I thought I would share this since I had a dream about hiking up a concrete riverbed. I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep and thankfully, just before I woke up, I had made it out of the riverbed and into the forrest (that happened to be at the top...yeah, dreams are weird).
The lyrics video
Dance the dance
We call living and dying
In the valley of the city
in the belly of the lion
Work all week long
All week long
You can lose your soul
In the concrete riverbeds
Rolling with the flow
Of the currents of the walking deads
Five o'clock comes and you're a rolling stone
Days like these
We've got nothing to sing about
Days like these
I don't know what I think about
Day like these
Who would've known
Days like these
I've got nothing to sing about
Days like these
I don't know what I think about
Day like these
Who would've known
Listen to the rhythm
Of the pawn shop shore
Got you falling off your hinges
Like that old screen porch
It's the interstate slipping in your pores again
You can ride the vein
From the corner store to Amsterdam
You can bleed the train
From the courthouse to the Vatican
But Friday she's a ghost
And gonna slip right through your hands again
Days like these
I've got nothing to sing about
Days like these
I don't know what I think about
Day like these
Who would've known
Days like these
I don't know what I think about
Days like these
I've got nothing to sing about
Days like these
Who would've known
So dance the dance
We call living and dying
In the valley of the city
in the belly of the lion
We work all week long
All week long
You can lose your soul
In the concrete riverbeds
Rolling with the flow
Of the currents of the walking deads
Five o'clock comes and you're a rolling stone
Days like these
I've got nothing to sing about
Days like these
I don't know what I think about
Day like these
Who would've known
Days like these
I don't know what I think about
Days like these
I've got nothing to sing about
Day like these
Who would've known
~"Belly of the Lion" by John Mark McMillan
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Paris pour deux nuits
(and yes, I had to look up the title!)
Paris, two nights in a row. Wasn't planning on that.
I have never been very drawn to the idea of traveling through Europe, at least the Europe that (it feels like) most people travel through: London, Paris, Berlin...all those countries in that area of the world. Austria, Switzerland, The Netherlands.
Perhaps this is the part my habit to avoid things that everyone else seems to love. I wonder if a lot of American's feel like that. It seems like a very American thing to say and do. Which is ironic; that a whole people would be drawn to what each other's neighbor is not.
Yet I found myself steeped in Paris France this weekend via two great movies: Moulin Rouge! and Midnight in Paris. I will do my best to not spoil them...but beware.
I was reminded how amazing this movie is. Not only are the songs well done and acting great but the story has a way of gripping you. It follows the Bohemian love story of Christian and Satine; and the returning theme of the Bohemian ideals, "Truth! Beauty! Freedom! Above everything else, Love!" It is pretty fantastic overall.
I appreciate the most that the story doesn't end simply, as you might expect (I will attempt to not spoil the movie!). It really tests the main character's idealism of his line, "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return."
The other movie I saw with my wife this weekend was Midnight in Paris. I am not a big Woody Allen fan, but I heard so many good things about this movie that I wanted to see it (in the $2 theater...spending $8 - $12 on this would be just criminal). There were some parts that I didn't like (such as the casual way marriage was treated; and the fact that despite the movie poster he doesn't meet Van Gough at all!) and there were some great aspects of this film. Gil Pender is a flourishing hollywood screenwriter who aspires to be novelist. He and his fiance go on vacation in Paris with his future in-laws. He discovers the world of Paris in the 1920's at midnight as he wanders the streets. I loved how in the end Gil actually comes to some great realizations about life and about himself.
So...I'm open to Paris. It really is amazing that the people of the French culture have had a tremendously large impact on the world. And their country is relatively tiny! There are many things, if you give it a bit of thought, that are distinctly "French". I couldn't name them for you, but if I say, "think of a French person, town, experience, person of influence on history" you could. That is intriguing to me.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Tumult and Stillness
My spiritual director shared this psalm with me yesterday and I thought I would share it here. I have heard so much about v. 10
Psalm 46:10a
"Be still, and know that I am God."
but I have never heard it in the context of the other verses that seem so chaotic. I like it much better this way, I think it carries so much more weight with it.
a very present[b] help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Selah
4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
Psalm 46:10a
"Be still, and know that I am God."
but I have never heard it in the context of the other verses that seem so chaotic. I like it much better this way, I think it carries so much more weight with it.
Psalm 46
1God is our refuge and strength,a very present[b] help in trouble.
2Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
Selah
4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 "Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!"
11 The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Hymn #101
I love this song by Joe Pug, Hymn #101. It has received a lot of underground attention because it is so great! It speaks to me where I am at...minus the smoking and drinking references. :)
For the video
Yea I’ve come to know the wish list of my father
I’ve come to know the shipwrecks where he wished
I’ve come to wish aloud among the over dressed crowd
Come to witness now the sinking of the ship
Throwing pennies from the sea top next to it
And I’ve come to roam the forest past the village
With a dozen lazy horses in my cart
I’ve come here to get high,
To do more than just get by.
I’ve come to test the timber of my heart
Oh, I’ve come to test the timber of my heart
And I’ve come to be untroubled in my seeking
And I’ve come to see that nothing is for naught
I’ve come to reach out blind
to reach forward and behind
For the more I seek the more I’m sought
Yea, the more I seek the more I’m sought.
And I’ve come to meet the sheriff and his posse
To offer him the broadside of my jaw
I’ve come here to get broke
Then maybe bum a smoke
We’ll go drinking two towns over after all
Oh, we’ll go drinking two towns over after all.
And I’ve come to meet the legendary takers
I’ve only come to ask them for a lot
Oh they say I come with less
than I should rightfully posses
I say the more I buy the more I’m bought
And the more I’m bought the less I cost
And I’ve come to take their servants and their surplus
And I’ve come to take their raincoats and their speed
I’ve come to get my fill
To ransack and spill
I’ve come to take the harvest for the seed
I’ve come to take the harvest for the seed
And I’ve come to know the manger that you sleep in
I’ve come to be the stranger that you keep
I’ve come from down the road
And my footsteps never slowed
Before we met, I knew we’d meet
Before we met, I knew we’d meet
And I’ve come here to ignore your cries and heartaches
I’ve come to closely listen to you sing
I’ve come here to insist
That I leave here with a kiss
I‘ve come to say exactly what I mean
and I mean so many things.
And you’ve come to know me stubborn as a butcher
and you’ve come to know me thankless as a guest
will you recognize my face when gods awful grace
strips me of my jacket and my vest
and reveals all the treasure in my chest
For the video
Yea I’ve come to know the wish list of my father
I’ve come to know the shipwrecks where he wished
I’ve come to wish aloud among the over dressed crowd
Come to witness now the sinking of the ship
Throwing pennies from the sea top next to it
And I’ve come to roam the forest past the village
With a dozen lazy horses in my cart
I’ve come here to get high,
To do more than just get by.
I’ve come to test the timber of my heart
Oh, I’ve come to test the timber of my heart
And I’ve come to be untroubled in my seeking
And I’ve come to see that nothing is for naught
I’ve come to reach out blind
to reach forward and behind
For the more I seek the more I’m sought
Yea, the more I seek the more I’m sought.
And I’ve come to meet the sheriff and his posse
To offer him the broadside of my jaw
I’ve come here to get broke
Then maybe bum a smoke
We’ll go drinking two towns over after all
Oh, we’ll go drinking two towns over after all.
And I’ve come to meet the legendary takers
I’ve only come to ask them for a lot
Oh they say I come with less
than I should rightfully posses
I say the more I buy the more I’m bought
And the more I’m bought the less I cost
And I’ve come to take their servants and their surplus
And I’ve come to take their raincoats and their speed
I’ve come to get my fill
To ransack and spill
I’ve come to take the harvest for the seed
I’ve come to take the harvest for the seed
And I’ve come to know the manger that you sleep in
I’ve come to be the stranger that you keep
I’ve come from down the road
And my footsteps never slowed
Before we met, I knew we’d meet
Before we met, I knew we’d meet
And I’ve come here to ignore your cries and heartaches
I’ve come to closely listen to you sing
I’ve come here to insist
That I leave here with a kiss
I‘ve come to say exactly what I mean
and I mean so many things.
And you’ve come to know me stubborn as a butcher
and you’ve come to know me thankless as a guest
will you recognize my face when gods awful grace
strips me of my jacket and my vest
and reveals all the treasure in my chest
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
The Hidden Life
[The following is from Henri Nouwen's Bread for the Journey]
"The largest part of Jesus' life was hidden. Jesus lived with his parents in Nazareth, "under their authority" (Luke 2:51), and there "increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with people" (Luke 2:52). When we think about Jesus we mostly think about his words and miracles, his passion, death, and resurrection, but we should never forget that before all of that Jesus lived a simple, hidden life in a small town, far away from all the great people, great cities, and great events. Jesus' hidden life is very important for our own spiritual journeys. If we want to follow Jesus by words and deeds in the service of his Kingdom, we must first of all strive to follow Jesus in his simple, unspectacular, and very ordinary hidden life. "
What hits me the hardest from this excerpt is my overwhelming desire to be spectacular and how much my desires are not to be like Jesus but to have his 2011 status.
"The largest part of Jesus' life was hidden. Jesus lived with his parents in Nazareth, "under their authority" (Luke 2:51), and there "increased in wisdom, in stature, and in favour with God and with people" (Luke 2:52). When we think about Jesus we mostly think about his words and miracles, his passion, death, and resurrection, but we should never forget that before all of that Jesus lived a simple, hidden life in a small town, far away from all the great people, great cities, and great events. Jesus' hidden life is very important for our own spiritual journeys. If we want to follow Jesus by words and deeds in the service of his Kingdom, we must first of all strive to follow Jesus in his simple, unspectacular, and very ordinary hidden life. "
What hits me the hardest from this excerpt is my overwhelming desire to be spectacular and how much my desires are not to be like Jesus but to have his 2011 status.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
A Simple Life in a Complex World
There are times when life can seem very complicated. Just watch a political talk show for a half hour and it seems that there are never simple solutions to an issue. Or one person seems to have all the answers and if only they were in charge then things would simply fall into place.
Or take an issue of injustice, such as poverty. It might be fine if we were able to just given a million micro-loans and stimulate some people but there are always layers: environmental scandals causing widespread disease contributing to lose of hope and apathy...the list goes on.
Before my mind can even venture into these things, I easily get overwhelmed with living my own (despite it being relatively privileged) life.
Recently I read something that really put this into perspective for me. Henry Nouwen writes,
"What is important is how well we love."
Hmmmm...
Or take an issue of injustice, such as poverty. It might be fine if we were able to just given a million micro-loans and stimulate some people but there are always layers: environmental scandals causing widespread disease contributing to lose of hope and apathy...the list goes on.
Before my mind can even venture into these things, I easily get overwhelmed with living my own (despite it being relatively privileged) life.
Recently I read something that really put this into perspective for me. Henry Nouwen writes,
"What is important is how well we love."
Hmmmm...
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Refresh
Yeah...so much for everyday.
Starting anew. So I think my new goal is to write everyday, not necessarily post everyday. I have got to learn to pace myself! One day at a time.
I did abandon this for a while. I thought that I was being too ambitious and that I needed to find another way to get/be motivated. Yet the longer I go without an outlet for my thoughts, the more I find the desire for and need of it. I've come to the conclusion that journaling just won't cut it anymore. The time it takes for my brain-to-pen response is far too slow, making it far too laborious.
This seems to be the next best option. Typing is fast and doing so in a random word document seems just too...silent. Or isolated. My hope, again, is that as I process life that somehow clarity may be brought...and that whatever joy I get from writing would be refined in this space for God's purposes.
A toast to day one. :)
Starting anew. So I think my new goal is to write everyday, not necessarily post everyday. I have got to learn to pace myself! One day at a time.
I did abandon this for a while. I thought that I was being too ambitious and that I needed to find another way to get/be motivated. Yet the longer I go without an outlet for my thoughts, the more I find the desire for and need of it. I've come to the conclusion that journaling just won't cut it anymore. The time it takes for my brain-to-pen response is far too slow, making it far too laborious.
This seems to be the next best option. Typing is fast and doing so in a random word document seems just too...silent. Or isolated. My hope, again, is that as I process life that somehow clarity may be brought...and that whatever joy I get from writing would be refined in this space for God's purposes.
A toast to day one. :)
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Making it look easy
Speaking of So You Think You Can Dance, they certainly do make dancing look easy. Even the b-boys who do the flips and flares, they do it like someone flipping pancakes on Sunday morning.
Being at the beach the last few days has been fun. I love the fact that every restaurant you go into they have TV's with a surf film playing. You could almost bet on your life on it. After spend a little time watching these guys it is easy for me to start thinking, "That doesn't look so hard."
Amy and I spent a few hours riding bikes along the beach this morning and there weren't that many surfers out there making surfing look easy. Maybe a third would fall off their board before getting very far on the wave and another third would have to stop because of potential collision or not timing the wave right.
I have heard a few times that in order to become an expert in something, any activity, you need to do whatever that activity is for 10,000 hours. That is a very long time! If you were to do one activity for 1 hour everyday (without stopping) it would take you 27 and 1/3 years to become an expert. 27 years is a long time!
It is about at this moment in my thought process that I start to get overwhelmed at the thought of putting 10,000 hours into anything. What if I pick the wrong thing to put my time into? What a horribly fretful question, but its what I have been living in. I don't recommend putting too much effort into fretting, after all...I don't want to be an expert at that and I doubt you do either.
Being at the beach the last few days has been fun. I love the fact that every restaurant you go into they have TV's with a surf film playing. You could almost bet on your life on it. After spend a little time watching these guys it is easy for me to start thinking, "That doesn't look so hard."
Amy and I spent a few hours riding bikes along the beach this morning and there weren't that many surfers out there making surfing look easy. Maybe a third would fall off their board before getting very far on the wave and another third would have to stop because of potential collision or not timing the wave right.
I have heard a few times that in order to become an expert in something, any activity, you need to do whatever that activity is for 10,000 hours. That is a very long time! If you were to do one activity for 1 hour everyday (without stopping) it would take you 27 and 1/3 years to become an expert. 27 years is a long time!
It is about at this moment in my thought process that I start to get overwhelmed at the thought of putting 10,000 hours into anything. What if I pick the wrong thing to put my time into? What a horribly fretful question, but its what I have been living in. I don't recommend putting too much effort into fretting, after all...I don't want to be an expert at that and I doubt you do either.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
a day away
Trying to do this while without a computer isn't easy!
One thing that I have been really inspired by recently is So You Think You Can Dance. The folks who put themselves on that show have given their lives to dancing and excelling at it.
If others could only put themselves into their gifting as much as these dancers do, I think that the world would be much less broken as it is now...if I could put as much effort into my gifting as they do, then I think I would be a much more effective person.
Effort. Effective. What a fortuitous concept. As much as there is truth to these words they can also become an enemy. So often in my
spiritual life and relationship with Christ I want and expect growth and progress. But is this what relationship is based on? Is this what relationship needs; a constant goal setting, performance based reality.
No. 'Goals' and 'performance' and 'effectiveness' are words used in a world that require results. These are not relational words. And so there is a place for them as we go about work that we are designed for but when we come to relationships we must change our posture. Now we must love in the face of imperfection and have patience in the presence of inefficiency. We must seek to integrate this relational model at as many opportunities as possible into the world in which we work and strive and achieve. Without this we have lost purpose altogether.
One thing that I have been really inspired by recently is So You Think You Can Dance. The folks who put themselves on that show have given their lives to dancing and excelling at it.
If others could only put themselves into their gifting as much as these dancers do, I think that the world would be much less broken as it is now...if I could put as much effort into my gifting as they do, then I think I would be a much more effective person.
Effort. Effective. What a fortuitous concept. As much as there is truth to these words they can also become an enemy. So often in my
spiritual life and relationship with Christ I want and expect growth and progress. But is this what relationship is based on? Is this what relationship needs; a constant goal setting, performance based reality.
No. 'Goals' and 'performance' and 'effectiveness' are words used in a world that require results. These are not relational words. And so there is a place for them as we go about work that we are designed for but when we come to relationships we must change our posture. Now we must love in the face of imperfection and have patience in the presence of inefficiency. We must seek to integrate this relational model at as many opportunities as possible into the world in which we work and strive and achieve. Without this we have lost purpose altogether.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Aaaagghh!
I really didn't think this would be that hard, what gives? I made it to day 3, now I'm shooting for 4 straight days.
What makes this even more difficult is that I am going on vacation this week to San Clemente then to Seattle/Portland for some weddings, so we'll see how well I do. I downloaded an app onto my itouch that may be able to help me a bit!
Gotta run!
What makes this even more difficult is that I am going on vacation this week to San Clemente then to Seattle/Portland for some weddings, so we'll see how well I do. I downloaded an app onto my itouch that may be able to help me a bit!
Gotta run!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Saved by the minute
Who would have thought that 3 days would be such a struggle?
But here I am writing just before midnight. My wife and I were attending a party tonight of a friend who just graduated with a PhD in Psychology. What a crazy accomplishment! Our friends husband gave a speech and reviewed some of what it took for her to achive this great feat: 330 credit hours and 85 classes over 6 years. Talk about a commitment to the long haul!
Getting a PhD takes a lot of hard work and determination and it also has a support structure. Part of the purpose of this task of mine is to do gain discipline in the areas of my life that have no motivation beyond whatever benefits I receive from the task itself. I am in school right now and there are a lot of external factors that motivate me to do well.
As a positive motivator I will graduate one day, walk across a stage and have people cheer for me, get a piece of paper to put on my wall, etc. There are negative motivators as well: getting on academic probation if I perform poorly and getting bad grades in various classes, being thought less of by professors or classmates, etc.
However, this is something that has no benefit outside of the intrinsic value of the act itself. There is something to be said about people who can really accomplish personal goals without external factors weighing in on motivation. And while I don't believe that there is anything that can truly be disconnected from outside influences, it does make it hard when there is 'less' of an obvious 'gain'.
Just some late night thoughts.
But here I am writing just before midnight. My wife and I were attending a party tonight of a friend who just graduated with a PhD in Psychology. What a crazy accomplishment! Our friends husband gave a speech and reviewed some of what it took for her to achive this great feat: 330 credit hours and 85 classes over 6 years. Talk about a commitment to the long haul!
Getting a PhD takes a lot of hard work and determination and it also has a support structure. Part of the purpose of this task of mine is to do gain discipline in the areas of my life that have no motivation beyond whatever benefits I receive from the task itself. I am in school right now and there are a lot of external factors that motivate me to do well.
As a positive motivator I will graduate one day, walk across a stage and have people cheer for me, get a piece of paper to put on my wall, etc. There are negative motivators as well: getting on academic probation if I perform poorly and getting bad grades in various classes, being thought less of by professors or classmates, etc.
However, this is something that has no benefit outside of the intrinsic value of the act itself. There is something to be said about people who can really accomplish personal goals without external factors weighing in on motivation. And while I don't believe that there is anything that can truly be disconnected from outside influences, it does make it hard when there is 'less' of an obvious 'gain'.
Just some late night thoughts.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Inspired
Two days! Celebrating the small victories is important. :)
Listening to: Gungor, "Beautiful Things"
I am so inspired by some of the things that people are doing in this country to pursue Christ with all their hearts. I saw an interview both with some of the members of Gungor and Shane Claiborne. Some are living in intentional community, sharing possessions and bathroom space. Some have moved to different parts of the country to plant churches. I always end up asking myself: Am I called to live a life similar to what these folks have chosen?
No! In fact Shane Claiborne says it best (who quotes someone else of whom I don't know their name), "Everyone can ask...how do the gifts that I've been given intersect with the brokenness of the world that we live in?" This opens the door to for all of us to pursue that piece that we bring to the pie, that part of the body that we operate.
What part of the body am I? How do my gifts intersect with this broken world?
I am still figuring it out...and I think it becomes clearer everyday as listen to the Lord's still small voice, pursue education and positions to influence others...but I think it is important to ask yourself if you are pursuing this in your life or are you letting life slip away.
Listening to: Gungor, "Beautiful Things"
I am so inspired by some of the things that people are doing in this country to pursue Christ with all their hearts. I saw an interview both with some of the members of Gungor and Shane Claiborne. Some are living in intentional community, sharing possessions and bathroom space. Some have moved to different parts of the country to plant churches. I always end up asking myself: Am I called to live a life similar to what these folks have chosen?
No! In fact Shane Claiborne says it best (who quotes someone else of whom I don't know their name), "Everyone can ask...how do the gifts that I've been given intersect with the brokenness of the world that we live in?" This opens the door to for all of us to pursue that piece that we bring to the pie, that part of the body that we operate.
What part of the body am I? How do my gifts intersect with this broken world?
I am still figuring it out...and I think it becomes clearer everyday as listen to the Lord's still small voice, pursue education and positions to influence others...but I think it is important to ask yourself if you are pursuing this in your life or are you letting life slip away.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Gah! Starting over already
Okay, I need to make this brief so I will be motivated to write tomorrow.
I missed two days! Well, today is Wednesday and I last wrote on Saturday so if you want to get technical, its 3 but I think I am going to leave Sundays as optional (a good practice of Sabbaths).
Well, I guess if I knew that I was going to do this perfectly then I wouldn't need a lesson in discipline would I? A few things I learned:
P.S. I think I am going to look for a counter to keep track of the days in a row that I blog (Sundays are optional of course ;) ).
I missed two days! Well, today is Wednesday and I last wrote on Saturday so if you want to get technical, its 3 but I think I am going to leave Sundays as optional (a good practice of Sabbaths).
Well, I guess if I knew that I was going to do this perfectly then I wouldn't need a lesson in discipline would I? A few things I learned:
- When I write long sections I feel that I (A) need to write a long post every time or (B) I have earned a few days off.
- I am such a perfectionist that I feel like I need to write a long entry.
- I procrastinate if I don't think I have enough time to write an entry that is long enough or if I don't think I have enough time to write as much as I have going on in my head.
- I use the amount of time I have (or, really, don't have) as an excuse to not write.
- My brain doesn't think "everyday", it thinks "how much did I do last time?"
P.S. I think I am going to look for a counter to keep track of the days in a row that I blog (Sundays are optional of course ;) ).
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Day 2:
Can you believe it? I woke up this morning and already I was trying to fins ways of avoiding sitting down are writing. It doesn't take long for the excitement to fade off.
See, that's the thing about passion. Well, if your anything like me. I can get excited about something one day and then the next day be completely disenfranchised with it. It isn't this way about everything. There are some things that I might be consistent about for a week or a month. But once the magic fairy dust of "a good idea" wears off then it takes a lot of gumption, gusto and hutzpah to keep the gears going. Sometimes its boredom but sometimes whatever the task may be, it can just get hard.
Why am I so fainthearted? What gives someone that drive to achieve, accomplish, and overcome against all odds? Don't judge me for what I am about to say...my wife and I have been watching So You Thing You Can Dance for the past several seasons. It really is incredible what some of these people can do! Incredible footwork, amazing power moves, and very high jumps. But this doesn't come in a day. Watch the first few episodes of any season and you can tell who practices and who doesn't.
I was at Vrooman's bookstore on Colorado boulevard in Pasadena yesterday and was flipping through Katie Couric's new book The Best Advice I Ever Got. She quotes Apollo Ohno (2004 Olympic gold medalist sprinter) as saying (and this is not a direct quote), 'It's not about the 40 seconds of the race, Its about the four years of training leading up to the race.' I am sure there must have been times when Apollo didn't want to train, but he forced his body into this habitual rigorous exercise and one day at a time became an Olympic gold medalist.
The Apostle Paul in the Bible talks about 'running the race of faith'. We often talk about this as a marathon, not a sprint. A lifetime of devoted action does not happen in one day, a week, or a month. It happens every single day. There is so much more on my mind about this...but then what would I say tomorrow? :)
See, that's the thing about passion. Well, if your anything like me. I can get excited about something one day and then the next day be completely disenfranchised with it. It isn't this way about everything. There are some things that I might be consistent about for a week or a month. But once the magic fairy dust of "a good idea" wears off then it takes a lot of gumption, gusto and hutzpah to keep the gears going. Sometimes its boredom but sometimes whatever the task may be, it can just get hard.
Why am I so fainthearted? What gives someone that drive to achieve, accomplish, and overcome against all odds? Don't judge me for what I am about to say...my wife and I have been watching So You Thing You Can Dance for the past several seasons. It really is incredible what some of these people can do! Incredible footwork, amazing power moves, and very high jumps. But this doesn't come in a day. Watch the first few episodes of any season and you can tell who practices and who doesn't.
I was at Vrooman's bookstore on Colorado boulevard in Pasadena yesterday and was flipping through Katie Couric's new book The Best Advice I Ever Got. She quotes Apollo Ohno (2004 Olympic gold medalist sprinter) as saying (and this is not a direct quote), 'It's not about the 40 seconds of the race, Its about the four years of training leading up to the race.' I am sure there must have been times when Apollo didn't want to train, but he forced his body into this habitual rigorous exercise and one day at a time became an Olympic gold medalist.
The Apostle Paul in the Bible talks about 'running the race of faith'. We often talk about this as a marathon, not a sprint. A lifetime of devoted action does not happen in one day, a week, or a month. It happens every single day. There is so much more on my mind about this...but then what would I say tomorrow? :)
Friday, June 3, 2011
Beginnings
Good Morning. :)
It wasn't too long ago that I realized that I have a small discipline problem. It's not so much that I am irresponsible or lazy. It isn't lack of desire either. But when it comes to doing something everyday to build momentum towards some end or goal I have trouble. Allow me to give a more specific example.
When I was 14(ish) I visited Montana on a summer vacation with my family. My mom grew up and went to college there and we happened to visit an old friend of hers. While we were at her home I happened to eye a guitar she had laying around. I told my parents that I would like to learn how to play guitar. Low and behold, I walked out with one of her guitars! She graciously "lent" me her guitar and I have it to this day.
Yet I couldn't get motivated to practice. I even took lessons at one point, but it never caught on. It wasn't until my brother decided to pick it up several years later and learned some "cool music" that the guitar got some decent use. And it wasn't until then that I thought I didn't really want him to get the best use of the guitar and so he taught me a few things and showed me how to really get going.
I find myself in this situation now as I feel the pull to write. I think might like writing and I think I might be good at it, I just need to DO it. I even tried to start a blog that required writing everyday but I couldn't do it. In part because of personal issues (I actually hope to continue the journey at some point) but partly because I didn't have the discipline to get something posted everyday (or even every other).
So this is my attempt to build a little consistency and discipline in my writing game. There won't be much consistency to each blog, I am almost certain they won't really relate to each other. You can plan on getting whatever happens to be running through my head that day. And perhaps musings about discipline and what it looks like with writing. Ideally, one day this blog won't be necessary at all and I can focus my energy on something a bit more coherent.
Until tomorrow...peace.
It wasn't too long ago that I realized that I have a small discipline problem. It's not so much that I am irresponsible or lazy. It isn't lack of desire either. But when it comes to doing something everyday to build momentum towards some end or goal I have trouble. Allow me to give a more specific example.
When I was 14(ish) I visited Montana on a summer vacation with my family. My mom grew up and went to college there and we happened to visit an old friend of hers. While we were at her home I happened to eye a guitar she had laying around. I told my parents that I would like to learn how to play guitar. Low and behold, I walked out with one of her guitars! She graciously "lent" me her guitar and I have it to this day.
Yet I couldn't get motivated to practice. I even took lessons at one point, but it never caught on. It wasn't until my brother decided to pick it up several years later and learned some "cool music" that the guitar got some decent use. And it wasn't until then that I thought I didn't really want him to get the best use of the guitar and so he taught me a few things and showed me how to really get going.
I find myself in this situation now as I feel the pull to write. I think might like writing and I think I might be good at it, I just need to DO it. I even tried to start a blog that required writing everyday but I couldn't do it. In part because of personal issues (I actually hope to continue the journey at some point) but partly because I didn't have the discipline to get something posted everyday (or even every other).
So this is my attempt to build a little consistency and discipline in my writing game. There won't be much consistency to each blog, I am almost certain they won't really relate to each other. You can plan on getting whatever happens to be running through my head that day. And perhaps musings about discipline and what it looks like with writing. Ideally, one day this blog won't be necessary at all and I can focus my energy on something a bit more coherent.
Until tomorrow...peace.
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