Ever see the train derailment scene in "The Fugitive"?

That is kind of how my thoughts feel this morning, so sit down and hold on.  This is going to be a rambling ride! 8)

Well, to start things off... i do not have a Music Monday offering this week.   I've just not had my head wrapped around worship songs of late.  I still love music, especially music that extols the Lord, but i've just not "been there" so to speak.  Hopefully i will have one for next Monday.

My Beloved and i actually got out on a date Saturday night.  I know, we couldn't believe it either.  We "cashed in" some points to get movie tickets and went to see Up in the Air.  Over all we liked the movie, but we were not overly happy with the story line (specifically the ending).  What we did like was the changes George Clooney's character made in his thinking and life.  In many ways it can challenge you to think about your over all life choices, and that can be a good thing.

Yesterday, overall, was nice and relaxing.  I got the kids all up for church (me beloved has been sick of late) and when we got home, DD went over to a friend's house for the afternoon, DS1 was taken to the movies by his mom (my Beloved of course ), so it was just me a DS2.  He had some homework to do so while he was doing that i watched some NFL playoffs, and during his breaks we played some Mario Cart.  Later we watched Merry Madagascar and played a little bit more.  Then when he went off to play more Mario Cart by himself i started up a fire in the fireplace, kicked back and watched yet more NFL football, and scribbled notes in my notebook about short story ideas.  The Cardinals and Packers game was fun to watch as i am not a particular fan of either team (i enjoyed the Panthers x2 overtime win against the Rams more, but i am prejudice in that regard ), although i was rooting for Kurt Warner.  Next week i am cheering for the Saints, the Ravens, The Chargers, and the Vikings.

Last week my Paternal Step-Grandmother (i never really knew my "natural" one) passed away a little unexpectedly.  She was in her 80's so it is not a complete surprise, but no one really knew she was sick (it was a respiratory thing).  Every year she would make up this Lemon Bark... YUM!  Everyone we shared it with really likes it too.  This year she also sent my beloved and i a crocheted blanket.  It's so soft and warm!  When i told my beloved she was heartbroken and was despondent about not having sent her a thank you card yet.  It's at times like this that i REALLY feel disconnected from the world.  I didn't feel sad... i still don't.  Confused maybe.  But to be honest i really am not sure how to feel.  I wanted to react like my beloved did, but just can't.  I went back and forth about going to her funeral later this week.  Mostly because of the cost, but my beloved has really encouraged me to go.  it will be three days overall.  About eight hours out, then the next day the memorial and funeral, then about eight hours driving back home.  She was the last of my Grand Parents to pass away.

The subject of "being all things to all people" first came up last week at a fellow "Elf Blogger's" web site (Thoughts of a Wood Elf), and seems to have been a recurring theme in my life of late.  The scripture reference is 1 Corinthians 9, specifically verses 19-23.  I am "chewing" on what Paul was meaning, as well as the verses of not being a stumbling block to others.

In closing God has taught me a lesson this weekend... well, i hope i have learned it.  You see... i can tend to get obsessed over some things.  I've noticed this trend in myself, and sometimes i am able to discipline myself to refrain until the urge passes, but on Friday this was not one of those times.

Recently i was doing some "research" in regards to one of the characters i am writing about.  In desiring to know more about the background of this particular "profession" (for lack of a better word coming to mind) i began to Google my query.Eventually i learned that Games Workshop had indeed written an article about the particular subject i so desired.  And since it is their "world" afterall, i REALLY wanted to get my hands on that particular article.  So, in my haste i did the following things, 1) I went to a Fansite and posted on their message board what i was looking for, 2) i then found it on eBay and placed a bid for the magazine.  3) Later i happened to mention to "Tulip" that i was searching for something and how i wished i had her amazing WWW searching skills.  Later she comes back and tells me about this Gaming store on-line that had the exact issue i was looking for.  In my haste i bought the magazine from the store.  Then, later on in the evening someone responds from the Fansite and tells me that he is willing to ship it to me FREE!  So, because i am not patient i will now have three copies of the magazine that i would like to have.  If i had been patient i would not have had to pay ANYTHING for this article.  As it stands i have paid for it once so far, i am on the hook for the eBay auction should i win it (which is pretty likely).  Sometimes God just lets us running face first into the walls when we are really not seeking Him first.

No matter where you go, there you are

It doesn't matter how far you travel the one constant thing is you. You may be in a new environment, a new town, or even a new country - but you can never get away from yourself. Even when your friends or family are not around, you are. I bring this up because i've seen many people act in totally different ways when they think no one is around and/or watching. One can put on a 'face', but they will have to live with themselves in the end. What got me thinking about this today is the game i have been looking forward to for so long has finally hit the shelves. One of the big selling points is that the player can act like either Luke Skywalker (a good guy), Han Solo (a kind of Neutral guy), or like Count Dooku (a real bad guy). The game even keeps track of your 'karma' and it will change how you can interact with the rest of the game world. I have never been one drawn to games like "Grand Theft Auto" or things like that, but i know many are. I don't even begin to know where to try and understand why so many people are. My boss and his son came to an agreement. Do not play any games that you would not do in real life. Now, that's an over simplified statement - but i think the concept comes across. If i need to go on a business trip i should behave as if my beloved is right there with me. If i am playing a video game, or any type of game, i need to behave as a Christian. Just because it's not real does not mean it that it is a moral choice you are making. Just because it is easy (like copying movie DVD or music CD's) does not make it acceptable. Just because you disagree with a law does not mean you are free to violate it. The only exception would be when it crosses with what God says is right and wrong. I have been voting for... well let's just say this is not my first election. ;-) The candidate that i voted for does not always win the election (big surprise there), but i need to keep in mine just Who has established the "king". While i was on active duty my team and i got to interacting with a man who was on his way to a formal function at the Officer's Club. I had noticed a Bible on his dashboard and made a comment about the Good Book (probably not an acceptable thing to do in uniform). Some how he turned it into a tirade against the administration of the time. I let him go on for a good two minutes before i said to him that it is God who established the rulers of all times, and in all places. He stopped, thought for a moment and said, "I will have to give that some thought". The point i think i am trying to make is that we are to be good and seek to follow Him, no matter where we are, or who is elected. We may not agree with those who are elected, or the laws that are passed, but we are to be good citizens and act as if it was God Himself sitting on the seat of government - for He is. For He has ordained all things for His greater glory and purpose - wether we understand it or not. Verse for today: Romans 13 : 1-7, ESV Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

And now for something completely different

Yesterday I was playing with my "Pet Dragon" over on Facebook (shocker, I know), who I loving call "Tron", I got to reminiscing about my youth. Specifically my days spending my quarters in the local arcade, and then about the video game "Dragon's Lair".
Well, to make a long story short, I kind of consolidated some of my geekiness I guess. I will name my "Pet Dragon" there 'Tron: the Singe Construct'! LOL

I was never very good at that video game because it was $0.50 - which was a lot of money to play one game - and I just never got good enough in the timing of the controls. Besides Pac Man, it was one of the earliest "pattern" games out there. There were books on what you needed to do for each screen. That is there might be a pattern of; left, left, up, sword, right, back, jump. Once you had the pattern, and the timing down you "owned" that screen. Once you knew all of the patterns it was just a matter of time. Sometimes the game would "mirror" a scene to throw you off though. LOL Still, this game is available for my son's Gamecube. Hmm.... lol

I was mostly a Pinball player in my day - which was pretty old fashioned for a kid growing up in the early 80's. One of my favorite Pinball games was "Black Knight" by Williams. When I ever I spied one out I would drop in a quarter even if I didn't have time to play a full game.

Now I like to collect P/C pinball sims. Some of the best out there were by a company that used to go by "Pro Pinball", and I have found out that some of their sims may be out for one of the game platforms. Hmm...

Who am I kidding. I don't get to play games anymore.

But my all time favorite game was "Cyberball". It was a game that I would sink quarter after quarter into. It combined some of my favorite interests... Football (American), Video Games, and Sci-Fi/Robots.

Ah, but we can never go back.
Verse for today:
Philippians 3: 12-16, ESV
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.