Two month Report

Well, it has been interesting so far since I cleaned out my office and came home to our new home. We make progress cleaning out the book boxes, making multiple giveaway trips to Goodwill. This feels a bit like the three month vacation I had in 2002 except there may be no return to full time work here.

Laura is adjusting well, although pool ownership and electricity bills will slam us pretty hard this summer. We are negotiating what temp we can tolerate in the house, and being more careful during our three hours a day voluntary plan to cut use called EZ3. Gas heat insures we will pay less electricity in our mild winter, and we enjoy a cool house in the winter as well. Meanwhile the overhead fans in every room are helping circulate and keep it all enjoyable. Just yesterday I closed the vents in our guest bathroom and guestroom which is a long way from being reading to welcome guests, and the temp in our bedroom went down two degrees. Nice.

Our mornings by the pool are very special, and the morning swim when the temp in the water has cooled over night are my favorite time of day so far.

When home, our meals are healthy, our exercise regular, our sunshine exposure abundant, our minds and spirits at peace with God and man, and our concerns for the mixed up condition of politics, and world disorder are kept way back on the back burner of our minds, which I hope and pray reaps positive benefits on my health and heart. Good habits.

Facebook friends can be real friends

Most of us use social media to keep up with people we know. Occasionally you let strangers in who have proven that you share things in common and they begin to trust you not to abuse your glimpse into their lives.

Marc and Dixie changed careers, went to Seminary, started ministry while raising three kids. I have loved their authenticity, often zany sense of humor, and over the years have checked in with them, although Canada is so far away, I felt a kinship.

So Facebook develops acquaintance, and empathy, and therefore they felt OK meeting us for an afternoon drive and a good Mexican Meal. We loved showing them the amazing drive up to Canyon Lake and Tortilla Flat Museum, Store and Tourist trap.

They are several decades younger, but I see our journey mirrored in theirs and I am thankful to be an encourager and long distance friend. I hope we meet again.

Talkin bout my Generation

Tomorrow marks the 40th anniversary (Sunday wise) of my ordination to preach and minister the gospel. I have mentioned it more times than anyone has interest in hearing, but here goes one more observation.

On June 27th, 1967 I had a spiritual moment of faith that changed my life and set me in the direction of preparing to be a minister. On June 27th, 1976 I was ordained in an evening service of my first congregation, nine years to the day, and one week before our nations 200th Birthday on July 4th, 1976.

I am the same man who bent the knee that night to have hands laid upon me and to be set apart for the gospel. I am not the same man as well, I have grizzled and battle scarred and wounded and blessed and honored to make it four decades, one genea, one generation.

I have sensed His loving presence through it all. I have felt abandoned at times when my enemies came from within the camp. I have spent most of my life in constant internal dialogue with God and with the things I diligently study, and through all the many experiences of life spent interacting with members of the body of Christ.

Many times I desperately wished I had chosen another career. Many times I was thankful that I was chosen for this. I shall observe it quietly, and then get on with the blessings of the second half of life, when I am older, wiser, more patient, slower, and overwhelmed each day with grace, beauty, and love.

Finding Dory

Picture in the clubhouse of Indian Wells reminded me of Bob Hopes wide influence in golf, celebrity, and politics. His humor connected him to the world and made him a true icon of his generation.

We enjoyed the comedy and the backstory of Pixar's revisit under the sea. Sometimes I wish I had less memory. We shared the theater with a couple that had joined others in turning on us over a decade ago during a difficult time in our ministry. Even though the memory of the wounds was there I made a point of having a pleasant conversation and catch up.

Today, I spent most of the day working around the house and the pool. We painted a wrought iron screen door, and I vacuumed the pool floor. Two months retired, no one calls, no one needs me, except Lara, and I am a pool boy/old man.

Truth is, there are many blessings in being a pastor, but a lot of dysfunction comes with evangelicalism. The reasons and guilt for the mutual abuse cycle are many and varied, but my heart is really healing and the routine of not being involved with others lives right now is just what the doctor ordered.

The Unpacking Continues

Organizing our walk in closet.

The East Facing Side Yard

A Veterans Organization has placed a flag in our front yard for the Month. Nice, and you can see Laura's Disney Wreath on our front gate.

We are finally unpacking my books I am keeping, some of them are going to be kept, at least now, in our spacious bedroom closet. Compared to our last house, it is hard to call this a closet, more like a dressing room. Today she got it a bit sorted out except for quilts. I love it, and Laura is beginning to warm up to the house. Because we have a locked backyard gate I have neglected the eastern side yard and this afternoon while grilling found some seriously wilted lemon trees. Administering much needed water.

Later this evening I plan to try and fail again to capture a full moon, even when I try the suggested settings I am never happy with the results.

We are getting better at this guiltless living schedule. Today we sat by the pool reading and enjoying the warm morning including some pool time, then to the gym for an hour, then to lunch with friends, then unpacking projects, then swimming again, cooking dinner, and now doing some more sorting in the keep or give away piles.

Palm Springs Golf Week

Been away from my computer for a week fulfilling a bucket list item. Golf every day, with the guys, on beautiful courses, in a beautiful location.
Did it, it was fun, but this aging body can't quite keep up with the strains of daily golf. I need recovery time. Glad I did it. Fun and interesting to hang out with regular guys and enjoy the heat of a California desert community.

Came home and was swimming with the family, entered the house with wet feet and slipped on a carpet runner and did and real head bang on my carpet. Had I hit tile I would not be writing this, and the brevity, and danger and preciousness of life was underlined in a moment of carelessness.

40 Days and 40 Nights

Start missing the Ocean this time of year. This is the San Clemente Pier from June one year ago.

I am heading west Sunday to enjoy my first complete Dry Heat Summer Tournament with Larry my friend and his old friends. Over the years I have joined them for a few rounds but this year I am playing in the daily and three day tourney in Palm Springs and Palm Desert, CA.

I have been enjoying my six weeks of retirement. We both know that after this quiet time we will need to re engage somewhere doing something related to our gifts and passions, but again, no rush, I am learning to listen, and to fill the time with attitude adjustments that are setting me free from the past and reminding me that I am someone who enjoys conversation and deep discussions, and life expanding experiences.

Bucket #2

This was the toilet for this years shelter home build in Mexico. Makes me count my blessings for all I have enjoyed.

Today we met with a nice gentleman well past retirement age who helped us apply for Social Security "Benefits". I knew mine would not amount to much as I opted out of church salary making preparation for retirement. Long Story, not worth telling. Anyhow I though Laura's was a bit low after working 25 years as an educator. But the numbers are what they are and we can shift our attention to planning how to use bucket #3 and maybe bucket #4, (earning retirement income).

Time is precious, and these buckets are purchasing it for us to enjoy. Worked long and hard, saved as much as we could, helped our family grow up as well as we could, made a life, had friends, all good.

Heat Wave Weekend

Remembering the joys of my growing up years, when after one summer as a bagboy at the local grocery at age 15 I got smart and got my water safety and lifeguard certification and spent the next ten years watching groups, upholding pool discipline, and doing the maintenance required to keep each pool clean. Now, at age 65 I wake up with the same job, and love it. There is just nothing like slipping into the pool several times a day, washing the deck, enjoying the birds that fill the surrounding trees. We enjoy keeping the water temp around 85 degrees, so today I ran the aerating sprinkler in the pool and found that standing under it was like stepping into a cool zone at the store. Fun.

Yesterday 111, Today 115, And we spent a lot of time in the backyard pool, which made it all more bearable, and enjoyable. Mid afternoon we went to see Zootopia at the Discount Theater which was fun although Ben and Shannon had seen it. It is amazing that even with this heat, the mornings and late afternoons are pleasant. I played golf yesterday and never felt overheated.

Baby Boomers Unite and Leave

We went to acknowledge the retirement of our Dentist Dr. B. We found him in the early 90s and he has taken care of our cavities, crowns, and invisaligns since then. Always a lot of laughter and teasing about his mormon upbringing and my pastoral life. We loved his staff as well. Its hard for a Dentist with this longevity to find a buyer for his building and staff with the hope that his clients will stay. We wished him well. He is a type A who owned an antique Bi plane that he flys in formation with others during air shows.

Laura noted the Congratulations on your retirement section at Target was almost empty. The Boomers are leaving the work force in record numbers. I was the last post war child my parent had when Dad came home from the Pacific. What an interesting time to be born in America when our parents tried so hard to recreate a post war economy and lifestyle. I have been able to come so much further economically that Dad would ever have dreamed, and all his four kids got college degrees, when Mom and Dad were High School romance and right to work and war and babies.