Claude Trexler

It’s been a week since I attended the funeral of Claude Trexler.  It seems a little odd typing Claude Trexler, as I have known him as My Papaw for the last 37 years.    I will miss My Papaw, as I have fond memories of which he is a part of.  Fishing in his pond, sitting in his living room for visits, the cookie jar on the shelf by his table, the slop bucket, my first solo riding lawn mower experience, the tricycles, the canned vegtables in his basement, the car ramp, his gardens, shooting guns with him and my dad,Christmas time, lots of Cheerwine, my last visit and the list goes on.  One of my more special moments with papaw is the day I took my son Ethan, along with my dad  to meet him.    I learned something about family and names and legacies and pride that day.  I am thankful that I have these memories.

As I sat at his funeral, many thoughts and emotions went through my head.   But I have to tell you, it was the minister conducting the funeral that day that caught my attention.  You see that minister was my dad.  As a fulfillment of papwa’s request, my dad preached his dad’s funeral.  It was one of the sweetest, strongest and courageous things I have ever seen.  I watched my papaw’s three daughters gain strength from their brother.  I saw what real leadership is about.  It has dawned on my since that day that maybe the greatest gift my papaw ever gave to me was my dad.  Thanks papaw and I’ll miss you!

Dreams

Monday night Dawn and I were watching TV.  I can’t remember what we were watching, but it made me ask Dawn, “Do you have any dreams?”  I asked  her the question, but I must admit I was more interested in my own answer to the question.  So i guess it was really a question for me!  I imagine there are a lot of us out there looking for a dream – something to follow, something to get passionate about, something to create an identity around.  I ran across a couple of qoutes that have helped me in answering this question.  I thought I’d share them – maybe as a help to all of us.  (It doesn’t answer the question, it might just help re-direct the question.  Or maybe it does both?)  The qoutes are:

“We can do not great things, only small things with great love. It is not how much you do but how much love you put into doing it>”  -Mother Teresea  (IN response – A sign above Shane Claiborne’s door – “Today . . . small things with great love (or don’t open the door.)”

“Don’t let your eyes adjust to the dark”

“So we mustn’t allow ourselves to detach from teh church . . . (she) managed to give birth to us and to give us enough of the truth that we have been able to ask the qeustions. . . “ 

I have some connecting the dots to do – I think I’ll need some help.  But isn’t that the point.

It’s Been 8 1/2 Years Since I’ve Done That

This past Sunday, I did something that I haven’t done in 8 1/2 years.  I joined a church.  The last time I joined a church, I joined a church that I had joined 5 years earlier.  Confused?  Well, anyway this entry has little to do with joining a church, except for something happened when I joined this church that – well got me thinking . . .

Dawn & I joined a Baptist Church – so you baptist know the drill.  We went forward, sat on the front row, filled out a form, remained sitting while everyone else sang , was introduced and voted on by the church.  (I’m just glad they didn’t ask if anyone opposed?!)  Because I am on staff, the introduction included a little bit about my role at the church.  The fact that I am a youth minister turned administrator/senior adult minister lends itself to a few harmless jokes and comments – all of which I welcome and have fun with.  During the introduction, it was noted that I had a lot to learn because well, you know youth ministry prepares you for nothing.  We had fun with that and it was all said in jest.  But it did get me thinking – it got me thinking about all that God  had done in me as a result of youth ministry – in particular youth ministry with a group of kids from Mt. Airy and Fuquay Varina.  ANd so I thought it might be fun to think about what youth ministry did in me . . .   Here’s what I learned.

Being real is more important than being right.  Lock-ins are from the devil.  Youth have a lot to teach us about friendship.  Youth have more fun!  Working with a team is a lot better than working solo!  Relationships are more important than programs.  The best church looks a lot like a youth group.  Youth and children are some of the most valuable gifts to the church- those who are entrusted with them are some of the luckiest and should be held in the highest regard!  Good people do bad things and make bad decisions.  Judgement is never our role.  I heard a youth once say – “Becoming an adult means you loose your passion for God”.  Obedience in the little things is the secret to big picture living.  Growing pains and life lessons look very similiar in every generation.  DId I mention that I HATE lock-ins.  Laugther and fun are life’s gifts – open them every chance you get.  And the list goes on. . .

Thanks Haymore & Piney Grove.  You’ve been a word of God to me. -dt

CLICK

I am new at this blog stuff.  I tried to post a link – but it ended up over to the right under something called a blog roll?  Anyway, check out the link – it was a click that may just actually change things . . .

 

11 Years

Do you know what you were doing 11 years ago?  I do.  I was wondering through Cancun, Mexico looking for something to eat.  It was my first visit to the island – the bus drivers, the humidity, the city – all new!  My travel partner and I were out looking for something authentic – and so we ended up at an Italian restaraunt.  This entry is not really about Cancun or Italian food, but more about my travel partner.  It was our first official trip!  You see, 11 years and 1 day ago, Dawn Daniels married me!  And she’s been my travel partner ever since.

As we pulled away from West Edgecomb Baptist Church in my squeky clean Army Green jeep, we began our travels.  And here I sit, 11 years later – not only with wedding day memories, but all that has fallen between then and now!  More importantly, here I sit – still in love and still loved!  For many areas of our lives time is the enemy.  But there are those rare things that are designed to be resillient to the negative impact of time.  Even rarer are those things that get better with time!

How lucky am I to have experienced something so rare!  But on second thought, I shouldn’t give “luck” the credit.  The credit goes to my traveling partner and to the one who gave her to me!  I would love to tell you how much Dawn means to me – but unless your Dawn you probably don’t need or want to hear all that.  So instead, allow me to suggest that you find those rare things in your life and tell them so.  If your still looking for that rare thing, allow me to suggest patience – as finding something rare takes time!

In the meanTIME, I look forward to more travels with my travel partner.

(Poor Dawn – Rockers write ballads, poets write poetry, rich guys buy jewelry – all to say I love you.  All Dawn gets is a GPS and a blog entry!  I love you, babe!)

 

 

CLOSE ONLY COUNTS IN HORSESHOES, HANDGRANADES, & SLOW DANCING

So I’ve been thinking – and when I think it usually gives me something to write.  So under that theory, I guess I haven’t really been thinking since last May.  (I wouldn’t get many arguments there!)  But anyway, I’ve been thinking . . .

 I’m currently sitting in a 2 bedroom apartment in Wilmington with a card table, an aero-bed, and a Play Station.  I’m also currently waiting for my family to arrive.  You see we’ve been apart now for the past 70 days with an occassional weekend visit.  I’ve missed my family – but it’s ok because they are getting closer by the minute.  I-40 and a red Blazer will get them close to me!  What I’ve been thinking about is the importance of being close to those you love.   In particular, I mean close in the terms of proximity and location.  I can be emtionally close to someone, but there’s something to be said for being physically close to your family.  When Dawn, Abby Ethan and I are at the same locale, we’ll be able to see each other, read books, go to the playground, have dinner together, laugh and cry!  Being close is powerful and I can’t wait!

Being close to someone is one of those empowering things in life.  We are motivated to get close to someone when we want to fall in love.  On the other hand, once we are in love, we are motivated to be close to them which creates a deeper love and a deeper desire to be close – and the cycle goes on.  So I guess being close in proximatey creates and maintains love!

And so, there is a deep passion for me to be close to my family.  That makes sense -I’m in love with them.  But what doesn’t make sense, is why I (and maybe even other church goers) don’t make an effort to be close to those that Jesus made a point to be close to – the poor, the hungry, the lonely, the imprisoned, the naked, and the list goes on.  Does it have something to do with who we are in love with?  I was reading a book by Shane Claiborne.  He told a story of how a church gave microwave popcorn as a gift to the homeless.  They weren’t close to the poor.  Those who are in the trenches (close) with folks love them the most.  Those who are close to youth, love and serve youth.  Those are close to the homeless, love and serve the homeless.  Take it from someone who is now far away from the things that he loved, being close is worth it all.  We were meant (and even called) to be close to _________.  God will help us all fill in the blanks.

I grew up hearing a statement - ”Close only counts in horeshoes, handgranades and slow dancing.”  Until now, that made sense.  Now – I’m pretty sure being close means everything!               

A Coaster Worth Riding

A couple of weeks ago I went with our youth group to Carrowinds.  I’ve never been the type to live for amusement parks – unless of course it’s Disney! When I do go to parks, I usually find myself doing everything I can to stay off the big, scarry roller coasters.  I guess it’s just my nature.  But in the last 10 years, I have found myself agreeing and even wanting to ride one or two roller coasters.  I was recently at Disney’s Animal Kingdom  with my pregnant wife and 2 year old daughter, I decided to ride the new “Mt. Everest” roller coaster.  I DECIDED w/ no one questioning my “man hood”.  I DECIDED w/ no one yelling, “It’s not that bad”!  I wanted to ride a roller coaster because I knew it would be fun.  I would feel the big drops, I would experience the rush of not knowing what would come next.  And when the ride was over – it was worth it!

The “D-tales”, as I have penned the title to my life, has been relatively roller coaster free.  The roller coaster’s of life are not something that I just go looking for.  I guess it is my nature.  However, recently I have gotten on one of those metaphorical roller coasters.  I’ve gotten on coaster that has some big climbs and even bigger drops.  The unknown was what this coaster was known for. 

There’s something about real roller coasters that is true of all of them.  A real roller coaster always ends where it starts.  This is not always true of those metaphorical life roller coasters, but recently for me the metaphor holds up.  THe last several roller coasters that the “D” tales have taken me on has ended where they’ve started.  So should life take you for a ride and drop you off at the same point?  Every roller coaster I’ve ever ridden has been worth the ride – even the most recent ones.  Roller coasters have left me with stories, experiences, rushes and even a little dizzy – but never the same even though I’ve ended up right back where I started.  My most recent ride has left me different.  It’s left me with a passion for discovery, a call to discipline and discipleship, and a love for God’s present gifts.  So my conclusion:  Roller coasters are worth the ride!

“D” tales not included

I have had this urge to create – something good.  Hmmm . . . create and good – those words sound familiar, as if they belong to someone else.  Maybe I’ve got a God complex.  Or maybe I just want to be about something bigger than me – maybe something divine that has meaning.  And then I want to write it here.

I’d love to tell you about what it feels like to hike to the bottom of the grand canyon.  I’d love to tell you about the first time I sat in Yankee stadium.  I’d love to tell you about what it means to totally understand calling.  I’d love to tell you the secret of maintaining passion.  I’d love to tell you about the next big thing that God has in store.  But the “d” tales don’t include these yet.  I guess I need to put down the keypad and experience a tale worth telling.  Be back soon with something to “tale”!?

WHY?

I’ve resisted the idea of a blog for sometime now for really no reason.  But I think it’s time to give myself an outlet.  So, here are the “D Tales” – a way out for what’s in my head.