Today, I Choose Joy!

Mistakes to avoid: remorse over yesterday's failures, anxiety over today's problems, worry over tomorrow's uncertainty, waste of the moment's opportunity, procrastination with one's present duty, resentment of another's success, criticism of a neighbor's imperfection, impatience with youth's immaturity, skepticism of our nation's future, and unbelief in God's providence. --William Ward

I tend to worry a lot but my worry is nothing compared to the way that my wife worries about things. For years she would get so worked up about every little thing that it even affected her health. I am a bad one to be married to if you are a worrier. I am an artist, musician, and writer, and have had several jobs over the years and there hasn’t been a real sense of security in my occupation or income. My average salary was enough to qualify for free lunch at school, and on top of all that, I was a student for a quarter of our married life. There were times when I felt that we were living the dream, but many more years where it felt like we were falling apart and it was hard to get out of bed in the morning. A very wise pastor told me once that, “being grateful is almost indistinguishable from joy.” I think that being thankful for what you have will bring joy. This same wise pastor told me that “joy and happiness are not the same thing.” You can have joy in the midst of any circumstance, but we see happiness as a goal in our culture. The “pursuit of happiness” is all a part of that formula that we create in our minds of how things need to be in order to experience happiness. We can actually choose Joy! Joy is not a thing that requires a prerequisite. You don’t have to be rich, strong, pretty, or famous to experience it, yet it eludes so many of us. We look around us and convince ourselves that we don’t have the “good life” because what we have doesn’t match someone else’s. The old “keeping up with the Jones’” idea is a tired expression that is an exhausting pursuit if that becomes your focus and your goal. As mentioned earlier and is worth repeating—depression is worrying about the past and anxiety is worrying about the future. The key is not to worry—why are we so prone to worry about everything?

Paddle Report: Kayaking Lake Cumberland Kentucky

My mother has a place in Russell Springs, Kentucky so it was a no-brainer. I wanted to get down on the water since the first time I visited this amazing man made lake. In the 1950s they dammed up the Cumberland River and it filled the valley and created one of the most amazing man-made lakes on the planet. There are two nice boat launches that are free of charge in Cumberland State Park (Kentucky has some of the best state parks!) There is no charge for entrance into the park and no special permits to put in the lake.

I paddled from the first boat launch all the way past the docks to the other side of the lake at one of its widest parts. I'm not sure how many miles I paddled today but with 1,200 miles of shoreline I just saw a sampling of this giant. I explored several of the bayous and creeks that shoot off of the lake. The natural beauty is breath-taking. There were these five eagles that followed me around for a while and I saw some wild turkey on the shoreline.

Paddle Report: Sugar Creek, Parke County, IN

I put in at the Cox Covered Bridge in Sugar Creek, down from Turkey Run State Park in Indiana, just West of Indianapolis. It was rough right from the start paddling upstream. the Creek was low and the current was strong. I kept at it until I reached a calmer park of the creek and after several portages to the more scenic parts of the creek, I think it was well worth the battle upstream. It is a beautiful scenic trip and the trip back was fun and full of exciting fast current and obstacles. It took me about two hours total. I made it upstream to the heart of the park and decided that walking my kayak through the long stretch of shallow water would not be worth it. I would like to come back again when the creek is a bit higher. It was still a great trip. You have to go to the park office to get a parking pass--it is free but otherwise you can only park at the launch for 30 minutes. You can get a 24 hour or a 48 hour pass through the park office.

Enjoying the Process and the Journey . . .

When I was younger all I wanted was to be famous. I wanted everyone to know my name. I was aware that life was short and you had to make your mark if you wanted to leave something of yourself behind. I remember being amazed at singers and songwriters because they were leaving a legacy of song that would outlast their mortality and touch people long after their earthly life was through. I was also fascinated with artists who had works that people were still talking about hundreds of years after their death. We all want our lives to mean something. When I was young I was desperate to find that one thing that I had that would set me apart from the crowd and bring me the timeless fame that I desired. The reality is that only a small number get to that point and there are so many factors that can affect the outcome of such a pursuit. It is possible if you have the right combination of good looks, amazing talent, excellent work ethic, sterling personality, and opportunity. If all of those stars align for you then you might have a shot. There is always the Cinderella story, but those are more like winning the lottery. As we get older we realize that fame is very circumstantial and fickle. It does not always stay and often times it brings unforeseen complications that can bring down even the strongest person. I started playing music thinking that would bring me fame and notoriety and it did on a small level—so I kept doing it. I started drawing because I loved it—it too brought a level of notoriety and fame among my peers. I started writing songs, thinking that I had a great gift. In the beginning my motivation was for the prize and not the process. It wasn’t until years later that I realized that what keeps me doing it is the love and passion for it. I still write songs and love to play music. I never became famous for it, other than on a local level, but I have enjoyed it and it has enhanced my life in ways that I did not expect. I enjoy the expression that songwriting offers—it is music and poetry intertwined. The point is, that the pursuit of fame and wealth did not render what I had planned. That was a hard blow in the beginning. I was counting on it. Once I met my wife and we started a family, I knew that the early dream would not fit into the new life plan with all of our immediate needs. Most everyone comes to the age of reason and makes peace with who they are and where they are. But there is a part of us that still dares to dream the dream. And why not? 

Paddle Report: The St. Joe River in Niles

Last Wednesday I put in at a small public access on the North End of Niles, MI, just below where the Dowagiac River Meets the St. Joe. I paddled upstream past the parks and through downtown to Island Park and Closer to the Dam. The current got so strong and the water was too shallow to pass. I turned around and followed the St. Joe down stream to the Dowagiac River. I paddled up stream for a mile or two and ran into some construction then turned around and headed for the launch.

Great scenic trip. Only a couple of hours and plenty of natural and man-made beauty and wildlife to see. Easy access at the end of the road right across from the YMCA in Niles, MI.

Paddle Report: Kayaking from Long Lake to the St. Joe River

My wife dropped me off at the Northern Tip off Long Lake in Union, MI. There is a small boat launch across from Zimmyville. I paddled down to a friends house and she joined me and helped me find the entrance to Trout Creek which eventually leads into the St. Joe. It was a little hard to find because it is through a bunch of lilly pads in between Long and Coverdale Lake at the southern end. We found it and I was off on my own down Trout Creek. It was a beautiful Fall day and a beautiful stretch of scenic waterway. I floated downstream through some obstacles but it was very passable and fun. After getting to the St. Joe River somewhere in between Mottville, MI and Bristol, IN, I kept going downstream to the bridge by CR 17 in Elkhart. It took me about 4 1/2 hours and covered 2 states and 4 waterways--awesome!

I would do it again in a heartbeat! One of the best kayak journeys I've paddled!