Ben's Blog

This Blog has moved!

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 19:39:00 +0000

Hey all. I have just moved my personal blog to a self-hosted solution using wordpress. The new name is Closet Foodie and can be found at: http://www.closetfoodie.com

Come check it out and let me know what you think. Also, change your bookmarks because I will no longer be updating this site.

New Look

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:25:00 +0000

So as you can see (unless you are using an RSS reader I suppose) I changed the look of my blog today. I was getting tired of the previous template. I'm not sure if this look is necessarily better, or even if I like it that much, but I needed a change. I also thought I'd link to a few blogs and sites I check semi-regularly. I may be fiddling around with the look of things for a little bit, so don't get TOO used it yet! ;-)

Pasta Time

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 00:01:00 +0000

My parents bought me this awesome pasta maker for my birthday, and I finally got around to using it today! I found some semolina flour at the grocery store and made a basic pasta with it. For my next batch I will probably try to mix half and half semolina and all-purpose flour, since I hear that many people like to do that. The pure semolina was fantastic, but its a little more expensive.

Here's the pasta maker after making all the pasta. I managed to make a big mess of the kitchen too.

Here is the pasta after I had flattened it all out and cut it with the pasta maker. The spaghetti on the bottom right didn't quite turn out because I didn't flour the dough and the machine well enough. The fettucini all came out really well though.

Here is the fettucini all cooked and ready to eat. I just tossed it with some butter, parmesan cheese and pepper so I could really taste and enjoy the noodles. It was REALLY good.

Blogging, Tumblr, etc.

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 17:48:00 +0000

I have had this blog up for about a half a year. It's interesting how my phases in posting go. As I've started to follow other personal blogs, I have noticed that posting is often few and far between. People do not often make a post unless something major is going on in life, or if they have the time to make a time-worthy post. On the other hand, there has been a jump in popularity of things like Twitter, which allows for simple updates similar to the "status updates" on Facebook. People just post what they are doing, or some short little phrase about what's going on in life. I can see the value in this, but it lacks a lot of flexibility. If you want to post pictures or media of some kind, you have to link to it. Also, you are limited in word count and in other ways.

So I found myself in a strange conundrum. I would like to post in this blog more often, but I usually don't find the things I want to post as being worthy of a full blog post. But, they also seem out of place on Twitter or the status update in Facebook. So something that was more in between seemed like a good solution. Fortunately, I recently found something that seems to fit the bill. So I made a new website on Tumblr. It allows for quick and easy posts, like Twitter, but also is quite flexible with media, links, and other things, like a regular blog. I hope to keep more regular posting on my "tumblelog," but still keep this blog for longer thoughts or posting multiple pictures, etc.

We'll see how things go. =)

http://bmlowe.tumblr.com

A new year...

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 00:01:00 +0000

Well, 2009 has arrived and we're almost halfway through January already. I thought about writing a post with a nice retrospective on 2008 as well as looking forward to 2009. But truthfully, I can't really think of how to string it all together. So instead, I thought I'd list some of the important and fun things that happened in 2008. (Forgive me, but I'll probably forget some stuff.) Here they are:

- Cheryl and I celebrated two years of marriage!
- Cheryl's brother Jacob got married to Channing
- My brother Josiah got married to Lauren
- We got our great puppy-dog, Penny
- Isaac and Jessica got engaged

Besides those things, it really has been quite a year. Cheryl and I have been so blessed. God has really been teaching us a lot. We have a wonderful fellowship that we meet with that has truly become our spiritual family in the Lord. Our Father in heaven continues to teach us and grow our love and understanding of Him and His Son. We are so thankful to be children of such a wonderful Father!

As this next year begins, we really look forward with a lot of anticipation to the things that the Lord will accomplish here on earth and in the heavenlies. Amidst all the transitions and changes here on earth politically, economically, socially, and even religiously, we know that our Father in heaven is faithful. We know that His master plan has been set in motion, and that His sovereignty reigns over all. We put our trust and our lives in His hands.

When the Lord takes hold of you...

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:56:00 +0000

When the Lord takes hold of you; when he changes your life:

You can't claim the credit.

You can't do things the same way anymore.

You see everything differently.

You thank Him constantly.

You praise Him constantly.

You look foolish to the world.

You recognize your brokenness and need for Him.

You can't go back to the life before.

Writing a little more...

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 04:47:00 +0000

Well, I'm still gonna try for this crazy novel writing thing. I'm still pretty far behind for the month, but I've gotten started at least. I put a little widget over on the right that shows my word count and keeps it up to date. 2706 words right now!

Update: Well, I never finished, but I got to around 20,000 words before I called it quits. I may go back and work on it later. :D

NaNoWriMo

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 05:23:00 +0000

So I decided to write a novel this month. Yes that's right. Some time ago a friend of mine told me about NaNoWriMo, which stands for National Novel Writing Month. Apparently this is the 10th year its been going on, each year occurring in November. The basic gist of it is that people all over the nation (and probably world) commit to writing a 50,000 word novel in a single month. The object is to just sit down and write, so you can say you've done it. Unless you just sit down and start writing, well, there are too many excuses that get in the way.

Well, I happened to stumble upon the website today, so this was more of an impulsive choice on my part, but I am excited to do it. I was hesitant to mention it on my blog, in the fear that I will fail in my endeavor. But then again, I thought it might be fun to journal my experiences doing it. I'm getting kind of a late start, beginning three days in, but that's okay. I just started, so I'm pretty low on words, just 614 at the moment. That being said, I'm going to get back to writing. I'll let you know how it goes...

My Stand on the 2008 Election

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:17:00 +0000

Phil Wickham - "singalong"

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:18:00 +0000

I have recently been enjoying music from a christian artist named Phil Wickham. His songs speak passionately about the Lord and the depth of love that He has for His children. I found Phil's website a few weeks ago and noticed that he had a new CD called "singalong" that was available for FREE download! I have really been enjoying it so far. I also have his other albums, including his self-titled debut and his second album called "Cannons." For anyone interested, I would encourage you to go get a free copy of "singalong." Its so wonderful to hear the voices of believers lifting up the name of the Lord.

His website: http://philwickham.com/singalong/

The Spirit Overflows

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 03:58:00 +0000

Sometimes the Holy Spirit's move and presence is so evident. When the Lord works, it is powerful. Tonight was such a night for me. I felt such an overflow of the Spirit. He teaches on a deeper level than our comprehension can sometimes grasp. How wonderful to hear from God!

Today was the first day of a two day Fall Retreat for inner-city kids at Mission:Possible! Things went relatively smoothly, which is always nice. But there was more than that. Sometimes things "go well" but there is an emptiness. But other times it is clear that the Lord's hand is working. There is so much joy in seeing that work in others' lives, and knowing that He is also working in mine.

Praise the Lord!

Arrr!!

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 21:16:00 +0000

Click Here

More Bread...

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:09:00 +0000

Yeah I know I'm weird. This is 100% whole wheat sourdough. Its really strong. I like it.

Bread

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 23:23:00 +0000

Recently I've had quite a preoccupation baking bread. It started a couple years ago when I decided I wanted to make homemade pizza crust. Since then it has become some kind of delicious monster. I've even gotten some sourdough starter from my mom and have been using it to make sourdough bread, using only the starter and no yeast. Its pretty tricky, but when the bread turns out, it sure is delicious. Here's a rather poor shot (because I was using my phone) of some sourdough I made today.

Thorns

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 03:29:00 +0000

22 "The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful." Matthew 13:22

It seems very clear to me that we live in a time where the vast majority of Christians live a life filled with thorns. Surely, many have heard the word. Many believe the word. Many claim to walk in the word to learn and grow. It is interesting that the verse does not say that they wither away and die. They are not unknowledgeable about the word. But, they have no fruit.

I would be so bold as to say that the life of the modern evangelical believer looks almost no different from the life of a non-believer. Do they still know the truth? Yes. Are they growing and walking the narrow path that Christ demands? Maybe not. The deception of wealth and the worries of this life are so pervasive. The believer today still approaches education, finding a job, and standard of living the same way that everyone else does. They are concerned with their protection and well-being, which doesn't seem like something all that bad. But the reality is that those things are the "worries of this life." They are all passing away, and have no eternal value. How many are so deceived in thinking that they are living the "Christian Life" but are in fact simply living for themselves, with no fruit whatsoever? Or maybe they claim to have fruit, but it is fruit that comes from the efforts of this life and again has no value.

Let us let go of the things of this world. To hear the word, the amazing and beautiful gospel of the Kingdom, but to allow the simple things of this world to distract us is a tragedy. Let us live for Christ Jesus, our King and our Lord.

A Whole Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:36:00 +0000

The Lord prompted me to share this tonight:

God is concerned about the condition of our heart. He has taught me this so clearly recently. In all things he desires that our heart is directed fully and completely to Him.

Praise God for his amazing patience, faithfulness and mercy upon me! Oh how tender is he even in teaching me obedience, whether in prayer, with money or my time. Lord, do not ever stop teaching me! Do not lift your hand from my life.

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7

Bless the Lord!

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 13:09:00 +0000

This past Friday I was given the opportunity to go up to Lubbock, Texas for some fellowship with some brothers and sisters in Christ. The circumstances came together in an interesting way, with some friends and brothers here receiving invitations to come up from several sources independently of one another. Regardless, it was clear that the Lord wanted us to experience this time of fellowship and revelation. One of the verses that comes to mind in relationship to the whole trip is this:

His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Ephesians 3:10

The Lord really taught me a lot on this trip. It was a wonderful time and I met some really wonderful brothers that I know I will be connected to from this point forward, even though I have seen them for just but a few hours. Bless the Lord! He is so good!

Here is a song that seemed to be thematic or at least resting on my mind having to do with the trip as well. It is called "Spirit Fall" by Phil Wickham.

HEB Camp (Road Trip)

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:40:00 +0000

Howdy all, its been a little while since I made an entry. On Sunday, June 29, Mission: Possible! took about 30 campers with us down to H.E. Butt Foundation camp near Leakey, Texas for the annual "Road Trip" outing. It was a less structured time than Camp Nikos, with an emphasis on "family time" and relationships with some of the older kids. We were there for three full days, coming back to Austin on the 3rd of July.Everyone seemed to have a great time. We slept in primitive cabins with no AC, but the Lord blessed us with incredibly cool weather for this time of year. We even got a few showers some days. The foundation is on the Frio river, and our particular campsite was on a beautiful stretch of river surrounded by cliffs with a swimming area called The Bluehole. It was so picturesque and incredibly fun. We spent a lot of time swimming, hiking, and hanging out playing volleyball and basketball. We also took one day to do a float down the Frio River in inner tubes. The water was lower than normal for the float, but it was still a good time.

The purpose of the time was to build relationships with the kids and allow them to see and hear about Christ living in our lives. Tim Jr. was able to share many mysteries of the gospel and of God's purposes for mankind. Many of the kids really engaged and asked some great questions. Its my prayer that they will continue to seek the Lord and that He would reveal himself to them wherever they are.

Morning walk with the pup

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:32:00 +0000

So this past Saturday, after we returned from camp, Cheryl and I picked up our puppy from her parents' house! Her name is Penny, and she's a golden retriever. She is 9 weeks old or so, and thus still very much a baby. We have to take her out just about every hour to prevent accidents, and even with our diligence, we are often down on the floor scrubbing. :( But, being just a puppy still, its hard to get too upset with her.

She seems to be on a slightly different sleep schedule than Cheryl and I, meaning very early mornings so far. This morning especially

I took her out at about 5:45a.m. for a potty break, and then she simply wouldn't go back to sleep. We tried to get back to sleep, but she wouldn't settle down, so I got up and took her for a walk. I just got a new phone the other day, so I messed around with audio options as we walked, and took a couple photos. Penny and I stopped at a little playground area after about 20 minutes or so and I tested out my camera.

It seems to work decently as far as quality goes, but it also has a few other options which are kinda neat. It will shoot in a burst of 4 shots at a time, and I managed to take a weird panoramic shot as well. Strange to think you could do such a think with a phone, but hey, it kinda worked. Anyway, after all that fuss and walking around for probably an hour or so, she's now sleeping on the tile, and I'm wide awake. Go figure.

Day 3 and 4: God can be heard and trusted!

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:52:00 +0000

The last two days of camp seemed to go by very quickly. The campers and leaders really got accustomed to the daily schedule and things seemed to go very smoothly. Each day starts with breakfast, and then an activity rotation. After lunch and two more activities, the whole camp gathers below the dining hall for a time that the campers can display a "talent" or goof around. It is very encouraging for the kids to get recognition and applause for something they can do. After dinner and a time of group games, the night service is the last event before bedtime.

As I have mentioned before, we have been showing videos with leader interviews about our theme for the day. I hope to be able to link to them or post them at some point. Also during the night service is a slide show which goes through pictures of the kids at their various activities during the day. The campers love to see their faces up on the screen and yell and cheer for their friends. There is also a time where our "light lady" recognizes campers that did an exceptional job during the week. They get to be drawn on with highlighter and then "shine" under black lights. The basis for light lady is for the kids have their light shine, from Matthew 5:16. Tim Jr. talks briefly to the campers before they finally go to bed. I really felt that the campers were able to connect to the words that Tim spoke, and it was clear that many were thinking about the topics as evidence from their conversations with leaders and their prayer requests.

Other than a few wasp stings, and one little boy that had an infected cut, there were very few medical issues all week long. Lots of kids were able to catch some big fish during their fishing time, and the new archery slot was by and large a big success. The waterfront is home to three activities, being fishing, canoeing and swimming. In the swimming area is also a blob, which is a lot of fun to launch people off of into the water. On Friday I helped "double blob" a few leaders with Sean, the youth pastor from Hope in the City. It was good stuff.

The interesting thing about Camp Nikos is that is it a revealing time for all who participate. I know the Lord taught me many things over the week. I pray that He will continue to reveal himself to me so that I will know Him intimately, just as we spoke to the campers about the very same thing. I pray that I will be able to hear His voice. And I pray that I will be able to trust Him in everything.

Praise our King! For He is real and wants to be known! He can be heard, and can be trusted!

Nikos: mini-update

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:12:00 +0000

First of all I want to apologize for the lack of posts and pictures over the last two days and yesterday. The internet connection was less than reliable, and things were really busy as well. Over all, the camp went extremely smoothly and was a lot of fun. I'll try to make a more detailed couple of posts later today and/or tomorrow with details!

Day 2: God can be heard

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:05:00 +0000

Yesterday we talked about how God can be and wants to be known by his people. The theme verse was James 4:8. The campers and leaders are starting to form some meaningful relationships as they discuss the theme and participate together through daily activities. It's great to see them walking down trails together, singing verses and clearly becoming comfortable as good pals. Most of the guys really enjoy fishing, swimming, and ropes. It was really hot, but everyone is being careful to drink a lot of water and stay in the shade when possible.

During the dinner service, some of the leaders performed a skit to a Lifehouse song called "Everything." You can find it on youtube, and I'll try to make a link later as well. It is a powerful representation of the role of Christ in a believer's life, even through their struggles in a lost and sin-filled world. The campers watched very attentively, and hopefully the explanation of the skit spoke to them on a deeper level.

Continue to pray for meaningful and eternal conversations among the leaders and campers. Pray that the leaders would not simply get through the week on their own power and will, but that they would surrender all to Christ. Pray that as they begin to tire and lose strength that they would seek the Lord and learn from Him, even amidst the trials and joys of this week. Also pray for one little boy named Erik. He struggles with some anger issues, but it looks like he might be turning around today. Also, the girls have been having some drama within different cabins, so pray that the Lord would do a mighty work and bring His children to Him.

Day 2 pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:05:00 +0000

Fishing out on the dock

Tetherball!

Francisco, Will, Daniel, Zach, Jonathan, and Vernon from Tent 2

Zach and Russell chillin' on the dock

Day 1: God is Real

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:57:00 +0000

Yesterday was the first full day of Nikos. The theme for the day was "God is Real." Throughout the day, the leaders and campers went to many activities including fishing, canoeing, swimming, ropes, archery, and crafts. All the groups have settled into the "camp groove" and things seem to be going well. I have tried to touch base with as many guy leaders as I could during the day. Almost all of them are very excited and say that their kids are doing great. The campers are participating in songs and verses and really engaging during teaching. Joan made a fantastic video that we showed at the night service about how God is real. It interviewed several of the group leaders so they were able to share from their point of view how they know God is real. The campers really connect with their leaders especially, and their attention is held well by video. They are all learning their verses which is so exciting!

Pray that I can continue to connect with the guy leaders and help them out. Yesterday there were several mini-crisis moments among a couple of tents, but the guy leaders have impressed me with their maturity and discernment with the children. Pray that I could be an encouragement to them as they keep doing an outstanding job. Pray that they will be well rested, and that they would follow the Lord's leading to speak when He would have them speak.

The kids have arrived!

noreply@blogger.com (Ben) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:51:00 +0000

Yesterday Cheryl and about 8 others left for Austin after breakfast to go get the campers. We went over the arrival procedures with the rest of the camp and got set up so camp would be ready. About an hour before their arrival, we gathered to pray and be silent before the Lord. It was a sweet time to prepare hearts before the campers got here.

Everything went very smoothly during the pickup in Austin, and the total number of kids came out to be 94. That is a great number and makes for good ratios of leaders to campers. The arrival process went well, and the leaders were able to quickly find their campers and get settled down.

The evening went well, with dinner and a fun night service with lots of songs. The campers are all very excited to be here. Pray that the leaders and campers will be able to maintain that level of excitement throughout the week. The campers have learned their first memory verse: Psalm 73:28. It is the theme verse for camp this week.

The first night is often the most difficult, but most of the guys were able to quiet down and get to sleep quickly. One girl cabin had a little more trouble, but eventually got to sleep. Pray for rest for both campers and leaders as energy is needed for all the fun activities throughout the day.

I'll send an update later today on the first full day of camp!