Shining Light in the Darkness by Steph Beth Nickel

Although the word "unprecedented" has been used over and over, these truly are unprecedented days.

COVID-19. Social distancing. Sheltering in place. Job loss. Increased tension in the home.

And then add the current volatile climate of racial tension (even here in Canada) ...

We're heartbroken, angry, overwhelmed.

As writers, we may be tempted to put down our pens, to walk away from our computers. But as social media pro (and fellow believer) Tonya Kubo says, "We can't quit social media."

We must show up for our audience. We must give leadership to those who read our words ... even if what we lead them to do is listen to more informed voices than our own.

Typically, people would use these words to describe me: perky, talkative, upbeat, positive, encouraging. (And yes, I realize they may refer to me by other less complimentary terms as well, but that's okay.)

Right now, however, I don't feel all that upbeat or positive. But I am learning how to keep pushing forward when I want nothing more than to veg in front of the TV or consume novels.

Here are a dozen the things that will help. (Maybe they'll help you as well.)

1. Dig into God's Word. He is the only one with all the answers.
2. Pray more.
3. Listen to praise and worship music and maybe, sing along. (Plus, do more chair dancing.)
4. Connect with other Christians, if not in person, then via the Internet or phone.
5. Stay connected with family and friends.
6. Get more physical activity. (I've been walking more and doing resistance training again.)
7. Eat better. (A healthy diet goes a long way to make us feel better not only physically but also emotionally and mentally.)
8. Read or listen to books and podcasts that will educate and/or entertain. I am currently listening to Latasha Morrison's Be the Bridge.
9. Take the next step, no matter how small, toward a bigger goal. (I enjoy Emily P. Freeman's podcast, "The Next Right Thing," and her book by the same name.)
10. Get the rest you need. In Saundra Dalton-Smith's Sacred Rest, she discusses the seven types of rest we all need: physical rest, mental rest, emotional rest, spiritual rest, social rest, sensory rest, and creative rest. And speaking of creativity ...
11. Get involved in other creative endeavours besides writing. I enjoy Bible journaling and taking photo walks. I haven't done either near enough.
12. Trust that God's got this. I may have more questions than ever, but I can still trust Him. Romans 8:28 is still true.  

What does my writing life look like right now?

Thankfully, I have editing clients. By helping them get their words ready for their audience, I am encouraged to keep writing as well.

I've begun a Facebook group, Nurture and Inspire, where I show up every day (thanks again to Tonya Kubo's encouragement and the positive feedback I receive from group members).

I write a book review for HopeStreamRadio most weeks. (I have to get a second review fired off this week. At least I'm not as far behind as I could be.)

I'm so thankful for my responsibilities with InScribe and my commitment to guest post on Janet Sketchley's blog each month. It keeps me writing.

I intend to indie publish the first book in my Nurture and Inspire series this year. I am currently reviewing it yet again. I've fired off the intro to a couple of individuals who will "give it to me straight." 

It also helps immensely to belong to several writing and writing-related FB communities, not to mention the courses and summits I've signed up for.

Lord willing, I will push through. More importantly, I will shine in the darkness. 

I'd love to hear how you're doing so.

Small Steps Add Up - by Janet Sketchley

Long time Inscriber Janet Sketchley is our guest blogger today. so good to have you on the blog Janet!

Photo credit: Pixabay

I think it was Phyllis A. Whitney, in her Guide to Fiction Writing, who compared getting published to a train arriving at a station. If that train is a breakthrough of some sort, for you or I to benefit, we have to be diligent in the small steps of showing up at the station, bags packed and ready to go. We have to do the work. That means persistence in developing our craft and in seeking outlets to share our words. We also can’t sit back and simply enjoy the ride if/when we board that train. There are always new destinations to reach. 

For over 19 years, I wrote, re-wrote, and re-wrote again the manuscripts that would become my first and second published novels. I was blogging as well, and had been published with short essays and stories. Those were my very first “trains”.

Novel-wise, I’d collected a slew of rejection letters and pushed through a few times of wanting to quit. (I did quit a few times, but the stories always pulled me back – sometimes with the help of writing conferences and good writing friends.) 

One day a big train huffed into my station, in the form of a publisher’s email offering a contract. I’d done the work, shown up on the platform, but honestly, I didn’t know what to do. Should I get on board? I knew how to handle the rejections, but what did acceptance mean?

It meant more work, as the team of editors showed me new levels of crafting this story they thought was publishable. (Who knew “publishable” meant “needs a major refit first”?) Then as the release date neared, it meant learning about promotion and marketing. One plus of working with a small start-up press was the amount of hands-on learning and input I was given.

A minus was when the publisher closed its fiction line. Or was that another train pulling in?

What I’d learned with my debut novel, plus the connections I’d made with the freelancers who’d edited it and designed the cover, and the connection with a fellow author from that house who was also without a publisher – God had provided everything I needed to move into indie publishing. 

My publisher encouraged me to buy back the rights to Heaven’s Prey and to carry on with the series. Many people shared tips and hints on the indie process. It may be a slow train, but I like how I can be right there in the locomotive, looking out the window and choosing which forks to take in the tracks. (And shovelling coal. In my mind, it’s that kind of train.)

Thinking about the small steps of preparation and those moments of gleeful (or fearful) embarkation makes me realize one other important thing about the writing journey: it’s best done in company. 

We may have different destinations, but there’s enough overlap that we can help and encourage one another along the way. Thanks, InScribe, for being one of those groups in which it’s safe to travel.

Janet Sketchley is an Atlantic Canadian writer whose Redemption’s Edge Christian suspense novels have each been finalists in The Word Awards. Janet blogs about faith and books. She loves Jesus and her family, and enjoys reading, worship music, and tea. You can find Janet online at janetsketchley.ca, and fans of Christian suspense are invited to join her writing journey through her monthly newsletter: bit.ly/JanetSketchleyNews.

My Corner of the Vineyard - Janet Sketchley

God has led me into a two-pronged writing approach: fiction and non-fiction. 

For eight years now, I’ve been posting devotionals every Wednesday on my blog. There are weeks God doesn’t nudge me about what to write until I’m close to my deadline, but I’ve learned that this is His ministry and that He will supply what’s needed. The only time I’ve repeated a post was one of those times when I really needed to hear that message again, myself.

There’s the truth of the matter: what He gives me is what I need to receive. The act of listening so I’ll have something to share keeps me open to hear. The message may be for me, but often it will resonate with someone else as well. Occasionally I’ll get an email from someone who’s been touched by a post or who has forwarded it to bless a friend. You sort of expect that, or at least hope for it, in writing devotionals. 

God has also given me fiction, which is my true writing love. I think there’s a lot more life-changing Christian non-fiction than there is fiction, but different things in a novel or short story can touch individual readers. As writers, we never know what’s going to speak into a person’s particular situation. 

I often pray my fiction will be useful to the Lord, and every so often I’ll hear how He’s used it. One book took a reader back to past pain, but she said God brought her more healing that she hadn’t known she’d needed. Another reader, who struggled with fear, confided, “I prayed the prayer with Carol” (where the character was working through her own fears).

Moments like these humble me and challenge me to do my very best work. They motivate me to pray over the development and writing of each novel, and to pray for the readers when it’s finished, for how God may use some portion of it to make a difference.

Fiction and non-fiction, my target readers are Christians. Some writers focus on reaching those who still need to know Jesus as Lord and Saviour, but my heart has always led toward writing for the building up of believers. I’d be thrilled if my words helped a soul find salvation, but I’m just as thrilled when God uses something I’ve written to encourage or grow a soul that’s already in His Kingdom.

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Janet Sketchley is the author of the Redemption’s Edge Christian suspense series. She loves Jesus and her family, and enjoys reading, worship music, and tea. You can find Janet’s devotionals, reviews, and fiction online at janetsketchley.ca. Fans of Christian suspense are invited to join her writing journey through her monthly newsletter: bit.ly/JanetSketchleyNews.

InScribers Review: Heaven's Prey (Janet Sketchley)

 

 Book Review by Bonnie Way

 

Heaven's Prey
Author: Janet Sketchley
Publisher: Choose Now Publishing, 2013

One of the topics of my recent fiction class was the "occasion" or "destination" of a novel and how to keep the reader reading if they know what's going to happen. As I read Janet Sketchley’s novel Heaven’s Prey, I thought she illustrated this perfectly. We know the novel is about redemptions—presumably Ruth’s physical redemption and Harry’s spiritual redemption—but we read to find out how that happens. How does Ruth survive being kidnapped by a serial rapist? How does a guy as dark as Harry move toward redemption?

Ruth is an ordinary middle-aged woman living in Nova Scotia who has been praying for Harry Silver since he kidnapped, raped and murdered her niece. Prayer has helped her find healing, but it has also caused a rift with those around her—including her husband—who don’t understand how she can pray for a murderer. She’s on her way home from her weekly prayer meeting when she runs into Silver himself. Now, all her faith is put to the test as Harry kidnaps her and plans to make her his last victim…

I appreciated the fact that, even when Janet was writing about Harry’s crimes, she never made it graphic. We are given enough detail to know what happened but not so much that the crime is sensationalized. Yet these scenes never felt like the author was intruding by withholding information. Ruth talks about reading crime reports, about the horror she experienced in learning about Harry’s crimes, and her fear and disgust towards him gives the reader a bigger picture of Harry. At the same time, Ruth’s faith allows her to see Harry in another light.

Janet’s novel reminds us that even those we hate and despise are still human—and still loved by God. Harry is truly dark and despicable at the beginning of the novel, but Janet slowly takes us into his past, into the pain of his childhood, his pornography addiction, and his racing career, and we see the path that led him into darkness. It doesn’t excuse his crimes, but it helps us to understand him. I think it takes a truly skilled writer to make Harry neither so evil that he’s past redemption, nor so redeemable that we don’t believe he could have raped and murdered nine women.

To get a taste of the story, you can check out the Heaven’s Prey Blog Chase. At each stop in the chase, you’ll get a short “prequel” of the novel, some insight into what happened before Ruth encounters Harry. You can also drop by Janet’s website to read interviews with the characters and with Janet.

Janet Sketchley is a long-time member of Inscribe Christian Writer’s Fellowship; she served as acquisitions editor of FellowScript and wrote the fiction column for many years. She is passionate about fiction, but also has a nonfiction story in the award-winning anthology A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider. She calls herself “a Christian growing in faith, trying to balance relationships and responsibilities.” She is currently working on the second book in her Redemption’s Edge series.

God's Unfailing Love -- Janet Sketchley

The NIV declares of God, “his love endures forever” 43 times. “Unfailing love” appears 40 times, always describing God’s love. These results are just from the Old Testament. The New Testament overflows with God’s love too, so I assume the writers used phrases that translate differently.

But Old Testament life seems to have a harsher edge to it than New Testament and into today. God was preparing the way, but the Messiah had not yet come. The Holy Spirit came to individuals but not to all. If God spoke to a person it was usually through a prophet or an angel.

God was preparing a people for Himself and there were a lot of growing pains. There still are, even now when we can rely on the Holy Spirit living in us, Christ in us, the hope of glory.

In the middle of the hardship of Old Testament life as God sculpted a reluctant people for Himself, when their actions often required correction in the form of invading armies and exile, His Holy Word proclaims His unfailing, forever-enduring love.

Whatever we face today, we can know and rely on God’s love God for us. There is hope.

© Janet Sketchley, 2011
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

Empowered -- Janet Sketchley

“I can’t do this without You, LORD.”

Many of us pray this way regularly, about hard tasks or scary appointments, or just about hauling our exhausted selves out of bed to face another day.

It’s a fine prayer, and it’s scriptural. Jesus warned us, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, NIV)

The key is where we put the emphasis. If we focus on the difficulty “I can’t do this” it weighs us down. If we focus on Jesus, our hope and strength “I can’t do this without You” it reminds us where our confidence lies.

Acknowledging our weakness keeps us from getting into messes. Focusing there could keep us from doing anything at all. Let our weaknesses remind us that Jesus offers His strength. Our confidence is in Him, and He is enough.

© Janet Sketchley. (Reprinted from the archives of God with Us: Finding Joy, April 2008)
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

We've Only Just Begun -- Janet Sketchley

My best mornings begin with a special time alone with God. These days it’s once the kids are in school. When they were small, desperation had me setting my alarm early enough to fortify my spirit before getting into the breakfast chaos.

In the shelter of my bed (sitting up to keep awake) I’d enjoy a quiet time of prayer and Scripture. It was like a spiritual snuggle with my Divine Parent before I faced my own parenting role.

The Bible has so many images of the parental aspects of God’s heart. One particular morning, I was musing on the description of Him as “Father to the fatherless” (Psalm 68:5)

I’d been raised by wonderful parents, who were still an integral part of my wellbeing. But I was in my mid-thirties, with a husband and children of my own. I had grown up.

Still, part of me often felt like an orphaned child, cowering alone. I ached for God to be that Father – and Mother – to me now.

I poured out my fears and loneliness to Him in prayer, longing to rest in His love – the same way I had rested in my parents’ love as a child. Abba… Papa… help me to stay in the shelter of Your care. Grow me under Your watchful eye.

After a while, I felt in my heart that it was time to get up. Lord, I sense our time together is over now….

I meant it as clarification – am I really supposed to get up? I’d neither read His Word nor listened for His leading. I’d done all the talking – again.

A gentle reassurance interrupted me: Oh, no… we’ve just begun.

Could I really have heard His message, inaudible but understood? It resonated in my soul, a wonderful, warm, loving promise.

What followed was the mental equivalent of that little scoot that a parent gives a toddler to send her out to play after a hug. With a smile for the future, I scooted.

© Janet Sketchley, 2011

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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

A Family Resemblance -- Janet Sketchley

Some people inspire younger relatives to cringe at the thought of becoming “just like Mom/ Dad/ Grandma/ Grandpa/ Auntie Mim.” Since there’s at least one in every extended family, we’ve probably all had that thought.

Next time it surfaces, instead of squashing it, consider it. Look at the person you don’t want to be. What is it you want to escape? Why? What choices or traits do you think shaped this person?

Do you see glimpses of these things in yourself? If so, neither shudder nor resign yourself to meet your fate. Bring those characteristics – and any other potential trouble spots – to God.

Don’t just ask for strength of will to bury them. Ask Him to change you.

© Janet Sketchley, 2011

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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

Preparing for His Coming—Janet Sketchley

I’ve been working through Beth Moore’s A Woman’s Heart workbook with my Bible study group at church. Gotta say, it’s challenging in places.

Right now we’re looking at the detailed instructions from God—to be followed to the letter—for preparing and consecrating the Tabernacle and its contents and the priests and their garments.

Repeatedly we see reminders that Moses and his workers did exactly what they’d been told by God to do in regard to the Tabernacle. Leviticus 9:6 (NIV*) says: “Moses said, ‘This is what the LORD has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the LORD may appear to you.’”

God, in all His holiness and majesty, wants so badly to be with His chosen people. But the gap between His holiness and human wilfulness is so great that Exodus 33 begins with God saying He won’t travel with them anymore “because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.” (Exodus 33:3b, NIV*) (This is right after the golden calf debacle.)

Moses pleads for God to stay with them, and God agrees. He gives Moses a new set of the Ten Commandments, along with instructions on how to build the Tabernacle.

The people of Israel have a lot to do to prepare for God’s coming. And when He comes, it is terrifying as well as exciting.

Here in 2010 we’re working through the Advent season, preparing to celebrate Jesus’ coming into the world as a baby.

There’s something about reading the Scriptures detailing the preparations for God’s coming into the Tabernacle, with the people freshly under his Law, that makes me wonder about the preparations for Jesus’ coming as the Son of Man to fulfill the Law and to inaugurate the rule of Grace.

On the surface, we see the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary, and before that to Zechariah about the birth of John the Baptist. But God has been planning since the beginning for this moment.

We’ve heard about the birth of Baby Jesus so many times that we can get kind of blasé about it—especially when we’re overwhelmed by the non-faith aspects of preparing for the holidays.

The Old Testament is a good cure for blasé-ness about God. Perhaps it’s a reminder of the mystery of this Unknowable One who reveals Himself to us.

Let’s pause this Advent season to remember just Who it is that we’re preparing to welcome. We don’t have to fall down in fear at the manger, may the Spirit nudge us to our knees in awe and worship.

Praise God, and “let every heart prepare Him room”.

© Janet Sketchley, 2010

*New International Version, ©2010 (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by Biblica

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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

Selective Memory--Janet Sketchley

Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” John 11:47-48, NIV*

This comes near the end of Jesus’ ministry. He’s been preaching, healing, restoring people who’ve been dead for short periods, and now He’s raised Lazarus after a four-day stay in the tomb.

Many of the people watching Him think the only way someone could do miracles like this is if God is involved. Others can’t get past their suspicions.

Then we have the chief priests and Pharisees. Yes, some are secretly impressed by Jesus, but the party line is clear: “denounce this itinerant preacher who dares rock our boat.”

They’ve recognized His claim to equality with God—and that’s a killing offense. They’ve also seen how the people love Him—and how he makes religious officialdom look bad. He doesn’t play by their rules, doesn’t buy into the monopoly they’ve built on holiness.

But there’s more: they’re afraid the brutal Roman empire will crush a perceived uprising. They’re not just scared for their cushy positions, they’re scared of their beloved nation being pasted again.

I don’t have much sympathy for their self-protection, but protecting their people sounds more noble.

They remembered the exiles, the military humiliations in the past. Now they’d achieved a form of peace under Rome, and they didn’t want anything to wreck it.

But they weren’t remembering back far enough.

What about the God who brought the Israelites out of Egypt’s slavery? The God who brought them back from exile in Babylon?

Even the God who sent them into exile in the first place because they had turned away from following Him.

What if... the leaders believed Jesus was who His words and actions claimed? God come down to His chosen people?

I know it couldn’t have happened that way. He came to die, to sacrifice Himself to buy us back. To bring healing and eternal life.

But think about it... what if they’d recognized God in their midst? Remembered what He could do? Relied on Him to do it again?

The threat of Rome wouldn’t have seemed so overwhelming if they knew God was there: God who had defeated so many of their enemies, often at incredible odds. Running to Him would be much smarter than trying to kill him.

They remembered the pain, but they didn’t remember the hope.

Aren’t we the same?

© Janet Sketchley, 2010

* THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2010 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

Listening to God--Janet Sketchley

As I packed for a spiritual retreat last weekend, a thought hit me: you can count on hearing God at a retreat because you’ve reduced the distractions, but it’s also because you’re listening. You’re anticipating. You expect to hear him.

Some people listen regularly. They hear from Him. Not every day, maybe, but a word here and a thought there that add up to a message. Then they obey.

And I have heard from Him at in the busyness of daily life, usually when I was desperate. But then, like on retreat, it was a one-time insight or connection.

This time, I bumped into the word “control” before even zipping my suitcase. Then, surprise: the subject was a significant theme at the retreat. And it’s been following me since I’ve come home.

I’m struck by how long a process this is. Not a one-piece insight or revelation, but a constant alertness to catch and piece together God’s message to me. He’s probably speaking like this all the time and I’m just not tuned in.

I’ve started jotting notes in a little book so I can see the emerging picture. And so I can hold myself accountable to obey what I’ve heard so far. After all, the hearing isn’t much good if it isn’t put into practice through action. God doesn’t seem to spend much time teaching us abstract concepts or theories on which to speculate. What He says, He expects us to do.

Father, teach me to walk... to listen... to always be alert for what You might say... not just in devotional times but each moment... in all circumstances. Help me not to over-spiritualize trivial things, but help me be open to what You actually say, whether through the trivial or the profound. Help me pay attention.

© Janet Sketchley, 2010
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

Believing Prayer, by Janet Sketchley

Believing Prayer
by Janet Sketchley

Each year I attend Write! Canada, I start the conference with a headache. I blame it on the flight, lack of sleep, or an unfamiliar bed. A couple of painkillers later, and it’s gone.

Except for this year. Pills with breakfast didn’t work for long.

I’m Prayer Team Lead for The Word Guild. My main role for Write! Canada is to recruit other prayer volunteers and to be available to pray with people when and as needed.

Some of my best memories from the past few conferences are of those impromptu prayer connections. (Yes, the food, fellowship and professional development are excellent too.)

It’s one thing to pray for someone else. Quite another to ask for prayer. To confess a need.

Some time during that first day, I found myself in the bookstore talking with a couple of other attendees. Maybe one of them said I didn’t look so well. Or maybe she just asked how I was enjoying the conference so far.

I started to say everything was fine, then stopped. Asked for prayer. My head pounded even harder from the tension of admitting the need.

Bless their hearts, Judy and Ann prayed with me in a little huddle right there among the books and shoppers.

With tears in my eyes—gratitude and pain—I thanked them and went in search of Jan. She’s one of the Prayer Team Assistant Leads, a powerful intercessor and the owner of the Under the Cover of Prayer blog. More to the point, my drugs were locked inside her cabin.

Jan’s prayers joined the others’ and the pain only got worse. I swallowed a second dose of painkillers, hoping for a temporary reprieve.

Somewhere between the prayers and the next conference session, I thought I sensed God saying the pain wouldn’t bother me anymore.

It still hurt like crazy, but I decided to believe Him. I told Jan what I thought He’d said and that I wasn’t really sure about it.

By the time we walked into that next session, the pain had almost gone. Every time I felt its grip, I’d remind myself that it wasn’t going to bother me anymore. Then I’d think about something else.

I hadn’t been sure God spoke at all. Nor if He had, how long He’d meant. Long enough for the appointments I had that day? For the panel I was on?

That was back in June. The other day the pain came at me again. It swamped me for a few minutes, and then I looked at my husband and reminded myself aloud, “This isn’t going to bother me anymore.” I gave the spot a gentle rub and promised to hit the medicine cabinet if the pain didn’t go.

It went.

I don’t know how long “anymore” is. But I intend to enjoy it. Caught myself wishing in prayer this morning that God had said something about that ache in my hip....

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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

Bumper-Sticker Sermon: Janet Sketchley

Jesus loves you.
Everyone else thinks you’re a jerk.

So proclaimed a bumper sticker on the car in front of me. (And I’ve edited the fine print.)

The “Jesus loves you” part was in large print, luring the eye to the punch line.

The implication was that Jesus, perhaps like your mother, has to love you. It’s in the job description. And perhaps He and Mom aren’t very bright or objective.

Still, it got me thinking.

He does love me, I know that. (So does my mom.)

Then, so what if everyone else (some days me included) thinks poorly of me?

Whose opinion matters most?

Jesus loves me, this I know. And in that knowledge will I rest.

© Janet Sketchley, 2010
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

Fireflies in Brooklyn

My husband was in New York City for meetings last month, and I tagged along. During the day, I caught up on writerly things and did some exploring. Visited my friends the turtles in the Central Park Zoo.

At night and on the weekend we turned tourist, checked out the American Museum of Natural History, saw some Broadway plays, and ate very well. Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and stopped at Grimaldi’s Pizza, a spot so good they can insist on cash-only, no-reservations, and still have a 30-minute line-up waiting for a seat.

On the way back from our pizza pilgrimage, we passed under one of the approaches to the bridge. During the day, I imagine the area is a shady, green nook. At dusk, it’s magical.

I’ve never seen fireflies like that: sparking bright against the dark, winking like a meteor shower.

It brought tears to my eyes. Not just for what I saw, but for what it said.

My first chance to visit Manhattan came a few years ago, out of the blue. Big New York City was not on my wish-list to visit. Truth be told, I was a bit scared.

You hear the stories of violence and of bystanders who won’t get involved. You hear about pushy people, aggressive, demanding everything not-now-but-yesterday.

Aside from Central Park, I imagined everything to be concrete, asphalt and glass.

God surprised me on that first trip, with spring flowers growing in tiny pockets of soil among the buildings. With pedestrians who’d stop and give directions. With the sidewalks in Times Square that sparkled in the light.

He was there too, so there was room for me in this suddenly not-so-alien city.

This trip, He surprised me with fireflies: more sparkles. It reminded me of His first surprises, and the later ones. My tears came from the intimacy of the message. He knows me. He loves me.

Fireflies in Brooklyn. The highlight of my trip, and it was free.

© Janet Sketchley, 2010
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

A Writer's Brain, by Janet Sketchley

Matthew, aged 5, presented me with a fantastic, multi-coloured scrawl. “It’s a ship, Mom.” He began to elaborate: for water, as opposed to space; don’t get stuck in that part, because it’s the engine. On impulse, I suggested he write a story about it. He agreed -- after all, he was supposed to be getting ready for bed.

Speaking raw material
His imagination was still primed from drawing the picture, and he started telling the story as soon as I was ready. I wrote as fast as I could, often stopping him to let my pencil catch up. He was so focused that he could pick up where he left off as if he’d never paused -- perhaps playing video games has taught him something after all.

Occasionally he would come and check my work, but for the most part he just kept narrating. Even in the flow, he was precise with his wording, but he never backtracked or tried to edit himself. The important thing was to get the story out in one piece.

I kept quiet when he repeated words or concepts, and resisted the urge to correct his tenses as I transcribed. I watched him on the edge of my vision. He was so involved with his story that he had to keep moving.

What a scene we must have made -- the little boy orbiting the coffee table as he spun his tale, and the adult parked on the couch, biting her tongue.

Itching to organize
If we were a writer’s brain, he would be the creative process: lost in the wonder of discovering the story. I’d be the editor portion, straining against my muzzle. He was speaking my raw material. If I intruded too soon, I might damage it.

When he finally wound down, he had a nice little story. Later, if invited, I could work his “first draft” into a much shorter story. Perhaps he would add some fresh bits, and we would have something “publishable.”

Why do I find it so hard to follow his example?

Both sides doing what they do best
Today, when I sit in front of the computer, I’m going to try to apply his lesson. When I get a picture of where my story is going, I’ll let my fingers dance on the keyboard for the joy of following the muse. I hereby give myself permission to write a sloppy first draft as I explore.

My internal editor can go out for coffee. She’ll come back in a better frame of mind when I need her, and feel validated and supremely important when she sees the mess my creative frenzy has made along the trail. Once both parts of my brain have had their fun doing what they do best, my story will be as publishable as I can make it.

Will somebody hand me a market guide?

© Janet Sketchley, 2003, 2010. Originally published in Exchange, January 2003.
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

Names of God - Janet Sketchley

“'I will strengthen them in the LORD and in his name they will walk,' declares the LORD.” Zechariah 10:12, NIV

“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10, NIV

The names of God in Scripture reveal His character. Knowing Him lets us walk in confidence in Him.

Some names of God that mean the most to me:

Father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5)
Redeemer (Psalm 19; Job 19:25)
Ancient of Days (Daniel 7)
King of the Nations (Jeremiah 10:7)
God of my life (Psalm 42:8)
God of hope (Romans 15:13)
Shepherd (Psalm 23)
Fortress, Deliverer, Shield (Psalm 18)

What would you add to the list?

Why not take a few minutes to let Robin Mark's song, Be Unto Your Name, bless your spirit?

© Janet Sketchley, 2010
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

Oh Deer!

Wise Guy Son and I were driving a remote highway in rural New Brunswick (Canada) last month, and we kept seeing “deer crossing” signs – and “moose crossing”.

Deer grazing on the green slopes near the road are cute. Bounding across the road a safe distance in front of you, they’re still cute.

Deer crossing the asphalt right in front of your vehicle are not.

Apparently wise New Bruswick drivers avoid country driving after dark, at least certain times of year. We saw chain-link fences paralleling sections of the highway where the moose and deer were most active.

As it got closer to dusk (prime feeding time for deer) and I kept seeing the signs, I watched even closer for any sign of off-road movement. Sometimes the highway was elevated enough that a grazing deer would be out of sight until it decided to climb up and cross the road.

Vigilance is important, but I found myself getting tense. Each yellow warning sign felt more menacing than the last.

A person could really start to fear these creatures! Instead of gentle, liquid-gazed deer faces, my imagination caricaturized them as grim-faced, wild-eyed creatures surging up the slopes in a suicidal guerrilla raid to stop the traffic.

A good laugh restored my perspective and got me thinking about danger and about sin, how as important as it is to be vigilant, we need to be careful not to blow what we’re watching for out of proportion. That’s where unhealthy fear comes from.

Deer on the highway: something to see and avoid. Menacing, mutant killer-deer that stalk our nightmares: something fear can use to paralyse us if we let it.

To paraphrase the words of Jr. Asparagus from VeggieTales: We don’t need to fear what’s out there, because God is the biggest.

Click here to watch Junior to sing it in his own inimitable style.

© Janet Sketchley, 2010
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

Shooting Ourselves in the Feet? -- Janet Sketchley

God came to Balaam and asked, "Who are these men with you?"

Balaam said to God, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: 'A people that has come out of Egypt covers the face of the land. Now come and put a curse on them for me. Perhaps then I will be able to fight them and drive them away.'"

But God said to Balaam, "Do not go with them. You must not put a curse on those people, because they are blessed."
Numbers 22:9-12, NIV*

The people in question were the Israelites, en route to the promised land. For three chapters (22,23,24) the enemy King Balak tries to get Balaam to curse them, but God will not allow them to be cursed.

They are God’s people, and He chooses to bless them.

Then in one chapter (25)—actually verses 1-3 are enough—Israel causes its own trouble.

For me, this is a startling glimpse of God’s perspective. He wanted to do so much for and with His chosen people. He protected them from their enemies, was leading them to a spacious and rich land... and they did the enemies’ job for them!

I wonder what He wants to do in our lives that we’re preventing?

*New International Version (NIV) Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica.

© Janet Sketchley, 2010
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

Where is God in Haiti? -- Janet Sketchley

It doesn’t take a tragedy on the magnitude of the one in Haiti to get people asking “Where was God?” and “Why did He let this happen?”

I’m sure God doesn’t mind honest questions. He knows us, knows our finite understanding and the troubles that are too deep to articulate. I’m equally sure He does not appreciate it when we set ourselves up as His judges, especially since we don’t have all the information.

Whatever our circumstances, it’s worth asking “Where are You, God? What do You want me to learn?” Another good question is “What do You want to do through me?”

Where is God in Haiti? He’s giving strength to the relief workers, whether they recognize it or not. He’s giving courage to the suffering, if they’ll receive it. He’s shining brightest through the people who are in relationship with Him, who can listen to and rely on His Spirit.

Someone called Jesus “God with skin on” and that’s what Christians are to be: the visible means through which God works to touch the world and to show who He really is. Being human, we fail more often than we succeed, but as long as we’re obedient to Him and relying on Him, people can see the difference.

God is in the details, the personal experiences. He had people in place to help physically, and others already praying even though they didn’t know why.

I spoke with a woman who’d been invited to visit Haiti this January. She and her husband sensed it wasn’t the time. They were in Canada, safe, during the earthquake, and God used her as a voice here for the mission there. An email from one of the mission leaders said a voice told him not to leave the shaking building but to shelter under a desk. The rubble at the exit proves he would have died.

On another mission team, one member felt the need to cut short his time and return home. From Canada, he too was able to pray and to be of service. The rest of his team survived the quake and provided support until they had to leave.

God was in the finding of the 15-day old baby, alive after a week in the rubble. In the elderly woman found under the ruined cathedral, who sang so that rescuers could find her. And in the deaths of so many, including the Canadian nurse who’d just arrived to volunteer. I don’t understand, but I trust His character enough to know He can take all this brokenness and make something beautiful.

If we let Him. He won’t push past our defences any more than He would suspend the natural forces that caused the devastation.

We’re all inundated with opportunities to give to Haiti relief. If for some reason you’ve held off but now think it’s time, here are some links that might interest you:

Hands Across The Sea (HATS) orphanage and school in Deschappelles, Haiti.

Cup of Cold Water Click on the “earthquake relief” tab for updates from Haiti: news of the ministry compound (including orphanage) in Vignier, Haiti, and of relief efforts.

Canadian Baptist Ministries Click “emergency relief” and then “Haiti earthquake”.

World Vision

© Janet Sketchley, 2010
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.

Working Out … My Faith - Janet Sketchley

I’ve finally found a daily personal workout routine that suits me. Friends told me about its benefits, but I didn’t really believe them until I proved it for myself.

Sure, I knew it would be good for me, but it seemed like such an effort. And how long would I manage to stick with it? I’d tried before.

Still, I decided to work at it for six weeks. After that, the experiment would be over, and there’d be no shame in quitting.

The first thing that changed was my attitude. Once I started looking at this as something to anticipate, I stopped procrastinating. It’s not a boring ritual, but a way to renew my energy and purge my stress.

Putting some time into it every day is far more effective than my hit-and-miss efforts in the past. I’m starting to see results.

This time, I’m committed to the process. That means no more filtering the instructions through my own understanding, or treating them as suggestions that I can choose to ignore. If I’m going to give this a real chance, I have to do it right.

And I can’t be critical of others who follow the same regimen. If they look too good to be true, perhaps they’ve been practicing longer – or more faithfully. If they seem weak, maybe they need some encouragement. Ideally, these workouts have a group component to complement the daily personal one.

I’ve found it helpful to have someone to act as coach at times. A friendly observer can point out where my form needs improvement. And an extra set of eyes reading the Manual can keep me from getting off-base in my interpretation.

Plus, there’s the accountability factor. I don’t want to have to admit it when I slack off!

My trial period is over now. I’m more energized and focused, and my whole outlook on life is better. The results convinced me this is a worthwhile activity. I’m still tempted to be lazy, but I don’t give in very often. I want to keep growing stronger.

It amazes me that daily quiet times with the Lord can make this much of a difference. These special times when I savour God’s presence in prayer and in the Bible have become my soul’s anchor in my busy days. My spiritual muscles are getting stronger.

Maybe I should try some push ups ….

© Janet Sketchley, 2004, 2009 (This one's from the archives, but it's a fit for January and the season of New Year's resolutions)
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For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.