New song: "Too Much"

Listen to the song

       Relationships are a funny thing. For two people who may seem "made for each other" it becomes all so sour when they get to the point that, "they can't stand each other". Relationships are something that are not made to be disposable. They are like those great old cars. Brand new they run great and with care and maintenance they can last a lifetime. Maybe I am too much of a guy in my analogy, but I don't believe two things. One, Relationships are not to be entered to haphazardly. There is nothing is wrong with dating, but dating is when you see different people to try and figure out who you want to spend the rest of your life with. Once you figure out what you like, want and need in a life long mate then you find the right person and enter a relationship. If the "trial" period goes well then you ask for a hand in marriage and become engaged plan a wedding and live your life together. Not "happily ever after" but you live your life together. You Rock and Roll, Eb and flow your way through it. You grow old learning to know each other and adapting because when you love someone it no longer is about you it is about we and a big part of we is taking care of the other person with what they need, and communicating in an adult manner if you are not getting something that you need. "Need" being the key word there. "Wants" therefore NEED to be evaluated. No one sells themselves off but you work with your partner as a team. 

The following story is an all too common one that even I have found myself in.  In a society that tells us we can have what we want now and that it is okay spawns a lot of unhappy relationships. We might start off fine but get off course because we focus on the ME instead of the WE. We may put undue stress on our relationships by getting the houses, cars, and 2.5 kids in less than 2 years flat. We may botch every relationship we have because we focus on personal pleasure rather than life building. I turn around and see the waste laid in my past choices. Hurt feelings, scarred people (including myself) and a big pit of empty feelings that doesn't get anyone anywhere. The great thing about marriage is that it is supposed to last forever. You have years to get it right and years to get good at it. It takes time, patience, and most importantly love. Love doesn't mean that you will never get angry or have negative feelings for your chosen love, but it does mean that you will conquer those negative feelings and come out the other side stronger if you are persistent.  So if you find yourself in a similar situation as the story that unfolds here. First take a deep breath, its okay. Second, examine what type of relationship you have. What is it built upon? Then try and fix it. I am not saying it is easy but that is what prayer is for. I know that it may sound corny and stupid in this day and age but if you take the time to get down on your knees and pray answers are forthcoming.

“Too Much”

<Verse 1>

Rolling down the winding road

Everything so far away

Caught outside in the rain

And everything that isn’t me

<Verse 2>

She said she needed things

Like travel to foreign Lands

She wanted everything 

She wanted another man  

<Chorus>

It wasn’t me It wasn’t her

It was too much to bother

Too much time to save to save it all

Could she cry could he say goodnight

No one seems to know   

<Verse 3>

He said he wanted things

Like a girl warm in his bed

He didn’t know where he was

Or where he was going

So lost all his life

So confused it isn’t right

So he walked away from it all

Into a world that began to fall 

<Chorus>

It wasn’t me It wasn’t her

It was too much to bother

Too much time to save to save it all

Could she cry could he say goodnight

No one seems to know   

<Verse 4>

So lost in this land 

Looking for what's right here

So blind for the world

And what it says to have

Can they find their way?

Can they see anything

Perhaps a guiding hand

Perhaps its time to change

<Chorus>

It wasn’t me It wasn’t her

It was too much to bother

Too much time to save to save it all

Could she cry could he say goodnight

No one seems to know   

How I Get Through My Day

Faith is a funny thing. Well, maybe not funny but it can be very tricky to negotiate. Believing in something that you cannot not see can be very hard especially if we are not looking. I know that I am very different. I have been told that all my life. 

I feel my faith. I have seen things. I have experienced things. This by no means makes me special. I feel very luck that I am who I am and that I have been down the road that I have traveled even though I have made some major mistakes in my time I have found my way back with some help. Faith for me is like a muscle. The more I exercise it the stronger I become. To be able to walk through your day with faith is a very hard thing to do.

There have been several times when my wife Tannie Smith has asked me, "Aren't you worried about _____ or _____" and I will respond, "No I have faith that everything will be okay". I pray every day for help, enlightenment and protection. Do I think that this absolves me from problems? No, but my faith in my God and Jesus relaxes me enough that I don't worry, and if something does go wrong that God will give me what I need to stride through. I know it sounds odd but that is what goes through my head when I see the following passage.

Luke 7: 1 - 10
1 After he had ended all his sayings in the hearing of the people he entered Caper'na-um.
2 Now a centurion had a slave who was dear to him, who was sick and at the point of death.
3 When he heard of Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his slave.
4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy to have you do this for him,
5 for he loves our nation, and he built us our synagogue."
6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof;
7 therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed.
8 For I am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, `Go,' and he goes; and to another, `Come,' and he comes; and to my slave, `Do this,' and he does it."
9 When Jesus heard this he marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude that followed him, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."
10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well.

Trying to Keep My Head Up and Eyes Open

I've had the pleasure to meet some talented people. My mother always told me never to judge someone by how the look or where they are from. I am very thankful because I have met loads to talented, touched people from all walks of life. The things they have shared have been every thing from life changing to being the person that has just the right thing to say at the right time to get me through my day when it is tough.

I no I am no one special. I am just some guy that try's to do good and be good. Inevitably I fall on my face from time to time. I get up and try again. I apologize to people I offend and try not to do it again. I think that the first step to moving forward and helping others is being open to enlightenment. I know that if I don't open myself to something greater than me I will never become anything.

This can be rather humbling. I find that when I have the attitude that, "Hey I'm great" I get so caught up in my own self appreciation that I block my ability to help others because I am too busy glorifying myself. I work hard to stay humble, to look out instead of in. To be one of the chosen 12 must have been an amazing thing. To even be a disciple following Jesus' travels must have been cool place to be. I may have a moment or two here or there where I feel the holy spirt come into me and I use it well. Feels like the best shot of love I can ever get, sorta like watching my kids open their presents on Christmas day.

To have the opportunity to help someone in their time of need is truly a gift we only but need to open our eyes to see the opportunity. We don't need to do something so awesome as to cure someone's disease by touch. I'll leave that up to the big man. For now I will be satisfied helping those in need with either the extra money in my pocket, the helping hand to someone who is overwhelmed, or the peace of mind to someone that feels they are all alone.


Luke 6: 12 - 19
12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God.
13 And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles;
14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew,
15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,
16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
17 And he came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
18 and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured.
19 And all the crowd sought to touch him, for power came forth from him and healed them all.

I don't know what to think

A peculiar thing happened today. I was going over some of the federalist papers and a few comments I found interesting.

"If we defined this term bay referring to the different principles which form the basis of other forms of government then we could define a republic as being a government which derives all of its powers directly or indirectly from the majority of the People, administered by representatives who hold their offices/positions at the pleasure of the People, for a limited time period, or during good behavior."

I found this interesting especially the part about "limited time period, or during good behavior", I would love to laugh if it didn't seem so contrary to what happens today

My jaw dropped when I heard that members of congress are not held to the same standards as the general public in regard to insider trading laws. Today I came across this.

"There is an additional restraint that will prevent the Representatives from becoming oppressive: Any law they make will be just as applicable to themselves and their friends as it is to the rest of society.  This has always been considered one of the strongest ties by which men can bind the People and their rulers together.  It creates a common interest and feeling between the two. Few  governments have provided this example, but all governments degenerate into tyranny without it.  If someone asked:"What will keep the House of Representatives from engaging in any sort of legal discrimination in favor of themselves and a particular class of society?" I would answer: the genius of the whole system, the nature of just and constitutional laws, and above all, the vigilant and courageous spirit that stirs the American People, a spirit that nourishes freedom, and is in return nourished by it.  If this spirit is ever corrupted to the point that it will tolerate a law that does not apply to both the legislature and the People, then the People will be prepared to tolerate anything but liberty."

I really wonder if the founding fathers would believe what we are putting up with today. We even have a head of the tax code that doesn't pay his taxes.

Its time to get involved. Its time to pay attention. Its time to demand more from our government.