September 13

I'm rebranding this.

It's not just the daily readings, but other things as well. Mostly, though, I want to make this not self-involved, but other-involved.

I'm incredibly blessed and lucky. I have a wonderful wife, two great kids, a nice house, a steady job, and all kinds of other good things. There is nothing that is happening to me that someone else hasn't survived first.

So if I am not the key to the universe, what is, then? Well, all I have is my understanding, and a continuing quest to increase that understanding.

I think the key to the universe is other people. It's an area that people typically botch to one degree or another, and one of the major drawbacks of our being. We screw stuff up and never let go of the bad effects on others or ourselves.

You have to be responsible, but you also have to be free. Otherwise, we are too defined by our failures, but if we are fearfully and wonderfully made, aren't we more than those failures.

I own a crapload of failure. I have screwed up enough to build a really high mountain. But there is more to it than that. I also have a great ability to do good things, as well. I have been blessed with a remarkable amount of talent and, when I choose to use it, a really soft heart.

Redemption isn't just something that allows us to feel good and to dodge whatever our latest mess is, it is the key to learning and doing more than surviving. It is the key to a rich and vibrant life.