A.C. Thompson's Blog, page 3
September 18, 2017
Life Anyway
I've been having a hard time lately because I've always worked a job, and now I'm not doing that. I was brought up to work hard and earn a living, but what if there's more to my life than that? If there is, then how do I balance what I've been taught and believed for so long with what I truly feel I'm being called to do at this particular point in my life? How do I fully stop thinking the old way, the only way I've ever known, and embrace this new thing in my life?
Society has such a stranglehold on us all, dictating what "normal" is, and ridiculing or scorning those that no longer fit into their neat little predefined boxes of how things "should" be and how people should behave or live their lives. If society has it so figured out, then why are there so many people walking the line of "normal" who are completely miserable, and don't even want to get up out of bed in the morning? People who can't stand the job they've been faithfully reporting to five or six days a week for the past twenty-five years, who haven't enjoyed that job since a month after they started. I submit that normal is killing us in droves. All in the name of chasing something that doesn't truly exist: normalcy of life.
What if this "normal" isn't something we were ever intended for? What if we were created for something grander? Is it possible that there is something that matters more than despising what we feel we're forced to do for forty or fifty hours week after week and year after year?
I'm writing, and I truly have no idea if anyone besides my family and friends will actually read my words. My wife asked me a very poignant question last night when I finally told her I was concerned about this. "So what? Maybe you should be asking yourself, "What if people actually do read what you write?" Are you writing for someone to read it, or are you writing it for you, because you know it's what you're supposed to be doing right now?"
Yep, she's pretty much a genius. If I'm writing for everyone else, it's going to change how or what I write. Just like if I'm living for everyone else and their expectations, it's going to change how I live. How we live is important, but if we're living for other people and their expectations of who we should be, aren't we dying a little every day? Only one person's opinion of me matters. The opinion of the one who made me to begin with. And I'm pretty sure He's cheering me on, and can't wait to read the next words I put down, even though He's the one that gave them to me in the first place.
Who are you living your life to please today? Why do they get such an important say in what you do? Something to think about. Now, I'm not telling you to go out and knock over an armored truck later this afternoon. There are certain expectations of society that are there for a very good reason, and the distinct possibility of a life in prison is bad any way you look at it. Simply put, pursuit of life: good, pursuit of prison: markedly less than good. But if you've got a burning desire to do that one thing, and every day that passes without you doing it causes a piece of you to die, maybe you should figure out a way that you can do that thing. It's probably the one thing that will allow you to truly live. And isn't that the reason we call this breathing thing "life", anyway?
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
Society has such a stranglehold on us all, dictating what "normal" is, and ridiculing or scorning those that no longer fit into their neat little predefined boxes of how things "should" be and how people should behave or live their lives. If society has it so figured out, then why are there so many people walking the line of "normal" who are completely miserable, and don't even want to get up out of bed in the morning? People who can't stand the job they've been faithfully reporting to five or six days a week for the past twenty-five years, who haven't enjoyed that job since a month after they started. I submit that normal is killing us in droves. All in the name of chasing something that doesn't truly exist: normalcy of life.
What if this "normal" isn't something we were ever intended for? What if we were created for something grander? Is it possible that there is something that matters more than despising what we feel we're forced to do for forty or fifty hours week after week and year after year?
I'm writing, and I truly have no idea if anyone besides my family and friends will actually read my words. My wife asked me a very poignant question last night when I finally told her I was concerned about this. "So what? Maybe you should be asking yourself, "What if people actually do read what you write?" Are you writing for someone to read it, or are you writing it for you, because you know it's what you're supposed to be doing right now?"
Yep, she's pretty much a genius. If I'm writing for everyone else, it's going to change how or what I write. Just like if I'm living for everyone else and their expectations, it's going to change how I live. How we live is important, but if we're living for other people and their expectations of who we should be, aren't we dying a little every day? Only one person's opinion of me matters. The opinion of the one who made me to begin with. And I'm pretty sure He's cheering me on, and can't wait to read the next words I put down, even though He's the one that gave them to me in the first place.
Who are you living your life to please today? Why do they get such an important say in what you do? Something to think about. Now, I'm not telling you to go out and knock over an armored truck later this afternoon. There are certain expectations of society that are there for a very good reason, and the distinct possibility of a life in prison is bad any way you look at it. Simply put, pursuit of life: good, pursuit of prison: markedly less than good. But if you've got a burning desire to do that one thing, and every day that passes without you doing it causes a piece of you to die, maybe you should figure out a way that you can do that thing. It's probably the one thing that will allow you to truly live. And isn't that the reason we call this breathing thing "life", anyway?
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
August 28, 2017
Fantasy Lands
As if I didn't have enough things with which to fill my time, I recently discovered (although I should probably say, "rediscovered") the fabulous world which is known as tabletop role playing games. Who knew that seeing a set of dice in a fantasy television show would spark such an intense interest in a new (old) hobby? Deborah and I were binge watching the first season of The Shannara Chronicles the other week, and one of the characters found a set of blue Dungeons & Dragons dice. Although I'm sure I may hear from fantasy purists about how awful this show is, or how terrible Terry Brooks books are in general, I'm okay with that. I'll be the first to admit the show isn't the best I've seen in its genre. However, it's far from the worst. Can anyone say, "Krull" or "Red Sonja"? I rest my case.
As far as Terry Brooks novels go, I'll also admit they probably aren't the best examples of fantasy fiction, either. But, like the show, at least they have entertainment value, even if you're secretly wishing the "hero" would get dropped down a well, already, like Timmy on the old Lassie shows.
The cameo appearance of those dice on the Shannara show sparked a bit of nostalgia in me, and brought back memories I probably haven't thought of in years. Anyone who was around in the early to mid 80s and heard anything about Dungeons & Dragons back then probably remembers the controversy surrounding the game. There were supposedly kids who were sucked so far down the rabbit hole that they were completely incapable of distinguishing the fantasy world of the game from the reality of the world in which they were physically living. There were even a few who killed themselves, and the game made a convenient scapegoat. How much of this was just media hype and hysteria, and how much was true, I'll leave you to judge for yourselves. All I know is that my brother and I weren't allowed to play the game for several years because of these reports.
Fast forward a few years, and I actually did play the game a little bit. I never did really play it a whole lot, but there were several hours of my youth spent creating characters, and many less hours actually playing D&D and other games. I'm pretty sure I played Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles much more than actual D&D, though. I didn't ever spend money on any of the multitude of gaming systems that were out at the time, and I've never owned any physical rulebooks or modules. I think the only money that came out of my pocket at one of the gaming shops was a couple of bucks for a set of purple dice.
After seeing those dice on screen the other day, though, I started looking for somewhere to play the games online, since Deborah and I move around a lot. I figured it would probably be hard to get plugged into an actual around-the-table group at a local gaming shop, and playing online would make a bit more since for our lifestyle. So, what did I find? Roll20.net. This place is amazingly refreshing. Even being complete and total newbies, everyone we've encountered has been crazy helpful, some of them spending hours at a time on chat via Discord, helping us out by answering all the questions we have. You mean to tell me there's still a place on the interwebs where people aren't judgmental, opinionated, and angry? Yes. In fact, there are two: Roll20 and Discord.
We've played a few sessions, and have joined another game that looks like it may end up being a long term continuing campaign. I'm sure some of you are probably thinking we're way behind on discovering TRPGs, but we've been trying to make up for lost time by nerding out as much as we can each day. If you're wondering what online TRPG looks like, just search for "D&D Adventurers League" on YouTube. You can thank me later for all the time this may end up costing you!
I've been telling myself that the scenarios we encounter while playing these games may help with my writing, since I'm writing a fantasy-ish novel at the moment. We'll see how that actually shakes out! At least in the meantime, I'll be having fun. And meeting new people is always a good idea.
As far as Terry Brooks novels go, I'll also admit they probably aren't the best examples of fantasy fiction, either. But, like the show, at least they have entertainment value, even if you're secretly wishing the "hero" would get dropped down a well, already, like Timmy on the old Lassie shows.
The cameo appearance of those dice on the Shannara show sparked a bit of nostalgia in me, and brought back memories I probably haven't thought of in years. Anyone who was around in the early to mid 80s and heard anything about Dungeons & Dragons back then probably remembers the controversy surrounding the game. There were supposedly kids who were sucked so far down the rabbit hole that they were completely incapable of distinguishing the fantasy world of the game from the reality of the world in which they were physically living. There were even a few who killed themselves, and the game made a convenient scapegoat. How much of this was just media hype and hysteria, and how much was true, I'll leave you to judge for yourselves. All I know is that my brother and I weren't allowed to play the game for several years because of these reports.
Fast forward a few years, and I actually did play the game a little bit. I never did really play it a whole lot, but there were several hours of my youth spent creating characters, and many less hours actually playing D&D and other games. I'm pretty sure I played Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles much more than actual D&D, though. I didn't ever spend money on any of the multitude of gaming systems that were out at the time, and I've never owned any physical rulebooks or modules. I think the only money that came out of my pocket at one of the gaming shops was a couple of bucks for a set of purple dice.
After seeing those dice on screen the other day, though, I started looking for somewhere to play the games online, since Deborah and I move around a lot. I figured it would probably be hard to get plugged into an actual around-the-table group at a local gaming shop, and playing online would make a bit more since for our lifestyle. So, what did I find? Roll20.net. This place is amazingly refreshing. Even being complete and total newbies, everyone we've encountered has been crazy helpful, some of them spending hours at a time on chat via Discord, helping us out by answering all the questions we have. You mean to tell me there's still a place on the interwebs where people aren't judgmental, opinionated, and angry? Yes. In fact, there are two: Roll20 and Discord.
We've played a few sessions, and have joined another game that looks like it may end up being a long term continuing campaign. I'm sure some of you are probably thinking we're way behind on discovering TRPGs, but we've been trying to make up for lost time by nerding out as much as we can each day. If you're wondering what online TRPG looks like, just search for "D&D Adventurers League" on YouTube. You can thank me later for all the time this may end up costing you!
I've been telling myself that the scenarios we encounter while playing these games may help with my writing, since I'm writing a fantasy-ish novel at the moment. We'll see how that actually shakes out! At least in the meantime, I'll be having fun. And meeting new people is always a good idea.
August 17, 2017
The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry Into the Old Testament by Sandra Richter -- A Book Review
The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry Into the Old Testament by Sandra L. RichterMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
In The Epic of Eden, Sandra Richter does a great job of pulling back the curtain on the Old Testament and explaining how it all fits together in an amazingly understandable style. I've been reading the Bible on an almost regular basis for almost two decades, and this book explained how and why things are laid out in the Old Testament in a way that I've never seen before.
The author does an exquisite job of defining the where, when, and why of the main events and people of the Old Testament and what they mean to us as New Testament Christians. The blurb on the back cover of the book claims that "This book will not only expand your knowledge, it will deepen your spiritual life," and it accomplishes this in an epic fashion.
My wife and I like reading books like this one together and discussing what we've read and learned as we go along. What I enjoyed most about The Epic of Eden is how clearly I now understand the culture, history, and geography contained in the Old Testament. The books contained there are not archaic or removed from my faith as a Christian. They are the very foundations on which my entire worldview rests. The relationships God establishes within its pages reveal His love, heart, character, and aspirations for the entire human race. I have a deeper understanding now of the character of Christ Himself, and the true proportions of what His sacrifice and love for me truly entail.
Whether you consider yourself to be a Biblical scholar or not, I strongly encourage you to read this book. It will reveal the Old Testament to you in ways you never before have seen. It explains the history of mankind and our relationship with Almighty God within the cultural context of the people with whom He originally established covenant relationship. This, in turn, explains the relationship He desires to have with you and me today.
If this book sounds interesting to you, you can find it on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2fOxFOY
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
View all my reviews
August 9, 2017
The Lincoln Lawyer (Mickey Haller #1) by Michael Connelly -- A Book Review
The Lincoln Lawyer by Michael ConnellyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Somehow, I've made it most of the way through 2017 without having read any of Michael Connelly's books. I'm not talking about just this year, but ever! I know I saw the film adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer a few years ago, but it either wasn't memorable, or it deviated drastically from the book, because I was on the edge of my seat through the entire 500+ pages. I don't remember the movie being nearly so spellbinding.
Mickey Haller is a defense lawyer who honestly does not care a whit whether his clients committed the crime they're being accused of. He's in it for the money and to see how many prosecutorial cases he can successfully shoot down. Then Louis Roulet comes into his life, and his perspective begins to shift a bit. Roulet is accused of a brutal assault, attempted rape, and threatening to murder his victim. So, did he do it, or not? His defense is actually feasible at first blush, even though it seems far fetched, and he sells it to his new lawyer fairly quickly. Then Haller's world gets turned upside down, because he's always been afraid he would miss it when he came across a truly innocent client. He's also faced with what can only be described as true evil.
I've read quite a few thrillers from the likes of John Grisham, Tom Clancy, and Lee Child, and they all have their own unique style and flavor. Michael Connelly doesn't fit in any of the molds left behind by these other writers. His storytelling is fast paced, intelligent, and technical without getting bogged down in minuscule details. The pacing works, the characters are all believable, and the dialogue just fits the situations.
If you're looking for a fast-paced legal thriller that seems to turn its own pages, look no further than The Lincoln Lawyer. Mr. Connelly, you've found another dedicated fan here, Sir.
If this one sounds interesting to you, you can find it and other books by Michael Connelly on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/2wuMn1r
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
View all my reviews
August 2, 2017
Die Trying (Jack Reacher #2) by Lee Child -- A Book Review
Die Trying by Lee ChildMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
***WARNING!!! SPOILERS!!!***
Die Trying is another great read in the Jack Reacher series. The book kicks off with him getting kidnapped along with F.B.I. agent Holly Johnson, and the action just picks up from there. Jack is fine just biding his time and protecting her, right up until the kidnappers make it personal by trying to kill him. Reacher feels this just made it personal, so in true Jack Reacher style, it's time to bust some heads. It doesn't take long at all before he's running through a field, dead body in tow, to hide the guy he just killed. Seems like the aforementioned dead guy made a grave mistake in his life choices.
The way this book is written, you'd think Lee Child had grown up in the U.S., particularly in the northwest, where there have been numerous militia groups like described in this novel. It's hard to believe he was born and grew up in England. In expert fashion, he delves into the conspiracy theories that seem to surround such groups and drive their actions and separatist beliefs.
In case you missed my last review of Lee Child's novel, Killing Floor, I'll repeat what I said at the end of that review. If you enjoy Mystery/Thriller/Spy/Military/Action novels, and you haven't started reading Lee Child, I think you're missing out. Pick one of his books up today. You can thank me later!
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
View all my reviews
July 26, 2017
My Own Widgets
I've been reading a lot of blogs lately written by other writers about how to get into a "habit" or "routine" of writing at the same time every day or every other day. I'm terrible at this, because my life changes from day to day. I have begun to view my writing more as a job as time has gone by, though, and I feel that has motivated me to write more steadily.
Many people consider themselves to be "aspiring writers", like they're trying to achieve some level of relevance that depends on people outside of themselves. I'm not an aspiring writer, I'm a writer. You can read that last sentence as, "I'm a writer, period." Do you know why I can say that? Because I typed these words out, and you're reading them. Of course, I don't think someone else necessarily has to read your work for you to consider yourself as a writer, any more than whether or not you're a gardener depends on someone else walking through your backyard to view the plants you've worked for hours to cultivate. If you do gardening, you're a gardener. If you write words, you're a writer. Even if what you write has never been seen by another pair of eyes aside from the ones that are in your own head.
I think this small change of thinking from "aspiring writer" to "writer, period" has helped me. My whole life, from the time I was sixteen years old, has been filled with me going to work in some building or another, or at least logging into my computer at a time set by someone else, to get a paycheck. This was the case right up until about three months ago. Now it's purely up to me whether or not I produce on a given day. Funny thing is, it's ALWAYS been that way, ever since I got my first job as a teenager. It was up to me to decide whether or not I was going to show up when I was supposed to, and to decide if I was going to actually work while I was there.
The only thing that's changed now is that I won't be officially fired for failing to produce. Back then, if I wanted a paycheck, I had to earn it. Today, for me to have any expectation of getting a paycheck, I'll have to produce. The only difference is that I've decided to make and move my own widgets rather than someone else's. Although my widgets (words on the page) are easier to move (read: electronic transmission, potentially globally, at the push of a button) they take much more energy personally on my part to produce, and absolutely NOTHING will happen without my own personal effort.
Wasn't it Uncle Ben who said, "With great power comes great responsibility"? Well, with great freedom comes even greater responsibility. Now, I can't just show up somewhere and mindlessly move widgets from one side of the building to the other for eight or ten hours at a stretch. Instead, I have to dream up the widget, and figure out how to design it and describe it so others can recognize and understand what that particular widget looks like. Then I have to physically spell it out by pounding the keys on whatever keyboard I choose to use at the time. Only then can I transmit it to people like you, who hopefully like what I have to say, and tell their friends and family to check out what This Aaron Guy just transmitted out to the world.
Being a writer isn't easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it's the most fulfilling thing I've found to do in my four plus decades on this spinning rock that I currently inhabit. Don't sell yourself short by calling yourself an "aspiring" writer, or gardener, or dog walker, or whatever it is that you want to be. If you've taken the plunge and you're going through the same actions that other write-ers, garden-ers, or dog walk-ers go through each day, then you, too, are officially a writer, gardener, or dog walker. Even if you haven't seen that first paycheck. Even if not a single person has read what you've written, walked through your garden, or had their dog walked by you.
So, what, exactly are your aspirations? If you want to see what's over the next hill, at some point, you're gonna have to head over in that direction. No matter what someone else thinks about your desire to see it. Why are you going to let someone else dictate how far you can go? Or tell you what you are? Or what you are not?
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
Many people consider themselves to be "aspiring writers", like they're trying to achieve some level of relevance that depends on people outside of themselves. I'm not an aspiring writer, I'm a writer. You can read that last sentence as, "I'm a writer, period." Do you know why I can say that? Because I typed these words out, and you're reading them. Of course, I don't think someone else necessarily has to read your work for you to consider yourself as a writer, any more than whether or not you're a gardener depends on someone else walking through your backyard to view the plants you've worked for hours to cultivate. If you do gardening, you're a gardener. If you write words, you're a writer. Even if what you write has never been seen by another pair of eyes aside from the ones that are in your own head.
I think this small change of thinking from "aspiring writer" to "writer, period" has helped me. My whole life, from the time I was sixteen years old, has been filled with me going to work in some building or another, or at least logging into my computer at a time set by someone else, to get a paycheck. This was the case right up until about three months ago. Now it's purely up to me whether or not I produce on a given day. Funny thing is, it's ALWAYS been that way, ever since I got my first job as a teenager. It was up to me to decide whether or not I was going to show up when I was supposed to, and to decide if I was going to actually work while I was there.
The only thing that's changed now is that I won't be officially fired for failing to produce. Back then, if I wanted a paycheck, I had to earn it. Today, for me to have any expectation of getting a paycheck, I'll have to produce. The only difference is that I've decided to make and move my own widgets rather than someone else's. Although my widgets (words on the page) are easier to move (read: electronic transmission, potentially globally, at the push of a button) they take much more energy personally on my part to produce, and absolutely NOTHING will happen without my own personal effort.
Wasn't it Uncle Ben who said, "With great power comes great responsibility"? Well, with great freedom comes even greater responsibility. Now, I can't just show up somewhere and mindlessly move widgets from one side of the building to the other for eight or ten hours at a stretch. Instead, I have to dream up the widget, and figure out how to design it and describe it so others can recognize and understand what that particular widget looks like. Then I have to physically spell it out by pounding the keys on whatever keyboard I choose to use at the time. Only then can I transmit it to people like you, who hopefully like what I have to say, and tell their friends and family to check out what This Aaron Guy just transmitted out to the world.
Being a writer isn't easy by any stretch of the imagination, but it's the most fulfilling thing I've found to do in my four plus decades on this spinning rock that I currently inhabit. Don't sell yourself short by calling yourself an "aspiring" writer, or gardener, or dog walker, or whatever it is that you want to be. If you've taken the plunge and you're going through the same actions that other write-ers, garden-ers, or dog walk-ers go through each day, then you, too, are officially a writer, gardener, or dog walker. Even if you haven't seen that first paycheck. Even if not a single person has read what you've written, walked through your garden, or had their dog walked by you.
So, what, exactly are your aspirations? If you want to see what's over the next hill, at some point, you're gonna have to head over in that direction. No matter what someone else thinks about your desire to see it. Why are you going to let someone else dictate how far you can go? Or tell you what you are? Or what you are not?
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
July 20, 2017
Killing Floor (Jack Reacher #1) by Lee Child -- A Book Review
Killing Floor by Lee ChildMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Although this is the first Reacher novel that was published, it's actually the third one I've read, having read The Enemy and The Affair a few years ago. I'm a bit of a nerd, so I like reading series novels in chronological order if I pick them up when several books have already been released. I've given that up now on the Jack Reacher series, though, as Lee Child keeps releasing prequel stories.
I really, really enjoyed this one, as is evidenced in my finishing it in only 4 days. In Killing Floor, Jack Reacher is travelling across the deep south by bus when he decides on a whim to walk the fourteen miles to smalltown, U.S.A., also known as Margrave, Alabama. In a downpour of a rainstorm. After walking for hours, he gets arrested for murder as he's finishing his breakfast in the local diner. Of course, he knows the charges are trumped up idiocy, but the resultant situation is the perfect set up for Reacher to bust a few heads. He does this in fantastic fashion, as a matter of fact, and this wouldn't be a Jack Reacher story without a bit of violence, now would it?
In the back of my mind, I was expecting this to be at least slightly inferior to the other two books I've read from the series. I mean, this was novel #1, and the other two were #8 and #16, respectively. Most writers get better with time and additional writing, but I honestly think Child hit his stride right out of the gate.
If you enjoy Mystery/Thriller/Spy/Military/Action novels, and you haven't started reading Lee Child, I think you're missing out. Pick one of his books up today. You can thank me later!
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
View all my reviews
July 19, 2017
A hectic, but productive week
This past week has felt hectic here in the RV, as I've been updating all of my social media accounts in an attempt to polish them up. I've also been diving into the new-to-me realm of Google +. Who knew there were so many HUGE groups there? Well, just a few days ago, This Aaron Guy had absolutely no idea! So, I've been joining groups, sharing my book, helping other authors out with book covers, and whatever else pertains to the whole social media self publishing book arena thing. All this in an attempt to build my author platform to get the word out that I have a book, and that I'm officially an author. If you feel the urge, come look me up HERE. I'm sure we'll find something interesting to talk about!
I also actually took the time while I was offline to continue writing in the novel, and rewriting what I already have there. The rewriting process seems to go much slower than I had ever imagined! Yesterday afternoon, I figured it was probably about 2:00 or 2:30, and when I looked up at the clock, it was after 4:00. Where did my day go?! It's been going well, though, and I really think I'm getting the story and dialogue polished up. All those other author blogs I've been reading have been teaching me tons concerning technique and storytelling, and I've been implementing all of this newly integrated knowledge. I finally feel connected in the writers' community. I know, sometimes I'm a bit slow on the uptake, but I generally get there eventually!
I've also been reading a lot more in the past few days than I have in a very long time. I blasted through the first Jack Reacher novel that was published between Saturday afternoon and last night. Be on the lookout for my review of Killing Floor on Goodreads in the coming days.
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
I also actually took the time while I was offline to continue writing in the novel, and rewriting what I already have there. The rewriting process seems to go much slower than I had ever imagined! Yesterday afternoon, I figured it was probably about 2:00 or 2:30, and when I looked up at the clock, it was after 4:00. Where did my day go?! It's been going well, though, and I really think I'm getting the story and dialogue polished up. All those other author blogs I've been reading have been teaching me tons concerning technique and storytelling, and I've been implementing all of this newly integrated knowledge. I finally feel connected in the writers' community. I know, sometimes I'm a bit slow on the uptake, but I generally get there eventually!
I've also been reading a lot more in the past few days than I have in a very long time. I blasted through the first Jack Reacher novel that was published between Saturday afternoon and last night. Be on the lookout for my review of Killing Floor on Goodreads in the coming days.
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
July 12, 2017
I'm Baaaack, and I'm Published!
I've been busy writing these past few months, not that you would know that judging by the elapsed time since my last post around these parts. For that, I sincerely apologize, and I resolve to make the posts here much more regular, so I'm planning posting here on Wednesday afternoons. I'm embarrassed to say I had completely forgotten about this blog space, and I accidentally stumbled on it earlier this afternoon. When I saw it, I said to myself, "Oh, yeah! I have this Random Musings blog... Wow! It's been almost a year since I wrote anything here." Hopefully, none of you Faithful Readers have been too starved of words since then! ;-)
Deborah and I are still enjoying life in our home on wheels, which has been situated a few miles from Pagosa Springs, Colorado for a couple of months. We're loving being in the mountains, especially early in the mornings, and after about six o'clock in the evenings. The afternoons have been warm enough they drive us both back inside to the safety of air conditioning. We've been checking out all of the new to us restaurants in town and taking mountain drives on the weekends. Our camera has been getting quite the workout most Saturdays!
At the end of last month, I released my first collection of poetry, Always Enough Air, out into the world, and I've been integrating my brain with any and all information pertaining to the world of being self-published. You can already find it at major ebook retailers, which still just blows my mind! Search for it at your favorite ebook store, or click the Buy Now button on the widget to the right.
I've also been feverishly pounding the keys, growing the word count in my debut novel, which is currently at about 30,000 words. I'm excited each time I sit down with my fingers poised above the keyboard, because I'm never quite sure where the story is going to end up next.
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
Deborah and I are still enjoying life in our home on wheels, which has been situated a few miles from Pagosa Springs, Colorado for a couple of months. We're loving being in the mountains, especially early in the mornings, and after about six o'clock in the evenings. The afternoons have been warm enough they drive us both back inside to the safety of air conditioning. We've been checking out all of the new to us restaurants in town and taking mountain drives on the weekends. Our camera has been getting quite the workout most Saturdays!
At the end of last month, I released my first collection of poetry, Always Enough Air, out into the world, and I've been integrating my brain with any and all information pertaining to the world of being self-published. You can already find it at major ebook retailers, which still just blows my mind! Search for it at your favorite ebook store, or click the Buy Now button on the widget to the right.
I've also been feverishly pounding the keys, growing the word count in my debut novel, which is currently at about 30,000 words. I'm excited each time I sit down with my fingers poised above the keyboard, because I'm never quite sure where the story is going to end up next.
Until next time, stay safe, and above all, be true to yourself.
That Aaron Guy
September 13, 2016
Autopilot Off
Man! It’s super easy to get sidetracked and completely forget to write anything here. Well, maybe sidetracked is the wrong word. Busy may be better. Between work, weekend excursions to flea markets and antique shops, books, movies, and Netflix series, sometimes the days seem to evaporate. Then I look up and realize a couple of months have gone by.
Even in the midst of the busyness of the past few months, in the last couple of weeks I’ve tried to slow down a little bit, turn EVERYTHING off (a major feat in this day and time, I’ve recently realized! Ha ha!!) and just spend some time praying and reading in my bible each morning. No time table, no “Make It Through the Bible Three Times in the Next Ninety Days” reading plan, just kind of camping out, without a plan for where I’ll be going beyond the next few days, taking my time, and trying to really digest what I’ve read. Admittedly, this is the first time in recent memory that I’ve done this with any passages in the scriptures outside of Psalms. And honestly, it’s because I tend to look at the Bible too analytically and intellectually as a book that should be read as many pages at a sitting as possible. Kind of like a novel where you just want to hurry up and get to the POINT already. I know, I know, that’s kind of jacked up, which I realized when I finally just came out and said it. But once I did, it brought to mind the question, “ How much do I gloss over and miss what’s there when I do that?” Turns out the answer to this question is A LOT!
My wife has had this amazing Life Application Study Bible for, oh, probably a decade, and I’m only just now realizing what a treasure trove of thought provoking, true soul-searching questions it contains. Questions that, when answered truthfully, tend to make me adjust my thinking and my attitudes fairly quickly. It’s been a bit of an “aha” moments factory for me.
Sometimes I feel like I’m just kind of floating through the day to day humdrum of life because I’ve stopped being intentional about what I focus on and what I spend my time thinking about. Turns out, my autopilot function is all out of whack, and tends to put me into a holding pattern that says, “What are you doing HERE?”, “You’re 40. What have you been doing? Look at all the things THAT GUY has accomplished. You haven’t done anything even remotely close to THAT!” Hanging out in this holding pattern tends to make me start comparing myself to other people, which has absolutely nothing to do with my own personal journey. If I measure success by looking at other people, people who don’t have NEARLY the same path, plan, or purpose I do, and who I have absolutely NO WAY of knowing what they’ve gone through on the way to where I PERCEIVE them to be, it’s easy to get discouraged and stop following the path that was made for ME.
All that to say that I’ve become a bit more intentional with just slowing down and hanging out with God in the mornings. And it seems to me that this makes the humdrum stuff seem quite a bit more bearable. Apparently, I don’t have to accomplish gigantic things each day. I just have to take enough time to slow down and be reminded of who I am and Whose I am. And it seems the less I plan where I’m going next, the more the passages I read on any given day relate to what I need to hear or focus on. And every single time I read the perfect words that apply to what I’m thinking about or struggling with, it makes me stop and say, “Thank you, Father.” Because the more I learn, the more I figure out that all God wants from me is time and trust.
Basically, it’s gonna be another “Autopilot off” day. And that’s just fine with me!
Even in the midst of the busyness of the past few months, in the last couple of weeks I’ve tried to slow down a little bit, turn EVERYTHING off (a major feat in this day and time, I’ve recently realized! Ha ha!!) and just spend some time praying and reading in my bible each morning. No time table, no “Make It Through the Bible Three Times in the Next Ninety Days” reading plan, just kind of camping out, without a plan for where I’ll be going beyond the next few days, taking my time, and trying to really digest what I’ve read. Admittedly, this is the first time in recent memory that I’ve done this with any passages in the scriptures outside of Psalms. And honestly, it’s because I tend to look at the Bible too analytically and intellectually as a book that should be read as many pages at a sitting as possible. Kind of like a novel where you just want to hurry up and get to the POINT already. I know, I know, that’s kind of jacked up, which I realized when I finally just came out and said it. But once I did, it brought to mind the question, “ How much do I gloss over and miss what’s there when I do that?” Turns out the answer to this question is A LOT!
My wife has had this amazing Life Application Study Bible for, oh, probably a decade, and I’m only just now realizing what a treasure trove of thought provoking, true soul-searching questions it contains. Questions that, when answered truthfully, tend to make me adjust my thinking and my attitudes fairly quickly. It’s been a bit of an “aha” moments factory for me.
Sometimes I feel like I’m just kind of floating through the day to day humdrum of life because I’ve stopped being intentional about what I focus on and what I spend my time thinking about. Turns out, my autopilot function is all out of whack, and tends to put me into a holding pattern that says, “What are you doing HERE?”, “You’re 40. What have you been doing? Look at all the things THAT GUY has accomplished. You haven’t done anything even remotely close to THAT!” Hanging out in this holding pattern tends to make me start comparing myself to other people, which has absolutely nothing to do with my own personal journey. If I measure success by looking at other people, people who don’t have NEARLY the same path, plan, or purpose I do, and who I have absolutely NO WAY of knowing what they’ve gone through on the way to where I PERCEIVE them to be, it’s easy to get discouraged and stop following the path that was made for ME.
All that to say that I’ve become a bit more intentional with just slowing down and hanging out with God in the mornings. And it seems to me that this makes the humdrum stuff seem quite a bit more bearable. Apparently, I don’t have to accomplish gigantic things each day. I just have to take enough time to slow down and be reminded of who I am and Whose I am. And it seems the less I plan where I’m going next, the more the passages I read on any given day relate to what I need to hear or focus on. And every single time I read the perfect words that apply to what I’m thinking about or struggling with, it makes me stop and say, “Thank you, Father.” Because the more I learn, the more I figure out that all God wants from me is time and trust.
Basically, it’s gonna be another “Autopilot off” day. And that’s just fine with me!
