I have typically held to the concept that there is no such thing as luck. I have rationalized this by clinging to the sovereignty of God. What He allows happen ends up happening. Insert here the diatribe that “God loves everyone yet favors some” and we have a complicated discussion with no resolution.

But maybe there is such a thing as luck. Not dumb luck that hits people in the face like a bug while you ride your bike on a lonely, dirt road but luck that is brought as a result of attitude adjustments and modified expectations. I read an article and found these insights interesting:

“Lucky people see what is there rather than just what they are looking for.”

“Lucky [people]… add variety to their lives.”

“Lucky people use counter-factual thinking to ease the impact of misfortune.”

“Thoughts and behavior affect the good and bad fortune we encounter.”

Read this article here and see what you think.

It has been just about one month since we have moved to South Carolina and we love it. We love the town, the church, and the job. Here are the top ten things I love about the South:

10. Meat & Three Restaurants — pick one meat and three veggies, all cooked Southern style
9. Carolina-style hot dogs — “all the way” — comes with chili, mustard, onions, and [optional] coleslaw on top
8. Country roads to drive on — quickly
7. The bird-dog — chicken tender wrapped in bacon on a hot dog bun with melted cheese and honey mustard on top
6. Fall colors — the variety of colors is unlike anything I have seen before (here are some pictures I took this weekend)
5. Southern Hospitality — people are generally nicer here than in other parts of the country (you know who you are); I especially love the people I work with
4. The Corner Bagel Shop — best deli sandwich ever, seriously
3. Pulled pork sandwiches — sweet victory
2. Carolina mustard sauce — mustard, vinegar, and other goodness: completes the pig referenced above
1. Sweet tea!

Much of my list is consumed by food and drink. So what?

What about you? Perhaps you have visited the South or maybe you live here already. What do you love about the South?

I do not like to vote. There. I said it.

I am pretty sure I would not like the polling places. I cannot definitively know because I have never been to one. I always vote with an absentee ballot by mail. Even then, I do not like filling in circles with a pen. I do not like reading referendums. I do not want to wear a sticker that says, “I voted.” I do not want to rock the vote either. But I acknowledge that voting is an important part of being a self-governed society. (Are we self-governed?)

Perhaps the problem I see is that nothing really matters. We vote. We are unhappy. We complain. Then we vote some more. Everything changes, but it is always the same.

Which is why I am glad that God is unchanging. I am glad that He will be the same today and tomorrow whether we like it or not. (James 1:17)

It is almost November and we are well into autumn. The air has a chill here in South Carolina and the leaves are only now starting to change. Last weekend, we went to a large farm near Clemson and picked pumpkins, navigated a corn maze, and [the kids] played around in the hay. I was reflecting as I drove (on my friend’s advice) down the winding country road near NewSpring, with the sunroof open, and the leaves dancing in my rear-view mirror. I thought of the natural rest that the land gets every year via the seasons. But it seems that sin itself can disturb the slumber of the earth.

(Read on …)

I heard a cool comment this week from a Muslim dude. He said, “Live for the now as if you will live forever and live for the hereafter as if you will die tomorrow.” It made me think: perhaps it is beneficial to focus our interactions with others as if we would be interacting with them forever. AND we should focus on the eternal kingdom as if we would die tomorrow. What a mystery and yet what an exciting challenge!

This week, I have been repeatedly thankful for the opportunity I have had to be in Ecuador. I grew up in Ecuador, spending 15 years of my life here. It is cool to be back in the Andes mountains; cool to visit familiar places. It was also neat to eat part of a guinea pig with my sister. The main reason I am here, though, is to celebrate my parents. They have lived in Ecuador for thirty years, faithfully serving God. Thirty years! (What follows is approximately what I said in Spanish to several hundred people at my parent’s goodbye party.)
(Read on …)

I am in Ecuador; I am enjoying good food and remembering memories from my childhood. One of the things we take for granted in the United States is the driving ability of those around us. We can complain about how people drive and we attach stigmas to certain places, like Los Angeles — but once you have ridden or driven in a third world country, you understand that most US drivers are pretty good. It is easy down here to criticize and yell and honk and wave arms at people — I have only been here 24 hours and I have wanted to punch several other drivers (and a few pedestrians). But I met some people today that helped put that all into perspective. (Read on …)

I am packing for a short trip to Ecuador. It is only for five days; a short trip to go a long ways. In case you did not know, I grew up in Ecuador and lived there for fifteen years. My parents have been there for thirty years. My sister presently lives there. The purpose of the trip is to participate in a formal goodbye for my parents, who are moving to Missouri. This should be fun. Although I will miss my wife and kids terribly…