Christmas presents... no more?

Well its the 29th and I have opened all my Christmas presents. All that is left is the joy of using/wearing them all. I have enjoyed my presents this year, not to say I haven't in the past. I got things I asked for which always makes me happy. Some people like getting random gifts that are unexpected but that has never appealed to me. As I was pondering my gifts I realized that the principle of giving being better that receiving hasn't been completed in me. I still like getting more than giving... I like giving quite a bit but I still like to receive slightly more. I don't find my thoughts going to whether someone is loving the gift I gave as much as I am deciding the priority of importance my gifts fall into. I do realize this is a slightly (if not entirely) selfish fault but identifying the problem is half the battle "they" say. Anyway, just a short blog about remembering to cherish the give as well as the get.

Ardog

Reflections of a man

I visited with a family yesterday that had lost a loved one. A grandfather had passed away. A man that many people remembered fondly. A man that had a legacy. I have spent a lot of time with this family because I married into it but I have only known Grandpa for 12 of his 92 years. Grandpa spent his days living with integrity and placing a high value on honesty which stemmed from his love of God. As the family gathered and reflected at Grandpa and Grandma's home I wandered into the office, which was often turned into a bedroom for the grandchildren. I saw a decorative wood plank that read "rules for the day" on Grandpa's desk. Three simple lines followed the title that directed the reader to not "be anywhere", "do anything " or "say anything" that you wouldn't want to be, do or say when Jesus returns. This plank of wood was a window into a man's heart to express his love and devotion for his Savior. Some might interpret these rules as a legalistic statement born of fear but Grandpa didn't live that way. Grandpa's rules for the day were just a quick reminder that he had chosen to live a life honoring God for all that God had given to Grandpa. Grandpa believed in Jesus and the salvation offered by Him and Grandpa believed in the Holy Spirit sent to guide those that believe. Grandpa chose to live by rules that he felt would best express the love and gratitude he had toward God. I have been impacted in my walk through life by a few good men and Grandpa Gerber is one of them. As always these are my thoughts and this is how I remember a man I knew for to short a time.

a miserable failure at blogging...

Well, what a miserable failure at blogging I am. It isn't so much that I am to busy or that I have nothing to say. It is probably a mix of two things. The first being that it just doesn't reach high enough on my priority list and second my experience being abducted by aliens. I think that I should ponder why blogging, which is vastly becoming a cultural staple, is so low on my priority list. Especially, given that I thought that I would be dedicated to undertake the responsibility. I find that I really have to have several days of personal time before I come into a place of clarity to sit down and write my thoughts. I may have a window of opportunity these next few weeks as I am not required to study but lets not get over anxious and set our expectations to high. Another abduction could curtail any such progress. I have had other priorities grow that did supplant blogging and I can explain those easy enough. I have received 2 extremely nice guitars in the last 4 months which placed that hobby very close to the top of my priority list and greatly hindered any priority which was less than guitar playing. This gave blogging only a longing glance at the favorites bar link where it resides but no further thought. The fact is that I do want to continue blogging and need to figure out how to make blogging part of my other hobbies and through that assimilation I will be able to spare time for actually writing my thoughts. Anyway, as it just so happens, this blog is being written in close proximity to Christmas and I do have some preparations to make. So I will conclude this blog with warm wishes to anyone who may happen upon it, in this world or beyond.

Merry Christmas

up periscope?

I spend a bit of time each day on social networking sites, on social news sites and general news sites which gives me a simple view of the world that I do reside in. I know the view isn't a good one but i don't set high expectations. however this is not about the world at large and the lack of good or stimulating information. It is about the re-revelation of perspective. I have had this revelation before and I probably will again that every person has their own perspective that dictates their own reality. I know this is trickled down from big topics such as world views or philosophical ideologies such as nature/nurture but in truth every thought is processed through a personality in the final stage and personalities are like fingerprints... u n i q u e in case the context was lost. This has re-lead me to evaluate (re) the motivation to understand the difference of context and problem solving as I realize that every action has a perceived result. My motivation is that I feel that I should create good relationship with the world at large but more importantly with the people I choose to live in proximity with. (some may not have the luxury to say that is a choice, I do) If I can understand that my own perceived reality may not be the absolute truth only then can I truly listen to someone else's reality and learn from it or help them if their reality is wrong. Not that it is my job to point out when someone has the wrong perception but when there is relationship there should be a drawing together towards ultimate truth. So my re-visitation to this thought this day has lead me to once again "periscope up" and see if my reality is closer to the truth then it was yesterday.

not blogging and annoyance... 2 changes needed.

I have sat at the computer for a week or so now (not continuously) trying to blog but I have realized that blogging is fundamentally against the grain of my personality. I have asked myself what is worth putting in a place where everyone can but probably won't see. I, probably to the bemusement of people who know me, don't actually like to share my thoughts on matters. However, I do want to be a person that can change my behavior patterns to achieve positive life growth which may or may not be aided by forcing myself to blog but I am going to give it more of a try.

I have been giving a lot of thoughts to my own feelings of annoyance, not with anything in particular but just a feeling of annoyance in many circumstances. I don't like this feeling and I want to let annoyance go and replace it with a correct response. I was struggling to figure out what annoyance is the result of but I think that it comes down to selfishness and selfishness is the lack of love (a Yoda moment indeed). Annoyance could also be a lack of acceptance but acceptance of situations or people does not produce a positive motivation in itself which love does provide. So in my thinking I have begun to revisit love and how it expresses itself and interacts with situations and circumstances. I don't want to change only my personality through blogging but I want a deeper expression of my life to change. So love instead of annoyance... I think it will be a good change. 1 Corinthians 13:4

The start of something new.

I am not typically interested in sharing my thoughts unsought with the world or those who would wander around the endless expanse that is the Internet. I am coming to a place where I am beginning new things and changing the status of my take on life. If humanity never did anything differently then nothing new would be experienced, thus my journey has led me to the place where I am now willing to share thoughts that were previously reserved. It is not that I am in need of or care for conversation, although comments are welcomed, for this is my place for sharing my thoughts. It is about where I live, as I am sometimes called Ardog. So if you find yourself here, reading this blog then I welcome you and offer no advice but feel free to visit from time to time for the sharing will be often and the thoughts just might be provoking. So as often is said, it has begun.

Ardog