Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, ” Thus far has the Lord helped us.”   1 Samuel 7:12

Around Good Friday in April 2015, Whetstone Therapeutic School and Ranch experienced an early morning tornado that did some significant damage. They lost several outbuildings and many of the trees surrounding the house. There was some damage to the house as well. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the School had to close for two months as the clean-up and re-building began.

The staff located a beautiful spot on the property surrounded by walnut and oak trees to build a log cabin from the trees that were knocked down during the tornado. They have named the cabin Ebenezer because “thus far the Lord has helped us.” Out of the ruins of destruction, this cabin has been built.

Basically in just four weeks of work by staff, residents and volunteers, we are at this juncture. This past May 8-10,  we spent our time chinking the spaces between the logs, cutting in and setting the windows and building doors. It rained the first day and by day three it was hot and muggy with plenty of bugs to be shared by all.

My job for the three days was to build two doors from construction lumber and rough cedar. My partners in this endeavor were the executive director Jeremy Thompson and the on-site therapist Matt Foster. Both have significant time in construction but had never made doors, so I had a great time teaching. With the rain on the first day, it took forever for the glue to dry. In fact the door came apart twice. It is amazing how long things take to dry around here compared to life in the high desert of Colorado.

The openings for the doors were different width so of course we had the opportunity to modify the doors. I had brought some handplanes and some other hand tools hoping to be able to use them. Sometimes it truly is faster to use a hand plane to narrow a door than tho try and use a corded tool. Jeremy had never had the opportunity to use a hand plane, so I encouraged him to give it a try.   He said that it was fun to see progress and the finished result as he used the plane. My next goal for him is to get him on a bicycle.

This is the result of our hard work that week.

It was a great three days working with Jeremy. Matt was in and out. sometimes needing to be on the phone and sometimes working on the outdoor toilet. I found it interesting that a therapist was working on the toilet. We checked at the end and everyone still had their fingers and toes.

Thanks for perusing,

Gary

On, Friday April 26th, KT and I had the privilege of watching our first graduation of a young man from the Whetstone program. The program lasts between six and nine months and has three levels that need to be completed before the resident can graduate. Each level builds on the previous one and gains the resident more privileges and responsibilities. In the month that we have been here I was able to see Kiernan really grow and accept the leadership portion of the program. I got to work with him on his last woodworking project which happened to be a picture frame that will be the resting place for his certificate. It was rewarding to have a small role in the program.

The ceremony itself started with Jeremy Thompson, the Whetstone director, sharing a few words about

time at the School and Ranch. Then four of the residents who have achieved level two spoke about their experiences during their time with Kiernan. When they were done, the staff had their opportunity to share and they also had some parting gifts for him. Then there was the customary video of the last six months that had some joys and tears, laughter and other things. After that, Kiernan’s parents got up to speak and that is really when some watery eyes appeared from them, staff and Kiernan himself. Finally, Kiernan had the last word. He spoke of course of the triumphs and some heartaches, trials and verbal jousts with other residents and how because of the tools that he had learned, was able to negotiate the various paths that life will bring to him. It was truly an inspirational day and one of hope for the other residents.

One of the things that I have noticed in the month that KT and I have been here is just how much the five main directors love these young men and want only the best for them. This is not a nine to five job for these men and their families. It is a 24-7-365 mentally exhausting journey that they are on collectively. To build a program that will help families (the parents and other family members have work to do as well) to be somewhat whole again is a lot of work. I see the directors working hard to tweak each part of the program to make it so that each resident can grow and become the man that he needs to be for his own future. It is how I felt when I served as a church elder or even being self employed, you never can leave things or events at the office. The whole process is consuming. And that is what I see with these five men and their families. The other staff both part time and full time staff feel it as well but not to the same extent.  There are some times when a resident has to be sent away for various reasons.  These are really tough times at the Ranch. It makes one feel like a failure. Sometimes a resident is sent to another program but more often he just goes back home to the same environment.  I ask for your prayers for the staff at Whetstone School and Therapeutic Ranch, the residents, their families and anyone one else who contributes to the program.

Graduation Day is a great day to celebrate.

Thanks for perusing,

Gary

So, last month, KT and I made the move to Missouri to begin our work with Whetstone Boy’s Therapeutic School and Ranch. It would be simple to say that we were just following God’s calling for us at this time in our lives. Sort of like God’s calling to Abraham and Sarah in Genesis. Leave this current place where you are comfortable, somewhat content with city life, at a church you love, and doing great things for God and go to that place. But unlike Abraham and Sarah we knew where we were going and knew some people. But still, we were homeowners for 33 years (25 of those in the same house) and now we rent. We were used to snow of varying depths on the roads and now we have muddy roads that take days to “sort of” dry. Clothes and other things would dry quickly and now nothing seems to ever get dry but our skin is moist. And yes we believe God called us here to be in a grandparent role to the residents at the school, but there is more to the story.

This did not just happen last month though or even a year and a half ago when we made the initial contact with the director of the school and ranch. It actually started long before we were cognizant of what God was doing in our lives. KT always wanted to teach and to touch the future generations. It was and is part of her DNA. She is a teacher through and through with a lot experience not learned in the classroom at a building but in working with kids on dairy farm tours or at the Children’s Museum. Working with and writing curriculum for FFA students and teachers. All of these areas are going to come together for her as she is working with the Ag director at the ranch and helping with that portion of the school and ranch as well as being a grandmother.

For my part in this adventure, I have worked with kids in some capacity for 40 years. As a part time youth minister gig, a Little League baseball coach, a Boy Scout leader in various positions, a bible school teacher for both Children’s and Youth ministries. And just trying to influence the generations of kids coming up behind me.

These things just mentioned make it seem like we were being molded and shaped in a vacuum, but no, all of these events and times happened within a church family community. There is no end of opportunities for growth and work and relationships inside of a community like Lakewood Church. Living in community stretches a person and forces growth and grace. Living in forgiveness with other people who also need forgiveness gives a glimmer of how heaven will look when we get there.

We than God above and our church family at LCC for all that you have allowed us to do over the years. The ministries we were privileged to be a part of and to grow at LCC. It is because of those times and events in our lives that we can wake up in Missouri and know that there are people who still care for us and are praying for us and are encouraging us.

And it is not only the family we left at LCC but many of our clients and fellow contractors, our old neighbors, the Whetstone family and residents have encouraged us in this next chapter.

We thank all of you so much.

Our new address:

Gary and Kristin Tucker

4881 CR 2350

Pomona, Missouri 65789

What we wake up to most days:

This post is dedicated to Klaus. My friend and fellow cycling enthusiast.

I first met Klaus and his family several years ago when they decided to “update” their home and needed an electrician who understood older homes. Over the course of years and different projects our relationship moved from contractor/client to fellow life travelers. It started in the garage when I was changing out the old electrical panel. Like most of us, Klaus and Kerry used their garage to the fullest volume of space allowed by physics. So I had to relocate a few items in order to do my work. In moving some boxes I found a treasure. It was covered in dust and was begging for some attention. I personally at the time had never seen one like it so I had to investigate, so I went to the source.

When I asked Klaus about my find, his eyes glowed a bit in remembrance of days long past. We spent the next couple of hours talking about his bicycle touring of Europe in his younger days. The “find” was his Trek 520 touring bike with all of the accoutrements of a bike built to carry heavy loads up steep hills and long days. He showed me pictures of old glory days in touring shorts with his mates as they biked around the continent and the British Isles. He loved to regale me with all of the details that he had installed on his bike. I enjoyed listening to his stories and started dreaming of the places he had seen and the routes he had taken. He didn’t know he what had started in those conversations.

I grew up riding a bike. In the 60’s and 70’s of my youth, a bike was how we got anywhere. It gave us freedom. An escape from the seemingly endless list of chores in a family of 7. So I rode. Never really thought about it. Just something to do with my mates. We also knew who was where because of the bikes on the front lawn. No texts, emails, Snapchats, Facebook posts. Just follow the bikes. But one thing I had never thought of, was riding someplace to spend the night and then moving on from there to the next place and the next place and so on until it was time to come home. I remember meeting some hippies in the mountains once who were riding across the country trying to “find themselves”. It just didn’t seem like something a kid from the suburbs of Denver would do. The world then was a much bigger place than it is now.

When Kristin and got married in 1984, we went to the local bike shop and bought some bikes. Miyata 100s. Blue. Low end but still better than the stuff from the big stores. Kristin was never much on wanting to ride long distances so we would ride around the block or to get ice cream. But I had rediscovered my passion for the freedom that comes from a bike. I rode to many places on that Miyata 100 and eventually wore it out. So I went back to the same bike shop to see what was available. The young sales lady started asking me questions about what I thought I wanted in a bike. She encouraged me to look at a Miyata 512 which was an entry level triathlon bike. It had good components and 12 speeds and felt right. (This was before Bike Fit became a thing). I went home and started saving money for it and would visit the shop to drool over my new bike.

I still have that Miyata 512. Despite only riding about 600 miles from 2002 to 2014, it has just shy of 20,000 miles on it. I changed from 12 speeds to 14 and the front chain ring to a 53 tooth instead of the original 52. Went from down tube shifters to STI shifters. Put a Brooks Cambrian saddle on it because I like the comfort of it. It weighs more than new bikes but I don’t care. I weigh more than other cyclists so we’re a match of sorts.

That was how it was until I saw Klaus’ Trek 520 in his garage. I decided that I would buy myself a new bike for my 60th birthday and started doing some research. I almost bought a Trek 520. It is a bike that has a long history for long distance touring and is worthy of its reputation.

But then I read some reviews of the 2018 Masi Giramando. It has a relaxed geometry which means more comfort for those long days in the saddle. It has 40mm Clement tires and tubeless rims. It has disk brakes and 30 speeds. It also came with touring racks. It has a lot of accoutrements that make riding it a joy. It truly takes me back to my childhood days of riding my old JC Higgins bike around Arvada and feeling the joy of freedom and escape.  I ride to the store with my panniers and load them up. Or I put my tools and supplies in them and ride to a job. Or I just go for a ride and arrive home smiling.

My dream is to do some touring. I want to ride from Lands End to John O’Groats. I want to ride the 101 in California or the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. But if I never get to that also is ok. I have a bike that I can do those things on and enjoy it. And I owe that to Klaus and his Trek 520. I don’t know if Klaus will ever get out his old bike but if not there is something sweet about disk brakes and 30 speeds that make life easier at 60.

Thanks for perusing

Gary

I live on the west side of Denver and one cannot ride here without there being a hill in your future. Some are steeper than others but still present. This past Saturday I was on my way home and was climbing a hill that started out with a good incline, evened out a bit, got steeper again and then it was done. It got me to thinking how hills and sometimes the wind can be a good training partner for the runner or cyclist. The impediment challenges the strength (both mental and physical) of the competitor. It got me to thinking about the “hills” in my personal life.

In Psalms 121, the writer states, “I lift up my eyes to the hills- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth”. The writer is saying that he sees the hills or obstacles in front of him and needs to confront them and get past them. Who will help. I have had many hills in my almost sixty years of living and many of the times I tried to tackle them without any preparation or forethought. Not even any prayer or seeking counsel from someone who has gone before. What folly on my part. God has given me many “helps” in my friends, past circumstances, etc. Why have I not availed myself of these?

I do not ride until I stretch but sometimes I start out my day without seeking help through prayer and reflection.

Each time I ride up a hill with the proper preparation (stretching, hydration, nutrition, and previous experience) I get stronger and the next hill is faced with more confidence. Each time I have another kind of “hill” come into my life and I take the time for proper preparation (prayer and/or the asking of advice) the hill is made easier and I gain more confidence. Not in myself but in God who provides the different kinds of help.

There are times in life when I do not want to encounter any type of hill. Does any growth happen from those times. I believe so but it is different. Long miles of steady riding with some ups and downs is also a valuable kind of training. Daily living is a marathon as well. That is also a gift from God who provides the necessary methods of help.

Whether hills or just long miles or a combination of both, employ the proper prep and enjoy the road. It will make the journey easier, not perfect or easy just easier.

Thanks for perusing,

Gary

Today is Bike to Work Day but since I need to carry an abundance of tools and materials to a job, my bike will stay on the rack until I get home. Fortunately, the Denver metro area is a great place to ride a bike, be it to work or otherwise. There are cyclists everywhere and at all times of the day.

I took a break (for the most part) from riding for twelve years when our boys were in Middle and High school. I believed it was important to be available to them for that very critical time in their lives. So four years ago I remounted my Miyata 512 and started riding again and it hurt. But while I was out riding I noticed something that I didn’t recognize and could not notice from a vehicle. In the twelve years of my Sabbatical, cyclists’ attitudes changed,toward other cyclists and towards everyone. There was no hand waving or acknowledging of fellow riders. There ceased to be a word of encouragement as riders passed other riders. Cyclists were now riding two, three or even four abreast even when the road sign “said” to ride single file and in the process were blocking the traffic behind them. Traffic laws were broken. It seemed that cyclists had become rude and almost entitled. To what I’m not sure.

Last evening, I went for a ride to the west to a different part of the city. I saw fourteen different riders (yes I counted) and only two of them waved back. As I was in the last three miles of the ride, I was passed by a young man on a really nice road bike. He did not say, “on your left”, did not say a word of encouragement to a slower rider, did not even tell me that I should just “give it up”. He just rode by me. Since I was on my mountain bike i knew that I could keep up with him but I tried anyway. After I saw him ride through several stop signs and the red light on Colfax, I gave up and let him go.

Unfortunately, he represents the cycling world to motorists and I for one, do not appreciate that. The only answers that I have to continue to wave and encourage others. And to follow the same vehicle laws that motorists have to follow since under the law, bicycles are considered vehicles.

Be safe and courteous on “Ride to Work Day”

Thanks for perusing,

Gary

Today, May 2, 2017 is the 25th birthday for Neighborhood Electric, Inc. It has been a blessing and privilege to meet so many people over the years and to work with them on their homes. Thank you to one and all for inviting me into your homes and into your lives. You are some of the best bosses that anyone could desire.

What’s next:

The remodeling world is changing drastically with more regulations that must be adhered to and followed. The challenge then becomes how to envision a new lighting scheme or a remodel and keep the costs under control. It is certainly easier when working with a contractor who is the one who does all of the work himself. I believe that the homeowner gets a better end product, especially in the remodeling industry. I’m not talking down big companies. Large jobs still require large contractors and they do that very well and that is their niche just as small companies do small jobs very well. So I will continue to offer the same services that I have for 25 years.

I am adding an additional service to the business. I have finished certifying to be a home inspector and will now offer that as well. I won’t be able to work on any of the homes that I inspect, but I can give advice and teach my clients about their new home systems. I’m excited to begin this next phase of the journey. If you know of anyone who is looking to buy a home and will need an inspection, please feel free to pass my name along.

Again, thank you,

Gary Tucker

I was out and about today and needed some coffee. I believe in supporting local small businesses like mine. So I headed to Village Roaster on Garrison Street and just north of Alameda Avenue. This coffee shop has been around since 1979. KT and I have been buying coffee and spices there since about 1989. It seems that we have actually raised some of the kids that have worked there over the years.

There is a very welcoming atmosphere and a professional staff that engages customers on a personal level. One can find the usual snacks, breads, and breakfast foods. They have an awesome bulk spice section. If you need it, Village Roaster has it or will get it.

Another plus is that Village Roaster roasts all of their own coffees. We prefer the Mocha Java blend to the tune of five pounds every three weeks. Some days two pots are gone just for breakfast or Sunday night bible study with our young 20’s age group.

It’s always a great experience to visit Village Roaster. So if you’re ever on the west side of Denver stop in for a cup of motivation and a scone. You’ll be you did.

Thanks for perusing,

Gary

Yesterday was Good Friday. It was the day that the redeeming of mankind was to begin. It was a day of turmoil, darkness, and suffering. It was a day of triumph and of soul searching. It was a day that would determine the rest of life. It was also a day of choice.

The religious leaders of the day believed that they had killed a man that was dangerous to their way of life. The disciples thought they had lost their friend and teacher. At the end of the day, a man who was both a religious leader and a disciple buried Jesus with the help of his mother and Mary Magdalene. Then began the Silent Day.

How did all the people spend the Sabbath after the crucifixion? Did the religious leaders do fist pumps and high fives. Where did his closest friends spend the day. What did they do? The scriptures say they hid in “fear of the Jews” on the succeeding days but does not mention this day.

As I was reflecting on this, I had to stop and ask myself, “what will occupy my day”? How will I spend it?

I’m building some signs for a new series of sermons that starts tomorrow. It revolves around the walk to Emmaus and the conversation that Jesus had with the two people that he walked beside. I ask for your thoughts and prayers for me as I build them. I built the two end signs first for the cities involved. Now I’m working on the reflection signs. To see them, tune into our live stream and watch tomorrow.

Let me know your thoughts on today.

Our website is:http://www.lakewoodchurchofchrist.com

Thanks for perusing,

Gary