The Meaning of Consumer-istmas

As we are in full swing to the Christmas season, I can't help but reflect into what Christmas has meant to me in the past and now in the present.  Years past Steph and I would run out to our nearest Press Enterprise vending machine on Thanksgiving day to find that years best Black Friday deals.  A good portion of our Thanksgiving day would be dedicated to going through every add, circling what we wanted to buy, compose a list, and draw out our war map as to how we were going to make it happen.  It was quite strategic with the goal of getting in and out as fast as possible, without missing anything on our list. 

A Promise to Myself

This will be short but probably not sweet.  I made a promise to myself and to a friend that I would write at least once a week.  Today is my 27th birthday today.  My family was never really big on birthdays growing up, so to me it's just another day.  The best birthday I had was when I got to take some friends ice skating and I ended up cutting my skin on a friend's skate.  I still have the scar.  But typically it was just dinner, some presents, and then off to bed.  I look back and I don't really feel sorry for myself, but I know I want that to be changed for my boys. 

Neverending Journey

Day to day there are numerous distractions.  From your assignments at work, to fixing the car, to taking your kids to birthday parties.  It goes without saying, life is distracting.  It is easy to go a week, a month, even five years on auto pilot, perfecting your schedule trying to become more efficient.  Along the way you come face to face with challenges of all sizes, from trying to find your child's constantly lost shoe to tough emotional hardships of not being able to provide that month for your family.  Sometimes you run on pure adrenaline or pure emotion.  Either way you are trying to be in control of the mess that is life.


Growing older, I believe one of my major problems is relying on myself.  Relying on my wisdom, my talents, my skills, and my opinions.  Granted...they have gotten me far, however, if this is as much as I am going to know, I am in trouble. 

Revelations of honesty

The last couple months have opened quite the hunger inside of me.  No it hasn't been the hunger of more money, or more things, but of more conviction in my life.  I guess it started a couple years ago, slowly, and now has build up increasing pressure that can no longer hold.  The flood gates have opened.  It started with self-reflection of my heart and later my head.  This hunger has driven me to seek out my fuel, and where I find that is in honesty.


Looking back I fear that what was holding me back was honesty.  As I write this I am having this revelation that it was in fact honesty.  As a novice writer, delving into my heart by way of keyboard, God has shown me one of my true, darkest problems.  I fear complete honesty with everyone around. 

Struggles

About a year ago I had a great awakening.  You see...for the previous three to four years I had realized that I was living my life completely for my family.  Now you may think this quite a noble deed.  And in and of itself it is.  But as a Christian, it is sin if we are putting this before God.  I was very much caught up in providing financially for my family, working on my next promotion, increasing our security.  Also I was very good about giving my family much if not all of my free time.  From the outside it seemed like I was doing my family duties.
 
However, it was through going to a conference with my friend, Myron,  that flipped my thinking around.  It was not something that happened all in that one moment, but it surely got the hard stuck ball rolling.  Myron  received a call from a friend from the men's group that he led.  The friend was reaching out to Myron over a serious issue in his marriage.  As I listened to his story of how involved he was in other guy's lives, it really convicted me of a few things.  These are the things I want to share with you.

Understanding Israel's Troubles

I have been studying the book of Romans over the last couple months.  I came to a few verses today in Romans 10 that have struck me to write about. 


Romans 10:3," For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law." 


Usually when I have read this, I just gloss over it.  Sometimes I think to myself, what's wrong with these Jews that they have incredible trouble believing in Christ Jesus.  But when I think of all the thousands of years of tradition these people had to give up, I could understand their plight.  Through many generations of ancestors, they have been taught the way of the law.  Their fathers and grandfathers have exhibited their zeal for God by being steadfast to Moses' law.  How now are they supposed to turn their backs on that now?  You see, it's not the same of some Gentile that is not enriched in such a beautiful tradition.  People that had no faith, no God, were much easily swayed to this new found faith in Christ after his resurrection.  Being steeped in rules and regulations, I'm sure did not come easily.  Their had to be a lot of sacrifice and discipline to be able to follow "the letter of the law."

Life Lately

The last 18 months have been some of the hardest and most rewarding.  But I also think those two attributes go hand in hand.  Nothing is worth something unless you have to work for it.  There have been numerous times in my life when my parents were trying to implant that in my head.  Well...point accomplished.


Life is tough and when problems rise you have two options:  run or face it head on.  I've tried both, whether it has been in relationships, work problems, or finances.  Sometimes it just seems easier to turn the other way and pretend that the problems are not there.  In fact, I think that is what most people do.  We live in an alternate reality, where we get to pick was is real and what is not.  Over the last 18 months, Stephanie and I have decided to take the bull by the horns.