“A coward dies a thousand deaths, a soldier dies but once.” In Tupac Shakur’s song If I Die 2Nite, he similarly describes being fully aware yet totally ignorant at the same time. He knows that he’s living recklessly, investing in people and activities that will return on his investment temporally if at all, but he gives them his all anyway. He is dying a slow death for the sake of living a fast life.
I love quotes; I like to study who said them first, their meaning to people over time, as well as learn from and apply them to my own life. I can’t help but wonder if a coward has a thousand funerals, he must also have at least as many birthdays, or chances to come back again and try to get things right. And yet his fear buries him everytime.
Faith, which requires courage–produces life. Matthew 16:25 says that if you try to hang on to your life you will lose it, but if you give up your life for Him, you will save it. I have learned that this is true; if you struggle to hold on to someone or something, you can instead end up suffocating it or having it squeeze right between your fingers. Let go, and let God. This in fact is bravery at its best.
Are you planning a birthday party or a funeral? Are you fearlessly pushing forward and giving birth to your dreams, or laying them to rest by allowing people (including yourself) to throw dirt (doubt) on them? Today is another chance to rise up and celebrate the life you’ve been given. Just don’t forget to invite Him to your party.
Buzzwords are fashionable expressions often used in businesses. They are meant to impress and drive home new and improved theories believed to be the key to success within the organization. In the field of education, the new buzzword or phrase is Common Core Standards.
This week marked the 100th day of school. As a teacher there are many milestones between September and June. This is one of them. The 4th of July of the school year, it’s a centennial of success if you will. It helps impart to kids the importance of setting and reaching goals and instills a joy of celebrating what you’ve learned so far. It was a day of fun activities, but truth be told I’m not really a numbers person (Shhh…don’t tell my students). Instead I have a passion and preference for teaching reading and writing. Yet God in His infinite wisdom, often adds to our lives through the challenges we face.
While pondering what cute message I could blog or tweet I thought about a news story I recently heard on the radio. The announcer posed the question of whether or not God is concerned about who wins this weekend’s big game. There was a lot of friendly banter back and forth, the majority believing that surely He has more important things to do. I laughed to myself and thought of posting, “God must be rooting for the Saints” until I realized that it’s the Ravens and 49ers that are playing. I therefore decided to stick with what I know.