If you are a writer, whether it be a newspaper column like this, a commentary, a short story, or even a thesis or a position paper for school, getting started is often the most challenging part of the project. In a world that is moving so fast, there are many topics that merit addressing, situations that deserve an opinion and advice that should be added to the thinking process of issues. Myself, I have found that writing down ideas and thoughts when they come to mind, is my best practice for retaining future columns. Writing can be a chore or an opportunity to develop your thoughts or even an opportunity to record for history your personal beliefs and positions. I’ve discovered that the practice of writing things is also a reminder to myself, of what I should be doing, when writers block seems to be my stumbling block. In 1979 when I began writing my first published newspaper column, I wrote about fire science, fire prevention and an array of fire education topics. 1979 was the year I became involved in the Bell County Volunteer Fire Department as a Volunteer Firefighter. With the founding of the Department, it was believed there was a need to have something written and published that would tell keep folks up-to-date and informed. That need remains true even today. This column “Until then”, continues to represent the same philosophical approach to information, only the subject has changed. For many years now, I have written from my position as a Christian, I’ve shared from the experiences of my daily walk, weekly with you the reader. On the 16th day of this month of June, back in 1974, I became a follower of Jesus Christ and became a baptized believer. Much of my writings reflect the failures of my life, since I was raised out of the waters of baptism. Even with my short comings as a disciple of Jesus, I’m more excited today and I have more hope and faith than at any previous time as a believer. Because I have committed sins of omission and even commission, that is not planned failures in following Jesus’ lead and planned event where I was willfully disobedient to His direction and purpose, I’ve learned His plan is best for me and I’ve learned His grace and mercy really works. In preparing to write this column, I was attempting to figure out what to write about, when writers block was occurring. It is because of my written personal reflections in my journal that this column was born. I wrote about being at a stand still and thinking about folks I know that had lost their way in life. Finding oneself at a stand sill can occurs when we have set a time table for God to act or respond to our request. I’ll jokingly write, that I’m confident no one reading has ever been in that spot before except me. It is easy to place conditions on our faith with respect to God’s answers, we seek to discover. Yet to be reminded, that His timing is perfect can be challenging, when waiting, It is easy to suggest God act immediately, especially knowing with Him, nothing is impossible. With that truth, why would He wait? If you’ve ever thought such, you are not alone. It has been a long standing position of many Christians to think, God always needs to respond immediately. Experience has been a big teacher in my life. In hindsight, I’m so thankful He did’t practice my will. After all, I’ve prayed the Lord’s Prayer hundreds of times, seemingly to only quickly say, “Thy Will be done”, but not meaning His timing, but rather mine. Woe to me! I have found writing to be a great tool in my walk of faith. It has kept me grounded by reminding me of what I have said, I believe. When you are at a stand still, it is really the perfect opportunity to use the pause to confirm ones faith. It is the perfect opportunity to go back to the foundation, or the basic principles of what makes faith in Him, faith at all, Until then