A Praise Session

Friday, June 8th, I will travel with a team from my church to Haiti. I've thought about things I take for granted that the Haitian people would love to have.

Thank you, God, for clean water running from my faucets any time I want it.

Thank you, God, for electricity that is on whenever I feel like flipping on a light or drying my hair.

Thank you, God, for food in my cupboards anytime I want it.

Thank you, God, for a solid roof over my head every night.

Thank you, God, for a house with regulated temperature.

Thank you, God, for a place to escape pesky mosquitoes.


And, thank you, God, for the opportunity to share with the Haitian people that they can find true hope in Jesus Christ.

Hey! I'm guest posting over on jewelsofencouragement.com about rude people.
Head on over and check it out on Wednesday, May 30th.

Memorial Day

This is a day when we remember those who have died in war. We recall fallen soldiers.

I haven't actually any soldier to commemorate, but this day does remind me of those in my family who have gone on leaving a legacy behind. A memorial is something designed to keep remembrance alive. And so, on this Memorial Day I remember my Mamaw and Papaw Lindsey.

I am sure my mamaw invented the original Gaither Homecoming years before those videos ever started coming out. At night when she would retire to her bed to read her Bible, she would put a stack of records on her record player and let the Southern Gospel twang away. She was faithful to her church and its people even when arthritis threatened to keep her down.

My papaw or Ol' Pap as we often called him, was the epitome of a strong patriarch. He worked hard in a much too large garden which enabled him to give food to many people not only in our family but also in the church family. When my brother and I were young children, Pap would stand in a doorway with his arm stretched across the opening and allow my little brother to swing. He would look down and say: "Tell me when you get off."

They were faithful in prayer and church. And, because they had their own battles to fight throughout life, I believe they were soldiers. Their battles were fought on their knees in prayer. They set an example through their faith in Jesus Christ.

"Do you see what this means - all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running - and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in." Hebrews 12:1-2 The Message

With a Christian legacy left for me, I need to carry it on. I can look to those who have gone on before me and follow their example. Ultimately, I keep my eyes on Jesus and do as He did - just like Mamaw and Pap. I pray to live a life worth having others remember when I'm long gone - not for my glory but for His.

Sometimes I come across quotes that I just have to share. Here are a few I found in a writing book.

"Inside every human being, there is unlimited time and space: In our exterior life, we can be only one person. But in our imagination, we can be anyone, anywhere." Janet Fitch

As I've said before, writing fiction is like playing make believe again.

"If you are not discouraged about your writing on a regular basis, you may not be trying hard enough." Maxwell Perkins

In writing, I never arrive at a place that I am fully satisfied. It can always be better.

"You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what's burning inside you. And you edit to let the fire show through the smoke." Arthur Plotnik

To all my writer friends - Does one of these quotes particularly strike a cord with you? Why?

To all my reader friends - Does reading fiction take you somewhere else and allow you to be someone else? Explain.

Graduate - to grant or receive an academic degree or diploma.
Graduation - commencement.
Commencement - beginning, birth, genesis, launch.

'Tis the season for graduation. I just returned from attending my nephew's high school graduation. Sitting there, I recalled the similar ceremonies I have been involved in. I can remember my high school graduation though it seems a very long time ago. As I sat watching the teachers recognized today, I shook my head. They all seem so young. I can remember my college graduation - barely. Why is it sketchy? My boyfriend proposed to me right before I walked across the stage to receive my bachelors degree. I was much more concerned about the shiny ring on my finger, I'll admit. I remember my husband's seminary graduation. I was pregnant, and we were looking at a long move from Texas to Maryland. I received my PHT that day -Putting Hubby Through.

Funny how I can still remember the speeches at each being similiar to what I heard today. The messages were two-fold: we made it and this is just the beginning not an ending.

Though I will likely not formally graduate from any other institution, I think holding commencement exercises every once in awhile might be a good idea. Let me explain. Looking back to see obstacles God has helped me overcome or battles He has helped me to win, encourages me to say: "I made it!" The Bible is full of verses that prompt me to look back and see how the Lord has worked in my life. This builds trust and perseverance. But, this isn't a sign to stop. As a Christian I don't retire until I expire. I look ahead to what God would have me to do now. I can see Him launching me into new ministry areas which will give me other outlets for sharing the gospel and spurring on fellow Christians.

What about you? Go through your commencement exercise. What is God launching in you? If you're timid about stepping out, look back at all He's brought you through and taught you and allow that to urge you on to the next degree.

An index card is posted on my note board containing a scripture to commit to memory. Over the last few days I've really mulled over its meaning.

"Not staying away from our meetings, as some habitually do, but encourage each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near." Hebrews 10:25

Do you place importance on attending church? I hope so. This scripture says we need not stay away from our meeting times with our local congregation. And, let's face it, some certainly do habitually miss going to church. Unfortunately, we will drag ourselves to work even if we are half dead, but we will stay home from corporate worship if we just have a sniffle or are too tired.

The church was not established as another appointment on your busy calendar. This verse says we should encourage each other. When we meet to worship, we are gathering with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We come to glorify God together. We come to praise Him for who He is and what He has done. We come to share burdens. Having been out in the world, we join together to lift each other up and spur each other on.

"...all the more as you see the day drawing near." Let's face it, we're closer to Jesus' coming than ever. The condition of the world we must live in is tough to bear sometimes. Who better to encourage than another child of God?

So, let me spur you on my Christian brother or sister. Don't skip the opportunity to go to church and worship. While there, take the time to absorb some encouragement and give some in return. The time is coming when we'll all be together in a neverending worship. May as well practice now!

BRAINSTORMING

My daughter and I headed out for a thirty minute walk the other day. These exercise strolls tend to whiz by if we have some topic of conversation. I told her I had just the subject. A story had been forming in my head, and I needed to talk it through. Sometimes just saying it aloud helps the characters and plot form in more detail. Also, after hearing my basic story line, my daughter will often ask questions or bring up things that popped into her head while listening. Then, we dialogue back and forth until the story starts to become clearer to me. Usually I rush inside and write down notes as fast as I can before I forget any of the twists and turns we've come up with.
My writer/friend, Brooke, is also a great brainstorming partner. With her I usually start off the same way by telling her the basic plot line. Through asking me a lot of "what if" and "how about" questions she starts to pull the story out of me.
Admittedly for me, I tend to produce a better first draft if I have done this brainstorming before writing. Without brainstorming I find myself in need of adding those twists and turns to the second draft. I suppose brainstorming really gets me ahead in my story and makes it more complete from the beginning.
Okay all you writers out there. How do you nail down your ideas and get them into a story? Do you brainstorm? Do you have other techniques to pull that story out of you?

Writer Quote:
Be willing to speak from a different place, to discover memories you didn't even know were there.
from Thunder and Lightning