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Saturday, May 21, 2005

Sometimes Life Is Like Skiing

It’s been a while since I’ve posted. Life has been a blur. In the last month, my father-in-law died, my family moved into a new house, and we finished our company’s fiscal year-end. This last week was particularly busy. I had a Thomas Nelson Board of Directors’ meeting, a Quarterly Leadership Meeting, and a trip to Taylor University in Upland, Indiana where my former business partner was awarded an honorary doctorate degree. Fortunately, I am taking Monday off to get a little rest before my next round of meetings.

I’ve especially missed blogging during the last thirty days. I find that blogging makes me slow down just enough to process what is happening around me and in me. It helps me clarify my thoughts and keeps me focused. But, unfortunately, this kind of processing time is not always a given—at least not for me.

Sometimes I find that life is like skiing. You get off the lift, only to find you are on a black trail rather than a green one. (For you non-skiiers, green trails are for beginners; black trails are for experts.) The only way down the mountain is to lean into it, trust your instincts, and do the best you can. That pretty much describes the last month for me.

May 21, 2005 at 06:43 PM in Blogging | Permalink

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Comments

Sorry to hear of your father-in-law's passing Michael. Great to see you back and look forward to some more of your posts sometime in the future when things settle down for you, your family and you are successfully at the bottom of that "black run"...

Posted by: Brad | May 22, 2005 1:58:44 AM

Michael, it's good to see you blogging again. I, too, am sorry to learn of your father-in-law's passing. It sounds like this is a season of many changes for you. Thanks for the update (and the warning) today. Grace to you, Eric

Posted by: Eric Mack | May 22, 2005 3:10:15 AM

Michael sorry to hear that your father-in-law has passed away.But anyhow life is always like this with full of changes and we can't fight with nature....
However it's happy that you are back to blogging to provide an alternative way to work hard...
Awaiting you feeds,

Siva Kumar

Posted by: Siva Kumar | May 22, 2005 6:01:46 AM

You have my sympathy and prayers. I have missed your presence in the blogoshpere, and am glad to have you back. Thanks for all you do for Christian publishing.

Posted by: Timothy Godby | May 22, 2005 2:22:39 PM

Our thoughts and prayers are with you , on your loss.

Nice to see a reference to where I went to College for two years, back in the 70's.

Posted by: Paul W. Swansen | May 22, 2005 8:07:18 PM

I will also extend my condolences to the loss in your family. May Jesus welcome him with open arms to his final rest.

Every once in awhile you think you've gone through one black diamond trail and another just "happens" to pop up. You can see the bottom of the hill, you're just not sure the best path to get there. Praise God that He gives us help when we ask Him.

Hope we can see more posts from you when you're back in the lodge.

Posted by: Marc Velazquez | May 23, 2005 7:49:09 AM

Sorry to hear about your father-in-law. Your family is in our prayers.

Congrats on the house (I'll bet it's great) and the fiscal year (it sure was great)!

And welcome back to blogging. We missed you.

Posted by: FMF | May 23, 2005 8:47:25 AM

May I join with the others who have missed your blog in recent weeks in extending my deepest sympathy to you and your wife in the passing of your father-in-law.

Ever since you introduced me to Bloglines I've been looking for your blogs, both of them. Thank you for such a good tip for consolidating one place the bloggers that I read.

Also, since retiring from Tyndale House some twelve years ago, I find your blog a wonderful connection to my years in publishing and the CBA.

Your blogging fills a real niche. Be encouraged.

Posted by: CMC | May 23, 2005 4:03:40 PM

May I join with the others who have missed your blog in recent weeks in extending my deepest sympathy to you and your wife in the passing of your father-in-law.

Ever since you introduced me to Bloglines I've been looking for your blogs, both of them. Thank you for such a good tip for consolidating one place the bloggers that I read.

Also, since retiring from Tyndale House some twelve years ago, I find your blog a wonderful connection to my years in publishing and the CBA.

Your blogging fills a real niche. Be encouraged.

Posted by: CMC | May 23, 2005 4:05:27 PM

Michael;

Glad to have you back-missed your blog.

Sorry for your loss.

Posted by: Jeff | May 25, 2005 1:04:19 PM

Welcome back. Amazing isn't it how difficult it is to slow down and smell the flowers.

Posted by: Dan -Monastic Skete | Jun 7, 2005 8:32:40 PM

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