Moments of Grace « Christa Allan

March 12, 2010

Doing nothing is something

Filed under: Moments of Grace — Christa Allan @ 9:52 am

I’m reading Experiencing God by Henry T. Blackaby and Claude T. King because I want to (experience God, that is) and because someone on some blog I frequent recommended it highly. I wish I could remember the name of that blogger person so I could thank him/her.

Highlighting and note-jotting my way through Chapter 3, my eye-brakes slammed at this:

“I think God is crying out and shouting to us, ‘Don’t just do something. Stand there! Enter into a love relationship with Me. Get to know Me. Adjust your life to Me. Let Me love you and reveal myself to you as I work through you.’ “

Excuse me. I’m now going to simply stand and do nothing.

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March 8, 2010

Sewing my life together

Filed under: Moments of Grace — Tags: writing — Christa Allan @ 2:54 am

Sometimes it seems like the creatures in my head are unraveling stories, like Penelope who stitched by day and unwove by night to ward off obnoxious suitors anxious for Odysseus’ treasures–both in his bank and in his bed.

But the threads fray when I’m frantic to shove them all through the eye of the needle of sanity. I want to make order out of chaos, but the memories and the pictures and the stories waiting to be told are like bolts of lightning–powerful, visible, yet impossible to clutch.

I think this happens most when I’m creatively procrastinating embarking on what will be an emotional archeological dig. The feelings are buried alive, and I’ve been content to ignore them. Hoping, dreaming, praying that logic will suffocate them. But, no. They demand to be noticed. And while I create chaos, thinking I will somehow murder them with inattention, they wait patiently.

And what do I fear? Having to bear the weigh of regret, pain, loss? Even too much sunshine burns and blinds.

But I know I must continue to stitch the stories together, to resist the untangling of the threads, and to listen to the whisper in my soul.

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January 25, 2010

WHO DAT? WE DAT!!!!

Filed under: Moments of Grace — Christa Allan @ 8:05 am

Even after 44 years, dreams can come true. Never give up!!!

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January 23, 2010

Finding My Mother: a story of one woman’s search

Filed under: Latest News, Limbs on the Family Tree, Moments of Grace — Tags: adoption, Natalie Jost — Christa Allan @ 5:00 pm

Over four years ago, my multi-talented web designer friend Natalie Jost, wrote a blog post about her search to find her birth mother. She generously offered one of her books as a giveaway on my blog so that others could read of her challenges and gain hope.

Natalie is one of the most soul-baring, deeply honest, and truly humble women I know. She’s not afraid to rock the boat of complacency if it will move it closer to the shore where Jesus waits. Her book, Finding My Mother, offers hope and courage to other adopted children who are beginning or in the midst of their searches.

Half of all proceeds from the sale of her book and its companion journals will go to support CASA, an organization that uses volunteers to act as advocates for children caught between their birth parents and “the system” trying to help them, and similar organizations.

Please leave a comment to have a chance to be sent this book. Click HERE for information about PDF downloads and journals. And while you’re in her web neighborhood, check out her textiles and paper goods at her Olive Manna store online.

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January 20, 2010

I’m here, where are you?

Filed under: Limbs on the Family Tree, Moments of Grace — Tags: Exemplify — Christa Allan @ 9:48 am

You can find me at EXEMPLIFY today. . .

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January 18, 2010

What if Dr. King could have used social networks?

Filed under: Moments of Grace, ej-oo-key-shuhn — Christa Allan @ 1:36 am

SCOTT WILLIAMS over at BigIsTheNewSmall posted a link to his site on Twitter. I’m passing it on because I love the idea of Twittering Dr. King on his day.

Just imagine if Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had Twitter or other social networking applications at his disposal; his message would have been even more world changing. The exponential impact of his sound bites would have been extremely powerful with a tool like Twitter.

I believe we take for granted the fact that our message, story, voice, thoughts can literally be globally shared at our leisure and by the push of a button. As we set aside January 18th. to honor the life of a man who impacted the world in so many ways, I thought it would be great to share quotes with our social networks and use the hashtag #MLK.

Below are 20 Retweetable Martin Luther King Jr. #MLK Quotes. Retweetable meaning there is already enough characters left for others to retweet your post. Please re-tweet this blogpost and re-tweet some #MLK quotes throughout the day.

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or darkness of destructive selfishness. #MLK
A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus. #MLK
To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing. #MLK
Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. #MLK
I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. #MLK
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. #MLK
The hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict. #MLK
We are not makers of history. We are made by history. #MLK
We may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now. #MLK
We must face the sad fact that Sunday morning when we stand 2 sing, we stand in the most segregated hour in America. #MLK
In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. #MLK
We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools. #MLK
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?” #MLK
The measure of a man isn’t whr he stands in moments of comfort, but whr he stands @ times of challenge & controversy. #MLK
If a man hasn’t discovered something that he will die for, he isn’t fit to live. #MLK
Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. #MLK
We must use time creatively — and forever realize that the time is always hope to do great things. #MLK
The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. #MLK
The time is always right to do what is right. #MLK
I have a dream my 4 little children will 1 day liv in a nation whr they will not B judged by the color of their skin. #MLK

There are so many more tremendous quotes by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. These are just 20 that stood out to me. Please share your favorites from the above list or any other #MLK quotes hat you like. If you can share them in 120 characters or less, please do so. This will allow them to be retweetable.

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