A Drop-Out Remembers

"You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."   ---Jeremiah 29:13

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You recall ol' Debra is a college drop-out, right? And she didn't even realize that till age 52 or so, probably because that 1 college year was, well, awful. She keeps it private, tucked within a dusty drawer inside her head.

Oh, don't worry or imagine you're missing best-selling memoir-type happenings. You're certainly not. The temporariness helped ("this too shall pass") and mostly I recall that time as 'My Year With Jesus and Books'. 

But okay, for inquiring minds: 1 reason for that label was gossip. Man, doors would barely shut before whispering girls began snarky comments regarding the departed. 

Gossip turns my stomach queasy and made the campus, for me, an uncomfortable place.

Well, except for inside chapel during Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Life felt normal there in those theater seats with lights switched low while guest speakers taught.

Something wild? I still recall my first 1977 college chapel service. The youngish teacher, at the end, spoke words very similar to these:

You can give your whole heart to the world and yes, you'll have some fun. For awhile. But try keeping just a piece of your heart for Jesus and you'll be miserable. He created us for an adventurous life, one only possible after we've handed Him our entire self.

I (gratefully) returned home that next June, met Tom then lived happily ever. Most words from my sole college year slid into oblivion, but not those from that chapel morning. 

The best and truest words can still haunt us even over decades and always, (I remind myself) direction-switching words are worth 'the price of admission,' even the sad-year-at-college kind.

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He answered, “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”   --- Luke 10:27

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble...  --- Ephesians 4:29, Proverbs 21:23

Is gossip even a big deal? Please check out these verses and decide for yourself, ok?

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So I bought one book (finally) with that Kindle gift card: Never Sit If You Can Dance: Lessons From My Mother. 

Upon this journey I again recalled my favorite books are from (or describe) 1880 to 1980, books which will teach (and remind me of) Life-improving ideas, books which I'll read again. And again.

Oh! And you remember that Youtube has some audible books, right?

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Ever wanted to visit Nevada? This fun, quirky lady will show you all around that state and also, the border towns shared with California. For old time's sake (30 years ago we lived there) I enjoyed my tour with her yesterday.

And as I shared at Facebook:  ツ

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