This post is a bit of a continuation on the theme of my blog, partly because I want to establish for you a little bit about who I am and the motivations of my life at this time, and partly because I am new to this and haven't come up with anything insightful, humorous or otherwise interesting to write about.
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dance_(Garth_Brooks_song), The Dance, is a song recorded in 1989 by Garth Brooks. The song was written by Brooks' friend, Tony Arata. The song is written with a double meaning both as a love song about the end of a passionate relationship and the lyrics also work to tell the story of someone dying because of something they believe in, or a moment of glory. Brooks illustrated this in the music video for the song.
I can't remember when I first heard this song (it has a very catchy tune), but I have since come to appreciate the lyrics as they relate to the idea of actually living life regardless of the pain that may be suffered. The song itself talks about a person who lived their life and took a chance, a person who in the end suffered heartbreak for their choice; but a person who wouldn't do it any differently given the chance. For me, I would listen to this song and ask myself what I was missing out on because I was too afraid to take a chance. Too often I had things that I wanted to do, goals I wanted to achieve, but I was not willing to take the necessary risks, I was not willing to accept the pain that might possibly be suffered. I was afraid I would regret the choice.
Now I regret it when I give in to that fear and don't take the risk. So now, when I am faced with the chance to try something new or the opportunity to begin working toward a goal that will possibly be life changing, I think about all the good things that I might miss out on if I back slowly away from the edge of chasm. One of my favorite quotes that I would like to share with you also speaks to these ideas.
"Don't be afraid to take a leap when one is indicated; you can't cross a chasm in two small steps." -Anonymous
If you want to check out the music video on YouTube for The Dance you can do it here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxiJJBvZnRI
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Who Am I?
I am a Christian. I believe Jesus died for my sins and rose again. I believe that a faith in Jesus as Saviour is the only way to heaven--that actions, works, denomination, and affiliation only serve to help others understand your beliefs. This is, first and foremost, who I am.
I am a Husband and Father. I am 29 years old, have been married for nearly 11 years, and have had 4 children. My wonderful wife, Jennifer, is 9 months older than I am, and I believe that I was specially created by God just for her when she was born. My first born, Kadence, died of SIDS when she was four and a half months old. She would have been 9 years old this month. Knox, my only son, will be 7 this summer. Declan is 5 years old and only 16 months younger than Knox. Oakley just turned one year old.
I am a Teacher. I have just completed my first year of teaching junior and senior high English Language Arts. My first year was at Ridgevalley School about 45 minutes east of Grande Prairie. I had a great year teaching but am looking forward to the summer break.
While the roles mentioned above give you some indication of WHO I AM, we all know that individuals are made up of more than just the titles they take on. Who I am encompasses my personality, my likes and dislikes, hobbies, etc., and is constantly changing as I live my life. While the content of this blog will likely relate in some way to the three roles I stated above, the tone is likely to portray my personality and mood at the time I write. As an advanced warning to you, and possibly to pique your interest, I will let you know that I am often sarcastic, critical, and expect the best from others (though you should not assume that I appreciate sarcastic, or critical comments about my frequent lack of effort).
You may be wondering about the title of the blog and the picture I have posted. I won't go into too much detail this post, but I will give you a just a bit of background. I fist saw this picture, which is one of those inspirational posters (which usually I hate) a number of years ago. I was at a point in my life when I really needed some direction because I was headed nowhere. This poster really spoke to me as I realized I was holding onto a life of safety instead of taking some risk and moving out of my comfort zone. I decided at that moment that I would begin to take some risks and start living my life. Perhaps you will begin to think about your own life and where you might be willing to take some more risks to accomplish the goals you have but are too afraid to work toward. In case you can't read the caption to the picture it reads:
RISK: A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships were made for.
I am a Husband and Father. I am 29 years old, have been married for nearly 11 years, and have had 4 children. My wonderful wife, Jennifer, is 9 months older than I am, and I believe that I was specially created by God just for her when she was born. My first born, Kadence, died of SIDS when she was four and a half months old. She would have been 9 years old this month. Knox, my only son, will be 7 this summer. Declan is 5 years old and only 16 months younger than Knox. Oakley just turned one year old.
I am a Teacher. I have just completed my first year of teaching junior and senior high English Language Arts. My first year was at Ridgevalley School about 45 minutes east of Grande Prairie. I had a great year teaching but am looking forward to the summer break.
While the roles mentioned above give you some indication of WHO I AM, we all know that individuals are made up of more than just the titles they take on. Who I am encompasses my personality, my likes and dislikes, hobbies, etc., and is constantly changing as I live my life. While the content of this blog will likely relate in some way to the three roles I stated above, the tone is likely to portray my personality and mood at the time I write. As an advanced warning to you, and possibly to pique your interest, I will let you know that I am often sarcastic, critical, and expect the best from others (though you should not assume that I appreciate sarcastic, or critical comments about my frequent lack of effort).
You may be wondering about the title of the blog and the picture I have posted. I won't go into too much detail this post, but I will give you a just a bit of background. I fist saw this picture, which is one of those inspirational posters (which usually I hate) a number of years ago. I was at a point in my life when I really needed some direction because I was headed nowhere. This poster really spoke to me as I realized I was holding onto a life of safety instead of taking some risk and moving out of my comfort zone. I decided at that moment that I would begin to take some risks and start living my life. Perhaps you will begin to think about your own life and where you might be willing to take some more risks to accomplish the goals you have but are too afraid to work toward. In case you can't read the caption to the picture it reads:
RISK: A ship in the harbor is safe, but that's not what ships were made for.
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