T is for Time, by Susan Barclay

 

There's a certain amount of irony in choosing time as my theme for this month's post. Time got away from me and I am writing this on the day of deadline. There are two reasons, I think, that time's passage escaped me: 1) I had rescheduled my July post to the 25th because I missed that deadline; 2) my husband and I were at a cottage last week and found that time passed much more slowly there. Can it really already be August the 6th today?!

As I think about time, a number of quotes come to mind. Are you familiar with any of these?

"I wasted time and now doth time waste me." ~William Shakespeare

"Where your attention goes, your time goes." Idowu Koyenikan

"Take care of the minutes and the hours will take care of themselves." ~Lord Chesterfield

"Time is the single most important resource we have. Every single minute we lose is never coming back." ~Taran Sharma

 Now, how about this one?

"...teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12)

As I watch my mom struggle in her final years (months? days?), I'm reminded of the importance of using well the time God has graciously given each one of us. While most of us will leave this planet with unfinished work, projects, and plans; unrealized hopes and dreams, while we are here, we ought to make the most of the time we have. Though there is a place for downtime, rest, and relaxation, and I'm not suggesting we burn ourselves out with activity (even meaningful, worthwhile activity), how many of us are skilled at managing ourselves well? How many of us fritter away our time on pointless things?

"There is no such thing as time-management; there is only self-management." ~Rory Vaden

"...each of us will give a personal account to God" (Romans 14:12). I don't know about you, but I want to hear those words referenced in Matthew 25:21, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

God has given us gifts, including the gift of writing, and not to use them is a waste of the gift of time - don't you agree? 

Therefore, let's put legs to this quote from author Stephen King:

Amateurs wait for inspiration while the rest of us just get up and go to work.

And "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (Colossians 3:23-24).

Write on, my friends!

________________________

For more about Susan Barclay and her writing, please visit www.susan-barclay.blogspot.com. 

 

Faced with a Moment by Susan Barclay

There are defining moments and experiences in all of our lives. Such events determine or set us on our course. Some are completely of our control, things that happen even when we are in the womb; others stem from the way we process things or from choices we make in response to circumstances or desires. They can lead us down good paths or very detrimental ones. Either way, we can describe them as pivotal.

One day when I was a child my mom was angry with me for being careless. I had tripped over the cord of my grandmother's hand mixer and brought the mixer crashing to the floor. My mom yelled and her words pierced my soul. Sobbing in the bathroom, I decided in my 9-year-old heart never to let anyone wound me so deeply again. I sealed myself up and steeled myself against hurt. It was years before I allowed myself another good cry. To this day I struggle to be in touch with my feelings.

The things that happen in childhood are powerful. I once read somewhere that children are excellent observers but terrible interpreters. It's true, I think. If the incident I described had happened when I was more mature, I might have told myself, "She's probably having a bad day. Being a single parent isn't easy; she doesn't mean it--she just needs help" or "She's doing the best she can with what she's been given and what she knows." I might have done what I could to assist her in what she was doing or simply gotten out of her way until her mood passed.

I remember breaking up with my first long-term boyfriend as a young adult. In my late 20s, I was eager to be married and start a family. I said to myself, "I'm getting married next year." No matter what was the subtext. I was a believer and had also decided that I was going to be myself with the next guy and not twist myself into a pretzel to be what I thought he might want. That second part was fine, of course, but being a Christ-follower, I should have had the mind of Christ and His approach: doing nothing of my own accord but seeking God's will (ref John 5:30). Instead, it was a defining moment as I set out with a goal of finding a husband. Thanks to Him, and not to me, things worked out so that I married a good man who seeks after righteousness, and we're still happy together after more than twenty-five years, but my life could have gone very sideways.

The mind is a powerful force. What we focus on matters. Where we let our thoughts travel is significant. The power of life and death are in the tongue (Proverbs 18:21) but what comes out of our mouths or shows in our behaviour first enters our minds. That's why Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8, "Fix your thoughts on what is true and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable." Scripture also advises us to think of others rather than ourselves and not to be selfish (Philippians 2:3). Knowing God's plans for us are for good and not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11) can help us to wait on His timing and trust He will provide what is best for us rather than take things into our own hands.

Moving on to defining writing moments, I remember being encouraged by my mother and teachers for my writing ability. I remember the publication of my first "book," a laminated and spiral bound collection of stories from my grandmother's childhood. Written in grade 6, it was added to the school library and borrowed by several children before I progressed out of the school and into junior high. It felt good to have a reading audience and to be asked questions about my work, and was no doubt influential on my desire to continue sharing stories with others. Teachers in junior and senior high school were also supportive and affirming--except for that one who told our entire creative writing class that we should consider a trade. Plumbing was respectable, said he! (Well, it is, but that's not what we wanted to hear).

9/11 was a defining moment in my "writing career" as well. Thinking about all those who lost their lives and recognizing the brevity of life made me ask if I was living the life I desired. I was working full-time as a librarian in a public library setting, which meant shiftwork and time away from my young children in the evenings and on weekends. I hadn't done anything really with what I felt was a gift from God: my writing fluency. If my life were to end right then, would He be happy with me? I discussed it with my husband and we decided to move an hour away from where we lived, where housing was more affordable, I could quit work, be home for my family, and write. 

It's true what they say about not quitting your day job. While I've had a few stories published and made a few dollars, if we'd been depending on me for an income, we'd be on the streets. After three years of being home full-time, I took a part-time job as a librarian in my new community. It works well for us and our children are now grown. But I do sometimes wonder if we made the right call. Though we've met some wonderful people here, we've also gone through some hard times. Would we have been better off staying where we were? Only God knows.

And that's the thing, isn't it? God knows what is best for us but sometimes we go off half-cocked, acting impulsively or according to our feelings, rather than consulting Him, reading the Word, seeking counsel from godly people in our lives. I'm not saying my husband and I did this with respect to our move, you understand; I'm talking more generally. I tend to be someone who does my homework, who is cautious in decision-making, rather risk-averse, stability-seeking. But I can still make mistakes. I can decide to wall up my heart so no one can hurt me, pursue my own desires without seeking God's will, and put the cart before the horse, thinking I'm doing a good thing.

If I could give anyone a piece of advice, it would be this from Lamentations 3:25-26: 

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It's a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. (The Message)

When you recognize a pivotal moment, stop, fix your eyes on the One who knows you, loves you, and has good plans for you. Ask what He says and wait patiently on His answer. He will never steer you wrong.

__________________________

For more about Susan Barclay and her writing, please visit www.susan-barclay.blogspot.com

Dreaming of Things to Come by Susan Barclay

Getting on the fast-track

As I faced this month's writing challenge, initiated by me, I wondered what I had in mind at the time of suggesting it. Anything? Anything at all? Has God spoken to me about my writing or used it to speak to others about Him in a meaningful way? Is He speaking to me now?

If you count my contributions on Inscribe Writers Online, I have received positive feedback fairly often. Thank you for letting me know when a piece I've written speaks to your heart; it's greatly encouraging!

For this post, though, it's the present I latch onto: "...perhaps He is speaking to you now."

He is speaking to me now indeed. Whether it's about the writing or something else, I'm not 100% sure. What I am certain of is that it pertains to my work and that He is calling me to a new thing. This doesn't mean that I'm to stop what I'm currently doing, that I'm to resign my position at the library or step away from my writing commitments or forget about submitting manuscripts, poems, etc. It does mean that I need to pay attention, to look for doors that might be opening, to listen to the comments of others who may be dropping heavenly hints, to hear what God is saying to me through His Word, and to be in prayer, seeking His direction.

One way He has spoken to me recently is through a dream. While I won't go into its details, and I know that it may sound weird to some, a friend who is gifted in interpretation shared that God is entrusting me with something of great value and is putting me on the fast-track somewhere. Through the dream He says that He hears my heart and it matches His for this particular thing. He is present with me, even if I can't see Him. The dream is about something to come but also has a warning: this is the time to get ready, to prepare. A life-changing moment is coming. He will advise me what to do, and it will be done through Him, supernaturally.

If life has been "interesting" this past year (to say the least), it seems that the wow factor may just be ramping up. My desire is to be in the centre of God's will and to say yes to whatever He has for me. I trust that is the desire of your heart for your life as well. May God bless each of us as we respond in obedience and follow where He leads.

_________________
Susan Barclay maintains a website at www.susan-barclay.blogspot.com and has practically given up on blogging there.

Going Green--Bamboo Green by Connie Inglis

I do enjoy seeing the new growth, the new green, of spring. I realize for some of you, spring has been green for a few months. For those of us on the Canadian prairies, the new green growth of spring is just beginning. And it is truly invigorating after months of white, months of no growth but only cold harshness.

My writing went through a long, long winter like that--something I shared about in last month's blog. But then shoots of growth started sprouting--Holy Spirit-driven sprouts of greenness and new life. It was unexpected but oh so welcoming to my frozen heart and soul.

I cannot explain how my life has changed since those green sprouts returned. I just know I never want to go back to the tundra. Which presents a challenge: How do I keep my writing green?

First and foremost, I need to invite the Spirit into everything that pertains to writing... that includes any reading I do, any listening to sermons or podcasts I do, any music listening I do, even any tv watching I do. I am still learning this one. It takes practice but if I keep it up, it will become a habit. I have discovered that you just never know when an idea will jump out at you if you are in the "write" frame of mind. That's one of the things I LOVE about the Holy Spirit--He is anything but predictable. That's what makes His inspiration so fresh and green.

In his book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, Stephen King states, "If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot." I've always been a reader. However, I have recently been choosing books that help me with my writing--books like, Ordinary Genius by Kim Addonizio, Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury and, You are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One) by Jeff Goins. Each author has a unique perspective on their craft and as I read I feel like a young "Grasshopper" sitting at their feet with so much to learn.

I am also learning to read proactively--to read seeking something fresh, green, inspirational. You might think that ruins the enjoyment of reading but it actually has made the reading more enjoyable. Sounds strange I know. Again, I believe that's the working of the Spirit.

It's the writing that I had stopped long ago that has returned and I'm learning that it requires work. I always thought that for famous authors writing came easy, with little work. I am learning that this is a false assumption.  In the book mentioned above, Jeff Goins says, “Everything is practice. Every word you write and action you take is a chance to get better.” Believe it or not, this encourages me. I'm not afraid of work. I have learned throughout my life that perseverance pays off--that the Spirit is present in the perseverance. That doesn't mean there won't be slow days or "writer's block" days. But I believe it does mean there will no longer be years of winter. For that I am thankful.

I am still a novice--my toes are just beginning to sink into the pristine sands of an undiscovered tropical island, one that is lush and green. Funny, when I think of green growth, my years of living in Southeast Asia take my imagination to a picture of bamboo forests. I love bamboo for many reasons. In how it relates to writing, I love its green growth--without hibernation, without winter. Bamboo is strong yet pliable. It will bend but not break. It is also persevering. Cut it down and the growth will return. In fact, some species of bamboo can grow three feet in 24 hours. What?!! Now that's prolific. It's sort of scary to say this (because of the prolific part) but I feel like my writing is a bamboo forest right now--a forest where God's Spirit is alive, weaving in and out of the graceful jointed stems, catching the Light on the slender leaves. I feel alive--hardly able to breathe sometimes--and it is beautiful. God is oh so good.

Fighting Fingers - Brenda J. Wood

I guess it is possible that King David was dwelling on actual physical warfare when he penned the following words, but it makes me think of people whose words make a difference.

Psalm 144:1 - Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my keen and firm Strength, Who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight. (AMP)
Maybe you aren't a writer. Maybe God is teaching your fingers how to fight in a different war. This verse may speak to you of gentle fingers cuddling a crying child or a frustrated hubby navigating his big rig through a maze of puny cars.

Tinier digits possibly struggle with their first piano lesson or grade three spelling. Somewhere, a teenager is refusing illegal drugs. A friend desperately clutches a podium while she gives her testimony for the first time.

Perhaps you think your fingers aren't doing anything worthwhile. Maybe you yearn for children to hurry up and grow out of the house. Or you struggle with a job you thoroughly dislike, such as caring for a difficult relative. Maybe no one is interested in the grand novel that you just finished.

Take heart. God knows what our fingers are up to. He's teaching them how to do their job the best way possible.

He trains us up to do our best for His glory. When we live with that in mind, every one of our fighting fingers will win the war.


Prayer: Lord, forgive us for despising any task that You've placed into our hands, whether it be grand or mediocre. Help us to remember that our smallest obedience changes the world. Amen.


 
Brenda J Wood
Innisfil, ON

My Writing Life Reviewed - Karen Toews

Looking back.

I've never been a prolific writer, but some seasons my efforts have been more consistent than others. One of those "others" has been the last five, six years - a space where my writing life has been an on-again, off-again practise. I wasn't happy that it had come to that wobbly flow of stops and spurts. Topic ideas wasn't the problem - they just seldom landed on the page. The desire and discipline to develop them into something worth reading didn't often happen.

That pattern took a small, but important, shift in 2010 when I started contributing monthly on this Inscribe Writers Online. Sometimes my post has been late or published in spite of my not being completely satisfied with the piece. But having an assignment, a deadline, a readership - that's what I needed to get the groove going.

Coming into 2011, my plan was to support that small momentum. In conjunction with developing my new business in natural nutrition, my goal was to launch a blog: a mission accomplished - with many thanks to my patient and blog-savvy daughter and son-in-law.

The present.

So the "blog-baby" is birthed. Content is "key" so posts have to be written but that's just part of sustaining this needy "child". The small writing momentum I was prepared to nurture has become a pushing and shoving match - manoeuvring through a foreign technical landscape and stretching my creativity for design and formating.

As fellow bloggers know, visiting and commenting on other blogsites helps build your own site and a network of online connections. This is good. What doesn't help is the sense of intimidation I feel, looking at "how professional" these other blogs look and "how come I didn't think to set up my site that way?" Or the most discouraging: "I have no clue how to make my side bar blocks (...or something else) look like that!"

I am gratified - readers are visiting, they're submitting comments. The discipline and challenge are giving me a sense of writing purpose, inspiring me to continue, helping shape other business ideas.

Looking ahead.

In Do the Work, author Steven Pressfield states, "A child has no trouble believing the unbelievable, nor the genius or the madman. It's only you and I, with our big brains and our tiny hearts, who doubt and over think and hesitate." This summer, with three of our grandkids living with us, I was able to observe this "having an idea to do something and just running with it." Whether it was physical play or for designing everything from doll clothes to cardboard castles to painting pictures.

Am I going to be able to "run with the dream" I have for this "child"? Is it really worthwhile, making a difference for someone? What about other writing desires - maybe a longer piece of work, maybe a (whisper) book?

Today I read Philippians 4:6,7. "Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

I'm not privy to the full picture of my 2012 writing life, but I have an idea. My heart is open to the bigness of God's creative power and design. My resolve is not to compare myself with others. My prayer is that I will know His leading - and His peace - as I do the work and move ahead.

What's the Point? - Karen Toews

I've been reading in Ecclesiastes. I didn't particularly decide to read this book right now, it's just where I'm at in my devotional bible-reading. This pointedly honest and somewhat despairing commentary on life is hardly an uplifting study for launching into a new year. However, I have been open to what God might be speaking to me through this Old Testament author (some scholars suggest it was Solomon), as this book must have been included in the scriptures for a good reason.

Call it a twisted version of inspiration for 2011 or my dose of "this is the real world, girl" - here are some of my January meditations.

"I accomplished some great things......But when I turned to look at all that I had accomplished and all the hard work I had put into it, I saw that it was all pointless. It was like trying to catch the wind. I gained nothing from any of my accomplishments under the sun." 2:4a, 11 NIV

"I saw that there's nothing better for people to do than to enjoy their work because that is their lot in life. Who will allow them to see what will happen after them?" 3:22 NIV

"You learn more at a funeral than at a feast - After all, that's where we'll end up. We might discover something from it." 7:2,3 The Message

"So I recommend the enjoyment of life. People have nothing better to do under the sun than to eat, drink, and enjoy themselves. This joy will stay with them while they work hard during their brief lives which God has given them under the sun." 8:15 NIV

"Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily! This is your last and only chance at it, For there's neither work to do nor thoughts to think In the company of the dead, where you're most certainly headed." 9:10 The Message

"Words from wise people are like spurs. Their collected sayings are like nails that have been driven in firmly....People never stop writing books...Fear God, and keep his commandments, because this applies to everyone, God will certainly judge everything that is done. This includes every secret thing, whether it is good or bad." 12: 11a, 12b, 13b, 14

What am I trying to accomplish and why? I can become a better person through sorrow and pain. Enjoy life. Work with gusto while I'm still able. Fear God, keep his commandments, and write with wisdom.

There is a point.

Times of Change - Bonnie Way

Shortly after I started my current job a year and a half ago, the monthly staff meeting featured a workshop on change. Apparently the branch had just undergone some restructuring and some employees had shifted positions. I found the workshop rather ironic, because I was in the middle of several changes in my life. When the workshop leader asked us to think of a change that had happened in the last few months, I wondered, “Which one?”

Now, as I finish this job, I find myself thinking back to those first few days. Again, I’m in a time of transition. I’m finishing one job to start a new job as a stay-at-home mom. I’m hoping to get more active in my writing career. Sometime in the next six months, I’ll be moving again – maybe more than once. My husband is finishing his second degree and looking for work. We’ll hear back on my grad school application in the next few weeks and then know for sure whether I’ll be starting another degree.

We’re both a little stressed over all the changes. It’s easy to worry about whether he’ll find a job and how we’ll pay the bills. I wonder if we’ll have a colicky or a quiet baby and if I’ll be a good mom. We talk about where we should move and where he should apply for jobs, but so much of that is still an unknown. Waiting is hard. We want to know the answers now.

There’s a little picture on my desk reminding me: “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). It’s comforting to know that while I may not know what the next few months will bring, God does. He’s leading us to where He wants us to be. And so I’ll pray that I can sit back, trust Him and enjoy the adventures that He brings our way.