Core Words: Baseline of Faith

A while back I blogged about why faith was an important aspect of my life by asking the question 'Why bother?' (Catch up here) This post isn't about why faith, but about how faith forms a premise for my life. If integrity was the aim and formational ideal of life, then faith is the foundation and premise upon which life is built.

Everyone wants to be their own man or woman. We all want to be in control and be the boss of our lives. But the question is, "Are we actually in control and are we actually the boss of our own life? Or is there something else?" This is a deep introspective and reflective question. A question that goes to the core of our being. And the answer will drive a lot of who we are, what we are, and what we do.

Whether we accept it or not, we are bound to something. We are driven by something. We have a baseline set to something. We call this the framework or worldview of our being. We call this a guide to our decision-making process. We call this the drive for which we live.

Some of us are driven by a larger paycheque. Some of us are driven by the people around us, our family, our kids, our friends. We are driven to show them we have succeeded or that we are worthwhile. Some of us are driven by the accolade of success and the fame that society or a subset of society will heap on us. Some of us are driven by the quietness of our soul and we may seek to be one with nature and away from others. Everyone is driven and is working for something personal to them. This something in a sense, forms the basis and baseline of their life. Some are more noble than others and some are more selfish than others. But regardless, we are driven by something.

So the question is, "What is forming your baseline?"

For me, my baseline is faith. Faith is what drives me. I'm not talking about a vague faith or spirituality of living. I'm talking about a faith in which I have experienced change and transformation in life. A faith that I would argue is alive and living. A faith that isn't about me or myself or my will but a faith that is larger and bigger. A faith in a creator. A being that is larger, more powerful and incomprehensible by our finite human minds. A being that has set up the premise of what it means to live a good life, be a good father, be a good husband, be a part of a community and the world in which we live. A faith in which we are driven not by fear of failure or a lack of acceptance but by a reaction to a love given, a grace bestowed when not deserved. Faith is a relationship with this creator, saviour.

Faith is a radical thing to pick as a baseline for life. One of those things in life where it's less about pursuing and more about being. IA baseline that we allow to change and mold our life, to drive us and to form the premise of our operation. A baseline also changes our perspective from ultimately vying for control to handing over the wheel of life to someone else. It is in this allowance that what we build on is not something we built ourselves but something greater, something bigger.

Your baseline forms and molds you. It's the foundation upon which your life is built. The one thing that you can still hold on to when everything in life crumbles and falls apart.

So the question is, "What is your baseline? What is your foundation?" Can this foundation and baseline withstand the shocks, twists and storms of life?

My baseline has and still continues to hold and carry me through even when all else has failed. Has yours?

(This is part 5 of 5 pertaining to the ideal of Core Words.)

Part 1: Defining and Knowing Yourself

Part 2: What is Integrity

Part 3: Baseline of Faith

Part 4: Family

Part 5: Duty

Core Words: What is Integrity

Integrity. That word holds a pretty heavy punch. It's a loaded word. It's a word that most people would want as a word that describes them.

It was in 2001 when I learned this word and what it actually means. Not that I have never heard of or known of the word before, but in 2001 was when I finally got it. Finally got it through a mentor, a friend, a boss. For him, integrity is who you are and what you are when no one is looking or keeping you accountable. Integrity is your character. Integrity is who you really are and what you really are.

This definition of integrity stuck. It struck a chord with me in life. Does it really matter who you are and how you act when no one is there and no one cares? I'm not even invoking the idea of a higher power or God. Just on a very human level, does it matter? It's like asking the age-old riddle, "When a tree is cut in the middle of the forest and no one is there, does it still make a sound?" or "When there is a four way stop in the middle of the desert and you can see mile after miles of barrenness, do you still stop?"

This is integrity. When it still matters even though no one is there or holding you accountable. You are holding yourself to a higher calling and a higher road. This is integrity. You set your standard of living and you live by it. You set your mind on what to do and you do it. Your word is your action.

Integrity is one of my Core Words in life. It is in a sense the pinnacle of what I aim for.

Am I a paragon of Integrity? No, I'm a work in progress. I'm a constant change and challenge to become who I have envisioned myself to be. It's the act, the thought, and the heart of continually holding yourself higher that is important.

Is this all? No, this is but one of four parts that form the Core Words I live by. This is the pinnacle, the aim. But there is still the foundation and the two pillars that I will talk about in the coming posts.

How does this living with Integrity as a Core Word look like:

1. You do what you say, and you say what you do. (eg. If you make a promise with your wife, you keep that promise even if it hurts.)


2. You aim high in how you expect yourself to be. (eg. You submit yourself to a discipline of achieving and moving forward, not allowing yourself to have excuses in life.)


3. You allow yourself to be known by this virtue. (eg. Live a life in which people know you mean it, you're not a fake and you ain't hiding, you admit your wrongs and you fix them.)

So the question I want to leave you with is this, "Will you take up the ideal of Integrity and make it one of your Core Words in life?"

(This is part 5 of 5 pertaining to the ideal of Core Words.)

Part 1: Defining and Knowing Yourself

Part 2: What is Integrity

Part 3: Baseline of Faith

Part 4: Family

Part 5: Duty

Core Words: Defining and knowing yourself

Core Words. Core words are words that describe you, words that reflect who you are and who you want to be. They're words that resonate with your life. They're words that you build your life around. They're words that are you.

It is interesting to see through history - we find families, countries, organizations and companies that all had key words or mottos. These are their core words. In the Game of Thrones, House Stark is known for the words, "Winter is coming". These words embodied who they were, the guardians of the North. They are the shield against the evil of winter. The church in which I am the pastor at, Community Table, we have the words, "Faith, Community, Service." And when I was working at a recreation department at a Big 12 university, their motto was "Where Character Meets Competition."

These core words embody who the family is. These core words speak of the organization or entity that they represent.

So the question is, "Do you have core words for your life?"

I have four core words in my life: Integrity, Duty, Family, Faith.

These four words make up my world. Everything I do, every decision I make, is framed by these four lenses. This helps to simplify life a lot. When life is framed by the core words of your life, you start weeding out the unnecessary parts of life or the parts of life that don't add value to you and those around you.

This is the first in a 5-part series focusing on core words and how they impact and provide a field of operation for me. I invite you to be a part of that journey in seeing how having core words can help you simplify life and start focusing on those things that matter most to you. For me, I know it has.

So I leave you with this challenge:

What are your core words?

(This is part 5 of 5 pertaining to the ideal of Core Words.)

Part 1: Defining and Knowing Yourself

Part 2: What is Integrity

Part 3: Baseline of Faith

Part 4: Family

Part 5: Duty

Family camping, packing it right

Previously I wrote about some lessons learned and fun things to do while camping with the family (here). This time we are going to go over some tips on what to pack and how to pack. Sometimes how and what you pack or don't pack can make a great trip a less enjoyable one.

Personally, I have driven and camped with everything from a small '96 Mitsubishi Galant to a large '92 Dodge Caravan to my current '09 Subaru Forester. All of these vehicles allow for various amounts of stuff which heavily dictates where I am able to go. Most families I know generally have a mini-van or a SUV/crossover and this is where I will be making certain assumptions on what and how to pack.

What to bring (the essentials):

1. Food. Food is absolutely important. And making sure you have a cooler that is sufficient in keeping everything cold or frozen is essential. My family uses a Coleman cooler that is rated for 5 days. Take the rating with a grain of salt. But regardless, have a good cooler that fits your need.


2. Clothes. Dress for the weather. Summer tends to be pretty warm or down right hot in the day but come nightfall it can cool down pretty quickly, especially if you are in mountain country.


3. Sleeping bag and mattress. For mattress, we prefer air, they get the job done. It's relatively comfortable, compact to pack and provides sufficient insulation from the chill coming off the ground. As for sleeping bag, theWife and I prefer down. They pack small and provide lots of warmth. However, for the kids, we prefer to give them synthetics. That way, they are quick to dry in case there is an accident at night and also easily washable when we get home.


4. Tent. A shelter over your head is one of the most important things when camping. And having it appropriately weather-proof for your climate is an absolute. If you are in a dry and hot place, make sure it has sufficient air flow and circulation. If you are in a damp and humid place, make sure it has sufficient mesh for the moisture to exit and not create condensation within. And if you live in a wet and rainy climate like I do, get one that is going to keep you dry. Most of the time, you get what you pay for. And last thing, make sure it's big enough for your family to move and navigate and be comfortable in. Meaning, for my family of four, we have a six person tent.


5. Cooking things. This would include utensils to eat with, your plates and such. Bring what you need. Just make sure it isn't too easy to break. I generally prefer plastic or metal but that is a matter of preference. As for what to cook with, I highly recommend the Coleman combo unit. It has a BBQ to grill and also a stove to cook and boil your food. This saves you from needing to bring both a BBQ unit and a stove unit. Saving on space is always good. For fuel, I have done both the one-pound propane unit and also the regular 20lb propane tank. My preference is the 20lb. It's refillable, cheaper and you don't have to worry about running out.


6. Light. Gotta have light. For the kids, I give them the IKEA hand-crank unit, they are LED and sufficiently bright and battery-free. As for myself, I like to bring both a headlamp for the times you need hands-free lighting, a lamp to hang inside the tent and also a hand unit with a 100+ lumen rating to see with. I can't stress how important having a light is, especially if the kids need to make a trip for nature's call at night.


7. Power source. This is probably the most controversial one. I'm not saying power source in the sense to power your portable video gaming devices and media devices. I'm talking about a source of power to keep your cellphone running. Cellphone, especially smartphones, have come to replace our line of contact in case of emergency, it generally has a flashlight, and it's also a source of knowing where you are, AKA the GPS. I would say keeping that phone of yours powered is essential nowadays, not so you can play games or watch videos or listen to music but rather as a way to contact the world and get yourself out of a pickle when you are lost or in an emergency.

What to bring (the fun stuff):

1. Food! You can never have enough snacks and s'mores. Always bring more than you think you need. But try to keep it healthy too. Don't want the kids to start getting a bad habit with junk food.


2. Games. Board games and card games are a staple for camping. Bring what your family will like. Although, I would caution against anything with small pieces. Those buggers are hard to find when it gets dark.


3. Bikes. There is nothing like cruising through the woods and mountain on a bike. Or at least I can think of very little. The kids love it and they can spend all day on it.


4. Bring a soccer ball or football. Play a friendly match with your camping neighbors or just as a family. Nothing like sport and competition to bring the family together and to make some new friends.

Now comes the question of how do I get all my crap into the car. It is a common question many of us have. But I would say the answer is dependent on your car and what you are bringing aside from the essentials. It's very personal topic but I will try my best to give some pointers and tips on how I have done it. As a note, I am used to packing light due to my old backcountry backpacking days and from packing to hunt, which would be light, functional and minimalistic. Anyhow on to the tips and pointers.

How to pack it all:

1. The Primary: start with the big and heavy. The big and heavy forms the foundation of my packing. It stays on the bottom and near the back. I try to keep the weight as low to the bottom of the car as possible. In this case, for me, it would be the cooler with the bulk of the food, the tent and propane tank (if I opt for the large 20lb tank) and also anything that comes in a box.


2. The Secondary: These are things that are semi-stuffable and stuff that fit well around and between stuff. This would be the rest of my food and my duffle bag/packs for clothes along with the sleeping bag. The food will generally have their own small bags (I prefer the fabric type). However, a freebie tip here is that if you want snacks for the ride, stick them in the front with you, the kids will love you.


3. The Auxiliary: These are all the fun stuff or the non-essentials for camp. Place these wherever you have room in the car and trunk.

Tips on organization:

1. Place everything in bags or boxes. The last thing you want is to have things littered everywhere and you having no idea where it is. Also boxes and bags are easy to get in and out.


2. Be consistent. What I mean by this is to pack the same way you do all the time. Create a system for what you are doing and how you are doing it. A systems helps. It allows for you to focus on the trip and also on what you may be missing.

I hope this covers most of the fundamentals of camping and packing it right for the family. In essence, go have fun and spend some time together as a family outside. The take-away is to make a system that works for you with the things that you need to make it all fun.

What tips and systems do you and your family have? Would love to hear from you.

Summer family camping fun

Camping. Time in nature. Man, those are things I love. Those are things I grew up with in the 80s. Running through the woods without a care in the world. Roasting marshmallows over a wood fire. Sleeping in a tent. Those were the days growing up.

And that is the hobby and life that I wanted to pass down to the kids. Both theWife and I are pretty big campers. We have car camped and we have backpacked, and I have done mountain backpacking hunts. In essence, camping and the woods are elements of what makes me run.

We have camped in prior years with the kids. With the LittleBoy, we started him off a little before his first birthday. We went out for a one night trip. However, the next time we camped wasn't until the LittleGirl was almost one and the LittleBoy almost four. We camped for a night in our backyard. And then we went on a longer four day, three night trip with our parenting group. (More about this group in another post)

This year was the first time that both kids got to experience more of what camping is and it was great. We were able to go on three separate trips, each being four days and three nights, with one of them with the parenting group that we're a part of.

In the course of these three trips we learned some lessons. And we learned some ways to have fun that I would love to share with you.

On with the lessons:

1. Always write down anything you may need. Yes, we had a list but we took some things for granted and didn't bother to write them down. And guess what? We left them at home.


2. Plan for a variety of weather. We live on the West Coast of Canada, a place where weather is unpredictable and generally wet. It can get wet fast and camping wet ain't very fun.


3. Bring more snacks. I can't emphasize this enough. Kids love to snack and eat. And they tend to snack and eat more when they are out and about and being active little munchkins.


4. Just relax. No really, you really do just need to relax. You are on vacation. You really should just sit back and let the kids run wild in the camp.

Fun things to do that we want to share with you:

1. Bring your bikes. There is nothing more fun than just riding around the whole day. Cause you have a lot to explore.


2. Go on a hike. Pick a trail that is simple and easy for the whole family and just go. Best to pick a place you don't know, that way it's an adventure and experience.


3. Try Geocaching. There is always excitement when it come to scavenger hunts.


4. Make some s'mores. Yea, this one is a classic but it's a much loved classic.


5. Just run around in the woods. You never know what you may find and discover in the woods. Just make sure you know how to get back to camp or at least the kids know how far is too far to explore.

Hope this gives you some ideas and directions as you start dreaming of family camping trips. Also, stay tuned as I will be posting more about family and camping and how to pull it all off smoothly.