Posts Tagged: adventure

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17
Jun 10

Too Far To Turn Back

Howdy.  It’s me again… I survived full disclosure from the last blog. 

The only thing that I am concerned about is if any friends of mine who read the blog wondered if I thought they were boring.  Not at all.  It’s my friends who don’t read my blog who are boring.

But opening up about something that makes me look bad isn’t something I typically do.  But I’m on a journey beyond where I am.  I know that it seems odd to some who read this blog… especially people who know me.  Actually, I have a great life, I am very fulfilled and by the standards of many people pretty successful.

How well you are doing isn’t the proper measuring rod.  It is how much are you capable of?  And how much more there is that you are letting slip through your fingers? 

I am determined not to take the easy way.  I have had several people say that they admired the fact that I am writing a blog (especially writing two entries a week).  I am very appreciative and thankful for their kind words.  But if there is something a person is called to do (and I truly believe I am to write this blog) then there can be no other option but do it. 

The compelling quiet whisper that invaded my heart and head is relentless in its firm gentle way.  It is the quiet whisper that is calling me to venture beyond my comfortable world into the risky business of the unknown.

So I continue to press on… and let me say… it has made life much more of an adventure.   The final verses of Robert Frost’s Road Less Traveled are right on.

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I– 
I took the one less traveled by, 
And that has made all the difference.
…Robert Frost

 

Traveling the path into the unknown and unfamiliar is risky, time consuming and demands investment.  It takes a lot of effort to start and effort to maintain momentum, but the ongoing investment is eventually transformed into passion.

“At some point, turning back is not an option.”

 

When is the last time you tried something for the first time?  Is there something stirring from within that demands attention? 

Hopefully this little blog is challenging you to lean in closely to the voice trying to get your attention.  Life is too short to ignore the “what if”. 

I am sorry if I am sounding a little preachy… I don’t mean to be.  I do want to encourage.  

What is the one small thing that you think you are to do that you’re not doing?  Is there a call you need to make, letter to write, a person you need to forgive, to let go of the failure you hang on too, read that book, go to that church, write that song, or release the rock that you have carried for too long.

For me it was to take that first step beyond the safe wall of self and write this blog.  Thank God I have.

See you Monday

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3
May 10

A Time Box

Good Day!

I feel kinda weird this morning, I sit pecking away on my computer trying to allow escape of anything of worth and meaning.

This journey of life I am on is taking a new twist… we are unexpectedly moving (that’s a story for a different time).

Don’t be afraid of unexpected twists and turns in life.  They used to rattle me.  But I have learned that they tend to be gateways not obstacles.  What I viewed as a negative, in the greater scheme, were amazing points of growth and opportunity. 

The beauty of a river is not in the straightness of the path.  The beauty and contribution a river makes is in the countless twists and turns as it winds its way through the countryside providing life and enjoyment.   So my river of life is taking a new bend to new territory.  It’s not comfortable but it’s exciting.

So back to my weird start, it is due primarily to the pensive mood I am in.  As I mentioned, my wife and I are moving so I spent most of the afternoon yesterday sorting through boxes in the basement.  Most of the boxes have lain dormant for years tucked out of the way in their assigned corner unnoticed, undisturbed.    

Most of the boxes contained bits and pieces of kitchen and household stuff that when opened demanded an impulsive burst of, “Why in the world did we keep this?”

But then I opened a box of stuff that my mother had in her home.  I am one of five and she had boxes for each of us kids where she tossed all sorts of oddball things that were mementos of our youth.

It was like opening a box of time. 

Side Note:  To get a perspective of where you are and where you are going it is necessary to periodically look back.  It is not a place to dwell but a place that provides context.

 

Most of the boxes I opened with casual disregard… a chore that needed to be accomplished and expediency the goal.

But when I pulled this box onto my lap there was a pause, a sudden slowness to my cadence.  There was an unexpected soberness. 

I cracked the box and the distinct smell of time escaped… musty, dusty and fragile. 

I had very mixed feelings about the box.  Like most people I grew up with a mixed bag of good things and not so good things. 

I was blessed with some wonderful positives that laid a magnificent foundation for my life.  Two things particularly shouted loudly.

  1. I was loved… really loved.  There is nothing more beautiful and foundational. 
  2. Faith… a real, personal, meaningful, relevant faith. 

But… there’s always a “but”, I have other parts of my youth that shaped me in a not so positive way. 

Allow me to share a couple of examples for context.  I knew that we moved a lot.  In my baby book mom listed my birthdays and each of the first nine I lived in a different town.  Secondly, most people enjoyed their high school years, not me, mine were awful. 

I unpacked and sorted the box physically but over the next couple of blogs I plan to unpack it mentally.

There’s a lot stirring.  Not bad stuff, it’s a good stirring.  Its things that I believe will serve me well on my current journey.

If you stick with me over the next couple of blogs you too may learn something about yourself from my time box.

See you Thursday.

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26
Apr 10

Making A Memory

Aloha.  No… I’m not in Hawaii.  “Aloha” just popped in my head so I said it.  It’s probably obvious by now that weird things pop in my head and I just go with it.

I have had the privilege to travel several places, two of which are Hawaii and Wales.

Side Note: Yes, I know that this is a weird comparison but stick with me and you will see that it comes to a remarkably meaningless point.  (just kidding… just kidding)

My wife and I visited Hawaii first and then a few years later to Wales.  The native language of both is remarkable, and they are especially interesting when compared side by side.  Here is a representative example of the two languages in comparing the names of two towns… Kealakekua, Hawaii and Pwllgwyngyll, Wales.  My wife said she thought that Hawaii should share some of their vowels with Wales.

This a small weird example but that’s the excitement and joy of going to new places… the thrill of experiencing something different and finding quirky things.

The example may be travel but there’s a principle here that is important for all of us who desire to grow and learn.  Being willing to try new things and go to new places is the cornerstone.  This does not mean traveling to exotic places or doing expensive stuff.  It is just stepping beyond our circle of comfort.

It is important to point out that sameness and constancy is not a bad thing.  There is a very important place for this.  Sameness and constancy provide a stabilizer in a very turbulent chaotic world.  But if not careful, these stabilizing elements subtly sedate and we are slowly absorbed into complacency.  And we drone along in life missing multitudes of simple joys that are just outside arms reach because our fingers are comfortably clasped resting on our tummy.

An analogy that fits my thinking is this, sameness and constancy is kinda like the prairie land mass and the different and quirky are the mountains and valleys.  I personally believe that you need both in proper levels to experience life’s fullness.

But it’s the different and quirky experiences that provide dimension and texture to life and it is these that create the memories.

So as you know (if you have been hanging out with me on this blog for any length of time), I like to try different things.  Well… I want to share something that me and some friends did the other evening that was great fun, somewhat quirky (not kinky) and very entertaining.

And yes… because a risk was taken, this activity created a memory that we will share and talk about for years.

So join me Thursday for the details.  It may be something you would like to try.

Aloha!

Weird Side Note: Aloha… Hello and good-bye.  Pretty cool word, or were they just being lazy?

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12
Apr 10

Snake Bite

Well, I guess it’s time to get moving again.  Every now and then you need to stop and just hang out and talk but now back to the task at hand, climbing the mountain.

As most of you know this is a journey that I started January 4th of this year.  It has been rewarding and pretty interesting.  I have gotten all kinds of responses, most of which have been very supportive and individuals happy to cheer me on.  I thank all of you who have encouraged me along the way.

I have not had anyone discourage me but I have had others who look at me with a vacant stare and slowly nod politely with a… “That’s nice.”  All the while their head continues to slowly nod in a mechanical motion and you can see in their eyes… “Why in the world would anyone want to do that?”  But once again I can’t pay any attention to their non-interest.

I think I am beginning to get a handle on this “not worrying what people think thing” and glibly make a statement about not paying attention to people’s non-interest… then I am quickly body slammed to the mat by reality.

Let me explain what I mean.  Something very interesting occurred about two weeks ago.  A friend showed me the web statistics section in the behind-the-scenes portion of my blog site.  I am not a techy person so this was new territory.  This statistics section reveals all kinds of data but in particular the number of visits I get on the blog.

Interesting Statistics (to me anyway):

  • This blog has had over 7,000 hits since January 1st.
  • Averages about 500 per week
  • 39 different countries (mostly hackers probably – 4 from China)

True Confession: Of the 7,000+ hits, I am probably 1,000 of them.  The first few weeks I checked in all the time.

Now I have a new dilemma.  I have enough ego and competition in me to cause me some trouble.  I catch myself checking all too often to see how many hits I am getting.  This is not a good thing.  It causes me to think too much.

Yep… you guessed it… it plays right into my need to please people and have people’s approval.

But here’s the learning that applies to us all.  We embark on these personal journeys and make real progress.  But whatever we struggled with has a way of sneaking in and catching our attention at the most unexpected times.  It’s kinda like someone you broke up with and you end up regularly seeing them in the background with that Fatal Attraction look.

It’s frustrating but that’s just part of the process.  The spurned object of our former devotion does not exist without us.  It needs us for existence.  So it keeps showing up in a new way, trying to recapture our time, energy and devotion.

“New level, new devil.”

- Joyce Meyer

What ever we struggle with will show up in different ways to catch us unaware or just waits until we let down our guard or our resolve.

So we keep trekking up this mountain enjoying the company, enjoying the new scenery and keeping watch for those snakes that hide waiting for the right moment to bite.

Let’s face it, if you are an explorer you will get bitten.  Here’s the good news, you will never die from the bite.  You only die if you panic and run away… running pumps the poison to the heart.

You must calmly remove the snake, release the poison, realize that this is part of the process, and continue.

So I continue… with a limp and patched up ankle.

See ya Thursday.

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1
Apr 10

Trick-or-Truth

Hello.  Welcome back.

This blog thing is getting pretty draining.  I think I will give it up.

Psyche!  April Fool’s.

I know, I know… pretty childish.  Just messin with you.  I better not get too spunky, some of you may actually be bummed that I plan to continue to write.  Oh well.  I think it best I move on before I dig this hole any deeper.

In the last blog I started to respond to a comment made by Kathy.  I touched on the topic of Truth.  I mentioned that I believe there is Truth and there are truths.

Note to all of my non-Christ follower friends:  This is a topic that will definitely have some spiritual context.  I am not expecting for you to believe like I do but I do hope that I share some things that may cause you to think.

I would really like to have your thoughts and comments because I am open to have my thinking stirred also.  So please share your perspective.  Once again, don’t worry, I won’t get preachy on you.

Just so you know, I believe that all truth comes from a single source… God.

There are two distinguishing characteristics of Truth that I would like to poke around on for a bit.  They are, Truth Informs and Transforms.  I plan on talking about how Truth Transforms in the next blog on Monday but for today I will tackle Informs.

Honest Confession: I used the word “Informs” because it had a nice ring when partnered with “Transforms”.

Yes it is shallow and self serving but you gotta admit… the words do sound good together (Sort of like Captain and Tannille, Sunny and Cher or Pebbles and Bam Bam).

Although the word “Inform” is somewhat descriptive it is much too mundane and vanilla for the weight and significance it carries.  There is nothing mundane or vanilla about Truth.

What I mean by Informs is that Truth has a way of quietly piercing the clutter to let us know that we are nearing something of substance and significance.  There is a weighty awareness about the situation we’re in or a thought about something we are mulling over that stills us with… “there is something big here that is deserving of my attention.”

I tried to come up with an example but I found it extremely difficult.  I could not articulate anything that even comes close to the point I am trying to make.

It dawned on me that this is the nature of Truth.  You can’t wrap your mind around it in total.  These encounters provide a small pin hole, a glimpse, of Truth.  As you go through life these small pin holes begin to form a picture, a sense of Who and what Truth is all about.

I believe that Truth is constantly being revealed but we are unaware or blind.  One has to be open and ready, expecting something at any time.  This is not a burdensome duty of being on the “look out” but a childlike anticipation and excitement of discovery at any moment.

In our small community we have neighborhood parades on Memorial Day and Labor Day.  About 9:45 in the morning the homes on each street begin sporadically burping up people to make their way to the parade route.

The children are the most fun to watch.  They are animated, alert and fidgety with excitement.  Even before you hear the siren of the lead police car there is a groundswell of energy that clearly announces that something is about to happen.  The kids start leaning out toward the street, stretching their necks and poking their heads over each other to be the first to get a glimpse of the flashing blue light that proclaiming the reality of something special.

This is the way I want to be in looking for Truth.  A childlike excitement and joy.

Truth is amazing.

See you Monday.

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18
Feb 10

How It Started

Amazing… nearly two months into this blog thing.  It may not be amazing to you but it sure is to me. 

Some may be wondering how the blog idea began tumbling around inside of me.  This past summer was when the idea emerged and the steps began. 

What I am about to do is a risk… a BIG risk.  I am going to share an entry that I made in my journal in August of this year.  It give a pretty clear sense of the impetus for this journey.  Hopefully it will help some of you who are considering a journey of your own.

My Journal

8/29/09

“Get up”, this is what Jesus said to the man beside the pool.  A man who for over 30 years was waiting to be healed.

Jesus’ request was a simple request for a person that is whole, but not simple from the standpoint of a cripple.

But he took Jesus at his word and stood up.

I tend to believe we are all crippled and maimed is some way.  The world, life, satan have taken its toll on humanity and we bear the marks of Sin in the world.  We are crippled in ways of which we are totally unaware.

But in faith I get up today.  I get up by writing today.  The first step on a journey that from every natural measure I am not equipped for or capable of doing.  I get up.

I get up and take a step.  Albeit feeble, weak and meek… I step.

I must not worry about falling.  No one may never read my work.  But I write. 

Not to be read but to please my Lord and because He asked me to get up.

It’s not like He hasn’t asked a thousand times before.  It’s just that now… I am finally finished with living the life of a cripple.  I can beat myself up for not moving sooner but that thinking is the thinking of a cripple.  Always beating ones self and adding to the load that weighs you down.

So with my eyes fixed on Him… I step. 

Full focus and attention on Him.  Circumstances will clamor for my glance.  But if I glance I will notice the perceived realities of my inadequacy and all the odds against me.

Very much like Peter who stepped out of the boat to walk to Jesus on the water, with his eyes fixed he moved forward, but as he noticed the wind and storm he sank.

I get up, I step out, I write, and my eyes are fixed on Thee.

Jerry

I hope this helps some of my fellow journey friends.  Thanks for reading.

Later.

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18
Jan 10

Head for the Hills

Hello, me again.

Last time we decided that this is a journey of exploration not destination.  So let’s explore.

I think it would be good to first get our bearings.  It’s important to know where you are.  So we are going to the mountain to look around and get a lay of the land.  We can wander around and decide where to head to next and what dragons we want to slay.

Bumper Sticker I saw yesterday:

“Not all who wander are lost”

We will have plenty of time to go through the valleys, peek in the caves and walk the streams, but right now… off to the mountain.

So I tighten my boots, straighten my pack and off we go.  We will explore as we go.

I love to explore.  I remember as a kid the pure joy of poking around old abandoned houses or attics.  I remember one time digging all around an old farm house because legend had it that one of its occupants buried their life savings during the Great Depression.

Why is exploring so exhilarating and fun?   The DISCOVERY.

There are things that magnify the experience of exploring.  You might say they are the steroids of exploration (sorry Mark).  They are the risks of the unknown, the magnitude of the potential, and the significance of the effort.  All mixed together they create a life cocktail that can be quite intoxicating.

I know people who literally search the globe going to exotic places for a new adventures and discovery.  I have one friend who actually climbed Mt. Everest.  I am not judging this at all.  You see, adventure and discovery is a part of our emotional DNA.

“From the moment of Creation, humankind has felt the pull toward discovery.”

- Penelope Stokes

But there is a question that must be asked, and it is a hard question.   We must ask… am I doing this to fill a hole or to be whole?  So I ask myself and you… am I going on this journey to fill a hole or to be whole? They sound the same but they originate from a totally different center point.  One is out of empty need the other out of fullness expanded.

I personally do not have a hole to be filled.  But God knows that I want the full expanse of being.  I want the whole enchilada of life.  And this has nothing to do with having to experience everything there is in the world.  If anything it is the opposite.  Let me quickly say, I do enjoy experiencing new things and traveling to see the vast beauty and diversity of our world.  But being full (some people say I am full of ”it”, but that is a different topic for a different time) of life and appreciation for the simple brings a wholeness and satisfaction no specific experience can bring.

Side Note:

I know that this may be a bit confusing because as I write it I find myself cocking my head.  But I do know that there is a core truth here… an important truth to grasp.

I feel sort of like the kid who knows there’s a horse in here somewhere.  You may have to dig through the crap to find it.  But it’s there.

Also, as mentioned earlier, this is a journey of discovery not destination.  Filling a hole is a destination.  So if you’re in need of filling a hole… you might be a bit frustrated by this meandering expedition of exploration.  But you’re still more than welcome to tag along.  I always enjoy the company.  And who knows, this may be one of the pieces that leads to filling the hole.

So let’s wander around and explore as we head up the mountain.

Since I am basically pretty lazy I am not looking forward to the climb. Mountains can be very difficult.  I would much prefer a picturesque helicopter ride to the top.  But once again, if I want the full expanse of being then the easy method is not the way to get there.

As we hike up the mountain we’ll chit chat.  I have something important I need to share in my next entry.  Hopefully it won’t cause you to stop traveling with me… but for some it might.

Later… how’s next Thursday?