Update

Didn't get as far into the garage as I had wanted. It's a jungle in there. The tree lives to fight me another day.

Memorial Day

Ah, Memorial Day. A somber day to remember our fallen heroes, respect our servicemen and women, and to finish up a bunch of our honey-do lists. I'm excited because I have the opportunity to clean my garage today. Sounds like fun, right? I mean, who wouldn't want to bury themselves in a winter's worth of clutter and junk, just so they could get to the workout equipment left buried underneath a fake Christmas tree? Yes, I admit it. My Christmas tree is in pieces in my garage, rather than in its box in the shed. I never actually put it away. Sure, we took the ornaments off, but didn't have the time to put it away. As I recall, it was raining. Or I was tired. Or I was busy. Something like that. So - now you know my dark secret. I will be rectifying this today, but I've let it go on for too long. Although, look at the bright side! Today, I will remember fallen heroes, and ALSO get to celebrate Christmas all over again!

Grief

Wanted to write about this yesterday, but was so very tired when I got home from rehearsal that I simply did homework and went to bed. Jen's been out of town at Outdoor School with her 6th graders, so my mom watched the girls last night. They were asleep when I got home, and they're asleep still this morning. They need it.

I had an interesting conversation with a good friend yesterday on the nature of grief. It got me thinking. We talk about grief being this "thing" that we all must go through. Oddly, there is no real definition for grief. I mean, sure, you can define it, but your definition of it could be completely off when compared to someone else's. Even spouses of 40+ years differ in how they define and experience grief. Certainly, there are some aspects of grief that we all share, but the reality is that not everyone hits the same stages of grief at the same time, and some will completely skip certain stages altogether. Grief, in any form, can become debilitating. It can paralyze a person, and through them into a deep, dark depression. It can take a "with it" man or woman, and turn them into a recluse. It causes familes to break up, and relationships to be torn apart. Take heart, though.

There is hope.

You see, Jesus promises the end of grief. I know, you probably didn't come here to be lectured. I'll try not to. I simply want to offer hope. Jesus will restore mankind and the world to what He and the Father had intended all along. Pain, suffering, grief - all washed away. They won't even be a memory. Living for today, while in the midst of grief, means we must live for tomorrow RIGHT NOW. As followers of Christ, we must constantly have an eye to the future, to the return of Christ, so that our pain is placed in the prizm of God's promises. Only there will we be able to find peace. The grief we feel when losing a loved one can be overshadowed by the immense love our Creator poured out for us through His son, Jesus. Focus on His love for us and find peace.

More to come. Thanks for being there, reader.

It's been a long time

Wow. I've completely abandoned this blog. NO LONGER!!!!! I'M BACK, BABY!!!! Seriously. I've been swamped during this season in my life, and I need a place to vent, to explore, to scream, to whisper, to sing, to stay silent. This blog is it. I've gotta say, there's something almost religious about putting thoughts down on paper (internet/blog/web/ether). It's as if I'm having a moment where you, the reader, get to see deep inside my soul, and peer into the dark corners. Assuming I let you in that far, of course. It's sort of humbling, in its own way. You see, even though I have complete control over what is said in this blog, once I've said it, it's there forever, in some form or another. I can't take it back. Sure, I can delete the post. But who's to say a reader didn't just copy it and repost it? It's out there, man. The whole world can see it. There's a kind of thrill in that, you know? In knowing that anything you say, anything you do can be used against you - not in a court of law (although that's possible, too), but in the court of public opinion. That what you say and do can be used to influence others, even without your knowledge. In the words of the great poet Tommy Chong, "That's deeeeep, man".

So, this brings me back to you, dear reader. Here we are. Just you, me, and the rest of the world. I'm going to let you peek inside my soul. I'll open the door. Wait - just a crack. Don't get greedy. I promise to let you in, a bit at a time. You have a job to do, though. Your job is to be faithful. If you enjoy this time with me (you voyeur!), then stick with me. Check back regularly. And tell your friends. I'd love to have this thing grow.

Okay. Enough for now. It's 10pm, and I've got homework and dishes to do. More tomorrow. See you soon!