Long Time No See... time to get serious.

It has been too long.

I actually kind of forgot about this thing because I got busy. I write in my regular journal, but I committed to write here and I haven't. I am sorry for that. Now let me make it up to you.

Now for the subject of, "What shall I write?" I could write about something popculture-like, you know about a song, a musical artist, a movie, etc., etc. I could write about the Olympics... they seem to be full speed ahead with tons of Americans taking gold after gold. For instance, it's worth writing about Apollo Ono setting a record for most medals won in the Winter Olympics or Shawn (or however he spells it) White winning another gold medal just last night in the half-pipe. He did a great job. I could also write about Lindsey Vonn won gold in the downhill, too. All these people worked so hard to accomplish their standing as Olympic Champions. The cool part is when we watch the Olympics, we tend to identify with them... even though my quads are about half or a quarter of the size of Lindsey Vonn's, my skating skills could make the ice angry and let's not forget how I wrecked my body and broke my arm snowboarding... Let's just say I can not literally identify with any Winter Olympian.

But for some reason... when I hear their stories and when I see their face as they accept their award, I cry and I identify.

And let's face it--you do, too. People can admit they cry during the Olympics. It happens once every 4 (well, 2) years. So that's a good crying at least every 24 months. People can strangely connect with athletes who put their lives at risk for something they passionately strive for... something they have put all their faith in and work incredibly hard to receive their glory. We see that. When the Georgian athlete who was in the Luge accident died... the first words out of my mouth were "he didn't even get to compete..." People laughed at me but if you really think about it... that is what this 21-year old athlete LIVED for... he LIVED for this moment. To compete in the Olympics and he made it so far and so close... and then it was gone.

So, where I am spontaneously going with this? I think that if the Georgian Olympian were standing here today he would tell us that he wouldn't change the way he did things. That he wouldn't go and be a business man because it was safer or easier. He wouldn't tell us to squander our passions, hopes and dreams because of risk. In fact, I don't think he would say that at all... he might even say it's okay that he died doing something he felt so strongly about. I think he would probably be sad he didn't get to compete, but he still had a long adventure he loved.

Yes, it is sad. He was young. That breaks your heart... one of his teammates didn't compete after the accident. Probably not because he was afraid he, too, would die in a luge accident or whatever he competed in... but probably because he was so broken a man with such great passion got cut off so short--and a friend.

So... What do you live for and what are your passions? Life is too beautiful to not believe you have them and it is too frail to say you can wait around until the right time to have them. It terms of my faith in Christ, we are called with gifts--gifts to glorify the father and to advance His kingdom. Sometimes those gifts put us in risky places and terrifying events like the luge. They could cost us our emotional lives, or perhaps our physical ones. We have other passions that bless others and make life a more beautiful place. If only we could live like Olympians.

But.... we identify so well with them. We cry with them. We know we want that, too.

So what are we waiting for?