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Printed from https://writing.com/main/books/action/view/entry_id/983534
Rated: 13+ · Book · Activity · #2056808
This contains entries to Take up Your Cross, Space Blog, Blog City PF and BC of Friends
#983534 added May 14, 2020 at 9:51am
Restrictions: None
May 14, 2020
Image for BCOF members to put in their blogsThe Original Logo.Blog City image small

Image for BCOF members to put in their blogs Prompt: "Pick five (5) book titles, any five titles and use them in your entry today to tell a story. Be creative."

Frank was studying to be a minister. He had graduated magna cum laude from one college, earned a bachelor's degree at a second, and was enrolled in a third earning an M. Div. in Ministry and Cosmogony. He was working his tail off studying hermeneutics in his book Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. The phone kept ringing. He answered it to find a friend on the other end needing consoling. His fiend had been a foster parent and the state had come in and moved a child to whom the friend had come to be very close. "I think I'm coming down with a case of clinical depression", the Tom said. "I feel like I have no energy and I've lost all interest."

"Those are indeed symptoms of depression", Frank answered. "However what you seem to be going through is grief. After all you just had a major loss in your life. Yes you may be depressed but that is part of the process. Allow yourself to grieve."

"You're right", Tom answered. "I hadn't thought of it as grief but you are absolutely right."

They talked for a while longer and Tom said goodbye. Then Frank picked up his book on spiritual formation called Kingdom Life: A Theology for Spiritual Formation and read the first assignment in it. As he was reading it his friend George called. George had just had an accident. A car had careened out of control and hit his parked motorcycle. His father had given him the motorcycle. It was irreplaceable.

"I feel so lost", George was saying. "I don't know what is wrong with me. It's just a motorcycle. It can be replaced."

"No", Frank gently told him. "It is not just a motorcycle. It held a lot of sentimental value to you. It's a great loss in your life. Allow yourself to grieve that loss."

"That's it", George exclaimed. "I hadn't thought of it but you are right. It's grief!"

Frank continued to console George until George hung up.

Frank leaned over and got his Strong's Concordance to look up scriptures on grief. He found there were many. God had even grieved the loss of the nation of Israel and Jesus wept for His friend Lazarus.

Once Frank found the scriptures he was looking for he began to ponder them. Perhaps I will write a research paper dealing with grief he said as he thumbed through his Turabain format style guide. He picked up his New International Version Bible and set to work.

"I know for sure God wants me to do grief counseling", he said.

The Original Logo. Prompt: "What was the best/worst letter or email you ever received or wrote? Write about the situation surrounding that letter, and why it was so significant."

This is a true story though many don't believe it. When I was just a young man and had put together one of many significant periods of abstinence in my life, I began working with the local sheriff's department doing drug education at schools. I became deeply interested in the subject. Ronald Reagan was President of the United States and his wife Nancy was the acting chairperson of a drug education program that she actively promoted. I wanted information about the program so I wrote a letter to the White House asking her about it. A few weeks later the postmaster at our post office told my mom that she had received a package for me along with a letter but that she wanted me to pick it up personally. Mom did not understand why the woman would not give her the letter and package. The postmaster told her that it was a hand-addressed letter from the desk of the First Lady of the United States and the postmaster wanted to know what it said!

I went and got the letter along with the package Nancy had sent me. It was a nice letter encouraging me to continue what I was doing. The package contained information and brochures.

Shortly after I got the letter the phone rang. My sister answered it. She said "One moment please."

Then she looked at me and said "Your friend Nancy would like to speak to you."

Blog City image small "Prompt: What things did you like to do when you were a kid?"

I guess I was a pretty normal kid who liked to do things any kid wants to do. I loved riding my bike, swimming, riding horses, playing with my brothers, watching cartoons, and goofing off. I loved reading and read anything I could get my hands on. Aside from that, I was not all that unusual.

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Printed from https://writing.com/main/books/action/view/entry_id/983534