Month: August 2015

Who I am.

Posted on by jreink14

I have no connection with these people

They are human

and I feel no emotion

I fear I sound mechanical.

conversation feels empty and hollow

Laughter is but a survival reflex

Yet words.

Words will never fail me!

And what is this life without strife?

Is that not what makes us who we are?

For I know who I am.

Yes I hear my heart beat

and I have felt my soul shatter.

It grew back all the stronger

Then the very people who I believed I had estranged

turned to me and said,

“Come! For you belong to us

just as we belong to you.”

These are the ties deeper than blood

That words can neither sever nor strengthen

For they are built on shared experiences

and tales long told…

On Humility

Posted on by jreink14

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Have you ever wondered where life will take you? I have, a lot. At times I have even dared to declare where I will be at certain points in my life. Here’s where humility must come in. You see I find that when I assume that my life will take a certain course and plow on heedless of my surroundings, things rarely follow my strict plan. Often I will get thrown onto a completely different route. And that’s okay, because I am learning to accept it with humility.

That being said, what are we if we do not have hopes and dreams? These are good things, and often we need a set plan in order to reach them. But  we must be aware that there could be better things that we never hoped to dream for, or maybe there is a different way we must take to get to our dreams. The key is humility and openness to the unseen. Right now, that’s my day to day plan.

Peace, Love, and Happiness…

–Joe

The Road I Took

Posted on by jreink14

In my very first post I wrote about transferring from my little community college to a full university. I truly thought that that was the form my new beginning was going to take. Yet, after a considerable amount of prayer and several strong nudgings, I have withdrawn from the university. Yeah, that’s right, Joe has turned a new course. Away from my ideal school and the logical next step to my dream career. Why would I do this? For starters for now I still have the goal of someday serving in the National Park Service. But maybe the path there will be a little different than I expected. This decision makes very little sense, yet very importantly, it brings me peace. Though it does bring with it a few concerns, did I make the right choice? Should I have taken the more direct path to my dreams (the one that included earning my bachelor’s asap)? This reminds me of the well known poem by Robert Frost:

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It’s hard to describe just how much I’ve always loved this poem. One of those beautiful writings that every person can say it was written for them. Frost illustrates a valid point with all of us. That we can never know what our other choices could have brought. And as several people have told me recently, it does no good to look back and wonder; for we are always beginning, and we must look ahead to see where this road is taking us.

Peace, Love, and Happiness…

–Joe

Trial and Error

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How do we come about a good idea?

They don’t seem to rain from the sky; they rarely appear carved in stone, nor have I ever had one mailed to my doorstep. No it is my observation that new ideas come from courageous souls who are willing to question the norm Some people don’t like the way that I face problems. You see, I’ll start with the idea that no one else wants to acknowledge and run with it. Often I risk appearing the fool (I usually am), but it’s more of a fundamental thing for me.

In everything, I prefer trial and error over easier ways. I refuse to be one of those people who do things simply because that is what’s expected. I will fail and I will grow. Because I seek my unique purpose in all that I do. Someday, when I’m long gone, I hope that they remember me for more than what I did or didn’t do. Maybe they’ll say that Joe made an impact by being himself.

Peace, Love, and Happiness…

–Joe

The Nomad

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my heart is bursting with

the ache of wanderlust.

I feel at home

wherever the road may lead

Yet when I get up to go

my feet are heavy and burdensome.

All the while I know

That I cannot stay

For I am a nomad

that time forgot…

my very soul

thrives off adventure

I seek to be, not to do

to observe, not collect

I belong not with any culture

my path seems solitary

Perhaps in my travels

both real and untold

my Quest will find

what it is I had lost.

For I am a nomad

that time forgot…

And in my journeys through life

I seek something far more.

–Joe

Transfigured Christ

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Transfiguration of the Lord - Aug 6 Mark 9:2-10

Transfiguration of the Lord      – Aug 6
Mark 9:2-10

Last week we celebrated the feast of the transfiguration of our Lord. It got me thinking about my own life and the times I’ve been up on the mountain top. Often it happens when I go on a retreat, or spend time in Adoration, or maybe I made a really deep connection with a friend. There are definitely moments in my life that I have stood in awe in the splendor of God. And much like Peter, James, and John I don’t want to leave that moment and step away from the beauty of the glorified Christ.

Our task is perhaps somewhat easier to accept than the apostles’. For we have not only seen the transfigured Lord, we have also seen the risen Christ. And now that Christ is risen we are called to proclaim what we have seen. Yes we must leave the mountain top, but that doesn’t mean we have to leave behind the joy that we experienced there.

Peace, Love, and Happiness…

–Joe

A New Chapter

Posted on by jreink14

I’m moving in exactly a week. After a year at a community college I’ve transferred to a full university. Which means that I’m moving away from home, finally leaving the nest. It is always bittersweet to step out of your comfort zone; but like all beginnings this one has its own sense of hopefulness.

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There’s a lot of packing involved with moving. And when I began the process I had no idea how much clutter had accumulated in my life. Realizing that I had twice as many clothes than I ever wore, and knick-knacks that I couldn’t remember why I had ever held on to them. There were also practical items that I was happy to find, and keepsakes that bring out the best memories.

It dawned on me that I could declutter my life in other ways also. When I start sifting and sorting what emotional baggage will I find? What forgotten sins can I throw out? What happy memories and beautiful traits will I recall? I think I shall keep striving towards the evermore decluttered life. Who knows what will turn up?

Peace, Love, and Happiness…

–Joe