Marking Time

Marking time... to do something which is not very interesting while you are waiting to start doing something more important.

If you can't tell, I like definitions, quotes and idioms. This one bothers me. Mainly because I see myself do it a lot. Unfortunately, when you have a warped view of what's important, you will unknowingly "mark time" with things and people that should be important to you. Sometimes I find myself doing that before I leave for work in the evenings. Not really doing much, watching tv, sitting outside, etc., waiting for the timer on my alarm to say get up and go to work. How much time did I just waste that I could have been talking to my wife, checking on the kids or at least playing with that new puppy that drives me insane begging for attention all the time? Instead, I sometimes just mark time until it's time to start "doing something important."

You've seen it. Kids mark time at school till it's time to go home and "do something really important" like play video games or email their friends. It affects all of us. Preparing dinner, laundry or whatever until we can have time to do something "really important." These everyday things are not the important things. It's the special events that keep us happy and until then we're just marking time doing the basic stuff.

But I wonder how many counseling sessions are made up of people saying, "my parents never took me to Disneyland or Six Flags over Texas"? Isn't the line usually, my dad never sad he loved me, my mom never showed me affection, etc. Special events are important and they make moments... but it's the everyday things that make a life worth living.

Then I wonder how much of that has rolled into my Christian walk. Is Heaven so important that we're just living life here, marking time until the Rapture or death or something important comes along? I think of this song by Michael Card...

"Could You tell me why
Was it for this You came and died
A once a week observance

When we coldly mouth Your words

Are we really saving our energy for heaven or has church become a place where we mark time and check off our spiritual "things to do list?" Do we live for the conferences or the next "mighty move of God" while forgetting to love our neighbor, visit the sick, share our daily bread, love our family, etc.? Maybe we're just marking time, living for the bell.

Dear God, forgive me for marking time with this life you have given me. Family and friends, please forgive me for marking time with you. I won't say, "if I have ever" because I know I have. And I repent of that sin.

So look around and see. Have you been marking time like me?

Angelic Adventures!

Outside of the Random Ramblings, few people know it, but I write two other blogs. Both are fictional non-fiction about angelic adventures.

"The Misadventures of Rambling John", which I've been writing for a few years, is a collection of stories in the vein of Screwtape Letters (C.S. Lewis) about a worldly-wise demon and his constant confrontations with angelic hosts, believers and the world around him.This is the link for Rambling John http://ramblingjohn.blogspot.com/

"The Adventures of Goodness and Mercy"is about two angelic beings dedicated to search and rescue. "Surely Goodness and Mercy will follow you all the days of your life." Below is a quick preview of The New Adventures Goodness and Mercy... it can also be found at http://angelicadventures.blogspot.com/

THE ADVENTURES OF GOODNESS AND MERCY
EPISODE 1: ANDY

Running!

Panting... Panting... Panting...

"Why are we running?" Mercy wheezed while trying to catch his breath.

"It's too dangerous to fly. It would let them know that we're... Duck!" They barely missed the dead branch hanging low over the wet leaved floor.

"Did you say duck? Where? I don't see one." The shorter one answered. Goodness was sure this was another one of his rather lame attempts at humor. Mercy did that a lot: throw in an off-beat joke during moments of intense pressure. After so many years of hanging around him, most of their friends and co-workers still didn't get it. But Mercy never let it bother him. He called them "tension busters". Goodness, however, found them kind of irritating. He had to confess though, that sometimes they actually helped lighten the mood. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of those times.

Mercy continued to protest. "And why do we have to do this in these terran forms? I'm exhausted!"

"We have to leave a trail that lead them where we want them to go! I'm not sure they would follow us if we showed up like we normally do."

"Not even after our 'fear not' greeting?" Mercy slowed to a trot. "You know, I've been thinking of changing my angelic greeting to... "Wait! Stop! Don't run away!"

"That's better than what you said last time!"

"I was just having fun!"

"You said, 'Take me to your leader'. I couldn't believe you! Almost blew the whole mission!"

Mercy shrugged. "Well, it got their attention, didn't it?"

"Sure! But first we had to show up as human federal agents and convince the police that those humans weren't crazy. Where'd you get that whole space alien idea?"

"Remember that rescue we did at Area 51?"

Goodness loved his friend, but sometimes... Well, they had jogged enough. Time to resume speed. They had to move quickly. Andrew's life depended on their mission.

But as Goodness and Mercy quickened their pace, they heard a cacophony of screeches, fluttering wings and hurried footsteps fall in behind them. "They found us!"

Mercy's sword sang as it slipped from it's scabbard. Goodness stared at him. "We don't have time for a battle, Mercy. Keep moving!"

"I think the point of whether we have time to fight or not is kind of irrelevant right now."

Goodness hated it but he knew Mercy was right. Reluctantly, he drew his sword as, under his breath, he cursed the coming battle. "Hang on Andy!" he said softly. "We're coming."

The Art of Fanning

Main Entry: fan
Function: verb
Date: before 12th century

1 a: to drive away the chaff of (grain) by means of a current of air b: to eliminate (as chaff) by winnowing
2: to move or impel (air) with a fan
3: to blow or breathe upon
4 a: to direct a current of air upon with a fan b: to stir up to activity as if by fanning : stimulate
5 archaic : wave
6 slang : spank

Hehehhe. I had to laugh when I saw the slang definition (#6). To spank? Really? I cannot imagine my mom going, "go get me a stick so I can fan your behind". How would I have responded to that? Is there any doubt that she would have turned me back to dust if I were my normal smart alec self? She always reminded me that she brought me into this world and could take me out. She would have definitely blown me away. This is not my main point though.

It's been cool having a song on the Indie charts and connecting with a lot of my friends through Facebook and Myspace. There's even a place where you can go and sign up as fans. Fans!!! But I've never really liked the term. Fan what? My ego? I always see Pharaoh sitting on his throne surrounded by women who have large feathered instruments, fanning him as he ponders his own importance. No thank you. I know tons of people who sing and play better than I do. And a quick trip to Nashville is a real fast way to see that there are many many talented people flipping Big Macs waiting for their big break.

But lately, I've warmed up to the word "fan" I've been looking at the definitions from my friend Daniel Webster! The first definition for the verb of the word... "1a: to drive away the chaff of (grain) by means of a current of air." As singers and musicians, this is what we need. Not a group of "pedestal people" who bow at the throne of our talents. But a group of friends and family and peers who act as a continuous current of fresh air.

This air sweeps away the illusions caused by believing your own press releases. It blows away the leftover bits of our last failure and encourages us to keep walking. It sifts into the closed-door areas of our lives and reminds us of the cracks that let in the breeze. And it helps bring a fresh outlook to our lives when our songs and spirits start to become stale. We don't do what we do in a vacuum. We have fans. And that's an awesome thing.

So thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your support over the years. For all you have done and said and prayed. Thank you! And even when definition #6 had to be used, thank you for that too.

So this one's for the fans. You really blow me away!

LOST and FOUND

Anyone notice that LOST has all capital letters? I did. And I notice when referring to the show LOST in emails, chats, texts, etc. most of my friends tend to capitalize it like that.

In electronic communications, all caps mean shouting, screaming, etc. So according to that, the islanders are not just lost, they are LOST!

I think that sometimes, when we share the gospel, we try to tell people they are lost very softly. It's nice, quiet, subtle, maybe even apologetic. As if we were sorry for interrupting their descent into the abyss with the message of hope and salvation.

A car speeds towards a bridge. You, mud stained and rain soaked, see it coming. You know the bridge is out, because you traveled that path not so long ago and barely turned around in time. You're thankful to be alive but now you're torn. If you step out into the headlights, they might stop, they might swerve and have and accident. They might even ignore you and drive faster thinking you're some psychopathic miscreant on the prowl. But if you do nothing, then their fate is fairly certain. You make your decision and step out toward the road as the headlights glance off your glasses it. This is it! Do or die! Reaching deep down inside of you, you let out one long powerful... whisper. "Hey dude, I think the bridge is out."

Zoom! The car flies past. They don't even acknowledge you. You pat yourself on the back. "I tried."

Maybe the show has it right. Maybe we spend too much time using the words unsaved and not enough thought on the word "lost". When we say unsaved, it sometimes sounds like somebody who's... not like me. But if we think LOST, maybe we will feel the urgency of someone needing to be found. Even brothers and sisters in Christ can be LOST sometimes. They aren't unsaved, but in some ways they're still LOST. 100 - 1 = 99. WWJD.

Maybe we need to be saying it a little louder. Not meaner, not harsher, not angrier, not even bolder. But with a conviction that says, "this is important to me. You are important to me." I think I will start thinking of my LOST friends... and realizing that LOST is a big word. Thank God FOUND is even bigger!

Superman by Five For Fighting

Some songs just hit you... This song now ranks up with "Singing for my Life" by Bob Bennett as one of the greatest songs ever written. Maybe I feel like this sometimes and that's why it touched me so deeply. Sorry if that sounds self absorbed. But I have moments of feeling like this. And at those moments I fall to my knees.

I don't recommend much else from this guy. But this is definitely a good song.

SUPERMAN from the album
AMERICAN TOWN

I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naive
I'm just out to find
The better part of me

I'm more than a bird...I'm more than a plane
More than some pretty face beside a train
It's not easy to be me

Wish that I could cry
Fall upon my knees
Find a way to lie
About a home I'll never see

It may sound absurd...but don't be naive
Even heroes have the right to bleed
I may be disturbed...but won't you concede
Even heroes have the right to dream
It's not easy to be me

Up, up and away...away from me
It's all right...you can all sleep sound tonight
I'm not crazy...or anything...

I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naive
Men weren't meant to ride
With clouds between their knees

I'm only a man in a silly red sheet
Digging for kryptonite on this one way street
Only a man in a funny red sheet
Looking for special things inside of me
Inside of me
Inside me
Yeah, inside me
Inside of me

I'm only a man
In a funny red sheet
I'm only a man
Looking for a dream

I'm only a man
In a funny red sheet
And it's not easy, hmmm, hmmm, hmmm...

It's not easy to be me