Black Leech!
Jerry and Russ were expert fly fishermen. They lived and breathed it. They did not merely own the expensive gear, they used it frequently. They were encyclopedias of fly fishing methods, entomology (the study of insects), equipment, casting, knot-tying, and fly fishing ethics. They had learned how to actually think like trout. They were trout whisperers. They tied their own flies and built their own rods. They had specialized equipment for every possible fishing scenario.
Jerry also was a respected pastor and leader. He was “semi-retired”, which meant that he “stopped doing the things I don’t like doing and I focused […]
The Fog
My father was, is, and forever will be a fisherman. He was never a specialized type of fisherman, such as a fly fisherman or a bass fisherman. He did it all. From my earliest childhood memories, we were fishing for salmon in the ocean, up the rivers, in the bay, and in small streams. We fished for trout in lakes and rivers. We fished for bass, bottom fish, shad, perch, albacore, snapper, cabezon, and lingcod. At the age of five, I remember crawling along rocky ocean cliffs looking for a place to land some rockfish, being carried by my dad […]
The Waterfall
The plan was to go and look at a waterfall, not slide off the top of one. But there I was, standing at the top of a 35-foot waterfall with my heart thumping quickly and loudly in my chest, waiting for my turn. Pride plus peer pressure can forge a lethal combination. Those are definitely factors that motivated me to climb the cliff to the top of the waterfall.
My good friend Colin was getting married. He asked me to do his wedding. It was at a lodge in the Appalachian Mountains outside of Ashville, North Carolina. I was living in […]
The Volcano
The boat engine sputtered, gasped, and died. A wisp of smoke coughed out of the exhaust. I am not a mechanic, but it was clear to me that something bad had just happened to that engine. I gazed helplessly at the large active volcano in front of me, not knowing what to do next.
This took place on the last day of my week in Tagaytay; a vacation destination just outside of Manila, Philippines. The city is magnificently perched on the rim of a massive crater forming the Taal Lake. Inside the lake, […]
The Great White
Try as you may, if you surf in Northern California you cannot help but think about sharks. My brother told me it is your mind’s natural reaction to your decision to dress up as a sea lion (in a wet suit) and enter the shark’s food chain.
That being said, I don’t often think about sharks. I remind myself that the greater danger that I face when I go surfing occurs on the highway while driving to and from any surf spot. Most often when you see a fin break the surface of the water, it is that of a dolphin […]
Sermon – Philippians 1. Unbreakable Optimism
Here is last week’s sermon from Philippians 1.
Being confident of this: He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.
How did Paul stay optimistic while in prison? Where did he find hope?
How do we stay optimistic during difficult times? Why do we have hope?