The rain falls, but with an icy chill forming rather than a refreshing. The air hangs in tension, with signs of snow on every corner. Mountain tops putting on winter caps of crystallized h2o. The wind packs a stronger punch, with temperature dropping force that cuts deeply. Birds are becoming scarce, heading for lower 48 vacation homes. Bears begin to think about dens with a view. Winter time is rapidly approaching in Alaska. It is different though, because it is the first time in 8 years that I have not been in Alaska for this changing of seasons. It is unfortunate, because the fall transition is so vibrant and colorful in the Last Frontier. However, in exchange for the lack of Alaska time, I have been able to see the transition in Idaho for the first time in 8 years, and spend it with family and friends. So it’s a trade off. But being absent does not keep my mind from wandering back to the vast mountain ranges and valleys, screaming of adventure. Watching The Art of FLIGHT conjured up the imagination of riding effortlessly down the mountain faces chased by cascading avalanches. A good friend in Port Alsworth actually started a helicopter operation, and is making the dream more like reality. But all that being said, I am apart from the North Land, and have to rely upon my mind and local adventure. Although the latter has not failed me, and its kept the tempo upbeat and adventure flowing, so I am thankful.

So since I have been thinking about changing seasons and Alaska, I began to think of how I could apply these thoughts to my current situation besides just day dreams. What came up is the correlation between the mountains and daily life. I am in the process of setting new goals for this transition season in my life, and there are many mountains involved. But I have been learning many things during the process. We go through our days, sometimes in a valley, sometimes on the top of a mountain. But during that time, what is our mind on? Are we thinking only about where we are currently, or are we thinking about where we could be. What is the reason we are in the valley, if that is the case. Many times our view is obstructed by things around us, and keeps us stuck where we are because we cannot see past it. But rather than being stuck only looking at the situation, we should be looking at the end goal, to get a vision of where we really want and should be. We must rise above the tops of the mountains around us, even if just for a moment to see the goal and know that it is possible to get there.

Our focus must then come back to the here and now, back to the ground. It’s a balance between keeping our sight on the goal, and also focusing on the process to get there. So then we need action, a game plan to get to the goal. So we have to ask, what is keeping us from getting there? Are there mountains in front of us? If so, is it a mountain that can be moved? The Bible talks about having faith to move a mountain (Matthew 17:20). So if it’s an obstacle that is in you that has to change, or an opposition, then you can have faith to believe that it will move. However, some mountains are in front of us that must be climbed. It may take a long time but if you have scaled a mountain, no matter how big, you know it takes time and effort but the result is a feeling hard to match. Afterward you are stronger and energized to continue. You may have to go back down the other side again only to climb another one, but it is the process me must follow. Our lives are full of changes in elevation, and surroundings, but we do it to reach the goal in the end. If you don’t have an end goal, then its simple, make some. You will never know how you are doing, or if you have grown, if you don’t have goals to accomplish and complete. Then have a plan to accomplish them that you can handle. But when it gets hard to continue, or the mountain seems too tall, get your view above the tops of the mountains, to see the goal again. Although you can’t skip the process to get there, it will remind you that the goal is still there, and give you a vision to accomplish it.

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But you may ask yourself, where did this motivation come from. Was it a random recollection of a past experience? Was it the longing for technological connection? Nay. Although both of those have tugged at the old strings one time or another. But no. It was a decision to read some blogs, to find out what other people had been saying, and sharing, and blogging. And I was impressed, intrigued, and inspired. And thus, came a motivation. I feel bad however that so many motivations are so easily lost. We get out of the moment and forget what it was that brought us to that point, and we get so caught up in the helter-skelter lives that so beset us along the road, that we become UN-motivated. And it seems to happen at this time of the year because it is a change of season, a change of pace, a back to school, and a fading of color in the leaves. However, that color in the leaves is replaced by an even brighter color, that shines and shimmers and brings joy when the air gets crisp. And it is so, with the reminder of the ease of motivation loss that I seek to persuade others to remember, to rekindle. What motivates you to action? Is it by seeing others accomplishing that strives you to do the same? Or is it the goal that you know will result from your efforts. Maybe it is the promise of change, and a better way that strikes a note inside of you. No matter what spells motivation for you, I pray that you will find it, no matter how deep it may hide itself from sight, know that it is there, and all we must do is re awaken it to a new dawn, that leads to a better morning of change.

My motivation came by way of others. Seeing their accomplishments, and art forms of sharing their view on life. Every piece so unique, so real, a look into their lives. A good example is my youth pastor’s wife, who writes of Creating Home Journal, which covers a broad but beautiful spectrum. I share the same passion for sharing. Although I have many experiences that I have been blessed with, I am still a man, who needs some motivation every now and again. Something that draws one to make something different than it currently is. Because if we allow ourselves to take the easy road all of the time, and just complain about how it should be different, or how we wish some thing would change, and not do anything about it, we are hypocrites and we stay stagnant in our lives. Any day that we are not working at being better at what we do, than we were the day before, we are not moving forward, we are back sliding. Which is not a good thing to do. And as a christian, I am growing in my relationship with God, but I can see where I have lost motivation, and begun to point at others and try to see their faults instead of mine, I am in need of some change emphasis inside. We cannot expect a different result when we keep doing the same thing.

So I guess now I have said my piece, done some writing for a change, (literally), and inspired to now take it to other areas. And I hope that you have been able to gain something from this random post. But I hope you got some motivation as well. To pick up something that may have been sitting for too long, untouched, but was nagging on you for your time and energy. So go out, and get motivated. And I look forward to seeing you back here again soon, as I walk out this motivation in written form.

Thanks for your time.

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1. Always be prepared.

There is a saying, “Hope for the best, Prepare for the worst”, and it’s true. The better you are prepared you are at all times, the greater the chance of survival when things go wrong. Weather and water conditions are usually a motivation to get out, and many times is a illusion of relative safety. However, just because it is sunny and calm does not mean it will stay that way. Always be prepared for a disaster, problem or change of plans.  You cannot know for sure what the conditions will be like half way through the day, and especially here in Alaska, you cannot always trust the weather man. Weather is the biggest concern, but also be prepared for a medical emergency. There are different levels of preparedness, and it is up to you to determine what is adequate for the type of excursion or time of year that it may be. However, here is a list of some basic things to have on board at all times.

• Life Jackets. Much like a seat belt, they only work when you are wearing one, so forget the fashion and done a life saver.
• First Aid Kit. It’s always good to have one on board, and any number of accidents can take place while boating,
• Extra clothes and rain gear. Weather can change quickly, and it never hurts to have extra jackets to shed water, but also having dry clothes and or sleeping bag is critical to survival in the event of some one overboard.
• Oars or paddles. If you lose power, you have to switch to manual power to get home again. Make sure you have two oars though, which will make paddling much easier
• Radio. Some form of communication to help is critical  and will have to be determined based on the local system. Up here it is marine band VHF, where someone can be contacted at all times. Personal location devices such as SPOT, are becoming very inexpensive, and can save lives in an emergency situation, and is a good safety contact to have.
• Survival kit. Just think about the if-then scenarios, and what would make life easier and safer in those conditions. This can include various items such as
  • Fire Starter
  • Hand warmers
  • Emergency food
  • Tarp or space blanket

• Extra fuel and oil. Necessary items to keep a motor running properly.
• Tools and spare parts. Having a good assortment of tools is valuable for maintenance of the boat motor.
• Throw rings or pads. Good seat cushion and safety retrieval device.
• Signaling device, such as flares, whistle, foghorn.
• Anchor and tie down lines.
• Current tide tables if boating in the ocean or tidal effected regions.
• The United States Coast Guard also has a-lot of information on safety and preparedness.

2. Make a boat plan.

If something goes wrong while you are out on the water, and no one knows where you are going or the time frame you will be traveling, then they will not know to come looking and bring help. It is a good back up to have some one checking on you and being aware of your where a bouts. Basically a boat plan is telling someone where you are going, and the amount of time it will take, and usually you check in with them via radio or phone upon arrival. That way if they don’t hear from you they know to come looking for you and where to look.

3. Use common sense.

If there are waves building, high winds, or people that may get sea sick, then you may want to consider if it is worth going, especially if it is just a pleasure trip. However, in some of the remote places in Alaska require boating as part of necessary transportation, such as in Lake Clark where I live. In those cases some less than perfect boating conditions must be endured to get where you need to go, and accomplish tasks. But even in those cases, common sense must be used to make good decisions.

4. Keep boat and equipment maintained.

A few minutes to look over your boat, and making sure your equipment is up to par, can save you from problems and possible dangerous situations. Make sure you have enough gas to get where you are going. Check for leaks and or water in the bilge of the boat. Make sure the motor oil is full and changed as often as indicated in your manual. Regular maintenance of your engine is critical, and if you are within access of a dealer or repair shop, have it checked out annually, or do a run through yourself. Early identification of problems are better than finding out too late.

5. Keep your boat safe

If you are only keeping your boat at a dock then simply keeping buoys or bumpers between the boat and the dock can keep your boat from wearing on the hull. However if you are going to be pulling up on the shore on a lake or river, then care should be taken to keep your boat tied securely and that your not having wear on the bow of the boat from sharp rocks or rough gravel. Using a boat ladder made out of wood or simply a small log, to pull the boat up on, can add a lot of life to the hull of your boat. Also try to only land your boat on sand or small gravel that will not damage your boat. And also make sure that you pull your boat up adequately to keep from getting swamped from waves, or rising water.

Boating, whether for pleasure, business, or necessity, should be taken seriously, and as long as you take the right precautions you can keep it fun and enjoyable.

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There is a yearly event that many people watch on TV, and a select few get to experience first hand. It’s called the Oscars. Its that night when all of the celebrities, filmmakers and movie stars get together, done up in their best, or sometimes worst, fashion attire, and head down the red carpet with cameras flashing, and video rolling. It is always the hype of who is wearing what, this person dating that person, but most importantly, who will go home with the Oscar. People enjoy watching it, and cheering on their favorite movie, actor or actress, and hoping for some creative phrases that some come up with when receiving the coveted gold colored statue. However, the fun only goes so far for the viewer, and unless they get lucky, or work hard pursuing a movie-making dream, they may never get to be a part of it. So, Family Life Church, in Nampa, Idaho decided to change all of that, and recreated the special occasion, and started “Oscar Night.”

It began last year, in 2008, as just an idea, but has now grown into a full-scale production. So basically the church leaders picked out six teams, with appointed Directors, Cinematographers/Editors, with different genres that were pulled out of a hat. Then each team wrote a script, formulated a plot, and then recruited actors and actresses to fill the roles required, but not necessarily in that order. They were given a few guidelines, but had pretty much full flexibility on plot and story within their genre. With that the minds and cameras took off. The time frame given was about a month the first year, which you would think would be plenty of days, but when it comes to organizing and filming, it takes a lot of time. Most of the films actually only got completed in the last few weeks before the event, but it was still entertaining to watch them, and laugh and cheer. only one of the films did not make into the final night, but the rest came in quite late though. The night before the event, was spent editing all of the films, and resulted in lack of sleep for the editors, but it paid off and it all came together just fine.

The night finally came, and brought a great turn out. Everyone was dressed up in their best outfits, just like the Oscars, but minus the news interviews and tabloid stalkers. The red carpet was rolled out, and everyone got a chance to shine on their way in. Hore deurves were served as everyone mingled, and then the showings began. Everyone enjoyed the variety and creativity. The film that won the most Oscars was “Dude Wheres My Speedo” in the Sci-fi category, and they went home with five Oscars. The second place went to the Chick Flick category, with the film “Mclandings Quest for Love“. They took home four Oscars, including the most coveted of all the awards, Best Film. The rest of the films followed suit. The Western film “El Paso”, The comedy “Dodge Ball, the true story”, “Undead Past”, in the Drama Category, and “Never Die” to fill in the action slot. All in all it was a great event and everyone had a great time. That was just the start of the now annual Oscar Night, and this year it improved dramatically.

The rules were the same, to keep the film under ten minutes, and they gave nearly two months to do it. A few teams started right away, and it showed in the final productions. I was selected to be a part of 2 teams, but by the end of the time, I had my hand in four of them. My brother and I were on opposing teams this time however, since last year we were together and went home with best film, so you could say there was a bit of a rivalry going on. His team got Chick Flick again, and mine received Comedy and Drama. I ended up putting a bit more time into the drama, since I was limited in time to spend, and had to choose a priority. We had almost too many people joining the team, but it was great to have such talented people to work with. It was difficult however to organize everyone, and get all of the shots needed. All in all the films went well, and ended up in an even better event this year, hosted at the church. The Chick Flick once again won Best Film,  with Josiah, my brother, as the director, but the leaders said it was a tough choice between His and ours, which was the Drama. The movies ended up a bit longer than desired, but when you have some good stories to tel, the time does not matter.

Everyone had a great time, even though some took home more Oscars than others. The Top two videos can be viewed on the Videos page of this site. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did making them.  The movies were shown at FLC in Nampa, hosted and put together by The NXT youth church.

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There is a job out there that has been deemed the most dangerous for anyone to attempt. It is King Crab Fishing in the Bering Sea of Alaska. It has been Hollywood-ized a bit by the famous TV show, The Deadliest Catch, and many people have lived the life of a sailor through that series. However, until you have actually been out there, on the high seas, you really cannot know, or experience what it is really like to brave the elements, and put your self out on a limb. Well, all that to say this, I have not, and probably will never end up on a Crab Fishing Boat. However, I have experienced a job that I would put very close in the rankings of dangerous jobs, and it does take place on the high seas. I am talking about Commercial Fishing for Salmon off of Kodiak Island.

Now just because it is not taking place in the Bering Sea, Does not mean that it isn’t adventurous or dangerous, so let me paint the picture for you. You are on a big boat, 58 feet long, which is longer than most houses. It sways constantly with the roll of the swells coming in from the Stormy Pacific. You are living off of four hours of sleep, and no showers for weeks. You have not stepped on land for 16 days, and its starts to show. The meals are hearty, but nothing fancy. The morning starts with the raise of the anchor, and as you roll out of your bunk, your feet hit the floor, and you are off into another day. You shove down some cereal and coffee to get you going, and as you slip on your extra tuff boots, the salty air, and the salt stains in your clothes hit your nostrils. Not just salt, but seaweed, and fish, lots and lots of fish. However, by this point, after being out on the water for so long, you really don’t smell anything irregular, despite the wreak of your own stench, due to the lack of cleanliness. You pull on your rain gear, which is cold and damp from the previous days work. Orange gloves and ball cap complete the uniform. Now it begins.

The guy in the skiff takes off, attached to the net, which is neatly stacked upon the deck, and begins to unravel the corks and leads that string out for nearly a quarter of a mile. Meanwhile, the skipper maneuvers the boat into position, along the shore line, or off of a rock fixture, and this allows for a 30 minute window to catch up with the day, which is how long the net sits there, gathering fish, until you are headed out to man the ropes and stations. This style of commercial fishing is called Purse Seining, which is where you bring together the two ends of the net, and pull the rope on the bottom portion of the net, which forms a purse. Your job then is to take all the extra net that is floating around, and stack it carefully on the deck of the boat. Now this may seem like an easy job, but now lets throw in the variables that make it interesting.

First off, the position you are in is the Leads, which is the heavy portion of the net that weights the net on the bottom. Each side of the net must be stacked, separately, corks on one side, leads on the other. This means that you are holding your hands up in the air, to stack the line on the deck. Not only that, you are in a hurry, to get done and get the fish on board as quickly as possible. And also you are in 10 foot swells, with water sloshing over the sides of the boat that are only a foot tall, so they would do nothing to aid you in the event of a fall. The net always passes over your head, which is filled with not only salt water, but also jelly fish! They get caught in the net, and as it is swinging around in the wind and roll of the boat, it tends to slap you right in the face, and causes a very painful sting, but there is no rest for the weary. So then add the fact that there are fish that get stuck in the net that must be retrieved ASAP, and your skipper is yelling at the top of his lings at you, and you are messing up, since you are quite knew to the position, and on top of that, you have up to 30,000 lbs of Salmon, that are waiting to be rolled onto deck once the net is all done being hauled in.

Finally, the net is stacked, the fish are stored, and the skiff takes off once more for another round. All of this takes place in the matter of about 20 minutes. Sounds like fun huh. Well I didn’t really think so at first, and there were many days during that month aboard the Millennium, that I wanted to quit and be done with it, and actually sleep. But that was not an option, and the longer it went on, the tougher and more knowledgeable you become. And also after it is all over you look at the paycheck, and all of that hard backbreaking work seems to fade into history. But the experience is still there, and the memories never go away. It was one of the best and worst experiences of my life, and I was so privileged to be on a boat with such a great crew, and one of the best skippers in Alaska. We worked very hard, and stayed busy even way past the ending date for the other boats. So it was an amazing experience that was multifaceted. We saw bears on the Island of Kodiak, met some very interesting people, went dear hunting, worked on boats, washed dishes for a month straight. That would not be the last time I would be on a boat on the high seas, and the skills gained on that trip helped me to enjoy the trip on a catamaran in the BVI in  2006. However it wasn’t all just a good time. I actually learned a great deal from this adventure.

There was a saying that my Skipper, Jerry, always said. “There are two things that make boys into men, Commercial Fishing and the Marines.” I believe it, at least the fishing part of it. The skills gained, physically and mentally were huge. Some of the things I gleaned from that trip were as follows. In those tough situations you must man up, and get past the physical affliction, and take control and make something happen. You cannot let your emotions get the best of you, when that person is dishing out some discipline for the mistakes you made. You still need to accept it, move on, and learn from it. Also it is amazing how quickly you learn something when you jump in and do it, even though you don’t have everything figured out. That’s how it worked on the boat, you take a task, and learn it by doing it, and yes you may mess up, but its the learning curve. Also, I learned about team work, and knowing that we must keep the team together. There is definitely no room for fear, when the going gets rough, and it is up to us to make the best out of it. These principles can be applied in many areas of our life, and when those times get tough that is when our true colors are shown.

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My mind raced, from one thought to the next, wondering, waiting, as the plane touched down in Dallas / Ft. Worth, Texas, and taxied into the Gate. I knew what I was doing, but I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I had prepared as much as I could, but some how began to feel that I wasn’t quite ready. But ready or not it was here, and it was up to me to make the best out of it. I met up with other fellow recruits outside the terminal, and waited for the bus to take us to our destination. Some were very shy, and obviously sheltered young boys, others were wanna be men, and others just stayed silent. We boarded the bus, and made the two hour long bus ride to Big Sandy Texas, our home for the next 9 weeks. when we pulled into the Alert Academy Campus, we all had our own idea of what lied ahead, but only some of us vocalized it. We were joined by the remainder of the recruits, and commenced to have a lunch, a warm up briefing, and we were then sent of to the start of “R Night”.

Although the night seems now as just a blur, the details are still etched forever in my mind. Basically in a short amount of time, that was really many hours, we underwent briefings, instruction, hair cuts, push ups, discipline, surrendering our personal items, and receiving our issued items, more push ups, and everything we needed to know, at least for the time being. It was a very tiring process, and by the time we hit our bunks at the barracks, it seemed that morning was already there. From then on our mornings consisted of wake up, before light. AM watch, which was our devotional time. PT, Showers, Cleaning, inspection, then Breakfast, then, on with the day.

Throughout the 9 weeks of Basic Training, the days varied in length, depending on our activity, but they were always busy and full of learning. There was never a dull moment, and when things did slow down, it was only for a moment, before some big event. Even our sleep was disturbed at times, to embark on a training exercise or hike, so we were constantly at a state of alert. Although similar to the military in some of the training methods and physical activity, The Basic Training of the ALERT Academy is in a league of its own. The strong Christian Principles and beliefs that it is founded upon come through in every way possible, and create a foundation in which they base their training upon. Discipline, Leadership, Manliness, Endurance, Humbleness, Strength, all are words that would describe the qualities that the training reveals and builds within the recruits through their time. It all depends though on the mentality of the person coming into Basic, and what their goal is that they wish to reach during the nine weeks. Some do not open themselves to the instruction and either drop out, are dismissed, or they barely squeak by, and gain nothing.

We were constantly placed in situations in which to learn in grow, whether we knew what we were doing or not. I however, growing up hunting, spending a lot of times outdoors, working in Alaska, and being raised by a strong Christian family, thought that I knew more than I did, and also was very confident in many of the tasks, but unfortunately was a bit too confident at times. But that was when I was humbled, and brought down low, which is one of the main goals of the training. To tear a boy down, in a good way, and not leave him their, but build him back up, spiritually and mentally to be stronger, and to depend upon God for strength, not oneself. They use many different methods to do this, which would be to many to number, but they all lead back to the fact of taking away the “I” mentality, and replacing it with “Them”.

Our regimen started somewhat slow and then picked up as we learned the ways of being a recruit, how to dress, how to march, how to sing, how to speak, and how to clean. Cleaning was something that most of us had done some of before, and thought we knew how, but this was different. We were inspected every day, and we had to meet the requirements or else. Firm discipline was enacted upon the slothful, but at the end of the week, we had to all work together as a team to pass as one unit, or suffer together. But that was again the purpose, to build unity and cohesion between the boys that were quickly becoming men. We were made up of Squads of 7-8, which were a part of a Platoon which was three squads, and our two platoons made up Unit 35. Aside from cleaning we also did a lot of Hiking and running. again this was something that most of us had done before, but not like this. We never walked somewhere, unless marching, so we were running, and during the hikes we also did a lot of running.

The hikes consisted of every scenario imaginable. Swimming rivers and lakes, climbing mountains, sweltering heat, shivering cold, pouring rain, and in the night. This time also built us together, helping each other through the hard times, carrying them, singing with them, and with every step losing the pride of self, and building strength in unity and in God. It is amazing what you can do when it is not your own strength. The possibilities are endless, and so were our days, it seemed, but we also had a lot of fun through competition, and rewards. We spent time living off the land in a survival situation, and in those hard times, some people stood out, and took charge and accomplished much, but some did not, but through it all we came out victorious, and stronger in mind and body. I made a lot of really good friends there, and although they live all over the country, and even in other countries, our bonds grown during our time together continue to stay strong. A kinship that is true is strengthened with time.

Physically we grew stronger through PT every morning, and the continual bodily exertion through out each day, but spiritually we grew even more, which is a far greater gain. We memorized scripture every day, and quoted the entire book of 1 Peter at the end of the nine weeks. Chapel was held each morning, and devotional time, and mentor-ship from our leaders were given immensely. It was those leaders that impacted my life so much, and helped me along, the good times and the bad, and it was such an honor to stand with them, at the end of our Training, on the promotion stage, as men. It was also amazing to get to talk to them one on one, with out the protocol, and the formality, and to find out that they too are people, some younger than myself, and to find out the amazing men they are outside of training, and to see how God can use them to impact so many boys lives and turn them into great men, ready to serve this nation.

This is a quote from ALERT Academy’s website, “Prepare Generations to be Followers of Christ” our goal is to prepare you for the calling God has placed on your life!” It shows through all of the programs that they offer, and they make a huge impact on this country as well as others. They have a three phases of ALERT Training. Basic Training, ERT, and Advanced Training. After Basic, you then go into ERT, Emergency Response Training, which is basically nine weeks, focusing on a little bit of each advanced program they offer, as well as gearing the then deemed “Responders”, to be able to go out and serve in Disasters, Churches, and anywhere that they are “deployed” to. It is the second phase that I was privileged to go through in 2007, with unit 36, and will be expounding on that experience at a later date. The Advanced Training, The third and final Phase is where one can get occupational skills such as, pilots licence, EMT, Paramedics, Dive Master, and many other options through their multifaceted training facility, which also includes a program for women called STEP, a program for young boys similar to Boy Scouts, called Cadets, and a few other misc. trainings. It was such an honor to go through the ALERT Academy, and I wish that more young men could go through it, and find out what it truly means to be a Man of God.

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