Defining a Generation

I’d like to thank John Traughber and Raja-Man for following.

Where are you going with your life? It’s the question we’re all preoccupied with as young people. I’m half way through my junior year, where did high school go guys? I don’t know. It’s speeding by and sometimes I feel like I’m missing something and I can’t put my finger on what it is.
Where are you going to College? Isn’t it the question everyone asks? What are you doing with your life? Hahaha, sometimes they’re rude, sometimes their curious and often judgmental. What gives them the right to try and define who I’m supposed to be, where I’m supposed to go?

Do you realize our generation, generation X is unique in the whole of human history? We’re the first digital natives, and where living in a world where social structures which have been installed in Civilization for millennium have been drastically changed. The Western definition of marriage, of womanhood and family are all changing. The family is the most basic structure of civilization, it is the nucleus from which all human interaction is created and sustained. People are defined, for better or worse by those they grow up with. Western culture doesn’t have ‘normal’ definition of family anymore.

Humans are also defined by the world in which they live. Yet we live in a world where things are drastically different from even our parent’s generation.
When you combine our ability to be anything we want in this world (a pretty new phenomenon due to rigid social strata throughout world history), and the incredible power of the net, ours is a fascinating generation. We are capable of choosing our own direction for our lives to a greater extent than perhaps any generation before. We are, paradoxically, defined by our ability to define ourselves.

A true visionaries is misunderstood by his contemporaries, perhaps even killed, take Socrates for example. Who will be the Socrates of this era? Whoever it is, we probably won’t know it because our glasses are tinted too much by the cultural paradigm already hardwired into us. Perhaps the biggest visionary will be the man who embraces the structures of our ancestors. If he’s actually figured something out he’ll probably be hated for it, people much prefer the shadows on the wall.

I know I’m a very blessed person; I live in the top two percent of the planet in terms of wealth, and have the opportunity to become anything I want with hard work and determination. I’ve been cut more breaks and given more luxuries, than most of the world in this century or any other. Luxury makes me soft and lazy. The problem with having everything is figuring out what to do. Have you ever walked into a restaurant and been stumped by the menu because it’s chock full of choices? Once you finally pick an item there are half a dozen questions about how you’d like the meal prepared. I love options but sometimes they are confusing.
I’m sitting here, with my whole life ahead of me, and all the roads I could ever want choose from open for me to pick. Now what?

Hahaha, it’s an exciting and paralyzing place to be. There’s a voice in the back of my head going, “don’t screw this up dude, you only get one shot and then it’s off to see Jesus!”
I look at my grandparents, and see how they already knew the direction they wanted to go by the time they were my age. Conversely, I’m stumped about which road is for me. I’m on a big interstate, speeding ahead, desperately attempting to pick the right direction. I’ve ruled out where I’ve come from and those things I don’t enjoy, but that still leaves me an intimidating haystack to sort through.

Conjecture aside, I know the first place I need to go is to the foot of the throne. I need to pray. Frankly I’m sometimes reluctant to pray about the future because I have a rebellious heart which would rather chase worldly things. Here is the root of my confusion. Now God isn’t guaranteed to answer my prayer with a College name and a job application but that’s fine. God is God and whatever He gives me is what I need, even if I’m not happy about it at first.

Regardless of where He puts me it will be my job to hold forth my candle into the vast black abyss of this world and cry out. I’m not the answer to the blinding darkness; I just know where the bonfire is.
This is how I want to be defined. History may name me howsoever it chooses (assuming I’m considered significant enough to mention). Clinging to the cross is all that matters.

What about you guys? Do you unsure of the next step? Or perhaps, do you know exactly where you’re headed?

Thanks for reading!
Levi

A letter From Me to Me

Hi,

Recently Kendra mentioned on her blog that she writes letters to herself in the future. I thought that sounded like a cool idea. I wanted to put my own spin on the concept, so I'm going to write as if I've just graduated High School and am addressing this to myself two years in the past Marty McFly style.

***

Greetings Younger Levi!

Allow me to dispense with the small talk and get right down to the important stuff.

Concerning Words:

There is a line between being well spoken and being pretentious, unfortunately you don't even approached that line in the next couple of years, much less cross it. If you so desire, employ the full power of your fairly extensive vocabulary. Make use of it around people who will understand you, even if they amuse themselves by making fun of you (lightheartedly or otherwise). Reveal in what your creator has given you, but do not find yourself there. Understand you are capable of demeaning those around you (intentionally or otherwise) by that which proceeds from your lips. Use the words God has given you sparingly and with the intent of building others up. The pen is mightier than the sword. A tongue is a spark which may set the whole course of a man's life ablaze in much the same manor a forest is consumed.

Concerning Money:

Whatever it is you are considering purchasing, stop and rethink it. In my mind there is only one thing upon which all men can agree (although exceptions may exist), even History's great philosophers would not contest this point. YOU ARE GOING TO DIE. Shocking I know. Honestly all of your decisions should be made in light of this news. You cannot take any material possession with you into the grave (although you can certainly fill your coffin). All of it will amount to nothing in the end. Yet, that which you give to others or bequeath to those who come after you, those things might very well have an impact for God's Kingdom.

Buying things for yourself isn't inherently evil, but don't get attached. Make the world a brighter place instead of making your house bigger.

Concerning The Body:

Please exercise more, or I will personally reach through time and space and smack you upside the head! What on earth is your excuse? I'm tired? I'm full? I don't want to? I don't like like the cold/hot? GROW UP! You can sit on the coach and veg when your legs have ceased to function and your diapers are being changed by a person who's name you can't recall. Yes, vanity is a sin, but so is intentionally wasting a perfectly healthy body which God as so generously blessed you with. Also, broaden your definition of exercise-yes Crossfit is exercise-so are working in the yard and throwing the football with your little brother.

Concerning Others:

Again you are going to die, so start living like it. It fascinates me how much time I/you (we are different people I suppose) invest time in the trivial. I don't know where the idea of "spending time" originated but I think it one of the single most preposterous concepts of all time (poor pun intended). We do not "spend time" we float down a river and try to grab things as the pass by. We may catch hold of floxum and jetsom in the current and cling to them for safety. Ultimately, we're all dashed against the rocks. Our souls leave the forceful watercourse but our body's float on, decaying as they go. Cling to people while you yet reside in the current, and treat them well, ever mindful of the fatal rapids ahead. Follow Jesus' second commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself.

Concerning Work and Learning:

Work hard, in all you do, I know it has been said a thousand times, but all truth bares repeating. Whether cleaning a toilet or reading Plato, strive through the help of the Savior to do it well and with a good attitude.

Always be learning something, never ever stagnate. Expand what you know by reading those men and women who know the most.

Concerning Worry:

Stop, it never did the human race an ounce of good, so just stop. I can assure you now you'll make a royal fool out of yourself more than once in the next two years. Crow will not be an unfamiliar flavor to your ego driven pallet. When you sit down to write this letter, you will at least, be the wiser for it.

Concerning Girls:

Oh I can imagine how much you'd love to know if I'm currently in a relationship of any sort. HAHA! You cannot honestly expect me to tell you these things, after all I have the butterfly effect to consider. Sending you this letter in the first place is likely to land me in a great deal of trouble, without telling you how your/my life progresses. But enough of my rambling.

Actively and carefully engage in friendships with the fairer sex but DON'T WORRY (See there it is again) about serious relationships. Put girls first, particularly your sisters in Christ. Indeed remember to always treat them as sisters and not meat available for consumption however easy or appealing it may seem. Beauty is fleeting and charm is deceptive. You already have some idea of what to look for in a spouse. Obviously you will seek a believer. However, the quality which is perhaps most valuable beyond that is a heart receptive to growth and change. Better to marry a somewhat immature woman with an ear to the heartbeat of Jesus than a religious one with no fruit and not desire to grow in her life.

Concerning Your Relationship With God:

Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and all these things shall be added unto you. Focus on your relationship with the Creator, He loves you and wants the best for you and all his children. Embrace Jesus as your brother/advocate, his Spirit as your guide/translator and God as your father/Creator. Jesus is the way, the truth, and life. Did you catch that? Jesus is truth!

Making reading the Bible and prayer your bread and water. Heck, here's a crazy concept my friend, fast. From food certainly but also from those things which distract you from the Cross. Remember salvation is a gift. You can never repay your own debt, nor does God require you to. Live out of gratitude to your savior, and share the love he has freely given. There is lyric from a song you enjoy. Free is not your right to choose/it's answering what's asked of you/to give the love you've found until it's gone.

If God is preeminent in your life story, then everything else will fall into place.

Peace to you,

May you make it to this place in the river a bit wiser than I.

***

I'd love any feedback you guys have, positive or negative.

Thanks for Reading!

Levi.

Crossfit

If you are not not familiar with Crossfit, it's pretty much the crem-de la creme of exercise. These guys (and gals) don’t spend six or eight hours in the gym beefing up and becoming totally closed off from the rest of us. No they're totally wacky for a different reason. Crossfit doesn't have a magazine or lots of press surrounding them. It's got followers, loyal followers.

The Crossfit mission isn't to give you a beach body. There poster boy is not "The Situation" from Jersey Shore. They believe in functional fitness to help you live well.

They also have a trainer named pukie who you will meet should you attempt to brave one of their workouts. Yeah, it's that intense. However they do scale their workouts down (or WOD's as they call them Workout of the Day) for the average man. I'm grateful for their kindness.

There is also a diet, but they don't make any money if you eat the way they suggest. That is a big reason why I trust them. The only thing you pay for is the advice, which comes in the form of an e-journal, although you can find it other ways. My point though, is that this program isn't snake oil and it's not a get fit fast fad. Crossfit is a lifestyle. A lifestyle I want to embrace.

I am however, rather lazy. I attend to everything before exercise, or at least that's how it's been for the past few months. Before that I'd worked out pretty faithfully for several years.

I got my black belt in Tae Kwon Do, and didn't feel like going in further in the sport, so I gave it up.

Often I would supplement my TKD with things outside the gym.

My favorite form of exercise? Running. I don't know why exactly, but I love it. Most people hate running, they think of it as dull and difficult. I'm guilty of making it that way. An expression of the human soul, this is what running should be.

I can still remember running when I was 12 in the subdivision I used to live in. My technique was terrible, my distance was nothing and I'd run after dinner in the summer time. It sucked. Yet, yet some part of me enjoyed those runs. Setting goals and making them. Another mailbox, another streetlight, always making progress.

Though never got very talented then, I know I am capable great things today. I am, however to apathetic to try. I have the tools and the money I need, all I lack is the motivation. So what should motivate a person to run in circles?

I used to want to be Buff Guy from Every Movie (you've seen it right), he always saved the day in an oh so cool fashion and always gets the girl(s). It took me a long time to figure out I had a vanity problem (guys have them to, shocking I know). Don't get me wrong, there were other reasons I worked out, but that was a primary one. It's amazing how early you'll get up to meet your own ridiculous expectations of yourself.

Now, I'm going to run because I enjoy it, because it keeps me healthy and enriches my life. Crossfit has just what I need to be the athlete I wish to become.

So here is my goal: Run a Marathon.

Conventional wisdom says I'd need to train a year to do this. With Crossfit and some real dedication I expect to be running an ultra-marathon by the end of a year. Can you imagine running 50 miles? : ) I can. My heart rate jumps every time I think about the finish line.

So, I'm going to use this blog to track my progress. I'm setting a goal, the wildest goal I've ever set in my life. With this blog I plan to track my progress, it will be my accountability partner since I have none at the moment.

You, my small but devoted readership are welcome to join me. Hope you enjoy the ride!

Thanks for reading!

Levi

P.S. My goal for this first week is to get three workouts in. Also here is a link to Crossfit endurance. Heads up it’s a bit confusing at first. There is a legend on the right hand side. http://www.crossfitendurance.com/

"The Road" A Book Review

Thank you Ashley for following! It's always great to know someone else is reading!

Introduction:

This Blog post is a book review for The Road, by Cormack McCarthy, which was adapted into a film with Viggo Mortensen in November of '09. You may recognize the name No Country for Old Men, which is also a book by McCarthy; it to was adapted for film. Note: This review describes some rather graphic material, so if you don't do well with concentration camp stories or things of that nature, you might just wanna skip this one.

I remembered being very intrigued when the commercials for The Road started airing last fall. I really liked Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in Lord of The Rings and I have a fascination with post-apocalyptic stories, so it seems like the perfect fit for me. However, I was 15 and with the 'R' rating I wasn't gonna be seeing it anytime soon ( Yah for conservative Homeschoolers).

Anyhow, I was in the library a few weeks ago and passed by the 'for sale' shelf. There, right smack dab in the center of the display was The Road, with a $2 price sticker. I picked it up and sauntered over to the register.

Here is a review for that book:

Plot:

The story is simple; a major catastrophe has decimated the earth (what that catastrophe is we are never told). The book follows a father and son as they struggle desperately for survival, trying to reach the coast. We are never told their names, they are simply the man and the boy; the child refers to his father as papa. We are never given a location for the story, nor are we told in which direction the coast lies.
The earth has been reduced to an ash strewn wasteland, there is no vegetation or wild-life, and massive clouds blot out the sun. The two must survive the elements and the marauding bands of cannibals. It is incredibly grim.


Thoughts:

Good v. Evil: Through all of the desperate situations and the apparent hopelessness, the two just won't give up. The father tells his son that he must, “carry the fire.” He wants the boy to have hope in the midst of the darkness. The world is grown, both physically and spiritually dark, the father and son are a candle in the endless gloom. The boy has stronger morals than anyone else in the book, and always wants to help the people the encounter. He is also the only character who seems to have retained any belief in God. Everyone else believes humanity is forsaken.


Objectionable content: The book is realistic in the way it depicts human nature. It doesn't blink from showing us the worst of evils. The great shortage of food leads to extensive cannibalism and the rape of both woman and children comes up on several occasions. There are some pretty grotesque descriptions, including a dead baby being roasted and a cellar full of people waiting to be eaten. They huddle, naked, emaciated and terrified. The scene is reminiscent of a Nazi gas chamber. Suicide and sexual slavery also come up. The man has something terribly wrong with his lungs and coughs up blood on numerous occasions. The book also contains a good deal of profanity, much of which is the abuse of God's name. There is nothing over the top or theatrical about the content, but it is very, very graphic.

The writing is unlike any I've ever experienced. It is sparse, poetic and bleak. If McCarthy wrote a happy story I'd read it in a heart beat. I think The Road is the book Earnest Hemingway, George Orwell, and Edger Allen Poe would have written if they ever collaborated on a novel in the 21st century. The sparse approach carries over into the dialogue as well. The sentences are choppy. Sometimes, it becomes difficult to determine who's speaking. Every word communicates emotion; fear, anger, resignation etc. There is an odd cadence to the writing. Let me give you and example:

“He'd had this feeling before, beyond the numbness and the dull despair. The world shrinking down about a raw core or parsible entities. The names of things slowly following those things into oblivion. Colors. The names of birds. Things to eat. Finally the names of things one believed to be true.” (Page 88-89)

I couldn't find a definition for the world “Parsible,” if anyone knows feel free to share. Now for a glimpse of the dialogue:

He'd put a handful of dried raisins in a cloth in his pocket and at noon they sat in the dead grass by the side of the road and ate them. The boy looked at him. That's all there is, isnt it? He said.
Yes.
Are we going to die now?
No.
What are we going to do?
We're going to drink some water. Then we're going to keep going down the road.
Okay.” (Page 87-88)

There are no quotations and words like isn't don't even get an apostrophe. This guy's been writing for over forty years, so I don't think this can be chalked up to laziness or shoddy editing.

I appreciated the fact that the story contained moral dilemmas and not moral relativism. Here is what I mean. Cannibalism and rape are always presented as evil acts which only “the bad guys” commit. But this doesn't mean the two travelers aren't given moral quandaries. For example; The man considers killing the boy rather than allow him to be captured and eaten. What is the right choice here? We are left to ponder it along with the father.

Conclusion: This has got to be one of the strangest things I've read, it's certainly in the top three darkest, (as far as fiction goes) maybe the darkest. I won't say I enjoyed it, but It's not really meant to be entertainment. This is art.

Here we are shown the worst conceivable evils along with an unquenchable light. It is a wavering, sputtering flame with a wick reduced to little more than ash, yet it burns on. We see a biblical love played out, with the father being willing to sacrifice his life at every turn, that his child might live. The boy, has an even bigger heart, exuding compassion for every wretch they encounter.

Ultimately, I believe the novel does convey a biblical truth; love conquerors all. I won't spoil the ending for you, but I will go so far as to call it 'hopeful.'

Thanks for reading!

Levi

To Gain the Whole World and Yet....

First off, thanks to archar for following! It's always high to log on and see that someone else is interested in what I've got to say.

The following is something I wrote on vacation; here is a revised and updated version which still encapsulates what what I was trying covey.

***

I think the prosperity doctrine, which permeates much of the American church, has effected the way I view God and the world around me.
The rose colored glasses in this case, happen to be ray-bans (the latest model of course). Because for Americans, materialism is one of our strongest demons. Satan has pointed us toward the end of the rainbow, and sent us packing. We spend our entire lives turning over rocks, and looking for that elusive pot of gold at the end. Somewhere along the way, most people realize we can no more find the pot of gold than we can climb the rainbow.

For as long as I can remember (at least as long as I've been a teenager), I've felt this deep need to get “there.” Where is there you ask? Why, just this side of perfection of course.
“There,” is vague point in the future when I've got enough wisdom, muscle, charm and intellect to make Chuck Norris jealous. Oh, and of course, I'll have a great relationship with Christ. And because I thought it was a good idea set perfection as my standard and slowly trudged toward it.

I thought I would naturally become that person as I grew older. While, the ideal me has changed a bit over the past couple years, the basic selfish idea remains the same. I believed my future happiness depended upon how closely I resembled that ideal. When I saw others who were better me in some way, I envied them.

Over recent months my own ignorance has been slowly revealed to me. I've come to see how my death grip on perfection, has only caused it to slip through my fingers like sand. It has prevented me from living life to the fullest because I constantly wish the situation were improved in some way. If I'm on a trip then I don't have all the friends I want, if I'm eating the food isn't good enough, if I'm play football I'm not athletic enough. “If only, if only,” I lament idiotically. All the while life passes me by.
Slowly, I'm learning to find contentment where God has placed me.

Yet, something still troubled me. I found myself in a place where I squirmed at the prospect of reading my Bible for no conceivable reason. Clean conscience or no, good mood or bad, I didn't enjoy the prospect of getting in the word. It was frustrating and confusing.

Over vacation, I was pondering the matter when a revelation hit me. In my perfect future, I would have a perfect relationship with Jesus, but in my fantasies, the relationship wasn't about Jesus; it was about my own righteousness. The whole fantasy was based upon my my selfish, egotist (and insecure) bid for the admiration of others.

There is an interesting passage in the book of Job, chapter 29 to be exact. In my Bible, I have highlighted all the personal pronouns in one color and every direct reference to God in another. It was an exercise a Bible teacher gave me to point out Job's pride. He is complaining to God, telling him that he was nearly perfect, that he doesn't deserve all the calamity God allowed to occur. Job uses God's name 5 times, while referencing himself 42 times (NIV)!

Perspective problems perhaps (notice my triple alliteration)? Heck yes! I've got same problem Job does, pride. My perfectionism only exacerbates the dilemma.

Now, I'm slowly learning to apply what I've been taught, evaluating goals and decisions based what pleases God. I'm even learning to base decisions on what I want, without attempting to show off for anyone. It's difficult, but liberating, and I've got the best coach in the universe to keep me on track.

Thanks for reading!

Levi

Vacation

This summer, marked the first time my family has taken a vacation together in several years. Because my father is self-employed, taking time off isn't built into the schedule. His heavy workload, translates into fewer summer vacations as a family.
In fact, the original trip we had planned this summer fell through for financial reasons.

When they discovered that we were going to forgo a family vacation again, my paternal grandparents generously offered us week away via their time share. This permitted us to pick from several different locations. My parents decided upon Pigeon Forge Tennessee. It was a good choice.
With an abundance of shops, activities, tourist traps and the Smoky mountains just a few minutes south, it makes for a very enjoyable vacation spot (I should write travel brochures).

I love the mountains more than any other place on earth. The beach is nice I suppose, but too sandy. Nothing compares with the splendor of a mountain range. So my favorite parts of the trip all involved interacting with nature.

The tourist district of Pigeon Forge reminds me of the beaches I've been to. Virtually every tourist trap is concentrated into one sweltering, lively stretch of road; teeming with middle class white people who are taking their one vacation of the year. All the restaurants, rides, shops and shows you could ever hope to loose money in are there for the pleasure of the masses.

Of course being the sort of person that I am, the only place I was interested in going to was the Discount 'Book Warehouse" I saw when we took a run for groceries.

The idea of losing money to a bunch of overpriced thrill rides and consuming food with copious amounts of sugar and fat doesn't appeal to me very much (Yes, I'm aware that I'm a boring prude).
In any event I bought a couple of books. One by Don Miller called: 'Through Painted Deserts,' about a road trip from Texas to Oregon. Along with another book titled: 'Not For Sale,' which talks about modern slavery.
I'd read the Don Miller book by the end of the week.

The first big adventure my family and I embarked on was to a place called Cades Cove, a small valley tucked away in the heat of the Appalachian mountain range. It was gorgeous. The road takes an eleven mile loop around the outside of the valley, passing through historical sites. Because my parents are great people they dropped me off at the front gate and let me take a trail by myself. So I took of my shirt, shoved it in my belt and started jogging through the woods on my own little exploration.

There is no sensation quite like running through the woods without a care in the world. I feel my lungs expanding and contracting, my heart sending blood pounding through my head and the ground passing underneath me, as my feet glide over the earth. I inhale and smile as I push myself to the limit ascending a hill then suck in the clean mountain air as I recover on the descent.
There is no charge for this thrill ride. As the great missionary Eric Liddell put it: "When I run, I feel God's joy."

My exploration came to an abrupt halt when I encountered a black bear. What I didn't realize at the time, was that the black bears in the area are quite accustomed to tourists. My first thought was, 'Well, this could be bad.' I stood there wondering what the preferred method for dealing with a irritated black bear was and thinking about what a great story it would make if I survived.
Completely disinterested in my desire to become a hero, the bear lumbered off. And because I'm an intelligent human being, I wasted no time in moving quickly in the opposite direction (although I didn't turn my back on the creature until I was a ways down the path).

This seems like a reasonable place to leave off writing, so I'll conclude there for now.
I don't have any pictures from Cades Cove, we forgot the camera, sorry. I'v posted a few others however. Captions are along the bottom.


Inside our rather humble Condo.



A shot from outside the condo.


My vibram Five Fingers. Absolute best shoes on the planet.


My family (Minus mom, who is taking the shot). From left to Right. Me, Ian, Dad and Noah. For some reason Noah insists on scowling in every photo he's asked to take unless the idea was his. I think it has something to do with the fact that he's a fourteen year old boy who wants to do everything his own way.


Can you tell this picture was Noah's idea = )?

Thanks for reading!

Levi

And We're Off!

Normally, I tend to shy away from stories about myself but I thought I'd give it a shot now. Why? You may inquire. Well, I had a number of very enjoyable experiences this summer, I think this blog provides the perfect outlet to write down my thoughts and feelings, while still relatively fresh in my mind. It also gives me a place to come back in future and indulge in a little nostalgia. So, over the next 4-5 posts I'll work my way backward over the summer.

These will be the first posts to incorporate photos, although probably limited in number, because of the mind boggling slowness with which my computer uploads photos. The upshot is that if a picture really is worth a thousand words I won't need to write very much writing at all.

The posts will focus on trips I've taken. One trip to Virgina, two trips to Tennessee and one to Pinnacle N.C. (I've spend a pretty fair portion of the summer in the mountains).

Hopefully you'll find my accounts to be quite enjoyable.




Thanks for reading!

Levi