My Review of Thorlo Hiking Crew Socks

Originally submitted at REI

This hiking crew sock keeps feet dry and comfortable.

Thorlo Hiking Crew Socks

Thorlo are always a best choice!

By PnP from Sacramento, CA on 10/21/2009

 

5out of 5

Gift: No

Fit: Feels true to size

Pros: Good Design, Durable, Wicks Away Moisture, Comfortable

Best Uses: Hiking, Running, Daily Use, Backpacking

Describe Yourself: Casual Adventurer

Thorlo socks are always a best choice for any activity, and they cover all the bases for fit, etc. BTW, if your socks "get a funky smell", the problem is your feet, NOT the socks, especially Thorlo!

(legalese)

Relationships

Honesty and Trust are hallmarks for any healthy relationship. But we are imperfect people, so accountability and forgiveness are also needed. It takes self sacrifice and perseverance, but the blessings are worth it.

"Five Things I Wish I Had Known Before I Was Married":

#1: Marriage is not all about you. It's not about your happiness and self-fulfillment. It's not about getting your needs met. It's about going through life together and serving God together and serving each other. It's about establishing a family. It's about committing your lives to each other even though you may be very different in 10, 20, or 40 years from the people you are now.

#2: You are about to learn a painful lesson--you are both very selfish people. This may be difficult to comprehend during the happy and hazy days of courtship, but it's true, and it shocks many couples during their first years of marriage. It's important to know this revelation of selfishness is coming, because then you can make adjustments for it, and you will be a lot better off.

#3: The person you love the most is also the person who can hurt you the deepest. That's the risk and pain of marriage. And the beauty of marriage is working through your hurt and pain and resolving your conflicts and solving your problems.

#4: You can't make it work on your own. It's obvious that marriage is difficult--just look at how many couples today end in divorce. This is why it's so critical to center your lives and your marriage on the God who created marriage. To make your marriage last for a lifetime, you need to rely on God for the power and love and strength and wisdom and endurance you need.

#5: Never stop enjoying each other. Always remember that marriage is an incredible gift to be enjoyed. Ecclesiastes 9:9 says, "Enjoy life with the woman whom you love all the days of your fleeting life which He has given to you under the sun; for this is your reward in life and in your toil in which you have labored under the sun."

only by Grace & Love, Pat & Patti

All those emails of questionable value . . .

Okay, first a disclaimer or confession . . . I know I am among those who fill up in-boxes with sometimes annoying emails. I do hope, however, that at least some people find a measure of worth in my messages? I often get several emails a day from friends, which are nothing more than the latest "tabloid" cyber gossip. They belong in the same category with FaceBook and Twitter, although maybe not as mundane as some of those posts?! Likewise those "chain emails" of truly questionable "security" that are often used to "search" your hard drive or simply your mailing lists. I suppose for some these are entertaining, but I fail to find the true worth in the circulation of these shallow missives. Again, I hope my own frequent messages hold some treasure, if only for a few? I can usually be confident that if I quote God's Word, I can't go wrong.

So herewith, some great practical and holy advice for living:

Philippians 4:1-9

1Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!
Exhortations
2I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to agree with each other in the Lord. 3Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow,[a] help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.


Colossians 3:12-17

12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.


AMEN.

Encouragement . . .

The following is an excerpt from a recent letter I sent my daughter. I began to realize as I reread it myself that there are many people who need this same encouragement from our loving God. Life is full of struggles and times of stress, we need to "find" those places of peace whenever we can . . . and be thankful.

obG, pat


I have put together some of God’s promises that apply well to your life right now, I hope they will encourage you, as they have me over the years. Whenever you get anxious or stressed, remember that He is always very close . . . take a deep breath and breath out slowly, then let Him fill you back with His fresh air. And, remember all you have to be thankful for . . . you’ll see that in the long run “it’s all good.” So, here you go . . . be encouraged:

First from Isaiah 40, yes you know some of this –

Isaiah 40

Comfort for God's People

1 Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.

11 He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.

26 Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
and calls them each by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.

28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

One of my favorites . . . thanksgiving is the antidote to worry and anxiety:

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 4:4-7]

And finally, in no special order, here are many of God’s promises if you will only quiet yourself and listen for His voice speaking His love to your own heart:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God[a]; trust also in me.” [Jesus]

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” [Jesus again]

when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. [Proverbs 3:24]

I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.

I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

3 He put a new song in my mouth,

Psalm 121

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over you will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

Psalm 139

1 O God, you have searched me
and you know me.

2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.

4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O God.

5 You surround me with your love—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.

9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"

12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!

18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

"Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you.
I've called your name. You're mine.
When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you.
When you're in rough waters, you will not go down.
When you're between a rock and a hard place,
it won't be a dead end—
Because I am God, your personal God,
The Holy of Israel, your Savior.
I paid a huge price for you:
all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in!
That's how much you mean to me!
That's how much I love you!
I'd sell off the whole world to get you back,
trade the creation just for you.” [Isiah 43]



Yep, He loves you that much, and His plans are good (Jeremiah 29:11), to prosper you and give you a blessed future.

Father Knows Best . . .

Getting older means having the blessing of hindsight, being able to see God's Hand in life through many seasons, and realizing that He was in control and having our "best" in mind and heart, even we didn't think so, even when we felt our prayers weren't being answered.

The truth is God knows our future, sees all the obstacles we will face, all the trials, AND also all the joys and blessings. He knows that overall His plans are good and will prosper us, not harm us. We may experience some trials, but through them as we remain faithful and lean on Him, we will grow closer to Him and more like His Son. I spent many years (too many) magnifying my troubled circumstances, catastrophizing things and projecting or compressing things into one present time and becoming overwhelmed by it all. Learning to live each day in thanksgiving and trusting God for everything has taken some time, but I feel like I'm truly there . . . yes, even better than Mom now! I am a mellow old fellow these days. :-)

We are called to trust by and in God. Trust that He knows where you will both be in one year, ten years, and so on. You do the best you can, but leave the rest up to Him. You have a long life and future ahead of ;you, and there will likely be different places and experiences during that time, and certainly many different "seasons" in that lifetime. Learn to "rest" in God whenever you can, little moments or prolonged times, but let Him give you His Peace . . . pray Philippians 4:4-7, remembering to give up all the concerns and anxieties, and at the same time giving thanks for all the blessings He has already bestowed on you both. That thanksgiving is His "antidote" to anxiety. Then meditate on those blessings and think about those things in 4:8-9. This life really is all about surrendering everything to God, then allowing Him to guide us and show us what we are to be doing at any particular time.

Our Daily Bread
September 7, 2009
Unanswered Prayers

An explanation we often hear for “unanswered” prayers is that we don’t have enough faith. But Jesus said in Luke 17:6 that if we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can command a mulberry tree to be uprooted and planted in the sea and it will obey us. In other words, the effectiveness of our prayers depends not on how much faith we have but on whether we even have faith.

Luke tells of a Roman centurion with “great faith” (7:9). His faith was expressed first as an appeal to Jesus to heal his dying servant. Then it was expressed as an acknowledgment that Jesus could heal his servant anytime, anywhere. The centurion did not ask Jesus to do things his way.

Faith has been described as “trusting God’s heart and trusting God’s power.” Some prayers that seem to go unanswered are simply instances in which God has lovingly overruled our wishes. He knows that what we have asked for is not best. Or it may be that our timing is not His timing, or He has some far greater purpose in mind. Let us remember, even Jesus prayed to His heavenly Father, “Nevertheless not My will, but Yours” (Luke 22:42).

Do we have the centurion’s great faith—a faith that trusts God to do His work, in His way? — C. P. Hia


Unanswered prayers are answered still
As part of God’s great master plan;
They help to carry out His will
To demonstrate God’s love for man. —D. De Haan


God’s answers are wiser than our prayers.


Philippians 4:4-9 (New International Version)

4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.


love, Pops

Discernment in the age of Mass Communication

Discernment in the Age of Mass Communication:
As a fledgling Christian, I find myself often conflicted by so much information coming in to my mind for processing. This age of mass communication is fraught with pitfalls and wrong way streets, and for one like myself who is too quick to react, talk, etc. . . . well, it is a perilous journey when I lose my focus on Jesus Christ! Why just today I stumbled in indiscretion and had to ask for forgiveness from a dear sister in Christ, as well as others who were brought into our plight. That said, I have been trying lately to find my way through Scripture, and with the help of Christian saints through the ages, to that place of truth and discernment. The search was prompted by a growing concern with the parade of false prophets, false prophecies and demon/deliverance ministries that seem to be so prevalent in our world today. Before I share what I’ve gleaned from my reading, I should say up front that I was not surprised to find in the end that a focus on Jesus Christ, both historical and living, is the key to living this life of a Christian, this life with God.
So, let me start with a quote from Richard Foster reflecting on J.B. Phillips attention to Scripture. “We now have the dubious distinction of being able to communicate more and say less than any civilization in history. We have become as Clement of Alexandria says, ‘like old shoes – all worn out except for the tongue.’ And because so many words bombard us from so many media we tend to pay little attention to them. Can you or I remember even a single full sentence from the last movie we saw, or the last email we received? What we must learn, therefore, is discernment. Some words deserve sustained attention, others do not. [Right here I’m thinking that’s what most people probably think about all my emails.] The phrase that Phillips uses too such delight – “rich in mercy” – is a reality we all could soak in for a very long time. In contrast, we should probably speed read the latest book from the New York Times bestseller list, for likely it deserves no more than five or ten minutes of our attention. In fact, it is a positive virtue for us to remain ignorant of much of the attention getting, ego driven, greed motivated words that whiz by on the information superhighway. We do so in order to be attentive to words that speak life into our souls. This, too, is a discipline.”
Okay, so we can choose to ignore all the contemporary media hype out there; turn off the TV, read the newspaper less, avoid the magazines and tabloids, but what about finding truth in Christian literature, or even within Holy Scripture which all too often seems to get twisted by Christians?! I think finding truth, God’s Truth, is wrapped up in the life we choose as a Christian. This life of trying to follow Christ, this life in God is a spiritual journey (attested to by many Christian saints through the ages) that requires our focus and attention to discipline (training or “working out”.) Going all the way back to John Cassian (360-435 AD) we find this notion of discernment, to Cassian, “the mother of all virtues”. It is through discernment that we not only find our way in the world, but also our way to God, to an intimate knowledge of God. Gayle Beebe writes in Longing For God, “Discernment is the virtue that keeps us from the snares of the devil and on the path to God. It is the lamp of the body, the guide of life and the source of sound judgment. [I could certainly use more of that!] It teaches us how to make wise decisions in human affairs and also about God.”
Martin Luther recognized and affirmed that Jesus Christ is alive and here to teach His people Himself. Recognizing that ourselves, we always need to reconcile our “experiences” with the testimony of Scripture, and the community of faith. Christ will teach us through the Word and His Body, the church, the community of faith. False prophets, false prophecy, false doctrine, as well as the evil dweeb parading as an angel of light will be with us until He comes to make all things new. Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), who started the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) was occupied with the truth and actually came up with some wise early steps to discerning the truth:
1. Test claims in light of example of Christ
2. Consult Holy Scripture
3. Consult the saints throughout the ages
4. Consult responsible, leading Christians of the day
5. Pray
6. Study
7. Balance prayer and study with action in order to know God and express His Will
I suppose those sound very familiar to many of us? We also often hear that we should “listen” to the Spirit’s promptings, but how can we discern whether we are “hearing” God’s Spirit, or something or someone else? The steps above are certainly helpful, but I also found some wise words from Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) on distinguishing the voice of God from the dweeb or our own imagination; “When the leading is from God it comes through words that are very different from our common speech. Leading from God comforts us, and restores community. It lingers a long time and becomes an ever more weighty concern. When the leading is from God it also brings a sense of certitude, peace and inner delight. It produces profound breakthrough and fresh new insight. Our spirit-led, trusted friends confirm the leading and our thoughts surrounding the leading dwell on God alone.” So, always this sense of God’s Peace and certitude, which makes sense to me. Even when I’ve been convicted by something, there is always a sense of peace, not judgment or guilt. Yes, I am compelled to repent and seek forgiveness, but always with a sense of trust and goodness at hand. Teresa’s “Bookmark”, a prayer of her own, is comforting; “Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing alarm you. While all things are passing; God is unchanging. Be patient and you will gain everything. With God in your heart nothing is lacking. God alone suffices.”
So, this brings me to the area of concern that prompted this search in the first place. What about all these modern day prophets, prophecies, healing ministries and deliverance (demon casting) ministries? What is true, what is of God and what is just nonsense or worse yet a charade to gain people’s trust and money?! Richard Foster writes in Longing For God, “Numerous present day prophets function without any serious accountability or training. They come to a city, deliver their “prophecies” and leave for regions beyond, while local Christian leaders are left to deal with the fallout from those often destructive pronouncements. Some are on the electronic airwaves and so send out their “prophecies” without even meeting the people about whom they are prophesying. There is a legitimate and even necessary place for prophesy in the community of faith. But, to function with spiritual success it needs the discipline and structure of Scripture and the community.” I would suggest that those seven steps of Ignatius are welcome help in this area for all of us.

As I said in the beginning, and I think most of us will conclude, the focus on Christ is key in all of life if we would know God and His path for our lives. From Augustine in the 4th century, through Fox and Bunyan, through Spurgeon and Chesterton, all the way up to Willard, Dillard and Nouwen in our own times, the Christian spiritual life has always been focused on Christ, recognizing his “work” as complete and our life as a journey toward union with His Father, Our Father. George Fox said, “Christ is living and present among you.” He had no time for preoccupation with the dweeb, he was too immersed In Christ, and Christ’s presence was enough to keep the dweeb at bay. Charles Spurgeon little book, (ever notice how little is written on the dweeb by faithful Christians, put him in his place and get back to Jesus,) Satan A Defeated Foe, affirms what Christ has already in His earthly life and His resurrection. Ultimately, there should be far less interest in “casting out demons” in this “already not yet” time we live in, AND far more inviting Christ in! That’s not to say that we are not to be aware of our own flesh and its temptations, which the dweeb loves to use, but we have Holy Scripture (Jesus’ own weapon against Satan), and the testimony of the Spirit with us . . . the dweeb has no chance, we live and fight from a stance of victory in Jesus Christ!
I’ve probably written too much, and many who attempted to read have long since put this down and moved on to other things. For those of you who have stayed on this observation from Julian of Norwich to encourage us:
“In all eternity Jesus will never leave the position which He takes in our soul; for sitting in us is His most familiar home. This was a ravishing and restful sight, for the sight of this sitting gave me certainty that He dwells there eternally.”
I trust Christ is even now “cleaning house” in my heart and soul. Every time I am convicted or challenged in my Christian life, there is a cleaning and movement closer to God. Thank you Jesus for taking up residence in my heart, make me more like you.
Only by Grace,
Pat
The Armor of God – Ephesians 6:10-18
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Marriage is 100%/100% proposal . . .

Marriage as ordained by God is not and was never meant to be a 50/50 proposition. For marriage to be a blessing to each partner and those around them, each spouse must give their best 100% to one another. Especially in western society, we have lost the truth that as we give of ourselves sacrificially, God gives back to us out of His abundance and we experience a contentment that the world cannot give or know.