Can you remember a moment in your childhood when words took you away, words with the power to build new worlds and transform your thoughts?
Memories take me back to a time when I was only 5 or 6 years old. I remember asking my mother to read the same poem over and over. The author was Robert Louis Stevenson and the piece was My Shadow. To this day sections of that poem are written on my memory in indelible ink.
A few years later a similar thing happened in the classroom. My fifth or sixth grade teacher set on the corner of her desk with a book in her hand. The room was silent as we eagerly reached out with our minds to catch every word. It was hard to wait from day to day for the next chapter. Weekends were unbearable. The book was The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Have you ever longed to paint pictures with words using the same vivid strokes you saw in a favorite book or poem?
Last week I had the privilege of participating in an online writing conference. My favorite workshop was a workshop on poetry. Anew I was captivated with the magic of words. But, this time the words did not flow from another’s hand. The instructor helped me capture the powerful potential of my own words.
What writers have inspired you in the past?
What encourages you to write now?
Friday, October 24, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Running in Circles . . . Getting Nowhere
What is the most important source of renewal and strength in our Christian life?
PRAYER!
We are delegated to self-reliance without it. Living live in the fast lane without prayer wastes much of our energy and productivity. The daily tasks that need done may get completed. We may have our kids at music lessons on time and supper on the table, but what have we really accomplished if God is not part of our day?
Have you seen the habit-trail cages designed for hamsters? The pet shops are full of extra accessories like “luxury penthouse lookouts,” everything a child can imagine for his engineering needs. But, have we really counted the cost before loading all those bulky boxes into the back seat of the mini-van?
WARNING: The miles of tubing are much more fun to construct than clean. AND: No mater how elaborately you design all those “must have” luxury items the hamster will prefer the repetitive motion of the wheel . . . getting him nowhere. AND: No matter how much Vaseline you use, the wheel squeaks.
GUARANTEE: You will wish the family pet was a fish instead of a hamster by the middle of the first night.
My best mornings start while the house is still quiet . . . alone with God. Those precious moments are moments well spent.
By the time the dog needs to go out and my younger daughter is ready to begin our day of homeschool I’m full of energy and excited for the challenges of the day.
But, that isn’t the way all of my days begin and I’m sure not yours either.
“Ring . . . ring . . . ring . . .”
My hand reached for the phone as I tried to clear my sleepy head. (I failed to mention how I overslept and should have already been up and around by the time the phone rang.)
“Mom . . . sobs . . . I’m changing majors.”
Silence followed by more sobs.
“I can’t handle . . . sob . . . the pressure.”
By the time I’ve calmed our college student, and she is dreaming once again about the wonderful elementary teacher she’s becoming, time is ticking away. My older daughter is bubbly instead of sobbing and I’m emotionally drained.
Instead of taking a deep breath and slipping off by myself for the few moments left for prayer, I rush into the business at hand, reasoning I’ll find time later, but time never comes. Other days the same early phone call would only be a mild distraction, but this day I’m winging it on my own.
By the end of the day I’m exhausted. My patience is frayed, and I have to ask forgiveness for my short temper . . . more then once.
Spiritually I’ve been running around in circles . . . getting nowhere. How much frustration could have been foiled by spending those remaining early moments in prayer!
WARNING: It’s easier to take time for prayer than to suffer through a day running in circles.
PRAYER!
We are delegated to self-reliance without it. Living live in the fast lane without prayer wastes much of our energy and productivity. The daily tasks that need done may get completed. We may have our kids at music lessons on time and supper on the table, but what have we really accomplished if God is not part of our day?
Have you seen the habit-trail cages designed for hamsters? The pet shops are full of extra accessories like “luxury penthouse lookouts,” everything a child can imagine for his engineering needs. But, have we really counted the cost before loading all those bulky boxes into the back seat of the mini-van?
WARNING: The miles of tubing are much more fun to construct than clean. AND: No mater how elaborately you design all those “must have” luxury items the hamster will prefer the repetitive motion of the wheel . . . getting him nowhere. AND: No matter how much Vaseline you use, the wheel squeaks.
GUARANTEE: You will wish the family pet was a fish instead of a hamster by the middle of the first night.
My best mornings start while the house is still quiet . . . alone with God. Those precious moments are moments well spent.
By the time the dog needs to go out and my younger daughter is ready to begin our day of homeschool I’m full of energy and excited for the challenges of the day.
But, that isn’t the way all of my days begin and I’m sure not yours either.
“Ring . . . ring . . . ring . . .”
My hand reached for the phone as I tried to clear my sleepy head. (I failed to mention how I overslept and should have already been up and around by the time the phone rang.)
“Mom . . . sobs . . . I’m changing majors.”
Silence followed by more sobs.
“I can’t handle . . . sob . . . the pressure.”
By the time I’ve calmed our college student, and she is dreaming once again about the wonderful elementary teacher she’s becoming, time is ticking away. My older daughter is bubbly instead of sobbing and I’m emotionally drained.
Instead of taking a deep breath and slipping off by myself for the few moments left for prayer, I rush into the business at hand, reasoning I’ll find time later, but time never comes. Other days the same early phone call would only be a mild distraction, but this day I’m winging it on my own.
By the end of the day I’m exhausted. My patience is frayed, and I have to ask forgiveness for my short temper . . . more then once.
Spiritually I’ve been running around in circles . . . getting nowhere. How much frustration could have been foiled by spending those remaining early moments in prayer!
WARNING: It’s easier to take time for prayer than to suffer through a day running in circles.
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