Little Seeds, Big Clouds and a Clock About to Strike

Habits. Good habits. Bad habits. You need discipline to create good habits and discipline to destroy bad habits. 

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Discipline. How do you get it? Some people seem to be born with it. Others struggle to maintain it. And still others don’t much care one way or the other. Me?  It depends on the situation. Sometimes, I really just want to see if I can achieve a goal and discipline comes naturally. Other times, I just can’t seem to create that same sense of excitement and my discipline has heads for the hills on a long vacation. 

At the beginning of this year, January 1st to be exact, I decided to do a challenge. A 75 Day Challenge. 

THE 75 DAY CHALLENGE 

Morning Cardio workout

Afternoon strength workout 

Eat 850 calories

Drink 4 litres of water

Read 10 pages of a non fiction book

Every. Day. For a total of 75 days. 

Now I know what you’re thinking. ‘Are you insane?!’ Yes. Well, probably. But all the best people are, aren’t they?

When I heard about the challenge, at first I thought, ‘HA! Yeah right. I wouldn’t last a week!’ I’ve been suffering from a sore lower back for a good year now and thought I’d maybe get through the first three days before pulling my back out again. Then I’d be in bed for a week and back to the Physio. But what if I focused on exercises that didn’t use my back and supported it as much as possible? Was I really going to let my fear of failing and getting hurt get the better of me?

My fear. How many times has it beat me down? It doesn’t feel like that at the time, does it? It keeps me safe. I mean, I don’t want to get hurt and I don’t want to fail.  But what if I succeed, then what do I do? It’s the unknown that my fear keeps me safe from. It’s nice. It’s comforting, but all those big ideas, all the story outlines I jot down for when I have time to come back to them … they just wait. They gather dust. So what my fear has done, is kept me stationary. Never growing, never evolving into something more than what I am. 

So, what’s the point?

I sat down with a lovely couple about a month ago and we were discussing the current issues - the pandemic, emergency mandates, talks of war. We moved to Revelation and how everything looked pretty grim. They said they believed we had maybe another ten years left before the Rapture.

‘Excuse me? I don’t think I heard you correctly. Did you say ten years?’

I hadn’t misheard. Now, don’t get me wrong. No one knows when it’ll happen, but just think about it for a moment. Ten years. That’s all you have left. One hundred and twenty months. Five hundred and twenty weeks. Three thousand, six hundred and fifty days. Eighty seven thousand, six hundred hours. And so on, and so on. But you get it. Ten years left of your life.

Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash

I don’t know about you, but should I even be bothering to do a Bachelor Degree that will take me six years to complete part time? And all those story ideas I have, do I just give up on them? It has taken me over a decade to write the story for one of my ideas, what do I do with the other thirty two I have outlined on my computer? All the other things I wanted to do, wanted to see … I don’t know, but ten years doesn’t seem like enough time, especially when procrastination and anxiety are such good friends of mine.

I just don’t know … but then again, I think I do.

It starts with a little seed.

Without a little water, a little dirt, a bit of sunshine, little seeds won’t grow. But if you put in a little effort and don’t mind getting your hands dirty, that seed will sprout roots and habits will grow. 

First things first. Show up. Nothing ever gets done if you don’t first begin. This builds habits. Things you can improve upon. You cannot improve if you don’t have a foundation.

Those big clouds you see in the sky above you. The ones you’ve imagined into dragons and castles and mushroom houses; they are your spark. They are the reason you want to write their stories. Don’t let fear stop you. Don’t let your doubts get the better of you. They are your past, not your present you. You woke up this morning as a blank canvas. Don’t let the negativity of yesterday paint the opportunities of today.

Today is day zero of my 75 Day Challenge. For the most part, I accomplished a lot. I will admit, the ten pages became a little too overwhelming - exhaustion and a heavy non fiction book do not mix well - and I didn’t continue with this aspect of the challenge. But I’ve now built up a few good habits and who knows what the next seventy five days bring. Even if the clock is about to chime - today, tomorrow, one year form now, ten years, twenty … I have an opportunity to learn more, see more, do more and it doesn’t matter how much I accomplish,  as long as I show up in the moments that matter and know God has everything in control.

Kirsten Hart (aka A.T. Richmond) is a born and bred Territorian who moved to Queensland and had no choice but to stay after her assimilation into the Toowoomba's infamous, collective known as Quirky Quills. Since then, A.T. Richmond has had two stories published. Stone Bearer, appears in Glimpses of Light and Tedious Tresses, in the As Time Goes By Mixed Blessings anthology. She is currently writing a fantasy trilogy.

Has anybody Seen my Muse?

 

by Anusha Atukorala

The other day I was hunting for my runaway shopping list. I hunted here and I hunted there; I hunted everywhere. But no! Like a magician's rabbit who had performed a vanishing trick, my little notebook had completely disappeared from sight. Until … I opened one of the current books I was reading  … and voila! There it was. Hooray!

 

Have You found anything precious inside a BOOK?  

 

I’ve found plenty of valuable nuggets inside books. Like … joy from stories that crept into my heart, head knowledge that came from books, heart knowledge that also came from books, courage from tales of bravery, smiles from jokes and humour, wisdom from learned authors, relaxation when chuckling through a good yarn, deep sleep through a good book at bedtime, camaraderie through books shared with friends, a thumping heart when glued to a page-turner, hope from inspirational writing. And more. So much more. For like feasting on delicious morsals  at a banquet, in books too I find numerous delectable goodies that fill and satisfy me.

 

Early in 2020, my brain hummed with a plethora of writing ideas. I made some impressive writing plans. I even enjoyed lots of extra time to write, courtesy of Covid-19. But now … as I look back on the year that’s fast waning, I don’t have much to show as a Christian writer.

 

Has anybody seen my muse?

 

I did find something more precious than gold in a BOOK I’ve read every day of 2020. I’ve had more time this year to pursue God. Like a parched traveler finding an oasis in an arid desert, I’ve been drinking from the inexhaustible spring of the Waters of Life. Through the written Word and the Living Word, I’ve found Life. Hope. Sustenance. Blessing.

 

So perhaps 2020 has not been a waste after all?

 

Watching Avatar the movie some years ago, it struck me 

forcibly how we humans borrow God’s ideas. All. The. Time! 

The beings in the planet portrayed in Avatar were so similar to

 humans—with arms, legs, eyes, noses, mouths just like ours

 and tails like those of animals.

The plants in that planet were a whisper of our God’s creation. 

The beauty in that sphere was a reflection of the earth’s loveliness.

The truth is that we can never improve on our Creator's work

when making a movie or in writing a story, for every idea we 

have comes from Him. The exciting reality then is that the 

closer we get to Him the better we can tap into Him and His

creativity. No, I haven’t done much as a writer in 2020. But I

have done one thing well. 

I’ve called it my Year of Jesus, and my Year of Jesus it has been!

So perhaps it was simply a divine pause in my life? 

Perhaps it was a year of being renewed in order to serve Him better in in 2021?

  

Have you, in 2020 …

1.     Read books?

2.     Edited stories?

3.     Written book reviews?

4.     Encouraged other writers?

5.     Walked with the hurting and helped others?

6.     Cared for family and friends who needed you?

7.     Simply obeyed God in all He asked of you each day?

8.     Drew closer to Jesus, the One who holds all things together?

9.     Chalked up life experiences that you can now use in your writing?

10.  Took a break from writing because of other more important callings?

11.  Lived life the best you could each day in spite of tough circumstances?

12.  Battled difficulties and tough times to become a better version of yourself?

 

If you have done any of the above, you can hold your head up high. And even if you simply  kept on living, that is something to be proud of. Sometimes life is so hard that just to keep on going is an achievement in itself. 2020 was a year that challenged me and helped me grow and stretch. And that is what I call a really good year even if it doesn’t always feel that way.

 

As I’ve sought my Muse-giver, in Him I’ve found my muse. 

For in Jesus is life and hope and truth. His light pierces the 

darkness of Covid-19 and the bleakness of our world. 

This Christmas, may you find in Jesus, all that you desire.

And from the the challenging year of 2020 may you birth 

a rich and fulfilling 2021!

Keep writing!

Anusha’s been on many interesting detours in life, as a lab technician, a computer programmer, a full time Mum, a full time volunteer, a charity director, a full time job chaser, until one golden day (or was it a dark moonless night?) God tapped her on her shoulder and called her to write for Him. She has never recovered from the joy it brought her. She loves to see others enjoying life with Jesus and does her mite to hurry the process in her world through her writing and through her life. The goodness of God is her theme song through each season, as she dances in the rain with Jesus.

 

Her first book Enjoying the Journey contains 75 little God stories that will bring you closer to your Creator. Her 2^nd book ‘Dancing in the Rain’ brings you hope and comfort for life’s soggy seasons. Her 3rd book, ‘Sharing the Journey’ is a sequel to 'Enjoying the Journey' and was released in March 2020.

 

Do stop by at her website Dancing in the Rain to say G’day!

Her latest Blogs are found at Light in the Darkness - where she continues her writings on the Truth who lights up this dark world  - JESUS!

Anusha's Books

A collection of 75 little God stories to bring you closer to our Saviour.

Words that will bring comfort and hope during life's tough seasons.

A sequal to Enjoying the Journey. 75 more stories that will bless and inspire.

Anusha's Facebook Author Page

Anusha on Good Reads

Writers’ Boot-camp

By Linsey Painter

This past month, I’ve been doing a 30-Day Creative Writing Boot-camp.

The idea is that you get into the habit of writing whether you feel like it or not. Like an exercise boot-camp for your body, it’s only with consistency that you can achieve your fitness goals, build up those muscles, walk further, cycle faster and lift those weights.

Only writing when you feel inspired doesn’t produce much of an outcome. Writing consistently means that you build up your ability to type out more words everyday, get better at saying what you want to say and see the vision for your book down on the page.

A big motto for the boot-camp is, 

‘You can’t edit a blank page’.

I look forward to my daily email telling me how many words I’m supposed to write or where I’m supposed to write or what I’m supposed to brainstorm for the day. 

Even my kids have been getting excited about how many words I’m going to have to clock up. They like to play a guessing game, although the guesses usually range from 1 to 10,000 million words (Yikes! Don’t think my writing muscles will ever be that strong).

I’ve been surprised at the results of this daily word count. At the end of 30 days the goal is over 10,000 words. I’ve just crossed the halfway mark in my days and I have already surpassed the end word count goal.

Writing begets writing and it seems the more you get words down on the page the more the words flow.

One of the things that I’ve gotten out of this daily habit of writing is that my writing goal doesn’t always have to be a stunning word count. The word count each day is different. On some days the challenge is to get 250 words down and then just stop and walk away.

That was a good lesson for me to learn. 

Part of my problem is thinking that whenever I sit down to write, if I don’t get at least 500 words, then it’s been a waste of time.

There are also different challenges; writing late in the evening, writing in a different place to where you usually write, writing 500 words in 30 minutes or taking a day to plan out your story.

At the end of every email is thought for the day from different writers like Stephen King or Margaret Atwood, to give you an extra boost.

I think the variety has been key for me. Having easier days helps balance out those high-word count goals.

I’m hoping that after this boot-camp I’ll have built up my writing habit and writing muscles to continue with consistent writing and thwacking out words on the computer or in my notebook.

I have been doing my boot-camp through The Australian Writer’s Centre, but there is nothing stopping you from creating your own challenges for each day.

Well, that is my 500 words for the day.

Linsey Painter loves to write stories for children and young adults. Her stories focus on growing young hearts, challenging assumptions and exploring courage in the face of life’s difficulties. You can find her at linseypainter.com

Fish and Bread and the Writer's Life

I was looking at a flyer that had been shoved inside our letterbox—it was for “Angela’s Pizzas”, which I am told, taste scrumptious. My son looked at me.

“Did you see that?”
“See what?”
“They’re Christians.”
“Why do you say that?”
He smiled. ‘Look!” he said.

I looked. I saw. Their logo was the word 'Jesus', cleverly camouflaged. Wow! How had I missed it? It was thrilling to discover a Christian Pizza Business. Even better that they let their Christian presence be known. I thought it was subtle but bold. Refreshing. What has Jesus to do with pizzas? Can we put food and Jesus together? Why not? He often ate with people, didn't He? It brought to mind a well known story.

I've been studying John’s gospel this year with my church family, as we focus on the word GRACE. When I read the story of the feeding of the 5000, I pondered on the little boy who was willing to give up his lunch to feed the masses. Wasn’t he a generous little lad? But you know, no matter how altruistic, he could never have fed all those present. Five loaves and two fishes might have fed two or three people. There was no way they would feed 5000. Unless of course a miracle took place! I think that story is like a multi later cake (with gooey delicious icing) which must sliced and eaten slowly, in order to be appreciated.

It’s not what I can do that will bless others. It’s what God does with it.
It’s not just sharing the little I have. It’s offering it to Jesus every day.

Has God called me to write? I believe He has.
Can He use what I write? Of course.
But how was the bread and fish multiplied? Through prayer and thanksgiving.
Ah! Prayer and thanksgiving. The fuel of our Christian journey.

What are the 'fish' I can offer Him in my writing life, I wonder?
1. My walk with God?
2. My hopes and dreams?

And what are the 5 little barley loaves I can give Jesus?
1. My time
2. My experiences
3. My unique giftings
4. My mind, my hands, my feet, and indeed, all of me
5. My desire to share God’s love with His world

If they are all blessed by Jesus, who knows what will happen?
So here’s my challenge today:
1. Be like the little boy —share with others; my gifts are given for the greater good
2. Be like Andrew—discover what God’s providing me with today
3. Be like the disciples—do exactly as He asks.
4. Be like Jesus—Compassionate, thankful, surrendered, prayerful.

And don't forget ... expect a miracle!

Let nothing be wasted, said Jesus.12 baskets full of food were left over. A blessed reminder of the abundance of God’s kingdom. What did the disciples do with them, I wonder. Feed the hungry? Have it for their own dinner? Take it home to their families?

What do those 12 baskets signify in my writing life?
What could be the overflow of my writing?
1. My own life being transformed as I write
2. Readers discovering God’s love for themselves
3. Readers' lives changed by the Holy Spirit
4. Readers blessed and built up
5. God being glorified.

Father God. Thank you for calling us to be Christian writers. This morning, we offer our all to you. Our hearts, our minds, our giftings, our dreams, our desires. Thank you for blessing us richly through them. Please multiply our efforts and use our writing to reach, teach, bless, inspire, edify and build your kingdom. May all that we do, resound to your glory. In the mighty and precious name of our Creator God, Jesus, the Word. Amen.

What are the unique God moments in your own writing journey? Times when you remembered to follow His lead and when blessings followed? Or moments when you, like that little boy, offered all you had to Jesus only to be surprised and thrilled that God had multiplied it? Instances when like Andrew, you were humble enough to lift others up or bold enough to bring them to Jesus? Times when like the disciples, you didn’t comprehend what was about to happen, but obeyed implicitly and witnessed a miracle?

I’d love to hear your God stories.

Anusha’s been on many interesting detours in life, as a lab technician, a computer programmer, a full time Mum, a full time volunteer, a charity director, a full time job chaser, until one golden day (or was it a dark moonless night?) God tapped her on her shoulder and called her to write for Him. She has never recovered from the joy it brought her. She loves to see others enjoying life with God and does her mite to help the process along through her writing and her life. The goodness of God is her theme song each season, as she dances in the rain with Jesus. Please stop by at her website to say G’day. She’d love to see you there. Dancing in the Rain

CREATING CUTTING EDGE NARRATIVES. Shane Brigg

CREATING CUTTING EDGE NARRATIVES

Faith-full Writing from Liminal Living.

My friend recently received some very useful feedback regarding his manuscript from his publishers. They suggested that his narrative required a tweaking of character developments, dialogues, and even chapter formatting to make the story more urgent and flow faster for the reader. In short, to help make his novel even more impacting, he needed to make it ‘edgier’, even a little ‘unstable’. In a world that is apparently becoming increasingly more unstable by the day, it seems counter-intuitive to consider adopting a state of instability in our writing. However, I propose that this edginess is exactly what we are called to, and if embraced, would dynamically enhance our story telling and its Kingdom impact on peoples’ lives.

Studies of Life Science have discovered that when an individual/system is "in a state of equilibrium, it is less responsive to changes occurring around it. This places it at maximum risk" (Pascale, Milleman, Gioja . 2000 . p 6). Comfortability makes things weak. On the other hand 'The Edge' or "Sweet Spot" - described by Frost and Hirsch (2011 p.90) as 'Liminality' - is considered to be a state that is essential for health, growth and vital living. By extension then, a person who is not experiencing liminality is potentially not experiencing all that life has to offer. Liminality describes the lifestyle of committed followers of Christ who impact the world by their humble self-denial.

Consider the apostle Paul's experience of life that seems to presuppose a challenging liminal lifestyle ^[1].  Having lost his life for Jesus sake (Gal 6:14, Matt:16:25), Paul felt he had 'nothing to lose'. We do well to emulate him (1 Cor 4:16), and express this kind of abandon in our writing, in our stories, our characters, and even our dialogues. Consider also how Jesus’ love is best illustrated by his own sacrificial example (Phil 2:3. vv 6-11). This could mean we might need to be more willing to experience some pain [2] . 

• When did it last cost us something to produce our writing? 
• Are our characters a reflection of a comfortable life or ones that disturb preconceived ideas and the status quo?
• Is there an expression of self-denial (and love that gives all, rather than self-aggrandisement) being highlighted in how we write, what we write, why we write, who we write for, what we write about, the characters we design, the heart they express, the narrative we create, and the themes we design ?

This is not a call for recklessness, but faithfulness. There is an apparent safety in non-liminal living, but God often calls His people out of comfort zones to more fully express His heart.

This is what “stepping out in faith” means. Consider Peter, Joshua, Ruth, Esther and others throughout history that we recognise as faithful people. They took faith-filled risks. They are the characters of inspiration. They are life stories of raw challenge to our own lives. To emulate their faithful living just might help make us whole, and inspire others to live more wholly. Greene and Robinson (2008.p 196) explain it this way: "unless the church is equipping believers to embrace a life of self-denial that adopts the values of the Kingdom of God, and repents of self-orientation it is rendered ineffective".

My friend’s publisher’s advice that he make his novel ‘edgier’, and even a little ‘unstable’ is perhaps valuable advice for us as Christian writers too. 

When we express a faith-filled urgency, and self-denying creativity in our writing, a powerful Kingdom impact ensues     ...........................................      And great story telling happens.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Frost, M., Hirsch, A. (2011) The Faith of Leap. Grand Rapids: Baker Books.

Greene, C., Robinson , M. (2008) Metavista : Bible, Church and Mission in an Age of Imagination. Carlisle UK : Paternoster.

Pascale, R., Milleman, M., Gioja, L. (2000) Surfing the Edge of Chaos: the Laws of Nature and the New Laws of Business. New York: Three Rivers.

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[1] “I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.........”

 (2 Corinthians 11:23-27, Acts 9:15-16)

[2] Learning to love means “putting oneself on the line and embracing risk, even likelihood of pain and suffering"(Frost & Hirsch. 2011. p.88-89). Our aim should not be to escape pain but to learn to embrace it to make it grow us. "To Love is to suffer... and that's probably why we don't do it well." (Frost & Hirsch. 2011. p.89). Growing brings pain.

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On the Edge. Shane Brigg overlooking Israel. 

Shane Brigg has a passion for mobilising young people to transform their world in Christ. This is evidenced by his nearly 30 years of Youth work including Chaplaincy in Schools, University ministry, developing youth networks, international leadership, and recently team pioneering a missional church community in a university. He is a trainer for Harvest Bible College, a Chaplain serving in 3 schools, and an innovative and adventurous disciple maker. He has a particular talent for story telling that engages young audiences and has several writing projects underway including a series of sci-fi-fantasy based teen novels that express the core theological and 'gutsy' principles of Ephesians. Shane is married with 2 young adult teen children. He loves being outdoors, engaging interculturally and expressing creative pursuits. 

https://www.facebook.com/shane.brigg.3

The Hard Knocks of Editing

by Charis Joy Jackson

There comes a time in every writer's life when we must edit our manuscripts. Beautiful prose & our favorite paragraphs are often the ones that end up on the cutting room floor.

If you're anything like me, you'll know how painful these edits can be.

Let me introduce you to The University of Hard Knocks by Ralph Parlette, a delightful little book I found recently at a book festival. Initially, I was attracted by its worn surface & romantic aroma of vanilla & dirty almonds held captive between the pages. It was published in 1928, which just furthered my delight. There's something about holding a book filled with words from a different time that makes my head giddy.

Imagine my delight when I opened this little treasure chest of wisdom to discover the whole thing was about choosing to walk into the "bumps" life gives us & let them be our teachers. I'm delving into the second draft of my first novel now & much as I love to write, it's still hard to cut things I cherish from the first draft, even though I know my story is becoming stronger.

The University of Hard Knocks is a great addition to my library at work, not only because it's old & looks cool on my desk, but I thought it would be funny to peg it at people who complain about their stories & tell them, "Welcome to the University of Hard Knocks. Now stop complaining & get back to work."

I'm not really that mean, but the idea made me smile.

I may not toss the book at people (it might get damaged) but I do encourage them to read the first page titled, The Books Are Bumps.

The University of Hard Knocks by Ralph Parlette                                        

I am being pulverized.

I work in a film office where we write new stories & edit them all the time. When someone is stubborn with their script, their story suffers. If they hold their story with an open hand & welcome the constructive criticism, their stories become stronger.

The first short film I wrote was very special to me. Every time I was given even the slightest of criticisms, I would hold my story even closer & say "My characters aren't like that." The closer I held it, the worse it became. In the end, I didn't have a story, because I refused to take the advice. Instead of being a project I am proud of, all I can see are the mistakes I thought were pearls.

Thankfully, I have learned my lesson. I hear a piece of constructive criticism & the person can barely finish when I'm already making the necessary changes.

How did I finally learn this lesson? When I realized the story was still my story. I always thought if I changed the story to the way it was suggested, it was no longer mine, but this is simply not true.

It's like makeup.

Applying makeup doesn't change me into a different person, it just enhances the beauty already there. Editing & constructive criticism are similar. They are meant to enhance and reveal what we have said & make it clearer.

When it comes to my novel, I've discovered I'm still in need of a few "bumps" to help me push forward. I tell myself, "Don't be afraid to cut lines you love most." or "It's all part of the University of Hard Knocks." It's true. In the long run it will only make our stories stronger, leaner & more easily enjoyed by the masses. Even if you have to make one of your favorite characters into a "bad guy".

So here's a challenge for us - hold our stories with open hands. Instead of getting disheartened or hurt by criticism, see it for the good it is, allow the bumps to teach us how to make our story stronger.

What do you think, wanna take the challenge with me?

Charis Joy Jackson is working as a missionary with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) a non-profit organization & is part of The Initiative Production Company. She loves creating stories & is currently writing a novel, which she hopes to create into a seven part series. 

Here's to a life lived in awe & wonder. 
Welcome to the adventure.

www.charisjoyjackson.com