We Can Be...

We Can Be…

As our family grows, it’s important to make time to be together. Given geographic distance and time restraint, planning ahead for family reunions is crucial. Judy and I just returned from Sandpoint, Idaho where we spent a week with our four adult children and five grandchildren (actually six because there is one in the oven).

We discovered a get together plan that works for us. First, we set an agreed date one year in advance so everyone can get vacation time. Second, an intense search on the internet for a rental house with enough bedrooms, bathrooms and living space to accommodate nine adults and five (next year six) children that is within a day’s driving. Third, we pay for the house rental and our kids pay for the food.

Last year, we met for a week at a lake cabin in northern Minnesota. This year we rented a very nice home at the Idaho Club near Sandpoint, Idaho. And what fun we had. Lots of noise and conversation around the dining room table. Splashes and squeals at the outdoor hot tub. One day on a rented pontoon boat and another day at the beach. In between some golf and just enjoying family life together.

 As we gather, we experience how fast life is changing. Our kids are not only taking care of their own children but they are also taking care of Judy and me. They do the cooking, cleaning and organizing while we watch with awe at their proficiency. I guess that’s enjoying the fruit of our labor.

The best part is we all get along. The days of adolescent competition and complaining are gone. Enjoying each other’s company and mutual respect have somehow found their place in our family. No, we aren’t the perfect family but we are a happy family.

When are kids were young, we taught them a song that has found a place in their hearts. It goes like this: “We can be a family of friends, a family of friends. Oh! We can be a family of friend. We can be a family.”

Yep!

Paraprosdokian

Paraprosdokian

If you frequently read my blogs, you know that I like strange words. It must have something to do with classical education and my preaching vocation. Although I had several years of Latin, I am not proficient in it. Because the Bible, as we have it, is a translation from the Hebrew and Greek, I have an academic familiarity with both. That plus an addiction to crossword puzzles should explain my fascination with obscure words.

Paraprosdokian is a combination of two Greek words meaning “contrary to expectation.” A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected and frequently humorous. This is a favorite ploy of comedians and people who cultivate a refined sense of humor.

Here are a few examples:

·      Where there is a will, I want to be in it.

·      The last thing I want to do is hurt you…but it’s still on my list.

·      I didn’t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

·      I used to be indecisive, but now I’m not sure.

·      You’re never too old to learn somethings stupid.

·      If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.

·      I don’t belong to an organized political party, I’m a Democrat. (Will Rogers)

I think life is tough enough but when you can’t laugh at a quick turn of a phrase you might be in need of a therapist. The Bible reminds us that laughter is good for the soul and that’s from a good book that’s got lots of serious stuff in it. I like a quick turn of a phrase because it catches me off guard and tickles my funny bone.

There is a small plaque in our guest bathroom that I frequently ponder on my visits there. It reads “Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.” I think that’s a paraprosdokian!

Fairy Lake

Fairy Lake

Montana is a feast for the eyes. There is hardly a spot that doesn’t showcase the grandeur of Big Sky Country. Whether it be the prairie lands east of the Continental Divide or the majestic Rocky Mountains, Montana is a beauty to behold.

Among my favorites is a small out of the way place called Fairy Lake. Located about 26 miles north of Bozeman, snuggled in the base of the Bridger Mountains at the foot of Sacagawea Peak is a small aqua-green lake surrounded by a pine forest. It is not known who named the lake but it is easy to see that fairies could live here.

Don’t let that nice paved road from town fool you. There is still eleven, bone jarring, tire puncturing, muffler smashing miles before you get to the lake. A construction crew of bad elves must have designed this road from hell. Strewn with lots of rocks and ruts, it takes an experienced driver and a tough vehicle to make it all the way.

Taking the mile hike around the lake shoreline provides breath-taking views of God’s handiwork. The lake itself is spring fed from the mountain snow that rarely leaves the higher elevations. A small herd of mountain goats live just above the lake. If you take the trail to Sacagawea Peak, you can see them up close grazing in the alpine meadow.

Over the years Judy and I have brought visiting family and friends to Fairy Lake. We never tire sitting on the shore sharing a picnic lunch taking in the grandeur of God’s creation. Once I braved the hike to the top of the mountain and experienced a panoramic view of the Gallatin Valley.

Fairy Lake what a magical place.

The Psalmist sings: “Hallelujah! Praise God from heaven, praise him from the mountaintops…oh let them praise the name of the Lord.”

TINSTAAFL

TINSTAAFL

Not too long ago I was in a discussion with a friend who retired from a career in the banking business. It was interesting to hear his perspective on the current financial environment of our country. He told me that in college, at his first economic class, the professor wrote TINSTAAFL in capital letters on the blackboard. Turning around he asked his students if they ever hear of this word. No one had so he explained to them the first principle of economics: There Is No Such Thing As A Free Lunch!

I remember my father telling me that very same thing years ago. I believe it was around the time he told me to go out and get a job. I was in high school and never had a paying job. I worked a lot around home picking up dog poop, making my bed, cleaning my room and trying to stay out of trouble. My dad was talking about a real job where you earned money and experienced job satisfaction for work well done.

Since those days I have always had a job. Most of them pastoring. Along the way I learned somethings about manual labor on a job site, clerked in a liquor store, a tobacco store and later a men’s clothing store. I caddied on a golf course at a country club, drove a Big Bud farm tractor, spent a day harvesting wheat, picked strawberries; a carry out boy bagging groceries and working in the produce department at a grocery store. I spent four summers as a counselor at a Boy Scout Camp. In between pastor positions, Judy and I ran a ski lodge in Montana. I am sure there are more but in old age you forgot some.

Interesting enough, none of those jobs ever offered a free lunch. But life was different back then. You were expected to work for your keep even if you didn’t especially like the job. I will say that my varied job experiences added spice to my life. I had opportunities to see how other people lived and worked. I appreciate that I am still healthy physically and mentally to enjoy working!

I like this Biblical admonition: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” So, since there is no such thing as a free lunch, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.