It’s been 11 years since the towers were hit by terrorists and I still struggle with forgiving those who did it.
The fear for my family, my sons is still real to me. We were nowhere near New York. We were and still live in the Midwest but I knew retaliation would be coming. My sons could be sent to fight and I would have been proud of them if they had gone to war. But inside I would have been sick with worry as any mother who sends her sons or husband to war.
I can forgive almost anything but this. This one day lives fresh in my mind, and I struggle. I’m not sure I’ll ever get to a place where forgiveness can happen.
I’ll work on it, maybe by the 12th anniversary I’ll be able to say I have forgiven those who planned and carried out this horrific plan.
Most of us see this sign when we are driving and know we need to take a different route.
But how many times does God put a big old DETOUR sign in our lives and we pass by seeing only a blur?
I’d like to say, “That never happens to me.” or “God needed to be a little louder or sent me a bigger sign.”
Lately, I’ve been trying to push God away when opportunities to speak about the We’re Not Blended, We’re Pureed, A Survivors Guide are offered.
I wrote the book, exposed our family to the public, isn’t that enough? Why do I need to be filmed or participate in workshops? I’m done, right? It’s time to concentrate on what I want to write. Fiction.
Well, how about this sign?
That’s it exactly what I want to say back to God, but He’s not having any of that.
He’s sent more opportunities my way–not all for the Blended book–but they involve me speaking to people, even being on a video panel.
My fiction writing seems to be stalling, is it because I’m choosing my own detour and not His?
I think I’m going to start following His detours before He closes the road to my fiction writing.
What detour has God put in your life? How did it turn out? I need encouragement so please share.
Are we driven by some great need to make something never made before?
BussShed or ShedBuss?
Or
Is creativity driven by need?
In this case someone needed more storage than the shed could hold. Creative solution? Cut an opening in the wall and add the back of a buss.
In 1929 Laura Ingalls Wilder’s family suffered financially from the stock market crash. She began writing biographical stories which became the Little House on the Prairie books. Would she have written them if the need hadn’t been great? Was it creativity or need for Laura?
My son, Andy is an artist. He’s painted some amazing stuff and paints what he enjoys, but that line becomes blurred when bills are higher than expected. Then he paints smaller canvases which sell faster. Those are the ones I can afford!
Forest Park by Andrew Brandmeyer
I create but not out of need–right now. I write what I love, and if all goes well I get published. There may come a time when I must use that creativity in a way I don’t love–the worst thing I can think of is writing an article for a math magazine.
Do those exist? Shudder. I can’t imagine what kind of chaos I could create between the covers.
How have you blurred the line of creativity and need?
How many times have you tried something and failed and then tried again and succeed? Oh let me count the rejection letters in my drawer–nope, that would take way to long. But I kept trying and soon I succeeded.
What about activities you’ve tried and failed at and then didn’t try again and now regret? Mine is acting. I tried out for one play, freaked out and didn’t try out for another.
What things would you like to try but are afraid of failing? What if you tried and succeeded?
The Carol Burnett Show was on of my favorites. Since it’s National Doctor’s day I thought a trip to the dentist was in order. Do you have a favorite Carol Burnett sketch?
Welcome to home in my heart, KB Schaller. Please tell my readers about the Native American Christian Church and your books.
It is a pleasure to be a guest on your website. Thank you for having me.
I appreciate the opportunity to comment on the surprise many express that there is such a thing as the Native American Christian Church (NACC). It is not, however, to be confused with the Native American Church, which incorporates practices not found in the NACC.
In South Florida, where the state’s greatest concentration of Native Americans live, there are at least nine Native churches. In Oklahoma, by contrast, home to a much greater number of Native peoples, there are some two hundred fifty churches. Only an estimated three to eight percent of Native Americans identify as Christian, so congregations tend to be small.
Notwithstanding, most are vibrant, thriving entities. Native Americans traditionally are spiritual people, and that quality carries over into their Christianity. Although not all of the congregations have Native pastors, a good percentage of them do.
Mainstream Christian churches have, traditionally, tended to be quite Euro-centric, disallowing and labeling all things Native as pagan and occult.
Lately, though, Native ministries such as Wiconi International have sought to strip away the “demonizing” of any and all things Indian, including clothing, native instruments, and hair length restrictions for men.
Others such as Lakota (Sioux)-based He Sapa (New Life) ministry are increasingly led by “homegrown” Native Americans concerned with both the spiritual and temporal lives of Native people.
In fact, it is the unbending attitudes within the Euro-
centric church that fuel the angst of my novel’s characters in Gray Rainbow Journey,winner of a USA Book News National Best Books Award, and its sequel, Journey by the Sackcloth Moon.
Both story lines describe the tough choices that heroine, Dina Youngblood, a young Native beauty, must make between the Traditional Spirituality of her heritage and The Jesus Way. Her life is further complicated by her love for childhood sweetheart, handsome firebrand, Marty Osceola. Reared by the most feared shaman on the Florida East Coast and reputed to have dark powers of his own, he regards Dina’s new faith as a “sellout”.
Then there is zealous Native evangelist, Aaron Burning Rain, also smitten with Dina, who brings his big tent revival to Dina’s tiny Native community and preaches no compromise between the two belief systems. Poised on the threshold between the two worlds, she must make heart wrenching choices.
While some mainstream Christian churches embrace Mark 9:40, “For he that is not against us is on our part”, others remain entrenched against anything that does not reflect Euro interpretations of Scripture.
I can only hope that all factions will one day move closer toward Galatians 3:28:
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Our church has been hosting a Dave Ramsey seminar and we are a little over halfway through it. Money is a huge big deal in everyone’s life and yet…no one talks about not having any any. More and more people are living on their credit cards. We we’re guilty of that.
Why? Why would anyone want to do that? It’s easy. Shopping with a credit card for me was painless. It didn’t matter what it cost because Visa was in my purse and ready to slide at a moments desire.
Even when the bills came for me it wasn’t a big deal. I just handed them to my husband–unopened. (I’m sorry Ed!)
Since we started paying with cash or a debit card I’m now aware of what I’m spending. (sorry Visa) I’m know just because you have a card you don’t get to buy what you want. Only what you can afford.
It’s been a challenge to walk into my favorite store (Target) and walk past all the things things that call to me, a new t-shirt, pretty glasses to use for summer or gasp inkpens! I don’t need any of those items right now–I just want them.
The big secret is many of my friends are doing the same thing. Shopping as if they have the money. And we let each other do it! (sorry Barb!) Oh it’s just a yard of material, a new quilt pattern isn’t that much and besides I’m sure we’ll save money by giving it as a gift. Hmmm, my sewing room is full of unmade and ungiven gifts.
We don’t discuss money or bills or debt. It’s a rule right? Never talk politics, religion or money-how many times have you heard that? I think it’s time we start being honest with our family members and friends. Own up to the fact that you can’t spend as much on gifts because you have to pay a bill, or buy long term care insurance. I’m pretty sure my kids would be happy to take less in gifts if it means they won’t have to find a way to pay for me when I’m old, broken and need nursing care. I’m certain my friends would understand if I said, “Can we go for a walk in the park instead of eating out this time? Money is tight and I’d love to spend time with you–just not at a restaurant.”
Maybe we should assign ourselves designated shoppers to stay sober and keep us from harming our financial lives? I truly want to, as Dave says, “Live like no one else so that we can live like no one else when we retire.” It may be to late for us, but it’s not to late to make a bad situation better.
Haven’t heard of Dave Ramsey? There are classes offered nationwide. Check his website for one near you. It will change your life–for the better, especially if you’re in your 20-30s and you start now.
And no I don’t get any money or commission if you click his link. My desire is for everyone to know the money secrets to “Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else!”
