What to Make of It All - Part 1

I'm sure that all of you millions of my blog readers will be as shocked to hear this as I will be to share it with you, but here's the truth of it. 


I'm about to turn 40 years old. 


That's not the shocking part, really. The shocking part is the fact that I feel so ill-equipped to be writing a blog that was originally crafted as an encouragement to others...in the Word.


The older I get, the more I realize that you don't need me, or anybody else to make God's Word come alive in you. You just need Him, and His Word, and a commitment to both of you that you'll dig in, and dig deeper, and keep on digging.


And then, you need grace. 


Grace for yourself, knowing that there will be things in life that hit you right between the eyes and will make you question everything you have come to know about God....about life....about everything you've ever even questioned....for that too, will seem to come into question.


Have I lost you yet?


It's the valley, my dear friends. Sometimes those valleys are brief, and you jet right through them like a gazelle. 
Sometimes, they are deep and rocky and dark and smelly and confusing and you get cut up just trying to walk through them. As you make it along your merry way, "SLAM!" you hit a rock overhang you didn't see coming.


Or, maybe there's a pointy craggy rock poking right out from the side, one that you felt sure you'd be able to hold on to for support for your next step, and yet instead it cuts right into your side and leaves you bleeding.


Unexpected.


Painful.


Life.


What are we to do in times like these? Where do we go?


How do we make it through them?


Ah, I have more questions, but my Lord, he just laid down in bed...my invite to warm myself by his side, and spend the best hours of my day with the one whom I love beyond words.


To be continued...

I Just Don't Want To Talk Today

I remember many years ago, when I was a waitress in a cool little cafe' in Houston and Derek Webb of Caedmon's Call would come in and we'd chat over coffee when my station wasn't busy.

I frequented the Bible study that he, as a part of Caedmon's Call, played for each Monday night at the First Baptist Church of Houston, and loved their music even before they had hit it big.

One of the days when he came in, Derek explained to me in detail about why he'd written the then recent song, "I Just Don't Want Coffee Today."

As I was thinking of a title for tonight's post, his song title came to mind.

So as a tribute to my then friend Derek I will say, I Just Don't Want To Talk Today....

I'll hit the highlights for you though....
I'm sick of MS...sick to death of it
I'm tired of all that it entails
I'm bummed that I was in another city for 2.5 weeks, where the humidity is higher and the elevation lower, and I felt great...but I come home to Phoenix and am tanking by the day....
I want to honor God through all of this, yet often don't feel that I am doing a very good job of that
I need to hear the voice of my Lord...I long for a fresh word from His Word...I miss Him when we haven't had our sweet time together, and it feels way too long since I've had enough of that time with Him

Forgive me if I say, "I Just Don't Want To Talk Today."

My First Blog Award - Thanks, Paige!

I received my first blogger award last night from Paige @ Some Days You Gotta Dance.

Thanks Paige, I'm so excited! :)

I am supposed to pass this along to five bloggers who show great attitude or gratitude, and they are to return the favor to five bloggers as well.

Here's the deal though, most of the blogs that I read either have way too many followers to have the time to deal with all of the  blog awards they likely receive, or they are very personal...of their family and such, and I am hesitant to share them only for that reason.

So, I've just nominated two blogs, as I feel pretty sure that these two won't mind being promoted. and I love reading them!

1. Kim @ FeedTheFlock.blogspot.com

2. Laura @ LaurasLunch.blogspot.com

Please take a minute today to go by and visit these ladies and their blogs!