I want to take a moment to do something I don’t do nearly enough . . .
THANK YOU!!!!
Sincerely. I look at the stats for this modest online blog, and the amount of you that actually read what I float into the inter webs is incredibly humbling. I am honored to have you engage so readily with my thoughts, and at the end of the day I hope you live a little more positively and maybe even connect to God a little more.
As many of you know, the last two years but especially the last few months have been difficult personally. I have found it hard to maintain the encouraging nature of my writing that I strive for. The thing about writing is that it peels back the layers we hide behind, laying out the real us without warning. I apologize if any of my blogs have been pointed or negative. I appreciate your patience in all of this. Vulnerability is important to my writing. I hope by being open it will encourage you to do the same.
You may have noticed less posts recently. This is due to both my commitment to bringing positive and thought provoking content, as well as an overall filter that I use to determine what is publishable. Again, I appreciate your support and patience in this. My faith has taught me that these challenges will only serve to make me a better follower, writer, and hopefully a more empathetic man. I wish for this to be true but I also wish for my frustration to serve you, the reader. When life goes sour, and when people hurt you, there is a higher way you can respond. It is in this discipline that true character is built. It will be difficult, challenging, and at times impossible, but our Creator has given us the power to persevere in the face of great difficulty and conflict.
The cross is our redemption. The grace it purchased is our strength.
As I look into the new year I cannot help but have a little hope. I choose this hope with grit and wonder knowing it won’t all be lovely. Hope is an odd thing. It fuels us to persevere but it also relies solely on our strength to hold fast to it, regardless of the atmosphere we find ourselves in. At the end of the day, I am a husband and father. These roles have more weight and carry more reward than that of pastor or writer. They too are labels of hope.
With this said, if you are the praying type, I would cherish your prayers for the anger I cannot quickly let go of. I know this serves no purpose but to distract and divide, and the better parts of me want no part of it. I am living the conflict of wanting to justify myself, and letting past offenses die. With this frustration has come the usual depression that I have battled most of my adult life. It is different now than ever, and I truly feel a hope that surpasses understanding. Yet, I know that in order to have healing in both of these areas and to stay on the road to healing, I need to openly share them with you and others. In this, you have given me great patience and love.
I am excited to write and connect with you through this quirky talent God has given me. If these glowing words reach anyone, at any point this year, then it is worth the hours of typing. There are more than a few ideas I have to write on this year, and it is with joy that I will share with you. I appreciate you, wherever you are, for reading and encouraging me to choose better. May God bless you in the new year.
Thank you.
Matt simon blog 