Complexity and other little things ...

I was working with a couple today who had a one month old little boy. He was adorable!! Imagine the odd juxtaposition of the direct confrontation required to get through to an alcoholic, the anger of a wife who has been lied to many times and the sweet scent of a baby and the little but heavy weight of the boy who I was keeping calm by bouncing. I was a bit overwhelmed a few times. I was calming, confronting, and comforting simultaneously. Oh yeah, and I was trying to ignore my own paternal urges which I have been getting quite a bit lately. Holding that beautiful little boy probably did not help me stay focused on the therapy. At that time, I knew there was too much going on for me to manage coherently. I gave that session to God.

And I enjoyed it more than I ever have before. I've done a few therapy sessions (five years of working in this field), but today was the first time I couldn't manage all of the dynamics in the room. And it worked out. Well.

I don't know if their relationship will weather this storm but I dearly hope so.

That date in history ...

On the day I was born, the number one song according to the Billboard charts was "I'm Your Boogie Man" by K.C. & the Sunshine Band. I didn't even know about this song before tonight. One of my co-workers says that I was raised in a cave. She was right. But poking my head out of my cave is an enjoyable experience.

complicated salvation

If you have not seen Black Snake Moan, I'm not sure you want to. But as I was watching/writing my dissertation, I was struck by the complexity of the plot. The main characters are two individuals suddenly cast adrift by life circumstances, confused and grasping frantically for any kind of meaning in life.

If you are easily offended or distracted, don't watch this movie. But the resolute choices of the male lead to face down the Black Snake Moan, his name for the devil within each of us, amazed me. I think salvation/redemption tend to be more organic and messy than most religious bodies acknowledge it being. What if true salvation only occurs when the very core of you meets the Spirit of God? Think that happens when you are in a suit and a tie?

If so, think again. For me this type of meeting only occurs when I can taste the smokiness of my blood in my mouth from the worst beating I have ever experienced. When I feel unable to get up and I'm in the most pain my body can feel, whether physical or emotional, I begin to meet God.

After that, my eyes can open, my nostrils catch scents for the first time, my skin knows its surroundings like never before. Once my spirit knows it won't be comfortable I begin to accept my need for Him. Have you experienced a complicated salvation?

My major? ... Political Silence

Perhaps you have heard the early whispers of the vast political machines supporting the top presidential candidates...
Me too. And I do not believe most of what I hear. What I want is a politician who says what he or she actually thinks. Yeah, I know, a pipe dream. So I am moving away from discussing politics for a few months. Instead, I am going to spend the next few months intentionally loving the individuals around me. I am going to drink in each relational success and actively pursue the things that are real and meaningful.
So, do I think one of the politicians is the best choice? For now, my major is political silence.

Wheeled Guys

I was thinking about how much I love to ride. I wonder if other guys feel it too. The beauty of the wind in your eyes, the sting of the stray piece of gravel, the scent of your leather and sweat, the heat of the engine between your knees, even the rush of beginning a ride home in the rain. All of it is breathing to me.

But there are some other riders out there. You know who they are. The riders that make all of us look bad by showing off, popping wheelies, cutting in and out of traffic, and generally being a nuisance.

These are not wheeled guys, these are some other kind of creature wearing a wheeled guise. And I don't like being considered in the same category as those fronting as a rider to deal with some freaking kind of compensation tactic.