Month: February 2024

Value: Knowing God

Charlie, George and Cliff had been going fishing together since they were little boys. They all could remember walking along the dirt path to the small lake near the small town where they were raised, carrying their poles and tackle boxes to fish the day away. Most of the time, it wasn’t about fishing at all but being together and becoming closer buddies. Some guys don’t stay friends after they get older but Charlie, George and Cliff stayed good pals all the way into high school. When they could drive, they often borrowed one of their parent’s cars and went fishing at a lake a little further away. They had a tradition that when they did that, each one would take a turn picking a lake to fish at and not tell the other two until they got there.

The car rumbled along the freeway with Cliff at the wheel. It was his turn to surprise his life long pals. “I will promise you this boys.” He said as they pulled out of the driveway. “Today will be a truly unique fishing trip. Truly unique.” And he laughed a very strange laugh when he said that.

They listened to old time songs on the radio as they rode along but Charlie and George soon felt lost because they didn’t know where they were or where Cliff was taking them. “Hey Cliffy boy, you know where we are going?’ Charlie teased him from the passenger seat poking George who was in the front seat with Cliff.

“Oh I know, trust me, I know very well where we are going and what we will find when we got there.” Both of his pals just stared at Cliff when he said that because he said it in a very spooky way. Finally, Cliff turned the car off of the main road and started up a country road and then off of it on to a dirt road so his friends felt sure they must be close to this mysterious fishing spot. But then, just before they topped a very tall hill, Cliff pulled over to the side of the road, stopped the car and got out.

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“Hey what’s going on Cliff?” George said getting out with Charlie right behind him. “This can’t be the place can it?”

“It’s the place.” Cliff said staring at the top of that big hill.

“But Cliff, I was looking at the map and there isn’t a lake anywhere near here. What’s going on?” Charlie asked puzzled.

“Well, first we are going to go over that hill. But we aren’t taking the car, we are going to walk.” Cliff said mysteriously.

“Should we take our rods and tackle?” George asked.

“Nope, won’t need them. Not for what we will meet over that hill.” Cliff said with a grin on his face.

“Ok, I have about had it with all the mystery Cliff.” Said Charlie angrily. “What are we going to meet on the other side of that hill?”

“God.” Was the one word answer.

“God?” both friends questioned.

“Yep, God.” Was the answer.

“Just over that hill. God is there. And what is He doing there?” George continued.

“Waiting for us. It’s our time. When we walk over that hill, we all meet God. Not in a Sunday school way. We will see him, hear him and meet him face to face. God. Just over that hill. Let’s go.” And Cliff turned to walk up to the top of the hill.

“Wait a minute, wait a minute.” Charlie touched Cliff’s shoulder to stop him from leading them to the other side. “What do you mean, ‘meet God’? Do you mean we are going to die on the other side of the hill?” he said with fear in his voice.

“Well, I don’t think so.” Answered Cliff. “One way to find out though is go over the hill and meet God. Ready?”

“No, no, no, no, no. This is crazy Cliff. People don’t just walk up to God and meet him?” George objected.

“Sometimes they do. Today we will. Come on, let’s go.” Said Cliff.

“Hold it, hold it, hold it.” Charlie complained. “Doesn’t this sound a little crazy to you? We don’t want to do anything crazy here.”

“I don’t know Charlie.” George said thoughtfully. “If God is really just over that hill, it would be crazy not to go meet him. Sure, Cliff, I’ll go, lets check it out.” And George and Cliff both started up the hill. “Coming Charlie?” George called back to his friend.

“Wait, please, wait.” Charlie said sweat bursting from his brow and tears forming in his eyes.

“What’s the problem pal?” George said as he and Cliff approached Charlie, worried about him.

“I can’t do it. I can’t meet God today!” the panic stricken Charlie said frantically. “I have, well, some sins. They are hidden. And they are bad. I can’t meet God.”

“But God knows about your sins already Charlie.” Cliff explained. “And he is ready to forgive you and offer you his friendship. It’s just over that hill Charlie, complete forgiveness because of what Jesus did for us on the cross and friendship with God. You want that don’t you, Charlie?”

“Yes, well, no, well, maybe. I don’t know. I am scared Cliff. I can’t. I am sweating. I feel faint. I might throw up. Please, don’t make me go George. Maybe next time. Yeah, that’s it. You guys go. Tell God I will come next time. When I get a chance to clean up my heart. Tell him for me. You will do that for me, won’t you Cliff? George?”

Charlie’s friends helped him find a seat on a fallen tree near there and gave him some water to help him calm down. “Ok Charlie. Sure, we will tell him. You just stay here with the car.” And at that, Cliff and George turned and walked up the hill. Charlie watched him feeling awful inside. So many questions raced through his mind. What if there isn’t another time? What if I die before I make myself right with God? He considered running after them but then they disappeared over the crest and they were gone. Charlie just put his face in his hands and wept. He didn’t have the courage to run to God’s arms and be saved and now it was too late. And all because Charlie wouldn’t go.

ATVs (all-terrain vehicles) were first developed during the 1950s. The earliest models had six wheels instead of the four that riders are now familiar with. Honda was the first company to make the 3-wheel ATV in 1970. These were famously displayed in the James Bond film, ‘Diamonds Are Forever.’ Originally called the US90, the ATV was purely for fun, made with very large balloon tires instead of the mechanical suspension and smaller tires eventually introduced in the early 1980s.  

One of the most important versions of the ATV was the 1982 Honda ATC200E Big Red. It was a landmark model in that it featured suspension and racks. This made it the first utility three-wheeled ATV available on the market. It was popular due to its ability to go anywhere on any type of terrain. The fact that it could go over types of terrain that most other vehicles could not eventually made it very popular with hunters in both the US and Canadian. It was also very appealing to those who were looking for nothing more than an exciting ride on the trails.  

Soon Honda broke new ground by developing sport models. Honda seemed to have a virtual monopoly on the market, due to its patents on design and engine placement. The 1981 ATC250R was important because it was the first high-performance three-wheeler, featuring full suspension, a 248-cubic-centimetre two-stroke motor, a five-speed transmission with a manual clutch and a front disc brake. For those who enjoyed the sporting trail data sgp, the 1983 ATC200X was another in a series of landmark machines. It was developed with an easy-to-handle 192-cubic-centimetre four-stroke. This simple design was seemingly perfect for new participants in the sport. 

Honda soon found itself competing with Suzuki. Suzuki led the industry in the development of 4-wheeled ATVs. It sold the first 4-wheeled ATV, the 1983 QuadRunner LT125, used primarily as a recreational machine for those who were just beginning to ride ATVs. In 1985, Suzuki stepped up their game when they introduced the first high-performance 4-wheel ATV, the Suzuki LT250R QuadRacer. This ATV was in production from 1985-1992, during which time it underwent three major engineering makeovers. This vehicle became the ATV known as designed primarily for racing by highly skilled riders.  

Honda then responded a year later with the FourTrax TRX250R. This ATV has never been replicated.
Kawasaki joined the battle to develop better ATVs when they introduced their Tecate-4 250. In 1987, Yamaha introduced a different type of high-performance machine – the Banshee 350. The Banshee 350 featured a twin-cylinder two-stroke motor from the RD350LC street motorcycle. This ATV was heavier and more difficult to ride in the dirt than the 250s .It soon became a favorite with riders who preferred the sand dunes. The Banshee is still a hugely popular machine, but 2006 was the last year it was available in the U.S. Riders will be able to pick up a 2007 model in Canada, however. 

ATVs were first introduced to the buying public in the 1970s. They immediately caught on with those who were interested in doing something different outdoors. Original versions featured much larger tires and were offered in both 3-wheeled and 4-wheeled models. Soon, though, the 3-wheeled models of the ATV were prohibited, as they gained a reputation for being too dangerous. ATVs have since undergone a number of cosmetic and mechanical changes. Companies such as Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha have developed a number of models that serve ATV riders of all tastes and interests.  

Atkins diet foods are easy to find and available everywhere. There are many varieties to choose from, whether you pick prepackaged low-carb diet foods or make your own meals. No matter how you want to do the Atkins plan, there is a solution out there for you.

You’ll need to keep the Atkins food pyramid in mind when you make food choices. The Atkins pyramid looks much different than the USDA Food Guide Pyramid. The base of the pyramid consists of protein sources such as eggs, fish, beef, chicken and tofu. On a daily basis, your diet should consist primarily of these foods. The second tier has low glycemic vegetables like salad greens, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus and spinach.

The third tier is made up of berries and avocado. Fruits should be used on an occasional basis after the initial stages of the Atkins diet. Vegetable and seed oils, cheese, dairy, nuts and legumes are used sparingly and in appropriate portions. While the FDA pyramid has oils and fats at the top peak, the Atkins pyramid places whole grain foods in this spot. Whole grain foods should be used very occasionally and don’t make up the mainstay of the Atkins diet.

When you start the Atkins plan, you’ll need to make sure you understand which foods are acceptable for your stage of the program. The Induction phase is the most restrictive, but it only lasts two weeks.

You owe it to your dieting success to stay within the acceptable foods list. One of the best ways to do this is to follow the Atkins menu plans that are printed within the New Diet Revolution book. There are also Atkins cookbooks and cookbooks that are geared toward other low carb diets that are helpful in formulating balidwipa.com meal plans.

It’s a helpful idea to use a cheat sheet of acceptable Atkins foods wherever you go. If you are out and about and hungry, the last thing you want to do is to try to think back in your memory to figure out what you can and cannot eat. Carrying a list of acceptable foods with you will make finding a snack or meal while out on the run easy. You can’t always rely on “low carb” labels to tell you whether or not something is diet friendly. Ever since low carb became the new diet craze, manufacturers have been jumping on the bandwagon to attract Atkins dieters. They label items low carb to sell products and don’t have your health in mind. Relying on foods from your own personal list is the best way to stay on the plan.

Another good resource for keeping track of the appropriate Atkins foods is an online diet program. There are several available. Some are free and some have a small monthly fee. The programs require you to register and then they provide you with personal weekly menu plans based on your needs and your carbohydrate gram level. There are normally printable weekly shopping lists that make picking up your Atkins diet foods from the grocery store easy and quick.

Atkins diet food is easy to find once you know what you are looking for. The books, food pyramid and online resources can help you make better food choices and stay on the diet for the long term.