Total Consciousness

So I jump ship in Hong Kong, and I make my way over to Tibet, and I get on as a looper at a course over there in the Himalayas. (a looper?) A looper, you know, a caddy, a looper,..a jock. So I tell 'em I'm a pro jock and who do you think they give me? The Dalai Lama himself. The Twelfth son of the Lama; the flowing robes, the grace, bald... striking. So i'm on the first tee with him, I give him the driver; he hauls off and whacks one - big hitter, the Lama - long...into a ten thousand foot crevasse right at the base of this glacier. Do you know what the Lama says: (pause) 'Gunga Galunga... gunga, gunga-lagunga.' So we finish the 18th and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, 'Hey, Lama, hey. How about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know?' And he says, 'Oh, uh, there won't be any money. But when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.' So i've got THAT going for me. Which is nice.

Total consciousness, how cool is that? But what is total consciousness and do we really desire to have it? I think a lot of people have had glimpses of it and spend the rest of their lives trrying to get as far away from it as they can. The saying that the truth hurts isn't always the case but for some it definitely does.

Could total consciousness be a glimpse of who we are or who we have become? It has always been a lot easier to look at the faults of others and critisize or advise them on how to become a better person than it is to make improvements in our own lives.

Accountability by others is important, but we should not ever forget that Jesus is the ultimate accountability partner. What Would Jesus Do? I love those words because in EVERY situation you can rely on Christ to guide your actions. HE was the perfect example, none before him and none after. Man, what a role model!

I think I received total consciousness when I allowed Christ to come into my life. Who wants to wait until you're on your death bed?

Musical Fruit

Rich and I were talking the other day about music, actually we were beating the crap out of the dash board to some good old Rock and Roll while we were Flyin' down the Highway. Anyway, during slow songs we talked about how much fun it was to listen to some of the songs we grew up with.

I think back and recall how there were (and still are) some folks who claimed that Rock and Roll is the spawn of the devil, that nothing good can come from it. I guess it's all in how you look at it or hear it in this case. So let's break it down.

Is it it the tunes that people take offense to? Not really, take away the lyrics and musically speaking some of the songs are very complex pieces. Sometimes using the same instruments and the like as classical music. How many times have you stepped on an elevator and heard an old rock tune (redone without the words of course) playing? Did it bring a smirk to your face? usually does to me.

So then, it must be the lyrics that offend so many people. Is it fair to say that if one Rock song has lyrics that are offensive that it's all bad? On the other hand is this an endorsement for all Rock music? No to both. As with anything it's a case by case basis. If you're not operating that way it's called discrimination and I think most of us agree that that's wrong.

Here's an oldie but a goodie:

Now if you're feelin' kinda low 'bout the dues you've been paying
Future's coming much too slow
And you wanna run but somehow you just keep on stayin'
Can't decide on which way to go
Yeah, yeah, yeah

I understand about indecision
But I don't care if I get behind
People livin' in competition
All I want is to have my peace of mind.

Now you're climbin' to the top of the company ladder
Hope it doesn't take too long
Can'tcha you see there'll come a day when it won't matter
Come a day when you'll be gone

I understand about indecision
But I don't care if I get behind
People li vin' in competition
All I want is to have my peace of mind.
Take a look ahead, take a look ahead, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...

Now everybody's got advice they just keep on givin'
Doesn't mean too much to me
Lot's of people out to make-believe they're livin'
Can't decide who they should be.

I understand about indecision
But I don't care if I get behind
People li vin' in competition
All I want is to have my peace of mind.
Take a look ahead, take a look ahead. Look ahead.

What do you think the composer was thinking about when he wrote this song? Honestly I could care less what he was thinking, I know what it means to me. It's all about how you look at it. These lyrics would feel right at home in a song that we have been been given the green light to listen to.

What about a song that the lyrics aren't so "uplifting" so to speak? Can anything good come from a song like that? Can you listen to song and ignore the message? People do it with TV all the time. Ask a musician if he/she has ever heard something in a song that they liked and used it for something else. A drum fill, a guitar lick or a particular way a vocalist performed a song. It's been done over and over again. Take the good, discard the bad.

"I like rock and roll, put another dime in the juke box baby"

Make up your own mind, I did.

Fish N Chips?

Why Fish n Chips? I was driving around the other day and saw one of those fish symbols with some writing on the inside that I couldn't make out. As I got close to the back of the little truck I made out what it said, N CHIPS. I suppose there are some who take offense to this or actually get mad when they see something like this, but I got a little chuckle. But, that's the way I am. I tend to find the lighter side of most things.
I think it's important to be able to laugh at the things around us but even more importantly we need to be able to laugh at ourselves. I'm a Christian, a follower of Jesus. The fish symbol is synonymous with Christians and for someone to poke fun at it means they're poking fun at me. That's cool, wouldn't be the first time. I could've gotten mad, gave the driver a ration of you know what and called her a blasphemer or something stupid like that. I chose to laugh and wave. You see I also am sporting a fish on the back of my truck and knew that this person was behind me for a little while. What would Jesus do?
What drew me to Christ wasn't great preaching, some sort of miracle performed by a preacher on TV, or years of Sunday School as a kid. No, it was the observation of men I already respected and their relationship with Jesus. At first I saw successful men and I tried to emulate them. I was duped! They were trying to be like Jesus so by default so was I. Tricked into Christianity! Not really, but you get my drift. Actually I'm a pretty practical guy, I appreciate the truth, I need the truth, I demand the truth. I have heard the truth, loud and clear, that was enough for me.
Is there an expectation that once we become Christians that we must change our personality? I don't think that God created us to be individuals only to be cloned and be put in a box. Jesus said "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matt 28:19-20) The disciples were all different types of men with different ways of getting the job done. The Lord uses our differences to reach others. But with all of our differences there should be one thing that all should recognize about us, our love for each other.
So there it is, Fish N Chips. Live, laugh, love. Peace out.