About Me....

Let me say first that I am not one of those bloggers who feel like you probably want to know every detail of my life, my relationships, my dreams, my mom, etc. There are many very good personal blogs out there that cover those subjects very well and I am in no way disparaging the journal-blog genre.

But I started this blog to focus on God and use my personal experiences to highlight the way God can work in an everyday, ordinary Christian's life.

But, like you, as I read the posts of my favorite bloggers, I find myself becoming just a little bit curious about who they are, how they've turned into this person that I read every day and just simple things like, are they married, do they work full-time, etc.

So I thought I'd write just a little bit about me ---- just in case you were curious.

I am a 34 year old single woman. I formally committed my life to God at age 24, after I got tired of dating, running around and pretending like I could make it on my own. I am employed full-time by the Federal government and currently live in Michigan. I am in a very happy relationship with a wonderful guy about whom I cannot write (because he would kill me!). Suffice it to say that he is, in many ways, the man I've always dreamed about and I'm very happy God brought him into my life.

Other than that, I just started going back to school this fall (finally!). I am pursuing my degree in Psychology, because I'd like to have the paper to back up what I am passionate about. Are degrees necessary in ministry? That's a subject we could debate all day long - I just felt that since this will (eventually) be my full-time calling, it would benefit me (and you) to get as much knowledge as possible. But of course I know just as many wise people who have never been to anybody's college. Maybe that will be the subject of a post some other day....

Mostly I just wanted to tell you all that I'm really lovin' this whole blogging experience! I had started a website about a year and a half ago, but blogging is so much more immediate and connecting. I've enjoyed every single person I've met and I love reading what my brothers and sisters have to say about life, love and God.

I hope that you all have benefited in some way by visiting me here and I promise to do my absolute best to pass on the knowledge that God has so graciously imparted to me.

If you get nothing else out of this blog, I hope you know that GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD! He Does answer prayers and He Does hear our cries.

And that's it.

Talk to you all soon!!!!

Religion, Spirituality, Christian, Christianity, God, Blogging

Summer Madness

Oh, dear readers, I must confess - I've been neglecting you. I think of you often. I wonder how you are. I promise myself that I'll get back to writing soon. But something has overtaken me:

Summer Madness.

Every year it hits me and every year I am surprised by it.

Summer is absolutely, positively my favorite season of the year. I love the heat, I love the clothing, and I love all the outdoor activities. If I haven't traveled all year, I am newly inspired to find some place to go. If I've traveled, I seek locations that represent the season - warm, lush and inviting. If I have new clothes, I want to wear them as soon as I get them home. If I have old clothes, I try to find new ways to wear them. Is it just me?!?

I feel alive. I feel reborn. And, by summer's end: I am exhausted! So much to do. So much to see. So many outdoor festivals to attend. I absolutely love to people watch, and it doesn't get any better than in the midst of midriff tops, low riders, couples and singles alike.

So I have been neglecting you.

I'd like to tell you that I'm growing spiritually as I loaf outside reading my favorite books, catch yet another flight to yet another place or mindlessly watch tv, but that would be untrue. Between early mornings and late nights, I pray (but just barely), read some scriptures (but not nearly as consistently as in the cooler months) and I make plans for my ministry (but mostly just enjoy the sun).

So I ask for your forgiveness and your prayers, but mostly, I hope you all are having fun, too!

How is this summer going for you?

Religion, Spirituality, Christian, Christianity, Summer, Fun

The Barber Shop: About Fatherhood

T.H., over at The Barber Shop did a great post about a week ago called 'About Fatherhood'. I found it personally to be very inspiring and encouraging to hear a man talk about the joys of fatherhood. With the prevalence of DNA testing being done on talk shows to determine if some (very reluctant) man is the father of someone else's child, and men banding together to see if they can establish parental rights as strong as a woman's (i.e., not have to legally support their children if they were not in favor of him or her being born), it's refreshing to see a brother who feels that fatherhood is both a blessing and a privilege. Here is an excerpt from T.H.'s article.

I'm a proud father of two baby boys, an almost three-year-old and a one-year-old. Prior to becoming a dad I was kind of indifferent about having kids, because my dad was very distant when I was a kid so I guess I looked at children as being a burden to some extent.

In our popular culture a lot of brothers equate freedom and the "good life" to having little or no responsibilities. We're taught to fear being tied down by anything, be it marriage, children, or too much hard work. Words like commitment, discipline, and responsibility have a subtle negative burdensome connotation to them, so even when we embrace some of these situations it's often with a hint of mourning for our lost freedoms.

To read the entire article, visit here: The Barber Shop: About Fatherhood

Thank you, T.H., for a beautiful article.