Authentic Doxology

Day 31 Doxology:  Let me share how God has spoken to me today.  I can't tell you how much fun I get out of visiting a sweetheart of a doctor and friend Dr. Suzanne!  She has this special characteristic that allows her to hangs on to every word like it is the most important thing in the world at that particular moment.  She somehow builds you up without saying a word.  She is a special presence and a sweet friend!  I'm sharing her shameless plug without her knowing....http://www.guntersvilleeyeclinic.net.  Every time I go for a check-in and check-up it is always fun for me (maybe not so much for her staff)...but for me, it is awesome.


The girls at Dr. Suz's office are always a little reserve, but open to my mocking and "Tom Foolery" (I've been wanting to use "Tom Foolery" for years).  With all of that said...they are warm and accepting!  Today was a special treat, because I was able to visit with Breanna (Dr. Suz's daughter) while waiting for my eye appointment.  Like so many daughters nowadays, she is all grown up!  The really cool thing is she has plans for the future!  I may benefit the most from her drive and anticipation, because I have her autograph for when she competes in the Olympics! As part of a special doxology, this is the part of my day that included family and church family in perfect harmony!

I was blessed yet again!  There are special times when you are blessed by the words of others.  In a special way, it was one of the draws to ministry...it was the desire to make a difference...it was the blessing to extend my family boundaries.  Too many times in seminary I was told to not allow yourself to be "too" open.  In other words, don't reveal too much of yourself.  I'll admit, I can see times in my life where that has been a painful lesson for me, but the times that it works well are such a sweet spot that it becomes addictive.

This week is Spring Break for our church and their families.  A couple of families made plans to visit relatives and friends in Colorado.  They booked a rental, they bought plane tickets, and they scheduled their trip (although, thinking about it...they never invited me!).  Today's doxology is the blog of a friend.  This friend is special in more ways than I care to share tonight (maybe, Seminary still has a small amount of hold on me).  However, I guess the real admiration comes from her authenticity.  She writes!  And in her words she describes life as I wished others would see it.  She writes like we think...she allows you to share in her and her family's experience.  What a gift!  The really social thing about this person is you know that she is for real.  IT shows in her writing and her life.  She is the kind of person that her face cannot hide what her mind is thinking.  I believe this to be a TRUE gift of God.  In her presence...she must be authentic.  And, her writing reflects that.

I wonder how many of us care enough to write with a heart for others.  When my friend writes it's like she cares enough for me and my family that she just knows what I want to know next.  Part of you are sitting there thinking, he knows she will read this...and she is in his church...and he wants to make some brownie points...however!  It's time we write the stories of our life like we care to have someone accompany us on our journey.  It's time we ignore the seminaries of this already broken world...sharing our hurts, our regrets, our disappointments, our joys, our laughter, and our tears.

Last night J-2 and I watched a 30 for 30 special on Jimmy V. (Late Coach of N.C. State), and his words spoke to my heart.  He said, "There are things that we should do every day of our lives.  Number one is laugh.  You should laugh every day.  Number two is think.  You should spend time in thought.  And number three is, you should have your emotions move you to tears, could be happiness or joy.  But think about it, If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day.  That's is a heck of a day.  You do that seven days a week, you're going to have a something special."

This speech was given as Jimmy Valvano was dying with cancer. Today, in the wake of watching this special with my 2nd daughter, it reminded me how little we allow ourselves to be authentic.  So today's doxology is Dr. Suz and her daughter, and my friend and her blog.  In many ways, it is the way God said something is important more than safety...more than security.  God said being honest and open is holy.