Don't Stop Paddling

How do I be?

rosshagan — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:20:49 +0000

How do I need to be in order for you to be free?

I was asked this question while watching the Global Oneness Project trailer and I was immediately floored by the gravity of the statement. Obviously if someone is asking this question then they believe that an individual is holding me back or that I am holding another person back from experiencing a fulfilled life. That’s what a lack of freedom speaks to me, an unfulfilled life (there are some that would argue that freedom is a state of mind but generally they haven’t experienced a true loss of freedom).

Staring at my computer screen I begin to wonder if there was something that I was doing or wasn’t doing that wasn’t allowing others to be free. As a follower of Jesus and a believer in his teachings I feel that this is a question that all Christians should ask themselves. Is there an area where we are failing to allow others to be free? What do you think?

What’s wrong with this picture?

rosshagan — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:19:51 +0000

We Get To Start Over

rosshagan — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:35:04 +0000

The previous post was a song by The All-American Rejects called “Mona Lisa”. As you can see by the lyrics it is yet another song about sitting and watching the world fall apart. It seems every year or so a punk rock group brings out a great song saying screw it all. Every one goes through that satge in life where they wish the country would blow up and society would get turned upside down. Maybe its the dream that we could just hit the reset button and start all over because obviously we’ve screwed up. Surely you can’t take a look around say, “Yeah, we’ve done a great job.” I mean the earth is practically dying beause we keep blowing hell all over the place, people are killing others all day long for a multitude of reasons (all of which seem to point at religion), and millions of children are homeless and starving. So the thought of the world falling apart can be comforting at times, almost like we were getting a do over. Just imagine how Noah felt when he got off the ark. I’m sure it was nightmarish seeing thousands of people drown and die (probably being insensitive) but he was getting a reset. Lucky guy.

Well no resets for us. We’ve got to figure out how to fix this shit. Before the world goes down.

Song for the Day

rosshagan — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:11:14 +0000

Here’s another pity
And there’s another chance
Try to learn a lesson
But you can’t.
If we can burn a city
In futures and in past,
Without a change our lives will never last.
Cause we’re going fast.

You can sit beside me when the world comes down,
If it doesn’t matter then just turn around.
We don’t need our bags and we can just leave town.
You can sit beside me when the world comes down.

What can we do better,
When will we know how?
A man says from a sidewalk to a crowd.
If we can change the weather,
If you wanted to yourself.
And if you can’t I guess we all need help, yeah,
I need help.

You can sit beside me when the world comes down,
If it doesn’t matter then just turn around.
We don’t need our bags and we can just leave town.
You can sit beside me when the world comes down.

We say
And we do
All the lies
The truth
And all I need is next to me.

Yeah, we’re going fast.

You can sit beside me when the world comes down,
If it doesn’t matter then just turn around.
Will you be the queen? And I’ll be your clown
You can sit beside me when the world comes down.
You can sit beside me when the world comes
You can sit beside me when the world comes down

Fishing on the Beach

rosshagan — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:59:39 +0000

April 1st a group of buddies and I are heading to the beach for a few days of R&R. We are going to hang out and talk the talk and hopefully catch a couple fish on the beach.

I love to surf fish (even though I haven’t had much luck) and here’s a couple of the fish we’ll be hoping for:

Black Tip Shark

Pompano

Whiting

Redfish

Ladyfish

Adventure Ecology

rosshagan — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:05:50 +0000

Today I ran across an article on the Plastiki project. The project is being funded and executed by Adventure Ecology, here is a snippet of their mission statement from their website:

ADVENTURE ECOLOGY UNDERTAKES EXPEDITIONS TO SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS, EXCITING AND ENVIRONMENTALLY CHALLENGED REGIONS. IT IS OUR AIM TO CREATE STORIES THAT INFORM, QUESTION, CHALLENGE AND GENERATE DEBATE.

The Plastiki is a 60 foot catmaran made entirely (except for the mass) from plastic bottles. Here is a brief look at the adventure:

In April 2009, adventurer and environmental storyteller David de Rothschild and a handpicked crew of leading scientists, sailors, adventurers, thought leaders and creatives will set sail over 10,000 nautical miles across the Pacific from San Francisco to Sydney on a 60-foot catamaran made from post consumer plastic water and soda bottles and self-reinforced PET.

By undertaking this daring expedition over three months, David and his Plastiki crew are on a mission to inspire, educate and activate individuals, communities and business’s to start moving towards a smarter more sustainable planet 2.0 way of living.

Check it out at http://www.adventureecology.com/

Later

Why do you walk out the front door?

rosshagan — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 13:45:46 +0000

International terrorists. Earthquakes. Drag queens. Drunk Drivers. Ninjas. Man-eating crocodiles. Runaway trains. Bank robbers. Crying babies. Gang bangers. Hurricanes. Rattle-snakes. Easter bunnies. Minature poodles. Wizards. Godzilla. Pirates. (Christians). Tornadoes. Sharks. Gorillas. Lions, Tigers and Bears…and Talking Scarecrows.

There are a million reasons NOT to walk out the front door every morning. You never know what could be around the next corner; your life could over in the blink of an eye. And yet – you decide to get out of bed, put on your walking shoes and open the only barrier between you and the world. With no thought to your safety you strut out into the unknown. Good for you; there are some who just can’t do it …without serious medication.

First I want to congratulate you on this amazing feat. Against all odds you did it. Bravo for you.

Second I want to ask, Why?

Why do you drive (or walk) the streets of this city? Why do you subject yourself to the dangers of this world? Is it to provide for your family? Is it to go to school? Is it to keep up with the Jones’s?

I challenge to look at the reasons you take on the adventure called life. You need to look at your motivations and check yourself. Cause’ it would suck to get eaten by a crocodile while on the way to make an extra buck.

100 Greatest Adventure Books of All-Time

rosshagan — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:24:10 +0000

http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/2001/07/adventure-books/anthony-brandt-text

I found this extremely cool. Maybe you will too.

Welcome Home

rosshagan — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:12:20 +0000

Who would have thought that two months would have felt so long? My girlfriend Lindsey left to teach in Winneba, Ghana on January 12th. Two lllloooooooonnnngggggg months later she is coming home and I couldn’t be more excite to see her.

The hot one on the right; got to love those tan lines

Hopefully I will remember how to make-out!

From The Past

rosshagan — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:23:57 +0000

I found this is in a journal I wrote a while back…

Romans 1:20 (message)

Yahweh,

When opening our eyes your sunshine is there. Our feet hit the trail and we stand among the tall pines you are the breath in everything. There were men long ago who knew you without ever knowing a name. You are more than a written word; you are the thoughts and fingers of every great author. No painting or sculpture can match the creation of your love. I will never forget that you are Lord when I touch the sea and look to the mountains.

Later