Two Words Chose Me by Wendy L. Macdonald

 

During the last half-decade, I’ve felt prompted to choose a word for each year. This year, two words chose me. Before I share them, there are some things I want to give thanks for first.

I’m thankful for InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship. It has blessed me with opportunities to read the writing of other Christian Canadians and share my writing via this blog. The writing challenges Glynis Belec so generously serves up to inspirational writers across our lovely country is another thing I’m grateful for. Plus, it was through Glynis I learned about HopeStreamRadio and got the opportunity to produce podcasts for them. 

The InScribe contests also provided feedback I’m grateful for. Critiques by fellow InScribers helped me better understand my writing strengths and weaknesses. Both are equally important to know. Writers need to focus on continuing to do what works while working on the areas that don’t work so well—yet.  

Tracy and Sandi are two other people in InScribe I’m especially thankful for. They’re gracious, hardworking, and godly. They have welcomed my presence here with patient instruction. They’ve also given me the permission and freedom to try new things that I believe God is leading us to do. (I’m not a huge fan of change. So, aside from the potential schedule shuffle, I don’t anticipate anything else new here in 2022.)  

And now for the unveiling of my two words for the New Year that have been placed in my heart and mind: Brave and serve. God knew it was time for me to be brave and branch out and serve. Not a ton of service. Not a ton of busyness. But a still-small-voice calling me to give back some of what I’ve dined on for almost ten years of writing online.

I need braveness to have the courage it takes to serve others. The last time I volunteered for something public, the main thing that saved my sanity was a sermon. In it, the pastor I had at the time reminded us that our way of doing something was better than someone else’s way of not doing something.  Honestly, I love staying secluded in my writing room. But easy living doesn’t grow good writing. 

Good prose needs exposure to real life in order to grow. 

So, here it goes. I’m putting on brave and stepping into servant shoes for the Christ in me that’s inviting me to reach out and enrich others. (By the way, thank you for proving once again that it’s better to give than to receive. You’ve all been so kind to me in your email correspondences since I began volunteering to help with the behind-the-scenes duties for this website.)    

I’m nosy-to-know if you have a word or two for 2022?

"...'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:35 NKJV

New Year’s Blessings ~ Wendy Mac

Wendy L. Macdonald is an inspirational blogger and podcaster who loves to photograph nature on Vancouver Island. Her byline is: “My faith is not shallow because I’ve been rescued from the deep.” Her main website is where she enjoys interacting with readers.

Dreams Unleashed by Lynn Dove

When I published my first book, Shoot the Wounded in 2009, I thought I had finally “arrived” as a published author.  Determined to make my young adult book into a series, I was thrilled to publish Heal the Wounded followed by Love the Wounded to complete the trilogy. Each book won some awards and accolades, and I was thankful for good reviews, but now as I notice the dust is starting to gather on the covers, I wonder if I should be thinking about writing another book. To be honest, I’m not overly  enthusiastic about the prospect. 

Over the last ten years, I have concentrated on writing short articles, publishing in several anthologies including the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. I enjoy writing article pieces, and my blog, Journey Thoughts, has showcased my article writing as well as grow a reading audience through social media. As I have stated before, my blog allows me a writing ministry of encouraging fellow believers in their faith walks. For now, I believe God wants me to continue with my blogging ministry and put my time and effort into it rather than write another novel. 

So how can my writing dreams become unleashed if I am currently satisfied with the status quo, you might ask?  

As a writer, I am always looking for ways to hone my craft. I look for excellence in my writing. That is one reason I enjoy participating in writing groups, and socializing online with other Christian writers. InScribers and Word Guild members are so encouraging!  

I am looking for new ways to reach a larger readership for my blog. If I have a dream for my blog, it is to have one million active followers!  I have a good online presence but it could be better. I have thought about starting a YouTube channel or start a podcast, but I will admit I am extremely intimidated by speaking in front of an audience. I’m a writer, not a speaker!  Still, this may be a way to expand my ministry. 

I am in a transitional season in my writing career, I think. There are opportunities ahead, but I am content to stay where I am until God impresses upon me to move forward.  

“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”  Proverbs 16:9 

  

Lynn Dove is the award-winning author, of the YA “Wounded Trilogy”- a contemporary Christian fiction series with coming-of-age themes.  A wife, mom, grandmother, and free-lance writer with articles published in several magazines and anthologies including Chicken Soup for the Soul books, her blog, “Journey Thoughts” is a Canadian Christian Writing Award winner.  Readers may connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and at lynndove.com   

The Themes They Are A-Changin' by Lynn Dove

It started during the night as a tightening, then a squeezing pain in my right calf.  I knew right away I had another blood clot, a DVT.  I hobbled down the stairs and broke the news to my husband that he'd better take me to the emergency room. 

He groaned, "Are you sure?"

"Quite sure," I winced while struggling to put on my shoes. 

Having a family history of DVT's, cancer, and diagnosed with another clotting disorder, the odds were in my favour to get blood clots at some time in my life, and sure enough, I have experienced deep vein thrombosis three times before this one.  As we drove in silence to the hospital, I could feel the anxiety well up in me.  Times had changed in our world.  We were still in the middle of a pandemic, and I wondered what new protocols might be in place to address my current situation and also to keep me safe from contracting the virus.  I wore a mask, as has been my new normal while I've been out and about the last several weeks, but I was given a new one the instant I walked into the emergency department.  The nurses were in full PPE (personal protective equipment), but their eyes seemed friendly enough.  Both my husband and I were told to sanitize our hands, and wait, keeping socially distant from anyone else in the waiting room.  At least the waiting part was very familiar to us.  It was a full day spent at the hospital, waiting on medical tests to confirm what I already knew, I had a DVT in my right leg.  I was sent home with my prescription for blood thinner pills and a new referral to the Thrombosis Clinic. 

All last year, I had documented my battle with endometrial cancer on my blog, Journey Thoughts.  I certainly had not intended at the start of 2019, that the theme of my writing for most of that year, would be focused on my personal journey with cancer, but life events have a way of determining what I write about.  When my kids were teenagers, I wrote about bullying, based on what they were experiencing at school.  When I was teaching, I wrote about my classroom experiences.  As a grandmother now, I write about my growing family.  My personal walk of faith with God has always been a part of my writing, interwoven throughout like a reoccurring colourful thread.  As life has its ebb and flow, or in my case giant U-turns, my writing gives account to all the highs and lows of daily living and walking with God through it all.

It is no wonder that the last several months, my writing has documented some of the challenges I've faced living through a global pandemic.  Three months ago I never used the terms, social distancing, cohort family, or global pandemic.  I never wore a mask, nor imagined a time when people would be forced to stand two metres apart, or unable to hug loved ones, or discover no toilet paper on grocery store shelves.  I thought I faced a "new normal" after my battle with cancer?  I'm still trying to figure out how to follow arrows in supermarkets to ensure we can pick up milk in a safe and orderly manner!

In the last two weeks, I have seen demonstrations held world-wide, to bring awareness to the systemic racism that pervades our society.  It has sensitized me on how I can write in such a way that shows my empathy without offending anyone.  It hasn't been easy.  I want to stay relevant in my writing, but admittedly, there are just some themes and topics I am uncomfortable in tackling.  So I pray instead, and hope my Saviour groans and intercedes on my behalf, hearing my heart when words fail me.

I've spent the past week with my leg elevated, waiting for the blood thinners to cut in.  Only today have I been able to sit at length in front of my computer to blog.  As I reflect on all the events that have occurred world wide, as well as process my own personal experiences over these past few years, I know my writing is in perpetual metamorphosis.  What I write about today, will not be what I write about a year from now,... maybe not even a week from now.  I'm okay with that.  I do pray I will be writing less and less about my ongoing medical issues, because it's a pain.  Literally.  All I can say with great certainty going forward is, "The Themes They are A-Changin'".

  
Lynn Dove is the award-winning author, of the YA “Wounded Trilogy”- a contemporary Christian fiction series with coming-of-age themes.  A wife, mom, grandmother, and free-lance writer with articles published in several magazines and anthologies including Chicken Soup for the Soul books, her blog, “Journey Thoughts” is a Canadian Christian Writing Award winner.  Readers may connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and at lynndove.com   

Cracks of Time are Perfect Places to Get Things Done by Wendy L. Macdonald

Years ago, a Bible verse helped me realize the value of showing up to work on a project regardless of how small the window of opportunity. When my life was centered around raising three children aged five and under, I felt frustrated I could rarely complete a task in one sitting. Interruptions ruled and were the rule of my parenting days.

Thankfully, I still managed to spend some time reading God’s Word. Although I wasn’t as studious about it as I am now, I regularly grabbed some Scripture, jotted in on a sticky note, and placed it in a strategic spot.

One such verse reminded me—prompted me—to take advantage of cracks of time.

I needed the motivation regarding one of my favorite hobbies. We lived on six acres in the country and our flower and vegetable garden sat in a prominent spot on our property. To neglect it meant our view from the front porch would be depressing evidence I failed to mine many minutes available to me.
   
One morning I came across the perfect verse to hang in our bathroom as a reminder I needed to pay attention to opportunities to work in my garden:

Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. Ecclesiastes 11:4 NIV

Before having children, I often puttered in my garden for hours and hours at a time. It was glorious to spend uninterrupted expanses of a day doing something I loved to do. Although I loved being a parent (most of the time), I missed the freedom to do what I wanted to do when I felt like doing it.

Parenthood taught me to grow up.

It also taught me to be creative about making more opportunities to garden. One thing my husband did to facilitate this was to place a sandbox in a shady spot inside our fenced vegetable patch to keep our children busy while I worked. Plus, he helped me create raised beds for each of our children to grow their own mini-gardens.

Real life is about showing up and getting the job done whether one feels like it or not. This is especially true in the writer’s life. Real writers sit down and write even though a million distractions and excuses beg you to do something different. Of course, there may be dry seasons during grief, illness, or trauma; but for the most part, writers write. I cope with grief and trauma better when I write my way through it in my journal. During illness, well—ugh—not so much.
 
Cracks of time added up over time provide the writer with the opportunity to complete articles, blog posts, and manuscripts. In fact, I began writing this blog post while resisting the urge to spend this crack of time researching one of my pet topics. And I ignored my tummy’s insistence I head to the kitchen for an early breakfast (I’m up early to avoid interruptions.).

Cracks of time are the perfect places to compose words because all those cracks become a Grand Canyon when combined. Ann Lamott called this the Bird by Bird approach. I called it: Car by Car in another blog post about writing.

Cracks of time are perfect places to get things done because if we wait for something bigger, our dreams will fall into the cracks of missed opportunities.

If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. Ecclesiastes 11:4 TLB

And speaking of perfect, it’s now the perfect time to go round up some breakfast.

Blessings as you write in the cracks of time God has given you ~ Wendy Mac
   

A Season of Uncertainty by Lynn Dove

One of my favourite Scripture passages comes from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:

A Time for Everything

3 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

²     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

When I was a young Mom, I lamented over the fact that I had no time to accomplish all the things I wanted to do during the day.  I was so busy chasing after two toddlers, caring for their needs as well as figuring out how to accommodate the schedule of my tweenager, there just didn't seem to be enough hours in the day to fit in other household chores, Bible studies, or eking out time for daily devotions.  I had no time for myself, let alone trying to have a date night with my husband.  Getting ready for Sunday morning worship services was a task all on its own, and I found myself so spiritually unprepared for the service because I knew I had probably broken a few commandments on route to church just wrestling kids into car seats! 

A Godly, older woman I admired for her strength of character and wise counsel, spoke into my life on numerous occasions.  This time she smiled at me sympathetically as I sought out her wisdom with regards to my time constraints and my guilt for not being a "perfect" wife and mother. 

"Lynn," she said calmly, "there is time for everything, and everything in its time.  This is an important season of life for you.  ALL seasons of life are important, and your walk with God will be different in each one, but your main priority in this one is looking after those three children.  God gave them to you.  They are His gifts to you.  They are your responsibility to train up in the way they should go so they will never depart from it.  You may not be able to spend time on doing everything on your "to do" list, but embrace this season of life.  It is fleeting. Your children are only babies for a short amount of time.  Enjoy this precious time with them.  There will come other seasons in your life, when they will be grown up and you will have time for all the things you may think you're missing out on now, but you'll never have that time back with your young children. So, take advantage of this season of life now before it's over and then prepare for the ones ahead."

My first cancer diagnosis in 2001, changed me in ways I never expected.  All of a sudden things that had been priorities before, now were not important.  I was fighting for my life, and all activities were put on hold as I battled.  My entire family joined me on the journey.  I am only now beginning to realize how that season of my life, affected each of my loved ones in a variety of emotional and spiritual ways.  We all grew in the Lord, especially my sixteen year old daughter.  She had to lean entirely on Him for wisdom and guidance as she took on the role of caregiver to her two much younger siblings when I was too sick to look after them myself.  She was determined to not burden me with the load she carried every day, trying to excel at school, and be available at home.  I didn't realize at the time what a toll it was on her, but I couldn't have managed without her. 

I was so immersed in the battle, I forgot time even existed.  My husband's role fluctuated daily with caring for me, his children and working full time too.  It was an exhausting season for him.  Then when I was declared cancer-free, I started to embrace life again.  As a family, we took a big breath of relief and started making plans again.  I lived one day at a time, thankful for each day.  I wrote my first book during that season, followed by two more in the years that followed my battle with breast cancer.  I went to seminary and got my Master's degree.  I helped plan my daughter's wedding.  I began blogging.  As I told everyone, who seemed to admire my new-found lease on life, I was a "thriver" not just a "survivor".  I embraced that season wholeheartedly.

When my two youngest children hit their teen and young adult years, they had outside interests that didn't include me.  I was so immersed pursuing my hobbies, my writing, and participating in Bible Studies, that I forgot my priorities.  Sometimes I over-extended myself, having the inability to say, "No" to some activities.  It came at the expense of spending good, quality time with my two adolescent children still living at home.  Even though I was involved in worthwhile activities, I was not as engaged with my younger kids at a time when they needed me most.  It was a hard lesson to learn and a hard season followed. 

It was only after they had both moved away from home that I remembered too late, the advice from my friend that time is indeed fleeting, and I should have embraced all those precious years more readily with each of my children.  It seemed I had squandered a lot of time "chasing after the wind" to find a lot of what I had accomplished meaningless.  I was unprepared for being an empty-nester and so I poured my heart out to God, asking Him for direction through this new stage of life, and try to redeem some time again with my adult children.  God was faithful.

I started to write again, particularly on my blog, Journey Thoughts.  As the readership and followers grew, I realized God was growing it from just a collection of my musings, to a full-fledged writing ministry. I was once again fully immersed in a new season of writing, reconnecting with my children, husband, and my church.  Grandchildren were born, and I found myself telling my adult children the same advice that was given to me when they were little: embrace this season with your young ones because it is fleeting.  Thankfully, they seem to be heeding that advice.

In April of this year, when I was starting to settle into a routine with blog writing, and was eagerly embracing the thought of spending my retirement years traveling with my husband, another cancer diagnosis, this time endometrial cancer, floored me.  Every plan I had made was immediately put on hold.  I once again had to re-evaluate what my priorities would be moving through a new season of uncertainty.  In the scheme of things, time cannot move fast enough to get me through this season, and yet, God is teaching me so much about Himself through this most challenging time, I hesitate to rush through it too fast for fear of missing out on all He wants me to learn. 

My life verse: "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9, has brought me comfort through every one of my seasons.  God has faithfully brought me through every season of life and I know He will get me through the ones to follow. 

Lynn Dove is the award-winning author, of the YA “Wounded Trilogy”- a contemporary Christian fiction series with coming-of-age themes.  A wife, mom, grandmother, and free-lance writer with articles published in several magazines and anthologies including Chicken Soup for the Soul books, her blog, “Journey Thoughts” is a Canadian Christian Writing Award winner.  Readers may connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and at lynndove.com   

#Writerslife by Wendy L. Macdonald

It’s no laughing matter when a writer’s life takes a direct hit—or is it?

Right when I was making traction with my platform, podcasts, and manuscripts—right when I was getting ahead editing my manuscripts—the joyful sounds of my grandson’s giggles and gurgles stole my heart and time.

Sometimes love demands action. Because greeting cards can’t and don’t say it best. Putting down your pen and rolling up your granny sleeves when you’re prompted by necessity is how true love lives out its mandate.

I’m not a humour writer. But please don’t misinterpret that. I love to laugh. In fact, I have a gold necklace that says: Live, love, laugh. And it turns out that spending extra time with my grandson has absolutely given me much more to live, love, and laugh about. Some days my face hurts from all the smiling and laughing I do with “Little Guy.”

He’s a tickle-bunny of an Anne Geddes baby for sure.

For not only has he become the inspiration for so much of my recent writing, his image appears throughout my photography files too. I’m smitten even if I haven’t written half as much as I used to. Because love doesn’t say “no” when “yes” is the biggest blessing for all involved. Sometimes God trims our army so we can witness His marvellous interventions and multiplication miracles.

An inspirational writer won’t be fruitful if she ignores the call of God to leave the crowd to serve the one. And just to prove God has a sense of humour, He has indeed been multiplying my portion despite the extra downtime my pen has taken.

Trials trim the fat out of life when we lean into Christ.

I believe God’s using my busyness to trim out the unnecessary areas of my writing life. I’ve suspected for a while He may have plans I hadn’t planned on. So while I lean into Him and lift up my hands, I trust Him to trim what needs to be removed to make room for His plans. 

God is love. 

Whoever lives in love lives in God,

 and God in them.

  1 John 4:16 NIV

And as far as my gold necklace goes, I would love to have it changed to: Lean, learn, love. If we’re doing these three things, there will be plenty of true living and true laughing to go along with all the leaning, learning, and loving. I know because I’ve never felt so alive, never felt so loved, and never felt like laughing as much as I do since “Little Guy” was born.

Lean, learn, love; it’s good for your soul. 

I’m nosey-to-know if you’ve ever been called away from the crowd. 

(Wendy L. Macdonald is an inspirational blogger and podcaster who loves to photograph nature on Vancouver Island. Her byline is: “My faith is not shallow because I’ve been rescued from the deep.” Her main website is wendylmacdonald.com where she enjoys interacting with readers.)