FOR PITY SAKE

We see them all over the place. At our front door, alongside our car windows, on street corners...beggars, deadbeats, bums...you know the kind. Always with their hands out, always looking for charity. What, oh what are we to do with all these pesky bums?

YOUR HEART IS FREE!

(Taken from an article I wrote some time back for CrossRhythms.co.uk. The topic has been on my mind again of late, so here you go. I hope you enjoy it.)

I've seen it said that regret for things done can be tempered by time, but regret for things not done is inconsolable. These words have stuck with me since the moment I read them. They have echoed a sentiment that I have long clung to. Better it is to take risks in life in pursuit of a wild adventure, even at the expense of bruising your head, than to wrestle with the bitterness of regret over chances never taken and paths never followed.

INTEGRITY - WHO AND WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE?

I was thinking the other day about a couple of moments in my life that gave me a glimpse of the kind of person I desire to be. I dunno, I'm guessing we all have these kinds of experiences at some point or another? Not to say that I'm doing these ideals justice a whole lot of the time. God knows I fail dismally, regularly. Be that as it may, the fact remains that these moments were for me, indicative of traits and virtues that are worth aspiring to.

CHASING SUCCESS: WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE DOING?

“DON’T EVER LET ANYONE TELL YOU YOU CAN’T DO SOMETHING…NOT EVEN ME.” (The Pursuit of Happiness)

Success. Everyone wants it. But what is it? The brand new flat-screen? The looks of envy or admiration you receive when you arrive in your new Mercedes? Being able to introduce yourself and having your name accompanied by a mouthful of titles or letters?

WHO OR WHAT'S GOT YOUR HEART?

The lyrics of a song from a few years back read: "There's a God-shaped hole in all of us, and a restless souls is searching. There's a God-shaped hole in all of us, and it's a void, that only You can fill."

The human heart was created to worship. One way or another, it finds something or someone to ascribe worship to. This fact is as certain as it is of a flute that is created to make music, or of a candle that is created to provide light. Of course, just because a candle was created to provide light, does not mean that it cannot be used for another purpose. It can decorate a birthday cake. It can be used in the preparation of an addict's drug fix. It can be used in the destructive act of arson. The possibilities are many, but they do not alter the fact that the candle was first and foremost created to illuminate its surroundings.

WHAT ARE YOU BUILDING ON?

Not too long ago a friend of mine made the observation about the peculiarity of people constructing nuclear power stations on or in very close proximity to major geographical fault lines. This is revealing itself to be a very precarious business, as is becoming all too evident as we observe events unfolding in Japan, following the 6th largest earthquake in recorded history. May the good Lord be with the Japanese people and bring them comfort. In a tangible sense, it raises the issue of the importance of exercising wisdom and forethought when it comes to constructing something that is not only of great value, but that is also potentially costly when the foundation on which it is constructed proves to be unsound.

CONTEMPLATING THE INEXPLICABLE

A friend of mine recently asked me how I go about understanding God...what concretely defines my "handle" on him. If I was to go with the typical responses I'd expect to receive from many in religious or spiritual circles, I suppose there would be no shortage of trite and neatly packaged slogans and statements used to address the subject. The fact of the matter for me is that the business of attempting to define God falls into a similar kind of category to that of someone, blind from birth, being asked to describe what the sun looks like. There is little or no doubt that the phenomenon exists, but how to go about describing it when subject to such a limiting handicap would prove to be a very challenging task.

HAVE YOU LOVED YOUR BODY RECENTLY?

No...I'm not talking about THAT. Tsk Tsk!

There are a number of things in life that are of incredible importance and that we regularly fail to appreciate and cultivate...that is, until we lose them. One of the most important of these things is our physical health. What good is it having the noblest intentions and the grandest plans for the future, if your body is incapable of supporting your journey towards making your dreams a reality? It's like the air we breathe. We scarcely reflect on its importance, but take it away for a few minutes and our priorities radically and rapidly shift. That however is a matter of reaction, which is hardly the best approach to take. The old adage rings true here: prevention really is better than cure.

IS IT WORTH IT?

In life, we are called upon to make a variety of decisions. Some decisions we make out of our own choosing. Inevitably, the choices we make lead to consequences. Sometimes the scale of the decisions and consequences are relatively insignificant. They result in no lasting or profound impact. There are of course other instances when the scale of choices and consequences is nothing short of life-altering, for good or for bad. In times when the consequences are surprising painful and difficult, or harsher than we might have anticipated, we are tempted to doubt the correctness of the course of action we embarked upon that led us to such a challenging place.

TRUTH OR TALES?

So, I found myself thinking tonight...how much honesty do people want to hear? How much can they handle? Do they even care? I have a bit of a choice to make. This little space of mine here, albeit erratically updated, may potentially be visited by anyone. Friends, family, potential employers, total strangers. So...especially in the face of life's disappointments and heartaches, do I put on the game face, click my heels together and think and share happy thoughts? Or, do I wear my heart on my sleeve and spill my digital guts here for the world to see?

Like all of us to one degree or another, I probably will opt to adopt at least some measure of restraint. However, putting on the game face has never been something that's come naturally to me. I can do it when I need to, but heck, this is MY blog, and no-one made you click here, so I guess you're just gonna have to put up with MY rants. :) It's my party, and...well, you know. Besides, if people can't handle or understand a little honest human experience, for good or bad, then I probably wouldn't enjoy their company anyway, or they mine for that matter. Yep...me thinks the guts will go on spilling.