Harnessing My Wandering Mind - Guest Post by Bobbi Junior

Aarrgghhh!    

I can read a whole chapter in the Bible, word for word, and spend the entire time thinking about some totally random, unrelated situation.  How does the brain do that? You’d think reading would take concentration, but my brain seems to split, words skimming the surface of my grey matter while my thoughts muck around, filling those places I want scripture to occupy.

It doesn’t happen when I’m writing, though. When I’m typing a sentence, following a thought on its trail to who knows where, my mind is fully engaged.

I have another weak spot in my prayer life, and that’s finding words of praise. I stumble and mumble, using archaic terms that feel phony coming out of my mouth. Quite frankly, it’s embarrassing, considering I call myself a writer. 

But then it occurred to me; I am a writer. Not a speaker. Hmmm…

Online I found a list of the attributes of God. What better focus for prayers of praise?

I copied the list to a word doc and put my plan into practice. It may not be focused praise, but it’s definitely drawing me deeper into my exploration of the character of God.

What does it look like? Here’s today’s effort.

The description I found online:

Omnipresent: This theological term means “always present.” Since God is infinite, His being knows no boundaries. So, clearly He is everywhere. This truth is taught throughout the Bible as the phrase “I am with you always” is repeated 22 times in both the Old and New Testaments. These were even Jesus’ words of assurance just after giving the challenge to His disciples to take His message to the entire world. This is certainly a comforting truth for all who follow Jesus.

My rambling, semi-edited exploration:

If I say to you, “Cleanse my heart, oh Lord,” you will take that prayer, and in your position as omnipresent ruler of all creation, you will address my small, infinitesimal self; me - just one of the billions of souls who have lived, are living and will live. You will invest yourself into my situation. That you would care that much, that you would take the time…  But no. You are not bound by time. You are infinite. After a boring meeting my friend often says, “That’s an hour of my life I’ll never get back.” But you, Lord, are not losing anything when you listen to my prayer, hear my petition, and intervene in my situation to teach me, grow me, refine me. It’s not a loss for you. We humans have to prioritize our choices according to time, energy, resources, and demands of others. But you, Lord, have no need to prioritize my prayer according to the prayers of others. You are omnipresent.  Always available for each of us, any time we call on you. Because you are infinite, because you are sovereign, you watch us and watch over us, fully present. No wonder Paul said we should pray all the time!

Yup. Journalling my thoughts about God takes me to unexpected understanding, something I can’t do when my fingers aren’t engaged. Works for me! What about you?

bobbijunior.com

Deliberate Ramblings of Gratitude by Sharon Espeseth

Uprooted to Right-sized

If you've read my ramblings before, you may recall that in July 2014 my husband and I sold the lovely home we designed ourselves and had contractors build for us. We loved this house that was perfect for us and for our kids when
they visited, but we could see the house and yard work were getting too much for us to look after.

Sparing you the details, the Norwegian and I ended up moving three times in three years. Even with much help from our adult kids, moving and resettling three times was exhausting. That plus serious health problems for Hank and minor ones for me have kept us busy attending doctor's appointments and medical tests.

A Tale of Three Houses

The first house was too much work.

The Naked Bulb in the Rafters

The second was too small.
The third was just right,
And we are thankful for it all.

InSights from InScribe

InSight #1: Appreciating My New Space

We have room for the kids to stay over and I have a huge office in the semi-finished basement. Recently I Marnie Polman's blog, called "Secret Mission."

"Peering over the writer's shoulder," she begins, "like an annoying supervisor, the naked light bulb dangling from the ceiling gives the impression of light while effectively casting shadows that hide the dust of neglect littered throughout the room."

How does she know what my oversized office looks like and what state it is in? I wondered.

My stash of journals, daybooks, and binders

Since we are renting, we won't be closing in the ceiling or putting in fancy fixtures. I do, however, love my quiet space down here.

The kids have moved back my bookshelves and cupboards I didn't have place for in House #1 or House #2. Just see what I can do in the space I have.



InSight #2: Comparing Journals and Writer's Notebooks

Sandi Somers, I felt reassured to read your title, "On Journals and Writers' Notebooks", because I'm not ready to give up my journals to start something new. I have been journal writing for decades. In the earlier days my journals were coil-ringed notebooks, which included everything from soup recipes to nutty quips.

Then came the acid-free age where pages would be safe into the next millennium. I bought the gel pens and away I wrote, not knowing if anyone besides me would ever care to read them. I wrote for permanence and I wrote more neatly. On the other side of my brain, I tried to figure out who I would trust to "burn them when I was gone."

 InSight #3: The Day Book, a Must for Me

The last decade or so, I have also kept a day book, where I record basically what I/we did that day. This has come in handy for writing plans and respecting deadlines, for medical notes, ideas, shopping, and whatever.

Since these day books can be hard to find, I hunt for my book early in the fall for the next year. This past year new people took over the drug store/Christian book store in our town and I had to special order this one.

Details for the day planners I've been using for several years:

* Executive Planner by christian art gifts®
* about 16 cm by 22.5 cm
* contains charts you may find helpful
* year planner for current year and next year
* monthly budget pages
* monthly spiritual theme with biblical and other quotes
* daily quotes to go with monthly theme
* place for hourly entries, which I ignore
* zipper cased and bookmarked with a ribbon




InSight #4: Purse-Sized Notebook

I am keeping a watch out for a Fat Little Wireless Notebook like the one Shirley Tye mentions in her blog, "Don't Leave Home Without It." The Day Book above doesn't, alas, fit in my purse.

InSight #5: Journal Writing

I have read with interest what other InScribers say about journal writing. For some, it has become ho-hum. For others, it causes angst when they are not able to keep up with it.  I agree with Dayna Mazzuca when she says, "(Daily) journalling  is essential to my soul, my craft and my coherence." She explains that if she goes too long without writing in her journal, she becomes "a mess" and "bereft" and (gasp)" hard to live with.

I don't write in my journal daily, but when I do, I expand on observations, concerns, anecdotes, memories, books I'm reading, prayers . . .

InSight #6: Morning Pages

Hmm! Have I covered my bases with my journals and my day book? Or is there something else. I read  with interest Sandra Somer's resource-rich blog and I am trying a new tactic. Taking to heart what Sandi wrote about The Writer's Way by Julie Cameron, I reached for the book covered in dust mites and standing on one of my bookshelves.

My morning pages await me.

I am studying the introductory part of the book before getting into the weekly exercises. Thanks, Sandi, for reminding me of this resource, which seems to be the gas I need  for my engine right now. I am on Day 4 of my morning pages. Although I had done something similar when I read and wrote with Henrietta Klauser's book, Writing on Both Sides of the Brain, all things old became new for me.


I have bookmarked your blog, Sandi, for further reference


InSight #7: The Writer's Notebook

I can't do all of these activities every day, but I plan to experiment with a writer's notebook. I chair our Women Word Weavers meeting tomorrow. For this, I found an inexpensive sketch book for each of our members, which we'll crack open tomorrow.

I am not the expert on this, but we have one member who has used a writer's notebook for years. We have another writer who has filled several art/writer's notebooks, which are beautiful books to "read."
My survey shows that our writing buddies are willing to give this a go.

We can begin by listing writing ideas and activities for the summer. We can review, or write, personal mission statements--thanks Ruth Snyder for reminding me of this necessity in one of your recent FB posts. In the fall, when I'm chairperson again and have had time to try this more, we can take our writer's notebooks to the next level.

I'd like my notebook to be visual "art", of which my specialty would be collage. This will be my attempt at "playing with the art of writing." Please wish me luck or pray that this leads us further in using our gifts to glorify God.

InSight #8: Gratitude

I

I am thankful for for the members of InScribe and our satellite group for being with me on this writing journey. In a recent e-mail to me, Connie Inglis, InScribe Spiritual Advisor, mentioned Paul's first letter to the Corinthians: 1:21-31.

To see this scripture with new eyes,

I read this passage in several translations, including The Message. Eugene Peterson closes the chapter with,

"If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God." 

I write with gratitude to God for InScribe, for writing companions on the journey and for the gift of writing which is mine to develop and use for his glory.

Thanks be to God for creating us as creative beings!

Journal - Don't Leave Home Without It - Shirley S. Tye

In 1997, I read somewhere that writers should always carry a notebook in which to jot down ideas, thoughts, feelings, and descriptions of what one has seen, heard, smelled, and touched.  So I went shopping for a notebook, one that would easily fit into my purse. 

A little blue one caught my eye.  It was four inches by five and one half, and about one inch thick.  I’m not sure what drew me to the book first; the colour or the name.  It was called Fat Little Wireless Neatbook. I laughed at the name and, oh yes, it was fat; 200 pages.  On the first page, I wrote the title Passing Thoughts and a short explanation about the writings. I just about filled that fat little book with all manner of nonsense, descriptions, and…well…passing thoughts.  I still chuckle when reading the humourous pieces and when I spot silly misspellings.  Some of the writings turned into pretty good stories that I used in my story ministry and some were published. Yup!  It sure paid…literally paid, to have that little notebook with me always.

Since then, I’ve purchased many journals and always have one in my purse.  Most of my writing is done while enjoying a cup of coffee at a café.  There’s so much to observe and hear in coffee shops.  They’re busy places, drawing in all types of people to stir my imagination. 

A journal is a handy, inexpensive tool which is great fun to read later.  And it’s a safe place to vent, if one needs to release some unpleasant emotions or negative thoughts. So remember the journal when heading out.  Don’t leave home without it.   

  

Journaling not for faint of heart by Dayna E. Mazzuca

Hard-core daily journalling is not for the faint of heart. Debriefing life play by play can be exhausting. On the other hand, the un-examined life is hardly worth living. I believe the Lord wants each of us in close contact with Him; to tune in to our life below the surface. To voice our tender, strong desires. To name our fears. To live in response to his invitation to go deeper; to know God.

As a writer, I find journaling the ideal venue for this kind of spiritual work.

For me, daily journaling is essential to my soul, my craft and my coherence. When I go too long without a journal (e.g. on vacation/on the move) things pile up inside of me and by the end of a week bereft of journaling, I'm a mess. I talk faster, knee-jerk react to situations, interrupt people and growl at those who love me.

As a result, my colourful, oversized journal collection is really a hopeful investment in the quality of my inner life. Journaling clears my mental skies and refines and strengthens my emotional core. It orders my responses and informs my voice. In many ways, it informs who I am and what I'm about.

I journal daily. It's not a habit; it's a way to the good life. 

I can't imagine who or what I'd be without my journals. I fill one a month, sometimes two.

What will become of these thoughts, prayers, rants and quotes? I have no idea. Sometimes I worry; so I journal about that too.

To be honest, publishing to connect with readers is easier than journaling. I know what happens to those words. I can track the response. My articles, poems and books represent thoughts coming full circle, taking on some form in the world, offering value. My journals sit in tall stacks and fill baskets in my study.

Private journaling and public writing (e.g. publishing) straddle two different hemispheres of my writing world.

On the one side, I need to journal. I need to process and attend to the significant signs of God at work in my life. I need to record the pain and celebrate the joys of life. I need to be honest and vulnerable and fierce and strong. I need to journal.

On the other side, I need to publish. I need to be heard; to not operate within a vacuum. To get outside of my head. To attune to the needs and voices of others. To pursue my vocation. To get paid and contribute to society. I need to publish.

In the end, journaling is an interior act. Publishing is exterior. Two halves of the whole that this writer, for one, appreciates, pursues and enjoys—albeit in rather un-equal measure.



www.daynawrites.com