Oak Pruning Translating To Life Lessons

Many days of the week I say to myself, "I wish people could see what I see."  As an arborist, I am daily in the upper portions of a tree's canopy which gives me views of neighborhoods, cities and towns that most citizens will never see.  What's the highest you've ever climbed in a tree?  Routinely I'm up 50-70 feet in the air.  If you've ever been in tall buildings and looked out the window, you a little bit  of what I'm talking about.  The view is just so different that what we see on a daily basis.

When I get really high in an oak tree, I notice things the average person would never see.  I also have a trained eye when I'm up there because I'm looking for dead wood to trim from the tree.  Sometimes the dead wood is really obvious because the bark is pealed off.  Sometimes it's obvious because there's no buds on the end of the branch.  And other times it's obvious because a fungus has grown on the bark and it looks different that all the other branches.  But there's also branches that have buds from last year, though they've died.  You actually can score (scrape) the branch with your hand saw to see if it's green (alive) or brown (dead or declining).  Keep in mind very little of this can be seen from the ground.  You need to get on top of the branches and up close and personal to decide what comes out.

Dead wood is a part of a tree's life.  There's various reasons a limb may be dying or declining, but inevitably some branches will die and they need to be removed.  Isn't the same true of life?  Wouldn't you agree that there are areas of one's life that have died, or are declining, and need to be removed?  In the Bible Jesus says

"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit."  (John 15:2)

We have dead limbs that need to be taken out.  And we have live limbs that need to be pruned so that they produce more fruit.

Are there areas in your life that aren't bearing fruit?  This Christmas season is about "goodwill towards men."  Do you have that?  Or are there branches in your life that need to be pruned away because they're dead?  Maybe you have good limbs that need pruning so that they'll produce more and better fruit.

I think I have a little of both.  I'm certainly bearing some good fruit.  But I have dead wood that needs to be removed.  I have habits that need to break - sinful actions of thought, word and deed that died when I committed my life to Christ.  Yet they still linger in my life.  I also have live limbs that are alive and healthy, but they need to be pruned so that they can continue to produce fruit.  This is where this lesson gets tough for me.  I have too many irons in the fire.  I need to focus on the important branches, the branches that will produce the most fruit (in relation to my direction in life).  This means some good things need to be pruned away.  It's not to say that they won't come back later in life, but right now I need to be focused on establishing family and career.  If it doesn't produce fruit in those two areas, it probably needs to be pruned away.

As you reflect on the end of the year and the season of giving and goodwill, what branches in your life are dead and need to be removed?  What branches are alive but need to be pruned so that they produce more fruit?

Loss of Innocence

I understand you don't want to hear any more about Tiger Woods, but I'd be withholding from my readers if I didn't acknowledge what's on my mind, and in fact what I've discussed with a handful of you.  My brother said it best, "It's a complete loss of innocence."  I know I'm kind of a dreamer, even an old-school guy when it comes to this stuff.  I'd even say I'm in denial about pro sports these days.  Here's a few of the stories that disappointed:

• Kobe Bryant and that girl in Colorado
• MJ divorced Juanita after stories of his "women"
• Brett and his divorce with Packers - he should never have to wear purple, it's just not right
• Alex Rodriquez and Barry Bond - two of the greatest players ever - steroids
• Tiger Woods - the most recognizable athlete in the world, on voicemail trying to dodge his wife

I'm not going to write extensively on this, but as a huge sports fan who understands the importance of positive role models in society, I can't begin to explain my disappointment.  Nothing is pure.  I know that.  I just really want a good story from one of these great athletes.  Looks like my last hope is Tim Tebow.

What I'm Reading - December 2009

Have you ever had the question posed to you:  "If you had one super-power, what would it be?"  I had this asked of me numerous times in college and the answer was always the same.  I wanted to fly.  I mean really, what could be any cooler than that?

But now I'm thinking that the super-power of that super-hero named Book Worm would be pretty cool, too.  You know Book Worm, from that one show.  Or was it a comic strip?  Or am I completely making this up?  Anyway, I've given up on my desire to fly.  Now I want to be able to read at super-human, yes super-hero speeds.  Because my library isn't getting any smaller and my desk is getting cluttered with unfinished books.

It seems most readers that I talk with have the same problem.  We just can't finish a book before we start another.  Then another.  And another. And soon we have four books going.  I remember having to do this in college because we had 4-6 classes per semester.  But now I should be able to pick up one or two books and have them finished before I start another, right?

Needless to say I'm not reading fast enough and my attention-deficit disorder is getting the best of me.  So here's what I'm reading right now:

• ACSM's Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription
• ACSM's Resource Manual
• How People Grow (Cloud/Townsend)
• Boundaries for Kids (Cloud/Townsend)
• Principle of the Path (Andy Stanley)

There's actually two others I've consciously put down until this list gets shortened, so I'll save myself the embarrassment.  If I had the powers of Book Worm I wouldn't have to worry about this.

So what are you reading?