Roots

Our annual cross country biker group calls itself the Gray Hogs, in a veiled allusion to Tim Allen’s movie Wild Hogs. Two prime requirements to be a Hog: you don’t need to belong to the Harley Owners’ Group, just pack a few extra pounds, and to sport some gray hair. Oh yeah, and to ride a bike and to get along with the charter members.

Even so, old totally dominated part of our ride to the Taos NM area. We visited the country’s oldest continuously occupied residence, Taos Pueblo, which dates back to 1000 AD. A bit later in Santa Fe we explored the country’s oldest church, the San Miguel Mission from 1610 (I snuck up and rang the bell before learning they allowed it), the oldest seat of government from colonial days with Santa Fe’s Palace of the Governors, also 1610, and what some claim to be the country’s oldest residence, the De Vargas Street House, from 1646. All…

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Getting Better?

Mark Twain, one of America’s wittiest authors, proclaimed that “The man who is a pessimist before 48 knows too much; if he is an optimist after it he knows too little.” Well, I’m over 48. Well over. Yet, I find a blend of both pessimism and optimism within myself. Pessimism: about how America is abandoning widespread cultural values in place of subjective ethics; about the rise in violent crime, particularly in young adults; about growing alcohol and drug abuse. Optimism: about…

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UnChristlike Christians

Christians not living like Christians troubles me. OK, I’m more troubled by THIS Christian who doesn’t always act like he should. However, this human affliction applies to us all. But maybe we can do something about it. Over my years of following Jesus, I’ve been intrigued by how many studies indicate a behavioral/faith disconnect by many followers of Jesus. The Christian sociologist George Barna examined how five different faith groups, ranging from active to lukewarm followers to adherents of other faiths to atheists, did on 18 behavioral issues that constitute morality: most groups’ behaviors were…

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God Awareness

We live in a brave new world, one that ignores more than opposes God. He’s rarely part of the landscape, not a normal topic of discussion. In an industry that once frequently alluded to him (East of Eden, the novel by Steinbeck and the movie for just one example), few movies refer to God at all. And, rather than rail against the lack, maybe we can graciously insert a God awareness into our culture. We’ve all seen…

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Seek Help

In my pride, I sometimes resist asking for help. But a needed lesson hit me back in the mid-1980s. Sheila and I went to visit her mom in Spearville, Kansas, just east of Dodge City, but with a surprise. Oh, she knew we were coming, but to avoid her worries we somehow forgot to mention we were riding our 1978 Honda Goldwing motorcycle. She saw us pull up out front, and joy and fear both danced across her face. And before the trip ended…

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Of Mountains and Molehills

Several years back when we lived in Thousand Oaks, my wife celebrated the upcoming Mother’s Day with a few days away with a girlfriend, I figured to pop a surprise for her return: installing a new faucet for the master bathroom. Several complications soon arose. Previous owners had done some funky modifications to the old house over the years, and one was the drain trap, a strange conglomeration of plastic and brass and mismatched parts. The threads were stripped, and it took four trips to Home Depot to finally get the correct set up. Eventually I had to…

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I Rest

This wise yet anonymous quote helps me, “Complexity seeks you out. Simplicity must be sought;” I know it’s spot on. The added years merely increase the baggage to carry, in memories, stuff, even friendships to maintain. Our technology gives us tremendous power, but at the cost of having to learn to use the latest innovation or update. Fifty years ago, I knew southern California well, and felt content. Now I’m impacted by…

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