At the Speed of Life

Wow! How time flies! It's been a while since my last post.

It's amazing how life just happens and the next thing you know, it's tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year. We get preoccupied with the tasks of life and life just passes us by. Why do we always seem to put off until tomorrow what should (or could) be done today? Why do we always promise our loved ones that we will spend time with them later? Why do we take for granted that tomorrow will even come?

The most important things in life are not the dirty dishes, the dusting, or our job. The most important things in life are our faith, family, and friends. God loves us unconditionally in spite of our housekeeping, planning, or organizational skills. Family loves us for the same reasons and friends... real friends love us for the same reasons too.

Why then do we let life happen and forget the ones we love? We get busy with meetings, chores, work, or hobbies and the next thing you know, we're old, the kids are grown, and life has passed us by.

Life happens at the speed of life! Don't let it pass you by! Keep up with it and enjoy your life with faith, family, and friends! Love them as much as they love you and LET THEM KNOW IT as often as possible!

Living and Loving!

Comedy of Errors

With life happening @ the speed of light the past couple of weeks, I thought I would post something light for a change. I thought I would share a hunting experience that wasn't funny @ all when it occurred but should make you laugh as I relive it.

Last year, I was hunting in an area that I had never been in before. A friend of mine had been there on a controlled hunt and raved about how many deer there were. Presumably because there was no hunting pressure as only those hunters drawn for controlled hunts were allowed in the area. Fortunately, that wasn't totally true. Turns out that bow hunters were allowed in once rifle season was over.

So... I went bowhunting with my friend at the first possible opportunity. We entered the woods @ the intestine of dawn. For those of you unfamilar with that term it is the time of utter darkness before the crack of dawn. Since I was not familiar with the area, I sat down @ the base of a tree @ the bottom of the hill waiting until there was just enough light to see. While I waited anxiously for the sun to show it's face, I sat my backpack down and pulled the quiver from my bow and sat it down as well. I nocked an arrow and prepared to shoot the first thing that came across my path.

My friend was already seated in his tree stand and was comfortably waiting for a deer to get close enough for him to take the shot. So as light dawned I decided that I would make the trek up the hill to see what I could see. Those of you who hunt will understand stalking but I took it to a whole new level. It literally took me three plus hours to walk roughly 100 yards up the hill. I had just crossed a small open area and entered the next woodline when I heard a noise to my left. I turned slowly only to find four does walking through the woods directly toward me. Excited, I started to turn slowly so I could get off the shot. Something you need to know about deer if you don't already, not only do they have a fantastic sense of smell BUT they can see pretty good too! Two deer ran down the hill away from me and one ran back up and over the hill. However, the fourth ran toward me and stopped BROADSIDE about 10-15 yards away from me.

I started drawing my bow back and for the first time, I had my finger on top of my release instead of behind. I'm sure you can see where this is going... My finger slipped and my arrow went sailing over the deer at half draw. She disappeared up and over the hilltop as fast as she had appeared.

No problem I thought to myself. I'll just nock another arrow and wait for the next deer to show up. So, I reached around for my quiver and well... suffice to say, I had a problem. My quiver was not attached to my bow. It wasn't on the ground nor was it attached to my pack. It was only then that I realized what had happened. I HAD LEFT IT ON THE GROUND AT THE BASE OF THE STUPID TREE!

I covered that 100 yards in about 10 minutes and then spent the next hour searching for the exact tree where I stopped earlier in the morning. Finally finding the tree, I located my quiver and nocked another arrow. Needless to say, I was anxious to get back up the hill before the next deer came along. It only took me about 20 minutes to get back up the hill and when I had reached the same spot (literally within inches of where I had been standing when the first group of deer showed up), I heard more movement in the woods.

I turned and saw two bucks following a doe. I started to turn (much more carefully this time) and face downhill so they would pass right in front of me. As I turned, I saw that the first buck was easily 12-14 points and quite a good size. The second buck was smaller... probably an 8 pointer or so. The doe proceeded to walk right past me about 10-15 yards away. The larger buck stopped BROADSIDE right in front of me about 10-15 yards away. By this time, I was at full draw and had him dead in my sights. All I could think of was the trophy that was going to grace my wall @ home. I let the arrow fly and it was dead on. UNTIL... until it was about 2-3 yards away from him and I saw it go straight up in the air. I couldn't believe it! I stared in disbelief as he and the doe sped off down the hill and I was left alone in the woods except for.... Except for the second buck!

He stopped in the exact same spot as the big buck and set himself up on a silver platter. Ripe for the killing! However, I had no arrow nocked. I slowly reached around to grab another arrow and made to much noise as I clanged the shaft against the bow. Needless to say, he sped off down the hill following the other two.

I had seen 7 deer in a matter of an hour and a half and had two kill opportunities! However, I was down two arrows and was still empty handed. At this point, being down to a single arrow, I decided to cut bait and run. I left the deer woods that day empty handed and downtrodden. That's why they call it "hunting"! Otherwise, it would be called "killing".

Today I can laugh about it and am much the wiser for it. Wisdom comes in many shapes and many forms. Learning from our mistakes makes us wise. Learning from the mistakes of others makes us wiser still.

Hope you enjoyed the story. Never stop learning! Live life wisely and have fun!

'Comfort Zone'

Get out of your comfort zone! How many of you have heard this phrase? I'd venture to say that everyone who read past the first word can relate to this phrase. Who said this first? Why did they say it? What does it really mean? Things that make you say hmmmmmm.

'Comfort zone' means something different to everyone. Some are comfortable talking to strangers while others, like me, would rather cut off a finger than talk to someone they don't know. If you asked a hundred different people what 'comfort zone' meant, you'd probably get a hundred different answers.

I believe that the most common yet unspoken definition of 'comfort zone' would be the routine in which we operate everyday. What I mean is that my 'comfort zone' consists of my faith, family, friends, job, scouts, etc... You know... the things I do everyday, the people I see everyday and so on. When I get out of my routine, I'm 'off my game'. I'm not 'normal'. Things seem so much more difficult than they need to be. I'm sure many of you would say the same.

While getting out of the 'zone' is necessary for personal, professional, or spiritual growth, if you're like me, you live 'in the zone' so you can be successful at the relationships, job, hobbies, etc... that are in your life. Leaving your 'zone' is scary and dangerous! It's so much easier to be successful if you're comfortable. When we are uncomfortable, we tend to focus more on getting back into a comfortable state or frame of mind than we do working on the task at hand. We tend to focus more on self, than anything else. IF and only IF we restore a reasonable state of 'comfortability' can we then refocus and conquer the mountain.

I like my 'comfort zone'! It's comfortable for crying out loud. If it wasn't I wouldn't be there! I don't mind getting out of my 'comfort zone' when necessary, but I want to do it on my own, in my own way, and at a time of my choosing! I do not want to be forced out of my 'comfort zone'! If you force me out of my 'zone', then I am most likely going to be on edge and a lot less functional, and a lot less cooperative. I liken leaving the 'zone' to entering an icy pool, most people want to dip in a toe, then a leg, then the lower half, and finally submerse themselves. Most people, including me, do NOT want to be thrown out of their 'zone' but would rather do so in a controlled manner that makes them fell 'COMFORTABLE'. Hello people! Are you listening?

I am in the process and I emphasize the word PROCESS of leaving the 'zone'. I am learning and growing because I am in the process of leaving the 'zone'. I am learning and growing because I am leaving the 'zone' in a controlled manner at a time of my choosing. However, I am thankful that I do NOT have to do it on MY OWN. God is with me or else I would not be leaving the 'zone'. With God all things are possible! I AM going to leave my 'zone' and experience life as never before! I am going to live for the first time.

I challenge you to look at the boundaries of your own personal 'zone'! What are they? Why are they there? Do they need to change? Are you willing to change them? With a little introspection and a lot of prayer, you can change not only your 'zone' but you can change the world!

Living uncomfortable!

Seasons...

What is it with life? Why is it always changing? Some say change is good. Others are afraid of change. Which are you? There's one thing that's for sure and that is that life is always changing. Forutnately or unfortunately, the changes are only temporary... seasonal if you will. The 'seasons' that we experience are opportunities. Opportunities to grow, opportunities to learn, opportunities to make new friends... Well, you get the picture. Fill in the blank with you own opportunity.

While I don't much care for change, I'm thankful for opportunities. I need to learn, I need to grow, and I need to make new friends. I need to do a lot of things, which is another reason to be thankful for 'seasons'. They don't last too long but neither are they too short. They are just right.

I'm in a season right now. Maybe later I will share some of it with you or maybe not. Only time will tell. However, suffice to say that it is a good thing. A long overdue thing. What season are you in? Is it a good thing? I'd say yes, because as I said before, 'seasons' are opportunities. God says that all things work to the good of those whose hearts are turned towards Him. Therefore, they are good things.

Embrace the 'seasons' of life! Just when you least expect it, they DO change. Make the most of every opportunity. The 'seasons' of life are just to short to sit idly by and potentially miss the biggest opportunity of your life.



Enjoying the winter!

Parenting 101

People have said since the beginning of time that "kids don't come with instruction books". For most, that's a true statement. However, if you're willing to read it, the Bible offers as much instruction as you will ever need.

Unfortunately, for most of us, we haven't taken the time to familiarize ourselves with what's in the book and so we continue to struggle through each day while hoping for the best. Such is the case with me, I have read the Bible for years and can quote chapter and verse for a long list of subjects but parenting isn't one of them. My oldest son was always a "mature" child, a "parent's dream", etc... So I made the mistake of skipping some of the most pertinent sections of the book.

God commands us to "train up" our children and so I am now in the dubious position of having to cram for the final exam. My son keeps me on my toes as he is transitioning into manhood but I wouldn't have it any other way. The growth I obtain in trying to keep up is well worth the effort. My son is a fine young man and will make a wonderful husband and father someday. I can only pray that I've done my job in "training him in the way he should go" so when he is old(er), he will be much more the man than I am. I pray that my other sons should turn out as well.

We're no different from any other "normal" family. BTW, what's "normal" these days? My wife always says that we aren't "normal" but that we have "abnormal" friends. We have our ups and downs BUT we know at the end of the day that there is nothing that we wouldn't do for each other. We LOVE each other! We are family! I love my sons and I thank GOD that he is watching over them all because sometimes... I just can't do it.

Thank you Lord for the instruction manual but remember that I'm a man and don't always read the instructions! Thanks for your gentle guidance, your patience, and your unending mercy and grace!

Here's to the next generation of Godly young men and women! I am excited for the future!

Time's a wastin'

A lot has happened over the last few days. I've been back to work for 3 days now and it seems as if the holidays and vacation were light years ago. Where does time go? While God is available to everyone and is no respecter of persons, he is a supernatural being. Of all the things in this world, time is the only thing that is equally distributed among everyone. Once it is spent, you can't get it back. Why then do we waste so much time?

For example, I wasted two hours yesterday watching the Biggest Loser. I can't get those hours back (boy do I wish I could). What is the fascination with these reality shows anyway? These shows reaffirm the old adage that "misery loves company". Why else would millions of people sit their fat butts on a sofa and watch these poor people go through hell?

We waste time watching TV, surfing the net, or typing in a blog. At the end of the day, what have we contributed to the world or the lives of those around us by watching Survivor, Big Brother, or Biggest Loser? What else could be done with that time? I thought that when we ditched cable a few months ago, I would have so much more free time. That lasted for about a month. Something else will always fill up that time if you let it.

There are a million things that we fill our time with but not all activities are a waste of time. For example, work provides an opportunity to earn the money needed to meet our basic necessities, church provides a place to worship and refresh, hobbies provide a way to keep us sane. However, how much more value could we provide if we made the most of the time we spent there? I know. That's easier said than done. As I said before, change takes time and I would add... commitment.

As New Year's has come and gone, the vast majority of us have made resolutions to change SOMETHING about ourselves. These resolutions take time and commitment as well to achieve. We vow to lose weight, exercise, volunteer, or whatever but we continue to sit around and waste precious time by doing stupid stuff like watching Biggest Loser or (you fill in the blank.) When did the desire to help die? When did it become acceptable to be selfish? And when did it become OK to be a entitled victim? Why do we not help ourselves by helping others? Family and friends used to take care of each other, yet today, many families don't even talk to each other. Why is that? What kind of idiots have we become?

Time's a wastin' to do something important with your life. Time's a wastin' to speak into the lives of your kids, tell your wife that you love her, or bless someone. Most importantly, if you don't know Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour, then please don't waste another minute! Stop spending your most precious resource frivolously! Stop what you're doing right now and make a difference to or for someone today!

Thaks for reading!

Time's a wastin'!

Something about...

I woke up @ 2:30 AM this morning to brave the snow and sub-freezing temperatures to go hunting. When the alarm went off... Wait! The alarm didn't go off because I was already awake, I sure didn't want to get out of bed. However, there's just something about the "Deer Woods" that makes everything alright. Knowing that the worst day hunting is better than the best day in the office, I decided to get up and "get 'er done!'

I got into the deer woods a little later than I intended this morning but nonetheless, I was there and that's all that mattered. It was actually warmer than the weatherman said it would be but you sure couldn't tell it by my cold-numbed fingers and toes. Knowing it would be cold today, I tried some foot warmers (Toasty-Toes). Much to my chagrin, they did not work at all. Ten minutes into the deer woods and my toes were frozen solid. I felt like the Chinese sailor in "Pirates 3" whose toe broke off in his hand.

I braved the cold, wind, and sleet / snow, just to have a chance to kill a whitetail with a bow. Why do they make those things out of metal anyway? When the temperature drops below 40 degrees, the metal just gets so cold that no matter how many pairs of gloves you have on, your fingertips freeze solid. Sorry for the rabbit trail, we were hunting Whitetails not Cottontails. Anyway, it is snowing and the wind is blowing and I'm out here in the middle of the woods just hoping and praying that a whitetail will saunter by so I can kill it with an arrow. So much for that plan, the only animals I saw were woodpeckers and squirrels........... sorry lost my train of thought there for a minute.

No matter how bad the weather, no matter who you're hunting buddy is, no matter what the season, no matter where you go, no matter how long you stay... God's creation is something to be experienced and appreciated. What a time of refreshing it is to be in the woods listening to birds singing and leaves blowing, not to mention all of the other sights and sounds. Regardless of the outcome, there's just something about the deer woods that makes everything alright.

I'll just leave you with this thought.... A deer in the freezer is worth more than two in the woods.

Happy New Year

As we face the new year as an Everyday Joe, we tend to look back at what we coulda, shoulda, woulda done over the past twelve months. We look at all of the things that we didn't accomplish, the places we didn't go, the people we hurt whether it was intentional or not. We evaluate our social standing against those in our sphere of influence and gauge our previous year's performance as the increase of social standing from the previous year. In any event, if we're not trying to keep up with the proverbial Jones', then we're just trying to keep from falling behind.

I have been as guilty as the next guy of looking at all of the shoulda, coulda, wouldas, the things that weren't done, the money I didn't save, the people I've hurt, etc... However, I have challenged myself in 2010 to look forward and not back. The Bible says (and I paraphrase), to "forget the things that are behind and press forward toward the prize of the high calling". I'm also told not to worry about tomorrow because today has enough worry / problems of its own (another paraphrase).

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we shouldn't learn from our past mistakes AND achievements, I'm simply saying not to dwell on them. I always say that a wise man learns from his mistakes but a wiser man learns from the mistakes of others. I've made many in my lifetime and seen many more but I choose to learn from them all. While the change in me has been slow and at times all but non-existent, I am not the same person I once was.

Change takes time. Change is a choice too. It doesn't happen overnight. Sometimes, it takes years. If you don't beleive me, look at the Israelites who wandered for 40 years because they couldn't learn from their mistakes. You can always guarantee that it always happens slower than we would like.

In my opinion, 2010 is going to be the best year yet because I am starting the year farther ahead than I have ever started any other year. I am closer to who I am supposed to be than I'ver ever been, I know more than I've ever known, and God is still with me. I choose to believe that change will occur in 2010.

I pray that as 2010 kicks off today, you will also review the previous year and learn from it. Don't dwell in it. Seize the day and look forward with hope to what will happen in the next 365 days.

Venturing into 2010...