Friday, May 16, 2008

Breaking My Pride...One Blog at a Time

Check out this 5/12/08 edition of the comic strip Pearls Before Swine. If you don't have time to link over, the basic premise is a housefly lands on a computer keyboard, and before the main character can kill it, it starts a blog. The end frame says "This trend is out of control."

I know how the character feels. In April I decided to start a blog to try and inspire others with true life stories and biblical themes. I also figured writing 3 days a week would improve my writing, and the visibility wouldn't hurt either. Shortly after seeing mine, a friend started her own blog... and then another friend...and then another friend! "Wow, am I a trendsetter or what?" I thought...or was it "This trend is out of control."

These 3 beautiful godly woman are my best friends and my spiritual mentors. All help grow me and teach me at every opportunity I am with them. So what's up with me? My pride. "What if they're better at this than me?" Well, I guess I already feel they are better at so many different things. They're often better moms, better wives, better reflectors of Jesus in their daily lives. So what's a gal to do?

But wait! Wasn't my goal all along to inspire others? And what if for just one moment they did see the light of Jesus shining in me, and are now letting their light shine; all of us creating a beautiful prism. Each different color beautiful, each shining brightly, reflecting and dispersing God's light.

Chris Sligh has the right idea in his song, "Empty Me." (You can click to listen). The lyrics say: "Empty me of the selfishness inside, Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride, And any foolish thing my heart holds to, Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you. "

It's not a pun to say that I am "full of myself." Isn't that an interesting phrase? Yes, I am full of myself. Lord, empty me of me - so I can be filled with you. Amen.

Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."

6 comments:

Sonya said...

Thanks for your transparancy, Kelly. You are a trend setter! Also, copying someone is considered by some the highest form of flattery. (Although my girls would beg to differ with that statement.)

I am glad you are writing these beautiful and inspirational blogs. Keep on writing!!

Sue J said...

"I'm so vain. I probably think this blog is about me. I'm so vain. I guess I think this blog is about me. Don't I? Don't I????" LOL!!

Let me say this here again to you. I am so glad that God has not given you--us--"a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." (II Timothy 1:7)

You lead in your boldness, and you do reflect God's power, love and discipline. Those of us blessed to know you personally can see that in the person God made, and those of us who know you through this blog can "see" that, too!

Alyce said...

You are doing great! Although I don't know you personally, I am sure your friends appreciate your honesty and obedience..
Alyce

The Patterson 5 said...

"Lord, Empty me of me so I can be filled with you" Thats a prayer I need to say many times a day! Thank you for the inspiration! You are a trendsetter! What an amazing influence you have had on my life that has enriched the lives of my whole family!

Roxie said...

Kelly, Thanks for being faithful and putting your feelings and pride out there. Your thoughts over the last couple of weeks have been the same as I have had recently.

I am inspired - to remember that I am writing for a party of one. God used you to remind me what he has told me, because like you I have fretted about whether anyone will read my blog or what I write else where, and whether I will get it published. God has over and over told me to write it he would take care of the rest.

And I'm a little jealous...you are having an article published. I am proud of you and can't wait to read your article.

Then you write three times a week -how do you find the time to do that? I have all these thought and inspirations that God has given me wandering around in my head, but I can't seem to find or make the time to get them written.

Thanks again for being faithful. Blessings, Roxie

Bonita said...

I can't say that I've never felt a little jealous of anyone else's blog. I have friends that get more traffic in a day that I probably get in a year. I find myself wondering why they are so popular and me not so much. However, I've consistently found that when I just forget all about the numbers, the comments, etc... I enjoy blogging a lot more and my readers seem to get more out of it too.

I'm also really glad for all the other blogs out there, especially the ones from godly ladies, because I've discovered that a lot of these ladies are mentoring me in many ways just like it says to do in Titus 2. For example, I visit several blogs of ladies that are excellent decorators and I learn from them because I lack a lot in that area. The same holds true for great cooks and seamstresses and writers and people who dig into the word and share insights and even those that simply share about day to day living. I'm so thankful that they so willingly share their insights and knowledge. Without even knowing it they help me so much.

I bet you're a lot like me. I enjoy helping and encouraging people and I see my blog as a way to do that. When I feel like it's not doing that it bothers me to a degree.

I enjoy your blog bunches!