Friday's Freedom leads to Saturday

So, I was talking with some fellow workers the other day and I asked--what is your favorite day of the week?

And of course the response was--Friday!

Really? I asked?

Yeah, sure they emphatically stated. What's your favorite day of the week?

Saturday, I replied.

And they looked at me! Of course it is their favorite day, too. I was just a wee bit outside the box they had made for themselves.

We can argue about favorite days of the week--but in my mind I'd rather be enjoying the day than planning to enjoy the day. People who love Fridays love it because the feel a sense of relief about coming to the end of another work week.

But we need to be in the moment! Be happy where we are because we have a lot of important things to do right where we are.

Enjoy the day!

Not constantly be thinking we'd rather be somewhere else.

Right--like the Dry Tortugas? Snorkeling?

Easier said than done.

Still, all things being what they are--my favorite day is still Saturday--even when the dog wakes me up at 4:30AM. That means I just get to enjoy more of my favorite day!

Counting on God - Song

I've been listening to a song lately that really gets me excited. It gets my mind and blood moving as I drive to and from work.

It is Counting on God by Jared Anderson© 2007 Vertical Worship Songs. Or watch and listen to Counting on God on You Tube.

The Bridge in the song is as follows:

The miracle of Christ in me

Is the mystery that sets me free

I'm nothing like I used to be

Open up your eyes you'll see

It is the bridge that pulls the entirety of the song together as it describes the miracle and the mystery that sets us free--

Free from what? You ask?

From the law of sin and death.

I have seen what I call mixed up Christianity lately. It is populated by those who do not understand the concept of not being under the law. They continue to hold onto parts and preach openly about performing duties under parts of the Law--but do not understand that you cannot hold onto only parts of the Law--you have to take it all or none. And if you hold onto the Law then you can only be justified by the Law and that is by definition: impossible! Except for Jesus who fulfilled the Law.

Galatians 2:16 says it best:

yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. - NET Bible

Hence the mixed up Christianity. It is good to be knowledgeable of the Law--in order to appreciate how Christ has set us free through grace. But--we cannot continue to hold onto parts of the Law because they are convenient. There is a lot of the Law which is not convenient.

So if the Law is designed to convict us and make us come to grips with our guilt--why do we insist on not recognizing the miracle which freed us from the grip of the Law?

We are a mixed up people. I think partly because we have a hard time accepting that the mystery of freedom is that it is free! We can't do anything and we are a people of doers. We have to do something to take ownership and make it feel like we deserve whatever it is we worked for.

But that's it--isn't it? We don't deserve it! No one is good enough or has done enough.

And the Chorus of the song is the kicker!

Joy unspeakable that won't go away

And just enough strength

To live for today

So I never have to worry

What tomorrow will bring

'Cause my faith is on solid rock

I am counting on God

I'm counting on God!

Autumn Colors

Two weekends ago as we were in Niagara Falls, I was surprised that the autumn colors were only beginning to be on display in the trees.

This picture was taken along the Niagara River of trees in colorful foliage--but no where near maximum color.

I had expected to see fully colored trees--robed in the colors of Autumn.

But not.

That has since occurred here in Maryland and the leaves are falling from the trees with increasing ferocity.

That coupled with the rain really lets me know--the dark times of winter are upon us.

But it is nice to enjoy the colors of the trees while they last because their beauty will sustain us though the gray and white season.

Leaves, Grass, and Autumn Lawn Mowing

I mowed the lawn last evening after work. While this doesn't in itself seem to be of any great consequence--it was an experience. We have a bagger for the mower to help keep the grass clippings off the lawn because, well, the track into the house and make a mess.

Yesterday, because the fallen leaves of autumn were all around on the ground, the bagger wasn't even making it once around the yard. It significantly increased the amount of time necessary to complete the relatively simple task of mowing. At one point I was very frustrated with the leaves and the expense of time. It was getting cool in the evening air as I was mowing and I really wanted to finish.

It is amazing how the lawns seem to change with the seasons. We change the height of the mower to accommodate the differences in the grass. And I really have to enjoy mowing in the autumn, because I never really know when the last mow of the season will occur. Usually, here in Maryland it is sometime in November.

But you never know--it is weather dependent.

Somehow, I think the snow is coming!

Brrrrr!

Monday Musings - October 26, 2009

1. The autumn leaves were magnificent this weekend, in full color and also falling to the ground to blanket the yard with their beauty. There is something about a clear blue sky and golden and red colored trees that makes the heart sing--even though it is a harbinger of the winter ahead.

2. Celebrations! Baby showers, anniversaries, birthdays--we continue in so many different ways to celebrate life and new life and lives together. Congrats Nicole and Jeremy on your anniversary and also for the expectations of the new life, Lucas, that you are bringing into the world.

3. Why does Makayla get up early on Saturdays, but not want to get up on on Mondays? She needs a Friday night play date with a furry friend!

4. Family, football, friends and food! Would you really want a Sunday without them?

5. Conference planning is hard work! It doesn't matter if there are 50 or 180 people in attendance--the planning to make a conference successful is really trying. And when it is over--they is a long sigh of relief.

6. I heard a funny pronunciation of the H1N1 moniker this week-- hiney! If you look at it as HiNi--it kinda works.

7. An adjunct to conference planning--hosting a party for 20 people in the house is harder work than planning for a conference. At least fro the conference I can use a caterer AND, I don't need to clean up afterwards! Way to go Chris and Jodie--you guys rock!

8. What is the equivalent to an NFL quarterback throwing a 80 yard touchdown pass with time expiring to win the game? Sending Bob out in his truck into Baltimore an hour-and-a-half before a baby shower to retrieve a critical gift! Oh yeah--better be back before it starts!

9. Pop quiz--how do you make a sore back disappear? Play three games of racquetball in the morning!

Conference Week

This is the week I am hosting the annual conference at work. We had over 170 people sign up and that is a huge logistical effort trying to keep the agenda moving and ensure the support for all of the attendees.

Tomorrow--Friday is the last day. Yay.

I have had a lot of help again this year and I really understand how much teamwork is necessary to pull a three-day conference off.

The agenda was pretty well constructed--but as always--there are last minute changes and adjustments.

I dread conference week every year. It is a lot of work and planning and the execution requires a lot of team work. But mostly it is a lot of work and a lot to keep straight and make sure it looks effortless even though it is a lot of effort.

It is good to reconnect with old friends though.

I guess I should embrace the opportunity to plan and execute the conference--but all I see is the mountain of work--which is now almost over!

YaY!

Weddings and Stuff - Mature Subject Matter

Weddings!


Wow! They are really an event.


I have been to a few, including my own, over time. This past weekend I was honored to be able to attend the wedding of my niece Andrea to a seemingly nice man, Brian. I never really met Brian, nor did I get to know Brian. Chris and I had a good time though, reconnecting with family and friends--mostly family. We remembered how much fun we all have when we get together.

Weddings are a celebration. A really important celebration in the lives of not only those getting married, but those witnesses assembled as well. It is all about the future and the life that two people will forge together.

But I know something about Brian and Andrea that, in retrospect, I really don't need to know nor do I or did I care to know. But it was everywhere at the wedding. I had never thought about it before--although I guess it is at every wedding. But I think our myopic focus on it really misses the importance of the wedding day as it forges forward into the married life.


From statements made about the color of the wedding gown by the pastor to some of the statements made about the couple--it seems everything hinges on (shhh!) sex! Really! I mean, some people were really preoccupied with it.

It dawns on me the level of focus on the the activity of the wedding night is misplaced. I mean--are we celebrating an orgy or the union of two individuals into a new being? Are we all frustrated adults longing for the longings of our youth? Or are we genuinely concerned about the ability of two people we love and care about to succeed as a married couple in a world where the cards are stacked against them.

When does a marriage begin? At the moment of "I do?" Or did it begin when words were spoken and accepted asking to get married? The foundations of a strong marriage are laid well before the walk down the aisle. Already, by the wedding day, the couple has had to learn to deal with stress, and nerves, and things not going right as well as the joys and highs of life. From these beginnings, marriages are forged.

I guess I never really thought about it before, but we are concerned about the wrong things.

It would have been better to focus on their compatibility and willingness to work together in the future as a couple, the process of becoming one; rather than on activities which did or did not occur in the past! Did I really need to know that they couldn't sit closer together that the width of a bible? (It's not that thick standing on edge!) Come on--I hug a lot of people, but I don't marry them. I sit closer than that to perfect strangers when I am sandwiched into an airplane seat.


As long as we continue to be solely focused on the peripheral trappings we will continue to miss the bigger picture: how do we help ensure marriages are full of long-term happiness and team work. Today's world requires married couples to be a team. To be willing to pick up the slack for one of the couple when times are tough and to be able to celebrate victories--beginning with the small ones, when they happen. To focus on the joy of life and not the shortcomings of material possessions.

Congratulations Brian and Andrea. To quote a line from an old science fiction TV show: "Live long and prosper!"

Niagara Falls Day Trip

The majesty and magnificence of some of the natural wonders of the world continue to awe me--even though I've seen them and enjoyed them before.

Who cannot be awed by the sheer volume of water rushing over the falls of Niagara?

Although I experienced the falls from the base aboard the Maid of the Mist on other occasions, it never ceases to remind me of how insignificant I am when compared to the grandeur of the planet and its natural raw power. And beauty. And trust me--I'm no beauty!

The day, however, was idyllic. The sky was generally clear and while cool--it was not cold. We were able to enjoy the first hints of autumn colors on the leaves along the falls with the other visitors.

And consider for a moment the Maid of the Mist--the boats that take visitors close to the base of the falls to enjoy the sheer power and magnitude of the rushing water. Standing on the deck of these small ships in the middle of the falls. It can only be imagined. Although the whole trip lasts only about 20 minutes--start to finish, it seems much longer when you are actually at the falls admiring them.

So take time--admire the beauty around you--in your own backyard or where ever you travel. Get off the beaten path (a/k/a interstate) and checkout the sights. There is a lot to see and to enjoy.

I was struck by our conversation in the car--which went something like:

"I cant believe we are going so slow"
"Don't they drive faster?"

"Aren't these old stately homes beautiful?"

"Are we there yet?"

"Does it matter how fast we drive--we are just going to get to the airport and wait!"

We have all become victims of the hurry up and get there philosophy. So what if a 90 mile trip took over two hours with no stops?

The sights along the way were well worth the price of admission.

Monday Musings - October 19, 2009

1. What a season of celebration this is. Birthdays and weddings and anniversaries. Happy Birthday today to Jeremy.

2. Eight hour drive vs one hour flight--you do the math. Who knew that Rochester, NY was so close? Even so, why was I so tired when I got home? All I did was ride in the back like a the self-loading cargo that I am.

3. When traveling, make sure to take time to see the area--and we did yesterday doing a return trip to Niagara Falls, NY. It was a beautiful day.

4. Weddings are one way that families reconnect. It allows everyone to get back together for a while and remember how much we used to see everyone and how busy and separate our lives are now.

5. One more time--why are weekends only two days long? I usually need three or more days to get it all in.

6. Thanks to Patrick and Tina for driving us to and from the airport and retrieving Makayla for us.

7. Two lane roads in Upstate NY are pretty to drive along on a sunny autumn Sunday--but don't plan on getting anywhere in a hurry! The proportion of police to miles traveled is higher in NY than anywhere else I have been in a while. I also noticed a huge driving philosophical difference--in Maryland, drivers drive the speed limit plus five (or ten) MPH. In Upstate NY--they drive the speed limit minus five, UGH!

8. And for my political comment of the week: I meet a lot of people who think the President enacts laws--actually it is the Congress. If we are unhappy about what's happening in Washington--let's change Congress--they pass the laws, raise taxes, and develop flawed health care proposals. BTW--2010 is an election year. Just remember who had control of the Congress (both Houses) when the economic decline started and decided to do nothing to ensure that a Democrat would get elected President! Now they blame the other guys for their intentional lack of action.

Maryland Driving: Stories From the Rain Swept Highway

I wonder why Maryland drivers cannot drive in the rain.

It seems that as the little drops of precipitation fall from the sky, the skills of Maryland drivers drops to a negative number.

Examples:

1. Ignore the wet road and continue to drive aggressively to facilitate redecorating your car with an oak tree hood ornament. The flowers in the headlights add a nice touch as well.

2. Become paralyzed with fear and slow to 15 MPH to allow traffic to congregate around you as other, more rational drivers contemplate how to get by with or without causing an accident. Many are contemplating how to force you off the road.

3. Tailgate so that when the driver in front taps their brakes you have no choice but to veer off the roadway into the manicured median strip.

4. While driving a pick-up truck, attempt to rapidly accelerate while going up a clover leaf onto I-95 to facilitate doing a 360 degree turn in the roadway and hoping not to involve any other unsuspecting driver(s) in the ensuing situation as you careen off the road surface--backwards. Is that what they call putting the cart before the horse?

5. While attempting to merge onto the controlled access highway in the rain during rush hour, come to a complete stop at the end of the on ramp to wait for a gap in traffic sufficient to allow entry from a standing start. Wait for a really large gap because the road is wet and you don't want to spin your tires as you accelerate. Wonder why there are so many cars in line behind you. Look confused when other drivers give you animated gestures as they pass you.