No time like the present to begin to blog again. I am in my office at about eleven past ten o’clock at night. I came into the office to take care of some business items (after having enjoyed an entertaining basketball game between the Phoenix Suns and the Minnesota Timberwolves—both which I believe to be actual professional basketball teams) and it occurred to me that I had not produced a serious blog since January 31! What kind of blog it that?
So here it is again. I convey my sincere apologies to all the millions of people who depend on this blog for inspiration and insight—O.K., O.K., to the ten people who may have used this blog for treatment of their chronic insomnia. The important thing for me is that I have made a decision to begin this blog again. Funny how life has its ebbs and flows—each transition bringing with it a new set of variables and priorities. I really wanted to keep this simple pleasure going, if for no other reason than to have sort of life chart to refer to when life demands some introspection.
A lot has taken place in my little world in Arizona since my last blog entry in January. I have spent four weekends in Riverside with the love of my life—Penny, and my family. She, in turn, spent four weekends with me in beautiful Scottsdale. During those four weekends we camped at a Pathfinder Fair, we ate out a lot, and she listened to eight new sermons at various churches in Arizona (most in Spanish). But we also spent a week enjoying beautiful Arizona and another week on vacation in beautiful Hawaii. Those were great times!
On my work front, organizational and personnel decisions have been made across the conference school system that will impact the face of the Adventist Education in Arizona. The Pacific Union leadership is transitioning between Kelley Bock, who is retiring, and Berit Von Pohle, who is exchanging her role as superintendent of the Northern California Conference for a new and more expanded role as superintendent of the Pacific Union Conference, which includes the five western states of Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah.
Personnel decision are always tough; mostly because they occasionally impact people’s lives in ways that are perceived as negative—and often carry negative financial and interpersonal dynamics. It is not a pleasant process.
All in all, I still feel a strong sense of purpose as pertains to the role I have taken in Arizona. At times it is daunting because of the multiplicity of items that require attention in addition to the tasks already imbedded in the fabric of the daily schedule. God is good. I have made that statement of belief a non-negotiable tenet of my picture of God. It is a choice—I know, but why would I not give God the benefit of the doubt (as if He needed it!), if I am so prone to give it to fallible and imperfect people like myself on a daily basis. I recognize that giving people the benefit of the doubt carries some intrinsic risks, but the alternative is to live my life indiscriminately questioning and doubting motives and judging things are unknown to me. Life is too short for that! And likewise, I believe that faith is too precious to base it on any premise that allows for God being anything but good at any time. Any scenario that puts that tenet in question I choose to see as my failure to consider what He alone can see—that unknown scenario or perspective that we will not see this side of heaven.
I have written enough for tonight. A busy day awaits me tomorrow. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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