July 1, 2010

You may have noticed that there hasn't been anything new here in quite a while. Actually, there has been nothing new here in over six months. Sorry about that.

Actually, there has been plenty of new stuff, just not here. Now, lots of new stuff similar to what you might find here can now be found at Burnsland.com. Most specifically, the Burnsland Blog, which is updated most every day with something or other, and the Burnsland Gallery, with new photos added often. These two areas take the place of the main areas of DesertedIsland.net.

And Burnsland.com has been around for quite a while, actually. However, its focus has changed from time to time. For a while, I considered Burnsland.com the more "commercial" site, and DesertedIsland.net the more "personal" site. Trying to separate some of the different things I had going on.

But more recently, I have decided that one website is probably enough, so I consolidated a bit. Besides "burnsland.com" is easier to type, or to tell to someone, than "desertedisland.net". The former has a better ring to it. And the ".com" domains are always more popular than the ".net" domains, too.

Also, with the blog setup that I now use at Burnsland.com, it is much easier to post new stuff than what I was doing here. Everything there is automated, and I can post from most anywhere. Even from my phone, if the need should arise.

What is here at DesertedIsland.net will remain online for the forseeable future, and it still does get some traffic from search engines and such.

But if you are looking for something new, and for something updated often, be sure to drop by Burnsland.com. See you there!

December 17, 2009

I have always loved books. When I was a kid, it seems like we were always going to the library to return the books we had and to check out some more. When I got my driver's license, the first place I drove by myself was to the library - it helped that it was just a couple of miles from home. In high school, we usually had a book that we were supposed to be reading for English class. But whenever I could, I would get in a book that I wanted to read as well.

That love of books continues now. I always have a book that I am reading, although it takes a while for me to read it. I like big, thick books, usually non-fiction history books about a particular person or event. The longer, the better, although that does mean that it takes me longer to read it. A length of 500 pages is a good starting place. I typically only read a few pages today, but that's fine with me. If it is a really good book, there is a slight bit of sadness once it is over, because I have invested several months, sometimes up to a year, with that book. But then I have a big stack of books that I haven't read yet, so it is usually easy to move on to the next one and start another reading adventure.

Somewhere along the way, I got the idea that I could write a book. I have had a friend or two write books, and I thought it was something that I could do. I did have all those English classes in school, after all - might as well put that to some sort of use. And with various things on the internet, I've discovered that I enjoy having people read what I write, even if it is just a goofy saying on Facebook. "You are so funny," people would say, "you should write a book!"

But the problem was coming up with a subject. I had kicked a few things around over the last few years, and none of them really seemed like they would work. And then who would buy a book of just a bunch of one liners like my Facebook posts? I really thought I should try for something slightly more serious, perhaps. But I couldn't come up with the right thing.

Then, in the summer of 2008, Laura and I went on a mission trip with our church youth group to Jamaica. It was a fascinating experience for me, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Once we got back home, I kept thinking about things that happened and telling stories to people, whether they asked about our trip or not. I started writing about it right here on this site, and the more I wrote, the more I thought of to write. Finally, I had a subject that I thought I could work with.

So then the writing began. I took the bits that I had written here and expanded them quite a bit, as well as writing a whole lot more to go along with it. Different events and experiences started to fall into chapters, and organizing became relatively easy once I had made a start. Selecting pictures turned out to be an easy task as well. I had taken so many pictures, as I usually do, that it was no trouble at all to find a picture to go along with what I was writing about.

As things started to all fall into place, I put it all into more of a book format, setting up all the pages, making sure everything was ordered correctly and looking like I wanted it to look. I even designed the cover, once again using one of the pictures I took. And eventually, I had a finished product, with even more pages than what I had set for an original goal.

I gave it the rather unoriginal title of On A Mission, with the somewhat long subtitle A First-Time, First-Hand Mission Trip Account. Evidently, coming up with a title and self-promotion aren't exactly my strong suits. But hopefully the content is better than the title or the description on the back cover.

And now that finished book is available for anyone to read. Hopefully someone will, and maybe even someone will get something useful out of it. That is the real reason for writing, after all - to share with others.

For information on how to order a copy, just go to the On A Mission page on this site. Or if you put in the title and my name on Amazon.com, it should come there as well.

Now, what can I write about next?

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. - James 1:22

August 7, 2009

Recently while we were walking around the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, we came upon an interesting sight. There was a whole group of people walking around together, including a Disney tour guide - easily recognizable because of their distinctive uniforms - and a few security guards wearing suits in the summer heat and humidity so typical in Florida. And in the center of the group of about 15 people was a woman. It was obvious that she was the important one, because she even had someone following her around to hold an umbrella over her.

I have no idea who this woman was; she didn't look familiar to me. Of course, while I do usually have a good idea of who most celebrities are, I don't always recognize everyone. But I did gather by the fact that the sport-coated security guards were not having to beat people away that this woman wasn't a huge mega-star.

We ran into the group a couple of times. The most interesting was when we walked past Splash Mountain, the log flume water ride, and saw the woman and one of her security guards riding past us in one of the logs. The woman was enjoying her ride, as most people do. The guard, in the back seat of the log, was just sitting there staring straight ahead. Maybe he was trying to concentrate on whatever danger he might imagine his client might be in. Or maybe he was just hot. Or mad that water splashed on his sport coat.

Now maybe this is all based just a little on jealousy, knowing that I'll never be able to afford a private tour where we get to skip all the lines to the attractions. But really, I don't have much problem with that. I've run across those groups before, and as long as they don't have to shut down the whole attraction while the one important person rides it, I don't mind too much. One of the advantages of having some extra money, I suppose.

But what really caught my eye with all this was the guy who held the umbrella to keep the sun off of the woman. Perhaps he should have been riding Splash Mountain with her to hold the umbrella over her during the big splashes of water. But I don't think he did.

I wondered how it must feel to be so important that you have someone to do that for you. I don't have anyone to do that for me. If I were to ask some of my friends to follow me around all day holding an umbrella over me to keep the sun off, they would just laugh at me. I can hear them now: "Why don't you carry your own umbrella? Or just stay in the shade?" I'm sure this guy that I saw was getting paid for his shade services, but I'm not about to pay someone to do that. So I just put on some extra sunscreen and grab a hat on the way out the door.

I also wondered about the guy carrying the umbrella. I hope his pay was good. And he did get to go to the Magic Kingdom for the day. I wondered if he got to ride all the rides, or if he just had to wait at the exit with the umbrella in the ready position. Does he ever stop and think, "What am I doing carrying an umbrella for someone while I myself am out in the hot sun?" I'm not sure I would be paid enough for that.

Looking back on it all, I hope that I would probably feel just a bit guilty about all that. About having someone to follow me around doing such a meaningless task. If for some reason I ever get to that point in life, I hope some of my friends will point out just how silly that actually is. Because if you ever think that you are important, sooner or later you will probably find out you aren't quite as important as you think you are.

When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: "When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, 'Give this man your seat.' Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all your fellow guests. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." - Luke 14:7-11

June 19, 2009

Recently, Laura and I returned from a mission trip to Jamaica. And this was our "return trip" of sorts, after having been on our first Jamaican mission trip last year. While we were there, I realized there were some things I forgot.

I forgot how much I enjoy flying. Well, that isn't entirely true. I don't like being on the airline's schedule, or being restricted on how much stuff I can take. I would rather throw everything in the car and leave when I wanted to, even if I did have more than three ounces of liquids with me. That isn't an option when going to Jamaica, I suppose. But once you get past the hassle of being there on time, with "on time" being a couple of hours early, and you get past the hassle of going through security, flying is a lot of fun. Just knowing how fast you are going, and marvelling that they can get something that heavy off the ground, and feeling the plane move all around, and getting to look out the window and see things like Florida and Cuba - that's really fun!

I forgot how much I like the people. I don't always consider myself a big "people person". I don't mind people, really. But sometimes getting to know new people doesn't come naturally to me. On this trip, it was a delight to get to see some of the same faces from the Lucea church in Jamaica, and to see some new ones as well. And the same goes for the folks from Chattanooga that our group from Memphis went with. It was good to renew acquaintances from last year, and good to meet lots of new friends as well. Always nice to be around the kind of people that you have only known for a day or two, but perhaps because you have a common bond, you feel like you have been friends for quite a while.

I forgot how well Philbert Ferguson says prayers. Brother Ferguson is 80 years old now; last year, he would give his age as "seventy and nine". So just his presence every day is a blessing in itself. But his prayers are special because of his distinctive voice and accent, along with the eloquent words he uses when he talks to God. I would have made him the designated prayer person for each service.

I forgot how beautiful the landscape is. Well, I didn't exactly forget that. But I was reminded of it even more while riding along the road and watching out the window. Green mountains on one side, blue water on the other. And at times the clouds would descend down over the mountain tops to create a pretty impressive view.

I forgot how much I enjoyed the singing at the Lucea church. Although they don't sing perfect four-part harmony there, they make up for it in emotion. It is quite obvious that they feel and understand the meaning behind the words they are singing. And then there are some wonderful songs that they sing that I don't know. But once you hear them a time or two, they really stick in your head. All week long, I was singing, "You better get right with God, Come and do it now..."

I forgot how much I had missed Jamaica. Not the beautiful beaches and luxurious resorts that you may see on television or in the travel magazines. But rather, I had been missing the real Jamaica. The people, especially the people of the church in Lucea. The different way of life that makes me stop and think. The chance to get away and do something fun and worthwhile with friends. And all the opportunities we had to serve God while we were there.

But be sure to fear the LORD and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. - 1 Samuel 12:24

May 13, 2009

Most of the time, I'm not that nostalgic, although I do occasionally think about things that happened back in the past. Most of it has all been good times, so that helps, too.

But for the last several weeks, I have found myself thinking back twenty years ago. Seeing the date on the calendar, and remembering what happened on that day or around that time. I suppose 1989 was an eventful year for me, particularly in the springtime. So here's a look back at what was going on just twenty short years ago.

April 25, 1989: Our high school band left on a trip to go to Walt Disney World for a performance and a few days of fun. Thanks to some bus problems, we got to spend an entire day at a mall in Montgomery, Alabama. And then we got to drive all night to get to Florida in time for our performance the next day. Other than that one mishap, it was a great trip, a good performance, a fun few days in the parks. And I got to sit by a cute girl named Laura on the bus.

May 20, 1989: We had our annual Band Banquet, which was the first official date for Laura and me. I didn't even mind driving across town to pick her up, only to come back within a couple of miles of my house for the banquet. We had a nice picture of ourselves made, which I won't scare you away with here.

May 22, 1989: I graduated from high school. To be quite honest, I don't remember all that much about the graduation itself, or about the baccalaureate the day before. But I apparently did learn how to spell "baccalaureate", because I just looked it up, and I had spelled it correctly! Anyway, there were speeches, the band performed, and we all walked across the stage. Your typical high school graduation.

Summer 1989: Laura and I went on more dates instead of just stopping after the Band Banquet date. Fun times! And there were the other usual activities, such as our week-long church camp, and a trip to Walt Disney World with my parents, grandparents, sister, and cousin. The big movie of the summer was "Batman", which I did not see in the theater, although I did see "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", both with Laura, of course.

August 1989: I started college, which to me marked the end of my high school years even more than graduating in May had done.

And so, here we are, twenty years later. Four years after that time, Laura and I got married, and we will happily be celebrating our 16th anniversary later on this summer. And they have all been good years, with many blessings I never would have dreamed of way back then.

But I occasionally find myself looking back, remembering those good times of two decades ago. Wondering how twenty years could have passed, when all that seems like just a short time ago. But I never wonder how things might be different if I had made other choices. Instead, I'm very thankful for the choices I made, because they led me to where I am today.

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. - Psalm 90:12

April 17, 2009

The other day, I had to go to a meeting, which happens from time to time. And of course, meetings aren't usually excuses to tell you how good you are doing. Sometimes they are to let you know about a job before it gets started. Other meetings are to coordinate information between various disciplines on a particular project. But more often than not, meetings are to figure out who did something wrong, who didn't do what they were supposed to do, who is responsible for something that someone hasn't done, and who dropped the ball in a major way. Not always the most fun situation to be in.

This particular meeting looked like it was going to be of that last variety. Figuring out who should be doing what, with a bit of blame shifting and finger pointing thrown in for good measure. I tried to make sure I had my thick skin on before I left the office, just to be safe.

Once I arrived, I took a seat next to one of the other engineers for this project, and we were joined by the architect, the owner's representative, and assorted contractors and subcontractors. I knew the electrical contractor and I were on the same page on most things, but I didn't know about everyone else.

So at the start of the meeting, the general contractor - the head of the large construction company - stood up and said, "Let's open this meeting with a prayer." And he did. He prayed for the facility, for the people it would serve, for the workers who were building it. And then the meeting started.

And I think that opening prayer set the tone for the entire meeting. There wasn't any questionable language heard during the discussions. Most everyone had a positive attitude toward getting things done. Even those who were saying, "That's not my responsibility," were willing to do what needed to be done to see that the job is finished on time.

Some people might say that the cooperative spirit exhibited there during the meeting would have been there anyway. But I think the prayer had more than a little to do with it. And just for good measure, when lunch was brought in we had a prayer for the meal as well.

I suppose it is because of so much time spent in church or praying before meals in our home, but often at meetings or dinners, I find myself thinking, "Seems like we should have a prayer." After all, most all church services start and end with a prayer. Church related meals begin with a prayer. But then when I'm at a non-church meeting or function, even when I've been thinking to myself that we should have a prayer, it is surprising when we really do have one. And it helps to keep the right things in focus.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. - I Thessalonians 5:16-18

March 23, 2009

Do you ever stop and think about how technology has changed over the last several years? I have been thinking about that lately.

I remember when we got our first microwave oven when I was a kid. It was amazing! You could heat something up just like that. Just don't put any styrofoam in there for any length of time.

Somewhere around that same time, we got our first VCR. A huge thing that covered most of the top of the television that it sat on top of. Top loading, too. But we could see all those shows that aired on Sunday nights or Wednesday nights while we were at church. Or rent movies instead of having to see them in the theater or wait for network television to show them in between all the commercials.

Remember when the only person with a phone in his car was Batman in the Batmobile? For you younger ones, I'm not talking about the series of movies that started in 1989, but rather the old television show from the 60s. A big, red phone, right there in the dashboard of his car. The rest of us had to be talking on a phone that was actually connected to something.

And we all watched Batman, because there were only four or five television channels to choose from. One more if you counted public television, but who really watched that anyway?

What about all those early Atari games, which progressed at a leisurely pace compared to the games out there now. Pitfall, anyone?

And if you are reading this, most likely it is on a computer using the internet. It wasn't that long ago when no one had a computer in their homes. Not to mention that we never had heard of a thing called the Internet.

So yes, things have changed just a bit over the years. Seems that technology has made some leaps and bounds in our lifetime.

But for all these changes, many things have remained the same. We all have the same basic needs. Sure, there are food, clothing, and shelter. But even more basic than that is the fact that we need each other. And we all need God.

Some things will never change.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind - Romans 12:2

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