Tag: Jesus

Choosing to Go Slow

There’s something gratifying about finding a way to make a long journey shorter. I look to my GPS for help these days. But even as a kid, I was always looking for a short cut. When I was 12, my friends showed me a… Continue Reading “Choosing to Go Slow”

Choosing to Empty Myself

It’s a simple but often maligned and misunderstood word. To be considered humble is a compliment for some and an insult for others. It’s frequently associated with being soft spoken, self-deprecating, and wallowing in low self-esteem. While many people consider it a virtue of… Continue Reading “Choosing to Empty Myself”

Choosing Liberty

“Being able to do whatever I want to do.” That’s how a young man at the mall replied to my friend who was randomly asking strangers to define “freedom.” Many of the other responses that day were similar. Later, after hearing all the homemade… Continue Reading “Choosing Liberty”

Choosing Painful Love

I read of her in my college literature class, Lady Elaine of Astolat. A figure in Arthurian legend, she died from the weight of unrequited love. Sir Lancelot just didn’t feel it the same way she did. Of course, dying because of or for… Continue Reading “Choosing Painful Love”

Choosing to Trust Again

What is it about children and their selective hearing? They conveniently fail to perceive instructions or warnings they don’t like. But if a parent for some reason does not follow through with something he said he might do, there is a predictable mantra shouted:… Continue Reading “Choosing to Trust Again”

Choosing Something Other than Happiness

I like to feel good. It’s a basic urge within me to chase happiness wherever I think it can be found. My country’s Declaration of Independence affirms the pursuit of it to be an inalienable right. When I imagine myself in a happy state,… Continue Reading “Choosing Something Other than Happiness”

Choosing to Step Back and Wait

I always saw myself as a laid-back, easy-going person. That was until my first year of teaching remedial English to 8th graders in a California inner-city school. My carefully composed lesson plans were sabotaged daily by 13 and 14 year olds who derived perverse… Continue Reading “Choosing to Step Back and Wait”

Choosing What I REALLY Want

I first smoked a cigar in college. Somehow, I had managed to avoid all tobacco before that. When I joined several other film students in a project to tell a story set during a poker game, we decided our set needed to be filled… Continue Reading “Choosing What I REALLY Want”

Choosing Strange Strength

My desire as a boy was to be strong. Being verbally and physically picked on in elementary school, I became fascinated with the idea of becoming powerful. The longing to prove my strength led to a few fights and endless daydreaming of what that… Continue Reading “Choosing Strange Strength”