This summer has been one of the toughest of both my personal and professional lives. It has been composed of being away from my wife and kids for a month, the death of a good friend from camp, and a couple of other things that I’d rather not mention here yet. Add a heaping of self-doubt and I’ve got myself a…difficult summer.

But that’s not to say that the season didn’t have its good points. As always, the time I got to spend with campers and staff was awesome. It was also one of the best summers I’ve had as far as quality and dedication of staff.

I compare this summer to a really good movie. Like the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It is a great series filled with joy, heartache, laughter, sadness, action, and rest. And while it seems that, at times, that you never want it to end there are times that you wish it could be over. Inevitably, however, no matter what you wish for — it will end. It is a sad thing for the end to come but you find solace in the fact that it was a happy ending.

That is where I am now. The season is coming to an end and there is nothing I can do to change that. As with a couple of other things connected to that — I am a conflicted man (and probably will be for the near future). I am watching the ship sail out and wondering what adventures await me as I stand on shore. I know they shall be grand adventures, but I sometimes wonder what the people on that ship will experience.

So the current adventure is over. After watching the ship sail into the west and the sunset, I find myself wiping away the tears of sadness, turning around and walking to the new sunrise that I know will be approaching after a while. It just means a bit of traveling and wandering through the nighttime.

ad astra per aspera — “a rough road leads to the stars”
“not all who wander are lost” — J.R.R Tolkien

And yes, I do realize that not more than a month ago I was cheering on the snow as it fell.

But it’s 14 days until spring — and that realization plus the nice weather now after so many days of…of…not niceness — has made me want to cheer on the sun, the spring, and the summer!

Bring it on!

Today was one of those days, of course. It was a wonderful 10 hours of driving. I saw Vasquez Rocks first (see post before this one) and the just drove north into the mountains. After drinking in the mountains I drove through a huge valley for a while before hitting mountains again and heading back to L.A. All in all an outstanding day – even had a chance to see a movie!

Now…if I can just get some solid sleep on my red-eye flight, I’ll be in great shape for heading straight vack to work when I land!

Upon doing a little research I found one place I wanted to go — Vasquez Rocks. Some movies and TV shows have had scenes filmed here, including a few Star Trek ones I remember.

I love wandering!

Baby Abbie – Flower!

I think that kids don’t quite understand what is going on around them — but I firmly believe that they *absorb* the emotion from around them. So, for example, if there is the feeling of anger around them — even unspoken — the child can take that anger on. They’re not equipped to deal with it in any way other than crying or becoming “angry” or something similar themselves. Not to say this always happens, but I really think it can. I also happen to believe that my children got my sense of empathy. (Believe it or not, I do get emotional…just stays inside until I feel it is okay to let go of it. But I do cry pretty easily for a “guy”…but there’s nothing wrong with it!

So…when you combine the absorption of emotions with a lot of travelling, late hours, short/no naps, and simply not being at home, that can make for a fun evening.

But then you sit back and watch them sleep afterwards (if you’re not already deep asleep yourself) and smile because you love them.

Because I told a really good friend that I would, that’s why!

It doesn’t hurt that he told me about the WordPress for Blackberry application (which I’m using for this post, by the way), either. So here’s to trying to post regularly again!

So Sarah and I had been doing fairly well at getting up four or five times a week…for two weeks running…and doing exercise.  And then it dropped to nil.  Part of that can be helped by going to bed earlier (which I’m not helping now by staying up to type this, but…) is just pure ol’ motivation.

…and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.  If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.” — 1 Chronicles 28:9

So if something as serious as serving Him is supposed to be done with wholehearted devotion — because I want to do it, not because I have to do it – wouldn’t something that I have to do for personal health be much easier if I applied my energy to it?  While it may be a leap for some, this is something that is (now) a no-brainer for me.  Not that it will make the first days any easier, but having a purpose and reasoning always helps.

And besides, those days that I do sleep in will now be all that more special!

 The last year and a half has brought quite a few blessings — a new daughter, a continued healthy family, better personal health, and a promotion, to name a few — and I haven’t exactly done anything to thank Him for it in a meaningful, lasting way.

So the word that came to mind to research was thought.  I thought this fitting as I feel I’m starting to actually do this again.  Thought, according to Dictionary.com, has some of the following (interesting) meanings:

1. mental activity
2. a consideration or reflection
3. intention, design, or purpose

These are interesting because if I haven’t been thinking for the past year (or more — and I truly don’t think that I have), then not only have I not reflected on happenings in my life, but I have also had no mental activity, no purpose.  This troubles me, to say the least!

The Bible, in Proverbs 14:15, says, “A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.“  In Chapter 21, Verse 29 of the same book, “A wicked man puts up a bold front, but an upright man gives thought to his ways.“  So by not thinking, not only am I a simple person who doesn’t work towards following Him, I’m setting myself up for wickedness.  Not the path I’m choosing, m’friends.

1 Corinthians 13:11 reads “When I was a child, I talked like a child.  When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.“  So, yet again, it is time for me to grow up and think.