Enjoying Hot Water!

by Anusha Atukorala 

April was an interesting month. I’d recently been diagnosed with a heart condition that could be serious, so I was sent off for a battery of tests – expensive ones at that – a halter monitor for 2 weeks, a CAT scan, an MRI and more. What fun! Not! I was dismayed at the thought of being forced to spend two days with a zero caffeine intake! My energy levels were about one tenth of what I needed most days … and that was if I was fortunate. Other days, it went into minus figures! Help! I need my caffeine!

 

On the day of my MRI, I found a perfect drink to replace my morning cuppa. No! It wasn’t a herbal tea. I simply filled a mug with piping hot water and sipped it slowly, as if I was drinking heaven’s nectar! Believe it or not, I enjoyed it. I really did. It was no replacement for caffeine of course, but I loved my delicious zero calorie drink. And, you will be happy to note that I got through those two caffeine free days pretty well … snoozing comfortably through my MRI, since I was so sleepy. It was all good.

 

I recalled then that years ago, a friend had been appalled that then too, I had sipped hot water on occasion. I did it only because my friend drank numerous mugs of coffee when she visited – but my temperamental tum could only tolerate one cup of tea a day. So I sipped hot water just to keep her company. Iris (not her real name) had had a bad experience with a family member who did the same. This woman had been nasty. My dear friend was triggered every time I sipped hot water – perhaps she thought I must be then, according to the hot water theory, as evil as her sister in law? Oh oh!

 

Sometimes I am in Hot Water! Literally so, as I stand under a steaming hot shower and relax under its deluge – but … also … figuratively! Listen to James 1:2-4 on the subject. 

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” 

That kind of Hot water? Oh no!

I’ve in fact just been through a challenging season in ultra-hot water … where debilitating fatigue and debilitating pain impacted my creativity big time. I love composing worship songs, which helps get me into flow, and therefore is good for my well-being, but I haven’t had the energy to sit at the piano. 

My Season of adversity was hard. Way too hard! However … I have also learnt so much in the process and my character was immersed in a learning curve, like a tea bag in hot water leaking all that delicious caffeine out, due to the 100 degree heat. During my tough season, God’s presence and reality has become more real and glorious – a steady beacon of hope, joy and beauty – Jesus was my Lighthouse who shone bright on choppy seas.

 

Recently, I discovered the benefits of my Hot Water Season, after my pastor asked me to share my testimony at church of 50 years with Jesus. I loved sharing, but I had a little problem. A good one! I’d effortlessly filled 16 pages of what I wanted to share (and could have written so much more). However, the message had to be only 20 minutes long, so reluctantly, I pruned it down to 6 1/2 pages! (Clever me! Perhaps I am a good editor?) I found then, that my season of doing only a little writing was a time of research! I’ve journaled a great deal these eight years, so my computer is bulging with material. 

 

Perhaps all this hot water I’ve been dunked in, will lead to the birth of my next book? And the one after? And more? Hope springs eternal – I pray fervently that 2025 is my year of comeback with a return of good health. Today, in faith I praise my God who does all things well – and whose ways are perfect, knowing that good will come out of all the enemy threw my way. I thank God that He uses everything. yes, everything, for good as we trust in Jesus and seek His face.

 

The hotness of the water I sipped was perfect for my tummy, because warmth helps digestion. Water is good for me because hydration is vital for my wellbeing. Likewise – the hotness of my past season only heightened the precious love of Jesus and brought Him closer to me. The water I was dunked in, cleansed me from the inside out, to create a better me! It’s therefore been a wonderful season, really! And now my heart is bursting to share more of God. This little writer may just be ready to hatch from her cocoon, and to fly high, so she could sprinkle more of God’s beauty, truth and goodness around her!  

What about you, dear friend? How much hot water have you been seeped in, of late? Not too much, I hope? I trust your present season is bright and beautiful and that your creativity continues to fill our world. Let’s do what we can, knowing that with God, all things are possible and that He turns our mourning into dancing, our ashes into beauty and tough times into God-exalting stories that will enrich our world!

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 next book ‘Dancing in the Rain’ brings you hope and comfort for life’s soggy seasons and is dear to her heart. Her third book, ‘Sharing the Journey’ is a sequel to 'Enjoying the Journey'.

 

Do drop in on her two websites to say G’day! She’d love to connect with you.

Dancing in the Rain 

Light in the Darkness 

Keep Going! by Susan J Bruce

Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash

How are you faring? Do you feel as if you are soaring in your writing life? 

Photo by Pete Nuij on Unsplash

Or sinking?

Photo by Joel Durkee on Unsplash

Is the rain pounding against your window, is the ceiling leaking, or are you sitting in the shade on a warm day, sipping a cool drink of lemon squash? 

Photo by Alexander Mils on Unsplash

I wanted to write a more reflective post today. I’m in the last stages of preparing my first novel, Running Scared, for publication and I’m feeling both extremes. The process of birthing this baby began over twelve years ago when I wrote the first draft as part of my MA in Creative Writing at Tabor, Adelaide. 

Yep, that’s a long gestation. There have been lots of labour pains. There was the agent in 2012 who told me they were loving my book, only to decide a week later not to take it. Then there were the publishers who liked the book and said it had commercial appeal—but then said the manuscript didn’t fit their list. It wasn’t quite what they were looking for, but it was a really good book, and they couldn’t stop reading it! 

Yes, really.

Aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!

That is what the publishing world is like. Your book has to be in the right place at the right time. Eventually I got tired of waiting. I rewrote the book to please myself rather than a publisher and decided to independently publish it. 

Yes, you say. Much easier. Well, it might have been if I didn’t decide to do everything myself, including design my own cover. That process is for another blog article. My husband Marc is an excellent copyeditor, so he helped. But the learning curve was huge – especially as I want the finished product to equal that of any traditionally published book.

Now, when I’m nearly there, it feels as if I’m climbing a mountain, certain that the finish line is just around the next bend in the track. The problem is when I get to that bend, there’s another bend, and another, and another. There’s always something else to do. How do some people publish a book a month?

But the excitement is beginning to brew. It. Is. Nearly. There.

Of course, then there’s the marketing. Another mountain …

Photo by Christopher Burns on Unsplash

The writing life is full of exaltation and despair, joy and disappointment. 

How are you going? 

Do you need encouragement?

Here’s some.

God is with you – always (Mathew 28:20). He loves you and you can trust him. 

We’d nearly run out of money. I hadn’t been able to find a job and I should have just trusted God and kept my head down writing. But just at the right time he gave me a job. A stretching when-am-I-ever-going-to-have-time-to-write-my-own-stuff kind of job. But it came when I needed it. 

How are you going financially? Do you need a financial miracle? Keep following Jesus and he will help. Don’t worry (Matthew 6:25-34). If his word says it, we can believe it.

Do you need wisdom? Are you not sure where to go, be it with a major life decision or a plot point in your book? God will always give us the wisdom we need. But when he does, we need to trust him (James 1:5).

Are you feeling that everyone else is moving forward and doing amazing things with their writing careers, and you are still at the start, putting along faithfully but never getting anywhere?

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve felt like that. 

But Marc reminded the CWD community in his blog the other week that Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2). 

Our story isn’t over, but we sometimes need to remind ourselves that we are the hero, not the victim. When life throws plot twists in our way, what do we do?

The important thing is to keep going.

I think this was what I was meant to write today. Whatever God has put on your heart to do, do it with all your might. Don’t give up.

Trust. Rest. Believe.

My book is being born soon – and there will be much rejoicing in my household.

What are you believing God for this week? Why not share in the comments. I’ll pray. So will others. Keep going!

Susan J Bruce, aka Sue Jeffrey, spent her childhood reading, drawing, and collecting stray animals. Now she’s grown up, she does the same kinds of things. Susan worked for many years as a veterinarian, and now writes stories filled with mystery, suspense, heart and hope. Susan also loves to paint animals. Susan won the ‘Short’ section of the inaugural Stories of Life writing competition and won the 'Unpublished Manuscript' section of the 2018 Caleb prize. Susan is the editor of 'If They Could Talk: Bible Stories Told By the Animals' (Morning Star Publishing) and her stories and poems have appeared in multiple anthologies. Click here to check out Susan’s writing and artwork on her website.

Never Give Up On Your Dreams

 

I’m a space nut and have a lot of books and DVDs about the space program, especially the Apollo era. (Some would say I’m just a nut, but I digress!). One of my books is The Mercury 13 by Martha Ackmann, which tells the story of a group of women pilots who underwent a series of tests in the early 1960s to see if they were suitable for astronaut training. These tests were the same that the male astronauts had undergone to be admitted into NASA, though the women’s testing was privately funded and never officially part of NASA.

Thirteen women passed the tests, some of them scoring higher than some of their male counterparts. However, they were never admitted into the space program. In 1963, the Russians launched their first woman into space—Valentina Tereshkova. It would be another 20 years before Sally Ride became the first American woman in space. Another 12 years on, and Eileen Collins made history by becoming the first woman to pilot a space shuttle.

By the time that Sally and Eileen were making their flights, it was too late for the Mercury 13, but the photo below shows seven of them at the launch of Eileen Collins’ historic flight in 1995. Second from the left is Mary Wallace (Wally) Funk, the youngest of the group.

Photo from NASA, Public Domain via Wiki Commons

Fast forward to last week when 82-year-old Wally Funk flew into space as a passenger aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origins New Shepard rocket. Wally is one of only two remaining members of the Mercury 13, the other being Gene Nora Jessen. Her 10-minute suborbital flight made her the oldest person to travel into space, beating out spring chicken John Glenn who went to space at the age of 77. Click here to see some footage of Wally’s flight, and the awarding of her astronaut wings.

As writers, we all have dreams. It might be to pen that novel or memoir, win an award, have a bestseller, create a blog that helps people, or just have fun in the process of creating. But sometimes, it seems that those dreams are thwarted. We might get negative feedback that makes us wonder if writing is really what we’re meant to be doing. We might finish that book, but have trouble finding a publisher. We might get our book out there, but sales stagnate. We might hope to reach people for Christ with our life-giving blog, but few people comment. Should we give up on our dreams?

In 1 Corinthians 15:58, the apostle Paul assures us that our ‘labor in the Lord is not in vain’ (NIV). The Good News translation says that ‘nothing you do in the Lord’s service is ever useless.’ We may not always see the results we expect here on earth, but God measures success differently. Nothing we do for him is ever wasted. Our words can make a difference in the lives of our readers.

During the 60 years when it seemed that Wally Funk’s dream would never come to fruition, she didn’t sit around twiddling her thumbs. She kept flying and became the first woman to qualify as a flight inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration. A few years later, she became the first female Air Safety Investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board. She’s been the chief pilot for five aviation schools and has helped thousands of people to achieve their dream of becoming a pilot.

If God has placed a dream on your heart, work towards it, but also trust in Him. He will complete the good work He has begun in you (Philippians 1:6).

Dare to dream!

Author Bio

Nola Lorraine lives in southeast Queensland, Australia, where she and her husband Tim run a freelance writing and editing business called The Write Flourish. Their two cavoodles love helping, and can usually be found asleep under Mum’s desk or barking for ball games when she needs a break. She has a passion for faith and social justice issues, and loves weaving words that inspire others with courage and hope. She co-edited the Christian charity anthology Glimpses of Light; and has more than 150 short publications, including fiction, poetry, devotions, true stories, magazine articles and academic papers. Her debut novel Scattered was published in 2020.To find out more, please visit her author site: https://www.nolalorraine.com.au

Photo Credits

Featured photo of lion and kitten by Leandro De Carvalho on Pixabay.

Mercury 13 women by NASA, Public Domain via Wiki Commons.

Author Photo - Wayne Logan at WRL Photo.

When all you've got is an empty page - by Susan J Bruce

Photo courtesy of Deposit Photos

You need wise words. You must have some… somewhere. It’s your turn to blog, but your ideas don’t just fly out of the window. They do a full circle and smash into the glass, falling stunned on the ground below. Your body aches – the pain is persistent, your brain is tired, and the shop you needed that thing from closed just as you got there. You’re grumpy at your husband. No major reason, you just are. The dog is barking, the cockatiel is screeching and you wonder why it’s all so hard. 

 

A fruit rat clunks along the gutter outside your study window. Another - or possibly a very large mouse - scurries behind your skirting boards, changing direction with a clunk so loud the wall vibrates. You don’t want to put down bait – you have pets – so you shut your eyes and pray that the resident rodents won’t eat wiring. Then you survey your study and wish you could be rewired so you could have the energy to clean up the category-five-like devastation around you. With a deep sigh you check your bank balance and wonder if it’s time to give up writing and get a real job that pays the bills. 

 

Cute rodent photo by Svetozar Cenisev on Unsplash

You start typing but your words depress you. You want heart and hope to be part of your brand but it’s as if the H-words have grabbed their togs and towel and headed to the beach with a wave of a hand and a conspiratorial giggle. You tap your foot and stare at your watch: They were due back an hour ago, but they are out there somewhere cruising down the street in the little red convertible you know you’ll never own.

It’s been a while since you’ve had such a penchant for the pity-party (not to mention excessive alliteration) and the smallest smile invades your face. The corners of your lips twitch and a reluctant, wry grin reframes your countenance. You lift your gaze again. This time not to the rooftop racetrack of the resident ‘Rattus rattus’, or the cobwebs in the corner, or the dust on your desk-shelf, but you see the truth of who and whose you are. 

 

Hope pushes through the window of self-pity. Heart grapples with the gloom and casts out the word ‘can’t’. You cheer as truth squashes lies like flies. You are not alone.  

Photo by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash

There is a King. You are His.
There is a Creator. He made you in his image.
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. His. Works. Are. Wonderful.
You did not choose Him. He chose you.
You are part of his plan and purpose. 

You were bought with a price. 

You will live for eternity with him.
You are loved with an everlasting love.

He is with you to the end of the age.
And he can do more in your life than you can ever ask or imagine. You grin at that. You can imagine a lot.

Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash

Sometimes the page before you is empty – but you are never an empty page. Eternity is written on your life with indelible ink, the colour of blood.

 

Remember.

Rejoice.

Write.

 

Reflect...

Genesis 1:27 

Psalm 139

Song of Solomon 2:16

Jeremiah 31:3

Matthew 28:20

John 1:1-5

John 15:16

1 Corinthians 6:20

Ephesians 3:20

Revelation 17:14

_______________________

Susan J Bruce, aka Sue Jeffrey, spent her childhood reading, drawing, and collecting stray animals. Now she’s grown up, she does the same kinds of things. Susan worked for many years as a veterinarian, and now writes stories filled with mystery, suspense, heart and hope. Susan also loves to paint animals. Susan won the ‘Short’ section of the inaugural Stories of Life writing competition and won the 'Unpublished Manuscript' section of the 2018 Caleb prize. Susan is the editor of'If They Could Talk: Bible Stories Told By the Animals' (Morning Star Publishing) and her stories and poems have appeared in multiple anthologies. Her e-book, 'Ruthless The Killer: A Short Story' is available on Amazon.com. You can check out some of Susan’s art work on her website https://www.susanjbruce.com.

Meet Our Members - Rita Stella Galieh

1.Who are you & where do you come from?

 My husband would be the best person to answer that as he knows the real me. A Sydneysider, I always wanted to be an artist so I studied art and joined the family ceramics studio and enjoyed etching Australian flora and fauna exclusively for Prouds in Sydney. I met my violinist husband at a YFC meeting and he challenged me to use my gift for God. After our marriage we attended Emmaus Bible College and then joined Dr Gene Jeffries and American evangelist as his music team. We spent two years in America and then answered the call to be involved in missions in Australia. Each year in December, we minister throughout Thailand with a Thai interpreter, Somchai Soothornturasuk. He arranges for us to use our art and music in schools, prisons, orphanages, hospitals and churches where we explain the real meaning of Christmas. During our many years of travelling over countries in SE Asia, I began to write seriously. Though looking back, I used to spin stories with my grandma and I think the seeds were sown then.

 

 2. Tell us about your writing. What do I write?

I love reading historicals. I also love the extensive research involved in writing these. So my chosen genre is Historical Romance. I have had two published by a Sydney publisher. My next was a trilogy: Signed Sealed Delivered, The Tie That Binds, A Parcel of Promises were Indie published.

3. Tell us about your program, what challenges you most and what helps you most?

As I also write and record radio programs with my husband, I'm always challenged to find the time to write my novels.(I wish I had a maid  and a cook like those in my historicals!) However I can tune out even with the TV on, because when I write, I am not in my room, not in my suburb and not in my time. I read my Bible study and notes each morning and ask the Lord to guide me in whatever I write as I want it to honour Him. My Thesaurus helps me most of all when I am searching for just the right word.

4. What are your writing goals?

I am now writing 3 synopses for a Book proposal of another series I have just completed under the series name: Daughters of Resilience: Book 1.  Speechless, Breaking Miss Sophie's Silence, Book 2. Defenseless, Miss Dengate's Deliverance, Book 3. Heartless, Miss Kate's Great Expectations.( I use US spelling.) The setting is the Edwardian Era. So my goal is to find an agent who likes my work and who will find a publisher who in turn will actually snap up my trilogy! Easy? Nooooo. I'd value your prayers about this.

5. How does my faith impact my writing?

To answer this I'll share what I have written in my Book Proposal:

Resilience - a combination of perseverance and hope - is a universal theme in my novels. When facing difficult issues, today’s Christian woman can relate when facing hard decisions between making a God honouring choice or whatever is expedient at the time. 

I truly want to share my faith in a practical way. Just as Jesus used stories to illustrate a spiritual truth, so I really want my readers to gain something that might help them in their own life.

Rita has learned her craft by making every mistake in the book!  But perseverance is the key. Besides reading fiction and nonfiction,  read plenty of books in the genre you write. Then write your heart out. Write all your doubts and struggles into your characters. And have fun creating your nasty antagonists.

If you feel the Lord has called you to write, just keep at it whatever it is articles, scripts, Sunday school lessons, women's devotionals, there's a need for all of these.
And never give up.