Life: A Delicate Balance by Sharon Espeseth

Life: A Delicate Balance
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Wisdom from Julia Cameron in The Artist's Way

In her June post, Sandi Somers mentioned The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. I found this idle and previously unused book on my shelf and started reading. I quickly decided this book might help me get from feeling stalled and stymied to accomplishing some of what I believed I was meant to do in life.

I was the blocked creative Cameron was talking about. I was the flower seed crowded out by weeds of care and concern for everything and everybody. While trying to fix everybody else, I was short of the sunshine and elbow room I needed to grow myself. Low on sunshine and nutrients, my growth was also stunted by a creative well run dry.

Cameron lists ten Basic Principles, which coincide with my beliefs. Sample: "Creativity is God's gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift back to God."

Two of her Basic Tools are Morning Pages and The Artist Date, which she says are a non-negotiable part of her "recovery" program.  Morning Pages are three pages written first thing each morning; the Artist Date is a session of approximately two-hours set aside each week and "committed to nurturing your creative consciousness, your inner artist."

Cameron's program, which is designed to help us recover from blocked creativity, is divided into twelve weekly units. For each week, the author provides motivational material, quotes, and activities  suitable to that week's theme.

I have faithfully done my Morning Pages for 58 days. This works best for me when I rise early and write in solitude. I am on Week 6, Day 4. I have been a willing participant in the Morning Pages as this activity seems to keep me moving in the right direction. Often my writing is prayerful.

Not quite an Artist's Date as I am not alone

The Artist Date is something you plan and carry out on your own, which has been more challenging to me that Morning Pages. Sometimes I sit out on the front porch or the back deck and read or write, but I don't go off by myself as the author suggests. Does this mean I'm resisting this assignment? If so, I need strength and determination to overcome this reluctance.

Two weeks ago the assignment was to go on an extended date, one that lasts longer than the two hours. "Julia" suggested a more adventuresome outing. Yeah, right, I thought. If I can't do a two-hour date by myself, how am I going to pull this off? 

Wisdom and Synchronicity Making the Date

I hadn't been to Edmonton by myself since October 2015, when my sister Joan passed. Because of my husband's health, I didn't feel comfortable leaving him home alone. As we get older, Hank has become more protective of me also. I was gearing up for the Wednesday luncheon with my teaching girlfriends from my Fort McMurray years. Hank was going to drive me to the restaurant and wait for me in the hot van, which seemed ridiculous!

On Tuesday evening, Hank wrote down the time for Wednesday's Blue Jay's game. I reminded him we wouldn't be home on time, because, as I'd told him, I wanted to meet my niece and my sister for a dinner. His face fell. Was this an impasse? Would I have to give in and come home after the McMurray Girls Luncheon without seeing my people?

I reminded the Norwegian that I used to drive a lot and I'd be fine. I would pray for safety for both of us. He could pray instead of worry about me.

I would be going by myself. It was too late to make arrangements with my niece, Billie, or my sister Shirley. I'd  call them from Edmonton. Driving on my own was an unexpected pleasure. Comfortable and confident, I felt focussed. I shopped before the late luncheon. Billie-Jo met me for dinner in the evening. I stayed overnight with my daughter and family in Leduc. My sister from Calmar met me in Leduc for brunch on Thursday morning. I was home by 3:00 p.m.

I had a wonderful time and I suspect Hank did too. Julia Cameron would consider this episode synchronicity. When I set out to do what I set out to do, God was there helping with the details and keeping me safe. Everything lined up and I was grateful to all parties, especially my Father in heaven. I also whispered a thank you to "Julia" for giving me the gumption to venture out on my own.

Wisdom from Others

Lacey just trying to be herself

Recently I asked our seven-year-old grandchild, Lacey, "So, how are things going for you, Lacey?" "What have you been up to?"

"I'm just busy trying to be Lacey."

Interesting! I'm thinking, I'm just trying to be Sharon, to be who I believe God wants me to be.

A couple weeks ago, Connie Inglis, our InScribe spiritual advisor, shared her thoughts on Romans 5: 1-5. Because of my following The Artist's Way, the words of verse 2 especially touched me.

"For because of our faith, he has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all that God has had in mind for us to be."



 Maintaining Balance in the Ups and Downs of Life

Yesterday was a topsy-turvy day and I struggled to accomplish what I needed to do, i.e. write my blog, and take care of what my loved ones needed from me. For this, I took another look at the New Commandment Christ gave us.

What the good book says!

Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind," and then, "Love your neighbour as yourself." Sometimes we cannot, nor should we, meet all our neighbours needs. They must look after some of their own needs. Many of their needs are met by God, which leaves some needs for which we are responsible.

Help me to love my neighbour, Lord, as I love myself, and give me the wisdom to know which duties are mine. Amen.

Where's The Passion - Shirley S. Tye

A person with passion for something has deep interest for that something and because of the passion has energy to complete the task.  Passion is the driving force.  Well, that’s what I’ve noticed. 

When I was a distributor working from home, my leader asked me; “What are you passionate about?” She was trying to discover what motivated me so that I could apply that passion to that one thing and thereby increase my sales.  But alas, I couldn’t answer the question because there were and still are many things in which I’m interested.  I couldn’t put my finger on the main point of focus and so needless to say, I wasn’t successful with that home-based business even though I liked the products and the company, and the company’s philosophy.

I simply lack focus.  I have eyes like a housefly; compound eyes composed of many individual visual receptors which create a board field of vision. Perhaps I’m subconsciously afraid to miss out on something if I increase time on one thing and reduce the time on others. Must we sacrifice something to accomplish what’s important to us?  

The only thing that forces me to focus on one thing and get the job done on time is a deadline.  But of course, then I push everything else aside and pour all my energy into that one job.  That is focus but it isn’t balance.   

Doing what is important to us without neglecting our responsibilities to our families and employers can be a tricky balancing act. Time is a difficult thing to slice into equal parts so that there is enough to go around. I really must discover what is important to me now and prioritize those things.  Perhaps then I’ll be able to focus and finish some of those writing projects that are collecting dust. Oh, my, this will be like panning for gold.  But here I go.

Poised for the Final Act - Dayna Mazzuca

To be strong is to be balanced. The Bible talks about being "bold and stout-hearted" as the work of God. The finished work. That He delights in our strength. Our boldness.

This means reconciling the act of revelation (e.g. writing our best thoughts as they come to us through the inspiration and direction of the Holy Spirit) with the act of relating well to others. Of speaking bold, strong and true (e.g. finding our voice and trusting God with the rest). And then standing, as they come to the microphone to say, "Wow." or "Thank You."

As people come forward to say, "Congratulations," the goal is to stand tall. Do not demure or back away from what you put forward in faith. Stand behind your words.

This way the world will not only hear what you have to say from the front of the room. They will be able to receive what you have to offer face to face. The circle will be complete. You will have done your job. Yay!

This is what it means to balance the last bits of the writing life: the completed project with the congratulatory response, which can be unsettling and put you off balance.

The Final Act of the Writing Life: The words on the page read out loud to an audience. The message delivered. The truth spoken. The story told. Bravo!

Balanced with the Human Response to Praise (always a danger to an unsettled ego): The response to what you read and how you read it. The pats on the back. The flowers and champagne. The new outfit. The reward and hugs all around. Way to go!

To Write Strong to the end: we need only be true to the call of God on our lives.

To Respond Well to Others' Response at the end: we need only remember
God is pleased with us (too!).

This might sound like too much joy. Too many balloons floating against the ceiling. Too many bubbles in the bath! This might sound like a strange way to achieve balance in the writing life. But I believe that getting this part right will give us capacity and patience and endurance to do what we need to do to get to this point. This is where we want to be. In total Happiness Overload. Crazy successful on the page and off. With publishers and with people. But mostly—mostly with ourselves and with our God. The rest is all—as they say—gravy!

But I say - without the gravy, who wants to sit around and peel 100lbs of potatoes?! But with the gravy... bring on the peelers! bring on the writing schedule. bring on the writing/life balance along the weekly way - so we can get to the Good Stuff at the END: the Very Happy End!! - Where we nail the writing! nail the reading! and nail our response to others' (very positive!) response. That is GRAVY. BRING IT ON.

(or do you think that sounds a little crazy?)


www.daynawrites.com

The Search for Equilibrium by Glynis M Belec

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

The Balancing game. I sometimes think it is called the Juggling game; at least in my house. And some days it even shifts from juggling to struggling to tight-rope walking. 

But am I complaining? Nope. I am rejoicing. I am rejoicing in my season. I do get a little frustrated because of my lack of available hours, but I plod on and use my agenda faithfully, reminding myself that God has me exactly where he wants me. 

I think that is the best advice I can give anyone who is dealing with a juggling act - plod on and trust God! And use an agenda or list of some kind - device or pen and paper. Doesn't matter as long as you have a reference. Balance for me comes at the end of the day when I feel accomplished and see that I crossed off at least half of my list and everyone was fed and happy along the way. 

Summertime adds to the number of balls I am tossing in the air, too; my darling grandchildren spend lots of time at my house. But how can I complain about that? Just part of the joy of having a home office and a flexible schedule. [Not many know of my late nights!] 

Maintaining an equilibrium works for me most days, although like I said, I don't get everything done in a day and battle frustrations and a temptation to feel sorry for self and drift into a depth of despair while planning my own pity party. 

But then I am reminded by God's Word that, yes, there is a time for every event, including solid writing time. Seems no one likes to attend a pity-party anyway even if I serve a delicious dose of 'why me' and generous helpings of  "how can I cope'.  It's much more fun when I rejoice in where I am instead of whining about where I want to be. 

Juggling things takes effort. Jesus is a good place for me to look to see how to juggle things properly. He had the same 24 hours I have now and the demands on Him were greater than I can even imagine. I only have to cook, clean, write, take care of people I love, run a business, and put up with hardship now and again. Jesus had to put up with huge demands of the day, not to mention the weight of the sins of the world. 

Ah, yes. Part of my pursuit of balance is suddenly replaced by the realization that no matter what I do (want, hope for, long for, write on my list) it will never be perfectly achieved. All I can do is my best and remember that God is going to be there to catch me if I fall (or drop a juggling ball or two!) 

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17