Politics / Civility – Be good citizens of our country

In the midst of the season we are in (an approaching election in the U.S., a world-wide pandemic, unrest in many American cities and elsewhere around the world), I challenge you to read with an open mind Romans 13:1-7.

Read it again, this time more slowly.

Could God’s Word be more relevant to our times? Saying these words out loud might start a fight with some. You may even be tempted to do what the United States' third president Thomas Jefferson did with verses he was not in agreement with – he literally cut them out of his Bible. That's really not an option for anyone who says they believe in God's Word. So, we need to keep our scissors in the drawer.

Why are these verses so inflammatory to us? I believe it is because we have become a very independent and obstinate people. None of us are too happy about giving someone else authority over us. We prefer to be our own authority, deciding what is best for us ourselves. We no longer value good citizenship enough in the United States.

But some of you might protest, doesn’t the Bible say our citizenship (as believers in Christ) is in heaven? Yes, it is. However, Romans 13 also tells us we are not excused from our responsibility to the government we are placed under (by God). We hold dual citizenship.

If we flout the authority over us when a decision is not to our liking, that works against the common good of all of society. Romans 13 tells us that our civic responsibility is to submit to authority. Rebellion against what God has ordained for our common good brings negative consequences.

It is important to remember that the Apostle Paul wrote this to Romans who were under the authority of the Emperor Nero at the time. Paul was warning Christ followers not to identify with revolutionary movements advocating for rebellion against Rome. Similarly, Jesus faced intense pressures from zealot elements in His time in Palestine (Israel). But Jesus refused to endorse those zealots’ use of violence to achieve their ends.

Now read Romans 12:9-21. We receive instruction here on how to face a hostile world – “do not repay evil for evil” because that only follows the inclinations of our sinful flesh. We are to hold to a higher standard as followers of Jesus Christ.

Finally, even if an authority over you appears unworthy, the government established by God for our common good is not unworthy. 

Now, regarding Romans 13:7 and paying taxes – where is my scissors? Ha.

Actually, I am to pay my taxes. I am to respect all who hold public office. And, I am to honor God completely with my life.

God's Word is powerful and important to us today (Isaiah 40:8).

Essential All's

Our oldest son from New York City called this morning to give us an update on what’s going on with him out there. Lots of closures throughout the city. Lots of “social distancing” required everywhere in the midst of that mass of humanity. This all affects his job and his ability to go into work (and do just about anything else for that matter). Following our conversations with him, I became fascinated with the concept of what’s “essential” in this world we live in?

Webster defines essential as what is “absolutely necessary; extremely important; fundamental or central to the nature of something or someone.”

When you think about it, what is really essential anyway – especially in light of what’s going on in our world right now thanks to the coronavirus pandemic? Essential. Hmmmm…

Over the years, I’ve heard about “essential oils” but I'm not very familiar with them. As I understand it, these are "essential" in the sense that they contain the "essence of" a plant's fragrance — a characteristic fragrance of the plant from which it is derived.

Not sure if I’ve ever actually used essential oils, as least knowingly? But, in contemplating many different thoughts and ideas in the past few hours, I started wondering if as a follower of Christ there aren’t several “essential all’s” that I can be doing as a fragrance of Christ in response to this world crisis?

Taking a cue from Galatians 5:22-23, what follows are nine all’s I’d like to challenge each of us to consider while we have this forced pause in our normal life patterns:

1.     All of us can love people like we’ve never loved them before. Reach out to your neighbors and find out if they have a need. Love them in the midst of this crisis when they might be fearful or negative or angry. And, if you don’t know your neighbors yet, use this time to think about how you can get to know them when that will be appropriate. Think about loving someone in new and different ways. 

2.     All of us can be joyful somehow, even in the midst of this crisis. If you are reading this, you have life and breath and the ability to connect with someone electronically. Something to be joyful about! It has been said that joy is good for your health (Proverbs 17:22). Proverbs 15:13 says that a “joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.” Think about being joyful.

3.     All of us can seek peace. We can pray for our country, our leaders, our families and our future. We can seek to do whatever promotes unity (versus division) in our crazy world. We can avoid things that make us overly anxious or excessively tense - things that cause us to actually be at war with one another at times. Think about ways to seek peace in the midst of this storm.

4.     All of us can be patient with others (especially those with whom we really would rather not!). Be an example to those around you of what it means to trust the One in Whom we can literally trust our very lives. Think about the immediate needs and concerns of others around us, not just of our own selfish desires. Provide an extra measure of grace to those around you. Think about being patient at all times.

5.     All of us can be kind. Communicate with your loved ones somehow as often as possible (in spite of this "social distancing" we are required to be doing). Find out their needs and exhibit compassion for them daily. All of us can provide some form of comfort to others who need it. All of us can take this time to improve on our relationships, especially those that are strained. All of us can give/be generous in some way to the benefit of others. Think about being kind.

6.     All of us can be good. What can you learn during this time, especially with regards to helping others? What can you give up for someone else's benefit? Look for ways to be creatively good now so that you can share that same good once this crisis is over. Make at least one phone call each day to whoever is on your mind. Ask God to reveal His purpose for your life in the midst of this crisis. Think about being good.

7.     All of us can be faithful. Place your trust in the One Who is sovereign over all things. Share the Good News of the Gospel with those who need to hear it, especially during this time of uncertainty. Point people to the reason for your hope. Be grateful for at least one thing every day. Pray for our missionaries around the world who desperately need our fervent prayers at this time of uncertainty. As much as possible, ignore your fears and place your trust in the One Who created this world and holds it all together. Think about being faithful.

8.     All of us can be gentle. Look for ways to encourage someone somehow in the midst of this crisis. Read a good book or two (or read one to someone else). Ask for forgiveness from those whom you have wronged in the past. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in the coming days, giving you wisdom for the times we are living through. Don’t be overly hurried or distraught about anything. Think about being gentle.

9.    All of us can exercise self-control. Turn away from media that is negative and scary, causing you to panic or be angry about everything. Pray for and thank those who are putting their lives on the line each and every day to solve this crisis. Put aside your own selfish desires and think more about the needs of others around the world. Submit your life to the One Who holds all the keys to all of life and then pursue happiness unceasingly.

The thing about essential oils is that they provide healing effects and induce relaxation. I am hoping that these “essential all’s” provide healing, relaxation and a fragrant aroma to all those around us. Let’s use this time in our lives to share a characteristic “fragrance” of hope from the One Who created the recipe for same.

Life is Long

Last weekend, I was introduced to a new phrase (at least it was new to me). After hearing it spoken several times in a few hours, I asked about it. What was the meaning of the phrase "life is long?" All this week I have been pondering that phrase and giving its meaning a lot of thought. Here's my two takes on the phrase "life is long."

It was our son, Andy, and his beautiful girlfriend, Maddie, both from New York City, who introduced me to this phrase. They were our house guests for a quick 30 hours last weekend. We sure did pack a lot into that amount of time! It was our first time to meet Maddie in person and we had a wonderful time with both of them while they were here!

Anyway, after hearing each of them use this phrase at different moments in our conversations, I asked about it. They told me that it had to do with the blessing of life giving you second chances, opportunities for do-overs and improvements when you need them based on what is now behind you. What was done in the past, whether it be yesterday, last week, last year or even several years ago, doesn't necessarily have to define your future. Isn't that a great idea to have the perspective that "life is long?" Even though the phrase was new to me, I have certainly experienced the benefits of this concept in my life.

Because thus far my life has been long, I have been able to learn from my mistakes and attempt to do things different the next time based on my experiences. This has been true in my life both personally and professionally. Imagine if you didn't have the perspective of "life is long." If what you did yesterday, last week, last year or even several years ago trapped you. That would be a terrible way to live! I am convinced that with God's help, we each have opportunities every day to start fresh, to blaze new trails, to learn from what happened in the past and to write new stories. Hallelujah!

So, life is long. Except when it isn't.

Juxtaposed to Andy and Maddie's visit last weekend, I was mourning the loss of a very dear friend. He died last Saturday from heart failure. He was only 63. For my friend, Al Bryant, life wasn't long. It would seem that his life was cut way too short and I am really, really going to miss him.

However, after attending Al's funeral service yesterday, his life was in fact very long, and very full, and very productive, and one of tremendous impact! You see, Al's primary purpose in life was to love people. And love people he did! He not only loved just about everyone he ever met, he also purposefully pointed them to the One who could provide a greater love for all eternity, for the salvation of our souls - that is, Jesus Christ. It was remarkable to me to hear all the stories about all the lives that Al touched in his short time here on earth. As I was lamenting not reaching out to him more and spending more time with him these last several years, I began to realize, "When would he have had time for me anyway?" He was busy loving people, and loving more people, and loving even more people every day of his life! 

Al is an inspiration to me! His life was cut short (humanly speaking), but he made every effort possible to honor, love, serve and tell people about his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ while he still had breath in his lungs. Even though his days on this earth were shorter than mine, what he accomplished for eternity was truly remarkable and incredibly inspirational.

I still like this new phrase "life is long." I especially like how it has been revealed to me to have multiple meanings. Thank God for second chances and opportunities for do-overs. Thank God for strength to persevere when given more time to make improvements based on what I've learned from my past. Similarly, "life is long" for opportunities to share it with others, loving them well. But, what am I accomplishing for eternity with the days/years I am given? Will what I am doing count?

In closing, I am reminded of some lines that may be familiar to you from the poem "Only One Life" by C. T. Studd:

Only one life, yes only one,
Now let me say, 'Thy will be done';
And when at last I'll hear the call,
I know I'll say 'twas worth it all';
Only one life, 'twill soon be past,
Only what's done for Christ will last."

Life is long. Think about it. 
         

My Six Months of Irresponsibility is Over Today

It may not be until this stage of life that you can even offer words of wisdom. Let's face it, earlier in life you really haven't lived long enough to truly know and understand much. But, since I am soon approaching my 65th birthday, maybe I have lived long enough to actually impart some wisdom? You be the judge after reading this blog post.

Today marks six months since my official "retirement" from working life. In some ways it's hard to believe that it's already been that long. In other ways it seems like I've always been retired. Suffice it to say, I am still loving retirement! No question about that!

In contemplating writing something for today, it occurred to me that I might be having my own "Ecclesiastes" moment. What I mean by that is that I felt a need to call an assembly to hear my thoughts on retirement thus far, similar to how King Solomon did something like that in his book in the Bible. Solomon looked back, noticed life as a breath or a vapor, pondered his life's purpose, asked whether what he strove for was worth it, and questioned whether he'd lived life as he should have to that point. Not sure if all of that will come out in this post, but I'll give it a try.

Solomon started his book by saying: "...words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem." Well, I haven't ever been a full-time "teacher" in my life, and I'm certainly not the son of a king. But, I am amazed at the profound influence my Dad (a "king" to me) has had on my life (especially in the past year as we mourned his loss). I literally think about him and miss him every day. I wouldn't say that ours was an inseparable father/son relationship. But, I would say that his life has totally affected mine in ways innumerable. His life, well-lived, guides much of what I do and say and think every day. I am so very grateful for that.

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon spoke of a variety of miscellaneous topics about his life. I'll use several of those same topics as my framework for thoughts in what follows.

Pleasures - Solomon warned his readers that life can be a lot about gathering and accumulating - houses, gardens, treasures, etc. We are so fortunate to have a house that we love, a small yard that we enjoy and more than enough resources to live on comfortably. I am so grateful for that. But, there is an emptiness if enjoying pleasures like those is all you have. If all you are living for is the next pleasure you can experience, that won't be nearly enough and you'll never be satisfied.

The Mystery of Time - Our lives go by so very quickly. Reflecting back on the good life I've enjoyed thus far is a blessing, for sure. My life has been very full and for that I am extremely grateful. However, no one knows for certain the exact number of days you are given in this life. Only God knows that. So, these days I'm trying to live life with eternity in mind. I'm trying to enjoy the time I'm given, remembering that each minute, hour, day, and year is a precious gift from God.

Loneliness - Since I am not in the working world any more (with numerous friends and colleagues to interact with), my life could be somewhat lonely if I let it be. Therefore, I've discovered the vital importance of getting out of the house and interacting with other people more often. Not for the purpose of earning a living (as in my past), but rather to foster and deepen key relationships with the people God has placed in my life at this time. I've already discovered that it can be so easy to isolate from others at this stage of life. Therefore, I constantly need to make a concerted effort to call or e-mail people I know and love and/or schedule specific times with family, friends and neighbors so that the potential of loneliness is minimized. I need other people in my life.

Caution in God's Presence - As with my previous working days, obedience to God's calling and being careful with the words I say is still an important principle to live by in retirement. I really don't want to be one of those old guys who keeps talking even when those around me have stopped listening! Yikes. Hearing what other people have to say is important. Vows that have been made need to be fulfilled. Promises offered to others need to be kept. I must remember that all the riches and health/wealth I now enjoy are immeasurable gifts from God. I experience great happiness and maximum fulfillment when I do!

Wise Sayings/Avoid Extremes/Friendships Important - I am discovering that it is really important to share what I've learned in life with others. It's also important to avoid daily temptation extremes (in eating, spending, entertainment, etc.). The pent up demands for "doing what I want to do" (now that I can!) must be avoided constantly. In addition, proactively cultivating dear friendships while looking out for the needs of others around me (when I now have the time and resources to do so) is vital. I really need to continually be reminded to not waste the relationship opportunities I'm given each day.

Enjoying Life - Time spent with my wife, Ellen, each and every day is becoming more and more precious to me. It has been a big adjustment for both of us, for sure! But, as we do the hard work of getting to know each other more deeply (and completely) in these early days of retirement, I'm more and more convinced the rewards and payoff for doing so will be so worth it (for all the years to come).

The Burden of Folly - I am amazed at how tempting it is every day to want to just waste time or let time drift and not be useful or productive. Not that every minute of every day has to be totally useful or productive. But, there are golden opportunities every day to accomplish tasks and/or make a difference in other people's lives (if I am looking for them). Why waste those? Settling for silly stuff or letting my mind be occupied with stuff that just doesn't matter for eternity seems like such a folly.

Invest in Life - It has become painfully obvious to me as of late how important it will be to nurture and protect the great health I currently have going forward. And, I don't just mean physical health (although that is very important). Emotional, psychological and spiritual health is every bit as important. For the number of days I am given in this life, I want to live them in the best health possible, with gladness and joy to the max. But, that requires daily investments!

Solomon's conclusion at the end of his book was: "...fear God and keep His commands, because this is for all humanity." He also said: "For God will bring every act to judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil." My conclusion thus far is very similar. I want to remember that each day is a gift from God. I also want to remember to glorify God with everything I do. All things matter, even in my retirement years. I want to always be useful, always be heavenly-minded, always love people, always invest in other's lives, always serve those who I come in contact with, and always enjoy knowing that all blessings I enjoy come from God. He is the reason I even have the opportunity to be retired.

I'm still learning a lot about life, and still looking forward to the next milestones that come my way in retirement. I am very grateful for the privilege of even crafting these words and sharing them openly with all who read them. I don't have any more "cover" now for being completely irresponsible. I hope the next six months will be focused on acquiring and exuding additional wisdom for the rest of my retirement years, however many that may be.

It is fitting to note that at the end of this six months period of being completely irresponsible, I grew a beard for the very first time in my life. We'll see if it lasts...

Retirement - The First Hundred Days

It's been approximately 100 days since I retired from HDR in December, 2018. In some ways it seems like a lot longer than that. In other ways I say to myself, "It's been that long already?" In short, I am absolutely loving retirement. I still feel so blessed to even be in this amazing situation - unbelievably blessed, blessed beyond imagination actually! But, as it says in the Bible:

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected." (Luke 12:48 CSB).

Leading up to my retirement, people would ask, "So what are you going to do when you retire?" My tongue-in-cheek answer became: "For the first six months, I want to be completely irresponsible." You see, I've had a bad case of the responsibilities for a long time and felt like I really needed to just chill and let each day come as it might for a while - not have too much of an agenda; be little more relaxed than I was prone to being while working. I'm still in that first six months and am probably failing at being completely irresponsible, but I am (with the help of my sweet wife, Ellen) learning to be a lot more interested in enjoying life versus just accomplishing tasks. However, a leopard cannot  change his spots either (Jeremiah 13:23). Enjoying life and not fussing over the details? What a concept.

So, the purpose of this post is to reflect on some of the things I am learning in retirement and impart some other ideas about retirement to all of you who read this blog. Hopefully the next few minutes will be an interesting and thought-provoking read for you? If not, my apologies.

First of all, I feel like I am actually enjoying life for the first time in a long time. That is not to say that I didn't enjoy life before. I did! But, rather than feeling pressure to earn a living, accomplish tasks, and be completely responsible, I am actually beginning to realize that just enjoying life here at our home is really okay to do. Ellen has done this for years and has really been a big help in getting me there. I'm actually loving doing more domestic chores and activities with her. Why not help with more things around the house, in the kitchen, with the cleaning, etc. and free us up for other activities away from here together? I'm still in my "detox" phase of this, but learning to love life and experiencing all good things (with Ellen's wonderful help). I'm loving it!

How absolutely freeing it was to throw away my desktop calendar and just use my cell phone for "commitments" and other scheduled activities. Wow. I was so calendar-obsessive before I retired. Literally everything went on my calendar (or on a "things-to-do" list). Way too often I was overly concerned with where my time was being spent and how fast I could get things done. I had to fill out a time sheet and keep budgets for my time after all! So now I'm learning to relax more and not be so driven by time (and lists!). Still have a long ways to go, but I'm learning to enjoy the freedom.

I've recently discovered I don't need to take anything to the dry cleaners anymore. As a matter of fact, one of the first things I did was rearrange all the clothes in my closet, placing the more casual attire in the primary locations (because that is all I wear anymore!). Some of you who know me well know that I always seemed to want to be more "dressed up" versus super casual. Still have that bent, but I am not missing wearing office attire each day at all! Casual clothes everyday is wonderful! I might happily also admit to staying all day in my pajamas, too! Not more than a dozen times, I'm sure. And after all, why not on those cold winter days? Just because I can. SMILE.

The final few months/years of working, traffic to and from work here in the Dallas area was causing me to want to move to the country and get completely away from it (and fast!). The morning drive to work and evening drive home from work were my very least favorite activities. Now, we can travel the highways and byways in the middle of the day and avoid a lot of the congested Dallas traffic. Sweet! It is so fun to be able to be out during the day and not have to fight traffic. I'm actually beginning to enjoy living in the Dallas area again!

Quite a shock to my system was the first time I found myself at Kroger after a morning doctor appointment. I happened to look around and observe who was at the store with me. Seemed to be a lot of really "old" people and people with various visible needs (I hope they weren't saying the same thing about me?). All of a sudden I asked myself: "How did I get in this demographic?" Well, get used to it, Bucko! That's where you are these days. You are now a part of the retired masses in America and there's no turning back! Ha. I still forget to ask for Senior discounts and such. I did join AMAC (in lieu of AARP), however. How did this happen to me? I don't feel that old?

At the first of the year, Ellen and I got away for about nine days to an east Texas lake house (thanks to some very good friends' wonderful generosity!). Ellen ended up dubbing it the "retirement summit" as unbeknownst to her, I had prepared about eight or nine "topics" for us to discuss while we were there (of course!). We also read several books, went for long walks, slept in late a few times, and just thoroughly enjoyed exploring, dreaming and eating at various restaurants in that lovely lake community (and loved every minute of it!). One of the topics we discussed at the summit was friendships/relationships. Who did we want to make sure we invested in and made time for in our retirement years. Rather than just "friendships of convenience" (people from work, church, in our life group, neighborhood, etc.), who do we want to pursue intentionally, hopefully fostering greater and even deeper relationships going forward? In this day and age of pseudo-connections and oftentimes very shallow friendships (thanks to our strange, non-committal American culture and social media, etc.), how can we make sure to have true friends and healthy relationships for the long haul? Do people even call each other on the phone anymore? Do people even write letters to each other anymore? Do people just sit and talk at length with each other about what's on their hearts and what's important to them anymore? What could we do to foster this idea and develop richer, more fruitful  friendships/relationships in retirement? (And, let's make sure our immediate family is not excluded from this pursuit.) I am still working on this; still having to get over lame ideas like "Well, I don't want to bother them; they are probably busy with work or their family and all." I really need to step out and swim against the stream of our culture on this one to make good things happen. But, I am totally committed to eventually succeeding in this pursuit. Having solid and beneficial friendships/relationships in retirement (and for the rest of my life) will be very, very important to me and to my family.

So, that's a little bit about the first 100 days. What about the next hundred? Well, I still have some time left in my six months of complete irresponsibility. Thank goodness! But, for now, a few things seem to be prominent on the horizon for my future:

OUR CHURCH - I have begun to do more and more tasks and activities with our church and it's wonderful leadership; I am writing more for our church's daily devotional and allowing myself to be much more available for other initiatives/activities that need energy and assistance there. I hope this will continue for a long time to come.

EXERCISE AND HEALTHY LIVING - I am starting to be concerned with getting more exercise and living a more healthy lifestyle. Still need to work on this (a lot!). I am discovering how easy it would be to just get really lazy and very sloppy with all of this in my retirement years. As a matter of fact, I have talked myself out of a good three-mile walk and talked myself into having another cookie way too many times already! I will need a lot more discipline and greater perseverance to exercise and eat right in order to make healthy living happen! Pray for me...

HEALTH INSURANCE AND MEDICARE - I still need to wrestle health insurance and Medicare (upcoming) to the ground. Ugh! Nobody is going to do it for us (unless any of you are volunteering to help?). And, the sooner we get it done, the sooner the constant junk mail and random, unsolicited phone calls preying on us "soon-to-be-65ers" will stop. Man! How did we get here?

JOY - I really want to have joy every day. I want to always have a willingness to give and share and make myself available to the needs and other urgency's around me, all without feeling a personal responsibility for all of it, and without making it a have-to for me. A want-to is so much better. I really need to thank God every day for His abundant provisions for us, and to inquire of Him every day as to how to use what He has so generously given me/us best for His kingdom and His glory. And then take joy in all of that. So far to go on this one, too.

I am loving retirement more than I thought I actually would. I was not the sort of person who couldn't wait for retirement years before it happened. I really loved my work at HDR and tried to give it my all and my very best efforts. But, for now at least, this is so much better. I am blessed beyond imagination and grateful for all of it!

To God be the Glory!

Crumbling Pots

It was probably about 36 years ago. I was a young and very inexperienced design professional (landscape architect-in-training), working a job I really loved (and thought I was pretty good at, too).

That was when I had to learn some valuable lessons on life from crumbling pots.

I had designed what I thought was a really cool project - a "roof garden" at a hospital's expansion in Decatur, Illinois. It was definitely unique, innovative, and not a standard approach. Essentially, my design was the placement of various-sized geometric wooden pallets in decorative patterns all over an otherwise normal (and ugly) conventional roof, primarily to be viewed from the hospital expansion's new patient rooms. The pallets would be where hundreds of various-sized clay pots would be placed. They would then be filled with potting soil and planted with shrubs/flowers to provide the "garden" part of the design.

Conventional thinking at the time for roof garden design required placement of considerable depths of soil over roof areas, then installing landscape plant materials in same (like a typical garden). That was not possible for this project due to restricted structural loading (weight concerns) for the building's roof, as well as for a lot of other relatively complex and difficult construction/maintenance and drainage realities. As a wide-eyed, novice designer, I wasn't going to let restrictions keep me from coming up with some way to make that roof a garden. There just had to be a way, and I was convinced that I could avoid that restriction.

As the design was being finalized, I was receiving all sorts of accolades from my peers for creating such a unique and unusual design. However, some of my co-workers were skeptical. They were surprised that I had been able to convince the hospital's administration to spend a significant amount of money on such a folly. But, in my headlong pursuit of "greatness," I was confident that it would all work in the end somehow. I pressed on with completion of documents for construction, at times ignoring concerns brought to my attention by other more experienced design professionals. I wasn't interested in hearing what these "naysayer" colleagues had to say. Rather, I was preoccupied with dreams about how it would all turn out. How great it would be to photograph the results when complete. How proud I would be of my accomplishment.

About two years or so later when construction and installation for the roof garden was finished, Voila! My design was in fact cool! Everyone seemed to love how it all looked. I received numerous congratulatory comments on the design and adulation for coming up with the idea and seemingly progressive uses of common materials, in ways that were unique for roof gardens at that time. All was good.

Fast forward another two years. I received an unsolicited and rather excited phone call from my client. "Hey, Mr. Architect. What are YOU going to do about all these crumbling pots on our roof?"

Over the course of two winters, the realities of the elements (freezing and thawing) had ravaged my design. Almost all of the clay pots had crumbled in place. What was once considered a great triumph for me became a huge embarrassment and costly mistake. I had not done my homework. I had not researched the givens and realities of my design. Something that I thought would be a path to greatness (and cool) was now putting me (and my company) in a terrible position. We had a very unhappy client. I was ultimately responsible for creating something that didn't work. I was to blame and I had to own it.

So, what are some of the lessons I learned from this story of crumbling pots? Here's a few:

1. If young and inexperienced, use caution before proceeding with unique, innovative ideas. The "standard approach" may be there for a reason. Perhaps it has been tried/tested and proven it works. That's why it's now the standard approach.

2. It's great to have a desire for doing something really cool. Steps away from conventional thinking are appropriate on occasion. However, some realities and truths are just unchangeable and not to be trifled with. They need to be acknowledged and studied before proceeding.

3. If you are confronted with restrictions that seem to limit you, don't dismiss them outright. Ask questions about why they are there. Find out why they were created. Ask if the restriction applies to your situation before proceeding. Think more long-term.

4. If you are receiving accolades from your peers, be careful. Sometimes they can cause you to ignore advice from the more experienced/wiser people around you. Listen to concerns of others and criticisms of your work. They might be much more helpful to you than all the accolades in the long run.

5. Dreams are great. They really are. But, the realities of life must be evaluated along with your dreams. Dreams can oftentimes turn into nightmares if you don't consider realities.

The good news is that I did not lose my job and our company was not sued. However, I never forgot the lessons I learned about life from these crumbling pots. 

A Son’s Remembrance of His Father

The fifth commandment in the Bible says, “Honor your father…” That is what I hope to do in the next few minutes – honor my Dad with a few words about who I think he was. 

After it was discovered that Dad had a “mass” in his pancreas and some other growths in his liver in early April, I flew out to be with him for a few days. At that time we weren’t sure that the diagnosis would be cancer. But, all signs were pointing to the fact that he had it. Consequently, we had some very personal and tough discussions at his kitchen table one afternoon. Dad eventually said to me, “Well, I’ve had a good life.” I asked him, “Are you ready to meet your Maker?” He told me immediately, “Yes, I am.” We then discussed other end-of-life scenarios and cried together – a lot.

As I flew back home a few days later, I feared I’d have to prepare some words like this to deliver at an occasion celebrating his life. I wasn’t all that excited about doing so, but I also didn’t want to miss an opportunity to pay tribute to a man I loved and admired greatly. On that flight (and later on flights to New York City, Atlanta and Sydney, Australia), I had a lot of time to write down some things that just seemed to epitomize my Dad. I decided to “alliterate” them (using the letter “C”) to possibly make them easier to remember. So, here goes:

Cards (Cribbage, Whist, Bridge, etc.) – Dad loved to play cards, and he was so good at it, too. As a matter of fact, you had better bring your A-game when you played cards against him because his policy was “no mercy.” He would beat you ten times out of eleven, but then smile and encourage you to play your best the next game! Cards just came easy to him. He literally had the uncanny knack of almost knowing all the cards in your hand when you played against him. As a result, some people didn’t even want to play against him! He was that good. I am really, really going to miss playing Cribbage with my Dad. Every time we got together, we played Cribbage (sadly, except for my final two trips to see him).

Careful – Dad was careful with just about everything he did. He believed that there was a right way to do some things and he just didn’t take shortcuts or overextend himself on much of anything. When he set his mind to do something, it was going to be the absolute best something he could make it. He got teased by my sisters and me for always saying, “You got to have a system!” But, he was so right. Sloppiness in work or finances or golf or any other activity really wasn’t his thing. If you were going to do something, do it right and take the time and care you needed to make it the best. He didn’t believe in “can’t.” When my sisters and I struggled with something early in life and told him we just can’t do it, he used to tell us, “Can’t never did anything.”       

Cars (and especially Cadillacs) – Dad had very few obvious indulgences, but the one he did have was driving really pretty cars. And, he traded in his cars about every two years or so, always looking to get the very best car he could (paying cash for them, of course). He started with Chevrolets, advanced to Buicks, and then finally settled on Cadillacs. Except for a couple of uncharacteristic purchases of a Lincoln and Volkswagen along the way (?), my Dad drove Cadillacs exclusively for over 45 years. His Cadillacs became his recognizable trademark. He must have been one of Cadillacs best, longest and most faithful customers, I’m sure. Speaking of cars, when he sold his farm in 2012, he actually bought each of his kids a brand new car! What a great gift! Dad loved cars, and especially Cadillacs.

Choirs – Dad loved to sing! Whether it be in the church choir, or with a men’s quartet, or at some other karaoke-type opportunity, Dad sang. And he didn’t sing soft. No, he sang LOUD! His base voice was really, really strong. When he was singing, he was all into it. He was the epitome of the expression “belting it out.” Consequently, all of us in our family also loved to sing, or at least we appreciated great music and those who produce it well. Some of my favorite memories of Dad are from sitting next to him in church and hearing him sing – especially the old hymns (How Great Thou Art always, always makes me think of my Dad).

Clean-Shaven – Dad was always clean-shaven. I don’t think he ever had facial hair his whole entire life. To him, it was really important to have a clean-shaven face. I once had a goatee and mustache for a while and I know he really didn’t care for it at all. Dad didn’t start his day until he’d had a good shave each morning. He frequently shaved again before going out for the evening, as well. Always with a splash of Mennen Skin Bracer afterwards, of course.

Conservative – Dad was unquestionably conservative. He was never shy about stating his beliefs and politics openly. He believed in conservative values and ideals, and he loved voting in local, state and national elections accordingly. I learned at an early age where his political views stood, and as I’ve gotten older (and maybe a little bit wiser?), I find that I am gravitating more and more towards his viewpoint every day. The good thing was that Dad wasn’t ugly about expressing his political views. Rather, he just knew what he believed in and didn’t have any fear about letting people know where he stood. Frankly, I really admired that about him. 

Consistent – Dad was never wishy-washy about anything. You could almost predetermine how he would react to just about every situation. He had a way of living life that worked for him and he stuck to it. For example, he loved our Mom and us kids consistently, even when we disappointed him (especially me!). He stuck with the people he called his friends and didn’t ever abandon them. If he said he’d do something for you, you could take it to the bank. Dad consistently did what he said he was going to do and you could count on it every time. They don’t make too many like that anymore.

Corn – I just had to throw this word in. Dad grew corn most of his adult life, and he was possibly one of the best in all of Central Iowa at doing it. He prided himself in having very straight rows, really pretty fields, and BIG yields. He loved farming so much. Growing corn was one of his specialties – another potential trademark.

Country (Music, Living, Farming and the USA) – Dad couldn’t get enough of Country Western Music. As a matter of fact, all the stations on his last Cadillac were tuned to Sirius radio and Willie’s Roadhouse! Whether singing, dancing or listening to it, Dad loved Country Western Music. He also loved Country Living. He eventually adjusted to living at his home in Sun City, Arizona, because beyond his backyard was an absolutely beautiful golf course with lots of trees and a stunningly gorgeous lake. But, he really wanted to be out and away from everything somewhere in the country. Central Iowa was his absolute favorite place in all the world. He also loved states like Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming. In addition, he was a very proud American. He didn’t have a chance to serve in the military, but he defended his country every day of his life. He was a staunch patriot and didn’t understand it when others weren’t. To this day, I really can’t say anything bad about the USA – Dad taught me this was the best place in the world to live and I believe he was right!

Courageous – My Dad appeared to be completely unafraid of anything. I mean, absolutely anything! You might even say that he was somewhat fearless. Case in point was his final month on this earth. Anyone else would have potentially buckled under with the health issues he faced. The cancer in his body was ravaging his internal organs and other parts of his body terribly. But, he was incredibly courageous through it all and faced the challenges of pancreatic cancer all the way to the end. As a matter of fact, my sisters and I felt like he got supernaturally sweeter and sweeter toward the end of his life, even though his body was wreaking havoc within him at every single breath. It was nothing short of unbelievable how he faced this adversity head-on and without fear (or at least that’s what it looked like to us from the outside). I will never ever forget how courageous he was to the end. He was amazing!

I think I speak for all of my family in saying that we were so blessed to have known and loved such a wonderful man! I will forever cherish precious memories of times with my Dad. He was an incredible human being and truly had a great life. In addition, he positively impacted many of us forever. God bless the life, memory and incredible strength of my Dad, Dick Ellwood.

Wanna Get Away?

This post is something I wrote for our church's daily devotional - Vertical. Seemed like I should share it with others by way of this blog also. The passage I am writing about is Revelation 21:1-7. Enjoy!


You’ve all heard it. By now it's a very familiar sound and phrase.


“Ding. Wanna get away?”




Southwest Airlines’ brilliant ad campaign appeals to all of us who desperately want to escape the hopeless situations we sometimes find ourselves in. I don’t know about you, but I’ve really been longing for some sort of getaway lately. I mean, can this world and the politics in the United States get any crazier?




But, before we think we are in the worst situation ever, let’s take a minute to put things in proper historical context. What was the world really like when the apostle John wrote these words in the Book of Revelation anyway?




Well, he was in exile because of his witness for Christ; it was a time of severe persecution for Christians. The Jerusalem temple had already been destroyed. People were being punished for not worshiping the emperor. Cruel, paranoid tyrants were in power; they sought to control public and private morals. Wars and chaos were abundant; heavy taxation dominated people's lives. Anarchy and lawlessness was everywhere: marriages of convenience and for political expediency, untold questionable activities by the political elite, power-hungry leaders oftentimes exercised absolute political power.




What do you think? Sound familiar?




“Ding. Wanna get away?”


Yes, John was in a terrible place. The world around him was a mess; so many things he valued were gone: his Lord Jesus, his friends, his hope? But God gave him a vision and told him He had everything under control. God showed John that if he focused on the Lord’s return, not the circumstances around him, he could survive and even thrive. He became more concerned with the second coming of Jesus than with the political situation of his times.


We should not expect everything to be right here on this earth because of the inescapable presence of sin; this world will always be marred by sin and disobedience. But one day, sin will be gone and God will make everything new.




Next time you want to escape, remember this:




“Ding. Jesus is coming back. It may be soon!”




When things don't seem right in this world, remember God has a plan; He'll make everything right in His time. You can count on that! The ultimate issue of our day is Jesus' victory over sin and death and His soon and coming return.


Maranatha!

Now what?

I should have known that this would be an emotional day. It's my Dad's 87th birthday. It is soon the three-year anniversary of my Mom's passing. Two people I knew died this past week. And, our youngest child, Nathan, left home. He's moving to Austin, Texas, to start his first job out of college.

Both Ellen and I were doing pretty good with him leaving until as we were saying our "good-byes" to Nathan out on the street, he looked up at the house and said, "Huh, I guess I won't ever live here again?"

Now what?

We have been at this parenting thing now for many, many years. It's kind of what we do. It's not all we've done, but it certainly was our primary focus for over 33+ years. We have literally built our whole life around the wonderful children God gave us. And now, our youngest one is gone. Oh, he'll be back for a few weekends between now and when he marries Arlene MacArthur in August, but essentially he's gone.

Now what?

I left the house to run an errand after Nathan drove away. On the radio they were playing the song, "Day One of the Rest of My Life." The lyrics speak of this day being the start of your future (no matter what happened before). Couldn't help but think of Nathan as I listened to it, but then I also began to think about Ellen and me. In a lot of ways this marks the first day of the rest of our lives, as well.

Now what?

Well, first things first. I want to publicly thank God for giving us these four children, and for the wonderful human beings they've all become. We could not be more blessed by Andy, Katie, Peter and Nathan. Our cup overflows with absolute joy when we consider all that God has done for us personally and for our children specifically over the past 33+ years. It is simply amazing! We wouldn't trade any of it for anything else in the whole world. So worth it! SO WORTH IT!

Second, there's always doubt that creeps in regarding "Did we do enough as their parents?" "Did we do too much as their parents?" And, sometimes as parents you can get bogged down by the "what ifs" and lost in the "if onlys" that come to mind. I just have to publicly declare at this juncture that we did what we thought was best for our children, we tried to live life with them having few regrets, and we now plan on trusting God for what's next for all of them. They belong to Him anyway - our job as parents was to love and protect them, provide for their needs until they could do so themselves, teach them the really important stuff in life (and hope they never forget it), and then trust that our heavenly Father will help them understand and navigate everything else they'll need for life. That He'll fill in all the gaps we missed and/or help them forget the mistakes we made.

Now what?

Well, Ellen and I are re-committing our lives to each other. We are really excited about the prospect of being able to primarily focus on our relationship now and for the rest of our lives. We are grateful to God that even after almost 35 years of marriage (plus four children, homeschooling for 19 years, paying for four college educations, and lots of other really challenging/rewarding stuff) we still love (and like!) each other. Praise God for that!

Now what?

Time will tell. But, here's a few broad ideas for how we want to live life going forward:

We want to pray more. We want to love more. We want to be engaged in the lives of others around us more. We want to do all we can to make a difference in other people's lives. We want to continually share the GRACE we've been given. We want to be joyful at all times. We want to give others hope. And finally, we want to be all that God has called us to be for the rest of our lives.

Now what? Stay tuned...   

A Tribute to Rusty Franklin's Wonderful Life!

I lost a really good friend on January 1st. His name was Rusty Franklin. Rusty and I met a little over eight years ago at our church. He and I were close like brothers. I loved him greatly.

Rusty and Anne (his wife) would become people we wanted to know better and better, and we began to spend a lot of time with them. Rusty was so doggone engaging with his bright, happy outlook on life (to Rusty, everything was AWESOME!). He also had a wonderful eagerness/bounce in his step. He just approached everything in life with a positive attitude. Rusty loved God and was always interested in learning more about Him.

Rusty was competitive, a real gamer; well, to be honest, he just loved to PLAY. As a matter of fact, one of the things I most loved about Rusty was that over the past year or two, we played Words with Friends on our phones, nearly every morning. Sometime before 7 a.m. each day, my phone would “ding,” and I’d look to see that Rusty had played our game. I still had a game going with him on my phone up until his final day; he made his last play the morning of January 1st. He and Anne were headed to our house (but didn't quite make it).

So, Rusty and I were friends, and very good ones at that. I loved how he always called me “bud.” But, we really weren’t much alike; as a matter of fact, we were very different types of guys. Rusty was a school administrator/coach/teacher. He was very athletic and had actually been a “star player” in several sports (especially baseball). He was an outdoorsman and loved to fish/hunt, not to mention experience wild adventures in nature (he spoke many times of his thrilling escapades in Alaska!). He also loved to tinker with miscellaneous equipment/machines/projects in his yard, do organic gardening, planting all sorts of things in the ground and then delight in watching them grow. He played with and entertained his dogs, Max and Gracie, enjoying their frolicking around and/or snickering about their mischief! Finally, he was a HUGE Texas Longhorns fan, and generally, a pretty happy-go-lucky, laid back sort of guy.

I’m none of those things. But, God in His infinite wisdom brought us together anyway. What we did have in common was two very important loves. These two loves glued our friendship together forever: Texas Rangers baseball (and a general love of sports); and Jesus.

Over the years I’ve learned that you actually become a lot like the people you hang out with. I believe Rusty rubbed off on me because we hung out together a lot. I’m so grateful to be more like him. But, more important than that, Rusty hung out a lot with Jesus – and Jesus rubbed off on him! Here’s evidence of that, and some of the reasons why I loved my friend so much:

1.   Rusty was a gentle man. I don’t believe there was an unkind muscle or bone in his body. He went through his wonderful life touching people with his gentleness, rather than knocking them down with brash behavior or rudeness. Somewhere along the way, God gifted him with an incredibly peaceful, gentle spirit.

2.   Rusty was loyal and faithful – first to his wife, Anne, then to his job and the students, then to his family members (especially all of his favorite nieces!), and finally to his many, many friends. As a matter of fact, there were times when I was actually pretty annoyed with Rusty because he had so doggone many other demands on his time/life. But, shame on me for being selfish. He gave me plenty of time/attention. The trouble was, I wanted more. Everyone did!

3.   Rusty was a servant leader. He was always serving others. He loved Anne more than anything else in the entire world and served her daily. He loved his job and was compelled to give it his best effort every day. He mentioned to several of us that he believed God had him at his job for reasons beyond what they were paying him for. He truly felt that he was called to minister to young people/students (as well as to the other teachers/co-workers) there. He sought out opportunities to serve wherever he was called (and/or wherever there was need). He considered it an absolute privilege to be the hands and feet of Jesus as he interacted with others he was called to serve. What a great model to follow!

4.   Rusty did things. He and Anne did not wait for other people to make things happen, or just sit around and dream about doing incredible stuff. They actually got out there and made it happen! He told me on more than one occasion that once Anne’s health became a concern (about 10+ years ago), they knew there wasn’t much certainty as to how many days they’d have together. So, they chose to make a commitment to just love life (and each other) to the fullest extent possible, getting out there and enjoying every single day, as though it might be their last. Each minute/hour was absolutely precious to Rusty, and he lived accordingly. He and Anne took a lot of trips together, saw a lot of movies together, experienced fun get-away’ s together (with the school band and/or family members/friends). Sometimes they just took off in one of their cars and went somewhere spontaneously just because it would be fun! And then, when they returned, they loved telling us all about their adventure (with Rusty referring to everything as AWESOME, of course!).

5.   Rusty did not live with regret. He just refused to do things that would cause him regret. He didn’t let the expectations or demands of others define his day-to-day existence. I’m guessing that up until his final breath, he probably didn’t have any thoughts of wishing he’d done this or that. Even when he experienced his heart attack and other health setbacks back in March of 2013, he didn’t attract attention to himself or beg for sympathy for his condition. Rather, he got going on his exercises, ate healthier foods, lost a lot of weight, tried to do what the doctors wanted him to, etc. He loved life. And, when life threw him curve balls, he just adapted/adjusted to them (without complaining or regret). When Anne’s health was a concern, his concern was for Anne (not for what he was unable to do because of her limitations). I was frequently astounded by his ability to take the hand he was dealt, and make the best of it, with NO REGRETS.

6.   Finally, Rusty loved God and was committed to His Savior, Jesus. I had the privilege of seeing him grow deeper and stronger in his faith “up-close-and-personal” the past few years. He helped me see new insights into God’s Word, showing me evidence of where God was working in the world. Rusty had a simple faith, but he clearly understood the importance of accepting God's free gift of salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

After Rusty died, Anne asked me if I thought Rusty knew he was going to die. I told her that I thought he knew it was a possibility, but that he wasn’t afraid of his death. I believe he was caught somewhere between looking forward to seeing heaven and his Savior face-to-face, and not wanting to leave Anne and his family/friends. One thing is for certain, Rusty mentioned several times that he was aware that God spared his life back in March of 2013. He knew that God was giving him the gift of more time on this earth, and that time was very precious to him.

Thanks for living such a wonderful life, my friend. Thank you for your gentleness, your loyalty, your faithfulness, your servant leadership, and your “can-do” spirit that caused you to go out and just do things. Thank you for living a life with no regrets, and for your love of God and His Son, your Savior, Jesus. I’m really going to miss you, bud…

A Son's Reflection on His Mother

These are the words I spoke at my Mom's memorial service this afternoon:

The fifth of 10 commandments in the Bible says, “Honor your father and your mother…” That is what I hope to do in the next few minutes – honor Dad and Mom with these words.

After Mom died on the morning of June 16th, Dad, Roz, Debb and I spent time together over lunch talking about Mom. At one point it was asked, “What are the things that were truly Mom?” We began to reflect on that a bit, voicing things that came to mind. It was very therapeutic.

We will miss Mom terribly. But, we all have so many vivid memories of who she was that we’ll cherish for eternity. I decided to “alliterate” them (using the letter “L”), just to keep this more light, and to possibly make them easier to remember. So, here goes:

Lists (and Labor) – From as early as any of us can remember, Mom was a list-maker and a hard-worker. I don’t know if she made lists for Dad, but we kids sure had our share! That was Mom’s kind way of keeping us busy, teaching us to be diligent, and making sure we learned to accomplish tasks (and get things done). Roz mentioned something I’d forgotten. Sometimes Mom (who was a super-duper housekeeper) would put on our lists, “Pick up specks.” And we did!

Learning (and Listening) – Mom was a teacher at heart, quietly causing me and my sisters to learn in many ways. She wasn’t overbearing about it. Rather, she indirectly communicated to us that there was always more to learn. She wasn’t a big reader, but she listened and paid attention to everything that went on around her. We learned a lot about what was “proper” from Mom. I will be forever grateful to her for this.

Loving – When we were talking about Mom after she died, I mentioned that I was embarrassed at times about how much Mom loved me. When I would come to visit her and Dad, I truly felt uncomfortable at times at how she waited on me hand and foot. Roz and Debb tease me, saying that she loved me best. But, the truth is, I know that she loved others as much as she loved me, especially Dad! She had a tremendous capacity to love her husband, children, family and friends. Mom was a very loving woman.

Letters – More evidence of Mom’s exceptional love for me are boxes of hand-written letters in our attic in Texas, letters she wrote to me once I finished college and moved away. I am almost certain that I received nearly a letter-a-week from her for the first ten or fifteen years after leaving home following college. She wanted to stay in touch with her son (and my growing family)! She was so selfless about putting pen to paper, sharing her thoughts and life with me and Ellen and our kids. She also stayed in touch over the years with many others. This was her letter-writing ministry of love. What a great legacy! Too bad letter writing is almost a thing of the past these days.

Lovely – Mom was an attractive and very lovely woman all of her life. As my cousin, Ellen, said in an e-mail following Mom’s passing, “She was always well put-together and looked great!” Very true! Her skills as a hairstylist, and her love for art/design, propelled her to always put herself together well (and she helped Dad to look his best, too!). I really admired that about Mom. To this day, I think about my Mom as I get dressed for each and every day. What I learned from her was that appearances were not the most important thing, but being sloppily dressed/put-together wasn’t the way to be either. She was absolutely lovely.

Lashes – I hesitated to put this in here, but Mom started wearing false eyelashes some time along the way, and she wore them well. One of my favorite stories about Mom is that when our house on the farm was burning in 1976, she went back into the burning house to get two things – her eyelashes and the beauty shop appointment book! Typically, we might think that women who wear false eyelashes have a tendency to be vain, or are somewhat inauthentic. Not Mom. She made it a part of who she was and I loved that about her!

Laughter – Dad, Roz, Debb and I all remembered how Mom loved to laugh. She was always up for a good, clean joke. I remember a time when she and I actually embarrassed Dad out of the room. We were reading from a Norwegian Joke Book, and just got the giggles so bad, we couldn’t stop. Just when we thought we’d had enough, we’d say, “Oh, how about just one more!” And then we’d look into each other’s eyes and communicate, “Let’s just keep laughing like this forever, O.K.?” Mom absolutely loved to laugh, and to the end, we all loved to laugh with her.

Loyal (and Lowly) – Probably the most compelling trait that I will never, ever forget about my Mom was that she was loyal. She faithfully dedicated herself to being my Dad’s life-long helper/partner. No question about that! She was also absolutely loyal to those people/things she loved and believed in. In addition, she was okay with being lowly. Not that she was beneath anybody or anything. Rather, she just deferred to others all the time and whenever necessary without thinking anything about it. She had a true servant’s heart and noticeable Christ-like spirit about her. She did not need the spotlight to be on her. She actually shied away from it most of the time. Her goal was for others to receive the attention, not her. She never demanded attention for herself.

Lord – Finally, Mom knew Jesus as her Lord. She acknowledged her need for a Savior and accepted the free gift of salvation through Christ’s suffering sacrifice on the cross. She knew that living a good life was not enough, that she desperately needed God’s grace and unmerited favor. As a result of her personal relationship with Jesus Christ, believing that He came, He died, He rose and He now lives, she is actually with Him in glory for all eternity! Praise God for that promise and reality, available to each and every one of us.

In closing, I think I speak for all of my family in saying that we were so blessed to have known and loved such a wonderful woman! I will cherish the precious memories of times with my Mom as long as I shall live. Personally, I can’t wait for the day when I will be reunited with her in heaven! I’m sure we’ll laugh together and sing praises to God for all eternity. God bless the life and memory of Doris Ellwood.

It's been over 363 days...

I've always told my kids, "You make time for what you think is important." So, when I look at this blog of mine and realize that it has been almost one year since I published my last post, what does that say? That this blog isn't important to me? I sure hope not.

I really love to write. And, I really love to share my thoughts on this blog. My "normal" time to write previously was Sunday afternoons. A glance at my personal calendar for the past 12 months reveals what I've been up to while not blogging. Not all of this was done on Sunday afternoons, mind you. But, most of this has contributed to the scarcity of my posts the past 363+ days.

TEXAS RANGERS BASEBALL - I think I've probably attended at least five or six games in person down in Arlington, watched nearly 150+ games on TV (can that be right?), and cheered wildly for this baseball team of mine during the 2011 World Series. I really love baseball (!) and blogging sometimes takes a backseat to it. Smile...

WORK/MY JOB - I think I've probably taken over thirty-two separate trips to all parts of the United States in the past year, totalling more than sixty-five nights away from home doing HDR business (at least). I developed a new vision for architecture marketing services at HDR, and then took over responsibility for same, including giving guidance/direction to +/- 60 people on a daily basis. I handed over the Design Excellence initiative I've been working on at HDR for over six years to a new leader. I moved my location in HDR's Dallas office to the 2nd floor, and had to drastically “down-size” all the stuff I had accumulated over many, many years there. I made over a dozen presentations to large groups of leaders, and led four two-day marketing training sessions in various cities. I recruited, interviewed and hired at least six new employees for our company. I started serving on the Management Team of HDR Architecture, Inc.

PERSONAL (Miscellaneous stuff, Prayers/E-Mails/Phone Calls/Texts/Tweets/Instagrams, etc.) - I got some new eyeglasses (really needed the upgrade!). Also shopped for and bought a new car (thanks to my Dad’s extreme generosity!). I made some new friends and prayed in earnest for my family, our church, my work, our country, etc. I probably received, acknowledged, read, answered and filed more than 13,000 e-mails (at least!), not to mention the 3,500 texts, tweets, and instagrams that also passed by my eyes. Who knows how many phone calls I answered and/or initiated over the past year (was it 15,000?).

LIFE GROUP/CHURCH/ELDER ACTIVITIES - I attended REFRESH classes at our church last summer, as well as the Global Leadership Summit (for the fifth year in a row!). I led and/or prepared Bible studies for more than twenty-five meetings of our Life Group (either on Sunday nights or on Wednesday nights with just the men). I attended more than twenty-five meetings with the elders of our church (at least). I wrote several pieces for our church's daily devotional - VERTICAL. We assisted a young Ukranian couple in getting adjusted to life in Dallas (and at DTS), as well as loaned our car to another Ukranian missionary couple for two weeks while they were here. I helped organize a weekend get-away to east Texas with the men from our Life Group and had a great time doing so.

FRIENDS/MENTEE MEETINGS - I believe I had more than twenty coffee/breakfast dates before work with friends/co-workers, and more than twenty-five dates for lunch with guys I consider my closest friends. I probably also had more than twenty-five lunches/dinners with mentees (younger people asking for me for advice, etc.).

HOUSE - We had the countertops/sink replaced in our kitchen and I touched up the paint afterwards. My son and I put new tile backsplashes in our kitchen. I replaced all the hardware and hinges for the cabinets in our kitchen cabinets, and then cleaned and polished them thoroughly. I fixed/repaired our lawnmower shed attached to the side of our house and then we had the entire house re-painted. We also replaced our front storm door and screens on several of the windows on our house. Did I mention the weekly mowing and trimming and edging required for our yard (which I absolutely LOVE to do)?

FAMILY - I played golf with my sons (and others) at least four or five times on Sunday afternoons. I made a washers set for one son on his 17th birthday. We hosted birthday dinners at our house for most of our family members. We traveled to Iowa to help my Dad & Mom get ready for their farm sale. We saw an ultra-sound of our first grandchild three months before she was born! I became a grandpa in November for the first time! I enjoyed numerous Skype dates with Andy in mornings before work, and was captivated by lots of breakfasts/lunches/dinners with other family members, too. I paid off the remaining balance for Katie’s college loans (and will do the same for Peter's hopefully next week). We hosted my Dad & Mom for a few nights in Texas on their way to their home in Arizona. We helped our daughter, Katie, move into a new apartment (twice), and then gave her support and a place of refuge in between apartments. I made five or six trips to visit my Mom in Arizona after her stroke in November. Ellen and I celebrated 31 years of marriage. I attended my Uncle Robert's funeral in Iowa between Christmas and New Year's Day, and then served a ton of pancakes and sausage, etc. to over a hundred people at our house on January 1st. I made two trips to NYC to visit Andy & Annie (including surprising Andy and Katie on their 30th and 28th birthdays). I got to babysit my one and only granddaughter, Brynlee, for the first time (more to come, I hope!). We graduated Nathan from high school and prepared ourselves to send him to Abilene Christian University in the fall. I organized and thoroughly enjoyed MOTEF 2012 with Andy, Peter and Nathan following graduation. We attended the weddings of three or four of our friends’ children. Sadly, I lost my dear Mom and spoke at her funeral. And then nine days later, I lost my Uncle Jimmy and missed going to his funeral in Iowa. Finally, I attended an Anderson family reunion in Colorado with Ellen, Katie and Nathan.

So, no wonder there hasn't been time to blog!

I'm not sure whether it will be another 363+ days before I blog again. But, putting this one together has reminded me of Jesus' words in John 10:10 where He said, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." Thank you, Lord, for an abundant life! I am blessed beyond imagination, and I am also very grateful for the many blessings He has given me.

A High Price for Freedom

This morning (4th of July, 2011) I woke up to a very precious reality. I am twice a free man.

First, thanks to those who have bravely gone before me to defend my individual liberties, I am privileged to be an American citizen living in a free country. God bless the USA! Second, because I am a Christian (having accepted God's free gift of salvation through the precious blood of Jesus Christ), I also enjoy and experience the joy and promise of being forever spiritually free. Praise God for that as well!

I am truly celebrating today because of a high price for freedom paid for me by others.

Thank God for our Founding Fathers and many brave souls who took their stands for freedom, and then declared independence from the ugly tyranny of a remote English monarchy 235 years ago! Thank God for the first century Church (several of them martyred), who carried the Gospel of Christ to all the world, declaring freedom from the tyranny of sin and telling people everywhere that they no longer needed to be separated from God!

But, if history teaches us anything, it teaches us that precious freedoms (both political and spiritual) should not be taken for granted. What we enjoy today may not be there tomorrow if we don't fight to keep it. There are enemies out there trying to steal yours and my freedoms each and every day of our lives. We must do all that we can to actively protect them because there is a high price for freedom.

The words attributed to one of the founders of our nation, Patrick Henry, as well as those penned by the Apostle Paul in a letter to first century Galatian Christians, seemed particularly relevant to me at this point:

"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, Give me Liberty, or give me Death!" - Patrick Henry

"Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you." Galatians 5:1

Notice the references made to life and death, as well as "chains" and "slavery" in these quotes? In the founder's and the apostle's mind, the opposite of freedom was death and/or bondage and indentured servitude to either an overbearing dictator/monarchy, or to sin. In other words, without freedom, there is no life and no independence. Enemies will always attempt to place chains on you and me and/or attempt to entice you and me into the bondage of slavery. We need to daily take our stands against these undesirable conditions.

Yes, there is a high price for freedom for those of us who enjoy it. There is also an obligation on the part of both American citizens, as well as followers of Christ, to rise up and protect it, too. But, unfortunately many of us will rather use our precious independence and freedoms just to do whatever we want, thus destroying them. Shame on us when that is what we do.

Once again, the words penned by the Apostle Paul to the first century Galatian Christians seemed very appropriate for me to read/hear this morning:

"It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?" Galatians 5:13-15

May we all take these words to heart as we celebrate the 4th of July and/or our freedom in Christ, remembering that there is a high price for freedom.

How the body works

This past Friday, my wife, Ellen, and I were planning to meet some good friends for dinner at 5:30 p.m., and then see a movie together after that. We were really looking forward to it! However, our plans changed in a moment when we received an urgent phone call from a friend before we left our house, a little after 5 p.m.

Our friend was very distraught because her fiance had stopped breathing. She had already called 911 for help. She was reaching out to us for additional support and prayer. Her fiance wasn't responding to the treatment he was receiving. She was scared, really scared! We headed out the door immediately, calling our other friends to tell them we needed to make a change in our plans for the evening.

Sadly, our friend's fiance did not survive a massive heart attack he experienced. His life ended suddenly, and very unexpectedly. A tragic death. We are finding it very hard to comprehend.

Ever since that night, I have been very contemplative about this whole episode, earnestly praying for our friend (and her son) who have now lost someone very dear to them. As I have been reflecting on the events we experienced Friday night, I couldn't help but think about how the body works. When disease or pain strikes, our human body responds quickly.

I'm not a doctor or an immunologist, but here's my limited understanding of how the body works.

For our immune system to work, two things must happen. First, our body must recognize that it has been invaded, either by pathogens or toxins, or by some other outside threat. Second, the immune response must be activated quickly, before the invaders destroy many body tissue cells. There's also a lot of other reactions our human bodies generate, including the proper interaction of non-specific and specific defenses. The nonspecific defenses, like on our skin, do not identify the antigen (a substance capable of stimulating an immune response or reaction) that is attacking or potentially attacking the body; instead, these defenses simply react to the presence of what it identifies as something foreign. Often, the nonspecific defenses effectively destroy microorganisms. But, if these defenses prove ineffective, then the microorganisms manage to infect our tissues, and the specific defenses go into action. The specific defenses function by detecting the antigen in question and mounting a response that targets it for destruction.

That's a somewhat scientific explanation for how the body works. So, what does that have to do anything previously written?

Well, just as the human body works to protect us from diseases and pain, I believe the body of Christ responds similarly. As a matter of fact, I am a witness to how this transpired with our friend on Friday night. Let me explain.

On our way out of our driveway, we began calling several of our Christian friends who were also friends of our friend who was experiencing the crisis, imploring them to begin praying immediately for the whole situation. The body of Christ was beginning to recognize that something unwanted/unexpected had invaded our friend's life, and that she was in desperate need of prayer. Next, we quickly activated a plan to help navigate the details of the situation. We volunteered to go get our friend's son (who had arrived at his work place a short time ago) and take him to the hospital where our friend's fiance was being transported. Likewise, we asked our good friends (who we were supposed to be having dinner with) to head straight to the hospital, telling them that we would meet them there. Within the hour, twelve other friends assembled at the hospital and were there to comfort our friend and her son when they received the news that her fiance was gone. Before the night was over, more than twenty-five of us gathered at a friend's home to provide comfort and to our friend, praying for her, and asking God to ease her pain and bring her comfort. Several wonderful Christian friends volunteered to spend the night with our friend and her son, helping them cope with the shock and sadness of the situation when disbelief and pain were intense.

While none of us were able to alter the outcome of the sad situation with our presence and/or earnest prayers, I am so grateful to God that He gave us such a vivid picture of how the body works. The body of Christ, that is. It really is a beautiful thing...

We still have questions and don't completely understand why. We probably never will be able to comprehend why God in His infinite wisdom allowed this tragedy to happen, at least not this side of heaven. But, one important lesson I learned in the whole situation is this: Be grateful if you are surrounded by other Christian friends; in your time of need, the body of Christ will be there for you. Praise God for the body of Christ!

That's how the body works.

He still holds her hand...

I just returned from a quick get-away trip with my wife, Ellen, to Sun City, Arizona. We were there visiting my parents for a couple of days. They live at this oasis "in the desert" from November through March to get away from the bitter cold and endless piles of snow in Iowa during these months. My Mom just turned 83 on January 7th (praise the Lord), so we were doing a bit of a belated birthday celebration for her. Plus, selfishly for Ellen and me, it's just a really great place to visit. Mom and Dad's home is right on the Union Hills golf course. Thus, the view out their back door (and from their patio) is beautiful, gazing over lush green grass to a small lake with fountains, with picturesque Arizona mountains off in the distance. We were blessed with some fantastic weather while we were there, too. Loved it!

But, aside from the setting, I just have to brag on my Dad.

Over the three days we were there, we went out for breakfast, lunch and dinner several times. We also did some miscellaneous shopping and ran a few errands. Consequently, there was a lot of getting in and out of their car, and a bunch of walking to and from their car to the restaurants/stores we visited. While we were doing that, I couldn't help but notice over and over again that after 62+ years of marriage, he still holds her hand...

Wow. I can't begin to tell you how wonderful that is to see my Dad holding my Mom's hand. I really want to be like my Dad when I grow up.

He loves my Mom so much! He takes really great care of her, too. Mom has Parkinson's disease and it is begining to slow her down a bit more and more every year. She's not as steady on her feet as she once was. She gets a little bit flustered/confused at times because she is not as smooth in doing the things she used to do so effortlessly. But, there's my Dad, giving her a steady hand, and telling her by his actions and loving touch that he'll take good care of her. That she doesn't need to worry about a thing. That he's going to take care of her and protect her no matter what.

What's really cool is that Dad would be doing this even if she didn't have Parkinson's. She's his wife, and that's what a loving husband does for his wife. He gives her a hand. He tells her with his actions and loving touches that he'll take good care of her. A husband's desire is to convince his wife that she doesn't need to worry about a thing. He will take care of her no matter what.

Lately, Ellen and I have been caught "holding hands" on our way in to church, or in a few other relatively public situations/events. People have remarked that we are "cute" to do that and that it seems like we are really in love with each other.

I love holding my wife's hand. We are in love with each other. In my way of thinking, that's what married people are supposed to do. Why is it that a husband holding his wife's hand seems so unusual these days? Whatever happened to romance and chivalry?

I want to honor my Dad's love for his wife (my Mom) with this post. I want to declare to everyone reading this (especially family members) that this is what I plan to do. I hope to continue to follow my Dad's example for many, many years to come. Someday, I want my sons (and daughter) to remark when we have been married as long as my parents (hopefully!), he still holds her hand...

Sometimes it is the little things, the simpler things, that are most important in this life.

Thanks for giving me such a great example/model to follow, Dad! I love you.

Dragged, kicking and screaming...

I've heard it said that a child's personality (and a lot about how that child will respond to certain situations as an adult) is already evident at age 5 or 6. Kind of makes you realize how critically important those first few years of a child's life are, doesn't it?

I am so grateful to God for my Mom being there to shape my personality and guide my development at an early age. Likewise, I am so glad that my wife, Ellen, was there to actively influence the personalities of our four children in their early years.

(In my humble opinion, the ideal situation for a child is for their mother and father to be the ones to perform this all-important task. It is that critical to their adult life!)

Just the other day, a vivid childhood memory popped into my consciousness. It made me realize that a dominant part of my personality, as well as how I frequently respond to certain life situations as an adult, is probably wrapped up in this early childhood experience.

It was the first day of kindergarten in Ellsworth, Iowa, probably the fall of 1959. My family lived on a farm about three miles outside of this small town of 400+ people. To attend school, I would need to take the bus into town. It must have been a late-morning session of kindergarten as I don't remember my two older sisters being a part of this story. They were probably already at school when this took place.

I have this mental picture in my head of my Mom "escorting" me down the end of our long lane to catch the bus. Actually, I was being dragged, kicking and screaming all the way! It must have been terribly embarrassing and upsetting for my Mom. You see, at four years old (I wouldn't turn 5 for another month) I just wasn't too sure about this whole going to school thing. I wasn't excited about it at all! I kind of liked being safely at home during the day with my Mom. What was she doing, making me go to school, for goodness sake? So, I decided to fight the inevitable.

In spite of being dragged, kicking and screaming all the way down the lane, Mom won the battle. She placed me on that bus, let the bus driver close the door, and off to kindergarten I went. I must have liked it, too, as I don't remember her having to force me to go to kindergarten ever again. Apparently, once I got on that bus, I was O.K. Whatever I had feared so much before hand, didn't turn out to be as bad as I thought after all.

But, I couldn't have been convinced of that when I was being dragged, kicking and screaming down our lane. I was genuinely freaked out!

Fast forward to today.

I still get a little freaked out by new things. I will frequently dread a new adventure and/or resist a change in venue/responsibilities. It's as though I'm reverting back to being dragged, kicking and screaming down that lane outside of Ellsworth, Iowa.

Even 50+ years later, there are remnants of that part of my personality showing up. Fascinating!

Likewise, once I "get on the bus" so to speak, I usually do O.K. with the new adventures or change in venue/responsibilities. I am reflecting back now on a whole lifetime of initial reluctance to lead, of timidness when it comes to participating in big events, and of massive squirming when asked to take on new tasks/responsibilities, etc.

So what? Why is this even worth writing down (or being read?)? I guess here's what I'm learning about myself through this experience:

- My personality was somewhat settled at an early age in life. That's not an excuse; it's just fact.
- I am who I am based on some of the experiences I had early in life. That's really O.K.
- I should not try to be someone I'm not. Others can seeminly tackle the big stuff and keep begging for more. Others can get frustrated when new adventures and added responsibilities don't come fast enough. Not me. That's just not who I am.
- Sometimes I am required to press on past my fears and hang-ups. Sometimes I just need to take on those new adventures and challenging responsibilities. I must get over my initial reluctance. I just need to buck it up and do it!
- It is always a good idea to ask myself before stepping in to something new, "What's the worst thing that could happen here anyway?"

If you find yourself sometimes being dragged, kicking and screaming into new adventures and/or situations that freak you out, take a hint from me. Just relax. It probably won't be as bad as you think.