Holy Saturday

Our journey to the Resurrection is almost complete.  One day to go.  For me personally, this is my most significant period of preparation ever.  There appeared to be two options in front of me.  The first was a short cut.  I presumed it was my destiny.  My Guardian angel intervened and redirected me.  At times the pain was nearly unbearable.  The one I follow had even greater challenges.  I only caught a glimpse but it was enough to realize how significant this path to Jesus is.

My hope for you today is you experience a God moment.  He sent his only Son to die for you so that you may have new life.  The door is open.  Remember to celebrate the Resurrection tomorrow.  No short cut is necessary.  I'm thankful I was given bonus time to thank those who prayed for me to be healed.  Have a great day.

Good Friday

Some people wonder how this day can be called Good Friday when it's the day Jesus was put to death on a cross.  I believe it's good because today is the turning point.  There can be no Resurrection without a Crucifixion.  The Evil One did everything he could to stop Jesus from fulfilling his Father's will.  It's perfect love.  Good is an understatement.  Our sins are completely forgiven.  Our relationship with our Father is restored.  All we need to do is acknowledge the good Jesus did for us on this day and accept him as Lord and Savior.  We are saved.  All is good.  Have a great day.

Can You Experience a Holy Moment?

This is the week known as Holy Week for believers.  It's special because we are remembering Jesus died for us in order to forgive our sins.  The door to Heaven is now open.  I believe we don't have to wait in order to experience Heaven.  It begins with a Holy moment that you can have right now.  Ready?  Here goes:

If you want to experience a Holy moment, be the person you were created to be.  You do this by doing what you feel God is calling you do to right now in this very moment.   There you go, you're experiencing a Holy moment.  Keep it up.  Put a series of moments together and you have a Holy day, a Holy week, month, year and life.  This is your opportunity right now to experience something life changing.  Try it.  Have a great day.

A Little Love Goes a Long Way

Love is the solution to most of the world's problems.  I find love can end arguments, disarm difficult people and heal broken relationships.  Love has no boundaries.  Love has no limits.  Love and forgiveness are like twins.  If you've seen one twin, you have a pretty good idea what the other one looks like.

Jesus tells us he will leave the ninety-nine to go find the one who is lost.  That what's love is.  It's doing whatever you can to help others get back into the fold.  Please don't ever stop loving those who consider themselves as unlovable.  A little love goes a long way.  Have a great day.

Happy 50th Birthday to my Sister

This is the third and final sibling birthday in seven days and it's a big day for my sister, Teresa.  I would like to wish her a very happy birthday today.  Please join me in the celebration wishes.   My sister and I are partly responsible for turning our mother's hair white.  We each had our own close calls and all I can say is how joyful it is to be here until our work on this planet is done.  Happy birthday, sister.  I will see you soon to give you a birthday hug.  Have a great day.

Gratitude Tour Continues

I'm doing my best to reach out to friends and family members who sent good thoughts and prayers my way during my recovery.  The gratitude tour began the day doctors cleared me for take-off.  I really do believe all these good wishes helped me to get back on my feet again.  This is a great week leading up to the celebration of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.  I hope to see you soon.  Thanks again for keeping me in your prayers.  Have a great day.

Backup Plans?

Your backup plans reveal much about your level of commitment to plan A.  The more you rely on lesser options, the lower your commitment to the real deal.  In my opinion, your best option is to go all in.  Remember this, if your plans are in alignment with God's will for your life, you can't be stopped.  No backup plans are necessary.  You may fall, you may get slowed down, you may even feel you can't succeed.  Don't ever give up.  Backup plans are only a distraction.  Don't settle.  Be bold.  Be confident.  Have a great day.

Sharing Calm With You

Are you having trouble dealing with stress in your life?  One of the people helping me to get back on track since my accident introduced me to a site, calm.com, that may be the solution you're looking for.  I set up the free app on my phone and use it every morning when I awake.  My personal favorite is "7 Days of Calm."  Give it a try for seven days and see if this decreases your anxiety levels.  I'm surprised how five or ten minutes a day can make a difference.  Have a great day.

Movie Plans Today for Paul, Apostle of Christ

There is no greater influence on the early church than Paul, the Apostle of Christ.  Today is opening day for his movie and I can't wait to see how they portray his final days.  He's credited with mentoring Luke, the physician responsible for a large portion of the New Testament.

Some argue we should always strive for successful outcomes in life.  When I think of Paul, his life seems to contradict these goals.  In fact, most of the early followers of Jesus ended up with negative outcomes, as in death and persecution.  The same is true in modern times.  There are consequences for accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  Why, then, are disciples of Jesus willing to risk everything in this world, including their own lives, to follow Jesus?  The answer is eternal life.  Paul believed this with every fiber of his being.  I'm making plans to see one of the first showings today.  Put this on your to do list.  Have a great day.

Face Your Fears

Anxiety can be debilitating.  I experienced this first-hand after my auto accident last month.  I found myself deferring the driving to my wife when we ventured out of the house.  I wasn't eager to get behind the wheel again, especially on bad weather days.  I started out with short trips to the post office and finally worked up the courage to get back on the interstate.

Another fear I've been working on is "white coat syndrome."  This fear is rooted in my fear of needles.  The irony for me is that my auto accident played a role in downsizing this fear.  I was poked by needles so many times that I finally stopped worrying about it.  I can finally visit my doctor without any elevated blood pressure or heart rate readings.  Repetitiveness seems to be the key to success.  The more times you face your fears, the better your chances for reducing anxiety.  Have a great day.

Happy Birthday to My Two Siblings

They were both born on the same day but in different years and they're celebrating their birthdays today.  Please join me in wishing Ann and Lisa a happy birthday.  I feel blessed to have five siblings and three of them happen to have birthdays in the same week.  We may be separated geographically but these siblings are always close to me in my heart.  Happy birthday, sisters.  Have a great day.

Envelope, Please

The best way I know to prevent a vacation hangover is to avoid credit card spending.  I'm a big believer in the cash envelope method.  The cash goes in the envelope before the vacation begins.  I plan to use this idea for all future travels.  It works best if you give yourself enough time to set aside funds, a little bit at a time.  If a credit card is required, make sure to mark the purchase on the outside of the envelope so the cash is there when the statement arrives.  Whoala!  No hangover!  Have a great day.

Cleared for Take-off

It's official.  My restrictions have been lifted.  I'm cleared for take-off.  The snow is melting quickly and things are heating up.  My boss agreed to honor my request for a two week Winter leave I asked for before my accident and it begins today.  This will give me time to get acclimated to the next chapter of my life.  It's time to spend time with friends and family.  My social media time will be limited and I may not be able to respond right away but the messages will continue daily.  The next two weeks are dedicated to thanking all the people who reached out to me when the chips were down.  The best way to do this is in person.  Don't be surprised if I'm knocking on your door.  Yes, it's time to celebrate.  Have a great day.

R.I.P. Vicky Tate, Wife and Mother of 7

My friend, Jim Tate, posted news of his wife's passing after a challenging battle with Frontotemporal Degeneration and ALS.  Vicky will be missed by her loving husband, seven children, friends and community members of the town of Ramona, located northeast of San Diego.

I would like to share with you something Vicky did for me that forever changed the course of my life while I was living in Ramona.  Our pastor put together a retreat to help people get closer to God.  Jim and Vicky were one of the first people in our congregation to answer the call.  Their retreat was such a success that our pastor decided to host another retreat for those who missed out.  Jim and Vicky volunteered to help out as "shepherds."  On the third day, our pastor called for an invocation of the Holy Spirit using an ancient technique known as the "laying of hands."  Our pastor first laid his hands on the shepherds to receive the Holy Spirit.  The shepherds repeated the laying of hands on the "sheep" in the congregation.  Vicky was my shepherd.  When she laid her hands on me, she felt something, like a heat coming from my head.  She knew something significant was happening and she was right.  I received a vision.  If you ever want to know what I saw, ask me and I'll share more.  All I can say is the moment Vicky laid her hands over my head my life changed forever, just as the first apostles were never the same after their encounter with the Holy Spirit.

Vicky is at peace now.  Her work here is done.  I'm one of the "sheep" she helped.  I will never forget what this couple has done to help make the world a better place.  R.I.P. Vicky Tate.  Peace be with you and your family.  You will be missed. ¡Vaya con Dios!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Mother Nature is giving us the cold shoulder today in our hometown.  The snow is coming down in heavy clumps this morning.  We refuse to let this get in the way of our celebrations.  There is so much to be thankful for.  Special birthday wishes to our daughter who is 25 today and our cousin, Patty, both born on St. Patrick's Day.

I'm super thankful to be savoring this amazing day.  My wife and I spent the morning looking at family photo albums.  There is no greater blessing than to be a husband and dad.  Happy St. Patrick's Day to all my friends and family.  May your day be filled with great joy.  Have a great day.

Geese Work

I shot this picture yesterday while on a nature hike.  It's nice to see the geese again, a sign that Spring is in the air.  These geese instinctively know what we as humans sometimes forget – teamwork gets the job done faster and more efficiently.  When one goose drops out of formation, it realizes how much more challenging it is to fly solo and soon rejoins the others.  If one of the members of the team gets sick or injured, two will stay behind to make sure their teammate is safe.

I'm ready to return to my family and friends on Monday.  It's time to soar again.  The injury time-out is almost over.  Special thanks to the geese who dropped out of formation and watched over me during my recovery.  I'm not afraid to spread my wings because I know flying in formation will ease the pressure while I rebuild my muscles.  It's all geese work.  I'm ready.  See you soon.  Have a great day.

In Sickness and in Health

Today's message is dedicated to my wife.  She really stepped up during my time of crisis.  Years ago I woke up in the middle of the night thinking I was experiencing a heart attack.  She didn't miss a beat, driving me to the hospital, going over check lists in case I didn't make it, and helping me to remain calm.  My emergency room visit turned out to be a false alarm related to drinking too much Mountain Dew.  I changed my ways and immediately got started on a journey to better eating habits.  All seemed well until I hit an ice patch nearly six weeks ago during a severe Winter storm and got t-boned by an oncoming van traveling 50mph.  The real agony for me was being separated from my love the first night I was in the trauma center with seven broken ribs and an injured spleen.  The roads were far too dangerous for her and our daughter to risk driving to the hospital.  Our oldest son kept watch, sharing my corny jokes with my wife to reassure her I was going to be okay.

Winter is almost over.  I'm ready to rejoin the land of the living.  I'm planning on an indoor swim session this morning and a short hike in the afternoon.  The highlight of my day will be having dinner with my wife when she returns home from work.  She kept our household together during my time of healing and managed to get me to all my doctor appointments.  I'm one of the lucky ones.  I have someone to share my life with in the good times and the bad.  I already know what she's going to say when we raise our wine glasses in a toast tonight, "we're celebrating life."  And my reply will be, "I'm celebrating my wife, the love of my life."  She shows me with her actions the real meaning of those vows we shared 28 years ago... "in sickness and in health."  Thank you, my lady.  I love you with all my heart.  Have a great day.

Forward Progress

I got some good news from one of my doctors yesterday.  He's happy my body is recovering on its own and further draining of my pleural effusion is not necessary.  He told me broken ribs take the longest to heal because breathing keeps the bones in motion.  That's okay with me.  I'm just happy to be rounding third and heading for home on my recovery efforts.  I'm expecting to have all my restrictions lifted on Monday, March 19.  My plan is to spend some time with family for two additional weeks before returning to my day job.

I would like to thank my teammates for stepping up during my absence and my boss for all her support during my time away.  I'm looking forward to getting back into my regular routine soon.  I promised my doctor I would start slow on the tennis courts.   The last thing I want to do now is go backwards.  Thanks again for your good thoughts, prayers, cards, letters, text messages and phone calls.  I'm hoping to be able to thank you in person soon.  Have a great day.

Early Morning Clinic Visit Today

I'm visiting the University of Iowa Hospital early this morning for another CT scan before meeting with my thoracic surgeon.  He will decide if my body is recovered enough for a procedure to drain excess fluid in my left chest cavity.  If all goes well, I should be able to return to my normal life soon.  Please keep me in your prayers.  My hope is that this is the final step in the recovery process.  I promise to update you tomorrow.  Have a great day.

God Bless the Healers

I've seen first-hand how they work.  They have hearts of gold.  I thank God for them – the first responders, the EMT's, the trauma teams, the doctors, nurses, physical therapists and occupational therapists.  These are the people who dedicate their lives to help the sick in their recovery efforts.  I've interacted with over thirty of these people since my accident five weeks ago and there are still a few more to meet before my healing is complete.  I will never forget these amazing people.

Hug a caregiver today.  Thank them for all they do.  The world is a better place because of these people.  May their lives be abundantly blessed.  Have a great day.

Silence of the Mind

Antsy.  Restless.  Unproductive.  Those are a few of the words reverberating inside my brain during my recovery.  The more powerful message I need to hear comes from above.  Psalm 46:10 trumps my mantras, Be still and know that I'm God.  Jesus wants the merry-go-round to slow down.  Until my accident, I only knew two speeds, fast and faster.  There are so many lessons to be learned in the stillness.

I may not be able to control which words are floating around in my brain, but I do have the power to focus on the thoughts that lead to healing.  There is one word that stands out and helps to cancel out any negative thoughts holding me back.  That word is gratitude.  Gratitude connects me with my Creator and with the outside world.  Gratitude is living in the moment and savoring it to the fullest without regard to tomorrow or the day after.  Gratitude is being thankful for the quiet moments that have been given to me.  It's in times like these that I discover something fascinating – my soul is healing.  I'm thankful for that.  Have a great day.

Healing in Progress

The healing continues.  I'm feeling better every day.  I can't thank you enough for the good thoughts and the prayers.  Sunny days are in the forecast.  Yeah!  I hope to see you soon.  Have a great day.

Is Jesus Radical Enough For You?

My Pastor handed out a book, "Rediscover Jesus," at the beginning of Lent, a six week journey of preparation for the Resurrection on Easter Sunday.  He suggested we read a chapter a day.  The first couple of weeks were especially challenging due to the nature of my injuries from my auto accident.  Something that stands out in the chapters is how radical Jesus is.  Here's the question to ponder:  "Is Jesus radical enough for you?"

In order for you to consider making changes in your life, you need something to inspire you to want to change.  I believe beating death is about as radical as it gets.  Jesus shows us by his own example that this is what's in our own future.  This changes how we view time.  We no longer need to fear there isn't enough time.  We have eternity.

If you're experiencing any kinds of doubts or uncertainties, the real problem is that you don't know how much Jesus loves you.  Jesus is all you need to make sense of your life.  You need a radical who is so different from this world that he will turn it upside down and give you a complete makeover.  Are you ready?  Give Jesus a try.  Have a great day.

Be Still in the Presence of the Lord

Something was missing in yesterday's post about patience – God's word.  I found it today in Psalm 37:7.  Why not turn to the One who controls everything, including the wind in your sails, for guidance? Today's lesson is about stillness.  Stillness and patience are cousins.  I'm spending time with both of them today and for as long as it takes to learn about their offerings.  Have a great day.

Patience

The things you can't control can get the best of you if you're not cautious.  The one area of my life I'm working on right now happens to be in the patience department.  One would think patience should be easy.  How much effort can there be in waiting?  A wise woman reminded me Jesus spent 40 days alone in the desert.  That's patience.  The real deal.  Jesus didn't ask to leave early.  He stuck it out.  The whole 40 days.  I look forward to seeing you once I learn my lesson in patience.  Please don't ask me how many days, hours, or minutes that will be.  I'm doing my best not to look at my watch during my lesson time.  I must stay until I can grasp the grasshopper from the Master's hand.  Have a great day.

Lucy, It's Time to Step Away from that Football

If you're in my age group, you know the Charlie Brown story very well.  Lucy, sets up the football and urges Charlie to go for the field goal.  He charges full speed ahead.  Lucy snatches the football at the last second and Charlie Brown ends up on his back.  Good grief!  Over and over, she tricks him with her shenanigans.  I had a similar feeling throughout my recovery since my auto accident.  No matter how hard I tried to kick that football through the uprights, Lucy got in my way. Just like Charlie Brown, I repeatedly ended up flat on my back.

Move over, Lucy.  It's time to step away from the football.  I'm taking my life back.  I've spent over a month huddling with my prayer warriors.  My doctors have been working around the clock to repair my broken body.  Now it's time for the insanity to stop.  I'm trying new things to restore my health, like deep breathing techniques.  My caveman eating habits are playing a major role strengthening my body.  Although the doctors estimate full healing at the six week mark, I do believe I'm ready to help out at my day job if the bosses give me the green light.  My body temperature has returned to normal and I should no longer be contagious in a couple of days.  Special thanks goes to all those cheering for me from the peanut gallery.  Better days are ahead.  Have a great day.

My New Fight Song

Today marks four weeks since my auto accident on Feb 5.  I've been on the sidelines ever since receiving a bone crushing blow to my left side.  My body is still broken but my spirit is unyielding in my desire to get back up and get back in the game of life.  I find comfort knowing there are others praying for my recovery.  My teammates are undefeated in all the matches played while I've been on the bench and they're cheering for me to get back on my feet again.  How can I lose with inspiration like this?

I discovered my new fight song about an hour before I returned to the hospital with a 103.2º fever Saturday afternoon.  The song struck a chord deep within my soul.  I admit it hurts to keep getting knocked down over and over.  Even the referee must be getting tired having to do so many standing eight counts in what appears to be a never-ending boxing match.  Every time I think I'm ready to return to the outside world, something happens.  Right now I'm dealing with the flu.  That means five more days on the bench until I'm no longer contagious.  After that, I need to return to the hospital to see how the doctors want to treat my pleural effusion.   The first procedure was a success but there is still more fluid near my spleen that must be drained before I'm declared healthy again.

Thank you for all your support.  Here's a link to my new fight song, The Champion, by Carrie Underwood.  Have a great day.

Why Letting Go is Your Best Option

I once associated "letting go" with failure.  Maybe that's why I held on so tight in the first and second quarters of my life.  The truth is none of us are in control of our lives.  As soon as we surrender our lives to a higher authority, doors open.  There is a master plan.  To discover it, you must be willing to let go of all the things blocking your view of a better life ahead.

Take a few minutes today and ponder how your life would look if you decided to let go of certain things.  These things may be attitudes, beliefs, people or unattainable goals.  They may be possessions.  If you've never done this before, this will seem scary at first.  Take baby steps.  And if those baby steps lead you in a better direction, let go of the bigger things.  I believe you will never arrive at the place you're supposed to be if you refuse to let go.  Have a great day.

Wishing My Teammates Good Luck this Weekend

My men's 18+ team is playing a big match today and my men's 55+ doubles team is facing a strong opponent tomorrow.  As much as I would like to contribute, all I can do is cheer from afar while they get the job done.  My recovery is going much slower than I originally anticipated.  I think this is the most significant battle I've ever faced.  I would like to thank you for continued prayers and give a shout out to my precious wife who is going out of her way to keep me comfortable at home.  Have a great day.

Home Sweet Home

I'm home at last.  It was a nice change of pace after being in the hospital since Monday.  The doctors are still putting me back together since my auto accident on February 5.  The longer I stayed, the more I began to look like one of those borg characters from Star Trek.  Apparently, they never sleep at the University of Iowa Hospital.  My docs entered my room at 12:30 AM to insert a tube into my chest and drain 640cc of fluid from my chest cavity.  I felt bad for my room-mate who had to endure the chaos while I did my best to muffle my caveman grunts.  "I think that probe is touching my heart," I said.

"That's because I'm right next to your heart now,"  the doctor said.  "But don't worry, the heart is a strong muscle."

The doctors used an ultra sound to place the tube inside my pleural effusion and they were quite happy with the successful outcome.  I remained in my borg-like state until the tube was removed on Wednesday.  CT results revealed additional fluid and the thoracic surgeon visited to discuss inserting a second tube.  He recommended delaying or skipping this procedure while my spleen heals.  The good news is I'm finally free of IV's, drain tubes, shots at all hours of the day and night, and regular wake-up calls to get vitals.  As much as I loved the top-notch care I received at the hospital, nothing beats sleeping in your own bed.  Full recovery is still three weeks away.  Thank you for all your prayers and support during this period of recovery.  I hope to see you soon.  Have a great day.

Watch Out, Davinci is On Call Today

It's a big day for me today on day 4 at the University of Iowa Hospital.  There are a couple of options.  Davinci, the robot used in lathroscopic surgery, is standing by in case the radiology intervention team can't get the tube in place to properly drain the remaining fluid in my chest cavity.  Check back tomorrow for the latest update. Gotta run.  I don't want to be late for my date.  Have a great day.