Loneliness

I am often lonely!  I don't think this feeling is unique to me.  I am most lonely in the midst of the crowd.

A Toast to Innocence, A Toast to Now!

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”  As children all of us dreamed of becoming a person who would make a difference, someone who contributed enduring worth and value, to the whole of humanity, though most often we phrased those dreams with; “I want to be a doctor,” “I want to be a fireman,” etc.

Then we actually grow up! We awaken one morning and realize that the life we are living has no resemblance to the one we had dreamed of all those years ago.

How did this happen?  How did we end up here?  I don’t mean to say “Here,” is necessarily a dreadful place, in fact, some are happy with the way their life has turned out. These auspicious few find themselves living a more fulfilled existence than any childhood reveries ever could have been.  But what about those whose soul continues to encase embers of unfulfilled possibilities, missed opportunities, and what might have been.

Where do they go from here?  Its obvious one can’t pack up and return to an earlier era no matter how tempting that may be at times.  Nor is it healthy to be pre-occupied with self pity, when navigating this life requires ones full attention.  Here are 5 suggestions…

1.        Say good bye to those things which will never be recaptured.  Then let them go.

2.       Don’t underestimate the imprint your life has already left on another.

3.       Determine which of your dreams can still be attained then work to make them happen. It’s not too late. 

4.       Realize the future offers many exciting and meaningful opportunities for you to leave a legacy.

5.       Keep this in mind; “It’s not how you start, its how you finish!

Saying Good Bye

"Saying good bye is when it hurts most to be human."

We stood in the doorway and watched my youngest son, Ethan, back his car out of the driveway, honk the horn, give a wave, and drive off.  In stillness we stared down the street until the tail lights of his car were no longer in sight and then closed the door without saying a word.

Ethan, a sophomore at Youngstown State University, made a surprise visit home this weekend; it was so good to see him.  Youngstown State is a four hour trip from our home in Springfield, so we don’t get to see him as often as we would like.  We spent our short time together catching up, watching a movie, doing laundry, and serving him up large amounts of home cooking.

Like a thief in the night the weekend was over and it was time for my son to make the long trek back to his new home and new life.  Watching him drive away I could not help, but to swell with a fathers pride for all of Ethan’s accomplishments, but mostly for the man he is becoming.

As I shut the door I wiped the tear from my eye then realized once again, that "saying good bye is when it hurts most to be human."

One of My Favorite Old Songs

Polka Dot Pajamas Could Cause Me Big Trouble

For Christmas my wife received a pair of pajamas from a very close friend and she absolutely loves them. The jammies are white, with pink, blue, and purple, polka dots, and they are by far the softest pair she owns.  Here's the problem; every time she wears them I am reminded of this little guy.

He Breathes on Winter and Suddenly It's Spring

"He breathes on winter and suddenly it's spring".  I ran across these words this morning while reading from a most ancient of song books; the book of Psalms.  Perhaps they caught my attention because of the snow that has freshly fallen outside my window, but some how I think it goes deeper than that.

In many writings and poetry the "winter season", is used as a metaphor for enduring times of great hardship, barrenness, and dark nights of the soul.   But the word which really captured my attention was the use of "suddenly".  In other words, "God is able to change our barren and dreary season in a instant."

Although I believe that most of the time God chooses to work through the systems and seasons he has ordained in our daily lives, I must never lose sight of the fact that he is God, and if he so chooses can change my current circumstances in a breath of time!

Madonna and Clive Owen in a BMW Short Film

10 Things

  1.  Motorcycles and black ice make for a sore ass.
  2.  The stronger the coffee, the better it tastes.
  3.  You have more friends than you think.

  4.  You have less friends than you think.
  5.  The most miserable people are those trying to please everyone.
  6.  Everyone is selling something.
  7.  Age is not an indicator of wisdom.

  8.  There is more to life than work.  Trust me!
  9.  I am pretty sure Jesus would wear jeans.
10.  French toast is the perfect breakfast food.