Scenic Route

I spent last week in Singapore--not exactly a fun trip as Randy had to check up on a coworker/friend who is hospitalized there in fairly critical condition.  I tagged along for moral support to both Randy and the friend's wife.  Before I continue, said friend is in stable condition but with a lot of surgeries/rehab in his future.  If one is in a bad way, a Singapore hospital is definitely where you want to be as they are some of the worlds absolute  best. Coming from smokey, crazy-cold UB to Singapore is a real shock to the system.  Singapore is like California on steroids.  Every square inch is landscaped, no matter the neighborhood.  It's illegal to even chew gum. On our treks to and from the hospital, something fundamentally Singaporean hit me:  the SHOPPING.  Oh my.  Block after block of the same repeat of lux shops.  It becomes monotonous!  Even though this was my 3rd trip to S'pore, I had sort of avoided al...

Mr. Scenic Route is always stressing the importance of being forward thinking in the business world.  I think its importance can be applied to most areas of our lives--maybe that's why God gave us seasons and weekly/monthly/yearly observances.  To keep us forward thinking.  Looking back, I actually achieved most of my goals for last year!  Granted, they were simple ones and I  tried very hard not to set myself up for failure.  Still, pat on the back. The word I focused on was GRACE.  I really tried to be open to all that God would teach me about the  subject.  Being SO aware of all the grace he grants me, I wanted to spread it all around me, too.  I like to think that all my relationships have much softer edges to them these days.   Anyway, this year's word is LOVE.  Pretty basic, huh?  But, what does it look like to really live a life of Biblical love?  Not Hallmark love.  Not a big cosmic hug love. ...