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Our family Thanksgiving celebration was fantastic! We had some fun activities. But, mostly I loved the few days to REALLY relax.
My occupation is very demanding. My calendar is filled with resposibilities that is not friendly to days off. But, I am blessed since I love what I do. My motivation is driven not by an appetite for human acclaim but eternal reward.
Thanksgiving is one of those rare annual events that I turn my attention to my family that I don’t get to see very often. We fill those precious few days with family stuff. Of course the family dogs add a lot to our energetic fun.
But, these special days slip by quickly. The journey to gather requires a whole day of travel to my daughter and son-in-law’s house. Then, of course it takes a day to drive back home. But it is well worth it.
The long drive home is an event in itself. I smile when we get ready to experience it. Early in the morning I scurry about preparing for the long trek.
I’m up before the sun and before the family. My packing is done. Then, I began to do the loading.
The good-byes are completed and it’s time to drive the many miles home. The trick is having everything planned and prepared to preempt any troubles. That kind of planning is my identity. It’s the father’s job to organize and initiate the finely tuned plan.
The long journey home has indicators if it is a smooth and well executed effort. If everyone else in the vehicle falls asleep as the journey begins, then it is a success. I feel like I am providing and serving my family.
During those long hours of driving I listen to Christmas music. This is when the Christmas music season begins for me. The long drive home gets me reintroduced to old favorites as well as new arrangements.
Everyone in my truck is sleeping soundly. Even the rousing arrangements of rigorous Christmas songs doesn’t disturb their repose. Again I smile.
Now, I reach for cool beverage and some sour candy to keep me awake. The combination of tangy tastes and something to wet my whistle work well to keep me alert. I even sing out loud and no one cringes.
The long drive there is filled with anticipation. Subsequently, the long drive home is marked with satisfying memories. Of course the fact that the long drive is well-planned and flawlessly executed is an exhilaration all in its own.
My delight is in story. It’s my profession. Admittedly, it is also my personal passtime.
I’ll read a good novel and I’ll be happy. There are several that I have started. In strategic places around my house, good books lay in the process of being read.
Randy Alcorn, William Johnstone, C.S. Lewis, or Melanie Wells are all my story telling friends. They are gifted in putting words on paper and transporting me to worlds that make my imagination a reality. Real life responsibilities draw me back to this world, but picking up one of their very good books immerse me back easily into their story.
Books don’t have a lock on my attention, though. I revel in story. Radio has always been a captured arena of my attention. Paul Harvey has to be one of the best.
Television has a few good stories that capture my attention. Some programs have my interest early but fade quickly. A very few keep me rivetted week after week and season after season.
One of those amazing stories on TV is 24. Yes, there’s a good measure of action, but the story is fantastic. It has all of the elements of a good story: conflict, impact, timing intrigue, novelty, and intrigue.
Episode after episode the writers of this show are able to keep the interest both satisfied and wanting more. Like a master storyteller sitting by a fireplace and keeping a room full of guests enraptured, this show entertains, makes me think and keeps me eager to want to know more. It weaves in my values and tenacious appetite to impose values of right and wrong on the lives of those who live in this world.
In the recent movie that bridges the gap between the last season and the season to come, I was not only enjoying the movie, I was captured by message of the story. Young boys concscripted into military service before they even had a chance to enjoy their childhood, enraged my family and me. We had deep talks about the injustice of such atrocities in our world.
None of us are activists. But we are all active in living out a responsible life of righteousness as followers of Jesus Christ. We won’t waste our lives with idleness but we all throw ourselves into living holy lives and acting justly for God’s glory. Give the show a look. It’s a great story.
For two days I have had the fabulous joy of giving. There are very few experiences that make me tingle like this. Giving allows me repeated moments filled with deep satisfaction. If I could write the script for my life then I would choose a plan where I would have remarkable resources. Then, I would spend my life giving it away.
As a follower of Jesus Christ I believe that I have been the recipient of the most generous gift that a human can receive. That gift is eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus directs all of us who follow Him to do to others as they have already received from him. That reality is mine.
A good friend recently made it possible for me to be the recipient of hundreds of pounds of exotic meat. My wife and I couldn’t consume even a small percentage of that meat by ourselves. Besides, we don’t have enough storage to keep it all.
I was facing a formula for generosity. We had been blessed as recipients. We had a lot more than we needed for ourselves. Our faith drives us to seek ways to be a blessing to others.
With each family that I contacted there was general delight! Everyone could use a little help in reducing their grocery bills. Taking a good chunk out of the grocery bill by subtracting the meat portion makes a noticable dent in expenses.
Just about everyone who accepted this special gift smiled. Not only is everyone paying less for gasoline, now they could grab a double blessing by reducing their food bill. I smiled as I piled professionally butchered and wrapped meat into their empty coolers.
Some took a little. Others had cavernous freezers at home waiting to be filled. In every case I felt the deep satisfaction that comes from helping others. Being a deliberate blessing to others is an amazing sense of doing something with real value.
I made my last delivery today. A total of eleven families have days and days of food provided to them at no cost. My freezer is full too. But, my heart is full. That is what makes this Thanksgiving season extra special.
It doesn’t take a windfall before we can be generous. Sometimes it’s small sacrifices that add up to very helpful gifts for others. Giving away is one of the best ways to gain something incomparable.
Greetings fellow blog lovers! You have encouraged me with your faithful visits to my blog. Thank you!
We have reached a landmark together, 40,000 views. Last September in 2007 I never dreamed that this little project would have a future let alone one that would blow me away. The statistics make me shake my head in unbelief.
The few of you who started with me and have persevered, thanks so much. You are a special group of readers. Staying power is special.
Along the way many more of you have stopped into the blog and visited. Thank you for joining us for a little respite in your busy lives. You encouraged all of us with your presence.
Many of you have even told your friends or family to stop in and read. For that I am very grateful as well. Such a recommendation is the best kind of reading value that there is.
Most days when I write I share something that has captured my attention in my recent days. Often I find something that has made me laugh at myself or just chuckle at an oddity in my routine. I try and spot the simple things that might easily get overlooked.
Once in a while I talk about serious stuff too. After all, life is not just fun. There are tough parts too. Yet, if I dwell on those too long, it can make things worse.
That’s why I named the blog the way that I did. It is a place to encourage others who stop by for a visit. My hope is to give friends a place to find strength to persevere.
Just like a true friend will do for all of us who are privileged to have one, I write to be a real friend who will cheer the spirit of any who will drop in for a word of cheer. The reality is that a blog like mine can’t make it just because of what I want to write. It needs readers like you.
So, this Thanksgiving I want you to know that I am very thankful for you. With you I have grown in my love for writing, passion for life, and drive to be a benefit for the lives of others. I appreciate you.
You are a daily motivation to start each day with enthusiasm. I look forward to living each day as a gift from God and sharing it with you. Thank you!
This weekend I met a new friend. He lives a very quiet life. But, he is a loving husband, leader in his church, and very effective employee at his work.
While he serves in his church and lives a life as a good neighbor, he finds ways to help people. He will fix things, watch houses, cheer people on in their schooling, and all the while looking for ways to lend a hand. Going the extra mile for others is a way of life for him.
He lives in the country. Out in his rural region he is able to help people who could use a little help with their grocery bill. Can you imagine taking the price of meat out of a family’s winter monthly budget?
My new friend is an avid hunter. Each year he harvests overpopulated deer herds. That activity itself requires that he personally pays for the permits.
Once he brings home the game he gives it to families who need a little help with their monthly expenses. Their gratitude is self-evident. The relief on their faces is telling.
Quietly, he simply tells them that he is happy to help. His modesty surpasses his generosity. The cheer that he leaves with the families that are feeling the pressure of a tight economy is a shining jewel of the love of Christ. He is doing what Jesus wants all of His followers to do.
I have seen many who do good deeds for others. Some are wonderful at it. It’s the spirit in which they do it.
With my new friend I can sense a remarkable sense of natural satisfaction. He is truly a selfless individual. He is living for a greater purpose, fulfilling a greater calling, and representing His Lord Jesus Christ with great effectiveness.
Giving of ourselves in a time when our country is facing tough times on just about every arena is magnimous. Watching him in action and hearing what he does is noble. It is humility and love in action.
I am thankful this Thanksgiving season to have been introduced to him. Our paths only covered a short weekend. Nevertheless, I suspect that we will meet again.
I can’t spend too much time with those who give so much to others. Maybe I can become more generous in helping others as some of him rubs off on my. Maybe this Thanksgiving we can all do that.
It was just a few weeks ago that I watched a very talented juggler on stage. He did the traditional juggling with bowling pins. But, he did some variations that made all of us in the audience smile.
He bounced rubber balls on the floor to vary the act. Instead of objects flying up into the air, he bounced different sizes and colors of balls on the floor. Seamlessly, he went from variation to variation.
He made it look so easy. This juggler was smiling throughout his act and laughing with the audience. We of course responded with our applause and the purchase price of a ticket to get inside.
I may not be able to handle three bowling pins in the air without causing major injury to any who dare to watch but I have my own juggling routine. What I juggle is not in groups of three. That wouldn’t be juggling, that would be too easy.
Thursday is juggling day. I was up early and writing feverishly on this computer. Then, it was paying bills and tracking down details so that my check book could be balanced for at least a few hours. I havent’ even left the house yet!
This morning I have a meeting with my faculty and staff. I will give them a report on the direction of the seminary, update them on events that are coming up, and cheer on one of the greatest collections of Christians workers that I have ever had the privilege to call my team.
Once my radio interview is done, I teach my evening class. Here I engage very bright and intellegent graduate students with the fine art craft of preaching narrative parts of the Bible. If that 90 minute session wasn’t exhausting enough, I follow that with a sermon that I deliver in our monthly President’s Chapel.
I can’t stop juggling yet. There are still a few more items to toss into the air for my juggling routine. Tonight we have prospective students for the next semester convening on our campus. I will pop in and greet them, answer questions, and sincerely invite them to join our studentbody and prepare at MTS for whatever they believe God has called them to do.
Maybe I could be a juggler on stage for a living. I would juggle cell phones, PDA’s, microphones, computers, and always be sporting a smile. Would you buy a ticket to my show?
A while back I was scheduled to be at a theater. It was a new venue for me. I didn’t know where it was.
My tickets had the address so I wasn’t nervous. Once dinner was done all of our friends left for the theater. They talked like they had been there many times in the past. That’s because they had.
Wouldn’t you think that a theater called the Redford Theater would be located in the city of Redford, right? That makes sense to me. So, I entered that city in the GPS.
But, the unit would not accept the entry. Instead, it changed the address. That gave me great pause.
Puzzled I pulled over into a parking lot. There I erased the entry and reentered it paying very close attention to the address that I typed into my unit. Again when I pressed “Go” the unit rejected the address.
After a few efforts of messing around, I entered a nearby city with the address listed on my tickets. This time the GPS unit accepted the entry, laid out the map, and gave clear verbal instructions.
But, I was uneasy as I drove into the night. It seemed like we were driving a long way for such a short journey. By faith I followed the GPS unit constantly struggling with my common sense.
Ultimately, I ended up on a dead end street in the middle of a large vacant piece of land. There was no theater here. The only living creatures nearby were a few stray cats, undoubtedly a colony of rats, and maybe a few of society’s dregs looking for a reason that a well dressed couple was wandering around in the middle of no where!
I made a hasty retreat. Once I was back near civilization, I did what I had learned for most of my life. I pulled out a paper map and consulted with the address listed on my tickets.
On the map I found the street that I wanted. I estimated the address location and had a moment of illumination. The general area of the theater was NOT in Redford but in Detroit.
I entered the address again into the GPS and the correct city and amazingly the GPS accepted the entry. I followed this new set of directions but in the back of my mind, I was wary of where we were driving. Operator error? Heaven’s no! It was operator correction … wasn’t it?
November is the month to celebrate with thanksgiving. We gather with loved ones and collectively remember all of our blessings. Sitting down to a feast helps us to remember the bounty of our year full of God’s goodness to us.
By now our family has scheduled the time off from work. We have set aside in our calendar a journey that will have our rendezvous at our daughter and son-in-law’s house. Greetings will be with hugs, laughter, teasing, and of course Lhasa Apsos excitedly barking.
Naturally, the food preparation for dinner is a high priority. The fixings are just an excuse to enjoy each during the preparation and the meal is merely an addition to the conversation. Stories and testimonies will flourish.
We have some fun activities scheduled too. Our family has a lot of routine stuff that we like to do together. Traditionally, we always see at least one movie together. It’s the event that makes it fun.
With great stealth I casually interview my family to find out their highpoints of the year. I bring my computer and began composing what I discover. There is plenty of time to write.
I’m one of the few early birds in our family. So, I’ll be off to a free wi-fi location and compose while sipping on a cup of hot tea. It’ll be a chance to reflect over the blessings from the Lord.
I’ll start of with each family member and get a picture of all that highlighted their past year. Then, I’ll pause. That’s when I get to put together the blessings in my life.
Then, I’ll put it all down from Dusty’s perspective. He is our late family pet. After a bout with cancer and 15 years of great family memories we elected to put him to sleep. But for years he was my amanuensis. That’s a fancy word for scribe.
Now that he is gone I will have a special time to be creative. I’ll still use Dusty as my remembrancer. Now, however, he will be in canine heaven. He will be writing as our Guardian Dog in the Sky.
The theology of heaven is not as clear as people often assume. There are more questions than answers about what heaven will be like. So, there is a lot of room for some creativity while being respectful of God’s Word. Mostly, it will just be fun to write from a dog’s perspective and give family and friends a reason to smile.
We all seem to have our stories about the crazy drivers who made a normal journey a harrowing experience. Our busy schedules call for us to be on the road so often. We plan our commute and transportation needs without thought of any mishaps.
My driving in the last several days has taken me hundreds of miles. Multiple destinations have marked my calendar. People fill my appointments and I am more than happy to spend time with them no matter how many miles that it requires.
Yet, I am annoyed at the not-infrequent driver who races up menacingly behind me. He is trying to get me to move over. That kind of driver does this to everyone who’s in his way.
He is depending on everyone else to obey the speed limit signs. Since he is surrounded by good drivers, he can accelerate, weave in and out of traffic without signalling. He knows that everyone else is moving along at posted speeds and allowing the appropriate safety margins between cars.
That’s the rub. While the rest of us follow at safe distances, there’s just enough room for Mr. Knucklehead to butt in between cars, totally ignoring the safety of others. Instead of following safely at seven cars lengths behind the car in front of him, he allows half a car length. He is taking on that intimidating position because he is in a hurry.
He ended up behind me. I saw him gesturing impatiently. But, I maintained posted speeds until I had safely passed the car in the next lane. Then, when there was a safe distance, I signaled and safely moved into the next lane.
That wasn’t good enough. Mr. Road Hog swerved into that right lane just as I had moved over. He jerked his car back into the fast lane, roared past me and gave me a one finger salute. Oh, he was angry!
There’s a simple response to angry people that works for me. I just will not succumb to someone else robbing me of my happiness. Those people are lousy drivers.
Bad drivers need the rest of us to give them our courtesy so that they can ignore common courtesy and zoom on their way. Good drivers, let’s unite! Smile to yourself when those rude rowdies roar past, knowing that they need the rest of us to keep on driving well so they can keep driving lousy.
Today was another day on the calendar for some. It might be the end of a weekend for some. Yet, for others it is the beginning of a new week.
None of those really stuck with me today. Instead, I was out in the country visiting with good friends. It is a tradition for us to retreat together every year in the Fall.
Our two days together are filled with eating, laughing, hikes, saunas and late-night conversations. Friendships deepen. Of course the teasing keeps us all from getting too nastalgic.
A favorite part of today was a solitary walk into the woods. It was snowing lightly outside. I was bundled up and well insulated against the elements.
I sat by a tree to capture the moment. The floor of the forest was blanketed by snow. I couldn’t even hear my feet crunching on the dried leaves.
Instead, I listened in amazement to the quiet with which a morning snow fall envelopes the world and tells us all to be quiet for a moment. Naked trees now had a coat of fluffy white flakes covering every limb. Prickly boughs of pine trees now looked like marshmellow laden branches.
Of course I smiled and opened up my mouth. I spotted a likely candidate. Just at the last minute I stuck out my tongue and caught a snow flake on my tongue. It’s not possible to keep from chuckling after that successful venture.
Reluctantly, I made my way back to the cabin. My last few moments were packing my bags. Then, I loaded my truck, hugged our hostess and waved farewell to good friends.
That’s when it was time to shake myself back into reality. Around a gentle curve on a muddy road, I turned my steering wheel but the truck did not respond. It kept going straight. Instantly, I released the accelerator and gently pumped my brakes. Finally, Bubba, my truck, responded and regained traction on the slippery road. I slowed down.
Shortly after that I drove over a slight hill only to have my attention fixated ahead. On the road was a deer crossing cautiously. I was glad that I was driving slowly. It was dusk and the deer were active. I flashed my lights as I gently slowed to a stop and let that very handsome buck live to see more days. I was very glad that I was slowing down.
