Planning and Plotting by Lorrie Orr

 

September Prompt: With summer over, autumn is often a time of new beginnings. What Ten Things will you be doing in the last four months of 2026? These could be short term goals you set, intentional practices, writing tasks, etc. Don’t be limited by the number – choose any number you like.

Photo: Lorrie Orr

September brings some nostalgia for the fleeting summer, and some excitement for a return to cozier pursuits indoors. I think back to my not-so-far away teaching days and want to organize my desk, sharpen a fistful of pencils, and arrange my notebooks. I feel energized in the fall, and I often start new projects. So, what will I accomplish in these last months of the year? These are 12 of my goals.

** Writing **

1. Revise The Characters of Christmas manuscript (written at least 10 years ago) for possible Substack articles in December.

2. Compile my Christmas recipes into an e-book for family and friend.

3. Take Ann Griffiths’ online writing course in September.

4. Continue to work on my children’s book: rough copy, revise, revise, revise

5. Check with my local bookstores to see if they will carry my memoir Life is Short but Wide.

6. Work on my Substack site and perhaps a self-contained website.

** Home Refresh **

1. Tidy my studio where I write and sew. There will definitely be new notebooks and freshly sharpened pencils.

2. Sort through photographs. Label / discard / organize into years.

3. Switch my wardrobe from summer to autumn/winter. This involves tidying closets and drawers, discarding worn items, and donating items that no longer fit my life.

4. A thorough house-cleaning. This has already begun. I try to use natural cleaners and have been very happy with Mint Cleaning Products – a two-woman company making products in Ucluelet, BC. In autumn I also use a peppermint oil spray around door frames and window screens to keep spiders away.

** Celebrate **

1. Out of 13 family members, 8 of us have birthdays between September and December. We have one combined party in September, another in November, and another in late November/December. It’s fun and busy. Plus, there’s Thanksgiving in October and Christmas in December.

2. My birthday. This year is a big one for me. One of those numbers that ends in 0. This one is hitting hard and has made me think a lot. I’m thankful for health and energy and hope to stay active for many more years. There’s so much richness in life.


I look at my list and think everything is doable. I also know that unexpected things happen in life, and I trust that I will meet them with the grace and wisdom God provides.

“In their hearts humans plan their course,

but the Lord establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9 NIV 

 

Lorrie Orr writes from Vancouver Island, BC.

She is the author of one book, a memoir, Life is Short but Wide,

and has a number of other books waiting to be worked on,

as well as a vast amount of writing in her head.

She also writes on Substack and her personal slice of life blog.

The Goodness of Apologizing by Sandra Rafuse

 

My day was not going well. I had been talked back to more times that I wanted to count since the school day had begun. The students seemed to be on edge, they were not being nice to each other and they certainly were not being nice to me. The "straw that broke the camel's back" came when I was speaking to one of them and she lipped me off. I lost it. My words back to her were spoken in anger and without thought.  That encounter wasn't pleasant. I was miserable for the rest of the day. I'm sure she was too.

The school's track and field day was held at the school the next day. Everyone met in the gym for instructions at 9:30 AM. Teachers, students, volunteers; we were all there. I stood at the back of the gym and noticed the mother of the student I had spoken angrily to the day before. At that moment she turned around and looked directly at me. I was sure her daughter had voiced her unhappiness about the incident that had taken place between us the day before and I was sure the mom wanted to talk about it. I knew what to do.

I had accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour in my early forties. Up until then, I lived my life in the world and I thought the world was great. In fact, I thought I was great.  All that changed when I became a Christian. I realized that I hadn't been particularly nice to people. I gave out apologies but I wasn't always very gracious about them. But now I knew how Jesus wanted me to behave and to respond to others. Scripture verses were becoming alive and meaningful to me.

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2 NIV).     "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you (Colossians 3:13 NIV).

The mom was helping out in the kitchen. I went in and asked her if her daughter had told her about our  encounter the day before. She said she had. I asked her if she would like to talk about it with me. She said she would. I said it's a busy time right now. How about if I come and get you later? She agreed.

When the day was winding down, and most of the track events were finished; when  lunch was long over and the kitchen was cleaned up, I came and got her. We walked together to a quiet room at the end of the hall. As soon as we entered, I started right in. I told her about the horrible day I had had with the students and how her daughter's remark had been one more thing I didn't need to hear. Actually I had been very surprised at what she had said as she was a very good student and I had never heard her speak like that before. I told the Mom I would go to her, explain everything, and apologize.

As we walked back to the school kitchen, I knew we both felt a whole lot better

I found her daughter before 3:30 and was able to speak to her, telling her the circumstances that led up to my outburst of anger. I was so glad to give my apology to her and she was so glad to accept it. I felt good walking home later that afternoon.

Around 5:30 PM I was preparing supper, chopping up some vegetables. I had forgotten all about what had happened earlier that day. Suddenly I remembered. I stopped chopping the food. I raised my head  and said, "Lord, I did what you wanted me to do." And at that moment, I felt three separate circles of warmth descend on me from the top of my head, down alongside my body to my waist. What a wonderful, wonderful experience that was for me! It was such a blessing from God; a confirmation to me that I was learning to be obedient. 

I help put together the school/community newsletter to send out to the people of Rockglen once a month. The mother from this story is in charge of this job. We've never talked about that day but there's a feeling of friendship between us that I cherish. Her daughter is a pharmacist and we have bumped into each other a couple of times. Once we took a selfie of ourselves to send to her mom. That was fun!

Sandra Rafuse lives in the small town of Rockglen, Sask., with her husband, Bob, a Gordon setter named Sadie, and a Peregrine falcon named Peet. She is a retired teacher and an amateur writer, and is thoroughly enjoying having the opportunity to share what God is teaching her through her life experiences with others.

Photo at top of page by Anastasia Pivnenko on Unsplash

Dancing the Two-Step by Brenda J Wood

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Stop, drop, and roll because we are on fire, not literally, but figuratively.

I confess I’ve stepped on a few toes while I learned to navigate self-preservation. One week, I found myself with relatives camping in the back yard, another bunch with their fancy camper in my backyard, two small nephews with measles, a brother temporarily homeless, a full-time job and meals necessary for the multitude.

 
A neighbour asked why our dog had taken up residence at her home. I cried “He’s looking for peace and quiet, and I wish I was there with him!”

If we never, ever write, we will never, ever be read. Writing is our God-given gift and it is our job to do it. Will we disappoint God or twenty-seven hangers on?

God gave us the gift; we must open it as best we know how. And yes, we must learn to say NO. Let’s practice together. Put your tongue against your top teeth. Try this sound, N-N-N. Now make a round shape with your lips and say O-O-O. Try putting them together and make this sound. NO-NO- NO! There! You did it. Now in front of the mirror. NO-NO-NO.

Stop the distractions as often as you can. Their problem is not our emergency. Shopping is not an emergency. Babysitting is not an emergency. Editing a friend’s manuscript is not an emergency. The emergency is our personal obedience to God.

Copy out that last sentence and post it everywhere you can.

If we keep dancing the two-step in every direction, the easier it is to say, “Oh I will write tomorrow.” And tomorrow never comes. Before we know it, the word is out. And everyone is on our case with their problems and our writing for God lies somewhere in the dust of our square dancing to another’s call.

Stop the distractions.
Drop to your writing desk.
Roll out those pages for Jesus.

Brenda J Wood has authored more than fifty books. She is a seasoned motivational speaker, who declares the Word of God with wisdom, humour, and common sense.

Balance by Sharon Heagy

photo by Sharon Heagy

Wham! My side of the teeter-totter hit the ground with a thud that hurt my bottom and rattled my teeth. The person on the other end had jumped off to go and play somewhere else leaving me in the dust. Not knowing the science or thinking about the outcome I was unprepared for the jolt. It wasn't intentional and I held no ill will against the other person.... for long. (What can I say. We were kids.)

The balance in my writing life is much the same. Sometimes life’s responsibilities and crises pile up in an overflowing bag sitting on one end of a seesaw leaving writing hanging on by its fingertips at the other end, legs flailing in mid-air.

Sometimes it’s more like I’m ‘tappity tap tapping’ across the seesaw’s centre trying to find the balance between responsibility and writing but spending little time on either and doing a good job of nothing except for creating frustration.

Sometimes writing wins out and plunks itself down on one end of the board and says, “That’s it! I’m writing. You stay up in the air!” leaving the bag full of cares and responsibilities hanging by a cord from the high end. But then the wind comes up and flips the bag onto the board, the cord opens and the stuff of life comes trailing out in jumbled piles that begin to slide down towards writing. Writing sees the mess coming and types faster, knowing it is about to be wiped out as the column gets closer, creating lumpy bumpy writing.

Then there’s the sweet spot. Where life and writing meet in the middle and lean back-to-back, basking in serenity. This is usually a bubble that can’t be grasped for more than a minute. Maybe a couple of hours, maybe a day at the most. Yet recently I talked to a friend of mine who had glorious, sweet spot serenity for 5 days. The Lord’s presence was palpable, and he gave her the gift of time without interruption. It gave me hope that the sweet spot is attainable.

It occurs to me that the most important part of the balance of writing is that I show up. Each day as the pendulum sways between obligation and composition the balance changes. There is no need to maintain it the same way every day but I must keep trying. Never give up. Why? Because He has blessed me with both sides of the seesaw. Whenever life drags me to the far end in the dirt, He beckons me back to the writing. Every single time. Even when I believe I have nothing to offer that He could use He knows I do. He created me to be creative. To spread abroad His love and message in any way He inspires me.

2 Timothy 2:13a (NIV) says, “if we are faithless He remains faithful,” always.

When the board sits perfectly balanced on the seesaw, Jesus is sitting in the middle. That’s where my focus needs to be. The writer of Hebrews encourages us with these verses, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1b-3 NIV)

When I find myself unstable and wobbly, He is my balance. He can upend my priorities and show me the way. The only way. His way.

And as I was writing this piece, I saw myself sitting on the dirty, dusty end of the seesaw when suddenly Jesus, smiling and full of love, jumped on the other end and transformed the seesaw into a catapult. He sent me soaring to exactly where He wants me to be. I smiled at the thought. May it be so. For me, for you.

 

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.