Do I have to love cars to be successful?

This question has popped into my head now and then.  Occasionally I will hear a man, who is successful, mention that one of his hobbies is cars.  To me when I think about cars I think of expense, insurance, and fixes.  I really don't like those things.  So I have not been a car fan.  I see them more as a necessary evil.  Sure I benefit from cars.  I've been riding in them since I came home from the hospital.  I would even place them as the greatest invention of man, even above the internet.  I mean, I respect cars and their place in our world.  But I don't love them.  I ride in them from point A to point B.  My dad did not have a passion for cars and I guess I have never had a close friend who was really into them.  But I wonder if it would help me to be more successful if I had a love for cars.    

Christmas day 2012

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6

I again receive, by faith, the Son this Christmas.  He was given to me and I want Him to be all that He is within my life.

A solution to the nation's violence

We continue to see mass murder in our country and it really breaks my heart.  When I hear of these deaths I grieve and I pray.  I also think that it doesn't have to be this way.

Allow me to offer a solution to the nation's troubles.

We should teach people to love their neighbor as themselves, to choose life, to do unto others as they would have others do unto them, to respect people because people are a creation of God's, and to know that there will be a day where they will give an account for their life.  People should be instructed to leave room for God to mitigate any necessary revenge, to obey authorities, and follow the laws of the land.  Our books, schools, and universities should teach that the origin of life comes from God, He created all things, and all of existence is in place for His glory.

When these things are emphasized and seriously spoken of I think we will see much less violence and more brotherly love.

Property exploration

It has been over seven years since my wife and I have moved to this location.  A thought popped into my head last week that was interesting.  Have I completely explored this property?  When we looked at this property initially it seemed large.  Like there was a lot to do and plenty of room to stretch out on.  There were trees, bushes, and brushy areas.  Now that we have been here a while, the land has become figuratively smaller.  I pretty much have it explored.  Maybe one corner in the back isn't something I know very much because it is wooded and not something I walk through.  I don't know every plant name on our property but I could guess and could probably come fairly close.  Even the house has been thoroughly examined and explored.  I have seen the attic and I have been in every corner of the basement.  I find this really sad.

In some ways I am glad to know what I have but in other ways I wish there was more space to roam and discover.

Regrets in 2012

One of my biggest regrets from 2012 has to be how long it took me to find something to do for work.  True, if I was working I would have missed some conversations, some events, and some opportunities to travels.  But I think I should have been working way back in January.  

I don't fully know why it took me so long to land.  I don't know if what I am doing now is temporary and more change is coming.  I do know that I enjoy good work, I like having an income, and I feel like I am doing the right thing when I am productive and providing for my family.

It is just a puzzle to me why this took so long.  I applied places, I talked to people, I went to job fairs, I updated and updated again my online work profile.  Having time off to do these things was great but men are made to achieve and accomplish things.  So I list my greatest regret of 2012 as the time it took to land.