The Beauty of Trust by Sharon Heagy

"Get it! Kill it! Stomp on it! Hit it with a hammer! I'm not coming in until you get rid of it!" These words, uttered by many a human being have ordered the demise of what are considered to be ugly, hideous and grotesque vermin and insects. Yet ask a rodentologist or entomologist about these same creatures and they will wax eloquent on the beauty and benefits of said creatures. 

Spiders seem to hold a high rank regarding striking fear into the hearts of men, with mice holding a close second. While it may seem irrational to be filled with overwhelming anxiety by something smaller than the sole of one's foot, these fears can be deep-seated to those who experience them. But maybe as writers we can help to calm the fears of children and adults and help our fellow life pilgrims by dispelling fears before they start. Maybe.

Author E.B White's classic Charlotte's Web created an unlikely relationship between a spider named Charlotte, a runt pig named Wilbur and a young girl named Fern. Charlotte herself was a spinner of words which she placed intricately into her webs. Those kind words end up saving Wilbur.'s life.  This endearing tale of friendship, loyalty, trust and sacrifice perhaps mellows our viewpoint about both pigs and spiders, though not everyone would agree. 

Disney took the classic folktale Cinderella and used the same anthropomorphic tools as mice became Cinderella's companions and helped save the day when the wicked stepsisters ruined her gown for the ball. How can one dislike mice after that?  (Already I hear the naysayers who will never believe there is any good mouse except a dead mouse. Some of them are part of my wonderful family.) But Cinderella could trust the mice to come to her aid. 

The film Ratatouille penned and directed by Brad Bird, with input from Jan Pinkauq and Jim Capobianco, tells the tall tale of a rat who has a refined palate and an ability to cook food comparable to the best chefs in Paris. Remy the rat directs the hands of Linguini, his human partner, through a series of signals as he sits beneath Linguini's chef's hat. Remy trusts Linguini to put the right ingredients into the pot and Linguini trusts the rat's directions. Even though rats are pretty intelligent beings and got a bit of a bad rap regarding the spread of the plague, they still do spread disease and I certainly would not want one in my kitchen, or anywhere near my house and definitely not under my hat!

If we can't trust fictional animals or animated furry friends, who can we trust? What about real animals? There are abundant stories of animals who save their owners. Horses hitched to a wagon who find the way home in a blizzard when the owner can't see and drops the reins letting the horses take the lead. A friend of ours was rescued twice by his dog as he fought to save his fishing camp in a forest fire last year. Twice, when he was overcome by smoke, couldn't see and was at his limit, he grabbed the tail of his yellow lab, told her to take him to the truck up on the main road and she did, saving his life. But can we trust animals all the time? Horses can freeze and dogs can be overcome by the same smoky fires as us.

One of the most beautiful pictures of trust I have ever seen comes from the picture at the top of the page. A couple of weeks ago at church this little fellow slept in his mother's arms for the whole sermon. Watching him flip and flop, changing position from time to time was an illustration of absolute trust. He had no fear and did not wake knowing his mom would not drop him, nor leave him, nor abandon him. No matter how he moved, from laying on her arm to her shoulder, to her other shoulder and back down to a prone position in his mom's loving care, he never even flinched. To me, it was a picture of how we are to trust in God. No matter how we move and change direction, going ahead, falling behind, His arms are there to guide us back to His path, to His hands, to His love, grace and mercy and we can trust Him completely without flinching.  He will never "leave us or forsake us" says the writer of Hebrews 13:5. Jesus, quoted in the same book, Hebrews 2:13 states, "I will put my trust in Him." And He did even to the cross. What an example of beautiful trust He gave us. May we follow His lead in our lives and in our writing. As He guides our words we will create pieces of beauty beyond ourselves. We just have to trust Him and let go.

Sharon Heagy writes from the wonderful town of Rockglen, Saskatchewan, where she lives with her husband, a big dog and furry cats. She writes to bring hope and humour to a world that needs both. She can be reached at sharonheagy@gmail.com 


Thanks for taking the time to visit today. God bless.

 

Reflections on Beauty by Susan Barclay

  

She walks in beauty. [Pic from Pixabay]

Reflections on Beauty

Helen Keller

Blind, deaf, mute

Intelligent and inspiring

Reminds us that

The best and most beautiful things in the world

cannot be seen or even touched—

they must be felt with the heart.

Vincent Van Gogh

Depressed, intense, tormented

Masterful and expressive

Reminds us that

Great things are done

by a series of small things

brought together—

each one quiet, but necessary.

Lord Byron

Clubfooted, moody, and pale

Sensual and enduring

Reminds us that

There is pleasure in the pathless woods,

There is rapture on the lonely shore…

and meaning in wandering without certainty.

There is beauty in words, images, ideas

shaped by our minds

into something whole—

a body of work

made from fragments of thought.

There is beauty in living, laughter, and love,

in creativity, nature, and God,

beauty in sacrifice

and in healing,

even when neither is easy.

And so beauty is not distant,

not rare or reserved—

it is present

in everything we become

when we choose to notice it.

c. Susan Barclay, June 2026

_______________________

 

For more about Susan Barclay and her writing, please visit www.susan-barclay.blogspot.com

The Beauty of Human Touch in my Writing Voice by Alan Anderson

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,

whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is

commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything

worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

The Beauty of Interactions

The prompt for this month asks, “What does creating beauty mean to you and your writing?” The posts throughout this month are examples of beauty in themselves. So much so it would be wonderful to include them in a book on writing as beauty. For now, however, I humbly offer my contribution to our InScribe blog.

While reading through Beauty: The Invisible Embrace, and loving the entire book, the following words from page 12 struck me:

"When we hear the word ‘Beauty’, we inevitably think that beauty belongs in a special elite realm where only the extraordinary dwells. Yet without realizing it, each day each one of us is visited by beauty. When you actually listen to people, it is surprising how often beauty is mentioned. A world without beauty would be unbearable. Indeed the subtle touches of beauty are what enable most people to survive."

I entitled this blog post, “The Beauty of Human Touch in my Writing Voice,” because the beauty of interactions with people fuels most of what I write. These interactions have filled my life with whatever is lovely, significant memories, experiences, kindness, love, and wisdom.

Interactions with people over decades have also given me the opportunity to help mature what John O’Donohue would call my inner landscape. One’s inner landscape is how our outer and inner worlds intertwine.

For anyone interested, here is a link to a discussion of an interviewer talking with John O’Donohue on the inner landscape. https://onbeing.org/programs/john-odonohue-the-inner-landscape-of-beauty/?ref=antoinebuteau.com

A Continued Development of My Writing Voice

Perhaps it is because I am older now, but I see a need within me to opt for a quieter and slower-paced life. The landscape of the world around me is too noisy, rushed, and busy. I need to clear my inner landscape of events in the world that distract the birth of my words.

I work hard at developing my writer’s voice. In December 2025, I wrote a brief message to honour people in my life who influenced and shaped me as a man and a writer. They are those who were and are instrumental in the development of my inner landscape, how I interact with life, etc. Please allow me to share this with you.

They were family members, friends, and acquaintances. The world shone brighter and did not seem so cold because of their presence. They gave me treasured companionship and comfort. Holding grudges was a weakness they did not share. They mentored me and taught me what matters in life; they taught me of beauty.

When we were together, I could feel their warmth and loving presence. They taught me the preciousness of the moment. Memories of these dear ones are why there are often tears in my words as I nurture my inner landscape.

I can no longer feel their touch or embrace them, but I can live for them. Oh, how I would love to have one more of their hugs. I cherish unique hand-holding memories with these dear ones; time will not erase. These loved ones still matter. They let me know how special human touch is. I will honour and cherish them for the rest of my life. The world will know of their love in the way I live, love, and write.

The beauty of human touch, whether physical or emotional, continues to allow my writer’s voice to flourish. There will come a time when my writing ends. Until then, I will endeavour to write words that hopefully offer a sense of beauty, a beauty where people will know they are not alone.

Dear readers and writers, allow your inner landscape to birth words of beauty, offering to the world whatsoever is lovely.

 

Alan lives in a small village called Deroche, British Columbia, with his wife, Terry, and their poodle, Charlie. He enjoys walking on the dike near his home, with trees all around and where he finds inspiration to write. He has occasionally written articles for FellowScript Magazine and is a regular contributor to the InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship blog. Alan’s website and blog are https://scarredjoy.ca. He also writes on Substack.

 

The Beauty of Words by Steph Beth Nickel

When we think of blessings, typically, we think of the positives in life. We may also think of a secular perspective on how God shows His love for us by showering us with things that make our lives easier. Thus the hashtag that was going around for a while: #amblessed

But we know from the Scriptures, and from our lives, that some of the richest blessings don't seem like blessings at first. Second Corinthians 12:10 provides a tremendous perspective for every believer. When we are weak, we are in a unique situation to experience God's strength.

So...

What does this have to do with beautiful words?

The power of words is similar to blessings.

Yes, there are words that virtually everyone would consider beautiful. From the uplifting poem for which each word was carefully chosen to the note of encouragement that brings a smile to the recipient's face. From the work of fiction that makes us laugh out loud and leaves us feeling all warm and fuzzy to the nonfiction book that ends with a practical and invigorating charge to readers that motivates lasting change.

But could there be a deeper kind of beauty?

Years ago, when asked who my favourite author was, one of the first names that came to mind was Edgar Allan Poe.

Are you surprised? Shocked? Horrified?

I answered as I did, not because I enjoy horror or even Poe's works as a whole but because of all the authors I've read, few have chosen their words so carefully that not only does the reader see a detailed mental picture of each scene but also experiences the atmosphere the author was seeking to create.

To me, that's one of the most powerful expression of the beauty of words.

As writers, we can transport readers to an entirely new world. We can touch their hearts and stir their emotions. We can take them by the hand and help them make decisions that can change the course of their lives for the better.

Sometimes our words will be like a breath of fresh air.

At other times, we will have to choose words that relay our own challenging experiences or someone else's in order to be believable and in order to point toward a future hope the reader isn't currently able to see.

And what about those words we write only for ourselves?

When my children were young, I often poured out my heart in my journal. And many times, I was working through the challenges I was facing as a young mother. If others read those word (or if I went back and read them now), would they be uplifting? Encouraging? Beautiful? Not by the commonly held definitions of those words.

So, why would I consider them beautiful?

At the time, they allowed me to deal with the struggles I was facing. My inadequacies as a mother. My desperate need for God's intervention in my life.

While I have no desire to reread my old journals, there was a power to the words that found their way onto paper. And in that power . . . a certain beauty.

So, whether we're writing for our eyes only, for our closest friend, or for the public, may we chose our words carefully, may we seek to ultimately encourage the reader, and may we create beauty that can breathe life and hope into a moment or possibly, a lifetime.

Steph Beth Nickel is the former Editor of FellowScript and the current InScribe Contest Coordinator. Steph is an editor and author and plans to relocate to Saskatchewan from Ontario to be close to family in 2027, Lord willing. (Headshot Photo Credit: Jaime Mellor Photography)