Back in 30ish… Days.
Summer, weddings, travel, oh my. So much going on in August that I need to (and have) set this blog aside until September. Maybe I will surprise you with a random post, but I probably won’t.
Talk soon.
RP
The Shadow Proves the Sunshine
Preface: If you know me, you’re probably familiar with my love of symbolism and analogies.
First, I stole borrowed the title of this post from a Switchfoot song of the same name that was recommended to me by a great friend who I was fortunate enough to spend a significant amount of time with this past Saturday. Our conversation is often deep, and it just so happened that many chapters of my life had come to a close over the previous few weeks and I was still in the process of taking it all in and spent most of my time with Ryan (not me, my friend) verbalizing it all to him. Side note, Ryan, you are quite the listener, my friend. Any way, as we were parting ways he made a song recommendation, which now holds more purpose than I think either one of us will ever understand.
Years of being involved in media production has left me with an imagination that turns any song I hear into a music video in my head (BP – you know what I am talking about!). To me, this song conveys an image of hiking up the westward face of a mountain before the sun has risen. Yes, the air is cool, crisp, and refreshing, but, due to the absence of the sun, the going is slow and laden with shadowy obstacles. As the summit nears, the sky begins to change; the darkness creeps away. Once at the top, the sun emerges from the east and if you were to turn around, the dark path that brought you to the pinnacle, upon which you now stand, would be illuminated as the shadows retreat. From this vantage point the way is now clear, you are now able to see things for what they are!
This is where I am. I am at the a pinnacle (although I know there are higher mountains yet to climb). I get it. I now see so many things that used to feel like burdens for what they are – opportunities. As great as it is to look upon past and understand what I was not able to understand at the time, better still is it to be able to have a clear view of the adventure ahead. Of course I am not able to see every twist and turn, every peak and valley, but I see that there is a path – the adventure that is to come. It is not what I would have picked for myself, but it is more promising than I could have ever hoped for. It is almost humorous how God’s plan tends to work like that.
Let my shadows prove the sunshine.
Too Late
While life reveals different challenges for all of us, one thing that we all inevitably have to face is the death of a loved one. There is no one that has not lost someone that they loved; we are all forced to say goodbye.
A situation in my life has come up where I find myself wishing I had more time – time to talk, time to get to know, time to ask questions, time to just “be.” The worst part of all is that the person who I am currently experiencing this feeling of “too late” with is still here, but barely. Cancer can be both incredibly fast and painfully slow. The person I am referring to is no longer the person they were mere days ago. Honestly, in a lot of ways, it is too late. I cannot share with them my regrets for not being around more, for not being more purposeful when we had time, nor my intentions to changes those aspects our relationship from this day on.
For me, there is nothing worse than feeling/knowing I am unable to change or repair something – I hate it. [Addition 7/7/08] I believe this is where God comes into play; I was created as a very capable individual and while I am able to do/accomplish so much, I have a hard time, in my weaker moments, when faced with situations that highlight my inability to change/repair/undo/etc. But the growth comes in the struggle. If it was easy, there would not be a real reason for any of us to be here. Who we are is defined by our journey. The aim of my journey is to reflect Jesus Christ.
This is going to sound cliché, but take a moment and think of at least on e person you would like to talk to, reconcile with, tell them you love them, etc. Did anyone come to mind? Great – NOW DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. It’s not too late… yet.
Sounds of the Season
Here are a few albums I am currently, and beyond mildly, obsessed with…
Jason Mraz – We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.
Make sure you get the special edition with all the live tracks. When it comes to Mr. Mraz I am not too fond of his studio work, but his live tracks are legit. The track “I’m Yours” (live version) is easily my favorite [sigh] on the album.
Coldplay – Viva la Vida
I know, I know… who doesn’t love this album right now? X&Y has been in the CD player in my car since the day it came out, which has saved me on many occasions when I have forgotten my iPod and would have otherwise been tuneless. The track “Lost?” (not “Lost!”) has already been played back-to-back in my car way too many times. I especially like the verse, “Just because I’m hurting, doesn’t mean I’m hurt, doesn’t mean I didn’t get what I deserve, no better and no worse.”
Wow.
Alexi Murdoch – Time Without Consequence
Unique voice. Laid back. Thoughtful lyrics. “Orange Sky.” Enough said.
Greg Laswell – How the Day Sounds
I have a hard time trying to figure out who Greg sounds like, but on the title track “How the Day Sounds” there is definitely some Goo Goo Doll, which is cool… if you like the Goo Goo Dolls. Either way, “How the Day Sounds” is the kind of song you can put on in the morning and feel an overwhelming sense of optimism. It’s good for you.
There, now you are a part of my musical journey. Enjoy.
P.S. - Until these new albums made there way into my iPod, I only had ears for Andy Davis. If you have no idea who Andy Davis is, I am sorry, but the good news is that now you do - go download Andy, now (especially “Please Turn Red,” “Black Keys,” “Believable Doubt,” and “Magic”).
Insatiable Inspiration
Do you ever have the feeling that there are things in life that you cannot do on your own? Even if it is something you want to do or, from a practical standpoint, have the necessary skills for? While I have no problem in taking the reigns and leading, there is so much I cannot do on my own.
If this is starting to sound “spiritual,” well… good, it should sound spiritual; we were all created to be in relationship, thus professing to not need any help goes against the way each of us was built – hand crafted, custom made, with the innate need to be in relationship.
This moment of inspiration, however, came to me in the form of a friend. A best friend. A friend who dreams – he dreams big. A friend who does not let the details trip him up. A friend who backs his words up with action, or as we like to say, he “does work, son.” A friend, who, like me, has an insatiable hunger for business; he keeps me thinking.
One of our many crazy ideas is coming to fruition (more on that at another time) and I see the areas in which I need him and he needs me. I see how, with all certainty, I would not be able to do this alone. Whether this company is the “next great thing” or not is irrelevant, just walking through life with a friend like this makes it all worthwhile.
“Ryan Show?” – I don’t think so.
Filthy Rich
If friendship carried an economic value, I’d be writing to you from my Gulfstream G650, sipping on two fingers of Blue Label and puffing on a Montecristo No. 2 from 1961 as I globetrot to my remote tropical island to escape this sub par Seattle weather. If only that were the case; even so, I say with all sincerity that I am rich beyond what I thought possible and odds are that I have you to thank for it.
Fact: if you are taking the time to read this you are probably one of the people that have chosen to invest in me. While I don’t want to cheapen the meaning of our relationship with my imperfect words or discuss this point ad nauseam, I must commit this to writing as many of you have brought up the very same feeling in discussion as of late.
What grand and wonderful plan is falling into place that so many fantastic individuals would all find each other and walk together? Simply put, we do not have a weak link, everyone brings something to the table. I have received encouragement and wisdom from all of you (whether or not you know it), and hopefully at some point I was able to offer you encouragement and/or wisdom in return… If not, I know I am at least good for a few laughs, and let’s face it, you can never laugh enough.
That’s probably enough on that topic, however, I will close with this final thought. God does not waste and he does not gamble. All of life is purposeful and everything (yes, everything) matters.
We are making our approach – I’d better power down.
1 John 2:6 - Walk Like Jesus
“…he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (RSV)
(Cannon Beach, OR - Canon 20D + Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L)
I find verses such as 1 John 2:6 extremely challenging, not because I have failed (although I have totally failed) to walk like Jesus but because I think of how impossible it sounds to walk like Jesus from this point on.
When I share verses that speak to our conduct as believers and how we ought to live, often times those who I share with quickly respond with the same question that I find my self asking – “Being that I am imperfect, how do I live like Jesus who was perfect?” Here are my thoughts on the matter:
We are, and always will be imperfect as human beings. Due to our own brokenness we will, most likely, sin again. When I think back to the sin in my own life, the sin that tends to come to mind is the sin that I willingly entered into (i.e. lying, etc… oh, there is a lot of “etc.”), not the sin that I wasn’t aware of until I was in the midst of it (i.e. lustful or condescending thoughts entering my mind). It is the sin that I identified, considered, and chose that cuts me the deepest and pushes me the furthest from God.
The Take Away:
Sin is a function of our brokenness; sin it not merely something we do, but it is in our nature, one could even say that sin is our nature. When faced with a decision to live out sin or not, we are really faced with a decision to either choose or deny God. If your actions are not in favor of God then they are against God. If you are acting against God then you are acting as his enemy. Therefore, I would take the position that in the moment of sin you are unable to be used by God (at least in the manner which I think most of us desire) to further his kingdom.
Now you are probably saying something along the lines of, “Ryan, you are an idiot, if we are all sinful in nature and are bound to commit sin and therefore positioning ourselves as an enemy to God, thus unable to be used by God, then how can we also be in relationship with Him?” The “answer” is quite simple – reconciliation, which is defined as a reestablishment of friendship or harmony. Of course, that is not really the answer. The real answer undoubtedly goes further and deeper than my simple cerebrum can comprehend or convey. The real answer comes forth from Jesus Christ, who God sent to the world to become fully man (Hypostatic Union, anyone?), to live a life that we should have lived and then die a death that we should have died. The answer is in that truth, friends. Rejoice and be glad.
We are all struggling to be the light in the world that we ought to be; in times of the greatest struggle recall Jesus telling us that, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26, RSV)
Love Multiplies
While this may not be true for everyone, I think that most of us have (or will) come to a point in life where we wonder, “will I ever feel that same level of love / interest / desire / attraction / closeness / etc. again?”
This is a thought that I have been pondering over the past few months which, to be perfectly honest, I find quite frightening in my more human moments. I recently shared this reflection with friend/mentor who, in turn, shared some much-needed insight, which I will attempt to summarize…
After the birth of a second child, parents often worry about a seemingly inevitable division of their love between their new child and their first-born. The interesting thing about love is that we are blessed with an infinite amount of it rather than a finite amount that we divide up and give out over our lifetime. Love multiplies. God graced us with hearts that have the ability to continually love – even when we think we are running out of love, even when we think we are incapable love and even when we do not want to love.
Although “being in love” and paternal love are obviously different in many ways, I think the principle holds true. If you have never faced the question in the first paragraph, I would venture to guess that the following paragraphs probably did not resonate with you. That’s okay. I know it may seem as if I am stating the obvious. For your sake, I hope you never have to ask yourself if you will ever be able to love again. If you have asked the question, or find yourself asking it now, know that you can love again, but whether or not you will is a completely different question which God has given you the ability to answer.
Submission
I have always enjoyed sharing my experiences and thoughts with others; in a perfect world, I would love to be an author… but not enough to turn away from other commitments, passions, and interests.
This is my attempt to combine what I perceive to be a lack of time with the desire to commit my thoughts to some sort of medium that I can share with others. Additionally, this medium caters to my short attention span and occasional “need” to talk about ancillary topics.
Enjoy.
