"Lost" - and Wasted

I was a 'Lost' fan for 6 years.  And it ended last night with the 4.5 hour grand finale.  It may go down as the biggest dissappointment in the history of TV series endings.  What was propped-up and 4-walled as the most significant ending to any series ever - was a complete disaster.
     
I haven't read anything about it this morning, or heard anything on the radio.  I'm talking from my gut here with no outside influence on a Monday morning.  The shows ending proved to me, once again, that there really is a lack of imagination in the world when it comes to 'the big things'.  The story writers hit on a nerve early on, but 'lost' control and meaning as the show progressed - and finally gave up the goose in the end, throwing their collective pens and paper and ideas - in the air.  It was sad to see. 

The show's conclusion was:

Very Universal.
Very Shallow.
Very All Inclusive.
Very Weak.
Very Boring.
Very Stupid.
            
Those are some hours I wish I could get back.
  
Don't get me wrong - I wasn't expecting the flight survivors to be standing around the camp fire singing kumbaya or anything.  I didn't expect that Jesus would appear and explain what had happened to them.  But I AM a believer in The Way - the JC Way.  The moment they entered the church scene and very predominately displayed the stained glass window depicting all religions of the world - my hopes and aspirations for the show were destroyed.

It was as if they had reached their hands into by chest and ripped out my heart.  A quick reminder (to self) to stop putting my faith in the hands of some Hollywood producer - it just doesn't work.

You see - I would have been cool if they had even picked one of the religions of the world to promote as 'right' and the final answer to the big question of 'WHY'?.  That would have taken guts, fortitude, courage, strength, grit - big kahunas.  It could have been Budhism, Ying/Yang, Islam, whatever ....  but no, they went politically correct (and religious correct), and went with them all.  A big shallow pool of mud and death.
   
Weaklings.
 

And if there's any doubt out there about being lost, don't forget what Jesus said in John 14:6 - "Jesus answered, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.  NO one comes to the Father except through ME."
  
(picture at Zandvoort - beach town west of Amsterdam, where I felt very lost once)

In Peace

If there's one thing I've learned about myself over the years, it's that I'm a city guy.  Noise.  I kinda like some white noise to make me feel secure.  I grew up in the city, lots of cities. Noisy, dirty, crowded and busy cities.  I wouldn't do well in rural America for long.
      
But, I know too, that I need some peace & quiet now and then (more so as I get older).  With summer coming I'm thinking about one thing:  a vacation in the sun, on the sand, by the surf.  I like surf and sand, that's not too far from the city.

 As much as I wish I lived near the ocean and the beach, there's something about NOT living there all year that makes you yearn for it even more, enjoy it more, and appreciate it more, when you get there.  I took this picture 12 years ago at one of my favorite beaches.  When I look at it, my blood pressure drops about 85 points (give or take).

It reminds me that we need to learn to live at peace, in peace - with a sense of calm - always (not just during summer vacations on the beach).  Believers are suppose to be role models for joy - and your joy brings peace - naturally.
 
In Eccleciates 4, it says: "Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil."   I'm not a theologion, but I think that means we should live with less material ambition and stop trying to get more stuff, because it just creates trouble.  Strive for 'tranquility' - it's better than 'toil' anyday.
    
And in 2 Thesalonians 3, Paul says:  "May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way."   That's a good one, as if to say having a sense of 'peace', is what it's all about.

I'm looking for more peace.   Are you?      
     


  

Big Porches

When I build my own house, it'll have a big porch.  I mean a BIG porch - wrap around job, deep, part screened, part open.

What good is it if you don't have a respectable porch to sit on anyway, to watch the cars going by, waving at your neighbors, drinking some lemonade in the summer and hot coffee in the evening, playing cards, gazing at the sky, counting shooting stars?
  
You can chew on some straw, sleep in a rocker, play fetch with the dog - shoot squirrels - whatever.  
 
This is a porch we sat on for 2 days in Louisiana last weekend - visiting MawMaw at 103 years old.  Good times.  You could smell spring in the air.  The days were warm and the evenings were cool.  The towns people didn't know us from Adam, but they waved just the same as they drove by. 
   
When are we going to start sitting on the porch more often?  It's time to do - nothing.  As Paul instructs in 1 Thessalonians 4:11 - "Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands."