Words from Colorado

   For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. (2 Corinthians 5: 1). NLT September is just day’s away, warm summer will give way to cooler days and leaves will fall. It’s at this time of year my thoughts turn to my beautiful sister Michelle. It was in September of 2009 that she left this world at the age of 39 to depart to be with Christ which is better by far.  She succumbed to a rare brain disease that left us feeling the overwhelming sorrow of that sudden farewell. Michelle was and is (She is more alive now than ever before) in a word…amazing! She was fun; she filled a room with her dynamic caring warm and infectious personality!  She really cared about the people in her life, and oh how we miss her. I find myself thinking of her at different times in a given week. I think about her...

      I miss my dad! Another Father’s day is days away and will soon be departing, until the third Sunday in June, 2013. What is it that made him so unforgettable…the dad that I continue to miss, even though heaven has been his home since October of 1980? Integrity - A man of his word, he did what he said he would. If he had agreed to do something, anything really, he would. That’s increasingly rare today! Grit- He was tenacious, overcoming a debilitating stroke, (at the age of 36) to build a hauling business from the ground up, with my faithful mother at his side, and three reluctant kids as his only “ Hired Help” in the early years! That business, provided for our family, but that business would have never been anything without his true grit! I often have thought would I, could I…arise from the ashes of a profound, personal, physical reversal …and have the “Grit” to believe that something beyond what I could imagine was waiting, beyond my extr...

           Recently Laura and I were in Jackson Wyoming for her successful shoulder surgery. While there we were able to take a ride by covered wagon into the mountains and have a meal with a hundred plus other people prepared on Dutch ovens, followed by a country concert, with audience participation and lots of laughter, provided by the Bar T Five Ranch in Jackson. While bouncing along the trail (the wagon wheels were actually tires) I noticed some interesting things. 1.They seemed genuinely glad we were there, from the first cowgirl who welcomed us as we drove in, to the last, glad you came and whoop and a holler! 2.The staff was very organized; no need was not met from refilling the drinks, to walking with the elderly up the trail to where supper was served. 3.Even though their service i.e. business…. deals with thousands of tourists each summer and has for more than thirty years, they had the amazing ability to make you feel like ...

                *Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.  As a marker it typically marks the start of the summer vacation season, while Labor Day marks its end. Many people visit cemeteries and memorials, particularly to honor those who have died in military service. Many volunteers place an American flag on each grave in national cemeteries.  By the early 20th century, Memorial Day was an occasion for more general expressions of memory, as people visited the graves of their deceased relatives in church cemeteries, whether they had served in the military or not. It also became a long weekend increasingly devoted to shopping, family gatherings, fireworks, trips to the beach, and national media events such as the Indianapolis 500 auto race, held since 1911 on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. * Wikipedia     As I reflect tod...

      I love spring. Birds tweeting, bee's buzzing, flowers blooming , and young and not so young men and women are receiving diplomas! Academic rigors give way to academic accomplishment! And life beckons, inviting them to step out into the unknown , and move toward adult years! Relatives of graduates sit row upon row in auditoriums and stadium bleachers to hear their loved one's name called, those few seconds of verbal recognition belong to the graduate, but for those who love them, they are also a part of that small segment of time that separates the student from the graduate...and we applaud! Much like a baby bird who faces the uncertainty of flight , our young men and women will test their wings. In the flying and near flying (Think hard landings, and life hurts) they will stabilize and soar. Looking back from the vantage point of my own life experience I would, if I could remind them: 1.Continuing education is important, keep reachin...

Our beautiful Mom with Mike, Michelle, and me on Mike's wedding day. I have been so blessed with the people who I am thinking about at this very moment:) Strong, yet tender, loving and firm when needed, they are compassionate and understanding. It’s a fact that the early years of life, find a child vulnerable and impressionable. God was so kind to place my life in the arms of my mom.   Truly many of the best years of my life, were spent in the arms of another man’s wife! Now before you think you have a scandal to report…think about it, I am talking about my Mom ! She is my friend, and a great counselor. Tomorrow (May 11th)  is her birthday, and truly anyone who has ever really gotten to know her are thankful that she was born! I celebrate her every day!  Barbara My mother in law Barbara is an amazing woman in her own right. She is warm and kind. She loves the Lord, and she is a decided woman of prayer. She has been a pivotal adviser to me cou...

  R isk such a small word, and yet very powerful.  Risk is something we often try to avoid.  We have multiple insurance policies to limit our exposure to it. What is it that makes the idea of risk so troubling to us? I think it is because risk is connected with the unknown, and the unknown makes us a bit edgy.    We like predictability, stability…but when you embrace risk, real risk…you leave security behind.  I have learned that there is another side of risk, sometimes it really works out! Sometimes when we leave what we think is stability is in actuality a chain that keeps one from flying!        If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary- Jim Rohn In February of 2007 after much prayer and counsel I decided to walk away from a Church and a $70,000 a year job.  I felt God was calling me into a ministry of traveling, preaching, teaching and assisting Churches.  ...