CROSSROADS

That cooking Brats in beer, in a non-stick pan, will cause the contents to stick???

I did not know that. I know that now. I don't think it's good for the pan, or the consumers either.

In fact, looking at the reduction of beer and Brat juices in the pan makes me wonder exactly what IS in beer? It was a dark brown, tar-like substance, that when slathered over the Brats had the most wondrous smoky flavor. Reminiscent of Hops... who'd a guessed.

It's been raining these torrential, epic-type floods around here, causing me to begin to wonder what Gopher wood actually looks like, and if we have any close at hand. Of course I needed to start building 100 years ago... Or I could just sell it.

Our team did not win the State Football Championship this year, robbed we were, I tell ya. I was hoarse for 2 days afterwards. And my son was slightly embarrassed that his usually composed, and understated, father was, well, embarrassing. We all have to show our, backside, once in a while, eh?

And it's a Monday. The computers have been down all morning, except for mine, the IT guys are stumped, and I'm taking a break by blogging. And eating lunch.

I am done, kaput!

The pace of life is too much, too often. So, how do you step away, regroup, and listen again? When many depend upon you? How do you "stop enough" in order to gain the perspective that's so critical in this? You can't just hit pause, and come back when you are ready. But you must care for your heart, guard it, nonetheless. It is the wellspring of life. Feed and nurture it, not selfishly, but out of respect for what God has created.

A Pastor friend, long time friend from back home, found me on Linkedin, or maybe I found him, the other day. We've emailed for a while now, but we spent an hour really getting caught up on Skype, and now I have a standing invite to visit and decompress with him at suyo Casa in Costa Rica next spring break. I'd like to say "yes", and take my family, but that's not likely. I want to take the kids, if the Christmas bonus has any meat to it.

Teenagers are just, teenagers. I love them, God loves them. And they will renter the human race in a few years. My son is 6'4", 250+, and looks like Hulk Hogan at 20. No kidding. And older girls notice this. He's only 14 1/2. My daughter THINKS she's 20, although she's a foot shorter, and weighs 150 pounds less. Wow, that statement just blows me away. How can they even have one gene in common? In six years, life will go from 200 mph, to a crawl.

These things pose new problems. And the rest? Well, it's time to bind up the wounds and move on. Finish grieving what's been lost, but realize that this is not the end, this is a new beginning. My guts ache, but I know that the Kingdom of God lays within us, and the keys are in our pocket. As Morpheus said, there is a difference in knowing the path, and walking it. "Come on, stop trying to hit me, and hit me."

So I may just take him up on it, perhaps we can fish for Marlin and Dorado (that seems really too cool), although I'd rather spend some time in the rain forest. And the cloud forest. He has an old potato farm high in the mountains, and wants me to help him reforest this land, turn it into a forest retreat. The guy mistakenly believes that because I know something about some trees, that this translates to all other species and climatic zones. Talk about faith. I had to tell him frankly that I KNOW NOTHING of tropical forestry or silviculture. But I am willing to learn. So I may just don my Pith Helmet, and catch a flight south. The basic food and lodging are covered, I just have to get my frame, and that of anyone else who's going, there.

I think some good late nights, reminiscing with a glass of wine or two, in a tropical paradise might be a really good start. Milk for the kiddos.

But I'd have to go back often, to check on my trees, of course.

Who knows what the tide will bring. We'll just play it by ear.