Benzyl salicylate. Butylphenyl. Anybody know what that stuff is? Aqua/water. What is 'aqua water'? Maybe it's really wet water. Hm. Limonene. I probably wouldn't drink THAT on a hot summer day. Nor would I put Hexyl Cinnamal in my applesauce. Polyquaternium 16. Wonder if this is what pharmacists do. "Hm. Geraniol. Don't know what THAT is. Let's add that into this guy's prescription. Might be interesting." Might explain why people are so many pill-poppers are so sick all the time. Hm. Triethanolamine. Panthenol. Nope. I don't know what any of this stuff is. But I put it in my hair. Crazy. Who would've thought it? No, these aren't the ingredients in your McBurger. Not even. This is what goes into hair gel.
Ladies, make no mistake about it. Guys are funny about their hair. The rule used to be this: at age 13 you pick a hair style, and it basically never changes... well, except for the comb-over that some guys do when it starts falling out. I'll save that topic for another time. But yeah, that was pretty much it. And yet humidity doesn't seem to care that you are headed out on a first date with little Miss Amazingness. Humidity strikes without warning. "Poof! I'm here!! Muahahahahah!!" The silent killer of a good first impression. In past years, the occasional suggestion was made by women, of course, to 'maybe use a little gel'. Not me, I don't use 'foo foo' products. Not doing it. And one would look at my hair and go, "Yeah, obviously." It was just bad.
My ex-wife finally won that battle years ago, and I caved in and used gel for the first time. I didn't know what to do with it, and when my hair formed crazy shapes, I was acting like a woman who had been startled by a spider. "Get it off of me! Get it off!! Aaa!!" That was me. But I settled in, held to my guns, and soon hair gel became part of my everyday existence. These days, I am somewhat of a pro with my 'hair glue', as I sometimes call it. That, or 'hair goop'. But I can go outside in the middle of a heatwave. Chickens are falling out of the sky - already fried! (Hey, I know chickens don't fly. But this is MY story. Just play along.) The sun is a blistering 300ºF, and my hair is in the same shape as before I walked outside. Hurricane? I can stand in the middle of a hurricane. Trees are being hurled though the air. Look out for that flying cow! My hair? Still in the same shape. So apparently women are onto something here. This hair gel stuff works! It is a part of my life, and I no longer have to question it.
In much the same way, I never saw myself ever becoming a 'man of faith'. Not me. Nuh uh. 'That is for weak-minded people', I would say. I hated the very idea of something that might prohibit my fun. My life. My happiness. My freedom of choice. And in hindsight, like my hair, my life was pretty much reflective of the fact that I was doing things my way. In a word: chaos. Everywhere. All around. Drama surrounded me. There was always drama. I ignored the 'surgeon general's warnings', and embarked on a life of MY design. Like everyone else does. But sadly, I didn't create myself, and that is a detail some kind of tend to forget. Mankind is an arrogant creature. At times he/she is a little more like an ant trying to control an elephant. Like a 3 year old child who has no need for his parents' supervision. Mankind just has to be 'in control'. C.S. Lewis (author of "The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe") wrote:
"The moment you have a self at all, there is the possibility of putting yourself first - wanting to be the center - wanting to be God, in fact." He goes onto say our ancestors had "the idea that they could 'be like gods' - could set up on their own as if they had created themselves - be their own masters - invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside of God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt as come nearly all that we call human history - money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery - the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy." (excerpt. CS Lewis 'Mere Christianity'. p.49)
Sadly, the story - man's story - continues on to this day. It is not 'everyone else'. It's you, and it's me. It's the person on the social site that continually posts drama. They are the first to point the finger at others who do the same, but in truth, it's them that keeps a hefty sack of drama with them at all times. It's the person whose drinking is getting out of hand, to the point they are risking a DUI. Or by roulette chance, possibly killing another in a drunk driving accident. It's the person who just isn't happy. They say they're happy, but not really. No matter what they are after (job, relationship, etc.), it just doesn't seem to fulfill. It's the girl who just knows if she finds Mr. Right, then she'll be happy - as if it's fair for him to carry the full burden of that responsibility on his shoulders alone. It's the greedy corporate guy, and it's the minimum wage or middle class person. It affects us all. It's the restless soul, wandering, looking, and never finding.
And somehow, if there is to be love, there has to be freewill. Without freewill, love is not possible. Without freewill and choice, there is only automation. So God gives us a choice. That is one thing He has to do in order for love to truly exist. What we do with that choice affects us in the afterlife, but also in the day to day. And sadly, so many people choose to push Him out of the scenareo and live for themselves. Their way. And what is wrong with the world continues on.
I think of the hair gel, that keeps things in order. It thwarts the 'chaos' in a sense. I also think about God's truth. It is so much like 'hair gel for the heart' and the soul itself. When the harshness of life comes, God's truth is sustained and solid and in place. For the non-believer, or the part-timer, it is something of a bother. "I'll look into it later." It is something that maybe they would just not rather think about. God sustains their next breath, and their response is, "Thanks for sustaining my life, God. But frankly, I'm too busy for you" or "Thanks, but I'd rather do things totally my way. Meanwhile, if you don't mind, how about keeping me alive? And I will occasionally get in trouble and need you to bail me out. But I'm way too busy for you." Choas. For the Christian, it is like, "Yeah, I know you are the God of miracles, the God of the impossible, but I would rather worry or control things my way." And chaos ensues.
As for me, I am rooting for the people God puts in my life - both my Christian brothers and sisters, and those who will one day come to the truth of God and to the love He has to offer. To my Christian friends, just a reminder that whatever it is that you are holding onto... whatever it is that is causing the chaos - just let it go. "Let go and let God'. (This serves to be a reminder to me as well.) And to my friends who are coming to this knowledge (or not yet), may you find this truth. To quote the band The Afters: "someday you'll come around". I'm rooting for all of you and myself, as we walk side by side... and come to make the world a place worthy of heaven to touch down on. God bless!!
Ladies, make no mistake about it. Guys are funny about their hair. The rule used to be this: at age 13 you pick a hair style, and it basically never changes... well, except for the comb-over that some guys do when it starts falling out. I'll save that topic for another time. But yeah, that was pretty much it. And yet humidity doesn't seem to care that you are headed out on a first date with little Miss Amazingness. Humidity strikes without warning. "Poof! I'm here!! Muahahahahah!!" The silent killer of a good first impression. In past years, the occasional suggestion was made by women, of course, to 'maybe use a little gel'. Not me, I don't use 'foo foo' products. Not doing it. And one would look at my hair and go, "Yeah, obviously." It was just bad.
My ex-wife finally won that battle years ago, and I caved in and used gel for the first time. I didn't know what to do with it, and when my hair formed crazy shapes, I was acting like a woman who had been startled by a spider. "Get it off of me! Get it off!! Aaa!!" That was me. But I settled in, held to my guns, and soon hair gel became part of my everyday existence. These days, I am somewhat of a pro with my 'hair glue', as I sometimes call it. That, or 'hair goop'. But I can go outside in the middle of a heatwave. Chickens are falling out of the sky - already fried! (Hey, I know chickens don't fly. But this is MY story. Just play along.) The sun is a blistering 300ºF, and my hair is in the same shape as before I walked outside. Hurricane? I can stand in the middle of a hurricane. Trees are being hurled though the air. Look out for that flying cow! My hair? Still in the same shape. So apparently women are onto something here. This hair gel stuff works! It is a part of my life, and I no longer have to question it.
In much the same way, I never saw myself ever becoming a 'man of faith'. Not me. Nuh uh. 'That is for weak-minded people', I would say. I hated the very idea of something that might prohibit my fun. My life. My happiness. My freedom of choice. And in hindsight, like my hair, my life was pretty much reflective of the fact that I was doing things my way. In a word: chaos. Everywhere. All around. Drama surrounded me. There was always drama. I ignored the 'surgeon general's warnings', and embarked on a life of MY design. Like everyone else does. But sadly, I didn't create myself, and that is a detail some kind of tend to forget. Mankind is an arrogant creature. At times he/she is a little more like an ant trying to control an elephant. Like a 3 year old child who has no need for his parents' supervision. Mankind just has to be 'in control'. C.S. Lewis (author of "The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe") wrote:
"The moment you have a self at all, there is the possibility of putting yourself first - wanting to be the center - wanting to be God, in fact." He goes onto say our ancestors had "the idea that they could 'be like gods' - could set up on their own as if they had created themselves - be their own masters - invent some sort of happiness for themselves outside of God, apart from God. And out of that hopeless attempt as come nearly all that we call human history - money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery - the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy." (excerpt. CS Lewis 'Mere Christianity'. p.49)
Sadly, the story - man's story - continues on to this day. It is not 'everyone else'. It's you, and it's me. It's the person on the social site that continually posts drama. They are the first to point the finger at others who do the same, but in truth, it's them that keeps a hefty sack of drama with them at all times. It's the person whose drinking is getting out of hand, to the point they are risking a DUI. Or by roulette chance, possibly killing another in a drunk driving accident. It's the person who just isn't happy. They say they're happy, but not really. No matter what they are after (job, relationship, etc.), it just doesn't seem to fulfill. It's the girl who just knows if she finds Mr. Right, then she'll be happy - as if it's fair for him to carry the full burden of that responsibility on his shoulders alone. It's the greedy corporate guy, and it's the minimum wage or middle class person. It affects us all. It's the restless soul, wandering, looking, and never finding.
And somehow, if there is to be love, there has to be freewill. Without freewill, love is not possible. Without freewill and choice, there is only automation. So God gives us a choice. That is one thing He has to do in order for love to truly exist. What we do with that choice affects us in the afterlife, but also in the day to day. And sadly, so many people choose to push Him out of the scenareo and live for themselves. Their way. And what is wrong with the world continues on.
I think of the hair gel, that keeps things in order. It thwarts the 'chaos' in a sense. I also think about God's truth. It is so much like 'hair gel for the heart' and the soul itself. When the harshness of life comes, God's truth is sustained and solid and in place. For the non-believer, or the part-timer, it is something of a bother. "I'll look into it later." It is something that maybe they would just not rather think about. God sustains their next breath, and their response is, "Thanks for sustaining my life, God. But frankly, I'm too busy for you" or "Thanks, but I'd rather do things totally my way. Meanwhile, if you don't mind, how about keeping me alive? And I will occasionally get in trouble and need you to bail me out. But I'm way too busy for you." Choas. For the Christian, it is like, "Yeah, I know you are the God of miracles, the God of the impossible, but I would rather worry or control things my way." And chaos ensues.
As for me, I am rooting for the people God puts in my life - both my Christian brothers and sisters, and those who will one day come to the truth of God and to the love He has to offer. To my Christian friends, just a reminder that whatever it is that you are holding onto... whatever it is that is causing the chaos - just let it go. "Let go and let God'. (This serves to be a reminder to me as well.) And to my friends who are coming to this knowledge (or not yet), may you find this truth. To quote the band The Afters: "someday you'll come around". I'm rooting for all of you and myself, as we walk side by side... and come to make the world a place worthy of heaven to touch down on. God bless!!
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