Easter by Dayna Mazzuca

 Easter is the counterpoint of Christmas and both are wonderful, but I’m not sure which one is my “favourite.” I don’t really have favourites, much to my daughter’s chagrin. I do, however, love to “compare and contrast” like most writers.

Easter allows us to enter into the story of Christ’s coming to earth to atone for the sin of the world and make a way back to very personal, intimate contact with God our Father, in a different way than the Christmas story of his Nativity. Easter, of course, is the end of a chapter. And the start of a whole new lease on life for those who believe. Christmas is the great gateway: come one, come all, goodwill among Men and peace on Earth is the overriding message of the holiday. But at Easter there’s a particular claim on us being made, a demand, a question of faith. 

There is a reckoning that happens at Easter that we don’t see at the homely, approachable manger. Here at the foot of the Cross of Christ, we are confronted with a whole new dimension of God’s power and judgement on sin. A whole new depth of forgiveness. 

I’ve had people ask me about this path of forgiveness lately. And I’ve written and shared a lot in response, because it’s such a key, critical question because it’s linked to the place where we live, in our heart, in relationship to God, his creation and his creatures. 

If we are trying to live close to the foot of the cross, where we come to lay our burdens down, and here, we find unforgiveness in our heart, then we know we will have a problem. We know we will not be able to walk away from this place totally free, until we find forgiveness. 

But, for it to be real, for us to live with spiritual integrity, there must also be a real clearing of the air, a sharing of our truth, a telling of our story. We must be heard to know we are forgiven, or be able to forgive others where they’ve hurt us, and may even continue to be hurting us. In this last case, being heard also means receiving some sign of repentance or other godly sorrow on their part. We must be heard, and acknowledged in a tangible way, to forgive, from our heart. 

There must be some acknowledgement of a wrong done or being done (on our part, or their’s). We must live into a deeper reality to find or offer a deeper forgiveness. This is so important; to know that forgiveness is not a blanket statement: a get out of jail free card. That’s not grace. That’s self-deception.

We sense this when we come to the foot of the cross on Easter. When we stop. And pause here with the stripped and beaten Christ. When we come to terms with his suffering on our behalf (and of the whole world), then it’s unlikely we’ll turn around and make light of it in our relationships with others. Once we’ve seen Christ in this position, we come to know the value of real relationship. Forgiveness costs. It requires a reckoning, and often something as basic as being heard. 

Did Christ pay the price? Absolutely: he paid it in full. But does that make it cheap, or forgiveness something someone else can take for granted from us? I don’t think so. I’ve found forgiveness, when it’s real, is the only real path to spiritual freedom and relational reconciliation. But when it’s not real and offered in name only, it can lead to a hardening of hearts that leaves people worse off than they were before, when the issue was still outstanding but at least no one was saying, “I forgive you,” when they didn’t really mean it, or the problem had not been talked about and/or meaningfully addressed.

At Christmas we come to the manger and fall easily on our knees, in worship. There’s a flood of light and grace in our hearts. The heavens are wide open and the angels sing. But at Easter, there are tears. Still a large amount of wonder and awe at the Empty Tomb, in light of the Resurrection, but many tears, fears faced and betrayals realized, leading up to this moment of final release of death’s grip. But on the other side of forgiveness given and received, we find ourselves as full participants in The New Life. The life we are called to share in Christ thanks to the wisdom and forethought of God the Father; a new life guaranteed by the deposit of the Holy Spirit within us. 

At Easter, there’s lots here to unpack (perhaps even more than there is to unwrap at Christmas) but for now, I’d like to bow a little more pointedly, with a little more pathos and pause, at the foot of the cross and say, “Thank You, Lord for all you have done that we might go free; forgive and be forgiven,” sure that we are heard in this, our prayer one for the other. Amen.

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Dayna Mazzuca is a writer, speaker and poet working from home in Sylvan Lake. Her formal background is in Philosophy, Journalism and Spiritual Formation. These topics tend to overlap in her writings on the spiritual journey, her eight books of poetry and her online work. Her most recent project is an online course called “The Power of Authentic Storytelling” and can be found on her new site – www.daynamazzuca.com.

Adaptive Creativity by Dayna Mazzuca

This year I’ve had to retool my reliance on my own built-in brilliance and focus more on “Product Development,” which isn’t nearly as natural, flowy or exciting. But necessary! The Lord tends to give us, as Christian creatives, all sorts of great ideas, insights and true revelations. So far, I’ve tended to share these little gems in the simplest possible ways. But! This past year found me creating my first online course instead of hosting an in-person workshop or collaborating on a poetry retreat with good friends. This was a very different road to have travelled. 

While I enjoyed learning and the intimacy of the camera, it taught me that I have some gaps in an otherwise reliable repertoire of creative offerings. “Does the fridge running really make that much noise? Does it really take my hubby three hours on an advanced sound software system to clean out the sound? Does the garbage truck outside really cast such shadows on the wall behind me? Should my outfit match the painting behind me, rather than clash? Yikes.” These and other pseudo-technical questions! Like I said: gaps.

The Lord has always been good to me, blending my education with a natural bent for drama, public presentations, and facilitation of Socratic dialogue (honed with years of homeschooling my two children!). So, personal presentations come easy to me. I love having the microphone. I feel very at home at the front of a room, guiding a conversation and sharing ideas! But going online… working alone… without audience feedback or others’ input! Has been a huge learning curve. I have had to… adapt.

I love the content of my first-ever online course, and created it without a script, so the flow is still there (thank you, Lord) and I know it’s richly blessed, but the words “Product Development” came to me soon after its release last fall. “Online Packaging” is new to me, but I know this is where I am being led and I’ll have to reach out to others in a new way. 

“How do I do this?” is a rather humbling question after working as a professional in the field for more than 25 years. So, creative adaptability, for me, is not so much about content creation, but about the other two legs of the stool: collaboration and connections that now need to work online. 

Isolation is real. And online connections, however robust, do not have the same human warmth (and grace for just not knowing…) as meeting in person does. When I can look someone in the eye and know they hear me, that they catch the vision, understand an idea and why it’s important; I feel like I can do anything! This has been my experience with hosting workshops for Inscribe and doing keynotes for other organizations; there just seems to be so much support! On site fans make hosting workshops feel like riding a wave. It just all comes together, and I sense the Lord’s hand on it! Plus, the feedback is very settling, affirming and motivating. But in the online world it’s different. 

There are knowledge gaps about working online for someone who lives offline (intentionally) 80% of the time. And there are relational gaps for people not meeting in person, over a cup of coffee.

But! Creative Adaptability is the name of the game, as I find that out of the three legs of the creative stool (Content + Collaboration + Connections), I have one in place and will be working very hard from this side of my screen, with my own cup of coffee or whatnot on hand, to make the most of every conversation, connection and collaborative opportunity. To keep it ALL real, human, grounded and as grace filled as possible. Here’s to God’s continued favour on the work of all of our hands, wherever and however we may have to adapt today.

__________________________

Dayna Mazzuca is a writer, speaker and poet working from home in Sylvan Lake. Her formal background is in Philosophy, Journalism and Spiritual Formation. These topics tend to overlap in her writings on the spiritual journey, her eight books of poetry and her online work. Her most recent project is an online course called “The Power of Authentic Storytelling” and can be found on her new site – www.daynamazzuca.com.

InScribe Inspiration by Dayna Mazzuca

Inscribe has long been an inspiration to me with its always-at-the-ready warm welcome for me, as a writer, but also as a person. I feel respected for who I am with this group of people, who seem to come from many different places/situations, but who hold in common a love for our Lord and a commitment to writing well. 

There’s a professionalism I trust about how people approach their work and seek to improve and hone their craft, but more importantly to me there’s a personable feeling to our gatherings, committee meetings and collective projects that makes me trust the ground I stand on. 

It’s so important to me to be able to trust the people I work with and seek to grow with; and I’ve found this in Inscribe, in spades, since the day I joined. I don’t quite remember when that was, which is why I don’t write fiction because details, settings and even dialogue never, ever stick in my brain. But I do remember the feeling I’ve gotten, consistently, over the years with the people who make up Inscribe. This is why I’m a poet and a thought-writer, because I’m aware of what’s happening below the surface, attuned to the spiritual atmosphere in a way. This is where I live and work. And this is why Inscribe has been such a gem for me, a truly inspiring space and place. 

I’ve found that the people who gravitate here and call it home are people seeking an authenticity in their faith and to develop a spiritual strength in their work. They are seeking to tell good stories. And I love that!

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Dayna Mazzuca is a writer, speaker and poet working from home in Sylvan Lake. Her formal background is in Philosophy, Journalism and Spiritual Formation. These topics tend to overlap in her writings on the spiritual journey, her eight books of poetry and her online work. Her most recent project is an online course called “The Power of Authentic Storytelling” and can be found on her new site – www.daynamazzuca.com.

7 Great Write-Better Sources - Dayna Mazzuca

Good news! We, as writers, are not alone.

While too much input can distract from the work of writing. Now and then we need someone to guide, equip or encourage us. To make a way forward. Mentors can prove indispensable to the writer in serious pursuit of excellence.

A friend, after all, makes all the difference.

ONE. Write Brilliant online course offered by Christian authors Margaret Feinberg and Jonathan Merrrit. So encouraging and hands-on. https://writebrilliant.com

TWO. Stephanie S. Smith - http://www.slantletter.com

THREE. Joanna Penn - https://www.thecreativepenn.com

FOUR. Inscribe and Word Guild online and in person. For Christian Writers in Canada!

FIVE. Canadian Authors' Association. Fantastic opportunities. https://canadianauthors.org/national/ OR http://www.canauthorsalberta.ca/

SIX. Local Writer-in-Residence Programs. Send them a sample. Go for coffee. Be encouraged.  I've met with three different writers over the years and each time my writing went forward.

SEVEN. Retreat spaces to get away for a weekend to write OR pray. Best to pick a focus I find.


www.daynawrites.com

Divinely Orchestrated Appointments are NOW - Dayna Mazzuca

This is a wonderful season we're in, spiritually speaking. God is connecting all the dots, revealing his purposes for his church in this time. He is arranging one divine appointment after another. He is speaking through his people. He is answering the hard questions. He is calling us to wait on him, to lift up our hearts, to depend on the Holy Spirit for direction and to trust in his provision.

My son made me this sign on my birthday:  
When all else fails, God will not.

This was my hubby's:  
When they throw you to the wolves, come back leading the pack.

And my daughter's handmade offering:   
I love you so much!

These are three messages to sustain. 

Together, they remind me: God's unfailing love will not fail. 

His redemption is full and we are fully his.

This means we can trust him for great things. In the small things, the large things. the material things and the invisible things. In other words: we can trust him in ALL things.

The other day I was driving through Airdrie with my daughter (for a girls' getaway to Banff). I hadn't called my close friend who lives in Airdrie and was feeling like I was flying under the radar. I knew she'd be hurt if she knew I was in town (even briefly) and didn't call. But I'd wanted to focus on my daughter and our intentional weekend away. I still, however, was very aware of what my friend's response might be...

We were there about 10 minutes. I went to use the washroom at McDonald's and came out only to bump into her husband, a tall, outgoing, super-social connector. He was on his phone in an instant. I ended up having a great conversation with my friend while our kids played in the backyard. It turned out her husband wasn't "supposed to be" there at that time, but that his meeting had been changed that morning. God's timing.

Then... on our return trip back through Airdrie to Edmonton from Banff, we hit a huge rainstorm. I took a detour onto the east side of the highway and veered off to a restaurant I'd never heard of, but that looked comfortable. I pulled up to the window and there was my same friend eating a bowl of soup! She had never been to that restaurant either. "This is my first time out for lunch in a year," she laughed as we hugged inside. She called her hubby, who brought the same two children my daughter had played with at the start of the trip. And, again, we had a great conversation and thanked God for his timing—and attention to detail!

I should add: I do not own a cell, making these divinely-orchestrated appointments extra special.

These two connections, which allowed my friend and I to support each other in our journeys with our children, to pray together and to bless one another, affirmed to both of us (and our children!) that God is in the details. We can trust him with our comings and goings. How much more can we trust him with our work and our lives? Amen.


www.daynawrites.com

Poised for the Final Act - Dayna Mazzuca

To be strong is to be balanced. The Bible talks about being "bold and stout-hearted" as the work of God. The finished work. That He delights in our strength. Our boldness.

This means reconciling the act of revelation (e.g. writing our best thoughts as they come to us through the inspiration and direction of the Holy Spirit) with the act of relating well to others. Of speaking bold, strong and true (e.g. finding our voice and trusting God with the rest). And then standing, as they come to the microphone to say, "Wow." or "Thank You."

As people come forward to say, "Congratulations," the goal is to stand tall. Do not demure or back away from what you put forward in faith. Stand behind your words.

This way the world will not only hear what you have to say from the front of the room. They will be able to receive what you have to offer face to face. The circle will be complete. You will have done your job. Yay!

This is what it means to balance the last bits of the writing life: the completed project with the congratulatory response, which can be unsettling and put you off balance.

The Final Act of the Writing Life: The words on the page read out loud to an audience. The message delivered. The truth spoken. The story told. Bravo!

Balanced with the Human Response to Praise (always a danger to an unsettled ego): The response to what you read and how you read it. The pats on the back. The flowers and champagne. The new outfit. The reward and hugs all around. Way to go!

To Write Strong to the end: we need only be true to the call of God on our lives.

To Respond Well to Others' Response at the end: we need only remember
God is pleased with us (too!).

This might sound like too much joy. Too many balloons floating against the ceiling. Too many bubbles in the bath! This might sound like a strange way to achieve balance in the writing life. But I believe that getting this part right will give us capacity and patience and endurance to do what we need to do to get to this point. This is where we want to be. In total Happiness Overload. Crazy successful on the page and off. With publishers and with people. But mostly—mostly with ourselves and with our God. The rest is all—as they say—gravy!

But I say - without the gravy, who wants to sit around and peel 100lbs of potatoes?! But with the gravy... bring on the peelers! bring on the writing schedule. bring on the writing/life balance along the weekly way - so we can get to the Good Stuff at the END: the Very Happy End!! - Where we nail the writing! nail the reading! and nail our response to others' (very positive!) response. That is GRAVY. BRING IT ON.

(or do you think that sounds a little crazy?)


www.daynawrites.com

Stars in the Canadian Constellation - Dayna Mazzuca

Don't ask me about Confederation or the CPR. Let's not talk about founding fathers or the famous five. Forget about the inventions (e.g. garbage collection bins) and lack of architecture (Winnipeg and Montreal exempted). I cannot name the wars we've won (or the islands we've lost). I do not know the 2nd and 3rd Prime Minister. Or whose treaty land I occupy.

Ask me instead about trails I've hiked, rivers swam, road trips taken. Ask me about Saskatoon berry pie and hot dogs over an open fire. Ask me about friends and where they live and how they make it work, here in the land we call home after so many generations away from our countries of origin (that we've never seen).

Ask how these points of brilliance make us one. How so many stars shining can make a picture in the sky we are privileged to share. Look up.

Canada, a constellation:

inhabiting the West. prairie mavericks. mountain shadows. coastal lines and northern lights. answered prayer.

blackberries growing wild on the West Coast. stopping to pick some (lots!) on a bike ride with my family. scratching all the way. bursting with joy.

hiking around Emerald Lake. hearing later there was an avalanche. feeling lucky. drinking tea in the outdoor hot tub.

sailing in the Gulf Islands. catching the ferry to Saltspring. listening to the water's wake. and seagulls. feeling free.

walking through a field of rye. knowing it's in the family. rolling wheat between my palms. looking up at the sky. falling in love.

visiting Diefenbaker's grave. at my old stomping grounds at the University of Saskatchewan. on tour.

picking up a green canoe to venture out. finding I can barely lift it. thinking about the voyageurs. paddling. longing for water.

complaining about price spikes at Fort Edmonton, Calgary Zoo and Telus Science Centre. wanting the world to be accessible for everyone. not understanding the attraction of money. being angry.

surviving a downturn. a housing bubble. about to burst. pricing out RVs. the last generation of snowbirds. helping to load the moving truck. feeling distant.

Rev. Rundle's church. imagining him preach. thinking of the people I met up north. in the Arctic. missionaries everywhere they are needed. residential schools. what happened?!

hearing Stuart Maclean died. remembering hearing him tell his stories live and being surprised how much he moved his body. how at home he was in own skin. then the cancer. grateful for voice.

staying in touch with friends across the years. where they live. and call home. Canada.


thinking what to write. I find this is a land of individuality with a shared sense of what it means to explore, discover, enjoy, protect and pass along—as a Canadian writer I trust my voice will find a place, as there lots of room to be and grow together. And so bravely, I write.


www.daynawrites.com

Journaling not for faint of heart by Dayna E. Mazzuca

Hard-core daily journalling is not for the faint of heart. Debriefing life play by play can be exhausting. On the other hand, the un-examined life is hardly worth living. I believe the Lord wants each of us in close contact with Him; to tune in to our life below the surface. To voice our tender, strong desires. To name our fears. To live in response to his invitation to go deeper; to know God.

As a writer, I find journaling the ideal venue for this kind of spiritual work.

For me, daily journaling is essential to my soul, my craft and my coherence. When I go too long without a journal (e.g. on vacation/on the move) things pile up inside of me and by the end of a week bereft of journaling, I'm a mess. I talk faster, knee-jerk react to situations, interrupt people and growl at those who love me.

As a result, my colourful, oversized journal collection is really a hopeful investment in the quality of my inner life. Journaling clears my mental skies and refines and strengthens my emotional core. It orders my responses and informs my voice. In many ways, it informs who I am and what I'm about.

I journal daily. It's not a habit; it's a way to the good life. 

I can't imagine who or what I'd be without my journals. I fill one a month, sometimes two.

What will become of these thoughts, prayers, rants and quotes? I have no idea. Sometimes I worry; so I journal about that too.

To be honest, publishing to connect with readers is easier than journaling. I know what happens to those words. I can track the response. My articles, poems and books represent thoughts coming full circle, taking on some form in the world, offering value. My journals sit in tall stacks and fill baskets in my study.

Private journaling and public writing (e.g. publishing) straddle two different hemispheres of my writing world.

On the one side, I need to journal. I need to process and attend to the significant signs of God at work in my life. I need to record the pain and celebrate the joys of life. I need to be honest and vulnerable and fierce and strong. I need to journal.

On the other side, I need to publish. I need to be heard; to not operate within a vacuum. To get outside of my head. To attune to the needs and voices of others. To pursue my vocation. To get paid and contribute to society. I need to publish.

In the end, journaling is an interior act. Publishing is exterior. Two halves of the whole that this writer, for one, appreciates, pursues and enjoys—albeit in rather un-equal measure.



www.daynawrites.com

The Unpredictable, Uncomfortable, Undeniable ways God Loves Us

by Dayna E. Mazzuca 

 

OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE

 As long as I can remember, I've said I would NEVER do the following Three Things:

1. Pay big money to learn how to write. (As a published writer, I figured money should be coming in as a result of my writing; I shouldn't be putting "out").
2. Take an online course where I was back in the Student's Seat. (I've gone to school for a long time, so if I'm going to learn more, I want it to be in person and through God's person-to-person anointing).
3. Embrace Social Media. (No fan of SM, I was simply hoping to avoid it as long as possible).

THEN -  I felt God nudging me to sign up for an online learning course that cost a pretty penny and guaranteed to teach me more about SM. 

Hmmm... why does God do this? Why does he nudge us directly into the thing we are avoiding? I do not know... BUT! I signed on, paid up, learned lots and couldn't be more pleased with the outcomes, especially with my new website and spoken poetry blog! The course has been great, everything from online mentorship (including phone calls from the instructors) to an online student support and critique group. Amazing stuff! Praise the Lord.

(FYI: the course I took is called Write Brilliant and is offered by writers Margaret Feinberg and Jonathan Merritt - highly recommended!)

 

GOD TAKES US OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONES FOR 2 REASONS. 

1. The first reason is to show us new things; to take us places we’ve never been; to grow us in ways we would’ve missed had we never got out of our easy chair.  

2. The second reason he stirs us up and moves us on is to press the reset button, refresh the screen, to show us familiar, old, comfortable things in a new light—to offer us fresh perspective on what we already know well.

In other words, he either expands our tent—taking us new places, giving us new ground, or he strengthens our stakes—deepening our appreciation through a fresh perspective on what is already long-familiar and well-know.

WE DO NOT HAVE TO LEAVE HOME for our stakes in God to go down deeper. God can take us out of our comfort zone with the person we’ve lived with for 20 years, or the children we thought we knew, or the book project we’ve dreamed of for decades. We can do deeper right where we are. Deeper is good.

WE CAN, HOWEVER, LEAVE HOME ANYTIME God invites us to do so. I’ve moved too many times in my life (32 at last count) to think God only works on familiar territory with friendly faces and in comfortable ways. I know he also works when we are willing to leave our homes, cities and people to face the unknown. Expanding our territory, learning a new language or culture, writing in ways new to us because suddenly we have fewer friends and are spending more time alone, observing life more closely. Broader is good.

DEEP AND BROAD

Deep and broad: sounds like the love of God alright. And really, there is nowhere we can go from his great, big love for us. So, if he is calling you out of your comfort zone, know that you are in good hands. He may have a deeper, richer experience for you and your writing right where you are, right now. He may be asking you to go deeper. Or, he may be asking you to literally and figuratively broaden your horizons, to venture beyond familiar boundaries (and barriers). He may be asking you to expand your tent, to broaden your perspective and horizons. 

Only you know what God is asking you now. 

Whatever it is, I encourage you to say, “YES,” and to go with God wherever he leads, which may very well be out of your comfort zone.

I’m glad I did, not only for the results in my writing, but also for the Sheer Delight of being SURPRISED by the One who Loves me Best. After all, any romance can grow dull. And life with God is often a love affair!

VISIT DAYNA - www.daynawrites.com

The Dusty Path to Saintly Glory

A Lenten Reflection

by Dayna E. Mazzuca

I gave up chips, popcorn and cheezies for Lent. When the pastor put the ashes on our forehead on Ash Wednesday, is this what he meant? That we would remind ourselves of the scripture that we are dust and to dust we shall return by giving up treats for 40 days before Easter (excluding Sundays).

QUESTIONS AT LENT 

Do small self-denials teach me about the big sacrifice of Christ on the cross? Can a hint of suffering inform my soul about the larger reality of sanctification on the basis of the Atonement?

Didn’t Christ die so I might have a more abundant, prosperous, joy-filled life? How does sorrow (small and large) grow my soul?

These are the questions raised at Lent. Perhaps denying myself big-bowl treats does not speak of true suffering. Perhaps my small gesture even risks mocking the painful realities that can invade lives, changing us forever. Or, perhaps foregoing simple pleasures starts me thinking along different lines,  renewing my mind and causing me to hunger after God in a deeper, more meaningful way. When I took time to walk down the street with my family to a simple evening Ash Wednesday service, did I realize the implications, or did they matter? Or was a gesture of alignment with the larger Church calendar and its built-in spiritual rhythms help keep me in step with a story I cannot tell alone, but must speak—in word, action, gesture and reflection—with others who have gone before and will come after us?

A participant in a larger, ongoing, majestic story, I felt the dusty ash from last year’s palm branches pressing into my forehead, marking me as the same as every other person in the room: common dust along the Way.

The dusty ash brings the story full circle. When once we waved Christ on, celebrating his arrival in Jerusalem, assuming he was on the path of glory and taking us there with him, the palm branches waved, yet less than a year later they are burned for ash. There is a sense of the broad sweep of humanity—all our up’s and down’s, our pains and pleasures—being part of God’s story with us. Christ was cheered. Then he was mocked. Christ was crucified. Then he ascended. There really is no end to this story, although he said on the cross those final, comforting words: “It is finished.”

AN UNENDING FINISHED WORK: no small thing

It’s a finished work on the cross, a finished work with a thousand points of entry, as long as it’s Christ we seek. He is the gate. He is the way. 

If he teaches us to be satisfied with him, then I think self-denial might serve to clarify the sole object of our soul’s hunger. 

 

 As much as we are dust, we are destined for glory. There is more to enter into with God than we can hope for or imagine. And I wouldn’t want to miss a bit of it, so I observe Lent in my own, small way. And think of bigger things: like suffering, dying, and the promise of resurrection. All of it contained in a spiritual season marked by the most unremarkable of events: basic, human self-denial. All for the sake of Unshakeable, Everlasting Glory: no small thing indeed.

VISIT DAYNA - www.daynawrites.com

Finish Well — with a little help by Dayna Mazzuca

three things to help Finish the Work

by Dayna E. Mazzuca 

 

 

In the Gospel of John, chapter 17, JESUS SAYS: “I have glorified you by finishing the work you gave me to do.” Today the red letters come alive for me. Between the lines I read: finish the work, the task of writing. Specifically, to follow up the pile of ideas tucked in my “Idea File.” The file is currently bulging with pink and yellow sticky notes. The coil notebook laying open beside it is filling up fast with more ideas-waiting-to-happen. There’s also a pretty blue “ideas book” in my purse with enough ideas to last the year and various notes jotted down on parking receipts and to-do lists covering my desktop. Ideas abound, praise the Lord. But where is the Time to Finish the Work?

These ideas are Important. They are essays-waiting-to-written. Poems-waiting-to-be-composed.
They are books-in-the-making!

FINDING TIME

If I could find the time, I could/would finish the work God has put in my hands to finish. I could take the unlit candle off the shelf, light it and lead others along the path I’ve been blessed to find. I could take the flashlight and install four new “D” batteries, push the switch forward and shine the light into the pile of “undone stuff” now burying the best of my friends, helping them to tunnel through to the light of day. I could mount the stairs of the lighthouse and guide the wayward home. I could do it all. IF I could find time.

Where is this time and why is it important to finish the work? To put the finishing touches on my third collection of poems to accompany the spoken poetry blog I recently launched? To compile the notes for various workshops into a book-length project? To prioritize the essays I want to write to those living (and dying) on overwhelm?

WHAT’S REALLY STOPPING ME? 

I have space, ability, technical support, connections and a track record of publishing. But this month—so full of potential and fresh energy—seems to be off to a slow start. This year seems off to a slow start. What is going on?

I AM MISSING THREE THINGS: 

      1. DEADLINES

As a former journalist, I never missed a deadline. But as a freelancer working from home, I have no deadlines. So, I meander, pause and wander off to clean the floor, make soup, buy new sharpies. My writing comes last because there is no urgency. There is no deadline: I do not keep the end in sight because there is no end! Open-ended projects are destined to pad out the Idea File, adding their slight heft to my sense of being... YET UNDONE. Sigh. 

While I do not miss the tantrums of tortured editors banging down my door, I do miss the built-in success of always-motivating red flag deadlines. I used to write 32 stories a week, error free. Today, an idea can languish on my desk for years… I need deadlines.

            2. A PARTNER in planning and execution

A writing buddy. Someone to talk shop: “What are you working on this year?” “What deadlines have you set for yourself?” “How are you planning on prioritizing your projects?” “When can I check in with you again to make sure we’re on track?” “Let’s meet for coffee and go over this in person once a month.” Having a boss was the bane of my professional writing stint, but having a hard-core friend to my writing who takes freelancing as seriously as I do on a good day would be great! 

btw - I've noticed an offer or two on this wonderful Blog to join forces... THANKS. 

I look forward to forging mutually strengthening links!

            3. THE BIG PICTURE

I can envision the finished poetry book (and even spoken album). I can see the workshops materializing into a book. I can see the essays being a blessing to many. But I have trouble seeing myself as a communication-hub, my writing as a business, my content as dovetailing with a coherent, helpful message.

I need help putting the potential of my writing in perspective. I don’t mind sharing ideas through spoken, printed or published means, but to see myself in the category of an Ann Voskamp, Mark Buchanan or Malcolm Guite is a bit of a stretch. These in-their-niche godly, professional communicators have built a brand around their work, and their lives! Do I want my work and my life to become a brand? Do I want to be a brand?? I’m not convinced.

But. I do want to share well and widely. To create venues for content and extend invitations to others to enter more deeply into a consideration of their faith and the work they’re called to. I do want to do that. To finish that work.

If I could find the time.

IN THE  MEANTIME - Please join me for the INSCRIBE WORDSHOP on March 18 I'm facilitating in Edmonton this year— at WRITE ON TARGET, you'll find out how to Reach Your Reader by 1) identifying your Type (there are 5Types of Readers) 2) tailoring your writing to their reading needs and preferences and 3) aligning your work to the markets your reader visits. A hands-on day to take your writing to the next level. 

REGISTER online.

VISIT DAYNA -

www.daynawrites.com

The Language of Love by Dayna Mazzuca

Poetry has been called the language of love. And watching my 13-year-old son squirm at the dinner table during a reading of Song of Solomon tells me this is true. So, here’s a poem—in February, the time to talk about love—for the person with whom my love of writing most often competes: my wonderful hubby who never complains when I squirrel away with my thoughts, taking only a laptop and mug of green tea for company. Yes, love comes in many forms. Thankfully, they intersect more often than not!

I Love Writing—

            by Dayna E. Mazzuca

it’s what I get to do

and just because no one but you

gets to see me—

doesn’t mean I can’t relate

to things you mention

celebrate

the juices flowing in between

our idle chats

that carry back to the page

you’re reading—

yes our love is everywhere

and just because

I write and write doesn’t mean

you never see me.

Guest Post by Dayna Mazzuca

Baby, it’s cold outside! I sing to keep my spirits up, after moving from semi-sunny Victoria to frozen through and through Edmonton! Brrrr. But then… then I brave up! And walk—bundled to the hilt of course, and dressed from head to toe for blizzard conditions (my kids say I look like a big marshmallow!). I walk around the neighbourhood and drink in the view through the bare branched trees. So bare and vulnerable, yet strong and sure in the winter. Now and then covered in hoarfrost, they take my breath away.

Sometimes I venture down to river’s edge and stroll (my hubby calls it speed-walking!) along a snowy path lined by trees filled with ravens and chickadees and bird feeders fashioned from milk cartons. I watch the ice take over the river—ALMOST—there always seems to be one open-water spot. I watch braver people than me jog past. I watch dads pull small red-cheeked bundles on sleds. I watch winter.

WINTER IS A SEASON OF LOW, SLOW STIMULATION. Deep breaths. Awesome beauty. Frozen hands and chilly toes and keeping each other warm at night. Guilt-free hot chocolate and long lazy afternoons curled up with a good book. Winter sits and waits… sits and waits. Like a field left fallow. A to-do list tossed in the fire. It brings the luxury of forgetfulness. Of full-throated complaint. Of shared misery. And so much silence.

This morning I was THANKFUL, on my walk bundled to the hilt, to think how the things that feed the soul are not the things the world offers. Boredom. Silence. Shared misery. Breathtaking moments watching ice gather along the edges of a river. A foot massage. The list goes on for as long as my speedy stroll on this extra cold time of the year lasts, and then I hear a word from God. He reminds me of what Jesus told Peter in a season of waiting… “Feed my sheep,” he said. “Feed my sheep.”

And I felt a new thing RISING UP, I sensed that to feed the soul, to extol the things that matter to us most—underneath all our layers of comfort and warmth—was partly what the Lord meant. To feed his sheep is to feed the soul: to remind each other not to fear, that even in the tougher, colder, leaner times, God is in the details as much as He is in the cosmic plan for our life.

As we wait—often for sunnier, warmer weather and times—we absorb deeper lessons that can’t be learned in the jostle and hum of summer. Jesus got his disciples alone to unpack the future; to tell them what trials awaited them in Jerusalem, and what triumph lay just beyond. By learning to trust the details, even the detail of waiting, they learned to trust the bigger plan. To trust God—in winter.