Works In Progress by Tandy Balson

Two years ago I went on a cruise with my daughter. One day an area of the ship had a sign up saying Works in Progress. To ensure the passengers didn’t attempt to access that area there was also a security guard close to the sign. They were serious about not having the work disturbed.

There are times I’d like a sign and security guard when I have a work or several works in progress.  The trouble is, most of my interruptions come from me!

Sometimes the words don’t flow and I look for distractions to keep me from feeling like a failure. Avoidance doesn’t work forever and sooner or later I need to focus on my writing. When I force myself to sit down and actually start, things aren’t nearly as bad as I’d feared.

Other times I have an abundance of ideas. I will write a few lines, give the piece a working title and save it in a draft file. These drafts may give me a starting place on the days I’ve run out of fresh inspiration. The trick is to make enough notes so I remember what my original idea was.

At the moment, I have a few works in progress that I need to get on with. It’s time to set out my sign, position my inner security guard and get serious about eliminating distractions. Maybe then I can make some progress.

Why I Love to Write by Tandy Balson

To paraphrase Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “How do I love writing? Let me count the ways.”

There are many reasons for my love of writing but the primary one is the connection I feel with God. I clearly remember receiving the call to start writing.

After days of getting inspiration in unexpected places, I thanked God for what he’d been teaching me. Then, I prayerfully asked if there was something I should be doing with these lessons. Immediately I received three words, “write them down.” After doing so, I prayed again, thanking the Lord for prompting me to preserve the words he’d given me so they wouldn’t be forgotten.

That’s when I learned he wanted more from me. Three new words were given, “Now, share them.” Writing and sharing my words were nothing I’d considered before. Initially, I resisted. When I finally obeyed, he gave me more thoughts to share.  Although unsure what to write about, he provided the inspiration.

When I sit down to write, I’m not always sure what will be going on paper. The element of surprise is another reason I love to write. Often the words take on a life of their own and flow in directions I hadn’t planned. It’s always exciting to see where they may lead.

When troubling times appear, my love of writing has been a form of therapy for me. After pouring my thoughts and feelings onto the page, I feel much better. This is something I had never done before the call to write. It’s an intimate form of prayer.

Another reason I love to write is the new eyes and ears I’ve gained. Snippets of conversation now present deeper meaning. Sights and sounds of nature provide abundant lessons to write about. I’m never sure if these lessons are for me alone or if they will speak into other hearts. I only know I am passionate about capturing and sharing them.

When I write, I imagine myself as a pen in the hand of God. I feel incredible blessed to be called to serve the Lord in this way. What better reason could there be to keep me engaged in this noble pursuit?

 “All this,” David said, “I have in writing as a result of the Lord’s hand on me, and he enabled me to understand all the details of the plan.” 1 Chronicles 28:19 NIV

Winter is a Gift from God - by Tandy Balson

The winter beauty astounds me.  Yes, it is extremely cold outside but I am looking at it from a nice warm house. I stop and thank God for providing protection from the cold.

When the temperature dips to -20°C and below the snow is so fine it’s hard to see.  As I walk past the window, a beam of light highlights sparkling snow that looks like glitter being sprinkled from above. I am compelled to call each person in the house to the exact spot I’d been standing in, so they, too, can experience this incredible sight.

Another morning I awoke to an ice fog. When it lifted, the cold, sunny morning revealed frost covering the bare branches of nearby trees. Set against the azure sky, the effect was breathtaking. Until I moved to Alberta, I had never seen this kind of frost.  The ice crystals have formed on only one side of the branches.  It’s not only on trees.  The antenna on our truck looks like it has a fringe that froze in place as it stretched out in the breeze. I reach for my camera to capture this incredible sight.

Thank you, Lord, for showing me the splendour of your creation. The world around me sparkles like precious diamonds.

I am reminded that God delights in providing blessings in unexpected places. Even in the cold winter of my soul, when the hope of new life seems so far away, he is working for my good. His mercies are new every morning. I will rest in the Lord, knowing that winter is one of his precious gifts.

“He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes.” Psalm 147:16

Many Types of Gifts - by Tandy Balson

This time of year many people associate gifts with the brightly wrapped presents under the Christmas tree. While these are nice, they are not what spring to mind when I hear the word gifts.

Some gifts are delights that show up at random times of the year. These bring unexpected treasures or experiences to indulge in. Recently my husband responded to a tweet from a local newspaper and the next day received an email saying he’d won two tickets to a popular dinner theatre.  Several days later we enjoyed a delicious dinner and a performance of Miracle on 34^th Street.  Our evening out was appreciated all the more because it was nothing we earned or deserved, just a gift freely given.

This reminded me of the gifts God gives me. There is no need to earn his love. I didn’t deserve the sacrifice Jesus made for me. The many blessings I receive from God are freely given. These gifts are much greater than anything material riches can provide. 

As writers we know God gives us the gifts of words. Many years ago my mother shared a New Year’s Prayer with me. The author is unknown so I can’t give credit to the one who penned them.  These words are a gift I now share with you as you prepare to enter 2017.

May God make your year a happy one,

Not by shielding you from sorrow and pain,

But by strengthening you to bear it, if it comes.

Not by making your path easy,

But by making you sturdy enough to travel any path.

Not by taking hardships from you,

But by taking all cowardice and fear from your heart.

Not by granting you unbroken sunshine,

But by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows.

Not by making your life always pleasant,

But by showing you where man and his cause need you most,

And by making you anxious to be there, and to help.

The Irony of Writing by Tandy Balson

The irony was not lost on me.  I had been putting off writing this month’s blog post because I couldn’t think of anything to say.  Our prompt is to write about a time we were stripped bare and not able to write.  My difficulty was coming up with a specific time this has happened to me.  My subconscious mind shouted, “How about right now?”

My deadline was in mere hours and I needed to focus.  No ideas were coming but I had fifteen minutes before I needed to leave for an appointment so knew I should at least get a thought or two down on paper. Instead, my gift of procrastination took over. I set up the ironing board and worked on making my husband’s shirts wrinkle-free! I know I’m in avoidance when I choose ironing over writing!

As I ironed, I remembered a quote I’d seen on a t-shirt.  It said:  Irony – the opposite of wrinkly. I’d been looking for a place to use this quote and realized I’d just found it. My mind was wrinkly and thoughts were getting caught in those deep crevices.  If I could smooth out my thoughts I knew the words would come.  Perhaps the irony was just what was needed.

My writing mainly consists of short inspirational pieces that are posted online twice a week. Inspiration for these comes from events in my life or conversations I overhear. As an observer of life, there is usually plenty of material. In the times of creative abundance, I write as much as possible and save the extra stories in a file marked “Draft” on the computer.  This file is like an insurance policy. I know there will be occasions when I am not productive. For one reason or another, I am unable to string words together into a cohesive story.

Knowing I have backup material relieves the pressure of having to come up with a new idea. Sometimes I use one of these stories. Other times just looking through the titles springboards me into a new thought to write about.  I also have a file of pictures I’ve taken.  More than once I have looked through the pictures and been inspired to write about one of them.

These solutions are good when I can choose my topic.  Writing to theme is always more of a challenge for me.  Maybe what I did today works best.  First I engaged in a mindless activity and let my subconscious come up with an idea. Next, I sat at the computer and invited my subconscious to connect with my fingers.  Before I knew it, words had formed.  In order to write, I had to free myself of the need to write.  That plays directly into my sense of irony!