Wicked Wednesday - 20110309

Hi and welcome to Wednesday Wickedness! We are like other memes in that we will ask you ten questions each and every Wednesday. But our little "twist" is that each week we will pick a famous person and pick ten of their quotes. Each of our questions will be based on the quotes. Got it? Great! Let's begin this week's meme!

Today we picked Whoopi Goldberg. Here's Wednesday Wickedness!

Note:  My responses are a week behind the meme as set up, but it is to allow me to get the responses done (in my opinion) adequately.

1. An actress can only play a woman. I'm an actor, I can play anything.
If you could experience any life form that was not a human of your sex, what would you pick and why?

LOL - it took me a few times reading the question through to get it.  I would love to experience a lifetime as an Elf.  It's not that i think they have a perfect life, but the mythology of the Elves as i know it (which is predominately of the Tolkien variety) really appeals to me.  To have lifetimes to focus on and study different things, and not just one lifetime to study say music, but several such lifetimes.  And not just one subject, but many different ones.  I do not know what Heaven will be like other than i will get to worship God in person, but there are times when i imagine we will get to explore different aspects of His creation and how it pertains to His glory.

2. For some reason, all artists have self-esteem issues.
Do you have any self esteem issues? Do tell. (Since we all do.)

Indeed i do.  I tend to feel that i am i unable to be all that i could want to be, and yet... i know i think to highly of myself.  This may seem like an odd dichotomy but let me expound upon this.  I tend to be very critical of myself.  I perform self evaluations almost daily.  What have i done that i could improve upon.  This is a never ending deal because there is always something that i could have done better, a harsh remark not spoken, a reassuring compliment not spoken, more time spent doing something other than playing on my HTC EVO.  Then there is my relationship with my Savior.  Although God in His kindness has shown me glimpses of my own sin and depravity, the image is but a shadow of just how deeply i had/have offended the Holiness of God.  Just a pinch of leaven will pervade a batch of dough, so does a pinch of sin in my life.  It is only by the grace of God through the work of Jesus Christ am i am able to stand before the Throne.

3. I am the American Dream. I am the epitome of what the American Dream basically said. It said, you could come from anywhere and be anything you want in this country. That's exactly what I've done.
Do you believe in the American Dream or has it passed through time?

I do for the most part.  While i know it is not perfect, i do feel that many of the freedoms that make it so are slowly being stripped away.  America is great, not because we have given everything to some, but because we have allowed hard work to be rewarded.  I do not have all the answers, nor are all my opinions correct, but i do know that you cannot legislate morality and you can not tax a country to prosperity.

4. I don't have pet peeves, I have whole kennels of irritation.
It's been asked before, probably weekly, but what's irritating you today?

This quote brought a slight chuckle out.  8) Nothing particular at the moment.  Things like "failing to plan on your part, shouldn't constitute an emergency on my part",  just because you have to do something you didn't expect or take an extra step in a process because things were not laid out exactly how you wanted does not give you the right to whine and complain - put on your big girl panties and actually do the extra step or two to achieve success.  I tell my children all the time that life is not fair and that they need to learn how to figure out how to overcome the obstacles that appear to be blocking their way.  The sooner one learns to adapt and accept that the world does not revolve around them, the further along the path of success they will be.

5. I don't look like Halle Berry. But chances are, she's going to end up looking like me.
What do you think you'll end up looking like? (A picture would help.)

I can only hope that i will age as gracefully and handsomely as my maternal grandfather, or my father-in-law.  However i think it is going to be more like Statler and Waldorf - those two hecklers from the Muppet Show.

6. I grew up in a time when it would never have occurred to anyone to tell me there was anything I couldn't do.
Has anyone told you that you could not do something?

Way back when i first joined the Army National Guard, i remember being pretty gung-ho.  On my first Annual Training cycle we trained with a team from the 82nd Airborne division.  I wanted to go full time that summer, but the full timers were less than encouraging.  Essentially they mocked and told me that i couldn't do it.  I never did go full time, though i am OK with that.  I like where i am at in life.

7. I want Carl Sagan to explain the sky to me.
Is there anybody dead that you'd like to talk to?

I would love to talk to Peter, James, or John - the disciples of Jesus.  I would also love to talk to the woman who poured the Alabaster jar of perfume to anoint Jesus and washed his feet with her tears.  Lazerus would be an interest evening, especially in the company of Mary and Martha.  These are the ones that immediately jumped to my mind.  As Jesus has risen from the dead... that is the reason He is not on the list.  8)

8. If every American donated five hours a week, it would equal the labor of 20 million full-time volunteers.
Have you ever done volunteer work?

I have, but not as much as i should.  I have assisted with coaching soccer teams, i have helped with some church projects.  My life right now is mostly spent working with my children and getting them where they need to be, etc. Although, i am slowly getting back into some things here and there as i include my oldest... well, to be honest... he is including me.  8)

9. It's being willing to walk away that gives you strength and power - if you're willing to accept the consequences of doing what you want to do.
Have you ever walked away from a job and regretted it?

Several actually.  The first one that comes to mind was the summer i spent working with a pool re-plastering company.  Being the low man on the totem pole i spent my days on the back of the truck busting bags into the mixing machine that weighed between 80 and 120 pounds.  That was hot, dusty work, but i actually enjoyed it.  One day, i just stopped going.  Another was as a shipping and receiving clerk for a machinery testing company.  That was a cake job, decent pay, not very hard work.  Again, one day i just stopped going. Unfortunately there were others as well.  That is what steered me towards the National Guard eventually because potential employers began noticing a trend in my job history.

10. Normal is in the eye of the beholder.
Are you normal? Explain.

Of course i am normal, it's all you other wackos out there that are not.  8)  I once heard a good quote.  Everyone in the world is insane.  Why else would we walk through life that we do.  It's the people who have been institutionalized that have had their eyes open and see the world for how it really is.  Personally, i don't subscribed to that point of view, but it made me chuckle.  We each mold ourselves on our perception of 'normal'.  We see the world through our individual lenses (even as members of a group, we still have unique points of view) and respond as we have learned, or trained ourselves, to.  "Normal" is only a median of a particular group of people.

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Wicked Wednesday - 20100616

Hi and welcome to Wednesday Wickedness. We are like other memes in that we will ask you ten questions each and every Wednesday. But our little "twist" is that each week we will pick a famous person and pick ten of their quotes. Each of our questions will be based on the quotes. Got it? Great! Let's begin this week's meme!

Today we picked Bruce Springsteen. Here's Wednesday Wickedness!

1. “When it comes to luck, you make your own.” Do you believe you have that type of control over your luck?

 I feel that there are always things outside of my control.  I cannot affect what other people do.  I may have influence over some, but the vast majority i do not.  What i do have control over is how i act/react to the situations that life presents.  So ultimately, no, i cannot "make my own" luck, but i can control how i "create my own luck".  If a job opportunity presents itself i can show up on time, i can perform to the best of my ability.  Often others will see this, and thus how things come your way in the future is impacted.

2. "You've got to learn to live with what you can't rise above.” What is something you have had difficulty rising above?

For me it has been my own poor choices in regards to my education.  Some of it has to do with my own ability to learn/absorb, but trying to be late to class, or rolling dice to make my choices on tests, and putting off college until my own personal life became too much of a "distraction".  By God's grace i have the job i have, but it was not by wise personal choices.

3. “Poor men wanna be rich, rich men wanna be kings, and a king ain’t satisfied till he rules everything.” Would you want to be rich?

There are times when i would really like to be a little more "rich".  For example, i would love to not have a mortgage.  However, i also recognize that there is a part of me that is never satisfied.  Right now, i consider myself "rich" in that the only debt i have, that i carry a balance from month to month, is my mortgage.  There are months where that the belt is getting pretty tight, but in the end... i am fairly happy with where i am at.

4. “The best music is essentially there to provide you something to face the world with.” Tell us about a song that helps you "face the world."

For me it has to be Amazing Grace.  I love both the traditional hymn, but also the more recent version by Chris Tomlin.


 

This song helps me keep myself in perspective, as well as the world.

5. “In America everything's about who's number one today.” Have you ever been a fan of someone you thought would last but turned out to be a flash in the pan?

It is no secret that i am a fan of American Football, and while i have favorites among the position, the one i hold in the highest esteem is at Running Back.  When Tshimanga Biakabutuka was drafted by "my" Carolina Panthers in 1995 i was really excited. The career span of a Running Back in the NFL is very short, but this man really had a hard time staying healthy.  I do not say that in a critical tone, rather in a way that i feel it was too short.  Fortunately he has been able to make a life for himself after his NFL career.  But when he was on the field - wow! - it's just a shame that he was unable to take it all the way.

6. “Is a dream a lie if it don't come true, or is it something worse?” Has any dream of yours come true?

I think as a result of my childhood i really do not tend to be a dreamer. For me i have to focus on the here and now.  The what might be is too far off, too many variables affecting the end outcome.  While i know it is important to have a long range target in mind, so that you can adjust the footsteps in route, my focus tends to be more immediate.

7. “Our American government has strayed too far from American values. It is time to move forward. The country we carry in our hearts is waiting.” What would you change if you became the president?

I almost snorted Dr Pepper out my nose!  Wow... assuming i even made it that far... i would like to enact line item veto ability for the President, a flat income tax for all social standings - if say 10% is good for people making minimum wage then it is good for those drawing down $1m or more AND the elimination of many of the tax deduction/credits - or at least a cap at a certain percentage,  a mandatory balanced budget, and a law that states that Congress and the House MUST abide by ALL laws enforced upon the general populace.  They (including the President) are in a position of power to serve the people, not to line their own pockets and be exempt from the rules.

8. "Yeah, I had gay friends. The first thing I realized was that everybody's different, and it becomes obvious that all of the gay stereotypes are ridiculous." How do you feel about gay rights?

I will start with - you cannot legislate morality.  Second, gays are no different than you or me.  They are just labeled differently for the type of sin they are choosing to pursue.  So, to ask me if i feel that gays and lesbians should have the right to get married, etc. my answer is no.  But then, i feel that pornography should be illegal as well so...  No matter how many laws you enact (or not), inevitably we humans will still seek out the tree of forbidden fruit. 

9. " It's a sad man my friend who's living in his own skin and can't stand the company." Have you ever been disappointed in yourself?

I am pretty sure not a week goes by that i have not done something that i am not disappointed about.  Maybe it's a boneheaded decision at work, or a harsh word spoken to my children.  A failure to take action in regards to a need that God has shown me.  In the end... i am not resting on what i have, or have not done, but in what Christ has done for me.  He provides the grace and mercy to change, so that when such "opportunities" come back around, i can make a different decision.  If not for Christ, this "samurai" would have had to commit seppuku long ago.

10. "The best music is essentially there to provide you something to face the world with." What's your favorite type of music? What's your favorite band?

My preference lie in Celtic Folk Music.  I love the rhythm and pace, i like the instruments, and i especially enjoy the spirited instrumentals and dance numbers.  Funny thing is... in this genre i do not really have a favorite above all others.  I like Steeleye Span, Maddy Prior, Gaelic Storm, Blackmore's Night, and the like.  If i have to pick one group over all the others... i think i want to go with Jethro Tull  but their lyrics and over all world view keep me from taking them as #1... i would go with Chris Tomlin.  Really good music and lyrics.  Now, if i could find a way to combine the gospel-centric lyrics of Christ Tomlin/Steven Curtis Chapman/Casting Crowns and Celtic/Irish folk music... that would be awesome.  In my opinion.

Thanks for checking out our Wednesday craziness. We hope you join us again. Please visit our other player's posts and make a comment. Join us next week for our next meme!

The Dice are cast

I have made a decision in regards to that rock and a hard place I blogged about not long ago. I will not elaborate - not yet. I am not entirely happy with my decision but I feel it is the right one. And, as it turns out, my decision may be moot anyway. It is entirely possible that my desire will not have any sway in the matter. But that is not what is important. What is important is that I sought God out and He was kind enough to speak to me (not audibly). Over the past week or so God has been giving me scripture versus here and there. The Holy Spirit has been bringing to light issues of pride that may have influenced my thought processes. In the end I am keeping a promise and if the contrary of this decision still happens I am at peace. I will be able to focus on the things I need to focus on. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragements. Verse for today: Psalm 139, ESV O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying downand are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you;the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. [1] Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me! They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain! [2] Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you? I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! [3] And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! [4] -note, I could not choose just one small section... it all seemed appropriate.

Weighing the Pros and Cons

Ever have a situation where you have to make a really tough decision? Common advice is to pull out a piece of paper and write out all of the pros and cons of each decision and then make your decision. What if it's not about you? What if it is about those who God has brought into your 'sphere of influence'. God's Word is pretty clear. We are to put aside our preferences in order to serve our neighbors. Treat others as we would want to be treated. Love your neighbor as your self. When one is limited as we are (being human) there are times when decisions are to choose between the rock or the hard place. Verse for today: Phillipians 4:4-7, ESV Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.