What is Worthy?

Many things in my life are worthy, yet I find myself debating on many, including most of what I have written. Much of my work over the last few years is worthy as my focus is the ability to give back in the name of the Lord. Is it ironic that Blessed opportunities limit my personal writing in available time, energy or priority, yet, I must have some time for me?I began to write as a hobby after a pledge to myself following the September 11th attacks. I was operating a large nursing home in California at the time and commuting back and forth. After 9-11 I purchased two extra batteries for my laptop to write, rather than work,while travelling by plane. I received compliments from many on my stories, including comparisons to James Joyce for stories and George Carlin for my humor, that buoyed my confidence that I should publish a book.

When my Mom got sick and passed in 2003, I wrote From Positive Influence to Dead Horses in 2004, a book centered on my Mom. By May of 2006 I had copyrighted 942 pages titled Random Observations from All Over the Map. The title and the randomness allowed me to copyright virtually all I had written under a single name. I joined writing groups centered on personal growth and human behavior and wrote much in that regard during that time as well.
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Thereafter, I continued to write on and off in spurts. More and more, I realizedI had been far too verbose in what I had written years before. About eight years ago I began attending church regularly and thinking more and more about my faith. This process continued to evolve and accelerate and now my faith drives me (and what I write). It has changed me in so many ways, including what I know and believe is important and what is inconsequential. Also, the process of change and evolution to a man of faith has importance and is, therefore, worthy.

No matter the hardship or even in overcoming that hardship, whether verbal or written as such, could be viewed as negative and should be limited in expression. Neil Selden, a former church member who passed late 2015, advised me not to write or speak about much of what I have to overcome in the here and now or in the past as that would take away from the positive benefits that should be the focus of our expression. Of course, Neil was, and is, so right. Now, as I am editing things I have written in the past, I find myself removing references to most challenges and so much more.

Recently, I mostly write about my faith. Much, but not to all is a varied degree of worthy. Ironically, the majority of what I have written overall is not worthy of sharing. The collective process of the journey is worthy to become a man of true faith, and therefore worthy of His Blessings. All paths are His paths that lead to then worthy paths.

Moving forward, my expectation is that I will eventually have a worthy compilation to publish as a book of testimony to inspire others. I know that I will need to have more and more successes so that I can give back in His name to demonstrate redemption and the power of prayer to a wider audience. The “proof is in the pudding” shouldn’t have to apply, but it does for the majority of Christians too. When I write, I still include bits of hardship or negativity as context for my life in the past, but the focus is the worthy positive messages of being a Christian.

December 20, 2015