A New Chapter

Do you ever just feel like something is about to change? You don’t know what it is but you feel an ambition to do things you haven’t had before? Well, I have to say, I feel a new chapter coming on.

I have reached the point that I have over 300 posts on my blog and that was no easy task. I am not sure that the book reviews are where I will stay but it gives me something to write about and that it is good. It also inspires me to keep reading and that is also a plus.

I feel like God is pushing me towards something; maybe a dream that I don’t know how to achieve on my own.

One of the verses in my bible study today was 3 John 1:2:

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Writing is a great hobby but if my dream is to have guardianship over children and give them a well-loved, cultured, educated and even a bit of a traveled life, I need to find a way to do that and hobbies don’t provide money. I don’t have a body that can work a physical job and I want to be at home with the children we are entrusted with, I could do that as a writer…something I have always wanted to be. So…since college is not on the table right now, and I don’t have children right now, I will read everything I can get my hands on and write for practice and see what happens.

I am reading a collection of essays by William Deresiewicz entitled The End of Solitude. In one of his articles he writes:

“A recent article in the New York Times proclaimed the gladsome tidings. ‘New support for the value of fiction,’ it announced, ‘is arriving from an unexpected quarter: neuroscience.’ Our brains light up like Christmas trees, it turns out, when we are exposed to narrative language. Not only that, but reading fiction increases our ability to empathize with others.” The End of Solitude; Chapter 30 — Studies Show Arts Have Value — by William Deresiewicz

I am not surprised by this bit of information at all. I can read all day long and research all the facts I want but when I really see emotional growth is when I let myself enjoy my favorite genre, historical fiction. Deresiewicz’s essays are interesting and stretch my brain about topics I have put little time into learning; they are important to my personal growth, but I was resenting them until I picked up Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson. That little break helped me to embrace the growth that was to come with the next 10 essays. And now as I have begun reading The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenigger, I will gladly finish Deresiewicz’s criticism of the art forms around him.

So yesterday I spent much of the day combining many of my To Read lists. I found nearly 300 books I want to read, until my sister, Jamie Holloway, reminded me about my GoodReads list…thanks Sister! Today I updated my Twitter and LinkedIn profiles. I really have gotten to where I agree with Deresiewicz in chapter 4 where he says: Technology claims to save humanity but it actually seems to abolish what is most human, which puts culture against culture.

I didn’t really have to read that to feel how impersonal social media is. I have alienated all my social media accounts except Facebook which I only peruse daily, hoping for something positive to share. I post on my blog when I have something to say because I don’t want to be censored. But in the end, I realize that people are using these tools so if I want to share my ideas on my blog, and want to have people see them, I need to be using social media to reach the people. Who knows? Maybe my faith will be rekindled…or maybe I will still feel more like going to find real people to talk to..either way I need an audience.

I would really love some feedback. If you want to suggest a topic I would love to write about it. Let me know!

Enjoy your day!

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Feel free to leave your comments below!

My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.

For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information.

If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.

If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:

Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.

I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.

I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.