Just a guy on a Journey!

  
I am so excited. Last night speaking to a friend discussing the beauty of the moon that gleefully glowed in full force upon the NJ/NY sky, I learn there are other people out there appreciating the big circle in the wide-open sky the same way I do. I do not know many people who appreciate the beauty of the moon as much as I do, so it was a refreshing conversation hearing somebody as intrigued as I am by its stunning beauty when painted perfectly over our heads. 

Several times the moon rose over the ocean with breathtaking harvest moons, blood moons and the moon parallel to the water where I was lucky enough to snap a photo. She goes on to tell me there are certain times of the year when you could see the moon rising over the mountains up this way and it is breathtakingly gorgeous. 

On my way home from work tonight with a deep question in mind, I send out a text or two to a couple friends hoping they would have a potential answer. They too want to know the answer and when I find the answer to let them know, lol.

Stopping at the gravel parking lot near the river where I often go for peaceful, quiet reflection and time alone, I had a specific question that I struggled to find the answer to. For my own peace of mind and restoration of my soul and spirit, I ask God the same question I asked my friends. As soon as I got to the bottom of the hill along my favorite riverbank and grabbed a seat on a giant rock, answers started flowing to me quicker than an unleashed dog can chase a squirrel. 

Typing the words as quickly as my thumbs would allow, 

I instantly capture three or four paragraphs of productive life enhancing notes. While writing them I feel the Holy Spirit moving within my heart. 

The crystal-clear answer I received is not what I wanted or expected to hear, but nonetheless it was the answer that I needed. 

As soon as I took the instruction, (yes the Holy Spirit is also a counselor)immediately I felt freedom and loads of bricks being lifted off my chest. 

I felt renewed as if I was 17 years old again and able to do cartwheels across the rocks spread out in the ice cold spring that is flowing rapidly near my feet.  

  
As the sky darkens I send out a text exclaiming I found the answer. I feel like I was stranded on a deserted island and I just spotted a boat. With an heir of joy and tremendous relief I turn around to walk up the hill to head home. Feeling light as a bee, I look up and boldly ascending from behind the trees is a giant white pizza-pie circle in the early evening sky. The glow of gladness in the form of a bright full moon peeks out over the treetops rising behind the mountains.

The moment reminds me of a poem I wrote last year called See the Moon, an excerpt from that writing is: 

“Listen actively, listen for His will, 

Seize this moment monumentally allowing the time to stand still.”

Time stood still for me tonight as I looked at the moon, celebrating the victory I just received. The moment has been seized and I will always remember the night I received my get out of jail card for free in Riverdale NJ. I am free. 

Thank you Jesus, thank you Lord! Thank you for hearing my prayer and the prayers of people that keep me in their prayers. I am free and thank you for the beauty of the river and the moon and your everlasting grace.  

‘Tis the season, as predicted the spring equinox has arrived.  What better time is it than to use the spring to “spring” into action?  Not only does spring mean a fresh new 90 days, think of a spring as in a slinky.  Certainly anyone near my age will remember those springs that we played with as kids.

The next 90 days will come and go with rays of sunshine, riddles of rain, and the guy writing this story turns 50 this quarter.  Those are all good things and they will happen as time passes by and the beauty of a season is its natural measurement of quarterly cycles in a given year.

A question worth pondering is when the calendar hits summer and the days are longer and much hotter, will I be any closer to something I choose to accomplish or learn, whether it is short-term or over the next 50 years.  Ninety days will pass, whether you take action or you do not.

It could be as simple as learning a new language, learning to play chess, learning how to swing a golf club or a particular trait of yours that may needing changing or further developed ensuring you are growing as a human-being.  The key is to start now.

Whatever it is, if it is worth doing, write it down and get started.  Get your thoughts, dreams, desires and goals on paper.  I encourage you to “spring into action” and measure your results on June 21.  Hopefully, you will be closer to a goal you may have been putting off.  If it is worth it and you want it, write it in your journal and make it happen.  When the morning comes spring off that horizontal surface slinky style like a coiled spring in full force after you are recharged and spring into action.  Enjoy the spring and spring into action.

Recording positive voice memos into my iPhone for later recall and encouragement, Cindi Lauper’s song Time after Time is unintentionally playing in the background on satellite radio. My recording picks up Time after Time as I am speaking over the music. 

The excitement of what I just recorded in the early morning while sipping my first cup of joe for the day, I listen to the three minute recording four or five times while getting ready for work. The powerful affirmation programs me for a positive and productive day.

Listening one last time to the recording as I walk my dog before leaving for work and carrying my phone in my shirt pocket, Time after Time is playing as I listen to my affirmations.

Hopping into my car, the second the seatbelt clicks and I am turning the key I hear Time after Time once again. For a split-second I thought the seatbelt turned my phone on as it pressed against my chest and front pocket for my phone was still in my shirt and I thought I pocket dialed the recording.

Time after Time is playing much louder than any iPhone I’ve ever heard, as I’m juggling my phone out of my pocket I instantly realize the song is on the radio coming through my car speakers and not my fresh new recording. 

The timing of the song playing on the radio is amazing as I just finished listening Cindi’s song on my phone a moment or two earlier.

Later that evening I’m telling a friend this story over dinner and she believes there is a message for me perhaps from God himself.  

The words say, “If you are lost and you look for me, you will find me Time after Time. If you fall, I will catch you, time after time.”

I know when there are times and I do feel lost, I look for God and He catches me time after time. Each and every time I will find Him when I look, time after time.

Heading home west of the Hudson River the same night, my Christian radio station was static and not coming in. I press another radio station and wouldn’t you know it? Time after Time is boldly playing for the third time for me today. 

Three times in one day! It was a fun day for me and Time after Time is now anchored into my affirmations. I now end each affirmation with the words time after time. I also am thrilled to find God when I seek Him and I am happy to be in good hands because I know He too will find me time after time and He will catch me time after time. 

I love it! Time after Time. He will find me. Time after Time. 

  
 Free at last, no parents there, the memorable moment offers perfect sunny summer weather, screaming amplifiers, music so loud we thought it was funny at the age of 15 not being able to hear each other talk after our very first concert. High-school kids yelling at each other in a local pizza shop trying to communicate and talk about the Jefferson Starship show we just absorbed in an open outdoor field nested in a reservation within the hills of South Orange, NJ. Anything we said literally fell on deaf ears as if one was shouting at a rock and expecting a reply.

Funny at first, three days later sound faintly came back at a pace of a turtle intertwined with the sounds of a high pitched ring. I will never forget standing against the stage under Paul Kantner’s amplifier. It was the first time I saw a rock-star live and he was 6 feet away from me.  

I did not even know who Paul Kantner was at the time. We went there to hear Grace Slick sing “White Rabbit.” My left ear picked up every note of Paul’s guitar as I stood at the stage trying to be cool in my bright white fully unbuttoned Navy Sea Cadet shirt. We thought we were so grown up failing to realize we were just kids.

For 34 years after this event, I could never hear well out of my left ear, or so I thought. My whole adult life I would tell the story of how I did permanent damage to my eardrum getting close up to Paul’s sound system. Recently, a friend that always sits to the left of me grew tired of repeating herself and encouraged me to get a hearing test. I did.

The results after sitting in a glass sound-proof booth as the audiologist delicately shifted keys with both hands on a manual soundboard were……an A+. He reports, my hearing is 100% normal. Shocked by the news, I could not believe it.

Yes, Paul Kantner died this week, and the point of this story is sometimes we are simply wrong despite what our senses pick up. We are what we listen to. The brain will believe what you tell it. You will listen to your thoughts and self-talk and act or react accordingly.  

Things are as we believe them to be. Our belief systems are so real, for two-thirds of my life I would lean in with my right ear when I needed to listen closely as I would say, “Please repeat that, I can’t hear so well in my left ear.” Sometimes I would jokingly say I lost my hearing as a teenager at a rock concert. 

My question to you is, “What are you telling yourself?” I hope it is something that betters you and you do not believe in some nonexistent flaw you perceive you may have because it can become part of your reality.

I responded to my lack of hearing for three days and believed my one ear had damage. Thank the good Lord, it is not true. I hear fine and Paul Kantner’s name is clear in my book, not that he was looking for vindication. I credit Paul for helping me learn and hear the facts.  
Use this knowledge to your advantage and believe and dwell on only good things. Have faith in God and believe in yourself. If you are stuck on a bad thought, test it, it may not be real. Rid your mind of anything negative.
Again, believe in yourself and program yourself for only good and wonderful things. Sometimes we need to hear it from someone else to believe it. If so, I will tell you now, you are powerful. Your brain is powerful, you are loved and you are awesome. Believe it, internalize it. You are created by the Master Himself.

 I learned from the audiologist what the truth is and I believe it. I can hear perfectly now. Be open minded, learn from others and keep your ears open.

We will meet thousands of people in our lives and come in contact with millions. Some will stay but most go away into a land to never be seen again.

Yes it is true giving is better than receiving so let’s give everyone we greet a nice, warm smile but allow yourself to be completely selfish in this case.

When meeting someone on vacation and having a good time in conversation with plenty of laughter, what happens when the ride is over? You know you will never see them again. My latest quest is the “take-away.”

What will you take away from the chance encounter, is it a funny memory or did you learn something?

Sometimes the experience is very pleasant and you like it to continue but as I mentioned, you will never see them again.

We can pay homage to those people and remember them and apply something useful that we take away from them. Most likely, we will forget their names but put the happy memory in your heart or your brain for safe-keeping or easy recall.

The flipside to this is there may be a person that you cannot wait to get away from. Sage advice shouts stay away just like Michael Jackson did in the beginning of his video Thriller.

This too is a an experience and there is usually something you can take away from that person that may widen your horizon. Somewhere in a negative encounter there is a lesson you can carry with you. Even in a bad experience there is something positive you can take away.

My heart bleeds for negative people if they do not know any better. I do not know if it’s they do not know the benefits of being positive or their brain is wired in such a fashion that they can never be positive.

One thing I do know is bad habits can be contagious and negativity is a disease. I encourage you to stay away from people with these traits when they have no desire to learn or change; however, do not short-change yourself, instead take away a lesson from the engagement.

Up, up and away my friends. I hope you take something away from this writing.

 Hanging from a west coast branch a bright photo boasting colorful fruit is displayed on a friends Facebook wall. It drew attention to me for my thoughts are focused on the word fruitfulness this week.

Wanting to write about fruitfulness and fruit, on my way to the local park my eye gets drawn to a street sign showing me Orange Road.

It forced me to think of that shiny,succulent,tasty fruit and the nourishment it offers to the person that finds one in their lunchbox.

Oranges and some fruit eaten when ripe are sweet and juicy, offering instant refreshment. Abandon the fruit for a period of time and it will rot in the coldest of refrigerators and turn putrid.

My point is fruit is short lived, temporary and best when consumed at the right time but Galatians 5:22 points out the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness.

The good news is this fruit never expires, it is always good when permanently taken in, it lasts a lifetime and is available to anybody who asks for it.

It is the kind of fruit that perpetually grows offering long-term nourishment for the body, soul, and mind.

Each of these seven fruit can be disected and one will easily see the benefits of the refreshing attributes they offer.

Tangible edible fruit from nature is a treat from God and the fruit of the Holy Spirit is not only a long lasting treat, it is also a gift from God when you allow this spiritual fruit to grow within you.

I enjoy citrus fruits, avocados and perfectly ripe bananas but the Holy Spirit fruit that dwells within me is my favorite with the fruit of love being the most important one of them all.

I hope to share this everlasting fruit throughout my lifetime and breed a fulfilled life of fruitfulness.

If you know me personally, you may have seen some of this fruit that grows within me. For me, it taste sweeter with the passing of each day. The more I mature in my faith in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the more fruit I enjoy.

I invite you to seek this fruit and be fruitful. Tony Robbins ends his speaking sessions with a reminder to “Live with passion.” If I were a coach or encourager, I would say, “Live with fruitfulness.”

I choose fruitfulness. Be fruitful my friends. I love you and thank you for reading. Enjoy good fruit and live with an abundance fruitfulness!

The Eagle Spirit/Honorary Eagles
Last night I had the great pleasure of seeing my son get awarded the highest honor the Boy Scouts maintain with the rank of Eagle Scout. Only 4% of the scouts become official card-carrying Eagle Scouts for you must reach the rank by the age of 18 or you are disqualified.
Eagles are taught to have character, be diligent, and to help others. They work hard and make a giant commitment to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.
My son is now part of an elite brotherhood that carries ancient prestige from 1910 just over a century ago when the Boy Scouts began their charter.

A familiar boy-scout slogan is to “Do a good turn daily.” The vast majority of our population are not Eagle Scouts and will never be Eagle Scouts yet the mindset of the Eagles would benefit society at large if it were multiplied on a larger scale.
With that in mind, wouldn’t the world be a better place if we all adopted the Boy Scout motto and do a good turn every day? How would other people benefit if you did a good deed every-day? How would you feel if you committed to do a good deed every-day and filled your commitment?
Can we be honorary Eagles and exemplify the values and the service of actual Eagle Scouts? Are we willing to refresh others?
I invite anyone who is reading this story to do a good deed everyday. With or without the title and pin of an Eagle Scout, we can all adopt this beneficial principle.
Are you ready? Are you willing to help the elderly cross the street or help them unload their car with groceries? Are you willing to give somebody a jumpstart when the battery on their car is dead or shovel a stranded person out of the snow when their tires spin relentlessly in the white-stuff and their vehicle is motionless?
We can all have the Eagle’s spirit. It is an act of service. Care to join the honorary ranks?

  
Cars gliding by 35-40 miles per hour including a police-car passing by a blind-woman attempting to cross the Hamburg Turnpike showing her no regard.
A gentleman in an MG convertible is stopped in front of me waiting for the woman to cross the street but the oncoming cars continued on. At this point, I flip on my hazard lights, get out of my car and stop the oncoming traffic allowing the lady to cross the street as she puts out her stick and taps the Hamburg Turnpike making sure nothing is in her path.  

The cars are now stopped and she is stationary on the side of the road other than a tap-tap coming from an extended long black stick. It is now safe for her to cross the street as I play traffic-cop for a brief minute along a busy NJ roadway and direct the woman across the street. 

My good friend Rick O’Neill texts me a Bible verse every single morning. This morning’s verse states “You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety. You will lie down, with no one to make you afraid, and many will court your favor.” Job 11:18,19

I hope the women I helped across the street today hears that verse one day and thinks of the help she receives from other caring citizens that most likely do the same thing I did in seeing to her safety. 

She can look about and most likely see nothing, yet there is hope she can rest in safety because the Lord says that in the book of Job. 

I like it…

  52 Word Challenge

The word prepare radiates in my mind while hiking in the Apashawa Preserve today.

I want to apply this word to my life, taking a brief moment on a giant rock along the rigid trail, I capture the word prepare on paper. Scribbling 7 letters (p r e p a r e) in my school-grade composition book, my thoughts turn to other words that carry the potential for improving my quality of life. 

The first dozen or so words jump as quickly onto my paper faster than a 5 pound dog can chase a fleeing squirrel. After writing a dozen or so powerful words, the words do not roll off my pen as quickly as the first set.

After a moment or two in nature’s sanctuary, I find it wise to jot down 52 words. Fifty-two words feeds me one word a week that I can focus on and implement into my being. 

The next set of words came to mind so quickly I did not stop at 52. A sample of words that struck me after the first 52 words are Refine, Dance, Explore, Culture, Accept, Approve, Renovate, Relieve, Friendship, Goal….

I ponder each word and how I can apply it for a more meaningful, well-intended journey. 

I invite you to invite my 52 set of words into your life with daily application 7 days at a time for each word.  

I will write one word a week on my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/justaguyonajourney or you can pop open a notebook and write down words that come to you personally.

Feel free to share your words on my blog or on my Facebook page. Are you ready for the 52 week word challenge? What word are you starting with?