Catching Trains

Charing Cross Tube stop, London

The only way of catching a train I have ever discovered is to be late for the one before.

- G.K. Chesterton

Oh, reading Chesterton's observations makes me laugh. He was an Englishman, so it's only appropriate that I quote him right before I venture to his homeland.
I hope his quote will not be the case once I get to England. Though, it has happened to me on a few occasions before. At least in England, the trains come quite often, so you can get anywhere in decent time. Of course, when in London, the Tube (Underground) is the best way to get around, unless there is a strike, like there was last September on the morning Jason and I had to get to King's Cross Station to catch the train to Newcastle. Gladly we stepped out of our hotel and the first car to go by was an empty taxi, so we grabbed it. Of course, as we drove along, there was not one empty taxi. We seemed to get the only available one.

Oh the fun of travel. You just go with the flow and realize that like life, you cannot control the trains.

At last! The day is almost here!

Goodness Ahead

On the Gatwick Express train with Jason last September. This time my Mom will be with me.

We are always preparing for the possibility of bad things to happen, but where are our preparations for the good? We buy car insurance in case of an accident. We pack extra socks in case we are caught in soaking rain. We think the worst case and prepare for that. When traveling, we always think about the safety of ourselves and our important documents. While it is certainly necessary to prepare, think ahead, and be smart, once you get all that taken care of, let it go and enjoy the good.

I am at the point now, with just two days until my trip, that all the preparations have been made, all reservations set, all important documents ready. I am even almost fully packed. So, I am at the point to let all the prep work and to-do lists scatter to the background and focus on the goodness of the trip. I cannot wait to step away from the UK customs counter at Gatwick Airport and take a seat on the Gatwick Express train into London. Such fun will be ahead...

For how great is His goodness, and how great His beauty! - Zechariah 9.17

Last Minute Studying

Much of my time during lunch breaks has been spent at a little downtown spot, Black 'n Brew. I grab lunch, or coffee, pick a table by the original brick wall, and pull out my copy of Pride and Prejudice. I mean, I am going to England in a few days, and I am taking a class on Jane Austen at Oxford University, I better get some last minute studying in. Indeed, re-reading Pride and Prejudice has been such fun. My softcover copy was purchased in Newcastle, England, two years ago. I will admit, it was not my favorite Jane Austen book, but now I think it is. And here is why:

How many of us pre-judge people upon just meeting them? How many of us get the scoop on someone from another source? We form opinions of people based on what other opinions are out there, and don't take the time to form our own conclusion by observing and asking for ourselves. Hence, we miss the chance to know someone who is so genuine a person. That is the premise of Pride and Prejudice. Sure, only girls read it nowadays, but the lessons and situations are so applicable to everybody.

The thing I love about Pride and Prejudice is that while it does venture into some serious themes, it is a satire, and as I read the silliness that is written so eloquently, it makes me smile. It's a subtle comedy, and some of the lines have such wit, it makes me laugh. And it reminds me that while life can be serious sometimes, there is plenty of time for us to be silly and have fun, too.

Mr. Darcy said very little, and Mr. Hurst nothing at all. The former was divided between admiration of the brilliancy which exercise had given to her complexion, and doubt as to the occasion's justifying her coming so far alone. The latter was thinking only of his breakfast. (Chapter VII)

The Praising Pen

My heart overflows with a pleasing theme;

I address my verses to the king;

my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.

- Psalm 45.1

I love this verse. It resonates so easily with me and my love of writing. While the psalmist compares his overflowing praises to a scribe ready to write down every word, I sometimes feel like that scribe sitting with the pen over a blank page. With words of praise overflowing in my heart, my hand can only write so fast. And in this verse, the psalmist so poetically articulates how I feel many times.

When we have good stories to tell, aren't we all like that? Don't we rush to our friends and family to share the news quickly? This is how we should be with God, too. Addressing our verses to the king with an abundance of praising language. For God hears our prayers as well as our praises. Spoken and written.

If you want to change the world, pick up your pen. - Martin Luther

Pleasant Places

Alnwick Castle, Northeast England

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
-Psalm 16.6

I came across this verse in my Bible last night. I had already underlined it a long time ago, so it drew my attention. The poetic nature of the Psalms draws me back on many occasions. I like how it invokes in me a reminder that it doesn't matter what I do for a job or if I come from a rich family. I have the inheritance of God's kingdom because I have Him in my heart and I believe. That is all I need.

This verse recognizes that the goodness bestowed is not due to the psalmist's power, but by God, who made it possible for all things to fall into pleasant places. It is a dangerous outlook one can adopt when giving oneself credit for the good things that happen.

Journaling helps me see in my own words how God is at work in my life. As I write I sort matters in my heart and I always end up seeing how good God is and how nothing is able to be done that God does not already see. He is at work on things that I cannot possibly comprehend yet. That is, I think, what the author means in Ecclesiastes (perhaps it was Solomon who wrote the book) when he wrote:

What has been is what will be,

and what has been is what will be done,

and there is nothing new under the sun.

-Ecclesiastes 1.9

England is One Week Away!

From the top of St. Paul's Cathedral Dome, London

As I walked along the downtown streets today with the bright sun bearing down on me, I could feel my pale skin heat up within seconds. Since it has been very dry here, the sun only increases the heat with no rain to cool the atmosphere. As I drove back to Florida from Savannah, my car told me it was 102 degrees outside! I couldn't believe it! And for most of my drive, it stayed steady at 100 degrees. This kind of weather is not ideal for a pale-skinned redhead who loves the chilly weather.

Then a reminder popped up in my head and I smiled- in one week I will be in England! My relief from the heat is England, where the high temperature isn't even reaching 70 degrees. That is perfection, to me. You may disagree if you'd like. I know many people who would. Can someone explain to me why they love the humidity and heat of Florida so much? I can't help it if I am misplaced and do not share in their sentiments.

Ahhh, good things are in store...

Mind Awake

Morning view from hotel room in Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland

Mind Awake this morning

Cup of coffee starts the gears

Moving, thinking, pondering life

And considering how all this strife

Will be used and turned to good

While the unknown is a bit scary, I am learning the hidden joy that can come along with hope held while deep in the unknown. Normally, our inclinations are to be worrisome of the unknown, especially when something seems to be lurking. Then the dreadful feeling of not knowing what may happen sticks to you like glue.

I have decided to flip the subject around and be appreciative of the fact that through the time that the unknown remains to be unknown, there is a hope to be hoped that something really amazing is just around the corner. Any moment now something really amazing, a blessing from God is going to happen. We are on the verge of good. It's setting our sights on what God can do, not what He won't do. It's fixing our eyes on something that is not yet seen, but is always there.

That is the definition of faith. To believe without seeing. It's in the unknown territory that we learn this. We can set aside the fear and turn around to hope and maybe even be a little surprised by joy.

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. - C.S. Lewis

 

Illuminated Path

Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England

In all the good stories, doesn't something always happen in the main character's life that brings about hurt, confusion, and change? And doesn't the story go on to tell of how that change shapes the person into something better, wiser, and stronger? There wouldn't have been a story if that hurt and confusion hadn't come about. The story would read pretty dull if it only consisted of a routine day told- "She woke up at 8 AM and brewed some coffee. She made a list of items needed at the grocery later that day." Nothing of consequence would be written about.

Trials bring about decisions, which turn into changes, and then usually something remarkable follows. After that time of hurt something good happens, which introduces hope into the story. Small reminders we can apply to our own lives. Even through the darkness where we can't see at all where we should go, we will soon find a little illuminated path that God sets out just for us to follow.

How terrible life would be if we never evolved into better versions of ourselves.

- Tara Leigh Cobble

Savannah Sunshine

I took a break from my Florida scenery to visit one of my closest friends, Jen and Jake, in Savannah and the little bundle of joy that has recently joined them, Liliana. I don't hold many babies in my days, and I can't help but feel the joy Jen and Jake must feel when they hold their little one. I can understand how parents can instantly be in love with their new baby and everyday feel that love grow. Sure babies are fussy and cry over strange things, but don't we all want to do that? We just don't always let it all out. Babies don't hold it inside like we do. And the smiles and sweetness of a baby can melt anyone's heart.

Sometimes it requires getting away from the norm and experiencing something so outside your daily activities to see the joys that are so abundant. Things that may not be part of your daily life can remind you that life is beautiful and God is good.

I think that's how we should live our lives- our roots should be growing deep in our faith while our branches reach into the world around us. - Tara Leigh Cobble

Alone

I thought long ago that I would never be alone

How ignorant I was

Part of growing up is learning how to make it alone

It is a tough time for me

Getting accustomed to all this darkness

And deep down I know I am not alone

But something inside me fills me with dread

I fight it, but am surrounded by it

Inspiration does not always come easy

And that tells me I need God near

Lord- enter in

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
- Zephaniah 3.17

Speck of Dust

Redwood Tree, Yosemite National Park, CA

A tiny speck is all I am, but I want my tiny speck to leave a mark that is meaningful and exactly what God intended. I don't understand what is in store for me next, and I pray for certain things to happen, but it is trust and faith I need to keep. The world doesn't make it easy, because sometimes it tries to lure me with its flashy, selfish, lusty, or greedy scenes. You don't even have to look for it and it's there. Look away and you see another scene. Close your eyes and it's still imprinted on your brain.

It's part of the world we live in. Sadly, it's not showing signs of improvement. Less and less mention of God, strong morals, manners, good character, and prudence. It has become more and more difficult to stay focused on what really matters in life.

1 Peter reminds us not to think it strange when we come under some fiery trial, as if something strange were happening to us (1 Peter 4.12). Just being a Christian means we are targets for those who follow idols of their own creation. They think they are right but it's Satan's clever guises at work. One day it will all be known, but until that day we have work to do. Setting the example in all we do. Each tiny speck of dust adds up to something grand.

Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. - Titus 2.7-8

May Surprise

Some birds are chirping, the sky is blue

The air grows warm, but a breeze is due

Bringing a cool that awakens the mind

For this, I will soon be desperate to find

Being outside is a pleasure this day

It welcomes me to venture without delay

For in the course of the blink of an eye

The only cool places will be inside

And while many pleasures are taken indoors

It's not frequently what I am in the mood for

So I sit outside writing in the shade

And thank the Lord for this day He has made

These past few days have astounded me. A coolish air settled in town for a treat in mid-May. I almost thought I was dreaming when I left my apartment yesterday morning. A pleasant dream, where you wouldn't mind staying for awhile. I tried to gather in the nice morning, take a deep breath lacking in humidity, look around at the happier grass and sky, feel the coolness of the air touch my skin. Pleasant indeed.
Enjoy the small pleasant things of your day.

Above the Fog

I think we all hit low points every now and then. A point where we stop and look at life and the place we are at and ask, ‘where am I going?’ or ‘what am I doing?’

When we get to this point it always seems as some sort of shock, like we just realized it. Yet, the truth of the matter is that it could be a result of our own complacency, built up over time. We get comfortable in our little lives. We allow the dullness to please us, overlooking the fact that we can change things. We find ourselves stuck in a situation we don’t want to be in. C.S. Lewis wrote that we are all half-hearted creatures, easily pleased by the superficial things when there is so much more to life. We can miss the joy when we are too easily pleased.

In the moments we dare to think differently, we see a glimpse of where we can go and what we can do. When we lift our heads out of the fog we sit under, we see the brightness of where we can be.

But in this grey morn of man's life

Cometh sometime to the mind

A little light that leaps and flies,

Like a star blown on the wind.

- G.K.Chesterton

Blue Ridge Mountains, NC

Clarity Stands

Fashioned with care

And integrity held along

Wonderment seizes me

Considering what is wrong

Culture aimed at self

Is the way of the trade

Where is the magnanimity

To help others along the way?

Darkest corners may proceed

Where truth is shared in word

A secret place these days

Clarity stands amidst the blurred

It is good to be tired and weary from fruitlessly seeking the true good, so that one can stretch out one's arms to the Redeemer. - Blaise Pascal

Climbing the dome of St. Paul's Cathedral, London

Cobblestone Streets

Oxford, England

Life is walked along cobblestone streets sometimes because, well, have you ever walked on cobblestone streets? It's difficult, uneven, precarious if you aren't paying attention. Yet the street is beautiful, remarkable. You appreciate the historical path many others have walked before you. You start to think about who may have walked here and what the town was like hundreds of years ago. And as you appreciate the history, you notice the town around you and how modern society is taking part in this place of significant history. Like the streets, our lives are beautiful but uneven.

Life is difficult, we wobble along our path, sometimes when we don't pay attention we slip, or our foot hits a crack in the road. But somehow overall, it is a beautiful thing. Life, that is. And that difficult path brings us closer to even greater things. It just may take a little time along those cobblestone streets.

In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. - John 16.33

Riven

I usually feel pretty put together. You probably do, too. Good at being organized, scheduled, planned, under control. Life follows along accordingly most of the time. But when something comes along unexpectedly in life, it is like an earthquake that strikes the delicate house of cards. The world seems to be falling apart and we are thrown off. Plans now become altered, voluted and stirred. The path on which we were walking has been erased, so an alternate route must be taken. One hopes that it will be 100 times better.

We are all broken. This world is broken, but usually the pieces are neatly tucked into our pockets and we forget that they are there. And when things are shaken up, it rattles you, throws you down, and empties your pockets.

Urquhart Castle ruins on Loch Ness, Scotland

Now each piece must be picked up and examined. You look at each piece and ask yourself: how important is this piece and what am I going to do with it?

Perhaps that is why we have turmoil. So we are forced to look at the riven things in our lives and make decisions as to what is priority. We figure that out pretty quickly, thankfully. And as a good friend told me recently, "In my life, when things happen like this, the next page is always better."

I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. - Isaiah 38.5

Coming Weeks

The hot wind scatters my thoughts

It forces me inside

And broadens my jots

A sad notion for me to behold

When the desires in my heart

Press for the air to be cold

The Lord whispers "patience" in my ear

And the coming weeks seem closer

Than they normally appear

Magdalen College, Oxford

Wonderfully Made

God made you, and me, exactly who we should be and has always thought us to be wonderfully made. Like each leaf that falls from the tree, we are unique and make our own path into the wind. Why do we feel we need the acceptance of others? Why do we care?
This verse has always gripped me, causing me to look more deeply at myself:

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. - Galatians 1.10

That's a tough verse to read and apply because we all seek the approval of others in some way. We used to wear a certain brand of clothing in high school to feel cool, we say certain things to those in command at work to sound better than others, we beg for attention from anyone by the way we conduct ourselves, and we do things we know are not right but we do them because our friends do or because the world tells us it's ok.

It's about being true to yourself and living your life in a way that puts God first. There's a spotlight on you, and others are watching how you will react to situations. Commit to God all or nothing. Compare what you are doing with what the Bible says. And don't forget:

Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. - James 1.22

Cage

Clauses grow in my head

of a routine kind

Seeking asylum in the depths

of my subtle mind

Ideas implanted wistfully

adjourn the cares of today

As the rules and regulations

start to fade away

To rid myself of capture

I open, retrieve, and bend

Apart from my wire cage

I am free to ascend

Out into the world I fly

with thoughts of cages past

No more crossing my mind

As I move away so fast

The Way Things Were

Change comes, many times, without warning. Or, if there were warnings, you were too busy to notice them as they crept quietly behind you until pouncing when you least expect it. It is like a shock to your system and you walk around in a daze. You look at your life in a different way, a new perspective perhaps. Something was taken away, or moved, or your situation is dramatically changed. As you try to wrap your mind around what is happening you realize that it is completely out of your control. Nothing you say or do will put things back to the way they were.
And that is how it’s meant to be.

Somehow, for some reason, that change is going to lead you to something good. Life will go on and perhaps was not meant to continue the way things were.
I truly believe the timing of certain events happens for a purpose. I do not understand why people pass away at a certain time (way too early in life) or why a job situation takes a sharp turn toward the unknown, but all we can do is trust in God and have faith that He will bring good out of a bad scenario if all is given to Him.

Don't we all catch ourselves, from time to time, wishing life was like the way things were sometime ago? Think of the growth, wisdom, and strength you have gained since that time, though. Think of the people you have met and become close to. Being stuck in your wish for life to go back is like facing backwards in life, there's no moving forward because you can't see ahead.

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad.

-C. S. Lewis

Your Affectionate Uncle, Screwtape

Where do our worries and negative thoughts come from? Hmmm. I suspect they are being implanted by Satan in cunning ways unbeknown to each of us. He doesn't want us to enjoy life or the beauty of God's creation. Satan wants you to be miserable, full of self pity, greedy, and narrow-minded. That way, when you are so wrapped up in yourself it is so easy for him to just whisper lies to you, and you take them as truth because you have blinded yourself from the light and allowed the darkness to guide you.

Every time I think about the methods Satan uses to get to us, I imagine letters from "The Screwtape Letters", by C.S. Lewis coming to life. The book is a collection of letters written by a senior devil, Screwtape, to his nephew, who is a devil-in-training. When you think about the battle for your soul, I see Screwtape and his schemes and attempts to manipulate and divert your attentions to make you stray. It is the most interesting book because we get to peak into the dark secrets of Hell, so we can recognize the schemes and dodge them. Screwtape always signs the letters "your affectionate uncle", which is so ironic and laughable. To imagine a devil being affectionate seems impossible.

It does not matter how small the sins are provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one- the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.

Your affectionate uncle,
Screwtape

Happy Mom's Day

For all the love you have for me....

For all that you sacrificed for me while growing up....

For always believing in me....

For setting the good example....


For being so thoughtful....

For being there, through thick and thin....

For always having ideas for a rainy day....

For instilling values in me....

For going on adventures with me....

For listening to all my woes....

For baking the best monster cookies....

For the joy you give your family...

For all this (and much more), I give thanks to God always, for you, Mom. Love you.

Proper Time

At the proper time all will get in line

And everything will turn out fine

When I rush and stress I make a mess

All I need is to wait for God's "yes"

I continue to learn, to grow, and to churn

With patience I have for which I yearn

Whispers in my heart tell me it's worth the wait

But I won't just sit waiting for an open gate

In the meantime there is so much to do

Like travel across the ocean blue

Follow passions and goals, and cherish the time

Of this independent life that is truly fine

And stay close with friends who know

The depths of my soul and wish me to grow

For with company so true I don't count the miles

I keep them fresh in thought with smiles

This time is a gift, I am meant to be here

And whatever is next will be abundantly clear

Night Winds

The night rattled with uncertainty
Memories drifted along with the winds
Tossing my mind to and fro
With nowhere to go
But flutter aimlessly about
I close my eyes and try to calm
The winds in my thoughts
But rather than a blank canvas
I come up with jots
So I pick up my pen
And fill more pages again

St. Andrews, Scotland

All Good Things Come from God

My parents were married in 1973. Today would have been their 38th wedding anniversary.
I celebrate this day with thanksgiving for being raised by a Mom and Dad who were full of love, compassion, good morals, discipline, and adventure. They let us 4 kids make decisions and learn lessons on our own. And we all grew up to be a reflection of their goodness. I was so blessed to grow up in a loving home where family life was of utmost importance. I realize that wasn't the norm for most kids. My parents made sacrifices so that all 4 of us could try different sports and do other things we wanted growing up. We always had family vacations to beautiful places like North Carolina, New England, Washington State, and out west (Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado). Gosh! That all must have cost a fortune with 4 kids!

It is when I got older I began to appreciate everything they did through the years growing up. Even through trials and loss of Dad, as life swirls us around in its whirlwind, the family Mom and Dad established only gets stronger in love.
So, I am thankful for all that I had and still have. And I recognize that all good things come from God.

Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God, the Creator of the heavenly lights, who does not change or cause darkness by turning.  James 1.17

I love looking at old pictures of Mom and Dad because they were such a cute hippie-ish couple. In recent years, all their clothes from the 1970s have come back into fashion. They went camping a lot, pulled a little pop-up behind their BMW 2002, went to F1 Races together, and spent time at the beach. Adventures they eventually were able to share with their 4 kids, once we came along.

Venice Beach, where they met

Camping with the BMW 2002

Grand Canyon

Stories

Jesus said, “This is why I use stories to teach people. They see, but they don't really see. They hear, but they don't really hear or understand.”

Matthew 13.13

When I think about telling stories, I instantly think of my Dad. He loved to tell stories, and hear them. If you planned on having a quick conversation with him, that quick conversation quickly turned into an hour. I bet if you knew him and are reading this, you are smiling as I am, because you know he loved stories.

My Dad had a lot of stories he loved to tell. One of his favorites to tell about me was when I was very young, swinging out on the tire swing we had tied to our big tree in the front yard. My older brothers, Jason and Ryan, were outside with me, pushing me on the tire swing. They pushed me higher and higher until all the sudden the rope snapped and the tire went flying into the street with me attached. I am sure my brothers were scared for a second, until they saw that I was ok. My Dad would laugh every time he would tell this story. Not sure why he liked to tell this story so much. I think he liked to remember that I was pretty tough, even in a potentially dangerous situation. Being the only girl with three brothers, I had to be somewhat tough, since boys are rough and don't soften up for girls.

When I played basketball in the fourth grade (the first and last year I played, by the way), my Dad coached my team and he always tried to get me to be more aggressive. I wasn't throwing my elbows out enough, like he used to do when he played. He, being tall, thin, with long arms, was an ideal basketball player and he was always aggressive.

I am now experiencing the beginning of life without my Dad. Now, instead of hearing Dad's stories or telling him stories, I think or say “Dad would have loved this” or “I wish I could tell Dad stories of this”.

I find that I have become more like him, now. I am learning to slow down and enjoy a story. I am more of a listener, and I will gladly listen to a good story. It's taken me time to learn to stop and enjoy stories with someone. I have become especially appreciative of good, quality time spent with someone I care about. It means more to me than I can say. We have such little time here, with so much we want to do. So, if you are taking time to spend with me, I know you truly care about me and I am so thankful for you.

Colorful Dimension

Color me in the richness of vibrancy
Idle until noticed
Then bright as the reflection of the sun
Off the water’s sheen
Patience for bud to bloom
As the garden makes room
In its lustrous space for such a hue
We are all rich and small
Equals in this place
Distinct with intricacies we all
Add dimension full of grace

Musical Musings

I have come to know such a joyful felicity when playing an instrument. It fosters creativity apart from what I am used to, with notes and pages full of a musical language much different from when I sit down a fill pages with my own notes.
I have only been playing the piano for a little over a year, and my skills are by no means worthy of attention, and yet when I sit and play a Minuet by J.S. Bach or Clocks by Coldplay I realize with amazement that I am creating the music that fills the space of my apartment.

Learning to read music is similar to learning a new language, and just like learning a new language, it takes time and practice to get accustomed to it. Translating the musical notes I read on the pages to my fingers pressing the correct keys is an effort of concentration and memorization. I am sure everyone's methods of learning varies greatly, and I tend to memorize the notes very quickly and play all my songs by memory after that. The problem with that is if I mess up, I may have a hard time going back to the start of a measure, and if I look to the sheet music, I have to find my place. So perhaps my method is not the best. I have much to learn.

I haven’t played for many people, just my family and a few close friends, but I have noticed that every time I play for someone, a new atmosphere is introduced into the room, and it’s lovely. I think it has to do with filling the air with living music. It is like music opened a door into a new realm of conversation. A conversation where the notes speak to each other and we are mere observers.

Music is mere beauty; it is beauty in the abstract, beauty in solution. It is a shapeless and liquid element of beauty. - G.K. Chesterton

Caring for Words

Used Bookshop in York, England

He reflects the brightness of God's glory and is the exact likeness of God's own being, sustaining the universe with his powerful word. - Hebrews 1.3

I love words, as anyone who is acquainted with me could easily know. Just the association of a word and the power behind it makes me realize the significance of words we use all the time. The verse, above, says how God sustains the universe with his powerful word. Imagine for a second what that means. God created the ability for us to communicate, enabling us to write down thoughts and facts. Words should be treasured as a gift, because they are. In all languages, they are gifts.

I am a collector of words. When I am reading and I come across a new word, I occasionally will underline it, look up the meaning, and write it in my journal so I can use it sometime. Over time, it (hopefully) slowly becomes grafted into my vocabulary.

Learning a new word is like opening a window. It lets the fresh air into your writing and speaking.

A word is dead, when it is said

Some say-

I say it just begins to live

That day

-Emily Dickinson