My brother, my friend (continued)

After 10 years, I had the wonderful privilege of spending some quality time together with my mom and brother. If you saw my post from the other day, you may recall that I had not seen my brother in over 3 ½ years. Well, in an interesting turn of events - that I can only describe as being “arranged by God” - David, mom, and I laughed, shared stories, cried, and reminisced of times passed. And now, as quickly as it started, the time together has gone. David is headed back to his family, half-way around the world, and soon I will be headed back north to join my family too. If you are blessed to have family nearby, cherish the time you have together. To my own family, I can’t wait until we are all together - once again!

August 1997

My brother, my friend

I haven’t seen my brother in over 3 ½ years. It’s not been easy. You see, my brother and I are very fortunate to share in a wonderful brother-to-brother relationship. I love him dearly. He’s my best buddy. He’s my big brother (literally – he’s big and I’m small). In fact, I can’t even describe our relationship in words. Ever since I can remember, I’ve always gotten along with my big brother. Oh sure, we’ve had our moments – but we’ve never been in a situation where we didn’t talk or had a fight that lasted any length of time. My brother and I shared a pact at an early age to stick by each other, through thick and thin, no matter what came our way. And to this day, when he needs me, I’m there & vice versa. So, here’s to you, bud. Although time and distance separate us, I’m looking forward to the next time we get to see one another.

Then

Now

Father and Son

Today was a wonderful day. It had its fair share of ups and downs. For example, I lost one of my largest sales opportunities of the year. That really hurts – in more ways than one. But, on the other hand, I learned that another large opportunity took a turn for the better. (If any of you are in sales, or have been, you can certainly appreciate the anticipation of “closing” the deal, only to see it evaporate in front of you.) Throughout the entire day, I couldn’t stop thinking about how gracious and good God is to me. I have it so much better than I deserve. The God who spoke the world into existence invites me (and you too) into a personal relationship with Him. He accepts me because His only Son, Jesus, paid my sin debt in full at Calvary. This really hit me on the way home from the movies tonight. Joey and I had just spent some father & son time together; I took off a little early from work and we caught a matinee – The Clone Wars. The movie was ok (I am a big Star Wars fan, but it just did not measure up to any of the six original George Lucas films), but what I really enjoyed was a little quality time with my son. As I was driving home, through the back roads, I smelled that pre-dusk, fresh-cut grass, end-of-summer fast approaching smell, and my soul was just overwhelmed with the joy of our father & son relationship. It’s in these moments (of love for family & friends, having intimate relationships) that I think about how deep the Father’s love for us and that He desires to have the same relationship with us.The more time I spend time with my son, the more I think about the eternal love the Father has for Jesus. I can't imagine sending my only son to die on a cross. Thankfully I don't have to, because God already did it himself. Thank you, Jesus.

Amen.

I saw God today

I've been to church
I've read the book
I know He's here, but I don't look
near as often as I should
Yeah, I know I should
His fingerprints are everywhere
I'd just slow down to stop and stare
opened my eyes and man I swear
I saw God today

- “I Saw God Today”, by George Strait

I missed church today…for too many weeks in a row now. Okay, some of you might suffer from legalism like me and can appreciate the “guilts” for not attending church, or tithing (enough?), or reading the Bible, or praying, or whatever activity that makes you feel worthy of God’s love, mercy, and grace [Reminder to self: you can’t earn what you don’t deserve – that’s why it’s called GRACE!].

Honestly, I’ve only been walking with the Master for about 5 1/2 years now and He has to keep reminding me that it’s all about a personal relationship with Him, and not necessarily about all those other religious activities. Now please don’t miss understand me. I do really believe in being involved in the local church and doing all of the activities I mentioned above, but lately I’ve been experiencing so much more of God through personal time with Him (relationship), and it’s been the most wonderful thing. In fact, the rejuvenation came when I read the book I plugged the other day, “The Shack”, by William P. Young. You have to read this book. It will (should) cause a deep stirring within your soul – it did for me.

So, I chose the chorus line of the song above from George Strait (ok, so maybe I do like country a little – maybe I’m just afraid to admit it? I’ve always been a Parrot head, though, and still listen to Mr. Jimmy Buffett!), because it reminds me of how important it is to see God’s fingerprint in all of creation. Oh, believe me, if you take time to stop and look at nature you’ll see God’s handiwork. (I’m not saying God is “in” creation, rather He is the One who created everything we see.)

The heavens declare the glory of God,and the sky above proclaims his handiwork - Psalm 19:1, ESV

And,

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse

- Romans 1:20, ESV

OK, so what’s my point? Well, although we missed church today, we took the kids to the Cleveland Zoo and saw up close some of God’s handiwork. The exquisite details of His design, the variety of His creativity is simply breathtaking. I mean, have you ever stopped and looked at a Hippo? Or maybe a 500 pound Gorilla? (And no, the primates are not my distant relatives, thank you. And for those who follow Mr. Darwin’s theory, we did not evolve through random mutations as a result of an iterative process of time, plus matter, plus chance.) It was a fun day…and the kids rode a camel!

Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses…and thank the One who created them.

Blessings,

Jeff

Need a lift?

I was cleaning up my home office and rummaging through some old files and photos last night, when I stumbled upon this snapshot, circa 1988. It’s a 1980 Datsun 310 GX - the car I learned to drive in. I know my dad drove it to work every day, and I want to say he eventually put over 200,000 miles on that car.

This photo brings back so many childhood memories, not only of this car, but also of growing up. Don’t worry, I’m not going to bore you with a “Jonathan Quail Higgins” style story (as in Magnum, P.I.). What I do remember about this car is that it had a manual transmission, which was no big deal since I grew up riding motorcycles (see inset photo), and quickly learned how to shift gears, manipulate the clutch and brake – without stalling the car. When we took long road trips the car was cooled by a method referred to as “2/60”, as in two windows down and driving along at 60 M.P.H. - it had no air conditioning. The car was a hatchback, which could be released / opened with a small lever located just left of the driver seat (next to the fuel cap release). The interior was cloth / velour, and it had rear-folding seats. Overall it was a great car to drive, although when dad did swap out the transmission, somehow the shifting sequence was now mirrored that of the original shifting pattern (right dad?). Actually, I think it was a different style transmission, but at any rate, the fact is that my dad is the best when it comes to vehicle maintenance. I learned from him that it’s easier to keep things well maintained as opposed to waiting for things to break and then fix them. Honestly, in these days of rising fuel prices, I’d be happy to drive the old blue Datsun.

My 1978 Yamaha GT80

Now if you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that I had a pretty funny story to share last month (Dude…Where’s my brain?). Well, seeing this car brings to mind another funny story. I think this happened in 1982 or 1983, I can’t remember which year. One Saturday morning, while my dad and I took care of some early morning errands, we made a pit stop at the local bank. I think dad had to make a few quick transactions inside, so I decided that I’d just stay in the car while he went into the bank. Well, as I was sitting there alone in the car, I thought it might be nice to listen to some music. I noticed that dad had left the keys in the ignition, so I thought I’d just turn the keys over a notch to the Accessory / ACC setting and then turn on the radio. Well, the car was parked in a spot that was adjacent to and overlooked another parking lot that was separated only by a small concrete curb and a difference in height of approximately 2 feet (if you are from Madison, it was the old Bank One lot overlooking Lawson’s). Remember I mentioned the Datsun was manual transmission? Well, when I turned the key from OFF to ACC I went a little too far and turned the ignition all the way to START. The Datsun lurched forward, jumped the little curb, and then teetered on the embankment between the two parking lots. Needles to say, I was in a panic. But for some odd reason, I just sat there like nothing had ever happened! So my dad is inside the bank and he overhears one of the tellers say something to the effect, “Yep, someone’s gone and done it again – jumped the curb!” Much to my dad’s chagrin he quickly realized that his son had been the one that had “jumped the curb”. I can’t tell you how embarrassed I was when dad walked over to the car, opened the door and asked me “What in the hell happened?” I think I mumbled, “I don’t know – I was just trying to turn on the radio!”

Fortunately, one of the benefits of growing up in a small town is everybody knows everyone. My uncle owned an auto parts store across the street from the bank and one of his buddies owned a towing company across from his store. So, the Datsun got a little “lift” from the tow truck off the curb and we were on our way, once again. It was another lesson in humility, but the lesson didn’t last too long because I seem to recall doing something very similar a few weeks later, but this time I almost ran over my dad! I do recall his reaction being a little different from this one!

Dad, you’re the greatest! Sorry about some of the stupid things I did as a kid. I guess with kids of my own, maybe someday Joey or Gabby we’ll be able to share some of their stories with me someday.

You are the best dad in the world. I love you!

The way things out to be…

I had a chance to stop and enjoy a few peaceful moments while gazing out over the Biscayne Bay, from a little metal park bench under the cool shade of a coconut tree. When I have a few minutes before heading off to another appointment, or leaving for the airport, I normally make these pit stops. Using my GPS makes it easy to find these “out of the way” spots, and most of the time it just helps me step out of the hustle and bustle. Today was no different. I sipped a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee while relaxing in Kennedy Park (Coconut Grove, FL) and watching a few Labrador Retrievers swim in the bay.

Now, the reality sets in. I’m here at MIA (Miami International), awaiting my flight home. As CNN Headline News squawks in the background, I hear the din of the crowd nearby. Yesterday, a man was shot and killed in nearby Pembroke Pines. It reminds me of how messed up things are in this world. This isn’t the way things out to be. And, it’s certainly not the way things should be. But when our first descendants of humankind, Adam and Eve, rebelled against God, sin permeated our world with poisonous effects. The reality is, I can’t look at others and blame them for this mess. Because if I take an honest look at myself, I find that I’m not a very good person either. Oh sure, I am not as bad as I could be and I haven’t killed anyone – but I came real close once. I agree with the Apostle Paul, I am the chief among sinners. So, don’t fool yourself. You might feel real good if you keep comparing yourself to other people, but there will always be someone just a little “better” then you. That’s why I have to zoom out and focus on the One who is perfect – Jesus Christ. Jesus took on human flesh, lived a sinless life, and hung spread-eagle on cross-beams out on the town garbage heap so that you and I could be reconciled to a Holy God. He lived the life I could never live and He died the death I deserve, but through His amazing grace, He gives me newness of life.

Someday, He’s coming back; to make things the way they out to be.

Burning the candle at both ends

I am exhausted. I feel like I’ve been on the road for weeks – burning the candle at both ends…with a propane torch! Today I delivered a sales presentation to a large group of professionals in the greater metropolitan Miami area. What started out as a normal day, ending up being a classic unfolding of ‘Murphy’s Law’. I won’t bore you with all of the details, but needless to say, driving in large cities like Miami helps remind me as to why people experience road rage!

Okay, so short and to the point. I am going to read a few more pages of this new book, “The Shack” by William P. Young. So far, it is a good read. The author has my creative juices flowing, and now I want to write that book that I am always putting off. You see, I’ve always wanted to write a novel or two. So last year, I figured I better get busy and I enrolled in the Apprentice Level Course through the Christian Writers Guild. I have really enjoyed it thus far, but I am about a month behind in completing my lessons! I am just wondering if I should continue taking the classes or not. I’m not one to give up, so I know I need to put my nose to grindstone and git’r done. We’ll see. Maybe that book is a whole lot closer than I originally thought. You tell me what you think.

Peace,

Jeff