Try Harder!

We “attack” life, don’t we?  Most of us, anyway?

Or we at least like to “get motivated” to go out there and do, do, do!  

Achieve, achieve, achieve!

You know… “Carpe Diem” and all that.  Think about it: Seize the day!  Seize it!  Throttle it!  Throttle today into submission.  Make it give you what you need.  If not now, then when?  Seize it, I tell you!  Seize it! SEIZE IT! NOW!!!

[deep breath]

It’s exhausting.

“1,068.”

As I pushed the keys across the counter, I answered the girl’s question.  ”One thousand sixty-eight.”  She raised her eyebrows and whistled in amazement.

“Long way.”

“No kidding.  I’m exhausted.”

Ya Gotta Have Faith!

One of the greatest innovations in the true spectator sport of ‘channel surfing’ is the availability of the “Info” button.  The magical ability to know, by the simple press of a button, what a particular episode or movie is about is truly awesome!  Maybe you take this ability for granted.  But I, for one, grew up on rabbit ear antennas and changing channels by twisting a large knob on the front of the TV.  So I love being able to find out exactly which one of the 178 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation we’re watching.

"Bones and Brennan investigate after a man is found dead."

I bring this up because of a recent description I ran across while channel surfing last week.  I imagine many of you have at least a passing familiarity with the FOX television series Bones.  This particular show has been around, according to my exhaustive Wikipedia research, since September of 2005.  So maybe you, too, will see why I thought the following episode description was amusing.  After hitting the “Info” button on a Bones episode one evening I read the following:

Bones episode description:  Booth and Brennan investigate after a man is found dead.

“Oh for grace…”

I want to start by sharing some selected thoughts today. Take them in… as snapshots of life. Don’t over-think any of it. Don’t “think ahead” of any of it.

Just let the images float through your mind. Insert yourself into the picture.

peace… with my Lord so near

my path grows brighter every day

I am safe. I am secure. From anything that would frighten or disturb me.

Fellowship, joy, blessedness and peace… just by relying on him

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Sign me up for THAT ride, friend!

Contractually Obligated

Confession time:

I’m unemployed.  And so is my wife.

Now, this isn’t actually news to regular readers here… (see previous posts like this one).  But I mention it to again frame up the situation.  This same framework that makes up our “situation” isn’t exactly completely of our own construction, of course.  One doesn’t usually design your life around being asked to resign a few days before you get married.  That’d  be weird.  And likely detrimental to the overall health of your marriage (or even your life, depending on your wife’s temperament).

So we find ourselves in this situation.  We didn’t really make it, but we’re here, nonetheless.  We also both feel very strongly that God is calling us to another place (honestly, it’s a completely different state, but more on that later).  And as we wrestle with this and try to leave, we learn that we’re locked into a lease that the owner (not the management company!) .  Which says we have no right of early termination.

Everywhere a sign…

According to the internet (the “go-to” source for incredibly reliable information):

SIGNS are everywhere…

If we only knew how to recognize them!  Or interpret them!  Or would just pay attention long enough to even see the signs!

Seriously, folks.  We’d all be so much better off if we only knew and understood the signs!

You would know:

• whether you have irritable bowel syndrome
• if the stars are correctly aligned in your astrological calendar to start a new job or new relationship
• whether your child is on drugs
• if you are watching “too much television”
• whether your spouse is cheating
• if the guy (or gal) you’re dating could be THE ONE!
• if your next door neighbor is dealing drugs
• what type of “personality” your cat has
• when it’s time to quit your job
• the world will end on May 21, 2011  October 21, 2011. never mind.
• how much fun I had researching for this blog post

There was even a movie called Signs.  Yes, it was about signs like crop circles.  But it was also about more metaphysical things.

Dragon Slaying

As soon as the dragon landed, I knew I had him.

I sprinted from cover, flames arcing from my left hand while holding my war axe ready in my right. It was a Frost Dragon. Which meant killer frost breath. Dodging the icy exhalations, I used a Dragon Shout to stop time itself.

I closed quickly, unleashing a furious barrage of swings from my trusty steel war axe. It was going to be close.

As the Shout wore off and time began to return to normal, I realized I was standing far too close to the dragon’s jaws. I ran left just as it swung its heavily scaled head in my direction. I went in for the kill knowing I had exactly zero health potions left. Running away at this point would do no good. I couldn’t heal myself in time.

Just Married…

While Anna and I were on our honeymoon in Hawaii (Is that too cliché?  Maybe, but whatever, man.  It was AWESOME.), we spent an entire day in a passenger van with a few other couples.  Granted, we did stop and see some really cool things along the way.  But in retrospect, it kinda feels like we just spent a day in a van… with some other people.

As we began the aforementioned long day in a van with some other people, we did the whole “first day of school” thing where you tell everyone your name, where you’re from, and something about yourself.  Seated in the first of the four rows of seats was a couple in their late 30s from Philadelphia.  In the back of the van was a young couple from Sydney, Australia.  They then mentioned, in their awesome Australian accents that somehow made everything they said more interesting, that they, too, were on their honeymoon.  So naturally, we asked when they got married.

They said the ceremony had been the previous Friday.  Having already introduced ourselves as having been married since Saturday and perhaps sensing an opportunity for a quick laugh, I breathlessly asked what it was like after being together as husband and wife for that extra day.  He said it was all downhill after day 3.

Change.

I jokingly (and, if I’m honest, quite sarcastically) asked my wife what has changed in my life recently that I could blog about.  Before I pass on her reply, however, here’s a brief recap of what’s occurred since my last post…

I started my new job.

Then I got a new car.

After that I found a new house.

So I moved to the new house in the new town for my new job.

Then I lost my job.

Anna and I were married a few days later.

I then escaped to Hawaii for a week with my new wife.
But now we’re back and trying to make some sense out of it all.  Because unexpectedly losing my job turned the other new things into unsupportable, untenable burdens (except the marriage, of course).  As you can plainly see, that’s a pretty extreme season of change right there.  And it isn’t over.  Now we’re looking for another house and another job and another town, etc.

My wife’s reply to my sarcastic query about what has changed in my life that I can blog about?