Dear Daughter.....on your 15th Birthday

Dear Daughter,

I want you to know what a joy it is to be the father of a lovely girl like

you.  It is a father's dream to have a daughter who believes the world

revolves around her dad.  I know that is how you feel about me, and I can't

tell you what that does to me inside.  In the next few years you will

experience many new things.  Some of them will be very natural and some may

be a bit confusing.  I want you to always know that you can talk to me about

anything at any time.  I will be honest and direct with you, because I love

you.  I have a fierce drive inside me to protect you from things that

could harm you, but I can't always protect you from everything.  I must help

you become strong by letting you have more freedom to make your own choices.

 I have spent the last 14 years giving you a solid foundation so that you

have a basis to make good choices.  Your choices and decisions will be

determined by three basic areas of your life.

How You Feel About Yourself  This is what we call self-esteem.  In a young

girl, it is the single most important part of your life.  It will really

determine most of the choices you make.  The Bible tells us that we must love

ourselves.  Always remember it is healthy to love yourself.  You are worthy

of respect and honor.  You don't have to settle for anything less.  One of

the reasons I love you as I have is that you will know what it is like

to feel important and wonderful inside.  Here are some things to remember

about yourself

• You don't have to settle for being pretty, you can be beautiful from the inside out.
• Other people will only treat you as well as you treat yourself.
• Tell yourself every day at least once:  "I really like being just who I am."
• Your father believes you are the most wonderful creation on earth
• Try not to compare yourself with anyone else...just be who you are.
• That is always the best you can be.  Nothing is better than that.
• Clothes should be enjoyable...they aren't important enough to get upset about.
• There is no such thing as being PERFECT.  It isn't a good goal to have.
• There is such a thing as being GOOD.  It is a great goal to have.
• End every day by thanking God for making you just like He has.
• Look as nice as you can, and then be content with that.
• The best way to keep your personal values is to like yourself. 

How You Treat Others And How You Let Them Treat You 

Relationships are very important in shaping the kind of person you are and will become.  You have already made some and will be making many more decisions about relationships and about sex.  Again, you can always talk to me about boys and about sex.  I will tell you the truth.  Let me give you some very practical things to help you make decisions in this area.

• I have always treated you with respect.  Any boy who really cares about you will treat you the same way.
• You can only have sex the first time once in your life.  It is a precious gift.  Protect that gift.  Your marriage night is the PERFECT time to give it to the one you love.  Mom and I waited for that night, and we've always been glad we did.
• Feelings and desires are natural and good, but you must make the decision about the limits you will set.  Here are a few things to help you.

• Don't stay in close contact for very long at a time.  If you do, you will not be able to stop when you want.
• Keep your hands and his hands OUTSIDE of your clothes, and always keep your clothes on, buttoned and zipped.
• Skin on skin is explosive, God made us that way....limit your skin on skin contact to your head, arms and hands.  Anything else will be too difficult to handle.
• Prolonged kissing will also be too hard to control.  Make it a special thing and limit it to once or twice at a time.
• You don't "owe" any boy any physical affection, and if they care about you they won't push you.
• Don't compromise your standards, and don't you try and temp them.
• Treat others with respect, but be strong when you must be.  SAY NO to at least one thing every day, just to keep in practice.
• The best relationships, even romances, begin with a good friendship.  It is the best foundation to build on.
• Always ask your dad for his opinion about guys you go out with .
• When asked a favor use this test:  Is it helping them do the right thing or a good thing, and will it make them a better person?  If you can't say "yes" to that test, DECLINE.

What Place God Will Have In Your Life   Remember this, the reason you trust

me and love me so much is because I have loved God and have trusted Him with

my life.  There is no other way to have the best possible life....NONE.  If

you choose to continue to live your life to please God, you must do it on

purpose.  It won't just happen by accident. Here are just a few things to

keep in mind.

• Ask yourself, "would this decision or choice please my dad?"  If the answer is yes, then it will please God too. Here are some areas of decision making:  marriage-jobs-school-friendships-recreation-money
• You can have fun and still please God.
• Learn to love God by loving others:  a few tips...
• learn to love the poor and less fortunate.  This is not a feeling, it is an action.
• learn to listen to others very well...remember what they tell you.
• on a regular basis,  give something of value away to someone who has a need.
• Read your Bible, pray and meditate regularly.  It will be your ROCK for the rest of your life.
• Honor the church...learn to love it.  You need other Christians in your life.
• No matter what happens in your life, if you keep Jesus in your heart, you win.
• God loves you, even more than I do...which is a miracle in itself.
• Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.

You will not remember all these things, but read them over at least once a

year.  There are many other things that are important and helpful, but these

will keep you on the right track.  You are incredible!  Out of all the

daughters in the world...God has blessed me with you.  He must really love

me too!

Dad

MUSIC...the kind of music that soothes your soul!

I love a variety of good music...of different genres. I'm not a metal guy...never have been, but I am not bashing it..just not my thing. When kids my age were listening to Led Zeppelin, I was probably listening more to the Eagles. I tend to like lyric driven songs...songs that say something fun, meaningful, emotional, searching, sad, etc. I love the old, traditional country music such as The Hag, Jones, Cash, Robbins, Cline & Horton...even Ernest Tubb. I like the next generation of country singers like Nelson, Kristofferson, Jennings, Strait, Jackson, Hank Jr, Alabama, McBride, Black & Brooks and Dunn....some of the newer ones like Paisley, Brooks, Yearwood, Krauss, and others. I have always liked some of the crossover artists, such as Glen Campbell, John Denver and Anne Murray. I LOVE Southern Gospel music....Statemen, Stamps, Imperials, Cathedrals etc. I also love the worship music of the past 30 years, or so...Vineyard, Integrity, Hillsong, Jesus Culture, and many great indies. To feed and care for my soul, I would pick worship music. To have fun, I like old stuff of a wide variety. For my own therapy, I like simple songs with clear lyrics that touch something in me.

I was just listening to some new tunes by Mumford and Sons....loved it, and love that bluesy, bluegrass, edgy sound and lyrics they sing and play.

There is a guy in Cedaredge, CO...David Starr, who owns a small guitar shop there, and writes and sings his own stuff. I really like it. It is worth a listen on You Tube, if you haven't heard him. Edge Of The World, Head and Heart are really nice tunes. Check it out if you want....if you like any of what I've listed above...you'll like this too. David Starr Music

My point of this article: Embrace some good music. Try something a bit different from your ordinary fare. Look for lyrics that speak to your heart, make you laugh or make you cry. I just picked out an old, OLD song that was made popular by a man named Red Foley (happens to be Pat Boone's father-in-law....Debbie Boone's granddad) Peace In The Valley....it settled my spirit right down. I love when that happens. IMO...God did quite a thing when he created possibilities of MUSIC.

Perfectly Baked Potatoes for a large group

Baked Potatoes

Perfectly done…Perfectly delicious

These directions are especially helpful when baking a large number of potatoes at one time for an event or large potato bar night.

What you will need:
·       Potatoes  (up to 35 jumbos)
·       EVOO  (olive oil)
·       Coarse grinder or coarsely ground sea or pink Himalayan salt (no iodized kitchen salt)
·       Basting brush
·       Long handle tongs
·       Cooking/BBQ gloves

Wash potatoes with soft, non-abrasive pad and let air dry

Brush a single line (apprx 1 inch) of olive oil down the top length of each potato with a basting brush

Grind or apply coarse ground Sea Salt or Himalayan pink salt across the top on the line of olive oil.

DO NOT PUNCTURE the potatoes.

Place potatoes directly on oven racks…spread as much and evenly as possible. DO NOT STACK the potatoes.  One normal sized kitchen oven with two racks can hold 30-35 extra large (jumbo) potatoes.

Bake in pre-heated over at 425f for 50 to 60 minutes, or until there is no resistance to a fork puncture.  Turn oven off and leave in the oven until ready to serve. Be VERY careful opening the oven. With a large number of potatoes, there will be a HUGE amount of steam built up and it will escape instantly….keep your face away from the entrance and use cooking gloves.

For a baked potato party where you are baking many potatoes at one time, the baking time may be extended, and be sure to group smaller potatoes in the front where you can take them out earlier if needed.

Films / Movies How Do I Evaluate Them

How Do I Personally Evaluate A Film

I do not write movie reviews. That is not my talent or interest.  I enjoy reading good reviews, and my friend, Kim Gentes writes GREAT movie, book and music reviews. I simply determine if I like it or if I don't...and why. When I think about a movie/film, I think in terms of categories.  Sometimes I just want to be entertained….to check out for a couple of hours in a “happy place,” so to speak. Sometimes I am good with a heavier theme or even something a bit disturbing.  When I think about what I would call a “good movie,” I have to think in terms of what I am looking for that film to do, or after the fact, what the movie did to me/for me.  By doing this, I don't have to pull every film through the same hoop of evaluation.  Some are not great (or even good) movies, but they did something for me that I found valuable. Uncle Buck gave me a couple of hours of pure fun that I really needed when I first saw it.  This is very subjective, and it is my own way of evaluating movies.  I'm quite sure there are better ways and much more sophisticated approaches, but hey....this works for me.

Is the film….

·       Important (example: Schindler’s List)

o   Historical significance

o   Mankind issues

o   Significant themes

·       Compelling (examples: The Godfather, The Silence of the Lambs, Braveheart)

o   Emotionally stirring (fear, hate, love, empathy, etc)

o   Motivates viewer to a specific activity

o   Relationships

o   Stays with the viewer

o   Inspirational  (great themes: courage, bravery, challenge, etc)

·       Entertaining (example: Tombstone, Sister Act, Lord of the Rings)

o   Laugh or cry

o   Fantasy/Allegories/Science fiction

o   Action/Drama

o   Horror  (which I personally avoid like the plague)

o   Chick flicks

o   Love stories

·       Enlightening (example: The King’s Speech, A Beautiful Mind, Secretariat)

o   Educational

o   Added something to the viewer

o   Challenging