simply me

I love writing. Over the years, I have found that writing is a great tool for me to process and get things out of my mind. Not all of my writing makes sense.... those are the journals that get thrown out after a few years... but other times, I think highly enough of my writing to share it with others - with you, the reader of my blog (to be honest, I'm often less confident in these writings than I give on). Additionally, I really enjoy sharing things that I have learned - or am currently learning. It's in that later phrase where my writing finds hesitation.  When I go through trials, make stupid or embarrassing mistakes, learn a really hard lesson, or am down on life, it's really hard to want to share those moments with the world. There are a few trusted companions who may or may not hear about those times (and may or may not receive my rambling writings). More often though, no one does. I reckon there are two fears at play here.  First, the obvious one ...

Sometimes, life is like this picture. You know there's something beautiful there, but it's really hard to see through the blur of the rain. Recently, I have come to realize another aspect of community which should be held in great esteem: Sharing.  I mean sharing your experiences with people, sending a quick message or photo about something that happened that day, or having a brief conversation about an event. Spending some time to share about life and what's been happening.   There have been many days recently that I have had a much greater desire to just sleep in, watch a show, or sit doing nothing, than to get up and do the work set before me. It's lackadaisical and it's depressing. I have had opportunities to be with people in community and have turned them down. This isolation only makes things worse. I have come to realize in the last few days that I have gotten to this stage due to my own lack of intentionality with community.  I do a lot...

This morning I was flipping through my Bible searching for a verse to encourage a sister. I had no particular verse in mind and was hoping to stumble across some lost gem. When passage "titles" mentioned encouragement or blessings, I would look a little closer at the text. I landed in Colossians 1. The section beginning at verse 3 is titled "Thanksgiving and Prayer" in my Bible.  I realized part way through that I missed some words 😅 However, it is good to think about scripture in our own words to relate it to our lives. As I read the first two verses there I thought about the woman I was looking to encourage: "Am I grateful for her faith?" "Do I thank God that she is my heavenly sister?"  "Do I thank Him for bringing her into my life?" "Do I thank God for any of my fellow Christians?" Through this I am compelled to give prayers of thanksgiving for my brothers and sisters in Christ. To see the impact...