I Read Too Much

If I were to ask you right this second to grab a mirror and take a long, hard look at yourself what is the first thing you would see?  Be honest here. I'm not asking you to reply to this post with your answer.  Look again.  What do you see now?  If you are anything like me you noticed the imperfection(s) straight away, whether they are actual or perceived.  It's alright, I'm just the disembodied voice on the other side of this computer, I can't see you.  But you want to know what I'd really see?  Beauty.  I'd see the gift God made you to be.  I'd see the beauty that was uniquely bestowed upon you by a Creator that doesn't make mistakes.  I can do that.  I have no problems seeing in others what I cannot see in myself. In fact, the first thing I see when I look in the mirror is my scar.  I have one.  Its right there in the center of my forehead begging to be noticed and laughed at.  Truly, no ...

Today at church we celebrated Pentecost.  Pastor's message was on Focusing on the Filling. You know, Pentecost...the Holy Spirit came upon them like a mighty wind and flaming tongues above their heads, and they were all filled.  Truly, I can only imagine what a wonder that would have been, how it would have felt.  In fact, there is a part of me that is a wee bit jealous over their experience.  Oh, I know, we all have the opportunity to have that feeling, that experience.  We call it Entire Sanctification.  This is something I could go on about for some time, but it isn't the point of this post.  However, before I do get there, to my point that is, I want to leave you with one thought on this subject - there is no better feeling in the world than to know you are walking hand-in-hand with the Lord.  No better comfort than to know you are working together with the Spirit to be filled by Him while being emptied of your self.  (Not emptied of the ...

Roy Orbison was on to something when he recorded this song all those years ago.  It's been my theme song for quite some time.  I've worked really hard at keeping it at bay - the loneliness, not the song.  Truly I've had some good days.  Days in which I keep so busy with one thing or another that I don't have time to reflect on it.  Those days really it isn't things and activities, it is conversation with others.  In fact, there are nights, I hate to admit, that I will have multiple conversations going on all at once.  No, it's true and quite possible!  Several are by text and several more by messenger.  I try to fill my time with talk.  With other people. I know that my Christian friends will be the first to jump in, right now, and say "you should be spending that time with the Lord, in prayer, in meditation, in reading His word."  Truth - they are right.  So completely right.  That's what I really should ...

I'm at a crossroads.  I can feel it.  I can tell that the source of my words is fading, fading with each passing day.  It isn't that I don't have anything to talk about, I do, yet what I have to say hasn't formed itself into the right story yet.  And that is just it.  I am without a story to tell.  I doubt I will ever be one of those authors that can string together words to sentences; sentences to paragraphs; paragraphs to chapters; and chapters to a book - all revolving around fictional characters.  I don't have the creativity.  No, I'm not self effacing here, I just simply don't "feel" it.  I had the pleasure tonight of meeting a woman, whose name I will keep to myself, that has just recently written a book and sent to a publisher.  Her story is set in the late 1800's and is a romance/suspense novel.  I could have talked to her for hours.  How did she develop the characters?  How did she know what to base her story on...

I did it!  I finished one of my goals.  I took a giant step towards the first day of the rest of my life.  I finished my degree.  What started with small steps, one to two classes at a time, at a traditional college, ended with a runner's sprint to the finish line at a school with a program geared towards working adults/professionals.  All I can say is - where was this school all those years ago?!  Despite the time it took to finish this goal, I can say one thing with certainty; it came at the exact time it needed to, at a precise moment in time.  I knew this was going to be a year of many firsts.  Truth, I've already experienced a lot of them.  So far, this is my favorite!  And it isn't so much the completion of this goal that makes it so.  No, it is all the love and encouragement that I received for accomplishing this goal.  You really need to know - I am so blessed.  I have the most amazing group of people I g...