Good
Friday morning and welcome. It is
October 23, 2015. I will be doing some Santa dress rehearsal promo photographs tomorrow at the professional studio. That should be interesting. It will give me an opportunity to wear my brand new suit and give it a trial run. Those of you who follow my blog each day are aware that I write it. Duh! Different people write for different reasons. I recently read some of the responses to the Why I Write question. There were many notable writers and their thoughts listed but I chose ordinary folks who responded. ~ "Because writing takes me on a journey within myself, to the core of who I am as a human being. I am a writer and explorer." ~ "Because the stories inside of me want to be told." ~ "My writing makes me seem clever and interesting. In real life I'm mostly a jumble of grunting noises." ~ "Because there is nothing better than when a story catches fire and comes to life on the page." ~ "I write to express what I'm too afraid to say out loud." ~ "I have things worth saying, and writing helps me say them." ~ "To remind others in the future that I once lived. To remind myself now that I'm still alive." ~ "I write because if I don't I will never experience the amazing adventures or meet the courageous people living inside my head." ~ "Words and ideas can change the world." There were many more but reading them did make me wonder why I do mine each day. I do think it is some of all of the above as well as it being an extension of myself and a way to hopefully share something of value. That may be far too noble of an answer but it is mostly what I thought about when answering the question.
Many years ago a lady told me that she could hear my voice when she read my writings. She meant it in a positive way and I've always thought that to be a very high compliment indeed because that's mostly what I shoot for. Some have thought my daily attempt at stringing words together must be some type of therapy. The good Lord knows I could use any and all of the therapy available but I'm not certain that it applies in this instance. Truth is, I do appreciate the opportunity to write and the forum for doing so, and most important, those who take the time to read. Thanks. I also appreciate something I've read that gets my attention and causes me to think. In an edition of a blog entitled Examined Life from June 2010, Natalie Marie the blog writer shared a paragraph written by Timothy Keller on this subject: Would Jesus Start the Kind of Church We Attend? Here's the paragraph that caught my eye: "Jesus's teaching consistently attracted the irreligious while offending
the Bible-believing, religious people of his day. However, in the main,
our churches today do not have this effect. The kind of outsiders Jesus
attracted are not attracted to contemporary churches, even our most
avant-garde ones. We tend to draw conservative, buttoned-down,
moralistic people. The licentious and liberated or the broken and
marginal avoid church. That can only mean one thing. If the preaching of
our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same
effect on people that Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same
message that Jesus did. If our churches aren't appealing to younger
brothers (as in the wayward son in the parable popularly known as "The
Prodigal Son") they must be more full of elder brothers (as in the
brother from the parable who resents his father's forgiveness of his
less righteous brother) than we'd like to think."
Not only is that excerpt well written but more than that it did reach out and grab me and caused me to think. I'm not saying I've totally digested all that he had to say but I'm still pondering his point. The power of words is a gift from God. We often think about how soothing and sweet words can be. In the Proverbs we read: "Like apples of gold in settings of silver Is a word spoken in right circumstances.
" (chapter 25, verse 11) But there are times when a word of confrontation or even a word of rebuke can bring recognition, insight, and needed change. Another verse from the Proverbs: "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy." (chapter 27, verse 6) Truth be told, I need, you need, we all need both encouragement and correction. I speak from much experience. Now we come to a close of another week where I have more than used up my allotted words.
What else is new? Right? I do hope that you and yours will have a wonderful Saturday and Lord's Day Sunday. I will attempt to rest up my head and my fingers so that I can hit the keyboard running come early next Monday morning. Lord willing. Enjoy. Amen. ......More later.
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