Finding Beauty in the Everyday - Caran Janzen

Discovering my writing theme in the middle of everyday life

  

 My life’s themes have centred around emotional highs and lows—love, depression, excitement, anxiety. Love for my husband and my four children has been on ongoing theme for sixteen years. Depression stemming from chronic illness has been a theme for most of my adult life.

The excitement of discovery, new experiences and growth has also been an ongoing theme, as has the theme of mental illness, in the form of a Generalized Anxiety Disorder diagnosis. Although these themes don’t control or define me, they inform much of my thinking and writing.

I first thought seriously about my personal writing theme while at InScribe’s Fall Conference in 2019. Writers I met there rattled off their concise writing themes in sessions and conversations as if they had spoken them hundreds of times before. I was intrigued. I knew that a writing theme would benefit my own writing as well.

Once home from the conference, I began brainstorming a list of ideas that I enjoyed writing about.

-Homesteading and food

-Mental health and wellness

-Parenting and family

-God’s creation

From here, I came up with a list of options that I felt were broad enough to cover my interests.

-Beauty from Ashes

-Beauty in Brokenness

-Beauty in the Ordinary

I spent time praying over these phrases and pouring over scripture for confirmation. I wanted my writing theme to give present and future readers an idea of my writing in a way that was honest and genuine as well as encouraging. As I continued to pray, I began leaning toward the third line: Beauty in the Ordinary. But it still wasn’t quite right.

During this time, I had asked a friend to help me set up my website. We were working on the final details and she asked what I wanted my tagline to be. In that moment, with all the brainstorming, praying and pondering behind me, I blurted out, “finding beauty in the everyday.” In that instant, I landed on the phrase I needed to describe the theme of my writing.

This theme, Finding Beauty in the Everyday, sums up my experiences and writing perfectly. My life from day to day may be filled with joy, love and excitement, or it may be filled with the mundane, or even the struggle with mental health or chronic illness. Whatever the case, I seek to find Jesus in the midst of it, and the beauty that comes from knowing and following Him.

Whether I’m writing haiku about the beauty of creation, or free verse about life, injustice, or anxiety, I seek to find the beauty of Jesus present within. When I write devotionals about everyday struggles and joys, I point to the beauty of knowing and trusting Jesus; even when I wrote my homesteading memoir-- although I didn’t overtly talk about my faith--I wanted my belief in Jesus, in His goodness and creative splendor to shine through.

I haven’t been writing on this theme long, but it’s nice to have a goal I can set my writing compass towards. And it turns out, most of my previous writing also fits into this theme. Looking back, I realize there was already a writing theme on my heart; it simply took time and effort to find the words to describe it.

Caran Jantzen, her husband Mr. Green Thumb, their four sprouts and their animal menagerie live in Southwestern BC, Canada on their five acre homestead. Caran isn’t afraid to try anything homestead-related at least once—all in the name of learning. When not working around their acreage or on her laptop, Caran can be found relaxing with a good book, or entertaining family and friends with her husband while serving up their homegrown food. Caran enjoys writing prose by day and poetry by moonlight. She recently published her first book, Grow. Cook. Eat. Share. A Memoir, which can be purchased from amazon as both a paperback and an ebook. Follow her musings on Instagram and Facebook at @caranjantzenwrites and visit her website, caranjantzenwrites.com.

Easter Guest Post - Caran Jantzen

The Great I Am

(Caran Jantzen, 2019)

Sacrificial Lamb, the great I Am

Stretched out across a tree

Nails driven deep

Torn flesh weeps

His blood poured out for me

Crucified Lamb, the great I Am

Lifted high for all to see

His willing choice

Their mocking voice 

Come down and we’ll believe

Slaughtered Lamb, the great I Am

His body lifted off the tree

In final breath

He conquered death

Sin’s curse has been defeated

Risen Lamb, the great I Am

Lifted high for all to see

With arms stretched wide

By Father’s side

He is waiting patiently

Almighty Lamb, the great I Am

Returning for all to see

With lightning flash

And trumpet blast

He will come victoriously

Little lamb, do you know I Am?

He alone can set you free

Free from sin’s grasp

From death at last

If only you believe

ABIDE: Special Guest Post by Caran Jantzen

More and more people seem to be exchanging the idea of a New Year’s resolution for a word that sums up a plan or goal for their year to come. Words like Enough, Abundance, Whole, and even Nope have been shared on friends’ and acquaintances' social media pages. While I resolved to abandon New Year's resolutions years ago, I had yet to embrace choosing a word to identify with and focus on for the year to come. I could blame it on indecisiveness, or bucking a trend, but if I’m honest with myself, it has more to do with the exhaustion I always feel around that time of year.

Looking back to when January 2019 began, I felt burned out. Instead of looking toward new and exciting opportunities ahead, I was drained from all of the times in prior months that I had said yes when I should have said no. As the new year unfolded, my body gave out, and colds and the flu consumed me for seven agonizing weeks. My body was forcing me to say no; it was forcing me to pay attention to myself and my needs--something that has never come easily for me.

If I could sum up my last year with a single word, it would be the word LISTEN. Last year, I began a journey through counselling on learning how to better listen to myself and my body. I began to dig deeply into my needs, and realized that I had been ignoring many of them in favour of helping others. In the process of talking about my needs, I learned that meeting everyone else’s needs was not the same as meeting my own--even though at the time it felt like it. (Enneagram 2, anyone?!)

I also began to listen to my emotional needs. I have been learning that I am not very good at asking for what I need, especially at an emotional level. I tend to be introspective, but not allow others into that quiet, often dark space. I’ve been listening more to what my emotions are telling me, and then opening up with my husband and others close to me about what I’m feeling, and what I need.

Most importantly, I started listening more intentionally to God speaking to me through the power of the Holy Spirit. I believe that the Bible is God’s Word spoken to us, but I also believe that God, through the Holy Spirit, speaks to us in a way I’ve learned to call listening prayer. The intimacy and joy I have experienced through listening prayer is a powerful testimony to a two way relationship with God--receiving from Him, as well as pouring out to Him.

As 2019 progressed, my burdens, emotional, physical, and spiritual, became lighter. I felt joy when months earlier I had felt heavy and depleted. Listening to my physical body, my emotions, and God my Father gave me a new outlook for the last half of the year. My incredible counsellor, a prayerful mentor, a supportive husband, patient friends and a Faithful God have all been instrumental in assisting me on this journey.

Early in December, I received an email from a friend about the idea of choosing a word for the new year--but with a twist. Instead of me choosing the word, I would invite Jesus, by the power of His Holy Spirit, to give me a word. In the midst of the bustle of the Christmas season I brushed this idea off. But one morning, with just days to go before the new year’s arrival, I decided to pray a listening prayer using the prompts my friend had provided. I asked Jesus, through His Spirit, to reveal His word for me for 2020.

The question had barely escaped my lips, when the word ABIDE sprung to mind. I followed up with another question. “Jesus. where in your Word confirms this for me?” Immediately the phrase, ‘apart from me you can do nothing’ came to mind. I had to look up this verse, as I couldn’t remember the reference. It is from John 15:5. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

This year, 2020, God has given me the gift of His Word, John 15:5, and a clear call to abide in Him alone. I look forward to seeing all that this year brings--in my family, in my writing, in my friendships, in my spiritual, physical and emotional health, and in all of the good gifts He alone gives--as I abide in Him.

Caran Jantzen lives and writes from British Columbia. 

It's All About You Jesus - Guest Post by Caran Jantzen

I had just finished the last of my errands. Now I was ready for the bustle of the next three days of Christmas celebration to begin. Driving home, I sang along to one of Matt Redman's songs on the radio, Heart of Worship.

“I'm coming back to the heart of worship..." I sang out.

I'm not sure if it was my heart or my ears that heard it, but as I sat singing along, I was certain that Matt Redman had just sung the word Christmas in place of worship.

“I'm coming back to the heart of Christmas

And it's all about you, it's all about you, Jesus

I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it

When it's all about you, it's all about you, Jesus”

Fitting, isn't it? I, like so many others, have made Christmas to be about so much more than Jesus, when it really is all about Him. Confession poured out from my lips.

I'm sorry Lord for making it all about the presents. It's all about you, Jesus.

I'm sorry Lord for making it all about the food. It's all about you, Jesus.

I'm sorry Lord for making it all about my comfort. It's all about you, Jesus.

I'm sorry Lord for making it all about the decorations. It's all about you, Jesus.

I'm sorry Lord for making it all about my family. It's all about you, Jesus.

I'm sorry Lord for being so slow to understand this. It's all about you, Jesus.

Even now, I'm not sure I've quite gotten it. A baby. Born in a barn. Surrounded by animals and two loving parents. God became flesh. Announced by angels. Worshiped by Wise Men. King of Kings.

I've been asking and answering the question, "Are you ready for Christmas?" a lot in the last few weeks. My answer has always been yes. I've done my shopping early. I've got the wrapping done. We have all the cookies we need. The tree was trimmed weeks ago. I'm ready.

But this afternoon, with the words, "I'm coming back to the heart of Christmas," still ringing in my ears, I'm not sure I'm ready. How much time have I focused on talking, and listening, to God? How much time have I invested in reading His Word? How have I gone beyond my own comfort to help someone who would be so easy to overlook?

Am I ready, like the shepherds and the wise men, who dropped what they were doing to seek out and worship the new born King? Am I ready, like the Christians of the first century, to speak out about my faith no matter what the cost? Am I ready, like Jesus himself did, to surrender to the Father's will, no matter how hard? Am I ready to make it all about Jesus?

Lord, may I find quiet in the middle of this crazy, chaotic, celebratory Christmas season to meditate on this truth. Help me to make this Christmas all about you, Jesus.