Skip to main content

“Our chaotic world sometimes moves us to yearn for life as it used to be.”

A thought by George Barna (2011-05-15) in his book, Futurecast: What Today's Trends Mean for Tomorrow's World (Kindle Locations 485-486). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.

Do you feel that way?  I can’t say I do.  I like living in this time in history.  I am 64 years of age so I have seen other times that were chaotic. 

For instance I lived in the 60’s.  In no way do I want to go back to those days of major unrest.  I lived in Michigan during the Detroit riots and I lived in Ohio when those students were killed at Kent State.  My draft lottery number was 249 so I didn’t have to go to Vietnam but I remember those horrible days.

Margaret and I went and saw Woody Allen’s movie, Midnight in Paris, a couple of weeks back.  In it Owen Wilson’s character was an author who lived with the despair of not living in the 20’s in Paris.  He knew life would have been so much more fulfilling if he could have lived in Paris in the 20’s.   Woody Allen did an entertaining job of showing the need to appreciate the time you live in rather than pining for the days of old.

Now for me today is my day of opportunity and it is the time and place I have been created to live, right now.  Yes I am retired and I sometimes miss being a pastor in Newport News, Virginia or Austin,Texas or Las Vegas, Nevada.  I was a church planter and I loved my life then but I also love my life now and I don’t want to go back.  

I have learned that life is to be lived in the now not in the past but also with an eye on the future.

What do you think?

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

“We believe it’s important to derive value from everything in our lives.”

A thought by Jon Tyson from his book, The Burden Is Light: Liberating Your Life from the Tyranny of Performance and Success (p. 118). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) But is that all that is important? Jon says, “We want to realize an immediate return from whatever we invest in. I am prone to this way of thinking in so many areas of my life. ‘I paid a lot for that meal, yet the portions were not that big.’ ‘I invested two hours in that movie, and it was just okay.’   ‘I went to church, but the sermon wasn’t that profound.’ We believe it’s important to derive value from everything in our lives. But beauty doesn’t fit within that framework. When Mary anointed Jesus with oil, there was an immediate outcry against her extravagant generosity. ‘It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.’ (Mark 14:5) One gospel depicts the disciples crying, ‘Why this waste?...

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book,   Winning the War on Worry    (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...

“Hurry and love are incompatible.”

A thought by John Mark Comer from his book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (p. 23). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Wow, pretty strong thought isn’t it? John says, “All my worst moments as a father, a husband, and a pastor, even as a human being, are when I’m in a hurry—late for an appointment, behind on my unrealistic to-do list, trying to cram too much into my day. I ooze anger, tension, a critical nagging—the antitheses of love. If you don’t believe me, next time you’re trying to get your type B wife and three young, easily distracted children out of the house and you’re running late (a subject on which I have a wealth of experience), just pay attention to how you relate to them. Does it look and feel like love? Or is it far more in the vein of agitation, anger, a biting comment, a rough glare? Hurry and love are oil and water: they simply do not mix.” He goes on, “Hence, in the apostle P...