19 Thoughts from Thursday

Of late, I have become acutely aware of the vast amount of processing that takes place in my head on a day-to-day basis. Though much of what happens is less than mind-boggling, there are the occasional "earth-shakers" that cause me to either momentarily forget about the world around me or find the nearest diversion to derail my train of thought so that I can mentally find my happy place of numbness.

Not surprisingly, I've realized that I rarely take the time to jot these thoughts down, much less actually work through them. So, as a therapeutic and cathartic exercise, here are some thoughts from today.

1. Why do I typically apply more deodorant to my right underarm than my left when I am right-handed?
2. Does anyone really believe the recorded message that says that their call is important when they are on hold?
3. Why do I seem more apt to journal in cold weather months?
4. Is a 24-minute 5K unreasonable for me?
5. At age 32, am I cooler than my parents were at the same age or did they think the same thing about their parents?
6. When we have dinner guests over, why do we feel obligated to put out spoons and knives at meals that don't require them?
7. How well can a person truly know themselves?
8. What was God thinking when he made the world with less sunshine at different times of the year?
9. If I lived a more transparent life would it change those I come in contact with or simply repulse the majority?
10.  Is it possible to purposely pursue spontaneity?
11.  Who took my copies of "21" and "Rocky 3" and why did it take me so long to notice that they were missing?
12.  How can something so vital to healthy living become so loathed in seemingly no time at all?
13. Am I thinking about Heaven, and if so, am I thinking about it terms of "being safe" or in terms of "being fulfilled"?
14. Am I a magnet for odd people?
15. Am I one of those odd people?
16. Would MLK approve of his holiday, both in its focus and how that focus plays out in American culture?
17. Why does no one seem to notice that saying "I could care less" is not usually getting across the point they are trying to make?
18. If it's true that fashion runs in cycles, could parachute pants be the exemption to the rule?
19. Is it possible to understand this life and who God is apart from how I interpret my life experiences, or put another way, is what I believe about God true or simply what is easiest and most comfortable for me to accept?

A Winterized Life

Snow was so much more magical back in 1993 when we survived the "Blizzard of 93." These days the frozen precipitation is far from the enchanting manna it once was back on my 15th birthday in suburban Atlanta.

Time seems to move slower on days like these when winter weather places limitations on plans and normal schedules. The world of white beyond my windows seems to have a personality all its own. Lately, it's felt like a parent shaking a child by the shoulders to gain their attention, though initially it felt like one gently pointing out a fascinating beauty.  

I suppose, like all things do eventually, the interest wore off much too quickly and left me to deal with my self and it's own fickleness.

I'm much more aware of opportunity, it seems, when my options are not as broad as I would like. In some ways, it almost seems that the massive spectrum of possibilities at my disposal on a normal day almost paralyzes me into inactivity or time spent on lesser things. And I only come to this epiphany once certain roads I could normally travel have been taken away.

Maybe this is why the Lord "taketh away", as he did with Job.

Kati asked me today if I knew of a Scripture reference that dealt with time management, and strangely enough, the phrase "evil days" came to mind fairly quickly, which led to Google telling me to look up Ephesians 5:15-16. Strange, I say, because though I'm decent with Internet research, I don't consider myself especially knowledgeable about Bible verses, time management or discipline in general.

"Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil." 

Two months from today I'll enter my 34th year of life, hopefully better off than I was at the beginning of my 33rd. Yet, at the same time, it sometimes takes 6 inches of snow in this small town to strip down the options, eliminate some distractions and show me again that I'm a far cry from a disciplined man, and closer to the image of a rich man squandering his wealth with every step of his life.

And in the end, that's really just another way of saying that I'm a sinner in need of Jesus, I guess.

Happy New Year to you that read...May the Lord bless you and keep you and cause his face to shine upon you and give you his peace in 2011 and beyond.