Wonder is More than a Word by Alan Anderson

 

The word “wonder” came to my mind for this post. I mulled it over and determined to present more than a mere dictionary definition of wonder.

Wonder is everywhere. Throughout life, there are people, times, events, scenes, etc. used to spark life in our sense of wonder. These experiences take our breath away, fill us with praise, and drive us to improve our craft as writers.

This sense of wonder is a curiosity about something we want to nurture. There are sources of inspiration in life that fill me with wonder. This inspiration is what I always hope to nurture through my writing. Please indulge me as I present ideas of how I see wonder.

 

Wonder in Another’s World

One of my granddaughters was born with multiple health challenges. Her name is Whitney. When she was two years old, medical professionals concluded she lives “in her own world.” A simple way to explain this is, not everyone she meets will form a close relationship with her. She decides, in her own way, whom she will welcome into her world. She allowed me into her world when she was an infant. This fills me with wonder to this day.

My relationship with my granddaughter is one of seeing wonder in the simple things in life. For instance, Whitney can enjoy playing with her stuffed toys every day. She never becomes tired of watching animation adventures on her iPad. She walks around her bedroom with a photograph of my parents, whom she never met, and talks to them in her simple language other people can’t understand. When she is outside, she looks up at the sky with her hands raised, as if reaching up to heaven.

Whitney shows me wonder in another world! She has taught me to seek wonder in everyday life.

 

Wonder in Walks

The dike a few minutes from where I live is a gateway to inspiration and word pictures for this writer. Sun rays of summer fade to be replaced by an autumn overcast of misty clouds. Within a few minutes on my walk, birds, such as finches, chickadees, and thrushes, fly from trees and add colourful life to the sky. I welcome the clouds and birds as I thank God for His creation.

I remember a walk on a beach on Vancouver Island a few years ago. I loved the crunch sound the small pebbles coating the beach made with every step. A sight I discovered piqued my sense of wonder. Small, colourful flowers had pushed their way through the rocks, sand, and pebbles. In this, I saw an illustration of tenacity, the value of never giving up.

 

Through such experiences, words in my head trip over each other as they begin to gather and anticipate being sent into the world. They want to encourage readers to walk in wonder. Walk along riverbanks and feel the cool autumn breeze as it floats across the water and brushes one’s uncovered cheeks. Such experiences leave me to want more.

 

Wonder in Our Words

Dear writer friends, never quit on your world of wonder and words. Words you pray over and send into the world. Like precious seeds of sweet-smelling flowers, scatter your words into the landscape of the souls of your readers. Like a lovely flower poking its way through sand and beach pebbles, persevere. Have faith your words, once settled in the hearts of your readers, will grow as strong as oak trees and strengthen the faith of people in need of hope.

A Question

My friends, what fills you with a sense of wonder? 

 

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, where he finds inspiration for his writing. He occasionally writes articles for FellowScript Magazine and is a regular contributor to the InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship blog. Alan is the new BC/Northern Regional Rep. for InScribe. His website is https://scarredjoy.ca.

W is for Watercolour by Lorilee Guenter

One of my creative outlets is art. I like to work with fine detail that requires control where each stroke shows and contributes to the piece of art. Because of this I often struggle with watercolour. By its nature, watercolour resists tight control. It is fluid and easily blends into the surrounding colours and areas. With skill and care a watercolour artist can include a vast amount of detail. However, in order to do so, they must work with the characteristics of the medium instead of fighting with it. A skilled watercolour artist knows when and how to relinquish control and work in co-operative collaboration with the materials. I have heard watercolour is easy to learn and hard to master because of this.

I don't like to relinquish control. I want to know what comes next. I want to create the vision in my imagination. Interestingly, in my writing I often relinquish control and work in co-operative collaboration with the characters I am creating. Before I start a project these characters do not exist. I don't know who they are or what they like. Slowly, as I interact with them on the page, I learn what they like and dislike. I learn who they are and who they want to be. It takes time and a willingness to dream a character into being.

I also need to relinquish control in my life. I only have the illusion of control anyway. I am a character in progress in the greatest story of all time. The Author of my life knit me together [Psalm 139]. He spoke the world into being, then He took time to carefully create me and each one of the characters in this story, past and present. I need to take time to get to know my characters. God knew me from the very beginning. I can delight Him and I can disappoint Him but not surprise Him. The most amazing part of this to me is that although He can control everything, He has entered into a co-operative collaboration with us, His creation.

As I pick up my paintbrush and my pen, I am reminded that I don't have control in my art or my life. I have influence and I can impact the outcome. I am a work in progress not because God can't perfect me in an instant, but rather because He chooses to work with me. He chooses to spend time with me in relationship. The more time I spend with Him, the more I learn amazing things I never could have envisioned. When I relinquish control, God shows me Himself. It is at that point God can most easily show me the next scene because it is at that point I let Him.

W is for Weary by Carol Harrison

 

W is for Weary

Of all the wonderful words that begin with the letter ‘w’, why choose one like weary that can be a bit discouraging? I believe, if we are honest with ourselves, we all have times of weariness. We get weary at the end of a long and busy day or when we are not feeling well. A good night’s rest helps alleviate this and helps us feel refreshed.

If you’re like me, there are times I grow weary of more revisions in my writing, one more edit, or figuring out what is the best way to market the writing or published books we have sitting on our shelves. A little help from a good editor, a fellow writer, and someone who can help with marketing strategies can help give us respite from this weariness.

Yet there are times when emotional turmoil invades our lives and it feels like there is one too many tough things thrown at us that leave us weary in spirit. A dose of hope can combat this weariness.

Charles Stanley said, “We can be tired, weary, and emotionally distraught, but after spending time with God we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power, and strength.”

Isaiah 40:29-31 says, “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

God tells us in Jeremiah 21:25, “For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus tells us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Maybe weary is the word that kept coming back to my mind no matter how I tried to find a different word beginning with w because it seems to be the season I am in at the moment. Yet as I searched for scriptures and quotes and the word, God brought to mind the promises of rest for my weary soul.

Charles Spurgeon reminds us, “In the same way the sun never grows weary of shining, nor a stream of flowing, it is God’s nature to keep His promises. Therefore go immediately to His throne and say, “Do as you promised.”

These verses and promises that God never changes and always keeps His promises encouraged me in my weariness. May they encourage you as well as we wait on God’s timing and rest in His promises.

  

Carol Harrison lives in Saskatoon, SK, and has been writing for the last fourteen plus years. Some days the blank screen mocks these days and she knows it is a season of waiting.

Whonce Upon a Time, with Apologies by Sharon Heagy

 

Whonce upon a time

A young girl lost her rhyme.

(A young girl, who’s she kidding?

Let’s start this thing again.)

Whonce upon a time

An old gal lost her rhyme,

Her mojo and her rhythm,

No head for algorithms.

She moved from farmland fair

To town where streetlights glare.

She lost her inspiration.

It caused a complication.

Was it buried in a box?

Was it buried with a fox?

(That line does not belong to you,

It’s his who writes of fishes blue.)

The calendar was not about

And from a box did not drop out.

She missed the blog date, this is true.

What would she write? She had no clue.

The stacks of boxes to unpack

Surrounded her like an attack.

Was inspiration buried there?!

Her hands flew up and grabbed some hair.

But then her eyes turned up above

Towards the Father and His love.

The Source of inspiration fine,

Of grace and mercy, so divine.

He held her in His loving hand

And said that He did understand.

And though this month, the blog is gone,

He told her just to carry on.

And next month we will try again,

Me and my Lord, my King, my friend.

 

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

Lamentations 3:22-23

Winning Defined by Steph Beth Nickel

 

As writers, we want to “win,” but there are numerous definitions of exactly what that means. Each of us must determine what winning means to us and refuse to be tied to the definitions of others.

For some, winning (or success) means making a fulltime living with their writing. If you’re doing so, that’s incredible. Kudos!

This may be your ultimate goal, but even if you’re not there yet, know that it’s alright to define each “smaller,” more attainable goal as a win well worth celebrating.

If you’re not making your living with the written word (or in your preferred style / genre) and are not particularly interested in doing so, be encouraged, knowing that this isn’t the only definition of winning at writing.

Is your goal to write every day and most days you’re putting pen to paper? You’re winning.

If your goal is to hit a certain word count each day, week, or month, and most times you’re able to tick it off your Action Plan, you are winning.

If you are writing for a limited audience and even one person is entertained, encouraged, or empowered by what you’ve written, that is definitely a win.

Is your goal to process your thoughts and emotions in a journal for your eyes only, and you are often able to do so? This is one of the most important wins of all—and will have an impact on all areas of life, including your other writing.

You may be writing every day or once a week. You may be writing for a readership of thousands or a handful of people. You may be writing full-length books or social media posts.

No matter what you’re writing, know that there are different definitions of winning, and don’t neglect to celebrate the “smallest” of wins while pressing on to those “bigger” wins—or not. It’s your choice. You are free to define winning.

And while we’re learning to celebrate our writing wins, let’s encourage our fellow writers and remind them that winning doesn’t necessarily mean publishing a runaway bestseller or taking home first place in a prestigious contest. It doesn’t necessarily mean becoming a household name or being recognized when walking down the street. It doesn’t necessarily mean reporters are calling to set up interviews or social media influencers are highlighting our writing.

Sometimes winning means sitting down at your computer and adding 250 or 500 words to your WIP, taking a deep breath and hitting Publish, visiting the local coffee shop and jotting down inspiration for an idea that’s just starting to percolate in your mind (coffee shop + percolate = unintentional metaphor / pun).

So, what does winning at writing mean to you? Regardless of whether or not you’re achieving your ultimate definition of success, how are you winning today? And I assure you . . . you are!