Category: writing

The Written Word

The written word…

Is etched in time, but not limited to a time.

Is a record of the past.  Words are read today, propelling us into tomorrow.

Is history.  A way of tracking where we came from.  And who we came from.

Is encouragement.  Words motivate and inspire. They fill us with hope and keep us going forward especially when we’re running on fumes.

Is discipline.  They convict and convert.  A carefully timed words can help stop harmful behaviours and sin.

Cheers you.  A well-timed card or love note makes the heart flutter better than any energy drink.

Is evidence.  Proof that something did–or did not–occur.

Is also known as ‘God’s love letter’.  Divinely inspired, this book has lasted all throughout history and continues to be well-quoted and studied.

Is powerful.  The old adage of ‘sticks and bones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me’ is a lie.  Straight up lie.  Words can be the warmest of hugs.  Delivered wrong, they can make you curl up into the fetal position wishing the ground would just gulp you down.  That’s power.

Is everywhere.  Signs on shop doors, posters around town, fortune cookies, printed in bathroom stalls.  Rap songs.  Text messages.  Foreclosure notices.  Acceptance letters. Labels and names.

Can be hidden.  Private journals, buried notes from a secret admirer, lost mail.

We all write words each day.  Even if you’re the only reader of the words, don’t take it lightly.

Every word counts!

The Written Word

 

Exploring the Writing Life: Perseverance

This post is an assignment for a writing group that I’m participating in. The writing prompt is perseverance.  What was happening?  What were the circumstances?  How did you find the strength to continue on?  What would you say to someone in a similar situation?

Life is happening.  As I think about how perseverance currently applies to me, the recurring message that pops up is a spiritual one—trust God.

Even this post in an act of faith, being obedience and trusting God to direct my words.  I had a cutesy post planned out that would fit the theme of perseverance quite nicely.  We’re in the midst of potty-training my toddler.  Perseverance is a must in this stage of growth–for her and for me.  My idea was to keep things on the lighter side, for a change, and share some funny moments from our training.  I started to type out the post and it was dull.  With some creative editing, I could’ve pulled it off, but my heart wasn’t fully in it.  Deep down, I could feel the tug to tackle this heavier and real topic of persevering in learning to trust God more.

Like so many others, I tend to restrict God to action-only statue.  As in when I feel I ‘need’ something—crisis, rapid answer to prayer, an immediate break from life—I can call, beg, plead, beseech God and He will answer.  He is there to help me when I need it.  But this isn’t all, nor is it enough.

God wants me to trust Him.  Yes, He’s deeply invested in me and cares for my immediate and, often material, needs.  That aside, He also has a plan for my life.  There’s a growth that He wants for me so that I can live out the purpose He has for me.  There is a work that He is equipping me to do for Him.  Success can best occur when He directs and I follow, especially when it doesn’t make sense.

However, I often let human thinking and insecurities get in the way.  It’s hard to follow when you don’t know where you’re going or what the end result will be.  I’m not used to blindly trusting anyone, which makes it all the more harder to blindly trust God.  And I too quickly forget His amazing record.

It’s perfect.  He always, always, always comes through.  The timing is accurate and His methods usually boggle me.  I haven’t regretted a moment of trust yet.  One latest example of this is the surprise arrival of my new baby.  While my prayer list was long last year, I assure you that an additional child was not on the list.  Yet, that’s what I got and it took my trust experience with God to a whole other level.

However, the story never ends there.  There is no preset quantity for a trust level that must be achieved before the challenges and trials and tests stop.  No, it keeps going because each thing that comes up, good and bad, helps to strengthen my trust.

For those in a similar situation, where it seems kinda-sorta strange that perseverance applies more strongly to your spiritual life than any other area, that is okay.  You are not alone.  One day at a time, one moment at a time.  Keep giving it to God.  He cannot fail.

Five Minute Friday: Write

As a child, I was encouraged to dream about my future.  Phrases like ‘reach for the stars’ and ‘you can do anything you set your mind to’ were often tossed around.  But as someone who has trouble visualizing the impossible, I limited my dreams.  If it didn’t seem attainable, I refused to entertain the thought.  Only if something seemed doable would I allow myself the liberty to go a baby-step further with it.  I did have one thought that lingered in the back of my mind and in the corner of my heart—writing.

Writing was the one constant I could keep at, even without big fantasies for myself.  I never planned to be an author or write a book; those dreams were too big.  Besides, could I be creative enough that people would willingly pay money?  In the meantime, I edited.  Countless resumes, emails, documents, church bulletin announcements, miscellaneous articles and more are the recipients of the ‘Sabrina touch’.  There is a learning experience in being able to take someone else’s thoughts and words and edit for clarity, without changing their intent.  I figured it was a great way to practice.

I gave my writing dream some wobbly legs and began blogging eight years ago.  Over time, the content and writing frequency have shifted, but I kept chugging along.  Blogging snowballed in popularity and soon there were blogs any and everywhere, covering all topics.  Why should I keep mine going?  Why would my voice matter? 

The answers slowly trickled in.  Thank God for those perfectly-timed comments, emails and compliments.  When I’m questioning myself, He sends a friend or stranger to thank me and encourage me to keep going.  My background, my story, my upbringing all contribute to my unique voice.  My experiences are a testimony to how God is at work in my life and I’m impressed to share these things. 

One compliment I hear repeatedly is that writing is my gift.  God has blessed me with this talent and I must use it wisely.  This means trusting His direction for my words and my content.  Publishing posts in obedience is frightening but I am filled with a peace that only He can provide.  Those are the moments where readers were impacted the most.  The struggle between my will versus my obedience is never ending, yet God has never failed me.

I’m dreaming bigger these days, no longer scared of falling short of my dreams.  Writers come in all forms, not just book authors.  I’m excited to see where God leads me next.

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I’m back!  Had to take a mini-vacay to welcome my new baby and adjust to life with my growing family.  I’m linking up in two places today.  With the five-minute Friday community and over at Denise J. Hughes’ , as I explore the writing life.

It’s A Poem

I’ll fully admit that I’m taking the easier way out with my Write It, Girl post today.  The freedom to write anything and link up has encouraged me to share this.  I’ve also been participating in Allume’s 31 Days to #BetterWriter series.  I just completed my day 8 assignment.  (Yes, they’re on day 11.  Shhhh!)

The assignment was poetry, a genre I haven’t done in a good 15 years or so, since high school.  Write a poem about any topic of your choice, unbogged from all grammatical worries. 
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Trapped
In my mind, locked away
Buried in heart, hidden in soul
Words, thoughts, ideas

Tangents from here
Lessons from there
Sheer brilliance! at least to me
What’s the point of thinking if thoughts stay bottled up inside?
Imaginary label: “do not disturb”
“Contents under pressure”
Yet one nudge, one poke
The vessel may shatter
Why wait for special occasion?
Take advantage of full flavour, aroma, effect
Best used before expiration date
In its prime

Ideas, thoughts, words
Clawed from heart, found in soul
Given life with pen to paper, fingers to keys
Free

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I actually liked this poem.  I had prayed for inspiration before I began, since I was clueless about where to begin.  This is what flowed only moments later.  God’s cool like that.  My writing matters to Him, even with self-imposed “deadlines”.

 


31 Days to #BetterWriter

So far, the challenge is going well.  It’s been a struggle some days, to get into the right frame of mind for each assignment.  Once it *clicks* and I find my voice for that moment, then the words just seem to pour out of me.  I’ve also given myself a personal challenge alongside the Allume challenge.

I’ve noticed that many people tend to write from a deep place.  Oftentimes, it’s a dark, scary, painful place.  Their fuel is a bad experience, bad memories, low self-esteem, bad anything.  These are the dark places that most of us work to keep hidden and deeply buried.  We would never invite anyone there.  We barely want God in there.  When you do invite people into that little dark corner, it’s those carefully chosen, hand-picked few who have crossed the relationship threshold into an exclusive intimacy.

It’s been fantastic to read all these various posts with the vast array of voices behind them.  Hurt is a great motivator at times.  I tend to draw on the darker areas of my life when I write.  The more important the piece, the lower down I go, sometimes needing to unearth a few memories to help deliver the message I feel in my heart.

Yet, this month, I didn’t want to do the same thing with these challenges.  Instead, I’m aiming to write from more pleasant, warmer deep places.  Their may be the odd assignment where this just won’t work.  In that case, I’ll still aim to put a positive spin in the piece itself.  Should be an interesting month ahead.

You can read my assignments over on my other blog:  As The Words Flow
**UPDATE** I’ve now imported all my assignments into this blog.  (Too tasking to maintain two blogs publicly right now)

#BetterWriter 

As The Words Flow

That’s the title of my new blog.

I started up a new site, solely for my writing.  I’ll do my tinkering over here and point you over there whenever I feel like sharing.  I didn’t want to bore my readers on this blog, nor distract from the life lessons, faith & family thing I’ve currently got happening here.

It just seemed to make more sense to stick the bulk of writing practice and rough drafting stuff in another spot of its own. 

I’ve decided to participate in Allume’s 31 days to become a better writer series as my first challenge.  I’m a bit behind, but I’ll still try to link up to their facebook page too, for critiques and sharing.

Fun times ahead!

#BetterWriter

Temptation Looks Good From Far…

…but is far from good.

Last week, I asked if I looked like a chicken.  I’m slowly becoming aware of how important it is to keep writing, especially the harder things.  The posts that sometimes cause me the most grief are often times the exact ones that some reader needs right at the precise moment.

Another lesson in keeping with the chickenness theme:

There is no shame in honest posting.

I need to quit second (and sometimes third, fourth & fifth) guessing myself all the time.  I should never write something where I feel the need to prepare defense rebuttals, or have my mouse hover over the delete icon.  More energy needs go into the actual writing and not dreaming up some imaginary defense plan that should never be needed.

Besides, if what I write is true, is honest and is what God has impressed upon my heart, then there definitely is no shame in writing it and sharing it. 

I’ve been struggling a bit for the last couple months, as to what sort of spin I want on this blog and if it was an accurate representation of who I am and what I’m about.  There were all sorts of temptations lurking here and there too.  Opportunities to blog here, guest there.  Opportunities to work as a product reviewer, with perks of increased blog traffic, free product and perhaps even compensation.  Yet, I knew that the public at large would probably think me crazy for including some spiritual discussion and using God’s name in ways more positive than in vain.  It all came down to asking myself whether it was more important to please myself or to please God.

I choose to set aside my material desires and focus more on what God would have me to write and share. 

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I’m linking up with Write It, Girl this month.  Click below to check it out too.

Do I Look Like A Chicken?

I sure feel like one lately.  There are many posts that get composed, then contained all inside my head.  Words just flowing freely, written brilliantly, with descriptions to envelop the reader. 

Yet they bottled up inside because I’m too nervous to write them down.  I once worried about whether or not my dear readers would appreciate the message or my words.  But I don’t write for the sole purpose of attracting readership.  I love my readers and that fact that people actually do “follow” my blog.  How cool is that?!  Thank you!!  I also know that you’re not here because I’m some super-genius writing connoisseur. 

My deeper worry is that I won’t do justice to the message.  There are many a thing I feel impressed to share.  Ideas and lessons that I have been gifted to put into words.  Maybe just one person will read it and be impacted in a positive way.

Despite worry is reality.  If.  When I don’t share what’s been impressed upon me, I’m actually stifling the message.  I’m blocking somebody’s blessing.  What a sobering thought.  What an uncool thought!  I don’t want to be a hindrance.  I prefer to be a vessel. 

So, here’s to March and open hearts and words.  Here’s to remembering some great advice from The Message Bible:

God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.  2 Timothy 1:7

I Never Wanted To Be Typical

Unique.  Not typical.  
For the most part, that’s a good description of my life.  Sure, there are some elements that are common with someone else.  Woman, daughter, wife, mother.  How I live out these roles, though, is far from typical.
I’m a first generation Canadian, born and raised in the Prairies.  My parents tried their best to stay true to the West Indian heritage that they know and raise Canadians in both a way and a land that were unknown.  The beauty of this country is the great mosaic that exists.  No two faces are alike; no two backgrounds are alike.  While the parents of my schoolmates were from a different culture, they had similar struggles.  There seemed to be a hidden shame in struggling.  Now, as a parent, I juggle what I know along the unknown.  I’m also learning that there’s no need to be ashamed.  On occasion there’s failure, but the rest of the days are successful.  
Another unique part of my life is home education.  We’re a new homeschooling family.  This was not on our radar when we were first married.  We never thought we’d be homeschooling our children when they were born.  Much thought and research went into our decision as they approached school age.  Society today is nothing like how society was when my husband and I were in school.  I used to think that homeschooling was for elite, über-organized, wealthy, artistically gifted families.  None of those words are a perfect description of my family.  I’ve learned that you don’t have to be superb to homeschool.
I aim to keep it real, to be honest in my living.  I don’t have all the answers.  My hope is that I stand out not as a sore thumb, but because something I’ve shared here encourages you to continue on your own life path.  There are many hilarious moments in our home each day; my kids are constantly giggling.  My girls find joy in sticky fingers, stained clothes and simple meals.  More importantly, they know that they’re loved and adored.  My daughters are constantly teaching me about overlooked aspects of life.
My three girls
This is a glimpse as to what makes me unique.  Today’s Parent magazine is searching for parent bloggers; different faces to share their stories.  The bonus here too is that this is also a freelance opportunity.  If the blogging aspect doesn’t work at this point, there’s still a chance to write an article here and there. 
A few other great posts are:

Invisibly Present

I used to dread the days when my classmates had to select teammates during high school Phys Ed.  If you’re the no-so-athletic type, you’ve probably had many nail-biting moments where you silently begged God to not be the last pick.

Then came the day when I was not even picked….

I’m very excited announce that I’m guest posting over at (in)courage today.  Come on over to finish the story there.