Hello, again. I am going to try this blogging thing again. I am leaving any expectations of having readers behind. I am not doing this for anyone else. I have been reminded two days ago what it is to be an artist. This reminder appeared on my Facebook newsfeed. This is what I saw and what I said regarding it.
"Yes, it is a way of life and also very rarely a way to make a living. Even some of the most famous creators' (painters/writers/poets) work did not earn/cost a lot of money until after the creator passed.
A person HAS to want to do it for the creative outlet that it is - not for large amounts of fame or money because it is most likely not to come - and for the creation's ability to touch another soul."
I am sitting here to put action behind my words. During a small group discussion at a recent Bible Study, I was reminded that I AM a writer. I have a way with putting words together that is descriptive and can be quite elegant. Writing IS my outlet. I haven't quite worked out how this is going to blend with my journal quite yet, but I will figure it out. After all, I am creative!
It is Saturday. That means Doctor Who and The Last Kingdom on BBC America. I will post this and I will be back soon.
Karen
Hello again. I can not believe it has been a year and a half since I made a blog post. I'm sure most of my readers have forgotten about me, if I had any to begin with. This really isn't about anyone else, though, is it? The trend I had set out for with this blog was a lot more personal. I am going back to that premise. I am going to use this to record my personal Bible study (sometimes journal entry insights) and hopefully others will read it, be encouraged, and be led to comment so myself and others can also be encouraged.
This specific post is more about a reintroduction. I am not in the midst of a specific book of the Bible. I am using a list generated by the Logos Bible software. The list I chose was a list focusing on hope. I have been feeling without much hope lately. I am trying to focus on reading my Bible more consistently. I have been given all the advice I can tolerate about it. I know I need to do it every day. I know I should do it first thing in the morning before distractions and busyness can get into the way. But if I hear that stupid Nike slogan applied to my struggle to follow through and accomplish something, I think I just may SCREAM! Telling someone who battles with depression to "Just Do It" shows your lack of knowledge about depression, it shows your lack of attention to the personality of your so-called friend. I am realizing that I have just such an acquaintance in my prayer circle. I call her "acquaintance" rather than "friend" because of her insistence that if she can do it -- with 'it' being anything from praying and Bible reading daily to making it to work out at the gym regularly -- I certainly should be able to, also, since I am so much younger than she is. But I am digressing.
I want this to be about encouraging myself and others who struggle with Major Clinical Depression, suicidal tendencies, or Bi Polar I and the roller coaster ride that is life with these disorders. I will be using Christian / Bible references because that is where I have found the greatest support. Beyond the obvious support of fellow believers, I find that knowing there is encouragement and support written in the Bible show me that this is not something new, I am not alone, and Jesus is there with me no matter how far down I drop.
If you would like to, read my initial post introducing the blog to see the layout I use for writing out my Bible study entries. You can find it quickly by clicking the label "Introduction" below. The post is titled "31 Days in Proverbs."
I am starting this blog as I start a new Bible reading challenge. As you can guess, it is to read the whole book of Proverbs -- all 31 chapters -- in the 31 days of July. The purpose of this blog is to give me a platform to basically write my own 'devotional book' after I've been at it for awhile.
I will be writing in what is called a "SOAP" journal entry style. It is an acronym for the way the paragraph subjects are arranged. First is the S - This is the Scripture quote. I will always start with the chapter and verse, as well as the translation I took the quote out of. I work between a NKJV (New King James Version) and a NIV (New International Version). Sometimes I read both, but I will always directly quote just one or the other. Next is the O - This is the Observation of the context the quote comes from. This helps keep the passages from being misquoted by taking it out of the meaning it was intended. Then there is the A - This is the Application. I usually write this paragraph combined with the Observation paragraph if I used one. This is where I focus in and redirect the verse to how it affects my life directly. Finally, but by no means the least, I come to the P - This is the Prayer. I will write out a prayer to God about what I have learned in the particular Scripture.
You will learn about my struggles and trials. I may throw in other entries for you where I share other things so you can see how my discoveries play out in my life. I will warn you. I am going to post like 6 entries today, including this one. Be quite rest assured that I will not be doing that many on a regular basis. Please feel free to comment on how the posts are affecting you, too.
