If You Just Believe: Why

Every Christmas season it always seams like a new sense of calm or urgency sets in. I see it in those around me and even in myself. The gift exchanges coming sooner than we expected or as Dave Ramsey likes to say,"Christmas Sneaking up on us". Yes we all know that Christmas is the 25th day of December and most of us know the truthful meaning of why we have Christmas but as I replayed a song that was placed in my head this morning I ask the questions: Do we truely know the meaning of Christmas, why is it only for a short part of the year and do you think things need to change? These go with a couple of other questions in that do you think your life is good now, do you think it can get better, do you Have Christ in your life, Why or Why Not?

Being done with thanksgiving I have to take time and truely be thankful for everything God has given me. I know it is probably 1 million times better than what some people have in their lives and that taking this gift and sharing it is probably the most imporant job I have in life. Sharing what little insights you receive from a song, movie or event in your life is a great way to start conversation and getting to know a little more.

In the next couple of days/weeks I'll be dwelling on each verse of the song "Believe" by Josh Groban. If you listen with the intent to learn and to teach you get a lot out of things that you normally do not. First learning how each portion of an item, in this case a song, reacts when it is subjected to your past and then taking it and realizing that I was or am now flawed in some or most of my actions. After I've delt with some of these thoughts I then try to take what I have learned I reteach myself and then teach my children not in my ways but the ways that I've been shown through God's mercy. Am I the only one that does this? I hope not but I do think reflection, meditiation and adaptation in one's life is vital to living and having a sustainable relationship with Him or anyone. And I do think that a lot of people don't take enough time to do these actions. What I do think, is that He put that one star, His Son, in the sky to reset our compasses to every year. But how many of us do that.

Reflect, Meditate and Adapt...

For today I leave you with the entire list of lyrics of the song and when I return I'll start with my line by line reflections.

Believe by Josh Groban:

Children sleeping, snow is softly falling
Dreams are calling like bells in the distance
We were dreamers not so long ago
But one by one we all had to grow up
When it seems the magic's slipped away
We find it all again on Christmas day

Believe in what your heart is saying
Hear the melody that's playing
There's no time to waste
There's so much to celebrate
Believe in what you feel inside
And give your dreams the wings to fly
You have everything you need
If you just believe

Trains move quickly to their journey's end
Destinations are where we begin again
Ships go sailing far across the sea
Trusting starlight to get where they need to be
When it seems that we have lost our way
We find ourselves again on Christmas day

Believe in what your heart is saying
Hear the melody that's playing
There's no time to waste
There's so much to celebrate
Believe in what you feel inside
And give your dreams the wings to fly
You have everything you need
If you just believe [x4]

Just believe

Eight Years Ago

I usually cannot remember yesterday or the day before that and sometimes I pull a Dory (Finding Nemo) and can't remember a couple of minutes ago. But I do remember what I was doing Eight years ago on this date. It was a Beautiful Saturday in Chandler AZ where we were living at the time an were about to get married. Our KSU wildcats had lost to the Huskers but that didn't matter as much that day as it might have any other time they were to play. You see a year and a half of planning our wedding was down to a matter of hours and minutes and I could not wait.

We had arrived at Ashley Mannor with our families and had started doing the regular preshow warm up with photo's, sound checks and other last minute details. I remember one photo of my guys holding me back from jumping over the wall surrounding the place as if I was wanting to escape. Truth be told that was far from reallity as I was ready for this step. So ready that when she walked down the aisle and arrived just short of our Pastor and myself I lept for her hand just a little prematurely. I wanted her and what guy wouldn't. She was a beauty then, always has and always will be. But this outside beauty was just the surface of what I've found since then.

Through these 8 years my wife and I have been through a lot. And that may be under or overstated as I know we still have so much left in our lives. But when you think about a lost job for each of us, two moves half way across the country, purchase of three homes (one we built) and the loss of a good friend all prior to even our fifth anniversary then some might ask how are they still together. To answer I'll give you a portion of our discussions when I lost my job in Phoenix. "How do others make it through life changing events like this without God in their lives"

It was and has been our relationship with God that has pulled us close in all times of our individual and couple needs. Heather got me out of the comfort area of a catholic pew and choir that I enjoyed and showed me what I had been searching for. She reached out and grabbed me and then we reached up for Him as one couple. Little did she know I would take the ball she gave me and make it into a snowball that keeps gaining size and force. That ball is still roling and I hope it never stops as we have a lot left to share. It was her challenge that made me a better person and that better person bacame her Husband eight years ago today and I could never thank her or God enough for that gift I was given.

I don't like to many things enough to love them but my wife will never be overcome by another person or thing (other than God). She is a firm foundation which I have continued my life on. A beacon of light and hope that seas me through the fog of some of my days. The strenghts that lifts me up to be the person my family needs me to be. She is my Angel and Angle, my view to another way, another world.

I love you Heather and always will.