Carpe Diem

In life, religious books can serve as a guide to live. These are old texts, manuals that have stood the test of time. Over the winter, I went to Arizona for Spring Training and attended Sunday service. No, it wasn’t the church of baseball. Rarely, do I take the time to attend on vacation. I’m not sure why. I suppose I figured vacation meant breaking from all walks of life, including the holy trinity and gospel. The definition of a Binge Vacation? Cram as many sights and sounds into a single trip as possible. There never is enough time. Yet, on this trip, I found myself inside a chapel.

I often post full transcripts of speeches. Washington. King. Faulkner. Clinton. Gaiman. These are more for me to read. I post my work here, but it’s also a library or sorts. It even has a card catalog.

These notes (highlights) come from a sermon at a Baptist Church outside of Phoenix, AZ. Most of the reference points (highlights in italics) come from the book of Ecclesiastes.

• This is the unfortunate fact about everything that happens on earth: the same fate awaits everyone. So, choose life, death is a certainty.
• Leave your job, house, or project better than you found it. Make it so the next person who comes along stands up and takes notice. Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, the place where you will eventually go.
• When threatened, don’t blow up or clam up. Listen and reflect. The world isn’t about you. The words of the wise are heard in quiet, more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among fools.
• Always be a life long learner (This made its way into the Automattic creed). Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight; you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
• Ourselves can be our own worst enemies. Our doubt. Our fears. They get in the way of what we truly want to be in life. Instead of putting our hearts and souls out there, we worry about failure. Sometimes, we don’t even try at all, which is a waste.
• So remember your Creator in the days of your youth – before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no pleasure in them;” before the sun and the light of the moon and the stars grow dark, and the clouds disappear after the rain. Carpe Diem, Seize the day. Grab it and go. Life is sweet, and it pleases the eyes to see the sun. However many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all.

Some of the world’s best speeches can be found inside a church, loved the subtle nod to Dead Poet’s Society.

References

• All of the verses come from the Net Bible, an open source translation program.

• Carp Diem, the speech of all speeches. Lean in, listen real close. Do you hear it?