Category Archives: A Life of Adventure

Treasured joy

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One of the treasures that perhaps everyone seeks is that of deeper and lasting joy. But a deeper joy requires a deeper life. A.W. Tozer (in his book Keys To The Deeper Life) said the deeper life only seems deep because the average life is so shallow. Ouch. Have you ever noticed that when real truth shines into our lives that it reveals something uncomfortable?

I suppose our lives are like a community swimming pool, having both shallow and deep parts. If we want to enjoy the deeper joys of life we have to spend more time in the deep end. Marcia and I were talking tonight how sometimes it takes suffering through some crisis to push us into the deep end of the pool. It is difficulty that wake us up and allows us to focus on what is truly important.

Years ago, my friend Norm was dying of cancer. During a more resilient phase he spoke before the church. He said sincerely that he had fallen ‘asleep’ spiritually, and then said that if being healed meant he would fall back ‘asleep’ he would rather have the cancer because it had drawn him closer to God. You know what is like to get sleepy and start to nod off. You are still cognizant of what is going around, but everything starts to lose focus. That physical phenomenon happens to us spiritually and relationally too. It is easy to drift away, only partially focused on our most prized ambitions and relationships.

What price would you pay to always “stay awake?” Would you embrace suffering with more joy and wish to keep it if being healed meant we would drift farther away from God and others you love?

It seems to me we too easily pray away suffering as if we have this genie that exists solely to make our life more comfortable and luxurious. There is nothing wrong with comfort, unless it causes us to drift away from our pursuit of Godly ambitions.

We also talked tonight about the joy of contentment (Phil 4:11-13) that comes with suffering. Not to glorify the act of suffering, but to glorify God who shows us the way to endure suffering. And not only endure but to thrive in the process.

What are you willing to change in your life to find the treasure of deeper and lasting joy?

Finding Treasure

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Do you like treasure hunts? As a child I was captivated by pirate stories and their adventurous pursuits of buried treasure. ‘X’ always marked the spot on some deserted island, if you could only find the ‘X’.

Did you know God has a lot to say about treasures and even treasure hunts? In Matthew 13:44, Jesus tells a parable of a man who discovers treasure: “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.” I imagine most of would do that too, if we found a hidden treasure of great worth, sell everything to possess it.

Job was a pretty well-to-do guy before and after his trials. In his sufferings he reflected that all a man’s treasures cannot save him. (Job 20:20) And despite his extreme suffering Job said he treasured God’s word more than his own daily bread. (Job 23:12)

Proverbs 2:4 advises us to live lives of adventure and pursue the treasure of understanding God’s word. Elsewhere, we are counseled to pursue the treasure of wisdom. And there is much more in the bible about treasures gained and treasures lost.

Did you know that YOU are God’s treasure? Exodus 19:5 tells us that we are treasured by God, if in fact we are his children. Jesus tells us that we should store up treasures in heaven. Unlike our earthy treasures, heavenly treasures can’t be ruined by a falling stock market or destroyed or stolen.

I suppose everyone pursues treasures of various kinds, hoping they will bring happiness. Even when our heart desires to pursue Jesus, we still have a tendency to cling to our earthly possessions. This was the case of the rich young ruler who wanted to inherit the kingdom of God. Jesus knew the man’s heart was obsessed with his riches and told him to sell everything he had, give to the poor, pursue riches in heaven, and follow him (Jesus). (Mark 10:20)

It seems that God is not so much concerned that we come to possess treasures, but what kind of treasures we seek and what we do with them. A common theme when people experience life changing crises is that they come to evaluate the things, people and relationships they treasure. Better yet that we discover and meditate of the quality of our treasures before crisis comes upon us.

As you think about your daily routines and your life ambitions, what treasures are you choosing to seek? As the old knight said in the Indiana Jones movie, “Choose wisely.”

One year remission

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It seems like it has been a long year. With leukemia, milestones like the anniversary of your first year in remission from cancer seem pretty important. From a medical perspective it appears that the more distance you put between yourself and those events, the better the outlook is for the future. Of course, God’s plan for the future is what really matters, regardless of what the prognostic statistics say.

A huge thanks to the Mercy Hospital staff who made remission possible through two rounds/12 days of chemotherapy and nearly 60 days of loving care given to both Marcia and me. Now, just two more months until we celebrate with the University of Iowa transplant team my first year after stem cell transplant. I’m told mine was their 3000th transplant so I reckon they have cause to be very good at what they do. And they too have shown me great care and consideration during my recovery thus far.

Marcia has carried out her long series of demanding caregiver tasks with such amazing love and dedication. How could I have made it this far without my bride’s loving attention?!

God’s promise that his grace IS sufficient for my needs and his promise that I win whichever direction things turn have been constant sustenance for my soul.

What is ahead? I don’t know. The path seems to take a turn every 2-3 months, requiring us to keep our focus on our current footing and next few steps. Have you noticed that in your path too? Just when you think you have your sense of direction, something changes and you have to make adjustments to your journey.

Have you found the one thing that does not change, regardless of the condition of the path? In our journey, it has made all the difference in the world. Experiencing the steadfastness of God’s love and grace makes each day possible, not easy, but possible. It has caused us to cultivate our grateful hearts. It is the reality of practical faith, beginning with trusting in small things, to trusting in all things, that makes the experience real. Not easy, but real.

May your path be filled with such practical hope of knowing that wherever you go, however difficult the path, God is ready to go with you.

The end of one adventure is the beginning of the next

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“Please, Aslan,” said Lucy. “Before we go, will you tell us when we can come back to Narnia again? Please. And oh, do, do, do make it soon.”
“Dearest,” said Aslan very gently, “you and your brother will never come back to Narnia.”
“Oh, Aslan!!” said Edmund and Lucy both together in despairing voices.
“You are too old, children,” said Aslan, “and you must begin to come close to your own world now.”
From The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, CS Lewis

It was a sad moment for Lucy and Edmond, realizing that their great adventure had come to an end. But the great Aslan reminds them of an important lesson we would do well to also learn:

The end of one adventure is often the beginning of another.

For me, there was the end of a good career and good health and the beginning of the battle against cancer. While not the adventure I had sought, it has not been without certain revelations I may have missed elsewhere. Then there was the end of the cancer (for now at least) almost a year ago and the beginning of a new life with new stem cells and all the blessings and trials that come with that. There is for each of us the end of the adventure of life as we know it and the greatest adventure of life after death!

For now, there is the end of this past year and the anticipation of the new one upon us. It is a time to consider wise words:
“There is a time for everything…a time to mourn, a time to stop mourning…a time to fight and a time to stop fighting.” (Ecclesiastes) Always, it is time to accept and fully embrace the life transitions given to us. It is a time, as Paul puts it, to forget what is past and to press on to what is ahead. (Philippians 3)

Imagine a new year being decidedly content and fully satisfied with God’s plan being unveiled in your presence, day by day. Imagine living by faith with reckless abandon the adventure to which he calls you. Don’t shy from it despite your pain, your doubts, your regrets, or your fears. Embrace this new year as a gift to be fully explored and enjoyed.

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19

Alice never went back to wonderland

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Have you ever pursued a rabbit trail only to later regret it? You know, followed a long winding path that in the end made no sense and was a complete waste of time?

In Lewis Carroll’s classic, Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland, the young Alice experiences a series of wild and amazing adventures when she accidentally falls down a rabbit hole. It was a confusing place full of mad characters but yet not without a certain fascination.

Alice grew up. She never went back to Wonderland and instead went on with her life, remembering the important lessons from her nightmarish past adventure:

“I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.”

“If you drink much from a bottle marked ‘poison’ it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.”

“If you don’t know where you are going, then it doesn’t matter which way you go; every road will take you there.”

I wonder how much we are like Alice in being fascinated with mad adventures that keep us from the great adventures God intends for us and take us instead down maddening rabbit paths that lead us nowhere. I wonder how often are we drawn by the elixir of past bad thinking, knowing that it is like poison to us, but not finding courage to put it down. I wonder how often we give in to putting on our old self when we know quite well that our new self is what helps us experience God’s best.

Alice didn’t go back to Wonderland. Neither should we. Forgetting what is past, live today with your eyes fully fixed on the prize that you seek, that which will always be worthy of your life adventure.

“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14

Been on an adventure lately?

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Jules Verne’s 1864 classic novel, Journey to the Center of the Earth, has captured the imaginations of generations of readers and movie viewers. It offers an adventure that attracts people of all ages, cultures, and time periods. I wonder if it is because Verne is such a good story-teller or because we are ‘wired’ to be inspired by and to live great adventures.

Marcia and I have enjoyed some great adventures: living in Australia, climbing a volcano, partnering in short-term missions, forming relationships with amazing people including our four children who have grown to become adult friends, growing our own love for each other over four decades, going ‘home’ to Bolivia, and even this past year’s journey through Leukemia. Adventures draw us out of our comfort zones and fill us with a sense of excitement, exploration, and energy. Sometimes they bring us to face great personal challenges. They certainly lead us to new discoveries we wouldn’t have uncovered on a more settled path.

Did you know you can live a life of adventure without leaving your home town? Of all the exciting adventures, the journey to experiencing God personally and the good plans he has for you must be the most exciting. It is one where we discover who we are and who we were really meant to be. It is where he reveals himself in our innermost being, and where our deepest desires cry out and are satisfied as only he can. It is the adventure of learning that you have real power to live a victorious life, not one of slavery to the demands of circumstances. It is where we discover joy that surpasses understanding.

The adventure of discovering God leads us to uncover the secret of being content. It is where enduring faith grows. The journey with God reveals our true heart. It begins when we draw close to God and he draws close to us. It is where we learn to hear – and follow – his voice. It is where we learn to find – and share – unexpected blessings every day when our lives intersect with others. It is the adventure that brings us to the reward at the end of this life, “Well done, good and FAITHFUL servant.”

Are you living the adventure God calls you to live? Or have you settled for whatever comes your way? The great thing about adventures is there is no time limit for when they can begin. You can “pack your bags” right now and decide to live the adventure to which God calls you. Not sure what that is? Why not spend time talking with him today about this. Read his Word. I’m pretty sure it is going to have something to do with loving (and enjoying) him and loving others in his name.

Your life is meant not just to be inspired by adventure but to BE an adventure with God. Live it well!

AML daily routine

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This post is for those who follow this blog while traveling your own cancer journey. Each person’s journey is unique but there are commonalities that cross different illnesses.

At 11 months post AML diagnosis and 7 months post stem cell transplant, the daily routine continues to be preoccupied with avoiding infection and staying healthy to what small degree of control there is over that. There is a lot of hand-washing and everything is done mindful of potential infection. Without being germophobic, you are aware that one infection can be a game changer for an immune-suppressed body.

One challenging aspect is maintaining a rigid routine of meals, snacks, medications, exercise, rest, and daily injections. This schedule increasingly governs the activities of the day. (You eat when it is time to eat, not when you are hungry.) Some of this may decrease if the drug-induced diabetes and DVT/blood clot treatment is resolved. Weekly and biweekly medical appointments and lab tests add to this regiment. So in one sense, you find yourself medically retired but with a new full-time ‘job’ caring for yourself.

Perhaps it is a blessing that nothing stays the same. Each pain has its season and then surrenders to something new. Changing medications present both different solutions and side effects. Some affect the body, some affect the mind and emotions. It requires a lot of patience and perseverance from both patient and care giver. Emotions sometimes unexplainably present themselves. Sometimes the day is full of color; and other times more gray, and you find there is only so much control over this. Several months later, you find yourself still beat up by cancer and chemo, and still recovering from the welcomed ‘invasion’ of a new graft immune system. The body is not only under chemical and physical attack but spiritual attack too.

You may also experience an overwhelming sense of vulnerability. This unexpected leukemia-induced blood clot is an example of a small unavoidable event that reminds you of the fragility of life. When I celebrate how well I am doing, my medical team regularly reminds me of this ongoing vulnerability. It poses a challenge for living each day well and fully, with sober thanks for the opportunities each day gives to enjoy the grace God gives us.

The good news in all this is that we are not slaves to our condition. Walking in faith is a matter of willfully choosing to believe that which you know is true, but just cannot see, or experience. Your emotions may be those of unexplainable yet pervasive sadness, or disappointment. But the spiritual reality is that we are not slaves to our emotions. The physical challenges may be extensive, but we are not slaves to our pain. Relationally you may feel alone in the journey, but the reality is that others’ prayers are lifting you up and that God will never leave you.

Experience the spiritual reality that overcomes your physical and mental perception. Let God’s presence guide each step of the journey.

An irrational life

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JD Blom writes a good WordPress blog on Christian living. In a recent post on irrational living, Blom takes a look at the irrational mathematical value of Pi, an infinite, non-repeating, and irrational number used to determine the circumference of a circle with relation to its diameter. I think Blom poses an essential question and reflective answer worth our consideration:

“What if our lives could be expressed as the result a mathematical equation such as Pi? Consider if every moment of our existence were represented by a Pi like digit. If our individual existences could be expressed as a mathematical equation, would it be considered rational or irrational?

As a rational number, there will be a final digit. The long series of digits will come to a calculated end; one last digit and then no more. There are many people who believe their life is rational. It has a beginning and it has an ending. They believe that their experience on this world is all that there is. However… what if there is an infinite existence beyond our experience of beginnings and endings? By faith, I believe what the scriptures tell us. The digits of our lives will continue without end, just like Pi. All of mankind was created as unique irrational numbers. Just because our bodies may die does not mean that our unique calculation does not continue to generate another digit. Man was created for eternity with a brief period spent on earth with purpose in every digit. Every digit of Christ’s life had purpose. (Each) of the digits of Christ’s life would reveal the names of all He touched, all He showed love, all He condemned, the date of the cross, His resurrection and His ascension. There was purpose and intention in every digit of Christ’s life.

If God created the equation of Christ’s life on earth with precise meaning and intent in every digit, then why would we think that our lives are random and purposeless? We were created to be uniquely irrational. We were created with purpose; a string of digits full of meaning and intention.

We are the product of the great Mathematician. He created the uniquely irrational equation that describes you and me. He prescribed in us every digit, in the precise order that He intended. We were created for the infinite.

I often forget that reality. I often don’t live for the infinite.

Everyone who is in Christ has to come to that point in time when they relinquish themselves to the irrational. We call it faith. Our hope resides in the irrational mysteries of Christ. We need to let our hope be a reality in our daily lives. Our hope should lead our lives. Christ came to do the will of Him who sent Him. As irrational creations, we were created for the same purpose; to do the will of Him who has called us. Let’s start living the irrational lives that we were created to live!”

(Thanks for the wise counsel, JD!)

What are you leaning on?

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I remember vacationing out west when I was a youth and being impressed with the vastness of the Grand Canyon. For an Iowa boy, standing at the edge of such an immense chasm was both inspiring and intimidating. Not being fond of heights to begin with, I was the one to approach the edge railing ever so cautiously. I thought I was doing much better with this as an adult but found myself being equally ‘vigilant’ standing at the edge of the tall pier in Newport Beach last year. My loving wife gently teased me about it as I tenderly clung to her (for life! :-)) as we admired the ocean view together. What can I say? Faced with the potential for danger, I like a sturdy railing! Something I know I can lean on and trust.

We need to know for SURE what and who we can lean on when troubles come. Have you ever found yourself leaning on your abilities to be successful or on your financial savings? Or your good health or knowledge and education? It is great when we are blessed with these but I’m sure you know how fleeting these all are, here one day and gone the next. It only took one 5 minute “You have Leukemia” conversation with my hematologist to reveal how all that would change in my life very quickly. Though I have been richly blessed with the love and support of family and friends, how many people have found that even these sometimes fall short when facing times of immense troubles?

So what can we lean on that is always dependable? Here is what I have found in my life and tested to be always true, always reliable and firm, always accessible and unchanging no matter what circumstances prevail, even a life-threatening illness: God’s love, his faithfulness, truth, grace, and power to overcome. He is more than a sturdy railing that protects us from falling. His Word tells the history (His Story) of unfailing compassion toward us. I have experienced this to be true. And since true, I know I can always trust it. And since I can trust it, why in the world would I not ACT on it?! After all, we always act on what we believe.

What troubles and suffering are you facing today? What sorrows and anxieties weigh on your heart? You really can trust them to God if you truly believe in him. His Word is true and applicable to every burden you carry. I hope you will be fully persuaded to not only believe, but believe to the point of acting on it so you can lean with all your strength. Lean with reckless abandon, fully trusting that what you lean on is completely secure, and fully experiencing all the adventure he intends for you.

“For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.” Psalm 108:4

Leukemia Update: A Journey of Perseverance

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Generally races are meant to be run fast, to be the first one to finish and win the prize. Four months after my stem cell transplant and eight months into this journey with Leukemia, I am still a novice at this marathon. But I know this: there is no fast about it. In fact, sometimes walking across the room before sitting down again makes it hardly seem like a race at all. But it is a long-range marathon of perseverance.

The last two months has been marked by loss of appetite, weight loss, and stomach distress. The docs don’t know what is causing it. Our theory is that the treatments killed all the good and bad bacteria in my GI system. Docs say it could take a year or two to build that up again (really?!) and that probiotics are out of the question because of their link to death in post transplant patients. Apart from the very occasional bouts that double me over, most of it doesn’t seem like it should be a big deal compared to the score of other symptoms Leukemia patients, including myself, face.

But have you ever noticed in your own life how some pain, though not as intense as others you have faced none the less carries a similarly heavy weight? Whether it is a relational tension, a financial burden, or a physical pain, there is something about the cumulative effect of an ongoing pain. That’s where it becomes a marathon of perseverance.

What gets you through those difficult times, when it is months, years, maybe decades or a lifetime of waiting for resolution? Though I have sometimes been known for my tenacity, in this situation, I have found there is no simple “gritting your teeth and bearing it” because it completely wears you down. (My accomplishment for this whole day was to change a light bulb today…with Marcia’s help… and that is more than I’ve done in a week.) There are times you think you can bear no more. It has only been God’s enduring response to enduring faith that is a suitable answer to Leukemia. Faith is grown day by day, sometimes moment by moment, by believing God’s Word and finding it to be true and applicable in every aspect of your life. It is finding real hope to be not a wish, but a reality not yet revealed.

Got faith? We need it to persevere the marathon race when trials come our way. The time for building faith and believing God’s promises is now.

“…because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:3-4