Like Granny Used to Make

My fingers are creaking. A return to Sweet Molasses after a nine month break. I'm excited. The reason for the layoff was a job that required my time, but due to the nature of my job, I can't write about any particulars of it, and if I did, you might never read this blog again.

So nine months in, I feel as though I am ready to come alive again, and that's a good feeling. I was in a dark place today. No outlet for the tension in my shoulders. Usually Sunday is a day where I am excited about the challenges for the week, but today I felt lost. No direction, unsure of where to focus, and incomplete work piling up.

I opened "The 4:8 Principle," written by Tommy Newberry, and read a passage that released me from the demons. The book is based off of Phillipians 4:8, which taken from The Message translation, says,

"Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies."

The Avett Brothers, excellent writing and thinking music, are executing some of these most excellent harmonies right now. I looked back at some of the older posts, and they could be so negative, cynical. It was election season and I was frustrated and out of work. I'm going to delete some of those. I don't want these posts to bring people down and make them angry. I'd rather encourage you so your biscuits of the day may be lighter. I can't tell you what I'll be writing about in the future, but I think I want to steer clear of the national commentary. I turn off the radio when I drive now at times, to escape the noise. You don't need more noise here.
If I were to guess, I would say that you will see more slice of life entries.

I've met some great people in Atlanta in 2009. I have to credit Chris Allen with starting the process of my writing again. His passion for technology and the creative change it could cause stirred something in me. I've been thinking for a month about the title of a new blog but today decided that Sweet Molasses said everything it needed to say.

Last week I completed my fourth half-marathon. I set a personal record, but I have yet to catch Whitney. She still has me by 3 minutes, meaning that I am signing up for her fastest course, the Atlanta ING half in March and will run it with her, until I pull away at the end. I am waking up tomorrow, fitting into my tights - yes, men can wear them - and running for the first time in a week in preparation for the next race. (Whitney ran her second marathon and dropped her time by 10 minutes. Drew, my brother-in-law, is the last remaining Seattle Supersonic, turning in a marathon of 3:25.)

Thank God life is not a sprint. I need encouragement along the way, energy bars, water, and perhaps a high-five from a cheerful bystander. May Sweet Molasses serve those purposes for you.