Fall Back!

It's that time again (unless you live in Hawaii or Arizona!)  Set your clock back one hour tonight.  Don't waste that hour - get up at the same time, exercise for 30 minutes then surprise your pastor by being early for church!

And while you're at it...

REI to Close on Black Friday

I read a really interesting article on USA Today - "Outdoor gear and sporting goods retailer REI is canceling Black Friday this year. No promotions, no hourly sales, no doorbusters, no waiting in line. In an unprecedented move for the modern-day holiday shopping season, REI's 143 stores will be closed the day after Thanksgiving. The co-op business plans to launch a campaign Tuesday encouraging people to forgo shopping to spend time outside instead. With the hashtag #OptOutside, REI will ask people to share what they're doing on Black Friday on social media."

I love this!  I have never done the Black Friday thing.  I think I got up once, before I was married, and was at a store at 6:00 a.m., which was really early back then!  I was looking for one item.  I bought it and went back home.

We've spent several black Fridays traveling, but we have also opted outside quite a bit.  We were at Yosemite in 2009:

We did some cycling on the Pacific Coast Highway in 2010:

We rented bikes in Mexico Beach, Florida in 2011:

We were back at Yosemite in 2012:

We were back in Mexico Beach in 2013 and I did some running while Les went cycling:

Last year we stayed home and I don't have a single picture, but my training log shows that I ran 4 miles then rode 8.6 miles!

Will you #OptOutside, go shopping on Black Friday, or a little of both?

Jet Lag, Domestic Recovery, Fall Envy, and Puzzle Prayer Time

I have several things to blog about that will take a bit more thought, but I wanted to pop in today with just a few short thoughts:

We flew home on Friday night.  Les needed to be in the office the entire day on Friday, so we took the red eye, leaving Honolulu at 11:10 p.m. and arriving in Los Angeles at 7:40 a.m.  Those flights are painful!  I think I slept off and on for about an hour and Les got about a 20 minute catnap.  We crashed as soon as we got home, spent Saturday afternoon unpacking and, unfortunately for Les, repacking.  We were in bed by 9:00 (6:00 Hawaii time) and slept straight through until our alarm went off at 5:30 Sunday morning.  Les had to fly three more time zones east for a conference in Philadelphia this week.  So while I'm dealing with a three time zone difference, he's dealing with six!  I got a text from him this morning letting me know he had won a drone, so it wasn't all in vain!

After getting Les off to the airport, Sunday was filled with church with a nap sandwiched between services.  Pastor White preached two fabulous message and Sunday night's was off the charts!  I finally made it to the grocery store yesterday, along with the dry cleaners.  Today is Domestic Recovery Day Two while I clean house and do laundry.  I don't have too much laundry since I washed all our clothes in Hawaii on Friday morning before we packed. 

While I'm cleaning, I'm trying to decide if I want to bring out my Fall/Thanksgiving decorations.  I usually do this mid-September, but we were gone.  It has been in the 90s every day since we got home, so it's hard to get motivated.  Maybe I'll put them out by faith!  I've yet to have pumpkin spice anything.  I'm envious of those who are enjoying beautiful 40 degree Fall mornings, but won't be when 40 is their high in a few months!

Finally, if you have not read the latest post on The Ballestro Blog, you need to!  It's one of the neatest, sweetest posts ever!  Click here now!

Today's Sunrise

We are flying home tonight so I did my final run for this trip this morning.  God sent me off with this spectacular sunrise!

Having an Apostolic Attitude

We enjoyed Tuesday night Bible study at New Life Pentecostal last night.  Pastor and Sister McGriffin had been in Tennessee for General Conference and some family time so this was the only Tuesday night we got to hear him this trip.  He taught about "Having an Apostolic Attitude," from Philippians 2:3-8.  I forgot to bring a notepad, but I did manage to get a few notes on my iPad.

Deciding to follow Christ makes you a success. Just deciding that means you have the attitude of a winner.  But it is possible to be filled with the Holy Ghost and have a rotten attitude. We also know people who know nothing about God who have positive attitudes. 

We need to start looking at trials and tests as opportunities to be better in Christ.  We need to connect the right attitude with the power of the Holy Ghost and our opportunities will be limitless. We live in a restricted dimension when our attitude is wrong. 

Philippians 2:5 says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:" The Amplified version says, "Let this same attitude and purpose and humble mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus:"

Ability is what you are capable of doing

Motivation determines what you do

Attitude determines how well you do it. 

- Lou Holtz

Sounds like we're about to have an attitude check. 

In addition to an altitude indicator, a Lear jet has an attitude indicator. The gauge lets the pilot know what position the airplane is flying relative to the horizon. If the nose is down, you are descending.  Even if it is just one degree, if you don't do something about your attitude you're heading for a disaster. This is why some people crash in the kingdom of God. They ignore the signs directing them to check their attitude. 

Change the attitude of the airplane it changes its performance.  When the attitude is lifted, things start heading up. Change your attitude. 

There is a technique called attitude flying.  We need to learn how to engage in attitude flying and maintain an Apostolic attitude that makes sure we're climbing. Our performance will improve. 

If you are always pointing your nose down, you are going down. Think up, look up, be up!  Jesus said "lift up your eyes." Exist in a dimension of ascending attitude. Engage in spiritual attitude flying. 

Philippians 2:3-4 says, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."  To have the mind of Christ we have to have a selfless attitude. Not about me, but how I serve others.

Philippians 2:6-7 says, "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:  But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:"  Jesus was secure in who He was. Our salvation is in Christ so we have no need to be insecure. Insecure people are hard to get along with.  Jesus was selfless and secure. It is dangerous to see yourself as being spiritually sensitive but not being submissive to the will and word of God. 

All You Need is Love... and a Little Ice Cream

We're on our final week for this Hawaiian trip.  We've had a wonderful time.  Les has been super busy working and getting in some fun bike rides.  I've continued training for my next marathon.  Four weeks from Saturday I'll be lining up again.  In addition to my normal training runs I was able to participate in the Brio Ice Cream 25k yesterday morning.  It started at 5:30 a.m.  Since New Life Pentecostal only has a Sunday evening service it did not impact our church attendance at all.  We were so happy to see Pastor McGriffin feeling better, preaching and encouraging us all.

It was a breezy 76 degrees for the race, which meant my body was working overtime to run and keep from overheating.  I haven't done many races but this one felt pretty good!  I finished 16/34 in my age group (Females 50-54) and I was happy with that.

And ice cream at the end?  Can't go wrong there!

I apologize for my lack of posts.  I don't have a comfortable spot to type on my laptop in this particular condo and any extended time ends up really hurting my wrist.