Lately I've been super busy with work and happy to catch up on movies or TV reruns when I have gotten home. I haven't wanted to get "too serious" while the sun was shining and the days had finally warmed up.
Yet life won't take a vacation. I have family and friends dealing with health concerns, money runs short each month, and questions loom overhead about the future.
I once heard a comparison between life and a guitar. The strings of a guitar need a balanced tension to play in tune. Strung too tight they'll break, strung too loose they won't play. Kept tense, yet in-tune, the musician can play a beautiful song. I strive to stay in tune so the Great Musician can play a beautiful song with my life, or at least have fun rocking out. I've decided to be thankful for the tensions in my life, yet I'm not taking it too seriously.
Rock on my friends.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Worry Not
Lately I've been hit with a case of worries. In the Bible, Matthew 6:24-34, Jesus says, "Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?"
I know that 97% of the things we worry about never happen. I know that one can only do what they can and the rest is out of our control. But I want to be in control and stop the stuff that worries me from messing up my life. Awe what a fool I am.
Life is messy. Things happen, plans change, the unexpected decimates all our expectations and we are lost. We disappoint ourselves and make mistakes we don't understand. We can be so wrong when we think we are so right. We have ideals that are disregarded and abandoned by those we trusted. People, things, institutions we always thought would hold strong and carry us through crumble, die, or change into something we don't recognize. It's true we've got plenty to worry about and the command "Don't worry" sounds perplexing. Yet the command isn't about guilting us for worrying or being concerned about the future. It is a reminder to consider where and what we place our focus upon and set as priorities.
If you are finding the connection with God, trusting God, is a bit leary right now, try keeping things simple. Maybe a prayer like this:
Jesus, I'm hurting, Nothing is working the way I expected. I don't know who or what to trust anymore. I'm not even sure about you. But I hear you're sure about me. I open my heart to the change you promise. I'm taking my hands off the wheel now. Amen
I know that 97% of the things we worry about never happen. I know that one can only do what they can and the rest is out of our control. But I want to be in control and stop the stuff that worries me from messing up my life. Awe what a fool I am.
Life is messy. Things happen, plans change, the unexpected decimates all our expectations and we are lost. We disappoint ourselves and make mistakes we don't understand. We can be so wrong when we think we are so right. We have ideals that are disregarded and abandoned by those we trusted. People, things, institutions we always thought would hold strong and carry us through crumble, die, or change into something we don't recognize. It's true we've got plenty to worry about and the command "Don't worry" sounds perplexing. Yet the command isn't about guilting us for worrying or being concerned about the future. It is a reminder to consider where and what we place our focus upon and set as priorities.
If you are finding the connection with God, trusting God, is a bit leary right now, try keeping things simple. Maybe a prayer like this:
Jesus, I'm hurting, Nothing is working the way I expected. I don't know who or what to trust anymore. I'm not even sure about you. But I hear you're sure about me. I open my heart to the change you promise. I'm taking my hands off the wheel now. Amen
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Mal's Song
Here it is - my favorite version of the Firefly song: Click here for Michelle Dockery's lyrics
Episode 14 - Objects in Space
This is the last episode produced. It features River. A bounty hunter finds her and boards Serenity to take her back. The episode begins with River being able to hear the thoughts of the crew and learning how unwanted she is. She finds a gun she thinks is a branch and everyone fears her insanity may make her a great danger. She feels she doesn't belong and surrenders to the bounty hunter, but not without playing some mind-games. In the end the crew invites her into the family.
River wants to belong. Don't we all? Don't we long to have that place, that serenity? It's not easy and it's messy, but families, relationships, communities are part of being human and the journey we call life. When you do find the folks who love you as you are - value them.
River wants to belong. Don't we all? Don't we long to have that place, that serenity? It's not easy and it's messy, but families, relationships, communities are part of being human and the journey we call life. When you do find the folks who love you as you are - value them.
Episode 13 - Heart of Gold
This is a real wild west show with a bad guy who runs the town and a "hoar house" that's fighting to keep it's freedom. An old friend of Inara's asks for her help. Inara ask Mal and the crew go to fight for independence. At the end of this episode, Inara announces she is leaving.
Inara makes the decision to leave because she realizes she loves Mal and she loves the crew of Serenity. She has formed an attachment and that by getting so close she will not have her freedom to come and go and keep things "clean." Love, relationships, people are messy. You can hurt and fear losing the things you love and that feeling can tear you apart. Running away doesn't make it better. We were not created to be without the mess. Sorry to say, that attraction to belonging and being a part of a "family" of relationships is purely human. Inara leaves, but in the movie Serenity she finds that distance and separation cannot break the tie of feelings and love she feels. Lesson learned.
Inara makes the decision to leave because she realizes she loves Mal and she loves the crew of Serenity. She has formed an attachment and that by getting so close she will not have her freedom to come and go and keep things "clean." Love, relationships, people are messy. You can hurt and fear losing the things you love and that feeling can tear you apart. Running away doesn't make it better. We were not created to be without the mess. Sorry to say, that attraction to belonging and being a part of a "family" of relationships is purely human. Inara leaves, but in the movie Serenity she finds that distance and separation cannot break the tie of feelings and love she feels. Lesson learned.
Episode 12 - The Message
This is my favorite episode and it was the last to be televised. A body of a war buddy is sent to Mal and Zoe with a message for them to bury him on his home planet. Turns out their friend isn't dead, but an organ mule who backed out on a deal with some very angry men. Their friend places everyone in a great deal of danger and turns out to be far more selfish than they had remembered. The episode closes with their buddy's funeral after all and it is the last show to be aired. The crew knew in this episode that this was the end of Firefly and you can see it in their faces that everyone is grieving.
Lately I've felt grief over what has been and what will never be. I've said goodbye to old dreams and begun embracing new ones. I find strength from my faith and the Wisdom writings of Ecclesiastes 3 in the Bible. It says there is an appointed time for everything and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and time to build. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones, and time to gather them; a time to embrace, and time to be far from embraces. A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to cast away. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
There is not a right time for anything, but time for everything. When you can run anymore, you crawl, and when you can't crawl, you find someone to carry. Who or what is carrying you through?
Lately I've felt grief over what has been and what will never be. I've said goodbye to old dreams and begun embracing new ones. I find strength from my faith and the Wisdom writings of Ecclesiastes 3 in the Bible. It says there is an appointed time for everything and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and time to build. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones, and time to gather them; a time to embrace, and time to be far from embraces. A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to cast away. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
There is not a right time for anything, but time for everything. When you can run anymore, you crawl, and when you can't crawl, you find someone to carry. Who or what is carrying you through?
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