365

by Charis Joy Jackson

Today I happened upon a post I wrote for this wonderful site in 2016. I recommend reading it, as it so eloquently says what I'm about to sharing on today, only coming at it from another angle.

It's a good topic. An important one for us. And one I think we can all relate with.

What is that glorious topic, you may ask? 

Why, fear, of course.

That pesky friend no one remembers actually inviting to the party because we probably didn’t, but he showed up anyway. 

The focus of the 2016 blog was very gentle, it went something a little like this: “Stop it. Stop it now or I’ll bury you in a box.” As you see, I am very kind and sensitive. 

All teasing aside, it basically meant stop letting fear win. I’d realised fear makes us think all the worst scenarios and stories, and that’s not the best way to use this talent. It's a poor use of our imagination. 

So why the desire to discuss this topic, again? 

Because it still has the power to stop me and so many others. 

This past weekend, scrolling through Instagram reels, I happened upon a few with fear as the topic. Specifically, what God says about it. Intrigued, I went treasure hunting. According to my oh-so-in-depth research (a quick google search) there’s one phrase said 365 times in various ways. Wanna know what it is? “Do not be afraid.”

Do. Not. Be. Afraid.

Every single day of the year there’s another Biblical passage of “Don’t be afraid” to help us keep going. I’d love to actually spend time digging into this, and seeing how many times that message comes from the lips of God verses how many times angels say it to someone, because lets be honest, have you seen a drawing of what angels might look like?! They’re terrifying! 

Anyway, it’s profound to think our wonderful, creative God — the King of kings and Lord of lords — has a pretty good idea of how often we finite humans struggle to shrug off, un-invite, de-friend, and say, “Sayonara,” to Fear. I for one have struggled with anxiety and fear for a very long time. Too long. As I type, I can still feel the affects of it in the muscles of my neck and shoulders, in the clench of my jaw. 

This isn’t God’s best for me. 

If you relate, it’s not His best for you either.

 

Just another one of the 365 days …

This morning, standing in a quaint English chapel, worshiping to some awesome African beats, this wise dude I know took up a microphone, and shared a word he felt was from the Lord.     

He spoke of how hard we’ve worked and how often we see nothing in return or very little in return, and referencing Haggai he said because of our obedience, God was going to bless us now. That He (God) is with us and we would see better things in the future. That working from a place of obedience, we would see much fruit from what we work towards. 

Later, as I sat and read through the book of Haggai, these words jumped out to me again, regarding writing and calling. I’m not the only one called to write. All of us here are. This is a word in season for everyone of us. 

If we will but obey our Lord in the adventure He’s set before us, we will see better days …

Haggai 2:4-9 (The Message, emphasis mine)

4-5 “‘So get to work, Zerubbabel!’—God is speaking.
“‘Get to work, Joshua son of Jehozadak—high priest!’
“‘Get to work, all you people!’—God is speaking.
“‘Yes, get to work! For I am with you.’ The God-of-the-Angel-Armies is speaking! ‘Put into action the word I covenanted with you when you left Egypt. I’m living and breathing among you right now. Don’t be timid. Don’t hold back.’
6-7 “This is what God-of-the-Angel-Armies said: ‘Before you know it, I will shake up sky and earth, ocean and fields. And I’ll shake down all the godless nations. They’ll bring bushels of wealth and I will fill this Temple with splendor.’ God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so.
8
    ‘I own the silver,
    I own the gold.’
        Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
9 “‘This Temple is going to end up far better than it started out, a glorious beginning but an even more glorious finish: a place in which I will hand out wholeness and holiness.’ Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.”

Listen up my fellow authors and writers — it’s time for us to get to work. 

It’s time to be obedient to the call on our lives.  

Four times in the above passage God tells the people to “get to work”. And He follows it up with one of those beautiful 365 phrases of “Don’t be afraid.”

How many years of your writing and creativity are you going to hold captive to fear? Gosh, when I think about the years I’ve let fear have … well, I feel deeply convicted. 

These last three years, especially, my time for writing has diminished. Not completely, but the stuff I loved writing most — dystopian epics, where pandemics and wars ravaged mythical worlds or alternate realities. Zombie apocalypse type stuff, ya know, I didn’t want to write those stories anymore because they were becoming a little too real. Some of it seemed to seep into our world thanks to a world-wide pandemic.

A pandemic that brought in its wake a tremendous amount of fear.

And, I don’t need another friend named Fear, neither do you.

What we as Christian writers do is prophetic, and really it’s not just Christians — I believe the creatives of the world are modern day prophets, whether they know the Lord or not. He can speak through anyone.

While I don’t think everything we write is a direct prophecy of what will be, I do think our words have an impact we don’t fully comprehend. And when you think about the power of prophesy from someone hearing and co-creating with The Creator, well, if I was the enemy of all that, I’d want to do everything in my power to shut that person up. Keep them quiet. 

Last summer, I spent nearly two glorious weeks at a beautiful half-timber cottage on the edge of the Black Forest in Germany. I shared my life story with a friend, and one thing she noticed was how often I felt my “voice” was unheard or shut down. I’d never put two and two together to recognize it’s something I come up against in different seasons throughout my life. When she highlighted this to me, I sensed Holy Spirit saying there was something deeper at play. To take note of this.

And now, nearly a year later, (today) I was doing my writerly due diligence, thanks to an online platform called 750 Words, which helps hold writers accountable for getting at least 750 words written every day — think Morning Pages. Anyway, I was writing mine, and it was like the heavens parted and I finally understood.

I was writing about calling and voice.

And Fear.

Here’s a snippet:

… How often we need to hear that word [do not be afraid], especially when it comes to the callings on our life. [...] And I take this time to focus in on one of the talents He's given me.

My voice, my words.

No wonder I always feel so "attacked" in my voice having a place amongst my peers and leaders. It is part of the call on my life and the Enemy doesn't want to see me using it.

Oof. This is good to know…

 

Just one application for the next 365 days ...

So here’s some application for you, my lovely writer if you’ve managed to read all the way through. Well done by the way, this is practically a novel!

 

    •    What is one area where fear has stopped you from using your words, your voice? 

    •    What is one goal you can set for yourself to step out of that fear — be obedient — and do the work of writing 365 days of the year? 

 

One of the values we have in YWAM (the missions movement I work with) is to “Do first and then teach”. So, if I’m gonna preach all this to you, in an effort to be accountable, open and vulnerable, I’m going to answer these two questions first. 

Then, I encourage you, take that step out of fear with me, and write your answers in the comments below too.

1. Fear has stopped me from writing on a daily basis. Yes, I still write, but not every day. One of the writing giants of our day, Stephen King, says writers should write everyday, and I used to. I built a habit of it and found the days that were hardest to sit down and write, almost always, turned out to be my favourite scenes. So, I want to get back to that. 
   
2. I’ve been doing a free trial of this online writing tool called 750 Words. I’ve had it for about a month and today will be my last free day. I’ve noticed my hunger for doing the work of writing verses living in the romantic dream of “being” a writer is coming back. Simply by doing morning pages on this site. Plus, I heard someone say once we’re more likely to stay at something if it costs us something. I think I’ve heard that from every gym membership anyone has ever tried to sell me. While it’s never worked for the gym coaches (sorry peeps), it's going to work here. I’m going to become a member with 750 Words. I see it as an investment in my future  — those better days Haggai mentions.

 

Welp, that’s me, in a just-under 2k-word-count nutshell. What about you, how are you going to let the 365 phrases of do not fear impact your writing?

Charis Joy Jackson works as a full-time missionary with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), an international Christian missions movement. She’s currently located in a village just north of London, and spends as much time in the great wide outdoors as the rainy weather will allow. In her spare time she spins stories of speculative fiction and captures her crazy dreams in print. Literally. 

You can read her collection of dystopian dreams in her anthology Too Bright: And other stories inspired by The Dreamcatcher's Journal
 

C h a r i s     J o y     J a c k s o n
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FIRSTS (We all start somewhere)

Mazzy Adams

Like any worthwhile endeavour, becoming a writer begins with firsts.

Lots and lots of firsts.

First sentence, first rhyme, first story, first chapter, first re-write, first risky reveal, first rejection, first encouraging response, first submission, first blog post … 

(Speaking of which, have you considered joining the CWD blog roster yet? Note: I’m smiling sweetly, dusting my ulterior motive as a member of the CWD Admin team with optimistic innocence. 😊)

Firsts. We all start somewhere.

Strangely enough, becoming a confident writer begins with …

More firsts. Lots of ‘em. 

And the willingness to embrace those frustrating, fiddly, finicky, fickle, sometimes foolhardy, but always brave, seconds, fourths, fifths or fiftieth factors and phases which facilitate and finesse one’s development as a writer. I acknowledge that confidence will always be an elusive beast—it’s in the nature of writers to doubt and second guess themselves and their work—but please don’t let that stop you because, ultimately, the rewards are amazing and often unexpected.

For some of us, the first of our writing firsts happened way back when we were children.  

I wrote my first truly memorable sentences in Year Five: 

Montague Meringue was a quiet but intelligent fellow, small of stature, with an olive complexion and hazel-brown eyes. Around his oval face was a mop of shiny black hair, and his button nose was just like that—a button.

I use the term ‘truly memorable’ because, fifty years later, I can still remember those two sentences verbatim. I doubt my year five teacher gave them a second thought once she’d left her tick at the end of the story—which my ten-year-old self considered a masterpiece of ingenuity when, after numerous failed attempts, Montague, my intrepid scientist discovered the cure for hypervitaminosis after a storm smashed the window of his laboratory and blew a Moreton Bay Fig (the fruit, not the tree) into his test tube. I’ll admit my conclusion lacked plausibility but, at 2:55pm with the school bell about to ring, I needed a quick exit strategy for both story and me.

We all start somewhere.

My first brief flash of poetic brilliance arrived when I was in Year Seven:

Rushing, like a fiery dragon,

Tongues of flame leaping from its mouth,

Stronger than Orion with his mighty bow and arrows,

Conqueror of Leo the Lion,

Swallowing the stars and the moon,

Chasing the darkness away,

Dawn has come.

With some trepidation, I showed this to my older sister. Rose had, for years, thrilled me with her own creative writing (my favourite being a scripted ‘radio play’ where the listener’s faulty radio randomly flipped between channels, creating a hilarious compilation of absurd sentences like … ‘My heart bleeds for / Parsley.’ 

Given my undisputed admiration for her writing skills, receiving her tick of approval was a massive encouragement. Sadly, my secondary school writing efforts produced more spurious, ignominious results. 

 Compilation of StockUnlimited Images ID2047567 and ID1891056 (Licensed)

Like the day we had to write a song parody and an epitaph during a Year Nine English class; I came up with:

How tasteth that froggy in the dinner? (Croak Croak)

The one with the waggly chin, (Croak Croak)

To put that dear froggy in the dinner, (Croak Croak)

Is little better than a sin. (Croak Croak croaked!)

And:

Here lies my English teacher.

Before she died, she had the hide

To ask me to write an epitaph. 

Not my finest work, or hour, I admit, though my English teacher (whom I adored) did stifle a grin. When it comes to spontaneous creativity, my first drafts (then and now) have been decidedly hit-and-miss. I choose to see my firsts as steppingstones; the shakiest ones invite a dunking, but others lead me (even precariously) towards a delightful destination.

We all start somewhere.

James A Michener, author of over forty books, said, “I'm not a very good writer, but I'm an excellent rewriter.” Considering his first book, Tales of the South Pacific was adapted as the popular Broadway musical South Pacific, by Rodgers and Hammerstein—one of my all-time favourites—I’m glad he kept writing, and rewriting, many firsts. 

It took me decades to discover I had a knack for writing song lyrics, drama skits and puppet plays which opened opportunities to rope in and nurture budding performers of all ages within our church. 

When an acquaintance from the local Speech and Drama Teachers Association pressed me to compete in a local bush poetry competition to boost competitor numbers, I agreed to have a go, had a lot of fun, and met an affable, genuinely encouraging group of Aussie bush poets from all walks of life who welcomed me into their fold. Even the most competitive among them took time to befriend, encourage and nurture the newbies. When you’re starting out, a little derring-do, and a spark of encouragement, can ignite a roaring fire if you’re willing to give it some passion, time and nurture. To my surprise, later that year, the Australian Bush Poets Association included Welcome to the Brotherhood—a poem I’d written commending the good-humoured camaraderie of the writers and performance artists I’d met—in their magazine. Literary larrikins one minute, serious purveyors of powerful words the next; those contemporary balladeers continue to break new ground whilst keeping the Aussie spirit alive.

Like I said, we all start somewhere. Even when we doubt our own preparedness to put our words out there, God can, and does, use our willingness to try, to bless others. Yes, we need to hone our skills, but the sharpest sword, if left in its scabbard, remains ineffective. Edward George Bulwer-Lytton has been called “one of the worst writers in history”*, his most notorious example being the opening line, “It was a dark and stormy night ...” Yet we're inspired by his (oft-quoted) line from Act II, Scene II of Richelieu: “The pen is mightier than the sword.”

 

More than a decade after my bush poetry dalliances, I started formal degree studies in creative writing externally through Tabor Adelaide. The encouragement of Christian lecturers cemented my passion for literature and creative writing. In 2012, my submission to Tabor’s “Christmas Tales” anthology (Pantaenus Press) was accepted and Twelve Miles to the Sea, a rhymed and metered ballad inspired by my eldest sister’s recollections, was published in a hold-in-your-hand, real life print anthology. That was an exciting first.

Then in beach clothes dressed and ready and excitement high and heady

‘n Grandad driving, slow and steady, they’d set out upon their way,

though the road was dirt and dusty and the car was old and rusty

and the springs of that old trailer had seen brisk and better days.

... 

So they splashed and sploshed and spluttered while the beach umbrella fluttered

with the Grand-ums and Aunt Lottie perched precariously underneath,

wearing long sleeves, hats and stockings, (was it melanoma mocking?)

in the tradition of the English, never minding Queensland’s heat. 

(From Twelve Miles to the Sea; Stanzas four and six of twelve)

Thanks to sporadic but timely early encouragement, the ongoing, mutual encouragement of writerly friends, several slightly more forceful and persistent nudges from a true friend, and the often-dull-but-daily decision to nurture the call and persevere, I'm still tackling firsts. And fiftieths. My novel edits have probably exceeded that number; blurb is still a first to be facilitated. Firsts are still scary. But …

Start here. Go there. We all start somewhere! Or we go nowhere.

While it’s exciting to hold a printed book in your hand, online opportunities give writers other ways to reach an ever-increasing audience. Our CWD blog roster provides opportunities for both guest bloggers and regular contributors who are active, engaged members of the Christian Writers Downunder Facebook group to make a positive difference. (Nudge, nudge.)

 

I added my first tentative contribution to this blog, Writers are Artists, in November, 2013 (before I adopted my pen name). As a naïve newbie daring to join bloggers with greater skills and experience and wisdom and knowledge than I, I needed a solid nudge. I’m glad Nola Passmore (who was, at that time, a CWD co-ordinator) nudged, because it is a privilege and a blessing to contribute to this encouraging writing community. It’s a privilege to share words that inform, inspire, and encourage others to grow in their writerly gifting and pursuits. It is a grace empowered by the knowledge that it is not our perfection (or lack of it) that matters most, but our heart’s desire to diligently pursue our God-given calling to write and be a blessing to others. 

Is this a privilege, a blessing, a grace you’re ready to receive and use? If so, please let us know by commenting below or in the Facebook group; we really do want others who share the vision and values of Christian Writers Downunder to join our blog roster as guests and regulars. 600 - 1000 words. That's all it takes. No need to be longwinded (as I've been today - reputedly one of Bulwer-Lytton's worst faults). 

As for those ‘firsts’, anyone else dare to share some of their famous, or infamous, writerly blunders and beauties in the comments? Go on. After all, we all started somewhere. 😉

* see http://www.thisdayinquotes.com/2010/03/pen-is-mightier-than-sword.html

Mazzy Adams

Author, Genre Rebel

Intrigue and Inspiration with an Upmarket DownUnder Vibe

A contented Aussie wife, mother, grandmother, business manager, creative and academic writing tutor, and encourager, Mazzy maintains her passion for words, pictures, and the positive potential in people.

www.mazzyadams.com

maz@mazzyadams.com