R Is for a Group Writers’ Retreat ~ by Sandi Somers

Photo: B: Tracy Francis, Kim Clarke, Ellen Hooge
M: Sandi Somers, Lorraine Boerchers
F: Jeanelle Derry, Photographer

“Are you involved in a local InScribe Writing Group? If you are…,what benefits have you found? What things have you tried as a group eg.,retreats, outings?

 “Our West Calgary writers’ group met for a day retreat in May. After a time of sharing and prayer, we dispersed for individual time to write, grab coffee, and write some more. By keeping things simple (bag lunch, then supper out) we had a productive and fun day!”

The above notice was written by Kim Clarke, InScribe's Alberta Regional Rep, and a member of our group, in her May newsletter. 

Our writers’ one-day retreat was wonderful! As we planned, I advised everyone to start the morning with a work in progress as it’s easier than to begin with something new. 

Tracy, who works in a Christian School, offered the school's facilities. We met at 9 a.m. to discover that she had co-ordinated different classrooms--one room with a round table for group discussions and lunch, and two others where we had space to write in privacy. She had even organized our writing environment—placed our desks in proximity to the lighting we preferred--near windows (me included), or in a room with dimer lighting. She also asked the caretaker to bring easy chairs for each of us to meditate, plan, and think. 

My introductory devotional focused on, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10), a theme relevant to several others. I said that the day was a time to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to Him, to write what God knows the world needs, and to forget responsibilities at home. After we shared what we planned to write or revise, we prayed for God’s special presence and empowerment, and that we would be open to His leading. 

It was wonderful, sitting at my desk, sometimes gazing out the window at the new buds on trees and perennial flowers reaching up to the sun in the school garden. 

When going for a cup of coffee, I walked through the silence, glancing at the others absorbed in their projects. At lunch, we gathered and some asked questions about their work or gave suggestions for expanding their writing careers.   

We continued to write until 3:30, when we summarized our day. Some were surprised at how much progress they had made—ideas bubbled more than expected.  Yet others (like me) felt they couldn’t accomplish everything they had planned. One writer rued that her planned project for the day would take a whole week to finish! 

I was amazed at how our experiences had inspired everyone. They commented on how they loved the community, how they encouraged each other in their own questions and processes, and how they knew they had grown in their skills. The day had brought us closer together as a community of writers. 

The day inspired us to continue retreating. We’ve planned three in the next season: the first in October on our regular meeting day, the second in the winter season, and the third in the spring of 2025. 

Great things await us!

 ~ ~ ~ 

As Kim asked at the beginning of this blog:

 “What things have you tried as a group eg., retreats, outings?... what benefits have you found?”

 I’d love to hear your stories in the comments. 

Relief From Weariness - Carol Harrison

Weariness follows me like a lost puppy dog more often than I like to admit, causing discouragement to grab hold and scare away the words and the confidence of hearing God's voice correctly. Life overwhelms me when busyness pulls in too many directions at once or tough times try to obliterate joy, peace, and light. Sometimes the worn out feeling makes me long to pull the covers over my head so I do not have to face whatever the day might bring. At times like this I long to be refreshed over and over again, more than at other times in my life.

Looking at this month's prompt forced me to take a long, hard deep inside myself to find out what helps me be refreshed. It should be easy, shouldn't it, to know what refreshes me and helps me keep going? Yet, in the midst of being worn out and pulled in many directions, I forget to pause and take seriously God's command, which I have written on a card on my desk, "Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10a.

The self-examination yielded a few key elements for refreshment and renewal.

Music, the old hymns especially, refresh me and always have from the time of my childhood until now. When I remember to be still, to pause, to have a time of refreshing, I allow the melody of songs to wash over me and the words to move me towards a focus on God. The combination of words and music speaks deep into my heart.

With my hearing aids blue-toothed to my phone, I can listen to music with no distractions. The last time I had to stay in the hospital and self-pity came to call, I took my phone, found a two-hour worship video on YouTube, popped in my hearing aids and listened without disturbing anyone else. I lay on my hospital bed with eyes closed, quietly worshiping God until self-pity slunk from the room.

Water also relaxes me and brings a time of refreshment into my life. I love being at a lake with the waves gently lapping against the shore and pine trees in the background. A bonus includes the call of the loon and the display of God's artistry in  spectacular sunrises or sunsets. Since I rarely have the opportunity to visit a lake and in winter ice covers the soothing water, I have several photos by my desk of these peaceful scenes to remind me of the beauty of God's creation.

Even waterfalls, especially trickling down the side of a mountain,  white water rapids, or rivers give me a sense of refreshing with the sound of the rushing water. These times near water remind me that Jesus is the Living Water - powerful, cleansing, and restorative.

 

Reading has been another means for refreshing my spirit. Sometimes when I have trouble concentrating and words don't flow onto the page, or life's tough moments threaten to overwhelm, I retreat into a book. I pick a fiction book, some light reading, and lose myself from the daily grind. I escape my own reality and live vicariously through someone else's adventures. The end result leaves me feeling like I have experienced a mini vacation.

As wonderfully refreshing as music, water, and reading are to me, I need time to be still in God's presence and look into His Word to totally soothe, refresh, and restore the broken bits of life that prohibit creative juices and strain relationships. I look at promises such as Isaiah 43:1-3a "But now this is what the Lord says- he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour;"

God knows all about me, including my name. He sees my weariness. He hears my cries. He knows my desire to listen to His still, small voice and follow where He leads. He refreshes my soul and restores peace in the middle of this crazy, busy life.









Carol Harrison lives, writes, and tells stories from her home in Saskatoon where she lives with her husband, Brian. She has two published books and a number of published short stories, poems and articles. She loves to encourage others so they can find glimmers of hope and glimpses of joy.