Sunday, November 30, 2014

Aging, is it a good thing?

I'm 46, in my mind I don't feel 46. If I'm walking through a mall I'll encounter people and I'll see someone and I'll think, geez look at that old guy and then the realization comes that he's very close to my own age. Then I'll think, how can that be? Where did all the time go? I've been robbed!! Who is this middle aged man I see in the mirror?

Anyway, there are pros and cons to everything. I have very little to complain about. My health is good. I have a good vocation. I have been traveling several times the last couple of years. I have very little overhead and live a simple home life. My stress levels are always good. I love my imperfect church. I love my imperfect family. I love my imperfect life.

On some levels I wish I had a larger circle of close friends. On the other hand I do not like to be committed to so many activities that I don't have sufficient downtime. I enjoy alone time, and I mean enjoy it. If I don't have time to zone out and ponder then I am not happy. I guess that's to ages advantage, not trying to be something I'm not.

I am no longer trying to fit into a box that's not me, that I don't fit into. At one time if I caught a displeased look from a person I used to explain my actions and justify what I was doing in some vain attempt to please and/or impress other people. For the most part what other people think or don't think of your actions means nothing and comes to nothing. Most people have a slightly better attention span than a Nat and even if you did explain a situation they would only remember their first impression of the situation anyways so your words are wasted. So I save my breath now unless I am asked questions and someone is actually interested in hearing what I have to say. Discretion really is the better part of Valour!

So age has its advantages. Or at least I feel that way. I take more pleasure away from the simple things. I am not living my life in a way to please others. I am trying to live a God honouring life even if I do fall short from time to time. In certain ways I probably play it safe too much. However taking chances can have dire consequences. I believe I have a level of wisdom(not trying to be boastful because I know I have a lot still to learn) that age has afforded me. I have peace in my soul.

Now that being said. I have a lot of life left to live. I need to keep striving for more knowledge. I need to utilize the gifts God has given me for his purposes. I need to keep setting goals. I need to get a deeper connection to Jesus(10 years in and really I've barely scratched the surface). With wisdom and knowledge I do need to keep putting myself out there. Playing it safe is not what those of great faith do.

However levels of contentment and satisfaction are not necessarily bad things. Being happy is good. In fact in Ecclesiastes it is written: Being happy in your lot is a gift of God. So thank you Father for the gift my life is and thank you also for the adventures that await me. Even the ones I may not enjoy at the time.

Blessings!


Monday, November 3, 2014

My rant for tonight

I wrote the following to a popular local news program. I am so tired of being pigeon-holed as some right wing dullard.

As a Christian I am a little offended at us always being painted with a big C conservative brush. I have never voted for a PC, Socred, BC Liberal, Reform or Conservative candidate in my life. Jesus was not a right wing thinker. Just read the accounts of his life and his words. In fact the early Church, or The Way as it was referred to, was more left leaning than anything else IMO. Let me remind people that Tommy Douglas was a Baptist preacher before he became a left wing political icon.

Unfortunately the Right wing movement has swept up a lot of Christians and a lot of Ministries in its whirlwind. I get offended by my own Church at times too. I am a Christian but very much still an individual however I do believe Gay/Lesbian living is sin. I am also against abortion. Killing a baby is killing a baby no matter how you want to portray it. These are sins according to the Bible. In this post modern world that we live in such notions are portrayed as antiquated or old fashioned or whatever other catch phrase is popular this week. They are sin just as much as murder and gambling and drunkenness and promiscuity and theft and and and.

There are many Churches today that have taken a poor stance on some of the above. They are picking and choosing what to follow from the scriptures. It is easy to be led astray. The world has a lot of influences and pop culture that says:

You deserve it
It isn't hurting anyone
Just a little is okay
This is how I am oriented

I am also not condemning others for their sinful acts. We all fall down, we all can get back up again. I am sure in my Church family there are people living in sin. There is room in heaven for us all if we accept that fact. However if my Church was run by leaders who were openly living a sinful lifestyle I would have to find a new Church. Nobody in my Church is perfect but we are striving for perfection. Grace and love are more powerful than judging and condemnation. My love is imperfect but Jesus has so much love that he loves everyone and loves everyone equally. However living in sin and teaching others to do likewise is terrible and has consequences for the teacher as well as the student.

I believe the tide has turned. People judge the Church and Christians much more so than the other way around. The whole case against allowing Trinity Western University to have a Law school is not based on Law but on personal feelings. You would think Lawyers would be more objective but I guess people are people.

I am not telling people how to live their lives in my day to day life. I work under, with and over people with radically different views but am not their morality monitor. That is one of the things I truly cherish about being a Canadian. I am free to live my life the way I desire to with very few limitations.

That's my rant for today. Thanks for reading it through and God Bless.

James