March 18, 2024

O is for Ordinary by Lorilee Guenter

 


This past week, I have stumbled across a number of quotes related to journeys. There is an excitement about the destination. New experiences, celebrations, and milestones all draw our attention. In between the milestones are everyday, ordinary events. these are part of the journey that at times we overlook, at least I do.

In the midst of planning, hoping and dreaming we encounter the moments of life. Some church traditions mark ordinary time. It is important. When I rush around, or when I fix my attention on that upcoming event, I miss the daily joy of being. When I pause, when I lean into the everyday experience, I notice details. Conversation flows as we enjoy a meal together. The ordinary becomes extraordinary as I notice and acknowledge God's presence. I am able to recognise His hand at work in the moment.

Rushing and wishing, grumbling and complaining,with impatience, not only lead me to miss what is in front of me, they block my creativity. This is not a surprise since I believe my creativity is a gift from God. It is one way we as humans can reflect God's image. Grumbling does not reflect His character. Rushing causes details to disappear that might draw us closer to Him. Stress of what might be clouds what is. Peace falters. My mind spins. I lose sight of the source of everything.

As I sit down to revise and edit, I realise it is only when I ground my characters in the ordinariness of life that the story begins to come alive. Those ordinary details set the stage for the journey that pulls the reader in. They are connection pieces. I can not include these grounding pieces if I haven't allowed God to ground me in the moment.

Recently I have been in a liminal space, a time of transition. I am not quite here and I am not yet there. It is a place of waiting, of trusting and of learning. It is a place God is reminding me that the ordinary, everyday experience is valuable. He is with me in the waiting. He knows what comes next and will show me at the right time. When I write a story, I am discovering as I go. Not so the author of my life. He knows me intimately and is gently guiding me into every discovery. He is shaping me by them.

This gives me confidence and comfort as I live out my ordinary days. It is my hope and prayer that as the next destination comes into view, I will be able to enjoy both the anticipation and rest in each ordinary moment between now and then. I hope you will join me in this. 

March 15, 2024

O is for Object Lessons by Carol Harrison

 


Object lesson is defined in the Merriam Webster dictionary as a practical example of a principle or abstract idea. Using object lessons O is for Object Lessons

An object is not a new concept. Even Jesus used object lessons such as washing the disciples’ feet to teach them about servant leadership. I use object lessons when I speak to children at Bible camp but even the teen leaders and adults enjoy the small lessons to capture the audience attention and lay the groundwork for the Bible lesson to come.

Have you ever used object lessons in your writing? How did you incorporate them? I took many of the object lessons I had used at camp and wrote them as devotionals which I published in a little book called On Target. I want to share one of these pieces in the blog today.

The Jelly Bean Jar

I held up a jar of jelly beans. Bright colours of this sugary treat grabbed the camper’s and staff’s attention. I told them they had an opportunity to win the entire jar of jelly beans but a few rules must be followed.

Everyone leaned forward as if they did not want to miss one word about my proposed contest. The rules were simple. Each cabin had to work together to come up with their guess—yes teamwork—not an individual guess. They needed to find me before lunch, supper, or during free time, as a cabin group, leader included. This meant planning on their part. The jar could be held and observed but not opened or tampered with in any way. Once each group decided on their answer, they needed to write it on a slip of paper and deposit in my special container. The cabin with the correct number would share in the prize of a jar of jelly beans.

Hands flew into the air. Some campers stood up and waved to try and get my attention. The one question they repeatedly asked, “Do you mean the one whose answer is closest wins the jelly beans.”

“No. The correct answer wins. There is only one right answer and close is not good enough.”

Their second favourite question, “What happens if no one guesses the right amount?”

“Then I get to keep the jelly beans because I know the exact number in the jar.”

Groans and murmurs of ‘it’s not fair’ floated towards me as I repeated the instructions before dismissing them to attend their next skill. I knew if they didn’t come and find me before the deadline, I would search for them because I didn’t want anyone to be left out.

I loved observing the interactions between the cabin mates. The variety of ways they came up with to try and figure out the correct answer intrigued me. I answered their questions about close enough versus correct amount a number of times.

In all the times I have done this object lesson at camps, no one has ever guessed the exact amount. The closest has been two away. Each time I get to keep the jar of jelly beans as I explain how the Bible tells us there is one way to be right with God. There is only one way to heaven and that is through Jesus who died for us.

John 14:6 says, “Jesus answered, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Of course everyone wished they had got the right answer, but I had kept it a secret. God never keeps the way to Him an unknown. The Bible tells us the way is Jesus and nothing we can do on our own will make us righteous. It also tells us to share the good news with everyone. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus tells his followers to go and make disciples of all nations. I Peter 3:15 reminds us, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience so that those who speak maliciously against your good behaviour in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

The good news of the gospel needs to be shared. It is not our secret to keep. The jelly beans were not mine to keep so I shared them with everyone.

 

 Carol Harrison loves using object lessons and everyday stories and objects as she shares the truth of God's Word with audiences of all ages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 14, 2024

One by Sharon Heagy


 

            One. Such a significant number for being the least in quantity. “One is the Loneliest Number” sang Three Dog Night. Bob Marley’s mellow reggae tune speaks of “One Love.” “You’re still the one who can scratch my itch” belts out the band Orleans while “One singular sensation” describes the star of the show in the Broadway hit A Chorus Line.

            Then there are books which have the number one in the title. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Márquez, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. And of course the wonderful book written by that great philosopher, Theodor Geisel, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. (a.k.a. Dr. Seuss)

            One can be the mistake everyone remembers. You can do something without consequence hundreds of times but make that one error and that’s what people remember! 

            The Jewish faith takes numbers very seriously. The Hebrew number one is a distinct number that never changes, it is always one due to its indivisibility. The number one references God in daily prayers, morning and evening, as they recite the beginning of Deuteronomy 6:4. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” These are usually the first words taught to Jewish children and they are part of their bedtime prayer. They are also to be the last words uttered by those who are dying.

            In the writing world, one is also an important number. One is the number of ideas we need to begin. One is the number of papers, pens or computers we need to get started. One is the number of words to get down on a page and get going.  Just one. Everything we write can flow out of just one. A melting icicle will begin its thaw with a single drip that turns into a steady stream as the heat increases and the melting amps up. Sometimes a large icicle will suddenly crash down like a dagger in the snow. This is sometimes what happens with writing as we begin with one. Once the flow of words starts it can become a torrent.

            But the greatest, most magnificent number one for the writer of faith is the One. What a privilege to have such a Source as Him. Have you ever noticed how lyrics of a popular song can be sung about or to Jesus? I think about that a lot when I hear various tunes and I was thinking about that as I read the lyrics to Marvin Hamlisch’s One, so I changed the lyrics a bit:

 

One singular sensation, every little step He takes

One thrilling combination, every move that He makes

One smile and suddenly nobody else will do

You know you’ll never be lonely with You-Know-Who

 

One moment in His presence and you can forget the rest

For the Lord is second best to none, son

Oooh! Sigh! Give Him your attention

Do I really have to mention He’s the One.

 

            Unfortunately, I am more cognizant of all the Lord has done during this season leading up to Easter. Unfortunate because I should be acutely aware all the time. When I clack away on these keys or scribble words on my ever-present writing pad, I am thankful for the One who paid a price so dear and allowed me to know Him and for the gift to write. 

            May you be blessed beyond words as you spend time with the One. 

 


 

March 13, 2024

Overcoming Overwhelm by Steph Beth Nickel

 


https://pixabay.com/photos/little-boy-hiding-sad-child-fear-1635065/


Have you ever felt like hiding in a pillow fort?

It was just the other night that overwhelm struck. I had several balls in the air at the same time, and, quite frankly, I felt like letting them all fall, shutting down my computer, and hiding in a pillow fort (or watching an episode of "Rescue Special Operations").

While I did finish writing the email I was working on, I decided that I needed sleep more than I needed to power through anything more.

And in the morning...

I was refreshed and ready to tackle the day. No pillow fort needed.

There are a number of other things that recharge my batteries and chase away overwhelm. Among them...

1. Going for a walk.
2. Doing a brief workout.
3. Taking nature photos.
4. Having coffee with a friend.
5. Listening to a podcast.
6. Reading a chapter in one of the books I'm reading.
7. Focusing on a single task at a time. (Close those extra tabs, Stephanie!)

And let's not forget the aforementioned getting some shut-eye.

This post has only scratched the surface of how to overcome overwhelm. Among the other things we may want to try are...

1. Determining if there are commitments we need to let go.
2. Learning that it's alright to say no when we're asked to take on a task we don't have the bandwidth for.
3. Reworking our schedule.
4. Deleting social media from our phone. 
5. Decluttering our surroundings so we aren't as distracted when we sit down to work.
6. Setting a timer and working on the task at hand until the timer goes off.
7. Establishing a ritual that tells our brain, "It's time to get to work" (i.e.: settling in to a spot set aside for work, lighting a candle, turning on some instrumental music...).

And, above all else, as believers, we ought to cast our cares on the One who loves us more than even our closest family members and friends. We must also ask for wisdom from the One who promises to give it generously.

How do you deal with overwhelm?



March 11, 2024

OBVIOUSLY by Joylene M Bailey

 




One spring I was hiding our girls' Easter baskets, accompanied by the boyfriend of my 19-year-old. I opened the door of the old playhouse and put her decorated basket smack dab in the middle of the table in the middle of the room. Mark looked at me questioningly.

"Isn't that a little obvious?"

I replied, "I know her. She'll look in the playhouse, but she'll never see it right in front of her face." 

And I was right. She looked in the playhouse, under the table, around the table, in every corner, then closed the door and went hunting elsewhere. Too busy looking to actually see.

~~~

At the latest meeting of my writers' group, we had an interesting writing prompt. We each chose playing cards, then had 17 minutes to write a story or piece about anything we chose, but in which we had to mention the suit of the card, the colour of the suit, and the number or face on the card. We could be glaringly blatant or only hint at the components. Then, the group had to guess what our card was, based on the story we read after 17 minutes of writing. 

I had the Queen of clubs, so my story included a black lab named Queenie. Later, when I read the story to the rest of the group, most of them got the suit and the colour but couldn't figure out the number/face card. Somehow, the name Queenie went right over their heads. And I thought I'd been so obvious.

~~~

What you see is not what others see. We inhabit parallel worlds of perception, bounded by our interests and experience. What is obvious to some is invisible to others."
-- George Monbiot, British journalist and author --

~~~

It's striking that what might seem obvious to us isn't obvious to others. I suppose that's why we need to know who we want our writing to reach. But that can be tricky too. 

I once wrote a story for an American children's magazine in which the students come in from recess and change from their outdoor shoes to their indoor shoes. The question that came back to me was, Why do the children have two pairs of shoes? Is it customary in Canada for students to continually change shoes from outdoor to indoor and vice-versa? I had just assumed this was the protocol in all elementary schools. Apparently not in the US.    

~~~

I've discovered, as far as my blog goes, it's easiest for me to write if I have in mind one specific person to whom I'm writing. When I think of writing to that one person, I know how much information is just enough, and where I'm being too obvious. It's so much easier to write to one person. Then, when others become my readers too, it's a bonus.

It's a delicate balance to say what we need to say without getting bogged down in the details ... making it too obvious. Would you agree?

I just finished reading a cozy English mystery in which I knew who the murderer was AND where the body was hidden before I was half done the book. It was so obvious. How disappointing!

Our readers need to know just enough to move the story/article forward and yet not too much to bore them. For myself as a reader, once I feel like I'm getting too many unnecessary details I quit reading.

But that's just me ...
Other people like lots of details ...
Depending on the topic ...
Oh dear, this is getting complicated.

What kinds of tricks or methods do you use to keep your writing balanced between too obvious and just enough information? I'd really like your feedback on this, because the deeper I get into this topic, the more complicated it seems.

Obviously.

~~~


Feature photo by Jill Wellington from Pixabay






Joy writes from lake land Alberta where she lives with The Cowboy, a couple of seniors and a couple of pets. Usually her writing is a bit more coherent, but right now the meds for her sinus infection are making her a little loopy. You might find a better example of her writing at her blog, Scraps of Joy, but maybe not.