We just returned from a week with "old" friends. We have a lot of history together and Bev and I both have been the beneficiaries of their love and kindness. Here's a reflective acrostic on the vital elements of meaningful friendships...
F--eeling valued by people who know you well but still love you
R--econnecting without the need for getting reacquainted
I--nitiating contact for no apparent reason
E--njoying familiar stories tinged with memories often rehearsed
N--avigating the changing seasons of life and laughing about them
D--oing spontaneous things together comfortably
S--haring pain and sorrow as well as joy and blessing with equal openness
H--ighlighting the "light bulb" moments of our continuing spiritual journeys
I--nvesting in active concern for and commitment to pray for each other's families
P--lanning the next time we will be together and hoping we don;t have to wait that long!
Thanks Dan and Carolyn, Jim and Laura--our friends!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Fog or Sunshine?
Summer is a 'mystical" time on the Central Coast. You have heard of "June gloom"? We are in July and we are continuing to experience the early morning fog usually burning away to radiant sunshine in the afternoon. Today as I drove to work at 7:15 am north on Hwy 101 from Arroyo Grande, through Pismo Beach and Shell Beach, I drove over the top of the peak that is on the crest of Avila Beach and upon descending to the other side towards San Luis Obispo was greeted with...more fog!
That's not how it usually is the trajectory of where the highway peaks almost always reveals sunshine on the other side. At 1:30 pm in between counseling clients, I drove to Avila Beach from my office and spent one glorious hour in beautiful sunshine walking on the beach
And then it was back to my office where I sit at my desk reflecting on the day.
Here's what I've been musing about...
It's hard to predict "June gloom" in your life, but foggy days are inevitable.
Generally--though not always--the other side of the mountain looks better. If you can survive the trek to the top, it will generally be worth the effort.
There is a strange beauty in fog, accelerated by the idea it will soon pass. Don't grieve the fog; rather, embrace what lies behind it waiting to be revealed.
The glare of sunshine upon the hillside sometimes produces verdant green--when water is plentiful--and other times, golden brown, like today. What is exposed by the sun with its shadows and hues produces a colorful tapestry of its own. Life with its trials and triumphs produces a testimony punctuated by the messages of color and texture.
The fog and sunshine are closely yoked to each other, separated often by only minutes. Their coming and going is impacted by natural forces that I am still learning. But they are both statements of life around me. They both, with respect for one another, echo hope for the calming coolness of the fog and the beckoning brightness of the sun.
It can all happen in a day, here on the Central Coast.
It could be your day--wherever you are--fog or sunshine.
That's not how it usually is the trajectory of where the highway peaks almost always reveals sunshine on the other side. At 1:30 pm in between counseling clients, I drove to Avila Beach from my office and spent one glorious hour in beautiful sunshine walking on the beach
And then it was back to my office where I sit at my desk reflecting on the day.
Here's what I've been musing about...
It's hard to predict "June gloom" in your life, but foggy days are inevitable.
Generally--though not always--the other side of the mountain looks better. If you can survive the trek to the top, it will generally be worth the effort.
There is a strange beauty in fog, accelerated by the idea it will soon pass. Don't grieve the fog; rather, embrace what lies behind it waiting to be revealed.
The glare of sunshine upon the hillside sometimes produces verdant green--when water is plentiful--and other times, golden brown, like today. What is exposed by the sun with its shadows and hues produces a colorful tapestry of its own. Life with its trials and triumphs produces a testimony punctuated by the messages of color and texture.
The fog and sunshine are closely yoked to each other, separated often by only minutes. Their coming and going is impacted by natural forces that I am still learning. But they are both statements of life around me. They both, with respect for one another, echo hope for the calming coolness of the fog and the beckoning brightness of the sun.
It can all happen in a day, here on the Central Coast.
It could be your day--wherever you are--fog or sunshine.
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