Sunday, January 8, 2012

Top 10 of 2011 #3 - #1


The is the last of the three part installment of my top 10 list of 2011.  At first I didn’t think 2011 was all that great.  But on careful recollection in going over the list I have discovered/remembered that 2011 was actually quite remarkable for me.  I think that is the value of counting your blessings and looking back for a short time.  One shouldn’t live their life in the past, but rather use it as a springboard for justification of their optimism that their future will be brighter.  My father always said, “May the best of your yesterdays be the worst of your tomorrows.”  Again, I reference Romans 8:28, as a believer each year should get better and better otherwise you’re not doing it right.  Sometimes the Lord works in mysterious ways.  Actually in my life, that’s the norm.  God doesn’t always make sense in the present.  Only in retrospect I see how His perfect plan had unfolded.  Take Tim Tebow for instance.  I am a life long Oakland Raider fanatic.  Thus my sworn enemies in the football sense are the Denver Broncos, our most bitter rival.  Yet, I can’t help but rooting for Tim Tebow.  God is giving him an incredible platform in which to share his faith and convictions.  Tebow is defying all the critics telling him he is a lousy quarterback and can’t win.  Yet here Tebow is, after a 3 game losing streak going into the playoffs where he can’t seem to do anything right.  Suddenly he’s the reincarnation of Joe Montana.  The whole year of Tebow defies logical explanation really.  That is how God likes to work I think.  He chooses the unremarkable people to do remarkable things and that way His glory can shine through even brighter.  If you know anything about me, I will be the first to tell you how very unremarkable I am.  I am tenacious though.  I don’t know when to quit.  That has turned out to be a good thing.  On with the list. 

#3 Meeting Ed Summers.  At SAS, I have been able to meet a lot of very smart and talented people.  There is a lot of brainpower at this company.  I had the great privilege to work on several projects with a computer programmer named Ed Summers.  Ed leads the accessibility team at SAS, is a great dad and husband and programs intricate computer code from memory.  Oh, one thing I should mention about Ed, He’s Blind!!!!   Can you believe that!?!?!?  How can you program code without being able to see anything?  Ed used to have his vision, but it slowly deteriorated starting when he was around 11.  About 10 years ago, he lost it almost completely.  Yet Ed did an admirable thing and did not let his disability define his potential.  After some soul-searching Ed decided that he could master his obstacles and overcome them.  Ed programs code in his head from memory.  The best analogy I can make to this is Beethoven after he lost his hearing, composed his 9th symphony (my favorite, the one from Die Hard, Joyful, Joyful we adore thee) Overcome the obstacles Ed did in a big way.  Now he is inspiring countless others how to overcome their own obstacles, like this writer for instance.  I think I make an immediate connection with Ed because he story is so dramatic and I seem to be drawn to drama.  I thought I could relate to him.  While I didn’t suffer a devastating physical disability (I don’t count my diabetes, to me that is more of an annoyance) rather I suffered an emotional disability with the loss of my first family.  Which I have well documented in this blog.    But rather than be defined by loss, by the grace of God I chose to be defined by what could be.  That sense of hope and optimism is what paved the way for so many blessings which led to opportunities which led directly to #2 and #1.  It seems that each and every one of us has some sort of disability, be it physical, emotional, or psychological that we need to overcome.  The outcome of our battle determines our character and our destiny. 

#2A, Thanksgiving with my family.  This isn't really a proper top 10 list, since I had to squeeze in 11.  Unfortunately, I knew that this was going to be one of the last holidays that I get to spend with my kids.  Once they turn 18 they are under no obligation to see me and they have let me know, in no uncertain terms, that will be the case.  I hope and pray that changes but really its out of my control and has been for some time.   In the mean time I will just continue to love them unconditionally.  So for Thanksgiving 2011 I flew into Houston and drove non-stop with my three children in tow to North Carolina.  It was an eventful trip as a deer hit me at 3:00 AM outside a gas station in South Carolina, and then 15 minutes from home after 19 hours of driving I get a speeding ticket.  Not that I didn't deserve it, because I did...I was just so close to home.  For Thanksgiving, Jennifer and her aunt prepared a delicious feast.  It was my first homecooked holiday meal in...well...I can't really remember the last time but it was probably since I lived in Oklahoma in 2002.  So just having my kids, Jennifer's aunt Delores, Uncle Jerry, Cousin David, and my parents with Jennifer and Sloan.  That was just magic to me.  I just wanted to catch time in a bottle hoping it wouldn't end.  I just love those kids soooooo much.  It really was special for me.  

This was our Christmas card from this year, if you didn't get it,
we don't have your address.
#2 Living with Jennifer full-time.  I know that sounds a little weird for a highlight to be living with my wife, but Jennifer and I have had a very weird relationship thus far.  Its just now that we seem to be settling into some sort of normalcy.  Jennifer and I knew that we would marry each other instinctively from our second conversation.  We call it love at first Skype.  There are so many ways that Jennifer and I are perfect for each other that it would take four or five blogs just to list all the points which I have in multiple previous blogs.  It would be redundant.   Jennifer and I knew that our marriage to each other was inevitable, almost unavoidable.  We had a choice to make.  We knew because of our careers that we would be separated physically for a short period of time.  We could either be dating/engaged while we were separated or be married and be physically separated.  So we got married and even though we were half a world a part we were less lonely.  We were able to see each other about every other month.  It was difficult but bearable.  Thus when I finally did move back to the U.S. (Highlight #6) we had to learn to live with each other.  I can see how there were many reasons why God told me to marry Jennifer as soon as possible.  One of which being I don’t believe in sex outside of marriage and with a girl as striking as Jennifer added to the fact that I had been single for four years, well…that just provided even additional incentive.  But it all worked out because I love Jennifer now more than ever and there is nothing that is going to stop that love from growing even deeper as long as we both focus on God.  This love had led directly to highlight #1.



#1 Birth of Sloan.  When Jennifer told me that she was pregnant that changed everything literally.  Our plans just went up in smoke.  But upon hindsight it was totally God’s play though and through.  ..I am going to be perfectly candid in this blog like I always have strived to be.  I have three children from a previous marriage.  I love these kids with all my heart.  I loved being a dad to them and raising them until everything went Kablooey.  My biggest prayer is that one day my relationship with my children will be restored and they will know how much I love them.  So with my history with my kids, I was afraid that with the new baby I would be like “Been there done that.”  Fortunately that has NOT been the case.  If you haven’t seen the birth video, Jennifer was very courageous.  It can be found here…but be forewarned…its not for the faint of heart.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g-7FyoBLPE
When our precious daughter Sloan was being born I remember being so caught up with emotion.  As the baby was coming down the chute I just broke out in tears.  I don’t think I had done that before.  To me the moment was particularly life defining.  It was the poetic culmination of God’s faithfulness.  I’ve heard it said when one door is closed, God will open another one. Well my door was slammed shut and God just has emphatically opened another one.    This was the completion of the emotional restoration in my life.  I call it Life Take 2.  I consider myself so lucky/blessed.  Not many people in this world get a second chance at life and here I have one on a silver platter.  Not only am I living my second half, but I feel like I have been given a silver platter in which to experience life.  This is not to say that Jennifer and I are loaded financially, but rather we both feel we are abundantly blessed in almost every conceivable way.  It’s good to be me right now.  Four years ago…not so much.  But Sloan was such a beautiful blessing.  I didn’t really like the newborn phase that much…because babies are boring (I think the nurturing, cuddling) is a mom thing.  But now is when the fun is really starting.  Sloan is six months old now, and developing a personality.  I get to see life played out again on a grand stage.  This time seems a little different, though, better.  They say time flies, but for me time seems to be slowing down so I can savor this incredible gift of a family.  I think I am taking the time to stop and smell the roses.  I am smelling each and every rose and taking my time in doing so.  I think my story is a great one, especially since it has such an unpredictable happy ending.  I feel like I’m called to tell as many people as possible about my great story as a tribute to God’s faithfulness.  Because if He can do it for me, surely he can do it for you. 

2011 turned out to be quite an outstanding year (even if the Raiders missed the playoffs again).  

3 comments:

Joyce said...

Just watched Sloan's birth video and admit that I cried. What an awesome production.

Joyce said...

Rick - love your blog. God always opens a door or a window or something - sometimes we just have to look for it. I'm glad you didn't stop looking for the new opening :0)

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