Well Done God (again)

Living in this neck of the woods, provides an endless number of hiking opportunities. It boggles my mind how many miles of breathtakingly beautiful mountainous trails are within a few miles of my house.  

My wife and I actively seek out new trails to keep our hiking fresh and adventuresome. 

Michele and I hit the trails for “day-hikes” and enjoy the majestic mountains God crafted in the Pacific Northwest.  God provides the venues, I provide the mosquito repellant, and Michele provides the Rice-a-Roni (great trail food). 

A couple weeks ago, we meandered over HooDoo Canyon and came home covered in ticks.  I had over 20 of the little devils catching a ride.  I have had a bad case of the “heebee- jeebees” ever since. 

The other day, Michele found a 4.5 mile hiking trail east of Colville that we had never heard of.  To make it more tantalizing, the information was vague and not listed in any of our hiking books. 

So first thing Thursday morning, we grabbed our day packs,strapped on our hiking boots and headed for the high country. 

Nothing is more rewarding than having your expectations exceeded. 

This year, the timber “blow-downs” are worse than I have ever experienced.  We had a light winter with a lot of moisture – combined with high winds.  This has led to an unprecedented number of trees blowing over the hiking trails.  However, this week’s trail had almost no blow-downs.

My favorite trails are “loops”.  Hiking up a mountain, only to turn around at the top and hike right back down the same trail is…. mundane.  However a loop trail provides new scenery round-trip.  This week’s trail turned out to be a loop.  It just got better and better. 

And to top it off, the trail covers a mountain area that was settled and has a rich history.  Part of the trail winds up the mountain to a 360 degree vantage viewpoint that is breath taking.  Then the trail meanders down through the trees and follows an old railroad bed.   

It simply got better and better as we marched along. 

Blue Bell flowers and wild strawberry plants lined the trail for miles. 

By the end of the hike, I had enjoyed a good workout, observed God’s handiwork, spent time with my wife and fellowshipped with the good LORD. 

Well Done God (again). 

“You alone are the Lord. You made the skies and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and the seas and everything in them. You preserve them all, and the angels of heaven worship you.” Nehemiah 9:6 NLT

I did not write this but it is AMAZING

Five Promises Every Pastor Should Make 

Ours is a day of superficiality. That’s true . . . even for pastors.
If we can fake it, we’re often admired as being clever and creative, not criticized for being shallow and phony. Mediocrity can mark many of those in ministry just as overtly as it marks many of those who work for the government and are employed in the corporate world. I’ve also noticed that staying longer in the same place often perpetuates the problem. People tend to let seniority excuse the absence of excellence.
The ministry, unfortunately, is no exception. People trust us to be diligent, to stay spiritually sensitive; to do our homework; to think deeply; to remain fresh, innovative, and excited about our calling; and to be pure in motive.
But the painful truth is that we ministers can be lazy, indifferent, perfunctory, controlling, and mean-spirited. We are not above predictability or plagiarism, especially if we’ve not managed our time well. I know of few professions where envy can be more prominent and where pride can be more manipulative.
It’s easy to learn how to hide those ugly faces behind pious masks. The “flesh” of the clergy is no better than the “flesh” of the criminal. We’re all depraved. The difference is that we’re better at cover-up.
There are five promises I believe every pastor should make. I’ve worded them in first person, because they are promises I have made as well.

1. I promise to maintain a heart for God. That means I will pray frequently and fervently. I will stay devoted to Christ and to my calling. I won’t talk about doing those things . . . I’ll simply do them.
2. I promise to stay faithful to my family. My wife deserves my time, affection, and occasionally my undivided attention. Our children and grandchildren, the same. I won’t forget this fact, no matter what.
3. I promise to keep doing original and hard work in my study. No hectic schedule will rob my congregation of a strong pulpit. The flock deserves the best of my efforts.
4. I promise to remain accountable. Living the life of a religious Lone Ranger is not only unbiblical, it’s dangerous. If my flock needs to ask me a hard question, they needn’t hold back.
5. I promise to be who I am. Just me. No amount of public exposure will turn my head. If I start acting sophisticated, I hope someone reminds me how disgusting it looks, how ridiculous shepherds appear when they start using a lot of polysyllabic words, trying to strut their stuff. I plan to keep laughing, hanging out with people who aren’t impressed with me, and remaining authentic.

Ready or Not ~ I'm 50 years old

The good Lord has been very gracious to me and given me a wonderful life beyond my expectations ~ I have nothing to complain about and everything to be thankful for. 

That being said, I have found that as I approached 50 years of age, there was no turning back the clock and whatever adventure I needed to take part in ~ then I better shake a leg or it would be too late. 

WOW ~ that sounds a great deal like an intro for a “mid-life crisis” confession.

A few months ago, I applied for EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) training.  It is not only something I have been interested in since High School but something that could benefit my community as a Medic 1^st Responder.

To make a long story short, the training was difficult but rewarding and the final test ~ brutal.  The good Lord was again gracious and I passed. 

It caught me off guard how close I would get to my classmates.  They were for the most part, young with their whole career ahead of them.  It was unsettling the day I realized I was older than most of their fathers. 

As I watched their passion for life and listened to their career dreams ~ it made me proud that I could hang with them through the EMT training.  Their minds soaked up the information like a sponge ~ while my mind required endless repetition and hours of study. 

The next phase of my training is completed by an FTO (field training officer) with the ambulance service.  My FTO is…. a great deal younger than my step daughter but her experience is vast and her teaching style is very effective.  I am fortunate to have her assigned to oversee my training. 

A fair question is, “What is my goal for all this training?” 

I hope to keep my mind and body sharp (or as sharp as possible for an elderly gentleman) and provide a professional service to those I am called on to assist with pre-hospital care.

Now to a practical observation: 

My EMT work serves as a “diversion” that keeps me fresh and motivated.  I have found that I am more motivated and positive in my service as a pastor because I have a demanding outlet that provides me an opportunity to serve my community in a meaningful rewarding manner. 

“Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.  Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.”  Colossians 3:23 NLT