“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived” (Henry David Thoreau).

In my case, it was a trip to the lake (although something like a Walden experience where Thoreau went back to basic in the woods does sound very appealing at times).

The whole family got together for a weekend at the Kentucky Lake. We didn’t go shopping. We didn’t go out to eat. We just hung out at a cabin in the woods and on the nearby lake. It was glorious.

There’s something therapeutic about getting back to nature. In fact, I’m sure I read that one of the most underutilized anti-depressants is nature. Or maybe it’s exercise, but exercise is always better in a nature setting rather than in a gym.

As I type these words, I am sore and sunburned. But the sunburn comes with me being foolish with sunscreen and forgetting to apply it to my shoulders after we got to the lake. The soreness is from my brain still thinking that it’s 25 (and my body being all like, “Yeah right, buddy. Watch this!)

Still, it was restful and relaxing. I needed to get away from the world for a while. Being near a body of water has a calming and soothing effect in a year when just about everybody could use a little less stress.

I’ve also decided that lake sunsets maybe my second favorite, just behind beach sunsets. I could take either one of them (or both) at regular intervals for the rest of my life.

You need both.

I have a confession to make– I didn’t start drinking coffee until a few years ago. Back in the beginning, I’d mix coffee and hot chocolate into a concoction that helped me wake up when I was working at a job that required me to be there super early.

But you ask, “How did you manage during all those years before coffee? Did you get enough sleep?”

Heck, no. I had Diet Mountain Dew. Lots and lots of Diet Mountain Dew.

Looking back, they were way worse for me than any amount of coffee. All that carbonation, plus whatever evil ingredients they put in that artificial sweetener.

But now I’ve discovered coffee. My preference is light roast, but I’ll take just about any kind, just as long as I have creamer and sugar to make it palatable.

Now I’m one of “those people” who look at people who don’t drink coffee as weirdos. Do they really get the recommended daily amount of sleep? How does that even happen?

Even if you’re not a fan of Doctor Who, you’ve felt this way. Every other adult in the world is successfully adulting and you’re over here still singing the alphabet song to see what letter comes next and counting with your fingers.

Don’t lie. You know it’s true.

I confess there are times in a situation where an adult is needed where I’m thinking, “I’m an adult, but what we need is an adulty-er adult to really take charge. Someone who’s REALLY grown up.”

I also think that some of the best grown ups I know are the ones who are childlike in their outlook and disposition. Not childish in the sense of throwing tantrums when they don’t get their own way, but childlike in the sense of never losing their awe and wonder at life in general.

I will say that if I had to do it over, I’d be far less enthusiastic about rushing through my childhood to get to being an adult. It’s WAY overrated.

In case you’ve forgotten, God says that you are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are unique and the world wouldn’t be the same without you. Just you being you brings something into that world that wouldn’t exist if you didn’t.

Honestly, I’m a little fuzzy on the definition of miracles, but I’m pretty sure that the fact that you’re still here, alive and breathing, is a legit, for real miracle. And don’t you forget it.

In Kairos, Chris Brooks talked about Joshua 4 and how God commanded the Israelites to collect stones from the Jordan River to commemorate how God had parted the river so the entire nation could cross in safety. I suppose in this day and age, Moses and Aaron would simply have taken a selfie, but selfies weren’t a thing back in ancient times.

The idea was to build a monument to mark the occasion of the miracle. It was to remind the people of God every time they saw it of how God had once again provided in time of need.

Let’s face it. We are a forgetful people. At least I am. Whenever I get into trouble or face adversity, I’m prone to selective memory. I remember previous troubles but forget how it was God who guided me through. Sometimes I even forget about God altogether in the midst of my anxiety.

God knows we need reminders, both individually and collectively. We remind ourselves individually by steeping ourselves in God’s Word and prayer. We remind ourselves collectively by gathering in worship weekly and in smaller groups regularly to encourage and inspire each other to not forget what God has already done and promised yet to do.

We’re more prone to spiritual amnesia when we go it alone. When you or I try the Lone Ranger approach to faith living, we can easily lose who we are or why we’re here. All the distractions of the world and the media and life in general can derail us from our true purpose and passion.

So we gather together to remember. We intentionally set aside time not so much to remind God of our problems but to remind our problems of God and His goodness and faithfulness.

I’m thankful for all the daily reminders I see from God through fellow believers through social media and in face to face conversations. I’m grateful that more and more believers are coming together again to worship and waken each other to remember God’s goodness. I’m thankful most of all at how patient God is with me when I forget time and time again and need those reminders still.

I believe Matthew 7:1 the most quoted verse in the Bible, surpassing even John 3:16. What most people who throw this verse around mean by it is that they can do whatever they want whenever they want, regardless of the consequences to them or others, and no one can hold them accountable for their actions.

That’s not what the verse means.

On the other side, I see people who take actions that may or may not be isolated, i.e. not wearing masks, voting Republican (or Democrat), and use those to make an assessment of that person’s character, intentions, and motives.

I do not have the right to decide what kind of person you are what I see you doing. I don’t know your context. I don’t know your history. I don’t know that I might have done the same or worse if I had walked in your proverbial shoes for a day or so.

I do believe the Bible calls us to hold each other accountable for our actions, especially those that don’t line up with what we profess to believe. I don’t have the right to determine your eternal destiny based on those actions if I don’t know you.

The Bible does say that we will all have to give account for our actions some day. We will ultimately be held accountable for all the good and bad we’ve done. That’s God’s job, not mine.

The best way is always the way of compassion. That does not mean that we automatically endorse every action, but we choose to be kind even in the face of things we don’t agree with. We may disagree or rebuke, but it is in love and kindness.

The best example I learned recently is when Jesus washed the feet of Judas, the one He knew would later betray Him. Was that an endorsement of the betrayal? Of course not. Was that showing love? Absolutely.

We can dislike a person’s actions and still love the person. God does that with us all the time. Look at the supreme act of love when Jesus forgave His enemies when they were in the very act of murdering Him.

I think if we took more time to make sure our lives matched our words and our actions matched our professions of faith, we’d have way less time to judge and condemn others.

I don’t know where this cabin is, or even if it actually exists, but I want it.

I can see myself walking out on that balcony with my coffee in the morning to enjoy the view. I can also see myself with some family and/or friends around that fire on a chilly fall evening.

I am accepting all forms of cash, coins, credit cards, Venmo, and any other method of money so that I can either a) purchase this magnificent home or 2) build one just like it.

I am kidding about the money. I would like to live there, though. It looks very homey and inviting. All that’s missing is a hammock.

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it” (Mother Teresa).

Life is a gift, open it.
Life is a miracle, savor every moment of it.
Life is God’s gift to you, live it to the hilt.

I have learned a few lessons so far from the calendar year 2020, one of which is indeed that Bigfoot’s name is Darryl (and he prefers that to being called Hey Bigfoot.

I have also learned that having my schedule interrupted isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Before corona, I had my weekly schedule. Then a little virus came along and all my little daily routines got sidelined for a bit. The odd things was that I survived.

I learned to appreciate face-to-face interactions with people. As much as I’m thankful for the technology of Zoom, it’s not the same. There’s an energy that comes from being around actual people in the same room that no video chat could ever duplicate.

I appreciate a good meal at a restaurant more than ever. For a while, I was wondering if I’d ever get that experience again. Hopefully now I’m an even better tipper than I was before, considering how all the servers were out of work for a while.

I discovered the wild and wonderful world of podcasts. I can listen to sermons from my church and from Kairos. I also get the Wally Show and the Brant and Sherri Oddcast, both from Way-FM. Finally, I am getting into spooky supernatural podcasts like GraveYard Tales and Astonishing Legends.

Most of all, I’m a little more grateful for life in general. Sometimes it takes a pandemic to make you appreciate how precious and fleeting this life is and what a waste it is to squander that life arguing with strangers about politics over social media or judging people who sin differently than you.

What wisdom have you gained from 2020? I’d like to know. Also, if you have any life hacks or helpful time-saving hints, those would also be appreciated.de