Thank you!

Darla at Overcomer has honored me with this award. Darla, thank you so much! Your encouragement helps me search for new words to write and new insights to share. I will be passing it on so stay tuned.

Keepin' on

When Diane found the lump, we all held our breath for a month until the doctor declared it benign. Jack drove through a tire blow-out and coasted to a heart-pounding stop at the shoulder of the busy highway. Maya is fighting cancer. Mike is trying to get his cholesterol below the red zone.

We get bone-jarring reminders that this life is short, like a mist drifting off the river valley, disappearing in the morning sun.

I’m like you: I want to make the most of the days God has given me. I want to be focused on his best and not live in the smoke of emergencies that seem to need tending.

So I’m always testing the wind, trying to read the signs. Recently I’ve seen several bloggers take a break from their writing routine. For some, the demands of teaching their children have sopped up their extra time. Others have run out of topics or sense a new ministry whispering. They are trying to maintain their focus on God’s best. They know a rich life is attentive.

For me, too, the call of the classroom has whispered. I teach my children, adults, senior citizens. Was it time to set down the pen and pour new time elsewhere? Once, God sang to my heart a poem about writing. Was that song done? Was it time to move on?

Yesterday I shared with you a blog award from Writers…Interrupted. The news revived my resolve just before I got a rejection letter from a publisher. Then, today, I discovered I have been given another award.

The Mathetes Award originated at management by God. Mathetes is a Greek word, so you know this is my kind of blog! Mathetes means “disciple” and is given to those seen as “acting in the role of a disciple of God.”

This award came to me from Lisa at The Preacher’s Wife. Lisa is a dedicated disciple of God and offers an online Bible study, “I AM…So You Don’t Have to Be.” She shares her heart for her Savior in a vibrant warm way and I am honored by this award. Thank you, Lisa!

But the timing of this award is what is most amazing. As I have laid Sumballo before the King and asked, “What next?” I have felt his voice clearly: keep on keeping on. And so I’ll be writing on. I want my voice and my pen to do one thing: lift up the King of kings.

“You who bring good tidings to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
"Here is your God!"

Isaiah 40:9

I’m passing this award on:

In Pursuit of What is Good by Sarah

Refresh My Soul by Angela

Scraps of Glory by Maxine

Small Scribbles by Kate

Ben Witherington

They are all an inspiration to me in different ways and their passion for the Lord is invigorating.

Words of encouragement

And God said “let there be…” and it was. John identified Jesus as the Word, the logos, the statement or speech of the Father. God chose to communicate himself and his nature through words.

And he gives us the same privilege, to use words to communicate about God and his nature. I am fascinated by words, for we know they are powerful. A statement of criticism can overwhelm many pats on the back. Yet a well-crafted note can stir our spirits to new heights.

How we use words makes all the difference. James warned us that the tongue is a fire, able to burn away chaff or ignite a movement. It reveals our hearts and our deepest intent.

For whatever reason, God has given me a love for words. My library is stuffed with books about grammar and style and usage. I spent my 16^th summer writing a novel on an old black manual typewriter, zoning out chores and Mom’s voice to pound out the movie running in my head.

As my relationship with God grew, I knew this talent would be wonderful in his kingdom. He’d be so glad to have me as one of his scribes. (We spell this: a-r-r-o-g-a-n-c-e.)

But as my heart has been broken by my own pride and greed, I have given this writing to God. It is his to do with he wants, and I cringe when he says, write. Sometimes I compare rather than obey and so I am stricken. My words seem like dishwater at a table of rich wines.

Recently, he told me it was time, and so I wrote about the miscarriages that broke my heart. Now, those articles have helped earn Sumballo the Blog of the Month award from Writers…Interrupted.

Maybe someone bearing the pain of miscarriage might be touched by His eternal compassionate touch.

I am honored, and I am encouraged to trek on. When God is at work, you never know what’s next.

Angela, thank you for nominating me. I am grateful to receive this award and I want to share the joy. Check out the website.

Words are powerful and we wield them only by God’s grace.

Blogger Reflection Award

Maxine at Scraps of Glory just bestowed the Blogger Reflection award on me. What an incredible honor – and another encouragement from a woman who has been an encouragement to me from the beginning of my blog, some 150 posts ago.

I am honored and I praise God. He prompted me to write for him a few years ago. I did…but I didn’t. To be honest, writing is a passion in my life and I thought, what if I fail? There are more original reasons to refuse God’s call, but that was mine.

But the day came when I realized that failure, if it came, would be by my standard. I had decided what failure looked like- and I had decided it was linked to a lack of sales. In other words, what if I wrote and couldn’t sell my stuff? I learned that success was doing what God whispered in my ear.

So here I am, giving my stuff away and feeling good about it. I’d love someday to have something I’ve written accepted by a publisher, but it doesn’t matter so much anymore. God gives me things to write and I try to write them the best I can.

Having said all that, I want to pass on this award. I have selected 5 sites that are excellent to me, both in content and in encouragement.

Kate at The Small Scribbler. I like her humor and her insights and her dedication to the Lord. You’ll find compassion and wisdom in her articles. I wish I could sit down at her breakfast table and discuss God’s Word with her and her children, to hear her perceptive ideas. Kate, you’ve encouraged me many times and I hope this encourages you to keep writing, keep praying, keep studying, keep loving those people God puts in your path!

You’ll find beauty and rich history at Maxine’s SG Notebook. She writes three lovely blogs, but I chose this one because it illustrates her fierce commitment to church history and persecuted Christians. She provides excellent reminder to remember our Christian heritage – and support our persecuted brothers and sisters. Maxine, you are a wonderful encourager and I think we’d have a delightful time with tea and scones.

I want to honor Angela at Refresh My Soul. I truly appreciate her commitment to ministry, which shows up in her blog and in her website. Both are focused on loving others to Jesus. She’s another with the gift of encouragement, shining as a beacon of light to a lost world. In Luke 2:10, Jesus instructs to pray for harvesters because the fields are white. Angela is one who has answered the call. Keep on shining, Angela!

The Constructive Curmudgeon writes some scholarly, insightful material and I check with him a lot to see what’s on his mind. He’s intelligent, well-read, and thoughtful about culture’s footsteps on the Christian faith. His blog is often witty but humble, broad yet focused.

I’d like to invite you all to check out my fifth choice. This one is brand new and belongs to my sister the artist. Both of us have been wrestling with some of the images in Genesis. I’ve grappled using words, she with color and design. She has posted a series of paintings dealing with Genesis. Most blogs communicate with words but this one communicates with images. It’s unique and I invite you to take a look.

A honor

There was a cool surprise waiting for me this morning when I did my early-morning blog check in. Kate at Small Scribbles conferred this award:Give to those who have been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way, and have been a Godly example to you. Five Bloggers who when you reflect on them you get a sense of pride and joy...of knowing them and being blessed by them.
This award is for the best-of-the-best so consider who you pick, carefully. This award should not be given to just anyone. If you're going to do the award don't just write a few words and slap it on your Blog. Write real thoughts about these Bloggers and what they've meant to you. If the Bloggers you pick have already been given the award, don't be afraid to give it to them again. They deserve it as many times as it's given.

And here's what Kate wrote:

...to Kathy at Sumballo She caught my attention because she has a Master's degree in theology. I study the Word at the kitchen table with my babies and feel overwhelmed by how much there is to know. Kathy can write about hard truths and well known Bible stories with simplicity and clarity. Her words are profound, challenging and accessible. I learn so much from her writing. Her post on The Dead Sea Principle is one of my favorites.

Thank you, Kate. This is an incredible encouragement to me. I almost didn't include the information about the Master's degree because it can look pretentious so I'm glad that's what touched you. And, Kate, you'll laugh because I checked out your link and I'm a squiggle-triangle, too. I wish we could sit down together at your kitchen table. Maybe blogging comes close?

I intend to pass this award forward, too, so stay tuned.