FINALLY!!!

That's right, I figured out what I'm doing for the rest of my life. Whoo Hoo! This picture was taken a while ago now, I was attempting to look like a homeless man (a little social experiment I was doing), and I'm pretty sure I pulled it off. Many a person told me that I was starting to resemble a bum. It's funny how people cautiously approach the subject of appearance, well some people at least. One of those who was not so cautious was a professor of mine at school, Dr. Chase. Dr. Chase is an older man, with grey hair and a grey beard (I guess it's ok to have a beard in our clean cut society, IF it's grey), he's been around a while and one of the most candid people I've met :)

I had a good talk with Dr. Chase a while back (when I had the beard of course) and we were discussing life, when he started to give me advice on finding a direction. I just sat and listened, and wasn't too engaged in the conversation until he says this, and I quote:

"You're just a 30 year old dude with a beard and no bachelor's degree. If you are ever going to make some serious money your going to have to do something illegal."

So yup, I know what's going down, or rather, what career path I'm going down now (after all this time!)... that of lucrative criminal activity. Clearly!

Oh, of course he was joking, but at the same time, there was a certain sense of despair in his tone... He thinks my life will amount to nothing unless I acheive certain things. I cry for him, and cry out for him, knowing his life will amount to nothing if those things are what he values. So what is important in life? And how meaningless are those things we typically see as being important? What if, and this is a huge if, one that requires true death to self, what if we started to care about the things that Christ cared about? How would our strivings look at that point? I'm a failure at this. I get wrapped up in trying to be something, for someone, or to get somewhere, and then when I get lost and fail along the way anyway, I somehow have the audacity to wonder where I went wrong... God help us.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14