Mississippi By Flashlight-Things That Are Important

As my friend Robert relates the story, it started with a question: "Do you want to ride from San Francisco this summer?" I suppose all great adventures start the same way; ‘What say we climb Everest this summer!’, or, ‘Why don’t we try to Race Across America in two or three days!’ So we mapped out a route and did it. San Francisco to the San Fernando Valley. No “Look” Pedals, no light-weight camping equipment, no experience, and not a whole lot of sense. But we did it. What makes it important almost 20 years later?

I’m still riding bikes. And I’m currently planning to ride across the United States (or part of it) to celebrate my turning 50 in 2010. And whenever I doubt the possibility of the ride across America, I always fall back on this: Not a problem. I rode from San Francisco to the San Fernando Valley in ‘88’. With tennis shoes!

Second, Robert and I are still the closest of friends. And I’m fairly convinced that a significant aspect of the continued friendship is that we did the ride together. We survived yelling at each other during major bonks. We survived big hills; we survived bad truck drivers (I hope Julianne isn’t reading this), we survived hail storms and rain and ….more days with bad blood sugar levels.

The year was 1989. I was driving to inner-city Chicago for a short-term mission’s trip. Glenn and I decided to make a road trip of it, driving across Texas and then roughly following Blues history as we traveled up the Mississippi.

From my journal:
Mississippi by flashlight. City: Durant.
“Let’s see-Tues. Glenn and I got in a tiff after I asked him not to cuss. A fairly heated argument ensued in which he said that he wasn’t going to go out of his way to avoid it as it was part of his usual repertoire…..I said-for he said I was always judging him…..Anyway, it went as far as me screaming, ‘Well, maybe we shouldn’t be friends anymore or some such thing……”

Needless to say, 20 years later and I count him as the closest of buds. Looking back; those friends that I did road trips with, or rode on trips with, remain closest today. Even through some heated fights and immature behaviors. But through many rich experiences as well.

Also from my journal:
“Wed. we did New Orleans the French ¼. Quite nice. We spent the morning walking together then separated til dinner. The evening was wonderful. After dinner we went to Preservation Hall and, despite one obnoxious character, enjoyed some classic Jazz….”

New Fat Burning Diet

The new fat-burning diet: coffee and green M&M’s. That IS my diet; but it’s not fat-burning (as you might have guessed)---it’s fat producing. So I’m doing it. Yup. I’m going to buy a scale, one of the ones that measures % of body fat AND tells you your weight. And I’m going to try to not consume boxes of cookies and bags of M&M’s while I’m at home. I only have to lose a little. It’s the attempt at discipline that’s scary. (Kudos to those friends of mine who successfully fight this battle and continue to win).

I’m going to consistently ride (as I’ve been doing since March). I’m going to start doing intervals. Really. By December 31, 2007 my average riding speed will be AT LEAST 15 MPH! And to gain ground on the bike, there is one more thing that I must do.

Back and stomach strengthening. The back pain scares me. It reminds me that I’m only a short step away from significant pain, short-term paralysis, and possible surgery. So I need to do these exercises.

I’m worn out just thinking about it. I need a cookie.

There Will Be Great Earthquakes...

There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. Luke 21:11

My customer thanked me for the strawberry croissant, and then reminded me to buy water. Three days worth of water, at least, is what he advised. Because if an earthquake hits the Coachella Valley, they are predicting that it will be around 7.8.

Side note to this: I was getting ready to go out and buy water, and then I thought: Wait! Water comes out of my tap, doesn't it? Why can't I just fill plastic bottles with my tap water? If there's an earthquake, and I'm dying of thirst, am I going to be thinking-"But it's not from an artesian well!"

After the Northridge quake, I'd taken an earthquake preparedness class, and had taken all the appropriate cautions. TV velcro'd down, book cases bolted to the wall(s), water and food for three days. But I've slacked off. So, this was a good warning. Especially coming on the heels of a small earthquake last week in the Chatsworth area.

I got home to see news of the devastation caused by a quake in Peru. And warnings of hurricane Dean's move into Jamaica.

Reminders all to pray for those in the path of destruction, and do whatever else we can. Contributions to aid groups, or whatever our hearts lead us to.

Additionally, prepare for calamity. Just in case.

Governor Richardson and Melissa Etheridge-Missing the Mark (But Melissa's Closer)

“Do you think homosexuality is a choice or is it biological?” That’s the question Melissa Etheridge asked Governor Bill Richardson the other night as Democrat Presidential candidates met to debate the issue of homosexuality.

I came across the issue on Hot Air,(see video here) and while listening to the Phil Hendrie show while driving home in the wee hours this morning. I’ve read and listened to numerous discussions on the issue, and I’ve not heard anybody address the issue with any truth or compassion. On the truth side of things, Melissa Etheridge is closer, but still ends up missing the mark significantly.

When asking the question of Governor Richardson, Melissa said, “Your Creator made you that way…and there’s a document that was written 200 years ago that says you are entitled to certain rights.”

Melissa’s right. Our Creator did make us a certain way. Furthermore, there’s a document written 2000 years ago that speaks not only to our rights, but to our sin and brokenness as well.

The Creator made the world a certain way. We were made to be satisfied completely in God. But Sin entered the world, and we decided to go our own way, apart from the way we were created.

As part of the brokenness, much of our wiring is haywire since birth. More than likely there are pre-dispositions towards same-sex attraction, or alcoholism, or over-eating. That coupled with all of our experiences in childhood cause us to think and feel that this is how we were created, or meant to be.

Say I have big hurts (though I may not be cognizant of them) that I need fixed. So I run to sexual experiences; pornography or one-night stands (or a million other bad behaviors). All of my experiences, plus my brokenness, and hurt, is so bad that I feel a strong bent that way. Try as I might to do anything else, something akin to powerful locomotive power is pulling into whatever my particular bent is.

So when Melissa Etheridge says, ‘Do you think a homosexual is born that way or do you think that around 7th grade we go, oooh, I want to be gay?’, she’s obviously referring to the pull of that train; that for all she can tell all of her ‘being’ is being pulled into homosexuality. But that is not her true self being pulled, it’s the bent of her broken self.

Her true self was created to be satisfied in God. And it is as we fight for, and joyfully delight in, our true selves that we fully see the emptiness and darkness that we gave way to in living in our false self. But seeing our brokenness and bent for what it is requires that we go to our Creator for healing, and not try to fix ourselves by ourselves…..as that’s part of how we continue to be broken in the first place.

The Bodie Pictures-First Set

Bodie, Ca. Where, "being framed" has a different meaning now than it did in the late 1800's.
The Methodist Church. "H" took this picture of Bodie from the hill where the stamping mill is located. Gold ore, gold mustard.

Catholic/Protestant Discussion

I listened to all 2 hours of the interview....It's mostly 'inside baseball'; a thought provoking discussion about Frank Beckwith's reversion to Catholocism. The link will send you over to Hugh's website where I originally found it.

Bears and Bunnies

Short disclaimer first......It's a fictional poem.......hypothetical....

***********************************************************
We were kids playing Mod Squad, bears and bunnies,
In neighborhood driveways, up the stairs, and on the roof;
To prove our bond of honor we swapped ucky spit and blood.

The hound I had in high school could draw blood with fang and claw,
Attacking other dogs, on lawns and down the street;
To prove his loyalty, he’d lie down and bear his neck.

The man who came to teach us could summon angels with a word,
Teaching about God, on the hills of Galilee,
To prove His unique position, he washed ucky feet and bled.

Now you tell me you want back in, want to play at marriage once again,
With neighbor families up the street and at the church;
But you have no code of honor, are not willing to bear your neck,
And you never really gave up of yourself.

Freaky Phone Call

Sometimes, things happen in life where I look up to God in heaven and say, "WHAT?!"

Now this wouldn't be so freaky, except for the previous post. The wife just called me, primarily to tell me that she had some weird dream in which I had to answer a whole bunch of questions, and when I got one wrong ("African or European Swallow?")-they electrocuted me. Apparently my death was pretty gruesome. But that's beside the point.

One of the things she mentioned was that she really has respected about me in the whole process is that I've kept the wedding ring on and haven't (totally) given up on the relationship.

Livin and walkin by faith.....ya gotta love the process (and the God that is involved in it!)

The Ring

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the land of Mordor where the shadows lie.

Why do I still have my wedding ring on? A couple of folks have asked me this question. Makes sense-it's a logical question. No easy, cold, logical answer though. At times, I feel it is an incredible burden; heavy and pulling me down. I would be best off throwing it deep into the Crack of Doom at Mordor’s edge. Or at least stashing it in the treasure box that sits on my armoire.

Other times I think I should keep it on until the ink is dry on the final divorce document. It’s the visible sign of the covenant. It’s symbolic of a man who walks with God, “He swears to his own hurt and does not change."

At the very least, I can tell you this. It keeps me honest. I’m still legally married. Spiritually, I’m not so sure. I’ll save that for another post. In the meantime, it’ll probably stay on until the ink is dry. Or until Gollum steals it away.

Drawing Copyright 1979 Running Press. Drawing by Michael Greene.

Stressed? Do The Math.

Stress. Occasionally there’s talk of ‘good stress,’ but mostly, when people talk about stress they talk about some thing that has the potential to kill you. Stress and my reaction to it can doubly kill me. For example, as I’m typing this I’m eating a 21.30 Oz. bag of m&m’s®-and telling myself NOT to finish it off in this one sitting…..According to David Fontana, “A useful definition...is that stress is a demand made upon the adaptive capacities of the mind and body. If these capacities can handle the demand and enjoy the stimulation involved, then stress is welcome and helpful. If they can't and find the demand debilitating, then stress is unwelcome and unhelpful.”

Anecdotal evidence suggests that roughly 100% of the readership of this blog are dealing with significant stress factors in their lives. So I’m putting this out there as a public service. So go ahead and TAKE THE TEST. Note that it’s only a general guideline. And it seems like some of the categories are (to quote Professor Sam Moss) inextricably intermeshed. For example, I’m separated from my wife: Do I also count points for sex difficulties, change in arguments (they’re not happening now) and social activities change?

My score was a whopping 289 points! (plus or minus up to 321) What I included:
Divorce, change in family health, change in financial state, responsibility at work, living conditions change, recreation change, social activities change, car loan, home alone, and law violations (the whole incident with Paris Hilton has really had me on edge this last week).


Take the test. Add up your score. And then decide if you are a potential walking time-bomb. If so---make sure you are finding adequate ways to decompress.