Random Dozen Wednesday

1. Have you ever been so lost that you were really afraid? ~ I have been really thinking over this one and i cannot recall a time that i was lost - lost.  Meaning that i truly had no idea of where i was.  There have been times when i was not sure of exactly where i was, but i always have had (that i remember) an idea of how to get back to where i wanted/needed to be.  True story:  One crazy blizzard filled drive out to visit my Paternal Grand Parents, who i had only visited only once before with my father (and we had flown), my mother drove past the turn we needed to make.  I had told her that was the turn because i had remembered it from the few years before.  I was 12 at the time.  I am not some kind of navigational freak, but i am pretty good at finding my way, or at least having confidence that i will find my way.

2. Have you ever been to an island? ~ My Beloved and i went on a cruise to the Bahamas on our Honeymoon, so yes.  Oh, and i've been to Manhatten.

3. Are you more of a thinker or feeler? ~ Feelings baffle me.  I feel them from time to time, but they utterly baffle me.  Definetely a thinker.

4. Do you tend to see issues or situations in life as black and white or shades of gray? ~ If someone sees something as a shade of grey they are not applying the right question or background concept.  It's something that drives people nuts about me.  Over time i have learned to bite my tongue, and to not speak up so often.  I rarely speak in absolute terms, and when i do it is because i am insecure about what i am saying.  If there is a chance something will happen, no matter how small, i will say that.

5. If you were stuck on an island, what book would you hope to have with you (Let's pretend the Bible is already there, so you can't say that.) ~ That is an excellent question. I believe i would like to have The Book of Five Rings. For me this is a good philosphical book that helps me be the best at what i am doing, no matter what i am doing. It does not superceded the Bible, but since that is already there with me, i would like to have The Book of Five Rings to accompany it.

6. What are you most afraid of? ~ My Paternal Grandfather died of Alzheimers. I fear growing old and "losing my mind" and my memories. But the fear that trumps all others, is (literally) the fear of losing my soul. I believe this is one of the driving forces behind my desire to know God more, and to be known by God. The verse that strikes the biggeest fear in my heart is"“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’" (Matthew 7:21-23, ESV) For me this verse shows that even those who think they are doing good, are not relating to Him. They have not truly sought to have Jesus in their heart.

7. Would you rather lose all of your old memories or never be able to make new ones? ~ Since my biggest earthly fear is to have Alzheimers it is interesting that this is a follow up question.  I am not one who dwells in the past all that much either.  So, if i had to choose, i would rather lose past memories, than not be able to make new ones.

8. Pretend I'm looking at a scrapbook page about you. There are three spaces for you to drop in individual pictures. What are those pictures of, and why did you select them? ~ My Beloved and i have a picture of our honeymoon on the stern of the cruise ship we were on.  Other than my glasses looking like the eyes of an owl, that is one.  I like this because it reflects how i feel about her and how happy i am that she married me.  The second one would be something from military days because i really enjoyed those times.  The last one... i guess would have to be me at work.  I enjoy my work and the people i work with.

9. If you were re-doing your wedding, what would you do differently? (If you're single, tell me one thing you would do if you were planning a wedding OR huge party.) ~ I would have RAM be my best man.  Looking back i had my brother as my best man.  While i would have definetly had my brother as a Groomsman, i am really much closer with RAM.  I really feel that i did him a disservice and dissrespected our friendship by doing what i did.  RAM has never allowed that to get in between us, he is truly a friend.  Quick to forgive, and willing to do pretty much anything to help you out.

10. Tell me one thing you know/believe about forgiveness. ~ God's forgviness is complete.  He knew about every sin that i committed before i became a Christian, He knew about the sins in my life at that time, and everyone i would commit from that time on until i stand before His throne.  He knew all of them, and yet He still took the initiative to come and die on the cross for me, and then to reveal these things to me.  His forgiveness is so complete that there is nothing i bring to the table to contribute to it.

11. You're waiting in a doctor's office. What is your favorite way to pass that time? ~ I love to read.  I prefer whatever book i am reading at the time, or my cell phone if a book is not available.  If i am desperate i will pick up a magazine or a newspaper.

12. If there were a clone of you in a parallel universe what is one way you hope she/he would be the same as you and one way you hope she/he would be better? ~ I think i would like them to have the same kind of analytical mind.  To look into things and see how it works in regards to the things around it.  I really like that about myself.  The one area i truly hope they would be better at is the ability to look into situations involving people and see how they interact.  I'll never forget the day when a friend of mine was having a hard time with someone else and we were trying to work through it.  I proclaimed that i knew what the issue was and then expressed it.... neither person agreed with me... and in the end i was not even close.