We have been very blessed by other stories: Celeste, a computer game about climbing a mountain and working with the hated side of one’s self; the entire Ace Attorney series; Star Wars movies and animated series; Lego Freemakers, an animated spin-off in the Star Wars universe; Star Trek the Original Series, Star Trek Voyager, bits and pieces of other Star Trek media; the Marvel Cinematic Universe in all its self-importance and real value; Invincible, a comic book series now being made into a TV show for mature audiences (gore); Hamlet the play plus three movie adaptations; Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, with their spin-offs and adaptations; Avatar the Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra. There are several webcomics, online story telling in comic book format: Darths and Droids; Aurora - a fantasy webcomic; Girl Genius; xkcd. Then there are hundreds of newspaper comics we’ve read, thousands of books I’ve read plus hundreds my children have read with me, and thousands upon thousands of articles, Youtube videos, short educational books and articles and blurbs online and on paper. It’s a cornucopia of media in all its forms. Music is another form that includes stories, words, meaning, emotions, encouragement, mourning, peacefulness. The number of songs is literally innumerable, including remixes, variations, and snippets.

I revel in stories. However, there are true principles I’m trying to stick to; these many stories show them sometimes only by contrast. What we cling to needs to be what will lead back to God. That means first and foremost, we need to learn who and what and why God is. That information is found in His words and in His creations. We people are part of His creations. We tell stories from our hearts, pure hearts giving uplifting stories; wounded hearts giving stories full of pain and hope, betrayal and mercy; sick hearts giving twisted, bent and broken stories. Choose wisely what to keep from the stories you hear. We cannot completely control what stories pass by us; neither can we control all that happens to us. But I choose to keep hope and love by me; I choose to believe in goodness, which is belief in God who is Good. And I can help to make my story a good one, by helping others live.