Number 3: Light in the Dark

So I decided to do some decorating of my room today. (Yes, its obviously a metaphor so lets all stay on track.)  I decided one of the most important things to have would be a nice lamp.  I did some searching online and found a pretty sweet looking lamp which was also a black and white photo too.

Okay.  So obviously the talk of me decorating my room (see first blog) is a metaphor for me trying to get my life back in order.  The lamp is symbolic of me trying to find out what all I need to do to get things back in order and get me where I want.  So the question is what do I want?  I mean the specifics, and then how will I get there?  That is something I need to do some list making on.  It helps me to make a list because it has me focus my thoughts on something, and in this case it helps me to get where I want.  Lists also help to me remind me what the goals are.  What is the end target?  That is how I used to gett through life.  It helped me so much in school and in college.  I can remember working one night at Target and just feeling drained.  I put my hands on the sides of my head and then pushed them forward and reminded myself what the end was.  Amazingly enough I felt an instant rejuvenation.  I just have to keep the end goal in mind now.

Number 2: Simplify

So today's topic is entitled "simplify".  It makes me think of the Harry Potter movies where the kids use the "stupify" spell, but we will get back to that.  One of the things I like in my life is simplicity.  Don't get me wrong, I'm as geeky as they come and I love to dive deep into a subject, but overall I like simplicity.  To me it keeps us on an even keel and lets us appreciate things as they are, and what they are intended for without the disagreements/arguments over trivial issues.

Take religion for example, and specifically Christianity.  There are a whole host of religions whose followers are branded as Christians, and claim to accept Jesus Christ as God's Son who died for their sins.  But as we clearly see not all of them play nicely together when it comes to expression their beliefs.  Specific example, one elements of the Coptic Christian faith is calling Mary Christokos, meaning birth giver of Christ instead of what the Roman Catholics call her, Theotokos meaning birth giver of God. (Hence Mary, Mother of God in English.)  There was a very large Divide early in Christian history in which the Church at Alexandria and their followers and the rest of the Christian world split.  Personally, I am tossed up on this issue.  I tend to go with the birth giver of Christ title, but every time I think of simplify.  What really matters at heart is Mary gave birth to Jesus.  She accepted God's path for her, and she had an amazing husband who stuck with her.  That is what matters.  In one Bible passage some of the Jews ask Jesus about a woman who has been married 7 times who her husband would be after the resurrection.  The image I get of Jesus is him kind of angry because the technical question of who her husband would be once she is resurrected really doesn't matter.  The fact is that she will now be with God in paradise forever. (For those of you wondering the passage is Luke 20:27-40.  According to Jesus, no marriages after the resurrection; we are with God after-all.)

So I like to simplify.  Much of our lives are just a lot of complications, which can be enjoyable if you like that sort of stuff, but for some things they seem to get in the way of what the point of things are.  Back to the Harry Potter thing, it is often so easy to stupify each other.  Instead, lets stick with simplify.

Number 1

So I have a fond appreciation for black and white pictures.  They provide great contrast, and can really give some good impressions about what is trying to be shown.  They stop and make you think because you have to see the picture for what is being shown from the objects, not the beauty of the color palate.  My background is black and white because one of my new year's resolutions was to take control of my life again.  As I discussed with my wife (following her blog too, gotta give a shout-out) I miss that portion of control in my life.  I had things planned out: my menu, groceries, when I would do my chores.  And I found that I was so happy because I was so in control of my life.  I had more free time because I knew when things were getting done, and got them done when they were scheduled.  I even lost a good amount of weight (going from obese to just overweight, oh yeah).  So I decided to get back to that, and its day 1.

The picture I chose is obviously black and white, which is what I want to stick with for now.  What do you think when you see it?  I see a blank space ready to be made new.  Its the space I want.  What all would you put in there?  I think that is a good topic for next time (oh, and I can post a theme oriented picture.)  Mmmm, planning.