Exercising Your Spiritual Life

Was speaking to a friend the other day, and she got me thinking about something.  Every year folks make new years resolutions to do things, but most often those resolutions are set aside. But what about having prayer resolutions?  Having prayers that you are to focus on for the year. This idea sounded great, then I suppose it is something that I have been doing but never had a name for it.

She shared with me her resolutions to pray these things with and for her. This touched my heart, that she felt close enough to me to entrust these prayers. Then she asked me if I had anything for her to pray about.  This actually caught me off guard. I can come up with prayers for others, but being prayerful for myself is not something I tend to do.  Ages ago I used to ask friends to pray with me for someone. Especially when something "big" came up. But then I realized that I never heard from the others I had asked. Then the prayerful friends that I have never asked me to pray for something for them. Started to feel that maybe I was asking of them to do something that is very personal.  Either that or I was bothering them and thought maybe I shouldn't any more.  

Then here is a friend that trusted me to be prayerful on her behalf. Really got me thinking about being even more prayerful for those who touch my life. God does tend to put people on my heart, and I do recognize that they probably need additional prayers.  Even if I don't know what it is about, or if they ever really do have something going on that needs prayer.  Certainly can't hurt to have additional prayer in one's life. Always reminded of the scripture - when two or more are gathered in my name I will be there. 

Then came the Sunday sermon that actually talked about actually exercising your spiritual life. Physical exercise is limited but godliness has value for all things for present life and the life to come. 1 Timothy chapter 4.

Again with the e-readers

Since I had got to thinking about my sony reader - and how I had gone over to the kindle side. What would you know, there is another topic to discus. 

Growing up I was never much of a reader. Certainly never really became one in college. Yes that would mean that many of my college books didn't get read. Sadly, I admit to it. Seems like when ever I would even attempt to study and read text books, i would start to fall asleep with in minutes. Was awful to make it through college when your text books really were putting you to sleep.

Now I would occasionally read a novel for entertainment purposes. Seems like the yellow, matte pages of a paperback book didn't put me to sleep. Certainly couldn't be the fact that the book actually was interesting to me, where as a text book wasn't?

Since I had my first digital reader (the sony reader touch edition) and moved on to the Kindle touch edition I have read more books than ever before. I can read books with out folks knowing the titles of what I'm reading. Sometimes I read things just for fun, or I will read things more intense.  Or I have read books that are so heavy that carrying around would be cumbersome. Some books can really get heavy holding up to read. A digital book reader is a lot easier. Plus i can carry around many books all at once. If I get bored with a story I can flip to another, and go back. 

Wait? This is all stuff I'm sure that many folks have already written about. The thing is, I am reading. More and more than ever.  Right now I'm reading The Book Thief.  And it has got me thinking.

Books can contain so much. Many times it is the escape folks turn to. I'm not a fantasy reader but certainly there are many folks out there that love that kind of stuff. But what if we weren't allowed books. That some large faction dictates that certain titles are banned, and must be burned. What would become a loss to the world? 

E-readers say goodbye to Sony

A few years ago I decided I wanted an e-reader. The Kindle had just came out and so did the Sony e-reader. The Kindle was bound only to purchasing books from Amazon. Where the Sony reader could be used with Sony store, Adobe digital editions, Google books (eventually Google play), and then the piece that sold me on it was that I could check out books from my local library. For FREE 

Then last August amazon stated they were going to do a book match where as physical books purchased through Amazon there would be options to buy Kindle versions from free to $2-3 each. But would have to own an actual Kindle device not just an app. So I did some research on kindles, and found out an older model had more storage space and a text to speech function. My books then could become audio books. So I purchased a refurbished Kindle touch. Now I have the option to read library books for free. And with the wifi feature my books are synchronized between the Kindle, and apps I use on my phone or computer, etc.

Just found out that Sony is closing their reader store. They just never made it as big as the Kindle. Also Barnes and Noble haven't been doing so well in their nook department, to the point they are going  to refocus on their other departments. The nook may be going away soon as well. Glad I never went that route.

Don't Judge Me

Having diabetes feels like you are constantly being judged. By every little prick that you do or see. Such as when you see a doctor (cough, cough) or when you do a blood sugar test.

There is a saying:

Don't judge me, I didn't choose the thug life, the thug life chose me.

So I didn't choose the diabetic life, diabetes chose me.

Not easy dealing with a chronic illness, never said it would be. But gee, sure would be nice if it could be.

Lots o' Journaling

Normally a journal book lasts me a year if not longer. I tend to save my writing in a journal for times that I need to process information, or just have something I need to think about "out loud". The writing is just a process I have used for a long time. Sometimes I will write more, moments in my life that need it. Then there are times I can go weeks, months not writing anything. 

Quote: 

"Just being able to write down anything as an exercise of reflection is a incredible habit to have." 

http://dayoneapp.com/journal-series/why-to-journal-and-why-day-one/ 

Downton Abby season 4 episode 3  

"The business of life is the acquisition of memories. In the end that is all there is to life." Mr. Carson.

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For one reason or another, I thought that these were good quotes. A good reason to think about journaling. Most of my stuff would truly be an insomnia cure, and put folks to sleep if they could tolerate the ramblings of an adult with little attention for small details. But there are moments when there is just brilliant clarity that can only occur when the time is taken to just write it down. Then the thoughts I have not been able to fully actualize any other way brings that moment of understanding and often times peace.  My heart can be calmed just by allowing my hand draw lines and swirls with a pen across the page.

How's that for intellectual?  Well - that's what your getting for now. Until I think about this even further. In the mean time I am doing all that I can to keep scribbling so that I can move on. The latest journal I am writing in, isn't so "nice" or pretty and I'm not liking it. I should just scrap it and move on to a better one. But I can't do that. I have to finish it off - and then I can allow myself to move on. I'm not one to have many journals going at the same time. That much focus isn't my thing. I do that all the time. I buy a pack of pens, I use the color I like the least first to use it up and get it out of the way, saving the better colors. Problem is, I tend to loose the "better" ones and never get to use them. 

Why do I save the best for last? I should enjoy them now. I even do that with when I buy several scents of lotion from bath and body works. Tomorrow isn't promised, today is the gift we should enjoy. Hm - something to ponder. Not that its really rocket science.