The Wanderer

The monster under the bed

There is a lot of fear about these days: fear of the economy failing, fear of job loss, fear of a foreign aggressor taking our peaceful existence from us, or the fear of McDonalds “two fish fillets for a $1” being discontinued. It just seems to be everywhere. So in a country that is driven by its consumerism I have to ask the question, “Who’s making a living off of all this fear?”

I have seen people over the years whose lives are ruled by fear. Every decision they make or don’t make comes at the hand of fear. It becomes their constant companion in the night, and in a strange sort of way, their sick friend during the day. They won’t go anywhere without him and in fact they take better care of him than themselves.

Fear becomes their excuse for why they don’t or why they won’t. Fear becomes their reason for why they are where they are and why they never expect to be where they want to be. The only one making a living from all this fear is fear itself. It is simply an old wives tale that blows away in the wind when we refuse to feed it. It holds no power over us if we don’t let it. It is simply the monster under the bed that exists only in our minds.

What we really need is someone to show us the shadows on the walls in our darkened room are only shadows. It's just like a child’s imagination playing tricks on itself giving life to what doesn’t exist.

Maybe one of the greatest quotes ever is

“Don’t be afraid, just believe”
-Jesus

It may take some time to accomplish, but it is developed as we walk down the trail of life. The more we see, recognize and understand what little there is to fear. The faster we will be transformed by not being afraid. Greek philosopher Epictetus said, “What ought one to say then as each hardship comes? I was practicing for this, I was training for this.”

How we see the present is directly affected by how we see our journey’s purpose. If we see our purpose to be no more than to put in our time we are limited to the tangible items our world offers us. If we see our purpose to discover who we were created to be everyday is an opportunity to turn a corner that will reveal a new victory. If we expect the hardship, the trial, the test, than what Epictetus said becomes our strength. This is what we trained for. Jesus said, “In this life we will have trouble, but take heart for I have overcome the world.” So the door is open. The secret is out. “There is nothing to fear, but fear itself.” The monster under the bed has been exposed. He is not real!

You have no more excuses for not really living life. “Don’t be afraid, just believe”

Check out this video about Bobby McMullen. In a world he can't see he knows no fear.

Lessons from a Bulldog

Standing at the edge of the operating table, I watched my bulldog Ozzy undergo surgery. I couldn’t help but see the frailty of life as I watched his chest rise and fall. I have always been somewhat of a ‘farmer’ of sorts when it comes to animals, but my experience with Ozzy 3 years ago changed that.

Ozzy was just four months old when he contracted the Parvo Virus. If you don’t know what Parvo is, let me say that it is the ugliest of the diseases that puppies can contract before their own immune system comes up to speed. It causes massive dehydration and kills in just 48 hours without treatment. Even with treatment many don’t survive the dehydration and intestinal tissue loss it causes.

It was July 4th and we rushed our little bulldog to the emergency vet. The prognosis was not good and 3 days later with IV’s to replace lost fluids, we were taking Ozzy home with what the vet felt was little hope of recovery. I spent the next ten days sitting with him in our basement, Changing IV bags, cleaning up after him and trying to will him to live. He was hit by depression as well as the physical effects of the disease, but he fought on.

Ten days later, I emerged from the basement with him alive and on the road to recovery and I had a new friend for life.

Life and death demands center stage. It grabs you, stops you and causes you to set everything else aside. Our lives here are but a vapor. Here today, blown away by the wind tomorrow. A bulldog lives on the average 10 years. What a waste of such great personality. In those ten years, they struggle with all kinds of maladies known to afflict the breed. Still, when they look you in the eye with that smile from a head the size of an overfilled basketball and his tongue hanging out, you can’t help but realize the impact that they have on your life. You can’t help but smile. Why? Well, because they are nothing more than what they were created to be; a short bodied, large headed, wrinkled mass of joy!

They are so sure of themselves. They are not even afraid to fart in the company of people they have never met before. We’re not talking about a little stinker, but a full fledged “who died!” gut wrenching gaseous burst of death. You look at them and they just act like, “Wow, wasn’t that something?”

With the surgery finally complete, Ozzy struggled to overcome the effects the anesthesia had on his body. Still groggy we took him home to recover. That was two days ago. Tonight he is standing here in front of me. Catching treats I flip to him and simultaneously sneezing and farting and he just smiles.

There is a lot we could learn from Ozzy:

1. Not to get caught up in things we can’t control.
2. Enjoy each day no matter what it brings.
3. Nothing is that bad.
4. Never give up.
Oh and 5. Real friends don’t care how you smell!

Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in.
- Mark Twain

RAGBRAI

The new Ragbrai jersey is all Iowa. RAGBRAI is still planned to take place on the scheduled route on July 20-26, 2008. Despite the flooding that so many community's have experienced. Are you planning on riding all or part of the route this year?

Healer of our hearts…lover of our souls

I know what it means to have my heart healed. It just took a long time to understand that Jesus was the Lover of my soul!

Though there are many words written about those short sentences. The reality is that often it takes time. Time requires commitment. But not in the way that religion would require it.

I remember at one point in my journey considering the monastic life of the monks and wondering if that may be what God requires from us. Well I would not have been much good at being a monk. Monkey maybe, but not a monk. Besides the fact that brown is not my color. I am much more of a Johnny Cash black guy. At another juncture I was sure what He wanted was for us to be like certain religious people around us. But then I couldn’t learn to cry on demand. Dead end again.

It was only in a tree; bear hunting in Newfoundland after 14 days of 6 hour stints of setting nauseatingly still and tuning out the clouds of rumbling mosquitoes that something struck me. With no one to talk to, not a bear in sight, No electronic gadgets to pre occupy my mind. Not even a burnt stick to scratch my name out on a slab of bark. I remembered this verse “Be still and know that I am God” and in that moment I realized the magnitude of those words “The Lover of my soul”. It did not matter if time suddenly ceased. There was nothing more to attain. For the one who knew me before I was in my mother’s womb, Loved my Soul! I knew that if my life went no further and they found me in a pile of bear dung some forty miles into the wilderness. I had found my reason to be. Every time I make a trek to the woods it reminds me of the Lover of My soul! I was there yesterday. I talked to him. He hasn’t changed. He is still the Healer of our hearts…The lover of our souls

Marlan

POUNCE

The Serval is an African cat that is one of the most successful felines. It has large ears that it uses to locate its prey in the tall grass. Its long legs allow the Serval to get a bird’s eye view of its surroundings and leap ten feet into the air to catch birds. All of the Serval’s special abilities converge to do what it does best, pounce.

There is nothing in this cat that would cause it to leave what it is naturally good at to try to develop the skills that some other animal might have. In fact, even in surroundings other than its natural African habitat, it will still do what it does best, pounce.

Everyday I see people who are downplaying their gifts and abilities for some “New Way” or “New and Improved” methods or ideas. The end result usually ends in disappointment. As humans we tend to want what we see in others and fail to use our own gifts in a productive way.

If we are to find success in our life we need to follow a few simple guidelines.

First: Stop trying to measure up to those around you. In case you have not noticed. You are not them. God made you different for a purpose.

Second: Stop wanting the gifts others have been given and really look at how to maximize your own gifts. What are they? How can I use them to benefit others?

Third: Start being yourself. You were made for a purpose! Most of who you are may still be undiscovered.

Fourth: Start giving yourself time to develop. Find a mentor, a church, a friend who sees the best in you and will encourage you to grow and develop your gifts.

Then, when your opportunity comes, Pounce!

Oh, just be careful when attempting to jump off of someone’s Fridge!



I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. ~George Washington Carver