A Singing Heart Composes Prose that Sings ~ Wendy L. Macdonald

 

The writing projects that make my heart sing are inspirational prose based on miraculous moments in my life: Those poignant instances when God spoke up close and personal during an ordinary day. 

A singing heart composes prose that sings.

The scripture verse where the psalmist asks, “What is man that You are mindful of him?” moves my heart each time I read it. For it’s when I’ve sensed God’s mindfulness of me that my heart feels the fullest of love, joy, and gratefulness.

These “memoir moments” can be written as poetry, devotionals, or inserted into a fictional character’s life within a novel. The main point is to point readers to God’s generous grace.

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:4-5 (NIV)

The writing projects that make my heart sing are the ones written from a heart that’s been touched by His Presence. While narrating an incident of intimacy with Grace, a deeper glimpse of God is revealed. Pausing to ponder what’s passed between us and our Creator draws more goodness for us to glean and share. His well is bottomless. His love is without measure. We’re rewarded generously when we take the time to be still before Him.

When inspirational writers thank God for His gifts and healing, we are as pleasing to Him as the one in ten healed lepers who remembered to give thanks to Jesus for what He has done.    

Writing from a place of praise and gratitude is not only a sweet spot but also a hot spot in that words flow forth as passionately as a lover lavishing compliments on his “flawless” bride. 

God is perfect. How can a scribe not enjoy penning words that point to the Author of all that’s good and glorious in this amazing universe? 

Be still my heart, one day you will see Him and know Him as you are known. 

Now that’s something to sing and write about. Praise the Lord!

Wendy L. Macdonald is an inspirational blogger and podcaster who loves to photograph nature on Vancouver Island. Her byline is: “My faith is not shallow because I’ve been rescued from the deep.” Her main website is wendylmacdonald.com where she enjoys interacting with readers.

What Writing Projects Make Your Heart Sing? By Sandi Somers

Image by Dreamstime.com

We’ve all worked on writing projects that we loved (passion projects), and projects we’ve---well, loved less. Lady Bird Johnson advised: “Work on projects that make your heart sing.”

As I’ve been thinking through Lady Bird Johnson’s wisdom, I’ve thought of projects that have sustained my interest until completion, while other projects initially excited me, but then became a chore, and I wished I hadn’t started them. What made the difference? It helped to know that I needed to discern whether a project excites me initially, or whether it continues to enliven me, bringing a sense of life, and making my heart sing.

I’ve recently come across a number of relevant concepts, concepts I want to share with you.

1.   To discern whether we’re enlivened or only excited, the psychologist Dan Allender asks us to probe the following questions: “What moves me most deeply? What do I most enjoy doing? Where do I find the greatest pleasure and joy? What is it about this activity…that brings me such a sense of life?”

2.   If we’re enlivened, we write from love and joy. The writing instructor and author Elizabeth Andrew says, “Write from a place of love—for the subject matter, for the writing process, for the language, for our readers.”

3.   Even in joyous experiences, we can run into discouragement, uncertainty, obstacles, and setbacks. We may need to acknowledge that we need help. But ultimately we need to persevere, to think of creative solutions, to turn to the Lord for His guidance and how He is sustaining us.

4.   Then we need to look beyond ourselves, to think of how we can inspire others. Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Dillard advised us: “Dedicate (donate, give all) your life to something larger than yourself and pleasure—to the largest thing you can: to God, to relieve suffering, to contributing to knowledge, to adding to literature, or something else. Happiness lies this way, and it beats pleasure hollow.”

5.   Ultimately we give our passion back to God to develop according to His plan and His mission for us.

6.   I conclude with a very personal note. “To everything there is a season,” the Preacher wrote (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Projects that make us sing come to an end, and the Lord directs us elsewhere.

Over eight years ago, our then-moderator of InScribe Writers Online, Brenda Leyland, invited me to develop monthly themes and become the lead writer. Doing so has stretched my faith and writing, from my first tentative posts, to a variety of writing strategies. The Lord has been my constant guide. Comments from other bloggers have encouraged me, and in addition, I’ve developed both professional and personal friendships through this blog.

But now I sense the Lord asking me to close this chapter. Beginning with our June blog, Wendy Macdonald will assume these responsibilities or designate others in these roles. I will not completely disappear from IWO, however. For the foreseeable future I will continue as a regular contributor sometime during the month.

I pray that this ministry will continue with God’s blessing. Please continue to pray for our writers, just as I extend my love, gratitude and prayers to you.

~ ~ ~

Now over to you.

As you think of your past or current writing projects…How have you discovered Lady Bird Johnson’s advice to be true? How does doing so honour the Lord in your writing?

 Surround yourself with love and beauty as you write.

You are here to live in God’s love and reflect it to everyone around you.

A Single Flame ~ Valerie Ronald

            

 

With the touch of a match the candle wick ignites, flickering then burning steadily, bringing a golden glow to the place where I sit during my quiet time with God. Its cheering light gives me a focal point as I meditate on the sacred words I read. The candle’s subtle citrus scent teases my nose ˗˗ its small flame warms my face.  

I envision the Holy Spirit of God as a single flame, like that of a candle. It is an apt picture. When Jesus appeared to the apostles after His resurrection, He told them to wait for the gift His Father promised, the Holy Spirit who would imbue them with power. On the day of Pentecost tongues of fire came to rest on each of them, filling them with the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:3 NIV)   

In the past, my life journey was shadowed by struggle and sorrow. I wondered if I would be engulfed by darkness, yet a faint light of hope led me on. I remember huddling in my bed, overwhelmed with despair, yet I felt a tiny flicker of anticipation. In that fathomless darkness God’s Holy Spirit shone like a small candle, giving me hope that I would walk in the light again. Though wicked winds threatened at times to snuff it out, I kept my eyes on the light of the Spirit, guiding me forward.  

A single candle flame emits a surprising amount of energy. During a power outage we were without a source of heat, so we lit as many candles as would fit on our kitchen table, sat around it and kept nicely warm. God’s Holy Spirit reaches me sometimes through a warming of my heart. Or even a burning, like the two who walked to Emmaus with the resurrected Jesus, who asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32)   

The Spirit of God communicates in ways uniquely suited to my personality, knowing how to touch my soul. My heart warms toward others when His Spirit wants me to reach out to someone in need; it burns with conviction when I have sinned against Him; it ignites with creativity when I exercise my writing gift. Then there are the precious moments when my whole being is suffused with the warmth of His presence, when my worship and love rise like incense because of who He is and what He has done.  

What an awesome mystery, that God’s Spirit flows from within me where He resides, rather than influencing me externally. As Jesus said, “Whoever believes in Me, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. (John 7:38-39)   

It has taken me years of trial and error to carry the flame of the Spirit steadily. Even now I sometimes neglect to let it shine, like those in the parable, putting my lamp under a bowl instead of on a stand, where it can give light to everyone. (Mt.5:14-15) Gradually I am learning to rely on God’s Spirit within to guide and direct me as a writer. Before my fingers touch the computer keys, I seek the Spirit’s inspiration and direction about what I should write. I anticipate His confirmation, an imprimatur of peace I have come to recognize as from Him. He plants an idea like a seed, nurtures it during prayer and meditation on His Word, then makes it bloom onto the page as I write. Some blooms take longer to unfurl, some are more vibrant than others, yet I trust they will grow according to His will.  

John the Baptist said of Jesus, “The one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.” (John 3:34) I believe because Jesus Christ resides within me through His Spirit, then I, too, have the Spirit without limit. All things are possible through Him. As I seek to live deeply in Him, I pray I will reflect His radiance, like a small candle flame shining in the darkness. 

                                                   

 

  More of Valerie's work can be read on her blog.

   https://wordpress.scriptordeus.com/

Trusting the Holy Spirit - Lorrie Orr

 

It's the morning (late) of the 22nd - the day I am scheduled to post here. I've been thinking and thinking about what to write, given the topic of the Holy Spirit, and had decided to simply skip this month. However...here I am. 

With a degree in Religious Education under my belt, and a lifetime of enjoying God's presence, I know the theology behind the Trinity and certainly, I believe it. I sing the Doxology, often in the car in the morning, praising Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It's so much better than listening to the radio.

However, in my everyday spiritual life I don't differentiate much between God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. After all, he is God's Spirit within me, and that's the amazing thing. God chooses to live in me, an ordinary aging woman living an ordinary life. He chooses to teach me, guide me, comfort me, and be with me, all via his Spirit. 

So, if that's the case, then ideally, all that I do is motivated by God's Holy Spirit. I know that I fail frequently, and do things that do not please God, but I also know that it's the gentle, or not so gentle whisper of his Spirit that touches my heart and lets me know when I need to make things right. 

So I don't worry or think too much about what to do or what to write. I trust the God's Spirit within me to lead me to action. When there are big decisions to make, I pray and then make the decision that seems right. Holy nudges every day. I feel that my role is to be available and open to guidance. I think that sometimes we compartmentalize life too much in our western culture. And sometimes, we try too hard rather than lean into God's "unforced rhythms of grace." (from the Message)

I'm curious to know what you all think about this. 

Lorrie Orr writes from Vancouver Island where she enjoys boating and hiking with her husband. Gardening, reading, sewing, and spending time with her five grandchildren fill her days when she isn't teaching Spanish at a local high school. She also writes a "slice of life" blog at www.fabricpaperthread.blogspot.com