Because of Love

I’ve walked the rocky roads,

Because of Love.

I’ve climbed the steepest mountains,

Because of Love.

I’ve worked from dawn to dusk and beyond,

Because of Love.

I’ve carried the heavy burdens,

Because of Love.

I’ve endured the wind and rain,

Because of Love.

All the work that was done, all battles won, all the fires fought and all the gifts that were bought

Were Because of Love.

I came home to your open arms and found fulfillment,

Because of Love.

The image above was taken above the Southridge shopping center in Kanawha County West Virginia.

Evening On The Kanawha River

Late last summer I managed to get a nice shot of sunset over the Kanawha River. The golden dome in the background is our capital building. My home is at the other end this river. When I was a kid I was told that the word Kanawha was a Native American word for big river. Today I checked via Google and was given a few more interpretations. The Shawnee say that it’s a word for new water and the Catabwa say it means friendly brother. That’s odd to me because I have always thought that both tribes spoke Algonquin. What’s in a name anyway? Whatever Kanawha means it’s a major resource. The tug boats are often seen pushing massive amounts of coal up and downstream. The Kanawha River has been a major resource for thousands of years and it still is today.

Course Corrections

A few days ago I wrote about The Unknown Destiny. I indicated that God has a plan for our lives. But that doesn’t mean that I’m a fatalist. I do believe that God gave us the gift and the right of free will. (Which he will not violate but that’s a topic for another day. ) As beings of free will we have a great potential. . . to make mistakes. Now, there’s an endless list of errors and pitfalls that we can examine. They can all be broken down into two groups.

1. Mistakes made due to bad information or a lack of knowledge.

2. Mistakes made due to a failure to accept good information or gaining knowledge.

On my day job I often joke that erroneous was the ancient god of blunders and that any mistake on my paperwork was due to his mischief. But ultimately we all must take responsibility for our own actions.

So if mistakes can be lumped into two main categories then what about resolutions?

I say there’s two types resolutions as well.

1. Immediate & 2. Delayed.

The advantage of the immediate resolution should be obvious. The sooner an error is uncovered the less energy it takes to correct the problem.

The results of the delayed resolution then would mean expending more time and energy to bring things back into balance. But, there’s a compound problem with the delayed resolution. Human nature is , well…lazy. Because of our limited energy we tend to not want to accept a mistake that takes great effort to resolve. We ignore the problem. We misplace blame. We will do anything it takes to avoid expending the energy it takes to break down the error and start over. The whole time these errors gain more energy and momentum and become harder to resolve.

What does that have to with my photo above? Let’s take a second look at it.

It looks as though the road leads to the mountain and the sunbeam in the background. That’s because I created the illusion that it does with forced perspectives. In reality, the road curves off to the right and makes a circle back to place where I am standing with my camera. If we assumed we could follow the road and reach the mountain we would make a bad choice based on a lack of knowledge. But, if we follow the road and refused to accept truth when we reach the curve we would go around in circles until we give up on our goal or collapse from exhaustion. The sooner we accept the need for a course correction the easier it is to get to our goal.

Thirst

Pour out your love upon me.

I have been so thirsty for so long.

Wash over me like a cool mountain stream.

Refresh me in your affection.

Bath me in your companionship.

Flood me with your smile,

and drown me with your desire.

I need you to surround me.

I need us.

Blood, Sweat and Tears

History. The word actually says His story. In the age of automation history is short. 3D printers are set to replace the skilled hands of an old world craftsman. Artificial intelligence is ready to take over the jobs of lawyers, financial planners and even educators. Even doctors are at risk of being replaced by a bot. But even with all the miraculous technology of the near future there is something that cannot be provided by advanced robotics. History.

History is more than just a timeline of events. It’s the impartation of life’s energy. Let’s face the facts. Life as we know it is finite. When someone expends the blood, sweat and tears needed to create anything they are imparting their life.

The image above is the dashboard of a 1929 Ford pickup truck. The curved surfaces were designed by a human mind. The raw ore was mined by men who certainly expended sweat and blood in the mine. The steel plate was probably stamped out by hydraulic equipment operated by human hands and intelligence. Someone then did the final polishing and another person installed all the little gizmos inside.

Yes. This antique dashboard is more than just conveniently shaped chrome and steel embedded into wood. It’s a whole collection of lives and stories. It’s the human experience forged into something that is functional art.

No matter how sophisticated the automation software is. No matter how accurate the fabrication robots are. The one thing it can never impart during the process is life.

Your writing, your art, everything you do is an impartation of your life. That includes the time you take to visit my images and read my writing. Thank you dear followers for sharing your life with me. It’s a gift that is graciously received.

Image was taken at the West Virginia state Fairgrounds in Lewisburg West Virginia which is in Greenbriar County.