Life...to the max!

Life By Design--168/197

Monday:  17June'13--what's with the future?

        This can be a bit "nasty" in a weird and fun sort of way.  Nasty may not be the best word in the world, due to it's connotations.  But hey, in the pop use of words today, often the opposite is meant of what is said.

        However.................................

        .......this weekend I finished reading a book (being real careful here to give nuthin' away! We're watchin' The Voice with all THAT great country western music happenin' right now as I type.) that this olde man was invited to read, pre-publication.  Why me?  Not sure.  But the invitation was to read it, and offer some words of endorsement.

        Honored by the one who asked.  But, whoa, so many other people should be doing this (.....I know the author is far from hard up for those who would, should endorse this significant work).

        My biggest problem with the book was that I lost sleep.  Dang!  lol  Honestly.  It was hard to put it down.  Finally, at 10:47 last night I arrived at the last page (lost sleep the two nights before).  Whew.  What was really wild was that last night I even had a dream about the concluding scenes.  Impacting.

        What's the book?  I'll let you know when it's finally out.

        In the economy of endorsements, I will be more than way surprised if what I sent to the author today shows up.  That is not a problem.  Truly.  Was a quiet delight to even be asked.  What's far more important is for this book to be read, pondered, purposefully allowed to get others responding to its message.

        Yesterday, while grocery shopping with my wife, I saw this card in a rack.  Someone reading this is also longing to stretch and create and write, climb, draw, run, or sing, or ___________________ (fill in the blank).  Few are destined to write a book like I read in the past 72 hours.

...........BUT...........

        We are, that be thee, those you know, have yet to meet, me, we all have not yet arrived at what we are capable of.  I know some extraordinarily talented people around the globe.  I am not them.  They are not me.  Nor are you them, or they you.

.......THEREFORE.......

        The question for both thee and me, that we do need to ponder often is formed from what you read here.  Don't let what our Triune God has designed you to be and do go to waste.......don't let any of it, known or unknown right now, go unfulfilled.

Promise?!!

Life By Design--167/198

Sunday:  16June13--fatherly reflections...........

        As with most parents with adult children who live at a distance, we wish we could see our daughter a bit more often.  But, we are deeply thankful for what she is making of her life where she does live.

        This Dad and Mom are thankful for the creative, smart, sensitive, mercy-filled young woman she is.  We delight in her at least a zillion times over.

        Last summer, her last time here in Colorado, we had five of the best days ever as a family.  We rented a beautiful little cabin west of Buena Vista.  Hiked the Ptarmigan Trail.  Explored an old mining town.  Went to a goat farm for fresh cheese about three times.  Ate at a couple of really good restaurants in BV (who knew they would have them...).  Read.  Relaxed.  Found an exceptional coffee roaster.  Soaked in hot springs.  Talked.  Listened.  What good days.

        In my own ususal getting up early, no matter where I lay my head for the night, I was fascinated watching this nest of tiny birds.  You could see the babies in there with mouths wide open waiting for the parents to bring them morsels.

        The last morning one of the babies had made it out of the nest and just stood for the longest time on the little roof of the bird house.  Twice one of the parent birds brought it a morsel, then no more.  The adult birds would fly down, then fly away.  This was repeated several times.

        And then...........

        I know, I'm ascribing human elements to a small ball of feathers, but that little one seemed to take a deep breath, fluff it's feathers, spread it's wings a few times and tumbled off the roof of the bird house.

        .................................oh, oh!

        I went outside just in time to watch it take off, do a short swoop around, and land on the roof of it's home.  A parent bird came and sat on one end, chirped several times, moved closer to the young one, waited, and away they went.

        Kind of like "people life."  Finally I heard our daughter stirring in her room and my wife in ours.  As a father, that was almost an hour of watching life unfold.  What a treasured time together for all three of us.

        What a delight to cheer our remarkable daughter on in her life's adventures.  My prayer then, and now, is that she fly long and strong in all her future days.

        This has been a good 2013 Father's Day of remembering.  I am one proud Dad.  Indeed.

Life By Design--166/199

Saturday:  15June13--a month half gone/Saturday reflections

        2013 will soon be half over.  Yeh. Yeh. Yeh, they say.  All the olde people say life is going faster.

        This olde man would join that chorus.  Some how 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, 28/30/31 days in a month, 12 months in a year, 10 years in a decade all seem to ramp up faster than the imagination can take in.

        Quietly about some chores on this Saturday morning.  Getting wonderfully stuck in the reading of the galley proofs of a new novel (not out yet, but written by a friend and sent to some of his friends for possible endorsements...thoroughly "blaming him" for not getting some chores done...hard to put the book down...that good!).  Getting ready to run errands later with my love.  Still needing to go exercise.  My mind is also drifting back over this past week.

        The tragedy and franticness of the Black Forest Fire looms large.  400+ homes lost.  As far as we know, people we knew personally still have theirs, but what a loss in a variety of directions to what was once a beautiful landscape.

        Skype and in-person conversations over the past week have been some of the richest yet.  One developing leader, with some honest awe at what our God is doing in his life stated, "It feels like I am supposed to be!"  From where he's come I join him in being grateful for where he is.

        Thursday evening we even made some new friends.  Invited to a mutual friend's home, it was a deep delight to encourage them in the formation of their own non-profit.  A lasting memory there is the host family's three youngest kids making sure Judy didn't fall out of their hammock...what truly great kids, due to the creative love and care of sincerely amazing parents.

        Then back to one more reminder that, yes, seconds, days, decades do march on.  Though experienced 8 days ago, on the 5th, there was a generous acknowledgement of my being 71.  That was a total surprise.  Deeply moved.  Thank you Mark and Lorrie and kiddos and Bryan and Tara and Judy.

        I enjoyed the comment on the cake.  Life to the max!  That is my hope.  My dream.  My prayers.  Also for all those I know and care about.  I sincerely encourage the same for you.

        Today.  Reflecting.  Absorbing the thoughts of the One Who loves us most, that he came that we might have not just life, but life more abundantly.  Realizing again today, that the heaven-sent definition of "abundantly" and mine are some times a bit different.  Grace takes care of the difference.

        For that unending grace, and for this week past, inspite of abundant difficulties, both personal and in the lives of others, this time of Saturday reflection has been a moment when heaven and earth have seemed to touch.  My heart is quiet.

.................................and thanks-filled.

 

Life By Design--165/200

Friday:  14June13--building up current and future generations

        Cancer potentials.  Health restored.  Destruction by fire.  Construction of new dreams.  Imperfect births.  The beauty of a newborn.  Marriages ending.  Marriages beginning.  Friendships shredded.  Potential friendships.  Money gone.  Surprising financial gain.  Heritage honored.  Racism still evident.  God is silent.  God-whispers abound.  Work that sucks.  Vocations that fulfill.  Sorrow for the past.  Courage for the future.  Fearing change.  Welcoming the future.

        All of the above have been some of the pieces of my thoughts today as I've been in my office working on the Circle of Life Mentoring Project.  It has been a relentlessly productive day.  So far.

        As is the Friday habit, when home.  Get up.  Open the windows to let in the early morning cool.  Start the coffee.  Go get the Denver Post.  Put it where Judy will see it when she gets up.  Sit in the quiet.  Ponder yesterday.  Pray for today.  Wait.  Breathe deep and slow.  Inhale.  Exhale.  Listen.  Trust.  Acknowledge.  Prepare to engage.

        Recalling the hike made to this isolated lighthouse on the northern California coast a few weeks ago.  Remembering meditating on the far horizon.  Realizing, afresh, that good mentoring is, at times, similar to a lighthouse.  Guiding the way.  Helping keep people off the rocks that could sink them.  Sending them on with blessing.  Welcoming them back at another point on their journey.  Being a constant in the changing winds and tides of life.

        A brief article in the Denver Post this morning fueled all this thinking in the midst of writing.  Finally chased down this article in The Associated Press.  Stunning figures.  Way important to realize as we call out and mentor forward future generations.  This is coming, whether we dare to think about it or not.

        The importance of creative, good, integrative, audacious, intentional, deep-change, whole life, transformational mentoring for all ages, ethnicities, genders, etc., is going to be all the more crucial.  This mentoring will be a beacon into the future of our world.

This is the creative devotion of the rest of my days.

 

Life By Design--164/201

Thursday:  13June13--beauty and destruction.  What to make of it all.

        Predawn this morning I was heading over to Fitness19 for a workout.  This is what greeted me as I turned the corner.

        Here on the edge of the Great Plains and on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, wind patterns can be ultra erratic.  In fact that is causing problems in fighting the huge fire down in CSprings, the quickly shifting winds.  One fact from yesterday is that the fire was distinctly moving in two directions at the same time.

        The dark area to the left is caused by smoke blowing up this way (from 45 miles away).  Then the wind is pushing back so that the sunrise over the plains is also evident.  My trusty iPhone took the shots.

Here is where I hang out in the early morning.

        In between everyone working out, the fire was the main topic of conversation.  All the televisions were tuned to the intense reports from various local channels.  The mood was subdued.  Unusual.  My own thoughts heavy with concern.

        As do we, some also have friends in the stricken zone.  Beyond the smile on this olde man (a trainer took this quick pic), my heart was praying for those we know down there.  The continuing discomfort of my leg issues (again) seemed honestly insignificant to what others are experiencing, here in Colorado.

        This second picture of the sky was taken barely one minute after the first one above.  The changing wind patterns keep turning the fire back on itself.  Where people thought it was OK, done, had passed by, it keeps coming back around.

        Words do fail in moments like this.  We pray for the strength that only our Triune can give for those afflicted.  Here.  And elsewhere.

 

Life By Design--163/202

Wednesday:  12June13--it was just a spark.

Flame.

        Aching for friends in CSprings with the huge Black Forest Fire.  Aching for those who are remembering last year and the Waldo Canyon fire down there.

        Amazing what a simple, single, small spark can do.  Even up here, 45 miles to the north, the smoke is heavy. 

        Just got a call of other friends who are also being told to evacuate.  It's going to be a long night for some really good people.  Hard to imagine.

        Makes me curious about what we would take if we had only 30 minutes to evacuate our home.  What would you?

...........and,

pardon a bit of a quiet rant.  But I've read some reports where people have said, "We prayed and God showed up.  Our home is saved."  OK.  Good.  Does that mean when someone prayed and their house burned that God was on vacation?

        Sloppy theology is not to be shared like that any time, let alone in tragic and uncertain times like this.  I could go on, but I'll cease.

        Let's pray that those affected, somehow sense God with them, as promised.  For those dear souls I claim our Lord's last recorded words, "I will never leave you or forsake you, even to the end of time."  This I do believe, whether one's house remains standing or ends up in ashes.

 

Life By Design--162/203

Tuesday:  11June13--what does going barefoot have to do with it?

        This is what's left of breakfast this morning here in our home.  Just about every other week, but not often here at home, I meet with an exceptional young business leader.  Our conversations keep getting better and deeper and richer time after time.

        Our conversation took us to thinking through what Moses faced in adverse situations.  How did he even get going into the adventure to which he was called?  This was relevant because my young friend is also facing some trying times.  God is gaining his attention is some really important ways.

        He shared with me the following he had heard recently from a friend who happens to be a wise rabbi.  You can catch the drift.  In exchanging emails of our time together, his words are in blue.  Mine are in brown.

        "He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land that he promised on oath to our ancestors."  Deuteronomy 6:23 NRSV

        there = Egypt

        Egypt = narrow place: physical/geography (along the Nile), spiritual/world view (made to worship false gods), financial (slaves to Pharaoh), marriage/family (boys thrown into Nile), vocational (bricks without straw), and all other dimensions (slavery)

        in + The Promised Land 

        Such good conversation with you this morning.  I am marking this date in my journal.  Not sure all the reasons why yet but expect to discover as our Sacred Future unfolds.

*       *       *       *       *       *       *

Hey!

Outstanding!!  Thank you!!!

        I think you are approaching being a Moses figure at the burning bush.  Careful what you do with your sandals during this significant time.

        I, too, sense this is a time to pay attention to.  The moments together were so clear, clean, good, life-giving, challenging, encouraging.  Our Sacred Future is passing by every moment, and there is way more to come.

...thankful for you in all 8 dimensions!  :-)

Wes

PS:  I'm being careful with my own sandals.................................

*       *       *       *       *       *       *

Wes,

        I had Moses on my mind this morning as well.  For Moses wearing your sandals was a lot like sitting in the car is for us.  We don't "wear" our cars unless we are going somewhere.

        God asking Moses to remove his sandals was his way of saying you are right where you need to be, there's nowhere else to go.

        It's one of the reasons I take my shoes off at your house.  I don't want to get your carpets dirty, but deeper than that, there's nowhere else for me to be when we're together.  It is appropriate to take off my shoes because our time together is set apart. Holy.

So thankful for both the traveling and the barefoot moments with you.

        It's now the end of this Tuesday, but I've been chewing on this valued conversation all day long.  What a good way to begin and end this day.

 

Life By Design--161/204

Monday:  10June13--sorting through the root(s) of it all:

        To sum up today in five words:  This Monday has been one good, hard, clarifying, painful, excellent day of getting a lot accomplished, inspite of some circumstances.  How would you sum up this Monday for your own life in five words?

        For the most part, this being a "writing day," I've been glued to the chair here in our kitchen.  The time has been spent, reading, researching, reviewing, communicating to the LDG Team, pondering, praying, considering possibilities that have shown up new and fresh in all that has taken place.

        There have been many roots of past happenings and ideas to dig through.  Some to leave to grow.  Some to trim and replant.  Some to dig up, now, and toss to the four winds and not take them back in any form or fashion.

        And, owning a "temporary addiction," that comes round twice a year, time out was taken to watch The Voice with my wife.  Who will be the last three standing tomorrow night?  "America has voted," Carson Daly will intone.  We wish it could be four of the five.  :-)  Not just three.

        As I've sifted through Leadership Design Group's future today, I found a deep flowing vein of encouragement, similar to those underground streams hydrologists tell is have the capacity of seeping to flowing through bedrock.  Some remarkable souls are showing up on the horizon of our future to help us get to where we need to go.......to be.

        Thus, part of the delight of today has been a bit scattered.  However, as this day concludes, I find that distinct categories are continuing to form.  I am putting some needs/categories in envelopes/computer files for others to attend to.  Some only have my name on them.  Something is forming beyond my prayers and dreams.

        There is a "promised land," of sorts, out there while still here on the planet.  It is the future we are each being given.  At the same time, we need not forget the truth of that olde spiritual, "This world is not my home, I'm just a passin' through".

    Obviously, we're not there yet, whatever, wherever, the "there of there" is.  Today, to know we are not alone on the journey brings deep peace for tonight and bright hope for tomorrow.

        Good night!

 

Finally...Caught up! 160/205 :-)

Sunday:  9June13--nice to be caught up with past days!

        Friends have asked, "Why are you keeping a log of your days this year on your blog?"

        My response, "Why not.  Heading into this calendar year there has been the potential of much growth from several directions, both with our work and personally with me as a person.  The year has proven to be both hard and making changes that need to be made.  It certainly has not been a dull year.  It is turning into the most important year of my work life."

        Today, the physical weariness I've been experiencing is still present.  However, my soul is at peace.  The quiet of this day has been a gift, even in the midst of going on some errands.  Still a puzzle as to what is going on physically.

        Tomorrow is planned as a writing day, all day.  I am welcoming that.  The importance of the vast mentoring project is growing daily.  It needs to be done, of that I am all the more convinced.  Research done this past week is only fueling my passion to be doing this major writing on the subject of mentoring.  Some unique discoveries have been made and will be shared, in time.

        Just to prime the curious pump, this sketch by Leonardo DeVinci will be figuring in how we explain the Circle of Life Mentoring Model in the future.  The educator/author, Parker Palmer's thinking is also making  a huge contribution.  I am learning, exploring, discovering as never before in my years.

        The oldest man I am currently mentoring (retired, vibrant 59yo businessman) is also accepting the challenge to do some additional research and writing.......what a gift he is to this growing process, since he is fuly experiencing what the Circle of Life Mentoring Model is all about!

        In the midst of the "stuff of life," this is all quite exciting.

 

Catching up: Life By Design--159/206

Saturday:  8June13--the wide variety of sacred spaces.......

        Shortly after dawn today I picked up one of the good men I'm mentoring locally.  We have been walking together in a mentoring friendship for close to seven years now.  He is married to a very special lady and is the father of one daughter and three sons.  As a savy businessman, he is on the grow in his influence.  It has been a most welcome journey with him.

        He had heard me speak of a six hour spiritual formation time I've done with several other men, and asked for us to do that, as well.  Today, Saturday, was the day that fit into both our schedules.

        West of Castle Rock, off I-25 several miles, is a hidden gem of a place called The Sancturary.  Down in a gulley a prayer labyrinth has been laid out.  One word, of many descriptive words, has always been used with the variety of men I've taken there whom I mentor:  powerful.

        From time to time, I by myself have gone there to pour out, off load, fill up my soul with whatever the Triune has waiting in those moments.  For me, too, the experience has always been powerful.  Some might find this strange.  I find it sacred, to the max!  So do those who are spiritually hungry and courageous enough to enter into this experience, which I delight in sharing with others.

        Time spent here usually takes about three hours.  Then we drove over to the Sacred Heart Retreat Center (another beautiful place that is there for silent retreats) and spent another three hours.  At each place, whomever I take has a total silent experience for about two hours, with us having conversation inbetween those times.

        Though there for them, as I was yesterday for this good man, I spend focused time praying for whoever is with me.  I also relish the time of silence for my own spiritual journey.  Yesterday was no exception to experiencing the movement of the Spirit within my own soul.

        Sacred space doesn't always have to be in solitude, or on a mountain top.  Being with the love of my life creates that as well.  Thanks to one of the men I mentor, via Skype, we did dinner out to finish off this week of celebrating my 71st birthday.  It has been a good, thoughtful, ultimately life-giving week.

        We began this week, last Sunday, at the Colorado Symphony.  We've ended it there again tonight.  What a great concert tonight with Doc Severinsen and his group, with the symphony.  We had perfect seats.  The fourth song on the program was my favorite melody in all music:  Gabriel's Oboe, the theme from the film The Mission.  It might as well have been the angel Grabiel blowing his horn.  All that turned Boettcher Concert Hall into more sacred space for the day.

        What a beautiful, even fun reminder, that sacred space is wherever we are.  Sometimes the quiet of nature.  Simetimes dinner with the one you love.  Sometimes the delight of an olde trumpet player with a symphony (Severinsen is now 85 and going strong).  Sometimes allowing music to take you where you need to be within your own soul.

        My favorite rendition of Gabriel's Oboe is Yo-Yo Ma playing it with the composer, Ennio Morricone.  Even now, it has moved me, as it always does, no matter my mood or the moment.  A good way to seek sleep on this day.......after listening to this exceptional YouTube of this song by one remarkable voice.  Listen to the interview, and stick with it to the singing.  Enjoy.  And good night!