Two weeks ago I talked about how it is much easier to talk about some things than to actually do them. For me, and perhaps for you, the hardest area to take action in is “letting go.” Some areas, though obvious, are still very difficult. We need to “let go” of fears, worries, anxieties, insecurities, regrets, hurts, jealousies, anger, resentment. We know we should because we know that hanging on to them doesn’t change anything, and research shows that holding on to these feelings negatively affects our health. But that doesn’t make the “letting go” any easier, does it?

But those negative areas aren’t the only things we sometimes need to release. That is why I chose the photo of releasing a butterfly because sometimes what we need to let go of are things very dear to us: dreams, expectations, and people to name a few.

This is not to say we shouldn’t have dreams, or expectations, or people in our lives, but sometimes we hang on to them to our own detriment. We dream of a certain life, but ours isn’t turning out that way, yet we still crave for and desire that life. We have certain expectations of ourselves and others, but we all keep falling short of those expectations, which in turn frustrates and discourages us. We have people we care for dearly, but for one reason or another they have moved out, or want to move out, or perhaps should move out of our lives, and yet we hang on with a choke hold so strong it almost strangles both of us.

We hang on because we don’t believe there could be something better out there. Ultimately, it means we don’t believe Jesus when He says in John 10:10 that “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” In our limited thinking we believe that we have to have this goal, or this dream, or this result, or this person in order to have a happy and fulfilled life.

It reminds me of the story about how to catch a monkey. African natives would hollow out one end of a gourd, put some  food in the gourd, and then attach the gourd to a string. The monkey would slip its hand into the gourd, grab the food, and then try to extract both its hand and the food, but the opening was too small. The native would then simply pull on the string, sliding the gourd and the monkey right to him. The monkey could easily be free if it just let go of the food and pulled out its hand, but no. It wants that food so much, that it is willing to sacrifice its freedom for it. In the end, the monkey is captured and doesn’t even get the food.

How true this is for us as well because of our inability to let go of both the negative feelings as well as those things we believe we cannot live without. Often we hang on so tightly and for so long that we lose both the liberty Christ promises us and, more often than not, that very thing or person we didn't want to lose in the first place. But there is an answer. Next week I will look at the other half of the equation.

I know I told you last week that this week’s blog was going to expand on the “Easier Said Than Done” blog from last week; however, something happened this weekend that threw me completely off track, but in the most delightful way possible––over 80 people surprised me for a combination birthday/retirement party that had been under construction since October.

Now I don’t know which is the more amazing, that 80 people would come or that 80 people could keep it a secret. But I want to take this time, this week, to say thank you to so many people.

First, to my wonderful parents, not only because without them there wouldn’t even have been a need for a party, but also because of their unconditional love and the Christian values and work ethic they instilled in each one of us.

Next (and it is a HUGE next), to my sister and brother-in-law who planned, organized, and covered the expenses for the entire event. They never cease to amaze me. My sister is so creative and organized, and they are both so generous.

To my dear friend (and co-conspirator) who traveled back from England to surprise me and spent her week here working on her part of the surprise as well make the family time on Sunday so special by working through almost all of it.

To my brother and sister-in-law and niece, who first got up at 3 am and then sat on the tarmac in Denver for two hours as their plane was de-iced in the freak spring blizzard, made it 5 minutes before I arrived, and then had to turn around and fly back the next day.

To my other nieces, (and one nephew-in-law) who juggled work schedules so that they could fly in from Utah and Colorado.

An incredible shout-out to my cousin and his wife who flew out from Australia! Wow! Every cousin from that family made it. One from Idaho with his daughter, one from Torrence who (with her husband) made the 12 hour drive one day, came to the party the next day, then had to make the 12 hour drive back the following day. Finally, my cousin from Loma Linda came and brought my wonderful aunt up from Banning.

Then thank you to my aunt and uncle from Camarillo and all of the Solinski family from Vacaville and San Jose. Their presence meant so much.

Finally, (but by no means the least) were all of my friends who could make it––high school and college friends, colleagues––past and present, Bible study sisters, golf buddies, wine club members, former students, and others from various walks of life. Again, they came from all over California and as far as Washington State.

Half of the crowd came from miles away and the other half were those who support and love me day-to-day right here in Redding, which is a major task, and to see them come and continue to be there for me was deeply moving––especially since I irritate and annoy them on a more regular basis than the others.

And a final thank you to all of those who couldn’t make it but sent their best wishes. It meant a lot that you remembered me.

Thank you all.

“For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting,
And His faithfulness to all generations.” (Ps. 100:5)

A hearty AMEN to that!

We live in a world of aphorisms. Those concise pithy statements that hold some element of truth, such as “a little learning is a dangerous thing” or “a fool and his money are soon parted.”

These past few weeks we have been interviewing potential students for a selective high school program. The program is for high school seniors who want to get a jump start on college and so will spend their senior year on the community college campus rather than their high school campus.  Often during the interview students will talk about how they want to be in the program to make a new start––to be better students––and they believe the college environment will help them.

This answer always makes me think of the aphorism––”Easier said than done.” These students believe that the change of venue will magically make studying easy and enjoyable. What they often discover when the school year begins is that when tomorrow comes, it feels surprisingly a lot like today.

I think we have all experienced this reality in one way or another. Tomorrow sounds like a great day to start that diet, and we are all jazzed, until tomorrow comes and we are hungry––very hungry, and now it doesn’t seem like such a good idea. Tomorrow seems like a great time to build up the prayer life or spend more time in the Word, but then tomorrow comes, and there are as many demands or interruptions or pleasant diversions as there were today. Even in my beloved world of golf, tomorrow is a great day to put the nerves at bay and start making those nerve wracking three foot putts for par, but when I am standing over them, they seem just as far as they did the day before.

The problem, as it is most of the time, lies between our ears. We are very good at thinking and rethinking and over-thinking the issue, but not very good at getting started. Nike picked a great slogan when they came up with “Just Do It!” They knew if people just started the behavior, they were at least more likely to continue it or come back to it. It wasn’t the ambiguous great idea any more; instead, it was an action.

It is very true that it is easier to talk about something than to do it, but it is such a feeling of accomplishment when we "Just Do It." Next week’s blog will take a look at the area I think for me, and maybe for you, is much “easier said than done.”

This will be a short blog as there is nothing I can say that will improve on the beauty God has created.

As you already know, I love spring: the blossoms, the spring rains, the freshness of the air, and the puffy white clouds. BUT, there is nothing like that special green of spring, is there? The last images in our minds before fall settles in are the dried browns of scorched grass or the dark, weary greens of summer. These greens look tired and depressed. Weathered. Then the grasses go dormant, and the trees drop their leaves in relief and settle into the well deserved sleep of winter.

However, come spring, these same trees and grasses wake up revitalized and that glorious light green of spring explodes. I can’t think of anything more uplifting and encouraging and beautiful.

As we enjoy these fleeting weeks of spring, take in that deep breath of fresh air and an eyeful of the most beautiful green, and remember that God’s mercies are just like that. Cleansing, refreshing, uplifting, encouraging and new––every morning.