Soul Food by Nina Faye Morey

 

In her July 19th post, “Soul on Fire,” Tracy Krauss comments on the passion for writing expressed by so many of the contributors to InScribe’s new anthology, Creativity & Chaos: Artistic Endeavours for Trying Times. You can check out her interviews with them on our InScribe YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/@ICWF-Canada

“Soul on Fire” is a perfect descriptor for the creative passion on display in this fifth anthology published by InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship. Another term I would associate with this anthology is “Soul Food.” Soul food is the comfort food African Americans created in response to the oppressive and troubling times they have experienced, and unfortunately still often experience, in their lives. It is also an apt description for the nourishment of the soul our anthology contributors tell us they derive from their creative responses to the chaos and crises they’ve endured in their lives.

Here are just a few of the talented writers you will find in the pages of Creativity & Chaos: Phil Callaway, Ruth L. Snyder, Valerie Ronald, Brenda Leyland, Sandi Somers, Carol Thornton, Sally Meadows, Carol Harrison, Marnie Pohlmann, Tracy Krauss, Lorilee Guenter, and Barbara Fuller. Their enormous and diverse creative talents are on display in fiction, creative nonfiction, nonfiction, devotionals, reflections, memoir, and poetry, as well as in the creative projects described in the section on hobbies & home.

Are you struggling with overwhelming stress, pain, and chaos in your life? In Creativity & Chaos: Artistic Endeavours for Trying Times, you'll discover the many ways contributors use the creative process to cope with all that negativity and transform it into something positive. If you want to break the chain of negativity and live the abundant life Christ desires for you, InScribe’s brand-new anthology will help you:

• Learn coping skills to deal with life's crises

• Become empowered to transform your life

• Go from surviving to thriving

• Use your God-given gifts to feed your soul and spirit

• Rekindle your passion for life

If you are eager to see how your fellow InScribers use their creativity to cope with life’s challenges, Creativity & Chaos is now available. InScribe members can purchase their paperback copies for the special preorder price of $15 (plus shipping and handling if applicable) until September 15th at https://inscribe.shelbynextchms.com/external/form/a6014bdf-4ade-41b0-87a6-5d411d70827f  Copies will also be available at this price during the book launch at our 25th Anniversary Fall Conference in Calgary, September 26-28th. After the Fall Conference, paperback copies will be released at a higher price on Amazon. The eBook version will be released on September 9th and is currently available for the pre-order price of $0.99 on Amazon at https://a.co/d/2ZoUmof

I hope you will be as entertained, inspired, and blessed by these stories, essays, and poems as I and my editorial team were while putting this anthology together. And as Barbara Fuller so eloquently wrote in her introduction to this anthology, “Our prayer is that the God who spoke into the chaos of darkness and created all things will be glorified through this creative offing.”

I want to conclude with a quote from Phil Callaway’s “Words of Gold” that appears in the Reflections Section of Creativity & Chaos: Artistic Endeavours for Trying Times and fitly illustrates this post’s “Soul Food” theme and the words of comfort and nourishment for your soul that you will find in the pages of this anthology.

“We, too, can deliberately choose to use precious words of gold to affirm and uplift others …They may be exactly what someone needs to hear, and they could be life changing.” 

 

Nina Faye Morey is InScribe Press Coordinator, Managing Editor of Creativity & Chaos: Artistic Endeavours for Trying Times, and Columns Editor for InScribe’s FellowScript magazine. She’s also a contributor to this anthology, as well three previous InScribe anthologies: 7 Essential Habits of Christian Writers (2015), Christmas: Stories & More (2017), and Easter: Stories & More (2021).

Teatime with my Fellow Writers ~ by Michelle Strutzenberger

Will you join me for a cup of tea and a scone? Have a seat. Here you go. The tea is hot, so be careful. I made the strawberry jam.

Aaaaah. Isn’t this lovely?

Now, I’d love to hear all about your work.

What are you excited to be writing these days?

Interesting. That sounds like a good challenge.

You’re asking about my work? Well, I’ve recently been encouraged to revisit a book I wrote on my journey through grief after the death of my twin. I wrote and self-published it to share with a few friends and family several years ago, but I’m wondering about editing it and publishing an updated version. I’m just praying about it right now. It will be a challenge for me, so if you could help me pray about this, I would be grateful.

Speaking of challenging writing tasks, what are some practices that you follow to help you cope?

Very good. Thank you for sharing. You’re wondering about mine? Well, one is prayer. I pray before I write, while I write, and after, when I am sharing. I feel I need the Lord’s guidance and strength every step.

I also try to ensure I write when I have the mental and emotional “space” to do so. In other words, if I am exhausted physically, emotionally spent due to some crises in my life, or just have too much on my plate, I will not push myself to write. I wait for a time when I have a few hours of quiet and I am in a relatively calm state of mind.

One more question, what is your greatest hope or prayer for your current writing project?

Okay, thank you for sharing. What is my greatest prayer for this project, you ask? Well, if I do go forward with this book, I would like to know that readers are helped and encouraged in their own grief journeys. I have been very careful in sharing my grief story not to say that others must follow the same grief path. I believe everyone will grieve differently and, also, each person will find different things helpful in coping. However, if I can share my story and experience, others may at the very least find hope that if I could get through, then they can too.

“After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).

It’s been so nice to chat today. Let’s keep in touch, okay?

Michelle and her family enjoy hiking mountains and trails together. She is currently writing a series  called, What Growing Up in a Mennonite Family of 10 Taught Me About Survival. To receive the bi-weekly tips, visit this link and subscribe.

The Thing About Tests by Brenda Leyland

Today's post is in response to Joy Bailey’s recent challenge to take stock of old drafts, finish what's worth finishing, and get them out into the world—see her post here. Pulling up my figuratively dog-eared digital file, I came across one draft that fits with this month's 'T' prompt. I worked on it, finished it, and posted it. Whether that old draft has turned into something worth bringing into the light of day, well, you can decide. 😉

* * *

The past is where you learn the lesson.

The future is where you apply the lesson.

Unknown

Think back a moment to your student days. You're sitting at a desk, test paper in front of you, waiting for the signal to flip it over. You are either calm and ready to tackle it, or you've got a sinking feeling you may be scraping deep to pass this one.

My classmates and I used to think our teachers invented tests to torture us. Groans used to fill the classroom when a surprise quiz or upcoming test was announced. But with maturity often comes wisdom, and I eventually understood the purpose for tests (although it never really stopped the groaning). Tests can certainly be a pain, but, no, they aren't meant for torturing students. Neither are they designed to be a teaching tool—unless it is the lesson that we should have paid better attention, studied more earnestly, in the first place. Rather, our instructors used tests to determine how well, in fact, we had learned our lessons. How intimately we knew our subject of study and could apply it where applicable. And whether we successfully met the requirements to graduate or advance to the next level.

With that in mind, I have mused on and off over the years about where we get the idea, when it comes to our personal or spiritual lives, that God uses tests to try to teach us something. Who learns to swim when the boat has capsized in a storm? That's not the time to reach for the instruction manual. At that point, we desperately hope we can, in the manner of well-prepared boy scouts, swim for shore and safety. 

Now that's not to say we don't learn something in the struggle, but I don't think it's where we're really meant to gain our knowledge and expertise.

As I see it, that's why our Heavenly Father has given us His Spirit to come alongside and be our 'paraclete', to help and instruct. To teach us the way we should go, so we're prepared when the tests and challenges come our way. In my own life, how often I felt his instruction and guidance, grateful for the heads-up when I found myself needing it down the road. I remember times when he nudged me to get in the Word more, to study and know those promises inside out, to come away and rest a while, to pray, to listen, to gain greater insights into his divine nature (and my own stubborn ways) . . . all so that I would be more prepared to face life's disappointments, sorrows, and challenges. I also recall times where I realized too late that I should have listened to that nudge, the still small voice, and could have avoided some hard things.

There was a time years ago when I couldn't get enough of a certain passage, in fact, it was Psalm 37:5 NKJV. I kept returning to the verse, hungry to have those words about trust and waiting feed my thoughts and assure my heart. Only to have a situation show up where I had to wait patiently for Him and not do anything on my own. He was adamant about it, I felt his urging strongly. The test to wait and do nothing was not easy. I so wanted to put my oar in and figure it out myself—I had to keep returning to the psalm to stop myself. Then the day came, and I watched amazed at how the solution unfolded in a way I could not have imagined. To this day, I still shudder to think how easily I could have messed up something beautiful if I hadn't learned to listen... and wait.

As I began to see it, these tests weren't about me being taught something in that hard place. They were the opportunity for me to ‘test it out', as it were, to see if I truly meant what I said I'd do. If I trusted God to do what he said he would do. To see if, indeed, I'd overcome an old habit or attitude and would choose the better thing this time. I'm happy to report that sometimes I passed with flying colours. Which always gave me hope for the situations I still struggled to make the grade. 

God is a good parent, and with all my heart I believe he does work lovingly with our oft-stubborn selves, encouraging us, helping us to be prepared and ready for tests that do come to us as we live on this imperfect planet earth. Tests are the opportunity to show our mettle in the mess, to put into practice what we've learned. As a student in God's school of life, I'm still learning and still taking tests. But just think! One day all the tests will be done, we'll have passed the lot, and graduated to better things. It's something hopeful to keep us going in the meantime.

Photo credit: Image by Viarami from Pixabay

Inspired by the beauty of God's world around her, Brenda uses her favourite creative pursuit of writing to play with words and shape them into beautiful thoughts for good. Her sweet spot place for writing is on her blog It's A Beautiful Life, and she also enjoys being a Guest Blogger here. A longtime member of InScribe, she has been a contributor and columnist in FellowScript magazine and has contributed to two InScribe anthologies.

While It Is Today ~ Valerie Ronald

 

Today—a word ripe with hope and possibilities.

I remember waking up on bright summer mornings as a child, eager to experience the adventures the new day had in store. Today stretched before me, full of exciting prospects. Who would I play with today? Are we going swimming at the lake? Will mom make hamburgers for supper? Being young, I knew instinctively how to live in the moment, so in a spirit of innocent anticipation I dove into the day without fear. 

Once I grew to adulthood however, not every morning held the promise of good things to come. I had learned through difficult experiences, that not all days are good ones. Life could change in an instant, leaving me wondering how a day that started so beautifully could end so badly. Grief, loss, pain or hardship often made facing each one a struggle. I was tempted to stay in bed rather than face the difficulties I knew the next 24 hours held.

When I became a believer in Christ, I learned that though I cannot predict what today will hold, I can face it by turning to God’s Word to help me navigate it. Despite my circumstances or the state of my emotions, the wise counsel of scripture teaches me to pause for regular consideration of my day in light of God’s ways.

Teach me to number my days, that I may gain a heart of wisdom. Satisfy me in the morning with Your unfailing love, that I may sing for joy and be glad all my days. (Psalm 90:12&14 NIV, paraphrase mine)

As today dawns, God’s book invites me to open its pages. By numbering my days illumined by His Spirit through His Word, He satisfies me in the morning and affirms His unfailing love. Even on the most difficult days, there is still a song of joy and gladness within me because I am His. He tells me so every day.

One thing God’s Word teaches us about today which is particularly applicable to writers, is that we are to make use of it to encourage or exhort one another.

But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. (Heb. 3:13 NIV)

In context, this verse warns the Hebrew believers to be careful to avoid unbelief or turning away from God, who gave them life. Instead, day after day, they ought to exhort one another while it is still called Today, seizing every opportunity to build each other up in their faith. We too, need to constantly encourage and exhort one another as writers, so that none of us will be hardened by sin or be pulled away from our true calling. Not only can we encourage one another, our ministry as writers who are Christians is primarily to encourage our readers toward God.  

In 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul emphasizes the immediacy of accepting God’s offer of salvation today.

For God says, “Your cry came to me at a favorable time, when the doors of welcome were wide open. I helped you on a day when salvation was being offered.” Right now God is ready to welcome you. Today he is ready to save you. (2 Cor. 6:2 TLB)

Today I encourage you to weave the truth of the gospel, the good news of salvation through Christ, into your writing. As writers, we are each unique, having our own style, voice, and perspective. God has called us to speak truth into the lives of our readers. What a holy privilege it is to convey God’s love in our own words to those who need to hear about Him ˗˗ today.
 

The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.  (Psalm 118:24) 

 

Valerie Ronald writes from an old roll top desk in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, with her tortoiseshell cat for a muse. A graduate of Langara College School of Journalism, she writes devotionals, fiction and inspirational prose. Her purpose in writing is to encourage others to grow in their spiritual walk.

 

 

What's Your Touchstone? by Lorrie Orr

 

Last week my 12-year-old granddaughter wanted to sew a new pencil case for school. She looked at Pinterest and pinned a selection of ideas to consider. One triangular-shaped case appealed to her, so I downloaded the pattern. Nope, that wouldn't work; the opening was too narrow. Next, another on-line pattern. She cut and stitched and we both decided it was a silly pattern. Another one abandoned. We attempted another on-line pattern. With some revision, this one worked. Sadie was so pleased to finally have a successful project. But how much better it would have been if we could have evaluated the patterns without trying them out first. A two-hour project turned into most of the day.

Our prehistoric ancestors used what they found in the earth to help them survive life. Flint, gold, and copper were made into tools, jewelry, and later, coins. It didn’t take too long before wily traders figured out how to forge coins, making them with a veneer of gold, silver, or copper covering less worthwhile minerals. Real or fake? This became the question for shopkeepers and customers.

The solution – drawing a line with a dubious piece of metal on a flat dark stone, often made of jasper or slate to create a mark to compare to a line made by a known coin. Different metals and different purities make distinctly different marks. These flat dark stones became known as touchstones, and are still used today to test metal purity in some applications. The word touchstone evolved over time to become a “test or criterion to determine the quality of a thing, and later to refer to a fundamental or quintessential part or feature of something.” (Merriam Webster)

How does a writer evaluate her own writing and reading? Grammar, diction, flow, storyline, structure, and more are all things a writer must think about. But when it comes to the content, the things I want to write about, what standard do I use? What is my touchstone for choosing which words to write?

For me, Paul’s words to the Philippians, “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy – dwell on these things” are my touchstone.

I'm currently on the second draft of my memoir of our years in Ecuador. Every day I think, "shall I include this or leave it out?" I do not want to sugarcoat life, nor do I want to dwell on the dark times. I must ask myself, "Will reading this experience draw someone to Jesus or away from him?" "Is there grace?" When the subject matter is difficult or even ugly, I can write with sensitivity trusting the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth and the moral excellence I want to convey to readers longing for light in a dark world. I am so very thankful that God leads me to the light, to redemption, and to grace. I want my words to do the same for others.

Lorrie Orr writes from Vancouver Island where she loves spending time with her five grandchildren. She enjoys sewing, gardening, and reading. Traveling with her husband is fun to do now that we are both retired. 

Take Charge of Your Writing Life - Tracy Krauss

For most of the writers I know, finding ideas to write about is not an issue. Finding the time to craft these ideas into something worthy of sharing is another thing altogether. It takes effort. It takes discipline. It takes a certain amount of dogged determination.

Here are some pointers that I have found helpful:

1. Just sit down and do it! Don’t wait until you are less tired, more inspired, or not as busy. These are excuses that we’ve all used from time to time, but in the end, they are still excuses. Dust and dishes tend to regenerate—we’re all too busy—and that mystical muse gets far more credit than it should. Take control of your time and your muse. I have found that beginning is usually the biggest hurdle. Once I just sit down and start writing, fatigue, lack of inspiration, and anxiety about what else I need to do melts away.

2. Make writing a habit. Choose a daily word count or a time allotment. This is a habit I try to maintain at least five days a week. I also set monthly and yearly goals for myself that are specific and measurable. Note that when I say “writing,” I mean just that. Writing time is not the same as time on social media, editing, marketing, or other writing-related activities. Writing for me means composing something new, be it a play, a novel, a short story, or even a blog post.

3. Eliminate distractions. Turn off the TV. Shut the office door. Allow the answering machine to take messages. Close your Facebook page. If you choose to write for one hour, let’s say, then give yourself 60 minutes without all the distractions. I’ve even heard some writers say they set a timer. I’ve tried this a few times and it actually works well. When the timer rings, chances are you’ll be inspired enough to continue writing.

Naturally, we all go through seasons of productivity, and that’s okay, too. However, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut of inactivity that has its roots in our own excuses. Don’t do it! Take charge of your own writing life. It’s as easy as one-two-three.

I admit that I found this post in my archives. I wrote it for the InScribe Professional blog back in 2015, but I think the advice is still pretty good!

________________________

Tracy Krauss writes and lives in Tumbler Ridge, BC. Visit her website: https://tracykrauss.com

Trees, the Writer’s Friend by Alan Anderson

 

“Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy”—Psalm 96:12 (NIV)

 

Trees are our Friends

 

I graduated from high school a few years after dinosaurs bid farewell, a long time ago! The world did not seem as crazy as it is now. There was hustle and bustle, of course, but, at least in my experience, there wasn’t an information overload as one experiences today. People were busy working, going to institutes of higher learning, raising families, and finding their place in the world. This still happens today. Oh yes, and writers were writing. We often used pens, pencils, and if we could afford one, a typewriter, to put our words onto paper.

 

Speaking of pencils and paper, did you know they have something in common? You guessed it, they both come from trees. I mean the wood part of the pencil comes from trees. Pencils and paper are best buddies of writers. This means trees are also a writer’s friend.

 

Trees have strong roots

 

I live in an area surrounded by trees, both evergreens and deciduous. By walking among trees, they have taught me about the part they play in God’s creation. They are home to all kinds of birds, from little chickadees to bald and golden eagles. Five minutes walk from my home is a dike by a water body known as Nicomen Slough. Across the slough are small farms, homes, a school, and a store, all watched over by tree-covered mountains. Wow, a sight to behold!

 

Strong winds often visit the area at certain times of the year. Any tree that cannot withstand the winds does not last long. The ones who have survived for countless decades have strong roots holding them fast to the ground. The trees grow near water and the water gives them life.

 

Trees have Stamina

 

The dike feels the footsteps of residents of the area all year round. Walks on the dike are worth every step. Observant walkers will notice trees waving as they stroll by. The trees wave because they love the company of people. They even sing through the colours of their leaves when a creative person walks by.

 

You see, the waving trees all have stamina, this ability to be strong and courageous in the face of adversity like strong winds, heat waves, and torrential downpours. Trees recognize writers rooted in a call from God as those who also have stamina. These are writers who respond well to rejection and polish their writing instead of giving up. Writers with stamina work on their projects until they, like the trees, sing. When writers walk in the presence of trees, they are with kindred spirits.

 

Writers are like Trees

“They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”—Jeremiah 17:8

 

Trees give us cause to be inspired and write well. To walk among trees may cause a seed of a story, poem, article, or song to sprout into life. With this act of creation, the writer creatively sings and declares God, the Master Writer, will bring one’s words to life.

 

Through all the time they have existed, trees still stand strong. They tell endless stories of all they have witnessed as part of God’s handiwork. Trees are a constant reminder for writers to know they also create beauty. Wise writers learn from strong-rooted trees. We can ensure that we root our efforts and skills in God's call on our lives.

 

 

 

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. His website is https://scarredjoy.ca.

T is for Training by Lorilee Guenter

 

Once upon a time, my daughter challenged me to walk/run a 5K with her. I was an overweight, asthmatic who could not run 30 seconds. But how do you say no to the argument: you tell us to just try? I set out to train my body to run for 5 minutes, convinced I would fail. My plan was to run 5 minutes and walk 5 minutes. If I could run more great. I had to work with diligence and intentionality. To my surprise, it worked. I no longer run preferring to hike instead. Because of the earlier training, I know I can hike up to 5K even on a more difficult terrain. 

Somewhere around the time I started training my body, I started retraining my mind. I had written for fun. I kept a journal on and off. I decided I wanted to try writing a novel. I built on my journal habit and sat down to write each day in November that year. The result is a disjointed mess. I had not taken time to build my story telling skills. I might break it up into short stories. I might leave it on the shelf as a reminder that I can try and I can learn. I can train to improve my writing. I have a series of novel attempts. Each better than the last. One is almost ready to publish. During these training exercises, I learned what I like to write and what I struggle to write. The first draft of my writing is always a case of the missing comma. However, with practice, I no longer miss as many commas as I once did. 

Books, workshops, and writing communities are integral to my training. So is reading. I am always reading. Just as an athlete continues to train in their sport, as writers we need to continue to work on our craft.

In Hebrews 12:1 we are challenged to "run with perseverance the race marked out for us." We are also given guidelines for training in faith and life. By fixing our eyes on Jesus we can reach the goal. I can not run this race alone. In each of the training examples above, I had a group of people challenging me,  guiding me and cheering me on. In life and faith we have the same support when we engage with the community around us. No matter how large or small our faith family is, we have a friend and mentor in Jesus Christ through His Holy Spirit. A life of consistent faith is the most important training we will undertake. May we each follow the training plan He has for our lives. 

T is for Travel Journal by Carol Harrison

 

I don’t travel often, but when I do I keep a travel journal. I record sights I see, people I meet or watch, and thoughts and ideas to keep the memory alive through photos and written words. By keeping a travel journal it becomes easier to recall little details you noticed and share them with others if you choose to do so. Travel journal plus photos equals well-rounded collections of memories of the story of your adventure.

 Another part in my travel journal is jotting Scripture that I’m reminded of by what I’m seeing and experiencing. In 2018, my husband and I went on a cross-Canada train trip that took place over the course of two months. I journaled along the way, capturing thoughts, sights, and people I met to help me remember the details of the adventure.

 After we returned home, I read through that journal and found I had almost fifty Bible passages or verses highlighted on various days throughout the trip. I used these verses and thoughts about them to write over forty devotionals which I published in a little book called On Track.

But a travel journal can also help with other types of writing than just devotionals. When we people watch, we get glimpses into character traits and what people might look and dress like. Travel journals become a wealth of research into characters, locations, travel methods, and how it affected you and might affect a character in one of your stories. How much time did it take to get from place to place? What did you see along the way? What interactions did you have with people or with guides when you were sightseeing?

 One example of this from my travel journals came from standing on a high mountain in Jasper National Park and walking a little way to the summit from the tram station. I can look back at photos to be reminded of the scenery, but those don’t tell me how cold I felt. They can’t tell me how the wind felt like it might push me off the mountain if I left the path and went too close to the edge. Only through documenting what I saw, felt, heard, and experienced do I get the full picture of what a character would experience in that type of situation. It helps with believable characters, feelings, and emotions, as well as small details about the location.

 Looking through travel journals for research purposes is still a work in progress for me. How about you? Do you keep a travel journal when you head out on an adventure? What have you gleaned from it by rereading it? If you haven’t kept a travel journal, I encourage you to try it. You might be surprised at the wealth of research information and how it jogs your memory as you share your stories.

 

Carol Harrison writes from her home in Saskatoon, SK but loves to hear and read stories from many locations. 

Tape - Holy Duct Tape by Sharon Heagy

The conversation whirled around me as I sat and listened. Theories and opinions stated as truth without investigation. Attacks and slander stated by people who didn’t know and didn’t care if the people involved actually committed the acts they purported. So, I turned off the TV.

Sometimes the same thing happens during an in-person conversation. It begins as a respectful discussion and somehow descends into some sort of ‘I’m right and you’re wrong,’ mudslinging, toxic event. When this occurs that old familiar discomfort starts in my belly, clenching muscles, heightened nerves. An anger fire starts and burns up into my chest, heading upward, towards my lips. It’s then I ask the Lord to apply holy duct tape. Please shut my mouth and stop me from adding fuel to the conflagration. Give me wisdom to pour out words of living water to put the fire out and restore unity, respect, kindness and friendship. We can all get carried away with our passions now and then.

Looking back to the days before belief in the Lord turned into relationship, there were many times I wish someone had put out my fire before I said something hurtful and explosive as my body shook in response to something I thought was ‘just wrong!’ Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t but my response did absolutely nothing to glorify God.

I am thankful for God’s duct tape. It helps me to be less sarcastic and flip. Not everyone appreciates my sometimes-warped sense of humour. Not everyone needs to hear my voice all the time. Yes, there are still times when I rip the duct tape off and blurt out whatever my knee jerk reaction might be without regard to God or the people I am with, or the warning bells going off in my own brain. It stings to tear duct tape from my skin and it is always followed by regret. Then I find myself once more praying for the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 22 -23, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” And God is changing me from the inside out, but it’s a journey.

As writers we must also be careful with the words we write, especially when writing about a passionate subject. One that is dear to our hearts. It’s important that we don’t intentionally offend, though sometimes when people disagree with what we’ve written they may take offence, but this is just fall out. Particularly if it’s a sensitive subject. It does no good in helping people understand your position by being headstrong or by bullying. We can use bold, strongly worded sentences without insulting or belittling our readers. Words have power. Power to hurt, power to heal, power to increase understanding and power to provoke anger. Power to further God’s kingdom and power to drive people away.

All our work needs to be prayerfully committed to God, first and foremost. And one of the prayers I pray is that God would apply His holy duct tape as I ‘speak’ words onto the page. Help me as I edit, Lord, to use the duct tape to rip out words that don’t belong, that edify no one. And, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14 NIV) God bless.

            

Travelling as a Source of Writing Inspiration by Steph Beth Nickel

 

Photo Credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/airplane-sky-sunrise-sunset-6074629/

A writer's inspiration can come from any number of places: snippets of overheard conversation, a display of souvenir merchandise bearing unusual names, a random quote you can't forget.

And . . . travel!

Next month, I will be travelling to Scotland, Ireland, and Iceland with my husband. Our eldest son and his wife will serve as our tour guides. (They live in Scotland and spend a fair amount of time in Iceland, a place they especially look forward to showing us.)

Needless to say, a trip like this has the potential to provide a plethora of ideas for future writing projects, more ideas than I'll ever be able to pursue I'm sure.

While I could wait until I wing my way across the Pond to make any definite plans, I thought it best to get my creative mojo flowing by brainstorming ideas as to what I could write based on this once in a lifetime trip.

From poems to pictures books. Devotionals. Memoir. Blog posts. Newsletter content. Speculative fiction. Cozy mysteries. 

And so much more! 

To prime the pump, I asked Claude AI for ideas. While I won't be using any of the ideas "as is," they have served as inspiration.

For example, I asked, "Give me picture book ideas for books set in Scotland, Ireland, and Iceland," and Claude came up with three ideas for each location. 

Among other ideas, it suggested, "Tartan Tales: A patchwork quilt comes to life, sharing stories of Scottish history and folklore," "The Littlest Leprechaun: A tiny leprechaun tries to prove his worth by granting the biggest wish ever," and "Puffin's Big Adventure: A curious puffin explores Iceland's diverse landscapes and meets unique wildlife."

Like any other technology, generative AI can be used for unethical purposes. However, I've found that it's a great brainstorming partner.

In order to record the ideas that come to mind, I have purchased a blank journal which I plan to write in every day and a guided journal, should the idea for a novel begin to percolate. (I'm sure there will be many.)

I may take coloured pens, a different colour to use for each category so I can quickly scan the journal when I return home and develop the ideas that jump off the page at me.

I will also be taking a camcorder with an external mic to keep a video record of My European Adventure and a record of the magnificent scenery that is bound to grab my attention. I may also take my digital camera. We'll see. It is rather bulky but will likely be well worth it.

What corners of God's creation have inspired your writing? How did you keep track of that inspiration? What have you written based on your travels?