Fuel Prices and Recession

Well, Gas is soaring once again. I drove by the gas station today and, if I remember correctly, Gasoline was $3.47 and Diesel was $4.17 for a gallon. OUCH!!!

As gas prices have risen at record breaking rates, it has gotten me to think of something that has been on my mind since 2008.

Before I go into detail let me give this little caveat - I am no economist.

When the economy came crashing down in 2008, it seemed that almost everyone was blaming it on the housing market. People were buying houses at extremely inflated prices - and banks were giving out loans to people that couldn't afford them. This was the explanation that everyone was given for why the recession started.

However, I have a little different perspective that is related more to fuel prices than the housing market.

EVERYONE needs fuel. We use it to heat our homes; we use it to drive to work. Businesses use it - Truck drivers must fill their tanks to deliver goods; trains must use it to transport product from one part of the nation to another; contractors use it to get from one work site to another.

The point is - FUEL is used EVERYWHERE. So, with the rising cost of fuel, people (and businesses) have less money to spend elsewhere. Eventually the cost of fuel impacts everything else. The cost of groceries goes up. The cost of parts at the part store goes up. The cost to fly goes up as they tack on extra fuel costs. Even getting something delivered by UPS or Fedex goes up. Everything ends up increasing in price and this leaves less money in our pockets to buy stuff and keep the economy going.

That means that we may look at our car and say, "Well this old car is gonna have to last me at least another year." Or we may look at our checkbook and say, "We are going to cut back on eating out for a while." Or we may decide that buying a new refrigerator and stove will have to wait a little while longer. Or we may even decide that we won't take a vacation this year because we simply can't afford the fuel.

When fuel prices go up it quickly impacts our financial decisions. We have to cut back on spending because we have less to spend. When we cut back on spending we also cut back on contributing to the growth of the economy. When enough people have to cut back on their spending we end up in a recession.

As the cost of fuel nears $4.00 per gallon for gas (and will be $5.00 for Diesel) I grow concerned that this brief economic recovery we are seeing will be short lived.

I don't know about you, but I will be watching things very closely to determine what financial decisions to make and specifically what to do with my retirement funds. In 2008 many people watched their retirement funds drop by 40% or more as the stock market tumbled. I truly hope that we can all see the handwriting on the wall in time to put our funds in more secure places (maybe even under the mattress if need be).

Here is a brief article from dailyfinance.com - Gas Prices Surge Again

Movies and Twizzlers

Last night Tracy and I had a movie night. After we put the kids to bed, we put in a DVD and relaxed watching a movie together. It was a pretty good movie to, albeit a chick flick.

Anyway, I rented the movie from the local Blockbuster Express - you know the blue boxes that are ripoffs of the Redbox business model. Our Blockbuster Express is located inside of the local Basha's Supermarket. Since NO movie is complete without some candy to munch on, I decided to take a little trip down the candy aisle at Basha's. As I was looking for the perfect movie candy, this BIG pack of Twizzlers caught my eye. They seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. So, I checked out, headed home, and put the kids to bed so we could watch our movie.

Once the movie was started I ripped open the bag of Twizzlers and that familiar aroma came bellowing out of the bag. It was like the best potpourri you could ever imagine. I began just taking one Twizzler. Upon munching it down I immediately grabbed another, and another and another. It seemed like I just couldn't get enough of them. It was like a drug - I just kept going back to the bag and grabbing more Twizzlers. I couldn't keep my hand out of the bag. Something weird had come over me. Did they put something addictive in their candy? Before I knew it I, with the help of Tracy, had eaten almost the entire bag of Twizzlers. I was almost embarrassed as I looked at the, now almost empty, bag. If it weren't for an amazing amount of self control, I would have finished off the bag.

So tell me, what is it about Twizzlers that once I start eating them I simply cannot stop??

A Visit to a Mormon Temple

Just outside of Thatcher, AZ, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints - more popularly known as Mormons, recently completed the construction of their latest temple. The Temple has been open to the public for tours prior to it's dedication. I got the opportunity to take a tour of the Temple on Monday and with that tour I made some observations.

From a purely human perspective, the building was beautiful. It was adorned with marble throughout. In the "Celestial Room" hung a huge crystal chandelier. Beautiful new furniture was displayed throughout the temple along with what seemed like endless paintings. From a human standpoint this had beauty to it. However from a spiritual perspective this building truly lacked beauty in any form. I would even call it dark from a Spiritual Perspective.

From the moment I entered the temple, and even before when we were watching a video about the temple, I felt this heaviness come over me. It was a feeling that stayed with me throughout the entire tour and until I was finally able to exit the temple. The feeling even altered my mood. Prior to entering my mood was up and I was having a good day, but upon entering the temple I felt my mood swing downward to the point that I almost felt depressed to be there.

Mormons believe that the temple is the place where they can go to "feel the presence of the Heavenly Father." They believe that God's presence is actually in the temple. It is sad to me to think that these people feel like they have to enter a building to experience God's presence. Scripture tells us that when we put our faith in Jesus Christ that we are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 3:16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?

2 Corinthians 6:16 For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

As I said, it saddens me to think that these people have been so deceived to think that they have to enter into a building to feel the presence of God. I believe that we can experience God wherever we are. We don't have to enter a temple or be in any certain place - we just need to reach out to God.

James 4:8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.

Throughout the tour, the guides described some of the ordinances that were performed in the temple. They took us to the "Baptismal Room" and described the Baptismal font that rested on 12 oxen (which were supposed to symbolize the 12 tribes of Israel). In this room was also where they performed the Baptism for the dead. This act is supposed to be a way to redeem ancestors that never had the opportunity to hear the Mormon message. This particular practice is only mentioned in scripture once in 1 Corinthians 15:29 where it is used to illustrate a point, and there is no description of what this practice actually was. There is no place in scripture where this is shown to be an accepted practice in the early church.

They also took us to the "Sealing Room" where husbands and wives are sealed together along with their children for eternity. Their belief is that a husband and wife who are sealed together will be together for all eternity in heaven along with their kids. While this seems, from a human perspective, to be something that we would like. Our guide even told us that "It wouldn't be heaven to me without my wife."

Luke 20:34-35 Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage

I think that the Mormon church, and it's adherents don't quite understand Heaven. Heaven isn't about having everything we want here on earth; it isn't about whether it would be heaven "to you" - it is about being in the very presence of God.

The guides repeated time and time again that the ordinances and covenants made in the Mormon Temple are the same that were performed in the temple in the Old Testament. As I read through scripture, none of these were performed at the Temple. The Temple in the Old Testament was God's Dwelling Place in the Holy of Holies - but beyond that it was a place of Sacrifice and Worship. Not a place to be baptized for your dead loved ones, or to seal your marriage in heaven, nor any other ceremonies that are performed in the Mormon Temple.

Another observation I made during my tour was the words that were used by the tour guides. I didn't get a count, but I am sure that it was upwards of over 100 times that they invoked the name of Jesus either directly or by referring to him as "Our Savior". They seemed to be hard pressed to make the Mormon beliefs seem as though they were Orthodox, which they are actually quite far from.

They also used the phrase, "have this knowledge" on a regular basis, such as, "I am glad I have this knowledge." This consistent use of the the word knowledge, and it's seemingly secretiveness reminds me of the Gnostics from the early church who claimed to provide salvation through special knowledge.

From Wikipedia: The gnōsis referred to in the term is a form of mystic, revealed, esoteric knowledge through which the spiritual elements of humanity are reminded of their true origins within the superior Godhead, being thus permitted to escape materiality.

Gnosticism has widely been considered to be a heretical belief system, and it seems to have continued throughout the ages even to today in the form of Mormonism.

There is so much more I could write about Mormonism and my experience visiting the Temple. In all it was an even greater realization at the deception that is being perpetuated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It is a deception that has and is leading many people away from the TRUE Gospel of Jesus Christ.

A couple books I would recommend to anyone wanting to know more about the deception of Mormon beliefs are:

Mormonism Unmasked by R. Phillip Roberts

I Love Mormons by David L. Rowe

My Soda Drinking Habit

My name is Tim McCain and i am addicted to Soda. For those that know me, this is no surprise. I really like to drink Soda. My favorite is Pepsi. I will also accept Coke, or RC. I also enjoy a Mountain Dew every now and then. I drink A LOT of soda. I can easily tear through an entire 2 liter of soda in a day and I could probably drink even more than that. I just REALLY like Soda. I know that I have gone weeks without drinking hardly anything else except soda. I usually have a bottle of water while I am preaching, but that is the only other time that I have had something other than soda.

SO, about a week ago I decided that I really needed to cut back on the soda consumption. Part of it was the weight that I had gained recently (see post on Getting Some Exercise...). Part of it was also that I thought I might feel better if I cut out some of the soda.

Here is my plan: I drink water almost exclusively throughout the day. I allow myself to drink Soda only during 1 meal. I get to choose which meal, but only 1 meal of the day. All other meals I have water. I really hate the taste of the water in Morenci, so we have been buying bottled water, which has helped tremendously.

I was really concerned that with cutting most of the soda out of my diet that I would suffer some pretty severe caffeine withdrawal headaches. So far I am about 1 1/2 weeks into this journey and I haven't really suffered any caffeine withdrawal headaches. I have been pretty diligent about making sure that I am staying properly hydrated, which has been good for me and I think been a reason I haven't suffered too much with headaches.

I believe that as I make some of the tough decisions (decisions that I don't really want to make) such as extremely cutting back on Soda, or getting on my bike for exercise, in order to improve my health and my life overall, God is going to bless that. He is going to see you through in areas of your life where you might have thought that he wasn't really concerned about. I never really considered that God might be concerned about how much soda I am drinking, or how much exercise I am getting - I have now changed my thought process. I believe that God is concerned about every aspect of our lives, and he wants what is best for us in every area.

So what is it that you may need to give up, or moderate in order to improve your life?

What part of your life have you said, "God is not concerned about that"?

Getting some Exercise.....

Well, I have recently started riding my bike to work in the mornings. After stepping on the scale and gradually seeing the numbers rise, I decided that I needed to get a little more exercise. I really don't care for going on walks, and running is even worse. I also don't care for working out to a video (ie. Tae Bo, Biggest Loser Workout etc...). And I am totally not motivated enough to go to a gym. The one type of exercise that I actually enjoy is riding my bike. So, a couple weeks ago I decided that I would start riding my bike to work in the mornings.

The direct trip to work is only about .5 miles and an extremely easy ride, so instead I decided to take a round about way to work. The trip that I take has a fairly steep hill, and some other gradual hills with a little bit of downhill coasting. My guess is that it is about 2 miles. It is not a long bike ride by any stretch of the imagination, but it gets my heart beating and gets me some exercise.

By riding my bike I have discovered a few things:

1. I am totally out of shape. Even the small hills seem to kick my butt. They make me pant like a dog and grimace as though I am in extreme pain. I can only imagine what people think when they drive by me and see me. I am sure some laugh, and I am sure others feel sorry for me. Hopefully as time goes by this will get easier, but for right now that short ride is messing me up.

2. Even though the ride is tough and I seem a little tired after I get off the bike, overall I have more energy throughout the day. It is amazing what a little exercise can do for your energy level. It really doesn't seem to make sense that I expend energy and in return I am more energized, but that is how it works. I could lay on the couch sleeping all day and still be sleepy, or I can get out and get some exercise and be energized.

3. I should have done this long ago. Riding my bike, getting the exercise and realizing how it makes me feel good has made me realize that I should have done this long ago. I should have had more initiative to get out and ride my bike years ago. Perhaps if I had done so I would be so out of shape now, I wouldn't be panting like a dog or grimacing in apparent pain. Perhaps if I would have started this years ago this would be even more enjoyable for me.

So, there it is. I have begun what will probably be a lifelong regimen of exercise in riding my bike. In the future, as this 2 mile ride becomes easier, I will be changing things up a little bit. Perhaps I will share my accomplishments with you. For those of you that know Morenci, you know that there are some pretty killer hills in Morenci. Some day I will conquer those hills and I will let you know how it goes.

The weather is BEAUTIFUL!

It is no surprise to most that I am excited about this beautiful weather we have been having lately. The Winter and Spring were, well.... interesting this year in Arizona. This was the wettest Winter/Spring that I have experienced in the almost 7 years I have lived here. It seemed like every weekend it was cold and rainy. All the rain, cold weather, and gray days really put a damper on my mood. But the last 2 weeks have been Sunny and Warm.

I am excited about this weather for many reasons:

1. My Garden has been tilled and planted. I still have a few things to plant to finish off the garden, but it is mostly completed.

2. I get to watch things grow. It is exciting to me to see things grow. My Apricot tree has apricots and that is exciting. The lettuce and radishes in my garden have sprouted, that is exciting. The miniature rose bush is getting very full and starting to bud, that is exciting. Watching things grow is exciting.

3. I can get other work done outside, like mowing the lawn. Call me crazy, but I actually enjoy doing yard work. When the yard looks nice, I can take pride in that accomplishment. It also gives me a mental break from anything else that may be going on.

4. I can ride my bike again. It has been a while since I got out and rode my bike, but I have decided now is the time to get some exercise. I started riding my bike to work last week. This week has been hard because I have been transporting Keaton back and forth to School, but I plan on getting back on my bike later this week.

5. I can play with the kids outside. I don't do this as much as I should, but I do enjoy getting outside with the kids. The kids got a Power Wheels for Christmas this past year, and it is fun to walk with them while they drive the car around the block.

6. The beautiful weather puts me in a good mood. The sun is a wonderful thing. Not only does it give us light and warmth, but it also improves our mood. I find that getting outside and just letting the sun hit my face for a few minutes improves my mood significantly.

7. Sun-tan. I love it when Tracy has a little bit of a sun-tan on her face. It just accentuates her beauty and makes me appreciate the sunshine.

SO, what are some of your reasons for being excited about AWESOME weather? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Quotes from Easter Weekend

I just wanted to share with you a few quotes from this weekend. Some of the things that really stuck out in my mind.

• "I look forward to this every year" - at Easterfest.
• "I see you do this for the community every year, this is great." - at Easterfest
• "My Kids had a BLAST!" - at Easterfest

• "You almost, almost made me cry" - at Easter Service
• "Singing the Old Rugged Cross brought tears to my eyes" - at Easter Service