Back to Reality...Almost

Earlier this evening we returned from our annual anniversary vacation. This year we trekked over the mountains and through the woods to Seaside, Oregon. As the name implies it is a beach town. Of the Oregon beach towns with which I am familiar, it is perhaps the campiest - with fun family activities like bumper cars, bumper boats, go-karts and...you guessed it, helicopter rides. Yep, my wife of 20 years and I took our very first helicopter ride on this trip and WOW - was it FUN! Our pilot, Gary, took us on a "low and slow" aerial tour of Seaside over to the neighboring town of Cannon Beach. It was smooth and the visibility was unreal. We could see Mt. Rainier in the distance.

We felt so blessed in so many different ways on this trip. First, on our drive down, we were able to meet with some dear friends who were on their lunch break for a Streams 101 class they were teaching in Portland - what a treat. Hope the class went well y'all! I am sure it did as three of our best were doing their thing there.

Since our check-in time wasn't until 4:00 pm, we took detour (okay, a rather long detour) to Lincoln City and the Tanger Outlet Mall. Now, I have to admit, I am not so into the shopping thing. I am a hunter-gatherer. I like to know exactly what I am looking for, go in to the store, grab it, buy it, bag it and go home. My wife...not so much. So we spent some time (and money) cruising through some shops there. Fortunately, Di was anxious to get to the beach so we only cruised three stores before heading north to our destination.

But a funny thing happened on the way to Seaside. I realized, several miles out of Lincoln City that we were very low on gas and that I'd forgotten all about filling up in my haste to head north. A few miles...okay several miles south of Pacific City (and about 80+ miles away from Seaside), the warning light for our fuel tank came on. Hmmm. Di started studying the map in earnest, calculating how many miles we had in the tank versus how many miles it was to the nearest gas station, which would be Pacific City. I said nothing about it, but I was getting pretty concerned that I was going to be getting some unwanted exercise that night. Fortunately, God was smiling upon us and we pulled up to the gas station with 1/2 gallon of gas left in the tank. Thank you God!

The favor was just beginning. We decided to have dinner (supper for you Southerners) in a microbrewery/pub called the Pelican. We'd eaten there just last October when we'd come to Pacific City with our friends Sam & Diana so we knew this beach side pub offered good eats and really smooth Scottish Ale. So we went in to this normally packed establishment and were promptly seated on the beach side (which is all windows) and were treated to a gorgeous sunset while we nibbled on appetizers and awaited our meal.

Onward, with full tummies and very happy taste buds, we checked into our room around 9:00'ish. Oh, did I mention our room? No? Well, I must fix that now. We are owners of WorldMark, The Club. This is a vacation property club - not timeshare, but similar in some ways in that most of the properties are condominiums. Very nice condominiums. If you're curious, check out http://www.trendwest.com. If you get interested, let us refer you. You'll be glad you did and so will we. :) So, back to the room. We had reserved a space a year ago because we could and because we wanted something very specific...ocean side. Oh, yeah. Our living room and our bedroom had full ocean views. Actually, the other bedroom did too, but we didn't spend any time in there. SWEET!



That's the view at sunset last night. Di was standing at one end of our balcony, I was about in the middle. To my left, on the balcony is a gas grill on which were a couple of fine tenderloin steaks. It was a cool room with an absolutely stunning view. We were on the fourth floor.

Oh...did you happen to notice that I'm outside in a sweatshirt, no coat, in January? Oh yeah, the daytime highs were in the upper 50's to mid-60's and sunny. SUNNY! On the Oregon coast! In January for goodness sakes! WOO HOO! Favor...blessing...and we thanked God for it every hour of every day.

So, we're back home now, and I have one more day of vacation before I head back to work. We're almost back to reality. But I'm holding onto the sweet sound of ocean waves and the smell of fresh sea air as long as I can until we can get back for another fix.

20 Years Ago Today

It's mind-blowing to realize that on this date 20 years ago during a snowy, cold, Friday night my beautiful bride and I exchanged vows and rings, committing ourselves to a lifelong love in marriage. Little did we realize the adventure that lay before us. We just knew that everything would be wonderful along the way.
The funny thing is...for the most part we were right! It has been wonderful all along the way. Believe me when I tell you that our journey has had its share of sorrows, heartbreak and trial. We've had to face hard truths about each other, ourselves and our families that hurt so deeply that at times we thought we would burst.
Through it all, we can look back and say that God truly does cause all things to work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. He is truly the giver of good gifts, and the most wonderful gift I've been given next to His Grace and salvation is my wife. She well and truly completes me.
There is no doubt that I am a better man for having loved her and known her these 20 + years. She has led me, by example, to new levels of peace and rest in God. Through her loving support I am able to face trials and challenges with more grace. Her love has allowed me to believe that maybe, just maybe, I have something more to offer the world than a quick joke or a chuckle. Maybe, just maybe, God has planted in me the greatness she says she sees in me.
I have such a hard time seeing it for myself, but I love her and trust her and know that God has put her into my life to help me see what I could not see for myself. So I choose to believe, in faith, that she's seeing me with God's eyes and it helps me get through another day when others would tell me that I am not measuring up, that I am a failure, that I can't cut it. The one person on this earth who know me best, my worst and my best, believes in God's destiny for me. She helps me believe I can fly.
Thank you my beloved for seeing through the "funny man" disguise to the sea of love and compassion that swirls within me. Thank you for seeing the me you can love, honor and cherish in the best and worst of times, in sickness and in health, until death parts us...temporarily.
Happy anniversary, my beloved.

Happy New Year, Indeed!

Reading my wife's posting from this morning has inspired me to post my own feelings on this new year. 2006 ended on a tough note, professionally, and 2007 hasn't been much better. I'm old enough to know that "this too shall pass" but it still hits hard sometimes.

Over the last 2 years I've been in a position that has offered challenge after challenge as I've begun learning what being a manager is - at least what is in my organization. I've struggled to learn a rather labyrinthine financial system, among other challenges and the struggle has come at great personal cost.

Finally, in the last couple of weeks, I've had to lay down my desires and just surrender to God's sovereignty as I have come to realize that the situation is not going to improve any time soon. It's just strange and paradoxical to me that when you reach the end of yourself and finally surrender - not just make a truce - but really surrender, that God's peace can just wrap you up and lull you into a sense of protected rest that literally no one can disturb.

WHY do I wait so long to surrender? ARGH! It's not that circumstances are that much better, it's just that I have a total sense of peace because I know that God's got everything under control. I don't understand what He's doing yet, mind you. I just sense His presence around me and it gives me an uncanny ability to sit back and rest in His promise to provide. He IS Jehovah Jireh, after all.

So I am looking at the end of the first full week of the new year with a sense of calm assurance that my God will provide. I have no idea what that provision will look like, but I know He is good and I know that all good gifts come from Him. So whatever happens this year, I know beyond doubt that my God will never leave me, nor forsake me. He has already made my paths straight, all I have to do is keep my eyes on Him and take the steps He directs me to take. No more, no less.

Happy new year!