Come as you are
Julie finishing half marathon
Last weekend, our family went to go watch my wife, Julie, run in a half marathon in downtown Minneapolis. Julie is training to run in her second Twin Cities Marathon in October. She ran the last one 10 years ago, and she is making sure she is more prepared this time around. She has already run in many 5Ks, a 7K, and some 10Ks. Her goal is to keep her knees strong and healthy and improve from her last marathon time. The hour was early and the weather clear and warm when we arrived. She was prepared, healthy, and ready to run. As she left the starting line, her bright smile indicated that all systems were go. Her goal was to finish between 2:15 and 2:30. Me and the girls funneled down close to the finish line shortly before the 2-hour mark to watch her come in. The 2:15 mark came and went, as did the 2:30 mark. At 2:39, she crossed the finished line. She finished! It wasn’t in the time frame that she wanted, but we were still very proud of her. So many battles are fought while running, and it is a test of your mental and physical fortitude. Well, Julie was not happy. For the rest of the day, she was in a bad mood. Disappointment took its toll.
Today, when I ventured out into the garden, I was putting some finishing touches on some long overdue chores. I made nine tomato cages out of concrete mesh and had put them around the tomatoes three weeks ago. They needed staking, and I was finally getting around to that today. As I was out there, I was noticing all the weeds. I was thinking that I need to get out here more and do a better job of staying on top of it. This year, I had made a concerted effort to not let the weeds win. I had laid down hay between all the rows to keep the weeds in check, been diligent to weed regularly, and even selectively sprayed Round-Up to stay on top them. But there they were, still staring at me in the face. Taunting me. Why can’t I stay on top of them? I have pulled what feels like thousands of weeds, and still, there they are.
As I was letting this roll through my head, and feeling disappointed, the Lord helped me remember all the past seasons and all the other times the weeds were much worse. Even though I have battled this regularly, I have always had an amazing crop at harvest time. I have had onions the size of softballs, and tomatoes, peppers and potatoes so bountiful that I could not keep them all. So what was all the fuss about? Well, I wanted the garden to look as perfect as it was producing. It even felt like I was putting more emphasis on how it looked, as compared to how it produced. The Lord gives the increase, and it has produced—every year!
I was thinking about all of this, and Julie’s half marathon came to mind. She was disappointed with her performance and race result, but you know what? She is out there running every day, she is producing, she is doing things very few people do – including me. Maybe she isn’t finishing where she wants. Maybe she isn’t finishing at the top, but she is finishing!
Then it became clear to me, God doesn’t care about our perfection or our performance. He cares about us. He isn’t going to bring increase to my garden only if it has no weeds in it. He isn’t going to help Julie battle during her run, only if she finishes at the top. He is there for us, despite the issues. He doesn’t wait for our weed-free garden and all our running issues to be resolved before He can bless us. He loves and cares for us right where we are at. He is there in the midst of your problems, not at the end of them. What a pressure-reliever!
I am getting ready to venture out and pull some more weeds. I love spending time out there. I know I won’t get them all, but so what. I know when people see my garden, they won’t see the postcard picture perfect one. That’s okay. Julie is getting ready to do more running by herself. Her knees never felt better, and she has run more this year than any other. She is a winner, not because of where she finishes, but because she does finish. God is working within her to strengthen her mind and her body. The results will come. No worries.
Slow down and take a look around, He is there. He is always with us. I am just thankful that He is not sitting there with a checklist, ensuring that we meet all the requirements of do’s and don’ts before he’ll be there for us. He is just inviting us to come as we are.
To those who have served…
I open the packed refrigerator and complain because there’s nothing to eat. My family’s three cars have a little too much patina. There are 150 channels to choose from, and yet there’s nothing good on TV tonight. I go to bed and my pillow is a little too lumpy.
I suffer from too much. A byproduct from a generation that sacrifice was a way of life and by it, allowed us to live in prosperity. Abundance brings with it a virus called ingratitude, and I have suffered from bouts of this affliction as well. How can you relate to people and a lifestyle that you have never experienced? Every time period has had its givers and takers, and I would venture to guess that this generation has more takers than givers. We are seeing the death of an era. The WWII generation is in its final days and when they’re gone, we’ll have lost the wisdom that goes with them.
I have not served in the military, nor have I made a sacrifice for my country. I am a person who has lived in the aura of the blood that was shed so that we’d be able to live in freedom. The men and women who’ve given up their down pillows and warm beds for sleepless nights, uncertainty, and frazzled nerves are the true heroes that we are to admire.
Today, we have a new group of soldiers that are willing to put their lives on the line to hold back 
the evil that roams the earth. We have too many reasons to remain complacent, but they do it. To voluntarily give up the lap of luxury, to serve is truly remarkable. I thank God for all of those who have sworn this oath to protect this country:
I, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.
I cannot adequately express my gratitude to all those who have sacrificed for this country. I am awed and envious. As best as I try to relate, I am not in the family of soldiers. My perspective is that of an outsider. But, you have given all of us a gift. A gift of liberty and freedom. Some may squander it, and some may relish it. At times, I live close to both of these truths.
Even though saluting is reserved to those within the “family”, I stand with you and I salute you. I am grateful beyond words. From one of us to all of you… thank you.
Absence makes the Camera grow Fonder
For my daughter Allison’s birthday in March, I decided to give her my Nikon D40x camera and lens kit as a gift. She had been dabbling in photography for a while with her point-and-shoot, so I thought it would be nice to see if she was serious about this picture taking thing. She has tried on various “hobbies” and nothing has seemed to stick. The tributary of this was that I would then be able to upgrade to a new camera – not that I had an ulterior motive! So my quest began.
My first choice for a camera replacement was a Nikon D90, mainly because of its video capabilities. I figured I would be able to save the money and make the purchase. The camera had been out for a couple of years, so I decided to check and see if there were any new cameras poised to be released. I checked with Nikon Rumors, a website that is dedicated to just such a venture since Nikon (or any other camera manufacturer for that matter) does not give any indication when it may be releasing new gear.
Well, lo and behold, in July, they stated that there was a camera coming out that would be a replacement for the D90. Hmm, now what do I do? It would be coming out in the fall. No name yet, no definitive specs, so I decided to wait. Why invest into a discontinued item? Finally, in August, they announced the name, the D7000. More information kept trickling in and I was getting more and more excited about this new camera. I still didn’t know what the price would be, but it would be available in September – October. It finally showed up on Amazon’s website on September 15th, and I placed my order for the body only. If it shipped soon, I would still be able to take some nice fall pictures. Well, here we are in November and still no clue as to when the camera might ship.
In all this talking about my dilemma, one important element has been glossed over. What about Allison and her photography experiment? Well, it stuck. She has fallen in love with photography and has even purchased a new lens (35mm f/1.8). She has taken thousands of pictures and has even has taken some senior pictures for her friends. She has a natural eye for taking unique shots. I have seen her blossom in more than just photography since then. She has found something that truly makes her happy and expresses her creative side.
It’s been eight months without a camera and I don’t think I have been without a camera for that long in my entire adult life. My love for photography has just grown during this absence and I get to see that love manifest in Allison’s photography. What has been my loss has been her gain and I could not be happier!
Tis the Season . . . for what?
This time of year seems to magnify our emotions. A lot of lip service is paid to having a holly jolly Christmas, but for many it is a very lonely time. Isolated and without family, it can be a very trying time for some.
I wax and wane with these feelings during Christmas. The seemingly over-exuberance of fun others seem to have makes me feel like I am missing out on something. Like I am not part of the club – whatever “club” that might be. Stores are filled with hustle and bustle. Roads are jammed with busy travelers. But something is missing.
I’ve taken time off from work this week and next and have not yet felt like I can relax. Everything is caught up in the blur of preparations. We have three family Christmases to celebrate, and we’ve also have some work celebrations. These all take time to get ready for and once the event is over, it’s on to the next. Even when nothing is happening, the tape that plays over and over in my head is filled with the unfinished business for the next gathering. But busyness is a poor substitute for meaning.
When I was a kid, Christmas was the most special time of year. It was all about the food, cutting your own tree, beautiful lights, friends, family, baking cookies, and waiting. Why have things changed so much? Well, now we are the ones putting it all together. Being a kid, you just sat back and enjoyed the time. Is it possible to put the genie back in the bottle?
I think that is the challenge and what we all are faced with. Stop the hours of shopping, preparing, cleaning, running, and this and that. This week, I have wanted to go see a movie or two, maybe bowling, playing family games, making lefse, and other family fun. So far, no go . . . Even though I might have cleared the decks, if everyone else hasn’t, then we still have an issue. We ALL need to be on board. It’s a purposeful effort.
It really doesn’t matter what we do, as long as we do it together. So far this season, we have not got into the “family time” groove… yet. We have another week of vacation–and another opportunity. I hope you too can clear the decks, slow down, and add additional mortar to those special relationships in your life.
“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more”. ~Dr. Seuss
Remember whose birth we celebrate this Christmas season. Without Him and what He did for us, we are lost. It is only through Jesus that we are able to freely give that gift of love to others. What we give was first given to us. Happy birthday, Jesus! Don’t forget Him. He is the reason for the season.
Honey, let’s go for a walk
That thought has drifted through my head at least once a week for the past 6 months – which happens to be the last time me and my wife Julie went for a walk. This morning it drifted through again. I reached up, grabbed it, and then hung on to it. While I was holding it captive, I proceeded to make an analysis if this is a good day for walk.
- Was it cloudy out? No – a little hazy
- Was it warm out? No – it was 20 degrees
- Was it windy out? No – it was relatively calm
- Did I feel like it? No – this isn’t unusual
- Do I need the exercise? Yes – 30 minutes a day goes a long way
Conclusion? Inconclusive evidence. By this time, I was sick enough of not getting out for a simple 30-minute walk, that I got up and asked Julie if she wanted to go for a walk. She said, “Sure!” Alright then! We were committed.
We got ready and set out. The air was crisp and the slight breeze quickly froze my cheeks (on my face). As we were walking, we started talking and the cold was quickly forgotten. Nothing earth-shattering or urgent, just nice casual conversation. This is one of the best by-products of getting out into another atmosphere with your spouse. Conversation happens much easier.
We are a 5-minute walk from a county park, so we headed in that direction. Within 10 minutes, we were walking along the Mississippi River. It seems like you enter another world. We were shaking our heads and asking why we don’t do this more often. It was absolutely beautiful outside. Yes, it might have been cold and winter-like (after all, it is December), but it completely recharges your batteries.
Therein lies the issue. If you know all the benefits, why don’t you do those things more often? Why are we ruled so much by our feelings. It’s ridiculous! I knew before we left that I would be happier, more healthy, and feeling better when we got home. But still, it was SIX months—the whole summer—since we took a walk! Arg!
Alright, a change is in order. If I made all my decisions on whether I “felt like it” or not, I wouldn’t do anything. Criminy! I need to move over into what the results would bring if I did what I was contemplating. I am not taking on the world, just this one thing. Thirty minutes of walking a day… outside and with Julie as much as possible. Alright, my sails are set. It says in James 2:17 “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” It is time that my faith mixes with the movement of my legs, and work with the Lord to accomplish those I couldn’t accomplish on my own.
Two days in November
The air was warmed by the cheesecloth-filtered sun. If felt much warmer than the 45 registering on the car thermometer. The parking lot was virtually empty as we arrived for our golf outing on the last weekend in November. It couldn’t be nicer out as I teed off from the first hole with my brother and my Dad. It was late enough in the season that the sun on half the holes, was always in our eyes. The air was perfectly calm and the only breeze was when we sped to our next shot on the propane power cart. I don’t think we’ve all golfed together this year and here we were out for the second weekend in a row, two days after Thanksgiving.
It is amazing all the things that crop up to prevent you from doing some of the things that matter the most. My dad is 78 and living by himself. It has been a little over two years since my mom passed away, and this time of year – the holidays – can be very difficult for him. I’m sure it would be no different for us if we were in his shoes. We all spent a wonderful time at my brother’s house on Thanksgiving Day as the house was filled with food, football, a buzz of activity, and family. Leaving that atmosphere to return to an empty house would be tough. I would think it would amplify the loneliness.
As we were walking up the 18th fairway, the sun was sitting lower in the sky, and still the weather was taking center stage. When we putted our last putt, put the flag back into the hole, and tallied up the scores, who won or lost was of little importance. It became clearer that the vehicle that gets us together is less important than just spending time with each other. Time and again, I come away wondering why we don’t do this more often. I am dumfounded. One reason could be that we just don’t feel like doing things that may take some effort. But, maybe what we should be asking ourselves is, ‘Will we be happier if we actually do the thing we are contemplating?’
Anyway, back from the rabbit trail. I could not be happier that I was able to spend the last two Saturdays in November with both my brother and my dad. Time goes by so fast. This winter I will be looking for other avenues to get us together. Cold, snow, short days, and being locked inside – these all work to isolate us in the best of circumstances. With my dad, I am sure it is even tougher.
I will remember these days and I give thanks to the Lord that I still have my dad around to do things and build memories with. Oh, by the way… unlike last week, he beat me today.