The thing about life...

The thing about life is that there are hills and valleys. The way I look at it, it's possible to be discontent in each!

When you're at the top, it can be too cold, too damp, the wind can be too high... you may have trouble finding the sustenance that you need... you can't live on the mountaintop forever... you have to climb down... only to climb back up again... what's the point?

When you're in the valley you're kind of penned in by these really high oppressing peaks on all sides of you, you live in the shadows of these big ominous things that hide the light from you.If you want to see what's going on around you you have to climb to the top... it's just tiring... draining.

People can spend their entire life wishing to be in one place or the other. It's a frustrating cycle.

There was a time when we understood that. When we were a hearty people that would make the best of things wherever we were.

Now? We're so consumer oriented. We want everything to be nice and calm... easy.

Not me... I like the challenges of both.

Task Oriented Christianity

A lot of times, Christians view themselves as these servants. Servants that are dispatched to do certain tasks and the only vested interest that they have in that task is getting it over as quickly as possible because it's too much like work. Examples of this are:

• going to church on a weekly basis
• serving once a week in the nursery or with the greeters or some other ministry
• contributing to an offering
• showing up early to set up for a program

It's all very task oriented.

The interesting is that God doesn't call us to be task oriented. In the Bible it says: 

Now you are no longer servants, but God's own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir. (Gal 4:7)

This opens up a whole new ball of wax.

When you sit at the Kings table, you're in on the planning. the King tells you what is on his mind. There is intimacy there. You are expected to participate - but with knowledge and with your resources. There will be times when you're asked to take a leadership role. You level and activity level takes on a whole new view point because of the realization that your wealth in the kingdom is tied into the wealth of the King. It's ownership and not just subservience.

When we think about Christianity, do we look at is as tasks supporting of distant God because it's what expected, or do we see our inheritance?

Believe me... that subtle change of view changes the way you work, live, act...

Unbalanced load

I am a big fan of balance... But sometimes in the course of human events, things become unbalanced. For me, it's usually happens in an area of my life where I am trying to be intentional.

I have gained 15 pounds since the beginning of the year. My time management sucks. The areas that I wanted to key in on are in shambles.

So... True to my blog, I have to write about the mundane things to keep me in check.

Starting tomorrow.

Work isn't personal...

They say that work isn't personal. I truly believe that. If I disagree with you or whatever, I do not view the person any differently out of work. Even inside work, as long as we're not working on the same project I can be cordial, nice, whatever. HOWEVER, if we are working on the same project... it's a different story.

By nature, I am a non confrontational person. I go to work to accomplish a task. The things that frustrate me most are when there's no clear vision, people don't value my opinion, when things are done randomly with no sense of order and when there's no communication.

If you put all of those things together, the likelihood of me actually wanting to perform at my best is somewhat diminished. I will do the bare minimum to reduce MY OWN frustration levels.

I love it when I'm in charge of a team. When you give me the reigns, I will do my research from the people that know infinitely more than me... set a vision, and hold people to that vision and time table. I make sure everyone is engaged and every team member knows the direction that we're heading.

Anyway... that's my rant for today.

Just had to get that off my chest.

Now... I feel much better.

Guarding your heart...

My fiancée and I had an interesting conversation. I was going to have dinner with an old college friend... a female friend. Now, in my mind, this person was like a sister... is like a sister to me. However... she's a recent widow. One of the things that -L- said was that when she lost her husband, she would look at men with a slightly different way.

I don't always understand the inner thinking of the mind of women, so I have to trust the woman that I love to help guard my heart and my affections.

This is kind of new for me. New on a couple of levels... I had a wife that really didn't care one way or another. She didn't mind if I hung out with female friends... the only time she really minded anything was towards the end when she knew it was all over.

After that, I was single and the only person that I had to worry about was me, and my own opinions on who I wanted in my life... and I guarded that well.

Now... there's a new component. There's a woman in my life that loves me and cherishes me. This is kind of new and a paradigm shift in the way that I have to think about my social interactions.

Selah

Going Viral

So... I wrote "Romance 101" yesterday. I shared it with a small set of friends to test drive it. Many thought it was funny. I then shared it with an e-mail group that I belong to that shares funny videos. I'm hoping to see if this really goes viral.

I have one item that has gone viral before. I coined the phrase "G.A.S." many years ago... "Gear Acquisition Syndrome" - which is a disorder that musicians face when they see a new piece of gear that they must have because in their mind, they think it will make them perform better.

Anyway... wish me luck!

Romance 101

If you ask a hundred people this question, you will get 100 different answers. So... I decided my best chance at understnding the true meaning behind this elusive "thing" called romance was to look it up in the dictionary.

First, "romance" can be used as an adjective, noun, verb.

Interesting...

As an adjective, "romance" means: of, relating to, or being any of the languages developed from Latin (as Italian, French, and Spanish).

So... when she says she wants a little "romance" I can say in my best Rico Suave voice... "tienes un sonrisa que llena mi vida de allegria..."

NICE!...

As a noun, "romance" means:

a (1) : a medieval tale based on legend, chivalric love and adventure, or the supernatural (2) : a prose narrative treating imaginary characters involved in events remote in time or place and usually heroic, adventurous, or mysterious(3) : a love story especially in the form of a novelb : a class of such literature

So... I can read a book to her...

2: something (as an extravagant story or account) that lacks basis in fact

I can tell a lie...

3: an emotional attraction or aura belonging to an especially heroic era, adventure, or activity

We can dress up in Medeival clothing?

4: love affair

I had to look this one up... it means: a lively enthusiasm

So... when she says "romance" I can tell her about my fascination with my Android Galaxy Tab! Awesome!

5capitalized : the Romance languages

So... when she says she wants "Romance" - she really wants to learn Latin, Italian or Spanish???

As a verb, romance can either be intransitive or transitive... whatever that means...

intransitive verb

1: to exaggerate or invent detail or incident

She wants me to tell her that her eyes are as blue as the ocean and her hair as golden as amber waves of grain?

2: to entertain romantic thoughts or ideas

She really just wants me to think about all the things that I've written here so far...

transitive verb

1: to try to influence or curry favor with especially by lavishing personal attention, gifts, or flattery

Maybe... just maybe... she wants me to buy her something... FINALLY something I know I can do!

So... maybe that''s where guys have gone wrong all these years... when a woman says she wants romance... she really just wants us to buy her something... I'm on my way to the store now to get buy my sweetie a #2 Pencil... I hope she likes it!

How close can you get???

So... here's the dilemma. I've been married before and have 3 sons. I've had sex. The new chic... the one I'm engaged to has 3 children as well... she's had sex. We both have a commitment to our Christian values and have decided that we're not going to have sex until we're married.

The questions that we have wrestled with is... how close can you get without crossing the line?

The problem that I am facing is that going too far might as well mean not even bothering to wait.

Anyway, it's hard... sticking to the commitment. Just a few more short months and I can say I've done it!... We've done it! We will have managed to build a relationship on our merits and not on a physical crutch...

Why the glum face??? Because I'm cooking! Yes... I'm cooking again.

Last year I did Nutrisystem, I lost about 10 pounds using that system. Later on, I moved to Healthy Choices because they were convenient, cost less... BUT... I always ended up hungry which led to episodes of binge eating.

In a stroke of brilliance, I decided to start cooking.

Cooking is interesting... and fun.

Cooking is definitely loer in sodium, and you can get more and more full because you get free items, like vegetables. Foods are also higher in water content that help you feel full.

It may take extra time to actually do the food preparation, but it tastes better and it's more satisfying. I don't think it's more expensive in the long run either.