Regarding Overweight Doctors

Once, I was walking out of my apartment with some buddies of mine and we heard a commotion coming from a nearby couple fighting within their doorway. The shouting drew our gaze, but the violence froze us into place for a moment. The boyfriend (I assume) was literally driving a woman out of his apartment with what appeared to be a leather belt. It happened so fast, and we were about 50 yards away that instant intervention was impossible. After the immediate outburst they both returned to the apartment. Awaking from our stupor, the three of us ran to the door. None of us had any idea what we to do once we got there. Exchanging glances, we knocked on the door. The boyfriend answered. Is everything ok? Yep. To the girl, Are you ok? Do you need help? What's going on? Its nothing, she says. Just leave. Its none of your business. 

Seriously. That actually happened. 

Its amazing what people can get used to hearing. What we can get used to experiencing. What we grow calloused to. And when the offer of truth actually comes, we're oblivious. 

I saw a quote the other day from a guy named Spurgeon, who asked how much time do you spend with your Creator vs. your friends. It struck a chord deeper than I expected. I talk about 'eternal things' all the time, and so its takes a constant, intentional effort to seek to apply those 'eternal things' to my own 'immediate life'. This is an understatement, by the way. Its more equitable to a war, that, to be honest, I fail at a good portion of the time, often until the moment it comes to apply that truth when speaking. A chord is struck inside and I'm left thinking, "What the heck am I doing up here?" 

How much time do I spend with the Creator, in comparison to all the other forums of life? 

Not just one on one, designated time, but even passing conversation? 

Do a word count. Make a pie chart. Ratio. Percentage. 

Talk about royally failing. 

But I talk about the importance of the spiritual all the time. Indeed, its kinda the point of my job. 

Callousness. A terrifying thing. 

Someone once said to not trust a skinny cook. Fair enough. But what about an overweight doctor? I truly have pity for those guys. How can they possibly go in to a conversation with someone struggling with heart disease and say with a straight face to their patient that they need to go on a diet? 

At least they have to face the hypocrisy head on. 

A life inconsistent with the ideals asserted is one thing. It can be dealt with, confessed, and changed. As we all know, no person is perfect, yet we all are comfortable with expressing one ideal or another. 

Hypocrisy concealed is something else entirely. 

Regarding Numbers

Aight, in honor of the start of the school year, here's a multiple choice question for you.


Which number is more newsworthy?

a) 2.4 trillion
b) 15 trillion
c) 20
d) 29,000

Go ahead, choose an answer.
















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According to the number of news stories, the most newsworthy answer, provided by Google news in a search for each number, is the following:


1) 14.3 trillion - 16,965 articles

The current level of the US debt. Well, I guess it use to be the current level, a bit higher now...more newsworthy than pretty much everything out there.


2) 2.4 trillion: 11,534 articles

This is in regard to the amount of dollars the US will 'save' over the next 10 years. A deal months in the making, both sides exhibited more stubbornness than Balam's ass, neither wanting to infuriate the people that put them in office. Of course, congress' dissaproval rating is now a rocking 82%. Well done guys, well done.



3) 20 soldiers killed - 6,581 articles

Newsworthy because this is the same squad responsible for Osama Bin Laden's death.



4) The least significant number, by the numbers: 

29,000 - 1953 articles: 

29,000 Somalian children under the age of 5 have starved to death in the past 90 days. I broke out a calculator and did the math. That's roughly 322 deaths a day for the past three months, which is about the length of time its taken congress to decide to go another few trillion in debt. 

Apparently there's a famine going on there, and its bad. This is compounded by the fact that there are many areas under control of terrorists, until recently leaving aid agencies unable to enter for fear of both the terrorists and legal prosecution of the US (since we can't be giving aid to terrorists). 

Now here is the kicker: 

Which story has you concerned about your 'discretionary spending'? 

Or is that unavailable since the Visa is maxed out? 

Regarding Dreams

Disclaimer: This post reeks of arrogance. Therefore, if you don't know me, please ignore this post and skip to something else first, otherwise you'll probably end up thinking I'm a self absorbed tool. If you do know me, methinks this post still reads like I'm a prima donna even though I've actually accomplished remarkably little, given what you're about to read. Thus, if you continue to read, take a sec and re-read the title of the blog. And one more time...ok. good. Just so you know what you're getting, you can continue.
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I've always felt comfortable with what I've wanted in life. As a rule, I've also always had a fairly good idea with where I was going to get what I wanted in life. Those pivotal decisions in people's lives, where to attend college, major, marriage, occupation, children, all have come without much fanfare or crises. Each transition made was quite natural, a merging onto a highway that was impossible to miss.

When I stop to think on the ease of these mergings, the theological section of my brain throws the switch on the little red warning light. Nothing major, nothing heretical, but there is something about the confidence  in which I hope matches the reality of my direction lays the experiential foundation for a name-it-and-claim-it theology.

Hence the little red warning light.

Wanting to go to CIU? Check.
Program Director? Check
Class President? Check
Teach the Book? Check
Teach overseas? Check
Married to a gorgeous woman? Check
Foster a child? Check
Own a Jeep? Aight, still waiting on that one.

As I look at the 'list', there is the honest admission that none of the things on the list are 'extravagant dreams'. Although the time when the dream first occurred many certainly seemed far-fetched enough. Yet here I sit. I sit in the unexpected seat of having already accomplished the mental goals established upon graduating high school.

And I'm not entirely certain what to think of this.


Did I not shoot high enough?

Having established a habit of actually accomplishing what I set out to do, should I now try for something higher, and continue to do so until I reach my limit?

What the heck is the definition of 'high' anyway?

What is next?

Should there even be a next, or having met where I wanted to be in the first place, should I now content myself to live out the dream of a younger self?

Honestly, its quite strange to have one's only unmet goal being to own a jeep wrangler.

Its equally strange for me to be in a place with no 'goal' to work towards.

So we (you're with me on this) are agreed then.

I need a new goal.

Insert goal here:______________.

Thanks for your help.