Ale for the Soul

I couldn't pass up this topic since I am an avid reader, especially of books which are deemed controversial and are banned by countries around the world.  Copy and paste the link below in order to see which books have been banned and by what country.  In reading the history of why books are banned, I couldn't help but to read the author's suggestion that maybe the pen is mightier than the sword.  Thankfully in this great country of ours books are not physically nor forcibly removed from access to the general public.  Conspiracy theorists may say people will get placed on a watch list for reading certain books, such as Mein Kamp or The Communist Manifesto , but, to say for the sake of argument they are right, an individual's personal freedoms of speech and expression remain intact.  Most of the books on the banned book list are familiar to me and are presently in my personal library at the apartment; however, there remain quite a few which are unfamiliar to me....

** Excerpts from his speech.  I often use his speech as a motivational tool when I feel as if the world does not conform to God's standard of Truth, which is most of the time. If I lived in China or even Russia, or any totalitarian country, maybe I could understand some of these illegal injunctions. Maybe I could understand the denial of certain basic First Amendment privileges, because they haven't committed themselves to that over there. But somewhere I read of the freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. S omewhere I read of the freedom of press. Somewhere I read that the greatness of America is the right to protest for right. And so just as I say we aren't going to let any dogs or water hoses turn us around, we aren't going to let any injunction turn us around.   Well, I don't know what will happen now; we've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter to with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop. And ...

The semester has completed its first full month of classes, and I'm still unhappy about where I'm at in life.  Feelings I deserve a better quality of education and school continually plague my mind.  Another classmate observed the quality of education and the subsequent challenge on my intellect is simply a result of the amount of effort I invest in to the curriculum.  In other words, I get out what I put in.  To some degree I wholeheartedly agree.  However, I greatly disagree in the sense I need to get challenged by material I am unfamiliar with, not stuff I have already learned by almost forty years of personal life experience.  What this translates to is I am attending college to expand and challenge my horizons in life, not by what I already know but with taking existing knowledge and pushing its limits and boundaries.  One of the classes I'm taking is Introduction to Analysis and Interpretation.  This is a class full of circular logic and rea...

There's a breakdown on the runway And the timeless flights are gone I'm a year ahead of myself these days And I'm locomotive strong My city spread like cannon fire In a yellow nervous state I can't cut the ties that bind me To horoscopes and fate And I won't break and I won't bend But someday soon we'll sail away To innocence and the bitter end And I won't break and I won't bend And with the last breath we ever take We're gonna get back to the simple life again When we break out of this blindfold I'm gonna take you from this place Until we're free from this ball and chain I'm still hard behind the eight My city beats like hammered steel On a shallow cruel rock If we could walk proud after midnight We'd never have to stop And I won't break and I won't bend But someday soon we'll sail away To innocence and the bitter end And I won't break and I won't bend And with the last breath we ever take We're gonna get...

In honor of tomorrow turning Friday, the end of yet another week, I wanted to share another favorite hang-out of mine while I lived in Houston.  This place, ironically enough, was named TGIFriday's.  There aren't many of them around in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, but in Houston they were located conveniently around town and were in among the places to be on any given night.  The particular one I hung out at on most occasions was on Interstate 45 and Fuqua, typically called the Almeda TGIFriday's because it was located near Almeda Mall.  My favorite bartender, and also personal friend, was Tom.  At the time, he had been employed by the company at that location for almost twenty years.  He typically worked on Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays, which meant I could always be found in TGIFriday's on one of those days but usually on Monday.  Tom was a great bartender and a great friend, for he had seen me in my highs and lows and always expressed a genuine co...

To celebrate the first day of Autumn and to help bring in this fine season, I decided to smoke a cigar.  Those who know me well may exclaim, "But you already smoke two to three times a week.  Smoking a cigar doesn't make the change of seasons any more special."  On the contrary, since I don't consume alcohol anymore, smoking has become my sign of celebration and recognition of what I desire to honor.  In addition, I firmly believe each and every individual needs to have at least one or a few things he or she enjoys on a regular frequency.  In this case, to smoke a cigar gives release to this desire to enjoy life, maybe not to its fullest, but at least to a degree I can forget about all the things in life which sour the experience.  For some this may manifest itself in a fine Scotch or Bourbon, but for me it is a cigar.  So allow me to again bid welcome to the fine Autumn season. Cheers!

Today is the first day of Autumn (Fall).  I welcome the new season as a weary traveler in the desert looking for the oasis of natural water bubbling out of the ground.  Autumn causes many memories to come to mind.  First is the realization cool to cold weather is on the horizon.  I would rather be cold than hot; as a result, my favorite time of year is typically late fall through early spring.  In addition, this time of year is the best time to camp in nature.  My next camping trip will be during the Thanksgiving holiday break in school.  I will not have any classes nor work shifts during that time.  So I plan to take advantage of the situation by heading off in to the sunset.  The second memory is of the change in nature typical of this season.  The leaves changing, the day growing darker earlier, and a definite closing of the door on another chapter of life.  I have definitely found my oasis in Autumn; in fact, you are welcomed he...

Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace; Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above. Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, Mount of Thy redeeming love. Sorrowing I shall be in spirit, Till released from flesh and sin, Yet from what I do inherit, Here Thy praises I'll begin; Here I raise my Ebenezer; Here by Thy great help I've come; And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home. Jesus sought me when a stranger, Wandering from the fold of God; He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed His precious blood; How His kindness yet pursues me Mortal tongue can never tell, Clothed in flesh, till death shall loose me I cannot proclaim it well. O to grace how great a debtor Daily I'm constrained to be! Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here's my heart, O take...

Be Thou my vision, oh Lord of my heart Nought be all else to me, save that Thou art Thou my best thought by day or by night Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word I ever with Thee and Thou with me Lord Thou my great Father and I Thy true son Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one Riches I need not, nor man's empty praise Thou mine inheritance now and always Thou and Thou only first in my heart High king of heaven my treasure Thou art Be Thou my vision, oh Lord of my heart Nought be all else to me, save that Thou art Thou my best thought by day or by night Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light High king of heaven, my victory won May I reach heaven's joy, bright heaven sun Heart of my own heart, whatever befall Still be my vision, oh ruler of all Still be my vision, oh ruler of all

The question "Where are you from?" always bothers me because I never really know how to answer without a fairly drawn out statement.  I was born in Austin, grew up in Yoakum, call Houston 'home', and currently reside in Fort Worth.  So where am I from?  Who the hell knows?!  I suppose home is where the heart resides.  If that is the case, I have several places in which to call home, but the most prevalent and thought-provoking home is Houston.  It is the place where I forged an identity and truly lived out who I was as an individual, in spite of the large quantities of alcohol consumed.  Two fond memories of Houston are the times when I was able to escape to and find refuge in my two favorite hang-outs: Molly's Pub and Diedrich's Coffee.  Both places are night and day different in atmosphere, but they both were an oasis from the storms of life.  Molly's Pub is an Irish bar located in Clear Lake, a suburb of Houston.  Upon first moving to...

In 2011 I met a now personal friend at the gym for the first time.  This was an accidental meeting, but one in which changed my life for the better.  First, I gained a valued and personally enriching friendship.  Second, this friend invited me to church.  At the time he was regularly attending Christ Chapel Bible Church (CCBC).  Four and a half years later my friend still attends on occasion, but I also continue to attend as work and school schedules allow.  Not realizing I would live in Fort Worth for this long, I decided to make the best of it but trying to have some sense or normalcy in life.  So in February of this year I decided to attend and work through the membership classes.  The final stage of membership was to appear before the Elder Board to share and discuss my spiritual life and relationship with Jesus Christ.  Comparatively, in regard to other former church homes, I'm not as active or as frequent of an attender, but making this...

To my shame I missed recognizing and honoring National Grandparent's Day last Sunday.  I am fortunate to have been the product of a strong nuclear family, enjoying the fullness of familial relationships all these years.  My paternal grandparents died when I was four to five years old, but I was privileged to have my maternal grandparents in place to fill any void I may have experienced in life.  One set of Grandparents did not substitute for the other or was any lesser or greater overall.  Both had their strengths and enduring qualities.  Growing up in Austin not very far from Mom's parents, I had a more natural and endearing relationship with them.  In fact, I remember, even as a very young child, being scared to death of my dad's parents.  I have no idea or reason why to justify this feeling, but I do recall approaching them in hesitation.  Maybe it was a misguided sense of awe and respect since I did not interact with them very much, or at leas...

Do you see, do you see all the people sinking down? Don't you care, don't you care are you gonna let them drown? How can you be so numb not to care if they come? You close your eyes and pretend the job's done Bless me Lord, bless me Lord You know it's all I ever hear No one aches, no one hurts no one even sheds one tear But He cries, He weeps, He bleeds and He cares for your needs And you just lay back and keep soaking it in Oh, can't you see it's such a sin? 'Cause He brings people to you door And you turn them away as you smile and say God bless you, be at peace and all heaven just weeps 'Cause Jesus came to you door you've left Him out in the street Open up, open up and give yourself away You see the need, you hear the cries so how can you delay? God's calling and you're the one but like Jonah you run He's told you to speak but you keep holding it in Can't you see it's such a sin? The world is sleeping in the...

Oh Lord, I feel so barren and ashamed of who I am How I often felt I hid it well, it is a lie I cannot defend So I lean upon Your mercy as I confess my sin to You There is no easy way, no saving face, when I finally see the truth So let my life be filled with only You I know someday I will be free The weight of sin shall be released But for now He covers me And though the trials never end I've learned to take them as my friend For each day He covers me Sometimes the pressure builds around me and I feel about to break I suffer painfully from wrongs done to me but vengeance isn't mine to take So let me glory in my weakness till Your strength's revealed in me It is Your grace alone that helps me carry on to be the man I long to be So let Your life be perfected, Lord in me Until it's You they see I know someday I will be free The weight of sin shall be released But for now He covers me And though the trials never end I've learned to take them as my friend For each day H...

Since the first day of class at U.T. Arlington I have been asking people to call me by my middle name of Elliott.  Part of this is out of personal amusement, with the remaining a mixture of other reasons out of an attempt to recover some of the drive and zeal for life I have recently found lacking.  I say recently when in fact the drive and zeal for life have been absent for about two years.  All those years spent living in Houston felt as if I was on top of the world living in the fullness of my gifts and abilities, at least on a somewhat superficial level.  My closest friends called me larger-than-life, the kingpin, and other such nicknames because I exuded boisterous energy and an unstoppable force to make things happen.  All of this made for great story-telling, when in fact I neglected my mental, emotional, and spiritual health.  Fast forward to 2010 when I moved to Fort Worth.  Since then I have performed great feats in rebuilding my life after g...

Growing older gives cause for reflection.  Looking back over the years provides fond memories, as well as many circumstances I could have chosen a different path in regard to missed opportunities.  This morning I am primarily thinking of dating relationships as I am now in my 40s and remain single.  My current state of singleness is a choice and is the primary reason for my abstinence from dating anyone; however, there were a few people who would have made a great wife had I been the man I needed to be.  Unfortunately the two came in to my life at exactly the same time.  One was the poorer choice of the two, and the one I was interested in the most.  While the other would have been the best help-mate and companion, in the biblical sense of the word, I could have asked for.  As easily as the two entered my life, they as easily left at roughly the same time.  Honestly I'm not sure what my goal is in thinking of such things.  But I do know I am ...

Similar to the attack on Pearl Harbor, many including myself will always remember this tragic day.  In fact, I remember where and what I was doing during these moments: I was living in Houston, Texas, working at the Rockport shoe store in The Woodlands Mall.  In looking back in time, I find it hard to believe it has already been fourteen years since the foreign attack on American soil.  Oh my how the country has changed since then: the Patriot Act, the War on Terror, increased security screening at the airports, increased intelligence gathering, troops in the Middle East, and so much more.  9/11 is among many historical events which define us as a country.  On an individual level, but not lesser in importance, are the defining moments in my life.  These do not become my identity per se but help shape and mold me in to the person I am today.  These events could be: the birth of my brother when I was 14 years old, the state mandated "vacation" from 2006 ...

Very often, more than I care to confess, I lose perspective on my goals, dreams, and vision for life.  In times such as these, I get caught in the doldrums of life wondering what's the point of the effort and heartache when it's one step forward and two steps back.  I have always desired to strive above the plane of mediocrity and small-mindedness (small-thinking).  This is very hard to do when the rest of the world is okay with that type of living.  So if you're anything like me, take heart by these videos and keep pressing forward.  We are the world-changers!

There's a candle in the dark Through tears I watch the flame There's a voice deep inside my heart And it's calling out Your name I need You (I need You) I need You (I need You) There's a danger in the dark But I live by Your light I know I'm somewhere near the edge 'Cause I feel the cold tonight I need You (I need You) I need You (I need You) Winter wind blows cold outside Storm warnings in the night I'm sitting in my lonely room Just staring at the only light I need You There's a candle in the dark A shadow on my wall I watch the flame and not the edge I watch the light and not the fall I need You (I need You) I need You (I need You) I need You to guide my step Oh, I need You to get me by I need the light that's in Your love I need that fire in Your eye I need You (I need You), mmmm (I need You) I need You Oh, Winter wind blows cold outside Storm warnings in the night Sitting in my lonely room Just staring at the only light There's a candle in...

School is well under way as I am already in the second full week of classes.  Since all my classes meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the amount of information dispersed is a lot to take on.  In addition, I am finally over the initial shock of assimilating the school schedule in to my already busy personal private life.  So far the hardest class is the German foreign language.  The material isn't overly difficult, but the greatest hurdle I had to overcome is learning how to interact with the online aspect of the course.  Now that I have adequately wrapped my mind around how to study for not only this course, but also the other three, I am now ready to dig in to showcase my intellectual prowess.  As expected, all the classes are easy since I'm navigating material I am familiar with and already practice on a daily basis.  However, the challenge is to not become complacent or bored with school as I will not perform well under such circumstances.  That m...

I am the only one to blame for this Somehow it all ends up the same Soaring on the wings of selfish pride I flew too high and like Icarus I collide With a world I try so hard to leave behind To rid myself of all but love to give and die To turn away and not become Another nail to pierce the skin of one who loves more deeply than the oceans, more abundant than the tears Of a world embracing every heartache Can I be the one to sacrifice Or grip the spear and watch the blood and water flow To love you - take my world apart To need you - I am on my knees To love you - take my world apart To need you - broken on my knees All said and done I stand alone Amongst remains of a life I should not own It takes all I am to believe In the mercy that covers me Did you really have to die for me? All I am for all you are Because what I need and what I believe are worlds apart I look beyond the empty cross forgetting what my life has cost and wipe away the crimson stains and dull the nails that stil...

Tomorrow is the Labor Day holiday, and I am chewing on what that actually means.  I looked up on Google the history of the holiday to make sure I was on target in my thoughts.  Yep, the day is exactly as it sounds...Labor Day!  My desire is for the many who are employed, gainful or not, to find satisfaction in the endeavors they pursue.  Taking oneself to task is not something I am naturally prone to do, but God in the biblical book of Genesis calls mankind to work and toil the ground, to labor, for their sustenance.  Genesis 3:19 states, "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food...".  To labor shouldn't be an endless cycle of survival, barely getting through the day to start all over again tomorrow.  I should glory in what is called work.  My current employment may only be a job and not a career, but I should use the time to glorify and worship the very God who has given a general call to place my hand on the plow, figuratively speaking, ...

Like a foolish dreamer trying to build a highway to the sky All my hopes would come tumbling down And I never knew just why Until today, when you pulled away the clouds That hung like curtains on my eyes Well I've been blind all these wasted years And I thought I was so wise But then you took me by surprise Like waking up from the longest dream, how real it seemed Until your love broke through I've been lost in a fantasy, that blinded me Until your love broke through All my life I've been searching for that crazy missing part And with one touch, you just rolled away The stone that held my heart And now I see that the answer was as easy As just asking you in And I am so sure I could never doubt Your gentle touch again It's like the power of the wind Like waking up from the longest dream, how real it seemed Until your love broke through I've been lost in a fantasy, that blinded me Until your love, your love broke through Like waking up from the longest dr...

**Speech Given at Toastmasters** Goals?  What are they and how do I set and achieve them?  Without a set game plan for life, a person will merely drift like pollen in the wind shifting directions with no real aim or purpose.  Find out what your passions are and take on your identity in what drives you as an individual.  Ralph Waldo Emerson once stated, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”  One consistent way to define your goals and to achieve them is through using the S.M.A.R.T. method.  This term stands for: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely or Tangible. A specific goal is defined by answering a few questions such as: What do I want to accomplish?  Where do I want to accomplish this goal?  How soon do I wish to achieve said goal?  And, for what reasons, purpose(s), or benefits are there in setting up and achieving this goal?  Keep in ...