I've Been Having a Vacation...

...of sorts. While it's a vacation from the daily grind of my paying job, it is by no means a lazy, cool drink in hand, day at the beach. Instead, I've had my yard tools and paint brushes in my delicate hands, sweat pouring from my generally dry brow. The fact is, I really need to get back to the paying job for a little break.

It starkly reminds me of the lack of manual labor I do in my life. Now, over 40, I usually sit in a car or behind a desk and push papers during my workday. I complain about my anticipated carpel tunnel syndrome and my very real paper cuts. I'm angered at a lack of follow through by employees on my "action required" items as well as the number of "action required" items sent to me by the boss. I raise my fist in white knuckle frustration at the length of a conference call and balk about how things should be done differently!

Elsewhere, a good friend struggles to make ends meet by working multiple jobs. Another friend is a soldier celebrating his wife's birthday with a blog entry. And another friend has recently lost her healthy mother to a sudden and catastrophic illness.

Be careful though, I'm not making comparisons. Comparisons in that way (a life to a life) are never apples to apples type scenarios. I am, however, helping to establish a baseline for myself. A baseline of what is good and what is hard in my life. If you will, even what is acceptable. Someone once said, "Don't sweat the small stuff... and it's all small stuff". Well, for the most part that is true. After all, right now I have a rather average life when it comes to hardships. My friends mentioned in the paragraph above are travelling some rocky roads right now, but they are not roads which have not been walked a thousand times by others and at select points in a life, by everyone. Oh they are not the exact situations mentioned, but situations which elicit the same emotional states that they are in right now.

So back to the opening point, which is, much of my frustration in life is... "small stuff". Frustrations which create an emotional storm not because of their size, but because of my lack of perspective on what is important. Much like the poor stamina I have with my yard work this "vacation", my mind has become forgetful of the truly difficult situations in life. In that way, perhaps the challenges in life are workouts for better emotional endurance and to make us stronger, and arguably better, people. I realize that's easy perspective when you are not in the storm. However, everyone knows that in the end a difficult situation always turns into a changed outlook. The sky is never brighter than after the pelting rain and damaging winds have passed. The clean up, however, is another matter.

Whatever the case, I have to go now. There's a paint brush, a shovel and a plunger that awaits my expertise. And afterward, a good hand washing, a cold iced tea and a very special episode of Judge Judy. I'm so thankful for that 2 hour conference call that awaits me this coming Monday!

Let's Squish Our Fruits Together...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnY59mDJ1gg

You're A Member of the Rebel Alliance...

...and a traitor! Take her away. And let's get off at Bowling Green station to get a quick photo in front of the Statue of Liberty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5gCeWEGiQI&feature=popular

The Funny Thing About Courage...

...is that it can only be tested in the face of your fear. Oh sure, it's easy to say your courageous while sailing the smooth waters of life. It is quite another animal however when you're in the midst of facing a murderous giant, your leather sling shot in one hand and a smooth river stone in the other. The story of David and Goliath was always a childhood favorite of mine. Even as an adult there remains a certain poignancy about this story. To me it tells of human nature as much as it does faith and courage.

Remember how the story opens? Saul, The king Israel has a problem. The Philistine army has gathered for war against Israel. The two armies face each other, camped for battle on opposite sides of a steep valley. Goliath, a Philistine giant measuring over nine feet tall and wearing full armor comes out each day for forty days, mocking and challenging the Israelites to fight. Only tiny David and his slingshot eventually stepped up to the challenge.

To King Saul's credit, he did try to equip David some ill-fitting armor and gear. However, David decides to use what he knew best- a slingshot and some stones. In the end, God took David and used him just as he was- a kid with a keen eye and makeshift weapon.

Do you feel ill-equipped to take on life today? Perhaps it's not that you need to be any different than who you are. Maybe what you really need is a willingness just to step out on faith and trust in a God who's bigger than your giant. Face your fear as you are, leaning on him, and watch your courage emerge. The reality is that your giant, whatever or whoever that may be, is not as big as you think. And you are bigger than you know.

Last weekend...

...some friends of ours took us out on Lake Murray for a boat ride. Eric and "Dr. Mac" were gracious enough to allow us non-boaters a chance to play in the open water. In talking with Eric, I am certain that I am doing what's right for me and my family by not owning a boat, but I must admit that the idea is tempting. It's not that I don't really enjoy boating, it's just that I know little of it (never grew up doing it) and my time is so limited as it is I wonder how I could dedicate to another hobby right now. I don't know, the argument that it's great family time and memories is an appealing one. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law love it. But then again, that's their biggest hobby and what they love to do as a family. Eric and Kris are members of a boat-club, which seems to make a bit more sense for someone like me. Perhaps, however, the best solution is just to have family and friends with boats who are gracious enough to bring us along every now and then.

Pictured above from left to right are Bennet, Payton and Jenna (my 11 year old) having a perfectly wonderful time.

Netflix...

...revolutionized movie rental for me a few years back. Until then, I routinely rented movies and just as routinely paid late return fees. It struck me then as now that late fees played on my greatest vulnerability as I suffer from CRS syndrome. CRS stands for "Can't Remember Stuff" or something like that. In any case, late fees in my home were the normal cost of doing business.

However, just like that, Netflix comes along and saves me. To be frank, now my problem is not remembering to return the movies but rather remembering that I even have them. They show up in the mail and despite my best of intentions to watch a movie with family and friends, life gets in the way. And that's OK with Netflix. They are just fine with me hanging on to "Weekend at Bernies" for another 8 months until I get around to watching it. Just as long as I pay my monthly fee.

The other day, George introduced me to a new Netflix advantage. You can now watch movies instantly (select titles) on your Wii. It's really easy to sign up for and set up and I can watch a ton of movies and still keep Bernie safely by my side. Genius.

Popular fiction...

...has always portrayed the first few moments following death as a journey into the light. After all, who can forget Patrick Swayze in Ghost, waiting a moment too long and missing his opportunity to step into the heavenly tractor beam presumably to be God's portal. Or how about the long popular portrayal of your own guardian angel guiding you to the pearly gates? The ancient Greeks of course had Charon, the dead's boatman guide on the River Styx.

The reality is, whether it's charming to talk about or not, you have an important decision to make. Is death simply a tragic, anticlimactic ending or the beginning of the ultimate adventure in your existence? There is nothing in between.

Jesus often used wedding imagery when describing the afterlife. There's something appealing to me about the image of Jesus as the bridegroom, sweeping me away after I have fully closed my eyes on this earth. There seems to be much less of a chance of me missing the portal if it is God's Son seeking me out. In fact, read John 14: 1-3 which says, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms...I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me that you may also be where I am."

So what happened to the allusive heavenly light I'm supposed to find? Or how about the final guidance of my lifelong enslaved guardian angel? Could it be that in those final moments as I leave this earth, just as my curiosity to look back begins to take hold, my saviour will put his hands squarely on my shoulders and say, "Well done, Alan. You sought me and I revealed myself to you. You followed me and introduced me to your friends. You raised your family in my teachings."

And as that so familiar man leads me away, his arm around my shoulders he says, "Now allow me to introduce you to your ultimate adventure and your eternal purpose."

"Will you tell me how to get there, Jesus?"

"Tell you, no. I'll take you there myself. You're gonna love this..."

Please provide a caption for this 1970s Levi's ad...

I find myself...

...growing more and more depressed over the deep water oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico. Click here for a view of the live feed from the ocean's bottom, compliments of PBS. I suppose that my anxiety centers around two things: 1) The marine life affected by this leak and 2) the monstrous implecations for the people and industry along the Gulf coast.

Now anyone who really knows me understands that I love seafood. As far as Shrimp is concerned, I'm like Bubba Gump with a crustacean vendetta. I've eaten those little beady-eyed morsels steamed, deep-fried, boiled, broiled, grilled and raw. Jumbo, medium or popcorn. In a stew, on a bun, in grits, or just with plain with lemon and butter. But they are never better than when served Beaufort style with sausage, corn and potatoes. MMmmm.

So I suppose there is a #3 to my list above. I am saddened because there is a chance that my shrimp intake will diminish in the coming months and that really makes me a bit more than depressed. Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm piping mad because this doesn't just affect schooling fish, migrating birds or some Alabama coast tourist trap- by golly this affects me and my high cholesterol shellfish diet.

Darn you, BP! I'll never forget this... that is until it's time to fill up the SUV one more time. Well, suppose I can eat frozen shrimp for a few months.

Going To The Movies...

...are some of my best memories. Not because of the movies themselves, as most are inconsequential, but rather for the excitement of the movie experience with family and friends. How could I forget my first movie experience with Mom? It was a summer movie showing of Sinbad the Sailor, with some really bad but frightening claymation. Or my first movie experience with Dad, a drive-in showing of Walking Tall. I still love Buford Pusser and that stick, but what was Dad thinking?
In moments, I'm taking Jenna to see Shrek 4. Even now I'm excited. Not for the movie, but for the experience and the hope that one day she might fondly remember a day at the movies with Dad. Minus the stick, anger and violence. But who knows, I haven't seen the movie yet.

What was your earliest movie experience?