Friday, October 13, 2006

Life Audit

For the three of you who read this, and actually care what it says, sorry I have been gone so long. I was having a "life audit". I didn't much care for the result. It is funny the lengths that God will go to to get your attention when you let important things he has put in your life get neglected. If you're reading, God, you got my attention, but then you already knew that.

What does this mean for me?
1. I have a lot of work to do to restore the most precious gift God has ever given to me in my life, but it can be done, and I have divinely inspired help.

2. My job is OK, but I have to take steps to make the practice my own, or go to a large firm where I can concentrate on just the type of work that I want to do.

3. I pay a whole lot less attention to how screwed up the world is. I was spending more time on that, than thinking about God, and being secure in the knowledge that I am a tourist here. Things are screwed up because the world isn't for me as a Christian.

4. Spending real time with Mrs. Blackiswhite, without the heirs, because marriage is important, and I haven't been treating it or her with proper care.

5. Coming to terms with my emotions. This is the hardest thing of all. With help, I have realized that I have been "stuffing" my emotions for as long as I can remember, which has lead to increasing toxicity and pressure until something that shouldn't makes me go ballistic. SCARY BALLISTIC. This requires a.) recognizing my emotions-a task in itself; b.) confronting, not stuffing them; and c.) communicating my feelings to my wife. [How does that make you feel? is a question that I have had to deal with a lot in the last month and a half.]

6. Knee-mail, and done daily. Maybe you find the concept of spiritual warfare laughable. I don't. Believers have to contend with someone who comes to decieve, to divide, to distract, to dsicourage, and to destroy. I looked at all the things going on in my life, and I realized that this is exactly what was going on. The first step to fixing it is to get right with God. Read the Bible, pray daily and be vigilant. There are things in your life that can discourage you, to make you doubt where things are going, to take your eyes off of the path that God has set forth. There will always be issues with the kids, with work, and times where you don't get enough time with each other. Financial issues are an easy distraction for him to throw in. Staying focused and praying daily will help.

Let me guess: You're thinking I'm crazy. Not true. I just got a direct refresher course in what really is important in life. Now go have a real conversation with your spouse. Play a game of cards already.