Gary

Gary Trobee is a certified coach and a seasoned leader with over 20 years’ experience mentoring, coaching, and encouraging leaders and their teams.
Gary Trobee is a certified coach and a seasoned leader with over 20 years’ experience mentoring, coaching, and encouraging leaders and their teams.
29
May
2008

Humbled

Today I had an employment law update to attend on the south side of town. Yes it was as exciting as it sounds.

Two weeks ago I met someone who rides about 200 miles a week, that should have been my first clue, he said “you ever ride up to Helen Hunt Falls? It’s a great ride.” so today I decided while I was down there I would experience the great ride up. Oh my goodness…..

I got 1 mile into the climb and had to stop my heart rate was maxed out. I hate stopping on climbs. When my heart rate got back to high I decided to press on. .6 mile ahead the road turned from steep to steeper. I stopped again, did I mention I hate stopping on climbs? only this time when I started I had to go horizontally across the road so I could clip in my second shoe. .2 mile up the road I cashed it in feeling totally defeated and disappointed.

I have decided this will be my barometer. Occasionally I will drive down to the canyon and see if I can go further. I will get to the falls before the end of the summer.

Here are the numbers:
6.92 miles, 12.2 avg mph, 36.8 mph max, 34:05 ride time, 44:51 total time, almost 11 minutes gasping for air hoping my head wouldn’t explode. Burned 796 calories, half of what I burned on a 22 mile ride yesterday, and an average hrt of 156, not sure how that works. I’m down to 164 lbs and 19.5% body fat.

I’m doing the Larkspur loop again tomorrow Lord willing and the creek don’t rise. (for all you John Wayne fans)

Blogged with the Flock Browser
Posted by Gary in Bicycling
28
May
2008

The Larkspur Loop

The weather finally broke, a bit, and I decided it was time to ride the Larkspur loop for the first time this year.

This little loop has become a staple for me because there is not much traffic, a good climb, and plenty of recovery time. I love it.

Tonight after work I jumped on the Felt F75 and headed up through Palmer Lake to Hwy 105 and down hill for about 7 miles with a 22 mph tail wind. So much fun to go fast. This time however I knew the payback would be substantial because that 22 mph wind would be straight into my face on the way home.

Going up Larkspur pass was good I didn’t fall beneath 9mph at all on the ascent and hit the top of the two mile climb listening to SRV playing Scuttle Buttin. I love it when the iPod chooses a good climbing song for me.

Recovered nicely on the downhill and proceeded through Larkspur dreading the next 10 miles. I hit the top of the hill past Larkspur and settled in for a long ride home. It’s a gentle climb for two miles before you hit the first moderate hill. I was in the same gear going the same speed with the same heart rate that I had on the Larkspur pass climb, Wow!

The rest of the ride was good and after the bacon hill portion of the loop I time trialed it home.

Here are the numbers:
21.29 miles, 15.4mph avg, 45.8 max, 1:22:48, burned 1542 calories and 162 avg hrt.

I know the numbers are not very impressive but it was a good ride for me this early in the year and the ride home was not as bad as I expected. Tomorrow I’m at an employment law update on the south side of town so I’ll look for a new route. I let you know how it goes.

BTW. I like this Flock thing.

Blogged with the Flock Browser
Posted by Gary in Bicycling
28
May
2008

God’s Answer – The Church.

Below is an excerpt of an article written by Pastor Gary Skinner, It’s long but I felt a bit like the men getting ready to go to war after William Wallace said “They can take our lives but they will never take our freedom”. The answers are not found in any other than Jesus. Please go read the whole thing at watoto

The world is filled with serious problems; the solution is a Church that lives out the life of Jesus not just in some building but deeply entrenched in the fabric of society.

It is to this that Jesus is calling us today, and as He calls us, He commands the Church to go and cover the planet with Himself.  This is our only hope!

Watoto – The Church – Continued

Posted by Gary in Civics
27
May
2008

Just Discovered Flock

The never ending parade of “social media” is starting to hit critical mass. Someone just told me about Flock. the social networking browser.

It’s cool so far. Right now I’m just trying to get everything set up and figured out.

We’ll see if this post shows up and looks right. Normally I like the Windows Live Writer.

I’ll let you know.

Blogged with the Flock Browser
Posted by Gary in Personal
22
May
2008

In Memory of Maria

this is a follow up to the last post regarding the Chapman family. this website was set up for you to get to know her.

In Memory of Maria

Posted by Gary in Faith
22
May
2008

Steven Curtis Chapman

Today my heart is breaking for this amazing family.

I have always admired Steven; not only for his talent but for his integrity, humility, and heart after God and people. I heard him say once that he doesn’t get a big head because he knows who he is at home. (that’s an awful paraphrase I hope you understand what I’m trying to say).

The loss and grief are beyond my ability to imagine. Psalm 34:18 says He is near to the broken hearted and that is my prayer for the Chapman family today.

We just finished praying as a staff and I hope you will take a minute to do the same. This is one of the purposes of the Body of Christ. God is still on the throne and is able, and desiring, to give us peace when we walk through difficult, and seaming impossible, times like this in this fallen world.

Posted by Gary in Faith
19
May
2008

Why I became a Christian.

Every once in awhile something happens to coalesce seemingly random events. Two weeks ago I attended the Christian Leadership Alliance annual conference in Dallas which was the biggest coalescing event for me in a long time.

Much of what happened in there is being processed in my mind and I look forward to the application in the different spheres of my life. Today I want to talk about a book I discovered on the trip called “The Shack“.

The Shack is interesting on many different levels and at times made me stop and wonder about some of the theology however; the basic premise of the book made me remember why I became a Christian.

I did not choose to give my life to Christ so I could mentor young men, or serve a ministry, or lead worship, or you fill in the blank. I chose to enter a relationship with Jesus because He saved me from an unspeakable eternity and made Himself so real to me. He became… personal.

He is the source and substance of everything I need but above that He wants to be my friend. The Bible is very clear about what friendship with God looks like and that’s another subject for another time. It’s just good to be reminded of why I, and you, chose to follow Jesus.

Blessings,

Posted by Gary in Intimacy W/God
28
Apr
2008

Stuff Christians Like: #185. Good enough for the church (or God’s love letter to artists)

This is a really fun site and full of funny stuff but this one really nailed it I thought.

Enjoy.

#185. Good enough for the church (or God’s love letter to artists)

Like a lot of things on this site, you’ll probably never hear someone deem something, “good enough for the church.” But if you’ve spent any amount of time in the church, chances are you’ve bumped up against this. One of the top worship leaders in the country drove this home for me when he recently said the reason people liked his work was that he was “from the recording industry and had never believed something was good enough for the church.”
I think this happens for a number of reasons. Sometimes it is financial. Not everyone has the budget of a mega church. So they’ll ask for the “ministry rate” when it comes to work. But often that means, “we’d like your B- quality work.” Sometimes it’s a matter of resources. If volunteers are tithing their time it’s hard to do a massive musical with just 10% of someone’s commitment. Other times it’s a product of having the right person in the wrong ministry. Like the example I gave of the church that didn’t want to hurt the unskilled guitar player’s feelings so they just kept turning his speaker down lower and lower. Sometimes we misinterpret our gifts and end up serving in a way we’re not supposed to.
Those are all symptoms though and don’t get at the core issue. (Core issue is such a counseling term.) At the heart of it, the reason the church is not known as being a global leader in creativity and excellence is pretty simple. We missed God’s love letter to artists.
I missed it about a dozen times myself. But while doing a two-year walk through of a one year read the whole Bible study plan, I stumbled upon it in Exodus.
There are two parts and both are pretty subtle though I’ve written about them before. The first takes place in Exodus 30 and 31. In 30, God anoints Aaron and consecrates the priests. It’s a big deal, with fragrant spices, sacred oil and a sense of the holy that is almost tangible through the pages. And after it’s over, do you know who God focuses on next? Do you know who comes second? The artists.
I had to read that a few times until I believed. There in the desert, as God establishes His people, as He sets into motion His very heart, the artists fall directly after the priests. Maybe that’s mindblowing only to me, but I find that stunning. Of all the professions, of all the people in the desert, it is the artists He speaks to next. Is there a more beautiful reflection of the importance He places on art and creativity?
We’ve made God military in a lot of our culture. We march in God’s army. We have men’s groups that are based on battle, but He doesn’t focus on the warriors after the priests. He doesn’t say the strength and might are most important after Aaron and the priests. He says creativity is.
Here is what 31:3 says:
“and I have filled him (Bezalel) with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship.”
This is not a cold, boring, vanilla God speaking. This is the first and ultimate patron of the arts sounding a gong for anyone that has a scrap of creativity in them. But I said this love letter to artists has two parts.
The second part continues in chapter 36. As they prepare to build the ark, God issues a call to the artists in the desert. Verse 2 says:
“Then Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the Lord had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work.”
That verse punched me in the stomach. If you read it, you realize there were only two conditions to building the ark as an artist. You had to have the skill and you had to be willing. That means that some people refused the call and sat on their hands in the desert instead. They could have built God’s ark, His temple, but instead chose to sit in the desert and waste their talent.
When I prayed about that, I felt like God told me I had the same opportunity to build his temple everyday. I replied, “what are you talking about? You’re crazy.” (He’s big enough for me to say honest things like that.) But then He reminded me that in 1 Corinthians 6:19 it says the body is the temple. He reminded me that every time I use my skills to help someone, I am helping rebuild their temple.
Foof. That’s big. That’s scary. That’s why I am writing today. I’ve sat in the desert for years wasting what meager writing skills I have. I’ve sat in a pile of sand, while the people in my life are broken and hurting, hoping someone will help them rebuild their temple. And I just can’t sit in the desert anymore.
I might never get a book published. This might all be a fad. People might stop reading this site tomorrow and disappear. I might not go on tour to churches and conferences and all that. I want to, I really do, but ultimately it’s not about that. It’s about rebuilding temples. And as long as I keep doing that, as long as I keep reading and responding to God’s love letter to artists, everything else is going to take care of itself.

Posted by Prodigal Jon at 4:02 AM

Stuff Christians Like: #185. Good enough for the church (or God’s love letter to artists)

Posted by Gary in Worship