Happy Trails!

Participating in Bob Lowery's funeral yesterday was bittersweet. It was filled with fitting tributes and laugh-out-loud anecdotes. It was so good to see former classmates and professors -- and so sad to say goodbye. In the end, the 2-hour tribute which honored God first and Bob second, was closed with hundreds singing "Happy Trails." Bob was a cowboy at heart, you see. He fought the good fight, loved well, and served many. He lived by the book -- God's book.


Lyrics to "Happy Trails" by Dale Evans Rogers
Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin' until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we're together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.
Happy trails to you, 'till we meet again.

Some trails are happy ones,
Others are blue.
It's the way you ride the trail that counts,
Here's a happy one for you.

Happy trails to you, until we meet again.
Happy trails to you, keep smilin' until then.
Who cares about the clouds when we're together?
Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.

Happy trails to you, 'till we meet again.



Alternate Religious Verse:
Happy trails to you, it's great to say "hello".
And to share with you the trail we've come to know.
It started on the day that we met Jesus,
He came into our hearts and then he freed us.
For a life that's true, a happy trail to you.



Roy Rogers Riders Club Rules:
1. Be neat and clean.
2. Be courteous and polite.
3. Always obey your parents.
4. Protect the weak and help them.
5. Be brave but never take chances.
6. Study hard and learn all you can.
7. Be kind to animals and take care of them.
8. Eat all your food and never waste any.
9. Love God and go to Sunday school regularly.
10. Always respect our flag and our country.

Singing

‎"If we listen to John, we learn that in the end, you, I, indeed, everyone, will have a new beginning, either the most wonderful or the most awful beginning of all. It is an ending that leads to rhapsody because we stand before the reigning Lord and the redeeming Lamb or to woe because we are banished forever from their presence. In the end, what makes the difference is the song we sing." - Robert Lowery

This quote is from "Revelation's Rhapsody", a book by Bob that my classmates and I (who were in his 2005 Revelation course) were privileged to participate in creating. In his humble wisdom, Bob always invited the dialogue of fellow believers to inform his scholarship.

Bob is singing for Jesus in His full presence today -- and for all time. My head says "Rejoice!" -- my heart isn't there yet.

Simple Wisdom from an Excellent Teacher

Dr. Robert Lowery - Academic Dean of Lincoln Christian University's Seminary - PhD in New Testament from Aberdeen University - Teacher - Pastor - Friend - Grandfather - Father - Husband -- is nearing the end of his journey on earth. He soon gets to know if His understanding of what happens after his heart stops is what he's believed for 50+ years. I believe it will be even better than he or I or you can imagine.

One of Doc's final formal speaking engagements was February 19 at a seminar for Church leaders. I was blessed to be a part of the gathering. He said many, many thought provoking things (as Doc always does). But this I will cling to:

"When all the ink is spilled about the mission and the purpose of the Church: it is simply to glorify God. It is to make more and better disciples of Jesus, period. According to the New Testament, the Church is thoroughly organized when all God's people are spiritually equipped and empowered to serve God."

It sounds so obvious, doesn't it? But I see "us" (the Church) get in our own way many times through debating the finer points of "who?" "how?" and "when?" instead of focusing on the simple, clear, effective truth.

I pray that in honor of Bob and to honor God, I will keep my focus on what is simple and clear in order to be effective for His glory.

Get Real

Ignorance may, in fact, be bliss. I have days when I wish blissful ignorance would descend upon me. But, once exposed to the truth, God's truth, we are no longer ignorant and we become continually challenged with the need to be real and accept the "realness" of others.

I'm glad to live in the space where the curtain has been pulled back some...but it isn't easy.

Consider this past Easter weekend...

1. I had the privilege of helping a woman publicly tell her story of sexual abuse, turning her back on God, and looking for love in all the wrong places -- including alcoholism. After 40 years, God's truth has restored her to the woman she was intended to be. Powerful; but so real it feels like taking a gut-punch.

2. One of my dearest friends shared her own powerful story at her church in California. Also a childhood victim of sexual abuse and abandonment, she too has only recently become fully free by the power of God's truth. It was "the best day of my life," she reports. Still, someone she had counted on to support her, didn't show up. Another punch.

3. I learned today that my professor and friend Bob is in hospice care. Losing another precious friend to cancer is sickening, but I must sit with the pain and loss.

4. My cousin broke her ankle last week. And while for healthy folks this would be a painful inconvenience, for Jill medical complications made it a life or death issue. The reality of that fact is frightening.

5. I also "got real" with my 14-year-old stepson this weekend as we watched "The Passion of the Christ." The impact of the senseless violence that preceded Jesus' death was real to him. "I can't get the blood out of my mind," he said the next morning. I reminded him that he'd seen bloody scenes on TV and in movies before, and he said, "This is different. I didn't really care about those people." The Passion wasn't a made up event. It was real and so is its gut-punch impact. I thank Jesus so much for the sacrifice, but feel saddened to know (as much as a human can) the depth of his suffering.

No wonder many people choose to live at the surface. It doesn't cost as much as diving deep and getting real. The problem is that life's value is in its realness -- pain and all.

Today my prayer is to embrace what's real instead of bracing for it. Getting real isn't for faint of heart -- and it rarely garners applause. But it pleases God as we learn to mature and obey regardless of the cost.

Puttin' it Out There

I'm trained as a journalist. I love words and how they can crystallize thought.

For 25 years, writing has been a huge part of my "day jobs." I imagine that will always be true while I'm in the workforce.

But for some time, I've felt the nudge (or even push) to write more than a blog in my "spare time." I've had the desire to create a book. The problem is that I have had many good thoughts on how the book starts, but have not been able to create an outline that looked like a complete product...until now.

Recently, I attended a seminar called "Leading by the Book," conducted by my former seminary professor Bob Lowery. Bob, who is in failing health, is a force of humility, knowledge, and passion for God and for teaching others. That day, he repeated words that had crystallized a thought for me years ago. Bob asserted that God's grace is ever saving, sustaining, and surprising.

I've used that thought in sermons, in conversation, and in my personal meditations over time. But when he said it during the seminar, my mind and heart woke up to the focus the book to be written: "The Case for Grace."

The concept is a combination of stories from Scripture interlaced with personal experiences of how "real" God and His grace are in our lives. The work will by divided into the categories of saving grace, sustaining grace, and surprising grace.


Here's the prologue: God is alive. He’s as real as anything or anyone you can see or touch. Jesus, His son, came from heaven to earth, taught truth, died for all of our failures, and yet is alive again. Jesus’ sacrifice was a gift to all who will believe in Him. It was and is a gift of grace. Grace empowers all who believe those truths. It’s not a psychological crutch; it’s high octane, life-giving and life-sustaining fuel. How do I know these things to be true? I live it! But it wasn’t always that way…

I have signed up for "Write to Publish" seminar in June and need to have the outline and a 10-page chapter excerpt complete.

I'd like to know if this approach appeals to you as a potential reader or one who would recommend such a read to others.

Follow me!

In January, my husband Brad and I headed for one of the most beautiful and relaxing spots I know -- Alta, Utah. While others wish for beaches in the dead of winter, I crave deep powder and the opportunity to ski, eat, sleep, and repeat -- little else. Alta is not a "foo foo" ski resort area. Serious skiers (no snowboarders allowed) who want great snow without all the trappings of spas and shops and high-end restaurants go to Alta. We ski all day and sit in the lounge pretty much each night and eat pizza, feeding the crust to one or more of the "lodge dogs" who befriend us -- as long as we have food. I love the place!

Anyway, for this long weekend get-away, we packed up our brand new skis and boots and headed west. We had agreed that this time we would take a ski lesson the first day. Both of us are run-of-the-mill blue run (intermediate) skiers, but went with the desire to perfect our skills in order to ski steeper parts of the amazing Wasatch mountains.

Brad and I ended up with different instructors. Bob was my teacher. He is 75-years-old and has been a ski instructor nearly 50 years at Alta. Bob is tall and fit with a big yellowing-toothed smile. He met his troop of five adult students with exuberance. Bob was psyched for teaching us new skills.

We took the chairlift to a mid-mountain point and Bob pulled us together. He spoke of the freeing nature of skiing and how fun it can/should be. He addressed our issues and fears. He spoke words of specific instruction, and then he took off down the slope shouting, "Follow me!" We did. We had to, because Bob was becoming smaller and smaller as he floated away from the group.

We repeated this pattern over and over -- to the bottom and back up many times. One of the most valuable things Bob taught me was how to balance my skis perpendicular to the slope and allow myself to slide sideways while under control. The value of this move is that when a skier finds herself in a tight spot where it seems too steep or narrow to turn safely -- she can slide slowly by flexing the skis until reaching terrain that's within her comfort zone. Bob preached "practice and patience" as I got the hang of the technique.

Unfortunately, about half-way through the lesson, my new boots were causing me great pain. My left calf muscle was cramping so bad, that while skiing I'd often have to lift that leg and ski only on the right in order to find relief. That was a trick Bob hadn't taught!

So the last time up the mountain when Bob said, "You are all ready! I'm taking all of you to the top (where the "big boys" ski the steeps)," I nearly cried. My leg hurt so badly I knew that going to the top was not an option for me. I was certain I couldn't get down safely given the boot issue.

Bob understood -- but wanted me to have the "summit" experience so badly he offered to skip his lunch break and take me back up after I'd taken the boot off and stretched a while. It was a gracious offer, but I didn't accept it. Instead, I asked Bob if he was available for private lessons the next day. That way he could take both Brad and me to the top and offer instruction and encouragement. He said he'd love to, but "tomorrow" was Sunday, and on Sundays (for his entire adult life) he never teaches because he takes his wife to church and spends the day honoring God and with her.

"Awesome!" I said. "I completely understand and respect that."

He handed me his business card and said, "If you feel better by lunchtime, call me and we'll head up. You're ready."

With that, Bob and my four classmates boarded another lift for the summit. I skied down in pain and found a coffee shop.

I had learned alot, but felt defeated and literally hobbled by pain. I didn't/couldn't ski the rest of the day. A technician tried to adjust my boot -- but with little improvement. I was truly depressed.

The next day dawned with a beautiful sunrise. Brad and I had agreed to take it slow and test out our new skills. He had an injury to his shin from rubbing against the boot that was limiting his ability as well.

I prayed and sang praise songs to myself as we made our way to the lift. We went up to the half-way point and discussed taking the next lift to the summit. But standing there and watching the skiers come down from the top, I became truly scared. It was steep! The runs were narrow! I was still hurting! Yikes!

We skied down from where we stood and discussed options. "Let's do one more run from here and see how we feel," I suggested.

So up we went back up to the familiar halfway point.

"We have to just go," I told Brad while heading for the lift to the summit. He followed, and soon we were on the chairlift. No turning back.

At the top, we stood for several minutes just taking in the beauty. We could see in all directions from truly the top of the world -- at least in that area. But our awe turned to fear again as we realized that the trails marked "easier way" were still significantly steeper and narrower than any terrain we'd ever skied.

I looked at Brad and said, "We have to just get started. Pick a point to stop at and regroup. We'll take it in sections."

Bob's words were very present in my head, but I did wish he'd been there to physically guide me. So I went through his mantra out loud: "Relax - feel the skis - let 'em run - control your turn with patience -- balance with your upper body." Soon we were down a ways and still upright! At that point, however, we had to take a sharp turn down a narrow trail to avoid the steepest of all terrain.

"I can't do this," I thought (and probably said). But having no real option other than rolling down the mountain like Bullwinkle as a snowball, I started the controlled slide Bob had taught. "Patience -- the skis will do what you want -- let 'em slide -- don't panic -- wait to turn at a good spot."

It worked! I negotiated the tight turn and grew more confident as we made our way down section by section.

We did it without falling or giving up! We overcame the fear and embraced the experience. Bob would have been so proud.

Back at the lodge that afternoon with boot issues still limiting us, I began to think about all that had transpired. Bob's teaching style became suddenly familiar.

He engaged me with his passion. He instructed me with wisdom and experience. He asked me to imitate him through practice (Follow me!). He encouraged me. He extended himself to serve me; yet he had boundaries on what he needed to prioritize. His words were with me even when he wasn't.

Bob was modeling Jesus.

I was doing my part, too. I was teachable, accountable, and faithful -- despite the fear.

God is so good to us in so many ways. At Alta, he was good to me by showing himself through Bob. When Jesus said to Peter and Andrew (Matt 4): “Come, follow me, and I will send you out to fish for people” they dropped their nets and followed him.

He was calling them to a mission -- to hook people for God's glory. My mission of skiing from the top of Alta certainly isn't profound as an achievement, but my witnessing and participating in bringing glory to God by modeling his ways IS profound -- and edifying -- and encouraging -- and wonderful!

Thank you, Bob!

A Fruitful Fast

I don't know how you feel about fasting. Let me simply say that I respect those who do fast and pray to find spiritual breakthrough. Don't ask me to join you, however, because I get that "If I hold my breath long enough, mom will give me the cookie" feeling when asked to join someone else's fast.




But I started a 30-day fast February 28, and the results are already proving powerful.

I'm fasting from my right to be right.

Of late (as even my blog posts reveal), I've felt attacked, maligned, and marginalized in a number of venues. But as I read a book on Joseph of the Old Testament, I became acutely aware that my persecutions are mild compared to his or, perhaps, most people's. I have had a really difficult time not taking "things" personally and reacting in a way that's either defensive or labels my attacker as clearly unaware or even stupid. I've justified my judgments by claiming I was right.

Interestingly, I MAY be right in many cases. But as the book pointed out: "Greatness is rarely determined by a person's achievements, but always by his (her) attitude."

I want to be one remembered as having a great attitude -- a Christ-like attitude -- not as one who was "right." So, the fast began. And immediately -- as though I'd given up potato chips -- I was given opportunity to indulge on a feast. I have, through God's guidance and power, resisted those opportunities. And you know what? When I wanted to defend myself but remained silent, someone else stepped up to speak on my behalf. When I've wanted to make a point of being "right" -- I've let my need go and the feeling passed quickly.

This laying down my rights thing is an on-going story/need in my life, but I'm seeing -- and liking -- the fruit this time. God is my defender. He is with me and for me. I don't have to fight; just obey. Keep reminding me, Lord!