Aspirations on How to Guard My Heart by Lorrie Orr

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Proverbs 4:23

In this month’s prompt we are encouraged to think about the heart, the core of our being composed of our mind, emotion, and will. How do you keep or guard your heart? What is it saying to you these days?

Why should I guard my heart? My life today is the result of the choices in the past. My life tomorrow will be the result of the choices I make today. To guard my heart is to protect it and cherish it, for from my heart comes every thought, action, and feeling. Here are some aspirations for guarding my heart.

1. I guard my heart by recognizing that each day is a gift from the hand of my loving God. My days on earth are finite and their end unknown to all but God. When I come to consciousness in the morning, I say, in my head, “Good morning, Lord.” I recognize that he has allowed me to awaken, and I thank him.

2. I guard or protect my heart and mind from things that are not beneficial. I like to know what’s happening in the world. It helps me have empathy for others, and it provides knowledge for conversations. However, too much news, particularly now, can be overwhelming and lead to fear, anxiety, and even anger. Merely reading current headlines can make me tense up. As a result, I’ve signed out of several news feeds and am restricting my consumption. I feel better and sleep better.

3. I guard my heart by seeking God’s wisdom and surrendering to him. When he fills the core of my being, I can respond to life’s circumstances according to his design. I need his Spirit to help me live the life I want, a life of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control.

4. I guard my heart by knowing myself. Balancing solitude and companionship, soaking up beauty, learning new things, writing and creative pursuits, taking care of my home and my body are important to me. I respect those needs, weaving my relationship with God in every aspect of my life. I am learning that self-care is not selfish, but necessary. The busy years of child-raising and a teaching career are behind me and now I have more time for the pursuits that gladden my heart. However, even as a mother with three young children, I took small moments of time to read and sew and do the things that filled me. There is joy in knowing how God created me to be and in protecting my needs while being open to his guidance.

Do I always guard my heart in these ways? No, but I do know that guarding my heart is the way to wisdom and how I long for that. I am so thankful that the apostle James wrote, “if any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God who gives generously without finding fault, and it will be given you.” I know that I when I fail, God is there with open arms and open hands, continuously giving me his gifts.

Lorrie writes from Vancouver Island where there is much "scope for the

imagination" as Anne Shirley says. She loves spending time with

her husband, three children plus three, and her five grandchildren.

Small Steps On The Path Of Service by Bob Jones

I was fifteen years old when Commander Neil Armstrong stepped out of Apollo 11 and on to the moon’s surface. The Jones family was vacationing at our cottage on Georgian Bay in Ontario. We huddled in close around our 13” black and white TV screen, straining to see and hear. “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

For most people July 20, 1969 is connected to their love affair with space and exploration. Or it’s a date associated with vision and achievement. President John F. Kennedy cast his vision in 1961 of “achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.”

For me, the lunar landing and walk was about Armstrong’s immortal sentence. I didn’t know it then but I had fallen under the spell of the power of wisely chosen words. “Small step,” “giant leap” “man” and “mankind” in and of themselves don’t amount to much but coupled together and spoken from space are to-the-moon-and-back-kind of genius.

As a writer, are you taking small steps towards your own immortality through words? I am. It matters to me when someone pays attention to or was helped by my writing. It should matter to you, too.

Isn’t it heady stuff to see your words tweeted out or displayed on Pinterest or in a meme? How about having someone reference your writing in a magazine or newspaper article or blog post? Better still, someone’s life being literally changed because of an experience or learning you put into words.

T. L. Wiens was spot on in her Inscribe post, The Difference An Article Made, about writing on familiar subjects. “We might have similar stories but we all have different audiences.”

JoyleneBailey offered some great insight into how there are no missteps in following the Lord’s leading. “Sometimes it’s the small steps in the “wrong” direction that lead to valuable giant leaps. Even those misplaced steps are not wasted. And who can say if they really were misplaced?”

Many times Jesus' disciples seemed headed in the wrong direction.  Once the Master listener caught them arguing over who would be the greatest in the kingdom. The disciples felt sheepish. Certainly they had taken a misstep. It is worth noting that Jesus didn’t chastise or criticize his disciples’ lofty aspirations. Jesus helped his closest followers discover the path of greatness. “Be the servant of all.”

As a writer I want to be a friend to other writers. I hope one day my writing will have enough substance to serve others by being quoted (or even plagiarized) by communicators inspired by my words.

If ever you read anything I’ve written and want to quote it, you have my permission to say, “My friend, Bob Jones said…”

Robert (Bob) W. Jones is a recovering perfectionist, who collects Coca-Cola memorabilia and drinks Iced Tea. His office walls are adorned with his sons’ framed football jerseys, and his library shelves, with soul food. He writes to inspire people to be real, grow an authentic faith in Jesus, enjoy healthy relationships and discover their life purpose.

The Magic If - Tracy Krauss

'The Magic If' is actually an acting technique introduced by iconic director Stanislavski to help actors portray emotion on stage. Basically, an actor is asked to imagine certain situations and draw from his or her emotional memory. Sometimes, an action or even an imaginary object is added to help the actor react in a convincing manner. In a nutshell, actors should ask the question, "What if...?" and fill in the blank. (Example: If an actor is asked to portray fear, he or she could ask the question, "What if a gunman had a gun pointed at me?") I won't go into all the finer details, but when I saw this month's writing prompt, I couldn't help making the connection. (I do teach theatre arts, after all...)

The prompt reads something like this: "...what if you had a whole year free to completely focus on your writing? If financial considerations were magically taken care of, would it change how/what you write?"

Now this is a 'what if' scenario I can really get into! I don't think it would change what I write as much as how I would accomplish it. And it would certainly change the amount I would be able to produce. I can imagine myself finishing three to four full length novels per year instead of the paltry singular I've managed so far. Plus, think of all the time for online tasks that often get brushed aside. Maybe I could even make a bit of money at this gig!

I'm sure reality wouldn't run that smoothly. Murphy's Law dictates that when we have more money we spend it, so I imagine it is the same with time - more demands would eat up the hours. I am actually blessed to have a small taste of this scenario every summer. As a teacher, I have two months each year when I can focus more exclusively on my writing and it tends to be quite a productive time for me. It is something I am very grateful for.

Until the time I can quit my job, I intend to be satisfied with that - although it is fun to imagine...

Tracy Krauss continues to dream about writing full time from her home in Tumbler Ridge, BC. In the meantime, she will keep plugging away - one novel, play, or short story at a time... To see what writing she has managed to accomplish, visit her website: http://tracykrauss.com or sign up for her newsletter to keep up with all the latest.

Taking a Novel Challenge - Ruth L. Snyder

I have always looked forward to sorting through the daily mail. This sense of anticipation probably started in my childhood when mail delivery to our isolated African mission station was unpredictable at best. This January when I sorted the mail one day I found a new treasure hiding among the bills. It was an invitation from the Long Ridge Writers' Group to participate in a novel writing course.

As I read the details, I knew I wanted to take the course. However, several arguments against saying yes filled my mind:

• I write mostly non-fiction
• I have five young children and limited time to write
• I'm not your typical novel writer - I haven't had a story twirling around in my brain just waiting for the right opportunity to be put onto paper
• Most of the pieces I write are between 500-2000 words

After praying about the opportunity and waiting for several weeks, I finally took the plunge and sent in my application. The instructor I was assigned seemed to be a perfect match for me - she described her struggles of finding writing time while raising her family. However, a few days after I received my writing package in the mail, I received an email informing me a new instructor had been assigned to me because my previous instructor was not able to fulfill her contract. At first I was discouraged, but then I read my new instructor's welcome letter. She too has experienced the challenge of balancing family responsibilities with writing time and in addition, she has experience in areas I need to grow in.

For assignment one I was required to come up with two different ideas for novels. To my surprise, two ideas were right there in my imagination waiting. I was excited about exploring both ideas, but was partial to one. After I sent off my assignment the doubts started coming. Who am I trying to fool? I just don't have it in me to write a novel. Where am I going to find the time? An idea is great, but how am I ever going to flesh it out? And even if I do, what valuable takeaway can I give my reader? One day I was filled with anticipation; the next day I wondered what I was getting myself into.

My instructor liked both of my ideas, but she preferred the same idea I did - a mystery set in Ottawa in the late 1950's. Assignment two focused on character development - especially figuring out what motivates your main character. My online critique partners were very helpful as I thought through how my main character would respond to a situation I chose. After several revisions I hit the "send" button.

Currently I'm working on the plot. I'm enjoying the process for the most part, but I still have those niggling doubts as well.

Is anyone else working on their first novel? I'd be interested in hearing about your challenges and successes.

Ruth L. Snyder

Check out Ruth's blogs: www.trusteesnyder.blogspot.com (Education information) www.ruthlsnyder.com (Ruth's writing and family life) and www.earlyyearssuccess.com (Information for caregivers of children ages 0-5)

Follow Ruth on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@wwjdr