Work

Summer camp is over, and while that sounds like the work load will decrease, we now enter retreat season.

So far, are numbers are less than the 300 plus mouths we fed. We are more around the 100 mouth mark, however, we are lacking all the summer help that we had. Instead over the 20 sum staff, we are down to about 6.

Those six people, not only make the food, but also set all the tables, clean the floors, do all the dishes, prep all the food, and anything else that goes along with food and the dining room.

This makes for very long days. The new guy has been very helpful, however he was totally not expecting the workload. He was under the impression of 40hrs a week, and only cooking. Instead, hes looking at 50+ hrs a week, and doing it all.

I am not even sure how many hours I will have this week, I'm guessing 60, but I could be way off. It could be more or less, we will see. I must admit, thats a lot of hours for a part timer.

Our other cook, is doing much better. I hope she isnt pushing herself too much, but it wouldnt surprise me. She will be back in a month or so. At which our new guy is supposedly going to be let go. I dont know whats going on with that.

I would love to post more, however time is very tight right now. Its "Retreat Season" now, and as I look ahead at our schedule, September is going to be crazy nuts. We will be working 10-14hr days and it appears that it will be 20-25 days straight. Did I mention that the staff will be down to 3 people as well?

I am refreshed by God daily, as my strength comes from Him, however I would appreciate prayer for myself, and the other kitchen staff as we approach this very tiring time. Summer was tough at times, but we had a lot of help. With that help now gone, I fear for the health, physical and emotional, of the staff, and our families.

There are many topics I hope to get time to post on, and I apologize for not visiting the blogs I would normally visit.

Misunderstood

Have you ever been misunderstood? I am sure you have, in fact I'm guessing we all have. Does it bother you to be misunderstood? Do you get used to it?

Let me clarify what I mean my misunderstood first. I am not talking about someone who hears you wrongly, I mean in your character. For example, people who are shy, or maybe timid. If someone tells them that they need to be more outgoing, they need to speak louder, or that they should change so they are more likable. Ever had that happen?

Of course, it has happened to me, in fact, it happened to me today. I am not normally a shy person, I am normally a complete opposite to shy. I am not timid, again, a complete opposite. That is not to say that I am obnoxious, but I am sharp; to the point.

Many times I forget to ask someone to do something, and just tell them to do it. While this comes off as bossy, my intentions are right.

I also speak loudly. I have a bit of a hearing problem due to the work I performed on jets, while in the Navy. When you combine speaking loudly, and being short with people, it often comes off as mean or angry. I am not an angry person, nor is it intentional.

So this is my predicament: Is it something that a person can change, or is it a personality trait? Is it a character flaw, or a fingerprint of God's?

This makes me think about other creatures of God's. Many times we mistake and misunderstand animals in the wild. We think one thing, but later learn that we were way off. Lions are a great example of this. Their often portrayed as killers, man eaters, in fact, the males dont even do much of the killing in nature. The males are the ones who protect the young, and the territory. The mane on male lions is designed (yes designed... by God) to give the illusion of size. Bears are another animal misunderstood. Those are traits to the animal, they aren't bad qualities, so why is it considered bad in humans?

Russia on the Move

Russia has one President, and one puppet master. Her President is Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev, who assumed office after being supported by Vladimir Putin, aka "Puppet Master". We have two people here that are working the good cop, bad cop scenario.

Medvedev would be the good cop, that is, if your a Russian who wants democracy and laws. Putin is the colder "bad cop" who is willing to take control by force. It appears that the population who loves one, isn't a fan of the other, and vis-versa. However, these two guys are working as a team.

It reminds me of the definition of magic tricks. You have probably heard it, and can probably see it performed in your mind. A magician standing in front of you with a small coin in his hand, and hes making it disappear... and while your eyes focus on his right hand, the coin somehow slips into the left and is hidden. Its magic because you don't see the left hand because your watching the right.

Likewise, while Russia headed into Georgia, the President was on vacation. Putin (the Prime Minister) on the other hand, was sceen on local TV stations shaking hands with the commanders on the front lines. It wasn't until this last Tuesday that we seen Mevedev, and what was he doing? He was in France with Sarkozy discussing a ceasefire! Good cop; Bad cop.

These two guys are a winning team. They are appealing to everyone in Russia, and I see disaster in the near future.

Now while all this is going on, the US Government is putting pressure on Russia to agree with the ceasefire. This cannot benefit our already fading relationship with Russia.

Secretary of State, Ms. Rice, has stated that Russia needs to be isolated. Rice is on her way to France to discuss, with Mr. Sarkozy, the five-point peace plan he personally brokered with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili on lightning visits to Russia and Georgia on Tuesday.

Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister, Sergei Ivanov, said attacks by Russian forces on Georgian military targets outside South Ossetia were legal and necessary.

He also said he was surprised at the international condemnation of Russia's response to the crisis:

"Any civilised country would act same way. I may remind you [that on] September 11 [2001], the reaction was similar. American citizens were killed. You know the reaction."

I cant help but think about the missiles that the US wanted to put around Russia. Remember how Putin was against that? That was a big deal, makes me wonder how this is all related. The Ukraine is also speaking out against Russia, implementing new laws to move Russia's fleet in the Black Sea. (Under a 1997 agreement, Ukraine agreed to lease harbour space in the Crimea peninsula base of Sevastopol until 2017. Nationalist Russian politicians (Putin supporters) regularly suggest that Moscow should reclaim Sevastopol -- or even all of Crimea -- as its own territory.)

It is in my opinion that this is just the beginning of something much larger to come. Watch out.

Articles: here, here and here.

A Tough One

This weekend was great! Well, I guess I should mention first off, my "weekend" was actually Friday and Saturday, not Saturday and Sunday. That being said, Sunday has been pretty good too. I digress...

Thursday my buddy Craig (aka "Bob") came down to my house, and then we took my sailboat up to Muskegon. My dad has his sail boat up there, his is much larger than mine, which has a cabin that we are able to sleep in.

We tried taking my boat out on the lake, however the winds were too strong and we were forced back to the docks. On Friday, we spent the day at the store buying new parts to upgrade my boat. After the store, we went back to the marina and installed the new parts. Later we repeated this process.

In the evening, my wife and Craig's wife joined us. We had a good time sitting around the dock and talking. We went out to dinner at a restaurant on the beach, then returned for more fun at the dock. It was quite relaxing.

Saturday brought more wind, however my dad captained his boat out to Lake Michigan. We encountered swells that were between 3 feet and up to 6 1/2 feet. It was a bit rowdy at times, but we came out on top. God was with us even in the face of danger. One of the lines that holds the mast up, came undone. We took quick actions and got it bolted back down, and sailed back to the smaller inland lake, Lake Muskegon.

We went out for lunch, and then Amy (my wife) and I attempted to take my boat out. After some motor problems got fixed (so we thought) we took it out. The water was still a bit choppy with 1-2 foot waves, and very strong winds. We motored up and down the channel of the marina at first to make sure the motor worked. On the second trip, the motor died. The wind started to push us into very shallow water where old docks used to be. It is quite a hazardous are because the wood posts are still in the water, but they are below the water, so you cant see them. Well we quickly set sail, even in the hazardous winds, and sailed the boat back into the marina, and were able to dock it, under sails alone.

Since we were leaving Muskegon Saturday, I decided that we might as well load the boat back on the trailer, however the motor was being evil. As the wind was coming out of the North, and the opening of the marina was facing North, the win d kept slamming my boat against the dock. It turns out that God decided to let my motor start just long enough to get the boat over to the boat launch. It set our nerves on edge, but we made it in one piece.

As I look back over the weekend, one thing sticks out. My mom wasnt with us, but it felt like she was. On different occasions, I remember hearing things she has said, in the back of my mind, almost as if she was right there with me. I can almost hear you, the reader, saying "She was with you". To which I reply: No, she wasnt, but her memory was.

**Caution: Rant ahead**
It always irretates me when someone says something like that. Really, how could anyone say that? Think about it what your saying. If you have ever lost someone close to you, you might understand what I am talking about. I am sure that whoever says it understands that they dont mean it literally, however they obviously dont see it from the "receivers" perspective. Do you think that they want to hear that? Do you think it helps? maybe some, but not everyone, so IF your going to say that, you had better know the person closely enough to know that they are okay with YOU saying it. Dont take it lightly, I know I dont. Just cause it might not bother you, or might sound comforting to you, doesn't mean it does to the rest of the world.
**End Rant**

I missed her this weekend. She would have loved having me, my wife, and our friends with us. She enjoyed being with friends, and loved being at the boat. Her words of encouragement weren't over powering, and were never hollow. Her laughter was inviting, and I missed her this weekend. It was a great weekend. I had a blast. Its difficult at times like this, when you have a great weekend, but I get home and all these emotions start flying in. Moments like this remind me that she is in heaven, and I will be graced with her presence again.

I am thankful.