The Trouble of Time

I have restarted this blog a few times since the first day I ventured into the modern foray of publicized ideas. Usually a restart follows a long period of "not-posting" inspired by a major shift in life, or a daunting absence of coherent thoughts, preventing me from forming worthwhile paragraphs or even sentences.

My last break came with the arrival of our second son; even before Kellan joined our home in the flesh, his impact was felt and I simply could not find time to reflect and write. That carried on long after he was born, and I failed to produce thoughts even when I had committed to doing so for others. In short, the last 8 months or so have been mostly fruitless on the writing front for me.

Happily, I had Facebook in the meantime. Facebook allowed me more leeway than Twitter, due to larger word count, but did not force me to commit to a full article in the tradition of a blog. I could be petulant when I felt like it, pensive, celebratory, etc. Also, people interacted with me and I prefer dialog to talking to myself, which is how I often feel when blogging.

Thus it was that I spent a great deal of free time writing Facebook statuses and arguing with friends about various subjects, and recently I noticed something interesting: I was writing longer and longer thoughts on Facebook, and was less and less satsified with merely throwing out a blurb here and there.

Now, this may or may not matter to most...it may not be greeted with any joy (oh, so, you mean you're going to talk MORE?) and it is possible that the only good thing which may come from picking up blogging again is I spend less time on Facebook...but I am hoping to begin developing complete thoughts once more and working to present them in an interesting, articulate and enjoyable manner..and hopefully I'll get some readers again...but mostly, I'd love to start writing once more, since it's getting harder and harder for me to imagine a world where I get to return to grad school or ever write a paper important people will read. I miss engaging in discussion, and hope that this might fill some of that need.

The trouble, as always, is finding the time. But we strive on, and pray for grace.

Change is a good thing

Especially when Blogger has made it increasingly easy to change everything wit the simple click of a button. Me likey.

Unforseen Gifts

As is readily apparent if you have bothered to visit my miserably starved blog over the past...year?, you are aware of the lack of posting that has been going on here. I believe the tally of posts for all of 2007 was something like 37. 37! The blogosphere would laugh at me...if they knew or cared that my pathetic blog existed, which they might if I ever posted.

Still, I haven't had many choices. I have two jobs, a very busy wife just five months away from finally achieving her nursing degree and a three year old son. More than that...I still have dial-up Internet access. Yes, I know...the United States doesn't condone torture...but we are allowed to do what we like in the privacy of our own homes. Dial-up...and sadistic dial-up at that. Its a miracle I check e-mail at all...most of the time it will connect long enough for me to launch the program of choice and then disconnect once more. Somewhere there's an administrator laughing at my attempts to connect with the Web...but, its free. So, what can you do?

I have probably mentioned all of these things in a sad attempt to excuse my lack of posts, correspondence, etc with the Internet. But today is different.

You see, today...today, I am serving Jury Duty.

I know you're wondering, "How are you on the computer while serving Jury Duty?" Well, the reason is simple and wonderful...I am stuck in a room with nothing to do all day until they figure out if I am going to have to serve or not. And it just so happens, they have computers with Internet access for the duration of our wait. So, I have spent the $12 for full day access and now, though I wouldn't have imagined it, I actually get to blog without a concern in the world...until they call me to serve. Who'd have thunk it?

Drastic Action

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and at this time it is only through desperate endeavors that I am able to get the time/energy/web-access necessary to post...as my dusty, dank little blog can attest.

I am not satisfied with this complete lack of activity, and so I am trying to solve the problem...unfortunately without some sort of change in my computer situation, I am not sure how to change the situation...but I am brainstorming...

Dear Blog

I miss you. I miss being able to think and write. Currently, I am working...but you're not forgotten. I'll get back...get back...get back to where you once belonged...

With Screwtape in Mind

Puck had an appropriate response to Christians getting uppity about Harry Potter. I found this and thought of her and our shared frustration at the ridiculous idea of insisting the Harry Potter is an instrument of the occult. Enjoy.

My friend Phil

Phil Wright is a man of the highest order. He's been my friend from childhood...which is saying something, since we haven't lived near one another since I was 11. That didn't prevent him from flying across the country to be at my wedding nearly 10 years later. I could say many things about why he's a great guy--reasons you should all try to move to Virginia and get to know him better...though that might be creepy...so nevermind that...

But right now, I want to highlight the latest reason for thinking highly of Phil; he's currently using his much deserved Summer break doing ministry in Argentina. And you can read about it here.

Phil...our prayers are with you. Thanks for being the man you are.

Welcome to the New Isle

I promised a while back that I would be updating my look here at the Isle (its been that gray/red template for a long time) but of course, almost immediately I became so busy that it was essentially impossible to do all that I wanted--updating your blog means losing all the cool stuff you put on it if you don't take the time to transfer it over.

Well, today I had the time (Sheri was catching up on sleep before we leave for the aquarium), so I have done as I promised. Welcome to the newly updated, refreshingly new Isle. Hope you like.

Coming Soon!

A new look, a review of 300 and the lessons that both the movie and the history throw into the limelight, thoughts on the already dismally depressing Presidential campaign, and assorted thoughts on the political world, TV, heroes, and books.

So stay tuned...next week is gonna be a good one...

Just need to grade term papers and then its home free. I know I've been promising for a while now...but seriously...there'll be Superman posts, Shakespeare posts, Frank Miller/movie posts...I'm finally able to write again!

Somewhere Out There...

On the other sides of a thousand pages of reading and 200 pages of grading, after the wife earns her well deserved degree and the son gets through the perils and travails of being two, and this kid finds another job or two tow make ends meet for another summer and two semesters...

I have a blog.

It seems odd to say that this is a priority of sorts...but it is. Not for my readership...which, if they are faithful are faithful thanks to posting notification technology...but in a way because I have very few other options for composing & articulating thoughts. The chance to do so is, as a result, coveted.

The irony is that when I finally get to sit down and type, the discussions I have been conducting in my head until now seem either out-of-date, or awkwardly large for a simple blog.

Oh well.

The Daily Grind

Its been...just over a month since I last shook the dust from my key-board (metaphorically speaking...I normally end up blogging on computer's other than my own, and they are rarely dusty). Fear not, dauntless and desperate readers; I live still. Though I may not have written very much recently, I have, rest assured, been thinking about several weighty matters about which any number of blog posts could have been written.

And yet...I cannot think of any of them presently.

This is the problem. I have had...constipation of the mind of late. I think it stems from stress...but I have been slipping into a depressed state of silence that threatens to dry out my ability to discuss...anything. Its a dryness that recalls the sort of low that we would normally associate with the poetic "Dark Night." Its hardly so dramatic...I am just feeling discouraged. I went to Disneyland the other day...and felt simultaneously hopeful that the various rides and lands might suddenly actually become real, and deeply sad that they didn't. It was the most pleasant and depressing time I have had at the Magical Kingdom in a long time. Perhaps it was because it was just me and the wife...

But this is symptomatic of a larger problem. I have the bug of discontentment once again. Its a frustrating vice to deal with...there are always good reasons for being dissatisfied with yourself, your situation, etc...but there are very few justification for dwelling on those short-comings...and rarely does any progress occur as a result. There's a fine line between allowing your dreams of tomorrow to inspire you to action and residing in those dreams rather than facing the real live day.

So, I am trying to find purpose in the daily grind. I am trying to remember the meaning of peace and joy in everyday life. Jesus' life and ministry seem amazing and exotic when we read about them...but he was ministering to his home. He showed His own family and His own people what the kingdom of God means...and the incredible nature of His life was encapsulated in the confines of daily routine. Being honest, I don't understand how one can find satisfaction in that...while dreaming of everything that's not like our home, our life, our daily grind...but I suspect that the key to happiness and a healthy relationship with God lies in part in that secret satisfaction.