Living in the highlands gives you a million different views of God's masterpiece. Each bend in the road or stop along the trail gives another view that fights to be the best. Some of the best are in the mornings. The sun shines from above and behind the clouds... peaking out in such a way that makes you wonder how anyone could ever doubt His existence.
Big cities are few and far between out here. Some of the towns are not much more than a distant memory of their former glory. These are towns that lived and died by the railroads and factories. The towns that still have the railroad or the factory are hanging on. Like anywhere, there are plenty of reasons to feel blue, but the people... the people are still here and like anywhere... the people are what make the difference.
The hospitals, factories, and schools are filled with professionals who take pride in what they do, who they are and where they live.
Yesterday, we drove a ways and met a friend and her baby boy at a wonderful winery and had a picnic. Don't worry... we drank the baby's wine, too! :) We walked into the 'Tasting Room' which was located in a barn that was decked out with brass chandeliers and a large assortment of tables and chairs. We sat down at the bar and enjoyed the delicious fruits of the vineyard. We bought a bottle of white and found a spot downhill from the barn to set up our picnic. We laid down our blankets and sat down beneath the shade of cedar tree. The free-flowing conversation of friends is a greatness to behold.
There's a lot going on out here. I know I'll forget something, but I'll have more to share next week. Take care and God bless!
Peace,
Big Mac
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
After A Rain...
This morning... after copious cups of coffee (please pardon my unintended alliteration)... I opened the front door and stepped outside to evaluate the day. It had been raining the last couple of days and was dropping a light mist. There was a scent of what I can only describe as "wet earth". Lovely went off to work and my buddy and I went an explored our nearby town and state park. The clouds are still hanging low in the mountains and over the creeks. All this is just my way of saying that it's been a good morning and a great way to start the day.
The past week or so has been full of sweet reunions of family and friends. There's something sweet and fulfilling in getting to hangout and truly be present with those that mean so much to your life, but are unable to see them often due to the distance of the highways and byways.
God is the true source of strength in each of us. At times he uses others to whisper in our ears and build us up. Now it's not always praise that we receive from others because that's not always what we need. Sometimes we need to hear the difficult truths. Sometimes it's these truths that can push us on through the muck of hard work and what is right and brings us closer to becoming the best version of ourselves. Our close family and friends are able to offer these insights because sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves. Oh, the beauty of a good relationship... solid understanding... you just "get each other". And that's why you can trust what they say. Whether it's your spouse (best friend), grandparent, parents, or dear friends ... you value their opinion and trust it because often what truths they offer are the truths you speak or ponder in the silence of thought. Other times you disagree and there is that free exchange of conflicting ideas and we never know what may be the result.
Just like a hike in the mountains... as we push on... we will be rewarded with a spectacular view of what we accomplished. Now, I'm not just talking about the big battles and triumphs of life, I'm talking about the daily ebb and flow of life, too.
This posting is proof that I am back. I've decided to recommit to ya'll and my blog. Weekly postings sound reasonable. This past week, I talked with my best friend and valued advisor who turns out to be my lovely wife. We talked about the blog. She's thinking of starting one as well. Lovely (wife) and a few others are supporting me and I want to share my thoughts and experiences with you all. I guess that's part of our life mission... to share it with others. So, please post comments and share about your life and something neat that has happened recently. Keep me posted. :) I wish you good luck in the rest of your day and week. Have a wonderful weekend and God bless!
Peace,
-Big Mac
The past week or so has been full of sweet reunions of family and friends. There's something sweet and fulfilling in getting to hangout and truly be present with those that mean so much to your life, but are unable to see them often due to the distance of the highways and byways.
God is the true source of strength in each of us. At times he uses others to whisper in our ears and build us up. Now it's not always praise that we receive from others because that's not always what we need. Sometimes we need to hear the difficult truths. Sometimes it's these truths that can push us on through the muck of hard work and what is right and brings us closer to becoming the best version of ourselves. Our close family and friends are able to offer these insights because sometimes they know us better than we know ourselves. Oh, the beauty of a good relationship... solid understanding... you just "get each other". And that's why you can trust what they say. Whether it's your spouse (best friend), grandparent, parents, or dear friends ... you value their opinion and trust it because often what truths they offer are the truths you speak or ponder in the silence of thought. Other times you disagree and there is that free exchange of conflicting ideas and we never know what may be the result.
Just like a hike in the mountains... as we push on... we will be rewarded with a spectacular view of what we accomplished. Now, I'm not just talking about the big battles and triumphs of life, I'm talking about the daily ebb and flow of life, too.
This posting is proof that I am back. I've decided to recommit to ya'll and my blog. Weekly postings sound reasonable. This past week, I talked with my best friend and valued advisor who turns out to be my lovely wife. We talked about the blog. She's thinking of starting one as well. Lovely (wife) and a few others are supporting me and I want to share my thoughts and experiences with you all. I guess that's part of our life mission... to share it with others. So, please post comments and share about your life and something neat that has happened recently. Keep me posted. :) I wish you good luck in the rest of your day and week. Have a wonderful weekend and God bless!
Peace,
-Big Mac
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
How The West Was Won
It has been nearly two weeks since my wife and I made our move to the other side of the state. It was a wild move. We moved into a rather rural part of the state where a strong windstorm had swept through nearly a week earlier. When we moved in... the power was still out at our new place and the temperature outside was hovering right around one-hundred degrees. Friends helped us load the truck and my dad and his wife helped us unload when we arrived on July 4th. The whole effort showed us how wonderful our friends and family are. On both ends we all made quick work of the loading and unloading. It was a real load off our minds how quickly it all went.
After a few days without power in the new place, the lights eventually came back on, but I tell you what... it gave us a glimpse... if only a tiny glimpse... of what the pioneers went through. haha The pioneers who settled out West did so under much different circumstances and with much less comforts than we did. But where we moved to has a lot less people than the bustling port city that we left. Now we are on the outskirts of a little railroad town in the mountains.
It was actually sort of the fun. With no power at all and everything being run on electricity... we new that we would need plenty of bottled water... so we stockpiled several gallons before we moved. The bottled water was fine, but we couldn't waste it on the toilets. Our neighbor let us use their path to the creek. I went down to the creek a few times to fill buckets so that we could use the toilets. That and using the cooler as our refrigerator and the grill for cooking... really kept it feeling like we were camping. Yup, it was a lot like camping... with four walls and roof... glorified camping.
It really is neat to see a doe and her two fawns walk past the house regularly each afternoon. We have a variety of birds around the house. I don't expect we'll see a bear anytime soon, but it's not out of the realm of possibilities. We really do live in a neat part of the state. I'll keep you up to date more regularly and will add some photos soon. Take care and God bless!
After a few days without power in the new place, the lights eventually came back on, but I tell you what... it gave us a glimpse... if only a tiny glimpse... of what the pioneers went through. haha The pioneers who settled out West did so under much different circumstances and with much less comforts than we did. But where we moved to has a lot less people than the bustling port city that we left. Now we are on the outskirts of a little railroad town in the mountains.
It was actually sort of the fun. With no power at all and everything being run on electricity... we new that we would need plenty of bottled water... so we stockpiled several gallons before we moved. The bottled water was fine, but we couldn't waste it on the toilets. Our neighbor let us use their path to the creek. I went down to the creek a few times to fill buckets so that we could use the toilets. That and using the cooler as our refrigerator and the grill for cooking... really kept it feeling like we were camping. Yup, it was a lot like camping... with four walls and roof... glorified camping.
It really is neat to see a doe and her two fawns walk past the house regularly each afternoon. We have a variety of birds around the house. I don't expect we'll see a bear anytime soon, but it's not out of the realm of possibilities. We really do live in a neat part of the state. I'll keep you up to date more regularly and will add some photos soon. Take care and God bless!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
"Crossing the Delaware"
In December of 1776, the Continental Army was beaten, bruised, and poorly supplied. General Washington and his army were in Pennsylvania and pinned up against the Delaware River. Washington knew that they would be crushed if he stayed put, so he came up with a crazy idea. He decided to move his army across the river at night and to attack the Hessians across the river in the town of Trenton. It was insane. Hessians are well-trained German soldiers and George was going to cross the river at night... Christmas night and then attack one of the best groups of soldiers in the world. Guess what. It worked. Our boys kicked the ol' Hessians in the butt, took in tons of supplies and didn't loose one man in the battle. It was a crazy idea, but it worked out brilliantly!
Now, the reason I'm telling you this story is to offer some help to you when you have tough times. When things seem dark and hopeless... somehow... a moment will present itself to you and that moment could very well be your time to "Cross the Delaware" into "greatness".
I recently encountered a disappointment. It wasn't the end of the world, but it was definitely not what I was hoping for. I was trying to find an event in history that could serve as my rallying point and I settled on George Washington's Crossing of the Delaware. Of course, the best source of hope to focus on during times of difficulty is Jesus Christ, but heck... he's always the right answer to our troubles. Amen? AMEN! :)
Now, the reason I'm telling you this story is to offer some help to you when you have tough times. When things seem dark and hopeless... somehow... a moment will present itself to you and that moment could very well be your time to "Cross the Delaware" into "greatness".
I recently encountered a disappointment. It wasn't the end of the world, but it was definitely not what I was hoping for. I was trying to find an event in history that could serve as my rallying point and I settled on George Washington's Crossing of the Delaware. Of course, the best source of hope to focus on during times of difficulty is Jesus Christ, but heck... he's always the right answer to our troubles. Amen? AMEN! :)
Thursday, March 22, 2012
It's Been Far Too Long...
Not only is this title applicable to the subject matter of this post, but to the fact that I haven't submitted a new post in months as well. "It's been far too long"... a phrase that popped into my head several times last weekend. I was at a retirement partyy for a dear friend and this meant that I got to see some friends I hadn't seen in a while... "it's been far too long." I got a chance to speak with really close friends that I hadn't seen in years. There was a friend who I hadn't seen or heard anything from for nearly four years and then I saw him. We didn't get a chance to talk a whole lot, but just to hug and chat for a few minutes... that took a huge weight off my heart.
Now, my wife and I don't yet have children of our own, but we are extremely proud godparents. We also got a chance to see her and hangout with her parents. They're a wonderful family and when we get together... we all feed off of each other and are great influences upon each other... this makes us a force to be reckoned with. :)
Little victories at work and constant progress have made for a good at work. As of right now I have won the battle against the dishes in our kitchen sink. The weather this week has been beautiful. There were a few scattered rain showers this afternoon. It's been a good day.
Now, enough of that little detour... back to my topic. There are many things that can be distracting in life and take our attention away from that which is really important. God, Family, and Friends... those are the main things in life... everything else can pan out from there, but that's where we need to start. It's easy to get off track and loose grip on those things that make us who we are.
For me... a close friend pointed out... "I can't imagine you without biking." That's true.. I haven't been biking in months. Our current place has no room for a bike. :( Running is great. Walking is nice, but biking... that's where it's at, man! You can go out and have that alone time... and roll along as fast or as slow as you want... under your own strength and power.
"Time just gets away from us"... words used at the end of the novel "TRUE GRIT". It's true, time does get away from us, but we need to focus and make the best out of the time we have... because we never know when it's gonna run out. I love to relish in the here and now, but laziness can creep in.... BAD!
So, my ramblings this evening come down to a question... "What has it been far too long for in YOUR life?" "What do you want to bring or bring back into your life?" Okay, that was two questions. Peace out!
Now, my wife and I don't yet have children of our own, but we are extremely proud godparents. We also got a chance to see her and hangout with her parents. They're a wonderful family and when we get together... we all feed off of each other and are great influences upon each other... this makes us a force to be reckoned with. :)
Little victories at work and constant progress have made for a good at work. As of right now I have won the battle against the dishes in our kitchen sink. The weather this week has been beautiful. There were a few scattered rain showers this afternoon. It's been a good day.
Now, enough of that little detour... back to my topic. There are many things that can be distracting in life and take our attention away from that which is really important. God, Family, and Friends... those are the main things in life... everything else can pan out from there, but that's where we need to start. It's easy to get off track and loose grip on those things that make us who we are.
For me... a close friend pointed out... "I can't imagine you without biking." That's true.. I haven't been biking in months. Our current place has no room for a bike. :( Running is great. Walking is nice, but biking... that's where it's at, man! You can go out and have that alone time... and roll along as fast or as slow as you want... under your own strength and power.
"Time just gets away from us"... words used at the end of the novel "TRUE GRIT". It's true, time does get away from us, but we need to focus and make the best out of the time we have... because we never know when it's gonna run out. I love to relish in the here and now, but laziness can creep in.... BAD!
So, my ramblings this evening come down to a question... "What has it been far too long for in YOUR life?" "What do you want to bring or bring back into your life?" Okay, that was two questions. Peace out!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
I hope you had a blessed Christmas and are enjoying the new year. It's a time of year when we must celebrate what we have. We must relish the time that we have with those around us and when we must remember those who have drifted out of our lives. Time off and away from the stressors of daily life affords us the opportunity to enjoy time with our friends and family. This makes it an extra special time of year. We can sit back and savor God's love all around us. I was able to spend time with family and friends during this wonderful season, but I was also able to go off and enjoy some time on my own. I was able to go out and explore a some river trails in a nearby city. Just to be able to be quiet and simply "BE" was a great gift. Many great things have happened over the past year and I know that a great many more await us in the year ahead. God bless and have a good one!
Monday, December 12, 2011
"Now Has Come The Time..."
In the 1969 western cinematic classic, TRUE GRIT, John Wayne's seedy character declares, "Now has come the time for me to ride hard and fast." This states that whether or not it has looked as though he has been taking it easy lately... things are about to seriously change. It's about to get intense! :)
This can be said for myself. I've been diligent in the years sense graduation, but now's the time to kick it into high gear and get a move on! I've always been a great fan of enjoying the here and now, but that can also be dangerous and give way to procrastination. (Boo! Hiss!) It's taken me a while to decide what I want to do in life, but more importantly... how will I go about obtaining that goal? Well, now I've realized that the good Lord don't make junk and that I can reach for that star and leap for it.
I guess what I'm typing about tonight is ... potential and realization. Together... that can mean a break-through. So, no matter where you find yourself right now... look... who are you? What can you do? How can you help? What's it gonna take? Okay, well if you got an idea... saddle up and ride on. You're burning daylight.
Take care and God bless!
This can be said for myself. I've been diligent in the years sense graduation, but now's the time to kick it into high gear and get a move on! I've always been a great fan of enjoying the here and now, but that can also be dangerous and give way to procrastination. (Boo! Hiss!) It's taken me a while to decide what I want to do in life, but more importantly... how will I go about obtaining that goal? Well, now I've realized that the good Lord don't make junk and that I can reach for that star and leap for it.
I guess what I'm typing about tonight is ... potential and realization. Together... that can mean a break-through. So, no matter where you find yourself right now... look... who are you? What can you do? How can you help? What's it gonna take? Okay, well if you got an idea... saddle up and ride on. You're burning daylight.
Take care and God bless!
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