Month: November 2022

Bloom

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The leaves may be falling off the trees in some parts of the country, but in my backyard … pink, yellow and purple bougainvilleas are bursting with color.

Why? It’s time to bloom again. It’s the season. The purple stays in bloom year round, the pink is in bloom most of the time, and the yellow a little less than the pink.

But they all bloom. They are planted, growing, stimulated by dryness and in it’s season … they bloom.

A good legacy will bloom …. Don’t hurry it, just be faithful. Your kids and those you are influencing will remember … so leave a good legacy.

Don’t compare yourself to the purple one … hang in there and don’t let dryness or being in a wilderness discourage you. You will bloom.

Leave a good legacy

Do I Help?

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How much help do I give them? Parents, friends and bosses face this dilemma often.

Saturday morning group rides (bicycle/tri-bike) have a lot of drafting. A strong rider is in the front facing the head winds and the pack is behind staying in a “draft” with little resistance from the wind. Usually, everyone takes a turn pulling – leading the pack.

Weaker riders spend most of their time in the pack being carried by the stronger ones.

In a triathlon (swimming, biking, running) no drafting is allowed on the bike portion. It is all up to you.

And there’s the tension. Sometimes you need help and sometimes it is up to you…and sometimes you help them and sometimes you don’t.

The tension of “bearing another’s burden” and “carrying your own load” is reflected in the Bible as well (Galatians 6).

So what do you do? Well, it depends ……. I guess you will figure this one out by yourself … but at least you are on the bike and moving.

Sometimes it is fun just being a part of the group and doing more together and sometimes you need to run your race. Regardless – Ride!

Leave a good legacy.

Leaving a Wake

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Boats leave wakes. Water fans out from the rear of a moving boat creating a ridge on both sides. Directly behind the boat the water is flat.

Years ago me and my sons would took our boat, a 16ft Semi-V Carolina Skiff with a 40 horsepower motor, out into the Atlantic Ocean. The biggest challenge going into the ocean was getting through the Palm Beach Inlet. All inlets are dangerous, especially for a small boat. Our strategy was to wait for a larger boat to go ahead of us then we would settle behind them in their wake and go out through the inlet. We would follow them into the ocean.

The bigger boat would cut through the choppy waters and provide some protection from boats coming into the inlet from the opposite direction. Sometimes an incoming boat would produce a dangerous cross wake and we would turn into it to keep from taking on water.

The boat we would follow often did not know we were behind them in their wake. They were focusing on passing through the inlet safely too.

We only needed to follow them for 800 yards … just enough to pass through danger safely. We only needed calm waters for 60 seconds or less and we would safely move forward through the inlet.

Did you know that you are leaving a wake. Your family and friends benefit from the path you set over rough waters.

The wake of your life is carrying people you do not even know. It will be brief, but it will be essential to their safe passage. Lead well and influence the next generation by leaving a good wake.

Leave a good wake. It is your legacy.

When the Wheel Comes Off

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Last night I was riding on the back of a golf cart. As we rounded a corner the right rear wheel fell off, the cart tilted, and the axle put a grove in the pavement. We were in shock. Unharmed, we slowed to the side of the road.

The wheel had four bolts and they were scattered along the road. It was dark and the neighborhood was quiet. Somehow my son found the bolts. It had happened before and he knew where to look. I was went looking for the wheel, but when it came off, it kept rolling ahead of us into a neighbor’s flower bed.

Sometimes when our plans go bad we just find the bolts and put the pieces back together. The road may be scarred but it still works. I’m a big believer in the value of failing and taking risks around the corner.

But sometimes poor decisions have a bigger cost. Sometimes the consequences roll ahead of us and impact the future. This isn’t about mitigating risk, this has more to do with our character and integrity.

Leave a good legacy.