It’s been a month of Barnabas Blessings!🎉 So grateful for the support, the pics and the messages sharing how the book is blessing you. Favorite poem? A moment of inspiration? Please share! Amazon reviews are also greatly appreciated.
Don’t have your copy yet? Get it here.
Wow it’s been literally years since I’ve posted. I thought I might make a New Years resolution or a holiday declaration to jump back in but I figured there’s no day like today to start anew. A lot has changed in the world of blogging in my absence and I realize I’m probably way outdated here. But my goal is to simply write and for now I will do just that.
Been reading…She’s Still There by Chrystal Evans Hurst . It has actually been a catalyst for my return here. Her honest words of encouragement spoke to the girl who used to sit for hours filling notebooks with stories and poetry, who sometimes daydreamed about sitting on a talk show couch to discuss her latest work (thanks to Oprah’s Book Club). She spoke to the woman who has filled journal after journal with musings, stories and essays, who keeps picking up the dream but allowing life to knock it down again. A great read if you’re pondering “where do I go from here?”
Been writing…A few months ago I joined COMPEL , an online community of resources, training, and support for writers. I also entered my first contest there, for an opportunity to write a devotion for Proverbs 31 Ministries (you can read an excerpt over at Barnabas Blessings). I was commended on my title but encouraged to work on my lead in. I would be lying if I said the criticism didn’t sting a bit, not because it wasn’t valid or constructive (which it was and very kind); but simply because I’m human. In the far recesses of my mind existed a small shimmer of hope that someone would read my submission and say “She’s got it!” But, c’est la vie! I have work to do and life goes on. I’m just happy to say that I tried. I took a step toward my goal and that’s all that really matters.
The journey continues. Write on friends!
I invite you to read today’s post on Barnabas Blessings entitled “Patient Inspiration”. It puts the past couple of years on this journey into perspective and assures me of what God is doing in my life. Maybe it can provide someone else a little perspective as well.
Here’s another take on the 12 days of Christmas. Writer’s Digest offers a 12 day writing plan to keep your creative juices flowing this holiday season. I think I will definitely try this one. And just to give myself a little pat on the back, for the past week I have been making time to write everyday. It hasn’t been a huge chunk of time maybe fifteen minutes here and there in between baby time, errands, chores and whatever else needs my attention. I did finally submit my devotional assignments for our church devotional, Join the Journey. They were due last Wednesday and I finally submitted them this morning. Next year’s devotional will focus on the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John). My scripture passages were pretty familiar, stories I’ve heard since I was a kid in Sunday school but for some reason I had writer’s block. I’d start, then stop, then go in a different direction. It makes me wonder, when the time comes, how I will handle writing with deadlines versus just whenever the mood strikes but it also reminds that I must always dedicate my writing to the One who gave me the passion and the gift. Prayer really does change things! And on another last subject but in the same spirit of prayer, my little kindergartener goes on his first field trip today. The permission slip specifically stated no additional chaperones were needed but I’m a mom, a sometimes anxious mom, a now stay at home mom and I figured why shouldn’t I go. Well I tried, emailed the trip coordinator, even found where the school purchased the tickets (it’s a musical being performed by a theatre company solely focused on schools), but to no avail. So as I write this my big boy is preparing to board a bus to travel across town to see what I think will be a pretty cool show. So I pray, know that he will be okay and of course I know, I know, I have to learn to let go!
Barnabas Blessings 