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TRIP Hazards

 Well, it was bound to happen! Late Sunday night, after a busy weekend I was headed to bed exhausted. On my way down the hall, I began undressing, letting the day’s clothing fall to the floor and collapsing into the welcoming embrace of freshly cleaned sheets.

In the middle of the night, I awoke and began to navigate my way in the darkness to the bathroom…not remembering that I had littered the floor with my clothing the evening before. Halfway to the bathroom with lights out of course and trying to remain in that wonderful state of half-sleep…. my feet became entangled with the clothing and …down I went. Luckily, I didn’t kill myself but I easily could have. So much for enjoying the remaining night’s sleep.

That night I thought, “I just about killed myself and there is no one to blame…but me!” I was the one that left the clothes on the floor to trip over! I began to wonder if there were other areas of my life where I might be setting myself up for a fall. I wondered what clues I might look for in order to alert myself where I was laying the groundwork for a future TRIP HAZARD…and I found four of them:

T = “Too”.

Anything in my life that I add the word “too” is a trip hazard. Think about any of the following:

“I work too much, I eat too much, I drink too much, I am too nice, I have too much to do, I’m too busy,” feel free to add the ones that are coming to your mind right now…

These simply mean you are out of balance. Like an engine warning light…you are heading for a painful experience. Use this as an opportunity to address your “too” and take immediate steps to get back in balance!

R = “Replay”.

Have you ever caught yourself saying, “Why do we keep having this same conversation or argument over and over again?” Or “Why do I always…?” or “I did it again.” or ” _____ keeps pushing my buttons!”

What you are experiencing is the effect of your “replay” button being pushed. You are connecting with the “emotional baggage” of your past. You need to “re-program” what the situation means to you in a way that will serve you as opposed to working against you. It’s not the other person’s fault…it’s your programming that needs to change!

I = “Insensitivity”.

What this means is that we break the connection between our mind and our heart. It means that we stop allowing things to affect us emotionally. We stop REALLY listening.

How many times have YOU been in conversation and have KNOWN what the other person was going to say? How many times have YOU actually completed the other person’s sentence? How many times have YOU been in conversation with someone when you were actually looking elsewhere?

We need to become a culture that ASKS NEW QUESTIONS and actually listens to the answers…both with our minds and our hearts.

P = “Procrastination”.

Why don’t we do what we want to do? We typically “put off” doing things like: exercise, eating well, having difficult conversations, or doing anything where pain, discomfort, inconvenience, or uncertainty is involved.

As human beings, are wired to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Therefore everything we put off doing is because we believe there is more pain involved in doing the task than in not doing the task. So we avoid it. So what if we actually made NOT doing the task more painful than doing it? I know what you’re thinking…but try it! Take one item you’ve been putting off…and write down all the ways that NOT doing it will be more painful than actually doing it…

Well, I hope these TRIP Hazards brought to mind one or more areas in your life that need to be addressed. If not, great! But if so…then you need to take action on them immediately.

The last thing you want it to have one of them snag you when you least expect it…because they will!

Excuse me…but now I need to go tidy up…

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Taking it to your Giants!

 We all know the story of David and Goliath. Well, I read it again this morning, and as usual…I got something new out of it that I would like to share…

Setting: The Philistine army is encamped on one hill and the army of the Israelites is encamped on an adjacent hill. Each day for 40 days the 9′ tall Philistine, Goliath screams insults, taunts, and challenges anyone from the opposing army to fight him. Whoever loses would become the slave to the winner. Each day, the Israelites…listen and do nothing.

Fast forward: David arrives on the scene. He had brought some food for his older brothers, who are in the Israelite army. While he is there, he hears the insults being shouted by Goliath for the first time. David was ticked off that anyone would be saying these things about the one thing he loved more than anything…his God.

Fast forward, again: David convinces King Saul to let him go out and confront Goliath. David knew that God had proven himself faithful in the past when he had successfully protected his flock from lions and bears. So in David’s mind…what’s the big deal about a 9′ tall giant!

King Saul tries to protect David by allowing him to wear the King’s armor. David tries it on, but he can’t move in it and declines wearing it. David grabs 5 smooth stones and puts them in his pouch and goes to confront the giant.

Goliath and David exchange some “smack talk” and then something really cool happens…

The Bible says, “David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.”

David took the fight to the giant. David relied on a strong offense. He ran towards Goliath as he reached into his pouch, grabbing a stone and launching it from his sling. He didn’t wait. He didn’t plan. He acted. He trusted. He took the fight to Goliath.

Fast forward to today: Many of us are facing our own giants. Many of us are afraid. We are fearful of the unknown. We are fearful of losing our jobs, our retirement, or our future. We may be facing giants of sickness, loss, or disease. We may be being subjected to insults being hurled in our relationships, at our jobs, or even within our own families. We all have giants that are looming over us to some degree. We all know what it is we need to do and want to do…we just don’t…or can’t bring ourselves to do something about it. Like the Israelites, we stand on the hill and listen to the giants in our lives hurl insults at our very character.

Here is what I have learned: Having read the Bible several times, it seems that God blesses a “strong offense” as opposed to a “strong defense”. In case after case, battle after battle, God instructed his chosen ones to “attack the giant” rather than to defend.

Think about yourself, don’t you naturally feel empowered when you take on a challenge, be proactive, make the call, have the conversation, and attack rather than defend? Isn’t it more powerful to run towards our giants rather than to hope they don’t choose to come after you!

How would your life be different if you chose to run towards that which you are most afraid of? Run towards that call or conversation you don’t want to have. Run towards all those situations where giants have been on the hill shouting their insults for far too long.

Like David, we are to use the tools we already have and are comfortable with. We don’t need anything new. We need to trust that we are uniquely gifted to take on the giants in our path. We can do this! It must start with me! We don’t need someone else’s armor.

Also, when we are choosing our weapons…we also need to fill our pouch with smooth stones. We can kill many a giant with a smooth stone.

I hope this little insight makes you feel empowered. We all face Goliaths from time to time…it’s what we choose to do next that makes all the difference in the world.

Just remember…trust…. run towards…and take your shot.

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Pull the Tooth

 I had an appointment this week with the dentist. One of the interesting things about growing older is the realization that you are outliving the useful life of some of the components of your body. In this case, it was a crown that I’ve had since the mid-eighties. It was time to have it replaced.

So as I was sitting in the chair all “numbed up” and the dentist had just completed the necessary drilling to remove the old crown and was now wrestling it into submission with what I thought was a pair of pliers. All of a sudden an awful “crack”, much like the sound of a walnut cracking, and out of my mouth comes parts and pieces of my old crown all over my face! The dentist, as well as the hygienist, were surprised and very apologetic and then said, “Close your eyes!” That would have been good information just prior to the incident.

Ironically, I am reading the book by Dr. Henry Cloud called, “9 Things You Simply MUST DO to Succeed in Love and Life”. In it, the author points out why some people’s lives appear to “work” and others just don’t. As luck would have it, the chapter that I happened to be reading at the time was entitled, “Pull the Tooth”. Here is the gist…

Dr. Cloud writes that successful people don’t hang on to bad stuff for long. They get rid of negative energy. He states that negative energy sometimes comes from things that are not innately bad, but simply are not best for the person involved. They are not bad in and of themselves; they just distract you from the deepest desires of your heart and the most important things in life. They take up time, resources, energy, and attention and do not get you where you want to go. So successful people identify them…and get rid of them.

Examples of these might come in the form of relationships that are not going anywhere. Things you are paying for that you’re not using. The time you are spending in areas that are not contributing to your overall well-being. Negative energy might take the form of things that need to be fixed or realizing that they can’t be fixed and then just letting them go.

Once realized and identified, the next step is to get busy either fixing them or dealing with them directly. I know for myself, I can easily spot things in my life that I “need” to deal with…it’s just the act of beginning to deal with it directly that sometimes gets put off. That then becomes an energy drain. It becomes a negative placeholder in my life that is taking up space that something good could be occupying.

So why do we hesitate to take action? Two reasons. Fear and Hope. Fear of someone’s anger or hurt. Fear of someone’s judgment or disapproval. Fear of not having the skills to combat the counterattack or the ability to deal with a confrontation.

We also hold out for hope. Hope that things might change. But this change will not happen without action. This means investing time and energy in working towards a result that you have a solid reason to believe will be achieved. You’ve got to be working on it…not waiting for it.

Dr. Cloud also points out that the best way to fix a problem is not to have one, to begin with. He introduces the reader to what he calls the “Cringe Factor.” It’s that little voice inside that tells you things you need to listen to…but often rationalize away. When that little voice tells you something is wrong…there is usually a reason you feel that way. We all need to get better at listening.

All of this brings me back to me and my tooth. I am currently living with my temporary crown awaiting the delivery of my permanent replacement. I’ve been given instructions on how to care for it until the replacement arrives. Most of the instructions have to do with things I can’t or shouldn’t do. I am in a season of “oral transition” as I like to call it and I have to take “special care” of my temporary tooth for a time.

My life is like that as well. I am in a period of transition. My life is asking new things of me. I am being asked to look at my life and identify anything in it that I’m not happy with, proud of or that is not moving me forward in my life. I am learning to see my life as something I am solely responsible for and all the energy that comes from that life, both positive and negative. It’s up to me…live with it …or change it. Brush the tooth…or pull it.

How about you?

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So much for “self help”…

 Have you walked through the “self-help” section of Barnes & Noble lately? The shelves are overflowing with books that promise to cure, fix, eliminate and teach you just about anything that will bring you happiness, wisdom, riches, power, and anything else one could imagine.

So I was wondering…does “self-help” really work?

I’ve read many of these books and still do. Some are good but others only make me question and doubt myself even more. I sometimes end up feeling worse off than I did before I picked up the book.

A couple of months ago, I was helping my Mom do some home maintenance. She needed an overhead light installed above the sink in the kitchen. The box the fixture came in promised an easy installation and that I had everything I needed to do the job.

So I climbed up on the sink and began the process of measuring, drilling, pulling wires, and doing everything the directions required to ensure a successful installation.

Then I realized the problem…

I soon got to a point in the installation when I was trying to hold the light fixture in the correct position so that it is aligned with the pre-drilled holes and at the same time hold the screw, reach for the screwdriver that was down at my feet and to keep the wires hidden within the light fixture… I quickly realized…I either needed more hands or more help.

I think “self-help” is much like the box the light fixture came in. It made the promise of an “easy” installation and “no tools were necessary”. That may have been “possible” but it was certainly not to be easy.

What I really needed was some help. Someone to hold the light while I drilled or placed the screws into the fixture that would provide the required support. Having someone to help me would have made it a really easy installation. It probably would have even been enjoyable!

I think life is like that. I think we all need an extra pair of hands to assist us as we move through this life. Sometimes holding things…sometimes holding us.

So much for “self-help”.

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Margin

 Did you know 40% of any book is “white space” or margin?

You might think what a waste of space! But try reading a book without that white space, and you will begin to feel the heaviness of black ink as it creeps into your mind and begins to slow down your reading and comprehension. Our lives are much the same way.

Our souls crave white space. Downtime for our senses, just as the margin allows our eyes to rest on every page.

Our lives are filled with noise and clutter. We tend to both create and wear the badges of honor that cause us to believe that “more is better”. How much CAN I get done? How long is my “to-do list”. Go, go, go, do, do, do. How far will we push out the margins of our lives? Until the words run off the page and the letters fall into oblivion? Blackberries, emails, Twitter, Facebook, texting, and the “old school” phone calls. When is enough…enough?

  • When can I sit and be quiet?

  • When can I be alone with…myself?

  • What would I think about? What would I DO?

If you can’t answer these questions. Then these thoughts have been written for you. I beg you to give yourself the “gift” of doing nothing. Schedule it if you have to! But find the time in your week to simply…do….nothing.

Go sit in a park. Go to the woods. Get outside so the breeze can touch you once again…and you actually take notice. Listen to the sounds of the world. Listen to the sounds of “your head”. Allow them all to have a place.

Welcome back…to yourself…margin is a beautiful thing.

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Mothballs…

 I recently took my favorite wool navy blue suit out of the closet. I was going to have it cleaned so I could wear it to a special function I have coming up in the next couple of weeks. It had been hanging unused in my closet for the past two years. It was my favorite YSL suit and I looked good in it!

As I was getting it ready to go to the dry cleaners, I noticed a small white spot on one of the shoulders. Upon closer inspection, I noticed more and more white spots in various locations all over my prized suit. It didn’t take me long to realize that my favorite suit had been eaten by moths! Ruined, because I hadn’t worn it so long. I was heartbroken.

Then I started thinking…

I wonder if God feels the same way with us?

God has gifted each of us in a unique and special way! We each have talents that we love to do and we do them naturally and we do them well. I’ll bet that each of us has a talent that other people have commented on in the past. I’ll bet each of us has heard someone comment, “Wow, I love the way you….” and we usually dismiss the comment as ” they are just being nice” and we move on. For a wide variety of reasons, we fail to spend the time to develop these gifts and we spend all our time chasing the dreams of others.

John Ortberg writes about how each of us approaches the use or non-use of the gifts we receive in his book, Before you can walk on water, you need to get out of the boat. He writes.

“Anytime a gift is given, the recipient must choose to respond in one of two ways. The first way says, “This gift is so valuable it can’t be risked.” They realize that when they bring their gift out of the box and into the open, things may not go well. The gift may be poorly used. Others may not always admire it the way we want. It may even get broken. Taking the gift out of the box is always a risk.

The second way says, “This gift is so valuable it must be risked.” They understand that if the gift is not brought out of the box, it will never be used at all. To leave the gift in the box is to thwart the desire of the giver. There is no tragedy like the tragedy of the unopened gift.

Along with the gift you have been given a choice – whether or not you will open and use it or not.”

So let me ask all of us…where are your gifts?

Do you know what they are?

Are you using them in every aspect of your life?

I believe that at the end of our life, we will come face to face with God. At that meeting, he will ask us two questions.

One of those questions will be: “What did you do with the gifts that I gave you?”

Think about that… I hope you don’t say…” the moths ate them.”

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World Domination Summit

I’ve just returned from a long weekend in Portland where I attended the very first “World Domination Summit”. Now it’s not what you’re thinking…I’m not stockpiling weapons in my house and wearing camouflage every day. What it was, was a gathering of 500 creative, energetic, and eternally hopeful people of all ages, races, and backgrounds from all over the world… all with one common belief…

“I can create the life I want to live.”

The gathering began on a Friday evening and ended on Monday and was the brainchild of the soft-spoken author, blogger, world traveler, and life changer Chris Guillebeau. Chris is the author of the book, The Art of Non-Conformity. I’m not going to go into the premise of the book, because if you’re interested…you’ll find it.

I’m also not going to give you a debrief of how amazing the weekend was. Here again, if you’re interested you can read about it by searching: World Domination Summit 2011

But what I would like to note are several things that I learned about myself over the weekend. They were not really apparent then…but in the aftermath and reflection of the weekend, I can see them quite clearly. They seem simple, but I believe their impact can be quite significant.

Here are my 3 takeaways from the weekend and how they fit into my life.

1. Anything that is good for us…is above us or “uphill” so to speak. Think about it. Is anything in your life that is good for you really easy? Can you achieve it by “doing nothing”? It seems that everything that is good for me is going to require some effort. So in order to achieve it…we are going to have to climb. Climbing is tough. It requires exertion, effort, and discipline. Yet, as we continue to climb…the view gets progressively more beautiful. Life is difficult. Make sure you are always pointed uphill.

2. Like attracts Like. Spending a long weekend immersed in a sea of people that were each creating their own path in life was encouraging, refreshing, and energizing. One person I met explained it this way; he said that there was a frequency that attracted all these people. I liked that because it’s true. So it is with our lives. We need to surround ourselves with people that are tuned to the same frequency as we are. We need these people to “get us”, encourage us, and hold us accountable for the things we want to create in our lives.

3. I’m re-branding the “3-second rule”. We are all aware of the “3-second rule” when we drop food on the floor right? Well, I’m finding a new use for it. You see, I can sometimes be a procrastinator. I can research things, plan, strategize and spend countless hours preparing for an action…only to never take the ACTION. It’s not intentional…it’s just what I do.

So, what I’ve come to learn about successful people is that they ACT FIRST and figure it out as they go!

When I was at the conference in Portland, I would see someone interesting that I wanted to meet and I forced myself to approach them within 3 seconds of that thought. I didn’t overthink what I would say, what they would say in response, and all that jazz…I just acted.

Since I’ve returned, I’ve put this into practice at work as well. If I think of a person I need to call…3 seconds…bam…I’m dialing the number. Email I need to write…bam. At the very least, I am taking action towards the result I want…not creating a “plan”. So far so good. This may have some merit!

I’ll be the first to say that I don’t have it all figured out. But what I can say is that taking the time out of my life to get out of my comfort zone and into a mix of people that are “doing life” differently was an amazing use of my time. It gives me hope. It tells me that in these times of uncertainty, people are no longer finding comfort in conformance…it fact it’s quite the opposite.

Keeping up with the Jones has finally run its course. It’s time to create, to live, to dream, and to act, and to live the life you want rather than just dreaming or making excuses about it.

My heartfelt thanks go out to Chris and all the volunteers and attendees at the 2011 World Domination Summit. You are definitely world changers. I thank each of you for making your way to Portland and through a life that you are in the process of creating. See you all next year and in the meantime…. let me know where can I get some cool camouflage shorts!

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The Value of Belief…

 Many Psychologists remind us that our beliefs influence our feelings, which govern our actions that lead to our results. Or to put it simply…what you believe…you become.

So, have you ever wondered what you believe?

Here are some of the things I believe:

  1. All people are good…if you give them a chance.

  2. God wants to express Himself through us…not only to us.

  3. In “happily ever after.”

  4. Men should always open doors and walk between a lady and traffic.

  5. I don’t have all the answers.

  6. We create our destiny.

  7. If you keep your focus on God, the rest will take care of itself.

  8. We don’t ask children good questions and therefore we don’t learn from them.

  9. In good manners.

  10. The Bible is the inspired word of God.

  11. In friends and family.

  12. If you want something in your life…give it first!

  13. We take ourselves WAY too seriously!

  14. That peace of mind is the most overlooked emotion.

  15. Everything will work out.

I’m sure there are more things I could list, but you get the picture. My point in writing this list is that it makes me feel good. It makes sense to me. I believe it and it makes me feel like I’m on the right track as I try to navigate through my life. It may not apply to everyone…but it works for me.

I know other people whose lives always seemed to be filled with some type of drama or problem. They seem to be moving from one crisis to another and seem to enjoy involving as many people as they can in the perceived downward spiral of their life. They complain of always being stressed out, underappreciated or singled out for some reason.

So I wonder…what do they believe? Where is their focus? Where do they put their trust?

I know this is overly simplistic. But I think if we really look at our lives and commit ourselves to move away from things that cause our lives to be filled with turmoil and in turn begin to move towards thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs that give us a sense of peace…I’ll bet our circumstances would change.

My hope for all that read this is that you would make a list of what you believe. Then ask yourself…if having that belief makes you feel better or worse about your life. If the answer is better, great! If the answer is worse, then take it off your list and only focus on the good. Because what you believe…you become and believe me…in time you’ll be adding more good things to your list!

So I hope you actually do the list. It’s eye-opening!

If you feel like sharing, I would love to see it! Enjoy the process!

Peace! (seriously…!)

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Cell phones and divorce

 Next time you are out in your car, begin to notice how many people are either talking on the cell phone or texting. It’s amazing!

While sitting at a red light recently, I counted ten cars that passed me and seven of those people were on the phone. So I began to wonder…what the heck is everyone talking about?

I also began to wonder if 70 percent of the people that I randomly viewed at an intersection were gabbing away on the phone, then it stands to reason that our generation is technically “communicating more”. Therefore, we should be able to see a direct correlation in the fact that if we are communicating more we should see a reduction in statistics that weigh heavily in areas where communication plays a significant role in the breakdown of a relational system like a marriage.

Well, drum roll, please… In the early 1980s two significant seemingly “unrelated things” happened:

A. First, in the early 1980s the first fully automatic cellular networks were introduced to the American consumer market.

B. Also in the early 1980s, the divorce rate for the US peaked at its highest mark ever at 5.3 per 1000.

Since then two things have happened.

1. Each year the cellular phone usage has continued to steadily rise to a point wherein 2009, 66% of the people in the United States have a cell phone. This is the highest level ever.

2. Each year since the introduction of the cell phone, the divorce rate in the United States has continued to decline. In 2009, 3.6 marriages per 1000 end in divorce; the lowest divorce rate in 37 years.

So what does that tell me? Well, for one thing, we all know where we are and where we’re supposed to be! That’s a good thing. Secondly, we’re always available. Whether we choose to “pick up or not” when the phone rings…we know it…and so does the person on the other end.

Finally, it just proves the fact that the more we communicate, the better off we are.

So here’s to the cell phone! May it strengthen the bonds of eternal matrimony! I just wish those bonds weren’t being strengthened when driving in front of me on the highway.

I think I speak for all of us when I say, “just get off the phone and drive!”

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A Tribute to Bob Lucas

I just finished reading a book by Andy Andrews called The Noticer. I believe it is based on a true story about the early years of Andy’s life. You see, Andy lost both his parents at an early age. As time went on and through a number of bad decisions, he soon found himself homeless and living under a pier in the seaside town of Orange Beach, Alabama.

Andy, being caught up in his own life and full of self-pity wondered to himself if life were just on a big lottery ticket. He wondered if some people just got all the breaks and others, well…just didn’t.

Then one day a man named Jones appeared under the pier. Jones calls himself a Noticer. Jones shared with Andy that in times of trouble in our lives, we are looking for answers. Sometimes the answers are simply not available. Therefore, what we need to do is to change our perspective. A change in perspective allows us to see things differently. In doing this, we notice things that we had previously overlooked, and many times in that new view…we find our answers.

I recently lost my stepfather, Bob Lucas to melanoma. So, like many of my family, I’m hurting. I’m wondering how I am going to fill that big gap in my life Bob used to occupy. I’m worried about how my Mom is going to get along. I’m looking for answers that will lead me away from this hurt…and I can’t seem to find any.

So I thought I might try to do what Jones shared with Andy…to try to change my perspective. I thought I might step back a moment and look at the situation in a different way.

So I wondered, “What if God gave us a gift in Bob Lucas?”

I looked at all the different aspects of Bob’s life from this new perspective and this is what I realized…

Connection – At Bob’s memorial service and standing in front of a church full of family and friends, I witnessed the result of the connections Bob had made in his life. By doing something very simple, yet profound, Bob found a way of connecting each of us to not only him but to each other. The only reason we were all gathered there at that moment was due to a very personal connection that was made at some point in time between Bob and each individual in that church. He had impacted each of us in a unique and personal way.

Father – Bob gave the world three amazing children that have each grown to affect the lives of countless others by mirroring the aspects he exhibited as a father.

Husband – Bob loved my Mom. We all got to share in that love. Every morning of their 33 years together began the same way. With Bob asking my Mom over breakfast, “what can I do for you today”? Many times this request was made after Bob had gone out in the backyard and picked a new blossom from one of the many hibiscus trees that he tended.

Son in Law – Bob loved my Mom’s parents. Nana and Big Jim were lovingly woven into Bob’s character and heart. I don’t ever remember a day that Bob didn’t share a story or quote from my grandparents that were relevant to a situation we were currently experiencing. As I was going through all of our family photos from over the years, it reminded me of all the times that Bob was there for them. He and Mom would make countless trips to Naples, FL, and to Radford, VA to help, visit and celebrate the lives of my grandparents.

Man – Bob was a man’s man. He worked hard. He retired from the telephone company in Radford, VA. He was a diehard Virginia Tech Hokie fan. He was an avid golfer and loved good competition.

Lover of Animals – Boom, Cali, Sallie were all pets that Bob gave his love to. There is a quote I read somewhere that stated that there is a part of every person’s soul that can only be unlocked by loving an animal. Bob loved all animals and it pained him tremendously when anyone would harm a little one.

Lover of Nature – Springtime, birds, squirrels, hawks, and rabbits were all friends of Bob. He loved to care for all the creatures in his backyard. He fed them each day and knew the daily habits of each one and loved to share their stories.

Lover of God – Bob did not overtly express his religious views. However, he had a deep love for God. He showed this love by actively loving and tending to God’s creations and gifts. He was also a fan of Dr. Charles Stanley and would slip off into his room to quietly watch his program each Sunday morning.

So, looking at Bob’s life from the perspective of a gift that God gave us actually allows me to see things differently.

Through Bob, my family and our friends were able to experience directly, how to live our lives. Bob was a role model of a Father, Husband, Friend, and Man. I got to see it and experience it first hand. What a gift!

While each of us is burdened with questions of what we will become in life, what are we doing with our lives, what will leave behind in our lives, and what our legacy should be in life. Maybe we need to thank God for allowing us to get to know His gift to us in Bob Lucas. For through his life and his way of living…he has shown us the way to live our lives.

Bob’s life was a gift. I thank God for that. I have been given a personal example of how I should live my life. A life of service to others. A life of loving and giving of self. A life of loving all that God has created. Thank you, God.

There is no doubt that when God received Bob back into His care, Bob heard the words that all of us long to hear at the end of our lives…

Well done…good and faithful servant. What a gift!