So many words, so little point.

If anyone even still follows this thing you can see I don't  blog consistently. I love to write and I always have an opinion, but when I was thinking about why I hadn't blogged in a long time I kept coming up with the same answer. I had nothing to say.

Isn't it amazing that I'm one of the rare oddities in the world that doesn't talk when they don't have anything real to say? Boy I wish more people were like me.

Sounds arrogant? Just think about it. How many articles, blogs, interviews, newsletters, Facebook updates, and Tweets have you seen lately where the content rattles on and on about some controversial topic, but never really says anything. And if on the rare chance the person is saying something of worth, odds are that about thirteen other people have already said the exact same thing in the last week. Bruce Jenner. What Kim Kardashian thinks of Bruce Jenner. How your mom thinks Bruce Jenner is evil. Gay marriage. How you think your mom is evil for thinking Bruce Jenner is evil. Isis. Caitlyn Jenner. YOU GET THE POINT. Constant twattle about the same things, always resulting in absolutly nothing.

You know what I've been doing with my life instead of dreaming up clever ways to state my opinion on the interwebs? I've been cultivating relationships.

One of the other big reasons I haven't blogged much is because I'm a teacher and a lot of my students are my friends on social media, and I didn't think they'd want to read about themselves on my blog. You say, "Oh brother! Everyone knows you don't accept your student's friend requests! What kind of teacher are you?" I'll tell you what kind of teacher I am. I'm the same person on social media as I am to my students, so there's nothing on there they wouldn't see in real life anyways. (Weird right? Being the same person in every environment... how utterly ridiculous.)
        But most of what I've learned over the past couple years has been a direct result from being involved in people's lives, weather they're my students, co-workers, friends, teachers, or family. And oh my stars you wouldn't believe the amazing things I've seen. Teenagers dealing drugs, crying in remorse. Money for student bills just showing up out of nowhere. Dreams that convict. Messages from the Holy Spirit that come from 5 different sources, all in one day, saying the same thing. Chances to stand up for Jesus in a place where he is openly mocked and ridiculed. Opportunities to pray, comfort, feed, clothe, and serve those who God puts before me... you know how I would have missed them? By talking when there wasn't anything to say.

Admit it, have you ever stared at your blank Facebook status for more than a minute, trying to figure out something clever to say so you'll get a bunch of people's likes? You know what else you could do with that minute? Shoot someone a text, ask them how they are. Pray for someone you know is struggling. Try to remember what you heard the Pastor say on Sunday so you can at least attempt to apply it to your day.

Now this is where the one goober in the crowd goes, "So what you're saying is if I like social media and want to weigh in on the worlds problems online, then I'm missing the opportunities God is giving me?" And I shall say to this goober, "No. But I am saying that sometimes our lives can get so caught up with words and opinions that they plug up our ears and we can no longer listen."

Have you ever met that one dude who argues with you, and you can tell while you're explaining your point of view that he's just waiting for you to shut up so he can talk next? Yeah... that guy has opinions up to his ears, and in his ears. (Haha. Yeah good one I know.)

So thus I return to the blog world once more after a long time of silence. Because why? Because I had nothing to say. I was listening. I was living my life. I was learning from real live people that I can see and touch, not some obtuse celebrity that I will never meet. And man, people are so messed up bro, and God is so great, I feel like I've gained about 30yrs of wisdom all at once. It's kind of overwhelming.


Next time you open your mouth to argue or state your precious opinion on the latest selfie taken by some model without makeup that now everyone hates, shut it. Find something else to do that has value. And if that means shoving those opinions down for a while, you might find that when you go to bring them back out again, they're not nearly as important.