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I like to write.

I should say, I like to type. No one really writes any more, except my grandmas. Regularly I still see the beautiful script of aged ladies, diligent words pressed respectfully with a pen to paper. Although, my Grandma Matthias has found the 21st century and is into e-mail and Facebook now. I can always tell it's her even without peeking who it's from because Grandma only types with the caps lock on. When I read her e-mails I have to put aside my thinking that capital letters means lots of emphasis should be put on the words. My grandma Matthias doesn't typically put a lot of stress on a phrase like this: THE SUN WAS SHINING TODAY AND GRANDPA CHOPPED SOME WOOD. HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY. GMA MATTHIAS

Really jumps out and catches the eye, doesn't it. But nobody really writes like that. No one, that I know, hand writes in capital letters. There's so much more subtlety to hand written words. And, people are much more likely to take seriously hand written words than typed words or spoken words.

A pastor friend of mine was telling me a story of how handwritten letters affected the life of one of his parishioners. The woman, who had made some considerably life altering changes, had received letter after letter from her family. My pastor friend, I'll call him Larry, was sitting with the woman one day when she broke down crying. The woman had read the letters daily which boldly proclaimed what a sinner she was, how disappointing she was to the family, she had no part in family dynamics. In effect, the letters were castigating her for choices made, but in essence were letters of fear that somehow they had failed her.

The woman, Anne (not her real name), lived with a constant source of guilt and dread that she was not human being anymore. Larry prayed with the woman and asked her to give him the letters for safe keeping. The words were stones. Like the woman caught in adultery, she was caught in the crossfire of a verbal stoning. Battered and bruised, physically she had escaped with her life, emotionally she was dead.

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. Yeah, whatever. Especially written words will kill. How many times do we see it in the paper that words have destroyed reputations, ruined relationships and brutalized life. The spoken word is air - breath released; it brings a memory but the written word is permanent and if written by hand, we know that the hand of a person actually pressed on the same page that we are holding. It's personal, very personal.

Many times, though, handwritten letters bring joy and contentment also. I love receiving handwritten Christmas cards. I got one this year - from my Grandma Nacke. I love reading the stories of the lives of people who I know and am endeared to, but often I will skip most of the information if there is a personal, handwritten script on the bottom. That usually means that they had a special message just for us. Yeah, they did a lot during the year - that's great - but LOOK AT THE HANDWRITING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE! THEY STILL REMEMBER US!

Remember not that long ago when almost all letters were still sent through the mail not filed electronically, typed, texted or Facebooked? Christine still keeps all the love letters that I wrote when she was in Australia and I lived by myself in Arizona. Every time she would receive a letter (so she tells me) she would read it three, four, fifty times not only to read it but to see my handwriting - because my handwriting is unique to me.

There are experts who can tell when signatures are forged or simply tell what people are like by their handwriting. (They soon might be out of jobs when everyone in the world forgets how to use a pen) They are called graphologers. For example, graphologers would suggest that these types of script say lots of things about us:

SIZE Small handwriting- research-oriented, good concentration, methodical, not always social Large handwriting- people oriented, outgoing, outspoken, love to entertain and interlock Right in the middle- you like to be with people, but value your own time

SPACING Good deal of space- you need your freedom, to do things in your own time, don’t like to be overwhelmed or crowed. Very little space- it shows a tremendous about of irritability and constant pressure on yourself

HOW LETTERS ARE SHAPED Rounded letters- indicates creativity, artistic abilities (writing, painting, acting, etc.) Pointed letters- shows you are more aggressive, intense, very intelligent, curious Connected letters- you are logical, systematic, make decisions carefully

LOOPING Loopy handwriting- very social individual, huge imagination, sensitive to criticism Not loopy- more isolated, reclusive, within themselves

DOTTING YOUR I’s Right over the I- attention to detail, organization, emphatic in what you say or do High over the I- shows great imagination To the left- procrastinator Circle your I’s- visionary, child like Slashing it- overly self-critical, don’t have a lot of patience for inadequacy or people that don’t learn from their mistakes, irritation

CROSSING YOUR T’s Right in the middle- you are personally safe Short crosses- shows a lack of determination Long crosses- great determination and enthusiasm, can be stubborn Very top of T- you’re an idealist, ambition, good self-esteem Cross downward at the top- you dominate your environment, authoritative nature O’s Open- you are talkative, social, able to express your feelings, have little secrecy Closed- you are very personal, limited sharing of your personal feelings, introvert

LEAD IN’S OR EXCESS FLOURISHES Lead in’s (or excess flourishes) - shows family orientation is important to you Lack of lead in’s (or excess flourishes)- you tackle problems in a direct, practical way, unhampered by sentimentality

MARGINS Writing all over the page- you can’t relax, constantly thinking Left hand margin- you live in the past Right hand margin- you are always looking towards the future

PRESSURE Tremendous pressure- very intense, may have some evil qualities, aggressive, blow up easily Average or light pressure- laid back, go with the flow

DOODLES Boxes- you need structure, stability and order Flowers- idealistic, romantic, creative Triangles- perfectionist, structured, people that feel stuck- don’t risk easily Circles- dreamer, creative, takes thinks personally, visionary Smiley faces- illusionary, wanting life to be beautiful, optimistic Color inside the box or shape- you are very intense, serious, worrier, can suggest sign of temper because of tension or frustration

PUNCTUATION MARKS Lots of exclamation marks- ego is involved, you want to be understood, passionate

SLANT If you write upward- you tend to be optimist, hopeful, honest, ambitious, motivated If you write downward- you tend to be negative, slightly depressed, dishonest

SPEED If you write things quickly- you are impatient, dislike delays or time wasters If you write slowly- more organized, more methodical, more self reliant

SIGNATURE (this is your public self image!) Legible- shows integrity, confidence, leadership, open to show your true self Not legible- very private person, hard to read or understand .

I didn't come up with these ideas - I found them by typing words onto the internet. But, the handwriting really does say something about the person. I will not tell you which of the styles is mine but needless to say I'm a bit loopy.

Larry and I met this week. We read from the book of Psalms as we always do and this week it was Psalm 29: Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name; worship the Lord in holy splendor. Within the word 'ascribe' is of course the need to write. How often do we write down what is due to God? I don't do it very often, not in my own handwriting anyway. Often it is typed form that comes in the visage of a sermon. What would happen if every week we took time to hand write down all the goodness of God? Would our view of life in general change? Would the words that jump off the page remind us of the goodness of God? That God's own handwriting is nearby?

Paul writes in 2 Cor. 3 "Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Surely we do not need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you or from you, do we? You yourselves shall be our letter, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all; and you show that you are a letter of Christ, prepared by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts ---"

Our lives are living letters prepared by God written in the script of the Holy Spirit, legible to the whole world. God's handwriting does not need ink but is impressed on our very souls. What do you think God's handwriting looks like? Loopy? Extra spaces? Speedy? I would guess that God takes His time to prepare a love letter and writes it carefully and slowly on our hearts so that we can open it every day and remember that all of us are beloved children of God.

So, this week, try and write a few letters in your own hand. Ascribe to God the glory, ascribe to others all the love that God gives you, and ascribe to yourself that you are beloved of God and many.

My New Year's resolution is to try and keep typing this blog.

If only I could hand write it. Maybe more people would read it.

Peace,

Pastor Reid