The Sound of Words

I love to hear
the mourning dove's sweet wake up call outside my window,
the clink of a spoon in a mug,
the wind composing new melodies on the wind chime in the backyard,
the whine of a dog as his master leaves,
the steady rhythm of the jogger's feet,
the constant in and out of his breath,
the lapping of small waves on a sun-sparkling lake,
the whisper of the wind through the trees,
the crunch of dry leaves under old boots,
the crackling of the fireplace,
and the creak of an old recliner leaning back.

Thanksgiving

I love being with my family at Thanksgiving. God has blessed me with a very loving family and many good friends.

There are many things for which I am thankful. Most of all, I'm thankful for God's patience with me. He's helped me develop a relationship with Him and He's taught me about Himself.

That relationship has helped me in other relationships. I've been able to see through the anger to the hurt beneath it in some people. I don't take things as a personal attack if God is able to make me see beyond the immediate emotion. If I allow God to guide me, I can speak words of peace. I can be used by God if I'll keep my eyes on Him.

God has shown me love and expects me to show His love to others.

I'm not perfect, but as long as I remember that God is my Teacher, I can continue to learn. I can have patience with others because I've seen His patience with me. I ask for patience from others because of my weaknesses and failures.

There is a situation in my family that has family members sitting at the edge of their chairs waiting for a happy resolution. We all want the hearts healed. We all want the rebirth of joy.

Other families have situations that call for a cover of love, a show of mercy, and a flood of patience. We all have moments when we must forgive or ask forgiveness. It is our job as God's people to go beyond who we think we are. We must be the people God created us to be.

We must reach beyond ourselves and allow God to strengthen us in our weaknesses.

This Thanksgiving, I thank God for letting me know that I'm not expected to do everything right. But I do have to do my best.

Thank You God, that You have invited me to have a relationship with You. Thanks for giving me the desire to write. Thank You for the love You've given me through my family and friends.

Have a happy Thanksgiving one and all!

Getting Active

In August, I wrote about my plans to start a regular practice of exercise. I'm reporting now that I'm currently involved in regular exercise.

No, I'm not jogging four miles each day. I'm not ready for that yet.

I'm walking twenty minutes to a friend's house, walking around her neighborhood, and walking back. It's approximately an hour of exercise for that day. Last week, I did a separate walk which brought my weekly total to one and a half hours of exercise. I'll try to maintain that schedule and gradually build on it until I'm satisfied with my new healthier body.

My daughter wants to join me on Friday mornings. I may try that in the next few weeks to see if I can keep up with her.

I'll report on my progress.

The Seminar

Last weekend, I attended a writing seminar that really opened my eyes to some things. I loved it.

You know how a person can know something, and then it somehow sinks in and pops into place in that person's brain? Well, I had one (at least one) of those moments this weekend.

I write my way. I try to learn from others, but I have my own writing style. And I like it.

But if you stop what you're doing and look at it from a different perspective, you learn things. I could compare it to sitting on the opposite side of the church from your "normal" seat. Or maybe sitting on the opposite side of the dinner table.

People sometimes get in a rut, doing the same thing the same way. When you inflict change upon yourself, it shakes up the brain enough to have to sort out why you're doing it that way.

Change is good.

I've already sent a thank you note to Donald Maass and his staff for an enormously encouraging seminar. I just had to tell about it here so other writers (the few that don't already know) can know about his great seminars.

Thinking of God

I went to an awesome concert recently. I knew most of the songs already so I, like most in attendance, sang along with the performers most of the night. It wasn't a concert in the traditional sense: listen to the song and clap when the song is over. It was a church service in a large auditorium: people standing, hands raised, eyes moistened with emotion. The energy level in that place was great.

I believe this concert's goal was not to draw people to the performers, but to draw people to God. I felt like the whole room was leaning in to God, pressing in to His presence, asking to be closer to the God who is absolutely... Indescribable.

I want my writing to be like that.

When someone finishes one of my books, I want their first thoughts to be of the God who gives good gifts and who stirs up those gifts by His Spirit.

Praise, Glory, and Honor to God, for He alone is worthy.

And thanks, Chris. I enjoyed the concert.