Vick wants sympathy?!

So, Michael Vick wants sympathy for his recent misfortunes? He broke his wrist this Sunday and suffered a sort of concussion last Sunday. Now he is blaming the referees for not calling the appropriate penalties when defensive players tackle him.

Really?

Really?

A dog killer who has been given a second chance on a million dollar career playing a game based on tossing a ball around, is going to complain about this? NO sympathy here.

If Vick wants sympathy perhaps he should start to explain how he had zero sympathy for the dogs that were murdered by him and others. Yes, murdered.

I have zero sympathy for the dog killer Vick. Karma has yet to exact her full revenge on him as far as I am concerned.

Not a Christian response I know, but so be it.

Michael Vick wants sympathy? What?!

Figuring it out

I've spent quite a bit of time adjusting to life here. So what very little energy I ever devoted to writing on this blog has been non-existent. I'm surprised I managed even what I have so far.

But things are starting to hit what I was looking for, an equilibrium. Not perfection, just some idea of a balance, I know what is going on, what is expected and am starting to have an idea of what is required to accomplish those things.

The part I continue to wrestle with is the social and emotional aspect. As a man, an adult, having lived through the things I have, feel like I am very capable of being independent, living on my own etc.

But I find myself at times lonely, upset, whatever. It is just like being back in college, when I did my undergrad. Figuring out human relationships, how to make friends, how to find stuff to do, esp when I don't have much if any spare money to throw on dinner, clubs etc.

I am in the place I am supposed to be. I cannot imagine any other place I should be right now. This is it.

I just need to figure out how to make everything work. It will.

I trust in God, God called me so God will allow a path for me to figure it out.

Messing up

By virtue of the electronic system put in place for assignments/readings etc to be assigned, I missed my very first writing assignment.

Now to be fair, the professor, whom I like quite a bit, was very gracious. Especially as I wasn't the only one to have done so.

Still, I was almost devastated. I missed turning in an assignment? In my second week of seminary? What the hell?

Again, the professor was gracious, told me to not even worry about it, she understood this system was new and could be confusing and we were all figuring it out.

But....

We had evening prayer right after class.

As the service went on my feelings of failure built. My stress magnified.

By the time the service was over it was all I could do to grab my bag and head back to my room.

I was almost shattered. In my second week of school I had already messed up. F*&ked up. Whatever.

I know the professor said/thought it wasn't such a big deal. But I had somehow missed everything, missed the assignment, messed up. Whatever.

I broke down once I got to my room. The stress of a new life, the work, messing up. It all came to bear.

I think I am ok now. I know I am better. Ok? We shall see.

A time to briefly reflect

I am starting to hit one of the many brick walls I anticipated.

This one isn't huge, but nonetheless it is there.

What am I doing here? Am I going to be successful? How will I pay for all of this? Seriously!

And then I stop myself. Sometimes I just go into silence. Sometimes I very quietly start to weep. Weep, cry, for what I've left behind. For the hard work yet to come. The stress. The change. Everything. Why not cry?

And I (hopefully) collect myself. This change is huge and traumatic. It is a change that affects every level of my being. So yeah, traumatic is an ok word to use.

So the wall I've hit?

Hopefully a minor obstacle. But it is there. Questioning, wondering, sadness, loneliness. I am in all those places. I don't want to be in at least two of those places, but, well, there it is.

This wall will pass within a day or so. And then perhaps another one will present itself. This is a life in transition. Assimilation. A work in progress if you will.

May God uphold me, lift me up, preserve and provide for me in these days ahead.

UCC minister is flat out wrong

This particular article is making the rounds among my church friends and they all seem to be falling over themselves in drooling admiration of it.

UCC Minister dismisses unchurched


I for one find it repugnant.

While I understand her point, I also find her commentary/response not only harsh but irresponsible.

I have been that person she speaks of. And saying I am spiritual but not religious isn't someone being lazy necessarily, perhaps it is someone saying it out of fear. Fear of organized religion. Fear of any number of things. And some of those fears are justified.

I find this article quite harsh and to be honest very unnecessary to an overall conversation of how we express ourselves as Christians.

For example, perhaps I am someone wanting a connection with God, but yet afraid of organized religion and I express myself in this way to this particular minister on a plane flight. And then she decides to move seats to sit beside a Christian she finds more acceptable. What would then be my impression of not just organized religion but Christianity? She moved seats to be near someone she could hold hands with and sing kumba ya, dismissing me entirely? Seriously? Is this lady that arrogant?

This particular minister is being dismissive and irresponsible with this article. I hope if she has any crisis of faith other people aren't so dismissive of her.

I don't want anything to do with her line of thinking.