Never forget who you are!

When I was a kid, I was (and still am in some respects) a huge fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I remember watching the second movie, The Secret of the Ooze for the first time. At one point in the movie while the turtles are visiting April O' Neil, Raphael starts to mimic the evil Shredder and leans out the window in jest. Immediately Master Splinter chastens him and yells, "Never forget who you are!"

I find that at times in my life when I'm just relaxing, or have nothing in particular to do that my mind wanders and I find myself getting lost in thoughts that aren't my own, or at least shouldn't be. As these thoughts progress I lean towards thinking ill of somebody else, stressing out about things that I cannot control, or other unsavory matters. When I come to, I'm disgusted with myself and wonder why it was that I gravitated towards such slime. Perhaps it's because of the fact that I'm very impressionable or that I tend to overanalyze things. But I do know this to be a fact: If I don't keep my own mind, somebody or something else will. We all have personal battles, and we all hope to win them. But the battle must be fought and not ignored, because the weakest moment of any battle is when one isn't paying attention to it.

Beyond Our Limits

I was having a conversation with a friend of mine the other day about how each person on the face of this earth is in some sort of prison. Most don't even have a clue that they're in a prison, or where the boundaries of it lie. As we expounded in conversation on this simple idea, it became apparent to me that most people spend their lives trying to make their prison walls more enclosed until they haven't the room to even lie down and sleep. This vast majority try very hard to nail down what they term security, but all the while worrying about the wolf that will eventually devour them, their families, and their possessions. And as that seed of worry develops in their souls, they begin to build walls within the walls of their prison, making it harder and harder to see the light of day, or break free from their own set boundaries. Prejudices fester in them as they see those who live lives of risk and danger, or who are just different from them. In the state they put themselves in, they find it impossible to turn their necks and see others for who they truly are. Instead, they settle for somebody else's opinion of what such and such is, never actually understanding the truth of it all. And as this develops in many a soul, the prejudices of the caged and shackled becomes extrapolated beyond measure making it damned near impossible to even trust a hope that redemption exists for them.

There are others, however, that do not fear pain or death. And although the prison walls still exist in their lives, they are so far apart that one must squint just to focus upon them. They are quite aware of where those walls are, and they trust in them for support and safety. But not so much as to bind them. These people's prisons are filled with all sort of treasure and magic. There are many dangerous pitfalls, and other things that would harm them. But as stated before, they are very aware of them. This group of people enjoy their lives, and would that others as well. Trying with all their might to unbind that which has been bound. And although it may seem superfluous at times, they possess one of the most admirable traits a human can: Hope. They understand that at one point, all have been bound in some way or another, and to despise those who are would be to bind themselves all the more. And as hope buds in their hearts, so does love take hold and develop making them understand the "Why" of it all.

The last thing I'd like to mention about the "Free Prisoners" is that they know exactly where the door of their prison is, and they hold the keys. They understand however that at present they must reside in a prison to understand and encourage them that are hobbled, and to love them that have never experienced such joy, making it possible for more love to abide in more hearts.

Spontaneous Singing

The way the world is going these days, it can be hard to for us to glean joy from life. The paradox of having everything we ever wanted is that we become lackadaisical and without passion in pursuing the tastes and fragrances that could be experienced. I believe that we develop a false sense of pride that produces an apprehension to putting ourselves in situations that are uncomfortable. This, in turn, limits our development as human beings to the point that we forget that life isn't made up of the things we have, but the things we do and the impact we make on the people around us (which also has a reciprocal effect on our own lives).

Throughout most of human history, people used to unwind from a hard day of staying alive and providing for their families by getting together and singing. Something about spontaneous singing helped these people to relax and forget their worries. I would imagine that these people had just as many fears and reservations (if not more) as we do today, but I also believe that since they already were used to being in uncomfortable positions on a day by day basis, it just wasn't as big a deal to them as we make it out today to be. I very rarely find anyone willing to just sing, and I think it's a tragedy to say the least. Even in my own self, I find I'm almost unwilling to sing. I guess I just want to retain what I believe to be civility. But I know in my heart that it's a sham.

Enter Karaoke. About 6 years ago, I was over at my friend's house and they all started to karaoke. I thought it was amazing, but was just as scared to try all the same. As the night progressed and I got a couple of beers in me, I gave it a shot. The experience was almost religious. I got into the song for 20 seconds and didn't have the gumption to sing the rest. For some reason, I just couldn't do it. It was too much of an experience for me and I just couldn't take it anymore. Through the years, I've grown accustomed to karaoke, and I've even won a family championship. I know that I don't have the voice of an angel, but I also know that singing (no matter what your voice sounds like) does something amazing to one's soul. I just hope that others will catch onto the serenity that lies within singing. There's a certain magic to it.

Sherlock Holmes

If you've ever read any of the Sherlock Holmes novels, I'm sure you recall Watson always complaining about Holmes needing to have something to preoccupy his mind. Watson relates that if Holmes isn't pursuing some new lead on a fantastical case, his mind becomes so bored that the only cure is the needle (some drug). No matter what he could do to further himself, he finds mundane tasks a bore and decides instead to drown his sorrows in the wonders of drugs.

Now I'd like to, first of all, state that my mental capacities are no match for Sherlock Holmes. However, I would like to say that I find myself in Holmes' situation on certain occasions. I have a lot of simple, sometimes boring things to do as far as practicing my trombone and fixing the house (not to mention studying for my upcoming ASE tests). So I get bored simply hashing away at the same ol' things day after day, and I want some form of new exciting adventure. Obviously I can't and don't want to do drugs, but there are other things and situations I've been in that are just plain unsavory. I find that people are the most interesting things on this earth, and in my quest for new, it sometimes puts me in quite the pickle. As far as my reading goes in the series of Sherlock Holmes novels, he never quite gets over his vice. I hope to. I suppose I just find it a hard pill to swallow what Solomon said, "There's nothing new under the sun."

As I Sit & Smoke my Pipe...

Every day humanity awakens to another decision. A decision to give or take. Most have made it up in their minds that they enjoy accumulating, and so even though the opportunity presents itself on a repeated basis, they never even give it a chance. The cares of present circumstances is so enticing that they miss the very thing that life is made of: Death. Jesus said Himself that unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains alone, but if it dies, it yields much fruit. What I believe He meant from this parable is that the only life worth living is one of sacrifice to the point of death for others.

It's quite a paradox to find that the people that have the most find themselves wanting more than those who have nothing. My Grandpa told me a story of a very rich man who was stricken with disease to the point of not being able to eat anymore. As his servant pushed his wheelchair down the sidewalk, he noticed a homeless man enjoying a hamburger in the gutter. His response to the sight was that he would give everything he owned for one bite of that homeless man's meal.

As I sit here and smoke my pipe pondering this bit of wisdom left to me by my forebear, I know in my heart that I've taken more than I deserve, and so has the rest of humanity. The reason I say this is because one can never give too much, but even one bite of pleasure is more than any of us deserve. Obviously this is a very disagreeable statement, but one that, if embraced, can give life to so much good.

Polio

Most people die before they're 100 years old, and in that space of time little can be said for what is remembered of them. Instead, most are concerned about the now and the pleasures that can be experienced at present. Instead of concerning ourselves with how to help humanity in whatever capacity we're able, we choose to waste our time in pursuit of frivolity. Everyday, most of us wake up and only look in the mirror; whether it be literal or figurative.

Fortunately however, there have been times in the past when an education wasn't used for personal gain. Certain individuals understood that, in truth, the only thing worth pursuing is sacrifice for humanity. Jonas Salk was one of those individuals. If the name doesn't ring a bell, perhaps the disease called Polio does. Dr. Salk was the scientist that invented the Polio vaccine. And here's the kicker; instead of selling the vaccine like most drug companies do today, he gave it away for free. His reason for doing so was that the salary he was receiving at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine was sufficient and that making money off the vaccine would be inhumane seeing as so many people (mostly children) were dying from this terrible disease.

There is a lesson larger than life that was set forth in his act of unselfishness, and I pray that many more would catch his incredible vision for humanity. Instead of spending so much time staring at our faces in the mirror, perhaps we should gaze into each others to learn and understand just what plagues humanity today; then search for the cure. Never act out of selfishness or with an attitude of, " What can I get out of the deal?" Just act in love and understanding. We all need a lot more of that.

"Don't believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you'll see the way to fly." -Richard Bach

Integrity

There are many times in my life that I stop and ask myself why I do what I do. Things that have lingered on even though it seems I've either outgrown them or I'm just sick and tired of doing them. Commitments that don't seem worth keeping and situations that, once the curtain is pulled back, I wish I'd never even been a part of. I find that in these moments of reflection it's very easy to say, "To heck with it all" and move on with my life. But to do that would not only be cowardice, it would also mean that the lessons I've learned in my time doing these things have profited me nothing. To continue in my integrity, doing the things that I've committed to and disliking it all the more is akin to refining a precious metal. It takes a lot of fire to burn out the chaff that would have me being tossed to and fro by the wind. Although it may seem like I'm doing the same old routine, not profiting a thing by it; I've actually completely changed my drive for why I do what I do. And my integrity grows stronger by the day as I continue in it. I've come to realize just how true the old adage is, "A man is only as good as his word."

"...He learned obedience from the things which He suffered." -Hebrews 5:8b (NIV)

Accountability And Stupidity

If you browse through old posters from around World War 2, you're bound to come across multiple printings encouraging Americans to buy War Bonds. This stands out to me because Joe Shmoes were paying for America to defend freedom and democracy back then. Every citizen was involved and invested in America. People knew that it was a true privilege to be living in this country, and they acted in turn by doing everything in their power to make it better. Our forefathers took nothing and made it something, hoping that their children would continue.

Flash forward to today. As I look around, I find people driving in their cars with their cell phones glued to their ears in total oblivion. Television promotes vanity and selfishness to such a degree that it's impossible to not be drawn in. If you listen to the lyrics of most popular tunes, they encourage drug use, infidelity, and crime as if it were nothing more than a natural act. Instead of understanding and cherishing our past, we look at it as if it were a shameful thing. We say that our forefathers were so ignorant and brutish that they could never compare to our glorious culture; as if we have finally reached the point of perfection.

But underneath this facade of glamour a dark, ugly thing lives and grows. We find ourselves unfulfilled with our current vocations and families; so we take drugs to numb the pain. We hate ourselves inside so we tell everyone how great we are. We're ashamed of having such vices as drug use, infidelity, and vanity; so we play it off as nothing. We become so obsessed and withdrawn into ourselves and our problems, that anyone else's (and even our own in many cases) are too much to comprehend.

News today has become a storybook tale. And the only players in it are those in much higher positions (and with much more money) than us. We like to watch it like a sitcom, wondering when the punchline will take place. God forbid we would ever get involved with our country's decisions; only a crazed lune would dare to try and perforate that behemoth. No, we don't want to be involved. Just so long as we're comfortable in our cars; able to talk on our phones; and numb from the pain of our consciences. We may know deep in our heart of hearts that it is within our own power to make this country (and world) a better place, but it's just not comfortable to sacrifice our lives to do it. And so we linger on, chomping at the bit and hoping that the piper doesn't require of us the hefty fee we so willingly committed to.

"He, that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." -Proverbs 29:1

The Decline of The Garage

If you look at photos from the 1930's through the 1950's, you'll notice a lot of pictures of men driving their cars into the garage, working on their cars in the garage, and just standing in front of their garage. A garage used to be a place that a man got away from it all and tinkered, thought, or just drank a beer to alleviate whatever ailed him. Men from that bygone age discovered what many men of today have yet to learn: Things need to be fixed. Instead of calling the mechanic, the man of the house used to pull the family's automobile into his workshop and fix it his self. If furniture broke, it was by no means time to throw it out and buy anew; bring it into the garage and let Dad have a crack at it.

Nowadays, people are taking older homes of lore and renovating them to accustom the newer generation. We pull the phone wires out of the wall, put up drywall over plaster, and "transform" the garage into another bedroom. We don't need a place to fix things anymore, we need a place to store more of our stuff! And as we accumulate more and cherish less, we find ourselves farther and farther from what a man is: The provider of the family. Mom and Dad nowadays have the same vocations and chores. Wash clothes, sweep the floor, and bring the car to the mechanic. It's a sad state to see a man take pride in being able to bring his car into a mechanic; as if he were doing the work himself. Instead of making things last and understanding all the intricacies of his home, he simply shucks off responsibility and entrusts his own duty to a stranger.

Sit down in front of your computer day after day without ever handling caustic materials and risking your life in fulfillment of virtues stretching from time immemorial and you will lose the very foundation from whence men originated. Take the "safe" way, and you're in more danger than you could possibly fathom.

"...The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee; then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." Luke 12:16b-21

Be content friends, and take care of what you have, seeing as it will pass away soon enough anyway.

Music and Culture

It has long bewildered me how much the general population enjoys such music as Britney Spears, Rhianna, Jay Z and the like. I've tried to understand and enjoy such music, however I'm unable to get over the cheapness of it. I find no true virtuosity or artistic interjection within it. To my ears it just sounds like trash. I don't mean to be offensive, but it just doesn't appeal to me in the slightest degree. Cheap sparkles, talk of sex, drugs, and most of all money doesn't apprehend my attention.

To me, a good song has a lot of harmony, different sounds, and an interesting story or idea contained in the lyrics. I don't want to hear about wanting to be a millionaire so friggin' bad. I'd rather find beauty, truth, and wisdom... and some humor as well. This is where I think that the idea of culture comes in.

In the olden days (like Bach and Mozart's time frame) musicians made music so that they would get to eat, or the king didn't kill them. Even as late as the hippie culture, music was looked on as something to enlighten one's self. Although greed and vanity have been around since time immemorial, it didn't permeate every facet of society. This is where I see a change in palette of culture. We are so subjugated by movies, commercials, and advertisements everywhere showing people with so many possessions acting in total bliss that it entrances us to such a degree that we forget what true virtue and curiosity is and simply chomp at the bit. And with such a high degree of importance being put on greed and vanity, it has finally enveloped the vast majority of music. The idea of a quick buck has been turned into the idea of a quickly developed piece of music to make that quick buck. The tragedy is that it works, and society has bought into the idea that if it sparkles, we should forget about what we've built our whole lives upon and change domiciles to that of the new, forgetting everything but what entrances us in the present.

Not to say that crappy music is something new, but it seems to me that it has taken a front seat to the population's choice of what quality is. I aim to change this in my own life as best I'm able. Not only within the music I produce, but in everything I do and bring forth.

"And whatsoever ye do do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance for ye." -Colossians 3:23

Cultivating Our Lives

I remember watching a 60 minutes episode once that showed a woman that never went outside because she was afraid of the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays. She didn't work or produce anything of worth. Her situation as I saw it was hopeless, because not only was she afraid of the simplest of things, but it had inhibited her from work of any kind. As she hid from pain and death, it had already found her. She was a walking corpse. Benjamin Franklin wrote in his autobiography that the used key is always shiny. I'd like to add on this and state the obvious, that an unused one rusts and decomposes. It's a simple law of nature that if one does not grow, they die.

When I was a child, I found that if I knew of something I or one of my siblings did wrongly but professed to know nothing, I could many times get out of trouble and reap (what I assumed at the time) no consequences for my actions. Over time I found that lying about such things is not only damaging to others, but also taints one's soul so that he or she becomes lazy to the point of outlandish means to protect them from a seemingly simple situation. I came to discover that to stand in complete honesty, no matter how disgusting or inconvenient it made me was far greater than an easy lie. You see, trouble is the very thing one needs in order to grow as a human. Jacob found trouble when he wrestled all night with the Angel, and he limped the rest of his life in consequence to his actions. However, without the gumption to leap into an uncomfortable and painful situation, he would never have become the man of renown we know him as today.

To grow, one must hurt themselves; and although this may seem backwards to what is taught today, I'd like to fight the current of careful mothers and assert that danger is paramount if one is to ever live a worthwhile life. The tearing and healing effect appears all throughout nature, and it's just until recently when the idea of protecting ourselves from the water we drink to free radicals floating through the air that that idea has been cast to the wayside. Valor is a word we associate with men of the past. We'd rather play it safe and live as long as we can, no matter how miserable and unproductive we become. We'd rather pump our bodies full of drugs to dull the pain of a wasted life than jump headlong into the unknown to risk life and limb to fulfill our destiny's.

A sad and squandered life, no matter how long lived, is nothing in comparison to the moment one comes in touch with purpose. I say that it's high time we take up the mantels of the past and live life to the fullest no matter the risk! Take responsibility for your actions, fight for the common good, and never use others for the advancement of yourselves. It will always catch up with you in the end. Life is to be lived toiling under the sun, not hiding in a cave.

"Remember, fear looks when faith leaps." -Smith Wigglesworth

The Glory of 80's Music

Most people would consider the 1980's the epitome of cheesiness when it comes to music (and many other things). I find this a real tragedy seeing as, in my opinion, some amazing music came from that decade. If you watch some of the music videos from that period, you'll notice that a lot of old, artsy effects were used. On top of that, the music in a lot of cases is quite simple. These two things in conjunction are enough to seal the deal for many minds that 80's music is straight cheese. Who can blame them right? Let me explain why I take issue with this train of thought.

Take Steve Winwood's hit song "Valarie." The video starts off with a waterfall, followed closely by Steve appearing in a partly phased out overlay making his sports jacket look like it's part of the waterfall. A fan blows on him the entire video. Not many special effects are added. Fading in and out is a lady (Valarie) dancing around in a white dress. At certain points throughout the video, while Steve is playing his keyboard, the waterfall envelopes his hands. If one were to simply watch the video without music, it would really look horrible. But the thing that really sticks out to me when I watch it is that Steve is in the entire video either singing or playing. He is the composer and musician that made this song, and he is the one being featured throughout. I find it pleasant that instead of so many special effects, the music of Steve Winwood is being featured. Its not a purely visual stimulation accompanied by some background music. Its his music being accompanied by some very simple visual effects. That is what a music video should be as I see it.

But what about the music itself? Simple right? Old synthesizer music, and pretty standard song format. Why would anyone want to listen to it? When I was attending the Navy School of Music a very profound statement was made by a Senior Chief concerning simple music. He said that the reason simple music is so profound is because it's simple. Nothing against intricate music, but to enjoy a simple pleasure can be very healing to the soul. Life in and of itself is complex enough, and to find something simple that doesn't try to be more than it is can ground a person and provide relief from the many stresses that plague us all. Instead of flashing bling, money, and scantily dressed women that we'll never partake of, it shows a master of his craft carving out something from nothing, albeit simple.

There is a lot of wisdom contained in simplicity that is not only edifying but enjoyable. I would hope that you would see the finer things as I do.

Defilement

I try my best to attend Church every Sunday morning. Although I miss it sometimes, and I'm probably not as active in the Church as I should be, I find many things that trouble and upset me; even scare me in some instances. There are always the basic pet peeves like people bringing their coffee in the Sanctuary and playing on their cell phones, but then there are other things that shake me up and really make me wonder just who is paying attention. The last song that was sung at church today was a hymn entitled "Come Ye Sinners." It had been revamped and was newer in style, but the words seemed old. I was singing along with everyone else when I happened to glance ahead at the last line of the tune:

"In the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms."

I immediately stopped singing and looked around me while everyone droned out the last line. Nobody that I saw looked upset, or even curious for that matter that in a Christian church we were singing about our Lord adorned with occult amulets! When I arrived home, I grabbed my unabridged dictionary and looked up the definition of the word 'Charm.' Here's the first definition:

Charm- A word, character, or other thing imagined to possess some occult or unintelligible power; hence, a magic power or spell; an enchantment; an incantation.

There are other definitions like a bracelet with ornaments on it and something that sparkles, but I looked up when the hymn was written (1759) and these definitions didn't apply back then. Even if they did, it sure doesn't make a whole heck of a lot of sense to have God wearing a charm bracelet.

Joseph Hart was the author of this hymn and in the original version of it, not once is the word charm found. Here's the original lyrics to the 1759 version:

Come, ye sinners, poor and wretched,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, joined with power;
He is able, He is able, He is able,
He is willing, doubt no more.

It wasn't until 100 years after this version did an alternate emerge by (none other than) an anonymous author! From that point on, the most widely accepted version of this hymn has been the post Hart version of it.

So why does this all matter you may ask? Because the power of life and death lies in the tongue (Proverbs 28:21), and if a Christian doesn't watch what proceeds forth from their mouth, then they may very well be speaking death. There are many scriptures in the Bible (namely the books of Moses) that speak of witchcraft, enchantments (the word charm originated from this), and the like. The Bible even says not to suffer a witch to live (Exodus 22:18). This may seem a little long, but I'd like you to understand in the fullest aspect that I'm able to present just what I believe and why I believe it. Here's what James has to say about the tongue:

..."If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh." (James 3: 2b-12)

So as a Christian, one should be very conscientious of what proceeds from their mouth, because a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Just going to Church and sitting there believing that what you see is good because you're in Church doesn't cut it. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15)

If I could leave you with one nugget of wisdom from this post that would sum it up, I would encourage you to never blindly follow anything without using your resources and your brain to rightly divide the word of truth. Lazy Christians not only corrupt themselves; they pollute and tarnish Christianity as a whole.

"Holy shoddy is still shoddy." -Charles Spurgeon

Taking A Break

I spend too much time on the Internet, and not enough doing the things that I need to. I'm going to go a little bit of hiatus. I may post every couple of weeks or so, but I just feel the need to unplug myself from this beast called the Internet. Bye.

A Life Worth Living

Isn't it amazing how well groomed we've become. Neatly trimmed haircuts, and cleanly shaven faces. Born into a life of indulgence, we're raised to view life as a series of carefully calculated events that one should hope to experience and thrive in. At age 18, High School is completed, followed by (at least) a four year degree, at which time an individual will meet a girl (or guy), get a white collar job, and "work for a living." Now it should be noted, that unless one has a 401K to hold onto, the individual should definitely stay with their job until retirement, so that he or she can safely retire, live comfortably in a retirement home, and die peaceably with no burden to their children. There are (of course) other stereotypes that are imposed upon us as Americans, but I'll keep it general for the purpose of this post. Everyone knows the story of Pavlov's Dogs. He rung a bell every time he fed the dogs to train them into expecting food every time they heard the bell. Then he rang the bell without giving the dogs food. By measuring how much the dogs salivated, he was able to determine what they expected. However, not many people know of Pavlov's Kids. That's right, he did similar experiments on children. And guess what... It yielded the same results! Why is this so important? Because somebody, somewhere, knows how the human mind works. These people also know how to condition a person to get him or her to do their bidding. This is a deep thought, so I'll let you ponder it whilst you look at this picture of Ivan Pavlov and one of his dogs..

What if one were to throw away all of these predispositions toward what a human "should" be and start to develop a mind of their own? From what I've learned from history, the people that made the biggest difference in society (i.e. Jesus, Paul, Elijah, Nicola Tesla, Thomas Edison, etc...) were called lunatics. Why? Because they didn't accept what society told them they "should" be. They understood what they could be, and they achieved it. One of the biggest examples I've ever come across of people doing what they should is the Nazi soldiers of WWII. In the trials after the war, all of them said that all they were doing was following orders. How could they be to blame for just following the orders of those superior to them? After all, they were just doing what they should. I'd challenge you to start thinking for yourself. You'll know you're on the right path when people start calling you crazy and slanting you. Abraham Lincoln said, "Towering genius disdains a beaten path. It seeks regions hitherto unexplored." I'd encourage you to take the path less traveled, and think for yourself. G'nite.

The Present

My Grandpa taught me many things and told me many stories. He was by no means perfect, and I think that it makes his lessons all the more real. He was a man just like myself. Torn, tattered, and well worn. He told me a secret when he was in his late 80's. Everyday he woke up in the morning, he saw a present sitting on the edge of his bed. It was specially made just for him. Beautiful wrapping paper and a big red ribbon. As he carefully unwrapped his present, he found a wonderful gift inside waiting for him. It was his day. Every day that was given to him by God was another gift to be unwrapped and cherished. It deserved respect. The gift was a rare thing he told me, especially at his age. Because he didn't know if he would get another one, he valued it that much more. This really made an impact on me. We waste so much of our time and act like we'll never run out of it. The Bible teaches us to redeem our time. And my Grandpa taught me to as well. I hope you'll do the same.

Information Overload

Before the printing press was invented, books were very scarce. An education was a hard thing to come by, and even possessing one book was something to be extremely proud of. Few people in the world owned any, and even fewer had actual libraries. These were the days when an education was a thing to be coveted; days when what people knew were passed down from what their families and friends told them. Even after the invention of the printing press, books were somewhat scarce. In Benjamin Franklin's autobiography, he speaks of borrowing his friend's books with the utmost respect and even fear of them (he really didn't want to hurt them in any way). A book was a treasure, and the knowledge contained in them was a privilege to possess. Flash forward to today. Books can be bought for pennies at thrift stores or even found in the trash. A book is so commonplace that the regard that people once had for them has diminished to such a degree that once one has been read, its either thrown away or given away. With the advent of the Internet, information has taken another giant leap forward. Anything one would ever want to know is right before their fingertips. Just push a key and there it is! Then why are we seeing a decline in the education of people in today's society? Why are colleges pushing young adults faster and faster through their courses? I believe that a large part is because we have forgotten the sweetness of knowledge. We have taken for granted that for most of history, most people didn't know anything of literature, poetry, or many of the other things that education offers. We have become "Informationally Obese" if you will. Cramming twitters down our brains and wondering what Johnny ate for dinner last night. We have forgotten the fragrance that emanates from a truly educated person. An old Jewish tradition when a child was sent to school, was that when the first book was given to the student, it would be strewed with nuts and fruits to symbolize the sweetness of knowledge, and to encourage the child to savour an education. I would like to end this post with a quote from Desmond Bagley, "If a man is a fool, you don't train him out of being a fool by sending him to a university, you merely turn him into a trained fool, ten times more dangerous."

Electricity Vs. Magnetism

In the late 1880's there was a war. Not a war fought on the battle ground, but a war of the mind. This war was between two inventors: Thomas Edison and Nicola Tesla. They were fighting over which type of current was superior; Alternating (AC) or Direct (DC). To make a long story short, Nicola Tesla won the war with his Alternating Current system. It totally changed the world! Today, almost every person the world over has electricity in their lives, and in most cases come in contact with it on a daily basis. People over the course of time have studied just what electricity is, and they seem to know everything about it. From what I've read and understand, electricity is the movement of the electrons on one atom's valance ring to the next in a rapid succession (the speed of light). This movement of electrons creates energy which we use in our everyday lives. I don't need to get into the differences of AC vs. DC, but suffice it to say that its just a different way of how the electrons move. Magnetism also plays a big part in how electricity is created. Wrap a wire around a soft iron core, move a magnet across it and you've just created voltage. They are closely related. However, the one thing that people have not discovered is just what magnetism is. We know that the positively and negatively charged particles align themselves perfectly to create opposing poles, but we don't know what the power of the magnet is. We call it lines of flux, but have no idea just what those flux lines are. There are ways of measuring the magnetic charge, but no way of observing what the power is. I just think its interesting. We don't know everything, even though we act like we do. See ya!

The Lonely Shepherd

The wilderness... I've often thought about how it might impact my life by abiding in it for some length of time. There are so many distractions in my life; so many things that take up time and space that have no meaning. I've only a limited amount of time in this life, and I want to spend the gift of it in the most meaningful way. Even writing on this blog is a distraction. All great men have gotten away from everyone and ventured into the wilderness to not only lose the distractions of their lives, but also to find who they truly were. David was a shepherd his whole childhood. He resided in the wilderness tending his father's sheep. Elijah the Tishbite was a man of the mountains. Most of his life was spent in the wilderness getting to know God. Jesus Himself frequently stole away into the mountains and wilderness to converse with His Father. The Aborigines down under go on walkabouts to become men as well as the Native Americans in their vision quests. Tibetan Monks live lives of quiet solitude in the wilderness. Some of my favourite stories aside from those in the Bible are those of the Cowboys. Men that ventured into unknown lands to look for a better life. Little did they know it at the time, but they have now become men of renown. People that knew themselves, and weren't afraid of pain or death. Their spirits were strong (even if they weren't always righteous in their decisions). The list is endless. The tie that all these people have in common is that while they were in the wilderness, they were vagabonds. They didn't build houses and put down roots there. Their stay was a temporary one. But even though it was temporary, they didn't have a set amount of time allotted. The quest is more important than the time it takes to accomplish it. Its not a quest for earthly treasures; its a quest for spiritual enlightenment. I find it interesting that in our society, we've become so attached to the physical things, that to simply "up and leave" is regarded as insanity. In my opinion, nothing could be closer to a true grasp on reality than to leave all earthly possessions and find the thing that cannot be lost: The spirit. A man (and woman) is a threefold entity. The spirit is the true self, the soul may be regarded to as the mind, and the temporary "house" is the body. Many people highlight the physical accomplishments that can be had, while many others delight in the mind and accomplish great feats by the strength of it. But few people understand that the power of the spirit is superior to the others. I know this because it is the only thing that endures. The only possession one has after meeting with death is their spirit. I don't need to go into the proof of the spirit, because the arguments whether or not it exists cancel each other out. To prove something exists in the physical realm, one must observe it in the physical realm. To prove the existence of the spirit, one must observe it in the spiritual realm. Only very rarely are belligerent manifestations made from the spiritual realm into the physical. Just know that in my own experiences within the spiritual realm, I've found it to be not only real, but permeating every facet of the life of the human. That being said, I believe that most people, while strong in body and mind, are becoming more and more atrophied in their spirit man. That is why I believe that a break from things that focus on body and mind is essential to anyone wishing to grow spiritually. However, with a wife, kids, and bills (not to mention being in the Navy), it is becoming a loftier goal to abide in the wilderness for any length of time. I still wish to do it however, and I plan on it. I just don't know when...

Groaning Together.

I've been facing a lot lately as you can tell from my latest blogs. Forsaking my childhood dream of playing music and getting ready for a real job. Finding out that some people are two-faced that I thought were friends. Meeting lost and new family. There is a lot going on, and trying to put on a strong front doesn't always work. I'm only human. I have weaknesses and sometimes I fall. Sometimes I get mad and lash out, or stumble and fall within my resolutions. Nobody but Jesus is perfect. All I can hope to achieve is a perfect heart towards Him. It gets a little overwhelming at times, and at some points I just feel like I don't need to fulfill my obligations and responsibilities. The kids don't listen, the house needs to be fixed, and I need to study for my ASE certifications in May. Not to mention practicing my horn, and trying to be strong for my family. I'm also trying not to offend any of my friends and relatives seeing as there are a lot of new acquaintances and I'm the kind of guy that worries about those kind of things. "Sigh" ... and I think its going to rain today.

Hold Your Ground!

"Hold your ground; hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!" -Aragorn (Return of the King)

I really love this quote from the Lord of the Rings because it gives me courage. It quickens the zeal that I have for accomplishing my goals. So many circumstances in my life would threaten to take my heart; my courage. If this helpless feeling that burrs itself in my soul were to have it's way with no resistance, it would ruin me. Finding out that I may be out of the Navy in five months is quite a hit. It makes me feel both excited and overwhelmed. I'm thankful for the time I've had in it, and I'm excited about the future. But there are a lot of fears, and having resistance at work only adds to the burden. I know by the grace of God that I'll make it. However, it takes courage on my part as well. I have to fight the feelings of dejection and hopelessness. I have to support my family and make sure that they know everything IS going to be alright. I must not only stand, but also support those who may not have the strength to. And I will, you see, because a fire has been lit in my soul; not only from this quote, but from the very dejection that I've experienced at my job. No matter how much I love playing music, this conquers even that. Nothing can stop me now, because I know that I'm not alone. Others are in the same boat as I am and are feeling the same dejection that I've felt so many times in the past. It is not a one time occurrence. It is not my emotions playing the devil's advocate. It is cold hard truth, and action must be taken on my part to disalign myself from the evil that has permeated my life for so long. This day I will fight!

8-Track

Last week we had a Master Chief of some importance visit the band hall. He came to check us out, give us encouragement, and ask if everything was sufficient. The discussion ranged over a few large topic items such as the U.S.S. Enterprise's situation, and the repealing of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. During our "conversation" he changed subjects to becoming more modernized in our thinking. He related it to the difference between owning an Apple Ipod, or an 8-track player. We did a raise of hands for who owned either. Everyone but myself owned an Ipod. And of course, I raised my hand for owning an 8-track player (he was very surprised). He said that our possession of new electronic gizmos was a clear giveaway whether or not we were in touch with modern times. At the time I laughed about being the only person in the room (out of 50 plus people) who owned an 8-track player, but over the course of a week I've become saddened by how fickle our country has become. We're about the new. Now, there is nothing wrong with these things in their proper place, but blown out of proportion, they control us. The world is more than the latest thing. Instead of cherishing and passing on to future generations what have been important in our lives, we've trading them for the newest gizmo. And as I've just discussed, this permeates the military as well as our personal lives (of course, in my opinion, everything permeates everything). Its disheartening to me that we don't cherish what we have anymore. I don't think I'll be able to change the Navy; but who knows? All I know is that by the living of my life, and the influence I have on others through my example and my conversations, I am making a difference. I think I'll hold on to my 8-tracks for a while longer. The music sounds good on them, and I save a lot of money by not "updating" to new gizmos. Maybe someday I'll pass them on to my kids.

The Kenyan

The summer and fall of 2006 was a dark time for me. Instead of going on a Navy cruise and seeing the world with the band, they sent me for 8 months to another base away from the band to stand guard duty as auxiliary security. I was fairly new to the band, fairly new to Virginia, single, and no friends to speak of (I was, at least then, a bit of an introvert). So my dreams of being a musician were put on hold for that time with no foreseeable future of playing trombone. I was a Navy cop. Suffice it to say, I was pretty bitter.

Standing gate duty for 13 hours can get pretty monotonous and depressing. Not much but your partner and your thoughts to keep you company for over half a day at a time. Of course, there's always the Navy training videos to boost the ol' morale, but there isn't much more motivation or growth within the job to speak of.

I remember the Admiral of that base driving through every so often, giving us a slight glance but never saying a word. Other officers as well were very cold in most cases (of course there are always exceptions). From these experiences, I made it up in my mind that the Navy really wasn't for me and that I would ride out my enlistment at the security forces, get out of the Navy, go back to Oregon, and never touch the trombone again. At this point in time I had something to look forward to. Something was in my future and was getting closer. All I had to do was wait.

One evening while I was on the gate, a man came walking up in casual clothing looking like a civilian. While I thought he would continue on without even looking at me, he actually turned into the gate and showed me an international officer badge signifying that he was of Kenyan origin. Naturally, I was a little flabbergasted, but I waved him on and expected him to continue with no further contact with me. But he didn't. He asked how I was doing, where I was from, and a lot of very friendly questions in a sincere manner. I conversed with him for a few minutes and he apologized profusely and stated that he had to cut our conversation short because he had an appointment to be at. We parted ways and I didn't think too much more of it except at how friendly a Kenyan officer could be while my own officers never gave me more than a passing glance.

Later on that evening, I noticed that same Kenyan walking towards me once more. He looked very happy to see me still standing at the gate and made haste to reach me. Once he engaged me, he asked how my time was since he'd seen me last (which was just a few hours prior). We spoke for a long time (probably about 30 minutes) about life and the weather, and just about every friendly thing two men could speak. I bid him good night, and we parted ways once more.

Over the course of the next few months, we spoke on a regular basis and became good friends. I looked forward to going to work just to be able to speak with my friend one more time. My friend the Kenyan officer. I was just a seaman in the U.S. Navy mind you. I was (and still am in my opinion) nobody. But this man understood my situation and went out of his way to befriend me. When he left to go back to his own country, he had a picture taken of me and him. He told me that he wanted to show his family back in Kenya his good friend. I was very important to him he told me, and he was very sad that he had to go, but would remember me always.

I never saw this man again, and I don't know if I ever will. But our friendship taught me a very important lesson. We are all in this human race together. It doesn't matter what rank I am, or what race I am, or what education I have. We all have struggles that we must trudge through, and without the support and friendship of others, we'll never make it. It doesn't matter how many morale boosters I'm fed; without the camaraderie of our fellow human beings, we'll never be motivated. This has changed my life. Its made me a bit more hard boiled as well. But I believe that I've become a better person.

I don't know how you'll take this story, but its inspired me to continue on with my job in the Navy up until present. I hope that you too can find a friend in your job and not just the job in it. Because without each other, we're lost.

Edifying Thoughts of a Tobacco Smoker.

Whene're I take my pipe and stuff it
And smoke to pass the time away
My thoughts, as I sit there and puff it
Dwell on a picture sad and grey
It teaches me that very like
Am I myself unto my pipe

Like me this pipe, so fragrant burning
Is made of naught but earthen clay
To earth I too shall be returning
And cannot halt my slow decay
My well used pipe, now cracked and broken
Of mortal life is but a token

No stain, the pipe's hue yet doth darken
It remains white. Thus do I know
That when to death's call I must hearken
My body too, all pale will grow
To black beneath the sod 'twill turn
Likewise the pipe, if oft it burn

Or when the pipe is fairly glowing
Behold then instantaneously
The smoke off into thin air going
'Til naught but ask is left to see
Man's fame likewise away will burn
And unto dust his body turn

How oft' it happens when one's smoking
The tamper's missing from it's shelf
And on goes with one's finger poking
Into the bowl and burns oneself
If in the pipe such pain doth dwell
How hot must be the pains of Hell!

Thus o'er my pipe in contemplation
Of such things - I can constantly
Indulge in fruitful meditation
And so, puffing contentedly
On land, at sea, at home, abroad
I smoke my pipe and worship God.

-Johann Sebastian Bach (1725)

Old Swedish Proverbs.

I've been thinking recently that blessings are of utmost importance in life. Jesus himself told us to bless, not curse. And yet, our lives are filled with so many curses. I would like to dig into my Swedish roots a little and highlight a few old Swedish proverbs. I hope you enjoy them.

"Love me when I least deserve it, because that's when I really need it."

"Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; love more, and all good things will be yours."

"Eyes that do not cry, do not see."

"The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm."

"What breaks in a moment may take many years to mend."

"If you buy what you don't need, you steal from yourself."

"A life without love is like a year without summer."

"Don't throw away the old bucket until you know whether the new one holds water."

"Don't let your sorrow come higher than your knees."

"The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected."

"Sweep first before your own door, before you sweep the doorsteps of your neighbours."

"When a blind man carries a lame man, both go forward."

"Wisdom is in the head, not in the beard."

"One should go invited to a friend in good fortune, and uninvited in misfortune."

"No one becomes a good doctor until he fills a churchyard."

"Worry gives a small thing a big shadow."

I hope you can use these in your own life, and maybe bless someone else's by them.

Heritage

Recently, I've been in touch with some of my family that I haven't either met before, or haven't seen in a good long while. You see, there was a falling out on my Dad's side of the family. People took offense, or had personal problems, or something. And these "problems" inhibited them from keeping in contact. But here's the kicker; their kids and their kids kids didn't talk to each other because of these problems. That is why it is so important to not take offense. It doesn't only affect you, it affects everybody else. And you've just created a problem that didn't exist before that could span generations! Every thought, word, and deed creates a ripple effect within the spiritual realm. And even though it may seem invisible, if you're looking for it, its as plain as day. This happened in my family. I have generations of musicians and artists that I had no knowledge of before. I make a living as a musician for crying out loud! Heritage is important, you see. It tells you not only the weaknesses that lie in your genes, but the strengths and talents. And by keeping a close bond with those that share the same blood as you, it creates a strength for overcoming weaknesses that you may have thought impossible to overcome. It instills meaning, security and love in the heart. You may call it vanity, but I have a new drive to become a better human being so that my family will be proud of me. I want to overcome my weaknesses and show that the name of Osberg has meaning.