Saturday, October 18, 2014
Purely for the entries...
Yes, so I enter contests online once in awhile for places I feel are reputable and for things I want. Call me greedy, shallow, etc. But, especially in this case, I figure if they're giving it away free, and its something I want and can use... might as well right? Plus, I kinda like the quote.
So, there you go. Like it or not, I get 50 bonus entries for a Canon 5D Mark III for this. Awesome camera body, and I will put it to good use.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Art - Rules = God?
So, the above "equation" may not fit in to any mathematical discipline. And it probably isn't ideal in terms of doctrine. To be honest, the idea isn't that this process is true, but more about it being the flow of this post.
It all starts with a picture one of my friends on Facebook posted the other day. He posted an awesome picture of the hood ornament of an old car. I really enjoyed the picture, but I also enjoyed the text that accompanied it. He wrote "Never take a picture with the sun in front of you . . . except when you take a picture with the sun in front of you."
Now, for those that aren't photographers, there's a reason for this. As a general rule, pictures that are taken with the sun in front of you are hard to get to turn out right. The success rate is generally low. Essentially this idea has become a rule.
And rules are pervasive throughout photography. And not only photography but also just about every other kind of art. My Grandmother was a painter, and she often talked about the rules she learned in her painting classes.
But, the way I look at it, rules and art when combined are an oxymoron. Art isn't supposed to be about rules. Art isn't supposed to be confined. Art is about inspiration. Art is about freedom. Art is about creativity. Placing rules on creativity, limits creativity and ultimately eliminates creativity. It becomes about following the rules and fitting in to a mold. So art becomes limited to the rules. If a piece of art does not fall within the rules, is it deemed invalid? Does it cease to exist as art?
We're very much a people who like to be able to define things. We like to be able to classify something definitively. The helps us to understand things and to bring order to our little world of chaos. I think it helps us to feel better about things because we can then feel in control of it. It is much easier to say what is art and what isn't if we have rules to follow. It puts it in to a neat little box that we can understand and store away.
And this is where the God piece comes in. Not because God is without rules. No, God has rules for us (heard of the Ten Commandments?), and they are good rules.
The thing is we try and make rules for God. We try and define Him through what our small, feeble minds can comprehend of Him. We try and take the mystery, the awe and the unknown out of God.
We do this for the same reason we try and apply rules to art. Because if we can define God, we can fit God in to one of our neat little boxes that help us to understand the world. If we define God, we can be in control and therefore aren't left to what we perceive as the "wild whims" of the Creator.
But God doesn't fit in to the rules we create for Him. We can't surround God with rules and fit Him within our understanding. The best we can do is to live with the tension that He is more than we can understand. That He is greater than our rules. Because guess what, even He does not fall within our rules, God still exists.
It all starts with a picture one of my friends on Facebook posted the other day. He posted an awesome picture of the hood ornament of an old car. I really enjoyed the picture, but I also enjoyed the text that accompanied it. He wrote "Never take a picture with the sun in front of you . . . except when you take a picture with the sun in front of you."
Now, for those that aren't photographers, there's a reason for this. As a general rule, pictures that are taken with the sun in front of you are hard to get to turn out right. The success rate is generally low. Essentially this idea has become a rule.
And rules are pervasive throughout photography. And not only photography but also just about every other kind of art. My Grandmother was a painter, and she often talked about the rules she learned in her painting classes.
But, the way I look at it, rules and art when combined are an oxymoron. Art isn't supposed to be about rules. Art isn't supposed to be confined. Art is about inspiration. Art is about freedom. Art is about creativity. Placing rules on creativity, limits creativity and ultimately eliminates creativity. It becomes about following the rules and fitting in to a mold. So art becomes limited to the rules. If a piece of art does not fall within the rules, is it deemed invalid? Does it cease to exist as art?
We're very much a people who like to be able to define things. We like to be able to classify something definitively. The helps us to understand things and to bring order to our little world of chaos. I think it helps us to feel better about things because we can then feel in control of it. It is much easier to say what is art and what isn't if we have rules to follow. It puts it in to a neat little box that we can understand and store away.
And this is where the God piece comes in. Not because God is without rules. No, God has rules for us (heard of the Ten Commandments?), and they are good rules.
The thing is we try and make rules for God. We try and define Him through what our small, feeble minds can comprehend of Him. We try and take the mystery, the awe and the unknown out of God.
We do this for the same reason we try and apply rules to art. Because if we can define God, we can fit God in to one of our neat little boxes that help us to understand the world. If we define God, we can be in control and therefore aren't left to what we perceive as the "wild whims" of the Creator.
But God doesn't fit in to the rules we create for Him. We can't surround God with rules and fit Him within our understanding. The best we can do is to live with the tension that He is more than we can understand. That He is greater than our rules. Because guess what, even He does not fall within our rules, God still exists.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
The Error of the Military Action
Now, before anyone reads the title and thinks I have no concern for the atrocities that have happened in Syria, please know that I am appalled by these things. I have read or heard about chemical weapons, napalm like bombings of schools and the violence going on even between neighbors. I am appalled. I was nearly in tears on my way in to work Friday morning at just after midnight. They were talking about a school that had been bombed with something like napalm. They talked about the burned and injured children and you could hear their screams in the background. They talked graphically about the dead children they saw at the school. I was sickened by the story.
So, the President came up with the use of chemical weapons as their litmus test of whether he would seek involvement of the military or not. Are chemical weapons bad? Absolutely. Is it better to kill someone with a gun? Absolutely not.
Today, I was listening to NPR this morning on my way into work, and they were having a interview with one of the military commanders who was involved in the decision making about what kind of strike this would be. He kept referring to it as a degradation as well as a deterrent. Now, I understand what a deterrent is. If I start bombing you, you will stop because you don't want to be bombed. It was the degradation part that confused me, until he explained it.
With degradation, the idea is that the US bomb key stationary bits of military that will cause Syria's war effort to be less effective. Essentially, degrading the Syrian armed forces until they cannot maintain a war effort. Now, this makes sense. At least if you are fighting what would be considered a traditionally "accepted" war.
But, Syria is not fighting this kind of war. They have chosen to use unaccepted forms of military action, mainly chemical weapons. Which, I might remind you, was the line that President Obama told the Syrians not to cross.
So here is the problem with the military action that the US has decided it should engage in if Congress approves it. This military commander stated that use of naval based cruise missiles and their equivalent used on military aircraft are really only good for stationary type targets. He then admitted that they would not be effective against chemical weapons as these are not very stationary type weapons.
If the line for us to get involved was chemical weapons, if that was what the President felt was the atrocity that it took to involve us in Syria, why are we not going after the chemical weapons? Why are we instead going after all the traditional weapons? Do we think if we take away the traditional weapons, they will stop?
I don't think so. The Assad regime has already used chemical weapons on innocents. They have already used them on women and children. If we take away all their other options in terms of weapons, the only ones they will have left to use are the ones that we specifically want them to stop using.
So Mr. President, if your NSA buddies are reading this (which I hope they are), maybe they will bring this to you so you can see the error in this thought process. You are encouraging them to continue using chemical weapons, not degrading them or deterring them. You will have them backed into a corner like a caged animal. And what does a caged animal do when backed into a corner and feels threatened? They fight. They fight with any means necessary. They fight until they cannot fight anymore. Mr. President, you are going to be fighting a caged animal. If you are going to do that, take away the weapons that you are most afraid of them using first.
So, the President came up with the use of chemical weapons as their litmus test of whether he would seek involvement of the military or not. Are chemical weapons bad? Absolutely. Is it better to kill someone with a gun? Absolutely not.
Today, I was listening to NPR this morning on my way into work, and they were having a interview with one of the military commanders who was involved in the decision making about what kind of strike this would be. He kept referring to it as a degradation as well as a deterrent. Now, I understand what a deterrent is. If I start bombing you, you will stop because you don't want to be bombed. It was the degradation part that confused me, until he explained it.
With degradation, the idea is that the US bomb key stationary bits of military that will cause Syria's war effort to be less effective. Essentially, degrading the Syrian armed forces until they cannot maintain a war effort. Now, this makes sense. At least if you are fighting what would be considered a traditionally "accepted" war.
But, Syria is not fighting this kind of war. They have chosen to use unaccepted forms of military action, mainly chemical weapons. Which, I might remind you, was the line that President Obama told the Syrians not to cross.
So here is the problem with the military action that the US has decided it should engage in if Congress approves it. This military commander stated that use of naval based cruise missiles and their equivalent used on military aircraft are really only good for stationary type targets. He then admitted that they would not be effective against chemical weapons as these are not very stationary type weapons.
If the line for us to get involved was chemical weapons, if that was what the President felt was the atrocity that it took to involve us in Syria, why are we not going after the chemical weapons? Why are we instead going after all the traditional weapons? Do we think if we take away the traditional weapons, they will stop?
I don't think so. The Assad regime has already used chemical weapons on innocents. They have already used them on women and children. If we take away all their other options in terms of weapons, the only ones they will have left to use are the ones that we specifically want them to stop using.
So Mr. President, if your NSA buddies are reading this (which I hope they are), maybe they will bring this to you so you can see the error in this thought process. You are encouraging them to continue using chemical weapons, not degrading them or deterring them. You will have them backed into a corner like a caged animal. And what does a caged animal do when backed into a corner and feels threatened? They fight. They fight with any means necessary. They fight until they cannot fight anymore. Mr. President, you are going to be fighting a caged animal. If you are going to do that, take away the weapons that you are most afraid of them using first.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Overjoyed!
Well, maybe not overjoyed, cause I don't think I like that word. Overjoyed would meen that you have too much joy to handle. I'm not sure that is even possible, but that is a discussion for a later date. I am very excited and happy.
We will be welcoming an addition into our family in a little under 7 months. We knew for almost two weeks before we let everyone know. Of course we had told those who needed to know, our Divisional Commander, my family, Tammy's family, and a few very close friends.
It almost feel like a burden has been lifted from my shoulders now that we have announced it. I don't feel like I have to sneak around and try not to be too happy. We had specific reasons for announcing it as we did. We kept it to those who needed to know first because we wanted to see an ultra-sound first to make sure everything was progressing normally. Once we had that, we wanted to make sure we announced it to our congregation on a Sunday. That way no one would feel like they were being slighted or left out. Then, by the time I was in on Monday, it has spread throughout all of our employees.
Obviously it is too soon to know the sex of the baby, but we are tossing names back and forth. Both boy and girls names. We have both decided that names will be a little easier to determine once we know the sex and have prayed about it more.
And as excited and happy as I am, I can't lie and say I am not at least slightly apprehensive. Not that I don't want the child, that's not it at all. I'm just somewhat concerned about the normal provider things that dads get concerned about. Another child means more expenses. Another child means more of my time. Another child means more of my wifes time. Another child means I need to start taking better care of myself (i.e. health and excersize).
And it isn't that The Salvation Army doesn't take good care of us, because they do. And it isn't that I can't make time for another child. And it isn't that I can't spare some of my wife and my time for the baby. And it isn't that I can't take better care of myself. Its that I'm concerned about being able to change my pattern. Cause, well, I kinda like my pattern. When it comes to myself, change is not really a strong point of mine.
Now, I'm sure as we get closer to the date, I will be able to adjust and it will come naturally. But, looking at it from this side it seems like such a big change. It almost seems unnatural. I do realize that I need to start the changes now so they are part of my pattern when the baby arrives. Because starting a new pattern after the baby arrives is going to be about impossible.
I am very excited about the new baby. Baby, I can't wait to meet you. I can't wait until we can give you a name. I can't wait to hold you for the first time. I am excited to see you develop, to learn and to see your personality take shape. I will try to enjoy every moment with you.
YAY! We're havin' a baby!!
We will be welcoming an addition into our family in a little under 7 months. We knew for almost two weeks before we let everyone know. Of course we had told those who needed to know, our Divisional Commander, my family, Tammy's family, and a few very close friends.
It almost feel like a burden has been lifted from my shoulders now that we have announced it. I don't feel like I have to sneak around and try not to be too happy. We had specific reasons for announcing it as we did. We kept it to those who needed to know first because we wanted to see an ultra-sound first to make sure everything was progressing normally. Once we had that, we wanted to make sure we announced it to our congregation on a Sunday. That way no one would feel like they were being slighted or left out. Then, by the time I was in on Monday, it has spread throughout all of our employees.
Obviously it is too soon to know the sex of the baby, but we are tossing names back and forth. Both boy and girls names. We have both decided that names will be a little easier to determine once we know the sex and have prayed about it more.
And as excited and happy as I am, I can't lie and say I am not at least slightly apprehensive. Not that I don't want the child, that's not it at all. I'm just somewhat concerned about the normal provider things that dads get concerned about. Another child means more expenses. Another child means more of my time. Another child means more of my wifes time. Another child means I need to start taking better care of myself (i.e. health and excersize).
And it isn't that The Salvation Army doesn't take good care of us, because they do. And it isn't that I can't make time for another child. And it isn't that I can't spare some of my wife and my time for the baby. And it isn't that I can't take better care of myself. Its that I'm concerned about being able to change my pattern. Cause, well, I kinda like my pattern. When it comes to myself, change is not really a strong point of mine.
Now, I'm sure as we get closer to the date, I will be able to adjust and it will come naturally. But, looking at it from this side it seems like such a big change. It almost seems unnatural. I do realize that I need to start the changes now so they are part of my pattern when the baby arrives. Because starting a new pattern after the baby arrives is going to be about impossible.
I am very excited about the new baby. Baby, I can't wait to meet you. I can't wait until we can give you a name. I can't wait to hold you for the first time. I am excited to see you develop, to learn and to see your personality take shape. I will try to enjoy every moment with you.
YAY! We're havin' a baby!!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Oh Moon
Oh moon
The night sky is upon me
The moon bright and full
It's beauty amazing
It overwhelms me still
The rest of the sky barren
By beauty too bright
Not a cloud in the sky
Or a star in sight
Oh moon
You are overpowering
The center of attention
I miss those around you
Those speckles of light
The starts that fill the sky
They are missing tonight
It feels empty without them
A kingdom with just a queen
No loyal subjects
Or court jesters to be seen
Oh moon
Your beauty is known
Many on this earth can see
But please show less brightly
So the others can be seen
That is what this lover
Would find ever so keen
Do not fail to glimmer
To glow and to gleam
For the memory of you
Should not be just a dream
The night sky is upon me
The moon bright and full
It's beauty amazing
It overwhelms me still
The rest of the sky barren
By beauty too bright
Not a cloud in the sky
Or a star in sight
Oh moon
You are overpowering
The center of attention
I miss those around you
Those speckles of light
The starts that fill the sky
They are missing tonight
It feels empty without them
A kingdom with just a queen
No loyal subjects
Or court jesters to be seen
Oh moon
Your beauty is known
Many on this earth can see
But please show less brightly
So the others can be seen
That is what this lover
Would find ever so keen
Do not fail to glimmer
To glow and to gleam
For the memory of you
Should not be just a dream
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Being a Jerk is easy...
Lately I have had to come to grips with myself. Some of it has been a learning experience which I have been sharing right here. Some of it however is just me acknowledging and taking responsibility for myself. And part of that is taking responsibility and acknowledging how I have treated people.
I can be a real Jerk sometimes. And I capitalize Jerk because when I'm a Jerk, I'm a big Jerk and not a little one.
What I've come to realize though is it is easy to be a Jerk. See, when you're a Jerk you don't have to invest in relationships. You don't have to really care about people. Because as a Jerk, you can just be mean and get people to not like you if the relationship is getting too personal. When you're a Jerk, you can easily keep people at an arms length and you don't ever have to worry about them rejecting you, because you can just reject them first. And for those of us who aren't good or comfortable with close relationships because you have more to lose if you're rejected, being a Jerk is safe.
Now, mind you, I'm not saying that it is better, healthier or more fun. Nope, just easier.
Problem is, being a Jerk is like most things, you can't compartmentalize it. What happens is it seeps into those relationships that you have made and are comfortable with. It seeps in and takes over. And you end up hurting those you love the most. Your wife, your son, your true friends.
Today I really realized what a Jerk I have really been. Today I found out that I will have to talk with someone tomorrow. I will have to share some news with them that will probably devastate them. And the moment I realized that was going to have to happen, my heart broke. My heart broke, not because of what was going to happen to me, but because of what was going to happen to them. That very rarely happens to me.
Yet after talking with my wife about it over the phone (and no, I didn't have to break my wife's heart), I found myself sitting in my office overwhelmed by sadness for this person. I found myself tearing up over the pain this would likely cause for them. I've been trying to figure out a way to spare this person that pain. To find a solution so we wouldn't even have to have the conversation.
As a Jerk, this is something I'd very rarely encountered, and even more rarely come to tears about. And I sat there thinking, I wish I could be a Jerk. I wish I could spare myself from this pain that I feel for this person (see Jerks are selfish too). I wish I could just switch this off like I usually do.
But I couldn't. It wouldn't go away. And the more I thought about the situation, the more indignant I became for them. I wanted to defend them. I wanted to defend them to the whole world. I wanted to tell the whole world that this was a human being that they were mistreating. I wanted to tell them that this is one of God's beloved children and if the rest of the world couldn't see that well then to hell with the rest of the world!
Being a Jerk is easy. But, I don't want to be a Jerk anymore. As painful as this feels, I want to feel it. I want to know that I am capable of loving people. I don't want to hurt, almost as much as I don't want to hurt people. But, in order to love, truly love, I will feel joy, pain, sadness, elation, and everything in between.
And I'm good with that.
I can be a real Jerk sometimes. And I capitalize Jerk because when I'm a Jerk, I'm a big Jerk and not a little one.
What I've come to realize though is it is easy to be a Jerk. See, when you're a Jerk you don't have to invest in relationships. You don't have to really care about people. Because as a Jerk, you can just be mean and get people to not like you if the relationship is getting too personal. When you're a Jerk, you can easily keep people at an arms length and you don't ever have to worry about them rejecting you, because you can just reject them first. And for those of us who aren't good or comfortable with close relationships because you have more to lose if you're rejected, being a Jerk is safe.
Now, mind you, I'm not saying that it is better, healthier or more fun. Nope, just easier.
Problem is, being a Jerk is like most things, you can't compartmentalize it. What happens is it seeps into those relationships that you have made and are comfortable with. It seeps in and takes over. And you end up hurting those you love the most. Your wife, your son, your true friends.
Today I really realized what a Jerk I have really been. Today I found out that I will have to talk with someone tomorrow. I will have to share some news with them that will probably devastate them. And the moment I realized that was going to have to happen, my heart broke. My heart broke, not because of what was going to happen to me, but because of what was going to happen to them. That very rarely happens to me.
Yet after talking with my wife about it over the phone (and no, I didn't have to break my wife's heart), I found myself sitting in my office overwhelmed by sadness for this person. I found myself tearing up over the pain this would likely cause for them. I've been trying to figure out a way to spare this person that pain. To find a solution so we wouldn't even have to have the conversation.
As a Jerk, this is something I'd very rarely encountered, and even more rarely come to tears about. And I sat there thinking, I wish I could be a Jerk. I wish I could spare myself from this pain that I feel for this person (see Jerks are selfish too). I wish I could just switch this off like I usually do.
But I couldn't. It wouldn't go away. And the more I thought about the situation, the more indignant I became for them. I wanted to defend them. I wanted to defend them to the whole world. I wanted to tell the whole world that this was a human being that they were mistreating. I wanted to tell them that this is one of God's beloved children and if the rest of the world couldn't see that well then to hell with the rest of the world!
Being a Jerk is easy. But, I don't want to be a Jerk anymore. As painful as this feels, I want to feel it. I want to know that I am capable of loving people. I don't want to hurt, almost as much as I don't want to hurt people. But, in order to love, truly love, I will feel joy, pain, sadness, elation, and everything in between.
And I'm good with that.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Isn't Life Grand?
Isn't life grand? In the midst of everything, taking a moment to sit back, look at life and just enjoy what it has for you can be rather refreshing.
Now, I would love to say, that right now the vertigo is completely gone, and everything is going well. Unfortunately this is not the case. The vertigo still exists, though I have learned to deal with it and work around it. Work is still difficult and how I deal with the stress from work is still a work in progress. I am working on my relationships, I want to strive to be a better husband and father, and while I am successful on some days, others seem to be a step backwards. But, all in all, life is grand.
And here's why. I've been looking back on my vertigo now for awhile and I really wasn't sure there was much I could learn from this experience. Aside from the fact that I am human, I do get sick, I'm not invulnerable and I need to learn my limits. And while this is all good, I have realized that this thought process goes beyond just my health.
I let things get under my skin. I let people and their approval of me determine my worth. If the budget doesn't balance, its my fault and I have disappointed many. I have failed and thus I am a failure. For myself, I am not a perfectionist. Take a look at my man cave, or look at my desk in my office and you will see that. Many unfinished projects, failed attempts and the like. But, if I am putting something out there for others to evaluate, it must be perfect. All my "i's" must be dotted and "t's" crossed. There is no room for failure.
And what is odd, is that vertigo has taught me my worth is not based on other peoples opinion of me or how much I achieve or over achieve at my job. Don't get me wrong, we need to do our jobs to the best of our abilities within the resources we have. But it is okay to fail.
Yes, I said it, it's okay to fail. If we fail a something, that doesn't mean we are a failure. Somehow when we're kids, we start out and failure is okay. First we fail at standing. But no one seems to mind, they just cheer us on. Then we fail at walking. And again no one seems to mind. Again, people just cheer us on until we get it. And this usually happens throughout our childhood. We strike out in baseball and our coach tells us "you'll get it next time". We fall off our bikes the first time we ride without training wheels, but our parents put a band-aid on our knee and help us get right back up on the bike. When you're a kid, failing does not equal being a failure.
So what happens when we become an adult? We're supposed to know everything we need to know, or be able to figure it out. We're supposed to be able to anticipate, adapt and adjust. Suddenly failure no longer seems to be an option. Now "there's too much riding on it to fail". WHAT?!?!?! Some of the things we take for granted now (walking, talking) are the most important things we do and we all failed at those at one point or another. Yet somehow we now equate failing with being a failure.
And yes, vertigo has taught me this. Failing at walking again will do that to you! And what is even cooler is God lets us fail too. You know what, I am a Christian, and I am a pastor and I failed at living a sinless life today. Didn't make it. Nope. I sinned. I'm not proud of it. I recognize that I failed. But God doesn't love me any less for it. God is right there with me, he's cheering me on. I can hear him shouting, "Tomorrow's another day. You'll get it next time. You can do it." Does he want me to succeed? Yes. Does my worth to him depend on my success? No. Will he love me anyway? Yes. Always.
I ain't perfect. I will fail. It is OK.
Isn't life grand?
Now, I would love to say, that right now the vertigo is completely gone, and everything is going well. Unfortunately this is not the case. The vertigo still exists, though I have learned to deal with it and work around it. Work is still difficult and how I deal with the stress from work is still a work in progress. I am working on my relationships, I want to strive to be a better husband and father, and while I am successful on some days, others seem to be a step backwards. But, all in all, life is grand.
And here's why. I've been looking back on my vertigo now for awhile and I really wasn't sure there was much I could learn from this experience. Aside from the fact that I am human, I do get sick, I'm not invulnerable and I need to learn my limits. And while this is all good, I have realized that this thought process goes beyond just my health.
I let things get under my skin. I let people and their approval of me determine my worth. If the budget doesn't balance, its my fault and I have disappointed many. I have failed and thus I am a failure. For myself, I am not a perfectionist. Take a look at my man cave, or look at my desk in my office and you will see that. Many unfinished projects, failed attempts and the like. But, if I am putting something out there for others to evaluate, it must be perfect. All my "i's" must be dotted and "t's" crossed. There is no room for failure.
And what is odd, is that vertigo has taught me my worth is not based on other peoples opinion of me or how much I achieve or over achieve at my job. Don't get me wrong, we need to do our jobs to the best of our abilities within the resources we have. But it is okay to fail.
Yes, I said it, it's okay to fail. If we fail a something, that doesn't mean we are a failure. Somehow when we're kids, we start out and failure is okay. First we fail at standing. But no one seems to mind, they just cheer us on. Then we fail at walking. And again no one seems to mind. Again, people just cheer us on until we get it. And this usually happens throughout our childhood. We strike out in baseball and our coach tells us "you'll get it next time". We fall off our bikes the first time we ride without training wheels, but our parents put a band-aid on our knee and help us get right back up on the bike. When you're a kid, failing does not equal being a failure.
So what happens when we become an adult? We're supposed to know everything we need to know, or be able to figure it out. We're supposed to be able to anticipate, adapt and adjust. Suddenly failure no longer seems to be an option. Now "there's too much riding on it to fail". WHAT?!?!?! Some of the things we take for granted now (walking, talking) are the most important things we do and we all failed at those at one point or another. Yet somehow we now equate failing with being a failure.
And yes, vertigo has taught me this. Failing at walking again will do that to you! And what is even cooler is God lets us fail too. You know what, I am a Christian, and I am a pastor and I failed at living a sinless life today. Didn't make it. Nope. I sinned. I'm not proud of it. I recognize that I failed. But God doesn't love me any less for it. God is right there with me, he's cheering me on. I can hear him shouting, "Tomorrow's another day. You'll get it next time. You can do it." Does he want me to succeed? Yes. Does my worth to him depend on my success? No. Will he love me anyway? Yes. Always.
I ain't perfect. I will fail. It is OK.
Isn't life grand?
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