Why?

What started this whole thing?

On November 3^rd 2006, I was reading Psalm 3 while I sat in my old pickup eating lunch.  I remember the day because I had decided 2 days earlier that I could no longer stay in the office where I work and eat lunch, so great was my distaste for my current working conditions.  I had just started the month by being newly demoted from a position in sales to a position as an office team member.  I was infuriated by my employer for a lot of things, most of which, in retrospect, she was not responsible for, but at the time she was the target of my anger.  I remember it was Psalm 3 because I had decided that I would do anything to avoid going back into the office earlier than absolutely necessary, and reading a Psalm a day would delay that distasteful act for a couple of minutes at least.  And so it was that I mechanically picked up the copy of the Bible that I kept in the console two days previous and bean reading God’s word for the first time in a long while.  I “read” the first two bits with all the enthusiasm I could muster, which wasn’t much.  And I started the same way on day three, when I got to the word BUT.  

³But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

That one sentence started everything that has occurred since.  

I started writing, journaling really.

I wrote letters to my Sunday school class.

I wrote letters to my pastors.

I wrote 2 or 3 bible studies.

I wrote comments to be shared during a choir presentation.

I wrote articles I shared, and some I didn’t.

I started looking at life differently;  as something worth living.

About 10 months ago, I realized that an idea I had for a story, which I had shared with a few friends hoping one of them would take the idea and run with it, was really meant for me to write.  I shared this revelation with my wife and a couple of close friends, but so far, I have avoided it and the advise they gave me concerning it.  To tell you the truth, I’m actually kind of afraid to do it; the storyline that I outlined is just way too similar to my own life.  I’m afraid of how much it may hurt to go through the process of writhing the story (if that makes sense).  My wife, who I claim now is the most Un-Nagging woman to whom any man could ever hope to be matched, made a sideways suggestion a few weeks ago, that if I was going to avoid writing the book, I could at least write a blog.  I laughed and suggested it could be called, “Running away from God.”  One thing leads to another….

So this forum will be a mix of stuff:  some that I wrote several months/years ago, and some that I have taken pen to recently.  I don’t figure that any of it will really change the world, but if any of it gets through to you I’d appreciate you letting me know.  

Joy… and Peace,

Sal