Technology is Wonderful

I am actually posting this from my Blackberry. It does limit me somewhat on
the amount of posting that I can do quickly.

Look for more "quick posts" in the future.

Mission Opportunities

In the summer of 1989, I had the opportunity to travel to South Africa as part of a team representing Oral Roberts University. One of the places we visited during our stay was the country of Lesotho (pronounced Li Soo Too). I spent eight weeks on the mission field that summer and have kept most of the momentos from the journey in a special memory box.

A conversation or two this week brought back memories of my trip. Lesotho is unique in that the country is essentially an island in the middle of South Africa. It is the southernmost land locked country in the world. The country is currently suffering greatly from AIDS/HIV. The disease affects nearly 30% of the population, one of the highest rates in the world. There are several important orphanages operating in Lesotho to help care for children left behind. One of the young ladies from our church may have the opportunity to go and help at one of the orphanages this summer.

I will add a few photos of my time there when I get a few extra minutes to post them.

My buddy Paul just put up blog post #1000. It is a masterpiece.

Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac... It's in the hole! It's in the hole! It's in the hole!
Congrats Paul!

Steve Trivia

Due to some minor sinus issues, my voice sounds like one of the following Brady kids in this clip from your childhood memories.

Toys for Men

ARRRRRGGGGGHHHH, ARRRRRGGGGGHHHH, ARRRRRGGGGGHHHH

Killer Prayer Tips

Photos from a great day

It was a beautiful morning for the triathlon.  Here are a few photos from the event.

                              

The top shot shows Greg and I shortly after receiving our numbers.  Mine was random but they unfortunately put Greg's age on his.  The second photo is Greg with the moon behind him (I told you it was early!)  All the participants received two identifying numbers in permanent marker for the event.  Our competition number was written on our right arm and our ages were written on the back of our calves.  This was okay until I was getting passed by people much older than me out on the course.  It was WAY too easy to recognize when that occurred.  

This is not the end.  It was really just the beginning of this journey of better health and exercise.  I look forward to future challenges.  

Yeah, baby!

Hooray! It's over. 1,32,04 No splits available yet, but 13 minutes better than my last time and only 2 minutes off my big goal.

Time to Tri!

10 hours to Tri-time!

I'm ready

A question that I ask myself.

The Check List

Bike in the shop getting tuned up...check, done eating Easter candy...check, on my way to the Y to run...check, bike & swim tomorrow...planned, ready for the tri in 4 days...hopefully. :)

Countdown

5 days until the triathlon... It's amazing how just typing the words makes me more nervous.

Why does the Easter Bunny lay eggs?

A fair question I think.

My kids were curious as to why and how a bunny is laying eggs anyway?

The Easter Bunny is mentioned in literature as early as the year 1620 and can be traced to German origins. The first edible Easter Bunnies were made there in the 1600's and consisted of pastry and sugar. The Easter Bunny was introduced to America by German settlers who arrived in Pennsylvania Dutch country in the 1700's. According to the tradition, children would build brightly colored nests, often out of caps and bonnets, in secluded areas of their homes. The "O_ster Haws_e" (pronounced Osterhause) would, if the children had been good, lay brightly colored eggs in the nest. As the tradition spread, the nest has become the manufactured, modern Easter basket, and the placing of the nest in a secluded area has become the tradition of hiding baskets.

Both Rabbits, Hares, and eggs are all known as symbols of fertility.

The precise origin of the coloring of eggs is also very interesting. Many eastern Christians to this day still dye their eggs red to signify the newness of springtime and also the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Wikipedia gives the following account:

German Protestants wanted to retain the Catholic custom of eating colored eggs for Easter, but did not want to introduce their children to the Catholic rite of fasting. Eggs were forbidden to Catholics during the fast of Lent, which was the reason for the abundance of eggs at Easter time.[7]
The idea of an egg-laying bunny came to the United States in the 18th century. German immigrants in the Pennsylvania Dutch area told their children about the "Osterhas," sometimes spelled "Oschter Haws." "Hase" means "hare," not rabbit, and in Northwest European folklore the "Easter Bunny" indeed is a hare, not a rabbit. According to the legend, only good children received gifts of colored eggs in the nests that they made in their caps and bonnets before Easter.[8] In 1835, Jakob Grimm wrote of long-standing similar myths in Germany itself. Noting many related landmarks and customs, Grimm suggested that these derived from legends of Ostara.[9]

So there you have it kids. Ask and you shall receive.

God Is Good!

Our Tenebrae service was absolutely wonderful... very powerful! Our kids spring festival this afternoon went great. Now I'm looking forward to celebrating Easter morning at church and having great fellowship with friends afterward. God Is Good!

Geocache or Bust

I am proud to say that I am a Geocache enthusiast. Wikipedia describes Geocaching as an outdoor treasure-hunting game in which the participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver or other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world. A typical cache is a small waterproof container (usually a tupperware or ammo box) containing a logbook and "treasure," usually toys or trinkets of little value.
Currently over 823,000 geocaches are registered on various websites devoted to the pastime. Geocaches are currently placed in over 100 countries around the world and on all seven continents, including Antarctica.[1]

This is a hobby which I personally enjoy and have also been able to enjoy with my family. The following is a short tribute of the first ever "cache" provided by Dave Ulmer of Beavercreek, Oregon.[3] The location was posted on the Usenet newsgroup sci.geo.satellite-nav[4] as 45°17.460′N 122°24.800′W / 45.291°N 122.413333°W / 45.291; -122.413333. By May 6, 2000, it had been found twice and logged once (by Mike Teague of Vancouver, Washington). According to Dave Ulmer's message, the original stash was a black plastic bucket buried most of the way in the ground and contained software, videos, books, food, money, and a slingshot. The site is now now identified with a historical marker.

Origins of Good Friday

Of the numerous Christian holy days on the liturgical calendar, Good Friday is perhaps the most solemn and profound memorial. The dates of Good Friday, which vary by calendar year, occur between March 20th and April 23rd. Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus and falls on the last Friday before Easter. It is the pinnacle of Holy Week, and Christians observe this day with great humility and reverence.

History of Good Friday

As early as the first century, the Church set aside every Friday as a special day of prayer and fasting. It was not until the fourth century, however, that the Church began observing the Friday before Easter as the day associated with the crucifixion of Christ. First called Holy or Great Friday by the Greek Church, the name "Good Friday" was adopted by the Roman Church around the sixth or seventh century.

Good Friday Origins

There are two possible origins for the name "Good Friday". The first may have come from the Gallican Church in Gaul (modern-day France and Germany). The name "Gute Freitag" is Germanic in origin and literally means "good" or "holy" Friday. The second possibility is a variation on the name "God's Friday," where the word "good" was used to replace the word "God," which was often viewed as too holy for commoners to speak.

Good Friday Traditions

Good Friday rituals and traditions are distinct from those of all other Church observances and add to Good Friday's considerable significance. The entire ceremony is somber, with priests and deacons dressing in black vestments. The pulpit and the altar are bare, and no candles are lit. The purpose behind the solemn presentation is to create an awareness of grief over the sacrifice of God's only begotten Son.

Good Friday Church Rituals

Starting anytime between midnight and 3 a.m., priests and other clerics begin to recite specific prayers. At the morning ceremony, the priest or church official recites lessons from the scriptures. Afterwards, there is a succession of prayers asking for God's mercy and forgiveness on all mankind.

At the noon hour comes the Adoration of the Cross, where a representation of the True Cross is unveiled and the clergy and laity pay homage to the sacrifice of Christ. In the Jerusalem Church, a remnant of the True Cross itself is presented for the ceremony. Next comes the Mass of the Presanctified, in which the priest or church official takes Communion from the host that was blessed during the Maundy Thursday ceremony. The ceremony concludes around 3 p.m. with a procession, which is followed by evening prayers.

What are you drinking?

The average american consumes 20-22% of their calories in beverages. We need to drink more water.

Tenebrae

We will be having our first Tenebrae Service tonight at 7pm. The word “tenebrae” is Latin for shadows and the purpose of the service is to examine 7 shadows representing the 7 stages of the Good Friday events.

I blog lots

I did not know how often I would blog when I started out. The hard part is knowing when something new is posted to keep myself up to date!

Workin It

Wow was yesterday hard. I got a whole new perspective on olympic training. My swim coach Heather observed my practice. I did a warm up lap then stopped to ask her what to do first. Her response was "now we can do your warm up." Apparently my idea of a workout is her idea of a warm-up.

The whole practice was that way. It was "change this and take a lap", "change that and take a lap" and on and on. At one point, trying to concentrate on all that I was changing, I consumed enough water to fill 10 jacuzzi's. All in all it was a rewarding experience.

Thanks Heather!!

My Team

The Green Bay Packers have won more championships -- 12 -- than any other team in National Football League history.

They won their first three by league standing (1929, 1930 and 1931), and nine since the NFL's playoff system was established in 1933 (1936, 1939, 1944, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1967 and 1996).

Green Bay also is the only NFL team to win three straight titles, having done it twice (1929-30-31 and 1965-66-67).

In addition, the Packers won the first two Super Bowls (over Kansas City in 1966, 35-10, and over Oakland in 1967, 33-14), as well as a more recent one (over New England in 1996, 35-21).

Since the league implemented a playoff system in 1933, the Packers have played in the NFL's deciding game 12 times (10 NFL title appearances from 1936-67, two Super Bowls after the 1970 merger). Only the Giants (18) have played for more titles.

Most World Championships:
Green Bay Packers, 12
Chicago Bears, 9
New York Giants, 7
Dallas Cowboys, 5

In the pool

I have been spending many hours recently in the water in preparation for the upcoming triathlon. My times are decreasing with every lap. The other night I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Heather who is an experienced swimmer, coach and mentor. Swimming is fun and we never got to do it in my home state of Wisconsin because the pools were all frozen.

Cool 3D Modeling Printer

Not nearly as inspirational as Zig’s link this morning but cool none-the-less.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAt2xD1L8dw

Steve finally has a blog

I finally broke down... just for you Paul!
http://stevefinallyhasablog.blogspot.com