Don't Wait Too Long

I have to admit this is not the usual advice I hear. I am hoping to retire early from a good job with an excellent company, most of the time my friends ask: “Why leave, you have a great job (true), what will you do with your days?”

What if you run out of money?

What if you get tired of traveling, or golf, or reading?

What if you need long-term care?

What if, what if, what if….

I have heard them all, voiced with concern and love from those who care.

One of the benefits of being a traveling salesman is that I have long periods alone behind the wheel, these are my favorite times. I relish the quiet. My mind has time to bring ideas to fruition without interruption. Sure sometimes it is boring, but overall I find it to be beneficial. This week as I rolled down I-5 heading towards the middle of California’s great central valley I had another set of “what if’s” filling my mind and causing me to contemplate my future.

When I stopped for fuel in Williams I parked next to a gentleman from British Columbia in a 36 foot motor home. As I unwound myself from the seat of my compact car he looked at me and remarked that it looked like I was having a tough day. I was a little stiff getting to the pump and I replied: “Not too bad, I am just jealous. I have a new fifth wheel at home just waiting for me to take off and see the country.” He was heading to Palm Springs for a couple weeks and then onto Arizona to hike away the winter months.

I mentioned that I had been to British Columbia a couple of times in the past few years and that it was lovely. We traded a little banter and it was time for me to get back on the road. And that is when he hit me with his parting advice.

He said: “Don’t wait too long”

“I won’t I replied, I have a few more years to go, I need to get everything in place first.”

“I understand” he said, “But don’t wait too long. I see a lot of that, people who waited too long.”

It is a lot to think about, this whole idea of how much is enough. Like we have any security anyway. I plan for 40 years of life and then pray not to have a stroke tonight.

So I 've decided to be a brave adventurer and not to wait too long. I don’t want to say that I should have left 5 years sooner, I could have climbed to the top of that hill and seen the sunrise. I could have gone down that river if I were just a little younger. I’ve never been one to take many chances, but this is one I must try. I have noticed that there are two distinct personalities giving advice. There are those waiting and planning, and then there are those like my Canadian gas station guru, already living out their fantasy. I am a firm believer that we cannot change who we are, we were created by God in a certain fashion and that is what we forever will be, but I have decided to try beating back my inner-spreadsheet fanatic and take a little chance. I really do not want to say that I waited too long.

So it looks like 1 year, 11 months and 23 days until the campfires begin. But who’s counting.

Does God Ever Say No?

Is this what it look like when God says “No?” Somebody built this house in the middle of nowhere trying to live a good life. It is one of the bleakest spots I have ever seen. If it weren’t for the power lines there would be no other signs of civilization for miles. Sometimes, in spite of our best efforts, the answer is not what you are looking for. The reasons may elude us, and faith in our faith may drive us to continue pursuing a lost cause. Don Quixote comes to mind as a satirical example.

I once had a pastor who was more than that to me, he was a friend and a mentor. He was diagnosed with cancer in a middle stage and we were all pretty sure that things would be fine. We did all the things you would expect a church to do and he did all the right things as well. One Sunday morning he took the podium and announced that sometimes we try too hard. Sometimes we fight too long. Sometimes the answer to our prayers is no. As a congregation we were shocked and relieved. The truth was apparent to anyone with vision, yet to hear him say it was a blessing. It allowed us to be true to what we knew yet did not want to say out loud. In this case the Lord had said no. He came to grips with his own mortality and peacefully passed on to the next life.

This troubles me now because of something I heard regarding faith. That if we; that is the collective we - as in all Christians in the U.S. - just had more faith, many of our troubles would be over. I have a problem with that, because it ignores one huge issue. It takes in no account of an idea being wrong. What if God is telling a leader not to proceed? How would He voice that command. Could it be through a lack of participation in the congregation? Through grumbling perhaps? I say that is very possible.

After the service we had a quite lively discussion over the concept that it is a lack of faith in America causing these issues. It could very well be the case in some places, but there have to also be other instances where the answer is simply no and the people don’t want to hear it. Throughout the bible we have proven ourselves to be hard of hearing when it comes to the Lord’s commands. We are easily led, sometimes by our own desires, to our detriment.

The next time you question yourself for not being faithful enough take a moment to reflect, are you sure you are listening? Are you sure you aren’t behaving like one who refuses to take no for an answer? As my pastor once said, it is possible to try too hard, sometimes instead of exhorting we need to listen.

Like so many questions of faith this is not one that can be answered for you, because your answer is yours and yours alone. No one else can tell you if you are being faithful or stubborn, that is between you and your Lord.

Winter is Here!

It seems like in one day winter arrived. We were in the woods riding motorcycles, having a fire, hanging out when all of a sudden we noticed it was COLD! Since it was the end of the year it is time to expect a little snow but every year it seems to sneak up on us.

This year we have decided to feed the birds throughout the winter. I am not sure if it is good or bad for the birds, the argument rages, but the truth is I could care less. The birds seem happy and I like it, so we are good to go. If you have any complaints send them to my Yahoo account please, it's the one I give to contacts I never intend to read.

My favorite backyard birds are these hummingbirds,  these little guys are the rat terriers of the bird world. Fearless and tiny, they think they are really something. Anyone who gets too close to the feeder is due for a fly-by. If they weighed 100 #'s they would rule the sky.

This purple headed male has claimed the yard as his own. I have decided to name him Daniel, he doesn't eat meat and would fly into fire to claim what is his.

I am not sure if Danny is a bit of a camera hound or if hovering takes a lot out of a guy because he is very willing to pose for snapshots between flights. I hope he hangs around for awhile.

This young lady seems to be a rare beauty, at least in Danny's eyes, because he allows her to enter the yard with a minimum of fuss. Now the female label is a guess based on the king of the yard's behavior, but I am going to go with it and name her Sarah. She was known as a woman of uncommon beauty.

Altough with my luck Sarah may turn out to be another Adam Lambert... oops sorry, that just slipped out.

Lessons in Luck

I went to a funeral today.

I had learned a very valuable lesson from this man years before and wanted to say thanks and pay my respects. Back when I was younger and more aggressive I read quite a few books on self-improvement and charting your destiny. I had begun to believe that we make our own luck, that we controlled our circumstances by attracting into our lives people and events according to our attitudes and habits.

Then my friend Walt lost his daughter. She was the light of his life, young and beautiful with everything to live for. She was killed by a drunk driver while parked at a stoplight. A short while after that the company he worked for laid off their entire workforce. All of this happening to one of the most honest and friendly folks I ever met. A dedicated family man, a veteran who served his country, worked hard and never had a bad word to say about anyone.

It was a great lesson for me, I threw away the motivational books I had been reading and witnessed a real person work their way back from some of life’s toughest blows. The thought that this man had made his own luck was an absurdity. He took a job that I had just left and we spoke often for a few years afterwards. I watched him work his way back from despair slowly over time. Eventually he found other reasons to be happy and lived well for another couple of decades.

I will always think about him anytime I hear about someone making their own luck, I just don’t buy it. He made the best of his life, but luck did not have much to do with it.

Doing the Right Thing... Hopefully

It’s taken me a long time to write this article, mostly because I was just not sure where to start or even what to write. It has to do with doing, or rather not doing the right thing. I was at lunch with a friend last week, minding my own business when a very disturbed young lady sat down in the booth next to me. At first she just sat by herself and mumbled, but over time her mumbles grew into sobbing out loud and then laughing hysterically.

As I ate and tried to hold a conversation with my friend I grew more and more uncomfortable. Sometimes I was fearful thinking to myself; “What is wrong with this person?” Other times I was angry, wondering why this person had to act like an idiot while I was trying to enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation.

But mostly I was in turmoil, what should I do…should I help or should I run? In the end I left the restaurant upset at myself for leaving and disturbed that I didn’t do something, but believing I was probably correct. Although not totally sure I did the right thing, because here I am a week later, still writing about it.

The picture above is of a veteran who hangs out at a local shopping center and asks for money on a regular basis. He is another source of inner turmoil. I am certain that he truly is homeless, really is a veteran and definitely has issues which prevent him from having a regular job.

On the other hand he is there virtually every day, refuses to go into a shelter and won’t change the life he leads regardless of how much money I give him. I sometimes feel compelled to give, but don’t because it does no good.

There is no better feeling than helping someone and knowing that you have made a difference, but sometimes that feeling is missing. Which means then I have to decide based upon a set of guidelines I have established for myself over the years. We should try to do what is right, not what feels good. The problem is deciding between right and wrong. Sometimes it’s easy and I want to roll down the window and shout, “get a job.” Sometimes I am humbled and wish I had more to give, knowing that you are truly doing the right and noble thing. But most of the time it’s a struggle between giving up something you have to someone you’re not sure about.

And so I have decided to share this with all of you. Normally I wouldn’t because no one likes to read an article without an ending, or even a decent conclusion, which I don’t have in this case. But that is the point. Sometimes you just have to muddle through. And I am certain that many of you have experienced the same thing but no one likes to talk about it. So let me encourage you, if all you did this day, or week, or month is muddle through, you are not alone.

I once sat on a beach many thousands of miles from here, speaking to a man who had never seen a big city or even a large town for that matter. They had electricity for a couple hours a day and lived on a pittance of what would be normal in America. We had no problem talking, he cared about the exact same things I did. His wife, his kids, his home, family, church and making it through the winter to the next spring when work would start up again. The longer I live the more I am convinced that there are no original thoughts, we just forget things and then think of them again.

Sure, sometimes we have flashes of brilliance -- and they are wonderful, inspirational even. But most of the time I think our job is to just keep moving forward. So muddle on my friends, keep moving forward between your flashes of brilliance, and enjoy them when they come. They are a like the feeling of new clean sheets on a night when you are bone tired, they are a moment to be savored.

Don't Argue, Testify....

A couple of years ago I had lunch with a friend who is a part time preacher; he is a great guy and has very firm beliefs -- as one would expect of a leader. He loved to argue scripture and could quote chapter and verse at death defying speed. This man is still preaching today and leading a church in our area, he devotes his free time to service and for him what he is doing is a great, but it is not and never will be for me.

Faith is a deeply personal thing and true faith is not something anyone can be talked into. If someone can be talked into believing in a deity by clever arguments then a better orator can talk that same person out of that belief. That is not faith, that is logic, or at least a poor attempt at logic, and faith is not logical. Faith is a deeply held certainty that something is true regardless of any visible, logical or provable factors.

As humans we love to argue, to hear our own voices and to “prove” to ourselves and anyone who will listen that we are right. I am doing that right now, but I try to hide it by cleverly denying that I like to argue. Arguing that I don’t argue, so to speak.

Anyway my point is, if you want to talk to someone about your faith don’t argue with them over who is right and who is wrong. Just tell them how you feel and what your faith has done for you.

Testify.

There used to be a guy on TV selling an herbal diet drink that understood this concept better than anyone else I have ever heard. When people would ask him an overly technical question he would answer something like, “ I’m not sure about that, but let me tell you how it affected me.” And from there he would tell them truthfully of his experience. People can and will argue over minute and meaningless details, but how can they argue over your experiences? They may be asking for an argument but you will answer them with a living example from your own life.

The next time someone asks you an argumentative question like "How can a loving god allow war?" don’t fight with them or defend your beliefs. Don’t try and prove to them or yourself that your are right, or smart, or clever. Instead be sincere, be honest, be vulnerable, and tell them how your faith has helped you in this life.

Testify.

The Search for Fall Colors

On the second day of our trip we came across this church, which has been going continously since 1890, looking at the old cross leaning on the tree under the incredible colors of fall was one of the nicest things I have ever seen. Faith is a very personal thing and I try not to preach, there are enough good preachers in this world that no one should ever have to listen to me try, but if seeing God's creation at this time of year doesn't stir something in your soul then you need to go out and take a second look.

God doesn't live in a church, or a temple made by the hand of man, he is everywhere. He certainly is here, as witnessed this by month of Ocotber 2009. What a sight to behold.

We desperately wanted to camp this trip after the great time we had on the last adventure, but all the campgrounds in the area are closed due to the threat of an early freeze. Since deer hunting season opened this weekend I didn't want to just dry camp in the middle of the forest. Not that I fear or think poorly of hunters, I do not in any way, it's just the dust that will be kicked up by all the traffic on opening weekend. When it's dry like this the dust gets so thick you can taste it. So, we roughed it at the Best Western. It is awfully nice to have a warm bed between trips out to see the fall colors. We were treated to a pretty spectacular set of golds as soon as we hit the mountains. This shot is from a spot near Mill Creek, CA named Childs Meadow.

Right before dinner on the first night I looked out the window and the sunset was going crazy, I jumped up and started throwing gear into a bag trying to get to the lake before it went totally dark. My poor wife was trying to help and I asked her to set up the tripod. She was so excited she extended all 4 legs out to seven feet tall and locked them down with Godzilla like strength. If I were tall enough to reach up there and attach my camera I could never have seen through the viewfinder. Anyone who knows me can testify that I am not seven feet tall, and my vertical leap is around 4 inches. I briefly considered getting a step stool since the legs were locked down so tight I could not budge them. After our comedy of errors we managed to get this shot setup with a series exposures ranging from about 4 to 30 seconds before it went black. It was well worth the effort, this was one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen, and to spend it with my best friend while producing art made it that much better.

Thanks for coming along and if you got this far, thanks for reading!

JP