Photo by Peter Secan on Unsplash
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4
I suppose it started when I woke up before 5:00 a.m. and realized that I’d not posted for the day.
I didn’t get up right away, but neither did I go back to sleep.
Oh yes, I tried.
So I got up and started my morning routine a bit earlier. Fortunately the post was written. But it wasn’t formatted and posted. That often takes more time than the actual writing.
I know. Color you surprised.
I think it was Sunday. After being out of town for work and a family visit, and after church and mulitple errands, I had a thought. “Why am I still doing this blog?”
It comes down to this, I need a presence on the Internet beyond just Facebook and Instagram. Although you should definitely be following me there.
The blog is a work in progress. As am I.
I’ve ready the articles, and the sales pitches, and even attended some of the webinars. My blog is not going to make me a bazillionaire.
But, I’m here. Figuring it out post by post.
Usually I’ll be rethinking that around the time of formatting the post for the next day.
I’m still here.
For now.
I lost another friend to cancer last week.
Marsha wasn’t a close friend. We met through our online Tolkien group which has been together for some twenty years. We were more active on another site than Facebook. And I’ve written about losing another good friend from the group.
I’d never met Marsha in person. But we’d chatted for seemingly years online. And we spoke by phone when she tried to walk me through some computer crisis I was having.
Marsh was kind, talented, joyful, and full of life. She loved Jesus and walked right into his arms when this early vessel could no longer contain her.
Rest in Peace, my friend.
As I’m readying to post this on Tuesday morning, intentional this time, I receive news that another friend is knocking on Heaven’s door. No details yet out of respect for his privacy.
The news hit me hard this morning. I’m not quite ready to talk about it. But as I began my time of reading and prayer a song rolled around on Pandora. Usually the music I play in the morning is just instrumental. I suppose I needed these words this morning…
… When the valley is deep
When the mountain is steep
When the body is weary
When we stumble and fall
… When the choices are hard
When we’re battered and scarred
When we’ve spent our resources
When we’ve given our all
… In Jesus’ name, we press on
In Jesus’ name, we press on
Dear Lord, with the prize
Clear before our eyes
We find the strength to press on
… Dear Lord, with the prize
Clear before our eyes
We find the strength to press on
… In Jesus’ name, we press on
In Jesus’ name, we press on
Dear Lord, with the prize
Clear before our eyes
We find the strength to press on
… We find the strength to press on
To press on
Lyrics by Daniel L. Burgess
It doesn’t seem right this morning to post a bunch of snarky articles to prove a political point or point out the silliness of another’s viewpoint. So, I’m holding off.
Like I said this blog is a work in progress.
Maybe the progress in me as I look to pour my time an energy into things that matter.
And in that, I’ll find the strength to press on.
WHAT I’M READING
American singer-songwriter and actress, Reba McEntire, was born on this day in 1955.