A is for Author

 

I’m an author, a published author. It’s a label describing part of who I am, but it still feels like it doesn’t fit well. At times, it seems like one of those clothing labels that makes your skin itch or the ribbon kind that pop out at the most inopportune times, those labels you want to cut out and discard.

What should I do with this author label? For years I hid my one-time enjoyment of writing. Then, as I began to put words to paper or more often keystrokes on the computer to form a story of some description, I told people, “I’m a reluctant writer.”

Have you ever been there? Reluctantly writing or quaking in your boots at the thought someone might ask you to speak in public, lead a workshop, or do anything out of your comfort zone? My words of being a reluctant writer or the thought of the label author puts me into a place far from any comfort zone. It’s never something that had been on my bucket list.

A number of years ago my one grandson challenged those words of mine when I repeated them yet again in his hearing. “Grandma, when you say you are a reluctant writer, it’s a very negative attitude.”

Wow. I must admit I had never really thought of my words in that way. I needed to pause and reflect on his comments. A is also for attitude and adjustment. Mine needed that. It has taken years to adapt my thinking and attitude to go from reluctant writer to published author when people ask me what I do.

Stories have been part of my life for as long as I can remember and likely longer. Hearing stories, reading them, and telling them too. They captivate my attention. They weave their way into answers I give to questions, speaking engagements, and now my writing. I knew storyteller fit as a way to describe myself and what I love to do. Then stories began to be published in anthologies or as a book and published author needed to be a descriptor as well.

The biggest attitude adjustment came when I realized that God gave me the ability to tell the stories. He gave me a gift but never meant me to hide it away or ignore it. The gift needed to be used to encourage and teach others. My attitude and actions of using the ability to tell stories and be a published author needs to praise God, my Creator so I can be a good steward.

An attitude adjustment happened. But some days, I feel myself slipping into the past way of thinking and desire to hide by not telling people about what I do or use the words published author. Then I take time to look back at the journey, the adventure God has taken me on to this point. I read down the list of what I’ve written and published from articles and poems in magazines and anthologies to devotional books, memoir, and even fiction. Affirmation from readers or fellow writers encourage me and remind me that God’s plan far exceeds my limited vision of the way ahead. Everything to this point is God’s doing. I often turn to the benediction in Ephesians 3: 20, 21 (NIV) which encourages, inspires, and fills me with awe at the power of God in Christ Jesus.
“ Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Yes, a is for author. I simply need to be willing to do what God asks and enjoy the adventure we are on together. 

 

As a speaker and published author, Carol Harrison is passionate about mentoring people of all ages and abilities to help them find their voice and reach their fullest potential. She shares from her heart, with stories from real life experiences and God’s Word to encourage people and help them find a glimmer of hope no matter what the circumstances.

 

Construction Zone Ahead by Marnie Pohlmann

living the dream

A few years ago, my husband and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary by taking a 30-day motorcycle trip. We started by riding from British Columbia through Alberta to Saskatchewan for our son's wedding festivities. Then we meandered down to the United States, through Montana, across Idaho, along the Oregon Coast, up through Washington's Okanogan County and back into Canada's Okanagan Valley. We then headed over to Vancouver Island to celebrate the wedding of friends, and back north to home in the BC Peace Region.

We saw beautiful scenery, encountered both sun and storms, rode in highway traffic and secondary road serenity. We experienced good days and bad days - just like 30 years of marriage has ups and downs.

stop light in the middle of nowhere

Another kind of encounter we had on our trip which is like marriage was traveling through construction zones. On busy highways, traffic was reduced to one lane. In the middle of nowhere temporary stop lights directed the sporadic flow of vehicles over a single-lane bridge. 

Road to the Sun

On top of Montana's "Road to the Sun" in Glacier National Park, workers were repairing the twisty, narrow highway, and with the heavy fog and rain of that day, it appeared they were hanging off a cliff on the edge of the world. Some day we need to do that Road to the Sun in the sun so we can see the grand vistas that were hidden by the weather.

slip sliding along

Closer to home, in the Pine Pass, we road through slippery, deep mud. Thankfully, the flag person waved motorcycles to the front of the line, just behind the pilot car, so we did not have to contend with the flying mud and wheel ruts left by the trucks in the long line of impatient vehicles.

There are not many trips we have taken when we have not come upon a construction zone. Funny how we remember those short times of inconvenience more than we appreciate when the road is clear and smooth.

When I think of construction zones I see a picture of the out-of-my-comfort zones of faith, writing, and life in general.

Construction zones seem to be everywhere throughout our travels. Out-of-my-comfort zones also seem to be everywhere. Parenting, healing, moving, new jobs. My whole life has been filled with uncomfortable times, often when I am in a construction zone of faith. Like construction zones, out-of-my-comfort zones can be found during the quiet and the busy, in the lows and the highs, in the light and the dark of life. I seem to notice them more than when I’m traveling along in a comfort zone.

motorcycles use extra caution

With all those areas of discomfort, I wondered if I have ever actually been in a comfort zone. What is a comfort zone, anyway? Perhaps there are no rules to comfort zones. No boundaries, no limits, no timelines. A comfort zone for some is being alone, for others, it is being with people. For some, it is being Martha and for others, it is being Mary. Each one is different. So, if comfort zones are so varied, can we really be out of a comfort zone? Perhaps comfort zones are just good roads with a few cracks starting. So when we feel out of our comfort zone we are simply in a comfort zone that is undergoing construction.

Construction zones may be a delay, a short detour, or a rough and muddy section. The delays of construction indicate better roads ahead so our future travel will be smoother. Being out of my comfort zone is also a time of construction, building in me a skill and a will for something still to come.

Many years ago, part of my Administrative Secretary Certificate college course included a class on public speaking. Why would a secretary need to learn to give speeches? Yet each week my classmates and I prepared and presented Toastmaster-type monologues. Years later, that time of skill building provided direction for me to navigate some of the expectations of being a pastor's wife - giving a devotional at a baby shower, speaking at ladies’ meetings and a retreat, or leading communion and impromptu prayer times. And these out of my comfort zone times are preparing me, perhaps, for a future adventure of author readings.

The journey from shame-filled young woman to introvert but stepping out in faith woman took much construction, many delays, and more than a few detours. When I think of times where I felt out of my comfort zone, in hindsight I was not truly out of my comfort zone, because God had already paved the way, preparing and training me for the next section of road.

As a meme on Facebook said, "Sorry for the inconvenience - I am under construction." Still. My life is a never-ending out of my comfort construction zone. Praise God! The adventure of my ride in life continues.  How is your adventure? Do you trust God to pave the way?

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light on my path.

Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

Writer-biker Marnie lives her life under construction in northern BC. Travel the road with her at Phosphorescent, her blog about absorbing and reflecting God's light on the adventures of life.

"Come!" -- Pam Mytroen

“Come!” said Jesus to Peter as he straddled the boat and dipped his foot in the cold waves. Peter wasn’t about to sit in the boat when Jesus was having all the fun. If he could walk on water, so could Peter. While the other guys were saying, “You’re fish bait”, Peter was saying, “What a story I’ll have to tell! What an adventure!”

So Peter jumped from the boat with visions of his name on the front page of the Jerusalem Post. All went well until he took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. Suddenly he wished he didn’t have an audience. He could hear their guffaws in the background.

He didn’t become an expert at a walk on the lake, but Peter still holds the record for the only mere mortal to ever to walk on the stuff, all because he saw a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and heard the laughter of the Master, while the other disciples couldn’t hear beyond the wind or see beyond the waves.

What adventures do you long to do? Climb a mountain? Write a book? Travel to an exotic location? Close your ears to the waves of discouragement, the winds of “No, it can’t be done.” Listen close for Jesus’ laughter and you’ll hear Him calling "Come!"

He stands on the impossible, grins, and waits for us to join him. He loves to have fun – why else would He walk on the water? He could have done the front crawl all the way across the Sea and that would have been miraculous enough.

Peter never forgot that evening on the water. While Peter made history and had the time of his life, Jesus taught him to trust, to keep his eyes on Him, and most of all, to recognize the voice of God.

God has treasures for us too that are only received by peeling our white knuckled hands off the edge of the boat and stepping out towards his voice. Moving away from the warm arms of security forces us to grow.

We’ve been rowing long enough. Jesus is laughing. Let’s go.

(Just one thing - take a friend from the boat so she won’t laugh behind your back!)