Reclaiming Quiet, A Book Recommendation by Brenda Leyland

 

Title: Reclaiming Quiet, Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention

Author: Sarah Clarkson

Publisher: BakerBooks, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Nov 2024

Genre: Christian Living/Spiritual Growth

Available In: Paperback, Audiobook, Kindle (Amazon.ca)

"I wanted God to give me quiet and bring me rest, but all the habits of my daily existence were shaping a life of exhaustion, of inward disquiet and outward unease. I don't think I'm alone in this." Sarah Clarkson

Have you ever thought longingly of those words in Psalm 23 where the Good Shepherd says he will make our souls to lie down in green pastures and lead us beside still waters? And, have you ever longingly wondered if this is still possible in our news-harried, social-media'd culture where it can feel nigh to impossible to cultivate the quiet that our souls - and bodies - long for?

In response to my own questions, yes, I do sometimes wonder, even now in my own more relaxed retirement pace. The whole world feels wound up like a top; so much feels chaotic, frantic, and out of order. Which is why I was jubilant to read Sarah Clarkson's long awaited book Reclaiming Quiet, Cultivating a Life of Holy Attention. And I wasn't disappointed. She thoughtfully invites her readers to join her in searching for a way that, indeed, makes room for quietness in the midst of the fray. And she has learned not to scorn the tiniest of moments in which the quietness will show up even in a busy, noisy life. Sarah presents her discoveries and wild musings with honesty, and I admire her courage to grapple them into words the world can read. Her gentle writing draws me in so I, along with her, can feel the Divine presence, his benediction, and his tender love in that quiet space. Sarah's use of language is beautiful. Her thoughts are wise. A heart longing for quiet can safely sink into these pages that are filled with hope and peace.

"What is small?

Children are small.

Seeds are small.

Moments are small.

Yet of these the whole world is composed."

Sarah Clarkson 

I admit reading Reclaiming Quiet at a fair pace the first time through - I like to know the lay of the land, as it were. But I'm currently rereading it at a snail's pace, giving myself the gift to deep-breathe those lines that fall as liquid gold from the author's pen. In many ways Sarah reminds me of myself in my younger years, not that our lives are similar - she studied in Oxford which would have been a far off dream for me. But her inner life search for truth, beauty, and Jesus resonates deeply with me.

Sarah assures us that in our search for quietness, "Our hobbit life (is) not a denial of disorder and pain or a refusal to engage those things where we could. Rather it (is) a refusal to allow those forces to define our story or that of the world." Oh yes, to that last sentence.

With the Christmas season nearly upon us, Reclaiming Quiet would make a lovely gift for anyone, including yourself, who finds themselves in that restless, distracted place. Find a quiet spot during Advent or after the holidays, sit with your favourite beverage, and anticipate a soul nourishing read.

Sarah Clarkson is undoubtedly my favourite inspirational author. I follow her on social media and also have been inspired by her other books, including Book Girl (on the reading life) and This Beautiful Truth (about her dark struggles with mental illness and depression). Sarah is an accomplished author, wife to her vicar husband, and busy mom of four young children. She and her family live in a large Victorian vicarage in Oxford, UK. Sarah can be found on Facebook, Instagram, X, Patreon, and Substack.

Inspired by the beauty of God's world around her, Brenda loves working with words and shaping 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.

Watch and Wait by Mary Folkerts

 

Is it just me, or has waiting gotten harder as the expectations of instant gratification have become the norm? 

We get annoyed when our Amazon Prime packages don’t arrive within 1-2 business days, when not long ago, we were thankful when things arrived within weeks. We love all our instant messaging, instant puddings, and instant answers, thanks to Google.

How can we practice waiting on God in this fast-paced world? I expect the only way is to slow down to a pace where we can hear his promises, trust his heart of love, and realize that his timelines are not arbitrary, even when we don’t understand them.

We are a generation 

in a “hurry epidemic.”

We rush and scurry

from the moment we reluctantly 

leave our dreams 

on our pillows.

It’s us against the hands 

of time, ticking

with the quickened

rhythm in our chest.

We’re late,

don’t be late,

it’s so late—

where did time go?

                 Running to catch up

       driving too fast,

Scrambling after time lost. 

Productivity

deadlines

target dates

                exhaustion building

      failure looming

we need a cure. 

When did we lose

the art of slow? 

Of sitting long,

breathing deep?

Of making moments

stretch, and laughter

linger?

Of watching for miracles

in expectation,

not bound by time

but fully present

to the now?

We must not be 

too busy 

to slow,

to still 

and wait

for the holy.

It is most certain

that God’s time frames

and agendas, 

appointments and 

itineraries 

are structured with a 

framework that far 

exceeds our

                imagination 

         for He is never 

slow 

His timing is perfect

(how could it not be?)

even when we think

we have waited 

too long. 

The wait must have

a Godly purpose

to refine us and

grow us. 

And so let us learn to 

                 wait—

         wait on Him 

and watch. 

And just maybe 

to be still

as He asks of us.

Because miracles 

of becoming

happen in the 

waiting. 

Mary Folkerts is mom to four kids and wife to a farmer, living on the southern prairies of Alberta, where the skies are large and the sunsets stunning. She is a Proverbs 31 ministries COMPEL Writers Training member involved in church ministries and music. Mary’s blog aims to encourage and inspire women and advocate for those with Down Syndrome, as their youngest child introduced them to this extraordinary new world. For more inspiration, check out Joy in the Small Things https://maryfolkerts.com/  or connect on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maryfolkerts/ 

 

 

Watching Through the Lens of Faith ~ Valerie Ronald

 

                                                                                     photo credit - Pixabay

I was assured having a cataract removed from my eye was a quick, painless surgery. The process was explained, but I still found it a stressful experience to have my eye numbed, then operated on while I was awake and still able to see. With my head immobilized in a headrest and my eyelid propped open, all I could see were bright, blurry lights bouncing in my vision. I saw a tiny surgical instrument coming toward my eye and felt the pressure while the eye surgeon worked, though no pain. I was thankful for the mild sedation that helped me not to panic. For the next few days the vision of the affected eye was blurry and distorted, then gradually it began to clear. The surgeon not only removed the cataract, he also inserted a lens implant that helped me see better. Soon he will do the same in my other eye. Although I will still need to wear glasses for far vision, I am looking forward to clearer near vision for reading and computer work. 

As a believer, I write through the lens of my faith in Jesus Christ. When I believed Jesus to be the Son of God and accepted Him by faith, I began to see things differently. Like the clearer vision I enjoy since cataract surgery, my spiritual eyes were opened to things that I previously didn't have the capacity to gain a full understanding of through natural means. 

Now, through the lens of faith, I see the perfection of God’s plans and purposes and my spiritual vision gains clarity. As Jesus proclaimed in the synagogue when He first began His ministry, “He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18 NIV) He wasn’t referring only to the physically blind, imprisoned or oppressed but to the greater urgency of those who need their souls set free and their spiritual sight recovered. Jesus came to do exactly that. 

When I write with the eyes of faith, God helps me see more than what appears on the surface. I see hurting hearts in need of words of comfort and hope. I see those lost on the wrong path looking for direction out of their darkness. My eyes of faith have caught sight of the glory of the Lord, so I search for words to describe how beautiful He is, words revealing a glimpse of His perfection, majesty and love so others will want to see Him too. 

The common idiom, “seeing through rose-colored glasses” means seeing only the positive view of something and not the negative. Jesus looks at people through love-colored glasses, although He knows everything about them, good and bad. He sees them through the eyes of love because each person is His unique creation, flawed and sinful, yet precious to Him. If I can view others from His perspective with eyes of love rather than judgment, seeking their well-being, loving them in spite of their flaws, then I will have a small sense of how He sees me. I don’t deserve a brief glance from Him yet He gazes on me with such love, I am brought to my knees by it.  

What it comes down to is that watching the world through the lens of faith isn’t just about watching, it’s about doing. When we see more clearly those Jesus came to die for then we feel compelled to reach out to them, care for them, love them, by the power of His Spirit within us. Writing about Him is a way of loving them. Our words have the potential to paint a picture of the One who loves them most and knows them best. When we write about our own encounters with Jesus and how He has given us a new way to see, we are offering hope to those who are spiritually blind.  

The lens of faith not only sharpens our focus on Jesus, it also helps us to see others as He does, through eyes of compassionate love.  

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! (1 Cor. 13:13 The Message)

 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.

Wishing for a Word ~ by Lorrie Orr

 

This woebegone writer wonders how to choose

a word that starts with W.

Will I go for whimsy or wisdom,

wild or winsome?

Perhaps wolfish or warthog, wurzel or wibble.

Who, what, when, where, and why are

wonderful for winning readers.

But what about winks, wisecracks, and witticisms –

A wee bit of humour goes a long way to wrangle a smile

when writing about the wilderness of life we wander through.

I don’t want to be wishy-washy, but surely there is room for

wonder and wistfulness, whiffle, and widdershins.

Which words add wit to writing as 

Worcestershire does to Welsh Rarebit?

A wordsmith can always find a workaround to any problem,

But waffling between warbling and whining

I find myself unable to choose and

since I will not wander away without posting today,

I proffer this word salad of W’s.

Lorrie Orr writes from Vancouver Island and can easily dither over which words she wants to use. 

 

 

WIPs! by Tracy Krauss

 A WIP is a “Work In Progress”. 

Some of us have one on the go while others have many. I fall into the ‘many’ category. It’s always been that way for me, ever since I first started writing almost forty years ago. I find that having more than one project keeps me from getting bogged down. I can come back to a WIP with fresh eyes after leaving it for a while, but that doesn’t mean I have to stop writing while I let one manuscript percolate. 

This has been a useful strategy whether I apply it to novels, plays, or blog posts. Letting a piece sit and then coming at it with fresh eyes allows me to see its shortcomings but also its potential. 

This seemed like an especially serendipitous use of the letter W since the month of November is also Nanowrimo—or “National Novel Writing Month”—something I participate in every year.  One signs up to write 50,00 words, which is the size of a short novel, during the month of November. I must admit I am a bit behind this year, at least at the time of this writing, but I am ever optimistic that I’ll finish on time. 

This year, I started out with a mystery idea called The Test, but I’ve actually been writing quite a lot of short memoir pieces as well, possibly inspired by Connie Inglis’s workshop at Fall Conference. They’re all anecdotal stories about the various places I’ve lived over the years. (I’ve moved a lot.) I plan to use them as future blog posts. 

Other current WIPs include a homeschooling memoir, a memoir about my years teaching Drama called “Drama In the Boondocks”, a split-time novel about a hockey player who defects from the Czech Republic when it was still called Czechoslovakia (working title “Czech Out”), and a Sci-fi/paranormal piece which is still untitled. 

Like I said, I like to have options!

What are you working on?

And now I best get back to trying to fulfill my 50,000 words before the deadline!

__________________________

Looking for gritty, thought-provoking faith-based fiction? Tracy Krauss’s novels combine romance with a twist of suspense and a touch of humour. It’s ‘fiction on the edge, without crossing the line.’ Also check out her many stage-plays at https://tracykrauss.com 

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