Brrrr

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I spent the weekend on Mount San Gorgonio.  The first weekend in November is often cold up there, but I have never seen so much snow, and so low.  We started seeing snow on the ground at around 4,000′ and it was about the same amount, 4″-6″ as it was much higher.  Once we got above 7,000′ I do not think it ever got above freezing, which was actually really nice because it meant everything was very dry, and beautiful.

My dad agreed to go along on the trip over a month ago.  We even contemplated what clothes to wear and I talked him out of bringing shorts.  The weather got all crazy, but having already committed to go, he ended up on his first (and probably last) snow trip.  We had a great time.

We were also with both of Cammy’s brothers, Charlie and Brandon, as well as Mason, Brandon’s oldest, and Brandon’s brother-in-law Art and his son Josh.  At 7, we were a big group that headed up into the snow at Vivian’s Creek above Forest Falls.  We did not summit, but we made a good go of it.  We did not have a lot of time to plan and prepare for and adventure in that kind of weather.

We made it out on Sunday just before they were going to need snow plows.  Which was fortunate since only Art had 4×4 and chains.

The first goal = Slurpees

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As I have posted about the boys soccer you may get the idea that I am more than a little frustrated with their drive to accomplish something.  So I wanted to give them an incentive to play harder, a carrot to give them a taste for winning.  I said that if they won their game, I would buy them a Slurpee.  I wanted to be careful to make sure they were learning the game, so I did not want to incentivize any particular stat or action, just win.

Cammy, in the heat of the moment, said, “If you score a goal I will buy you a Slurpee every day of the week!”  I mumbled, “What if they are playing keeper?”

Andrej played keeper on Saturday, but only for the final quarter.  He never touched the ball.  In the first half though, he played midfield.  He had his most aggressive match yet, and guess what.  Cammy is buying him a Slurpee today, and tomorrow, and… well you can figure it out.

This is a great encouragement for me, in my life, as it should be for you.  We can change the way we live life, we can become proactive where we have been reactive.  It should also encourage Petr. He will have to ride home Slurpee-less every day this week.

More analogies from soccer

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I brought up the boy’s soccer before, but I wanted to dig a little deeper.  There is something else I see when I watch the boys playing.  I see a microcosm of the way most people live their lives. There are some who go out and try to make something happen, but most of them are just waiting for something to happen.  They are reactive rather than proactive.

We were talking about life with some people the other day and one of them said something to the effect of, “I really do not make any decisions, my life is dictated to me.”  Now if they had been a teenager or an E1 I might not think much of it, but this was a middle aged adult.

You are the captain of the ship of your life.  Admiral God has given you some orders.  You can either carry them out, or you can complain about the wind blowing this way and the current from that way.  A large percentage of the people I meet, from all parts of the world, are of the throw up the hands variety – “What could I do?”

This is not the kind of life I see being advocated in the Bible. Gird up the loins of your mind.  Be ready for every good work. Set your minds on things above. If I perish, I perish. …will not allow you… beyond what you are able. Thoroughly equipped for every good work. Walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light.  I can do all things…

Is your world driving you, or are you driving your world?

What does not defines me

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Now that I have been at this new job for a few weeks I am confronted with a couple of questions,  questions I like to ask.

What am I doing?  That is a simple question and one that I am still working out.  I am managing a group of people who monitor Sony’s network and facilitate communication across different parts of the organization.  You might wonder, “What exactly does all that mean?”  I am still sorting through some of those technical details.

The more important question is, “Why am I doing it?”  That is something that has caused me to think a lot more.  It is a whole lot different on many levels from being a volunteer missionary in Africa.  However it brings up one very big point.

I am not defined by what I do.  What I do should be defined by who I am.  And who am I?  I am a child of the Most High. That remains, no matter what my vocation.  I can be a missionary in Africa, or I can be a ditch digger in California (something I actually enjoy in my free time…), either way, I am still God’s adopted son and I am still requested to serve Him. My real job is to work for the advancement of God’s Kingdom.

I know this can be used as an excuse to do anything, that is not my point. My point is to ask you, “Why are you doing it?” If you are digging ditches, great.  If you are managing a company, great.  If you are doing whatever, great.  It is never about what you are doing, but why. Do the most with what God gives you. (Matt 25:14-29) It also makes me think of Joseph.

What is the most?  Well that is another post that has been in draft form since September of 2008.  I hope to get to it soon.

Lessons from Soccer

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Almost all the soccer I watched in the last 3 years was either the World Cup, Real Madrid or some of the English Premier league.  When I watch them play, and these are some of the best players in the world, I sometimes get frustrated with their bad decisions or physical errors they make.

Last Saturday the boys had their first real games for AYSO.  We had been at Lake Powell the week before so they missed a couple of games.

Andrej played first, he is 6 and playing on a U7 team.  Watching a bunch of 6 year olds play can be a little frustrating.  However, almost all of them seem like they are having fun, and the game resembles very little of what I am used to watching.  Andrej did well, he has a defender’s mentality.  It reminds me a little of how my brother played.  When Andrej was striker for the last quarter he kept tracking back on defense.  Even after his mom said she would buy him a slurpee every day of the week if he scored!

Petr’s game came after lunch.  For an 8-year-old, he has a really good head for the game.  He is almost always in the right place and keeps his head up looking for where to pass the ball.  However, he does not seem to have any passion for it.  His head is in the game, but not his heart.  I had to exercise a lot of self-restraint in letting the coach coach and stay silent on the sidelines.  As Cammy and I were discussing it during the game she said, “I am sure this is how God feels when He sees us living our lives.”

Another great lesson from life learned by parenting.  How often are we doing many of the right things, being in the right place at the right time, only to have no passion to “go get it,” as we are supposed to?  Another opportunity to excel passes us by. A chance to be a part of something great.  Praise Him who has more patience and self-restraint than I do.

Petr really did well, and in the last quarter he was playing left midfield.  He was at the back post on every run forward, perfectly positioned for a cross.  One did come his way and he had a good shot forcing the keeper to parry it just outside the post.  If only he was more confident with his left foot, the whole right side of the goal was open…(Yes, I am looking in the spiritual mirror as I say that…)