4-2

What a great day this was for me. For all the sucky days of the past couple of weeks, it was nice to have a rebound day…filled with happiness…not just joy but happiness too. It all started on the wrong foot. I was expecting to be woken up in the middle of the night with a call from Jennifer. That call never did come. I was perturbed. I kept thinking “she should do this…she should do that…” and “I feel this…and I feel that…” So I called her and was ready to complain and get into an argument which could have led to a fight. She had fallen asleep and my call had woken her up. Just as I was ready to lay into her…she smiled…and my heart melted. I was still mad…but then she smiled again and again. Eventually I wasn’t angry anymore. But the real interesting part came about 30 minutes later when I was doing my talk with God. I said…”God Jenni should do this, jenni should do that… It’s not fair…” I was totally justified in my thoughts. But in that still small voice God reminded me that I need to instead focus on myself. I need to change me first and the changes that I desire in my spouse will occur naturally. Now I knew this. Its like counseling 101, but still I needed to be reminded of it. Isn’t that interesting that as Christians we know the answers but often times we need to be reminded of the answers. So I’ve been stoked all day (waiting for her to wake up) thinking, I can’t wait to show Jennifer how great of a husband I am/can be.

Darren was in town for a meeting and he stayed an extra day to hang out. So he came by the house and I showed him around. He was very excited when I had my housemaid make us breakfast. She was nice enough to make it for us on her day off. I wanted to make sure she still made it to church on time so I gave her cab fare, and a little extra. So he was just glad to have pork bacon. It’s a big thing when you can’t have it often. So we went downstairs and grabbed a cab and went to church together. This is appropriate since Darren and I met at church in Bahrain. After we finally found a cab and headed back to the house. He brought his squash racquet and we headed out to the Sheraton for a game. I beat him! 4 games to 2. For as much as he was kickin my butt it was nice to get pay back finally. I used to beat him quite regularly until I suggested he get a new racquet, after that I rued the day I gave him that advice because he won consistently. Squash is a game like tennis as it uses the same muscles and motion. I have been swimming a lot lately. And the freestyle stroke is very similar to my serve. So I think those built up muscles must have given me my edge. After we hung out in the grass/shaded portion of the Sheraton pool/beach. This is a 5 star resort I think. It was really nice just catching up and talking. The weather was perfect and the setting seemed a bit like paradise. The aqua green water in the background and the grass under our feet. In Dubai…or anywhere in the Middle East…grass is a big deal. He really has become a great friend. Since I don’t have too many of those here in dubai just yet, it was refreshing just to hang out. We headed back out to the strip for dinner. Since it is the weekend, it was packed with people. This is the trendiest spot to go in all of Dubai in my opinion. We had dinner at El Chico (whose franchise started in Dallas, Darren’s hometown.) What made the meal taste even better is that I had a buy one get one free coupon (my father would appreciate that). After a great meal, we headed to Trader Vic’s for a nightcap. The only places you can buy alcohol in Dubai is at hotels. Trader Vic’s is attached to one. So I had one drink. I drink maybe once or twice a year. I can take it or leave it, so I mostly leave it. But Im a sucker for 1. Anything frozen, 2. Anything with grenadine, 3. Anything with an umbrella…This had all three…well not the umbrella, but it should have had one, it was tropical enough. I should have asked for one. Then we came back to the house and I dropped him off in a taxi and he’s headed to the airport. Its only 9:00 so Im thinking I might just head out for a movie if the timing is right. All in all…just a great day. I can’t wait to talk to my wife to tell her all about it…D’oh.

I had actually just finished my blog when I read this daily devotional from Joel Osteen. It totally captures my point of view so I thought I would share it.

He Laughs in the Heavens

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

“He Who sits in the heavens laughs...”
(Psalm 2:4, AMP)

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

Have you ever imagined God laughing in the heavens? Think about it for a moment. Right now, God is on the throne. He’s not mad. He’s not worried about the economy. He’s not upset with you and me. God is full of joy and laughing on the throne. It goes on to tell us in Psalm 37 that He’s laughing because “He can see the destruction of the enemy coming.” In other words, the reason God laughs is because He knows the end of the story. He knows the final outcome. The good news is that you and I win. God always causes us to triumph!

Imagine watching the Super Bowl when you already know the outcome. You already know who is going to win. No matter how far behind the winning team falls, no matter how bad it looks for them, you wouldn’t get upset. You wouldn’t be worried. Why? You’ve got inside information. You know the final outcome. That’s what God is saying to us today. When it gets tough and things don’t look like they’re going to work out, we know that with God we are on the winning team! Today, you can laugh with Him knowing that He has favor, strength and victory in store for your future!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father in heaven, I choose to rest and trust in You. Thank You for bringing victory in every area of my life. Give me opportunities today to share Your joy and love with the people around me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

— Joel & Victoria Osteen

Emerging from the blast zone

It was a really nice day. I think it was cool to get out from underneath the bunker of the blast zone. I had been hunkered down with all the attacks waiting for the blasts to clear. I have to say I’ve emerged relatively unscathed. Im sure there are going to be spiritual rewards for this too, but that is just a fringe benefit of being a believer. I think if this crap would have happened a couple of years ago it would have devastated me. Today it’s like I had to brush the dirt of my shoulder. That doesn’t mean I don’t care about particular people that were/are affected, rather, I have to concern myself about the things I can control. The rest I give it to God.

The day started out with me having to set my alarm clock to get up at 8:30. I know rough life. I think God compensates us when things are going rough in order that we can focus on the brighter things in life. I have a lot of bright things around to focus on. Today for instance. I went to a production house to supervise the edit on a project. Now when I first started out, I was a writer-producer-director. I had to do it all because I couldn’t afford to hire anyone else. So I got really good and fast at those positions. I had to be fast because there wasn’t a lot of money in the early days. So the faster I finished the more my hourly rate went up (I got paid by the job) so that incentivized me. I eventually became an editor too so I didn’t have to hire one out. I learned how to edit fortunately enough at the church I worked at, Crosswinds. (Working for a ministry still ranks and my most fulfilling job of all time, even though it wasn’t a lot of money. ) For awhile there I was a one man production house, as I had to do camera as well. I think those days are over. Its called paying your dues, and I paid them seemingly for 20 years. Now instead of doing the edit myself, I got to tell the editor what to do. What made me feel even better about it was that he was a better editor than myself. So with this new company, since I have other producer types around me, really my main focus comes down to just having to be creative as a writer-director. I love that as I think it accentuates my strengths. I am very fortunate the way things worked out in my career. I don’t really miss Los Angeles all that much. There was so much competition there. Many of my friends are having a mediocre go of it. They are surviving but not thriving. Where out in Los Angeles I would have been the tiny little fish in the ocean. Out here Im a mid-sized carp in a lake. But there are plenty of opportunities and room to grow. What I like the most about this career in Dubai are the two guys that I work with. They are forward thinkers and dreamers. The thing with them is that they have already accomplished so much. Another success with this company will simply be par for the course for them.

I received an email from a person who had read my blog. He was in Dubai and wanted to get together. Im always up for meeting new people. This guy was really nice. So we got together for dinner and had a great time talking about all sorts of subjects. Its still amazes me how this blog reaches different people. My friend Darren who is town for business also joined us. Apparently Rohan reads my blog often. When I mentioned that Darren and I were going to play squash, he just lit up. He put two and two together that this was the number 1 ranked American squash player in Bahrain. I have to defer to no.2 because Darren beats me and Im no longer on the circuit in Bahrain. It was just kind of funny as he mentioned he felt like he should get our autographs or something silly like that. It was just nice having this type of interaction with a new friend and an old friend. I don’t have too many relationships out here just yet so it was a welcome diversion.

During dinner I got a call from Ali. He let me know that another big project we were waiting on got approved. This one is going to be fantastic. Im pretty excited about it. I’ll share more details later when the contracts are signed which will probably happen next week.

Im just amazed at God’s faithfulness. Through all the problems of the past few weeks, the only thing I knew to do…was to “Seek First the kingdom and its righteousness” Once again Im a living testimony that “All things have been added to you.” Wow. What a good day.

Spiritual Novocain

Im sitting at the Dubai Marina Yacht club overlooking multi-million dollar yachts. Kids are playing in the fountains behind me and families are dining in the dozens or so restaurants along the marina walk as the sun dips behind the horizon. It’s a balmy 85 degrees outside and nice cool breeze coming by infrequently. What Im trying to say it’s a pretty nice setting. The past couple of weeks have been very challenging for me from a personal, emotional, and psychological impact. But I think Im handling the challenges exactly the way that God would have me handle them. I guess it’s a test. Last Sunday the pastor of the church I attend said that God never promised you an easy life. There will be problems. Living the life of a Christian is filled with struggles. I do agree with that. But what about part 2 to that. Part 2 is that even in the midst of the trials you can maintain your joy. The Joy of the Lord is my strength. God is working that out within me at this very moment. Why would anyone convert to Christianity if Christians were miserable all the time? What Christ knew is marketing. “Consider the lilies they neither toil nor they spin…Which one of you can add one day to his life by worrying?” Christ knows to draw people in, your joy must be full. I think as believers if we are not filled with Joy we are doing something wrong. Its like psychological anesthesia. When you are sitting in the dentist chair and the dentist fills you with Novocain and he drills into your teeth. You are thinking to yourself this should hurt a lot, but it doesn’t. It doesn’t makes sense but you accept it anyway…by faith. Take away the Novocain and boy is that experience painful. Like my life. If I didn’t have the spiritual Novocain of the Holy Spirit boy would I be hurting right now. Instead, Im walking around numb thinking, I should be in pain but for some reason…it doesn’t hurt.

It’s a cause and effect relationship. You have to take an honest spiritual inventory. If you are hurting, depressed, or sad, think about how your spiritual walk is going. Odds are you’ve probably fallen short in that area. So work out spiritually to get that peace and joy that has evaded you. That doesn’t mean that you should be immune to emotions. When tragedy strikes, there is a time to weep. But you do not have to be defined by that. I think when tragedy strikes the body (by God’s design) goes into a type of shock to naturally numb the pain. Eventually that anesthesia subsides and the pain become more real. But with time and the proper attention even that pain goes away. It was about three years ago now, I was interviewing a prospective roommate who wanted to rent a room in my house. Since my house is filled with Divorced Dads this guy would fit in nicely. As we were talking about Divorces and the pain that they caused this man welled up with tears. He was fighting back the pain. I asked him how long it was since his divorce and he replied 14 years. 14 years?!?!? And the pain is still like yesterday. This man wasn’t a Christ follower by the way. I don’t know how anyone gets through divorce without God. If you have done it without God I’d like to hear from you and find out your secret. Most turn to alcohol, drugs, promiscuity or rush into another relationship to numb the pain. God did not create us to hang on to pain for long. This guy was carrying it around like it was a 100 lb backpack he was wearing 24/7. I did go through my time of mourning but I was determined not to let it define my life. In fact I’ve had a lot of very unfair (by the world’s standards) things happen to me in the past five years. But I refused to be defined by them or let them steal my joy. Because of that I was able to get incredible job positions first in Bahrain and now Dubai and woo the love of life in Jennifer. Do you think these same opportunities would have come my way if my heart remained down and dejected? No way positive attitudes attracts positive situations. A sullen personality might be fine for a season, but if you continue that you are dooming your life to failure. It’s a self fulfilling prophecy really. God created us to be joyful, positive and optimistic. I think all Christians should be Optimists, at the very least realists. If you are a pessimist and proclaim to be a Christian how do you justify “Romans 8:28 Where all things work together for Good?

I say all this to say, the last three weeks have sucked, but I have the same joy and peace that I’ve had all along. The happiness will come…its right around the corner. But I don’t need happiness to thrive. That gives me a huge advantage in every walk of life.

Doubt

Doubt, I’ve really been struggling with this lately. I don’t have all the answers. It’s frustrating, as soon as think I have life figured out, something happens. One thing that stays the same, that stays constant, is God. It is I who moves back and forth. I think its seasonal to question your faith periodically and also very human. Its also one of the prime attacks of the enemy. After all its very human to be imperfect. I look back in Biblical history. The serpent tempted Eve with doubt. Using what she already knew and then twisting it around. Then you look at the children of Israel who witnessed first hand miracle after miracle, yet still they doubted. The Bible is full of illustrations of people questioning their faith. Peter when he denied Christ those three times after being by his side for countless works of wonder. I guess to turn in introspectively, I have seen God do marvelous works in my own life. I’ve listed so many of them here in this blog. But this morning, I doubted. When I woke up to the news that the Phillies lost, that really shook me. Not because Im a Phillies fan and not because I was rooting for the Giants to lose. Instead, I was rocked because I was certain I heard God tell me amongst other things that the Phillies would win the World Series. Boy was I wrong. I put it out there as a sign of faith. That I heard from God. Maybe I let my flesh and pride get in the way because God had told me about so many other things that have come to pass. I was pretty certain that this one would come about as well.

So what does this mean? Well God is still on the throne and He is still faithful. I just might have misinterpreted the details. I have been prone to do that. But because God has come through with so many other things that he has spoken into my life, just because I missed one, doesn’t mean that all the other ones are invalid. But that is where the enemy springs to life…to cause doubt. If he can get you to second guess your faith he has you wavering, that’s when he can go in for the turn. He comes to lie steal and destroy. Often times the lie will be rooted in truth only twisted just a tiny bit. Sometimes that bit is so tiny, its undetectable unless you carefully examine it. When He tempted Christ in the Garden, he even quoted scripture. But Jesus was able to see through the manipulation of the truth. It’s been a really difficult couple of weeks for me. There is no doubt in my mind that Im under some sort of attack. Because as many good things that have been happening, it seems that more stuff is stirred up to distract. I must be nearing a breakthrough. Remember, if you don’t bother the enemy, he won’t bother you. So what about the Bold Phillies prediction. I thought it was God. But that voice also told me not to go to Vegas. So the second part could have been God. That’s the tricky thing with hearing and recognizing God’s voice. It takes practice, a lot of it. That voice is either 1. God, 2. Yourself, 3. The Enemy. Usually when God speaks (especially when its important) He’ll confirm it through scripture and/or 2 or more different witnesses. Well I didn’t get it confirmed, although it easily could have been if I had asked people in Philadelphia. But my friends in the SF/Bay Area would have considered it abhorrent. So I guess it was my voice then, or perhaps the voice of the enemy. Remember the enemy is the angel of light so he can look, mimic, and sound like God. Whatever the purpose or mode, I feel like I failed. Next time, I’ll have to be more diligent in seeking out the truth. I guess this hearing from God thing is going to take a lot more practice.

But I want to reiterate for my own sake really, that because I was wrong, does not invalidate God nor him speaking into my life or other people’s lives. I’ve been wrong about a couple things. I was convinced that I heard God when he said over and over again that I’d be reconciled with my family. I think then, I got my own desires to act as a filter which skewed me from objectively hearing God’s still small voice. I so wanted it to be true that I couldn’t really hear anything else. There have been other circumstances where I’ve gotten details of the “word” wrong. But each and every time even though I was wrong, God has shown himself through Romans 8:28 “All things work together for good.” I lost one family, and I have a dream wife and an opportunity for a new family now. God is magnificent at redirecting our Spiritual GPS even if we make a mistake or wrong turn along the way.

So, Im going to continue to seek God. Because he is faithful. I think that is why a prayer journal is important. Because in these times of doubt all you have to do is look back and re-read the journal of the countless times where God has been faithful to you. In a sense, this blog is my personal prayer journal. I just have to look back a few months and see God’s faithfulness over and over.

I’m glad I didn’t go to Vegas.

Two Hashbrowns before the launch

Its an interesting time in my life. I feel like Im at Cape Canaveral and the launch sequence has begun. Im just waiting for the countdown and the blast off. I’ve spent the last month here getting everything situated and prepared. Im not as busy as I would like to be, but that will all change Sunday as we go into production for a client. When I don’t have a lot to do, I hardly get anything done. When I have too much to do, Im ultra efficient and bang it out. I would rather be extremely busy than bide my time. That was my problem whenever I was in a corporate environment. I suck at looking busy. In fact, I am so rarely busy…ever. Im not sure if it’s a character flaw or a blessing from God. I just don’t get stressed. In my career, especially the last 10 years, I don’t think I’ve been busy more than a few months. I feel a little bit guilty about that. Is there something else I should be doing? I always meet my deadlines, and my career is moving in an upward direction. My supervisors seem pleased with my work. But when Im not busy I feel like Im wasting a bit. In production the work comes in cycles. There are often times I work 12-16 hour days and think nothing of it. So I believe that balances out the inactivity. Our pilot episode is scheduled to start in Dec. So a few weeks prior to that while we’re in pre-production, I’ll be very active. I think being busy is a state of mind. I know many friends that find their sense of self-worth in being busy. I have never really done that. I think one of the main reasons why Im not “busy” is that I have the right attitude with God. I make sure I devote enough time with him, and magically there is enough time to get everything done in the day. The busier I am…or the more that I have to do, the more important it is for me to spend time with God. Its kind of like tithing, only you are tithing your time. You cannot outgive God. Im also convinced that my professional success is due to the fact that I am Seeking God first, and God is blessing that.

The family of the small group that I went to last week has been such a blessing to me. They are good people, from the US. They have invited me to the Bible Study at the church last night and the service this morning. Its nice being able to go to church and not have to take a taxi or walk home. The church Im going to, leans to Calvinist. I had to look that up on Wikipedia. Here I grew up in the church and I don’t really know what Calvinist believe. I’ve gone to so many “non” denominational churches the last five years. I really like the open teaching of “this way is right” Its strange to go to church that implies that so many other churches are wrong and we are right. It just reminds of the old denomination in which I was reared. I mentioned in an early blog there are over 100 Christian denominations in the US. Each one thinks there way is a little more right than the other 99.

This church Im attending now, I believe is a good church. They teach the Bible verse by verse so you can’t really go wrong with that. It sure is popular. I think it’s the largest in Dubai. I just really feel challenged to listen and pay attention. Im trying to figure out within my own walk to clarify my beliefs and back them up against scripture. I have to carefully listen to determine if I whole-heartedly agree with certain philosophies espoused. We are admonished to “study to show thyselves approved.” So that is what Im doing.

I got really excited because the couple I was with, after the Bible Study treated me to a Quarter Pounder at McDonalds. What got me excited was that this particular McDonalds has breakfasts. I didn’t think any McDonalds in the Middle East had breakfast. At least I know they didn’t in Bahrain. So Im going to get up early and bike to Breakfast. It should work out that I burn off whatever calories I intake. So Jennifer my dear…Im having that 2^nd Hash brown.

The Meaning of Life

I know I keep harping on certain subjects in this blog. I think its because Im discovering new things about myself still. I grew up in the church, been a Christian since I was four years old. There isn’t much about the Bible or God that I don’t already know. But still, I learn more and more every day. This morning was one of those days. Im in a routine now where I wake up (without an alarm clock isn’t that great.) I roll out of bed, start off on my knees consecrating the day to God and seeking power over whatever might tempt me. I think its called renewing my mind daily. Then I ask our maid for breakfast. I either take a shower or do emails. I don’t take a shower sometimes if I plan on working out, swimming, biking, or doing stairs later in the afternoon. At breakfast I read the Bible. Currently Im in Jeremiah. Boy did Jeremiah have a rough calling. I just read today where God instructed him not to marry or have children, not to go to any parties, or have dinner at people’s houses and not to go to funerals. Now you can plainly see why Jeremiah is referred to as the “weeping prophet.” I know Im called to be in Dubai, but my situation (even with the emotional struggles) seems so much easier than Jeremiah’s. After breakfast I go sit on my balcony and overlook the marina. This is my prayer closet. I don’t talk. I don’t tell God what I need, or to protect or deliver me. I just sit there. I allow God to speak to me if he chooses to. Most of the time he chooses to speak with me. Sometimes I listen, sometimes I engage in conversation. Its intimacy with my creator. Im convinced the reason why he created us was for us to have this type of communion with him. Sometimes there are some grand insights, other times its just hanging out with my father. God wants from us intimacy and relationship more than anything. Often times we get so busy with life we just neglect this basic principle. To think I only spend about 10-15 minutes just sitting there. Why haven’t I been doing this more? It fills me with such strength and resolve. Often times we only seek this type of intimacy or hunger after God when some sort of stress or calamity comes upon to drive us to our knees. Yes that is a positive byproduct of trials. But I think the reason why intimacy is so important is that God wants to teach us how to be calm, peaceful, and serene through any struggle. For example, I had four different things happen to me today that could have really made me have a bad or even horrible day. If I were to list them you would agree with me, that ‘yes Rick had a pretty crappy day.’ But because I had this intimate moment with God this morning, that gave me the inner strength I needed. So even though a few things didn’t go my way, I didn’t lose any peace or joy over it. It doesn’t make sense in the natural. But it was how God always had planned it in the supernatural. I had a good day. God’s perfect design was for us to peace and joy no matter what the enemy throws our way. Don’t you think that makes the enemy pissed that Im having such a good day when by all circumstances I shouldn’t be. Monty Python searched for the Meaning of Life. And here I found it. It was in front of me the entire time. Sometimes I realized it was there, sometimes I forgot. I guess ill have to keep learning.

A new pilot and a new Bible study group

Well we got the official word that our budget for the pilot episode was approved today. This is very exciting for us here. If it goes, well and there is no reason why it shouldn’t. It could lead to bigger things. This is the type of thing I’ve been waiting my entire career for. I’ve had some success scattered here and there. But I’ve never been at the helm of a regular tv series. I know I might be counting my chickens. But I’m also speaking out in faith as well. God has brought me here thus far, there is no reason why he’s not going to see it through to its completion. I just feel incredibly blessed so far. I feel like Im already at the top of the world, when I have Jennifer out here that will be the icing on the cake. Really, I can think of only one thing that could be better in my life at this moment…more on that below.

I went to a small group meeting with my new church tonight. Everyone was about my age and super friendly. They were very inquisitive about the “new” guy. I told them Jennifer would be joining me in Dec./Jan. Then they asked about my kids. If they would be coming to visit too? Whew…how do I answer that? I don’t mind talking about my children or past as I think my struggles and frustrations is further evidence to God’s providence. I think my victories over some pretty heartbreaking circumstances help to give other people hope. But in a social/religious situation like that its pretty heavy subject matter. It’s not a one word answer nor is there a way I can sugarcoat the issue either. So I told them the truth, a mini version of my testimony. The loss of the relationship with my children really is excruciatingly painful but somehow, someway, God has given me a peace about it all. It doesn’t make sense from the natural realm. I love my kids so I should be devastated, but for some reason Im not. That doesn’t mean I love them any less. But I think that God has neutralized the emotional pain for me. It’s a little like relational anesthesia. It looks like it should hurt, but it doesn’t. Again, don’t take that as I don’t love them, because I love them to bits. Every once in awhile when I see other children that are my kids age, my heart will hurt. But I know that I know that I am in the Middle East for this time and this season for a purpose. That means that God will take care of my kids and me in his due time. After I told them the quick five minute introduction/recap of the last five years of my life, they were crestfallen. I had to cheer them up. Saying that even though my exterior circumstances were a struggle, I’ve never had more peace and joy than I do at this moment. Happiness will come and go like the wind. But my joy stays. My new pastor in Dubai explained it this way, Joy is internal and doesn’t get affected by outside circumstance. Happiness is solely dependent on outside circumstances. Anyone can be happy for a limited time. But Im not going to let anything or anyone steal my joy. His peace does pass all understanding. The good news for me, other than the parental alienation, I think my ex does a good job raising the kids. They are not in trouble, they get good grades, are polite to others. All around, they are good kids. So Im thankful that they are not in trouble.

What made me feel good is that the guy that invited me, told me that he had the same thing happen to him. But his daughter finally came around and now he has a good relationship with her. I’ve had countless people tell me that same story. So I know that God is looking out for me and for my kids.

A busy but productive day

Yesterday was a pretty intense day. I had to soak it all in, and let it settle before I moved on with the creative. Writing this blog does take a certain amount of creative energy. Whenever Im busy, it’s a little easier to write because the creative momentum is already churning. However, when I have work to do, Im starting to discipline myself to do work first then the blog. Since I had a ton to do yesterday and today, I thought it would be prudent to put it off. It’s a crazy thing about creativity and me. Its not an 8 hour a day job. I’ve never really been able to go 8 straight hours. It comes in bursts. I’ll work for about 3-hours creatively, but then be spent, mentally.

I had to get up early to meet with the production company in Abu Dhabi. We were trying to get everything settled with the pilot before our main contact went on vacation. The good news is they approved the pilot so we’ll get going in December on it. There was a little wrinkle added. They want to do an Arabic and English version. Essentially this means two productions. Ali, is going to have to do one take in English, and the next in Arabic. It should prove to be challenging. So I told our contact that I would complete the script, revise the budget, adjust the production schedule, and create an outline by 5:00 pm the next day. What was I thinking?!?! I want to make a good impression on this first project that we’ll do a professional job, on time and under budget. I’ve never missed a deadline, so I wasn’t going to let this one be my first. I got it finished by 4:15. After the meeting yesterday, I had to drive back up to Dubai to meet with a large university. This was all about the acting school and figuring out how we can get my company and the university working together. The good thing is that Reg knew the contact already. In this region, relationships, more than other places, is really key. Its called “Wasta” in Arabic, meaning good favor. So now I have to write several proposals on how we can potentially work together. Its not just limited to acting, but writing, directing, producing etc. I do enjoy teaching, but, I have that Woody Allen line that always goes through my head from Annie Hall “Those who can’t do, teach. Those who can’t teach, teach gym.” However, the older I get the more respect I have for teachers. I actually wrote a few of my old high school teachers Mr. Hunt and Mr. McQueary through facebook. I thanked them for the contribution and the inspiration they made in my life. In part because of their building me up in my formative years, I am where I am today because of them. I am sharing this amazing Arabic experience with them. I want to change the world. I’ve made that pretty clear. But I admire those men and teachers in general because they already changing the world with the hundreds if not thousands of students they influenced. The same goes for Ministers as well. Those are two very noble professions.

Reg came back just for the day from Nigeria, and then he’s off to the UK. His schedule is pretty amazing. He seems to like the travel. We had so much to debrief on. We have about 7 or 8 different projects all cooking right now. We have to stay on top of things. After all the meetings yesterday, I just wanted to veg out. I chose to veg, by staying up and watching the Raiders on the internet. I often wonder, why do I torture myself with this? Im an intelligent guy, why do I let something out of my control affect my emotions in this manner? Jerry Seinfeld famously said about sports “We’re rooting for laundry.” Its true, and I want my laundry to be the best. Why? So I’ll feel better about myself. If my team wins, I’ll be better than you. Isn’t that why most people watch sports? Im a sucker, but its good entertainment. Well its good entertainment when they kick game ending field goals and don’t lose to winless teams. I just hate how they lost to the 49ers. My grandfather always hated the 49ers. That’s what made losing to them a little bit harder.

My butt is sore!!!!

I’ve been getting a little preachy on the blog lately. Its not really my main intention. I just kind of sit down with little forethought and what comes out, comes out. Im a little leery of preachy people too, other than pastors, since that is their job. My experience is the preachier a person seems to be the more they have something they are compensating for. I certainly don’t want to fall in that category. People talk about what they are passionate about. (Wow I just finished two sentences with prepositions and Im supposed to be a professional writer…sheesh) So if you ever want to find out what makes a person tick, just listen for their subject matter. I happened to be incredibly passionate about my faith, that’s why it always seeps through to this blog. I make no apologies for it. But just know Im not perfect, but Im striving to be. Im also passionate about the Raiders but few people want to hear about them.

It was a hard day for me as I really miss my kids. Its frustrating when I realize there is nothing I can do to fix the situation at hand. I just have to rely upon prayer and time. I know God is faithful. I know Im where Im supposed to be for this season in my life. So Im trusting that he will handle all the details. God is faithful.

Reg let me borrow his bike, so I have been going on long Bike rides this weekend. Two hours yesterday, and 90 min. today. Boy is my butt sore. It was really nice to explore the neighborhood. There are a lot of beautiful homes around here. I was scouting out locations as Jennifer wants to live in a villa (as opposed to an apartment) so she can bring her dogs over. I really didn’t anticipate missing her as much as I do. That is entirely a good thing. We figured when we got married, we were apart anyways, so lets just put a ring on our fingers and be apart exclusively. But my heart (and I think this is the way God designed marriage) grows for her more everyday. Each day she grows more beautiful in my eyes too…which is a bonus. We video chat via iphone 4 several times a day. All we need is a wifi connection and it doesn’t cost an international call.

I have a really big day tomorrow. I had to rent a car because Ali and I have an early morning meeting in Abu Dhabi. I think we’re going to get the pilot approved or at least take the next step in that process. I submitted a budget, outline, script, shooting schedule and the contact thanked me for my professionalism. I don’t think he was used to the thoroughness in this region. If this goes, and it will, I think its going to open up a pipeline of opportunity and more shows. The second meeting is back in Dubai in the Reuters building which is right next to the CNN building in Dubai. We are probably going to start the acting school there. Its going to be a big day, so your prayers are appreciated.

Encounter with a Demon

I know I repeat myself a lot. There is a precedent. The Bible repeats a lot, (because we just don’t get it sometimes) and Im a Beeman. So repetition is inevitable as Jennifer is painstakingly learning. Im not sure if I covered this under spiritual attacks about 18 months ago or not, but it bears repeating. I mentioned yesterday that great Charles Stanley quote “If you are not bothering the devil, he won’t bother you.” So I guess I must be bothering him because I feel like Im under attack. The good part is that Im aware, and that is half the battle. There is a great line in the Usual Suspects, and I wish it were in the Bible. “The greatest trick the devil ever did was convince the world he didn’t exist.” Since All Truth is God’s truth, Evangelites, I’ll take that movie quote as truth.

I woke up this morning somewhat quickly and refreshed. Which is kind of odd because I had been talking to Jennifer til 4 am. As I was about to jump into the shower to get ready for church, I had these odd thoughts suddenly appear in my head. “I don’t need to go to church today. I’ll go when Jennifer gets here. Im sleepy, I should get some rest. I can go next week it will be fine. I could sleep and then go have a nice brunch.” All these thoughts kind of hit me within a minute. Then I realized what was going on. I think it was some sort of attack. So I prayed, outloud. “Spirit of the enemy, you have no authority over me. Whatever spirit that doesn’t glorify Christ, I command you be gone in Jesus name.” With an inaudible poof the thoughts were immediately gone. As quickly as the thoughts came upon me, they just as quickly vanished, which made me certain that those thoughts were not my voice or the Lord’s. OK…I know there might be a perception among some readers that Im out there, because I would have had that same perception earlier. Before I went through life transforming changes. I know this spiritual battle is real. I know what Paul said, we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers. Most Christians don’t want to hear this and most pastors don’t preach it. It makes too many people uncomfortable. I could give you several examples of witnessing this battle firsthand, but let me give you the one that jumps immediately to mind.

It was about 10 years ago. My ex-wife and I were married then and attending a spiritual conference called Cleansing Stream sponsored through our home church of The Church on the Way with Jack Hayford. This was a deliverance ministry. What I saw that weekend were pretty dramatic encounters of people getting released from both demonic oppression and possession. What I saw was a lot crying, wailing, fighting as the prayer warriors rallied around these people. It was a scene right out of William Friedkin’s The Exorcist. It was very Hollywood type of drama and I had never before witnessed anything like it. I wasn’t really sure what to make of it. What many Christians don’t realize that Jesus spent a 1/3 of his ministry casting out demons and devils. If he put so much emphasis on it, why don’t we as well.

That night I went to sleep normally and woke up with a very strange and incredibly vivid dream. I seldom dream and I seldom remember it. But here it is 10 years later and I still remember it like it was yesterday. I dreamt that as I was sleeping, there was a four-inch demon on my shoulder. Dude was ugly. This demon was greasy, had a big pot belly, and balding head, Pointy ears, beady red eyes and a scraggly beard. He was whispering in my ear, “Don’t believe any of this. Its just a bunch of charismatics jumping around screaming out hoola boola stuff. Don’t believe it, you are better than this. These people are strange. Just jumping up and down waving their arms, they’re crazy. “ I didn’t think much of my dream, only shrugged and thought to myself, that was weird. I did not tell anyone of the dream nor did I tell my ex-wife who was laying next to me. So we went back to the conference and it was more of the same only more intense. The next morning, my ex-wife woke up with a startled look on her face. She said, I had the strangest dream last night. I dreamt there was four inch demon on my shoulder whispering in my ear, don’t believe this, its just a bunch of crazy charismatics, these people are strange, you are better than this…” It was my same dream verbatim. It turns out before the conference some of the prayer leaders went through the hotel praying away the evil spirits, casting them away in the name of Jesus. But….we registered late and were staying at the hotel across the street that hadn’t been prayed for. From that moment on, I knew that this battle was intense, real and verifiable. I could tell you more stories, maybe later on the down the road.

So with that knowledge and experience, I know that Jennifer and I are both up against a big spiritual battle. Your prayers are appreciated. The good part is that the enemy is fighting like crazy, and that must mean something pretty darn spectacular is just around the corner. I have put on the full armor of God. Im spiritually fit, from working out with my prayer and meditation. I think Im ready for the onslaught. The frustrating thing is that Jennifer and I are physically separated. She’s going to come under the same attack that I am, and because im a half world away, I feel like I can’t protect her as effectively as I should. But that is part of the enemy’s strategy and timing. He knows to divide and conquer. This is his best chance to attack. But Im ready this time. I believe Jennifer is too.

Fallibility

Fallability. We all fall and we all sin. But how do we get to that process. You don’t suddenly just wake up and say, I think I’ll fall to temptation today. No one just stumbles into bed to have an affair, or steals from someone, or does a line of coke. It’s a small series of compromises that lead to a bigger compromise and then a bigger one. I think its like the frog in a boiling pot of water metaphor. You throw the frog in when its boiling it will jump right out. But slowly turn up the heat slowly and the frog won’t notice its slow boil until its too late and he’s dead. Christians are like this too….self included. I didn’t realize I was off track, until it was too late. But God is a God of grace and with a quick adjustment, it was business as usual. That’s the great thing about God’s grace. He doesn’t want to beat us up over our failures. That’s the job of the enemy. The enemy uses guilt and condemnation and that is a lot different than the conviction that God uses.

Another thing about sin is that God is always willing to forgive but sometimes the conviction that propels us to seek repentance sometimes goes away. Its like if you are living your life right, and you sin, there is guilt. You seek forgiveness and repent and start again. But if you sin again without repenting, there is less guilt, and less the next time, till there is no guilt remaining. The guilt erodes away with time. We become immune or resistant to the conviction of God. Romans 1:28 says “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not fitting, 29being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity. “ According to the Dictionary rep·ro·bate   

[rep-ruh-beyt] –noun1 a depraved, unprincipled, or wicked person: a drunken reprobate. 2. a person rejected by god and beyond hope of salvation.

That is some pretty scary stuff. Its almost as if a person wants to continue to sin, God will say, fine…have it your way and then turn His back on that person. He will always be willing to take that person back, but his protective covering is no longer on that person. I thank God that my addiction never got me that far. God had me on a very short leash. Occasionally, I will fall, but then Ill get back up again. So why do we fall? Why does the enemy want Christ followers to stumble? I was listening to a Charles Stanley sermon this week. Stanley said “If you don’t bother the devil, he won’t bother you.” So if you are living your life right, expect a lot more temptation to come your way. Consider it a mark that you are living your life right. But if you are straying, and not living your life right, the enemy will leave you alone. The enemy has a finite amount of resources so he strategically deploys his minions and evil forces to take down strategic threats to him, or strong Christians. He’ll take down the family whenever he can, or take down a minister, his aim is to divide and conquer. It was curious to me when I lived in Los Angeles. I felt like I was under constant attack or temptation to sin with my issue (pornography I have mentioned was my Achilles heal). But then when I moved to Oklahoma, suddenly it was a different atmosphere. The constant barrage of temptation was alleviated. I felt so refreshed and alive. Like I was breathing in the air after living in smog for so many years (OK that works literally, figuratively, and metaphorically in this case). I felt like I truly was in the buckle of the Bible belt. The temptations for me (Im estimating) dropped by 95%. Why? Im convinced that Hollywood/Los Angeles is a very strategic place for the enemy. Hollywood influences the world. If the enemy can take people down there, it can have a reverberating world impact. Just look at how Hollywood has shaped the morals of our country/world. Its kind of embarrassing. Plus look at Hollywood marriages. Tell me five Hollywood couples that have been married for more that 5 years. I’ll give you one, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, you fill in the rest. So Im thinking that Hollywood is like Baghdad, that’s the key strategic place for the enemy’s forces.

So I meant this blog to be encouraging. Sometimes when I write, I just let the Holy Spirit take over. I think for now, this blog is my ministry. Interaction with real people will happen as God will bring them into my life at the appropriate times.

An American back in Bahrain, temporarily

What a nice day it was yesterday. I got so many well wishes from friends and family. It just really made me feel so special. But the highlight of the day was the gift from Jennifer, a very inventive and creative gift. Wow!!!! Am I glad she’s my wife! I really think Im the luckiest guy on the face of the planet. The gift was so poetic in nature especially if you know my backstory.

I got up early so I could go to the Business class lounge at the Dubai Airport and eat breakfast. I did get there early and I asked if they could upgrade. The attendant then started working on it. She told me happy belated birthday after seeing my passport. She was the first person to wish me a Happy Birthday in person. I was touched. I was able to get upgrade but it took 45 min. So I missed out on my free breakfast in the lounge. I don’t think the trade off was worth it. I got on the plane and watched the Grapes of Wrath. I had never seen it before, but it essentially is the life story of my grandfather. A poor Oklahoma family loaded up into the family truck to travel to California. I didn’t catch the last 45 minutes, but I was so consumed with the abject poverty. It reminded me of all the sacrifices that my grandfather made before he passed away a couple of years ago. I did a biography on him, and it was a great way to preserve his story for generations. By the way, if you have elderly grandparents or parents interview them on video to get their life story before its too late. You can always ask me and Ill help you.

I got to Bahrain and rented a car. I made it to church on time. I was able to catch up with a lot of people. What was really nice was bragging on God telling them all how incredibly blessed I was. (No, the blessings don’t always have to mean its financial) One lady in particular made quite an impression. Her name is Christina an older German lady that teaches school. When I first met Christina she was shy and a bit of an introvert. She was lost in this sometimes intimidating new country. She came to my Positive Living Group faithfully for weeks. When I left I gave her my materials so she could continue her own group. She told me over and over again how much the group meant to her. Now she is taking that same spirit and spreading it to others. That made me so happy. I mentioned to her that she was just radiating peace and joy. She almost looked like a different person as to when I first met her. It was like an extreme spiritual makeover. Im so proud that God saw fit to use me to influence not only Christina’s life, but so many others.

I went to lunch with Darren and Sophie, then we played squash at the British club. He beat me again, but not by much. We are both going to be sore tomorrow. Baraq, my Iraqi friend came by a little later and we caught up. They all ask questions about my children because they know how much I care about them. Its nice to have people genuinely care. Darren has graciously allowed me to stay with him, so that cuts out the hotel bill.

Darren and I went out to dinner again with another Brit. He was really interesting. We philosophized all night while Darren chomped down on the cigars and sheesha. The lamb for dinner was incredible, I had forgotten how much I liked it. Busy day tomorrow and the next day and the next. I love being busy.

The Birthday celebrated remotely

Today was a good day. Its my birthday. So Im in the process of getting dozens of well wishes (thank you facebook). Friends from High School, College, Univerity, Bahrain, Church, wow…I have a lot of friend groups scattered about. Im so very blessed to be loved so many friends and family. Im quite blown away by it all. But I have to admit despite all the wonderful greetings, its still bittersweet. Its those three messages that I didn’t get that are overriding the feel good. Oh that will come around eventually I know it will. But to get to that part, the waiting will be a challenge. I think God has well compensated me emotionally with Jennifer and the rest of my family. I do feel very loved…but that hole in my heart just isn’t filled quite yet. Someday soon it will be. I just don’t understand why there is so much bitterness and hatred in the world.

OK, on to more pleasant things. I couldn’t sleep last night. So i was in that in between state between being awake and asleep. Often in a dream like state I will think I see spirits hovering about me. Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. Its interesting I see more evil spirits when Im not living my life right than I do when I am. I wonder if anyone else goes through this? We know that God spoke to many people through dreams, Solomon the one Im thinking of at the moment. So I think there is a sliver of a spiritual passageway open in the twilight area between being awake and asleep. So as I was lying there I had this amazing talk with God. He spoke to my heart and said ask me anything. So I did, I asked him loads of questions about my walk, my life, Jennifer, my career, my struggles, my kids. I ran out of questions actually, but He answered each and every one and I really felt like it was His voice. When hearing God’s voice, it takes practice to differentiate, your voice from God’s voice and the enemy’s. When I was done asking, God said, Go on ask some more. So I said, Who is going to win the World Series. He replied the Phillies, but don’t go to Vegas. So we kind of laughed about that. Isn’t that funny God having a laugh? If we are made in His image and we have a sense of humor doesn’t it stand to reason that he has a sense of humor too. I have some other stories about that I can share later. So if the Phillies do win, you heard it here first. This was before Halladay’s no hitter by the way. Plus, Im rooting against the Phillies, because I want the Reds to win. If not the Reds then the Rangers for my son’s sake. The answers God gave me to the questions I had were nothing new. They were just confirmations of the things I’ve been hearing all along. I think God longs to have the intimacy that He has with me, with all of us. But we are just too busy (self included sometimes) to slow down and listen. So it will be interesting to see if everything that I heard Him say, or thought I heard Him say comes to pass. I often counter in my conversations with God, but God that sounds too good to be true. He replies…I am too good to be True, but I am True. Even though Im alone now physically, Im not really. God and I are learning more about each other each day. I know I might sound like a wacko. People would say…yeah he talks to God, put him in the straight jacket. But that is why Im so forthright with what He tells me in this blog. Because it always comes to pass. I like to think of myself as proof that God exists. All believers should be living proof that God exists.

I did a televised interview today for one of our clients. I took a picture of myself because I don’t really wear suits all that much. I sent the picture to Jennifer and titled it “Birthday Suit” she was afraid to open in front of others, but then she laughed.

I fly to Bahrain tomorrow. Im getting up extra early so I can go eat in the Business class lounge and eat breakfast. I love being a Gold Member on Emirates. Im getting there early so I can go to my old church in Bahrain see Pastor Graeme, and other friends. Then its lunch and squash with Darren. Maybe see the Finns, and other friends. Im going to be finishing up a project for my old employer too. It will be nice to see the whole gang again. I have so many fond memories there. Im truly blessed.

Back to Bahrain this weekend

Im headed back to Bahrain this weekend. It has me a little reflective. Bahrain was a great era in my life. It was the starting over part for me in Life Take 2….as I noted in the past. I was there for just under two years. I poured my heart and soul into my spiritual, personal and professional life there. It truly was an experience for me. Even though it was just under two years, the memories and friendships I made there made it seem like almost 10 years. But about a year plus into it, God spoke into my heart that Bahrain would not be a long term thing for me. He was right about six months after that I was gone. Before that happened though, I was so confident that God was moving me on, I moved in with my friend Pat the basketball coach. I told him it would only be for a month and that I just had to wait on God. That month turned into six. But Pat was gracious enough to let me stay on longer. Finally the call came and it was time for me to move. So even though I knew it was going to happen. I had to wait on God’s timing. That was hard to do. But like always, God is faithful.

I think Bahrain for me was like a training camp. It was to get ready for the regular season, or the big leagues. I feel like the big leagues are here in Dubai. Bahrain TV did want to produce three of my shows, but for one reason or the other the deals didn’t come together. I think I didn’t want to push them too hard because I knew that Dubai would be a better market for them. Im meeting all the right people now, to see that this indeed is a perfect place for them. But I can’t rush things. I have to wait for God’s timing again.

Im excited to see The Finnish couple, my friends Darren and Russ. I hope I can meet up with Isa too. These are just a few. If I were to mention all the names of the people that impacted me in the two years I was there, I could probably write for 10 pages. This is no exaggeration. All these people left such an indelible impression on my life. Im a pretty blessed guy to have all these relationships. I think when you are where God wants you to be, he will use you in powerful ways. All you have to do is be willing and obedient. I certainly have learned to do that. I tell God “Whatever” this is with a much different tone then when Jennifer tells me “whatever”. When I say “Whatever” to God that means Ill go where He wants me to go and do what He wants me to do. Usually with few questions asked. I’ve been living my life like that for the past five years and I feel like everything is coming up roses with a few notable exceptions.

I am quite open about my past, my failures and successes through this blog. I hope to use as an encouraging ministry tool out there for whoever might need it. Romans 15:4 says: 4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. I try to be open through this blog and my life so others might have encouragement and hope. That is one of my callings now. I don’t do it to throw dirt on my former relationships, but rather so that my struggles can be used as an example. I think my life makes a very compelling argument for the faithfulness of God. That’s why Im so out there with all of this.

So Im going to go back see my old employees and co-workers, friends, and associates. I’ll try to beat Darren and the Finn in squash. The only thing that will be missing is a kayak. The kayak will come soon enough.

A Delight yourself in the Lord moment

It was one of those life-defining moments. Come to think of it I had a lot of those lately. Let me go back a bit. I just finished do a script, budget, and production schedule for one of our pilot shows. This is going to be a good one. I have learned its kind of hard to do a budget in a foreign currency. Not only do you have to factor in the currency exchange, you have to adjust to the local labor rates. What surprised me about Dubai are that the rates are very similar to rates in Los Angeles as far as Film/Video production is concerned. Its kind of like learning a foreign language. But once I figured out the local rates the rest was like fill in the blanks. I’ve been doing this awhile now, and its fun and easy for me.

I walked across the bridge to the Marina walk. This is different from the beachwalk that I normally go on. The marina has tons of multi-million dollar yachts and many sidewalk cafes. I spotted a Johnny Rockets yesterday so I headed back there today. I enjoyed a great patty melt and listened to a couple of Charles Stanley sermons on podcast. I then decided to go on a walk after dinner down the marina. It was a very brisk walk near jog. I have a combination of worship songs plugged into a playlist. There is Lakewood choir, Phillips, Craig and Dean, and Michael W. Smith, about 6 hours of praise and worship music. So there were a lot of people on the walk. In the midst of all the high rises, the lights, and the water, the view was breathtaking. So there I am walking down the marina belting out praise songs to God. I toned it down whenever people came around me, but then I let fly again. I was at about the halfway point. I was up on the overpass over the marina, no one was around. I was singing some fast paced song from Lakewood and I just started crying. Not a sad cry, but a cry of rejoicing. I just had a moment with God, a very special moment. A moment where I felt all of his faithfulness, hope, joy and peace sweep over me like a flood. I had to stop just for a moment to soak it in, and then I just cried some more. For about 10 minutes or so. It was so fulfilling, so liberating. I always wondered about that Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” This was a ‘Delight yourself in the Lord’ moment. Then I realized…he really had given me the desires of my heart. His promise was true. It just didn’t play out the way I expected it to. For three years I prayed for the reconciliation of my family. I prayed “God, Im delighting myself in you, now give me what I want.” But he knew better. Isaiah 55: 8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

God did give me the desires of my heart, he did answer my prayers. It just wasn’t in the way I was expecting him to do it. He knew better than me. For some strange reason he turned broken eggs in a beautiful omelette. I dearly hope and pray that my ex-wife can also find the same peace and joy in her life. I do pray for her and her husband often. Because the more joy they have, the better off my kids will be. I wish nothing but the best for her. I know that someday I will be reconciled with my children, my prayer now is that is sooner rather than later. I have to trust that God’s ways are better than my ways in this circumstance as well.

As for me…I feel like I’ve hit the lottery with Jennifer. She’s one in a billion…I’ve gone on and on about her before. But what makes this truly an act of God is that she thinks the world of me too. She’s thinks Im handsome, smart, she doesn’t think Im funny but Im still working on that. How she thinks and admires me really makes me think there’s divine intervention involved. Im very proud to have her on my arm. I get to be “that guy.” That is kind of fun for me.

So go ahead, Delight yourself in the Lord, but you have to be patient for God’s timing for the Desires of your heart part.

Equipped to Thrive

I think God equipped us to survive and thrive in the region where we originally grew up, climate wise. I think Alaskans can withstand the cold better than someone from texas. On the same note, I don’t think Alaskans would fare too well in Texas. I remember when I was in Taiwan, I just was so overheated in the humidity with the summer’s there while my Taiwanese friends rarely even broke a sweat. But when winter rolled around, I was in a short sleeve shirt at 60 degrees as content as I could be while they were in their earmuffs, gloves and parkas. They thought I was crazy. I grew up in California so really the only weather I ever grew accustomed to was near perfection. I was spoiled as a child in almost every sense of the word.

That brings us to today’s events. I have never ever complained about the weather. Because think about it. What does complaining do besides make you more miserable than you already are? Plus it makes the people surrounding you miserable too. Complaining doesn’t hardly do anything productive, so I try to limit mine within reason. By today’s standard weather, it was a mild day in Dubai. It was about 95 degrees with 75% humidity. (Remember I said four uncomfortable months and 8 fabulous months of weather). We’re on the tail end of the 4^th month. So by summer’s standards here, it was by definition a mild day. I had to walk to the bank. I’ve been running and exercising a lot, so a 30 minute walk would not exert that much energy. So I have this Citibank Visa I obtained in Bahrain. I haven’t been able to pay it because I was in the US and there was no way I could pay it online. It only had a $250 balance on it. So when I got to Dubai, I figured I would go to a Citibank branch in Dubai and pay it. But no, they wouldn’t take the money, even at a Citibank branch. What….? So I had to go to a money transfer place. So I walk all the way back to the money transfer place which was conveniently in my building. This facility was similar to Western Union as they are hugely popular here. Because most of the ex-pats use these to send the majority of their paychecks home to their families. So I walk into the building and Im just dripping with sweat. Im not tired, or exhausted…just overheated. The Filipino behind the desk just kind of smirked at me and got me a tissue box. I took one and wiped my forehead. He offered it to me again, please sir take more. I just kind of laughed. But as I looked around me at the other Indians, Arabs, and Filipinos, no one else was perspiring like I was. I think they must have become accustomed to the heat. Meanwhile the spoiled kid from California was suffering from a mental heatstroke. Yeah, but lets see how these guys do in 75 degree weather with no humidity with someone bringing your drinks to you by the pool. Yeah, see how they react in my environment. Walk a mile in my shoes. OK, Im spoiled. But it just makes me admire God’s creation even more that He designed us all to be able to thrive for the most part in the area where we were raised. Of course there are exceptions, if not no one would ever move to California or Florida.

After I got the money straightened out, I started my real workout. I headed straight to my building and I walked up the stairs. I know that doesn’t sound like much, and maybe Im either a wimp or out of shape or both. But by the time I got to the top, I was huffing and puffin. The elevator says it goes up to floor 41, but then you have the basement, garage floor, mezzanine floor, plaza floor, upper plaza, then floor number 1. So you add those six floors to the 41 actually, 43 by the stairs, and you get 49 flights. So I was wiped out after that. Im proud because last week I could barely get to my floor at 20, or really 27 if you count those bottom floors.

Im pretty fortunate that I have a great schedule. I work on projects.
So that means my hours are flexible. Plus with Jennifer still in the US and I don’t really have friends here yet, my life is constantly my work. It isn’t that bad since I enjoy what I do. I just finished working tonight at around 10pm, it sounds brutal, but I do get a chance to sleep in. I wonder if I’ll set my alarm clock tomorrow? It’s a results driven job. When I have productions Ill be working the long hours, I always do. Its just ebbs and flows. Meanwhile…Im tired. Those 41 er…49 stories took it out of me.

The six month delay

Today was my day off and I slept in. I stayed up late talking to Jennifer til 4am. There is an eight hour time difference but we are managing to still communicate through it. When daylight savings hits, Im exactly 12 hours before PST, which makes it easier to calculate. They don’t do daylight savings time here. Because of the heat, the faster the sun goes down the better. That is why there is such an amazing night life here. The weather is starting to cool just a bit. What I mean by that is its down to 90, but it was incredibly humid today. I slept til 11 then piddled around the computer. I have no television so the internet is my outlet. I really don’t need television that much. If there is a show to watch, I’ll rent it on itunes or grab the DVD.

I was all excited to go to the mall today. I run to the metro, which is about a 10 minute jog 20 minute walk. When I get there Im pretty sweaty, but there a lot of sweaty people here, so I don’t think I stand out too much. Plus I just try to stand next to an Indian. As much as I love Indians there are certain number of them that don’t really believe in deodorant. OK, back to the movie theater. I saw when I was there last time they had Buttery topping for the popcorn. This was the first time in the Middle East that I had seen this. I got soooo excited. So I had to see a movie around the purpose of getting popcorn. I wound up seeing a movie called Solomon Kane. Now the movies they get here are usually 6-9 months behind their original release in the states unless its an international opening. So forgive me if its old news. So a lot of you may have seen this film already. I was very pleasantly surprised. When I saw the trailer, it just looked like schlock. But when I researched it on Rotten Tomatoes it got surprisingly good reviews. What I saw today really surprised me. Its almost a Christian film. The themes of good vs. evil are certainly present but even moreso than that are God vs. Devil. It’s a story of redemption. The main character seeks God for his strength throughout the film. If you have teenage boys (its pretty bloody) this is a good one to get on DVD. I told Jennifer on consecutive days I saw a movie in the Middle East first starring James McAvoy, then James Purefoy. That’s symmetry for you.

Oh speaking of old news, when I predicted Christopher Plummer to get nominated for the oscar for The Last Station, he apparently did….last year. So I was just a little bit off. We have a bit week ahead. Thank you for your continual prayers. I feel that God is with me the whole way through here.