Ben's Blog

OK OK OK
Here is the long awaited "Christmas Picture" update....

I probably have a few hundred pictures that I took - so I just went through and picked a few that shows most of my family.

First I'll start with the "Seattle" part of the family, this is where my "Bjork" side of things comes from.

This is my dad and two uncles at the indoor Go-Kart track (a yearly tradition when all the family gets together) - Uncle Ned on the left - dad in the middle - Uncle Tom on the right.

This is after the last race - guess who finished first...

That is my Uncle Tom on the left and his oldest son Brian on the right.

Christmas at my Grandpa Cliff's house - that is my grandpa above - he's turning 80 in a couple weeks.

My cousin Steven, Dad, Uncle Ned and his youngest kid - Liam.

Liam playing with a new toy - My cousin Steven's new wife in the background (I forget her name... sorry)

My cousin Lily (Liam's middle sister) and my niece Samantha

Opening presents... Uncle Tom, Cousins Lily and Liam, Uncle Ned and his wife Lisa, and my niece Samantha.

Now on to the "Idaho" side...

This is my Step-Dad and me (I left early in the morning - so he didn't have a chance to get dressed for the day). This is where "Kropatch" comes from.

These are my Pastors from the church that I grew up in. Two of the coolest people in the world. Pastor Lowell and Bonnie Carlson. Pastor Lowell reminds me a lot of Pastor Jerry. They are both in there mid-70's and going as strong as ever - just a few years back built there first house. Before that they lived in a big Tepee....

This is my Grandparents on my Mom's side. Chet and Bobby (Barbara). They are also really cool. Everybody says that I get a lot of my personality traits from my Grandpa - so obviously he has to be cool.


This is my newest niece. Alina Nevaeh (heaven spelled backwards) Fields. She was just born in November and was just learning how to smile when I saw her in Seattle.

My sister Kim and her daughter Alina.

Alina - a little tired after our Christmas day in Seattle.

My nieces - Samantha and Alina. Samantha loves being a big sister (she is four) - before Alina was born she would tell everybody that she had to work really hard and eat all of her vegetables in order to become a "Big Sister"

This is Kim - one of my twin sisters - and her daughters.

Samantha and her Dad - Logan. Samantha loves to help everyone open their own presents.

More Samantha - she loves to have pictures taken of her.

Samantha helping Grandma and Papa open their present.

Samantha and Me at my Grandparents house in Idaho.

Samantha posing for the camera, after a trip to Claires in Seattle.

This is my grandparents house in Idaho - the house is built in the shape of a Nautilus shell - pretty cool. My grandparents love the "southwestern" feel as you can tell.

Another shot of the house.

My Mom, Samantha, and my Mom's - Husbands - sons - son. All playing with new Christmas presents.

More presents being opened - you can see my grandparents Dalmatian's butt - the girl with the brown hair is my Cousin Boo (Barbara).


Here's a shot of my grandparents house from the front.

This is the house that my family built to live in (it wasn't completed until after I left for the Navy). Now my sister Kim and her family live there.

This is the view from my grandparents house.

And this is a pretty good view of our 40 acres in Idaho that I grew up in.

This is looking down the valley - the mountain is the same one you see two pictures up. When it's not cloudy you can see Canada - in the middle.

Here's some various photos...

This is "yellow snow" on a snowman that didn't last.

And I saw this near a gas station that I was filling up at and thought it was kind of funny.

So that is most of my family - and a little bit of my Christmas trip this year - Sorry it took me so long to get that out to everyone.

Later,

Ben

Posted by Ben at 4:17 PM | Permalink | Comments

I am back and have lots of good pictures... So I promise that I will have a post out in the next couple of days.

Posted by Ben at 8:50 AM | Permalink | Comments

I was doing some research the other day on future occupations that I could get in to, being that I am out of the military in two months. So I came up with a list of things that I thought I was "good" at.



Near the top of the list was Rock, Paper, Scissors. I figured that with my uncanny ability to play this game that I might be able to take it somewhere beyond myself and Nicole's little bouts.



So I decided to dig a little deeper...



It turns out there is a whole world movement. Check out the

WORLD RPS SOCIETY website.



There is even an online trainer.



Here are some pictures from past world championships.







Pretty incredible stuff.





Just in case you guys were worried I am not actually looking at doing this for a carreer. I was actually looking through my "pictures of the week" on yahoo and came across somebody playing Rock, Paper, Scissors, and then found out that actually have real championships.

Anyway, I hope that all of you had an incredible Thanksgiving.

Later,

Ben

Posted by Ben at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments

In honor of Simon and Jenny's post with his picture, here is some dogs dressed up for Halloween. I have a few more but I was having trouble getting them loaded on to the blog.


Here's my kind of dog.










If Nicole had a dog.....

Posted by Ben at 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments

A little faith building....

I was just listening to a message from GC in Seattle. Pastor Wendell spoke - they had a combined service with GCers and adults ( I tried putting a link to the message, but it is not on the website for GC or The City Church, you can get it on ITUNES GC podcast - 9/19/06 "Combined Service"). For me, at least, it was a great message. Pastor Wendell spent a good portion of the service just naming some of the names of God. By the end of the message I definitely felt like my faith had been built up. He made a statement in the beginning, in reference to how God can solve our problems, saying that "You don't need to know, you just need to know who He is". So I decided to try and write at least some of the names of God from Pastor Wendell's message down here on my blog. Take a look, think about it for a while, read it over a couple times, read it outloud - and see what God does. If you can come up with anything else go ahead and throw it up in the comments.

Here we go:

- God
- Mighty God
- The God that will never leave you nor forsake you
- The God that will be with you until the end of the ages
- Emmanuel - God with us
- The God whose arm is not to short to save
- The God who sees
- The Miracle Guy
- My Captain
- My Pointman
- The Master of the universe
- Everything we need
- Jehovah
- Jehovah Gemola - The God of recompense
- Jehovah Jireh - The Lord who will provide
- Jehovah Meccaddeshcem - The Lord my sanctifier
- Jehovah Macca - The Lord who strikes my enemies
- Jehovah Nissi - The Lord our banner
- Jehovah Raffa - The Lord our healer
- Jehovah Ro'i - The Lord my Shepherd
- Jehovah Sabbaoth - The Lord of hosts
- Jehovah Shalom - The Lord of peace
- Jehovah Shama - The Lord who is present
- Jehovah Tsidkenu - The Lord our righteousness
- Elohim
- El Elohim Israel - God, the God of Israel
- El Elyon - Most High God
- El Olam - The Everlasting God
- El Roy - The One who sees
- El Shaddai - God Almighty
- All Sufficient One
- Jesus
- I Am
- Before Abraham was, I AM
- The Bread of Life
- The Light of the World
- The Door
- The Good Shepherd
- The Son of God
- The Resurrection and The Life
- The Way, The Truth, and The Life
- The Vine
- I Am who I Am
- The Living God
- Everything that I need
- God the strength of my heart and my portion
- God most High
- God my rock
- God my Savior
- The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
- The God of all Comfort
- The God of all flesh
- The God of glory
- The God of heaven
- The God of hope
- The God of Israel
- The God of justice
- The God of mercy
- The God of my life
- The God of my praise
- The God of my righteousness
- God of our fathers
- The God of patience
- The God of peace
- The God of the living
- The God of the whole earth
- The God of truth
- The Bishop and Overseer of our souls
- Our Savior the judge of all
- The God who alone is wise
- The God who cannot lie
- The God who does wonders
- God who gives life to all things
- God who gives the increase
- God who gives us the victory
- God who hides himself
- The God who performs all things for me
- He is the AMEN
- The God who sees
- The God who forgives
- The God of all grace
- The God who is with us
- My Catcher
- The lifter up of my head
- The one who takes me out of the miry clay and sets my feet upon the rock
- My deliverer
- My redeemer
- My rescuer
- He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit
- He who built all things
- He who called you
- He who comes from heaven
- He who comes in the Name of the Lord
- He who did not spare His own Son
- He who gives strength and power to His people
- He who has the keys of hell and death
- He who inhabits eternity
- He who is coming
- He who is mighty
- He who lives and was dead and behold He is alive for evermore
- He who sanctifies
- He who searches the hearts
- He who sits above the circle of the earth
- He who walks amidst the seven golden candlesticks
- He is the way of escape
- The God whose hand is not to short to save
- He is who you need Him to be
- He is the I Am
- He is El Shaddai
- He is the All Sufficient One
- He is the Abba Father
- He is Papa
- He is Daddy when you need Him
- He is Adonai
- He is the Advocate
- He is the Almighty
- He is the Alpha and the Omega
- He is the Amen
- He is the Ancient of Days
- He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith
- He is the Balm of Gilead
- He is the beginning and the End
- He is the Bishop of my soul
- He is the Bright Morning Star
- He is the Captain of our salvation
- He is the Chief Cornerstone
- He is My Comforter
- He is the Commander of the Lord's Hosts
- He is the Creator of the ends of the earth
- He is the Daystar
- He is the Dayspring from on High
- He is the Defender of widows
- He is the Deliverer
- He is the Desire of ALL nations
- He is the Everlasting Father
- He is the Father of mercies
- He is the Father of the fatherless
- He is the Finisher of our faith
- He is the First and the Last
- He is the Firstborn among many brethren
- He is the Forerunner
- He is the Fountain of living waters
- He is the Friend of sinners
- He is the Good Shepherd
- He is the God who knows all things
- He is the Governor
- He is the Great king above all gods
- He is the Great King over all the earth
- He is the Great Shepherd
- He is the Habitation of justice
- He is the Head of the Church
- He is the Heavenly Father
- He is the Heir of all things
- He is My Helper
- He is My High Priest
- He is the Holy One of Israel
- He is the Hope of Israel
- He is the Holy Spirit
- He is the Horn of my salvation
- He is the Judge of the earth
- He is the Just One
- He is the Keeper
- He is the King of all the earth
- He is the King of glory
- He is the King of kings
- He is the Lamb of God
- He is the Life giving spirit
- He is the light of the world
- He is the Lily of the valley
- He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah
- He is the Lord of lords
- He is the Lord of the harvest
- He is the Lord of the Sabbath
- He is the Lord of the whole earth
- He is the Lord on high
- He is the Lord our God
- He is the Lord our Maker
- He is the Lord who created you
- He is the Lord who dwells between the Cherubim
- He is the Lord who has mercy on you
- He is the Lord who is faithful
- He is the Lord who made heaven and earth
- He is the Lord who makes a way in the sea
- He is the Lord who makes all things
- He is the Lord who sanctifies
- He is the Lord of war
- He is My Master
- He is My Mediator
- He is My Messiah
- He is the Mighty Awesome One
- He is the Mighty God
- He is the Most High over all the earth
- He is My Defense
- He is My Deliverer
- He is My Fortress
- He is My Glory
- He is the Lifter of my head
- He is My God of mercy
- He is My Hiding place
- He is My Light
- He is My Salvation
- He is My Portion forever
- He is My Redeemer
- He is My Refuge
- He is My Shield
- He is My Strength
- He is My Stronghold
- He is My Trust
- He is My Well beloved
- He is the Potter
- He is the Prince of Peace
- He is the Promise of the Father
- He is the Purifier
- He is the Reaper
- He is the Redeemer
- He is the Rewarder
- He is the Righteous Judge
- He is the Rock of my strength
- He is the Root and offspring of David
- He is the Rose of Sharon
- He is the Savior in time of trouble
- He is the Savior of the world
- He is the Scepter
- He is the Seed of Abraham
- He is the Shade at your right hand
- He is the Shepherd of Israel
- He is the Son of Abraham
- He is the Son of David
- He is the Son of God
- He is the Son of Man
- He is the Son of the Father
- He is the Son of the Highest
- He is the Spirit of revelation
- He is the Spirit of the Living God
- He is the Spirit of truth
- He is the Spirit of wisdom and understanding
- He is the Stone which the builders rejected
- He is the Strength of my heart
- He is My Sun and Shield
- He is My Sure Foundation
- He is the True God
- He is the True Life
- He is the True Vine
- He is the Very present help in time of trouble

"Come on somebody" if that doesn't stir you up I don't know what will - and that's just a start. See what else you can find. Forgive me if some of the names are misspelled - I am at work and without the assistance of any study materials.

- Ben

Posted by Ben at 9:30 AM | Permalink | Comments

The Chargers rock!!!

Posted by Ben at 6:27 AM | Permalink | Comments

September 11th .... What were you doing?

I grew up with my parents and "elder" family members talking about significant historical events that happened and what they were doing during that moment in time. Stuff like JFK being assassinated - my mom remembered walking past a store front and seeing the news on a black and white TV. Or when President Reagan was shot, my mom was in labor with me. There are lots more stories, but the point is, it seems like you always remember what you were doing when some big event happened.
September 11th was no exception for me. Obviously being in the military it impacted my life pretty heavily, being sent on a 9 month deployment over to the middle east area. But more specifically, I remember that morning pretty clearly. A few days before my step sister had been killed in a car accident. I had been approved for emergency leave from the Navy to fly home for the funeral. The plane ticket was for the morning of September 11th. I was staying at a friends house, Dennis Rafeo - he used to go to the church, but I don't know how many people remember him anymore. I woke up that morning to have coffee and breakfast, I turned on the news, and about ten minutes later I was watching the attack live on TV. I left to try a catch my flight out, but all of the flights were cancelled. I went back to the apartment and watched the news again and was able to see both of the twin towers fall. USS Decatur, the ship I was on at the time, was immediately sent out to patrol the west coast. I wasn't able to make it onboard before they left so I spent two weeks watching the news and hanging out at the church. Finally the ship returned to port and I went back onboard, a couple of weeks later we left for my first deployment overseas. All in all in was a pretty crazy couple of weeks, and although it is a pretty somber memory - it is definitely a very memorable one.
So in honor of remembering things like 9/11 - what do you remember about that day?

Posted by Ben at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments