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I’ve developed a habit, likely inspired by the morning prayer of Amarante in “The Milagro Beanfield War,” of sleepily staggering into the kitchen, fixing my coffee and egg, then heading into the study for the news, then breathing, “Thank you God, for another day,” That focuses my attention on God right away. Then a Facebook post changed things up. Quite a bit. It’s the one here.
Gosh, I felt good doing just the one, now someone wants me to septuple that? But it struck me:…
Read MoreA backyard waterfall had been a feature of our house in Newbury Park, and decided to build another on our return to Temecula. We had an idea of what we wanted, then a friend donated a larger pump that enlarged our plans, including the footprint. The angle and design of the upper stream changed, then we tinkered with the block retaining wall multiple times. I dug the hole for the pond and got ready to lay the cushion and liner, but decided to add…
Read MoreA few weeks ago, my dermatologist cut out my fifth skin cancer, and I told a friend that the margins were all clear and the cancer had not spread. In relief, I added, “God is good.” Then I thought of the many friends, some who love God deeply, who currently struggle with very serious cancers and other health issues. For some, death approaches and when is the only question. What about them?…
Read MoreEver have a time where God led you to a surprising and unexpected place? How did that impact your connection with him? Have you surrendered enough to say, “God, I’ll do it,” with no restrictions, without knowing what may come? Check out some surprises from a recent ride.
Read MoreDad mentored me on fishing Sierra streams, sharing what he’d learned from his grandfather. The best tip: fish where few fish. That can mean smaller streams with no campgrounds to larger and more popular ones, but in between the campgrounds. Many fisherfolk are lazy and just fish nearby. So find streams with the road far from the creek, and a good walk through brush brings you to almost virgin water. The fish have more time to grow and…
Read MoreSome goals contain obstacles to deal with before we reach them—we call that paying our dues. We conquer them by focusing on the pay off. Our motorcycle ride to Idaho and Montana had a lot of them, and here’s just a few.
On Day 1, I had to cover 860 miles BEFORE we met in our riding country. Dues. About 400 miles were desert—more dues. Las Vegas lunch was Del Taco with mystery meat carne asada burrito. Gas was $5.41, but some payoff came with…
Read MoreOur Life Group was discussing knowing God and how the relationship changes over time. Someone mentioned a quote by Brother Lawrence, “The more we know Him, the more we will desire to know Him. As love increases with knowledge, the more we know God, the more we will truly love Him. We will learn to love Him equally in times of distress or in times of great joy.” Then another asked, “Have you ever felt that better knowing God makes you fear him more or less?”…
Read MoreMany Bible passages trouble me. They push my limits; they invade my comfort zone; they require following Jesus as more commitment than I sometimes want to give. The worst, for me, came with Jesus’ statement, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” We tend to define perfect as flawless or exact. Dang, that doesn’t sound like me at all. Humorously, the older I get the better I get at spotting my flaws. And we can’t quibble—the perfect used for the Father is the same grammatically as our target.
In the original language, the word includes being…
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