Where oh where are you tonight?

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

I walked into the "Y" this morning and realized I hadn't seen Larry or Jane for a while.

It has been a busy summer, and I knew they had gone on vacation, but I also thought they had returned. 

I asked the front desk to look them up in daxko for me; I would have done it myself, but as we all know, "Y" computers are a bit slow booting up, and it is Thursday, after all. By the time my computer came to life, I would have forgotten why I had started it in the first place, besides; besides, by next Monday, I would be somewhere else. 

BlueBell was at the front desk and found that Larry and Jane had not checked in for 21-days! I was going upstairs to work out, and bluebell dialed the phone to call them. 

I was 20-minutes into my workout when low and behold, Larry walked onto the workout floor! 

I said, "Larry, where have you been?"

Larry responded in true Larry fashion, "Well, evidently, I wasn't here."

he then went into his summer. He had a jam-packed summer with family in town and taking trips. 

We talked about things and about our prayer team meeting. Yes, Larry and Jane are part of our prayer team that prays for people all over the world. 

I told Larry that he needed to check in once in a while. I said that I thought I was on Hee Haw.

Larry said, "Hee Haw, why Hee  Haw?"

So I sang him this song:

Larry just shook his head, looked at the healthy living person, and said, "Did Roger fall off the treadmill again?"

They both laughed; I didn't; it hurts when you fall off a treadmill. Not that I ever did, Hmmm.

One thing that sets the "Y" apart is that we notice when you aren't here. 

We miss our "Y" family and check on them. 

We truly care.

Do you have someone that you haven't seen for a while? 

Have you thought about checking in on them?

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger

Frederick, if you don't call me soon, I am going to drive down to your office and sing Where oh where are you tonight!

Yesterday was a busy day!

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

Yesterday was a busy day!

A day filled with meetings and a day filled with presents!

I had ordered a popcorn machine for the mobile food bus, and the popcorn machine came in!

Padme was at the front desk when the delivery person delivered the popcorn machine. I'm not sure what you would call the person delivering the popcorn machine if we didn't have the word delivery? Sometimes titles can be confusing, and sometimes titles hit the nail right on the head. 

I met a "Chief Heart Officer" the other day. One would think I was at a hospital in the cardiology ward, but I wasn't; no, the "Chief Heart Officer" was responsible for infusing the organization with empathy and helping people be less mean. I never would have guessed that job; it would have been like renaming the delivery person as the "Chief Present Giver." or something like that. 

The delivery person brought us the popcorn machine, and Padme was so excited; she was the one who requested the popcorn machine in the first place. She ran up, picked up the box, and carried it back to her office. We spent some time putting the pieces together, not that it was complicated, but the instructions weren't all that clear. 

About a million years ago, before I understood the meaning of exaggerating, I took a technical writing class in college. I took it as a prerequisite for a chemistry class. In chemistry class, we had to write out how to replicate our experiments so others could do them. The funny thing about chemistry is if you mix the wrong things or the incorrect amounts of things together, the experiment not only would not work, it might explode. Thus, the reason for the technical writing class. 

In the class, we would write out how to take apart a pen and how to put it back together and then hand our papers to our classmates and have them follow the instructions. It sounded easy enough, but it wasn't. Technical writing is more complex than it looks. 

In my chemistry class, I would write out my experiments and hand them to my pastor; he was quite the theologian. He wasn't much of a chemist, though. This made him the perfect test subject for my papers. If he could properly explain the process of the experiment after reading the paper, I knew it was good to go. 

I wasn't a very good chemist. 

I became a theologian.

I think the popcorn machine manufacturing company hired a theologian for their technical writing, just say-in.

We got the popcorn machine together, cleaned it up, and made popcorn.

We made a lot of popcorn.

We had the summer lunch program going on.

We had summer camps going on. 

We had Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor going on.

More than once, we had to put Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor in a time-out for cutting in line to get more popcorn. 

We had a great day feeding kids and campers. 

Padme said, "If I knew that Roger would buy me a popcorn machine, I would have asked him 3-years ago!"

I entered the "Y" this morning, and the sign said, "Spread your love everywhere you go." Mother Teresa.

I love that sign. 

I will do my best to be even more intentional about loving on people.

Have you loved on people today, showing them you appreciate them and helping them out? 

Has someone shown you love today, letting you know they appreciate you, helping you out?

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

p.s. Wait until Archibald finds out I bought a snow cone machine for the mobile food bus; he will lose his mind!

Friends are a lot like pimples

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

I got to the "Y" this morning; I did my initial walk-through and saw that the roll-up door to the auditorium needed to be closed for camps. I helped set up the teen center for another camp and then came up to my office to write a bread and talk with you. 

I started my computer, and as it powered up ("Y" computers can take a while to power up; I am not sure why I think it must be because they were bought in 1992), my friend Dan stopped by, and we chatted. Then, as I was busy getting my emails up, yes, I said emails. I have my YMCA email and my university email. As they were booting up, another friend stopped by and started talking about losing a friend and feeling alone. 

We talked for a while. 

As we talked, I recounted a time in my life that was lonely and not very fun. I talked about how I wasn't looking for a relationship, but one came out of nowhere. How Laurie and I met by chance, and I didn't see her coming. 

I told my friend that friends are a lot like pimples. 

How are you living your life, and then one day you look in the mirror, and there is a big red pimple on your face? Where did that come from?

Friends can be like a pimple; you are busy living your life, and then one day, you discover that you have a friend! 

I told my friend how one day Laurie said, "We have been dancing around the "L" word for a while. Why don't you just tell me you love me?"

I responded, "Why don't you tell me you love me?"

Laurie looked at me and said, "Ok, I love you!"

I responded in typical Roger fashion and yelled, "I love you too, but I have baggage!!!"

Laurie just laughed and said, "Boy do I know that!"

As I told this story to my friend, I thought about God. 

So often, people don't want to talk to God because they have baggage; their baggage is holding them back. 

God says, "I know you love me; why don't you just say it."

People respond, "Why don't you tell me you love me?"

God says, "Ok, I love you!" 

People say, "I love you too, but I have baggage!"

God responds, "Boy don't I know that."

She said she tried telling a friend at church about her loneliness. 

Her friend told her, "All we need is God."

I said, "While this is theologically true, I think that it is a cop-out statement; kind of like when you tell someone about a pressing need and they say they will pray for you. Can't you pray and help me move too?" 

I went on to say, "Yes, all we need is God, that is true. I also know we need air to breathe, water to drink, and having toilet paper at the appropriate time is always nice as well."

I will walk close to my friend as she navigates this time in her life. 

I remember when I needed someone to walk alongside me when life was hard. I will pay this forward. 

Have you ever needed someone to walk alongside you during a difficult time?

Have you ever walked alongside someone else during their time of need? 

By the way, Laurie and I didn't meet by chance. God knew what He was doing all along. It was I who didn't know. 

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Do you like surprises?

Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

We had another one of our famous ZOOM meetings yesterday. 

These meetings have become so famous that Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor can't even go out to dinner anymore without him giving someone an autograph. 

Not that anyone ever asks for one before he gives them one anyway, but that is irrelevant. 

Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor opened the meeting with, "Tell me the last time you were surprised?"

We all took our turn telling of the last time we were surprised. Well, everyone except for Darryl. 

Darryl just said, "Roger, tell the group the last time I was surprised."

Darryl is famous for passing the proverbial torch to someone else when asked a question.

The only flaw in Darryl's plan was that he asked me to tell the group the last time he was surprised. 

I concocted a whole long story about a chicken, a duck, and a bowl of mud. By the time I got done, Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor was lying on the ground with tears of laughter, and Darryl had that look of, "If this wasn't a ZOOM meeting, you would be dead." I just sat there and smiled. 

The reason for the question was that Trevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvor was setting us up to be surprised. 

Our association had been selected to participate in a national cohort focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; how cool is that? 

It will be a year-long study with an overall plan that will take 3-years. 

You know your "Y" is doing great things when the Y-USA picks you to do something; we tend to get picked a lot. 

I am really proud of our people; our people make up our association, and it is because of them that we get the things done that we do. Don't get me wrong, we know we have a long way to go on the DEI front, but we aren't afraid to take that good, hard look in the mirror and see where we can improve. 

It will be fun to walk this journey.

Some 2,000 years ago, a man walked a similar journey with a group of people. He walked alongside those that had been marginalized, those that had been made to feel less than. He took their hands and told them he loved them. He fed them and taught them. He healed them and gave them hope. 

Those in power didn't like him.

He was busy upsetting the apple cart. 

It was an arduous journey he took.

I sure am glad he took that journey because he saved me in the process. 

I will do my best to emulate him. 

I will do my best to come alongside the marginalized.

I will do my best to sit with those that have been made to feel less than.

I remember something someone once said:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven"

I will remember this as I go through my day, and I will ponder.

Do you ever ponder the things of God? 

Do you ever wonder what your role is in bringing heaven to earth?

Do you ever think about these things?

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger

The Missing Bread Incident of 2022

 Good morning,

I pray the day finds you well.

So I bet you are wondering about what happened yesterday.

I came into the "Y" with all the intention of talking with you, but God had other plans.

I walked into the "Y", and did the perfunctory, "Hellos, isn't it a nice day? It is so nice to see you...All the stuff that you learn in your 2nd year of Chappy school. I unlocked my office door, and sat down on my bouncy chair, and started my computer; as it was powering up, the power went out in our "Y".." 

The initial power surge fried the computer! 

I spent the first part of the morning calming swimmers that couldn't get in the pool. (No power, no pumps). 

One of the jokes we have in our "Y" is Member Benefits; we like to say, "Your membership dues pay for the chlorine that makes the pool safe to swim in. Because of you, we have plenty of chlorine, so keep peeing in the pool."

Without pumps, no chlorine, without chlorine, well, let's just say the water loses its clear blue complexion.

By the time we got that sorted out, I was hoping my computer would be up and running, with no luck. 

I then went to Open House Ministries, a homeless shelter, and held their Wednesday chapel service; their chaplain was on vacation, so Esmerelda and I went and loved on the residents there. 

When we got back, Padme asked me if I wanted to get a drink; this is code for I need to talk.

I said, "Ok, but it is only 11:30 in the morning. Are the bars open yet?"

Padme said, "No, you idiot (I think idiot is her pet name for me, at least that's what I tell myself, she certainly calls me that a lot), I want a tea." 

By the time I got back from 7-eleven with a Gatorade, she had changed her mind along the way and didn't want her large tea with one Splenda in it anymore. She opted for a Berry Gatorade instead. 

By the time I got back, my computer was up and running. 

Thank you, Sabastian. 

But now we were doing Zoom interviews for an open position at our "Y." 

After we finished the interviews, I thought better late than never, but wait, there's more.

Darryl came and got me needing some advice. Evidently, Progressive Insurance had called and wanted him to do another commercial with Flo. Darryl still has PTSD from the last commercial when Flo called him Bigfoot!

I told Darryl that was then; this is now, and I am sure Flo won't make the same mistake again, and if she does, politely explain how that is offensive and not call you that. 

Darryl felt much better; I can't wait to see his next commercial.

At 6pm, I finally sat down and wrote the bread. 

I had written it on God's Calendar vs. My Calendar.

The essence was how I might have a day where my calendar is full of stuff that I think is important. Still, God has a day planned packed full of truly important things, and how if you are attuned to Him, you not only see His calendar day for you but are willing to put your calendar aside and do His will. 

I finished with, "Does God ever show you His calendar with things for you to do, and do you put your calendar down and use His calendar, or just see it and say, I am too busy with my stuff today?"

Something to Ponder. 

I had finished writing the bread, excited to hear your thoughts. 

Before I pushed the send button on the bread, the front desk needed my help, so I went to the front desk. 

When I got back, there was Frederick the Great.

Frederick the Great ate my Bread!

Blessings,

Roger

The Zip-Strip incident of 1976

 

Good morning, 

I pray that the day is finding you well.  

Talking about Tinker has my memory in overdrive. 

When I was a kid growing up in Kansas, my dad would take on projects that I initially thought had a low chance of success. 

Here is a short list of things my dad tackled: 

• Red; no, not the color but an old Appaloosa horse that had been foundered. Foundered is a term used to describe a horse that had become lame because their hooves had grown so long that they actually walked on the frogs of their feet. Needless to say, without going into what frogs are, Red could not walk. Dad bought him, and we carried him into the trailer and brought him home. I thought dad was nuts. Changing a duplex into one large home. Stucco; is a term that describes a lath and plaster system of ceilings and walls. If you ever wondered what people used before drywall was invented, they  used  “stucco.” 
• Installing a hot water heating system all by himself. 

One day dad was stripping paint off one of the window sills of this duplex turned into a huge house, and I walked in. 

He turns to me and says, “Do me a favor and go to Milton’s and get some Zip-Strip.”

Milton’s was the name of the lumber yard in town; it was named after Milton Lampe, the guy who owned it. Otherwise known as Lampe hardware. As I reflect on my little town, most shops had people’s names. I had learned to ask clarifying questions over time, mostly from the red-handled screwdriver incident of 1974. 

I asked, “How much Zip-Strip do you need?” 

Dad, obviously frustrated, said, “You know how much I need. Just go get me some blankety-blank Zip-Strip.” 

So I did. 

I drove the pickup to Milton’s. I walked into the office and said, “I need all the Zip-Strip you can spare.” 

Milton looked at me, seeing that I was more than just a little tweaked said, “What’s going on Roger?” 

I recounted the story and told him my plan. 

Milton laughed and said, “Let’s go to the warehouse.” 

We loaded all the Zip-Strip that he had, everything from pint cans to 5-gallon buckets.

Milton said, “Just bring back what you don’t need, and tell me how it goes.” 

I return to the house and walk in with a little pint of Zip-Strip. Dad, who had cooled off while I was gone, said, “Thank you.” 

I said, “No problem.” And went back to the pickup to unload the rest. 

Dad watched in fascination as I proceeded to unload into the house enough Zip-Strip to strip the paint on every home in our little town. 

A smile came to his face, and he said he was sorry for overreacting to a simple question, especially since the red-handled screwdriver incident of 1974. 

Dad even went back to Lampe Hardware to help me return the Zip-Strip. Milton had a good laugh. Dad thought it was pretty funny too.  

I am much older now and have hopefully learned a little during my life. One of the benefits of memorizing scripture is it tends to come to mind when you are faced with things. This scripture came to mind. “A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.”(Proverbs 11:17).  

The ZipStrip incident of 1976 has left an impression on me. No matter how busy I am, no matter how frazzled, I try to be patient and answer the question that is asked. 

You know, the "Y" does a great job of not responding negatively to the question, no matter the tone. That is one of the best things that I love about our "Y." Of all the things we do, the one thing we are really good at is loving on people. 

Have you ever had a ZipStrip incident in your life? How did you handle it?

Something to ponder

Blessings,

Roger

 

Things a horse taught me

Good morning, 

I pray the day finds you well.

As I wrote about the screw-driver incident of 1974, it brought back memories. One of my favorite memories was about a horse; this was a very special horse that I grew to love very much. 

Back on the farm, we had a horse named Tinker. She was half quarter horse and Half Shetland pony.

I guess that is why I had a dog that was half golden retriever and half basset hound. 

I seemed to be drawn to the unusual. 

Tinker was the horse that all the kids learned to ride on. She was a great kid horse. Looking back, I was fortunate to have been able to learn on Tinker. Tinker had her quirks, though. She did not like saddles, so we all learned to ride bareback. 

 Dad would put us on her back, and she would start walking. 

 At first, just staying on her back at all was hard. 

 She would walk along, and before long, I would start to slide off to one side. Tinker would feel me sliding, and she would begin to walk almost sideways, twisting her back in a vain attempt to keep me from falling off. 

By the time I slid down one side or the other, she would be at a complete stop with her back twisted as far to whichever side I had fallen, giving me the classic Tinker look. 

There I would be laying on my back, on the ground, and she would crank her head around and look me straight in the eyes as if to say, "Moron, get up and get back on." I would get back on, which by the way, resembled nothing like the cowboy movies with the cowboy throwing a leg over like a gymnast and riding off into the sunset; no, a kid grabs anything he can hang onto and kind of jumps the best he can and then scrambles and kicks his way back onto the horse. It is quite a process, really. 

 Tinker would stand there patiently, allowing me to pull her mane, kick her belly, lay on my stomach, pull a leg over, and finally sit on her back. She would wait for me to get ready and then start walking again. 

 I would fall off, and the process would start all over again. 

 When we got the walking part down, Tinker would start trotting training. Tinker must have had 15 different trots. No matter how hard I would kick her or say, "Come on, Tinker, let's go." Tinker would just trot a little faster. I don't know if you have ever ridden a horse, but trotting bareback is like sitting on top of a jackhammer. Have you ever seen a baby bouncing on a grampa's knee? That is what I am sure I looked like. 

It is not very comfortable, but Tinker was a kid trainer. 

 She would trot, I would fall off, she would give me the look, and I would scramble back on. After I mastered the trot, Tinker moved on to cantering and finally galloping. I was always amazed, we could be half a mile from the house, and she would just stand there waiting for this goofy kid to get up and back on. 

 The other horses would have bolted to the barn, free of their encumbrances. 

Tinker finally taught me how to ride. By the time she got done with me, I could ride just about any horse. They would try to get me off, but I would sink into their withers like I had crazy glue on my butt. 

 As I wrote about dad and the red-handled screwdriver, I thought about Tinker. I thought about how patient she was with me. I thought how I might never have been able to learn to ride if she had not taken the time to teach me, really teach me, not just go through the motions. As I thought about tinker, I thought about the YMCA. 

I thought about how we have the opportunity to teach kids, adults, and families how to become whole. Really teach them, not just go through the motions. Psychiatrists would call it self-actuated. I thought, what a tremendous responsibility it is. Tinker taught me how to be patient. Tinker taught me that everyone is learning something. I will try to do a better job of emulating Tinker. 

I wonder how often Jesus felt like Tinker. Teaching people, watching them fall and get back up. He never left them either. I bet Jesus feels like Tinker with me too. He never leaves me either. 

Did you ever have a Tinker in your life?

Something to ponder.

Blessings,

Roger