God is faithful!

God is faithful!

As many of you know, Diana and I have been in a transition period for nearly a year.  After loosing my job of 22 years, we found ourselves wondering what this next chapter of our lives might look like. And to be honest, I was worried! Who’s going to hire a 56 year old IT guy. Negative thoughts ran through my head day and night.

Many many hours, days, weeks, months applying for jobs, interviewing and receiving rejections really worked on my psyche. My tendency to worry over things, kicked into high gear. The discouragement and worry I was experiencing brought me to low’s I had never experienced before. These were the hardest and darkest months of my life. 

After seven months of being unemployed, applying for jobs, going on interviews and being rejected, I applied for a job in Montrose Colorado. A job that sounded very exciting to me, in a location Diana and I had been through a few times and really liked.

For most of my adult life i’ve had a desire to work for a municipality or local government in a rural location. I’d wanted to live somewhere were I could know many of the people in the community, work somewhere I enjoyed and could make a significant difference, and live somewhere where I could really enjoy the surrounding outdoors and beauty.

A couple weeks after applying for the position in Montrose, I was offered the job, IT Director for Montrose County. 

We made the move and have been here nearly two months now. I could never have dreamed up a job so perfect and enjoyable for me. I could never have dreamed up moving to such a beautiful place and such a nice climate. I could never have imagined NOT having the worry and anxiety that had accompanied me for so many years. 

Looking back now, it’s so abundantly clear that God was using this time to mold and shape me, to teach me to trust Him and rely on Him. God was encouraging me and helping me to let go of my tendency to worry and fully rely on Him. Diana was a large part of God's plan to teach me this lesson (Thank you Diana!).

I never would have experienced this incredible blessing God had for Diana and I, had I not gone through this valley experience. I never would have learned to trust Him and rely on Him. God’s fingerprints are all over my life this last year. He had a plan, and His plan was far better than what I thought I needed and wanted. 

This experience reminds of an old Reliant K song - ‘Let it all out’ 

‘And you said I know that this will hurt

But if I don't break your heart then things will just get worse

If the burden seems too much to bear

Remember

The end will justify the pain it took to get us there’

Tears of joy are running down my cheeks as I listen to this song while writing this entry. Take a listen to the full song here -   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PD14sIrLiI8

This picture was taken from the golf course next to our home.

I look around and I think, this place is amazingly beautiful and I get to live here. This is my life, and I’m loving it! 

I thank God for the last several months, the lessons He’s taught me and the blessings He has given me. God is faithful, we just need to trust Him. A lesson I learned the hard way, but it was SO worth it!

Oh so blessed

Diana and I recently had the opportunity to spend a day with homeless teens and young adults here in downtown Denver. On numerous occasions, we've spent time handing out sack lunches or donuts and coffee to the homeless population in Denver, but never had we seen or experienced what we did on this occasion.

We arrived at 9:00AM and set up a buffet lunch of Taco's for what we expected would be 100 homeless street kids. We opened the doors at 10:00 for any homeless kids or young adults to come in, have a hot meal, maybe take a nap, or spend some time talking with someone. We spent the day with a hundred kids, living on the streets, not knowing where their next meal would come from or where they would sleep that night. We met two pregnant girls who were not sure how they would ever care for a newborn baby or if they would even make it to child birth. A young couple came in with two small children, 4 and 6 years of age, and obviously very hungry, broke my heart.

I won't go into all that we saw, heard, learned and experienced that day but I will say that God used that day to awaken me. You may have heard the illustration, 2x4 moment, where sometimes God needs to hit you over the head with a 2x4 to get your attention. This day was a 2x4 day for me.

God used that day to awaken me to how blessed I am, compared to the rest of the world population, me and most of you reading this are wealthy. We hear the term “God bless America” often, yet he already has and continues to. He has given most of us living in this country so so much. We are truly blessed.

A lifetime of wealth can often cause us to be blind at times. I take so much for granted, my loving family and friends, food on the table, job, home, etc. etc. How I need to be more thankful. I need to not just sit on the sidelines thankful for what I have been blessed with but to also use what God has given me to be a blessing to others less fortunate than I. I need to get off my butt and be a blessing to others, period!

God tells us in the scriptures to 'love our neighbor’ (Mark 12:31) and ‘When you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you refused to help me’ (Matt 25:45). I know these truths, so why don’t I do them.

God also tells us in His word, 'If you love me you will obey my commands’ (John 14:15).

May we seek to see with God's eyes the opportunities around us.

May we seek to feel in our hearts what God feels in His.

May we love others like God loves others, and may our actions be an expression of that love.

Let’s go out and bless someone today!

She's gone home

Diana and I recently had the opportunity to spend an hour or so with a very special lady. We’ve known her for a number of years and new she was a special lady, but I didn’t fully know how special until this past week. After spending this time with her, i walked away inspired, blessed and humbled.

When we visited her, she was, well, on her death bed. Her health was failing and she had made the decision to no longer accept resuscitation. She had been moved from an Intensive Care Unit in a nearby hospital back to her own room at an assisted living facility. Medical staff were no longer treating her in attempt to improve her health. Treatment had switching to keeping her comfortable. She was resting and at peace, enjoying her family as they stood by her side, holding her, talking about all the wonderful memories they shared.

Observing them all interacting and loving on her was very special. But listening to them all talk to her about her upcoming trip “Home” was awesome. The discussion would often drift to her soon being in God’s presence, her soon being in heaven and surrounded by loved family members and friends. What an incredible experience that was for me. To openly and freely talk with someone about their soon departure from this world and entry into heaven, their opportunity to be in God’s presence any minute was so exciting. I hadn’t felt that before. Kneeling down beside her bed, holding her hand, thinking she will pass at any moment and at the very next moment she will be in the presence of her Lord and Savior got my adrenaline pumping. It was so exciting.

This special woman is no longer with us. She passed a couple days later. The morning she passed I received a short simple text from her grand daughter. It simply said “She’s gone home”. I received that text while in a meeting at work. I had to step out of the meeting as I was so full of emotion. But the emotion was not sadness. It was excitement, it was jubilation. I was once again full of adrenaline and so excited I wanted to high five someone. A friend had just died and I wanted to high five someone. How weird is that. 

She was a blessing to many throughout her life. Even on her death bed she continued to bless me and countless others with her courage, love for family and friends and especially her love for Jesus. I hope that can be my testimony some day!

Miss Betty, thank you for the blessing you were to me and thousands of others with your encouraging words, your sweet caring and genuine smile, but most importantly with how you lived your life and the example that should be to all of us. I am so very excited that you are now home! A hug and a high five to you Miss Betty.

Feeling God's Presence

I had lunch recently with an old (yet young adult) friend. During our lunch I asked her, “When in your life have you felt the closest to God?” She answered my question and we had a good discussion. But it got me thinking, I haven’t answered that question for myself. I’m glad she didn’t ask me the same question as I didn’t have a ready answer, and I probably should (more on that in a subsequent post).

We all have highs and lows when it comes to our lives. Hopefully our highs out number our lows, but for some of us that’s not the case. For some reason God allows some of us to spend more time in the valleys than on the mountaintops. My friend had been in a valley and is still there but her answer to my question was interesting. She felt the closest to God right where she was, in the valley. Not because she was wrestling with God or spending countless hours on her knees pleading with God to “fix” the situation she was in, but more because she was thinking more about Him, focusing her eyes on Him and not on her circumstances. She made the conscious decision to try not to dwell on the pain and loss she was feeling but instead, gaze on the face of God and in doing so she felt His presence and His closeness - more than any other time in her life.

I learned something from my friend. So can all of us. May we gaze on the face of God more often and when we do, may we experience His presence, His peace, His compassion, and His love - regardless of our circumstances.

Warning Signs

This past summer Diana and I had the opportunity to visit Montana and Yellowstone National park with some friends - it was incredible. It was a very beautiful place with awesome views and incredible wildlife. It was great to be surrounded by God’s amazing creation.

One day we hiked along the banks of a roaring river. The runoff from snow melt was still very high so a lot of water was flowing down the river. This particular part of the river was funneled through a very narrow part of a rock canyon so the water was RAGING through and you could hear and feel the power of all that water pounding over big boulders and deep pools within the canyon. It was truly an awesome sight.

As you would expect on a hiking trail, there were no guardrails. There were several places that if you weren’t careful, one wrong step and you could fall into the raging river and be swept down the canyon never to be seen again.

While there were no guardrails, occasionally we did come across warning signs along the trail. Warning signs on trails are common. Often these signs are because the forest service doesn’t want multiple trails going every which way, confusing people, or they don’t want erosion occurring in certain areas. Other common signs you come across on trails are to warn hikers of hazards such as falling rock, steep drop-offs or perhaps warnings that you are in an area frequented by bears or mountain lions.

On a couple of occasions we came to a place on the trail where it appeared people had taken a shortcut. Many of you hikers know about switchbacks. Often people will forge a new trail that cuts off several minutes of hiking and makes the hike shorter. Often when you are approaching one of these areas you will see a warning sign that says something to the effect of “stay on the trail”. As I thought about the “short cuts” that previous hikers had made I thought, why didn’t the maker of the trail just make the trail shorter to begin with. Why make the trail wind around what seems like aimlessly when they could have just made it more direct to begin with. It dawned on me that I am safer if I stay on the trail and not take these “short cuts” that others have forged. Sure it may take a little longer to get to the destination but it’s not as steep, it’s less rocky, it keeps me a safe distance from the steep drop-offs, it warns me of possible hazards I may encounter.

God’s warning signs are no different. We may see them through our human perspective as things that just get in the way of our living life the way we want to or inhibiting us from taking “short cuts”, but God placed them there for our benefit. They are there for our good. Sure sometimes we may live our lives occasionally not following His guidance, His warning signs, and all is fine, but sometimes we may take that short cut and end up falling into the raging river and being swept down the canyon. Or sometimes we may take a side trail and get lost never making it to our destination. We often take the path that is the easiest, or looks the best, or seems to have more pleasures. When we don’t follow the trail and the warning signs that the creator of the trail intended we may find ourselves in danger, lost or missing out on something He intended.

Oh, and while on that trail, and not taking the shortcut that so many had taken before me, I passed a beautiful small creek and waterfall that was lined with dense green ferns and wildflowers. It was so beautiful I had to stop for a few minutes and just take it all in. Had I not followed the trail, had I not followed the guidance given by the warning signs I would have missed this beautiful scene, this beautiful place.

The maker of the trail knows best. He made the trail the way he did to allow us to have an easier climb, to keep us from hazards or maybe to teach us or show us something that we wouldn’t see if we didn’t stay on the trail. God knows that the greatest, fullest life possible is achieved when we stay on the trail and yield to His warning signs. May we follow the trail as the creator intended.

LAY ON GROUND – LIGHT FUSE – GET AWAY

I love the 4th of July. Always have. I have such fond memories growing up celebrating Independence day. My family lived in a city that celebrated this holiday with parades and festivities several days leading up to the 4th culminating with FIREWORKS the evening of the 4th.

As a kid I can remember when the nearby firework stand would pop-up. We would ride our bikes over and pick up the multi-page flyer that advertised in big bright pictures, the assortment of fireworks for sale. We would read every inch of that flyer, multiple times, circling the items that look the coolest. I would carry that flyer around in my back pocket drooling over the various offerings and of course would spend my hard earned money on lots and lots of them.

Days leading up to the 4th were always filled with loud bangs from firecrackers, M-80’s and Cherry Bombs. I should say here that I have great parents who counseled my brother, sister and I in the proper use of fireworks and then allowed us to have fun (safely).

My parents played a big part in my enjoyment of this holiday. I got my passion for fireworks from my dad. His favorite holiday was the 4th of July also. My dad was just a big kid when it came to fireworks. He liked the loud ones, you know, M-80’s and cherry bombs. He would light those off frequently and in various places and times. In fact, my wife Diana met my dad on the evening of the 4th of July. I brought Diana over to meet my parents that evening and as I am walking her up to the house my dad was in the driveway with an M-80 in a slingshot just waiting for someone to help light it so he could fire it up in the air.

I gotta believe there are fireworks in heaven. I can’t imagine a heaven without them. And I know my dad is having a “Blast” right now. Thanks dad for all the great memories. Love you and miss you this 4th of July!

People watching...

I was in the John Wayne airport in Newport Beach, California recently. Wherever there is a large quantity of people and time to kill, it’s only natural for me to people watch. I happen to be doing this while killing an hour in Newport Beach recently. There was a woman that caught my attention. She was tall, had long blonde hair and appeared to be in here 40’s. She was wearing an outfit and jewelry that said, notice me. Her apparent surgically enhanced looks, dark “Coach” sunglasses (worn indoors) and “Gucci” purse over her shoulder said the same. I immediately thought to myself, there is a rich, self centered, “first class” traveler, probably upset that she has to fly commercially vs. a private jet.

Due to late booking on my part, my family and I all had to sit separately and all of us had middle seats. As you head down the middle isle of the plane, waiting on the person ahead of you to place their bags in the overhead compartments, you can’t help but notice people as well, wondering what their story is, where they are traveling, are they starting a vacation or heading home, etc. As I make my way towards my seat I start to count the rows to see who I am sitting next to? You do that also, come on admit it. Well as I was counting the rows I noticed that the middle seat that I am to sit in was right next to the same woman I had noticed in the airport. Oh great, I thought, just my luck. No problem, I have my noise cancelling headphones with me. I will place these on my head and listen to my ipod the whole flight. Won’t even give her a reason to complain. I’ll stay on my side of the seat rail thingy and it will be all good.

Things are going quite well, into my own thing, reading a magazine I had brought, listening to music when the “Coach”, “Gucci”, “surgically enhanced” passenger next to me, elbows me, obviously wanting to tell me something. So I take my headphones off and she says, “wake me when they start serving passengers”, and proceeds to fix her pillow for a little nap. I think to myself, man is she ever self centered. She never really falls asleep, and a few minutes later she elbows me again and makes a comment about my magazine, “hobby”? Now I’m thinking, what are my options here? I know better than to take my headphones off, as that can open the door for a “talker” to steal the rest of the flight from you, but I remove them against my better judgement. Boy was I surprised.

Her squeaky little voice starts in, are firearms a hobby of yours or are you in law enforcement? I answer, hobby, and that begins a conversation that lasts the majority of the flight. Turns out I had read her all wrong. As I got to know her a little, I find out all kinds of things about here that tell me exactly the opposite of what my first impression was. She is in her 40’s, she is caring for her ailing grandmother. She hears that my family is behind me somewhere and offers to have my wife come sit with me and she will take Diana’s seat. Wow, really I think? That’s not self centered at all given Diana is in a center seat and she is in an isle seat. She doesn’t mind that at all. She offers me part of the food box she just purchased from the flight attendant. She goes on to tell me about her 22 year old son and her job and, on and on. She asks all about me and my family, genuinely listening and engaged. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation. As the plane lands she steps out to the isle and removes my briefcase stowed in the overhead bin and hands it to me. I could not believe how nice and caring and sweet she turned out to be. I could not believe how I had misread her, letting my mind create something, someone, based on outward appearances.

Boy did God teach me a lesson on that flight. Thank you God for the conviction I needed to remind me that it’s what’s inside a person that makes them who they are. Help me to not form opinions based on appearances. Help me Lord to see people through your eyes!