Opportunities

August 26

I am thankful for opportunities. We are presented with opportunities often. How we react to them is key to finding our way in life. We can choose to do nothing. Perhaps that is the safest thing to do. We accept the status quo. Or we can react. It will either end in a positive way and or in a negative way. Knowing when to sit tight and when to act on an opportunity presented us determines our success in life. But when we are given golden opportunities that demand action, we must follow through. This is how we can influence others in positive ways.

This is a photo of antique doorknobs that I took at an antique shop in Denham Springs, Louisiana. It occurred to me that since doorknobs open doors, that they would be a good metaphor for opportunity.

when opportunity knocks

when opportunity knocks

we can hide

and put the latch on lock

or we can stride forward

turn the doorknob

open the door

and venture outside

in search of more

cowering in the corner

behind the threshold

is the safe and easy way

but not very bold

but to go on ahead

on the road to success

is how we boldly tread.

© rt tulley

Summer

August 25

I am thankful for the summer. Summer used to be my favorite time of the year while I was in school, of course, because of vacation and a break from school. I still enjoy summer but for a different reason. Now summer is a nice time for relaxing and taking vacations. It is of course hot, hot, hot. So to ease the heat, you necessarily go to the beach!

This is a photo of the beach at Gulfport with a beach volleyball net near dusk. All that is missing are people enjoying their vacations.

summer

from the cold and drear of winter long

to thoughts of a summer’s song

every school kid dreams and yearns

of summer days his only concern

everyone makes his glad tidings’ noise

to sing of cars and surf with the beach boys

sun and tans will be in excess

summer romance the mark of success

so summer approaches we loudly applaud

in and with summer we are awed

time of vacation and the sandy beach

now summer is within our reach.

© rt tulley

Patience

August 24

I am thankful for patience, at least the times I've had it. Other times, it seems to be nowhere near. In times like those, a prayer for patience is needed. Sometimes we need to sit down, take stock of everything, be patient, and relax.

My grandfather, Fred Tulley, loved to fish. He had a favorite fishing hole outside of town. He took me with him one or two times. He  always said I needed to be quiet and still so that the fish would take the bait. I never had the patience to do that and consequently I never caught any fish. A story I remember about my grandfather and fishing was the time that he parked his car on the steep bank which led down to the pond. He must have forgotten to put  the emergency brake on and had left it in neutral because the car ended up in the pond before he could stop it  I can picture him running after the car and trying to grab the door. (I had a similar experience trying to catch a lead-lined gamma counter that rolled down an incline at work while I tried to stop it unsuccessfully before it plowed into a pickup truck). My grandfather had to have the car towed out and then dried out and cleaned up inside and out and have the engine restored to working order. I think he had to have great patience to have made it through that episode. Even more so than fishing!

When my son John was quite young, he asked me to take him fishing. I agreed, of course, even though I had little knowledge of the intricasies of the sport. He had a pole and hooks but no bait. We went to University Lake in Baton Rouge and on the way, we stopped at an Albertson's grocery store to look for something that would serve as bait (yeah, I know, grocery stores aren't where you usually go for bait). We browsed around and finally found something - Goldfish crackers! It just seemed appropriate. Needless to say we didn't catch anything but we had a good time. John's Papa Richard finally took him properly fishing in Florida, where he caught his first fish - a very large one.

This is a photo of a fisherman fishing in the Gulf at Gulfport Beach. I can't think of anything that requires more patience for me than fishing. I've never been much of a fisherman. I've only rarely caught anything and I have no patience for even trying. I think I'll stick to golf. At least you're moving all the time. Although I am sure to hear from my fisher-friends, fishing for me requires great patience, more than I have readily available. Sitting still is not one of my virtues. Perhaps I should make myself fish so that I can better learn the art of patience. Na. The golf course is calling.

patience

(thanks to my pastor, Hawley Wolfe, a "Hero of the Heart" for the inspiration for this)

give me the patience of Job

the loyalty of Ruth

the courage of Esther

the wisdom to know truth

the faith of Abraham

the insight to know what’s  missing

the chastity of Joseph and…

to never make me go fishing!

© rt tulley