Well, at least I still owned the domain name...

I have sputtered and started a blog no less than five times in my life/career.  I like to write, I just have some shortcomings when it comes to sharing.  I worry about my grammar and about sharing ideas that I’m sure are just rattling around from someone else’s thoughts.  I worry about what you’ll think.  I worry that I might just live into that old Mark Twain/Abraham Lincoln/Proverbs quote that says, “better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.”  The proverbial wisdom of that statement has left me leaving lots of drafts in my computer, and for these unusual times, I think it’s okay to throw out some drafts into the waste basket that is the internet.  They help me to write, and I hope they might help you to find some lightness or connection today.

As most of you (my two loyal followers and my sisters) no doubt remember, I am a preacher.  I preach.  Which means I’m constantly on the lookout for ways to talk about good news in the world.  Bearing good news for me means wrestling with Grace.  Grace, for me, means experiencing the world with an extra dose of mercy, love, and hopefulness.  I’m enthusiastic about that idea.  Like any good enthusiast, I want to share what I like... I like seeing the world on Grace’s terms.  Call it optimism, call it naïveté, call it downright simple; as long as folks can understand that it’s just my point of view and I like what I see.

I hope that by writing some of these thoughts down and putting them out there for people to actually read, I can solidify my own thinking about life.  I’m grateful that I have the opportunity to share, and I’m grateful that if you’ve made it this far in reading, you’ll be enthusiastic about grace too.

This week I’m renewing warehouse of ideas is Holy Week in the midst of a global pandemic.  I have time to write.  I also have time to worry.  So, just for today, I’m going to put aside worry and write.  Thank you for reading and let me know what you think.  Want to be a grace enthusiast with me?

Thanks and Keep the Faith!
Love,
Ben+

“Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.”
Zechariah 9:12