words
I am a lover of words.
Whether it be books, lyrics, blogs or poetry, words are like air;
I n e e d t h e m t o b r e a t h e .
I love to get lost in words – to escape into another world that someone paints boldly for me.
To me, words are like that enchanted manor wardrobe in my favorite C.S. Lewis story;
They are a magical place where this world stops for awhile and a new amazing cosmos begins.The best of books let me feel the crunch of snow beneath my feet in Narnia even when it is August in Texas.
Or taste the sweet tart flavor of a Cold Tangerine or the Bittersweetness of chocolate and life.
Words transport me to a world I don’t even want to control –
a place where I can live adventurously and dare greatly and dream mightily.
They set me free to run my fingers through a lion’s mane or sail a ship or conquer kingdoms,
all while safely at home cuddled up under my worn cotton weave blanket on a cold Sunday afternoon while it rains.
I am a lover of words.
here are my favorite writers and words
those whose words have inspired mine
the word of God
new living translation
Romans 8
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[p] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Psalm 18
I love you, Lord; you are my strength.
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.
He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.
3 I called on the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies.
Colossians 1
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness
and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,
14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
Psalm 18
25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful; to those with integrity you show integrity.
26 To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the wicked you show yourself hostile.
27 You rescue the humble, but you humiliate the proud.
28 You light a lamp for me. The Lord, my God, lights up my darkness.
29 In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall.
30 God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.
Philippians 4
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.
His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Matthew 4
10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,
‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”
11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.
Proverbs 3
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Isaiah 50
Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced.
Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will.
And I know that I will triumph.
Matthew 11
28 Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart,
and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Isaiah 43
1B …the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.
2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Psalm 73
24 You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
26 My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.
Romans 8
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together
for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Malachi 3
6A “I am the Lord, and I do not change…”
Matthew 10
39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.
C.S. Lewis: author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia
some of C.S. Lewis’ words of wisdom:
I must be ploughed up and re-sown.
There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, “Thy will be done,”
and those to whom God says, “All right, then, have it your way.”
The Christian way is different: harder, and easier. Christ says ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. I don’t want to drill the tooth, or crown it, or stop it, but to have it out. Hand over the natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked – the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.’
…Christ offers something for nothing; He even offers everything for nothing.
Good and evil both increase at compound interest.
That is why the little decisions you and I make every day
are of such infinite importance.
But the question is not what we have intended ourselves to be, but what He intended us to be when He made us. He is the inventor, we are only the machine. He is the painter, we are only the picture. How should we know what He means us to be like? You see, He has already made us something very different from what we were…
Aim at Heaven and you will get earth “thrown in”: aim at earth and you will get neither.
Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself.
Experience: that most brutal of teachers.
But you learn, my God do you learn.
Shauna Niequist, author of Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet, and Bread & Wine
some of shauna’s words of wisdom:
There are two myths that we tend to believe about our stories: the first is that they’re about us, and the second is that because they’re about us, they don’t matter. But they’re not only about us, and they matter more than ever right now. When we, any of us who have been transformed by Christ, tell our own stories, we’re telling the story of who God is…
I’ve spent most of my life and most of my friendships holding my breath and hoping that
when people get close enough they won’t leave, and fearing that it’s a matter of time before they figure me out and go.
I have always, essentially, been waiting. Waiting to become something else, waiting to be
that person I always thought I was on the verge of becoming, waiting for that life I thought I would have.
Everybody has a home team: It’s the people you call when you get a flat tire or when something terrible happens. It’s the people who, near or far, know everything that’s wrong with you and love you anyway. The home team people are the ones you can text within five minutes’ notice,saying. “I’m on my way, and I’m bringing tacos”…. These are the ones who tell you their secrets, who get themselves a glass of water without asking when they’re at your house. These are the people who cry when you cry. These are your people, your middle-of-the-night, no-matter-what people.
It’s not hard to decide what you want your life to be about.
What’s hard… is figuring out what you’re willing to give up in order to do the things you really care about.
To all the secret writers, late-night painters, would-be singers, lapsed and scared artists of every stripe, dig out your paintbrush, or your flute, or your dancing shoes. Pull out your camera or your computer or your pottery wheel. Today, tonight, after the kids are in bed or when your homework is done, or instead of one more video game or magazine, create something, anything. Pick up a needle and thread, and stitch together something particular and honest and beautiful, because we need it. I need it. Thank you, and keep going.
If you are a person of faith, it is your responsibility to tell God’s story,
in every way you can, every form, every medium, every moment.
Tell the stories of love and redemption and forgiveness every time you experience them.
Tell the stories of reconciliation and surprise and new life everywhere you find them…
If you have been transformed by the grace of God, then you have within you all you need
to write your manifesto, your poem, your song, your battle cry, your love letter to a beautiful and broken world.
Your story must be told.
Brene’ Brown: Daring Greatly, The Gifts of Imperfection, & I Thought It Was Just Me
some of Brene’s words of wisdom:
Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change
Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day.
It’s about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest.
The choice to let our true selves be seen.
Courage starts with showing up
and letting ourselves be seen.
Don’t try to win over the haters; you are not a jackass whisperer.
Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity.
It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability, and authenticity.
If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper and
more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.
The willingness to show up changes us,
It makes us a little braver each time.
Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as
spending our lives running from it.
Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as
dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy—
the experiences that make us the most vulnerable.
Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness
will we discover the infinite power of our light.
If you own this story, you get to write the ending.
inspire
share your own writing or other favorite quotes, books, and authors.
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