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Portland, Oregon has a very soft spot in my heart. Some might immediately imagine that it is the natural beauty of the state that I have in mind. That is a true asset but there is something else.
Some might guess that it is majestic Mt Hood. Its snow capped peak rises to the heights of the heavens. This mountain always captures my attention but there is still something else.
Then, there are the evergreen trees. The mighty Douglas Fir trees carpet the lower elevations with a constant sea of green. There is a constancy about these slow growing, wind-blocking, forever-vital-with-life trees that mark the Northwest. But, Portland is home for something else even more special to me.
As wonderful as natural beauty is, it has its limitations. Natural beauty doesn’t hold a conversation well. It is a popular favorite but serves only as a backdrop to what I value in that city. There is still something else.
When I think of Portland, Oregon, I think of my friends who still call that city their home. Some of the best friends that I have enjoyed in my life I have met in Portland. The city of many bridges has hosted innumerable encounters of friendship adventures at restaurants, lakes, rivers and hiking trails. I have enjoyed deep talks, great prayer and long laughs that have attached me to my soul mates.
Reunions with friends in the Great Northwest reinvigorates loyalties that defy the threat of dilution that comes with time or distance.
When I’m back in the city for ministry, I do whatever just to spend time with my friends. Sometimes it’s fishing, shopping, hiking, watching a movie, eating, installing a disposal, debating theology, fixing a toilet, motorcycling, yard work, bicycling, insulating a breezy window or checking on home security. What we do together is not nearly as important as just being together.
God created this world. He created people. When He created us, He gave us the capacity to love one another. Friendship is the blessing of enjoying His implanted capacity to connect with one another.
Love is our practice. It is our privilege. This dynamic marks our connection with other Christians.
Through times of great blessing, I have enjoyed sharing those joys with my friends. Through times of trial, they have helped carry my burdens. In times of searching they have prayed for me. I am blessed to have them call me friend. They are really something else.
Over the few years that I have roamed this planet, I have come to the profound conclusion that there is very little that is necessary to keep a man happy. Periodically, a foray into the wilderness keeps his manly heart pumping vital energy through his veins. Hunting, fishing, hiking, skiing, snow shoeing and the like are all adventures that bring a gleam into his eyes.
A man periodically needs to leave the city of concrete and stress behind. There is a yearning in a man’s soul to be alive and unencumbered with deadlines, assignments and meetings. He needs to get away and into the expanse of the Creator’s arena of vitality. Some call it the call of the wild.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. It is in that creation that man discovers breath for his soul. Here is the setting where he learns to explore, hunt and conquer.
The adventure does not begin with the entrance into the wilderness. It begins much sooner. In our modern age of the internal combustion engine a manly vehicle begins his journey.
Every man’s soul longs to answer the call to seek, find and claim. Anticipation of that process is a vital component of the adventure. He visualizes past conquests, adjusts expectations and outlines new challenges. Confidence is stored from days-gone-by. Lessons learned both good and ill prepare him for the new challenge.
Today a man rarely begins this soul-quest on the back of his horse. Now, it is in the cab of a pick-up truck. When the engine fires up, a surge of power is instantly at my fingertips. I throw the pick-up truck into gear and roll on toward a destination that will be a soul-language experience.
Rumbling down the road, my mind checks all of my pre-packed gear. Every necessary piece of hardware, equipment, specialty gear and provision is mentally repacked. This anticipation is all a part of the renewal of a man’s soul.
First aid, repair tools and survival items have followed me into the woods on many ventures. Good friends and I have shared harrowing stories of mishaps, accidents and narrow escapes. We laugh bravely at those remembrances.
In the woods a man re-enforces his confidence in what he can do. He grows more certain of his responsibilities. He becomes more resilient in his character. All of it, begins with a ride in his pick-up truck.
I had lived in Portland for twenty years. Many parts of town are familiar to me. But, there are pockets that I don’t know at all. Of course my eleven appointments on this trip are nearly all in these unfamiliar parts of town. In addition to that my schedule would bring me to half of these locations at night.
Before I left for this journey I pulled out a well worn Portland map. The index was helpful and I plotted the general location of these meetings. Then, I turned to the computer and called up map program. Roughly, I tried to get a mental picture of where I would be driving. But, the twists and turns were already getting me dizzy.
When I landed at the Airport, I went straight to pick up my rental car. I noticed that special feature right away. There in the middle of the counsel, next to the sound system was a flashing screen. For the first time in a rental car I had GPS, Global Positioning Satellite assistance!
I was geeked! The user-friendliness of this unit was welcoming. Instructions were simple and easy to follow. My first destination was the slowest entry of my entire trip. Soon I caught on to the process.
A pleasant voice gave me directions. Whenever I veered off course, she never got nervous. She just paused momentarily and announced, “Calculating route.” Calmly she redirected me back on course.
Soon I picked up her pattern. She would give me a two mile warning when a turn was coming. Closer to the manuever, she would tell me that the turn was soon approaching. Right at the turn she would ring a bell announcing that it was time to turn.
A quick glance down at the screen would give me a visual of the upcoming turn and the name of the street that would be my next path of travel. Once successfully en route, she would show me an arrow representing my car and a highlighted route on a map. In one corner was the countdown in miles to my final destination. Next to that read out was the distance to the next manuever and the countdown in time to my final destination.
With a little practice and a learned-faith I began to trust her. It is not at all unlike trusting God to lead each day of our lives. The most excitement that you hear in her voice is, “You have arrived!” Yeah, GPS, you have arrived!
Recently, I have been thinking about getting better. My thoughts are not just self-centered either. When I think about the people that I oversee, I feel the weight of responsibility.
A lot of that responsibility is making sure that our organization is always getting better. A seminary gets better both qualitatively and quantitatively. We want to graduate the best possible prepared students.
Some marketing people call that our product. Can we constantly produce impact leaders for the church as a result of our educational experience and mentoring? The answer to that question has many answers, or better, many opinions.
The opinion that counts is the one that I am responsible to implement every day in our organization. My Board of Directors expects it. All of our generous and sacrificial donors expect it. More importantly, God who has given me the stewardship of this oversight expects it. That’s a lot of cumulative pressure.
Over the years of growing as a leader with such responsibility amassing each day, I believe that growth is essential to the mix. I don’t mean growth just in numbers of students, faculty, donations or budget. That’s certainly a big part of the picture. But it is not the end that justifies any means to get there.
I see it in multiple parallel tracks. Our personnel must grow. Whether faculty, staff, administrators or directors everyone needs to increase in their capacity to do their part better than they have done it in the past. If we are dealing with life and life issues then such an objective is essential. Healthy lives always grow.
My dream is for our faculty to become better scholars and effective communicators. My goal for our staff is to become enterprising self-starters, innovators, creative and highly productive at their responsibilities. Together this well oiled humming machine will ultimately attract students that are called by God to serve the church world-wide. Donors will see an eternal investment that gives them confidence.
It’s all about getting better. The evidence is in the growing capacity to do what we do more effectively tomorrow than we did today. There will be fruit from our labors that will be self-evident.
No, it’s not about getting more out of our people. That is short sighted and mercenary. Rather, it is putting the right people with the right gifts in the right place doing the most inspiring motivation tasks that really make them get better every day of their lives. It’s about getting better.
Dusty has been my buddy for 15 years. He was born in 1993 and joined our family as an energetic little puppy, helping to make an already memorable year one of the best in my life.
My extensive research on dogs resulted in a high interest in Lhasas. So I responded to a breeder’s ad in the newspaper. My plan was just to look at the puppies. My resolve was rock solid. No matter how cute the puppies were, I would not be an easy-sell. I would negotiate a hard bargain.
I did, however, go prepared. Just in case, I brought a box for transportation and of course, my check book. But, my sales resistance was dialed up to its highest level. There was no way my inscrutible Asian soul would easily melt by mere cuteness.
Once we found the breeder’s house, my children and I approached the front door. When the picket fence gate shut behind us, a barking of courageous quality erupted in the backyard. Dusty came tearing around the corner right at us. He was the cutest fur-ball we had ever seen. I remained semi-resolved.
This breeder came out of her house just as my children were hugging and petting our soon-to-be newest member of the family. She smiled broadly and gave a detailed background of Dusty’s purebred heritage.
I asked her if AKC papers would come with a purchase. But, before she answered she decribed a heart-breaking story. This was the only puppy that she had left. The night before, robbers broke into her kennel and stole every newborn puppy except for this last one.
For some reason this quick and energetic champion had eluded capture. The breeder said that she came storming out of the house as the thieves raced away. Dusty and his parents were at her feet barking angrily at the van of crooks and yelping pups.
The breeder then found my Achilles. She said that she would like us to have this last remaining puppy for half price. She was terrified that the thieves would return to complete their dog napping. Wasn’t this clearly God’s will?
I gave her my check, cradled Dusty into my arms and turned to hop into our van. The breeder stooped to pet Dusty’s mom. Her words still ring in my ears, “I know. It’s hard to see him go. But, they seem like a real nice family. He’s going to a very good home.”
Dusty’s illness has signaled another time for God’s will. It is time for Dusty to go again. This is a very difficult “Good-bye.”
I live in Michigan. This is an amazing state. I’m a transplant from Oregon. Those two states are a major contrast from each other.
There’s a huge difference in climate, terrain and cultural atmosphere. People are very different in the Midwest compared to those who live on the “Left Coast.” Values certainly vary between the two regions.
But, God’s calling led me here. And likely His calling will keep me here for the time being. That makes the events of recent days even more of a burden.
When I first moved to Michigan years ago, I assumed that we would be a long distance from our children. They love the sun and the West Coast.
God blessed me with a surprise. Our son-in-law was transferred by his company from Oregon to Kentucky. Instead of being an impossible week’s drive away, my daughter and son-in-law were now a manageable eight-hour drive away. We have been blessed with their company on many ocassions.
Then, our newly married son and his San Diego bride chose to move to Michigan for his first job. I was so grateful for family time! There is nothing like family.
But, the constantly slumping local economy is a discouraging reality. I saw an ever looming “talk” that I needed to have with my sons. Eventually, I told them that there is very little economic future for them in Michigan. They needed to broaden their view of where God might give them a hope for their career and families.
It was one of those tough but necessary conversations. My spirit was so downcast that I even wrote to our governor. I asked her to do something about our economy so that I did not have to see my children move out of the state. She never wrote back.
I have talked with some of the brightest business-minded people that I know. According to them, the outlook for 0ur state economy is bleak. Michigan doesn’t have much to look forward to for at least the next two to five years.
Recently, our family was together and out to dinner. That’s when my son told us that he was taking a new job in California. They need to move and be there next month.
Living the next few days with the thought of family moving so far away is a bummer. Holidays, family time and just time together will be rare. There have been a lot of tears shed. But, it’s good for his career. That means it’s good, right? Does the good outweigh the sorrow?
My cell phone rang. I knew who it was and I really didn’t want to take it. Scanning the screen on my smart phone, I recognized the telephone number. With only a momentary hesitation I pressed the answer button.
Failing health is one of life’s eventual struggles. This inevitability is tough for us humans. For my dog, Dusty, it has not been easier.
Lately, in the middle of the night Dusty coughs violently. When I pick him up he whimpers in pain. It was time to take him to the veterinarian.
During his examination I was on the road following up contacts for my job. People had filled up my schedule, errands took up time and studying is always a constant demand. At the time of the call I was meeting a new well-connected man who is a hopeful friend for Michigan Seminary.
That’s when my cell phone first rang. It was my son. He announced that the veterinarian wanted to see Dusty right away. Once the examination was done, the vet would give me a call. After I hung up the phone, I pulled my Blue tooth from my ear and kept cadence with my conversation, never missing a beat. But, my heart was compromised.
The vet’s call came as promised. Dusty has pleural effusion. A liquid build up around his lungs. There is so much liquid that the x-rays are not helpful. However, when a liquid sample was drawn from his chest, it was hemorrhagic. Blood was in the fluid. That is symptomatic of a tumor.
Our vet outlined our options. I was prepared for the worst. Dusty is not suffering yet. He is not sickly yet. But, at his age the pain will come soon. An inevitable looming decision was now pressing on my mind and soul.
Once I thanked our vet and hung up the phone, I felt the sadness. Dusty had been my buddy through so many tough times and great times. He made me laugh. He is the best listener. Most of the time he would even lick me at the right time. I didn’t care that he just liked salt.
When God created life, He paused and put a lot of thought and care into dogs. They are called “man’s best friend” for a reason. I have been blessed to have him. Now, it’s my turn to do something very important for him.
My children are in town for a long weekend. All of us live for these treasured moments. Each of us comes with a list of stuff to do together. “Together” that is key not the “do.”
Shopping always seems to fit into the picture during our gatherings. But it’s not the buying that is our focus, at least for the guys. It’s the experience of being together.
Of course there’s food. New and exciting dishes and a variety of food is a blast! Whether it is fine dining or fast food, we love it because we are together.
All of us work extremely hard at what we do. So these gatherings also find plenty of late mornings when we can catch up on our rest. It is even very well accepted to spontaneously nap. For me it is deeply satisfying to walk through my quiet house on an early morning, knowing that we are all together.
One of my favorite activities is finding a good movie for us to see. Oh, we could watch a DVD at home but getting up together, hopping into my pickup truck and going to the theater together is always fun.
Sometimes we have seen movies that are a flop. We look at each other and smirk. That was a waste. But, we have something in common to talk about. We shared the experience together.
Then, however, there are great moments when we all see a movie and it is good. When we walk out of the theater, I smile. I wonder who’s going to make the first comment. After all, while we are family we vary a great deal in age, experience and tastes.
This weekend we hit a winner. Together we went to see the Bucket List. It stars two greats: Jack Nicholason and Morgan Freeman. Two totally different strangers are thrown into life together because of their mutual fight with cancer.
One is a man of faith, the other is a hedonist. But, their common fight draws their life together to live out a “bucket list.” That is a list of things that they would like to do before they “kick the bucket” that is, before they die.
Whose philosophy and values in life affects the other? Whose life finishes the movie embracing eternity’s hope? I liked it. All of my family liked it. For the wide age span and varied tastes, we liked it together.
Family holidays are really fun. These are great times for photos, telling new jokes, telling old jokes, and recounting humorous events that change and grow with each retelling. All of us live very busy lives so this is a time to kick back and enjoy the life that we share together.
For me there are books to read, pictures to take, errands to run, toilets to clear, restaurants to try and shopping to do. It’s really not that long of a list, but it is long enough to keep me busy for at least a day. After that I struggle with the scourge of not knowing what to do. I just don’t know how to do nothing.
My son introduced me to blogging. It has been a great outlet to put ideas into written words. When these musings and observations of life are posted for the public to peruse, I have discovered an amazing sense of accomplishment.
So for the first time on our last Thanksgiving vacation, I brought my laptop computer to write during my down times. I was really looking forward to it. Once we arrived at my daughter and son-in-law’s home three states away, I had a terrible realization. I forgot to bring the power cord for my computer.
At best I had about two hours of working time on battery power. None of my family members had a power cord that was adaptable. Would God multiply the battery life like He did with five loaves and two fish?
My son-in-law suggested that we go into town and pick one up at an office supply store. The store we chose had one power cord available for my computer. As I recall, the last time that I experienced sticker shock like that was when I was buying a new car five years ago.
I told the salesman that I only wanted one cord not an entire case. He didn’t like my joke. When I suggested that I rent it for a mere ten percent of the purchase price and bring it back in two days, he saw even less humor.
My sigh was deep. It was like a cleansing breath before diving underwater for a long stint. I pulled out my wallet and muttered, “Don’t ever forget that stupid power cord again. This blog is your only connection to very loyal readers.” Thanks you guys, for reading my blog! I appreciate you!
He has been my faithful companion since 1993. That was a very special year. We named him Dusty because he reminded us of a dust mop. He’s a dog, our family pet.
Dusty is a Lhasa Apso. His breed began as a watch dog. Nicknamed, the lion dog because of their furry coat, they sounded the alarm when danger approached the palace. Now, it is a popular show dog breed. But, we have never entered him into a show, but he has been quite the entertainer.
Feisty and independent he faces up to any other dog with a fierce spirit. If a canine cousin closes in on our property he turns into a barking machine. Even a St. Bernard got it in the scruff of its neck when it wandered too closely.
Dusty has given us many laughs. He has a unique character and personality that makes me smile. He has given my children many adventures, companionship when no humans would do, and many warm snuggles whenever they were needed.
He has joined us on some of life’s greatest adventures. When we went camping he joined us. Fishing ventures had him sniffing fresh trout. Anything that we did for fun, Dusty enhanced the laughter with his very unique antics.
Hospitality in our home is household term. Guests found Dusty amazingly entertaining. His energy, friskiness and personality gave him star status with family and friends.
Now, Dusty is old. He doesn’t see very well, his hearing is failing and his bodily control is often lost. Once very well trained, we could count on his discipline any where in our home. Whenever he needed to “do his business,” he dutifully went to the back door and barked to be let outside. Now, he has frequent accidents. He’s losing control.
He sleeps a lot, but often at my feet when I am studying or reading. Now, when I sit down he looks up at me with very familiar eyes. I smile, reach down and lift him up so that he can cuddle next to me. Jumping up on the sofa is an act of young dogs. Dusty is no longer young.
While he sleeps, I stroke his soft fluffy hair. He has meant so much to me over the years and asked for so little. Now, it’s my turn to do more for him. Life and love are precious gifts from the Lord. Enjoy it wherever the Lord gives it to you.
