In less than a week, Bloganuary has shown me that I can blog differently.
In my case, blogging differently is blogging more quickly and spontaneously. It’s letting someone else choose the topic. It’s having the discipline to write every single day. It’s writing first thing in the morning before I get sidetracked by something, anything else. It’s not being worried about perfection.
I normally blog about spiritual topics. I am an introvert, and I process my thoughts deeply. It takes forever for me to be satisfied with what I’ve written.
I enjoy reading other bloggers’ responses to the daily question!
If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say?
I would use my freeway billboard to plant a seed of love in the minds of those who see it.
Love is patient. Love is kind.
These simple phrases are found in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. The verses about love are so popular and enduring that they are recited at weddings. They contain great advice for couples, but they are not limited to romantic love.
If I had a series of billboards, I would share even more of Paul’s powerful words. But if these six words resonate, a person can easily find the source.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Do you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?
This is a great question.
There have been times in my life when I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the past. For me, that usually happens when I haveregrets. In my mind, I relive what I can’t go back and change.
Sometimes, thoughts of the past are triggered by dreams. I dreamed about my high school sweetheart just last week. We broke up because he was going off to college, and his parents wanted him to date other girls. That dream made me think about how my life would have turned out if we hadn’t broken up. Of course, I will never know what might have been, but I think we both chose a better match.
The past gave me learning experiences. I made mistakes and learned from them. The past gave me precious memories of loved ones who have passed on.
Some of us always look ahead. We plan for the future. What is on my calendar this week? What am I going to work on tomorrow? What bad habits do I want to break?
Today, I spend more of my time thinking about the short-term future. I plan to retire in a couple of months, so I am thinking about how I will transition my responsibilities to my successor.
Where do I see myself in five years? I would like to find another volunteer opportunity, one that my husband and I can do together. I will also be out hiking and birdwatching and enjoying the beauty of nature.
Do I spend a lot of time thinking about my long-term future? No. I am 60 years old. I’ve had a pretty good life. I’ve had good times and bad times. No matter what my future holds on this earth, I know that I will spend eternity in heaven.
I was a painfully shy, quiet child. I didn’t make friends easily. I was uncomfortable being the center of attention. I didn’t talk much, except around family, because it took too long for me to think of what to say. The message I got from teachers and classmates is that the right way to be is outgoing and extroverted. Introversion was a defect.
Thankfully, I felt accepted at home. Mom taught me to accept people for who they are. She modeled acceptance by loving each of us, all eight of us, just as we are. She found something positive in other people and would compliment them and make them feel special.
Acceptance means not trying to change people into who you want them to be and not thinking less of them for not meeting your expectations.
I strive to be a more accepting person, not just of others but also of myself. I fight the tendency to judge others and the temptation to compare myself to others.
Discovering yourself and learning to accept who you are is a life-long journey because a person can change over time (values, beliefs, physically and mentally).
Luke Feldbrugge
Being accepted just as I am with all my flaws and shortcomings is the greatest gift. Thank you, Jesus.
Just as I am, though tossed about With many a conflict, many a doubt Fighting and fears within without Oh, Lamb of God, I come, I come
I took my first college classes when I was in high school. Highland Community College, which began in 1858 as Highland University, was the first college in Kansas. (I learned this just today.) Without ever actually “attending” Highland, I was able to get college speech and English classes out of the way. I have a fear of public speaking, so I was especially grateful to take speech class with kids I knew.
I attended Kansas State University for four years. KSU has also been around a long time. It was founded in 1863 as Kansas State Agricultural College. The College of Business Administration is one of nine colleges that make up the university today. I received a bachelor’s degree with a major in accounting in 1985.
After working for fifteen years, I went back to school to get my masters degree. The company I worked for paid $5,000 of my annual tuition at Regis University in Denver. Regis is a Jesuit university and was founded in 1877.
It took two years of evening classes to earn an MBA from the Regis School for Professional Studies, which was geared towards adult learners. I attended most of my classes at the south campus with other adult students. As a graduate student, I did not feel as connected to Regis as I did as an undergraduate at KSU.
We encourage our students to seek truth, live purposeful lives and attempt to answer the question: “How ought we to live?”
Regis University
I was the first college graduate in my family. There are many more college graduates in the next generation, including a few who graduated from KSU.
I treasure my college memories. I lived on campus in a dorm for two years, then lived off campus in a small house with two roommates. Those years taught me to be independent and responsible.
Innermost Being 