Saturday, January 17, 2009

Why a "Purple Brick Road?"

That is an excellent question. Two reasons:

1) I love "The Wizard of Oz." It is one of my favorite movies. I love everything about it, including the flying monkeys, even though they kind of freak me out. I love the fact that it is presented in both black & white, and color. I love the music. I love the adventures that Dorothy has and the friends she meets along the way. And, although it sometimes frustrates me that Glinda the Good Witch made Dorothy go through all that trouble just to learn a simple lesson about happiness, I know that it was all really necessary. I like that lesson. And I like that there was a yellow brick road, a path for Dorothy to follow. Along the way she met some interesting characters, and had to make some important decisions.

I have always felt like this is a good metaphor for life in general... and mine specifically. We are all on our own brick roads. Along our individual journeys, we are faced with good times, with troubles, with new people (some friendly, some not), obstacles to overcome, and lots of choices. In my mind, though, my path comes with lots of road signs. I think God puts them there. I believe that He put me on this path, and that there is a destination that He has planned for me. Along the way, he places people and situations in my path. Sometimes they are joyous surprises and blessings, and sometimes they are put there to teach me something, to persuade me to make a certain choice, or to help me grow some important skill that I will need later. Only God knows what lies on this path.

Because I do have free will. I can choose to follow the blinking neon signs down the road He wants to lead me, or I can choose to go around the barriers and "road closed" signs to take the path I want to take. Either way, He's always with me, always looking out for me, always giving me new opportunities to make good choices, to learn, to grow, and to touch others with the gifts He has given me.

What's the other reason I think of my brick road as a purple one? That's easy.

2)Purple is my favorite color. That's it. There's no deep thought behind that one. I just really like the color purple.

So what's this blog all about anyway?

I'll touch on that now, and more as the weeks go by. Simply put: It is an honest and open account of my journey to become a Godly woman. I am learning what it means to live intentionally. I am learning to walk with Christ down this path I am on. I am learning to allow His word to be that lamp unto my feet & light unto my path. I am learning to read the Bible and actually allow the scriptures to guide my real, daily behavior. They are not just words. They are words to live by. To actually apply in our every day lives. Believe it or not, this is a whole new idea to me. I am also learning to parent intentionally through Christ. This is the task that lead me to this life-changing revelation.

For years I have tried to bring all the parts of my life - my house, my family, my job, my schedule, all the parts of my life - under control. I have tried and tried with little success to bring my life into order. And I've only recently realized that I cannot bring order to those things. Only God can put my life in order... if I will allow Him to.

So there you have it. I am a thirty-something wife and mother and Christian who is just now beginning to learn what it means to truly have faith in Christ. I am on a mission. I am on a journey. And I want to share my journey with you.