Do you dream?

Do you dream? No, I am not talking about “build it and they will come”, dream but the kind you have to be asleep for. I am a vivid dreamer. I have been in many tornadoes where I can’t find my children. I have been killed by someone at my doorstep. I have seen relatives die. I have the occasional classic where I am falling. I have many good dreams as well but last night falls under the category of nightmare. The mentioned dreams I have had have shook me a bit and often times wake me up. However, lasts nights shook me and gave me a newfound appreciation for what I have. For those of you that know me best I thought you might appreciate the inner workings of my mind. For those of you married maybe this will give you a new appreciation for you spouse.
I found myself in a classroom setting of some kind. Not a high school or college classroom but more like the inside of a pole building with chairs. I was laughing and carrying on with some friends when one of them said “I can’t believe you are getting married on Saturday”. “What?”, I said. He proceeded to point out the girl I was “marrying” on Saturday. It was not my wife. Now I felt like I was stepping into the twilight zone. “I already am married” I said. He proceeded to tell me my wife died but at least I am going to be a grandpa. I don’t know how I didn’t wake up yet but I hadn’t. To add to the dilemma apparently my new bride to be didn’t talk much or just didn’t like me. Did I have amnesia? What happened to my wife? How is my daughter pregnant? Why am I getting married to someone that doesn’t talk to me?

The dream moves quickly ahead to the wedding day. I am watching it in third person. I am seeing this all trying to get my own attention to stop this madness. Fast forward again to the hotel and no this is not rated R. I find Hope there. What? Now how do I explain this? What is going on here? I am so glad to see her I leave the hotel room and talk with Hope. Yet she gives me no clues as to what is going on. I just know that it sure is nice to have a wife that talks to me and loves me. However, I am married to this other person now. I feel depression setting in. So much so that I jumped in a car with my nephews. If you know my nephews then you know this must have been a suicide attempt. Of all things that wakes me up.
Upon awaking, I gave my wife the biggest hug and told her how much I appreciate her. I cannot imagine being in a marriage that does not include my best friend. I am truly blessed.
I think this may have stemmed from a recent tragedy. Last weekend a friend passed away. He has five kids and they are around the ages of my kids. He died suddenly on Saturday morning from what is believed to be a heart attack. It was a good reminder that our days are numbered. Enjoy the ones you have left. Love extravagantly those around you. And by all means don’t marry someone who doesn’t talk to you. 
I hope you enjoyed getting inside my brain for a moment. Have a great week. Kraig
PS-I got the book Fearless in the mail yesterday by Max Lucado. After being shaken from my dream, fear of losing my wife was definitely in my mind. I decided to start reading it before finishing the current book I was reading.

Spending my days

It is so easy for me to get caught up in day to day life. My world so easily becomes all that matters to me. I plan my day carefully. Scheduling each thing with the next thing butting up against it so I don't waste any time sitting around. While this makes for a busy day and gives me maximum free time later I miss some things along the way. For instance, I think very little about Haiti right now. I am too busy thinking about showing an apartment or fixing a window. Answering the phone or going to a game. All of these things are somewhat important but nowhere near life or death. My wife posted on facebook the other day, "What do you need right now? Not materially but how can I pray for you" It got me thinking, how many times during a day do I not ask that question? How often am I so busy to get to the next thing that I don't really talk to people? I do that way too often. I need to be efficient with my time. It is how God designed me but am I being efficient in my own eyes and not God's?

What's going on in the world today...

Do you ever find yourself wondering what in the world is going on? Why our government thinks dumping money into big business' that aren't working is a good idea. Why do we continue to tinker with the middle east instead of whipping them out. How GM can even dare say buy American anymore when most of the money going into the purchase of their vehicle leaves our country. And finally, why on earth are we borrowing money from China. And by borrow money I am being nice. The kind of money we owe them is just crazy. I bring up all these points because I think they are leading to something.
That something is a bit sketchy. It could just be that we are in the great recession and we have too many ignorant people making decisions for us in the political arena. It could be that fighting in the middle east will prove fruitful. It may be that we will pay China back in the next couple years. Maybe in a few years everything will be great in this country. Maybe though...just maybe this is the beginning. The beginning of what I, as a Christian, long for. The return of Jesus Christ. I don't like to speculate this as it seems there is some nut job on every street corner saying this but what if? I have just found it interesting over the past few years to see how much has changed. Let me make a list:
1. Taliban declare war on us with the events of 9/11. 2. Our economy takes a huge downturn. 3. More and more companies become global and not just from one country. (a huge shift over the past 20 years) 4. I can talk with someone living in a foreign country with no effort whatsoever. 5. Turkey, a long time friend of Israel has recently become hostile toward them leaving Israel without a friend in the middle east. 6. The Euro has been introduced. 7. Several natural disasters of massive proportions have taken place. 8. I haven't got a problem with Obama but since when is a president in this country treated like he is the savior. I got way too much of that impression and still do. Makes it easier to see how dumb we as people can be and how easy it could be to usher in one world leader. 9. The world has been at war somewhere in the world since 1948 with the exception of 3 weeks. 3 weeks of peace in over half a century. 10. Other religions are growing while Christianity continues to shrink.
Those are just ten things off the top of my head that I can come up with that have changed in my lifetime and most of which have happened in the past 10 years. I am sure the apostle Paul felt Jesus was coming at any moment then too. It just seems so much closer now with the world we live in. As Terrell Owens says before he plays the game of football, "get your popcorn ready". I think I'll go whip me up a batch just in case.