Pals, Pens, and One’s Anam Cara by Janelle Baldwin and Alan Anderson

 

An Introduction to Anam Cara

 

We, Janelle, and Alan, would like to introduce our readers and fellow writers to the value of an anam cara to share your writing with and speak into your life. You will notice we focus on our relationship in this post.

 

Anam cara is an ancient Celtic term for “soul friend.” One blog post cannot cover the gift of an anam cara, but we hope this post will encourage you.

 

Janelle’s words

I first heard the words ‘anam cara’ at the Inscribe fall conference in 2012 from the keynote speaker, Nancy Rue. The words have always resonated with me.

 

My ‘soul friend’ is someone I met initially through Inscribe. Alan and I established our connection through a shared a friend in the organization via social media. She felt we had similarities that would allow us to be an avenue of support for each other. Who knew that simple introduction would lead to genuine support and encouragement, not only in writing, but in many other avenues of life as well? God did, I expect.

 

My ‘anam cara’ is someone I can ask for a critique knowing it will be honest, gentle, and encouraging—something too often missing in my circle of writer friends. We also bounce ideas back and forth and swap life stories. This is a delightful blessing I didn’t know I was seeking, but needed. The Lord has always provided what I need, when I need it, and it has been no different here. I am infinitely thankful for my anam cara.

 

Alan’s Words

What is friendship? What do we mean when we call someone a friend? How much do I care for my friends? How much do my friends care for me? These are some questions flowing through my mind as I consider the value of an anam cara.

 

An anam cara is a unique relationship to embrace and cherish. Such a friendship can teach us how genuine a relationship can be. For instance, if Janelle asks me how I am doing, I don’t respond with flippant words like, “I’m good or not bad.” I am open with her.

 

Our Anam Cara Relationship

 

We haven’t met each other in person yet, live miles away from each other, and are part of different generations. These facts do not reduce the strength of our bond. We chat on social media a few times every week. We include discussions on our writing and personal matters. This is because we care for each other.

 

An Anam Cara Blessing

 

We close this post with a blessing from poet John O’ Donohue from his classic, “Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom.”

 

“A Friendship Blessing. May you be blessed with good friends. May you learn to be a good friend to yourself. May you be able to journey to that place in your soul where there is great love, warmth, feeling, and forgiveness. May this change you. May it transfigure that which is negative, distant, or cold in you. May you be brought in to the real passion, kinship, and affinity of belonging. May you treasure your friends. May you be good to them and may you be there for them; may they bring you all the blessings, challenges, truth, and light that you need for your journey. May you never be isolated. May you always be in the gentle nest of belonging with your anam ċara.”

 

 

 

Janelle lives in Medicine Hat, Alberta, with husband, Sandy, their three mostly grown kids and two Shelties. She has been a member of Inscribe for over ten years and has served in the past as FellowScript Editor and webmaster.

Alan lives in a small village called Deroche, British Columbia, with wife, Terry, and their poodle, Charlie. He enjoys walking on the dike near his home, 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. His website, https://scarredjoy.ca, is under construction.

P is for Possibility by Lorilee Guenter

 Prose, poetry, passion, project and prayer. I have bounced between these word possibilities for a month or more. Some words have been added, others discarded before they made the list. Every time I think I have chosen the theme for this month, a new idea or possibility presents itself. Even as I write this, possibilities play calling for my attention.

I have many unfinished projects because my tendency to procrastinate kicks in as soon as the ideas start to accumulate. I don't want to lose an idea so I make a few notes, or a concerted start, then I move on to the next. This year I challenged myself to kick the procrastination habit and finish some projects. It is my hope that this will open space mentally and physically to pursue some new project ideas without shelving more partial pieces. I plan to start next week, or the week after, because I have a new piece of poetry to polish. While at times it is fun to poke at my procrastination and the chasing after every possibility, I find it in fact hinders my opportunity to pursue those ideas. The more passionate I am about my current work the easier it is to follow through. However, my brain never seems to stay still. 

I am working on curbing my procrastination this year. It is a hard habit to break. Like all change, the key to progress is prayer. I am not doing this on my own. I never have to work on my own. This fact gives me encouragement. It renews my strength the days nothing seems to go the way I expect. Some days it would be easier to package up all my pens and gift them to someone who could make better use of them. Those days procrastination and mental mess obscure the possibility inherent in every day.

The more I work on consistency and following through on the ideas I am passionate about, the more I recognise that prayer and possibility are partners. I know this. I have known this. Somehow that knowing grows as I work. I am a writer who doesn't have the words to describe the phenomenon of ever increasing certainty that comes as I soak in a truth.

It is my hope for all of us that we, through prayer, will recognise the possibilities that God has prepared for us along the path He leads. I pray that we continue to let Him guide our thought as we sit, pen in hand, ready to tell His story. He is the author of every good possibility. He has promised to partner with us as we follow Him.

P is for Procrastination by Carol Harrison

 

P is for Procrastination

Procrastination. I am good at that. Do you ever struggle with procrastinating?

Procrastination is the act or habit of delaying or postponing some task that needs to be done, whether it is around the house, at work, or in our writing. I have always tended to procrastinate some things and I am in a season right now where procrastination seems to loom large in everyday life. Tasks appear to be larger than they really are. The tiredness due to health concerns and grief make motivating myself difficult. What causes you to put things off?

Some of the causes of procrastination for various people include:

-        Fear of failure

-        Lack of clarity about the task

-        Lack of structure

-        Perfectionism

-        Laziness

-        Allowing good reasons to become excuses once the reason is no longer valid

I’ve been reading (another way I procrastinate) about ways to overcome these various causes of procrastination. Even good things can sometimes become those excuses to delay doing a necessary task such as reading. It is a good thing for writers to engage in but I’ve found myself reading so much other things get left undone.

Fear of failure:

-        Start with small steps that are manageable as you work towards a larger end goal.

-        Build your confidence by taking small steps

-        Listen to what others have said about your writing. Read critiques you received. Sometimes our mind only sees the negatives and forgets to look at the positives.

Lack of clarity:

-        Can you break down the task into smaller steps – stepping stones to reaching the destination of a job completed?

-        Having deadlines to work towards gives a clearer vision of necessary timelines for your goals. I seem to work better when there are deadlines, even self-imposed ones.

Lack of Structure

-        Find a place that works for you to concentrate on your writing – a dedicated space if that is what works for you.

-        Figure out a designated time of day that is optimal for you to accomplish some writing or editing.

-        Remember that editing and marketing are part of the writing journey too.

 

Lack of Motivation

-        Is there some physical reason for lacking motivation? Is there a health concern or a need to step back from tasks for a short time due to circumstances?

-        Get an accountability partner. I have people who ask me how my writing is coming, what I’m working on, and how I’m feeling about the entire process. They also pray for me as I write or speak.

-        Accountability partners can also help with goal setting or breaking those goals into smaller steps on your to-do list. My one daughter reminds me to look back at what I’ve crossed off the to-do list and get a picture of the done list to see what I’ve managed to accomplish.

There are likely many more tips you’ve encountered or that work for you regarding this topic of procrastination. It has been a good exercise for me to take a look at why I procrastinate and get some ideas about how to overcome it. Now to put them into practice sooner rather than some time in the future.  

 

 Carol Harrison writes and often procrastinates from her home in Saskatoon. She loves exploring other adventures through spending time researching family history and reading.

 

P is for Poetry by Steph Beth Nickel

it may sound cliche

it may sound self-righteous

it may sound unbelievable

but I remember the first time

i heard it

sitting in the audience

listening

learning

interesting perspective

in response to the comment

i’m doing fine

under the circumstances

the man was asked

what he was doing

under the circumstances

if we are followers of Jesus Christ

we have already been raised with him

therefore

in a real sense

we are not under our circumstances

does that mean we don’t hurt

suffer loss

get disheartened

become confused

deal with doubt and dark times

absolutely not

as a hurting child is

gathered into their father’s arms

God is there

to hold us close

for believers

though life isn’t always easy

we can rest

knowing

we need not dwell

under the circumstances

I originally wrote this poem in 2011.

Petrichor, Petunias and Promises by Sharon Heagy

 

(Taken from the front deck of our farm)

           Oh, man! What a wonderful scent. Stepping out on the deck my nostrils were filled with the scent of approaching rain, even though none was falling and the sky was fairly clear. As it turns out there is a term for the smell of rain, petrichor. It was coined by a couple of Australian Scientists in 1964. Apparently during dry periods plants give off an oil that is absorbed by clay-based rocks and soil. When humidity returns, the pores of the rocks and soil absorb the moisture releasing the oil into the air. The oil mixes with a bacteria called geosmin creating that aromatic perfume signalling the coming rain. The scent becomes stronger when rainfall arrives provided it is not a full-fledged downpour. The raindrops trap tiny air bubbles on the ground which then shoot up, much like the bubbles in a carbonated beverage. Bursting, they release that sweet earthy aroma that tickles our noses. Having endured drought years in our farming career, that smell is the smell of heaven relaying the promise that droughts will eventually give way to God’s blessed restoration of the land. Even when all we get is the smell without the rain, we know one day the rains will return.

            Popping back into the house from the deck I continued filling some seed trays with dirt, adding a little water to the soil to make it stick together. Taking tweezers, I carefully pushed little coated petunia seeds into the prepared trays, 72 plants per tray. Then I watered them again and set the tray on a table where the sun and light streamed in from the east and southeast. Then waiting began. Waiting for the fascinating process whereby a sprout would crack through the seed crust like a hatchling from an egg, pushing upward towards the light. Gaining vigor from God given energy created in the seed itself, the sprout will finally poke through the surface and into the sunlight with an ‘ahhh’ sigh of relief. (Well, at least in my imagination) There is a promise in the planting. Take a seed and watch it grow. A miracle is encapsulated in each tiny little specimen.

            But nothing grows without water and God is the ultimate source of all that nutritious elixir to grow His plants. And His people. And His writers. All need the watering of the Lord to grow.

            When we submit our writing to Him, He provides the seed, an idea. A thought or two. As He pours into us, the seed cracks open into a word, a sentence, a paragraph, a page. Now you’re on a roll. But then come the dry spells, times of frustration or times of imposed rest. Words won’t come or if they do they are without power or passion. A jumbled mess. Yet the Lord is still there, faithful, waiting for us to turn like a sunflower to the sun as His fragrance leads us to His presence. The scent of nourishing holy rain. ‘Ahhhh.’

            As the Lord pours onto us and into us, our work grows and expands and eventually blossoms, giving off a fragrance all its own. Unique to the writer and their partnership with the Lord, no two alike. And perhaps if we have courage to share our work with others, a new seed of God’s shall be planted in someone else’s heart.