when I am weak...

Last Sunday I was typing a paper when I was suddenly hit with the most remarkable pain in my left shoulder and back. My laptop typing had apparently thrown the worst possible kink into my back. The pain persisted into Monday and Tuesday... by Wednesday I was ready to just quit everything and sit (for the rest of my life) in the one position that didn't cause my pain. I couldn't even breath in without buckling over in pain. I think I might be a wuss. The events that followed confirmed that...

Ang knew the pain that I was feeling so she scheduled a massage for me. After the massage therapist had worked out the knots in my shoulder she left me to get my things together. When she came back into the room she brought with her some 'medical' advice/instructions for me.

"I noticed that your pecs are pretty weak and your back is overcompensating for them," she noted quite professionally.

Yeah... I didn't have much to say at that point.

"So I want you to do some push-ups..."

"Like 200 every day?" I ask.

"Like 10 wall push-ups," she added without cracking a smile. I think she was serious.

***

Those wall push-ups are tough. But I'm up to fifteen a day just three days in.

Chained remnants...

So I had the chance to go back to a place I spent much time in as a child - the church building of my youth. My cousin Jessica had her open house in the hall o' fellowship. The punch and pasta salad was flowing... and I briefly got bored. Upon catching the eye of my wife, we walked hand in hand towards "The Sanctuary." (Aside: I realize now, that to most people this term brings about imagery of futuristic human sacrifice.) When we entered the "Narthex" (Aside: I realize now, that no one really knows what the crap a "narthex" is...) I was shocked at what I saw. No, it wasn't the awful ceiling tiles that have been dropping white junk from the ceiling for years - I expected that. What shocked me was that all the doors to enter the worship center, the chapel, the temple, the place where we symbolically meet with God were chained and padlocked shut.

I know we meet with God wherever we are ever since the veil was torn... but this symbolic imagery of being locked from the presence of God made me kind of sad. I remember that as a child I would be so excited to enter those very doors. When I was first reading I attended this church; I can remember practicing on the brass letters that adorned each side of the middle door.

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving in your heart... and into his courts with praise."

Those letters had been torn off... but if you looked hard enough, you could still read the words through the paint job that was meant to cover all remnants...

Strange, But True

Christ Rocks My Socks- Really.

Obsessed

Ryan
Originally uploaded by AngandRyan.

I have been lost in school, work, and every other mundane thing I have to do in life. My thoughts and time has been spent going from one thing to the next the past few weeks (or is it months? I've stopped counting). But alas, the Summer season is just blooming. Soon every last ounce of sun-filled time will be filled with something... just something else to be obsessed with.

Just when I think all of my friends have married, and that my bank account is safe... another Summer rolls along. I think we are even getting invited to third party weddings. You know, "A friend of a friend is getting married that you met once a few years ago..." Congrats! You're invited!

***Don't even get me started on high school graduations***

With all this time consuming activity that seems to clog my life, it is always helpful to to focus on the right obsession. (See June 2nd entry)