A Memorable Christmas - Guest Post by Ruth Keighley

Christmas memories are common to everyone. Some may not be good memories but most of them are worth remembering. I grew up in a family of seven where Christmas was one of the most important days of the year. The birth of Christ was the centre of the holiday season and extended family came to celebrate together. 

Excitement and anticipation were high as we prepared for that special day. Mom and Dad gave each of us kids a little money so we could buy some presents for our parents and siblings and it was fun to wrap the gifts in my parents’ bedroom feeling just a little trepidation that someone uninvited would open the door to peek in. 

It was tradition in our home to open most of the presents on the evening of Christmas Eve after everyone had their baths and were dressed in their pjs and sipping hot chocolate. Dad would always read the Christmas story and pray but we were impatient to get to the gift opening. There were a lot of exclamations of joy as we opened our gifts to each other and watched as Mom opened the big parcel sent from our grandparents in another province. 

One Christmas I had ordered a special gift for my mom from the Eaton’s catalogue. It was a pair of white fancy gloves that reached to the elbow. My mom never dressed in fancy clothes that would suit those gloves but I thought they would look beautiful on her. She graciously wore them to church a couple times and showed them off to her friends. I wasn’t aware until much later how funny she would have looked in those gloves. I just knew that Mom had truly appreciated my gift of love and wasn’t embarrassed to display what I had done for her. 

 We kids got up that Christmas morning and quietly went into the living room to see what we had under the tree. Those were our gifts from Mom and Dad and they were unwrapped, with a piece of paper with our names on top of each display. Mom and Dad stayed in their bed across the hall and listened to us and waited for us to come and thank them.

One Christmas morning I knelt in front of the tree and found my name on my gift. There it was, a pair of beautiful hand-knitted mittens that Mom had made, lying on top of some wrinkled cellophane paper. I picked up those mittens and my first thought was, “Is that all I got?” I felt guilty that I was so disappointed and I struggled to feel truly thankful before going into my parents’ bedroom. I thanked them for the mitts and Mom asked me, “Is that all you found? Go back and look again.” I lifted the cellophane and there underneath was a lovely wristwatch, something I had desired for a long time. My thankfulness turned to real joy as I ran into my parents’ bedroom and thanked them for my Christmas gift. 

I learned something important that Christmas. I must be thankful for the little things. Life is made up of a lot of little things that we may not recognize as true gifts but I Thessalonians 6:18 tells us, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I learned that I could be truly thankful despite disappointment. It was a lesson I was to learn over again many times throughout my life. 

Thank you, Lord, for the little things.

Ruth Keighley is a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother living in Warman, SK. She loves writing, reading, jigsaw puzzles, and hand embroidery. She has authored one book, Healing for an Unquiet Mind, and co-authored one book, Making the Crooked Places Straight.

Getting Into the Zone by Ruth Keighley

To write or not to write? That is the question. As writers we are often given the advice to spend some time writing each day even if it is only for a brief period of time. For many of us this involves a lot of discipline. By nature we tend to let our moods and attitudes dictate when we will sit down and put our thoughts on paper.

Personally, I struggled with the inclination to wait until it ‘feels right’. Am I free from either physical or mental distractions? Do I ‘feel’ inspired to write? Is it imperative that I meet an impending deadline? Do I write because I sense a pressing need and longing to do so?

In earlier times I failed to discipline myself because I still did not have the confidence to believe that my writing was worth the effort. I wonder what I have missed because of that attitude. I wonder what my potential readers have missed because of it. Possibly I have failed to write that masterpiece because of my lack of confidence.

I have found through practice, I can ‘get into the zone’ more readily. It requires consistent, unswerving commitment to honing my craft. This is where that illusive discipline comes into play. At times I sit down to write because my thoughts will not let go of a particular idea and writing it down will put it all into perspective. During the last two years, throughout the covid crisis, I have developed more discipline and have spent almost everyday writing something. The results have been amazing as I’ve seen some of my work accepted for publication.

These attitudes towards writing can parallel our mind-set towards the time we spend with the Lord. Daily, consistent prayer time has become a discipline that I must faithfully pursue. It does not always come naturally to me to seize those day-by-day moments.

Many attitudes may determine the time I spend in prayer. Am I free from physical and mental distractions? Do I ‘feel’ like it? Do my circumstances compel me to pray? Do I sense a pressing need and longing to spend time with the Lord?

God invites us to spend time with him. In Hebrews 4:16 he encourages us to “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  He wants us to come as we are and not wait until we are “in the zone.”

At times I wonder what blessings I may have missed because of my lack of discipline. What longings have gone unanswered? I wonder what blessing others have missed because I have not been faithful to spend time with the one who invites me to come habitually into his presence?

When I consistently commit myself to spending time with the Lord, prayer becomes second nature to me and it results in a beautiful, regular and satisfying relationship with God. The rewards are unmistakable and well worth the effort. Let us all dedicate ourselves to improving our resolve to both write and pray consistently. I love the saying I heard at a writers conference once, “learn to write on your knees”. The two go hand in hand. 

Ruth is a wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She lives in Warman, SK. She enjoys writing, reading, jigsaw puzzles and embroidery.

What is That in Your Hand? - Guest Post by Ruth Keighley

 

For years I struggled to believe and accept that God gave me the gift of writing. When I first started writing I had no faith in my ability to write anything that someone else would be interested in reading. I joined a Christian writer’s group but it took a long time before I was willing to share anything I had written. I was embarrassed by my lack of knowledge. I was hurt when someone would critique my work, which I translated as criticism.  

Years ago, I wrote a long poem telling my father-in-law’s story. It was 50 stanzas long. I sent it to my aunt for a critique. She sent it back with a few suggestions such as omitting a couple verses that were redundant. I was so hurt that I threw the document into a drawer with the intention of never reading it again. A couple years later I found it and reread it. I was so amazed at how my perspective and attitude had changed. Yes, my aunt was correct. Those verses were unnecessary and leaving them out and following some other suggestions made the story so much better. 

I decided then and there that I could be a writer. That is what God had called me to do. Since that time, I have published two books, am ready to publish a third, and am working on a fourth. A couple more are waiting in the wings. 

When God called Moses to do a mighty work for him, he questioned God, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me?” God asked him, “What is that in your hand?” Moses answered, “A staff.” God promised him that he would use that staff to show his people his power. Exodus 4:2 

God asks us, “What is that in your hand?” We answer, “A pen.” God has given each of us the mysterious gift of writing. We can’t fully comprehend the power we wield when we put pen to paper. We will use that pen to bring words of pleasure and light, words of instruction and warning, words of encouragement and blessing, and words of life and healing. Or we can use our pen to pass on words of heaviness, destruction, deceit and betrayal. 

Jodi Picoult, said, “Words are like eggs dropped from great heights; you can no more call them back than ignore the mess they leave when they fall.” It is essential that we choose our words wisely. They must be significant and accurate. Words define reality, whether positive or negative. 

In Revelations 1, we are told that John saw visions of things to come. God told him to write on a scroll everything he saw. Verse 3 gives us the outcome for the readers. “Blessed are the ones who read the words of this prophecy.” We have no indication how many or who will read our words but God has promised to bless others when we obey him and use the tool he has put in our hand. And we, too, will be blessed.

Putting our words on paper carries with it an awesome responsibility but we needn’t fear it. The genre doesn’t matter. We all have our own preferences and genres in which we write the best. 

I encourage you to face that empty page and pick up the pen that God has put in your hand and do what you do well. Write to be read.

Ruth Keighley is a wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother living in Warman, SK. She loves writing, reading, jigsaw puzzles, and hand embroidery. She has authored one book, Healing for an Unquiet Mind, and co-authored one book, Making the Crooked Places Straight.