Escaping Vanity

  A life lived on the schedule of others. Service is the bulk of my existence. Routine with gradience; continuously inheriting fresh tasks. What becomes less for another is a little extra responsibility I'll need to reserve space to complete.  Tithes disguised as gifts for a Savior. A burdensome reception under the cover of love. Once frivolous pieces of discussion turn to wicked convictions. Maintaining this imbalance is now more vital than ever to the serenity of the distributor.  An evolution of bittersweet division. Straining any relationship with the slack of a lighter workload. An equation that removes the comfortable breathing room from an older time. Sharing of old provided the foot stool to maneuver. Visibly absent with the modern mix; strangulatory servitude.  Frustrating discussions lead to a stalemate of debate. Injustice through the vested passage of duty. An inequality worth fighting to maintain. Making short work of the tired opponent. An easi...

When you’ve changed my perspective. When I was looking at the floor. When I was sad, unsure, full of fear – like a cloud of fresh rain; the pressure shifted. Bringing rejuvenation to rebuild my strength. Shifting places to let the sun shine. Empowered, now able to rise again. Where you delivered forgiveness. Despite my natural faults and reckless mistakes. You accepted who I am… Believed in me, when I did not. Where no one else dare to try. Who you are is the best in life. Who you brought me wisdom from. Who you protected me against. Who we met together strengthened our circle. Who you miss left you resting on my shoulder. Who we battled delivered another chapter in our journey. What you said changed my world. What we experienced cracked our hardened hearts. What we laughed about left us gasping. What we remembered had us breathing deeper. What brought anger was drowned by the rain. Irreplaceable moments we cannot regret. Why me? Why does such a bold spirit have the greatest to...

  Some folks spend a lifetime learning. Always hoping to continue the conversations that will enhance the world. Bringing back old memories with a modern smile and tying together life’s collaborations. Connections we find through experimentation. This lab work is a necessary diligence to find a balance with nature and man. Years ago, I stayed for a day filled with shopping and going to the movies. We’d been to see Forest Gump, where I fell asleep. Must’ve been saving my energy for the checkout register. Big Michael was quite generous when adding to my GI Joe collection. He asked when we should stop; only to be met with, “shop ‘til we drop.” My reflection of those days brings me a modern humility. He was so willing to spoil a young man and open his home. However, I had pressed for more and shamelessly missed how blessed I already was. This is an attitude I would never want to repeat or experience from another. Ironically, I’ve been listening to his struggles for expansion. O...

    a Michael L. Craver story As time goes on, I find myself writing less. Developing ideas through conversation, making notes, and thinking about them often suffices. There was a period in my life where I spent most evenings in silence, but writing anything that motivated me. This helped ask myself objective questions about all thoughts; breaking down various points of view to see where I could be misguided. For a couple years this written process had evolved to audio recordings. Thinking out loud with no regard for length. Even then, I had notes ahead of the occasion to remind me of key elements I needed to juxtapose to find the truth. The goal was always to unpack all possibilities and find out what I believed after scrutinization. This statement is always true, “I have never been older than today.” Since 1982, I’ve been gathering memories and continuing the quest to maintain the most consistent balance of peace possible. Any moment where there’s a thought about not be...