Cyanide & HAPPINESS

I was thinking of posting something controversial this morning, but I'm trying to start 2015 off right. Building bridges, mending fences, and trying to live the love God has put in my heart. CYANIDE & HAPPINESS is a comic strip that is not for the faint of heart. Some of it crosses the line, for me. But much of it is extremely hilarious, and some of it is even thoughtful. Here is an example of the latter:

This strip made me feel very happy about who I am, and what I have in life. Here's why 1) I am happy with my age. I enjoy the fruits of the wisdom I've gained (limited as it may be), yet I live a life young at heart. BTW, I highly recommend Dungeons & Dragons and other role-playing games to keep you young at heart. I'm LARPing with the youth group I lead today. Hanging out with young people doesn't help. Youth ministry keeps you young, and that is what I call a fringe BENEFIT. 2) I'm happy with my married life. I like being married, and particularly to the woman I'm married to. I'm simply in awe of her. It is a blast living in relationship with her: enjoying good film and good nerdephernalia; discussing deep and meaningful subjects and living out our life as a Christ-centered one; struggling through all of life's difficulties; and dancing, lots and lost of dancing. 3) I have been called to a life that constantly confronts me with both the eternal and the temporal. I know with every fiber of my being that 'everything in this world is on its way to somewhere else'...this knowledge helps me soak up every moment and make the most of it. 4) I love to write, and I get to do it as part of my job and personal life, and I've written several books and self-published a couple, too. I have another coming out this year, that I'm very proud of.

So, all in all, everything in life looks pretty damn good. I know that I will have to move on from this job some day, and I can only hope and do my best to make sure I get into another area of ministry that is as fulfilling, exciting, and fun. I know that my wife and I will not always have the rosiest of times, that all marriages experience hard times (and we've had a few of our own) and that both of us are mortal, and that anything can happen. I know even the wisest of us can make stupid decisions. Yet, I have my relationship with God which no one can take away, many good friend and some of them will always be around, and I exist, I breath, and I can dream some awesome dreams. I am happy now, and I have the resources to be happy tomorrow, and the next day. I plan to do just that.

I owe so much of all of this to my faith. To Jesus Christ, to Christianity, to the activity of God and godly people. I know all the arguments against religion, I know well the terrible history, the abuses, and the twisted thinking often involved. I know all that stuff. But I know this too: I would have few of the resources internal or external I have today if it were not for my faith in Jesus Christ and the things His Church has done for me. I hope that many of you can proclaim your own happiness as I have here, whatever your circumstances. If not, I pray, sincerely pray, you find your path to it. It's a pretty damn good deal.

Amen.