Labels by Sharon Heagy

            The other day someone labelled me as a certain kind of person. It wasn’t a bad label but it made me feel as though they had just grabbed a stamp, filled it with ink and fixed an identifiable mark on my forehead. Thock! “File this gal on the shelf with all the others just like her!” 

            Labels can be a boon and a bane. When I shop for groceries, I often examine the labels to see if a product is ok for my husband to eat. Label reading seems to be on the increase these days. Groups of shoppers standing in the aisles, fingers scrolling down the ingredient list and nutrition facts to see if there is something inside that could harm them because they have certain health issues or because they are following the latest fad diet. 

            Labels are great for washing clothes to prevent damage or to find out what you did wrong when damage occurs. “Oh, cold water only and hang to dry,” as you pull a shirt out of the dryer that will now only fit a doll.

            Labels are handy for directions on how to assemble or for proportions for mixing. They are useful as warnings for harmful things. “Do not breathe, ingest, touch or get it in your eyes. Warning! Warning!”

            And what about the “Do not remove” labels that many of us still have hanging off of mattresses, furniture and other sundry items. Are we afraid to remove them in case the label police storm down the door and throw us in label jail? Labels, labels everywhere.

            But when it comes to people maybe we could use less labelling and more ‘getting to know you.’ Type A, B, C, D have now been joined by 16 other subcategories of personality traits, each with their own set of initials. And, yeah, maybe these ‘tests’ and attributes could be a handy tool in some circles, but I still think the best way to know people is to sit down and have a ‘cuppa’ with a plate of cookies. (The cookies are only negotiable if there happens to be cake instead.)

            Sitting in a food court gazing out over the populous as they pass reveals the vast creativity of God. There are more differences and nuances in looks, laughs and mannerisms. A person is the sum of many parts, not a set of labels. The more intimately you know somebody, the deeper the layers you will find. You may find you have to use the entire alphabet in order to describe just one person.

            Perhaps we need to keep this in mind when developing characters for our stories so the folks we write about are less cookie cutter and more multifaceted diamonds of God’s creation. 

Providing labels also limits God and the Holy Spirit’s power to equip someone beyond their skills and personality. Anything is possible with God so let’s let our characters out of the boxes we so conveniently create for them. Surprise!

            As for me, I am trying not to let my judgements and preconceived ideas about how and why people behave the way they do, limit my getting to know them. Instead, I am peeling off the labels and am trying to look a little deeper. To give a little grace and be blessed to meet a fellow traveller, knit together by His hand. Exploring and trying to understand who God created them to be as I unwrap the gift that they are to the world. 

            Something to think about, I hope, at least it is for me. 

            Meanwhile, I wish each and every member of my Inscribe family a very Merry Christmas, filled with the peace and joy that comes from knowing Him. Gloria in Excelsis Deo!

 

 

Effective Communicators are Good Listeners by Steph Beth Nickel

 

As communicators, we're used to writing words and sending them into the world and/or preparing messages to deliver to an audience.

But how do we do so effectively?

We must learn to listen to more than simply our own thoughts.

If applicable, we must listen to our clients, our publishers, our editors... Anyone we answer to. Anyone who helps us make our work better.

We must listen to potential readers to learn their "felt needs." This is especially important when we're writing nonfiction.

We must listen to our current readers to learn what they enjoy, what they've found helpful or entertaining, and what doesn't "hit home".

To an extent, we must listen to the experts and the current prevailing thoughts so we can consider how to most effectively share our message with others.

Listening to everyday conversations can make our written dialogue believable.

Making note of what we find effective (and what we feel falls flat) in the books we read and the movies we watch can also help us when we sit down to write.

We must also learn to "listen to" all our senses.

When we include what we've heard in our writing, it will take the reader even further into the experience if we include the emotions these sounds stir up in our characters. (Doing so without actually naming the emotions is a perfect example of showing rather than telling, but that's a subject for another time.)

What do we feel, not emotionally, but with our sense of touch? Do we describe the fabric as "rough" or do we say, "It felt like coarse sandpaper against his skin" or "She slipped on the satin blouse. It was so cool and light that it felt like there was nothing on her sunburned arms"?

What do we see? The more details we notice, the more it will enhance our writing, especially when it comes to painting a mental picture for our readers.

What do we smell? Smell is the sense most directly associated with memory. If we include recognizable odours and the sensations they evoke in our characters, it will draw readers into our stories. There may be times when it's appropriate to include the sense of smell in our nonfiction as well.

What do we taste? Have you ever participated in what many refer to as "mindful eating"? There is so much more to the experience of eating than most of us think about. If we slow down and consider the sensations, the thoughts, and the emotions we experience, this added awareness might just make it into our writing.

And when we, as Christians, listen, there is nothing more important than learning to listen to the Holy Spirit and following His guidance.

Of course, the Lord communicates most directly through His Word.

But we also must pay attention to our aspirations and interests. Even our fears, struggles, and trials. God just may use them to direct and enhance our writing, to make us more effect communicators.

One last thing...

A disclaimer (of sorts): We must learn to listen to that which will make our work better, but we must also learn when to "stand our ground". Otherwise, we will forever be revising our work and never sending it out into the world to accomplish what it can.

Labyrinth ~ Guest Post by Gail Neumann

 

In the quiet of autumn, while walking on the seashore, I looked for the Lord. His presence was so evident in His creation. My heart was heavy with concern for dear ones lost to rebellion and sin. I listened to the gulls and waves and felt the brisk breeze on my face. As I stepped through the crunching pebbles and soft sand I thanked Him, one by one, for the many beautiful things I observed. I noticed the sun breaking through the clouds, bleached driftwood logs resting high on the shore offering me a place to stop and contemplate. I sat and lifted my loved ones up to His throne. Then I left them in His care. 

As walked further I thanked God for His ultimate control of things out of my reach. I thanked Him for his gifts in this place where the pink shells and dried seaweed gathered at the high tide mark, the sun glinted on whitecaps, and gulls rode the waves. I sighed and enjoyed this gift of place.

Half an hour down the beach I found a simple labyrinth of large rocks placed above the tide line. Curious, I stepped into the path to follow the spiral toward the centre. As I walked, I continued to enjoy my observations and offer thanks and prayers. I watched as a kingfisher rattled a war cry and dove into the waves. It flew back to its lookout with a tiny silver fish, tilted its head, and swallowed the morsel whole. The path turned and I found myself looking back down the beach where two small children played on the shore and popped rockweed bladders. Their laughter was muffled by the wind. 

I turned again toward an exposed spit that pointed a rocky finger out to sea. It hooked back to protect a shallow pool of seawater. It had become a playground for a dog fetching sticks as his master enjoyed the shore. 

Then I turned and looked out to sea again as a boat with brilliant white sails caught the sun and the whitecaps glistened. Soon, I turned again to notice a reddish arbutus leaning over the pockmarked sandstone boulders high above the shore. 

Everything changed as I orbited the centre and observed the beach from different angles. I found sights I hadn’t noticed as I walked straight along the beach. It made me ponder the value of seeking different perspectives in other parts of my life.

The voices of others, who may have different points of view, coupled with my own, may reveal a more authentic truth. There is value in treating others as counselors rather than competition or opposition. 

I will always aim to keep God on the throne of my life but by allowing others to share their thoughts, I will have more varied perspectives, and more knowledge to make better decisions. 

What happens to my loved ones may never be in my control but God gives me beautiful moments and cares for me, and for them. He is the one who sees me from every angle. He creates beauty to soothe my soul.

Proverbs 15:22 Amplified Bible

Without consultation and wise advice, plans are frustrated,

but with many counsellors they are established and succeed.

Gail lives on the West Coast of, British Columbia. Her writing has appeared regularly in local publications. She loves swimming, hiking, and being out in nature. Multiple journals filled with daily prayers and responses are her passion. She has more writing projects on the go than she can ever seem to finish

Lend Your Ear by Joylene M Bailey

 

Lend your ear,

    if you would,

    to my song of Christmas.

Mary, Joseph understood,

    making them courageous.

Lend your voice,

    raise it high

    to the songs of Christmas.

Choirs of angels broke the sky to

    laud the Prince of princes. 

Lend your help,

    if you will.

    Tend the wounds of Christmas.

If the road seems all uphill,

    start it with forgiveness.

Lend your words,

    write them down.

    Share the hope of Christmas:

Prince of Peace, yet thorny crown.

    You must be the witness.

Lend yourself.

    Fill your sphere

    with your song of Christmas.

You have purpose while you're here;

    let Him be your richness.

*****

Feature Image by Jeremy Kyejo from Pixabay   

  

All is bright and all is calm (for the moment) in Lake Country, Alberta, where Joy lives with The Cowboy and his small livestock - a dog and a kitten. But soon, five little cowhands will arrive to break up the stillness and fill the atmosphere with squeals and snowmobiles. She wishes you all a very Merry Christmas!  Scraps of Joy