Heading down the path

July in Juneau, Alaska

I've always loved stories, listening mostly, frequently inserting myself into the story, imagining what life would be, or could be when I grew up.  I have fond memories of listening to my pastor teach the bible in such a way that even a simpleton like me understood, or at least wanted to understand.  I'm thankful for that master teacher, master communicator, master lover of people named John Ed, who taught me how important it was to love God, and people.  He's by no means the only one, just the first I can remember.

Over the last number of months I have enjoyed following the various written stories, or blogs, of both people I know and some I'll never meet.    Beginning today I'm going to head down the path of blogging.   I don't consider myself a teacher, or much of a  communicator, and I am still learning to love God and people.  Maybe one day I'll love others as much as I love myself, I know I ought to, and somewhere deep inside I want to.  I won't shove my blog down any ones throat, and won't be surprised if I'm the only one that reads it.  But, we all have stories to tell, so for a season or two I'll tell some of mine.  At the very least it will be therapeutic for me. 

So, why entitle my blog "Snapshots along the way?"  I am an amateur photographer wanna be, well, let's just say I really enjoy taking pictures.  I'll share many of them.  {Insert warning to friends and family here.}  The one above I took while hiking with my family last summer.  Additionally, it seems snapshots is a good word to use when referring to the small portion of someones life you see in a blog.  Collect a bunch of snapshots, store them in a book, share them with others and then you begin to learn something.  Where they've been, what they're in to and who and what is important to them.  Oh yeah, the "along the way" part.  Considering that life is a journey, we're all on a path, along the way.  We were never meant to do life alone.  We were designed by God (who Himself is a group of three persons living in an amazing relationship) to live in relationship.  One of my favorite shows of the last decade was Friends, a show mainly about a group of 6 friends, who spend a lot of time in a coffee shop and are just trying to make it through.  In the 90's it was Seinfeld, a show they said was about nothing, but was really about a group of friends who hang out, and talk about meaningless stuff.  The point in both cases:  there was a group of friends; it's not what they did that was significant, it's that what they did, they did together.

Paul told a story in the book of Acts that gives us a glimpse of what life can be one day, " ⁴⁴ All the believers were together and had everything in common. ⁴⁵ They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. ⁴⁶Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."  Acts 2:44-47


Let's do life together.   I'll see you down the path.