I’ve never met someone that likes the sound of their own voice.
I’m not saying that there aren’t people that do, just that they’re few and far between.
I’m a special case, however, because not only do I hate the sound of my voice, (I feel like I sound like I’m a five year old with a really bad chest cold) I also hate the ‘sound’ of my own writing — most of the time that is. There are some days I hate it more than others.
Today is one of those days apparently. It seems that everything I type just falls flat when I go back and re-read it. I’ve actually started trying to write about two different topics in the span of the past hour, but deleted it because I felt I was just babbling on rather than getting to the point.
Because of this I decided if my writing kept coming out like babble, I’ll go ahead and babble. This is my blog after all. I’d rather write babble than cop out and not write anything. However, I won’t be addressing the two topics I’d started tonight because I want to do them justice. Instead I’ll just be writing about writing.
I’m only four days in and I’m discovering that while writing itself is hard work; coming up with topics is even harder. This doesn’t mean I’m giving up. Far from it. Instead it makes me more determined. I should probably spend an hour or so just brainstorming ideas for blog fodder later.
Alright I just gave myself a goal of 500 words tonight, so I’ve got about 200 to go.
I need to pick up writing on my book again soon. But first I need to get a rough outline of the events of the book or else none of the characters will get where they’re going. I have a good idea for the beginning and end, but the middle is questionable. Without a journey you’ll never get to your destination.
The journey IS the story anyway. Without it every story would be the same, and be extraordinarily short. “Once upon a time, they lived happily ever after.” How boring. Where’s the sports? Where’s the twue wuv and mawwiage?
Argyle, a good friend of mine that runs the XP bonus blog wrote a story once that began with the end and ended with the beginning. While the journey and destination were switched, there was still a journey involved. He did a great job with it and I’ll see if he doesn’t mind if I post it here later. (Does that get me out of posting for that day?)
I just officially nodded off while writing so I suppose I should close this out and go to bed. So here are your discussion questions for the day. Talk amongst yourselves.
Questions:
Do you like the sound of your voice?
What are some interesting blog topics you’d like to see me cover?
“…in order to get there we must murder perfectionism. I was going to write, ‘put perfectionism to bed,’ but that sounded too tender for this particular monster. Murder feels right…
…there is one idea that really changed the way I looked at perfectionism. Bumping into this truth radically rewired my ability to finish. Here’s what I learned: 90 percent perfect and shared with the world always changes more lives than 100 percent perfect and stuck in your head.” – Jon Acuff, Quitter
If I had murdered perfectionism earlier last night I would’ve been finished with my article before 1. I only finally stopped because I was exhausted. Maybe I need to write when exhausted more often, I apparently stop caring whether it’s perfect.
Monday tragedy struck Moore, Oklahoma in the form of a massive tornado. Major news networks report that the death toll is around 24, 9 of which are children.
This disaster has affected a great number of people, and we as Christians should be one of the groups that are affected by it the most. After all one of the major threads in the Bible is growing during the struggles life throws at us.
1 Peter 1:6-7
New King James Version (NKJV)
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
James 1:2-3
New King James Version (NKJV)
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
I’d like to think that Christians can learn from trials whether or not we’re directly associated with them. Lets take a moment and look at a few thoughts on what we can learn from tragedies like this.
1. Life is precious and very fragile.
Psalm 139:14
New King James Version (NKJV)
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
I snagged the picture above from a Facebook post that happened to pop up on my feed. Whether this picture was staged Divinely or by the photographer, the simple message comes across loudly. Things aren’t important. Lives are.
God has created us in His image and He has a purpose for each person. We need to make sure we do not take for granted those around us. Everyone we come in contact is a precious soul and we need to see them as such. Their salvation is just as important to God as yours is.
2 Peter 3:9
New King James Version (NKJV)
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
That person that just cut you off in traffic and flipped you off, or that co-worker that spends his evenings soused and his days making you do his job because he’s too hung over to be coherent? God wants them in His fold. Despite their flaws we need to let them know just how much they mean to God. Despite their choices and problems in life God still sent Jesus for them as well as you.
Romans 5:8
New King James Version (NKJV)
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
This is a lesson I have to keep telling myself every time I get frustrated with the people around me.
We never know when something like a tornado may take them, or us away from this life. That brings me to:
James 4:14
New King James Version (NKJV)
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away
Life is short. Eternity is forever. We need to make certain that we have our lives right with Christ.
2. Don’t just pray, GIVE.
James 2:15-16
New King James Version (NKJV)
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?
It can be difficult to see the needs of others around us. Whether it be through our own self-centered blindness, or due to others’ pride it’s easy to just throw a “we’re praying for you/pray for me” out there instead of actually addressing the problem.
I almost added “in this day and age” to that sentence but on reflection I imagine it was just as difficult in the time of the New Testament church. Nobody wants to have to ask for help. However, its just as important that we swallow our pride and ask for help as it is to provide it when we see the need.
Galatians 6:2
New King James Version (NKJV)
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
These tragedies brutally point out the elephant in the room. These people will need food, water, shelter, clothes, medical supplies, extra hands for clean up, etc. You name it, they will need it. Now thanks to modern technology we can easily see something we can do and we should be jumping at this chance to do so.
Here are a few of the sites that should be arranging disaster relief soon:
But don’t get me wrong, prayers are still important!
James 5:16
New King James Version (NKJV)
16…The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
3. Be Ready
One could argue that this is the same point as “Life is precious and fragile” however Peter points out another way to be ready.
1 Peter 3:15
New King James Version (NKJV)
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
The common question asked during events like these is “Why?” Or, “why would a loving God allow children to die?” We need to be prepared to answer this question. This is an open door to planting the seed of the Word. If we cannot answer this question or any others we might encounter we’ll lose that opportunity. Be Ready.
Question:
There are many more lessons we can learn from these trials, but I have to stop this article somewhere or it’ll never get published, so now comes the time for the question.
What are some other lessons we can learn from this?
Well, obviously I’m not the one actually doing the nursing. Otherwise I’d change my day job to making tabloid money from my ability to lactate.
Seriously, I have a 2 month (9 week?) old baby at home and my wife has chosen to nurse. I know this is a sensitive topic, so I’ll try to be as discrete as I can about it.
I have nothing against nursing and am 100% behind doing everything we can with the babies as naturally as possible. With our first we made it through most of the birth without drugs. We probably would’ve made it further if the hospital staff were more supportive of our choices. Instead they acted more like drug pushers than nurses and we gave in at the end to a dose of Stadol.
Our second came very quickly and there wasn’t any time for drug intervention. Even if that hadn’t been the case, our nurse this time was extremely helpful and encouraging. She was actually rooting for Christina to birth the baby naturally. The experiences were as different as Kirk and Picard (geek reference +1) and we are definitely bigger fans of the natural birth.
Anyway, back to nursing. I appreciate my wife’s sacrifices and sympathize as much as I can being a man. Nursing comes with it a whole slew of problems: soreness when full, cracked skin, clogged ducts, late nights with little sleep. Then when you add a toddler to the mix, you no longer can “sleep when the baby sleeps” as most people keep telling her to do. Basically I have on my hands an exhausted mommy that’s tending a 2 month old and a 2 year old.
The most frustrating part is that there’s not much I can do about it.
Oh sure, I can and have stayed up with our daughter. We’ve supplemented with formula and pumped extra milk, but really it seems she doesn’t like taking the bottle. Maybe I don’t have the magic touch.
I’ve also taken our son on some of my errands to get him out of the house some so mommy can rest. He seems to enjoy his big boy time with daddy, and I enjoy getting to spend extra time with him.
We’ve also prayed about it. A lot. (Not alot.) It’s really hard to phrase “make our daughter sleep” in a prayer without feeling a little guilty or awkward.
I feel so powerless when it comes to this issue. I’m a man. I like to solve problems. However this one doesn’t seem to have any clear solution except “it’ll get better with time.” Which for me isn’t a proper solution, but I guess I don’t have much of a choice really.
I suppose while I wait I’ll use it as a topic for a blog post.
Men, what do you do when you encounter a problem without a solution?
Ladies, is there something your husbands can do to help during this time that just seems to be solely one on one?
I just officially nodded off while writing so I suppose I should close this out and go to bed. So here are your discussion questions for the day. Talk amongst yourselves.
