With great anticipation, I made a Facebook post last week. Yeah, I skipped the blog post, but my grandson Josh and I were on our way to climb Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the lower 48 states. So I put up a pic of our goal, Mt. Whitney, at 14,508 feet. It's above. Under it is Trail Camp, at 12,000 ft. the last stop before Whitney. Understand my eagerness to climb it.
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Working Backward
I'm consumed with returning our yard back to good condition after six years of rental neglect left it overgrown or dead. One task: remove the back lawn and replace it with a brick patio. Rarely for SoCal in June, over 1" of rain fell last weekend, which softened the turf enough to remove easily. Well, easier than if it were hard and dry. So I eagerly started in with a shovel and old muscles and fairly quickly excavated 3/4 of the 600 sq.ft., only to realize I'd created a problem.
Take a close look...
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image by dailymail.co.com
Tightrope
Sometimes I feel like Blondin. In 1858, the French acrobat pictured above stretched a 2" hemp rope from one side of Niagara Falls to the other, and attempted to cross it. One misstep and only death awaited him. People crowded both banks, and the smart money wagered he would fall.
16 years ago, curiosity overcame my values and led me into a year-long struggle with soft core pornography.
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Ride Free
Just after graduating from college, I worked long enough to buy a Honda 350 Scrambler motorcycle and to save a few bucks, and took off for Canada. My only objective: visit a former college roommate who had moved to Kamloops. No other plan, no watch, just a few maps and a little cash. The only time frame: return for the start of grad school in late August.
The primary road above, through the redwoods of northern California, saw a lot of detours. Every intriguing sign, every interesting side road, every wild hair changed the route. 10 states and 2 countries, 30 days and 6,000 miles, and my life changed
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How Far Will You Follow His Will?
Since moving back to our hometown of Temecula three weeks ago, we’ve enjoyed savoring the flavors of local churches. Some pretty large, some pretty small, some in the middle, but the message today at Oakstone Community Church caused me to think. Quite a bit. The text began with 2 Timothy 1:1, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God…” but then the pastor pointed out the difference from Paul’s first letter to Timothy, “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the command of God…"
A change of just one word, but with...
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Life--Relentless
Three days ago, the small tan clump in the foreground looked like the abundant and green tower of pampas grass in the background. Then two days ago, it got shaved to a significantly smaller “stump.” But by yesterday, it had begun to grow again. Look carefully, six inch pale green shoots demonstrate the relentlessness of life. I hope the generous application of Round Up will kill the roots, but several doses might be required. Why? Life persistently holds on and typically doesn’t give up easily. I suspect God intentionally ...
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The Power of Yielding
Paradoxes comprise faith, and that continues to attract me—I like the concept of a God I can’t comprehend fully. Like Jesus’ statement, “if you save your life you’ll lose it.” Or, the tension between what we do and what God does in transforming us. I’ve battled that one. A lot...
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Connecting
Many may not identify at first with my next statement, but work with me a bit, OK? I missed church the last two weeks. The pic above tells why I physically missed it. Six years ago we rented out our Temecula house and moved to Thousand Oaks for a job, planning on returning to our home of 21 years. Those six years of renters’ neglect transformed a nice house into one needing work. Just one example, the once-green bank became what you see above—barren and dead, except for an 8’ tall weed/tree, along with a broken fence. Interior issues were worse. So, the last two weeks I missed church to get the place ready to move back in. 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 I spiritually missed it, and why...
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