Lessons

Introducing:


Several years ago, while working for a friend, I shared that some day I would like to write a book. One unsuspecting day, she came through the door and shared that she had been awakened in the middle of the night. and not able to go back to sleep she was reading and praying. She said she had received a divinely inspired idea on a book I should write. I thanked her and tucked it away. It was a great idea...but not one that I felt was one that I would ever really write. I really just had no desire to write it to be honest with you. 

The idea was based on the Scripture found in Ephesians 6: 10-18. It is a great subject, I just wasn't sure it was where I was headed. This year, I returned to school to obtain a Master's Degree. I began to see small puzzles of my life coming together. In all this, I read and wrote a project on Adoption/Orphan Care which is close to my heart. In doing so, time after time I came across these words, "it's war!" And so, I had a talk with God on the 4 hour drive home after the class. 'God, this is WAR!!' I had started feeling that writing a book would be a great idea...something I was supposed to do! As I wrestled with which idea to start with, I came across this one again. "But, God! This isn't something that 'fits' in my vision!" And He quickly brought me back to the Scripture. The subheading reads, "The Armor of God." 


War...Armor....War......Armor........War......... Are you getting the picture? The two go hand in hand! 


And so, over the next, well...few months...I will break down the passage...hoping to show how we women need the full armor of God in our lives because we are in a full-on battle. The devil comes like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour! This is WAR! If we're gonna fight for our marriages...our children...our God-given purpose of reaching others...we're gonna have to suit up! 


So, today's segment is just this...

"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:10-18


I'll be back next week! With another Saturday Segment!

I'm a nobody!

I attended a writer's conference this past weekend, and had a great time! I met a new friend...Sarah...she's so talented! Sarah, my sister and I attended workshops and Sarah and I met with editors/authors as we both aspire to "get out there" with our writing.

The first one-on-one...well, I was incredibly under prepared.

The second one...way boosted my ego! He laughed! He loved my writing! (Of course, I'm just starting, but...) He really seemed to "get" me! He encouraged me not only to develop my writing, but my speaking. Funny thing, I didn't even tell him I'm a licensed minister. You know what it feels like when you talk to someone you don't know and you just feel--good--after talking to them! That was me on Saturday early afternoon! I.felt.good!

Later, super stoked to meet with an agent...one who's been around the block...I thought,  I.got.this.in.the.bag!

I thought...

As he read my "work", I could sense he wasn't getting me! My outward smile turned fake as I tried to keep my composure. How could things have gone so wrong in a short moment? How could someone like me so much and someone not?

How could something I feel so strongly, not have come across...

I think all three of the one-on-ones told me at some point...if your name doesn't come up in a google search...basically...you're nobody!

Now, I know that sounds harsh, but I completely understood what they were saying. They weren't saying it in a mean way, just realistic for people who seek publication.

So, first thing this morning...I looked me up on google. And.sure.enough...I'm nobody!

There were other Kristi Singer's out there...just.not.me.

I kept clicking to the next search page-----nothing. More and more sad with each passing page... "Nobody?", I wondered, "How could I be nobody?"

Then, God reminded me of people like Esther, Mary, Moses, and so many other "nobodies" in the Bible.

God has plans for each of us. We all start as somebody to some people...but our nobody-ness can get in the way if we let it. God wants to use you...me...

Philippians 1:6 " being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." 


So, in the words of the old childrens' song, "He's still workin' on me."


I'm ok with my nobody-ness for now, so long as I am walking alongside the greatest Somebody there ever was!

I haven't posted in a while...almost 3 months!

Not that NOTHING has happened...because things are ALWAYS happening in the Singers' world!

We are spontaneous creatures! Not much of our world happens because it is planned. Is that bad? Maybe for you, but it's just the way we roll!

One morning a few weeks ago, I received an update from an Adoption Chat group on Yahoo! Listed on that update were some boys from China who wanted to come as exchange students and we decided that day...1 week before school started...that we probably wanted to do this. We got rolling and within a week and a half...BAM! we had a new son from China!

We have really enjoyed him! I'm hoping he is enjoying us! Over the next few days, I would like to share some things I have learned from him!

ENGLISH is hard....I know we know this...but the following was in an orientation packet I received and I laughed through the whole thing:

"Let's face it--English is a crazy language. There is neither egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French Fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore it's paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indicies? Doesn't is seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it? If teachers taught, why didin't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on. People, not computers, invented English and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out they are invisible. (Mostly from writings for Richard Lederer who has written a number of books about English.)

I am getting ready for my next class and I am full of excitement!!


Excitement builds within me as I prepare to start my next class tomorrow! (I realize after writing several papers, that I use too many "be" verbs...as a writer this is...hmmm....wiritng with "be" verbs is...whew...this IS harder than it looks!)

I know this new level of writing will win me some major brownie points with my professors...but it IS so not me! It IS difficult! How can I say that any other way? Really, I'm all about feedback.

As I edit my papers, I go to the "Find" tool in the "Edit" menu and search all forms of the word "be." It takes me approximately the same amount of time to edit those words out of my paper as it took me to write the entire paper.

Someday, I want to write. I don't...do not know if anyone will voluntarily read whatever it IS I write...but I know one thing...I will have learned a lot (did I say that correctly?).

But, back to the reason for my excitement! My little family will BE back together tomorrow...except for two whom we will miss. I love these gals like sisters of all ages and backgrounds. We have something in common, we're all in the same boat without an oar...going wherever God takes us!  And though we have no idea where that IS...we're we are all just fine with that!


Honestly Me-
Kristi