It's a Little Bit Funny . . .

I've been giving some thought to my upcoming Mexico trip. Wait - that's not really true. Or that's not exactly right. I've given a LOT of thought about this trip.
I was wondering what it will be like when we stay at the church in San Diego - all 25 of us.
And it's going to be Saturday eve. so of course we need to be all packed up and out of there by a certain time the next morning - before folks begin to arrive for Sunday school and church services.
I was wondering why this had me a little nervous. Then I remembered a funny story - that wasn't too funny at the time.
We were traveling with our family - eight of us at the time - one summer. And we were "camping out" in churches at the time. Because missionaries with large families driving from Washington State to Washington D.C. for a Conservative Baptist Annual Conference can't afford 3-4 motel rooms each night.
We were in Wyoming on a Saturday night and made sure to find out what time we needed to be out the next morning. The pastor or deacon who let us in said that by 8:30 someone would probably be coming in to fix coffee and that Sunday school started at 9:00.
Ben and Carrie and Katie got up early the next morning and I let Susi and the older kids sleep a bit longer while at 7 a.m. I took the younger ones down to the kitchen to feed them breakfast. There we were eating our cereal at about 7:30 (Pacific Time) when a couple arrived to get the coffee brewing!
I guess they could tell I was a bit puzzled and kept checking my watch. I finally realized that we had crossed a time zone the day before and I had neglected to make the adjustment.
I quickly got Amanda up to help me with the 3 who were finishing eating. I awoke Susi (in the sanctuary) with the bad news that she had less than half an hour to be dressed and "presentable." And I got Kaleb & Nate to help me start throwing sleeping bags, pillows and luggage into our Vanagon and tent trailer.
I was scheduled to speak to the Adult Sunday School class about our campus ministry, so shortly after 9 a.m. (Mountain Time), I was gathered with a group around the same table where I was eating breakfast with the kids half an hour before. It all worked out. We were even able to laugh about our mistake.
No need to worry though. We don't cross any time zones between here and San Diego. So when do we go on Daylight Savings Time?

Seize the Day

Now there's an idea whose time has come! Carpe' Deum as the Latinos would say (or was it the Romans?) I'd love to seize the day, live in the moment, take the bull by the horns and go for the gusto. So what's holding me back? What am I afraid of?

Some days it seems more appropriate to ask "what am I not afraid of?"
I'd love to be here right now, savoring the moment, living life to the full . . .
but - you know I really should be going. There must be somewhere else I need to be - perhaps even two places at the same time.

Has the pace of life really increased? I heard a statistic about young adults: that they experience an average of 10.5 hours of media (radio, TV, movies, phone conversations, websites) in only 8 hours of Real Time. Now that's multi-tasking. But I'm not sure it's healthy. In fact I'm quite convinced that it's not.

"Don't forget to take time to stop and smell the roses." I've always heard.
Can't remember the last time I walked by a bed of roses. Maybe I was moving too fast.
I do recall taking walks with small children. That'll slow you down. Probably help you live longer too. They don't just stop to smell the roses, they stop to taste things! And another thing you learn from kids; the shortest distance between two points may be a straight line - but that's NO WAY to take a walk.

The pace is enough to kill you. But is there another destination besides the grave?
Stephen Covey asks the question "The Clock or the Compass?" to remind us that speed and efficiency are worthless if we have no direction.
I have to constantly remind myself of things that will last: personal character, relationships with people, but most of all, KNOWING GOD!
This restores my focus on both direction and destination. I like to say, "The end is the end." Profound huh? For those more theologically and philosophically inclined, "Eschatology is Teleology." Our destination should determine our values, purpose and direction.

I have had a hard time finding the sun this winter. You can take that literally (after all, it's Ellensburg) or metaphorically. This may affect my sundial, but not my compass.
Anyway, feeling a bit "under the weather" emotionally (let him who has ears, hear) - my wife suggested maybe I should read Jeremiah. I did, and it got me even more depressed.

However, there are some real gems tucked away in there. For example, in ch. 9:23-24 it warns us not to boast in wisdom or strength or riches, but in understanding and knowing the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth. That's an awesome truth to re-focus on.

Then in ch. 22:15-16 he refers to a king who did what was right and just. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. The question is asked: "Is that not what it means to know me? declares the Lord." As I gear up for another Spring Break trip to Mexico to build a house for a family in need, it is good to know that helping the poor is an important part of what it means to know the Lord.

A couple of authors have encouraged "wasting time with God" because the best context for knowing Him is to spend time alone in His presence. Funny thing. The only time we can really do that is NOW. Now is the "when" for meeting with God.

Sure we have memories of what God has done in the past. We are encouraged to remember those and think about God. And we must keep hope alive for all the promises He will fulfill in the future. But the promise of His presence is strictly in the present. "Lo, I Am with you always!"

So seize this day. Live in the NOW. Be yourself with integrity and be with your friends and family fully. But most of all, be in His presence and enjoy KNOWING Him.

Life is Hard

Yes, I've answered my own question. That doesn't mean that it's always hard. But if we left out this important observation about life, we might develop some really unrealistic expectations. Then things really would get difficult.
As M. Scott Peck observed, "Life is difficult. But as soon as we admit that life is difficult, it becomes a little easier."

Is Life Hard, or Easy?

I've given this question a lot of thought. It's been difficult to consider.
Though actually the answer is quite simple, even if you have to discover it for yourself.
I'm sure you realize it's both. If not then perhaps you haven't lived long.
The problem is that when we try to make lives easy or just "take it easy" we can end up creating hardships. You know - pay me now or pay me later - delayed gratification resulting in rewards - or procrastination & irresponsibility leading to lost opportunities and privileges.
How do I know about this stuff? Do I sound old or what?
I guess it's kinda like "losing your life to find it." That is, when choosing the hard way now makes for an easier future.
But what about "Come to me if you're heavy-laden and I will give you rest?" That sounds like trading hard for easy. You mean to tell me that just because I believe in Grace and forgiveness I don't have to feel guilty or take responsibility for all the outcomes of my choices?
My wife and I were discussing the anxiety I've been feeling lately and I explained,
"I'm working on letting go of it (the worrying and stress)"
She couldn't help but laugh. How can you "work on" letting go?
Yet Hebrews tells us to "make every effort to enter the rest." (4:10-11)
When you finally admit that you can't do it all and you're not in control - life gets easier.
So what makes life so hard? Trying to get it right, be good, be perfect, in your own strength.
Expectations - of yourself and others, Judging - others and having that same judgment fall back on your own head.
Concerns - worries really - about the future which isn't here yet - or regrets about the past that you can't go back and change.
I know I try really hard (read "am obsessed with") not repeating my past mistakes - I really want to learn from them and avoid the pain next time.
But let's face it; even though there are a plethora of "legitimate difficulties" in life (finances, illnesses, relationships, etc.) still our individual suffering is largely a result of the gap between what we were expecting and what we got.
It's not in the Beattitudes but maybe somewhere it should be written:
"Blessed are they that don't expect too much out of life (or take themselves too seriously) for they shall not be too terribly disappointed!"
Yes, Life is hard, but as Scott Peck has observed: "As soon as we realize that life is difficult, we find that it becomes a bit less difficult."
Pleasure and pain, effort and rest, achievement and failure, seem to eventually come into balance. The challenge is to keep our perspective, when life is easy, or when it's hard.
I admit it's easy to let life become hard. And it can be hard to take life easy.
But I'm attempting to move towards acceptance of all that comes from God's hand. After all, He is in control and I'm not. Life is a gift. Give thanks in all circumstances. This is our choice and this is "man's final, ultimate, freedom." (Viktor Frankl)