GENDADS

Morning, kids. Unscheduled challenge derailed me. Get ready; life is way full of them. Did you notice today is Sunday, not Saturday? I almost didn’t. AND it is about INTEGRITY. Of course.

YOU DON’T HAVE TO LOVE TOSSING BALES TO KNOW THE HORSES NEED FEEDING.

I’ve got to tell you this, guys. Over the week I’ve begun these letters, the idea that personal INTEGRITY is the root of all good character has played over and over again in my mind. If you haven’t noticed (I hide it so well), I’m old. This recent review of the prominence of INTEGRITY to a successful life has deeply affected my perception of almost everything. Here’s the good part. By God’s grace–I’m serious about that, because HE has enabled me to make the right choices in my life–I have lived a life of INTEGRITY. So, it looks like my letters from here will spring out of my realization AND my experience on how central INTEGRITY is to a good and godly life. It is my deepest hope that my passing on this specific focus on what lies ahead for a godly life, I will save you much pain and provide the joy of being satisified with yourself and the life God gives you.

OK, about this late letter. WELL, TURN THE PAGE. I’LL KEEP THIS SHORT. As I was saying, about this late letter. I was doing the right thing when I didn’t want to. All day yesterday. We had a night of heavy rain. A 20 square foot of our carpet under the sofa was squishy wet in the morning. (We later discovered an odd leak through a closed window. “Whew!!” I thought Nani was going to yell at me for doing something wrong…again!). I had big plans for my Saturday. One of them was to write you guys and post it on GenDads. I really didn’t want to do what was required. I even came up with a plan to do it later (“Hey, it’s just water.” Nani loves it when I say that.).

This is a really small illustration under the title “INTEGRITY.” But I want you to take the principle seriously. INTEGRITY means doing the right thing….even when you don’t want to and even when you have a good excuse that you think will pass.

At first we do the thing we know we must out of obedience, or mom or dad or the teacher will yell or something worse. Or, sometimes, we do what is right with the easy stuff and put the hard stuff off ’til later (until we forget, mom forgets, or someone else get stuck with our job). Any of this sounding familiar?

OK, done for now, except to stress the point. Do you remember the quote in my last letter? INTEGRITY is doing what is right when no one is looking. A man or woman of INTEGRITY does what is right because they have developed a habit of doing right and feel good about it. Now, this may sound preachy, but it’s short. God cares, too. Most of God’s “energy” in making us able to His will, is in giving us the will and the ability to a) make the choice (remember, it’s all about choice) and b) and DO what is right.

I have a list of things, good things, that follow in the trail of men and women of INTEGRITY. I’m eager to think more about it. I’m sharing this with the adults in our chapel, too.

POPI

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[Contuing the series of legacy letters to Taylor, 12, approaching his Rite of Passage and Colton, following close at his heals with an entirely different pesonality to filter a grandfather's "finishing well" stage of life. The goal is helping the boy's parents equip them to stand strong in the Lord and to LIGHTHOUSE of goodness and godliness for others in the turbulent future ahead.]

OK. Nice start, guys. Good response. You’re getting the idea. What I say in lots of words, you confirm with a few. Attawaytogo! So, let’s dig in.

INTEGRITY. Sometimes I think the root Latin word is “Gritty” (“Tough; working against the grain. Or, grains of sand added to cement to give it strength. Or, True Grit, like the girl said of Rooster Cogburn; someone who sticks it out to do what’s right, even when safety and other voices scream, ‘Get out quick! Take the easy way’”).

Let me tell you why INTEGRITY is the first among important character traits that will equip you to be a Prince in the Kingdom of God in the challenging years ahead. You with me so far? Good, then you’ll click “MORE” to get my thoughts in two more short paragraphs and some quotes. . . More

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[Thus begins a series of letters to Taylor and Colton, grandsons at 12 and 10. Taylor in his "Year of Passage" to his man-year at 13; eldest, bright, responsible, tech-
savvy. Colton; deep, curious, engaging building his own path. I'll engage them in letters from my heart and my generation and from my Walk With God. It's my investment in my legacy...AND THEIRS, and it's part of the tough journey to complete GENERATIONAL FATHERING (see website). Later I will include letters to the bright-spirited, effervescent, charming Brooke. Girls, too, need two or more generations of good and godly fathers.]

COLTON AND TAYLOR

G’morning, boys. It’s been awhile cranking out this letter. It’s been deep in my heart, just hasn’t made it through my fingertips. You know what I say about whinning. Ok, so I won’t…except I’m blamming my weeks of computer stress on the loving and all-knowing God Creator (who finally sent me a tech-savvy beginning angel looking for his wings. All he did for me was earn maybe 50 feathers). You’ve heard me talk about God’s sovereignty, right? This is where knowing that He is in control of all stuff and happenings is handy. it kept me from throwing my new Dell through the window. Not a good idea.

Speaking of Dell, Taylor, thanks for you tutering on the new laptop. I like it, mostly. Am listening to worship music on the great on-board speakers (confession: the first album on my iTunes download was Willey and the Wild West). I guess I’ll like Wiindows 7; every body else seems to. But loosing three months of Outlook files in a faulty backup has sucked up three weeks of my life. Then I let God whisper, again, about how even this sort of thing (He says ALL things) work toward my growth. “Hey, Lord, enough already. I’m 70. Put your growing tricks on someone else. Like Charis. She sure could use it.”

Guys, I know about the attention span thing and the distraction of other things going on in the Net world. I’ll send you two or three letters a week. If I have a deep or long subject, like the major one today, I’ll stretch it out over a couple of readable sessions. Short and seet is the idea.

For example, as I planned my heart/life/experience/wisdom-swap to you guys, I decided on a cornerstone theme. Integrity. Let’s take a Popi Peek and how I see it applies to you. – - – - – More

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New computer and lost data issues almost settled. I wanted to get back on line and up on GenDads yesterday. Got sidetracked. A really good sidetrack. I met an old friend for breakfast, but it was two hours away. Worth the trip and the day away. And did I say, “OOOoooold friend?”

THREE GENERATIONS ENJOY SUCCESS OF THE CLIMB.   THE SIGNIFICANCE?  BOTH THE EVENT AND THE MEMORY ARE LEGACY MILESTONES

There are moments in life when life comes together. It’s at those points where gaps of time are closed with memories. Memories are the framework for legacy. Some are more memorable. Some memories have emotional traction, and they give substance and endurance that carry into the future.

Think about it, dad, grand dad. Those events, discussions, embraces and high-fives get passed on up hill to the future through those children you prize, good memories and bad. Over pancakes and omelets Jim and I covered 50 years. Almost all of those have been in ministry for both of us; different ones. We chuckled recalling the two of us among the eight seniors on the front lawn of Wheaton College returning from the summer and discussing our futures in serving the Lord.

YOU’LL LOVE THE BANTER COVERING THE FIFTY YEARS AND WHAT WE FOUND IMPORTANT. . . More

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Just can’t help my self.  Now, THAT is significant.

The response to tracking the difference between “success” (every solid American’s standard of worth) and “significance” (those imprints that are found deep in the hearts and lives of others and cascade to ongoing generations) has been instructive.  AND it has reinvigorated my own journey.  It is always open to tweeking. 

Navy LT “JV” teaching sailors in a church basement.  Can you tell it’s an old picture?  Any thing significant?  You’ll see.

“Significance” is now my mantra, will probably be so until some concept more engaging comes along.  Matt (co-author and soninlaw) offered “worship” as the cornerstone upon which significance is built.  Ok, but not the “act of worship.”  It’s a life focus of worship of the Lord God, the One to whom all signficance will be address and Who will judge it in the end.  How’s your life of worship coming?  Significant?

But let me offer one more piece.  It came from a senior Navy chaplain to the Marines, a friend who knows his way around the church, the military and real combat, and the family.  Ollis Mozon simply quoted a Chief of Chaplains.  It stuck with him, now it sticks with me. 

Read on slowly and take in these simple wise words. More

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 He sat across the table at a mid-east restaurant in Philadelphia.  It was way long ago, about the time I was 50.  Two remarkable things happened that fateful night.  First was insignificant, but, boy do I remember.  The second changed my life.  There was still plenty of that ahead of me. 

Burned on the retina of my mind, which now has forgotten lots of stuff, but not this, is the belly dancer.  It’s not why you think.  After all, I was sitting across from a now world-honored missionary leader and class and football team comrade.  Oh, and best friend.

 Why is Captain Taylor eating a Strawberry sundae in Indonesia signficant?

While we concentrated on the Humus and Pita Bread and changing the world of missions–honestly, much of what is true in missions today all began there–this young gal in veils with an appropriate middle-east pulchritude bee-lined for our table.  The Devil made her do it.  I was a Navy captain in dress blues straight from the Amtrak station, from the Pentagon, from the Admiral Nimitz “War Room,” now a congressional lobbying office.

 Circling our table twice with her veil screaming, “Come hither, sailor,” the Devil and the Belly Dance slithered onward, trying one more time just before Souvlaki.  Now that was memorable.  It was not significant. 

Which brings me to fateful item two.  Maybe you’d best read on More

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