The Countdown Begins (Blog #35)

July 27, 2009 is quickly approaching. Ten (10) days and counting. Now because I took a couple days without a new blog post, there will undoubtedly be a mad scramble to post fifty (50) new blog posts by Monday, July 27, 2009. I find it interesting that July 27 falls on a Monday again fifty years after July 27, 1959. In an earlier blog post, we examined the way things were back then. Reflecting on the way things are compared to 1959 may be mind staggering.

Did you ever yourself with too many things on your mind and too many projects on your plate? It has a way of distorting your perception and your perspective. Sometimes, the distraction of things undone may even get in way of future accomplishments. What do you do when that happens? How do you regain your focus and get back on the right track?

It is at this point that I reminded of the apostle Paul's letter to the believers at Philippi. He wrote, "...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." [Philippians 4:11b-13 NIV]

10 days and 15 blog posts to go!

~ DB Turnmire

Is Your Vision Blurry? (Blog #6)

Two different events, rather insignificant in and of themselves, led me to the title and topic for today's blog. First of all, earlier this afternoon when we stopped at a store and it was lightly raining, I decided that I would leave my glasses in the car. In the past fifteen or so years that I have worn prescription eyeglasses and spent many hours working with computers, my eyes have worsened. Even though I am able to pass the vision exam for driving without my glasses, it is not a good idea for me to drive without them. Today, in the store without my glasses, everything was a bit blurry. As far as reading signs at any distance, well that is not happening anymore in my life, unless someday I should take the step to have corrective laser eye surgery.

A second instance which is much less dramatic occurred when I first logged into this blog. In the Google ad section, there was a bold headline for lasik eye surgery which asked the simple question, "Is your vision blurry?" Not only did that question remind me of events earlier this afternoon, it also reminded me of another way of looking at blurred vision. This secondary meaning is the focus of this blog posting.

Have you ever been so close to a situation that your vision is blurred, your perspective is clouded becase you have chosen to believe certain things about a situation or individuals? Even if things are presented with evidence which would paint a different picture than you have established in your mind and thoughts, you refuse to believe differently. On the other hand, it could be that you have become so "dead set against" an idea or individual that even if there is evidence to the contrary, you may refuse to change how you see things, your beliefs or opinions.

All of us may, from time to time, find our vision blurred. It could even be the case that we are so caught up with preserving our own well-being that we cannot even see when our actions may actually affect others or even bring them harm. Jesus once taught using the following parable: "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." [Matthew 7:3-5 NIV] This parable reminds me that I need to deal with the speck in my own eye, whatever is causing my vision to be blurred before I start correcting others.

Things are not always as they appear, especially if we are looking at things with blurred vision.

~ DB Turnmire