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My Christmas and Blogging

January 4th, 2012 Filed under Personal 6 Comments

Well, it is the new year and I have made a commitment (I am not calling it a new year’s resolution because those are easy to break) to blog more often.  That is not really too much of a stretch since I have not written anything since September 6!!

Part of my reluctance to blog is often because I don’t think I have that much to say.  Who am I?  What do I have to write about that is worth anyone’s valuable time to read?  Nobody probably reads it any way, right?  Ok do you see the downward spiral I can talk myself into without much effort?

As has been my tradition for the past 7 years, I went to Andrea and Bowdie Jenkins home for Christmas.  This tradition started the first Christmas I was in Texas when Bowdie called and said, “I always want my boys to wake up with Aunt Beck on Christmas morning.  Will you come here?”  It still brings tears to my eyes and now he has three boys!  My time there was delightful and Andrea, the consummate gift giver (and a gifts lover herself), blessed me with many wonderful gifts one of which was a book by Renee Swope entitled A Confident Heart.

What does my Christmas and blogging have in common?  A lot, when you consider the subtitle of the book:  How to Stop Doubting Yourself and Live in the Security of God’s Promises.  From the very first page, I was overwhelmed by how this book was speaking to me and how my doubts, insecurities, etc. have kept me from living out the promises God has for me.  Even the forword by Lysa TerKeurst, president of Proverbs 31 ministry, captured what is so true in my heart.  Let me quote a few lines:

I carried around a little heart-shaped cup and held it out to whatever or whomever I perceived might fill it.

I presented the cup to my education:  “Will you fill me?”

I offered it to my husband:  “Will you fill me?”

I held it out to my child:  “Will you fill me?”

I extended it to my material possessions:  “Will you fill me?”

I presented it to each of my jobs:  “Will you fill me?”

…The more I offered my emptiness, hoping something could fill it, the more inadequate I felt.

I have only gotten through a chapter and a half but I sense this will be a well worn book that I will refer to and re-do for many years to come.  If you get the chance, head to Amazon and check out A Confident Heart’s “Click to Look Inside” and at least read the forword…if you are at all like me, you will be adding it to your cart in no time.

Let me know if you do….that is if anyone reads this.