≤ VizionForce ≥

Respond

2006-04-14T10:00:00.000-05:00

He died then. He lives now! What are you doing about this?

Celebrate!

2006-04-14T09:59:00.000-05:00

A Man lived today—some two thousand years ago! Celebrate!

Remember . . .

2006-04-14T09:57:00.000-05:00

A Man died today—some two thousand years ago. Remember . . .

Seeq Unique!

2006-03-22T09:19:00.000-06:00

Wow—seven weeks since my last post! Well, at least I have a good excuse. . .

VinUnici is now in business!

For those of you who’ve watched our slow (but steady!) progress, we’ve finally cleared the various regulatory, technical, and logistics hurdles to become what we set out to be—a wine marketing service unlike any other. For those who aren’t yet aware of our niche in the wine industry, here’s a tasting of who we are and what we do...

VinUnici (vin-ü-NEE-chee) provides marketing and brand building services to small, limited production wineries that otherwise struggle to gain exposure for their fine products. You won’t find VinUnici wines on the shelves of local markets and you’ll likely not even find them when you visit the Napa or Sonoma valleys. Our high value wines are hard to find—they are truly unique wines . . . from the road less traveled™.

Unless you look far & wide, you’ll likely only find VinUnici wines in our online wine cellar at www.VinUnici.com. Unlike the wine clubs and online wine warehouses, we provide unique insights about each winemaker and each wine’s characteristics—beyond the fifteen flavor nuances of dingle berries! Because we taste and choose each wine over time instead of several during one tasting session, you’ll know that VinUnici wines will treat you well. And finally, we’ll let you mix and match wines within an order any way you wish. What better way to try several great wines that none of your friends even know exist!

Visit our website by April 15th to celebrate the end winter (and tax season!) and we’ll knock 10% off any purchase over $100! Use offer code INTRO. (By the way, you’ll always save 10% on any case of 12 wines!) Check back often for new wines, as we continue to travel down dusty vineyard roads to bring exciting, unique wines to you!

We look forward to hearing from you and hope you’ll spread the word among your friends and business associates.

Brett Flournoy

Mark Johnson

p.s. Also check out the VinUnici Blog just starting up, too!

Unexpected Insight

2006-02-03T09:04:00.000-06:00

I’ve been reading Walking the Bible, which portrays a journalist’s trek through the lands of the five books of Moses.  This book is an interesting view of the land, history and faith of that region that—while I disagree with some of the author’s perspectives—helps one understand the physical geography, geopolitical landscape and religion influences of this vital place on the planet.

To my point for this posting . . .  on page 223 of the paperback version, the author surprises me as he describes the emotions he’s experiencing while exploring the Sinai and says, “When your god is self-reliance, and you let yourself down, there is nowhere else to turn.”

Man, have I ever fallen (and still fall) into that trap!

There’s no earth-shattering or treasure-revealing insight here.  I just thought I’d express my recognition and thanks to God that I don’t have to do everything on my own and that, in fact, when I don’t insist on being owner, captain and navigator of my lifeboat and let Him lead, the sailing is easier, safer, better.

Enjoy the SuperBowl!

Beautiful Noise

2006-01-22T12:44:00.000-06:00

Neil Diamond might have made the song popular, but the noise that woke me up last night was truly a beautiful noise — rain!

And then driving home from church this morning I heard on the radio Todd Agnew's song, Grace Like Rain. What a great parallelism — the refreshing rain on the earth and God's revitalizing grace! And, I think, the really awesome part of this is, while we're passive bystanders to the cycles of nature when it comes to rainfall, we're active believers when it comes to asking for and receiving God's grace in our lives...

The Invisible War

2006-01-15T09:59:00.000-06:00

I just finished reading this new book on spiritual warfare. Wow!

I’ve always known (or I felt, at least!) that there was something going on behind the scenes that we can’t see but I was kinda worried about looking into it too far, for fear of crossing some line that God cautions against. But Chip Ingram tackles the subject from a Biblical base, using Ephesians 6 to instruct us how to put on the armor of God in preparation for our defense and offense against Satan and his demonic warriors.

Ingram incrementally, logically and Biblically demonstrates how to use the faith tools we have in our arsenal to fight against an enemy who’s already defeated—and he makes this seemingly inconsistent reality make sense! I don’t want to steal his thunder, but a couple phrases shouted out at me that I hope will inspire you to check out this book:

You are God’s child and have kingdom authority over the adversary!

You don’t have to be strong, super-spiritual, or seminary-educated. You do, however, have to claim who you are and act on what is true.
Bottom line? We’re equipped to fight evil—we just gotta learn how to better use the weapons God has given us…

Christmas Lights

2005-12-25T09:16:00.000-06:00

"You are the light of the world—like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all." (Matthew 5:14-15)

Today we celebrate the birth of Jesus with our many customs and traditions. Tomorrow we’re to celebrate the life he gives us by living lives of light to the world. May the power and life we’ve received always live on—visibly live on—in our lives.

Merry Christmas!

The Hawaii/Victoria Voyage (Part III)

2005-12-18T14:07:00.000-06:00

Calm & Light

A day later we settled into the storm’s wake: the calm. Winds petered out to about 12 to 15 knots, just enough to move the boat along at about five or six knots. We made our right turn toward the east and jibed from a broad reach onto a slow run, with the meager winds essentially on our stern.

The good part of the trip was over. Waters had turned from blue to gray and temperatures dropped from the 70s/80s to the 50s/60s. But daylight lengthened and the night barely showed itself, and on my watches (4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and again 4 a.m. to 8 a.m.) I enjoyed the lingering twilight as I went off watch at night and the fullness of the moon and dawn as I returned for my morning session. Being at the helm is so much more enjoyable when you can see potential dangers on the sea…

One evening I noticed a growing glow on the horizon—really bright lights on the sea. I checked the charts for weather stations (this was way too much light for a ship) but found none. Confused and wary, I kept my eye out for any change. Very slowly, the lighted horizon crept by on my starboard side throughout my watch. When Hugh relived me, we discussed possibilities and agreed there was a floating fish processing plant several miles (15 or more) over the horizon. They must’ve had their work lights on full power because they really lit up the sky!

Each morning and evening, we were greeted by our albatross friend who Hugh had nicknamed “Old Man.” Old Man had joined us before the storm and seemed to hang with us each morning and evening, bringing us legendary luck on the seas. It was cool to watch him circle our boat several times before landing on the water to rest or taking off to hunt. There’s an enormous amount of wildlife at sea, and we watched porpoises play in the wake of the boat, darting under the bow, catching some air, just generally having fun. Nobody will ever convince me that God’s creatures are nothing more than evolved cells—they often convey the Creator’s character.

Traffic Jam

As we neared land—but still a couple hundred miles off—we began to encounter signs of civilization: flotsam in the form of small timber, grasses, and the like. Within another couple of days we started picking up a few fishing boats from time to time. It was necessary to be even more diligent during those nighttime watches, now that the moon was waning and night was dark once more. As we approached the northwest coast of Washington, boat traffic really increased and we had to make a few course adjustments as we sailed past temporary fishing communities.

Our final approach took us down the Straight of Juan de Fuca, with the State of Washington on our south and British Columbia, Canada on the north. We entered the Straight just as it was getting dark and foggy. Because this is a major shipping lane with lots of ship traffic, we cruised the last night under power with the radar constantly scanning for other vessels.

Celebrate Me Home

By morning we were finally in sight of Victoria Harbour. We rounded a cluster of islands in stiff breezes and sailed onward for another hour. As we neared the mouth of the inlet, we pulled down the sails for our final approach and motored up to the customs dock at about 7 a.m. Hugh’s wife, Joyce, and several family members and friends met us there with champagne and bagels. Since the customs office didn’t open until 9 a.m., we shared the celebration between the locked gate, feeling somewhat like outcasts in our own land (well, Hugh’s own land!). After an hour of “removed re-acquaintances” we decided to forego the formalities of customs at their dock and hoped they would agree to meet us at Hugh’s yacht club. So we hoisted the sails once again and sailed around the point another eight or ten miles to the yacht club where we finally doused the sails for the last time.

I’d had a great time the past 22 days—a full week shorter than expected—but it was great to be on dry land! First order of business: a 20 minute shower in the club’s locker room. Second order of business: a beer (or two!) in the club’s lounge. Third order of business: a bed in a good hotel room.

The Rest of the Story

The next morning my cell phone rang from its location on the armoire across the hotel room. I got up out of bed to answer it and fell flat on my ass. The room seemed to be swaying and spinning and my sea legs simply weren’t ready for solid ground! Over the next couple of days I adjusted and at least looked relatively sober to passersby.

Hugh & Joyce invited me to their home for a “Welcome Home” party the next day and we had a great time recounting our trip and Hugh’s other travels throughout the South Pacific. I had made some good friends, had a great time sailing, improved my nautical skills, learned to respect weather, reveled in the expanse of creation, and renewed my spirit. But I was ready to go home. Yet just as quick, I was ready to weigh anchor again…

The Hawaii/Victoria Voyage (Part II)

2005-12-13T17:41:00.000-06:00

Repairs

I hate it when things don’t work right. And any sailboat offers plenty of opportunities to exercise one’s mechanical aptitude (and stress one’s attitude!). I went to work on a couple things on Hugh’s boat that glared at me.

The seawater pump in the galley didn’t work. Hugh was convinced the problem was tied to an inoperative watermaker (a device that changes sea water into fresh water through reverse osmosis). An hour or so of tracing the plumbing under the sink, across the galley sole, and into the bilge revealed that a through-hull fitting was in the closed position. I opened the valve and the pump worked. Hugh had been without the pump for more than a year…

The radio microphone was literally falling apart. Transmissions were ineffective because whenever you moved the cord, the transmission was cut off. I convinced Hugh that we could repair the broken mic cord if he had a soldering iron on-board. With some reluctance, Hugh admitted that he did have two irons on-board and we tackled the task of soldering very small pins with a broad soldering tip on a constantly moving platform. About 49 attempts later, we succeeded—aided by a bit of “sport cussing” and resulting in a significantly shorter mic cord.

But things were coming together; I felt good about our progress.

Weather Planning

Hugh & I shared at least one common trait: complete lack of patience for not moving fast enough! Our meager 2 to 4 knots of headway was frustrating both of us and causing Hugh considerable consternation as another crew member struggled to keep the sails full and the boom from slapping from side to side in the light winds.

An assessment of the weather forecast received via WeatherFax showed a low pressure system moving eastward from the western Pacific. Hugh & I agreed that the wind from that system should provide some fuel to help move us along. We also knew that the counterclockwise winds of the low pressure system would eventually run up against clockwise winds of the Pacific High and combined would create a strong wind tunnel. We figured we’d sail just far enough west to ride the “fringe” of that effect.

A day later, that fringe kicked our butts.

The wind did, in fact, pick up and then weather conditions deteriorated slowly (at first). Our latest WeatherFax arrived right on schedule—as a blur of scratches down the page, virtually illegible. It lacked enough clarity for us to plan any sailing maneuvers and worse, failed to illustrate just how tightly stacked the system was or how many tails the wind feathers had. We were sailing blind to the weather, other than to look beyond the safety of the boat rails and observe the darkening skies and heightening seas. I made sure my safety vest and harness were close at hand…

On that afternoon’s radio call to the Pacific Seafarers Net I encouraged Hugh to request a high priority clearance so we could avoid waiting for all other boats to check in and thereby gain a valuable hour or so in making whatever preparations we could for the weather that was really beginning to make itself known to us. Long story short, the report back from those who had legible weather reports was that, based on our longitude and latitude, we’d be in for about 24 hours of tough going and could expect gale force winds and heavy seas. I put my vest and harness on…

It was a dark and stormy night…

As the sun set, the winds increased. We reduced sail to not much more than a postage stamp of a jib, to give us some steerage and balance, and got ready for a difficult night. We’d been running four-hour watches, which meant that the three of us (excluding Michael) would be on four, then off eight hours. It quickly became clear that we’d be unable to maintain four-hour shifts, as demanding as the helm was.

Hugh took the first night watch, beginning at 8pm. He lasted two hours. I took over at 10pm, with winds well over 35 knots and seas at least 20 feet high. In those conditions, the best tactic is to ride the storm, rather than try to maintain a desired course against the winds and (more important) the breaking seas. Just holding on to the wheel was hard work. The occasional wave would roar down from behind and crash on-deck. Wet was the operative word of the night.

About 1 ½ hours into my watch everything went black. I lost all sense of sight, lost all navigation instruments, lost my orientation. The only external sense I really had was a feel of the seas and the noise they made, so I just tried to keep the boat headed down-seas and with the wind.

Hugh and Dane went to work to troubleshoot what had caused our power to go out while I screamed at them to take a methodical approach to the problem. Once they’d found their flashlights and gained access to the battery power supply they learned (after about 45 minutes of searching) that a battery main cable had worked itself loose in the constant pounding of the boat. After another 10 or 15 minutes they finally restored power. But the return of my nav instruments only heightened my anxiety, as the winds were now constantly over 45 knots and gusting upward from there. I guesstimated the seas to be 25 feet or more…

As Hugh closed up the battery compartment I suggested that he or I be available on-deck at all times until the storm past. He agreed. Hugh relieved me and I went below and crashed onto my buck. With the lee cloth cradling me I slept like a baby, despite the storm. Hugh woke me an hour later, desperate for helm relief. We alternated every hour throughout the night; maintaining the watch for any longer was just too hard and simply not safe.

By mid-morning, the worst of the wind and seas had calmed and we were able to settle into a more moderate routine (although we still had 25-30 knot winds and 15-20 foot seas). By the evening, the ocean was kind again and we were making good headway toward the north. We’d been driven about 70 miles further west than we’d wanted to go, but had also gained significant headway toward the north, gaining at least two (and probably three) days on the overall schedule.

We set our sights on the lat/long position that would be the pivot point for our right-turn onto the final leg eastward toward the Strait of Juan de Fuca, still at least a week away…

Weighing in on Christmas... Revisited

2005-12-09T15:03:00.000-06:00

My attorney sent out the following message in recent correspondence:

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

(Please accept without obligation, express or implied, these best wishes for a politically correct, environmentally safe, socially responsible, low stress, non addictive, and gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday as practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice (but with respect for the religious or secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or for their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all) and further for a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated onset of the generally accepted calendar year (including, but not limited to, the Christian calendar, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures).

Who said lawyers don't have a sense of humor!?

(Richard is a great guy, by the way. Lemme know if you ever need a referral.)

The Hawaii/Victoria Voyage (Part I)

2005-12-07T13:50:00.000-06:00

Intros

August 2003 brought an opportunity to crew on a sailboat returning to Victoria, British Columbia from Honolulu, Hawaii. Hugh, a retired doctor who had been sailing around the South Pacific for about five years was completing his adventure and as he put it, “moving through the ranks from being a dreamer to a doer to a doner.” When he reached Victoria he planned to “swallow the anchor” and settle down with his wife “on the hard” (land).

Hugh’s wife, Joyce, had had enough of sailing and chose to fly home so Hugh reached out for crew members to help him sail north. That’s where I came in. Hugh submitted a crew request with Offshore Passage Opportunities (a crew networking service) and, being recently released from corporate prison, I called Hugh and “hired” on as first mate. My pay was simply the opportunity to sail—more than fair in my mind.

Hugh & Joyce met me at the Honolulu airport and we immediately hit it off. They reminded me of close family friends I’d known for years. A couple other crew members joined us later that day. Michael aboard to handle the galley and Dane aboard as additional help rounded out the crew. Well, sort of…

Dane (spelled D A N E, as he introduced himself to me) was a wannabe sailor who, as it turned out, struggled to keep the boat on a consistent heading. His intentions were good... Michael was a nice guy and good cook, although his lightness about the boat in his boxer shorts grew old the first day. Nevertheless, I truly appreciated his contribution in keeping us fed and fueled with coffee & hot chocolate during the late night and early morning watches.

Hugh quickly proved that he knew his boat as well as he knew himself. Well, sort of…

Hugh’s skills on the water were impressive! He could trim the sails and balance the boat with the precision that only comes with a true sailor’s intuition and oneness with his vessel. I knew I’d learn a lot from Hugh on this trip. His attention to things mechanical, however, was less pronounced. Hugh would learn a few things from me, as well.

Departure

Joyce had already provisioned the boat for our trip and we spent another couple days making final preparations for the estimated four week trip across the North Pacific.

We departed the north shore of Oahu and rode the strong easterly trade winds on a north-northwest heading. During the summer months the Pacific High pressure system parks itself between Hawaii and the northwest coast of the U.S. The winds of this system circulate clockwise and can be fairly strong on its perimeter but frustratingly non-existent at its core. Thus, sailboats and the centers of high pressure systems don’t work well together. Our plan (and the predominate wisdom of most sailors) was to skirt the system by sailing northwest—yes, away from our destination—until we were far enough north to pick up the Pacific High’s westerly winds and ride them home. We’d be sailing north and slightly west for at least two weeks (probably longer) before we made the right turn to head east.

Hugh called the Pacific Seafarers Net by SSB radio and got us included in their daily boat reports. This is a great service offered by amateur HAM radio operators that allows mariners to share weather, voyage progress, and other vital information. The service would become very helpful in a few days…

For the first few days we were booking along at the boat’s hull speed of about 9 knots, thanks to the consistency of the 25 knot trade winds. We were reefed and double-reefed and loving every minute of such easy sailing—not having to work very hard at trimming sails or adjusting rudder position. Well, Hugh & I were loving it… Michael & Dane were acclimating to the rhythm and roll of the sea and its swells; they kept calling for someone named Ralph…

Doldrums

The trades died and the bottom-side, easterly winds of the Pacific High were still north of us, and we came to a screeching stop without the wind fuel we needed. We were reluctant to fire up the D-sail just yet, as we had a limited amount of diesel aboard and needed to conserve it throughout the trip.

So we unpacked the spinnaker and after three hours of untangling it, hoisted the huge sheet to capture the light breezes. Sailing a spinnaker requires a fine touch and sense of feel for the boat and its interaction with fickle winds. You really need to anticipate the effects of swells, breeze fluctuations and currents, especially when sailing on a broad reach or downwind. If you read ‘em wrong the sail can easily drop on you, putting the boat at risk. We doused the spinnaker that night to avoid any trouble and made little headway… But I slept better knowing that someone else at the helm wouldn’t capsize the boat (probably). We’d just have to do something about the lack of wind…

Weighing in on Christmas...

2005-12-06T15:24:00.000-06:00

Friends & I spent last weekend in Crested Butte skiing some awesome snow and (when it got too darn cold to ski!) watching football in the ski lodge.  If you question the value of watching football over skiing consider that the temperature was -24° (yes, below zero) when we left Monday morning…

As we were driving home and listening to Fox News on XM Radio, the debate over the “battle for Christmas” was being discussed—how some retailers are capitulating to unreasonable demands to change all references to Christmas to something more “benign” so as to not alienate non-Christians.  Nobody seems to want to discuss the issue that many retailers count on Christmas sales for their annual profitability but I suppose that’s another point…

Christmas references are being replaced by terms like “Seasons Greetings”, “Merry Winter” (doesn’t that just roll of the tongue?), or “Holiday Sales”.  That’s fine.  Whatever.  I never enjoyed shopping at joints like Wal-Mart and now have a sound reason to boycott them.  Our culture’s obsession with this whole gift-thing is out of hand, anyway...

But I noticed that many towns on the interminably long road from Crested Butte, Colorado to Grapevine, Texas had “holiday” scenes with angels, nativities, stars, and other symbols of what we celebrate this month.  And as we were passing through Clarendon, Texas a small church on Highway 287 had this message on their signboard:

Merry
Christmas
Christmas
Christmas!

It’s reassuring to know that in the heart of the country, the meaning of this “holyday” remains strong.

Shut up and drive

2005-11-19T08:53:00.000-06:00

Venting here…

I admit I’m not the world’s most patient driver, especially when another driver is oblivious to the world around them. I came up behind and a lane over from a woman in a mini-van who was moving about 20 miles an hour less than the rest of traffic and who then made a no-warning lane change…

I looked over (yes, unChristianlike) to facially display my frustration with her lack of driving skills and observed that she was both talking on her cell and smoking a cigarette. No wonder. I guess I’m glad she didn’t have the DVD player running and a beer in the center console…

The University of Utah did a study comparing driving while intoxicated to driving while talking on a cell phone. Their findings suggested that, “cell phone drivers may actually exhibit greater impairments (i.e., more accidents and less responsive driving behavior) than legally intoxicated drivers”.

So, please, shut up and drive. And don’t throw your cigarette butt out the window!

Thanks, I’m done now.

Hey Atheist! David Won!

2005-11-14T10:54:00.000-06:00

Atheist David Newdow, known (sadly) for his lawsuits to remove any reference to God from government-related institutions, is filing a new suit to have the phrase “In God We Trust” removed from United States currency. In an interview on NBC news this morning when asked why he was so optimistic that his cause would succeed, he responded:

“People sometimes say to me, ‘don’t you feel this is David and Goliath?’. Yeah, I feel like I’m Goliath! I have everything on my side: all of the law, all of the principles, everything.”

I guess he overlooked the outcome of that battle…

Thank You

2005-11-11T16:01:00.000-06:00

This Veteran’s Day I’d like to simply thank those people who have given, are giving, and are committed to give of themselves for our security. Thanks to veterans like my dad, who served at the end of World War II. Thanks to my friends Jamie and Charles who served in recent years. Thanks to my friends Shannon & Nick, who are serving in Iraq today. Thanks to my niece, Amy, who’s in her senior year of high school, yet has already pledged to serve in the Navy beginning next June. And thanks to every other man and woman who has served and is serving the cause of freedom here at home and around the globe. You are all difference makers and I appreciate you. May God bless you all, and may He continue to bless the United States of America.

Starbucks & A Stirred Spirit?

2005-10-22T11:26:00.000-05:00

Check out this news story that came out earlier this week. Kinda nice to have an equal say for a change! How about a small grass roots campaign… if you get coffee in one of these cups, let the Barrista know you like it!

Wilma Vacation?

2005-10-20T10:24:00.000-05:00

I received this spam fax this morning. Does anyone else see the humorous absurdity of this advertisement? “Come to Cancun this weekend! Our vacations will blow you away!”

I wonder if the “complimentary bonus trip” is a free ride through the Gulf of Mexico…

Thanks, but I’ll pass. I checked the “ride out a hurricane” box when I was in Puerto Rico. Two hurricanes are enough in one lifetime…

Ps. Some pics on the blog aren’t available. I moved a web site and haven’t gotten around to redirecting the image tags yet.

Easy Talk

2005-10-16T18:51:00.000-05:00

I found the power switch on my truck radio the other day—and turned it off. Thought I’d spend a few minutes in conversation rather than surf the XM channels for the right tunes.

I was running kinda late and didn’t find (or make) time that morning to talk to God. So I figured I’d take advantage of the time I had in transit… Then it occurred to me just how natural that conversation felt—and how that’s just how it should be.

A little background: I tend to have rather unpretentious talks with God; I lean away from styled language and I simply talk—respectfully—but simply talk to Him.

But that morning as I was praying/talking to God, I found myself distracted a couple times by traffic and had to suspend my thoughts for a few seconds. As I refocused, I continued our conversation much as I would if someone were sitting in the seat next to me (which, of course is true, right?). Our conversation ebbed and flowed, just as if I was talking to a friend (which I was, right?). We continued for a while: me talking out loud, God’s Spirit expressing through thoughts infusing within me. I enjoyed our impromptu time together and suspect He did, too!

I’m not suggesting we give up structured time and reverent devotion in quiet time with God. He deserves that commitment and even honors us when we make time to make him the priority of our day. But I also think we squander opportunities when we could simply talk with the most important Friend in our life in simple, natural conversation.

Go Dig a Hole!

2005-10-07T09:50:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder what's on the other side of the world? Here's a little (zero) value app - but it's kinda cool. Check out this Google Map App! Then get back to work...

Stuck, Shocked & Snapped

2005-10-04T21:11:00.000-05:00

Feelin’ pretty good this evening… Had an appointment with my needle pusher mid-day to work on some stiffness in my wrist. Then had another appointment with my bone crusher who used some shock treatment to get my deltoid muscle and a stubborn ligament back into shape, followed up by some good old-fashioned back cracking to realign my ribs and spine. Sounds wicked but man, oh man, it works!

I was skeptical at first—especially of acupuncture—but I’m now convinced that a 45-minute visit every couple of weeks pays more dividends and runs fewer risks than gulping ibuprofen like M&Ms. Tweaking your muscles with electro-physical therapy hurts in a good sort of way that’s hard to explain (it’s kinda like having knots worked out by a slightly sadistic massage therapist). And the temporary agony of having your bones realigned from one location to another quickly pales in comparison to the flex and freedom a right spine does for you!

Bottom line: the creative tri-fecta worked. See you on the bike trails soon!

Over the Hurdle

2005-09-25T16:45:00.000-05:00

Had an interesting discussion with a good friend several days ago...

Shelley shared a theory of skill development that she applied to the hesitation a business partner (who happens to be her husband) and I were wrestling with in launching a new venture. She was, in character, brutally honest and on target.

Her insight peeled back the general progression and interaction of the knowledge and learning curves. When encountering something new to us we move from:

• Unconsciously Incompetent (unaware of what we don’t know);
• Consciously Incompetent (aware of what we don’t know);
• Consciously Competent (aware of what we know) and finally to
• Unconsciously Competent (unaware of what we know).

Makes sense to me.

And I’d suggest occasional returns to the beginning of the cycle to make sure we’re always learning… Are you unconsciously competent with anything in your life today? Then, “Pass jail, go directly to Go” and begin a challenge to clear that first hurdle toward becoming unconsciously incompetent again. It’ll be exciting, it’ll likely require a leap of faith—and the benefits keep piling on!

Living Leeward

2005-09-19T13:18:00.000-05:00

Ed Young delivered a powerful message last weekend about establishing controls in our lives to keep us insulated from the coercive power and attraction of sexual sin. He explained how his own set of “ten commandments” establishes boundaries and guides his behavior in this difficult area. The visual impact of watching Ed move from the ledge of the stage where he ran the risk of falling off, to the security of the inner stage as he read each of his personal commandments drove his point home—and got me to thinking about another analogy (although Ed’s illustration is pretty good!)…

I love being outdoors and in recent years have spent some time sailing. Take coastal cruising, for example, sailing along a coast or among a chain of islands. Whenever I’m enjoying the thrills and relaxation (yes, they do mix!) of coastal cruising, I’m always careful to take preemptive action to protect the boat, my crew and myself. We’re always aware of where the wind is coming from, whether it’s changing in strength, and what our course of action options are. We want to know what to do and where to go before the winds of change blow.

When anchoring for the night, we anchor in the leeward side (away from the wind) of an island or point. While this sometimes means giving up attractive anchor spots, we know that winds can be unpredictable and anchoring in the lee of some protecting force is the only responsible thing to do. Sometimes you give up what looks good for the better choice of safe ground.

Seems to me this anchoring discipline applies to everyday life, as well. Before the winds of life try to blow us off course (and they will!), we should protect ourselves by seeking shelter in the lee of God’s commandments. But even with these clear-cut guidelines in place, I’ve found that I can’t seem to hold my course without a few Christian influencers in my life. Make sure you have people in your life—a spouse, a close friend, an authenticity partner, someone—to help you live life God’s way. Then hang on for the adventure!

Trek 2005 Day Seven —Growing Up, Growing Older, Growing Stronger

2005-09-09T09:32:00.000-05:00

I really don’t like these days when we commit ourselves to leaving the wilds and returning to “civilization”. I feel at home here and I know I’ll miss being in the mountains and spending time with my friends. But I’m grateful for the time we’ve spent this week and am glad we pushed on a few days ago when we considered whether we should take the easy way out. We’re all better for it.

We’ve grown up. Brendan, 14 years old and entering high school this year, has become an impressive young man. I’m impressed by his attitude—he never complained about anything the entire week! I’m impressed by his intellect—a few conversations we had on the trail (when I wasn’t breathless!) demonstrated to me just how insightful he is. I’m impressed by his respect for authority and others—he clearly loves his dad, as well he should. Brendan, I’m really glad you were with us this year. I’ll backpack with you anytime, bud!

We’ve grown older. I’m convinced the ground really is harder than it was nine years ago and I don’t remember having to make so many middle-of-the-night ventures outside the tent! But the only thing I truly regret is that I let so many years pass between trips into the wilderness. I’ll deal with some of the discomforts that come with time; it’s part of life’s plan. I’ll rely on my brothers to make sure we return again next year, the year after that, and every year that God gives us the ability to do so. Growing older is more a state of mind than anything…

We’ve grown stronger. Sure, our legs gained some muscle and we may have shed a few pounds burning 600+ calories every hour. However, my real strengthening was of my spirit and soul. Unless you’ve spent a week in the backcountry and soaked up the diversity, grandeur and intricacy of nature and have taken in those forces the way God intended us to appreciate them, you’ll never really understand what I’m trying to say. Mike, Mike & Brendan, I know you guys get it and I’m glad we’ll always share this experience. Thank you for spending this week with me!

So, as we broke camp for the last time and headed downhill—nearly every step today would be downhill!—I took one last look around to appreciate how blessed I am to have been here this week. Ten miles and about five hours later we’d be loading our gear into Mike’s truck and going home. I’m conflicted with senses of gladness & sadness, accomplishment & unfinished business, strength & exhaustion. But I’m reassured knowing that I’ll treasure these days, these trails, these mountains, these friends forever.

Trek 2005 Day Six — God’s Amphitheatre

2005-09-09T08:22:00.000-05:00

Got a great night’s sleep with the relaxing sound of the Merced River playing in my head. We fueled up with breakfast, repacked our gear and set out, somewhat reluctant to leave this riverside camp. I’d like to have spent a few days just exploring the creek and glacier-polished granite slabs. It’s amazing how polished the granite is, all a result of ice slowing moving its way downstream. Unfathomable power…

Once again, our trail started climbing immediately. We knew Isberg Pass was about four miles uphill and the trail guide promised spectacular views. I wondered whether they’d compare with yesterday’s vistas and I enjoyed the anticipation of gaining higher altitude and attitude with each breathtaking step. It occurred to me that I was experiencing a compound sense of breathlessness—the physical exercise certainly took its toll at these elevations but the awesome grandeur of this place left me breathless in a wonderful way!

Our initial climb made a last ditch effort over a ridge and we were rewarded with one of the most incredible sights I’ve ever experienced. Surrounded on three sides by Red, Merced, Triple Divide, Post, and Isberg Peaks and the ridgelines connecting them, we found ourselves in, as Codeus insightfully called it, “God’s Amphitheatre.” We stood in a meadow within a glacially carved bowl and could do little but try to drink in the majesty of this place. Once more, I filled to overflowing and just stood there, breathless and in awe of the Strength who created such a beautiful place and thankful for the honor of enjoying His work. I felt a muddy tear flow down my face as I fought to keep my composure and then decided to just let my soul react as I walked through this bit of earth-heaven. I’ve been stirred, shaken, and have soared.

As we continued on and the trail continued up, we climbed over even larger granite boulders than we’d encountered on previous days. The trail was simply hard. This assessment gained validation when we came upon a trail crew working to improve the trail bed. About eight or ten guys & gals were working with picks, sledges and shovels to move boulders, build stairs, and create drainage controls near the top of the ridge. I think Brendan nearly walked off the side of the hill when one of the female trail workers caught his eye (not the one with the nose ring, he was quick to point out!). Recognition of gratitude for these hardworking men and women is in order.

We again had lunch atop the pass and again took a few pictures of the Sierra vastness. This was the last pass we would gain on this trip and I already felt a growing sense of loss in leaving the wilderness behind—and we still had a half day’s hike ahead of us today and another full day tomorrow! The Isberg Pass trail dropped steeply and, while Mike & Mike went on ahead, Brendan & I took it a little easier going downhill. We managed to lose the trail in a boulder field and, rather than retrace our steps uphill, pulled out the compass and did a little nav work to find our own way down to a small meadow where the trail was visible in the soft dirt. It’s always fun to do a little cross-country scramble!

The trail leveled out for a short while then dropped again quickly to Sadler Lake. Our 6.7 mile trip up and over Isberg Pass brought us to our last night of the trip and we set up camp for the last time on a low ridge above the south side of the lake. We uncorked the Bacardi 151 and Gatorade for a few celebratory cocktails around the campfire and talked for a while, as close friends do. Our trip was winding down and by the warmth of the fire we enjoyed feelings of accomplishment, friendship, serenity, replenishment, peace. I was in an incredible place with three exceptional people and with an awesome God smiling all across heaven as we enjoyed his gifts of nature and friendship.