So this last weekend was the Thanksgiving holiday. Like I had mentioned earlier, it was to be very different for me. And it was. It started Wednesday. T. and I started the preparation for dinner and cooked the turkey. In the evening we watched “Rocky” and had pizza.
Thanksgiving day found us doing more cooking and getting the house ready for our guests. This year we invited good friends to dinner. Our families, it turned out, were all out of town. It was a great day of food and laughs. I really enjoyed myself. And I found out a friend of mine is a juggler. Who knew?
Normally, I would begin the fretting of going to work and dealing with all the Black Friday happenstance. And this leads to not enjoying oneself as much on Thanksgiving. Dealing with the traffic and finding a parking spot is stressful enough sometimes, but the influx of shoppers is crazy at times. Most of the time you don’t even go out for lunch due to the crowds.
This Black Friday we stayed home and had a turkey sandwich. Later in the afternoon we went to some friends house and watched the Oregon football game. That evening we watched another movie.
Saturday was another relaxing day. Retail management means that you work Saturdays. Especially during the holidays. It was spent with a quick trip to Target for paper needs and then “ELF” the great Christmas classic.
Sunday was church and then relaxing at home.
So was my weekend. And it was one of the greatest weekends I have had. And I am reminder that it has been four months since we made the changes. All in all, it has been good. Sometimes being at home can be less productive as I had hoped. But truthfully, going into this, there was no plan. Just a simple belief that God can and will provide. Not because of us, but because of His greatness.
Thinking back, here are some things I would have missed out on.
Monday night Small Group.
Church picnic and three other picnics.
Trip to Hood River with my family.
Trip to coast with friends.
Finishing up the guest room.
A quick trip to the coast for dinner.
The carousal with I.
Watching I. grow daily.
I know it is just a few little things, but it has meant a lot to me. More to come.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Where does Joel go?
I’ve been quite obsessed with the 11:00 news. And not just any station, CBS station KOIN channel 6. Not the whole news, just the first big story. It goes something like this.
“The top story tonight is. . . . We now go live on scene with our KOIN reporter Joel Iwanaga. Hello, Joel. . .” And then there is the story.
So for the past couple of weeks, there’s been good old Joel at some news worthy location reporting. Yesterday he was at the interstate bridge talking about delays on I-5. And then in a parking lot, he was discussing winter car preparation. This past week there were Iwanaga sighting in Hillsboro, Gresham, and West Linn. He’s like a “Where in the world is Carmen SanDiego” character.
I find myself wondering where he will be next. Will he be by the capital in Salem reporting on politics? Or at the coast, reporting on the winter storm? Or by a store in NE Portland after a robbery? Who knows where that Joel will go?
He must travel a lot of miles a week in his job. Wherever the news is, they send Joel out. I wonder if he gets to work and they say, “hold on Joel, we need you to drive to Corvallis. There’s a story of a car that ran into a house.” So off he goes. He grabs a quick bite at a fast food place and jumps in the vehicle along with the camera crew. He goes off to the front lines while the anchors are getting make up and sitting in there air conditioned or heated studio drinking lattes and herbal tea.
Another Joel sighting is just around the corner on the evening news. Way to go Joel. Way to go.
“The top story tonight is. . . . We now go live on scene with our KOIN reporter Joel Iwanaga. Hello, Joel. . .” And then there is the story.
So for the past couple of weeks, there’s been good old Joel at some news worthy location reporting. Yesterday he was at the interstate bridge talking about delays on I-5. And then in a parking lot, he was discussing winter car preparation. This past week there were Iwanaga sighting in Hillsboro, Gresham, and West Linn. He’s like a “Where in the world is Carmen SanDiego” character.
I find myself wondering where he will be next. Will he be by the capital in Salem reporting on politics? Or at the coast, reporting on the winter storm? Or by a store in NE Portland after a robbery? Who knows where that Joel will go?
He must travel a lot of miles a week in his job. Wherever the news is, they send Joel out. I wonder if he gets to work and they say, “hold on Joel, we need you to drive to Corvallis. There’s a story of a car that ran into a house.” So off he goes. He grabs a quick bite at a fast food place and jumps in the vehicle along with the camera crew. He goes off to the front lines while the anchors are getting make up and sitting in there air conditioned or heated studio drinking lattes and herbal tea.
Another Joel sighting is just around the corner on the evening news. Way to go Joel. Way to go.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Holiday cheer
I am looking forward to this holiday season. For a couple of reasons. Now you might think, “Who isn’t excited?” Normally, it would be me. After working about 12 years in retail, the holiday season is one of the busiest and stressful times of the year. Especially when you are middle management.
It starts when your store begins to get an influx of product in late October and early November. In off-price retail, the goal is to get all of the merchandise out of the warehouse and onto the sales floor. So, you just “cram” it out and display as good as possible. Then there is the late night on Wednesday to finalize everything before “Black Friday”. In off-price retail, the store is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.
Thanksgiving is a good day with family and friends. But you are always thinking about the next day and the impending busyness. Everybody works on “Black Friday”. And from then until Christmas Eve, your life consists of long hours, six-day workweeks, irritable customers (some, not all, but the irritable ones are usually the loudest), exhausted associates, and stress. By the time Christmas rolls around, you are tired, spent, and sometimes a little sick. Don’t get me wrong, the retail business has some great points and moments, but the holiday season is a busy blur.
This year, however, I am not working. So the four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas will be different and “normal”. Even though we have little money, I am still looking forward to it all. Like going and seeing Christmas lights. Like enjoying a Christmas play. Like listening to Christmas music. Like strolling through the mall shopping. Like drinking peppermint mochas and eggnog. Like remembering the reason, the birth of the incarnate God.
Another reason I am excited about this holiday is that we will be traveling to T.’s parents for Christmas. In retail, you get Christmas off but have to work the next day. You know, for all the returns. But this year we will be out of town for Christmas. And that hasn’t happened in years.
The exciting part is that we will be driving on Christmas Eve. The seven-hour drive eastward. I can imagine it now. The cold, crisp air chilling our nostrils. Snow will be falling as we get out of the car and rushing in to a restaurant to fill our bellies. The conversation we will have with the stranger sitting by himself at the counter warming his hands on his coffee cup. Oh, the stories he will tell us about his life and Christmases past.
Then there is the arrival at the house, seeing the decorated tree, Christmas music playing in the background as we sip hot chocolate before we put our son to bed so he can have visions of sugarplums. It is just like a made for TV movie.
That is how I will remember this holiday, no matter what happens.
It starts when your store begins to get an influx of product in late October and early November. In off-price retail, the goal is to get all of the merchandise out of the warehouse and onto the sales floor. So, you just “cram” it out and display as good as possible. Then there is the late night on Wednesday to finalize everything before “Black Friday”. In off-price retail, the store is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.
Thanksgiving is a good day with family and friends. But you are always thinking about the next day and the impending busyness. Everybody works on “Black Friday”. And from then until Christmas Eve, your life consists of long hours, six-day workweeks, irritable customers (some, not all, but the irritable ones are usually the loudest), exhausted associates, and stress. By the time Christmas rolls around, you are tired, spent, and sometimes a little sick. Don’t get me wrong, the retail business has some great points and moments, but the holiday season is a busy blur.
This year, however, I am not working. So the four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas will be different and “normal”. Even though we have little money, I am still looking forward to it all. Like going and seeing Christmas lights. Like enjoying a Christmas play. Like listening to Christmas music. Like strolling through the mall shopping. Like drinking peppermint mochas and eggnog. Like remembering the reason, the birth of the incarnate God.
Another reason I am excited about this holiday is that we will be traveling to T.’s parents for Christmas. In retail, you get Christmas off but have to work the next day. You know, for all the returns. But this year we will be out of town for Christmas. And that hasn’t happened in years.
The exciting part is that we will be driving on Christmas Eve. The seven-hour drive eastward. I can imagine it now. The cold, crisp air chilling our nostrils. Snow will be falling as we get out of the car and rushing in to a restaurant to fill our bellies. The conversation we will have with the stranger sitting by himself at the counter warming his hands on his coffee cup. Oh, the stories he will tell us about his life and Christmases past.
Then there is the arrival at the house, seeing the decorated tree, Christmas music playing in the background as we sip hot chocolate before we put our son to bed so he can have visions of sugarplums. It is just like a made for TV movie.
That is how I will remember this holiday, no matter what happens.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The Cable Guy
Every Monday evening we host a Small group study at our home. This last Monday, as we were getting started with the group, there was a knock on the door. I thought it was someone from our group who was running a little bit late. I just about told the knocker to ‘come on in”, but decided to open the door.
Standing there is a cable representative asking about our services. I let him know that we already have their services. The conversation is as follows:
Cable: “Looks like you have just our basic cable.”
Me: “Yes, and we are fine with that.”
Cable: “What about internet?”
Me: “We have that as well.”
Cable: “Looks like you have the slowest speed.”
Me: “Yes, and I’m fine with that.”
Cable: “Really? You don’t want faster?”
Me: “No, we’re good.”
Cable: “What about a phone?”
Me: “Already have one of those.”
Cable: “Oh.”
Me: “We are having Bible study inside. You are welcome to come in.”
Cable: “No, that is all right. I’ve been at one where we were reading Daniel.”
Me: “Well come on in. We would love to have you.”
Cable: “No thanks, I’m working.”
Me: “Then just take a break and come in and have some snacks. There’s plenty.”
Cable: “Well, just for a bit.”
That is how B the Cable guy became part of our study. He sat through the whole group time and enjoyed a variety of snacks. He also participated with a comment about some friends and family. And he kept saying how nice we all were. He did at the end leave his number if we had any needs. I assume cable needs.
So here is what I know. Things and events don’t just happen. There he was working away. There we were having a small group study. There was the welcoming invitation. And there was the acceptance of the invitation. Something was there, however, to drawn him into a house full of strangers to listen to a Bible message.
From a bit of his conversation one can conclude that he is trying to do his best. Since he was out at night, this is probably a second part-time job. He mentioned his stepdaughter and some tension. I assume they struggle with the roles, which can bring frustration at home. He values true friendships but they are few and far between. He has experienced some form of loss in his life.
Will we see him again? Don’t know. But I do know this, that God loves him. And God desires a relationship with him. And maybe there will be another drawing. Nothing just happens.
Standing there is a cable representative asking about our services. I let him know that we already have their services. The conversation is as follows:
Cable: “Looks like you have just our basic cable.”
Me: “Yes, and we are fine with that.”
Cable: “What about internet?”
Me: “We have that as well.”
Cable: “Looks like you have the slowest speed.”
Me: “Yes, and I’m fine with that.”
Cable: “Really? You don’t want faster?”
Me: “No, we’re good.”
Cable: “What about a phone?”
Me: “Already have one of those.”
Cable: “Oh.”
Me: “We are having Bible study inside. You are welcome to come in.”
Cable: “No, that is all right. I’ve been at one where we were reading Daniel.”
Me: “Well come on in. We would love to have you.”
Cable: “No thanks, I’m working.”
Me: “Then just take a break and come in and have some snacks. There’s plenty.”
Cable: “Well, just for a bit.”
That is how B the Cable guy became part of our study. He sat through the whole group time and enjoyed a variety of snacks. He also participated with a comment about some friends and family. And he kept saying how nice we all were. He did at the end leave his number if we had any needs. I assume cable needs.
So here is what I know. Things and events don’t just happen. There he was working away. There we were having a small group study. There was the welcoming invitation. And there was the acceptance of the invitation. Something was there, however, to drawn him into a house full of strangers to listen to a Bible message.
From a bit of his conversation one can conclude that he is trying to do his best. Since he was out at night, this is probably a second part-time job. He mentioned his stepdaughter and some tension. I assume they struggle with the roles, which can bring frustration at home. He values true friendships but they are few and far between. He has experienced some form of loss in his life.
Will we see him again? Don’t know. But I do know this, that God loves him. And God desires a relationship with him. And maybe there will be another drawing. Nothing just happens.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Six Deaths
There have been a lot of deaths lately. It seems like everyday in the news there is another person who has died. By being murdered, hit by a car, swept away by a big wave, or natural causes (whatever that means). The situations are all different, but the results are the same. Somebody is no longer living. And we have to deal with it.
While I am not going to get into the theology of death at this time, although it is somehow fascinating to me, there is a reality that those who have lost someone will no doubt spend a lifetime trying to understand. I myself have had to work through five deaths that were personally connected to me.
My grandfather died when I was a kid. Though I was sad, it did not impact me until the funeral. Right before we went to the funeral, I saw a tear in my dad’s eye. That is something I had never seen before and only remember one other time I ever saw my dad cry. But at the funeral I began to cry and could not stop for a long time.
My dad died when I was a young man. It was two years from the time he was diagnosed until he passed away. I was living in the Seattle area and drove home after my mom called and said the doctor thought Dad had only two weeks to live. I drove back to share with him the hope that we have in Jesus. And two weeks after receiving Jesus as Savior, my dad died. After seeing him for the last time, he hugged my neck and cried.
My wife died in 2004. It was very unexpected. No one was aware of the situation. I went to work one day and by the time I got home she had passed away. It took me over a year to finally feel like moving on in life.
Z., a youth in our youth group drowned in 2007. Vibrant and full of life and in an instance he was gone. We loved him so much and loved his commitment to Jesus so much that we gave his name to our son.
My mom died this June. She had been having some difficulty for about eight months. She was hospitalized for a couple of weeks and the day after her 80th birthday she passed away.
T. got a message that a woman at her work just lost her husband. He had been terminal for a while. The other day she and her husband had decided together that it was time for him to move to a care facility. She was thankful that they made that decision together. The next day she wrote that her “sweet D. passed away today at noon”.
You can tell the extreme love that was there. There was a sadness that he had to be moved to a care facility. She was exhausted from the ordeal. Maybe, he knew it was time for her to be free from all of that. Maybe he didn’t want to be apart from her. And all of it, God’s timing.
Sometimes I think God’s timing is strange. And I don’t presume to know why He chooses us to go through certain things. But we forge ahead in hope, in trust, and in praise. To Him the glory!
While I am not going to get into the theology of death at this time, although it is somehow fascinating to me, there is a reality that those who have lost someone will no doubt spend a lifetime trying to understand. I myself have had to work through five deaths that were personally connected to me.
My grandfather died when I was a kid. Though I was sad, it did not impact me until the funeral. Right before we went to the funeral, I saw a tear in my dad’s eye. That is something I had never seen before and only remember one other time I ever saw my dad cry. But at the funeral I began to cry and could not stop for a long time.
My dad died when I was a young man. It was two years from the time he was diagnosed until he passed away. I was living in the Seattle area and drove home after my mom called and said the doctor thought Dad had only two weeks to live. I drove back to share with him the hope that we have in Jesus. And two weeks after receiving Jesus as Savior, my dad died. After seeing him for the last time, he hugged my neck and cried.
My wife died in 2004. It was very unexpected. No one was aware of the situation. I went to work one day and by the time I got home she had passed away. It took me over a year to finally feel like moving on in life.
Z., a youth in our youth group drowned in 2007. Vibrant and full of life and in an instance he was gone. We loved him so much and loved his commitment to Jesus so much that we gave his name to our son.
My mom died this June. She had been having some difficulty for about eight months. She was hospitalized for a couple of weeks and the day after her 80th birthday she passed away.
T. got a message that a woman at her work just lost her husband. He had been terminal for a while. The other day she and her husband had decided together that it was time for him to move to a care facility. She was thankful that they made that decision together. The next day she wrote that her “sweet D. passed away today at noon”.
You can tell the extreme love that was there. There was a sadness that he had to be moved to a care facility. She was exhausted from the ordeal. Maybe, he knew it was time for her to be free from all of that. Maybe he didn’t want to be apart from her. And all of it, God’s timing.
Sometimes I think God’s timing is strange. And I don’t presume to know why He chooses us to go through certain things. But we forge ahead in hope, in trust, and in praise. To Him the glory!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Hairbrush
One of the most famous of VeggieTales songs is the “Hairbrush” song. It is where Larry the Cucumber is in a towel after his shower and is looking for his hairbrush. Several characters hear him singing about his hairbrush and come in only to see Larry in his towel. There is an awkward and slightly embarrassing moment at the sight. The last person to come in is the “peach” who is also in a towel. After the awkward and slightly embarrassing moment, the “peach “ thanks Larry for the hairbrush. More about this in a minute.
The daily routine in our house is as follows. In the morning T. gets ready for work while I get breakfast and tea for her. After she leaves I will have a cup of coffee and check the news. When our little boy I. wakes up, I will put him in the highchair and give him his breakfast while he watches his “soaps”. These consist of Sesame Street, Sid the science kid, and Clifford the big red dog. It is at that time I will rush in, get a shower, and get ready for my day.
On this particular morning, everything was going according to schedule. I. was in his highchair having breakfast and it was my time to jump into the shower. Water on, shower running, me getting in shower. Just like everyday.
From inside the shower, I hear a loud “clunk” and an “ohh” sound coming from the front room. It sounds like he has tipped over in his chair. I yell to him (the bathroom door being open), “Are you all right?” I was hoping to hear “I okay”. Nothing but silence.
I quickly grab a towel, wrap it around me and rush into the front room leaving a trail of water footprints and drip spots on the floor. I turn the corner and my son is still sitting in his highchair watching TV just like every other day. His “sippy cup” had dropped on the ground, that’s all. And my boy is looking at me. In my towel.
Feeling awkward and slightly embarrassed, the scene reminds me of the “Hairbrush” song, only I am not Larry, the tall slender green cucumber. No, I am the short stout “peach”. Thanks for the hairbrush.
The daily routine in our house is as follows. In the morning T. gets ready for work while I get breakfast and tea for her. After she leaves I will have a cup of coffee and check the news. When our little boy I. wakes up, I will put him in the highchair and give him his breakfast while he watches his “soaps”. These consist of Sesame Street, Sid the science kid, and Clifford the big red dog. It is at that time I will rush in, get a shower, and get ready for my day.
On this particular morning, everything was going according to schedule. I. was in his highchair having breakfast and it was my time to jump into the shower. Water on, shower running, me getting in shower. Just like everyday.
From inside the shower, I hear a loud “clunk” and an “ohh” sound coming from the front room. It sounds like he has tipped over in his chair. I yell to him (the bathroom door being open), “Are you all right?” I was hoping to hear “I okay”. Nothing but silence.
I quickly grab a towel, wrap it around me and rush into the front room leaving a trail of water footprints and drip spots on the floor. I turn the corner and my son is still sitting in his highchair watching TV just like every other day. His “sippy cup” had dropped on the ground, that’s all. And my boy is looking at me. In my towel.
Feeling awkward and slightly embarrassed, the scene reminds me of the “Hairbrush” song, only I am not Larry, the tall slender green cucumber. No, I am the short stout “peach”. Thanks for the hairbrush.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Ideology
Well, another election year has come and gone. This was a close one again and the shift of power seemed to change.
While free elections and peaceful transition of power is a great thing, there is a trend that is becoming more and more disturbing. With the tightness of many political races and with many incumbents losing their seats or just barely hanging on, the conclusion is that our country is definitely divided. And it seems like that division is pretty much right down the middle. This is not good for America.
You see, it is not a matter of being a Democrat or Republican and it is not a matter of the issues that each party stands for; it is matter of ideology. And one ideology is so far from the other ideology at this point that it makes it difficult to find common ground. I am not talking about compromise; I am talking about common ground. To have healthy conversation or debate, each group has to agree or at least understand that which is common with the other side. It is from that commonality that change can occur.
So what is this ideology that separates America today? I don’t believe it is the difference of more government or less government involvement. I don’t think it is about “pro” this or “anti” that. The ideology that separates us is life.
Life. How we view it and our response to it is, I believe, the underlying foundation to both sides. Is it random or is it planned? Is it a right or a privilege? What are we accountable for and for what are we responsible?
Here are some points from the sides. Life is a right. We are accountable for our own actions and there are natural consequences to those actions. We have a responsibility to care for those less fortunate and sometimes people need a helpful hand out. There is a dignity that should accompany life.
We are so polarized on this and philosophically what this issue means that one wonders if unity can ever be achieved. We don’t need to think the same but to think together.
While free elections and peaceful transition of power is a great thing, there is a trend that is becoming more and more disturbing. With the tightness of many political races and with many incumbents losing their seats or just barely hanging on, the conclusion is that our country is definitely divided. And it seems like that division is pretty much right down the middle. This is not good for America.
You see, it is not a matter of being a Democrat or Republican and it is not a matter of the issues that each party stands for; it is matter of ideology. And one ideology is so far from the other ideology at this point that it makes it difficult to find common ground. I am not talking about compromise; I am talking about common ground. To have healthy conversation or debate, each group has to agree or at least understand that which is common with the other side. It is from that commonality that change can occur.
So what is this ideology that separates America today? I don’t believe it is the difference of more government or less government involvement. I don’t think it is about “pro” this or “anti” that. The ideology that separates us is life.
Life. How we view it and our response to it is, I believe, the underlying foundation to both sides. Is it random or is it planned? Is it a right or a privilege? What are we accountable for and for what are we responsible?
Here are some points from the sides. Life is a right. We are accountable for our own actions and there are natural consequences to those actions. We have a responsibility to care for those less fortunate and sometimes people need a helpful hand out. There is a dignity that should accompany life.
We are so polarized on this and philosophically what this issue means that one wonders if unity can ever be achieved. We don’t need to think the same but to think together.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Busy
So this last week was busy.. And the one coming up is full as well.
My oldest son was getting married on Saturday. And I was officiating. So, I worked on writing the service and e-mailed it to his bride-to-be so it could be translated in Spanish as the service was to be bilingual. My other son and daughter were flying in the Friday before and we were going to pick them up from the airport. As the airport is about an hour north from our house, we would just spend the day in Portland. Her flight came in at 11:30am and his at 7:10pm. So we picked her up, went to lunch, shopped at IKEA and other stores, and it was only 3 pm. Four more hours to kill. So we went to a couple of other stores and ended at Target, looked around, and stopped at the Starbucks to sit and relax with a nice coffee. Time now 6:00pm. One hour left. Time is not on our side. Poor I. hadn’t napped at all. Finally, 7pm rolls around, we pick up my son and off to Taco Bell and then home. Long day.
Saturday finds us all getting ready in the morning and driving to Eugene by noon for a rehearsal. Eugene is about an hour and fifteen-minute drive south from our home. When we arrived, they were still decorating the room and time ran out before we could have a rehearsal. The wedding started 40 minutes late, as a couple of guests hadn’t arrived yet. And poor I. hadn’t napped at all.
It was a very nice wedding. We stayed until 6:30pm at the reception and then drove home. At home we just sat in the front room until about 9 when we put I. to bed. The next morning we got up went to church and ate lunch at a restaurant. We hung around home until about 8pm and drove my son back to the airport where he would fly all night to get home and then drive to class.
This Monday we will have our Small Group and Tuesday is T.’s birthday.
Busy yes, but also a good week.
My oldest son was getting married on Saturday. And I was officiating. So, I worked on writing the service and e-mailed it to his bride-to-be so it could be translated in Spanish as the service was to be bilingual. My other son and daughter were flying in the Friday before and we were going to pick them up from the airport. As the airport is about an hour north from our house, we would just spend the day in Portland. Her flight came in at 11:30am and his at 7:10pm. So we picked her up, went to lunch, shopped at IKEA and other stores, and it was only 3 pm. Four more hours to kill. So we went to a couple of other stores and ended at Target, looked around, and stopped at the Starbucks to sit and relax with a nice coffee. Time now 6:00pm. One hour left. Time is not on our side. Poor I. hadn’t napped at all. Finally, 7pm rolls around, we pick up my son and off to Taco Bell and then home. Long day.
Saturday finds us all getting ready in the morning and driving to Eugene by noon for a rehearsal. Eugene is about an hour and fifteen-minute drive south from our home. When we arrived, they were still decorating the room and time ran out before we could have a rehearsal. The wedding started 40 minutes late, as a couple of guests hadn’t arrived yet. And poor I. hadn’t napped at all.
It was a very nice wedding. We stayed until 6:30pm at the reception and then drove home. At home we just sat in the front room until about 9 when we put I. to bed. The next morning we got up went to church and ate lunch at a restaurant. We hung around home until about 8pm and drove my son back to the airport where he would fly all night to get home and then drive to class.
This Monday we will have our Small Group and Tuesday is T.’s birthday.
Busy yes, but also a good week.
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