Ever have that feeling in your gut you can only describe as something that if you dropped it on the floor it would go “THUD”. That’s my day today. THUD. It might be an unfair assessment cuz my day’s not over, but up to this point. THUD is accurate.

It’s one step up from a SPLAT and not as nice as BOING. Here’s the chart of emotions I just invented.

BOING-enjoyed my day. would do it again if I could.
THUD- just lived. would rather not repeat it.
SPLAT- that hurt. now I need prayer.

maybe I should add pictures to that chart and patent it.

To the 5 of you who read this blog, I hope your day has more BOING than THUD and certainly less SPLAT than you were prepared to endure…. no one likes SPLAT.

I have a new found love. I have officially been introduced to the italian soda. The greatest part is that I can make it in my own kitchen with great ease.

Wanna join me in my newfoud joy: here’s how:

GET:
carbonated water
1/4 cup half and half
7 tablespoons of any flavored syrup (I recommend a fruity one)
ice
whipped cream

HOW:
Measure syrup into a 20 oz cup. Add ice.
Pour in half and half. Add carbonated water. Stir well.
Serve topped with whipped cream.

Sit in your backyard with a good book or a good friend, and your new beverage and enjoy.

Well, my bride and I went to the orthopedic department at Kaiser today and found out that she doesn’t have a broken bone in her shoulder. Instead what I saw on the x-ray (and what we both understood to be two pieces of the same bone) was instead two bones that used to be attached by a ligament that snapped and was therefore no longer holding the bones in place. It is a separated shoulder and she’ll be out for about 6 weeks in the healing process. The first week should be the most sever in terms of pain, then after that things should begin to get back to normalish.

On another note, when our orthopedic guy came to give us the low down on our x-rays, I swore I knew him from somewhere and after a lot of questions he asked if I ever watched OVERHAULIN on TLC. I said yes and he said that his wife had got him on the show. And I said, wait a second, you had a truck didn’t you. He said yes and then we bonded and now I know a reality TV star. OOh la la… What a small world this is. My wife was diagnosed by the bald buy in the picture below- an ex-navy seal who has a sick truck.

Now if Jesus hooks my wife’s shoulder up like Chip Foose did John’s truck. That would be awesome.

Well, today I tried to experience life per my TASTE AND SEE post.

TASTE: I went to a youth pastor network luncheon today and I made a turkey sandwich out of a croissant and I put dejon mustard on it instead of regular mustard- just cuz I felt like it and wanted my pallate to smile. Oh, and they had a bowl of fresh strawberries and some dill pickles- so I ate some. I also ate soft serve ice cream with my kids to celebrate their graduation from Kindergarten and 3rd grade today- and just because of my new found desire to taste good things… I had it dipped in chocolate.

DRIVE: I drove with the windows down all day. I also listened to music way too loud.

SEE: I drove my wife to the hospital today. I enjoyed the fern/palm tree things at the front. They have really pretty plants at Kaiser down here. I also made sure I saw good and well the x-ray that proved she broke her shoulder in two when some wood fell over on her in our garage today while I was at work. I did not watch them put the big ol IV needle in though… I didn’t want to faint and end up on the floor.

PRAY: I prayed a lot for my wife’s shoulder. I thanked God for health and health care and prescription narcotics. (no I didn’t take some) And I prayed for healing. I held her when she cried. I guess part of life is the pain too. Maybe if I continue to take it all in, the good and the not so great- God will continue to use it all to shape me.

I didn’t eat the last two days. Day one looks like this: Skip breakfast and lunch. Really really want dinner. Get annoying to be around. Day 2. Really want breakfast and lunch. Dinner- don’t much care anymore. It’s like I’m numb to food by then and that’s when God speaks… and this time, I realized that I didn’t really take the time to enjoy what I ate. So, when I started eating again, I wanted it to be on purpose. Like I really wanted to eat and wanted to eat what I was eating.

I was drawn back to Psalm 34 that says, “Taste and See that the Lord is good.” I realized both of these are senses are rare for me to fully experience. I don’t TASTE and SEE much. I’m so used to just eating or just going from place to place or used to just doing that I sometimes let the task at hand rob me of the joy of experiencing God in everything.

TASTE: I’m a lousy wine taster. I only tried it once in some wineries on a wedding anniversary weekend. I didn’t last long. I don’t want to swoosh the cup to watch how the wine moves or smell the scent before I drink it or taste the flavor like it’s a delicacy or clean my palate in between attempts with cheese. Some days I’m not even sure I have a palate. Wine tasters know something about tasting. I enjoy wine, I just don’t experience it. I think that’s true of all my foods. I decided today to change that. I don’t have to eat. So I’m going to try and intentionally put food in my mouth when I eat and enjoy the food I do eat. Today I almost ate a package of fruit snacks- just cuz it was in a box in my car. I decided I didn’t want to eat them. I’d rather eat something else. So I said no and to thank God for the gift of taste!

SEE: I miss a lot of stuff by not looking. Yesterday I was in Coronado. Orange drive in Coronado has 2 lanes each way separated by at least 2 lanes worth of grass, flowers, and beautiful trees. I looked up and realized I’d be driving for blocks and not totally taken it in. The street is lined with old Victorians. It was Flag Day. Every house had a flag on it. Since the Navy owns half the island, the center section had a flag placed on a brown wooden pole about 8 feet high every 25 feet or so. There was a light breeze and the flags flipped back and forth. In the middle of all that, I realized my windows were up and my AC was on. I’m an idiot! I rolled down all the windows, turned off the AC, and sniffed the ocean breeze. It was gorgeous. I wanted to get out. Park my car. Get a beach cruiser bike (which I really wish I owned one of), and ride around all day. But, I realized I don’t see stuff. Sometimes my kids will call out from the back seat, “Look Dad, God painted the sky so pretty today” at a sunset and I’ll be slapped with the reality that God paints so much around me and I miss it. I miss a lot by not stopping to truly enjoy the light that enters my eyes. Eye contact in conversations is so important and I’m so bad at it. I need to learn to love God more fully with my eyes. I need to enjoy what I see.

BE A KID AGAIN: Pretty much on every level of my senses. I have decided that I need to feel the textures in my world, to taste the foods, to explore with my eyes, to feel the breeze and to smile. To sweat. To cry. To run. To walk. To sit in the grass. To be cold. To get wet in the rain. To sip a cup of coffee and to enjoy every taste. To smell the flowers and the ocean breeze. All this writing makes me wish I had a window in this office that opens to the outside. I’d swing it open big right now.

I think Eugene Peterson captured this beautifully in his translation of PSALM 34. It makes me want to breath deeper:

Psa. 34:1 I bless GOD every chance I get;
my lungs expand with his praise.

Psa. 34:2 I live and breathe GOD;
if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy:

Psa. 34:3 Join me in spreading the news;
together let’s get the word out.

Psa. 34:4 GOD met me more than halfway,
he freed me from my anxious fears.

Psa. 34:5 Look at him; give him your warmest smile.
Never hide your feelings from him.

Psa. 34:6 When I was desperate, I called out,
and GOD got me out of a tight spot.

Psa. 34:7 GOD’S angel sets up a circle
of protection around us while we pray.

Psa. 34:8 Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—how good GOD is.
Blessed are you who run to him.

Psa. 34:9 Worship GOD if you want the best;
worship opens doors to all his goodness.

Psa. 34:10 Young lions on the prowl get hungry,
but GOD seekers are full of God.

Psa. 34:11 Come, children, listen closely;
I’ll give you a lesson in GOD worship.

Psa. 34:12 Who out there has a lust for life?
Can’t wait each day to come upon beauty?

I want a lust for life and to be eager to come upon the beauty of the Lord at every turn. Here I go. Wish me luck and roll down your window and join me.