Milt Reynolds: Thinking Out Loud

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:1-4) Paul has reached a turning point in his letter to the Colossians. Everything he's written to this point can be gathered together under the title of "Raised With Christ" . Look back at the first two chapters and highlight the major points that support the truth that Christ has raised us from death to life: Given hope in heaven (1:3-6) Sharing in God's light (1:11-12) Delivered from darkness, redeemed and forgiven (1:13-14) Reconciled with God in all things (1:19-20) Holy, blameless and above reproach (1:21-22) Chosen by God as saints (1:26-27) Given treasures in Christ: wisdom and knowledge (2:3) Filled

Two universities in Florida recently analyzed the effect of public policies in reducing motorcycle injuries and deaths . The goal was to estimate the effects of alcohol and traffic policies on fatal and non-fatal injuries. Several striking conclusions were seen: Universal Helmet Laws About 489 lives could have been saved if helmet laws were in effect nation-wide in 2005. The large magnitude of this effect was unexpected by the authors of the study. Helmet laws dominated all other traffic safety policies, highlighting the importance of wearing a helmet to minimize the consequences of a crash. Mandatory Rider Education Programs Programs for training and educating new motorcyclists reduced non-fatal motorcycle injuries , according to result of the study. Higher Speed Limits Interestingly, higher speed limits on rural interstate highways worked in the opposite direction for the non-fatal injury rate. Fewer injuries resulted from higher speeds . One possible explanation may be

More than taking people from Point A to Point B, it's a symbol of humble service . Thanks to the CareVan transportation service, patients needing to get to medical appointments at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston do not need to worry about how to get there. The CareVan serves patients who are seeing doctors or services affiliated with Good Shepherd Medical Center and with offices in Hermiston. Transportation on the CareVan is free : funding comes from grants, as well as the hospital's health foundation and other organizations. No fees are requested of patients riding the CareVan, although donations are gladly taken. Read more...

In two unrelated incidents on the same day, an Oregon County Deputy arrested two motorcyclists for Reckless Driving, Reckless Endangering and Violation of Basic Rule . On the 24th of October, at about 2 pm, the deputy was driving an unmarked vehicle. He observed a motorcycle approach in the oncoming lane, performing a "wheelie" , continuing past with the front tire in the air for at least 15 yards. The deputy turned around and followed the motorcyclist, which was traveling at speeds over 100 mph through residential areas and curves. At about 3:30 pm on the same day, the same deputy observed a group of four motorcycles traveling together. Approaching a stop sign, three of the cyclists stopped, but the fourth did not, accelerating in front of the deputy who had the right of way and was attempting a turn onto the highway, cutting him off. The deputy caught up to the motorcycle, estimating its speed at about 110 mph, passing another vehicle in a series of blind curves, in a

Politicians, preachers and peddlers are some of the most persuasive people we may meet. I can listen to an argument or sales pitch and be completely sold on it , and then listen to a different, contradictory presentation and be equally persuaded...who is right? Competitive debate or rhetoric is based upon the art of persuasion, the forceful, charismatic use of words and appearance to move people towards action or emotion. Truth and objectivity are optional for a peddler (or politician, preacher or lawyer). Facts are tools that can be modified, exaggerated, obscured or concealed. The goal is to capture the affections, emotions and minds of the audience. Paul describes four harmful effects of plausible arguments , four different ways that the devil works in the world to weaken our faith and dishonor God: Delusion (Colossians 2:4) Captivity (Colossians 2:8) Judgement (Colossians 2:16) Disqualification (Colossians 2:18) Read more...

A pickup truck collided head-on with two parked Idaho State Motorcycle Patrol officers near Boise, Idaho, Thursday, October 22, 2009, at about 3:45 pm. The motorcycle patrol officers were parked in the median of Interstate 84. The driver of a pickup left the highway and struck them head-on. News agencies are reporting that it may have been deliberate. Read more...

McNary Environmental Education Center McNary National Wildlife Refuge Vounteer opportunities are key components of refuge programs, plans and projects . Plus, volunteers develop a sense of place, knowing that they contributed to the perpetuation of the natural environment through caring and education. Volunteers can serve for long-term or short-term periods . Help is needed for a wide variety of projects: interprtation, education, wildlife and plant surveys, maintenance and resource management. McNary Education Center 509-546-8352 or 509-546-8350 info@nwr.mcnary.wa.us nwr.mcnary.wa.us/Help

"Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me." (Colossians, 1:28-29) How should a Christian tell others about Jesus? Is everyone a proclaimer like Paul was? Do we, do I, need to change things in our lives to make witnessing of Jesus a higher priority? Paul says that he proclaims Christ through wisdom, and wisdom, with intimate knowledge of Christ, describes the goal of maturity for every believer. The goal of listening to and reading and meditating upon Scripture is to develop clear, practical skill in dealing with the facts of life , and to join together intimately in our minds all that Christ is and desires. Proclaim: to announce publicly, warning and teaching others Proclaiming Christ is important, but not necessarily urgent. Conversion: only the first step in our relationship with Christ Goal of proclaiming

It feels so good to complain! To have someone empathize with you...for someone who understands the pain and frustration...for someone who can nod in agreement and look amazed at the suffering you've endured. I'm reading Paul's letter to the Colossians and I am noticing how frequently, and passionately, Paul complains. But, in contrast to my complaining, Paul manages to make his griping holy and victorious . How does Paul get away with it? He almost brags about his suffering, but the way he does it, griping glorifies God and encourages his readers. THREE KEY IDEAS: PAUL SUFFERED (and griped about it!) PAUL REJOICED (continually!) WE CAN REJOICE (believe it!) "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church..." (Colossians 1:24) The important difference between Paul and me is that Paul connected his suffering with his service to Jesus. M

A motorcyclist crashed into a car that was attempting a U-turn on a highway. The 52-year old motorcyclist was northbound on Highway 101, following a Kia Rio, at about 2 pm. The driver of the Rio attempted a U-turn , and the motorcycle hit the car. The motorcyclist was air-lifted to a Seattle hospital in serious condition. The 35-year old driver of the car was cited for failure to yield and treated for minor injuries.

Open House 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Thursday, October 22, 2009 Refreshments Tours of the domestic violence shelters, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, and 5 - 6:30 pm Highlighting services: 24-hour crisis line and shelter For more information, call Mickie Ebert, 541-571-7708

4 PM, Friday, October 23 Story Time Games and activities Pumpkin walk Fishing for pumpkins Costumes welcome Adults and children Goodie bags and prizes More information: 541-567-2882

Reading only the first 26 verses of Paul's letter to the Colossians, it would appear that faith in Christ is a religion. A religion leads one to say, "My relationship with God is based upon what I do, and not do , and what I believe or not believe." A statement framed thusly is a declaration of religion. But the moment Paul writes, "...Christ in you...", my religion is shattered . "Christ in you" defines my condition as depending upon Jesus. My relationship with God depends upon the relation between the Father and the Son. Any good thing in me is an expression of the Holy Spirit allowed to express Himself freely. The glory of my life becomes Christ alone .

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known... (Colossians 1:24-25) “A stew boiled is a stew spoiled” ? Contrary to how the word may appear, stewardship is related to stew only by a tenuous stretch of the imagination. The bowl of stew that you enjoy on a cold afternoon is named after the act of taking a bath. (from a Middle English word, stuwen, meaning to bathe). The cook “bathed” meat and vegetables in simmering hot water to create your dinner. So what does "stewardship" in the Greek really mean? Read more here...

Trick or Treat Safety 1) Be sure older children TAKE FRIENDS and younger children are accompanied by a TRUSTED ADULT when "Trick or Treating." 2) Accompany younger children to the door of every home they approach and make sure parents and guardians are familiar with every home and all people from which the children receive treats. 3) Teach children to NEVER enter a home without prior permission from their parents or guardians. 4) Teach children to NEVER approach a vehicle, occupied or not, unless they are accompanied by a parent or guardian. 5) Make sure all children wear reflective clothing and carry a glow stick when out at dusk and at night. 6) Make sure children are able to see and breathe properly and easily when using facial masks. All costumes and masks should be clearly marked as flame resistant. 7) Teach children to NEVER approach a home that is not well lit both inside and outside. 8) Teach children to stay alert for any suspicious incidents and report them

Five quick signs that you should NOT go to work: 1. If you wake up feel pretty icky with a sore throat and the sniffles (which weren't there yesterday). 2. If you're taking medications that may (even slightly) impair your ability to do a good job. 3. If you have a bad sinus infection. 4. If you have pink eye. 5. Bad back pain. Read about it here...

Sacajawea State Park, near Pasco, Washington is a day-use park at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia rivers. The area is spread out with a big sky and excellent views of the two rivers as they flow together. The Sacajawea Interpretive Center features interactive displays that tell the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition through the experiences of Sacagawea, the young Shoshone Indian woman who accompanied the expedition. The new exhibits relate what is known about her life before, during and after the Expedition. Volunteers play a vital role in sustaining the treasure that is Washington state parks, providing more than 275,000 hours of service each year (the equivalent of 145 full-time employees). Helping hands are needed everywhere for a wide variety of short- and long-term projects, providing interesting and rewarding volunteer opportunities for individuals, couples, schools, families, corporations, citizen groups and service organizations.

The Hermiston Public Library features two outstanding programs that depend upon volunteers: ELDERLIBRARIES bring library books to local seniors, disabled, and homebound facilities, serving folks who are not able to come to the library . Volunteers visit with individual residents at an assigned facility. The volunteer selects and takes books to various residents and returns the items to the library on the due date or when the resident is finished with the item. Volunteers may also help by reading to residents who can no longer enjoy reading on their own. Volunteers are also needed for the book shift that occurs once every three months. We have rotating collections that are placed at several facilities. READY, SET, ZOOM! provides free activities, information and educational products to promote the importance of reading to young children: Fun story time and crafts for your preschooler Story time kits that can be borrowed and taken home with your child Elderlibraries won a 2008 Re

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him...(Colossians 1:19-22) Reconciliation is closely related to making peace . God made peace through a change on His part: the blood of his cross. Reconciliation changed God into a man, able to communicate with, and die for, all mankind. Paul describes all mankind as naturally alienated from, and hostile to, God. But reconciliation changed us to a people regarded by God as holy , blameless and above reproach. Reconciliation with Christ allows us to be ministers of reconciliation to others . We are entrusted with the message of reconciliation. We are ambassadors for Christ. Recognizing His greatness pulls the

Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine." (Exodus 13:2) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (Colossians 1:15) For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities---all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. (Colossians 1:16-18) Jesus is of firstborn importance because, He created all things He is before all things He holds all things together He is the head of the body, the church, the world-wide group of those who belong to Him He is the beginning He is the resurrection He is preeminent in everything!

A motorcyclist was seriously injured when his motorcycle collided with a pickup. The 41-year old motorcyclist was southbound on a highway. The 26-year old driver of the pickup drove out of a parking lot, heading northbound, turning into the path of the motorcycle, which crashed into the left side of the pickup. The motorcyclist was transported for treatment of serious injuries. The pickup driver was not injured and was cited for Driving While Suspended and Reckless Driving. Another instance of a stupid cager who shouldn't have been on the road. Read more...

Hermiston Public Library You Are an Essential Piece of our Puzzle! Hermiston Public Library needs people like you to volunteer. Give an hour or more a month? Pick out books for a resident of an assisted living facility? Make a new friend? Read to/Listen to a child read? Straighten books on a shelf? Prepare craft items for Story Time? What do you get back from volunteering? New experiences and skills Service to your community. Volunteer service shows how you care about your town and its residents.

On Starting a Business Thoughts from Eric J. Wilhelm, founder and CEO of Instructables: www.instructables.com/id/How_to_Start_a_Business_1 "Starting a business is no more difficult than determining that you have the risk-tolerance and temperament for such an endeavor, and deciding to just take your idea and go for it." I translate "risk-tolerance" to mean "don't act out of fear". John wrote that there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Fear of "what might go wrong" or "what if" usually are based on lack of trust in a God Who is in control and Who loves you. "Never satisfied with anything, I usually feel flooded with new ideas for products, services, or other great things to build. I want to change everything around me, and everything that I use. This trait is common among the Squids and seems to also be prevalent in others running interesting, successful companies. You can tell if someone

Jesus is the image of God, writes Paul. What can that mean for us? We have no photographs of Jesus, no portraits were drawn or painted while He lived on earth. Why could Paul have not simply said that Jesus “is the invisible God?” Is an image something less than the real? Is Jesus something less than God?

I subscribe to a great blog written by Trent Hamm: www.thesimpledollar.com Today I am impressed by a story he titled "15 Ways to Be a Leader Today - or Any Day" You've got to read it to get any good out of it, but here's a quick summary to make you thirsty for more: 15 ways to make yourself more valuable to your organization, even if you're a quiet person who'd prefer to just get your work done: 1. Speak up at meetings. 2. Cut out the negative talk. 3. Offer up some positive talk, instead. 4. Volunteer for the tasks everyone's afraid to volunteer for. 5. Look for people who are struggling - and ask them what's wrong. 6. Directly compliment impressive work. 7. Tell supervisors when their subordinates are doing well. 8. Be willing and enthusiastic about team-based work. 9. When you're part of a team, take charge of it - but don't be dictatorial. 10. Make a point to remember - and celebrate - your coworker's life milestones and accompl

How can you change your attitude towards the adversity that you face? Try these steps: Confront the problem. Do not avoid it. Deliberately take a positive attitude and write down some benefits or advantages of the situation. Visualise how you will feel when you overcome this obstacle. Develop an action plan for how to tackle it. Smile and get cracking. The biographies of great people are littered with examples of how they took these kinds of steps to overcome the difficulties they faced. The common thread is that they did not become defeatist or depressed. They chose their attitude. They opted to be positive. They took on the challenge. They won. (Paul Sloane) Read more...

Rain almost all day long today...cold weather forecast for the next few days, at least in the early mornings. I've been riding my motorcycle to work every day to this point...might have to garage it for awhile...when temps get below 40 I'll use four wheels to get to work...warmer than the two-wheeler!

Blogging My Keep I've just read an interesting article on the very topic I was bouncing around earlier: Can Blogging provide monetary support? Trent Hamm publishes a website called "Simple Dollar" ( http://www.thesimpledollar.com ). I subscribe to his RSS feed and today's column helps me see the issues much clearer. Here are some of my reactions to his article ( Some Notes on Do-It-Yourself Self-Employment ): Trent started his website simply because he loved to write and he felt like his main interest was something other people could relate to. His website, in the beginning, brought in NO income...he wrote because he enjoyed it. This fits me. I've spent the last two days recuperating from a strained knee, and most of it was spent writing for the internet...none of it earning a dime. I do have a few ads placed on a couple of my sites, but Trent and I both know that they will not pay anything until I get a few thousand faithful readers. But I simply enjoy

Our National Parks: America's Best Idea Watching Ken Burn's documentary, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea". I expected it to be a travelogue, showing sights of our beautiful land. It is so much more. The history of our National Parks threads deeply and strikingly through all the major social and political issues our country has experienced since the late 1800's: war, exploration, racial prejudice, grazing rights, state's rights, the depression, the New Deal, executive branch versus legislative, beauty, Native Americans, Japanese internment, the arts, welfare... These issues didn't simply exist while National Parks and National Monuments were being established...the issues were central to the creation of parks, and the parks were central to the issues. In some cases, the parks changed social and political thought and work. Many of the same outcries we hear today accompanied the battles to establish our most dearly loved National Park

It is highly satisfying to me to post content on the World Wide Web. I've spent the day updating my blogs and websites, a welcome side-benefit of allowing my strained knee and back to heal today. I know some energetic, smart, and skillful bloggers are successful in supporting themselves, at least partially, by full-time writing on the internet: maintaining blogs, reviewing books and websites, promoting lifestyle changes, supporting others with written resources. To allow my knee to heal, I've spent the last two days resting at home. I've spent most of those hours at my computer. I'm maintaining four active blogging websites, counting this one, as well as a family website. Today I published my first "Instructable", a how-to article with photos and step-by-step instructions, hosted by http://www.instructables.com. I likely will add this site to my daily commitment to writing. None of this work pays, at least not in money. But if it could, I'd do it full-t

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