Once every so often, a new blog comes along that truly is
worthy of one’s time in reading it and keeping it on one’s favorite list to
return to again and again. My very best
friend has started writing just such a blog.
It is entitled “Canoeing with God”.
My friend, Nicole, is an exceptional writer as she is able
to paint vivid scenes with her words and communicate her points seemingly
without effort. She is a freelance
journalist credited with myriads of published articles, essays, and even a
documentary over the years.
On her latest project, Canoeing with God, her writing
encompasses stories about life, and always how that life leads us to Christ. In some of her posts, she begins to tell her
continuing story of her past and how, through many exceptionally difficult
trials and tribulations, it lead her to find and develop a wonderful loving
relationship with Christ.
In between those stories of her past challenges, she weaves
in occasional stories of everyday challenges too. Always, she finds God in the ordinary, and
not just the extraordinary events of life.
Nicole is a rarity in that she is very clear-eyed in how she
sees the world, and yet she manages to do so, through God’s grace, with great
optimism. All too often we tend to
become cynical as we grow older, particularly when one has been through the various
heartaches that Nicole has. And yet she
finds the good in people and the love of Christ in all she does. It is an attitude that comes out in her
marvelous writing.
When I first met Nicole, I noticed she had a tiny little
model canoe adhered to the dashboard of her car. I asked her about the significance of the
canoe, and she responded, “If you notice, there aren’t any paddles in it. God has them.” And so He does. And He leads her canoe wherever He chooses,
just as He does for all of us. It is
simply up to us to trust in Him as He leads us through both the calm, serene
waters and the turbulent rapids of life.
Nicole shares her journey in her wonderful new blog of precisely how she
has done that thus far.
I would unabashedly like to give Nicole and her blog, Canoeing with God, my whole-hearted support and recommendation for all readers out
there that have similarly traveled life’s difficult and beautiful streams. In other words, I recommend it to everyone!
5 comments:
I visited her site and added her to my blogroll. Now, so far as I know, no human has visited my blog in more than two years (thought I have not verified this. I don't need to. I am a man of faith).
My point is, she is now linked to a blog that has not been visited since the foundations were laid.
This actually reminded me of Noah, not because of anything he did, but because of something Mark Twain said:
"Then at last, Noah sailed; and none too soon, for the Ark was only just sinking out of sight on the horizon when the monsters arrived, and added their lamentations to those of the multitude of weeping fathers and mothers and frightened little children who were clinging to the wave-washed rocks in the pouring rain and lifting imploring prayers to an All-Just and All-Forgiving and All-Pitying Being who had never answered a prayer since those crags were builded, grain by grain, out of the sands, and would still not have answered one when the ages should have crumbled them to sand again."
Now, to be honest, I would not have remembered the Mark Twain quote in this context if I had not just been reading about Sumer and the Artahasis Epic, which stated that the Deluge happened, not because of sin, but because "With human's uproar," the God in question was deprived of sleep.
Of course, we know, this to be absurd. We all know that Noah is really Gilgamesh and without Gilgamesh, your friends blog would not of reminded me of Sumer / Mark Twain / Noah, and then of Gilgamesh.
I can personally testify to the inspiring nature of your friend’s blog. Because it is such an inspiration, I do intend to read it. Let her know that a blogger who does not blog intends to visit her site and consume it.
OK, firstly, she hold a Master's degree, presumably her own. So long as she does not hold it all the time, it is a good thing.
Secondly, she is not bad to look at.
Thirdly, she is very religious, which is a bit of a demerit, of course, but forgivable.
Hmmm. I think you two would make a good couple.
Oh, and she needs to open up comments, so I can represent the elk.
Mr. Myste, as always, you never cease to amuse and amaze me, my non-blogging blogging friend. I will of course pass your comments on to my dear friend.
And for the record, the Master’s degree she holds is indeed her own. Further, she is quite beautiful in my completely objective opinion. She is indeed a woman of great faith too, although she doesn’t much care for most of the organized religions. As for us making a good couple, that would be a wonderful blessing for me and a bane for her, I suspect.
Lastly, I will ask her (while warning her) about your request to open up comments in order that you may “represent the elk”. This will be an exceptionally difficult balancing act for me, as my curiosity is almost overwhelming in seeing what you might say as Elk-Myste, and yet I greatly admire and respect her to the point that I don’t know if I should subject her to such a thing. Ha ha.
As always, you are the most interesting and my favorite person in the blogosphere, Mr. Myste. Cheers to you, my friend!
Hello John,
I have opened up comments and I hope to hear from you as you learn more about my Elk and the direction my dreams have lead me in life. I appreciate your creativity and thank you for sharing my blog. I look forward to hearing more from you in the future.
Blessings,
Nicole, Canoeing with God
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