Am I Retired? Or am I simply tired once again?

Posted on August 31, 2012 by timfruth

Hmmm. Was I tired into retired? It has been about eight weeks since I “retired” from the public education sector in Arizona. 31 and done. It really has made me think about what next.

Surely after 8 weeks of “nothing” to do, I must be beyond bored and ready to embark on some great new adventure. Nope, but I have embarked on taking online college classes in accounting and human resource management and I now physically attend yoga. That amounts to 8 credit hours and more then I can handle. Yes Yoga, you know that stretching meditating activity where you use a mat and place your body in to some wild positions. I enjoy stretching with the retired folks which seem to be all women and one other male.

What does one do when they are tired, I mean retired? Walk the dog. My poor little dog now thinks that whenever I am out of bed or whenever I have completed a run, a bicycle ride, or any kind of movement, that equates to walking the dog. And yes I have faithfully walked Roxy around, drawing some interesting comments from cars passing by. I have now resorted to walking with headphones so I can focus on completing that activity.

Drinking Starbucks coffee for several hours each day really is hard work. Sitting with a bunch of men who collectively could solve most of the worlds problems is quite taxing. Of course this leads to bargain shopping for groceries each morning at Safeway and checking out the bargains in Basha’s. I have discovered all kinds of new beers for a buck a bottle, plus lunch meet at 99 cents a pound and I have added yogurt to my diet since you can always find the clearance yogurt in the morning. These bargain hunting activities have led to a challenge of who can find them first.

I can’t do that all day so maybe some homework on the computer and of course after several hours of coffee, I’m ready for lunch. Mix in some running, biking, swimming, and I am ready for a nap. After nap of course, I am responsible for fixing dinner. That has gone fairly well except Jordyn wanted to know if I knew anything else but grilling. Of course I don’t so protein is going to get grilled. Jordyn did say that I am a good house husband and I think she meant that as a compliment.

My wife has some projects lined up for me, but I have found I am just too busy to start them. Add in some football meetings and some football reffing and I just haven’t found the time to get to those projects. Like one of my “retired” friends says, “Tim, why do it to today since there is always tomorrow.” So I get nothing done today because tomorrow is around the corner.

I’m not certain how I ever found time to have a job, I mean Friday alone means at least two hours of yard sale activity and then you add another two hours for coffee and people watching, grocery bargain hunting and I’m ready for lunch.

This retirement stuff is really making me tired. So am I retired? Or am I tired? I will get to that after my nap.

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Who I Am

Posted on August 29, 2012 by timfruth

Last Sunday, the church that I attend started a new series on “Who I Am”. Donovan led us through an exercise on writing down things that describe “who I am”. Without doubt, we get our identity through a variety of sources including, relationships, possessions, careers, education, hobbies, talents, and on and on. It was also pointed out that we oftentimes place greater emphasis on some areas more than other areas.

Scriptures for our lesson today: Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Psalm 139:14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 

God created us in his own image. We are wonderfully made. Too many times we switch this primary identity with a secondary identity. As Donovan stated, “we have become victims of identity theft.” As he further stated, “are we alive or just living?” It will be a fascinating ride as we further explore the theme of “Who I Am.”

As most know, my favorite band is Third Day and one of my favorite songs from the band is This Is Who I Am. It may not have much to do with the message but hey it is my blog so I’m posting the lyrics. I can relate to most of their songs and this one is no different.

I’m a son of a good man
I’m the child of an angel
I’m the brother of a wild one
And I’m looking for direction
I’m the lover of a beauty
I’m the father of blessings
I’m a singer of a love song
But is that all I’m good for

This is who I am
This is who I am
So take me and make me something so much more
This is who I am
This is who I am
So change me and make me someone better than before

I’m a saint and a sinner
I’m a lover and a fighter
I’m a true believer, with great desire
I’m a preacher of grace, prophet of love, teacher of truth
I’ve fallen down so many times
But here I stand in front of you

Take me as I am
But please don’t leave me that way
‘Cause I know that you can make me better than I am today

If you want to hear the song, check it out:

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Mayor Evans doesn’t have a Tontozona clue

Posted on August 28, 2012 by timfruth

Signs at Camp Tontozona

After watching practice at Camp Tontozona with approximately 50 other individuals that were not part of the team, I am reminded of several comments in the paper of how much ASU brings to Payson in the form of money spent as stated by Mayor Kenny Evans. I know it was a Thursday but please give me a break on his quotes of people spending $250,000 a day in Payson on average during the ASU football camp. The camp is great and it is great to have them back in the High Country but please, enough with the exaggerations.

If you read this article: http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2012/apr/24/tontozona-backers-courted-new-coach/ you will note that the Payson Mayor makes some outrageous comments about the economic impact on Payson. Nobody challenges his numbers and I have determined that he literally pulls this stuff out of thin air. “You’d come into town and find Famous Sam’s absolutely filled, with prominent sports figures everywhere,” said Evans. “They’d (watch) practice all day and hit the hotels, bars and restaurants at night. The place was standing room only.” This statement is a joke. My guess is that he never once went to Famous Sam’s but probably somebody told him that so he went with it. Filled with prominent sports figures?

Read on: Payson backers even convinced ASU this time to focus the August camp on weekdays, when hotels and restaurants more typically struggle for business. Payson only has about 500 hotel rooms, which usually fill up during the peak summer vacation period. Another bold face exaggeration. The camp always ended with a Saturday scrimmage after practicing during the week. Between Mayor Evans and his mouthpiece, the editor of the Roundup, I’m not certain if they don’t live on Fantasy Island. There is no way, ASU focused on weekdays. That is comical at best.

So we put up hankies on light poles to welcome the Sun Devils and most folks did not even know that they exist. After multiple articles, less than 20 people stand at the chamber area and watch the buses roar by on Tuesday without any real fanfare. After multiple cups of coffee with many in Starbucks, not one person saw the hankies on the light poles. That was by all measures a joke.

These were everywhere.

I am thrilled ASU is back at Tontozona. It is an awesome setting and a great tradition but having Mayor Evans again exaggerate the truth is just to much for me. I’m not sure the Mayor even knows what a football is but he clearly has no economic data to back up his $250,000 a day spent claim. If so, please provide the data which is very easy to get.

Let’s give credit to the real reason ASU is back at Tontozona and that is the White Mountain ASU Alumni association. Most of the people at the camp were from the White Mountains and guess where they ate lunch? Yep, they ate lunch in Christopher Creek, Kohl’s Ranch and places east of Payson. Now that is good for those folks but come on $250,000 spent daily on average in Payson from the camp is ludicrous.

Payson Roundup reporter Max Foster is truly responsible for getting the attention of ASU to return to Tontozona. He has been preaching this since Erickson was fired at ASU. White Mountain ASU Alumni have contacted Max and they clearly have been upset that Mayor Evans seems to get the glory while contributing nothing. $150,000 raised and not a nickel from the Town of Payson. So 5,000 show up for the scrimmage which is fantastic but even if each and every one of them spent $50.00 in Payson on that Saturday, which did not happen, then Mayor Evans clearly is living in the land of OZ.

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Payson, A Cool Mountain Town?

Posted on July 18, 2012 by timfruth

I have been contemplating about Payson being a cool mountain town as they like to promote but I just don’t get it. I am a critic but only because I know you can be so much better. Now that I am back in Payson full time, I get to do things like run, bike, and swim on a daily basis. I’m liking that but I have discovered that Payson needs an upgrade on identity. As I run down the road this morning, I have considered that this really is a dangerous thing to do. Forget crosswalks because cars turn in front of you and believe you me, pedestrians have little right of way. So biking, well lets just say, that this cool mountain town has very little in the way of bike lanes but we sure have nice turn lanes that run through residential areas with the idea that we should just race through town because we must be in a hurry for something important. Then of course there is the road debris. I would think that we sure could use the town sweeper to pick up glass, sand, litter, rocks, sticks, nails, screws, etc, that line the sides of the roads. 

Then to top it off, the Town of Payson completely closes the municipal pool on July 21. I just can’t figure it out. July 21, no weekends, no mornings, no swim. Are you kidding me? A cool mountain town? What is cool about a town that has little support for the daily little things that can make lives more enjoyable. A pool closed after the third week of July? I know, I am little thick on the Sedona comparisons but hey my family and I go swim on Saturdays through October at their municipal pool. Not sure how that works but in Payson they have quoted me a figure of $400 a day to heat the pool! Yes, $400! I don’t get it. I am amazed. So how about some of that extra solar energy with the rebates from APS. Forget the ASU thing and lets partner with APS and get some low cost energy at the TOP. 

Living here for 31 years, I think I probably have earned the right to be a critic. Note that it is not out of hate but out of love for a place that should be so much better. Payson: Destination or Pass Through town? So much for my rant today. Last summer, my good friend Michael Stoll, built an old school bicycle for me and I was tooling around on it today, riding instead of driving on my errands. You see me on this bike, please be nice. I don’t know if Payson is a “cool” mountain town but I do know some of the residents are “cool”. Ok, I will return to my roots of love in my next post on the act of being retired or simply tired again.

Image

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Sedona vs. Payson

Posted on July 6, 2012 by timfruth

Welcome Cyclists

Over the years, my family and I have fallen in love with the Sedona style of life. The dual communities of the Village of Oak Creek and Sedona have come a long way from the early days where scenery was king but little else supported the communities. Now the communities have invested in some interesting ways to slow traffic, improve trails, become bicycle friendly and overall just a great place if you love being active in the outdoors.

Since my wife and I enjoy the aspects of running and cycling, her much more then me, we love the fact that VOC and Sedona truly support and encourage the activities. All new roads have wide, user-friendly bike lanes. While riding, instead of being cursed at, run off the road, have bottles thrown at, people actually wave, smile, and give one the thumbs up of encouragement. Bike lanes are free of debris and multiple signs encourage cyclists.

If you like the idea of mountain biking, miles and miles of trails exist that are multi-use trails and I have watched people from all over drive in with bikes attached to their vehicles.

Payson has been my home now since about 1980. The difference is striking between the communities. Clearly leadership has lacked in Payson on embracing user friendly outdoor adventures that would attract the adventurous tourists who desire to hike, bike, run. I am not bashing Payson but my goal is too encourage Payson to select leadership who actively supports a lifestyle change for the community that seeks to add trails, bike lanes, and the appropriate signage. These adventure seeking tourists tend to be clean and green. They support recycling efforts and aren’t litter bugs who throw their trash on the highways and byways.

Welcome! Bike with us!

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Alchesay High School Reflection

Posted on June 19, 2012 by timfruth

As I reflect on my two years at Alchesay, I leave with great memories and with a great sense of accomplishment. It is in some ways ironic that my last week as the associate principal will be next week and I will be in Tucson for the Leading Change Conference as part of the Alchesay team to present on turnaround. So in preparing my part of the presentation, I focused on engaging students and community. It was really intriguing to go through the available stats that I have accumulated and to put them down on paper and it really shows what a difference one can make when you put everything you have into the process.

I am attaching my first run on a very short presentation just so you can see the statistical difference in discipline infractions over the two years. In some ways it is almost miraculous as I entered the process with a fear of failure which in some ways drove me to a successful outcome. Alchesay High School Turnaround 

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Roy Sandoval goes to Washington, DC

Posted on May 15, 2012 by timfruth

Roy gets to address a focus group on turnaround schools representing Arizona and Alchesay High School. You should note that he was the only principal invited so it was quite an honor. Very exciting for him and good feather in the cap. If you missed the three plus minute video that he showed the group here is the link to that:

The official blog of the US Department of Education also has some nice plugs in it as well. http://www.ed.gov/blog/2012/05/whatever-it-takes-school-turnaround-realities/

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A Mother’s Day Tribute by Erma Bombeck

Posted on May 13, 2012 by timfruth

This is clearly a classic from the late, great Erma Bombeck. I know she is still smiling. Hope you all like it. In honor of Moms everywhere. Here is how Erma tells the story. Realizing that the mother of my own children is really ill today, it brings it all home for me. Love you Carolyn and Love you Mom.

When the Good Lord was creating mothers, He was into his sixth day of “overtime” when an angel appeared and said, “You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.”

And the Lord said, “Have you read the specs on this order?

She has to be completely washable, but not plastic;
Have 180 movable parts… all replaceable;
Run on black coffee and leftovers;
Have a lap that disappears when she stands up;
A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair;
And six pairs of hands.”
The angel shook her head slowly and said, “Six pairs of hands… no way.”
“It’s not the hands that are causing me problems,” said the Lord. “It’s the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have.”

“That’s on the standard model?” asked the angel.

The Lord nodded. “One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, ’What are you kids doing in there?’ when she already knows. Another here in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn’t but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front that can look at a child when he goofs up and say, ’I understand and I love you’ without so much as uttering a word.”

“Lord,” said the angel, touching His sleeve gently, “Go to bed. Tomorrow…”

“I can’t,” said the Lord, “I’m so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she is sick… can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger… and can get a nine-year-old to stand under a shower.”

The angel circled the model of a mother very slowly. “It’s too soft,” she sighed.

“But she’s tough!” said the Lord excitedly. “You cannot imagine what this mother can do or endure.”

“Can it think?”

“Not only can it think, but it can reason and compromise,” said the Creator.

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger across the cheek. “There’s a leak,” she pronounced. “I told You You were trying to push too much into this model.”

“It’s not a leak,” said the Lord. “It’s a tear.”

“What’s it for?”

“It’s for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride.”

“You are a genius,” said the angel.

The Lord looked somber. “I didn’t put it there,” He said.

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Be Bold in Conversation

Posted on May 7, 2012 by timfruth

In our conversation with others, the name of Jesus or Christ is absent or is probably absent most of the time. Rarely do we have a conversation about Christ. In fact I would suggest that we probably hear the name Jesus used in vain more often then we ever use it in conversation. Could it be that if we brought up the name, others might think we are just plain weird or even odd? Most of us are probably timid and fearful when it comes to mentioning Jesus in a conversation. What we learn is that it really is not about us being unwilling but rather being afraid of what others might think.

Scripture came from Acts 5:27-42. The apostles were bold in their speech and preached the Gospel and were imprisoned, threatened with death, and beaten for their boldness. Pastor Donovan left us with four points to help us be more bold in conversation.

  1. Care less about what people think and more about being obedient. Acts 5:29, But Peter and and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.” In my opinion, this where most of us get hung up on being bold in conversation. We worry what will (fill in blank) think about us?
  2. Be willing to suffer dishonor. Acts 5:41 Then they left the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
  3. Make sure your heart is right. We must resolve the sin in our lives so we can speak with confidence about Jesus. Talking about Christ should be a natural overflow. Is something missing from our life?
  4. Rely on the Spirit’s power to be greater than our fears. It is ok to be fearful but when relying on the Spirit’s power we are able to speak about Jesus.

This week we were left with the challenge to speak about Jesus in a conversation that we normally would not.

In the United States, we should have no fear about speaking freely about Jesus. I have connected with an organization known as the Voice of the Martyrs. All across the world, there are people speaking the name of Jesus and being thrown in prison, beaten, and killed. Are we not able to be bold in our own conversation knowing that others in less tolerant countries risk their life to spread the Gospel?

Check out the Voice of the Martyrs at http://www.persecution.com/ it just might help you and me be more bold in our conversation with others. I say pray for the courage and the strength to be bold and you can help change the community in which you live.

Want more check out Expedition Church on Facebook.

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Be Bold: Yep Even in Prayer

Posted on April 29, 2012 by timfruth

For two weeks, I was not found in Sunday morning services at Expedition. I know, bad but I just had to take some cute little daughter to some prom date in Glendale and the following weekend I had this family wedding in New York that I had to attend. I must confess, I do not regret either activity as you probably know, the wedding was just maybe my social event of the year. But as I digress, I did go to church today and of course I was glad I did. I missed out on the $100 make a difference challenge from the previous week in being bold with our generosity. Today was being Bold in our prayer life.

We should all know that prayer is our God given resource to where we can communicate directly with God. Donovan pointed out that too many times we are not very good or as he put it our prayer life stinks. I can relate to that one. He went through several very humorous examples of how we may find ourselves in prayer. My favorite example he used was how we pray to bless our food to the nourishment of our body as we feed ourselves with some of the most non nourishing items know to man. I think he used the chimichanga example.

Anyhow from Acts 4:23-31 we learn of Peter and John’s sharing of prayer with those in need. They start out in recognition that God is a sovereign God and is in control of all things. Donovan pointed out that the way we pray is an indicator of who we believe God is and what we believe God can do. Oftentimes we can pray all or nothing prayers and yet maybe we should consider that it is not all or nothing but could be all and something? With all that being said, I think my favorite verse in the lesson is verse 31, where it states “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” That is some powerful prayer when you consider how it closed where everybody was filled and spoke Boldly.

In our group fellowship time this evening at Michael and Mary Stoll’s place, we discussed boldly about prayer. It was a most interesting time of sharing our thoughts on the message and of course prayer. Yes, prayer. You know I had a troubling week and have a troubling week ahead of me. With that in mind, I had two gentlemen pray an intercessory prayer for me and I can tell you that I am most grateful for those who pray for you. Uplifted? yes. God is good and I sure am glad that Carolyn and I went not only to share but to take and maybe I was a big taker this evening.

Great time of fellowship and course the Stoll’s food was fabulous. By the way, there is many statistics and evidence that those who believe and participate in prayer are healthier and that recovery from health related issues is much faster. Now one can blow that stuff off but for this guy I think I will go with the group that is praying bold prayers. You just might want to give it try. For a quick glance of some stats on prayer check out this site: http://www.churchleaders.com/pastors/pastor-articles/150915-us-statistics-on-prayer.html

Pastor Donovan left us with the following:

“Sovereign God, you are all-powerful and in control of all things. Grant to your servants the ability to speak your word with all boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal, as signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus. Amen.”

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