What is better than training?

“Training your body helps you in some ways. But devotion to God helps you in every way. It brings you blessings in this life and in the future life too.” 1 Timothy 4:8 ERV

Devotion to God.

“Devotion-commitment to some purpose; religious zeal; the willingness to serve God”

“Zeal-a feeling of strong eagerness; prompt willingness; excessive fervor to do something”

“Fervor-feelings of great warmth and intensity”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/1ti.4.8.erv

Always A Successful Ending

“But we thank God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” 1 Corinthians 15:57 ERV

“Victory-a successful ending of a struggle or contest”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/1co.15.57.erv

Source: Genuine Peace

“God, you give true peace to people who depend on you, to those who trust in you.” Isaiah 26:3 ERV

“Peace-the absence of mental stress or anxiety”

“Genuine – not fake or counterfeit; not pretended; sincerely felt or expressed”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/isa.26.3.erv

Share: Second Circle +Protect Your Confidence

Series: I Don’t Know What I Believe- Protect Your Confidence [Part 6]
Total Time: 51 Minutes
Listen Part 3-Second Circle
Listen Part 6 Protect Your Confidence
View Video Online

Yesterday, I went on with my regular Saturday long ride but I tweaked my routine.  Instead of listening to Hillsong while cycling, I listened to Steven talking about our beliefs.  [yeah, it’s dangerous and illegal but in Texas, it’s better not to hear the cars coming from behind  since they scares me a lot more than anything else, I’d rather get hit by a truck listening to sermons and praising God … ;-[]

Viewing Video Online Tips
Listening or viewing sermons online might not appear straight forward to some.  There are many ways on how to listen and view the materials online but I wanted to make sure that you are not frustrated/held back in getting your materials.

For viewing videos online, when there is a series message, the series is divided into parts. In the example below, the url is just this one link [go there] and the parts are in a “not so visible” tab [see red box below]
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iOS7 App
If you have a smartphone [who does not have one these days … if you are reading this blog], download the Elevation App [App: Search for “Elevation App” in Playstore or Apps Store].  I found the Elevation App very useful since I have  2GB limit from AT&T and I can’t listen to the materials on a 4G connection without wasting my monthly data plan allocation.  When you click a sermon in the Elevation App, a download button appears next to the “Listen” button [see red box below].  Click on the download button while connected in your WIFI and download the sermon to save cellular bandwidth.  For me, I have a 32GB iPhone 5S and went to each sermons and downloaded the broadcast.  Once you’ve downloaded the material, you can now listen to the sermons offline – that means anywhere you go.  Plug your headphones on an learn something… while…

Now, build your library and enjoy.

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Website: http://elevationchurch.org/
App: Search for “Elevation App” in Playstore or Apps Store
Sermon Archive: http://elevationchurch.org/sermons/archive

Network: http://elevationnetwork.com/

myNotes on Part 6- Protecting Your Confidence:

I’m going invite/beg you to do two things.  Please listen to Part 3 first and then Part 6 [in that order]. To me, I find listening to sermons using a headphone — a better delivery of information.  Grab your smartphone, go to a comfortable place and just listen.  This takes about >1 hour — but I promise you, it’s something special.
Listen Part 3-Second Circle
Listen Part 6 Protect Your Confidence

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Protect Your Confidence:
1. Connection between Vulnerability and Value
2. Connection between  Circumstance and Confidence
3. Connection between Trusting and Entrusted
4. Connection between Safety and Strength

Verse reference: Read slowly the Full Chapter of 2 Timothy 1:1-18 [Replace Timothy’s name with your name as you read it]

1Greetings from Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am an apostle because God wanted me to be. God sent me to tell people about the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.

2To Timothy, a dear son to me.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord.

Thanksgiving and Encouragement

3I always remember you in my prayers day and night. And in these prayers I thank God for you. He is the God my ancestors served, and I have always served him with a clear conscience.4I remember that you cried for me. I want very much to see you so that I can be filled with joy. 5I remember your true faith. That kind of faith first belonged to your grandmother Lois and to your mother Eunice. I know you now have that same faith. 6That is why I want you to remember the gift God gave you. God gave you that gift when I laid my hands on you. Now I want you to use that gift and let it grow more and more, like a small flame grows into a fire. 7The Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. His Spirit is a source of power and love and self-control.

8So don’t be ashamed to tell people about our Lord Jesus. And don’t be ashamed of me—I am in prison for the Lord. But suffer with me for the Good News. God gives us the strength to do that.

9God saved us and chose us to be his holy people, but not because of anything we ourselves did. God saved us and made us his people because that was what he wanted and because of his grace. That grace was given to us through Christ Jesus before time began. 10And now it has been shown to us in the coming of our Savior Christ Jesus. He destroyed death and showed us the way to have life. Yes, through the Good News Jesus showed us the way to have life that cannot be destroyed.

11I was chosen to tell people that message as an apostle and teacher. 12And I suffer now because of that work. But I am not ashamed, because I know the one I have put my trust in. And I am sure that he is able to protect what I have put into his care until that Day.

13What you heard me teach is an example of what you should teach. Follow that model of right teaching with the faith and love we have in Christ Jesus. 14This teaching is a treasure that you have been trusted with. Protect it with the help of the Holy Spirit, who lives inside us.

15You know that everyone in Asia has left me. Even Phygelus and Hermogenes have left me. 16I pray that the Lord will show mercy to the family of Onesiphorus. Many times Onesiphorus encouraged me. He was not ashamed that I was in prison. 17No, he was not ashamed. When he came to Rome, he looked and looked for me until he found me. 18I pray that the Lord Jesus will make sure Onesiphorus receives mercy from the Lord God on that Day. You know how many ways this brother helped me in Ephesus.

1. Connection between Vulnerability and Value
guard the treasure
vulnerability signifies value
thieves don’t steal from an empty houses
vulnerability-susceptibility to injury and attack
God has given you something valuable
recognize vulnerability, you have something good in you
struggle is not a sign of weakness, it is an indication that you are valuable
if you are struggling, don’t quit – keep going

2. Connection between  Circumstance and Confidence
enemy [the devil] will attack your circumstance because he is truly after your confidence
analogy of Wallet and Money: thieves are not after your wallet, they are after your money [inside your wallet]
wallet is the circumstance and money is the confidence
sickness is the circumstance and believing that God overcame death is your confidence [your beliefs]
cancer can’t beat you because Jesus conquered death at the cross [He was resurrected]
circumstance can cause you to lose confidence
make a decision to protect your confidence
never give the devil your confidence
What is our confidence?
1. confidence of the Gospel [The Good News]
2. confidence of Christ
3. confidence of our beliefs
4.confidence of the promises of God given to us; examples: I will never leave you; I will always be with you; I’ve forgiven you no matter what you’ve done
sin does not change the truth that God saved us
God is always holding us, and not “us” holding God
when we let go-example sinning or going against God or rebelling against God, we are the one who is letting go of our grip [not God letting us go]
don’t let your confidence be affected by your circumstance
circumstance is not your confidence

3. Connection between Trusting and Entrusted
can you trust God?
do you know that God entrusted us Read 2 Timothy 1:14 “This teaching is a treasure that you have been trusted with. Protect it with the help of the Holy Spirit, who lives inside us”.
can God trust you with the treasure? [the confidence of the Gospel]
sometimes it is easier to trust God than to believe the God entrusted us
Example: Peter walking in water
Did Peter doubted about Jesus?
or Did Jesus doubted Peter’s ability to trust?
trust Him that He is able to do anything for us but don’t stop there because that is only the first part
can you be trusted with His ability?  He will do it with you
you need to look at your life that by His strength in you, you are able.
confidence has to go beyond the idea the God is able
but are you able to do it with His ability in you?
God entrusted us “something” [this is your calling, your purpose]
are you able to protect it?
you are not an accident to His eyes, God hand picked you, He entrusted you with something
God has given you something, guard it
your confidence is under attack-not the Gospel
guard your confidence in the Gospel
make sure that your circumstance does not rob your confidence
trust God that He is able but also trust that He is able to do it in you – through you
don’t lose your confidence in Christ
our greatest enemy is ourself – our mind
guard your mind, the enemy uses our mind to lose our confidence

4. Connection between Safety and Strength
attacks-the devil is mad at you
the devil want to stop you [whatever you are doing for the Gospel and humanity]
paradigm: “I’m under attack, this is not working”
paradigm shift: “I’m under attack, this is working”
progress means opposition, keep going
we are the guardian of the Gospel-entrusted by God through the Holy Spirit
you are not in this battle by yourself
the Holy Spirit is with you because you are the Temple of the Holy Spirit 
know that whatever happens, you are safe because of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit speaking to you at any circumstance -“put it on me”

A Higher Thought

“The Lord says, “My thoughts are not like yours. Your ways are not like mine. Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8, 9 ERV

“Higher-advanced in complexity or elaboration; greater than normal in degree, intensity or amount”

I am currently reading a book called Design for Reliability by Raheia/Gullo. In their book, they proposed that in order to design a better system or a product, the success criteria of a system or product has to be measured not by MTBF (mean time between failure) but by the amount of failure that occurs throughout the lifetime of the product. They proposed that for a product to be considered successful, the criteria should be “zero failure” – meaning that your car should not break or fail throughout a set of a lifetime (for cars it is 10 years). I kinda like the idea and I hope that every product manufacturer in the world will cater the same mindset.

Designing a product with “zero failure” in mind is possible nowadays. I’ve seen that in action inside my home like my refrigerator, washer and dryer etc. It is possible.

But what about God’s design. I’m hoping that a few of you here believed that God is behind all these designs — the non-man made stuff in life –the human body, the earth, the sun, stars, moon, wind, water etc.

Are God’s creations designed for reliability? Will it stand to the newly formed paradigm of “zero failure”?

How did God came up with the design? Take for example a river or a lake, how did He figured out that He need to design water in the river and lake so that people can water their crops and grow a healthy agricultural system to sustain the food supply in the world. What about the sun? Why didn’t He made two so that there will always be sunlight? Why just one?

I stopped asking those questions a long time ago. I could never comprehend why He gave me a brain that thinks and not the rest of the animal kingdom. Would it be nice to have a good conversation with a bird or a dog or a fish? Of course God has His own reasons – His thoughts are higher than ours…

What about our own thoughts? Is it still needed to be able to function flawlessly and enjoyably in this earth? We know that God’s thoughts are better than ours, what’s the point of learning and studying? Why not just tapped in to God’s thoughts and these complicated and complex problems in life can be demystified in a blink of an eye.

Our thoughts + God’s thoughts = His will. If He does everything for us then what good it is for man to experience the triumph of victory without effort. It will be a shallow life.

We go to school and learn something, we read books and we acquire a little bit of insights of the subject. We attend seminars and lectures and we absorb a slight understanding of the topic at hand. We study and read about a specific topic and we become a specialist in the area.

In terms of acquiring knowledge nowadays, you don’t need to leave home. Fire up your favorite search engine and you will have millions of information ready to be stored in your memory. Do we really need all these digital information stuff?

I have the time and resources to do all that [for now] – gathering information on any subject that I am interested in. But there is one problem — I am overloaded and I don’t even know what to do with it. My brain capacity is limited. Yes, I’ve bookmarked all the good sites, took notes, blog about it, write summaries, place it in my OneNote software where it is accessible on any device I have available. In a few swipes in my smartphone, I can extract the information that I stored for later use.

But having all the information readily available anywhere/anytime does not make me smarter than anyone else. There is only so much things humans can do. There is a limit to our own capacity.

What is the better alternative to our own approach to knowledge and wisdom? Shall I ditch all my self learned knowledge and skills and wait for the angels of God to hand me down His own Wisdom and Understanding? Do I need to just lay back and minimize my own effort/doing to be able to pursue the greatest of all God’s Wisdom and Knowledge?

The short answer is NO.

We need to continue in our own pursuit to the things/concerns of this world but we have to take one step further — know and acknowledge that our own personal resources are limited. Add God’s thoughts in our own thinking and in that manner you and me can tapped into a world of countless possibilities.

It is really hard to explain the thoughts of God.

Why God’s thoughts is higher than ours?
How can we incorporate His thoughts?
How can we decode the things that He is thinking and planning for us?

That question will remain a mystery. He will later prove to us that whatever we are doing is a part of His bigger and elaborate plan. Even just to know that His ways is higher than ours is already a great encouragement to us because in retrospect, the idea is giving us a glimpse of what He can do with our own endeavor in addition to His plans.

God does not gave us a temporary and mindless idea to find our destiny by handing out a finish product to us. He wants us to learn on our own and find creative ways in dealing with life’s challenges and then later offer us a game changing idea somewhere in the middle of our journey – He reveals a higher thought.

And then in the end we see a connection and piece together the puzzle of His own elaborate plans merging to what we currently are doing.

His thoughts + Our Thoughts = Higher Thought

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/isa.55.8.erv

Principle: Partnership Requires One Mind

“Brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, I beg all of you to agree with each other. You should not be divided into different groups. Be completely joined together again with the same kind of thinking and the same purpose.” 1 Corinthians 1:10 ERV

“Agree-be in accord, be in agreement; be similar and consistent; coincide in characteristics; go well together; achieve harmony of opinion.”

One of the best indicator that our endeavor or project or our partnership or our relationship or our marriage will fail is the presence of constant disagreement. Occasional conflict is fine but when faced with daily arguments, disagreements, feelings not lined up or conflict of discernment or not seeing the same reality, then the partnership is headed for an upcoming disintegration. It will break and evolve into something else.

We cannot prevent all catastrophic partnership failures but we can mend some — especially if the partnership started in a strong bond and superb foundation. Partnership requires a base foundation of trust, respect, submission and bending of minds. These are the bedrocks of a solid relationship. Add the essence of time to it and you will have a concrete structure of a lasting partnership.

To Brittney and Brent, may you guys establish these foundation early as you travel towards building your own family and career and circle of friends.

Embrace the principle of one mind.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/1co.1.10.erv

BookNotes: Sex Drive-In Pursuit of Female Desire

Book- Sex Drive-In Pursuit of Female Desire
Author-Clayton
ISBN-978 174175 6661
Chapters: 10
Pages: 362
myRating: 5 Stars

On my last entry, I mentioned about the Principle: Don’t Jump To Conclusions . Ok, here’s my plea, don’t jump to conclusion and start your investigation or inquiry/imagination why I am reading a book with this title. I don’t need to explain or justify my reasons here why I spent 48 hours studying the subject.  I understand that  there is no biblical passages found in this book.  But why? You may wonder about my reasons and purpose but please don’t jump to conclusions.  Someone said “Knowledge is Power”.  When you learn something you don’t know, it becomes a stored energy within you and with the right moment and right circumstance, you can harness that power and turn it into something useful and productive and meaningful.  Convinced?  You don’t have to…

Seriously, here’s my reasons of reading this book:
1. I’m taking another one-week vacation from work and tired of reading technical and computer books, mowing my yard, inventing something, reading Instructables, taking notes on Hyper-V issues etc [Samsung lift the mandatory vacation but this week was already approved]
2. I wanted to know why sweet, good and loving couples end up in separate houses and different partners over time.
3. Just curious about the subject
4. Knowledge, I just want to know …

Warning:
1. If you are a wife, read this book
2. If you are a husband, read this book
3. Others, do not read this book, it’s not for you. It does not apply to you!

 

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0-Crisis in women’s sexuality
It’s the end of another long day and you’ve barely survived
it. You stand at the mirror and brush your teeth, scrutinizing
the lines on your face. You wonder, as you open the little
bottle, when you started using cream specifically for the
under-eye region. Was that the point when you started
ageing?

You crawl into bed and rest your body against your partner’s
solid form. Although he is also tired, his mouth finds your
neck and his hands bring you closer. But you don’t want the
intimacy, the physical connection. You’d like to sleep, read
your novel, or analyze why your co-worker is so mercurial.
Besides, you don’t feel the least bit sexy, and everybody
knows that’s the key to everything.

When it comes to women’s priorities, is sex on top? A study
discussed later in the book estimated that 43 per cent of
American women are dissatisfied with sex.1 A Canadian
journal reported that 30–35 per cent of women experienced a
lack of sexual desire.2 Research in Germany found that once a
woman is in a secure relationship her sex drive begins to
plummet.3

Women are collectively not in the mood because inside our
cerebral cortex, where arousal originates, there is a to-do list
that is never-ending. And just when it looks like you’ve
nailed all the tasks, another lot file in, obliterating any thought
of sex.

DINS-double income no sex;

“Libido refers to our sexual drive, but also our general vigor
and enthusiasm. Low libido leads to reduced interest in sex
and reduced creative expression of our sexuality. However,
rather than dissipating altogether, our libido often gets
funneled from sex into other areas of our life: Our career can
gobble that intense, heady focus. As can our homes, dinner
tables and wardrobes. And most undoubtedly, a singular
absorption with our children can supersede even the early,
blossoming stage of limerence.
In other words, often it is not that our libido is low, but rather
that our creative energy is being directed elsewhere, from
seduction and carnality to more contained pursuits.”

10-Bringing Sexy Back
most cases, the advice given to women with low libido is talk to your doctor
but most women, this is the last thing they want to do
other advices: do home research, consult self-help books
other forms of treatment: acupuncture, herbal remedies or sexuality workshop
when you visit a doctor: questions about:
1. medical history
2. hormonal status
3. changes in sexual interest
4. trouble with arousal
5. orgasm or vaginal dryness
6. pain
7. emotional distress
8. use of medication

Category of Sexual Problems
1. can’t get it up
2. can’t get it in
3. can’t be bothered

5 Scale of Sexual Desire
1. Initiatory—here you are motivated to have sex, look out for
sexual opportunities and feel, in her words, ‘horny’
2. receptive—in the next level, you are receptive to sex and
willing to engage if your partner initiates
3. available—here you are prepared to have sex, but don’t feel
spontaneous lust
4. neutral—your motivation to engage in sex is low
5. disinclined—you experience no lust or interest in sexual
activity.

Sex therapy does not have a good success rate
Who in the relationship is in the best position to fix the sexual stalemate?
Is it you? Is it him?

Newton’s Law of Motion

Why not think about love the way we think about the laws of
motion? Here is Newton’s first law: An object’s inertia
causes it to continue moving at the same speed and in the
same direction unless it is acted upon by an unbalanced
force. Inertia, then, means resistance to change. If the forces
on us are balanced—that is, in equilibrium—change will not
occur.

“Inertia is also what happens in long-term relationships, which
start off heady and intoxicating, but over time drain
themselves of passion. We can counter the sexual stalemate,
but the wider is the sexual gap between partners, the greater is
the unbalanced force that needs to be applied. The more
established the pattern, the greater the distance one must
bridge. It seems that the longer we stand in the space of lovers
turned friends, or lover punishing lover—the longer we stand
apart and the greater the work required to restore eros.”

“If you are in a relationship where the sexual current has
slowed, an important question to ask is,  Who has the most to lose
if the situation is not improved? If desire remains
dormant, with one partner unsatisfied, what might the
consequences be? Marital incompatibility? Threat of
adultery? Relationship discontinuation? Or simply one or
both of you feeling undesired, unseen?”

“When men cheat, it is often so that they can be seen
differently—as important, powerful, sexy, exciting, larger
than they are in the four walls of their home relationship.
Women, too, may look to a new lover to be heard, witnessed,
appreciated. It is this freshness that gives an affair voltage. At
its heart, an affair is highly narcissistic—more about you than
the other person.”

Get it back:
1. Kiss your partner everyday-turning on the senses
2. Sexual mindfulness-be at the moment, touch with love; be fully engage
3. Turn off “The List”- it should not be in your to do list, be spontaneous
4. Open-eyed-look into each other’s eyes deeply when …
5. Prioritize passion-there is work, parenting, household chores but put passion as #1; create an environment and allow time to have it; set your partner as an important part of your life [again] and just a partner in business or a roommate
6. Schedule a weekly date nights
7. Manufacture danger-take up rock climbing together; ride a roller coasters together; these increases dopamine production;
8. Distance-get away from each other for a while. Think of inertia, a balanced system will stay balanced until a force is applied. Tip the scale or stir the pot sometimes but know your boundaries.
9. Have a romantic meal
10. Think that he or she is your partner for life [you used to have a good time together]
11. Avoid drug treatments, there are side effects.
12. Everything starts in you. Don’t wait for your partner. No one will. 

from Blind Caveman
13. Never give up if there is no evident result, life and relationship is not all about sex
14. Learn to accept each other. You promised that when you said “I do”.

FSFI-Female Sexual Function Index [view Questionnaire]

Principle: Don’t Jump To Conclusions

"“Don’t judge others, and God will not judge you. Don’t condemn others, and you will not be condemned. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give to others, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands—more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.”" Luke 6:37, 38 ERV

"Judge-form a critical opinion; officially declare a judgment on someone; decide something without having all the facts"

Synonyms: estimate, evaluate, guess, label, pass judgment

Judging is a habit. It is a disease and we all have it.

There it is, I just made an incorrect judgment that "we all have it". How sure am I with the statement? What are my sources? Where is my research? Where are the data explaining that we as human beings are born to judge a person, a situation or an event. I don’t have it — so I’d better not pass judgment on that matter. I will let you decide on the idea that we are all guilty of passing judgment immediately as soon as we see or hear or read something.

Don’t jump to conclusions. Get the facts. Inquire. Research. Read. Study. Experience it. Write a draft about it. Delete it and then forget about it.

Keep it to yourself unless it can save lives or improve the quality of life. It is not for us to judge.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/luk.6.37.erv

PROBLEM: Sharepoint 2013 Forbidden 503 Service Unavailable

PROBLEM: Sharepoint 2013 Forbidden 503 Service Unavailable
FIX: Update the domain password of the Sharepoint Services
ROOTCAUSE: A compulsory Domain password change created an issue in the Sharepoint Services, you have to manually update/set the service password.
COUNTERMEASURE: Create an SPADMIN account in the domain and set the password not to expire.

BACKGROUND:

Last month, I consolidated all my server needs at home into 1 server.  I am using a Dell Poweredge III SFF as the physical server with 2 CPU, 32GB of Memory and 8 2.5” drives. I bought this from ebay for half the original cost.  The purpose of the server was for learning about the following topics: Hyper-V, Windows 2012, Exchange 2013, Sharepoint 2013, Lync 2013, SQL 2012. This is only a hobby and not exactly job related.   Yes, I created a complex situation at home just to occupy my mind when I’m bored.  This is more of a “problem solving journey” than anything else. [poweredge notes] .  If you are in the same journey, please feel free to exchange notes here.

Sharepoint site was running like a champ for weeks and then all of a sudden, “forbidden 503” error.  The Sharepoint server is a Hyper-V client inside the Poweredge 2930 III server.  I had 8 drives running/designated for each specific server. The backend of the Sharepoint server database was a virtual disk on a separate drive within the physical server.   The Domain server was the Hyper-V host and the physical network connection was tied into the physical Linksys Network switch.  Inside the Hyper-V Host is the virtual switch that connects all the Hyper-V clients ie domain, exchange and sharepoint.  For sharepoint to properly work, all the interconnected systems must be fully functioning. In short, the forbidden 503 error was not an easy problem to troubleshoot.

Virtual Machines:
image

When I setup Sharepoint 2013 for testing, I was using the domain\administrator account to run the service [this is the mistake]. W2012 domain forced a password change of the administrator account in which I did and then a few days later, I found out, the Sharepoint site was down.

Two symptoms:
1. Sharepoint Site “Forbidden 503 Service Unavailable”
2. Central Admin was unavailable

SOLUTION:
Step By Step:
1. Go to Sharepoint Server Services
2. Update the Sharepoint Service Account
3. From the command prompt, Type iisreset  /restart

Windows Service Account-password needs manual update
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IIS Application Pool Failed to start [lesson learned: do not use the Administrator account]
image

Principle: Gain The Whole World But…

“It is worth nothing for you to have the whole world if you yourself are lost.” Mark 8:36 ERV

Don’t be lost.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/mrk.8.36.erv

Principle: Be Wise and Understanding

“Are there any among you who are really wise and understanding? Then you should show your wisdom by living right. You should do what is good with humility. A wise person does not boast.” James 3:13 ERV

1. Show wisdom by living right.

2. Do what is good with humility.

3. Do not boast.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/jas.3.13.erv

Day1198; 2013 Outlaw100Miles Bike Ride

DATE: 20131012
DURATION: 7hours and 42 Minutes
WHO:
WHAT: 2013 Outlaw 100
WHERE: Old Settlers Park, Round Rock, Texas
HOW: By Bike
Total Miles=101.56Miles
Average Speed=14.4mph
Total Time=6.59 hours [computer]
Total Time on the road=7.42 hours [stopwatch]
Gatorade Consumed= 6 bottles
Clif Bar consumed=2
Power Gel consumed=3
Cups of pickle juice=4, at Mile20, 40, 60, 80
No. of flat tires=NONE
No. of accidents=NONE
Muscle Cramps=NONE
Chest Pain=NONE
Raindrops=None
Post Ride Meal=Rice and Wings
BP after the ride=94/65, 81 bpm
Days after Myocardial Infarction [Stent #1]-1755 days [20081222]
Days after Stent #2-1198 days [20100702]
Temperature=85’F

TIMELINE:
0600, End of Sleep,
0605, Pasta breakfast; Bagel, coffee
0730, Leave the house
0800, Mile 0, start of 100 Miles Bike Ride
0900, Mile15
1000, Mile 25
1100, Mile 40
1200, Mile 55
1300, Mile 70
1400, Mile 85
1500, Mile 100
1600, Shower
1700, Nap
2000, Watch the movie Captain Phillips with wife and daughter
2400, Start of Sleep

Outlaw 100 Full Map [view map in pdf]
image

2013 Training Log
Total Miles 2012=2313
Total Lifetime Miles=29996
image

Stent#1-20081222, Age 42
2013, I’ve reached 30000 Miles on the bike.
image

Rest Stop #2, 100 Miles or 65 ?
image

Granger Lake [view map]
image

Bike
image

Previous Outlaw100 Tags

Time Without End; 100 Miles

“Give thanks to the Lord because he is good. His faithful love will last forever.” 1 Chronicles 16:34 ERV

“Infinity-time without end”

In less than an hour, the Outlaw 100 will start. Everything is set and ready go. I had 8 hours of sleep and carbo loaded in the last 3 meals. Not much excitement since I prepared for this event all year long.

Stent#1-Day1755
Stent#2-Day1198

I just want to be grateful that this day has come. It could have been no Day000 in December of 2008.

Today is one of the many reasons why I rely so much on God. Indeed, His love is timeless.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/1ch.16.34.erv

No One Like You

“Lord GOD, this is why you are so great! There is no one like you. There is no god except you! We know that because of what we ourselves have heard about what you did. “2 Samuel 7:22 ERV

As I get to know You everyday, I can honestly say “There is no one like You”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/2sa.7.22.erv

When (If) You Want Serenity

““Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 ERV

“Serenity-a disposition free from stress or emotion; the absence of mental stress or anxiety.”

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/mat.11.28.erv

Infinite Knowledge, Power and Strength

“Surely you know the truth. Surely you have heard. The Lord is the God who lives forever! He created all the faraway places on earth. He does not get tired and weary. You cannot learn all he knows. He helps tired people be strong. He gives power to those without it.” Isaiah 40:28, 29 ERV

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/isa.40.28.erv

Good News!

“How wonderful it is to see someone coming over the hills to tell good news. How wonderful to hear him announce, “There is peace! We have been saved!” and to hear him say to Zion, “Your God is the king!”” Isaiah 52:7 ERV

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/isa.52.7.erv

His Purpose-To Save

“Here is a true statement that should be accepted without question: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I am the worst of them.”
1 Timothy 1:15 ERV

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/1ti.1.15.erv

Change your life forever?

“Anyone who says, “I believe that Jesus is the Son of God,” is a person who lives in God, and God lives in that person.” 1 John 4:15 ERV

Believe Jesus is the Son of God.

Pause for a moment and think about that for 5 minutes.

I never thought doing so – believing Jesus – will forever change my life.

I have a story to backup that claim but I’m not going to repeat that here. (It is in this journal somewhere). It is your own journey now and I want you to experience it with your own life.

I don’t like to discredit other people’s view of transformation – the scientific part of change, how people can adapt to a new habit, form a new mindset and forge a new way of life. I know that it can be done. But there is an easy way to do it.

I used to engaged in a disastrous lifestyle of drinking with friends, going out at night looking for all kinds of excitement, damage my body with unhealthy materials that I know it can really harm my internal organs physically. I’ve noticed that every time I wake up after doing those harmful activities, I will always tell myself “I will never do it again”. But then when the opportunity comes, here I go again -repeating the same disastrous cycle.

I’ve found an explanation why we are like that. Neuroscience explained it well. We seek 2 things primarily, excitement and satisfaction – dopamine and endorphins. Just search the web to get good explanation about it (that’s your homework ;-)). When the activities that we engaged on does not produce satisfaction, we always end up repeating the cycle – we search for more. The more we do it, the more dissatisfied we become.

Many of you will say, “I’m still young and I want to enjoy my life for now”. Fine, it’s your choice but I just want you to be aware that there is another way to obtain satisfaction in life. You don’t need to get it by means of engaging yourself into such wild activities in your surroundings.

Satisfaction in life is what you are seeking. Until you find true satisfaction, you will always end up in your daily life seeking for something that you forever wanted.

The short name for it is “emptiness” – when you keep pouring something in your life – but at the end of the day, you feel something is still missing inside your heart. Your heart is empty.

Honestly, I’m not there yet but at least I don’t seek out for wild, disastrous excitement anymore. I’m contented with my life now. I’d go to work, solve a problem, come home, read a book, watch a decent show or a movie, relax, spend time with the wife, talk to my son shortly, swim, bike, run, write a blog, share to the world my thoughts and feelings and experiences and most of all imagining that someone out there had stumbled upon what I shared here and took a positive action.

When that happens, “God being in me” fulfilled His ultimate purpose.

“God in us”. that is how we are going to change.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/1jn.4.15.erv

Teaching The {Only} Way To Live

You, however, must tell everyone how to live in a way that agrees with the true teaching. Teach the older men to have self-control, to be serious, and to be wise. They must be strong in faith, in love, and in patience. Also, teach the older women to live the way those who serve the Lord should live. They should not go around saying bad things about others or be in the habit of drinking too much. They should teach what is good. By doing this they will teach the younger women to love their husbands and children. They will teach them to be wise and pure, to take care of their homes, to be kind, and to be willing to serve their husbands. Then no one will be able to criticize the teaching God gave us. In the same way, tell the young men to be wise. You should be an example for them in every way by the good things you do. When you teach, be honest and serious. And your teaching should be clearly right so that you cannot be criticized. Then anyone who is against you will be ashamed. There will not be anything bad they can say about us. And tell this to those who are slaves: They should be willing to serve their masters at all times; they should try to please them, not argue with them; they should not steal from them; and they should show their masters that they can be trusted. Then, in everything they do, they will show that the teaching of God our Savior is good. That is the way we should live, because God’s grace has come. That grace can save everyone. It teaches us not to live against God and not to do the bad things the world wants to do. It teaches us to live on earth now in a wise and right way—a way that shows true devotion to God. We should live like that while we are waiting for the coming of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. He is our great hope, and he will come with glory. He gave himself for us. He died to free us from all evil. He died to make us pure—people who belong only to him and who always want to do good. These are the things you should tell people. Encourage them, and when they are wrong, correct them. You have full authority to do this, so don’t let anyone think they can ignore you. (Titus 2:1-15 ERV)

1. Teach everyone to live in a way that agrees with the true teaching

2. Teach men to have self control, to be serious, to be wise

3. Teach everyone to be strong in faith, love and patience.

4. Teach women to live the way a servant of The Lord should live

5. Teach everyone not to gossip

6. Teach everyone not to be involve in drinking

7. Teach what is good.

8. Teach them how to love their spouse and children

9. Teach them to be wise and pure

10. Teach them how to take care of their homes

11. Teach them how to be kind and willing to serve.

12. Teach them to be good examples.

13. Teach them to be honest and serious

14. Teach clearly

15. Teach them to be willing to serve their superiors

16. Teach them that the teaching of God is good.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/tit.2.11.erv

The Only Way To Be Stronger

“But you, dear friends, use your most holy faith to build yourselves up even stronger. Pray with the help of the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves safe in God’s love, as you wait for the Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy to give you eternal life.” Jude 1:20, 21 ERV

Faith and Holy Spirit.

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/jud.1.20.erv

God’s Infinite Love and Kindness

““So remember that the Lord your God is the only God, and you can trust him! He keeps his agreement. He shows his love and kindness to all people who love him and obey his commands. He continues to show his love and kindness through a thousand generations,” Deuteronomy 7:9 ERV

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/deu.7.9.erv

8 Attributes of True Wisdom

“But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest. People who work for peace in a peaceful way get the blessings that come from right living.” James 3:17, 18 ERV

“Wisdom-accumulated knowledge or enlightenment; the trait of utilizing knowledge and experience with common sense and insight; the quality of being prudent and sensible”

But the Wisdom that comes from God is …
1. Pure
2. Peaceful
3. Gentle
4. Easy to please
5. Ready to help people
6. Ready to do good to others
7. Fair
8. Honest

See it at YouVersion.com:

http://bible.com/406/jas.3.17.erv