Sleepwalker.

Socrates taught that we shouldn't rush through our lives focusing on things that didn't really matter. He believed we sort of "sleepwalk" our way through life sometimes and we should always strive to reflect on what's really important. Instead of getting lost in an increasingly busy culture, we should stop to reflect on deeper issues like "who am I?" and "what is my purpose in life?" That our philosophical world view should always be improving our souls.

I think about that for myself. I spend a lot of time distracted in a maze of social networking, entertainment, and pop culture. I put a lot of emphasis on things that don't really matter and I won't care about in ten years. Why don't I focus more on myself? Why don't I live up to my full potential? It's a constant struggle of priorities.

So what's the point of my blog? Don't waste your life. It's too important to waste. Second of all, what do you want to be remembered by? You watched TV and spend ten hours on Facebook, like everyone else. You chased wealth, health, status....like everybody else. Or do you want to build a personal legacy? A reputation? Chase goals and dreams? Create memories, a lasting impression, devotion to others, the list goes on and on.

My mother said something one day. She said that we won't look back at the end of our lives saying "I wish I worked more" but instead we'll say, "I wish I had spent more time with my family." It's a nice thought and probably true. But do we really want to look back at the end of our lives and say, "I wish I would have watched more TV, focused more on sports, more on making more money and being well liked and well known." Or will we say, "I wish I wouldn't of let fear stop me from taking that risk, I wish I would have gotten off the couch to play with my kids more, I wish I had a career that made me happy instead of rich, I wish I had focused more on my relationships instead of shuffling through all my days without purpose."

You've probably read the book Tuesdays with Morrie, right? I watched the made-for-TV movie when I was a kid and read the book for my "Psychology of Personal Adjustment" class last semester. Sure, Morrie can be kind of cheesy and corny at times. But through all the Dr. Phil-esque quotes, you can find a few gems. One of them is, "So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they're chasing the wrong things."

We focus on things that don't matter--and certainly won't matter at the end of our lives. We waste our lives. And I'm not singling anyone out, we all do it to a degree. But what depresses me is thinking about how much of my life I've wasted after moving out of my parents house in my late-teens. I've wasted away the last four or five years doing things that didn't matter. Spending money, devoting time, giving energy....and for what? I have nothing to show for it.

If I died tomorrow, I would be an extremely unaccomplished person. There would be grudges I never settled, lives I didn't touch, people I mistreated, situations I avoided and dreams I never chased. One of the rewarding aspects of this past year is realizing I've had my priorities out of whack and trying my best to ponder the deep questions Socrates argues we should all ponder. 

I ponder those questions. Because I don't want to waste my life. I don't want to be half-asleep at the wheel and I don't want to sleepwalk aimlessly through my days holding onto security and certainty, while avoiding the conflict of purpose and potential. 

So, I ponder those questions. And I look to God for answers. 

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

Blogs suck.

Blogs suck. They really, really do. It's a bunch of people talking about their lives, while stroking their egos. I'm certainly not immune from that. I try my best to just write on topic's that interest me but sometimes I come off as arrogant, self righteous, and like a know-it-all. Half of the blogs I write are never published and some of them I've wrote, (and maybe you've read) I've later deleted because I re-read them and didn't like the tone.

Sharing opinions and views are okay. But sometimes reading blogs makes you want to punch a wall or yell in an empty field. One of the worst things I've done is read some of the religious blogs. In particular, there is one I read that drives me insane. They'll prescribe the problem they see and offer a solution. But the whole thing reeks of pride, even when talking about humility. It reeks of self righteous religiosity and arrogant holier-than-thou circle jerks. Pardon my language, perfect bloggers.

It just rubs me the wrong way reading a blog about humility and admitting fault when it's filled with "I'm great because ____" and so many "I's", your head will spin. And it's not just religious blogs. I was reading another blog about a topic that interests me. The author made every attempt to provoke readers and gain attention. Are we that self-absorbed we'll use our blogs to play "Look at me! Look at me!" with our writing?

Sometimes I read other peoples blogs and it makes me never want to blog again because I'm afraid people will see me in the same light. Sometimes I read my OWN blogs and see myself in the same light. So what's the point of this blog? I'm not sure. Frustration, pet peeves, airing my complaints with society.

Wow, my blog sucks too.

Don't be surprised if this is deleted soon....

Lessons from Hobo Cat

For anyone who doesn't read my statuses on Facebook, this my friends is hobo cat. We found her yesterday in a bush outside of my apartment complex. She's incredibly sweet and lovable, and in all seriousness, we named her Calico--not hobo cat. You may call her Cali for short if you'd like or simply hobo cat if you're into nicknames like me.

The point is Cali is sweet, lovable, sensitive in all the right ways, caring, humble, easy going, easy to get along with, and unselfish. Everything you should strive to be in a human being, she's accomplished as a cat. In other words, if an angel could be a kitty, Cali would be it. Even when she placed her claws into my couch, all I had to do was rebuke her and she listened. I wish they made more humans who listened to correction and criticism like Cali has.

My point is if this cat can get it right, why can't we?

I've spent 24 hours with this cat and I've observed unique qualities in her that I think we should all aspire to possess in our own lives.

So what can hobo cat teach us?

1. Don't sweat the small stuff- Joel gets worried easily. And I can identify with that because I used to be the same way. One of my favorite verses in Scripture is Luke 12:25, which asks the simple question: "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" The simple answer is....no one. No one can add an hour to their day by worrying. And that's the point. The great irony in that verse is that worrying doesn't add anything to your life, it instead takes away from your life. It takes your time, money, energy and emotions. So stop sweating the small stuff. But don't take my word for it, ask hobo cat. She's sleeping for the 13th hour today.

2. Focus on what's important- I know it sounds cliche but it's absolutely true. The more you listen to self-help gurus, spiritual leaders and experts; they all seem to say the same thing. Don't overcomplicate your life, slim down your life by getting your priorities in order, don't take on more than you can handle, set realistic goals, live a more simple life instead of a hard one. It kind of ties in with "Don't sweat the small stuff" but basically get your priorities in order. Focus on what really matters in life. For me that's four things: Family, friends, faith and finances. I try my best to stick to that model but that doesn't mean I'm always successful. But if Cali can stick to her priorities (eating, sleeping and....pooping) than we can focus on what matters in our lives. If hobo cat can avoid trouble (like chasing birds into the street) and additional stress (you heard me, Cali....don't break anything) than so can we. Follow hobo cat's lead...focus on what's important.

3. Love wins-  What's cuter than a cuddly cat begging to be loved? Why can't we be that loving? Why can't we be so consumed with love we beg to be loved back? The great part about it is as Cali displays love towards me, the more I show love right back. Man, maybe we could rub off on people in a positive way if we were just more like my stray cat and less like the self-absorbed, materialistic people we've become. Imagine what kind of relationships we'd have in our lives if we just followed my hobo cat's lead. As Charlie Sheen would say, "WINNING!"

Those are the three lessons I've learned from hobo cat in the past 24 hours. I have to say, hobo cat is an incredible life coach. Guys like Tony Robbins and Joel Osteen could probably learn a thing or two from hobo cat. Now if you'll excuse me, hobo cat is sleeping and I don't want my loud typing to wake her. I can tell because she's curled up and her paws are twitching like she's having a dream. Maybe she's dreaming of a better world where people were kinder, gentler, focused...and with less dogs.

God Love Gays.

I really like this sermon and wanted to share it. It's not a pro-gay sermon (He even seems to share the same position as most Christians on homosexuality), nor it is an anti-gay sermon. I think it's a very level head approach to the issue of homosexuality. It's an open appeal to love each other, no matter their race, gender and yes....even sexual orientation.

It is five parts. I encourage you to watch all five parts. You don't have to agree with every part of the sermon, I know I don't. But it gives you something to think about and consider.

Here's part one:

"Regardless of what your take is on homosexuality, it's not our job to judge or condemn. It is our job to love. We're actually commanded by Jesus to love."

Where's R.E.M. when you need it?

Remember when they said the world would end in 2012?

That supposedly the Mayan calendar had predicted the end was near. Many shows on television speculated about the apocalypse and it even sparked a hit movie. Most universally laughed at the notion and it's now seen as myth and unreasonable paranoia. 

I don't know when the world will end but I seriously doubt it'll be 2012. Or 2011.

If you've read the headlines lately, it's hard to miss the "world is coming to an end" rhetoric of Harold Camping and the Family Radio broadcasting network. They believe that date is May 21st, 2011.

That's right! The world will end....tomorrow!

Camping says he has "infallible, absolute proof" that Judgment Day is upon us. According to him and his sketchy mathematics, the Bible predicts tomorrow as the Day of the Rapture. So if you planned a trip to the lake tomorrow, don't worry about it. If you had dinner plans or decided to go out, don't even bother. Tomorrow is when God will call believers to heaven.

.....Or maybe not.

I would like to disprove Harold Camping with two simple facts:

1. We've been here, done this before. Christians have claimed the world was going to end for decades and decades. This is nothing new. Remember when Pat Robertson said it would end in the 1980's? It came, it went and nothing happened. To make matters worse for Harold Camping, he's predicted this before. He said the world would end in 1994. My sister was born in '94 and she's 16 years old now. Harold, she's testimony to your credibility on this whole prediction game.

2. Jesus says you're wrong. Who should I trust? Jesus or Harold Camping. "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." - Mark 13:32. When Christ speaks, we listen. If he says no one will know the date than no one will know. I tend to take him at his word. Since, uh, well....you know.

So now that we have that out of the way, let's look at the bigger issue here. Harold Camping has become an excuse for the media to attack Christians. Most Christians aren't flocking to Family Radio's side. In fact, most have distanced themselves from him completely and quoted the same verse I just provided. And yet, many take this opportunity to mock Christianity because of this fringe group. Atheist groups are even organizing "Rapture parties" mocking the pie-in-the-face that will no doubt take place tomorrow for Harold.

This isn't the first time recently that fringe Christian groups have made a mockery of religion in the media. The Supreme Court case victory of Westboro Baptist Church made it possible for fringe churches to preach hateful, vicious things and hide under free speech. Then there's the church in Florida that made headlines for threatening to burn the Quran, causing Muslims to promise violence, fueling worldwide anger. 

I know what you're saying.....these are isolated incidents of fringe religious groups that do not speak for all Christians. Which is true. But that doesn't stop the media from painting Christianity with a broad brush. And we certainly don't help the case when we attack other Christians and label them heretics left and right.

Insert, Rob Bell. I don't agree with Rob Bell. I don't even think Rob Bell is that great of a communicator or leader. But he's influential, he's got a big church and a big megaphone to spark debate. And he's done that. We can disagree with him and argue with him without throwing out labels or becoming hateful. Many Christians labeled him a heretic over his book "Love Wins" without even reading the book. Many reacted hatefully to a book that interestingly enough had the word "love" in the title.

We don't have to let the media play off Christians as fringe, out of touch and crazy. But when we put fuel on the fire, we have no one to blame but ourselves. When I was an atheist, I easily latched onto things like these as ammo against religion. The problem with Christianity today is it's not a loving conversation but a hateful confrontation. We're eager to be the loudest in the room but not eager enough to shut up, listen to others and then give them our own testimony of God.

So that's my take on May 21st, 2011.

That's your cue, R.E.M.

Us vs. Them

Why do we love the "us vs. them" attitudes in America?

We thrive on differences and obsess about conflict. Just look at our politics. Democrats and Republicans. Both parties eager to convince us the other is bad, out of touch and a nightmare for the country. They spend millions of dollars trashing each other and wedging differences between voters to keep power. Never mind that both parties have been corrupted and gutted of moral courage and common sense. They want us to pick a side and defend that side against brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and neighbors. You're a Republican. You're a Democrat.

It amazes me how much paranoia I see with in the religious community. How they like to play the game like everyone is out to get them. "It's the enemy, it's the enemy" they'll proclaim when things don't go their way. It could be a cop out for a situation they're responsible for but they blame it on the "enemy" and make it them versus the enemy. Bad kids? Enemy. Bad marriage? Enemy. Bad situation? It's the enemy, stupid. God did say you'll have an enemy. God did mention that the enemy will try and knock you off your path. However, God didn't say you don't have personal responsibility and you don't play a role in your own good and bad situations.

Recently someone close to me had some conflicts with others. After the situation had settled down and simmered a bit, an unleashing of Facebook statuses took place. He would come to me saying "I can't even go on Facebook without ten different statuses about this same situation." The other side of the conflict was posting statuses about how the enemy was attacking, everyones out to get them, people are trying to tear them apart. Now what amazed me about this wasn't the compulsive statuses posted one after another. 

It was the fact that these people insisted that they had no personal responsibility and it was some other force out to get them. I've been thrust into this situation by no choosing of my own. I was just an innocent bystander until this person close to me dragged me into it. And maybe I needed to be, to inject some sanity into the mix. Nothing was getting accomplished. But unfortunately, nothing is still getting accomplished. The situation is tense, hurtful and at a fever pitch.

They've made it us vs. them. They've picked their "enemy" to blame it on and decided to ignore their personal responsibility and pretend they have no blame. As for me and my loved one that this blog originates from, we're not going to live our lives that way. I refuse to let us. It's not us versus anyone. I don't have any enemies but myself. And when I get into a hot mess that I've created, I'm going to try my best to admit my mistake and advance forward.

"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, jthat each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." - 2 Corinthians 5:10

"For heach one shall bear his own load." - Galatians 6:5

Deja Vu Unity

I was in seventh grade on September 11th, 2001.

It's one of those moments you don't forget. People who were alive when John F. Kennedy was assassinated can tell you where they were, what they were doing and who they were with. 9/11 was one of those JFK-like moments.

I was in history class talking to my best friend at the time. Our teacher was called out into the hall and came back crying. We turned on the television and sat in silence as we watched the events unfold. I don't think I'll ever forget that moment. I don't think any of us will.

Osama Bin Laden and his band of extremists attacked America and unleashed a war that we're still fighting to this day. Yesterday when my mother called me with the news that Bin Laden finally met his maker, I couldn't help but stop what I was doing to go into my living room to turn on the news.

Like many of you, I stayed glued to the TV for the next few hours. I couldn't help but get involved with the running social network commentary that everyone was doing about the event. I cheered along as Americans celebrated outside the White House chanting, "USA! USA! USA!"

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog that proclaimed the bad guys always win. The thief gets away with it. The liar slips away untouched. The company that's no good will make record profits while we struggle.

This is one of those situations where good triumphed evil. All the while, I didn't rejoice at the death of Osama Bin Laden. I wouldn't rejoice at the death of any man. But I did rejoice that justice was served and those families affected by his actions may now find peace.

Just like we were united when Osama shattered the hopes of many of our individuals and brought our nation to it's knees, we're united as Osama finds justice.

But how long will the unity last? Not long. Not long at all.

Soon the news media will go back to the Royal Weddings and the Charlie Sheen's of the world. The White House and our government will go back to fighting and positioning for election year. We'll go back to work, get lost in the distractions of our entertainment and move on with our lives.

Maybe unity is just an ideal. Maybe it's not possible. And when it does happen, it's temporal. But for this brief moment, like so many of you--I'm proud to be an American. And I'm proud that good triumphed over evil and that this mass killer was brought to justice after ten long years.