What happened to Thanksgiving?

Now that Veterans Day has past, the next big holiday of the year is Christmas. What, you ask? What about Thanksgiving? Oh sure, there will be a Thanksgiving holiday. Most Americans will take that Thursday and possibly the following Friday off to be with their family and eat turkey and watch the Detroit Lions lose to whoever they will be playing that day. Wait, the Lions aren't that bad of a team anymore.  Anyway, Thanksgiving is a holiday that is going by the wayside. I have already seen houses and businesses with Christmas decorations up. Bell ringers are already stationed at the local grocery stores to beg for your loose change. I even flipped through the radio dial last night and heard a station playing Christmas music already! Yes, I still listen to the radio...what's wrong with that?  Now I'm no Scrooge. I love Christmas and what it means to Christians around the world. I love seeing my kids get excited about what they hope Santa will bring them this year. But I think Thanksgiving deserves a little more recognition than just a day to get off work and eat some turkey and pie with your friends and family. We should reflect on what we as a nation are thankful for. Freedom of religion. Freedom of speech. Freedom to vote for whomever we choose to represent us in government. Let's wait until after Thanksgiving to hang the decorations and do our Christmas shopping. Now stores are even open for business on Thanksgiving day!  Christmas will be here before we know it anyway.

Exploring fall colors

Autumn or Fall?

Summer is now officially over.  The season has changed to fall.  Or is it autumn?  Yes, the season with two names.  The days are getting shorter and the temperatures are getting cooler.  For most people, it's an enjoyable time of the year because the weather is not extreme.  Not too hot, not too cold.  You can give your A/C a break and open the windows for some fresh air.  Along with the cooler weather comes the changing colors of the leaves on the trees.  This is a great time of the year to hit the highways and byways on your motorcycle and see the colorful landscapes of the countryside.  While jackets and gloves might be necessary, it is not too uncomfortable to get out and enjoy the fresh air and smells of the season.  So get out and hit the road before the riding season enjoyment ends.  Enjoy the freedom of the road!  But again, what's the deal with fall or autumn?  As a motorcyclist, I guess I prefer autumn...

Mixed Messages

Guest Post - Mixed messages by John Fischer

There is a bar in Laguna Beach, CA that becomes a celebrated biker hangout everySunday afternoon. There is always a live band playing and rows of gleaming Harleys on either side of the street, with people inspecting them as if they were in a showroom. The riders all leave their helmets out with their bikes, and I've found the helmets to be a study all their own. The most popular look like they are from World War I, with various kinds of rebel markings, and a few have little stickers that serve as a sort of biker bumper sticker. One I saw particularly caught my attention because it said, "JESUS LOVES YOU." Now I am aware that there are various biker ministries out there where committed followers ride for Christ and seek to spread the word about his grace and forgiveness. I have always loved this - the Gospel in a rebel context - being aware that the message of Christ is in some ways better suited there than it is in more respectable circles. You can't read about Jesus without coming to the conclusion that he would be right at home with the biker crowd. But as I got closer to the Jesus sticker, I noticed there was another message in much smaller print underneath the more visible "JESUS LOVES YOU." It read: "I think you're a jerk!" (That isn't exactly what it said, but it will work for our purposes.) At first, I was somewhat repulsed. Where I thought I had a Jesus biker, I actually had a form of sacrilege. But the more I thought about it, I realized there probably was more than a kernel of truth in this version of a familiar Christian message. I can think of times when I might as well have been sporting a "JESUS LOVES YOU; I think you're a jerk" sticker for all the thoughts I harbored toward the people to whom I was announcing His love. And, of a certainty, He does love them. The question is, do I? "How can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?" wrote James (2:1), or in the words of John: "If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar" (1 John 4:20). It's not enough just to announce the love of Jesus without loving the same people he loves. If "Jesus loves you" is going to be our message, we need to make sure that we do too.  Read more of John Fischer's thoughts on Fischtank.com

Motorcycles vs Boats

I love boats.  I like big boats and small boats.  Fast boats and slow boats.  I like to ride in boats and I like to drive boats.  I recently had the pleasure of going out on a boat ride with one of my clients, who owns a 19 foot fishing boat.  We went out on the Missouri river and went to the confluence of the Mississippi river, up the Mississippi to Alton, IL then back to the Missouri to St. Charles, MO.  A very pleasurable afternoon.  Afterwards I reflected on the similarities of boating and motorcycling.  They are both fun activities that are best enjoyed in the warm summer weather.  Both allow you to take in the scenery, sights, sounds and smells of nature, in a way that cars and trucks cannot.  But then I realized a major difference between boating and motorcycling that is huge.  The reason that I own a motorcycle and not a boat.  You see, with boats, unless you live on the water (and most people don't), you have to tow your boat to the river, lake, or ocean, and put it in the water, in order to be able to enjoy your ride.  When I went with my friend, we drove for an hour and a half, before we were able to find a spot to launch his boat.  And getting the boat in and out of the water is a lot of work, too!  Backing the boat trailer down a steep ramp into the water.  Releasing it into the water.  Taking the truck and trailer back up the ramp to a parking lot, etc.  Only to repeat the entire process in reverse when you are done.  That's a lot of work!  With a motorcycle, you can simply back your bike out of the garage, start the engine and take off!  No time wasted in travelling to the desired destination first.  In fact, riding to your destination is one of the most enjoyable parts of the journey.  So for me, even though I love boats, I love motorcycles more because of the fact that there are more opportunities to ride a motorcycle, than a boat.  It's no big deal to decide on a moments notice to go out for a spin, even if it's only for a half hour!  So even though I dream of retiring in a place on the water.  It will be a place with a motorcycle in the garage!

Rev it up!

Pipes save lives!

If you've ever been at a stoplight in the summertime with your window down, sitting by a motorcycle in the next lane, you've probably wondered why they are so loud. Now there are some sports cars and old jalopies that are loud too, but in general motorcycles are louder than cars. Well for one thing, motorcycle engines are exposed, not under a hood. But another reason is safety. Motorcycles are harder to see than cars or trucks, they have a smaller profile, taking up far less room in the driving lane. So if you can't see the motorcycle, maybe you can hear it. One of the most quoted statements at an accident scene involving a motorcycle is, "I didn't see him officer!"  So while some motorcycles are louder than others depending on their size or style, the fact that motorcycles are louder than cars is a good thing. Now some local municipalities have ordinances against excessive noise, but most motorcycles, unless outfitted with after market pipes and accessories, will fall under these guidelines. I don't know about you, but I would rather pull up next to a motorcycle at a stoplight than a teenager with his stereo blasting any day! So look before you switch lanes. Check your rear-view and side mirrors and listen for a motorcycle. We're watching you too!