Why Write for Light?

Because all good gifts come from above.  Creativity being one of them.  The life giving, world making force of God seen in all things created.  Life, not death. Things that affirm.

We live in a feed of almost pure slop.  Death, sickness, bad news, criticism and condemnation everywhere.  We are all sick of it, and stuck in it.  Such is life, right?

We have free will, let's remember that, and use it.  One of my favorite passages in God's word The Bible tells us to meditate on things that have eight qualities.  I"m going to list them here, and put them as a sidebar to remind myself and others to meditate, focus on, and perhaps even write a post or comment or story or song related to or directly about these themes.

Meditate on These Things, Philippians 4:8

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 

 As I start this blog, I feel it is another turning point in my life.  To produce now and not simply consume.  Real fruit.  Of the spirit as well as in the flesh.  I simply have to get back to writing, to making, to creating, as I believe we are made in the image of God, and I need a place to affirm some things and shine some light.  I also need to help others do the same thing if I can, as I realize God gave me gifts as a teacher that I cannot deny nor waste.  And I happen to believe many others have gifts I don't have and can't replicate, but I can encourage others and learn from them.  I actually love to do that.  So there's the overall goal, perhaps as much for myself to try to understand and follow as you.

I'm going to make an analogy to give you context, as I'm deciding to say NO to saying too much.  Let's just say I have faced some challenges this month that are surely not foreign to mankind, but had been foreign to me.  I realized there is plenty of trouble in every life individually, and if you start to search across any culture, especially the current American and world culture, you can find as much trouble and negative content as you want.  Not much is hidden.  To say that something is in bad taste or does not need to be shown in all its gory detail might be labeled censorship.  But there is a line for each person that goes past the point of decency and common sense, and one must be careful with that line.  One has to decide where to put one's eyes, and ears, and heart.  Carefully.  And with the Lord's help and grace.

 Here's the analogy.  I wish and now choose to be more like a sunflower.  They chase the light.  They understand where to turn their attention.  They have in their design an ability to see past clouds and still follow the light.  They know what makes them grow.  When the sun goes down, they rest and do not toil in vain.  They set roots and go as deep and wide to be grounded as they can. 

I've always thought they are beautiful and have great memories of driving through miles upon miles of fields heading west in South Dakota when my brother Dean and I went to Montana on our motorcycles in 2001.  Only lately do I think more about what they do, what they can mean.

 We are not God, we are not little gods, we are not going to be God in this world, or the next.  To think too broadly or judge too broadly or even let your attention go too broadly across this global, now "connected" world culture, is not in my opinion very healthy.  We simply are not made for the kind of wide open "sharing" we now face. The data is too much and it may be tailored for you by an algorithm but I don't think that technology has your best interests and certainly not your soul in mind.  It is artificial. I"m not telling you anything new but the strange thing about the truth is how often it must be stated in a world where of course lies are on infinite play and repeat.  That's the handbook for lies.

I am going to ask many friends and even some strangers to join this blog.  You don't have to believe what I believe or what others here believe.  God has given you free will, and you must make your own choices.  The relationship between you and God is your own.  I and others can counsel or even cojole if you wish, but you must take or leave what you need and decide is true.  I can't decide what is true for you, I can only give you my viewpoint that comes with bias, and you the same for me.  What's important is the search and the open discourse, and if we can agree we need some light to see, all of us. I believe we can write and share for that Light, and God will bless it.