Starting Today

I was up at 4:30 this morning.  I went to bed after 11:00 but sleep escapes me at the moment.  It's raining heavily and if I did not have an obligation this morning I would hop in the Stang and go for a long ride as I listened to my music.  Its the perfect time to think.  My wife has an 8a.m. doctors appointment to read the results of a recent test.  I will respect her privacy and not divulge the reason for the test, but I feel absolutely positive that all is well.  It drains me, at times, trying to remain hopeful for more than myself.  I believe that is the main reason for my sleepless persona.  I anticipate a good report nonetheless. 
God has brought so many past relations back into my life recently.  I have been found by old military friends and childhood acquaintances.  There is a distinct reason behind all of this and I patiently, yet eagerly, await the completion of the puzzle.  I do know that it is time for me to take a road trip before death claims one of us.  I don't mean to sound so morbid, but we never know when our time will come. I am tired of seeing family and friends at gravesides. For once I would like for it to be a joyous occasion.  That is not always an easy thing to do for me; coming from such a large family.  It is difficult; however not impossible, to coordinate a time when we can come together under one roof and laugh, cry, reminisce, and rekindle our love for one another.  I often think of how easy it would be do arrange such gatherings if I had unlimited finances at my disposal.  But until that time comes I will continue to exhort and pray for such times.
My wife's mother, (who is in her 70s ), said she was going to teach me how to dance.  I laughed when she made that remark, but at the same time I was forced to realize how long it had been since I had cut a step.  I used to dance always.  It was uncommon not to see me singing some song and moving to the beat.  I have become so settled in my aging years.  The seriousness of my present life has rendered me pensive, sober, and oftentimes calculating.  I miss my free spirit; the desire to have fun at a drop of a hat.  I used to love a room filled with jovial people who could party until the sun came up.  It is not all my fault that these things have changed.  Sometimes you meet people who are outright selfish; takers who never give back to you.  These kind of people I have learned to throw overboard because they serve no purpose to my happiness.  And isn't life too short to be miserable, angry, and unsatisfied? During the next few weeks I am purposely going to make it a point to regain my personal happiness.  I will stop being so cautious about everything.  I will step out on the dare that is in my heart and I will do extraordinary things.  It matters not who believes along with me for I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.    Soon it will be time to awaken David for school.  I will get refreshed and seize the day.  I feel compelled to extinguish the normalcy and live my life anew starting now; starting today.
Have a great day and be safe in all you do.
I love you all.
Dennis

The Facebook Phenomenon

Recently I have been inundated with friend requests on my Facebook page.  Some people I know and those I do not I ask them where I might know them from.  This is all well and good; having people want to be your friend, but what I cannot understand is why many of them never desire to communicate with me.  I am not in the business of collecting friends so that I may appear to be popular, nor do I befriend others to get in their business.  But if you want to befriend a person don't you think you should at least say "Hello" or ask about their welfare?  Perhaps I am old fashioned, but I think  people should talk. 
Dennis 

Waiting

I'm sitting on my porch chillin' in my own way.  David is taking advantage of the nice weather and is bouncing his ball in the front yard where I can see him.  I returned to the studio this morning to begin work on my next project.  I anticipate it being a great effort.  It will primarily be comprised of old school standards. 
I mowed the front and back lawn earlier and will probably watch a movie later tonight.  I must admit that I am feeling a little stressed at the moment.  I shouldn't be because the event that has me concerned has not occured yet and I try not to take any thought about tomorrow.  But I shun any reoccurance of a situation I experienced a few years ago.  I realize that I am being quite vague, but it is needful that I am at this moment.  Perhaps I shouldn't even be writiing today, but it is best, for me, to vent bad thoughts; if only partially. 
Have a good day.
Dennis

Rest Is My Friend

We returned from our mini-vacation in Memphis, Tennessee around 9 P.M. last night.  It was a great visit with my sister and her husband and they out did themselves in planning our itinerary.  My mind is full of things to I would like to share; the visit to the Lorraine Motel, Graceland, Beale Street, but that will have to wait.  I am famished.  I actually took an unintentional nap this evening.  I awoke with guilt and began to think of things I should be doing around the home or outside the home.  I finally concluded that I can rest and that I deserve to rest.  So here I lounge.  I will eagerly share my experiences with you at a later time.  Until then, be nice to people and love one another.
Have a great day.
Dennis

My Blue Suede Shoes

Good morning.  I am in Memphis today.  I am at the home of my baby sister, Cynthia, and her husband, Herbert.  On Saturday morning my wife, Eddrenna, David and Eddrenna's mother, Ms. Dorothy, hopped in the SUV and rolled on over to this fair city.  We always enjoy our visits here. Not only is the hospitality of our hosts always above measure, but there is so much history here.  Today we will visit the Lorraine Motel; the infamous site where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. met his end.  I anticipate the visit there to be solemn, yet impacting, to me emotionally.  Graceland, the home of Elvis Presly, is also on our tour; along with the legendary Beale Street and perhaps lunch or dinner at the restaurant of B.B. King.  Lucille!  
I have the feeling that my life is beginning to move into a fast paced episode.  Again, I have the unction that something awesome and fantastic is about to occur and I must be prepared to meet it so that I may rightfully react towards it.  I thought about so many of my friends last night.  It has been a whirlwind of a week for some, others have been concerned as to whether they are on the right path because of the unhurried pace of their lives.  I would only advise that you take advantage of your down time and rest during these periods.  Read a good thought provoking book; the type that makes your seek to aspire to a higher calling.  To those who have been exceptionally stressed, busy, and pre-occupied; know that this, too, shall pass and that each and every trial only comes to strengthen you and to add maturity to your spiritual side.  You are special, but you are not exclusive.  You have not encountered anything new under the sun.  If you look you will find a plethora of examples that have occurred before your situation; and also a means to make it through.  The fact that you are still here is a sure sign that there is still much for you to do; still many mountains to climb, gifts to give, hope to pass on to others, and dreams to be realized.  What you choose to do with your new lease on life is totally up to you.  I encourage you to imagine larger. believe for more, banish your timidity, and step out into areas that you, and others watching you, never thought you would go.  Sure, we shall all live again, but we only live this life once.  Don't waste it and don't blow it.  
Have a great day.  I love you all.
Dennis         

You Do What You Want To Do

"It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or his foe, that lures him to evil ways."-Siddharta Buddha

I like to watch crime dramas.  CSI, Chicago Code, Criminal Minds, and Detroit 187 are but a few of my favorites. These type shows not only cause me to exercise the right side of my brain, but they also make me aware as to how close a person is to crossing the line between good and evil.  The prophet Isaiah said "You (God) will keep him in perfect peace whose mind stays on your ways". Jesus, himself, warned us not be be concerned about whether we shall have food or drink because our heavenly Father already knows that we have need of these things; but rather we should first seek God's kingdom and its righteous attributes and by doing this all our other needs will be given to us. (Matthew 12:29-31)  And momma simply said, "Boy, you had better behave while I'm gone".   It's inherent within all of us to misbehave, but just as it takes more facial muscles to form a frown and less muscles to make a smile it takes less effort to be kind than it does to be unkind.  Some religious folk would disagree and quote such scriptures as "Behold, I was shapen (created) in iniquity (wickedness) and in sin (a deliberate violation of a religious moral) did my mother conceive me."  Psalms 51:5  Oh, but how I tire of men's excuses to be mean and evil towards others; especially if that person claims to know God and to be associated with Him.  Let's face it; some people actually enjoy being evil.  They set their minds to it.  They plan evil attacks.  They are unhappy and they want everyone else to be just as miserable as they are.  I feel sorry for them, don't you?  My intention is not to be preachy in my writing.  I am just man enough to know that it is outright better to love my neighbor rather than to hurt or slander him.  This is what I have learned: Not to be conformed to this world, (in harmony with the prevailing nature of the world we live in), but be transformed, (to have a change in your nature or character), by having a renewed mind and a better way of thinking.  Are people going to magically jump on board with your loving attitude?  Heck no!  Some will even attempt to take advantage of your goodness; to exploit it for their greedy gain.  But in those instances we are to be wise enough not to cast our blessings towards swine, or those who are truly unappreciative of our gifts, and separate ourselves from wicked and unruly people.  It took me too long to realize that there are some things in this life that I simply do not have to tolerate.  This is not a hard attitude to formulate if you value your peace of mind, like less stress, and are not a people pleaser.  I call this "The ability to have church all by yourself". 
If you love yourself it matters not what others may think.  We can even learn from bad examples, such as how not to be.
Have a good day.
Dennis 

Looking Forward

The day is past.  David is safe in his bed and I am attempting to follow suit.  I have not actually come down from the events of the day but I am getting there.  I hope to get some decent sleep tonight.  Earlier I was thinking of how focused I had become on the funeral and the family's loss.  I realized that I had not allowed any "nonproductive" issues to enter into my thought life.  I will strive to be like that more often.  Yes, no doubt someone wished evil upon me during these last few days.  The enemy sought to steal my joy and cause me depression and stress but I was too focused to give a care to those type of things because of the tasks that lay before me.  I'm reminded of a story.  There once was a church who cried out to God.  "Lord, we need you to send a person to us who can drive the church bus so that we can bring people to our services". "I sent you such a person over a year ago", the Lord replied.  "How can that be Lord?", they cried.  "Surely we would have recognized him if you sent him to us a year ago.  Where is he, Lord?"  He's sitting in your pulpit preaching", God replied.    The message here is that we should always strive to be where God needs us to be and not where we feel we should be.  I, like you, have aspirations for my life.  I have learned that when my aspirations do not pan out as I believe they should I am not to become angry and frustrated, but I am to trust and believe that He knows what is best for me.  In addition, it becomes much easier to accept when I know that I have consulted God through prayer before embarking upon any desire.  I have been at fault for one thing, if I must be honest.  I have allowed my mind to look towards tomorrow as opposed to dealing with the day at hand exclusively.  Oh, I can still plan but I must close out my plans by stating "Lord, if it be your will".  He knows my most secret desires.  He knows what will truly make his son happy, just as I do concerning my own son.  So I will trust in him.
Have a great day, and good night.
Dennis