Hi! Welcome to my blog, GoodGoodDayRaul.
What I want to do is share stories that encourage you and give you hope. As an introduction, I would like to share with you the story that inspired me to start this blog:
By Way of Introduction
Just as dusk was falling, I came, once summer evening, on a circular clearing in the bush,
Overgrown with Heath and hyacinths, Bracken and Burrs. On a pair branch of a giant blue gum, a pair of jackasses were laughing to their hearts content. Beside a fireplace that he had fashioned of a few rough stones, a bronzed and bearded swagman was sitting on a fallen tree fern, enjoying his evening meal. We were soon talking of everything under the sun-The Dorsetshire village in which he was born; The feverish gold rush that lured him overseas; And the wayward Gipsyings of later days. As we gossiped aside the dying embers, the sky became pyrotechnic with wildfire. It gleamed from every point of the compass. In the vivid radiance of each flash, every stick and stone around us stood out as clearly as at noon.
‘Goin far?’ I inquired.
‘I must make Wombat Creek tonight!’
‘A dark trudge,‘ I observed; ‘ It’ll take you all your time to keep the track’
‘Oh yes’ he replied with a smile, as he rose, picked up his belly, humped his swag and lit his pipe, ‘But a few wisps of wildfire will light things up a bit!’
My Australian swagman is not the only pilgrim on the planet who has to follow a tortuous track in a poor light. It may be-who knows?-That a stray sentence somewhere in these pages will enable some uncertain wayfarer to discern more clearly the obscure path from which, in his confusion, he otherwise might have wondered.
Frank W. Boreham
Armadale, Melbourne, Australia
Easter, 1924
(From Wisps of Wildfire by F.W. Boreham)
The Story of F.W. Boreham.
F.W. Boreham was a Christian pastor from England from the early 1900s. He became a pastor at a young age, which led him to take a pastoring role in New Zealand, and eventually in Tasmania and Australia. As he pastored he discovered that improving his ability to write allowed him to be better at sharing the good news of Jesus. As he went, he explored, and he got to experience many amazing things.
In his books he describes the beautiful and raw landscapes of the Australian and Tasmanian countryside. He shares of his adventures with his friends and of the people that he got to meet. He was a brilliant observer, and he spent time listening to the people around him. Boreham decided to write down and share those observations and stories and experiences because he saw value in what he learned, and he wanted to give that to others.
Boreham was encouraging, challenging and even funny with what he wrote. Everything came to him from simply observing the world around him, and looking through the lens of his faith. He hoped his writings would be, just like the title of the book states, like “Wisps of Wildfire” to light the way for anyone trudging in the darkness of life.
Well, I would be lying if I told you that I don’t have the same goal.
When I was in college at age 19 I discovered that encouragement is something that will always be necessary in our world, so I started looking for ways to become more encouraging to everyone around me. Around that time I also started journaling and making observations about the world around me. Much like Mr. Boreham, I have gotten to see some really cool things in my life. I don’t have it all figured out. All I know is that I do write a lot of stuff down, and I’m a pretty cheerful dude. So who knows! Maybe something or other that you read here might be like a little spark to light up your day!
It is at least unfair that I should keep everything I have experienced and lived to myself.
So far, I have been blessed with the experience of having lived in three different countries with three different cultures, and I have been blessed with being in different situations of various levels of economic standards. Through all of these there has been the constant variable of knowing Jesus as my Savior and my friend, who has been a constant source of hope, strength and joy. It is my desire that a little bit of those three things comes through in every post that I publish.
I’ve also been blessed with being in many different roles in the workplace, everything from cleaning bathrooms, to tending to horses, to building fences to working in a plush office in Liechtenstein. I’m also in the process of starting a tech business. All these have given me bits of knowledge that are exciting to share with you.
Another reason that I wanted to start this blog is simply because I love telling stories. I get so much joy out of explaining things and teaching. I never was a teacher, and I didn’t study education, but I have been a student before. Heck, it took me 5 1/2 years to finish college. And it was only an art degree! I’ve also been exposed to great mentors. Through this I’ve been able to understand what having a good teacher is like and how a good teacher teaches, and of the value that they bring to their students. In all of this I’ve found that the best teachers find a way to relate their lessons to your life with stories.
Writing and sharing stories have helped me resolve the issues in my life.
Part of the reason that I want to write these blogs is simply for sheer personal documentation. This blog is a really good way to share my journaling in a non-private way. Like with everyone else, my journals are very intimate. However, as it sometimes goes, journaling is a way of introspection. Writing can help to resolve issues, and thoughts, and questions that I might have.
I am sure that many of the questions and struggles I have had are not isolated. Surely other people out there have struggled with growing up with a distant father, or growing up in a family that struggled to make ends meet, or struggling with comparison, or struggling with other insecurities. This blog serves for me as a way of bringing some order to my chaotic multi-notebook journaling, as well as sharing some resolutions to those issues I have had to face.
In the end it’s all about perspective.
At the time of this writing I am 30 years old, already a third of my life done (hopefully), and still so much to discover. So many new things in life to try, and along with that so many new things to face. Facing new things is always scary. I’m well aware that the world we live in is tough. Yet, I keep coming back to a bright perspective often because of the many people who have given me their counsel and guidance.
It’s interesting that often guidance comes in the form of someone else’s writings, or someone else’s experiences. F.W. Boreham’s writings have been that for me. It is such a relief when we are going through some difficult situation and we are able to meet someone who has already gone through it and made it safely to the other side.
Ultimately, best guide I have found is in Jesus Christ. I find comfort in reading his words:
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
Jesus is the single greatest factor in my life, and many of the stories in this blog will be centered around the person of Jesus Christ. Not all the issues addressed here are of a spiritual nature. Still, I hope to bring some degree of encouragement and to share some degree of hope with you all.
I do not claim to be a guide to anyone, but if there is any way that what I write here can help make your life easier, or better, or if there is any comfort that I can offer, like the comfort that Jesus Christ has offered me, then I have reached my goal.
If you want to find out more about this guy writing to you, please check out the About section.
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I hope you have a fantastic day!
See you in the next one!
Cheers!
P.S. This is my first shot at writing anything. If you see some spelling or grammatical error please gently guide me to a better way.
