a shadow of talent

Trestles - 9-8-08 -Boostmobile Pro

It's happening out there in the ocean...really... we sat on the beach, like we do every year, when the world's greatest pro surfers come to "our" break... our son John and I hang out, dream of surfing like the stars and sit in the midst of the very, very best of surfing. I snapped this shot with my cell phone to remember the day.



Kelly Slater snaps all the way back.

John, sitting right next to me on the sand, took this insane photo of 8 time world champion Kelly Slater absolutely destroying lowers. Admittedly, he has a much, much nicer camera than my cell phone offers... he also has way more experience shooting live shots, surfing and otherwise... even still... my photo doesn't deserve to be on the same page.

This move, you don't have to be able to do it, (few can), or understand how difficult what's happening in a split second, (few do), to appreciate it's beauty. John's captured an artist at work in one of his finer moments on a very cool wave on a sunny southern California day... what more could you ask for?

Look closely at the heart of the photo. Waves come and go in a moment. Riding a wave's so unlike hitting a golf ball, running a race or most other sports. The wave, the rider, the moment... it's all so transitory... here for but a flash... gone as quickly as it came... impossible to predict exactly what might happen... so fleeting.

That's why I love the heart of this photo... a shadow of the moment. Even a wave, the rider on the wave, here today and gone today, for a moment, cast a shadow. A shadow on the water... in seconds the water changed, lighting changed, ride ended... nothing that was just seconds ago remained... and yet this photo captures the shadow of a surfer, of a life... a shadow of talent.

The writer of James said:
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

So much that is good in this life is brief: a day in the water, a great wave, time spent with your son... but every good and perfect gift is from above... unlike shadows on water... so brief an entity most would never notice... they're eternal: love, hope, joy, all gifts from God... all remain... as we remain in Him.

John's outgrown me as a surfer and as a photographer. Makes me proud. Sitting together on the sand made me miss so many mornings sitting together in the line up... this evening I realize some of that time may have just been a shadow... not to be missed but to reflect on in thanksgiving. God's given us something more lasting that we share- His call on our lives -the opportunity not to sit but to stand together for Him, our Father in Heaven, The One Who gives every good and perfect gift. He is not shifting, He's eternal in love, hope, peace and joy.

I took a random shot of the ocean with my phone- and remembered a good day together. John took time to focus, to catch a shadow of the talent of a great surfer and in the shadow... God spoke to me... a little focus... the right tools... The Gift of God... When we humble ourselves to the gifts of those around us, we have the opportunity to discover the wonder of His unchanging love for us as He speaks in His Still, Small Voice. Are you listening? Looking?

blessings,

Eric

at the end of the line

The "skunk" is off. I'd never caught a white sea bass- until that one I'm hoisting in the photo. It weighed in at 44 pounds- an infant compared to the one our son John caught just minutes before mine. You can see his "bragging rights" photo at his blog . A HUGE fish.

A good friend welcomed us to his place in San Quentin, Mexico, shared his boat and skipper and God honored it all with an incredible couple of days of fishing. The drive down is long... but the road is beautiful. We did it all with high hopes of fish at the end of the line- pulling on something that'd really pull back -and it all worked out: for us... the fish definitely got the hard end of the deal.

Driving home Wednesday afternoon, John and I shared how it's way more fun to catch the fish- then it is to kill them. Each time we've killed a big fish... and it's not been that many times... there's definitely been a sence of remorse. That said, we stopped at our children's home in Tijuana on the way home and absolutely filled their freezer with enough fish for weeks to come. That felt right. That felt good.

You never know what's at the end of the line; it's one of the real joys of fishing, it's also one of lifes' biggest challenges- in times of excitement and reflection. My prayer today is that together we can trust God for good things at the end of the line.

blessings,

Eric

Favorite Moments

That's one of my favorite photos. It's our son John, at the helm of our former sailboat, "Visitation," with his mom at his side. I don't remember much about the day. It was autumn, warm and perfect for sailing and by the looks of the background we were a couple of miles off Sunset Beach. The image captures most of what I enjoy about sailing: being outdoors, on the water, together, loving life.

I'm not a great sailer. It'd take years for me to master the technique, skill, knowledge... much less desire... to race at the head of the class or to challenge the open seas. However, when the wind is fair, the sun warm on our backs, the swell gentle and I'm surrounded by those I love... sailing fits the bill for me. It's hard to imagine that we no longer own a boat and that our little slip on gangway 25 in Long Beach belongs to someone else... so many good times.

Talking with a good friend recently, I listened as he went over his training program and the races he has planned for the months ahead. I lamented that it would take me months of training before I could even enter, much less compete with him, laughing he said: "Better start tomorrow." I told him that "tomorrow's" always my favorite day to train... when I wake up, look at my running gear next to the bed, too often I think- tomorrow... not today.

Favorite moments are the result of participation in life. Whether it's paying the price to own and learn how to share a sail boat on a wondreful fall afternoon or waking up to train alone in order to share a race with friends, favorite moments rarely just happen, we create them. What are you creating with your life today? What memories and emotions will a snapshot of today bring back five years from now, twenty-five years?

John doesn't know it yet, but someday, when Debi and I are well beyond our sailing years, or when we've already set our sails that one final time, he'll treasure this snapshot for the memory of the day and the memory of his mom... it's going to move way up on his list of favorite moments. It'll make him a better dad with a deeper desire to spend the time and money to share with his family and create some favorite moments of their own. Our lives... sometimes our legacy, is often little more then a collection of favorite moments, time well spent, with those we love. Don't wait until tomorrow. Make the most of today.

blessings... and smooth sailing,

Eric