Joy, Prayer, and Gratitude: Finding perspective and balance as a writer - Ruth L. Snyder

Recently I listened to a webinar where writers shared their challenges and needs. When asked what the biggest challenge in writing was, most answered, "TIME!"

We all feel the crunch. Many of us have families. Many work, at least part-time. When we do squeeze in time for our writing, we are also told we need to research markets; find a group of beta readers; rewrite (several times); work with an editor to hone our manuscript; figure out whether we are self-publishing or working with a traditional publisher; maintain a website; be active on social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, and others; and market our own work, plus support fellow writers in their marketing efforts.

As Christians, there is a whole extra layer to the demands. We write because we feel called by God to share a message He has laid on our hearts. We write because we see it as a ministry. We write to be a light in a dark world.

It's so easy to feel overwhelmed! 

Sometimes we quit, because it's so difficult.
Sometimes we quit, because we doubt our god-given abilities.
Sometimes we quit, because we listen to others who don't understand our calling.
Sometimes we quit, because we fail to put on our spiritual armour and fight against the devil's schemes (Ephesians 6:10-19). 

I Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (NIV).

Be joyful is translated, "Rejoice," in the King James Version. These words come from the Greek, "chairo," a verb which means to be full of cheer or calmly happy. Hmm. Calmly happy. It would seem that God wants us to choose to be cheerful. And calm. With four active children, the only time our home is quiet is when everyone is asleep. However, as I go through my day to day activities with my husband and children, and my writing, I can choose to be calm and happy instead of reacting and getting angry.

Prayer is definitely something that helps me maintain a calm and cheerful attitude. I notice when I don't get up early in the morning and have my quiet time before everyone else gets up. (I think others notice too!) Having time to read God's word and pray sets my whole framework for the day. Although I can't spend my whole day on my knees in prayer, I can talk to God throughout the day. Short snippets of conversation:

"Wow! Thanks, Father, for a beautiful sunrise."
"Lord, give me wisdom to know how to motivate my son without giving in to anger."
"Father, you know that I was planning to write today, but my mother-in-law needs a ride to town. Help me to do it cheerfully, for you."
"Lord, I feel sad and angry. I give you my hurt feelings. Help me to respond in love."
"Father, guide my thoughts as I write."

A recent sunset in Alberta

Giving thanks or gratitude is not something that comes naturally to most of us. This too is a choice. Sometimes it's easy to be grateful - for a good harvest, for children who love us, for a welcoming church family, for a contract with a publisher. Other times it is extremely difficult to choose gratitude - when we get a diagnosis of cancer, when our teenagers rebel, when other Christians criticize us for taking a stand against sin, when we get those rejection letters.

For me, finding that equilibrium in my life and writing boils down to two words: relationship and trust. When I have a healthy relationship with my Heavenly Father, the Creator of the universe, then I am able to walk each day with trust in what He allows. I am able to trust that if He has called me to write, He will provide the opportunities and the ability to write. I can trust that He will guide me to the audience He has for me. I am also able to trust that a rejection either means my writing needs more work or it is not a good fit for that publisher or their audience.

Does this mean I am always calmly happy, praying, and giving thanks? Definitely not. I have asked, "Why?" many times. I have pouted. I have blamed others instead of taking responsibility myself. But then God reminds me of His will and the choices I can make.

Each new day, we have choices. God wants us to choose joy, prayer, and gratitude. I'm working on it. How about you?

Ruth L. Snyder
Follower of Jesus. Coach.
President of ICWF.
Creativity is my passion.
My mission is helping other creative people achieve their goals.
How can I help you?
Find more at http://ruthlsnyder.com

Seeking Silence by Ruth L. Snyder

We live in a hectic, sometimes frenetic, and usually noisy, world. I don't know about you, but I find it a challenge to slice out quiet, thoughtful times in my day. It's easy to allow phone calls, e-mail, Facebook, and other people to drive our agenda. None of these things are wrong. In fact, most of them are necessary. The problem comes when we go rushing through life so fast that we don't even have time to think about what's truly important to us. The urgent claims our attention and priorities fall by the wayside.

"These things will destroy the human race: politics without principle, progress without compassion, wealth without work, learning without silence, religion without fearlessness and worship without awareness." - Anthony de Mello

As a Christian, I find it necessary to guard my silent or quiet times. I'm a morning person, so getting up at 5:30 works best for me. In those quiet, pre-dawn hours I have the opportunity to sit in silence. Notice I said "opportunity." Even then, I have to consciously choose silence. It's very easy to start answering e-mails or reading updates on Facebook and get distracted from spending quiet time with my Creator and Saviour. I have to commit to reading Scripture, to presenting myself and my day to Jesus and asking for His guidance, strength, and wisdom. I have to force myself to be quiet, to be still, to listen. I've found it helps to have my planner and a notebook beside me. Often thoughts flit from one thing to another - I need to phone this person, I have to buy some yogurt for lunches, etc. If I write those thoughts down, it clears my mind and allows me to focus.

"Silence is the element in which great things fashion themselves together." -Thomas Carlyle

As a writer, I also need to cultivate silence. I have five young children and a husband and the responsibilities they bring. My writing time used to be late at night when everyone was in bed. Now it is early in the morning or when my husband's at work and my children are at school. Writing is work that is best done in solitude and silence. Writers need time to think, time to organize their thoughts, time to consider whether something is best said or left unsaid.

"And they write innumerable books; being too vain and distracted for silence: seeking everyone after his own elevation, and dodging his emptiness" - T.S. Elliot

What about you? How do you seek silence and maintain godly priorities in your life?

Ruth L. Snyder lives in northeastern Alberta with her husband and five young children. She enjoys writing about her walk with God, adoption, and special needs. Her novella, Cecile's Christmas Miracle, is available from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

www.ruthlsnyder.com

Redeeming the Time - Ruth L. Snyder

"Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:16 KJV

The above verse is short, but challenging. (If you want to research this verse in detail, check out Biblios). The first part of the verse tells me I need to consciously choose to make good use of my time, every day. The second part of the verse reminds me there are many things which can distract me from making the best use of my time, and many of the distractions will lead me away from God and His purpose for my life.

I am a Christ follower, mother of five young children, wife of a loving husband, a church member, a school board trustee, a piano teacher, a community member, a writer, an InScribe member and executive member, and the list goes on. Each of these commitments brings certain expectations and responsibilities. I have been wrestling with choices lately. How do I know which activities and responsibilities I should take on? Or which ones to get rid of? Other people often have a different perspective. When they criticize me for my choices, how do I respond? I only have limited time and energy. If I say "yes" to everything I enjoy and am interested in, I will go crazy or at very least do a poor job. How do I pick priorities and schedule my days?

When I was in Bible College, a teacher showed me one way of sorting through choices - POGAS

PURPOSE: What is the overarching purpose of my life? The big picture that helps keep the little things in focus? The Westminster Catechism gives one possible example:

"Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God,[1] and to enjoy him forever.[2]"

OBJECTIVES: When I look back on my life, what do I want to be able to say I accomplished? These are the different facets that work together to help achieve my life purpose. Examples could be: Relationship with God, Family responsibilities, and Impact on my community.

GOALS: Under each objective, I should set goals. What do I want to accomplish this month or this year? Some goals will be short term. Some will be longer term. Others may be life long. For example, I am working on reading through the Bible again. I have also just started a new course with Long Ridge Writers' Group, learning how to write a novel. I find it helpful to write my goals out, because it gives me something I can check back on. Even if I need to adjust my goal, it keeps me motivated and consciously working towards something I have decided I want to do.

and SCHEDULE: How can I break my goals up into bite-sized pieces? Every day I have time that I need to use wisely. By using my goals to set my schedule, priorities and choices become easier to make. For instance, in order to read through the Bible in a year, following a daily schedule is helpful. I also need to figure out what time of day works best to do my daily reading and meditation. For me, that means getting up early and having my devotions first thing in the morning. In order to complete my writing course, I have deadlines for assignments. However, it is also helpful to carve out a specific time of day to spend on my writing. With all the responsibilities I have, this is a challenge. However, I have discovered I focus best after I put my younger kids to bed and have an hour or two to devote to writing. If I find I consistently have more to do than fits on my schedule, I need to go back to the proverbial drawing board.

How about you? What have you found helpful when sorting out your priorities and choices? How are you redeeming your time?

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

SIN HIDES by Bryan Norford

She had two. One was strong, the other weak. She kicked the weak one away when it tried to feed, and it died. She mothered the strong one and it lived.

Another had three. They were all small, one was weak. She mothered all three and they survived. Three healthy lambs.

Are sheep so like humans? Some callous, some compassionate? Or are we like them, losing our way by making up our own rules of life? So clearly said: “We all, like sheep, have gone astray.” 

Humanity’s goodness masks humanity’s innate sinfulness, our tendency to go astray. As we observe the waywardness of sheep, so God sees our sin. In quiet moments He reveals it to us.

In those quiet moments, will we acknowledge our waywardness and be restored to the shepherd of our souls? Or will we hide, losing those moments of fellowship with Him.

The offer is His, the choice ours. What will it be?

A Legacy of Faith - Susan Barclay

My grandparents weren't perfect people, but they got the main thing right, and in so doing left a legacy of faith that continues to impact the lives of their children and grandchildren today.

I am thankful.

I am thankful for their example of what it looks like to actively seek a deepening relationship with Christ through daily prayer and reading God's Word. I am thankful for their great love for me and for their constant presence in my life, important investments that my earthly father was unable or unwilling to make.

Does their legacy live on in me? Ah, that is the question. I know I have a long way to go in gaining the crucial disciplines of regular prayer and Bible study. I can argue that I have a busy life as a wife, mother, employee, volunteer, and (aspiring) writer. But don't we all have time for the things that really matter to us? If Christ matters most to me - and I say that He does - won't I make time for Him? I'm not sure He buys the "I go to church, I give to the Lord's work, I write on Christian subjects" line. I know I don't.

I am thankful that He is patient with me. I am a work in progress and He knows it. Today, if you struggle as I do to be a disciplined follower of Christ, will you join me in turning over a new leaf? Let us commit to reading God's Word and praying on a daily basis. Even if when we start it's a mere ten minutes, I believe God will bless us and encourage us to spend more time with Him. Suddenly we will "find" time we didn't know we had!

As Steve Green sings in Faithful, may those who come behind us find "the footsteps that we leave, inspire them to believe." There can be no greater legacy.

Working Out … My Faith - Janet Sketchley

I’ve finally found a daily personal workout routine that suits me. Friends told me about its benefits, but I didn’t really believe them until I proved it for myself.

Sure, I knew it would be good for me, but it seemed like such an effort. And how long would I manage to stick with it? I’d tried before.

Still, I decided to work at it for six weeks. After that, the experiment would be over, and there’d be no shame in quitting.

The first thing that changed was my attitude. Once I started looking at this as something to anticipate, I stopped procrastinating. It’s not a boring ritual, but a way to renew my energy and purge my stress.

Putting some time into it every day is far more effective than my hit-and-miss efforts in the past. I’m starting to see results.

This time, I’m committed to the process. That means no more filtering the instructions through my own understanding, or treating them as suggestions that I can choose to ignore. If I’m going to give this a real chance, I have to do it right.

And I can’t be critical of others who follow the same regimen. If they look too good to be true, perhaps they’ve been practicing longer – or more faithfully. If they seem weak, maybe they need some encouragement. Ideally, these workouts have a group component to complement the daily personal one.

I’ve found it helpful to have someone to act as coach at times. A friendly observer can point out where my form needs improvement. And an extra set of eyes reading the Manual can keep me from getting off-base in my interpretation.

Plus, there’s the accountability factor. I don’t want to have to admit it when I slack off!

My trial period is over now. I’m more energized and focused, and my whole outlook on life is better. The results convinced me this is a worthwhile activity. I’m still tempted to be lazy, but I don’t give in very often. I want to keep growing stronger.

It amazes me that daily quiet times with the Lord can make this much of a difference. These special times when I savour God’s presence in prayer and in the Bible have become my soul’s anchor in my busy days. My spiritual muscles are getting stronger.

Maybe I should try some push ups ….

© Janet Sketchley, 2004, 2009 (This one's from the archives, but it's a fit for January and the season of New Year's resolutions)
--------
For devotionals, reviews and conversation, stop by Janet Sketchley's blog, God with Us: Finding Joy.