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image by depositphotos.com
Take a look at the cross above, and which first comes to mind? The truth that Jesus’ death on the cross paid the debt for our sin and we can know him? The truth that we each must take up OUR cross daily, even at the risk of our life? Let me suggest that as we tell people about Jesus, we need to cover both. I learned that the hard way.
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image from wildlife.ca.gov
Rock Creek, a bit above Bishop CA, has built a fine reputation for fall fishing, with an appreciated bonus of the aspen turning their holy gold. But every rule has an exception, and September 2018 served that role. In a good 1/2 mile of fishing, quite a bit when going into and out of all the holes, not a single trout had any interest in anything I presented. Then came the first, the gentle nibble of a trout trying to discover if this was a meal, but not ready to commit himself. Just a taste. But I felt the tug and set the hook by raising the rod tip, and pulled out…
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The 750 from the first Iron Butt Ride.
Every so often, “Unconventional” features a fresh post from a 2018 ride at the age of 70--an Iron Butt that covered 1,080 miles in just over 16 hours, from Temecula to Dillon MT, all on the fairly straight, sometimes barren and sometimes scenic I-15. My Honda ST1300 was without music and the interstate quite uncrowded, providing time to think and pray and ponder. Leaving at 4 AM and traveling 450 miles, the bike entered Cedar City UT at 10:30. Good time, but already some tiredness arrived. So a longer pit stop provided an early lunch and rest. During the last two hours of the ride, I wanted nothing more than…
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Our politically charged society has a new term: cancel culture. The tipping point of the concept came from differing slants on Confederate war monuments. Some say they glorify treason and should be removed from public display; others say that’s our history and we shouldn’t try to cancel our culture. Let’s not get into the political, because we face a deeper issue of cancel culture in the church—where many cancel core beliefs about following Jesus. Not necessarily intentionally or knowingly, but many times we…
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Oak Creek 2020
For several decades, Dad and I fished a lot of Sierra streams, and Oak Creek just north of Independence may top the list of favorites. The water flow remained consistent for spring to fall angling, and while they had developed campsites, you could camp anywhere on the stream—just be neat. I still remember landing my first big trout there as a mid-teen: 16” and a fat 1 ½ lbs. Then troubles afflicted Oak. Whirling disease hit in 1984, stopping all stocking of rainbow trout, but some good browns remained, and the trailhead continued to give good results. Then a 2007 fire incinerated all the trees and brush from the trailhead nearly to…
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Carlsbad Beach
In the midst of a hellacious heat wave in SoCal, where something like 8 out of 10 days broke 100 degrees, the weather predictor delivered a message from God: Temecula would likely hit 107, and the nearby beach city of Carlsbad would be 80. My interpretation: a beach day! So an early lunch at the Daily News Café led to the sand—with appropriate social distancing (except for family units). I especially enjoyed…
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image from a Facebook post
Just this last week I saw this above post on FB. Now that would rile up a lot of Christians, like me, who hold traditional values of marriage! A real slap in the face. But followers of Jesus, who described himself as the Truth, should be a….
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Early August saw my son in law David and two grandsons Josh and Gavin and me heading to the Sierras for some stream trout fishing. We use the classic Sierra stream rig: a limber fly rod with automatic fly reel and 4 lb. monofilament with nightcrawlers, or grasshoppers—when we can catch them. That set up allows us to reach all of a stream, with brush and trees at the water’s edge, without spooking the wild trout. The key is…
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