A Day Wasted?

Today(yesterday) was one of those days that you look back and ask “What did I do? Hours gone by and what?” My boss called this morning and said we’re not working today and maybe not tomorrow. I went to bed last night planning on working today. I mean when I’m working there’s little time for anything else so that’s all I do…W-O-R-K. No work and possibly a day or two before we do so. So I slept a little extra(been enjoying a nagging sinus infection/cold), got my laptop and drove 15min to use the internet for 45min, ate some lunch, and wondered what else I should be doing or needs done. Obviously I need to clean my place a bit, do some dishes, put up some clothes, vacuum, could read some, I’ve got time I could pray, journal, etc. Nothing grabs me so I go for a walk just to get some night fresh air hoping to avoid the mosquitoes but trust that’s not too likely. I risk it anyways. I’ve got cabin fever. I walk out on the dirt road trying to see where my feet are going with no other light than the glare of the well lit rigs off in the distance. I look to the sky and see half a trillion stars lighting up the sky. I see the dissection of the Milky Way galaxy splashed across the sky. A few shooting stars race through the sky burning up as they enter our atmosphere. I find a place to stop and just look up at the night sky. “What am I doing?”, I ask as to also imply the question where am I headed? “Are You there God? What did I miss today? Was my day, my existence here on earth today, simply wasted?” I peer into the night sky wondering. I think of how fast the earth rotates yet as I lay here on this concrete construction road block it looks completely motionless but I know otherwise. The cool crisp light breeze and occasional mosquito, aside from the hum of the rigs in the distance and the inevitable work being done there, seem to be all that’s moving. It’s peaceful and perplexing. So much stillness yet I know that the world is happening at an astounding rate and God is still moving with or without me. The question I ask then is did I join Him in some way? Did I walk with Him, pray for His people, miss opportunities to be love, light, grace, mercy, truth, peace, to someone? How does He care for me? Why does He despite our neglect?

God is all powerful, all knowing, gracious, just, righteous, Yahweh, the Creator…I wonder if we in our finite minds just believe that we are the only ones God created? I mean there are galaxies upon galaxies that go beyond where we can see. Would it be beyond God or like God to have us think we are the only ones and yet there are others? Other solar systems that work like ours and people who think they are the only ones that exist and have yet to discover anyone else or would He just out of sheer greatness continue to push and expand the vastness of His creation and watch man try to put it in to an algebraic equation for life? He continues to say I can’t be measured. I have no end but keep seeking it and all you’ll continue to find is Me. Keep seeking you’ll find Me. The day wasted? I’m still here. Keep seeking and you’ll find Me. Wonder what to do? Keep seeking Me. Come join Me. I’m still here. Obedience is what I want not sacrifice. If sacrifice is required then ok but I want obedience no matter what.

James 4:8 “Come near to God and He will come near to you.”

Until Dukey Drops Again….Much Love….

Days off & Paintball

Whewwwwww...last time I posted I was getting ready to do some work and work we did. Twelve days later I'm so ready for a day off after doing 12-14hr shifts of some pretty physical work that should have me in pretty decent shape in a little while. My body hadn't really recovered from the daily work out of which I wasn't really used to and I picked up a sinus infection of some sort. Good times. I think a little rest and I'll be over it though. My body just has to adjust to the routine a bit. I think I go back to work Wednesday.
So mom is away in Texas for a Mary Kay seminar, of which she is being presented with keys to her new Pontiac G6, so I decided to come visit dad. Today after church we went and played some paintball with several of the guys from church. It was my first time to play. I've wanted to many many times and finally we did. So the pics included were after the battles. This nice jewel on my neck happened after my dad and I who were on opposite teams both got hit. We stood up and were talking to each other in the paintball arena and POP! POP! My dad gets hit in the back and I get hit in the neck. One of the guys on his team(John age: 10 or 11) shot him and shot me in the neck from about 15ft away. He claims he was trying to shoot me because he didn't know if I was out. I don't know but not very often do you have guys on opposing teams just havin' a chat in the middle of a paintball match. Sorry not buyin' it. He saw bodies and shot 'em. He was craving some action and I'll have to be honest it took a little self restraint to not give him some of that action he might have been craving. I just don't think he would have enjoyed it. So I have the wound to prove it. Some how I also got hit in the left thigh 3 times all within 1inch of each other...really how does that happen? It made a rather large welt.
It doesn't hurt enough I won't do it again... =)




Was readin' the other day...Daniel 7 & 8...actually heard someone on the radio reading it then I went and read it a few times. Wondered what it would be like to have a dream like that and what I would do with it? Prayer, don't know what else. Talk with some other wise believers. Thats all I've got...check it out if you get a minute.



Kill Count:

Mice - 12

11yr old kid named John - almost 1 =) haha!


Well thats all for now...Until Dukey Drops Again...Much Love...

Do Work Son

Well the Mesa is finally opening. For those you who don't have a clue what that means...I didn't before I moved up here...it just means we can go to work...serious like. Instead of a job here or a job there. Most of our work is in the area called the Mesa and its been closed for a while. Its only open until sometime in November and we have 25-30% more hole to do this year in a shorter "drilling season" should be fun. We have 86 holes to drill. So its time to "Do Work Son!"
I did get my CDL permit today to drive the trucks. A little practice and I go take the skills test and I will be official...and get paid better. So thats good too.
Well off to pack my lunch and get some sleep.
Until Duke Drops Again....Much Love....

Wind River Mountians: Cirque of the Towers

On Saturday I went out for a day hike...my goal was Jackass Pass to get a look at Cirque of the Towers. It was 10mi in and 10 mi out obviously for those of you mathematically adept making it a 20mi hike from the trail head. =) 20miles in Kansas in less than 9 hours...please. NEWSFLASH this ain't Kansas. So I was gonna give it a shot and see how far I could make it before dark. I didn't know which would get me first the dark or the pain. I was up for the challenge to see what would happen. I arrived at the trail head at 11:45am and was cruisin' out at 8:15pm(gets dark around 9:30-10 here). Granted I was glad to be at the trail head because make no mistake I was in a little pain as you can see from the pics it was worth it. I wish I had more time to spend there than just a day but I'll be back. I'll try to put more of the pics on here when I get a chance but here are a few. Also I will have as many as I can on facebook in the next few days if you visit there. Anyway enjoy the beauty....I know they're small...not sure if I like 'em that way...if you click on them they'll enlarge....again enjoy.....

(#1)Temple and Haystack mountains (#2)Sundance and Warbonnet peaks
(#3) Arrowhead lake in the foreground, LtoR Temple, East Temple, Steeple & ???


(#1) Cirque of the Towers (#2) Cirque of the Towers & me (#3) Big Sandy River & peaks in the back


(#2) Big Sandy Lake & Temple mtn

(#1) Haystack mtn (#2) Big Sandy Lake






Until Dukey Drops Again....Much Love........

Living Dangerously..."Halal"

I was in Pinedale yesterday and I saw some little league baseball games going on so I stopped to watch. I quickly flashed back to when I played as a little guy. The object of the game was simple hit the ball and run or if you’re on defense catch it if the ball is hit and get the batter/baserunner out. To hit a home run was the ultimate glorious moment all of us dreamed about and when it happened life was as good as it could get. We ran the bases like there was no tomorrow. We’d swing the bat like we were going to hit the ball into tomorrow. Giving our all to win. To be victorious.

I remember the freedom and fun I had playing T-ball with my cousin Tyler. Our team was called the Tigers. We had orange shirts with black lettering and numbers. We’d play our hearts out and celebrate with victory like we won the world series or sob with the agony of defeat like we had just lost it…and then we would go to Dairy Queen or The Cardinal Drive-In and get some delicious ice cream and all would be right with the universe because that’s what you did after a baseball game. Then next week would do it all over again. Of course we would make sure we didn’t go to the pool on game days because as our parents and grandparents told us we would be tired and wouldn’t play well. It was simple. It was fun.

As I read the devotional (sitting on the log to the left in the pic with my feet in the river...a spot I may visit again if the log is still there)I was doing today these thoughts and memories were revisited as it talked about living dangerously. It said, In Dangerous Wonder, Michael Yaconelli writes, “Remember the thrill of thinking you could fly, the adventure of going places in your imagination, the joy and abandon of running and jumping and playing hard-without worrying about what might happen?”

Some of us remember what its like to be a child. Fearless wonder-some call it innocence. It’s the discovery of something new, the abandonment of our whole selves to living life. Somewhere along the path to adulthood, things change. We’re taught to “grow up.” Some behaviors just aren’t acceptable when you get older.

Stop crying. Quit goofing off. You’re laughing too loud. Sit still. Emotions are considered foolishness, and before you know it, we become the adult who doesn’t display passion about anything. We are lost.

I think we sell out with this dignified behavior. I think we miss the God-intended joy of living life.

One of the Hebrew words for praise is halal. It means to celebrate, to rave, and to act foolishly. Foolish actions are acceptable to God. He loves them; they’re heartfelt.

Life is meant to be enjoyed.

Read 2 Sam 6:12-15 This week lose a little dignity. Get lost in the moment without worry what other people think.

I loved it. I caught myself this week actually doing this. I was up in the Wind River Mountains running around taking pictures…literally running around. A guy on a motorcycle came over the hill and I stopped and acted like I was just hangin’ out. And as I’m doing now I laughed and thought what was I doing.

Why did I stop? Who cares. For a moment I was that little kid getting the picture of the lake, the eagle, the butterfly, the mountains and then for a moment that motorcycle made me think…I may look foolish. So I stopped. So what. I want people to know that I love my life and live it with passion. How boring is life if you don't enjoy it? I want to live life and enjoy every moment of it...even if I look foolish.

Kill count:

Mice-9(in my cabin)

Ground Squirell-1( death by vehicle)

Fish-0

Pronghorn Antelope-0 (1close call by vehicle with a mama and 2 little ones…not the way I want to do it)

This guy(Pronghorn Antelope) was in my "front yard" and stopped to pose for a pic(rarely do they stop) not 70yds from my house.















RANDOM WEBSITE: The Orion Project...if you haven't heard of it you should check it out. Its quite interesting. It deals with our energy sources and poses intriguing questions about our current ones.
http://www.theorionproject.org/en/


Until Dukey Drops Again.....Much Love.....

28hrs in a Day?

How many hours in a day are there? 24 you say. Most everyone would agree. This last week while I was in New Mexico there was someone who disagreed. We were drilling a water well for Shell this last 10 or 12 days and one of those days we crammed 28hours into 24. It was crazy. In the last 3 weeks I've been working there I've put in about 225hrs. Many nights I go to bed and sleep well. I'm tired but wow it is a very different tired than when I worked at TMP as the Dorm Coordinator for the boys dorm this last year. I feel really different. Its a good tired...maybe exhausted physically so I sleep well but I get up and go again. I'm not tired and draggin' like I found myself working at TMP. Some of it too is just adjusting to the work so its still fresh. I'm sure as the winter approaches and temperatures fall into the teens life on the drilling rig will be a little different...less sunshine. =p For now its been beautiful.
To work though has been a blessing. There have been some guys sitting at home waiting for work...kind of like I'm doing now but I'm sure I'll be back at it soon enough. I need to work on getting my CDL while I'm not out on the rig or somewhere else. We are supposed to be turned out to go crazy around July 15th as the big gas field that we will do a lot of drilling in is closed by the EPA and BLM. So now a little rest...pay bills...fun stuff like that. May have to run up to the Wind Rivers and mess around. I'll take my camera so I'll share a little of them on here.

RANDOM QUESTION: If you could open up a restaurant what would it be called and what kind of food would you serve?

Until Dukey Drops Again......Much Love.......