SHAKEN by Pamela Mytroen

SHAKEN

 

In keeping with January's theme, I dedicate this piece to a member whose words in writing and in person embodied InScribe’s mission. She, like InScribe, continues to inspire me. 

 

For Bobbi:

 

Bobbi knew her place in a salt-shaker. While she may have been more comfortable hiding quietly, she surrendered her heart to Jesus, and allowed Him to shake her. 

     In her upside-down, unsettling       moments, she poured herself out in a generous pinch of thirst-creating, truth-preserving, hope-enhancing salt to her world. 

 

     Throughout membership and contest coordinating for InScribe, I leaned on Bobbi to answer scads of questions. Emails flew back and forth, mine often heavy with desperation, hers always brief with just a question or a little comment that clarified things. Between the cracks and crevices of numbers, graphs, and spreadsheets, Bobbi sprinkled the salt of encouragement. One of her last comments to me was , “One day at a time, Sweet Jesus.” She practiced that daily dependency on Jesus for everything from balancing the InScribe books to pacing herself through another hard-to-breathe day. With that little phrase, I knew her faith was still real, practical, and a light to me in the midst of deadlines. 

   

Salt is a tricky thing to get right. Too much and it’s revolting. Not enough and it disappoints, leaving flavours hidden. 

Thirst for Living Water

But Bobbi had a knack for seasoning her words with just the right amount. It made me long for more of her wisdom, her wit, and her grace. Just like salt creates thirst, so our words should be seasoned with faith, hope, and love, moving our readers to yearn for Living Water.

Bobbi’s words challenged the reader. She told stories simply and with an almost uncomfortable honesty. Salt can sting in an open wound, but also heals. If you’ve heard her podcasts based on “The Reluctant Care Giver”, or read her book by the same title, you would recall her unpredictable and somewhat chaotic journey with her mother as she tried to place her into assisted care. The way Bobbi tells it left me laughing and crying at the same time. She listened to God’s voice, at times turning her car around and for reasons unknown to her, driving to her mom's place. As a result of letting God lead the way in the puzzling maze of dementia, she was able to partner with her mom, and her nontraditional "method" resonated with many caregivers, professionals included. Her simple faith still challenges me to be radically obedient, like her.  

 

Salt also kills bacteria by sucking the life-water out of its environment. Before refrigeration, salt in abundance, not just a sprinkle, was required to preserve meats. Jesus called us the salt of the earth, (Matthew 5:13) possibly because it is our duty to preserve goodness in the dirt around us. While our eyes burn from the stench of hatred, greed, and injustice, we are called to prevent moral decay by packing a lavish portion of His life-giving, healing words around the muscles and tendons of those with tender faith. Perhaps He expects us to share such savoury words that they "suck the life out of" society's slimy salmonella-infused lies, and cure carnal rawness with pure Spirit. Bobbi wrote essays for our Fall contest. Her words challenged deceptive norms, and confronted ideas that threaten the value and dignity of human life. She wrapped salty truth around every paragraph of every piece, and injected a briny veracity into her books and presentations. She helped preserve the standards for which InScribe stands.  

 

The humble salt-shaker - in a myriad of shapes and colours - brings us all together at the table as we lean in and seek salt, or some variation of it. We as blood-bought believers are that salt. We are all diverse, viewing life through our own upbringing and culture, and even interpreting current laws differently, but Jesus' forgiveness and His call on our lives pulls us together into the cozy confine of the shaker. Bobbi, with her grace-seasoned spirit, often stepped out of coziness to share tidbits of truth. 

 

Our InScribe family, and no doubt Bobbi’s more intimate circle of her own family, are missing her these days. We are tasting the salt in our tears. May that be a reminder to learn from her, and to be willing to be shaken. Shaken right out of our comfortable shaker. 

May we, like Bobbi, sprinkle a little truth into everything we write, to create thirst for the eternal Spring. 

Like her, let us flavour our stories with a daring dash of hope. And let us pack a briny brightness into every sentence of every story to nudge our readers as they take one more step  - "one more day at a time, Sweet Jesus" - across the gulf of darkness and into the Light.  

 “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone” (Colossians 4:6 NIV). 

 

 

    

 

 

  

 

 

Opportunity: What Inscribe Writers Mean to Me by Bob Jones

Opportunity. That’s the word that comes to mind when I think of how Inscribe Writers are a source of inspiration. I recall all the opportunities given to me by Inscribe.

The opportunity to discover my tribe. Sheila Webster was the first Inscriber I met and it was a Godwink moment. Monday October 26, 2015. That meeting changed my life. I took the picture because I understood the importance of this new beginning. The location was a Starbucks in North Edmonton on 127^th Street and 136^th Ave. It was a meeting that almost didn't happen.

 

Ruth Thorogood, the Executive Director of the Word Guild, Sarah Ball, the Alberta Representative of the Word Guild and Sheila with Inscribe Writers came together over tea, hot chocolate and some lattes. I was new to writing and suddenly I felt like I found my tribe. 

 

Sheila worked with me to start an Inscribe writers group, along with Charity Mongrain who serves on the Inscribe Executive. Sarah, and Ruth became friends and colleagues. I wrote an endorsement for Sarah’s book, Fearless in 21 Days, and Ruth wrote an endorsement for my book, You’re Going To Be OK.

 Sheila would introduce me to Tracy Krauss and as they say, the rest is history. 

 The opportunity to write. There’s nothing like other writers acknowledging your writing to feel like you have something valuable to offer. In December 2017, Tracy’s invite to join this blog gave me the opportunity to read the writing of others as well as make my own contributions. And I learned that there were other male writers in this tribe, like Alan Anderson and Bruce Atchison. It's fulfilling reading and responding to each comment and posting my own comments on the other submissions.

 

In November 2015 I became a member of Inscribe and started receiving the quarterly versions of Fellowscript. The publication further enlarged my world, introducing me to writers like Pamela Mytroen – “every story needs a little salt”. Fellowscript offers very helpful skills to improve writing. When I was asked to write for Fellowscript I felt like I became fully fledged. Validated.

 

On December 26, 2016 I connected with Sally Meadows and Ruth Snyder in regards to the Inscribe Christmas Anthology and a new opportunity for collaboration. Early in 2021 the Easter Anthology will be available.

 

The opportunity to share and learn skills. Being invited to present a seminar on blogging at the Inscribe Conference in 2018 in Wetaskawin, introduced me to the rest of the Inscribe family. It was there I met Pat Gerbrandt, Joylene Bailey, and Bobbi Junior.

 On October 2, 2017 Bobbi was the special guest at our writer’s monthly meeting. She shared her journey into writing, her publishing experience and writing practices. Everybody fell in love with her generosity, spirit and joy of being a Christian who is a writer. Following up, she resourced us with invites to enter writing contests.

  

In February 2020 Bobbi, Ruth and I were working to bring Jeff Goins to Edmonton for a writers’ workshop. Jeff is an inspiration and icon of writing to me. I was amped up at the opportunity to meet him and learn more from him. COVID ended that plan but not before I had an hour long personal phone call with Jeff in preparation for the workshop.

Losing the sight in my right eye this year paled in significance to losing Bobbi Junior on November 30th. When I read her writing, I can hear her voice. Perhaps that's what makes writers immortal. Their words - and voice - live on after they are gone.

Thank you Inscribe Writers. You inspire me.

Bob Jones is a recovering perfectionist who collects Coca-Cola memorabilia and drinks iced tea. My walls are adorned with our sons’ framed football jerseys, and my bookshelves, with soul food. 

I write to grow hope, inspire people to be real, forge an authentic faith in Jesus, and discover their life purpose.

Please follow my writing at REVwords.com

 

Christmas Singing with Our Teachers by Alan Anderson

 

 

“I thank my God every time I remember you.” –Philippians 1:3.

 

I dedicate this message to the memory of our beloved friend, Bobbi Junior. She often encouraged me to write about those I call, “my teachers.”

 

Life in a long-term care facility can be lonely, where a resident is mindful of losses and memories of family and friends. The loneliness is difficult for most residents to deal with. In my role as chaplain, I had the honour of coming alongside many elderly, ill old people. I regarded each of them as my teachers.

 

I will never forget one Christmas Eve day. Here is the memory. A practice of the leadership team at Christmas comprised visiting the various neighbourhoods in the facility. With each visit the team sang Christmas carols and songs for the residents. Our residents lived with many serious health challenges. We loved them as people and respected them for their life experiences.

Memories of walks to the neighbourhoods stay with me even now. When the team entered the neighbourhood, the residents would wait for us to begin. Their faces of smiles like bright lights drew the team to them. We sang to our elders as people entrusted to us by families who knew we cared for their loved ones.

 

The songs we sang were Christmas classics like Silent Night, Away in a Manger, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, and catchy songs like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Residents and staff along with a few family visitors smiled, laughed, tapped their toes, and clapped their hands.

 

Occasionally residents held still by the progression of Alzheimer’s disease swayed to the rhythm of the songs. Traces of smiles brought their lips to life for a moment. One lady who had been a choir leader years ago moved her hands as if she took on the role of the team’s conductor.

 

When our Christmas song time would end, the team would return to their various responsibilities. We also had time to reflect on the honour of our call to serve our beloved elders. Neighbourhood staff had by then turned on Christmas music now heard throughout the care home. We all hoped this act of Christmas cheer helped our residents enjoy memories of the season.

 

As I would come alongside residents, especially those who were dying, they often reminded me of their precious memories. Most of their memories were of times with family and loved friends. The elders, my teachers, confirmed life is a gift we are to live and love. There were a few each year who knew this Christmas would be their last. This made singing for them more than Christmas cheer. This would be a time of farewell and memories of precious people.

 

I conclude this post with a personal note.

Bobbi is a precious person to me. I only met her once in person. What a wonderful memory I have of meeting her at our 2019 InScribe conference. My wife, Terry, and I met Tracy first as we entered the room at the conference. I turned around and there was Bobbi. She had a big grin on her face, and she said, “We finally get to meet each other.” We then shared a hug. I still remember her hug and I will always remember Bobbi.

 

Merry Christmas, Bobbi!

 

Alan lives in Deroche, B.C. with his wife, Terry. He contributed stories to Good Grief People by Angel Hope Publishing, 2017 and Story by Story: The Power of a Writer, Unstoppable Writers Publishing, 2018. Alan has also written articles for FellowScript Magazine. Blog: https://scarredjoy.ca. Alan is the Provincial Rep. Liaison and BC rep for InScribe.

Harnessing My Wandering Mind - Guest Post by Bobbi Junior

Aarrgghhh!    

I can read a whole chapter in the Bible, word for word, and spend the entire time thinking about some totally random, unrelated situation.  How does the brain do that? You’d think reading would take concentration, but my brain seems to split, words skimming the surface of my grey matter while my thoughts muck around, filling those places I want scripture to occupy.

It doesn’t happen when I’m writing, though. When I’m typing a sentence, following a thought on its trail to who knows where, my mind is fully engaged.

I have another weak spot in my prayer life, and that’s finding words of praise. I stumble and mumble, using archaic terms that feel phony coming out of my mouth. Quite frankly, it’s embarrassing, considering I call myself a writer. 

But then it occurred to me; I am a writer. Not a speaker. Hmmm…

Online I found a list of the attributes of God. What better focus for prayers of praise?

I copied the list to a word doc and put my plan into practice. It may not be focused praise, but it’s definitely drawing me deeper into my exploration of the character of God.

What does it look like? Here’s today’s effort.

The description I found online:

Omnipresent: This theological term means “always present.” Since God is infinite, His being knows no boundaries. So, clearly He is everywhere. This truth is taught throughout the Bible as the phrase “I am with you always” is repeated 22 times in both the Old and New Testaments. These were even Jesus’ words of assurance just after giving the challenge to His disciples to take His message to the entire world. This is certainly a comforting truth for all who follow Jesus.

My rambling, semi-edited exploration:

If I say to you, “Cleanse my heart, oh Lord,” you will take that prayer, and in your position as omnipresent ruler of all creation, you will address my small, infinitesimal self; me - just one of the billions of souls who have lived, are living and will live. You will invest yourself into my situation. That you would care that much, that you would take the time…  But no. You are not bound by time. You are infinite. After a boring meeting my friend often says, “That’s an hour of my life I’ll never get back.” But you, Lord, are not losing anything when you listen to my prayer, hear my petition, and intervene in my situation to teach me, grow me, refine me. It’s not a loss for you. We humans have to prioritize our choices according to time, energy, resources, and demands of others. But you, Lord, have no need to prioritize my prayer according to the prayers of others. You are omnipresent.  Always available for each of us, any time we call on you. Because you are infinite, because you are sovereign, you watch us and watch over us, fully present. No wonder Paul said we should pray all the time!

Yup. Journalling my thoughts about God takes me to unexpected understanding, something I can’t do when my fingers aren’t engaged. Works for me! What about you?

bobbijunior.com

But I Can't Forgive... by Bobbi Junior

Bobbi Junior shares this powerful guest post today:

“I know I have to forgive,” I said to my friend with a heavy heart, “but I can’t. I say the words, but my heart isn’t anywhere near engaged.”

“You don’t have to forgive them, “ she told me.  “Ask Jesus to forgive them instead.”

I was taken aback. “Isn’t that a cop out?”

“Not a all. On the cross, Jesus was in agony from his tormentors, and he said, ‘Father, forgive them.’ Why can’t we do the same?” 

Well, okay! If Jesus could shift the burden of forgiveness from himself to God, then so would I.

So that became my prayer. When the anguish and anger of remembering what had been done to me rose up like bile in my gut, I passed the responsibility to Jesus’ shoulders.

“Lord, I can’t forgive them, but if you think they deserve it, maybe you can.”

As months, then years went by, the fire’s fuel seemed to dissipate. Gradually my prayer changed to a simple request. “Jesus, please forgive them.”

Until eventually it came to this. “Lord, you love them as much as you love me. Just as you forgave me, forgive them too.”

One day I realized the familiar resentment that had always smoldered just beneath the surface of my conscience was gone. That place was empty. Clean. No fuel was left for the fire to burn.

That’s when my writing began to flourish, take on a new freedom of depth and insight.

But why?

This time a farmer from our church gave me the second truth in solving the mystery of personal forgiveness.

“If someone has hurt us badly,” he said, “we can’t see the good in them until we’ve fully forgiven.”

A light flashed on. In that moment I realized that now, as I wrote about the hurts and offenses in my life, I saw my tormenters as whole people, not the one-dimensional characters they had always seemed to be. With the Lord’s help, I began to identify what was good in those who had hurt me. I recognized the good intentions some had had, intentions that sadly had gone terribly wrong. We all, like sheep, have gone astray. Isaiah 53:6

For years my writing was tethered to unforgiveness. Today, as those bonds are broken, my writing is able to stretch further than I thought possible.

What about you? Is there someone in your life you can’t forgive? If Jesus could defer the responsibility, you can too. “Father, forgive …. “

Bobbi Junior’s passion is to use story to show how God brings value for our suffering. Through memoir, Bobbi explores caregiving, grief, disability, and other life experiences, told with an honest sharing of mistakes made and victories won. Visit Bobbi’s blog to download samples of her award winning publications. www.bobbijunior.com

God's Show-Don't-Tell -- by Bobbi Junior

The Bible is God’s inspired word. Why are we not surprised that God has incredible skills as a writer?

Recently, our Writers Cafe group shared where we were at in our writing goals. As usual, our writing couldn't be separated from stories of our private lives. As I listened, I was struck by how easily we could communicate, using the stories from scripture. When speaking of a family member's situation, one explained, “God showed us she was like Moses.” We all knew exactly what she meant in the context of the situation.

The Old Testament and the Gospels overflow with examples of show-don’t-tell. Honest, no-holds-barred stories of human failings, fear and folly speak to us in ways no lecture ever could. 

Why would God inspire his prophets to write about the worst of mankind? Because God isn't looking to be popular. He's looking to show us that no matter what we've done, or what's happened in our lives, we needn’t be afraid we've lost his protection. 

When we find ourselves like David, betrayed, or as a betrayer, we know God is there. 

When we suffer the repercussions of making a worldly choice, as Abraham did with Hagar, we know God is there. 

When we find ourselves threatened, in a precarious position as Esther was, we know God is there.

When we run from his call, as Gideon and Jonah did, we know God is there. 

Even lost in the depths of depression, unable to face life any longer, as Elijah was, we know God is there.

God's word tells of the worst of the human condition, yet no one was abandoned. From his heavenly heights God reached down to each of these miserable souls. In a way that was personal to their situation, he drew their eyes back to him, away from this world and back to his, to discover his glory.

And then he had someone write about it. 

Today is no different. The light of God's hope can penetrate the darkest circumstance, the darkest soul. And we, my writer friends, are the ones he's called to tell the story.

Dear Lord, just as did the people of old, your Word Warriors have lived, and are living stories that need to be told. As we ride the unpredictable waves of writing, may we seek you as reluctant Gideons, determined Ruths, confident Davids, broken Rahabs, and impetuous Peters, so you can manifest your glory in all we write. May your hope shine through us to a dark and hurting world. Amen.

It's been a joy to share my 14th of the month InScribe Blog spot with you this past year. I now open this spot for someone else who God is calling to do a regular or occasional guest post. Is that you? If so, contact Tracy Krauss.

Blessings on your Christmas season. May the Lord's glory shine on you and through you.

5 Reasons Why We Have to Write ~ by Bobbi Junior

Throughout scripture God tells, instructs, and commands his people to document all the things he has done so others might see and know.

When God works in the lives of writers, we’re compelled to obey this command by documenting in the genre he's gifted us for, be it stories, poems, essays, devotionals, letters, art, music, encouragements - all with the purpose of testifying to what God has done.

At the InScribe Fall Conference I listened to stories of desperately dark times our writers have survived, or were in the midst of. I saw them seeking God day by day, minute by minute. Of course, all God’s children go through dark times, but unique to writers is their compulsion to step outside the events, to look through Jesus to what is happening, and formulate in their writer hearts words and pictures to describe it through a Holy Spirit filter.

This compulsion is what God has called us to. His word tells us why.

Because God himself is a writer.

Exodus 31:18 When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.

Because God knows that which is engraved will seal our experience in Him.

Exodus 28:21There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.

Because God knows we need tangible evidence of what he has done in our lives.

Exodus 16:34 As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law, so that it might be preserved.

Because God’s great works are to be memorialized so future generations will know of and remember who God is.

Joshua 4:9 Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood.

Because God wrote on stone, so nothing would be lost, and we are His living stones.

1 Peter 2:5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

We must write when God lays His words on our hearts, trusting Him with the outcome.

Pray for the Word Warriors, privileged to be called to witness for God Almighty, the Great I Am.

photo credit: walk through the desert via photopin (license)
photo credit: Names of God Artwork Blue via photopin (license)

Victim or Victor by Gloria Guest

Thanksgiving has passed for another year but the older I get the more I realize that thankfulness needs to be a year round, daily part of my life.

The trick is….how do I remain thankful even when I don’t feel thankful?
It seems as in all things, thankfulness has everything to do with perspective and nothing to do with mere feelings.
A couple of years ago, just a few weeks before Thanksgiving, my husband was travelling  behind a semi hauling live turkeys, when he noticed that a number of turkeys had found an escape hatch and were dropping onto the highway! Some were immediately killed, others managed to roll first and then run headlong into the ditch. Apparently they had decided not to become someone’s Thanksgiving feast! I am sure most ended up as some coyote’s dinner instead but I like to think that maybe one lucky, brave turkey survived to live another day.
My point is this; when hit with hard times am I going to view myself as the victim who stays put and ends up going nowhere good or am I going to take some risks, drop and roll when hit with life’s punches and run all out for a newfound freedom?  It’s really all in my perspective of the situation; victim or victor.
The past couple of years have not been easy ones for me in my writing life. Due to a situation that escalated into workplace bullying I left my position as a newspaper reporter even though it was a job that I loved and was good at. In the ensuing months and even years, I found myself sinking into the quagmire of depression.
Soon I felt like those victimized turkeys on their way to the slaughter house; I had just accepted my lot in life. Until slowly I came to realize that this was no way to live…stuck and going nowhere fun.
Through the guidance of a good counsellor, I made a decision to stop seeing myself as just a victim of my circumstances and have started to peek my head out of the hole and see what’s out there. 
Since I made that decision I have been amazed at the strength God has given me to take a couple of risks in just in the last month.
-I attended the Inscribe Writer’s Fall Conference. While there I received some much needed rejuvenation from every session I took. I especially felt encouraged in the one on one blue pencil session I risked taking (rather than hiding up in my room which I seriously considered). I shared a portion of a memoir I've been working on which can always be a vulnerable thing, since it is so personal but Bobbi Junior, who is a published memoir author 'didn't bite' and was in fact a great encouragement and support. It definitely felt like one of those 'God moments' in my life that I met with her.
-I have started taking a Creative Writing course through the University of Toronto. So far it has proven to be a wonderfully supportive group that is already helping me to think of ways I can branch out further in my writing. I am encouraged to see how God uses many avenues to help me along the path to become a better writer, both Christian and secular.


Victorious - with my husband
at the top at Algonquin
Park in Ontario.

I have also been blessed in other ways. A friend invited me to join an exercise class with her. My husband and I were able to fly down to Ontario to visit our son who is in the military, who we rarely see, and his new wife for Thanksgiving weekend. This week my sister, who I also rarely see, is coming for a visit. All of these experiences and more are showing me that God has not forgotten me and that no matter what has happened to me in the past He wants me to fully participate in the life that He has given me.
But first it took a risk; victim or victor?
Thankfully, due to God’s Grace and the support from those He brings my way I can say that this turkey (aka writer) is choosing to be a Victor.
For that I am thankful.