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Just checking to see if I can post :)

Unexplained Move

How do you explain something that even to you makes no sense? My wife and I have made a move in our life that I didn’t honestly expect to ever make. I mean it never entered my mind. I’ve seen other people do go this direction before, but I just never imagined I would do the same. Not that we were ever arrogant or thought we were above such a move. It just never occurred to me that we would too. We never said “Oh, I’d never do that” as if we felt a certain amount of piety or pride in ourselves. But now we have moved in a direction that removes a lot of the comfort we have felt for so long. Like I said, it really doesn’t make any sense. And yet we know that we’ve done the right thing. I can’t explain it because I’m not sure I understand completely. I just know that it’s what we’re supposed to do.

Why does God move us like this at times? We’ve made a move that it many minds would appear to be contradictory to His Word. But actually the Word is not very plain about this. It really doesn’t explain how to do what we’ve done. But we know its right and that God’s hand is upon us.

What an interesting statement: “God’s hand is upon us”. What does that mean? I’ve often heard this phrase used when someone is speaking of a special event or time in one’s life. Like His hand “guided us through the desert”, or “God blessed us during this special season in our life” I don’t mean to make light of these statements or appear to say they are not true. But the context of the statement this phrase is used in is usually regarding something different and special. But actually, if we are walking with Jesus, isn’t the hand of God always upon us? Isn’t he always guiding? If we hadn’t moved in this direction, would His hand still be upon us? What if it were not exactly what He wanted for us? Would His hand still be there? I sure hope so. I don’t want to live outside of His protection and guidance.

If we are faced with a decision that changes the direction of our lives in some way, and we make the “wrong” decision, isn’t God still the loving Father he was before? Does he get mad and decide to remove His hand and guidance? Would any loving Father remove his care from his child because the child made a poor decision?

I’m at a time in my life where my children are making some important decisions about who they are and what direction they are going. Some of these decisions are hard and they aren’t always sure what to do. We’ve give them some good, sound and loving advise in an effort to give them guidance in their decision making. However, if they decide to not follow our counsel, not out of rebellion or stubbornness, but just because they thought they were doing the right thing, should I stop trying to assist them in further decisions? Never! I love my children enough to know that there comes a time when they must be allowed to make mistakes in order to learn. We learn by making mistakes. Not failing – just mistakes. When asked how he felt about how many attempts or “failures” it took Thomas Edison to invent the light bulb, he said he never failed. He just learned about all the ways not to make one. His attitude wasn’t “pass or fail”. It was all about learning.

And with the right attitude, that’s what we are all doing. Learning. God is teaching and we are learning. We don’t always get it right. Sometimes it can feel like we seldom do. But if our hearts are pursuing God, He never stops teaching, no matter how many attempts it takes.

In our case, there is not empirical data or written instructions for us to base our decision upon. We just have a knowing that this is right. That’s what can make following Jesus so different from living in the world. His ways and the world’s ways seem to be 180 degrees opposed to each other. They are at opposite ends of a spectrum. Jesus’ ways are “follow me”, “listen to my voice”, “learn to know my heart”, “trust me in the face of opposition”, “don’t listen to the world’s advice”. We believe we have heard from Him and trust His guidance. How do you explain that? Even to other believers who may disagree. If you have any suggestions, I’m all ears.

Comfort Level

You know your comfort level is high when you can park this jewel against the curb in front of your home and leave it. This obviously wasn't taken in Memphis. Actually I took this photo in Celebration FL last week. Can't you see yourself cruising on this baby down a Florida highway on the way to Key West for some time of recuperation? I sure can.

Thought 'Fridge

I’ve been amazed at how much has come to mind to write about in recent days. Everyday I think of several new ideas. Not on purpose or by choice. My thoughts just seem to go that way. Often the ideas begin to develop further and sentences and paragraphs form mentally. I usually put the thoughts aside and hope that I might remember to bring them back off the shelf later and let them grow. Sometimes I remember them and sometimes I don’t. What I find is the discipline or energy to sit down later and actually start writing does not come easy. This may be no great revelation to any one else, but to me it’s somewhat surprising. Not that I thought writing would be easy. On the contrary, I believe it can be quite difficult. The surprising part is how much I think about it but don’t do it. There can’t be many waking hours go by that I haven’t thought of either some idea or wished I had the discipline to begin typing.

I need to find a way to hold on to these ideas. How do I put them on a shelf temporarily and then pull them out later. How can a few thoughts that developed from a statement heard or an observation made be put aside and then brought back out and understood at a later time. When they occur, they are in the moment, ready to grow right then. To put them aside may kill them altogether. At the very least they are wounded and handicapped. How do writers of philosophy keep up with all the ideas and notions that come their way? There must be a method or system to it. How else is it explained? There are too many people writing their previous thoughts for it to be talent alone. The chances that everyone who writes with some amount of validity is doing it on talent alone are remote. Is there an idea freezer that can keep them in suspended animation until the energy comes to record them. Is the freezer organized so that the thoughts can be accessed easily and with little effort? Or is more like the one at our house where you have to look through all the frozen vegetables before you find the frozen fish you cleaned 6 months ago? Can they get freezer burn and never be eatable again? Is there a writers microwave with an automatic defrost button that has preset functions to nuke them only as long as needed depending on their category? Once frozen, will they really ever taste the same again?

I want to write more, but I’m having trouble. It’s too easy to find ways to be lazy and let my mind just be entertained by Direct TV. I mean this is only my 3rd entry to this blog in the three weeks since I started it. Actually it’s my 4th, but I tripped and fell over the delete button the other night and erased most of what I had written about a comment made on a airplane. I just gave up for the night so it never got posted.

And that’s kinda what I’m talking (writing) about. I wrote what I thought was a great article about a comment a young lady made on an airplane earlier that day. I was really in an element as I was explaining how one small statement by her set off several paragraphs in me. It was good if I do say so myself. But when I lost my footing and erased 75% of the text and was not able to retrieve it, I just gave up. How could I duplicate what had just happened? I was on a role and I fell off. I couldn’t just get up and do it again. I was in a moment and now the moment was gone. It would have been like trying to remember my remembrances of a momentary event. All my energy just got sapped out of me at that misstep. I couldn’t get it back and didn’t really want to try.

And now I’m tired. It’s been a long day and I need some rest. Now if I can just watch where I’m stepping and not stub my toe on the delete button.

Good Night All

On the Emerald Coast

Marriage work

It's Sunday evening. My wife has already come in and asked if I'm coming to bed soon. I told I would, so I'll be brief. I've worked all weekend at a friends house replacing the stair treads from covered with carpet, to stained oak. I've enjoyed the work, but I'm tired. I still have some work left to do that I'll finish this week. They're good friends - some of the best we have. They're paying me for the work, but I'd probably do it for free if I didn't need the money right now. Of course if I were doing it for free, I wouldn't be working as hard to get it done as quickly. Might as well be honest about it - money motivates.

While at their house today, they were working on getting some curtains hung in the living room. It was quite interesting listening to them "discuss" how to get the job done. She had an idea on what it was to look like and a picture in her mind that she understood. But she was having a hard time conveying it to him. He was trying to see this picture she had only in her mind, but apparently his vision was somewhat blurred. He wanted hard dimensions and for her to describe her mind's picture in terms he could understand. She was trying, but her "big picture" mentality made it impossible for her to give the minute details he was after. His need for detail made it hard for him to be patient with her inability to give it. She became frustrated with his questions. He became frustrated with her lack of detailed answers. After several hours of work, they only had one curtain in place. It looked great. And now they both have an understanding of what to do on the remaining windows. But to get the job done took alot of work. The work of understaning each other was so much harder than the actual hanging of the curtains. They were talking two completely different languages from two completely different perspectives.

Listening to married couples talk can be quite amusing. Particularly if you're married as well. It can be like looking or listening in a mirror. MORE LATER.

Humble Beginnings

Well I've finally done it. My daughter laughed at me when I told her what I was about to do. She can't believe that her father, the oger that he is, would not only post something on a blog site, but would actually start one. I told her she could be a part of it if she wanted and she laughed again. In a manner of "your real cute dad", she giggled and said "sure, I'll be a part". What insolence! Is it too much to consider that her "grew up in the 70's" father could be cool enough to be a blogger? I don't know - maybe she's right. What business do I have sitting up late at night writing my thoughts on a computer screen for others to review and comment about. Surely I'll embarrass myself. Or maybe it's her own embarrassment she's worried about. Not her dad! Maybe someone else's, but not hers. Why he's just an old Arkansas born, Mississippi educated, Memphis construction working, wanna be. What could he possibly have to say!? Oh the shame of it all! Somebody please stop him before this gets outta hand. Sorry honey. You and I may be the only ones who read this, so maybe it'll be OK. Here's to hoping.