Mind your P’s not my Q’s.

There are things you can do that I cannot do. There are things I can do that are not good for you. Where we get off track is when we use our limitations to criticize someone else.

We see this a lot in the church. A group of people decides this or that is not something a “Good Christian” should do and we scorn those who don’t find that same limitation in their lives.

I remember going to a church with a guy one time and he was a smoker. After church he lit up a smoke and people just gave him the oddest look, and he felt it. The love they had shown inside the building did not extend outside, once they saw the smoke.

There are some folks who follow the kosher diet, that’s great, but they should not try to “put” that on others. There are those who believe alcohol is bad for them, but again, when I talk about drinking a beer, that limitation has not been placed on me so it’s none of their business.

This issue gets real sticky, real quickly. I have some believer friends who smoke Marijuana for pain relief. Do I personally feel like Marijuana is a good thing, no, I don’t. I’ve read too many studies that show it causes people to become very passive and passivity is not something our culture needs more of. (Please don’t make this a debate over the use of Marijuana) I’m not in their shoes and while I can share my concerns if it comes up or if asked, I do not get to judge or disqualify them because I love them.

My point is this, we should each spend more time looking at people’s hearts rather than judging what we see on the outside. Judgment is a huge obstacle to faith and we who should be the faithful must remember that. And you can’t just pretend, it has to be real, or like my friend who smoked outside the church, they will feel it.

Judgment, quiet judgment is as bad as opening our big mouths. As I write these words I think back to how Jesus handled the woman at the well. He knew what she was doing but also loved her more than anything and that’s what made the story worth repeating in the Bible.

Is our treatment of people worth repeating in the Bible?

51

I’m sitting here at the kitchen counter, looking around and just thinking. It’s my birthday, the first one I’ve had without the woman who actually went through the pain of birthing me. That’s sort of a weird feeling.

Just to my left is a clock Kathy bought me when we lost the Secretary of State race in 2008 that said “Rick Dancer for Secretary of State 2008.” The battery is dead on the clock so it no longer works. I find that very appropriate right now.

Jess just came down stairs and wished me a happy birthday. Kathy came straight out of our bedroom with a birthday kiss. There is a present sitting in front of her. I already guessed what it is but not which kind. (A camera so you’ll be seeing more of us on here. I lost my other one last Christmas in the snow while looking for a Christmas tree)

The hay field next door was just cut so the birds are going wild. My cat is out hunting in the commotion for field mice left homeless by the tractor and my coffee cup is empty.

As I look at my Face Book Page I can’t help but smile. How many birthday wishes can you folks give me. Overwhelmed, you bet.

I thank you all for your friendship and for taking time to read the thoughts that haunt and taunt my mind throughout the day.

I could not have planned my life any better. I would never have thought to weave this kind of adventure into my story. 51 years and what is turning out to be one heck of a life. God, thank you. I wouldn’t change a thing.

My Hero’s

FROM THE FILES OF MY FORMER LIFE

A few years ago I wrote the story you are about to read after doing an interview at a Springfield Elementary School. I’m reminded of this story because someone from the school invited me to a reunion of these two young men. I can’t go because I’ll be in Portland tomorrow interviewing former Senator Bob Packwood for the Hatfield Documentary Film.

These two boy’s and their story, came into my life when I needed someone to show me, not tell me, that the world had an up and not just downs. I don’t remember what I wrote or how I wrote it. I’m purposely posting it without looking. I remember leaving the interviews with tears running down my face. These two young men could teach all of us what it means to be human beings.

Please take the time to read it.

My Hero’s

My Own Little Shack: A nudist colony of sorts.

We all have our “Shack”, that place that haunts us, scares us, the place we hate to go but know we must.

I’m rereading the book “The Shack” and realize that one of my “Shacks” was this cancer. By going to the difficult places in our lives we allow God the access He needs to change our circumstances and our outlook on this world.

I was recently with a group of people that no matter how hard I tried a connection could not be made. For any relationship to happen you must first find something in common, but commonality is not enough. There has to be a willingness to share your life and that means both parties.

I find with some people, actually a lot of people today, vulnerability is a road few really want to travel. If you get on that road and really take the twists and turns it scares the hell out of those around you.

But for those who are willing to risk it all, to find it, whatever “it” may be, the riches are amazing. I think many of us are unwilling to visit “our shack”. We don’t want the world to see us naked. We will do anything we can to cover up, hide or pretend we actually have clothes on. (I do have my bike shorts on in this picture. I’m not a nudist…Smile)

The nice thing about being forced to go to “your Shack” is your chances of finding God waiting for you there, are quite good. The other bonus is you find others who “took it off” and don’t care.

The other day a woman asked me how I was doing with my cancer? I told her it was the best thing that’s ever happened to me. The look on her face struck me. She was very uncomfortable with that statement. She said in response “it’s nice you have such a positive attitude.” I wanted to say “this is no positive attitude it’s the truth, it’s my life, it’s finally real and I mean what I say. When I say that to people it’s not some “Christian thing” or a Hallmark Card with a happy ending. There is no ending with cancer. It’s not a coping mechanism or attitude I stir up so I sound okay. I mean, “This is the best thing ever because I now see God more clearly. “

I’m naked, raw, and vulnerable and have no intention of putting my clothes back on.

HWY 242 Bike Ride 2010

I love to ride my bicycle.

McKenzie River Ride.

Okay, you want to go on a tough bike ride that takes you to some of the most beautiful scenery in the state, we’ve got the ride for you. Before you go, stop by Hideaway Bakery, behind Mazzi’s, and buy their fig rolls. Cut them in half, put peanut butter and jelly on them and you’ve got your lunch.

If you go before Wednesday, you won’t have to deal with traffic. The road is closed for the winter and opens mid to late June. Cyclists know this and when the snow melts, head to the top, to the Dee Wright Observatory. It’s a 50-mile ride and it’s tough. 5200 feet of climbing. It’s one of the greatest rides Kathy and I have ever done.

242 is the old the old McKenzie River Hwy. It’s curvy, it’s beautiful and it’s great.

We start at the McKenzie River Ranger Station and ride up. You only have to ride a couple of miles on HWY 126. You ride about 11 miles up to the gate and then you are free. Take lots of water, you don’t need a map because there are no turns. We have had riders run into bear before. (Not literally run into bear but saw one). The ride is 5o miles but half of that is downhill. Still plan to burn about 2500 calories on your adventure (and that means lots of food later). We don’t just ride, we look and it took us about 4 hours. As you can see, Kathy and I stop off at
Takoda’s Pizza place on the way down, have a couple of diet Pepsi’s (I know it’s bad for you but after 50 miles who cares) and then we head home for burrito’s, beer and a movie.

God, I need to take you more seriously.

I have people in my life I need to forgive. It’s not as though I think about what they’ve done or have not done all the time. But God keeps nudging me to forgive them.

People will let us down. We have these expectations that whisper in the depths of our minds.

We get hurt, shrug our shoulders, pretend that it doesn’t matter, until their name comes up and we realize there it is. I’ve learned to manage my forgiveness so that it sounds like a positive thing, at least to me. I use it to judge and criticize people but make it sound like I just want them to do better.

Yeh, I know that’s pretty ugly but it’s the truth.

The tough thing about forgiveness is this; once is not enough. As soon as I forgive a test happens. I’ll get a phone call or someone will mention the person and there I am, faced with facts not fallacy.

When God brings this stuff up I need to pay attention. If we are to truly move on or move into a deeper relationship with God, we must stop shrugging off the things He asks us to do.

When we think of obeying God most of us focus on the big things, the giant stuff and forget it’s the little thing that actually matters. So, here I go again, writing my list of forgiveness.