PLAY TIME

Look beyond what's now

Tuesday night as Mom and I were leaving the church small group to go home I looked up and saw a newish moon lighting some moving clouds. I said, "Oh look, Lizzie, see the moon." The others had come outside too and were and were talking among themselves as we all had been doing for the preceding two hours. The moon drew me away; I went to another place or state than the present scene.

Although it's certainly not a good practice to be mentally absent from those around you too often, it is beneficial from time to time. It will make a wider playing field for your mind and make the experience of you life richer.

As you go about your business observe, notice. Think of the attributes of what you're seeing; how does it relate to other things? How does it relate to People, governments, your family? Does it have important eternal meaning, or is it just curious? This will feed your arsenal of topics for discussion. Bring it into your life: talk with others about it, discuss it, ask questions about it.

For me this is entertaining, it's amusing. It's, well, playing. I like playing. Playing is better than work (or worse, doing nothing). It's really good if work is play.

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU DO, IT'S WHO YOU DO

No matter what you do or what you have, it will all pass away. The things you have eventually will go into anothers ownership; they will disintegrate into dust or be dissolved into some fluid. The job you do will be done by someone else who will do it differently.

People are the only thing that last: influence and ideas pass from generation to generation. They pass from culture to culture.

A man has influence if he is among other people either physically or remotely by phone or other ways (writing, internet, letters). If I do not seek the opportunities to influence I can not waste my time regretting that I have no influence. If I do not try to make myself of consequence then I will be of no consequence.

If I look in the mirror I should smile at myself because I am the only one who is going to get it done -- and I can make me do it. All the value that I am is right there.

I am a very valuable man; Jesus thought so -- thinks so. So do not waste the value.

Small dreams bring small results, big dreams bring big results, no dreams bring no results.

Go thou, influence!

THE EMBRACE OF GOD

[Originally from MotorcycleMoment Blog].  I was sitting in church Sunday and heard one of those songs using the phrase the "embrace of God". I can not identify with the "embrace of God". I suppose it's because my father never embraced me. No men I knew in my childhood embraced. It was not a "manly" thing to do.

I don't remember my Father ever touching me in any way except to spank me when I deserved it. (And I'm sure I did deserve it.) I never got spanked much; I don't really remember a specific instance of it. I just know it happened once and a while. Never a pat on the shoulder or a poke in the ribs.

So, the "embrace of God" means nothing to me.

I treated my boys differently because I heard from somewhere that Fathers were supposed to show physical affection to their children. These days it is "old fashioned" for men not to show affection. So I showed it to my boys.

It was easy when they were young. Yet when my sons grew into their teens my childhood experience tried to kick in: "real men don't hug". But I fought it and hugged my boys anyway. Today we hug. It's the manly sort of hug: throw your shoulder into the other guy and put an arm around the back. A few pats don't hurt.

I wonder if my sons understand "the embrace of God"?

THE BALD HEADED PARROT

Before I went to elementary school I wanted to hang out with the big boys. My brothers and the neighbor kids used to sit on the stonewall in the yard next to us. I was not really welcome. As I was listening to them one day they told this joke about a one-legged, one-eyed parrot who lived on a farm and liked to f--- the chickens (yes, they used that word). I did not understand the joke but all the rest seemed to like it. They told me to leave. I went back to the house where my Aunt Janice was visiting with my Mother. Since the joke was supposed to be funny I thought they would enjoy it, so I told it to them. In my youthful way I stumbled along until I got the part where I told them what the parrot liked to do with the chickens. I noticed grey expressions moving accords their faces. I couldn't finish the joke for they stopped me and told me to go outside and tell my brothers to come in. I did not understand why, but I knew it was not going to be good.