Is “Morning Pages” for You?

by | Faith | 0 comments

 
OK, I just caught the typo in the above graphic and it sent shivers down my spine but then I realized it’s hopefully probably intentional to get the point across that there’s no room for perfectionism when doing Morning Pages.  
In this post a couple weeks back, I issued a challenge of sorts to see who might be interested in giving Morning Pages a try—and then I realized my end date fell on a holiday week. Lesson learned but I still received some great feedback:
I noticed several themes when writing my pages. I’ve had to address some issues and pray about others. I realized I felt overwhelmed at times. Some needs as well as dreams surfaced as I put pen to paper. I enjoy writing my pages and plan to continue. Thank you for sharing this exercise with me.
It’s been very freeing. The mornings I’ve done this, it’s cleared my mind and I’ve been able to focus easier. I tried it a couple of evenings as well and found it helped quiet my mind for sleep. Thanks again for the challenge!

Tammie Fickas:
I
found it just as hard to make time for the morning pages as I do for
any journaling. That’s just me, though. Journaling has always been hard
for me. However, I found that when I did get the Morning Pages done it
really helped with getting my thoughts out of my head. Began to see
things more clearly in some things that I’ve ben struggling with for a
while.

Lori Roeleveld:
One
way Morning Pages helps me is that it’s like a mind-purge. It’s like a
mental defragmenter that dissolves the thought clogs that keep me from a
free flow of ideas. It’s also a free form of therapy as it reflects
back to me my own thinking in a way that confronts me with my daily
truth. When I see myself write something over and over, it forces me to
either face it or do something about it.
Like Lori, Morning Pages highlighted for me the need for a mind-purge. Debris from days past floated in my head much like orbital objects with no place to land. But once the nonsensical thoughts descended on the page, they disintegrated, readying my mind for the day ahead. I plan to do Morning Pages two mornings a week, at least for now.
Thanks to everyone for participating and especially for sharing your feedback. Lori Roeleveld is the winner of the Starbucks gift card. (Thanks Random Name Picker) A cup of coffee (or tea!) is on its way for you to enjoy while writing away.
Several requested we do this again in a few months so stay tuned! 
Happy 4th, my friends.
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

When God Shows Up in a Hot Air Balloon

by | Faith | 11 comments

“We have to chase them, Grammy! We have to chase them!” 

Despite trying to convince Piper that she could enjoy the hot air balloons without having to chase them, she never wavered. Although she delighted in the sight of crayola-like bubbles floating overhead, pursuing them remained at the forefront of her mind.

As the words We don’t have to chase them, we can simply enjoy them! spilled from my lips I somehow sensed they were not meant for Piper alone.

Like on those days when I get caught up in the chase “doing” part of my life and ignore the “being.” Jesus beckons me to slow down, to rest in His accomplishments, and delight in His presence. He doesn’t call me to chase after Him, but instead, to stay in step with Him.
 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 
Galatians 5:25

Or, for instance, when I felt pressure from within during last week’s conference to chase “make things happen.” Lynn Blackburn’s words to Edie Melson awhile back echo in my spirit today, Jesus is your agent and He’s doing a pretty good job of it! 

I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 
Job 42:2

  
Now, am I saying we shouldn’t seek God? Absolutely not! No one explains this quest better than John Piper via his post What Does It Mean to Seek the Lord? I am saying, however, motivation played a key role in the above pursuits. I’m learning that when I sense a bit of frenzy churning within, chances are I’m chasing the wind instead of resting in what Jesus has already accomplished on my behalf. 

Needless to say, I will never look at those crayola-like bubbles floating overhead quite the same as I did before. Thank you, Piper.

Father, thank you for using the innocent desire of a child to draw me closer to You, revealing misguided desires on my part. Help me to rest in You as I seek Your face in all I say and do. Amen.

I’m Heading to the Hills!

by | Faith | 11 comments

Remember this post? My favorite word in the title is “almost.” 

This weekend, I, along with hundreds more, will be heading to the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. Some of the things I’m most looking forward to? 

  • Seeing friends and making new ones. 
  • Catching a glimpse of Becky Gansky’s sweet smile. I don’t know her well but when she enters a room, you immediately sense the presence of the Lord. 
  • Worship time.
  • Sitting in Aaron Gansky’s class with Dee Dee Parker. Poor Aaron. (As we say here in the South, bless his heart.)
  • Cloud 9 Cafe and the volunteers who work there. Love those little ladies! 
  • Seeing Edie Melson’s Steam Punk outfit on Tuesday night.
  • Grits in the cafeteria. Yes, grits. 
  • Learning more about Flash Fiction in Ben Wolf’s class (hopefully along with Dee Dee and Susan Stilwell)
  • Lobby time at night. It usually ends late and includes lots of giggling. Wheeee!
  • Cheering my friends on at the Awards Banquet!

If you’ve never attended The Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference, I encourage you to begin saving for next year. It’s a wise investment.

Would you pray for me, as well as all those who’ll be heading to the hills this weekend? I ask for a teachable spirit, abundant energy (afternoons are sometimes a challenge), and for God to be glorified through everything I say and do. And lastly, to remain alert to the ways God may want to use me to encourage someone else. 

I’ll be taking a break from blogging next week while at the conference but I look forward to catching up with you the following week. 

Thank you for stopping by and especially for your prayers. 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the
Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive and inheritance
from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24

What Happens When the Fragrance of Christ Mixes With Metal

by | Faith | 8 comments

 

Having the likes of Edie Melson and Marcia Moston in our local writer’s group Cross N Pens is a tremendous boon for those of us striving to hone our skills.

Over the weekend, our group enjoyed a mini-workshop featuring these talented women. Below are just a few tidbits from their talks.

Marcia Moston, the author of Call of a Coward, spoke on Creative Non-fiction (the 4th genre!) In addition to creative writing prompts, Marcia shared wisdom from her own experience, as well as quotes, all of which will stick with me:

  • Every story has a human face. Draw and display it well; for readers, it is a magnet. -Francis Flaherty, editor of The New York Times
  • When writing memoirs, we need to remember it’s not about us. We’re like the Disney cart on a ride. We’re simply the vehicle to a bigger picture.
  • Marcia shared pages of information on crafting true stories. I’m a new fan of Rick Bragg.

Edie Melson, author of Fighting Fear and Co-Director of Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference, spoke on what it means to support our writing through writing. It didn’t hurt that she handed out two pages of markets willing to pay for our work. (Thanks, Edie!) Her advice, however, far surpassed the value found on any piece of paper. Below are a few of Edie’s takeaways:

  • Stay out of our comfort zones! Take chances. We’re not seen as marketable if we’re unwilling to do so.
  • The key to a good query letter is a good story.
  • What does the word deadline mean? Writing when you don’t feel like it.

Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with many gifted writers spurred me to become even more serious about my craft. Wisdom and godly conviction crossed paths that morning, and I was grateful to be smack dab in the middle of this intersection.

Let’s just say the fragrance of Christ had a hint of metal to it as it rose upwards this past Saturday morning!

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

 

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