P is for Possibility by Lorilee Guenter

 Prose, poetry, passion, project and prayer. I have bounced between these word possibilities for a month or more. Some words have been added, others discarded before they made the list. Every time I think I have chosen the theme for this month, a new idea or possibility presents itself. Even as I write this, possibilities play calling for my attention.

I have many unfinished projects because my tendency to procrastinate kicks in as soon as the ideas start to accumulate. I don't want to lose an idea so I make a few notes, or a concerted start, then I move on to the next. This year I challenged myself to kick the procrastination habit and finish some projects. It is my hope that this will open space mentally and physically to pursue some new project ideas without shelving more partial pieces. I plan to start next week, or the week after, because I have a new piece of poetry to polish. While at times it is fun to poke at my procrastination and the chasing after every possibility, I find it in fact hinders my opportunity to pursue those ideas. The more passionate I am about my current work the easier it is to follow through. However, my brain never seems to stay still. 

I am working on curbing my procrastination this year. It is a hard habit to break. Like all change, the key to progress is prayer. I am not doing this on my own. I never have to work on my own. This fact gives me encouragement. It renews my strength the days nothing seems to go the way I expect. Some days it would be easier to package up all my pens and gift them to someone who could make better use of them. Those days procrastination and mental mess obscure the possibility inherent in every day.

The more I work on consistency and following through on the ideas I am passionate about, the more I recognise that prayer and possibility are partners. I know this. I have known this. Somehow that knowing grows as I work. I am a writer who doesn't have the words to describe the phenomenon of ever increasing certainty that comes as I soak in a truth.

It is my hope for all of us that we, through prayer, will recognise the possibilities that God has prepared for us along the path He leads. I pray that we continue to let Him guide our thought as we sit, pen in hand, ready to tell His story. He is the author of every good possibility. He has promised to partner with us as we follow Him.

C is For Cookie by Lorilee Guenter

 I grew up watching Sesame Street with Cookie Monster devouring any cookie he saw. As a reader, I devour good writing (and not so good writing). As a writer, I want my writing to be as enticing to the readers as those cookies.

A good cookie needs the right number of ingredients, in the right proportions, mixed according to directions. Some are baked. Some are left to cool. Likewise, all good writing follows a recipe that includes word images, grammar and spelling. Different genres need different ingredients just as different cookies do. I would not be happy with a mystery that didn't solve the crime by the end of the story. I would not be happy with a chocolate cookie that lacked cocoa.

Every writer, no matter what genre, needs community. While the act of writing is solitary, the craft of writing is not. Through workshops and classes we learn to hone our craft. Critique groups and editors help us polish the work. They help us determine if one spice, one element overpowers the others. Family, friends, or a group of other writers can help us take a break to regain perspective. They encourage us to keep going when we want to stop. In addition, they might be willing to listen as you talk through the roadblocks in front of you.

Every writer needs that spark of an idea they can build upon. We each find inspiration in different places and different ways. There is one commonality, attention. When I rush through life, or let distractions pull at my attention, I miss opportunities. I also miss details that could add interest to my words. Distraction busies my mind so I neglect to pause and consider what I am seeing, hearing or learning. It tells me "I don't have time," or "my words don't matter anyway."

I have a bad habit of trying to taste the cookies before they cool enough to touch. This results in a burnt tongue and difficulty tasting the blend of flavours. In editing, it can be useful to let the writing cool so that when you re-read it you can taste the flavour of the words. Then you will be better able to notice what blends well and what is out of place. A small group of first readers can offer feedback on the results just like taste testers do with cookies.

A good baker knows the right time to take the cookies out of the oven. Too little time and they are raw in the middle, too long and they are burnt. Neither is optimal. Too little editing and other work on a manuscript, whether short or long, can leave the reader wishing for more polish. Too much editing can take a piece that sparkles and turn it into a flat specimen, burnt around the edges. Most writers struggle with under cooked stories instead of overcooked ones. Some writers have been know to take a match to old, unappealing work so no one tastes the stale words.

As Christian writers we have one powerful ingredient in our writing: prayer. Through prayer and contemplation, the Holy Spirit takes our offerings and multiplies them. The power in our words, whether we write in the secular market or Christian market, comes from the Word. When our writing is baked with prayer, we can be confident it will find the right audience. It gives us the courage to share our words.

A dessert table with plates of cookies and sweets is enticing and full of choices. As a community of writers, our offerings should also be enticing and full of choice so there is something for everyone. 

At the end of the day, when we set aside our writing, we can reward ourselves with a good story and a cookie.

Stalled by Steph Beth Nickel

 

This month's theme is Stalled in the Middle.

As writers, we can all relate in one way or another.

So, what should we do when we've stalled in the middle of a creative project?

First, we should examine our situation (and ourselves) and see what led to our lack of forward momentum.

Did we start the project with an abundance of energy and ideas but soon find ourselves sputtering and coughing and coming to a grinding halt?

Did our life change dramatically, leaving our physical and emotional resources significantly depleted?

Did we simply become bored and move onto something else?

Did we let procrastination win the day so long we're having a hard time getting back to the project?

Do we feel God has led us to set the project aside--at least for the time being?

Let's address these issues one at a time.

Did God call you to set the project aside? Maybe, but be certain this conclusion isn't simply "wishful thinking" or "fatalistic resignation." Here are three things we can do to determine if we should persevere or set aside the project in question: pray, consider why we began the project in the first place, and seek wise counsel.

I often say I put the PRO in procrastination. While there are, of course, times we need to take a break, we may want to ask ourselves a question to see if we're actually procrastinating or recharging. Do I come away from my downtime energized or further drained and unmotivated?

Boredom, it causes all kinds of problems, especially if there isn't external pressure to complete the project at hand. And when that project is a creative one, it's especially hard to push past boredom and persevere. If you need to mix things up a little, why not try writing in a new location or making a list of all the things that excited you about the project when you first got the idea?

All creatives experience dramatic changes in their circumstances from time to time--and this has been especially true over the last couple of years. We may be too physically or emotionally exhausted to even think about sitting down to write--especially a project that seems lifeless and immovable. Again, prayer, an examination of why we began the project, and wise counsel can help. (Note: sometimes, we need professional help, and there is not shame in that.)

And finally, we may simply have run out of steam. There are those who refer to three different types of energy: starting energy, finishing energy, and what may be the most difficult to come by, the energy to persevere when we feel stalled in the middle.

Ask yourself what motivates you to write and what "jumper cables" get your creativity running on all cylinders.

Do you like to...

Take a walk.

Listen to music.

Spend time with fellow creatives. (Even if you can't do so in person, you can connect online or over the phone.)

Listen to skills-related podcasts.

Read a good book.

Fill up your creative well, get back behind the wheel, and see where the road takes you.

Consistently Inconsistent by Steph Beth Nickel

This month's prompt asks us to share our daily creative rituals.

As was the case when my kids were growing up, the only real thing I was consistent with was my inconsistency.

The same is essentially true of consistency when it comes to daily rituals of any kind.

However, I am learning the importance of creating a flexible schedule that I stick to ... more or less.

I start most days with a brief exercise routine. If I don't do it in the morning, it's not going to happen. This gets the endorphins flowing, gives me a sense of accomplishment, and helps me shake the sleepiness from my mind and body.

I'd like to say I then eat a nutritious breakfast, but, hey, we're taught from a young age that it's wrong to lie.

My aim is to read the Bible and pray before I get down to work, but that doesn't always happen. Ideally, I would commit each task to the Lord before I began (whether it be writing; editing; or home-tending, as one of my FB friends calls it). That hasn't become a habit as of yet, but it's still my aim.

I put the pro in PROcrastination. So, I aim to cross at least one thing of my Procrastination List before noon each day. It gives me the same satisfaction as crossing multiple things from my Daily To-Do List. 

Although I suffer from Oo, Shiny! Syndrome and the call of "just one more" YouTube video, I find sitting down at my computer and focusing on a single project until it's done allows me to "go deep," especially if I don't allow myself to move onto something else when I hit a roadblock in what I'm doing.

For physical and mental health reasons, it's important to schedule several breaks. But there's a vast difference between scheduled breaks and flitting from project to project like a wayward dragonfly.

Like most people, I have several different projects on the go at any one time. While I love doing those I find easiest and can be accomplished in a short amount of time first thing after I sit down at my computer, it's better to save them for a time when I don't need as much discipline or creativity to get them down. That's why I've recently placed them on my afternoon schedule. 

While I am an early bird, if I return to my computer in the evening after the rest of my household has gone to bed, I can accomplish a fair amount then as well. However, I try not to leave things in the Yes! column until the evening. I never know if I'm going to have the ambition to get anything done.

What is this Yes! column of which I speak?

By dividing my tasks into three columns, it helps me prioritize my endeavours. The Yes! column is things that are, essentially, non-negotiable. The Maybe column is those things that rank second in terms of my priorities. And the third column, Would Be Nice, is where I tuck those things that have to get done someday.

Do I always complete the items in the Yes! column before moving on? Absolutely not! But it does give me a starting place.

I make To-Do Lists on my phone, but I transfer them to paper. Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes. Plus, I love crossing things off the list. It gives me such a sense of satisfaction even if those things are in the Would Be Nice column.

I admire people who have rituals that keep them grounded and help them alert their brain that it's time to get the creative juices flowing. Sitting down at the computer at the same time every day. Lighting a candle. Hanging a Do Not Disturb sign on their door and shutting it. Turning off their email and social media notifications. And getting down to work for a set amount of time.

However, that is not me.

When it comes to my rituals, it can be summed up by two statements:

1. Prioritize my To-Do List.

2. As much as possible, focus on a single project until it is accomplished.

How about you? Are you of the Strict Schedule Crowd or the Take Things as They Come Group?

The Distractions of This World by Alan Anderson

 

There are many distractions in life these days. Everything from politicians and their misuse of power to all too many self-centered narratives that only keep people apart. Personally, I am done with these types of distractions that interfere with the things that matter in life, including my writing. People do not have to agree with me, of course, and that is their prerogative.

 

 

This past couple of years have taught me of my insignificance to most of the world. I also realize I cannot save or fix the world. I can hopefully influence people I meet by being an example of a child of God. I am not saying this to sound noble. I am saying this to remind myself of why I live.

 

When I hear of tragic things going on in the world like the war in Ukraine, or effects of the pandemic around the world, I realize my limitations. I also realize with these limitations and how distracting world events can be, I turn to prayer. The world is living according to its nature, and I must do the same.

 

As a Christian I pray to God about His love for people and ask His will to be done. Others may mock or chide, “You pray? You think that is doing something worthwhile? Is this the best you can do?” I do not allow the naysayer types to distract me. I realize the so-called wisdom, or even compassion of people, falls short, when God is left out of the picture.

 

 

One of our Orthodox Christian saints, Saint Paisios, said, “What I see around me would drive me insane, if I did not know that no matter what happens, God will have the last word.” As Christians we can rest in these words. The many distractions all around us do not go unnoticed by God.

 

 

A reduction in time spent on anti-social media platforms like Facebook is also a reminder of how much a distraction such platforms are. In an ironic twist a post on Facebook is what helped encourage me to do this. Here is what it said:

 

“If you knew how quickly people would forget about you after your death, you will not seek in your life to please anyone but God.”---Saint John Chrysostom

 

 

The past two, or so, years. here in Canada has been a time in history where I no longer have faith in politicians. For us to be true to how God’s people are to live in this world, we cannot afford to put our trust in the world.

 

 

Let us be mindful of a writing prompt for this month’s blog post. “Our world is filled with distractions—technological, commercial, and more—that keep us from focusing on our writing and the important things in life.”

 

 

Another writing prompt pushes us a little farther when it says, “How do the Lord’s nudgings propel your writing and life forward?” Here, again, is a statement to compel me as a follower of God to shake of the distractions of the world. Please know, I am not saying I have been a success in this endeavour. I am still a work in progress.

 

 

Please understand I do not advocate we look down upon the world. We must remember; however, we are in, but NOT of this world. Considering eternity these distractions, even if they attack us, or end our lives, do not last forever. Our lives with God do last forever.

 

May God help us keep our focus away from distractions!

Alan lives in Deroche, B.C. with his wife, Terry, and their poodle, Charlie. He contributed stories to Good Grief People by Angel Hope Publishing, 2017; Story by Story: The Power of a Writer, Unstoppable Writers Publishing, 2018; Easter Stories & More by InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship, 2021. He is currently working on a book expressing the grief of grieving grandparents. Alan periodically writes articles for FellowScript Magazine. He has written posts for our InScribe blog since 2015. Blog: https://scarredjoy.ca.

Prayer for My Words by Alan Anderson

 

Early Years

 

Writing discovered me as a student in school in Scotland. My mind struggled in school from my early throughout the long tunnel in life from one grade to another. Subjects like math and science shunned me. We did not get along. English, Language Arts, and Composition befriended me. Words became my companions.

 

 

My English teachers in school were my main reason for persevering with other subjects. The subjects these teachers taught motivated me to want to know more about how to create with words. You see, I always had bunches of words in my head nagging me to get out. When I discovered my love, my absolute joy, for words, I had buddies for life.

 

 

As a boy I had challenges with people because of my shyness. I preferred to be on my own because this made the world safe. Shyness, at least in my case, took a lot of energy. I did not like hanging out with crowds. I usually only had two or three real friends. As soon as school ended each day, I headed straight home. My words were free to do what they pleased when we were home.

 

 

My Place in Life

 

When I was a boy words taught me how to find my place in life. There was a price to pay for shyness in school, and even at home, but the words of story tellers showed me a way to live. The stories spun by greats like Robert Louis Stevenson and Daniel Defoe allowed me to climb into my imagination.

 

 

In time the words of poets caressed my creative mind. How can anyone resist the poetry of Rabbie Burns? His poetic masterpiece, “A Red, Red Rose,” written in ballad form, allows readers to feel how intimate words can be.

 

 

By my senior high school years, I discovered Emily Dickinson, John Keats, Robert Frost, and others. Their poetic skill held me tight with a new way of touching the world around me.

 

Growth as a Writer

 

My growth as a writer took years. I hid my love for poems from a time in life where poetic words were mocked. My shyness held me back, but I persevered. I knew I would always love how poets speak into life.

 

 

I look back on my life and stagger at how the years flew. In this life I see most of my years are history. Poetry is now a dear friend and helps me offer word pictures of who I am today.

 

 

Along my writing pathway I am intrigued by and resonate with people the limelight is not interested in. The people who go about their lives not out to seek attention. They interact with the world in quiet, inconspicuous, almost invisible ways. They try to make the world a better place without fanfare. My words and written prayers are dedicated to them.

 

Prayer for my words.

I pray there will be times where my words are tears. May they drip down a page where every letter, every word, holds on to each other. They will remind readers they are not alone. I also pray there are times my words will present as puppies eager to put smiles on faces. Other times I send my words out into the world in hopes they will bandage gaping wounds which are a result of a broken world.

 

 

Dear friends, loved by God, who do you pray your words will reach? What prayer do you have for your words.

 

 

 

Alan lives in Deroche, B.C. with his wife, Terry. He contributed stories to Good Grief People by Angel Hope Publishing, 2017; Story by Story: The Power of a Writer, Unstoppable Writers Publishing, 2018; Easter Stories & More by InScribe Christian Writers’ Fellowship, 2021. Alan periodically writes articles for FellowScript Magazine. He has written posts for our InScribe blog since 2015. Blog: https://scarredjoy.ca.

Sit Still While I Tell You Something: Guest Post by Sheri Hathaway

 

A new year has begun. We see many comments about resolutions, plans made, and other action words focused forward on the future. Goals are good, but I’m here to say don’t overlook the present moment. It’s beautiful outside, the weather is quiet, and God has given us this day to enjoy. No, that’s wrong — he’s given us this moment. 

My pastor is teaching a class on prayer, the current lesson being the practice of “breath prayer”. For example, on your in-breath, think “The Lord is my shepherd” and on your out-breath, think “I shall not want”. Five minutes might be the duration, but length of time is variable. The purpose is to refresh and maintain your awareness of God’s close presence to you. 

I have gained much by sitting still in prayer. It’s been while in prayer that solutions to life’s problems came to mind or new writing topics entered my head. I may or may not have asked God for help with those issues. I simply pray the usual points on my prayer list and while praying, I concentrate in two directions, aware of ideas that run in the back of my mind while praying my requests upfront. It takes practice, but I think of it as keeping my mind open to thoughts while in conversation with someone, as a parent listens for a child to call while talking to another adult. 

It may seem like these thoughts arise from nowhere, but I believe God gives them while he has my attention. I don’t mean to diminish the gravity of the petitions I make in prayer, rather to describe blessings received while in service to God. Prayer is a multifaceted practice, full of graces in many aspects. I haven’t practiced breath prayer. My time with God is early mornings, but I think I’ll start in quiet moments anytime as a way of refocussing on God near me while listening for messages he wants to give me.

Join Sheri Hathaway on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter (@sherismusing) as she divides her time between writing and watercolour painting, enjoying life on both the Canadian prairies and the West Coast. 

God's Invitation for the New Year by Steph Beth Nickel

Scripture Verse of the Year

“Whatever you do, work at it from the soul, as for the Lord and not for people” (Colossians 3:23 TLV).[i]

While this is a command, it is also an invitation. Can you imagine what it would be like to actually do everything—every single thing—as if doing it for the Lord? 

Of course, this side of heaven, we’re not able to do this perfectly, but it doesn’t mean we’re not supposed to pray that God would enable us to do so with increasing frequency.

Do we have a regular “quiet time”? Do we attend church, in person or virtually, most Sundays? Do we read books by Christian authors?

We can see these things as being done “as for the Lord.”

But whatever we do?

I made the decision ages ago to commit each task to the Lord before I began.

Impressed? Don’t be.

I said, “I made the decision …”

I did not, however, say I succeeded. <sigh>

This is one discipline I intend to implement in the New Year. (Feel free to check in with me from time to time to see how I’m doing.)

Here are 13 additional ways I intend to accept God’s invitation in Colossians 3:23. Hopefully, they will spark some of your own ideas.

1. Study the entire book of Colossians, especially chapter 3.
2. Focus on each command independently.
3. Prayerfully ask God to enable me to obey each command with increasing frequency.
4. Memorize several verses from Colossians.
5. Regularly review these verses.
6. Keep short accounts with God, asking Him to forgive me when I stumble, which I will—often.
7. Thank Him for the forgiveness that is already mine because of what Christ did so long ago.
8. Seek to set a good example for others and come alongside them on their own journey of obedience.
9. Pray about which tasks to take on and which to set aside. If I try to keep too many plates spinning, several of them are sure to fall and shatter. Plus, it makes it hard to do a task as if doing it for the Lord if I’m preoccupied with the dozen others on my To-Do List.
10. Dream big. This keeps me motivated and inspired.
11. Be realistic about what I can accomplish each day. (Refer back to #9.)
12. Seek wise counsel from those who understand that I have to both dream big and be realistic.
13. Begin and end each day focused on the Lord.

I’d love to hear how you intend to accept the Lord’s invitation in Colossians 3:23 in the coming year.

---

[i] Scripture taken from the Holy Scriptures, Tree of Life Version*. Copyright © 2014,2016 by the Tree of Life Bible Society. Used by permission of the Tree of Life Bible Society.

Marking the Defining Moments by Carol Harrison

 

What are some of the defining moments in my life and how do I mark and celebrate them?  I was reminded of a charm bracelet I used to wear. It contained charms denoting significant moments in my life like my engagement, wedding, and becoming a mother.

Only some major milestones are depicted on this incomplete record of my life’s defining moments. I could add other charms to represent being a grandmother, completing my B.Ed., being a writer and speaker or my love of reading. But what about my spiritual journey? What will mark these defining moments of faith in my life?

As I read through Scripture, God often asked his people to do something to mark the defining moment in their history. In Joshua 3 & 4 we read God stopped up the waters of the flooded Jordan river once the priests obeyed and stepped into it by faith. Once the people crossed safely, on dry ground, God commanded they mark this defining moment by placing twelve stones gathered from the river bed as a memorial for future generations to ask why and hear the story of God’s miracle. Do I share something about the defining moments of my faith journey so others can hear of the ways God works today?

One very significant faith journey moment happened as I stood beside Amee’s incubator, watching her in a coma, fighting for her life, I didn’t know what else to pray. Tears punctuated the brief, “Help me God. Help my baby.” I uttered silently and constantly. God met me that second day of Amee’s life in the middle of NICU and brought distinct images to my mind and spoke with a voice that seemed audible.

God posed three questions, one after the other, pausing for my answer in between.

“Do you trust me to heal her completely? Do you trust me to heal her a little at a time, giving the doctors wisdom in how to treat her? Would you still trust me if I healed her perfectly and took her home to heaven?”

My ‘yes’ answer to the first two took no time to proclaim. The third proved a struggle. I finally told God I would trust him no matter what.

Then came a picture of an open Bible with Philippians 4: 6 &7 highlighted.

Do not be anxious – oh how worry and anxiety had punctuated the last two days.

Present your requests by prayer and petition – I’d been doing that constantly and knew others prayed too.

With thanksgiving. My heart stopped. I hadn’t thanked God for anything during this nightmare.  I begged God to forgive me and thanked him for this beautiful baby girl. I had an ‘ah ha’ moment. Each child is a gift from God whether they are here for a short time or long and God loved her more than I ever could. My prayer changed. I gave myself and Amee to God; completely trusting him for whatever he chose to do and for strength to walk the journey he had planned.

And the peace of God descended and wrapped around me like a warm fuzzy blanket so real I expected to see one around my shoulders when I opened my eyes.

Nothing in Amee’s circumstance changed when I opened my eyes. She still lay in a coma. But I knew this moment with God had changed me.

I kept this spiritual defining moment guarded in my heart for years, maybe decades. Why was I silent? At first it felt too deeply personal to share with anyone else. I’d examine it in my quiet moments and remember what I learned. This turning point coloured so many aspects of my life and faith.

Later I wondered what people might think if I shared about seeing images from God and hearing his voice so distinctly. It was nothing like I had experienced before. When I didn’t share, others never had the chance to know that the God of the Bible is still God today.

God keeps pointing me to verses like Psalm 78:1-3 or Psalm 105:1-5 where he commands his people to share his goodness and his judgements too with the next generation. How can I not obey and share the stories of what God has and is doing in my life, even if they happened in ways, I was unfamiliar with?

Now I know I can commemorate those defining moments in my faith journey through my writing and speaking instead of keeping silent. I wonder if there are charms that could be a visual representation of my faith or these ‘ah ha’ moments of my life? 

 

Carol Harrison writes, studies, and tries to remember to share those defining moments of her faith journey from her home in Saskatoon. You can visit her website at www.carolscorner.ca