Ever known a fool?

An old Christian proverb goes something like this:

"A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a person of understanding delights in wisdom."


Have you ever known someone like that? Someone who won't listen no matter what? You see them walking into disaster, something COMPLETELY boneheaded and try to warn them, but you might as well be verbally talking to Helen Keller. It's not getting through.

In fact that proverb makes it out that it's almost like a game to a fool... they find pleasure in their folly.

Not only have I known, and currently know people like this. I have been this person before, and I'm sure I'll do it again.

Hard and Bad don't have to stay Hard and Bad

I had a weird recognition of my life yesterday. I will round out my 10th year as a Student Ministries Director in about a week. That along with some recent happenings brought me to look back over the past decade. I'll spare you ALL the gritty details, but here's what I've learned.

1. Though a situation looks bleak it never stays that way... at least in 10 years it never has.
2. In the middle of EVERYTHING, there is something to learn.
3. The things that feel the hardest to do, generally end up being the easiest... it was just my brain that made them hard.
4. Quick action sets up a speedy resolve.
5. Communication is key... letting people know what's happening at all times somehow makes the situation easier.
Lastly... Someone has to be positive about it... if you are, you have the chance to change something bad into something good.

I'm definitely still growing in this area. Even as I sit here on the precipice of something large, I'm internally panicking. I can't externally, because it involves Angel, and she needs me to have it together right now. So, I write this to remind me of what I've learned, and this too will take the above turns... I'm sure of it.

Things I don't like about me...

For almost all my life I've struggled with giving wrong perceptions of myself. It looks a couple of different ways, and no matter what I do to try to combat this I still fall WAY short.

It takes form of people saying that they are intimidated by me. If I was really tall, and super buff I'd have a little more understanding of this one. My wife said it's my eyebrows... that they grow angrily. SO, I trimmed my eyebrows like a super-metro. I was told by someone else that it was because I always have an answer for things. So, I started telling everyone, and I mean EVERYONE "I'm not sure... let me get back to you". Still, nothing! A close friend told me that I needed to walk out of conversations feeling like a pushover, and that my natural personality would balance me out to normal. NOTHING!

THIS IS SUCH A FRUSTRATION IN MY LIFE! I literally sat in my office yesterday after hearing about this happening again and cried. I am at such a loss.

UNFORTUNATELY, it doesn't just end there.

Seems as though at a very high rate of failure I misrepresent my thoughts to people. Somehow I give a perception that is contrary to my heart in situations. I have conversations with people, walk away from them and think "WOW, that was awesome! We really saw eye to eye there." Then I hear later that the other parties takeaway was no where, where I thought we were. So, one conversation has to then become two or three, because I have to go back and seek to understand and ask forgiveness and begin all over to move through the miscommunication.

I HAVE to think that this is a problem with me. It happens at too high of a rate with me, and not as much with other people.

So, I don't know if I need to come with some type of disclaimer or guarantee of satisfaction statement?

Getting older...

I have been feeling the onset of my age. Creeping in like an oncoming thunderstorm of epic proportions.

FOR INSTANCE:

Yesterday I played an hour of basketball from 7am - 8am
Went disc golfing from 10:20am - 1pm (translation... LONG hike)
Soccer practice for Brookville JV from 3-5pm (played, not just coaching)

Today my left knee is super tight, and tired.

Summary? I'm not rebounding as well as I used to. Gotta keep going at it though... I'm not going to be the status quo old man, and I'm not even old yet... a mere 32 year old kid.

Here's to good health and exercise.