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Wasted Minds

Wasted Minds –

This has been a tumultuous week following the shooting at Parkland High School in Florida. People have chosen sides on the gun debate and have used this tragedy as an example as to why they are on the side of the angels. I’ve seen countless posts about gun rights and gun restrictions. I have posted my opinion on the gun debate on my blog in the last couple of weeks if you care to know where I stand on this cultural, moral and spiritual issue. Everyone has their argument at the ready. They grab screenshots, tweet, put a photo on Instagram, use memes, videos and Facebook are so full of posts on the issue it’s hard to find anything else.

I think it’s an issue which needs many conversations. There’s not an easy solution and anyone who thinks there is hasn’t thought about it enough. What doesn’t need to happen is more arguing over the subject. We are a divided people in our country and it seems every “Breaking News” headline on whatever channel we watch, or website we read, erodes our relationships with those with differing views more.

Whatever side we’re on, opinion we possess, idea we espouse, we should also respect and love our neighbor. If we can’t then our voice is wasted, nothing changes and the world continues to go to hell.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

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Driverless

Feb 18

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Driverless –

Driverless automobile technology doesn’t seem like something that might happen but is happening and will impact all of us soon. I was listening to NPR this week and the person being interviewed said that everyone will have a driverless automobile by the year 2050. I’m not sure what the 70+-year-old will think but the 45+-year-old is skeptical. Maybe it’s the loss of control, maybe it’s watching too many sci-fi movies but driverless cars, trucks, semis zipping down the road all dependent on a group of engineers and designers seems too futuristic but it’s where we are going.

In my lifetime I’ve gone from record players to compact disc players to mp3 players which could hold 100 songs to my phone being able to play any tune I can think of at the press of an icon under a piece of glass. 30 years ago that would’ve been unthinkable so driverless cars are coming whether I am ready or not.

Life and its continuous change are shocking. Places we are now on the journey probably aren’t where we thought we’d be. Plans we thought were “set in stone” have been shattered and adjusting, accepting and letting go require more strength than we think we possess. There are days when we feel like we are steering our lives and other seasons when life keeps taking the wheel and driving to unknown and sometimes unwanted destinations.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

1 Comment

Tags: #2050. #think, #accepting, #adjusting, #automobile, #blessings, #change, #coming, #compactdiscs, #continuous, #control, #dependent, #designers, #destinations, #Driverless, #Driverlessautomobile, #driverlesscar, #engineers, #futuristic, #glass, #icon, #impact, #interviewed, #journey, #keeps, #lettinggo, #life, #lifetime, #listening, #loss, #mighthappen, #mp3players, #NPR, #phone, #Plans, #possess, #press, #push, #ready, #recordplayers, #require, #seasons, #setinstone, #shattered, #shocking, #skeptical, #soon, #steering, #strength, #taking, #think, #unknown, #unthinkable, #unwanted, #watching, #wheel, #whether, #zipping, Driving, Technology

Emptiness

Feb 2

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Emptiness –

Most of us have plenty. In truth, most of us have more than we need. I was speaking with a co-worker this week and he was saying how amazed he was at how people in our organization and fellow organizations step up when there is a need in our community. I told him I agreed.

We work with a lot of folks who are having a rough time. In certain situations it’s their own poor decisions, in others, the community, the state, and the federal resources have failed them. They feel and at times are the forgotten ones. There are residences you go into and cannot believe what you see. The basics of food, clothes, electricity, heat, medicine do not seem accessible and many are at the end of their ropes.

It’s hard when you know the suffering of others to come home. There may be cracks in the walls, leaks in the ceiling, toilet paper runs out and food spoils, but your house is a palace in comparison to these you see and spend time helping. These are the ones who empty and need to be filled. Much of what you have becomes superfluous, extra, easily given away because you know you won’t miss it.

It’s hard to imagine but can you, for a moment, think of living in a world where it wasn’t; “This is mine and you can’t have any!” to a place of sharing and; “What’s mine is yours.” Only when we begin to give away what we possess do we discover we have everything we need.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

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Tags: #accessible, #agreed, #amazed, #away, #basics, #becomes, #begin, #believe, #blessings, #ceiling, #certain, #clothes, #co-worker, #comparison, #decisions, #discover, #easily, #electricity, #emptiness, #empty, #end, #extra, #failed, #federal, #feel, #filled, #folks, #forgotten, #give, #given, #hard, #heat, #helping, #home. #cracks, #house, #Imagine, #leaks, #living, #medicine, #mine, #miss, #need, #organization, #palace, #place, #plenty, #poor, #possess, #residences, #resources, #ropes, #rough, #sharing, #situations, #speaking, #spend, #spoils, #state, #step, #suffering, #superfluous, #think, #time, #times, #toiletpaper, #truth, #walls, #work, Community, Food, moment, World

On Demand

Jan 5

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

On Demand –

This afternoon I had a follow-up appointment at the doctor’s office. They needed to do a routine check-up and wanted a deposit. I had figured as much so I made sure not to leave my deposit at home before I left. I went to the restroom, readied the bottle and…nothing. No matter how much I concentrated there just wasn’t anything that was going to happen. After several minutes I meekly came out of the lavatory and explained the situation to the nurse. She then sent me to the staff vampire who had no such trouble sticking me with a big needle and taking my second deposit by force. I now have a cotton ball and medical tape covering a hole in my arm.

We live in an; “On Demand” world. We get and expect things instantaneously. The problem is sometimes life doesn’t work that way. We may demand expediency but delay and obstruction is what we’re given. If we decide to take what we need to wait on by force pain is often the what we receive instead of what we desire.

It does us good to wait, to not get what we want, to be told; “No!” It reminds us we aren’t all-powerful, possess full control, aren’t as able as we’d like to believe. Wisdom, and the lessons it uses in everyday life remind us who we are, who we aren’t and how to be at peace with both.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

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Tags: #able, #allpowerful, #appointment, #believe, #blessings, #bottle, #check-up, #concentrated, #control, #decide, #delay, #demand, #deposit, #desire, #expect, #expediency, #explained, #follow-up, #force, #fullcontrol, #going, #good, #happen, #instantaneously, #instead, #lessons, #life, #meekly, #minutes, #needed, #nothing, #obstruction, #OnDemand, #pain, #possess, #powerful, #problem, #readied, #receive, #remind, #restroom, #routine, #second, #several, #situation, #staff, #sticking, #taking, #trouble, #vampire, #wait, #whatwewant, #wisdom, Peace, to be told; "No!" It #reminds, World

Change Myself

Dec 22

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Image result for taoist thought of the day

Change Myself –

The older I get the less knowledge and wisdom I think I possess. They say the beginning of wisdom and knowledge is two-fold; fearing God and knowing you know nothing. As each year passes the second part seems to get easier.

There was a time when I believed I knew much. Not just about myself but also about others. I could perceive motives both inward and outward, judge with impunity, and thought myself better and more able to live a life pleasing to God and myself than most other people. Then, I began to grow up.

The word growing brings with it a sense of serenity but growing is painful. It is bursting through old barriers, going places that are uncomfortable and unknown, daring to die in order to live, braving the challenges and elements that surround you.

With growth comes the realization you cannot force others to change. You do not have that power. You cannot stop the world from spinning out of control. You don’t have that ability. You can’t even get past your own hurts, habits, and hangups most days. You, I, am a perfect example of imperfection.

Wisdom and knowledge. They are as different as night and day but compliment each other when embraced and allowed to exist mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

“My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact, please you.”
#ThomasMerton

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

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Tags: #ability, #able, #actually, #ahead, #allowed, #barriers, #beginning, #believe, #believed, #better, #blessings, #braving, #Bursting, #certain, #challenges, #change, #compliment, #control, #daring, #day, #desire, #die, #different, #elements, #emotionally, #example, #exist, #fearing, #following, #force, #God, #growing, #growup, #habits, #hangups, #hurts, #idea, #imperfection, #impunity, #inward, #judge, #knowing, #knowledge, #life, #live, #LordGod, #mentally, #motives, #Myself, #night, #nothing, #order, #outward, #painful, #past, #perceive, #perfect, #pleasing, #possess, #power, #realization, #road, #sense, #serenity, #spinning, #spiritually, #surround, #think, #ThomasMerton, #through, #time, #uncomfortable, #unknown, #wisdom, World

Bright

Nov 17

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Image result for buddhist thought of the day

Brightly –

The sun was shining brightly today as if it had been hidden by clouds and couldn’t take it anymore. Bursting through, nothing holding it back, it lit up the blue sky. Now, after showing off, the sun is setting and only remnants of light remain of its beauty.

I have a friend going through a difficult time, battling a disease that will sooner or later kill him. He’s doing everything he can but our bodies are not made to last forever nor beat every enemy we face. I talked with him today on the phone and his voice sounded stronger than in days past. It was good to hear and I laughed as he told me one of his jokes. The last several weeks have been tough, watching him struggle, rise to meet one challenge only to be met by a new and a more difficult obstacle. No one can keep going no matter how much strength they possess.

Today for a moment he shone brightly and I will keep that memory with me as he moves forward.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

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Tags: #after, #battling, #beat, #blessings, #bodies, #brightly, #Bursting, #challenge, #difficult, #disease, #enemy, #forever, #forward, #friend, #going, #goodtohear, #hidden, #holding, #jokes, #keep, #keepgoing, #kill, #last, #laughed, #light, #meet, #memory, #moredifficult, #moves, #new, #nothing, #notmade, #obstacle, #possess, #remain, #remnants, #rise, #several, #shining, #showingoff, #soonerorlater, #sounded, #strength, #stronger, #struggle, #sunissetting, #through, #time, #tough, #voice, #watching, #weeks, beauty, moment

Missing

Oct 10

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Image result for appointment

Missing –

This afternoon I received a cryptic message about meeting someone. I read it, checked my calendar, read the text again and checked my calendar again. I had no meeting scheduled. I went back into my emails and did a search and still couldn’t find any messages regarding the meeting and still couldn’t find anything. The sender of the message, however, had a picture of her calendar with my acceptance! There was no doubt the meeting was scheduled and I was supposed to be there. Unfortunately, I was in another county so was unable to make it. We rescheduled but I don’t like missing appointments whether they are or are not on my calendar.

It’s bothered me all afternoon. When I got home I checked my emails and calendars again but still didn’t locate anything regarding the meeting. The only thing I can figure is I have a new work phone and the first couple of days I was messing with it, trying to figure it out, I accepted the meeting and then somehow deleted it. I don’t know if this is happened and might not ever know.

Schedules, calendars, planning out our days is a necessary discipline. If we don’t at least attempt to live in an ordered manner the chaos of everyday life will take its toll. However, no matter how much control we think we possess when our calendars and schedules are in sync life has a way of surprising us with events and experiences that don’t fit our schedule and forces us to accept and adjust.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

1 Comment

Tags: #accept, #adjust, #attempt, #blessings, #calendars, #chaos, #control, #discipline, #everyday, #experiences, #forces, #least, #life, #live, #manner, #necessary, #ordered, #planning, #possess, #schedules, #surprising, #sync, #toll, Events

Occupy

Aug 31

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Two Cars One Lane: Fight

Occupy –

On my way home from Nashville, Tennessee, earlier this week the road I was traveling had a construction zone. I maneuvered into the proper lane and most other vehicles did the same. However, there was a woman in a silver Mercedes who misjudged when she needed to get over. I noticed just in time as she attempted to pull into the same space occupied by my truck. When I recognized that she didn’t see me I honked the horn but this didn’t stop her and I slammed on the brakes to avoid getting into a collision. I’m not a science professor but I remember that one of the Laws of Physics says; “Two solid objects cannot occupy the same at the same time.” I couldn’t tell if she was oblivious, didn’t care or wasn’t up on her physics laws.

After we passed through the construction zone we went back to our regular speeds and as I passed the driver of the silver Mercedes I reflected on the truth of this Law of Physics in other parts of our lives. We have too many things which occupy our minds and spirits. We fill our homes, jobs, brains, and souls with trinkets which need constant attention. We rarely, if ever, find a place to leave everything behind and just be still. The objects we possess end up possessing us.

Simplicity scares us because we think we must get rid of things; “we can’t do without.” This is a lie. There are many objects, treasures, things that seem important which if we dared we could eliminate. Stillness of spirit, peace, eludes us because too many things occupy our lives.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

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Tags: #attention, #bestill, #brains, #constant, #dared, #eliminate, #eludes, #everything, #homes, #important, #jobs, #leave, #minds, #objects, #occupy, #possess, #possessing, #scares, #souls, #spirit, #spirits, #treasures, #trinkets, Peace, simplicity, Stillness

Attached

Feb 21

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

Image result for hanger with shirt

Attached –

This morning I was getting ready to go to a health council meeting. I went to the closet and picked out a pair of pants and shirt and laid them on the bed next to the ironing board. The pants were good to go but the shirt did need ironing. I turned the iron on, placed the shirt on the ironing board and went to do something else while the iron warmed up.

When I returned, the iron was ready and as I picked up the shirt the hook on the hanger, which was still in it, grabbed the ironing board and began tipping it over. Like most ironing boards we’ve had starch, buttons, water, more hangers and a plethora of other items which would make a big mess if they were to fall off the ironing board and crash onto the floor. The hot iron would also not feel good if it landed on my foot. Luckily, I caught it in time to stop this from happening. I breathed a big sigh of relief, rolled my eyes and was thankful for a mini crisis averted.

I carefully picked up the shirt again, twisting the hook on the hanger so it would no longer grab the board, took it out and pressed my shirt. As I did I thought about the different attachments we have in our lives and how the removal of one them can cause upheaval for everything else.

Wisdom teaches us to be careful not to be attached to many things in this world. Every attachment, each item we own, all the things we call; “mine or ours,” can grab hold of us. The more stuff we surround ourselves with the more danger there is in our lives being unbalanced by their loss.

We must be careful or the very things we think we possess will actually possess us.

blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

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Tags: #attach, #attachment, #grab, #hanger, #hook, #life, #mine, #ours, #possess, #possessions, #removal, #upheaval, #wisdom

Power

May 21

Posted by thewannabesaint.com

A yellow monster of a truck quickly lurched up behind me this morning. I was loaded down with wood, crawling along, when the driver of this behemoth decided I wasn’t going fast enough for him. He revved his loud engine and would slow down, wait a few moments, and then catch back up to me. Because of the small two lane highway we were traveling, there wasn’t anything either of us could do to rectify the situation. The obvious power of his truck aside we were both stuck, powerless. Finally, the road opened up, a passing lane appeared and he roared past me.

I smiled as he disappeared from view. It was a good reminder that each of us, no matter the strength and power we think we possess, are always at the mercy of the things life brings our way we can’t change or control.

Blessings,
@BrianLoging (Twitter)
thewannabesaint.com

Posted in Mindfulness

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Tags: #change, #control, #life, #mercy, #possess, #power, #reminder, #strength, #think

Essentialist and Wannabesaint

Essentialist, contemplative, author, advocate, old soul

Blog Archives

Wasted Minds

Driverless

On Demand

Change Myself

Bright

Missing

Occupy

Attached

Power

Essentialist and Wannabesaint

Essentialist, contemplative, author, advocate, old soul

Blog Archives

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