Out With The Old, In With The New

I'm here at the car dealership getting an overdue oil change.  With an hour and a half wait, I have some time to catch up on blog posts.  One thing great about my new cell phone is I can blog from anywhere.  Type while I listen to songs through my ear phones.

Recently, I watched old reruns of the short lived tv show "Square Pegs" from 1982.  At the time I really loved the show, but watching it 30 years later I see just how out of date it is with the hair styles, clothing, and canned jokes.  Some of the stars like Sarah Jessica Parker are now mega celebrities whereas others didn't act much after the series ended.  The sad part is finding out old Johnny Slash died of complications to AIDS at the age of 29. 

Trends and fads gain in popularity and then fade into oblivion. Sometimes they even return for a brief revival so a new generation can appreciate them. Cabbage Patch Kids and Smurfs.  Vinyl records and glass soda bottles.  Some of my old 80s and 90s bands are still together cranking out even better songs.  They've manage to ride the trendy waves without total wipe outs.

These past few weeks I've uncovered so many memories of years past, carefully wrapped up in boxes stored away in closets at the house.  I found my old Cabbage Patch doll named Cleveland and a miniature Pac Man arcade game.  I have every single award and certificate I ever won in school.  I even came across my old violin which I have not played since 1994.  The idea of thowing away my memories doesn' even register with me.  They are here to stay.  I will keep them with me the rest of my life, however short or long it may be.

Out with the old, in with the new.   This familiar saying is both true and false.  True in a sense that we are called by God to examine our conscience and make an effort to seek out ways to better ourselves.  We should throw out our old sinful ways and adopt new healthy ones.

The "out with the old, in with the new" is a false statement when we think about tossing away religion and morals in exchange for secular relativism, individualism, and selfishness.

Sometimes the old is tried and tested.  It works better than the new.  Christianity has been here for 2000 years and is still growing in many parts of the world.  It will not go away anytime soon despite so much anti-religious sentiment spreading around the world.

I sit here outside in the nice morning sun thinking about all that I have that is old but also look forward to everything new I will experience soon. My new apartment a short distance from work.  More time to spend with my mom because I will live closer to her.  New people to meet.  My trip to Italy coming up next February.

Life is good! The changes I'm experiencing are meant to be.  Our "old" and wise Lord knows what he's doing.  He's guiding me along on his chosen path, and I look forward to the ride!

-J.