One of the goals that I set every year is a bicycle riding goal. I have had a bicycle goal for the last 15 years. Last year, I didn’t do very well on my goal of biking because I quit after the first four days. We had 70 Ibs of camping gear on the bicycles with no support vehicle, and I was just too wimpy to do that. At the end of summer this last year, I decided that my bicycle riding days were over, but then I decided I would make it easier rather than quit. So this year, we are going on a nine-day ride. Instead of camping, we will stay in homes and motels and eat in restaurants, so we won’t need to carry anything on the bicycles but a change of clothes, tire repair stuff, and snacks. We will ride to Bend through Detroit and Sisters; from there, we will ride north up Highway 97 and cross the Colombia River at Biggs Junction, then to Goldendale, and then to Trout Lake, Washington, where I grew up. We will take a rest day in Trout Lake and then go South to the Bridge of the Gods across the Colombia River; we will ride along the Colombia Gorge on the new bicycle trail built along I-84, then South to Jefferson. It will be about 500 miles round trip. That should be a very achievable trip with lots of scenery. We won’t be farther than a three-hour drive from home, so we can be quickly rescued if any emergency arises. When I teach goal setting, I always talk about adjusting our goals if it is too hard. I have been reluctant to do that myself, but I was forced to this year or not ride. Such is life. Anybody who wants to join us is welcome.

One of the things that I do periodically is get excited about doing something crazy. I accidentally watched a short video of a guy building a boat while browsing YouTube videos, and I got excited and decided to build that boat. I bought the plans for $199 and purchased the videos of a guy building the entire boat. You don’t watch every minute of the build, just the key parts. The reason it is crazy is because it is 28 feet long, will weigh 6,000 pounds when completed, will cost approximately $20,000 to build without the motor, will take about 2,000 hours to complete, and I will have to build a covered area at least 30 feet long and 12 feet wide to build it in. I will have to drag the construction time out to at least 8 years to afford it and have time with everything else I do to complete it. Let’s see, eight years will make me 85 years old. That is probably too old to take a boat out in the ocean unless you are crazy. Oh well, it will keep me busy with something I enjoy until I die, and I can will it to one of my grandkids to finish and use. When we were in Texas last week in this church that had 50,000 people coming to it, hearing the story about the Pastor who started it, I decided that the people who did those kinds of things were people who had really crazy ideas and dreams and were bold enough to pursue them. Probably the technical description would be people who are not afraid to fail, because fear of failing is probably the number one reason more people don’t attempt crazy things. I write a lot more goals for crazy ideas than I ever actually attempt. But writing about them, dreaming about them, buying blueprints for them, and watching videos of them is fun and only costs $199.

I am teaching a Saturday Seminar on March 22nd on Spiritual Gifts. The goal for each person who comes is to discover the strengths they were created with and have had since birth, the gifts we were given at the point of salvation by the working of the Holy Spirit in us, and what we have developed through our experiences in life. The combination of these three areas makes each of us unique, with strengths, abilities, and weaknesses that are important for us to know and understand as we pursue doing things with our lives that matter to God, others, and ourselves. Part of what we will be doing is taking several tests to help show us who we are. We will take them online using our cell phones or iPads, and you will see the results immediately. I might add that the results will be private; you can only see them and whoever you show them to. I have been taking a number of them as I search for what I think are the best ones. It is always eye-opening as you answer questions and get a report describing your strengths and weaknesses and what you need to watch out for in work and relationships. I took these tests years ago in college and seminary, but I haven’t for some time. It is very much like looking into a mirror and seeing yourself. One of my tests labeled me as an “Achiever.” They are very goal-oriented, results are important to them, they are very motivated, and any sense of failure by their own assessment can cause depression. It also said that people like me need to learn to adjust their goals and dreams as they get older or, else, their reduced energy and abilities will frustrate them as they come up short of what they used to be able to do but can’t anymore. Wow, taking those tests and reading the results prompted a lot of reflection about who I am and what I should be doing. The Seminar is on March 22nd, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, with lunch provided. It is limited to 200 people, so don’t procrastinate too much before signing up.

This morning, we got up at 4:00 a.m. in order get to the airplane before it took off for home. We drove our rented car to where we had first picked it up, but before we got there, we missed a turn because of confusion caused by road construction. After circling the airport a couple of times, we finally turned correctly and returned the car. We then had to get on a shuttle bus to the airport, but we had to get on the right one among many. Our bus was going to terminal 3, where Alaska Airlines was situated. We got on the right bus, but then we had to get off at the right place because it stopped at many destinations, but only one worked for us. A lady was announcing the upcoming stopping point over an intercom, but those people always mumbled their words, and I had no idea what she was saying. I asked the guy sitting across from me on the bus where he was getting off, and he said, Terminal 3, cool, we will get off with him. Once inside, we had to go through “Security.”
There were many people at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport, and it seemed like they were all going to the same place we were, which made for a long line. Did you know that when you get over 75 years old, you don’t have to take your shoes off anymore? I guess that is because they don’t consider us a threat to hijack a plane anymore. I don’t know if it is because I am 76 or because I have flown so much, but I am now always in the “B” group. That is right after the ones who are in the service or are a veteran. That means I get on the plane early, so there is lots of luggage space. The most crucial thing in all that happens is that you have to have a ticket. Now, they do these electronic tickets on your cell phone.
While going through this long line, my phone switched off, so when I got up to the grumpy guy who needed to scan my ticket, my phone was off. I usually open my phone with a face scan, but it wouldn’t recognize my face for some reason. I tried so many times that it froze my phone, and I needed to use my passcode, but I couldn’t remember it. The grumpy guy and the people behind me were getting crankier by the minute or, rather, the second. Have you ever had an experience where you are under this horrendous pressure, and your brain goes into a freeze? It could be just an old man thing. I finally figured it out. You knew that because I am home sitting in my recliner as I write this, but I wasn’t sure for a while. It is a sick feeling to think you are getting on the plane early, and it looks like you might not get on at all. Can you imagine the feeling of standing before Jesus after you die and He says, sorry, your name is not on my list of those who get into my house? The saddest thing is that it is too late to do anything about it. It is essential that you have a ticket into heaven, and you need to know that you do, without a doubt.

Tonight was the last session of the conference that I have been attending in Dallas, Texas, and Tim Tebow was the speaker. Church staff spoke during the day on various church growth topics, and then each night, they had a big rally with the general public invited, lots of music, and special speakers. Tim Tebow has been a favorite of mine from way back when he played college football, won the Heisman, and won two national championships. When he played, he was a bold, big-time witness for Jesus on and off the football field. I had never heard him speak before, and he was very good; the trip was worth it just to listen to him. I am always blessed when I hear someone who has been very successful in life but is quite humble and uses their success as a platform to serve the Lord. He travels around and speaks a lot, and if he wins as many people to Christ each time he speaks as he did tonight, God is using him a lot. Whenever I hear someone as gifted at talking as he was tonight and see and hear how much they are accomplishing with their life, I get a bit envious, but everyone has a different role in God’s plan by His design. I never played football or was very good at Sports. But if we all are faithful to what He has designed for each of us, we can be very useful to Him in our lives. But we for sure want to think about whether we are serving Him as successfully as possible. Sometimes when we don’t have high powered skills we excuse doing nothing or very little.

I have been in Dallas, Texas, for the last two days at a conference at Fellowship Church. The church is a megachurch with a reported 25,000 average attendance in 2020, which started in 1990, so it has grown rapidly in the last 30 years. I haven’t attended a conference like this in quite a few years. When I first started pastoring, I would attend at least two church growth conferences every year. I did it in the 80s and 90s because I was so dumb and wanted to learn how to be a good pastor. I usually learned some things, but the primary value in going was the passion and drive I came home with from the seminar to work hard as a pastor and build God’s church. I came to this one because I was bringing two young pastors with me and hoping that it would do for them what they used to do for me. I had forgotten how successful these conferences were at motivating me. I am at the age that I don’t want to be motivated anymore, but I got all fired up anyway!! After a full day, I am back in my motel room and exhausted from getting so excited!!! One of the principles I have taught for years is that motivation is caught from others, not cranked up in our minds and hearts. You put a dead log into a fire with other logs on fire, and it is only a few minutes before it burns bright.

Today, I taught a 40-minute class on Prophecy. Then I preached a sermon on Philippians 1:1-2, my first sermon in a series that I am starting on Philippians at the church that I am Pastoring now, Jefferson Evangelical Church. Then I drove to Fairview Mennonite Church in Albany and taught a 45-minute class on Marriage, the first of six Sunday classes. Now, I am home writing this blog. I greatly enjoy teaching and preaching; a full day like today is enriching and fulfilling. My voice is about gone, and my sciatica is killing me from standing so much, but with a good night’s sleep and some ibuprofen, I will be as good as new tomorrow. Not many people have spent their lives doing what they love and have been gifted by God to do. I have been Pastoring churches, preaching, teaching, and leading for the last fifty-two years. It has been a blessing to do what I enjoy and what God has gifted me to do. I will teach an all-day seminar on March 22nd on “Spiritual Gifts.” We will talk about the various gifts, talents, and abilities, take numerous tests to help us figure out who we are, and discuss ways to use our gifts and skills for God. In the area of your giftedness, you are supernatural, and when you serve in that area, you are fulfilled, energetic, and successful.

I have about 30 fruit trees, primarily apples, six pears, and a few cherry trees. Today, I started pruning them with the help of my grandson, Josiah. He is tall, and I don’t get on ladders anymore, so he does most of it. I got a cordless, electric set of pruning shears for Christmas, so my part is even easier. I watched a YouTube video on how to prune an apple tree, so I am an expert now. We get a lot of apples and pears in the Fall, so the work is worth it. I have memorized John chapter 15; the first two verses are fascinating and perplexing at the same time.
John 15:1-2 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.”
So, what does it mean to be taken away? What does it mean to be pruned? One obvious meaning is that God wants me to bear fruit and more fruit, always more. A few verses later, in verse 8, he says, “This glorifies My Father, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” My Duke translation says it this way, “God wants me to bear fruit, and because I am His disciple, He will sovereignly work in the details and circumstances in my life and my heart so that I continue to grow and bear more and more fruit for His glory.” Every morning in my morning prayer of commitment, I say, “Lord, I am Your disciple by commitment, so I know that You will do in me, through me, and around me what is necessary for me to bear much fruit. I want that Lord, I want to bear fruit, and I want to glorify You.”

Today is Valentine’s Day! I am taking Patty to a Valentine’s Dinner at JBC. Wow! I am so romantic! When I was in the fifth grade, Mrs Gibbs, our teacher, said we all needed to bring Valentine’s cards for everyone in the class. That was in Alameda, California, the last place my Dad was stationed before he retired, and we moved to the farm in Oregon. We had only lived there for a month, so I didn’t know many kids in my class. I was not very excited about this assignment. I didn’t know the names of very many, and I didn’t know what to write on the cards. I didn’t want to write “I love you,” as Mrs Gibbs suggested, to kids I didn’t know, for that matter; I didn’t want to write I love you even to the ones I knew. My Mom solved my problem by buying some premade cards for kids, and all I had to do was sign them and hand one out to each kid in my class. As I handed out my cards, I noticed that most of the boys were doing the same thing, and one was giving out a little candy heart to each person. I have been memorizing the book of 1 John. I just about have it done. The book’s theme is “love,” and there are a lot of verses on love in the five chapters; here are a few.
1 John 3:10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
1 John 4:7-8 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:11-12 Beloved, if God loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, perfecting His love in us.
1 John 4:20-21 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
The primary way we love is by forgiving anybody of anything, just as God has forgiven us. Another key way, according to 1 John, is by helping, coaching, and encouraging one another as we all struggle to live life for God. One of the things I did for Patty was to make a list for her of what I committed to doing for her every time I said, “I love you.” I say “I love you” to my church family before I preach, and I have made a list that I review often of what saying I love you means; it is a statement of commitment.

When I was a kid and lived in Trout Lake, we used to get lots of snow—often over five feet. One of our winter chores was to keep the area in front of the milk house clear of snow so the milk truck could get in to pick up our milk. We also had lots of fun wintertime activities. One was to crawl around in the tunnels the pigs made as they went around the pasture, looking for something to eat. They got out of their pens because of the snow. The tunnels were perfectly round as a pig and just the right size to fit in if we were on our knees. Another activity was when Dad would pull us around the pasture on the hood of an old car that was upside down with the old Willys jeep. And then there were the good, old-fashioned snowball fights. We would make snow forts and barriers to hide behind as we attempted to hit someone else with a well-aimed snowball. Our grandkids were having fun today in the snow, building snowmen, and having snowball fights. The bigger grandkids went to the church parking lot and spun around in the snow, making “cookies” in their cars. I canceled my classes for tonight and stayed home, sat in my recliner, and read. It was a very comfortable day as I regularly got up, put more wood in the fire, and got a refill of coffee. Today’s big fun was celebrating our oldest daughter, Sarah’s 50th birthday. Quite a few people came over today to celebrate despite the snow, and we ate a lot, talked, and played games. I have difficulty believing I am old enough to have a 50-year-old daughter! Life keeps moving on. It was a perfect day. Tomorrow probably will be another slow day because of the weather. But coming are some bad days, filled with heartache and trials. That is the way life is. When they come, we ask God for strength, supernatural joy, and peace, and that He will guide and use us for His glory. Then, when they are over, we rejoice and enjoy. That is the way life is.
I look forward to it all, the slow days and the hard days. God is in one as much as the other. One is for resting, and the other is for growing. The key to enjoying the hard days is not to fret or worry and not to grumble or complain.