There are so many amazing metaphors for life.
“Life is a highway. I want to ride it all night long.” (Cue singing, courtesy of Tom Cochrane.)
“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” (Right on, Babe Ruth.)
“Life is like a box of chocolates.” (Agreed, Forrest.)
I truly believe each one of us has been given a passion or pursuit that serves as a lens by which we process life.
Gardening. Food. Travel. Theater. Triathlons. Music. Photography. Whatever our “thing” is, it allows us to make sense of the days we’ve been given in this world.
For me, it’s story.
I view life through words and chapters, character development and plot formation. This lens provides parallels to seasons and experiences and relationships, a way to process the challenges and joys of everyday life.
Poetry and quotes are my bread and water. Scripture passages are my oxygen. Books are the fuel that keep my creative life going.
Meaningful words from these sources nourish my soul, sustain my spirit and provide insight into the work that’s going on in the world as as well as inside me.
It’s through the art of storytelling that I discover the deepest details of my identity and redeem my own individual story with all its twists and turns, beauty and messiness, highs and lows.
It was nearly a year ago that I started this blog as an outlet to share my love for books and words. I had hoped it would be a creative space to reflect on the happenings of life, a place to learn from the perspectives of others and share a bit of myself with the world.
In the past 12 months, my blog has amounted to six posts. Only six.
I am tempted to be disappointed by that number. But it’s six more attempts than I had made in the past. A half dozen attempts to translate words into art with the hopes of bringing goodness and encouragement to the world.
And my story is not over yet. I’m back and already looking forward to the adventures and connections the next chapter brings.
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Just for the record, I have been devouring some great books lately (even if I haven’t blogged about them yet) and wanted to share six of my recent favorites with you:
- Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg
- Atlas Girl: Finding Home in the Last Place I Thought to Look by Emily T. Wierenga
- Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World by Kristen Welch
- The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile
- The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kinsolver
- A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman
And here are six that I very much look forward to reading in the near future:
- At Home in the World: Reflections on Belonging by Wandering the Globe by Tsh Oxenreider
- Writing Wild: Forming a Creative Partnership with Nature by Tina Welling
- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kinsolver
- What Is the Bible? by Rob Bell
- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
What powerful words have you read lately? What’s on your list to read in the coming months? I’d love to hear from you!
words that bind 