Fog

This morning as I was driving to work I was amazed at how thick the fog was. In some of the places I could barely see the road much less the car in front of me. But by the time that I got to work the fog had lifted and the sun was starting to come shinning through the fog. 

Just like the fog, sometimes our life can seem dark and blurry. Not really knowing what’s in front of us and definitely not being able to see the path to take. This can often lead to dangerous situations, not being able to see ahead. Is there a looming fog in and around your life right now? Well there’s good news. 

Just like this morning, the fog won’t last forever. The sun will come out and the fog will dissipate. If the sun is what makes the fog in your life disappear, what’s your sun? Is it a new friend? A good book? A mentor? We all need something or someone to get our heads out of the fog and focused on the road ahead. Don’t give up if you’re in the fog, because it won’t last forever.  

 

To-Do List

This weekend I finally had some time to work in my wood shop. I’ve had a few projects that I have been needing to finish and I finally did on Saturday. The thing is, that these projects were hanging over my head because I had them on my To-Do list. 

I’ve found that making a list has helped me stay focused and organized. But sometimes I let the list itself become a daunting task. I love working in my wood shop, but I hate feeling rushed to finish my projects. As soon as I put theses projects on the To-Do list they became a chore not a hobby. As soon as I finished them, I was able to check them off as “done”, and there isn’t much better feeling than that. And immediately it was like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. 

The trick is finding the balance of the To-Do list. You should never live and die by your list because you could end up getting burned out or overwhelmed by it. But it’s also a great tool to have because it helps you stay on track and focused. Is there something that you need to check off today? Or do you need to start a list to get back on track? Either way, we all have some to do today.  

 

Wake

The background of my laptop is pictures from my world travels. One picture that I just came up was one that caught me off guard. I took a picture of the wake of the boat one day when I was in Italy. It’s not normally a picture that people would take. Most people would take a picture of what lies in front of them or what is off to the side. It’s not every day that people take pictures of where they have already been, especially when you are on holiday.

But a lot can be learned from looking behind every now and again. Especially when thinking about the wake made from a boat. Looking at this picture reminded me that everywhere we go we leave an impression, a wake. It is like an imaginary trail that is following behind you. If you look close enough you can see the effects. Sometimes your wake may cause huge waves and ripples and crash violently to shore, because you were going a million miles an hour close to shore, or close to the situation. And other times you could be going slow and steady and there is almost no wake behind you and no waves that crash onto the shore. If you look closely across the sea you can see the path that the ships have made. Some of these paths are crisscrossing one another, others all by themselves. But every ship, every vessel has a wake, a path, a history. There is no avoiding this.

What does your wake say about you? Are you taking the safe route? Are you living life on the dangerous side? Are you one to follow in the safety of someone else’s wake? Or are you a trail blazer and plan on going where no man has gone before? Look back today and see your wake. Reflect on where you have been the path you have been down. Is it time to set a new heading and start going a different direction? Or do you feel that you are on the right path leading you to safer and bluer waters? If you look back for too long you may run aground, so don’t look in the past and dwell on it. But be ever mindful of your wake. After all, that is your journey.

Check Engine Light

Now I’ve noticed that the past few days that my truck has been running rough. Did I do anything about it, of course not, I just hoped the problem would go away. Well let’s just say it didn’t. 

On the way home last night my check engine light came on. So, I’m not really a car guy. My passion is working in my wood shop, but luckily my dad loves working on cars. Between the two of us and two trips to Autozone my truck is running like new again. Why did it take me to the point of having the check engine light come on to do something?

Is there an area of your life that has this clicking and clunking, but you’re just ignoring the cries for help hoping it’ll magically get better? Is there some preventative maintenance that you need to do today? Is there a friend or an expert that you need to reach out to for help? Don’t be like me and wait for the warning light to come on. If something needs to change, do it. 

Lighthouse

Growing up, my parents loved taking us kids to see lighthouses. I always remember climbing high up the winding staircases. And when we got to the top of the lighthouse I was always astounded by the views that you see, and the intricate glasswork that helps this small flame or light shine bright for miles and miles.

When you go to these lighthouses you hear of two types of stories. The one that there isn’t as many records on is, how many lives were saved by the light of these lighthouses warning of shallow rocks or sandbars that will strand or destroy a ship. And the second type of stories that you always hear are of the ships that did not heed the warning of the light shining from the light house and shipwreck, many times leading to many of the ship’s crew drowning or not surviving these wrecks.

Which of these two stories are you right now? Are you seeing the light shining out as a warning and heed the warning and turn from your path that could ultimately end in your demise? Or are you the Captain of the ship that knows the waters like the back of your hand? You know that you can make it to safe harbor; you just have to go a little bit farther so that you can make it home safely. But in the end, the pride, your stubbornness takes over and leads to you drowning and maybe even taking out those around you as well on the ship.

I tend to listen to songs on repeat when I am going through something. They say that when you are happy you listen to the beat of the music more than the lyrics, but when you are going through a trying time or something life changing, then you tend to listen to the lyrics more. That song for me lately is Brother by Need to Breathe. One of the lines says “Everybody needs someone beside em’ shining like a lighthouse from the sea”. Do you have that friend that you can count on to be the light shining out in the darkness that you can count on to lead you to safe harbor in the dangers of the storm? Or do you need to be that friend to shine bright from someone close to you? Either way, take heed from the light and let it lead you to safe harbor.

The chorus of the song is:

Brother let me be your shelter
I’ll never leave you all alone
I can be the one you call
When you’re low
Brother let me be your fortress
When the night winds are driving on
Be the one to light the way
Bring you home

Either be the one to bring them home, or let your friend bring you home! Anchors Aweigh!