Congratulations Steffanie!

This is from the day our daughter Steffanie graduated from the Law School at the University of Orgeon in Eugene. It was a wonderful day. We couldn’t be more proud. But after a nice dinner out with family it was pack, pack, pack.

On Monday she packed up all her belongings, squished them into her little compact car and drove to Reno, Nevada which is where she will spend a good chunk of the summer studying and getting ready for the Bar…. That’s different than a tavern or a honky tonk right? Congratulations again Steffanie, we look forward to seeing what God has in store for you next!

Psalm 89

There were many moments and places like this, when it felt like we were eyewitnesses to the scenes that inspired our scriptures. Like this picture and Psalm 89…

“I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever. I will make your faithfulness known. O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? You rule over the surging sea and blessed are those who walk in the light of your presence.”

Sea Monster?

We got a lot of beautiful pictures of the rugged Oregon coastline. The waves crashing and spraying and sometimes even creating rainbows was absolutely mesmerizing, but this is Ruth’s favorite, because if you look closely you can see the eyes of something in the waves… Is it a sea monster or maybe just one of Sponge Bob’s friends coming up for a look?

Haystack Rock

We are started our Oregon trip this spring at Cannon Beach. A beautiful place just west of Portland. It was a cool, windy day. Smelling salt water again was a treat and here is a picture of Ruth with Haystack rock in the background. To give you an appreciation of this place I’ve included notes about a local artist who spent an entire year painting this scene, every single day. Sound like another guy who understands how to get the most out of our journey…

Over the course of a full year. Richard Gorsuch, a Cannon Beach artist, set out Jan. 1,
with the goal of painting Haystack Rock every day for a full year. Through every kind of weather, good and bad health, degrees of darkness and light, he set up shop and painted Haystack Rock.

Every day, all 365 days of the year. He had no “lofty life-changing purpose” and said that “Some days it was just dismal, cold and disinteresting, but life is like that. It’s not all bells and whistles.”

“When you look at it, it’s like a box of Sees Candies,” said Richard. “It’s still the same rock, beach, ocean and sky. But the light, and cloud formations ... it’s like when light comes through a prism in the kitchen window and you get a rainbow. It’s the handiwork of God creating. And it was different each and every day.”

“Mother Teresa described herself as a little pencil in the hand of God,” Richard explained. “I can resonate with her thinking when I have a tiny brush in my hand. How gorgeous the world is and how small we are, yet privileged to be there, paying homage to it.” “I’m just one guy on the planet on my journey,” said Richard. “And I keep moving.”

Fly Like An Eagle

I am not a good golfer. I like golf, took a few lessons, play once or twice a month, even got a new driver for Christmas, but I am not a good golfer. (Mostly 90’s) But today golf gave me a moment I’ll never forget.

I know golf stories are booooooring, so I’ll keep it short. A good friend, Harold Johnson, invited me to join him today on my day off to play a course in Dallas called Cedar Crest. A beautiful, old course that hosted the 1927 PGA.

Hole number 12 is a cute little par 4. It was a good drive. As we rounded the dog leg in our cart, no ball. I figured it had to be in the sand trap and grumbled about putting the best drive of my life into the sand, but again, no ball.

Finally, we see it… two feet from the pin. Honest, I wanted to pick it up because I was absolutely convinced that I would choke and miss the only chance I’ll ever have for an eagle. I miss these kind of putts all the time.

But after a 307 yard drive, that stopped 2 feet from the pin, I had to try. Thank you God and thank you Wilson 4 with the funky horse logo, I don’t remember where I picked you up, but I definitely plan to keep you around.

And even if I do I lose you in the midst of life’s clutter, I’ll never forget that moment we shared with Harold, in Dallas, on a beautiful Friday morning, when you dropped into the cup. In golf it’s called an Eagle, with my game it’s called a miracle.