I was reading the newspaper this morning (yes, I actually still read a newspaper - you know - one with words printed in ink on actual paper!) when I realized that what some are saying is true. This is a forgotten Holiday. Instead of seeing pictures of people helping the homeless and reading stories of families sharing time together, I read stories about the economy and the mad dash of shoppers into the local Target to save a buck. Yes, I am fully aware that the economy is in the tank and people are struggling (remember, I do read the newspaper). I know that saving a buck is important. It's important to me and to most people. But what is this holiday about? Well, since all I hear are stories about 3am shoppers, I thought I'd share my feelings on this holiday.
I have very fond memories of this holiday. When I was growing up it was a day that we shared with family. It was one of three days a year that my dad would actually close his business. We often rotated between sides of the family as many do. One year it would be on my dad's side of the family and the next on my mom's. My dad's side of the family was large with many aunt's, uncle's and cousins. There was laughter and food and my Aunt Marge trying to boss everyone around (no one listened to her) and football games all day, turkey and pumpkin pie. I remember that my mom would always remember my Uncle Nick who had diabetes and make him his own sugar free pumpkin pie. It was something he appreciated and looked forward to having. On my mom's side of the family, it was a small gathering. There was my mom and dad, my brother Tim, myself, my Grandpa Joe and my Grandma Gaye. And just like my dad's family there was laughter and football, and enough food to feed an army - homemade manacoti, turkey, ham, dressing and sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie and cookies and just plain good times. Good memories of times shared with family.
Today this thanksgiving holiday is even more important to me. We still share it with friends and family. There's still pumpkin pie, turkey, dressing and even some football although nowdays I've gotten out of the habit of watching sports. There's laughter and good times. I think as I've gotten older its become more important to share this time with the people I love, to remember how good God has been to us and how blessed we are. Our families have dwindled so its become more important to share time and love with those you love. It's so important in these tough times to remember to be thankful.
So, when your out among the throngs of shoppers and feeling stressed about what your going to buy for your aging aunt that you haven't spoken to in 22 years but is now showing up for Christmas, take a moment, grab a cup of coffee or tea sit back and think about what your thankful for. Jump out of the stream of life for a moment and remember all those good times past and wonderful moments of the present. Remember that thanksgiving started as a time of worship and giving.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Just Another Day in Paradise
Every morning I get up at 5am. I take a leak, flush the toilet, walk into the kitchen and turn on the light. Ella has learned by now that unless someone calls to her, it’s not time to get up. I call to Ella and let her out of her crate. She hops and wiggles waiting excitedly for a back scratch and her breakfast. She’s always happy to see me in the morning. I feed Ella exactly 1 ½ cups of food and fill her water bowl with new water.
While Ella is eating, I stand next to the kitchen sink and shave. I got into the habit of shaving next to the kitchen sink when Ella was a pup. If I shaved in the bathroom she would sit at the door and cry wanting to go into the bedroom and see Lori. When I’m done shaving, I put deodorant on and wash my face at the kitchen sink. I don’t have to bend over as much when I wash my face at the sink – higher counter top, I think. I pour my coffee into my travel mug to let it cool – I leave the top off. I get dressed, make sure my gym bag is packed and take it, my lunch and any other items to my car. I pick up the morning paper and bring it in. Usually I set it on the dinning room table. Lori likes to read her paper in the morning. I either cook a bagel or put two pieces of banana bread in the broiler. I put Ella out in the backyard and give her a cookie, close the blinds and give Stewie 3 treats. I put my bread on a paper towel, turn off the oven, put the top on my travel mug, turn out the lights, open the doors to the bedroom, and whisper my goodbyes to Lori. She’s almost always asleep, but I can never leave for the day without telling her I love her.
I walk down the driveway to my car, climb in, place my travel mug in the cup holder and my paper towel with my bread on the armrest between the seats and start the car. I always let it warm up a minute or so, usually until it idles down. I back out of the driveway, drive east downFernview St. Arroyo St Leffingwell Rd. Valley View Blvd. Huntington Beach
Once I’m at work, I slip the lanyard with my badge attached around my neck, climb out of my car and walk to the back door of my car where I pick up my lunch bag. I walk the quarter mile (yes it’s about a quarter mile from the parking space to my desk) to my building. I hike up a flight of stairs to the second floor, enter the security code on the door, walk to the second isle, an end cube (ooooohhhhh) and place my day planner on the desk. I turn on my computer, and take my lunch to the frig while it’s booting up. When I come back, I turn on my desk light, enter my username and password on the computer and login to the company network. I check my email, say good morning to those colleagues that are in as early as I and sometimes I check facebook to see if anyone has contacted me. If I’m working in the lab, I take my notebook where I keep IMPORTANT notes on daily activities. If I’m at my desk, I usually try not to fall asleep and usually begin a variety of tasks usually dealing with LabVIEW or analyzing test data. At 7:30am, I usually pour my packet of instant oatmeal in my oatmeal mug, walk to the kitchen, fill the mug with hot water and eat my oatmeal. I clean the cup and walk back to my desk. At 8:00 am every morning I attend a standup meeting usually dealing with the group activities of the day. The meeting usually lasts about 15 to 20 minutes and afterward I walk back to my desk or return to my work on one of the test stations. I try to focus and stay busy. If I’m not going out to lunch with a friend, I leave my desk at 10:45, walk back to my car and drive to the company gym where I workout for 1 hour. I drive back to my parking area (only now someone has taken my good parking space and I have to park farther out in the parking lot). I return to my desk, go to the kitchen, nuke my Healthy Choice meal for 5 minutes and return to my desk where I eat while I work.
At 3:00pm every day, I shut my computer off, turn off my desk light, say my goodbye’s to my colleagues and walk back out to my car. I drive out of the parking lot, turn right and spend the next 45 minutes to 1 hour driving home in traffic. When I get home, I usually park behind Lori’s car, turn the engine off, gather my things and walk up the driveway to my back door.
When I open the door Ella greets me with lots of wiggling, licking and hopping. Lori will say ‘hi’ and ‘how was your day’. If Jenna is home, I will usually get a ‘hi daddy’. Then I get to fulfill one of the most important and great parts of my life; I get to be a husband and father. Someone needs help with this, and ‘what are we going to do about that’. We usually eat dinner around 5 (I’ve noticed dinner time is getting earlier the older I get. Pretty soon, I’ll be eating the early bird special at the Sunny Day retirement home). There are endless projects around the house – the bain of any home owner. By 8pm I’m ready for some TV or reading or writing if time allows.
At 9pm I usually start preparing for the next day. I put my lunch together and maybe make a sandwich for Matt. I put my clothes out for the next day and take a shower and crawl into bed.
While Ella is eating, I stand next to the kitchen sink and shave. I got into the habit of shaving next to the kitchen sink when Ella was a pup. If I shaved in the bathroom she would sit at the door and cry wanting to go into the bedroom and see Lori. When I’m done shaving, I put deodorant on and wash my face at the kitchen sink. I don’t have to bend over as much when I wash my face at the sink – higher counter top, I think. I pour my coffee into my travel mug to let it cool – I leave the top off. I get dressed, make sure my gym bag is packed and take it, my lunch and any other items to my car. I pick up the morning paper and bring it in. Usually I set it on the dinning room table. Lori likes to read her paper in the morning. I either cook a bagel or put two pieces of banana bread in the broiler. I put Ella out in the backyard and give her a cookie, close the blinds and give Stewie 3 treats. I put my bread on a paper towel, turn off the oven, put the top on my travel mug, turn out the lights, open the doors to the bedroom, and whisper my goodbyes to Lori. She’s almost always asleep, but I can never leave for the day without telling her I love her.
I walk down the driveway to my car, climb in, place my travel mug in the cup holder and my paper towel with my bread on the armrest between the seats and start the car. I always let it warm up a minute or so, usually until it idles down. I back out of the driveway, drive east down
Once I’m at work, I slip the lanyard with my badge attached around my neck, climb out of my car and walk to the back door of my car where I pick up my lunch bag. I walk the quarter mile (yes it’s about a quarter mile from the parking space to my desk) to my building. I hike up a flight of stairs to the second floor, enter the security code on the door, walk to the second isle, an end cube (ooooohhhhh) and place my day planner on the desk. I turn on my computer, and take my lunch to the frig while it’s booting up. When I come back, I turn on my desk light, enter my username and password on the computer and login to the company network. I check my email, say good morning to those colleagues that are in as early as I and sometimes I check facebook to see if anyone has contacted me. If I’m working in the lab, I take my notebook where I keep IMPORTANT notes on daily activities. If I’m at my desk, I usually try not to fall asleep and usually begin a variety of tasks usually dealing with LabVIEW or analyzing test data. At 7:30am, I usually pour my packet of instant oatmeal in my oatmeal mug, walk to the kitchen, fill the mug with hot water and eat my oatmeal. I clean the cup and walk back to my desk. At 8:00 am every morning I attend a standup meeting usually dealing with the group activities of the day. The meeting usually lasts about 15 to 20 minutes and afterward I walk back to my desk or return to my work on one of the test stations. I try to focus and stay busy. If I’m not going out to lunch with a friend, I leave my desk at 10:45, walk back to my car and drive to the company gym where I workout for 1 hour. I drive back to my parking area (only now someone has taken my good parking space and I have to park farther out in the parking lot). I return to my desk, go to the kitchen, nuke my Healthy Choice meal for 5 minutes and return to my desk where I eat while I work.
At 3:00pm every day, I shut my computer off, turn off my desk light, say my goodbye’s to my colleagues and walk back out to my car. I drive out of the parking lot, turn right and spend the next 45 minutes to 1 hour driving home in traffic. When I get home, I usually park behind Lori’s car, turn the engine off, gather my things and walk up the driveway to my back door.
When I open the door Ella greets me with lots of wiggling, licking and hopping. Lori will say ‘hi’ and ‘how was your day’. If Jenna is home, I will usually get a ‘hi daddy’. Then I get to fulfill one of the most important and great parts of my life; I get to be a husband and father. Someone needs help with this, and ‘what are we going to do about that’. We usually eat dinner around 5 (I’ve noticed dinner time is getting earlier the older I get. Pretty soon, I’ll be eating the early bird special at the Sunny Day retirement home). There are endless projects around the house – the bain of any home owner. By 8pm I’m ready for some TV or reading or writing if time allows.
At 9pm I usually start preparing for the next day. I put my lunch together and maybe make a sandwich for Matt. I put my clothes out for the next day and take a shower and crawl into bed.
That’s my day, every day. Now don’t get me wrong. I’m very, very grateful and thankful to have a great wife and children who truly love me. I’m very thankful to have their love and to have them in my life. They are a gift! I’m very grateful and blessed to have a job in this terrible economy. It’s just that sometimes, I don’t feel that I’m important or that what I do matters. I would like to feel that my life matters for something. I would like to keep my job for a change instead of being one of the ones who’s laid off. I would like to feel that I’m important enough for the company to keep. I would like to spend my days enjoying my family and the things I like to do. I would like to have time to write when I’m not so tired and do my wood working and travel with my beautiful wife and take our pictures. I would like to enjoy a fire on the patio on a cool evening with the love of my life (yes it’s Lori)! I would like to feel young again. I would like to know my purpose and I wouldn’t trade this life for all the money in the world. It's important in these times for me to remember that God does have a plan for my life.
Every morning I get up at 5am. I take a leak, flush the toilet, walk into the kitchen and turn on the light. Ella has learned by now that unless someone calls to her, it’s not time to get up. I call to Ella …
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Fear
So what is fear? The dictionary defines fear as, ‘a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined…’ All of us are afraid at one time or another. Fear is a disease of the soul that robs us of our ability to act, reason, trust and think. It paralyzes us into inaction when we need to move forward boldly through life. It robs us of reason allowing us to justify cowardice in our actions. It eliminates trust and erects a barrier between us and the peace of God’s embrace.
I won’t say that I’m never afraid. All you have to do is watch me shaking as I’m standing next to the rail at Glacier Point in Yosemite and you will see a prime example of fear (I am terrified of ledges – not heights – just ledges). There is so much to be afraid of in this world; the continuing economic crisis, staggering unemployment, the very real threat of job loss, terrorism, cancer, opinions, and so much more. All you have to do is pick up the paper, turn on the TV or access the web and you are inundated with bad news. And let’s face it, the more dramatic the story, the more the eye and brain is attracted to the content. So the big question is how you handle fear.
The answer to this question is really very simple; trust God. Psalms 56:4 says, ‘In God whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?’ This has taken me a lifetime to learn unfortunately, but I find you’re never too old or too young to learn the lesson. The peace of God that results from trust is like the wall of a castle. Outside the wall you can hear the war drums pounding and feel the enemy circling but inside the walls there is peace. Fear is an enemy that is always there. Let’s face it, we’re all human and we all fall prey to fear and despair sometime. But, when we place our trust in God, truly allow Him to embrace us, we are protected from fear. Recently, I was diagnosed with Kidney cancer. When you hear those words, I can assure you fear leaps forward like a tiger and threatens to consume you. For me, I was determined that I would not be afraid. I was determined to trust God. I would not allow myself to be debilitated by fear and in the end, it worked – trusting in God works. His word to us is true!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)