family, the 80’s, the collision of 2 worlds, & other musings on a Friday…

Posted on January 29, 2010 by scoeyd

Today on the way to school, theWeez started asking me questions about the “old days” – you know, the 80’s. Turns out she saw a Journey video, & was intrigued by their hairstyles… namely the flowing & often frizzy pseudo-mullets sported by the band.

She said, “So, Dad. Tell me. The hair. Was that cool? I mean for REALS.

I had to say, ‘Yes. Yes it was. Or at least it was perceived to be cool by the people sporting said hair.” TheWeez thought that was pretty funny, & remarked at how lame Those People were, & had absolutely NO sense of style &/or what looked good or was appropriate.

Indignation rose up in me in response to her laughter – time to turn the tables: “So, Weez. Is there anything – any fashion, hair style, clothes, music etc. that you think MIGHT be just as silly to your kids as the stuff from MY generation is to you?” She pondered it a second, & replied, “Nope.”

20 years from now, I will revisit this conversation with her. And tell stories on her to my grandkids. Booyah.

Speaking of the 80’s, style, & my music, world’s collided today, namely mine & theWeez’s when I discovered a collaboration, an intentional one at that, between Def Leppard (aka MY Music) & Taylor Swift. There’s even a concert DVD available. Watch it at your own risk. And don’t complain that I didn’t warn you. All I can say is, “Oh, goodness.”

Had to go buy some large storage bins yesterday to put the church pastries into… normally, I’d have just gone into a Local Superstore to find such things, however, theBean knows about these kind of things better than me, better than me. So she sent me to RESCO. Lots of restaurant-style equipment, stainless steel, industrial. Cool. I almost enjoyed it, especially thinking how I could put a monstrously ginormous stainless steel fridge in my kitchen. Somewhere. And then the silence surrounding my dreaming about the Industrial-ness was shattered by Bob.

Bob was loud. Like using his outdoor playtime voice loud. Like standing way too close to be talking this loud. Like, ‘Dude? What’s up with THAT!’ loud.

He proceeded to tell me he was there to take my money. Ha-ha. No, really, he said that. I didn’t laugh. Which wasn’t good for Bob, evidently, because he then told me that I needed to smile more. Really? I’m buying tupperware, you’re loud, & I need to smile more?

I paid & made my way to the car, my irritated nerves soothed by the cool breeze, blue skies, & a glimpse or 7 of the sun.

Again. Oh, goodness…

Which of course got me thinking on Philippians 2 today, especially the part about doing everything without complaining, arguing, contention, & bad attitudes…

Learned something new today – 1 tear does NOT equal crying.

Pasty & I are off to the gym & then Guitar Center today. Because we’ve been reaaaaalllllyyyy good boys. Not going to buy anything, but Boy Howdy! we can pretend.

My iDoey is now officially able to look me directly in the eyes. Sigh. Another big kid.

wandering in Ecclesiastes on a slippery Tuesday…

Posted on January 26, 2010 by scoeyd

Took theWeez to school this morning & slipped & slid all over the road, which had been deceptively hiding its icy-ness from me, causing me to think all was good, right, & safe in the world of driving this a.m. Thankful for AWD Subaru, & for no one in my way when the ‘slipperies’ attacked my tires. Goodness. Tricksy road.

Home again, looking at my 18 year old son this morning, watching him wrestle with the weight of the day – preparing to go to school while not feeling up to par… but pushing through just the same. For some reason, it inspired me to ponder the “meaning of life” stuff… which of course ends up sooner or later in Ecclesiastes. Read through. Tried to pretend it was my first time through it, to read & receive it fresh. Without the years of familiarity coloring the words, categorizing the ‘writings’ as that “bitter & negative” book in the Old Testament that says life sucks & most of it is a waste of time, energy, & resource.

And so I prayed for new eyes. And read. And noted what stood out to me.

The writer, “The Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem,” writes that “everything is vanity.” Some translations say, “everything is meaningless.”

And by everything, he means EVERYTHING. And then he tells us about it, as though we are supposed to learn from him & his experience, his attempts to find something, anything of substance in the world that we live in.

So he sought after wisdom & knowledge, only to observe:

For in much wisdom, there is vexation, & those who increase knowledge, increase sorrow. 1:18

Then he pursued pleasure & the accumulation of stuff.

Whatever my eyes desired, I didn’t not keep from them; I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, & this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done & the toil I had spent in doing it, & again, all was vanity, & a chasing after wind, & there was nothing to be gained under the sun… the lover of money will not be satisfied with money; nor the lover of wealth with gain. This also is vanity. 2:10,11 & 5:10

Makes me think of different things that people live for, focus upon, chase, even. Education. Wealth. Status (or even the appearance of it.) A title (or 10.) The perception of respect. Entertainment. Pleasure. Accumulation of stuff. .

Might be just that I’m feeling incredibly rich these days, the George Bailey, “no man is a failure who has friends,” kind of rich. Watching some crashing & burning of people who’ve been living the Ecclesiastes-life… looking for something MORE than they have, pursuing it as hard & fast as they can… finding vanity. Emptiness. Discontent. Pain.

Makes me want to wrap both hands around contentedness. Thankfulness. Check, & double-check to make sure that I’m chasing, looking, & paying attention to the important stuff – the stuff that lasts.

Knowing Christ. Deep & real relationships with the people in my life.

Not comparing myself to others – what they have accomplished. The stuff they have. Or bemoaning difficult, negative, or confusing life circumstances.

Embracing a life-focus & life-investment that is worth every penny.

Last week in LA, we opened our meetings with worship. Simple, 1 guitar & 1 keyboard, with familiar songs. One of them, a blast from 1980, was O Lord, You’re Beautiful from Keith Green. I’ve been singing it over & over, as a prayer… which is how I think it was written.

Thanks Keith.

Rain goes with coffee.

So say we all.

catching-up on my musings on a Friday, & Happy Birthday Johnny!

Posted on January 22, 2010 by scoeyd

Interesting week. Got a call from a friend Sunday evening – someone who’s been living out of the area for a while, but that is still near & dear to my & my families hearts for a plethora of reasons. His younger brother, E-Lib (my name for him; his parents are truly kinder than THAT,) had been in a fight in Reno, & had been stabbed. My friend was coming to Reno to see his brother, & wanted to crash at the house.

Absolutely. My heart broke. I have 3 younger brothers. I know his brother.

Though we only had a couple of minutes for greetings when he arrived at our home, it was good to reconnect, even under the duress that such a situation brings with it. And the good news is that E-Lib should be okay, albeit with a lengthy recovery.

It was good to see you Kurt. And to meet your buddy Tyler too.

Left in the wee hours Monday for a 3 day meeting with our larger church family leadership in Glendale. In a nutshell, the group I met with has been charged with determining a process for & the selecting nominees for the presidency of our denomination. It was lively, though my sitting muscles are incredibly sore from parking on hotel ballroom chairs for way to long. Truly. By the end of Day 2, I needed a crane to lift me out of my chair because my poor bum hurt so bad. Not funny.

Ed Stetzer led a big portion of the ‘presidential profile creation.’ I love listening to him process out loud, & always come away challenged in my own thinking & assumptions. He’s a living example of “iron sharpens iron.” Thank you Ed.

Today marks what would have been my brother John Leavy Locke’s 37th birthday. Which means that this June will mark the 20th anniversary of his death, & his going to be with Jesus. Looking back, I can believe that its been 20 years… & at the exact same time, it seems like only yesterday. My memories of him seem like moving snapshots. Thinking of our hours of playing Batman & Robin in our backyard on Upson Lane. Playing wiffle-ball in the backyard & his constant quitting when he didn’t get his way. I’d try to tell him, ‘You forfeit. I win.” This caused confusion because he was 4 years old & must’ve thought it was an age thing I was referring to, because he’d always respond, “Nuh-uh! You 7-fit!”

Playing & wrestling with all 4 of us – Louie, Johnny, Joel, & Ben. They’d gang up on me, & I had to develop a strategy to deal with the waves of brothers’ attacks: charley horse to Ben’s leg. Charley to Joel. With them both incapacitated, I was left to take on Johnny. More often than not, he’d leave me with a bloody nose. Only person (besides theBean,) to give me one of those.

When we shared a room, we’d have late night talks about life, family, hopes, dreams, & sports. He was a terrific athlete in Football, baseball, & basketball. I was so proud to be able to watch his games & see the ease at which he played them. Amazed me.

And his gentleness & compassion. And tenacity. All of those came out full bore when the cancer was diagnosed. In how he interacted with others. Faced adversity. Grew & matured in his faith in Christ, the One who gives a hope in times of hopelessness & despair. I learned so much about what it means to be a Christ-follower from him, esp. because he didn’t shrink from difficulty or disappointment. Didn’t question why. Just kept going.

I miss him terribly.

When I look at my own kids, I see things every day that remind me of him. Pasty’s rosy cheeks after a work out, & his intense, self-motivated competitive drive which makes him invaluable on a team. IDoey’s intensity & combustability… Weezer’s sweetness. And her laugh. All 3 of them have his compassion. Truly. I’ve seen it. Like to see it more. :)

I’m looking forward to the day when we’ll be reunited. Hope its a while away, but it will be a good day when it happens.

Time flies. Today is also marks a great anniversary – the 5th anniversary of the day my brother Ben married Jessica. She is truly a gift, & I am so thankful for her & how she loves my youngest brother; you truly are a source of joy. And for the girls, EllieB & Zoe-Hawk. Many blessings to you 2 today.

Working with Pasty on the possibility of going to a nearby JC for school & football. He’s a workout beast, & is really pressing into preparation for this. I’m very proud of his determination, & KNOW he can do it.

Can’t wait to watch the Vikings-Saints game this week. Colts-Jets will be good too, I suppose, but the NFC game is the main one on my radar.

Think I’ll make some more coffee.

A thought on Joseph & his brothers…

Posted on January 17, 2010 by scoeyd

I was reading this morning where Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers – the very same brothers that had sold him into slavery years before…

Instead of getting his revenge on them, Joseph used his position of leadership in the nation of Egypt to provide a way for his father, brothers, & their families to escape the brunt of the worst famine in recent memory by being relocated from their homes in the Promised Land to Egypt.

The 11 brothers were loaded down with loads of the best produce & provision that Egypt had to offer to make the journey as pleasant as possible.

What stood out to me was the last thing that Joseph said to his brothers before they left with their caravan to bring their father & families back:

Don’t quarrel about all this on the way.

I laughed when I read it.

I laughed because here are 11 brothers whose lives have been utterly turned upside-down for the good; whose worries about the famine & what they would eat, & how they’d provide for their families in the present & foreseeable future had been answered; whose past lies, treachery, greed, & jealousy had finally been uncovered; & also whose brother, the one that they’d sold into slavery, was now the 2nd most powerful man in the world.

Ouch.

They had to go back to their father & confess what they’d done to him years prior. Come clean about the carefully crafted ‘stories’ they’d told over the years to keep up their deception. Look into the eyes & face of their father, the man who they had directly caused so much pain to with their actions.

All of that can make one feel fear.

And rather than confronting our fear, which makes us feel weak & powerless, we respond in anger, which makes us feel strong. Placing blame on others, doing anything to shift the weight of personal responsibility, if even in appearance, onto the shoulders of another.

Joseph knew his brothers. Knew what they’d be doing when they got home. And knew that in spite of all the good that was going to happen to them & theirs, they’d first have to confront their own sins & wrongdoing.

It’s a good word – in the face of having to walk through tough stuff:

Don’t quarrel on the way.

Engine lights, playoff football, & other musings on a Tuesday…

Posted on January 12, 2010 by scoeyd

Last Monday, I climbed into the Outback & was greeted with a yellow “Check Engine” light – bummer. Yellow. Which is probably better than red. And it wasn’t blinking, so it had to be better news than if it was both RED & BLINKING. (Right?)

Took the car to Earl’s because he has a Cool Diagnostic Tool, which told me (digitally, of course,) that the car had a P0121 Error – meaning that the Throttle Position Sensor was figuratively saying, “Hey now.”

I checked with my resident Subaru experts, Mr. H & Brother, (experts because they both either own or have owned a Subaru in the past,) & neither of them had ever dealt with a P0121. But what they HAD dealt with was the Yellow Check Engine Light Syndrome (YCELS), where an otherwise healthy Subaru would inexplicably display the CHECK ENGINE light. Which would hang around for a day or 4, & then disappear. Brother had even taken his Sube in 2 times, only to be told by the tech, “Um. Not a problem. I’ll reset the code, & you’ll be good to go. $115 please.”

Hmm. Didn’t want that to happen. Also didn’t want to ignore my engine, even if it was only YCELS. So I called my local mechanic & made an appointment to get it checked. On my way to the appointment, the Murphy’s Law of “Check Engine” lights happened – it went off. As in DISAPPEARED.

Took the car in anyway. Mechanic said, “Um. Not a problem. I’ll reset the code, & you’ll be good to go. $115 please.”

Funny.

I am very thankful for the ‘weather change’ we’ve experienced – it’s still a little cold, still a bit windy (we do live in Nevada, so wind shouldn’t be a surprise.) But the thing about the change I’m most thankful for is that we have left our record low temperatures in our rear-view. This thankfulness has been reinforced by 2 things:

-the continuing freezing cold spell happening all over

-the arrival of the December 2009 NV Energy combo Gas/Electric bill. Goodness. Our November bill was a 30% increase over October. December was 45% more than November. Ouch.

Tom introduced me to my new favorite place to eat – Uncle Vinny’s Pizza – breakfast, lunch, & dinner menus. Flat-screens galore. All the better to watch playoff football on. I’d recommend it.

Speaking of playoff football – I loved the Cardinals/Packers game from last week in which the Cardinals won 51-45. I had no vested rooting interest in the game, so watching both teams offenses going off was amazing. Had me glued to the set like no other game of the year so far. (I am a 49er fan. Nuff said.)

Woke up from a great sleep with the memory of a dream… I had dreamed that there was a new episode of Stargate SG-1 airing that evening. Silly me. Might be time for a marathon. Or at least a re-viewing.

A few weeks ago, I was praying & had an impression… kind of a picture & an idea which is one of the ways I hear from God… anyway what I heard was an encouragement, “Read your Bible more.”

No reason, no explanation attached. No condemnation or feelings of guilt, as though I’d neglected it. Just “Read your Bible more.”

So I aimed to amp up my reading schedule – which for a long time has been my ‘own’ schedule, in that I haven’t followed any particular reading plan in a long, long time, almost since I started out with the “Bible Pathways” plan when I was 4. I followed that one for about 6 years, & it took me through the entire Bible in a year.

At some point, probably my early 20’s, I realized that at times, due to familiarity with a passage, I would go on ‘auto-pilot’ & not really pay attention to what I was ‘reading.’ I was physically present, but my mind was miles away. Didn’t want to do that anymore, so I Changed it up. Bought a few “Gift & Award Bibles,” different versions (NASB, NLT, NIV, NRSV, The Message, & most recently the ESV.) Each one cost about $5-6. I’d read through one, then pick up another. But no real ‘plan’ to follow & go through the whole Bible, systematically & intentionally.

The nudge I’d gotten to Read More made me wonder. To ask myself why I wasn’t reading on a plan. And the answer I got back, after lots of questioning & soul-searching, was that I didn’t NEED a plan. Plans were for “other people.” People not like Me.

That sounded a lot like pride. Vanity. With a hint of un-teachable-ness. I didn’t like what was bubbling up. Too good for a plan? So mature in Jesus that I can do this on my own? Um. No.

So I’m on a plan – I’m not following it religiously (meaning if I don’t read the whole amount on the day, I don’t consider the day a failure. Or that I’m behind.) And I need God’s Word in me more than ever, so that I will reflect Him, His priorities, values, & actions, & not those of a negative, bigoted, zealot that overlays God’s hopes, dreams, wants, & practices with his own.

Love Is A Choice – may be the best interpersonal relationship book I have in my library. I recommend it at least 5 times a week. If you haven’t read it, do it!

It’s Friday & I’m rehearsing my routine…

Posted on January 8, 2010 by scoeyd

Yesterday, a friend commented that they’d observed I have a lot of ‘routines.’ I had to ask what they meant, as I didn’t recall any song & dance performances I’d done lately (other than an impromptu DLR kick in the kitchen. And the Carlton. And the little thing I did when I won my fantasy football league… but nothing major.)

So it wasn’t THAT kind of routine they were talking about. Der. Its the routine that make life ‘feel’ normal, like things are going the way they are supposed to… that no matter how much change takes place, there are a few things, activities, habits… my things, activities, habits, that make life’s changes & curveballs… ok.

One of my favorites: Making coffee in the evening, so it will be ready in the morning.

-Filter in the receptacle. Double-check to make sure its open & ready to receive the bean grindings.

-Grind the beans for 15 seconds, silently counting in my head. Lips might be moving too. Stop grinding. Hit it again for 1,2,3.

-Whack the grinder on the right hand side 3 times to shake loose any stuck grounds, & then gently tap the grinder contents into the waiting filter. Whack the grinder again, just to make sure.

-Smell the aroma of freshly ground beans. Hmmm.

-Press the timer. Ahh.

Bannerman lives…

Posted on January 6, 2010 by scoeyd

Bannerman lives.

It’s the ‘fictional’ name given in a song tribute by a hero of mine to the anonymous guy that held up the sign that says “John 3:16” at sporting events… mostly football games. He always seemed to be positioned so that when a team scored & had to kick an extra point & the TV camera would show the goal posts, he’d stand up & hold a huge sign or banner proclaiming his message. The picture at left shows one of the more famous individuals in his um… “unique” get-up.

It almost didn’t feel like Monday Night Football if he didn’t show up in his rainbow wig, creative facial hair, & ever-present sign. I haven’t seen him around in years. I’ve got news: he’s back, albeit in a different form.

I was reading a Rick Reilly column on ESPN & came across this bit of information. (Note: if you read the column, you’ll see that Reilly was not saying this was a good thing at all – but all the same, I was amazed at the response.)

During last year’s BCS championship game at Land Shark Stadium, he (Tim Tebow) wore John 3:16 under his eyes. According to the Miami Herald, 90 million people Googled the verse that night.

90 million.

He ain’t gonna change the world, but he knows who can…. Bannerman!

a phone conference & other musings on a Tuesday…

Posted on January 5, 2010 by scoeyd

Just finished with a 2 hour phone conference call. I’ve had conference calls before, but this is the first one of this type, with 80 other people. The Good News was that there was a feature on the phone program used for the call that would allow all 80 people to mute their phone line (so background noise from each persons’ environment wouldn’t be projected to all on the call. The Bad News was that the instructions for muting were wrong. Not just inaccurate – but wrong. In order to mute the line, we had to press the # key, something the instructions specifically said NOT to press.

Fortunately, when it comes to technology & instructions, I usually follow the “if it doesn’t work, try anything that you’ve found that works on other applications,” method. And it worked. It was a little bit fun to hear assorted (& anonymous) intra-office conversations from those that thought their line was muted. But I am easily amused.

Thanks for the invention of Speaker Phone. I toughed it out for the first 45 minutes because the background noise & distractions were minimized that way… but an ear can only take so much. And both of mine reached their limit.

Reminds me of my days as a reception for PERS. I worked there before Al Gore’s nifty “internet invention” had caught on, so there were quite a few incoming calls… in the years I did the job, I worked it out that there were an average of 650 calls a day.

I still remember the day I got a headset to replace the handset. Almost wept with joy.

It’s January 5, & my thoughts turn to… filing taxes. Go figure.

One of the more challenging relational issues I have with the ladies of my family is their propensity to spontaneously make decisions to do something without having taken adequate time to prepare for their ensuing actions. Spontaneity is fine with me, as long as it can be… planned out. Hmm.

I wonder if being spontaneous is tied to being an Extrovert.

When I think about it, I’m amazed they put up with me. Perhaps they just work around me.

TheWeez turns 13 tomorrow, which means I now have 3 teenagers. In this season of life & parenting, I find myself shooting up more & more quick prayers… especially when talking about the proposed future of Pasty. IDoey’s driver’s license countdown. TheWeez… being beautiful, witty, & loads of fun… & 13 going on 22.

As if you were already tired of hearing this: I have added yet another kettlebell exercise (the Figure 8 w/hold,) to my repertoire, bringing me to a grand total of 5 exercises that I do in a row before my body says, “Done.” My goal is to work up to 10. Can I get a “Booyah!” ?

Me & theBean were given a fantastic 2 night stay in Tahoe, which we’re taking advantage of this Friday & Saturday. Sweet!

Life is beautiful.

Purposing to Grow…

Posted on January 1, 2010 by scoeyd

Watching college football on New Year’s Day is one of my favorite things. The full slate of Bowl Games provides a comforting & familiar backdrop for thinking, pondering, & musing – which, along with brown paper bags, wrapped up with string – are a few of my favorite things.

I’m not a New Year’s Resolution maker. I don’t want to make a bold declaration, only to not follow through… I’m NOT a judger of those that do make them; I’d just prefer that my life & how I live speak for itself… instead of just words…

The older I get, the more I am recognizing the ever-growing ease of resting in my own wants, likes, & preferences… & a propensity, a pull to settle in to the path of least resistance. Even if it’s not good for my long-term hopes & dreams.

I see that my good intentions & resolve to change, to grow, to be different melt away as soon as the smallest bit of relief comes. Like how the desire, purpose, & intent to diet & take off a few pounds/inches fades away in the amount of time necessary to change from a pair of tight jeans into stretchy warm-ups…

Wish I could say that that ISN’T true of me. That I have got the whole self-control & life discipline thing-y conquered. But I don’t. And therefore, I want to purpose to grow. I want to live on purpose, with intention & determination. To honor God, & ever be growing into His plans for me instead of shrinking from situations that are demanding, difficult, & challenging.

And so I purpose to grow:

When I look back at what I’ve written, I think that maybe someone would see this as a New Year’s Resolution list, & for a lot of reasons (pride being number 1) I guess I could be inclined to try & wordsmith an explanation or 10 of WHY this ISN’T one of Those Lists because I’m not one of Those People. But that would be silly, because really, how others perceive me & think of me can’t be paramount. Can’t. And won’t.

I’m purposing to grow.

Musings on a Tuesday…

Posted on December 29, 2009 by scoeyd

The 2-week break from school that my kids are on has provided me with an opportunity to take a couple of half-days to spend with them doing some of our favorite things. Today we went to see Avatar in 3D. It reminded me of a few movies, especiallyDances With Wolves. Had popcorn. With lots of butter. Yum.

When we were standing in line for the popcorn, the person in front of us ordered popcorn & specified “Very light butter.” I was incredulous – Very Light Butter? Isn’t the very purpose of movie popcorn to soak it in so much Real Movie Popcorn Butter that every time a handful is taken, it requires a full napkin to address the mess left on your hand? So I asked for the butter on mine that they should have put on the other person’s popcorn.

Pasty is in Tennnessee… Cookeville to be precise. Visiting his girlfriend & her family. It was all he wanted for Christmas, so he’ll be there for the next few days… And that event marks the entrance to an interesting phase of life: the parenting of an adult.

Which reminds me: today at the movie theater, I was waiting for theWeez to come back from the little girls room. Out of the blue, a pretty young thing came up to me & put her arms around me. Whoa. It was theWeez. Here I was, waiting for my little girl, & here I am confronted by this beautiful almost woman. Goodness, time flies.

This evening, I met with 3 of our 4 church team leaders for the 1st time in a couple of weeks; normally we get together every week to communicate – to bounce ideas off of each other, talk about recent happenings, & plan for upcoming stuff. With Christmas & its festivities, we missed a couple, which I didn’t think would be a big deal. Turns out I was wrong – communication means the need for more communication, clarification, knowing & being known. I didn’t realize how much I had missed it, or how good it would be to catch up. I’m thankful for those guys.

Woke up this morning with the feel of sand & sun lingering from a vivid dream… only to find a cold, foggy, & snowy day awaiting me. I’ve never been a beach guy, & my perfect days have always revolved around the indoors. But man, I sure could go for some sand & sun about now. And a nap.

Complaining doesn’t help bad or uncomfortable situations. It just takes me deeper into a hole, & requires that I ignore the areas of life where God is actively, consistently, faithfully at work in & around me. And I’m not gonna waste the energy on it.

Booyah. I love that word. Booyah. It is a great transitional word that says Nothing & Everything at the same time.

scoey's conundrum

just a boy trying to figure it out on the fly…