"Get back up buddy, try again"

   Earlier today  I was sitting in the living room, watching the kids play.  I was thinking about what my next step would be when I finally got that dreaded call from the recent employer I interviewed with saying that I just did not meet the standards they were looking for. (granted, that has not happened.  I just feel the interview went poor, and it will happen)
    Emerson & Mason were sitting next to the babygate.  Singing, dancing, doing their thing.  Emerson then decides to pull herself up on the fence.  Mason is next.  He looks at her, then looks at the fence.  He pulls himself up to his knees, then proceeds to start to move his left foot under him to stand up with his sister.  Mason stands up for a split second only to fall down on his bum.  He turns and looks at me with the saddest disappointed face i've ever seen.  I hear the words "Get back up buddy, try again" come out of my mouth.   I automatically think the same thing in regards to my job hunt.  "Get back up buddy, try again". My Heavenly Father used me( in encouraging my son ) to encourage myself. (His son)
   I knew it was from God the minute I said it, because it was literally a split second until i thought it in regards to myself.  Anyone who says God can't/won't use anyone or anything to get his message across...Just re-read this post. 
   Am I bummed that this job may not work out.  Sure.  But like Mason,  I'll eventually "get it".


Mind = Blown.

A message to Employers...

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as if working for the Lord, not for human masters
                                 -Colossians 3:23


   Okay, I get that, and try to do it everyday, but some jobs make it very hard.  How much effort would it take on the part of employers to occasionally say things along the lines of “ Good morning Sally.  How are the husband and kids”?  Or “good job Steve, I really noticed your hard work today”!  Just an acknowledgement of caring. Rather than the fact of “how can I use them to further my gain”?
I don't feel that’s too much to ask.  Bosses are more concerned about their employees staying late to work on a “big presentation” for the next day. Rather than letting Bill go home to relieve his wife, who’s going on 3 hours of sleep from staying up with their sick newborn all night and needs a break, just to get a nap.
   I know, sadly I am not alone in this discouragement.  There are bosses like that everywhere.  My question is-- why? How hard is it to take 5 minutes to check up on Bob’s family rather than “I need this on my desk by 5”(especially if its 8 am).  Unfortunately that’s the way things are. Again…Why?  If I was a boss, even of a minimum wage establishment like McDonald’s, I would take the time to show my employees I cared (or was at least pretending to) Perhaps that’s why I like the show “undercover boss” so much.  They act like they care.
     I am the American working man, and this is how I feel.

2012: year in review (only a tad late)

Another year come, another year past.  It seems like 2012 flew by.  2013 seems to be no different.  Here I am writing my end of the year blog on January 9, 2013.  Wowza!  Looking back at http://lifeasiknowitmd.blogspot.com/2012/01/new-year.html  it looks like I did the same thing.  Procrastinated until the middle of the first full week of the new year to write about the past one.  I should make my resolution this year to be more prompt on next years "year in review" blog.

Alas, I digress.  A lot has happened this year.  Pretty notable national stories, and some very notable personal stories.  I had to go back and google the top news stories of the year, because well, I forgot some of them.  I have debated over and over with myself on which to share, and then, which order to share them in.  Some are sad.  Some are fun.  After long consideration, I have decided to go ahead and get the sad parts of 2012 out of the way, in hopes to continue into this new year on a happy note.  So here we go.

•  Mass Shootings: This, sadly, was in the news a lot this past year.  Most notably the movie theater shooting in Colorado, and the elementary school shooting in Connecticut.  This is clearly an issue with today’s society.  There have been shootings in the past, but unfourtunatly seems to be becoming more common.  I’m not sure if its gun control, or people and their mental state (and the inability to diagnose it ) that is the problem here.  I’m not going to pretend to.  What I do know though, is that it’s straight up scary, and something needs to be done about it.  
•  Super Storm Sandy:  I don’t know much about this either.  I just know that it is not the first of it’s kind either.  I believe the book “the perfect storm” was based on another Sandy type storm that took place a few years back.  Also, who can forget that horrific Tsunami from 2004.  What is this world’s weather coming to? 

Okay.  Those are out of the way.  It’s tough to bring that stuff up, but it’s history, and I think it needs to be remembered, and talked about. I promise the rest of this blog to be more cheery.

•  Honey Boo Boo: Who is this girl?  Where did she come from, and who thought it would be a good idea to give this girl, her own show?  It is completely silly, and some people’s guilty pleasure, but I promise to all of those outside the state of Georgia--that is not what we are all like.  
•  Iphone 5: Yep.  The new Iphone came out in 2012.  I am lucky enough to say that I was able to get one.  The first in my family.  It was a nice change of pace because I had the 3 for so long.  My wonderful wife surprised me with it for my birthday.( I thought I was just going to upgrade to a 4)  I was a bit of a pain about it at first, because it was a bit more expensive, and I would have been perfectly content with the 4, but now,  three months later, I’m glad she talked me into the 5.  I love it.  
• Elections:  The presidential election was held this year, and it is always an exciting time.  Really feeling like a part of the government, and making the decision who runs our country for the next 4 years.(even though my guy did not get elected.)  Politics can be a touchy subject with some folks.  I get upset when my candidate doesn’t win, but I also realize that God is in true control in the end.  Not to mention, I feel the government is set up so that one person can not have complete power.
•  London Olympics:  Finally, maybe the best memory of 2012 for  the country as a whole.  The U.S. went into London, and dominated!  Bringing home the second most medals behind only China(and we all know they cheat anyway)  I have been known to say that “The Olympics are a time when I care about sports for 14 days that I wouldn’t care about the other 351.  This year was no different.  I stayed up late at night watching the Women’s gymnastics team kill it!  Came home from work in the afternoon, and quickly turned on the women’s soccer to see how they were doing, and even passed up my normal prime time shows(most of which were reruns anyway) to watch…wait for it…beach volleyball.  You hear about different things being “good for the sport”?  The Olympics truly are “Good for these sports”.  

Now, what did 2012 bring for me personally?  Family time, and lots of it.  It started with Russ’ wedding in Augest followed by a weekend trip out to Seattle in November for David’s.

  Christmas time was spent at our house.  Charity’s parents, sister, and my parents and grandmother all came over for Christmas day breakfast.  Such a great time.  I am truly blessed with amazing parents, and equally amazing in-laws. I love my in-laws.  Did I luck out or what?
Then we went over to mom and dads for Christmas night dinner.  Good times.  Perhaps it was practice for next year because……


The biggest, and best news to come out of 2012.  Charity and I found out we will be welcoming 2 little ones into the world in late June/early July.  We will find out this week the gender, and let inquiring minds know as soon as we know more.


   As for resolutions…Last years predictions were dead on.  I didn’t do to well on the “gym” resolution.  I have yet to break 90 on the golf course (or even break 100 regularly) I do feel though that I have kept up with this blog pretty well.  So 1 out of  3 isn’t bad…right?

   On to this years resolutions.  1) I plan to continue to blog.  Perhaps even more so with so much more that’s soon to take place this year.  2) I will likely not play as much golf later in the year, so I will leave it at breaking 100…occasionally.  3) Gym…Yeah, I'll be honest...probably not.
 
   One new addition for this year:  to be the best Dad I can be.  I will do everything in my power to raise the best kids possible.  To be a teammate, and partner to Charity in raising our kids, and to give them the best lives we can.

Loving the Unloveable

It has been so long since I posted.  It's not that I lack ideas to write about. In fact I have so many ideas of things I want to write about. It's simply a matter of getting it out of "mambo jumbo that no one other than myself will understand form" and into coherent English.  That being said, I have been toying with this post for about a week now.  I think I finally have it to the point that I like it.  So here we go, "the latest from the album "life as I know it.....

Show me how to love the unlovableShow to reach the I reachableHelp me now, to do the impossibleForgiveness, forgiveness

   This is the chorus from one of Matthew West's new songs.  I whistle, hum, or sing it to myself all the time.  It really seems like a good play book for part of what God has planned for us, and our time here. "Love the Unlovable".  "Reach the Unreachable".  This post is going to hit specifically on the "loving the unlovable".

   It's easy to love those that love you back.  Your parents.  Your spouse.  Your friends.  Even that person you used to talk to everyday, but for some reason haven't talked to in months.  This is great, and God loves it, but we are called to "love thy neighbor as yourself"(Mark 12:31) "Neighbor" does not just mean your "physical neighbor".  It means toward all man.  Even the person who does you wrong.  Even the person who almost runs you off the road after cutting you off in traffic. We ( as the upset sinner who just got cut off) try to "Jedi Mind trick" them into getting a ticket, or worse, wish them to get into an accident.  How do I know you do this?  Because I do the same thing on occasion.  Its tough to not get caught up in the moment, to be SO MAD, that you cant let it go. It's almost easier too, rather than taking a step back and holding yourself accountable and saying "Did I really just say that"?  Like you have a fear that if you let it go, they'll "win".
 
  A lot of the time our emotions get the best of us, and we get really upset with people and hold a grudge.  To the point that it ruins the rest of our day, while the person that upset you is not likely thinking twice about it.  I'm going to challenge you today, to not hold that grudge next time someone wrongs you.  Even pray for them.  In this case "that they make it home safely with those mean NASCAR skills"  It may just help you feel better.  

a closing verse from the above song sings:

  "It will clear the bitterness away, it can even set a prisoner free.  There's no end to what its power can do, so let it go, and be amazed by what you see through the eyes of grace.  The prisoner that it really frees....is you"

I checked on the inspiration he had for this song since it spoke to me so much.  It turns out it's about a woman who forgave a drunk driver that killed her teenage daughter.  Not only that, she was able to get his sentence shortened, and is now traveling the country with him, doing seminars on the dangers of drunk driving.  Powerful.

   The example I used in the beginning of this blog is not as serious as the one in the end, but both require forgiveness, and loving "unlovable" people.  Now if I were in the same situation as the lady this song is about,  would I be able to do what she did?  I'd like to think so....eventually.  In honesty though.  I don't know if I could.

  Remember this then my book is done.  There's alot of crappy things in this world, and there are alot of crappy people that don't deserve a second chance, but it could always be worse.

 

 

   

Always Remember

   Today is September 11, 2012.  Eleven years removed from arguably the worst attack on American soil. 

   I did not live through Pearl Harbor obviously, but I have read about it.  Heard accounts of that fateful December morning from those who experienced it first hand.  I remember every year, because of them.  Their stories.  I would consider the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01 as this generations Pearl Harbor.  "A day that will live in Infamy" is the way president FFranklin Roosevelt described that day.--"An extreme and publicly known criminal, or evil act.  A state of being infamous"-- That description to me, in my lifetime, is 9/11/01.
   Again, I was not alive for Pearl Harbor, but I feel it was a day alot like 9/11/01.  Everyone who lived through it knows what they were doing during every single aspect of the day.  The first tower. The second tower.  The Pentagon.  then finally, the crash in that rural Pennsylvania field. 
   I was talking with a co-worker of mine this morning about how I am going to write down where I was, and everything I was doing, so that when old age kicks in, and I forget , I will still remember.  It may sound strange, but I don't want to forget. I'm afraid that means I would forget all the innocent, and heroic lives lost that day. While I would like to forget why they were heroic, I'm afraid it just doesn't work that way. Unfortunately, they go together.
  I want to be able to give my account to those who did not live through it. My kids.  My Grand kids. My nephews. (That still blows my mind that they were not even born when it happened.)  Much like those videos did for Pearl Harbor, or my parents have done for JFK. 
  This amazing country has come along way since that Tuesday 11 years ago.  We are getting closer, and closer everyday to defeating this war on terrorism.  These evil minds that plot hatred all around the world.  What a great country we live in!  God Bless America!



(I don't know if anyone reading this knew anyone who died that day, but I am dedicating this blog to them.  To keep the memory of their lives alive.  We must never forget)

Life as I know it...Growing up.

  Everyone has their dreams as to what they wanna be once they're "grown up".  Growing up I wanted to be an actor--Play the leading role on the big screen.  Then a Fireman--Saving the beautiful girl from the 12th  story of the burning building.  Then a Cartoonist--The next Jim Davis. 
   Then once I reached high school, I realized those dreams would likely stay just that.  Not because the old saying "If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything" is wrong, because it's not..  My mind just wasn't "put to it". 
   I was shy, so acting...on a stage...in front of people?  No thanks.  I was (and still am to this day) scared of heights.  Fireman have to climb ladders.  Again, something I do better in my dreams.  I am however a decent drawer.  I draw Garfield great!  The only problem is, I'd have to be looking at it to do so.  I lacked the originality, the creativeness. (not looking for a pity party, just the truth)
   Once I graduated from High school, I didn't have a clue what I wanted to do with myself.  I went to college, hoping something would "tickle my fancy".  It didn't.  I came home, started working in a restaurant, and before I knew it, I had seven years of customer service in my back pocket. 
   Somewhere in those seven years I got introduced to blogging.  Just writing your thoughts, stories, plays, whatever was on your mind.  It was fun, but like drawing I had trouble coming up with my material more than once a month.  I kept it though, changed it up every other time I wrote a new post, thinking "OK, this time, with this new look, I will keep up with it." I did this a bunch until I got to this wonderful layout you know and love today.  That I actually enjoy keeping up with, and updating.
  I am reminded of one of my favorite verses of scripture

"I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go.  I will counsel you, and watch over you"--Psalm 32:8

  Now is bogging or perhaps something more where God is leading me, as he promises in this verse? Perhaps.  Perhaps not.  Time will tell, but in the meantime, I'm having fun.  =-)

London Olympics

   It's that time again ladies, and gentlemen.  The time, every four years, that you watch sporting events that 351 days out of the year you could care less about. 
   Yes, I am in fact talking about the Olympics. The beautiful city of London won the rights to host this years games, and have so far, in this bloggers opinion, done a great job.  The venues have been full.  every last second has been exciting, and I really feel like I'm there and feel a sense of American pride when the fans scream USA! USA! USA! from the stands.
   I have thoroughly enjoyed watching some kind of event every night for the past week. Cheering on my country.  Again, even in sports I couldn't care less about on a regular day.

• Gymnastics:  I held my breath on every vault, every balance beam flip, every floor exercise.  I watched with pride as the U.S.A took gold in the "team competition".  Then again in the "All around" as Gabby Douglas brought it home.  I even felt for the other girls who did not achieve their Olympic dreams. 
• Beach Volleyball: Some might say it was the women in the bikinis, but even when it was 60 degrees out, and they were wearing more than a typical beach volleyball player would typically  wear, I was glued.  From the first serve till the end.  I loved watching the U.S.A. girls battle it out in the gold medal match, after eliminating country upon country along the way. 
• Soccer:  Okay, this one I watch more than just at the Olympics.  I watch the world cup as well.  Still, I don't watch it on a regular basis.  This Olympics though...If you were a fly on the wall, you would have seen me jumping up and down in front of the TV, when Alex Morgan hit the header in the 125 minute in the victory over Canada, only to look around for someone to celebrate with...realizing I was the only one in the room.  Finally, (and I wont admit this to my wife, as I have made fun of her for doing so)  I found myself tearing up as the girls mouthed the national anthem, as the cameras paned across them this afternoon after winning gold. 

   The Olympics...for two weeks....even synchronized swimming is a sport.  (apologies if you're a synchronized swimmer)

U.S.A!  U.S.A!  U.S.A!!