Having a hard time getting going on some writing?
When you wake in the morning, don't press the snooze bar! Get up! Get up and recall what you were dreaming. Put it down on paper quickly. Don't worry about grammar, spelling, active voice or any other editor-type things. Just compile word pictures to help you remember your dream later.
Later...after perhaps some coffee, re-visit your dream notes and develop it into a piece of creative writing.
Here are some notes from a recent dream I had. If you're not a dreamer, perhaps you can help develop my dream!
Waterfall through the trees
dirt path...home with high walls of rock--natural
trees rooting up from the rocks in a
canopy over the home
climbing up to the trees, looking through the
breaks in the limbs leaves, reveals a huge
canyon with walls of rock 20 times the
height of the one upon which I am perched,
with a depth unseen
As I scan the scene to the right--a
huge waterfall coming over the cliff. Wind
blowing the water my direction, giving the illusion
of an imminent drench, but the distance is
deceiving. Instead, it is a cool mist upon my
face as I nearly fall back off the rock face.
The man of the primitive home is fearful
of that ledge while his wife is somewhat
ambivalent. Both-- a bewilderment to me considering
the beauty and majesty just through the trees.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Summer's End
fruit, dried from the heat and drought.
Cool mornings intimate to soul and spirit,
hint at relief from the scorch of the summer sun.
The afternoons reveal the remaining intensity
of a star not ready to Fall.
The squeal of kids around the pool,
girls walking dogs, frisbees and nothing on TV--
all hearken for more lazy days.
Crisp nights, yellow buses, fees and commitments
hearken the fall.
Life is transition
the fruit from this summer is dry
and bitter, yet helpful to cleanse spiritual bowels.
Sometimes, we cultivate sweet blueberries
to find a harvest of bitter herbs and thirsty tomatoes.
Without a harvest to nourish the heart, the Spirit must minister to the soul and sustain the spirit.
Rooted in faith, nourishment comes supernaturally despite the drought, despite the Fall--
in spite of the winter winds prepared ahead.
Spring will return.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Spring
The sun is deceptive.
The breeze brings the cool of mountain waters.
The grass becoming green again,
but clouds of dust sweep across the fields
grit in the teeth, dirt in the eyes,
chills that penetrate sweatshirts and jeans.
Ah, Spring!
Where is your sting?
With the bees still hiding in their combs,
the earth comes with penetrating stings,
reminding me of the wildness of creation,
the wildness of the wilderness.
A longing to pass through the wilderness
to the promises made by Spring.
The promise of summer warmth to come,
the fellowship of dirt with the sun
and rain, producing fruit from the seed of promise.
Does the seed have promise?
Will it become thorns or flowers?
Perhaps both, with pain below the outward beauty.
Perhaps the flowers will be unattractive
yet hold within sweet fruit to eat.
Perhaps still beautiful flowers await
with even more precious fruit to come.
Ah, Spring!
Even on a cold windy day, your promises
stir the spirit for more than what is now.
What is to come, that is for what is it
to ponder on a cold bench. The promise of summer
in a true spring day is still of greater inspiration
than a false summer created by gas and walls.
The breeze brings the cool of mountain waters.
The grass becoming green again,
but clouds of dust sweep across the fields
grit in the teeth, dirt in the eyes,
chills that penetrate sweatshirts and jeans.
Ah, Spring!
Where is your sting?
With the bees still hiding in their combs,
the earth comes with penetrating stings,
reminding me of the wildness of creation,
the wildness of the wilderness.
A longing to pass through the wilderness
to the promises made by Spring.
The promise of summer warmth to come,
the fellowship of dirt with the sun
and rain, producing fruit from the seed of promise.
Does the seed have promise?
Will it become thorns or flowers?
Perhaps both, with pain below the outward beauty.
Perhaps the flowers will be unattractive
yet hold within sweet fruit to eat.
Perhaps still beautiful flowers await
with even more precious fruit to come.
Ah, Spring!
Even on a cold windy day, your promises
stir the spirit for more than what is now.
What is to come, that is for what is it
to ponder on a cold bench. The promise of summer
in a true spring day is still of greater inspiration
than a false summer created by gas and walls.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Reading through Psalms
Psalm 131:1
O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty...
At first glance, this seems to read along the same lines as our sarcastic humor regarding humility. We often joke that we are the most humble person in the room, or our humility is unsurpassed, or you need to be as humble as I. This hit me in a different way this morning though, especially coming off Psalm 101, which was the preceding Psalm in my exercise of reading 5 Psalms a day, 30 chapters apart (today I read 11, 41, 71, 101 & 131.
Psalm 101:5
...No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.
David understands the LORD does not want a proud king, a proud man--a proud heart. David understands the penalty is separation from God--death; so he sought God's heart and not his own. I think we can relate these Psalms to today's vernacular a bit better than the NASB in this case--don't take me for being proud of this, as that would negate this entire entry!
The rest of 131:1 in the NASB reads: ...Nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me.
I think this is the case of David, leading his family, the Israelites, on a life journey and getting lost in the land of Bathsheba, child-rearing issues and war. The cliche' joke of men not wanting to ask for directions is a valid concern because men leading their families don't want to give any impression of stupidity, waywardness and insufficiency. A man wants his family to trust in him, so he acts like he knows where he's going, refusing to seek direction from the lowly inhabitants of the land.
A man of God, though, says, "I ain't proud. Let's stop for directions."
If you are a man and have stopped for directions, this has got to be the attitude of your heart whether you verbalize in true southern style or not. The way I would translate 131:1& 3 in the language of the Southeastern United States is: "God, I ain't proud...I'm counting on You to get me to my final destination."
David is not bragging about being humble; his statement of humility is one of admission of his position as a man compared with the position of God who created David along with the universe. Many times, we won't have the answers to struggles in life, which direction we should go, why God set things up this way--but God has direction to give. He asks that we model David's pursuit of God's heart and instead of trying to have it altogether, turning down whatever road looks best; He wants us to simply stop and say, "I ain't proud, LORD. Direct my steps because you are my only hope of getting to my final destination."
Earlier, I mentioned that a man wants his family to trust him. A man after God's heart, though, wants his family to trust Him--God. Don't be too proud to stop and ask for directions. Jesus humbled Himself to ridicule, spit, torture, and death by being nailed to a cross. After going through that, He is not going to make fun of you, slap you around or give you faulty directions. He wants you to get there (2 PET 3:9, 13); just stop, don't be proud and ask Him for your next step.
O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty...
At first glance, this seems to read along the same lines as our sarcastic humor regarding humility. We often joke that we are the most humble person in the room, or our humility is unsurpassed, or you need to be as humble as I. This hit me in a different way this morning though, especially coming off Psalm 101, which was the preceding Psalm in my exercise of reading 5 Psalms a day, 30 chapters apart (today I read 11, 41, 71, 101 & 131.
Psalm 101:5
...No one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.
David understands the LORD does not want a proud king, a proud man--a proud heart. David understands the penalty is separation from God--death; so he sought God's heart and not his own. I think we can relate these Psalms to today's vernacular a bit better than the NASB in this case--don't take me for being proud of this, as that would negate this entire entry!
The rest of 131:1 in the NASB reads: ...Nor do I involve myself in great matters, or in things too difficult for me.
I think this is the case of David, leading his family, the Israelites, on a life journey and getting lost in the land of Bathsheba, child-rearing issues and war. The cliche' joke of men not wanting to ask for directions is a valid concern because men leading their families don't want to give any impression of stupidity, waywardness and insufficiency. A man wants his family to trust in him, so he acts like he knows where he's going, refusing to seek direction from the lowly inhabitants of the land.
A man of God, though, says, "I ain't proud. Let's stop for directions."
If you are a man and have stopped for directions, this has got to be the attitude of your heart whether you verbalize in true southern style or not. The way I would translate 131:1& 3 in the language of the Southeastern United States is: "God, I ain't proud...I'm counting on You to get me to my final destination."
David is not bragging about being humble; his statement of humility is one of admission of his position as a man compared with the position of God who created David along with the universe. Many times, we won't have the answers to struggles in life, which direction we should go, why God set things up this way--but God has direction to give. He asks that we model David's pursuit of God's heart and instead of trying to have it altogether, turning down whatever road looks best; He wants us to simply stop and say, "I ain't proud, LORD. Direct my steps because you are my only hope of getting to my final destination."
Earlier, I mentioned that a man wants his family to trust him. A man after God's heart, though, wants his family to trust Him--God. Don't be too proud to stop and ask for directions. Jesus humbled Himself to ridicule, spit, torture, and death by being nailed to a cross. After going through that, He is not going to make fun of you, slap you around or give you faulty directions. He wants you to get there (2 PET 3:9, 13); just stop, don't be proud and ask Him for your next step.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Bello Visione
From the Writer's Block language exercise...this is an actual language, or at least an attempt...see if you can guess the language...
Bello Visione
Bello Visione
Creazione risplendere
Le tue braccia
Doccia il mio cuore arido
Io sono carne
Sei spirito
Nei tuoi occhi
Io sono santo
Spremere il mio cuore arido
Assagiore il frutto dello spirito
BELLO VISIONE!
Italian to English:
Beautiful vision!
Creation shines
In your arms.
Shower my arid heart.
I am flesh;
You are spirit.
In your eyes,
I am holy.
Squeeze my arid heart;
Taste the fruit of the Spirit;
BEAUTIFUL VISION!
RECAP of the exercise:
Do you speak multiple tongues? If so, write a short story or poem in a different language than your native tongue, depending upon your proficiency. If you are not proficient in another language, pick some of your favorite things (nouns), some of your favorite actions (verbs), and a list of articles, pronouns and adverbs such as a, an, the, this, that, he, she, they, quickly, slowly, happily, sadily. Pick some of your favorite descriptive words (adjectives).
Now that you have your list, develop your own language.
she = sen
quickly = buquerity
wrote = yada
a = e
new = uevo
tongue = tonga
Now write something active and interesting...hopefully better than this example:
Sen buquerity yada e uevo tonga.
Perhaps this sparks an interest in learning other languages, the history and development of different tongues and encourages renewed excitement over the play with words. Tolkien developed complete languages for species such as the elves in the Lord of the Rings simply to inject a small portion of that tongue into his book.
Come neve d'estate e come la pioggia all mietitura, cosi l'onore non conviene allo stolto.
Keep learning new things and build your writing so that it may be honorable!
Bello Visione
Creazione risplendere
Le tue braccia
Doccia il mio cuore arido
Io sono carne
Sei spirito
Nei tuoi occhi
Io sono santo
Spremere il mio cuore arido
Assagiore il frutto dello spirito
BELLO VISIONE!
Italian to English:
Beautiful vision!
Creation shines
In your arms.
Shower my arid heart.
I am flesh;
You are spirit.
In your eyes,
I am holy.
Squeeze my arid heart;
Taste the fruit of the Spirit;
BEAUTIFUL VISION!
RECAP of the exercise:
Do you speak multiple tongues? If so, write a short story or poem in a different language than your native tongue, depending upon your proficiency. If you are not proficient in another language, pick some of your favorite things (nouns), some of your favorite actions (verbs), and a list of articles, pronouns and adverbs such as a, an, the, this, that, he, she, they, quickly, slowly, happily, sadily. Pick some of your favorite descriptive words (adjectives).
Now that you have your list, develop your own language.
she = sen
quickly = buquerity
wrote = yada
a = e
new = uevo
tongue = tonga
Now write something active and interesting...hopefully better than this example:
Sen buquerity yada e uevo tonga.
Perhaps this sparks an interest in learning other languages, the history and development of different tongues and encourages renewed excitement over the play with words. Tolkien developed complete languages for species such as the elves in the Lord of the Rings simply to inject a small portion of that tongue into his book.
Come neve d'estate e come la pioggia all mietitura, cosi l'onore non conviene allo stolto.
Keep learning new things and build your writing so that it may be honorable!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The Holy Spirit II
I broke this up into two posts because I was afraid I was getting a bit verbose for two posts. I have experienced such personal revelation of understanding of the Holy Spirit this week, I've got a lot I want to share!
My preacher stated from the pulpit recently that the Spirit never says, "Tomorrow..." He always speaks in the present tense. In other words, He is not the spirit of procrastination. My spirit may be defined as such too often, but His is a Spirit of action.
When I heard this, my immediate reaction was to debate him and Him in my mind. God made Joseph wait in prison, He made Moses wait 40 years before leading the Israelites out of Egypt, He made Zacharias wait to speak until John was born, He made the world wait for Jesus, He said in 3 days He would rise, He has us awaiting for 'tomorrow' for His return while we prepare as if it is today. There's a lot of waiting with God!
I've been reading Acts and now my argument is without merit. I understand exactly where our preacher was coming from. God the Father and Jesus may demand patience; and truthfully, as the Spirit speaks the word of God to our hearts and minds, in that manner He does too. But when the Spirit is given the focus in Acts, He demands immediate action and the righteous obey and act.
Acts 8:29-30 The Holy Spirit said, "Go...Philip ran..."
Acts 10:19-20 ...the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you...get up, go...Peter went..."
Acts 13:2-3 ...Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them"...then they sent them away with prayer and fasting
I'm still moving through Acts, but evident to me that the Holy Spirit is about action. When He speaks, it's time to move, it's time to act. The Holy Spirit says...the follower of Christ does...
He has told me several things this week, but pertinent here, He has told me to write. He tells me to read His word, to pray and continue praying, to tell others how cool He is, how loving He is--how interested He is in me, in us, in you, your children, your father and mother, your friend at work, your enemy at work, those who hate you, those who like you, those who are indifferent. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us!
What is the Spirit calling you to do? You may not be saved by your works, but your faith is defined by your response to His call. Pray now for the Spirit to lead, for the strength to obey and when called, act--act immediately. Keep in mind, the Spirit is asking you to act in His direction--it could mean quitting a job or other dramatic events, but often it is to take a step towards Him. He may be calling you to plan an exit from a job, moving into missionary or pastoral work, but perhaps not to quit your job immediately and strain financially while planning your course.
Sometimes before leaping, we can ask God and Christian counsel through prayer. I did this last week and He brought me answers and direction through others. Be sure you are following the Spirit and not your own desires. God is patient and His Spirit will counsel us through our questions, but when you understand the Spirit is telling you, "Do this..." then do it!
He is still a great and wonderful mystery, but as I read more scripture with Him in mind, more of Him is revealed to me. He leads my steps...
My preacher stated from the pulpit recently that the Spirit never says, "Tomorrow..." He always speaks in the present tense. In other words, He is not the spirit of procrastination. My spirit may be defined as such too often, but His is a Spirit of action.
When I heard this, my immediate reaction was to debate him and Him in my mind. God made Joseph wait in prison, He made Moses wait 40 years before leading the Israelites out of Egypt, He made Zacharias wait to speak until John was born, He made the world wait for Jesus, He said in 3 days He would rise, He has us awaiting for 'tomorrow' for His return while we prepare as if it is today. There's a lot of waiting with God!
I've been reading Acts and now my argument is without merit. I understand exactly where our preacher was coming from. God the Father and Jesus may demand patience; and truthfully, as the Spirit speaks the word of God to our hearts and minds, in that manner He does too. But when the Spirit is given the focus in Acts, He demands immediate action and the righteous obey and act.
Acts 8:29-30 The Holy Spirit said, "Go...Philip ran..."
Acts 10:19-20 ...the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you...get up, go...Peter went..."
Acts 13:2-3 ...Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them"...then they sent them away with prayer and fasting
I'm still moving through Acts, but evident to me that the Holy Spirit is about action. When He speaks, it's time to move, it's time to act. The Holy Spirit says...the follower of Christ does...
He has told me several things this week, but pertinent here, He has told me to write. He tells me to read His word, to pray and continue praying, to tell others how cool He is, how loving He is--how interested He is in me, in us, in you, your children, your father and mother, your friend at work, your enemy at work, those who hate you, those who like you, those who are indifferent. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us!
What is the Spirit calling you to do? You may not be saved by your works, but your faith is defined by your response to His call. Pray now for the Spirit to lead, for the strength to obey and when called, act--act immediately. Keep in mind, the Spirit is asking you to act in His direction--it could mean quitting a job or other dramatic events, but often it is to take a step towards Him. He may be calling you to plan an exit from a job, moving into missionary or pastoral work, but perhaps not to quit your job immediately and strain financially while planning your course.
Sometimes before leaping, we can ask God and Christian counsel through prayer. I did this last week and He brought me answers and direction through others. Be sure you are following the Spirit and not your own desires. God is patient and His Spirit will counsel us through our questions, but when you understand the Spirit is telling you, "Do this..." then do it!
He is still a great and wonderful mystery, but as I read more scripture with Him in mind, more of Him is revealed to me. He leads my steps...
The Holy Spirit I
To be honest, last month I regretted at times that I'd committed to typing every Proverb for the month. It was a great exercise, I found value and insight into God's word and relationship with Him through doing so, but I felt I was placing my book project on the back burner, and my blog posts of original writing on a counter across from the stove altogether!
I've been working on a project of fiction, intending to bring a picture of the interaction of the Holy Spirit in our lives and this world. I felt empty in the writing tank--it seemed that God was getting my best, but I wanted to share my best with the world! When I actually type these things out, I see just how off my perspective has been. As I have moved beyond the exercise, I see just how gracious God has been after following through with that commitment.
I enjoyed my time in the gospels through the month, but I was eager to jump into a new book. I jumped into one of my favorites--Hebrews, and after July, my appetite was even greater for His word. I had trouble staying out of the Bible to go to work, to do chores, to write. I was thirsty for Him, and He quenched my thirst with Holy Spirit.
I had struggled through July with how to approach my current chapter of the book about the Holy Spirit, and then, in Hebrews, I noticed for the first time: "...the Holy Spirit said..."
I'd always seen Him as a mysterious spirit, influencing us, knocking around in our heads and hearts, hovering over waters, and generally hanging around in an ambiguous state. I did not recall His speaking roles in scripture.
Hebrews 3:7-11
Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,
"TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,
DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME,
AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS,
WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED ME BY TESTING ME,
AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS.
THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION,
AND SAID, 'THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART,
AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS';
AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH,
'THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.;"
WOW! God was just waiting for me to be obedient and I can imagine the smile on His face as I came across this a couple of days ago. I longed to write about the Holy Spirit, while he desperately wanted to teach me about the Holy Spirit. The last few days have been full of the Spirit of God.
In this reference, I see that the Spirit is God in that His words are God's words. When he speaks, He refers to what 'I AM' said in the old testament as His own words here in Hebrew. As much as Jesus and God the Father, the Holy Spirit is God, too, as part of the mysterious Trinity.
Later in Hebrews 10: 15-17, we see another speaking role for the Holy Spirit.
And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,
"THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART,
AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM."
He then says:
"AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS
I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE."
The Holy Spirit testifies for us, and He writes God's law upon our hearts and minds. I need to follow what the Spirit has written on my heart and His instructions on my brain, not the fleshly desires of my heart and my humanistic logic. The way He has shown up in my head and my heart this week reveals so much of God, His love and patience, His grace, His love--His reality!
To God be the glory! Praise the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit...Amen!
I've been working on a project of fiction, intending to bring a picture of the interaction of the Holy Spirit in our lives and this world. I felt empty in the writing tank--it seemed that God was getting my best, but I wanted to share my best with the world! When I actually type these things out, I see just how off my perspective has been. As I have moved beyond the exercise, I see just how gracious God has been after following through with that commitment.
I enjoyed my time in the gospels through the month, but I was eager to jump into a new book. I jumped into one of my favorites--Hebrews, and after July, my appetite was even greater for His word. I had trouble staying out of the Bible to go to work, to do chores, to write. I was thirsty for Him, and He quenched my thirst with Holy Spirit.
I had struggled through July with how to approach my current chapter of the book about the Holy Spirit, and then, in Hebrews, I noticed for the first time: "...the Holy Spirit said..."
I'd always seen Him as a mysterious spirit, influencing us, knocking around in our heads and hearts, hovering over waters, and generally hanging around in an ambiguous state. I did not recall His speaking roles in scripture.
Hebrews 3:7-11
Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,
"TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE,
DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS WHEN THEY PROVOKED ME,
AS IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS,
WHERE YOUR FATHERS TRIED ME BY TESTING ME,
AND SAW MY WORKS FOR FORTY YEARS.
THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION,
AND SAID, 'THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART,
AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS';
AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH,
'THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST.;"
WOW! God was just waiting for me to be obedient and I can imagine the smile on His face as I came across this a couple of days ago. I longed to write about the Holy Spirit, while he desperately wanted to teach me about the Holy Spirit. The last few days have been full of the Spirit of God.
In this reference, I see that the Spirit is God in that His words are God's words. When he speaks, He refers to what 'I AM' said in the old testament as His own words here in Hebrew. As much as Jesus and God the Father, the Holy Spirit is God, too, as part of the mysterious Trinity.
Later in Hebrews 10: 15-17, we see another speaking role for the Holy Spirit.
And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,
"THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART,
AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM."
He then says:
"AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS
I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE."
The Holy Spirit testifies for us, and He writes God's law upon our hearts and minds. I need to follow what the Spirit has written on my heart and His instructions on my brain, not the fleshly desires of my heart and my humanistic logic. The way He has shown up in my head and my heart this week reveals so much of God, His love and patience, His grace, His love--His reality!
To God be the glory! Praise the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit...Amen!
Writer's Block: A Foreign Language
Do you speak multiple tongues? If so, write a short story or poem in a different language than your native tongue, depending upon your proficiency. If you are not proficient in another language, pick some of your favorite things (nouns), some of your favorite actions (verbs), and a list of articles, pronouns and adverbs such as a, an, the, this, that, he, she, they, quickly, slowly, happily, sadily. Pick some of your favorite descriptive words (adjectives).
Now that you have your list, develop your own language.
she = sen
quickly = buquerity
wrote = yada
a = e
new = uevo
tongue = tonga
Now write something active and interesting...hopefully better than this example:
Sen buquerity yada e uevo tonga.
Perhaps this sparks an interest in learning other languages, the history and development of different tongues and encourages renewed excitement over the play with words. Tolkien developed complete languages for species such as the elves in the Lord of the Rings simply to inject a small portion of that tongue into his book.
Come neve d'estate e come la pioggia all mietitura, cosi l'onore non conviene allo stolto.
Keep learning new things and build your writing so that it may be honorable!
Now that you have your list, develop your own language.
she = sen
quickly = buquerity
wrote = yada
a = e
new = uevo
tongue = tonga
Now write something active and interesting...hopefully better than this example:
Sen buquerity yada e uevo tonga.
Perhaps this sparks an interest in learning other languages, the history and development of different tongues and encourages renewed excitement over the play with words. Tolkien developed complete languages for species such as the elves in the Lord of the Rings simply to inject a small portion of that tongue into his book.
Come neve d'estate e come la pioggia all mietitura, cosi l'onore non conviene allo stolto.
Keep learning new things and build your writing so that it may be honorable!
Spiritual Block: Psalm
Last month, I took a Proverb a day--31 Proverbs, 31 July days. This month, I've added to my reading of scripture an exercise in Psalms that is not something I just figured out, but an exercise having been done by countless others before me. The Psalms have different categories, authors and styles, so instead of just reading 5 per day sequentially, I read Psalms 1, 31, 61, 91 and 121 on Aug 1; Psalms 2, 32, 62, 92, and 122 on August 2.
I encourage you to engage in this activity beginning today on whatever day you are reading this post. I also encourage you to leave comments on insights gained from your reading, thoughts of how the Holy Spirit has spoken to you, inspirational stories of reading combined with real life events...I will post from time to time this month about my own journey through Psalms as well, but I'm posting this as a blog entry so you can add stories of the action of His word in your reading.
To God be the glory! Enjoy the Psalms!
I encourage you to engage in this activity beginning today on whatever day you are reading this post. I also encourage you to leave comments on insights gained from your reading, thoughts of how the Holy Spirit has spoken to you, inspirational stories of reading combined with real life events...I will post from time to time this month about my own journey through Psalms as well, but I'm posting this as a blog entry so you can add stories of the action of His word in your reading.
To God be the glory! Enjoy the Psalms!
Monday, August 1, 2011
July/Proverbs Done!
I apologize for those visiting the site just seeing a lot of Proverbs re-typed from the the NASB version. I embarked on an exercise to go through the Proverbs each day (31 Proverbs, 31 July days), but not just to read through but to type all of the words of God in the Proverbs. I commented on some of them as I was struck by the Holy Spirit going through the exercise, but many have no comments. I will go back through this month and update some comments to those I did not previously. Please take a look at my previous Proverbs note if you have a chance. This was a tremendous exercise coupled with reading through the Gospels over the course of the month. God spoke to me in amazing ways and I look forward to more conversation ahead!
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