Blooming in the Dark ~ Valerie Ronald

image by Leuchtturm81 from Pixabay

A tiny yellow flower wobbled atop a skinny stem pushing stubbornly through a crack in the unyielding pavement. I stopped to look at it, admiring its tenacity to sprout in such a hostile environment. I glimpsed hope in its brave stretch toward the sun. Could my dream of writing ever grow amid the relentless emotional abuse and humiliation I lived with every day? Could the seed of my creativity find a way to bloom in the dark?

During the years when I was raising children and trying to survive in a dysfunctional marriage, my writing ambitions were buried under constant struggles. As I limped from one crisis to another, my dreams faded from neglect. Whatever efforts I made to write were quickly crushed and ridiculed by my husband. He felt threatened by any personal pursuits I might have. In his version of marriage there was room for only one person to shine, and that was him. 

He did not succeed in completely stamping out the writer in me. I wrote often in my journal as a way to process my emotions. I wrote letters to friends and family. I even invented a game with my children where we wrote stories together. When I accepted Jesus into my life, I realized it was He who gave me the gift of writing. That is why the dream of being a writer never left me. As the giver of the gift, He would not let it die. 

Eventually, my children and I were left more on our own as my husband chased his selfish pursuits. Although his neglect created new stress, his absence gave me time and freedom to begin writing for publication. The few of my articles accepted, and writing contests I won bolstered my depleted confidence, yet I felt guilty for keeping these small successes from my husband. When I finally told him, he insisted the only writing I should do was for his business, developing brochures and newsletters. According to him, personal creative writing stole from his income. 

I quit writing for publication and contests, but I still wrote in private. It was impossible for me not to write at all. The deep joy and fulfillment I experienced as I wrote could only come from God, who created me to write for Him. Time I spent reading His Word gave me limitless inspiration and material to write about. 

When my marriage reached its breaking point after numerous betrayals and emotional abuse, writing was a lifeline for me. I poured out my heart in my journal where I could honestly express my deepest struggles and emotions without being judged. 

Through this traumatic time God taught me deep truths about Himself that I would not trade for any number of easier days. Often my journal entries began with angry rants or great sadness, but in the process of writing down my feelings, the hurt and anger gradually transformed into prayers of gratitude and devotion. When I surrendered my circumstances to Almighty God, I knew I could trust Him to work them out for His good purposes. 

Those days are now a distant memory. Eventually I married a godly man who wholeheartedly supports my call to write. He encouraged me to publish a recently released book in which lessons I learned in the hard times show up in many of the devotional pieces. 

Whenever I see a flower growing out of a crack in the pavement I think about the tenacity of God-given hope. His purposes for the gift He has given us will not be set aside. Even if buried for a time, He keeps alive our desire to exercise and enjoy the gift, like a small seed buried under the pavement. Reaching for His light, it will bloom again.

Valerie Ronald writes from an old roll top desk in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, with her tortoiseshell cat for a muse. A graduate of Langara College School of Journalism, she writes devotionals, fiction, and inspirational prose. Her purpose in writing is to encourage others to grow in their spiritual walk. She has recently published a devotional book, "Each Shining Moment - Lingering in God's Light."

Beyond the Last Page ~ Valerie Ronald

 

If I had known it would take over a year to birth a book from rough draft to publication, I might have thought twice about tackling the project. That is a long gestation period! Any day now I am expecting the arrival of my new baby, a devotional book titled Each Shining Moment: Lingering in God’s Light. Holding my book in my hands, gazing at its shiny cover, and flipping through its crisp, new pages will be almost as exciting for me as it was to cradle my three newborn babies. Birthing this book was not as painful but certainly as laborious.

Like a first-time parent, I am thrilled with the new arrival, yet nervous about what comes next. Fortunately, my publisher provides marketing tutorials and support for new authors. Learning how to market my book is first on my list of things to do in the next four months of 2026.

My publisher assumes my priority is to sell as many books as possible in order to bank a good volume of royalties. Actually, marketing the book is more about putting it in the hands of spiritual seekers and those who desire to grow in their Christian walk. I plan to implement some of the recommendations of my publisher, however, the marketing strategy in which I have the most confidence is to prayerfully release the book to God, who knows best where and to whom it needs to go.

“Now glory be to God, who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes” (Ephesians 3:20 NLT).

Next on my list is catching up with projects left undone as I poured many hours into the book this past year. I plan to do some deep cleaning and organizing projects around the house, return to cooking and baking from scratch after too many convenience meals, and spend more time with friends and family.

Now that the book is done I can focus on other writing projects. Writing monthly posts for InScribe Writers Online, bi-monthly columns for InScribe FellowScript magazine, and monthly devotionals for our church bulletin motivates me to write frequently. I am also looking forward to writing my annual Christmas short story and some new pieces for our local writer’s group.

Of course, these plans will depend on how well my new baby (and its author) will adapt now that it is published. This book may be a quiet child, not overly adventurous, happy to stay close to home. Or it may take off running, eager to make many new friends in faraway places. I have no set expectations for the book, choosing rather to hold it with an open hand so God can do with it as He wills, using it as He sees fit.

Just as I prayed for my children, I also pray that this book birthed from my walk with God will help others in their growth towards Him. I am eager to see what its future holds. 

Valerie Ronald writes from an old roll top desk in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, with her tortoiseshell cat for a muse. A graduate of Langara College School of Journalism, she writes devotionals, fiction, and inspirational prose. Her purpose in writing is to encourage others to grow in their spiritual walk.

Balance for a Wobbly Writer ~ Valerie Ronald

                                                                          photo credit Valerie Ronald

My season for physical balancing is long past at my age. I can stand on one foot for perhaps five seconds, but that’s it. I grew up near the ocean where, as children my brothers and I would challenge each other to see how far we could walk balancing on beach logs. I recall dancing down the logs, leaping from one to the other, walking heel-to-toe with arms outstretched like a tightrope walker. Back then, balancing was easy.

Balance means something different now. Do I eat a balanced diet? Does my cheque book balance? How do I balance life and writing? This month’s topic prompted me to evaluate how I do both and where I need improvement. Perhaps you will identify with some of my discoveries.

I would rather write than almost anything else. If I’m not in the writing zone at my computer, then I am dreaming up writing ideas and story lines or thinking about how to express a deep topic in a way that readers will understand. But meals don’t get made or errands done if I’m always following my passion. So I need to prioritize and compartmentalize.

Do your chores first, then you can play. That’s what my mother always said. Sitting down to write is easier when the house is tidy and meals planned, so early afternoon is a good time for me to write. It doesn’t always happen, but most days I try to do something writing-focused in the afternoon, even for a short time.

Deadlines stimulate writing, as long as there are not too many. I give prayerful thought to a writing project with a deadline before committing to it. There are so many opportunities I would like to participate in but if I over-commit then it creates stress. In order to maintain balance with writing and life, I need to assess how much I can do.

Be realistic about physical and mental energy. These days it takes much longer for me to do household tasks due to age and physical limitations. I’ve relaxed my cleaning standards, cook simpler meals, and ask my husband for help often. The need for frequent rest provides time for me to think through writing projects. I keep a notebook or my cell phone nearby so I can jot down my ideas.

Serve others first. My husband is in leadership in our home church, so I do as much as I can to help and support him in his ministry. This requires commitment to building into the spiritual lives of our church family, as well as the other roles we fill in our small congregation. As much as I love to write, when a need arises, people come first, whether in family relationships or church connections.

Nurture your relationship with God. Not to be impertinent, but God is my ghost writer. I depend on His Spirit for direction, inspiration, creativity, and more in my writing. Having quiet time with Him in the morning is absolutely essential for all aspects of my life. Often as I’m reading His Word, ideas shine forth or a particular verse sends me on a search that may develop into a full-blown writing project. The writer of Hebrews exhorts, “Therefore, holy brothers and sisters who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge as our apostle and high priest” (Hebrews 3:1 NIV).

If we stop seeing our daily life and writing as enemies, and instead let them blend together, giving ourselves grace to face each aspect of our day as a gift from God, then balance will take care of itself.

Valerie Ronald writes from an old roll top desk in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, with her tortoiseshell cat for a muse. A graduate of Langara College School of Journalism, she writes devotionals, fiction, and inspirational prose. Her purpose in writing is to encourage others to grow in their spiritual walk.

Book of a Lifetime ~ Valerie Ronald

 

I remember the smell and feel of the new school scribbler on the desk in my childhood bedroom. Within its blue cover, blank pages waited to receive my first attempt at writing a book. I was eight years old. Now that I could read and print, I was eager to record the story swirling around in my head. Determined to fill the notebook, I laboured with my limited vocabulary to describe scenes of a log cabin and the family living in it, especially a girl just my age. My stubby pencil hardly kept up with her adventures pouring out of my mind. The notebook was never filled as my focus moved on to some other childhood interest, but I remember the excitement of creating a whole world from my imagination. 

Throughout my school years and post secondary education in journalism, writing was my passion. I planned to make it my career and hoped someday to publish a book. I worked for a few years in my chosen field but too soon marriage and a growing family took over. I barely had time or energy to journal occasionally, never mind write a book.

Fast forward fifty years and finally the dream is becoming a reality. My first book will soon be launched. Each Shining Moment is a devotional compilation of my many moments of lingering in God’s light. They comprise a lifetime of experiences and lessons gleaned from my walk with God and time in His Word. But it is not the book I thought I would write when I first dreamed of being published so many years ago. I imagined a work of fiction with exciting characters, vivid settings, and a riveting plot. God was not included in the story then.

It wasn’t until life became hard that I knew I needed to include God. I struggled in a painful marriage, raising my children alone while my husband pursued his own adventures, eventually abandoning his family. Then came a time of clinging to God through the deep valley of a cancer diagnosis and an uncertain future. I am so thankful God renewed my health and brought me to a place of peace and blessing, giving me an opportunity to finally write a book.

Now I realize that the book I was meant to write needed to rise from the ashes of adversity so others could hopefully identify and learn from what God taught me. Looking back over the deep truths God instilled in me in those hard places, I see His perfect timing and wisdom in having me wait until my senior years to write this book.

It is not about me. It is all about Him. 

"Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips."  Hosea 14:2 NIV
 

 Valerie Ronald writes from an old roll top desk in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, with her tortoiseshell cat for a muse. A graduate of Langara College School of Journalism, she writes devotionals, fiction and inspirational prose. Her purpose in writing is to encourage others to grow in their spiritual walk. 

Beauty Beyond Sight ~ Valerie Ronald

 

How do I convey beauty to one whose eyes can no longer see? An irreversible eye disease has recently robbed my grandson of his vision. From now on his 25 years of visual data will be the only images stored in his memory. Though he is learning to experience beauty with his remaining senses, visual beauty can only be conveyed to him second-hand by the spoken word of another who sees it. 

 

 Already the rest of his senses are adapting. His brain has the remarkable ability to repurpose itself, reallocating the visual cortex to process information from hearing, touch, and smell. As saddened as I am by his loss of vision, I am also challenged to find ways to describe beauty to him that he can interpret through his other senses. His loss of vision causes me to view visual beauty from a unique perspective, searching for metaphors that capture the essence of what I see and translate it to a different physical sense. 

˗˗The sky is as piercingly blue as the clear song of a meadowlark. 

˗˗Her hair curls around her face like the softness of a summer breeze on your cheek

˗˗The swift flow of a mountain stream is as brisk as the scent of a pine forest. 

Jesus was a master of using visual metaphors to describe spiritual truths. He chose appealing illustrations from nature to convey spiritual concepts to temporal humans. He said to the Samaritan woman at the well, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water” (John 4:10 NIV). As He spoke these words, the woman might have imagined a spring of fresh, clear water bubbling up that would never run dry˗˗a beautiful picture of the everlasting spiritual life offered to her by Jesus, the Messiah.

 

As a writer who believes in Jesus Christ, my desire is to find descriptive words to convey His beauty to those who are spiritually blind. His beauty is found in His perfect character, His loving purposes, and His exact representation of His Father in heaven. The infinite facets of who He is offer me endless opportunities to describe Him, so those who cannot see Him now will hopefully open their spiritual eyes to see how beautiful He truly is.

 

In coming to terms with his new physical reality, my grandson is developing the ability to know beauty without the means of sight. Already he experiences beauty in the sound of a loved one’s voice, in the touch of a child’s hand, in the scent of rain on the breeze. I pray He will also find beauty in the love of His Saviour.

Valerie Ronald writes from an old roll top desk in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, with her tortoiseshell cat for a muse. A graduate of Langara College School of Journalism, she writes devotionals, fiction and inspirational prose. Her purpose in writing is to encourage others to grow in their spiritual walk. 

Spaces - Tangible and Internal - Take Two by Valerie Ronald

Back in 2024, when our blog prompt was a letter of the alphabet for each month, I wrote this post for the letter S. This is a repeat of that post because my favourite space to write is still my old rolltop desk. It is the birthplace of my first book, soon to be published, so I’ve spent many hours here lately.

When my mother left me a gift of money in her will, the first purchase I made with it was an oak rolltop desk, something I knew she would want me to own. From the time I showed an interest as a child until her passing, she encouraged and supported my desire to write. Whenever I roll up the cover on my desk, I feel her loving presence. 

The handsome old desk stands in an alcove, its worn wood interior smoky with thousands of words forged in the fires of my imagination, meditations and experiences. To me it is not just a desk, it is a sacred space where, as I practice my craft, I feel the Holy Spirit flow through me. I keep a scented candle burning nearby when I write, to remind me it is not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit I am given the words He may possibly use to draw others to Himself. 

There are other spaces where I sometimes write, however, this desk is where creativity happens most often. It contains tools like my laptop, dictionaries, writing books, pens and sticky notes. Its cubbyholes and drawers are messy and cluttered with the debris of a busy mind. I like it that way. Then there are treasures which motivate me, like a stuffed frog with its acronym attached on a label˗˗˗Fully Rely On God, or a trinket box embellished with a porcelain fountain pen. Above my desk hangs a painting by my daughter, of a woman’s hands holding an open book. 

Every writer has a favourite space to write, whether at the kitchen table, in a private study, at a cafe or outside in a garden. Our space where we write is important to us. I find it interesting to see photos of the writing spaces of well-known authors. When in Paris, I visited an English bookstore where Ernest Hemingway used to write. His desk, typewriter, and some of his books were still there, tucked away in a quiet corner of the shop. It was inspiring to be where some of his great works were created. 

Physical space for writing is important, but not as key as mental space. Nowadays the time and energy required to function in our culture is often not conducive to a writer’s need for mental space. Creating mental space for writing to thrive is about giving the mind the chance to clear and reset, while also letting the subconscious get to work in the background. When I am asked to describe my writing process, I say that most of the work goes on in my mind before I actually get down to writing. 

The best of ideas and problem-solving occur when I am doing some simple activity not requiring deep focus, like cooking, going for a walk, or gardening. When it feels as though I am thinking about nothing, I am giving myself mental space, so my subconscious has free rein. The key is to find something that takes my mind off of my work in progress, so it has a chance to grow organically. Daydreaming is an absolute necessity in my life as a writer, providing a mental space where ideas can percolate in my subconscious while I focus on a simpler activity. 

We are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God, whose creativity is beyond understanding. He created us to be writers, so He knows what we need to write˗˗˗both tangible and internal spaces where, prompted by His Spirit, our words create worlds inspired by Him.

Valerie Ronald writes from an old roll top desk in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, with her tortoiseshell cat for a muse. A graduate of Langara College School of Journalism, she writes devotionals, fiction and inspirational prose. Her purpose in writing is to encourage others to grow in their spiritual walk.