I Think

I think this is absolutely the best time of year. With the Spring Season finally here, the flowers are really starting to bloom, the sunsets are clearly more spectacular, and the air itself seems to just smell a whole lot fresher. While I no longer have an ocean view, I do have a gorgeous view of the Coto de Caza Golf Course framed by Saddleback Mountain, the highest peak in all of Orange County. Rabbits and squirrels scurry by (along with squirrely golfers as well), and at the moment nature is dressed in its finest apparel, making me grateful to be alive to witness it.

In fact, a mother dove created a nest on our front porch this week, on top of a pillar protected by the roof. For the past few days she is always there, never leaving, so her eggs must be ready to hatch. She doesn’t seem to be bothered by us as we go in and out of our house, and we are certainly not bothered by her presence either. To me, she is a symbol of spring and a precious reminder of Easter and the promise of new beginnings.

Right now, I think the world needs the promise of new beginnings and a hopeful future more than ever. I thought this pandemic would only last two weeks. Instead it has lasted more than two years, and is still going on. There are bombs being dropped on Ukraine, never thought that would happen. And lately there have been so many of my friends and family members who have lost loved ones due to Covid, cancer and car crashes, that it blows my mind. So my thoughts and prayers are stronger, and my prayer list is longer, than it’s ever been!

With all that has gone wrong lately, it could make us sad. But as I arrive home after a long day of work and pass by that dove huddled quietly over her babies, and then gaze out at the gorgeous view from my patio, I feel encouraged. Life will always have its ups and downs, but for me, Springtime and the upcoming Easter Season combine to create the promise of a better life ahead. At Easter we don’t just celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we celebrate His promise of a new beginning and a life everlasting. I think...I will think about that… instead!

Sunset  view from the top of Saddleback Mountain

Spring shows us what God can do 

with a drab and dirty world. 

~ Virgil A. Kraft

Making the World a Better Place

I lost a friend in a plane crash recently. It was a shock as you can imagine, and so heartbreaking for his family and everyone else that knew and loved him.

It reminded me that sometimes there are certain people that touch your life in a special way. Robert was one of those people. I can’t really describe it. He just had this special way of making you feel better about yourself. What a unique and awesome quality and what a unique and awesome man. The world is a better place because of him and with his passing, his family shared Robert’s personal statement of faith. But instead of describing it to you in my own words, I will share with you Robert Ming’s exact words. Why? Because there is no way that I could have expressed my faith any better or as eloquently as Robert has. And it is so very, very  much worth sharing with the world.

Robert’s Faith Statement

Life can be hard. There are job losses, global pandemics, earthquakes, and deaths. Nevertheless, I have a deep sense of peace even when circumstances might indicate otherwise. Why? Because I believe there is a God, and He loves me. Why do I have  a sense of direction even when I really don’t know where I am going? (No wise cracks here about asking for directions!) Because Jesus Christ has provided clear principles for living life that provide the basis for making decisions. Those principles are found in the Bible and things simply work better when we follow the guidance we find there.

Today I tried to make the world a better place. 

    I’ll do it again tomorrow… if you’ll let me.      

~ Robert Ming,  1970-2022

 

Tool Time

If you call somebody a “tool” it’s supposed to be a derogatory remark. But that doesn’t make sense to me because one of the secrets to doing a job well and doing it right has always been having the right tool. So that makes the right tool a really good thing, right? I wonder… is it that way with friends as well?

I was a working electrician for many years because I have always enjoyed working with my hands and still do. In fact, I still have my original electrician’s leather tool belt, which has been riding around with me in my truck every day for many, many years. I don’t give it much thought and I don’t take very good care of it anymore, but I always know it’s there when I need it.

The thing is, I don’t actually wear that old toolbelt anymore, but I do keep a few spare tools in it. The pockets also have a bunch of old nuts, bolts, and screws collected along the way from places I worked, like the very first In-N-Out Burger ever built, the original Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Fashion Island Shopping Center, the Bren Center at UCI, San Diego City Hall, and the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.

Three times last week that old toolbelt came in super handy for me. One example, my Father-in-Law asked me to help him install a new handheld shower head. The parts that came with it didn’t fit his type of shower stall and we both struggled with it for quite a while. That is until I went out to my truck and searched through my old toolbelt. I found the perfect pair of needle nose pliers and the exact size of plastic wall anchors needed to complete the installation. Five minutes later, the job was done.

And that got me thinking… I have been blessed with some really good friends over the years, people who have been there for me when I needed them most, and greatly enriched my life. I don’t always give them enough thought like I should, so shame on me. But I bet you they will be there for me if I need them. That makes the right friend a really good thing, right!

A true friend never gets in the way unless you happen to be going down.

~ Arnold H. Glasgow