• 05Oct

    A Classic from George Strait

    My Journey No Comments

    I’m in a lyrics only mood tonight. The Sara Evans song I heard on the way home brought my back to this classic from George Strait. If you haven’t heard it, and you can stand the twang, let me know. It is a beautiful song.

    Artist/Band: Strait George
    Lyrics for Song: Love Without End, Amen
    Lyrics for Album: For the Last Time: Live from the Astrodome
    (Aaron Barker)

    I got sent home from school one day with a shiner on my eye.
    Fightin’ was against the rules and it didn’t matter why.
    When dad got home I told that story just like I’d rehearsed.
    And then stood there on those tremblin’ knees and waited for the worst.

    And he said, “Let me tell you a secret about a father’s love,
    A secret that my daddy said was just between us.”
    He said, “Daddies don’t just love their children every now and then.
    It’s a love without end, amen, it’s a love without end, amen.”

    When I became a father in the spring of ‘81
    There was no doubt that stubborn boy was just like my father’s son.
    And when I thought my patience had been tested to the end,
    I took my daddy’s secret and I passed it on to him.

    And he said, “Let me tell you a secret about a father’s love,
    A secret that my daddy said was just between us.”
    He said, “Daddies don’t just love their children every now and then.
    It’s a love without end, amen, it’s a love without end, amen.”

    Last night I dreamed I died and stood outside those pearly gates.
    When suddenly I realized there must be some mistake.
    If they know half the things I’ve done, they’ll never let me in.
    And then somewhere from the other side I heard these words again.

    And he said, “Let me tell you a secret about a father’s love,
    A secret that my daddy said was just between us.”
    He said, “Daddies don’t just love their children every now and then.
    It’s a love without end, amen, it’s a love without end, amen

  • 05Jun

    Happy Birthday Old Timer!!!

    My Journey No Comments

    The Old Man is “48″ today (as he says). I know you won’t ever read this Grandpa, but Happy 84th Birthday! If you were any closer, I’d take you out for dinner. I promise I’ll buy you a birthday meal the next time I see you.

    Love ya a bunch! Enjoy your new watch!

  • 06Mar

    Poems, prayers and promises

    My Journey No Comments

    “I’ve had myself some friends…
    I’d like to sail away.
    Dance across the mountains on the moon.
    Talk of poems and prayers and promises.
    Things that we believe in.”
    - John Denver

    I don’t know why, but the imagery in this song reflects where I am right now. Reflecting on what has been done, what is yet to be. I have seen a lot of sunshine, I’ve slept out in the rain and I’ve spent a night or two all on my own. How sweet it is to love someone, how right it is to care. How long it’s been since yesterday, what about tomorrow? What about our dreams? All the memories we share.

    I’m there, right now in so many ways…I would *love* to sail way (it has been a DAY at Initech, let me tell you). And given the option I’d even dance across the mountains on the moon. I’m in a confused, exciting and frustraing place again. Work is simply a thorn in my side at the moment. We simply CAN NOT manage a release. For those looking for a comparison, imagine a release as the release of a movie (say King Kong just because it came to mind).

    We’ve shot the footage, we’ve been on location, we’ve added the special effects and edited the movie. Heck, we’ve even screened it to several experts in the field (Ebert gave it a thumbs up). But two days before the theatrical release we’ve decided to change the plot. We want the old claymation ape, and now the movie ends with Kong ruling over NYC.

    This all leads to a very frustrated actor, or maybe I’m more along the lines of a cameraman. I don’t really know. I do know we don’t have direction, and there sure as hell isn’t an overriding creative vision.

    So I retreat to music, I think about how long it has been since yesterday. I wonder what tomorrow will bring. I cling to the hope of a brighter future and try to find some dream that I believe in, that I can strive for, to give work a purpose. Simply cashing a check is no longer good enough. Perhaps the goal is sailing away…Maybe St. Lucia is calling me again…

  • 26Feb

    Draw me close

    My Journey No Comments

    Draw Me close - apparently by a group called Kutless. I think my Uncle Ken tried to introduce me to them, but I’ve not really given their CD any play time yet. I like this song a lot, and tonight for the first time it kind of hit me.

    First, the acknowledgment that I lay it all down again. Which for me is a continual process. I have a nasty habit of laying it all down, only to pick it up a few hours later. I’m also moved by the acknowledgement of what should be the case…”You’re all I want” and what *IS* the case “You’re all I’ve ever needed”.

    It is far too infrequently that I truly accept that Christ should be all I want, and far too infrequently that I acknowledge He’s all I ever need. I’m still hit by the acknowledgement though that we fail. “Help me find a way, bring me back to you” and “I lay it all down *again*” both give me pause…they give me hope.

    When the tank is on empty…so often we don’t lay it all down. We wallow in the futility of the emptiness. We become consumed by the emptiness (to steal a line from Nickel Creek) “there’s a kind of emptiness that can fill you” but you become a shell. Almost a shade. But what do you do when you know that you haven’t reached the point where “You’re all I want”?

    I get conflicted, confused and confounded by things like knowing that Christ is all I need, and should be all I want, yet there are desires of my heart that I’m also supposed to be able to ask for. He knows what I need, and what I want, and what is good for me. So do I even bother? Do I “go for the gold” or do I have to give it all up, to gain even more back.

    So many questions, so many choices, I just hope that I can lay it all down again. Help me find a way, bring me (back?) to you…

    But even that seems flawed. Help *ME* find a way…isn’t that the problem? He IS the WAY. Help me find YOU? I’m so confused…I think I need some sleep…

    Draw me close to you…never let me go…help me know you are near…

  • 20Feb

    Running on empty

    My Journey No Comments

    I was listening to a sermon series on the way down to Indy today. I have to say, I like the series. It is called “running on empty” and outlines the fact that we have three “tanks” - physical, emotional and spiritual and that many of us are running on empty.

    I listened to the first two parts on the way down to Indianapolis today. They were very interesting. I was hooked on the first part, and the second made sense though it hit a little close to home. I know I don’t take good enough care of my body, and I’m aware that the body is a temple and all that. I just think if God didn’t want us eating so much sugar and fatty foods he shouldn’t have made them so good!

    I’m very interested in hearing the rest of the series, but I think I need to revisit them on the computer. I find in the Santa Fe I’ve got for a rental that the sermons require the volume to be all the way up. So they tend to cycle between the pastor screaming and you not being able to hear. It was nice listening to something that engaged the brain on the way down though, it sure did make the drive go faster.

    I think I’ll save parts 3 and 4 for the trip back on Thursday. Assuming of course that I get to go HOME on Thursday! :-)

  • 19Feb

    Where the rubber meets the road

    My Journey No Comments

    We’re doing an interesting thing Sunday nights at The Journey right now. We’re watching the book of Matthew unfold via the big screen. This may sound odd, as the actors and actresses actually recite word for word the NIV (?)translation of the Book of Matthew.

    Tonight we got to the Sermon on the Mount. It was interesting because I’ve experienced this sermon used to make various points on Sunday’s throughout my life. The thing I noticed when watching this, and really letting it sink in (there’s something oddly comfortable in hearing these words from a live person)my initial reaction was “I can’t ever do that!”. I had the thought that these rules were impossible to live by, and it was shortly after this that we discussed that fact entirely. This was very much Jesus calling out the religious leaders of the day. You say don’t kill? Well, I say if you even get angry with someone you’re as bad as if you had killed them.

    I remember reading this as a Freshman in college and thinking, then what’s the point? Does this give me carte blanche to kill? ‘Cause I’ve darn sure been angry with numerous people in my life, but I don’t think I’d ever kill anyone. If they are equally as bad though, shouldn’t I just off people I don’t like?

    This is somewhat disturbing to think about, so I’d often settle back down to the sexual transgressions (they always seem more fun anyhow). Well, if even lusting after someone is as bad as adultery, shouldn’t I just be out there sleeping with anyone that will give me the chance? Sure, there is the little aside of “yeah right, in your dreams pal” but you know what I mean.

    Somewhere between the actual event, the recording of the event, and my reading about the recording of the event I’d lost the context. The point was that we, as humans, CAN NOT be perfect. The point is that at any laws established we WILL fail (as our definition of the law will not go far enough for God).

    The thing that really, honestly hit home though was that I took the whole “book knowledge” vs. actual application/life knowledge away from this encounter. Most of the times I’ve read the New Testament it has all been very dull, two dimensional and difficult for me to get emotionally vested. I’m seeing now that there is life here. There is emotion, excitement, happiness, sadness and a *reality* (via actors - I know, it’s an odd thought but it works) to the whole thing. I’m on my way to having the rubber meet the road myself. I’m being shaken out of my tendency to fall back to religion. We are called to be so much more, to one another and to those we don’t know. We are called to be the shining example that is not hidden under a bowl.

    Funny how it comes back to the child hood Sunday School songs…this little light of mine…I’m gonna let it shine…and billions of little lights shining make one awesome light show…

  • 19Feb

    Coming Soon

    My Journey No Comments

    Alright people, I think I’m done screwing around. As you may or may not have noticed, January 2006 went away. This is because I find I’ve got a better archive already out there, just in a different location. Robert tried to tell me this earlier tonight and I just didn’t quite get it.

    If you’d like access to the archive area, please let me know. The main theme for this year is somewhat restricted access. Consider this just another layer of caution on top of the use of the company name Initech.

    Again, if you would like a username and password please email me. Or respond to this post. I’ll create one for you (it may cost you though ;-)).

  • 19Feb

    Please Ignore January 2006

    My Journey No Comments

    There is nothing to see there, please move along. I think I am going to undo that which I have done. It will make things easier to read and understand (hopefully).

  • 19Feb

    A Note for Tom Crampton

    Armchair Quarterback, My Journey No Comments

    Mr. Crampton -

    Do you still have the link to the Xanga site of one George E? I know that he doesn’t update regularly, but I’d like to add his link back if you have it. I will continue to look for it, but I don’t have it handy at the moment.

    Thanks,

    BoatDrinks

  • 19Feb

    Welcome Back

    My Journey No Comments

    The saga continues Ladies and Gentlemen. The show must go on!

    Well, it took me the better part of the weekend, but I believe that you will find all previous WordPress posts now show up as “January 2006″ in the Attitudes section of the new blog. The blog is now being created using b2evolution and I’ve got added security and fun niceties like a built in spell check. I can’t thank Robert enough for helping me get this setup.

    If you happen to be browsing the old stuff in the Archive as January 2006, note that the chronological flow is gone. I updated all of the posts to be as of January 1, 2006 at 8:01:01 AM. Why did I do this? Because I could! Mwah ha ha ha!!!!

    This may irritate me enough in the future that I delete the posts again, and re import them. The old WordPress site is still out there. For the time being though, I am simply content to have the content (that was fun :-)) back out there. If you notice anything that you feel might warrant some extra security, please let me know. I can now mark my old posts as protected.

    If you would like to view all posts, please email me. I’ve already created users for Laurie and Robert (and Dave V. though I didn’t tell him yet) to test this out. For the time being, the only things that will be posted as “Protected” will largely be posts relating to Initech. If this does not interest you, don’t worry. I venture to guess that 95%+ of my posts will remain public.

    Also please note that the comments from the WordPress site are gone. I could bring them over, but I really didn’t feel like it. I may at some point merely point you to the wordpress stuff as it was back in the day. I think Robert said I could do this, I’m not sure.

    At any rate, welcome back to the show. I may continue experimenting with the look once I get more of the admin side of things figured out.

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