Sometimes, as Christians we get stuck in this mindset- The mindset that we need to obey what God's Word tells us so to the world we appear to be followers of Christ. This, my friends and fellow classmates, is the wrong reason. In the past few years I've found myself slowly falling into this same category. I obeyed because I wanted my teachers, mentors, pastors, friends and peers all to view me as a good Christian. I rarely ever considered why I needed to obey past the superficial aspect of merely carrying the Christian title. When we get to heaven, God isn't going to ask our 10^th grade English teacher if she thought we were saved or not. He will look directly at our hearts and although it may seem terrifying, he will look at the motives of our "Christian" actions as well. Next year, most of us are not going to be surrounded by people sharing our same values and beliefs. There no longer will be anyone we need to try and convince that we are godly men and women. It's just you and God now. This is when all we've learned here at Seattle Christian needs to become real. It needs to become our own. Next year, instead of trying to build us up, some of our professors will make it their mission to undermine everything we've been taught about the Christian faith. They will be rooting for us to fail. Not academically but spiritually. It's so easy to get stuck in a routine of obedience when we are surrounded by fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, but what happens when we're popped out of this mold? Will we keep our shape or slowly conform to our new environment? Obedience needs to come out of our love for Christ. Its motivation should not reside in appearance alone. If this is why you follow His Word, I'll tell you right now, next year you will fail spiritually. However, if you take the time to make Him your best friend, your stronghold, your guide, then your relationship will become so much more real, and obeying Him will overflow from your desire to please Him. As we embark on this new and exciting adventure, I challenge you, Class of 2009, to make God your own and remember why we are called to obedience: as a sign of our love for our Savior, Jesus Christ

My daughter  wrote this speech to read to her graduating class of 2009.

Anyone who has been watching or studying the financial picture lately realizes that things have been a little challenging in the Real Estate and Lending business. Guidelines that once changed every few weeks are now changing daily. I have been accused, in the past, of being the last person standing (or going down with the ship) during difficult situations. Some might think of thisas foolishness, but I take that as a compliment. When I give my word, I do everything in my power to keep it. Sometimes the situation hasn't always work out as I had hoped and I have, at times, taken some hits, but I always know that I gave it my best. As Ulysses S. Grant stated, I don't intend to ever look back, only to get better through life's challenges, and to move forward until I have accomplished my intended task.

Rick Huffman

My wife had me clean out our filing cabinet at home a few weeks ago. I found files dating as far back as a quarter of a century. I'm not the only one that has a problem with keeping files. I found a file of hers with all the instruction manuals foranything, and everything, that we've purchased over the last 23 years. I'm not kidding! This thing had a life of its own. It must weigh ten pounds and is about four inches thick. I found a manual to a handheld sander attachment for a drill from 1985, the year we were married! I only had that tool for about three years, but if I ever need to remember how it worked, all I have to do is read the manual, because I still have it! If you think you have lost a manual for anything you have owned in your entire life time, please feel free to call me, I'm sure we have a copy of it!

Have a great day!

Rick Huffman

My mother told me that my grandfather liked to eat pickles with jam on them. You would think someone with those taste buds would be all messed up! But, my grandfather had the most balance life of anyone I know, and live to be 90 years old. To preserve a quality of life, sometimes we need to mix it up to make life more interesting.

Rick Huffman

I just signed up for my fourth STP (Seattle to Portland) ride. You can do this ride in either one or two days. I'm still at the two day pace. It is very well organized with lots of stops and beautiful scenery to look at when your riding. This event is help my Cascade Bike Club and in conjunction with Group Health. If you are interested in this event go to www.cascade.org and look up STP. This event is July 14th and 15.

A mediocre person is someone who thinks everyone owes them something and waits for the something to happen. The person with a strong desire to succeed will conquer adversity, while being alert to their surroundings, and recognize many opportunities. I challenge you to look at all aspects of your life this week and see if you have overlooked any opportunities and then go after them!

Rick Huffman

Isn't it amazing how two people can be in the same arena but their expectations are vastly different. We have multiple lessons that can be learned from this. When King Saul saw Goliath, his mind became clouded with fear, not with solutions. David on the other had prepared, through prayer, in which God gave him focus. This helped him prepare for battle by selecting the perfect stones for his sling. When David approached Goliath, he saw a target that couldn't be missed. When Goliath approached David, he saw how small he was and totally underestimated his potential. He wasn't fully prepared, or focused, for the encounter and it ended up costing him his life. So remember that you should never let the size of the challenge affect your thinking. You should always be fully prepared, no matter what level of difficulty you assume it might be.

Rick Huffman

If it doesn't feel right then it probably isn't right. When you're guiding your progress, wouldn't you rather be the captain making the final decision for your own personal destination rather than leaving your fate in the hands of others. Pay attention to your instincts and believe in yourself! Your gut instinct is always the better guide.

I believe this is what the founding fathers thought when creating our constitution. Freedom does not stand for disrespecting the rights of others, it stands for the opportunity to make a positive impact. I still think we need to keep a sharp eye on our government because we know they don't always do as they ought!

Rick Huffman