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