Names Change!

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Timothy S.

Names Change!

It’s 8:30 at night, I walk to my mailbox on the most pleasant of evenings in Grapevine TX after a pleasing day at work.

It’s a quiet night with the exception of blaring 747 jets landing routinely at DFW airport, while other loud oversized metal birds ascend ambitiously towards the heavens.

In this still night, a neighbor gracefully walks her beautiful dog and asks me where do I get my stories from. My reply, it’s my life. I just document it.

Some days are fantastic, others not as good and my promise to myself is to obey the command found in the wisest book of all time-Proverbs.
“This is the day the Lord hath made let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

I call my son and my ex-wife answers the phone. I address her as Mrs.Schwartz one last time for this weekend she will be making a life-long vow to someone else. Bless their hearts with marital bliss.

If she were to respond to my virtuous greeting with a song, it would be “The sound of silence.” I smile as I acknowledge Mrs.Schwartz is on the phone about to resign from my name and I had the privilege to call her that.

Do you remember as kids, hearing some goofy kid say “That’s my name, don’t wear it out?”

That annoying saying suddenly strikes me, a name can be worn out. Names can vanish into a nameless vapor and dissipate to the point of no return. Names can be returned and even be traded in for a new one.

For twenty plus years I proudly walked with a woman that shared my same name. It was a pleasure and an honor from the days of my late teens to my mid 40’s to be with a fine lady.

This is a great day, I rejoice. The joy of calling someone by your last name is a precious gift given by the Lord Himself.

She was an awesome gift and sometimes we forget about the gifts we receive and they are gone just like a puff of wind or as long it takes for the judge to unemotionally stamp her “Gold Seal” of approval on the dissolution of two different names stuck together.

Gloriously I united in love with my best friend, later to be severed by
a woman in a black robe with the power vested in her by the judicial system of the great state of New Jersey. Yes, names change.

On my journey I learn the only thing constant on Earth is “change” and names can change with the help of a local courthouse, where a marriage gets laid to rest.

People change. Names change. Faces change. Lovers change. Your home changes.

There is only one thing that never changes and that is God’s love for you. I promise you He can pick you up out of a pit when you fall into one.

Rejoice in this day! I write this memoir without shedding a single tear. How is that possible?

It is possible because when mankind rejects you, there is a God above all names that will pick you up if you turn to Him. My faith positions me to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ first and human beings second.

My ex-spouse used to be my sounding wall and confidant. As I journey, I learn first-hand true companionship is found in having Him as my confidant and He never fails me.

Thankfully God changed me. I no longer need to confide in the opposite sex for approval and you do not either. Everything we need God rains down on us, even in the dry state of Texas.

And if your matrimonial name changes from a decision of a fleeing spouse, know that you are loved by someone that will always hold your hand regardless what your name is.

It’s like Bon Jovi said’ “It’s all the same, only the names have changed.”

Besides, a rose by any other name is just as sweet.

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Worry and a Smile

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Timothy S.

As I cruise a dark road in the Lone Star State a bright yellow smiley-face glows effervescently so brightly it brought me an instant smile to my face.

I swing the car around immediately. The clock is approaching midnight. In the balmy 61 degree still weather, I open my window, pause and find myself smiling back at this happy face.

The electric sign suddenly serves as a magnet, treating me like a piece of iron and pulling me towards it inviting me to take a photograph.

A moment before this oversized smiley-face greeted me while it took up valuable advertising space permanently alongside an All State Insurance Agency sign, I was daydreaming as my car navigated the unfamiliar country road. My thoughts were don’t worry, be happy.

Happy is my mantra. I find great joy on my journey through life, but occasionally an undesirable image unwelcomely enters my mind and it causes a burst of quick acting stress with a bit of fear as its partner.

No matter how happy we are and protected we are, there are evil forces in this world and they will attack us. The assault often takes place in the midst of a peaceful moment. I just enjoyed my evening with some beautiful and loving friends.

So why would I say “Don’t worry, be happy?”

Lord knows there are some things we have no control over. We can not change how some things that are near and dear to our heart play out.

We can only control our response to these dehabilitating thoughts when out of nowhere they quickly enter our mind. Knowing worry is unproductive, a good response is Be Happy.

It is like Kane from Kung Fu (mid 70’s television series) said to Grasshopper, “Why worry? Will it change the future?”

We know the obvious answer is no to that thought provoking and powerful question yet we allow unwanted worry into our precious minds stirring fear that affects the best of moods, interrupting that peaceful easy feeling.

If you can not change something, why worry? We worry because fear creeps in. Fear is nothing short of crippling and the opposite of faith.

In my changed state of worrying, God reached out to me when He observed His child feeling a burden. God’s love overcomes evil forces. He placed Don’t Worry, Be Happy in my head and in less than a Texas mile up the road a well lit yellow happy face shines brightly lighting my path.

My eyes happily absorb the smiley-face posted in front of me and my heart thanked God gleefully for displaying a picture worthy and timely message for me in direct response to an unhappy thought.

Can I ask a favor of you? Next time you worry….don’t. Replace worry with a smile. If you commune honestly with God, I bet He places that bright smile and a happy face somewhere so blatantly you can not miss it. You will know it is for you when you see it. Smile now.

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Weak to be Strong!

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Timothy S.

Are you a weakling? If so, admit. I was.

On my journey I rub shoulders with a bodybuilder type of guy with a freshly stamped tattoo draping half of his torso. It boldly states, “Only the strong will survive.”

The message he is broadcasting appears to be brut-strength. I think the bold letters imprinted on his body are not there to represent this man’s well-stacked bulging muscles but to remind himself of his own mental-toughness and strength.

This young gentleman is in the early stages of divorce and his new tattoo serves as daily affirmation to himself of his inner- driven strength and strong resolve. This daily reminder suggests an attempt to self-propel oneself through a difficult and painful time.

We men have a tendency to think we are strong. Believe me when I tell you this. I know an individual that regretfully sports a Superman logo on his chest. Our society and upbringing rightfully teaches us as men, we are to be strong, and instinctively we desire strength both physically and mentally. We need it and will go to great lengths to secure it.

The problem with self-taught mental strength is it carries within itself limitations and can fade as fast as a cheap bootlegged tee-shirt bought outside a late-night concert venue. We all have our limits even if we perceive ourselves as Charles Atlas, yet strength is vital for us to exist peacefully on this planet.

Will the strong survive? Yes, but first they must become weak. In weakness there is true strength because that is when power is given to us.

When you are weak and surrender fully to the Lord Jesus Christ, He will pick you up and carry you. Being carried by God Himself gives strength that no man can match regardless of what we tell ourselves and how much inner-strength we try to bolster when emotional strength is needed.

God promises He will make the weak strong. Nowhere does He make a promise that He will make “the strong” strong. The promise is in writing at Isaiah 40:29, “He gives power to the weak, and to those that have no might He increases strength.”

I am living proof when manly strength fails and weakness abounds, God’s strength storms in if you wait for it. He only gives this supernatural-strength to those that surrender to Him and admit they can not do it on their own.

All pride must be swallowed to access this great strength that is available to all of us. No guy likes to admit he can not do it on his own but there is great reward in asking for this strength to come from God.

In my weakness I was found and rescued by Jesus Christ. Today, I walk taller with my head held higher than I have ever carried it before. I have true strength today because Christ strengthens me and not because of any mental toughness I may have garnered up through determined teeth-clenching.

God gives us strength when we rely on Him for it. He gave and continues to give me strength that carried me to where I am today. This freely given strength lifted me through the pain of divorce, financial loss, hurts, and other broken relationships.

One must admit weakness in order to be strong. It’s like that Top-40 hit song from 1979, “You have to be cruel to be kind.” Well…the song that needs to be written today is “You have to be weak to be strong.”

True strength comes from God, not an attitude despite what the best-selling self-improvement books teach us.

Are you in need of strength today? Are you more apt to find it in the sweaty gym or in your own soul and heart when you allow God to infiltrate your inner-being and take up residency in your heart.

When you are ready to find genuine strength, be weak first and thank God for allowing you to be weak for He gives power to the weak.

“You have to be weak to be strong.” I can hear it on the upcoming charts. Are you listening?

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Tiger’s Eye and a Gift

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Timothy S.

Today, I received a Tiger’s eye necklace handmade by an authentic Native American.

I came across this gentlemen for he ran out of gas on a major Texas highway and I stopped to help him.

At first I thought he was Spanish and it was one of the few times since being in Texas that I did not practice my Spanish speaking skills which I am becoming fluent in slowly but surely at an unrelentess pace.

Much like the Lone Ranger’s friend Tonto or more accuratey like Chief in “One Flew Over The Cookoos Nest” , this man hardly stammered out two words after I helped him and they were “Thank you.” He is a man of few words.

After retrieving my gas can from him he had his hands at the nape of his neck unfastening his necklace. I was wondering what he was doing and then he handed his necklace to me.

The jewelry reminded me of Indian pieces I saw our natives selling in Santa Fe last year. There was no Spanish accent, so at this point, I asked if he was Native American. He said yes and we shared what tribes we are both from. I Blackfoot, he Apache.

It reminded me of Chief receiving a piece of gum from Jack Nicholson in that best picture of the year in 1975 and the only time Chief spoke was one time and he simply said “Thank you.”

I did not want to accept the gift and I am glad I did. This former conservative stuffed shirt now wears 3 necklaces and each one has it’s own story.

How many times have we helped someone and quickly forgotten the good deed? When I see this handmade necklace made from a distant brother that habitates in El Paso, I will always remember how grateful a man was for a little help along the way.

It’s like Bruce said, “We swore blood brothers against the wind, I am ready to grow young again.”

Well… I wouldn’t make this small ceremony of passing a necklace that monumental and thank G-d there was no blood exchanged, and there was no wind in the Texas heat other than the warm breeze kicked up by passing 18 wheelers. Him taking that necklace off with speaking no words, it could only make me think of when the Indians gave blankets to the early settlers and the pioneers of our country without understanding any English, just kindness.

A simple gift when given in appreciation and not obligation is well received with the real joy being in giving.

I gave some compassion and concern along a bleak well traveled Texas highway and he got to give something that was valuable to him.

Call it Tigers Eye, Eye of the Tiger, call it as you will. It is a gemstone I will treasure until I get to pass it along to someone one day in exchange for my appreciation.

The beauty is in giving and receiving when not expected or warranted.

Giving is a gift, a gift of love.

What can you give to someone today and know they will treasure it where you both emerge as better people for it?

This my friend is priceless.

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How Good is God

Posted on September 29, 2012 by Timothy S.

How Good is God?

Written truly by Timothy Schwartz
(Just a guy on a journey)
http://justaguyonajourney.com

HOW GOOD IS GOD?

I am about to show you.

It is New Years Day. U2 has a song about nothing changing on New Year’s Day. I disagree, everything changed for me today January 1, 2012.

I am on the road with John Eddie and his band serving as John’s road manager. My head lifts itself off the pillow as my weary eyes open and I break routine.

Normally, I grab my phone first thing with anticipation and read my daily devotion at Our Daily Bread. In a twist of habit for me before interacting with my phone I immediately go to the Lord in prayer praising him relentlessly. Praise after praise flowing almost uncontrollably from my heart.
My morning starts with one praise after the other. What a powerful way to start a new year. I love it!

In the hotel room, my eyes glance at the plastic alarm clock in bright red numbers as almost to warn me that breakfast in a short while will no longer be available. I soon realize the wafflemaker will be cooling off in 20 minutes and if I miss it, the best it gets after that is a kid’s-size box of Cheerios.

I, who never wants to miss the free breakfast at a hotel delayed my morning devotion and grabbed Gideons’ Bible under my arm. I quickly shuffled quietly out of the room and darted down the narrow hallway to the iconic elevator that always seems lost in space when you are in a rush.

After pushing the button 19 times
I made way to the breakfast area that was packed with either hungry or just punctual people. Carrying an abundant amount of joy in my heart I smiled graciously at the people as they heated up their waffles and toasted their English Muffins.

Sipping my very first cup of coffee in 2012. I prayed Lord, show me what you want me to read today and with no page perusing or sifting of any chapters I opened the Bible right away to Psalm 145. In Psalm 145, I read all about God’s love, kindness and GOODNESS with his loving compassion for all that He made. The first verse starts with “Praises” as I was doing the same a few minutes earlier upstairs. It was right on. What timing…

I was a little troubled but optimistic and grateful about Psalm 145:9 . He says “The Lord is GOOD TO ALL, He has compassion on all He has made.”

Now mind you, I wasn’t questioning God and I have no doubt that God is living and is alive and well today but I did say to myself, “Good to all?? ”

How can that be accurate? How about the people that are suffering from various ailments, loss of love, and even premature deaths.

I do not know the answer to those questions but I was walking with so much love and grace in my heart when I got back to my room, I picked up John Eddie’s Gibson guitar that entertained many the night before and I chose to continue in my worship to God via a well broken-in acoustic guitar.

I plucked a G chord on the beat-up six string that looks like Willie Nelson’s guitar on its worst day. Instantly a melody flowed from my heart much to the bass player’s dismay for Keith was still snoring. I gently strummed two chords repetitiously from G to A minor. I whispered in my untuned voice over and over…

“I will sing, sing you praises…
I will sing, sing you Pslams.

I will sing, sing I will sing, sing you praises…
I will sing, sing you Pslams. praises.
I will sing, sing a new song.

I will sing, sing you praises…
I will sing, sing you Pslams.

I am thankful for my savior
And I am saved because of the nails put through his palms.

I will sing, sing you praises…
I will sing, sing you Pslams.”

Keith being the friendly guy that he is jumped out of bed and said it sounds pretty good but try it this way.
He confidently grabbed the guitar from me and added a McCartney touch of Blackbird notes to my Johnny Cash sounding tune.

It was the birth of my first songwriting session that was designed purely for God’s glorification.

My morning started with so much grace and now I see why.
God positioned me for the news I would receive today while I drove the band home. Here is where He showed me His compassion and goodness just like He said He would in the hotel breakfast area.

In my cheerfulI mood with the van nearly on auto pilot I learned that my former wife got engaged a few days before Christmas to a man that moved in with my wife and kids and used my house as his home. Yes we were separated for a few months by her choice, however, she was still lawfully and hopefully married to me. As the band would tell you and anyone that knew me I was hoping my family would be restored and this by far was the most painful thing I ever endured in my life.

Not long ago, I would have preferred death to such news of my wife marrying another man and would wonder what that day will look like if and when it comes. I wondered, how will I react if this divorce goes through and she falls in love with someone else.

My reaction: Well…. I did not flinch with even the slightest amount of hurt, pain, or even disappointment. I actually smiled and was happy for her for she is professing such happiness. (This is nothing short of the Holy Spirit acting in me for He is alive and well, our great Comforter.)

God talks about peace beyond our understanding when we lean into Him. While I have known Christ most of my life, I leaned into Jesus heavily since Nov 2009, two months after my unwanted separation, I realized I am nothing on my own and I need His help.

So God worked in my life today as the Holy Spirit moved inside my heart saying it’s all good, it’s all good Tim. Yes, He is GOOD! He saved me from more pain today and actually turned potential disaster into a miraculous smile.

So is God good?

Of course He is.

Photo courtesy of the one and only Shara Michele. Thanks Shara.

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There will never be a more beautiful you.

Posted on September 26, 2012 by Timothy S.

There will never be a more beautiful you.

Written truly by Timothy Schwartz

Over thirty years ago I remember seeing a refrigerator magnet that said “God don’t make no junk.”

The double negative on that magnet was so obtrusive it nearly lunged off the refrigerator door but the important message remained openly displayed on the fridge and it was recalled into my memory tonight more than three decades later as I gazed in my mind of all the beautiful people that I know and everyone of them is different and have their own special glow.

God made us, of course He doesn’t make any junk. Heck, we all need a little touch-up and a little paint, nonetheless, we were all made “one of a kind” and junk is not an included ingredient in us.

Despite our flaws and imperfections, we were still created by someone that loves us more than we can comprehend.

There will never be another you. God made plans for you long before you were ever born.

You are beautiful, creative, unique in every way and loved tremendously.

Many people may be called by your same name and even if you carried identical features, think about it, does anyone have your identical thoughts? Do others conjure the same pictures in their mind as you do when they visualize something? I don’t think so. Not even those that share the same genes.

There is only one you, yesterday, today, and forever.

We are all special with a complex design similar to few but not the same. In an abundantly populated world with billions of people, how does this happen?

The simple answer is God created you and He created every single person on our wonderful planet. We were built as individuals with our own minds because it pleases God when we turn towards Him using our own free will. He could have created a billion plus robots that do only what they are told to do.

Thankfully, He didn’t choose the robot model. He made YOU personally and lest you forget, “He doesn’t make any junk.” Always remember, You are beautiful!

Take this message to heart. Walk tall, keep your chin up. Smile wide.

Be humble yet proud, there will never be another you. Thank God for making you who you are with your own soul, individual thoughts, and your own belief-system.

Ponder this rhetorical yet well intended question for a moment. Is there anyone out there that is you? Do you know another you? Of course not!

Look at you. Look at yourself in the mirror. Do you see “You”? You are you. Others can see you but no one else can be you. You are special and you surpass all others at being like you. You excel at being you, so keep up the good-work that the Lord hath made and keep being you.

There is a song “There will never be a more beautiful you” that fits most appropriately into this message and I will close this writing on that note but before I say good night can you do me a favor please? All I ask is that you remember something from this writing. I want you to remember there will never be a more beautiful you.

If I were to push my luck and ask a second favor. I would ask you to tell all your children today, there will never be a more beautiful you.

If you don’t have children, tell anyone you know or don’t know, there will never be a more beautiful you.
Spread the good news. Spread the love.

I trust this message is clear, there will never be a more beautiful you.

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Talk to Me.

Posted on September 23, 2012 by Timothy S.

Talk to me!

Southside Johnny shouts out, “Talk to me until the night is over.” Born and raised in New Jersey, of course I am fan of the singer Southside Johnny. My fellow Jersey guy, Bruce Springsteen wrote many of Southside Johnny’s songs including “Talk to me.” so you know this song must have heart.

I love that tune. It has a great beat. Singing it offers the thrilling feeling that is experienced after a healthy outburst of shouting favorite lyrics.

On my journey, my perspective changed . Who do I want to talk to me? It’s not a woman like Southside suggests. It is God HIMSELF .

He does talk to me and He will talk to you too. When you sing out to God in your own version of “Talk to Me,” He will.

That is exactly what I did. Last week, I started my morning by strumming three simple chords on my guitar softly yet repetitiously singing to God, “I want to hear your voice, I want to hear from you.”

He answered me and talked to me shortly thereafter as I drove my car to work.

He is God and can talk any way He chooses to talk. He has no limits. He communicated the words vision and hearing to my inner being . He then pointed out several storefront signs that carried instruction for me.

The message He showed me opened my eyes to what He wants me to do about a particular matter that comes across my mind on a daily basis. Something that I pray about often.

Later in the day, I shared this way of hearing God talk with a friend. I mentioned the meaning of the individual signs for they pronounced a message to me with their giant size letters. Missing the signs is apt to happen if God did not blatantly point them out.

My friend said “Tim” (with a sense of disbelief in her voice), “You think everything little thing is God talking to you.”

Well…if we are in constant commune with Him then yes He is talking to us personally. He desires to have conversations with us on a daily basis.

The key is to test these messages against His written Word and make sure it is God speaking.

I can be wrong and hear inaccurately; although, I was confident it was God’s voice Talking to Me. Ensuring it was God’s voice talking to me, I prayed God, please speak to me and let me know if these constant messages I am seeing are of You or just my wishful thinking.

I concluded what I heard is God speaking to me. How do I know? By confirmation through prayer and his Word.

Seeking confirmation I asked God for a scripture that speaks to this request. I then pulled a verse out of my box of God’s promises that I keep in my car. I drew only only one verse. Exodus 25:22.

The scripture says “I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat.” Message confirmed.

You see, He does speak intimately with us.

Filled with an overcoming joy I excitingly praised the Lord and cried out with a humble heart, “God, you are so good to me, You are so awesome, so cool…THANK YOU, thank you for speaking to me as you always do.”

In my ectasy I felt compelled to lookup the word commune in the handy dictionary that is available in the palm of my hand via my Iphone.

Definition of Commune: To talk intimately with.

Intimately?!? My friends, this is what is called a confirmation. Scripture backed up the truth and the message God spoke to me.

He speaks openly with us when we praise Him and then listen expectantly for His communication.

While driving in your car, have you ever sang at the top of your lungs? Next time sing faithfully with your own heart in your own words “Talk to me” and direct it to no other than the Holy Spirit. Wait with open eyes and open ears.

If you trust Him, He will talk to you.

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Forgiveness

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Timothy S.

Written truly by Timothy Schwartz
(Just a guy on a journey)
Reosold@gmail.com

If you find this writing useful, please pass it along.

The Master forgave us and continues to forgive us and maybe now it’s your turn.

He forgives us for our every sin and He loves us more than we can ever comprehend, more so than any human has the capacity to love us.

Sometimes we all make poor decisions that affect others in our lives and sometimes there is pain inflicted on those people.

Sometimes we are on the receiving end of someone else’s behavior or a hurtful decision they made.

The good news is we do not have to be victims .
We get to choose our response. We can cruise forward at an unsounding speed. The key to this everlasting freeway has only one toll to pay before you access it.

The toll is forgiveness and not only can you afford it, you can’t afford not to give it and it’s the best investment one can make.

There is a heavy weight lifted off of us as we forgive those offenders even though they caused us to experience injustices and some painful grief.

Resentment hurts and the only person it hurts is us if we choose to hang on to it. It makes more sense for our own health to just let it go.

Just as Jesus forgives us, we are commanded to forgive others. When Jesus tells us to do something, I have learned it is for our own benefit.

God is still on His throne despite bad things that happen to his children.

When we respond with forgiveness our light shines brighter and others see God dwelling in us. This gives God room to make us into better, more loving people. Forgiveness!

Let’s pray for those people that hurt us and grow in our faith and watch God work in our lives. He sets us free and rings the freedom bell in our hearts even if it has a crack in it.

The folk singer Josh Ritter said something about every heart being a package someone else has tied into knots.

Forgiveness unties our own knots and makes our hearts healthy with vivacious heartbeats allowing us to forget what those other people did to hurt us.

When we respond properly God turns those trials and pain into something positive that we could not experience otherwise.

So TODAY, forgive those people for they not know what they did. We all have selfish blind spots that only God can remove, cleanse, and fix.

Today, I challenge you to forgive those lost people and pray for their healing. Pray their hearts turn toward Jesus. Who knows? Maybe one day The Holy Spirit awakens them and they seek genuine heart felt forgiveness from us and of course we will give it to them so freely that we experience a vindication beyond our intelligent understanding.

Forgiveness! It can happen. It will happen. It has happened. It brought us liberty. It brings us freedom! Praise the precious Lord of hosts!!!

Is there anyone you need to forgive today? Pray for them!

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Write Now.

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Timothy S.

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Will HE talk Write Now?

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Timothy S.

Will He talk Right/Write Now?

I recently developed an interest in writing. Yesterday I attended a seminar about writing that I heard promoted on a local radio station.

After spending my day at the presentation, I asked God, “Is this what you want me to do?” I personally would much rather speak than write.

The next morning, I attended a workshop at my church about hearing from God. The good news is we can all hear from God everyday. One way to hear His voice is to pray in faith and listen.

The teacher led us in prayer and asked God that He speaks to us now and tells us what He wants to tell us.

As I await in prayer, all of a sudden I am hearing write, write, write, did you hear me? Write.
God’s voice whispered in my ear to write.

The teacher prayed and left a moment of silence in between her words while we listened for God’s voice. After each request she asked of God, she allowed a few seconds of quietness while we waited for God to speak to us.

The students sat quietly with our eyes closed. I heard God. He told me to write. This was not the answer I expected to hear and I asked God to tell me if this is what I really should be doing.

I sat quietly in God’s presence listening ever so closely waiting for a confirmation of what I heard him say to me. Momentarily, the silence broke. The next two words out of the teacher’s mouth during the prayer flowed very clearly in her gentle Southern voice “Riiiight NOW!…listen for His voice.”

RIGHT NOW? WRITE NOW??? Although it is spelled differently, I heard what the teacher said. Phonetically she softly exclaimed “Write Now.”

Class was soon dismissed and I found myself during the worship service, listening to the singer burst out with a song based upon Revelation 5:12. Melodically he projected “RIGHT NOW (Write Now) hear God’s voice!”

During the sermon, the preacher inquired “Right Now (Write Now) what is the holy spirit saying to you?

I know what HE is saying to me and I asked Him for confirmation.

Lured by the fresh aroma of brewing coffee, I strolled into the volunteer lounge at Church and saw a woman sitting alone so I joined her. There was a pen on the table and it drew my attention for all the other tables were void of any writing instruments. I think maybe the pen represents writing.

The woman was painfully introverted so in an effort to continue a conversation after a stall for words, I asked what does her husband do. He is a motivational speaker and he writes.

I found it interesting that out of 20 empty tables I pull up a chair next to someone that tells me her husband is a writer. I stared at that pen once again as if it stared blankly back towards me. I fully tuned into the message being sent to me.

On my way home I listened to a sermon on my I phone about wisdom. The pastor spoke of a plethora of wisdom found in the many books that have been written over the years. He mentioned writings of Charles Spurgeon from well over 100 years ago that still have meaning today.

So, I believe I should write. Will my thoughts collected on paper be read 100 years from now? Highly unlikely. I predict a shelf life of anywhere from 100 seconds to a 100 days before my journal entry is long forgotten by my casual readers and friends.

I do hope the Lord uses my writings to encourage you today and you see how God works in people’s lives. I hope to be able to depart some lessons, knowledge and answers I pick up along this journey I am on.

Maybe some words will resonate with you as I write about my experiences in God’s presence and you see God’s hand in our daily living.

HE created us and loves us and HE takes joy in communicating with us. HE will guide us and tell us what to do and what direction we should best follow.

Do you care to hear from HIM today? Ask HIM and listen. Tune in. You will receive a word.

He may speak right now and you may want to journalize it and write it down right now. If so, please share with me. 🙂 /em>

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