This has certainly been an interesting week!! I haven’t posted in a while, so I will try to get back on the bandwagon (hmmm…where did that phrase come from originally? John, any ideas?) in the posting game again.

I have been wondering about the word “truth.” What does truth really mean? If someone actually believes something wholeheartedly, without doubt or reservation, does that make it truth? If someone doesn’t agree with that viewpoint, does that make it not the truth? Either direction is cause for concern. No one person can ever have a “truthful” thought without someone, somewhere disagreeing in some form or fashion. If that is the case, then wouldn’t you have your own doubts about the validity of your “truth?” We can be so easily swayed by a good argument. Not necessarily the truth in the argument, but by someone who claims to have the answers, the truth, but in reality falls quite short. BUT…they put on a good show, they are convincing, and if they do have doubts, they never show it.

And then I think of the snake in the Garden of Eden. The snake claims to have the truth. He presents it in a convincing manner. So convincingly as a matter of fact, that Eve and then Adam follow. But does that make it the “truth?” The snake was convinced. Or was he? Maybe he knew it wasn’t the truth, but to give validity to the life he was living he had to convince himself it simply was the truth. His life would have no meaning otherwise.

So the question is, do you know people who live like the snake does? Those convinced that they have the only truth and are determined to tell the world about it, regardless of the consequences. Believing that something is the truth doesn’t make it the truth. But maybe that is where faith comes in. I’ll leave that for another discussion.

Hmmm…it’s funny that when you think you may have a moment of clarity and freshness that somehow life throws you a curveball. In many cases it’s several curveballs….at the same time. Just as I was thinking that I might maintain a state of equilibrium, several “kinks” in the armor began to change my course. Several projects I have been working on had some minor glitches, my grandfather has become ill, my family life became hectic once again, and my brain stopped operating in a state of purgatory. Life is funny like that.

The only way I can think of to maintain a perpetual state of clarity is to stop doing anything at all. But then I wonder if by doing nothing I would actually create a state of unbalance worse than trying to do many things. Life is funny like that.

Busyness. It’s even strange to spell. It reminds me of a quote I heard once. “Life is like a box of chocolates…” I’ll let you finish it with your favorite words of wisdom. So many choices that fit depending on the situation. Life is funny like that.

I guess I wouldn’t really want things any differently. I have a wonderful wife, wonderful kids, a wonderful job. Satisfaction and contentment have turned from being goals to strive for to more of a lifestyle. Instead of continually searching for something that I could never obtain, I simply found it right beneath my nose the entire time. I remember thinking, “I can’t get no…satisfaction.” What is satisfaction really? Don’t people talk about satisfaction in terms of what they don’t have? Or what they wish they had?

So here I am. Satisfied that God has provided exactly what He had in mind to begin with. But not satisfied enough to stop trying to figure out what He has in store next.

Life is funny like that…and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The holiday weekend is now complete, and I must say, for the first time in months, I feel much more relaxed. I don’t know if it was the extra “day” to hang with the family, or the weather, or what, but I am ready for the next holiday break.

Lots to say and many topics to discuss, so stay tuned and hold on to your horses…I’m back in the saddle again.

I wanted to make a fairly bold statement to anyone wanting to make comments on this blog. While I am always open to comments, suggestions, oppositions, debate, direct fire, and all others forms of feedback, PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANONYMOUS COMMENTS!!

In my opinion, if you are not able to take ownership of your comments, then don’t make them. You can always email me directly if that is more comfortable. I do not, and will not, give credence to any comments where the owner cannot stand up for what is said.

Information can only be deemed credible if the source has established itself likewise. Otherwise information turns out to be gossip, or worse yet, a source of untruth and conflict. This is definitely not what Jesus had in mind, in my opinion.

So…from this point forward, you must be registered user to make comments on this blog. If you cannot work within that parameter…..THEN DON’T POST!!

WOW!! That’s all the words I can muster after the past week. It has been SO crazy! We did get Kayla to school and settled in. I have heard from her just about everyday - nothing like I’m missing you or stuff like that, but more like, “Dad, I have run into this…what would you do?” Questions like that. I forgot how overwhelming the first week of college can be.

The roller coaster has continued this week as well with the first full week of school. Seth has started 7th grade football which brought back not so comforting memories for me. I was in every sport imaginable in middle school (junior high for us old folks out there), but was pretty much horrible at all of them. I remember being deathly afraid on the field (the little I got out there in the game). Not to mention that I had glasses, and my mom made me take them off during the game so I wouldn’t break them. Which meant that I was not only incompetent, but a blind fool as well. Geez!! Talk about a mess. I just hope he has a better experience than I did!

Okay…I had so many thoughts rolling around in my head, but as usual, my memory is failing me. I don’t know if it is truly a problem, I am too busy and misplace the info, or maybe it wasn’t that important to begin with. Who knows? But that is for another discussion!