Tracks In The Dust

A Father's Advice About Learning the Mission of Life

05 Mar 2014

Life Priorities

Your life’s priorities. If you had to list them you may find it easy or it may be harder than you expected.

I’m guessing that day-to-day however, you probably don’t allow much time to reference that list. Time starts to consume the day and like most of us, it can divert attention elsewhere. Maybe it’s the work deadline we have to meet, getting the kids to school, housework, watching your favorite TV shows, making dinner, networking on Facebook or walking the dog. Whatever it is there seems to be things that get in the way of the “real” priorities in our lives.

There are things we let become priorities over the fundamental things that should count. Things like money, being noticed in the big world we live in, even our friends and family distract us from the most important things.

We have to remember the joy we get from the grace of God. I am certain that right there someone reading this interprets that as something “religious” and stops reading. I know over my life I have fast-forwarded by the simple messages because I think that someone has an agenda about God. But is it NOT a bible-thumping Jesus message that was going to get lost in all the rules and regulations that we humans wallow in to justify our beliefs.

It isnt that way. It is more of the message and less of the rules.

Everyone I meet is searching for something, although some of them will deny it. Striving for adjusting their priorities in their lives so that they can be better, have a better life, be better parents or be better people. Finding that elusive center in their lives can be consuming. Money, friends, possessions, power, travel – whatever seems to validate the life we live. We can simply miss the priority. The center.

Many people have found it. They are settled in their lives. I can tell you personally that priorities get away from me. I know that those “other things” in my life have taken over the simple core value of being settled in my life. It should be the priority of Him.

28 Feb 2014

Controlling Happiness

It would seem we are always in the pursuit of it.

The sign at the front door of my home

Yet,It often seems so elusive, and still I have come to realize that each of us are in control of it. Happiness wisps away like a soap-bubble in the wind. Flying from here to there and hitting people. For some of my friends I think they believe it lands on them – like luck or good fortune. Being happy is definitely a blessing. It is desirable. Not always attainable.

In the pursuit… people seem to do unnatural things don’t they? I mean they will do everything to avoid the inevitable fact that there will be sadness in their lives. Ignoring it, dismissing it as not allowed wont change that. Other people seem to think they can buy happiness, Add more things in their lives and it will be a happier one. Add more things, which will attract more people (who may seem to be your friends). they want to insulate themselves from ever being unhappy by filling their lives with time-filling stuff and people. We know how that turns out. Yet we would struggle to not accept the idea that we could try to see if that would work.

So if it is not money, and it is not avoiding sadness. If indeed it is not elusive at all, then what brings you happiness?

For me? Being confident that the people I love are there for me, and I am there for them. Being sure that I know where my spiritual center is. Understanding that I have the control over my happiness and other emotions. Not that I am going to be happy all the time. We are all human, subject to feelings of melancholy and remorse, anger and sadness, frustration and loneliness. You cannot always choose happiness, bad/sad things happen. Personally as someone fighting cancer I think it is how you deal with it that counts.

But we have the ability to grasp the positive things in our lives. Those things that will make the yin to the yang. Trusting in God. Living a life that is not centered on negative things. Making the best of the situations as they come. Understanding that not everything is going to be “just fine” all the time. It will take the effort.

You have heard the term “control your anger”. Perhaps we can also “control our happiness”?

Happiness Runs- Donovan

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Acceptance, Compassion, Faith, Grace, Happiness, Joy, Kindness, Postive Thinking, Sadness, searching for happiness, Self-Awareness, Songs About Happiness, Sprituality, Who Are You

25 Feb 2014

Take the Time To Sing

“With your head up, with your eyes closed. Not because you love the song, but you love to sing” – Aaron Marsh

I realize I will forever be tied to music.

MGert Concert Picture

Many of my past family ancestors were artists, many of my relatives today are artists, painters, writers. Creators of the “arts”.

My passion has always been to sing. From elementary school choir to high school musicals. In rock bands that were such great fun in school to working to make it a profession by touring around with a bus ( not successfully by the way). Just jamming in garages or making sounds in basements made for revitalizing enjoyment. Even today I get to sing at church from time to time with the band ( yup, not a “choir” but a great bunch of musicians).

When I get in the car I put on music, when I am relaxing I put on the playlists, when I am working on things I put on music rotations. Parties? Without music? No way.

Concerts are an event, and more often the better. My kids taught me how to experience the music today. I have tens of thousands of songs on my hard drive, own one thousand vinyl records I can’t seem to let go of (even though I don’t have my turntable connected). Songs from every genre, rock music from the beginning, eclectic, progressive, jazz, soul, R&B, even disco ( but not too much :))

So like so many others I around me – I sing. Never going to win any trophies or competitions. But I love to sing.

What about you…? Like to sing? So SING. Not because you love the song- but you love to sing.

COPELAND: You Love to Sing

Posted in Life's Sound Track (Music) and tagged Aaron Marsh, Copeland, Grace, Happiness, Joy, mental-health, moments, Music, Personal Soundtrack, Rock music, Singing, Songs, Songs About Not Giving Up, Sprituality, Your Life's Soundtrack

21 Feb 2014

2 Comments

It Goes Without Saying

I have often heard the term “it goes without saying”. Unfortunately it seems these days not all people take that advice.

There are times when it is good to be silent. It is good to be quiet. What would be said would be of no use, other than to effect someone in a negative way for no gain (other than spite I guess). Speaking just to be heard. To me it seems like that happens a lot these days. On the news, the Internet, even in social conversations. If it can be said- someone more often than not finds a way to always say it.

Shock value? A reason to feel superior, or make a point to get ahead personally? Not sure. I have posted before, the world is full of noise. And with all that noise comes the desire to be heard. \

Even if what is being said is nothing at all. Often we want to hear what famous people are saying, or politicians because we want to know that they are saying something we would say… but then they spout off nonsense (often, not always) and we go ahead and repeat it.

Really- “it goes without saying”! But we say it any way. The very old adage that “Silence is Golden” is wasted in the millennial soup that comes from hundreds of channels on TV, thousands of URL’s on the Internet, millions of social net-worker’s who want nothing more than to share their words. Opinions presented as facts, facts distorted as truths, truths masked by agendas, agendas built around being heard as often as one can.

Okay – so maybe what I am saying- goes without saying. Maybe I shouldn’t be spouting off about how people say things just to be heard, after all I am on this blog right now – doing the same.

Here I am, saying people may want to consider silence, be “quiet” instead of always saying things. NOT saying things can be just as effective, and sometimes even more so than rattling on.

So I am done. I have nothing more to say on this matter.

Posted in Doing Things That Will Change Your Life and tagged Acceptance, Being quiet, being remembered, Being Thoughtful, choices, Making A Difference, mental-health, Opinions, Reality Check, Sharing Opinions, Silence is Golden, Too Much Talk

20 Feb 2014

Two Year Anniversary for “Tracks In the Dust”

Okay so now I am 2 years on with my blog Tracks In The Dust. My 2nd anniversary. Hundreds of posts, multiple hundreds of followers and thousands of visits later, I think I am still doing what I intended to do.

√ Wanted to make sure to record my thoughts for my children. Perhaps later they can “remember what dad said” and take some of it to heart. Maybe someday there will be another generation of my family that can also hear a few words from their grandparents. They don’t seem to have listened as well when they were younger, perhaps as they grow older they will grab on to something ( not holding my breath).

√ Keep things in perspective: that music, art, words, are all expressions of life. Enjoy them.

√ And along the way I get to share out these things on the “Internet” of the world-wide web. And maybe it just sticks for someone, or we agree (or disagree) on some things. Maybe it confirms that all people all around the world actually see things very much the same. Perhaps human-kind isn’t that hopeless anyway. Or at least part of it.

I have had the pleasure of following several great bloggers. I have exchanged comments and ideas with people on the other side of the hemisphere from my world. I have seen pictures of wonder. Laughed at the situations we all seem to get in. Cry in sadness for those who struggle with cancer (like I do) and other illnesses. Struggle with personal injustice and fear.

In the end we are all out there. Living our lives the best way we can on this journey. On this mission of life while we are here on earth… forging “tracks in the dust.” Eventually that dust will blow away and our tracks will be gone. But we can make it more permanent. Sharing grace in everything we do. Making something worthwhile from the smallest things could change a life – yours or someone else’s forever.

We all pass through life “kind of fast” (as the theme song says)- considering the span of time in the world. We must make of it what we can, while we can. Thanks for dropping by!