I guess I'm going to be 'That Guy'

Amy Winehouse is dead. I’m sure I’ve heard her music, since everyone else claims she was an amazing talent, and thus must have been all over the radio, etc. I’m pretty sure I cannot name any of her songs without Google or iTunes, although I will admit I’m not a fan of most popular music these days.

The accounts I’ve seen say she died at the age of 27, of a drug overdose. Her attitude towards getting clean seemed to be summed up in a song where she says over and over that she won’t go to rehab, No, no, no.

Here’s a question: If you die of a drug overdose, without making a serious effort to get clean, is it suicide?

Here’s another question: If someone you love dies of a drug overdose, and you didn’t do everything you could to get them clean, and help them stay that way, is it assisted suicide?

I’m sorry if this seems a little harsh, but it’s not a tragedy. A tragedy is the death of the little Anthony girl. A tragedy is the death of someone killed by a drunk driver. It’s not the death of a wealthy pop star by her own hand.

Here’s my last question: Did she know Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour? Was there anyone in her life who witnessed to her the power of a loving God, who wanted an eternal relationship with her? 

I guess that’s the ultimate tragedy, if the answers to these last questions are “No”.

Humility and Hope

Tomorrow, I go hat in hand to my Credit Union, asking them to pre-approve me for a mortgage. Lori and I found a house that we CAN afford on my income. Under ordinary circumstances, I would not be too concerned. But I have as bad a credit report as you can have, after filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy last year. This is as a result of my divorce, my long period of unemployment and crushing uninsured medical bills.

I KNOW this is the right place for us, and that we would have a great life there, with room for family and friends. But I also know that it’s a real long shot.

I’ll update after I find out the news.

Update on Apr 2, 2011 at 9:40AM by Mark Johns

It sure doesn’t take them long to say ‘No’. I didn’t really expect any different result. Chapter 7 is a nuclear bomb, financially.

Update on Apr 11, 2011 at 9:33AM by Mark Johns

It’s not even the bankruptcy that is the biggest problem. It turns out that because I didn’t have a lawyer for my divorce, I didn’t get the advice I should have, which was to sell the house, take the loss, and get out from under it. I didn’t get my name off the title, and I was still on the mortgage contract, so now I’m doubly screwed. Forget about 2 years until some lenders might consider me, with the appropriate responsible behaviour, now it might be as long as 7 years before the foreclosure, which was not my choice, stops poisoning the well.

My advice: Don’t get divorced. But if you must, get a lawyer, and make sure your finances are completely separated from your ex. Don’t let their continued bad judgement spill onto you. I can’t provide for my new family, because my ex decided to run away from her old one, and I didn’t make sure I wouldn’t get tarred with the same brush.

A wiseguy once said...

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

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Ashes, Ashes, We all fall down.

Since I grew up Lutheran, I know lent very well. It was one of 2 seasons of the year when we went to church on Wednesday nights, as well as Sunday morning. I remember thinking it odd that my Baptist friends went to church on Wednesday all year long, but didn’t talk about Lent or Advent. Anyway, many of us know and observe Lent to varying degrees. It’s popular for people, even non-religious people to talk about ‘giving something up for Lent’. Whether they do or not, I think the point is lost if all you do or intend is to stop getting Starbucks in the morning.

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Aslan is on the move

In "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe", C.S. Lewis tells of a land where it is "Always Winter, but never Christmas". This land, Narnia, is ruled by a witch who lives in fear of the fulfillment of a prophecy. As the story unfolds and the prophecy draws nearer to fulfillment, the inhabitants of Narnia, the talking animals, whisper that Aslan is on the move.

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