Day-29: A Soft Pastry, A Chi Town Wizard and Not The Hot Dog One

If you're wondering what a Soft Pastry, a Chi Town Wizard and Not The Hot Dog One have in common:

It's Faith:

Limp Bizkit, Harry Dresden (Flagship Character of Author Jim Butcher) and Hebrews 11:1

Limp Bizket (I know George Michael wrote it):  Yes, I've gotta have faith. I gotta have faith. Because I got to have faith, faith, faith. I gotta have faith, faith, faith.

Harry Dresden in "Changes": "And faith isn't about perfect attendance to services, or how much money you put on the little plate. It isn't about going skyclad to the Holy Rites, or meditating each day upon the divine. Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others-even when there's not going to be anyone telling you what a hero you are."

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV):  Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Today was one of those days where I needed to remind myself of faith. Where my brain wasn't firing on all cylinders. A day where the overcast compounded the hunger and ate away at my cheerfulness. A day  where I never quite climbed out of the funk.

Days like this happen, they can happen on a belly full of food, in the sunshine with your kids giggling all around you. Given, it is harder to have a bad day full, in the sun, with giggling kids, but not impossible. From a production standpoint, work went well. From a hunger standpoint, it wasn't bad, plenty of Slimfast and V8 and I never really was close to eating any solids. I have a head cold, but that isn't new. And Daniel and Sam, they've been cute as ever.

I find that I reflect a little more on bad days, not always the wisest use of time, but often unavoidable. As noticed, today I reflected a little on Faith.  In truth, my thoughts on faith rarely involve Limp Bizkit, but still, it's kind of funny.  The Butcher quote I head just yesterday and I really liked it. To me it was a very modern, practical, secular approach to verse that contains a lot of spiritual meaning to me. While I personally believe faith should involve my Lord, having a faith based outlook, as the Butcher quote suggests, is not a poor alternative, but is rather noble and rare.

Hebrews 11:1 is a great quote for summarizing religion. A harsh critic would argue the same thing, only from the perspective "You lack solid scientific evidence, so you go with things that feel and seem correct and pass them off as law" to which I cheerfully agree.  As I mentioned on Day-27: Though I am a smart guy, I lack the capacity and schooling to fully grasp all the intricacies of  my own religion, let alone, all other religions and theories on life.  This lack of capacity, which I believe all mankind suffers, leaves only three options: No faith, Butcher's faith (or at least how I interpret his quote) and faith in religion.  Faith in the socially functional immediate, as Butcher would suggest, is good, not great. Butcher's faith does not answer "what's down the road?" it only allows us to take our net step, look around and act. From the bottom of my heart, there is something more out there and it requires faith in something that cannot be fully understood, but is unconditionally believed in.


As the day winds down, I can start thinking about a better day for tomorrow and my spirits lift. I am by no means bubbly, but it is hard to stay in a sour mood when your 3-year-old tells you "go kiss mommy" :) And when a 2-year-old jumps into your arms and demands "go, book, read" because he's sleepy and wants a story before closing his eyes.

Today wasn't especially challenging, it definitely was not fun, it was mostly "blah". Tomorrow will be better and Jesus didn't have Slimfast.

Random Notes: Started the day at 193 Lbs, will finish around 1,800 calories. Also, I huffed the boys Happy Meal bags like I was hyperventilating, I miss grease.