John Southwood and I built our connection as co-leaders for a mission trip to Penasco, NM, just outside of Taos, way back in 1973. A van and two motorcycles carried our group of six across the California and Nevada deserts to that mountain village, to help with a recreation program. We both loved running and basketball, and dealing with one EGR member forged us in fire (Extra Grace Required). I suspect struggling through the last did more than the first two. He moved to Indiana and then Tennessee, while I had a short sojourn in Taos. But we stayed in touch, and…
Read MoreCaught on the Dot
Most of us have heard the line, “When you're up to your neck in alligators, it's hard to remember your objective is to drain the swamp."
Good advice for life. We don't have to allow the present to dominate our thoughts and emotions. Let's not get so obsessed by so enjoying the present that we ignore saving for retirement. Let's not get so obsessed with our current problems that we ignore more serious but less immediately urgent ones. I struggle with that, particularly in…
Read More
I Am Young
The older I get, the more I look back over my life. Wise decisions, foolish ones, abrupt ones, planned ones. Am I content with it? Will God be? Much of life I’ve taken it as it comes—should I have been more intentional? How can these ponderings inform the time I have left?
A few months back, some random song came on the radio, no clue as to the singer nor title, but one line struck me and I wrote this, just for fun.
I am young
my soul is free….
Read MoreCentrifugal Force
Satchel Paige, the phenomenal pitcher from another era, said, “Never look back…someone might be gaining on you.” Satch pitched better than he philosophized—looking back can give us perspective on what’s yet ahead of us. Sheila picked up a book of devotions “Standing on the Promises” by Marilyn Goss, having many pages with a new verse and picture. I love the current one, “I have been young and now am old. And in all my years I have never seen the Lord forsake a man who loves him” (Psalm 37:25 NLB).
Once
I ran in the center of life
Read MoreAppearances Deceive
On my way to CO at 27 for a job lead, God provided a job outside Taos, caretaking an unused guest ranch at 8500 ft., a log cabin to live in and some nice pay. Far beyond my wildest mountain man dreams. But I found a problem…
Read MoreThe Power of Yielding
Paradoxes have recently driven my thought life, and faith. Even my tech experiences. My old laptop’s birth way back in 2018 explained its slow work, how it sometimes froze. So I bought a new one, yet delayed transferring over, and the issues increased. Finally, four months after the purchase, I started the transfer on Saturday. It’s still undone. I can’t get Google Chrome on it, a requested router password didn’t work, although I took it directly off the router. The paradox? I…
Read MoreA Good Campsite
Last week’s post focused on a recent Sierra trip; a lesson learned on distinguishing between good and bad, using the analogy of eating trout. But it also taught a lesson about paradoxes, two truths that at least seem to oppose one another—the concept of balance. Another metaphor, this one on choosing a campsite. (relevant even for non-campers!)
Read MoreFrench Camp Lessons
I know just enough science to trouble me, yet not enough to create a profession. My high school chem and physics captivated me, and I even taught junior high science for two years. My Sierra trips awoke an interest in geology and astrophysics, enough to purchase a graduate level text, “Annals of the Former World.” Frequent visits to a dictionary help me understand it. Guess getting philosophical and theological were destined at French Camp on…
Read More