I mentioned pictures last night! That was before I took 4 Tylenol and conked out. But here are the photos as promised. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoy taking them! (P.S. If you want to see them the way they were taken, in high resolution, then click on them for a popout) :D

I think these are good enough for now. I will be adding more in time. 

Until next time yall! 

What happened to the warm days of summer?

I would love to know who took our forecast and swapped it with the Death Valley's!?!?!?!?! It is super super hot here in Georgia and it is driving the smart people underground. I had plans this weekend but somehow 108 degrees just doesn't sound like an enjoyable much less safe temperature for outdoor action. While hunkering down in my cold, dark cave waiting for this miserable weather to pass I have been thinkin about what I should do. Some computer jobs are piling up and I think I'll fix some of those, but it occurred to me I could also spend some time blogging and posting some more photos. Sometime later tonight I'm gonna post some pictures I've been collecting and share them with you all.

See yall later tonight and drink a cold one for me!

MIA!!!!!

I've been MIA for a long time. Not because I forgot but because I didn't want to. I was busy. Not busy with work but busy being angry and cold. I have been busy trying to sever ties with everything and everyone. Truth is if you read this you probably know me in real life and you know that I am an angry fella by nature. And I have allowed my anger to burn out of control for a long time now. I've known it was wrong and known the solution. I am also a stubborn, thick headed fool when it comes to admitting a wrong.

The unfortunate side affect to being a stubborn, thick headed, angry, fool is that consequences are usually steep and hard to deal with. This time has been no different. My mistakes had consequences that were immediate. Instead of responding properly by making right and taking the consequences as a lesson from God I chose to become discontented with my situation and rebelled. By doing so I furthered the consequences and allowed the pain to just seep into my soul. Like a poison the anger and bitterness has slowly been suffocating to my spiritual life. Pretending nothing was wrong only made it easier to justify the problem. So now I feel as if I am starting over from square one but its the RIGHT square one. The only thing that should be pursued in this world is truth, honesty, love, patience, and the narrow path laid out for us. Anger, bitterness, jealousy, and selfish conceit have no place and only pull us further into decay.

I'm back now and I am going to keep this blog up to date and I hope yall keep coming back to see what is new!

See ya!

Heart Of A Servant

Something that has weighed heavily on my mind is the definition of a servant's heart. What does that really mean? Who has it and what are the traits you know them by? Well let me tell you about what I think the servant's heart is and how to find it. 

A servant by definition is one who is commanded to do labor of some kind (doesn't have to be hard but that is usually implied) without pay or reimbursement of any kind. Well with that definition you've basically answered the question already. Someone who does what they are told to do without being paid for their time and effort. Okay this post is done, NEXT! 

Just kidding. 

I think in addition to doing what is told without pay it is about the attitude again. If you've read my other posts you'll see I have this thing for attitudes and purpose. I think a servant's heart is not only one who does what is required, but does so willingly and without coercion. You may ask a young person to help you carry groceries into your home and they begrudgingly put down what they were doing to help you. This is an obedient servant not a servant's heart. If however, that same young person meets you on the driveway and offers to help without being asked and no thought of reward, that is a servant's heart for its part. 

Being a servant hearted person also means doing the jobs nobody else wants to do. Cleaning dishes after a wedding is not my favorite thing in the world to do. I, along with others, have however done so because it was a kind thing to do and it needed to be done. We did not get paid for our labor and we certainly weren't asked to do the job, but a love for the couple and people in general calls us to do things that we wouldn't normally do. 

There are other kinds of servant's hearts out there. It doesn't always mean physical labor or doing something with your hands. A lot of times yes, but not always. I think about friends and others I know who serve in other unique ways. I think about my fellow "nice guys" and how often we listen to the troubles of our friends. The girl problems our fellow guys have and the guy problems our female friends have. We don't have to listen to the entire story or hear how it hurt to hear a boyfriend tell you those things. It is certainly not required that we listen to how a pretty girl just crushed your heart and you've got nothing left. We listen because of a servant's heart and a love for our friends. 

I've been on both ends and let me tell you, its a great service. If you're the one reaching out, that one person who listens when all others have their backs turned is like a miracle from heaven. And if you're the one listening, just think about how you would feel if you needed someone to talk to and nobody answered. 

I recently read an article from a college newspaper where the author was ranting and raving about how the "nice guys" never get any recognition or appreciation for what they do. It kept talking about how the nice guy deserved some sort of recognition and was "owed" something. I will admit I sometimes think like that and feel like I should be recognized for my work, but then I remember that if I want to call myself a servant hearted person, I should want or expect no pay or reimbursement for what I do. It is all done out of a love and care for others. Selflessness is the foundation of a servant's heart. So to ask for recognition of being the good guy who always listens and always helps out is to remove one of the best parts about being the good guy and why we are there in the first place. 

I am using this example because the article was focused on this topic primarily, but if I as a nice guy, was to require some form of payment or special acknowledgement for listening to a young lady talk about her problems, am I really helping? Does requiring some form of payment really make my service a service anymore? I say no. The young lady came to you in the first place because you are kind and you do not require payment to be a good friend and listen. If she had known you wanted some form of payment or special acknowledgement do you think she would reach out to you for help? No. You would just be another problem in her time of need. 

So I tell all you "nice guys" and "sweet girls" out there that if you listen to a friend spill their heart or troubles out to you, don't expect anything in return. Listening is not that hard and helping when you can is not a challenge. Have a servant's heart and be willing to help with no thought of reward. It is a great relief to your friends to know they can reach out to you and know that you care. The reward that is given is a stronger friendship and helping them through a hard spot. You also receive the reward of inward joy knowing you were there to help. If you are a real friend you shouldn't need anything more. 

If you still think you need some sort of reward for your time, labor, work, etc. then perhaps you are not the servant hearted person you claim to be.

This has been on my mind and may even be a bit offensive to some, but I have spoken the truth from my heart and that is all one can do. 

Until next time. 

A Dead Word

We rarely think of a word being "dead". Sure there are dead languages, traditions, societies, cultures, people, and so forth. But what is a dead word? I define a dead word as one whose meaning, value, or proper use has been lost from day to day life. With that definition I am sure you can think of a few words that meet the criteria. That is the way it is supposed to be. The world we live in is rapidly changing and so are the values we share. I could speak on all the different words that are now dead or dying, but I want to focus on one in particular. The word is: Honor. 


The word Honor as defined by the dictionary is: "honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions". I think this is a good foundation for what the word means. To me a person's honor is not just their honest, fair, upstanding actions. But it is also the motivation behind it. Doing the right or honest thing is good, don't get me wrong. I am forced however, to think on why the person did it in the first place. 


A person's honor rests upon their conscience. I do not believe one can say they have honor if they do what is needed with a downcast face or trouble stirring in their hearts. This makes them obedient and a servant but an ungrateful one. Honor means having integrity in your actions but also being content and being grateful for the opportunity. 


Another facet of honor is your willingness to sacrifice. Sometimes the right and honorable choice is going to cost. Not every choice is free and requires nothing lost. But honor is what drives us to do what is right regardless of the cost. If we do what is right and honorable only when it is of little or no cost we have tarnished our honor by choosing the easy road. If, however, when the time comes we stand and hold to our beliefs and do the right thing even if it costs us greatly, then we have honored not only ourselves, but everyone involved. 


The reason this word is dying is because the value of honor in today's society is not the same. Who needs honor when I can just cut corners and get there anyway? Why should I treat that young lady or young man with honor and respect if it's not gonna get me what I want? Why should I care about honoring the rules my boss has set down at work? Its not that big of a deal. The problem with all of these examples is the word "I". In every instance honor is being forsaken for the self centered desires of the individual. They will destroy their honor, their values, and much more only so they can have/do what they want. This is the key reason why honor is dead or dying in culture today. Everyone is so focused on self, and the desires of number 1 that they will dishonor their name and anything else to get what they want. 


In the end, I closely tie honor to joyful service of another. The most honorable actions I can remember are when I served another even if it cost me. I have sometimes forsaken my honor because I was blinded by selfishness and only wanted what I thought I was entitled. Nothing is harder than having to go backwards and pay the consequences for the lack of honor. But that is how you begin to regain what you sacrificed. When you know you've done wrong and sacrificed your honor, don't just let it go. Return and make right the selfish wrong. Set even the balances by humbling and giving of yourself to make it right. This is an insane line of thought to many, but nothing is worth sacrificing your honor and who knows what else to get it. 


We all make mistakes and we all choose self over others sometimes. Do not let it become a pattern of your life. Do not allow the desire for self gratification to smother your honor in greed. Greed and honor can not live together. Self and honor can not live together. Deception and honor can not live together. If you have honor you must remove these and many other things, otherwise they will return and your honor will be forfeit.


Together let us fight for the good, selfless, upright, honorable things of this world and put down the lies of "self worth" and "selfish gratification". 


Aurum in cor hominis dignitas.


In honorem aliud vero sacrificium et obsequium.


Until next time I wish you honor and respect.

A Way Of Life

If you are as much a musical nutcase as I, you will instantly recognize what I am about to share with you. This post shares it's title with one of the compositions from the OST(Original Soundtrack) of "The Last Samurai". You will either immediately know what I am speaking of or you will open a new tab and Google it. Either of which is fine by me :) . 

The movie has always struck me as peculiar and complexly simple. It is the story of a U.S. Soldier who is haunted by his past. The only peace he has ever known is at the bottom of a bottle of whiskey when he is too drunk to remember or feel anything. He is hired to "train" the new army of Japan to finish ousting the last of the Samurai from the valleys. Against his recommendations the new conscripts are sent into battle against the Samurai and are utterly destroyed. Our "Captain Algren" is taken captive by the Samurai general who wishes to "Know His Enemy". During his time in the Samurai village, Captain Algren begins to see through new eyes. He mentions in his journal how the people(the Samurai and the villagers) have an unusual way of life: 

"They devote themselves entirely to perfecting whatever they pursue. I have never seen such discipline."

Throughout the movie Captain Algren eventually becomes a defender of what he was hired to help destroy. I think about the Christian life as strangely similar. We are born into sin and charged with the destruction of God's people including ourselves. God already knows His enemies(us), but in time we, like Captain Algren, get to know our "enemy", God, and realize we are fighting on the wrong side. Fighting Him is our "way of life" until our minds are freed to the truth. And while we can never reach perfection, we as new Christians devote ourselves to pursuing it. Though never a finished process and we make mistakes along the way we keep trying. Throughout the new life as a Christian our "way of life" has made a 180 and we are now fighting on the side of our former enemy. 

Our lives were spared by the mercy of our enemy(God) and He paid a high price for our lives. In time and through His teaching we see our position as completely helpless and at His mercy. We learn the ways of the enemy by being in His company and that of His followers. Time shows us that we are fighting on the wrong side and defending a way of life that is self serving and blind to anything but it's own gratification. Soon we are fighting for God and leading others in our new-found "way of life". I know this whole analogy is a bit of a stretch but there is some interesting symbolism. The movie itself is good and has a great story. The content is not that bad (PG-13 I think) and I suggest you watch it if you have not yet done so (its from 2003). The site background music is the Soundtrack from the movie called "A Way Of Life" so enjoy!

Until Next Time (which may be tonight so keep a sharp eye out). 

Fixing By Breaking

Are you a fixer? I am a fixer. I love to fix anything. If its broke you can bet I'm gonna look for a way to mend it. I have come to realize however, that sometimes the only way to fix something is to break it. A cheesy analogy would be a fine horse. Taken from the wild it is aggressive, uncontrollable, and overall worthless. But with time, discipline, and worthy effort from the trainer's hand, the beast is broken. The purpose for the animal has been "fixed" by breaking it's former habits. The same goes for people.

My character has been shaped and molded based on different instances of breaking down. I think with safe estimation I can say EVERY part of me has been formed by some experience where something had to break. Most times it would be a part of me that broke. But in it's place another part of me was fixed and built. This is a lifelong process and sadly we never know when the next "break" is going to come.

The real problem is preventing a break from becoming bigger. When the trials and trouble come and we break down the danger is letting the break become a bigger problem that will return later. We must

take charge of what happens and act quickly to prevent a recurrence.

Just a matter of opinion really, but I think if you don't allow, whether by your choice or another's, the breaks to occur you never really grow. There are people in this world that can fix a break for you. I encourage you to not use their methods. The weak point is never addressed by you and consequently you never learn. The same break will return with a vengeance and the "fixer" may not be able to help anymore.

There is a reason they are called "your problems". They are designed to try you, to test your worth, and remove your weakness. If others fight the battle, the experience of inner conflict is not yours. How can you defend your keep, your soul, if you have no experience? The enemy is pounding at your gates seeking to utterly destroy you. Without experience, the gates protecting the soul of your character will fail. Your life will be corrupted and everything that was once stable will crumble. So I charge you now stand strong. Yes, you may suffer defeat. It is possible you may suffer many defeats, but victory will be yours eventually. Giving up is the worst mistake you can make.

I leave you now with a quote and the desire to see you return here again!

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." - Thomas A. Edison