We were in Portland, Oregon this past weekend. It was 20 years ago that we left the Houston, Texas area for our “Great Adventure“! How nice to see long-time friends and colleagues and to make new ones as well.
We capped off our morning at Life Church, in Aloha, Oregon with a dessert at the “Salt and Straw” — they have some very strange ice cream!
Congratulations, Werner and Gabriele — and to Life Church!
On January 28, 2008 my wife, Ginger, and I celebrated 25 years of marriage. We often talk of our “escape” on the evening before our wedding. We had a lot of college-aged friends and were used to pulling pranks on each one that were about to “get hitched.” The only thing was … we were next!
So we sneaked away from our Rehearsal Dinner party and headed to our favorite place, the beach. It was already dark and we took what would become my inheritance from Ginger — a Baja VW Bug — and drove through the sand along the surf line. It was a nice break with laughter — silence — contemplation about the future — and hanging out with my best friend.
We returned a few hours later to the real world. it’s amazing how THAT story is so engrained into our marriage. “This night 11, 14, 18, 22, 23, now 25 years ago …” we always begin. And we reflect upon the time that marks a milestone of beginning in our amazing journey.
Here’s to you … my best friend!
I made a pledge to myself — now 7 years ago — to remember. Each year I want to reflect on what MY FAMILY and MINISTRY and CHURCH and FRIENDS went through. This year I will watch a news documentary that is primarily video of that terrible day.
I will never forget many of the feelings I had. One person came into my office and said that it looked like it could be over 20,000 deaths. Thank God for those brave people that frantically rescued and enabled the rescue of so many. And a few times a year I still pray for the broken and hurting families that went through that tragedy. So may will get ?stuck? in time for the rest of their changed lives because of the trauma.
What do YOU remember? What happened in YOUR world back in 2001?
We all want to be first. We want to be king of something. And for some people, unfortunately, that’s ALL that MATTERS.
What’s incredible with that is it is never enough no matter the quantity or even the visibility of power that one may become.
We see it if we reference the life of Solomon in the Bible. It becomes very clear what ended up being THE IMPORTANT summary of his life (See Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Question: What are you pouring your life into right now? What is your PASSION — right now? Are you making a difference? Are you leaving a legacy?
How are your kids, wife, other relationships doing?
And where does God fit in?
These questions matter. And please remember that God has a wonderful plan and purpose for your life. He loves you and made you to know Him.
Oh, another scripture? Jeremiah 29:11 … it’s one of my favorites!
RevTim Thinks 