Forty Plus Miles

            Here I feel it, the pressure in busy living. Here it washes over me, and it's all I can do to stand. Here I adjust this vision (or perspective) of what I'm looking at, ask two questions, and all begins to change slowly, "What is good?", and I answer. "What else is there?", and in seeking the answers I find some relief. The pressure will come again, but this is how to hope, always remembering to filter it all through the Bible and prayer as you ask and answer these questions.  Sidenote: If any of the writing on this blog has made a good impact on your life in someway (EVEN if it was something you may have enjoyed reading for a particular reason), please feel free to share this blog with someone else who could be blessed also. Thank you for your support! 

         I suspect the title of this post may make people cringe, even be dissuaded from reading this post; it's not what some may think though. It's not about "clickbait" (something that gets people to click on something, for any who are unfamiliar with what that is), nor is this about getting people to give money. The more I consider what generosity really is, the more inclined I am to be more generous.           Not too long ago (I don't remember exactly when), I heard a pastor talk in a sermon about how generosity is MORE than giving money. Generosity can take many forms. It can be our time, attention, understanding.....and this is ONLY a few of the ways! I keep thinking about this and find myself led to be more generous. I don't have a ton of money, but I find myself practicing generosity with other means, one of them is with giving my writing away on here. This doesn't necessarily mean I'll stop writing and submitting elsewher...

       More pain, more challenging, still he had to try, he was going to try. Each attempt nearly crippled him, he was going to do it though: enjoy life in the moment.          One toss, then another, each time he was tempted to stop, still, he refused to be defined by these limitations and embraced living here and now.          They smiled, watched as he showed them all what being alive was all about: being fully present in the moment given (however that was given). Not focusing on the difficulties, yet not ignoring them either. He played through the arthritis, embraced life and time with his family, in the moment of one hundred years young. Sidenote: If any of the writing on this blog (including this story) has made a good impact on your life in someway (EVEN if it was something you may have enjoyed reading for a particular reason), please feel free to share this blog with someone else who could be blessed also. Tha...

           One word entered his mind: try. Backward then forward he made his attempts at growing, at reading. It was often a jumbled mess, but growth is seldom easy, especially with dyslexia.              Little by little he read, every chance every day. One word then a sentence. One sentence then a paragraph and slowly but surely he understood.             "Don't give up.", he told himself each time he read, tempted to do just that. Every word read was freedom. Every word understood was growth and he found joy in the journey. With word, sentence and paragraph devoured he thrived, and eventually taught others how to also...others with dyslexia like him.             One word changed it all: try, and this is what he told everyone he shared his story with. "Try. This was my one word that changed it all. What is yours?", he would conclude with all he shared ...

        They sat, in the darkness and silence, waiting, wondering what would happen. In the void they remained, anxious, simply wanting an answer; then she rose. A light pierced the tension with the flick of a switch. She looked at an indicator, mustering all the hope she could, still it wasn't enough. Negative told her no, told them no, and they went and sat for a moment, silently.          "Would it ever change? Would there ever be a third to their little duo of marriage?, they both wondered. A T.V. was turned on, and they watched, together in silence, while they were finding "us" and didn't know it.          It was days and they returned to life, left the disappointment the best they could, and dared to hope again. Another day. Another eight hours. Another moment to....become three. A few more days and they were sitting again, found in the void of waiting, of great tension, and a light pierced the unknown. A simpl...

           Night after night the lights pierced the dark all around. Appearing as stars that blessed humanity with hope, they made themselves known after each sunset. One by one they flew through the cool air, gathering in community where they lit the way.             On one such evening, children ventured into this unknown void of light, guided only by these magnificent wonders.....these fireflies.            In all the gathering lights moving here and there, one such creature moved among them, one of their own. In the community known among them, his little light was lost, being dimmer than the others; still able to shine, nonetheless he didn't shine bright enough to be different......or so he thought. Regardless, he made his best attempts, every gathering, to make his light known.             On one such occasion, a boy with thick glasses made his way to hi...

 The Little Things The little things seen, thinking on this little good , of little good still.  Sidenote: If any of the writing on this blog has made a good impact on your life in someway (EVEN if it was something you may have enjoyed reading for a particular reason), please feel free to share this blog with someone else who could be blessed also. Thank you for your support!