You and I have heard the words, "No man is an island." It is usually said with a leering look and means that no one can make it through life alone. It is stated as if it is holy writ. It is not. Recently, the thought came to me (I cannot claim divine inspiration) that, unless a person IS an island, he/she will have grave difficulty with life. There is a marvelous passage of Scripture in Proverbs 1:33, "But he who listens to me shall live securely, and shall be at ease from the dread of evil."All of us want to live securely and be at ease from the dread of evil. I checked out the word for "securely" in the Hebrew. It means CONFIDENT. I like that.

When you hear someone say, "Use Matthew 18!" what comes to mind? For most of us who have been brought up in conservative, evangelical churches, the answer is, SOMEONE HAS SINNED AND WE NEED TO CONFRONT THEM. But, it would be wise to reconsider our exegesis of the passage. When I say "exegesis" I mean exactly that. I am so tired of hearing lazy use of Scripture or worse yet, Scripture with an agenda.

Recently, I promised the Lord that I would write each day. I am slightly unnerved at the idea that this is in a semi-public place. But I am going to fight off attempts to react to a potential audience however small. Really, I want to speak with God and if others hang out with us, fine.

While others may or may not agree with me, I feel that writing is one of the areas in which I am gifted. I also LOVE theology. Mix that in with the fact that I love philosophy, music, art, and being in God's great outdoors. My greatest dream has to do with integrating every discipline and joy into a wholeness that pleases God and does not diminish any of the parts.