Has This Space Served Its Purpose?

Much has occurred since the last time I posted. I am one month away from completing my Business Certificate (two more major exams left - yay!). I received a full-time permanent teaching contract for the fall. We have prayed alongside several family and friends as they battled sickness or faced the death of a loved one. School, sports, swimming and piano are coming to an end as we yearn for the slower pace of summer. Through it all, time seems more and more allocated to pursuits other than quiet, intentional reflection.

I guess this virtual space (practically void of readership) is my place to think, process, ponder and muse on the issues of life and faith. I have deconstructed many topics in the past as an attempt to arrive at a firm understanding. Some of those understandings remain robust and firm, such as salvation through the Grace of Jesus Christ alone. Others have become more gray-scale and ambiguous.

For instance, I am a centrist politically. Now with the polarization of politics where the right gets labelled "alt" and the left gets labelled "far", my comfortable middle has disappeared and I don't know how in the world to vote anymore!

Or how about the use of credit cards? I still believe the interest rates charged by such companies is unconscionable. However, the uncertainty in our monthly budget resulting from several surprise college expenses has caused me to use our credit card way more (faithfully paying it off before interest is charged). Maybe Visa is providing me a needed service?

And how about big, evil Walmart, the anti-union corporation that puts small, local businesses under with their economical items built in overseas factories? Yup. I give that place a lot of business. Why? In the end, I need to cloth my children today and it is the cheapest place out there.

What about the malignancy of fossil fuels and the aim of the carbon tax to curb polluting behaviour? I live in an economy that is highly depended on the gas industry and people are hurting here. Businesses are closing, more houses are going up for sale and professionals are leaving our city. Our small urban center doesn't have extensive public transit. Our location in our province practically necessitates vehicle ownership. Yes, I desire to be more environmentally conscious! Sadly, I am witnessing the fall-out of not thinking through the consequences of such policies.

In many ways I am a hypocrite, touting ideals that sound good on paper but unravel in opposite ways in reality.

So, has this space serviced its purpose? I don't know... Maybe I still need it...

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