Pikopiko

At the beginning of this new year, I am reminded of the Maori tradition of the 'fertility' and energy represented by the fiddlehead of a newly developing fern frond - ie.  the "fiddlehead".  The entire plant develops from this tightly packaged mass of tissue that will unfurl to become a twenty foot tall ponga fern frond!  This photo is of a Pikopiko that is about the size of a dinner plate.  There is anticipation and prophecy in the symmetry of this frond.  As in the beginning of this new year, it is difficult to see what will develop, but I am excited and encouraged at the possibilities of what will unroll as the days progress.  Again, I'm blessed to witness the magic of natural order and the beauty in the geometry of life.  Thank you Father.

1st of January

"I want to be...do...become in 2013. To be fully there in love for others. To do things I have not done. To become a man of deeper faith and joy. There is only death to quitting or being the same. I want to reach beyond what there is and grasp what could be. The memories I participate in making for my kids, wife, friends and family this coming year only come around once...Father, fill me with the Spirit of resurrection this coming year! "

I hate to start this year with plagiarism, so I must give credit to my friend Reg Cox who penned these words.  However, they could have just as easily come from my lips ... I sat down to write a brief prayer to begin this year and as I opened my computer, found these words from Reg.  I claim this prayer for myself as well.

Having just finished watching the Trilogy of the Rings, I am reminded of how "precious" those things of this world often seem and that we often cannot see the forest for the trees!  What a magical world we live in ... and in the midst of the chaos, violence, and grief of this world ... I am reminded that I am a tree in a story about a forest.  And the story of the forest is more important than the story of the tree.

2013

As I awoke at 4:00 AM with the burdens of several families on my heart, I was refreshed by the promise of rain in a flash of lightning and the subsequent roll of thunder.  Eventually I dropped off ... back to sleep ... and overslept about thirty minutes, arising to the sound of the rain.   The thought occurred that it is the steady and consistent rain that will restore my drought stricken lawn and bring back life to those shrubs and vines that have been struggling.   And yes, it is the steady and consistent reign of our Lord Jesus that will restore our lives that often become dried up, brittle, and broken in the absence of His reign.  Bring it!

 I had to think as I got up this morning that the Monday after Easter must have been a pretty special day as well.  Knowing that Jesus has been raised from death and is walking among us ... changes the perspective of the world we live in and our purpose in being here.  I suspect one would walk along the road or through the marketplace, anxiously searching the faces of the crowd to catch a glimpse of the Savior; to see his eyes one more time or to recognize his smile or his distinct voice.  I pray that your Monday after Easter is filled with the same anticipation.

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling ...

At the beginning of this year, elders were asked to choose their "favorite hymn" and then write a short note as to why it was chosen.  Then at each elder meeting, one of the selections is sung and the song is identified as the favorite of someone.  This was my submission.  We sang it tonight at our meeting and it was an emotional and beautiful time for me.


Well Stormy,  this was a more difficult task than I would have thought.  I’ve put this off for some reason, not wanting to be the first to respond and then just taking time to think about it.  I was convinced that “the most meaningful hymn” to me was not a hymn.  There are many contemporary songs that still tug at my heart much more than those of ‘yesteryear’, but then my heart is different now also.  As I turned through the pages of the blue Great Songs of the Church [this was the one that Paul sanctioned wasn’t it?] ... Page after page I felt the tears well up as different titles flashed back to my early years.  For many of those tunes I can close my eyes and still see A.E. “Polly” Wells as he started the first line and graciously backed away from the pulpit mike into the diffused light of the circular window at the College Church of Christ ... All the time his eyes rolling back in his head.  I always thought he would pass out and fall over backwards, but he never gave me that enjoyment.  With every page there was another memory and if I had to do it over again, I might just as easlily  pick another song, but the one I settled on is Jesus is Tenderly Calling.  I think what made this song special to me was that over the years – while I was still in the far country and sharing corn cobs with the pigs, I would hear this song in the background at a bookstore or in an elevator or in a movie.  I heard it one time being played on an organ in a rural church surrounded by wildflowers in the middle of the summer and then heard it at my grandmother’s church while a small congregation drug this through an acapella graveyard.   But in all these versions ... Jesus kept calling me home.

Two years ago I was invited by Caleb to participate in a class based upon this book.  Ever since then I've had it on my heart that I should teach/conduct this class for some of the men at Highland.  So I finally decided to pull the trigger and squeeze one off - the class begins this coming March 20th and will continue for eight weeks.  I feel terribly inadequate in so many ways, yet know there are many men - young and old - who need to know that they are the beloved son and to come to know the Father in ways that they've never experienced.

"Life is about those moments of impact that change our lives forever ..."

"No matter how far life's challenges may carry us apart, we will always find a way back home ..."

I am truly a lucky man ... the first moment of impact was walking into Lynn Smith's house when a bunch of girls were playing cards ... though there must have been ten girls there that evening ... I only saw one ... and I still do.  That has been over thirty eight years ago - if I had it to do over . . . I'd fall in love with her again ... I do every day.