To My Younger Self by Alan Anderson

 

I don’t have an abundance of fond memories of my childhood. Years would crawl by before I realized God was not a Great Tormentor in the sky. My imagination allowed me to create adventures to escape and run away from certain moments in life. Glory to God, I came to be aware of the gift and beauty of life, including my life.


Dear Alan,

Your early years in Scotland revealed your shyness, self-doubt, and a desire to escape those with loud voices. In time you would learn to use your imagination through writing to turn away your fears. You also turned to people who helped shape the man you would become.

Standout Memories

Do you remember when you were seven or eight years old, there was an upset at home, and you wanted to run away? You ran out of the house, not knowing where you would run to, then realized something else. The weather was stormy, and thunderclaps scared you. You thought the thunder was God being angry with you for running away.

When you finally went back home, no one realized you had left. Your family thought you had just gone outside for a while. This caused you to think you did not matter. Mum, however, did notice and consoled you as only she could.

Remember the old man from our neighbourhood who took his own life. His death was too much for you to process. When you asked Mum why he did such a thing, she said amid her own sadness that, “he was lonely.” You will never forget her sorrowful words nor the old man’s death. As you grow in years and mature in life, the old man will be your role model for people who suffer. Mum will be your role model for compassion.

Another impactful memory is your unending love for a teacher named Miss Gordon. Miss Gordon let you know you mattered, and she took the time to encourage you in your schooling. You will write about her when you get older to let people know of her beautiful compassion. 

https://inscribewritersonline.blogspot.com/2015/09/miss-gordon-oh-how-i-loved-you-by-alan.html

A delightful memory planted forever in your soul is of you and one of your brothers wandering in a field near the Grampian Mountains in Scotland. You walked through a field covered with purple heather and fragrant flowers. This gave you such pleasure and a time for you to rest your mind from your inner turmoil. You saw and felt God’s creation and realized His love. This allowed you to breathe in a calmness you had never found before.

Words of encouragement as you grow older

As years go by and you become a man, your love of quiet places will be one of your strengths. You will never lose your practice of embracing nature, God’s creation. As you get older, you will continue to thank God when the trees you walk by seem to embrace you. You will also love solitude and places that allow you to sit in peace and write.

As decades go by, you will develop your writer’s voice. Write well and often, even when health challenges settle on you as you reach your older years. Never compromise your voice for the sake of popularity or wealth as the world sees it. Remember Mum, Miss Gordon, and the old man, for they were the seeds of your writing and compassionate words.

Keep in mind the heart and actions of the Lord Jesus:

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36 NIV)

Alan, for as long as you can show this compassion in how you live and through the words you write.

 

Alan lives in a small village called Deroche, British Columbia, with his wife, Terry, and their poodle, Charlie. He enjoys walking on the dike near his home, with trees all around and where he finds inspiration to write. He has occasionally written articles for FellowScript Magazine and is a regular contributor to the InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship blog. Alan’s website and blog is https://scarredjoy.ca. He has also begun to write on Substack.

A Letter to My Younger Self by Steph Beth Nickel

Dear 20-Something Self,

Some things we can’t learn without experiencing them. So, while there is lots I’d love to encourage you to change, lessons I’d love for you to learn sooner, we likely wouldn’t be here, just a couple of months before our 65^th birthday.

And just where is here?

After 40+ years in the same city, Dave and I are packing and prepping the house to put on the market. Joshua, Son #2, and his wife, Ericka, (yep, we’re a mother-in-law twice over) live two provinces over. Sarah, Kiddo #3, moved in with them last fall. She hopes to buy a place of her own when she has saved up enough for a downpayment. And our plan, Lord willing, is for Dave and I to move west after the house sells.

That will be a huge adventure, considering we’ve never lived out of the province. While we’re excited, the thought of leaving behind family and friends will become more emotionally charged as the date approaches. Several people have said how much they don’t want us to go, some who have known us for years and others we’ve befriended more recently.

Last year, Dave finally retired from his “temporary” job at the Housing Corporation, where he worked for over 40 years. (The Lord never opened the doors to full-time music ministry as we’d anticipated.) Nathanial came home from Scotland to celebrate his dad’s retirement and his 70^th b-day. (Sadly, N’s wife, Laura, couldn’t take the time off work.) Joshua and Ericka also joined us. And Sarah was still living at home at this point.

While all this happened just last year, it seems like it was much longer ago. What doesn’t seem that long ago is the adventure Dave and I shared with Nathanial and Laura in 2024. We travelled to Iceland with them and toured Scotland, where they live. Nathanial also took Dave and I to Ireland for five days toward the end of our time across the Pond.

So, all that to say…

Our life has been a sequence of adventures. And hopefully, there are several more yet to come.

You, my 20-something self, have challenging days ahead. You’ll make mistakes you’d love to erase. Words—lots of words—you’d love not to have said. Accusations you’ll wish you’d never made. Lessons you’d love to have learned much earlier. Opportunities you’ll grab hold of and others that will slip through your fingers. And a battle with anger that only the Lord could deliver you from.

But know this…

Romans 8:28 is true. God truly works all things together for good.

His mercy and grace are unfathomable.

And His blessings… Innumerable.

Trust the Lord. Grow in your love for Him. And grow in your love for those whose paths cross yours.

Embrace the adventure that is your life!

Steph Beth Nickel is the former Editor of FellowScript and the current InScribe Contest Coordinator. Steph is an editor and author and plans to relocate to Saskatchewan from Ontario to be close to family in 2027. (Headshot Photo Credit: Jaime Mellor Photography)

Travelling as a Source of Writing Inspiration by Steph Beth Nickel

 

Photo Credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/airplane-sky-sunrise-sunset-6074629/

A writer's inspiration can come from any number of places: snippets of overheard conversation, a display of souvenir merchandise bearing unusual names, a random quote you can't forget.

And . . . travel!

Next month, I will be travelling to Scotland, Ireland, and Iceland with my husband. Our eldest son and his wife will serve as our tour guides. (They live in Scotland and spend a fair amount of time in Iceland, a place they especially look forward to showing us.)

Needless to say, a trip like this has the potential to provide a plethora of ideas for future writing projects, more ideas than I'll ever be able to pursue I'm sure.

While I could wait until I wing my way across the Pond to make any definite plans, I thought it best to get my creative mojo flowing by brainstorming ideas as to what I could write based on this once in a lifetime trip.

From poems to pictures books. Devotionals. Memoir. Blog posts. Newsletter content. Speculative fiction. Cozy mysteries. 

And so much more! 

To prime the pump, I asked Claude AI for ideas. While I won't be using any of the ideas "as is," they have served as inspiration.

For example, I asked, "Give me picture book ideas for books set in Scotland, Ireland, and Iceland," and Claude came up with three ideas for each location. 

Among other ideas, it suggested, "Tartan Tales: A patchwork quilt comes to life, sharing stories of Scottish history and folklore," "The Littlest Leprechaun: A tiny leprechaun tries to prove his worth by granting the biggest wish ever," and "Puffin's Big Adventure: A curious puffin explores Iceland's diverse landscapes and meets unique wildlife."

Like any other technology, generative AI can be used for unethical purposes. However, I've found that it's a great brainstorming partner.

In order to record the ideas that come to mind, I have purchased a blank journal which I plan to write in every day and a guided journal, should the idea for a novel begin to percolate. (I'm sure there will be many.)

I may take coloured pens, a different colour to use for each category so I can quickly scan the journal when I return home and develop the ideas that jump off the page at me.

I will also be taking a camcorder with an external mic to keep a video record of My European Adventure and a record of the magnificent scenery that is bound to grab my attention. I may also take my digital camera. We'll see. It is rather bulky but will likely be well worth it.

What corners of God's creation have inspired your writing? How did you keep track of that inspiration? What have you written based on your travels?

A Personal Love of Canada - Alan Anderson

For the first time since blogging here I almost forgot.

When I think of Canada I think of the wonder of home. I think of my adopted home. I think of the land of my birth

The wonder of Canada as home. Canada is an amazing country. It is huge in landmass. It is composed of people from all over the world who accept her welcoming heart. I love how most people at least, respect the wisdom in assimilating into Canada as a unique culture. I sincerely appreciate Canada is a country that for the most part believes in freedom of religion and speech.

I have travelled to a number of locales in Canada and I stand amazed at her beauty. Having spent most of my life in British Columbia I love the mountains. I love the protection of evergreen trees and the soaring of the eagles we see all year round. I love the sense of awareness that surrounds me when I go for a hike in the mountains and forests. It is the awareness that I am in the home of bears and cougars.

To me, British Columbia is one of Canada’s jewels.

Canada, my adopted home. Although I originally had no choice in coming to Canada I have chosen to live here and undoubtedly will die here. I will explain more about this in the next section of this post.

When I consider the turmoil all too common in certain parts of the world, at least Canada has a history of enjoying a democracy. I have the freedom here to more or less live the way I want without molestation from the government. I pray to God it will remain so.

The freedom of Canada has made it possible for my wife and I to raise our family in peace. This is primarily due to the strength, conviction and sacrifice of the members of our military personnel. Our children are proud of Canada!

Every Canada Day I think of the land of my birth. I was born in Scotland, the land of my soul. Scotland gave me to Canada. As a Scotsman, however, I know that Scotland never gives up her children. I will always be a laddie from Scotland!

I was ten years old when my parents brought my siblings and I to Canada in 1964. We left the land of our births because my parents believed it would present us with a better way of life. For the most part, this has been so.

A regret I have is we did not bring our dog with us. Her name was Lassie. It is something I have never forgotten. We left family and our beautiful Scotland yet I miss my dog even to this day. That may sound crazy to you. I was a boy and I loved Lassie. For the longest time I resented that my parents didn’t bring her with us. I also resented Canada and spent the better part of our first year homesick for Scotland.

As the years have gone by and I have matured I love Canada yet Scotland still runs through my veins. I have never been back.

Canada is home. It took me a long time to realize and accept that fact. I thank my parents for having the courage to uproot themselves for the sake of their children, including me.

Thank you Canada for being so good to me! Thank you Scotland for giving up some of your children to settle in such a wondrous and beautiful Canada!

May God bless us and keep us free!

Blog: ScarredJoy@wordpress.com

A Pictorial Thank Offering by Steph Beth Nickel

As most of you know, I attended my son's wedding in Scotland this September. Below are a few of the 1,000 or so pictures I took while there. They show some of the many reasons I have to give thanks.What fills your heart with thanksgiving?