Several days ago a large German Shepherd showed up in our neighborhood and is staying in or close to the Street corner by where we turn down our dirt road. Day after day he stays in this location waiting for someone. I think someone dropped him off and he is waiting for them to return. After a few days of seeing him, I felt sorry for him and sent Abe to give him some food and water. It looks like he has some one else giving him some help. I took his picture on my way home from work tonight. I think I will send it to the local paper to see if they could try to find him a home. He reminds me of a dog from my childhood who's name was "Thor", except this one seems nicer. Thor was a retired US Forest Service watchdog who was used by the rangers for protection from Mountain Lions as they traveled to and from the Look out Tower on Thorne Point. Thor got too mean and the rangers started fearing him more the the Mt. Lions. So my dad, rather than see this dog get put down, brought him home. We kept our distance for a long time, but eventually Thor became a good family dog and a very good watchdog, except for one time he took a bite out of my arm when I tried to take a brick away from him that he was chewing on. I also remember warning the neighborhood bullies that if they got my my bad side I would go home and get Thor to teach them a lesson with.

Maybe I'll name this new addition to the neighborhood, "Thor" if he sticks around long enough. I anyone might be interested, you can come see him at the corner of 100th St. East & Ave H.

His patience and loyalty is very impressive. Too bad his owner didn't have the same qualities, (that is, if the dog was abandoned)

Happy Pilgrims

Left over Thanksgiving decorations put into action by one of the kids.

Kissing or being kissed by your favorite Pilgrim can make every day "Thanksgiving".

I am a blessed man.

Sailing away is always good

Dreaming is always a good way to get away from the negatives in life. A good thought for today:
“Years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bow lines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the Tradewinds in your sails. Explore, Dream Discover.” (Mark Twain)
Today was one of those days that dreaming about sailing away was a good outlet from all the negative events that seem to dominate the airwaves.
I love to Dream and every now and then, I actually Sail away from the safe harbor.
If I knew how to post photos in this entry I would share some of my dreams that have become realities, because of doing as Mr. Twain suggests, leaving the comfort of the safe harbor.

Day 3 in my search "Looking for Good"

Has anyone ever noticed that Sunday is always the best day with the best weather of the week?
I think it is opposition to see if we will chose the Lake over the Chapel.
Today it was exceptionally nice weather and caused me to reflect on the warm air and slight breeze which would make a sailboat glide across the ocean very nicely. Days like today make me think of how nice it would have been to have to serve a mission in a place where sailing was required, like on "The Other Side of Heaven", minus the ship wreck and almost drowning at sea.

I didn't have to look far for good today, in that I spent most of the day at church, with people at their best. I met a couple young families who have recently started coming to church who seem very interested in the Good that the Gospel (Good news in Greek) has to offer. I also saw others driving to their meetings in other neighboring churches. Seeing families attending church together is always a good thing and always gives me hope for the future.
The word “Good” is found in the scriptures 1071 times. All word forms of Good = 1205 times. (According to my computer) – I didn't count them but maybe I should by reading them all. One of my favorites as it pertains to this Blog:(Old Testament Isaiah 52:7)¶ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
This one verse has enough good in it to last me three days of LFG 24/7.I hope this verse will be talking about me someday after I have passed the test of looking for the good every day.
FYI: Someone asked what the 247 was about; = 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
One more late entry from 2-28-09 :Shyree and I watched 10000 BC. (They could have had a better name for it)I don't watch very many movies, but was finally talked into watching this one. I don't remember the names of the characters, but one thing in the movie that caught my attention was the scene where the young man was reluctant to step up to his role as the leader of the tribe and as the prophesied mighty hunter. The old hunter says: “Some men draw a circle around themselves and care only for themselves, other men draw a circle around themselves and their families, but other men draw a circle around themselves but include many many more who they also must take care of. You have to decide which man you are”.I often wonder which man I am and how large is the circle that I am willing to draw? I guess we shall have to wait and see, or decide and be that man. Maybe I decided a long time ago and have become the man with a desire for the largest circle possible. I feel that I want to help as many people in this world as are willing to be helped

Looking for the good with the knowledge that you have to report on what you find each day, might be more difficult than I had originally planned. With the thought of having to have something good to write about each day, you definitely have to look through a different pair of glasses than the usual one's.
I'm thinking that what I will need to do, is think of the worst case scenario or the most difficult case, where finding the good is next to impossible, and then use my very energetic imagination to come up with some good redeeming quality. Case in point:
After attempting to fix my mother's washing machine I took it to the specific appliance shop that she will only do business with, (in that she bought this particular washer from them in 2002) and whose address I couldn't find until finding it on my blackberry, but which had moved further down on the blvd from where they used to be. As I attempted to be a live and present customer I found my “Looking for the Good” attempt being seriously tested as the proprietor of the store seemed to find it more interesting to talk to people (I think) on her cell phone, which after each use, she would promptly put back into her shirt for safe keeping in her bra, until the next call came and she would again retrieve it and answer it, while I stood waiting to get the multiple pages of receipt and service order filled out for the $20.00 that I needed to pay for them to inspect the washer. (Sorry for Long sentence rant / vent)
I might have to wait to see the good, until Monday, when they call me to tell me that the thing isn't worth fixing, or until they call to tell me that all I needed to do was plug it in to the north wall outlet instead of the South one. While there I did observe the receptionist / sales lady (not the same as above) show good business like interaction with a family looking for an electric dryer. It seems like a family run business, and the daughter seemed to have a vested interest in her job and in the customers. There, I did it. (Something good)
My son Dane endured the drive and wait while I attempted to conduct business at the appliance store, which warranted a not-so-free lunch at In-N-out Burger. I found out that it was his first trip to and experience with In-n-Out. His mother is no fan of In-N-Out, so Dane has been the innocent victim of her preference to Carl's Jr. Nevertheless, Dane is sold on In-n-Out, and I will now have company for when I get my next craving for carb's.
This is going to take some practice, or maybe I'm just getting the usual test of my faith prior to accomplishing something worth while.
I did go back and re-read a note that I recently found hidden in my shoe the other night. It was a very Good and uplifting note from one of my lovely daughters, who felt the need to tell me how much I was appreciated and Loved by her. I think I will keep it handy for any other days that I am stretching for something good to write about. I will not be deterred by the negatives that seem to be so easy to see.
And for the closing note:
Beware of borrowing the phone at certain unnamed appliance stores, or anywhere else where you don't know where it's (the phone) been.
G'day.

More good than bad

I woke up the other night thinking about all the good in my life and in this world, and spent too much time wondering why the world is so focused on the bad. It is sad that too many times in life we let the bad and evil things rob us of the good that is yelling for our attention and appreciation.
So often we can't see the beauty in life because we have chosen to see all the negative that the world seems to be so focused on. We miss the beauty of the forest because we let the morning dew and darkness keep us at a safe distance for fear of what we can't see yet. It is only when we step out of the familiar and comfortable into the unknown, that we will experience the hidden beauties that are only seen up close, when and as we step through the curtain of curiosity and uncertainty, into the realm of adventure.

Due to a few sleepless hours and haunting thoughts, I have decided to start my own Blog site. My goal is to Blog the good that I see and experience each day. In doing so, I hope to rise above all the negative that seems to have risen to the top of too much of our attention. I read somewhere that the best way to learn about blogging is to just start one and do it. (Stepping into the dark) I think that over time I will be able to include ideas, stories and observations which may help this world or at the very least, my world to be a better place where the good instead of the bad in this world is celebrated and promoted.

Over the last 30 years of my life, I have been able to start seeing more good in people, places, ideas and in so many other areas of this life. As a result, I believe that my life has followed suite, with too much meaning and purpose to ever fully put into words, but I will attempt to try and do so.

My objective is to try to look for the good and report on it every day. In so doing, I believe my life will get even better, regardless of what is happening in the news and world around me.

I will look for the good in;
people I meet
places I go
thoughts I think
and in all the other interests of my life and the lives of others who want to share.

Since having this idea the other night, I have not been able to quit thinking about it and many ideas have come to my mind as if from out of nowhere, but with such energy so as to cause the loss of mental focus on other things that I really need to focus on. I have learned over the years that when I have such thoughts, the only way to get my thoughts back is to act on the ideas that have been haunting me.

Once a friend of mine (Duane Beaver) said to me, that "everybody you meet in this life is a story waiting to be told, if only we took the time to get to know them".

Over the years I have met may people who were very interesting and I only found this out by leaving my comfort zone (me, myself and I) and stepping into the world of the Stranger. I have found life so much more interesting in the meeting of strangers who have common and uncommon interests.

I hope this Blog will help me even further to reach out and find the good in this world.