The Adventure

Today I have the good fortune of having a post featured at Jeremy Statton’s blog as a part of the Secretly Incredible series.  It is a poem that I wrote as a tribute to my Uncle Ernest Battershell.  He was a great, quiet man who influenced those around him by his life and actions.  I wish you could have met him.  Click through after the excerpt for the poem.

Excerpt:

My Uncle Ernie was that rare man who spent a lifetime in hard, manual work and finished strong.  I would spend much of my summers at his house when I was young, learning to ride a horse, how to play checkers, and how to overcome challenges.

He was a self-sufficient farmer whose life taught me patience, devotion, discipline, kindness, and rest.  I do not recall talking about these things, but observing them by his actions.  I never heard him speak in anger, in fact he had few words, but those he chose to speak carried great weight and wisdom.  I wouldn’t come to understand that wisdom until years after his passing.

Continue reading…

A decade has passed in the blink of an eye
yet I cannot remember my life without you.
All fleeting thoughts and cherished memories
are intricately entwined with images of you:
youthful,
vibrant,
stealing my heart.
That is still how I see you.
Captivating me endlessly with your presence.
Longing in your absence.
Reveling in your love.

Our adventure has just begun,
much is left to discover
many years left to explore
as we are writing a love story for the ages.

 Be sure to change the settings to watch in HD.

This is what has been keeping me busy for the past 3 months.  As soon as I found out we were having a child, I knew I wanted their room to inspire adventure, creativity, and exploration.  Having a place to like that to grow up in would be amazing!

When I was a boy, the Legend of Zelda series embodied those values for me, and the beautiful cel-shaded art style from Wind Waker/Spirit Tracks seemed to be the perfect fit for a young hero’s room.

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This is a guest post from my wife Casey, whose sweet side is rarely made public.  As a tribute to father’s day, she asked me to publish this letter she wrote for our soon-to-arrive son.  It’s pretty awesome.  Here goes.

Son-

I wanted to let you know some reasons why Christopher Cole Bradburn is going to be the best father ever. And he’s going to be yours, you lucky little guy.

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Clairvoyant whispers,
fleeting visions
reveal the future, disjointed.
So abruptly it must be a dream.
Synaptic potentials randomly discharged,
a subconscious creation or Divine inspiration?
If they were only true…
they offer hope, purpose
but what do they mean?
It’s too surreal.
One could get lost searching
in the dark corners of the mind
and return broken, bitter.
How do you follow blindly?
Trust innately, discern reality
when perception distorts your experience?
If you could put it all together,
make sense of your senses
you could find Meaning,
Illusion of control,
Peace.

Over the last week, my friend Joe and I have been discussing balance.  I was asking him if he found balance, particularly when applied to writing.  I’ve always liked to entertain the idea of balance – it sounds awesome – but it seems like an outdated concept when applied to real life.

This morning Joe sent me an email.  It was one of Keith Jennings’ Root Notes (you can subscribe here, I just did).  It talked about harmony instead of balance.

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This past week I found myself to be very busy.  At the end of the week I noticed there was much I set out to do that didn’t get touched – like write a couple posts for The Adventure.  There were also trivial things off my radar that consumed mass quantities of time.

I was perpetually working on something, but not accomplishing anything.

It brought back to mind what one of my mentors calls The Law of Limited Focus.

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I’ve been reading a lot about courage lately and I’ve been surprised at how many throughout history have placed it as the foundational quality (see part one here) on which to build.  People with courage live compelling stories that leave a legacy, which is what this site is all about – living your story and exploring your world.

As Christians we are called to be bold, to be courageous, to be “salt and light” in an apathetic world.

… sounds kind of crazy.  But crazy good, right?

I challenge you to boldy go.  Be adventurous.  Be crazy (and get a toast from Steve Jobs).

What does courage mean to you?  What can you do to be courageous today?  Leave your thoughts below.

I had an eventful weekend.

One that reminded me how little control I actually have (I don’t know about you, but I need these reminders from time to time).

It also reminded me of what is it like to fully rely on God.

To place everything in His hands and be at peace.

It’s a hard thing for me to do.

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I feel the rhythmic beat of my heart
counting the seconds until your arrival.

I can see you in there,
kicking, stretching, pushing against
the boundaries of your world…

Soon, little man, there will be a
great big world for you to discover.
It needs you to push against your boundaries too.

It’s beautiful, scary, and amazing
all at once, but don’t worry
I’ll be your guide.
We will explore it together.

You’ll learn to create, to share, to give.

To Love.

I Love You.

And until we meet face to face
I’ll keep counting heartbeats
and dreaming of you.