Memories

On a few, very rare occasions, I have climbed up into my attic at home, with no intent of retrieving anything specific. Instead, I would hunt down boxes with my name on them, brush off the dust, and open them up. Looking through old clothes, toys, and papers, I would try and remember what significance these items had once held. When did I use them? What was my life like then? Who was I?

It is a very similar experience as I rediscover this collection of writings. I can honestly say that I have not visited this site in at least a year, if not more. I had more or less forgotten about it. I was even a little surprised that it still existed. Yet, like the memories in the attic, it was not gone, just placed aside for a little while. 

Reading through old posts is an interesting experience. Some posts I'm almost proud of. Some of them make me shake my head and wonder what I was thinking when I wrote that. Either way, each one is a memory. It reminds me of some time in my life, good or bad, that inspired me to write as I did. 

The greatest value in a memory is that it is a recollection of past experiences. It is something to be cherished, and a something to learn from. The purpose of memory is to grow from the experiences that stay with us. 

My memories of this blog seem almost juvenile to me now, in both subject matter and in style. I had a strong urge to delete it, start fresh and give myself a tabula rasa, a blank slate, to work with. Upon further consideration, however, I decided to keep it, and start writing in it again. Perhaps I'll even think up something worthwhile to say. 

For now, this will be my re-entry into writing. May it be more successful than the last. 

Grace and Peace be yours in abundance

Apologies

I am a terrible Internet friend to you all.

It's been weeks since I've posted anything on here, and I feel really bad because I have NO EXCUSE WHATSOEVER. I did for the first couple weeks... I was in show, midterms rolled around, all that jazz. I was busy. Now, however, I have no excuse short of just lacking the drive to sit down and write. Forgive me.

I've been thinking a lot about the past. Ever had one of those weeks? You know, where it all kinda comes rushing back out you, and all you can do is think about how things "used to be?" That's kinda what my week has been like. Of course, with any reminiscence like that, you can't help but fall into the trap of wishing for "the good old days".

The past almost always has some part of it that we think is better than the present (oddly, those times seem to fall between June and September... curious). We think back on all this stuff and find ourselves wishing we could go back to those times. Maybe it was someplace you went. Maybe it was an event you were a part of. Maybe it was someone you were with, perhaps even close to, and you have that thought, "Man... I wish I could go back to that."

On the other hand, sometimes we can't help but remember the bad. We only remember the failures, the disappointments, the heartaches. All we can do is see how bad life has been, and then mourn, because it doesn't feel like it's gotten any better.

The essential problem with this is the failure to take both of these together. When remembering the good, we fail to take the negatives that bring those experiences within the realm of reality. When remembering the bad, we fail to recall the good times that made life worth living. Instead, we focus on whatever it was that we feel like remembering, and leaving out all the rest.

When I considered this, I viewed my musings differently: instead of reflecting on the way things were, what about how things have changed since them? How I have changed? What have I learned between then and now? What makes me different from the "old" me?

Try something. Mark the date. Put a notice on your calendar. Make a notification on your phone. One year from now, think back to today, and make it a point to have grown in some way. Make a goal to grow in some way. Above all, take life as it is. There will be good, and there will be bad. That's a given. Don't let any of it be forgotten, but learn from all of it. It's what makes you who you are.

Grace and Peace be yours in abundance,
The Wayfaring Stranger

Winds of Change

There's something in the air. Can you feel it?

Change is in the air. The shifting of the seasons. The feeling of imminent events of importance. It's like an energy is slowly building.

Can you feel it?

It hit me today. Maybe it was because I wore shorts for the first time in a long time. Now, if you don't know me, let me be clear: I NEVER wear shorts. I wear jeans every single day of my life. Today though... I felt like the change demanded something different of me.

Can you feel it?

This is more than the changing of the seasons. I feel like... something is coming. I don't know what it is, but there's this spark in the back of my mind that hints that things are in motion.

I have no idea WHATSOEVER where I was going with this. I did, however, change my blog's setup to facilitate this idea. I had a cool blue pulse before, but now it's... alive, crackling with energy, just waiting to be let loose.

Sorry this wasn't super insightful or anything. I can't always be creative :/

Still, keep your eyes open. Let's see what happens.

Grace and Peace be yours in abundance,
The Wayfaring Stranger

I'll Remember You Like Yesterday...

I sit down to write today with more purpose and less excitement than usual. My blog today is a memorial, a remembrance of a dear friend and mentor, Jon Randall.

Jon was a deacon at my church back home. He was also a husband, father, attorney to my family and my boss. He hired me to be in charge of all grounds and building work that needed to be done. He made sure I had my tools, put me on payroll, and gave me the assignments I needed to get done. His confidence matched his expectations: he demanded results, but also had faith that they would be delivered.

Jon also served as my dad's attorney, and between his work with my family and the glimpses of him on the job I had while working for him, I gained an admiration for the work he did. In fact, when I decided to change my major at the beginning of this semester, and I was trying to decide which History degree to pursue, I chose History/Pre-Law... with Jon in the back of my mind.

To those of us in the youth group, Jon and his wife Kathy frequently opened their home. We often had devotionals and parties at their house, making good use of their living room and, (of course) swimming pool.

Jon passed away yesterday after being taken off life support. He had spent over a week battling a rampant infection that had almost shut down his body. Finally, it became apparent that the Lord wanted Jon to come home. His battle is over, and we are left with the memories.

This hits me so hard because Jon wasn't very old. He was around the same age as my dad. His oldest son is just a few years younger than I am, and I can't even imagine what he is going through. Jake, know that you, Jared, and your mother are in our prayers. I can't bear to think what it would feel like to lose my dad.

As those of you who read my blog often know, my titles are taken from songs that are relevant to my post. This one comes from the song "Yesterdays" by Switchfoot, a line that says, "I'll remember you like yesterday, yesterday. I still can't believe you're gone. I'll remember you like yesterday, yesterday. Oh, so long my friend, so long."

We will do just that. We will remember Jon like the yesterdays, the man he established himself as in life. His strength and kindness will live on. His generosity remains as an example to us all. For my part, I have only this to say:

Thank you Jon, for the memories. I still remember that massive couch you had Lane and me try and get upstairs. I still don't even know how we got it up that stairwell, only to have to bring it back down because it wouldn't fit through the doorway. Hope the dents and scratches in the wall weren't too bad. Even still, you held up your end of the bargain, teaching us that there is always value on a man's work, and on his honor. Your legacy will live on, and we will see you again someday.

To my readers who didn't know Jon, I hope you will forgive this break in my usual posting routine. This is the tribute I offer to a friend.

"May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant." -Psalm 119:76

Grace and Peace be yours in abundance,
The Wayfaring Stranger

The Blues

Ok, so Valentine's Day is over, and I feel like I am obligated to say something on the subject. All in all, mine wasn't too bad, simply because I chose not to participate in all of it. It felt very ironic, because the past usually saw me feeling just a bit left out on Valentine's, but this time, I was kinda glad to be single. First off, I have lost many of my ideas about this holiday. My last one did NOT end in any way as I had intended or hoped, so it was nice not to have any repeat of that. Also, I observed a definitive fact:

Valentine's Day around here is a BIG FREAKING DEAL!

Seriously, people here get hardcore about it. It almost seems like too much stress to deal with. I mean, I'm all for doing nice stuff for your significant other, but there is a point where it seem a little overdone. I dunno, maybe I'm a poor judge of it, I'm just a bystander.

Now, don't get me wrong: I like the concept of this holiday. It's just the way that we make Valentine's (Like Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas, etc.) into the one "special" day for a commonplace idea. We get all this hype for these holidays, but it's all stuff that should be important everyday. Everyday, we should be thankful, remember the birth, death and resurrection, and tell our loved ones we love them. A certain day doesn't make these things any more necessary than they were before.

Now, don't get me wrong: I love holidays. I think they're great, and remember them for what they are. But I'm convinced that we need to have the habit of celebrating these things daily. Their importance doesn't diminish.

So anyway, I hope everyone had an awesome Valentine's Day, and I hope those of you blessed with a significant other had a great day celebrating your relationship. I just challenge you to be willing to show the same love, regardless of the day.  That's about all I have this time. I promise something better next time.

Grace and Peace be yours in abundance,
The Wayfaring Stranger

Relentless

As if in response to my wishes from last night's post, it was in the SIXTIES today!!! Natural response? Jump in my Camaro, roll down the windows, and take a joy ride! For those of you that don't know me, driving is my drug. Nothing gives me an adrenaline rush quite like it. The roar of the engine, the precision response from the wheel... I almost become one with the car. Hands down my favorite thing to do. So I decided to hop on Memorial and just drive until I felt like turning around.

A ways down the road, I came to an intersection notorious for heavy traffic. Today was particularly heavy, and my irritation increases proportionally to the density of traffic. So, as I sat there, barely crawling forward at each change of the light, I became downright surly. This was NOT what I had envisioned.

As I sit there, a guy on a motorcycle comes flying up between the lanes to get to the very front. That really got me mad. I began fuming at this guy, who (in my mind) was rubbing the situation in all our faces, and showing off that he had the capability to bypass all of us, laws be darned. I swore in that moment: I will NEVER be that guy.

Time passes, and I have creeped a little further forward... and I hear sirens. Now I begin to understand why it's taking so long at this light. Slowly, the scene comes into view: A pickup has rammed the rear end of a little sedan, forcing it's front end underneath the back of the SUV in front of it. Paramedics are already on the scene, firetrucks are pulling up... and there's a motorcycle parked next to the accident. The motorcycle that had flown past me earlier. The rider stands nearby- holding his infant daughter in one arm and tightly embracing his wife with the other.

I felt about as good as dirt right about then.

I had read the situation all wrong. I had assumed this guy was just a jerk on a bike, proclaiming to everyone that he was above all the rules, not to mention us poor fools. In reality, this man was a father, who would let NOTHING stand in the way of him and his loved ones.





I think the point I'm about to make is so glaringly obvious, I probably don't even have to explain it.





What this guy did is, I believe, one of the requirements for being a father: Let nothing come between you and those you love. No obstacle is too large, no opponent too powerful, and no sacrifice too great to keep you from your family.

Yeah. You're getting it now.

I'm sure that none of you need any introduction to John 3:16. Perhaps the most quoted verse in the Bible, you only have to go to a sporting event to see people with signs displaying that verse. However, let me refresh your memories a bit:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

God is the Father of humanity, we his children. However, sin is the obstacle that kept God from his children. So, true to the form of a father, God made the necessary sacrifice: his Son. His sacrifice destroyed that obstacle, and ensured that the Father would never have to be separated from His children again.

Grace and Peace be yours in abundance,
The Wayfaring Stranger