Eat, Drink and Be Merry

I had a great weekend. I had the opportunity to babysit my nineteen-month-old granddaughter. This was not a chore. It was not work. It was a pure delight. That does not mean it was easy, but things worth having seldom are.

She arrived at my house Friday night, but my son and daughter-in-law put the sleeping princess to bed immediately without my seeing her. (This was to ensure she did not see us, which could result with a tired child staying up much longer than she could handle.)

Then Saturday morning arrived. Over the course of her short life, I have been trying to get her to call me “G-Pop” without much success. I heard her say it one time a month ago, but it seemed to have no connection to me. This time when seeing me, she called out to my delight, “G-POP.”

She did not merely call me by that moniker one-time but all throughout her stay.

We live in a time where things seem to be crazy with an election with seemingly no-good choices, racial tensions high, and people getting news from incredibly unreliable sources.  

The public seems on edge. Countless people get offended so easily. Many are worried about things they cannot control. We concern ourselves with the hustle and bustle of life and the rat race in which we live daily.

We need to refocus our attention to things that matter. Enjoy our loved ones. Reconnect with people. Do something we enjoy doing. The troubles of this life will be there when we are dead and gone so we should take time to stop and smell the roses. Take some time and experience peace and joy. Find joy in the work you do. Remember to play. Look for the good in things.

Eat, drink and be merry.

DISTRACTED

The other day I was thinking about some of the dumb things that my wife caught me doing. Once, I was playing a game in my mind while watching television but didn’t realize it became physically obvious to those around me. I had my feet propped up on my ottoman and for some reason was lining up my toes and fingers with what was happening on the screen. Yes, I know it is stupid, but it was something that happened all of a sudden. It wasn’t planned. The only reason my wife realized something was going on is because she saw me opening and closing one eye. Nothing else had moved on my body. When she asked me what I was doing, I could only say, “nothing.” How do you explain the stupid games that happen in one’s own mind?

There was another time many years ago that we visited my dad and drove by the beach on the way home. We went through the parking lot and at one point there is a stop sign that faces the beach. When I came to a stop, there was a woman directly in front of me that removed her shirt and wore on a tiny bikini. Then she turned the other way removing her shorts to show her thong. I froze. My mind went blank. I forgot to proceed from the stop sign. The brain-fart only lasted a few seconds, but the result was a long quiet drive home. WARNING: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME.

Needless to say, distractions come in all shapes and sizes. Some may be harmless, some are not.

Some may not have any consequences.  Some may be severe.

We live in a world where distractions are everywhere. We may be at a family meal when a text message comes across our phone. Rather than talk to those around us, we may engage in a conversation with someone miles away. We then wonder why families aren’t communicating as well anymore.

How many times have you seen a person driving 10 – 20 miles under the speed limit swerving in the fast lane only to pass them to see them texting on talking on the phone? Have you ever been in a meeting when something happens that takes your mind off of the topic being discussed? Even being in a conversation with someone, there are times we are not focused on what the person is saying but rather on what we will say next.

I am as guilty as anyone if not more so. Like everyone else, my mind wanders. It may go to different places than most people’s do or maybe not. I don’t know what goes on in your mind.

We need to learn to focus. There are times distractions are necessary, but I am speaking of times they become more as a detriment. We should concern ourselves more with the task that matters. Put aside distractions of trying to gain wealth rather than help those around you. We all have a path we should take in this life, a purpose. Follow your purpose.

Don’t let outside distractions hold you back. Some distractions may include people saying you aren’t good enough. Some things hinder your personal growth. Some are people that just don’t understand you. Don’t let distractions stop you or define you. Be the best you that you can be. 

Religion? No Thanks.

Several years ago, I attended a local concert with a coworker and several of his friends. I was having a conversation with a friend of his that was drinking quite a bit. During our conversation, he told me that my coworker had informed him that I was a minister but not to worry because I was cool. I thought on this quite a bit since that time.

What made me an exception to the rule of being a minister that he did not have to worry? What made me acceptable as being cool? I even asked my coworker about it. The conclusions I have reached may not be completely accurate, but I would like to think I am close.

The statement did not bother me. In fact, I took honor in it. To some degree, this meant that both the church community and the non-churched (for lack of a better term) community accepted me.

Today, people do not like stereotypes. However, as humans, we still have a hard time not categorizing others in a stereotype. Ministers and other “churchgoers” are in a stereotype of being religious. Religious according to Webster’s dictionary is “believing in a god or a group of gods and following the rules of a religion.” I think that is part of the problem. Religious people follow rules. Different religions have different rules. This causes people to judge others based of their particular set of rules.

People do not enjoy others telling them they are wrong. People do not like others judging them. 

What most people want is to be accepted.

If you look at life of Paul in the New Testament, he was very religious. He followed the Jewish religion to the letter. He had such a zeal for it that he imprisoned and killed many who did not believe as he did. He did not understand that loving God and being religious were two separate things.

I look at the how religion has physically killed millions of people. Islamic Jihads killed millions over twelve centuries. The Aztecs had human sacrifices killing nearly 20, 000 people a year. Nero, emperor of Rome in 64AD persecuted and killed Christians for about a hundred years. The list of religious atrocities goes on: the witch-hunts, the Inquisition, the Mountain Meadows Massacre, and India’s Thuggee Murders.

Since this is what is on my mind, you must understand that I am a Christian, and my thoughts reflect my beliefs in the life and teachings of Jesus.

Religion is dangerous. Jesus came to love. He came not to condemn people. He came to save them from sin. He did not come to initiate a new religion. He came to set people free. The people that gave him the most trouble were the religious people. They gave him so much trouble that they beat him and hung him on a cross until he died.

Today, many people grew up with certain religious viewpoints. To some degree, whether those viewpoints are valid or not, it is how they continue to live and by which they judge others. You accept people by how you think they should be according to your rules.

Let us be rule-breakers. I do not mean breaking the law or following after some sin. Jesus talked to people that others thought he should not. He taught love in his words and by example. He preached acceptance, not of the wrong people did, but of the people themselves.

Do I have faith? The answer is yes. Do I love, honor and obey Jesus? I most definitely do. Do I follow a set of rules that man has made up to please a God that has given me freedom and liberty? I hope that answer is no. I am not perfect. I try to love and accept without judging. Many times, I succeed. I hope to succeed more in the future.

Is religion for me? I absolutely say no. 

Leaving The Past Behind

Today is my dad’s 90^th birthday. We celebrated his life yesterday with a party of many friends and family in attendance. There was a slideshow running on the television sets that showed many old pictures.  I saw reminders of some good times as well as some bad hair days and some horrible wardrobe choices.  

This past week I have been thinking a lot about the past; the good, the bad and the ugly. Sometimes we get stuck in the past and forget to look upon today.

There is nothing wrong with remembering the past. I remember watching Married with Children and hearing Al Bundy talk about his glorious moment of scoring four touchdowns in a single high school football game. There is a big difference in remembering the past and living in the past. Al Bundy didn’t care for his present so instead of looking to improve his position in life and perhaps his future, he chose to dwell on past glories.

When we get married, many make the vow for better or for worse. That works right until the point things are no longer better and people decide their vows were just words with no meanings. We do not have to settle for the way things are but it takes work, desire, and a decision to make things better.

This post is not about marriage and divorce. This is about anyone’s past.

Many of us remember the good that we have done. Maybe we helped someone, gave a donation to a cause, or encouraged someone to do the right thing. Whatever the good is that we have done is not all there is.

In professional sports there is a saying, “what have you done for me lately.” It is great that we have good point in our past. However, they are in the past. There is a world of people that still need help. Remembering people with needs or praying for them is good, but there is so much more that we can do. We can do those things but we also must feed the hungry, give drink t the thirsty, invite those who have no place to stay and be hospitable to those who are not like us. We can donate clothes to those who have nothing. Some people just want someone to talk to or a visit from someone, even from someone that they do not know. I applaud the good that has been done. What are we going to do today?

 There is also a matter of those who have made poor choices. I know I have.  I also know that if I went back, I would be the same person and probably make the same choices again. It is not that I would want to make those choices. I just know how I am. I choose not to live with regrets. Those choices have led me to be the person I am today. That doesn’t mean things could not have been better. Those choices, however, allowed me to make friends with people that I never would have met.  They have allowed me to live where I live. They have allowed me to gain skills that were previously unknown. Regrets hold us back. Look at where you are and be thankful that things are not as bad as they could have been. Be thankful for what you have. Accept the things that have happened and learn from them. Realize you have survived some bad choices. Move on to a brighter tomorrow by leaving the past behind.

People sometimes provide scars or have changed your past. Some may have been on purpose while others a matter of circumstance. We need to get past the scars and the hurts. Bitterness and hatred affect us not just emotionally but also physically. If we give up the right to hate or to be mad and choose to love and forgive, we would be much happier. The choice to do this is not always easy. I have people who have hurt me. Not living with anger makes my life much more enjoyable. I am at peace because of this choice. It doesn’t mean I should accept my position in life. It means the past is not a place worth dwelling and I choose to move forward.

I will make wrong choices. I will also make right ones. Whatever will happen will happen. I may remember the past, but I will not live there. The future is too bright.