A Good Day

When you live at the beach you see a lot of wild and crazy things. We’ve seen dolphins jumping 10’ out of the water, whales spouting and breaching, hundreds of pelicans dive bombing for fish and recently a large shark swimming within 20’ of the shore. But we’ve also seen crazy things wash up onto the beach like baby seals and a glass bottle with a message in it. This week however takes the cake. In the middle of the night a huge 50’ wooden sailing vessel mysteriously crashed onto the beach with no one on board.

Isn’t there an old saying…“The best days of your life are the day you buy your boat and the day you sell your boat.” I guess that’s true because boats can become a maintenance nightmare as they get old, but what about the day your boat becomes shipwrecked on a beach. That can’t be a good day!

When I saw that sailboat, beaten and battered and lying on its side in the sand, it reminded me of the story of the apostle Paul and all the hardships he endured. He was beaten, stoned, jailed multiple times, shipwrecked twice and one time drifted alone in the ocean for several days. I am sure he prayed for help every time and fortunately his prayers were answered. He survived and went on to write a large portion of the New Testament, but what impressed me most about Paul is how he never got upset about his troubles. Even as he was lying on the cold floor of a jail cell, shackled and beaten, he kept praising God. That can’t be a good day, but yet he believed that every day was a good day… and I think it was because he had such a strong, trusting relationship with God.

I admire Paul for his unrelenting faith and would love to be more like him. It’s a great goal, but to be honest, I’m not sure I can do it. I think back to 2003 when my wife was hospitalized with a very serious lung disorder. I remember praying over and over again for her to recover. Fortunately my prayers were answered and I immediately got down on my knees and thanked God profusely. But what if they weren’t? What if God said no? Would I still have been down my knees praising Him? That’s a tough question!

Even now I have friends who are struggling, one with cancer and one with a brain tumor. I find myself praying daily for my friends and I will keep on praying because I know the power of prayer, but more importantly I know the power of God. He gives us His grace and the promise of eternal life and I can’t think of anything better than that. And yet even beyond grace are all the other blessings we have during our short time on this earth. We have eyes to see, ears to hear and a heart to feel. We have the beauty of nature and the love that we share in our relationships, so that’s kind of like grace and goodies! Anyway, I guess from heaven’s perspective grace should be enough and I also guess that the day we go to heaven….well, that is definitely going to be a good day!

Call on God, but sail away from the rocks!

~ Indian Proverb

Getting Your Hands Dirty

Last week was kind of a long, tough week for me. I was super busy at work and had to start early every day, putting in long hours dealing with a lot of large projects, operational issues and employee reviews. By Thursday evening I was beat, so I told my wife I was only going to work a half day on Friday. She said that sounded great and that she would go in to the office with me that day.

When noon rolled around on Friday I was excited. I had it all worked out in my head. We would drive through a fast food place on the way home to save time. Then I would grab some beach towels, situate the umbrella just right, pour myself a cold ice tea and grab the latest edition of Sports Illustrated. It was going to be such a relaxing afternoon…and I was really looking forward to it.

But as soon as we got into the car and I asked her what she wanted for lunch, I knew I was in trouble. She had a slightly different vision, one that included lunch at her favorite little Italian restaurant, then shopping for plants and trees on the way home and me spending the rest of the day reworking our front planter area! In my head I was momentarily bummed but I didn’t want her to know it or feel bad. I had been telling her I would do that gardening work for a while, so I had to keep my word. We had a nice lunch at La Famiglia and then went to Home Depot and loaded up three full carts with plants, trees, flowers and top soil. It was nearly 3:00pm when we got home, but not too late to start digging. Our two front planter areas are fairly small but since I don’t have a wheelbarrow, I had to remove all the old rocks and top soil by hand with a 5-gallon bucket. It must have taken me about 35-40 trips just to clear the area before I could even start digging holes for the new plants. By the time the sun went down, I was so tired and so dirty I looked and felt just like that character Pig Pen in the Charlie Brown cartoons.

But something changed inside me as I did that gardening work. There’s something about working with the earth, digging down into it, giving new life to plants and trees and really getting your hands dirty that feels good. After I took a long hot shower, I went back out to the front of the house and admired the newly planted area. I realized that I felt a whole lot better having completed the gardening work, then I would have had I just been sitting under an umbrella…and it looked awesome! My wife actually is the one that deserves most of the credit though. She picked out the right plants and laid out the perfect design. All I did was put them in the earth. But then again…maybe we make good teammates that way!

And that got me thinking… I wonder if God felt really good when He was getting His hands dirty creating the earth and designing all of nature so perfectly. And…I wonder if God looks at us as His teammates on earth…because if so, we better not be afraid to get our hands dirty right along with Him!

 

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station,

through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.

~ George Washington Carver

Life's Paragraph

Last week 23 of our family members spent an entire week together vacationing in Tahoe. And when I say together, I mean all of 23 us shared the same house. It was a beautiful four-story home that was secluded in a wooded section above South Lake Tahoe. The home had seven bedrooms and a huge game room with couches for the two teenage boys, so everyone had their own “private space” to get away from the chaos, but yet there really wasn’t a lot of chaos. Even though our group ranged from 2 year olds to 70 year olds we had a blast!  We took turns cooking dinners each night and we went fishing, hiking, golfing, gambling, para-sailing and swimming at the beach at Lake Tahoe.

Obviously I can’t say every moment was pure joy. For example things got pretty competitive at the family poker tournament mid-week, but I can say that taking a family vacation together is a great way to spend time with the people you love and re-ignite the reasons why you love each other. When you have to share a bathroom, wash dishes together, and take turns watching toddlers, you bond in a very special way that you’ll never forget. One of the most memorable moments was when my wife’s parents announced that they had a special gift for every family member. For over a year they had been working on-line with Ancestry.com to put together a family genealogy album that listed family members dating all the way back to the 1600’s. What caught my attention was that there was a brief paragraph, just a few sentences, describing the life of each person. And that got me thinking… What would my “life’s paragraph” say?

As I pondered that question I thought about the fact that each one of us has a unique destiny. Each one of us is given special gifts from God and probably a certain destiny as well, but how many of us have the determination and good sense to use our gifts wisely (hopefully to serve others) and how many of us are truly able to fulfill our unique destiny. I am reminded of the story about the baby eagle who fell out of his nest and ended up being raised by chickens. From the floor of the barnyard he spots an eagle in the clouds and his heart stirs. “I can do that!” he whispers quietly. The other chickens laugh, but he knows better. He knows he was born different… born with a unique destiny.

As I look back on my life I can see that God did give me some special gifts and for that I am very thankful to Him. While I am using those gifts…I can’t say for sure I have fulfilled my destiny yet because I recognize that I still have a lot of learning and growing to do. But I can say that I truly love the journey I am on. Hey, maybe that’s what my “life’s paragraph” will say. He wasn’t the brightest guy on earth…but he was smart enough to appreciate every moment of life’s journey!

Family Vacation Picture - Lake Tahoe 2015

When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have

 a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me."

~Erma Bombeck

 
 

 

 

The Re-Directed Duck

This weekend my wife and I saw an unusual site as we rode our bikes along Beach Road. Beach Road is a narrow single lined street with houses on one side facing the beach and railroad tracks on the other. There is a large block wall that separates the railroad tracks from our street and it runs the entire two mile stretch. It blocks people from going onto the railroad tracks and the only way out is to head north to the entrance gate. However there is a very small hole in the wall at the very far south end and sometimes animals come into the community through that tiny opening.

As we were riding our bikes we noticed a baby duck on our side of the wall, all by himself heading north. He was obviously lost and unfortunately heading north was only going to get him killed by incoming cars at the entrance gate. I figured he must have come through the hole in the wall at the south end and I guess I felt a certain responsibility to help him out. So I got in front of him on my bike and turned him around so he would head south. He got scared and started running and I have to say I have never seen a duck run so fast. His two tiny legs were scrambling at full speed and it was a pretty funny site to see. I followed him to make sure he made it all the way to the hole in the wall, where he disappeared into the inlet stream that washes out to sea.

I don’t know why that baby duck was all alone and I don’t know why he was on our street heading the wrong way. But I’m glad that I was able to turn him around and get him going on the right path. But doing that got me thinking….There are so many times in my life when I have been on the wrong path and yet looking back on it I can see that God always placed somebody in my life to inspire me, motivate me or lead me down the right path by their own example. Sometimes it was a friend, sometimes a family member, sometimes a pastor or a mentor and I can see now that they were there to re-direct me down the right path, without maybe even knowing they were doing it. I know it’s not possible for me thank everyone who has helped lead me down the right path during my lifetime, but at least if I try to do the same thing for other people (or ducks), I won’t be “ducking” my responsibility!

The Re-Directed Duck

"I must do something" always solves more problems than "Something must be done."

~ Anonymous  

   

Passion Play

How would you feel if you had a huge passion for something, but weren’t able to do it? I know life isn’t ever supposed to be perfect, but I often find myself asking the question, “Why do bad things have to happen to good people?”

I have a close friend named Danny who is a long standing member of our Halo Baseball Club. We’ve been playing baseball together for years and Danny stands out as one of the most passionate baseball players you’ll ever meet. He is always loud, always enthusiastic, always happy and always positive. You can’t miss him when he’s playing in a game, but then again you can’t miss when he’s not playing in a game either, because even when he’s not playing…he will come to the games and sit in the bleachers and root loudly for every player on both teams.

The last time we played together was last October in Phoenix. It was an incredible moment in our baseball lives because our team won the 55+ MSBL World Championship. Danny was a huge reason for our success, not just because of his outstanding play but because his positive attitude carried all of us through some really tough situations. It seemed like we started every one of our nine games by falling behind, but Danny never acted like it was a problem. His passion and enthusiasm helped us to stay positive and come from behind to win every game. When I got a walk-off hit (with God’s help) to win the final championship game he lifted me in the air and carried me around the infield like I was a feather. But the actual truth was that a car accident a few months earlier was causing him tremendous back pain. We celebrated together for a long time that day, but nine months later he still hasn’t played another baseball game.

At my game last Sunday, there he was in the bleachers cheering loudly for me and everyone else. I couldn’t stop thinking how unfair it was that Danny had to sit in the bleachers while we got to play on the field. Suddenly I had a curious thought…If I was the one injured, would I travel an hour on the freeway to be at every single game just so I could cheer on my friends? I hate to say it, but probably not. Danny is just about the only guy I know who cares enough about the game and his friends to drive that far every Sunday even though he can’t even put on his uniform. Danny is truly one of the “good guys”, which brings me back to my original question…and perhaps an answer. When truly good people face difficult situations, their perseverance and character serve as an inspiration to the rest of us…and I’ve noticed something else…they never lose their passion!

 

Danny...making a play at Angel Stadium!

And not only that, we glory in tribulation,
knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
and perseverance character; and character, hope.

~ Romans 5: 3-4

 

 

Final Destination

I’ll never forget what she said…or the way she said it. It was more than 20 years ago and we had just started dating when she said to me, “You probably don’t realize it yet…but you are my destiny”. She said it with such serious conviction that all I could do was smile and nod my head. I guess she was right because we’ve been married now for more than 20 years and we’re still madly in love and totally inseparable. But what is the true and deeper meaning of the word destiny? Is it possible that many of the people we meet in our lives are destined to be there for a reason? I think it’s definitely possible.

Last weekend was the 4^th of July so my wife and I went for a long bike ride down to Doheny Park. Along the way we passed a crippled, homeless lady who was lying on a tattered old blanket on the hot asphalt parking lot across from the public restrooms. We had seen her before over the past few weeks, but the stark contrast of her dire situation just yards away from hundreds of happy Fourth of July beachgoers was a real shock. There were tons of people surrounded by their friends and family with food cooking and frisbees flying and yet here was this one lonely, disabled person, obviously hungry and absolutely ignored.

My wife suggested we ride back home and put together a care package for her. My wife is so great. She actually took a nice Victoria’s Secret black and white leather bag and filled it with her own clothes, socks, sandals, and bathroom necessities. She then filled a large grocery bag with food and I chipped in a soft blanket and some bottled water. It was hard to carry all that stuff on our bikes but we eventually made it back. But when we got there all of her meager belongings were still lying out in the blazing heat of the parking lot, but the woman was gone. I searched the area and finally found her wheelchair on the back side of the restrooms. Eventually she came out and I took a moment to speak to her and tell her that my wife and I left some “things” for her at her “spot”. She thanked me and seemed to smile a little. So I got braver and asked her for her name. She said, “Hill Jilly”. Our conversation didn’t last long and it was obvious she had some mental health issues, but her smile said it all…somebody cares! I know we didn’t make a lasting change in that poor woman’s life, but on that particular day, we did make a difference.

Yesterday my wife and I went jogging towards Doheny Park again but my wife wasn’t feeling good so she stopped short. She asked me to go on without her and check to see if Hill Jilly was doing okay. As I rounded the building I spotted her sitting on a concrete bench all by herself staring out at the ocean. I didn’t think she would remember me, but when I greeted her with a boisterous, “Hello Hill Jilly. How are ya?”, she lit up with a huge smile. We spoke briefly and I headed back but I couldn’t shake the thought that kept going through my head. Maybe if we realize that everyone we meet is part of our “destiny” then maybe it will help us to reach our final…heavenly…destination!

 

Hill Jilly's Parking Lot Spot

There's nowhere you can be...that isn't where you're meant to be.

~ John Lennon

Bandit's Bell

My wife and I are lucky because we can watch a great 4^th of July fireworks show every year right from our very own front yard. However, this year was the busiest 4^th of July weekend we have ever seen at Capo Beach. Thousands of people showed up to enjoy the beach and take in the fireworks show, which was long and loud. Perhaps a little too loud for one tiny little Chihuahua. When I went out to the street to say goodbye to some friends, I found the little guy cowering underneath my truck. It took a while, but I finally coaxed him out and took him back to his home about five houses down. They were so relieved to have him back and so extremely thankful that it reminded me of the time when I lost my dog but found something truly incredible.

I was 14 years old and living in a rural area of San Diego County. It was a really beautiful area, filled with lush green hills, avocado groves, and dozens of fishing ponds. I had a German Shepherd dog named “Bandit” that traveled with me everywhere I went. So every day we hiked the hills, explored the countryside together, and caught fish in the ponds. Since I had no neighbors nearby and was too young to drive into town, Bandit became my constant companion, and I loved him as deeply as any young boy could.

One day my family was preparing to go out of town on vacation.  We were only going to be gone a few days, so our plan was to lock Bandit in the garage and have a friend stop by to care for him. But on the morning we were to leave, I couldn’t find Bandit anywhere. It wasn’t unusual for him to go exploring on his own, but I knew I could always find him because my Dad had had tied a small - but loud - cowbell around his neck. You could hear that cowbell for miles but on this particular morning, as I climbed to the top of the highest hill, I couldn’t hear the cowbell going off. I called Bandit’s name over and over and began frantically searching. I knew we were leaving soon and if we left without locking Bandit in the garage, when night fell he would quickly become coyote bait. (We had already lost two cats and one other dog to the coyotes).

After climbing several hills and calling his name for over two hours, I was about to give up. I was totally distraught and scared that I was going to lose my best friend. It was the first time in my life that I actually thought about praying for help. My parents and I attended a local Church so I knew how to pray, but being young I guess I just never needed God’s help as badly as I needed it that day. As I stood on a dirt road near a reservoir high on top of a hill overlooking Highway 15, I could see for miles. I looked around one last time for Bandit…then I bowed my head and began to pray.

I’m not sure how long I stood there praying, but suddenly I heard the cowbell go off - right behind me! I turned around and sure enough Bandit was sitting right there wagging his tail and looking super happy to see me. I was shocked because I kept thinking…how did that dog walk right up behind me without that cowbell going off? Why didn’t I hear that bell? How is that even possible? I realized at that moment that while I might not have heard Bandit’s Bell going off, God heard mine!

Bandit...when he was a puppy,

The value of prayer is not that He will hear us, but that we will hear Him.
~ William McGill