Stories.

Well, here I am again. About a year after my first post. (Side note: 6 posts in a year isnt a really great batting average, maybe I'll have to change that this next year.) Theres nothing real profound this time, just the annual oh-crap-summers-almost-over-where-did-the-time-go type feelings. I welcome this time of year, really. The OCSAOWDTTG feeling really begs a lot of questions. Most notably: what do I have to show for the last two months that seemed to pass without me realizing it? Do I have more than a couple scars, some pictures, and a beard to show for it? I better. And I believe I do...because now I have a story. And this isn't just any story, this is one of the best stories of all time. Most everybody's summer, when asked, was "great", or "awesome", or, if they're felling really descriptive, "so freakin' cool". I bet I could ask 10 people that question, and 9 of them would give one of those three answers.. It terrifies me to think that this summer would be boiled down to "awesome." My summer wasn't just "great", it wasn't just "awesome", and it definitely wasn't just "so freakin' cool". Of course, it was all of those things, but those aren't the oh-so-creative adjectives that should be used to describe a summer that has seen lives changed. A summer that has created best friends. A summer that has knocked Satan to the ground on a few occasions. A summer that has glorified the One who makes all things new. A summer that has pushed to the limits my patience and my will to go another day. No, those adjectives don't cut it for this type of summer. Because this summer is a story. It needs to be told. It can't be reduced to a few overused, less-than-creative words.

This summer I've seen what hope is. I've seen devotion. I've seen dedication. I've seen love. Ive seen passion. I've seen promise. Ive seen innocence. Ive seen growth. I've also seen fear, pain, impatience, loneliness, desperation, death, alcoholism, hopelessness, heat. I've felt the miles. I've wrestled with myself. Pushed myself. Hurt myself. I have created. I have witnessed. I have learned. I have changed.

Enough about me, what about us? If were careful to look, were all writing stories. Everyday, we write stories that need to be told. Some are written in the sweat of manual labor, some are written in creativity, and some still are written in the monotony of our daily routine. These stories may not seem interesting and especially not share worthy, but they are...because were always developing. Donald Miller says that's what makes a good story: character development. Every lesson learned develops the character into something new. At the tail end of every conquered struggle emerges a new character stronger and ready for the next the next challenge. This, however, is where the crucial catch comes into play: Why? What's the big picture about? When the last page is read, what's the first thought that runs through the mind of the reader? If your story doesn't ignite the reader to change, what good is it? Was there ever a book written that wasn't meant to invigorate, inform, or invite change? We have so little time to write our stories. Compared to eternity, this life is nothing. But it's our only chance. If were not careful, we'll end up writing a story we never meant to. Our stories are only good for as long as they can be told, then were done. Forgotten. So why not write a story that has impact for eternity? A story that invites the reader to change and experience for eternity what you know is good and true. Once the last page is written, there's no editing.

I know your summer was better than "so freakin' cool". You have a story that needs to be told. Don't do others the disservice by telling them that your summer was "awesome".

My summer neighbor has more stories than the library of congress. Last week he told me that now, after everything I've seen this summer, "you've got a story too. So go out and tell it."

Chapter one...