More Snow

It's been snowing since yesterday. I haven't seen he ground in over a week. We're supposed to get another 16 inches. I'm not sure I believe it. I went outside this morning at like 1:30 and it was so peaceful I just had to take some pics. So here they are. The sky was bright, really bright. In picture to the right, the color temp in photoshopped down about 2000K. I thought it was neat.






-AG

Snowshoes!!!

Well, I went snowshoeing today! My parents bought snow shoes for all of us last night (they brought them out now since there was still a good amount of snow on the ground). So we went to Cherry Creek State Park today and snowshoed around. I took my camera just incase we saw anything really neat. We did see a coyote, a really long ways off. We also saw a bunch of geese, some new kind of duck, a dead mouse, a large array of birds belonging to the raptor family, a a few tweeter-birds, and a King Fisher. Had a great time. Now I'v got to go wrap Christmas presents, so ttfn

-AG

Snow

Well, it's snowing, has been since yesterday morning. Yesterday we we under a blizzard warning, now it's just snowing. Warmer today too, like 27. So pretty much we're snow-bound , which is kinda cool but bad cause I haven't finished Christmas shopping. It's pretty neat though, the entire neighborhood is out snow shoveling and a few lucky son-of-a-guns have snowmobiles that they get to race around on. Nobody is getting stuck either, which stinks cause I want to chain the beast and go out and pull people and their puny little trucks out of the snow. The birds were out in the blizzard yesterday, it was kinda funny.


Well, it's snowing, has been since yesterday morning. Yesterday we we under a blizzard warning, now it's just snowing. Warmer today too, like 27. So pretty much we're snow-bound , which is kinda cool but bad cause I haven't finished Christmas shopping. It's pretty neat though, the entire neighborhood is out snow shoveling and a few lucky son-of-a-guns have snowmobiles that they get to race around on. Nobody is getting stuck either, which stinks cause I want to chain the beast and go out and pull people and their puny little trucks out of the snow.

Bad day...

I've been feeling bad all day today, and I worked an eight hour shift. I started out feeling like I was going to puke but now I jsut have a head-spliting headache. Neat news though, I saw a red fox last night as I was taking the trash out. He was just chillin in the niehbors (sp? I can't think) yard. So I got my spotlight aand he let us check him out, it was really neat. His coat was gorgeous. And I saw something I've never seen before-- He just jumped right up on top of our fence and started walking it. It was neat. no pics though, sorry. So anyway, just thought I'd let everyone know I've got a headache, so be sure and leave a sympathetic comment :-) (j/k)

random picture for the day: my trophy largemouth bass caught in Texas


-AG

The sunsets have been gorgeous around here lately. These were the last two nights.
pray for me. I pretty much have an awesome job! My co-workers are awesome. they need to get saved though. pray for them. Sad News!: I just learned that I won't be able to go to pine ridge this coming summer. It stinks. I'll be going to boundary waters w/ my dad. That'll be super cool though too. One good thing about me missing this is that I wont be missing backpacking w/ the youthgroup this year, 'cause they can't be in two places at once.

-AG

Slow down!

I can't believe it's already December 4th. It was just October yesterday it seems. I'm not ready to graduate. It can't be here already! My life is a vapor. I'm glad this world is not my home. I'm just a passin' through. I find myself cleaving to the things of this world, only to get ripped away from them when I look at life from eternities viewpoint. I've been thinking about eternity lately. Our finite minds can't really comprehend the infinite. But as near as I can figure, the present is the closest thing we have to eternity. You can't divide now into seconds or anything, it's just... now. And then there's now. This world's history, from creation to terminal combustion, is just a now in the span of eternity. It's immeasurable. Maybe I'm weird, but I often wonder if God doesn't have other worlds going on. It wouldn't even have to be in this universe, God could hold a million universes like ours in existence and still get the glory from each one. If he created us for his Glory, why wouldn't he have created more worlds or dimensions to get the glory. I wonder if, when we get to heaven, we'll get to realize his FULL Glory, all of it, or if even in our glorified bodies, we'll still be to finite to understand Him. Wow, talk about living for now, In Heaven we can live for now all the time, because that's all there is. Swweet. I want to be like him. It seems like it would be so much easier if I had lived around 29 A.D. and had actually seen Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. Anyway, just thought I'd ramble for a while. Done now. Thanks for reading. Post your thoughts. Love to hear from ya.


-AG

Random Picture for the day: Me and Aaron Scott at Crooked Creek '06

Why, why are You still with me?
Didn't You see what I've done?
In my shame I want to run and hide myself
But it's here I see the truth
I don't deserve You

(Chorus:)
But I need You to love me, and I
I won't keep my heart from You this time
Snd I'll stop this pretending that I can
Somehow deserve what I already have
I need You to love me

I, I have wasted so much time
Pushing You away from me
I just never saw how much You could cherish me
Cuz You're a God who has all things
And still You want me

(Chorus)

Your love makes me forget what I have been
Your love makes me see who I really am
Your love makes me forget what I have been

(Chorus)

Those are the lyrics to a song I've been thinking about lately, and I always seemed to do a double take at the phrase "
Your love makes me forget what I have been
Your love makes me see who I really am". Whenever I think of His love I think of all my condeming sin, and what I have been. So I wasn't so sure about the soundness of this phrase, but then bro. Kevin Brownfield mentioned this verse "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before," Paul is speaking this about all he had done to the Christians before his conversion. So I dunno, maybe these lyrics are sound after all. Whatcha think?

Lately

I went hunting, forgot to tell you guys about that. Actually I went hunting like 3 weeks ago. It was pretty much awesome. Didn't get anything though, except for a greater appreciation for MY God. My dad and I both had cow tags and all we saw was bulls. We did see like 20 bulls though. pretty close, all of them. I had one almost step on me, seriously he was close enough I could've poked him with a mop. That was pretty cool. We got dumped on (snow, you freak), so that added another element to the hunt. the last day we hiked the farthest, and that was only like 5 miles. Snow really impedes travel. here's some pics and videos:



You can't imagine how quite it was. I love the Rockies. It was so peacefull.

This was a ridge were we saw a rookery of Ravens, that was really cool. Off in the fog we could just barely see the sillouette of an eagle (or huge hawk), and every time it came near the ravens (dozens and dozens of ravens) went crazy kawing (sp?).
This photo isn't photoshopped, that sunset colore the snow and trees the same color as my blaze orange vest.
This is a cropped photo I took of my glove with a bunch of perfect snowflakes on it. All the snowflakes during that trip were just like what you'd image a snow flake to look like.


I know, we're weird. By the way, that stain on the carpet, that's from a cherry limeade (really, we're not that weird)

This is me driving the BEAST




This is what Elk Hunter's see about 99.625% of the time hunting.

What bin hapnin.

You know this blog would probably be better named "The crazy, weird, stupid, and totally awesome adventures of John Sloan and Andy Green." These times, aside from God's working in my life, are pretty much the only things in my life worth reporting to the rest of the world.
John just left yesterday for Texas after spending a little more than a week up here. His family came up to say goodbye to Daniel, John's brother, and to pack up his belongings, because he's headed back out to Iraq for another year. I'll miss having Daniel around, he's a pretty neat guy. At least I'll still get to email him once he gets situated. Yep so it back to the books now that John is gone. Anyway, getting to the wild and crazy stuff of this episode: Pretty much we didn't do any really crazy stuff, I mean, it's Denver, what could we do?... Well, there's a place called Juniper Pass not to far outside town that offers a great overnight camping, albeit slighty less legal than some officers might find comfy. And what a better thing to do after a night spent in the back of a 69 chevy pickup than to go to an old abandoned picnic area, eat summer sausage, throw flaming sticks, and wave flaming bottles of white gas around like crazed terrorist on a sugar fix. Yep, and if that's not enough for you, or your too poor to buy gas, you could always go to your local playground and climb up the slides backwards, squeeze through holes that were definitaley notmeant for anyone over 6, and best of all, see how fast you can spin your friend on the little spinning bucket thingy. Yes, when you think about it Denver does have it's advantages... at least a few. If all of this sounds too fun, stay at home and play HALO 2 all day.

Ah, good times.Don't forget to pray for me! Until next time, this is Andy Green signing off.

-AG










Beautiful Colorado Aspen Color

This was our setup for the night at the campground.

John's sweet truck



This must be what we look like in the morning.

God sure is good!

Tonight Tom Needham, a missionary to Cameroon Africa, preached at my church. He basically went over what the basic parts of being a missionary are. It was really neat. I’d known for a while that the Lord wanted me in missions work, but tonight he really called me to the mission field of Africa I believe. I want to do His will. I really think I would like it over there, just from what brother Needham said. But that’s not what matters, what I want is for God to be happy. It’s kind of cool to see God orchestrate things for me. My neighbors are from Cameroon, which I’ve known for a long time. We invited them to church tonight since we knew that brother Needham is preaching. They had to leave before the preaching actually started, unfortunately. But we did find out that they are actually from the same small village that Pastor Needham ministers to! Amazing huh? I really feel that God has something big in plan here in the near future for our neighbors and us. I don’t feel God totally calling me to Cameroon yet, but it’s as if He’s giving me a place to start right in my back yard. I don’t feel I can go to the foreign mission field to fulfill my duties as a Christian if I can’t fulfill them here. Pray for me. Pray that God would direct. I’m not sure what God wants me to do with my life, but I know he wants me to go on a short term missions trip in the near future, and that I’d better get busy witnessing. There are people dying and going to spend an eternity separated from the God who so mercifully saved me. It’s real, it’s happening, people are suffering eternal torment, some not because they outright rejected Christ, but because they’ve never heard the name at all. It’s just so hard to live with eternity in view. Pray for me and also pray for pastor Needham’s son, who is going to have major back surgery tomorrow. His surgery is a whole ‘another story of God’s goodness to His servants. Well, G’night.
Romans 8:28

-AG

Here's some pics from the Hunter-Fryingpan wilderness that I went backpacking in this last week. None of them were "photoshopped" in any way except to resize and convert the image from a 45MB TIFF file. All images © 2006 Andy Green. All Rights Reserved.

I get my hand back sort of!!!

well, I get to not were my split anymore. And the Doc said that I could go bakcpacking now, so I'm pumped about that. I guess that's all.

My life of late

Well, my hand is healing nicely. I still have another 3-6 months to expect full functionality with it. Today I’m noticing little lumps coming to the surface, I’m assuming that they’re bits of gravel from the crash. But overall the doctors are very pleased. I thank God for the doctors I had, and that I still have a finger, But I’m going insane only having 1 1\4 hands. It just eats on my nerves. I’ve been so discouraged lately, and also amazed at God’s mercy and love. I keep on messing up, and saying I’m going to do better, but then I just go back and do the same thing. It’s so aggravating that I’m so weak. I can’t even stop myself from doing something I know is wrong. The Scriptures say that if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us. I just feel so dirty and stupid still. I know God loves me, but I must confess I don’t think I live like I know. It’s like I know every thing in my brain, but when the rubber meets the road I fail. I know that the best place in the world is to be in the center of His will. Sometimes I even think about the fact that what I’m about to do is wrong, and then proceed to do it. Jesus says “If you love me keep my commandments”. I do love Him. It’s really true what Pastor Scott says our main problem is. “Just need to love Jesus more.” If I loved Jesus Christ the way I should, every thing else would fall into place. I guess I just keep on loving Him as best I can, and even if I fall along the way every step, He’ll keep picking me up and forgiving me in His perfect love. This has kind of helped just writing this all down, and calling scripture to mind. Pray for me that I’d love God more. I think one of the biggest reasons I’m struggling now is because while I was on vacation in Wyoming I got out of fellowship with God, in my daily walk with Him. Something I was challenged with at camp was to keep fueling the fire, or it will go out. Well, I let the embers cool off too much. I understand that it’s going to be hard to love someone you don’t know well, just like in any other relationship. I know that in my mind, but I can’t seem too remember how vital it is. I challenged a new-born believer at camp that the most important part of the Christian life is the time in devotions and prayer, and now here I am, 2 months later, watching TV when I could be studying God’s word, or at least talking to God. Well, pray for me, please. Hey and I would like to start a devotional guided book time deal, so if you know of any good one’s lemme know. For now I’m just taking Aaron Scott’s suggestion and reading through the Bible, cover to cover. Right now I’m in Geneses 25 I think, so I still have a long way to go. Well, I have to do my hand exercises now, so ttfn.

-AG

FW: Funny Joke

Lol, I thought this was hilarious!!! Hopefully I never marry someone who would do that to me!
 
 
 
THE HELICOPTER RIDE
 

              Morris and his wife Esther went to the state fair every year,
and every year Morris would say, "Esther, I'd like to ride in that helicopter."
  Esther always replied, "I know Morris, but that helicopter ride is fifty dollars -- and fifty dollars is fifty dollars."
  One year Esther and Morris went to the fair, and Morris said, "Esther, I'm
85 years old. If I don't ride that helicopter, I might never get another chance."
  Esther replied, "Morris that helicopter is fifty dollars and fifty dollars is fifty dollars".
  The pilot overheard the couple and said, "Folks I'll make you a deal. I'll take the both of you for a ride. If you can stay quiet for the entire ride and not say a word I won't charge you! But if you say one word, it's fifty dollars."
  Morris and Esther agreed and up they went. The pilot did all kinds of fancy maneuvers, but not a word was heard. He did his daredevil tricks over and over again, but still not a word. When they landed, the pilot turned to Morris and said, "By golly, I did everything I could to get you to yell out, but you didn't. I'm impressed!"
  Morris replied, "Well, to tell you the truth, I almost said something when Esther fell out, but you know -- fifty dollars is fifty dollars."

This past week.

Well, I still only have one hand to type with so this is going to be short. John Sloan was able to come up this last week. It wasn’t really the best time in terms of getting to do stuff, because I’m broke and crippled, but he came anyway, I guess just because that’s what friends do. I’m so glad he did come though ! He was such a blessing, I probably would’ve gone insane w/o him. We did end up having lots of fun. We went bowling, and did some airsofting. Only thing about this trip though, is that we didn’t do anything crazy– no 69 chevy, no giant swing, no swallows, no tree fort (deer stand nowadays). We still had a blast though, I thank God for John Sloan. Please continue to pray that I’d be in God’s Word every day, because when my daily walk with Him is there, everything else seems to fall into place. Well, ttfn.

-AG

ouch

i can't type well with one hand so all i'll say is that i had a great vacation in wyoming until i busted my hand up in a go-cart accident.maybe pics later

-AG

Camp Testimony, hopefully my life testimony

Wow God taught me so much this past week at Crooked Creek Ranch, through Pine Ridge Ministries. The speaker was Doctor John Getch (sp?). He’s the vice president of West Coast Baptist College. He’s amazing. I was blessed to be in the same cabin with two of my closest friends, Stephen Ayon, and Matthew Rivera. Well, I’m going to get right into what God impressed on my heart. Part of the reason I’m doing this is to get my thoughts together for a testimony tomorrow, because there’s so much to say.

I didn’t make any decisions proper, but I was greatly encouraged and impacted with the decisions I’ve already made. First of all I want to just say that it’s become even more vividly clear than before that the best, most enjoyable place to be on this planet is in the center of my God’s will. I’m not sure what God would have for me in the long run as an occupation, but I have a few things I need to get worked out right now, as soon as possible. Jesus didn’t spend the last three years of his life preaching to just preachers, but rather his disciples, Christians. The Great Commission found in Matthew is not a Great Suggestion, No!, it’s a Command. I am to take up my cross daily and live for Christ.
While I was at camp Dr. Getch preached a sermon on Hell, and God laid one of my unsaved friends on my heart. I can honestly say that if I don’t tell him about Christ, I don’t think anyone will, he’s not running in any circles that would have Christians. God laid him on my heart; I need to give him the gospel. That message also brought to vivid reality how much a lost and hell-bound world is looking to me as a Christian example. What I do, the decisions I make every second, could impact someone’s eternal destination. I need to work on my testimony big time. I was convicted about that months ago, but it has become clear to me that I’m going to have to rebuke my old self that I had last year, and explain to every one why that was wrong and what Christ would have done. In order to do that I am challenged to memorize scripture that would show from the Bible, how what I did was against God’s character. I am expecting persecution, because Christ Himself said to expect the same treatment as Him, if we are living like him. Persecution I believe could be used as kind of a measuring stick, of how Christ like one is. Well, I don’t think this really expresses my heart fully, but I try. All this is impossible for me to do by myself. But I can do all things though Christ which strengthened me. His Grace is sufficient for me. He’s all I need. I am praying that that wouldn’t change. This world tries to say I need its things, but I don’t. “But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Paul speaking to the church at Philippi.) And something I caught on the last night was that I can be greatly used of God, though my cup was once filled with dirt and filth, He can fill it with his abounding mercies, grace, justice, and good will. The Apostle Paul may have been one of the Church’s biggest enemies, before he met Christ. But when he met Christ, he did a spiritual 180. He took up his cross and followed Christ, to become the writer of over (I think) half the New Testament. He was greatly used of God. So from his life I see, without a doubt that God wants me 100%, otherwise he wouldn’t have saved me. He wants all his disciples, whether Pastor, Evangelist, Photographer, or husband to a family, to “hear my [Jesus’] voice and FOLLOW ME.” His sheep are commanded to follow Him, being the Good Shepard. Again I say these things are impossible for me to accomplish without Christ, so I need to of course do my part, vital part in my relationship with God. I don’t feel ready. I don’t feel qualified or ready. But the Bible says Now is the accepted time of salvation, so now is the accepted time to take up my cross. I get to run on what little I know of my God, and keep learning, and let Him carry me though. What’s the worst that could happen to me? Die and go on Heaven, to spend an eternity with a holy God. That doesn’t sound bad to me, for me to live is Christ, to die is gain. What’s the worst that could happen to Christianity? To do nothing. To be a sheep in wolf’s clothing. But if I were that, I’d have a reason to think twice about my salvation, because James says, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Holy God, that faith without works is dead. So pray for me. Pray that I would excel in scripture memory. Pray I would excel in another task Gods has given me for this time in my life, School. I admit, I don’t enjoy the thought of the as much in itself, but when I see it in the eternal perspective, I see that’s the center of God’s will, right where I want to be.
I have to say the defining word of the burden God has laid on my heart is nothing extraordinary, but very special, Sanctification.

Here are some pictures I took in the Grasslands I was in over last weekend. it was great fun. don't really have time to tell all about it.

I got to go on a hike to Mount Tabeguache (taberwash). only problem is we didn't make it. In the picture below (click on it), we hiked up the mountain whre the blue line is. we were supposed to be on the other side of the bowl (tabeguache side).
I'll try and get some pics from Pastor Jono.


Fhew, Pastor Scott preached a great message last night. I needed it. It was on the passage in 2nd Timothy about all scriptre being inspired. here's a link on our rss feed. http://www.woodsidebaptist.org/RSS/index.php?id=18">http://www.woodsidebaptist.org/RSS/index.php?id=18">http://www.woodsidebaptist.org/RSS/index.php?id=18

more pictures

This bird flew into my window while I was watching my literature video. So I opened the door and saw it and thought that it was a swallow, in which case I was going to leave it for dead (I’m bitter from a past encounter with swallows in Texas). But my mom recognized it a a baby Flicker(woodpecker) so we brought it in and warmed it up and my mom had it in here hands. When it started being a little more responsive my mom went outside and gently tossed it over the grass. It started to fly but just came right back and landed on her shoulder. It was so neat! Then later it flew to my shoulder.


-AG