Everyone has an experience or thoughts that cry out to be shared. If the truth were to be told, most people have a deep-seated desire to share their story with others. In the majority of cases, life stories are shared in rather informal ways. Through the activities of life we impart a narrative - personal interactions, everyday conversations, daily routines, the sharing of pictures, posts on social media and even through our prayer time. We are all story tellers! We were created with an innate desire to share the circumstance of life - our thoughts, hopes, dreams, accomplishments and even our failures. But greater yet is the profound need to do so. Even beyond the necessity to open up about our lives in order to maintain our emotional health, we are called to intimately reveal this human experience with those who surround us.

What joy is there in pursuing a life well-lived if we keep it all to ourselves? That behavior is the true embodiment of narcissistic pursuit. On the flip-side of that consideration, how can we recover from the challenges and disappointments in life if we keep it all to ourselves and never confide in those who walk beside us along the journey? We can’t. Even the contentment embodied with personal victory is best savored through a celebratory gathering of our inner-circle of family and friends. In its purest sense, sharing is what makes life worth living through the act of freely revealing ourselves to others. Life’s story is designed to be shared.

Over the years, I can’t even begin to name the multitude of individuals who confided with me their deep desire to write a book. Dozens upon dozens of individuals divulged to me their secret of something significant hidden within the pages of their own personal journey. There were a few who would begin the process of compiling a bit of their story through the written word. But they would soon realize the depths of energy, commitment and frustration involved, causing them to put their dream on the back burner of life. Some of those folks never picked up their pen again, although some would sporadically spend some time trying to formally finish their endeavor. Fewer still actually finished the process of penning the manuscript of their impassioned adventure-filled tale.

Of course, as is often the case, life gets in the way of so many of our personal dreams and aspirations. One such case was my friend Pastor Vince Bousselaire. He was in the process of recording his amazing adventure of climbing the highest mountain peaks in the world. He had a desire to record his daunting adventures within the pages of an inspirational manuscript, even though his divine calling was to actually place a Bible on the highest peak of every continent in the world. He had accomplished that particular goal and was expanding his mission to place God’s Word on the highest peak of every country. Oh, what a thrilling book his adventures could make once he’d completed his final ascent. Vince had already shared with me many of his notes regarding several of his climbs, and I have to say that his book would prove to be quite the inspirational read in a nail-biting sort of way.

Vince finally completed his calling in a sensational way, but his desire to formally record that calling for posterity sake was never realized. God closed this page of Vince’s life for some mysterious reason. Vince was descending the Matterhorn in Switzerland after successfully placing a Bible on the summit when the Lord called him home. A strong gust of wind literally propelled Vince into his heavenly reward and into the arms of Jesus. During his descent, he literally ascended into eternity. He accomplished his earthly calling, but his dream of penning his adventures for posterity, vanished within the unforgiving terrain of the Matterhorn.

There are no guarantees in life. I’ve always said when the Lord calls there is no call waiting. So, my question today is this – “What is your story?” What part of “you” needs to be shared in some way with the world? If you’ve ever felt such a pursuit tugging at your heart, you can’t ignore it. It’s time to get started. What are you waiting for? Come on, it’s time to start writing.

So what is your first step? It is simply a matter of defining your topic! It can’t just be any topic. It has to come from the very depths of your soul and it must overflow with personal passion and devotion. That only happens if it strikes a deep chord that resonates throughout your entire life experience. The sharing of your story has to be both a deep-seated desire, as well as a personal calling on your life. Something that can only be told by your voice and through the lens of your intimate experience. It must be uniquely yours. But most important, your story must express the true passion of your existence – of who you are as a person. Do I dare say that you need to be willing to do whatever it takes to write your words down? Possibly even say that it can only happen when you die to self so that others may enter into the inner sanctum of your existence? There you go, I guess I said it! It must be true!

Now, I have to ask, what are you going to write about? It’s important to realize that not only will this journey be one of deep reflection, but it will also be one of even greater revelation, both for you and for your audience. So choose your topic wisely. I can’t wait to hear about your ideas and your progress. Next week, I’ll share some additional considerations that will help you along your path. So please, send me an update by clicking on the comment button below. I’d love to encourage you throughout this adventure. May God bless your journey; and just as important may you enjoy this process of penning your dream into reality.

Thanks for checking out my latest blog. I'm sure you've got the author's itch just waiting to be scratched. Hope to see you next time as I share my thoughts on taking the next step which I refer to as "Life Journaling."~ Lanny

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