Keep Calm And Write On

Solitude. Solitude, oh solitude, how delicious and sweet do you become when I just need a treat. A time to rest, reconnect and sit. Ask me my favorite thing, this will probably be it. Solitude, oh solitude, won't you be mine? Away from the hustle, the bustle, the grind? Oh solitude, dear solitude, where do you live? On balconies, in coffee cups, a few moments away. In time in devotions, starting or ending my day. Solitude, sweet solitude, I come to you swift. Burdened, worn down, I just need a lift. Solitude, in fact, I may need you more than most. Solitude, my solitude, to you a toast. May you always be refreshing, renewing and mild. May you never be a box to be checked or a task to be filed. May you always be a place I can come to and see. What I've learned, what should be done, to take care of me. Shannon Meiers 2018

It seems that the world of media is quite insistent on reminding me that I am single. Every sitcom, cartoon and commercial seems rife with couples wrapped up in each other.  And in a few short days is the holiday of which I am not fond. Welcome to Valentine's Day, ladies= the day where those of you who have a man will be showered with red roses and expensive chocolate, and those of us who don't will feel like hanging cupid by his bowstring.  Yippe. What's the whole deal about cupid, anyway? Who came up with the idea of a naked baby flying around hitting people with arrows in order to make them fall in love with each other.  Would someone please tell me whats so romantic about an arrow? Nothing says love like a barbed stick fired at your behind, I suppose. The thing that bothers me most about cupid isnt even the badly timed archery. It's his arrogance. He thinks that he has the perfect match for everyone on earth. Forgive me, but I would much rather put my trus...

Sickness Pain Sadness Tough financial spots These all present opportunities for fear to creep in. Fear of the unknown, of uncharted waters. What's happening? How do I make it stop? Where is God when I need Him? Why do I feel like He's not here? Can't I get some kind of magic ticket printed out that tells me what the end result will be when all this is over?  Oh, if only. But it doesn't work that way, I'm afraid. If you've accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, then you have the guarantee of eternity. But just because we have a certain eternal life ahead doesn't mean that this life will be all roses. Stuff happens. From spilled toothpaste to lost jobs, unwashed dishes to dead car batteries, bad hair days to bad health days, this world has stuff going on that effects us every day. Sometimes we can't change that. All we can change is our attitude.  Moses had a lot going on. To start with, it was a very unlucky time to be a Heb...

So for year's, a new phenomenon has swept the nation, to choose one word instead of typical new year's resolutions. I don't always participate in this, although I have on occasion. This year, I think it's clearer to me than it ever has been that life is so short, but its also incredibly unique. My life is not exactly like anyone else's, and everyone else's is not exactly like mine. If my form of adventure is a two hour road trip to see my best friend and her family, then that is my adventure. If I never travel like others, and never set foot on a foreign mission field, I am an adventurer and a missionary nonetheless. From this knowledge comes my first word Content. This year, I'm making an intentional effort to look for opportunities right where I am. If I believe God is sovereign, I must believe there is a reason for all of the struggles I've had, and all the ways my life is different from others. Calm is my second word. Unfortunately, anxiet...

source My last concussion was June 21st, 2016. It was my fifth in less than two years. I am not the same, and I'm just now beginning to accept that. Some days, (most days) I forget where I parked my car, or I plan out my activities so as not to overtire myself. I watch out for how much time I spend on the computer and I adapt. I am just now beginning to feel as if I am coming back to myself, like half of me was left behind for several months to hold down the fort and now the second half of my brain has returned to pull its own weight again. Unless you've lived with a concussion or a brain injury, I think there's a certain level of understanding that you can never reach about this type of injury. You don't know what it's like to go to Walmart and suddenly become terribly overwhelmed by the lights and sounds at the checkout and start crying because it's your body's only defense. You don't know what it's like to lay in darkness for hours at a ...

"They will know we are Christians by our love, by our love. They will know we are Christians by our love" - By Our Love, For King and Country I was halfway through singing along to this song on the radio when someone cut me off in traffic. Granted, I went out the day after Christmas, so that's on me. But still. I was appropriately peeved. The other driver pulled out in front of me suddenly and crossed into the lane next to me, almost causing me to rear end him. "LEARN TO DRIVE!" I yelled, startling my little sister who hadn't seen what had just happened. As soon as the words left my mouth it struck me that the last words out before then had been they will know we are Christians by our love . Something doesn't compute. " A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and ...

So this year, much like last year, I plan to make reading more of a priority, and set goals for myself in order to better myself and stretch my mind. As I mentioned in my last post, I've read 26 books this year, and I'm hoping to read at least that many for 2018. 2018 will hopefully be a little less.... chaotic than 2017. But if it is...all the more reason to spend more time reading and less time mindlessly facebook surfing. it remains to be seen how exactly I follow the recommended categories in the Tim Challies reading challenge, but as it stands now, here's the beginning of my reading wish list for this coming year, which as far as i'm concerned, starts now, because Christmas break. Ordinary Counter Culture Boundaries in Dating Crazy Love -started You and Me Forever Lies young Women Believe The crook in the lot Romeo and Juliet Most of these are entirely random and it's certainly not an exclusive list but I hope to keep adding to it. If yo...