What I learned from my children this year

Each year comes and goes and each year I find out how little I really know.   Daily life can point out what you don’t know, your friends are good at pointing out what you wish you knew, and your boss can often point out what they wished you would learn.  It really is amazing, but I find that it is often through my children that I learn my most important lessons.

From my eldest son, Chris, I have learned a number of things.  He’s taught me to do hard things, even when you don’t seem to have time to do them.  This year he showed me the importance of taking chances.  He made changes in several important areas of his life this year, there was no need to, and he could have comfortably stayed in his proven routine.  He realized changes were needed and that they would be good for him.

My eldest daughter has taught me a lot about being a dad over the years.  Dominique has taught me to be gentle, patient, and cautious in the way I speak.  This year she showed me a new lesson, how to be willing.  Throughout this year she has shown her mother and I a willingness to take on whatever her circumstances require.  No matter what we have required of her, no matter the curves life has thrown, she has shown steadfastness.  When life got in the way of her plans, she accepted the new reality and moved on without complaint.  When I asked her to take on extra responsibilities at home, she did so and asked if she could help in other ways.

My youngest daughter, Alexandra, has taught me so many lessons of the heart.  It’s because of her words that I made a huge change in my life in 2006.  This year she taught me the meaning of truly smiling.  When she smiles, she doesn’t hold back, she lets it be as big and goofy and fun as it needs to be.  Her laugh has refocused me to what joys I was overlooking when I came home from a lousy day dozens of times this year.  It is because of her that I have begun to enjoy the pleasures of a good laugh again.

Jeremiah, son number two, has been a teacher to me on many fronts.  He is single minded about goals.  He has and shows a soft heart.  He stops to help others.  This year he taught me about trusting God’s plan for me.  I learned this from him after a practice session during which his coach had shared with him some disappointing news.  Instead of getting down, he considered his coach’s opinion as that of an authority put in place by God, and decided he would trust his decision.  He even had the boldness to tell his coach he was okay with the decision because it was part of God’s plan. 

“From the mouths of babes…” goes an old saying.  Well, my children are not babes, but from their mouths and from their actions I experienced wisdom spoken into my life.

Beautiful Ride

    What an amazing change in the air this morning.  I noticed a little of it first thing Sunday morning before the Chrome Diva's poker run, a little sniff of coolness.  Yesterday I went out the back door with all intentions of riding, but the fog was so thick that I could hardly see the workshop from my back porch.  TODAY however... how wonderful, how marvelous, how glorious was the crisp dry morning air.  The morning stars looked as though they were dressing up for a party.  The air smelled so fresh and so clean, I thought I was in a Glade air-freshener commercial.  There was an ever so slight touch of coolness in the breeze, enough to warrant a thick shirt, but not cold in the least.

    I woke up feeling a bit sluggish, feeling the usual regrets of youth in the various joints of my body.  I wanted no part of breakfast.  Lacing up my boots felt like a Herculean task, but when I walked outside.... Oh My!

    The first 2-3 miles of the ride to work are on our rural lane and a 2 lane twisty, hilly, canopy style road.  That part of the ride was so amazing I almost turned a u-ey to do it all over again.  Something was definitely right about the ride.  Not only were the conditions wonderful, the traffic was nearly perfect.  The lights were nearly perfect in their timing, I had to stop once, and even then I didn't put my feet down because the light changed to green right away.  The 2 jerks who usually plague the route I take to work (one young teacher from Rickard's High in a silver Impala and a dangerously impatient tailgater from the Fort Braden area who drives a gold tone Malibu) were blessedly absent from the commute today.  It was toes in the wind the whole way to school.

    As I got to school the only thing that I could think of was the fact that tomorrow's forecast called for identical conditions.  I think I'll leave early tomorrow and take the LLLLLLOOOOOONNNNNGGGGG way to work.

Why not?

     I am not sure why it takes me so long to do things.  I can keep some things (most things) simmering on a back burner better than most people I know.  I have a porch that has needed emptying for 2 months, a car that has needed an alignment for 5 months, a lawn mower and generator that have needed  new carburator  bowls for a year and a half, a roof that has needed recovering for 2 years, and a story that has needed writing for 3.  In so many other aspects of my life I am almost obsessively prompt, why do I pick a certain group of things to put o the shelf to steep like a barrel of old whiskey?  It drives me crazy when I think about it, and I know it drives at least one other person a little nuts too.

     I have never been one to make resolutions; resolutions don't strike me as things that are meant to be kept.  Think about it, when was the last time you kept one?  If you can remember, try thinking of another example.  Chances are, you're not going to have more than a couple of instances that you can point to as successes in the arena of resolution.  When I was a salesman, our G.M. always insisted that everyone put a "number" on the "big board."  I guess his thought was that if we saw it regularly enough we'd do something to attain it.  I never put much thought into the number, and I never gave a second thought to it once the sales month started.  In every other aspect of the job though I was focused in like a hawk.  I did everything on a schedule, from phone calls to prospects and customers, to walking the lot and the service department every single morning and evening.  I knew more about what we had on the lot and the big ticket customers in service than anyone else in the building.  I took advantage of every tool I had at my disposal.  Some months it paid off well, others, well, I padded my stories to people who asked.  As a teacher, I am one of the first people in the building.  When my door is shut and the kids are there it is game on, if I have to recite the parts of the nervous system while wearing a Slim-Goodbody suit I'll do it.  Focus is the catch word in my class.  So why two years for the roof, and three for the book?????

     I've got to figure this out before I turn 50.

Worst Case Senario... There is NO Election

     I caught myself thinking about this for the umpteenth time today as I rode home from work.  What's the worst that could happen before the election?...
   
     I keep coming up with the same answer; There is no election.

     Wait, don't be crazy!  you say.  There is no way that the election does not take place, you say.  Well, I hope you're right, but I have some concerns.

    They all center around the whole situation going on right now between Iran and Israel.  Unfortunately, Syria is involved in a bit of a mess, so people are distracted and not paying as much attention to what is going on in the area as they should be.

    Israel is in a bit of a pickle.  If President Obama is reelected in November, chances are he will down grade US relations and support of Israel.  Recent events in the US have shown that this is a very real possibility. The POTUS has not been very cordial toward our number one ally in the region since he took office.  He has called on Israel to tone down their rhetoric, called for them to rename their capital, called for them to move their borders back to 1967 lines, and he has made no move to block or condemn Iran's military movements into the Mediterranean Sea.  He has also made no effort to contradict  or condemn the statements made by by Iran's two most powerful leaders when they threatened to destroy Israel.  He has also done little to use US influence and leverage to limit the ability of Iran to access powerful international bodies such as the UN.  Add to that the obvious efforts of the DNC to erase an unpopular decision by the party of the POTUS to eliminate our recognition of Jerusalem as the true capital of the tiny democracy and you have a rather bleak picture painted for Israel should "four more years" actually happens.

    Thus Israel knows if it wants to remove the nuclear threat of Iran from their future they have to act before the first week of November.  Taking unilateral action against Iran between now and then affords at least the possibility that the US will honor standing agreements to assist them in the event of conflict with an Arab-State neighbor.  Wait till after the election, and there will be no guarantee that Obama will  not use an executive order to circumvent the enforcement of any treaties the US has with Israel for the protection of this long time ally.  I know that is a stretch, but just consider, would it really be out of character for him to do so?

    Part three involves what happens then... after Israel strikes Iran and the whole blooming area erupts in a blaze of gunfire and high altitude gas dispersion bombs.  The whole house of cards starts coming apart.  Fuel supplies from the Middle East (you don't really think the Arab Emirates and the Saudis will side with the US and Israel or stay neutral, do you?) get jammed up.  An emergency ramp up of US military forces occurs (you thought the Gulf War call up was big).  International and interstate travel becomes more difficult, expensive and less available (due to restrictions implemented by way of the Dept. of Homeland Security; you do still remember the first couple of weeks after 9/11, don't you?That was before the DofHS & the TSA).  Free access to the internet communications is eliminated or restricted by the Feds through the implementation of Executive order 13618 (signed just over 60 days ago, in 30 more it becomes law unless the Congress acts to block it) which gives the Feds the ability to use a national emergency to restrict our 1st amendment rights. (See it Here.)  You get the picture yet?

     Suddenly out of nowhere the hammer falls...  a state of emergency is declared by the POTUS and the use of one of the Insurrection Acts, a National Emergencies Act (Scroll to the United States), or the good old Homeland Security Act ( read this for a couple of paragraphs, then click on the Critical Infrastructure Protection provision) is leveraged to basically put us in a state of Martial Law.  Dependence on the government is now heightened and the TSA and local authorities have everything pretty well locked down.  Basic supplies (food, fuel, information) are at a high-cost low-availability level.

     We are then graced by his POTUS-ness with a dramatic, important, and historic speech; all the available news services are locked into carrying the news of change that is about to take place.  We hear that in the situation we find ourselves, any change in the executive branch would be seen as a sign of weakness to those who would seek to do us harm.  We are told that in the best interests of our grand and glorious republic, there comes a time when, for the common good of the people, we must put aside some of our normal privileges.  He goes on to announce that for the foreseeable future, (according to the  Insurrection Act, the executive branch need only report to the congress every 16 days, until the threat to national security is, as determined by said executive branch, gone) he is implementing a series of executive orders to get us safely through this period.  All elections will of course be postponed as holding them would have a detrimental draining effect on available fiscal resources.  (The news services all trumpet what a brave and unselfish leader he is; the ones who say otherwise are locked down by the TSA and DeptofHS.)

    Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but there it is.  What's the ONE way the POTUS can guarantee he stays in power?  If there is no election.  He is not a native born American ( forget the forged birth certificate, his own college history shows that he was classified as a foreign student), therefore every act and law he has signed is by definition null and void.  Every decision by every judge he has appointed is void.  The purpose of his presidency has been and will always be to disrupt and destroy the power and influence of this sovereign nation.  So if he has been willing to play the game as such this far, would my senario be out of the realm of possibilities?  (Any armed or outward public outcry would be considered acts of civil unrest and be quickly and quietly put down under the previously mentioned executive orders.)

The REAL America

So Tropical Storm Isaac is moving toward land in the vicinity of New Orleans and its surrounds.  Samuel L Jackson is questioning how God can be so good if Isaac didn't slam into Tampa wiping out all the  (enter colorful language here) republicans.  Ellen Barkin tweeted that the storm should wash all the (insert colorful language here) (insert more colorful language) bleeping republicans screaming into the sea.  The mayor of LA is quoted as saying you can't just trot out a brown face and expect to get votes.  Our homeland security people forbade James O'Keefe from traveling to Tampa to speak at convention events because his investigations and exposure of Democrat voter fraud in several states have cut them too close to the bone.  Code Pink protesters stormed into a private meeting being attended by Condoleeza Rice and tried to arrest her for war crimes (completely ignoring another illegal round of drone attacks committed inside Pakistan and approved by the POTUS)(PS we are still interrogating folks in Gitmo and other places not so nice, also signed off by the POTUS who said he would stop both actions 3 years ago).  Oh, and a St. Louis school board has forced a 3 year old deaf boy to change the way he signs HIS NAME because it looks to much like he's shooting a gun.

All this to say thanks to the hundreds of men I saw today staging here in and around Tallahassee as they wait for Isaac's wrath to fall on the coast.  These men (and I am sure a few women) have left their families for a period and are getting ready to rush into the devastation left in the wake of the storm.  They are line men and arborists from around the Southeast who band together to help areas recovering from natural disasters.  They work in dangerous conditions, for unending hours, and for little more than their regular pay and a thank you.  They put aside everything that is important to themselves to bring shelter and relief to those in need.  They are the real America

God go with you men.

UNidiotic

Just read this.....


(CNSNews.com) - A report issued by the United Nations-backed Global Commission on HIV and the Law; recommends that nations around the world get rid of “punitive” laws against prostitution – or what it calls “consensual sex work” -- and decriminalize the voluntary use of illegal injection drugs in order to combat the HIV epidemic.    http://cnsnews.com/news/article/un-commission-calls-legalizing-prostitution-worldwide




Wow, using drugs in a unsafe manner in order to chase your next high is a major contributor to the increasing instances of HIV/AIDS.  Promiscuous sexual activity is another major contributor to the increasing instances of AIDS/HIV.  So... in the infinite wisdom of the UN it is suggested that we make each of these activities legal, easier to access, AND pay for/take care of the folks who participate in such actions.  That's logical.... to the 

UN= 

UNnecessary+

UNsuccessful+

UNworthy+

UNthinking

The UN is useless.  I'm sure all those little girls and boys in the "Voluntary sex trade" around the world are shouting loud HUZAH's for this UN proposal.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Today was good.  Even without my wife's help, I didn't leave any of the kids stranded at one of the activities they participate in during the week.  We had dinner provided through the volunteer efforts of my number one daughter, and so will be the case for the rest of the week.  I was able to assist a stranded motorist, and help to ease her anxiety after a pretty scary incident.

Today was bad.  My back hurts..... bad.  I have to buy a (2) tire(s) for my car.  I drove across T-town 3 times, dear OPEC, have mercy on me.  My wife is out of town for 4 days.  I missed a deal in a big way.

Today was ugly.  I am constantly reminded how easily we fail to live up to Jesus' command to love each other.  Simple things like brothers in a common cause caught up in name calling and back-biting.  I see clearly the end of a ministry's 15 year long history, short of a miracle.

A Good Season

June and July have always been my favorite months.  As a child it was the annual rebirth of freedom for children everywhere.  School was out and each day was ours to decide and make to whatever our whim was that day.  Growing up a generation ago, my choices were not held captive to the restrictions placed on children today “for their own good and safety.”  If felt like riding my bicycle to the beach 20 miles away, going to the pool to meet friends, head into the woods to build a fort, or play ball with a bunch of kids  (and no grown-ups to watch over us), I did it, and I was home before dad was for dinner. 

June reminds me of one of my greatest blessings, my wife.  Every year we celebrate our anniversary in June.  This year we celebrated half our lives together as a married couple.  That’s a long time, but not nearly long enough for me; I look forward to many more.

The month of July brings us the rebirth of summer in all its fury.  Motorcyclists begin a new riding season, with more events available in which to participate than open days on the calendar.  As a teacher, I now look forward to time off to spend with my children, even if it’s just having breakfast for lunch when some of us wake up a little late. 

Recently I have been learning, through a family study of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, about the whats & whys of our faith.   The 8^th, 9^th and 10^th questions deal with God’s creation in Genesis chapters 1 & 2.  I found the intermingling of good and evil in these chapters immensely interesting.   Reading the words we found God’s creation to be “good”; God himself proclaimed it so several times, and when He was all done, the whole of it was proclaimed, “very good.”  In chapter 2, evil becomes a present fact of the world as man, God’s highest creation, the one He to whom gave dominion over all the rest, decided to disobey and choose the one thing he was forbidden.  Since then, evil lives right here along with us in God’s “very good” creation. 

We have so much good in our lives, but even so, in the midst of trials and tribulations it can be sometimes hard to remember how very blessed we are.  This past month my chapter lost an old friend, one of the early members of Chapter 500, Chris Allen; he was only 53.  Several of CMA's leadership regionally have been also been touched by the loss or illness of a family member.  We also lost members who have had to move or give up riding due to economic conditions.   At work, my teammates and I lost 5 close family members while 5 of our student suffered the loss of a parent (in one case a young girl lost both mom and dad in a hail of bullets) this past year.  

It sounds like I am on a real "downer", but I encourage you today, as trials come, and they will, to take time to remember how richly and undeservedly you are blessed.  The hurt and confusion will still be there, but I am certain that it will be tempered with a refreshed understanding of just how good our God really is.

Frustration

I'm feeling frustrated right now.  I am a member of a group that should share Christ in as many ways as we can, but we don't.  I am a member of a group that is uniquely gifted to make an impact in the community for Christ, but we don't.  I am a member of a group that has numerous chances to show Christ's grace and mercy to people with whom we come into contact, but we don't.  I am a member of a group that has promised to be an example of salt and light...., but we don't.

What next?

Help me to understand.... What now?

I was so sure, so certain how this would end, how all this would come to a close and how from this end we as a nation would go forward.  I was wrong.  I feel lost.  I am at a loss for what to say.  I am sitting here questioning all I know and understand about the rule of law.  As I write this the words are still sinking into my consciousness,"...the Court has upheld the legislation including the individual mandate..."  This will take a while to really sink in, when it does I fear that I will be unable to recall these feelings and thoughts so I put them down now.

No authority on Earth or in the heavens is there unless by God's will.
All things are planned to one end, that is to bring glory to God.
Love people, by this they will know.
The ways of the Lord are too wise for man to understand, though it is His promise to
     give us the understand that we need as the moment arrises.

I have lived through things I did not understand, I have even through them flourished.
I need not know why in every instance.
There are thing that I do know right now, and these things I will hold onto right now.

This is not a surprise to God.

Pizza Dough

Made pizza dough tonight.  Man that stuff is stretchy with out actually stretching.  You roll it out, pull it out, pinch it out, and it springs back.  It's kind of frustrating to put so much effort into making something change and not get much done.  wow, that's an analogy just waiting to be expanded...

-Like parenting difficult children
-Like training a hyper dog
-Like trying to point out ethics issues with our local mayor
-Like convincing a cat to take a walk on a leash
-Like God convincing me His way is better

SUper coOL

My wife is so cool....

No, I mean it.  She has this ability to see what I am interested in and somehow find a way to show that it's cool with her that I am spending way too much time checking out this new thing.  A couple three weeks ago I came across this picture of what I thought was an old cafe racer style bike.  (Cafe racers started showing up in Britain and then later Europe in the late 50's and 60's.  Guys with common interests in going fast and riding bikes would tinker and tune their off the shelf bikes or bikes they'd salvaged from a heap. After a while these stripped down two wheel hot hods began showing up in number at the highway cafes around Britain's major towns.  The hot thing to do when 2 guys got to saying who's bike was fastest, was to put a song on the jukebox, a bet on the table, then both would hop out the door and as fast as they could ride down the road to the next cafe, turn round and be back before the song was over.  The first one in the door took the bet.)  These bikes were all the rage for a generation, and soon had their own mystique and unique styling that set them apart.

They were clean, their owners/makers stripped off every extra ounce of unneeded metal or plastic that they could.  They were stream-lined with shortened and often down turned handlebars, indicator lights moved out of the wind or just plain removed.  Many had engines from a bigger bike put into the frame of a smaller lighter one for better power.  Most had little packing in the exhaust and made a dreadful racket.  And best of all, rarely was one just like any other one, they were unique.  As individual as the guys who made them and rode them.

I started by talking about what I thought was an old cafe racer, but I was wrong, it was  anew one.  These old bikes are getting making quite a comeback in popularity so it seems and for a lot of the same reasons they originally came into being back 50 years ago.  Guys want a personal, unique bike and they don't want to break the bank getting it.  (Don't get me wrong, you can BUY a pre-made one for as much as you want to spend.)  There are a bunch of little shops out there willing to build you one.  But for the most part most of the new cafe racers are being made in a backyard shop a few hours a week by some guy with a cool idea in his head.

I also started off by saying just how cool my wife was.  She came home today with a cafe racer tee-shirt for me (YEAH!).  Babe, you rock!  I hope you know that I love you a ton, and that I will make sure to take you for a ride on it once I build it......

Happy Fathers' Day Dad

Yesterday was fathers' day, the first one since my dad died last November.  It felt bad to not be able to call him on the phone and say hello, thanks, I love you.  I did a lot of things to take my mind off this over the weekend, but in the end I don't think I ever stopped thinking about him.  I took a lot for granted with my dad.  I took for granted that he loved me, he didn't say it a lot, but he made sure I knew it through everything he did.  I never had to worry where my dad would be at the end of the day, he would be home. He would walk into the house at the end of his work day and head straight for mom, he would put down his lunchbox, hold her shoulders in both of his hands, kiss her full on the lips and say "hello honey,or how's my girl."  The he would greet both my sister and I.  That seems so simple, but I only just recently came to an understanding how vitally important this and dozens of other little things dad did was to me.

I know I started by saying how hard it was to not have the chance to call him this Sunday, and I said that with full understanding that the last 2 years I did get the chance to say it, he really wasn't there to understand it.  Whether he did or not, it meant a lot to me to be able to thank him for what he did on a daily basis for my sister, mother and me.  At no time did we ever doubt he was rooting for us.  He may have been grumpy and contrary at times, but he was always a fan of us.

I love you dad, thanks for everything.

Life on Prednasone

So 2 days ago I had to go back on prednasone, my allergies were kicked into high gear by some environmental aspects in a classroom in which I have to pend the next two and a half weeks.  I was absolutely miserable, but I was totally not wanting to call my doctor because I knew he was going to use the word I dread, prednasone.  Now understand, the stuff works, in fact within just a few short hours I could feel my histamines shutting down, prednasone is a miracle drug.  The thing about it that I hate is that it makes life almost unmanageable.  The best way I can describe how prednasone makes me feel is to ask you to imagine what spawn would come from crossing a species with the attention span of a 16 year old male, the energy level of that hyperactive squirrel in the movie "Over the Hedge," and for good measure throw in the communication skills of one of those lawyer-talk-disclosure-statement-giving-advertisement-announcer guys.  Ugly thought isn't it?  Well that's where I am right now.  I'm locked in a class with a bunch of teachers as the spawn of the afore mentioned unnatural combination above while being asked to think in an analytic and, get this, coherent way.  (You laugh, but if you saw how many times I have used spell check and grammar correct in this short paragraph you'd probably laugh harder.)  6 more days, I have just 6 more days....  Help.

Real pride

My youngest son came to me with a bit of what seemed to be bad news this afternoon when I picked him up from gym practice.  He said that his coach had informed him that his move up two levels, from 5 to 7, was going to be amended to a singled level move to level 6.  As he said the words I began to think about his recent frustrations with his own progress and I started formulating a word salve to use on his bruised ego.  He continued saying that he was pretty bummed out about it at first (son, sometimes things don't go the way we hoped they woul...) and that he had spent a lot of his practice time mad about his situation (but sometimes we take too big of a bite from our plate of challenges and we need to step bac...) and then he said the word BUT (what?).  He paused a moment (my wheels were in neutral but continuing to spin) and said, that by the end of the session he was okay with it, disappointed, but okay.  His coach took several minutes at the end of practice to explain his decision, after letting it sink in to his young mind (well played coach).  He said he felt it was better to remove some of the stress and allow him to focus on growing, and that he would reevaluate his level at the season mid-point.  (yeah son, that's sometimes the way things go, especially when the coach is looking out for your interests instead of) And that 's when he said these words, "I told coach that nothing happens without God wanting it to happen, and that His plan is always the best.  I told him I was okay with what happened."  (fighting back tears....   pumped up on prednizsone and pride... ) Some of this is really sticking with him was my first thought.  He is understanding God's providence was my second.  Dang, I wish I could be more like my son, was my third.

Good and Bad

Just got done watching the movie "The Avengers" with my wife and son, it was his treat to us to celebrate our anniversary.  Funny thing about that movie, it's a block-buster for a lot of good reasons.  I know a lot of you out there (ha) will say what good can come from Hollywood, and most times I would be in agreement with you. My favorite actor, Robert Duvall, once said that the reason he lived out in the mountains and not in Hollywood was that he had to work there, but he didn't want to live there.  But this new movie has a lot of good in it.  It has Captain America, urging others on and encouraging them to be their best and expecting their best from them.  It has a comment about only ONE God.  It has forgiveness and redemption and second chances given major roles with several characters.  Thor trying repeatedly to redeem his brother and trying to help him see there is still good in him.  Dr. Banner is shown in a state of acceptance of his "issue," but not letting it come in the way of hm working to help those that life has dealt a lousy hand to.  I shows the ex-Soviet spy making the most out of the second chance she was given and looking for a way to repay the kindness.  It shows her seeking out her friend, who was turned to the foe's side, tirelessly and selflessly striving to release him from the chains he finds himself in.  It gives us a chance to see a self absorbed man who uses arrogance to hide his desire to help others and to be loved finally put his ego aside to do a truly selfless act.  I shows a regular guy, agent Coulson, who deeply believes in the cause he fights for and sees clearly the difference between his side and the darkness it fights.  He sums it up when he tells the antagonist, "You can not win because you lack conviction."  Wow, that's a phrase we need to hear more of these days.  We see an elderly man, a man of wisdom stand up in the face of the darkness and proclaim it for what it is to all who will hear, even though it will cost him his life.  

I could go on and on with more examples of what is right about this movie, but I won't.  There were things that were wrong in the movie.  The refusal to follow orders by Col. Fury, yes that was wrong.  He did it for the right reasons, but he was wrong.  The killing of the man in the art gallery to gain entrance to the secure facility by using his retinal scan, but in the director's defense, he used a cut away shot to reduce the effect of the gruesome act, while giving us a look into the heart of darkness.  The un-married state of Tony Stark and Pepper Potts will have some crying moral decay, but look deeper and you'll see that Stark is for the first time in a truly love based relationship.  He could have any woman he wanted, and he chooses Pepper, a (yes beautiful, but) middle-aged woman who is not a poster child for the newest cosmetic surgery procedures.  

Hurrah to Hollywood for making a movie where we can cheer for good over evil, where we can see love triumph over hate, where right and wrong are clearly not separated by a  blurry line.  Thank you for giving us heros who have conviction.

Do over, I think not...

Too cool for words.  A fully restored 1934 BMW R7 concept bike.  Imagine if they had actually been able to build IT rather than aircraft engines during the 30's and 40's.  I bet it sounds as cool as it looks.

The thought about what might have been I made; imagine putting all our screw-ups into what might have been land and fixing them so that we could look at how things would have worked out IF we had not screwed them up so superbly.  I was talking about this the other night with my wife, focussing on one particular screw-up of mine that occurred in 2006.  I talked about the choice I had, the direction I took and the final reason I did it, and when I was all done, I thought I would leave it all the same even if I could do it all over.  I learned a lot though the time that followed that decision, and I don't think I would be benefitted far above where I find myself today if I did.  God's plan for me was played out the way it was for a reason, discomfort included.  Not sure it applies to the bike above but it does make you wonder.

Scary but amazing

I'm sitting here watching the US men's gymnastics championship on television and I find myself amazed.  These guys are phenomenal in so many ways: strength, courage, skill, focus, the list can go on.  My son is a competitive gymnast, going into his 3rd year in competition, this year he begins training as a level 7.  He   got moved up from level 5 last year after regionals and is training hard for the competitive season that will all too soon begin.

As I watch these young men compete, I find myself wondering, whether or not Jac ever makes it to this level, if I am prepared for him to do such things?  I don't doubt his courage, I doubt my own.  Watching these guys, you have the same sense of fear and trepidation that grips you at the precipice of a tall roller coaster.  I'm not sure I could bring myself to look if he was doing some of the flips and spins they they have to do at national levels.  The good news is that what I have the ability to do has nothing to do with what he can do.  His future will be decided by God's will for him, I think that's for the best.

Don't Wait

In the past month 3 men who I have a 2 degrees-of-separation connection with have died.  All seemingly in perfect health, all relatively young (49, 52, 43), and all very suddenly.  My co-worker's brother-in law, died of a sudden stroke, leaving a wife and a couple of teen-aged children.  A charter member of the motorcycle group I am a member of died of a massive heart attack, leaving a couple of young daughters and a wife.  A friend of one of the teachers with whom I work died in a car accident, leaving a home, pets, parents, and many friends.

I went to the doctor this week for my yearly poke and prod.  Everything is just great.  I actually lost a couple of pounds this year, kept my cholesterol down, and avoided spending time in the doc's office for anything this year.  No I am not afraid of becoming number 4, in fact I am not at all concerned about it.  I wrote this for another reason.  All these men died suddenly, without the chance to say anything to their loved ones from a hospital bed... boom! it was just over, for all of them.  They had no chance for do-overs that day, no chance to right a wrong with their wife or reopen a slammed door with their kid; their last words were just that.

Live life that way, like what ever you are saying ARE your last words to that person.  Don't assume that you're going to get a chance to make it right.... you probably won't.