An Unexpected Kindness by Sandi Somers

It came as a surprise. Last fall I told my next-door neighbour that it was time to get a snow blower--it was getting too hard for me to shovel off my driveway after heavy snowstorms. Shortly afterwards, Don sent emails with links to sales items on both a snow blower and a heavy duty electric cord.

After I purchased both the snow blower and cord, he helped me assemble and test it. Then when we got a heavy snowstorm, he walked over to see how my blower was working and even volunteered to finish clearing my driveway. His eagerness to help must have given him an emotional boost. It gave me a lift too.

While I was drafting this post, (co-incidentally handwriting with my pen inscribed with “Be kind”), I discovered a relevant article on small acts of kindness. In her book, Conversations with Kindness, British author Bernadette Russell tells how her life changed when at the post office she gave money to a young man who couldn't pay for a stamp. “It made me think about how maybe some people are more likely to receive kindness than others and how one way to respond to unkindness is with kindness.” This began a daily practice for a year--leaving a bookmark with a kind message inside a book in a thrift shop, showing tourists the way to a train platform, helping an elderly man struggle with his bags.

She was surprised to discover how much she noticed other people being kind. There was another side-effect, too: “I started becoming aware of how often I received kindness – which was often.” She believes that people who are treated with love, kindness, forgiveness and compassion can change. “I think [kindness] has truly radical, world-changing and life-changing power,” she said.

Her story points out that we often feel uplifted when we do small things for other people. Why is that?

Research has shown that our brain releases dopamine, giving us a warm feeling of euphoria when we do something kind for others. But the good feeling doesn't last. To be most effective, acts of kindness need to be repeated frequently, as Bernadette Russell discovered.

~ ~

Perhaps this is why as writers, we sometimes feel euphoric when we write what is inspiring.

When we know that our words will go out to others.

When we know that our words ring true for the benefit of others.

Even when we don’t know where our words will land, or with whom.

As I write this post, I’ve been greatly challenged to add more small acts of kindness to my life. It’s also caused me to think of more ways to incorporate kindnesses into my writing.

I’m reminded of what the apostle Paul says in Ephesians 2:10: "We are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works." Showing kindness is part of those good works. It reflects the reality of how Christ is in us.

Let's make kindness a habit, both in our daily lives and in our writing. If we do, we’ll not only get that endorphin lift, but we’ll also be doing a small part of what God intends for us.

Sandi Somers has been writing for the InScribe Writers Online blog for over eleven years. The wide range of topics has been a boon to her writing. She lives in Calgary, Alberta.






Donna Ferguson, "Rewind and be Kind: What happens if you do one act of kindness every day?" Accessed March 30, 2025.

It's a Matter of Focus by Steph Beth Nickel

This month's suggested topic: Grappling with Ethical Dilemmas

Are you like me? Are you at risk of becoming overwhelmed by the ongoing challenges of COVID-19? The plethora of ugly incidents fueled by prejudice and hate? News of hidden abuse in the church and how victims are revictimized? Young people struggling with their identity? Insensitivity to those dealing with mental health issues?

What should I address? What should I take a stand against? What should I focus on?

On June 7, I posted this in one of my Facebook groups:

We have a choice.

Will we look into the darkness and try to make sense of all the shadowy figures there?

Or...

Will we look to the Light? Jesus said He was the Light of the World.

If we choose to focus on the Light, we will catch glimpses of what's going on in the dark...

But...

We won't so easily become distracted, discouraged, and disheartened.

Today, I choose to look to the Light!

I had gotten to the place of wanting to curl up in a ball in the corner and hiding from all the pain and heartache in the world.

And then, as He does, God broke in with a far better idea: Look to the Light!

Does this mean we ignore the ethical dilemmas swirling around us? Does it mean we don't address them privately—and, at times, publicly? Does it mean we don't stand with the hurting?

Of course not.

Consider how Jesus separates the sheep from the goats at the end of time. 

Are we willing to reach out with Hope to the hopeless? With Companionship to the lonely? With Light to those lost in darkness?

Jesus said if we meet the needs of others, it's the same as meeting His needs. Let's dwell on that for a few moments. Wow!

You can't do it all, and neither can I.

But...

I can do the things He calls me to, and so can you.

After all, in 2 Peter 1:3, we read, "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness" (NIV).

He doesn't promise me the wherewithal to face all the tragedy that bombards us each day. But He does promise to give me everything I need to fulfill those good works He has prepared in advance for me to accomplish. (See Ephesians 2:10.)

Today, I will prayerfully look to the Light, rely on His provision, and address the ethical dilemmas and needs He brings across my path.

Will you?

The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of - Marnie Pohlmann

We all dream of changing the world to be a better place. Some dream of accomplishing change by raising children to be compassionate and kind. Others dream of working hard to achieve success, so they have the riches or the influence to change the world. Writers dream the words they put to paper will touch someone’s life and cause them to feel, see, or be better in the world they live in.

In my sleeping dreams are nightmares.
Dreams. My personal experience with dreams is that they mostly turn into nightmares. Those are not the kind of dreams we desire. Thankfully, dreams for our lives are not made of memories. Dreams for our lives are dependent on the choices we make each day.

The first choice that will lead to the best life dreams is to take the step of choosing God as your Saviour and Lord.

Psalm 37:4 teaches that if I delight in the Lord, He will give me the desires of my heart. I have not studied the original language of this verse, but I doubt it means God is like a genie-in-a-bottle and when we do what He approves of He will give us what we want. Our relationship with God is not based on what we do, what we do is based on our relationship with God; it is a gift because God loves us. I think this verse means God will give me the desires of my heart. Did you read that the way I hear it in my mind? The nuance is that God sets into my heart what I desire. God places His desires for me into my heart, so they become my desires for Him.

In my waking dreams are for the future.
Have you ever wondered why you dream of doing or being what you have claimed as your dream? I was young when I said I was going to be a writer. Even when I figured out writing would probably not provide for my physical needs, and it is not easy, still, when I grow up, I want to be a writer. I have often wondered why that has always been my dream.

Psalm 139:13 says God has knit us together in our mother’s womb. God chose our mother and father to knit us into one He knew we would be.

Ephesians 2:10 explains God prepared works for us to do for Him, so He not only knit us together physically, but He also planted the seeds of our personality. Then we were given life circumstances and experiences that would mold us into one who could do that work. Many people and times influence us, train us, and encourage us to develop into one who at some point chooses to be a child of God who will begin that work He has prepared for us. Our dream has developed because God knit it into our very soul.

Not all the growth to prepare for our dream, our calling, is easy or enjoyable. Sometimes the path may even feel like a nightmare.  Has God ever led you to do exactly what you do NOT want to do? How is that the desire of your heart? We can be sure it’s not the desire of our heart, it’s the desire of God’s heart. Still, we want to run from it. Jonah did just that - and ended up in the belly of a whale, miserable and whining until He agreed to do what God had prepared him to do. I relate to Jonah. What God calls us to can be hard!

In my ageing dreams are elusive.
Sometimes our dreams don’t seem clear. I often have more questions than answers when it comes to walking with God. I believe He has placed on me a calling to write. What am I called to write? Fiction? Magazine articles? Copy for advertisements? Poetry? Am I called to share it publicly, or just locally, for my friends and family, or maybe in the church bulletin? Am I supposed to pursue traditional publishing or figure out how to make an e-book? And then there is marketing. Speaking. Selling. Yuck! So ultimately, I’m back to “Do I have to?”

Time goes by so quickly I feel I should already have reached the pinnacle of my dream. Like Jonah, I make choices to do what I think I want rather than what God asks me to do. I take the whale-of-a-time path that will eventually, I know, lead right back to where I can choose to obey.

But in my faith my dreams are secure.
It is because God has given me the desire to write that I can dream of being a writer. It is because He has led me along the steep and rocky path that I have something to write about. And it is because I trust His training and His Spirit in me that I can be confident in all that being a writer means - even the parts I don’t like.

How do we make a dream come true? We know dreams don’t become reality until we make them goals then take practical steps toward the goals which will make the dream come true. Today is the day to reach for your dream. Head in that direction, one step at a time. As we follow the path God has laid out for us, the desire will grow. The skills will grow. The opportunities will grow.

And one day we will look back and see how God has led us to the mountaintop, the fulfillment of our dream. He has given us the desire of our heart and He will give us the desire of our heart.

Marnie Pohlmann dreams of being a writer when she grows up. In the meantime, she practices and learns and grows with God.
Phosphorescent

*photos courtesy of Pixabay.com CCO license.

Missing Pieces by Marnie Pohlmann

Recently at our home, we had fun making a simple puzzle. We gathered pieces with similar colours and design, turning them this way and that to join them together. Most people begin a puzzle with the edge pieces, though I have a brother who refuses to use the “easy” path of such boundaries. We also look at the box to know how the image will look when complete. As our puzzle came together, we realized there were trees and fence on both sides of the image, so pieces not fitting on my portion actually belonged in my sister's section. With Mom’s help, we figured it out and high-fived as we placed the final pieces.

Our success became dismay, though, as we realized one piece was missing. In the middle of blue sky, table showed through where a bird should be. While the picture was still beautiful, and we enjoyed the laughing and visiting together while making it, the puzzle was not quite complete.

Much like building the puzzle, each of us has a calling to do work God has prepared beforehand for us (Ephesians 2:10). We all have pieces to add to God’s picture. “Doing the work” sounds like we need to make goals and set priorities. This is good and proper, right?

At a Global Leadership Summit a few years ago, Bill Hybels taught about the 6x6, a tool he uses to move ministry forward. I found this idea practical, especially for writing. After spending time in prayer, I wrote down six specific actions for a church responsibility I felt I could complete in the next six weeks.

Over the six weeks, I saw how effectively this focused my use of time, and realized I had six things I could also do for my writers’ group. And schooling, family, other volunteer groups, work, my own writing... Soon, rather than a 6x6 plan of action, I had a 36x36 set of juggling balls, with no possibility of moving anything forward.

All these pieces are a part of my puzzle, but it is not a simple puzzle. It is a mosaic of smaller pictures coming together to form a larger design. This is not a matter of taking on pieces not mine to fit. This is a matter of needing to understand God has shaped my pieces to fit into His picture. Perhaps they belong on the other side of the table, or need another piece in place first. Sometimes I miss a piece altogether.

I often feel this way about my walk with God; something is not quite right... something is missing. The frame is strong, secure in the saving grace of Christ. Family and friends encourage me to seek God’s view of circumstances, and we have a lot of fun on the journey. Pieces of my daily walk, like reading Scripture, prayer, worship, giving, and gathering with other believers, all connect me with God and the eternal family. The Spirit has healed what I considered broken pieces of my life and shown me how Christ has redeemed each one to fit perfectly into the larger image of God’s grace.

Still, each January I take my life and the coming year to God, because I can see something is still missing. I ask for a plan of action. God has given me a characteristic of Christ, a fruit of the Spirit, or direction on how to live in community as an imperfect child of the King. I learn about character and disciplines I require to develop in God’s desire for me to grow more Christ-like as part of His bride. Thankfully, Christ still covers me with His blood and allows me to continue growing whether through failure or success. In fact, God guarantees a lifetime of growth.

This year, like the puzzle, I hear God telling me not to worry about the missing piece. Even though I have certainly not arrived at holiness and there are still many pieces to connect, God is at work. I can trust that in His time and His way, the puzzle will come together.

This is no time of rest, though. Rather, God challenges me to become comfortable with who I am - the person He created and is growing me to be. Not what circumstances have formed me to be, not what others expect me to be, and certainly not what I think I should be. The challenge is to accept, love, and act like the person God sees when He looks at me through the blood of Christ.

In writing, we may call this finding my voice. So, as I pick up this piece or that, as I turn them around or try writing them in various genres to see if they fit in this corner or on that side, as I trade pieces with others on the journey, I will consider God’s big picture, but will not worry about how much table is showing through.

The scattered pieces will come together more effectively as I live, write, and work in the areas God has prepared for me, in the way God has created me to fit. When faced with choices this year, my question will not be, what would Jesus do? My question this year is, what would Jesus have Marnie do?

Handling Blocks by Connie Inglis

I've always liked blocks. When I was young it was the vintage wooden blocks with colorful letters. It was always a balancing act, trying to stack them as high as possible. Soon after my son was born, that turned to Lego blocks. He and I would spend hours building out of our imaginations, inventing games with castle walls and catapults. Beautiful memories.

So when the question, "Why do blocks happen for you?" was posed this month, my eyes rested on the word "blocks" and that got me slightly side-tracked to ponder the question: Are blocks really a bad thing?

I feel that in this past month, a gigantic set of Lego blocks has been placed before me, before our family. You know the kind with 3000+ pieces--my month has been a jumble of that many pieces. With Lego I've never actually built anything that elaborate but the challenge intrigues me because I know it is possible. And that encourages me as I try to piece past events together--building from the inside out taking one block and putting it on another block, adding another block and so on and so forth until the project is complete, until some sense is made out of it all.

Writing involves the same kind of undertaking--building one thought upon another thought, one character trait upon another character trait, one relationship upon another relationship until the project is complete. Building blocks. 

The distractions of this past month have kept me from meeting my writing goals. But that doesn't mean I haven't written daily--a thought here, a thought there, an inspiration here, an inspiration there. Ideas, or blocks, for the future--God-given ideas. And even though these thoughts have been disjointed at times, it doesn't mean God can't take these blocks and use them to create something beautiful. That again gets me excited about playing with blocks, blocks of another kind.

And I am reminded of the lake that we camped at recently. I enjoyed sitting on the water's edge on a tranquil evening after a full day, the lake's surface a perfect mirror reflecting a kaleidoscope of colors on the west's horizon.  A time to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). A time to meditate and be thankful.

Yet the beautiful thing about a seemingly still lake is that underneath the surface, life is happening: Fish, crustaceans, frogs, insects, pondweed, grasses--all these life forms are moving under that surface. So even though it appears that the water is static, life below proves otherwise.

I have to believe that it is the same with my writing. That even though my pen has been relatively silent this past month, life is still stirring and creative juices are still flowing. And just as the lake's surface will not remain calm, so I know my pen cannot sit unused. To be a writer, I must write. God has taught me that the past month's experiences are not wasted. He will stir in me and the words will flow--He will turn my experiences into useful building blocks.

I don't have any astute words of wisdom to cure writer's block. If you look you can find a number of blog posts that deal with the issue.  But I have learned that sometimes it is okay to just sit by the quiet waters and let God fill you up. His filling will inspire because He is a good God and He loves to give good gifts to His children. Rather than beating yourself up over a feeling of ineptness, bask in His love and seek to know His love more and more. (Eph 3:14-21). That is truly what He desires for each of us. And I believe then the writing will come.

God is the Master builder. Ultimately, He is the one building masterpieces in and through our lives. And as Ephesians 2:10 (NLT) says, we are God's masterpiece. Ultimately, He is the one building us into something beautiful. He is the one using us to create works that speak His goodness and love into the world, thus glorifying His name. I rest in that knowledge.

Lego Taj Mahal