I have added a profile on about.me.

I thnk this is my new collection of personal links, like I thought my Google profile would be..

Google needs to crawl it, it does not show up in searches yet, which Google Profiles obviously are high in results.

Check out my about.me profile!

Change

This has been a tremendous year of change for us as a family for me as a person and for those around me. Life is all about change, which is something in this space and place exponentially spirals onward. For more than 20 years we have visited a place on the Plat river up north on a little dirt road to nowhere. The picture on the right is the very spot we visit. It does not look like much more than a wide spot on a dirt road. The road is even named for a less than desirable event of a burnt down mill, the spot is on Burnt Mill road UpNorth in Benzie County. Driving almost 4 miles on, at times one lane dirt and sand road this spot opens up. Below the road surface is a four foot metal corrugated drain tube under the road. The spot is known to many in the area along with the renters of Paradise Hollow Resort as shoot the tube. Adults, kids and dogs go float through the tube to be rushed out on the west side in a current that is just fun to play in on a summer afternoon. A number of years back it was almost dangerous, the many visitors have created a small natural water park with the area now bordered by rocks. One of the features is a rope attached to the end of the tube which you can hang onto and drag in the current, but I warn you, your suite better fit tight! So how does this relate to change, it’s an awesome play area that we enjoyed a couple of weeks ago during our annual week up north with a visit to the dirt road to nowhere. We were greeted by a sign that read under the direction of the state DOT and a local Indian tribe a grant had been awarded to upgrade the bridge to a span bridge and the current one was being torn down starting fives days prior to our visit. So what is happening in a state that has been voted as having the worst roads, in a place that is cherished as it is, a major expensive transformation is going to happen. Yet another change as with many changes I am sure there is a reason, a good reason, but I do not seem to be able to understand it. This year with the changes that have happened, some being good and yet many loses, these too do not seem to have an obvious immediate reason.

I have directed or as some view it inflicted change on many individuals for the majority of my adult life. Raising eight kids and introducing technology to a number of organizations for over 31 years all have me being a constant change agent. Reflecting on change and especially this nonsensical bridge swap makes me contemplate my change communications. Do those around me really understand the change reasons? Does it seem like I am swapping out a bridge to nowhere from nowhere, even if I am, do I paint the vision of the somewhere that the road really goes to? Change happens, it may not make sense, it may no be what we want, it might be transitional, it may be foundational for the future, but it happens. Next year we will make a curious visit to Burnt Mill road just to see the change and move on, we will morn the loss with the memories we have of the past in pursuit of a new tube to shoot or adventure to find. Embrace change with us, we need to be with it. One of my favorite quotes is, that change is instantaneous, it just takes a while deciding to change is what takes the time. Change is about you and I deciding to change, it is about us.

Living a better Story

An Author Speaker and just thought provoking guy Donald Miller who wrote Blue Like Jazz, Searching for God Knows what and A million Miles in a Thousand years is holding a conference in September on Living a Better Story. There is a contest to win a trip to this conference, my sixteen year old Son challenged me to win it and go with, he would like to go, and he would like to see Portland.

At first glance and I thought after reading parts of the book (yes I have to finish it),  I see the reasons of living a life more enjoyable and purposeful, but I already have an awesome story? How many  people do you know that have been blessed with eight children, five God chose to give us through the miracle of biological birth and three through the miracle of the gift of adoption. When you have eight children you live a life with a full story, some days more of a story than you can to tell (smile). How many guys do you know who have been married for 28 plus years to a spiritually tuned, hard working, loving, serving and energetic wife. As a couple we have been blessed with children, opportunities and adventures, although not extravagant, yet an enjoyable story.

I have had the blessing of traveling to many places in my career, to forty eight states, including Hawaii. I have been blessed with internationl travel to Canada, Ethiopia, England, Colombia, Mexico, Honduras and six times to Guatemala. Always coming back to the undeserving conscious jarring easiness of Midwest living.

I am also very blessed by being called to work with a group of professionals whose vision is to “envision a world where every child has a loving family”. This is a large task, yet a goal that is being worked toward with passion and urgency. In this organization I am a leader of one of the best technology teams around. I am charged daily with being on a leadership team and leading these thirteen talented professionals in serving the organization to serve more children and families.

I have lived a better story than I deserve so far. I may even be able to write the book eight million miles in fifty-two years. When I do the personality and how I am wired tests (Kolbe, Strengths finder, MBTI) I come out as a learner and a fact finder, always ready to grow. In the last couple of years I have completed my MBA while sort of keeping up with the rest of life. So when I reflected on the conference, the title and my story, I see mine as a full book. But did I take fifty-two years for a thousand year story, have I had enough fun, have  I “smelled the roses” or created enough deep relationships? I have an enormous responsibility to live a story worth telling as an example to my life partner, eight kids, work team, church kids, and community. This is a story of influence for serving more children, but also serving those I come in contact with. I am to be a reflection of the Father that I will live eternally with and guide others that I serve and bump into to point them to also. This is not a game of immediate consequences but eternal consequences. I have lived a better story than I deserve, yet I am always striving in this redemptive life to living better, being an example, having fun, enjoying the ride to the ultimate destination.

Donald Millers Conference Video:

Living a Better Story Seminar from All Things Converge Podcast on Vimeo.

http://www.donmilleris.com/conference

Friends?

Why is it that the female gender has more well-connected friends than us men. My wife Cheryl has many good friends that she meets with, walks with and plain just keeps in contact with ( way more than Facebook friends which she actually abhors) . This is important as it is played out in her life. I wish I personally was not as task oriented, being able to cultivate those deep friendships. One of those relationships was an eighty plus year old neighbor on our street. Our neighbor Evelyn was a friend, mentor and mother type of figure for her. Evelyn Poplawski has lived on our street for more than 20 years, she has been involved in the lives of the kids on the street, her and Mike are pseudo grandparents for many of them. The street is a quiet 13 houses on the newer part of  a cul-de-sac street on the north end of Grand Rapids that boasted more than 35 kids under 14 and a retired couple. As a retired couple instead of resenting it, selling, moving to a condo, they have embraced it, even to the point of exploiting it in an awesome way.

Evelyn Polawski was a special friend to many of the neighbors, especially the kids as she was quick to hand out candy, even insisting they take some and one for each of their siblings. She used that time to also communicate, encourage and most of all give a sweet comment, which was delivered with a big smile. Evelyn was a sweet lady that was always more than pleasant and willing to help.

This has been a tough year and it isn’t even half over yet. We have lost two older excellent close people in our lives. Cheryl’s Dad passed away on Good Friday and Evelyn this past Sunday. Both of these two individuals demonstrated awesome relationship building in having many friends, positive influences on family, friends and young people. Evelyn walked her Dog with Cheryl almost every day, while we walked our dog and at times our daughters dog. This walk time was a time to build a closeness that extended too many parts of life. At one point this spring, Cheryl had a couple of  very busy days (who would think with 8 kids and a Dad in Hospice), Evelyn walked down to make sure she was Okay because she hadn’t talked to her in the last three days. She was truly concerned with her well-being. All on our street will miss Evelyn, Mike will need support which neighbors are prepared to help when possible. Evelyn died in a car accident, in a car driven by her husband, Mike; God has plans and there are reasons for all of it, it is just not clear to us at times.  I have no words of wisdom, no scripture that I can pull out, no lyrics, just to say make sure you treasure those relationships in your life, both the horizontal earthly ones and the vertical relationship with the creator and sustainer! Hers is a link to Evelyn’s Obituary – She will be dearly missed! http://bit.ly/aKYl2n

I am a real particle guy as the Kolbe profile shows, I am a long red,  A fact finder, a guy that likes to know how it has been done. I am not an artist and I do not normally get anything out of art. I can draw a stick figure on a good day and some people can even read my hand writing if I assist. I recently saw the tribute cross that my Brother-in-law, Scott did. I have not talked to my wife’s favorite brother, the artist, but this piece said things to me! I am going to take a risk and write them in public. Scott will have to see if I am on the right track, crazy, or touched in ways he never planned. This is a tribute to a man we all loved and were inspired by as a father, mentor, friend, story teller and model family man.

Made of metal:

A symbol of his growing up right after the depression, fighting in the Korean war and a tough marine that was a father of six. The metal shows some toughness, yet in small manageable pieces.

Open shapes in many directions;

This was a man that did many things, was a church deacon, elder, consistory clerk, Gideon, Education committee member, Creston Christian school board member, GRCSA Trustee, father and much more. He worked in a number of different jobs after working at Meijer for 29 years. He changed directions, managed change and did directional changes with ease. As with the sculpture he made it look easy and elegant.

Many connection:

Warren was a man of many stories, many friends and many connections. With all of his years at Meijer, school board and other activities he had many connections.  He had a wonderful memory for all of it and loved to weave those connections into friendships and great story. Telling stories and giving descriptions of events were something he did regularly.

Upright and tall:

This is a man that grew in responsibility, knowledge, but specifically in the Lord as he strived to grow. He was an upright man too, that was trusting. The open upright shapes portray his integrity, openness and ability to be transparent.

Cross:

Most importantly his life was shaped by the cross; the grace that it provides, the love that it shows and the model of giving of ones self. The shape of the cross is the ultimate shape and tribute of a life lived and given as an offering. As was stated many times about him, he was always faithful – Semper Fi!

Scott, the Artist constructed an awesome tribute that is planted in a garden as a tribute that his daughter, my wife created. The garden is a reflection of the awesome artistic and technical talent which she has! It is nice to see it all come together!.

I got four new tires today on the Pilot, our main family vehicle. I told the tire guy I think it was God looking out for me, the last time I drove the Pilot up north to the cottage in the rain, it hydroplaned like crazy; now with another twelve thousand miles it might be dangerous. He didn’t think that I could be “watched out for”. What caused me to get tires in the last minute was that my wife went to a bridle shower last night and left with a flat. The tire had a slow leak, but parked the way it was, it became a noticeable rapidly leaking hiss. So off to the local tire store for four new Goodyears, the old ones had eighty-four thousand miles, it was more than time for a swap. So do you believe in these types of moments being providence or chance? Those that hang out with me on a day to day basis are reminded that “good luck” is something that will be met with a challenged comment from me. Is there really good luck, I might say in reply to a fleeting good luck comment.

One of those times was in my recently completed MBA program. We formed out first learning team groups strategically. In the second class we had to pick a project, I knew the group and especially me personally would like micro-enterprise or micro-loans. One of the group members during the research and creation of the presentation and paper totally was taken in. This is the comments from his wife on their blog recently. “On to our life in general. I am so very happy to report that Matt’s last day of school is this coming Monday!!!!  It seems like he has been in grad school forever, yet I can not believe he is already done! Kinda funny… when he started grad school, our goal was for him to graduate school, be able to get a better job, make more money, buy a bigger house etc. And now…  we are in the process of downsizing everything, selling much of what we own,  we are taking a job in another country where our income is umm…  we’ll just say less than what it is now and we are so very excited about it!!   It is a blessing that Matt went to school when he did, as he will be able to put all that knowledge to use in Tanzania. Once again… God’s plan is always better than our own.”

So my great friend Matt, through the providential plan ended up at Cornerstone UNiversity in cohort GRMB11 in Rob Simpson’s class with some old guys that think that they know what is happening. God totally directed his steps from a super paint sales rep to being a missionary doing capacity building in a remote part of Tanzania. God is AWESOME! Matt is fully committed to a move from Michigan to Tanzania. Well maybe this article is one in the same it finds you with a purpose. Matt is in a place on this journey where he is looking for partners to support his family in this endeavor, could this be the reason you are reading? Maybe you are being called, to give, to pray or some other support? If you want to know more, go to www.followingthecall.org to see what my friend Matt and Lindsey are up to! I am sure God is looking out for them on their journey that will take them much farther and longer then mine to the cottage today in the West Michigan all day rain! Good luck! (not really – just checking to see if you were really reading).