One of the many things I love about my God

I was on a shoot today with Gubernatorial Candidate Allen Alley. We visited Thurston Middle School to shoot some video and interaction with some of the kids. While at the school I ran into a couple of kids I have an interesting connection with and thought I’d share a couple of stories.

This is a picture of Noah. I don’t really know Noah but I know his sister Marcy. A few years ago I did an intense story with her. The subject is really not the point; just trust me on this one. A year or so after that story I was speaking at a graduation ceremony and there she was in the audience. We had a tearful conversation, right there in front of the entire audience. To see Noah today was a huge blessing. He looks like his sister and it made me miss, just for a second, the things I used to do on the news.

Then, I ran into Brendan. Brendan is a little prophet. The December before I left KEZI to run for SOS, I was speaking at his school, Mount Vernon Elementary in Springfield when he turned to me and said, “Did you know in the next year your life will completely change?” I said: “No”. He said: “It will” and he was right. A year later, after I lost, I was speaking at Mount Vernon again and there he was. Today when Brendan walked up to me I was shocked. This is a young man who keeps walking in and out of my life and I think he has a rare ability given to him by God.

Amongst the difficult day, this was a bright spot, I will not soon forget.

All Natural Christmas

I’m not trying to be culturally sensitive or show you my environmental side but when it comes to getting a Christmas Tree our family likes to do it the old fashioned way.

Many years ago the “Davis Clan” introduced us to this right of passage when they invited us to go with their family to cut down a tree. It became a highlight of our Christmas.

All of our families would pack up their rigs, load tents and propane heaters into the back of trucks along with a couple of quads and sleds. We’d spend the entire day searching the hills above Fall Creek for the perfect tree.

The big parties ended a few years ago. Families started having younger kids and ours started getting older but through it all Kathy and I still try to head out into the mountains to gather our tree. A few years, when the snow covered the roads, we had to go to a tree farm and hated it. Not that tree farms are bad it’s just so different being out in the middle of nowhere …..and the Federal Forest is a heck of a lot cheaper.

A few years ago, we ventured out with Christina Davis and her family. The rest of the family chickened out, for good reason, and we ended up getting stuck. It was actually pretty scary. We were in the snow, far from anyone else, stuck.

Last year, we went out with another family and couldn’t find a tree. They succumbed to the pressure and bought their tree from a lot. Kathy and I just couldn’t do that. So, we ventured out on our own, and drove to a place I won’t tell you about because it’s a secret. Christmas Tree locations are a lot like a fishing hole. You don’t tell where you found it. For a price I’ll tell you but remember, I’m self-employed now so my doing things for free mentality no longer exists. (Smile)

Anyway, Kathy and I drove to the top of this hill and found hundreds of tall Nobel Firs. We were in Heaven. There was some snow on the trees and our pants got so wet we had to take them off and drive home in our underwear. I’m so glad we didn’t get pulled over. Not sure how I’d explain that to a cop. An Ex-TV News Anchor/Politicians, driving in his underwear. I’m thinking that might be indecent exposure.

Who knows what this years Christmas Tree Hunting Adventure will bring. We’ll find out next weekend.

My Band Wagon has a Flat Tire

I’m not sure when it happened or the exact moment my Band Wagon lost traction and I’m not sure I care to fix the flat tire. In fact, I’m thinking of trading my Band Wagon in for a vehicle that get’s better gas mileage and actually get’s me some place.

Band Wagon’s had their purpose. They are big heavy vehicles we load up with ideas and thoughts. We make lots of stops to pick up people along the way but what I’m finding is the people climbing aboard are just getting a free ride, not actually helping to pay for the gas. I think we got so used to riding in our Band Wagons that we didn’t notice when the seats stopped filling up and only a few people were actually riding along.

For most of my life I’ve sat in the front seat, the drivers seat, steering the Band Wagon and creating the conversation. But now, as I look in the front seat, my old seat, I don’t see me steering anymore. Somewhere along the road I had a flat tire and turned the steering wheel over to someone else.  His name is God. He doesn’t have a lot of use for Band Wagons. He doesn’t really care about the vehicle or the number of people riding along; He cares about the people and how they treat each other.

My temptation is to get back into the driver’s seat, push the gas pedal to the metal, and get this big bulky Band Wagon moving again. But the new driver keeps looking at me as if to say; “Rick, you don’t need to drive this thing anymore.”

As my life becomes simpler I think I’m ready to trade in the Band Wagon for something smaller, less roomy and with better gas mileage so I can actually get somewhere.

I’m looking for a Hybrid. Something that still allows me to be involved and will make a little noise but not so big that it takes over my life. I guess you could say my Band Wagon is going Green. I’m not sure what that means or how it looks but the Band Wagon has lost its purpose.  I guess I’m waiting for the creator to show me a new model.

It’s time to get going. Another day is upon us. Has anyone seen my keys?

Time for a return to Shallowness

I think it’s time we pay more attention to the shallowness of life. I’ve always prided myself on my attraction to the deeper things but am starting to wonder if that’s where true life is found or if that’s just a suit and tie we put on to make ourselves look better to those around us.

God ordains all things which causes me to consider that most of life is found in the mundane moments. Oswald Chambers got me thinking about this mostly ignored aspect of my life this morning.  He said: “It is not your devotion to God that makes you refuse to be shallow, but your wish to impress other people.” He goes on to say: “Beware of posing as a profound person. God became a baby.”

The older I get the less attracted I am to big idea’s, great notions and people who try to convince me of anything. I hear it in church, party politics and in the paper every day. We, including myself, like to attach depth to our lives and would just as soon trade most of the shallowness for monumental moments.

I keep thinking God came to us as a child, not a superpower, to show us the way. He didn’t come as a king. God lived with us as a common man and partook of the shallowness and in that shallowness found life.  So I have to ask myself why? I wonder that it’s not the shallowness of life that connects us to each other. On Face book, a blog like this will attract some who agree, some who don’t, some who want to fight over my ideas and beliefs and some who just want to argue. But if I were to ask you where to I find the best Pizza in town I’d get thousands of responses? Yesterday I would have thought that shows how shallow the world really is but today I’m wondering whether if the shallowness is not where real relationship is found.

Oswald closes with this and so will I: “Determinedly take no one seriously but God, and the first person you find you have to leave severely alone as being the greatest fraud you have ever know, is yourself.”

The Wrong Idea about God

I’ve grown up thinking the reason God forgives me of my sin is because He loves me, now I wonder if that’s not an oversimplification. I read Oswald Chambers this morning and am challenged. I know Sin is not a popular subject with our culture. I understand this could be a huge stumbling block for some of you but the fact is sin separates us from God and sometimes we need to talk about it. What if the only reason God forgives us of our sin is the fact that His son Jesus Christ died on a cross?

Yes, God loves us and yes He sent Christ to die for our sin but what if His forgiveness is only possible because of that death?

For me, this makes so much sense. To believe otherwise almost diminishes the cross and it’s importance.

Independence: Part of Being Human. (Click here for video)

To me, part of being human is my desire for independence. People with disabilities are no different but sometimes need a little extra support to make independence possible. An agency in town called The Oregon Supported Living Program understands this idea and helps make it happen for dozens of people in our area. The man you are about to meet is Kurt Bagley. If you go to LCC you’ll see him out there working as a janitor. Take a few minutes and watch Kurt’s story. If you’d like to find out more about the program http://www.oslp.org

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Client: Two Agencies One Vision  (Oregon Supported Living Program and Full Access)