I won at poker last night. Hallelujah! I am so excited. Ross, Halie, Chad, and Sara were playing too.
I talked to a guy today about getting ready for ski season next year. That means a lot more to me than it used to. Now I have to get my left knee back into shape from the surgery that I had 4 1/2 months ago. It hasn't been easy. It is a lot harder than when I tore my miniscus. It was in the same knee. But, the surgery was easier to heal from. This ACL crap has taken its toll on me. I'll be ready.
Brad Jones and I went to Boston to work at this conference about 6 years ago. I believe it was in 2000. I like Boston. The people are mean; but, the city is great. We flew into Boston's Logan International Airport. We had rented a car. Actually, the company had rented it for us. When we got to the desk of the rental car company, the lady informed us that we had a Ford Aspire. Now, that may not mean much to you. I will elaborate.
A Ford Aspire is about the size of a shopping cart. It has about the same amount of horsepower too. You know me, I ain't driving a Ford Aspire. If you imagine that I am saying that because its beneath me, you're right. Not really. I just like cars with a little more appeal. Plus, if we put all of our gear and luggage into that car, Brad and I would have had to push the car. There was no way to get our stuff in there.
I asked Marge, the lady at the car rental counter, "Do you have a van or anything else?" She said, "No!." (You have to imagine her part of this conversation in a Boston Brogue. When they say "car" they actually say "ca". So, you would "pak the ca in the garaj." Are you with me?). I knew that when she said that they had no cars, she was actually holdin out on me. This is when I turned on the charm.
Now Marge was an over 50, overweight, seemingly unhappy, 3 pack a dayer, with something a little less than a spirit of consuming joy. The lines in her face didn't come from a life of leisure in the Caribbean. So, my work was cut out. But, I knew that Brad and I needed a much sweeter ride. We needed to be stylin.
I said, "Marge," with a slanted eye, my head cocked to the side, and the corner of my lip turned up, "I know that you can help us. You look like a lady who can understand when someone is in real need. I can see it in your eyes." She looked up and a little bit of light came to her eyes. At this point, I knew we were golden. I kept pouring it on. I said, "We have a ton of luggage. And, there is no way we can get it in an Aspire." I dropped a couple of funny lines. She finally smiled. Then I said, "C'mon Marge, I know that you have something in your lot that we can drive. See if you can help us." She got on the phone and had them pull out the Full-Size Cadillac. I never rented a Cadillac before. But, I took that one off her hands. She warmed up to us and treated us like kings. I wouldn't doubt that some poor old sap showed up 15 minutes after us to get his caddy and it was gone. It was gone because we got it. Sorry dude. You win some; you lose some. I hear those Ford Aspires are nice...
Brad and I began to shuttle our luggage to the curb. I went and got the car. Brad stayed with the luggage. When I pulled up we immediately put the luggage in the trunk of the car which was in the "Loading Zone." Which, is what we were doing, loading the car. Brad stepped inside the door of the airport to pick up the remaining luggage. It was about 30 yards away. One of Boston's finest, a policeman, barked at me and said, "Move ya ca." I said, I will. He just stepped inside to grab the last piece. This is when he barked more orders. Now Brad is approaching the car. I said, "There he is." It didn't help. He said something else. Then, I said, "Officer, we are leaving right now. Can I not just let him get in the car?" Brad got in, we pulled off, the officer hocked a loogie on the windshield of our pimpin Cadillac. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO READ THIS AS HOSTILE TOWARD AUTHORITIES, TAKE A DEEP BREATH. I HAPPENED TO RUN INTO A GUY HAVING A BAD DAY. IT WASN'T AS BAD AS IT SEEMS. LOOSEN UP YOUR BELT AND LAUGH TODAY! IT'S OK TO LAUGH.
We had a great time riding in our Cadillac for the week. I convinced Marge to give us unlimited mileage. So, we drove all over New England. We went to Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Conneciticut. In Vermont we skiied. That is where I tore my miniscus.
I was skiiing down the mountain and decided to go into the gated race course. I made a simple jump and landed wrong. Sounds like a trend for me. I busted and tore my miniscus. I got up and skiied down one more time only to realize that wasn't smart. Brad and I had gotten separated. The funnies part is what happened to him.
Brad had been skiing at a break neck speed when he fell. He's good at falling for effect. I wish I could have seen this one. He said that he was barrelling down the mountain, he lost control, and buried his head into the bank. I am laughing as I write this. When he caught up with me, he came walking up with a twisted pole and told me what happened. I nearly passed out from laughing. We decided to pack it in for the day. The rest of the trip, I drove a Cadillac with my left foot up on the dash.
When you look at your life, you can find some wonderful moments. Life doesn't even have to be great at the time. Life is a series of stories, good and bad, being lived out each moment. Don't get caught up in a bad moment. Look back at the good ones for joy today. If the present is bad, live like tomorrow will be different. It will.
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose," (Rom. 8:28).
If God works everything out, good and bad, then technically there is no bad thing. It is all according to His purpose. Job says that "I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted," (Job 42:2). Life is full. It is full of good and bad. I personally think it is much more good than bad. We just often get stuck in the bad. Force yourself to think of the good things that God is doing. You might even be able to laugh.
I love you, your servant, your friend,
Tim
I talked to a guy today about getting ready for ski season next year. That means a lot more to me than it used to. Now I have to get my left knee back into shape from the surgery that I had 4 1/2 months ago. It hasn't been easy. It is a lot harder than when I tore my miniscus. It was in the same knee. But, the surgery was easier to heal from. This ACL crap has taken its toll on me. I'll be ready.
Brad Jones and I went to Boston to work at this conference about 6 years ago. I believe it was in 2000. I like Boston. The people are mean; but, the city is great. We flew into Boston's Logan International Airport. We had rented a car. Actually, the company had rented it for us. When we got to the desk of the rental car company, the lady informed us that we had a Ford Aspire. Now, that may not mean much to you. I will elaborate.
A Ford Aspire is about the size of a shopping cart. It has about the same amount of horsepower too. You know me, I ain't driving a Ford Aspire. If you imagine that I am saying that because its beneath me, you're right. Not really. I just like cars with a little more appeal. Plus, if we put all of our gear and luggage into that car, Brad and I would have had to push the car. There was no way to get our stuff in there.
I asked Marge, the lady at the car rental counter, "Do you have a van or anything else?" She said, "No!." (You have to imagine her part of this conversation in a Boston Brogue. When they say "car" they actually say "ca". So, you would "pak the ca in the garaj." Are you with me?). I knew that when she said that they had no cars, she was actually holdin out on me. This is when I turned on the charm.
Now Marge was an over 50, overweight, seemingly unhappy, 3 pack a dayer, with something a little less than a spirit of consuming joy. The lines in her face didn't come from a life of leisure in the Caribbean. So, my work was cut out. But, I knew that Brad and I needed a much sweeter ride. We needed to be stylin.
I said, "Marge," with a slanted eye, my head cocked to the side, and the corner of my lip turned up, "I know that you can help us. You look like a lady who can understand when someone is in real need. I can see it in your eyes." She looked up and a little bit of light came to her eyes. At this point, I knew we were golden. I kept pouring it on. I said, "We have a ton of luggage. And, there is no way we can get it in an Aspire." I dropped a couple of funny lines. She finally smiled. Then I said, "C'mon Marge, I know that you have something in your lot that we can drive. See if you can help us." She got on the phone and had them pull out the Full-Size Cadillac. I never rented a Cadillac before. But, I took that one off her hands. She warmed up to us and treated us like kings. I wouldn't doubt that some poor old sap showed up 15 minutes after us to get his caddy and it was gone. It was gone because we got it. Sorry dude. You win some; you lose some. I hear those Ford Aspires are nice...
Brad and I began to shuttle our luggage to the curb. I went and got the car. Brad stayed with the luggage. When I pulled up we immediately put the luggage in the trunk of the car which was in the "Loading Zone." Which, is what we were doing, loading the car. Brad stepped inside the door of the airport to pick up the remaining luggage. It was about 30 yards away. One of Boston's finest, a policeman, barked at me and said, "Move ya ca." I said, I will. He just stepped inside to grab the last piece. This is when he barked more orders. Now Brad is approaching the car. I said, "There he is." It didn't help. He said something else. Then, I said, "Officer, we are leaving right now. Can I not just let him get in the car?" Brad got in, we pulled off, the officer hocked a loogie on the windshield of our pimpin Cadillac. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO READ THIS AS HOSTILE TOWARD AUTHORITIES, TAKE A DEEP BREATH. I HAPPENED TO RUN INTO A GUY HAVING A BAD DAY. IT WASN'T AS BAD AS IT SEEMS. LOOSEN UP YOUR BELT AND LAUGH TODAY! IT'S OK TO LAUGH.
We had a great time riding in our Cadillac for the week. I convinced Marge to give us unlimited mileage. So, we drove all over New England. We went to Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, and Conneciticut. In Vermont we skiied. That is where I tore my miniscus.
I was skiiing down the mountain and decided to go into the gated race course. I made a simple jump and landed wrong. Sounds like a trend for me. I busted and tore my miniscus. I got up and skiied down one more time only to realize that wasn't smart. Brad and I had gotten separated. The funnies part is what happened to him.
Brad had been skiing at a break neck speed when he fell. He's good at falling for effect. I wish I could have seen this one. He said that he was barrelling down the mountain, he lost control, and buried his head into the bank. I am laughing as I write this. When he caught up with me, he came walking up with a twisted pole and told me what happened. I nearly passed out from laughing. We decided to pack it in for the day. The rest of the trip, I drove a Cadillac with my left foot up on the dash.
When you look at your life, you can find some wonderful moments. Life doesn't even have to be great at the time. Life is a series of stories, good and bad, being lived out each moment. Don't get caught up in a bad moment. Look back at the good ones for joy today. If the present is bad, live like tomorrow will be different. It will.
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose," (Rom. 8:28).
If God works everything out, good and bad, then technically there is no bad thing. It is all according to His purpose. Job says that "I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted," (Job 42:2). Life is full. It is full of good and bad. I personally think it is much more good than bad. We just often get stuck in the bad. Force yourself to think of the good things that God is doing. You might even be able to laugh.
I love you, your servant, your friend,
Tim
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