Lo, that which hath been promised and foretold is nigh unto hand. Rejoice greatly O People, for behold - it cometh. Yea, even soon it shall be with thee... :-D
Random Fluffy Foto!
Writing in bed, and Beka editing by ear. Really. The ear typed some letters. Really.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Lo, it cometh...
Lo, that which hath been promised and foretold is nigh unto hand. Rejoice greatly O People, for behold - it cometh. Yea, even soon it shall be with thee... :-D
Saturday, July 23, 2005
This space left intentionally blank
Cal & Vicki are off to camp this week.
We'll return you to your regular programming next week
We'll return you to your regular programming next week
Friday, July 22, 2005
Outta here!!!
We're packing like crazy around Das Olsonhaus these days - we're headed off to Portage Lake Covenant Bible Camp in Onekama (near Manistee) for Family Camp this week. :-) This is the week that many of the folks that attend our contemporary service go, so we decided to join the mass migration and get away for a week. Should be a great time!
No other packing on the horizion, tho... no action on selling my mom's house, or the family farm. So, our dream of a new house is on hold for now. And, the Lord has let me know the reason why it's not time yet, and I'm trying to learn the lesson quickly so that we can move on. One hint: Dave Ramsey is now my best friend... :-)
No word on the trike, which was supposed to ship last week, but didn't, then earlier this week, but didn't, and maybe today, but might not. :-( If it doesn't show up soon, we'll organize a massive email campaign: "Free Cal's Trike!" (or not...)
So, the infrequent nature of these posts will be even more scarce in the next week. Hopefully we'll have lots of pictures and memories to share when we return. In the meantime, have a pleasant week, and huge thanks to Hannah for taking care of The Girls whilst we're off in the north. YeeHaw - we're goin' to camp!!! :-D
No other packing on the horizion, tho... no action on selling my mom's house, or the family farm. So, our dream of a new house is on hold for now. And, the Lord has let me know the reason why it's not time yet, and I'm trying to learn the lesson quickly so that we can move on. One hint: Dave Ramsey is now my best friend... :-)
No word on the trike, which was supposed to ship last week, but didn't, then earlier this week, but didn't, and maybe today, but might not. :-( If it doesn't show up soon, we'll organize a massive email campaign: "Free Cal's Trike!" (or not...)
So, the infrequent nature of these posts will be even more scarce in the next week. Hopefully we'll have lots of pictures and memories to share when we return. In the meantime, have a pleasant week, and huge thanks to Hannah for taking care of The Girls whilst we're off in the north. YeeHaw - we're goin' to camp!!! :-D
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Living in a Fish Bowl
Something that I didn't expect when I started this blog thang was the change in conversations that happens... After a great time at church Sunday, we spent a wonderful afternoon with some friends having lunch (sampling some bbq sauce recipes, and once again confirming my status as a GirlieMan by finding all of them a tad hot for me...) and catching up with each other.
The interesting thing is, when I'd start to relate something that is going on, I'd get a nod and smile like "Yeah, I know that...I read your blog." This is not a bad thing (and since I know those in question read this thing, read that again - this is not a bad thing...) since it frees up space to concentrate on others and hear what they're up to, but it's still something to get used to. It's kind of like being on the radio, where people will hear my voice and have a sense that I'm 'around' but I'm not.
Like I said, this isn't a bad thing - just one of those interesting things that one stumbles across from time to time. Speaking of stumbling, time to go to work. :-)
The interesting thing is, when I'd start to relate something that is going on, I'd get a nod and smile like "Yeah, I know that...I read your blog." This is not a bad thing (and since I know those in question read this thing, read that again - this is not a bad thing...) since it frees up space to concentrate on others and hear what they're up to, but it's still something to get used to. It's kind of like being on the radio, where people will hear my voice and have a sense that I'm 'around' but I'm not.
Like I said, this isn't a bad thing - just one of those interesting things that one stumbles across from time to time. Speaking of stumbling, time to go to work. :-)
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Live to Ride... Ride to Live
No, I haven't decided to make the leap from ReBike to Harley... (Ryan is now disappointed...) But that phrase can be turned in a couple of directions.
The Lord and I were up pretty late last night / this morning discussing a few things. :-) There was a time around the last month or so of my mom's life when God made Himself real to me in a way I'd never known. I had a sense of His presence that is a bit startling to this Baptist Boy's roots. :-) And, for the first time in my life, I found that prayer had become a dialogue instead of a monologue. Often, when I'm praying, it's like I'm reading copy on the air. I'll almost 'see' the words and out they go. That's a monologue. Not saying that's bad, but at this time I could pray and not see the words first. The words came straight from my heart to the Throne, and didn't need to be processed much in my head.
But we all know that when we have an experience like that, we can't stay on the mountain top forever. (wonder why that is - wouldn't you think that being in God's presence in that way would be something we'd want to hold on to, like air to breathe, regardless of where our journey goes?) So, life intrudes. And, just like those forgetful Israelites whom I like to feel slightly superior to (Look what God did for them, and then they turn around and bam - forget it all. I'm glad I'm not like that... *yeah, right*), I shuffle off, forgetting lessons learned and settling for the mundane instead of the magnificent. The Glorious Intruder had woken me from my slumber, and though I had risen and walked closely with Him for a time, I soon fell back to sleep, more mindful of my tiny little world in this prison covered with skin than all the universe that He reveals.
And, prayer became reading copy from the script again.
And that's where God had a word with me last night... Not in finally feeling His presence, but in revealing something about my behavior that I didn't understand - the nature of what addiction does to me... I use food (among other things) to dull my senses. When I hurt, when I'm frustrated, it's what I turn to. OK - I already knew that part. But I didn't realize why...
Because it's easier to use food (or reading or sitting like a useless lump in front of the computer) as a band-aid (with apologies to the fine folks who own that trademark...) then to actually work at this thing called life. And faith. And a relationship with my Father. I was just making some progress on this last night, and slowly the words were disappearing from the page and I was starting to communicate with Him... and I decided to grab a Diet Coke at McD's... And some chicken... and a Double Filet O' Greasy Fish.
And the minute I started stuffing my face, everything else went numb. It all shut down. What tiny steps I had made toward opening the dialogue with my Father went down the biffy faster than a goldfish burial at sea.
And I realized why my Dad would crawl inside of a bottle and not come out. And why I am the same way, just using different toxins to achieve the same result. Take the easier road - dull the senses so that you don't have to actually work through things. Put a bandage over the huge gaping wound, and make the boo-boo all better. (Live to EAT, EAT to Live) And here I am, in tears, realizing that I've been pushing away the very One I've been seeking, laying down more land mines between He and me.
No wonder fasting is a spiritual discipline. And, no wonder that I've felt that Heaven is locked in silence, my prayers going no farther than the copy shelf at work. (You radio folks are probably enjoying this post, since some of this lingo doesn't mean poopy to others. Oh well - it's my revenge on the IS staff for all those lunches listening to them speak in Technoglyphics and not having a clue what they say. The down side is, they probably get this stuff also, so no revenge is achieved. *sigh*)
I think I need to have a chat with Pastor Craig. (who rocks, btw...) He's preaching through 1 Corinthians, although I think the sub-titles of most of the messages lately have been "Cal, here's another smack-down from the Man Upstairs." In particular, he spoke this week about needing a new heart - not the thumpity-thump kind, but the heart that is the center of our being. (feel free to check out the sermon - www.firstcovgr.org and click on the link for the videos of the weekly sermons. The one I'm talking about is 7-10-05 "Getting A New Heart") A heart that lives for God's glory. A heart that lives to share Him with others. A heart that responds when He calls. Not a heart that's been troweled over with a thick layer of numbing goo...
So, having only slept 3 hours, I'm going to the park to ride. (Live to Ride... Ride to Live a recumbent :-) And to think. And to seek His face. And maybe, just maybe, I'll find the place where prayer isn't scripted. And, where my creative spirit once again flows to show His glory in whatever I do. I'm hoping to come out of my slumber, and back to the place where I hear Him... And this time, I hope to make it an extended stay.
The Lord and I were up pretty late last night / this morning discussing a few things. :-) There was a time around the last month or so of my mom's life when God made Himself real to me in a way I'd never known. I had a sense of His presence that is a bit startling to this Baptist Boy's roots. :-) And, for the first time in my life, I found that prayer had become a dialogue instead of a monologue. Often, when I'm praying, it's like I'm reading copy on the air. I'll almost 'see' the words and out they go. That's a monologue. Not saying that's bad, but at this time I could pray and not see the words first. The words came straight from my heart to the Throne, and didn't need to be processed much in my head.
But we all know that when we have an experience like that, we can't stay on the mountain top forever. (wonder why that is - wouldn't you think that being in God's presence in that way would be something we'd want to hold on to, like air to breathe, regardless of where our journey goes?) So, life intrudes. And, just like those forgetful Israelites whom I like to feel slightly superior to (Look what God did for them, and then they turn around and bam - forget it all. I'm glad I'm not like that... *yeah, right*), I shuffle off, forgetting lessons learned and settling for the mundane instead of the magnificent. The Glorious Intruder had woken me from my slumber, and though I had risen and walked closely with Him for a time, I soon fell back to sleep, more mindful of my tiny little world in this prison covered with skin than all the universe that He reveals.
And, prayer became reading copy from the script again.
And that's where God had a word with me last night... Not in finally feeling His presence, but in revealing something about my behavior that I didn't understand - the nature of what addiction does to me... I use food (among other things) to dull my senses. When I hurt, when I'm frustrated, it's what I turn to. OK - I already knew that part. But I didn't realize why...
Because it's easier to use food (or reading or sitting like a useless lump in front of the computer) as a band-aid (with apologies to the fine folks who own that trademark...) then to actually work at this thing called life. And faith. And a relationship with my Father. I was just making some progress on this last night, and slowly the words were disappearing from the page and I was starting to communicate with Him... and I decided to grab a Diet Coke at McD's... And some chicken... and a Double Filet O' Greasy Fish.
And the minute I started stuffing my face, everything else went numb. It all shut down. What tiny steps I had made toward opening the dialogue with my Father went down the biffy faster than a goldfish burial at sea.
And I realized why my Dad would crawl inside of a bottle and not come out. And why I am the same way, just using different toxins to achieve the same result. Take the easier road - dull the senses so that you don't have to actually work through things. Put a bandage over the huge gaping wound, and make the boo-boo all better. (Live to EAT, EAT to Live) And here I am, in tears, realizing that I've been pushing away the very One I've been seeking, laying down more land mines between He and me.
No wonder fasting is a spiritual discipline. And, no wonder that I've felt that Heaven is locked in silence, my prayers going no farther than the copy shelf at work. (You radio folks are probably enjoying this post, since some of this lingo doesn't mean poopy to others. Oh well - it's my revenge on the IS staff for all those lunches listening to them speak in Technoglyphics and not having a clue what they say. The down side is, they probably get this stuff also, so no revenge is achieved. *sigh*)
I think I need to have a chat with Pastor Craig. (who rocks, btw...) He's preaching through 1 Corinthians, although I think the sub-titles of most of the messages lately have been "Cal, here's another smack-down from the Man Upstairs." In particular, he spoke this week about needing a new heart - not the thumpity-thump kind, but the heart that is the center of our being. (feel free to check out the sermon - www.firstcovgr.org and click on the link for the videos of the weekly sermons. The one I'm talking about is 7-10-05 "Getting A New Heart") A heart that lives for God's glory. A heart that lives to share Him with others. A heart that responds when He calls. Not a heart that's been troweled over with a thick layer of numbing goo...
So, having only slept 3 hours, I'm going to the park to ride. (Live to Ride... Ride to Live a recumbent :-) And to think. And to seek His face. And maybe, just maybe, I'll find the place where prayer isn't scripted. And, where my creative spirit once again flows to show His glory in whatever I do. I'm hoping to come out of my slumber, and back to the place where I hear Him... And this time, I hope to make it an extended stay.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
My local forecast
Doctors will tell you that there's no scientific basis for the claim that people with arthritis or other joint disorders can feel changes in the weather.
People with those conditions will tell you that the doctors are full of... lack of information. :-)
I always know when there's a big change afoot in the weather - if all of a sudden, I'm finding it difficult to even walk through the house, and I haven't been doing something dumb like standing for a couple of hours or riding my bike at mach five for 30 miles or so (pause for lovely visualization of what that would be like... *sigh*), then I can pretty much expect to see something on the horizon when I check out the forecast.
"When the Weatherball is Blue, Colder Temperatures Are Due... When Cal's Legs are Aching, Crappy Weather is in the Making..."
So, if you notice me with my cane, you might want to get an umbrella. If you see me in my chair, might be time to board up the windows. If I'm crawling, run for cover. :-D
By the way - thunderstorms possible tomorrow. I knew that yesterday. :-)
People with those conditions will tell you that the doctors are full of... lack of information. :-)
I always know when there's a big change afoot in the weather - if all of a sudden, I'm finding it difficult to even walk through the house, and I haven't been doing something dumb like standing for a couple of hours or riding my bike at mach five for 30 miles or so (pause for lovely visualization of what that would be like... *sigh*), then I can pretty much expect to see something on the horizon when I check out the forecast.
"When the Weatherball is Blue, Colder Temperatures Are Due... When Cal's Legs are Aching, Crappy Weather is in the Making..."
So, if you notice me with my cane, you might want to get an umbrella. If you see me in my chair, might be time to board up the windows. If I'm crawling, run for cover. :-D
By the way - thunderstorms possible tomorrow. I knew that yesterday. :-)
Friday, July 08, 2005
Quick update
Just have a sec to catch up - I'll hit the details later...
I've mentioned in previous posts that I'm trying to find out where my creativity went - it seems that area of me has gone to sleep... Well, during counseling last night, I think I finally found out where it shut down. And who knows, maybe knowing that will give me some help in waking it back up again. Or, at least I'll understand where it went, and I can keep an eye out for it when time and life allow it to bloom again...
Riding is so good for my spirit! I did around 4 miles this morning, and will hopefully hit another 3 tonight.
AND, if they are working on schedule, my trike MAY get shipped out today! :-)
Good stuff. Real good stuff! :-D
I've mentioned in previous posts that I'm trying to find out where my creativity went - it seems that area of me has gone to sleep... Well, during counseling last night, I think I finally found out where it shut down. And who knows, maybe knowing that will give me some help in waking it back up again. Or, at least I'll understand where it went, and I can keep an eye out for it when time and life allow it to bloom again...
Riding is so good for my spirit! I did around 4 miles this morning, and will hopefully hit another 3 tonight.
AND, if they are working on schedule, my trike MAY get shipped out today! :-)
Good stuff. Real good stuff! :-D
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Three at last! Three at last!
Great - now he's misquoting Martin Luther King... :-)
Quick note - normally, my ride in the part is an up down thing... Go one way, head back. North, South. (or, "strike that. reverse it. thank you.")
Today, however, I made one more. Now, an up-down is around 3 miles, give or take a goose or two. This time, I made just shy of three trips, which is around 4.5 or so, with some large geese included.
Felt good. I'll be limping the rest of the day, but I'll be smiling as well! :-)
Quick note - normally, my ride in the part is an up down thing... Go one way, head back. North, South. (or, "strike that. reverse it. thank you.")
Today, however, I made one more. Now, an up-down is around 3 miles, give or take a goose or two. This time, I made just shy of three trips, which is around 4.5 or so, with some large geese included.
Felt good. I'll be limping the rest of the day, but I'll be smiling as well! :-)
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Fun and Frolic on the Fourth
... Actually, it was on the Third. :-D
It was a nice weekend overall... a lot of stress Sunday morning (leading worship, playing keyboard and singing, doing communion music on whistles in the contemporary service; playing organ, doing special music and such on whistles, communion music on keyboard in the traditional service...) but a great time in the Lord's house.
Then, our second year attending the huge Ludge-Pointe 4th of July Bash, the high point of our summer social calendar. :-) They put on a great, fun time for all sorts of families, including some of the finest illegal fireworks this side of the Kent County Jail. It's always a blast, and it's fun to be included in the group. (my favorite comment overheard right after the display was "Now, let's pass the hat for bail money..." Mark Schut - philosopher and comedian)
Relaxed on the 4th, after weedwhacking the lawn into submission. Had an amazing ride in the park tonight, as is any opportunity to "get on my bike and ride..." (some people will recognize that song quote... others will be better off not knowing from whence it came...)
Some concerns have entered into my world, but I'll ramble through those in days ahead. I would ask for extra prayer right now concerning my voice. Had a visit with the ENT doc today, and more testing is being scheduled. Details will follow... sometime. Right now, we've got to go buy dog food. :-)
It was a nice weekend overall... a lot of stress Sunday morning (leading worship, playing keyboard and singing, doing communion music on whistles in the contemporary service; playing organ, doing special music and such on whistles, communion music on keyboard in the traditional service...) but a great time in the Lord's house.
Then, our second year attending the huge Ludge-Pointe 4th of July Bash, the high point of our summer social calendar. :-) They put on a great, fun time for all sorts of families, including some of the finest illegal fireworks this side of the Kent County Jail. It's always a blast, and it's fun to be included in the group. (my favorite comment overheard right after the display was "Now, let's pass the hat for bail money..." Mark Schut - philosopher and comedian)
Relaxed on the 4th, after weedwhacking the lawn into submission. Had an amazing ride in the park tonight, as is any opportunity to "get on my bike and ride..." (some people will recognize that song quote... others will be better off not knowing from whence it came...)
Some concerns have entered into my world, but I'll ramble through those in days ahead. I would ask for extra prayer right now concerning my voice. Had a visit with the ENT doc today, and more testing is being scheduled. Details will follow... sometime. Right now, we've got to go buy dog food. :-)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)