Sabrina J-R – Page 17

Believe

This is day two of the 15 habits of great writers challenge.

Today’s challenge: “Take some time to dwell on the fact that you are a writer. Meditate on it; let it sink in. Write about it, if you want. Do whatever it takes. The important part is you believe it.” And then tomorrow, wake up two hours earlier and write.
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The full post surrounding the day’s assignment touched on a couple of the same things I thought about today. Yes, I can declare that I’m a writer. That’s the easy part. It the actual writing that gets somewhat mucky at times. Great to be a professed writer. It works so much better when you leave a word trail in your wake.

In order to get writing, time must be carved out of somewhere. Hence Jeff Goins’ suggestion that we awake two hours earlier tomorrow for this challenge. It makes total sense. If there’s no time in all that we do during the day, then we’ll have to shave off time from somewhere else.

Another reason for the early morning word-fest: peace and clarity. The serenity that happens in the wee early hours of the morning is incredible. And having a fresh mind to boot? Bonus! Writing becomes easier when we’re working to stay atop the words, rather than having to coax them to come out.

So, I’ll have to work on finding time for writing. Time when my mind is fresh and capable of writing. Time when it’s quiet and peaceful and I can allow myself to think about more than just what needs doing next.

Yesterday, I declared.

Today, I’m believing.

Declare

I’m embarking on another writing challenge. For the next fifteen days, I’ll be participating in the 15 Habits of Great Writers series, offered by Jeff Goins. In order to grow as a writer, I need to be willing to challenge myself. Let’s go.

Day 1: Declare you’re a writer. Say it loud and say it proud.
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I am a writer.

If I desire to get ahead,
A big leap I must take.
Move out, fears! You’re banished from this soul.
Amassing hope instead, I grab with both hands.
Willingly I write words that matter
Reaching deep within to share out–
I must always be honest when I publish.
Time to tell the world
Echo it loud and clear
Repetition is key:

I AM A WRITER!

Five Minute Friday: See

My vision is quite intriguing. In all honesty, I don’t see everything. In even more sobering reality–I see the things I want to see. I can be in a crowd of people, a sea of faces and yet be so wrapped up in myself that I see no one. The oddities of a person can sometimes jump out at me upon a first meeting, a first impression. Staring at myself in the mirror, I find the hair that’s not sitting right, or the little spot on my clothes.

I have a choice as to what I see. I can keep my vision short-sighted, focusing on the surface level always and only. But that’s no way to live. That means that my thought processes would stop with just a glance at something. I’d never ask questions; I’d take everything at face value, often with presumed assumptions that aren’t fair.

My choice is to look deeper. This verse came to mind when I saw today’s five-minute Friday topic:

Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see–how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him.~~Psalm 34:8 (The Message)

Blessings are cool–I’m always asking for God to bless me in all aspects of my life. He is blessing me in some pretty mind-blowing, overwhelming, unique-to-me ways. At the same time, there are other things that aren’t quite happening as I’d like them too. If I limit my vision, then I risk being disappointed when I don’t get my way. But when I choose to really open my eyes and see, when I let God direction my vision, I suddenly see things in a whole new light. The blessings appear to be just popping into my life. It remind me of making popcorn. One cup of kernels barely covered the bottom of the pot. But when they burst open, the lid of my big pot can barely contain the popcorn.

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Your turn. Today’s post went in a completely different direction than what I’d first thought. Just take five minutes to write freely. Click below to join the community of five-minute fun.

The Testimony: What I Told

Remember this post, about being real about my testimony?

Well, I did it. There’s something unnerving about having people sit and stare at you eagerly, awaiting your words. It’s a testimony–so there’s a high expectation. While the listeners don’t know your details, they do expect that your story will reveal something amazing about God’s character. Oh how I prayed I wouldn’t disappoint. I remembered that my testimony had nothing to do with me. This was the chance to tell what God has done. I know God was working even in that moment because I barely remember what I had said.

I grew up in a Christian home and in a church. I didn’t have any drastically rebellious moments where I’d totally turned away from God. Because of that, I’ve gotten to know God for Who He Is and not only for what He’s done in my life. Knowing God this way gives you a confidence in life. I’ve tried to make choices all throughout life that were honourable to God. It didn’t matter how big or small the issue seemed. It is okay to say no (or yes) to something if you aren’t too sure–even if you didn’t have a big explanation behind it. I shared the following story as an example.

When the movie Titanic first opened, the majority of the youth group wanted to meet together for dinner first, and then go to see the film. I grew up in a home and a culture where movie-going was never encouraged. There is no Bible verse behind it, no ‘thou shalt not attend the cinema’, no church rule either. It was just something that we never did and something that I’ve stuck with even into adulthood, though many of my Christian peers go regularly. After dinner that night, I politely declined seeing the movie, taking my younger siblings home. My friends were shocked. I just said that I wasn’t comfortable with going to the movies, never having gone before. I let that be enough, despite their attempts of peer pressure. It eventually got to the point that my friends stopped hanging out with me altogether.

It was because of how and why I chose to make decisions in my life that enabled me to stand up to my friends. Many of these same friends are not happy today. They’re lacking that inner, deep-rooted peace. My life, highly imperfect and somewhat mundane, is peaceful and happy. I prefer that to the alternative.

As I live, day by day, I want my life to always be a testament to God. It’s well worth the effort.

Five Minute Friday: Opportunity

Opportunity requires risk, a leap of faith. I often forget that even if one venture fizzles, something else can be born in its place. Out of the ashes, something else can be remodeled, revitalized.

Opportunity means making the most of what I have on hand right now. Dreams are good—I need goals to strive for. But sometimes I get limited by dreams because they’re dreams; some far off unattainable standard that I’ll never get to with my limited resources.

When I fail to try, though, because of my fear, then I am squandering opportunity. I’m messing up a good thing before it even has a chance to get off the ground. Where does that leave me? Right here. Right where I am, no movement. No progress. Nothing. At least by taking a step out, I’d have tried something and moved somewhere, even if it’s only half a step. Musically talented people know that changing a song even half a step makes a big difference.

How to fight the fear? I’d really prefer to annihilate it once and for all. Where to find the courage to take that step? Part of it comes from making a plan. I need to have some general idea in mind of what I want to do.

Next step, the biggest most crucial (at least for me) is prayer. Entrust it to God. I need to cherish and delight in His loving embrace. I need His blessing. Not prosperity-type blessing per se, but the divine touch that will guide and direct my path. The blessing where I know with confidence that no matter how it looks to anyone else, I’m doing what’s right.

I’m reminded of versions of 1 John 4:18.

Well-formed love banishes fear. The Message

Perfect love expels all fear. New Living Translation

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Your turn. Why not try it out today? You can go pen & paper style, or type it out. It’s uninhibited writing; no rules, no editing. Click below to join the five-minute Friday community.

When Your Guests Don’t Show

You know the tense moments, after the fancy invitations have gone out. Money is spent on décor and supplies. Door prizes are purchased. You have exciting entertainment on hand. There’s a live band on hand, ready with the popular tunes of the day. You’re hoping everyone will come. In fact, you’re praying for a fantastic turnout. The day arrives and ?

No one comes.

Awkward, right? I wish I was referring to a childhood birthday party. I even wish I was referring to an adult dinner party. Sadly, no. This similar situation happened at a church event last week.

There was a bit of money spent in radio advertising, as well as fancy posters and small flyers. The stage was set with a backdrop matching the skydiving theme; parachute and jumper’s back pack included. Awesome door prizes were handpicked with the target audience in mind. A few musicians came together and formed a band, just for this event. Hours of daily rehearsal time went into the musical aspect. Music was nearly as vital as the spoken word. There were weeks of prayer and anticipation. The opening night arrived and ?

Hardly any of the target audience showed up.

We had great support from church members; mostly those much older than youth age. They reveled in the entire week. Night after night, an audience arrived eager to hear the Word of God. They were blessed by the music. Many guests hope that the band will stay together now that the event has passed. There was a buzz of disappointment in the air on Saturday night, as the week ended.

The flip side of this: there are people, of all ages, that are hungry for the Gospel message. God’s Word is bigger, stronger, and much more powerful than a semi-empty room. Though the program format was geared towards youth, the older folks who came loved it and refused to miss even one evening.

Just when you think you’ve got it all covered, God reminds us that He’s in control. We yearned for the event to happen His way.

It did.

Five Minute Friday: Perspective

There is power in perspective. It’s the chance for me to share my views on something. Whatever I say isn’t necessarily what happened, but what I perceived to have happened. If I spin the tale just right, say have the perfect balance of adjectives to actions, it’ll be believed.

Does perspective ever trump the true story though? That question comes to mind time and time again as I hear certain people relay a story. There are dear friends who seem to have many dramatic moments in their lives. However, when more trusted friends explain what “really” went on, then I see just how much exaggeration was involved.

Which leads me to think that with this great power comes responsibility. Perspective is important. It was makes us who we are–the ability to share our points of view. The opportunity that we have to tell about our feelings on anything. Our story-telling talents attract all sorts of listeners.

When my listeners hear my stories, they tend to repeat them (if it was impactful). And of course, they will be retelling my story from their perspective. When I tell a story, is what I say worth repeating?

I want to make sure that what I share something, anything that I’m sharing truth. Always. I don’t want to say something that I need to retract later on, or go around correcting everyone I meet. I aim to share what happened first, and then share my take.

My perspective doesn’t mean that I need to lace everything with personal opinion…

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And just like that, mid-stream, five minutes is over. Why not try telling us your “perspective” on perspective? Click below to join in the fun.

Five Minute Friday: Identity

Who am I?

Daughter. Wife. Mommy. Musician. Writer. Encourager. Friend. Teacher. Prayer Warrior. Listening Ear. Woman.

Those are some mighty powerful words that first come to mind. But is that who I am? Is that my identity? Or does it go one step farther. All those are roles that I step into at the drop of a hat. Actually, most often, I’m piling on the hats in comfy layers–there’s rarely any time to transition smoothly between roles.

But when I have a few minutes to myself, whether lying in bed at night or a quick bathroom break behind a locked door, who am I?

My identity is much more than what I do. While I don’t have any answers, I most certainly have a great Guide and Leader. I can’t get overwhelmed and consumed by my actions. Should something happen, and all the things “to do” are torn away from me, and my life was all I had, would that be enough?

I was created by a loving God who has some wildly crazy and fantastic plan for me. Just for me. Part of that plan includes the free gift of life everlasting. No matter how hard I try, no matter how many hats I wear, I cannot put a price on that gift. All I can do is accept it. God says to trust Him; that His ways are much bigger than anything my mere mortal mind can understand. All those roles are good, but it’s not the end–they’re simply part of the journey. I’m encouraged to work hard in all that I do. To strive for the best. My life is to be an example to others.

Who am I?

I am Yours.

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If you’re looking for an escape, for a chance to just exhale, why not try this exercise? Set a timer for 5 minutes and just start writing about today’s topic: ‘identity’. See where your thoughts take you, where you’re led. Click below to share yours and to read others.

Day 22–Tone and Affect

Assignment: Let’s keep carving away at our dialogue and tweaking it. Today, write the dialogue between the two men in the picture below. Be creative! Then post it in the Facebook Group.

photo licensed under creative commons, courtesy of bradleygee

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Huddled deep in his orange jacket, Roy moved as quickly as possible. “This would be so much easier if I could walk along the boardwalk” he mumbled under his breath. As a private investigator, Roy often sacrificed his personal comfort. He’d done numerous tracking and tailing of suspects before. This time was no different. But the slippery grass from the melting snow was physically draining.

Keeping his prescription sunglasses on the target ahead, Roy kept moving. His name was Albert and his suspected crime was chronic cheating. Not only did this guy fail at monogamous relationship, but he also cut corners on the job and cheated on his taxes. He always looked for flaws in products or switched price tags in stores in order to pay less. Yes, this guy was at least going to provide Roy with some entertainment.

Suddenly Albert stopped. He had been strolling along the boardwalk, destination unknown. Roy paused, pulling out a guide book as part of his cover. He appeared to be a lost wanderer, exploring the area. He kept a casual glance at Albert. In the corner of his eye, he noticed a blur of black approaching him. If he ran, it would alert Albert. If he stayed, maybe Albert would just bypass him? Good thing Roy was the praying type. “Lord, help!” he pleaded silently.

“Uh, pardon me, sir?” Albert asked hesitatingly, “do you have the time?”

The time?! Roy thought. This is something different. “Yes, it’s 4:30 pm” Roy announced. Albert looked quite uncertain. “Is everything alright? You look a bit puzzled” Roy took a wild guess, hoping that he didn’t give anything away.

“Um, well, I had to make a drop off across town by 4:00 pm. It’s too late for me now.” Albert was starting to sound distressed. “And I had to meet my girl, Candy, by 5:00 pm.” He was starting to speak faster, starting to sound like one long run on sentence. “Then I have another meeting at 7:30 pm, with a friend, a dinner date. There’s no way I can make it there now. No way! I’m doomed!” He finally stopped and took a deep breath.

Yep, definitely a cheater, Roy realized. If only all my cases were so easy. “Well, dude, that’s too bad. Maybe you should do the drop-off—it sounds important. Then go and see your, um, girl. You know the ladies,” Roy forced a chuckle, “they’re always running late themselves. Who knows, once you explain yourself, perhaps your later meeting can be delayed? I have a hunch about that one…” He let his voice trail off. Better to quit now, before he revealed too much. While it was a thrill to bust these guys, Roy didn’t want to rob Albert’s soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend of this pleasure.

Roy watched Albert walk away with a renewed pep in his step. The sucker has no clue of what’s coming he thought to himself. After a few moments, Roy pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a number, intending to close this case in a next few minutes. “Hello, Gretchen? Roy here. I have an update for you…” He felt no shame in letting the smile shine through over the phone.

Day 21–Let’s Chat

Assignment: I’m sure you’ve guessed it by now; write a post that incorporates a conversation into it. Write it. Then discuss it over in the Facebook Group.
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“Mom, can I have some cereal?” the little darling asked, in her sweet, innocent way.

“When I asked you before, you didn’t want anything. Why wait until after you’re tucked in?” annoyed, Mom worked to keep her tone kind and even.

I’m sure three-year olds do this on purpose. Make decisions on the spur of the moment, as it suits them. In this case, this was yet another sneaky attempt at a bed time stalling technique. Some days, we know she’s playing. But this night, she hadn’t really eaten much for supper. A bowl of her favourite cereal becomes a must. If she didn’t eat now, then she’ll keep coming out of bed, looking for something to eat. Her tone would soon start to change into that grating whininess that just irks Mom to the core. Let’s avoid confrontation, thought Mom.

“Come on, Honey. Sit at the table to eat your cereal.” Mom sighed in resignation. Much better than the firm tone that was so close to cracking the edge. “When you’re done, please head straight back to bed”.

“Oh, thank you, Momma”, she replies gratefully. The smile in her tone matched the adorable grin on her face.

“Ooooph!” Mom exclaimed, as a ball of three-year old energy attacked her with a hug. It was yet another reminder of how far a simple gesture goes. The whole scene could have turned out drastically different had both mom and daughter let it go too far.