After working much too hard and long recently, hopping in a long and hot shower to sluice off the sweat and ease aching muscles, and then having to lie down on our bed for over half an hour to recover, I said to my wife, in grief, “I’m not the man I used to be.” Then I realized the concept has multiple dimensions, and these words came to me…
Read MoreMastering Our Passions
Last Friday, I Zoomed with an editor about two book proposals her house might like. At one point, she asked about my writing goals. I said we write for either therapy or impact. Yes, they share ground, my writing changes me, but I focus on impacting people. Then I sat down Saturday to write this Unconventional post, one scheduled for several months. A divine coincidence, perhaps? 😊
Back then, I ran across this quote by St. Dominic, “A man who governs his passions is master of his world. We must either command them or be enslaved by them. It is better to be…”
Read MoreBBQ and Divine Appointments
About a month ago, after worship at our church and lunch at Lucy’s Mexican Café, Sheila and I headed to a local winery and relaxed at a patio table. A few moments later a woman, mid 20s, sat down at the next table with a plate of BBQ piled high on a bun. Even after eating, my mouth began to water at the aroma and sight. “Excuse me, ma’am, but you’re torturing me. That smells and looks so good!”
She replied with a smile, “Would you like a taste?”
I…
Read MoreOur Tie-Dyed Earth
Frankly, barren deserts don’t excite me much, although our long Gray Hog trips often had to cross 300 to 400 miles of them that surround SoCal, before arriving at the majestic mountains and forests that soothe our souls. Just a dues-paying part before reaching God’s beauty and majesty. But my last ride is changing my attitude. How?…
Read MoreKnow the Times
John Thurston, whose house is above, raised his grandson, my father, when my granddad abandoned his new family. Thurston rassled a grizzly and won (otherwise I wouldn't be writing this). He knew the world he lived in, and navigated it well. How about us?…
Read MoreGod's Transcendence
The more I learn about God, the farther from me he seems. Let me explain. Not particularly in our relationship, but in the huge gap between our natures. I read in biology about the tremendous complexity of the inner reaches of cells. I read in astronomy about the billions of trillions of stars, all needed for life on earth to exist. Then on last year’s trip to Sedona, I jumped on a backcountry jeep tour that took my level of God’s actions to an undreamed-of level. The guide could have been a geology prof, and he pointed out this cliff above. He got my attention by saying this was all underwater, even the top. Then he told us to look at…
Read MoreSigns or Coincidences?
How can we tell if events are merely a coincidence, or a sign from God guiding us? Some never sense that leading; others see a sale on toothpaste as an omen. Having seen God guide in amazing ways, I’m in the middle. Back in ’75, I planned on leaving California for a new phase in Colorado. Starting with a desire to go dancing about 8 PM in Albuquerque, nine separate events, all outside my control (well, apart from the dancing) combined to…
Read MoreConnecting
On our long Gray Hog trips, we typically miss church. Oh, we all worship daily as we ride through God’s magnificent creation and sense his transcendence. We pray and sing and praise as we ride, but we miss it. I realize some followers attend worship rarely or sporadically, and “miss” it more than I. But they may not miss it. Get it?
Here’s why…
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