We play it safe when it comes to living our lives for Christ because if we go full out we might offend someone.

We play it safe when we set goals, because we have to be rational and practical.

We play it safe when we think of our future, because we figure we will just be disappointed if our future turns out looking the same as the present.

But the people in the Bible teach me that walking by faith is anything but safe. CS Lewis says that although God is good, He isn’t safe. And as M. Craig Barnes says, “It is very dangerous to our spiritual lives to live too carefully.”

I am not making an argument to be careless, but be passionate, authentic, and fearless.

For some reason Christians appear to act as if they were walking on egg shells for fear of our reputation, our relationships, and our stability.

We know the risks that could happen if we went all out… but do we know the benefits?

Abraham left his home because God called him to…. and God made Him the father of a nation.

Esther gave up everything- her life, her virginity, and her people for the possibility of being a queen, then she was called to save her people even if it costed her her life… and she saved God’s people and became a hero.

As a young man, David went up against a giant. Obviously the odds weren’t in his favor… but God made a king out of that boy with a sling-shot.

Ruth left everything that could potentially help her start over again after her husband’s death, but instead she followed her godly mother-in-law… and she was blessed with a family and in the lineage of Jesus himself.

Peter left the only life he knew as a fisherman to follow a man around who simply called him from the shore… and that man saved the world.

And then one of my favorites lately- a young man left everything he had, a great inheritance, a wonderful father and family all to waste the money he had to work lower than a servant, but when he comes crawling back home he is the one who is embraced by his father. And he is the one who gets the party. Not the brother who stayed home where everything was safe.

I use to think this story seemed awfully unfair. Probably because I related better to the brother who was loyal to his father, but what I have come to find is that even though one son may be loyal, it doesn’t mean his heart is in it. He may do what is right, but there is no passion behind it. And who in the end of the story finds themselves in the arms of God?… the one who takes the risks.

I am not saying to run away, take all of your money, spend it carelessly, and leave your family hanging. But I think when we step out on a ledge we find God in the unsafe places. If God is not a safe God, I can only imagine that He likes to be found in those not-so-safe-places in life.

I went on a cruise this last week. While I was packing and preparing myself for this trip, I started to think about what was ahead of me. It’s vacation. You’re excited about the opportunities ahead of you and the memories you will make. I kept thinking about how I wanted to glorify God on this trip, even though I didn’t always know what that mean.

I hopped on my first flight down to Atlanta and sat next to a man very friendly man. He talked to me about his work and how we was traveling to a medical conference that he was speaking at. Then he caught a glimpse of a book I was reading- ‘When God Interrupts.’ He pointed at the book and asked- “What does that mean to you?” I don’t even remember what I said but he listened intently. I couldn’t quite read his expression. I thought what I had said made sense, but then again, I wasn’t sure if he understood or was just trying to process it. He asked me about my job, and one thing I have learned is you can’t hide your faith when you are making small talk about your job if you work in a church. (I can’t tell you how many times I had openings like this during my trip.) This man ended up telling me about his life’s story. About his distance from God and how in the last few years he had brought himself back to the church and how he has been growing since. I felt like I had a new close friend by the time we landed. I was encouraged by this man, and I think I encouraged him too. But for some reason I felt like things weren’t going to end there. Well, maybe the story with this man would end at that terminal, but after…. well that’s up to God.

I have heard plenty of pastors, speakers and writers talk about their encounters with people on planes and on vacations. Someone simply asks the person what they do, and a conversation around faith is born. I always wanted to have one of those encounters, and so I eagerly awaited the opportunities. It was a wonderful feeling to have a conversation like this, but I had a feeling this man on the plane was supposed to be my encouragement for my trip, so I held tight to that conversation.

On the evening of my first cruise I was worn out and kind of discouraged with some things. I went on to the top of the ship. The wind was blowing so hard it sometimes pushed me so hard that I couldn’t stop walking but the nice thing was I was all alone. On a ship filled with 3,000 people, there was not another soul on the top deck. But God was certainly up there. I remember singing at the top of my lungs to the endless sea knowing God heard me clearly. He knew my heart.

By the 3rd day into the trip, I had met some fascinating people who worked on the ship. I am still amazed at the lives they live. Working off a ship for 6-9 months at a time then going to their home country- Philippines, Ukraine, Indonesia, etc. They would see their family for 3 months and then return to the ship again to work 7 days a week, all day shifts. Amazingly enough, they liked their jobs. The stories they told me about their families, their homes, their pasts, they made my heart ache. As I tried to fall asleep I kept seeing the faces of these people in my mind. I wanted them to know the joy I know, the peace I have experienced, the love I love. But how can they? I felt like I was on a ship that was void of God’s light. But I know it’s there. So I prayed for a light. I prayed for these individuals, that they would experience that light, and they could pass that light to the people on the ship and their families.

I just didn’t know where that light would come from.

By day 3 I was still struggling with finding food that I could eat. I was told that cruises were one of the best places for people with restricted diets, but I had yet to find the people who could really help me find food I could eat. So far, I had had a terrible lunch where they messed up 2 of my entrees and my waiter didn’t seem to care. This was terribly frustrating until I ran into Amit. He was the sous chef and happy to make me anything I could eat. I remember him grabbing 2 mugs and filling them with hot water and tea. He instructed me to sit and we went through everything I could and couldn’t eat. But it went beyond that. He asked me about my life. I asked him about his life in India. A friendship had blossomed. I saw Amit every day. All I had to do was call his phone and he would be there in minutes ready to make me anything I wanted. What a huge blessing. We sat down for another cup of tea and he asked me about my job. He wanted to know more about it. Then he asked one question that changed everything. He asked…

‘So you love God?…”

I couldn’t help but smile. I thought of Moses and how when he came down the mountain from meeting with God his face shown the glory of God. I’ve always wanted to experience that, and I think I did. That smile- the smile I only get when I think about the amazing love relationship I have with God appeared on my face, and suddenly that conversation went for days. Amit wanted to know what I believed. He wanted to ask questions about the things he didn’t understand. He wanted me to explain what I knew, and he wanted to read the Bible to see what I had found.

I remember him sitting across from me and me trying to put to words this unexplainable love I have for God. But words didn’t seem like enough. Finally said, I can’t explain it.

And he said, “You’re face tells it all.”

I am amazed at the relationship that was built. Every night my thoughts turned to Amit and all of the friends he introduced me to. Could I be a light? I prayed for a light, but I didn’t feel worthy to be that light. I was on vacation. For some reason I thought that God wouldn’t use me, but God does not go on vacation. He is looking for people who were willing. Oh and I was willing. I was passionate, and I was noticing that every conversation that was going on was far too amazing to have happened by human power alone. God was there. God was on that ship and He was moving.

Amit and I parted ways on Sunday morning. It was a quick good bye because he was very busy. I headed to a room where I waited for my departure number to be called to leave the ship. Apparently he came to find me, but we didn’t see each other again. I was in the everglades when I received a phone call. It was Amit. He had asked for my email and phone number earlier in the week so he could send me recipes of what he made for me on the ship, and in case he had more questions for me. He and another chef called me twice to make sure I was safe and at the airport. Then Amit told me that the conversations we had about God were constantly on his mind. He wanted to email me more. He wanted to know more about the God I talk about. I sat at the airport reflecting on the week. I could happily say I had a wonderful time on my first cruise. I saw some beautiful sights, enjoyed some great entertainment, and food. But I found friends. Friends I wasn’t expecting, but friends God brought in my path. Sometimes I am just left amazed at what God does. It’s so beyond me, but I just want to be a small part of His big plans.

We like to know our work schedule, when dinner is ready, and that our favorite tv show comes on at the same time every night. We go to church, sit in a pew for an hour, maybe an hour and fifteen minutes, but once it gets past that, enough is enough. We like to know what is coming up ahead. We have our schedules programmed into our phones so we can know our next dentist appointment, next meeting, and our next family gathering.

It’s when these things change that we get caught off guard, because our culture prioritizes time. If something takes too long, we find another way to accomplish it. Visits with friends/family are good, but there is a fine line between visiting and staying too long. If our favorite tv show is delayed because of a football game, we feel restless waiting.

Basically we don’t know how to expect the unexpected, but life calls us to handle the unexpected whether we like it or not. We are guaranteed to run into unexpected moments- sometimes small things, other times big things?

Like job loss,

Death,

Declining health,

Foreclosure,

Divorce,

Broken relationships…

If we can’t handle a change as simple as a delayed tv show, how can we ever be able to handle these unexpected changes?

There is one verse that catches me off-guard in the gospels. You think you know Jesus. You see Him care for the blind, hurt, & sick. He will do just about anything to save and heal them but when His close friend gets sick and He is called for, what does Jesus do?

When He heard he [Lazarus] was sick, He [Jesus] stayed two more days in the place that He was.

That’s not what we want to hear, and definitely not what we expect from a man who is the healer, who welcomes the sick/lame, and who could heal people with just a word. He could have just said the word, and Lazarus would have been well. So why didn’t He?

Jesus was so close with Lazarus and his sisters that they were like family.  When we have close friends/family that have to endure the pain of going through health battles, we wish we could help in some way. We wish we could take away the pain and make everything all better. If Jesus cared, wouldn’t He want to do the same? Surely He would know that Lazarus’ sisters were overcome with grief. If He truly loved them like the Bible says He did, wouldn’t He drop everything to be at their side, not only to heal Lazarus, but to console them? That is what love is to us, but what we see Jesus do is the reverse of how we would expect Jesus to demonstrate His love.

To us, love doesn’t delay. Love doesn’t say- I’m busy I’ll get there when I can. It doesn’t leave us in the time of our greatest need.  When love can make a difference, it moves to make things better, right?

Once again we’re reminded that God’s ways of loving are not our ways. So does that mean when we are at our greatest hour of need, God won’t come in to save the day?

That is where we are left hanging.  We can all count the times we thought that God has let us down.

But what we don’t realize is that Jesus shows His love through the unexpected. The way He saves is through teaching us who we are and who He is.

Sometimes we are like Lazarus’ sisters who hope that Jesus comes to save us from our pain, but sometimes we need to be reminded that Jesus is bigger than our pain or any trial we go through.

Jesus won’t always come running when we call for Him because God doesn’t hurry, but that doesn’t mean He doesn’t hear. What He will do is show you who is bigger than your trial.  When we call on God for help we expect Him to be there because He loves us, but usually what we need most is to be saved from our expectations.

Lazarus’ sisters may have thought Jesus left them hanging when really Jesus’ plans would help them understand Him better. He loved them too much to simply say the words that would heal Lazarus.  Instead He showed them His power, glory and authority by raising him from the dead.

There is nothing wrong with calling out to God when we need Him. God wants us to do that, but when the unexpected hits us- job loss, death, bankruptcy, health issues, Jesus wants to remind us that salvation is not found in these things. They are found only through Him. ‘So don’t expect Jesus to save us by teaching us to depend on the things we are afraid of losing’ (Barnes). He loves us too much to let that happen.

Sometimes He waits. He waits so that we may learn that He alone is salvation.

When we are in that time period of waiting, we have a hard time understanding this. I’m sure Lazarus’ sisters didn’t understand. Waiting is hard. We don’t like it when our schedules or lives are flipped upside down, but maybe it’s during the waiting that we learn the important lesson that what we rely on here on earth isn’t what can save or satisfy.

When Jesus comes on the scene, in His perfect timing, He will save the day, in His own unexpected way. He defies the unexpected, and when He does, we may have a life-altering lesson. Other times it takes us time to comprehend what God has done for us.

Sometimes time is everything.

There’s a problem if people only know you are a Christian from your Facebook.

There’s a problem if we get on Facebook and quote Scripture, but go to school or work with no thought to what we wrote.

There’s a problem if what we post on Facebook isn’t reflected in our lives.

People say Christians are hypocrites, and every time we sign Jesus’ name to our Facebook we are being His advocates whether we realize it or not. Maybe someone could look more closely at your Facebook pictures or the conversations exchanged on your wall simply because of what we post and say we are on Facebook. People say Christians are hypocrites, and often I am afraid that Facebook makes that look more true because it makes people who don’t take God seriously as your ‘typical’ Christian when they have stuff about Jesus on their wall. People say Christians are shallow, because some people have no depth in their life. I say live differently, (not just on Facebook) so that through you Jesus can affect other people’s lives.

Everytime I see one of those statuses that say “Like if you love Jesus.” I secretly want to write instead “Live as if you love Jesus.” Because it doesn’t matter if you like a status, but it sure matters if you live such a status.

What you post on Facebook could make a difference, but what you do in life is more important. Sure, I’ll say that Facebook can be a ministry tool, because I have seen that happen, but the lives God gave us are the greatest gift we can use to glorify God.

So next time you want to sign Jesus’ name to your Facebook (your status, a post, etc) make sure you have His name in your life as much as your Facebook. Writing something is one thing, living it….. now that’s a completely different manner.

Ever had one of those prayers? The ones you nearly feel like giving up on, but you still keep praying them anyways. You pray them so often that you can’t imagine a day without them. They become your closest companions and the more prayers you say, the more you lose hope.

I saw a friend on Facebook the other day post a praise that they found their lost dog and then said “Thank you for hearing our prayers God.”

Perhaps that’s how we feel sometimes- Like God only hears our prayers sometimes. We throw up these prayers, sometimes carelessly because we tire of saying them over and over again. We wonder if our prayers are on hold or if they get lost in the cosmos. We just hope that some day God will hear our prayers.

But what if He does?

What if He actually…. hears. He knows. He feels. He understands.

We think that God doesn’t know our urgency with our prayer requests, because if He did He would answer them more swiftly, and when we say ‘answer’ that means give us our requests.

So it’s easy to give up. It’s easy for our prayers to go cold after praying for them for so long. It’s easy to lose passion, to feel disappointment, and to feel neglected. So you find a companion in what you most long for, but your companion doesn’t satisfy. It actually does the opposite. It leaves us restless, and clinging to a lost hope.

While we are busy wrapped up with our loss, we begin to miss out on the other things God is showing us. He knows our desires, our deepest desires- the ones others don’t know, the ones we often don’t even know. But He knows them, and only He knows how to satisfy them. He wants to hear the cries of our hearts, our prayers, but to hold onto our prayers as crutches is easy. To place them in His hands daily and still live knowing He is good is where we find freedom.

To put it lightly- forgiveness is difficult.

But why? From my own experience I have a pretty good idea….

-Because when you are hurt you don’t deserve what happened to you, and you take it personally.

-Because you have an expectation for an apology.

-Because what that person did is unforgivable.

-Because it isn’t easy to let go or forget.

-Because we feel offended.

-Because of our own stubbornness and pride.

-Because of resentment.

-Because it’s easier to be mad.

-Because it’s not my fault.

-Because it still hurts.

I’ll admit those thoughts have crossed my mind. I use to think forgiveness was an easy thing. I saw how Jesus was the ultimate example, and I was thankful for that. But when it came to forgiveness, all I knew about was the small stuff. I knew how to forgive someone when it wasn’t a big deal. But when it comes to forgiving someone who really hurt me I realized it’s quite possibly one of my biggest struggles.

But I do know that forgiveness is the answer. Forgiveness is the solution for a relationship with God. They say sin is what separates us from God, so if we don’t forgive we are just making a greater distance between ourselves and God. Forgiveness was not just something that God gave me, but He gives to every person who hurts me. I know God loves me lots, but it’s selfish to think that I am more important than someone else and that God loves me more, and because they hurt me, He loves them less. That’s ridiculous.

I certainly don’t have the whole forgiveness down. I wish I did, and I wish I had one of those wonderful stories that impacts others to forgive, but I don’t,  but here is what I have learned about forgiveness:

-Forgiveness doesn’t make everything right. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that you have to pretend that nothing ever happened, but it means that every person has a right to another chance. I like how Anne Lamott puts it-”Forgiveness is giving up all hope of having a better past.” But it sure makes the future more peaceful.

-We cannot forgive like God forgives. But we can try. He is our ultimate example.

-How we forgive is a revelation of how God forgives. When we show forgiveness, we show that we know the power of forgiveness, grace, and mercy that God extends to us. And vice versa. When we don’t show forgiveness, we show the lack of faith we have in the power of God’s forgiveness.

-The ability to forgive shows our relationship with God. It shows humility and that we deserve condemnation just as much as the next person. It’s easy to believe in the fact that you sin, but secretly think that God had an easier time forgiving you compared to many other people. God’s forgiveness covers all of our sins, no matter how many or how big.

-Underestimating forgiveness is often the result of under-estimating our brokenness.

I hope that someday I can speak with wisdom and experience the beauty of forgiveness like God teaches, but I will be honest, I don’t have it down. But I am a work in progress, and I will keep striving to be more like Jesus and forgive like He forgives.

The thing was I didn’t realize that sleep was taking over my life. I didn’t realize that being that tired wasn’t normal. When my mom started to notice, she started wondering what was wrong with me. I just assumed it was normal. It was what I had grown used to, and I knew plenty of my friends who could sleep for a good amount of time.

But then things changed. I was so tired that it didn’t matter how early I went to bed I was still tired all day long. Everyday had to have a nap on top of my 10 hours at night, and my naps weren’t short naps but at least 2 hours long. Eventually anything that required energy from me was too much. Yet, still for some reason I didn’t see that this was abnormal. My mom was starting to schedule appointments with a nutritionist who gave me some exercise routines, and taught me how to eat properly. I worked hard at all the things she showed me, but I only got more tired. I remember going to doctor appointments and having tests done, all the while thinking- really, I’m just tired. Lots of my friends say they are tired too.

But the truth was as months passed I was so tired that I lost all energy to do anything. I would go shopping with my mom for the afternoon. An hour in I would get so tired that I couldn’t walk. Literally couldn’t walk. I remember going on outings with my boyfriend at the time and him accustomed to giving me piggy-back rides back to the car when I started to fall asleep. Mountain Dew had never been my favorite beverage but I learned to drink large glasses of it and often, coffee with espresso shots were a must and if those two things didn’t work there was always a can or two of an energy drink (which I didn’t even like). Looking back now, I know that wasn’t normal.

I remember all the warning signs that I was getting sick but since they gradually came in and took their place in my life I didn’t question them. But isn’t that what sin does? It’s sneaky. It crawls in when we have our defenses down, and Satan knows how to twist sin so that it doesn’t look so bad. The sin might be small at first, but it becomes such a frequent part of our life that we don’t even know it exists and is our closest companion.

We see it in the times we open our mouths to talk about that fellow co-worker. We vent our frustrations, someone listens, and then they agree with our assessments or our complaints. We find an excuse to gossip. We find that we make friends through gossip, we have a common bond with others when we can talk about that other person behind their back, and it makes us feel better about ourselves. Eventually we can’t imagine work without it. Lunch break without gossip would be boring, and there we have it- sin that sneaks in and we don’t even realize it’s impact.

Then there is the person who is just innocently using their computer, doing their usual browsing of the internet when a pop up flashes onto their screen. Come on, it’s right in front of you. That is pretty hard to ignore. But those things we don’t ignore the first time can eventually turn into a habit. Every time that pop up comes up, you click. It’s really not too difficult… it’s actually too easy. And that one click spins everything out of control. Who knew that one click would have such power?

Then there are those things we try to make excuses for. We claim they aren’t sins. They are hobbies. We just enjoy them. We love to shop. Sure it affects our bank accounts way more than we expect it to, but it’s nothing more than shopping, right?… We like watching tv/movies. It’s visually stimulating. You have to admit that. And it’s a nice way to pass the time. You’re bored. What’s there to do? Tv. Another movie. It’s an easy solution to the silence and boredom… And they say that reading is good, so you read but you prefer the romance novels. You have to take time for yourself, and that’s what you’re doing. When you read these books you get to escape the worries of life, and imagine what it could be. What’s so wrong with that?

It’s subtle.

Then it’s out of control.

Still we don’t even realize the elephant in the room.

But others sure do.

Like my mom- she knew that me being so tried wasn’t right for your typical teenage daughter. Those around you start to notice. Your co-workers know you are the gossip queen. You might be closer because of the conversations you’ve had, but they are afraid to tell you what they think of you. You call yourself a Christian, so they lump you into the same group as all those other hypocrites they know who go to church… The guy who clicks on those websites doesn’t realize how it will impact the girl he one day marries. He is thankful for her, but he can’t cut his habit. He says he loves her but she can’t imagine how that’s true when he can’t break his addiction… That person who shops all the time, might have a lot to show for it, but they don’t realize how it’s affected their family life, their family’s income, and how they have become so self-absorbed and obsessed with shopping. They can’t go a weekend without getting into something, and to get rid of their love just doesn’t seem fair… The person who watches too much tv/movies all day doesn’t realize that they have lost their entire social lives. Their family and friends have realized what they love more, and it’s not them. When they do take time to turn the tv off, they wonder where everyone went… And the pile of already read romance novels are gathering up dust as she adds another finished book to the pile. This might be an escape, a form of a vacation from a rough life, but she doesn’t realize that her husband’s pride has been shattered in the process. She has shown her disapproval of him increasingly more, and how he isn’t like the men she reads about. She wonders where’s the romance. He wants to be the man she wants, but no matter what, he can’t measure up.

It might be obvious to everyone else that there is a problem here, but it’s easy for us to just keep going and act like everything’s ok when it really isn’t.

I couldn’t help but think about the times I smile, but I know that I have a different smile depending on the situation.

I have my polite smile- the one I use when I say thank you, or I use when I’m checking out at a store or when I pass someone I don’t know.

Then I have my photo smile- the one you turn on when the camera is out and the one you flash into the mirror to give yourself a pinch of confidence.

Then there is the smile I’m not as familiar with but those who know me best probably know it well. I call it my joyful smile. The smile I have when I am truly happy, the smile I have after I finish laughing, the smile I get when I am absolutely delighted about something.

But then there is my favorite smile. It’s the smile that I have just started to recently become aware of. It is probably one of most unexpected surprises at random times of my day, and I can’t explain it in any other way than that it is like an overflowing cup. Some might call it butterflies. All I know is that I get this bubbly feeling out of nowhere and suddenly it bubbles over and here I find myself smiling like a fool. To some this might be the most ridiculous reason to smile- no exact reason and often when no one else is around.

I call it my ‘I’m in love smile.’

I’ll be sitting in my car and suddenly it’s there and there is no better feeling. A disturbing thought comes across my mind and suddenly I have this sense of peace and a smile. There is nothing like it. People say that a person who is in love can’t stop smiling or that they are smiling like a fool. I might not know what that’s like, but I think this is better. It catches me off guard, and for that moment nothing else matters. Times stops and I find myself with my greatest Love. I feel His delight and His love even though I’m not perfect. All from a smile.

Bulletin Announcements I Would Like to See Just Once

Please join us for the Church Potluck immediately following our worship service.  We ask everyone to bring a casserole that is difficult to define.

Last names beginning with A-M- Please bring a salad.

         A-D- A lettuce salad

         E-H- A spinach salad

         I-M- a jello salad

                  I-J- A clear jello salad

                  K-M- A jello embedded with fruits

Last names beginning with N-Z- Please bring a dessert.

         N-P- A Pie

         Q-S- A cake

         T-V- Bars at least one inch thick

         W-Z- Something chocolate

Those with fewer than five(5) letter in their first name bring whipped cream.

Those with more than five(5) letters bring relish.

People over 5’11”, bring pretzels.

People under 5’11”, bring marshmallows

______________________________________

Deacons will receive four offerings this morning:  Ministry Offering, Mission Offering, Love Offering, Building Offering

Men’s Bible Study will study, “Jacob, Leadership Principles for Life.”

Women’s Bible Study will study, “Ruth, How to Lead Without Appearing to Lead.”

Financial Accountability Class Topic- “Maximizing Deductions – Giving Without Feeling It.”

Staff  Retreat Topic- “Good Desk Posture in a World of Tilted Chairs.”

Youth Group Topic- “Watching our Parents Age- Why Their Ears Grow.”

Save the Date- Our film series and seminar on time accountability will begin in April 31.

Mission trip:  Our annual Mission trip and Surf Ministry to Cancun is scheduled in January so that martyrdom is just easier.

Greeters:  Left Handed greeters please greet at the back door.  Right handed greeters please greet at the front door.  Ambidextrous greeters- just stand in the middle aisle.

The Church Cookbook, “Incarnational Cooking” will be published soon.   Don’t miss special sections on:

1.  10 Appetizers Using Unleavened Bread.
2. Holy Cow- A Beef Buffet
3. Tuna- The Ecumenical White Meat
4. Unusual Jello Recipes
5. Biblical Nutbreads

New Office Hours:

Monday: 9-11:47

Tuesday: 1-2:16

Wednesday:  11-3:01

Thursday: 10-1:07

Friday:  Are you serious?

]]> http://melijoy.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/good-old-bulletin-announcements/feed/ 1 melijoy http://melijoy.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/need-a-good-story/ http://melijoy.wordpress.com/2012/01/04/need-a-good-story/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2012 18:30:50 +0000 melijoy http://melijoy.wordpress.com/?p=1103 ]]> Everyone loves a good story, right? Especially the real ones. Those ones you hear about in the news or in the latest inspirational movie in the theaters.

I have a feeling we don’t tell enough stories. Well maybe some people do (you know those people who tell the same stories over and over again and you listen to it politely for what seems like the 20th time). Those aren’t quite the stories I’m thinking about, because usually those stories are all about one person: how wonderful they are, how successful they are, the other wonderful people they know, and their wonderful experiences. Sure those stories can be fascinating.

But what about those other stories? Those stories that don’t make us look like the hero. The stories that are real and authentic. The stories that dig deep into who we are a a person. Those stories that create character. Those stories that remind us that we don’t have it all together. I like those stories. Too often we walk around in life acting like we have it all together. We put up fronts so others think that our life is pretty, because if we play this game of make-believe enough maybe we will start to believe we do have it all together. Some are successful in such endeavors.

I want to start something. I want to start sharing some stories. The nitty gritty kind. The ones that show I don’t have it together. The stories that have touched me to the core and have changed my life. Are you captivated yet? Because we all have these stories. Most of the time we are just trying to hide them under our pillows when they appear in our dreams at night. So I have a new goal- to be honest- to be real. I don’t want to be one of those people who walks around and acts like life is all hunky-dory.

That is my new goal on my blog. I am going to touch on stories that hopefully will be real and encourage others in their imperfections. I hope to share what I have learned through experiences. And I hope to speak on topics that I try to refrain from speaking of for fear of what others might think and because many don’t realize that it’s something to even think about.

So if this interests you, pop back and see me once in a while. I want to use this blog for something more than talking about myself but for the greater good of others. I hope that you will be encouraged, uplifted, and leave thinking differently, and maybe you’ll open your eyes to see your life in a new and different way.