Truly Legen...wait for it...DARY!!!

            Words like epic and legendary are grossly overused in today's society and so I try as much as

possible NOT to use them when talking about the things I do. (even if the afore mentioned things turn out to be epic or legendary.  One never knows.)  In this case however I am going to make an exception.

 Last week (5 October) saw the end of one legacy but the beginning of another. I say one legacy because I only really know one side of the story.  In actuality it was the end of two legacies and the beginning of one entirely new one.  One created fully in the image of God.  Brad Bird (one of Joel's groomsmen) said it best.  (Brad, I can't remember it verbatim but I think (or at least hope) I got the gist of it.)  He said that because God created woman from man, when a man and woman get married they become whole and that's really what God intended in the first place.  

 I've been thinking a lot about the wedding...even before the wedding.  It was rough for me.  Rough because Joel had (and for the record still is) become a good friend.  Not that he wasn't a good friend before but for years he was just my brother who was also a friend.  He is now my friend who just happen to be my brother.  Living together for three years does that to you.  I'm just happy he still asked me to 

stand with him.  :-)  Joel/Amber, that's what I wanted to say Friday night!  It just took me another week to think of it.  Oh well.  Better late than never.  

Now maybe it's pushing it saying that this wedding was both epic AND legendary.  I got nine days off, saw some epic views, an amazing wedding, climbed up the side of a mountain,  went to a great church Sunday, and got stuck on a layover at O'hare for 9 hours.  Not only that, but I found out that there are some pretty cool people living in Missouri.  I didn't know people lived in Missouri.  I thought it was just one of those states you drove through.  Isn't that the one where you can go 75mph and can count all the traffic lights on one hand? :-)  It's like there's this family out there that's been just waiting for us to call and tell them Mom's chocolate chip cookies are out of the oven. 

Finally, the two people that everyone gathered to see shared the story of their day.  A lot of people have already seen it but I'm putting it out in the blogosphere for all to enjoy!

Joel & Amber's Wedding Highlights

Thank you Joel and Amber for a truly epic week I will not soon forget.

The wedding itself was wonderfully done and it was cool how God was interwoven throughout the ceremony was really awesome.  Of course when you have The Garden of the Gods as a backdrop it certainly doesn't hurt. 

A Day in Paradise

I'm sitting here watching the water go by just enjoying the quiet.   It's been a hot day and being down by the water has been quite cooling. It's so peaceful here. My first thought was, "I don't want to leave".  Yet I know that soon enough that I will need to depart or I will be riding home in the dark.   But first, the hymn "When Peace Like A River" came to mind. What a privilege to enjoy God's creation!

Winter in my Veins

So I was thinking about how much time I've actually spent over the last thirty nine years working in the cold.  Having been born in Michigan I've had opportunity to be near the cold more then someone that lived in Southern California.   Maybe a better way to consider it would be to look at what I've done.  Most people just live in colder areas and do what's necessary to get by on the day to day. Myself, I not only lived in an area that got any lot of snow (200 inches a year average) but I also went out of my way to spend time in it. I went walking when most people would be sitting by their fireplaces. I was on the ice of Lake Superior eating breakfast Christmas morning while others were opening gifts.  Of the nineteen years I've worked for Walmart/Sams, I think five of those have been spent working in a freezer. So even when I wasn't living in Michigan I was still working in the cold. Then of course the three years I spent I Colorado I rode outside year round.   One day it hit -17 with the wind chill.   I guess I really do bleed blue.

Remembering ALL Those Who Serve

We're approaching Independence Day and I know since this is a time when we take a look back I want take a bit of a Memorial Day approach.  After all, where would we be without those Freedom Fighters protecting us here and abroad?                                                                                                 

A little more then a week ago there was a tragic accident at the   Dayton Airshow.  (http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/06/24/wing-walker-jane-wicker-dies-in-fiery-crash-at-dayton-air-show).  Thankfully I didn't see it live but the video was just as horrific.

Later on that day I went on a bike ride and remembered seeing a flag that was lowered and wasn't sure why.  It took a couple minutes but then I remembered.  I'm not sure if that's relevant but that got me thinking about all those men and women serving our country on both sides of the world.  They put themselves in harms way every day and more then we know don't come back, at least not standing up.  Do we really honor them with more then just words or are they just numbers on the evening news?   That is just the war effort.  What about the home front?  The policemen, firefighters, coastguard, and every one else serving our country who die every day and aren't recognized except by maybe a number somewhere in a paper or a passing news story.

This is a big problem and not one that can really be fixed because there are too many servicemen and women die every day.  (When I say servicemen and women I am including anyone anywhere protecting people in the name of freedom.)  I understand.  That said, I think I have a plausible solution.  At the very every least every government building should have two flags poles, both flying the Stars and Stripes.  One of  those flags should always be at half mast.    My personal opinion is that it should be that way across the board.  Really, why not just fly two flags on the same pole?   Now, some will ask, and rightly so, what about events like 9/11, the CT shooting, and others?  At these times both flags would be at half mast.

The bottom line is that we need to be reminded that people are every day protecting our country.  I'm sure there are people out there who've forgotten all about the war and think the military is just a big political joke from an era gone by.  Something we don't need anymore.  They don't see the war or the affects of it.  What a lot of people are forgetting is that the very reason they have that freedom to think the way they do is because of the thousands of men and women who have died so they could think the very thoughts they are thinking.  Now, I know it will take a whole lot more then just sticking a flag at half permanently to get people to change their focus.  Some people it might not even phase.  But it sure would be a cool start and more importantly I think that it would be good for the family members of those who do lose loved ones to see that their country is recognizing their service.  At the same time for those families of local Freedom Fighters (policemen etc) for them to know that they are being included among the ranks of those honored by every flag at half mast would be a great privilege.  That's my dime for the day!

Learning Lessons

I was thinking last night about Grandma.  She's been diagnosed with cancer and has been undergoing chemo for several months now (I think).  Prior to her being diagnosed she had started to lose weight.  I remember seeing a picture and thinking "What happened to her?" and being thankful I didn't have to see her like that.  I wanted to remember the grandma that I knew  The last one that I saw.  I suppose that sounds terrible but it's what I thought and I can't change that.

As time has passed and things have gotten worse I've continued to be thankful that I'm in Ohio and not Michigan so I don't have to see her.  (I am going somewhere with this.  It sounds pretty bad right now but please bear with me.)    Legitimately, my job keeps me from doing a lot of travel and I've been sending cards to her on a regular basis.  I know that's an encouragement.  I was finally able to talk to her on the phone and she said something to me about how maybe she could see me the next time I was in town.  I said I'd try but work was keeping me away.  The second time I talked to her she said it again.  Again, I said I'd try.  This time though I think something stuck in my head.  That internal hard drive in my brain started processing.  Last night it hit me.  It's not about me!  She wants to see me before she dies.  Who cares what she looks like!  This really is almost a closure for her.  I'm the only grandson she hasn't seen.  Here I am trying to keep everything the way it was for me and not even thinking about her.  Ouch.  That hurt.  So.  Where to go from here?  Well, I'm headed up to Michigan in a few weeks to see my parents (beginning of August) so I'll make sure to see her then and Grandpa as well.  In the mean time I'll continue to send her cards, call and email her. as I've been doing.  Man!  As much as I know you learn something new every day I sure am learning a lot about a lot of things I never really thought about before.  I think when you get to a certain age your brain starts thinking differently.  Maybe it resets.  Or maybe refocuses is a better word.  What it resets then refocuses on is totally dependent on us. 

My brother Daniel told me once that I should have a picture on every blog post.  I chose this picture because Grandma had this picture hanging in the library at church.  Yes.  She's not gone but I thought it would be cool to use it anyway

Choices

Decisions.  Decisions.  Some are easy to make while others can leave us stumped.  Stuck.  I was talking to my sister's mother in law Kathy this week about a decision my Dad and Mom made about 39 years ago (almost to the day) about their future, specifically, my Mom.

My parents have always been very musically inclined.  Dad sang in the choir in high school, college, and in church as well.  Mom was an excellent violin player.  In fact she was so good she could have played professionally.   Her teacher was encouraging her to do it but she had just gotten married and was pregnant.   So family or career?  Well, six kids and and seven grand kids later...

I for one am glad she chose family.  Delving a little deeper though, firstly, it was a decision Dad and Mom made together.  Secondly that decision affected more then just me.  Had they chosen differently the timeline we are in would not exist.  At least not with this version of the Roberts family in it.  My seven nieces Anna, Ellie, Mandy, Abby, Ellie, Summer, and Mackenzie would not be here.  The choices we make as individuals affect much more then just us.

My parents have established a great heritage that I am incredibly proud to be a part of and I know for a fact that if Dad and Mom went back they'd do it all again.  There might be some tweaks here and there they'd want to make but I think if you'd ask them they'd say "we wouldn't change a thing."
 

Last Man Standing

Last week my brother Joel got engaged and I think it is awesome.  Amber is a great girl and I wish them the best.  But where does that leave me?  Joel was the one guy I could always count on to be without someone (sorry Joel) at a reunion.  I'm the last single Roberts sibling.  Well, where does that leave me?  So many people can find themselves in these situations and get depressed.   I've been to weddings and I see the bride and groom and wish I were them.  But at the same time Paul the apostle refers to singleness as a "gift" in 1 Corinthians 7:7.   I say enjoy the gift!  I look at my life right now and I'm happy.  I have a lot of good friends.  I have the freedom to take a trip to Upper Michigan a couple times a year if I'd like or maybe Europe.  I could even move to another state.  I have a lot more freedom then I would if I were to get married.  Now, that said, I am certainly not ruling it out!  No way!  But until then I'm not going to sit around and cry that I'm the only single Roberts sibling left.  Let's be positive!  I'm the only single Roberts sibling left!  Now what can I do?  Where can I go?  I'll tell you.  Having four weeks vacation  every year is tough :-) and so as long as I can I'm going to start picking different places and going there for a week to get some pictures, go hiking and just enjoy different parts of the country.  I'll say this  It will most likely be near water.  I love sunsets, sunrises and walks on the beach.  Oops.  Ha!  That almost sounded like I was filing out a profile for one of the dating web sites.  But I do love those things and if there is someone out there that feels the same way then maybe one day I'll be out walking the beach, watching the sun set or rise and so will she and we'll meet.  Stranger things have happened.   Oh what a story that would be!

Enjoying my Weekend

I've been off since Monday morning.  Oops.  Let me rephrase that.  I've been off work since Monday morning.  The Midwest has getting pounded with tons of snow (some more then others) and cold (some much more then others!).   Around 2am Tuesday morning I took my laundry to the laundry room.  I was around 8 degrees.  I almost didn't see a step and it could've been really messy.  I thought it was pretty cool that I hadn't fallen.  Well.  That was the beginning.  On my way back to my apartment I walked that same sidewalk and it didn't go so well.  I flat out did not see the step and fell flat on my face.  That was pleasant. 

Around 4am I went back to switch out the clothes (I got distracted) and was just over $1.00 short.  Now I had to go get quarters up at the gas station.  Not a big deal normally but this time I have to put on long johns, thermal t shirt, reflective vest, etc. so I don't get hit and I can stay warm.  (It is what is is.  Part of life.)  I got the quarters and took care of the clothes.  Everything was good. 

As it got closer to morning I thought it'd be cool to get a picture of the sunrise at the Huffman Dam.  I left late and thought I was going to miss it as it was getting pretty light.  At one point I saw the light reflecting off of a cloud behind me and took a picture of it. However, something just seemed off about it, but I just couldn't place it.  I continued riding and it kept getting brighter but it still had not dawned on me.    It's about 4 miles to the dam and I had ridden just about 3 when sunlight started reflecting off buildings.  Hmmm...  At this point I stopped, turned around and wouldn't you know it, there was the sun peaking over the rooftops.  It was actually pretty spectacular.  It was then that I remembered I always came down to the dam to see the sun set and of course the sun always sets in the west. 

I figured since I was almost there I'd at least finish the trek.  I went to get on my bike and my front tire was flat.  HA!!!  I sure am glad I put long johns and all my cold weather gear on! (It was 5 degrees)  The icing on the cake was that I had brand new hiking boots on.  So I was able to break them in.  Yea for me!  On the bright side, it was a beautiful, cold sunny morning and I did get an awesome picture (see below)!  Plus, I couldn't have asked for a better day to go for a walk.  It would've been nice to make it to the dam but oh well.  It also reminded me why I like the morning.  Seeing the sun come up and things coming to life is just amazing.  I think I'll be doing it next week too!