what's the point?

so i just spent the day in HB, at the US Open of surfing. it was awesome; surf all day of course but there were two skateparks set up, hundreds of vendors and exhibitions from surf companies, clothing companies, car companies and any other company you can think of. and the people..man oh man were there alot of people. i over heard one lady say "i feel like i'm playing frogger" as she tried to walk across a sidewalk. it was an awesome day.

but now that i look at it, i see that there was so much emptiness there. people were trying with all their might to show off to those around them; whether it be with their bodies, their talents, their money, their cars; whatever would grab people's attention. if this is what people are so set on achieving, what's the point? if you have the most toned body, the most money, the best cars, the most talent and skill; what then? is life complete? does that person win at this game of life?
i don't think so. there is a hole inside of us that society has long tried to fill. and you'd think that we'd get the picture after hundreds of years of failure; the hole isn't filled with what we try to put in it. to strive after things like that just leaves you wanting. i found this out the hard way with a relationship i tried to force in that hole.

God designed us and wrote out the blueprints for our life. before the fall, we had communion with Him but now we have this hole that makes us incomplete. to be complete, we need Christ. He fits that missing part of us perfectly because He is what makes us whole. i'm still learning the significance of this and how deep it goes, but i think God's on to something by working this into me. hopefully i can really mean it when i say God is all i need.

precaution and awareness

aware. it's something i've become more of these past two weeks. as i've started work at the gym i get to see lots of people from many walks of life. most of those i see are so wrapped up in their appearance it almost leaves a bad taste in my mouth. some people seem to live at that place, coming every day for hours on end; lifting, straining, puffing, and grunting as they make their bodies into the shapes they want. alot of them seem consumed by having the best look they can, or by having the most strength they can. from trainers to trainees, it seems to be a mindset caught like a disease might be.

in working around all of this, the disease seems to be creeping into me too. i see all of these guys that are so big and look to how i can be a little more like them. i see people who have perfect form and realize that with a little work, i can have it too.

but in taking a step back and giving this a hard look i see that life's not ruled by how you look. devoting so much time in how one appears on the outside is meaningless, whether i believe it or not. a person can look amazing, be perfectly toned or cut, have the strength of ten men, or be able to lift anything in sight but that's only surface deep. inside is a completely different story; the one that really matters.

the same goes with materialism. posessions mostly. i have a desire in me to have nice things; clothes, music, cars, whatever it might be. being around people who have these things makes it that much worse. i appreciate these things and want to have my own. but again, this is meaningless, whether i believe it right now or not. there is always going to be nice things out there that will be enticing but the real matter is what's underneath; inside the person.

you can have all the strength, looks, or possessions in the world and be empty inside. we all look for meaning in life, and depending on where you find it, you will either be satisfied or still searching to be so. i see it in the people around me; those people at the gym who are the fittest seem to be the most lost. the ones who have the nicest things seem to be so wrapped up in them that they cannot think/live beyond them. i hope that my attitude, rather than assimilating with what i'm around, changes to see the truth through all this.

Lewis quoted

"Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man.”

say what you mean and mean what you say

i was thinking. how many of us really mean what we say? of course, all of us want to think that in conversation we mean what we say, but if we really look at it, is it true?
here's an example: you're talking with a friend who's about to leave for a big trip. you say goodbye and that you hope they have a great time. what do we mean by that? it hit me that in saying something like that, we are showing that we care for the person, and for their sake and..well being i guess, we want them to be happy and enjoy their time.
another example: a friend tells you about a death in their family and the first thing out of your mouth is to say 'oh, i'm so sorry!' in looking at the meaning behind this, again, you care for the person and recognize that they must be dealing with alot of grief because of their loss. anyone who goes through an experience like that needs, at least a little, consolation; which is why you offer condolences.

my point is this: how often do we go around saying things because it is natural, or socially expected, without really meaning it? i want to be the kind of person who says things and actually means them. i'm not saying that thisis something i'm not; it's just something i want to work on.

mmm

found another instrumental band that i'm diggin right now. they're called sleepmakeswaves (yes it's one word), out of Australia. pretty small and new to the music scene but their stuff is good nonetheless. they're a bit more edgy than This Will Destroy You, but not untatsefully so. if you have a minute, go and check em out

on surfing

i've realized that one of the things that brings me joy and a greater appreciation for God is surfing. this summer, as i've had alot more time on my hands than i had planned, surfing has been something i've turned to to keep me busy.

something just feels right about diving into the surf on my board and feeling the shock of the water as it washes over me. the salt mixes with the air as the water sprays over the nose. it's one of the best feelings to get a face-full of water as you paddle through the first waves. it wakes me up and i feel more alive.

then comes the wait: watching the horizon for sign of a swell that will eventually turn into a wave. the ocean extends as far as the eye can see and meets the sky. most mornings, it's overcast so the water has a deep gray color to it. white crests form as a wave moves towards the beach and there is movement in the water as other surfers shift to get in position.

i never seem to get tired of it. the rides may be short and the waves form-less, but i keep coming back, hoping to find a break that is calling to be ridden. i can't wait to go out again.
more on this to come.

musings on community

through today i've seen some of what i never thought i would. a marriage between a man and woman that is still together for God knows why. a father who is not superman, and deals with pain and scars just like everyone does. a man who cannot control himself and knows what he does hurts those around him. a woman who cannot seem to let people get to her heart, wrapping herself around stories and ankle-deep relationships.

what is wrong with us, that we have so twisted what God intended for good? why does it have to be this way? i see examples around me that prove that it doesn't but my reality begs to differ. i am beginning to realize that we as humans were designed to be in relationship and community with each other; it gives us more of a completeness and integrity that we desperately need.

"no man is an island." whoever said that was right on the money.