Shadow Side

It was over a year ago I started writing blogs. People encouraged me to write and I found, I was encouraged in the process. I met people electronically who I did not even know! (I am amazed what people will tell me electronically and later, over the phone). I took a break for the summer, started teaching again in the fall and I did not return to writing even though some of you wrote and asked, "where are you?" Between my brother's heroic battle with cancer, my dad's failing health, helping people deal with everything from suicide to homosexuality I drifted away from something that at one time meant alot to me. Writing.

The reason for the above paragraph is to place a warning before you. Here is the warning:

It is easy to leave things that we say are of great value and not even realize that we have walked away from them. (that is, until the fires of destruction and loss are burning wildly). On this writing you see a partially exposed moon. One writer has said, "We are all like the moon, we all have a shadow side...a part of ourselves that we have no idea exists." I add, it is the shadow side of all us that sabotages our happiness and robs us of things of great worth. You may have a "developing darkness" in your life (ever so slowly I might add!) as compared to the beauty of a fully illuminated moon. Like the man I talked with yesterday who had every excuse to not move on with life I say to you, "You can have the life that you have only dreamed of but you have got to come into the light!" He cussed me out. His shadow side (that he thought was well hidden) all of a sudden became very exposed.

In less than a month the lights of the Christmas season will be before us, yes I said, "lights." Paul wrote, "whatever you do, do to the glory of God." As this year (semester, students!) closes out you can finish strongly. You can finish in the light. You can get out of the darkness. "How?" is it possible. Ask yourself, "Does what I do, the people I hang out with, the priorities I have, bring glory to God or, bring self satisfaction to me?" I have much more to say but I will save that for my next post...in case you are interested, I will be writing on life's unanswered questions.......