by Cathy Baker | Faith |
You need not consider yourself a poet to appreciate sensory details in writing, whether it’s poetry, fiction, non-fiction, etc. They engage our minds, memories, and imagination.
Drink in the details of this sensory-soaked example I found on the internet. Sight, sound, smell, touch, taste. It’s all here:
Grandmother Workman lurched over and grabbed the pale skin of Randal’s thin forearm with her leathery hand. The folds and creases beneath her skin coiled themselves out like electrical writing, like the bloated, roughly-textured relief map of the world that his mother just posted above his bedside table. Randal looked ahead toward the winding spiral staircase, fidgeted with a small hole in his baseball jersey, and bit his lip. His mouth filled with the sweet, coppery taste of blood as she leaned in closely toward him, breathing her hot breath on the damp hair at the base of his neck. She smelled of wet cigarettes and bacon. As they slowly climbed the long, steep staircase, the only sound was his grandmothers’ labored breathing and the mournful creak of the wooden stairs.
Laura Deutsch breaks down each of these senses in Writing from the Senses, 59 Exercises to Ignite Creativity and Revitalize Your Writing. She touches on all types of writing—from memoir and journaling to fiction, journalism, poetry, travel, food writing, etc. Writing from the Senses is a new five-star release on Amazon. If it ends as strong as it began, Laura will also receive a five-star from me.
So, what’s your favorite sentence from the above paragraph?
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have
seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our
hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we
have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life,
which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we
have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have
fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and
with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our
joy may be complete. 1 John 1:1-4
(God, the masterful Creator and Author of all sensory details.)
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Welcome!
Please, pull up a chair, make yourself comfy, and I’ll pour us a cuppa tea. I wish
we could physically sit across such a table together, but since most of
us cannot, I created a summer tea time on Tuesday’s just for us.
As
mentioned in
this post,
I’m the first to say there is no replacement for Bible study in a
Christ-followers life. In addition to studying the Word in-depth, we grow in our walk when
making continuous low droning sounds while sitting in a certain position
meditating on His Word by taking a small portion of scripture, praying over
it, and pondering its meaning for our lives. Sipping on scripture throughout the summer is sure to be a divine delight!
Today’s tea time is a particularly personal one for me, so thanks in advance for allowing my tears to flow as freely as our tea.
This week’s scripture passage emerged after last week’s meeting with Shirley, a kind but straightforward personal care coordinator. It was a mandatory one-hour appointment to review my health for insurance purposes. We began with my favorite activity, stepping on the dastardly scales. I asked (okay, begged) her not to tell me the number. We discussed how my thyroid levels bonked in 2008 and the weight issue I’ve dealt with ever since. I shared how I’d told the endocrinologist my plan to begin Weight Watchers, to which he replied You can give it a try but I doubt it will help. You have no metabolism. I complained to Shirley how he wasn’t very encouraging, to which she responded No…he’s just being realistic.
In a split second, Shirley became a blur behind my unexpected tears. She stopped typing, looked my way, and said Cathy, you are way too hard on yourself. Your expectations are too high based on the thyroid situation alone, not to mention the other things working against you.
It wasn’t the first time I’d heard those words but for some reason they struck an especially raw and painful chord within. Perhaps I’m not alone in this struggle with weight and self-image issues?
Heavenly Father, maker of heaven and earth…and each of us, would you still the chaos within? Chaos created by our own expectations. Chaos created by a culture that says spotless skin and a size 4 waist is necessary for life and love. Lift our eyes to the eternal purposes of this body, shaped by Your hands and molded for Your purposes, motivating us to care for it well. Help us to cling to truth at all times. Amen.
This week’s morsel of truth we’re praying will steep richly and deeply
into our hearts and minds:
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30
Now,
let’s choose one word, or a few, to “sip” on throughout this week.
Jot it down on an index card or sticky note and place it in a visible
spot. Let’s ask the Lord to show us why this one particular word or
phrase stands out at this particular time in our lives.
I chose the word “deceptive.” How often I’ve skipped over it like a crack in a sidewalk to reach the intended destination, the final part of the verse—for this is my heart’s desire! To revere and love the Lord in all I do and say. And yet, by not giving this one word its proper due, it has become a trip wire stretched taut between my ears.
Finally, let’s jot down one tangible way we can “pour” out His truth in response to the word(s) we’ve chosen above.
Thank you for sharing a tea table with me today at Sharing Life Together…One Sip At A Time. You’re invited to continue the conversation by leaving your word(s) in the comment box or anything else the Lord lays on your heart to share. Blessings!
The
cup of tea on arrival at a country house is a thing which, as a rule, I
particularly enjoy. I like the crackling logs, the shaded lights, the
scent of buttered toast, the general atmosphere of leisured coziness.
~P.G. Wodehouse
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Welcome!
Please pull up a chair, make yourself comfy, and I’ll pour us a cuppa tea.
I wish we could physically sit across such a table together, but since most of us cannot, I created a tea time on Tuesday’s for our summer months. As mentioned in last week’s post, I’ll be the first to say there is no replacement for Bible study in a Christ-followers life. Another vital part of our walk is making a continuous low droning sound while sitting in a certain position meditating on His Word by taking a morsel of scripture, praying about it, and pondering its meaning for our lives. It’s something we’ll do together each week.
So, let the tea time begin! How was your weekend? I hope it overflowed with hellos, joyous moments and rich times with the Lord. I have to admit that ours was a difficult one as we buried my cousin’s twenty-one year old son, a rising senior at The Citadel.
Today’s scripture came to mind soon after learning of my cousin’s loss while posting a prayer request for her on a private Facebook group. This isn’t just any group but one composed of women I recently had the privilege of meeting while leading a Writing to Heal workshop. It was part of a day retreat for mother’s who’ve lost children of any age. (I wrote about it here.) These women wholeheartedly live out today’s verse.
Heavenly Father, stir our hearts now as we pause, catch our breath, and concentrate on You and Your Word. Thank You that Your Word is active, living, wielding great power and penetrating our hearts with truth. Help us to receive and walk in this truth. Amen.
This week’s morsel of truth that we’re praying will steep deeply into our heart and mind:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who
comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort
those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we
ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3,4
Now, let’s choose one word, or a few, we can “sip” on throughout this week. Jot it down on an index card or sticky note and place it in a visible spot. Let’s ask the Lord to show us why this one particular word or phrase may stand out to us at this particular time in our lives.
My words for this week are “so that.” Two simple words convey that God never wastes a trembling lower lip, a wash of tears, or a secret scar buried beneath a smile. He is never caught off guard. For me, I saw this truth lived out after my second divorce by the age of 27. Since then, God has given me countless opportunities to come alongside other women who are contemplating leaving their husband or those crushed by the weight of rejection. Only God can transform our difficult circumstances, and the journey that ensues, into a glorious gift to others so that they might benefit from the same comfort we ourselves once received.
Write down one tangible way you can “pour” yourself into another this week, based on the word(s) chosen above, if possible.
Did you enjoy our time together as much as I did? Feel free to leave a comment to continue the conversation. 🙂 Blessings!
Tea Tips: Interested in knowing how to brew a great cup of tea? Twinings is a great place to start.
If you are cold, tea will warm you;
if you are too heated, it will cool you;
if you are depressed, it will cheer you;
if you are excited, it will calm you.
-William Ewart Gladstone
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
I’m a stickler when it comes to maximizing my time, sometimes to a fault. Lists leading to further lists, setting my timer when cleaning, and monitoring my TV intake unite to rein in my minutes. Of course, one call to keep the grandsweets and all this merrily flies out the proverbial window.
I share the above to say I value your time as much as I do my own. With this in mind, I’m trying a new format this summer by posting on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- Tuesdays will be focused on tea but in a NEW way! Introducing Sharing Life Together…One Sip At A Time. Each Tuesday, you’re invited to join me at the tea table where I’ll share a verse we can “sip” on throughout the day. As a Bible teacher, I’m the first to encourage spending time studying the Word in depth but meditating on morsels of scripture is also a vital part of our spiritual growth. (Check out my post from 2012, Spiritual Pre-Mastication.)
- Thursdays will include posts on serendipitous moments, photography, guest posts, God-glimpses, etc.
It was exciting to win an award for this blog at The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference a few weeks back. However, my delight comes in staying connected with friends, making new ones, and hopefully encouraging the hearts of all those who stop by for a whiff of Christ here at Fragrant Ink.
I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. Psalm 119:15
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
“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.
