John Southwood and I led 6 people on a month-long mission trip to Penasco, a small town close to Taos. Two of us rode bikes, four rode in the van. The many abandoned old homes along the Arizona roadside grabbed my attention. Made of stone or blocks or wood. Many with missing roofs, all deserted. People built them, lived in them, worked to scrape out a life in the blazing desert, only to leave them. So why did they take off?
Read MoreLove is a Feeling--Really?
“Love is a feeling you feel when you feel you’ve never felt that feeling before.” I first heard that from marriage counselor and author, Norm Wright. And while slightly over the top, it does reflect our society, doesn’t it? We go by feelings, by our gut. That’s why the pic above means so much. The morning in Idaho started off pretty chilly, and we geared up for cold weather, including insulated pants. Insulated pants that you can only remove with great difficulty and flexibility, particularly if you keep your boots on. But…
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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 MoreIt Ain't Over Till...
The biblical word for patience literally means long-suffering. Guess that accurately describes my life as fan of the Los Angeles/Anaheim/California/Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. I’ve lived and died with them. This tease climaxed on May 18, showing both greatness and ineptitude. Their game with the Athletics (not sure where they call home now) followed a six-game losing streak in all. They earned the worst won/loss record in all of major league baseball. Yes, I cry.
A’s pitcher J.T. Ginn allowed no hits the first 8 innings. Said his manager…
Read MoreLatched Up
A few years ago, I fired up my Mustang convertible and headed up the CA coast on Hwy 1, the classic route through Big Sur, to teach at the Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, and hang with some witty writers. Truly, one of the most jaw dropping roads I’ve been on, John and I had the top down with jackets on to fully experience the clean and salty ocean air and to best see the hills and mountains and redwoods and ocean cliffs.
An awesome road, but my amazement came from seeing about two dozen Mustang convertibles. A rental agency in Carmel, I guess. And no better way to enjoy that stretch than a convertible—unless…
Read MoreWalk Wisely
Among the FB groups I follow, one ranks in the top 5, “I Love the Sierra.” A recent post there took my mind back to 2014, when my grandson Josh and I took off to climb Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the lower 48, reaching 14,505 ft., almost 3 miles above sea level. I walked the bleacher steps at my school’s stadium to get in better shape, and we even spent a night before at a campground at 8,500 ft. to acclimate. When leaving Whitney Portal, the ascent began with a nice, fairly moderate wooded trail. In my ignorance, I assumed the rest of the trail would be as easy. Silly me.
But…
Read MoreBlasted
For decades now, I’ve loved adventure, to push my limits. I even created a line, “If you never push your limits, you’ll never realize your true courage and abilities.” But that flows from my innate timidity—yeah, it comes close to my name. So I decided to face and conquer my fears. At 26, I embarked on a 3-month, 13,000 mile, 31 state motorcycle tour of the US. I rappelled down a 190 ft. Rio Grande bridge tower, on a 120 ft. rope. At the age of 70, I did an Iron Butt ride, 1,080 miles in 16 hours on 2 wheels. Yeah, some of us never learn. But…
Read MoreSpiritual Maintenance
On our Taos ride, we both richly enjoyed the Ranchos Plaza Grill and visiting the historic San Francisco de Asis Church next door. Think of Saint Francis of Assisi. Dating back to 1772, enclosed in a plaza for protection from raiding Comanches, made of adobe bricks combining clay, straw, and oxblood and plastered with mud, the church is among the most photographed in New Mexico. One pic features a wall with the plaster falling off. Mud erodes. The solution: they replaster with mud each year.
They make it a community celebration in June, church and community members and visitors add fresh mud and straw to protect the adobe bricks. Nice way to…
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