Ale for the Soul

An assumption on my part is most people are acquainted with the reason behind having Leap Year every four years.  For those of you who don't, I strongly suggest researching the day because the purpose of this entry is not to explain the day's history.  Rather, I would like to give glory to God for an additional day, a freebie of sorts, to live according to the purpose He has innately given me.  Not only today, Leap Year, but also I believe every day is a blessing not to presume upon or to take for granted.  Each night as I lay my head down on the pillow, I am not guaranteed tomorrow, or the next few seconds for that matter.  Life is so precious and should be cherished immensely.  This month has passed by so quickly as I am more gainfully employed with TNG, the new job in which I have been diligently working.  The primary change to speak of is the ending of the three and a half year career with Tobacco Lane on the Square.  So far the transition has...

When I look into Your eyes I see the love that died for me When I look into Your eyes I see the hope that I will be a faithful child Following close behind Following ever blinded To the things that should not move me Saying to my soul, fix your eyes on Jesus Saying to my soul, fix your eyes on Jesus Fix your eyes on Jesus, fix your eyes on Jesus Fix your eyes on Jesus When I look into Your eyes I feel the grief when I have sinned When I look into Your eyes I find delight when I have been a faithful child Saying to my soul, fix your eyes on Jesus Saying to my soul, fix your eyes on Jesus Fix your eyes on Jesus, fix your eyes on Jesus Fix your eyes on Jesus Fix your eyes upon the prize The highest calling you will find Following close behind Following ever blinded To the things that should not move me Saying to my soul, fix your eyes on Jesus Saying to my soul, fix your eyes on Jesus Fix your eyes on Jesus, fix your eyes on Jesus Fix your eyes on Jesus

Tonight was my last day of work at the smoke shop called Tobacco Lane on the Square.  After exactly three and a half years of employment, the timing of my departure couldn't have been any better.  I am so grateful for the genuine expressions of good luck from my former co-workers.  In addition, I had regular customers and friends drop by for a smoke to help send me off to bigger and better things.  To every thing there is a season, and this time has been memorable.  Of course I will look back with fondness as the good times outweigh any negative events which may have occurred during this time.  Upon reflection, I am thankful for the people I have met, the experiences gained, and the stable employment.  May this next season of life bring even greater personal growth as I continually progress as an individual.  God, thank you for your guiding hand and the multitude of blessings you have showered upon me.  I am looking forward to bigger horizons...

Almost a year has passed since I came down here at your Head Master's kind invitation in order to cheer myself and cheer the hearts of a few of my friends by singing some of our own songs.   The ten months that have passed have seen very terrible catastrophic events in the world—ups and downs, misfortunes— but can anyone sitting here this afternoon, this October afternoon, not feel deeply thankful for what has happened in the time that has passed and for the very great improvement in the position of our country and of our home?   Why, when I was here last time we were quite alone, desperately alone, and we had been so for five or six months. We were poorly armed. We are not so poorly armed today; but then we were very poorly armed. We had the unmeasured menace of the enemy and their air attack still beating upon us, and you yourselves had had experience of this attack; and I expect you are beginning to feel impatient that there has been this long lull with nothing particular ...

When you're up against a struggle that shatters all your dreams And your hopes have been cruelly crushed by Satan's manifested schemes And you feel the urge within you to submit to earthly fears Don't let the faith you're standing in, seem to disappear Praise the Lord, He can work through those who praise Him Praise the Lord, for our God inhabits praise Praise the Lord, for the chains that seems to bind you Serve only to remind you that they drop powerless behind you When you praise Him Now Satan is a liar and he wants to make us think, that we are paupers When he knows himself we're children of the King So lift up the mighty shield of faith for the battle must be won We know that Jesus Christ has risen so the work's already done Praise the Lord, He can work through those who praise Him Praise the Lord, for our God inhabits praise Praise the Lord, for the chains that seems to bind you Serve only to remind you that they drop powerless behind you When you praise H...

Over the weekend I dropped off my bicycle to have a new tire tube installed at Performance Bicycle.  This afternoon I picked it up and immediately drove to one of the city's fine parks.  The vehicle's hitch and bicycle rack continue to work amazingly well.  Foster Park lies in one of the neighborhoods in which I often pass by on the way home.  Often I desire to visit the park and to ride through it on my bicycle.  Today I made it happen.  This is a somewhat small park, but it does feed in to another park, via a hiking trail, about a half mile away.  Since the weather is still slightly chilled and I am continuing to get over a cold, I only stayed for about fifteen to twenty minutes.  This was long enough to ride the short trails and to take a few pictures with my camera.  (Below are a few of the pictures taken.)  Hopefully this is only the first of many bike rides and parks visited.  Of course I encourage everyone to take advantage o...

The previous few weeks have been used as a time for meditation and evaluation, a time to assess the social and employment activities I am involved in.  These times are cyclical and come around in my life at various seasons; however, I haven't always used them in a healthy manner.  Many times I have assessed my life only to withdraw in isolation, becoming a hermit of sorts.  This time is different, which for a change is good.  One of the decisions made is to resign from employment with Tobacco Lane on the Square, a.k.a. the smoke shop.  This month marks exactly three and a half years I have worked for the company.  So it is fitting to go out on an anniversary.  There are various reasons to seek release from employment with the smoke shop, but primarily for the record the new job with TNG takes up quite a bit of my focus and energies.  This has been the longest length of employment I've had.  Several other jobs have been worked for up too and i...

There is a time  for everything,      and a season for every activity under the heavens:      a time to be born and a time to die,      a time to plant and a time to uproot,      a time to kill  and a time to heal,      a time to tear down and a time to build,      a time to weep and a time to laugh,      a time to mourn and a time to dance,      a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,      a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,      a time to search and a time to give up,      a time to keep and a time to throw away,      a time to tear and a time to mend,      a time to be silent  and a time to speak,      a time to love and a time to hate,      ...

On Wednesdays, part of my route for the job takes me by a park dedicated to veterans of World War I and the army base called Camp Bowie in Fort Worth.  This particular base is no longer in existence as it was quickly converted to civilian use after the war.  However, several monuments now adorn a patch of land along Camp Bowie Boulevard, the very street which originally cut through the location where the base formerly stood.  For a few days leading up to today's route, I planned on stopping by to read the history and to take pictures.  I was enthralled at the amount of history the place had to offer, as my knowledge concerning the area was rather limited at best.  History is vital and oh so quickly forgotten, but I am dedicated to the revival of said history, not only here but also in each city I visit and travel in.  I find the "past" important as there is so much to learn about what happened, what was gained by it, and how it can help guide me in to the f...

This is one of the few holidays I believe should be celebrated each and every day, not simply once or twice a year.  Acts of kindness shouldn't be performed out of a sense of charity or pity but of a true sense of love for our fellow man.  Humanity as a whole can generally fend for themselves.  The individual person, however, can sometimes fall through the cracks and need an occasional reminder they matter.  It is the individual person who has worth in Jesus Christ and sometimes needs some behind-the-scenes assistance.  When the opportunity presents itself, perform an act of kindness anonymously.  It is important to act surreptitiously in order to give the glory to God and not one's own ego.  Random acts of kindness...  What have you been doing for the betterment of your fellow man?

L.A.'s fine, the sun shines most the time And the feeling is "lay back" Palm trees grow and rents are low But you know I keep thinkin' about Making my way back Well I'm New York City born and raised But nowadays, I'm lost between two shores L.A.'s fine, but it ain't home New York's home, But it ain't mine no more "I am"... I said To no one there And no one heard at all Not even the chair "I am"... I cried "I am"... said I And I am lost and I can't Even say why Leavin' me lonely still Did you ever read about a frog Who dreamed of bein' a king And then became one Well except for the names And a few other changes If you talk about me The story's the same one But I got an emptiness deep inside And I've tried But it won't let me go And I'm not a man who likes to swear But I never cared For the sound of being alone "I am"... I said To no one there And no one heard at all Not even the...

This is a fast-paced world in which I live.  People are always on the go, and it's easy to get caught up in the rat race of keeping up with the Joneses.  (The new term for this, as seen in a famous criminal case on TV, is "affluenza".)  Stinkin' thinkin' happens, and I have disgust with myself for not living in gratitude, contentment, and joy for what God has blessed me with.  If God chooses not to bless, would my attitude reflect this change in life?  The question was posed to God by Satan, "Does Job (fill in your name) serve God for nothing?"  Hebrews chapter eleven states some of the heroes of faith never received in this life the proofs and blessings of faith which were promised.  And yet they couldn't help but to believe and act faithfully.  Everyday, especially when I walk in the front door of my apartment, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the blessings I so easily take for granted.  First, I thank God for the apartment I have been l...

I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry,  for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.  (I Corinthians 7:7-9) The entire seventh chapter of I Corinthians is a great treatise on marriage, and how to treat one another in the context of relationship.  The purpose of this entry is to not expound on what Paul wrote, as if I had the formal training to do so, but to share my experience of singleness in affirmation of what he wrote.  Attending through High School in to the first few years afterward, I thought it was "God's plan" for me (everyone) to get married and to become fruitful by multiplying the human race forward.  Turns out this was a very secular indoctrination unbeknownst to my yet experienced-trained intellec...

I've been driving for an hour Just talking to the rain You say I've been driving you crazy and its keeping you away So just give me one good reason Tell me why I should stay 'Cause I dont wanna waste another moment in saying things we never meant to say And I Take it just a little bit I, hold my breath and count to ten I, I've been waiting for a chance to let you in If I just breathe Let it fill the space between I'll know everything is alright Breathe Every little piece of me You'll see Everything is alright If I just breathe Well it's all so overrated In not saying how you feel So you end up watching chances fade And wondering what's real And I Give you just a little time I, Wonder if you realize I've been waiting till I see it in your eyes If I just breathe Let it fill the space between I'll know everything is alright Breathe, Every little piece of me You'll see Everything is alright If I just breathe Breathe So I whisper in the dark, Hopi...

Why do the nations conspire   and the peoples plot  in vain?   The kings  of the earth rise up  and the rulers band together against the  Lord  and against his anointed,  saying,   “Let us break their chains  and throw off their shackles.” The One enthroned  in heaven laughs;  the Lord scoffs at them. He rebukes them in his anger  and terrifies them in his wrath,  saying, “I have installed my king  on Zion,  my holy mountain. ”   I will proclaim the  Lord ’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son;  today I have become your father.   Ask me,  and I will make the nations  your inheritance, the ends of the earth  your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces  like pottery. ”   Therefore, you kings, be wise; b e warned, you rulers  of the earth.   Serve the  Lord  with fear  and cel...