Staying in the Present

So do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you;

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Twilight

"When we hunt, we give ourselves over to our senses… govern less with our minds. Especially our sense of smell. If you were anywhere near me when I lost control that way…"
Edward Cullen, Twilight, Chapter 11, p.225

I plan on reading the phenomenon that Twilight is over this Christmas break I have coming up, but after seeing the film a few times, many allusions come to mind. One such instance came up this past Sunday in church. As it is human nature, it is so easy to give in to our natural tendency to give into our senses. There is that need for us to "feed", and let's say its not too taboo to use this example from vampires in our own lives as Christians.

Let us remember that the reason we claim we are followers of Christ is not that we have found the answer, or that we even know the truth, or that we are somehow fixed or destined for good. The actual opposite is true. We have admitted we are lost on our own, have no answers and completely trust in someone else to guide us -- and that we cannot live without giving into our senses and making utter and dreadful decisions on a constant basis.

Which is why -- at least in my church, we confess this, and drink the blood of Christ and eat his body on a weekly basis. There is not a fix-all formula, there is no permanent solution. We need to "feed" on this blood.

Unlike Edward Cullen, we don't have to starve ourselves from the true blood of the one we truly desire. It has been made possible -- and the rules broken for us to continue to feed on the blood of Christ -- to keep us fully made whole, and to remember we are broken people living in a broken world and despite our shortcomings can still come to the table where the blood is the ultimate ending.

Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of Thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink His blood, that we may evermore dwell in Him, and He in us. Amen.

L e g a t o

It seems we all are looking for that perfect love. The one that will complete us and fit all the pieces where they belong in our lives -- to make the puzzle finally fit together.

...then you find it! What you have been searching after for so long has finally come.

Then you realize that thing you have found -- is a person.


"True love does not expect to be loved in return."

- Roy

Only for a Moment

Of all the art forms, music is unique in that the notes on the page created by the composer, can only be brought to life by a musician who plays it. And even then it is only alive in that one performance. -- Then it is over.

Music can not be hung to display in a gallery, or read in a book... it requires the energy of a musician to bring to live a moment that is only there ... and then gone.

The Answer . . .

There is someone

who wants you to have

the best . . .
in abundance,
more than you thought

you could have or wanted.

Curious...

What is it about human nature. . . we always want what we can't have...?

If You Just Smile . . .

Today was not just another celebration of political Independence. A lot has changed since we last marked this day in history. Many are political, global, emotional but on a personal level, I have been taught many, many things through these last few months and weeks about our nation and our world of ... people.

I did something somewhat out of the norm and out of my comfort level just a bit -- and how invigorating!! Tonight, I met at least 15 people I had never seen before, and would normally never "hang" with. What I have learned is just this --- that all of us have a lot to learn from other great people.

A few weeks ago, a good friend of mine passed through the great divide and left this earth. Like so many of us affected by his death, my view of life has been put on its side -- almost put through a strainer so that all the stuff that we bicker about and hold important falls right through the cracks in life; and all that is left is the pure and wholeness of that substance humanity is. It is an amazing thing we call --- life.

The soulful ones we encounter everyday; pass in the grocery store, stand and wait for our coffee order side by side, sit next to in traffic, stand behind in the bank --- all have an amazing gift that only they possess -- and only they have the power to give it to the world. Some of us that are a bit overachieving (me) and think we have it all figured out, can learn a lot from these people we don't know.

The biggest thing my friend Justin was remembered for was his piercing and enchanting smile. One gesture, one look, one invitation can make someone's day a little better or make a long week not so bad. It took one invitation to invite me to a cookout today, that I normally would have brushed aside -- that presented a great intrinsity to us everywhere. Everyone is watching you. Love them with a hug, lending spare change, giving a ride --- or just a Smile.