Question the What Not the Who

January 30, 2010

Tex’s Thought Provokers 010

Question The What Not The Who

Did you ever wonder why we feel so let down and helpless when it comes to getting our thoughts heard? Be it a boss, politician, spouse, child, Doctor, or any number of other people who do not seem to want to be bothered. It seems like what we have to say and think does not seem to matter. No one really wants to hear. They almost view it as complaining. When perhaps, it is not just complaining, it just might be they feel they can help. Or they may need help.
After a long period of time of hearing the same answers to our questions or ideas, the same thing over and over and not getting any results, a person becomes used to the idea of no one caring, and nothing we have to say matters.
Think of it this way, if you have a dog and every time you walk by him you slap his ears. Very quickly, the dog will come to expect a slap every time he sees you.
In other words, again, what you live with you learn.
As I see it, we are all in the same boat, and we seem to be paddling against the current with every facet of our lives. We don’t seem to be making much headway. If we get to a point where we start to gain a bit, the current gets stronger and shoves us back down river even further than when we started.
For especially the last twenty five years, we have been witness to a constant barrage of do more with less. Cut back here, cut back there, and no one at the top seems to listen to any of the things we are saying, nor do we see any cuts at the top, and we just round up and take it. It seems to me that is what the very rich want us to do.
I feel as though everyone counts, and everyone should have a say and feel as though they are being heard, and further, contributing.
We are like the slapped dog at this point; we just come to expect more and more of the same.
In this country right now, we have the very rich and the poor. The rich are getting richer so they do not want it to change. Thus they make fun, put down, give lip service to any and all that might want to see some positive change. The poor keep getting the same answers, nothing in big bunches, and the harder they try the worse things seem to get. So they don’t change because they have given up hope on expecting anything different. So they grumble away, and round up and take it, saying there is nothing that I can do, or no one cares and why bother if this is the case. Or one of the key indicators to hopelessness, vote for who? Why? They are all the same, there is no difference.
Picture a judge in a court room. Day after day he sees the same thing. The dregs of society marching in and out of his court. He gets used to this. He is limited to the decisions he can make because of regulations. So after a while, it becomes the same old thing to him. He gives out the same fines and sentences over and over according to regulation and all the time he knows he will likely see the same individual again in the future. And usually he is right.
As much as he is first frustrated, then numb to the situation, think of how police officers feel when they get caught up in the system, especially after spending a lot of time and effort corralling the culprit.
They can get frustrated fairly quick too.
To me the system is just not working and there does not seem to be anyone who is offering anything better. We spend millions on gun registration, which is designed to stop crime. It does nothing of the sort. Criminals don’t registrar their weapons. It does nothing to take weapons off the street. We have had to register hand guns in Canada for many years. If I had the money, I could make a quick trip to Saint John and fill a half ton truck full of hand guns, none that are registered. That is if I had the connections.
A young RCMP officer told me once that we needed gun control. I asked him why. He told me that when he is going to a domestic dispute, he wanted to know if there were any guns there ahead of time. I simply said, young feller, whenever I went into any kind of situation where there was a potential for violence, I always expected the worst and hoped for the best. I always expected a weapon of some kind. That way I was always ready. He just looked at me like a dog hearing a funny noise. I know he had no idea what I meant. He never said anything else, yet I could tell he thought I was crazier than horse fly caught between a window and the screen.
So on it goes from one day to the next, unchanging with very little hope of anything getting better. Every where we go we hear the same things; it is only going to get worse.
But I for one do not buy into this. This can change, and each of has the power to control what we do. This is one of the benefits of living in a free society. It is just a matter of starting with ourselves, with an attitude of; I will not compromise my beliefs. I will say my piece, and I will not fear what others think of me. Because really, when it all comes down to the bare bones of it all, we do care and sometimes fear what others think of us. Oh, we can appear big and tough and what not, saying I don’t care, but inside you do. Some folks can hide it better than others, but it is there.

2 Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.
Romans 12:2

So the system is not working. No one seems to have the answers to make things better. To me the answer is crystal clear. Jesus!

So this is what I am going to try to do. I will try my best to do the things I say I am going to do, and I will try my best to do what the Lord leads me to do.
· I will put the Lord first in all the things I do in my life.
· I will Love the Lord with all my heart and soul and mind as best as I possibly can. And Love others as best as I possibly can. 37 Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and most important command. 39 And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbour the same as you love yourself.’ 40 All the law and the writings of the prophets* take their meaning from these two commands.” Matthew 22:37-40.
· This one will be very hard, but I will do my best. I will not judge others. For who am I to think that I can say what others think and say and do is right or wrong. 1“Don’t judge others, and God will not judge you. 2 If you judge others, you will be judged the same way you judge them. God will treat you the same way you treat others. Matthew 7:1-2.
· I will try with all that is in me to be forgiving. 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, you must forgive them more than seven times. You must continue to forgive them even if they do wrong to you seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:22
· I will try my best to show mercy. 36 Give love and mercy the same as your Father gives love and mercy. Luke 6:36
· I will give of myself as much as I can. 38 Give to others, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands—more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.” Luke 6:38
· I will try my best to think of others first and not be selfish and prideful trying all the time to be humble. 3 In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honour others more than yourselves. Philippians 2:3
· I am going to do my best to eliminate from my vocabulary and thoughts; “You Should, You Must, You Are, If You Don’t, If You Are, or any other thought, or thing I say, that could be seen as telling others what they should or shouldn’t do with regard to their beliefs.
· I am going to do my best to fill my heart with love. 34 “I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other just as I loved you. 35 All people will know that you are my followers if you love each other.” John 13:34-35. 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth. 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits. 1Corinthians 13: 4-7.

I ask myself if I should just fall into the mould and not say or do anything that might upset the norm? Should I be willing to just accept everything? Am I not condoning things if I say nothing?
I think it is very possible to be all the things that the Lord wants us to be without judging.
On fires we often have after action reviews to determine what went well, and what can be improved in the future. We do this as a vital part of the learning process. We have one very important rule when we do this. We question the what not the who.
So I will always likely question the what. What is working well I will embrace. What is not working well I will try to change.
Perhaps I am stubborn; perhaps I will be labelled a boat rocker. I am not saying that I am out to break the law. I am not saying that I think nothing is right. But when I see something that is being done, and I do not understand it, I will first ask why is it this is done this way. I will not demand anything. If for some reason I feel this thing could be done better, then I will say so. Again, I will not question the who, but rather, I will question the what.
Am I saying that I am the be all end all? Am I saying that I know all there is to know and that I am the only one that is right? No, I am merely saying that it is ok to question things. It is ok to speak up about the things, not the people, but the things that I believe are not right.
Those that are in the many different positions of power are banking on the fact that no one will question them. And I for one will not question them either. But I will question “the what” or “the what is not” that is being or not being done.
As an example, you will notice that I did not question the people who enacted gun control. I questioned gun control.
The Lord gave us all a mind to think with, and I for one think it is not right if I let others always do the thinking for me.There are a lot of unjust things in this world today. Yet, it is not really any different today than it ever has been. The media we have at our disposal makes information more accessible.
Perhaps I am a Pipe Dreamer, but if we could just learn to stick together we have the power to change many unjust things. For example, if everyone in North America were to fill their passenger and recreational vehicles with fuel on Monday, and make it last as long as they could without buying more gas, maybe two or three days, hopefully longer, we would see a big change very quickly. I say this because this one thing has the potential to cost millions and millions of dollars. You will hear things like that can’t work, but I say, it is what we have been led to believe. It has been crammed into our heads for so long, we believe it.
So by setting back and just letting others do the thinking, and letting others make all the decisions, “Old Scab Face” doesn’t have to do a thing. In a lot of ways it is being done very well for him without his help.

In closing this writing, I will leave you this time with some words from Henry Ford “Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right."

Until next time, in everything you do, may you be blessed by the Lord.Tex

Fuel type Changes

Fire Thought For The Day 009
Fuel Type Changes

Here in the east we are blessed with a host of fuel types. Sometimes it is a real dog’s breakfast to deal with. We could have a fire that is burning in grass, then it burns into a clear-cut, then into a softwood stand, then into a hardwood stand, back to grass, into a plantation, next it is threatening a home in the Urban Interface, and on and on it goes.
This can be a very dangerous situation. You get to the fire and see a certain type of fire behavior under certain weather conditions, in a given fuel type, influenced also by the type of topography. The fire seems to be exhibiting behavior you feel you can deal with. Be sure to consider what type of fuel the fire will burn into in the future. It may exhibit totally different fire behavior under the same weather and topographic features that are influencing the fire behavior.
Again, I will state and restate, we are all very good at reacting, we need to get more proactive.
Ask yourself:
- Where am I and my crew now? What type of fire behavior am I seeing?
- Where will we all be in the future? What will the fire be doing at that time?
- Is the fire going to burn into a new type of fuel?
- As always, is the wind picking up, or is it forecast to pick up in the future?
- As always, is the fire going to burn into different topography?
- Remember, all of these things influence fire behavior. All the more reason to have one or two very trusted Lookouts posted. But. I know you folks are all going to implement LACES on every fire. It is a must. Take the time to do things right.

Fuel type changes can also be our friends too. A fast moving crown fire can sometimes burn into a hardwood stand for example, and the fire may drop from the crown to the surface. It may still be very hot and dangerous; however, with help from air tankers it may be a place to catch the fire. We must learn to look ahead and plan for things such as this too.
Remember too, that it does not take a big stand of softwood to burn and hurt people. A small jackpot of fuel or even a single softwood tree can ignite and burn very intensely. This can happen very suddenly. Some burn over events start and end very quickly. Think about how quickly a single softwood tree can burn, how long does it take? Seconds. This may be all the time it takes for you or your crew to be burned over.
Heads up always. LACES always. Foresight always.


Until next time, above all else Stay Safe! Tex

Do Like the Animals Do

Tex’s Thought Provokers 009

Do Like The Animals Do


As many of you know, over the years I have spent a lot of time away from home. I often receive comments like “it must be something else to get to see all of these places.” To which I reply; “Well…I might just as well be out over the hill from my place…cause all I really get to see is fire and stuff that the fire has burnt. There is one thing though…it’s the folks I get to meet, from all over the world. The down side to that is…on fires you get really close with people in a hurry…then you may never see them face to face ever again.”
The other thing as I reflect on it, is the time missed with my family. Those are missed times that are very hard to make up for.
In order for me to do this, I have to have a very understanding wife. And believe me, she is. The kids, well they just didn’t seem to know anything different, they just grew up with it and all, it is what I am and what I do. So they never really got to wound up over my being gone all the time.
On the other hand, there is Meiko. You know, our dog that I spoke to you about in an earlier writing. He is a smart dog, not insane, and he seems to get his tail in a knot when I go away. Oh I am not saying that he does bad things or gives my wife a hard time. There just seems to be a difference in his attitude when I come back home.
He goes through stages with me. The first thing he does is go to barking like crazy when he sees me. He kind of tilts his head off side ways and more or less sasses me, so I call that bark his sassy bark.
Then I will go and pet him, and he wags his tail, and lets on like he is glad to see me. But I can tell that he is really not all that fussy on it one way or the other, indifferent if you will.
Then as I walk away from him, he will turn himself side ways and he will give me what I call his disgusted look. That one turquoise eye seems to burn a hole right though me.
However in a day or so he is back to normal and after he is clear of his snit, he warms up to me and shows me his love.
Now then, we also have four cats, first we have Ginger Bug, he was a scrawny little thing when we brought him home, and he grew into a giant eating machine, he reminds me of Garfield the cartoon cat in a lot of ways. His attitude is the same that is portrayed by Garfield, indifferent to everything. He is even the same color.
Next we have a pure bread Siamese seal point cat and we named him Moglie. In his case, it shows that I will do just about anything for my wife. We drove to Phelpston Ontario to retrieve him and it was a quite an episode. But that is another story.
At any rate, Moglie is a beautiful specimen of a cat, and he loves to talk. He has beautiful intense blue eyes and he loves to stare at you, and while does, his eyes wiggle back and forth, kind of makes him look a bit schizo.
Then came Annie, she is a pure bread Siamese blue point. She is the most loving cuddly creature. She will lay in my arms and stare at me for hours. My wife found her frost bitten and starving, as close to death as she could be without being dead. I really don’t think she would have made it through the night had Rhonda not brought her home. After many trips to the Vet, and a few fitful-sleepless nights for me, nursing her back to health, she is just fine now.
Then we just couldn’t resist, we got Cloie. We brought her home because friends of ours had several kittens to give away and they weren’t getting many takers. The shelters had all sorts of cats, in other words full up, no room at the inn. So we got to thinking about the what ifs, and we decided, what the heck, what’s one more?!?!
Now Cloie is special, she has seven toes on both front feet. The softest fur and so gray she almost has a silver shine on the tips of her hair. She is the kind of cat you just want to pick up and hold. But Cloie has an entire different concept of being held. She does not like it even a little bit. And she will let you know it with all 24 claws!
Now you know a bit about my cats.
When I am away from the cats, and when I return, I get a varied reception. Ginger Bug is pretty much the same, unless I come in the house wearing a hat. Then his eyes bug out and he goes into run away and hide mode. But after a bit when he realizes that it is me, he goes back to normal and heads strait for his dish and begins staring at me, giving short little meows, then turns in a circle several times, sits down and continues to stare at me, trying to will me into feeding him, he is always hungry.
So I guess, he really doesn’t miss me all that much. He just misses the easy food while I am gone; he has me figured as a push over.
Moglie rubs up against my legs and talks to me more than normal.
Annie walks between my legs and seems to smile all the time.
And Cloie just stares at me then takes off chasing anything that moves. Just does it out of the blue, for no apparent reason.
It has been said that animals are just that, and there is not much we can learn from them. I beg to differ. Talk to any good hunter, and he will undoubtedly tell you about following the big buck deer. Then of a sudden the hunter finds that the big buck deer has circled and he is following the hunter.
No, I contend that animals do have the capability to reason and I do believe we can learn much from them if we take the time to look.
Some of what I have learned from my pets alone is what follows.
· We do not own our cats, they own us.
· Our pets can be upset with us, but they always forgive us unconditionally. No matter how many how many times we upset them, they always forgive us. Even as many as 77 times.
· They do not hold grudges against us.
· Meiko is very protective of Rhonda and the kids. I know beyond all doubt that he would gladly fight to the death, giving up his life to protect them.
· Our cats detest being alone. If we are in one room, they have to be there. They hate shut doors. If we are in the garage for example, they will all four set on the steps waiting for us. When we come in, there they are patiently waiting. They have a need to be with us.
· All of them enjoy attention and here is where I see jealousy come out in their personalities, especially with the cats.
· They crave our love and they unconditionally love us back. No matter what it is we have done. They love us. I think they know the feeling is mutual.
· They do not care about material things.
· Their needs are very simple, food, shelter, water, LOVE.
· They do not care about what others think. They only care about us.
· Especially Meiko, just wants to please us. The cats don’t seem to give this much thought.
· They do not mean to or want to disappoint us.
· Their love is real.
· They trust us completely.

So if we really think about what animals can teach us, there really is a lot. Consider the following;

13 So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, when someone won’t stop doing wrong to me, how many times must I forgive them? Seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, you must forgive them more than seven times. You must continue to forgive them even if they do
wrong to you seventy-seven times.” Matthew 18:21-22

27 But earthly food spoils and ruins. So don’t work to get that kind of food. But work to get the food that stays good and gives you eternal life. The Son of Man will give you that food. He is the only one qualified by God the Father to give it to you.” John 6:27

19 The way they live is leading them to destruction. They have replaced God with their own desires. They do shameful things, and they are proud of what they do. They think only about earthly things.
Philippians 3:19

Yes animals are humble creatures that can teach us a host of things. They love and want to be loved. They don’t hold grudges, except perhaps Wolverines, but they are hateful animals that are likely the pets of “Old Blister Brain”.
So if animals can do all these simple things, and they are “so called dumb,” what does that make a lot of us?

Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) once said; “Man is the only animal that blushes…and the only one that needs too.”

So long for this time and I leave you with this.

24 Kind words are like honey; they are easy to accept and good for your health. PROVERBS 16:24

Until next time may the Lord fill your hearts with a new love and respect for all things created by God.

Tex

Fine Fuels (Wildland Fire)

Fire Thought For The Day 008

Fine Fuels

Fine fuels are worth a thought.
- Remember that fine fuels carry the fire.
- Fine fuels are flashy and can spread very quickly. Example, in May when the grass is 100% cured. It can burn very rapidly.
- Fine fuels will dry out very quickly after rain, especially in hot windy weather with low relative humidities.
- Many tragedies have happened in light flashy fuel. Don’t underestimate their danger. All it takes is one breath of super heated air and your air ways are burned.
- Fine fuels do not usually burn with the same intensity as heavier ones. However, they make up for it in spread rate. It is very common to see 100% cured grass spread at 50m/minute (roughly 3 feet per second) and higher under the right conditions.

California, a (Municipal Volunteer Firefighter) got burned over in grass fuels. She survived. She went through a tremendously painful rehabilitation. Her life and the lives of those around her changed for ever.

Saskatchewan, a (Municipal Volunteer Firefighter) got burned over in a grass fuel type. He survived for 45 days and then succumbed to his burn injuries. His life ended, the lives of those around him changed forever.

There are many more.

Many times I have heard ; “Oh it’s just a stinkin grass fire…nothing to worry about.” On every fire there are many things to worry about. We must learn to take the time to do things right on every fire. Safety can not be compromised. We can go for ages and not have anything bad happen. It only takes once, and it happens very quickly, and there is no changing it once it happens.

Learn to think ahead. Where am I now? What is the fire doing? Where will I be in the future? What will the fire be doing then?
Look at the Indices for the day. Know what the expected fire behavior is. Anticipate what the fire behavior will be in the future.

Don’t underestimate the fine fuels.

“Fire is not prejudice…it will try to burn anything.”

Until next time Stay Safe! Tex
008

One Step Ahead of the Jones

January 25, 2010

Tex’s Thought Provokers 008

One Step Ahead Of The Jones

Monsters, Goolies, and Spookables come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They are cleverly disguised at times but we all encounter them.
From the time we are very small to the time of adulthood they never go away, they just change their characters and make us think they are something other than what they are.
What lived under the bed or in your closet as a child, went through a metamorphosis and now resides with the banker, the hospital, the offspring that needs braces, the boss’s closet, inflation, crime in the streets, and so on. They are still monsters none the less, there to be dealt with.
Stress is a monster that is strangling the life out so many folks today. No wonder, it’s environment is a perfect place to live.
It is my firm belief that one day, those in the world of science will be able to link stress to even more illnesses than they have discovered thus far.
There is good stress and bad stress. We need the good stress to stay motivated and to feel the sense of accomplishment at the end of a task. The bad stress though, we can do without. This ugly form of self devouring scourge is at the root of a lot of sickness.
People say that some of the stress that they have is out of their control. “There is nothing I can do about it.” Or could it be that we have convinced ourselves that there is nothing we can do about it? Perhaps we could say that we humans have caused a lot of this stress our self. We live in a world of status. It has always been that way. “Oh…look he drives a Lincoln, he must be important.” “Look…this man has over one hundred camels along with many goats and sheep…he must be important.” “Say….now he has a sharp suit…it must have cost a great deal…he must be important.” “Wow….did you see her dress and coat and shoes…she is walking in high cotton.”
We have all driven ourselves to the point of no return with what used to be a “keeping up with the Jones” attitude, which manifested itself into staying “one step ahead of the Jones”. We want and need this feeling of power over other people. We want to be noticed. We love to have people think we are important. And we think that a fancy home, car, and other perks, will do it for us.
Once this drug like disease takes a hold of us, we are willing to do almost anything imaginable to maintain this status we have achieved for ourselves.
People take it to limits that are simply mind boggling. And it is not just with money and the things it can buy alone. We see it in many other forms as well. “Look at him hit that ball….where would that team be without him?” “Say… listen to her voice…. Its like an angle sent to earth.” This causes us to become so envious we will stop at nothing until….well you know.
Sadly we have all seen examples of those who think themselves to be better Christians than the next guy just so they can feel important about themselves.
Its not just about money, this monster of a disease has been around a long time, and I suspect it will be around for many years to come. Like I said, it is clever, in as much as it can manifest itself into many shapes and sizes.
The best way to deal with a disease, or any kind of problem, is to first and foremost identify the problem, and then the cause. Now that we know what the problem is, the next step is to admit it to ourselves. Just this alone, is a huge step toward recovery. If we become blind to it, then this means, we likely don’t think we have a problem, denial.
Perhaps we should ask ourselves if it is time to do a little self evaluation again. In this I mean myself as well. Some of the questions I should begin with asking myself are:
· Is my home warm and comfortable? If so, why do I think I need a new one?
· Does my car get me to the places I need to go safely? If so, why do I think I need a new one?
· Are my clothes clean and warm with not too much sign of wear and tear? If so, why do I think I need new ones?
· Am I getting lots to eat? If so, why do I think I need to eat steak every night?
· Is my television still showing me a good picture? If so, why do I think I need a new one?
· Do I catch myself feeling better than another? If so, why?
· Do I find myself feeling jealous of another? If so, why?

The list goes on and on. The media in the form of commercials inundates us with a constant barrage of new and better, more expensive, things for us to buy. Convincing us all that we need to have them, we just can’t survive without them. Our friends and neighbours constantly show us things that they have, and if they can have them, then why can’t we?
Then what about all those so called beautiful people selling things to make us all beautiful? False beauty that is what it is. I can tell you, there is only one real way to be beautiful, living as best as we can like Jesus. Forget about the vanity. To me, vanity for the most part, causes uppitiness, very unattractive, to say the least.
I will give you an example of smart marketing and sound “gottcha” principles.
It is not important to state the name of the company, because you will all know it when I speak of it anyway. In the video game world there is one company that is by far and away the leaders in sales. They had and have a very clever market plan. They introduce a new system, zeroing in on our kids, on purpose, because they are an intricate part of the plan. The kids see the advertisements, hear their friends that have them, and they just have to have it. So us being the good hearted parents we are, we go out and we get the new system.
Some of us even get sucked into playing the system as well. Thus the situation becomes worse.
Just when we as parents think surely we have satisfied our kids, the company then introduces a new and better system and we just have to have it. We find that the games are more expensive and that we can’t buy games for the old system any longer.
This has happened to me four times. And yes I am one of those who got sucked into playing the games as well. I know…I’m a big kid. Aw…to know me is to love me though. (Whoops, there goes that braggy side to me again).
Bigger, faster, more colourful, more life like, we just have to have it. It is the world we live in. A rat race, filled with the stress of trying to stay one step ahead of the Jones. In so doing the monster down at the bank and the credit card company grows.
There are some folks that are in positions to do this with no stress at all. For them the toys are just bigger and more expensive, so same thing only different. The other down side to this is some families are not in a position to do this for their kids as easy. Yet they still do it, thus the credit card monster eats them alive.
Then we all fall into the trap of living for earthly non important things.
So how do we deal with this? Like I said, first we have to admit to ourselves that there is a problem. Then we must take steps to correct the situation. Then it is my belief that we have to go to the bible.
The answers to all of life’s problems are in the Word. We have to put our faith in the Lord to change us from the inside out. We have to trust in Jesus. And we have to trust in his word. Especially the words in red.

15 Then Jesus said to them, “Be careful and guard against all kinds of greed. People do not get life from the many things they own.”
Luke 12:15

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money. And be satisfied with what you have. God has said, “ I will never leave you; I will never run away from you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
Hebrews 13:5

7 “When you are living in the land the Lord your God is giving you, there might be some poor people living among you. You must not be selfish. You must not refuse to give help to them. 8 You must be willing to share with them. You must lend them whatever they need.
Deuteronomy 15:7-8

4 The greatest person in God’s kingdom is the one who makes himself humble like this child.
Matthew 18:4

12 People who think they are better than others will be made humble. But people who humble themselves will be made great.
Matthew 23:12

48 Then he said to the followers, “Whoever accepts a little child like this in my name is accepting me. And anyone who accepts me is also accepting the one who sent me. The one among you who is the most humble—this is the one who is great.”
Luke 9:48


17 Give this command to those who are rich with the things of this world. Tell them not to be proud. Tell them to hope in God, not their money. Money cannot be trusted, but God takes care of us richly. He gives us everything to enjoy. 18 Tell those who are rich to do good—to be rich in good works. And tell them they should be happy to give and ready to share. 19 By doing this, they will be saving up a treasure for themselves. And that treasure will be a strong foundation on which their future life will be built. They will be able to have the life that is true life.
1 Timothy 6: 17-19
What it all comes down too, is we have too much. We want too much. And we are willing to do almost anything, including selling our soul to old “Spineless Slim”, all dressed up like a credit card representative.
When we read things such as; “In the west, you measure a man’s wealth by his possessions. In this country, we measure his wealth by his friends.” (Ethiopia)
John Ortberg, “When The Game Is Over – It All Goes Back In The Box” Chapter 2, page 30.
We get an eye opener. If we begin to do a bit of research, we find that compared to many other parts of the world, including even some parts of our world, that we choose to ignore, we are very fortunate people. We have so much; we are all so very rich. And we take it for granted every single day.
How many of us are going to bed hungry? Do we set and wonder if we will be blown up if we go to the store? When we walk down the street, do we think of perhaps being shot?
How many junkies have we seen living in a cardboard box on our sidewalks? In the evening do we see our streets lined with prostitutes? How many drive by shooting have happened in the past week? How many teachers have been beaten and left for dead do we know?
When you are sick do you go to the hospital, what if you could not afford it?
How many times have you really been persecuted because of your faith?
(The above statements are based on my area)

See, to me part of our problem in this area is, we hear and see these terrible things on TV, or we read about them. We feel truly sorry, but we are so far removed from this that we just comment on how terrible it is, and then get on with our lives. After all it is someone else’s problem. And it is far far away from our world.
Those that went on the trip to New York seen things to a certain degree, and the one that comes to mind is the man that went to the streets everyday, and boldly approached people. Putting his life at risk every day for other people’s souls.
Well folks, I can tell you, that these types of hideous living environments with all the craziness that goes with it, is getting closer to us every day.
Once we start to put things such as this in perspective, we begin to change from the inside out. We find ourselves looking, searching, reading, asking, what we can do.
I can tell you one thing for certain sure and with all that is in me. Turn your eyes toward Jesus, because he is our only real hope.

7 Each one of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give. You should not give if it makes you unhappy or if you feel forced to give. God loves those who are happy to give.
2 Corinthians 9:7

35 I always showed you that you should work just as I did and help people who are weak. I taught you to remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘You will have a greater blessing when you give than when you receive.’”
Acts 20:35

There are many things to give besides money. Your time, your gifts that the Lord has blessed you with, your help in anyway you can.

In closing I will leave you with this to think about. If you have gifts, they came from the Lord. Remember what has been given to you. The number one thing is the gift of life ever lasting from Jesus. The greatest gift ever given. How blessed we all are!
Until next time, may the Lord bless you with a heart that is hungry for Him, one that is willing to go where He leads you, and one that strives to do what He wants. In Christ’s love Tex

Fire Weather Index and Fire Behavior Prediction

Fire Thought For The Day 007

Fire Weather Index and Fire Behavior Prediction
Ask any successful athlete, businessperson, or any professional what it is that makes them successful and they will undoubtedly tell you, hard work, perseverance, knowledge of their field, and practice to be the best they can be at what it is they do. Never being just satisfied with something enough to get by. Always striving to be better at what they do.
We all know people that seem to always get that big Buck every year. Why is this? First they take pride in being the best they can be. They have the right tools. They don’t take a pellet gun to shoot a Deer. Just as a Firefighter would not have much success fighting a 10 000 kw fire with a 1 ½ inch hose line. They also try to learn as much about the habits of the Deer as possible. It is like this with everything. You get out of something what you put into it.
Another example; any law enforcement officer that is heading into a dangerous situation needs to know as much about the situation ahead of time as possible. This tells them what they are up against, what tools they need, how many people they need, what the danger level is to themselves and their people. After all, they know that enforcement work can be very dangerous, as we are all grimly aware since the loss of four young RCMP in Alberta.
The goal is to get the job done and have everyone come home.
Fire fighting is a very dangerous job too. Just recently, two firefighters were lost in Yellowknife. We can sit in judgment, as we as humans tend to do. We can say well should have, could have, would have, all we want. The fact still remains; these losses, in either case, can not be reversed.
We can say that this will never happen here on a wildland fire. Friends, we are kidding ourselves by saying this. It can happen, it has happened. We tell ourselves it won’t in order to lessen the fear and danger that hides inside us. There are others that say it won’t happen because they can’t be bothered putting forth the effort to be the best they can be. There are others that simply laugh at it as way of dealing with it. Others say why should I bother to put forth my best effort, no one cares, I won’t get paid anymore.
Well, you still go to fires. It is part of what you do. Whether you are there because you have to be or not. It still is a very dangerous job. You still need to take the time to do things right. It is your life and the lives of others around you that you are dealing with. I have heard things such as; “Our little fires…they are just a joke.” “Oh don’t listen to him…he is a crazy old fart…I have been doin this for years…and I’ve never seen any of the things he talks about.”
When a fire blows up unexpectedly it is no joke, when people get trapped it is no joke, when people get hurt it is no joke, when people die it is no joke. And I might well be a Crazy Old Fart, and you may well have never seen a blow up, and you may well have worked at this for years. Remember, it only takes once, and it can happen in a heartbeat, and there is no coming back, there is no changing something once it has happened.
New Brunswick has a weather data collection system that is second to none. The Fire Weather Index System (FWI) is complied and sent to the Regions each day at 13:00 hours. The FWI is complied using weather data collected from the many weather stations from around the province.
This information is sent out because it is important. It helps us make better plans. It lets us know more about what kind of situation we might be facing. Why? Because the more information we have going into a dangerous situation the better prepared we can be.
All of us are initial attack people. We all need to know what we might be facing on any given day. You know the saying, “The More You Know.”
Now then, the FWI is good if you know what the numbers mean. If you don’t and no one shows you, you likely will read it once and then say, Goobel-dy-gook, and never look at it again. This is where the fire behavior forecast comes in. It is based on the Fire Behavior Prediction System (FBP). It takes the FWI, which has numbers that are relative measures, and allows someone such as myself to make quantitative predictions of expected fire behavior. In other words, it puts things in terms that people can understand.
We have these things at our disposal. I wonder why some of us don’t take the time to look at them. I wonder why some people are not getting them at all. Are we waiting for a tragedy to occur before we take it serious? I wonder.
It seems we take the time to do things right in other dangerous situations. We seem to take the time to be the best we can be at something like sports or hunting, or enforcement work. Yet, we can’t seem to take the time to be the best we can be when it comes to wildland fire. And it being one of the most powerful forces in nature. It being one of the most dangerous work environments in the world. Go figure!
Perhaps we really are waiting for a tragedy. Perhaps we really have more in common with the events that led up to the Westray Mine Disaster than we choose to admit. God it is my prayer that this is not true, however, in my heart I know it likely is. I have a hard time accepting this and so should you. Why should someone have to get hurt or die in order for us to change the way we do business? Why can’t we learn from other mistakes in other places?

The fire season will soon be here. Please take the time to look at the FWI. Ask for a fire behavior forecast, especially on mid to high fire hazard days. Remember, it is your life and your people’s lives. We only get one chance. Take the time to do things right. Be the best you can be. Be prepared as best as you can be.
“Fire is not prejudice….it will try to burn anything.”
Until next time, above all else, Stay Safe! Tex

Everythig Old is Everything New

January 21, 2010

Tex’s Thought Provokers 007

Everything Old Is Everything New

This one folks will require some very deep thought. At least, it is my hope that you will all take the time to think about it. It is my hope as well that you then go back and read very carefully the first six.
Jesus had a way of telling a story, the stories were many times parables. Am I comparing myself to Jesus? Not now, not ever, not even remotely so. For I am in competition with Paul, he claimed to be chief of sinners. In my heart, I feel that I am in the running for such a claim.
In my writings, I know by now that some of you, if not all, are finding a negative tone. It is far from my intention to be negative. Yet, each time I go to write one of these I ask Jesus for his help. I ask that he guide what I say. Each morning I ask my Lord to walk with me, and be with me though out the day. When the day comes to a close, the last thing I think of is Jesus.
Does this somehow make me better? Not in the least, for everyday, even though he walks with me, I mess up. I ask him for his forgiveness and I keep on keeping on.
Now that I have given a bit of an explanation, again it is my hope that you read this writing very slow and thoughtfully. Then I pray you go back and read the first six, with the same thoughtfulness.
Because you see, there is a message in these writings.

9 All things continue the way they have been since the beginning. The same things will be done that have always been done. There is nothing new in this life. Ecclesiastes 1:9

Back in the summer of 1991, I was on a bad wildland fire at a place called Mosquito Lake. A fire does not have to be extremely large to do a lot of damage, or to be very dangerous. There is a list of common denominators on tragedy fires or near miss fires. In nearly every situation, the fire where some one lost their life, or some one had a close call, the fire had been small, or a small portion of a larger fire.

This fire was only 800 or so hectares, or, 1977 acres. Believe me, this is not a large fire as far as wildland fires go. There were a lot of serious close calls on this fire, and I know, that the good Lord was with us all, that was what kept us safe. At least I know this now.
It is not the intention of this writing to give an account of the details as they occurred. If anyone is interested, I will gladly sit down sometime over a cup of go-go juice (coffee) and tell you.
I discovered something on this fire though, that I found to be of great interest to me.
The fire burned very rapid and extremely hot in the first few hours. Most of the damage it caused was in those first few hours. By dark of the second day, we had the fire contained. It was far from being out, but it’s spread was being held.
It took us another thirty days or so to call it out. I was there for sixteen of them.
A fire, just as a living thing, goes through stages. It has a birth, it breaths oxygen, eats and consumes fuel, it starts very small, it grows, it reaches maturity, then it wavers and starts to decline, then it dies.
I am not saying that it is a living thing, but it does have a close similarity. And, there have been many times when I thought the thing could think, for it has many times, tried to out flank, or out think me.
My discovery was in the declining stage of this fire on what we call mop up. I had my troops in search mode; we were looking for those small smoldering would be monsters that we call sleepers. They like to hide in the ground, in the very top of trees, in old fallen trees. Any place where they can just hide with the hope that all seekers will leave before finding them, will do nicely. With the hope that once all the fire fighters have left the area, they can spring to life and gain monster status once again. For all fires seek to become monsters.
It was during our march through the black on about day twelve; I noticed some new ground vegetation emerging up through the ashes.
In the days that followed, this new vegetation would attract a host of creatures at the bottom of the food chain. Thus these new creatures would further attract some middle management critters that prey on the lower animals. The new vegetation would further attract some larger mammals that eat the young and tender shoots that were produced. Then even more middle managers would be attracted to these creatures. A brand new cycle of a process of eating and being eaten had been born.
All part of God’s perfect plan. A plan that did not just happen; it is a perfect plan created by the supreme perfect being, God.
Some seeds can lay dormant for hundreds of years before germination takes place. In some cases, fire creates that perfect set of circumstances that produce this rebirth.
Early Indigenous peoples knew this. They would set a fire in a forest that had reached maturity, where very little wildlife lived. They did this so they could then in a year or two move their encampment close to the burned area, which by that time would be teaming with wildlife.
So then, not all fire is bad, and not all fire is good, it is just how we perceive it.
Shakespeare once wrote, “there is nothing completely all good, or completely all bad, it is our mind that makes it so.”

A very dear friend and I had a discussion recently, and I said. “Ya know….there is something that has been troubling me.” He smiled and said lovingly. “With you, I am almost scared to ask…what is it?”
I had been thinking very much about this. I wondered. “In the bible we surely see a lot of miracles… in the old testament…and the new. Folks kept askin fer proof…I wonder, how much more proof did they need ta have? And then….it states a whole bunch of times in the new testament…that them there Pharisees and law makers…and evil leaders such as that there He Rod feller… was scared to do anything ta Jesus…on account they was scared of an uprisin by the people…cause they all knew that the people loved Jesus. What troubles me the most…is…where da ya spose all them there folks followin after Jesus went to…when he needed them ta stick up fer him? I mean…they was thousands from all over the place…an when push come to shove…they up an freed that there Barabbas feller.”
My friend, who seems to like the way I talk, smiled and said. “Well…I wonder about that too…perhaps they were only following Jesus to see what they could get…to use him…and as soon as they seen that the end was near…they wanted to back a winner…or so they thought. But all through out the bible, it shows one example after another of their character. They seemed to be a very fickle people.”

That is when Ecclesiastes jumped into my head. It just so happened that at that time, I was reading that very book of the Old Testament.
9 All things continue the way they have been since the beginning. The same things will be done that have always been done. There is nothing new in this life. Ecclesiastes 1:9

Now I have been thinking a lot lately, or more than usual. Scary… ain’t it? Anyway, I have been, and I got to thinking over my life and the things I do, my family, the people I know, the things I believe, my work, and I have tried my best to do as Jesus has instructed me too.
I like to watch folks not for bad reasons, but to learn. And I have come to a conclusion about all of us human beings.

16 “What can I say about the people who live today? What are they like? The people today are like children sitting in the marketplace.
One group of children calls to the other group, 17 ‘We played flute music for you, but you did not dance; we sang a funeral song, but you were not sad.’ 18 Why do I say people are like that? Because John came, not eating like other people or drinking wine, and people say, ‘He has a demon* inside him.’ 19 The Son of Man* came eating and drinking, and people say, ‘Look at him! He eats too much and drinks too much wine. He’s a friend of tax collectors* and other sinners.’
But wisdom is shown to be right by what it does.” Matthew 11:16-19

Be dinged if ya do…and be dinged if ya don’t. People are never content and never satisfied.
Words….leave life long scars. Words…..can sometimes hurt more than anything that hurts us. If I break my arm…it hurts….but the pain subsides… at some point. But words…sometimes the hurt never goes away.

It would appear that verse 9 of Ecclesiastes 1 is right. Proving yet again, the word of God is good for all ages.

We talk of unity….unity of what….the church? The church is the body of Christ. Jesus is the head of the church…no one else. The church building is just that, a building.

12 When you enter that home, say, ‘Peace be with you.’ 13 If the people in that home welcome you, they are worthy of your peace. May they have the peace you wished for them. But if they don’t welcome you, they are not worthy of your peace. Take back the peace you wished for them. 14 And if the people in a home or a town refuse to welcome you or listen to you, then leave that place and shake the dust off your feet.15 I can assure you that on the judgment day it will be worse for that town than for the people of Sodom* and Gomorrah.* Matthew 10:12-15

Friends…brothers…sisters…people I love… I would never claim to be a profit…I am nothing more than a simple man…. But I know that soon, Ecclesiastes will become relevant.

For as long as I am able, I will continue to write and send these writings to those that want to receive them.

In closing, I will leave you with these.

26 “So don’t be afraid of those people. Everything that is hidden will be shown. Everything that is secret will be made known.”
Matthew 10: 26

2 Everything that is hidden will be shown, and everything that is secret will be made known. 3 What you say in the dark will be told in the light. And what you whisper in a private room will be shouted from the top of the house.” Luke 12:2-3

Do not put off until tomorrow…what you can do today.

I am a better person for knowing each one of you. I love you all. Go with Christ in all that you do.
Until next time.
Tex

LACES

Fire Thought For The Day 006

LACES
Every time we have a tragedy we say never again. We create new rules and guidelines so that it should never happen again. Unfortunately it does happen again. Whether it is because of complacency, carelessness, over confidence or whatever, it still seems to happen.
LACES has been adopted by DNR New Brunswick. I feel that this is a very good thing. LACES, if put in place really sums up all of the watch out and standing fire firefighter orders. This is not to say we should never look at these watch outs or orders, we should. It is just so much easier to implement LACES.
LACES is also very easy to remember. Get in the habit of repeating what LACES stands for every time you put on your boots. Say them out loud, people hearing you will wonder if you have lost your mind. This will spark a conversation about LACES. They likely will still think you to be a bit off center. What the heck, we all likely are if we think about it.
Lookouts
Anchor Points
Communications
Escape Routes
Safety Zones

- Always post at least two Lookouts. If you need more post them.
- The Lookout must be one of your most experienced, trained, and trusted individuals. Remember they are responsible for warning you of impending danger in enough time to prevent you and your folks from harm.
- Always action fire from good save Anchor Points.
- Always maintain Communications with everyone. This is a must.
- Always have two marked and timed Escape Routes. Remember to constantly reevaluate them.
- Make sure every one in the crew knows where the Escape Routes are.
- Always have at least one Safety Zone. Make sure all know where it is.
- Always implement LACES on every fire, no matter how large or small.
- It is one thing to say that we will, it is another to actually do it. Remember practice good habits.
Did You Know?
It is a proven fact that if you do something every day for 15 days at the same time, you then start to do this thing without thinking. In other words it becomes a habit. Example, do you think about brushing your teeth when you do it? Do you think about shaving when you do it? You likely are like me and just do it without thinking about it. Wouldn’t it be great to automatically implement LACES without even thinking about it? Practice good habits.

Until next, above all else Stay Safe! Tex

Faith

January 18, 2010

Tex’s Thought Provokers 006

Faith


It has been said that we know that an atom is there, we can’t see it, but we know it is there. We can accept this because of science and it’s being able to prove the existence of these invisible parts of mater.
The same goes for germs and other tiny organisms that are not visible to the naked eye.
It seems that we humans have trouble accepting something unless it has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. However, when we see things proven before our eyes, to me that is not accepting them through faith.
Jesus did many miraculous things, and many times he told the people not to say anything about the miracles. Now that for some folks is like giving them a green light to go and tell the world. One of my thoughts on this was that Jesus knew that if he said don’t tell anyone, that it would be the best way to get the word out, knowing the nature of people. Then I had another thought. I got to thinking that Jesus wanted us to believe through faith rather than hard proof.
There is a big difference in believing through proof and believing through faith. When we believe through proof, we can easily start to take our belief for granted. We become nonchalant about it because we know for a fact that it is there. Now if we are honest, unless we are in danger of the unseen atom or germ, how often do we really think about them? On the other hand, when we believe through faith, we are constantly thinking about it because faith and hope go hand in hand.
As an example

10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. He said to those who were with him, “The truth is, this man has more faith than anyone I have found, even in Israel.* Matthew 8:10

There are many more examples throughout the bible where Jesus exemplifies great faith.


Our Lord wants us to have great faith.
In this world of technology, immoralities, and a constant barrage of non-believers doing and saying everything imaginable that inevitably cause us to doubt, the struggle to stay strong in our faith is tested every day.
This is why prayer is vital. Talking with the Lord on a regular basis is a key to staying faithful. Reading the bible every day is just as vital to remaining strong with the Lord. Being with other believers as much as possible is yet another key. Reading what other believers have written in books is also very helpful for me. Just plain meditating in faith is also a very important part of what I do a lot of. Regular worship, bible study groups, prayer meetings, are all important as well.
When we constantly make the Lord a part of our lives, putting Jesus first in our thoughts, and first in the things we do, we go a long way towards keeping our faith strong.
The Lord also reminds us to never be ashamed of our faith.

32 “If you stand before others and are willing to say you believe in me, then I will tell my Father in heaven that you belong to me. 33 But if you stand before others and say you do not believe in me, then I will tell my Father in heaven that you do not belong to me.
Matthew 10:32-33

Jesus tells us to let everyone know about our faith.

20 Jesus answered, “You were not able to make the demon go out, because your faith is too small. Believe me when I tell you, if your faith is only as big as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain, ‘move from here to there,’ and it will move. You will be able to do anything.”
Matthew 17:20

The above passage is very interesting. Essentially Jesus is saying that if our faith were as good as it should be we could do anything. Some of the non-believers would say “what a load of hooey.” Well, to them I say, if this is what you believe, then my heart aches for you.
You see, to me science has only limited knowledge about what the brain is really capable of. There is proof that we only use a small portion to do the things we need to do each day. I know….there are some of us that seem to use a lot less than others, myself included.
But what if we could learn to tap into what we are really capable of doing? What if we could simply block everything out that causes us doubt? What if we could completely accept our faith in the Lord and really believe with all that is in us? What if…….

3 Then he said, “The truth is, you must change your thinking and become like little children. If you don’t do this, you will never enter God’s kingdom. 4 The greatest person in God’s kingdom is the one who makes himself humble like this child. Matthew 18:3-4

The little ones believe with all of their hearts. Why? Because we tell them too. Children have a way of accepting what those they trust tell them. In their innocence, their minds are open to a world of wonder. They have not had the chance to see and hear the awful terrible things that happen in this world. We do our best to shelter them from all these horrible things.
But have you ever watched a small child, while they listen to something like a story they are interested in? Have you ever really looked at their eyes and the expressions they make?
The above passage for me makes perfect sense. As well it should because it comes from Jesus. Yet for me, after much thought, I have come to the conclusion, that if we were to accept things like believing in the Lord with the same enthusiasm of a child, our faith would be such that we could do anything.
Unfortunately, especially for me, because I really wish it were true, I don’t think this means we have to start playing tidily winks in the pews on Sundays. Although…..no I won’t say it.
But I do think that Matthew 18:3-4 does really make a lot of sense when you apply it to faith.

17 The Good News shows how God makes people right with himself. God’s way of making people right begins and ends with faith. As the Scriptures say, “The one who is right with God by faith will live forever.” Romans 1:17

Paul speaks about faith often in his letters. Above, we can see no better example of how it could be put than the way he says it.
To me this is good news!
So how do we continue to remain strong in our faith? As I stated earlier, there is no better way than to pray every day. And pray simple away by yourself. There is no need to make a big production of it. The Lord loves it when you just talk with him. I find myself talking with him now even when I am in a crowded room filled with people. I am doing it in my mind, but I can tell you that he listens. He answers. He guides me in everything I do. Without him I am nothing. With him there is no end to the things I might achieve.
Then read his word. Don’t just read it, but listen to what it is telling you. We have heard many times that each persons walk with the Lord is a very personal one. This I totally believe. What one person reads and gets from a passage and what another person gets from the same passage may be different. But if you really concentrate on what is being said, you will come to understand what the Lord is telling you. Just relax and let it happen. Put away the doubts of the world and just read and listen.
In my heart I know that we can face anything if we face it with the Lord. Jesus will see us through. Why? Because we have great faith.

13 So these three things continue: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love. 1Corinthians 13:13

Faith is one of the three key things to a life with the Lord. Love is the greatest, yes, but faith is there as well. And we must do whatever we can to help each others faith grow and continue in strength.

26 So, brothers and sisters, what should you do? When you meet together, one person has a song, another has a teaching, and another has a new truth from God. One person speaks in a different language, and another interprets that language. The purpose of whatever you do should be to help everyone grow stronger in faith.
1Corinthians 14:26

16 That is why we never give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day.
17 We have small troubles for a while now, but these troubles are helping us gain an eternal glory. That eternal glory is much greater than our troubles. 18 So we think about what we cannot see, not what we see. What we see lasts only a short time, and what we cannot see will last forever. 2Corinthians 4:16-18

1 Faith is what makes real the things we hope for. It is proof of what we cannot see. Hebrews 11:1

3 Faith helps us understand that God created the whole world by his command. This means that the things we see were made by something that cannot be seen. Hebrews 11:3

7 Noah was warned by God about things that he could not yet see. But he had faith and respect for God, so he built a large boat to save his family. With his faith, Noah showed that the world was wrong. And he became one of those who are made right with God through faith.
Hebrews 11:7


18 God tested Abraham’s faith. God told him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice. Abraham obeyed because he had faith. He already had the promises from God. And God had already said to him, “It is through Isaac that your descendants will come.” But Abraham was ready to offer his only son. He did this because he had faith. 19 He believed that God could raise people from death. And really, when God stopped Abraham from killing Isaac, it was as if he got him back from death.
Hebrews 11:18-19

25 Moses grew up and became a man. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose not to enjoy the pleasures of sin that last such a short time. Instead, he chose to suffer with God’s people. He did this because he had faith.
Hebrews 11:25

Above we see some passages that show examples of faith. All of Hebrews 11 speaks of faith.
The one that really is interesting is Hebrews 11:18-19. Yes it shows a good example of great faith. Imagine, if you can, what it would be like to have so much faith that you would offer as a sacrifice your only son. Yes Abraham had great faith. And he passed God’s test.
Now then, thanks to a good friend and sister in Christ, I see something else here in these verses. She informed me of something more than faith in these verses.
I wonder, can you see it too? Perhaps it could be an interesting discussion some time.
So we have talked about faith and how we should try to keep it strong. We have looked at several pieces of scripture.
So I will leave you with this:

2 We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. 3 Think about Jesus. He patiently endured the angry insults that sinful people were shouting at him. Think about him so that you won’t get discouraged and stop trying.
Hebrews 12: 2-3

Until next time, may we all work together helping one another’s faith grow strong and stay strong. And know that through Christ all things are possible.
Tex

Fire Thought For The Day 005

Power Lines



Power lines are very dangerous to especially firefighters. The structure lads are more in the know about this topic than wildland people. We need to make ourselves more aware of the perils.
- Water and power lines do not mix. Never attempt to spray water from a hose anywhere near power lines.
- Never touch a wire that is down.
- Always consider a down line to be charged even if there are no sparks.
- Do not touch power lines with objects such as a stick either.
- Do not touch anything including a person that is in contact with a power line.
- Keep other people away, and always inform your supervisor and others of the situation immediately.
- Downed phone lines sometimes look the same as power lines. Trust no line. Do not take any chance. Don’t guess that it is a phone line. Let the power experts deal with it.
- Don’t go near a vehicle with power lines on it. Keep the folks inside calm and tell them to stay put. If car is on fire and they need to get out now, tell them to jump clear away from the line, then bunny hop away. Keep others away and let the experts deal with it.
- Do not drive over downed power lines.
- Do not attempt to try and cut or remove a tree laying on a power line. Let the power folks do it. Keep people away.
- Do not park under power lines on a fire. Do not refuel anything under power lines.
- Electric charges can follow smoke to the ground from power lines.
- The best bet is stay away. Have the Power Company unhook the power and be sure it is unhooked.
- Take the time to do things safely and right.

Until next, above all else Stay Safe! Tex

Exceptions

Exceptions


Once a very long time ago, in what seems like another life, my section of our class at Maritime Forest Ranger School were out standing on this Peat Bog. Now we were a fine bunch out there standing; this not like out standing in our field, we were out standing in our bog. It is much different than if we were out standing in our field.
It was a cold and wet rainy day, the kind that penetrates deep into your very soul, thus taking three days huddled next to a panting wood stove just to bring the feeling back to your self proclaimed walking corpse. I don’t have an inkling as to why, but it seemed that these were the times that our learned mentors decided it was time for a lecture. So it was, this day not straying from the norm, which found us all trying to concentrate on what was being said by the most learned of the learned Mr. Williams (not his real name).
“So folks…here we are then….on this lovely fall day; out on this beautiful bog full of natures wonders for us to experience.” He said, while bouncing up and down on his toes, with his hands on his hips. His face bore his usual light hearted expression with the familiar twinkle in his eyes.
He went on as we huddled together, closer so as to hear him. “Tell me then folks….what do you all see here…don’t be shy speak up.”
These kinds of statements always made me nervous, for one never knew what answer he was looking for. Mr. Williams was a man of great knowledge. I always felt him to be smarter than a whole room full of geniuses at a think tank on how to burn water. By and by, as always, there would be some daring soul that would offer up a statement. This time I began to hear, slowly at first, then faster, things like; White Birch, Eastern White Cedar, Tamarack, Black Spruce to name a few. All seemed to meet with the approval of Mr. Williams. These were all species one could expect to see in association with wet areas such as the bog we were standing on. Yet, he kept saying “what else” as if he were hoping that someone would notice what he wanted to zero in on. Lord only knew though, what that might be.
The answers began to trail off and the look of anticipation mixed with mystifying wonderment was painted on the faces that surrounded me. I think they might call that fear. “Come now folks…look around…what else do you see?” He said with a bit of frustration in his voice.
So then, there we all were looking around like ostriches in a snow storm, trying to figure out what he wanted us to see. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, a huge Newfoundlander, that I will call Jim, spoke up and said. “Yes bye…there’s an Eastern White Pine standin right ear be ind me there is.” A huge smile came to the face of Mr. Williams as he bobbed up and down with more vigour, he said. “Very good Jim…marvellous…now then Jim…can you tell the class what the Silvics of Eastern White Pine is?” By this Mr. Williams basically meant where does Eastern White Pine achieve its best growth. With hardly any hesitation Jim answered. “Yes Bye…it achieves its best growth on the well drained sandy soils it does” Jim answered, with the look of a Rooster surrounded by Hens. He was glad he was able to answer Mr. Williams.
“Very very good Jim!” Mr. Williams said with a great amount of excitement; he went on. “Now then Jim…would you say that this tree is healthy…has it achieved good growth?”
At this point I was reminded of people watching a tennis match from a grand stand, for we were doing the same, first to Mr. Williams, then back to Jim.
Jim turned and looked the tree all up and down, then he reached over and touched it as if he expected it to say something to him. He then turned back toward Mr. Williams and said; “Yes Bye…she’s got grand height an good girth she does…er top looks good n elthy it does…I would ave ta say she as achieved very good growth.” To which Mr. Williams excitedly said. “Very good then Jim…but can you perhaps see anything else that might be a bit different about this tree?”
The Rooster look was fading, as Jim looked at us hoping to be rescued, then back at the tree then he turned back to Mr. Williams and said; “well…alls I kin sees is she as er feet wet.”
Mr. Williams was bouncing even faster still and smiling brighter, he said. “Very very good Jim…Excellent!” Jim’s Rooster developed brightness again. Mr. Williams went on. “ Now then Jim…if you will…could you explain to the class…the reason.” There was a slight pause. “I mean if the Silvics of Eastern White Pine is well drained sandy soils…why is it that this tree…with it’s feet very wet…has achieved very good growth?”
The Rooster once again fell faint from Jim’s face. While we all glared at Jim, just to ensure he knew that we were interested in what he had to say, which I am sure made him feel ever so comfortable. Jim’s Rooster was now turning reddish in color as he shifted his weight back and forth several times from one foot to the other. Then after taking another look at the tree, with the hope that it just might talk to him yet, he slowly turned and looked at Mr. Williams with the look of a defeated goal tender after the third period of overtime, and said. “Yes Bye…I am sure I doesn’t know…but I am sure you are gonna tells us.”
After the chuckling subsided, Mr. Williams said. “That’s okay Jim…and you are right I am going to tell you.”
Mr. Williams went on to explain to us that the book indeed says that the Eastern White Pine does achieve its best growth on well drained sandy soils. This tree was growing at the edge of a Peat Bog in conditions anything but well drained and sandy. The tree had achieved good growth and was doing well, and there was a reason. He said the tree had not read the book.
You see he went on; there is always an exception to the rule. The seed had fell in this place and was given two choices, adapt and grow, or die. It chose life and even though the conditions were not the best for this tree to achieve greatness, it overcame the adversities it faced simply because it didn’t know otherwise. It didn’t read the book.
Mr. Williams was no longer smiling; his face had hardened as he wanted to ensure we got this lesson. He told us that we would be graduating soon and going out to various places throughout North American and perhaps even the world, to pursue our careers. Many of us would some day become supervisors. In this world there is little room for people who simply set at a desk and never go out and see what is going on. They make decisions every single day based on the book. A lot of the time the book is indeed right. However, there is always an exception to the rule. Don’t let me ever hear tell of any of you ever not believing something one of your people tells you based on the book and what it states. Keep an open mind and go and see for yourself. Better still, allot time to go out and explore no matter how busy you might be. Nothing takes the place of hands on. Go and see what your people are up against before they have to come to you with a reason why a task can’t be done.
When you find a special problem, involve everyone. Many people looking for an answer to a conundrum are better than one. Always listen to your people. Help them to grow. Help them to become innovative and come up with non book answers. And always remember there is an exception to every rule.
This was one lesson that I have never forgotten. Without even thinking I find myself implementing this type of leadership whenever the need arises. Experience has also taught me that Mr. Williams really was telling the truth. Exceptions to the rule do not just exist in the forest; they can be found everywhere, in every aspect of our everyday life.
I have learned that in order to approach any kind of task or problem, there are a few things to keep in mind. Below I will list a few.
- You don’t know it all. You are not perfect. There is no such thing. Listen and keep your eyes open and stay focused.
- Pick everyone’s mind. Each of us views things from a different angle and different perception.
- Ask questions. This prompts others to think.
- Keep everyone involved informed as best as you can.
- Be fair and show equality.
- Have clear understood objectives that are realistic, measurable, obtainable, and flexible.
- Be willing to be flexible yourself and welcome positive change for the better.
- Encourage people to use their imaginations.
- For the most part, if someone is asking for a tool, in all likelihood they need it or they would not be asking. Acknowledge them and either get them the tool or explain why you can’t.
- In every way show folks that you care, because if you don’t do this, you really don’t care. It is very hard to try and fool people. Be sincere and be truthful, it will gain you respect, trust, and dedication. People will see through false fronts very quickly, thus believe in what you are doing or don’t do it.
- Don’t be too serious; take time at the proper times to laugh.
- Show appreciation for work well done, and when someone has tried their best.
- If you don’t believe in it, how can you expect the folks following you to believe in it? And if no one believes in it, they are just going through the motions. For example, if you tell people that your first priority is safety, don’t just say this because you have too. Say because you mean it.
Ask yourself if you don’t really believe in it, then why are you doing it? Perhaps you need to move on to something you do believe in rather than stay for a pay check. You really are not being fair to yourself or to others if you are only giving just enough.
- And always remember, there are exceptions to every rule.

These are only a few of the life lessons I have learned. There are more, many more. I think for this writing, I have covered enough. I will in the future write some more for those of you interested enough to read them.

Until next time, above all else, Stay Safe! Tex January 18, 2010.

Site Indicators

Fire Thought For The day 004

Site Indicators

The father of fire intensity George Byram identified blow up conditions on wildland fire a long time ago. Atmospheric Stability is the ability to resist vertical movement of air up wards. An unstable atmosphere is conducive to blow up conditions on a fire. Very bad things can happen on a day that seems to present no apparent signs of impending danger. Lets learn to look a bit closer and then reevaluate the day’s conditions.

- Fair weather clouds, Cumulus, the puffy cotton ball like clouds, are indicators of an unstable atmosphere.
- Gusty winds are indicators of an unstable atmosphere.
- Dust devils are indicators of an unstable atmosphere.
- A very clear sky without any presence of cloud is an indicator of an unstable atmosphere.

Thunderstorms can also present danger on a fire. They cause, of course, lightning. They also cause down draft and up draft winds, micro-bursts of wind. Remember that lightning can reach as far away from the main cloud as far as 15 to 17 kilometers, a shot out of the blue.
If you see towering Cumulus clouds, they indicate CB’s or thunderstorms are likely later on in the day. Cumulus clouds period are indicators of the likely hood of thunderstorms later in the day.

Very high towering smoke columns are indicators of an unstable atmosphere.

Once on the fire if you see fire whirls, heads up. If you see spotting across the control line early in the morning look for control problems later in the day. If you see individual torching or candling of single trees or small groups of trees early in the morning, this indicates very serious control problems latter in the day. These are speak up signals, make your supervisors aware of what you see.

Learn to think ahead. We are all very good at reacting. However, we need to get more proactive. Ask your self where am I and my crew now, and what is the fire doing, where will we all be in five minutes, two hours, 6 hours etc. and what will the fire be doing. Learn to look at everything around you and what it is telling you. Assess and reassess your situation constantly.
I have developed what I call Tex’s systematic rule of ten. It is a system for assessing your situation on a wildland fire. If you would like a copy I will gladly send it to you. Remember, like all things my rule of ten has its limitations. It is provided as an aid to assess firefighter danger levels. It is not meant to replace sound judgment or common sense.

Until next time, Stay Safe! Tex

Fire Thought For The Day 003

Common Denominators
Some of you have heard me ramble on about common denominators on near miss and tragedy incidents. Why do I constantly harp about these? The answer is very simple. The common denominators speak volumes. There have been several studies conducted, their findings are consistent. Below are a few key ones to think about and remember.
- The fire was small or a small part of a larger fire.
- Steep slope was involved.
- Unexpected erratic winds, changing winds.
- No regard for the Fire Weather Indices.
- No regard for predicted potential fire behavior.
- Just before the event happened, the fire did not seem threatening in any way, or the fire was in the late stages (mop up). Then something changed very quickly and unexpectedly.
- Over confident attitudes.
- Action with no safe anchor point.

These are just a few. Think about ways to prevent these things from happening in the future. Don’t let complacency be the rule. Don’t say that it only happens some where else. It has happened here. Let’s not relearn, over and over again. Let’s learn from the past.
One of my very learned mentors once told me: “Strive for perfection. You know that no one is perfect. Perfection is unattainable. However, if we try to strive for perfection, we will truly do our best.” Try to be the best that you can be.
Perhaps we can go for years and never have anything bad happen. Sometimes a person can work their entire career without serious incident. Remember, it only takes once, and it can happen in a heart beat.
Ask your self, when was the last time I witnessed extreme fire behavior? When was the last time I was on a fire of any kind? Have I fought fire in all fuel types, in all types of terrain, under all types of weather conditions? Do I look at the fire weather indices when they come in? Do I know what the numbers really mean? Do I really know what kind of fire behavior I can expect for today’s burning period?
Perhaps your answers will lead you to reexamine your practice of the past. Perhaps your answers will lead you to change the way you think about fire. Perhaps your answers will lead you to gather more knowledge.
Perhaps your answers will lead you to practice.
This is your life. You get one chance. This is your people’s life. This is their one chance. Think about that for a while. It is never too late to change the way we think and do things. Start today to become the best that you can be. Your life and the lives of your people may depend on the decisions you make in the future. Don’t let production overshadow safety. To quote Justice K. Peter Richards from his review of the Westray Mine Disaster of 1992 where 26 people lost their lives: “Never let the Risks out weigh the benefits.”
Until next time, above all else Stay Safe! Tex

My Dog is Not Insane

January 15, 2010

005 Tex’s Thought Provokers

My Dog Is Not Insane


It has become clear to me that my dog is not insane. I base this on Einstein’s definition of insanity. “Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result.”
At this point, I feel you need some background information. A few years ago, my daughter found out that in a near by shelter there was a young dog that was slated for a needle, thus he had the crossing of the long swamp to look forward too. We already were the proud owners of a pure bread German Sheppard, who by the way, I think probably was a bit insane, so I had my reservations as to whether we needed another dog.
But having the luxury of being wrapped around my daughter’s finger, I had no choice. I had to concede; otherwise I would have to live with the guilt of being the reason for the dog’s demise for the rest of my days. Trust me, my daughter is a very strong willed person, she never would have let me forget it. So it was off to the rescue.
Now then, upon arriving with my family of troops, bent on saving the day, my reservations were elevated to the next level when I first saw this half Siberian Husky and half German Sheppard. First, he was rather big. Second, he was older than I had thought. Third, he had two different colored eyes, one brown and one turquoise, which kind of creeped me out. Fourth, we already had one very large dog. Fifth, I went to pet him and his head went immediately down, with his ears pined back. I looked at the manager of the shelter and said. “This dog seems to have been abused!” The smiling woman said. “Oh yes…he was…but he is still a very nice dog…and besides…he should grow out of that…he really needs a nice home.”
I just looked at her, as my thoughts were dwelling on a key word in the statement she had made. The word should, was causing me to have serious doubts.
But then, throwing caution and better judgment to the wind, over ruled by a look from my daughter, who’s eyes resembled Cindy Loo Who from Dr. Seuss’s “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” it was off to Meiko’s new home.
As it turned out, Meiko has become a fixture at our home. Despite some rather annoying traits that he possesses; and despite the fact that my insane dog Tango, who unfortunately, made the journey across the long swamp, due to a stroke, was a bit put out with the invasion at the time; and despite…well you get the picture.
Meiko and my daughter Sommer fell in love with each other the very day we saved him from the big sleep. He is spoiled to the core, and I guess if I admit it, I have come to accept him…. ok, love him too.
Now then, by this time you are wondering to yourself, where in the name of tarnation is this Yoyo going with this. Perhaps you are entertaining thoughts as to my stability?
I will try to explain.
Meiko has a problem he can’t seem to get over. He learned this at a very young age, and no matter how much love and kindness he gets, even from Sommer, he still cowers every time we go to pet him. His head drops and his ears go back. Then once we pet him, and he sees that we are not going to hit him or hurt him in any way, he is fine.
This is why I say, my dog is not insane. You see, according to Einstein’s definition, he does not expect a different result from being approached by a human.
I contend that animals are anything but dumb. They are wonderful creatures made by God to be part of the perfect balance he created.
We can learn, and we have if you think about it, a lot from the animals.
I will explain further. To me Einstein’s definition has close ties with hope. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same result, is acceptance. In some cases it could be classed as a habit. It could also mean you have fallen into the comfort zone, your comfort zone. However, it could also mean that you have lost hope. If this is the case, you don’t expect anything different because you have given up, due to all the time you have spent expecting something different and it hasn’t happened. It could further be a result of the comfort zone barring any acceptance of change.
The fact is that everything, save one thing, changes. We live in a very dynamic world. There is very little that is static, that is if we expect anything different. You can say I am doing fine and I will not change. That might well be. But what if you are joined by a group of like minded people? What if together your resistance to change is barring others that grew up in a different time with different attitudes and different ways of achieving the same goal, from entering in to your fold?
I am certainly not saying that anyone here is evil or that anyone is intentionally barring people. But what if you are perceived by others that way? What if they are misunderstanding what they see and hear? What if they are thinking…?

Matthew 23:13
13 “It will be bad for you teachers of the law and you Pharisees! You are hypocrites*! You close the way for people to enter God’s kingdom.* You yourselves don’t enter, and you stop those who are trying to enter.

I know for a certainty that if many of the people in this world thought that this was what they were doing, they would be aghast.
However, there are many good loving people that are doing this and they do not even realize that they are.
I spoke earlier about one thing that does not change. The language might indeed change, but the word of the Lord and his intent never changes. It was good a very long time ago and it will be good until he comes again. And even then, his word will never change.
The world changes, the sea changes, the universe changes, and yes we are constantly changing whether we like it or not. Nothing remains the same except the word of the Lord and he himself.
People will say to you I don’t know how to change. Or is it that they are in their comfort zone, and they simply do not want to change. People have told me time and time again, I am scared of change. Or are they really using the word fear as an excuse for staying the same, safe and sound in their comfort zone?
Others have said, I am too old to change! Well what about Zechariah and Elizabeth?

Luke 1:7
7 But they had no children. Elizabeth could not have a baby, and both of them were very old.

Luke 1:13-20
13 But the angel said to him, “Zechariah, don’t be afraid. Your prayer has been heard by God. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to a baby boy, and you will name him John. 14 You will be very happy, and many others will share your joy over his birth. 15 He will be a great man for the Lord. He will never drink wine or beer. Even before he is born, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit.* 16 “John will help many people of Israel* return to the Lord their God. 17John himself will go ahead of the Lord and make people ready for his coming. He will be powerful like Elijah* and will have the same spirit. He will make peace between fathers and their children. He will cause people who are not obeying God to change and start thinking the way they should.” 18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know that what you say is true? I am an old man, and my wife is also old.” 19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, the one who always stands ready before God. He sent me to talk to you and to tell you this good news. 20 Now, listen! You will not be able to talk until the day when these things happen. You will lose your speech because you did not believe what I told you. But everything I said will really happen.”

Well indeed, Zechariah and Elizabeth did have a son and they did call him John. And Zechariah got his voice back. And it certainly was a change for them and for the world. Because John changed a lot of people. And he did lay out a path for the one who is the greatest.
In my mind, change is a part of life. I hope I never get to a point where I am done changing, because for me this will be the day I am done learning.
I will tell you right up front, I am not comfortable, with many things. When I get up to speak before people, even though I have done it many times, I still get nervous. I may have learned how to hide my nervousness, but it is still there and very real. The same thing happens when I get up to play guitar and sing. In other words, I am not comfortable. If I become too comfortable, then I really do not put my all into it. I know when I am on the verge of comfort, because I begin to say, oh…this is not the best…but it will do. When I am trying to glorify the Lord, I want to always do my best.
If I get too comfortable, I will fall into the realm of those resistant to change. Then I fear, me being who I am, I would begin to lose hope. If I lose hope, then what do I have left?
I will admit that there are some things about us that are very hard to change. Some things we do not want to change. Like the older hymns for example. They are beautiful and they still bring praise to the Lord in a wondrous way. So the point here is, why should we change something that we love and something that has worked very well all these years? I agree that they should never be done away with. I agree that they have worked well for all of these years. I agree we should maintain them.
Yet, there is something else that we have to think about. By not changing the way we think, we are really going back to Matthew 23:13. Not because we are trying to keep people away. Because we are not willing to accept any kind of change, thus in essence we are doing the same thing.
Adopting the “my way or the highway” attitude is really an example of Matthew 23:13.
Now before you label me an anarchist or some sort of evil communist, or being in cahoots with Old Fungus Face, what if ……
what if we didn’t have to lose the older Hymns and the older style of worship, which for many has worked so well? What if we didn’t have to lose something that we love so much?
What if we were to compromise? What if say….we had a service at 800am for an hour of tradition hymns and message? Then we could go to the kitchen and have a coffee and a doughnut and share some fellowship. Then we went to Sunday school for an hour as usual. Then we had a contemporized type of service for an hour? This might include plays, messages, testimonies, music of today, all sorts of things.
It might be very surprising to many, as to how many would gladly and willingly go to both services.
The way I see it is this, not to sound like a broken record;

25 Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking. So he said to them, “Every kingdom that fights against itself will be destroyed. And every city or family that is divided against itself will not survive.”
Matthew 12:25

We can decide to not compromise, and we can simply adopt the “my way or the highway” attitude, and we will become a house divided by it’s self and we will all lose out.
We can continue letting the world see us as described in Matthew 23:13. Whether we are doing it on purpose or not is irrelevant. We can go on doing the same things as we have always did, all the while expecting a new and different outcome, and no, I am not saying that anyone is insane, other than myself. With everyone losing in the end.

Or we could all be people of good will and compromise so that everyone wins, mostly including the Lord. Even if we were to try it, even if we were to try something like it. What if were able to bring one person to the Lord because of our compromise, would it not be worth it?
To me, we have to be thinking all the time of ways to spread the good news, ways to bring more and more people to the Lord. I for one am not comfortable while I know there is more I could be doing to spread his word and more I could be doing to help gather souls for Jesus. It is my hope that for as long as I live I am not content to ever be comfortable. For when I find that I am getting comfortable, I will seek change. Until next time, may the light of Jesus shine on your face, and may you never be content with comfort.
Our comfort awaits us in Glory in the future.
God bless you all.
Tex