Remember that song about the snowbird. "take me with you, to the land of gentle breezes where the peaceful waters flow.."? Well, we went there last week, it's called Arizona and it was great. Our first winter vacation and now it's easy to see how addictive living in those gentle breezes can be.
Did we want to leave? No, well, yes, well.It was after all, a vacation, and tomorrow the real world demands my presence. But I'm going to do my best to imagine the cold wind blowing through the Ozarks has traces of that warmer Arizona air. I'm also imagining that the spring which is on the verge of happening out there in the desert is just a few weeks away from arriving here.
I'm counting on it!
Peace my friends.
Welcome to Windrock
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Running around.
End of the week and my mind is running around from one random thought to another and one of the thoughts is literally about running. It's been Toooo Cold and it's been Toooo crazy around here and so since January 1, I have ran almost NO MILES. No real surprise, it happens every year it seems. December and the holidays and cold, short, dark days hit and I almost become a "used to be" runner. The weather and the dark are known enemies of my desire and enthusiasm, and so I find myself running less and spending more "down-time":defined as time on the couch, time pigging out on chocolate and other holiday goodies and time spent whining about the awful weather!
So now the snow is almost gone and the temperature is nearly normal and tomorrow I'm up and out early to go running over rocky hills and through the creek and muddy paths. And thus I will return to normal(as normal as a runner can be considered). Some people need a winter cruise, some a session at the tanning salon, and others a good stiff drink to get through winter. I KNOW what I need! I just need to DO IT. Lace up the shoes, layer on the clothes and step out. And that's exactly what I'll be doing Saturday morning.
Busiek, 7:30 am, east parking lot, I'll be the couch potato wearing running shoes , hope to see you there!
Peace my friends.
So now the snow is almost gone and the temperature is nearly normal and tomorrow I'm up and out early to go running over rocky hills and through the creek and muddy paths. And thus I will return to normal(as normal as a runner can be considered). Some people need a winter cruise, some a session at the tanning salon, and others a good stiff drink to get through winter. I KNOW what I need! I just need to DO IT. Lace up the shoes, layer on the clothes and step out. And that's exactly what I'll be doing Saturday morning.
Busiek, 7:30 am, east parking lot, I'll be the couch potato wearing running shoes , hope to see you there!
Peace my friends.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Check your dashboard.
"I checked my dashboard and Bill has me going to....." is the message on my email Monday morning, from someone I work with. The dashboard being the location on the computer to find out where to work next week.
Being a child of the 1950's growing up in the 1960's and 1970's, the moment I read the word "dashboard" the image of the instrument panel of my very first car leaps to my mind. I can't help it. There in living color is the view through the steering wheel of a green vinyl covered 1968 Dodge Dart dashboard. The PRND1D2L indicator glued on top of the steering column and the white on black speedometer with gauges for all the information you would ever need. The Speedometer,of course, letting you know if you were within the limits placed by higher authority, so as not to get a ticket. ALT for the alternator to let you know if your battery was charging as you cruised down the road at 55 mph. The fuel gauge, obviously to check to make sure you could make it to the next station where you could fill up with .59 cent per gallon gas, and then the Oil light and the Temp gauge,the two most concerning and possibly menacing indicators on the dashboard. When the oil light came on you knew you were in serious trouble and if the temperature gauge was too far toward the "H" you should be concerned. With all these important items the rest of the dashboard was completed by the AM radio, the heater (no air conditioner) and the glove box. Cloth and vinyl seats complimented the completely carpeted floorboards.
So how did the dashboard of the past become the dashboard of now? I tried to find out where the term originated and here's one explanation I found from takeourwordforit.com "Interestingly, this word did not arise during the automobile era. Instead, it originated around 1846. Unfortunately, that's all I've been able to find, so far, on this word. I can guess that, when riding in a carriage or buggy on a badly rutted road, one was "dashed" (`hurled, knocked, or thrust with sudden violence') into the dashboard fairly frequently.
Since this column was originally posted, a reader has indicated that the dashboard prevented rocks and mud from "dashing" riders in buggies and buckboards, and this sounds like a credible explanation for the word's origin."
So I don't know if that is true, but I do know now that the use we make of the word dashboard is not so different from that of my 1968 Dart. In our work world we check the dashboard to see if we are where higher ups want us to be doing the thing assigned to us at the pace expected. We may judge if we are going too fast or too slow for the assignment and we may also measure our level of energy and enthusiasm for the task. In all the dashboard is the new agenda,the new itinerary, the electronic date book.
As I thought about this I considered what my spiritual dashboard might look like. What gear am I in, Drive, Neutral, Reverse, or maybe I'm just parked. How's my fuel level? Filled up and ready to hit the road, or am I running on fumes, afraid that if I drive too fast or too much farther, I'll be stranded with no help. Checking the alternator making sure it is my charging battery. And of course the oil light, trusting that that lubricating influence down deep in the core is there to keep things running and cool under pressure, so the Temperature gauge stays right where it needs to be.
Right now, my spiritual dashboard seems to be pretty normal. There's not too much that is making me run Hot, and the study I'm doing keeps my battery charged. No oil light on and fuel is available. But just like that Dart dashboard, I need to keep it in front of me and be aware of any changes.
So, how's your dashboard.
Peace my friends.
Being a child of the 1950's growing up in the 1960's and 1970's, the moment I read the word "dashboard" the image of the instrument panel of my very first car leaps to my mind. I can't help it. There in living color is the view through the steering wheel of a green vinyl covered 1968 Dodge Dart dashboard. The PRND1D2L indicator glued on top of the steering column and the white on black speedometer with gauges for all the information you would ever need. The Speedometer,of course, letting you know if you were within the limits placed by higher authority, so as not to get a ticket. ALT for the alternator to let you know if your battery was charging as you cruised down the road at 55 mph. The fuel gauge, obviously to check to make sure you could make it to the next station where you could fill up with .59 cent per gallon gas, and then the Oil light and the Temp gauge,the two most concerning and possibly menacing indicators on the dashboard. When the oil light came on you knew you were in serious trouble and if the temperature gauge was too far toward the "H" you should be concerned. With all these important items the rest of the dashboard was completed by the AM radio, the heater (no air conditioner) and the glove box. Cloth and vinyl seats complimented the completely carpeted floorboards.
So how did the dashboard of the past become the dashboard of now? I tried to find out where the term originated and here's one explanation I found from takeourwordforit.com "Interestingly, this word did not arise during the automobile era. Instead, it originated around 1846. Unfortunately, that's all I've been able to find, so far, on this word. I can guess that, when riding in a carriage or buggy on a badly rutted road, one was "dashed" (`hurled, knocked, or thrust with sudden violence') into the dashboard fairly frequently.
Since this column was originally posted, a reader has indicated that the dashboard prevented rocks and mud from "dashing" riders in buggies and buckboards, and this sounds like a credible explanation for the word's origin."
So I don't know if that is true, but I do know now that the use we make of the word dashboard is not so different from that of my 1968 Dart. In our work world we check the dashboard to see if we are where higher ups want us to be doing the thing assigned to us at the pace expected. We may judge if we are going too fast or too slow for the assignment and we may also measure our level of energy and enthusiasm for the task. In all the dashboard is the new agenda,the new itinerary, the electronic date book.
As I thought about this I considered what my spiritual dashboard might look like. What gear am I in, Drive, Neutral, Reverse, or maybe I'm just parked. How's my fuel level? Filled up and ready to hit the road, or am I running on fumes, afraid that if I drive too fast or too much farther, I'll be stranded with no help. Checking the alternator making sure it is my charging battery. And of course the oil light, trusting that that lubricating influence down deep in the core is there to keep things running and cool under pressure, so the Temperature gauge stays right where it needs to be.
Right now, my spiritual dashboard seems to be pretty normal. There's not too much that is making me run Hot, and the study I'm doing keeps my battery charged. No oil light on and fuel is available. But just like that Dart dashboard, I need to keep it in front of me and be aware of any changes.
So, how's your dashboard.
Peace my friends.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Location, location, location.
For Christmas my family got me a great unexpected gift. A GPS(Global Positioning System?) Garmin device to wear on my wrist when I'm out running, hiking or just walking around. This really cool gadget that is totally unnecessary to have a successful run. It measures my pace, my time, my heart rate and distance. When I get home, I can download the information and get a detailed a computer generated map and graph of all that happened during the run. So far my new friend,"Garmin" has not helped me run faster, but it has caused me to run farther and does allow me to determine if a run was successful or not. Using this information I can measure myself and then also determine if the location, the trail or route is one I wish to run again.
So here I am at the beginning of another year, and it's time to stop a moment,and you know, check where I am in life. How was the last year, and where do I plan to go in 2010? For me this means checking my internal GPS, or God Positioning Sense. For me the real measure of the journey is not how much has been accomplished, for that is done and past, but what and where will the next year take me. Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow (Matthew chapter 6) so I try not to. So living in the now of today is really all I should be concerned with, and to do that I need to not only know my current location, but at least know that God is leading me and keeping me on the the correct trail. To know that I need to check the location of my heart, and get my position right. This is a daily task. Just as I check my Garmin for pace and distance, to see if I am meeting my goals, so must I check my pace and direction of life to know my location and ensure I am not off track.
So for the new year, I am checking the God Positioning System with more reading which is easy, but just like running, I am committing to more doing. Will the two GPS units help me in this? I am counting on it.
I'll let you know where I am on this as the year progresses.
Peace.
So here I am at the beginning of another year, and it's time to stop a moment,and you know, check where I am in life. How was the last year, and where do I plan to go in 2010? For me this means checking my internal GPS, or God Positioning Sense. For me the real measure of the journey is not how much has been accomplished, for that is done and past, but what and where will the next year take me. Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow (Matthew chapter 6) so I try not to. So living in the now of today is really all I should be concerned with, and to do that I need to not only know my current location, but at least know that God is leading me and keeping me on the the correct trail. To know that I need to check the location of my heart, and get my position right. This is a daily task. Just as I check my Garmin for pace and distance, to see if I am meeting my goals, so must I check my pace and direction of life to know my location and ensure I am not off track.
So for the new year, I am checking the God Positioning System with more reading which is easy, but just like running, I am committing to more doing. Will the two GPS units help me in this? I am counting on it.
I'll let you know where I am on this as the year progresses.
Peace.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!?
I love the seasonal song Sleigh Ride, it is such a fun tune and singing along with "You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch" in the car makes Regina roll her eyes, but I love that song, it is so clever. But I must say that the most uplifting song of the season is "It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!" sung by Andy Williams (nobody else does it as well. Johnny Mathis...please..) The tune and the words are hard to sing without a smile. The lyrics give an off handed reference to the reason for it being so wonderful in the words "and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago." This isn't much, but, I guess it makes it a Christmas song.
I celebrate the season because it has been deemed in the Church year as when we start the journey of faith that climaxes with Easter,but I don't have an issue with Andy's truly secular song. It brings me joy. I don't even get tired of seeing Andy lip sync it in the commercials for his show in Branson, Mo. He smiles and gestures just as I remember he did when I was a child watching on a black and white television.(Note to myself, when Andy sings he spreads his arms wide, a great gesture of hospitality.)
For me the lyrics are a great example of how words can influence our minds. I can hear the carolers,see their rosy cheeks and feel the cheer.And the constant ringing in my ears is now the sound of jingle bells. The words are not so specific that my imagination and memory are locked to certain times. It's the "hap-happiest season of all.", and it brings memories and helps fuel new ones.
I'm writing this so I can really think about how this song has changed for me. As I have gotten older (or if you prefer, aged, matured, grown up) the one line in the song that really rings true is "and hearts will be glowing when loved ones are near, it's the most wonderful time of the year." All the other references take me back in memory, but this one line is applicable to NOW! I realize how time is truly passing, passing quickly, I try to remember that that moment, whether it is Christmas or March 13 is the most wonderful time of the year. I am truly blessed with family. At Thanksgiving we were able to take our own family portrait, to which the most recent piece , Jaxon, was added. The fun we had doing it warmed my heart, it was at this point I could have sung "It's the most wonderful time of the year", but there's more to come. Tomorrow night preschool Christmas program, always fun.
So, my friends there you have it. Thanksgiving is a week past, but we are still eating leftover ham and enjoying the heart glow that being with all family can bring.
As our friend Sue E. continually reminds us "It's gonna be Christmas!", but even now, it's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
Peace my friends.
I celebrate the season because it has been deemed in the Church year as when we start the journey of faith that climaxes with Easter,but I don't have an issue with Andy's truly secular song. It brings me joy. I don't even get tired of seeing Andy lip sync it in the commercials for his show in Branson, Mo. He smiles and gestures just as I remember he did when I was a child watching on a black and white television.(Note to myself, when Andy sings he spreads his arms wide, a great gesture of hospitality.)
For me the lyrics are a great example of how words can influence our minds. I can hear the carolers,see their rosy cheeks and feel the cheer.And the constant ringing in my ears is now the sound of jingle bells. The words are not so specific that my imagination and memory are locked to certain times. It's the "hap-happiest season of all.", and it brings memories and helps fuel new ones.
I'm writing this so I can really think about how this song has changed for me. As I have gotten older (or if you prefer, aged, matured, grown up) the one line in the song that really rings true is "and hearts will be glowing when loved ones are near, it's the most wonderful time of the year." All the other references take me back in memory, but this one line is applicable to NOW! I realize how time is truly passing, passing quickly, I try to remember that that moment, whether it is Christmas or March 13 is the most wonderful time of the year. I am truly blessed with family. At Thanksgiving we were able to take our own family portrait, to which the most recent piece , Jaxon, was added. The fun we had doing it warmed my heart, it was at this point I could have sung "It's the most wonderful time of the year", but there's more to come. Tomorrow night preschool Christmas program, always fun.
So, my friends there you have it. Thanksgiving is a week past, but we are still eating leftover ham and enjoying the heart glow that being with all family can bring.
As our friend Sue E. continually reminds us "It's gonna be Christmas!", but even now, it's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!
Peace my friends.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Be renewed this Advent Season.
"God our Father, give to the nations of the world a new heart of comradeship, the old man of ignorance and cruelty being done away, and the new man put on, renewed in knowledge, to strengthen and to serve the brethren; that every people may bring its tribute of excellence to the common treasury, without fear, and without the lust of domination, and all the world may go forward in the new and living way which he has consecrated for us, who now lives and reigns, with you and the Spirit of truth, one God, world without end. Amen"
The above is the last part of a responsive prayer for intercession for church, state and world, from the Methodist Book of Worship. Oh, by the way, this was copy write 1944-1945, and was published again in 1952, authorized by the Methodist General Conference held in Kansas City MO. April 26-May 6 1944. If you recall history, the world was in quite a mess back then, and yet Methodist followers of Christ, were praying that not just America, but all the world would find it's way back to God.
Today, it seems that American Christians seem to believe that God has left America and that He can somehow be wooed back if we just clean house and kick out all the people who don't believe in Him.
I might want to go out on a limb here and say that God is still here, just as God is in the presence of believers in Kenya, China, Australia and Everywhere. The problem is not that God needs to be asked back, or have a place cleaned out for God, or all the housekeeping done, so God will come back. Please..... Just as God, in Christ came and brought together men of different backgrounds and made God known to them and through them, so today it is not God's leaving that has made America what it is. It is those who allege to be God's people becoming exclusive in how they present God. If the only way to know God is my way, then the rest of you are in trouble. But I digress.
As we begin this season of Advent, I wonder just what it means to be a Christian who presents God in the way Christ intended. I hope that Christians will actually be aware, that Christ came not to condemn, but to show God's love and to offer a way to God. Jesus didn't come to institute giving gifts, or to make sure that there was a reference to Him (CHRISTmas) from Halloween to December 25. Personally, I think we are wrong if the only way we believe someone knows we are a true believer is if for 40 days we hit the mall with a message of Christ in Christmas sweatshirt. Scripture says that the believers of the new testament were known, make that recognized, not by how they dressed or how holy they were, but how they loved. The love that they showed, I believe, was not just restricted to the houses where they met. I don't think they went out looking for those who already believed, but were showing Christ enough in their lives to have others ask, "Why do you do what you do?"
In the prayer I started with I believe the "new and living way which he has consecrated for us," is not about Christians "values" or American ideas and ideals dominating the world through forcing our "rightness" on others. Christ didn't start a revolution on the political front, but He did revolutionize the hearts of a few, then a few more, then many many more.
This Advent season, I am not asking that God take back America, but that God would take back my heart and use it to God's purpose; to love others as God has loved me!
Peace my friends.
The above is the last part of a responsive prayer for intercession for church, state and world, from the Methodist Book of Worship. Oh, by the way, this was copy write 1944-1945, and was published again in 1952, authorized by the Methodist General Conference held in Kansas City MO. April 26-May 6 1944. If you recall history, the world was in quite a mess back then, and yet Methodist followers of Christ, were praying that not just America, but all the world would find it's way back to God.
Today, it seems that American Christians seem to believe that God has left America and that He can somehow be wooed back if we just clean house and kick out all the people who don't believe in Him.
I might want to go out on a limb here and say that God is still here, just as God is in the presence of believers in Kenya, China, Australia and Everywhere. The problem is not that God needs to be asked back, or have a place cleaned out for God, or all the housekeeping done, so God will come back. Please..... Just as God, in Christ came and brought together men of different backgrounds and made God known to them and through them, so today it is not God's leaving that has made America what it is. It is those who allege to be God's people becoming exclusive in how they present God. If the only way to know God is my way, then the rest of you are in trouble. But I digress.
As we begin this season of Advent, I wonder just what it means to be a Christian who presents God in the way Christ intended. I hope that Christians will actually be aware, that Christ came not to condemn, but to show God's love and to offer a way to God. Jesus didn't come to institute giving gifts, or to make sure that there was a reference to Him (CHRISTmas) from Halloween to December 25. Personally, I think we are wrong if the only way we believe someone knows we are a true believer is if for 40 days we hit the mall with a message of Christ in Christmas sweatshirt. Scripture says that the believers of the new testament were known, make that recognized, not by how they dressed or how holy they were, but how they loved. The love that they showed, I believe, was not just restricted to the houses where they met. I don't think they went out looking for those who already believed, but were showing Christ enough in their lives to have others ask, "Why do you do what you do?"
In the prayer I started with I believe the "new and living way which he has consecrated for us," is not about Christians "values" or American ideas and ideals dominating the world through forcing our "rightness" on others. Christ didn't start a revolution on the political front, but He did revolutionize the hearts of a few, then a few more, then many many more.
This Advent season, I am not asking that God take back America, but that God would take back my heart and use it to God's purpose; to love others as God has loved me!
Peace my friends.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Old...New....Now...
On October 8, 2009, our newest grandson was born, Jaxon Scott. His proud mom and dad, Tonya and Jason are joyful and grateful for his arrival. I say, good timing Jaxon, we needed you to complete the family and now it's Christmas, your first Christmas. We can't wait, you might even get a hula hoop....
New grandson, old grandpa.
Old and new are two 3 letter words that are so very powerful, that they stand alone in descriptive grammar. At my age, not old age, but age, I have become more sensitive, or perhaps aware of old versus new. The observation of "everything old is new again" surely is applicable in our world today.
A few years ago when Chrysler announced the NEW retro looking PT Cruiser, the demand could not be met. Those who had lusted for a street rod built from a 1940's roadster wanted to fulfill their dream, sort of. It seemed odd that a retro street rod was a sedan. Then when the NEW Dodge Charger, a dream muscle car from the 1970's, was rumored to be coming on the scene, again, every baby boomer lined up or dreamed. Then it came, the 4 door version of the Hemi Charger. The boomers wanted the coolness of the name, with the convenience of being able to dismount the rear seat easily. Old, new, but not the same. Then came the re-invention of the Mustang, and the reintroduction of the Dodge Challenger and Chevy Camero, old names brand new cars, (these did stay 2 door hardtops). Nostalgia for the name, but not for the uncomfortable ride and simple vinyl seats and no seat belts, not to mention the inflated price tag. Even the plain vanilla Ford Taurus is back, NEW. I'm waiting for the Dodge Dart to come back, it wasn't cool when I had mine back in the '70's, but please no bucket seats, give me the front bench.
I really didn't start out to write about cars, but in our culture, they seem to be at the top of the list of things that can take us back to a time when, it seems in our minds, that times were better and time moved slower.
New and Old, what is it in these two simple words that can trigger reactions in our minds and in our hearts that can knock us off track in life.
New means many things. Fresh, unused, shiny and exciting often accompany new in it's journeys. For most of its' time new is being pushed on us as what we should want. New and improved, new and exciting, new and more powerful, faster, greener, etc. Old often is seen as the opposite of new, but I'm not agreeing with that. But I do know that for many, new and old both bring the same emotion; FEAR. For all the times that we are preparing for a new experience, for a new time in our life, we are wondering "Is this new really necessary?", the old worked just fine. And sometimes we convince ourselves it's true and we stay in the old. Every person in every generation past, and all that are now alive deal with new and old everyday. Old technology was new once, the telephone, the television, recorded music, or movies: tubes, vinyl, tape, digital; cars: gas, hybrid, diesel. The new is different, but to everyone, it is not always better.
Old is stuck, new is not stuck.... yet. I know While I know I'm getting older, and the evidence in the mirror when I look at my white beard, in my mind I am the same person as when my beard was darker 10 years ago. This self perception can be brought into focus in unexpected ways as in this personal example.
Not long ago, Logan, the oldest (11 years old) grandson, noticed a picture of Regina and me on display in our house. This was one of those church directory photos. We were all smiles and young, I think it was taken in 1989. As we walked through the room, he saw the picture and asked,"Is that supposed to be you and Gigi?". I was somewhat taken aback, "supposed to be?" Of course it was us, old us, or newer us, I don't know. That's the catch, is the old me newer, or is the current me, newer me, older? This old me knows so much more than the the newer me.
What I really realize is that new and old are not exclusive. The only way that they become exclusive is if we stop becoming. Many times we hold onto the old because we feel it defines who we are, but as Logan pointed out, the picture in our mind, is who we suppose we are, not who we really are. The reality is that neither old or new are where we live. Where we live is Now, and pining for either the past or the future is not a prescription for living the abundant life Christ has promised us. If I buy a 1970 or a 2010 Dodge Challenger it will not transport me back to the life I had then. This is now, my life then was new, but now it's old.
Here's something old that helps me in my perspective of new and old, it may help you too (or not). It's from the OLD Testament, a very old book, Ecclesiastes. The reference is more about young and old, but the truth does not change.
This is from "The Message" a paraphrase version by Eugene Peterson.
From chapter 11:
"Oh, how sweet the light of day,
And how wonderful to live in the sunshine!
Even if you live a long time, don't take a single day for granted.
Take delight in each light-filled hour,
Remembering that there will also be many dark days"
And that most of what comes your way is smoke.
From chapter 12:
"Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over.
Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends.
The body is put back in the same ground it came from.
The spirit returns to God, who first breathed it. "
And so it goes, the writer says, new or old, "It's all smoke, nothing but smoke.
And then further down, "The words of the wise prod us to live well. They're like nails hammered home, holding life together. They are given by God, the one Shepherd."
I'm living in the smoke of my 55th year, and I am trying to adopt this attitude, letting the wisdom of my old self and my newly wise friends nail my new and old existence together until the smoke clears.
Whether this blog made much sense or not, I hope you will find a way to live as the writer of Ecclesiastes also states in Chapter 11. "Live footloose and fancy free--- you won't be young forever.... " and neither will I, someday I'll be old, but not now!
Peace my friends!
New grandson, old grandpa.
Old and new are two 3 letter words that are so very powerful, that they stand alone in descriptive grammar. At my age, not old age, but age, I have become more sensitive, or perhaps aware of old versus new. The observation of "everything old is new again" surely is applicable in our world today.
A few years ago when Chrysler announced the NEW retro looking PT Cruiser, the demand could not be met. Those who had lusted for a street rod built from a 1940's roadster wanted to fulfill their dream, sort of. It seemed odd that a retro street rod was a sedan. Then when the NEW Dodge Charger, a dream muscle car from the 1970's, was rumored to be coming on the scene, again, every baby boomer lined up or dreamed. Then it came, the 4 door version of the Hemi Charger. The boomers wanted the coolness of the name, with the convenience of being able to dismount the rear seat easily. Old, new, but not the same. Then came the re-invention of the Mustang, and the reintroduction of the Dodge Challenger and Chevy Camero, old names brand new cars, (these did stay 2 door hardtops). Nostalgia for the name, but not for the uncomfortable ride and simple vinyl seats and no seat belts, not to mention the inflated price tag. Even the plain vanilla Ford Taurus is back, NEW. I'm waiting for the Dodge Dart to come back, it wasn't cool when I had mine back in the '70's, but please no bucket seats, give me the front bench.
I really didn't start out to write about cars, but in our culture, they seem to be at the top of the list of things that can take us back to a time when, it seems in our minds, that times were better and time moved slower.
New and Old, what is it in these two simple words that can trigger reactions in our minds and in our hearts that can knock us off track in life.
New means many things. Fresh, unused, shiny and exciting often accompany new in it's journeys. For most of its' time new is being pushed on us as what we should want. New and improved, new and exciting, new and more powerful, faster, greener, etc. Old often is seen as the opposite of new, but I'm not agreeing with that. But I do know that for many, new and old both bring the same emotion; FEAR. For all the times that we are preparing for a new experience, for a new time in our life, we are wondering "Is this new really necessary?", the old worked just fine. And sometimes we convince ourselves it's true and we stay in the old. Every person in every generation past, and all that are now alive deal with new and old everyday. Old technology was new once, the telephone, the television, recorded music, or movies: tubes, vinyl, tape, digital; cars: gas, hybrid, diesel. The new is different, but to everyone, it is not always better.
Old is stuck, new is not stuck.... yet. I know While I know I'm getting older, and the evidence in the mirror when I look at my white beard, in my mind I am the same person as when my beard was darker 10 years ago. This self perception can be brought into focus in unexpected ways as in this personal example.
Not long ago, Logan, the oldest (11 years old) grandson, noticed a picture of Regina and me on display in our house. This was one of those church directory photos. We were all smiles and young, I think it was taken in 1989. As we walked through the room, he saw the picture and asked,"Is that supposed to be you and Gigi?". I was somewhat taken aback, "supposed to be?" Of course it was us, old us, or newer us, I don't know. That's the catch, is the old me newer, or is the current me, newer me, older? This old me knows so much more than the the newer me.
What I really realize is that new and old are not exclusive. The only way that they become exclusive is if we stop becoming. Many times we hold onto the old because we feel it defines who we are, but as Logan pointed out, the picture in our mind, is who we suppose we are, not who we really are. The reality is that neither old or new are where we live. Where we live is Now, and pining for either the past or the future is not a prescription for living the abundant life Christ has promised us. If I buy a 1970 or a 2010 Dodge Challenger it will not transport me back to the life I had then. This is now, my life then was new, but now it's old.
Here's something old that helps me in my perspective of new and old, it may help you too (or not). It's from the OLD Testament, a very old book, Ecclesiastes. The reference is more about young and old, but the truth does not change.
This is from "The Message" a paraphrase version by Eugene Peterson.
From chapter 11:
"Oh, how sweet the light of day,
And how wonderful to live in the sunshine!
Even if you live a long time, don't take a single day for granted.
Take delight in each light-filled hour,
Remembering that there will also be many dark days"
And that most of what comes your way is smoke.
From chapter 12:
"Life, lovely while it lasts, is soon over.
Life as we know it, precious and beautiful, ends.
The body is put back in the same ground it came from.
The spirit returns to God, who first breathed it. "
And so it goes, the writer says, new or old, "It's all smoke, nothing but smoke.
And then further down, "The words of the wise prod us to live well. They're like nails hammered home, holding life together. They are given by God, the one Shepherd."
I'm living in the smoke of my 55th year, and I am trying to adopt this attitude, letting the wisdom of my old self and my newly wise friends nail my new and old existence together until the smoke clears.
Whether this blog made much sense or not, I hope you will find a way to live as the writer of Ecclesiastes also states in Chapter 11. "Live footloose and fancy free--- you won't be young forever.... " and neither will I, someday I'll be old, but not now!
Peace my friends!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)