February 06, 2019

How Is Your Writing Going? by Bob Jones


How is your writing going?
I ask that question of at least one writing friend every week. Sometimes it draws a sheepish response for which I feel awkwardly happy because the response is usually followed by, “I need to get back to writing.”
Today alone I’ve had the following conversations about writing at a pastoral conference in Banff, Alberta.
Standing in the lobby of the conference hotel I overheard a conversation between two delegates and caught the word, writing. Later I apologized for eavesdropping and introduced myself as a writer and asked if they were a writer.
“No, I just write for myself.”
“Then you’re a writer and what do you like to write?”
The conversation led to the suggestion of starting a blog so they could share their love of writing poetry.
An hour later I bumped into a friend at seminar and asked how their writing was going.
“I have an idea for an article. Thanks for asking because I better get to work on it.”
One of the speakers at our conference had authored a book about her experience. At the conclusion of her talk I enquired if there was another book in the works, because if there wasn’t she should turn the message content turn into a sequel.
“Funny you should say that because another person told me the exact same thing.”
When there is a second book I’ll happily take some of the motivational credit.

A colleague asked for prayer for their daughter. She is suffering from depression, is a cutter and suicidal. They came to me for prayer because they were helped my blog post "Things Christians Tend To Get Wrong About Depression."
Just knowing my writing was a valued source of insight and support was a God-given spur of affirmation that my writing matters.

Who can you spur on to writing?
I am a recovering perfectionist, who collects Coca-Cola memorabilia and drinks Iced Tea. My office walls are adorned with our sons’ framed football jerseys, and my library shelves, with soul food. I write to grow hope, inspire people to be real, forge an authentic faith in Jesus, and discover their life purpose.

Please follow my writing at Pointes Of View.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for this, Pastor Bob. Your writing has repeatedly been "a valued source of insight and support," and I thank you for getting your writing out there where we can read it. We do need to spur, prod and encourage our fellow writers to write those stories that could make a positive change in someone else's life. This is what we are called to do. We write. God does the rest.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a great glimpse of how you spur your fellow writers. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to join in the conversation. Our writers appreciate receiving your feedback on posts you have found helpful or meaningful in some way.