A New Story about Zo

A story about my friend Zo

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Survey Says...

I sent out a survey about my blog - here are the results...

Survey Results... Inspiring HOPE

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b

Trust - How to restore it

A new writing on how to rebuild trust...

Rebuilding Trust

peace

b

My NEW Site...

Morning...

I've started a new Blog/website...

I'd love for ya to check it out & like it.

Click Here & Take a Look

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b

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One of Those Days...

Do you ever have one of those days?

Not one of those days...

I mean one of those days.  One of those days when you are more AWARE.

Aware of all the good in your life.  Aware of the blessings...the love...the goodness...

Almost like you are more awake than usual.  Something deep within has come alive for the moment to remind you - you are blessed...life is good.

Do you have those AWARE days too?

Today is one of those days.

It's hard to explain.

It feels like emotions deep within, like stallions,  running wild from your heart to your head to your heart - over & over again.  You feel it & then you think about it & then you feel it & then you think about it...etc.

It feels like gratitude when it's in your head.  As you take an inventory of your life at that moment.  Not all of your life - a piece of it.  It's like seeing a beautiful piece of art & focusing in on a detail of that same  artwork.  And, for whatever reason, it's that detail that stands out at that moment.  And it causes an emotion...a smile...a warm fuzzy within.  Joy.

And it feels like something just one-millisecond short of tears.  Tears of joy...gladness...happiness...love. Not only tears, it feels like dancing...twirling...running...shouting...laughing...silence.

Being AWARE is a deep thing.

It's like every crowning achievement in your life has bundled itself up & you celebrate them - fresh & new.

It feels like electricity set at an incredibly low setting - just pulsating your skin.  But, it's not your skin - it's the skin that wraps around life itself within.  And today, it's pulsating with more life than normal.  It almost feels like goose bumps - deep within though, not on the surface.

It feels like being in the rain.  But you are not getting wet, instead, you are feeling the rain.  Every drop as it hits you...it's that moment as a kid when you'd go outside to play in the rain & look up into the sky to catch the rain on your tongue.

It feels spiritual.  Like God himself has decided to sit beside you for a few moments to "open your eyes" wider than normal...to restore your vision...to just whisper to you "life is good...enjoy all that I've given you...all that's been given back...all that's right.  And, oh, by the way - I love you."  It's like you are more AWARE of Him & all the blessings He has given into your life.  In an AWARE moment - there is no sadness...no room for grieving loss or the past.

It's like sitting beside a lake - far away from every noise...every distraction...every everything & anything that lessens your abundant life.  For a moment, you are AWARE of nothing but goodness...love...joy...peace...all that is good.  No ripples on the water...nothing to disturb this moment.

It's like being under water - only the water is not water - it's love.  You feel overwhelmingly loved & in love.  Like the suns' rays - you feel love warming you up (or back up)...and like a refection of that same warmth - you feel it being given way to those you love most in your life.  You wife...kids...family...friends.  It's a moment that borders on drowning - but you know you are fully alive in this reality.

It's like a moment that you'd love to stay in - but you know you can't.  You don't even know where you are or how you got here.  You just woke up - there.  And you know, that in some moment, reality will ease back in & this moment will be gone.

But, it's this AWARENESS that makes you live all the others - better than before.

Because you are more AWARE.

YEP.

AWARE.

That's what I'm feeling today.

I am in AWE at this moment.

Thanks God - for all the good that's in my life.

b

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A Few Reasons to Change Some Habits

Habit is defined as...


A settled tendency...a behavior pattern acquired by frequent repetition...an acquired mode of behavior that has become nearly or completely involuntary...


Some of our habits could use some changing - in each of our lives.


Here's why we need to change some habits...


Some are absolutely useless.  Perhaps they are now useless or they were never useful in the first place.  No matter, habits that fall under this type, might not necessarily be bad or destructive, just useless.  Like sleeping too much or watching too much tv...or procrastination...etc.  Not really "bad" just useless.


Also, some habits are more graphic & show up as being more detrimental in life.  Again, we might not label them as being really bad, so much as knowing they are holding us back from something better.  Eating ice cream might not be "bad", but it could be holding us back from losing weight...causing diabetes...lowering self-esteem...etc.  Just some things that might be in our life, that if we change them - we will be on our way to a goal we want to achieve.


Of course, some habits are bad...destructive...harmful...etc.  No one has to point those out either, we know them & know they need to change.  Actually change is a lighter word than what is really needed.  Stop or quit is the right word here.  Anything causing any area of our life to be lived at a lower level - needs to be dropped.


Here's how we are wired:


Actions produce Feelings.


There is no way around this truth.  It's an inherent principle living within.  The short of it is this:  You will NEVER feel good about acting bad.  Never.  Why?  Actions produce feelings.  Also, you can never feel your way out of acting bad.  It's not going to happen.


You want to feel better about yourself...your marriage...your home...your family...etc.  Act better.  It's that simple - yet it's that difficult.


Find the habits in your life that cause you to feel less than alive...those that are in the way of your thriving...those that are killing you in some area of life.


AND


Change them.  Baby steps.  Do what you can UNTIL you can do what you can't.


One step will produce a better feeling about yourself.


The antithesis is true as well.  Allow your feelings to direct your life & you will always have a negative feeling from that.  Sadly, if your feelings guide you, it's a reinforcing loop set up in your life.  It goes like this - you don't feel like it - so you don't.  That causes you to not feel like it again...only to cause you to feel worse about yourself (or it) again.  On & on & on.


Plant a thought, reap an act. Plant an act, reap a habit. Plant a habit, reap a character. Plant a character, reap a destiny.


peace...


b


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Why I Want to Be a Risk Taker

Our youngest is on a Competition Cheering Team.  Stars is their name.

It's the 1st time in her young life that she has been: part of a team sport and been part of  cheering too.

So, she entered the year a little behind the learning curve.  Today, we were on the way to pick her up from practice, when she called us.  "I got my cartwheel" was the declaration coming through the phone.  Needless to say, she was excited.

The cartwheel was conquered.  Running...hands on the ground...feet over head...feet back on the ground...hands over head.  BAMM.  Done.

Easier said than done.  Somewhere in the past it was fake run...acting like hands were going to hit the ground or once advanced, they hit the ground - sort if... fear or anxiety was the rule.

But.  She did it.  She "got her cartwheel".

Why?

Because she wanted it bad enough.  Bad enough to overcome her fears & anxiety.  Bad enough to overcome her inability.  Bad enough to ignore she was behind on things.  Bad enough to just get it done.

Bad enough to risk whatever she calculated as the cost.  Not only did she want it bad enough...she wanted it bad enough to do it - until, "she got her cartwheel".

I want to live like that.

I want to take whatever risks are necessary to "get my cartwheels" in life - whatever they might really be.

I want to want something bad enough to go after it.

I want to feel that fear/anxiety that leads into equal celebration when conquered.

I want to go after those things that fear is holding me back from.

I want to "get my cartwheels" in life.


Each & every one of them.

Don't you?

b

You Call That Swimming?

At 1st it all sounded so easy...NOW, it's getting easier...

BUT, the in between was quite interesting to say the least...

I'm talking about learning to swim - CORRECTLY.

It sounded like such an easy thing when it was first talked about.  "Hey.  Let's take swimming lessons and learn how to really swim - the right way, I mean."

The 1st class, 1st moment went like this: "OK, Bob, show me how you swim."  It all changed from that point on.

From that point on, it was quite a task...learning to swim - correctly.

Here are some of those moments - learning to swim correctly.

"Bob, get out of the pool, just sit there for me.  WOW, is that really as far as you can straighten your feet?"

"Bob, your kicks are like from the knees - only."  "Bob, that's not really kicking, it's pedaling a bike in the water."  "Bob, can't you pull harder than that with your arms?"  "Bob, are you breathing at all?"  "Bob, are you drinking pool water every time you take a breath?"  "Bob, that's not bad, considering where you started."  "Bob, you're supposed to swim on top of the water, not 2" under the surface."  "Bob, just try this stroke, because you're not going to be able to do the other one (like everyone else does & is doing)."

Well.  Suffice it say - the learning curve of "learning to swim right" has been quite interesting for Bob.

I started the class thinking I could swim OK.  Apparently what I was doing was more like sloshing.

As she (Elizabeth - the greatest swim instructor I have ever had as an adult) handed me (& Shawn) more to think about, that's all I could do - think...and simultaneously sink.  Oh yea, another "Bob" comment.  "Bob, you don't float very well."  Yup - can't even float right...thought I could before though.  Dangit.

Anyway.

It happened.

"It will all come together - Bob."  And it did.  Just like Elizabeth (say it with the dialect that guy, Troy, on Swamp people says it.  Elidabet) said it would.

Swimming versus sloshing.  Actually moving in the right direction of the pool.  Yes, moving!  Crazy.

Anyway.  Here's my point.

Sometimes, when we decide to get "better" at something, or try something new, it gets harder & even worse before it gets better.  Part of it is "unlearning" before "learning".  Then it's correcting the old.  Or, it's just something new...therefore, it has to be learned, just like addition or the alphabet.

BUT, stay with it.  Once all the pieces come together - it all makes sense.

1+1=2 and A starts the alphabet and Z ends it.

Don't quit in the sloshing stage...press on to the swimming...it's a lot of fun.

Even, in life, sometimes all we can see are the parts.  The parts don't always make sense on their own...but once you see the bigger picture, the pieces normally make sense as well.

peace

b

Our Friend Zo the Redeemer

Zo the Redeemer

Zo met with us today.  That he met with us is not unusual, he tries to meet with us on a regular basis, as we try to do the same with him.  We have come to love meetings with Zo.

Let me introduce Zo.  Zo is an old friend of ours, I’m not sure when I met Him, but I know he knew me first...like an old family friend that can remember you growing up, that’s Zo.  He has memories of knowing you before you have memories of knowing him.

Zo, well, he’s a quiet man.  In that regard, he reminds me of my grandfather.  A man who seldom spoke, yet when he did, he spoke volumes.  That’s Zo.  When Zo speaks, he just seems to have something worth hearing.  Something so simple it’s profound.  Words full of life.  Zo says things that, at the time, might not seem like much, but as you ponder his words, they grow into life change of some sorts.

Zo has gray hair.  It’s that old man gray hair.  The gray hair that says “I’ve lived & learned a lot.  I know a lot about life and how it works.  I know things you don’t yet know.”  That hair.  Not only does he have gray hair, his hair is thick and it’s longer than most at his age.  In the wind, his hair lifts as one big piece of gray, like a wing of a dove being lifted by the wind.  His hair is past his shoulders in the back and sometimes he keeps it in a pony tail.  He needs a haircut, but I can’t imagine Zo with anything other than long flowing gray hair.  Anything less wouldn’t seem right on the guy. 

Zo’s face looks really old.  His face is tanned and full of wrinkles.  Deep trenched wrinkles.  The kind of wrinkles that have many stories of having lived life the hard way.  His tan, looks like it never fades.  It’s deep into his skin.  His eyes, that’s the part of him that I like looking at the best.  His eyes speak without him saying a word.  His eyes are full of love and compassion.  They are full of life, even though the face they are set in, says life has been long and hard.  Those same eyes seem to see right through you as well.  You know, those looks you got when growing up, that just let you know that they knew you weren’t being truthful.  Zo’s eyes seem to pull the truth right out of you, just by looking at you.  It’s like he can see right into your heart.

Zo’s hands are calloused and quite rough.  Zo says that’s from “helping lift people up from life’s pits.”  I don’t know exactly if that’s really how he got all those callouses, but suffice it to say, that Zo has definitely lifted a few people out from life’s pit.  Picking people up seems to be one of Zo’s favorite things to do.  Zo calls that, “redemption”.  

He says redemption means to help people believe in themselves again.  To help them believe they are still worth something.  Once you meet Zo, you’ll know, that no matter what your pit is about, you’re worth something to him.  You’ll see it in his eyes, feel it in his hands and hear it in his voice.

Zo says it doesn’t matter how you get knocked into the pit, he sees all people the same.  If they are in the pit, they need help getting out.  Zo figures that’s part of why he’s on the earth, to help people get out of their pit.

That’s Zo.  The redeemer.

People that know him, love him.  People that don’t, don’t fully understand him.

That’s who we met with today.  We, being me and my wife Shawn.

Our meetings are somewhat planned, yet sometimes Zo just shows up.  It seems Zo has a knack for knowing when to show up.

Like a few years ago, Zo showed up.  I’m not sure if he even knocked that day.  That day, I do know, we didn’t have a time set to talk with Zo.  We didn’t really think we wanted to meet with anyone that day.  It was a bad day.

Bad, because we were trying to figure out how to sift through the mess I had made in our marriage.  


Honestly, we weren’t even sure we wanted to or would be able to sift through it all.  There was a lot to sift through and the pile seemed daunting at best.  Overwhelming in fact.

Hurt.  Angry.  Unsure.  Lonely.  Broken.  

That’s how that day felt.

So, that day, we weren’t ready to meet with anyone.

Tears.  Silence.  Isolation.  Confusion.

Then, right there, when it seemed to be the worst possible timing, Zo showed up.

At first, He just came in and sat across from us without saying a word.  His presence seemed to be enough.  And, strangely enough, his silence was exactly what we needed at first.  

Calm.  Serene.  Peace.  Hope.  Love.

That’s what Zo brought that day.

He began to speak to us both about things like: life, love, joy, grace, each other - together.

Zo somehow helped us believe again that day.

Zo helped us believe, that in spite of the mess that needed to be sifted through, no matter how bad it was, we could get through it.  We could redeem it.  “If we wanted to,” Zo said.  Crazy thing is, Zo said he’d help us.  He was true to his word.  He met with us over & over.  Sometimes planned and sometimes not.

He would let us cry and sometimes he’d cry with us too.

He would remind us of how good our love was and how good it could be again.

He would make us smile and sometimes we’d laugh as he told some story that painted the picture of a better tomorrow.

Every time we met with Zo, something seemed to be put back together or something new came to life.

We were learning all about that redemption thing Zo was teaching us about.

Then one day, we realized it had happened.  Our life together, our love for each other, our marriage had been redeemed from the sifting pile.  Our marriage had been redeemed from the pit.

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, we had been given new life.

Zo still comes around, like he did today.  Sometimes, he still sits quietly and sometimes he speaks.

Now, we know what his calloused hands really feel like.  For Zo reached down into one of life’s pits and pulled us out.

Now, when we see his eyes, we know they are full of life and love.

Now, when Zo speaks, we know his words are life giving and can help make sense in life and life’s pits.

Zo, our friend, is a redeemer, and that’s what he does - redeems.  Buys back.  Adds value.  Dispenses hope.

Zo, the redeemer, because that’s what he does, redeems.

Thanks Zo.

If you read this blog at all - you know this is something very different for me.  Do me a HUGE favor.  If you like it - hit the fb like button, right below this, for me.  If you'd go a step further - comment on it below this entry.  If you know someone that might enjoy reading it, send it to them.  Please & thanks in advance.

peace

b