Wheels Up Today

 I'm on my way to Duluth, Minnesota today for a day job assignment.  My boss told me to pack some warm weather clothes.  The temps will be dropping soon.  I'm ready.  Most of all, I'm excited to see the Fall colors.  It looks like I'll be arriving just in time to see the change of seasons.  I'll share more later.  Time for wheels up.  Have a great day.

A Mother's Wish

It's almost time for wheels up.  This adventure is a day job assignment.  I'm part of the support staff for a new location opening next month in Duluth, Minnesota.  When I told my mom about the opportunity she reminded me that her favorite spiritual advisor resides in this town bordering Lake Superior.  I promised her I would reach out to her advisor and thank him for all the blessings he bestowed upon her in her quest to get closer to Jesus.  My mom scoured the internet for leaders who could help her worship from her home and she discovered Fr. Mike Schmitz.  He offers people of all faiths a seat at what he calls his "virtual front pew."  My hope is to get even one step closer than virtual reality and visit him in the flesh while I'm away from home.  That is my mother's wish for me.

I already dipped my toes in the water a couple of weeks ago when I found Fr. Mike on YouTube.  God-incidentally, I found him five minutes before his 9am Sunday morning virtual service.  Mom tells me she is always sending others to his videos and now I understand why.  It's rare to find leaders who know how to inspire, especially in times like these when large gatherings are discouraged.  If you would like a taste of my mother's spiritual leader, click below for a sampling.  Have a great day.

Where Can You Find Your Identity?

 How would you answer if I asked you, "What are you known for?"  Is this identity something that's followed you for a long time?  Are you happy with this identity?  What would happen if you suddenly lost it?

Good or bad, we all have some kind of identity.  Changing it requires some degree of pain.  There may be a loss of friends or status.  Others may be disturbed because you no longer fit the mold that others perceive as the place where you belong.

If you are serious about finding your true identity, ask Jesus to show you who you are in his eyes.  If you're not the praying type and this sounds foreign to you, I'll give you the short answer to help you get started.  Your identity is in Jesus.  You belong to him, even if you don't know him.  He knows you.  He knows your thoughts before you think them.  He knows every choice you will make.  If you seek him, you will find him.  When you find Jesus, you will find your identity.  Have a great day.

The No Trigger Zone Expands

 There are two things I pay attention to when it comes to the "No Trigger Zone."  The first is the frequency of the triggers.  The second is the intensity.  These triggers are like earthquakes.  You never know when a trigger will strike and you don't know the strength of the attack until you are facing it head on.  Are you ready for the big one?

I'm doing my best to predict when a trigger will occur because there seems to be fault lines where certain triggers are known to appear.  Construction zones are known locations.  Rush hour traffic seems to spur triggers.  I'm finding that no matter what is going on in my life, I can control one thing – my attitude.  I can hold my ground in the greatest of quakes.  The more I practice, the larger my no trigger zone expands. How about you?  Are your quakes shaking you up?  If so, keep practicing.  Learn to spot the danger signs of a possible trigger.  Certain people seem to bring their own fault lines wherever they go.  Be aware of these people and prepare yourself.  Have a great day.

Victory!

This is a follow-up from yesterday's post, "It's a Game of Seconds and Inches."  The story appeared to end in defeat.  That's the beauty of new days and the clean slates that come with them.  I'm happy to report a happy ending to the story.  I reserved the next size up of Uhaul trucks and returned the one that was inches too small to get our shed home.  The gentleman at the counter offered me a refund from the first truck since it didn't fit my needs.  That was totally unexpected since the size error was my fault.  That picture you see here doesn't show the ear-to-ear smile I'm sporting but it does show what can happen when you don't give up.  The shed is in the back yard and ready for us to replace all the nuts and bolts we removed during our efforts to disassemble the shed.

I would like to give a shout out to our neighbor who occupies the other half of our split-zone property.  He laughed hilariously when I shared the story on my way to work yesterday.  Later in the day he sent me a text giving me permission to move the shed about a foot over the property line so we wouldn't lose our view outside the basement window.  Another shout out goes to our youngest son who offered to help with the transportation.  All is well in our household.  This victory feels really good.  Have a great day.

It's a Game of Seconds and Inches

 Sometimes I move too fast for my own good.  Yesterday was one of those days.  My wife asked me to find us a storage shed and there happened to be a display model at my day job that was perfect for our needs.  I purchased it before my shift and told my boss I would take it home before the end of the day.  That's where it gets interesting.  The Uhaul closed at 7pm and I was off at 6:15.  I reserved a truck and picked it up before closing time.  Unfortunately, the truck was inches to small to fit the fully built shed.  It was 7:04 when I attempted to call and get a larger truck.  Too late.  My youngest son and I did the next best thing, disassembling the shed to make it fit.  The good news is we were able to get the top off.  The bad news is we discovered these sheds cannot be disassembled.  

Today is a new day.  It's time to allow for the extra inches we need to fit our shed in a larger truck.  While I cannot recover the seconds I missed yesterday, I can reset the clock and try again today.  Have a great day.

Be Aware of What You're Putting in Your Body

 I learned a valuable lesson yesterday.  Our family lawn mower our oldest son purchased for us as a gift was acting up so I brought to the experts in our community.  They were stumped.  It turns out we needed a new carburetor.  The reason why is something I never heard of before.  Apparently, when ethanol is added to gas which is very common in the Midwest, the ethanol eats away at the plastic parts inside the carburetor causing it to malfunction.  Now that I'm aware of this I'm hoping our lawn mower has a long life.

The lesson I learned about our mower is also true for our own bodies.  I'm doing my best to learn what works well and what doesn't.  So far so good.  The human body can handle some mistakes but I do urge caution.  Beware of the additives.  Be cautious of foods that cause the body to rebel.  Learn as much as you can.  Your body will tell you when you're going off course.  I will be sharing more about my food lessons soon.  Have a great day.