Breathe

There are a couple images to go along with my previous post.
I also wanted to post this little piece. I read it on my friends blog.
I don't really know much about the guy who said it, but I just gained a lot of respect for him.


"If it doesn't come bursting out of you - in spite of everything, don't do it. Unless it comes unasked out of your
heart and your mind and your mouth and your gut, don't do it. If you have to sit for hours staring at your computer screen
or hunched over your typewriter searching for words, don't do it. If you're doing it for money or fame,
don't do it. if you're doing it because you want women in your bed, don't do it. If you have to sit there and
rewrite it again and again, don't do it. If it's hard work just thinking about doing it, don't do it.
If you're trying to write like somebody else, forget about it.

If you have to wait for it to roar out of you, then wait patiently.
If it never does roar out of you, do something else.

If you first have to read it to your wife or your girlfriend or your boyfriend
or your parents or to anybody at all, you're not ready.

Don't be like so many writers, don't be like so many thousands of people who call themselves writers,
don't be dull and boring and pretentious, don't be consumed with self-love. The libraries of the world have
yawned themselves to sleep over your kind. Don't add to that. Don't do it. Unless it comes out of your soul like a rocket,
unless being still would drive you to madness or suicide or murder, don't do it.
unless the sun inside you is burning your gut, don't do it.

When it is truly time, and if you have been chosen, it will do it by itself and it
will keep on doing it until you die or it dies in you.
there is no other way.
and there never was."
- bukowski on writing.


It just makes me think back - the one thing that I love about this church is the guest speakers which they have the ability to bring in. A few weeks back they brought Erwin Macmanus. Maybe you don't know who he is, thats alright - when I first heard him speak I had no idea who he was, other then I heard of his one book. He did this sermon on "why do we do what we do." And it really makes one think - why do I do what I do? I think for most people, its not always an easy answer. I think sometimes we do what we do because its the easy thing to do, or its what the world tells us we should do or, maybe everyone else is doing it? The next thing I would then ask myself is - what would Christ have me do? I am a Christian, and to me, being a Christian is a "Christ - Follower", someone who strives to live a life such as his. What would Christ being doing if he lived in the same neighborhood as me? All tough questions to ask yourself.
One of the other really cool statements which Macmanus made was that we as Christians should be doing "more of what we're created to do, less of what we obligated to do." Think about that for a minute. God's given you a voice to sing - yet you're taking science in Uni. God's given you a heart for the homeless, but instead of doing that you're pushing papers in an office. For me - I know that I should be playing music right now, in this season of my life. So thats what I am going to do.

Anyways, thats about all I have to say - just some thoughts.
Find a friend, have a good conversation with them - it never hurts.
Plus, we're better off when we stick together.