Building
and Maintaining a Fire
This post will appear on both blogs. I have decided
that there will be times when I will post the same reviews, refer to my other
blog or write separate posts for each blog. This is because I am an information
junkie. The theme of this post concerns a lesson learned in connection with
Stewardship. A lesson that helped me remembers Erma Bombeck and Paul Harvey. I
need to remember stewardship is very much like a building a fire. Stewardship
uses and develops all of the gifts that we are given by God.
Erma Bombeck is a writer that I have always admired
and wanted to emulate. Paul Harvey is another journalist that I have admired
and wanted to emulate. Primarily, because both worked with their families and
their work primary based at their home. Both writers were individuals that I
wanted to become, they used all of their talents in this lifetime. I am sure
that when they stand before God, he will say to both of them “Well done, good
and faithful servants”. In addition, they both would have had a website and
blog if that had been the case at the time.
The blogs are my way of providing an outlet for my dreams
of developing my gifts, my potential, as a writer, educator and scholar. My gifts as a wife, mother, sister, daughter,
and relationship titles are personal and referred to, but not explored in a public
domain. My first blog was Michelle’s Notes, which I started to fulfill criteria
for one of my graduate classes in the Ph.D. program of Education
(specialization in Educational Technology). The other blog, Michelle Writes,
was developed because I wanted to separate my two main interests because it seemed
me that they needed to be on different venues. My long term goal for these two
blogs is to combine them with my pinterest boards, tweeter account and Facebook
accounts, inside a website for my company titled Michelle. Inc.
The blogs have helped me complete steps in order to
achieve my goals as an educator, scholar, and writer. Publishers are more
likely to hire me if I have a blog. A blog will help them see my style of
writing and how disciplined I am in maintaining the blog(s). In addition, some
send me books to review, Woo-Hoo! I love to read, almost anything, and right
now I get free books to review. Some I like and others, not so much. This is
also a great place to post reviews, answers to questions, provide reflection on
other people blogs and help me maintain a sense of discipline. Finally, I have
always wanted to be a columnist, while I do not get paid, that to will change
(I hope).
Building and Maintaining is a Lesson of Stewardship.
In order to
build and maintain a fire, you cannot think about it. The does not happen
because you have set a goal for the day that you will have a fire. Building a
maintaining a fire requires a huge time investment. First, a person needs to
acquire the necessary materials need to make a fire. Second, the wood needs to
be cut into pieces that fit into a fire place. Once the wood is cut, available
and placed into the fireplace. The person needs also have paper, kindling, and
matches on hand as they watch the fire begin. Now the person needs to feed the
fire with flammable materials until the fire is hot enough for larger pieces of
word. At this point the fire does not require as much attention, but it does
require attention. On regular or semi-regular intervals, pieces of wood or
other flammable materials need to be added to the fire. (You cannot cram a
large piece of wood into the fireplace, because if it does not fit, you will
spend more time cleaning up the mess this will cause.) Once the fire is no
longer needed and it goes out AND IT DOES NOT NEED TO GO OUT! The fireplace,
chimney and flues all need to be cleaned. Thankfully the fireplace is the only
item that needs to be cleaned daily, the other two needs to be cleaned yearly.
The ashes, wood pieces and other items that get into the fire need to clean out
of the fire place. This process is repeated in order to make sure that the
fireplace does what it is designed to do, keep the house warm.
This synopsis is an example of being a good steward
of a fire. Stewardship is the same on a much larger scale. God has given us
gifts that we need to use and develop, but we need to make sure that each gift
is properly attended to and developed. Also, part of Stewardship is
prioritizing and starting from making sure that all of the materials are in
good working order.
Stewardship
Those of you who have been following my blogs know
that Stewardship is my word for the year. In addition, you also know I have
been having some issues. I have determined that these issues have developed in
order to block me from exploring and searching and learning about Stewardship
throughout the year. I have made the right choice and it is within my power to
learn these skills because God has commanded me to be successful in my
exploration of this word.
I know that I have not been faithful to God and his
gifts are developed in the faithful. A faithful person is like a tree, at the
beginning I need to make sure that the tree is healthy and has health habits
that keep the tree growing. Or in my case, as long as I have healthy habits,
then I can complete whatever God has in store for me. As time goes along,
various parts of my life will need to be pruned, which a good steward will
learn. Areas need to be cleaned out. Check out Nehemiah as he builds his city,
this book in the Bible will give you good examples.
What to Expect from Me
Regular readers of my blogs will recognize the following
segment as “same song, same verse” and authors waiting for reviews will be move
it, I want my review posted. Well wait
and read this and pray for me.
The purpose of this blog is to chronicle my journey
as an educator and scholar. On this post
I will include:
a. Accomplishments
as an educator/scholar.
b. Schedule
of my dissertation goals (including my prospectus).
c. Projects
d. Research,
comments on blogs I follow
e. Book
reviews.
The purpose of this blog is to chronicle my journey
as a writer (author, novelist, poet, journalist, journaling, essayist and
critic) and whatever is associated with my journey as a writer. On this blog you discover:
a. accomplishments as a writer
b. Book
reviews
c. Project
development
d. Reflection
on research, blogs and other stuff
e. Promotions
for various related area.
On each blog I will include an Appreciation
Completion Day (an idea from Julie Hedlunds’ blog) and Week’s Blue Print will
be posted on either Saturday or Sunday.
Appreciation Completion Day: My goal is to go back and act on my belief
that Sunday begins anew and Saturday ends the week. Therefore, Saturday night
is my period for the week. (Period is a form of punctuation that ends the week.
Saturday is my period day, it ends whatever goals I had for the week and
nothing, no new projects, starts anew.)
Week’s Blue Print: A number of researchers (I am not
going to cite, but acknowledge that it’s not original) and people I respect have
stated that a plan, blessed by God, will help a person achieve their goals and
develop their gifts.
Rebuilding Building
Cleaning out and rebuilding each day will help us accomplish a
log of things. My hard cover calendar is set up for two years that reflect all
of the things I want to accomplish in that time period. I have a list of things
that learning and exploring the word of stewardship this year will help me
accomplish is God allows.
