Mike's Give It Away Journal - Week of 6.2.14

Week 15 of my Give It Away journey


Monday 6/2
I bought several copies of this book a couple years ago. I thought I would have given this away by now but since I haven't, I'm giving it to anyone who wants it.  Let me know if you would like this copy.







Tuesday 6/3
Same situation with this book. If you want a copy, let me know.  It is going into my give away pile.







Wednesday 6/4
I've had this shirt for a few years and decided today to give it away. I like it but I have a lot of short sleeve polos.







Thursday 6/5
I bought several copies of this book that I planned to give away. Now is the time to give this one away.








Friday 6/6
I bought several copies of this book also. I think I gave away another copy a couple weeks ago.








Saturday 6/7
I used this lamp on my bedside table for a while but a some point the lampshade was lost. Here is a short lamp with a lampshade for whoever wants it.

Sunday 6/8
I discovered this metal pizza pan in the bottom of a kitchen drawer. I bought this the first year I was married, which makes it 17 years old.

Mike's Give It Away Journal - Week of 5.26.14

Week 14 of my Give It Away journey

I skipped a week for the first time. I've taken my son to Treasure Island for lacrosse tournaments the past two weekends plus our family spent the Memorial Day weekend in Oakland. I also traveled to Los Angeles for a couple days last week. My goal was to not skip a day, but life got in the way. 

Monday 5/26
Here is another Costco purchase that we don't need. At Costco, it is cheaper to buy six and only use three then it is to buy three somewhere else.




Tuesday 5/27
At one time, I used several of these in my garage to hang cords, etc. I took these all down when we converted our garage into a room for our church's middle school group to use on Wednesday nights.






Wednesday 5/28
I stopped reading fiction novels a few years ago. I decided to spend my reading time reading books that would help me be a better person.








Thursday 5/29
I have several pairs of pliers. I've never liked these so it is time I give them away.







Friday 5/30
Here is another fiction novel that I don't need.









Saturday 5/31
A third novel I don't need any longer. I don't recall if I read this one or not.







Sunday 6/1
I've had this pair of cargo pants for a few years. They are too short and finally decided to give them away.

Six Months, One Book, A New Appreciation

Six Months: October 22, 2013 to April 9, 2014 

NLT

One Book: New Living Translation (NLT) of the Christian Bible
New Appreciation: God has a plan and it has happened and will happen!

It all started at the end of 2011 when I gained a deep desire to know God. Our family had just started attending Shoreline Community Church, where they continually encourage people to read the Bible.

Many times before, I had started to read the Bible with the goal of reading the whole thing. Every time, I made it through Genesis, but stopped before finishing Numbers. This time, my motivation was different. I wasn't reading because I thought it was a good idea, I was reading because I wanted to know God. It took me eight months to read The Message version of the Bible that time. 


I read the Bible again in 2013. Both times, I read using my cell phone with the YouVersion Bible application.

This year, I switched to the NLT, but instead of reading, I listened to it with the same app. Three days a week, I commute to work, which takes anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours. I was able to listen to several day's worth of reading each trip.

I found that listening allowed me to think more about what was being said and ponder how it fit into the bigger picture.

In the end, I came away from the experience with a much better appreciation for the plan God has for the world, and how He has caused it to work out the way He wants. In the Old Testament, everywhere you look, you see God setting the stage for Jesus to appear. In Revelation, I was struck by how much detail is given and how God will cause it to happen no matter what we do.

Do I know God more? You bet, but I still have so much more to learn.

Recommendation: If you are considering reading through the Bible, I'd highly suggest finding a reading plan that will take you through the Bible chronologically. It will make so much more sense when read in the order it happened.

Mike's Give It Away Journal - Week of 5.12.14

Week 13 of my Give It Away journey


Monday 5/12
I've been hanging onto these for years. I don't even recall why I bought them. I'm sure I've packed and unpacked them several times as we've moved.

Tuesday 5/13
Another water bottle that we don't need.









Wednesday 5/14
Here is another new and empty small paint can. These seemed like a great thing to have but I never used them.







Thursday 5/15
Last year, I had the great idea of our whole family going on bike rides multiple times a week. Knowing that it is dark when I get home from work during the winter, I bought everyone a bike light. I ended up with a couple extra. This one a co-worker wanted.






Friday 5/16
I bought this visor a couple years ago when we visited Missouri. I like the concept of supporting the Chiefs but this visor isn't comfortable, therefore, I rarely wear it.






Saturday 5/17
Back in 2005, when I reached 255 lbs, I had to replace my wedding ring because it wouldn't fit any longer. Fortunately, this ring is now too big!



Sunday 5/18

I'm amazed at how many coffee cups we accumulate. This one was given to us by a local church. I like the idea of giving out cups but we have more than enough.

Mike's Give It Away Journal - Week of 5.5.14

Week 12 of my Give It Away journey


Monday 5/5
When I was given an iPad a few years ago, I bought this iPad stylus. It works, but it is only a stylus. The company I work for has pens that double as a stylus. Very cool.

Tuesday 5/6
I found another small flashlight in my bedside table that I don't need.





Wednesday 5/7
I went through my bookcase and found a couple more books I don't need. Last year, our church went through this book together.








Thursday 5/8
My dad gave me this golf club head cover 10 years ago. Since then, he has given me a new driver that came with a cover.








Friday 5/9
About the same time my dad gave me the Chiefs club head cover, I was reading through Vince Flynn's books. Both my wife and I read this on years ago. Not sure why we still have it.


Saturday 5/10
Ten years ago, I came across these empty small aluminum paint cans at Home Depot. I was excited to have canisters to put stuff in. Ten years later, this one remains empty.





Sunday 5/11
We have several water bottles we never use like this one from They Are One.

Circle Toro Park - May 2014

Here we go again.

Someone walked, ran or biked around Toro Park every day this past January. We decided to do it again for a week starting May 4th. 

Consider joining us as we get some exercise and focus on our neighborhood. 

Let us know how it went for you and how you felt God directing you to pray as you circled.

Mike's Give It Away Journal - Week of 4.28.14

Week 11 of my Give It Away journey

I've now given away 70 items. I gave my first item away on February 17. Here is how it all started.

A few observations:

• It has been easy - When I started 11 weeks ago, I anticipated having enough extra stuff to keep me going for years. Not sure it will be years, but I've pretty easily found over 70 items.
• It is getting harder - It takes me about 15 to 20 minutes per day to find something, take a picture of it, copy the image from my phone to the computer, edit the picture, add the picture to this blog, and write something about it. It was easy to make the time initially, but is getting harder, because it doesn't feel like something "new" anymore.
• It has caused me to think differently - Because I'm looking for stuff I really don't need, I'm frequently asking myself, "Do I need this?" It has helped me put "stuff" into perspective.
• I'm happy - My son and I were talking about all the stuff we have given away and realized that we don't miss any of it!
• Not sure how much longer - Like most things, I started out strong and enthusiastic, but over time, the enthusiasm has waned. For example, last week I went four days without giving something away and found five things in one day to make up for it. Before too long, I may start giving away one thing each week instead of each day. 

Monday 4/28
We were given a used barbecue grill a few months ago, so I decided to get a nice grill spatula. It looks nice, but it didn't work as well as I had hoped. I had a cheap one that actually works better, so this one I'm giving away.







Tuesday 4/29
Found this kitchen knife that we don't use. It is nice to open a kitchen utility drawer and be able to easily find what you need.

Wednesday 4/30
I worked for Growers Express for a couple months, just before they took a few of us and formed a new software company called TRUETRAC. TRUETRAC has since been acquired by FoodLink.






Thursday 5/1
My wife and I are part of a non-profit called They Are One. I wore this bracelet for a few months, but now it just sits on my dresser.


Friday 5/2
I used this Bluetooth keyboard and case with my iPad for a couple years. I found that I didn't need the keyboard anymore so I'm giving it away.







Saturday 5/3
I cleaned out my bedside table and found several things to give away. This small flashlight is the first of four items.


Sunday 5/4
Here is the second of the four items I found in my bedside table. This is an USB wireless adapter.

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters

Starting April 19, the guys of the 3gdadnetwork and a few friends, will be reading and discussing Meg Meeker's book, Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters. 

Chapters 1 - You are most important man in her life
This chapter was hard to read because she spells out why dads are so important to a girls life.

"Be it good or painful, the hours you spend with her-or don't spend with her-change who she is."

Chapter 2 - She needs a hero
Who doesn't want to be a hero? Meg challenges dads to step up and be a hero to their daughters.

"If you don't accept the authority that is naturally yours, if you don't set high standards, if you don't live a life of moral principle, your daughter will suffer."

"Don't cave, persevere. Heroes see a battle through until the end; they never run away. So stay in the fight, stay engaged with your daughter and your family, spend as much time at home as you can, stay consistent, loving, kind and patient, and remember that you are more resilient then your daughter is."

Chapter 3 - You are her first love

"Your daughter will draw a picture in her mind of how you see her, and that's the person she'll want to be."

"Daughters with a curfew know that someone wants them home and is probably waiting for them. Daughters without curfews wonder."

"Fathers often overestimate their daughters' maturity"

"Let her know that nothing she can do, even running away, getting pregnant, tattooing her ankle, or piercing her tongue, can make you stop loving her."

"Remember that whatever she says, the very fact that you thoughtfully and consistently enforce rules of behavior makes her feel loved and valued."

"Think about the kind of dad you want to be. Sure, it will take hard work. But love isn't just about feeling good. It's about doing what you don't want to do, over and over again, if it needs to be done, for the sake of someone else. Love is really about self-sacrifice."

Chapter 4 - Teach her humility

"These days, humility is a politically incorrect virtue. But genuine humility is the starting point for every other virtue."

"Humility doesn't make sense unless it is modeled. IF you want your daughter to love reading, you must read."

"Our daughters don't need excessive praise to feel good about themselves."

"The paradox is that happiness is truly found only when it is routinely denied."

"If you teach your daughter to be good rather than simply happy, she will become both. Teaching your daughter humility is a wonderful gift. And it can be taught only by example."

Check back to see what we've learned each week.

Mike's Give It Away Journal - Week of 4.21.14

Week 10 of my Give It Away journey

Monday 4/21
Back in 2006, I read a great book called Boundaries by Dr Henry Cloud and Dr John Townsend. Today, I'm giving a way an extra participants guide.







Tuesday 4/22
I was really into electric toothbrushes for a while. Unfortunately, you need to buy new heads which wasn't as easy as you might think. I found that it is easier to use the free one the dentist gives you.







Wednesday 4/23
When I bought my Callaway Steelhead X-14 Irons back in 2002, I also bought this set of iron head covers. I haven't actually put them on my irons in since 2010. It is about time to give them away.



Thursday 4/24
I read Every Man's Battle a couple years ago and again last year. This is a brand new copy that I've had stashed in my closet. There are a few books that I'd say are life-changing. This is one of them.







Friday 4/25
I was making pancakes and noticed that we had several I spatulas.  I started pulling them out of drawers and realized that we had at least three extra.



Saturday 4/26
For a long time we didn't have a grill. We picked up this George
Foreman Grill thinking that we would use it grill. Turned out we didn't use it as often as we thought we would. A friend gave us their old gas grill, so now I'm giving away our Foreman.






Sunday 4/27
The end of the week turned out to be kitchen items. Here are a couple more spatulas.