Vancouver - Day 2

Okay – travel report. We left downtown Vancouver and went up highway 1 to Squamish, BC. I know there is a joke in that name somewhere… but I’ll let it lie. The drive to Squamish is spectacular; mountains on one side and a beautiful bay on the other. Everything was so postcard that it was hard to know when not to take a picture. We had lunch in Squamish.

Then we continued to Whistler. If you don’t know where Whistler is, you will in 2010 when Vancouver hosts the Winter Olympics. Most of the downhill events will be there. There are no words that can capture the beauty of the area. The picture posted doesn’t do justice. That picture was taken from the peak of Whistler. Two dimensional images have great limitations. I think “grandeur” is found in the 3rd dimension.

Jeremy’s quote of the day was after Lorri said “this is all surreal”: “yah, even when you’re here you don’t feel like your really here”.

In late afternoon we headed back to Vancouver. It’s really not that far away, however they are doing a ton of road construction to get ready for THE GAMES… so some waiting involved. But the view was always beyond description so we didn’t mind.

Finally, back in Vancouver we ate a Seafood restaurant called Monks. We ordered one meal to share and an appetizer. We let Jeremy choose the food. For the appetizer we had “Calimari” - it’s squid that has been deep fried in batter: onion rings with chew. We also had tuna. singed on the outside and very rare in the middle. There is a melt in your mouth quality to it. It was one of those gourmet meals you rarely get to taste.

Today we will visit the China Town of Vancouver. It is 2nd in size only to San Francisco. Thanks for praying for us.

Vancouver Vacation Day 1

These entries will be more of an account of each day of the vacation that Lorri and I are on.

Yesterday (Wednesday) we left Molly with her grandparents in Minneapolis and got on a plane to Seattle. Did you know that you can't always pick your seats in advance? Even though we did when we bought our tickets? So we had seats 11 rows apart. When you check in at the outdoor kiosk you can change your seats for $11! We didn't. But then when we were at the terminal I asked the person at the desk, who, even with a full plane, got the job done. They did it for free. Eleven bucks! Y'all must be crazy!

As long as I'm talking about money and planes... this was over a 3 hour flight. We didn't even get a peanut! Sure you can buy "snacks" from the attendant. But the Metrodome has better prices. Okay - I'm done ranting.

From Seattle - sunny and 78 degrees - we drove up to Vancouver. Wonderful drive. We stopped at Sam's for shirts (packing error on my part) Once in Vancouver we went met Jeremy (my 21 year old son) at his effeciency apartment. He looks very thin - but healthy. His hair has returned to his natural God-given color and to a very nice hair cut - no mohawk or wierdness to it. Not that any of that matters - but still it was cool to be reminded of what his natural hair color is.

We drove around University of B.C. Got the tour from Jeremy. We walked through an incredible forest down to a beach. The beach didn't look very nice for swimming, but the 500 stair climb through the woods was wonderful and tiring.

We had supper at a sushi restaurant. I didn't complain once. It was an experience. However, tonight I hope to have my food actually cooked.

After supper we wandered the street of downtown Vancouver. Which was swarming with a wide variety of people. It was an adventure.

Today we hike in the mountains.

Golf

This morning, as I do on many Mondays, I went golfing. This time it was nine holes in Zumbrota. I found myself contemplating what I enjoy about the game.

There is the game itself. No need to compete with others. I compete with my previous scores and with what I consider my true golfing ability. Which, I’m sure, is an inflated estimation of talent, so my competition is pretty stiff.

I enjoy knowing how far I am capable of hitting each club, making adjustments for wind, lie, and an elevated target or one a hundred and fifty feet below me. I enjoy a the rare 250 drive down the middle and the even rarer successful second shot. I relish in landing and holding the green from one-fifty out.

In the end the score doesn’t really matter to me, which is why I can still enjoy golf. But there is more than the game. There is the experience within the game.

On the golf course there is no loud music, no car horns, no yelling (except for the occassional “fore”), there is no running and no hurry. Rushing is counterproductive. There is a lack of distraction. Instead, there is focus. The ball... the swing... the outcome.

There is reward in a great shot. I can’t count on that reward. But every so often, without warning, a shot will go exactly as I saw it in my mind. Sweet.

I don’t pray much on the golf course. At least I don't pray for my game. I don’t really want God messing with my shots. But when I golf, especially when I golf alone, I am never alone.

“Be still, and know that I am God! Psalm 46:10

All Wet

This morning I saw a news report; hurricane Dean is hitting Mexico. They said some areas could receive 10 inches of rain from the hurricane.

Saturday, after a day of rain (about 3 inches at my house), my daughter put an eight inch glass on our patio. The next morning her cup over-floweth. My guess: we were the recipients of 10 to 12 inches of water.

It’s tempting to say we had our own little hurricane.

However, I’ve been in two hurricanes (typhoons) and there is no comparison. Hurricanes have wind. The rain moves horizontally instead of falling vertically. Huge difference.

That said, our 12 inch rainstorm has caused major road damage and widespread damage to buildings. In fact 4-6 people are missing or dead from the rain in SE Minnesota.

Everyone’s homes were tested. We all found out if our houses were ready for that kind of rain. Needless to say, our basement was wet. Not “swimming pool" wet or “knee deep" wet… just “soak the carpet”, “stink up the house” and “wreck our card board boxes” wet.

Tonight we are supposed to get another 2 inches. My basement isn’t even dry from Saturday’s storm yet.

I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built.
Luke 6:47-49 (New Living Translation)

Defensive

So last night two people talked to me about something that made me defensive. It wasn’t that they attacked me. They didn’t. It wasn’t that I don’t love both of these people. I do. I wish I could blame them. I can’t.

So later I took them aside and asked their forgiveness. Because they knew I was defensive. Worse yet, this morning after thinking, praying and reading… I know they had a point. They were in a sense right. Now I had a point too… but that isn’t the point (that’s enough points).

I hate when I feel the heat prickles on my neck. I hate when I get defensive. I hate when I’m not soft and gentle. It reminds me how far I’ve got to go. Sometimes it sucks to be me.

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22 NLT

After Sunday Thoughts...

Yesterday we talked about Adam and Eve and the evil “serpent”. One of the ‘aha’ moments for me was discovering the serpent didn’t merely wave a good looking piece of fruit in front of Adam and Eve’s noses. Instead he first attacked their view of God.

He manipulated them into focusing on the single restriction of God rather than the all the freedoms. He directed their thoughts to the one tree they were supposed to avoid instead of the forest of trees they could eat from, climb, or even hug if they were so inclined.

He persuaded them to believe God was depriving instead of protecting. (Read Genesis 3 to see how he did it)

By the time the ‘serpent’ was finished talking Adam and Eve’s view of God had gone from a wonderful loving creator and provider to being a restricting and depriving power monger who was holding them back from their true potential. It was at that point they were ready for their bites.

I find I am a child of Adam and Eve and that the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.

When I doubt God’s existence, life loses meaning. If I think God is depriving me I live with a sense of bitter entitlement. If I think God’s restrictions are for his benefit or worse his entertainment, God becomes “a mean kid with a magnifying glass” (Bruce Almighty).

If my view of God becomes warped by deception, I forget God’s ever faithful love and his provisions. And life really “bites”.

God invites me (and you) to know Him and experience his love. He desires to help us become the men and women we were created to be. Life can be dark and bitter or it can be a great adventure. Ultimately it depends on who we believe God is.

The Bridge

9 days ago - it went down. I35. Death and destruction. The funny thing is it didn't really surprise me. Maybe I've done too many tsunamis, hurricanes, acts of terrorism and war.

What does surprise me is how rarely bridges collapse. Think about it. We have a gazillion bridges out there crossing mammoth rivers, canyons, swamps, and roads. We cross them daily feeling absolutely secure. My hat is off to all you engineer type folk who make us take the incredible for granted.

This bridge collapse was a shocker because it was so close to home. I have crossed it hundreds of times. My Mpls family members are used to crossing that bridge. It could have been me, a friend or one of my family. Maybe it was one of yours.

It reminds me our engineers can't do forever stuff. There are no forever bridges or forever buildings. The grandest of our accomplishments are ultimately temporary. It reminds me forever belongs to God. As I go from point a to point b in this life I need to place my trust in Him.


Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there.
When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,and all their plans die with them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He keeps every promise forever.

The Lord will reign forever. He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations.

Psalm 146:3-6 & 10 NLT

fine line - huge difference

So I was thinking about this blogging deal - benefits, costs, fears, good and bad blog etiquette, the humiliation of poor grammar being posted within one's blog...

Anyway, under benefits I mentally noted blogging might lead to a heightened sense of self-awareness. To write anything beyond mere data requires writing from the heart. To do that one must know the heart. So maybe this whole blog thing will help me look into my own life at a deeper level and the byproduct: self-awareness.

Of course there is a fine line between being self-aware and self-absorbed. We've all encountered people who have low self-awareness who are very self-absorbed. The more they think about themselves the less aware they become. These are not fun people to be around. But a person who is self-aware lives a deeper, richer and more purpose filled life.

Maybe there's a fine line, but there is a huge difference. I see I'm writing as if self-awareness and self-absorption were constants. They aren't. There are times when my wife would tell you I am very self-absorbed and not self-aware in family settings. Other times, when I'm on top of my game I am self-aware and more able to focus on the feelings and needs of others.

Related Tangent?

Merv (worship pastor at crossWinds) and I were talking about people who torture themselves with their own thoughts. Hmmm...

Related Scripture?

22 “The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

Luke 9:22-23 (New Living Translation)


Related Apology

I'm really not looking to be preachy in the blog. I have enough of that in my life...

out of the gate

Okay, so this is dangerous. Any time anyone puts their thoughts on paper for anyone anywhere to read... it's dangerous. Add to that the fact that this is going to be more or less "off the top". Which does not mean without thought (hopefully), but does mean without much premeditation. The "off the top" factor makes this even more risky.

What do I hope to write about? Current events - thoughts from my interactions with the Bible - internal struggles - observations. In other words, whatever I feel like on any given day.

Having never done this before I have no idea where it will end up. This sentence seems to sum up much of my life. But to date God has taken me some pretty cool places even when I had no real idea where it would end up.

As to how often I will "blog" - we'll see. I make no promises but I will shoot for a couple of times a week. So let's see how it goes...