be thankful

true joy can only be found with an attitude of thanksgiving. when you look past all circumstances because you have learned to be thankful for what you have. when you stop comparing yourself with the people above you. when you realize that you have more than enough to be thankful for. then joy will be found in any circumstance. we walk through life forgetting the simple things. the fact that we are healthy and safe. the fact that we have food to eat and clothes to wear. look at the man living on the street. or the orphan. or the widow. be real. there is always somebody worse off than you. when you start to live with an perspective of thankfulness life takes on a new dynamic. all the circumstances fade. every cloud has a double silver lining. it frustrates me when people complain about the smallest things. yet you look at their lives and you observe how fortunate they are. they are wealthy and healthy. yet their toys are never enough. they have endless opportunities. yet they don't take it because they can't see it. why. because their attitude blinds them and disables them to take pleasure in the smallest things. thus they will always be looking for more. a bigger toy. a more glamorous life. a faster car. a more exotic holiday. they will forever strive towards an idea or belief that pushes them into the abyss of ungrateful living. that is the saddest place to find yourself. it is that place where nothing can satisfy you. a place where enough will never be enough. it is a black hole of selfishness and self-indulgence that can not be filled. therefore i want to challenge you today. fill your heart with an attitude of thankfulness. practice thanksgiving. be thankful for the simple things. to feel the wind on your face. to smell and experience with your senses life happening around you. focus on the simple things. the small things. in that you will find true joy. in that true fulfillment can be found. 

a tribute to san fermin

i recently finished reading "fiesta" by hemingway. it was the third time that i have read the book. and it remains very inspiring. for reasons i still don't know why. the storyline is not overly exciting. but the writing is gripping. i just love the way he writes. the descriptive style of capturing the moment i just love. but while reading the book my memory took me back to the summer of 2008. (also on this blog - see endless summer 2008) i had the opportunity to spend the few days around san fermin in a city close to pamplona. i have friends that live in rioja. the nearby wine region. one of spain's famous wine regions. it remains one of the bravest yet stupidest things i have ever done. the running of the bulls. so many emotions and adventures packed into a few days. the heat of the sun and the excitement in the air. there remains a certain intensity in the atmosphere. however not for the faint hearted. bull-fighting in itself is a very controversial topic. cruelty to some. a form of art and perfection to others.  no matter what side of the controversy you are on the festival of san fermin remains a high-light on the annual calender. as it stands i can't really pinpoint why the festival and all the activities surrounding the week in pamplona had such an effect on me. i am just great-full that i had the opportunity to go and experience it for myself. too many peolpe have an opinion about the whole ordeal without ever having been there. it remains a fond memory to me.

technological revolution

we are all part of the technological revolution. whether we want to be or not. sure. life in many ways is a lot easier. but not all the changes are good. personally i think that in terms of technology the continuous improvement of  what we use and have is tremendous. yet. what are we giving up. what are we sacrificing. i was again reminded whilst on an local flight the last couple of days. everybody sitting with their Samsung tablets and apple iPads. nobody reads books anymore. very little interaction between people. four people sitting at a table in the airport. two on iPads. one speaking on the phone. and the last one operation a piece of electronic equipment i have never seen before in my life. call me old school. call me a purist. yet i think this revolution is killing the basic skills of people world wide. youngsters can't spell or do basic math. people are less committed to appointments because it is so easy to send a quick text or email saying that you wont be making it anymore. it has become a cop-out. people don't write journals. they have become bloggers. (i do both - thus i guess that makes me at least half-guilty). but the reading thing really gets me. a 50-something year-old man next to me on the airplane was playing a game that looked like it was designed for a 10 year-old. he did so for the complete duration of the flight. in which time (i can boast) i nearly finished my Hemingway book (reading it for the third time and it still inspires me). i am worried that a complete medium of literature will be lost to the next generation. i am by no stretch of the imagination claiming to be a literature fundy. but the inspiration that i tap from reading is unmatched. the process of escape and being absorbed by the reading must surely be more fun than blasting bubbles or chasing cats on a computer game. or perhaps in time i will catch on. i hope not. cause i find so much pleasure in being inspired by legendary writers such as Hemingway. perhaps not his lifestyle and/or morals. but certainly his appetite for living life to the full. now i ask you. how can you find that in a computer game. it is not only computer games. but the watching of movies. this medium of the media truly frightens me. i can count on one hand  the number of proper movies worth watching of the past five years.as with most other revolutions that have come and gone the current techno revolution will definitely leave its scars. of that i am certain. the same way the industrial revolution changed the way of our every day-to-day. so our lives are changing around us. are you taking notice? i challenge you. what are you sacrificing? going to the movies on a weekly basis does not constitute a relationship. less TV and more time with the kids. less internet and more conversation with your wife. switching off your phone when spending time with friends. perhaps i AM old school. but we have lots our common decency and basic respect. perhaps one of the greatest unprotested sacrifices of our time? that is the price we pay for comfort and our own laziness. i am not against the use of technology. i am just very cautious as to how it is changing the world around us.

a true family

you come to a place in your life when you realize that your natural family is fallible. it is not a bad place. neither is it a sad place to come to. but there is a certain freedom that comes with it when you realize that. the social responsibilities becomes less. the loaded expectations go out the window. many people  live with an obligation towards their family. i don't question the role of natural family. but it can become a millstone around your neck. a momentum breaker. it is not like that in all families. but i have seen it. where family becomes an ingrown tone nail. everybody puts their noses in everybody's day-to-day. not cool. but the power of a true family is incomparable. and if you are really lucky your natural family and true family can be the same people. people that you will share your heart with. people that will stick to you no matter what. sometimes your natural family is far away. your siblings live across the world and you need people in your immediate circle of life that will be by your side. i am fortunate to be surrounded by people with golden hearts. plenty of brothers and sisters in Christ that supports me in every aspect of life. because no man is an island. whether you know it or not. you need people around you. people that know more about things than you. so that they can tell you when you are off the straight and narrow. to keep you in line. they also inspire you. they celebrate life with you. the value of true family...priceless. thank you to the people around me. you know who you are.

when life is good

today has been a good day. it is one of those days where everything just makes sense. everything is just right. it is one of those days when it feels as if time stands still and your life is crystal clear. with the sun shining bright on my face. sweet music in my ears. wine as sweet as nectar on your tongue. love pumping with purpose through my veins. sitting in a street side cafe and watching the world go by. allowing my mind to run free and new dreams to form. enjoying the moment. the now. enjoying the place where the Lord has placed me. having the peace and joy that surpasses all understanding. living a life that glorifies Him. there is nothing that can compare. when life is good. nothing compares to when the Lord is in control. when you experience the safety and freedom to live a life that is significant. a life bigger than yourself. a life more than your own selfish needs. a life that changes the lives of people. because you have role to play. you have some significant to offer that nobody else can. your life has meaning. never underestimate what the Lord can do through you.