THE OPENING SCENE

That new computer file. It’s clean. It’s fresh. It’s scary.

As a writer, starting a new project is exciting. It’s filled with possibilities. Where will the story take me? What will my characters discover? What lessons will be learned by my character, by me, by my readers along the way?

It’s also scary. I have the story in my mind. It’s brilliant. The writing is clear and lyrical. The theme will inspire millions.

But am I the person to write it? Can I do the brilliance justice? Or will my attempt turn to dust, withering on the screen and falling into scraps at the bottom of my cyber trash can?

I have not encountered a single writer who does not go through this stage of self-doubt. Our first drafts are horrible. Our second drafts often little improved. But still we endeavor to persevere.

Because God gave us the desire and the ability to create stories; to inspire readers; to glorify Him through words.

This month I will be finishing up the last bits of a book I began several years ago. As that computer screen is closed, as cover letters and manuscript pages head out the door to agents and publishing houses, it's time to open one more new screen. This new story has been in my head for several months. There will be several more months of filling a computer screen with plot twists, world building, character development, theme, tone, voice notes. Then a new screen will be opened and the story will begin to be told. 

It all begins with clicking on that little white paper icon at the top of the screen. It all begins with the opening of the file. And the opening of a mind to fill it with words.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we are so grateful for the gifts you have blessed us with. For us writers, we love words and the talent you have given us to use them. All of us—writers or not—are often faced first with the thrill and later with the doubt—of not doing justice to the task you have led us to. Please remind us that the process for whatever task you call us to may be arduous but that it is the process you look to and our obedience to the call that causes you to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU?  In what task or vocation do you see God leading you that you may need to open a file or a mind to begin the project?  

This post is part of the Christian Writers Blog Chain. Our theme for March is “open”—either an open topic or the meaning of “open” itself. Please click on the links to the right and see what my friends have to say this month. 

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

Knock knock.

Who’s there?

It's opportunity knocking.  

Left ventricles. Right ventricles. Aortas. Pumps and arteries. Our hearts are miraculous little machines. Pumping and beating. Bringing blood in; pushing it out. Red blood. Blue blood. Filled with life-bringing oxygen; sending empty blood on to be replenished.

With all its many parts, it’s hard to remember that our heart also has another important piece in its amazing construction—a tiny door. The most important part of our heart machine is that door—the door where Jesus stands knocking.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. (Revelation 3:20)

That little door on our heart provides a way to give us new life now and eternal life forever. Jesus stands and knocks. Let’s open the door. We only have one opportunity in our earthly life to do so.

Lub-dub. Lub-dub. Lub-dub. That’s not just the sound of your heart beating. It’s the sound of Jesus knocking.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for seeking us out and making it easy to find us. Please attune our ears to your knocking at our heart's door. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Do you have a horrible knock-knock joke to share?

Today's post is part of the Christian Writers' Blog Chain. Our theme for February is "opportunity." Please click on the links at the right to see what my friends have to say about our theme.

BOLDLY GOING WHERE I’VE NOT GONE BEFORE

　

God is big and I am little. Still, God has given me this one amazing life. And He wants me to do something with it; to not live a small life.

Over the past year, people, circumstances and scripture have led me to the understanding that—presently—I do everything I can in order to assure that I’m living a small life.

In the name of "humility," I hide my light under a bushel. I write stories and books for people to read but then secret them inside my computer files where no one can find them.

This year, our Christian Writers blog group is starting 2013’s theme with "forward." The theme touched my heart as one more pointer to move boldly outward and onward—away from the safe confines of a small writing life.

This bold forward movement in 2013 will include self-publishing. My first self-published book, Wielding the Sword of God, will be an expansion of my free induction bible study booklet available on the tab above. This book will be available in electronic Kindle format at first, for free if Amazon will allow; for pennies if Amazon will not. But it will be available as a help for folks who desire a place to start their study of scripture.

Gulp. I’ve now made myself accountable to you.

Other self-published projects will include a bible study based on the Book of Esther. Call Me Esther: How God Sees His Women of Faith, will be available first in electronic format and later in paperback. I hope to have several other nearly completed faith-based books available by the end of the year in print format.

Bold? It is for me. Praise God, He’s got me moving forward…

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for our lives and for your direction in them. Please guide us and help us make the most of the precious gifts of time and talent you have given us. Please show us how to use them for your glory. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? What area of your life requires boldness? How can you move forward this year?


This post is part of the Christian Writer’s blog chain. Our theme for January is "forward." Please click on the links to the right to see what my friends have to say about this theme.

THE COLORS OF CHRISTMAS

Today’s post is part of the Christian Writer’s blog chain. Our theme for December is "Christmas Sense: the Five Senses." Please click on the links in the right column and see what my friends have to say about our theme.

　
When I was nine, Mom took me to the famous Podesta Baldocci florist in San Francisco. Each year in December, the florist shop created dazzling, fantasy Christmas trees and put them on display for lucky people like us to linger near, joyfully investigating the minutely amazing decorations that sprinkled and sparkled amidst the evergreen limbs.

That year, I saw a Victorian-themed Christmas tree, decked in white and pink. I had never seen anything more beautiful.

Since then I’ve had the chance to create my own memorable Christmas trees. And although I’ve never forgotten that beautiful pink and white tree at Podesta Baldocci, I’ve never created one for myself.

Because as beautiful as a pink and white tree is, nothing says Christmas like red and green.

• RED—the color of Christ’s blood, shed for us, made possible by his becoming human for our sake.

• GREEN—the color that represents fresh, new life in nature and thus reminds us of the new life we have in Christ.

Both of which became a reality at Jesus’ birth.

We humans love silver and gold tinsel. We love multi-colored twinkle lights outlining our roofs. And some of us even love pink and white Victorian decorations.

But, nothing can say Christmas like red and green. Because they remind us of Jesus.

PRAYER: Thank you God for color. We are so grateful for the enormous beauty you filled this world with. You have put color everywhere to delight our senses and remind us of you. Help us always be mindful of your glory whenever we see the colors of Christmas. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Do you go with a theme when you decorate for Christmas?

THE SMELL OF DECEMBER

Today’s post is part of the Christian Writer’s blog chain. Our theme for December is "Christmas Sense: the Five Senses." Please click on the links in the right column and see what my friends have to say about our theme.

Pine.

But not real pine. A spray; a candle; dried bark and needles in a bowl. Because our tree isn’t real.

Horrible, you cry. Sacrilege, you moan.

Maybe. Or maybe our family loves to celebrate our savior’s birth so much that we do anything we can to prolong and extend the holy days.

During the first eight years of marriage, hubs and I diligently purchased a freshly cut tree, gathered up our collection of delicate and one-of-a-kind ornaments and lovingly decorated it, despairing over its eventual trip out to the street for Boy Scout collection.

When we moved to New York, we bought our tree the day after Thanksgiving—standard practice in California. By the first week of December, the dry air and baseboard heater had turned the tree into a fire hazard. We flooded the tree’s base with water and prayed daily that our Christmas wouldn’t end up in flames.

The day after Christmas, we purchased a fake tree.

Every year since then—26 years this year—we have dragged the giant box out from under the stairs and enjoyed the daily twinkling lights and spinning ornaments through the end of November, for the entire month of December and past hub’s birthday in January. Without worry of flames.

No, it’s not the same as a "real" tree. But thanks to mankind’s desire to create something never as good, but with a defined purpose, we have more time to celebrate God’s gift to us. Jesus.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for Christmas. Thank you so much, Jesus for setting aside your glorious divinity temporarily and taking on the burden of humanity. Thank you for the many ways we celebrate Christmas and remember your sacrifice. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Real or fake?

CREATING HEIRLOOMS

I’ve become guardian and protector of many of our family heirlooms. I’ve also begun the creation of new family heirlooms.

Not all of these new heirlooms have great intrinsic value. But to me, the creation of a new heirloom is more about sentimental, than intrinsic value. If it has no sentiment behind it, chances are it’s just "stuff."

So, although my awesome and amazing turbo whisk is incredible—it will never be a family heirloom. It neither has intrinsic value nor sentimental value.

My collection of necklaces and ear bobs may have intrinsic value, but to my son they’re just minerals.

Our collection of Dickens Village houses, however has become a family heirloom in the making. Each house was selected and added to the growing collection over a period of more than 25 years, with each family member in mind.

Daughter Nicole chose the Cratchet family house with the real smoking chimney and the Nicolas Nickelby house to match her nickname.

Doug liked the train station and the mill with the rotating water wheel because—well, wheels back in Dickens’ day were as close to cars as a young boy could get.

Each year the boxes were opened amid delighted squeals and "ooohs." Each house was placed under the Christmas tree with care and adjusted and tweaked until that moment when the power strip trailing 20 cords attached to 20 houses was flipped on, bringing the village to "life."

The memories of the village include the train track that ran around the tree and through the village, the train never quite making it beyond its first rotation before jumping the track and landing in a polyester snow pile, but adding charm to the village nonetheless.

Memories include the daily readjustment of the wobbly trees and fences.

Memories include the white kitty cat who each year concluded we had placed the fluffy snow cloth under the tree for his specific sleeping pleasure.

Memories include sitting in the dark together, looking at the tree and the lights and the village and the cat. Not speaking. Just being together

As we close the end of 2012, once again I look forward to digging out those family heirlooms—only one generation old—and reliving the sentiment behind them. Family heirlooms in the making.

PRAYER: Thank you God for families and memories we can make together. Please give us more opportunities to create memories together and reminders of treasured times past. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Do you have a new family heirloom in the making?

　

This post is part of the Christian Writer’s Blog Chain. Our theme for November is "heirloom." Please click on the links to the right to see what my friends have to say about our theme.

A NATIONAL HEIRLOOM

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. More than anything, to most people Thanksgiving means a feast. And most people’s Thanksgiving Day feast contains very specific items:

• Turkey – oven roasted, deep fried, smoked or microwaved. The scientific secret to assuring everyone of that superlative afternoon nap in front of the TV
• Mashed potatoes – with garlic, cheese, hunks of skin still attached, or just out of the box
• Gravy – you absolutely can never have enough because, let’s face it, everything tastes better when it’s covered with gravy
• Stuffing – with sausage, onions, celery, raisins, walnuts and smothered in so much gravy it doesn’t matter what you add—or don’t add
• Cranberry sauce – jellied and canned although a few staunch households make it fresh
• Green bean casserole with just enough green beans underneath the fried onions to be able to count it as a vegetable
• Yams or sweet potatoes dripping with brown sugar
• Pumpkin Pie –wait! There’s pie under the whipping cream?

There may be a few variations or additions, but let’s face it, 90% of the Thanksgiving Day feasts in American homes will include most of the above. The standard menu is almost like a national heirloom.

Enjoy.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we are so grateful for occasions to celebrate our blessings with family and friends. Thank you so much for these times. Thank you for making us part of your adopted family. Please be with those people today who have no family or no feast. Please give them an extra portion of your love today. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Which part of your Thanksgiving Day feast is your favorite?


This post is part of the Christian Writer’s Blog Chain. Our theme for November is "heirloom." Please click on the links to the right to see what my friends have to say about our theme.