Jack's Journey

2010-02-04T10:26:00.002-07:00

It's amazing to me how we get so caught up in the busyness of our normal routine. We need to set boundaries and keep the important from being overrun by what we think is urgent or is it just pressing or poor control of priorities, disorganization or not saying "NO" often enough. I will have to think about that.

I feel truly blessed in many ways and just hope I can learn to stop and enjoy memorable experiences in life. This past weekend Todd and Michelle came to Calgary from Waldheim with Ireland, Peyton & Ty. We hooked up at Cross Iron Mills with Jaelyn and her three girls, Maddy, Preslie and Lacey. To be honest it was fun to be with all the grandkids and let the women shop. Gerri took Peyton and later Preslie and Lacey on some rides and the girls had a blast. The older girls and Michelle & Jaelyn were clearly there to shop and Gerri carved out some time to get her shopping fix in as well.

When the first round of shopping was complete Todd had three rather large bags to take out to the van and it was time to hit the food court. Even that was fun! After lunch it was time for Gerri and I to head for home while the rest put in several more hours of shopping.

On Sunday it was off to church and Gerri picked up Wyatt and we had him for a good part of the day. That made for 7 of the 10 grandkids all together. We were only missing Lauren, Ella and Lyla. After church it was off to a favorite restaurant - Olive Garden and we all had lunch together.

It is all part of making memories and being thankful for our grandkids.

It was kind of interesting that Gerri's girls, Breanne and Nicole had pictures taken of Lyla and Wyatt and had them mounted in a grandkids picture frame theme and then my crew put together pictures of all their kids and we now have both picture frames mounted prominently in our home to remind us how fortunate we are to have such a wonderful, large family.

We now turn our attention to getting ready for a relaxing week in Mexico to enjoy a winter break and spending some quality time together catching some sun and some well deserved and needed R & R. For all our blessings we are thankful!

Until next time....

2010-01-19T10:38:00.003-07:00

Here is some things to think about from John Ortberg's book "the me I want to be."

"Many approaches to spiritual growth assume that the same methods will produce the same growth in different people - but they don't. Because you have been created by God as a unique person, this plan to grow you will not look the same as his plan to grow someone else. What would grow an orchid would drown a cactus. What would feed a mouse would starve an elephant. All of those entities need light, food, air and water - but in different amounts and conditions. The key is not treating every creature alike; its finding the unique conditions that help each creature grow." ...

"Reality, such as actually having children and becoming quickly aware that every human being is different. If we really want to help someone grow, we will help them in a way that fits their wiring.

Our great model of this is God himself, for he always knows just what a person needs.

He had Abraham take a walk, Elijah take a nap, Joshua take a lap, and Adam take the rap.

He gave Moses a forty-year time out, he gave David a harp and a dance and he gave Paul a pen and a scroll.

He wrestled with Jacob, argued with Job, whispered to Elijah, warned Cain and comforted Hagar.

He gave Aaron and altar, Miriam a song, Gideon a fleece, Peter a name and Elisha a mantle.

Jesus was stern with the rich young ruler, tender with the woman caught in adultery, patient with the disciples, blistering with the scribes, gentle with the children, and gracious with the thief on the cross.

God never grows two people the same way. God is a hand-crafter, not a mass-producer.

Now it is your turn."

I don't know about you but its freeing to think about how God does not expect us all to be the same. He made us unique and he intends for us to have the freedom to take our uniqueness and grow in a relationship with him that does not follow a prescribed formula and there are no pat answers.

Are we really accepting that freedom and enjoying the journey or are we trying to emulate someone else and feeling like we aren't measuring up!

Remember God loves you and has uniquely wired you to be the person he wants you to be and provided a resident spirit to help you. Why not make it a practice to have God remind you of your uniqueness everyday and watch for the ways he messages that idea celebrate and share the joy you find in that experience.

Until next time...

What is Spiritual Formation?

2010-01-14T19:26:00.002-07:00

This picks up on something I talked about a few days ago. I promised to talk about what spiritual formation is. What I am going to do is tell you what John Ortberg has to say it is in his latest book "the me I want to be" - becoming God's best version of you.

"There is an outer you - your body - that is being shaped all the time by the way you eat, drink, sleep, exercise, and live. You may do this well or poorly, intentionally or not, but it will happen. Then there is the inner you - your thoughts, desires, will, and character. This is being shaped all the time by what you see, read, hear, think and do. We call this inner you the spirit.

Spiritual formation is the process by which your inner self and character are shaped.

People sometimes speak as if spiritual formation is an optional activity that some religious people may pursue and others bypass. They think it is reserved for monks, mystics and missionaries. But that's not true.

Everyone has a spirit. Everyone's inner life is being formed - for better or worse.

We flourish when our spirits are rooted in and shaped by the Spirit of God - and God wants to do that in a way that uniquely fits us."

I don't know about you but I like the description and it helps me realize that is an opportunity and not an obligation to follow a set of rigid practices with the intent of trying to make me "more holy". Rather it is a day to day journey where I have choices in watching my intake of the things that I think, watch, read and things I talk about.

I thrive on the idea its a journey and I am a work in progress and thankfully God isn't finished with me yet. It also helps to know that I am unique and so are you. So there is no rigid prescribed formula that works for everyone.

Until next time...

What a Treat!

2010-01-11T20:03:00.002-07:00

Who says we are getting too old or too busy to do some of the important things in life?

Gerri and I spent time with baby Wyatt on Saturday and rolled up something like 7 or so hours credit. Neither of us have lost our touch. He was very comfortable with us and a good baby and it gave Nicole and Cecil some time to spend together. We handled the whole experience without one hitch and were able to give Wyatt back to his parents, well fed, well rested, clean, changed and quite content.

We were so successful that we took time with baby Lyla on Sunday and even took her with us for supper and a wonderful evening with the Lonards and Browns. I think we logged about 7 hours again! Lyla survived football and being two months old has some neat facial expressions and was her own little person. She has this neat way of stretching and yawning. Again the day went without a hitch and we returned her happy and content to her parents.

This weekend we are off to Edmonton for Fifth Generation pictures with Great Great Grandma Alain, Great Grandma Reindl, Grandma Gerri, Breanne, Lyla, Nicole and Wyatt. I am just the chauffeur, but it should be quite a memorable day! As well Great Grandpa Adolf is just there for the ride (like me)!

Coming soon it will be our turn to take our granddaughter Preslie out for lunch and shopping to celebrate her birthday.

Like children, grandchildren are a gift from God and we are truly blessed and want to be a good influence on the lives of all of these little people! We are about making memories that last a lifetime. Thank you God!

Until next time..

The Me I Am Afraid God Wants

2010-01-07T14:55:00.003-07:00

"A recent study by the Barna group found that the number one challenge to helping people grow spiritually is that most people equate spiritual maturity with trying hard to follow the rules in the Bible. No wonder that people find themselves unmotivated to pursue spiritual growth. If I think God's aim is to produce rule-followers, spiritual growth will always be an obligation rather than a desire of my heart.

"Rule-keeping does not naturally evolve into living by faith," Paul wrote, "but only perpetuates itself in more and more rule-keeping." In other words, it only results in a rule-keeping, desire-smothering, Bible-reading, emotion-controlling, self-righteous person who is not like me. In the end, I cannot follow God if I don't trust that he really has my best interests at heart.

The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. There is an enormous difference between following rules and following Jesus, because I can follow the rules without cultivating the right heart."

"Jesus did not say, "I have come that you might follow the rules." He said, "I have come that you might have life, and have it with abundance."

When we cease to understand spiritual growth as moving toward God's best version of ourselves, the question, how is your spiritual life going? frightens us. A nagging sense of guilt and a deficit of grace prompt us to say, "Not too well. Not as good as I should be doing." People often use external behaviors and devotional practices to measure their spiritual health. They measure their spiritual life by how early they are getting up to read the Bible, or how long their quiet times are, or how often they attend church services. But that is not what spiritual formation is about."

The above is taken from "the me I want to be - becoming God's best version of you" by John Ortberg

If the above resonates with you at all, it would be good to discuss why we tend to feel that way. What is it about what we have been taught or how have we come to think that? It would be interesting to me to have an idea of how many Christians feel that way. What percentage of people have concluded that the spiritual journey is about rule-keeping and have decided they didn't want that and have walked away.

Next time we will look at what spiritual formation is.

More on Worship

2010-01-06T08:35:00.004-07:00

Here is some more from N.T. Wright and his book "For All God's Worth" for us to consider:

"It is right, therefore, that from time to time the church should take stock of that which is most central, most important, most vital in our common life together. Though we sing with the tongues of men and of angels, if we are not truly worshipping the living God, we are noisy gongs and clanging cymbals. Though we organize the liturgy most beautifully, if it does not enable us to worship the living God, we are mere ballet-dancers. Though we repave the floor and reface the stonework, though we balance our budgets and attract all the tourists, if we are not worshipping God, we are nothing.

Worship is humble and glad; worship forgets itself in remembering God; worship celebrates the truth as God's truth, not its own. True worship doesn't put on a show or make a fuss; true worship isn't forced, isn't half-hearted, doesn't keep looking at its watch, doesn't worry what the person in the next pew may be doing. True worship is open to God, adoring God, waiting for God, trusting God even in the dark.

Worship will never end; whether there be buildings, they will crumble; whether there be committees, they will fall asleep; whether there be budgets, they will add up to nothing. For we build for the present age; we discuss for the present age, and we pay for the present age, but when the age to come is here, the present age will be done away. For now we see the beauty of God through a glass, darkly, but then face to face; now we appreciate only part, but then we shall affirm and appreciate God, even as the living God has affirmed and appreciated us. So now our tasks are worship, mission and management, these three; but the greatest of these is worship.

And do you see why its so easy to create that pastiche of 1 Corinthians 13, substituting 'worship' for 'love'? Worship is nothing more or less than love on its knees before the beloved; mission is love on its feet to serve the beloved - and just as the Eucharist, as the climax of worship, is love embracing the beloved and so being strengthened for service."

I know how the message of this section impacts me and wonder how it impacts others. We should not lose sight of the fact that our lives need to be lived in worship and in wonder of this great God of ours but it is easy to become distracted and miss out on the wonders of the relationship God wants to have with us.

Be encouraged!

Until next time...

What is beauty?

2010-01-05T08:36:00.002-07:00

I am starting off the year in a contemplative mood! I think its a good thing!

One of the authors I am reading is N.T. Wright and he wrote a book entitled - "For All God's Worth."

Here is an excerp:

"What is the most beautiful thing you have experienced this week?

Maybe something you heard. Maybe some beautiful music - perhaps in a church or in a cathedral.

Maybe something you saw in the world of nature: the sun breaking through the mist and making the autumn leaves luminous; the curl of a squirrel's tail as he sat nibbling a nut.

It might be something you smelt: the scent of a rose, perhaps the smell of a good meal cooking when you were hungry.

It might be something you tasted: an exquisite wine, a special cheese, that same meal well seasoned and well cooked.

Maybe something you experienced in work: things suddenly coming together, an unexpected new opportunity.

It might be something you experienced in human relationships: a quiet, gentle glance from someone you love dearly; some soft squeeze of a child's hand.

Hold the moment in your mind. And ask yourself: what does this beauty do to you?

It enriches you; yes. It warms you inside; yes. It makes you more alive; yes. It makes you stronger; yes. It makes you, perhaps a little humble; you didn't cause this beauty, you didn't make it, it just happened, and happened to you. Yes.

And what does this beauty call out from you?

Gratitude - of course; delight - yes, naturally; a sense of awe - well, perhaps; a sense of longing for something beyond, something just out of reach - quite possibly, though if your experience of beauty was the smell of a good meal I hope it didn't stay out of reach too long.

What about - worship?

Does beauty call out worship from you?"

Wright goes on to talk about beauty and worship and how they are connected to God. God is the author of beauty and God is worthy of our worship. It makes him more real and gives us the opportunity to be drawn to him as we go about our day everyday. May we all find ways of finding God in our all day every day as we start this New Year!

Until next time...

It's Not Only A New Year, It's a New Decade

2010-01-01T19:27:00.002-07:00

There have been a number of times over the past several months that I seriously contemplated adding to my blog; but it just didn't happen!

Today I read Gerri's new post and thought that I couldn't let the opportunity pass to make it my goal to post some thoughts myself.

It has been an eventful year to say the least in our world (Gerri's and mine) some medical challenges, some life challenges and as the year wound down three new grandchildren have blessed our lives. One significant development was the arrival of Tylan Wil Ashby born to Todd and Michelle. After being blessed with seven granddaughters we now have a grandson and the Ashby name will carry into another generation. I know that Ty will have to find his way to fit in with all the girls who all love spending time together; but I am sure he will be welcomed by all the girls and they'll have a special place for Ty in their hearts.

I am intent on living out my personal, mission, vision, and action plan which will be a work in progress but with some resolve to attend to specific areas in my life that need attention, mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Having had a few days to do some reading and reflecting on ideas that I have come across let me share some of my thoughts.

The book "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom has some definite gems to think about. The byline of the book is: "an old man, a young man, and life's greatest lessons. The author Mitch was a student of Professor Morrie Schwartz. They are re-united after being out of touch for 16 years when Morrie is diagnosed with ALS. They agree to meet every Tuesday for as long as Morrie is able.

The book shares on a number of different topics but let me share just two:

1. Morrie shares "Everybody knows they are going to die, but nobody believes it." He contends that when you "Learn how to die, you will learn how to live."

Now as sobering as that is to think about it has merit. If we knew when we were going to die, we would all live differently than when as most of us do - we pretend that we are not going to die. Why not review your priorities in light of the fact we are all going to die?

2. The other thoughts are maybe not quite as sobering but contain some things to think about when it comes to marriage.

Morrie says - "there are a few rules I know to be true about love and marriage: If you don't respect the other person, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you don't know how to compromise, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. If you can't talk openly about what goes on between you, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. And if you don't have a common set of values in life, you're gonna have a lot of trouble. Your values must be alike."

There are some nuggets there worth thinking about and for me its a contemplative way to start the year.

My hope is that 2010 will be a year of personal and spiritual growth for each one individually and in our family units.

Until next time...

Blessed Beyond Measure

2009-02-11T13:09:00.003-07:00

It's been a few days since the last post, so what I will do is take a look back and then take a look forward. Last Friday Gerri and I took a trip to Banff and got to stay in the Banff Springs Hotel. We stayed in the wing that was most recently renovated and had a spacious suite. We had been in the hotel years ago but this time were able to experience it first hand. While we had some difficulty finding our way around we managed to wander the halls and found some trendy shops. The lady in the gift shop was warm and friendly, very engaging and she really enjoyed her job having moved to Banff recently from the Maritimes. We had a late lunch in the lounge with a gorgeous view and enjoyed our menu choices and were most impressed by the friendly service of our lounge staff . After spending the rest of the afternoon and early evening relaxing and doing a little reading in our suite we had made a reservation in the Suishi restaurant. An intriguing meal and again great service, a dining experience that was somewhat unique. After a restful night we got up in the morning had a leisurely brunch and again couldn't help but notice the friendly service of the staff in the Grill.

The best part of our time was the fact that Gerri and I got to spend time together, relaxing, and reading, but most of all being aware of the experience we were able to enjoy, just spending time together. It is one thing that has been a staple in our relationship, we enjoy each other's company and the conversation is rich. It helps keep our relationship alive and makes me so aware of how fortunate I am to have such a loving lady by my side. We were so aware of our surroundings and have always loved the mountains.

I couldn't help but reflect on the atmosphere and the warm, friendly and engaging staff that were part of the Fairmont family. It did make me wonder about the impressions people might gather when they visit a church. Do the people seem as warm, receptive, engaging and do we show that much interest in all of our guests? Do we really like being there? Do we really understand what we have and do we want others to experience it?

Sometimes I can be too pensive!

The last few days have had a lot going on and for the highlights you can check out our Ashby Empty Nesters blog.

As I am doing the blog I still have a few things to pack and then Gerri and I are off to Radium to spend a few days at the Resort to find time to relax, read, recreate and enjoy the nuances of the valley. A few days with my best friend, partner and wife. I promised Gerri that she wouldn't have to do much cooking. And no that doesn't mean I plan to do it, we'll both be safer and happier if we eat out some. It's an opportunity to spend some quality time after all Saturday is Valentine's Day and it's an opportunity to make deposits in the Love Bank, enjoy a romantic setting and cherish some time together.

Well it's time to go! Have a great remainder of the week and weekend! Until next time!

Beginning A Tradition

2009-02-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

When you are blessed with seven granddaughters and are fortunate enough to have three of the girls in Calgary it presents some wonderful options. Now that Jaelyn's girls are getting old enough we decided to begin a tradition and that we would take each of the girls out for lunch and shopping on or near their birthday.

February 1 was the beginning of the tradition as Preslie (Jaelyn's second) turns 6 on February 4. So on Sunday we decided to execute the plan, after church we took Preslie who had been looking forward to the day, was a little apprehensive about this excursion and showed some reluctance when it came time to leave, but decided she would be OK with the idea with some coaxing.

So lunch at Earl's it was. She ordered chicken fingers and fries and a glass of chocolate milk and without much hesitation managed to drain the chocolate milk. She ordered a refill and managed to finish that as well with her lunch. She had her favorite toy giraffe along and managed to engage in conversation with the server, the hostess and Gerri and I. It was a great experience to have some one on one time with her and she talked and enjoyed her lunch and did a good job on finishing the chicken. We ordered dessert - ice cream with chocolate in a cinnamon-sugar edible dish to share and she and Gerri made short work of the dish.

Then it was on to the shopping part of the expedition. We set out for Market Mall and on checking the store list found that a favorite - La Senza Girl wasn't in the mall, so had to settle for Old Navy. We made it to the children's section and Preslie spied out a nice top which was her favorite color blue. Grandpa found a nice two piece orange colored cotton hoodie and caprice outfit and because the tops were a better price if you bought two Preslie picked out another top. On the way to the check out Gerri found a coloring sheet so we picked up three, one for Preslie and one each for her sisters Madison and Lacey. Just before we went through the checkout Preslie spied out a necklace with some glass balls and a blue string which was on sale (and quite inexpensive) that she liked so we added that to the purchases and went through the checkout.

A call to Jaelyn found that she was in the mall so we arranged to hook-up to return Preslie. You know the thing Preslie treasured the most was the pretty necklace - she couldn't stop talking about it.

Well it was real important to launch a tradition, and next up will be Madison in May and Lacey in July. We will also carry out the tradition with our other granddaughters - Ireland, Peyton, in Waldheim and Lauren and Ella in Moose Jaw. We'll have to be a little more creative because the girls aren't near by , but we will find a way to spend some one on one time with each girl and celebrate.

After the shopping trip was completed and Preslie was safely returned it was on to the Superbowl game but that didn't hold a candle to the time with someone special and the beginning of a new tradition. Preslie taught us an important lesson too - sometimes its little things like necklaces that make all the difference - she is a special little girl and I am blessed to have six more dates that we have marked on the calendar and we need to start making plans! I can't wait!!
Have a great week!!

Spiritual Transformation

2009-01-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wrestled with what spiritual transformation looks like in real terms? I think we all struggle with what may for us be ideally something we would like to experience, but aren't always sure what it means in practical and measurable terms. I am not going to suggest there is a formula or a simple three or five step process. But I was provided some food for thought in a presentation by David Collins at a recent C.E.M.A. (Calgary Evangelical Ministerial Association.) David suggested that arrogance, self indulgance and indifference are some common characteristics of human beings. What David pointed out was that if we are exposed to the life of Jesus and are willing to submit to imitating the qualities that he modeled we will gradually see a shift or transformation that will see other tendencies surface that replace:

arrogance with humility
self indulgence with generosity and
indifference with sensitivity

With the goal in mind to expose yourself to a process of transformation that will result in this kind of change is a daunting task. On our own it would be virtually impossible, but as believers we need to realize that God has offered a helper, His Spirit to be our companion. But he also has the intention that we will find community and relationships with like-minded people that can partner with us and our shared journey and provide us with the ongoing reminder of our goal to have the preferred qualities, humility, generosity and sensitivity become descriptors of our character. We likewise want to be an encourager of those whose life path we cross to set similar goals to become all God wants us to be - to be salt and light and to be ambassadors of our Heavenly Father who loves us and wants us to experience relationship with Him.

I want to acknowledge that there are many who I am able to share the journey of life with who are real encouragers and want to be able to impact many more folks as the journey continues. May we all find ways of being transformed to replace undesirable qualities with desirable ones and may we influence for good those who we have cross our path.

Have a great weekend!

What Next!

2009-01-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

Is this for real? Am I about to become a blogger? My wife is an avid blogger and has been for sometime, but me; who would have thought. I have contemplated this step for awhile now and after lunch with Brandi decided there was no better time than now. So a big thanks to her for setting this up!

What I hope to do over the days and weeks ahead is to share some thoughts and ideas about my journey. I am an avid reader and run across a lot of good ideas that are worth sharing and this blog concept might be the best way to exchange ideas as we are all on a journey together.

For a considerable period of time I have been aware of the constant need to keep God in the picture on a regular basis and when I get distracted or falter I really try to consciously try to make sure I am seeking God and looking for him to show up in my life and the lives of those around me. I think we all need to be paying attention and looking for God as a key part of the journey. We need to be reminded that we don't have to journey alone. He (God) promised to be with us, we have to do our part and access him. It is however easy to fall into the habit of trying to do it on our own, rely on our own abilities and not realize how much better it is when God is our partner and has the lead role if we let him.

We also have a broader family that are on the journey and we can benefit by expanding our relationships and agreeing to be part of a joint journey. I find it very encouraging when interacting with others and finding out about their journey. Our lives are all part of a grand story but the people I connect with each week have interesting stories and encouraging stories which I will share with permission as a way of encouraging all of us. I will never break a confidence or share anything that might embarrass anyone, but I think there are stories that should be shared to encourage and challenge us. Some of the journey includes challenges which can be learned from and when overcome there needs to be a celebration of large portion.

Some days I hope to just share a devotional thought and may just share thoughts from published work and simply acknowledge the source.

So join me if you like and engage in some conversation and discussion that will help each of us as we continue on the journey on life's pathway and become better friends!

Before posting my initial blog let me share with you how rich my life is with my partner and best friend my dear wife Gerri. You have made life come alive and you complete me. Watching you grow your faith has been a great blessing and you have impact on many people, you have a compassionate heart and have made our part of the journey together richer!