Remedy

Created

2012-02-12T22:04:00.001-05:00

When people look at a statue

A painting

(Van Gogh Comes to Cincinnati by Stacey Catanzaro)

Or a building

They have no problem imagining a creator.

But when some of the same people see an eagle

A fish

Or themselves

They have trouble seeing a Creator?

Resetting

2012-01-01T21:47:00.000-05:00

Ebates

2011-08-17T18:58:00.000-04:00

You see these things all the time, Make Money Now! Click Here! Well... here's one that actually works. It's called Ebates.

Here's the actual Big Fat Check I received today.

No kidding. $32.68 for just buying stuff online. And there are over 1,200 stores to choose from.

So click here for my referral link, I'll get a little bonus, and you'll start to get cash back. Win-win!

You Can Help, I'll Do The Work

2011-08-13T19:44:00.002-04:00

Over 2 million children are currently enslaved around the world, including every one of the 50 United States.

In an effort to play my part in ending this injustice, I have joined the Stop Child Trafficking Now (SCTNow) Campaign. SCTNow has chosen to fund a bold, new approach, one that addresses the demand side of child sex trafficking by targeting buyers/predators for prosecution and conviction.

During the month of September 2011, thousands of individuals in communities across the United States and Canada will participate in SCTNow Walks to raise funds and bring awareness to the issue of child trafficking.

Would you join me as I commit to raise funds to end child slavery? By simply clicking on "Support Me" or writing a check to SCTNow you can make a contribution that will make a difference in the life of a child.

Please make checks payable to SCTNow, write my name in the memo line, and mail to SCTNow, 414 West 51st Street, Lower Level, New York, NY 10019.

If you have any questions about SCTNow please contact me directly or visit www.SCTNow.org.

Thank you for your support.

Do Something

2011-05-01T07:44:00.000-04:00

This Sunday, May 1st, over 500 Abolitionists are hitting their streets, gyms, pools, and yoga mats to get in shape and raise money & awareness about child trafficking.

Tread on Trafficking is an 8 week virtual event where those working out can ask sponsors to support them for miles or hours they "tread."

My personal goal is to walk 120 miles and raise $100, if you would like to contribute you can do so by clicking here. You can join the the Cincinnati Metro Team by clicking here, our team goal is $1,000.

Add your voice (and sweat) to the collective shout for Abolition, Restoration, and Love! Sign up for our Tread on Trafficking Team!

Thanks

Tread on Trafficking

2011-04-19T05:37:00.002-04:00

Originating in the Love146 Boston Task Force, Tread on Trafficking is a virtual event that happens across the globe beginning May 1st, 2011.

Those who tread on trafficking put their foot down to raise awareness about child sex slavery and funds to care for survivors and those vulnerable to exploitation. Treaders ask sponsors to support them for the number of miles or hours they spend running, swimming, biking, or working out in some form over the eight week period of May and June.

Becoming a treader is really simple, anyone, anywhere can sign up. All proceeds raised by those treading benefit the work of Love146.

How can you help?

Sponsor me! You can make a donation here
Join the Love146 Cincinnati Metro team here
Set a goal for the total number of miles or hours you’ll walk, bike, swim, etc... between May 1st and June 30th. My personal goal is 120 walking miles (not in a row!!)
Find sponsors to pledge to support you financially, either for miles/hours completed, or in one time gifts.
Get your tee and use it to spread the word about your efforts to end child trafficking, pick up one here.
Start treading! By yourself, with friends, or a team - with every step you’ll be contributing to the protection and restoration of children.
Encourage others to join you! Even after the 8 weeks have begun it's never too late to start fighting injustice.
Join the Love146 Cincinnati Metro Task force.

Thanks for reading this, and thanks for your support.

Love Protects. Love Defends. Love Restores. Love Empowers.

We are Love146.

Price Hill Incline

2011-04-03T16:14:00.000-04:00

The Price Hill Incline was a continuation of West Eighth Street up Price Hill

It's a little different today

P-p-p-pokerface

2011-04-02T15:36:00.000-04:00

Gabe busting out some Lady GaGa at Refuge Coffee Bar's Family Friendly Karaoke Night. You should come check it out sometime.

Opening Day

2011-04-01T08:49:00.000-04:00

Hola!

Yes, it really has been 2 months since I last updated this blog. I blame ennui.

Anyway... as anyone in or near Greater Cincinnati knows, yesterday was Opening Day. I firmly believe Opening Day should be a paid holiday, since everybody and their brother was downtown yesterday.

Yes, that's me, everybody, and their brother. My twitter pal mojojacob snagged that pic while she was marching with the Hoxworth Blood Center. If you're eligible, you can click here to sign up to donate.

A few pics from the parade

The legendary #8, Joe Morgan

Freshly retired Cincinnati Chief of Police Tom Streicher

The Budweiser Clydesdales

The Trojan Goat

And finally, the unsung heroes of every parade...

The pooper-scooper guys.

Now, go donate some blood. Save a life. And Play Ball!

Go Jump In A Lake

2011-01-02T14:40:00.000-05:00

So what did you do to celebrate the first day of the new year?

Nurse a hangover?

Watch some football?

Sit around the house in your jammies?

Or did you get together with some very cool people and do something totally insane?

Guess which one I did...

Video courtesy of Josh Emerson

36° water temp... Shrinkage was a real concern. But afterward we went back to the Price's castle and had some hot soup and talked about next year's plunge.

Will you be there?

Redonkulous*

2010-12-29T20:14:00.000-05:00

An interesting catalog showed up here the other day, and there were some truly insane things contained within.

First up, Disposable Bibs For Adults:

Nothing says "Grandma, you're a slob" quite like a giant paper sheet covering her neck-to-waist. Why not just give her sponge and a bucket...

Next we have these beauties, Avivo Shower Sandal Footscrubber

"As seen on TV!" This little gem stick to your tub with suction cups and has "1,000 gently stimulating bristles to massage and clean your feet all over from heel to toe" Kinda like walking barefoot on the sidewalk. At least that's free.

How about a handheld ECG?

"Honey? Does this look like paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia to you?"

I think Tammy Faye Bakker went through a case of these mascara shields every day.

Yeah, this looks like a good idea... a cordless ear wax cleaner

Because sticking a vacuum in your ear is a fantastic idea.

I... what... I have nothing to say about these cosmetic teeth

But combine these with this neck traction thingy

And you'll be a lean, mean sex machine in no time.

Have fun shopping!

*redonkulous: re.donk'u.lous adj. Significantly more absurd than ridiculous to an almost impossible extreme; without possibility of serious consideration.

Time To Man Up

2010-12-19T17:45:00.001-05:00

Jan 1st, 1300 hours, Hidden Valley Lake. Time to seperate the wheat from the chaff.

Which are you?

Polar Bear Plunge Raw (And Cold) Video - Jan 1 2010 - Video - WLWT Cincinnati

I Was Going To Buy A Phone

2010-12-03T21:20:00.000-05:00

I was going to buy a phone today. I had been setting a little aside each payday, $10 here, $5 there, until I had enough.

I was going to buy a Samsung Epic. I have an upgrade credit from Sprint, and that plus what I had saved would have covered the cost. It's a beautiful phone; 4G, Android OS, full QWERTY keyboard and other goodies

It was going to be a Christmas present for myself. But... something happened.

I got an email earlier today, about an hour or so before I was going to head out and purchase the phone. Someone had taken a serious financial hit today, and now had nothing for food, let alone Christmas presents for their kids.

Here I was, accessories all purchased ahead of time so I would have a case, screen shield, and car charger for my new toy, and as I read that email, I knew that I didn't need that phone. I knew what I had to do. I knew what God was showing me. I didn't need the new, shiny toy. My current phone is just fine, I just wanted something nicer. I didn't need it, I wanted it.

I brought them the money. I handed it over and I felt joy, true joy. This was a far greater feeling than I would have had from a phone. I was able to share some of what I've been blessed with.

That is better than any toy.

This family is still struggling, if anyone would like to help out, you can email me

Queen City Underground

2010-10-23T15:31:00.000-04:00

I took a little stroll around Over-the-Rhine today

There was a friendly guide to show the way

This used to be a 1,000 seat theater back in the late 1800's. Now it's the Lackman bar and apartments.

The second floor of what used to be The Warehouse, it was once a grand beer hall known as "The Cosmopolitan"

George "Boss" Cox once ruled the city from here. One of his cronies, August Herrman, is known as the Father of the World Series. The idea was born right here.

The facade on what used to be the Kauffman Brewery. Those are hops, you can't have beer without hops.

The tunnels; they were blocked off in 1919 when the Kauffman Brewery closed because of Prohibition. They were a connection from the lager cellar to the brew house.

St. Francis Serpah

Underneath the old church is a crypt with 63 graves.

Next Saturday is the last tour of the year. If you can make it, do it! The history is fascinating.

Some People's Kids...

2010-09-30T19:45:00.000-04:00

The Reds clinched the division Tuesday night, sweetness!

But get this - guess what's making the news today?

5 people called the health department and COMPLAINED ABOUT THE PLAYERS SMOKING CELEBRATORY CIGARS IN THE STADIUM! Seriously, 5 people with way too much time on their hands and obviously missing the part of their brain that holds the common sense filed complaints.

Yes, there is an indoor smoking ban in Ohio, I'm glad there is. But to complain about this? C'mon! Grow up. Or better yet, man up and tell us who you are instead of making an anonymous complaint.

Now, it's time to celebrate!

This is never ok

2010-09-24T16:29:00.000-04:00

Never. There is never any reason for a man to raise his hand to a woman.

We're almost always bigger and stronger.

There is no justifying this.

If you're in a abusive relationship, get out. Abuse does not equal love.

Amazon Overdoes It...

2010-09-20T09:25:00.000-04:00

Ok... I love Amazon.com, let's get that out of the way. first. If you look at my buying history there, you'll see my first purchase there was in 1998 and my most recent one was Friday. Even better is my Prime membership, especially since I can share it with Carol.

A couple things bug me though; number one being lack of customer pickup. I work right near Amazon's distribution centers in Hebron. I would love to be able to pick up my orders instead of having them shipped to me. It would not only save time, but cut down on oil consumption.

Here's a more recent complaint. Packaging. They are really overdoing it with the packaging. We recently got a back wedge for Carol to help with her GERD, and the box that it was packed in could have doubled as a rowboat. To top it off, it had over a hundred feet of paper inside. Check these out.

I am at one end of the hall in our condo building. That's Carol at the other end.

Carol is standing on our balcony, I'm in the parking lot:

We're on the second floor... Here's where I was in the lot.

X marks the spot...

Rapunzel! Rapunzel! Throw down your Amazon packing material!

So... Amazon. Great stuff, great prices. Can we do something about the packing? And maybe add customer pickup?

Quran burning

2010-09-08T20:49:00.000-04:00

Matthew 5:43-48 (New International Version)

Love for Enemies

⁴³"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶ If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷ And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Pretty much all I have to say about that

Only human

2010-09-02T11:54:00.000-04:00

I am only human.

I wonder how the world would change if we only expected ourselves to be human.

If I expect myself to be human, then I wouldn’t expect myself to be able to give to all the things I want to give to.

If I expect myself to be human, then I wouldn’t kick myself when I don’t make dinner for Carol and myself because I’m too tired.

If I expect myself to be human, I wouldn't get mad at myself for letting other peoples actions make me angry

On the other hand, What if we let the people around us be human?

What if we could really let it go when people let us down? Or do something we don't agree with?

What if we bless those who persecute us? Rejoice with those are rejoicing? Mourn with the mourners?

What if we would forgive our neighbors and love our enemies?

Wouldn't that make for a better world?

Smooth Like Butter

2010-07-30T15:00:00.000-04:00

Carol and I get to work early, it just kinda naturally happens. Today we arrived about 7:10, and saw a strange sight on the edge of the parking lot: A 3-foot tall, purple cup.

We had no idea what it was, and there were two rabbits looking at it with the same puzzled expression we had. So of course, we had to go check it out.

Turns out, the cup was part of a promotion McDonald's is running. They scattered these cups around in various spots, and whoever found one and brought it to the nearest McDonald's would win free McCafe smoothies for a year!

Seriously! As the cup says.

There was a packet with the cup containing a t-shirt and instructions for the manager at McDonald's. We tossed the cup into the backseat of Carol's car and boogied on down to the Hebron McDonald's. We were getting some strange looks from the people in the McD's lot as we were walking in with it, but the workers all knew what was up and congratulated us on the win.

They took a picture of us with the cup, and had us fill out some paperwork, and said we would be receiving cards in the mail for one free smoothie a week for the next 52 weeks! Awesome!

So the next time you see a giant purple cup in a parking lot, go pick it up, you never know what it will be.

Become A Bone Marrow Donor

2010-07-02T13:37:00.000-04:00

Crossposted from my friend Elaine's blog:

Josh is a friend of a friend. You can read his story here.

Please consider becoming a bone marrow donor. You can register online here. They'll send you a kit, you swab your cheek and send it back. You could save a life.

Cats vs. Dogs

2010-06-08T20:01:00.004-04:00

Via: Online Schools

Memorial Day

2010-05-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

“Let no neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten as a people the cost of a free and undivided republic.” - General Orders No.11, Grand Army of the Republic Headquarters, May 5, 1868

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

While we are enjoying a day off, grilling out, and a cold beer, let us all take a moment to remember those who sacrificed so that we can enjoy this day in peace.

“Louisiana isn’t the only place that has shrimp.”

2010-05-27T21:19:00.001-04:00

Unbelievable.

BP so far has shown a great reluctance to accept any blame for the Deepwater Horizon disaster, now BP rep Randy Prescott is quoted as saying “Louisiana isn’t the only place that has shrimp.”

Wow, BP. Nice. After such smooth moves as detaining the oil rig workers until they signed waivers, and trying to prevent the press from covering the spill, you'd think they'd be bending over backwards and kissing some booty.

But no... they continue to shrug their shoulders and say "Sorry" like they mean it.

Here's your legacy, BP, here's the reason why I will never spend another dime on anything BP related: Amoco, ARCO, and BP gasolines, as well as am/pm retail outlets and Castrol motor oil.

A young heron sits dying amidst oil splattering underneath mangrove on an island impacted by oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in Barataria Bay, along the the coast of Louisiana on Sunday, May 23, 2010.(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

So BP.... kiss my butt.

My Chains Are Gone

2010-05-23T14:11:00.000-04:00

I got my second tattoo yesterday from Kevin Combs at Old Street Tattoo

Rusty chains - chains that kept me prisoned

But my chains are now broken.

I have been set free

Until Lambs Become Lions

2010-05-18T12:44:00.001-04:00

Nick, Kelly, and I went and saw Robin Hood Sunday. Good flick, it's basically telling the story of how Robin Longstride became Robin Hood.

When Robin is returning Robert Loxley's sword home to Loxley's father, he sees the phrase "Rise and rise again until lambs become lions." on the hilt of the sword. That phrase led to Robin taking up his father’s cause for justice and freedom. A rallying cry for a mission - to never give up no matter how many tries it takes.

Never give up. Keep fighting. Rise up, mighty warriors.

What are you fighting for?

Ways To Annoy People...

2010-04-28T13:55:00.003-04:00

Adjust the tint on your TV so that all the people are green, and insist you "like it that way."
As much as possible, skip rather than walk.
Ask people what gender they are.
Decline to be seated at a restaurant, and just eat the complimentary mints at the cash register.
Disassemble your pen and "accidentally" flip the cartridge across the room..
Dont use any punctuation
Finish all your sentences with the words "in accordance with prophesy."
Get a large amount of traffic cones and reroute whole streets.
Highlight irrelevant information in scientific papers and email them to random people.
Honk and wave to strangers.
Practice making fax and modem noises.
Publicly investigate just how loudly and slowly you can belch.
Repeat the following conversation a dozen times:

"Listen! Do you smell that? Never mind, it's gone."

Reply to everything someone says with "that's what she said." <-- My personal fave :)
Shout random numbers while someone is counting.
Signal that a conversation is over by clamping your hands over your ears and grimacing.
Sing anywhere anytime.
Staple pages in the middle of the page.
Stomp on little plastic ketchup packets.
TYPE IN UPPERCASE
type only in lowercase.
TyPe WiTh AlTeRnAtInG CaSe.

Add some of your faves...

Penguins

2010-04-13T10:43:00.000-04:00

From my dad...

Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica - where do they go?

Wonder no more!

It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life. The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well as maintaining a form of compassionate contact with its offspring throughout its life.

If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into and buried.

The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing:

"Freeze a jolly good fellow"

"Freeze a jolly good fellow."

Then they kick him in the ice hole.

(Blame my dad, not me!)

Stuff Christians Like Guest Post-a-thon!

2010-04-06T06:00:00.011-04:00

Hello there! Here's the guest post from Jonathan Acuff of "Stuff Christians Like"

The “Is that contestant on American Idol a Christian Scorecard”

8. The contestant sings a Switchfoot song = + 2 points

To add up your score with over 130 other ideas on this scorecard, visit stuffchristianslike.net.

Be sure and pick up your copy of the Stuff Christians Like book. I have mine, and it is absolutely a must-read!

And while you are there, get yourself a copy of my wife's book as well, All for Him: Poems and Prayers of Perseverance and see if it doesn't touch your heart.

40 days...

2010-04-05T11:19:00.001-04:00

On Ash Wednesday, I committed to drinking nothing but water for the next 40 days. Today, I had my first mug of coffee since that day. Oh my, was it glorious.

Last night I took out the Breville grinder I received as a wedding gift, carefully cleaned the grinder and cup, and got it all ready to go for this morning. it sat there and gleamed at me... taunting me with its promise of coffee goodness.

The hussy. Look at her, gleaming wantonly with her chrome and plastic. Just begging for her knob to be twisted and her button to be pressed...

I obliged... I filled that cup with Ethiopian Yirgacheffe that my friend Roger roasted. I ground it without remorse, poured it into my Bodum French press, added water, and waited... 4 long minutes I waited.

Oh yeah... this is good stuff. How I missed you, my beloved coffee.

But seriously, I did this to draw attention to a larger problem: Access to safe, clean drinking water for the people of Uganda. Every day, thousands of Africans must hike miles a day just for access to water, and the water is usually contaminated. Blood:Water Mission works in each community to provide the best solution for clean water; wells, filters, or another method. The money I saved by not buying coffee is going to this mission. Overall, the total number of items given up by the people participating was 21,709, and the total funds raised for Uganda $34,670! Very cool, I'm glad I got to be a part of that.

If you want to give towards this mission, or take part in another one of their campaigns, you can do so here.

Telos

2010-04-04T08:39:00.001-04:00

What does Telos mean?

Telos has its root in the Greek word tetelestai. Telos means to end; to bring to completion; to bring to a conclusion; to complete; to accomplish; to fulfill or to finish.

It is finished.

"Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit"

Telos. It is finished.

Amen.

Love146

2010-04-01T13:01:00.001-04:00

Imagine from LOVE146 on Vimeo.

Child sexual trafficking exists in your local community, whether you believe it or not.

Lidia was with friends in a local mall parking lot when she met her first boyfriend. He drove up beside her in a fancy car and told her she was pretty – she was 10 years old and he was 16. All the other girls tried to get the boy’s attention, and Lidia felt great that she was the object of the boy’s attention. The other girls seemed jealous, especially when Lidia showed her friends the gifts her new boyfriend would buy for her.

Lidia was a smart kid but felt abandoned—her parents were always busy with her little brother. The attention was great. When Lidia received a phone call on her cell phone at home from her new boyfriend, she was questioned about it by her parents. Lidia lied and said it was a kid from school who wanted to ask her a question about homework, since she was an A student. She felt bad about lying but her parents would never understand. Besides, they were always so short-tempered lately—and they were only concerned about her little brother who acted up to get attention. She wanted to get out of the house with all the yelling and fighting. Lidia came up with a plan: she would ask her mom to drive her and her friends to the mall or to a movie, and then she would join up with her boyfriend after ditching her friends.

Her friends finally told on Lidia, so she was grounded. Her cell phone was taken away, but by this time her boyfriend knew where she lived and where she went to school. After school one day he found Lidia and asked her why she didn’t answer his calls. When she explained the situation, he was supportive and comforting. Her so-called boyfriend was making an investment – an investment of time and a crafted illusion of trust and loyalty that bound her emotionally to him.

One morning, after a particularly bad fight at home, Lidia finally agreed to get into her boyfriend’s car after school. He was the only one who understood, and he said he wanted to buy her lunch. She could call home after they ate and tell her parents she went to a friend’s house to talk. She would say she wanted an apology from her parents before she came home. Of course they would apologize—they would be worried about her—and they would be nicer to her in the future. Once the apology was made, he would drive Lidia home, dropping her off down the street so her parents wouldn’t see him. He was so smart!

After lunch, Lidia called her parents. They screamed at her over the phone, and she hung up. Lidia decided she would stay with her boyfriend that night. Her parents would be so sorry they yelled at her! Her boyfriend opened his car door for her like he always did—he was such a gentleman!—and shut the door. When the car door shut Lidia’s life changed forever - her “boyfriend” was actually a pimp. Lidia had never left her community before, but she suddenly found herself far away from home. Her “boyfriend” revealed his true motive with regular beatings to establish absolute control over her – he took away her identity and made her his slave.

For the next five years he prostituted her to over 100 men per month. She knew she couldn’t run; she had already seen proof of his terrifying promise: He had killed animals and severely beat other girls in front of her. “You’re mine. I know where I got you and I can get you again.” She was arrested for prostitution over 17 times in nearly as many states. There was no safe place for her to run, and with each arrest she spent more time in jail – labeled a “child prostitute” and charged with the crime committed against her, Lidia was without hope for rescue.

Thankfully, a diligent law enforcement officer, who was trained by a local organization against child sexual trafficking, recognized Lidia as a victim and she was finally rescued; she is now free from a life of prostitution and her pimp is serving 40 years in prison. Lidia’s story is reflective of the hundreds of thousands of children across America who are still suffering under the violent control of a trafficker/pimp and the men who purchase their young bodies.

Love146 fights all forms of child sexual trafficking and exploitation all over the world. The Cincinnati Love146 Task Force educates the community and fights local and worldwide child sexual exploitation. Join us today! Leave a comment here, or email us at love146 at stevenixon dot net

Steve Driehaus

2010-03-25T08:23:00.001-04:00

Ok listen up...

I don't care what side of the health care brouhaha you fall on. For it, against it, indifferent, it doesn't matter. But you are flat out WRONG if you are advocating violence or making threats against Steve Driehaus and his family in any way, shape or form.

YOU ARE WRONG. It's that simple. You are wrong.

I read this morning where a blog published Steve Driehaus's home address and encouraged people to show up there - now his wife, Denise, is afraid to let their kids out of the house; she fears for their safety. Can you blame her? In the just the past few days, there have been death threats toward members of congress, windows broken, and obscene phone calls to Driehaus' office. The Cincinnati Democratic party had a brick thrown through its window!

Another blog, this one a Catholic voice, is calling for Driehaus to be excommunicated from the Catholic church. John Boehner called out Driehaus, saying he "may be a dead man" and "can’t go home to the west side of Cincinnati because the Catholics will run him out of town." Seriously? That's a fantastic idea... let's show God's love by kicking out someone who we don't agree with. That's exactly what Jesus would have done. With all the other problems the Catholic church is facing, Driehaus is the least of their issues.

I don't have an answer to all of this, but I know it's not violence or kicking a man and his family out of their church. And Steve, if you get wind of this post, I know you'd be welcomed at my church, Vineyard Westside, the church where Love Wins.

CVS!

2010-03-19T11:15:00.000-04:00

We haven't done one of these in a while, so...

Carol and I headed out to CVS to get a few things. We live in an area seemingly surrounded by CVS and Walgreens, there are 3 Walgreens and 2 CVS' within 2 miles of us. It's like Starbucks, only with more adult diapers.

This one is at the intersection of Harrison and Bridgetown, right on the cusp of Cheviot and Green Township.

Right away, Carol spotted something for my co-worker Rick.

I'm sure he'll appreciate it...

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

Do you think these work with my eyes?

Carol offered to attach them with this. Then said it would work well on my mouth as well.

The first place I look for gummy worms is always with the contact solutions. It just makes sense.

My, what a big eye I have.

We knew we wanted this, but we couldn't remember why.

Note to kids: I am a trained professional, do not try this at home.

Her face says it all. These things are disgusting, unless you happen to like chalk with a vague fruit flavor.

We weren't quite sure why this little guy was hanging out here, but he looks happy.

Apparently, the heart on here means "Eat this if you want your heart to stop." Since it has about 18 quadrillion grams of fat in one serving.

What? I was keeping Carol from getting at them. Yeah, that's what I was doing.

BEEF JERKY TIME!

I think she likes this...

And thus concludes our trip to CVS. We found a few good deals, and had a little fun. Next up, one of the nearby dollar stores.

And, most importantly, if you need copy writing, editing, technical writing, resumés, custom poems or short stories, please visit Carol's Document Services. The prices are great and you'll get the highest quality documents with personalized service

Offensive Love

2010-03-07T08:41:00.000-05:00

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17 NIV

Not Everyone Gets A Snow Day

2010-02-21T17:15:00.003-05:00

Last week, when Washington DC was paralyzed by a snow storm, there was a group of dedicated men and women who didn't think twice about going to work in the snow.

The Tomb is guarded 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Rain, sun, snow, it doesn't matter; The Tomb of the Unknowns has been guarded by The Old Guard Sentinels - the 3rd U.S. Infantry - every minute of every day since 1937.

The six wreaths (three carved on both the north and south sides on the Tomb are inverted to represent mourning. The six wreaths represent the six major battle campaigns of World War I:

Chateau-Terrie
Ardennes
Oisiu-Eisue
Meusse-Argonne
Belleauwood
Sommes

The unknown soldiers buried here represent the missing and unknown service members for four different wars. Being buried at Arlington gives these families a place to grieve and pray.

The inscription (author unknown) on the back (west side) of the tomb reads:

HERE RESTS IN

HONORED GLORY
AN AMERICAN
SOLDIER
KNOWN BUT TO GOD

Just something to think about on our next snow day

Blood:Water Mission

2010-02-13T12:52:00.011-05:00

Blood:Water Mission is a grassroots organization that empowers communities to work together against the HIV/AIDS and water crisis.

I am choosing to make water my only beverage for 40 Days beginning February 17 until April 3 to help Blood:Water Mission provide clean water for people in Africa who don't have a choice. I've given up soda already as part as my One Year Veg experiment, but for the 40 day period I'm even giving up coffee and tea... Nothing but good old H₂0.

By giving up what I would normally drink in exchange for water, I can save that money to help build clean water projects for communities in Uganda.

I won't need an ark for this 40 Days of Water, but I will need a little self-discipline and maybe a few friends to join Me. Ditch the $4.00 latte, skip the Mountain Dew, and give up the beer. If you want to partcipate, Visit Blood:Water Missionto get started.

Knees = Boobs?

2010-01-21T20:34:00.001-05:00

I had an IM convo with a pal that went like this:

Friend: can i ask you a question?
me: You just did. :)
Friend: do knees remind you of tatas?
me: uhm... no
Friend: ok thanks I'm having a discussion with some Christian women about what's modest, and apparently knees look like boobs and therefore you should NEVER show them lest you cause a man to be tempted
me: seriously? How about covering the ankles as well. Ankles look like little boobs
Friend: yes and then there's the toe cleavage issue
me: And elbows, they're just smaller knees!
Friend: exactly
me: And you know, men expose their fingers, and we all know what fingers look like...
Friend: exactly!!!! What do you think about this whole concept that what we as women wear could cause you weak minded men to stumble (their words, not mine)
me: there is some truth to that, if there's already an inclination to ogle women. And some women don't feel it's wrong to dress in revealing clothing - low cut or tight-fitting. But for someone to say knees look like boobs, well that's just laughable and sounds like the days when women were little more than property
Friend: do you think though, that men can/should be able to govern their own thoughts? or is there a responsibility on women (not hookers) to "protect" mens minds?
me: Women are not responsible for what goes on in a man's mind any more than a man is responsible for what goes on in a woman's mind. Each should take responsibility for their own thoughts
Friend: thanks
me: np

Seriously? There are people who think like this still? I did some Googling, and it seems that the Mormons are pretty big on covering up any skin that might be "tempting". Kind of like the Taliban.

Yes, Jesus did say if you lust in your heart you've committed adultery, but I can't think of any passage in scripture that even remotely says "Ladies, your knees look like boobs. Cover them up."

Your thoughts?

Where did they get all those pinwheels?

2010-01-10T16:36:00.001-05:00

This video was delivered to me by persons unknown. I uploaded and am sharing it solely as a public service

Pinwheel from Steve Nixon on Vimeo.

I assume no responsibility for the actions depicted here.

Goodbye, Bogeydog

2010-01-02T15:43:00.003-05:00

You had a good, long life filled with love and belly rubs.

You are a good girl. I'll see you again someday.

Ovo-lacto-pesce-tarian

2009-12-31T08:43:00.006-05:00

I think that's the right term. That's a really long word for saying "I'm giving up red meat and poultry for 2010."

Yep, no more bacon...

Since Carol already eats this way, it shouldn't be too hard for me to make the switch. I already eat like this at home, that was a compromise Carol and I made prior to getting hitched. It was a practical choice, it would save expenses and time instead of having to prepare two separate meals for us.

Fish, dairy, and eggs are ok, and of course any of the products from Morningstar Farms, Quorn, & Boca. Meat-free products have come a long way over the years, especially the Quorn line. You can sub them in for chicken, and it's very hard to tell the difference. I have prepared a version of chicken salad using Quorn Chik'n Tenders that people literally thought it was chicken, it was that good.

And, (to scorn of my pal Chaz ;) ) I will be incorporating more tofu/seitan/tempeh into meals. I already made a fantastic stir-fry with Light Life Organic Soy Tempeh - the texture was little odd, but I got used to it fairly quickly.

The Morningstar Farms Veggie Buffalo Wings are very tasty - cook them in the oven instead of the microwave and they come out crisp and spicy. Morningstar makes a very good Italian Sausage as well.

I'll be blogging about this over the next year at One Year Veg. Drop in from time to time and see how I'm doing, offer suggestions/praise/encouragement, check out recipes and experiments, and product reviews.

HILARIOUS!!!!!

2009-12-24T09:23:00.003-05:00

Seriously, this has got to be the funniest thing I have ever seen. Check it out!!!!

I'm still laughing!

Handrail

2009-12-19T06:40:00.008-05:00

Every day at work, I walk up and down a flight of stairs with my hand on the handrail. Yesterday, a flood of thoughts came into my mind as I was trying to not spill my coffee or let the strap of my laptop bag slip off my shoulder...

1. I wonder who had their hand on handrail before me?
2. Did they sneeze into their hand and not wash their hands afterwards?
3. Eeeeew!
4. Would I shake their hand knowing that?
5. Why am I disturbed by that thought?
6. God is not disturbed by us... by any of us. Even the sick people sneezing gobs of mucus into their hands
7. Why?
8. Because God doesn't put value on our external selves - He sees the beauty he constructed within each of us.

And then I made it to the top of the stairs...

What am I looking at when I see someone? Am I looking at their clothes, their hair, or their weakness? Or am I looking at them through God's eyes? How about you?

Oct 17th, 2009

2009-12-08T13:16:00.006-05:00

It was good day, I was looking sharp.

Carol was as beautiful as always.

Our friends and families were there.

We gave each other a promise to never break the circle.

And shared a kiss.

monkeys....

My God, she is beautiful.

More pictures are on my Facebook, photos by Ryan Detzel

Giving Thanks

2009-11-26T07:13:00.001-05:00

What are you thankful for?

I'm thankful for my beautiful wife, my awesome family, a warm place to sleep, and a God who loves me furiously.

You've Ruined Me...

2009-11-09T13:06:00.008-05:00

My plan is working! I just got an email from Carol:

From: Carol Nixon
Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 1:04 PM
To: Steve Nixon
Subject: You've ruined me...

We are discussing the wiring of the pinout connectors on the back of a unit and we got to the Alarm Beacon pinout. All the sudden something came over me and I said,

"Beacon, beacon, beacon, BEEAACOONNNNNNN!" All I could say was, I picked it up from my husband. He likes to imitate the dog on the beggin' strips commercial?. Feel sorry for me?

How awesome is that? ;)

vs.

Seriously... which is funnier?

Murder By Words

2009-10-28T14:13:00.009-04:00

Gossip is ugly.

Recently, a very good friend of mine was accused of saying something that simply is not true. They were accused of refusing to help Person A out because of how Person B felt about person A. That did not happen, but it didn't stop Person A from telling a whole bunch of people about it.

I have known my friend and Person B for a number of years. I know exactly what happened in this situation. I know the truth. I don't know if my friend or Person B knows the extent Person A went in this, but they scattered it pretty far and wide.

Now it doesn't matter what the truth is, because my friend has had undue harm done to their reputation. Had Person A simply gone to my friend and asked about it, the air would have been cleared. Had Person A followed what Jesus said in Matthew 18:15-17 instead of gossiping, people wouldn't be thinking my friend said something harsh and untrue.

I read story once that went something like this:

A woman who had been gossiping about a friend came to ask for forgiveness. The friend said that she would forgive her, but she needed her to do something to help. She asked her to go and collect a bag of feathers and then come back to see her. She gave her a puzzled look but shrugged it off and went off to collect the feathers

The next day she returned with the bag. Her friend asked her to go out and place a feather on a different street corner until the bag was empty. She again went out and did what her friend asked. When she was done several days later, she returned to see her friend once more. Her friend thanked her for her efforts, then asked her to go and collect all the feathers into the bag and bring them back. She told her friend that it would be impossible since by now all of the feathers had blown away and could not be recovered.

Her friend then said that the same thing happens when we gossip. We might be able to ask for forgiveness, but the consequences and damages often spread farther than we’d imagined.

Think before you speak ill of another. Go to that person first and try and settle it between the two of you. If that doesn't work, try again with an impartial person. But don't go to someone else and spread lies.

¹⁶ These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
¹⁷ A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
¹⁸ A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
¹⁹ A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren. (Proverbs 6:16-19, New King James Version)

Laundry...

2009-10-26T20:24:00.002-04:00

Being married rocks! More to come later, including a bunch of pics.

Today is the day...

2009-10-17T06:20:00.002-04:00

Carol and I are getting married in just a few hours. Think she's ready for me?

Thanks to all of you for your friendship and prayers.

Rage Against the Parking Lot

2009-10-11T20:14:00.007-04:00

After church today I had to stop over at Bed, Bath, and Beyond for a bath rug (it's a domestic thing I was unaware of until recently) and Target for a few other items and had a little trouble in the parking lot.

The shopping plaza where BB&Y is located is fairly busy, there are a number of popular stores there, and we Westsiders don't like to venture out into the wilds beyond our own comfortable environs. I got lucky and scored a fairly close parking spot, right between my two destinations. I went in to BB&Y, wandered a few minutes gawking at stuff, found what I needed, and headed back to my car to put the bag in my trunk before heading over to Target. As I walked down the row where I parked, behind me I heard a car turn into the row. I popped my trunk, put my bag in, closed her up, and headed towards Target.

HONK

I kept walking

HONK HONNNNNNNNNNK

I turned around. The woman driving the car I heard had her turn signal on and was pointing at my car. I looked at my car, didn't see anything wrong, and turned back towards Target

HONNNNNNNNNNK HONNNNNNNNNNK HONNNNNNNNNNK

I turned around again, and saw her saying "I want that f*****g space!" and pointing again at my car. I pointed at Target and said "Sorry."

She went freaking nuts.

She had kids in the car.

She was screaming and flipping me off and ranting and raving like I just defiled one of her children. I mean she was going absolutely nuts. Her poor kids in the back seat looked horrified. Didn't stop her. She was flinging F-bombs and all kinds of fun stuff my way. All over a parking spot.

I walked away. I walked towards Target instead of engaging in this battle, there no way for anyone to win it. And this was just over a parking spot. I'd hate to see what she'd do over something really serious, like a hangnail or spilled milk. And those kids, with that kind of rage she was showing, I'd hate to see what their home life is like. I'd hate to see how she is around Christmas when the parking lots are really full. I'd hate to see her blood pressure.

Why? What good did it to? It terrified her kids, and didn't get her a parking spot. I just don't understand. I hope she found some peace.

In 30 Days...

2009-09-17T07:00:00.005-04:00

In 30 days, I am going to marry my best friend.

In 30 days, I am going to marry a goofball.

In 30 days, I am going to marry a woman who finds joy in the simple things.

In 30 days, I am going to marry a very smart and incredibly gifted woman.

In 30 days, I am going to marry a woman with a tattoo.

In 30 days, I am going to marry a woman more beautiful than any flower.

In 30 days, I am going to marry a Princess of the Most High King.

In 30 days, I am marrying the loveliest woman on this planet.

In 30 days, I am marrying a woman who likes to wander around the woods.

In 30 days, I am marrying the woman God set aside just for me.

In 30 days, I am going to be the happiest man in all of history.

I love you, Carol.

Hamthrax

2009-09-09T21:00:00.006-04:00

So, there's this guy Rick I work with. Rick is a little, shall we say paranoid about the Swine Flu, H1N1, whatever you want to call it. And me, being my compassionate, understanding self, decided to poke a little fun at Rick...

Enlisting my contacts in the medical field (namely my mom), I obtained a few key items to turn Rick's normally neat and tidy cubicle into something out of The Hot Zone.

The culprit!

Rick was in shock when he got back from lunch

Not sure what do to, he immediately called the Centers for Disease Control, after taking the proper precautions.

Rick, how do you feel?

Hamthrax 1 from Steve Nixon on Vimeo.

I'm pretty sure Rick and the little swine agreed to be friends

And after Rick realized he really wasn't infected with the the Hamthrax, he had a good laugh.

Untitled from Steve Nixon on Vimeo.

Rollercoaster

2009-08-29T15:54:00.004-04:00

Carol and I took a day off work this past Wednesday and went to Kings Island for a day of sun, fun, and coasters. We chose this day in the middle of the week because we knew that most of the kids would be back in school, and the park wouldn't be very crowded. It paid off; there were maybe a couple thousand people there, and we didn't have to wait more than 10 minutes for any ride, even the newest one, The Diamondback.

The Diamondback is 230 feet high, the first drop is 215 feet at a 74 degree angle and is almost a mile long. It whips you around at 80mph through twists and turns, but since it's a metal coaster, it's a very smooth ride with very few bumps or rough spots. Take a look for yourself.

It's a very nice ride, but I prefer The Beast. The Beast is the greatest wooden coaster ever built. It's almost 2 miles long, most of it through dense woods and it follows the natural terrain so it's up and down and twist and turn. 70mph in a wooden coaster - you feel it. You feel the track, the bumps, the ratchets. You get thrown around, bounced up and down, and moved HARD. There's nothing like it in the world. Then when you think it doesn't get any better, up ahead you see two dark tunnels - it's a double helix that you're going to sail through at breakneck speed...

So what would you prefer? The nice, smooth ride with few jolts? Or the rough ride with thrills, excitement, and dark places that you can't see out of right away, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel? Me? I'll take the rough ride every time, because I know in this world I will have trouble, but I know who has overcome the world.

Inked...

2009-08-08T09:44:00.007-04:00

Yep, I did it.

I got inked.

Kevin Combs, a man with an amazing talent, at Skin Addiction in Hamilton did mine and Carol's. If you're considering a tattoo, go see Kevin before you see anyone else. Seriously, he is an artist.

The building on Main St. Looks pretty much like one would expect, but it hides the amazing artistry inside.

I think that dude on the couch was there for his first tattoo

I head back to ~~the torture chamber~~ Kevin's workspace, and I found waiting for me...

Carol! She was getting the finishing touches on her tattoo. She told Kevin what she wanted, a cross and a sparrow, and he took the simple drawing she did and turned into a masterpiece.

After seeing the work Kevin did on Carol, and the canvas he painted on Ryan, there was no doubt Kevin would be the one to jab a sharp needle into my arm for two hours.

The seat I would spend the next two hours in. It's pretty comfy, you should go try it out.

The prep - gotta shave the hairs off the arm. I thought about asking him if he would do my legs as well, but that would have been kind of silly since I wasn't getting a tat on my leg. Yet...

The start. It didn't hurt, more like a sharp itch. We've all heard the horror stories about people being in extreme pain, but that just wasn't the case. Right, Helen, Fran, and Kelly? ;)

I asked Kevin if it was too late to change my mind now. He laughed and said yeah, it was too late. I asked him if that really has happened, people who decide after it's started that they don't really want a tattoo. He said it has, and just tells them that they might as well finish it.

See that smile? It really doesn't hurt. Sure, it's a little uncomfortable, but it's nothing a tough manly-man like me can't handle.

Nope, doesn't hurt a bit.

See the detail in there? It's truly amazing what Kevin can do with ink, skin and needles. Go see him, go see him now!

The outline and shading are finished, it's time for the color. Still no pain.

Look at that. Amazing.

So pain-free I decided to take a nap. Kevin had his Mountain Dew, so he didn't need to catch some zzzzs.

And we're done. Me and my beautiful bride-to-be.

That's Kevin. He has a God-given talent, and I'm amazed at the artistry he creates. If you're considering a tattoo, go see him. He can take your image and make it a wonderful work of art.

You Finish

2009-08-03T14:34:00.001-04:00

“If there were no ______, then we would not have ________”

Be creative!

Free Coffee!

2009-07-29T15:53:00.001-04:00

Party Time

2009-07-26T16:12:00.004-04:00

Baptisms at Vineyard Westside... You gotta experience it.

"For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink."

Annnnd we're back

2009-07-22T09:16:00.003-04:00

Alrighty... No money to spend on hosting right now, something about paying for a wedding or such ;)

Moved!

2008-05-08T20:52:00.002-04:00

This blog is now located on my own domain hosted by Madbo. Please update your bookmarks to www.stevenixon.net

Blog there now, more content to come.

Hungry?

2008-05-07T13:33:00.003-04:00

I just recently decided to participate in the FreestoreFoodbank Hunger Walk on May 26th. Why don't you join my team, Vineyard Westside; the more people the merrier, and the better for the FreestoreFoodbank. We need people like you on my team.

Participating in an event that raises money for the FreestoreFoodbank, I know touches your life in some way. Think about the ways that the FreestoreFoodbank has impacted those around you. We need your support, so please do anything you can, join my team, register as an individual or make a donation to on my behalf.

Thank you so much for all of your support and we look forward to seeing you at the FreestoreFoodbank Hunger Walk on May 26th.

Love Wins.

Click here to visit my personal page.

Click here to view the team page for Vineyard Westside

It's so pretty

2008-05-06T22:13:00.004-04:00

My new Acer P221W LCD monitor

It makes playing Call of Duty 4 all the more fun

Thanks, George, for the advance on next years taxes!

Hi Robin!

2008-05-05T12:02:00.000-04:00

Everyone say hi to my little sis!

National Day of Prayer

2008-05-01T08:18:00.006-04:00

Today is the National Day of Prayer

Prayer is the single most important way to grow closer to God. Prayer is our response to God, our acknowledgment of who He is, and an indication that we want to be in relationship with Him. Communication is vital to any personal relationship, and your relationship with God grows stronger as you spend time talking together, expressing your love, your hopes, dreams, and concerns. A relationship with God is not relationship you will regret.

Prayer releases the Spirit of God to work freely in our lives; emotionally, physically and most importantly spiritually. Prayer is the single most effective weapon in the war against sin, suffering, injustice and evil.

So, dear readers, how may I pray for you? Leave me a comment or email me.

A walk in the woods

2008-04-30T15:36:00.002-04:00

Sunday was an absolutely gorgeous spring day, so we decided to take advantage of it by enjoying God's creation in a natural setting, and a hike in Shawnee Lookout Park was a great way to do so.

It's amazing to look on scenes like that and know that God created them just for me. He knew I would be up on that ridge overlooking this valley, and made sure I'd love it.

Even when the works of man intrude on God's wonder, it's still beautiful. Looking out over the wetlands here, you wouldn't know that 270 different species of bird call this home, but they're there.

This little guy here delighted in us, he flew around and posed for a picture, knowing how striking he would be against a field of green

The mighty Ohio River, looking out towards Kentucky. A natural highway God planned.

Camouflage? What could a tree be hiding from?

Carol loved this purple flower

New life springing from the old

And the happy hikers.

Next Sunday we're tackling Mitchell Memorial Forest, and hopefully soon Miami Whitewater Forest. The park district has a program where when you hike 7 different trails in the Park District in a year,you then become eligible to purchase a wooden hiking staff with the Park District emblem for $3.00. Each year following that you hike 7 trails in the Park District you are eligible to purchase the annual metal insignia for your hiking staff for $2.00. I think that's a cool incentive. I have 3 trails down already!

If you want to join us sometime, hit me up!

Roadkill, almost

2008-04-23T21:36:00.004-04:00

I just got in from walking 4.17 miles , and I was almost killed.

I was in the crosswalk on Harrison at Everett. This huge Suburban, whose driver apparently isn't accustomed to looking both ways, almost nailed me. He had to slam on his brakes and swerve back out onto Harrison when he realized I was in the crosswalk. It's still light out, I have on a light colored shirt, and I'm wearing my reflective armband that also flashes a red light... and he didn't see me.

I stopped short and jumped back, twisting my knee a bit in the process. ~~The driver of the SUV politely apologized for nearly smearing me across his grill and drives on.~~ No, what he really did was start screaming and cursing at me for having the audacity to be walking in a clearly marked crosswalk when he was driving through it. I stood there in silence until he finished, then said "Are you ok? You seem a little shook up."

*thud*

He just looked at me. I think he was expecting me to blow up at him, but instead I turned it and asked if he was ok. I'm standing there rubbing me knee, my heart going at 200bpm (without benefit of tennis balls) and I'm asking him if he's ok. He didn't answer so I said "Ok then, enjoy the night" and went on walking.

There was a time in my past when I would have went off on him, where I would have been in his face screaming about it. But that's not who I am any longer. That Steve is put away for good.

So now I'm home, I have ice on my knee and I've popped four Motrin. Going to shower then head off to bed.

Love Wins.

Frazzled

2008-04-23T07:24:00.001-04:00

Psalm 73:25-26

Life, work, finances... I hate this constant weariness. So I’m going to push it aside, because I know who the strength of my heart is. And I know He will provide what I need when I need it, not what I want when I want it. So, instead of feeling defeated & frustrated, I will trust Him. I will hold Him to His promises.

Katie said I look spiffy today

2008-04-22T08:23:00.001-04:00

I got this shirt for $2.50 at Goodwill.

Love Wins

2008-04-13T20:44:00.006-04:00

We put our hearts on the line every time we love. We reach out and embrace our loves, be they our brothers and sisters, our romances, our friends. We bare our souls to some, hide things from others, laugh, cry, share, worship, grow, and play.

We serve because we love. We make time for others, knowing we have things we need to tend to, because we love. Love is why we take that 3 AM phone call from a crying friend. Love is what compels us to reach out to someone and ask if there's anything we can do to help ease their burden. A simple act of kindness can mean the world to someone in pain.

Love comes at a price. Love hurts. Love makes us do crazy things. Love makes us cry. Sometimes we have to let go of those that we love in order to live. Love can be the greatest feeling in the world, and love can bring us to our knees in absolute despair. It's because of God's great love for us that he sent His Son to be broken on the cross so that we would be cleansed of our sins.

Don't be afraid to love. Don't be scared to lay your heart out for people to see. Love is powerful, nothing is as wonderful as love. Love will always win.

Five for Friday

2008-04-11T07:48:00.002-04:00

Five questions for you. Copy and paste to your own blog, then reply to this post with a link to your answers.

1. What type of food do you most like to eat?

Homemade. I really enjoy the care someone puts into making a meal

2. What type of food do you most like to cook?

I've been experimenting a lot with Asian influences lately. Kinda Thai, kinda Chinese

3. What ingredient could you not live without?

RICE! It's so versatile

4. What do you never let in your kitchen?

Brussel sprouts. Can't stomach them.

5. What is your favorite drink?

Depends. I like a cold Bell's Oberon Ale on warm nights, a good Rioja, and plain old water

Come walk with me

2008-04-10T15:13:00.002-04:00

Here's my typical 5 am walk. Come join me sometime :)

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmywalk.com/walk/united-states/oh/cincinnati/84040010"&amp;gt;Walk route 1&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmywalk.com/find-walk/united-states/oh/cincinnati"&amp;gt;Find more Walks in Cincinnati, Ohio&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Saying goodbye to two of America's Bravest.

2008-04-09T22:30:00.002-04:00

It took me three tries to watch this without crying.

There are few things as solemn as the funeral for a firefighter.

Godspeed Capt. Robin Broxterman.

Godspeed Firefighter Brian Schira

You've answered your last call. God bless all the men and women who put their lives on the line every day.

Baaaaa

2008-04-08T08:18:00.010-04:00

At group last night, we met at Todd Burroughs house since Ryan is on a mission trip. Todd's wife, Racheal, offered to cook for us. Now, Todd sent an email earlier saying what was on the menu, but Todd likes to fool around so none of us believed him. Imagine our surprise when we sat down to… Ready for this? Ok - Racheal is from Uganda, so she made us a traditional Ugandan dinner of… Goat stew.

Yeah. Goat stew. I was a little unprepared for that. But I figured when was the next time I was going to eat goat stew? So I grabbed a knife, fork, and spoon (had to, the goat was in BIG hunks) and dug in. It wasn't the first time I had goat, I've had curried goat before, but still, I wasn't expecting to see a big hunk of goat meat in my bowl. It was pretty tasty, albeit a little tough. It was a little like lamb, and a little like beef. There were tons of veggies in the stew also; potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, onions - a very satisfying meal.

Now, a couple of the guys are less than adventurous, and ordered pizza. Personally, I thought that was rather insulting to Racheal, since she went to the trouble of making us a meal. But, I can understand their hesitation. There are some foods I'd really rather not eat also. I did some research on goat, turns out that goat is the most widely consumed red meat in the world, and also the most heart friendly. Gram for gram goat meat has less cholesterol and saturated fat than chicken. 3oz of goat has 122 calories, 2.5 grams of fat (.8 saturated), and 23 grams of protein!

I polished off my bowl, got a little more veggies and broth, and turned down the pizza and later the ice cream that Todd brought out. Then we hit the book of Phillipians, and Paul said to us "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe" Kinda like eating goat stew and not fretting about it.

Peace out.

3.71 miles

2008-04-06T20:58:00.000-04:00

Today was a good day :)

The Ultimate Sacrifice

2008-04-04T09:45:00.006-04:00

Two Colerain Township firefighters gave their lives this morning in a house fire. A third was airlifted to University Hospital, condition uknown Please honor these brave men, women and their families with your prayers.

I was a firefighter/EMT for a number of years, and that sacrifice was always at the back of my mind when responding to an incident. You never think it's going to happen, but sometimes it does, no matter how cautious you are.

A Fireman's Prayer

When I am called to duty, God,
Whenever flames may rage;
Give me strength to save some life,
Whatever be its age.
Help me embrace a little child
Before it is too late
Or save an older person
From the horror of that fate.
Enable me to be alert
And hear the weakest shout,
And quickly and efficiently
To put the fire out.

I want to fill my calling
And to give the best in me
To guard my every neighbor
And protect his property.
And if, according to my fate,
I am to lose my life,
Please bless with your protecting
My children and my wife.

God touch all involved and carry them trough this tragic time.

A typical Monday

2008-04-03T11:56:00.002-04:00

A few photos from my Monday..

5:10 A.M. Getting ready to head out on my walk. I try to do at least 2.5 miles every morning.

6:45 A.M. Here's where I work. Ialmost got hit by a truck taking this picture, I hope you appreciate it.

The floor I work on. 46 cubicles, 5 offices, 1 conference room, 1 break room. Poorly lit, alternating freezing cold or stiflingly hot. But it's a job, and I'm thankful for that.

My cube, home for 40-45 hours a week

Action shot of a cube dweller in action.

On the way home from work via the Anderson Ferry

Ryan making another awesome meal for us.

My men's group. I love these guys.

So that's a Monday for me.

Raw

2008-04-03T03:00:00.000-04:00

I think this post is more for me than anything else… I need a place to get my head out, and I'm feeling pretty raw, so just be warned. If you don't understand this, well I don't either. Yet.

Why is it that it's so easy for me to completely trust in God with some things, but pretty much impossible with other things? I was listening to "King of Glory" on repeat and trying to get that through the crap that's been clouding me lately. God's love is completely all-encompassing in ways I can't even comprehend, but I have trouble trusting Him with the thing He says he wants the most... my heart.

Has he been faithful to me? Yes. Has He shown His love in ways I can see and feel? Yes. He has held my fragile heart with tenderness, like it was the one thing He treasured more than anything else in the world. Has He not healed my heart multiple times? Of course He has.

And yet I try to keep it from Him, and from others, because I'm scared of it being hurt again. I wish it was easy. I wish I could just say, "Here it is God. I trust You completely with my heart and I know that You will cherish it." I know that I'm keeping myself from experiencing the completeness of the love of the Lord and the fullness of the love from the human heart.

It's a complicated journey. I know in places of hurt and sorrow God is able to do amazing things, so Father, do amazing things and help me to make sense of my tender, damaged heart.

You can't be king of the world if you're slave to the grind

2008-04-02T14:02:00.004-04:00

I need a new job desperately

Michelle, Rita, Eleanor, Lucy

2008-03-31T07:11:00.001-04:00

What do these names have in common, besides being names of women? I'm looking for one specific answer. Leave your answer as a comment, the first correct one wins a prize.

The World Without Us

2008-03-30T08:30:00.002-04:00

I forget what list I stumbled across this book on, but I'm thankful for it. This book has been pretty amazing so far, and I'm just halfway through it.

Basically, it's about what would happen to our planet should all human life vanish. It details how nature would slowly flex her muscles and take back what what we've claimed. It's really showing me how we as humans are not only consuming our planet, but destroying it as well.

Entire species have vanished. Vast forests have been decimated. Plants and animals have been imported into foreign ecosystems with devastating results. Rivers run dry, and there are deserts where there once was abundance. But there's hope.

Reading on you can see how God made this planet to cure itself. Without human interference, the balance will be restored. Scars will remain, but life will flourish and take back what we've paved over.

It's a book about hope and rebirth. Your library probably has it. Read it. Share your thoughts.

Do you ever wonder...

2008-03-28T07:30:00.000-04:00

If your life is a movie, and you're watching it from the outside? And when does the good stuff happen?

Make up your own holiday day

2008-03-26T08:46:00.002-04:00

So today is "Make Up Your Own Holiday Day". I declare today to be "Post a pic of yourself where you are right now. I'm at work, so here I am in my cube.

Where are you? I'm tagging all of you who read this... get busy!

Expectations...

2008-03-24T14:31:00.004-04:00

Starting when I was a kid, I had expectations of great things. Santa Claus and all the presents he brings, things that I was told if I just believe, they will come true. True love, friends for life, a dream job, big expectations. Smaller ones also - I'll be able to rely on people to do what they say, stuff will work when I want it to, my friends will remember my birthday.

I usually expect things in life to work as I believe they should. And when they don't it, it gets bad. It gets ugly.

Lately I've noticed my bad days are a result of my expectations not being met. It doesn't matter how much I was relying on it, but when it doesn't turn out the way I expected it to it really bothers me. I anticipate results from certain situations and they end up being the exact opposite of what I hoped for. It's not making me happy.

Is it so wrong to expect something positive? Should I not be anticipating joy and happiness? Should I not work towards that goal, as long as I don't forget the here and now?

Or is the problem the things I'm hoping for in the future are clouding what I need to work on in my present? Am I holding my happiness in the present hostage to expected happiness in the future? And then what do I fall back on when things don't work out the way I anticipated them?

Maybe I should go back to just worrying about today and let the future develop as it will. Maybe I should just live for this moment right now.

Good Friday

2008-03-21T10:52:00.003-04:00

Pretty much sums it all up

How to get your heart rate to 180bpm without much effort.

2008-03-17T07:30:00.000-04:00

I think I'll skip this method...

My Celebrity look-alikes.

2008-03-16T20:00:00.001-04:00

I've always been a big fan of John Belushi, so this is pretty neat!

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph - Descendants - Family tree outline

60.4

2008-03-15T10:19:00.003-04:00

Just got back from my latest weigh-in.

Here I am in August 07 - 2 weeks after I started on WW (disregard the tiara!)

Here I am yesterday - 7 months later

60.4 pounds lighter! Yay God and yay me!

I feel a whole lot better - more energy, more stamina, I want to get out and do more stuff instead of vegging. I do need to buy a bunch of clothes, I'm hitting Goodwill for now for basic stuff like jeans and tee's, but I'm spending a little more on work clothes. I've pretty much had to replace everything I used to wear.

I want to get to 185, that's another 75 pounds. I'll be there hopefully by the end of the year - that's a conservative 8 lbs a month loss.

Moving...

2008-03-08T19:00:00.003-05:00

Not me, this blog. It'll be hosted on it's own domain with the next week or so. If you're coming here through www.stevenixon.net, you will see a parked page in the next 72 hours. If you're coming here through snixon67.blogspot.com there will be no change until the switch is made, then you'll see a reminder...

Thanks to the splendiferous Merlene at Madbo for providing hosting.

Snow Day Part Duex

2008-03-08T14:42:00.004-05:00

Here's the view looking up my street. That's my truck on the right

Todd, Bruce, and I decided to walk over to Kroger to pick up a few things. I needed stuff to make chili, and Todd had a couple items he wanted. Bruce came along because he was wanting to get out of his house for a bit

Kroger was packed! The lot was full, and people were in a full shopping frenzy inside.

The road crews were out in full force - this was one of three snowplows in a row that went by. I don't like the dirty, nasty, slushy stuff. Say what you want about it, there's few things prettier than a fresh blanket of white snow

Here's my truck, he's a little cold. I'll have to clear him soon, it's supposed to get down to 13 tonight, so that nice snow covering is going to be rock-hard tomorrow morning.

One last look up the street. It really is quite pretty, and it's going to be around for a while

The walk was good, I'm going to call it 3 activity points since it was a little tough walking through all the snow for 1/2 mile round trip. But it was worth more, since I got to chat with Todd and Bruce on the way.

Why I love Weight Watchers

2008-03-08T10:13:00.002-05:00

This was my breakfast today: An Eggbeaters omelette with broccoli, ham, and cheddar cheese, and toast

So simple - 1/2 cup Eggbeaters (1 point), 1/4 cup Kraft 2% sharp cheddar (4.5 points), a cup of steamed broccoli (0 points), and 4 slices of Healthy Ones Ham (.5 points)

2 slices of Aunt Millies Fiber for Life Light Potato Bread (1 point), and an 8oz glass of Tropicana Light and Healthy Orage Juice (1 point). The I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray on the toast and the Garlic Tabasco are free in normal servings.

So I had this killer, very filling breakfast for 8 points, and I've lost 56 pounds since July 14th. Since I'm going to walk over to Kroger after a bit, I'll earn a couple activity points also. Weight Watchers is a plan that works - it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle.

Catching snowflakes...

2008-03-07T16:16:00.002-05:00

on my tounge.

It's snowing pretty hard here, a blizzard warning was just issued. I haven't been in a blizzard since I left North Dakota in 1981. This could be interesting, especially with how everyone here panics when there's even a hint of snow.

I hate to see what Kroger looks like right now

8 things you may not know about me

2008-03-07T09:32:00.003-05:00

Inspired by my friend Merlene, who's pretty cool for a Canadian ;)

1. I was bit by a bat when I was 4 years old. Since the bat was not caught, I had to undergo the rabies series, which back then was 14 shots, 2 a day in the stomach. To this day I still have a fear of bats and I loathe injections.

2. I read on average 3 books at a time. I have one in the truck that I read while crossing the ferry or at work, one next to the bed, and one in the bathroom. The book in the truck is almost always fiction, and the others are usually spiritual and other non-fiction.

3. I am Mexican Indian, my grandmother was a Yaqui Indian from Monterrey, Mexico.

4. I have a fascination with bagpipes and drums. I have several cds featuring them, and I've always wanted to learn to play the pipes.

5. I won the 6th grade spelling bee at Carl Ben Eielson Elementary because I could spell "martyr", which I had read about in an encyclopedia the night before.

6. For one week, the only food I had in my apartment was a 30-gallon bag of movie-theater popcorn and a 6 pack of Coors light. That was what I subsisted on until I was paid next. And I still like popcorn.

7. In one 6-month period, I traveled 10,000 miles between Cincinnati OH, Jacksonville FL Chicago IL, Johnson City TN, Salt Lake City UT, and Albuquerque NM.

8. I joined Weight Watchers on July 14 and to date I have lost 55.6 pounds. 80 more to my goal, at which I am getting a tattoo

Now - tell me 8 things I don't know about you. Comment here with a link to your blog.

iPod guilt?

2008-03-05T19:25:00.002-05:00

Does anyone else feel guilty when you skip over a song that comes up when your iPod is on shuffle?

I loaded that song, I must like it. So why I am skipping it? And is the artist offended when I do. Not that Beck (for example) looks at my iPod playlist.

Or does he?

Is it just me?

I'm a tough guy

2008-02-29T21:07:00.000-05:00

Wise Bread

2008-02-28T07:36:00.002-05:00

In my search to further reduce my spending, improve my personal finances and live frugally but still enjoy it, I found Wise Bread. The blog is full of tips on how to save money, make wiser choices in spending, investments, and budgeting

Check it out, and please feel free to share any of your tips for living within a budget.

How to save space in your bedroom

2008-02-27T09:53:00.002-05:00

Seriously... does anyone need this?

51.6

2008-02-03T08:49:00.000-05:00

Total pounds loss since 7/14. I feel happy.

Confrontation in the library

2008-01-30T09:04:00.000-05:00

I went to the library last night on Robb Ave. My intention was to pick up a few books, but it turned into me having to call 911...

There were some kids there screwing around, two in particular were being very rude and disrespectful, they were using foul language and generally being morons. They focused on a young girl in particular, harassing her and really making her uncomfortable. She was sitting at one of the computers trying to ignore them, but they weren't letting up.

The librarian came over to them and told them they needed to go sit down and behave, or else she would ask them to leave. Well the one started mouthing off right away to her, almost daring her to do something. There was a woman there with two young kids, and she started lecturing the two idjits about the language they were using and their behavior, and they turned and started cussing at her.

This is where I stepped in. I put myself between the kids and the woman and politely asked them to leave. They stopped jabbering and looked at me. I repeated it, I said "the librarian asked you to leave, please do so." One of them looked at me and said 'Why do I need to leave, I'm not doing anything."

I said "You're being rude and disrepectful, and you're disturbing everyone else in here. Please leave now or I will call the police." He made as if to shove me, and I stepped closer to him to get him off balance. He wasn't expecting that, and I moved closer - this forced him to back up towards the door, which was my intention. The other one said - who was all of a sudden very quiet - "Go ahead and call the cops, I don't care."

I took out my phone and called 911, while herding them towards the door. They kept backing up and out the door. The dispatcher came on, and I told her what was happening and described the two kids. They started mouthing again, but this time they were getting on their bikes and headed for the street. The last I saw them they took off down the street. I told the dispatcher this, and she said she'd let the Cheviot Police know.

I went back in to the library and both the woman and the librarian thanked me for stepping in. The librarian said she's had trouble with these two before, and this time she will contact their school and tell them they are not permitted back into the library.

Where's the respect anymore? This generation of kids seems to have not the slightest ounce of respect for anyone or anything other than themselves? Is it home life? TV? Internet? I don't know. But what I do know is that if I had behaved anything like most kids today, my dad would have whaled the tar out of me. But you can't do that these days, that's child abuse. Bull. I had my fair share of spankings when I was a kid, and I'm not a crazed serial killer...

I'll probably stop back at the library tonight, just to be sure those kids aren't causing more problems.

A thought on sin

2008-01-21T09:48:00.000-05:00

The other day I had a thought… Because of where I was and what I was doing, I wasn’t able to pursue it to a meaningful end, but last night I was able to spend some good God time and dig into it.

There’s this idea I’ve had about Jesus; I know He gave his life for not just my sins, but the sins of you and everyone else. Without His death on the cross, we wouldn’t be freed from the burden of our sin. The thought I had trouble wrapping my head around is if He died knowing He would rise in three days, what does it prove?

So I was thinking about that and letting my mind wander over it, and asking God to guide me to a new understanding. He led me to 2 Corinthians 5:21 which says “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” There is the meaning of His death. That he didn’t just die only to come back three days later, but Jesus became our sins, took them upon Him so that our sins would die with Him. He chose pain, humiliation, torture, degradation, and abuse so that we would have eternal life.

So why would He willingly suffer through all that? God created all of us in His image, and His love for us is far beyond any of our comprehension. Jesus took all our sins on, because of that love, and because cleansing sin requires sacrifice, He became that sacrifice. His death and resurrection is a clear statement to us: We can have that same resurrection; we can be reborn pure and clean and without sin.

My prayer for all of us, you, me, and everyone, is that we surrender ourselves to God’s love, because Love Wins

Cryptography, or 43 72 79 70 74 6f 67 72 61 70 68 79

2008-01-18T08:23:00.000-05:00

49 27 6d 20 74 79 70 69 6e 67 20 69 6e 20 68 65 78 20 6a 75 73 74 20 74 6f 20 62 65 20 64 69 66 66 69 63 75 6c 74 2e 20 20 54 68 65 20 66 69 72 73 74 20 70 65 72 73 6f 6e 20 77 68 6f 20 74 72 61 6e 73 6c 61 74 65 73 20 74 68 69 73 20 65 6d 61 69 6c 20 6d 65 20 61 6e 64 20 49 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 67 69 76 65 20 79 6f 75 20 61 20 62 75 63 6b 2e

Silky like Milky

2008-01-16T08:24:00.000-05:00

So I walk into Kroger this morning to get some bananaanananas and I pass a display of Kashi - 2 boxes of GoLean Crunch for $5.00, plus a coupon for a free half-gallon of Silk Soy Milk. Intriguing... I'm not a big fan of soy milk - milk comes from cows, not beans. But for $5.00, what the heck, I eat a box of GoLean a week, so I went for it and I picked up the vanilla flavor Silk, along with 4 bananananananas.

Once I got to work I made myself a bowl of the Kashi and splashed the Silk over it. I looked at the color - it was kinda yellowish, like a pale butter. Not good; I like my milk to be white unless it's chocolate. I tentatively sampled it, and it wasn't bad. A different texture than I'm used to, but the flavor wasn't bad. I polished off the bowl and had a banananananana and now I'm full.