, humorous look at modern racism that explores the question, "What is Black?"

I Hereby Declare Myself Black - by Clint Fiore

This was the first essay I'd ever submitted to my daily read website, American Thinker, and I was quite surprised they decided to publish it.

I realize it's a very sensitive, and un-politically correct topic that most sites would not have touched with a 10 foot pole. I'm happy that Freedom of Speech is still OK at AT. I think it's very important to ask the tough questions and take on the social issues of our day with both eyes open, and I'm glad such platforms still exist for the marketplace of ideas for free people.

Also, I have received many encouraging emails and comments, and no hatemail yet, so it seems to have been properly received by the readership. Thanks everyone for your support! I truly do want to live up to my blog title, "Words of Truth Written with Love."

The Top 10 Reasons I Support the Cross

2010-10-01T20:35:00.002-06:00

I'm referring to the Coming King Sculpture Prayer Garden in Kerrville, TX. It's a dramatic 23-acre hilltop sculpture garden being built by a non-profit 501c3, non-denominational, Christian art organization- The Coming King Foundation. I have the honor of serving as a volunteer Trustee and Treasurer for the organization.

The project has stirred up a lot of controversy, and even a high-profile lawsuit (now settled). Here's why I unabashedly throw myself behind the organization and project and gladly give my time and money to assist and ask for you to consider doing the same:

1) The vision. Imagine what it feels like driving for many hours straight on the interstate. You're exhausted physically and often emotionally. You slip in and out of zombie-like half-consciousness as you fight numbness and fatigue of the monotonous grind. I'd say this is a good example of the spiritual condition of much of mankind as they go through life. Then, something changes. You pull over. You see something you've never seen before and feel compelled to investigate. You pull in the beautiful entrance to the garden and park your car, then begin to meander through the park-like setting reading scripture tiles on the ground in 6 languages, and stopping to admire the larger than life bronze sculptures, beautiful landscaping, and peaceful water features. As you make your way to the top of the hill you see the beautiful blue sky framed inside the empty cross, and realize you can see God in a way you've never seen Him before, and that maybe He's looking right back at you. Physically walking through the structure, you feel His presence and receive fresh purpose, healing, or salvation... as you pass through, you know you will not leave the same person. Something deeply personal has transpired, something not manufactured or sold to you, a real encounter you will never forget. These type of encounters happening every day along the major travel corridors of the world are something I'm very excited about; spiritual awakenings spreading through the arteries of our nations.

2) The people behind it. The founder, Max Greiner, admittedly weirds some people out. That's why I like him! He's the kind of audacious Christian that doesn't just believe in God, but he believes God. There's a subtle, yet very dangerous difference. If you're sick, some Christians say "I'll pray for you" and go on their way, and some say, "Let's pray God will remove that sickness right now in the name of Jesus" and pray right then and there for you to be healed. It doesn't always happen, but sometimes it does! So surely we should try right? I believe God gives us crazy ideas that He is totally capable of accomplishing through us, and dares us to take Him up on them. That's the kind of Christian I want to be. I want to hear God, and have the courage and faith to do what He says. The other trustees, donors, and volunteers all seem to be cut of that same cloth. You never know what's going to happen when we hang out!

3) The miraculous confirmations. There are too many to do this point justice in one paragraph, but here are a few examples: The 1956 Kerrville Centennial Plate depicted an empty cross on a hill in the background of the city of the same size and shape of the TCKF cross, a fact which was only known by a few people until recent publicity of the project. Visitors to the site routinely report seeing gold dust appear on their hands and faces while praying. I have personally witnessed this miracle three times on myself, my wife, and even my baby daughters. I know one person who has been healed from a long-term physical ailment while coming to town to visit the site. Also, many prophetic words have been fulfilled on the where/when/how the project would come to pass, exactly as predicted. There have also been signs like an amazing rainbow in a small cloud hovering over the garden, eagles and hawks showing up at opportune moments, scorpions attacking the cross mockup, and many other wildlife-related cool things that are beyond coincidence. The welders even told me they were able to weld 4 times faster than they should have while dangling 70 feet above the ground after being prayed for.

4) Financial integrity. Everyone that is a part of this project simply gives. Nobody is in this for themselves or to get some sort of financial gain. There is no staff, no payroll, no overhead. All donations go 100% to the expenses of building or maintaining the garden. When we're short on money to pay a bill, the founder or one of the trustees pay it out of their own savings. A respected independent financial firm audits our books quarterly, and we have nothing to hide financially. There are no tax dollars involved, and we use no professional fundraisers. The land was donated. The art was donated at cost by the artists. The welders volunteered. The cranes were donated. The steel erecting company donated their time and resources. Many companies have either given their services or marked them down to material cost just to be a part of this. It's truly awe inspiring to think about all the businesses and individuals who have given sacrificially.

5) The beauty of the art. It's a unique and powerful timeless collection of sculptures that just look gorgeous and classy from every angle in my opinion. It's exciting to think that the solid over-engineered sculptures will be enjoyed by my grandchildren's grandchildren. I believe Art is a worthwhile endeavor of civilized society.

6) It's politically incorrect. I am tired of being told that a Christian is supposed to keep everything to themselves! It seems like the standard of the day is to lift up and glorify every kind of evil in the world without a second thought, but if anyone stands up and says, "I love Jesus," it's as if people's heads are going to explode and you're shouted down into submission or immediately censored. To me, this art just publicly says, "God is great, and we haven't forgotten Him! Come and see!" It gives a sense of relief for Christians to come out of our "churchy" cages and be able to publicly express our love and faith. Freedom of speech and freedom of religion need to be exercised if we don't want them to disappear.

7) What it means for my town. More visitors, economic benefits, and a great thing to be associated with the gateway of Kerrville and the beautiful Hill Country. This is a wholesome, great place to live, and I think it's great to project that image of goodness and a welcoming, artistic culture. Some towns are okay with having 100 foot tall billboards of buttocks everywhere you look. Surely, a 77 foot cross sculpture is more of a positive, and less offensive.

8) What it means for the local Body of Christ. Unity, Unity, Unity! I like that it will be available and accessible as a meeting place and launching pad for good works for all churches in the area, and that no one church or ministry will be able to take credit for it. I believe all the local churches will benefit from this project.

9) The multiplier effect. Critics often say, "Shouldn't you have just fed people instead instead..." My response is, "I do feed people. You know why? Because I'm a Christian, and that's just what Christians do." This garden is evangelical in nature. I believe many will come to Christ here and others will enter deeper relationships with Him here. The more people come to Jesus, the more people get fed. For instance, I give a large and growing percentage of my gross income away to those in need, sponsoring children through programs like Compassion International, supporting my local food bank, etc... But if I wasn't a Christian, I'd probably just be buying myself more "stuff", like a less-dented car. Therefore, the people responsible for pointing me to Christ are indirectly responsible for feeding a LOT of people! This project will point many to Christ, the only one who can truly satisfy the hunger and thirst of the world!

10) It's just the beginning. There is a second garden already under construction in Minnesota. Other people are being called to build more of these sites all over the world. In fact, it's been prophesied that 153 of these sculpture prayer gardens will be built.

In closing, please pray for us. If you feel led to give, we need help with the completion of the garden entrance and roads so we can finally open to the public.

5 Quarters- A Strategy for Personal Finance Success in 2011

2010-09-29T14:41:00.000-06:00

Alright friends, let's get serious about getting our financial houses in order. Now is the time for the 91% of you that are employed to pile up some capital. I believe the next couple of years will produce increasingly unbelievable buying opportunities for those of us wise enough to live within our means and save money. Increasing foreclosures, bankruptcies, and asset deflation (coupled with commodity inflation) mean more and more people that chose to over-leverage on credit will be "Fire Selling" their homes and belongings to pay for true necessities like food and energy. Whenever there is economic turmoil, there is opportunity to create wealth and change your financial destiny.

I'm looking ahead and dreaming of getting into some paid for land to build a new home and office for my growing family within the next 3-5 years, but in order to do that, I will need more money than I have presently. Having cash and liquid assets on hand gives you options.

It's about to be October. Here comes Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years... it's the easiest time of year to lose track of your goals, overspend, and generally slack off financially.

My solution is set your 2011 goals now, and give yourself a 3 month headstart towards them. This will help give you financial discipline the next three months, as well as give you 5 quarters to reach them. That's two great advantages!

So here's what to do:

1) Set specific goals; things you want to accomplish before the end of 2011. Example: I would like to save X dollars towards a new home, replace my damaged car with a better used car with cash, and pay for Melissa to have corrective eye surgery. Figure out a total dollar amount of your major financial savings and purchase goals. Divide that number by 15. This is number of the monthly surplus you need to create to accomplish your goals.

2) Figure out how to create the dollar figure calculated as a surplus in your monthly budget. It can only come by some combination of making more and spending less. I have a pretty good idea of how much money I should make the next 15 months, so I'm focusing on spending less so I can save more towards my goals. We already run a somewhat tight ship with little to no debt, no car payments and extravagant expenses... however, I thought of some new ways we can save some money the next 15 months, like:

Trim our food budget by eating out less, cooking more and eating leftovers before they go bad, using coupons, and using pre-allocated cash in a monthly envelope for food, so when it's gone, you have to stop eating out and making extra trips to the store.
I will try to ride my bike or walk to work more, and drop my gym membership when my 1 year is up in December. This will save $50 a month at the gym, plus still give me exercise, and reduce gas and wear and tear on my car. I'll also be more inclined to pack a lunch and eat out less.
Reduce our cell-phone bill by using Google phone and a home phone and reducing our cell plan to a minimum.
Plant a raised bed garden in our backyard for cheap/free veggies, and grow sprouts.
Make delicious home made bread. Cheaper and way more tasty and nutritious.
Set thermostat lower in winter and higher in summer, and hang dry some clothes to save a lot of energy.

3) Execute! Make as much as you can. Spend as little as possible, and hammer through your savings goals!

Other tips:

For mid-term savings goals you don't need instant access to, we're putting some money in silver coins, and cash value life insurance paying an 8% or so annual dividend. These help off-set inflationary losses as you save.

Make sure you set a dollar amount you will spend for Christmas gifts, travel, parties, etc... and pay for the Holidays with cash. Do not overspend or borrow, or you will derail your efforts. Be thoughtful and practical with your gifts rather than having to buy every over-hyped high-dollar gadget and gizmo.

Don't forget to give. Budget giving at the top of your list. Give of your firstfruits with a grateful heart. Tough economic times are the most important times to be charitable to others less fortunate and grateful for what you have.

Stay disciplined right now, and you will have options in 2011 and 2012 that many others will not have.

Good luck! Please comment and share some of your own goals and ways you are going to save more money and make more money the next 5 quarters.

HB 8931- The "HAPPINESSS" Bill - proposed by Nancy Pelosi

2010-08-03T14:51:00.000-06:00

HB 8931- The "HAPPINESSS" Bill - proposed by Nancy Pelosi

Healthy Achievement, Protecting Puppies, and Investing in our New Employment Stabilized Sustainable Society

"This bill is good for all Freedom-Loving Americans; not just entrenched special interests. It's about Achievement. It's about Jobs. It protects puppies and small businesses alike. There are some that say the failed policies of the past, that got us into this mess are the only way out. This bill will move us in the right direction, for a sustainable future." -Barack Obama expressing his support for HB 8931 while holding a puppy and wearing a hard hat in the Rose Garden

"People tend to focus on the 17 Quadrillion Dollar price tag and 37,000 page length, but that's really short-sighted. In the end this is going to save us money long term, a lot of money saved, and create jobs. Any economist will tell you that. We're expecting a $7.32 return on every dollar we spend here. Our opponents would rather continue down a path of underachievement and sit idly by while puppies die and families can no longer pursue their dreams." - Nancy Pelosi

"Is it the perfect bill? No. Will there ever be a perfect bill? Of course not. Does it solve 100% of the unprecedented problems this nation is facing? No, but I think it addresses 99% of them. I'm confident if this moves to the Senate floor, you will see a lot of support for it." - Harry Reid

"I don't know how some of our 'colleagues' from across the aisle can look right into the eyes of a 2-month old Golden Retriever and say, 'Die Puppy. Die.' It honestly makes me ill." - Joe Biden

"Why is the HAPPINESS Bill 37,312 pages long? That's a good question and I'm glad you brought it up. You know, I didn't personally write the Bill, so it's not for me to say what is an appropriate or inappropriate length to a bill, but I think you're trying to distract and shift focus from the real issues at hand by drawing attention to the length of the bill. The fact is there are a lot of Americans out of work that shouldn't be, puppies are needlessly dying, our levels of achievement have decreased for the last 10 years, and clearly this is all unsustainable. Look... we're facing some real, big problems. And maybe big problems require big solutions." - Press Secretary Robert Gibbs responding to a question about the unusual length of HB 8931

NOTE- This is a humorous parody of the circus in Washington D.C. as seen by a frustrated citizen. Quotes are not real, of course.

A 3-page bill with 320 co-sponsors is unable to become law, thanks to Barney Frank

2010-07-26T08:11:00.000-06:00

Please read the full article entitled Three-Quarters of Congressmen Support Auditing the Federal Reserve, so Why Isn't It Law? by Robert Eugene Simmons, Jr.

It is absolutely incredible the snake pit, cesspool situation we have going on in Congress, when 2,400 page bills can get ram-rodded down the throats against the will of 70% of the American people, with zero bi-partisan support, but yet, when we have a 3-page bill with no 'pork', 'gotchas', or 'fine print' with broad bi-partisan support (73% of all Congress co-sponsored the bill) and the overwhelming support of the public, one evil person (Barney Frank) can make sure it doesn't happen.

This country is being governed against the will of The People.

Why can't we look at the books Mr. Bernanke? Who elected you god of the Economy? Thomas Jefferson once said:

"If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around [the banks] will deprive the people of all property until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered. The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs."

We have to get these corrupt schlubs like Barney Frank out of power if anything is ever going to really change. I am praying for a new generation of true Statesmen to rise up and take their place.

Remember in November!

God bless,

Clint

Front Sight Firearms Training - REVIEW

2010-07-19T13:02:00.000-06:00

I attended the 2-Day Defensive Handgun Course at Front Sight Memorial Day weekend 2010 along with my two brothers, Michael and Anthony, and our good friend Derek.

It was a life-changing experience, and I give their training program my highest recommendation. I am going to do this review in a FAQ format.

What is Front Sight? The largest, most successful private firearm training facility in the country. Don't let their over-the-top marketing fool you, they are the REAL DEAL. It's a huge facility 45 minutes outside of Las Vegas with a large campus with many specialized ranges, buildings, etc...

What did you do those two days? The training was about 50/50 between classroom lectures and range time, and concluded with a 'simulator' where you are use the physical and mental skills you developed to defend yourself under pressure in a simulated home invasion. When at the range, you work with a buddy system so you're splitting time observing and coaching along with doing the activities including dry practice, live fire, clearing malfunctions, movement, etc... it's a lot of information and skills packed into a short amount of time. I easily enjoyed the lectures as much if not more than the actual shooting portions. They will make you laugh, cry, and seriously think about the responsibilities involved with gun ownership and conceal carry.

How were the instructors? Superb. Extremely overqualified. Our range, which had maybe 30-40 students, had 4 instructors, all of which were professional, courteous, helpful, attentive... there are not enough adjectives... Most had military or law enforcement backgrounds, yet they never treated us like we were at a boot camp. Our main range instructor, Ben Stairs, was a Scout Sniper and had a list of credentials too long to post on this blog. As my big brother said, "If I ever had to fight a dragon or something, I'd want him with me." He used humor very well, great story teller, and when he did demonstrations, your jaw would drop in awe at his level of proficiency. All instructors seemed to be at this caliber (pun intended).

How were the other attendees? Friendly, classy people from all over the nation, all walks of life. Out of the 500 people I saw, maybe 10-20 wore camo. Some were brand new to shooting, some were very experienced. I'd say about 80% of us were first time students at Front Sight, and the rest were returning members. Expect to have lots of friendly conversations, and lots of people complimenting and asking opinions about whatever weapon you have strapped to your hip. Also, I'd say 20-30% were women, so this is definitely not just a boys club, and all ethnicities were represented. Great people.

Was it safe? Very safe. We went through hours of training covering all the basics before anyone fired a single shot. Everyone was always unloaded walking around. You always had a buddy watching you like a hawk making sure you keep the gun pointed down range during the drills. Ranges were clean and overbuilt. I've never felt more safe than when I was in the lecture hall with 500 peers all carrying pistols.

Would you go again? Yes! I already have the next 3 courses I want to take figured out.

Where did you stay? The Saddle West Casino in Pahrump, NV. Great room rates with discounts for FS attendees. Free amazing breakfast buffets, and good to-go lunches to take with you for $10. Good place to stay on a budget, and they allow you to take your guns in the room after you sign a waiver, cool!

What weapon/gear did you use? I brought two pistols, both in .40 caliber. 1) Springfield XDM (primarily home defense and range queen) 2) Smith and Wesson M&P Compact (will be my conceal carry piece once I'm licensed) Both performed flawlessly. My brother Michael and I traded off between the two of them. I give a solid two thumbs up to both platforms. Also you need extra mags, paddle holsters, mag holders, and a sturdy belt, eyes and ear protection for the course. Most of these items come standard when you buy an Springfield XD.

Was it difficult to fly with your guns? Actually, no, it was surprisingly easy and I didn't get hassled at any of the three airports I went through on the trip (SAT, LAS, DEN). Just follow the rules and be friendly.

Did you improve in skill and change as a person? I believe an effective training program should touch your head, hands and heart. Front Sight achieved all three. My head was equipped with a lot of new knowledge about many topics including decision making, safety, combat readiness, tactics, ethics, the law, ballistics, and I went home with good reference material to keep this new knowledge accessible. My hands made amazing progress. I'm so much more confident and competent and can make shots I never would have made before Front Sight. I'm at a much higher skill level than casual range shooters now in safety, speed, and accuracy. Lastly, my heart was touched by incredible stories, and interacting with great people. I feel like my inner 'hero' was strengthened. The most dangerous weapon we always have with us, is our heart.

How much did it cost? $160 for a Certificate that two of us could use off of Ebay (so $80 admission only). 300 rounds of ammo cost about $90. $59 a night hotel split 4 ways with buddies. $25 food/snacks. Rental Car and gas split 4 ways, $25 each or so. Airfare was free with frequent flyer credit. Overall it was a very good value and can be done on a budget, especially if you go with a friend or three.

In Summary- If you're going to own a gun, get the best training you can. Consider Front Sight.

What was that dream I had?

2010-06-29T11:38:00.000-06:00

Isn't the goal of race relations for all people to be just seen as "people", not "_____ people"? Shouldn't the goal be for the color of our skin to have no bearing whatsoever on how society treats us? Does the NAACP really need to exist, or is it working against those goals by partitioning African-Americans into a "Colored People" box?

I hope all my friends of all colors know I look at you as a person, not a _____ person.

MLK's dream was that men would be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. His dream was not to create divided, hyphenated victim groups competing for favors.

Today's racist does not wear a white sheet in the back woods. No, they wear nice suits and occupy the highest offices of our great land. They are the bearers of the double standard perpetuating forever-victim mentalities, and not allowing us all to move past our past.

We will not be past racism until we eliminate racial double standards. If it's not allowed for "whites", why is it okay for others? This is a question we need to constantly be asking ourselves as a society.

Nobody would tolerate and give credit to an NAAWP, scholarships for whites only, loans for whites only, housing for whites only, 99% of whites voting for the same political candidate despite a big percentage of them disagreeing with the candidates stances on important issues, government contracts for white male owned businesses first, etc... and for good reason. All would be TERRIBLE RACIST ideas, and I would be the first person to shut them down. But yet, every example I just listed currently exists for "other than whites", and people seem to be okay with that.

I'm afraid MLK's dream and ideology has been hijacked by selfish self-interested parties willing to compromise Dr. King's ideals in order to get a little more gravy.

Those that accept racial double standards turn back the clock on racial progress. You can count me out of that game.

I prefer to look people in their eyes, shake their hands, appreciate their individual uniqueness, appreciate the beauty of the human soul, and treat everyone like everyone with love and respect.

A very good God made all of us. He gave us all access to Him. He gave us free will to choose the paths we take in life. We are all capable of incredible good, and unspeakable evil. Let's focus our energy on what we can impact and stop giving so much credit and attention to the superficial. Please?

Kingdom Theology found on Youtube

2010-06-10T21:53:00.001-06:00

As most of you know... I consider myself a "Kingdom" Christian. I've explained it before on this blog.

I found it pretty cool I found a dude explaining the same kind of concepts in very well made short videos on Youtube. This is definitely worth sharing this 3-part series. And hopefully this will help you understand why I'm so interested in worldly affairs and politics, while being a sold-out Christian.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Arizona Love, and thoughts on Immigration

2010-05-24T22:51:00.000-06:00

Most people don't know this about me.... but I was born in Arizona. Yes, raised in Texas, but Arizona has a big piece of my heart. I was born outside of Tucson where my parents ran a dude ranch part of the year. My father's side of the family has lived in the Phoenix area since the 50's. I spent 6 wonderful years living in Prescott during college and beyond.

I've traveled to every corner of that great state. I've been to the bottom of the Grand Canyon many times (the Indian Reservation parts, not the touristy areas), backpacked and camped all over the beautiful deserts, mountains, and forests. Ski'd Flagstaff. Climbed the Red Rock Cliffs of Sedona. Volunteered several Spring Breaks at an orphanage at the Mexico border town of San Luis, landed at dozens of AZ airports while flight training in the state, explored the Mogollon Rim, Spring Training and the Air Museums of Tucson, been on top of the tallest mountain and in the lowest canyon floors... I could go on and on, but needless to say I've been very blessed by that State and have seen more of its treasures than most Arizonans do in their lifetimes.

Arizona is one of the greatest states in our great Union. There is no "Arizona accent" because everyone there is from somewhere else usually. My Grandma who has lived in the same house in Phoenix (without air conditioning!) for over 50 years, immigrated from Italy to Long Island, NY, then moved the whole family to AZ, still has a strong New York'a accent, "Hey You's Guys!" Her neighborhood is now mostly Hispanic, and she is the beloved elder on the block who always gives away candy, knows all the neighbors' kids names and birthdays (and has $5 bills ready to give on their big days), and makes sure everyone that sees her "eats good" (she fits the Italian Grandma stereotype to a tee and it's awesome!).

You can't be racist there or discriminate based on skin color... it's a complete melting pot, and even the most anglo of us end up with a nice bronze tan skin tone from the 320 sunny days a year. The cops, your school mates, your neighbors, friends, colleagues, everyone you meet will have a different diverse background and an interesting story of how they got there. There is no "us versus them" mentality like is being unfairly portrayed by the media. It's impossible to think like that and live in that state, you wouldn't make it there 6 months.

Arizona, already hit hard by the housing bubble, is at major financial risk from having to deal with Millions of illegal, criminal, non-tax-paying aliens (you notice I don't use the word immigrant because they're not immigrating here, they're squatting). My Grandma was an immigrant, her neighbors are immigrants, they all worked hard to come here the right way: Immigrating, Integrating, and becoming wonderful Americans and helping make Arizona the great state that it is.

The fact is, Arizona caught 700,000+ illegal aliens last year, but by all estimates didn't catch more than twice as many! That's not a small problem, and not acceptable to have Millions of people just wander on in to our country. Heck it took me an hour to get back in to the USA from the Canadian side of Niagara Falls! I had to show documentation, explain myself, have my vehicle searched, and answer numerous questions, yet my compadres to the south, including Presidente Calderon, say it's "racial profiling" to ask anyone for ID when stopped by a cop for a lawful reason. It's getting worse too. The "immigrants" coming in now are being abused in huge numbers by the powerful drug cartels and being asked to carry narcotics in exchange for their "passage". Human traffickers (with cargo of underage sex slaves), Muslim terrorists, drug dealers, etc... are using the AZ border to come and go, commit crimes, and leave without the slightest repercussion.

Border agents and sheriffs (most hispanic themselves) are getting ambushed and killed on U.S. soil by foreign national criminals. Ranchers that have worked the land of southern AZ for many generations are being killed on their own land by Mexican criminals who slink back across the border to escape justice.

I don't know how to wrap up this post short of a novel, so I'll end with some quick bullet points:

Arizona's new Law is nothing controversial, it's pretty much the same as California's and WAY MORE LENIENT than Mexico's immigration laws. It expressly prohibits racial profiling, and only allows cops to ask for ID of those they have a legitimate OTHER reason to make contact (traffic violation, etc...). Hello, don't you all already have to show cops documentation when you get pulled over??? Sheesh get over it.
The Federal Government of the USA has completely failed at securing our border and Arizonans are taking the abuse. It's easy to cast stones from Chicago or DC when you don't have to worry about a heavily armed drug cartel gang shooting up your local police force.
The Government of Mexico is a huge failure at preventing corruption and creating an environment where its citizens can thrive by doing the right thing.
"Illegal Alien" is not a race or skin color thing.
My wife was rear ended by an illegal alien in Colorado, who could produce no ID, Insurance, nor was he even driving his own car, and the police just had to let him go... How is that fair???
Being "Fair" means we need to treat all immigrants the same, not give a special pass to those who walk across the southern border when we make those coming in legally from other countries around the world extreme red tape and hoops to jump through. Why can't people from Africa get the same free pass here?
Being "American" does not mean "Being White", it's a set of beliefs that unite us (One Nation Under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for All ,ring a bell?) Illegal Mexican National Aliens don't even try to become Americans any more, they just want to get all the benefits while laughing at our laws and way of life... and that should especially make the millions of Hispanic Americans that did it right upset.

I got your back Arizona. I applaud you for taking a step in the right direction and standing up for yourself. I'm sorry our president has thrown you under the bus and lied to to the world about you. I will do business with you and support you however I can.

What if We Came Together?

2010-04-06T20:28:00.000-06:00

What if we all stopped assuming what everyone else was thinking about us?

What if we stopped isolating ourselves into our little pint size squeeze boxes for the devil to put in his lunch box and take to school each day?

What if we the best in me was meant to compliment the best in you?

Let’s at least admit that none of us has this stuff figured out.

We all still feel like little kids wearing daddy’s clothes and playing house.

Let’s just establish that base line so we can drop any pretense otherwise.

It’s very liberating to not have to put on a show for each other.

Freeing indeed.

Now let’s admit we all want to change the world, and we can’t do it alone.

What now?

Don't Sell a Salesman

2010-04-06T19:55:00.000-06:00

Have the decency to look me in the eye and tell me what the plan is.

I’m not a child. I can handle it.

So many of our problems in life aren’t really problems, they’re just unanswered questions.

Answer the ones you can.

Why keep secrets from people you trust? Why choose darkness mid-day?

I thought we were on the same team.

I’d rather have bad news directly from you than have to put the pieces together.

Do you think I’m stupid? Immature?

No, I think sometimes you’re afraid of me.

You’re afraid if you face me, I may outwit you, out logic you.

You’re afraid I am right and all your pithy arguments will be shredded.

It’s easier to pass down an edict from behind your castle walls.

You know I don’t hold back from you.

You know I shoot you straight.

Don’t I at least deserve the same?

Don’t try to sell a salesman.

I know every trick.

The Phantom that Holds Our Economy Together

2010-01-07T15:46:00.003-07:00

I was hesitant to post this as a blog as this was originally just going to be an email to some of my closer friends and family, but I feel it's valuable for anyone to look at. You're all welcome to chew the meat and spit out the bones I always say...

Dear friends and family,

I have followed and studied the economy the last two years very very closely. I follow the mainstream media, alternative media, international media, blogs, and books. I would like to offer my opinion as a sort of year end economic summary:

I almost threw up yesterday as I saw the cover of Time Magazine hailing Ben Bernanke as the person of the year with a rolls of new money spewing out behind him as a backdrop to his image.

I was as surprised as anyone that this year was as boring as it was. Sure, we only lost 3-5 million jobs or so and now have 10+% unemployment for the first time in a long time... but the way people are talking all over the media seems to indicate we avoided disaster.

The U.S. constantly operates in the red. Everybody knows our government (Republican or Democrat led) is completely incapable of spending less money than it earns (takes). We've enjoyed this privilege for decades because the world believed in us. "Sure, you can borrow from us," the world would say year after year, "we know you're good for it."

2009 looked like it was going to be different from the beginning. Our stock market was in the crapper, the G-20 nations (our creditors) had lost faith in our economy and currency. the American "Consumer" (which comprises 70% of our economic activity) was taking huge hits via job losses and pay reductions and was pinching pennies... add to this dangerous recipe a baby boy President with lapdog compliant Geithner and Bernanke who all seem to think the way to put out every fire is by trying to smother it with a mountain of dollar bills... the writing seemed to be on the wall for an economic meltdown that could make the Great Depression look like the good ole days.

How could we possibly spend more with less revenue? Who would even even have confidence to lend us record amounts of money?

The U.S. Treasury put up auctions for Treasury Notes (U.S. Debt) at normal clockwork pace, with triple the amount of 2008, as if to say, "Here you go world, we're in trouble, will you please buy three times the amount of debt you did last year?"

That shouldn't have worked right? Well it did. All the notes were sold at auction, and we randomly sprayed the proceeds (trillions of dollars) into our economy with multiple massive/wasteful spending bills making it seem like, "Woohoo! We've turned this thing around, and let's name ObamaBernankeGeithnerPelosiReid heroes for saving the world! And let's spend trillions more on "health care" and "global warming" to celebrate!"

Things get scary when you stop buying the hype, chill out for a minute, scratch your head and ask yourself, "how in the world did that work? how did we create and sell 3 times as much debt in the middle of this fiasco?"

Foreign governments did not lend us much more than usual... so who did? Well, out of the 1.885T of total new debt securities sold, foreign governments bought a total of 697B (only around 37%), the Federal Reserve itself bought an unprecedented $286B (15%, and troublesome that they're printing money out of thin air and buying debt with it), but what about the other half? Who bought it? THE PHANTOM DID. It wasn't investors, foreign banks, or central governments... the remainder of our securities were sold to what the government calls "The Household Sector", which is just a phantom category they created to make their balance sheets... well, balance.

This newsletter from Sprott Asset Management in Canada nicely summarizes this phenomena. It's all a game. Our entire economy is basically a giant Ponzi Scheme that makes Bernie Madoff look like a grain of sand in the Sahara. This "Phantom" generated by collusion between our Treasury and the Federal Reserve Bankers is like an invisible cord holding together our prosperity. The cord will break as the world, Neo-like, unplugs from the financial Matrix and realizes, "there is no spoon (or cord, or whatever)".

I don't know how long we have till the "jig is up", but I feel certain the "disaster averted" that Obama and the Media keep referring to is really the "disaster postponed", and the longer they keep playing this monopoly money game, the harder it will be on everyone when the game ends and we have to figure out what to do next.

So here's my financial advice as we move into 2010, some proactive, practical steps to take financially:

1) Take control of your money. Don't leave your money in the hands of others that can't see through the fake matrix. Stocks, options, forex trading, mutual funds, etc... etc... can all tumble simultaneously at any moment. There is no proper way to evaluate companies for investment anymore as stocks rise and fall based on the whims of lawmakers and the news of the day. You can't predict the news, so don't try to predict market movements, volatility will reign supreme in all paper markets the next few years.

2) Don't sit on cash. Interest rates are near zero while inflation is going up (yes it is! look at your bills dangit, are they lower or higher than last year?) If you are sitting on cash in the bank, you are currently losing about 10% a year. Keep as much cash as you need to cover monthly expenses plus emergency expenses, and no more. Also, the FDIC's reserve account is currently carrying a NEGATIVE $9,000,000,000 balance, so... take their "everything's fine if you're FDIC insured" advertisements with a grain of salt.

3) Pay off and close down any debts with variable interest rates. Rates will go up at some point, and it could be dramatic. Lock in low, fixed rates now if you MUST have debt, and dump the rest.

4) Good places to invest in no particular order: Silver coins (one of my favorite places to start, cheap enough for everyone, and undervalued versus Gold), Farmland, Land, Solar Panels, Yourself (education, training, skills to give your family more employment and business options) and anything that can make your household more self-sufficient and help shield your family from price volatility in everything from food to fuel. If you MUST have stocks, look at mining companies, agricultural companies, and Asian companies (Asia is best positioned to weather a financial crisis).

5) Run a tight ship. Budget every month and stick to it. Don't waste your money, time, or resources on frivolous things. Cut back where you can to achieve more independence and reduce your monthly expenses.

I wish you all the best in 2010. Do not be afraid. Be hopeful and optimistic, yet wise and prudent. Make it your goal to be part of the solution and not a victim. Be ready to be a hero to others if you are called to do so. As always, the best place to be is in the arms of our awesome God, with whom nothing is impossible.

Kindest regards,

Clint

An Epiphany on Eternity

2009-11-10T19:39:00.004-07:00

I have been so blessed to be a father for about 445 days now (in a row!).

Every single day I have literally been stopped in my tracks by how absolutely beautiful my daughter is. Just when I think she could never become more beautiful, she does. What's really fascinating to me is that I haven't gotten over it. Seriously, every day I have to kiss her a million times, and hug her, and squeeze her, and make her smile, and laugh... I'm compelled to... she's magically irresistible and intoxicating to me. I'm like a crackhead, but my crack is cute baby.

There is a level of love and adoration I just did not know until Amelia came into my life... and I have yet to find when it will it end. I'm beginning to believe it never will end. These kinds of thoughts make me think about eternity.

I'm sure you've all heard some skeptic muse about the afterlife and say something like, "Heaven huh? Sounds soooo booooooring doing the saaaaame thiiing oooover and ooooover eeeevery day. Count me out of that one!"

But I say, "If this love I feel for my child every day is but a fraction of a shadow of the love I will feel for Jesus, and the beauty I see in my child every day is but a pale reflection of the beauty of when my eyes see Jesus; eternity is far too short a time to enjoy the Glory of our God! Count me in on that one!"

Revelation 21: 2-4

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of Heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Chrysalis

2009-06-02T11:32:00.002-06:00

She thinks only of herself.
Relentlessly comsuming and often consumed,
Destined for more, a way has been made.

Wrapped in a shroud of insignificance,
A transformation is underway.
The bonds that confine so tightly begin to fall away.
The struggle brings her strength she'll need to survive,
more than just survive... fly.

She is accustomed to the air now.
The novelty of flight quickly fades.
She knows inside what she thought was the goal,
was simply the means, the capacity for purpose.

She dances now across the landscape,
her colors and vibrance the envy of the Kingdom.
Life follows her.
A wake of pollination brings new life
to generations anchored to the ground.

Suddenly, a flash of color catches her periphery.
She knows she's no longer alone.
The four winds bring so many more.
No words are necessary.
They all know who they are and how they got there,
and that it's time for a journey.

Many diverse parts come together.
The sum result a breathtaking whole.
Each strikingly unique, yet they share a destiny
greater than they could have imagined.

A distand land she thought was her dream
is on the hearts of the others as well.
Their collective strength inspires and encourages.
A single droplet of water can join a mighty flowing river
that can reshape the earth.

They embark together on a rising wind.
They travel further, faster, higher than anyone believed was possible.
She doesn't feel clumsy and awkward anymore.
She knows she finally belongs.

A beautiful new world has come.

How big is a Trillion dollars?

2009-02-04T20:24:00.003-07:00

So a lot of people have been coming up to me on the street lately asking, "Clint, I hear the stimulus plan may top a TRILLION dollars, how much money is that?"

Ok, so that hasn't been happening, but you can imagine right? Right?

Most of us have only dealt with money in much smaller quantities, like, "Should I buy this t-shirt for $15?" or, "I'm saving to put a $25,000 down payment on a $150,000 house which I'm trying to pay for over the next 20-30 years with a lot of hard work."

A trillion dollars is just a word to ordinary folks and even the richest of us don't have anything in our lives that can relate to that number. The word "trillion" might as well be "Elevendy-Gazillion." This blog serves to give some context for this number.

Let's start just by observing this number in numeric form in all it's glory:

$1,000,000,000,000.00

Take a moment to just stare at it... savor it... imagine how long the train would be if each zero were a boxcar.... or if all the zero's were lily pads how tired a frog would be after crossing this number.

I pulled out my SERIOUS calculator from my college days and started coming up with some fun facts to help better understand the "big T."

-If in fact Obama is right and this "stimulus" (latin root word for "wasteful spending") does indeed create "Three Million New Jobs," the cost of each job would be $330,000.00 Sign me up for one of THOSE jobs!

-If the average US Household makes around $50,000 combined annual income, a trillion dollars could support twenty million households for a year! I estimate that's almost every household west of the Mississippi.

-If housing is truly a root cause of this recession, a trillion dollars could buy Seven Million $150,000 houses. If each house holds 5 occupants 12% of our country could live in a paid for house for free. Problem solved!

-How do we pay for the trillion dollar stimulus? Simple! Each man woman and child in america needs to cough up $3,400. Or we could be let the kids keep their lemonade stand earnings and every adult could just pay close to $10,000. That would cover it!

-A trillion dollars can instantly make a million millionaires!

-It would take 1/3 of the population of China, or about 400,000,000 Chinese working for a full year to earn a trillion dollars.

Well, as G.I. Joe always said, "Now you know, and knowing is half the battle."

Feel free to post your own trillion fun facts. Yippee for change!!!

-Clint Fiore

Thanks George W. Bush, no seriously I mean it...

2009-01-21T22:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Mr. President,

I sincerely hope that somehow you will read this letter. I am a young man that voted for you four years ago, and have been proud to have you as the leader of my great country.

I find it deeply saddening and perplexing that the popular culture of our country, pouring out its prejudices, has preferred a punch line to a president. Hatred, sarcasm, and bitter cynicism toward you have become the norm of too many. I know you are an imperfect man like all of us, but I also see intelligence, steadfastness, leadership and goodness in you. Of course there have been times when I've disagreed with you, but I respect that you made decisions based on what you truly believed were the right things to do under the most challenging of circumstances.

I especially wanted to thank you for 2,690 consecutive days of safety, free from a domestic terror attack. September 11th had a big impact on me, and like the popular catch phrase cites, "I haven't forgot". I think it's wonderful that current political leaders, newscasters, and college students have the privilege of being able to shun and make fun of you. I don't enjoy hearing it constantly, but if I like being able to turn off the silly media circus rather than being glued to the television wondering if friends and family members are being slaughtered in our streets. Once in a lifetime is more than enough for my taste.

You haven't made problems in my life. In fact, the eight years you were in office have been the best eight years I've lived so far and I have no reason to point fingers at you. I was able to get a great education, fall in love, get married, make a great living, help and give to others, buy the "stuff" I wanted, and start a beautiful little family; a real piece of the american dream, all under your watch. I realize it wasn't you that gave me all of these priceless blessings, but my loving God and the personal choices He has given me the strength to make.

I expect I may see many more presidents come and go in my life time, but my success or failure as a man will not be determined by who occupies the White House. I hope more Americans will realize the President is not in charge of solving our personal problems. Rather, they are to be the steward of an ideal called liberty, protecting the priceless freedom purchased at a high price by generations of heroes. Of this I speak of when I say, "Job well done."

With utmost sincerity,

Clint Fiore

What is a Kingdom Christian?

2009-01-06T19:02:00.005-07:00

"Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done... on Earth as it is in Heaven." -Jesus

I remember it well. I think of it almost every day.

Sitting by the resort pool on a sweltering summer day outside of Phoenix; my wife to my left, my friends Gary and Emily to my right, and two new friends, a brother and sister from Guatemala across the small table from me all seated underneath the sail cloth... we spoke of the Kingdom.

We were on break at a conference where around 3,000 hardcore Believers had gathered to fellowship, pray, worship, learn, and prophesy of the coming Kingdom of our shared Father. "The Kingdom" was on my mind as usual... it haunts me and stalks me day and night. I can never escape it. Its brilliant light seems drawn to my darkness like flame to a moth. I am utterly compelled and governed by its force, yet struggle to define its basest meaning. It's more than a word, a movement... I fight tears often when I see so many others in one place and can feel the same invisible pulse flowing through our veins. It's not often I feel I truly fit in. It's nice not to have to pretend I'm a regular person.

We sat struggling to articulate and manipulate words to describe this phenomenon. I think in numbers and words. My wife can see pictures. As we all shared her eyes lit up with a memory; an image from her past. She remembered a mission trip to India she went on before we met. While visiting a large city in southern portion of this vast nation, she was struck by the skyscrapers. Everywhere she looked new enormous steel structures were being erected as the nation's economy evolved and transformed. Even more striking was the chaos, the mixing of old and new. In fact, every direction you looked one could also see old world thatched huts. In the shadow of skyscrapers, right beside and even on the rooftops lived poor citizens in tiny thatched structures, burning wood with no power or technology to speak of. It was a strange and unfamiliar scene to the American team.

As the memory faded, a new picture came to her mind, given by our Father. The whole earth was occupied by men in thatched huts; living ancient lifestyles. She described it to us as she watched. Suddenly, she zoomed out until she could see the circle of our planet from space. As she watched, great steel I-beams came from all directions of the heavens. They collided with Earth embedding deep into the surface of the world like mighty javelins, much to the wonder of all mankind. These great steel beams were beyond comprehension and explanation to the simple humans and extended to the sky higher than they could see. Such an event caused quite a stir on Earth and evoked many responses from man; but three particular responses were highlighted.

The first man peeked out of his thatched hut in fear. He did not and could not understand the objects. He cautioned others to stay away from these things, as surely they must be dangerous. In fact, he was careful not to keep company with those that differed in their views towards the objects; always mindful to hold on to the traditions and way of life he knew so well. He invited all passerby's in to the safety of his hut. He warned others of the signs of coming destruction to man and labored with much zeal to bring as many as he could to the safety of huts.

A second man watched with great joy and excitement as the beams buried themselves in the land. He acknowledged the heavenly objects as a gift from God and quickly moved his hut to the base of the nearest beam. Realizing how sturdy the new objects are; he got a great idea. He began to build. He toiled for days gathering and weaving. Once he gathered enough thatching for MANY huts, he made a ladder and fastened thatching high on the beam. He then continued to toil until he completed the most colossal thatched hut the world had ever seen, with a steel support beam as its central support. Many gathered in this new super-hut regularly and thanked God for the steel beams he sent to earth. Soon others built bigger and better super-huts modeled after the success of the first until the world was dotted with these new thatched structures.

A third man saw the beams coming from the sky. He knew in his heart somehow the world was forever going to be changed and believed this was a sign of a new age. As the beams came down he fell on his face before the Lord asking what he should do; feeling enormously humbled by the magnitude of what he saw. His heavenly Father from which the beams came heard his humble prayer, lifted his head, and handed him tools. Not the axe, rope, and hammer that he was so familiar with. No, these were heavy tools made from the same kind of materials as the beams. They made loud noises and could move and spin on their own accord and accomplish the work of many men. He worked diligently on the beam set before him with the tools he was given. Soon others joined him. Others yet began working on the other beams.

Zooming back out to space she could see a new structure being built and that all the beams began to be connected. This new structure began to cover the whole Earth, and was unlike anything ever built by man... even extending to space and connecting the Earth to the heavens.

As she described this vision, the spirit spoke discernment to my mind. I knew this image was about the church. The first man was the religious man clinging to traditions, denomination, and false doctrine who did not know the Kingdom when he saw it because his rules and religion has departed from the heart of the Father.

The second was the super-church Christian: blending the church traditions with Kingdom revelation, accomplishing great and impressive things, but not tapping into the true power and intention of God, essentially creating a "cool" and super-size version of denomination monopolies with the wisdom of a business man, receiving a part, but not the whole.

The third man is what I regularly refer to as a "Kingdom Christian," ready to receive and be part of restoring and reconciling the world to Light and Truth in every way, realizing it's an honor to be a small part of the big picture, bearing no banner but Christ, uniting instead of dividing, binding the broken-hearted, overcoming the world and conquering the world with love instead of escaping the world.

I believe one of my tasks in this life is to help unite Kingdom Christians to accomplish Kingdom Works on the Earth. I hope this blog has increased your understanding of what that means.

If you are the "third kind", I invite you to join www.kingdomspot.com and be part of a growing online community of the kingdom-minded. Find others, get your tools, and start working on your beams together. It's time Christians became one body with many parts and the mind of Christ. I think that's what He wanted for us, right?

-Clint Fiore

2009 Goals

2009-01-02T04:18:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year Everyone!

2008 was a crazy but really cool year of transition for me, and I'm super excited about 2009 and feel it will be a year of growth and increase... Time for a new set of goals for 2009. I'll start with a numbered list and then write below each goal tips to accomplishing them. In no particular order of importance:

1) Relationship- Be an awesome and romantic husband to my wife. Spend lots of quality time playing with my baby girl. Nurture relationships with some of my new Kerrville friends and grow more depth in friendships.

Set aside weekly "date nights" where Amelia will get a baby-sitter. Come home for lunch a few times per week. Invite people over regularly and take time to hang out with friends.

2) Spiritual- Establish a habit of daily meeting times with the Lord. Read the Bible again all the way through. Give more money away (percentage and total increase) to bless people. Look for ways to serve people with my time more often. Preach the Kingdom in churches. Be a shepherd/encourager at kingdomspot.com

Find a time that works and establish a good "quiet time" pattern. Get in a rhythm of 3-4 chapters per day with prayer. Keep giving "off the top". Grow relationships with local pastors.

3) Health- Lose 25 pounds of fat. Improve in nutrition, endurance and strength.

Complete P90X workout routine within the first 6 months of 2009. Scatter in fast and vegan days periodically. Ride bike to work 2-3 times per week weather permitting. Stock home with fresher/healthier foods, cut back on soda/coffee/cake/junk.

4) Career/Professional- Gain 100 new accounts for Falcon Insurance, Commercial Department. Hit my gross sales goals. Be an overall excellent employee and team member. Become a well-known expert in Aviation Insurance.

Maintain relationships with at least 50 quality active prospects at any given time. Close 8 accounts per month on average. Continue to be always on time and ready to work with focused intensity. Increase use of systems for speed/efficiency in workday. Treat customers like I would my best friend. Delegate. Participate in live events/tradeshows and establish an on-line identity as a helpful expert in the field.

5) Entrepreneurial- Launch and grow at least one home-based business. Form an LLC and establish business banking and proper accounting. Gain extra income and tax advantages.

Melissa is a HUGE part of this one as she is capable of managing/administrating on a day-to-day basis. Finish business plan and get things rolling. To be announced...

6) Financial- 50% or more increase to my 2008 total gross income. Eliminate any small debts and reduce student loan and mortgage debts. Continue to stay under household budget projections each month. Passively contribute to Roth IRA.

Get a nice raise at work. Add a second income stream. Keep following our monthly prioritized gameplan.

7) Technological- Oversee Kingdomspot.com grow to 1,000 members and custom visual skin/graphics package. Change clintfiore.com from a blog to a multi-tab website with integrated blog. Switch from paper to blackberry for time management, tasks, and appointments. Integrate work and personal e-mail accounts, contacts, and calendars to my handheld and laptop smoothly.

Enlist friends to help with the websites. Keep trying and asking questions until I figure out the rest.

SO there they are for the world to see. You're all welcome to hold me accountable to these. I'll post a 6-month goal check-up mid year.

Reply with some of your own goals! I'd love to hear what your plans are for '09.

-Clint Fiore

The way I roll....

2008-12-23T20:49:00.002-07:00

One of the ways I'm trying to be "different" and live a life that's extraordinary:

I like to listen to people that are old and wise share their personal, "I wish I would have known _____ when I was younger..." thoughts, and take them to heart.

Then, I seek ways to implement those nuggets of wisdom in to my life as a young person. I figure this way I will waste a lot less years making all the mistakes stupid young people do. =)

For My Wife #8...

2008-11-09T20:48:00.002-07:00

Melissa,

I can't even begin to tell you how much a privilege it is to be your husband. When I see you and our sweet baby Amelia together when I come home... it makes my heart leap every time. I literally can't get enough of you. I don't get tired of hanging out with you. People used to say it's the "honeymoon phase", but I'm starting to think we have something better than a phase going.

I love watching you mature and change into this powerful woman of God and this awesome caring and patient mom. You are seriously the best mom ever and Amelia is so blessed to have you.

I just read through the love letters I wrote you before I even met you, and it reminded me of how special it was to find you. I never want to take you for granted. You take such good care of me. I want to re-commit to romancing you in silly little ways however I can. I want to stay faithful and love you the best I can. Thanks for believing in me and making me a better man. Thanks for reminding me of what life is all about.

I love you. I love life with you. I love playing house with you and pretending we're adults and parents.

Your hubby,

Clint

Race and the Presidential Race...

2008-11-05T20:21:00.002-07:00

Here I go again... treading on dangerous and sensitive ground as usual... let's talk about racism.

If you have been awake at all the last 24 hours, by now you should have heard our next president elect is Barack Obama, which is most of the time immediately followed by, "you heard right, the black guy".

Ok, so it's usually not phrased so crassly. Rather headlines read, "Obama Wins Decisive Victory for African Americans" or reporters talk endlessly about the significance of the "First African American in the White House" and interview black Obama supporters falling all over themselves in unbridled joy.

The statistics are INCREDIBLE. Record turnouts in every major African American cultural hub, overwhelmingly voting in Obama's favor. While I watched the election results live last night, they were showing numbers as high as 97% of African Americans in certain states voted for Obama. NINETY SEVEN PERCENT!!! Keep in mind the popular vote came in around 52%-46% in his favor.

Herein lies my beef with African Americans. It's abundantly clear that some unknown significant percentage of black people ignored issues that mattered to them in order to vote "black". I'm sure some white people did the same, but it's also obvious it's a much smaller percentage (since 97% of white people didn't vote for McCain, duh). Black pro-life people ignored the fact that Obama was Planned Parenthood's "wet dream" of a candidate. Black military servicemen largely ignored the fact that McCain was a better choice to lead the military, etc... This is not my opinion, but cold hard facts. Active duty servicemen and women in a poll shortly before the election were favoring McCain 3 to 1, but that SAME poll showed black military respondents favoring Obama 8 to 1. You can't get more clear than that.

I guess what I'm trying to say is; as wonderfully significant as it is to have a black president, I truly believe we have a long way to go to defeat racism from all sides.

If you were to come to me and say, "Clint, there's an election coming up... are you going to vote for the Black guy or the White guy?" my response would be, "Are you kidding me?? That doesn't tell me anything about who I should vote for." This is the correct response, and I believe it is only fair to expect the same deference from other people whose skin pigment isn't exactly like mine.

So here's hoping that now that we have an African-American at the absolute pinnacle of achievement in the world, we can move past "historic firsts" and present people as people. Let's look at candidates' character, record, talent, and qualifications, and see past their age, sex, race or appearance. If there's still is a racist white dude somewhere that thinks African-American's aren't capable of achieving anything they set their minds to, it's over baby. If there's a black kid out there that thinks the only way to success is with a rhyme, a jumpshot, or a gun, it's over baby.

Let's move forward now together America.

Lots of love,

Clint Fiore

Scarcity Philosophy or Abundance?

2008-10-29T12:01:00.004-06:00

The first and one of the most important reasons I am voting for John McCain has to do with a deeply important philosophical view of how I see the world, that is Scarcity Vs. Abundance.

The essence of Scarcity means that money, and "good things" in this world are in limited supply. If a bunch of people are excessively rich, and a bunch of other people are poor and needy, then in order to be compassionate and responsible as a government, we need to as Obama says "spread the wealth around" so that everyone will have SOMETHING before they die. Scarcity breeds fear, envy, pessimism, depression, mistrust, cynicism, and oppression. The world is viewed as a closed system where any wealth gained by an individual only came to them at the expense of others. Thus, "the rich" are type-cast as evil manipulators rising to their power by walking on the backs of the poor. Big government is necessary to police and control this process and protect the helpless masses. These are all thoughts that take you down the yellow brick road towards socialism, communism, etc...

Sound extreme? Listen to the words used by Barack and Michelle Obama. Michelle recently said in a campaign rally, "The truth is. If we're going to get things like universal health care and a revamped education system, then someone is going to have to give up a piece of their pie so that someone else can have more." Scarcity at it's finest. When you hear Obama speak, he is always alluding to the "fat cats" and how they need to be taken down a notch. Redistribution, allocation, spreading, handing, giving, getting, taking; these are the verbs of the Scarcity worldview.

I believe this is a fundamental misunderstanding of what makes America great. We live in a country where a silly kid with nothing to his name but a big idea can become the wealthiest man on the planet. In other words, Abundance says, "there is unlimited pie for everyone that decides to learn how to bake." Wealth is not a closed system. Money can be created. Wealth can be materialized where none existed before to the BENEFIT of everyone else. The top 10% of our country absolutely DO NOT oppress the 90%. Rich people in a free country leave wakes of prosperity, not mass destruction. Great jobs and charity flow from the wealthy like a mighty river, not a "trickle". If 100 people which all made $50,000 per year decided to give ALL their income to charity, it would take 10,000 years for them to give how much Bill Gates has given the last 10 years alone.

America has over 300,000 Millionaires, and 80% of them are first generation. In other words, THEY DID IT THEMSELVES. The money wasn't handed to them. It came by hard work, taking risks, saving, innovating, and competing. The historical facts of the last 200 years clearly show money CAN be created, jobs CAN be created, entire industries CAN be created, and the standard of living of the entire world can simultaneously be elevated as more and more people succeed.

When John McCain discusses the economy, he affirms how wrong it is to punish the wealthy and redistribute hard earned dollars. It takes away the work ethic and motivation to do more. John and myself obviously see the world in the light of abundance. He uses words like: make money, create jobs, generate income, create new industry, etc... that show me he is in the Abundance worldview.

The following clip summarizes how I feel quite well.

God Saw this Sub-Prime Mortgage Crisis Coming...

2008-10-13T20:05:00.003-06:00

So recently I was e-mailed the article by TIME magazine, Foreclosures: Did God Want you to Get that Mortgage? Which talks about how "Prosperity" teaching among the African-American church played right into the sub-prime mortgage mess.

TIME will find any reason whatsoever to kick Christians in the nuts. "See, this mortgage crisis which affects people of all faiths equally is proof that Christians are retarded fools and scam artists following hocus pocus magic." -TIME magazine. There I summarized the article.

I bet you a thousand dollars if you looked at practicing Christians, black ones, white ones, whatever, they are on better financial footing than non-Christians regarding debt and irresponsible borrowing. Preachers preach of the dangers of debt a thousand times more than the whackos preaching a false "prosperity" gospel. There are over 800 scriptures that teach about handling money, none of which could remotely condone getting a sub-prime mortgage. READ:

Proverbs 22:7 "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."

Proverbs 21:5 "The plan of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty."

Proverbs 13:11 "Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow."

Luke 14:28-30 "For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it, (29) lest, after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all who see it begin to mock him, saying 'This man began to build and was not able to finish'."

Proverbs 24:27 "Prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house."

Proverbs 22:26-27 "Do not be one of those who shakes hands in a pledge, one of those who is surety for debts; if you have nothing with which to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you?"

Matthew 10:16 "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves."

God even warned us this would happen in 2nd Peter Chapter 2: "But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach their destructive heresies about God and even turn against their Master who bought them. Theirs will be a swift and terrible end. 2Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of them, Christ and his true way will be slandered. 3In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money..."

Now I would like you to read a blog that I personally wrote a little over 2 years ago which speaks about two dangerous attitudes regarding money, and specifically addresses "Prosperity Christians". Follow the link: Reflections on Goal Setting and Money Making...

I'm so grateful I have the opportunity to share God's word with anyone who chooses to hear it. Freedom is a beautiful thing.

-Clint Fiore

Straight Talk on Taxes

2008-10-11T15:19:00.002-06:00

I HAVE to get this off of my chest.

I can’t emphasize this enough.

You MUST understand these numbers:

40% of Americans do not pay ANY income tax!

The 3% of Americans who make the most money pay over 50% of our nation’s taxes currently.

How then can Barack Obama give a “tax break” to 95% of families, when 40% already don’t pay taxes?

It’s not really a tax break, because you can’t reduce your taxes when you pay ZERO. It’s called a “refundable tax credit”. Which means Millions of people who don’t pay ANY taxes will get checks written to them out of the few people’s pockets that are already paying most of the taxes. Yes, taking money from people, and just handing it over to other people. In other words, National Welfare for everyone.

Oh and by the way, the 5% he’s always talking about raising the taxes on, those are small to medium size business owners that employ more than half of the population. Now how do you tell businesses to create more jobs for people in the USA with less money to do it with? Obama MAGIC!!! Read this article for more info.

If you are a Tax PAYER in the country, this should piss you off.

The Coolest Kid in School...

2008-09-24T18:25:00.003-06:00

Every school has them… the cool kids. The kids everyone wants to be friends with, but only the choice few really can get on the inside of their clique. Then there’s always the leader of the pack; tall, dark, handsome and mysterious. He’s always dressed just right and many kids copy the latest trends he starts. He always has the right thing to say at the right time, a quick wit, and can make you feel like you’re six inches tall with one carefully placed passing remark. If you’re on his side, nobody at school will give you a hard time, but if you’re the object of his ridicule, watch out because you’re about to be the most made fun of person by the whole school.

He doesn’t get in fistfights. He prefers sarcasm and acting like he’s above you if there’s ever a confrontation. Nobody can really stand up to him because his popularity gives him more power and influence than any other individual student can counter. Teachers LOVE him. He’s smart enough to stand out academically and can play the All-American wonder boy role to a tee when the adults are watching him. The principal, coaches, and teachers that adore him would never suspect how he bashes them behind their backs at parties on the weekends or in his text messages in class. He’s risen to the top of the Totem Pole by stepping on the heads of others. He’s threatened by other powerful students and keeps his dominance of the student culture by relentlessly bashing anyone who would try to challenge him.

What does he stand for? Nobody really knows when it comes down to it. He’s really good at being a nebulous, shape-shifting mystery man. The only thing that’s clear is what he DOESN’T like. He can go on and on for hours about the flaws of the school system, why Pop music is so terrible, how lame other groups of kids are that dress a certain way, and complaining about how messed up everything is. He never actually does anything to change anything, but talks about change constantly.

Enter Barack Obama.

America is a huge high school with 300 million students.

Obama is the tall mysterious leader of the influential popular kids.

The Media are the cheerleaders or popular girls that control the flow of gossip around their school and their popularity is completely invested in being on his side.

He is Junior Senator with no record running on a phantom platform which repeats three things over and over again

1) Telling everyone how bad everything is.

2) Blaming everything bad in the world on the current president.

3) Telling everyone that John McCain is exactly like the current "terrible" president and that he is somehow above all this nonsense and able to magically fix things.

Please see through the charade America. It's really important that you do.

Unashamed to be Pro-Life

2008-09-19T23:55:00.004-06:00

I love babies. I always have. Even when I was a little kid I was drawn to the strange little creatures with big heads and tiny bodies. Every once in awhile I'd get lucky enough to hold one for a couple minutes, and smell that unique beautiful smell that only exists on the top of a baby's noggin. I always wanted to kiss their little cheeks, but of course, it's not very socially acceptable to kiss other people's babies unless you're a dirty politician for some reason.

I've always dreamed of having one of my own, and now holy crap I do! She's now a little over 4 weeks old, and I must say the most beautiful, incredible, joyous, sweet thing that I am absolutely addicted to. I can kiss her cheeks thousands of times a day and she seems to be ok with it! I can just hold her and stare at her for hours and listen to her little noises and watch her cycle through facial expressions like she's practicing to be a tiny actress. She was perfect in the womb, she came out perfect, and she remains perfect... a constant reminder to me of innocence, purity, helplessness, God's love and design. She has helped me understand new spiritual truths already. She has opened my heart to new levels of love I didn't know were inside of me.

I started taking her out in public on her 6th day after birth. I was nervous to at first as she had never yet been outside of my house (we had a home birth). But something magical happened and keeps happening every time I take her into the world. She changes the heart of everyone who sees her. She is a more capable minister to mankind sleeping than I've ever been in my waking hours. I'm serious. I've taken her grocery shopping, to restaurants, to work, big retail stores, etc... and 99% of people that see her just absolutely light up like candles around her. She can take over a whole building in minutes. One day as I carried her around Target in San Antonio and watched as this two-week-old, eight pound sleepy head worked her magic on hundreds of shoppers, I began to think to myself, "How could anyone see the miracle of this child and not be Pro-Life?" The question weighed heavy on my heart and seemed unfathomable to think otherwise.

I feel it is very important for me as a new father to just lay out what's been on my heart regarding this issue.

Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice so often gets turned into this shrill, hateful, political, academic, theoretical debate about where life begins, what women's rights are, what if scenarios about rape and birth defects, etc... Trust me I've heard them all, but I feel like all those arguments are missing the the core and heart of the matter. The fact is that we live in a country where; if Melissa and I had decided that this perfect child was an inconvenience to us, we could have legally taken her life; striking her future from Earth's history. Pro-choice friends, I want you to stop running through what if scenarios about things that happen 1 in a million births, and just let the weight of that statement sink in.

I could have driven my cute little pregnant wife to a clinic with a beautiful girl inside with hands that waved at us in our ultrasound, a four-chamber beating heart, a perfectly functioning brain etc... and free of charge, had her murdered and removed from my wife's body. This fact has never bothered me more deeply than it does today. Keep in mind if a stranger had mugged Melissa, assaulting her and causing her to miscarry, he would go to prison for life for murder. But yet we can willingly do the same thing with a pat on the back afterwards. That is a double standard to the highest degree!

I just wish Pro-Choicers would stop thinking, "Well I love babies too, but there are times when a mother's health is at risk (0.001%), a father rapes and impregnates her daughter (0.0000001%), etc... and if you ban abortion, think of what hypothetically bad things could potentially happen to those poor women!", and instead take a few minutes to deeply meditate on common sense facts that you know are true, like:

-99.9% of abortions are done because of embarrasment, inconvenience, irresponsibility, laziness, lack of money, or some combination thereof.

-Every responsible parent that has had a child has chosen to overcome the same obstacles. Heck when we found out we felt absolutely unprepared to bring a child into the world (squeaking by renting a friends basement while working jobs completely incompatible with baby life), but we made the necessary changes and sacrifices and never looked back. That's what people are supposed to do.

-Parents of children with birth defects, special needs, etc... seem to love their children and cherish them even more, and I've NEVER seen a special needs parent REGRET the decision to have their child.

-You are reading this blog because someone chose not to kill before you could defend yourself.

-My baby had to be pricked with a needle the day she was born and screamed bloody murder. I know in my heart that if she hated that so much, she would have definitely voted to not be brutally killed had SHE the choice.

-There are waiting lists and high competition for adoptions. The cost and headache to be able to take an unwanted child into your home are absolutely appalling and assenine. Plenty of people are ready to care for children in our country that are unwanted.

-We can find answers that treat women respectfully and value a mother's life and health without just erasing babies and pressing the "undo" button on children.

I'm going to step off my soap box now and go kiss my sweet daughter. I will never picket a clinic, yell at a pregnant girl for considering abortion, or act like a damn fool because someone disagrees with me. I just humbly ask you to consider these things and know they're sincerely from my heart. This is not a political or academic issue to me. This is right vs. wrong morality stuff that is much more important.

Lots of love,

Clint

The Pickens Plan for Energy Independence

2008-07-18T15:34:00.001-06:00

T. Boone Pickens

I've seen this dude interviewed on TV a couple times... and he really fascinates me. Just a wise old billionaire business man that sees things more clearly regarding energy than most of us do.

We all know the problem, skyrocketing oil prices, the middle east basically having the power to shut down our economic system via oil at any moment if they want to...

You got people like Al Gore on the left hand side giving speeches about how we need to be completely off oil within ten years or the whole world will die basically... spouting off unfactual research and impossible plans on impossible timetables....

You got people on the right hand side wanting to DRILL DRILL DRILL and enforce our will on the middle east militarily so we can control oil costs and interest.....

Everyone knows we need to transition away from oil to sustainable, domestic fuel and power sources for a secure and prosperous future for the USA, but we're obviously a long ways in infrastructure to accomplish this feat.

T. Boone Pickens has a website called www.pickensplan.com in which he spells out a practical, achievable transition to increased wind and natural gas energy and fuel to dramatically decrease our dependence on foreign oil for the next several decades while we continually work to transition to and develop viable, affordable, clean, renewable, domestic alternatives to fossil fuels. I feel like his idea is the best compromise between the left and right that I have seen so far, and could really help us bridge the gap to the future before we fall off the cliff.

Check it out. Watch the video. Let me know what you think!

-Clint

We're moving to Texas, WOW

2008-07-18T11:14:00.001-06:00

Moving to Texas!

Holy cow it's time for a life update again. Another move!

Melissa and I will be relocating to Kerrville, TX next week and should be in our new home Friday, July 25th. We're hoping to get in and get set up for the baby just in time (Melissa's due date is Sept. 7).

After looking at jobs coast to coast in business and aviation, and countless applications and interviews, I took a position at Falcon Insurance as an Aviation Insurance Specialist. I was really impressed with the quality of the people there, the integrity of the business, and the charm of the beautiful TX hill country as a place to start raising a family.

A new chapter is beginning in our lives in every way imaginable and we appreciate your prayers and support. I will try to blog more and I will certainly be posting baby pictures on clintfiore.com when the time comes.

Blessings to all,

Clint

It's a Girl!!!

2008-04-10T10:21:00.005-06:00

Melissa and I are proud to announce we will be having a baby girl due Sept. 7th. We just got our first ultrasound and are super excited. Here's some pics of her. Currently she weighs about 1 pound and is a little over 18 weeks old.

The weird looking pictures are actually 3D images of her face and front. Cool!

So that's our beautiful baby girl. Coming along nicely. Being formed perfectly by a master builder.

Help me pick my portfolio!

2008-03-19T19:10:00.002-06:00

Like most of the average schmuck investors in this country... I've had a rough last couple of months. Melissa and I have a little money in two mutual funds that have both been getting absolutely killed. We're trying to gain some money and it's pretty depressing to watch our hard-earned dollars shrink in value.

I also recently found out 90% of mutual fund managers don't beat the stock market. Sheesh and these dudes make millions a year! I want to take some control back into my own hands with some of my investment money.

I sold one of our funds already to stop the bleeding and may sell the other soon. I also opened an account with Sharebuilder... it's a cheap way to get into the stock market, and I get 6 free trades to use by the end of May. I have a few things in mind but this blog is also going to serve as a survey requesting advice from my friends.

What should I buy and why? What do you think is a good company to put money into right now and why do you think so? Leave your comments on this blog and who knows... maybe you'll get to help determine what 6 companies I will get into this month as I get started.

Let me know!

-Clint

PS- You can see what I do and track my progress by becoming my friend on http://www.cakefinancial.com/ my username there is, you guessed it, clintfiore.

Goodbye Loretta...

2008-03-14T16:23:00.003-06:00

I'll never forget the first time I saw her. I was dating a beautiful girl I knew was going to be my wife and was a little nervous about meeting some of her extended family for the first time. Grandma Charles.

Melissa had told me all about her; about their time together when she was a girl, about how amazing of a grandma she was, and how she had a brain aneurism that changed everything when she was about 12. She survived the ordeal but every one that knew her before knows that what remained was a different person. Brain surgery is a risky business. The Loretta I met didn't really speak much, her voice usually rising to a whisper barely discernable to me, but easily understood by those that cared for her daily. What I did understand didn't always make much sense to me, but I would politely nod and smile as she squeezed my hands and stared into my soul.

And oh those eyes! I will never forget them. That first day we met the house was crowded with family but Grandma Loretta immediately locked eyes with me across the room with such power I was helpless to escape. Her mind may have been largely absent but the spirit and power of my God was in her eyes. She looked right through me for minutes that seemed like hours, never glancing aside, never releasing me from her tractor beams. Everyone else in the room seemed to be inspecting and investigating me like all good families do to a strange young man courting their prized daughter... but Loretta knew me. Her piercing eyes began to grow moist and form tears but she never looked away. Was God whispering in her ear? "This is your sweet Melissa's husband. Don't worry he is one of mine and I'll make sure he takes good care of her." I'd like to think so.

I saw her many more times the last 2 years, always in busy family atmospheres, but before I could ever make the rounds of greetings, hugs, and handshakes. Loretta and I would have our special moment. We never really needed to speak. Words would have been frivolous and wasteful when she could speak so clearly with her eyes. This last Christmas I spent a little extra time sitting with her and just hanging out. Somewhere deep down I must have known it would be the last time I'd see her... at least for a brief lifetime.

This week we are remembering and celebrating her life. I will surely miss you, never forget you, and look forward to our future conversations.

Huckabee's Fair Tax Idea

2008-01-12T11:01:00.001-07:00

It's not very often I write a politically oriented blog, but I feel like the fair tax proposal being championed by Mike Huckabee is the best idea I've heard from any politician running for president since I can remember. I want this blog to be an encouragement to explore the idea, and not just be an endorsement.

Finance and Economics are becoming an obsession and passion of mine, and economic policy is shaping up to be the biggest factor in my 2008 presidential voting decision. I will first summarize what the "fair tax" idea is, then I will give a real world scenario on what it could do for my personal finances as a real-life example.

The Fair Tax Idea

No More IRS! No More Income Tax. No More Corporate Tax. No More Capital Gains or Estate Tax. All of these will be replaced by a national sales tax on purchased goods, products, and services.

The fair tax isn't a tax increase or decrease, it's revenue neutral. That means the government should get just as much money to pay for all the things they pay for, but they get it in a different way. Employees would get to take home 100% of their earnings, Company's would get to keep 100% of their profits. Everyone is encouraged to make as much money as possible and know that the IRS isn't going to try and take it away from you. Sales tax would be a standard, higher amount of 20-24%. Family's falling below the poverty line would be tax exempt. That means the poorest individuals would take more money home and it would go further, allowing them to help pull themselves out of the lowest rung of society's ladder.

SCENARIO

Let's say my wife and I are able to make a combined gross income of $80,000 in one year's time. Let's say our monthly budget is $3500 or $42,000 yearly. Well after taxes we'd only take home close to $60,000, leaving a difference of $18,000 of "discretionary" money for investing, giving, or making additional consumer purchases.

If the fair tax was in place, we'd make the same $80,000, but we'd keep all of it because there would be no income tax. Our budget would increase from $42,000 to $46,000 because of the increased sales tax on consumer goods. Thus we would have $34,000 of discretionary for giving, investing back into the economy, and buying more stuff. Effectively a $16,000 raise because we're already savers.

Other Benefits

Saving and investing would be encouraged. Our nation is so bad about saving money, 2007 was the first year in our nation's history that our country had a negative rate of savings. That's just fancy talk to say that Americans on average spent more than we made. That's a terrible habit that leads to financial ruin that our government itself does every year, and its citizens are following suit. Eliminating capital gains tax is an awesome way to encourage people to buy stocks, mutual funds, and just put money away because they will keep every bit of the returns for themselves without having to share it with the IRS.
The underground economy will be brought above ground! Illegal aliens, drug-dealers, tax-evaders, etc... BILLIONS of untaxed or untaxable dollars will now be no problem. Everyone will be taxed at the point of purchase of goods. So the drug dealer and the construction worker who takes cash deals and doesn't report the income will all be taxed the same as they go through life BUYING things. The economic angle of immigration reform would also be instantly solved.
Off-shore banking; a popular tax hide-out for the megawealthy (remember hearing about swiss bank accounts in the movies right?) will no longer be necessary. An estimated $10 Trillion American dollars are held off-shore. That's money that could be in OUR country earning interest in OUR banks and helping OUR economy. If even 20% of that came home that would be huge for the entire country's economy.
Our nation would save $10 Billion a year by not having the IRS. That's how much it costs to operate every year. That money could be put into education, health care, you name it... $10 Billion a year could really help some kids learn to read gooder if you acks me.
American-Made products would become globally competitive again due to the enormous savings of company's making them without the heavy corporate tax burdens. This could spark a renaissance in the depleted manufacturing industries of the U.S. Heck, we may even be able to turn the tide on some of our trade deficits. Amazing benefits here in jobs, increased wages, new business opportunities, etc...
April 15th would just be another beautiful spring day.

Explore the idea.

-Clint

Moving to Arizona!

2007-12-07T17:13:00.000-07:00

Huge announcement... Melissa and I will be relocated to Prescott, AZ as of January 1st. My plans for 2008 include:

-Starting an aviation business to include aircraft brokerage and instruction, the beginning stages of Kingdom Aviation.

-Keep working with Rachel's Challenge as a marketer and speaker and take over Arizona with kindness.

-Reconnecting with my AZ peeps.

-Moving in with Jason and Kristal to the big house on Venus Ln. where we used to all live.

-Doing some major Havasupai, Thumb Butte, Granite Dells, etc... hiking action.

...well now you know... see you there!

-Clint

Aircraft Ownership

2007-12-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

I revisited some of the goals I wrote down long ago and want to add this one to my goal list:

GOAL- I would like to own an aircraft before I'm 26.

I set this goal about 2 years ago and I think I'm on pace to do it. Currently I have some business ideas in the works that would help me be able to buy and airplane that can pay for itself and hopefully make money too. I should be well on my way in 2008. For the record, my 26th birthday is 7-20-09

Early morning thoughts...

2007-11-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

What is man that you should be mindful of him?

The genesis of something very different is looming just beyond the horizon.

I look out my window and see the city lights twinkling. The early morning is thick with darkness. There’s a chill in the air and a quietness so thorough that each keystroke sounds like a jackhammer’s blow.

I unfasten my watch and turn the dial back an hour and as if on cue the sky begins to glow in the distance. Midnight purple is quickly defeated by a deep aqua blue. The Sun is coming. I ask my phone for its opinion and he assures me it is Sunday.

My body argues. Fogginess of thought, clumsiness of hands, and the thought of my wife’s warm skin buried in the blankets a room away begin to charm me away like a Siren’s song. I long to go back to sleep yet I don’t. The sky is a soft pink plum.

Sunday… there was a time when that word meant something different to me. I can’t quite put my finger on it as I browse the archives of the back of my mind. Thumbing through the old dusty files, I see men in fancy clothes shaking hands and smiling at one another. I see them gather in rows with their families, all equally and perfectly composed, forming row after row, all looking in the same direction. They look forward intently, their heads periodically bobbing as they mutter words of agreement with the man up front; the small man in the nice suit with the big words.

The sky is now a full rainbow of colors, seamlessly shifting from royal purple, carnation pink, orange-gold, turquoise, and the beginning of that true, piercing blue that so faithfully commands the daylight hours.

I have no peace this morning. My intellect screams its logic, “It’s just another day like any other day!” Yet my spirit betrays me and fires back nonverbally by placing a lead weight in the bottom of my stomach. My mind is greatly frustrated by my spirit’s unwillingness to fight fairly, “how do you argue with that?” he groans.

I long for truth and fellowship yet loathe the spectacle. The clothing is less fancy now but the format seems to never change. I feel like something is inherently broken with all of it, like we’re missing the mark big time and don’t care to change because “this is what we know, and this is what works.” Well it doesn’t work and I feel like I’m crazy for noticing. I’m still trying to find my way past the outer court.

The Sun is now striking the neighborhood I overlook with direct hits on their eastern walls. The ever-turning Earth has brought into direct view a trillion-ton ball of ferociously violent flames and energy. It has been firing lasers of intense radioactive light across time and space. About 8 minutes after He takes the shot 80 million miles away, we feel the brute’s wrath just enough to make us squint and watch the delicate layer of frost on the rooftops slowly disappear.

I must draw this entry to a close now as it’s time for my lead weight and I to get ready for church.

Alaska Pictures!

2007-10-19T09:28:00.000-06:00

The last 3 weeks of my life have been pretty crazy. So many cool memories. I just got back home from speaking in Alaska, hanging out with my brother in Texas, speaking in Long Island New York, and Melissa and I celebrating our 6 month anniversary in New York City (yeah broadway, times square, the works...).

I seem to have only taken pictures in Alaska though, so here's some visuals for you:

It's been a lifelong dream of mine to visit Alaska, this Chevy Astro Van really sums it up, "Alaska Rules!"

As I drove around, everywhere I looked was like a beautiful postcard.

The Fall Colors were Awesome.

After about an hour driving from Anchorage I arrived at the Best Western Lake Lucille. A Bear greeted me at the door.

I've been to quite a few Best Western's in my day... and I must say this is the best view out of the back of one I'd ever seen.

I felt like an idiot for driving to the hotel when all the cool people just pulled their planes up to the dock...

Speaking of Airplanes: FACT- Alaska has more airplanes and more pilots per capita than any other state. I felt right at home. Almost every neighborhood seemed to have airplanes hidden around it somewhere and a little runway.

I drove up a mountain pass called Hatcher Pass. It was some of the most scenic views I'd ever seen. The pictures just can't do it justice.

At the top I saw this hardcore motorcycle dude with clothes that matched his sportbike taking dramatic snow/mountain pictures of his ride. My hat's off to him.

Eventually I did do some work and spoke at a couple of schools. The Middle School had made tons of banners incorporating Rachel's Challenge all over the school already. This was one of my favorites.

Here's me with some of the great Colony Knights.

The End.

I don't know what I am, only who I am.

2007-10-01T23:48:00.000-06:00

Ever heard:

"So what do you do for a living?"
"What do you do?"
"What church do you go to?"

They're simple questions designed to quantify a human being into a 2-dimensional image, a blurb, a soundbyte. And you're ready for them aren't you? I bet you can answer such questions in 1-2 sentences with robot-like precision in your sleep, most people can. I can't.

I've come to realize I loathe these questions. I'm unable to come up with an acceptable response to them that doesn't require extensive explanation... I dunno... I'm just different I guess. I am starting to see that I'll never be able to say, "I'm Clint and I'm a ______". Most people can. They'll say, "I'm a mortage broker." "I go to CSU and study psychology." "I'm an Optometrist." "I teach guitar."

When I quip a quick one-liner like that I feel like I'm lying. I'm not a marketing director for a non-profit based in Denver. I'm not a public speaker. I'm not a flight instructor. I'm not an entrepreneur. I'm not an investor..... I just happen to do that stuff currently. Sometimes I make the mistake of saying lines like those, but that's not what I am. I don't know what I am, only who I am.

I once heard it said that to understand the human eye you need to have a thorough understanding of the nature of light. Kind of like how you need to understand electricity for light-bulb to make sense.

I abhor the third question more than any other. Now you're asking about my electricity... I'm not mad because somebody's "in my business" about my "personal life". No, that's not it at all. That's all a bunch of BS anyways.... No, rather, I hate the question because any name of any church that I give you will trigger a set of pre-set stereotypes lodged deep in your subconscious. A mental plexiglass box instantly forms around me that I feel trapped inside. I don't belong in a cage and my God REALLY doesn't.

I am a collection of stories and events, physical and chemical reactions, spiritual and tangible collisions. I am Melissa's husband. Jesus is my God, the real Jesus, not the one you've made up in your head. I'm trying to do things that matter. I'm trying to get something right before I die.... or am I already dead? Maybe I don't know who I am after all.

Forgive me if none of this makes sense. I am just a child dressed in the flesh of a man, not-so-patiently waiting for a new-birth.

Debt Free!

2007-09-16T11:20:00.002-06:00

This is a HUGE goal Melissa and I set before we were married. We'd like to be 100% debt free.

Consumer Debt, Student Loans, House... we want to pay off EVERYTHING!

I'm Back to Blogging! New setting, same Clint.

2007-08-26T20:39:00.000-06:00

Hello cyberfans! I just wanted to let you all know I've started a new blog page www.clintfiore.blogspot.com and that I'm going to be blogging again on a much more regular basis.

My plan is to post more frequently than my Myspace blog. I'll still do deep spiritual posts as usual, but I'm also going to be mixing in more pictures, life updates, and using this site to communicate with my friends and family.

Stay Tuned!

Dear Mainstream Media

2007-04-19T16:25:00.000-06:00

I once made a vow that I would never use blogging as an outlet to vent my frustration. Today I broke that vow:

Dear Mainstream Media,

I couldn't be more disappointed in you. Just when I thought you were the sleaziest jerks on the face of the Earth, you have to go and prove me right…. again.

Of course I'm referring to the way you're handling the Virginia Tech shootings. Within hours of the event occurring you had made your fancy/flashy graphics. If I had a nickel for every time the words "slaughter", "massacre", "killings", and "rampage" were plastered across the TV screen…. I'd be a rich man by now. Your coverage of the events Monday was absolutely pathetic and insulting. The same lame video clips and sound bytes over and over again trying to make things as dramatic as possible while doing phone interviews with random "experts" trying to explain why this tragedy happened through incoherent ramblings on gun control, prescription drugs, or racism…. placing blame on anything they could.

Your interviews were even more demeaning as you sought out any random student or teacher you could find and attempted to make them cry through cliché, emotionally-charged questions all the while feigning sympathy for the affected.

My greatest wave of anger came yesterday. The breaking news Wednesday afternoon was the package sent by the killer, in between his killings, addressed to NBC studios. This young man sent pictures of himself posing with guns, rambling letters, and video clips hoping to be immortalized by the media. Anyone with a shred of common sense, decency, or respect for the victims and their families would have turned it over to the authorities and not just thrown everything all over the news immediately… but common sense, compassion, and decency have no place on news television anymore. YOU DID EXACTLY WHAT THE KILLER WANTED YOU TO DO. You gave him power. You gave him attention. You gave him immortality. You posted everything he gift wrapped for you. Coverage the rest of the day was 90% glorification of this guy while totally abandoning telling the stories of the precious lives lost at his hand. I guess that wouldn't have gotten as good of ratings.

Thank you very much media. There will now be a new hero for this violent generation. You've proven that killing as many people as possible will make you a legendary icon. You've posted this guy's stats, hailed his record of "32", and helped raise the bar for the next young men to follow in his footsteps. So get ready for the next story. Cho was obviously influenced by Eric and Dylan from Columbine. Remember 8 years ago? You're the one that gave Cho the fuel by showing everything THEY wanted you to as well. There wouldn't be copycats if you didn't provide the material to copy.

I wish you could be held accountable for your actions now, but I know you will someday. Pulling stunts like that yesterday is extremely insensitive and irresponsible and should get the producers thrown in jail. There is blood on your hands media. You are every bit as responsible for every factor you point your bloody finger at.

News networks are to journalism what pro wrestling is to athletics.

I miss Walter Cronkite.

I am battling to bring more attention to what is good, beautiful, and right. Darkness cannot win when one chooses to light a candle.

-Clint Fiore

My Wedding Vows

2007-04-07T16:28:00.000-06:00

This is a day I've dreamt of for years.
I've always loved you, even long before I knew your name.
The night I met you my spirit leapt inside of me.
I knew right away you were the one I had been waiting for.
It's truly a marvelous thing when faith you've held fast to for years in an invisible ideal is suddenly staring you in the face through an exceedingly beautiful woman.

There are many things about this world I've yet to understand.
God's love for His church, and Melissa's love for me.
Or why my Heavenly father would entrust his most lovely and precious daughter
Into the care of these hands; so corrupt, callous, and weathered by the storms of many mistakes.

Yet I know my God to be sovereign and good, and His ways to be higher than ours.
He speaks to us in whispers barely discernable through the noise and bustle of this world.
I find it fascinating how God chooses to use the simplest little things to teach us lofty, eternal truth otherwise incomprehensible to our finite minds.
While Jesus was walking this earth he spoke about mustard seeds, farming, and fishing to explain spiritual truths more effectively than all the brilliant scholars could ever dream to.

My vow to you is for the rest of my days on this Earth become a simple illustration of something much bigger than me; an imperfect illustration of my Father's perfect love for His people.
I vow to seek Jesus first, and as His perfect love fills and overflows my heart, pour that sweet unconditional love out to you.
I will remind myself daily that this life and this marriage is not about me, and be willing to die for you, our future family, or whoever else God may ask me to at any moment.
I will seek to consider others above myself, and you alone above all men.

It would take me many more pages of writing and hours of speaking to properly share the weight of the commitment I'm making to you today, so out of respect for our guests I will conclude with this:

"It will be my great honor to take your hand today, and walk with you the rest of my days, stride for stride, hand in hand. Though the gates of Hell will rise against us, we will find our way together, to the Kingdom of God."

Melissa's Wedding Vows

2007-04-07T16:19:00.000-06:00

Here's Melissa's Vows to me:

The first time I saw you I knew you were something totally different. That same night my spirit fell in love with you. It was as if it was reunited with a long lost friend. I was stunned by your glittering blue eyes and your mysterious sincerity. That night is so dear to my heart, because that night God gave me my husband. The scary thing was that I knew it was you that first night.

How can I express with this silly language what I see when I look at you my love?

You are this strong, honest, good hearted man, but there are also moments when I see this soft, quiet, mischevious little boy. There is this passion for life and God's glory that impressively rivals mine own. Yet also this steady calm center that seems to balance my universe. Your love for beauty and truth and simple joys is immense, and your desire to truly do great things challenges me to believe in dreams. Your patience is truly something, especially with me, and your kind heart and your need to reach out to people in need humbles me.

Clint, I see Jesus in you, moving through you, and walking with you in every area of your life. The color and beauty of all that you are to him overwhelms me. And I am honored to be embarking on this journey with such a precious child of God.

I pray that I will always be an encouragement to you. That I will be a safe place, and a true source of wisdom and strength. I pray that I will always see in you all that I see now, good and bad, and love you for both. I pray that in the giving of myself to you that our love would truly bring honor and glory to our Father and that our love would ripple out around us and bless others. I love you and cherish you and truly want to spend the rest of our lives together.

I pray that this will never be just about us and our story, but also about others, and how Jesus used us to truly bless, love, and change the lives of people all over.

This is my prayer. This is my vow.

Native Americans

2007-02-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

In this politically correct time I hesitate to write such a blog.... but hey since when have I been politically correct???

I would like to make some observations and ask some questions about Native Americans. All my life I've lived near their culture and influence but there's still so much I don't understand.

I recently spoke in a Native American community and was once again reminded of their wonderful/proud culture. Everyone treated me very kindly. The tribal leaders were sweet, graceful, strong and proud of their rich heritage and traditions. There was a sense of community that I admit I'm a bit envious of as a suburban white male who doesn't even really know his next door neighbors. Yet at the same time I noticed there was still a bit of divide in the community between Natives and Non-Natives. Of all the experiences I've had with diverse people groups in the USA, I think there still is the biggest gap between Native Americans and mainstream Americana. This made me ponder some questions that I have pondered in the past:

Question #1: Why the heck do we still have "Indian Reservations" in the 21st century USA??? Does this seem absurd to anyone else besides me??? It just seems incredibly racist to section off parcels of land and assign it to a group of people. Can you imagine the public outrage if we had "Negro Reservations" or "Jew Reservations"? I know white settlers brutally and horrifically stole choice land from the natives, but isn't the whole "reservation" thing a very outdated way to deal with this fact?

Question #2: Why gaming? Why have Casinos become synonymous with Native American livelihood in the USA? Why do Native Americans seem so ok with this? The town I was in.... the only restaurant in town was at the Casino, which also happened to be the #1 employer and by far the #1 economic source for the community. Why has this proud race of historically farmers, craftsmen, and skilled hunters been reduced to neon signs, blackjack, alcohol, and pawning their history for a few bucks.

What happened to the USA being a melting pot? Every other people group and race seems to have been able to assimilate into our culture yet still keep their cultural identity and pride intact. Will there ever be a time where Native Americans simply live with the "rest of us"? Think about it. Every other race like African Americans for example: despite a terrible and unjust past have become accepted in every facet of the U.S. culture. They still retain their identities through music, culture, history, etc.... but yet they live where they want, they work in every industry, marry and date who they want, and people that have a problem with that are becoming a small, ignorant minority in this nation. I know Native Americans CAN and HAVE done all this as well, but it seems to be the exception not the rule. Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems like most Native Americans have consciously accepted living on reservations, surviving by government subsidies like gaming, and choosing not to really change this.

Sorry if this blog sounds racist, but if you know me and my heart you know it's not. I just really want to get to the bottom of this social issue. Please comment with your responses and thoughts.

When God Wakes You Up

2007-01-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

Adventures in Normal Christian Life- Episode 3

When God wakes you up:

He immediately falls asleep as the plane taxis from the gate in Salt Lake City. He's exhausted. He only slept around 2 hours the night before and has been traveling and working all day. He's dressed like a business man but feels like a child inside. His IPOD is on way before it's supposed to be... drowning out the announcements he's heard a million times.

His mind tosses and turns as his body is still. Thoughts of unrest flood his mind. Worry has crept into his subconscious, "Are you ready to take a wife? Where will you live? How? What about money? How did you turn from God so quickly after being drawn so close to him just weeks before? When will you get off this roller coaster spirituality and stabilize into manhood?.... I need YOU Lord." The soothing music and lack of sleep coax him quickly into sleep.

He is regaining consciousness now. A special song seems to have awakened his Spirit. His spirit has broken through to the surface and he can no longer sleep. The beautiful thing is he feels completely refreshed and awake! He listens to the song sent from Heaven. He doesn't even open his eyes though now he's fully awake. He worships on the dark plane. As the song ends he opens his eyes. Denver is in sight. The familiar city lights are on the horizon. Peace and gratefulness overflow like a mighty lake spilling over a dam. The next song that plays is even more special. His favorite worship song, with a chorus his fiancé swears was written by angels. He can't contain it any more. He raises a hand, sways, dances in his chair, occasionally singing softly. He doesn't think anyone is watching, but if they are they probably think he's a madman.... but he doesn't care!

Fear and shame are gone as he worships more thoroughly and genuinely than he has in a long time. He can't stop worshipping even after the plane lands and he goes home. He practically skips down the concourse at the airport. He feels completely changed.

Author's notes:

I thought back on the last 6 years since I've followed Christ and realized God has woken me up DOZENS of times in my life for different reasons. Saturday night was one of my favorites. God literally sent His spirit to me as a slept to basically give me a huge hug (just what I was needing), refresh my body and spirit, and let me know everything is going to be ok.

Years ago I had a godly friend of mine in Florida tell me about how God has taught him to worship as he sleeps. He often woke up singing songs of praise and fully worshiping and was discovering what it meant to praise God "at all times". I also prayed that God would teach me about this and He has answered my prayer. I too now have woken up many times worshiping, but much more has happened. A couple times I woke up with a strong urge to pray for someone or a situation only to find out they were in dire need of prayer at the exact hour God woke me up. There's also been MANY times when I forgot to set alarm clocks or turned them off accidentally, that God woke me up supernaturally, often on only a few hours of sleep, so I wouldn't miss an important speaking engagement or other important commitment.

Our bodies may sleep but our spirit (to those whose spirits have been made alive) never sleeps. It's wonderful to know we really do have the Holy Spirit as our Helper and Comforter, even while we sleep!

For My Wife #7

2007-01-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

My wonderful bride to be,

It seems that I write to you less now that I can speak with you face to face. Please extend me grace as I give you a taste of the thoughts of you that turn in my head and jump through my heart.

The ring I've given you sparkles and shines. You'll be mine in due time. You smile as you brush your teeth seeing it glimmer. Those simple moments of raw vulnerability, when you think you look your worst are when I desire you the most.

Your love is an inspiration, an invitation to step up and be the man God wants me to be. I want to lead you like I'm supposed to, but often I feel left behind. You set the bar pretty high with a heart that so shines in worship and love divine. I see you cry for the lost. I see how you love your family and friends, and even those who treat you badly. I hope someday I can cry like you, serve like you, die like you to this sack of flesh that binds me down. You're an open book for the world to read yet I hold back like I've got something to hide, and most of the time I do.

How can I lead such a wonderful bride? Lord knows I'll try and let Him be my guide. There is no strength in me. I fail consistently to be who I'm called to be, but He will resurrect me. The God who brought you to me will be faithful to strengthen and fashion me into a Bridegroom worthy of such a high calling. Oh that His love would flow through me and overwhelm thee would be my great honor. To be a reflection and example of our Father. One you can see and touch and reciprocate your love to until that day I can give you away back to the loving arms from whence you came.

I am no substitute for the glory of the Sun, but desire to be a full moon bringing light of Him to this dark world until that day when He appears on the horizon, the Earth having turned revealing the true source of light and life that we could not fully see. Blinding and overwhelming will be the change. On that day I will disappear for the moon will become invisible as the Son rises in me.

I love you and am praying for you today.

Your fiancé,

Clint

Rachel's Challenge Memories

2006-12-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

Flying home from my last Rachel's Challenge Speaking engagement of the year, I'd like to take a moment to give thanks and write a little tribute to the memories I've had this fall.

Today I woke up at 5AM (3AM Denver time) to catch my 7AM flight out of Rochester to Philadelphia, and now I'm on the 4+ hour flight from Philly back to Denver. I've slept only 3-5 hours a night routinely while speaking usually four times a day and traveling. And I'm just a part-time speaker! My hat's off to the full timers. I don't know how you can keep that pace all year.

Hopefully you remember the faces, remember the lives, and use those memories as fuel in your tank that's always leaning towards that red line of empty. I remember the Jr. High principal yesterday who, with tears in his eyes, told his students after the assembly how much he loved all of them, and how what they learned the last hour in the presentation was more important than everything they'd learn at school for thirteen years combined.

I remember the pretty girl in Southeast Kansas that with, tear filled conviction, confessed of being a judgmental person and making fun of others who didn't measure up to her standards. She said from now on she wasn't going to be that person any more.

I remember my first standing ovation. It felt good even though they were really applauding sweet Rachel. It was Alamogordo, New Mexico in the "Tiger Pit" gymnasium. Two thousand students stood after some of the toughest "gang" kids in the back row stood up to clap. It lasted almost five minutes and I had no words to say afterwards. Thank you.

I remember Dave in Bear Lake, Idaho who took me into his home and told me about his wonderful oldest son whom he had lost to a car accident only a couple of years ago. He had much in common with Rachel it seemed, and was a genuine, caring person who put others in front of himself. Dave showed me his room and read some poems he had written in memorial of Philip. We shared tears and prayer and I hope I was a blessing to him and his wonderful wife and second son, even if but for a moment.

I remember the tough looking football player from Spokane who came up to me after the assembly pale faced like he was in shock. He told me of a dream he had had 2 days earlier where he saw the drawing "Rachel's Tears" in his head, the same one shown in the assembly, and he had no idea what it meant... but it finally all made sense. Or the young man in Midland, TX that gave me a purple bracelet that said "Dare to Dream", the second challenge. He had found it on the ground several days before and saved it thinking it had some special meaning.... yes it did!

I remember Dr. Cushinberry in Salina. A wise old gentlemen who treated me to lunch and shared wisdom and guidance with me. This former NCAA all-american basketball player had turned a tough and violent school into a wonderful place of diversity and love. He had a special relationship and rapport with the student body like I had never quite seen, truly special. Principals and teachers like him are my heroes and are daily in the trenches making a difference in molding the lives of students.

I remember the Principal and Superintendent from Pretty Prairie trying to talk me and my friends into buying homes there and treating us like family the first day we were there. I think of the other kind souls around the nation that have given me open invitations of hospitality, food, and even lodging if I'm ever back in their neck of the woods.

I remember Melissa, praying with me almost every night on the phone when I was away. It was so good to know someone was praying for and thinking of me. Her support and encouragement was incredible. I remember she always tried to be the one to pick me up and drop me off at the airport, even at great inconvenience.... I can't express how much she means to me. I look forward to one day traveling together as one.

Thanks Darrel for giving me this opportunity to speak. Thanks Pete for opening this door into my life and being so patient with me. Thanks Craig, Dana, and all of the Scott family for being such great examples and inspirations. And thank you Rachel, for your life.

So many memories...and more to come...
The chain reaction has only just begun.

Are YOU Making a Difference?

2006-11-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

Ok this is an interactive blog, and after you read you are REQUIRED to comment.

I came to a realization last night that I am very selfish and self-centered, and I'm not doing nearly as much as a should to serve others. I attended a youth group service with hundreds of students.... it was kind of a rowdy/wild service... almost chaotic at times.... but yet I could see art in their eyes... Hundreds of students coming together under the auspices of seeking Jesus, but it was obvious many care more about their hair style, music preference, and myspace pages than the God of the universe. But yet... just under the surface I can see eternity ready to burst forth from a new generation. A living God who longs for their affection is whispering to them, wooing them, but yet only a few can hear that gentle whisper through the clanging and clamor... the ever present blanket of sound the world wraps us in daily.

I've decided to do what I can, even if it's just to hang out with a couple of students regularly for coffee or something. I won't sit idly by any more. I am recomitting to discipleship. I do a lot of things to reach this world... but I have to be discipled and disciple others if I'm ever to be truly effective.That's a commitment I've made and walked in before, but has been lacking in my life this year. My job reaches tens of thousands of people weekly, my online ministry reaches hundreds, my money helps people in need... but if I don't have that personal time with others... looking in their eyes, praying for their needs... challenging and encouraging like Jesus did with his closest friends, then all I am is a cardboard cutout Christian with a beautiful glossy surface... a Pharisee.

Now the interactive part... BLOG READERS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THIS WORLD???? WHAT DO YOU DO TO SERVE OTHERS BESIDES YOURSELF????Please leave a comment telling something you do or have just decided to do to reach out and serve your fellow humans. All of us can do something! Your comments will serve as inspiration to thousands, and help you stay accountable to serving and giving. Whether it's volunteering in your church's childcare, supporting an orphan in Africa, visiting retirement centers, teaching a skill, giving to a great charity... let us know what you do!

This isn't about being cocky or showing off. It's about inspiring others and challenging yourself to do things that matter on this Earth.

Reflections on Goal Setting and Money Making

2006-09-21T16:48:00.002-06:00

I would like to take a moment to remind every one to set goals for their lives, and I encourage you to write them down and even post them in blog form for others to see and help hold you accountable to them.

Harvard did a study in 1979 where they asked 1000 students, "How many of you have clear, written goals for your lives?" They found that only 3% wrote down their goals, while 97% did not. Ten years later they interviewed the 1000 participants and made an astonishing discovery. They found that the 3% who wrote down their goals were making 10 times the amount of money than the other 97% COMBINED! And more importantly, it was that 3% that had become world changers who were impacting the world and history in awesome ways.It's no wonder that here in America 3% of the population controls 97% of the wealth. I'd like to inform you all that I plan on being a "world changer" and I feel called to business as a method of doing so.I'd like to be part of that special "3%", and I make no apologies for it.

Now I can already feel rebuke coming from my Christian brothers and sisters reading this. "Don't pursue wealth! Treasure in Heaven is what you need! etc... etc...", but before you write me off as a heretic, I'd like for you to listen as I make a few observations about wealth and Christianity. I've noticed that Christians tend to go primarily in two directions regarding pursuing business and financial gain:Most commonly I find Christians to be timid financial souls, resigned to a life of just barely getting by thanks to "God's" provision. They rarely take risks, live paycheck to paycheck, and thoughts of investments or commerce beyond just buying a house and saving for things seem intimidating and unspiritual to them. They often misquote the Bible and talk about being in debt as being a "sin", but generally are ok with buying a house or car with a loan because it would be "impossible" to have those "necessities" otherwise, and can justify their actions with arguments like, "Well at least we don't use credit cards." Or "God wants us to be comfortable and at least have a good roof over our heads." They're good people, most of them tithe 10% and give occasionally beyond, and they're pretty much like any conservative American financially. If this person decides to go into missions or ministry, they take the traditional approach and start going around "raising support" (cough cough...begging...cough). They're financially illiterate, and they bring the same illiteracy to the people and nations they minister to. They gather money and then go give things away. They are the classic, "give a man a fish" analogy, and have no idea how to "teach a man to fish" because they have never fished!

There's a second group of Christians that bothers me 10 times more than the first kind, the "Prosperity Christians". When I hear a "Prosperity" message or see these types on TV, it literally makes me literally furious. These are people that believe that because they are following Christ, they are somehow ENTITLED to worldly wealth. They adhere to the "name it and claim it" philosophy and some of the leaders of this movement have the audacity to just name things that they want, like a Ferrari or Learjet, and greatly take scriptures like, "He will give you the desires of your heart" and "Ask anything you want, and it will be given to you" out of context to get them. Those verses are in the Bible, but they begin with things like "Delight yourself in the Lord..." and "If you remain in Me, and my Word remains in you..." These preachers and their followers are manipulators, preaching a false gospel that make man his own god.Want to know what I believe? Well too bad, you're gonna get it anyways!

Money is not the root of all evil! So many have misquoted the Bible on that point... it really says, "The LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil." (emphasis added) Money has power over humans though. We should all know this. And what you do with money is a great reflection of what is in your heart. This is why money is talked about in the Bible more than Heaven and Hell combined. Jesus wasn't kidding when he said it's hard for a rich man to enter into Heaven. I think if you're called to be in that special 3% of people who rake in the benjamins... you better be extra strong in heart and above corruption. Money won't make your life as a believer easier, if anything, it will make it harder and you will be held very much in account of what you're given. I believe the Lord is calling me to be a kingdom businessman. I believe I'm called to build businesses, invest in nations, people, technology, etc... for the purpose of eternity. Not to build my own fame and name, but to provide hope, help, and dignity to millions that need it world wide. The details aren't all here yet, but I'm telling you... the vision God has given me so far is far beyond anything I could have ever imagined doing....I believe that we're all different, and ultimately if we're going to be "world changers" the only SURE way to do it is to do EXACTLY what God tells you to do. I believe there have been people fully in the will of God past and present that have had vast amounts of worldly wealth at their disposal. I also believe there have been people fully in the will of God that have starved to death and died of poverty. That last sentence won't sit well with "prosperity" types, but I believe it's true.

The point is... don't put yourself or God into a box. God has no limits, and His children likewise have no limits. Follow him to billionaire status or to wiping poop off of paralyzed people.... but OBEY Him. Never get high-minded and think that if you're a billionaire and giving away millions to charity that you're greater than the poor person serving the Lord with all their hearts while cleaning toilets. Also don't be so low-minded that you think your lot in life is to not succeed because of your financial situation, skin color, age, skill-level, etc... God uses messed up people to do amazing things, and He always has. He uses the foolish to shame the wise.I really hope some of this has made sense.

Here's some practical steps you can do now:
1) Find out who you are, and what God wants you to do, and write it down, and start going after it.
2) Find out what you're doing that God DOESN'T want you to do, and cut it out.
3) Write down your goals, big and small, short term and long term (that are given and approved by God), and post them on your wall, as a blog, or anywhere.

I leave you with some quotes from one of my heroes, Rachel Scott:

"How many of us know what we really want, and go after it? How many of us have enough trust, strength, and faith to believe we can do the impossible?"

"Don't let your character change color with your environment. Find out who you are, and let it stay it's true color."

"I'm going to have an impact on the world."

A Dark and Scary Poem

2006-08-08T16:55:00.000-06:00

I hesitated to post this blog... mainly because I don't want it to be misunderstood. Please read this poem with spiritual eyes as it's symbolic and spiritual in nature. Don't try to associate the events and characters to me, anyone I know, or the physical world that you see...

The Prince and the Darkness.

Darkness calls, streches out her weathered fingers.
Always reaching, always grasping.
Her voice is treacherous and sweet.
Give her one glance and she's got you.
She doubles her efforts now, sensing your shame.
Her forked tongue is insatiable in appetite.
You hate her smell, the familiar scent of death.
You hate her smile, her lips masking fangs.
You want to look away, but gaze transfixed.
Icy chills hypnotize your curious mind.
Will you take the bait and spit the hooks?
Will you kiss the lips and dodge the bite?
She dares you to try, dares you to die.
Cunning and beautiful she reaches out her hand.
Trembling now you go to meet her.
She fears no man... brazen, waxed bold.
Her stories entrap you, they slyly unfold.
Wavering and quivering your mind goes blank.
You forget where you've come from, your family crest.
Where is your armor? Where is your sword?
Could you strike down a beast that once held your hand?
Could you cast out the demon that made you a man?
You wipe away her tears.
She reads your murderous thoughts.
You cannot slay the ancient beauty.
You couldn't even if you tried.
She whispers solace to your soul.
She forgives your wanton pride.
She makes you feel comfortable again.
She sits you down and fetches you tea.
You hardly notice you're in a wheelchair.
You hardly notice you cannot flee.
She slides to the front door, locks it as she scans outside.
She fixes you your favorite meal.
From the cauldron pours a toxic cup of stew.
The poison courses through your veins, that old familiar rush.
It's not enough to kill you, but you melt into the chair.
She tightens down the bindings as you lazily stare.
Something in you knows there's something wrong,
but you can't put your finger on it... you don't know why.
Her kiss on the cheek causes you to smile.
She moves toward your neck, exposed and vulnerable.
You let her. She has been so kind.
As her fangs sink in, you flinch and recoil,
the pain pierces through the drugs.
You want to scream but have no voice.
You want to fight but cannot move.
You are bound, you are paralyzed, terrified.
Suddenly the fog clears from your mind.
You wish you could go back in time.
It's too late... you've lost too much blood.
One last look reveals her true face.
You can't look away, your eyes won't close any more.
One last horrible image burned in your mind as your life goes away.

She carries your body through the unseen hole in the floor.
Down a stone staircase into the depths where light never shines.
She tidies up her home, scrubbing all traces of blood.
For her next guest will soon arrive.

Where has the Son of the king gone?
He disappeared without a trace.
Search parties go out, but no one has seen him.
His ring, his armor, his garments, are all never found.
Only his sword... abandoned on the ground.

Christians, Please Stop Judging!

2006-07-31T16:58:00.000-06:00

Please read Galations 5:13-26 to help prepare your heart.

I remember it well. I was on a business trip with a couple close Christian friends. I had been getting picked up in limos while wearing fancy suits and I was excited about the future. I knew that my standing as a successful person would only grow my circle of influence, and that through my business I was going to have the opportunity to reach and lead thousands of people with eternal truth. Earlier that morning when I had a chance to speak to friends and business associates in our meeting, I shared from the Bible and spoke truth as best as I knew how. I was on the right track.

After checking into an airport hotel, my friends and I that were staying in the same place decided we should go out to dinner. We had already returned our rental car so we decided to just take the hotel shuttle to the restaurant we wanted. After about a five minute wait, the shuttle pulls up. The three of us climb in the empty van behind the driver, and I immediately notice that worship music is playing. "Crank it up!" I tell the driver. This catches him a bit off guard as it's an unusual request, so he looks back with a sheepish grin and makes sure he heard me right, "turn it up?". "Absolutely!" I reply, "We're Christians, we can take it."

His shy grin turns into a full-blown smile as he turns up the music. I ask him about his faith, and this guy just starts bubbling over with an unmistakable joy that I know can only be the Holy Spirit. He starts telling us about his testimony, his family, etc... then seamlessly switches to ministering to US! He quotes scripture from the old and new testament effortlessly and correctly. As we speak to him, the conversation goes ever deeper into the depths of the kingdom of God, and I become increasingly more aware that this man is the real deal.

A black guy in his late 40's, whose countenance has so much energy and joy you'd swear he was a decade younger. He's got a big family that he's leading in the ways of the Lord. He doesn't have much money as he has a low-paying job and a large family to support, but he has no complaints, just overwhelming gratitude to be a child of the living God. He tells us he only has a couple of worship cd's, but he listens to them the entire time he's doing his 8-10 hour shifts driving the shuttle van. He says he's constantly in prayer and singing, and that people notice the spirit when they ride with him. He touches on a few cool stories, but it's obvious that this man is making a difference in the lives of many just by serving them.

I prayed for him out loud when were on our return trip from the restaurant and I know it really blessed him, and when we got back to the hotel he returned the favor. "Wait", he says as we're getting out of the van, "I want to pray for you guys now too!" There in front of the hotel he forms us into a small circle holding hands, and he proceeds to pray for us with power! I can physically feel the spirit flowing through our hands at this point so much that it feels like electricity.

I couldn't tell you what he said when he prayed, but as he did I clearly heard the Lord speak to my heart, "This man is not known on the Earth, but he is a hero in Heaven!" It struck me later that this simple man of lowly position with little education will someday have greater standing in Heaven than many ministers that everyone knows that pastor huge churches, or have huge television and radio ministries. He has no fancy titles, no best-selling books, no letters after his name, no earthly rewards of fortune and fame, but I tell you the truth.... great will his reward be in the Kingdom of God.

For the life of me, I can't remember that man's name.

The moral of this story: God's ways are not like the ways of men. In fact, they are quite opposite. You must give to receive, die to live, etc... I simply want to warn you Christians reading this (including myself) to be careful. Watch and make sure you don't look down your nose at someone who will rule over you someday, or bow down to someone now because of their earthly success. Don't look AT people with worldly eyes, but see THROUGH people with eyes of the spirit, and you'll be amazed at what you find.

Money, education, fame.... aren't bad things necessarily, and they sure do impress people. But they don't really impress God. How could they? He has all the money as the world is His and everything in it. He has the greatest education as he is omniscient and knows the thoughts, heart, and hairs of every creature to ever exist. And his fame is unparalled throughout the universe. The stars themselves sing and shine for Him, and one day every knee will bow down to Him, the King above all Kings. So just be careful if you start to think highly of yourself because you have a worldly checkmark by your name.

"The first shall be last, and the last shall be first." -Jesus.

For My Wife #6

2006-07-06T17:01:00.000-06:00

Melissa,

I'm so excited to be writing to someone's name finally! Every wife blog I've written has been for you, but I was unable to put your name on them because I didn't yet know you...Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of things unseen. The first time I laid eyes on you I knew my faith had become flesh. I was always sure of what I hoped for and certain you were out there... but you remained unseen. I can't express how blessed I am to finally see you! God be praised!

I never knew what being in love was like until now. I thought I did... but now that I've felt the real thing.... I know I've never even been close. Every time in the past I thought I might be deeply in love just seems like silly, shallow, cheap, and misguided affection in contrast to the righteous, consuming passion I feel towards you.

You my love are the reason I've been waiting all these years. You my love are living proof of just how awesome God is. You are prayers answered and prophecy fulfilled. Everything I've prayed and even things I would have never thought to pray for have found their home in your beautiful little heart.

Every sacrifice made... every good choice to wait against my will... every time I've been called a fool or a dreamer... every lonely night... every tear shed in repentance when I made the wrong choices... every long stretch through the desert of doubt... has been worth it. Not just worth it... but worth it times a million and thrown into a sea of infinity. You are a greater reward than I could have ever imagined, a prize I admit I still feel unworthy to attain.

The first night I met you my spirit leapt inside of me. I wasn't looking for you... I was only seeking fellowship with believers. Little did I know that God was leading me to you. Our worlds unexpectedly collided with tremendous force. In an instant I was changed, shattered, and turned upside down. I thought you were way out past the horizon, and that I had several more grueling years of waiting ahead. I felt like a captain of a ship who had climbed the railing of the bow and was straining through a telescope to better see the distant horizon, only to run aground onto solid rock. I was sent flying from the impact over the side, but to my surprise I landed on my feet on a beautiful, uncharted island.

I knew right away that you were different. Somehow I knew that I could spend the rest of my life with you, but still I needed to stick to the program God has shown me to be safe... for I know my heart can be exceedingly deceitful, and my feelings have oft led me astray.

These last few months I've prayed for confirmations in the spiritual realm and gotten them in abundance... my heavenly Father has given his consent...my earthly father has found you approved and given me release to pursue... your parents and family have given me their blessing to proceed... godly mentors in my life have prayed me towards this moment... and now here... that's right on Myspace, the place where I've shared my heart and views towards relationships, I want to publicly profess my love for you, and START my first real relationship. Let's show the world what God's standard looks like.

I have one simple question for you: Will you be my girlfriend?

Love,

Clint

PS- you can still freak out and run away... it's not too late. =)

C.S. Lewis Quote

2006-06-14T23:12:00.000-06:00

This quote just blew my mind and I thought I'd share it.

"Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important." C.S Lewis

So many of us, especially Americans, see Christianity and faith to be a moderately important part of our lives.... we are so deceived. This also kind of goes hand in hand with the Revelation 3:15-16 that talks about how God would rather us be hot or cold, and if we're lukewarm he will spew us out.

Please friends, prioritize your lives around things that are infinitely important, and ignore things that are of no importance. It's for you to decide which category you'll put Jesus in, but whatever you do, don't treat Him in this all-too-common casual, cavalier, nonchalant attitude. It's all or nothing: He's either God and Lord, or a crazy idiot that is dead and doesn't apply to us in the 21st century. But whatever you do, don't water Him down into just another "good person" or "teacher" or "prophet". He claimed He was God, He claimed he was the only way to God, He claimed to have power to forgive sins, He was seen resurrected from the dead by over 500 eyewitnesses and ascended into Heaven in front of them and claims He will one day return to earth in the same way He departed and establish His kingdom.

All or nothing people: Living God and Savior, or dead lunatic who started the most successful delusional cult in the world.

Consider the line in the sand drawn. Choose wisely but make your choice. There's no sitting on the fence with Jesus.

-Clint

PS- I'm here if you have any questions. Don't be afraid to ask.

A Flight to Be Remembered

2006-05-08T23:15:00.000-06:00

Adventures in Normal Christian Life: Episode 2

A young man wanders through an unfamiliar airport looking for the correct way to his flight. He's cutting it close as usual. Blue jeans and suit jacket seem to perfectly illustrate his limbo between boy and man. Is he traveling to meet old friends or conquer in business? Nobody knows... neither does he.

His extra terrorist sceening made for some humorous conversation with an older woman on the train towards concourse "C". Speaking politely with strangers is always enjoyed by this young man.... he secretly relishes breaking through the stereotype of the self-absorbed iPod generation and actually showing kindness and interest in the lives of others around him.

Slicing through the sea of humanity called an international airport he makes eye contact with people as they hurredly pass in the opposite direction, sometimes throwing in a wink or nod just to mess with peoples heads. "I remember walking through crowds with purpose...", he thinks to himself, "God break my heart for people again... show me a way to reach lives again... theres just so many... and I know you love them all."

He makes it to the gate on time, and is one of the last people on the plane as his boarding pass was for the last boarding group. He lugs his carryon and sweet action briefcase down the crowded aisle, "Why do they board the back of the plane last he wonders... and why does everyone have to stare at you as you walk by...."

He finally finds his seat... and much to his surprise its the lady from the train. "You again!" she remarks as he puts away his bags mildly surprised and embarrassed, "are you following me?" They exchange pleasantries, buckle up, and go into their own worlds. She dives into a book that looks like something an old woman would read, while he watches strongbad emails on his video iPod... What an odd pair these two are.

As the beverage cart approaches the young man feels the need to come out of iPod land for a bit to get some quality snackage from the approaching cart of refreshing delight. He gets peanuts and cookies, but the old lady to his right busts out a full lunch she saved for the flight. She offers him some sandwich, but he politely declines... even though he really wanted some. Her offering lunch to him seems to push him over the edge of his hesitancy to engage the woman in conversation. "So where are you headed today?" he asks.

A single question ignites a two hour conversation. It was like a spark hitting dry straw. They talk about everything from her family to his work... to the loss of her husband... to questions about faith and life... stories of plane crashes and broken families.... of family members chasing strange beliefs.... to her devotion to a religion she doesnt really believe to be truth... to truth itself... to the ten commandments... to Jesus... to the authority of scripture... on and on they dance through the sky. The Holy Spirit gives the young man words of truth and love that are breaking through decades of hardened heart. By the end of the flight she is referring to the young man as Gods "chosen one" and asking him for advice on how she can learn to think differently, and how to handle some tough issues shes struggling with in her family (although she has a grandson his age, she still listens intently). She tells him he needs to be a minister. He tells her he is. She is beginning to understand...

I am praying for you Elaine.

Thank you Jesus... you continually amaze me every day. Eternity is not long enough to thank you for the amazing grace and love that you have given me. God be praised.

For My Wife #5

2006-04-26T23:19:00.000-06:00

My heart is so alive tonight as I think of you. God seems to have given me a peace, like His spirit is just resting with me at the moment. Even at work tonight dealing with negative people and circumstances, my heart remained steadfast and full of joy thinking of my future... thinking of OUR future. Negative comments seemed to bounce off of me in as futile of a display as someone trying to shoot through a solid concrete wall with a pellet gun. The Lord is my fortress and strong tower. He can not be moved.

Driving home I seem to see beauty in the simple and mundane. The world just looks more alive... more colorful. The ordinary becomes extraordinary as the spirit gives light. Scales fall from my eyes. Talk on the radio seems like useless noise... I change the station. An autumnal classic composed by Strauss catches my ears and spirit. Each crescendo and decrescendo seems to echo the ebb and flow of my wandering mind as my thoughts turn to you.

I have so many ideas, so many dreams. I pray God will unite our vision and ambitions. I feel like I can topple a mountain if you believe in me and stand beside me. My imagination begins to ignite from the spark of my love for you. I see us exploring, experiencing, and sharing on a deeper level than I have ever thought possible. I imagine singing to you a song that no other ear will ever hear... the melody rises and I can almost make out the words before it fades.

I imagine our intimacy in body soul and spirit. A three part harmony that will always be in key as long as our love combined draws us further into the one who is the source of all beauty, all things good, and the author of and perfector of love itself.

I imagine we'll have secrets that only us and God will know. Inside jokes... nonverbal code... at the bat of your eye a story will unfold...

I imagine the simplest of pleasures being magnified a thousand times over by sharing them with you. Turning off the lights while listening to a beautiful song... though not new... will be all the more beautiful with the touch of your hand. Feeling our pulses beat in time and hearing you lose your breath in that split second after the high note... I could almost read your thoughts as we listen together in silence.

I imagine our travels. Together breathing life into beautiful dying people in strange and wondrous places. Taking in sights, sounds and smells that we've never felt before. Standing on mountain tops singing praises to our God and raining blessings on the land. Against our song no stronghold will stand.

Come fly with me my wife, my love, my life. Take my hand as we rise into the sky. I don't care where we go as long as it's you and I. Loving you as Christ loves me seems impossible at times... but I sure look forward to giving it a try.

A Work in Progress

2006-04-11T23:22:00.000-06:00

Untitled

when everything unravels
when everything falls apart
when the knife pulled from your back
is plunged straight into your heart

when you don't feel like forgiving
his secret life goes on display
it's not like you didn't warn him
you should just leave him where he lays

but thats not how it works now
you've received your share of grace
you can't forget forgiveness
you have to look him in the face

a real friend will stand with you
even when you're at your worst
I want to be a blessing
and not add unto your curse

our lives can get so heavy
our hearts can grow so cold
please don't shut me out now
we have more story to unfold

I wish we could turn back time
and start all over again
even when you won't speak to me
I'll still consider you my friend

we can not fix what's broken
but I know someone who can
I can't take back the words I wrote
but I now reach out my hand

Carnage on the Slopes '06

2006-03-26T23:22:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I skied Copper Mountain... it's my 4th day skiing since I move out here this year... and I'm getting better every day. (that's right jason and felipe, I'm gonna pass you guys up), but my confidence definitely got the best of me yesterday.

Approximately 12:15PM I'm sitting on the lift with my bro, we've had a full morning of skiing already and it's going awesome. I then proceed to make the stupidest comment ever, "Hey man, I don't want to jinx myself, but I haven't had a good wreck once this whole YEAR so far, that's awesome, I'm getting a lot better." (I've had some enormous wrecks and injuries in the past.)

We get off the list and immediately I'm going down this big open run at about 1,000mph... I got a big lead on my bro so I decide to do a huge graceful high speed turn to stop... I don't know how it happened but I caught an edge or crossed my tips or something and went down...HARD. Slid on my face for like 40 yards. Ok, a little snow in the ear and some snowburn on the face... nothing hurt...I laugh it off. Well I guess I WAS due for ONE fall. Where I fell was about 30 yards from the terrain park entrance... where I proceed to the top of the medium sized jumps (15 foot gaps or so, shoot you about 8 feet high off the ground). Anthony goes first and it looks like he chickens out at the last minute and goes around the jump, what a pansy... I'll show him how it's done. I go flying down the hill fast again, but at the bottom the fresh snow seems to slow me down quite a bit before the jump... I think I might not make the gap... well I'll try... I jump and land about 5 feet short, on the hard flat, from about 8 feet high... the impact is so hard on my skis one of my bindings gave under the impact, leaving my right ski right where it hit.... needless to say I went head first over the edge and superman slid down the entire landing area head first.... nothing hurt but my pride. It turns out Anthony didn't chicken out, but could tell he was not going to make it and aborted. What a pansy.

We then proceeded to go to the "backside" of the mountain. A larger than life giant bowl shaped side of the mountain up around 13,000' with huge rocks, boulders and drop-offs. Every run on the backside is at least a black diamond. I love it! While riding one of the lifts on the backside headed towards the biggest bowl, we noticed what appeared to be a perfect drop off ledge with a "smooth" landing area in the distance. We noted the location and decided to try to get some air off it next run. I make my way to within about 200 yards of the ledge, and it looks like there's no ledge, just a steep hill that you MIGHT be able to jump off of if you go REALLY fast. The problem is there's this group of people standing right where I want to go. They stand there forever and I'm getting impatient, so I decide to just go anyways and give them a high speed buzz. So I start boogying on down, almost lost control hitting a bump, but saved it. The people are watching me at this point so I decided to kick it to a higher gear. I am now approaching an invisible ledge at approximately Mach 1. I'm having a blast... and then my eyes get really big. The ledge does exist! It was disguised by the slope of the hill and didn't show itself till I was RIGHT ON IT.

*** I've had some amazing wrecks in the past, but what I'm about to describe is by far the most spectacular one ever! If the family that saw this happened to have a video camera and captured this on film... I am offering a $1000 reward for the footage because it will make every video send in show on TV***

I went over the ledge... went airborne FOREVER. I estimate and can verify with forensics I traveled about 40-50 feet horizontally. The smooth downhill landing area WAS there... but I totally cleared it. Somehow despite my terror I keep my composure in the air, knowing I MUST land this jump or I might DIE. I get both skis under me and straight, touch down is perfect. I landed it!!!! My body is fully crouched in the split second I touch down from absorbing the force of the landing. My joy of landing lasts approximately .0001 seconds as I see HUGE bumps immediately in front of me and my butt is almost dragging the ground from sucking up the landing.... there's nothing I can do at this point.... I hit the first big bump fully compressed and am thrown sideways into the air... my body then strikes an even bigger bump at a weird angle, launching me even higher into the air... I'm a ragdoll at this point... I flew through the air with my skis over my head doing a combination forward somersault and barrel roll for what seemed like forever until I eventually crashed back to earth HARD right on my right side, and my right shoulder (that's right the same shoulder I've torn twice from falling on it).... I eventually pulled myself off the snow mad that I wrecked after landing the best jump of my life, but happy that I wasn't seriously injured.

I survived. I am sore. I will never jinx myself like that again.... oh crap... did saying "I'll never jinx myself" jinx myself into future jinxings of myself??? I say.... probably.

The Parable of the Fishless Fishermen

2006-03-20T23:24:00.000-07:00

This will be the first blog I've shared that I haven't personally written. I found this little gem in my Bible... the author is anonymous. I will comment at the end.

The Parable of the Fishless Fishermen

Fishermen's Fellowship. They were surrounded by streams and lakes full of hungry fish. They met regularly to discuss the call to fish, the abundance of fish, and the thrill of catching fish. They got excited about fishing!
Someone suggested that they needed a philosophy of fishing, so they carefully defined and redefined fishing, and the purpose of fishing. They developed fishing strategies and tactics. Then they realized that they had been going at it backwards. They had approached fishing from the point of view of the fisherman, and not from the point of view of the fish. How do the fish view the world? How does the fisherman appear to the fish? What do fish eat, and when? These are all good things to know. So they began research studies, and attended conferences on fishing. Some traveled to far away places to study different kinds of fish with different habits. Some got doctorates in fishology, but no one had yet gone fishing.
So a committee was formed to send out fishermen. As prospective fishing places outnumbered fishermen, the committee needed to determine priorites. A priority listing of fishing places was posted on bulletin boards in all of the fellowship halls. But still, no one was fishing. A survey was launched to find out why. Most did not answer the survey, but from those who did, it was discovered that some felt called to study fish, a few to furnish fishing equipment, and several to go around encouraging fishermen. What with meetings, conferences, and seminars, they just simply didn't have time to fish.
Now, Jake was a newcomer to the Fishermen's Fellowship. After one stirring meeting of the fellowship, he went fishing and caught a large fish. At the next meeting he told his story and was honored for his catch. He was told that he had a special "gift of fishing." He was then scheduled to speak at all the Fellowship chapters and tell how he did it.
With all the speaking invitations and his election to the board of directors of the Fishermen's Fellowship, Jake no longer had time to go fishing. But soon he began to feel restless and empty. He longed to feel the tug on the line once again. So he cut the speaking, he resigned from the board, and he said to a friend, "Let's go fishing." They did, just the two of them, and they caught fish.
The members of the Fishermen's Fellowship were many, the fish were plentiful, but the fishers were few!

-Anonymous

Clint's prayer/comment- Rise up generation and fish!

I am jake.... will you be my friend and go fishing with me??? I'm tired of reminscing about past catches... my lures are on the wall collecting dust... I gotta get back out there!

Father God, please keep freeing my generation from the trappings of religiosity, and get them back in the word, back on their knees, back on fire, and back into the world... that we might make a difference. Being a Christian is so much more radical than being a member of the Holy Roller's club and changing our taste in music and social activities.... oh to have a fresh wind of your spirit ignite us and take us up to new heights.... come Jesus... Come Holy Sprit.... claim our hearts again.... move our feet.... open our mouths... help us extend our hands to this world that you love.

Goodbye Clay

2006-03-16T23:26:00.000-07:00

I really wasn't expecting to do another one of these so soon, but here goes... this blog is dedicated to the memory of my beloved friend and team mate, Clay Elliot. The Shark!

I just found out about his death today, and it's very difficult for me to type right now. I have purposefully been avoiding thinking about him so far because I know how much it's going to suck when I do.

Clay and I arrived on the scene at ERAU at the same time during the fall of 2001. We tried out for the baseball team together, he made it a lot easier than me (being a talented 6'5'' probably made it easier than a chubby 5'8'' kid), but I did eventually join him on the team our freshman year. We hit it off really well, both being country boys from Colby, Kansas and Wichita Falls, Texas respectively. We loved talking trash and making jokes on the bench (which is where we both were most of our first year together). We almost always rode together to our away games and built a friendship that would last all the way through college.

I remember playing every intramural sport with Clay from ping pong, to softball, to flashball, to dodgeball... we loved playing games and loved winning even more, but our favorite was baseball. We could talk all day about the nuances of that stupid game... how we should position the infield in different situations, executing trick defensive strategies, debates on when and whom should be bunting.

Clay was a cool cat... everyone liked him. On a baseball team that was often divided and cliquey, everyone liked Clay. He was a peacemaker... he was tough... he could stop a fight and make everyone laugh. We all saw him get hurt several times, and nobody could have handled it better. I remember when broke his hand on a crazy defensive effort diving for a ball, his thumb was the size of a sausage and stuck out as far as the end of his index finger... it was so gross I couldn't look at it without almost gagging, and he just handled it man like it was nothing, no screaming or crying, no complaining... even through the like 3 surgeries it took to repair it... he still showed up to games and practices even when he couldn't play.

We didn't always see eye to eye spiritually, but he believed in God and was a quality guy who I trusted. Sometimes I'd give him crap about his choice in girls, but he'd always have a good comeback about my lack of girls. He'd always bring beer to poker night at my house, and he shared it freely (which is rare for college students), and he even would buy a couple girly drinks to hide in the ice chest for me cause he knew I couldn't drink beer... what a guy. He wasn't that great at poker, but was feared for his retarded all-ins that he basically did at random as far as I could tell.

The last time I saw him was I believe at the December graduation. He gave the best graduation speech ever, and the ballsy bastard even stopped in the middle and took cell phone call... what a stud.

I don't know what circumstances happened that could make him want to commit suicide... he had tons of friends, great job offers and was just starting a new career, graduated with honors...

Why didn't you call me buddy? I would have talked... I wouldn't have judged you or made fun of you that was a damn selfish thing to do... you've left a lot of holes in a lot of hearts. I miss you so much dude, you have no idea.

"What crimes have you comitted, demanding such penance, couldn't wait five more minutes, and a cry for help."

Have mercy on him Lord.

*** Lessons learned- Life is short (ok, I think I'm getting that one down God!). You never know when you will see someone for the last time, so make your moments count. Be the kind of friend that a friend would call if they ever thought of ending their life.

Christian Music Rant

2006-02-24T23:29:00.000-07:00

So I'd like to tackle another stereotype here. This blog is mainly aimed at long-time Christian music listeners and also people who don't listen to Christian music and think it's all lame....

QUESTION- How did pop and soft (late 80's/early 90's sounding) rock become the official sound of Christianity?

You're flipping through the channels and you hear something that you think might be Wilson Philips or something that reminds you of a pre-pubescent car ride in the Madonna era before you developed musical taste.... but to your horror, they're singing about God, and it's a newly produced song! You can taste vomit creeping up the back of your throat... and even though it's a song you've never heard you can predict the next three lines of lyrics exactly due to non-stop simple cliche's and basic rhyme patterns. The commercial break comes and a gospel of "tired of running around in circles all the time? Give GOD a try... call this number now..." is offered to the listener. You then have to pull over to the side of the road and dry heave for a bit as you realize this is the only view of Christianity much of a very lost world is receiving. Christians sit on their hands playing church, raising money to broadcast a glossed-over politically correct version of Christianity that doesn't remotely resemble the sacrifice, devotion, and death that I see in the Bible..... but that's another topic, let me get back to music.

If any of you have listened to your local "christian" station for any amount of time, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm not going to single out Christian artists I don't like and bash on people in this blog, instead I just want to paint this problem in broad strokes and make you think a bit.

There are unnamed people in this world ***cough-my dad and stepmom-cough*** that actually subconsciously believe that late 80's glam pop/rock sound is spiritually superior to "that stuff I listen to" that "they can't understand". There are also set-in-their-ways 'christians' that think anything remotely rock sounding Christian music (except Jeremy Camp for some reason) is a vain attempt by the youngsters to be rebellious, and that eventually we'll grow out of the fad and upgrade back to Point of Grace and Michael W. Smith.

Example Time: about a month ago my dad got into my truck with me when my XM receiver had just found one of my favorite songs at the time "King Without a Crown" by Matisyahu. Within 5 seconds of hearing the reggae sounds of the song, he quickly dismissed it as "what is that you're listening to? that stuff is just noise" I tried to explain to him how the lyrics are more deeply rooted biblically than anything you'll hear on christian radio, and that it not only connected with my spiritual man, but was also reaching a disenfrachnized/over-commercialized generation in the secular world with spiritual reality.... but then I realized this conversation was going to be about as fruitful as arguing with a hockey puck, so I just dropped it and changed the station....sigh....

It boggles my mind. I think the best way to fight these middle-aged lame christian-music propogators that think Christian Hard Rock is bad because it hurts their ears... is to introduce them to people who are even more stuck in a rut then they are. What you should do when you come into that situation like I had with my dad... is pull into the driveway of a 90 year old southern baptist couple that think old hymns performed with no drums whatsoever is the only way to properly sing to God, WHILE BLASTING THE LATEST MICHAEL W. SMITH (or whoever's) UPBEAT SONG AT FULL VOLUME! Then let old Virgil and Grace tear em a new one and tell them to turn that garbage down!!!

The lesson boys and girls... is that it's all relative. If people a little older than me can worship God with a pure heart to music that I think is lame, more power to em, but please let me worship my God to music that I relate to, and don't talk down to me about it like you've arrived to a higher plane of existence known as late 80's cheese.

The truth is worship is a state of the heart, not a particular sound, and not necessarily related to music at all. Music is just a tool that can assist the process and lift you spiritually towards a worshipful heart.

In all reality, there's as much diversity to great Christian music as there are to believers that make up the universal Body of Christ known as the "church". Just like God extends his grace towards all mankind, from polished affluent white folks to impoverished flag-burning Muslem extremists through the surpassing sufficiency of the Blood of Christ... In the same way the Holy Spirit can minister through various forms of music. I've felt the presence of God while singing a Hymn, and yelling along to some harcore stuff. We serve a God of endless creativity and diversity, and Christianity was never designed to be a cookie cutter mold you must fit in. Just like the body would not work if it was made of a pile of 300 eyeballs, so the body of Christ does not work unless we're a complex tapestry of different parts all obeying the author of the genetic code and the mind of Christ.

Musically, I just wish my generation had more access to the good stuff so they wouldn't have to resort to MTV for relevance (feeling the vomit creeping again). It's out there if you look people. You don't have to make your soul a victim to the worldly spiritual black hole that is mainstream media.

Cool Christians reading this please include some of your favorite bands in your comments to this blog, so that this may be a resource for those searching for musical substance not easily found in the mainstream.

Lots of love for my blog readers,

Clint

For My Wife #4

2006-02-14T23:31:00.000-07:00

This blog is for my wife, so if it seems stupid to you, I don't care... you're probably not my wife so shuttup.

Happy Valentine's Day babe, or as I've heard said before Happy Singles Awareness Day. I wonder if this will be our last Valentine's Day apart, or if there will be many more yet. Every time I think I'm getting close to finding you it seems like you get further away. I wonder if you feel the same about me

I just wanted to let you know I was off work, but I volunteered to work tonight so someone who wanted to have a date or something could have the chance to. I won't go on any date tonight. I won't give some random girl any part of me that belongs to you. Denver has been tough I've wanted to date more here than ever. I think it's because I don't have as many friends here yet, and I kind of want the comfort of a girl not to mention I've met tons more single girls here than I ever did in Prescott. But I'm sticking with the program and waiting on you. I hope you are doing the same.

I wonder if we'll end up living in this house I just got together...I wonder what you are doing right now.... Thinking about you feels like thinking about a country I plan on visiting I know it will be beautiful and amazing....I've heard a little about it but I won't really KNOW that country until I go there and experience it myself. And oh hey, I'm writing a song for you it's not done yet, but here's kind of a rough idea of what I have so far:

Ten years now alone

Sometimes feels like a decade down the dreain.

What am I fighting for?

I hope it's worth this self-inflicted pain.

I've seen it done wrong much more than right.

I've seen the tears and the shattered lives.

I don't want want good, I want the best.

A love that will last and pass any test.

I know I can't do it on my own.

I don't know why I try.

This world is empty when I'm alone.

I want you to be my bride.

Teach me to love you

More than I love myself.

Teach me to love you

More than anyone else.

Alright that's all I got right now. I do know we're going to teach each other so much about love it will be crazy...but for now I'm going to bed my capacity for expressing a coherent thought seems to have waved bye-bye to me at this point. I'm thinking about you, and I love you girl. Stay strong.

Your eventual husband,

Clint

Goodbye Lamond

2006-02-09T23:36:00.000-07:00

So I get an IM from an old friend last night Did you hear what happened with Lamond? My heart sank, my spirit told me immediately he was dead. No I didnt was my painful reply. My prediction turned out to be correct unfortunately. She proceeded to tell me that he died in a car crash, a head on, near Houston while returning from a Super Bowl party with a friend. A girl somehow was coming at them head on in the wrong side of the interstate. All three died instantly.

I havent seen Lamond in two or three years, but this accident has really rocked my world for several reasons. I will go into those reasons in this blog and also reminisce a bit about my old friend in honor of his memory.

Lamond was an amazing young man, and will always have a special place in my heart and memories. He was a 300lb black dude that could have easily ripped me limb from limb, a stud in football (played full scholarship division 1 in college), powerlifting champion, invincible, the kind of guy that you cant imagine ever dying but I dont remember him for those reasons. I remember how he was he biggest teddy bear, had the nicest heart, did the best Bill Cosby impression, had the most hilarious sneeze ever (ask me for an impression sometime, I can do it right on), and for some reason let me be his friend as a chubby tennis player, band geek, and all star academic white boy. Any one of those aspects of me was enough to alienate me from most of the football elite of north Texas but not Lamond. He accepted me, hung out with me, and made me feel special by just being able to call him a friend and not be lying. We joked around in every class together, told yo mamma jokes, quoted the movie Coming to America way too much. In math class hed copy my homework right in class. He probably thought I was a good student, but I just thought to copy it from a friend BEFORE class. I always say one of my biggest achievements in life was when I dunked Lamond at our senior swim party. Sure it was a cheap shot from behind, but I did it (I paid for it too when he finally caught me).

I came to know God before our senior year I changed a lot and lost some friends for it, but I didnt lose Lamond. He respected me and listened to me. I shared my faith with him sometimes and took him to church sometimes. He was always honest with me and never tried to put up a front with me like so many others did once I got spiritual. He shared with me some deep things in trust, and I did the same with him. After we got back from our first year of college, he even told me about different trials and temptations he had to deal with as a high profile college athlete now. We shared with each other our victories and losses in decisions we had made. We spoke of the future and dreams for life. We were both dreamers and could have done anything we wanted so it seemed.

This is so hard to type about Ive been crying almost this whole time and I think I will run out of tears soon. I know God has stuff figured out but I rarely understand His plans as they unfold with surprises like this. For some reason I survived my plane crash, while within this last year or two Ive seen so many fall to car wrecks: one of the high-schoolers I tutored, my good friends dad, an awesome family man and friend from the church where I worked, and now Lamond.

Ive been kind of tore up today because I havent seen him in so long, and now I cant I think back to this Christmas break. I was driving around Wichita Falls, bored out of my mind and sad none of my good friends were in town when I thought of Lamond. I should track him down, I wonder if hes here right now I thought, I would love to see Lamond again and hang out while Im here. But for some reason I didnt. I didnt have his number in my new phone, I didnt really think hed be in town, and I didnt bother looking him up, although I know I could have. And it turns out he was in town. The more I think about it, I think the Holy Spirit was prompting me to see Lamond one last time, but I was too dense to realize it till today. I was too busy thinking about myself, and ignored God and what could have been a very last meeting for me and him. It sickens me to think about this I cant talk about this anymore, it hurts too much.

RIP Lamond Foster. I love you, and I will miss you man.

***LESSONS LEARNED- Once again Im reminded that life is short. Once again Im reminded that people are what matters in this life. The kind of ceiling fan I want for my room or whatever Im obsessing about at the moment always seems so stupid when you get this kind of news. Im also reminded that I need to be more open to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit, because he could have an assignment for me today that I will never have an opportunity for again.

Tell people how you feel. Live in the moment. Talk about things that matter in eternity. Ask God what you need to do right now, and obey even if it seems silly like calling an old friend you havent seen in a couple years you never know.

Thanks for reading people that actually read my blogs have a special place in my heart for real, God bless you.

For the Seafood Lover in You

2006-01-17T23:46:00.001-07:00

So here I find myself sitting at my computer in my white button-down collar shirt, sporting a nametag with a lobster on top. I decided to continue waiting tables at night out here

Part of me wants to get mad because I thought I might not have to have a second job anymore. Part of me wants to get mad because I have a $150,000 worth of education and a commercial pilots license, Im not flying planes right now, and waiting tables seems like it would be below someone with my credentials. Part of me wants to get mad because they made me stay like 2 hours after my last table doing tons of chores and rolling silverware, stuff I never had to do in Prescott. Part of me wants to get mad because Im inevitably going to eat a bunch of cheddar bay biscuits, and that will make it hard to get a six pack.

BUT IM NOT GOING TO LET THAT PART OF ME WIN BABY!!!

IM ON THIS EARTH TO BRING GLORY TO MY FATHER! MY JOY IS NOT WRAPPED AROUND MY CIRCUMSTANCE!

Right when I started to get frustrated this evening while doing my millions of after hours chores making $2.30 an hour I decided to check myself and start singing praises to God. I praised God the whole time I rolled silverware, and the spirit of the living God literally descended on me in the back room and changed my world. I want to continue praying and praising, but this time with my fingers at my comp instead of my mouth. Heres how I roll:

Father God you are awesome! This is an amazing job! Its going to help me so much in this transition of my life. On one hand, the extra cash flow will greatly help me with all my new expenses and to help take care of the stuff that will come up as I try to move into and furnish a new home (which you are so incredibly allowing me to buy!). It will also be really good for me to have the health/dental/vision benefits this job provides me. On the other hand, this is an awesome opportunity to represent YOU, God most high, around a ton of new friends, friends that most likely dont really know you yet that I would not have had the privilege to interact with without this job! Lord I know you will use me in that place if I let you. Use me Lord. Let me be a light in this place. Help me work harder, purer, and with a better attitude than anyone, be exceptional, because I serve an exceptional God. May souls be touched, may eternity be served with a side of coleslaw. I thank you that I am in a warm place being paid a fair wage while people around the world and even down the highway from here are shivering, freezing, starving, and dying. You are so gracious to me Lord! Dont let me take your blessing for granted! May I never grumble and never complain. Thank you for teaching me to be a servant by being a server, you know I need to learn. Help me to be faithful in these smaller things, so that someday I might do great things for the Kingdom. May your spirit overflow and spill over onto my coworkers and hundreds of customers I will come in contact with daily. Minister through the overflow of your spirit, even when I dont speak a word. Let me be a conduit you can freely flow through in this place. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done. I love you with ALL of my heart! I could go on forever, keep typing this stuff forever, even though everyone probably stopped reading by nowstill I will praise your name. You are awesome! There is none like you, none beside you! No one can do the things that you do! No one can make my heart feel the way you do. Just one glance, one fleeting touch from you is greater than anything anyone on Earth can offer me. Praise, glory, and honor to my God! I dont want to stop, and I wont Im just gonna stop typing now for everyones benefit. Props if anyone got this far.

Applicable scriptures for applying this principal of Christian living to YOUR life:

- Philippians 1, and heck the whole book of Philippians. Its all about joy and happiness regardless of circumstance, its a book of Joy written from prison baby! Its short too, read it tonight!

- All the many psalms of praise, put them in your heart.

- "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Jesus (Luke 22:42)

- So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)

- If youre faithful with small things, more will be given to you. (The Bible somewhere, paraphrased from Clints head, someone help me out.)

Here's to the U.S. of A.

2006-01-13T23:47:00.000-07:00

So I’m in Colorado now… within my first 3 days I find a house I want to buy: good area, sweet house, brand new, great deal… Craig Scott and I are going in on it together (see my top 8). We’re in the process of working out the loan details and stuff right now. This got me to thinking… only in America could such a crazy thing happen like this.

For those that know me well, this would seem absurd. You would know I have very little money, student loans, and am just starting a new job… in other words, I should have no business buying a house. But yet, some bank somewhere is about to decide to give me hundreds of thousands of dollars based on what I told them I SHOULD make, and also because I haven’t screwed up royally financially yet (as in decent credit).

Enough about my house stuff though… the point of this blog is to salute my country… the US of A. This is a country where you can seriously have whatever you want. Anything you decide, seriously, you can achieve it here.

If you want to travel into space, you can do it here in the USA. You simply decide to do it, and there are several paths that can get you there. Sure you’ll have to work hard and sacrifice, but it’s doable. You want to play golf as your full time job? You want start a professional dodgeball league? You want to go around eating at different restaurants, criticize them, and get paid for it? You want to be a video game tester? Build custom motorcycles? Start a spa for pets? Well you came to the right country! You can do any of that stuff here.

It’s not all good though. There’s a dark side to this bright land of opportunity. Not only are you free to do any good ambition, but evil is available even more readily. For example: at any moment last year I could have borrowed a plane, and within an hour and a half be in the sin capital of the world, Vegas. Once there, I could have seen topless shows, borrowed money and bet it on the spin of a wheel, had any drug I wanted, even picked up a prostitute or two. You name the sin, it’s in the yellow pages…. Want to be a professional identity thief? A computer spammer? Pornographer? Organized crime boss? Work for the FAA or IRS? Well you came to the right country!

*** Disclaimer***- If you’re not a real Christian, this blog will make no sense from here down. Stop reading, and go check out my blog called “the gospel”.

Now let’s look at the spiritual side of this. The problem with living in the USA as a believer in Christ is that, although you can do whatever you want here, what WE want rarely coincides with what GOD wants for us. Our flesh, our imaginations, and forces of the demonic realm are pushing us towards self-indulgence, materialism, godlessness, brainlessness, and laziness. Generally the American Christian makes compromises… We tell God we’ll obey him if he meets certain terms and conditions. Those terms and conditions are derived from our flesh and culture:

Example #1- You want to date because everyone on TV and all of your friends date, but you don’t want to be promiscuous sexually because your pastor said sex before marriage is a sin… so what do you do? Easy, you simply Christianize your dating. Take a worldly practice and put a Christian spin on it so your Christian friends will approve of you. (I’m not talking about pre-marriage courtship here, but people that know they aren’t going to marry for a long time and just want to date for dating’s sake. See my dating blogs for more info.)

Example #2- You plan your future around cultural expectations and not after God’s glory. You’re an American, the right way to do things is go to High School, go to college, get a good job, buy a house, raise a family, acquire a bunch of nice things, help your kids get to college and repeat the process, retire comfortably, die in a hospital. If you don’t do that stuff, and in the right order… you’ve messed up. So you make sure you get that list done, and try to write God into all of it, heck you can read a Christian book to walk you through every step. I say that’s a bunch of a bull. Read your Bibles people. How many people that followed God lived predictable, routine, lives? Some slept on dirt, some on expensive finery. Some were slaves, others were kings (even in the same lifetime). Some were highly educated, some couldn’t read or write. The point is, they were all in the will of God, fulfilling their eternal purposes on this earth.

Mainstream American Christianity takes the cookie-cutter mold of the “American Dream” and tells you to invite Jesus along. JESUS on the other hand invites you to carry a cross, give up your life, consider yourself an alien in this world, and offer yourself as a living sacrifice. I’m not making this up!

If the American Church is going to be effective, we need to stop messing around with conforming to the image of popular culture. The message of the Bible is totally opposite of the American dream. It’s putting yourself last, not first.

Buying houses, getting married, getting educated, making money, etc… none of this stuff is inherently evil in itself. But it can be. How can getting an education possibly be evil you may ask? Well what is evil? I say evil is anything that is contrary to God’s will. God’s perfect will is absolute good, thus anything that opposes it, even if it’s saving a baby bunny from a well, is evil.

As a believer we have to know the true character and heart of God, trust in his omniscience, and goodness, and obey Him. We must put aside our fleshly desires, and become as bondservants to the only master truly worth serving. It’s our job to get to know Him through prayer and fellowship so that we will not mess stuff up. We have to be listening and communicating if we want to have a chance at obeying.

SUMMARY- Never assume you should go on to the next phase of your life just because your parents and culture are putting pressure on you. God has a specific plan for your life that only He knows. Dare to obey, dare to be different. I don’t know if you should be a missionary, or go to college, or go to a certain church…. Ask God and do what he says! Don’t limit yourself either. God can deliver you all the money you need to start a huge international business, or deliver you all the nourishment you need to survive for months on no food in a third world country. All things are possible through Christ, not through the USA. Put your faith in Him. When God reveals the next step to you, stand on it, bank on it. He won’t fail you. This world belongs to Him, created by Him and for His good purpose.

Selah.

Nice Guys Finish Last?

2005-11-29T23:49:00.000-07:00

Hello Cyberfans. So I posted this as a bulletin and got a lot of positive feedback so I decided to edit and expand it a bit and turn it into a blog:

Man I'm so tired of reading the bulletins from people saying how nice guys or nice girls finish last. You know the ones I'm talking about..... it's basically like: "I'm not a slut or I'm not a player.... but nobody likes me because I'm nice and don't sleep around... I'm the person you always say you want to be with.... I can cuddle without having to have sex... blah...blah....but when it comes down to it only jerks have girlfriends.... and I'm all alone.... everyone is my friend but I'm too nice to actually go out with.... nice guys/girls finish last....whaa whaa blah blah blah...repost this if you're a nice guy/girl or if you want a nice guy/girl....."

Tons of people are reposting those bulletins and have been all year... please don't take offense if you're one of the ones that has. My main issue is with CHRISTIANS who are spreading the "nice guy/girl" plague. And here's why:

Think about this people. You're basically complaining about not having boyfriends or girlfriends, and not getting "action" like everyone else does, because you don't compromise your standards and morals. That is not finishing last! That is finishing first! You WILL receive a reward for your diligent righteousness that is far greater than all the flirting, fondling and fornication in the world. God is faithful.

If anyone has a right to rant about the pain of being the "nice guy" while everyone around you is engaged in blissful debauchery... it's me. I promise I've felt the pain of pursuing purity just as much as you or more (with maybe two exceptions of all the people who will read this). I've been single forever, turned away several good and a few very tempting not good girls that have tried to crack this nut, not pursued girls when everything inside of me wanted to, held my tongue when I wanted to speak, been betrayed by my best friend over a girl.... I can relate to the the "nice guy" post more than most. But as a believer, I have to carry my cross and pay the price for something better. Since when do we have the right as christians to be like everyone else in the world. Were we not bought by the precious blood of Christ? (1 Cor. 6:20) Does the Lamb of God not deserve the reward for HIS suffering? We are called to be in this world and not "of" this world. (John 17:16) Brothers and sisters, let's stop complaining about our plight.... stop being so short-sighted and selfish.... and look to the heavens and see the big picture. "For this light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison" (2 Cor. 4:17)

The point is... I'm trying to be a nice guy, and I'm darn excited about "finishing last". and I'm not going to complain about it. If you need any more convincing, listen to J-dawg:

"So the last shall be first, and the first last." -Matthew 20:16

Last place here I come baby!!!!

(and clint steps off soapbox)

Rise Up Generation Life

2005-11-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

Rise up generation. Rise up. Stop playing around, we don't have time. The Lord is knocking at the gate.

Rise up generation life.

Rise up Church . Rise up. The time for self-indulgence is past. We are not a social club. That won't cut it. We are supposed to be soldiers.... we sit around playing cards in the barracks while the enemy has taken our land... our weapons go unfired, our armor goes unused... we can not win without going into battle. Victory comes by sweat. Victory comes by sacrifice. The general will not be pleased with our negligence of duty. Stand up together. Stand up and fight. Reclaim this land. There is a line drawn in the sand.

Rise up generation life.

Rise up lost ones. What are you living for? What are you working so hard for? Seek the truth. Seek eternity. Break through your TV screens. Break through your computer monitors. Remove the veil from your eyes. Find what is real. God is waiting. There is a way out from your sin. You are wandering in a labyrinth where the secret ending is Hell, and missing the straight path, a sure path to glory. God has paved the way, but you must take the step. Step from the kingdom of darkness and into the kindom of light. Step into real life.

Rise up generation life.

Rise up Clint. God can heal your broken wings. Your God can take you to new heights, a fresh wind is coming. It is time to leave your nest. It is warm and comfortable but there is more to see, more to do. You were made to hunt, to fish. You will fish from the air, diving with great precision from the heights to grab your catch. You are a fisher of men, souls will be your nourishment and delight. Spread your wings Clint. Stop acting like a captive when you have been released. That's no longer who you are. You have been freed from the confines of your sanctuary. You are free to soar. Take flight Clint.

Rise up generation life.

Amen.

Release

2005-09-28T08:32:00.000-06:00

My first attempt at writing a worship song, let me know what you think.

Release

Your greatness is astounding;
your beauty beyond compare.
Come in and surround me.
Take the burdens I can't bear.

Free my heart, free my mind.
Release me with your touch.
As I draw near I know I'll find
a never-ending love.

(bridge)
Lord I don't deserve you.
I cannot earn my keep.
Lord I need to find you.
Take me to my knees to weep.

(chorus)
Release from my sin and pride.
Release me from my lies inside.
Take me where I cannot hide.
Show me why you came and died.

Release me from this selfish state.
Release your spirit and your grace.
Take me to a higher place.
Lord I want to see your face.
Release me.

Sometimes I fear I cannot feel.
Life has become just stuff I do.
Take me in to what is real.
Take me further into you.

Sometimes I fall, I turn away.
I battle with my flesh and soul.
Heal me Lord, today's the day.
I want to live life to the full.

(bridge)
Lord I don't deserve you.
I cannot earn my keep.
Lord I need to find you.
Take me to my knees to weep.

(chorus)
Release me from my sin and pride.
Release me from my lies inside.
Take me where I cannot hide.
Show me why you came and died.

Release me from this selfish state.
Release your spirit and your grace.
Take me to a higher place.
Lord I want to see your face.
Release me.

Battle in a Man

2005-09-26T13:47:00.000-06:00

Good afternoon cyberfans. I'm kicking off my series on relationships..."the right way" with song lyrics. This song is about some young Christian dude who is engaged in a battle with lust, a battle every man faces at some point or another. Mixed in are about 7 or 8 verses from the Bible. I will explain the song more fully and more clearly define what "lust" is in my next blog.

Xarox's number one single.... the lyrics unveiled....

BATTLE IN A MAN

Why can't I see them like you see them?
Why can't I think about them like you think about them?
The battle rages on.
You say the victory's been won.
So why don't I see it?

Lord I want your purity
So all the world might see
Those who Christ set free
Are free indeed.

But Lord, you know the heart of every man
And by Your grace you gave us a battle plan.
And Lord, you feel my groaning and my pull.
You came to give life and to give it to the full.

And then I trip and fall.
I answer Satan's phone call.
I swear it won't happen again.
I want this life of sin to end.

I'm tired of this ride, I want off.
Everything I feel inside
Makes me wonder why you died
To save a wretch like me.

And then I trip and fall.
I want to hide but you know all.
The stolen glance, the secret thought.
I seem to do all the things that I don't want.

But Lord, you know the heart of every man
And by Your grace you gave us a battle plan.
And Lord, you feel my groaning and my pull.
You came to give life and to give it to the full.

***wailing guitar solo***

We can beat this
We can beat this
The Lord God paid the price

You can beat this
Jesus beat this
You can do all things in Christ

Plane Crash Part 2

2005-09-19T13:51:00.000-06:00

Plane crash continued......

(read part 1 first of course)

After I got picked up off the mountain and taken to Kingman, and then Prescott that night.... that's when things started getting hard.

I was met at the flight line by the leaders of the ERAU flight program. Their feigned empathy barely masked their anger as they interrogated me. After being grilled for awhile by the bigwigs, they sent me to the ER to get checked out for injuries and get drug tested..... I didn't get home till 11 or 12 last night to finally get some rest.

The FAA sent two investigators out the next day who told me how lucky I was to be alive. They told me, in thirty years of crash investigations, they had never seen anyone survive a box canyon crash. They looked at me in amazement, and told me, not only should I be dead, but they at least thought they'd be talking to me on a hospital bed with tubes sticking out of me. And there I sat unscathed before them.

I just realized I could write a whole novel about my post-crash experiences.... so here's the Cliff's notes version. You may ask me for more detail or questions, and I will answer them:

The FAA- Slow moving.... ridiculous organization. Kept me in limbo for months and months before ever reaching decisions. Originally they tried to give me a 90 day suspension, but I appealed for an informal meeting with an administrator. I told him the story of what happened. He believed me, he was nice, but he wasn't willing to put his job on the line for me. His logic was, "a plane crashed.... I have to show I did something." So he reduced my penalty to 45-days suspension, even though he admitted to me I didn't really do anything wrong and he'd done a lot worse in his own young flying career. It was all done about 8 months after the wreck. I now have full priveleges, and have gone on to earn my instrument, commercial, instructor, and multi-intructor ratings since the accident.

Embry-Riddle- clearly showed much more interest in protecting their reputation and name rather than telling the truth. The flight line leadership basically tried to portray me as a maniac who was not following the rules and distance me from the flight department so as not to tarnish its reputation. They conducted their own in-house investation of the crash that took months, and when I saw they final report, it had MANY errors, and they refused to release a copy to me (probably cause I could have easily sued them). The report in the weather section talked about how there were mountain waves reported all over the region that day, and the meteorolgist even testified that where I was related to the mountain range and the reported winds, I could have been in a downdraft of 600-1200 feet per minute (twice as fast as the plane can climb at those altitudes). Yet strangely enough in the conclusion section it said that, "Downdrafts and mountain waves were not a significant factor in the accident". Curious.

Lacking the balls to kick me out of the program himself, probably because I was a full-scholarship student with a perfect record in the flight program, Sean Geralds formed a five member panel to review the report, conduct it's own investigation, and decide my fate. And to "make it FAIR" I was allowed to choose two of the five members.... thanks, real fair Sean..... Long story short, there was a 3 to 2 decision to kick me out of the flight program, where my two panel choices (having more flight and investigation experience than the other three combined), ruled in my favor, and Sean's three, headed by Bob Sweginnis, ruled against me. I was allowed to stay on at Riddle academically, but had to switch majors and could never fly with them again. Good riddance. I ended up graduating magna cum laude and got more accomplished flying in my one year outside of riddle than I did in 2.5 years in their program.

In a crazy twist of fate. Two of them men that were most responsible for nailing me to the wall for Embry-Riddle, Bob Sweginnis, and Mike Corradi, died in a plane crash, a mid-air collision, the following semester. I did not wish this upon them, nor was I happy at all for their deaths, but I do see the irony.

Life In General- Still bummed nobody gave me pics of the crash....

After the accident, life was really in perspective for me. Stupid crap that doesn't matter like sports and TV, really didn't interest me at all. I really shared my faith a lot, told the story a lot, and told people a lot of open and honest things about my feelings (this created some of its own struggles).

I still love flying, more than ever. I love God, more than ever. And I do believe I have ultimately grown as a person and a pilot through this experience.

For My Wife #3

2005-09-14T13:54:00.000-06:00

I'm thinking about you again....

I know it's the dude that's supposed to do the rescuing, but sometimes I feel like I need you to rescue me.

I know I have the Lord.... I'm trying to walk with Him every day.... but there is still room in my heart for you.

In these times of confusion and misdirection when I'm struggling to decipher God's whisper from my flesh's pull and the enemy's lies.... I long for your sensitive spirit to help guide me into truth.

I need you as a spiritual partner as well as the cliche, "life partner". I need to hear you say, "No matter what, I'm with you... let's figure it out together. Let's press on. Let's not give up. Let's stand out. Let's be different, and never be satisfied." It's so weird how my priorities have shifted over time.... I think so much deeper than simply the physical side of our relationship... I think I need your spiritual grounding and companionship in my life way more than anything else.

Close friends (which seem harder and harder to keep nowadays) still can't even come close to the level of sharpening and support that a real live wife could.

Keep praying for me.... right now I'm feeling.... the sooner the better.

-C

Plane Crash Part 1

2005-09-11T13:49:00.000-06:00

I get asked to tell this story a lot, so I figured I'd type it out....

November 29, 2003

I set out that day around noon on a cross country solo flight from Prescott AZ to Laughlin NV and back. At the time I was a private pilot with a multi-engine rating. I was flying an Embry-Riddle Cessna 172.

The flight was going perfect, the day was beautiful, clear. I found Laughlin fine, did a touch-and-go landing, and headed back to Prescott. I was even ahead of schedule. I needed about 30 more minutes in the air than I was on pace to get back, so I decided to do some sightseeing in the middle of nowhere of northwest AZ.

I flew over an area of low elevation with dramatic canyons, and checked out an old dirt runway with some vintage bi-planes on the ground. After about 20 minutes of wandering the low desert country, I turned back direct towards Prescott using my GPS. I started to climb the plane back up to an appropriate cruise altitude as I approached a large rugged mountain range. Everything still going fine.

As I got closer to the mountains, I thought the plane wasn't climbing as well as it should. I did a quick check of all my engine instruments, and nothing was out of the ordinary. There was no indication of need for alarm, and next thing I knew I was climbing fine again, so I kept on going.

Things got worse as I got over the larger mountains of the area. Now I really noticed my plane didn't seem to be performing well, but couldn't figure out why. Nothing made sense, but the hills and mountains were getting bigger around me. I decided it would be best to try and get to a low elevation area again.

My climb performance got drastically worse, I was quickly below mountain ridgeline and looking for a way out. I made a left turn between two peaks hoping for a valley exit.... but there was none. A large mountain called Mohon peak loomed ahead, and there were ridges on either side leading me straight to it, I has entered a dead end box canyon. A pilot's worst nightmare.

I felt it too risky to chance a 180 degree turnaround within the canyon confines, and it looked like I had room to climb out if my plane would cooperate with me. I pointed my plane towards the lowest saddle in the ridge and was giving it full power with best climb airspeed. My plane did not cooperate. My airspeed bled dangerously low, I couldn't climb, and I realized I was not going to get out. At this point I believed my life would surely end that day. I was talking to God in the process and quite surprised I was about to enter eternity.

A lot went through my mind, I cried out to Jesus and kept flying down the canyon towards the dead end. At the last moment I made a 90 degree turn towards the left wall, and crashed as best as I could think to, brought my nose up as high as I could right before mountain impact, and at the slowest airspeed I could manage without stalling the nose down, and kept my wings level as I hit.

I hit hard. It was violent. It was loud. Everything seemed to crumble, shatter, and explode around me. The next thing thing I know I am outside of the plane. I guess right after impact I instinctively kicked out my door and jumped out figuring the plane was about to catch fire or fall backwards down the canyon. It did neither.

The plane stuck to the canyon wall (about 50 degree slope), jammed in on impact, no roll forward or backwards.... The engine cowling and parts of the front of the plane went about 200 feet up the mountain. The gear was smashed under the belly. The tail was crumpled and hanging off the back. The left wing where I exited was broken and hanging down, issuing forth a waterfall of aviation fuel from it's tank. Windshield Gone. Every bit of glass and instrumentation in the plane was shattered on impact. Left side where my legs were was all crumpled in. That plane was messed up.

Still fearing a fire or dislodging, I grabbed the survival kit from the back, turned off all electrical switches, and got the heck away from the plane.

After I was a safe distance, I noticed much to my surprise that not only was I not dead.... but I wasn't even hurt, not even a minor cut or scrape.... nothing!

I then went into survival mode. I wanted to get found... I still felt like I could die out there in the middle of nowhere, but I wanted to give myself the best chance.... I decided I'd figure out where I was exactly. I climbed the nearest peak and pulled out my topographical map. 360 degrees every direction there wasn't a single building, road, or sign of life. I knew I needed to stay near the aircraft as long as I could, and make myself easy to find. I built two signals at the top of two different peaks near the crash site. One was an orange tent I turned into a huge windsock with sticks and rope. The other was a silver flag made from a solar reflective blanket.

I then hiked back down the mountain to see if the radios had survived at all, they hadn't, but there was a red light on indicating the emergency transmitter in the tail was transmitting a signal.... good.

I then hiked back up the peak and waited. I spent some time writing my thoughts, writing letters to my family and friends in case I died, and reading a pocket Bible I had with me. I prayed and of course thanked God a lot for sparing me. After a few hours I saw a plane in the distance and was able to signal it with a mirror. They were out looking for me, and I eventually caught their attention. They circled for awhile and eventually a chopped came out to pick me up. I had to hike over another mile just to get to a place where the chopper could remove me from the mountain, I hope that gives you an idea how rugged the terrain was. I got lifted off the mountain right as it turned dark, on what would have been a cold and sucky night....

God was with me. He is the one responsible for me being here today.

I will write another blog shortly telling you more about how it happened and what happened to me afterwards.....

Here's to Another Year of Living

2005-07-19T13:55:00.000-06:00

As the night draws to a close on my 22nd birthday's eve, I feel like writing a blog about nothing in particular, mainly because I haven't blogged in awhile.

It's beginning summer monsoon season here in northern AZ, there were scattered thunderstorms today. After dinner and some prayer time with my friends phil and jess... the air finally smelled of rain. The wind chime on their porch announced the presence of the oncoming storms. The bells also chimed a starting point for my goal of the night.... find God and get wet in the process.

I quickly excused myself and hopped in the truck I call Josiah. Immediately turning on the wipers and lights as the large raindrops plunked the windshield with increasing intensity.

Pulling into the national forest, I quickly parked, tied my shoe laces tightly (or placed into "active mode" as I would say), and grabbed a water bottle and headlamp for the run up Thumb Butte. The sun set as I ran up the steep trail. A sunset in a rainy forest is most peculiar. The forest turned a pale yellow glow darkening to an amber, then dark green. It rained as I ran. I would have been freezing in my shorts and t-shirt if I hadn't been so physically taxed from the run. Instead, sweat mixed with rain and my side begin to ache... it seems so much steeper than I remember. "I'm going to find you God, where are you?"

Finally reaching the top of the groomed trail, I set off for the rock-climb/boulder-scramble off-road section the last several hundred feet to the summit. The rain has stopped but it's getting hard to see the rocks as I climb ever higher. I leave my water bottle where I can find it later when I need both hands to climb up a crack in the rocks. Reaching a ledge stopping point, lightning flashes closeby and the wind gusts violently in a circle around me. "I just want to talk God, I come in peace."

Why are these boulders moving? Another bolt of lightning reveals the ladybugs are out in full force. At the peak there are many boulders completely carpeted in swarms of them. "Sorry ladybugs." I say as I climb past them in a Godzilla like fashion; sometimes losing my footing from ladybug guts.

As I reach the highest point the sky is purple and just light enough to make out all the surrounding mountains. I can see four different storms with my 360 degree vantage point, each with a wonderful lightning display. The demands I wanted to make of God seem so small as the awesome power of my creator is on display all around me. I worship Him. I praise Him. "I'm sorry I've been away so long."

"Where do I go from here? What will become of my broken heart? Is she the one? Will you at least whisper in my ear so I can know for sure?" I know He hears me.... I sense Him in the air... but I can't hear his response. I wait. I plead. Nothing. It's my fault, I am trying to turn God on like a lightswitch after living in the dark for awhile. Teach me how to listen again God.

The sky fades to black. The storm continues; without and within.

"Thank you God for 21 years, it's already more than I deserve."

Somaliland Conference

2005-07-07T13:58:00.000-06:00

Hello again everyone, this blog is about 1-2 weeks overdue, sorry:

I attended the first ever international conference for Somaliland a couple weeks ago out in LA, it was pretty awesome.

Somaliland broke off of Somalia after a bloody war that ended in 1991. It's on the northern border of somalia on the horn of Africa, right against the gulf of Aden. This country has about 3.5 Million people, and has been functioning as a peaceful democratic state for 15 years now. I know what you're thinking though, "how come I've never heard of this country?". Well, that answer is easy, according to the USA and international community, it doesn't exist. They have legal rights as a country, and have met every united nations requirement needed, but still have not been recognized by the African Union, or the UN for political reasons only.

Refugees, political leaders, and friends of Somaliland came from all over the world to meet at this conference, and it was my pleasure to get to hang out with them. For more information about Somaliland visit somaliland.org or tasteofafrica.com Enough info, here's some of my random observations and thoughts about the people I met:

- the people are very unique looking, like between middle eastern and black.
- absolutely an amazing spirit of resilience was in that place. People who had lost everything or fled for their lives, or seen much suffering and death, were so happy and resolved to fight for their country in the political arenas of the world.

- for a muslim nation, the women at the conference were very powerful, articulate, and well-respected. It kind of caught me off guard. They wore very beautiful clothing of all kinds of colorful and exotic fabric, like body wraps... it was neat looking.

- we take our country very much for granted

- their national anthem was like the coolest song I've ever heard, for real. It was freaking 15 minutes of dancing to a phat beat, it's still stuck in my head.

- I want to go there pretty badly.

I'm going as soon as I can, hopefully late august or so. Africa is getting in my heart more and more.

I Miss TV

2005-06-29T14:00:00.000-06:00

Haven't had cable TV or any TV for that matter for several months now...... you gotta give it a try people. It's pretty crazy, I can now no longer live vicariously through others, I can no longer turn off my brain and vege (how do you spell that?) out to escape reality, reality is now my reality as opposed to reality tv, I no longer have any idea what's going on in sports... and I don't even care, I have to deal with people more, I have to deal with myself more, I have to deal with God more.

It's so easy to get caught up in... such an easy temporary escape... such an easy avenue for mind control and brainwashing... everybody does it..... not me.

I don't think I really want to have TV ever again. Yeah I've felt out of the loop on quite a few conversations about the latest show of this or that, or sporting events, but guess what.... that crap doesn't matter.

Father's Day

2005-06-19T14:02:00.000-06:00

Father’s Day 2005

To my dad John Fiore: You have taught me so much. I am very grateful for your influence on my life. You helped instill work ethic, a sense of right and wrong, and respect for people. I’ve seen you at your worst, and I believe I’m seeing you at your best now. You are a walking talking example of the “new creature” from 2 Cor. 5:17. The 180 God did in your life truly inspires me. Your new wife and new marriage are holy and good. Your courage through sickness and refusal to quit against all odds are an awesome example. You’ve lived a crazier life than I can ever live. You put your life on the line countless times for democracy, for your country… we are all in your debt. Keep pressing on, keep up your labor for this nation, and especially for the kingdom of God. I’m sorry for the years that were lost in our relationship, but I believe that God is restoring what the enemy destroyed and took from us and will make our bond in blood (natural blood and Christ’s) stronger in the coming years than it ever would have been. I love you and I’m glad you are my dad. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

To God my Father: Words can’t even scratch the surface of what I’d like to say to you, but you can see past… see me better than the words I can type… see my heart this father’s day. Without you intervening in my life I would literally be dead and rightfully in Hell right now. Your love is indescribable. Your mercy and patience with me constantly blows my mind. Not only did you save my physical life numerous times in dramatic fashion (jeep down cliff, plane crash, etc…), you saved me from myself and suicidal depression, but that wasn’t even enough for you. You saw my dead spirit and the sin that had choked and captured me by my own choosing, and gave me the best gift of all, my spiritual savior Jesus. You traded the blood of your prized and spotless lamb for this dirty black sheep. Every time I think of it I’m humbled beyond words. You knew… you knew I would still mess up even after you saved me… you knew of my future disobedience… you knew I would spit in your face… play the harlot… yet you still pursued me. I cannot repay you. There is nothing I can offer you, no recompense for my actions. The fact that you want to be associated with me is incredible. Please make something out of my life. You know I can’t, but I know you can. Bring glory to yourself, to your son through this new life you’ve given to me. Make your name known to those who know you not. Make me an arrow in your quiver; an arrow to pierce the nations and pierce the heart of man. I realize an arrow is just a useless stick on the ground fit for kindling in the fire until the maker transforms it. Furthermore, it is still only useful when fired with skilled hands at a specific target. Show me a target of your choice Lord, aim me, supply the speed and energy to penetrate the skin and go to the heart, and guide me through the air to fly straight so I might not miss.

You are my number one, my everything, my best friend, my first love. Eternity is not long enough to spend with you. I love you Father. Thanks for adopting me.

Adventures in Normal Christian Life

2005-06-12T14:03:00.000-06:00

Adventures in Normal Christian Life 1:

Frustrated, he listens to the radio. The music is intense. It mocks him. The world is crying out and he can’t silence its voice.

Deep conviction fills his heart as he reflects back on his past. Thinking back to Texas, Mexico, Denver, Los Angeles… fond memories of lives touched by a willingness to reach people with Christ. He used to share his faith in real ways regularly, sometimes even daily. He remembers the seeds planted, and even the tearful salvation of many. He remembers how even when he didn’t see results, he never felt more alive.

There is no drug, no activity, nothing even remotely comparable to the rush of speaking eternity into the soul of a lost human. He knows from experience. He’s lived much more life than most kids his age, or so it seems.

“Am I so different now?” he wonders, “God is not different.” Scripture floods his mind. God is the same yesterday today and forever. The Great Commission has become a six hundred pound gorilla dwelling in his room, quietly staring. He can’t ignore it any more.

The box arrives unannounced on his doorstep. His favorite gospel tracts, pennies pressed with Ten Commandments. Old friends, helpers, tools of talk in his abandoned journey for relevant conversations with eternal significance. He turns a penny over and over between his fingertips, silently praying, searching for strength. He knows all the knowledge, all the tools, and all the answers will be of no help to anyone if wielded without a heart of love and compassion. “Give me my heart back Lord,” he solemnly requests.

He’s been carrying the tracts every day for a week now. Every night he apologizes to his God as he places them unread on his desktop. Despite his heavy heart he hopes on tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day.

He sets out Saturday morning. Tools in pocket, favorite partner at his side, he drives to the festival. The two walk about randomly, “Where to go? Where to start? Who, Lord?” he thinks. They meet Christian friends, they talk about their faith. That is more comfortable. He’s good at that. It seems like talking about his faith with believers in his faith is coming naturally through much practice, while actually living his faith and putting his many words into practice seems much more difficult. The cloud of conviction still hangs over his head as he goes to the next spot.

Downtown the crowd is huge. With no more friends and small talk to distract, he sets across the courtyard with his witnessing partner renewed resolve. His head spins as he gets lost in the festival. So many people, so many souls, yet he cannot speak. He slips into the funk of futility and is powerless and helpless to reach even one of the thousands around him. He leaves more frustrated than before after a couple hours of never breaking past pleasantries.

He sings at church that night; right in front. Guilt and shame wash over his worship. “I hope these poor people aren’t fooled into thinking I am obedient to God because I am on stage,” he whispers, “I can’t even get down the basics.” He apologizes to the church for his hypocrisy and leaves.

Back at home with his Christian friends surrounding him again. He feels smothered by the casualness of conversation. “We do this every night,” he thinks as he participates, “We’ll have eternity to do this. The world is dying.”

His emotions and heart are running raw. He doesn’t feel like himself any more. “Stupid heart, stupid emotions,” he says into his pillow as his friends leave for another destination. His belly feels like a burning fire of confusion over love, friends, and faith. He can’t sleep. He goes to his truck.

Driving up mountain roads through the forest, his fingers find melancholy music on the radio to match his mood. He just wants to get lost. He tries to clear his mind by focusing on shifting and braking through the mountain wilderness. The road gets increasingly narrow, windy, and difficult. This exercise of coordination and precision driving brings momentary distraction from the storm inside. He turns up the volume and presses deeper into the darkness.

After a thousand hairpin turns, he wonders how he will ever find his way home, but yet doesn’t care if he ever does. Much to his surprise the road suddenly turns to pavement around the next bend and he’s headed right back to the center of town. “Great,” he muses, “I can’t even get lost when I want to.”

Still not wanting to go home he parks by the courthouse. “Maybe I’ll write a song or something,” he thinks as he grabs his notebook from the passenger’s seat. He takes some small comfort knowing the good lyrics often emerge from emotional wreckage.

He startles the young man playing guitar slightly as he plops down nearby. The young man didn’t hear him come up from behind. As he pulls out his notebook the young man offers a cigarette and a subdued greeting. He politely declines and starts to write. The music being played makes him realize they are both damaged hearts colliding from different worlds near the steps of the courthouse.

He couldn’t write tonight after all… As the music stops, him and the young man start a conversation. He’s one year younger and goes by the name of Greg. He and Greg talked for probably two hours that night, but neither of them ever looked at a watch till the end. Backpacking, girls, and music turned into God, the Ten Commandments and universal truth. The gospel and many scriptures and stories were shared by new friends before a casual departure into the early morning hours.

I am praying for you Greg.

My Life in a Poem

2005-06-09T14:05:00.000-06:00

It's EXTREMELY rare that I write poetry, but this just happened last night while I couldn't sleep from like midnight to 2AM. I'm not much of a poet, but at least you'll get to hear my life story from early childhood up to the end of high school. I'll have to do like a part two to cover the last 4 years I think. Here goes:

I love you dad.

You take care of me.

You taught me how to play ball.

You take me out for ice cream.

But sometimes you change dad.

I really don’t know why.

I hide in my room

when I hear you yell at night.

Don’t you love mom?

Why do you have to fight?

Sometimes you change daddy.

You change sometimes at night.

I’m getting bigger now dad

I don’t hide any more

I want to stop the fights

Don’t want to run out the door

Off we go again

Escaping in the van

You’re chasing us in the truck

Mom’s driving fast as she can

I’m talking to the operator now.

I told her about your gun.

I know you won’t use it daddy.

But please don’t make us run.

You blocked the road completely.

I still recall the sound.

We locked the doors to keep you out

Now you’re handcuffed on the ground.

I hate you dad.

I don’t want to see you any more.

Every other weekend I escape.

I run right out the door.

They can’t make me see you.

I don’t love you any more.

I want to end my life

But the knife falls to the floor.

Sometimes I change at night dad

When I’m alone in bed.

Hatred fills my heart.

Evil fills my head.

I hate you God.

I wish you were not real.

I didn’t deserve this God.

You don’t know how I feel.

I thought you could protect me.

Why did you make me fall?

I went to church with Grammy.

She said you’d hear me when I called.

Forget you God.

I wish you would leave me alone.

If this is life with you,

I’d rather try it on my own.

I hold the beer on Friday.

I pretend I like the taste.

No one suspects the pain inside.

They don’t see through my smiling face.

I drive my truck too fast.

I barely miss the train.

The girl that once rode with me

Only adds unto my pain.

I play sports and make dirty jokes

So my friends will think I’m cool

I make the grades and change my speech

To keep the adults fooled.

My life is a charade

Everyone thinks I’m having fun

The demon in the mirror

Reveals what I’ve become.

I told you to leave me alone God

You don’t listen very well

Your pursuit was relentless

As I hurtled straight toward Hell.

When you finally caught me

Conviction gripped my heart

I used to blame my circumstances

But I knew I played my part.

“I’ve disobeyed your rules Lord

I’ve broken your commands

I can’t make up for what I’ve done

There’s much blood on these hands”

“I was there through it all Clint.

I know everything you’ve done.

I knew before you were born

That I’d have to send my son.”

I hadn’t prayed in years

So I just talked to God that night.

I ran into his open arms,

Gave up, surrendered my fight.

I was a boy of sorrow

But he wiped away my tears

He placed a joy inside my heart

I’d never felt in all my years

He changed my life completely

My friends stared in disbelief

Some were happy for my change

Most just thought I was a freak

I had much to learn

Much ground to reclaim

I missed the target a lot

But never changed my aim.

I am still not perfect,

Far from it in fact.

But that’s ok, I will press on.

There is no turning back.

For My Wife #2

2005-05-31T14:07:00.000-06:00

I love you girl. I just wanted to remind you of that. I can’t stop thinking about you. You have captured my heart. You are uniquely special to me. You are my prize, yet I receive you not because of my performance, but because my God loves me for some reason. He has trusted you to me. I don’t want to let Him down this time. I will not fail you.

You are the second best gift I have ever received. You will always be second in my life. I know it doesn’t sound romantic, but if you knew my first love, it would make sense. Second place to a man whose first place is Christ is better than first place to a sinner or hypocrite. The more I seek my God who is the embodiment of love, the more perfect love from above will overflow into our lives as we live as one.

I promise to never put you first. Don’t misunderstand. I will put you in front of myself, but I seek to put Jesus first in our lives.

If you will take my hand, I promise you a life so different, so dynamic, the world won’t know what to do with us. I will lead you down a difficult path marked with sacrifice. We will do things that make no sense. We will give away things that are most precious. We will bless those that curse us. We will stop eating when we want food the most. You may be asked to learn many languages, ride on a motorcycle, take the controls of an airplane while I pee out a window, or try to rope a llama that’s getting away. You may have to put your life on the line many times. You almost certainly will have to keep me awake all night after my next concussion. I’ll try not to make you pick up dirty clothes after me. We will change oil together and hopefully diapers too someday. As far as money goes, I will need you to be incorruptible by millions and content with poverty. The only guarantee I make is that our lives will not be normal.

I will be far from perfect, and often be confounded by the depth of your feelings and emotions. Trying to explain them to me will be like trying to explain the internet to an ant, but I will listen and do my best. I will love you with ferocity. I will pray with you daily. I will give you a massage 100 times out of every 100 times you ask one of me. I will kill spiders for you and battle demons for you. I will only have eyes for you, and be able to tell you that without lying. I will be willing to die for you, and be able to tell you that without lying. Sometimes I will get lost looking in your eyes and forget what I was about to say, but you will have to forgive me.

I love you girl. Nothing you do will be able to change that. You are stuck with me.

Author’s notes:

To those of you that are not my wife and are reading this…. You may think I’m psycho…. Since I am single and not even dating or whatever…… but read Hebrews 11:1 and see what the definition of faith is.

To those of you that are my wife and are reading this (what did I just say?)….. I’m sure this rant makes perfect sense…… keep hanging in there, keep being patient with me…… I will come for you. Keep praying for me big time, and I will do the same. Love ya.