Thankfulness

Thankfulness,,, the subject that we all know too much about but sometimes we forget. So about two weeks ago I was driving my truck I saw a bumper sticker. On the bumper sticker it said, "thank you God for blessing me much more than I deserve." I thought the person knows where I'm at. I don't deserve this life and I say thank you to God for today. So then Sunday rolls around and it's time to write my senior sermon for June 23, 2013. I log onto my computer hit up Facebook and the first thing that I see on the wall is a picture with the saying "thank you God for blessing me much more than I deserve,,," so I guess that will be what today's sermon is about--being thankful and thankfulness. Every day we wake up and we're given the gift of life. What we do with it becomes a gray area. You see in the Bible it says "be joyful always, pray continually, giving thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ." (Thessalonians 5:16-18) This is rough,,, well because life is rough. We all got problems... the world has many problems--maybe getting divorced and you can pray on that. Maybe your woman who miscarries,,, you can pray on that. Maybe you're someone who gets mistreated daily,,, you can pray on that. Maybe you're a person at a nursing home barely living and if not for the staff you'd be alone,,, you can pray on that. Maybe you're overwhelmed by your finances and have a cloud of depression over you or you're just lonely--all things you can pray for or pray because, but do these things make you feel thankful ??? In most situations, giving thanks for these things would suck, suck hard !!! You wouldn't feel a need for calling... NO just the opposite ,,, shaking your fist with anger upward at the Lord would seem more fitting, making what Paul said fruitless, but you're breathing, you're alive, you're heart and blood is pumping. You see, giving thanks in good times it is easy to get reminded that every gift is good and perfect from above. We can easily appreciate them. Counting our blessings becomes habit and comfort, but in difficult times these come gray. You see, this is where our/your faith comes into play. It's God's plan, his road, or his path and we as human flesh fight because we want control of the road. We want to control our road and where it goes, and what it does and God is supposed to sprinkle us with greatness because we are good or bad, but God is still giving. You see, this is superficial faith !!! So in good or bad times we must give thanks. He wants us to walk by faith and not by sight. The road has bumps, and if we just depend on our senses, life would be one long roller coaster with no exit. No stops, no getting off, and I don't know about you, but after about an hour or so that would get sickening !!! So sit back and relax. If we rely on God everything will become smooth and steady. We will still be riding a roller coaster, but there will be stops and starts, places to get on, places to get off--all in all a giant adventure we call life !!! You see peace can come to us if we stop sweating the small stuff, trust our faith, trust in God, and remember like the passage said, "be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, [and I love the way it says that "all circumstances"] for this is God's will for you in Jesus Christ." Start your day off with a thank you, and right before you go to bed say thank you too irregardless of whether it was a good day or a bad day. If tomorrow comes, you are blessed, if it doesn't, you are needed elsewhere. So just remember tomorrow might never come. Today is a gift !!! Thanks. Jeff da Plumber until next time... Peace !!!

Saint Patrick's Day Sermon

Hey everyone !!! This month's sermon fell on St. Paddy's day, so I figured, why not tell the people about the real Saint Patrick. I scoured the internet looking for the story and came across this website (http://holydays.tripod.com/shamrock.htm)  and this is the story I told them. Enjoy !!! Let me know your St. Paddy's day traditions !!!

The Life of Saint Patrick and the Origin of St. Patrick's Day

From the Rocky Mountain Family Council

Who Was the Real St. Patrick?

There are many legends and traditions associated with St. Patrick's Day. Who was the real St. Patrick?

St. Patrick was not actually Irish. he was born around 373 A.D. in the British Isles near the modern city of Dumbarton in Scotland. His real name was Maewyn Succat. He took the name of Patrick, or Patricius, meaning "well-born" in Latin, after he became a priest.

During Patrick's boyhood, the Roman empire was near collapse and too weak to defend its holdings in distant lands. Britain became easy prey for raiders, including those who crossed the Irish sea from the land known as Hibernia or Ireland. When Patrick was sixteen, he was seized by raiders and carried off to Ireland.

Most of what is known about St. Patrick comes from his own Confession, written in his old age. In his Confession he wrote about his capture:

As a youth, nay, almost as a boy not able to speak, I was taken captive ... I was like a stone lying in the deep mire; and He that is mighty came and in His mercy lifted me up, and raised me aloft ... And therefore I ought to cry out aloud and so also render something to the Lord for His great benefits here and in eternity -- benefits which the mind of men is unable to appraise.

After Patrick was captured and taken to Ireland as a slave by an Irish chieftain named Niall, he was sold to another chieftain in northern Ireland. Much of Patrick's time was spend alone on the slopes of Slemish Mountain, tending his master's flocks of sheep. During the long, lonely hours in the fields and hills of Ireland, Patrick found comfort in praying. In his Confession he wrote: 

... every day I had to tend sheep, and many times a day I prayed -- the love of God and His fear came to me more and more, and my faith was strengthened. And my spirit was moved so that in a single day I would say as many as a hundred prayers and almost as many in the night, and this even when I was staying in the woods and on the mountains; ... and I felt no harm, and there was no sloth in me -- as now I see, because the spirit within me was fervent.

Six years passed slowly by. Then in a dream, Patrick heard a voice saying, "Thy ship is ready for thee." This was God's way, he felt, of telling him to run away.

That night he fled. Assured God was leading him, Patrick plunged through the bogs and scaled the mountains which separated him from the sea. He escaped Ireland by ship, but God would call him back years later. Patrick had escaped his boyhood enslavement in Ireland only to hear the call of God as a man to return. He was being called on, he felt, to convert the Irish to Christianity. In hisConfession Patrick wrote:

I saw a man named Victoricus, coming from Ireland with countless letters. He game me one of them and I read the opening words which were: The voice of the Irish ... I thought at the same moment I heard their voice: 'We beg you, young man, come and walk among us once more.'

And I was quite broken in heart, and could read no further, and so I woke up. Thanks be to God, after many years the Lord gave to them according to their cry.

... they call me most unmistakably with words which I heard but could not understand, except that ... He spoke thus: 'He that has laid down His life for thee, it is He that speaketh in thee;' and so I awoke full of joy.

When Patrick began his mission about 430 A.D., Ireland was gripped by paganism, Idolatry prevailed and the Irish knew nothing of Jesus. Patrick decided to go first to the pagan chieftain or king who had enslaved him as a boy. Rather than be put to shame by a former slave, the king set fire to his house and threw himself into the flames.

Patrick then set out for Tara, the seat of the high king of Ireland. When Patrick arrived, Tara was filled with many local kings and druids who were attending the pagan feast of Beltine which coincided with Easter that year. Patrick encamped in the full view of the castle to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.

On the eve of the festival it was the custom, upon penalty of death, that the high king should light the first bonfire before any others in the land. Patrick, however, had kindled a great fire which gleamed through the darkness. Patrick was summoned before the king. The confrontation which followed is as amazing as Elijah's victory over the prophets of Baal.

Patrick stood and called, May God arise and His enemies be scattered. Darkness fell on the camp. Confused guards began to attack one another. The ground shook and the next day, Easter, a broken king knelt before God's servant. This confrontation between Patrick's God and demonic forces marked the beginning of a thirty-year mission to Ireland.

Patrick traveled the roads and forded the rivers of Ireland for 30 years to see men and women "reborn in God' and come to know the Christ he loved so much. Patrick wrote in his Confession:

We ought to fish well and diligently, as our Lord exhorts. Hence, we spread our nets so that a great multitude and throng might be caught for God.

We ought to fish well and diligently, as our Lord exhorts. Hence, we spread our nets so that a great multitude and throng might be caught for God.

By the time of his death, Patrick had baptized tens of thousands and established hundreds of churches throughout Ireland. Danger and hardship remained his constant companions. Twice he was imprisoned, but he was not discouraged. He wrote in hisConfession:

Daily I expect murder, fraud, or captivity, but I fear none of these things because of the promises of heaven. I have cast myself into the hands of God Almighty who rules everywhere. 

Daily I expect murder, fraud, or captivity, but I fear none of these things because of the promises of heaven. I have cast myself into the hands of God Almighty who rules everywhere. 

Within a century this once pagan land became predominately Christian, possessing such a vigorous faith that Ireland in turn sent missionaries to Scotland, England, Germany and Belgium.

As an old man, Patrick looked back in awe:

Those who never had knowledge of God but worshipped idols ... have now become ... sons of God.

The old saint died in his beloved Ireland on March 17th, 460 A.D. The land that once enslaved him, had now been set free.

Note: One of the most popular legends attributed to Patrick is that he used the shamrock as a visual aid to teach the principle of the Trinity. This story cannot be verified. However, from his writings it is evident the doctrine of the Trinity was central in his teaching.

12 Month Plan for Your Home

Hey there everyone !!! Jeff da Plumber™ here with another how-to, home tip. Since it is the new year, I thought I would share with you all a home maintenance timeline that I use in my home. If I follow it in my home, it is simple, cost-effective, and safe.

So now, here are the 12 Months of Household Tips:

January

When you are taking down those lights, be sure to clean the gutters. The rain is coming and you want to have your gutters free and clear of debris.

February

Trim those pesky trees. This will prevent damage to nearby cars and the house. Those strong winds can come in and you want there to be no way the branches can damage you or your home.

March

This is a plumbing month. Inspect all of your toilets, sinks, and showers. Make sure there are not any leaks. This saves you money on your bill and saves the planet too. Be sure to inspect your water heater too. Make sure it is not leaking or off temperature from previous months. If you do encounter a problem and need to replace your water heater, read this blog post for more information on Tanked vs. Tankless: http://jefftheplumber.blogspot.com/2012/09/tanked-versus-tankless.html

April

It is Daylight-Savings time and you know what that means right?!?! Time to change the batteries on all detectors: smoke, heat, carbon monoxide, gas, etc. This is the perfect time to do it because this happens twice a year. If you get in the habit of changing them bi-annually, you won’t have to hear the obnoxious batteries low noises, or risk your family’s safety.

May

Clean the filters in your house and if necessary replace them. This ensures the cleanest air running through your home. Make sure your pool is ready as well. The kids will be coming home from college or the school year will be ending and the pool will be getting a lot of use as the world warms up.

June

Clean dryer lint. Now I’m not talking about the filter on the dryer, I’m taking about where the dryer meets the wall and outside. The link does not all get collected in the filter and is flammable, so be sure to clean the vent pipes out a few times a month.

July

Replace the filter in your fridge or water softener. Your water may be getting a funky taste or be staining your glasses. It is important to change these filters to keep clean water coming to your families. With summer in full swing, here are some other tips to help save you money and keep your home operating at its finest: http://jefftheplumber.blogspot.com/2012/07/life-is-flush-and-jeff-da-plumber-is.html

August

Repair any cracks outside your home. This could be on the driveway or on the external walls of your house. This protects the foundation and the over safety of your home. Also, clean those shower and sink heads. (Tips for that are described here: http://jefftheplumber.blogspot.com/2012/01/clean-shower-head-for-2012.html)

September

Put away all of your summer stuff. This could be the chairs and tables you have in your backyard, or the grill. If it is something you will be using throughout the year, make sure it is covered. When the rain comes, you do not want everything getting rusted, so take a few minutes to put what you won’t need in a covered storage space.

October

Daylight-Savings time is over and you know what that means?!?! Of course you do !!! It is time to change those batteries again. Also, inspect and clean your fireplace. You can buy special logs to clean the fireplace from most local stores.

November

It is time to look at those air filters again. This is also the time to look for any leaks anywhere in your home. The rain is just starting so you may be able to catch a small leak before it becomes a big problem.

December

Winter is here, and between Thanksgiving and all of the holiday parties, your poor garbage disposal is getting a workout. Give the garbage disposal a good thorough cleaning. Here are some other general tips for winter: http://jefftheplumber.blogspot.com/2011/12/seasonal-tips-for-winter.html

I hope that you find these tips helpful. Again, happy new year from my family to yours. If you have any questions or need help with any of these items, your friendly neighborhood plumber is here to help.

Jeff da Plumber™ (916)481-6593

Thanksgiving

So it's upon us once again and here I am before you spout off some words, so here we go,,, Thanksgiving is an Awesome american formed holiday celebrated by most in the states and hopefully world wide now, But what does it mean or stand for ???

I'm not talking about the gathering of friends or family on Thursday November 22nd 2012, Where we eat turkey, potatoes, stuffing, corn and yams. Oh and all that yummy desert. Although a great celebration but not what I'm talking about.

I'm not even talking about that autumn day back in 1621, where the pilgrims sat down with the Wapaqnoag Indians to celebrate there first successful harvest, Even though that wasn't there tru reason, You see the pilgrims were celebrating as a part of there religion,,, Giving thanks to the lord.

EPHESIANS 1;15-23 (this is the part where I hope you get and open your bible)

Thanksgiving a day to be thankful, I'd like to believe this celebration started way back at another meal were 13 brothers sat and had a feast, some called it the last supper. That's right I said it You see JESUS CHRIST performed many miracles, raised a few people from the dead, even walked on water, because he could roll like that.

We believe in him,We follow him, As a father and a teacher, We admire and love him, We are called disciples since we learn from him, And on that day HE (JESUS) chose 12 men, Brothers, Apostles, Washed there feet as they entered the house, Shared in a Passover feast, HE (JESUS) spoke these great words

"Eat this, for this is my body, which is broken for you" "Drink this, for this is my blood, which is shed for you"

When that the meal ended,a feast beyond our earthly Thursday feasts, JESUS told his apostles "I give you a new commandment, That you love one another, even as I loved you, That you also love one another" When all was said and done those 12 men sang psalms and returned back to there worlds,,, This was a true Thanksgiving feast.

We should be this thankful each and every day and every thing we have because it is all a gift, Tomorrow is never guaranteed, I know how most will celebrate this week, in our modern American way, just don't forget the beginnings That our FATHER,,, GOD gives us each breathe and for that we should be THANKFUL

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL and May the LORD bring each of us many many BLESSINGS,,, Until next this is "Jeff da Plumber" saying peace be with you !!!

Sin,,,Am I,,, Are we sinners ???

This has been a question in and on my mind for some time, as you may know if you have been following me. Last year I spent a lot of time with xxxchurch, disusing porn and what it does to you. I grew up in N.Y.C. and that in itself is not a very GODLY atmosphere, None the less once a month I visit two senior centers on a Sunday and give a little sermon so to speak,,, I hope I do it good enough to get them questioning life, reading there bibles or me just bringing them some entertainment. So this was this week.

I started with the reading Isaiah 64:6

All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

This passage grabbed me a few weeks ago, You see I do a fair share of good deeds. Why are they filthy rags ??? Am I not worthy of GRACE; Is my faith not strong; Do I not pray enough and lift up my heart to the lord; OR am I just wasting my time doing these things for nothing ??? [Don't anyone answer aloud]

So I read further in the BIBLE searching for the truth as we all should. This lead me deep in to Ephesians, This book was written by PAUL. I find him to be one of the first Holy terrorists, spreading the word and bringing the hard truth of the word of GOD to the people any way possible.

[I read from Ephesians] *note: you should open your bible and read it some time !!!

Any where I read in this book, there is a deep under lining talk of GRACE. We are humans, made of flesh and blood, created by GOD, And because of one moment in time in the Garden of Eden, ADAM and EVE ate the forbidden fruit causing each and every one of us to be born separate, excluded, with out hope, with out GOD,,, Simply sinners.

This is something I found hard to swallow, Don't you ???

So we must be good to be approved,,, You see we know this from when we are children, pure, untainted yet by life, no experience, no real opinions yet, simple, Right from wrong is so black and white, If we do something good we get rewarded. If we do something bad we get punished. This is the first time on earth that we will know GOOD and EVIL. The line is fine. As adults we learn and hold the gray area as kind of middle ground,,, Like hey I know I did that bad thing to so and so but they are really bad so they deserved it. I didn't hurt anyone, If it felt good I should do it again its not hurting anybody,,, You feel me right smart people.

This is when we let the DEVIL, SATAN get a toe hold in our door, Close that door and lock it tight. Keep doing right, Keep doing GOOD deeds, For this I see as our OBEDIENCE to the HOLY SPIRIT.

My pastor told me the other day that we live by the three G's: Guilt, Grace, Gratitude. You see he said "We are Guilty, We are given Grace, and we live in Gratitude" That about summed it up for me. So we are sinners, that we can not change. Just continue to be the light, Or my new word AMBASSADOR, We can do this to others in the world, spreading the word, being kind, Loving all with the big heart in our chests, Extending GRACE to all UNCONDITIONALLY !!!Let us PRAY [this is the part you say whatever your heart needs or feels] AMEN
This is "Jeff da Plumber" until next time, Many blessings, Peace out !!!
Side Note* sometimes when I speak I hear music in my head and this time these are the songs I heard: Amazing Grace, Old rugged cross, No not one

Google them and read the words if it pulls at you, The words fit my message so I'm a guy who thinks GOD was humming them as he was listening to me, Just sayin' !!!

Tanked vs. Tankless

With the start of the school year here, or just around the corner for some, the kiddos are leaving the house. That being said, what better time to take a look at your bills? I have kids so I know how pricey the start of the school year can be. Keeping that in mind, and speaking from personal experience, you try to save dollars in any way you can think of. Why not take a look at your hot water ???

I get this question a lot when people run into a problem with their water heater. I always suggest they switch to tankless, and more times than not, they ask my “why” or “what’s the difference?” This post will (hopefully) answer those questions !!!

For the basics, there is the obvious size difference. 

The tanked-water heaters (left) have been around for decades without much change. They keep a storage of hot water by constantly cycling on and off to keep temperature.




Tankless-water heaters (right) on the other hand, is just that, TANK LESS. It mounts to the wall and is only on when hot water is needed. There is a sensor within the heater than activated and turns on the burner or heating element.

Tanked-Water Heaters

Advantages:

• Low first cost – about $400 – $550 

Disadvantages:

• Energy is being used all day, every day to keep the water at temperature. 
• Larger carbon footprint… the more water you use, the bigger the impact. 
• Limited hot water supply. Basically you get as much water as the tank can hold. So when your kid takes a 30 minute shower, you get some chilly water to scrub-a-dub with !!! 

Tankless Water heater
Advantages:

• Energy is not used until a demand is present. 
• Smaller footprint than tank-type water heater 
• Saves floor space. 
• Unlimited hot water supply. So everyone can shower and no one feels like they are swimming in Antarctica. 
• No risk of a broken or ruptured tank, which could lead to flood damage or worse. 
• Longer life span with fewer repairs needed. 

Disadvantages:

• High first cost – about $1000 – $1200 

Hopefully this can help you make the decision that is right for your and your family. If you do choose to make the move to a new water heater, remember to call you neighborhood plumber, Jeff da Plumber !!! 916-481-6593.

Summer Tips for a Healthy Home

Life is a Flush, and Jeff da Plumber is here to help !!! Here are some summer tips for the plumbing in your house… some will help you save some dollars on your electric bill, others will prevent future issues, and others will work towards saving the rainforest,,, one flush at a time.

• Check the temperature setting on the water heater. It should be set no higher than 120° to prevent scalding and reduce energy use. Summer is a good time to turn the temperature down, especially when away on vacation !!!!
• Replacing an old shower head can save up to 7.5 gallons of water per minute without sacrificing water pressure. To clean mineral deposits from the showerhead, unscrew it, soak it in vinegar overnight and then gently scrub with a toothbrush to remove deposits. (To see step by step directions with pictures, go to http://jefftheplumber.blogspot.com/2012/01/clean-shower-head-for-2012.html)
• Check outdoor faucets/hoses to make sure water flows freely and they aren’t leaking and wasting precious water.
• Conserve water. Water your lawn before sunup or after sundown to reduce usage.
• Take a look at your bathroom. Check around the bottom of the toilet for any signs of leaks. If there are stains or if the floor seems spongy, there could be a possible leak. Check for any loose tiles above and around the bathtub or shower because loose tiles could indicate a possible leak.
• Your kids are outside playing, getting dirty, going swimming, etc. The more they do, the more clothes there are to wash. Be sure to check your washing machine hoses for bulges, leaks or cracks and be sure to remove drier lint regularly. Also, move your machine at least four inches from the wall to prevent hose kinking and damage, and never leave your home while the washer is running. Remember--washing machine hoses should be replaced approximately every three years.
• Be careful what you put down your kitchen disposal after your BBQs. Most are not equipped to handle cornhusks, celery, banana peels and other fibrous or “stringy” foods. Some other items to stay away from are fats or cooking oils because they form clots in the pipes. Run cold water at full pressure for 15 seconds before and after you put anything down the disposal to flush it through. Never put instant stuffing, potato mixes or similar “just-add-water” foods down the drain—they'll create an instant clog when you add water.
• Sewer line backups are common this time of year because of rainwater, pipe cracks, etc. New tree root growth from the spring can also cause sewer backup issues as roots are drawn toward the sewer line as a source of nutrition. If you are experiencing clogs in your bathroom or kitchen, have a plumber come and inspect your sewer line pipes for roots.

Keep these plumbing tips on your mind because the summer time can be an awful time to have plumbing issues. Should anything occur, you could be without your shower or toilet facilities which could create one unhappy household, especially if you have company over when it happens. Checking these areas before a problem happens or catching a problem early can save you lots of money in the future. Whether you know a bit about plumbing and can fix these problems yourself before they get complicated, or if you have to call a plumber, it will still be less expensive to fix small problems before they turn into large ones.

Fathers Day Message

Religious Plea - 8 Days Left

16 Days Left !!! Please help !!!

Please Please Please help !!! I cannot succeed without your support.

IRONMAN Triathlon Charity

As many of you know for the last few years I have been training for a variety of athletic events. Recently I have completed the California International Marathon, Rancho Seca Half IRONMAN, Shamrock’N Half Marathon, Golden State Triathlon, and countless 5K and 10K races. I am now training for what is possibly the hardest race of my life, a full distance IRONMAN. For those of you unfamiliar with the event, it is a 2.5 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike ride and finishing it with a 26.2 mile run. I will complete this endurance test on June 24, 2012 in Idaho. Each of my previous races usually support a local cause or charity that the sponsors have chosen. While considering upping my game and going for a full distance IRONMAN an opportunity to do more than race presented itself. Knowing that God always uses me in a way I couldn’t have dreamed I knew this was His plan for me. I am thankful for each day that the Lord gives me. My friend Jake Larsen was putting together a team of men to race and raise awareness and money for Fireproof Ministries and XXXChurch.

XXXChurch is an organization dedicated to sharing God’s love with those that usually are subjects and not people. These people are the men and women who are victims or captives of the sex industry. Whether they are working in it, addicted to it, held prisoner and forced into it, or impacted by it in any way they have support. XXXChurch travels across the country and rescues those who want to get out, those who need help to stop, and enabling them to move beyond their past. They even rent a booth at conventions and offer Bibles with covers specifically for those in attendance, emblazoned with the cover “Jesus loves Porn Stars.” The Bible says that Jesus loves everyone, even what society would consider the least of these. God has a place and love for all of His children, not just those who are living the perfect life. Because in reality none of is living the perfect life. We are all sinners and yet we are still loved. I ask that you consider sponsoring me and make a tax deductible donation. I just need 140 friends to donate a dollar for each mile I race, A small $140 donation to help save marriages or innocent children from the vulgarity and filth of porn. Donations can be made directly onto the secure website https://www.myxxxchurch.com/campaigns/view/jeffdaplumber.html or a check can be mailed to PO Box 201 Citrus Heights, CA 95611. You also can learn more information about what XXXChurch and Fireproof Ministries is and does at XXXChurch.com. You can also view my videos that I have made on my website, YouTube or Facebook. Every thought, prayer and donation will help me succeed in this journey. Thank you for your support. I know with partners like you many lives, families and people will be impacted. God Bless!

January 21 2012

It's a new year and during this time most make a resolution or two, That in its self is great. The normal bunch are, loose weigh, get in shape, eat more healthy, make career moves, work harder, spend more time with family, take a vacation, These are all great things, But in my opinion they should be every day life

My number one resolution is to commit to my faith in GOD, Start listening even more to the words in the bible so my years road will be as smooth as silk, Of course I set goals instead of so called resolutions, My resolution is just keeping my faith and making it stronger.

My first step in this path is,,, well a tough one. You see I committed to compete in a full distance IRONMAN Triathlon, For those who don't know what that entails, especially if you don't hang with me enough, Is a nice 2.5 mile swim in a usually cold body of water, Followed by a 112 mile bicycle ride and wait for it,,, When I dismount the bike I will run a marathon. This will,,, No is no joke. Also not a moment in time one can not buck his or her FAITH, Prayers will need to be plentiful, GOD"S strength will need to envelop me each mile, The HOLY spirit will surely carry me a few miles.

So in this external goal you can see where my FAITH strengthening and commitment lie, But I always have to go the extra step, so to speak. I picked a charity that deals with FAITH. That is where my friends come in to the picture, You see my friend Jake Larson and Craig Gross, belong to xxx church, A church that fights pornography in a positive way, Not condemning those to all damnation, Just simply loving them and sharing the hands of GOD, The one and only JESUS. They help keep or protect children from viewing porn, Help the men and women who make porn with education, And my favorite keep the sanctity of marriage pure by making those addicted to porn accountable, Showing all the light of GOD !!!

This journey is important to my life path, But even more in GOD'S path for me on his road, My friends hearing my words right now, Don't worry about all you prior life baggage, It's what makes you,,, YOU, Just follow these words as I paraphrase the bible, JESUS said " It's OK just follow me " It's that simple, read your bible, in hard times read your your bible, in good times read your bible, The answers are all there, Don't forget your "Thank You's" for every breathe, And remember in the end Jesus is there if you BELIEVE

Clean Shower-head for 2012

Use this ”explosive“ homemade cleaner to blast away all of those hard water deposits that are blocking your showerhead:

Here’s an easy DIY recipe:

-1/3 cup baking soda
-1 cup white vinegar
-1 plastic bag
-1 large bag twisty tie

1. Mix baking soda and vinegar in bag over a sink. Caution: Pour vinegar into bag slowly, there is an “explosive” foaming action that kicks in.

2. Place bag over showerhead. Be sure it is submerged in the baking soda/vinegar solution.
3. Secure with twisty tie.

4. Let the showerhead soak in the solution overnight or for at least 2-3 hours.
5. Wipe off showerhead prior to use.

Seasonal Tips for Winter

The holidays are a time for family, friends and quite a few plumbing emergencies. A majority of Americans take part in holiday parties with 11 or more guests around Thanksgiving and Christmas. These extra guests put a serious strain on a home's plumbing system, which results in more emergency calls to plumbers.

Pipes clog because of a gradual buildup of grease, hair, soap and/ or food particles. All it takes it one major overload, like a house full of guests, to exasperate the situation and create a clogged drain. Follow these tips to avoid a plumbing disaster.


In the kitchen:

•Avoid pouring fats or cooking oils down the drain because liquid fats solidify in the pipes and create clogs. Wipe congealed grease from pots.
•Never put hard-to-grind, stringy, fibrous waste into the garbage disposer (poultry skins, carrots, celery, pumpkin pulp or banana peels). The disposer can't sufficiently grind these items and they will clog your sink drain.
•Run cold water down the drain for about 15 seconds before and after using the garbage disposer to flush waste down the main line.
•Turn on the disposer before adding food debris.
•Run the dishwasher and washing machine at night or at off times to conserve hot water and maintain adequate water pressure for your guests.

In the bathroom:

•Plan ahead, spread out showers throughout the day; wait 10 minutes between showers rather than taking one right after another.
•Turn up the water heater slightly to retain hot water. To avoid scalding, do not exceed 125°F.
•If shower pressure is weak, pour a cup of vinegar into a plastic bag, place it over the shower head, and soak. Use a twist tie to hold it in place overnight. In the morning, remove the bag and use an old toothbrush to gently scrub off the mineral deposits to help restore water flow.

Mission trip in Namibia Africa: Day 7 continued

Our work on the church was done, base structure and roof complete, The members of the church will have to close in the wall, this is so that they can truly take ownership of the home for GOD, Us workers cleaned up as best we could, We sent for the chief or one of his head representatives, all the women and children gathered for the dedication ceremony, This once again moved me, I felt the strong need to drop to my knees, This time I didn't fight it, You see the gift of the LORD is always great, life is good and GOD is great, one should embrace these moments, the good and the bad is what life is about, keep it positive even when it seems negative, the bumps are just tests to see how true you are, So keep your faith.

This ceremony was about an hour long and even though my body was tired was spent my spirit carried me through, We then snapped tons of photos, which was great seeing all there smiles and laughter, The chiefs representative a Herrara women ( they hadn't called her his wive but the chief can have multiples) came pushing through the crowd towards the back where I was standing, Locals and 13 Americans and she pushes through the crowd to me,,, This I thought was strange, I'm just "JDP" a working class man from the U.S.A. I didn't understand her spoken words, they were not English, so I called for our translator Jobe, She stated she would like to be photographed with me and no one else, Now picture taking here is a touchy thing, you see they feel it will do something to there spirit, so we always were careful, in fact most of my pictures were taken from my hip not to draw attention to the camera, So I of course said yes with out questioning why, she shook my hand many times and hugged me in an excessively long time and walked off, I had no clue at this time the significance of this event, Some said she liked me, some said we would be married now, some also said it was because I was the largest of our group so I must have been the leader, Some even said my long hair and blue eyes gave me a JESUS like appearance, What ever it was I was honored, Just look out honey you might have some competition !!!

We once again load up and head back to our camp, on our way back we pass a parade with cars and trucks all flagged out, loudspeakers blaring, "come one come, come all, soccer tournament tomorrow" Exciting if I really played that sport, My bro Nick Clark would have been down at that field I bet, Once back at camp everyone gets a more deeper cleanup, we eat dinner and wait for church service, this was to begin at 6:30pm, But didn't until 10pm (African Arrival time Again) Service was in a tent about a mile down the road, we all pile in and watch the hours of signing and dancing, Our pastor Kokomore preaches, Then more signing and dancing we head back to camp now Saturday, I go to get some sleep but I see this as impossible, our camp is filled with 100's of new tents filled with all the surrounding villages children and teens for the youth services in the morning, It was time to go american I put my mp3 player on ear-buds in, Good night all I love you baby wher ever you are !!!

Mission trip in Namibia Africa: Day 7

So Friday has arrived, GOOD MORNING AFRICA !!!!!!!!!!!
We had a rocky meeting last night, The ladies were addressed, We understand our situation isn't normal in the American sense But we have to get with the more go with the flow attitude, Were in Africa, one bathroom, no real showers or water, when we say were leaving at a certain time were leaving, So This morning 8am is the time to shoot for, It's currently 7:20 and half are up moving eating breakfast, I have been up since 6, bucket showered, semi clean clothes, meditation/prayer and morning video blog, It has been humorous sitting back watching them all trying to scurry around trying to get ready for the 7:30 load time, In fact I hear a song playing in my head, maybe you know it, Beastie Boyz "body moving, get your body moving" If you know it you will be singing it all day now, Well I must Thank the
LORD for another great day alive, we will do our best to serve you and continue bringing other along with us
This morning our crew really did the split, most went to the church building site, I went with the Shalleys to get supplies, First stop for me was the building material supply house, They had everything you would need to build a modern African house/hut, But not what we needed, so we traveled to another, Second stop had our steel roofing material, bolts, nuts, and washers, One sheet of corrugated steel was $147.49ran (I love that number)Pretty decent price, that's like 20 bucks American, we then traveled to the tire store, they spell TIRE "TYRE", two flats so far, the roads here are rough, Also they have all the normal stuff like any American tire place, Just no 20's and low profile, mostly aggressive tread truck stuff, Glad for this stop, you see I have been hand pumping them up for a few days, No air tools either, all the old way brute force, lug wrench and scroll lack, got to love it, Grocery store next, got bread meat, ice, milk, butter and more snacks, The milk here is funny, it comes in a carton like soy milk and says long life on it, No refrigeration needed, All ready to go out to the village, I'm riding in the bed to hold down the steel, we don't need no OSHA or Safety police, We got GOD on our side.

Once at the village it was time to roof the church, Since I just brought that they were waiting on me, so I better get moving, get my body moving, This is going to be a day of adaption to our African construction condition's, Adaptation that is a great skill to have in life, In fact I think it's a key to life success, Especially here in Namibia Africa,,, You see no jack lifts, or multi-level scaffolding with built in ladders, no cordless drills, impact guns, Just standard skill brand drills with nut drivers and ladders that don't reach the peak of the roof,,, So here we go again throwing all the OSHA rules out the huge window, Step one put a ladder in a pickup truck, send the tall man up it, He then pulls him self up on top of the peak, Step 2 move the truck and send another man up it to a lower spot, and step 3 you set the make shift scaffolding up for a third man, the final step is for all who's left to pass up the steel, sliding it up to the peak and let the screwing begin, Can you guess who the tall man was ??? You guessed it the plumber, Here in the states RULE #1 when you start as The plumber 's your feet never leave the ground unless your standing on a scissor lift, So I climbed up there like a nimble little spider monkey, using self taping screws with rubber washers, sliding backwards sheet by sheet, one side complete, Lunch time came.

Today they slaughtered a goat just for us, so the meat it fresh off the bone, The liver has to be eaten first, it's an honor thing, It tasted good, although I thought it was overcooked, we also had hoagie rolls with hot dogs and potato chip mix, It was all good especially since or with the hard work, once break time was over it was time to climb again, We needed a new plan, The spider monkey's plumbing needed a re-prev, Since he enjoys being intimate with his lovely wife someday again, besides I felt we were pushing our luck and faith with the risks we were taking, new plan,,,

One man on the scaffolding standing on a box, the other 2 men each on a ladder in the pickup, opposing each other, short side tall side, tying of to the perlins, Great plan and we began rocking and rolling, sheet by sheet,pickup moved down scaffolding moved, and so on, Roof complete, Now it will be time for dedication,,, (to be continued)

Mission trip in Namibia Africa: Thursday day 6

So woke up and Thanked GOD for another glorious day, all in all performed my normal routine of a bucket bath, put on semi clean pants, sock, underwear, a totally new T shirt, Filled everyone's buckets, Meditated/prayed and finally made my morning daily vlog, Then loaded up the truck with materials, food and water for the day, Best of all this is done before 8am, So breakfast was usually done by now, today White bread with the center cut out and where the bread center was, is a fried egg, There was always regular scrambled eggs with spam and cheese, dry cereal, coffee and tea. Now in our world you may know I don't usually drink tea or coffee because I don't need caffeine to get me going, since life primarily makes me high and if I'm feeling down I go for a run, But (this is where the true N.Y. plumber will come out) Coffee or tea Will help me drop the kids off at the pool, if you catch what I'm laying down, After 5 days of no drop off the chocolate children are getting angry so I must do something about the backup at the "OK corral", we all brought stuff for Montezuma's revenge but not anything for the current situation, We think it due to the malaria pills were all taking, I'm drinking the tap water today and hoping It will make the river flow, if not I can chill and go with the flow, I hope the local water will work just better not let the missionary's catch me, you see they say the water is bad for us Americans,,, I'm not buying that besides I'm the plumber and drink all kinds of water to check for taste when a customer thinks something is wrong, So I'm thinking I will taste the pollutants right away, bring it on Montezuma !!!

Well we head off for the village, The children that don't go to school came running as soon as the saw our vehicles hit the cattle road, We unloaded, set up the scaffolding, ladders, generator, welder, drills, hand tools, painting supplies, Had one of the ladies prep a nut to a bolt, while others painted the steel, As we started installing the perlins and roof structure, We all worked until lunch, Which was African sloppy Joe's with African cheese puffs and canned fruit salad, After lunch back to the the task at hand, The school children began to arrive back at the village, so the ladies get to switch modes, this always made them happier because the didn't really enjoy listening to us men any way.

Today they made an art project with yarn, paper plates and pictures from hallmark cards, Everyone was wearing them around there necks like trophies, It was neat watching from high atop the roof line, I'm not down helping the ladies but surely enjoying there beautiful work, just watching the children and adult Himba ladies create art then play the school yard games is so so AWESOME

finished work in the village for the day, washed up and headed back to town, first we stopped at the grocery store for the normal, water, ice, snacks, soda, Oh and I got some hand wash laundry soap so I can wash some clothes in the morning, Returned to camp, As others went to settle in, shower, and start dinner, I went back to Macgyver plumbing mode, Fixed many thing and none up to our American plumbing standards, I won't tell any one if you don't, If anything they will want me to come back again, Dinner bell rang, tonight, A meat stew like thing, Now I say meat because it comes from a 4 legged animal but I wasn't asking witch, we also had African Doritos, buttered bread with fruit jam and desert rice crispy treats, We conversed and split off as usual, I decided to do my laundry tonight, It helped put real American life into perspective, I'm really enjoying this walk with Christ, I think this lack of hot showers and washing machines would make us all smelly, I ask for a ladies to be 100% honest and let me know if I got the funk, They say I'm not so I must trust them just as I trust in GOD, Tomorrow brings a new day and each more challenging, So bring it big guy, I hold you in the highest and will walk the path no matter where it leads,,, Good night all, I love you

Mission Trip in Namibia Africa: Day 6

So morning came to me again and I thank GOD for another day, Sleep was not a strong one, The Illegal night club went until 2am and at 3 the roosters began to do what they do, In fact what is that noise they make even called, crowing, cackling, howling, calling, I'm not sure, I guess sometimes the city boy in me comes out, the cot was comfy though, The temp at night was hot but as the night went on the temp dropped, kind of like a high desert like environment, Also I had to decide what to use as my pillow, you see there wasn't enough of them and I gave mine up for one of the ladies, So use my blanket rolled up and be cold, or be warm and not use something under my head, I chose the no blanket be a little cold, I'm in Africa land of real tough men,,,

But that's not the half of the night time adventure, you see in the middle of the night I hear an old voice calling Kevin, Kevin, Kevin, I thought to my self how can I be in Kevin's dream, and Jesus is calling him and he won't wake up,,, man am I tired and now I'm going delirious, It was Bob calling through the steel window since we had our door locked, He said Dee our nurse needed help she was bitten by something on her foot, She was in severe pain and didn't know what to do, Kevin and Paul went since they were from Africa, They searched with there flashlights and found a small albino scorpion, It stung her twice on her foot, They say the small ones are the worst, be prepared for 24 hours of discomfort and maybe some swelling, but an Adult won't die.

I came to Africa prepared with some knowledge and as you know knowledge is power, Well the men loaded up the cars, the ladies prepared breakfast, eggs with spam and cheese, pancakes, we then headed to the grocery store for ice and corn maze for the tribe offering, Then drove 30-40 k's to the village of Oskorsove, I began to feel like now were in Africa, the middle of the wilderness, huts, cattle, sheep, dressed people,, naked people, half naked people, children, adults, Real Africa "JDP" is here,,, We arrived at the final little village, unloaded all the equipment, laid at the tools, the steel, generator, welder, concrete, Began working, building a building of worship, The men worked hard, the ladies tried the best they could, it was hot, and the work was hard

In the afternoon the children started to arrive from there 10-15k walk from the school, Then the women switched to teacher/art teacher mode, this was good to get them smiling and doing more what they know what to do, They played games, like duck duck goose, hopscotch, head shoulders knees and toes, and some other American childhood school games, We worked until 5 and made the trek back to camp, the ladies prepared dinner, I filled all the water jugs, buckets and went back into plumbing mode, I also worked on the missionary's truck, Learned an African mechanical trick, Grease your lug nut studs to help with the dusty conditions, I was told you do this " so in Africa so you don't have to fight to get your nuts off by hand every time you want to get them off",,, No jokes people but I thought the same thought when it was said to me,,, We ate dinner, conversed about the great day we had and split off to bed at about 11pm so good night all !!!

Mission Trip in Namibia Africa, Touchdown to camp

So It's currently day 5 Wednesday 9-21-2011, 5:30am. We rolled into the town of Opuwo around 6:30 pm, Got everything unloaded and separated, Ladies in the guesthouse, which is a building with 5 rooms, 4 for sleeping and a large room for the kitchen/dinning room, It has two smaller rooms one with a toilet and a sink and the other a shower(well kinda a shower) Reminds me of a mexico Esque hunting camp, 10 beds so looks like the ladies will be all good, well wait we have 9 women 4 men,,, That leaves Paul and I out since our wives are home, The other two Kevin and Bob will have to choose who stays and whom goes, Cots in the classroom for 3 who will it be ???

Paul, Kevin and I got the cots in the class room/dining room/main kitchen witch is one door over closer to the sanctuary, We had to well the ladies had a bunch of cleaning to do, The play was a mess, Different culture or priority don't know which yet, We men got to fixing bed frames, wooden tables and chairs so we can eat and meet in a civil manner, Then it came, my calling, I did travel all this way to do the skill GOD made me for, I know what my hands were made for each day, At a young age I thought trouble, But it was just training for the days of fixing things, So on to plumbing, Well they take me to this cistern tank, whose job it is to fill during the day and have water for the night when the water is turned off ???

Apparently the local municipality shut the whole towns water off from approximately 7pm to 7am if there lucky. you see it can be shut off or on any time so the storage tank is real important, The water piping supplying it is leaking about 90% of its water all over the ground, which means some days the tank is never full and if the main isn't on for a few days there S.O.L.(if you catch me) Well well I said what do we got to fix this. So I looked at the supply we had, I prayed my Macgyver skills will be strong, began working without shutting the main,,, well because there's no valve and within a half and hour got the line 90% fixed with only a 10% leak, But knew I would find the parts to make it 100% leak free or I'm not "JDP" I then asked while I'm In my groove what else you got, Even though the tools I got are barbaric, the parts are all metric and not like a Home depot part, I was here to be the best I could and I would not back down, So I service 2 toilets, repaired a propane cook stove, That in itself would have made Macgyver and Macgruber proud, It was funny as I was working I knew if I kept my "I can do it" "I can do Anything" "I'm unstoppable" attitude, This trip and experience will be AWESOME !!!

I did what I set out to do, Presto it was done and better than when I arrived. Now nothing was done to America standards and I'm pretty sure Osha and the engineering inspectors would say "You can't do that" OR "That won't work" But were not in the U.S.A. were in the small town of Opuwo Namibia Africa, 5000 or so people, with 100,000 or more acres, where every once of water counts, So I'm thinking no one and I mean no one will say a thing, Now one will think I sucked, Right now I'm pretty Awesome to them right now, By The time I leave here they will want to know Why I keep referring to my work as Macgyver, I'm having fun feeling needed Hoping this feeling will continue

Meanwhile the ladies with Mrs Shalley were cooking, Now I'm prepared for whatever I'm served, It was some kind of Sausage stuff, potato, frozen peas -corn mix, African mac-n-cheese and a cakey spiced desert. We had prayer of course and formed the line, Ladies first I thought but not here men first,,, again were in Africa not much women's lib, So I will have to stay busy so I eat towards the end, We then had several hours of conversation, set the plan kinda for tomorrow, The women retired, we retired to our cots, boots off and up from the floor to keep the scorpions out of them, flashlight and knife I hid in my suitcase close, Final prayer and meditation to set my own personal intentions for the next day,,, Good night all where ever you are, I love you baby

Mission trip In Namibia Africa

So were on the road to Opuwo, about 4 hours in lunch time is calling, so we stopped for lunch, Who would guess in the middle of Africa a KFC ??? I know I thought it too, That's a stereotype, Were in Africa not the U.S.A. The menu was different but the same premise, no bucket family deals, All set combos with no substitutions. About 50 ran per combo give or take a couple, No wedges only fries or chips as they called them, Oh and 50 ran is about $7.15 U.S. But no biscuits, Mack n cheese, mash with gravy, Just chicken original and extra crispy, on a roll or in a wrap, The special African one was called the Master-box, I got this for a more culture experience, It was a chicken strip with a fish strip on a wrap with lettuce tomato cheese and spicy mayo. All orders came with chips, red vinegar,tomato sauce and a soda, they also had no deserts, even though they had a soft serve ice cream machine BUT said it was broken,,, We thought it probably has never been used


This next portion I got to drive for about 300K's This was a nicer scenic drive, we were in cattle country, goats, cows, huge bulls and donkeys just roaming free, across the road when ever they want, I had to be on my toes. The lady tinkle breaks were just getting even more funny the Bush was less available, This trip will get the prissy out of any one of them, Next time we will be in Opuwo, see you then !!!