Archive for February, 2011

Holy Frustration Batman!

Posted: February 8, 2011 in Uncategorized
Tags: , ,
6

Ok… I’m frustrated! And what pray tell am I frustrated about? I am frustrated over the bad rap that “frustration” is getting. Frustration is not high on the list of coveted or even distained “emotions” and “feelings” like love or hate or anger or jealousy or fear or sadness. In fact, frustration doesn’t even make the list of emotions! So what is frustration? Is it an emotion? Is it a feeling? What is it?! Well, one thing I do know is… frustration can be a powerful force.

I guess I need to share a little bit about where my current frustration concerning “frustration” is coming from. It all started because I was in a meeting and shared some frustration. I was told that I needed to be careful with being frustrated. That is good advice. I heeded it. We do need to be careful with frustration because it can lead to the “dark side”! However, can we be too careful with frustration and dismiss it all as bad? This thought, this question has led me to my current frustration.

Here’s why. Whatever frustration is – emotion, feeling, an unnamable force – I don’t believe that all frustration is bad. Frustration can be destructive, however, it can also be a motivating factor for beneficial change.

As a Christian, Jesus Christ is my ultimate example. Besides being my Lord, and my Savior, He’s my hero. He’s my standard. He’s my life. So, I look to Him to lead the way. And there is a time in scripture, where Jesus is FRUSTRATED. Yeah, Jesus, who was perfect and sinned not. We read in the book of Matthew, Mark and John, how Jesus went in to the temple and turned over the tables of the money changers. Jesus was FRUSTRATED, because they were turning the temple into something that it was not to be. His exact words in Matthew 21:13 were:  “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.'” Jesus got frustrated and made some beneficial changes that needed to be made.

This has happened throughout history. The Americas were discovered because FRUSTRATED merchants were looking for a shorter trade route. The Christian Reformation took place because Martin Luther looked around and was frustrated, because he didn’t like how the Church was being run. We drive automobiles because FRUSTRATED inventors got tired of walking and riding horses. Almost every modern invention we enjoy today was birthed out of frustration. Somebody thought, we can do this better.

So… is frustration good or bad? Well, I think it’s neither. I think it just is. What we do with our frustration will determine “frustration’s” future.

I was frustrated, so I blogged about it, and man do I feel better!

So what about you? Are you frustrated? Is it good? Is it bad? You decide… because remember… frustration can destroy or frustration can lead to beneficial change.

FRUSTRATION…. It’s future is in your hands.

UnWritten (revisited)

Posted: February 1, 2011 in Just for fun
Tags: , , ,
0

Wow… I just noticed that my blog site just went over 8000 views.  I just want to say thank you to all of the people who read, and re-post this blog.  Rather than writing something new this week, I thought I would re-post the very first blog I wrote about 10 months ago. So, here it is:

Have you ever thought about what it is that makes life worth living?  It seems that everyone has a different idea of how to answer that question.  However, one thing is for sure: we all have the same 24 hours a day to give towards what we think is worth our time.

There’s a passage in the Bible in the Book of Ephesians that says

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time 

I often wonder…if my life was a book, what would I want to edit? What would I want to rewrite? And what is it that has yet to be written?

Realistically, there is no way for me to change the past, or remove the consequences of decisions I have already made.  However, I do have the ability to make right choices now.  A new chapter can begin today. I can take the time to tell people I love them; to forgive those who have wronged me; to take a step towards a dream yet unfullfilled.

If my life was a book, the greatest tradgedy would be if the best chapters were never read because they were never even written.

Life is worth living.  Live like you believe that and don’t leave any days, moments or heartfelt feelings out of the book you were meant to live.  Do not let your life be UnWritten.