Lifesummit

Five Spoons to Rule Them All

2012-01-10T20:22:00.000-06:00

Five Spoons to rule them all, Five Spoons to find them,
Five Spoons to bring them all and in the chocolate bind them

This Bag Is Not a Toy

2012-01-06T02:00:00.013-06:00

Obviously. So I slough off the warning and throw away the bag that is not a toy.

But the words bother me. I return immediately to the kitchen trash can and wipe away the ketchup from the little plastic bag.

WARNING: THIS BAG IS NOT A TOY.

It makes sense. People sue anybody these days over anything to make a buck. A hot coffee burn. Slipping on a wet floor. Or suffocating in a plastic bag. I get the disclaimer. Even still, something itches me. I decide to forget about it.

Several days later, a brief lull at the office resurrects the bother. I spot a plastic bag, this one holding a computer power cord, albeit no warning is printed on it.

When I arrive home that evening I hunt down the bag with the "NOT A TOY" imprint. It's nowhere to be found. I cross the border into ridiculous by weeding through a trash bag full of sticky newspapers, soiled Kleenexes, and the smell of meatloaf and sour mayonnaise. Where is that flippin' bag!

I rush to the basement and luckily, thankfully, find it on the table where I'd placed it. I press the bag flat, smoothing the creases toward each corner. The bag, and its message, shimmer beneath the ceiling lights. I laugh at this crazy episode, but I'm catching on.

Life is so obvious sometimes that we miss it. We disregard it. We toss aside the warnings meant to preserve the very life we are throwing away. We ignore our bodies cries for healthier choices. We suppress our anxiety and deny our need for help. We neglect the eternity of our souls by avoiding the subject altogether. We see, we hear, we touch it even, but we keep missing it.

I'm starting to like this bag. I'm recognizing, again, as when I first found it, that I don't need the silly warning to tell me it's not a toy. But I think I'll keep the bag anyway.

A Better End

2012-01-03T00:27:00.012-06:00

I welcome 2012 like a cool surf on a warm beach morning. I leave behind a year of transition, and quite frankly, months of frustration.

One year ago, in January, I wrote in my journal these words:

My big, extraordinary circumstance for this year is whether to move to Indiana or stay in Colorado...I'll walk wherever God leads, albeit severe difficulties...

On this cold and windy evening, one year later, I sit in my home office with a Rocky Mountain landscape adorning the western wall and a window overlooking an Indiana countryside. Moving across the country straddles so many facets of life. Patterns change. Habits. Comforts. Familiarity. And often, we change.

How our circumstances change isn't always up to us, but how we respond to that change is.

And I've been a bit of a grouch...for months. Moving my family 1,000 miles, even to a familiar place (our Indiana hometown), would seem easy, but writing this new chapter has proved as rough as swallowing sandpaper.

Moving twice in 8 months—once to our temporary residence with my in-laws and again to our new home just one week before Christmas—simply put, has sucked. Starting our three children in new and unfamiliar schools at ages 15, 12, and 11, is not a comforting experience for parent or child. A new job—like all new jobs—brings its own set of demands and challenges. And saying goodbye to dear friends and the mountains my family loves will wrench even the strongest of heart.

Even with the many positive reasons to relocate (and there are many), that much change puts life on hold. For a guy like me who has goals, plans—a vision even, for his family and future—putting life on hold is not a place I like to linger. But here's what has helped me make it through:

Pray without ceasing. We read in the Bible to "pray continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). More oft than not, my unceasing prayers in the car have resembled angry shouts at God instead of the two verses sandwiching verse 17, which say "Be joyful always" and "give thanks in all circumstances." But God is big enough to handle my shouting. And when I pray, I know He is listening.

Stay in the Word. "I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free." (Psalm 119:32.) There is no substitute for the truth of God's Word. Power dwells in its words, the power to calm my shouting and frustration despite how I feel. I've had to force myself to sit and read it. Sometimes I just refused and pushed it aside. But my refusal is proof enough that something positive occurs inside of us when we read it. When we sit in a pity pool, we naturally only allow in whatever amplifies, and thus justifies in our mind, our emotions. The Bible, contrarily, draws us out of the stench, but it usually requires us letting go of our emotions and our blame before joy can wash away our pain.

God has a plan, and it is good. Despite how life changes course, and no matter how difficult the new path, God will use it to grow us and reveal more of how much He really does love us. The difficulty won't last forever, and peace can exist within a storm (think Jesus sleeping on the fishing boat amidst a brutal storm, Matthew 8:23-27). God is not freaking out because we are. If we let Him, He'll use those situations for something important down the road, whether for us or for another. "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" (Jeremiah 29:11.)

Small things trump the big ones. It's cliche`, but it's true. The small things matter most. Give thanks for every blessing we have, and I mean every single one. Write them down. Count them. Thank God for each one, out loud. Although I don't feel thankful at times, I'll thank Him anyway. For my wife. For my children. For my relatives and friends. For my health. For my car. For my job. For food to eat. For clean drinking water. For a roof. For clothing. For rain. For sunshine. For sleep. For forgiveness. For freedom. For love. And yes, even difficulty—not for the problem itself but for the good that waits on the other side.

This time, I'm not walking into the new year with hopes that it will be a "better" year. Seems I re-live that mantra every New Year's Eve. The only thing that improves is how fast I close the curtains on last year and re-open them to what's really the same stage. Let's be honest. The only thing different come January 1 is the calendar, and if we're lucky, we might get to sleep in.

No, instead I'm walking into 2012 hoping that I will find the strength to overcome the challenges I will face in the new year, and the ones I still face today. To pray my engine doesn't break down with every bump in the road. To choose a positive attitude when life isn't smooth, and when easy only comes after "eggs over." And to believe the result will give hope to at least one other person. To make a positive difference.

God bless, and here's to a wonderful, life-changing new year.

Stay Tuned...

2011-08-30T19:40:00.001-05:00

Photo courtesy of Ryan's Journal

...the transmissions aren't over. Just delayed. 10-4?

My family is transitioning from the alpenglow of the Rocky Mountain morning to the harvest moon of the Midwestern horizon. Two beautiful landscapes, one journey all the same.

Seasons change in life with no regard for nature's calendar. In one sense it is spring. In another, autumn. It's always been that way. But it's good.

Thanks for checking in at Lifesummit. I appreciate your time and interest! Despite leaving Colorado's 14,000+ foot peaks for Indiana's highest molehill of roughly 1,200 -- quite a downer for a guy who gets high on elevation -- Lifesummit's theme remains the same, to climb Life's summits. And that's the real high.

So yes, I'm still climbing mountains. Are you? I can't wait to share this next leg of the journey with you. Remember, we're all in this together.

Many blessings to you!

If People Can't See - A Proverbs 29 Post for Goforth's Journal

2011-06-29T21:05:00.001-05:00

Photo by sweetzphotography

There’ll come a day when life tests you, even “tumbles in” on you, as described by the writer of Proverbs 29:1 (The Message). I don’t like things tumbling in on me. I don’t like being tested. And I especially don’t like to fail. But it’s usually neither tumbling nor failure that cripples me, but the fear of failing.

It’s the fear that drives me to push away what matters most when life feels out of control. I’m afraid of being considered a fraud, a boy who has been pretending to be a man. A father who wants to be the world’s best Dad, but feels like the worst. A professional, one mistake away from a major business screw-up. A husband of sixteen years, who still rushes out last-minute for a Valentine’s Day gift and the one remaining bouquet of wilted roses—nobody will know, right? So I cling to that which anesthetizes my fears. My hands reach for any illusion that makes me believe I’m still in control, that I’m somehow immune to a personal meltdown of disappointment.

...to read the rest of this post, please click here for Day 29 of Proverbs at Goforth's Journal. (post is listed below a read-through of Proverbs Chapter 29)

Thanks to writer and friend from the Pacific Northwest Chris Goforth for posting today's story! If you want to take a trip through the real, check out Goforth's Journal and follow Chris @pacnwdadof6 on Twitter.

The River

2011-05-21T09:26:00.001-05:00

Photo by Ansel Adams

"The River"
by Garth Brooks

You know a dream is like a river
Ever changin' as it flows
And a dreamer's just a vessel
That must follow where it goes
Trying to learn from what's behind you
And never knowing what's in store
Makes each day a constant battle
Just to stay between the shores...

And, I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry

Too many times we stand aside
And let the waters slip away
'Til what we put off 'til tomorrow
Has now become today
So don't you sit upon the shoreline
And say you're satisfied
Choose to chance the rapids
And dare to dance the tide...

Yes, I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry

There's bound to be rough waters
And I know I'll take some falls
But with the good Lord as my captain
I can make it through them all...

Yes, I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
Like a bird upon the wind
These waters are my sky
I'll never reach my destination
If I never try
So I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry

Yes, I will sail my vessel
'Til the river runs dry
'Til the river runs dry

Pool Closed

2011-05-11T07:05:00.001-05:00

Image by jeinny. Sourced through rgbstock.com.

"Pool Closed." My wife and I and our three children huddled around the sign with wide mouths and a beach bag full of goggles and squirt guns. We had strolled by the hotel pool just ten minutes earlier, smiling as another family laughed and splashed together. And now it was—closed?

It had been a rough week. We needed this winter weekend getaway, even if only to the next town for a one night stay, a nice meal, movies, and...swimming.

Pool. Closed. The sign was mocking us. With heavy hearts, my wife and kids returned to the room. I huffed over to the front desk.

"So what's wrong with the pool?" I asked the manager...

...to continue reading "Pool Closed," please click here for the full story at TheHighCalling.org.

Thanks to writer and THC editor Ann Kroeker for reprinting this article!

It's You or the Mothballs

2011-04-04T22:57:00.000-05:00

"This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."

-- C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Often that is God's plan for us, to draw us beyond our ordinary world into a place of wonder and majesty, yet riddled with battles and difficulty, to know Him better than we did before.

Like Narnia.

To grow us, change us, break through to us. To show who we are and where we are going. Our identity and our future. So we will know Him more deeply, love more passionately, and carry the treasures of that world into our own.

My family stands at a Narnian juncture of sorts, preparing to return to our hometown in Indiana after a five year journey doing life together in beautiful Colorado. One of my relatives in the Hoosier state recently said to me (as I shared our tough decision), "I bet [living in Colorado] has been like a long vacation."

Not exactly.

Think Narnia. Wonderful. Mysterious. Majestic, yes. But dangerous, sometimes isolated, and often stretching its travelers through difficulties unimagined on the safer side of the wardrobe. But as you might expect if you were to ask Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace, they and I have no regrets and would gladly face the challenges of Narnia again.

God has been in the business of transforming people into men and women of purpose since man and woman first walked the earth. And that doesn't mean you have to move to another city or uncover a magic wardrobe to experience His life-changing adventures--although you may.

It might just be switching jobs. Sometimes it's finding a new church, or simply admitting your need for God in the first place. It may be breaking off a bad relationship, or finding the courage to build a new one.

Whatever the decision staring you in the face, God allows change--and difficulty--to refine us. We are like silver and gold in His eyes, but these precious metals must be boiled in the crucible, separated from dross, to be made pure and adorned.

We can choose to ignore God's call, to hide from the furnace, and to reject the joy He desires to lavish on us through refinement, but we risk losing the precious gift of becoming the person God intended. We become riches left deep in the gut of the earth, never recovered, never tempered, never shining in the light of day let alone the brilliance of His glory.

When we fail to step through the wardrobe, we retreat from the battles we were meant to face, the lives we were meant to rescue, the hearts we were meant to help recover--including our own.

The good news is even in our rejection, Narnia doesn't die. The good guys still win in the end. But if you and I choose our own paths, force our own destiny, God will find another who will accept the risk and face the challenge.

He seeks one who will step forward in faith, to stand side-by-side on the battlefield, one who desires to leave a wake of magnitude and purpose--a legacy of greatness.

Your door to Narnia awaits.

If You're in the Neighborhood: Upcoming Events

2011-03-24T00:32:00.003-05:00

I had a surprise encounter with C. McNair Wilson a couple weeks ago in Colorado Springs. (If you're not familiar with McNair, click here to read a prior blog post about him. A super creative guy.) He was tacking a poster to a local Starbucks bulletin board for his upcoming production, I, Witness.

The story is based on the novel The Jesus Chronicles: Matthew's Story by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins and explores the depth of Jesus Christ's impact on the lives of His disciples, providing a never-before-seen opportunity to experience the intimate weight of the Gospel story.

If you're in the Colorado area, performances are set for April 7 - 10 at Colorado Christian University in Lakewood (near Denver). Click here for more information and to watch an interview about I, Witness with Jerry and McNair.

And for you readers and writers who may be in the vicinity of Colorado Springs on April 2nd, New York Times best-selling author Jerry B. Jenkins is keynoting at the 5th Annual Mountain of Authors in the Springs area. And get this...it's FREE. No registration required.

Click here to view the detailed flyer, but in a nutshell, two panels will be held ("Paranormal Fiction" and "Publishing") in addition to Jerry's keynote. The event will also include the presentation of the Golden Quill Award, book signing opportunities, and a reception. Did I mention it's FREE?

A Novel Idea: Procrastination

2011-03-13T15:03:00.001-05:00

So we get a few funny looks when we tell people about it. Take a moment to laugh, then get to work on that manuscript.

(if the video feed doesn't appear above, click here to view)

Divided We Must

2011-03-06T10:57:00.005-06:00

Photo by Brock S. Henning

Division. It's a word that leaves a bitter taste either because of those blasted speed drills in math class or bad memories of torn friendships and war. Most of us prefer addition and multiplication, right? Positive outcomes over the negative. United we stand, divided we fall, so we were taught.

From up here, at roughly 13,000 feet, I'm stretched out in the snow above the famous Dwight D. Eisenhower tunnel in Colorado -- and division is a beautiful thing.

Image courtest kscland.com

To my west, mountains. To my east, more mountains. I sit precisely on a great North American pinnacle, the true gateway to the East and West. The Great Continental Divide.

Come spring, the very snow molding to the rear of my ski pants will melt and trickle its long trek into creeks and streams and rivers, eventually flowing into one of two major masses of water -- the Atlantic Ocean or the Pacific. That decision will be made not by the snowflake, but by the mountain and its east or west-facing slopes where uncountable flakes have come to rest.

But the outlook for these frozen granules looks bright. I've seen the sandy cliffs of the west coast, the white beaches along the Gulf of Mexico, and the tangerine sunrise of an Atlantic morning. If I were a snowflake, on whichever slope the wind chose to lay me down would surely end in a warm paradise. Oh come, sweet spring.

What if we mulled that thought over for a moment. Wherever God chose to lay us down in the world, whatever talents, skills, people, that He surrounded us with, are ultimately meant with His best for us in mind. Says the psalmist, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful." (Psalm 139:14)

If the horizon looks bleak, what if we stepped back from our current situation, sat here at the Great Continental Divide of our conscience, looked east, looked west, and asked God to show us down which slope would He direct our path?

What if we, like the quiescent surrender of a snowflake, chose to go with God's flow, to let the spring sun unsettle our frozen souls and put His purpose for our lives in motion?

And what if we believed that His destination for us might be different from the enviable Jones's next door but equally as wonderful and unique only to us? How would that make you feel?

Think of your confidence level, as you flow through life, knowing what awaits you at the final tributary because you chose to go with God's flow instead of the currents and pressures of everyone else.

Here at the Divide, snow falls on both sides. Imagine if all the snow fell to one side, how desolate an entire region would become. If we all chose what we wanted and neglected what God might intend, life might cease to persist on the dry side of the slope. And eventually, life might cease to exist.

Here at the Divide, division is good. Here at the Divide, division is intentional.

No matter which slope you landed on, you were placed there for a reason, at least for a season. This side was meant for you, and you are needed here. That side was meant for them, and they are needed there.

And consider not only the destination but the journey the snowflake takes to reach the serenity of the coast. The valleys, the fields, the forests, the farmland. Yes, even the cities. There's a lot more to see along the way. It is intended for you.

Hold Us Together by Matt Maher

2011-02-26T12:19:00.007-06:00

Whatever you're going through today, this week, this month. Just remember, this is the first day of the rest of your life.

It's gonna be alright.

(if the video feed doesn't appear above, click here to listen)

Hold Us Together
by Matt Maher

It don't have a job, don't pay your bills
Won't buy you a home in Beverly Hills
Won't fix your life in five easy steps
Ain't the law of the land or the government

But it's all you need

And love will hold us together
Make us a shelter to weather the storm
And I'll be my brother's keeper
So the whole world will know that we're not alone

It's waiting for you, knockin' at your door
In the moment of truth when your heart hits the floor

And you're on your knees

And love will hold us together
Make us a shelter to weather the storm
And I'll be my brother's keeper
So the whole world will know that we're not alone

This is the first day of the rest of your life
This is the first day of the rest of your life
'Cause even in the dark, you can still see the light
It's gonna be alright, it's gonna be alright

This is the first day of the rest of your life
This is the first day of the rest of your life
'Cause even in the dark, you can still see the light
It's gonna be alright, it's gonna be alright

And love will hold us together
Make us a shelter to weather the storm
And I'll be my brother's keeper
So the whole world will know that we're not alone

Weekend Refresher - The Corner of Your World

2011-02-19T14:13:00.010-06:00

What is your passion, be it hobby or profession? How do you immerse yourself into that avocation? What do you surround yourself with for motivation, or do surroundings matter to you at all?

Last year I wrote a post on Writing Abodes. Does the environment we work in actually inspire or detract from our creativity? (Two cool websites for writing room photos are Where I Write and Desk Space.)

And I want to extend this idea beyond just writers and writing, but any venture you find yourself passionate about. Gardening. Woodworking. Computers. Photography. Reading. Baking. Fixing cars. Teaching. Etc.

Do you dream of a setup that would motivate you further into your passion? A tool-laden work shed. A home office. Your dream kitchen. A photography darkroom. Racks and stacks of computers and peripherals in a basement lab. A home library with a push-button fireplace. Or do you already have the ideal scenario?

I've always wanted to be a writer who can write anywhere, anytime. And for the most part, I can block out noise and surroundings to focus on writing, but I've also found that having a dedicated area in our home and using it consistently reels me in on days I would otherwise slack.

Fellow writer Audra Krell wrote about Office Dress for Success at her blog, and it motivated me to upgrade my private writing world. For less than $100 and using a few items around the house, I turned my stark writing corner of the bedroom (card table and all) into a cozy and much more appealing work area. Since making this small investment last year, my weekly word count has increased drastically.

Here's the before and after:

Do you find surroundings important for motivation and creativity? Do you have a photo of your personal work space? A writing area? Your workshop? Garden and tool shed? Photo room? Home computer lab? Chef-inspired kitchen? Teaching room?

Whatever space you've created to pursue your ambition, I'd love to see it. Share your comments and if you'd like, include a link to your own blog with a "corner of your world" photo for all of us to see!

The Tool That Cannot Fix

2011-02-12T13:33:00.003-06:00

I'm no stranger to tools. My father is a retired electrician, and so was my grandfather. Somewhere there's a photo of a five-year-old boy, standing in a living room on brown shag carpet, with his daddy's toolbelt hanging lopsided around his bony waist. The photo is likely stashed at the bottom of a box in an attic, but the image is fresh in my mind.

I'm a fixer. That doesn't mean I know how to fix everything, but it does mean I'll try.

Last week my Jeep died. With a torx screwdriver in one hand and a red and white can of throttle body cleaner in the other, I attempted to fix an engine idle problem. Thank God for Google and How To pictures on the Internet. I'm no mechanic, but I'll try. Today, my Jeep is running just fine.

Two days ago our clothes dryer stopped working. I'd known about the problem for months. The dryer would run and then stop mid-cycle. My wife would reset the timer knob with a few clicks and cranks, yell into the other room, "Brock, the dryer's broke again!" and press the start button a few times until it resumed its mechanical hum. But this time, the old beast refused to turn over.

But I'm a fixer. And that doesn't mean I know how to fix everything, but it does mean I'll try. With a socket wrench in one hand and a Phillips-head screwdriver in the other, I performed surgery on the ol' lug, exploring the innards of its time piece and discovering years of dirty build-up on the metal switch contacts. I'm no appliance repairman, but I'll try. Today, the dryer is running just fine.

But being a fixer has one major drawback -- the paralyzing feeling when you can't fix a problem. When you look at your toolbelt or rummage through your garage or search through the hardware store but you can't find the right tool for the job.

Like when my daughter was nine months old and vomited her food for several days. From a blanket on the couch she lay staring at me. Our little girl, once loaded with healthy baby fat, was now a sickly skinny body boasting a hungry frog belly. Her baby eyes cried, "Daddy, fix me! I'm hurting!"

But I couldn't fix her. The doctors didn't even know why and could only comfort us with the prognosis of "something like rotavirus" that would resolve itself after forcing nutrition into her starving body. But I didn't like that answer. No, not the virus. The forcing. Any fixer or handler of tools knows you never force anything. That's how things break. But my tools were useless, and my wife and I agreed to the doctors' orders. We stayed with her at the hospital, caressing her forehead until she eventually calmed down and later recovered.

And at funerals, us fixers want to be there, to somehow offer a word of encouragement, to go home after the church service and visitation and feel that we resolved something for the loved ones of the lost one. But we can't. We stand instead at a loss of words for those left behind, realizing in that moment there is nothing we can say or do that will repair the broken hearts. Our ability to fix is crippled. We have no tool for the job.

Or on a late night in 2005 when the F3 tornado tore through Southern Indiana and part of our neighborhood, killing over 20 people and injuring over 200. The twister lifted our roof an estimated two inches before releasing its pull, but that was nothing compared to the damage one block away.

Come morning, my oldest son and I grabbed our tools for the day: a handsaw, an axe, and a chainsaw. Downed trees and leveled homes overwhelmed us. All we could do was pick a yard, cut a few limbs, and pile them near the street for a pickup crew. Despite the kind lady who'd lost her home, thanking us for coming to help and offering us a drink, I was at a loss for words. Should I say "thank you?" Or "I'm sorry?" Words nor my axe and chainsaw could fix this.

Then later that same day there was the elderly man, staring at us blankly from his half-demolished homestead as we assessed the uprooted trees in his yard. No word of thanks. No word at all, not that we expected it. His heart and soul, paralyzed. Just the way I felt. I would have bet my own roof that he was a fixer, too.

And I think of my 91 year-old grandmother, doing well given her age but with the realization that she is writing the final chapter of her beautiful life. I'm reminded of many childhood weekends fishing on the banks of the Ohio River at her river camp, or playing card games at her kitchen table, her energy and fire.

But when I visit her today, and hug her, and look into her eyes that have seen more than twice my own life, I cannot stop nature's call. I cannot take us back to relive the good times. I may be able to reset the timekeeper in the dryer but I am powerless over the keeper of time.

Fortunately us fixers are not without reprieve. In an age where we are taught to do something, to learn tools of the trade, pressured to say the right word or offer just the right fix, one tool hangs off our belt that is often overlooked because it cannot fix, yet it is desperately needed.

It doesn't need to be twisted, it doesn't need to be hammered. No special training is required. You need only hang it on your belt when another looks for it. It is for you to offer, for them to receive. This tool does all the work for you.

Your presence.

*****

Jesus Wears Snowshoes

2011-02-04T02:30:00.001-06:00

Photo by Brock S. Henning

I leaned over my hiking poles, gasping for oxygen like a fish out of water. Snow and ice hung like weights on the lodgepole pine, a constant reminder of the heaviness over my soul. And with every crunching step of my snowshoes, my leg muscles responded with the rhythmic burn of my private anger.

Not two years prior had I climbed one of Colorado’s 14,000-foot mountains with relative ease, but on this day I struggled to reach a Rocky Mountain foothill that stands 3,000 feet lower. I grumbled at myself for slacking my regular exercise program over the past year. I complained to God that this refreshing outing is yet another example that sustaining joy in life is too much work...

To continue reading "Jesus Wears Snowshoes," please click here for the full story at CBN.com.

Thanks to Beth Patch and the CBN.com editorial team for publishing this article!

"Visibilty"

2011-01-27T01:32:00.006-06:00

That's the way it came out.

The school library was packed with sweating parents seated amidst three-foot-tall bookshelves and wall-tacked posters lauding "Reading is fun!"

"V...I...S...I...B...I...L...T...Y," he said, each letter spelled with confidence into the microphone.

Thirty years earlier, my demise was "orcestra." I was eight. For my ten year-old son, it was "visibilty." Well, that's the way they came out.

Twin mistakes separated by thirty years, and the one absent letter comes directly before the other. Like a father and son. Hmm. But no doubt my son works much harder than I did at age ten. I think that's what hurt me the most.

While my older two and I were weekending in front of the TV, watching the NFL playoffs and jam-banding Guitar Hero gigs on the Wii, Braden sat at the kitchen table with my wife, studying for his elementary school's spelling bee championship -- he'd earned the spot to represent his fourth grade class. Doing well in the bee meant more to him than a Sunday afternoon playing video games -- and he loves video games.

But one letter did him in.

He passed the first two rounds, returning to his chair each time with a relieving smile, his blue eyes scanning the rear of the library to make sure me and Sarah were watching. We were.

But in round three, it all went wrong. Oh, he knew the word. He had spelled it before. But that single letter hung like a glob of honey off his lips, the spoonful that missed his mouth, and the bee took him out.

"Visibilty," he uttered, letter by letter. His fair-skinned face immediately turned as splotchy red as a spanked rear-end, all the while rolling his eyes across the ceiling and exhaling forcibly through clenched teeth -- common allergic reactions amongst those who take a swat at a spelling bee and realize they just got stung. He knew he was guilty several long seconds before the spelling judge delivered the verdict.

He returned to his seat, his back facing the audience. No more smiles. No more peeking over his shoulder to check on mom and dad. The disappointment emanated from his little chair to the far reaches of the library. We were without escape.

He let himself down. He believed that he let his class down. And he was certain that he let us down.

I wonder how "Tiger Mom" Amy Chua would have handled this. Maybe I should have followed her over-the-top parenting style and threatened to burn alive my son's stuffed animals if his performance wasn't perfect. (Follow the link above. I'm not making this up.) Maybe I should've grounded him from play dates -- one month per missed letter. Oh, wait. Amy Chua's methods don't allow for play dates, even on a perfect week. Can't use that one.

Maybe I should've [fill in the blank with something punishing].

No, I don't think so. Sarah and I gave him a big hug and told him how proud we were for his hard work and making it as far as he did. We even surprised him that evening with a couple of Tron miniature "light cycles" he'd been eyeing in the toy section, to speed along the living room floor and race up and down his bedroom walls. Sounds fun, huh?

He gave it his all, and sometimes when we give our all, it doesn't always work out. We screw it up. We forget a letter. That lesson may be one of the hardest for us to live with.

Fortunately there is One who did give His all without messing it up, so we wouldn't have to. He knew that there was one hurdle, one life-threatening challenge we would not overcome, no matter how prepared we were. The word is easy to spell but impossible to conquer on our own: death. But He made overcoming possible.

We can misspell all the words in the dictionary, forget all the letters, and never win the spelling bee, yet He still loves us and brings us a surprise late in the evening. He's already won the spelling bee on our behalf.

And He is proud of us because He knows we're trying, He knows deep down we desire to perform well. No, to live well. All we have to do is open our hearts and accept His fatherly hug. What a cool, heavenly Dad we have, and He's quite the speller.

"Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God--" (John 1:12, NIV Bible)

The End of the Book Voyeur

2011-01-22T01:20:00.008-06:00

Photo courtesy of Gettyimages.com

"What is that?" said the flight attendant, pointing near the region of my, ahem, crotch.

Startled after a 35,000-foot nap, I snapped my eyes to where she had dared go. Is my fly open?

"Oh, this!" I said, relieved I wasn't exposed. It was the top half of the book cover, a colorful scene of adults and children sledding. I lifted the seat tray and held up the book resting on my lap. "I'm reading Snow Day by Billy Coffey. It's his debut novel."

"I noticed the cover and I love to read. What's it about?"

Given that she'd paused her pre-descent checklist to ask about the book, I knew she was sincere. I gave her as thorough a synopsis as I could in thirty seconds.

"Wow! It's his first novel?" she said, accepting my offer to look closer at the cover. "Sounds like a good story. Thanks for telling me about it!"

Upon exiting the aircraft, I gave her a card with the book title and the author's website. She thanked me, and I went on my way.

Walking through the terminal, I couldn't help but consider, What if it was the top half of my Kindle eReader sticking out from under the seat tray? Would she have asked about it?

After all, it was the snow-laden cover art that distracted her during the routine seatbelt check -- I wasn't even reading it. The book was sandwiched halfway between the seat tray and my thigh, yet she still noticed. Does this episode reveal implications for the death of free advertising an author gains with printed copy and cover art?

Every time I've sat near a fellow reader on an airplane, I've cornered my eye or looked between the seats in front of me to see what they're reading. Most of the time I'll catch a glimpse of the cover or title. I'll note if the reader has read much of the book. If so, coupling that observation with the title, I might investigate further at a bookstore. Great advertising for authors.

Thriller writer Joe Moore had blogged about the demise of free advertising resulting from the stark plastic chassis of an eReader over an eye-catching book cover. Moore says, "Seeing someone reading from a Kindle on a plane or in a Starbucks tells you absolutely nothing about the book."

Short of asking a stranger in public what they're reading, how will you recognize the title if they're holding an eReader? If word of mouth is the writer's best marketing friend, how much advertising potential is being lost when book voyeurs can't see the cover of their prey?

Despite the excitement over my new Kindle (read why I chose the Kindle), printed books will always find a way to my shelf, be it a favorite author, a discounted price tag, or a compelling cover that looks and feels good in my hands. Most readers could care less about silent publicity for the book they're reading, but what about the authors? The publishers?

Do you have any thoughts? If you're a published author, have you thought about the impact of seeing more eReaders in the airport and less chances of seeing your book in a reader's hand? If you're a reader, do you take pride in showing off what you're reading in public settings?

Billy Coffey's Snow Day - Book Review

2011-01-14T02:14:00.004-06:00

Peter Boyd is the neighbor we all want to have. He's hardworking, loves his wife, adores his children, lends a hand, and carries that small town common sense we all could stand to tie to our own hitch. But there's one problem nagging at an otherwise blessed man.

Talk of layoffs at the local factory has Peter worried about everything he has worked so hard to build and support. If he becomes a victim of the sign of these poor economic times, he's up cow-patty creek to find suitable work in his hometown. The water is rising fast on the few dreams still holding breath for his family.

And worse yet, the special needs of Peter's young daughter only add to the strain of a man already doubting his faith in a God who is supposed to care.

In his debut novel, author Billy Coffey gets it. One might be tempted to call Snow Day an easy read. The only thing I found easy was the one-click ordering at Amazon.com and the knock at the door a few days later from the delivery man.

I choked up teary-eyed twice. I laughed at least twice more. And several chapters left me closing the book -- not to put it away, but to think. To roll each story over like stones in a stream, smoothed by years of flowing wisdom, and releasing gold flakes of hope from life's muddy bottom. Coffey's ability to see and describe what most of us fail to notice on a given day is nothing short of impressive.

Author L.L. Barkat compares Coffey's storytelling ability in Snow Day to "the wit and energy of Mark Twain, albeit with compassion and spiritual vision." I could not agree more.

What touched me further is that, according to Coffey, the circumstances Peter Boyd finds himself in are similar to those faced by Coffey himself at an earlier point in his life. Not to mention how relative the story is to the countless men and women wondering where God is, at a time in our history when His presence feels most distant.

We all could use a gentle reminder and a fresh set of eyes to recognize that God is closer than we might believe. Through a string of unconventional yet oddly ordinary encounters on a surprise snow day in rural Virginia, Coffey's Peter Boyd will have you reaching deep into your heart for those people and dreams you've always held dear but didn't quite know how to engage. This particular Snow Day will have you walking through life with an extra two-step in your boots -- and you'll still be home in time for dinner.

For more about Snow Day and to order, click here to directly access the book's information page at BillyCoffey.com.

To learn more about Billy Coffey and to read his blog filled with down-to-earth yet often profound stories of everyday life, please visit his website at http://www.billycoffey.com.

Get On with Yourself in Three Steps

2011-01-09T02:30:00.001-06:00

You're into the second full week of it. A new set of ten. It's 2011. How will this next decade define you? What about this next year?

Don't let the opportunity of another beginning slip into the weeks and months ahead, leaving you shuddering one year from now at the could, would, and should haves of the previous year. Don't let your dreams sleep for another 52 weeks, and God forbid, don't let them die. You've been down there, Neo. You know that road.

Do grab this moment to recover hope. Oh, I don't mean to sound like another cheesy motivational speaker shouting tired clichés and holding your hand as you walk over hot coals. But I believe one cliché is still universally accepted. Whatever it is you've aspired to do, just do it.

Here's how in three steps:

Photo courtesy of TheFuntimesGuide

1. You MUST pause. No excuses. If you don't intentionally choose to set aside some time to establish your plan of attack for this year, come January 2012 nothing in your life will have changed -- except your age and a few more wrinkles.

I recommend a bare minimum half-day, uninterrupted, to consider where to direct your life this year. Half a day. Bare minimum.

If you're married, ask your spouse to do the same. Then talk about it. No, not in the mirror. Together. And don't shoot down your spouse's ideas and hopes. Let them flow. Discuss how you can reach your goals together.

And better yet, take it one step further and check out Bradley J. Moore's post, Six Ways to Take Your Micro-Sabbatical. This post was featured on Michael Hyatt's blog (Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers). I love Moore's first two: Take a day off and Schedule time for nothing. Wow, imagine that. I think I'll take two days off.

Photo courtesy of Worth1000.com

2. Stop griping about the economy. It could be worse. I'm preaching this to myself, by the way. But c'mon, let's get over it. For those of us living in the United States and other well-developed countries, is it really that bad? I'm not downplaying the roughly 9% of unemployed U.S. laborers (as of this posting date). It is very real to the millions of individuals and families without jobs.

I suppose I tend to sift my own whining through the filter of underdeveloped countries. Even a bad day without a job in America is a great day through the eyes of those living in fear of tyrant leaders and starvation. Smile over the blessings you do have, and give someone a hug today.

Photo courtesy of WomenOfTheSky

3. Just do it. No, really. Get on with yourself. Get on with your dreams. Get on with your life. And no hiding behind the age excuse.

Anna Mary Robertson Moses, a.k.a. Grandma Moses, didn't begin a serious painting career until her late 70s. Charles Perrault, known for Cinderella and other popular fairy tales, wasn't published until age 69. Political activist Granny Haddock (right) walked over 3,200 miles across the United States at age 89. Pardon my assertiveness, but don't give me that "I'm too old" crap.

This final link from Bradley Moore will charge you up with some not-so-ordinary goal-making ideas. Bradley shares how to begin conquering your world in 2011 in his post, How Are You Planning to Grow in 2011?

Now get on with your bad self!

Flying Over Christmas Morning

2010-12-28T16:25:00.002-06:00

Roads branch
into lanes
bearing fruit
of tiny farms,
a patchwork quilt.
Ten thousand feet.

Angels
blow smoke
over the hills,
settles
in ravines.
Twenty thousand feet.

A thin band
of yellow and red,
smudges
the horizon--
blue above, gray below.
Thirty thousand feet.

Angelic smoke
now covers all,
an untaut blanket
rippled with waves
frozen in time.
Forty thousand feet.

The white carpet
welcomes
His entrance,
too bright
in my window.
And holding.

Check out other great poems at this week's One Shot Wednesday (part of One Stop Poetry).

On Characters and Writers - Quotes

2010-12-27T03:00:00.001-06:00

Photo courtesy of Scienceblogs.com

Two writing quotes I like from the January 2011 edition of Writer's Digest magazine:

"Writers are the ones who don't let failure stop them."
-- John Dufresne, "What to Do When Your Novel Stalls." (pp. 42-45)

"Compelling characters are not cogs in the machine of your plot; they are human beings to whom the story happens."
-- David Corbett, "Hooked on a Feeling: The Emotion-Driven Method of Crafting Compelling Characters." (pp. 32-36)

Desert of the Wise: A View-Master's Journey

2010-12-23T03:00:00.006-06:00

The sandy hills roll like waves in the moonlight. Four sets of footprints follow the silhouettes of six along a ridge. Two of the travelers ride on tapestry-covered platforms atop shaggy humps, and the third walks, rope in hand, with his lanky animal.

The desert is quite cool tonight, and calm. Except for the faint grumbles of the camels. I think they're aware of my presence, but their masters pay no heed. The heavily-robed strangers appear focused, intent.

Every few minutes it seems, the short one riding center points just above the horizon. His camel jerks its head and stops. A heel kick in the side and a "hut-hut!", and the beast is moving again.

The short one speaks a language I don't understand--it's too fast. He points again.

I see now what he's aiming at. It was staring at me this entire time. No, it was shining. Leading. And the interesting grown-ups with long beards and funny hats are definitely following it.

The star is brilliant! How did it take me so long to see it? Maybe because I wasn't looking for it. The camels are fun to watch, especially when they get irritated and swing their heads. But I already know what lies beyond the dunes. I had heard the story many times. And now I am sad, because I cannot go with them.

***

Thirty minutes earlier I had sat at Grandma's breakfast bar munching on saltine crackers and grape jelly. I washed it down with one of those small bottles of Coca-Cola. It was June, but I was already thinking about Christmas.

The stairs creaked as I made my way to the basement toward the storage and wash room. My tube-socked feet slipped a little with each step on the smooth concrete, and I had forgotten to sidestep the drain dimpled in the floor. Grandpa had showered that morning. I wouldn't need socks in the cool desert sand anyway.

I rummaged through cardboard boxes, most of them brittle with age and dust. I found what I was looking for. It's what I always looked for at Grandma and Grandpa's.

Photo from RetroToGo.com

The View-Master, and the Christmas Story reel about the Three Wise Men.

***

I was sad because I could not go with them. I knew the baby was in the stable just ahead, but that was 2,000 years ago. I held in my hands a plastic toy with a three-dimensional photo reel of clay figures. But held against the light, the story came to life, and I was happy again.

And that star! I really wanted to see that star. In real life. How fascinating it must have been, to witness a fireball in the night sky and to know something greater was about to shake the universe. The star was just a symbol. A guide. To something--someone--like the world had never seen before.

This Christmas season, are you looking for a star? Maybe a lucky star. Or a star to wish upon. Yeah, it all seems childish and cute, like a toy View-Master. Without the light, it's just a story reel with dark photos of clay figures. I choose to look at it through the Light.

"Jesus once again addressed them: 'I am the world's Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.'" -- John 8:12 (The Message)

Photo from the Science Channel

Today's post is also being shared at:

The "Reflection" One Word at a Time Blog Carnival over at PeterPollock.com and

Bonnie Gray's blog carnival at Faith Barista. Click here to check out other stories from the carnival.

Highlights: A Free Book Contest, A Story, and A Donkey

2010-12-22T13:21:00.002-06:00

Do We Need to Be Here?
Author Ann Kroeker (annkroeker.com), also the Content Editor of The High Calling online community, asks the question, "Do We Need to Be Here?", that is, on the Internet. Is there any value in the hours we are spending with online friends? Are real friendships forming in cyberspace, or are we getting sucked into a vacuum of shallow relationships? Ann offered to highlight one of my previous posts as an example, followed by a contest that could win you a free copy of Philip Yancey's What Good is God?: In Search of a Faith That Matters. Click here to check it out. Thank you, Ann!

A Social Network Christmas
If you even remotely know what Facebook is, you MUST see this version of the Christmas Story, linked by Dan Roloff, Managing Editor of The High Calling. A reminder that although the world has changed, the Story is still relevant and very much alive. Click the image or here to view.

Dominick the Donkey
It's Wednesday, and you're stressed about Christmas. You haven't finished your shopping--heck, you haven't even started. Maybe you're traveling, or maybe they're traveling to see you. You know what happens every year with that certain someone. Yeah, you know who I'm talking about. The person who always seems to say something at the dinner table that ticks you off and ruins your holiday spirit. You're mad that I even brought it up. Thanks Brock, you say. Actually, you might want to thank me for this.

The video below is my Christmas gift to you. When your anxiety level skyrockets this week, come back to Lifesummit and play this. If you have a SmartPhone or other handheld iSomething device, just excuse yourself to the bathroom when that special someone spits venom across the room. Make sure you laugh loud enough so they can hear you. Merry Christmas!

Santa, Please Bring Me a Kindle

2010-12-18T12:53:00.021-06:00

The debate can heat up fast. Will electronic books (i.e., eReaders) replace ink and paper? Opinions of publishers, authors, book retailers, and readers span all camps on the mountain. And because of that, I'm not going to waste your time with my opinion, because to be honest with you, I don't know the answer. I don't think anybody does. But if you are considering an eReader, I'll share my foray into these gadgets.

When eReaders were first coming to market, I was resistant. That is surprising when you understand that, one, I love technology and gadgets, always have. (I've spent the last twenty years working in the technology field.) And two, I've loved to read since slurping my first bowl of alphabet soup.

So why the resistance, not just from me but many bookophiles? I believe the following reasons explain the love affair between the diehards and the traditional script and tome. It's okay. You can confide in me. For years I've sleazed my way around bookstores and paid good money for the cheap thrill.

It's the feel of the paper. The heaviness of a hardback. The warm almond color of a well-bound page laced with beautiful typeface. The sounds as you flip through the pages. The smell of a new book fanned just inches from your nose. The energy that went into crafting and printing. The bookmark, sometimes a torn piece of paper and other times a carefully selected companion, reminding you of how far you've gone on the journey, and how close you are to that long-awaited moment of literary satisfaction.

And the bookshelf. Ah yes, we cannot forget the bookshelf. That part of your home that so eloquently shows how intellectual you are; your literary bragging rights. And how much time you've devoted to the finer things in life while all those lesser non-readers spend their days living vicariously through reality TV celebrities and video games. How can you be esteemed by telling people that you virtually have 3,000 books on your little handheld reading device? As any good writer knows, I want to show (off my bookcase), not tell. ;)

So why am I giving in? Why would I sit on Santa's knee and ask for a Kindle when he might suggest a nice football, or a toy train, or a hardback book? (Santa's a traditional guy, you know.) Below are five reasons why I'm jumping into the eReader game, followed by my Top 5 reasons for preferring the Amazon Kindle.

5 Reasons Why I Want an eReader

1. eReader technology has matured. I tend to watch from the sidelines when any new technology comes to market. Let others pay exorbitant prices and post reviews for your benefit, then give the manufacturer a chance to fix the problems in the next version, and usually at a lower price. Amazon is on version 3 of its Kindle and it's much improved over previous versions. (More on its maturity below).

2. It's handy. I don't travel much. That fact alone played a huge role in my resistance to eReaders early on. So if I don't leave home much, why not just read real books at home? I'd bet most of us do get around town more than we realize. We visit coffee shops, go out for lunch, spend hours at practice with our kids, go to the park, etc. I almost always carry a bag full of books and magazines wherever I go. An eReader would sure lighten my load.

3. A cheaper alternative for trying new books and unfamiliar authors. Most new hardbacks that cost $18.99-$24.99 run for $9.99 or less in electronic form. Again, I do love the real thing and do not want to witness the death of traditional print; certain titles and favorite authors will always make their way to my bookshelf. However, maybe you're interested in a newer author whose work is unfamiliar to you, and maybe the title is not available in libraries. I'd rather spend less on a book to test the waters of a new author, and not have to leave the house. Most eReaders allow you to preview samples before buying, too.

4. Millions of FREE books, and not just for old titles. Any book that is considered public domain (pre-1923) is, for the most part, available in electronic form. I was never into the classics as a young reader, so these days I'm trying to catch up. Why spend even $3.99 on a low-end paperback classic when I can download it for free? Beyond this, many authors and publishers offer limited-time free downloads of their latest works. As a recent example, Abingdon Press offered a free Kindle download of Dr. Richard L. Mabry's debut novel, Code Blue, through December 13. I'm all for supporting other writers with a book purchase, but what a gift!

5. eReaders are finally affordable. Most decent eReaders are under $150. Some are even less than $99, but as of this posting date I would avoid the latter--cheap is as cheap does. If you consider all of the free titles available plus the money you'll save on digital vs. printed books, it won't take long to break even and your eReader will pay for itself.

Top 5 Reasons Why I'm Choosing the Amazon Kindle 3G

1. Near book-quality readability (no eye strain). The Kindle uses a technology called "E Ink." If you've never seen it, it's unbelievable how much it resembles an actual page in a book. Many other eReaders utilize LCD screens, just like your PC flat-screen or laptop. Reading a 300-page novel on a laptop is likely to wear down your eyes from the constant light emissions, and some LCD screens suffer from glare (especially "touch" screens) and are hard to read in sunlight. E Ink technology allows you to read in bright environments, even sunlight.

2. Compact, lightweight, no heat, good battery life. The latest Kindle (version 3) holds 3,500 books, weighs 8.7 ounces, offers a 6 inch reading display (measured diagonally) and is about 1/3 of an inch thin. It's not quite small enough to fit in your back pocket, but it's close. The 6 inch screen is about the size of a paperback page, and the fonts can be made larger or smaller to your preference. Unlike a laptop or tablet PC, the Kindle does not get hot in your hand, and a single battery charge lasts up to one month with wireless disabled and ten days with wireless enabled on the 3G model. The non-3G model boasts a three week charge with wireless enabled. Click here to watch a video of Michael Hyatt (CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers) opening his Kindle version 3.

3. Wi-fi and FREE unlimited 3G wireless. All Kindles include built-in Wi-fi for connecting to your home wireless network or Wi-fi hotspots. The Kindle 3G model adds free unlimited access to AT&T's 3G wireless network for downloading from just about anywhere. I like the 3G feature because although I can load up the Kindle with books before leaving home (using Wi-fi), I can access dynamic information such as leading blogs, newspapers, and magazines from anywhere. If I'm sitting in the doctor's office, mall, coffee shop, riding shotgun on a long trip, etc., and a Wi-fi hotspot is not available, I'm still connected using the 3G network--again, at no extra charge. Other eReaders either do not offer connectivity beyond Wi-fi or they charge you a fee to use a service such as AT&T 3G.

4. Whispersync network. Amazon maintains a catalog of the Kindle books you own and allows you to read your books on multiple devices. I have Amazon's free Kindle reader software on my laptop and my Apple iPhone. All of my eBooks are available at any time on those devices. Amazon is also planning a Book Lending option for both Kindle owners and Kindle reader application users. This will allow you to borrow eBooks from your friends and family before you decide to buy it, and vice versa.

5. The price is reasonable for what you get. Today, the low-end Kindle runs $139 (Wi-fi only), and it offers all of the same features as the 3G model minus the 3G. The Kindle 3G runs $189. The high-end Kindle DX runs $379, and the only difference I see with the DX is the larger 9.7 inch screen (measured diagonally).

(6.) Bonus reasons for the Kindle. I like to jot notes in the margins and dog-ear pages I want to remember, particularly with non-fiction. The Kindle has a full QWERTY keyboard and allows you to add notes to the page, place bookmarks, clip passages, look up words in the built-in New Oxford American Dictionary, and even connect wirelessly to Wikipedia. You can then download all of your annotations to your computer. The new Kindle also allows you to post messages to your Facebook and Twitter accounts without leaving the page (very handy for the 3G model). Yes, I know, that could become a distraction from the reading experience, but maybe you want to share a quote or a passage with your friends and followers.

So there you have it. You have seven days until Christmas, and I'm sure Santa is still ringing a bell outside of grocery stores or sitting in an oversized chair at the mall. Or if you don't believe in Santa, you can still buy one for yourself. :)

*****

Do you own an eReader? If so, which product, and do you like it? If not, are you considering an eReader? If not, why not? Leave a comment. I'd love to hear about it (and others may appreciate your advice).

Coincidence or Divine Conspiracy?

2010-12-16T01:01:00.012-06:00

The Twitter message popped on my screen.

"Are you and I really neighbors?" it read.

I glanced at his profile, noting the location of Golden, Colorado. Hmm. That's where I live. Before I could reply, an email from Facebook lit up my inbox.

"Brock...I live in Golden. You too?"

One month earlier, he had added a comment to one of my October blog posts, The Curl. He said the post was being highlighted in The High Calling online community's October edition of "Around the Network." Quite the honor given that The High Calling is among the top 50 Church blog sites on the Internet (as ranked by the "Top 100 Church Blogs" at churchrelevance.com, Sept 2010).

It gets better.

I had been praying for at least five specific things. (Hint: When you talk to God, be specific.) I had asked for...

1. A church where our family felt connected, through both worship and solid teaching. Preferably close to home.
2. A small group extension of the larger church, to develop relationships, a family to share life with.
3. At a minimum, one or two people out of that small group who are of like minds, even with our sense of humor, to encourage, build each other up, share laughs together, etc.

(This is where it gets interesting. Remember, be specific!)

4. A local writer or group of inspirational writers sharing the same passion for putting words on the page, who understands that a writer's work is not a hobby, but a lifelong and life-changing endeavor.
5. Another guy who lives nearby and loves the outdoors, camping, hiking, and fishing. And not just fishing in general--fly fishing.

That's five detailed conversation topics I had with God over several months.

Enter David Rupert (redletterbelievers.blogspot.com). Yep, that's him, the guy who Twittered, Facebooked, and honored me with the October blog post highlight. David is a contributing editor for The High Calling, and he's also a full-time paid writer by day. Coincidence? Okay, maybe it's not a big deal. These days, people connect online all the time, and because I frequent faith-based blogs, I interact with other inspirational writers almost daily. That's all believable, so let's continue.

David introduced my family to Red Rocks Community Church here in Golden, just minutes from our home. We connected immediately with the church--worship that penetrated our hearts and teaching that stirred our souls. Whoa, hold on. Did you catch it? He lives in the same town. Coincidence? Maybe so. We've all had that "small world" moment, right? It happens all the time. But don't stop here.

David also invited us to join his Red Rocks small group family, and without a doubt, we share a similar sense of humor. But again, since most churches encourage small group interaction, maybe there is nothing unique about any of this. Maybe it's just coincidence. Still think so? Let's up the torque.

David grew up in Nevada. He's a mountain man through and through. He hikes, he camps, he fishes. And he's not just a fisherman--he's a fly fisherman. Is the needle in the red yet? Are we approaching the weirdness factor? No? Then read on.

After a few exchanges of Facebook messages and swapping street addresses, David and I realized that we live less than one mile from each other. I've driven near his house almost every day for four and a half years. We have friends who live just three doors down from him. And just for kicks I'll toss this in: we're both veterans of the U.S. Air Force.

Out of the millions of online blogging communities, bloggers, and blog visitors, it was by slim chance that I happened upon The High Calling website. It was by slim chance that David Rupert read a story on my own blog. It's by a slimmer chance that we live in the same town, and it's flippin' ridiculous that we live down the street from each other. Or is it?

Coincidence?

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." -- Romans 8:28 (NIV)

Today's post is part of the "Rejoice" One Word at a Time Blog Carnival over at PeterPollock.com.

Brock Henning and David Rupert

Pool Closed

2010-12-09T02:01:00.022-06:00

Photo courtesy of Westcobblife.com

"Pool Closed Until Further Notice." That's what the sign said. Our three children, my wife and I, all huddled around the sign with wide mouths, our towels hanging in one hand and a beach bag full of goggles and water missiles and squirt guns in the other.

We had checked in at the hotel just ten minutes earlier, strolling by the indoor pool window and smiling as another family laughed and splashed together. But now it was vacant. Pool closed? What the hell happened in just ten minutes? Okay, my kids were present, so it was more the sanitized "What the heck happened?", but it's the thought that counts. Dark storm, rain on me.

It had been a rough week already--the story for most of us anymore, isn't it? Which is why my family likes to get away, even if only to the next town for a one-nighter. It doesn't cost much, it feels like a vacation, and it's just fun to stay at a hotel, go out to eat, stay up late in bed watching movies together, and...swim at the pool.

Being duped numerous times by the impressive Internet marketing efforts of the hotel industry and their embellished website photos displaying beautiful pool rooms, hot tubs, fresh towels, the Allsmiles Family, and all the fun you're gonna have, etc., I had called ahead this time to confirm that one, they had a pool; two, the pool was bigger than a bathtub; and three, the pool was open. The main event for this mini-adventure was to swim in the pool. We would even skip the restaurant and force down cheap pimento-loaf sandwiches in the hotel room if it bought an extra hour in the pool.

Pool. Closed. The sign was mocking us now. God, c'mon...really? One little blessing. Just one little joy. That's all I had asked. The kids need this. Sarah needs this. And I need this.

With sad faces and heavy hearts, Sarah and the kids walked back to the elevator. I exhaled my frustration and walked toward the front desk.

"So what's the deal with the pool?" I faked a smile.

"Our maintenance guy has another emergency and can't get here," said the manager, avoiding eye contact.

"Will the pool be open tonight?"

"We're trying to get someone out here, but the pool will probably be closed for at least twenty-four hours," he said, still bouncing his eyes between the computer screen and a stack of paper. The guy was obviously withholding something, and we didn't have twenty-four hours.

"I called this morning and you guys said the pool was open. That's the whole reason we chose this hotel." Blood was rushing to my ears.

The manager stopped his shuffling and looked to his right and his left. He leaned forward and said in a hushed tone, "Sir, I'm really sorry. A child just vomited in the pool, so it needs to be thoroughly disinfected."

Son of a gun. One of those kids just yarked in the pool. Our pool. Thanks, other family, for ruining my family's weekend. Thanks, other family, for infecting our chlorinated blue lagoon with (WARNING: excessive adjective alert) yellow, mucousy, acidic, orange-chunk-ridden soup upchucked from the gut of your sick child. Thanks.

Why does this always happen to us? Why does this always happen to me? Hi, I'm Clark W. Griswold. I'm a target for all things crap. Ever feel that way?

With barely any flip left in my flop, I trudged back to the room to share the news. On our previous attempt for a getaway, I opted for a cheaper hotel to save money. That bought us a dirty room and an outdoor three-man pool nestled between two parking spaces (remember the impressive website photos?). Nice going, Dad. This time I spent the cash for the nicer place, and I still couldn't win.

I stood outside the door and listened. I could hear bathing suits being shed and repacked, suitcases zipping, and television channels flipping. Beyond that, no conversations.

Before opening the door, I thought about the words I'm always telling my children, phrases like "Count your blessings" and "Make the best of it," or "It could be worse" and "At least we're all together." Oh, and let's not forget "At least the room doesn't smell like smoke!"

The words usually seem to pass unimpeded through their little heads, but I know someday they'll be standing outside of this hotel room with the same bad news, or their family vacation will be cut short when the car breaks down on the interstate, or any number of incidents I like to call Griswold Moments. Someday, I thought--hoped, rather--the words will prevail over the harsh truth of disappointments in their own lives.

I said a little prayer. I forgave that other family for ruining my weekend. Actually, I forgave myself for denying them a Griswold Moment--we're all entitled. And I told myself Brock, it starts with you--make the best of it. I opened the door.

All four of them were seated on the double beds, watching television, waiting for me, and to my surprise still wearing bathing suits.

"Sorry guys. Pool's closed. And it ain't gonna be opening," I said in my native Midwestern twang.

"Daddy, we can still swim in the hot tub!" said our 11 year-old daughter, always looking for the positive.

"Oh, I don't know. It's so small," I replied, "plus it's cold outside and the water will be too hot to stay in very long. And it's probably closed, too."

"We can ask the manager!" she said, reaching for the phone.

"Yeah, Dad, we can still swim!" said our youngest son, jumping from one bed to the other. "Let's make the best of it!"

For the next thirty minutes, we soaked in 100 degree bubbling water on the hotel's back patio, with a mountain view and a brisk air temperature of 42 degrees. We floated, we fired water missiles, we shot each other with squirt guns. We made the best of it.

******

Do you have any Griswold Moments that you'd like to share? Leave a comment. I'd love to hear about it.

Hope Is

2010-12-07T16:03:00.001-06:00

Photo courtesy of Postersguide.com

Hope Is

My heart had died,
   strangled, beaten,
   desire eaten by disease;
   black and blue, but crimson
   seeped out.
Like fallen tinder on trace ember,
   His gentle breath—
   hushes turned rhythmic glow.
The threads of a cloud,
   its weave pulled apart
   by the light;
   one ray becomes two,
   two rays become seven.
Hope is.

Check out other great poems at this week's One Shot Wednesday (part of One Stop Poetry).

Dazzling Dialogue Webinar with James Scott Bell

2010-12-05T21:16:00.009-06:00

Bestselling author James Scott Bell is hosting a webinar on successful techniques for weaving dialogue into your manuscript. The online event will be held on December 9th at 8 p.m. (Eastern Time).

For more information and to register, click here to access the webinar page at the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild website. All of the CWG webinars I've participated in have been top-notch with practical takeaways, and I can't say enough about Mr. Bell's ability to teach the craft (I attended one of his fiction writing courses at a conference last February). You won't want to miss this.

If you're a fiction writer, you may also be familiar with his books on the craft, which include Plot & Structure, Revision & Self-Editing, and The Art of War for Writers. (If you're a fiction writer and are not familiar with these gems, you need to be.) Enjoy!

Rules Misunderstood - A Haiku & Others

2010-11-24T12:40:00.002-06:00

Homeowners Association Gestapo
You can't park there.
My temples throb. Take a breath.
I can. I live here.

Sunshine Dirt
Through shadowy webs
of branches on earth's canvas
sunshine on dirt.

Keyboard
Hard, dusty plastic.
White on black staring back at me.
Intimidation.

Today's poems are also part of the Poetry Potluck Week 14 (at Jingle Poetry) and One Shot Wednesday (part of One Stop Poetry).

Tree Wise of Winter

2010-11-11T00:30:00.010-06:00

Tree Wise of Winter

Leaves green in summer
come flutter in fall.
Oak, Cherry once rich
surviving stand tall.

Drab split-hardened skin
scared naked exposed.
Arms reaching to heav’n
dread long dark and cold.

Fearful of winter?
Forgetful of spring?
Hope fades but a wink.
Rebirth you must cling.

Blood pearls on Holly
smooth waxy rich green.
Triumphant sweet Pine!
Faith steadfast wise tree.

Breathe forth sacred snow
north winds from afar.
White satiny sheets
mask ages old scars.

________________________________

I love winter. Overcast days, snowy nights, and a blue sky winter morning wonderland. It's still autumn of course, but the first snow is arriving late this year to the Front Range foothills of Colorado. We're expecting it tonight.

I wrote the first version of this poem in 2003; this is the third and final iteration. I know many who loathe winter, and a few who become severely depressed during the long, cold and dark days (a disorder known as SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder). They are miserable during the winter months. Lonely. Hurting. Sometimes hopeless. All of us, sooner or later, will walk through a season of difficulty, doubt, questions with no answers. A dark chapter we'd like to tear out.

Let nature be a reminder that winter doesn't last forever--spring always comes. Pine trees are 'ever' green and sturdy in the wind, like a sage who welcomes a hard winter after surviving centuries of change. And the Holly. It bursts with contrasting reds and greens, like an excitable child, too young and carefree to let winter erase its color.

If your days are long and dark right now, hang on just a little longer...spring is on its way.

Revelation 21:4-5

Check out other great poems at this week's One Shot Wednesday (part of One Stop Poetry).

Are You Qualified?

2010-11-04T17:14:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted my Friday Morning Quotes in a while. I figure I'll just share as I stumble on them. Love this one from Max Lucado's latest book.

"God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called."
-- Max Lucado, Outlive Your Life

Fishermen and tax collectors. Doctors and construction workers. Teachers and lawyers. Business professionals and stay-at-home parents. Students, and yes, even pastors. Who of us are qualified to partner in the mysterious work of such a mighty God?

None of us. And yet God invites all of us. Accept the invitation and make a difference.

The Curl

2010-10-21T13:15:00.016-05:00

It stared at him like a boil on his cheek. My son, seated passenger side, grimaced in the sun visor mirror.

"Dad, I forgot to wet my hair," he said.

His right sideburn, resembling more the soft hair on his head than facial hair, was smoothed down his adolescent cheek. His left sideburn, however, curled up like he had slept with a roller. Over and over he ran his fingers from top to bottom, attempting to iron out the impending embarrassment. We were less than a mile from school.

"Dad, it won't stay down!"

"Son, it's just a curl. It's not a big deal," I replied.

"Yes it is! It won't stay down!" His rubbing had elevated into swiping.

"Lick your fingers. That'll keep it down." A pro at resolving curl and cowlick challenges, I shared my secret for the quick fix. (Of course, if you look at my bio photo, I have other solutions for this problem.)

"That's gross! I'm not wiping germs on my face," he said, reaching for the water bottle in his backpack.

"They're your own germs!" I said.

By then I was thinking, How can I convince him that this is not an emergency? It's just a curl! I wanted to tell him "just wait until your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere." That's an emergency. I wanted to say "just wait until you're an adult and you can't pay your bills." That's an emergency. Or worse yet, "just wait until your child lies in a hospital bed and you feel helpless; just wait until you're tired of your job but you still have to work; just wait until you have a blow-up with your wife and your marriage teeters on divorce; just wait..." Those are emergencies.

This was the perfect teaching moment, but we were only two blocks from the school. How can I squeeze in a lesson, I thought, to help him see how trivial this is, that 10 years from now he'll realize how ridiculous it was? He had heard it all before, but I wanted him to get it this time.

There was a pause, then like a dirt clod to the head another voice inside interrupted my speech preparation.

Brock, it's just a curl.

Love & War...and Sex?

2010-10-11T14:19:00.001-05:00

Most of us husbands and wives are missing the mark in our marriages. We are tired and disappointed, frustrated even. We sit quietly at the dinner table, making small talk with little or no eye contact. And when we dine out, we cringe at the couple giggling like newlyweds at the next table. What are they so giddy about anyway? And if your nest is still full, then it's like trying to enjoy dinner with a bunch of clowns fighting over center ring with the fart machine. Thanks kids, we've lost our appetite already.

Our marriages have fallen prey to the dismal routine, and we need a way out. In their latest book, Love & War: Finding the Marriage You've Dreamed Of, John and Stasi Eldredge have done more than hit dead center; they've shot the target completely off its stand. John defines the typical marriage as "Two guarded people managing their disappointment, negotiating for better terms through a DMZ they call marriage" (Page 16). He later says "The first big shock we receive in marriage is that it is hard. The second great shock usually follows hard on the heels of the first--that we are, both of us [husband and wife], a royal mess" (Page 44). Do you agree? Let's be honest with ourselves.

Love & War is not another "10 Steps to Improving Your Marriage" book. We've seen enough quick-repair manuals that fail us by Step 5. Rather, John and Stasi take us through their own real struggles that will no doubt resonate within you. My wife and I laughed and elbow-nudged numerous times as we saw ourselves written into the pages, but I must warn you: this book is not for wussies. If you're not man or woman enough to let your spouse see you naked with the lights on, maybe you should stick with the "10 Steps" books. There's no hiding in here.

Did I mention that John and Stasi talk unashamedly and at length about sex? It starts in Chapter 11, page 175. How could I forget? The entire chapter in my copy is falling apart from thick highlighting and dog-eared pages. If you skip this section, you guys might as well yell "T-I-M-B-E-R!" for the last time, and you gals might as well seal the tomb. You won't want to miss this.

John and Stasi's conversational flow engages you like sharing coffee in their living room, and it's always clear who is speaking. Their warm invitation says "Look friends, we're screwed up, too, and this is how we've survived and even thrived through each marital hurricane." It's about time a couple in the Christian mainstream admitted what we're all trying to hide.

Reading Love & War with my wife has proved especially rewarding. No, all of our problems aren't resolved--we still have disagreements, we still pull our hair out when the kids are fighting, and life remains just as hard as before we read it--no book will stop the barrage of problems fired at us each day. But, Love & War has breathed a renewed purpose into our marriage, a common goal, a meaning that dives much deeper than the vows two naive 20-somethings promised each other 15 years ago. Solidifying our marriage with a mission has built a fortress that's not easily invaded.

If you and your spouse cannot answer the question "What is the purpose for our marriage?" beyond the answers "It was the thing to do" or "Sex" or even the well-intentioned "Because of love," you need to explore this book. And whether your marriage is already as tough as titanium or you know it's in trouble, Love & War should be at your bedside. It may become the first book on your nightstand that you'll never have to dust.

For more information and to order Love & War, click here. (For Amazon, click here)

For more about John and Stasi Eldredge and Ransomed Heart Ministries, please visit http://www.ransomedheart.com/

"Your marriage is part of a larger story, too, a story as romantic as any that has ever stirred your heart, and at least as dangerous." (Page 31)

"Of all the things a man or woman needs to hear about marriage, this is perhaps the most important of all.

It can be done.

And it is worth it." (Page 7)

I Dare You to Look

2010-09-20T21:05:00.148-05:00

Photo courtesy of Steve Cole/Getty Images

What is it about looking through a telescope that intrigues us? Is it the mystery of distant planets and stars? Do we feel closer to something spectacular? Are we looking for answers out there? Or maybe it's just plain cool to see something out of the ordinary.

Last week, after a late dinner with friends, we raced outside to watch the International Space Station fly across the western sky; it took a whopping 60 seconds for the bright dot to fade out of view. Tonight, thousands of people will speckle neighborhood lawns and hilltops to witness Jupiter's closest pass to Earth since 1963. We desire to witness the extraordinary, and we want others to see it with us.

Consider your youth, daydreaming about a life that felt so far away, yet through the telescope of your mind you could almost touch it. You adjusted the focus, the image blurred in and out, and eventually the fuzzy reflection turned into sharp detail. That image revealed your future hopes, your dreams, your aspirations. I'd bet it was fantastic to your 12 year-old heart, and I'd bet you wanted your mom and dad, your brother or sister, your friends and cousins, and maybe an inspiring school teacher or coach, all of them to see it. And maybe you weren't 12; maybe you were 24, or 48. The image was real, no matter the age.

Years passed, and the telescope got stuffed in a closet or shoved under your bed. It eventually made its way to the attic, or the garage sale. You never looked again. Whatever dreams you had back then drifted helplessly into deep space, marooned on a planet in a galaxy far, far away. All radio contact? Terminated.

I've got some good news for you: the Eagle didn't crash. It landed several years ago, and your lost hopes have been attempting to make contact. Those dreams may look a bit different now, but even through the static of many years, your heart is still wired to receive the transmission. Don't tune it out.

And I dare you to look through the dusty telescope. Despite what your eyes have seen and what choices you've made over the long haul, you'll find that the same stars are still shining. There is hope for us yet.

Brandon Heath's song "Wait and See" wonderfully tells a similar story. Below the video are the lyrics to the last half of the song. It'll help you remember...

If the video doesn't appear above, click here to view.

"Wait and See" by Brandon Heath

(lyrics excerpt)
...
There is hope, for me yet
Because God won't forget
All the plans he's made for me
I have to wait and see
He's not finished with me yet
He's not finished with me yet

Still wondering why I'm here
Still wrestling with my fear
But oh, He's up to something

And the farther on I go
I've seen enough to know that I'm not here for nothing
He's up to something

So now's my time to be a man,
Follow my heart as far as I can
No telling where I’m ending up tonight
I never slow down or so it seems
But singing my heart it’s one of my dreams
All I gotta do is hold on tight

There is hope, for me yet
Because God won't forget
All the plans he's made for me
I have to wait and see
He's not finished with me yet
He's not finished with me yet

Bring a Friend to "Church" Day

2010-09-14T00:15:00.013-05:00

First off, thanks for all of the comments on the prequel, "Middle Fork Church." That day was so splendid that I returned for a second Sunday at the request of my good friend David (left). I thought of it as an opportunity to bring a friend to "church."

I know I've "been to church" when I've spent intimate time with God, or worshiped God. And yes, worshiping God can (and should) extend beyond the walls of a church building. God is not tied to any building we construct; His presence stirs all around us. And as such our worship is free of set rituals. Worship is simply our response to a God who initiates His love for us.

On Colorado's South Platte River, I worship God, waving my fly rod to the rhythm of an age-old symphony. I thank Him for the mountain majesty in all directions, for the water flowing over my boots, for the curious deer on the ridge, and for the simple blessing of being in this place. I love being alone with God, unhindered, without distraction.

But there is another aspect to church, a more accurate definition: community. We are also meant to worship God together, to share in His presence with each other. Jesus said, "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst" (Matthew 18:20, NASB). Community reveals another dynamic of God's nature.

Last Sunday, God used the time alone to calm me down, take my eyes off of my problems and turn my heart toward Him. I needed a pause--nothing more, nothing less.

This Sunday (with David), God brought sense to where I'd left off. I caught a few answers to the bigger questions and, coincidentally, caught a bigger fish. (smile) My heart was prepared to listen.

Spending the day with a close friend, a brother even, allowed me to hash out the turmoil inside. I know David's heart for the Lord, and sharing with him brought a fresh perspective to what I was seeing, and more importantly not seeing.

As David allows God to work in his life, that wisdom sheds light on my own life--a benefit of not going solo (see The Master Belayer). Iron sharpens iron--the blessing of community.

Here's a video from our time on the water: I'm reeling in a rainbow trout...slowly. I learn more through the process of retrieving a fish versus the end catch itself--things like proper line tension, rod angle, exhausting the fish appropriately, remembering to breathe (smile)--tactics that improve my skills for the next cast. Because when we rush through, they often get away...just like answers.

(And without community, I wouldn't have this video. Thanks David!)

A short aside... If you're a fan of author Jerry B. Jenkins, this spot is not far from his Colorado writing "cave". A beautiful area. I hope you enjoy!

Remembering Our Victory Through Their Failure

2010-09-11T11:44:00.014-05:00

"For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail." -- Acts 6:38b

Today, thousands of images all over the Internet and television will re-tell the story of September 11, 2001. Most of those images will show the gruesome reminder of what the terrorists accomplished: explosions, the twin towers collapse, pain, torment, death.

A similar story occurred long ago, a plot to destroy not only a man but an entire faith. We see images of Jesus hanging dead on a cross, his body beaten, bloodied and scarred. No doubt those pictures re-tell the agony of an innocent man.

But there is another image, one that stands above churches all over the world, hangs around people's necks, adorns ears, covers books, and displays on countless other objects: the empty cross. The empty cross reminds us not only of victory, but failure: the failure of those who tried to destroy love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

The empty site of New York's ground zero should remind us of the same: the failure of those who tried to destroy freedom, hope, unity, respect, dignity, inspiration, patriotism, democracy and equal-opportunity. Through the unjust deaths of innocent people--heroes in my mind--our values and persistence are only stronger.

Let us remember the failure of those who opposed what we hold dear, and let us remember the victory of the innocent heroes who gave us strength and unity as a people.

Middle Fork Church

2010-09-06T00:03:00.238-05:00

Open my eyes, open my heart,
open these hands that hold us apart
Open up a way for me to see
the grandeur of the grander scheme unfolding.
-- Out of the Grey, "Unfolding"

It's Sunday, so I went to church. From the picture below, you could call it a Sunrise Service. It felt pretty good to be the first one in attendance for a change.

With the tough economy and low offerings, running heaters are too expensive out here, so the morning temps hovered at 40 degrees. I could've complained to the church leadership, but I kept my mouth shut.

I knew times must really be tough when a porcupine waltzed through the sanctuary. I mean, c'mon, I can understand if a mouse scurries under the altar, but a porcupine? Where's the exterminator?

The preacher never arrived, so I opened my "Bible" to the book of Caddis, chapter Elk Hair, size 14. That choice was sure to catch some answers out here.

I'd never walked so much down the same slippery, riverstoned aisle. Man, this church stuff is hard work, I thought. And where's the padded pew for my aching back?

After reeling in a couple of small answers, I started asking the big questions. Like a badgering child, I ask a lot of questions (incidentally my first name means "badger-like;" yes, I consider that a positive quality). But the answers to my big questions weren't taking the bait; I was growing frustrated.

God? Hello? I want to understand so many things--know what to do. I want to make the right decisions--for my family, myself, and the future. Why can't fishing the Middle Fork be easier? I've studied the fish, the stream, the right bait, the changing patterns with the changing seasons. Why is life so hard? Jesus, I really need answers.

I paused, laid my fly rod on the bank, and looked up from the gurgling water. Mattes of pale maroon peaks stood above treeline on a blue backdrop. And the westerly breeze--it brought that clean snowfall smell but without the snow. Fall was in the air.

The grandeur surrounding me was grand indeed. How long I'm in this place doesn't matter. How I live, does. I sensed God whispering, "Quit placing all of these expectations on yourself and on this time. I love you. I'll take care of the answers. Let's enjoy this day together."

And we did. I had been to church.

The Master Belayer

2010-09-03T12:19:00.007-05:00

________________

belay [bih-ley]
-verb
to secure (a rope) by attaching to a person or to an object offering stable support.
"Belay." Def. 2b. Dictionary.com. Web. 2 Sep 2010.
________________

In my last post ("The Crux"), I shared a story based on an afternoon of Colorado rock climbing with my two boys. I couldn't help but think of how that experience (and rock climbing in general) parallels our own lives.

From an early age, we feel destined to conquer the world, make our dreams come true. (cue the Laverne and Shirley theme song) What did you dream about as a child? Who did you pretend to be?

But then, we grew up. Maybe we reached a goal here or realized a small dream there, or maybe none of the above. Life threw us curveballs--sometimes all at once. Sooner than expected, we faced a crux on the route.

After surveying the options, we decided to give up. Maybe a circumstance beyond our control made it impossible to continue, so we turned back. I've often found, however, that many of those circumstances were surmountable if we'd had someone to guide us around them.

If given the choice to free climb a 5-foot wall--no safety rope, no belayer--would you do it? Sure, why not. A fall from a few feet might bruise you, but that's about it. What about a 10-foot wall? Maybe. What about 20 feet? 40 feet? 100 feet? As the stakes get higher, the view gets better but we're less likely to consider the risk without safety equipment.

We do the same thing when it comes to our goals and dreams. We only set out to reach the top if the risk is low and success is guaranteed, where a fall will only bruise our ego or cost a small fraction of our checkbook balance.

And why? Because in the past we've fallen, either by our own failures or the failures of others (usually both). We've made up our minds never again to fail, never again to look embarrassed, never again to get hurt. Even years later, the pain is fresh; it's hard to forget.

When you reached a point in life that was too hard, would it have made a difference if you had a belayer to manage the rope from below, shouting encouragement and guidance to "move left a little" or "reach higher to your right," someone who understood your predicament and could talk you through it? Would you have kept fighting to reach the top?

Up on the rock face, we surrender the control exercised on the ground. We give up the comfort of 2-dimensional living. Negotiating a vertical crux requires a skilled belayer.

Like it or not, every day is another day on a mysterious journey. We're walking a path, and we don't know when the end will come. We're climbing a mountain, and we don't know what problems lie ahead--false summits riddle the horizon. Who do you turn to for guidance when the unexpected happens? When you reach the crux?

A good belayer watches his climber without interruption, which means the belayer must see the entire route. I've found that family and friends can be a tremendous encouragement through life's difficulties, but sometimes they can't see the route from beginning to end. I know of only One who can--a Master Belayer, if you will.

Choosing God to hold the rope was pretty easy; I just asked. But learning to trust His voice was another story, one that didn't happen over night. And by "voice" I don't mean hearing God audibly or kicking back scotch and a cigar with George Burns (see the "Oh, God!" trailer), although that would be kinda cool.

Just like in real rock climbing, we need to learn how to communicate with the Master Belayer so we can reach our potential, and great is that potential in each of us. A belayer is there to help, not hinder, to protect, not harm--and God is no exception to that rule. We can learn to hear and trust His voice.

For me, discovering His voice starts with reading the Bible, and having the courage to ask questions and model its words. And again like real climbing, the more time you spend doing it the less awkward it feels. You'll learn a lot about who God is (and equally who He is not), and even more about yourself.

Whether scaling a rock wall or climbing through real life circumstances, both can become matters of life or death. I find comfort knowing that I'm not on a free climb, and if you think about it, "free" climbing is not so free. You have no rope and belayer--a fall will either cripple or kill you. What you can accomplish on a free climb is actually limited; second chances are rare. There are moves you would never attempt on a free climb because of the risk. That's not freedom, it's lunacy. Why go it alone?

With a belayer, you are truly free to attempt any move, no matter how difficult, because your belayer will catch your fall. I find immense comfort knowing that I have a Master Belayer watching my every move through life and catching every fall.

Falling with a belayer still jerks your body and might slam you into the wall, but the key is you can pause to catch your breath and keep going. How far you fall and how hard depends on your belayer and how well you two communicate--the latter is critical.

So who's got your rope today?

The Crux

2010-08-28T18:32:00.026-05:00

________________
crux [kruhks]
-noun
a vital, basic, decisive, or pivotal point; something that torments by its puzzling nature; a perplexing difficulty.
"Crux." Def. 1 & 3. Dictionary.com. Web. 27 Apr 2010.
________________

"Dad, I can't do it," said the young boy.

"Reach your left hand about half a foot!" Dad said.

"My arms are getting tired. I'm ready to come down!"

"Buddy, you're so close to the top! Rest on your legs for a minute."

The boy nestled into the footholds, weighting his legs but still gripping the rock.

"You ready?" said Dad.

The afternoon wind muffled the boys response.

"What was that?" said Dad, louder this time.

"I guess so!" yelled the boy sharply.

Dad smiled, never once taking his eyes off his little boy. "You're gonna have to trust me on this. You're not going to fall. I've got you."

The boy looked down, then up, then down again.

"Son, did you hear me? You can do this!"

"I can't see it!"

"Trust me son, it's there. I can see the entire route from here. Stretch your legs and reach with your left hand. You'll feel it."

Twice the boy's arm extended halfway then snapped back, as if reaching to pet a snarling dog.

"I can't do it!" The boy's eyes were bouncing between the rock face and the distant ground below. "Dad, where are you?" he yelled.

"I'm right here!" Dad said, holding the belay rope with his braking hand and waving with the other.

He knew the difficulty in teaching his son to trust his voice alone. And the rope? What rope? The boy had forgotten about the rope and safety harness. Fear was crippling his vision of reality, and Dad knew it. He felt alone, and Dad knew that, too. His son had reached the crux of the route.

"That's it son, step into the foothold and reach a little farther! You've got this!"

For a brief moment the boy clung motionless, like a squirrel frozen on a tree trunk. And with squirrel-like speed he made his move, reaching the place of decision and driving the shovel deep into his heart's desire, one last time. He went all in. He had trusted his father's voice.

"That's it buddy! You got it! You got it!"

The boy, now erupting with confidence, had found the hold. He climbed over the jutted rock and tagged the top as if he'd done it a hundred times before.

"How's the view?" Dad yelled, his eyelids leveeing tears.

"It's awesome! I did it!"

"You sure did! Ready to come down?" Dad already knew the answer.

"Not yet! I want to do this again!"

Friday Morning Quotes - May 21, 2010

2010-05-21T08:44:00.005-05:00

It's been a hectic couple of weeks on this end at Lifesummit...call it Life Interrupted and a chance to practice this week's quotes. Stay tuned for upcoming posts this week.

Quotes on Perseverance
“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.”
-- Harriet Beecher Stowe

"Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit."
-- Wilma Rudolph

"Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong."
-- Ella Fitzgerald

"Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don't quit."
-- Conrad Hilton

Friday Morning Quotes - May 7, 2010

2010-05-08T00:01:00.010-05:00

Quote on Life
“I don't want to live a defensive life, constantly steeling myself against the future, wary to trust, wary to believe. I want to be open to all God has for me. I want to live the life he wants me to live.”
-- John Eldredge, Walking with God

Part 2 On Prayer: Dealing with Unanswered Prayer

2010-05-01T23:47:00.033-05:00

If you haven't already, I encourage you to read my earlier post, Part 1 On Prayer: God is not a Magician. My 4-part blog series On Prayer is my personal takeaway from Philip Yancey's book, Prayer: Does It Make A Difference? This is not a review of his book, nor has Mr. Yancey endorsed my posts. Paraphrased examples from the book are credited to Mr. Yancey. Click here for Amazon.com ordering information; it's a terrific read.

Photo courtesy of answersingenesis.org

Can you recall a prayer that went unanswered? Were you praying for something material: a new car, a salary increase, nice weather for your weekend outing, or for a favorite sports team to win the game?

Were you praying for something or someone on a more serious level: a loved one fighting disease, a wayward child, a broken relationship, a baby born with abnormalities, a new job to keep food on the table after getting laid off?

When your prayer went unanswered, how did you react? Were you angry? Were you surprised? Did you question your faith, or your own ability to pray? How did unanswered prayer affect your attitude toward people whose prayers were answered? Were you joyful or resentful toward them?

Why do some people with life-threatening situations survive (sometimes without praying for healing), yet other sufferers backed by faithful pray-ers die?

Why do some praying under a mountain of financial debt (from issues beyond their control) barely scrape by, yet others in the same situation ask for God's help and the money pours in?

Why does one family have near-perfect kids, yet another couple prays day and night over mommy's womb and receives a child with complications? Or their teenager goes off the deep end into drug abuse?

No doubt you have similar questions.

Philip Yancey examined true accounts of 9/11 survivors who had prayed to escape the World Trade Center towers before the collapse. Their faith in a good God must have soared as they darted past the first floor exit, leaving death behind in the dust cloud. I'm sure families of the survivors heralded, "Praise God! He heard our prayers!"

But Yancey's orbit reaches the dark side of the moon, the prayer stories cut off from the broadcast. What of the thousands who also were praying--begging, pleading, screaming--to God as they shoved their way down flights of stairs, only to be crushed under tons of steel and concrete? How do you respond to their families, who also were praying, and watched their loved ones die over and over on CNN?

If God was holding up the building for some that prayed, why did He not hold it just 30 minutes longer for the others that prayed? We have no proof of whether God was holding up anything obviously. It could've been the result of simple physics; the airplane punctured the building, and because of gravity the strained infrastructure eventually gave way. Some lived, some died. As in the death of Jesus, God may have withheld intervention and chose instead to agonize with us in the midst of a divine mystery.

Desiring to know "why" is human nature. We are a species that wants closure; loose ends bother us and will fester long-term if we allow them. And I don't believe God frowns upon our wondering why.

But it's the "why" question that produces the problem, and focusing on the problem will never answer the question. Wrestling too long with "why" will leave you flailing in frustration when your prayers go unanswered and your world seems upside down.

I'm not suggesting to avoid asking "why?" We were created with curiosity; without it, we fail to progress as individuals and as a culture. But sometimes we must shift from demanding answers from God and take a different approach. Otherwise, we risk growing bitter with disappointment.

Rather than demand that God explain Himself, I believe He already has. I've come away with three responses for dealing with unanswered prayer--three reminders when God seems unresponsive. Consider this...

1) More is going on behind the scenes than we realize.

For starters, I go to the one place that has proven itself time and again: the Bible. If you don't have a clue where to begin in the Bible when it comes to prayer and you don't know someone who can help (or you don't attend a church), that's where a reputable book can help.

Nobody has asked me to plug Philip Yancey's books, but if you're not familiar with the Biblical stories of prayer, Yancey's book Prayer: Does It Make A Difference? will guide you to those places and provide explanations. In my final post On Prayer (Part 4), I'll leave several passages of Scripture that I find helpful.

There is a misconception that "heroes" of the Bible lived vibrant lives of answered prayer. Yes, lots of miracles occurred as a result of prayer in the Bible, but these guys and gals were considered heroes of the faith in part because of their response to unanswered prayer. Two in particular come to mind: Job and Jesus.

You can read the story in the Book of Job, but I'll summarize. Job was a righteous man who loved and trusted God and had it all: a wife, children, self-employed (with thousands of livestock), wealth, no shortage of anything. All in one day, messengers reported to Job that most of his livestock were stolen, his sheep and shepherds were struck by lightning, his hired hands were murdered, and all ten of his children had died in a tornado. What was your most recent "bad" day like? This sounds more like the opening scene of an intense thriller.

But Job's troubles weren't over. He came down with severe health issues--oozing sores all over his body, and ulcers. The scabs were bad enough that Job scraped them with broken pottery. This guy was going through hell on earth, and God appeared to be out of sight.

Was Job pissed? Sure he was. Did he go to God with the "why" question? Of course he did. Did Job wish himself never born? Yes, he wished that, too.

Did he ever turn his back on God, renouncing his faith? No, he didn't. Despite accusations from friends and even his own wife that Job must have screwed the pooch before God, Job knew he hadn't sinned and continued to uphold his faith.

In desperation, Job tried to reason why this was happening and made himself miserable in the process. (Job's friends tried to reason, too, which added to his misery.) Although he never turned from God, Job was angry at God's lack of intervention.

God eventually broke the silence and laid into Job. In my own paraphrase God said, "Job! Who in the hell do you think you are to explain the mysteries of the universe? Who are you to say what should and shouldn't be?" Check it out in Job chapters 38-40; it's a supreme smackdown.

Who am I to demand that God reveal His work behind the scenes, in the spiritual realm that's as real as the physical world but hidden from human eyes? Who am I to rationalize the death of one and the survival of another? Who am I to accuse, or even question God of not caring or seeing things my way, or doing my bidding?

Job's story reminds us that more is going on than we could ever imagine, and it's been going on long before we were pushed into the world.

2) Jesus's most desperate request went unanswered.
The best example of unanswered prayer that I find in the Bible is Jesus's prayer before his arrest and crucifixion. Jesus knew what pain lay ahead, so he asked his Father if the "hour might pass from him," that God might "take this cup" from him. Yet Jesus followed his desperate request with the famous words, "Yet not what I will, but what you will." (See Mark 14:35-36) Jesus understood something that we tend to miss or forget.

Jesus's own Father, who had the power to wipe out the opposition and save Jesus from the ensuing torture, instead chose to wait silently and watch His only child brutalized and nailed to wooden planks.

Why couldn't God choose another way? He could have. Then why didn't God choose another way? Again, He could have, but God promised a different plan for reaching His people (you and me) and God is not one to break promises.

I want to point out something very important here. Notice that, although Jesus forfeited his will unto God's ("not what I will, but what you will"), Jesus did make his request ("take this cup"). Is any request too trivial or too great to bring to God's attention? Keep that in mind for Part 4 On Prayer: Why Bother?

3) What if God answered every prayer?
I love this question proposed by Yancey. Ever considered it? I'd love to share Yancey's entire section on this question, but I haven't requested permission. Instead, I'll share a brief excerpt that I think would be permissible:

Apart from prayers impossible to answer--those that involve a logical contradiction such as opposing sides praying for victory, or farmers and athletes praying for conflicting weather patterns--what would happen if God answered every prayer?

By answering every possible prayer, God would in effect abdicate, turning the world over to us to run. History shows how we have handled the limited power granted us: we have fought wars, committed genocide, fouled the air and water, destroyed forests, established unjust political systems, concentrated pockets of superfluous wealth and grinding poverty. What if God gave us automatic access to supernatural power? What further havoc might we wreak? (Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? p. 228)

Yancey goes on to the movie Bruce Almighty, where God gives an ordinary human the supernatural ability to "play God." I won't spoil the movie if you haven't seen it, but Bruce finds great difficulty "managing" the world and all its inhabitants. Things get a wee-bit out of control.

The thought of God answering every prayer gets back to our investigation in Part 1 On Prayer: God is not a Magician...nor is He a genie in a bottle. The idea of all prayers answered is like the "one ring to rule them all" in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings...it's too much for any mortal to handle, even the good guys.

In closing, and after reading this post, you may feel we have little influence with prayer, and you may be asking, "What's the benefit? Why pray if the opposite may happen anyway? Or if nothing will happen at all? What's the point?"

I firmly believe that prayer is not a time-waster, that our requests do matter to God, and that God does answer prayer despite the countless requests that seem gone with the wind (no pun intended). But I believe we may need a shift in our intentions for prayer, a renewed understanding of why God invented the mysterious channel of communication to begin with.

If you made it this far, thank you for staying in the vehicle (I'll never lock you in). I'm confident we'll discover the answer in the final two posts:

Part 3 On Prayer: How Should I Pray?
Part 4 On Prayer: Why Bother?

Friday Morning Quotes - Apr. 30, 2010

2010-04-30T01:01:00.003-05:00

Quote on Life
“If you struggle for conformity everyone will like you…except yourself.”
-- James Scott Bell, from his Twitter page

Quote on Writing
“Come to [writing] any way but lightly. Let me say it again: you must not come lightly to the blank page.”
-- Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Part 1 On Prayer: God is not a Magician

2010-04-24T15:27:00.032-05:00

How do you feel about prayer? Is it a waste of time? Does it make any difference? Can you look back over your life and find instances where your prayers were answered? How about your prayers that went unanswered?

How did you respond to unanswered prayer? Did you question whether you prayed "hard enough," or "long enough," or whether you knew how to pray at all? Did you resign yourself to believing that maybe God isn't listening, or He has bigger fish to fry--or maybe He doesn't exist at all? And if He does exist, why does He answer some prayers but not others?

I've read several books and articles on prayer over the years, listened to the prayer experiences of others, and even witnessed my own answered prayers. Yet I still find how little I understand the mystery of prayer, and how quick I am to doubt its power when things don't go my way.

I recently finished reading Philip Yancey's book, Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference? I found Yancey's research and thoughts on the subject the most relevant I've read.

Rather than perform a thorough book review, I've summarized four of my own key takeaways on prayer and broken them into individual blog posts, so I hope you'll check back for Parts 2, 3, and 4.

(The ensuing posts On Prayer are in no way a substitute for Yancey's book, and I give Mr. Yancey the credit for all of the examples I've paraphrased from his book. I strongly recommend you read the entire book on your own (click here to order from Amazon), as you will no doubt come away with your own personal applications for prayer, as well as a strengthened response to the question, "Why pray?")

So let's jump in for Part 1 On Prayer.

God is not a magician. Somewhere along our journey, we've been taught to believe that if we have enough faith, we can ask for anything--even moving mountains--and it will happen. Doesn't the Bible allude to promises like this? Didn't Jesus say we could move mountains if we only had the faith of a mustard seed? (Matthew 17:20) I don't claim to have superman faith--it's probably closer to that of a tiny seed--yet I've never moved an ant hill short of kicking it, let alone a mountain.

I recall as an impressionable young boy my attempts to move objects with mind power alone; such is the imagination of an 8 year-old. I'd heard that if I believed strongly enough, if I had the faith, I could move an object with my mind.

When I was growing up, my family had a basement pool table. I remember leaning over the table, focusing on the 8 ball, visualizing it rolling over the felt-covered slate, and believing that my gaze actually had the power to push the ball using an invisible force.

As you would expect, the ball sat motionless. I'm confident that if the billiard ball had a brain, it would have been laughing hysterically at the blond-haired kid with coke-bottle glasses and furrowed brows, willing the slightest movement from ol' Number 8.

My 8 year-old intuition produced two assumptions from that experience: 1) If it were possible to move the ball with mind power alone, then I lacked the faith or power to do so--maybe I needed more practice--or 2) It's altogether impossible to move an object with mind power. I landed on the latter.

That example falls more in line with telekinetic mysticism than the Christian view of prayer, but isn't Jesus claim of moving mountains pretty much the same thing, except that it's based upon the level of our faith in God (vs. ourselves) to move an object? Jesus never lied, so how do we wrestle through his assertion?

What we've failed to understand (or maybe were never taught) is a stipulation found in 1 John 5:14-15, where we read "if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." (italics emphasized) In other words, God's will trumps our will...always.

So you still want to move a 62 square-mile clump of rock by raising your hands and shouting, "Mountain--move!" That's great. My next question becomes "Is moving an entire mountain God's will or your will?" Will it serve God's purpose for humanity, or your own curiosity to test Jesus' claim? Big difference.

Let's bring it down to a realistic level. I'm paying off credit card debt, debt that binds all aspects of my personal finances. I can pray day and night for God to provide a large sum of money to become debt-free. And you know what? God has the power to answer that prayer. But should I expect Him to grant my wish? After all, it was by my own choices that I purchased the 46" flat-screen TV, the family trip to Disneyland, the Christmas gifts--all on credit vs. the wiser notion of saving. It was I--not the world, not the devil, not God--who shackled myself to the burden of debt.

And doesn't that request assume that God is a genie in a bottle? Can I convince God to wave a magic wand and do my bidding if I rub the right way? If I have enough faith?

If the government has the power to bail out greedy corporations, how much greater is God's power to bail me out of my own problems? Doesn't the Bible say to ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you? (John 15:7) I don't need millions of dollars; ten to twenty thousand would suffice.

Sometimes our will and God's do line up together, but more often I find that my own will selfishly falls far from God's good plan for my life. So then, should we even "bother" the God of the Universe with these types of self-serving requests? Should we ask God for money, for a nicer home, for a successful career, a new car, for well-behaved children, for the right spouse, for a little peace and quiet in the midst of our daily chaos? And should we expect Him to answer?

We'll explore the answer to this question and others in the following three posts:

Part 2 On Prayer: Dealing with Unanswered Prayer
Part 3 On Prayer: How Should I Pray?
Part 4 On Prayer: Why Bother?

Friday Morning Quotes - Apr. 23, 2010

2010-04-23T07:36:00.003-05:00

Quote on Life, Reaching Goals
"It's so easy to just reach those plateaus where we decide, This is good enough. It could be better, but it could be worse too. To get to the better will take work, and risk, and I'm fine with things the way they are. God comes along and says, Don't give up."
-- John Eldredge, Walking with God

Quote on Prayer
"Ultimately prayer proves its power by producing changes in us the pray-ers."
-- Philip Yancey, Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?

Friday Morning Quotes - Apr. 16, 2010

2010-04-16T08:36:00.003-05:00

Jam-Packed Quote of the Week (On Life, Success, Hard Work)
"Everybody's somebody, and most people don't know how well they can do something until they really test themselves. And if you work real hard and invest a lot of hours in getting better, and you're an unselfish person and you do what you're asked to do, as hard as you can do it, every day, it becomes just part of your personality."
-- Dick Vermeil, (during years as Head Coach, Philadelphia Eagles)

Friday Morning Quotes - Apr. 9, 2010

2010-04-09T22:34:00.003-05:00

Quotes On Life
"Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up."
-- Thomas Edison (thanks McNair!)

Quotes On Writing
"We need to believe in ourselves, but expect much from our writing. Dream big, work fiercely."
-- Jody Hedlund, from her Twitter page

Know Thyself Part 1: What 4 Letters Describe You?

2010-04-08T01:27:00.015-05:00

I rarely put much stock in personality tests, but for some reason I'm drawn back every few years to take another. Maybe I'm curious if it'll reveal some hidden trait, like I'm supposed to be President, or a musician, or have x-ray vision to look into people's showers...kidding. Maybe I'm interested in comparing to past exam results--has my personality evolved over time, for better or worse?

Or maybe I'm still trying to find myself, figure out who I am, what I'm here for, and validate whether my dreams and goals line up with what the online computerized shrink tells me.

What about you? Below are two steps, and a third if you're a writer, that will diagnose who YOU are. Okay, take that loosely, and even if you're a skeptic like me--especially if you're a skeptic--humor yourself today and give it a shot. You may come away surprised.

I've taken a variety of personality tests over the years--mostly for fun and a few offered by employers--and the results of the free online test in Step 1 amazed me. It takes about ten minutes to complete and is based on the Myers-Briggs personality type formula.

So cozy into your psycho chair and let's perform digital lobotomy!

Step 1 - Take the Test: Click here to take the test, write down the resulting 4-letter Myers-Brigg personality type (ie..ENFP, ISTJ, ESTP, etc.), and go to Step 2.

Step 2 - Who Are You?: After your test is scored in Step 1, you'll be presented with a couple of links for explaining your 4 letters and other famous people sharing your ego. If you missed the links, here are the two sites explaining each personality type:
TypeLogic Analysis Keirsey's Analysis

Step 3 - For Writers: I stumbled across another site that analyzes your personality type from Step 1 as it relates to writing. (Updated 1/23/11: The original link was changed or removed from the Internet. I've updated with a similar link.) Click here to compare your personality category for writers.

So what is your 4-letter personality type? How accurate was it? If you're a writer, how accurate were the descriptions from Step 3 in your own writing? I'd love to read your comments.

BTW, I'm an ENFJ. Check back soon for a bit more introspection, "Know Thyself Part 2."

Friday Morning Quotes - Apr. 2, 2010

2010-04-02T11:59:00.005-05:00

Quotes On Life
"...you can't go through your day continually pining for a life you do not have. You have to live the life you do have."
-- John Eldredge, Walking with God

Quotes On Reading
"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them."
-- Mark Twain

Quotes On Writing
"The writing game is tough. But you're tougher. Putting words on paper is your battle plan."
-- James Scott Bell, from his Twitter page

And so it begins...

2010-03-30T23:10:00.000-05:00

Beginning page 1 of 1074 tonight. Anyone else started this one? Better yet, have you finished?

Where is Your Writing Abode?

2010-03-28T22:48:00.003-05:00

Literary agent Rachelle Gardner recently posted a short write-up on personal writing spaces (click here for her blog post). Like Rachelle, I'm always interested in where fellow writers find solace to write.

I eventually came to grips with accepting my humble writing abode and that my perfect writing environment exists only in my dreams. If we're waiting for the perfect writing space--the mountain cabin, the Hemingway bungalow, the cherrywood private office--we'll never write. I'm beginning to take pride in my writing niches; I've written more in these two spots over the past year than any other time in my life. Yeah, it's a pain, but the point is I'm writing.

For now, two rooms witness the most keyboard pounding, with the dining room table taking the brunt of abuse. The aroma of hot tea and honey (sometimes coffee) permeate this room in the midnight hour, conjuring ideas from deep within soul and mind. I get a bit weird after midnight. :-)

My other spot is a corner of the master bedroom. Yes, that's a card table and a rather uncomfortable chair. My laptop has just enough room within the stacks of books.

With the tough publishing industry, I might be sitting in those chairs for a long time...maybe for the long haul. But, that's the easiest way to answer the reality-checking question, "If you knew you would never have anything published, would you still write?"

Here's an equally compelling question, "If you knew you'd always have to write from your 'humble' writing abode, never having the perfect writing environment, would you still write?"

If you're a writer, I hope your answer is "Yes!"

Friday Morning Quotes - Mar. 26, 2010

2010-03-26T10:48:00.005-05:00

TGIF Quotes! (thanks to The Quote Garden; I was a tad busy this week) ;-)

"Only Robinson Crusoe had everything done by Friday."
-- Author Unknown

"Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless."
-- Bill Watterson

"The only reason why we ask other people how their weekend was is so we can tell them about our own weekend."
-- Chuck Palahniuk

"Weekends are a bit like rainbows; they look good from a distance but disappear when you get up close to them."
-- John Shirley

Boot Camp for the Fiction Writer

2010-03-23T14:37:00.000-05:00

They're Heee-ere!

I had the privilege of participating in James Scott Bell's "Fiction 101" classes at the February 2010 Writing for the Soul conference in Denver. Jim covered topics including plotting, characterization, dialogue, and scene structure. Learning from Jim in a classroom environment was both inspiring and a treat (he's quite the comedian!).

Jim has authored three books on the craft of writing, and all three shot up my "must read" list for 2010. I've read and heard so many great reviews of these gems that I've committed to finishing each before starting my first novel. I think the prep work laid out in Jim's books will save me hours of guesswork and avoidable pitfalls down the road.

Here are the titles (all published by the top-notch resource house for writers, Writer's Digest Books):

Plot & Structure: Techniques and exercises for crafting a plot that grips readers from start to finish

Revision & Self-Editing: Techniques for transforming your first draft into a finished novel

The Art of War for Writers: fiction writing strategies, tactics, and exercises

I've already tapped into The Art of War for Writers; the variety of quick-hitting tips and practical wisdom is like a buffet of your favorite foods served hot, and organized in a fashion that builds your appetite as you move through the line. Keep this one handy in your carry bag.

To learn more about James Scott Bell, his novels, and ordering information for the above listed books, here are Jim's links:

http://www.jamesscottbell.com - Main Website

http://twitter.com/jamesscottbell - Twitter Page

Now, armed with these resources in one hand and a pen in the other, let the battle for immortal words commence!

Friday Morning Quotes - Mar. 19, 2010

2010-03-19T09:44:00.003-05:00

Quotes for St. Patty's Day
"The Irish gave the bagpipes to the Scotts as a joke, but the Scotts haven't seen the joke yet."
-- Oliver Herford

Quotes On Life
"And I want to be there right in the thick of what people call horror and still be able to say: life is beautiful."
-- Etty Hillesum, from her 1941-1943 letters and diaries of Auschwitz

Quotes On Prayer
"The main purpose of prayer is not to make life easier, nor to gain magical powers, but to know God."
-- Philip Yancey, from his book Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?

Quotes On Writing
"Write like thunder and lightning. Edit like hammer and nails."
"Write like the wind, edit like a quiet stream."
-- James Scott Bell, from his Twitter page

A Friendship Sentenced Under Oath

2010-03-18T04:13:00.019-05:00

The bang came at 1:45 a.m., the kind that jerks you from sleep but maybe was just your imagination.

Bang! Bang! "Security...open up." Okay, not my imagination.

Judging by the volume, the cops stood down the hall about two doors, hammering with something like the butt of a stout flashlight.

Bang! Bang! Bang! "Security police...open up!"

No answer.

My fellow dorm rats were either passed out or had moved the Friday night festivities to an off-base club. The music and drinkfest in the adjacent wing had died early, around midnight.

The cadence of jingling keys and military boots approached my end of the hall and stopped. Shadows erased the thin strip of light reflecting under the door. Bang! Bang! "Security police...open up."

Two Air Force sergeants wearing black berets stared at my squinting eyes through the cracked-open door. Heightening their stance, they peeked into the dark room behind me. "Are you Airman Henning?"

"Yes sir."

"We were told that you're a friend of Michael Wright. Is that correct?"

Puzzled, I opened the door farther. "Yeah, we're friends."

"Have you seen him tonight?"

"Yeah, I saw him earlier, in the other wing."

"Had he been drinking?"

Crap. Did he get in a fight? Was he caught drinking and driving? Is he dead? "Uh, yeah, I saw him drinking a beer," I replied.

"Is Airman Wright in your room?"

The quiet one aimed his flashlight into the room.

"No sir," I answered.

They stared at me.

"Would you like to come check?" I motioned them inside.

"That won't be necessary. Sorry to wake you." The sergeants glanced at each other and turned.

"Can you tell me what's going on?" I said.

"Someone will be in touch with you if we have more questions. Sorry again for waking you."

__________

On that fateful night in 1994, Air Force law enforcement had suspected Airman Michael Wright (whose name I have changed for this post) of raping a woman who lived in the adjacent hall of my military dorm at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

I met Michael during a "dorm visitation night" in 1993. A few of us guys and gals from the base chapel went knocking on doors of new arrivals, offering them information about the base, things to do in Colorado Springs, and an invitation to church.

Michael was a shoe-in. Already a Christ follower, he had been praying for a group of Christian 20-somethings to hang with. He was a normal, single guy, who loved life, talked about his family upbringing, and couldn't wait to spend time in the mountains with his new friends.

A few of us guys got together weekly to pray for each other, study the Bible, talk about life, and just chill together. Michael was no stranger to praying in a group; he prayed openly with no hesitation and was genuinely interested in every person he met.

Michael was like most other single Christian guys in their 20's. He was interested in the ladies, and wanted to honor them and his faith by remaining sexually pure. He desired to be a father some day. He was a hard worker and respected others. He strove to be a spiritual leader in our small group community, and he was not ashamed to admit his struggles.

He talked about his past relationships with women, how most were very physical. He shared his struggle with pornography, and his occasional drinking binges, but never a hint of criminal intentions. I'd been around enough down-to-earth Christian guys to realize these issues were nothing new, even for successful church folk. Michael's story sounded no different.

__________

"Raise your right hand and repeat after me."

Seated in the witness stand, I raised my hand and swore the oath to tell the truth.

"Airman Henning, can you identify Airman Michael Wright in this room?" the Judge said.

"Yes sir," I replied.

"Airman Henning, would you please point to Airman Wright."

I caught Michael's eye just before he stared back at the table. Seeing him there, seated next to that lawyer, in front of a room full of people, and on trial for rape with a pending sentence at the roughest military prison in the United States...I couldn't help but think "What in the hell happened, Michael?" I'd never get the chance to ask.

Because I was one of Michael's trusted friends, I was also privy to his problems. That labeled me as a neutral witness. When Michael's lawyer questioned me, I mustered all of the best qualities that I could about Michael. For the prosecution, I swore to answer truthfully when asked "Had Michael ever shared his problems with women, or alcohol? Would you please share those details with the court?"

I couldn't help but answer the questions like an emotionless robot. Michael had confided in me on several occasions, and there I sat, spilling a few beans that would help put him away. Although Michael had mentioned nothing more than enjoying consentual sex with women and occasional drinking, given the circumstances, those facts weighed in favor of the prosecution.

In the end, the only comfort I found was that my statements actually held little weight. The prosecution had all they needed with or without my witness. Michael was convicted of victimizing not one, but at least three girls, one of them a 14 year-old whom he coerced into sexual acts at a weekend church retreat. I felt sucker-punched and disgusted, but even more I wondered how I didn't see it.

Michael was sentenced to a maximum 26 years at the Fort Leavenworth prison in Kansas. With good behavior, he would be eligible for release after 13.

The last I ever saw of Michael was when I had pointed him out in court to the judge. That was 16 years ago. Strange how, after a brief testimony, a great friendship seemed as though it never existed. Who was that guy I pointed out, and who was that guy on the witness stand?

That entire season comes to me like an obscure dream; I have a hard time believing that it ever happened. And I've wondered if I could have done more to help Michael, but I've never felt tempted to blame myself. Perplexed, yes.

For two to three years following the trial, I tried to figure out why he did it. Another friend and I had wrote to Michael at the prison, but we never heard back. I finally realized that I didn't have to know.

Would I embrace the opportunity to see Michael again? To ask him for an explanation? Definitely. But I've also learned how selfish I am to want that opportunity. For the victims and their families, I believe there is healing in knowing why. But for me, it would be completely self-serving of my own curiosity. I had to let it go.

Friends are called upon to make tough decisions, even decisions involving prison sentences. Have you ever had to make a gut-wrenching decision that risked a relationship with a friend? Or a family member?

Even if your story doesn't seem as dramatic as a prison sentence, I'd love to hear about it.

Friday Morning Quotes - Mar. 12, 2010

2010-03-12T08:33:00.004-06:00

Quotes On Criticism, Success

"It’s easy to criticize. It’s hard to create.
It’s painless to cut down. It’s painful to be cut.

It’s simple to critique. It’s strenuous to concoct."

-- Travis Thrasher, from his blog post "Everybody's A Critic"

"Don't be distracted by criticism. Remember--the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you."
-- Zig Ziglar

"A big part of success is failure, met with the ability to get back up with the same enthusiasm as before."
-- James Scott Bell, from his Twitter page

"For making me practice every day when I got home. Piano, ballet, whatever it is I wanted to be. She said to be an artist you had to practice every day..."
-- Sandra Bullock, during her 2010 Oscars Lead Actress acceptance speech (referring to her mother's influence)

Tea with McNair

2010-03-05T16:00:00.011-06:00

Bubbly humor and a surreal frolic of sorts fill the air every time he walks in the room. It's the feeling you get walking around a Disney theme park--you just feel good, that everything will be okay. After a quick-witted antic, he scurries off with a cackle, leaving a wake of ticklish laughs and smiling guests.

Once you discover that C. McNair Wilson has worked as a Disney Imagineer, writer, actor, cartoonist, director, magician, ventriloquist, among other creative professions, the effects of his presence come as no surprise. This guy's attitude is contagious.

My one regret after the 2010 Writing for the Soul conference is that I didn't take advantage of meeting one-on-one with McNair. He offered appointments to talk about whatever was on your mind. Interested in tapping those creative juices, sharing a story idea, or revving up your motivation? He was there to help.

It was a pleasure listening to McNair speak at the conference general sessions and watching him and best-selling author Jerry B. Jenkins banter back and forth (they make a terrific off-the-cuff comedy act). (UPDATED: McNair was also the keynoter for the 2011 Writing for the Soul conference.)

According to his blog, McNair "lives in Colorado Springs with three [retired] ventriloquist dummies. He travels the planet encouraging everyone to be more 'actively creative.'" How would you like that for your short bio? :)

You'll enjoy McNair's creativity blog, Tea with McNair. He's posted some funny reads and a variety of creative perspectives. I encourage you to check it out.

You can also visit McNair's main website at: http://www.mcnairwilson.com

Friday Morning Quotes - Mar. 5, 2010

2010-03-05T09:50:00.006-06:00

Quotes On Life

"Everything I did in my life that was worthwhile I caught hell for."
-- Earl Warren

Quotes On Writing

"Great ideas are fish in a stream. Your pen/pencil is a spear. If you don't spear them, they'll swim on by. Be ready."
-- James Scott Bell, from his Twitter page

Writing for the Soul - Conference Whys and Wows

2010-03-03T14:07:00.019-06:00

My investment in the 2010 Writing for the Soul conference was well worth it. The conference provided great speakers, inspirational stories, professional instruction, creative motivation, many new friends, and doors of opportunity.

Below are four reasons why I chose this specific writers conference among the multitude of other offerings:

1. Inspiration/Faith-based Conference - When shelling out hard-earned money for a conference, I believe the subject matter you're interested in should be your number one priority. Although I hope to avoid falling into one specific genre with my fiction and non-fiction writing, my current projects do involve stories with a bent on inspiration and faith. That doesn't mean they're "churchy" stories, but rather they inspire something common in almost all great stories--hope.

2. Widely Recognized Professionals - I knew this conference was legit by the list of speakers, instructors, agents, and editors in attendance. I wanted to hear their stories, their writing journeys. Writers like James Scott Bell were among those teaching continuing education classes. Mr. Bell's background is very much of interest to me since he writes both inspirational fiction and general market fiction. Some writers pick one or the other...I have ideas for both camps. It's very important to learn from those who are successful in your genre(s) of interest, and especially those with varied styles--this will expand your writer's toolkit.

3. Appointments with Editors, Agents, Mentors - Writing for the Soul offered up to three 15-minute appointments with book and magazine editors, book agents, and mentors (established writers who offered their time for mentoring). I've been working on short devotionals for an international magazine, and I met with one of the magazine's editors at the conference. I not only gathered a few publication secrets that are not listed in their writer's guidelines, but I also received an invitation to submit my devotionals directly to the editor (as opposed to the standard mail-in method). What a tremendous opportunity.

4. Location - If you're on a tight budget, then location matters. It was just my luck that the 2010 conference was located in Denver, about 20 minutes from my home. However, this conference was so good that I would have traveled as far as my budget allowed. I could have commuted every day, but I chose to stay at the hotel and immerse myself. Avoiding traffic, getting extra sleep, and being on-time for all of the activities were worth the hotel expense.

I'll leave you with a few photos:

Host and NYT best-selling author Jerry B. Jenkins autographing books he was giving away:

Phil Vischer, creator of Veggie Tales, signing books:

Yours truly getting a few minutes to speak with one of my favorite non-fiction authors, Philip Yancey. If you want to read books that challenge conventional spirituality (and provide answers), read his stuff:

One half of the "appointment room" for meeting with editors, agents, and mentors. A lot of sweating writers anxiously awaited their turn at proposing readied manuscripts:

Steinway artist Randall Atcheson mesmerized us with unforgettable performances:

Watch for updates for the 2011 Writing for the Soul conference at the Christian Writers Guild website: http://www.christianwritersguild.com

Twick or Tweet

2010-02-27T13:48:00.006-06:00

For a self-proclaimed geek, I admit that I avoided the Twitter craze longer than most techno-savvy Internet surfers. I viewed it as just another silly fad, like the thousands of other frivolous time-wasters that have plagued the Internet since Internet became a household word.

A few months ago, I gave in. And ya know what? I've found that Twitter communicates useful information efficiently and effectively. Yeah, as with any Internet-based communication medium, Twitter contains useless information, but you choose who or what to follow.

If you're well-established in your respective field of interest, Twitter provides a quick method for sharing information with other interested people around the world. Well-known professionals, actors, writers, singers, etc., have thousands of "followers" (as Twitter refers).

And if you're one of the millions of average joes like myself, "following" those mentioned above will keep you up-to-date not only on their activities, appearances, etc., but often those "tweets" (updates) contain links to other useful websites and information--again, taking advantage of the Internet as a superb research tool.

Twitter is also a great way for family and friends to update each other, kind of like Facebook but limited to concise updates.

You'll notice the newly added "Twitter Updates" widget on the right side of my blog. I try to add an update at least once a day if I'm doing something interesting or if I stumble upon a valuable tidbit.

If you'd like to create your own Twitter account, click the "Join the conversation" link at the bottom of my Twitter widget (or visit twitter.com), and then click "Join Today" from the Twitter page. Twitter is free!

Friday Morning Quotes - Feb. 26, 2010

2010-02-26T01:18:00.009-06:00

Quite the busy week, and today I'm heading to Seattle; thus, the first quote is On Flying (grin). Look for an upcoming post on Writing for the Soul conference highlights and more author interactions.

Quote On Flying

"Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane

Don't know when I'll be back again"

-- John Denver, Leaving on a Jet Plane

Quote on Life

"When I choose to face the uncertain, admit the neglect, or enter into my fears, something in me grows up a little bit. I feel strengthened. The scales tip toward a closer walk with God.

-- John Eldredge, Walking with God

Quote On Writing

"There's a perilous word fiction writers need to watch out for. The word is 'had.'"

-- James Scott Bell, from his Twitter page (Jim is becoming quite the regular on FMQ. Great stuff!)

Friday Morning Quotes - Feb. 19, 2010

2010-02-19T05:06:00.006-06:00

Quotes On God

"I'll be a personal guide to them, directing them through unknown country. I'll be right there to show them what roads to take, make sure they don't fall into the ditch. These are the things I'll be doing for them--sticking with them, not leaving them for a minute."
-- Isaiah 42:16, The Message

Quotes on Writing

"Great writers are a mix of confidence, hunger, dread and determination."
-- James Scott Bell, from his Twitter page

"You'll never write better than you live."
-- Max Lucado, from his keynote at the 2010 Christian Writers Guild Writing for the Soul Conference

Writing for the Soul - Opening Night

2010-02-18T23:29:00.002-06:00

Jerry Jenkins wasn't messing around when he said the Christian Writers Guild was pulling out all stops for the 2010 Writing for the Soul conference. The opening evening has been awe-inspiring.

Opening music by world renowned Steinway artist Randall Atcheson was both jubilant and jolly. This man can throw it down on the piano.

After introductions by host Jerry Jenkins, the stage was turned over to pastor and best-selling Christian author, Max Lucado. Lucado's keynote served up enough inspirational cuisine that I could go home satisfied right now. Well, now that I think about it, I'm hungry for more (but after some sleep!).

The picture below is a little blurry, but here is Max signing his books post-keynote.

Time to crash; 6:45 a.m. is an early morning for us midnight vampires. And not that the following is very exciting, but here are some shots of my eighth-floor weekend bunkhouse in downtown Denver. Very nice accommodations.

And lastly, the room even has an alarm clock with a built-in iPhone/iPod dock. How's that for technology convenience? :)

18 Hours Until WFTS

2010-02-17T12:56:00.007-06:00

On Thursday, I'll trek to downtown Denver for the 2010 Writing for the Soul conference (hosted by the Christian Writers Guild). Okay, so my 'trek' is only a 20-minute drive from home, but I'm staying at the hotel to immerse in the experience. And since my wife is sacrificing her sanity to run around our children while I'm wining and dining with pros in the publishing industry, I'll owe her big time. You're the best, babe! (grin)

This year promises a terrific line-up of keynote speakers: Max Lucado, Phil Vischer, Philip Yancey, Kendra Smiley, James Watkins, and Bob Hostetler.

And the list of classroom presenters is nothing short of spectacular, including author and weekly Kill Zone blog contributor, James Scott Bell.

James Scott Bell will host the four-part Fiction 101 classes that I'm selecting for my conference curriculum. What an opportunity to learn face-to-face from a seasoned pro.

The conference also invites attendees to schedule up to three appointments with book and magazine editors, agents, and Christian Writers Guild mentors. I just wrapped up a short devotional that I hope to discuss with one of the magazine editors. Generating interest in my short piece would be terrific, but I admit my intentions are to LEARN-LEARN-LEARN.

The conference schedule is expected to be busy, but I'll work to post a blog update or two from the hotel.

Friday Morning Quotes - Feb. 12, 2010

2010-02-12T09:36:00.011-06:00

Quotes On Writing

"Write like a runaway truck on a severe, downhill grade. Edit like an Audi parallel parking"
-- James Scott Bell, from his Twitter page

"The answer to 'writer's block' is found in an old Latin proverb: Where there is no wind, row."
-- James Scott Bell, from his Twitter page

Check back every Friday morning for more quotes!

The Secret to Good Writing?

2010-02-09T18:04:00.003-06:00

"I suspect I have spent just about exactly as much time actually writing as the average person my age has spent watching television, and that, as much as anything, may be the real secret here."

-- William Gibson, 6 Nov 2002

If you're a writer (or aspiring to be), that quote may hold some truth on becoming an effective writer.

Author John Parisi On Tour - Here and Now

2010-02-06T19:30:00.010-06:00

I told myself I would not purchase a book while at the mall today. The stacks of books lying around our house are starting to resemble the skyline of a small city, and I'm only three floors into my 2010 reading tower.

While strolling into the West-Metro Denver Borders bookstore--you know, just to pass time while my wife and kids were getting haircuts...again, I was not going to buy anything--I ran into author and local Coloradoan John Parisi. John is touring area Borders locations to promote his third novel, Here and Now. (Click here to order at Amazon)

It's one thing to browse the latest novels at the local bookstore, read the back covers, think yeah, this might be a good read, go to the next bookshelf, and eventually leave empty-handed knowing that I've got a ton of books at home yet to read.

It's another thing to talk face-to-face with the author, listen to his inspiration behind the story, become captured by the pitch, and head home with an autographed copy. Can you guess where I landed? :)

I'm all for supporting local writers and their work (hopefully a few of those favors will be returned someday), but I did not purchase this book as a charity offering. John's one-to-one pitch of Here and Now reeled me in immediately. I felt I walked away with an exciting thriller involving desperate decisions through a life ruled by chance--an idea that I believe the masses can relate to.

I had barely nibbled through the first chapter when the hook set--followed by a young lad pulling a crazy stunt-gone-bad down San Francisco's steepest street. The memories of my own foolish neighborhood jaunts-turned-bloody had me laughing. A little humor to kick-off a thriller never hurts.

I have many open-ended questions this early in the story (that's the brew of a good read, right?), and Parisi has done a good enough job that I'm wanting answers...and I want them now.

I'll post a taste-filled book review after the feast. For more about Here and Now, John Parisi the author, and John's other novels, I've listed his website below. For fellow writers out there, John has an interesting story about his road to publication:

http://jpbestseller.com/

Thrasher Quote Applies to More Than Writing

2010-02-03T23:43:00.006-06:00

I like this quote from author Travis Thrasher's "Writing Tip #44" blog post today. Fits nicely with my Haiku Siesta post from Sunday, and I think the quote applies to life in general:

"It's like stopping at a rest area when you're three hundred miles into a thousand mile road trip. It's good to get your bearings, to remember what you've seen so far, and to remember where you're going."

We have got to pull off the busy highway sometimes to look at the directions. Trying to read the map with one hand on the wheel, one on the map, and one foot on the gas can lead to disaster. And don't always trust your GPS on the best way to get there. Sometimes when you take the short way, you pay.

Haiku Siesta

2010-02-01T00:33:00.091-06:00

I'm out of breath from January. The first part of 2010 has been a blur so far; I'm already behind on everything. Can you relate?

I've lots to get done--taxes, legal work from our car accident (that happened over 19 months ago), new projects at my day job, projects for my side job, a new semester and loads of homework for three kids, youth sports, plans to get out of renting and hopefully buy a house, a 3-day writers conference in February followed by a wedding to attend in Seattle. Okay, so that's Q1 of 2010...I haven't even made it to the rest of the year.

How in the heck do we move from surviving to thriving? I've read plenty of books and helpful articles on time management, or "7 steps to organizing your life," etc.; all novel ideas with a few practical tips that may stick--for a week or two. Just when you build a routine, the tyranny of the urgent re-awakens, heaving back its control and wreaking havoc on your organized life. Another few months go by, and you wake up on a Saturday morning wondering, what in the hell happened?

I've slacked a bit in the midst of the bustle; the few blog entries for this month show that. And then I start beating myself because blogging becomes one more unchecked box on the to-do list, yet writing is what I love.

Enter a voice I know all too well. See Brock, life is just too difficult...you can't come through...you can't finish. Its name is Doubt.

When my life feels out-of-control (quite often, I admit), I have a choice...we all have a choice. I can choose to grump and gripe around our home, feel sorry for myself because life is unfair and hard, and make everyone else (typically Sarah and the kids) pay full-price for my misery--all of which are usually my first reaction--or, I can take a stand.

That taking a stand part looks different for each person, but for me, it usually involves getting alone as a first-step. And I don't mean getting alone to sleep all weekend, or tuning out my family to veg in front of the TV. But it might mean a morning of fly-fishing when the weather permits, or a short hike on a nearby trail.

But it also may involve getting alone to read something that speaks to my soul; challenges my heart. And it usually involves writing, mostly in my journal, where the pages are free of editing and literary constraints.

For an outgoing person who has become slightly more introverted over the years, these "quiet times" have become a source of strength and renewal when I'm at odds with the world.

Today, I needed just that--a quiet time. Here's what that looked like for me.

I read a few chapters of Walking with God by John Eldredge. It's a series of stories from Eldredge's life and what it looks like (to him) to walk with God. There's also a personal guide filled with thought-provoking questions to ask yourself with each chapter. I find it interesting that what walking with God looks like to Eldredge is pretty much on par with what it looks like in my own life--often difficult and confusing at first, but clear and good after you keep trusting Him through each circumstance.

The next thing I did on our back patio was fire up a favorite pipe, followed by writing a short poem. Smoking a pipe is my equivalent to enjoying a hot cup of freshly-ground whole-bean coffee; over a good read, it's even finer. My poetry style for today? Haiku.

My mom turned me on to haiku poetry, and I can understand why she enjoys it. If I'm feeling too overwhelmed for intensive writing, haiku packs a huge punch in a tiny package. Haiku forces a break from the complex and overwhelming, and gives you a moment of clarity. Life slows down, and all that matters is the simple.

It might sound bizarre at first, but that's only because we're not accustomed to looking at life (and ourselves) through a zoomed-in slow-motion lens. We're used to the busy, the frantic, the overwhelming.

I noticed this morning's sunshine through tree limb shadows on a patch of dirt. It's okay...you can laugh at the manly-man poet typing this, and I assure you, my pipe held only tobacco. (smile)

The beauty of haiku is time standing still and noticing what you normally don't give a rat about. Here's my haiku for that moment:

Sunshine Dirt by Brock S. Henning

Through shadowy webs
of branches on earth's canvas
sunshine on dirt.

A moment of restoration might look vastly different per individual. To some, my quiet time may seem foreign or even ridiculous. Doesn't bother me at all...I know where my strength comes from.

What about you? What do you do for personal restoration? Do you do anything at all? Or do you choose to walk through life miserable, letting the world get the best of you, and never taking a moment to question it?

Maybe a little sunshine on our dirt is a reminder that our lives are not meant to be barren but meant to yield something fruitful. And growth only happens if we choose to plant the seed and add water.

Book Review - Every Breath You Take by Travis Thrasher

2010-01-23T21:20:00.028-06:00

(italicized excerpts taken from book)

--Like many fathers, I was guilty of trying too hard.

You don't have to be a father of a daughter to understand it.

--With each note you are soothed, like the motion of a massage grinding out the knots in your soul.

You don't have to appreciate music to feel it.

--We only get one life and every day is another chance, another opportunity...Most people let their fears and frustrations seize their lives. But he knew that he had one more chance.

And you don't have to look far beyond yourself to find it. Something, even hope, will drive you to press on.

Travis Thrasher pegs his latest novel, Every Breath You Take, as "Father of the Bride meets It's a Wonderful Life." And following suit with the "don'ts" above, you don't have to be a reader of love stories to enjoy this fine work. Forget the large Snickers bar, the takeaway value will duly satisfy your literary hunger. I loved it.

The story begins with words from Thomas Rowe to his daughter, and a moment he shared dancing with his then two year-old princess, not long before he died. Kayla Rowe, now in her twenties, never doubted her father's eye from above as she grew into a woman.

Kayla is set to marry a wonderful man, who without a doubt will take excellent care of her. But deep in her heart, beneath the ashes of life's disappointments, an unsettled love burns for another--her ex-fiance and true love.

Thomas Rowe's one wish was to dance with his little girl on her wedding day; his death stole all hope of that ever happening. But with a supernatural twist, a heavenly agent grants Thomas' wish to return to the mortal world for that wedding dance, on one condition--Thomas must stop his daughter from marrying the wrong man and turn her heart back to her first love. Shouldn't be too hard once Thomas proves to Kayla that he has come back from Heaven, right? Well, add one more twist to the heavenly agreement--Thomas is not allowed to reveal his true identity to Kayla, or anyone else for that matter. He must arrive on scene as a complete stranger.

My heart raced through each suspense-filled scene as I tried to figure out how Thomas would pull it off. Travis Thrasher brilliantly places the reader in the middle of each awkward situation, the tough conversations, and the emotional roller coaster that'll have you screaming at every dip and clinging to hope at every turn. Sorry for the cliche, but it will keep you coming back for more.

If you are a father of a daughter or if you appreciate music, Every Breath You Take will treat you to a unique experience, but these are far from requirements to love this book. For all readers, the story promises unfailing hope in an unfair world--hope that often shows up in ways you would never imagine.

I'm a latecomer to Thrasher's novels, and after this read, I can't wait to dive into his other books. To order Every Breath You Take or to learn more about Travis Thrasher and his other works, check out http://www.travisthrasher.com.

2010 Could Mark Your Most Critical Census Year

2010-01-06T18:11:00.007-06:00

After an overbooked schedule with extended family in Indiana for Christmas and New Years, our family is back in Colorado--and it's time to get on with 2010. A friend made the comment, "Twenty-ten has a nice ring to it." I agree. Do you?

2010 marks a census year in the United States--time to organize and update the details of the populace. Quite an undertaking to count the 300+ million people living within the borders and compile the demographics into useful data. The work will pay off, providing information critical to re-focusing our government's lens on the people it is meant to serve (yes, that sounds more optimistic than realistic).

Have you considered organizing a census of the details of your own life in 2010? When was the last time you took a hard look at where you've been, where you are, and where you're heading? Where do you want to be now? Tomorrow?

Aside from family priorities, my number one goal for 2010 is to write more. And if a writer is to live by the principle "Great writers are great readers," then maybe writing should fall to number two and reading should climb to the top.

I received many wonderful books for Christmas, in addition to gift cards for Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. From the picture below, I'm without excuse to avoid good books for the next few months.

That book list includes classics I've never read, such as Jack London's Call of the Wild and The Hidden Hand by E.D.E.N. Southworth, to newer novels like Travis Thrasher's Every Breath You Take and Stephen King's Under the Dome. I was the 38th person to order Thrasher's new book, which landed me an autographed copy. Pretty cool. :)

Others on my 2010 reading list are books on writing itself, such as Sol Stein's How to Grow A Novel and Stephen King's On Writing. So much to learn. *sigh*

Hmmm...where was I? Okay, reading...number one. Writing...number two. Ah, yes, number three...outside growth opportunities.

In February, I will attend the 2010 Christian Writers Guild annual conference in Denver. More to come on that. Another goal is publishing a few articles I'm writing. Hopefully more to come on that as well.

What does your personal census reveal? Where will you re-focus and invest yourself in 2010? Better get started. You've less than 12 months!

Santa Fired, Pit Boss Hired

2009-12-21T00:15:00.021-06:00

Cultural diversity in the workplace is nothing new, especially during Christm...er...uh...excuse me. To be politically correct, what I meant to say was "especially during the Holidays."

This year, my employer struck the Christ out of Christmas and kicked Santa Claus to the curb. Who got the job? Card dealers, bartenders, and lounge singers.

Gone are the Christmas parties that played host to an employee's family, good food and conversation, giving presents, and a visit from jolly old St. Nick for the kids. Yeah, I can see why that kind of party must be too offensive these days. Give me a break.

Now 'in' is the politically correct 'Holiday' party stocked with gambling, drunken staff singing their worst Barry Manilow impressions, zero Christmas decorations, and no family members allowed (the latter mostly due to budget cuts).

No joke, check out the photo of my employer's party room. Last year's Christmas tree and gift-wrapped boxes morphed into a palm tree and a pair of dice. Playing cards hang from the ceiling. Looks more like a summer Vegas party; throw in a shiny metal pole stretched from floor-to-ceiling and you got it covered. Although what happens at the company party probably won't stay at the company party.

I'm not bashing the casino games or the adult beverages. I rather enjoy celebrating Christmas with extended family over great food, wine, and playing poker around the dining room table for plastic chips.

I just find the irony humorous: discouraging the positive spirit of this season--whether Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa--and replacing it with something so shallow. The casino and karaoke party is a fun idea, but let folks enjoy this season for what it is.

The worst slogan I ever heard a senior exec tell all the staff (two employers ago): GET IN, SIT DOWN, SHUT UP, AND HOLD ON!

Welcome to slavery in corporate America, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Michelle Cox - Promo Extraordinaire

2009-12-18T15:42:00.010-06:00

Last night, I participated in a live webinar with author and speaker Michelle Cox. The webinar, "Promotion and Marketing Can Be Fun," was hosted by the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild (http://www.christianwritersguild.com/).

Michelle presented a heap of information for marketing and promoting your work. And yes, coming from a writer (yours truly) still learning the ropes of the publishing business, I can see that promotion is hard work. Yet, Michelle shared dozens of tips from experience that can turn the effort into a fun process and build long-term relationships along the way. Writing is an art, but there is a business side you must learn if you're taking your work to the next level of publication.

For more information about Michelle Cox and her most recent book, Simple Little Words: What You Say Can Change a Life (co-authored with John Perrodin), visit her website at: http://www.michellecoxinspirations.com/

Author Jerry B. Jenkins on The History Channel

2009-12-15T22:31:00.002-06:00

Jerry B. Jenkins, one of my favorite authors, will appear on The History Channel's The Nostradamus Effect: The Rapture on Wednesday, December 16, 9:00 p.m. Eastern (be sure to check your local listings).

The History Channel's The Nostradamus Effect series runs Wednesday evening. Tune in if you're interested in prophecies and apocalyptic events foretold. Discussions about the future always stir great interest.

Venture Funding Your Private Dream

2009-12-12T02:30:00.083-06:00

You're alarmed. Once again. Just like you are most days of the week. Fumbling for the snooze button, you wipe out the nightstand and all of its inhabitants. Something thuds the floor followed by a flash and a dzzzt. You didn't need the lamp anyway.

Crap. Gotta get to work. At least the light bulb in your head still works. You run through the morning drill like a soldier at boot camp, and you wonder, "How much longer will I have to do this?"

_______________________________

For me, mornings like that are countless. I should wake up excited about the new day, but getting out of bed and heading to the office is often drudgery. My mind cranks out ways to rush the process toward my dream.

Don't get me wrong. I like my day job (a network engineer for a major restaurant chain), but am I passionate about it? Is that my vision for offering myself to the world? Honestly?

No.

Roughly six years ago, I desperately wanted out of corporate America to dive into a freelance writing career and forgo the painfully slow development process of a writer. I felt trapped and could not conceive ever getting there.

A close friend encouraged me to resist rushing the process. He opened my eyes to the blessing of an established career that provided for my family without the pressure of an abrupt career switch -- a stable job gave me control of the pace car. His advice made sense, so I chose a different mindset.

If you're in a similar situation and feel hopeless about changing careers, give this a try. Think of your employer as your private investor. I know it sounds silly, but hang with me. Your employer may have no idea that they're investing in your dream, but they are. And we must re-tune our perspective if we are to maintain sanity through workday monotony.

For example, I want to write, but my limited writing window opens late at night because of my day job and raising a family. I can't quit my job because I need the income, and that first book contract floats dreamily in a distant galaxy -- okay, another universe. I have a choice to either whine and give up on writing, or, seize the day, one step at a time. Sorry for the cliché. I watched Dead Poets Society again. :)

So how am I seizing the day? At least Monday through Friday, I've become the technical documentation king for my employer. I've done this for five previous employers.

Writing corporate security policies is not my ambition, but it gives me daily practice on several key writing concepts: grammar, word usage, punctuation, sentence & paragraph structure, self-editing, and feedback from readers (i.e., management and staff). I've also written training courses, proposals, technical presentations, and reports -- all excellent opportunities to communicate and educate others through written media.

And the best part? Whether or not my employer realizes it, they are paying me to be a network engineer and also to hone my writing skills, on the job. Out of their investment -- my salary -- I save a little cash for tools of the trade: writers conferences, books, reference materials, and membership with a respected writers guild.

But -- and this part is critical if we're serious -- I had to ask for the opportunity. It won't always fall in your lap, especially if your day job has little to do with your dream job. You will have to look for those opportunities and volunteer your services, often adding to your existing workload at no extra pay.

That's where most people bow out, because they're already holding a loaded plate and are underpaid. Nobody said reaching your dreams would come easy, but how bad do you want it? We do what we must.

Whatever your dream job, find ways to work around the roadblocks of your current situation, and it's okay to slow the process. The journey toward our dreams is meant to stretch us in ways necessary for what comes next. Fight the urge to rush it, but keep yourself in the battle.

Your employer is an unknowing venture capitalist investing in your private dream, and the good news is you won't have to pay them back. They're paying you to get ready for your next big opportunity, and you might even get a raise for the extra effort! Okay, don't count on the raise in this stiff economy, but keep at it and pursue excellence in everything you do. It will pay off.

Are you taking advantage of opportunities in your job that help pursue what you would love to be doing? Are you already doing what you love and have ideas to share with others feeling stuck in a job? I'd love to read your comments.

Tonight - Critique Webinar with Jerry B. Jenkins

2009-12-09T11:38:00.002-06:00

Jerry B. Jenkins and the Christian Writers Guild host another live critique webinar tonight, Wednesday, December 9, 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

If you're serious about writing, I'd encourage you to sign-up. I can only say great things about last month's webinar, and the price is a steal for the practical tools handed to you from a best-selling author. The interactive Q&A time is rich with info and worth the admission alone.

Visit Jerry's blog and the CWG website for details:

http://jerryjenkins.blogspot.com/

http://www.christianwritersguild.com/webinars.asp

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 30 - Count your T.P.

2009-12-01T00:36:00.009-06:00

Day 30 - Count your T.P.

We made it! Giving thanks for 30 days straight. Thanksgiving Day is over, and December holidays are at bat.

I thank YOU today, the reader, the visitor, the fellow blogger, for your valuable time reading one months worth of my garb (or however few you read). Thanks also for the comments.

I learned a lesson from this exercise--it's hard work giving thanks for the blessings in our lives. It should come as no surprise then the emphasis put on "count your blessings." There must be something important and worthwhile to giving thanks, not just one day per year, or even 30 days, but every day.

And all I did was come up with one reason per day to give thanks. Why was that so hard? I think it's easy for us to say "I'm thankful for this" and "I'm thankful for that." The difficulty is explaining the reason why we are thankful for this or that. But therein lies the meat of thanks-giving. When we put words to why we're thankful, the blessings take root.

Yeah, crap will happen, no matter how many things you give thanks for, but going #2 without a roll of T.P. will leave you bitter every time. Count the extra rolls first...you'll be thankful you did.

Thank you all and blessings!

-brock

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 29 - Almost there

2009-11-29T21:40:00.151-06:00

Day 29 - Almost there

I'm thankful for finished projects. God knows I procrastinate (and my wife knows it too). Lofty ideas bounce around my brain every day. A handful escape my skull cage, even fewer survive in the open.

That's step one--taking the idea and adding legs to it. But like any creature with legs, it must learn to walk.

That's step two--putting the idea into action. Something or someone has to coax it along. And when the idea begins to walk on its own, it must be sustained to maturity.

And that's step three--finishing.

People tend to do well with one stage and fail miserably at the other two. Some folks have lots of ideas but can't take the first step to do something about it. It seems most fall into this category. Lots of ideas that go no further. The common excuses are busyness, a lack of confidence in their abilities/know-how, and "resource doubt" (how can I afford to do this? Money? Time? Energy?).

Others are good at starting a project or venture, but the same excuses get the best of them. The idea never gains enough momentum to sustain itself and flounders.

And some are good at putting the idea into action, getting things in motion, but over time the gas runs out. Again, usually a result of the same excuses, and the idea falls just short of the finish line.

But worst of all are the people who struggle with all three stages...I humbly confess, I am that person. It takes an act of God for me to get an idea walking, but I can talk about it for years.

If I manage to start, I need new motivation to trudge through the hard, tedious, and sometimes boring work. And that place, where the newness wears off, is where the hard work begins and finishing becomes daunting. Many give up here. This is also the most painful place to quit because of the effort already put forth; few recover or try again. I know this firsthand. I've quit here on many occasions and witnessed others do the same.

For such a trivial idea as this blog's "30 Days of Thanksgiving," the finish line is a day away. But for me, it's a small project completed--to write something every day. When I add in all my other priorities, these thankful ramblings proved more difficult to create and write than expected. Isn't that the way our little projects usually turn out?

If you've got an idea, start now. Start big, start small, start sideways, just start...then pull in whatever help you need to finish. You will need the help of others to do it.

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 28 - Lovers

2009-11-28T22:54:00.005-06:00

Day 28 - Lovers

We spent the day in Colorado Springs with our good friends David and Cheryl. They are set to marry in February, and they are a joy to be around.

I've rather enjoyed watching their relationship develop. A man and woman in love, the anticipation of a bright future together, and the excitement of a journey into uncharted regions of their hearts.

Sarah and I will be married 15 years come June. We know the hard work it takes to keep a marriage running on all cylinders. And no matter how pristine the car, it'll need work in the repair shop.

Hangin' out with engaged couples and newlyweds is refreshing--they are full of romance--something us seasoned spouses take for granted as the years pass. If the flaming romance has dwindled to a sputtering wood char, we might re-learn an old lesson from these valentines. If you don't feel like a romantic anymore, remember that you once were--otherwise it's unlikely you'd be married.

I'll close on this tangent--I never liked the phrase "I'm a lover, not a fighter." Love must be fought for, protected. Love isn't passive, it's very active. If we're not fighting for it, pursuing it, maybe we're after something else. Maybe we're not loving at all.

I'm not sure I'll ever fully grasp love in this lifetime, except for how easy it is to screw up. But the minute we stop learning how to love is the moment we give up the only thing worth living for.

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 27 - Competition

2009-11-27T14:54:00.019-06:00

Day 27 - Competition

Last night Sarah and I took the boys to the Thanksgiving Day NFL game at Invesco Field (our daughter went to a sleepover, something that excites her more than football, plus getting 5 seats together is a pipe dream). The Denver Broncos knocked over the New York Giants, 26-6. It was a blast.

I'm thankful for healthy sport and competition. Competition drives us to excel and stretches our limited abilities into greatness. And I don't mean the selfish "Me Me Me" attitude that is unfortunately commonplace in athletes these days. I speak of the greatness that inspires others to excellence and making a positive difference.

We've never forced our kids into sports, but we do encourage them to play. Besides the obvious benefit of physical activity, our children learn how to interact with others through competition.

They learn respect for coaches and referees (authority figures), maintaining control against the other team (those who oppose), how success requires the help of others (teamwork), how reaching goals requires positive aggression (taking action), and overcoming the agony of defeat (how to get up from a loss).

A multitude of life lessons can be learned from sports. It's no surprise at the popularity of movies and books on the subject. Read any novel or watch any movie where the theme is football, baseball, basketball, hockey, etc., and the moral rarely revolves around the sport itself but overcoming a deeper life issue.

Movies like Rudy, Hoosiers, Hometown Legend, Remember the Titans, A League of Their Own, Miracle--competition invites us into a story of overcoming obstacles.

And we all love it.

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 26 - Thanksgiving Day

2009-11-26T16:55:00.033-06:00

Day 26 - Thanksgiving Day

I shouldn't be online updating a blog on Thanksgiving Day, and neither should you be reading blogs today, but who am I to tell you what to do? (smile) I'll keep it short, then let's go spend time with family and friends.

I've already shared much of what I'm thankful for on this blog, so today I'm especially thankful for the great country I live in. I'm thankful for the men and women who risked their lives crossing oceans, and left behind their own heritage to begin something new--the Christopher Columbus's of the world, and all who followed in that wake.

Without their courage and willingness to step out in faith (I'm sure many called it foolishness), our lives would not be as they are. It's hard to imagine where each of us would be if nobody crossed the ocean blue.

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 25 - It's A Wonderful Life

2009-11-26T00:50:00.086-06:00

Day 25 - It's A Wonderful Life

Maybe I watch the movie for the feel-good ending. Isn't that the reason we watch movies, for emotional entertainment value? As Spock would say, it's our attempt to "elicit an emotional response."

During my first year in the Air Force, living alone in base housing, I watched this movie at least 80 times, maybe more. Weird? Yeah. I called it a crutch.

On more than one occasion I watched it with a hefty chunk of turkey in one hand and a tall glass of egg nog in the other--followed by a handful of TUMS--call it a stripped down holiday meal for the lonely. I became part of the Bailey family every time I pressed 'Play'. I felt a little closer to 'home'.

I admit that's bizarre, (smile) but even so, what a great flick. George Bailey's story is our story--yours and mine. We set lofty goals, even foolish dreams, that we may never achieve no matter how hard we try, and what is left? Relationships.

The inscription below appears at the end of the movie when George Bailey opens a book from a dear friend. Wherever you find yourself today, for better or worse, replace George with your name. And if you're female, you might want to replace man with woman, but that's up to you. (smile)

"Dear George, remember no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings, Love Clarence."

Let's be thankful for every friend we have, even if just one.

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 24 - Hoosiers

2009-11-24T23:44:00.062-06:00

Day 24 - Hoosiers

My wife, children, and I are implants to Colorado. Since our first stay in the early 90's, Colorado has always had a special place in our hearts. But once a Hoosier, always a Hoosier.

Indiana was our birthplace. Midwestern towns and the countryside, fishing with my Dad, camping at Lincoln State Park, rooting for the IU basketball and Notre Dame football teams, fall festivals, watching fireworks explode over the Ohio River with our children, proposing to my bride-to-be at the riverside park--all root a warm feeling of hometown tradition.

It can be difficult living one thousand miles from extended family, but the foundations of a great hometown upbringing build character and the courage to step out into the world. It's interesting how many stories and movies host the setting in Indiana--appropriately called the Crossroads of America.

What a great heritage I have; one I'll always be proud of.

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 23 - Slumberjack

2009-11-24T00:29:00.006-06:00

Day 23 - Slumberjack

I borrowed today's title from the sleeping bag manufacturer, and it says it all--I love sleep. And I am soooo grateful when I get lots of it.

I am the Mighty Slumberjack. I saw logs minutes after hitting the pillow, thus increasing my nightly production over the lethargic. Never a need for pills nor a liquid 'nightcap'. All na-tu-ral.

I don't want to sleep my life away, but a little extra sleep would do well these days. Here I am, at 11:15 p.m. and committed to blogging this entry before midnight. We do it to ourselves, don't we? We live in a 24x7 world, and we're determined to stay on pace with it.

For me, it's a trade-off. Quiet hours don't begin until 9:30 p.m. after the kids are in bed (sometimes later). Seems the only time my wife and I can chat uninterrupted and catch up on to-do's is when the vampires play. We keep plenty of garlic and wooden stakes handy, don't worry. (smile)

I think all of the waking world would agree that sleep is an underrated blessing. We can all say in unison, "For sleep we are thankful!"

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 22 - A Roadmap for Life

2009-11-22T16:00:00.032-06:00

Day 22 - A Roadmap for Life

Alright, I hope this doesn't sound like preaching, but I'd be lying if I didn't admit it. One book has affected my life above all others. Yep, here it comes...the Bible. There, I said it.

It's a subject many don't like to confront, and I have to ask, "Why? What's the big deal?" Why do so many feel uncomfortable when they find out a person reads the Bible, or moreover, studies the Bible? If there is nothing special about this book then why does it create so much controversy? Something to think about.

Much is the result of American church culture. I won't get into denominations here, but many churches for decades taught that only the priests, preachers, pastors, whatever you want to call the men and women of "the cloth", were capable of understanding the Bible. In other words, leave it to the clergy to consider such holy writings. Hogwash.

The closest I came to reading the Bible as a child was during weekly services, when I was picked to read a passage of Scripture in front of the congregation. I also read children's Bible stories. Not until I was 18 years-old did I pick up the huge Bible under our family coffee table and actually read it.

It's a great book if you can put aside any religious pretense against it. The unabridged book is a love story of a God who cares enough about people that He risks his own son's life to rescue them. Murders, betrayals, bloody battles, heroism and graphic romance run throughout the collection of books.

Don't believe me on the graphic romance piece? Read the book Song of Songs (also called Song of Solomon), but cover your child's ears before reading aloud. Some of the lingo falls between rated 'R' and 'X'. It won't take you long to see beneath the metaphorical bedsheets. (smile)

The Story also contains a roadmap for good living. Some of my personal favorites are the Psalms and Proverbs. The wisdom outlined throughout have yet to steer me wrong, both professionally and personally. Try reading one Proverb a day. In one month, you will have read them all, and gained a bit of insight along the way.

I'm thankful for a book that has stood the test of time and changed generations unlike any other.

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 21 - Family Nights

2009-11-21T23:30:00.008-06:00

Day 21 - Family Nights

Family nights highlight my week. We order pizza, play board games or Wii or Xbox, watch a movie; the point is hangin' out together.

When I was a child, family nights consisted of playing The Game of Life or Scrabble, and picking up a pizza or carry-out Chinese. When the Atari 2600 debuted on our family tube, we played hours of Tennis, Air-Sea Battle and Indy 500.

With youth sports and school events, Family Night doesn't happen every week, but we strive to protect it. Another way to spell "love" is "T I M E." I hope our children will carry on the tradition with their kids.

Coinciding with "A family that prays together stays together", I also believe "A family that plays together stays together."

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 20 - Geekdom Revolution

2009-11-20T17:12:00.013-06:00

Day 20 - Geekdom Revolution
The phrase is cliché these days, "Technology is a blessing and a curse." Technology can be replaced with most any word. For one person, blank is a blessing; for another, blank is a curse. All things in moderation, right?

I'm thankful for technology, and I'm thankful I grew up when the computing pioneers were charting new territory; the days when only computer geeks owned a 'personal' computer (yes, I owned one).

What a spectacle watching fat, clunky computers slim into the lean and mean electronics we carry in our pockets today. The iGeneration of multipurpose handheld devices--iPhones, Blackberrys, Treos, and more on the way.

Without modern technology, I'd be writing this on a typewriter with the likelihood of nobody reading it. The words may find their way to my handwritten journal, but no further.

I suppose few may read this anyway, but technology makes it possible for communication unfathomable in previous generations. Commoners like myself sharing everyday life with you (and vice versa), and you don't have to be a self-proclaimed "geek" to participate.

Revolutions are costly, never without advocates and protesters, and also inevitable. We must decide whether to identify and protect that which is beneficial in revolution, or ignore it altogether and allow the detrimental to proliferate. Technology is no different.

"Technology... is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other."

--C.P. Snow, New York Times, 15 March 1971

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 19 - Adventure

2009-11-20T00:40:00.020-06:00

Day 19 - Adventure

"Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is more people who have come alive."
--Gil Bailie

"Suddenly my life up till that point made sense in a sickening sort of way; I realized I was living a script written for me by someone else."
--John Eldredge, Wild at Heart

That picture takes me back to the crest of a thrilling memory--dare-devilishly snowboarding into The Orcs double-black diamond bowl at Monarch Mountain, Colorado. But let's get this out in the open--you don't have to live in Colorado to experience adventure.

Unless it's your full-time job, those adventures--mountain climbs, fly-fishing, snowboarding, fill in the blank--are all short-lived. Fun? Definitely. But then you head back to the real world.

Sure, fill up a little time with vacations and exciting excursions...getaways provide healthy rest and recreation, I'm all for it (and I need those too). And small adventures tend to awaken something inside, but the trips rarely last more than a day or two, let alone a full week.

The door to Narnia slams shut, and we mope around reality for the next several months, consumed with returning to the magic wardrobe. What to do?

Out of my own experience and discussing with many others, I've found only one way to overcome a life of boredom and disappointment. I didn't say easy, but I believe it guarantees a lifetime of adventure--it has for me:

Don't live within the lines of someone else's script--you already have a leading role in a much larger story.

"The place where God calls you is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet."
--Frederick Buechner

Notice "and the world's deep hunger". Real adventure requires us to offer our "deep gladness", something near and dear to us, for the benefit of others.

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 18 - Books-A-Gazillion

2009-11-18T15:45:00.006-06:00

Day 18 - Books-A-Gazillion

"The smallest bookstore still contains more ideas of worth than have been presented in the entire history of television."
--Andrew Ross

Books. Books. Books. Countless books. I love to read--always have.

But don't get me wrong by the Ross quote above. As a media-driven guy, I love movies and various television shows, but his point is well taken. The amount of information recorded since the inception of written language is considerable, even mind-blowing.

Think of a world without books. Consider all the history that would either be lost or skewed by generations of word-of-mouth storytellers. Consider all the information that has been lost because no one bothered to write it, or because a culture had no written language. I'd be interested to know how much we don't know because it was never written.

I've seen various numbers regarding the total number of books in print...sources say the number of titles are in the millions, and actual printed books are in the billions. I have no idea, and I don't really care.

Point inferred, there are 'gazillions' of written works, an unending treasure trove of stories, facts, ideas, people, places, and times. The human race is not an information deprived species. Fortunately, there have always been men and women willing to write for the education and enjoyment of others. And for those writers, I am thankful.

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 17 - Sunshine

2009-11-18T00:05:00.011-06:00

Day 17 - Sunshine

At 11:05 p.m., the sun is shining again. (see Day 15 - Downpours)

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 16 - The teeny-weeny

2009-11-16T11:37:00.020-06:00

Day 16 - The teeny-weeny

I'm over the halfway mark on this journey. It's tougher than I expected, 30 days of giving thanks.

I suppose I could offer a thanksgiving day for every little thing--a worm's purpose, the carbon atom, a snowflake, a dolphin, a kiss--an Encyclopedia of Thanks. Heck, that would fill up years of blog entries! ...and that would be too easy. Yet I am thankful for all the small things that make up our universe.

To keep up the challenge, I'm dedicating just one day, this single 16th Day of Thanksgiving to the countless little things I know are important and have a purpose, yet I cannot explain.

Whatever minute thing just popped in your head, for that I am thankful. Today, enjoy the teeny-weeny.

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 15 - Downpours

2009-11-15T16:43:00.005-06:00

Day 15 - Downpours

I told ya I'd list it--rainy days, downpours. It's not raining here in Golden, but it's been a trying day nonetheless. We're all entitled to have 'em, right? Downpours of disappointment...bad days. Entitled or not, it's gonna rain.

Am I thankful for hard days? Not at the time, but I'm thankful when the sun shines again.

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 14 - Snow

2009-11-15T00:08:00.063-06:00

Day 14 - Snow

Snow
It won't be long before we'll all be there with snow
Snow
I want to wash my hands, my face and hair with snow

(from Bing Crosby's "Snow" in the movie White Christmas)

I wasn't kidding about the changing seasons yesterday. Snow is back and in full force--expecting up to 12 inches in metro-Denver tonight. It's great though, especially since I can stay home Sunday.

I'm very thankful for snow; our family loves it. I'm reminded of the song "Edelweiss", the little flower resembling the "white, clean and bright" of snow. By morning, it will blanket everything and freshen the air.

I enjoy the occasional rainy day (rain may yet make my "30 Days of Thanksgiving"), but snowfall floats a softer course. Another reminder to steady the pace for a season.

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 13 - The Changing Seasons

2009-11-13T14:58:00.087-06:00

Day 13 - The Changing Seasons

Winter blew in our face again this evening, driving out pleasant 60-70 degree autumn temps. I enjoy sitting on the Front Range sidelines, watching the fierce competition between the seasons. Colorado provides the best in weather entertainment.

Nature has a funny way of matching up its changes with our humanistic transitions. School and sports events, seasonal hobbies, even our moods change with each season. I suppose scheduling our lives around calendars and clocks has a lot to do with that.

I'm cheating (just a tad) on today's Day of Thanksgiving write-up. So I don't have to reinvent, below is a link to our Lifesummit Family blog from September 2009, and a brief snippet:

http://lifesummit.blogspot.com/2009/09/one-shot.html

"Autumn represents a change from summer's blossoming and buzzing to winter's withering and sleeping. Follow nature's lead for restoration and reflect on the year. Piece together that photo album or scrapbook you've put off. Start a journal--without using a computer (yes, some people still practice the lost art of writing with pen and paper). Read a book. Smoke a pipe. Go for a walk. Carve something out of wood. Bake something...from scratch."

I'm always thankful for seasons of change. Opportunity brings about transformation, and transformation brings about opportunity.

30 Days of Thanksgiving - Day 12 - Old Friends

2009-11-13T00:14:00.021-06:00

Day 12 - Old Friends

I'm thankful for old friends, particularly the old neighborhood gang. My earliest adventures were shared with these guys. Climbing the tallest trees, constructing forts and treehouses, strategizing battle plans against killer squirrels and wabbits.

A few years later, yard-games of football pounded the battleground, and soon after, sweaty shirts vs. skins basketball (and flaunting around the girls).

High school turned the war on zits and protecting our illustrious image. We ruled the neighborhood, lording our kingship over the minions of 6-12 year-olds. We were untouchable.

Then life was suddenly complicated. The games ended. Different paths were chosen. We grew up. Family losses ensued, but brothers-in-arms we'll always be.

I thank the following old friends, the first companions to shape my life:

Todd G. - Earliest friend I recall (at 4 yrs old). Hung out all the time in the early years. Todd's father, Bob, passed away in 2009. Bob will be missed by the entire gang.
Chad G. - Todd's younger brother. Shared a passion for wildlife.
Greg L. - Deemed the wise one. Ushered me into the world of computers. More common sense than most people I know.
Steve H. - The no-fear rascal. Pushed the limits creating neighborhood havoc (there's always one), but would gladly walk the elderly across the street. Shared a passion for the outdoors.
Jim H. - Steve's older brother. Instilled in me the love of music and instruments. Mr. Suave with the ladies.
Stu M. - Walking sports knowledgebase. Played countless hours of basketball and Nintendo together.
Cliff R. - Fellow Disney fanatic in our younger years. Pretended to run our own business on his parents' company computer. Cliff's father, Bill, passed away earlier this week. Another great dad from the old gang.

Today, we may share different values and philosophies, but all these guys helped develop who I am. Collectively, they gave me the gift of an explorer's heart.