Message from Lori:   it’s time for another Authentic Thursday!!!  And that means it’s guest blog time!   On Thursdays are joined by various blogging friends who are courageous enough to share authentically here, in big bad world of cyberspace.  I love that they love to simply be themselves!

Today we welcome back debi Horton! Yes, “debi” with a lowercase “d”.  My dear friend thinks and feels deeply, speaks truth in love and cares immensely for others.   And without further adieu…

 

————————————————–

 

Just how much truth do you want?

I was reading a friends blog and she mentioned that she was curious if

her blogging style/content has changed since her family started following.

She is a such a great blogger to follow, she often makes me laugh out loud!

 

I had to ask myself,

‘Do you hold back saying or sharing certain things because of who may read it?’

I’m not going to deny, it crosses my mind.

When it does it’s a reminder to

give what I write careful thought.

 

Echo of My Heart

a blog that came to be

because my heart was hurting so deeply

after the loss of my sweet Dad.

I wanted to release

what was on my heart.

To be raw, it was an attempt to

put into words the magnitude of my loss.

The express the degree of pain that took residence in this heart of mine.

Of course, no amount of writing could really express the depth of that loss.

Still I wanted to vent, release some of it.

Writing helped me so much in doing that.

I think we need to accept a certain amount of responsibility

in terms of privacy, and content written in our blogs.

 

First and foremost 

I want readers to know, 

I am a flawed person

who loves a BIG God!

It is never my intent to judge another in what I write.

I am writing what has and hasn’t worked for me.

I am writing about that which I’m curious

and

that  in which I’m yet to understand.

I don’t ever want a reader to leave my blog

without sensing, or not knowing,

that I am a Christian.

I try very hard to not

 live a life that could be seen as hypocritical.

I have a responsibility to my faith to

walk the talk of that faith.

I can’t see sharing my faith

in one post and then writing

anything that may appear the opposite in the next.

I’m careful not to share anything personal that should
be only between my husband and myself.

I am careful to not share anything about my children that could

possibly upset them or be seen as an invasion of their privacy.

It is not a place for me to vent anger or disappointment,

in regard to naming an individual or group.

That would be between me and that person(s).

I may however,

 write  of ‘what I’ve learned’ through the experience

of feeling angry, disappointed or hurt..

I will share my feelings about life and its situations,

what my experience was from each.

Again, I am a flawed person,

so I’m not about to judge.

Speaking from my heart,

 is what this blog is about.

~

With that said, it pains my heart to read a post either

 on a blog or on Facebook of

a person who has shared about their faith

only to

  turn around and write a post that

does not reflect that they live their belief.

Nothing hurts the Christian faith more

than one claiming to be a Christian,

when

 the life led,

and

 the words shared

do not reflect the same.

 

He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: ” ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  Mark 7:6

 

It is not required that you, the reader, agree.

 

My intent is not to offend anyone.

 Just sharing my thoughts

on thinking about what is to be written, before we write it.

That we are careful not to hurt or offend someone.

I believe we are to build each other up !

Therefore encourage one another with these words.  I Thessalonians 4:18

This is what echos from my heart today…….

—————————————–

BIO – debi Horton has a heart for people… blessed with the gifts of mercy and encouragement she is drawn to those who need someone to come alongside them or could benefit from a refilling of the heart.

debi loves family, authentic and transparent friendships and her faith. She  enjoys blogging especially about what echos from her heart; sharing what she’s learned in her life experience thus far, the good, the bad and the ugly; and especially her personal “ah ha” moments. debi enjoys her book club of nearly 16 years, random photography and road trips with her husband, but most of all being “Namaw” to their seven grandchildren.