The Social Porcupine

When I went to Summit a couple years ago I remember one thing jumping out to me and me thinking, "This doesn't apply to my life and never will because I'm good at doing too much at once and keeping at it." I brag about my multi-tasking skills.  I believe it was Jeff Meyers that said, "There will come a time in your life where you have too much on your plate. And either you will have to take stuff off - or God will." "No,” I thought. “This is a good conference. But these words don't apply to me. You see I'm the person that likes having too full of a plate - I thrive on stress, on chaos, on doing too much!" Oh, I also hate waste. Literal plate : always wiped clean . Others' leftovers:  could end up being on my plate. It's not that I love food. But I just can not stand waste . Anyways, fast-forward to the future (or rather now). "Empty your plate, or God will." ...

Hey, People! I have a game for you. Now, you gotta make sure to do it just right . . . or it won't work ;) We are going to talk about identity . In three easy steps I am going to help you help yourself know who you are !!! How fun!? Right? Because after all, you can't live life not knowing who you are. You MUST discover your identity. And never stray from it. Grow in who you are, but never change once you know who you are. Life is that simple - or will be once you know you :D  Step 1. Time to know who you are. Write down your label words - more specifically, key words to define you! We are going to put you into a box. Your own special box. That way you know who the unique you is ;)  I recommend taking many tests. Myers Briggs, extroverism-introverism, and even all those facebook playbuzz tests. Take as many as you can so that way you have lots of knowledge about yourself at your disposable.   You can just write down the wo...

When the answers you receive continue on this vicious cycle of creating more questions, it may be time to stop.  Just stop asking. Not every thing needs to be understood. We don't have to know everything, have all our ducks lined up, see the big picture. It's OK to be in the dark. To let go. To trust with blind faith. It's OK to be clueless. When the advice you receive is so drastically different...some of it is wrong, some of it is clouded in mystery, and some of it might be right...and all the opposing people are smart and decent and trustworthy people...it might be good to know this: Advice is the personal opinion of others based on their own perceptions of their own experiences and ideas.  Past that, it really isn't much. You listen to the advice, take what you need (not just what you like) and discard the rest. Yes, it is OK to discard advice . Large amounts of advice. Don't be afraid to take it and hear it. ...

Who'd know… it's 2017! Life moves a long so fast, one year to the next. These last few years have been so full, of very good times (and very hard times). Yet, even though so much has happened, the time that has passed has been nothing. My family: December 2016.  Just looking back over it all. Trying to figure out how I got to where I am today. Considering all of it. It's truly amazing – it's awe-striking. Life is just too good to not love. Even the difficult times I would never change – for they are very much a part of making everything what it is in my life. 2016 was an amazing year. I spent several months volunteering for Above Rubies . I watched several of my friends marry – Esther, Meadow , and Shelby. I was there for most of Rashida's pregnancy, and got to meet little Ezzie. I had my horse accident – which was not fun, but it happened, lol. I learned more about confidence and friendships. So much more. ...

Early November I went to Tennessee to volunteer for Above Rubies for my second time. I was only planning on staying a month and half, but as life has it, plans changed numerous times so that I ended up staying over six months! Back with family .... ..and friends. I just arrived back home about two weeks ago. In some ways I feel like I'm home... But then  other times I still find myself thinking of TN and everyone there. Six months is a long time. A lot can happen in six months. One of my friends married. Another had a baby. Another entered a relationship. Friendships went through rough times. Many were strengthened. I learned a lot about life and people in general during my time there. I learned life skills, people skills, conversational skills. I had troubles and trials during my time there. Some involved others, while some did not. Either way I learned a lot even during those times. In some ways I...

If. What a tiny word. Yet it holds so much. It means so much. It is so much. Some mistake this tiny word as evil. Some live by it. But most do not understand it. If brings up the idea of possibility. It can cause change. It is the reason the saying "Curiosity Killed the cat" exists. But did curiosity kill the cat? Or was it the lack of wisdom in choosing what to question  and pursue that killed the cat? Why hate something you can't understand when you can easily question and search it out? That is what the word if allows us to do. Instead of fearing something or allowing something to stay the same, we can ask "What if I did this?" And the more you think on it the more you can decide whether or not it can be fixed or changed or replaced. If is the inspiration of more. Inventions. Imaginations. Revolutions. Peace. Change. Originality. These all start out with "If I did this what would happen?" If can change the...

A while back some friends and I were laughing and talking. I can't remember exactly how we got on the subject (it seems we were throwing out crazy plot twists), but however it happened I said something like "What if you wrote this story and the main character had no talents whatsoever and..." One of the guys said, "That isn't right. When God created us he gave us all gifts and talents and places in life. No-one is created with out a purpose." Normally I defend what I say, but this time what he said hit me as true. What I had said was VERY unbiblical. When I write I try to make all my stories at least follow certain biblical principles even if my stories aren't necessarily "Christian" genre. Needless to say, that story idea was trashed :). Yet what I had said many would consider true. Just look about you. There are many, many people that appear to have nothing, do nothing, know nothing. They are "ugly", "untalented...