And the Blogging Truly Begins...

Well, I guess before I post too many things that are not original, I should manage to find the time to jot down a few thoughts of my own. I'm not entirely sure why I decided to pursue the whole "blogging" (anybody wonder who named this thing and how they came up with blogging?) craze that seems to have swept the entire world. I guess I'm just glad that while all of my thoughts are open for discussion, they are entirely subjective so I can't really be judged too harshly.

Somebody very close to me asked why I used "firsthand lion" for a link while "shaken not stirred" was the title. Well, I will address the former then the latter. "Life is a journey, not a destination." While this may be a little cliché, I hold it true and would like the symbolism of how you come to my blog to be as important as the blog itself. If you have ever seen the movie Second Hand Lions (and if you haven't, you should), you will recall two men who have lived the adventurous lives that most men can only dream of. They are dangerous, they are wild and they are free. They are feared and respected, loved and adored and manage to pass their passion for life and wisdom on to a young boy who doesn't know his mother, let alone his father, and has no idea of how to become a man. John Eldridge wrote a book called Wild At Heart. In that book he says that every man has an Adventure to Live, a Battle to Fight and a Beauty to Rescue. As he is one of my favorite authors I tend to agree with him. And as I am still young, and haven't lived the whole adventure, nor fought many battles the term "Second Hand" doesn't quite apply to me. Therefore, first hand or young and restless (which was far too soapy) are more applicable. So I decided to combine the two in order to arrive at First Hand Lions, which to me, means that I am still young and wild and free with much to learn.

This brings us to “Shaken Not Stirred”. Aside from the obvious 007 reference which is just freakin' cool... There are defining moments in a person’s life that help shape who they are. And while I have experienced my fair share, I am sure that there are plenty more to come. These may cause feelings of emotional hardship, or stressful situations or even fear to some degree. But while every tree is shaken, if it is firmly rooted in its core beliefs (Wisdom, Strength and Honor are mine) then it will remain steadfast and will not be felled. Something with all 007 movies is that no matter how grim the situation, he is always calm, because he knows he is going to get out of it. He knows he has the skills and the training to succeed. On top of that he knows why he is out to accomplish the hopeless task he is assigned, for Queen and Country but most importantly for Good against Evil. Every man has the necessary skills to be a success at whatever he may pursue, it is just a matter of how they are used and in some cases having the courage to use them. But with time every man will come to a battle, and when one does come we should all have the audacity to look it in the face and say "do your worst", because we know that not only will we still be standing after the battle is waged, but we will be stronger for having fought it.

So, I will make posts of random thoughts that I may have. Or random thoughts of others. Or something that I find profound, or possibly just funny. And maybe, just maybe there will be an opportunity for us to learn something from each other. Because if I can be a help to my fellow man who is going through something that I have already fought, then why shouldn't I be of service? This isn't to say that what I say or think is always correct, far from it. I am still on this journey called life and look forward to the learning that is yet to come.