Introspection Archives - Page 3 of 3

December 31, 2008October 24, 2021

New Year, Some Old Problems

The festive holiday season had clearly arrived, along with the commercials for payday loans or video games, there were more homeless men and women seeming to flood vacant street corners with sometimes curious signs.

Phoenix is an anomaly because of its climate.

A warm summer prevents homeless residents from panhandling during the day. It’s just too hot, and every year people literally die from the 115 degree highs.

But during the holiday season homelessness is more evident, though the legitimacy of those in need is not always clear.

November 16, 2008August 15, 2020

Adapting to “Normal”

You could call this a precursor to the much-anticipated “In Search of Blue Water: Part 2.” I’m sure my reflections on sailing the coastal waters of Catalina/Santa Barbara Islands will be just as potent, if not more introspective. This post is my warm-up. The last weeks re-acclimating to the U.S., to another time zone, to “standard” food, entertainment, and everyday trials have been interestingly frustrating. No thanks to, but not exclusively because of, the Sandman.

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May 14, 2008February 22, 2018

Thoughts on Time

Written by Joe Trudeau

Time is an interesting concept. On the one hand, it’s finite: How long until this is over? Or when do we get to eat? Or even, how many days are left in the school year? On the theological hand, time is a contradiction: Our time is eternal and immeasurable due to our faith in the Lord of Hosts, and eternity. But even with this belief that time is–in the grand scheme–insignificant, all of our days seem to be centered around the clock; beginning with the alarm in the morning, arrival at work, school bells when we were kids, lunch hour, meeting times, television show times, and even bed time. We can’t escape time.

I struggle with devoting mental energy to time when countless people through history have already done so, though to no sure conclusion. I can say for a fact, however, that I revere few things more than my reverence for time.

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February 3, 2008October 2, 2021

“And Jesus wept…”

Die-hard football fans already know this, I’m sure, but the New England Patriots failed to reach “Perfection,” as color commentators had labeled it, instead falling to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl tonight.

For this post, I’ll resist the temptation to focus on the use of “perfection” to describe richly/over-paid athletes. I have many problems with professional sports, notably among those problems is hero-worship, and the mind-boggling amounts of money thrown at a game in salaries, advertising, etc.

Today, however, being the biggest game of the season, takes this show of capitalistic prowess to a new level. This level happened to be above the call of God, according to one Phoenix-area church.

January 10, 2008February 25, 2018

Letting the Mind Roam

The last post musters remnants of my own struggles with “What ifs.” Through college and immediately beyond I was fascinated by purpose, and the reason things happened. In broader terms, I was and still am captivated by the larger picture—I seem to be able to grab context immediately.

The problem, as Joe’s anecdote explores, lies in our being imperfect creatures wanting what will come later.

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