Posted by: jakinnan | February 24, 2013

Passionless and Indifferent

 

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I thought of the last story we have from the life of the prophet Elisha. Jehoash was king of Israel at the time, and he went to visit Elisha on his sickbed. He knew that without the help of this great prophet, the future of Israel was looking dim. Enemies were closing in on every side, waiting for the kill. Elisha told the king to take in hand some arrows.

And the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated [your enemies] completely . . . But now you will defeat [them] only three times.” Elisha died and was buried. (2 Kings 13:18-20)

That’s it? What a strange story! Why was the old prophet so angry? Because the king was nonchalant; he was passionless, indifferent. He gave the ground a whack or two. His heart wasn’t in it. God says, in effect, “If that is how little you care about the future of your people, that is all the help you will get.” In other words, if your heart’s not in it, well then, neither is mine. You can’t lead a country, let alone flourish in a marriage, with an attitude like that. To abandon desire is to say, “I don’t really need you; I don’t really want you. But I will live with you because, well, I’m supposed to.” It is a grotesque corruption of what was meant to be a beautiful dance between desire and devotion.

-John Eldredge, Desire, 56-57

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Posted by: jakinnan | February 24, 2013

02/24/2013 Scripture

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Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power.
He will rule with a powerful arm.
See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.
   He will feed his flock like a shepherd.
He will carry the lambs in his arms,
holding them close to his heart.
He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

-Isaiah 40:10-11 NLT

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Posted by: jakinnan | February 23, 2013

Honey Mustard Pasta Salad

Healthy Pasta Salad

Ingredients

4 oz small pasta shapes (less than 7 min. cooking time)
1 cn sliced olives
1⁄4 c diced roasted cashews
2 T shelf stable parmesan cheese
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T dijon mustard
1 T honey
1 T white vinegar
1⁄4 t ground black pepper
4 c water

Notes

Look for small pasta shapes that cook in under 7 minutes to conserve fuel use. The dressing is shelf stable but if one wanted you can also use single serving packets to create it on the trail (check out www.minimus.biz). On olives you can use any type you like and consider using those in the gourmet olive bars at many grocery stores – olives are quite hardy and carry well. You can also use freeze dried olives, check them out at www.packitgourmet.com – add them with the pasta to plump up.

For a Vegan recipe please remove the Parmesan cheese.

Instructions

At home whisk the olive oil, mustard, honey, vinegar and pepper till combined. Pack in a snack size zip top bag. Pack the pasta in a sandwich bag, the cashews and Parmesan cheese in a snack size bag. Open the olives and put in a snack bag, with liquid.

On trail:
Drain the olives, setting aside.
Bring the water to a boil in your pot, add in the pasta and cook for time on package. Drain carefully, toss with olives and dressing, then with the cashew cheese.

Eat warm or set the pot in a snow bank or shallow section of a stream to chill down for a cold salad.

For FBC method:
Use precooked and dehydrated pasta, pack in a quart freezer bag. Add near boiling water (2 cups) to cover the pasta, seal tightly and put in a FBC cozy for 15 minutes. Proceed as above.

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Posted by: jakinnan | February 23, 2013

He Promises You

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No promise is for private application. Whatever God has said to one saint, He has said to all. When He opens a well for one, it is that all may drink. When He opens a granary-door to give out food, there may be one starving man who is the reason for it being opened, but all hungry saints may come and feed too. Whether He gave the word to Abraham or to Moses matters not, believer; He has given it to you as one of the covenanted seed.

There is not a high blessing too lofty for you, nor a wide mercy too extensive for you. Lift up your eyes now to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west, for all this is yours. Climb to the mountaintop, and view the utmost limits of the divine promise, for the land is all your own. There is not a brook of living water of which you may not drink. If the land flows with milk and honey, eat the honey and drink the milk, for both are yours. Be bold to believe, for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

In this promise, God gives His people everything. “I will never leave you.” Then no attribute of God can cease to be engaged for us. Is He mighty? He will show Himself strong on behalf of them that trust Him. Is He love? Then with loving-kindness will He have mercy upon us. Whatever attributes may compose the character of Deity, every one of them to its fullest extent shall be engaged on your side.

To summarize, there is nothing you can want, there is nothing you can ask for, there is nothing you can need in time or in eternity, there is nothing living, nothing dying, there is nothing in this world, nothing in the next world, there is nothing now, nothing at the resurrection-morning, nothing in heaven that is not contained in this text–“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

-Alistair Begg

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Posted by: jakinnan | February 23, 2013

I AM

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The most essential gift you have to give is yourself. When you aren’t entirely true about that, you aren’t true. But we’ve all grown accustomed to committing dozens of little white lies about ourselves every day.

Except this man. He is Faithful and he is True.

Having given this some thought, perhaps we are better prepared now to understand why God answered Moses the way he did when he spoke from the burning bush. In the midst of the very unnerving encounter, Moses asks him, “Who are you?” God simply says, “I Am.” In other words, Me. Myself. An answer that is holy and full of integrity, wry and dumbfounding all at the same time. But it is the best possible answer he could have given. God is utterly himself.

-John Eldredge

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Posted by: jakinnan | February 23, 2013

02/23/2013 Scripture

Great Basin Natl Park

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.  For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

-Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT

Picture Credit: Ken Koenig, NPS

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Posted by: jakinnan | February 22, 2013

Find Water Anywhere

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  • Scout it Climb a hill and look for: stands of water-loving willows, cattails, sycamore, mesquite, Bermuda grass, or cottonwoods; large concentrations of birds in the morning; bug swarms; and cattle trails.
  • Dig a well Scoop out a one- to two-foot hole on the outer bend of a sandy wash and wait up to an hour for water to seep in. Dig several holes to improve your odds. Only getting mud? Dip your bandana and wring it out to extract the moisture.
  • Make a solar still Tie a plastic bag around heavily vegetated branches that are exposed to sunlight. Weight one corner with a small rock so all the moisture transpiring from the leaves will gather there. Or stuff a plastic bag three-quarters full with green vegetation (grass, cactus). Place it on a sunny slope with the vegetation at the top of the incline, so evaporated moisture drains to the bottom. Either way, a quart-sized bag will yield two to three tablespoons in average conditions.
  • Find tinajas These potholes or depressions in desert rock (called tinajas in the Southwest) can hold water for weeks after a rain. Check shaded areas and creek beds–but they can also be found in unlikely places, like the tops of cliffs or mesas. and mesas.
  • MAKE SILTY WATER DRINKABLE 
    When a cloudy river is your only water source, try these methods before filtering or treating to keep the grit out of your teeth–and your pricey pump: 1) Strain through a bandana  or 2) let sit in a collapsible jug or cooking pot until sediment settles on the bottom.
    video icon
    Video Tutorial: Learn how to filter water correctly with our step by step tutorial (80s style).

PRACTICE SAFE WATER CARRYING
Slip a jumbo, non-lubricated latex condom into your first-aid kit: The super-strong multipurpose device can hold a gallon of water in an emergency without leaking.

Courtesy of Backpacker Magazine

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Posted by: jakinnan | February 22, 2013

Chocolate Chia Energy Bars

CHIA BARS

Ingredients

1 1⁄2 c pitted dates
1⁄3 c cocoa powder
1⁄3 c whole chia seeds
1⁄2 t pure vanilla extract
1⁄4 t pure almond extract
1 c slivered almonds or pistachios
  oat flour

Notes

Per bar:
195 calories. 5 grams protein, 8 grams fat, 31 grams carbohydrates, 2 mg sodium, 7 grams fiber, 22 grams sugar.

Notes:
Use raw cocoa powder and raw nuts for a different taste.

Instructions

Using a food processor puree the dates until a thick paste forms. Add in the cocoa powder, chia seeds, vanilla and almond extract. Pulse until everything is combined. Add in the nuts of choice and pulse quickly until finely chopped.
Rip off a large piece of wax paper and lay on your counter. If desired dust with oat flour to control stickiness. Using a spatula scoop out the mix and place on the paper. Using a second piece of wax paper on top to flatten to 1/2″ thick. Wrap tightly in the sheet of paper and chill overnight. Unwrap and cut into 8 bars. Dust with more oat flour to keep from being sticky. Wrap in plastic wrap or more wax paper.

Courtesy of trailcooking.com

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Posted by: jakinnan | February 22, 2013

When a Sparrow Hits a Window

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My boys are in their late teens now, and as such it is as easy to get them to do some chores as it is to coax ketchup from a bottle. Several days ago we badgered them into cleaning the windows. Come dinnertime, our family seated round the table, the brothers began—as all brothers do—to give each other grief about the day’s work. Sam and Luke had each taken halves of a divided window in the dining room; Sam was now bragging about how much cleaner his side was, appealing to the evidence like a trial attorney. We turned our attention toward the window in question—at that exact moment a robin smacked into Luke’s pane, fell to the ground stunned, shook itself, and flew away. We looked at one another, mouths open, eyebrows raised, and burst into laughter.

Nature had voted. God had voted.

His timing could not have been richer. “Whose window is clean? Who slacked on the job?” Thwack. Brilliant. You couldn’t have asked for a more choice reply. The whole episode was hysterical. Now, if you have any belief in the sovereignty of God, you discover that these moments are orchestrated. Not a sparrow hits a window without your Father knowing it, or something like that.

Haven’t you seen something in nature that made you laugh? Perhaps you did not make the connection—that you were meant to laugh. That it was God who made you laugh. That he laughed with you. Now you know something very important about Jesus.

-John Eldredge, Beautiful Outlaw, 31

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Posted by: jakinnan | February 22, 2013

02/22/2013 Scripture

death valley

When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.  But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners

-Romans 5:6-8 NLT

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