New Blog/Website

Hey Faithful Followers,

I just wanted to remind y'all to point your browsers to www.mikesoltys.com for my new blog and website.

You can grab an RSS feed by clicking: http://mikesoltys.com/feed/

I think the new website/blog combo has some cool posts, including a new tool of the week every monday and other blog posts as i have time. In addition, i'm adding trip reports for past trips, which are pretty good reads.

Thanks for following.

-Mike

New Webpage And Blog: MikeSoltys.com

Ok,

I know this blog has been great, but i'm migrating over to a slightly more professional website and blog at http://www.mikesoltys.com

Please head that way, and feel free to grab the RSS feed! I hope to update that one a little more consistently, and have already scheduled a couple pre-written blogs so there will be continuous content over there over the next couple months.

-mike

Tools Every Student Should Use: Dropbox

Ok, So being in school for most (78%) of my life, I've gotten pretty good at things. If you want to win at school, i'm going to start a series of posts on tools I think every academic should be using. Even if you're out of school, if you want your computing life to be easier, you should check out these tools.

The first one is Dropbox.

Dropbox is like a flash drive that you can never loose. It's simply a folder on your computer, that gets backed up online automatically. So if you spill coffee on your laptop, or simply are in a computer lab without your computer, you can still access your files. Dropbox also is great for collaboration, as it allows easy sharing of files amongst groups. It can also sync your files across multiple computers (so, my dropbox folder on my work computer will always have the exact same files in it that my dropbox folder on my laptop has).

Dropbox is free, and you can get more free space by following a tutorial and inviting friends, so go ahead, and get dropbox today.

From "No Man is an Island"

"It is therefore of supreme importance that we consent to live not for ourselves but for others. When we do this we will be able first of all to face and accept our own limitations. As long as we secretly adore ourselves, our own deficiencies will remain to torture us with an apparent defilement. But if we live for others, we will gradually discover that no one expects us to be “as gods.” We will see that we are human, like everyone else, that we all have weaknesses and efficiencies, and that these limitations of ours play a most important part in all our lives. It is because of them that we need others and others need us. We are not all weak in the same spots, and so we supplement and complete one another, each one making up in himself for the lack in another.

Only when we see ourselves in our true human context, as members of a race which is intended to be one organism and “one body,” will we begin to understand the positive importance not only of the successes but of the failures and accidents in our lives. My successes are not my own. The way to them was prepared by others. The fruit of my labors is not my own: for I am preparing the way for the achievements of another. Nor are my failures my own. They may spring from the failure of another, but they are also compensated for by anothers achievement. Therefore the meaning of my life is not to be looked for merely in the sum total of my own achievements. It is seen only in the complete integration of my achievements and failures with the achievements and failures of my own generation, and society, and time. It is seen, above all, in my integration in the mystery of Christ"

-Thomas Merton

Final Preps

Thursday we woke up and headed towards the airport to pick up shane. All the time in the car with Jeff was much appreciated, because we really got a chance to chat with each other.

As we drive south, we can see the cascades to the left, the Olympics to the right, and Rainier looming straight in front of us. Its huge.

Shane is stoked, and we head to REI to get final gear and plan for the climb. After seeing some of the touristy stuff, we head to Jake's Parents house for dinner and final packing.

Wednesday

Wednesday we woke up for breakfast, and went out to Mt Erie to find adventure. Not being much of a rock climber, and already tired from the previous day, Jeff thought it'd be a good idea to repel down a cliff and see what sort of climbing we could find in my skill level. The spot we were at had gorgeous views of the water, complete with sitings of bald eagles and angry falcons. I "Sent" a couple routes, including a "5-10 a." before being so tired i didn't think i could climb any more. Then, we got out our glacier gear and practiced ascending ropes on prusik knots.

The day wouldn't be complete without dinner with jeffs mom, a visit with jeff's grandma, and some equipment double checking

Seattle Trip: Tuesday

Tuesday after breakfast with Court, i got on the bus to begin my adventure. After an uneventful flight, I arrived at the airport where Jeff was waiting for me.

We went to REI to get a few things, and then met some of jeff's buddies at the local climbing gym, Stone Gardens. Here, I met Jake for the first time. Jake is going to climb mt rainier with us. I can see he's an amazing rock climber, and a super nice guy. After climbing until i'm "Pumped Out," Stefan and I grab a beer and then re-connect with Jeff and more climbing buddies for thai food and Rainier Beta. This guy bill, who sounds like he has a few screws loose in his head, tells us Rainier is solid gold right now, and we should go for it. The other climbers agree, and we decide to call the climb a go.

We finish the night with a 2 hour drive up to Anacortes, Jeff's home town. Anacortes is a sleepy cute northwestern town on the sound with beautiful mountains and cliffs.

A funny way of winding down...

It seems to me that my view of relaxation has become slightly skewed. With classes over, its time for me to get out and recharge a bit. This time around, I'm packing my bags and headed to Seattle. Ahh, Seattle. Pikes fish market, Coffee, and Indy Rockers.

But no, i'm not packing my tight jeans and my rain jacket for a week of sitting in the city sipping coffee. Up on my life to-do list is climb mount rainier. I leave tomorrow for what could be one of the biggest and scariest challenges yet.

Mt Rainier is a massive 14,000' volcano popping up from sea level. It brings with it a whole host of challenges including avalanches, rock slides, crevasses, and extremely unpredictable weather. Its stretching me out already in my plans to be flexible. The weather has been bad for the past 2 weeks and the chances of a safe climb are looking slimmer and slimmer. The mountain will still be there, and we're going safety first. So, just in case, i'm bringing a plethora of toys to help me make the most of my romp in the cascades. a couple options up for grabs are ice climbing on mt baker, or maybe a peak in the northern cascades (Dome Peak?)

And so, i've got my bags packed. Ice axes, snowshoes, avi gear, boots, rock gear, crampons, and all sorts of winter camping gear. Special thanks to Steve B. and Phil P. for helping outfit me for this this adventure, and to Jeff and Shane for getting stoked and making this dream a reality. I'll try to keep the blog-o-sphere up to date as the story unfolds!

Peace.

Mike

Belize Trip Report

It's finally here! Check out our official trip report from Belize!

Also, thanks to everybody that donated to our trip. Thank-you notes will come soon, but in the chaos of our church re-structuring a bit, the list of donors hasn't gotten to me yet.

Peace.

mike

If you love something, give it away

Sometimes I think God goes out of his way to teach us things, and I'm so thick skulled I can barely hear him shouting over all the noise in my day-to-day life.

Recently, i was listing to Bright Eyes and there is this line in their song "Landlocked blues" that says:

but it all boils down to one quotable phrase:
"If you love something give it away"

Land Locked Blues - Bright Eye...

The lyric really jumped out at me, as if this secular musician has cought some huge truth that I'm missing in my Christian life.

Then, as the thought started to leave my head, God went ahead and underlined his point. I was at this superbowl party and this guy, who i kind of know (but not well), was wearing this really sweet retroish Patagonia jacket. I told him i thought his jacket was sweet, and he immediately took it off, handed to me and said "It's yours!" This makes so little since to me, a) because he must have liked the jacket, other wise why was he wearing it... b) it's really cold outside, and c) who just gives away his stuff? I tried complementing him on his pants, but he wouldn't give me those...

Anyhow, I don't get this, but i figured i'd think "out loud" for everybody who follows me on cyberspace to ponder with me. I find Truth in this concept in 3 ways:

1. If you love something, chances are others will love it too. You can hoard your enjoyment, or share things you find enjoyment in, and in the void, find NEW things you Love. This way your love never grows old or sour, its always new and fresh, and others can love things that you have found.
2. If you Love something, and it detracts from your Love of Christ, it's better to give it away than hold onto it.
3. God loved his Son, and so he gave Him away to the world.

i dunno, chew on it.

-mike

Complaining / contentment

My new years resolution this year is to avoid complaining. Complaining about our circumstances, or people in our lives is a direct insult to God's goodness, who has blessed us out of abundance. The idea was spawned by St. Benedict's strict ruling against complainers in monastic life:

Under no circumstances should complaining be tolerated, no matter what the reason. Anyone found complaining should be subjected to most severe punishment.
-Ch. 34, Rule of Saint Benedict

Indeed, we've all heard the whiny teenager who sounds like a spoiled brat even though their parents continually pour into them. How much more shall we whine when God continually pours into us?

But, God's also been teaching me this new year that avoiding complaining is treating the symptom, not the disease. The disease that I suffer from chronically is discontentment. No matter how many skills I have, friends I make, papers I write, Toys in the garage, I always long for more, think about how life would be better if I just had _______. Life is soo good, and being content with what i have should be a key aspect to my worship of Christ. That doesn't mean I don't hold great Hope in what God has in store for the future, but my Hope isn't in my future but God's glory.
and thats about all i've got to say about.
-mike

Belize!

I'm back from Belize! It was an amazing time. We were down there with the Word at Work working on the foundation for a community library in the valley of peace. I really enjoyed making friends in Belize, and am really planning on trying to make another trip down there either this summer or next winter to follow up on a lot of the relationships we have down there, as well as see the finished library!

The construction was hard work, but it was great to work alongside the locals and it was really fun learning a thing or two about concrete construction from the foremen down there. In the afternoons, we would usually swim in the river or pool, and drink a belikin and talk about the day. On the weekend, we went to a coffee plantation in the mountains where we jumped off of a secluded waterfall and hiked in the jungle. We also did a full moon horseback ride where a bonfire awaited us, and had a great new-years eve party with a regge DJ and lots of locals to dance with.

The end of the trip was spend on a secluded island in the Caribbean, where we had time to snorkel, relax, and decompress from our time in Belize before returning to the states. The island was beyond description, like something out of a postcard. I am also extremely thankful for the others from Boulder (Randy, Danelle, Andrew, and Kevin) that went and the way we bonded on the trip. Enjoy the pictures!!
-mike

Sin

I was getting breakfast with a friend who's really intelligent, and kind of new to the idea's of Christianity. He asked the question "Doesn't it kind of seem like a big excuse, i mean Christ dying for your sins so you're no longer responsible"

The answer is no.

Even though our sins are forgiven, they have very real and devastating consequences. They hurt us and the ones that we love. Sin must be nipped at the bud, and stopped at its earliest sign before it can corrupt. As the Lord said to Cain "Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

So often, I personally have a very complacent attitude towards sin in my own life. I've seen the very real effects of sin not stopped, and the gospel takes on new meaning for me when it warns so strictly of the consequences of sin.

God hates sin. If we are to Love God, we must hate sin to. We should grieve sin in our world, but more importantly we should grieve sin in our Church. It is important however, that we Love sinners, for we all have fallen short of the Glory.

Caught Sleeping

This past weekend there was an attack by Satan, and i was cought sleeping.

It reminds me of a couple things. We need to be intentional about EVERYTHING we do. We need to hold each other accountable, and constantly be looking out for the spiritual needs of each other and our churches.

Christ's bride isn't you, its the church. Our spiritually isn't individualistic, its corporate.

attacks can come at any time, so be ready.

One of my fav. poems

One of my favorite poems is "As I walked out one evening" by W.H. Auden. On first reading the poem, it sounds pretty depressing, but my favorite thing about the poem is the realization that humanly we can't love as well as we think we can. But, we do the best we can. here's my favorite part:

O look, look in the mirror,
O look in your distress:
Life remains a blessing
Although you cannot bless.

O stand, stand at the window
As the tears scald and start;
You shall love your crooked neighbour
With your crooked heart.

-mike

Christany Jargon and Beauty in small things

My buddy kyle called me out/encouraged me to a)post on my blog more and b) keep up with the photo a day thing, which i started gun-ho last week with one photo and then abandoned. The biggest problem is sometimes I can't wrap my mind around how to capture all the beauty I see, but kyle encouraged saying thats the trick of the whole thing, you've just gotta take some extra time and try. With that being said, there's two more photos up on the photo-a day site.

This weekend has been beautiful. The leaves are all in full gold and red splendor. I Had a great time yesterday biking some of the magnolia trails with a study group of guys. Except a day-ending injury for Andrew, it was a fantastic ride. "The enchanted forest" is one of my favorite little sections of trail up there now.

Church was really good today, Kirk had a great sermon. He talked about how even little things are Holy to God. It made me think a little of the photo-a day project. He encouraged us to take some extra time and enjoy life, enjoy a cup a coffee or your lunch, or a glass of wine. He also really encouraged us to read and know scripture, so we can really tell when people say things when they're true. the whole sermon was based off of Jemimah 29. If you want to listen to it, you can on the church's website.

He also said something about false prophecy that made me think a little bit. I might go on a rabbit trail here, so bear with me... or don't, whatever. All the time people are talking like "God told me to do this" and "I felt like the spirit was leading me to do this." I don't want to say the spirit doesn't move in us and God doesn't speak to us, but I do feel like we should take extreme caution saying God told us something, and its not just what we want, or what we thought. Sometimes i think of the commandment in exodus 20:7 "You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name." Sometimes I wonder if when we use God's name, if we're not using it to empower our words or choices instead of really glorifying Him. Or maybe we just want to sound "holier." Anyhow, thats that thought, now on cyberspace. Be careful when using christiany jargon.

"whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
-1 cor 10:31

Photo-a-day

My friend Matt had a great idea to take a photo a day and post it online. The idea is simple, just take a photo a day. The exercise is to help you think "how can i capture this beauty, share it with others." Some people are incredibly gifted at this, I haven't thought seriously about photography since high school. I'm hoping I get some good pictures. Anyhow... My photo-a-day album is going to be online Here.

I'm also going to put a little sideshow on my webpage (which needs updating).

Also, Because I'm such a super-amateur at photography, I'd really appreciate comments on photos, what you like, what you didn't like, what I could do better (either in taking the photo, or post processing). I have a copy of Photoshop at school, so i might try to get into that a little bit...
peace!
mike

Photo Download

I made it back safely!

i just uploaded pictures HERE:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2286988&id=12702301&l=3ce8604ed5

sorry, i did not do a fantastic job of taking lots of pictures!
-mike

Last day

Today was our last day in Rome. If you find a restaurant you like, I highly reccomend returning. Todays lunch and dinner we returned to some of our favorite spots and got the VIP treatment. We spent most of the day running around town picking up souvineers and shopping which was a fun experience. I went into Armani and prada for the first time in my life and looked at some 1500$ driving shoes... Hmmm. Anyhow, Rome has been great but I'm excited to be returning home. Se everybody soon!
-mike

Spanish steps

Todays session at the conference was the best yet with a couple very interesting talks. I had my best lunch yet at a place near our hotel under some vines. It was very afforadable and I had pork, and a delicious salad plus some dried meats! (meal photos to come). This afternoon we walked to the Spanish steps and took a nap... Now we're off to the gala dinner at the palazzo brancaccio (which I underestand is a point of interest).

At some point I plan on seeing the Spanish steps? Thanks again for all the tips I've gotten via blog or facebook.

Oh, I should note that when travelling in Rome watch out for extra charges on your meal such as service charges, sitting charges, and charges for things like the bread they put out on the table. Yesterday we totally got Ripped off...