Reality Check with Ann Downing...

I'm so appreciative of all the things others have shared in books, in messages, on Facebook, and a myriad of other means of communication.  If I'm really paying attention, I can learn something from most anything I read or hear, and I do still want to learn.  I want to be like my Mama who never gave up on learning... right up until she went to Heaven at age 94. Are we good at listening these days?  I'm not sure we are.  I mean, there are scads of voices vying for our attention.  I'm not sure I know how to help us make decisions as to what we listen to, but I do know this; we have to slow down and weed out some of those voices.  Maybe it's not always an accident when computers lock up, phones go down, or a power outage interrupts our day.  Maybe we're to do something as "old-fashioned" as picking up a book with a title such as "How to Hear the Voice of God," or some similar theme. I am certain that if we begin to choose more carefully who ...

Back in the day, I had the great pleasure of working with Bob Benson, especially in retreats and conferences.  In my opinion, he was just about the BEST speaker for those settings. I still remember so many of the things he had to say, not just on the platform, but also around the lunch table, in his office at the Benson Company, and many other places.  Today, when times are rapidly changing, I'm glad I knew Bob and have his "sayings" to encourage me. One of the best Bob quotes I remember is one that brings me to a better understanding of God's nature.  "I've had good days, and I've had bad days.  To tell you truth, the older I get, the hard it is to tell the difference." I think I know what Bob meant. There are days when I scratch my head and say, "God, are you sure?" Then, I get on down the road where I can look back and realize those harder days were days that became some of the best days because I learned a lot more about a the fai...