Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Today was a productive Saturday. I started the day saying I was going to do some school work and actually did that. I got all my reading for the past week done so that is a great accomplishment. I got to reading an article by David Remnick about a newspaper in Israel called Haaretz. I read the piece in the most recent edition of the New Yorker. Yes, I read the New Yorker now. I don't know why I feel some sort of elitism when I contemplate that fact. In any event, the article was quite interesting as New Yorker pieces tend to be. It made me think about how much I don't know about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I hear snippets about the issues in the news, but those are just sound bites. The only way to really get a feel for the issues would be for me to read more deeply as I did today. I think its true what Nicholas Carr says about our generation. We read wide, but not deep. I think that subscribing to the New Yorker is one of the best things I could have done to reverse that trend in my own life.

First post for the year.

I preached today! As always I heave a sigh of relief for finally getting through it. Yesterday I spent a significant portion of the day reading my Bible and gathering my thoughts for what was supposed to be my grandest speaking achievement. Somewhere around the middle of the day I realized that I had set my sights a little bit too high. I don't know why I always do that. I tend to be very optimistic about what I should be able to achieve in a given time period. I started yesterday thinking that I would have my sermon wrapped up by noon and thus I would have time left over to do school work and a few other chores. I called my father later in the evening to get some advice at a point when I was felling particularly stuck in the preparation, but I got the answering machine instead. None the less he called me back and reminded me that it takes about 40 hours to put together a good sermon. I will file that away for next time.

Yesterday morning, I went running with some co-workers along the A1A. I love running along the A1A, it is a great change from the drab surroundings that make up my neighborhood. Apart from the occasional sighting of the ocean, I like the feeling of running with so many strangers. Apparently everyone likes to run on the A1A as I see runners of all ages, shapes and SIZES. I am thinking of running on the A1A next week as well. On the subject of running, I think my whole personality has begun to change ever since I began running. People always say that I seem to calm as a cucumber and that nothing gets to me. They say that only because they can't see into my head. But these days, it has become alot more true. Running really does mellow you ought and relieves your body of stress. I think it's also made my mind a lot sharper.

So that's yesterday, and this is today. I feel there is alot I need to get done today and I have no idea where to start. I was just fiddling around with my new kindle. I had the last version of the kindle, that is the one before the latest version but I have decided to give it to my father who loves reading maybe almost as much as I do. So, I spent the last 30 minutes or so transferring my books to my new kindle and then the thought occurred to me "This is just busy work and I am not working on any of the things that I need to do". Things like school work, or cooking dinner, or trying to figure out what is wrong with my mom's laptop or writing in my blog. Every week that I don't write in my blog I die a small death inside. I really want to make writing a regular part of my week. Just like I am dedicating all this time to weight lifting and running and learning spanish and developing my career and so on and so forth.

This has got to be the most rambling post I have every written. The question now remains as I wrap up. Should I post this so the world can see this piece of random garbage? Or should I just file this one away and spare everyone the agony. Since I know, no one is reading this blog, I might as well post it and cross my fingers.

Writing something, anything

I want to write more. I haven't written in a while. I think I have substituted writing substance for writing quickly. Hence, my regular maintenance of my Google Buzz and semi dedication to my twitter and facebook feeds. If I want to be a better writer, I need to find the time to sit down, no distractions and just write. Put on some good music and let the creative juices flow. The book I am reading now "The Lie that Tells a Truth" - John Dufresne, suggests writing every morning. I get up plenty early already to adhere to my exercise routine. Looks like I should get up half hour earlier to write first. I think I can do that.

Any way, today is my wife's birthday. So I am spending the day thinking more about her and less about me. I know some will say I don't need to wait till her birthday to practice that and I agree!