HOPEFULLY DEVOTED...

I grew up in a Christian home as a pastor's kid. One ever-present item found on our kitchen table—along with the salt shaker (back when folks used salt), oleo (back when cheaper was more important than healthy) and the daily devotional.

For our family, being Methodist, the devotional was The Upper Room. My father sat at the table every morning, coffee steaming, a bowl of milk and graham crackers munching, Bible open on one side, The Upper Room on the other. I’d tiptoe through the kitchen, making my breakfast, trying not to disturb him, wondering what was so compelling about that small book that made him read it every morning without fail.

Occasionally I flipped through the pages. It didn’t look like much. A scripture, a couple of paragraphs and a prayer. Yet, Dad spent so much time with it. Every day.

After I left home and settled into my own adult morning routine, devotionals were not a part of it. Daily devotionals were probably something only pastors did, I reasoned. I was a “Christian.” I understood the doctrines and believed them, but as for spending time each day with my Lord? Not so much. Especially not first thing in the morning. Even more not so much after young children came into my life and clamored for my morning grogginess.  

Over the years, however, spending those first moments with Jesus have become precious. And one of the best parts of my morning routine is my daily devotional.  Like my dad’s devotional, mine includes a short scripture, prayer and narrative. Usually not quite enough meat for the whole day, but enough to get me going and get me refocused on God.

It occurred to me this last week that the phrase “daily devotional” itself is something to meditate on. Here’s what I discovered.

It is DAILY. A devotional should not just be a now and then salute to the God of the universe. God is with us 24/7. We need to spend time with Him daily.

It is time we DEVOTE. A devotional, while generally short in length, should not be short in the attention we give it. Nor in the time we meditate on it. By starting the devotional in the early part of the day, it helps us align our thoughts to the sacred, giving us a snapshot of scripture to meditate on throughout the rest of the day.

It is an expression of DEVOTION. To our God. It need not take us hours, but if it involves our heart and our mind, it is a small sacrifice of our time and attention, and the first fruits of our morning to our Lord.

As I’m writing this post, I suddenly flashed on the movie, Grease, remembering Olivia Newton John singing alongside a blow-up swimming pool, wistfully admitting that she was hopelessly devoted to John Travolta. If I wake up singing that song tomorrow, I hope God will smile, knowing that by starting my day, each day, with a devotional, it realigns my thinking and affirms that I am hopeFULLY devoted to Him.

PRAYER:  Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day made new and for everything you have planned for us today. Help us to be attuned to your leading in all things and to work for your kingdom and for your glory. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Is a daily devotional part of your day? It may not be all you do or read to help you focus on God, but is it a part? What does it mean to you? What is your favorite devotional resource?

THIS POST is an anchor post on the topic of daily devotionals. It begins our “Meditation Mondays” series. Each Monday we will discuss specific devotional resources in publication. We’ll also talk with devotional authors about what they write and where they get their inspiration in order to inspire us. We'll even post a few devotionals here to share. And we’ll generally chat about all things devotional. 

Stay tuned.

WRITING LIES

Children’s author, Bruce Coville stood at our SCBWI writing conference Saturday and boldly stated, that “children’s writers are people trying to make a living by telling lies to little children.”

That got our attention.

By definition, fictional stories are made up. Technically, they are lies. They are lies told to inspire, entertain or educate. As Mr. Coville pointed out, children may not always obey what adults say, but they will listen to stories because stories are “one heart touching another.”

I agree. We enter the world with no experience upon which to rely. One way children gain empathy for other people, understand new situations and learn a bit about the world around them is through stories.  Situations, seen through the eyes of characters, help mold the personality, morality, and wisdom of the reader. Even the simplest picture book story can teach a child, inspire her and educate her about a part of this big, scary world. And make her feel not quite so small and powerless.

One of my favorite childhood books was The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Its story of loneliness, courage, and friendship is eternal. And it spoke to my heart.

Our family moved every year or two. As a result, loneliness was something I knew well. I was always the new kid; always looking for a friend from within the established groups of BFFs. Burnett made me feel that my loneliness was normal. It was painful, but it was okay to feel it because it was real. The fact that other children felt the same pain, made me somehow feel not so alone. Her book also showed me a glimpse into the joy that friendship could be. It gave me courage to seek friendship one more time, whenever we resettled, and for however long we remained.

The book enlarged my tender heart.

As writers, parents, teachers, grandparents and other stewards of the children God has placed in our lives, we can help nurture them by sharing with them our love of books. Books that will enlarge their hearts and place within them the seeds of faith and hope.  

We can write the best books for children we are able. We can read to children the books we loved. We can love the new books they love and seek to understand why they love them.

In other words, we can tell beautiful lies to our children. And hopefully—in so doing—we can enhance their lives.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of story. We love the way Jesus used stories to teach us truths that are hard to understand. We are your children, no matter our age. Those stories still speak to our hearts. Help us use story to teach the children in our lives. Show us how we can enlarge their hearts for you to fill. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? What was your favorite book as a child? What did it mean to you? What is the favorite book of your child or grandchild? Why do you think it’s important to him?

YOUNG AT HEART

Birthdays are a celebration of life. Yesterday was mine. And I turned…well, older. You want to know how old? Nosey.

Okay, but first you have to understand my family. In the 34 birthdays I’ve celebrated with my husband, he’s yet to present me with a cake sporting all the candles set out neatly in a row. That would be just too normal.

No, hubby has trained the kids in proper birthday candle etiquette, according to his never-too-old-to-play approach to life. Yesterday, they made me a delicious cake with appropriately coded candles, shooting off in all directions—including horizontally. There were:

2 spiral-y orange candles representing                       25 YEARS EACH

1 pink and white striped candle representing         15 YEARS

7 small yellow candles representing                            1 NEGATIVE YEAR EACH

For the total you may have to get out your calculator and use advanced algebra.

No, I don’t feel 58. Usually I feel about 28. Some days I only feel 8. And every day I look at my kids and wonder: “How did they grow up when I haven’t gotten any older myself?”

Do you ever feel that way? As if you’re caught in a time warp, living a perennial childhood and one day someone is going to make you grow up?

I think a time warp mentality is part of God’s plan. As Christians, we start out with a simple faith, drinking it in as if it’s milk. Later as our faith grows, we chew on more difficult theology. Our faith is tested and strengthened. But through it all, as our faith grows stronger, I believe God wants us to continue to love Him with a child-like love.

How does a child love a parent? She loves with trust and hope. He loves eagerly and with everything he is. She grasps her mother’s hand as they step into the often terrifying world. He climbs into his father’s lap and rests his head on his shoulder. She falls asleep in her father’s arms, knowing she will be safe, whatever nightmares may come.

Isn’t that how our faith and trust in our God should be?

Birthdays are a celebration of life. But our life in Christ? It should be forever young at heart.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, renew in my heart a child-like love for you. Help me trust you more, leaning on you in every situation you place me in. Help me retain a love for you filled with eagerness to do my best for you and to love you with everything I am. Help my faith never grow old. Amen.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Have you retained a child-like love for Jesus?

THE HEART OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Some folks seem to naturally spend their lives figuring out ways to encourage others. You probably have a few encouragers in your life. Terrific people. Trying to help make the world better by making people better or by making people be better at what they do.

Other folks need encouragement. Nothing wrong with that. They have different gifts and different ways they make the world better. You probably have a few folks like that in your life, too.

More likely all of us are a little bit of both--encouragers and needers of encouragement. Or we may be an encourager in one area of life and a needer of encouragement in others.

But everyone needs courage. Because courage is the heart of enCOURAGEment. Sometimes it takes courage to accomplish something. Like fight for what's right. Or write what's right. Or live a right life.

Sometimes it takes more than faith to live a life of faith. It takes encouragement from others whose faith is strong at the moment when your faith is weak. And then recognition that when your faith is strong, it is time to be an encourager for others.

This blog is about encouragement. For each other. For Christian writers. For Christian believers. For Christian parents and teachers who are stewards of one of God's most precious creations--children.

It starts with courage.

As a writer, I'm happiest sitting alone in my office, door closed, tapping happily at the keyboard, the cat purring in rhythm, pausing occasionally to stretch (me) or meow (the cat). The hardest part of being a published author for most of us, is the requirement that we promote our work; market ourselves. Create a "brand" for ourselves and our writing.

"No marketing!" we cry. “Leave me alone. The world can read my work and decide whether they like what I write or not. I write. They read.”

Unfortunately that's not it. Because people can't read what they can't find. And they can't find what you've written if you don't promote your work and market yourself.

Enter Internet marketing.

Yes, that's me shrieking. If I put myself out for the world to see, they'll see—gulp—me. They'll see my faults and foibles. Why should I put myself out there for scrutiny?

That takes courage.

Fortunately, I discovered something about marketing.

Marketing can be like the nerves you get before hosting a dinner party. If you focus on yourself, you'll end up a mushy glob of goop. You'll be worried that those dust bunnies under the TV will roll out precisely when your guest of honor steps past. You'll worry that you forgot to bleach that little drain hole on the inside of the sink-- the spot that’s reflected back into the bathroom mirror. <shudder> You worry that your shrimp isn't fresh; your roast is overdone; you've left the broiler on and the house will blow up. Worry, worry, worry.

But all that worry is about YOU and what you do or don't do.

What if, instead, you focus on your guests? You greet them with the attitude that they're the center of attention. Not the dust bunnies. Not the roast. Focus instead on making them comfortable, at ease and valued.

Voila! Suddenly, hosting a dinner party is no longer a worry about you. It is now a pleasure as you focus on someone else. Magic.

It can be the same with promotion. If you focus on yourself and your fears and inadequacies, it can be a mighty scary thing. And you'll need a heap of courage to get started, stay going, and be successful.

But if you make your internet presence about encouragement, the focus becomes others. You don't need courage in order to help other people find their own courage.

That gem is for you writers out there.

It’s also for the rest of us as well. When we focus on ourselves, we lack courage.

But when we focus on others, we can focus on giving others encouragement; maybe giving them the courage they need, right when they need it.

Whether you are an encourager or a needer of encouragement, the heart of encouragement is courage. Courage to give; ability to receive courage   

Let's encourage others.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? In what areas can you naturally encourage others? Do you? In what areas of life do you need enCOURAGEment? Are you getting it?

I BLOG, YOU BLOG --- WE BLOG

Surprised to see me in blog-o-sphere?  No, it's not an "April Fool's Joke."

I’m so un-techie, the idea of blogging made my eyeballs explode. Then I learned something that changed my mind.

“Blog” is short for “web log.”  It’s keeping a log on the web. Journaling. Documenting life. For a left-brained gal who lives for lists AND writing, that was too irresistible to…well, resist!

I learned something else. “Web log” was originally spelled as one word: “weblog.” That means you can divide the word so it reads “we blog.” Suddenly I wanted to be part of that “we.” The “we” that “blogs.”

And now I am.

I blog. You blog. He, she, it blogs. We blog.

Our focus here will be encouragement. Encouragement for Christians. Encouragement for writers. Encouragement for those of us who are stewards of one of God’s most precious creations: children.

As Christians, we’ll chat about the tenants of our faith, our relationship with the Trinity and with each other. As writers, we’ll chat about why we write, what we write and for who. We’ll chat about kids and how we can share with them what we know of this amazing world and our amazing God. Through it all, we’ll discover how we can be an encouragement to others.

And threaded throughout every post will be a way to tie it back to faith.

I have friends who dream about writing a book "one day." Do you have that dream, too? Maybe it's time to wake up and live your dream. Or perhaps you’re already moving along on that writing road. I will be participating in a terrific conference this weekend for children’s writers and illustrators. Next week I’ll share with you the jewels sprinkled throughout the conference by the editors, agents, authors and illustrators who love children.

Until then, if you’re a writer or dream of being one, go to the "For Writers" page on my website http://www.carolsmagicquill.com/. There you will find several articles on writing. Maybe one will encourage you.

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Are you a Christian? A writer? A teacher or parent? All of the above? In what areas do you need encouragement?