Dream Squasher

When did I pick up the trait of dream squashing? My daughter Kylee wants to build a fort in the back yard out of scrap wood, stones, mud and all other things messy. She was so excited. She had it all planned out exactly how she would do it. I quickly told her this would not be possible for it would make a mess and we would just be tearing it down soon. Wow, there’s a good pick me up. Go after your dreams sweetheart, but don’t do it in my back yard, and not with my scrap wood. I need someone to take a piece of that wood and hit me upside the head.

In crazy pursuit of the unattainable goal of having things that don’t matter be in perfect order, you quickly loose sight of substance. Isn’t it interesting that we can lie our heads down at night on false security that all is in order, while in reality our relationships are a mess.

I now turn my words to Kylee.

I want you to build your fort. Build it the best way you know how. Enjoy every moment of it. And when it is all done, I hope you’ll invite me in to share moments and lemonade.

I love you Kylee.

The Great Giver

Could it be that in His world amongst the singing angels there’s room for a banjo?

Why do I have so much fear that as I seek the light, I will loose who I am, and all things fun will be no more? It’s no wonder so many don’t seek. But we are seekers. We are really good at seeking out excitement and pleasure. Can you blame us?

Here’s the great lie. As we approach the light, we will become more restricted in the things we can do and experience. I’m just beginning to sense that not only does He not restrict, but if we let Him, He will increase our capacity to experience joy and pleasure in ways that before were unimaginable. I have no idea how this happens, but from time to time I catch whispers that it’s true.

He is The Great Giver. He would have us enjoy life and feel all those wonderful feelings that we are so unwilling to give up. But we must do it His way. If not, all is temporary, and the fun and excitement will sooner or later be replaced with anguish and misery.

Give me balance, that I might enjoy the good things of this life, all the while remembering Him, the one who gave us all.

Summer and Time

Tonight there’s a smell of summer in the air as well as the scent of time marching forward. Out the window I hear crickets singing their songs of summers gone by.

This evening in the summer grass, next to Jakey and my grandpa, I caught an interesting glimpse of time. What different perspectives of time we share. For Jakey time is frozen. He does not comprehend it, especially when I tell him we will go golfing in a couple of days. For me I wish too much to have it back. For my grandpa he wishes for more as he fights his battle with cancer. I vote for Jakey’s perspective. We certainly can’t bring time back, and we never know what tomorrow will bring, but tonight under the first summer sky there was me, Jakey and grandpa, and it was, for a moment, as if time stood still.

Substance

Today at lunch I went miniature golfing with my boy Jakey. I have always wanted to be a good golfer. Every time I go, I am renewed with insane optimism that today will be the day. Today will be the day when I finally have a good round. Never mind the fact that I haven’t changed anything since the last round. I’m so full of this false hope until I hit my first shot. There the ball flies in the complete opposite direction I thought I was aiming—that’s not how I didn’t practice it. Reality is cold sometimes and so is the lake where my golf ball now sits.

There are many things wonderful about golf. But at the end of the day, it is just a game. Often times at the golf course a thickness of things important sacrificed is in the air. I want to crave substance. Things that will give me joy when I finish the round of life.

May God bless me never to forget how Jakey smiled today. Tonight I end the day still an average golfer, but maybe just maybe I am one shot closer to becoming a great dad.

Shopping Carts

One of my biggest problems is that I am lazy. I find it interesting the amount of stray carts scattered about the parking lot of the grocery store. If only there was some holding area where the carts could be placed after the shoppers were done. I can’t count how many times my excitement of finding the perfect parking spot has been ruined by a shopping cart. Here’s the irony, I could get out of the car move the shopping cart, not to the mythical holding bay, but just far enough as to clear the area for my car. But to achieve this task I would have to shift the car in neutral, take the seat belt off, open the door, and move the cart. (There is a real art in getting the wheels turned just right so that the cart won’t roll. It takes roughly five times as long as it would to put the cart away properly.) Instead I find it far more rewarding to curse the person that didn’t put their cart away and I go find me a new cart-free parking spot. As I circle the parking lot looking I think of a conundrum, if the cart wasn’t put away out of shear laziness, how in the world did one muster up enough energy to walk all the way from the store to the car and load all the groceries by hand? Seems like it would have been easier to stay home and order out. But then again there’s the whole picking up the phone and dialing and stuff.

With Memorial Day fresh in my mind thoughts of those gone by still linger. I think of the greatest generation, those that built their lives on the principle of hard work. To them I stand in awe. I fear I have convenienced myself out of hard work. I must find a way to overcome the grips of laziness. I wish to stand one day next to the great ones, for only those that have learned the principle of work shall be permitted to stand in such awesome company.

Deep Waters

I often find myself in the deeps of what should have beens and what isn'ts. While swimming in these waters I am blinded from all the potential what can bes. At times I catch glimpses but lack the faith to move to higher ground.

I must learn to soak up every moment that is shared with the ones I love. It won't be long until I will find myself in the pool of days gone by. I should like to meet all those precious moments shared for in that I shall find joy. But if in that day I again find the should haves and could haves my heart will weap for chances forever lost.

Leave the falls of yesterday Danny, and partake of the living waters of today.

The Almighty Snooze Button

In a previous post I mentioned my battle of waking up early. After further thought waking up is not so bad it’s actually getting out of bed that is the killer. There I lay, 6 am, after being so rudely awakened by some random radio station. The question is racing through my head, should I get up? There is a small part of me that is saying yes get up, go get things done. But that little surge of energy is quickly squashed by the ever powerful natural man. But wait there is hope. I can appease both logic and laziness; I’ve got a snooze button. I can just put the decision off for 10 more minutes. What a great invention. I can now procrastinate with the slap of a button. Man do I know how to procrastinate. I would challenge anyone to a procrastination contest, but let’s do it tomorrow.

How many things in my life am I pushing the snooze button on? Soon life’s alarm will stop ringing. No more call to awake and arise. I will have slept in missing all the beauty of the morning. Gone will be the chance to make the most out of the day. May God give me the ears to hear the ring of the alarm and may He give me the strength to arise.