I am a work in progress

God's Redemptive Project

Your flourishing is never just about you. It is a "so that" kind of condition. God designed you to flourish "so that" you could be part of his redemptive project in ways that you otherwise could not. He wants you to flourish "so that" people can be encouraged, gardens can be planted, music can be written, sick people can be helped, or companies can thrive in ways they otherwise would not. When you fail to become the person God designed, all the rest of us miss out on the gift you were made to give.
Jesus once said that with God, all things are possible, and the great thing about life with God is that your next step is always possible. That step toward God is always waiting, no matter what you have done or how you have messed up your life. Jesus was hanging on a cross with a thief hanging next to him, and Jesus turned to him and said, "Today you will be with me in paradise."


I received this today and realized after reading it, I am a work in progress. Understanding this small portion of life, I have to agree with author Rick Warren when he explained in one of his books so clearly, even I got it.

The statement simply stated: It ain't all about you.

Boy howdy, ain't that the truth. Folks that think the universe revolves around them are in for a rude awakening one day. The short paragraph that started this posting is an excerpt from a book by John Ortberg, 'ME, The Me I Want to Be'.

All those casual encounters with people throughout your life, not to mention those that are still to happen even as early as tomorrow, were meant to be. You were destined to be a part of their life...OR maybe, bringing it down a notch and looking at it from right to left, that stranger you meet may just have been guided by our angels to intercept you along your path.

It could be their life is the cog in your gears to keep you going, "so that" you can grow and reach the level of importance that God has planned for you.

Just another slant on how small we really are in the grand scheme of things...but some day, you could mean the world to someone, the difference in how a person responds to a situation.

Thanks for stopping by.

They keep telling him no....

They keep telling him no. I am sure that after spending over half of his life in the 'system', the answer is not a surprising one.

Javier is his name. His friends call him Javi.

The system is known as DCF and is governed by the State of Connecticut. DCF stands for the Department of Children and Families.

Javi is one child of many who long for a family to take him in. His Christmas wish of 2008 was simply:

"I'd like a family who likes fishing...pretty much any kind of fishing."

Another unique piece of the puzzle has Javi belonging to the Permanency Unit, which plainly states that these are the ones;

The kids who are not going home. Their parents have given them up. Period.

Javi is like any other 13 year old kid you could meet. He likes math, not so much on reading. Not a big video gamer and prefers to be outside. Loves the game of baseball and loves the Yankees. His favorite player is Derek Jeter. Oh, and he has a strong passion for fishing.

I am telling you about Javi because his situation tugs at my heart. The story is repeated more than we can imagine across our nation and someone out there just may take the time to read this and know of someone, some family out there that would be perfect for Javi.

I look at my own son who is now 14 years old and realize just how much some family, some couple out there is missing out on the blessing of having a void filled in their lives.

Don't just read what I have written here about Javi and his situation, do yourself a favor and go to the website where you can read about Javi and his being 'severed' from the world by his parents.

Please, take a few moments and go to donbaroneoutdoors.com and check out the story; Christmas for Javier.

It is our prayers and hope for Javi to find happiness in the near future but realize that we are but a few that care. The task is in no way unobtainable and know that sometimes, just getting the information out there...could possibly make a difference.

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to check my blog out, because ... it is what it is.

Out with the old...

Out with the old and in with the new.

There is some of the old that will be kept and will share space with the new.

This past year has been a journey in itself. Parts of which will bleed over into next year like a red sock in with your t-shirts and underwear.

Like most folks, I will make a resolution or two here in a couple of days, and forget about them in about a month. Me? I got no will power when it comes to keeping resolutions.

For 2010, let's say I will try and do better with any resolutions I may make.

Things that will bleed over:

* This blog of mine. I hope to improve my freelance writing skills.

* My current job will end in the next few months...future not quite known but have a couple of leads.

* Garage that needs cleaning....talk about bleed over, there's stuff in there from years ago.

* Go fishing. I have lures that have never seen the water. Will change their status.

* Get more exercise. I have a perfectly good neighborhood with paved streets and lighting that beckons me to try and wear it down. Here's to going for a walk.

* Try to eat out less. The convenience just ain't worth it.

* Support my writing buddies and buddy-ettes more through their efforts with comments and feedback.

* When I see someone that looks familiar or I might know and haven't talked to in a while, stop and say hello. By the way, this drives my wife up the wall...but it also offers material for the blog.

So let's say good bye to most of 2009 and welcome with open arms and minds the new year of 2010. A new decade to embrace. New friends out there to meet and old ones to grow older with. And if you continue to come back and visit this blog spot, I will do my best to give you something to talk about, even if it is just my meager life.

Here's wishing you a Happy and a Healthy New Year.

What's in a name?

I know I am talking to a few of you out there that beat me to the experience of being a grandparent, but still, there is so much material to write about I just have to.

Once our granddaughter, ABBY arrived; all 8 pounds and 8 ounces of her almost 20 months ago, the topic of conversation concerning what she would call her grandparents surfaced.

Oh yeah, we all had our preferences and expectations, but never actually realized that we, our desires would never figure into the equation.

In our family there has been nieces and a nephew that had to discern between two grandfathers of the same name...Harry. That situation was diffused with them being called Little Grandpa Harry and Big Grandpa Harry. The kids worked it out themselves I guess. I may have to ask them who actually came up with it as they are now all grown.

When we venture out to my mother in laws home, to explain it to Abby, we just tell her we are going to "other grandma's..." and she is perfectly happy getting out and into the car for an adventure.

Deep down, you just hope your grandchild takes a liking to you for whatever the reason. The fact that my wife is keeping our granddaughter during the day while our daughter works, gives us the 'home field' advantage. Abby is training us as best she can and wrapping us around the smallest of pinkie fingers known to mankind.

Oh sure, our daughter had ideas as to what she thought ABBY should call the grandparents, but believe me you...that didn't quite work out. (is that one of them regional phrases??? believe me you..?? kind of like, 'fixin to'..?? fixin to eat, fixin to leave, fixin to start getting ready?)

Well, the idea was for Abby to call us, Grandma and Grandpa. In her mind and she is a quick study on the 'stuff' in her world; when she needs either one of us, she just calls out...

Na-Maw.. or Pee-Poe, depending on how big the need is.

To capture the effect of 'things' in her world today, we have the vacuum cleaner standing guard over the Christmas tree and making sure she doesn't venture too far into the ornaments that are proclaimed...'low hanging fruit' for her inspection.

She helps me push on the oak tree in the front yard. Something that is only understood between granddaughters and their grandpa. We have to keep it growing in one direction right?

I haven't bought her a fishing rod yet...YET I said, but it will not be too much longer. Getting her near the water without a U.S. Coast Guard certified rope tether to the nearest pine tree will likely be in the top ten list of precautions prior to a fishing trip...but that's another story.

In my mind's eye

What was it that first caught your attention?

Was it something in the wind or actually the wings of an angel brushing the air around you?

It's right about now that you are able to focus on the booming reverberation of the distant words that find your ear.

You search the area near you, making a scan of the horizon knowing you will find the source of the words demanding your focus, but there is nothing.

The air is completely filled with familiar words. So many that you wonder how can it be that you are perfectly positioned to understand and comprehend each and every word.

It's surround sound in its prime, yet you are outdoors with no obvious generating source for the ever increasing din of this supernatural event.

Suddenly and without any introduction you recognize the message from days past, years of your youth, years involving your basic foundation.

"Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name."

There is something different about the prayer this time. It's not really a prayer, but more of a proclamation. An announcement to all within earshot of what has been forgotten.

"Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven."

A reminder of our teachings from days gone by. Basics that we opted not to keep in front of us.

"Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

Giving thanks for the blessings we have and for the blessings we are still to receive, and the protection from our enemies.

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

Keeping our focus on what is real and not of the flesh that will only hinder our journey.

"For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen and Amen."

As the quiet settles over our being, our existence, the realization becomes evident that we have just witnessed the obvious. Where we have turned away from our Creator, the actual creation has had to respond in our stead and cried out in our behalf.

"And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins."

Remembering the Reason for the Season, giving thanks in all things.

Catching Up

Gosh...it's been almost 2 weeks since I last posted. Reckon some of you may be wondering where the heck I have been or what's the deal.

Wish I had a good story to tell you other than it's been a wee bit hectic around the Chambers' household of late. To steal a line from Mel Brooks he had in one of his movies....

"Work work work work work..!"

I haven't had a full day off since the Friday after Thanksgiving. So this coming weekend is looking might enticing with it leading into the final two weeks of 2009 and me getting the final 16 days off before heading back to the grind.

The grind is simply writing procedures to turn a chemical plant into a parking lot.

Weird sort of stuff at work it is. Our corporate office made the decision back in May to shut our little production unit down....using the words to describe the move as... "exiting the business". And the catch phrase from our CEO who does a pretty good mimic of Katherine Hepburn, kept telling us that this over and over again.... "It is what it is..."

And yes, that is where I came up with the name for this blog...trying to be a straight-shooter with the way I see things leads me to say...it is what it is folks.

I talked recently about a good friend that is also a writer and has his own blog on a national web page...and it got me to thinking about these cyber world friendships we develop. Everything and everyone is so reachable and available now due to the amazing Internet.

Remember way back when you had a pen-pal and you actually wrote letters to each other and having to wait on the U.S. Snail Mail for your correspondence? This caused me to think about those folks that were into HAM radios. Having friends all over the world and tethered together by the microphone of your radio set.

Today, its the keyboard and flat screen monitor that allows us to maintain the global friendships we take for granted. Just let the system get hung up with a virus or lose your hard drive and you are just about helpless. Helpless to the point where you have to dial your cell phone if want to talk ear to ear to your friends.

My friend lives in Virginia. We hope one day to meet up and share some time on the water chasing the elusive little green fish we have come to love and hate at the same time. The little green slimy fish that thousands of anglers chase with a fevered intensity only to be angered to the maximum effect by a cold blooded creature that is unknowingly adept to creating such turmoil and chaos in a human beings world.

Pick any of the species of the bass. Largemouth, smallmouth, or the spotted bass. Each one can deliver you a boat load of grief on any given day, which is usually the outcome for most of us. But we continue on with our quest and we even write about our ordeal with the wily bass.

Simply stated and often heard around these parts, it's something in the water. Yes, I believe it is at least that....it is something in the water and it is what it is.

Let's try and get together a little more in the future okay? You folks take care now and have yourself a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and may the Good Lord take a liking to you.

Unexpected Trouble

A good friend of mine writes for a national magazine's website.

Big surprise here, it's a fishing web page. Even more of a surprise, it's a bass fishing web page. Imagine that...me having a friend....a writing friend at that.

Jaison has been writing his column for about 2 years now, and even though we have never met in person, we have talked on the phone, swapped comments back and forth, and even found some time to talk about bass fishing, and our writing.

The column Jaison shared this week was one of a close call. His chosen title was ... if I remember it correctly .... "Life Is Too Precious for Stupid".

My buddy lives in Virginia...one of the many states that experience actual seasons and all that comes with the different seasons. Cold weather that comes and sticks around for a while type of seasons.

Seems that Jaison and one of his fishing buddies hit the lake recently. Seeing as it was a cold day, all the precautions were taken to ward off the cold as best a person could and still be able to move around in the boat. The usual layering of clothing was the standard attire, topping off with a good parka over big overalls.

If you are a regular boater, you may see where I am headed with this...if not, just read on in the next paragraph.

Finding a desirable spot to fish, the big motor was stopped and Jaison found his way to the front deck of his boat, sitting on the pedestal seat to work the trolling motor. This all being pretty standard operating procedures among bass fishermen.

As the story goes, Jaison remembers reaching for something, but ends up looking up at the boat from the outside of the boat in the inside of the lake. The cold lake that is.

To answer your next question....No, Jaison had taken off the (his words) bulky life jacket when he sat down on the pedestal seat.

Efforts between Jaison and his buddy were fruitless in getting him back into the boat. The extra clothing was dragging him down. My guess is right about now, Jaison was at least 2 or 3 minutes from meeting our Creator face to face.

Through sheer refusal to quit the fight, a grip on the side of the boat was managed and his buddy got the motor cranked and idled towards the shore where Jaison finally was able to touch solid ground and make his way from the lake.

I haven't talked to Jaison other than a couple of emails where I relayed to him my concern for him and grateful that he survived the ordeal. Not making light of the situation, he did recall in his column about making a deal with God. Probably not much more than any one of us would have done had it been us in his shoes....let's make that...his water-soaked bib overalls and winter parka.

I did ask Jaison if he remembered to mark the coordinates of the 'hump' they were fishing, so he could go back another day to try again....but then, that's my jab at him for now.

Glad you're OK Jaison and thanks for sharing your story.

Folks, if you want to read his story in his words, go to BASSMASTER.com and look for Jaison's story under The Reel World.

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/bassmaster/news/story?page=b_blog_annarino_2009