tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31804112123353154242024-03-15T18:10:08.214-07:00Spiritual Memoirs 101Always remember the things you’ve seen God do for you, and be sure to tell your children and grandchildren!
Deuteronomy 4:9Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.comBlogger934125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-66045078835658998452024-03-12T11:09:00.000-07:002024-03-12T11:09:25.852-07:00Encouragement for beginners: “Every first draft is perfect, because all a first draft has to do is exist.”<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“First
drafts are a writer’s agony and ecstasy,” writes <a href="https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/are-you-over-thinking-your-first-draft/?fbclid=IwAR2VbVj4aIjWPDhuhxth_ghkCdtzs8HHQbIF02SKL33iYHBM0mQZusWUQ24">K.M. Weiland</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“This
is where your glistening ideas spill onto the page. This is where you get to
play around with your ideas, see your characters grow and your themes mature.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“First
drafts are fun. They’re your creative playground,” she continues. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“But,”
she says, “when you start <b>overthinking your first draft</b>, that’s when everything
starts feeling much more difficult.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Our
words on paper rarely measure up to the sparkling perfection of the ideas in
our heads. . . . We want so badly to get our first drafts <i>right</i>. . . . And this
is where we can run into problems.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“We
can become obsessed about creating a <i>perfect </i>rough draft and end up totally
psyching ourselves out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“.
. . You sit there and think about How to Be an Awesome Writer . . . [but] this
is not a good plan,” <a href="https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/are-you-over-thinking-your-first-draft/?fbclid=IwAR2VbVj4aIjWPDhuhxth_ghkCdtzs8HHQbIF02SKL33iYHBM0mQZusWUQ24">she says</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If
her words describe <i>you</i>, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I
encourage you to relax. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Take
a deep breath.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Later</i>,
you’ll revise and rewrite and edit, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">but
that’s not on your to-do list in the beginning. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And
when you do revise and rewrite and edit, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>don’t
think it’s punishment! <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Instead,
think of it as polishing and beautifying your work</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Prepare
to write several renderings<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">before
you publish your memoir.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Your
original version is merely your preliminary sketch</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">T<i>hat’s
true for every writer</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>“The
first draft is just you telling yourself the story.” </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.clarendonhousebooks.com/single-post/2018/01/05/-the-first-draft-is-just-you-telling-yourself-the-story">Terry Pratchett</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It’s
<b>your starting point</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For
now, take in these<a href="https://www.azquotes.com/author/13728-Jane_Smiley#google_vignette"> words from Jane Smiley</a>—comforting, encourage words: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>“Every
first draft is perfect,<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>because
all a first draft has to do is exist.”</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/633812-i-m-writing-a-first-draft-and-reminding-myself-that-i-m">Shannon Hale </a>looks at it this way: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I’m
writing a rough draft <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">and
reminding myself <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">that
I’m simply shoveling sand into a box <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">so
that later I can build castles.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Let’s
think about that—about building castles.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The
turrets and spires . . . do not have to be built [in your rough draft]. All the
little details can come later in your writing process. . . . <b>Perfection is
never expected</b>,” says <a href="https://www.cui.edu/studentlife/writing-studio/voice-paint-blog/post/building-your-first-draft">Makenna Myers</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“
. . . Don’t worry about your grammar or punctuation; let the words flow freely.
. . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Sandcastles
are wonderful because they are malleable. . . . If [later] you determine one of
your main points isn’t working, that is no problem. Take it out and smash it
like a tower of sand! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Next
time you feel overwhelmed by your first draft, tell yourself . . . you’re
building a sandcastle. <i>Don’t stress over the lack of perfection the first time
around</i>.” (<a href="https://www.cui.edu/studentlife/writing-studio/voice-paint-blog/post/building-your-first-draft">Makenna Myers</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Even
award-winning authors<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">write
rough drafts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For
now, just get something in writing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And
keep in mind that your initial version <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">is
for your eyes only.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Think
of it as a foundation for what will one day be your completed memoir.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Remember
the old Chinese proverb: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single
step.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Taking
that single step might be the most difficult, the most challenging, the most
intimidating. After all, you’re facing the unknown, standing on unfamiliar
ground.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But<b>
you need a starting point</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>That
point is the day you write your first draft.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And
when you do, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">celebrate
your victory! Pat yourself on the back!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You’ll
enjoy<a href="http://blog.janicehardy.com/2009/06/re-write-wednesday-first-look-at-first.html"> Janice Hardy’s words</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>“There’s
something exciting and rewarding about a first draft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story that’s been in our heads is finally
down on paper. . . .” </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some
of your initial work will sparkle. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Other parts
might be awkward—maybe even a bit scruffy. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Perhaps
you’ve written incomplete sentences. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A
few memories are a bit fuzzy. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Grammar
and spelling need help. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">But
that’s okay. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Your
main goal is to <b>get something in writing</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Later</b>
you can stand back and make fixes—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">sometime
in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And
be encouraged: <b>Once you’ve penned one vignette, you’ll find that writing others
will be easier.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Beginning
your memoir takes courage. It requires commitment. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Once
you take that first step<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">you
will have embarked on a remarkable, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">rewarding
journey. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You
will learn so much personally in the process of writing<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and, one day, when your memoir is complete, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">your
readers will find blessings, encouragement, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">and
inspiration for living their own lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Let
your journey begin!</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUv4u2P7bhlBqlbdF7ZQhsX1N8tol5s35Z36feINHN_LePvpsS_8kT32DYAI3cUdZCK14Ywa8wDsgldJZfbk_XbfEp6apz-J8sA4Eb-G14I1dH3czmBfg5SQnbLYxlpx0R8Dr9GCgre6Gcd2WL3w7iOoGHFAGSq-yzBAVu7iy0HVa3DGbB93muN6g8Zqb_/s435/DMurrayQuote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="227" data-original-width="435" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUv4u2P7bhlBqlbdF7ZQhsX1N8tol5s35Z36feINHN_LePvpsS_8kT32DYAI3cUdZCK14Ywa8wDsgldJZfbk_XbfEp6apz-J8sA4Eb-G14I1dH3czmBfg5SQnbLYxlpx0R8Dr9GCgre6Gcd2WL3w7iOoGHFAGSq-yzBAVu7iy0HVa3DGbB93muN6g8Zqb_/s320/DMurrayQuote.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-87656155105957281952024-03-05T09:13:00.000-08:002024-03-05T09:13:58.737-08:00For beginners: How do you start? Where do you start?<p> </p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you’re a beginning memoirist, and if you’re puzzled about
<i>how</i> to start and <i>where</i> to start, this post is for you.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">When<a href="https://www.lisatener.com/2011/05/writing-memoir-an-interview-with-richard-hoffman/"> Lisa Tener interviewed Richard Hoffman</a>, an award-winning
author, she asked his <i>advice for beginning memoir writers</i>—specifically, <i>how and
where to begin.</i><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Wherever you can!” he answered.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Think of a spiderweb. You can hook that first thread anywhere
and it will hold.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The important thing is to not think in linear terms at all
when you’re writing.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Instead, he says, “Write scenes. Write pages of reflection.
Write what’s available to you to write today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Memory’s mercurial; </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">if something offers itself to be explored, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">explore it while it’s ‘live.’ </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you shoo it away </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">because </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">you’re convinced that
today </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">you’re going to work on, say, Chapter 7, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">it might not come back!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Write modularly <i>in the order that presents itself to you</i>. .
. .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“<b>A book is read from the upper left-hand corner to the last
page—but that’s not how it is written! At least not in my experience.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Composition happens only later, when you’ve turned over
every rock and shaken every tree.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The next stage, fashioning a story, a narrative, from the
parts comes pretty late in the process.” (<a href="https://www.lisatener.com/2011/05/writing-memoir-an-interview-with-richard-hoffman/">Richard Hoffman</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Please be <b>underwhelmed </b><i>by the task of writing a book</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I recommend you even<b> avoid thinking</b> <b>“book.”</b> Instead,<b>
<i>concentrate on individual short stories (vignettes).</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For the next several months, <b>take easy little steps</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Review the <a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2016/11/what-is-memior-back-to-basics.html">definition of memoir</a> and then compose a few
accounts—maybe three to five pages each. These <b>rough drafts will eventually
become chapters in your finished memoir.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Start with stress-free topics</b>. You’ll learn the craft of
writing more easily that way.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I’ve seen too many beginners </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">start with a traumatic story, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">only to have their still-raw emotions sidetrack them. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Their writing causes too much
pain. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And the <i>discouragement leads them to abandon </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>not only that story—</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>they give
up on writing any of their stories at all.</i> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Don’t let that happen to you.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Consider comfortable, uplifting events:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">spending time with loving, gentle, affirming people</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">the chapter in your life when God brought you a best friend</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">the time God showed you a beautiful sunset or a snowcapped mountain</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">a stranger’s generosity</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">something hilarious</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">a prayer answered and a dream come true.</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If a vignette is refusing to come to life, set it aside and
work on a different story—something fun for you. That thorny story might
blossom another day.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Embrace what Richard said:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Write what you can today</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Happy writing!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Award-winning Richard Hoffman authored the celebrated
memoir, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Half-House-Anniversary-Richard-Hoffman/dp/0898233399/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1UYLXWMQSKD74&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.hAE44pQ_SvzdYfYwOA4neVzsn-RMOalwpv3CTqecprJRXAfh9KXcoyYPms1uYdmby8ckWv12_E0_x-MdUJB7NcuAkZlltN3d96i_Dz40gIeUQbWpV4Bml4SxS79qC24rnY5GdOaRntqbPwwVgtkOXqWBM3R1Rm0kxgEwNyfdJOOUcpObYDbJxid8VeB0ys5EmO2K7L_tVy_dvvSYhYrFJSwBTPsrCVhjT7Lmnsfeh_I.jtMuCM-lK2iRwT7XgZ79-gKBs4tlneDGlO2NYjew3B0&dib_tag=se&keywords=half+the+house+by+richard+hoffman&qid=1709605494&s=books&sprefix=Half+the+House+by+rich%2Cstripbooks%2C111&sr=1-1">Half the House,</a></i> as well as short story and poetry collections.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3m1ztUwKjlKYJ_tH2v9IHSDl5I3Lrs_8p2XU5__86GS7At4zj6r19wkQr30WJX-WC9ThVJvhlqNjbWVYfohm6aOYTuhcUMwJSGd_tvvyDI2PXz5DPvTXSS7yqyBzKCC84C_gPkagN8LWuElcjpNI-RF4ot_TQqY-4DrxQvaCW2Tffl5j4REtkw1zWt_q/s600/RHoffQuote%20for%203%205%2024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3m1ztUwKjlKYJ_tH2v9IHSDl5I3Lrs_8p2XU5__86GS7At4zj6r19wkQr30WJX-WC9ThVJvhlqNjbWVYfohm6aOYTuhcUMwJSGd_tvvyDI2PXz5DPvTXSS7yqyBzKCC84C_gPkagN8LWuElcjpNI-RF4ot_TQqY-4DrxQvaCW2Tffl5j4REtkw1zWt_q/s320/RHoffQuote%20for%203%205%2024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-50901710745877432832024-02-27T09:17:00.000-08:002024-02-27T09:17:32.829-08:00“Don’t write words, write music” <p> </p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Recently we've been focusing on ways to craft your memoir's sentences.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Why? Because . . . </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">you want to draw your readers in,</span></span></li><li><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">you want to entertain them, </span></span></li><li><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">you want them to keep reading.</span></span></li></ul><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We
started by looking at short sentences and sentence fragments—they offer impact
and punch. <span lang="EN">(Click on “<i><a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2024/02/sentences-are-little-like-purses.html">Sentences are a little like purses</a></i>” if you
missed it.)</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Next, we
looked at using long sentences. (Click on <i><a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-beauty-of-long-sentences-in-your.html">The beauty of long sentences</a></i> as well
as <i><a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2024/02/especially-for-wordsmiths-ink-slingers.html">Especially for wordsmiths, ink-slingers, and painters of words</a></i>.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Today
we’ll look at <b>the importance of varying sentence length</b>—that is, writing <i>short,
simple</i> sentences, <i>medium-length</i> sentences, as well as<i> long, complex ones</i>.<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“<b>Don’t write words, write music</b>,” writes
author <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ways-Improve-Your-Writing-Updated/dp/1984803689/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=100+Ways+to+Improve+Your+Writing%2C+Gary+Provost&qid=1598385844&s=books&sr=1-1">Gary Provost</a>. “Great writing moves you effortlessly through the words;
reading becomes as quick as thought. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Part of mastering flow, this ‘<i>music’ in
writing, means understanding the interplay between short sentences and long
sentences</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Provost explains
the importance of finding such harmony in his book <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ways-Improve-Your-Writing-Updated/dp/1984803689/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=100+Ways+to+Improve+Your+Writing%2C+Gary+Provost&qid=1598385844&s=books&sr=1-1">100 Ways to Improve Your Writing</a></i>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“This
sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are
fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The
writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record.
The ear demands some variety.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Now
listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing
sings. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“It has a
pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I use
short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“And
sometimes when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a
sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds
with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of
cymbals—sounds that say listen to this, it is important.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“So <i>write
with a combination of short, medium, and long sentences.</i> <i>Create a sound that
pleases the reader’s ear</i>. <b>Don’t just write words. Write music</b>.” (<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ways-Improve-Your-Writing-Updated/dp/1984803689/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=100+Ways+to+Improve+Your+Writing%2C+Gary+Provost&qid=1598385844&s=books&sr=1-1">100 Ways to Improve Your Writing</a></i>, Gary Provost) <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://charitysingletoncraig.com/2015/10/15/5-steps-to-make-a-sentence-curve-or-vary-your-sentence-length">Monica Sharman says</a> this about Provost's sentences, above: “See what he did there? . . . By simply <i>varying sentence length</i>, <i>he gave it life</i>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Hear the <b>pulse</b>? Don't flatline your writing. Give it a <b>heartbeat</b>, a <b>rhythm</b>, a <b>singing pulse</b>. Make the sentences undulate, like verdant rolling hills or sea-blue waves or a dancer’s movements.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Then <b>watch your story dance</b>—<b>or hear it sing</b>.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/rhythm-in-writing/">Henneke asks</a>: “Do you know whether your writing <b>jigs or jives</b>? <b>Waltzes or boogies</b>? <b>Struts or strolls</b>? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“. . .
Writing can <b>stutter</b> and <b>stumble</b>. Writing can <b>flow so softly</b>, it almost sends
you to sleep. Writing can <b>hop</b> and <b>skip</b>, putting a smile on your face.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Rhythm
is one of the most underrated aspects of writing. . . . <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“<i>Rhythm
creates a mood. Rhythm can make you rush ahead, or slow you down to quietly
enjoy reading</i>. . . . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“In
writing, rhythm is defined by punctuation and the stress patterns of words in a
sentence. Long sentences sound smoother, while short sentences make your
content snappier. . . .” Don’t miss Henneke’s article, <i><a href="https://www.enchantingmarketing.com/rhythm-in-writing/">Rhythm in Writing: How
to Make Your Words Swing and Swirl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></a></i><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Look over
your memoir’s rough draft <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">and
analyze the way you structure and combine sentences. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">String words together with <b>rhythm</b>, with <b>texture</b>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;">Make </span>’</b><b>em sing</b>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Read your rough draft aloud</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">and listen for <b>smoothness</b> and <b>cadence</b> and <b>melody</b>—</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">or <b>thuds</b>. Or <b>clunks</b>. Or <b>choppiness</b>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGj_ASeoC5zYynhNGftgAY6MGghJsE_r3VnBwkvQuuUAz5wY5fH-h-MwpIETDau41GFYlCf6PwZX1BXvUA-Cj6Kw2n_QBr44LZjARnKYgr5TBJWHM07rLnia9RpkbPMATe776-NaZNogOCzr1dpcr-c-deLzWKEmScrXbkckhamm2jCpfvJx53BcUWnMEx/s600/CunninghamQuotefor08252020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="600" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGj_ASeoC5zYynhNGftgAY6MGghJsE_r3VnBwkvQuuUAz5wY5fH-h-MwpIETDau41GFYlCf6PwZX1BXvUA-Cj6Kw2n_QBr44LZjARnKYgr5TBJWHM07rLnia9RpkbPMATe776-NaZNogOCzr1dpcr-c-deLzWKEmScrXbkckhamm2jCpfvJx53BcUWnMEx/w400-h224/CunninghamQuotefor08252020.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk49265112;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-1901631231735149352024-02-20T08:26:00.000-08:002024-02-20T08:26:23.165-08:00Especially for wordsmiths, ink-slingers, and painters of words<p> </p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a name="_Hlk48653006">If </a>you’re a <b>wordsmith</b>—an <b>ink-slinger</b>, a <b>painter of
words</b>—I suspect you’ve been enjoying our lessons on the crafting of sentences.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We started by looking at short sentences and sentence
fragments—they offer impact and punch. <span lang="EN">(Click on “<a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2024/02/sentences-are-little-like-purses.html">Sentences are a little like purses</a>” if you missed it.)</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Next, we looked at using long sentences in your
memoir. (Click on "<a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-beauty-of-long-sentences-in-your.html">The beauty of long sentences</a>.")<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Today we’ll continue with long sentences</b>. They can
be very effective, but writers must be cautious because “<b>Most of us aren’t
terribly good at writing good, long sentences</b>,” according to one of my favorite
teachers, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Magazine-How-Think-Plan-Write/dp/0253211115">Peter Jacobi</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“<b>If we write not-so-good long sentences for
not-so-good readers,” </b>he says, <b>“confusion sets in—fast. The reader forgets by
midsentence what the root of the sentence was about</b>.” (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Magazine-How-Think-Plan-Write/dp/0253211115"><i>The Magazine Article</i></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here are today’s <b>tips for writing long sentences</b>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">To test for clarity—or lack of it—in <i>any sentence
longer than three typed lines</i>, Joseph F. Williams suggests you <b>read it aloud</b>. (I
suggest that you <i>also use your computer’s “Read Aloud” feature</i>.) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Joseph’s paragraph, below, will leave you with a
smile:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“If the process of reading one of your own long
sentences <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">gives you the feeling that you are about to run out
of breath <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">before you come to a place where you can pause <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">in order to integrate all of the parts of the
sentence <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">to get a sense of how its whole fits together <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">to communicate a single conceptual structure, <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">you have identified a sentence <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">that your readers are likely to wish that you had
revised. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Like that one.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">(<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Style-Ten-Lessons-Clarity-Grace/dp/0321095170/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=Style%3A+Ten+Lessons+in+Clarity+and+Grace%2C+Williams&qid=1597766606&s=books&sr=1-4">Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace</a></i>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Notice how other people write long sentences</b>. <i>Some
don’t work</i>—as Williams so cleverly showed us above—<i>but others do work well</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here’s an example of a brilliantly crafted sentence.
It’s worth your time to linger and savor it:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Riding down to Port Warwick from Richmond, the
train begins to pick up speed on the outskirts of the city, past the tobacco
factories with their ever-present haze of acrid, sweetish dust and past the
rows of uniformly brown clapboard houses which stretch down the hilly streets
for miles, it seems, the hundreds of rooftops all reflecting the pale lights of
dawn; past the suburban roads still sluggish and sleepy with early morning
traffic, and rattling swiftly now over the bridge which separates the last two
hills where in the valley below you can see the James River winding beneath its
acid-green crust of scum out beside the chemical plants and more rows of
clapboard houses and into the woods beyond.” (from <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lie-Down-Darkness-William-Styron-ebook/dp/B003JBFCFU/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Lie+Down+in+Darkness%2C+by+William+Styron&qid=1597766665&s=books&sr=1-1">Lie Down in Darkness</a></i> by
William Styron, quoted in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Writing-Craft-Robert-Olmstead/dp/1884910297/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Elements+of+the+Writing+Craft+by+Robert+Olmstead&qid=1597766717&s=books&sr=1-1"><i>Elements of the Writing Craft</i></a> by Robert Olmstead)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Olmstead helps us <b>analyze Styron’s sentence</b>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The weight of the train at ever-increasing speed <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">[is] evoked in the first line, <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">and the rest is the landscape <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">that sweeps past our window. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The images come to us rapidly and clearly <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">because we are moving so quickly <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">and because our eye focuses through the window <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">as if it were the lens of a camera.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>That sentence “mirrors the action of the train</i>,”
writes Olmstead, “moving over the page the same way the train moves over the
land. <i>What the sentence says and does are the same.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Olmstead points out how Styron crafted his long
sentence (121 words!) so well:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“ . . . <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>tobacco factories <i>with</i> their ever-present haze
. . . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">sweetish dust <i>and</i> past the rows . . . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">brown clapboard houses <i>which </i>stretch down . . . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">for miles, <i>it</i> <i>seems</i>, the hundreds of rooftops <i>all</i> reflecting
. . . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">roads <i>still </i>sluggish and sleepy <i>with </i>early morning
traffic, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>and</i> rattling swiftly. . . . ”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Olmstead wants us to<b> notice this about Styron’s sentence</b>:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The words in italics are simple, <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">but they make the sentence work. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">They are as important to master as the clever turn
of phrase. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">They are like gristle or cartilage. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">They are the stuff between joints and bones <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">that smoothes the action. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Without them, the setting goes flat.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Retrieve your rough drafts and look for places long
sentences would be effective</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Maybe you, too, have written a vignette about a
train ride, or about lifting off a dirt airstrip in a six-seater plane in the
jungle—or the desert. (I have.) Have you ever bungee jumped? <i>What other scenes
come to your mind—stories in which long sentences, like Styron’s, would work?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Don’t be intimidated: Go ahead and <b>experiment </b>with long
sentences because they <i>can add texture</i> and <i>dimension </i>and <i>movement </i>to your
writing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Remember: <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“<b>Very few sentences come out right the first time, <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>or even the second or third time</b>.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">(William Zinsser, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writing-About-Your-Life-Journey/dp/1569243794/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2L5LBHFJQL137&dchild=1&keywords=writing+about+your+life+zinsser&qid=1595796785&s=books&sprefix=zinsser+writing+about+%2Caps%2C346&sr=1-1">Writing About Your Life</a></i>) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Read them aloud for clarity <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">and <i>if your experimental sentences don’t work, <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>keep tweaking them</i>—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">or even toss them,<i> just for now</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Most of all, have fun!</b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY75zQwLSTa2O46yQBeGofz6Q8vav8XlKD8Sm4wBqh-ljXAr2vVMW5P47NewjoqdY2ZUJhrS2TLehAtHO6oqEPC-P34V8M-I4UIe4EfgEMNxmFXhw7aG_K2bVfyLX9NkT_TkJBb2sQOxI6lbwvVb4_sKTpSYgtxJjt6DCx1O3EkTLCH5NyzO9dYHWMIXuw/s400/Zinsserquote2%2024%2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY75zQwLSTa2O46yQBeGofz6Q8vav8XlKD8Sm4wBqh-ljXAr2vVMW5P47NewjoqdY2ZUJhrS2TLehAtHO6oqEPC-P34V8M-I4UIe4EfgEMNxmFXhw7aG_K2bVfyLX9NkT_TkJBb2sQOxI6lbwvVb4_sKTpSYgtxJjt6DCx1O3EkTLCH5NyzO9dYHWMIXuw/s320/Zinsserquote2%2024%2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _Hlk48653006;"></span>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-18699316950263032762024-02-13T09:07:00.000-08:002024-02-13T09:07:16.946-08:00The beauty of long sentences in your memoir<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Last week I encouraged you to take a break, from time to time, from composing
your stories. By<i> looking over your memoir’s sentences</i>, you can give yourself a breather
while still making progress toward your finished memoir. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span lang="EN"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A week ago, we began looking at your memoir’s sentences: The way you
write them can enhance your readers’ (a) enjoyment and (b) their understanding
of your message. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Specifically, we considered <i>writing short sentences</i>
and <i>sentence fragments</i> for impact and punch. <span lang="EN">(<i>Click on “<a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2024/02/sentences-are-little-like-purses.html">Sentences are a little like purses</a>” if you missed it</i>.) <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This
week, think about this:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You also want to <b>vary sentence length</b>: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Write <b>both short, simple sentences <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>and long, complex ones</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is how <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Style-Ten-Lessons-Clarity-Grace/dp/0321288319/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3HNBK60A6AR6U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.plZ_mKSS_Q24F0rULPxUBC8PeKQom43d8O9Nyi6rJQZngWHx1TnxYol7wumwqP6xPD_k8I03fRbIw1t0bL5mq3f4APJrIOCm-7OAsV3rXd03NFp2ZGRsKcYeJirW4IjTLxQs898PCUNzNZRy6d8blZ_KRzeB86CUd-l1675fO5he0SBLZEr0BDgcvi_d4F7B.X-hW4zmO8CPSQUo-n2nGIpz9KFpi70hwDMgbIzSenr0&dib_tag=se&keywords=Style%3A+Ten+Lessons+in+Clarity+and+Grace&qid=1707841773&s=books&sprefix=style+ten+lessons+in+clarity+and+grace%2Cstripbooks%2C292&sr=1-2">Joseph F. Williams</a> explains it:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“A clear
and concise sentence is a singular achievement, a whole passage of them even
more so. But <b>if all your sentences were so concise that they never exceeded 20
words, you’d be like a pianist who could play only a few notes at a time</b>. . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“A
competent writer must therefore know <b>both how to write clear short sentences,
and how to combine those short sentences into one that is longer and more
complex, but just as concise and just as easy to understand</b>.” (<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Style-Ten-Lessons-Clarity-Grace/dp/0321288319/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3HNBK60A6AR6U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.plZ_mKSS_Q24F0rULPxUBC8PeKQom43d8O9Nyi6rJQZngWHx1TnxYol7wumwqP6xPD_k8I03fRbIw1t0bL5mq3f4APJrIOCm-7OAsV3rXd03NFp2ZGRsKcYeJirW4IjTLxQs898PCUNzNZRy6d8blZ_KRzeB86CUd-l1675fO5he0SBLZEr0BDgcvi_d4F7B.X-hW4zmO8CPSQUo-n2nGIpz9KFpi70hwDMgbIzSenr0&dib_tag=se&keywords=Style%3A+Ten+Lessons+in+Clarity+and+Grace&qid=1707841773&s=books&sprefix=style+ten+lessons+in+clarity+and+grace%2Cstripbooks%2C292&sr=1-2">Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace</a></i>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .25in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“There’ll always be a place for the short sentence,”
<a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/books/la-ca-pico-iyer-20120108,0,2137466.story">Pico Iyer says</a>, praising “compressed wisdom” and “elegant conciseness,” but he
also says “. . . The long sentence opens up the very doors that a short
sentence simply slams shut.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Iyer d<b>escribes a well-crafted long sentence</b> as “. .
. <b>the collection of clauses</b> . . . <b>many-chambered and lavish and abundant in
tones and suggestions</b>. . . .” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“I cherish [famous writer] Thomas Pynchon’s prose .
. . <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>not just because it’s beautiful, but
because his <b>long, impeccable sentences</b> take me, with each clause, further from
the normal and predictable, and deeper into dimensions I hadn’t dared
contemplate. . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The promise of the long sentence is that it will
take you beyond the known, far from shore, into depths and mysteries you can’t
get your mind, or most of your words, around. . . . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“When I <b>feel the building tension </b>as Martin Luther
King’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ swells with clause after biblical clause
of all the things people of his skin color cannot do—I feel as if I’m stepping
out on the crowded, overlighted fluorescent culture of my local convenience
store and being taken up to a very high place from which I can see across time
and space, in myself and in the world.” (<a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/books/la-ca-pico-iyer-20120108,0,2137466.story">Pico Iyer, “The Writing Life: The point of the long and winding sentence</a>”) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Next week we’ll look at long sentences again. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Between now and then, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">look over your rough drafts <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">and <b>experiment with writing both short sentences <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>and long sentences</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then <b>read them aloud </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">and<b> see how they sound</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Keep in mind what Collette and Johnson said, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“. . . <b>Arrange, rearrange, or prearrange them <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>to suit particular purposes</b>.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">(<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/FINDING-COMMON-Personal-Professional-Writing/dp/B004HK10CG/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Finding+Common+Ground%2C+A+Guide+to+Personal%2C+Professional%2C+and+Public+Writing&qid=1595796935&s=books&sr=1-1">Finding Common Ground</a></i>)</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyY0Wwyodz6Ud8dLkvHLo93rnoD8teFr1AlmHAe5g69dHWUg7bNyhyphenhyphenoQ_4XnFScx3AIanxbf7rpvr7Ujo5NgIezQlFe5QADEEXEAT0dYTmoXrMrVrqH3FqedwvZugIsmsMkuDgJ-kosBJCgCw8o3RJNP4349hosdhkCLSO6KTq5h9vywzHwGQlr0GfHuQ/s500/SentenceMakingCollette%20and%20Johnso.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyY0Wwyodz6Ud8dLkvHLo93rnoD8teFr1AlmHAe5g69dHWUg7bNyhyphenhyphenoQ_4XnFScx3AIanxbf7rpvr7Ujo5NgIezQlFe5QADEEXEAT0dYTmoXrMrVrqH3FqedwvZugIsmsMkuDgJ-kosBJCgCw8o3RJNP4349hosdhkCLSO6KTq5h9vywzHwGQlr0GfHuQ/s320/SentenceMakingCollette%20and%20Johnso.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-62292872821991641912024-02-06T08:54:00.000-08:002024-02-06T08:54:58.282-08:00“Sentences are a little like purses. . . .”<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">After
you’ve written a few chapters of your memoir, or even a few vignettes, reward
yourself by taking a break—a <i>productive </i>break, one that will not delay progress
on finishing your story.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">How
does that work?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Read
what you’ve written with fresh eyes, your oldest writings first. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Read
aloud</i>. Even more helpful, I find, is using the “read aloud” feature on my
computer. <i>Your ears will catch what your mind skips over.</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Today
we’ll look at <b>how to best fashion your sentences</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Specifically,
scrutinize <i>how your sentences <b>read</b>, how they <b>flow</b>, how they <b>sound</b>, and whether
they <b>make sense</b></i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">First,
let’s acknowledge this: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“<b>Very
few sentences come out right the first time, <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>or
even the second or third time</b>.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">(William
Zinsser, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writing-About-Your-Life-Journey/dp/1569243794/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2L5LBHFJQL137&dchild=1&keywords=writing+about+your+life+zinsser&qid=1595796785&s=books&sprefix=zinsser+writing+about+%2Caps%2C346&sr=1-1">Writing About Your Life</a></i>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As
you write, believe this: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>rewriting
is not punishment</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Even
pros and experienced writers <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>revise
their sentences numerous times.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>For
the sake of your readers</i>, <b>commit to crafting good sentences</b>. <i>Why? First, <b>you want
readers to enjoy your story</b> and, second, <b>you also want them to understand your
message.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Just
as there are arts of weaving and fly-fishing and dancing, so <b>there are arts of
sentence making</b>,” write Collette and Johnson, authors of <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/FINDING-COMMON-Personal-Professional-Writing/dp/B004HK10CG/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Finding+Common+Ground%2C+A+Guide+to+Personal%2C+Professional%2C+and+Public+Writing&qid=1595796935&s=books&sr=1-1">Finding Common Ground, A Guide to Personal, Professional, and Public Writing</a></i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“.
. . <i>Writing is a partnership with the reader</i>. . . . The way you put your
stories together counts a good deal toward <b>how your reader will understand what
you say</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“You
can . . . arrange, rearrange, or prearrange them to suit particular purposes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“The
<i>writer shapes the sentence</i> to indicate how readers should construe the meaning
. . . . Building a sentence, then, is <i>a way of defining and specifying meaning,
of focusing a reader’s attention</i>. . . .” (<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/FINDING-COMMON-Personal-Professional-Writing/dp/B004HK10CG/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Finding+Common+Ground%2C+A+Guide+to+Personal%2C+Professional%2C+and+Public+Writing&qid=1595796935&s=books&sr=1-1">Finding Common Ground</a></i>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As
you begin to evaluate your sentences, Bill Roorback points out that “<b>sentences
are a little like purses: They come in various sizes and can hold a little or a
lot</b>.” (<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Life-Stories-Bill-Roorbach/dp/188491036X/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=bill+roorbach+writing+life+stories&qid=1595797079&s=books&sr=1-2">Writing Life Stories</a></i>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">So,<b>
let’s start by looking at those of the smaller size</b>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Short
Sentences:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“
. . . In artful prose, [sentence] length is controlled and varied. Some
stylists <b>write short sentences to strike a note of urgency</b>.” (Joseph F.
Williams, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Style-Ten-Lessons-Clarity-Grace/dp/0321095170/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=Style%3A+Ten+Lessons+in+Clarity+and+Grace&qid=1595797249&s=books&sr=1-3">Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace</a></i>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“
. . . <b>Short sharp sentences increase tension in a scene</b>.” (<a href="https://lyndaryoung.blogspot.com/2011/09/precision-of-thought-for-writing.html">Lynda<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>R. Young</a>) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">For
example, here’s how <a href="https://wearethatfamily.com/">Kristen Welch</a> writes <b>short sentences to express <i>tension </i>and
<i>urgency</i>:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“She
came to us alone, with a baby she didn’t want stirring in her womb.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Orphaned
at a young age, she wandered this earth unloved and unwanted.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Charity
came to us broken, detached, angry.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Outwardly
she pushed others away, isolating herself through pain, distancing her heart
from love.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“But
we loved her anyway. We set firm boundaries and we loved. We prayed. We fasted.
We begged God to draw her close. We shed so many tears over this child having a
child.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“We
feared for her unborn son. How would this detached girl attach to a baby she
never wanted?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“He
was born to an angry mother. She didn’t want him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“And
we didn’t know what to do. . . .” (Kristen Welch,<a href="https://wearethatfamily.com/"> We Are THAT family</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Sentence
Fragments:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Consider
writing short sentences here and there in your vignettes, but also think about
writing <b>sentence fragments</b>—<b>incomplete sentences and thoughts</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Grammatically,
sentence fragments are incorrect, <i>but</i></b> “There are occasions when <b>a sentence
fragment can be stylistically effective, exactly what you want and no more</b>. [For
example] ‘Harrison Ford has said that he would be more than willing to take on
another Indiana Jones project. In a New York Minute.’ As long as you are
clearly in control of the situation, this is permissible, but [doing so]
depends on the circumstances.” (<a href="https://guidetogrammar.org/grammar/fragments.htm">CCC Foundation</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Breaking
the rules occasionally with sentence fragments can add <b>punch </b>to your writing.
Or <b>sizzle</b>. Or <b>grief</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Next
week we’ll look at long sentences </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">but
for now, examine your rough drafts <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">and
look for sentences that need spiffing up. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Where
can you write “quick, breathless utterances</b>” (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Style-Ten-Lessons-Clarity-Grace/dp/0321095170/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=Style%3A+Ten+Lessons+in+Clarity+and+Grace&qid=1595797249&s=books&sr=1-3">Williams</a>), <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">like
Kristen Welch did, to create tension, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">urgency,
drama, or emotion? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Where
might sentence fragments <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>work
even more effectively than complete sentences?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And
throughout, ask yourself: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Will
readers understand <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>what
I’m trying to get across? <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Have
I written each sentence clearly?</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And
remember, <i>rewriting is not punishment</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">(Smile!)</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5e1JguuI3c_zmn6B2kzTWsQrAWUjIUShwpmH3ubfp4mIbn0gJmHrjhob0jY87euhgLAq9wWn_5GSt9vXF9B0e64DPkAyWXd9XdNtKv26WHJI3Nw3DhonFnW_RBgVsL2XsaJKRbI_IfZMhU7WpSGASShfDUON8z1Z7rNh3QW3XoCvxFif_MsRiQZzusni/s400/Zinsserquote2%2024%2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="400" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5e1JguuI3c_zmn6B2kzTWsQrAWUjIUShwpmH3ubfp4mIbn0gJmHrjhob0jY87euhgLAq9wWn_5GSt9vXF9B0e64DPkAyWXd9XdNtKv26WHJI3Nw3DhonFnW_RBgVsL2XsaJKRbI_IfZMhU7WpSGASShfDUON8z1Z7rNh3QW3XoCvxFif_MsRiQZzusni/s320/Zinsserquote2%2024%2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-56000057537623145252024-01-30T10:05:00.000-08:002024-01-30T10:05:26.574-08:00Your memoir: full of grace and seasoned with salt<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The
Bible tells us to let our <b>words</b> be <b>full of grace</b>, <b>seasoned with salt</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>What
does it mean for memoirists to use words that are seasoned with salt?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Salt
<i>purifies </i>and <i>preserves</i>. In Bible times, because people didn’t have
refrigerators, they used salt to keep their food from spoiling. Salt prevents
rotting and waste. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Salt
also <i>heals</i>. Have you ever had a mouth sore? Even a little tiny one can really
hurt! If you sprinkle a few grains of salt on it for even a few seconds, you
might be surprised at how quickly that sore will heal.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Salt
also adds <i>flavor </i>and makes food tasty. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">And
it’s <a href="https://www.gotquestions.org/let-your-words-be-seasoned-with-salt.html">part of <i>a healthy diet</i></a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Salt “balances
fluids in the blood and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is vital for
nerve and muscle function.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Think
about writing your memoir while reading the following:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Salt
has little influence when sitting in a salt shaker. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“However,
it is of great value once it is mixed, in the right proportions, in our food.
When it is sprinkled on food—or, better yet, cooked into food—it <i>transforms </i>the
food. . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Salt
then is a perfect <i>metaphor for the people of God: We have the responsibility to
transform the environment in which we find ourselves, just as salt transforms
food</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“We
are often few in number, but it is no matter. Just as a few grains of salt can
make a big difference in food, so also <i>a few faithful Christians can make a big
difference in the world.</i>” (from <i><a href="https://www.sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/matthew-513-20/">The Sermon Writer’s Biblical Commentary</a></i>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jesus
said believers are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13). That means you have a
ministry to those around you.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We
are called to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“Gracious
words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bone” (Proverbs
16:24).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Writing
your memoir is a ministry</i>, <i>not a hobby</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“You
are a seasoning agent. . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">You
can bring the distinctive flavor of God’s values<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">to
all of life.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">(<a href="https://www.theologyofwork.org/new-testament/matthew/the-kingdom-of-heaven-at-work-in-us-matthew-5-7/salt-and-light-in-the-world-of-work-matthew-513-16">Theology of Life Project</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">God
can use your memoir <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">to
do for your readers what salt does: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Your
memoir can purify, preserve, <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>prevent
wasted lives, add welcome flavor to life, <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>and
keep your readers well-nourished and healthy.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>In
what specific ways can you write a memoir <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>full
of grace, seasoned with salt? </b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Iw5f-kEK2S60ljohqQpv19tfx-dB-pwOwUUCtsvcQOGODtZ9V5sjUKpsH3G5XJsvjaKWv5j2rniM601xTqgP-K8my6tzQKTC-bl3HoRlLMfe6ZUYuImvNNWDBOCi-nayKrSA8M4r1AB5DZhEaGV0fJsR9XUK71F0o-COWS4MGoUV2f431I3qMCBsxAHZ/s499/Col4vs6IMG_1755%20copy2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="353" data-original-width="499" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Iw5f-kEK2S60ljohqQpv19tfx-dB-pwOwUUCtsvcQOGODtZ9V5sjUKpsH3G5XJsvjaKWv5j2rniM601xTqgP-K8my6tzQKTC-bl3HoRlLMfe6ZUYuImvNNWDBOCi-nayKrSA8M4r1AB5DZhEaGV0fJsR9XUK71F0o-COWS4MGoUV2f431I3qMCBsxAHZ/s320/Col4vs6IMG_1755%20copy2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-88203845217474912202024-01-23T06:51:00.000-08:002024-01-23T06:51:12.446-08:00Hemingway’s encouragement for you<p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“Don’t be
discouraged because there’s a lot of technical work to writing. There is, and
you can’t get out of it,” said Ernest Hemingway, advising beginning writer Arnold
Samuelson, age 19.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“It’s your
object to convey everything to the reader so that he remembers it not as a
story he had read but something that happened to himself.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Read that
last part again: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>“. . . <i>so
that he remembers it not as a story he had read <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b><i>but something
that happened to himself.”</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>You want
readers to experience your story</i> alongside you. <i>That’s how you can make a
difference in their lives. </i><b>That’s how God can use your story to inspire, heal,
and mentor your readers. </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Work hard
to make write that kind of memoir. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Join (or
form) a writing group—a <i><b>good </b></i>one. Critique each other’s manuscripts. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Attend
writers’ conferences.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Study the
best writing books available: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Well-Classic-Guide-Nonfiction/dp/0060891548/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1531866013&sr=1-3&keywords=on+writing+well">On Writing Well </a></i>by William Zinsser </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Portable-Mentor-Guide-Writing/dp/0984242104/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1531866102&sr=1-1&keywords=the+writer%27s+portable+mentor">The Writer’s Portable Mentor</a></i> by Priscilla Long </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Memoir-Truth-Second-Edit/dp/0933377509/ref=sr_1_1?crid=KIHW29V4FVNV&keywords=Writing+the+Memoir+by+Judith+Barrington&qid=1706019837&s=books&sprefix=writing+the+memoir+by+judith+barrington%2Cstripbooks%2C157&sr=1-1">Writing the Memoir</a></i> by Judith Barrington</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Memoir-Memoirist-Reading-Personal-Narrative/dp/080401101X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3UDUDGJ4YBC5S&keywords=The+Memoir+and+the+Memoirist%2C+Thomas+Larson&qid=1706019926&s=books&sprefix=the+memoir+and+the+memoirist%2C+thomas+larson%2Cstripbooks%2C104&sr=1-1">The Memoir and the Memoirist</a></i> by Thomas Larson</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Inventing-Truth-Art-Craft-Memoir/dp/0395901502/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3SSRD383APPU5&keywords=Inventing+the+Truth&qid=1706019970&s=books&sprefix=inventing+the+truth%2Cstripbooks%2C103&sr=1-1">Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir</a></i>, edited by William Zinsser</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Story-Dramatic-Nonfiction-Reference/dp/0452272955/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3U2O5L6OWB39P&keywords=the+memoir+and+the+memoirs+by+jon+franklin&qid=1706019884&s=books&sprefix=the+memoir+and+the+memoirist+by+jon+franklin%2Cstripbooks%2C97&sr=1-2">Writing for Story</a></i> by Jon Franklin</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Handling-Truth-Writing-Beth-Kephart/dp/159240815X/ref=asc_df_159240815X/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312095945984&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16669740711434312272&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9023213&hvtargid=pla-537620372106&psc=1&mcid=d183318e5dcb3f96b4f6b968497c090f&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=60223809257&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312095945984&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16669740711434312272&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9023213&hvtargid=pla-537620372106&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7aLR5tvzgwMVfsrCBB1ihgkMEAQYASABEgJnqPD_BwE">Handling the Truth</a></i> by Beth Kephart</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Tools-Essential-Strategies-Writer/dp/0316014990/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=580631486871&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9023213&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=4566076026562696145&hvtargid=kwd-6868741841&hydadcr=10053_13483831&keywords=writing+tools+by+roy+peter+clark&qid=1706020082&sr=8-1">Writing Tools</a></i> by Roy Peter Clark</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">To make
your memoir the very best it can be, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>you’ll
need to make revisions and edits, <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>but it
will be worth it in the end.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Remember
<a href="https://goinswriter.com/revolutionary-words">Jeff Goins’ words</a>: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>“Never,
ever, ever underestimate the power your words can have.”</b> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Pray about
your writing and rewriting. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Ask God to
guide your work <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and use
your finished memoir to bless others.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63B6vTSZeNELncWzGIz8WRbZbgIPS9BrtiSJD3wu6YXUg5uMAKVBptBMhMUVhUWr8NWffncMIo3IeTjlCjx3-fMxG4cqjw5NuBQ6yYQl9LO78qdiFXcs7QxQC1KG84aefBlBAT5Svc1Dx2ZKI9Eq7GttoJ0PCJJCWtV1_1OBDAausHL7z6kLbOt_6OKjT/s600/HemQuote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj63B6vTSZeNELncWzGIz8WRbZbgIPS9BrtiSJD3wu6YXUg5uMAKVBptBMhMUVhUWr8NWffncMIo3IeTjlCjx3-fMxG4cqjw5NuBQ6yYQl9LO78qdiFXcs7QxQC1KG84aefBlBAT5Svc1Dx2ZKI9Eq7GttoJ0PCJJCWtV1_1OBDAausHL7z6kLbOt_6OKjT/w400-h256/HemQuote.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-47155281743974337852024-01-16T09:08:00.000-08:002024-01-16T09:08:06.363-08:00A writer’s prayer for you<p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“Many
beginning writers believe <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">the
writing process requires great confidence <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
unfaltering courage.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I’ve
learned the writer’s journey requires<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">the
ability to admit we’re not brave <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">or
altogether perfect.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">As
Christian writers, we fare well<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">if
we possess the wisdom to ask God<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">for
the strength and discipline needed<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">to
buckle down<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
type the words He gives us.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.xedixon.com">Xochitl Dixon</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Lord,
thanks for this new year and the fresh opportunities You offer us to write our
memoirs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Remind
us that you’ve given each of us life and therefore you’ve given each of us a
story to share with others. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Help
us believe that writing our stories is not a hobby—it’s a ministry! You’ve told
us to always remember what we’ve seen You do and to tell our children and
grandchildren (Deuteronomy 4:9). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">And
Jesus said, “Go back to your family and tell them all that God has done for
you” (Luke 8:39).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Your
Word urges us to tell everyone about the amazing things You do, for You are
great and most worthy of praise (1 Chronicles 16:24-25). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Convince
us that we should not look down on small beginnings—and that You, O God,
delight to see our work begin (Zechariah 4:10). Lord, give us the courage to begin.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Ignite
a fire in our hearts to work as disciplined, intentional writers, committed to
finishing our memoirs. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Take
away our fears, Lord, and help us compose our stories with confidence, knowing You
will use our efforts to point readers to You and Your love and Your goodness.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Motivate
us to make time to reflect—to think back and ponder and examine—and to search
for Your holy fingerprints, footprints, and heartprints. Enlighten us so we
connect the dots and notice connections we overlooked in the past.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Enable
us to see Your big picture, to recognize what You were doing to bring about
Your best for us—often not the easiest, but the best.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">You
have entrusted our stories to us. You want us to tell others so they can see
how You fought our battles alongside us, You brought healing and hope—<b>not
because of who we are, but because of who You are! Not because we are so great,
but because You, God, are so great. </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">You
have called us to a sacred task so inspire us, dear Lord. Help us find joy in
the process of writing, of retelling our “God-and-Me” stories. Place in us a
desire to learn to write well, with clarity and grace, and to persevere through rewriting and polishing and editing and publishing and marketing. Bring
good people alongside us to accomplish all that.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Help
us to embrace fulfillment and purpose and satisfaction in doing what You’ve
called us to do.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Lord,
You can do far more than anything we can request or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) so
we humbly ask: <i>Please equip us to write the stories You’ve given us. And once
they’re in print, use them to accomplish Your good purposes.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Help
us remember: <b>All of this is not because we’re so great, but because God, You
are so great!<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Not
because of who we are, but because of who You are!<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">May
our memoirs and lives bring honor to You, </span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">our glorious God.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFU22CDg058w0zVysg4bGQiZ6F2LqGBBSYE2Pzc4A63enb0eX8zaUQMAOny0_Ux2W5BateDkIF9_GO7aw8mPvXank0iO3Vvaf-RY5n49qQIqBBIxwAsjvdYmWZJKDGNc7YtPZcptBU7xjgz6lYdoLyB7vLGtDuWXi4XDee9vM04L5BVgg5ZxWV6KcMCIS/s599/A%20prayer%20for%20writers%20by%20Linda%20K%20Thomas%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="599" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFU22CDg058w0zVysg4bGQiZ6F2LqGBBSYE2Pzc4A63enb0eX8zaUQMAOny0_Ux2W5BateDkIF9_GO7aw8mPvXank0iO3Vvaf-RY5n49qQIqBBIxwAsjvdYmWZJKDGNc7YtPZcptBU7xjgz6lYdoLyB7vLGtDuWXi4XDee9vM04L5BVgg5ZxWV6KcMCIS/w320-h198/A%20prayer%20for%20writers%20by%20Linda%20K%20Thomas%20copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><b> </b></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-12314358996314451272024-01-09T09:11:00.000-08:002024-01-09T09:11:57.969-08:00Taking a break from writing might be the best thing that could happen to your memoir<p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Did
you work on your memoir over the holidays? If not, don’t be too hard on
yourself because taking a break can help you make progress!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">My
friend Beth told me she took a two-year break from writing her memoir—but she
also said she <i>wanted </i>to get back to writing it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">When
I was writing my second memoir, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Please-God-Dont-Make-Foot-Draggers/dp/0692196471/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3AZWFCFGZ5O3O&keywords=please%2C+god%2C+don%27t+make+me+go%3A+a+foot-dragger%27s+memoir&qid=1701747089&s=books&sprefix=please%2C+god%2C+don%27t+make+me+go+a+foot-dragger%27s+memoir%2Cstripbooks%2C100&sr=1-1">Please, God, Don’t Make Me Go: A Foot-Dragger’s Memoir</a></i>, two-thirds of the way through I took a break for about six weeks. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I
didn’t even look at my rough draft, let alone work on it. And it felt good. It
was a healthy break, a time for my thoughts to settle and gel. A time for me to
catch my breath.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">But
like Beth, I eventually <i>wanted</i> to get back to work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>I
suspect most of you can identify with Beth and me. <i>How long has it been since
you worked on your memoir?</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">It’s
good to take a break, to stand back<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
give yourself time for your thoughts to come together, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">time
to catch your breath.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>But
this is important: <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>Beware
of getting stuck in a non-writing rut!</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Here’s
what works for me when trying to get out of that non-writing pothole and I
suggest you give it a try:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Instead
of nagging at yourself<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">—or
even bribing yourself—</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">into
sitting down to write,</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>simply
get out your manuscript</b>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Are
you writing your memoir on your computer? If so, sit down, turn it on, and <b>open
that document</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">If
your manuscript is hand-written and stuffed in a filing cabinet, <b>go get it</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Whatever
format your memoir is in, <b>get it out</b>. <b>Read it</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Take
in what <a href="https://www.themarginalian.org/2014/09/12/zadie-smith-writing-that-crafty-feeling/#:~:text=The%20secret%20to%20editing%20your,reader%20instead%20of%20its%20writer. ">Zadie Smith</a> says:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“.
. . If money is not a desperate priority,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">if
you do not need to sell it at once<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">or
be published that very second—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">put
it in a drawer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">For
as long as you can manage.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">A
year or more is ideal—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">but
even three months will do.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Step
away . . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>The
secret to editing your own work is simple:<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>you
need to become its reader instead of its writer</b></i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>That’s
it! <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>(1) Look
at your manuscript<i> as if you were a reader</i><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>—reading
it for the first time—<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>rather
than as the writer.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>And
then, l<i>ater, <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>(2) <i>look
at your manuscript through the eyes of an editor</i>.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Think
about it:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">You
know what you want to communicate<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">but
<i><b>if you’re too close to your story,<o:p></o:p></b></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>you
don’t recognize the gaps<o:p></o:p></b></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>you’ve
unintentionally left</b>.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b><i>In
your mind</i></b>,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">you
know all the subtle things<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
the back story<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
where the story is going—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">so,
in your brain, all the info is there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">But
the problem is this:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>too
many of those details are still only in your mind<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>and
not on the paper or computer screen</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>If
you’re too close to your manuscript,<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>it’s
easy to overlook holes and cracks—<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>those
details that will trip up readers <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>and
interrupt the story.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>If
you are too close to your manuscript, you can’t read it as if you’re reading it
for the first time</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">So,
if you’ve set aside your writing for a while, <i>take advantage of this
<b>opportunity</b></i>—take a fresh look and fix details that need fixing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Believe
me when I say this:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Taking
a break from writing <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>might
be the best thing <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>that
could happen to your memoir.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Hooray!</b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu22PnovHqNieyErwVVuDdVJt9OibRdwdP0q2EDUR6mMIK0BSxPC6SgaO_0nN82L3_dMey1YCq68SyszsmlVNEgUn44k-q0LJxeDSj7wVZKskkNLD1-9JJ3vLPcZx9d6ov8eqwCTa4CvMJ33-FodeU0tWCNQZhitvoCxjviMpwrS-qADX86jKKV51EDIkA/s450/JHquote%20for%201%2012%202016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="450" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu22PnovHqNieyErwVVuDdVJt9OibRdwdP0q2EDUR6mMIK0BSxPC6SgaO_0nN82L3_dMey1YCq68SyszsmlVNEgUn44k-q0LJxeDSj7wVZKskkNLD1-9JJ3vLPcZx9d6ov8eqwCTa4CvMJ33-FodeU0tWCNQZhitvoCxjviMpwrS-qADX86jKKV51EDIkA/w400-h223/JHquote%20for%201%2012%202016.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-52267416014713940782023-12-12T09:51:00.000-08:002023-12-12T09:51:33.208-08:00Dreaming of a black Christmas<p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Today I’ll share a December excerpt from my memoir, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Please-God-Dont-Make-Foot-Draggers/dp/0692196471/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3AZWFCFGZ5O3O&keywords=please%2C+god%2C+don%27t+make+me+go%3A+a+foot-dragger%27s+memoir&qid=1701747089&s=books&sprefix=please%2C+god%2C+don%27t+make+me+go+a+foot-dragger%27s+memoir%2Cstripbooks%2C100&sr=1-1"><i>Please, God, Don’t Make Me Go: A Foot-Dragger’s Memoir</i></a>. The scene takes place on a mission center, Lomalinda (pretty hill), in South America, during our family’s first December there. </span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">But first, review <i><a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2017/12/tuesday-tidbit-your-christmas-stories.html">Your Christmas stories need sensory details</a></i>, and then notice those that I included in my excerpts, below. (Sensory details: What do you <b>see</b>, <b>hear</b>, <b>taste</b>, <b>smell</b>, and <b>feel</b>?) </span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;">Lomalinda was into the dry season with clean cerulean skies and hardly a wisp of a cloud. Daytime temperatures rose to over a hundred degrees in the shade—cruel, withering. The green scent of the rainy season had given way to the spicy fragrance of sun-dried grasses. Immense stretches of emerald disappeared, leaving grasslands stiff and simmering under unrelenting sun.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;"> Muddy paths and single-lane tracks turned rock-hard and, with use, changed to dust. Yards and airstrips and open fields turned to dust, too. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;"> From sunrise to sundown, a strong wind blew across the llanos, a gift from God because it offered a little relief from the heat. On the other hand, we had to use rocks and paperweights and other heavy objects to keep papers from blowing away. Dust blew through slatted windows and into homes and offices and settled on our counters and furniture and in cracks and crannies and on our necks and in our armpits and up our noses. . . . </span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;"> During rainy season, sometimes laundry took days to dry in our screened-in porch, but in dry season I hung laundry outside and, after pegging up the last garment in the laundry basket, I took down the first pieces I’d hung—the hot wind had already dried them.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;"> Dry season gave homes and furniture and clothing and shoes and photos and slides a chance to de-mildew. Roads were easier to navigate, no longer gooey with mud. The parched wind gave us a break from the profuse sweating we endured in the rainy season so, in that way, it was a friend.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;"> But dry season could also be a foe. One sizzling afternoon, Dr. Altig hollered at our door, “Call for help! We have a fire!” Across the road behind Ruth’s house, flames leaped and smoke billowed. . . .</span></p><p><span style="white-space: normal; white-space: pre;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;"> </span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFc83xT050Rn2F2M3pv6uk6kEA0-ejONotKUx0PViySxSImnUA5B3xpfNvHRDw_M4weEu0aFYbMuOFX-N8pR62NRb7Ls8IwSaSnvjdgFVnXP9iZJobYMmRDCCrpXyrFGxSXIAJZ40ShBtVJCs_12hVFErci6-O3GohC5WlIXP0utzLrlqkHZzp0qzAg-49/s400/fireLml%20at%20100%20dpi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="400" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFc83xT050Rn2F2M3pv6uk6kEA0-ejONotKUx0PViySxSImnUA5B3xpfNvHRDw_M4weEu0aFYbMuOFX-N8pR62NRb7Ls8IwSaSnvjdgFVnXP9iZJobYMmRDCCrpXyrFGxSXIAJZ40ShBtVJCs_12hVFErci6-O3GohC5WlIXP0utzLrlqkHZzp0qzAg-49/w400-h250/fireLml%20at%20100%20dpi.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">That year, our family’s first there, we learned December traditionally was a time of wildfires in and around Lomalinda, leaving acres of black ashes. Shortly after that day’s fire, the following happened:</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;">One December day I walked a sun-cracked track while that celestial fireball cooked my skin and the smell of charred grassland swirled in the breeze. The school principal puttered up to me on her red motorbike. “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!”</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;"> Pris watched me for a few seconds and then laughed—my face had betrayed my thoughts. I had to bite my tongue to keep from saying, “This looks like Christmas? You’ve got to be kidding!”</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;"> <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>To me, Christmas looks like frost-covered evergreens, and snowflakes, and frozen puddles. Heavy coats, scarves, mittens, boots. Runny noses. Sledding. Ice skating. Swags of cedar and pine and holly tied with red ribbons.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: georgia;"> I learned a lesson on that hot, dry December day. “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas” means different things to different people. To most Lomalindians, especially kids, Christmas looked like a bleached landscape, charred fields, hot wind, and a whiff of ashes in the air. Folks enjoyed saying, “I’m dreaming of a black Christmas.”</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>What are your memories of unique Christmases? </b></span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Did you spend one Christmas fighting a war overseas? </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Or did you celebrate the holiday in Hawaii one year? </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Or did you take a trip to the Holy Land?</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">What about <b>traditions you enjoyed</b>? </span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Playing fun games </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Serving Christmas Eve dinner at a homeless shelter</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Going to the Nutcracker each year</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Watching I<i>t’s A Wonderful Life</i> or <i>Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer</i></span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Christmas caroling in nursing homes</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">What memories of <b>traditional Christmas food</b> do you have?</span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">If you have a Nordic background, you might have traditions around smörgåsbords with</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">lutefisk, </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">pepparkakor, </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">gubbröra, </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">liver pâté,</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">vörtbröd, </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">pickled herring, </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">pinnekjôtt,</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">glögg, and</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">julekaker.</span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">If you have a Scottish background, you might have </span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">haggis </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">tatties and neeps, </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">black pudding, </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Cock-a-leekie soup,</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">clootie dumpling, and </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Yorkshire pudding. </span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Have fun remembering Christmases past.</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">This is <b>a super busy time of year</b>, but if you keep a pencil and paper handy, simply <b>jot down <i>ideas </i>for now</b>. <i><b>When things settle down after the holidays, you can spend more time on a rough draft.</b></i></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>And be sure to include sensory details.</b></span></p><p><br /></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-6054297450560097872023-12-05T14:01:00.000-08:002023-12-05T14:01:14.051-08:00Offer readers your all-important takeaways to help them move from mourning to thanksgiving<p> </p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">For
the past couple of weeks, you’ve considered writing stories in your memoir that
embrace both mourning and thanksgiving. (Click on <i><a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2023/11/what-can-you-offer-readers-about.html">What can you offer readers about mourning AND thanksgiving?</a></i>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">You’ve
experienced heartbreaks, setbacks, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
devastating losses.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">But
now, years later, you recognize <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>there’s
more to your story</b>.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>Something
to be <b>thankful </b>for.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Not
only did you survive, but now<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">you
acknowledge <b>the silver lining</b> of your heartache.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">You
came out on the other side of your sorrow<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>thanking
God for the blessings wrapped up in the hurts.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">He
brought beauty from your ashes:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">He
gave you the oil of joy—a joyous blessing—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">instead
of mourning, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
a garment of praise <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">instead
of heaviness and despair (Isaiah 61:3).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>That’s
what you want to put in writing </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">for
your family and friends.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">(See
<i><a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2023/11/part-2-what-can-you-offer-readers-about.html">Part 2: What can you offer readers<o:p></o:p></a></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2023/11/part-2-what-can-you-offer-readers-about.html">about
mourning AND thanksgiving?</a></i>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">As
beautiful as the story now is, <i><b>it isn’t complete unless you include takeaways</b>
for readers. </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Offering
people a <b>takeaway </b>means you tell them <b>the most important lesson you took away
</b>from a given experience. You tell them how you gained clarity and wisdom, how
that helped make sense of your life, and how you changed as a result.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Give
words to <b>the principle you learned</b>—think of the takeaway as a <b>precept</b>, a
<b>saying</b>, a <b>guideline</b>, an <b>adage</b>—<i>something <b>readers </b>can live by</i>, <b>a principle that can
be <i>life-changing</i></b><i> for <b>them</b></i>, too.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Your
<b>takeaways are the most powerful part of your memoir</b>. They offer readers <b>hope</b>, </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">or
<b>wisdom</b>, or <b>courage</b>, or <b>laughter</b>, or a <b>solution</b>, or a <b>new way of living or
loving</b>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Your
<b>takeaways</b> <i>communicate to readers</i>: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“<b>I
know this is true because I have experienced it</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I
have lived it. It changed my life. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b><i>Perhaps
it will change your life, too</i></b>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">(Read
more at <i><a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2022/01/tuesday-tidbit-your-memoirs-all.html">Your memoir’s takeaways can change lives</a></i>.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Below
you’ll find <b>examples of takeaways</b>. I hope they’ll inspire you to share with others
about <b>both mourning <i>and </i>thanksgiving</b>: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“At
first glance, the thought <b>that there is a blessing in our wounds sounds absurd</b>,”
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100060165440103">writes Julie Sousa Bradley Lilly</a>. She lists memories of “betrayals, insults,
abandonments, embarrassments, injuries, pain and loss. . . .”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“When
I have resisted bitterness and sought [God] in a hard or painful circumstance,
<i>He has used it to transform me into a better person</i> that chooses a different
path. <b>Betrayals made me loyal. Insults made me kind. Abandonments made me
faithful</b>. . . . And <b>injuries, pain and loss made me more compassionate and
generous</b>. . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“Terrible
things happen in this life, and I wouldn’t for a second minimize another’s
suffering. I only want to offer an opportunity to e<b>xchange a label of ‘victim’
for one that says, ‘blessed.’” </b></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">(</span><i style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100060165440103">Blessings in Our Wounds</a></i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">, Julie Sousa Bradley Lilly, Ragamuffin Warrior)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Below
you’ll find several <b>other sample takeaways</b> to help you write your own
takeaways: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“I’ve
learned to <i>embrace change</i>, and acknowledge my <i>fears </i>knowing that <b>no matter what
lies ahead, God is ever present and I never have to walk this journey alone.
And neither do you</b>. Let’s not forget that although change, closed chapters, and
life moving forward may bring us saddened hearts, it also <i>brings us out of our
comfort zones</i>, <i>spurring <b>new beginnings</b> and <b>opportunities</b></i>. By altering our
perspective, often without notice, <b>little by little we transform—our hearts,
our views, our lives, our faith</b>. We become <b>wiser</b>, <b>stronger</b>, more <b>resilient</b>, and
<b>positive </b>. . . . What a gift. One day at a time, we got this.” (Daphne Bach
Greer—<i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/thesweeetersideofgrief">the Sweeter Side of Grief</a>)</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/farmwyfe/">The Farm Wyfe, Amanda Wells</a>, offers this: “I’ve done enough living to know there
are <i>seasons when life challenges </i><i>us,</i> when <i><b>God gives us opportunities to trust
him</b></i> even when the outlook is bleak. Even when exhaustion overrides all else and
I’m hanging by a thread, <b>I trust him because I have seen his faithfulness</b>. I’ve
experienced God’s hand on my life and I know he will get me through the hard
times. . . . because <b>God’s got this even when I don’t.</b>” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/kaitlynebouchillon">Kaitlyn Bouchillon writes </a>about <b>praying to God</b> for relief from something awful, <b>only to
find Him silent</b> . . . for a <i>long time</i>. <i><b>Nothing seemed to change</b></i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“It’s
there, <b>in the place where<i> things don’t make sense</i></b>,” she writes, “. . . that <i><b>a
miracle begins to take place</b></i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">She
offers this <b>takeaway</b>: “This is the hard but beautiful truth: <i>The ‘other side’ of
The Thing you’re hoping for, praying for, daily asking God for . . . <b>it might
not end up looking like what you hoped/prayed/asked</b>. It might be that <b>what
changes is</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. . . <b>you</b>. </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“It
might be that instead of walls falling, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">by
God’s grace and His strength, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>at
the end of it all you’re still standing. <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>That’s
still a miracle. <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>That’s
still an answered prayer.</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Kaitlyn's words, </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">“</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>It might be that what changes is <b>you</b></i>,</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">”</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> reminds me of <i>my own experience of transitioning <b>from mourning to thanksgiving</b></i>,
in Colombia, South America, after suffering several months of culture shock at
a remote mission center named Lomalinda (pretty hill). </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Equatorial heat and intense humidity brought me to my knees. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I was utterly
discombobulated and, <i>in desperation</i>, I refused to unpack and <i>threatened to run
away and <b>walk</b> (!) all the way home to Seattle</i> by way of Central America, Mexico,
California, Oregon, and finally arrive in my Washington State. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">But, after
a few months of settling into my job and getting acquainted with Lomalinda’s
people,<i> to my surprise, I discovered that I loved living there</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I
wrote in my memoir, <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Please-God-Dont-Make-Foot-Draggers/dp/0692196471/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3AZWFCFGZ5O3O&keywords=please%2C+god%2C+don%27t+make+me+go%3A+a+foot-dragger%27s+memoir&qid=1701747089&s=books&sprefix=please%2C+god%2C+don%27t+make+me+go+a+foot-dragger%27s+memoir%2Cstripbooks%2C100&sr=1-1">Please, God, Don’t Make Me Go: A Foot-Dragger’s Memoir</a></b></i>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“In
moving to Lomalinda, I had taken a wild-eyed dive of faith and, halfway into
it, I wondered where I’d land. And when I did land, I hit the ground hard. That
place seemed so alien and harsh—yet <b>that’s where God rescued me from myself.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“I
had flown into the mission center as a scared, immature, unadventurous,
doubting Thomas. God didn’t need me to accomplish His work in Colombia—He could
have found someone else to do my job. He did more inside me than He did through
me, and I suspect that was His point all along. He knew my faith and I needed
to mature.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“Through
situations, experiences—sometimes derailing, other times almost
imperceptible—God expanded my heart and soul and mind and revolutionized the
way I would look at life and Him for the rest of my days.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“He
showed me that despite my fears and weaknesses, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">He
is strong.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">When
chaos reigns, He is in control.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">When
the unpredictable happens, He’s already there.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">When
I am vulnerable, He is my protection.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Exhausted,
God is my strength.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Under
that searing Lomalinda sun, God sheltered me,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
my family, under the shadow of His wings.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">When
I wanted to pull back,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">He
took my hand and nudged me forward,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
when my grip grew weary,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">His
brawny hand held on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">He
sat beside me when I grieved over<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">taking
my kids away from<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">their
grandparents, aunts, and uncles.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">He
became my calm in the storm,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">my
rock when my world shook.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Every
moment, every day, every night,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">He
hovered over my family and me<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
calmed us with His love.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Sometimes
God even showed His sense of humor,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">though
at the time I usually failed to appreciate it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“
. . . If I had refused to move to Lomalinda, I’d have missed tarantulas and
scorpions and cockroaches and howler monkeys’ breathy howls in the distance and
cicadas’ ear-piercing whistles and parrots’ rowdy calls morning and evening. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“I’d
have missed eating <i>piraña</i>, boa constrictor, <i>caiman</i>, dove, <i>platanos</i>, <i>ajiaco</i> . .
. and cinnamon rolls seasoned with dead weevils. . . . I’d have missed drinking
<i>chicha</i>, and <i>tinto</i>, and warm bottled sodas, sometimes with bugs inside.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“Before
Lomalinda<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. . . never would I . . . have
envisioned myself chopping up a dead pig on the kitchen floor. . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“But
<b>moving to Lomalinda</b>, despite my whines and protestations, <b>took me</b>—<b>physically,
culturally, and spiritually</b>—<b>to places better, higher, and finer than anything I
could have dreamed</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“Glenny
Gardner had welcomed me by showing me the coolest thing he could think of—a boa
constrictor. In the same way, Dave wanted his wife and kids to experience the
coolest thing he could imagine—living in Lomalinda. Rich offered me the coolest
opportunity he knew—a trip to La Guajira. And from the beginning to the end,
God, too, was offering me the coolest thing—working in Lomalinda.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“<b>God
had allowed what I would not have asked for <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>to
give me <i>what I didn’t know I wanted</i></b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">(Catherine
P. Downing, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sparks-Redemptive-Grace-Seeking-Illness/dp/057817717X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1LRB7DBLDF04A&keywords=catherine+p.+downing&qid=1701746851&s=books&sprefix=catherine+p.+downin%2Cstripbooks%2C109&sr=1-1">Sparks of Redemptive Grace</a></i>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br />
For more inspiration, click here to read <b>Ashley Travous’s takeaways </b>in her powerful
post,<a href="https://herviewfromhome.com/woman-who-stole-my-husband"> <i>To the Woman Who Stole My Husband</i></a>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">You’ll
also find good insights from <i><a href="https://depree.org/reflecting-on-gods-wonders-in-difficult-times/">Reflecting on God’s Wonders in Difficult Times</a></i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">T<i>ake
plenty of time to craft your</i> <b>takeaways</b>. <i>Pinpoint </i>your message. <b>Clarity </b>is your
goal.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Your
takeaways </b>will strengthen your readers' faith. They will give them <i>wisdom </i>that <i>they’ll take with them long
after they’ve read your final page. </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>Your
story can offer <b>hope</b></i><b> </b><i>to those in despair</i>. Your story can model <i><b>courage </b>overcoming
cowardice</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your story can model <b>calm </b><i>for
those tangled up in chaos</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Your
story can shine light in the darkness:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“At
times, <i>our own light goes out </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
is <i>rekindled by a spark from another person</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Each
of us has cause to think with <i>deep gratitude </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">of
<i>those who have lighted the flame within us</i>.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">(Albert
Schweitzer)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>Who
needs to read your story? <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>Someone
is waiting for your spark to rekindle theirs</b>.</i></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJ6ANdU29cjSPZBI-0aMZUIUlKHnKCuRHC-SPDkuwJQQNHzN_o4xU9XXtUp8cgMIp7WVYmXMvYi_3JPQL0K6HtGzqzh3tvdI6ou3m5Y8KjgslIsiLDYjMuGAb9cntQQ1zVuEKVh_h7IYud2FRHwuXWlHKJ7wxtshX9bMbUv5IuCAG7vniZhBhBwtRhKMJ/s500/SLquotefor02132018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="500" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJ6ANdU29cjSPZBI-0aMZUIUlKHnKCuRHC-SPDkuwJQQNHzN_o4xU9XXtUp8cgMIp7WVYmXMvYi_3JPQL0K6HtGzqzh3tvdI6ou3m5Y8KjgslIsiLDYjMuGAb9cntQQ1zVuEKVh_h7IYud2FRHwuXWlHKJ7wxtshX9bMbUv5IuCAG7vniZhBhBwtRhKMJ/w400-h253/SLquotefor02132018.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /><i><br /></i></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-47203699124300197342023-11-28T14:12:00.000-08:002023-11-28T14:12:06.382-08:00Part 2: What can you offer readers about mourning AND thanksgiving? <p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">.
. . . Continuing from last time: <i>How can you write accounts in your memoir that
embrace <b>both </b>mourning and thanksgiving?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For
some of you, Thanksgiving brings back the pain of a heartbreak you endured in the
past at this time of year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Every
time Thanksgiving rolls around, you remember the first time you had to look at
that empty seat at the Thanksgiving table. And it’s still empty this year.</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That
special person’s favorite song keeps playing in your mind.</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Or
Thanksgiving always reminds you of the time you miscarried </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">. . . again.</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Or
someone shot you, leaving you paralyzed from the waist down.</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Your
boss fired you and you saw yourself as a total failure.</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">You
remember Thanksgiving as a time of enduring the unimaginable, when you were crushed
in spirit, unable to shake the heaviness. </span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">It
was a situation you never could have predicted or would have chosen.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Since
then, you’ve struggled<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">to
find joy in the Thanksgiving season. . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>And
yet . . . . And yet . . . .</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Now,
looking back years later, you recognize that <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>there’s
more to your story</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Something
to be thankful for.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">In
some unexpected, surprising way,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">not
only did you survive, but now<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">you
acknowledge the silver lining of your heartache.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>You
came out on the other side of your sorrow<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>thanking
God for the blessings wrapped up in the hurts.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He
brought beauty from your ashes:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He
gave you the oil of joy—a joyous blessing—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">instead
of mourning, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">and
a garment of praise <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">instead
of heaviness and despair (Isaiah 61:3).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">That’s
what you want to put in writing <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">for
your family and friends.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>How
did it happen?</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">If
you haven’t sorted through that already, I encourage you to do so. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Take
time—make time—to examine the past. Be deliberate.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Peel
back layers and <i>discover what you hadn’t noticed before</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>How,
specifically, did you travel from grief . . . <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to anger,<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>and
then to hope . . . <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>and
then to some degree of healing?</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
say “<i>some degree of healing”</i> because most of us, despite the mending and
restoring and rebuilding, still have an ache in our hearts. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>You
might be saying, “But I still have scars!”</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
understand. I still have scars, too.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>But
a scar is not the same as a wound</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A
<i><b>wound </b></i>is an injury, a laceration, a blow, a rip, a break.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But
a <b><i>scar </i></b>is <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“a
mark left <b>where a wound or injury or sore has healed.</b>” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">(Oxford
American Dictionary)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A
scar is what you have <i>after you’ve mended</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
bleeding has stopped. The scab has fallen off.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Instead
of thinking of a scar as something damaged,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">defective,
or disfigured, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">isn’t
it <b>better to see the scar as something that has healed?</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Think
of your scar as an emblem declaring you survived, as evidence of healing.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Take
a good hard look at <i><b>the way God answered prayers</b></i>. You might not have detected
them at the time, but looking back, you can clearly identify God’s specific answers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>Notice
the people God brought into your life to shine a little light in your darkness.
</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What
<b>Bible verses</b> popped off the page and <b>gave you hope for the future?</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Blessed
are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4).</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and He saves those whose spirits have been
crushed (Psalm 34:18).</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Those
who go to God Most High for safety will be protected by the Almighty (Psalm
91:1).</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He
has put His angels in charge of you to watch over you wherever you go (Psalm
91:11).</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">They
will call upon Me and I will answer them. I will be with them in trouble; I
will rescue them and honor them (Psalm 91:15).</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“I
know what I am planning for you,” says the Lord. “I have good plans for you,
not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future” (Jeremiah
29:11).</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">“At the right time, I, the Lord, will act. . . .</span>” (Isaiah 60:22)</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I give new life to those . . . whose hearts are broken (Isaiah 57:15b).</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3).</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Weeping
may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:5b).</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">How
long, Lord, must I call for help . . . ? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will stand like a guard to watch . . . . I
will wait to see what He will say to me; I will wait to learn how God will
answer my complaint (Habakkuk 1:2, 2:1).</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">God
knows where I am going. And when He tests me, I will come out as pure as gold
(Job 23:10).</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Note
<b>turning points</b> or <b>significant events</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">During
the early stages of what I call my personal 9/11, when I despaired of ever really
living again, for some inexplicable reason I planted nasturtium seeds. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Shortly
afterward, it occurred to me that that was a strange thing for a person to do
who feared she might not survive. Would I live long enough to see those seeds
sprout? Maybe even blossom?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Soon
I was deeply moved by discovering that a seemingly insignificant activity—planting
seeds—was <b>an act of faith and hope for the future</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I
clung to that tiny ray of hope day after day and, before long, nasturtiums
began to bloom, and I was still alive, and the flowers were brilliant. <b>Planting
those seeds was a tiny but significant turning point for me</b>—one of many.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorGhv4d0OX7s59cQn-9m0qAmT0h1Id_7nu5TBQCuGfHfogGYaBApyYYqhOlSymStvIWHR4FIeTKEZgtlXL-OprrOnqJEaMf5xrqT_WvVJOfIwtE85sZr2diH2DQ09SpCgllnrSbDT4zAXPk7qe19GjKtmcPVZktsPRZfoR3jvzClalWTrn5rdg5x31lIV/s600/isaiah%2057%20v%2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="600" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorGhv4d0OX7s59cQn-9m0qAmT0h1Id_7nu5TBQCuGfHfogGYaBApyYYqhOlSymStvIWHR4FIeTKEZgtlXL-OprrOnqJEaMf5xrqT_WvVJOfIwtE85sZr2diH2DQ09SpCgllnrSbDT4zAXPk7qe19GjKtmcPVZktsPRZfoR3jvzClalWTrn5rdg5x31lIV/s320/isaiah%2057%20v%2015.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Look at that green!</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Let
me tell you <b>another beauty-from-ashes story</b>. One day when my husband and I
lived in eastern Washington, a wildfire raced through our part of the state,
destroying mile after mile of crops, barns, farm equipment, and houses. In
every direction, as far as we could see, the world was all ash. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">But,
to my surprise, a couple of days later I could see wee little green grasses
sprouting up through the ruins. Mile after mile, I noted the lovely,
<b>hopeful </b>green! My heart rejoiced! <i>God had already begun the healing process</i>.
That, too, was a <b>turning point</b> for me.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>What
were <b>your turning points</b>, the pivotal moments? </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Identify
them as you write.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This
next part is important: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Remember,
<b>your readers want to know</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>how you navigated</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>through
your crisis</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>so
they can do the same <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>when
they go through their own unwelcome challenges.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><b> </b></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>They
look to you as a role model.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>You
do that by including TAKEAWAYS for readers.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do
you remember what a <b>takeaway</b> is? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Next
week we’ll cover takeaways. F<i>or now, work on your rough drafts, praying your
way through the writing, and <b>offering readers the gift of both mourning and
thanksgiving.</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Your
story is going to be great! God is going to use it.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsezDGXKJ01WHr922lyQW3eX9mn_wx54Lq-_6v_e2cxqOMAJwWnli7YoeSN6tSpYIpZlabkqVSkoFhOLbXQfnh-hFuu-bVWRUsd9e7LoSW4i-rWoP46ZfeWAGczXA4P7mZCppFjqATIl7v5HemEmCjK0JvANRO_WHffjuvsc6bOyfTLJ3Y9HyGAkmsJkG/s500/BEvMquotefor10082015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="500" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsezDGXKJ01WHr922lyQW3eX9mn_wx54Lq-_6v_e2cxqOMAJwWnli7YoeSN6tSpYIpZlabkqVSkoFhOLbXQfnh-hFuu-bVWRUsd9e7LoSW4i-rWoP46ZfeWAGczXA4P7mZCppFjqATIl7v5HemEmCjK0JvANRO_WHffjuvsc6bOyfTLJ3Y9HyGAkmsJkG/s320/BEvMquotefor10082015.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-6989902784003338712023-11-14T17:43:00.000-08:002023-11-14T17:43:43.925-08:00What can you offer readers about mourning AND thanksgiving? <p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Some
of you remember a past Thanksgiving as a time of grieving. Heartache.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">We
tend to think of Thanksgiving as a joyous time, a warm time of enjoying loved
ones and good food.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">But
memories of some Thanksgivings <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">might
be just the opposite for you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Perhaps
a loved one was dying, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">or
you learned your cancer had returned. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Maybe
someone dear to you committed suicide. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">You
lost your job. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Or
your spouse left you. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Or
an earthquake—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">or
hurricane or volcano or wildfire—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">destroyed
your town.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">And
now, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">when
Thanksgiving comes around each autumn, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">you
remember that season of sorrow. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">And
those memories hurt every time.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Five
years ago this month, my daughter, son-in-law, and three grandkids somehow
lived through an earth-shattering few weeks—along with hundreds of their friends
and neighbors. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">The
Woolsey Fire started November 9, 2018, and burned for fourteen days, destroying
almost 100,000 acres of the Santa Monica mountains and residential areas in
Malibu along the Pacific Ocean. It would eventually destroy 1,643 structures. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Imagine
them evacuating, driving away, fearing they’d never set eyes on their home
again, wondering what could possibly remain of their close-knit community and of
the church my son-in-law pastors. Imagine racing away, mile after mile, winds
blowing flames out of control, and being overcome by enormous rolling clouds of
smoke and ash.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">No
doubt you’ve experienced something<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">similarly
destructive, emotionally or physically. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">You
know the ache, fear, alarm, hopelessness, panic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">And
yet . . . And yet. . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/kaitlynebouchillon">Kaitlyn Bouchillon wrote</a> of stepping into an unknown future, of having to “walk through
what we never saw coming, walk among the ashes of what was or even, perhaps,
will never be. . . .” <i>(You know what that’s like.)</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">She
wrote of shaky steps, unable to see more than one foot ahead, feet slipping. Of
weariness, “slowly shuffling along for so long.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">And
yet . . . looking back now, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Kaitlyn could see <b>that was not the whole
story</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/HeartprintsofGod/">Stacy L. Sanchez at Heartprints of God writes</a>: “I have a question for you.<b> What do
you do when life doesn’t make sense? . . . When you are left with a million questions
and not one single answer? What do you do?”</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">.
. . “When we find ourself experiencing a trial or hardship, our humanness
demands to know why. . . . <b>Why me?</b> . . . <b>What did I do to deserve this?</b> . . .
<b>Why would God allow this to happen? Why would a God of love let me suffer like
this? Why didn’t God step in and do something to stop this?</b>”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Stacy
continues, “Our questioning only leads to feelings of <b>confusion</b>, <b>anger</b>, or
<b>despondency</b>, <i>not the answer we are so desperately seeking</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“.
. . During a very low point in my life . . . day in and day out I kept pleading
with [God] for an answer. <b>I believed if I could just understand the ‘why’
behind what was happening, I would be able to deal with it, accept it, and move
on</b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">But,
“<b>God remained silent</b>. For months I wrestled with my emotions and my God.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>What
about you? </b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>What
do you remember <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>of
being nearly paralyzed, <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>broken
by an unwelcome blow? <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>You
recognized life would never be the same again. <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>Wondered
how you could live with the pain. <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>Feared
the future.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>Doubted
you could keep placing one foot <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>in
front of the other.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i> </i></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>And
God remained silent</b>.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>And
yet, looking back now, <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>you
recognize that was not the whole story. </b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Ponder
that this week.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Your
mind will be at work while you rake leaves<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
bring woolens out of trunks<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
stoke up the fireplace fire.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">And while you plan your Thanksgiving menu.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Believe
me, more and more details<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">will
pop into your mind.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">You
still have time <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">before
Thanksgiving’s hustle and bustle <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">to
<b>jot them down</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">You’ll
be glad you did,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
someday your friends and family<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">will
thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>We’ll
continue this next time—<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>because
there’s so much more to your story</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">For
now, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>be
thinking about what you can offer your readers <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>about
mourning</b>—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>but
about more than that</b></i>: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>What
can you also offer them <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>about
thanksgiving—<o:p></o:p></b></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>about
gratitude that eventually became <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>as
life-changing <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">as
the darkness?</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrzKnvYy8bE5B3qXmmJOiPTGfYGcCC8WbxuG1gFJpPHo6RVeLEgm0WeBWuMIXyTGHd4MnOmCjHp5KGV7okbdfWcGaoOtqGrp2NY_NpclN0SbkTED_TPmTu49z2Gz3EubMDRno-NMJUvBuouKoTlGfi5p2yTdM-gIlJJSb6vWQldnCdZwDjWDHA7ZPrcFR/s597/brokenhearted%20and%20crushed%20in%20spirit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="597" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdrzKnvYy8bE5B3qXmmJOiPTGfYGcCC8WbxuG1gFJpPHo6RVeLEgm0WeBWuMIXyTGHd4MnOmCjHp5KGV7okbdfWcGaoOtqGrp2NY_NpclN0SbkTED_TPmTu49z2Gz3EubMDRno-NMJUvBuouKoTlGfi5p2yTdM-gIlJJSb6vWQldnCdZwDjWDHA7ZPrcFR/w400-h236/brokenhearted%20and%20crushed%20in%20spirit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-76474166519760578592023-11-07T08:09:00.001-08:002023-11-07T08:09:57.488-08:00Prepare for what happens to you when you write your memoir<p> </p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Prepare to
choose courage over cowardice when the remembering and writing hurt.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Prepare to
be surprised and delighted when you peel off layers surrounding your past
experiences.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Prepare to
find God’s fingerprints all over everything.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Prepare to
discover links, insights, and joys.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Prepare to
unravel your life’s mysteries (or at least some of them).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Prepare to
make better sense of your life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Prepare to
feel good about it.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlBTFgjpoGk8URlg5xjMB5Kke35rt1KX_mloZSEquiBs9j0B67PhGOn1uaggWA_TEResuu9YObZgyvY8tac1I0LnM9hCxKxw6_AQRHhke0k69B6nR_D5Z0CgVlHs_yQkxbSwJTJydp3HUntkpzKpKdswSh8hZ8DoRrAxCyLcIlJkT7W7aTg91r5thOo53/s550/DrLJMquote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="550" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlBTFgjpoGk8URlg5xjMB5Kke35rt1KX_mloZSEquiBs9j0B67PhGOn1uaggWA_TEResuu9YObZgyvY8tac1I0LnM9hCxKxw6_AQRHhke0k69B6nR_D5Z0CgVlHs_yQkxbSwJTJydp3HUntkpzKpKdswSh8hZ8DoRrAxCyLcIlJkT7W7aTg91r5thOo53/w400-h224/DrLJMquote.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-89860705521178323862023-10-31T10:31:00.000-07:002023-10-31T10:31:32.422-07:00Are you discouraged about your memoir’s progress?<p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Have you worked
on your memoir in the past few days? Or weeks?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Now and then
circumstances interrupt our progress—sickness, holidays, visitors. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Other times we
struggle to find words that can explain an experience or feeling.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">And sometimes
writing a memoir wears us out. Writing can exhaust us, especially when it’s
about emotional, painful stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">It’s easy to get
discouraged. Even derailed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>If any of that
sounds like you, I hope this will give you a little smile</b>: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>“There’s only one
person </b></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>who needs a glass of water </b></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>oftener than a young child tucked in at
night, </b></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>and that’s a writer sitting down to write.”</b> </span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://quotefancy.com/quote/1321217/Mignon-McLaughlin-There-s-only-one-person-who-needs-a-glass-of-water-oftener-than-a-small">Mignon McLaughlin</a></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Perhaps you know
what she’s talking about!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">If you’re stuck
and wish to get back to work on your memoir, take in these glorious words:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>“Think thoughts
of words filling the pages, <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>dreams being
birthed. . . . <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>Oh how amazing!” <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: times;">Women of
Passionate Purpose on Facebook</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Now <b>read those
words again</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Then <b>ask
yourself</b>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Is this the year
I’ll finalize my manuscript?<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Is this the year
I’ll pin down my memoir’s title?<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Is this the year
my book will get its cover design?<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Is this the year
I’ll publish my memoir?<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Is this the year
people—even strangers—will buy and read my memoir?<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b> </b></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Is this the year
my story will change lives?</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>Now, get off the
internet and go write!</i></span><span style="font-family: Courier New;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="MsoPlainText" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegIdzvlfhW0A4OBk0bUh4YsgIf_b6zJ50eWXvb_5-kpLbpgbxBJwq3Vgrg9LdX-j3IO8flkBh4bNm_jnKYDhH_18AXBiKNz7eRr3W9gF3TIMsustX4ojfjPWP4GP4bK1uing6JBDT_s38jXfnidn9Kcr3b683FtO514LMnhROH5QnwxEuIYZ_uBKLmDFG/s742/WPP%20quote%20for%201%204%202012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegIdzvlfhW0A4OBk0bUh4YsgIf_b6zJ50eWXvb_5-kpLbpgbxBJwq3Vgrg9LdX-j3IO8flkBh4bNm_jnKYDhH_18AXBiKNz7eRr3W9gF3TIMsustX4ojfjPWP4GP4bK1uing6JBDT_s38jXfnidn9Kcr3b683FtO514LMnhROH5QnwxEuIYZ_uBKLmDFG/w216-h400/WPP%20quote%20for%201%204%202012.jpg" width="216" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /><i><br /></i></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoPlainText"><span style="font-family: "Courier New";"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-20221470551995229102023-10-24T09:09:00.003-07:002023-10-24T09:09:42.179-07:00Beyond entertainment: Challenge your readers to “do a doggie head-tilt”<p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">You
want to <i>change </i>your readers, <i>not just entertain them</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Be
sure at least some of your memoir’s stories <i>challenge your readers to <b>think</b></i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Make
them <b>question</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Motivate
them to <i><b>stretch</b> </i>and <b><i>wrestle</i> </b>with issues.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Move
them to <i><b>examine their assumptions and expectations</b></i> to see if they’re valid.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Challenge
your readers to do what <a href="https://claphaminstitute.org/doggie-head-tilt">Mike Metzger</a> calls “<b>a doggie head-tilt</b>.” To look at
things differently than before. Mike says, “<i>If your head never tilts, your mind
never changes</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Persuade
readers to tilt their heads and <i>look at issues from another angle</i>. To <i>rethink
</i>what they believe. To <i>reevaluate</i>—and to <i>maybe arrive at a different conclusion
than they ever have before</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>Open
their minds</i> to other possibilities, other <i>interpretations</i>, or other <i>meanings</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Write
stories that will give readers <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>a
holy discontent with things that are not right in their lives</i>—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>not
to make them wallow in guilt, <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>but
to offer them God-pleasing options</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">James
4:8-10 comes to mind: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“Come
close to God, and God will come close to you. . . . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Purify
your hearts, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">for
your loyalty is divided between God and the world. . . . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Humble
yourselves before the Lord,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
He will lift you up in honor.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Also, see John 14:27.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Write
stories that will give readers <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>a
holy discontent with the ways of the world</i>—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">materialism:
possessions and trinkets, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">meaningless
mindsets and pursuits—and instead <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">inspire
them to live lives of <i>God-centered</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>substance and purpose</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Elaborate
on what Jesus meant when he said, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“You
do not belong to the world, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">but
I have chosen you out of the world” (John 15:19). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Also, see Romans 12:2.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">The
following prayer teems with ideas for your memoir:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Disturb
us, Lord, when<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">We
are too well pleased with ourselves,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">When
our dreams have come true<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Because
we have dreamed too little,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">When
we arrive safely<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Because
we sailed too close to the shore.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Disturb
us, Lord, when<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">With
the abundance of things we possess<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">We
have lost our thirst<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">For
the waters of life;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Having
fallen in love with life,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">We
have ceased to dream of eternity<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">And
in our effort to build a new earth,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">We
have allowed our vision<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Of
the new Heaven to dim.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Disturb
us, Lord, to dare more boldly,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">To
venture on wilder seas<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Where
storms will show Your mastery;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Where
losing sight of land,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">We
shall find the stars.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">We
ask You to push back<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">The
horizons of our hopes;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">And
to push into the future<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">In
strength, courage, hope, and love.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: times;">Attributed
to Sir Francis Drake, 1577</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Look
at the first couple of lines: “Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased
with ourselves.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">What
does “too well pleased with ourselves” mean to you, specifically?</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">What
past events come to mind?</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">When
were you too pleased with yourself? Or was someone else too pleased with
himself?</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">What
were the results of that mindset?</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Why
would/should we pray for God to disturb us over that attitude? What Bible
verses illustrate that?</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">What
lessons can you share with your readers?</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Look
at the next couple of lines: “Disturb us, Lord, when . . . our dreams have come
true because we have dreamed too little.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">What
does dreaming “too little” mean?</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">When
did you, or someone you know, dream too little? </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">What
was the result?</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Why
should we want God to disturb our wimpy dreams?</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Tell
readers the lessons you learned and how things could have been done differently.
In this way, you are mentoring your readers.</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Sift
through your memories for stories that illustrate “Disturb us, Lord, when . . .
we arrive safely because we sailed too close to the shore,” and when we focus
on an “abundance of things.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Then
look at the third stanza. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">When
did a different <i><b>you </b></i>dare more boldly and venture into wilder seas where, as a
result, storms showed you God’s mastery?</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">What
can you write about “discovering the stars”?</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">You’ll
want to explain what the following means: “wider seas,” “storms,” “God’s
mastery,” “losing sight of the land,” and finding “stars.”</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Remember,
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b><a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2017/02/do-you-think-of-yourself-as-ordained.html">writing
your memoir is not just a hobby.<o:p></o:p></a></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b><a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2017/02/do-you-think-of-yourself-as-ordained.html">It’s
a ministry</a></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">God
can use your story to guide, inspire, encourage, influence, motivate, and
empower.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“<i>Sometimes
a particular story, or version of a story, </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>is so potent,”</i> says <a href="https://aydinstone.wordpress.com/tag/storytelling/">Ayd Instone</a>, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“<i>that it becomes so interwoven in our lives </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>that it defines the direction our
life story takes </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>and modifies behavior.</i> . . .”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">In
a similar way, <b>your memoir can change your readers</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>Challenge
them to “do a doggie head-tilt.</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Be
intentional. Make it happen. </b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HUHTQHr5HoyosjzEtYssdi7Sjy4xSBFPWLQWdlWx3DbMHpWrKjqJnZ19xkvzZh9UUkYIfpSUEYrikoEizod0HYg94M1h3sfVq5HgSGzg_A8cxdzHeyFixcxHYx8S8wKqYp1LCwHvqPr6MoCe2NN5L1J-KRt72fuDN8GeVtygerBQDOIni3m-IPYugI_p/s549/Sir%20Francis%20Drake%20quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="549" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3HUHTQHr5HoyosjzEtYssdi7Sjy4xSBFPWLQWdlWx3DbMHpWrKjqJnZ19xkvzZh9UUkYIfpSUEYrikoEizod0HYg94M1h3sfVq5HgSGzg_A8cxdzHeyFixcxHYx8S8wKqYp1LCwHvqPr6MoCe2NN5L1J-KRt72fuDN8GeVtygerBQDOIni3m-IPYugI_p/w400-h190/Sir%20Francis%20Drake%20quote.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /><b><br /></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-36970434654376870812023-10-17T14:02:00.000-07:002023-10-17T14:02:11.914-07:00Your memoir can have an outcome beyond your imagination<p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">If
you suspect your story isn’t worth sharing with others, this post is for you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">If
you don’t recognize the influence your memoir can have, this post is for you. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">If
you can’t imagine how God can use your story, this post is for you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Priscilla
Shirer’s Bible study, <a href="https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/jonah-navigating-a-life-interrupted-member-book-p005264295"><i>Jonah</i></a>, caught my attention in relation to memoirs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">She
is certain that <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>in
the same way <b>other </b>people’s stories <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>have
encouraged and guided you <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>along
life’s ways, <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>your
story</b> will do the same for others</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">She
asks us to think back to the Bible’s characters, pointing out that they <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“may
not have realized the <i>privilege </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
certainly didn’t know <i>the eternal impact </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">they
would make.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Does
that sound like your thinking, too?</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>“How
could they have known <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>that
their names would go down in God’s Word <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>to
encourage <b>us </b>millennia later?”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Take
to heart what Priscilla says here—take this personally:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“<i>Like
those holy heroes, <b>you’ve </b>got an outcome <b>you </b>can’t make out</i>. . . .” and:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“The
<b>fog </b>of your life’s journey will clog your spiritual sight. . . .”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">(Let
me interrupt Priscilla here. That <b>fog </b>she refers to—that’s <b>a holy fog</b>. It keeps
us from navel-gazing and pride. By God’s grace, <i>He dims our self-absorbed
vision in a blessed fog</i>.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Okay,
back to Priscilla and <b>this important point of today’s blog post</b>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“<i>In
future generations, your story will be the one that encourages someone else to
follow hard after God</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Read
that again and believe it:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“<b>In
future generations, <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>your
story will be the one <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>that
encourages someone else <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>to
follow hard after God</b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Priscilla’s
insights give ideas for those who write memoir:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">First,
which Bible characters have impacted your life? Abraham? Joseph? Moses? Ruth?
David? Esther? Peter?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">What
about other people—just ordinary people <u>not</u> in the Bible: a historical
figure, a grandparent, a best friend, a spouse, a professor, a colleague, a coach. . . . The list could go on and on.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">How
did they point you to God? What did they tell you about His love for you, about
His grace and mercy?</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">What
did they say that helped define your life’s choices and values?</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">What
did they do that influenced your life’s direction?</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Craft
vignettes illustrating <i>why and how</i> those people inspired you, guided you, and shaped
you into the person you are today.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>But
don’t stop there</b>. <i>Don’t keep those stories to yourself</i>. Look to the future. <b>Pass
on your stories</b>—the blessings contained in them. <b>Share your memoir with others</b>, especially
family members.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Always
believe that in God’s hands, your stories are important</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Savor
these rich words by <a href="https://andreasanborn.com/2021/10/19/a-leaf-surrendered">Andrea Sanborn</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“In
this autumn of my life, I have had to let go of the expectation that my
physical body may one day may return to its youthful state. The added weight and
wrinkles match my graying hair to render me on the downside of life’s trajectory.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“Now,
like the falling leaves filling the woods around me, I hope to nourish others
with the life given me; with the wisdom gained through the flourishing, green years
now past. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“I
think of the ones who sheltered and nurtured my seedling faith: the pastors and
teachers, authors and leaders. I contemplate the ones who welcomed me,
encouraged me, and prayed for me. The ones who parted the curtain into eternity
before my hungry eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“<b>Now
it is mine to pass on the glimpses of glory that I have witnessed to the sapling
souls around me</b>.”</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I
hope you enjoyed Andrea’s words as much as I did.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Let
me ask: Do you see your writing as a <i>privilege</i>? As<i> a calling from God</i>? Do you
<i>believe your memoir can have an <b>eternal impact</b> on others</i>? <i>How can <b>future
generations</b> benefit from knowing your stories?</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Always
remember:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">God
can use your experiences, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">joyful
and sad, good and bad,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">lovely
and ugly,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">funny
and scary,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
He can use your words about them. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Together
with God, your stories <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">can
help readers cling to hope,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">remain
strong in their faith,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">live
in harmony in His ways, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
to delight in His love<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">now
and forever.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>When
you realize God can use your memoir<o:p></o:p></b></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>in
people’s lives, </b><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>your
writing takes on </b><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b><i>an
altogether new meaning<o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>and
urgency</b>.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Write
your stories.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNndlR8MJy8lIN78XXZJ3Hkcx7FFqiGw1JNOj9-l5aE_1xZlN1D_dAPNPyPe2u1noN4qteXInOqN_MzezDU1Z-M5ljc0QLV-TPLdHrsXz5DICvxKKL52m4MnmNMzat_-FmWUUxMXrtDdaQ4YEPEXPjMS3BzCsfH9Ig_exTrZ8RegY73KMTSiQQW8TJVF4/s400/Ps%2066%20v%2016%20and%20Ogilvie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="317" data-original-width="400" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiNndlR8MJy8lIN78XXZJ3Hkcx7FFqiGw1JNOj9-l5aE_1xZlN1D_dAPNPyPe2u1noN4qteXInOqN_MzezDU1Z-M5ljc0QLV-TPLdHrsXz5DICvxKKL52m4MnmNMzat_-FmWUUxMXrtDdaQ4YEPEXPjMS3BzCsfH9Ig_exTrZ8RegY73KMTSiQQW8TJVF4/w400-h318/Ps%2066%20v%2016%20and%20Ogilvie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-54085163445055970962023-10-11T07:58:00.000-07:002023-10-11T07:58:08.954-07:00A fun project for you: Describe autumn <p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Autumn
is here! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Well
. . . on the calendar, anyway. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">In
our state summer weather has dominated autumn, but we did have two
frosts recently. Temps have been in the eighties since then, but the frosts have inspired leaves to begin changing colors. Soon, it seems, autumn will be here
to stay.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">And
that has me thinking . . . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Do
any of your memoir’s stories take place in autumn?</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">If
so, now is an ideal time to gather words <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">to
describe those scenes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Sensory
details: <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>sounds,
smells, textures, sights, and tastes.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Such
rich details <b>invite readers to join you in your story </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
to <b>experience what you experienced</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">In
addition, sensory details can s<i>end readers back in time <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>and
<b>revive memories of their own similar experiences</b>.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">That,
in turn, <b>enables readers </b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>to have <i>an emotional connection with you</i>.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>Bonding
is good</b>.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i> </i></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Here,
then, is the task before you:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Study
autumn details around you this month and next. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>Make
time</i> to stir up memories of: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">what
autumn <b>sounded </b>like in your story,</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">what
it <b>smelled </b>like,</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">what
<b>textures</b> and <b>temperatures </b>your skin felt,</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">what
autumn details you <b>saw </b>with your eyes,</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
the unique <b>tastes </b>and <b>flavors </b>of autumn.</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Embrace
this lovely advice from Judith Barrington: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“When
you write, ‘. . . it’s always a good idea to get up very close and start using
your senses. . . . describing some of the details, using your ears and eyes,
calling up a smell that belongs to the story, or reaching an imaginary hand
back through time to touch a piece of furniture, or the texture of a dress, or
someone’s skin. . . .’” (<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Memoir-Truth-Second-Edit/dp/0933377509/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3AVQZ1B4ZKGBE&keywords=writing+the+memoir+by+judith+barrington&qid=1696974629&s=books&sprefix=writing+the+memoir+by+ju%2Cstripbooks%2C106&sr=1-1">Writing the Memoir</a></i>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">With
these points in mind, you’ll enjoy Elizabeth Stout’s description of a minister taking
an autumn drive on a back road “with the window down, his elbow resting on the
window edge, ducking his head to peer . . . at the side of a barn, fresh with
red paint, lit by this autumn sun. . . . when every flicker of light that
touched the dipping branches of a weeping willow, every breath of breeze that
bent the grass toward the row of apple trees, every shower of yellow gingko leaves
dropping to the ground with . . . direct and tender sweetness. . . .” (from <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Abide-Me-Novel-Elizabeth-Strout/dp/0812971825/ref=sr_1_1?crid=AGXC1MS02Y2G&keywords=abide+with+me&qid=1696967843&s=books&sprefix=abide+with+me%2Cstripbooks%2C108&sr=1-1">Abide with Me</a></i>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>Set
aside time </i>to <i>find words</i> to <i>make the following come alive for readers</i>:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">the
</span><b style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">sound </b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">of leaves crunching underfoot—or if the ground was wet, the </span><b style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">sound </b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">of
squishy, soggy, damp leaves</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">the
<b>smell</b> of wet leaves on the ground, that earthy smell that drifts up from plant
life dying and rotting and getting moldy</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">the
<b>scent </b>of leaves that are crisp and brittle in the sunshine, disbursing a
spicy—maybe even sweet—perfume</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">the
<b>fragrance </b>as well as taste of pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice coffee,
pumpkin spice candles, (nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, allspice)</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">the
<b>taste </b>of Halloween Candy, Thanksgiving turkey, and caramel apples</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">the
<b>smell </b>or the sight of woodsmoke filling the air from fireplaces or bonfires</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">the
<b>feel </b>of icy fingers and a cold, runny nose</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Here’s
another idea: Get creative in describing <b>colors</b>. Instead of calling autumn
leaves “red,” describe them as “crimson.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Instead
of “reddish-brown,” try “auburn” or “rusty.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">To
describe something that’s golden yellow-orange, consider using “amber.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">If
something was “brown,” describe it as “cinnamon brown” or “coffee colored.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Instead
of “orange,” think about “tangerine.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">For
more ideas, click on <a href="https://onestopforwriters.com/color_patterns">Color and Pattern Thesaurus at One Stop for Writers</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Here’s
a final tidbit to enthuse you:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Houston
journalist, TV reporter, and author, <a href="https://patch.com/texas/houston/tv-reporter-tom-abrahams-shares-his-self-publishing-journey">Tom Abrahams</a>, said: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“I
was always amazed by how somebody<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">could
tell <i>a <b>story that I could see inside my head</b></i>,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
<b><i>that could take me somewhere else</i></b>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Be
inspired by Tom: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Use
<b>sensory details</b> </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">to tell a story</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">readers
can <i><b>see </b>inside their heads</i>—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>and
more: </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">that
they can <b>also hear, smell, feel, and taste</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Invite
them to join you in your story, or, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">as
Tom said it: <b>Take readers there with you</b>.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlQvC1sosuRPy9lyhjjxtOHIm-R2POdC_tEBJrG2IZZcB3z_eAY-t6l1qF3ZmNOw_7XZ-YxAokuZAMLgkkkbohk4nU3_tuLYACh3iAk-DXeLnKAUgDLK2FJzV4HmQ_VdE-i6B2UV-40HM8TQrOa8SERWrMMLsHIKucAxaRiyevNficqgmI-CO6a7llnjW/s450/003%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="261" data-original-width="450" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXlQvC1sosuRPy9lyhjjxtOHIm-R2POdC_tEBJrG2IZZcB3z_eAY-t6l1qF3ZmNOw_7XZ-YxAokuZAMLgkkkbohk4nU3_tuLYACh3iAk-DXeLnKAUgDLK2FJzV4HmQ_VdE-i6B2UV-40HM8TQrOa8SERWrMMLsHIKucAxaRiyevNficqgmI-CO6a7llnjW/s320/003%20copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-6222178188096157752023-10-03T13:45:00.000-07:002023-10-03T13:45:01.213-07:00Writing about your hardships and heartaches<p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">You’ve
had your share of heartaches. Maybe it seems you’ve had more than your share. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I
know the feeling.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>In
the midst of our sufferings, we rarely find any good</i>. After all, <b>we thought those
things might kill us</b>, or at least leave us <b>permanently scarred</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">But
later—<i>ah, later</i>—can we take another look? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">C.
S. Lewis observed that “<b>Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an
extraordinary destiny</b>. . . .” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Think
about it:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>What
did your hardships prepare you for? </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>(And
don’t for a moment think that you <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>are
not extraordinary!)</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Stand
back and mull over—<i>analyze</i>—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">the
pain and sorrow you’ve experienced.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Is
it possible they served a good purpose?</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">You’ll
find added inspiration from Frederick Buechner in his </span><i style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wishful-Thinking-Seekers-Frederick-Buechner/dp/0060611391/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1536083966&sr=1-1&keywords=wishful+thinking+buechner">Wishful Thinking</a></i><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“The
grace of God means something like:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">‘Here is your life.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">You might never have been, but you are,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">because the party wouldn’t have
been complete without you.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Here is the world.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Beautiful and terrible things will
happen.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Don’t be afraid.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .25in;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I am with you.’”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">In</span><b style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">
your memoir</b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">, tell readers </span><b style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">how God brought beauty from ashes</b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">, </span><b style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">joy from mourning</b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">,
and </span><b style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">praise in place of despair</b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> (see Isaiah 61:3).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2016/05/your-stories-act-of-worship.html">Write those stories as an act of worship</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">God
will use your experiences, your words, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
your message to <i>bring hope to others</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Believe
it!</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9K-jZ4OwYFvG2ZHmlzON8MQNa_jiCBxSzkERPT0LvbbFuiIej-v9BSJ3laLp2jPtTz2JmWcG5ASlAuCJw75Cs5_58dr5fCS6oHJp2Xa4BLk5yytv-8HmKOBL4ci54lpHJdwVZlRlDp2XiK3hDeoUhyphenhyphenVVjPuqkRdIye7cXLYKH6mRHysojnYPPb4m9neXc/s502/CSLewisHardshipQuote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="502" data-original-width="351" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9K-jZ4OwYFvG2ZHmlzON8MQNa_jiCBxSzkERPT0LvbbFuiIej-v9BSJ3laLp2jPtTz2JmWcG5ASlAuCJw75Cs5_58dr5fCS6oHJp2Xa4BLk5yytv-8HmKOBL4ci54lpHJdwVZlRlDp2XiK3hDeoUhyphenhyphenVVjPuqkRdIye7cXLYKH6mRHysojnYPPb4m9neXc/s320/CSLewisHardshipQuote.jpg" width="224" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-2074005274279003542023-09-26T09:04:00.000-07:002023-09-26T09:04:27.629-07:00Writing is easy—or not!<p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“Writing
is easy,” wrote Mark Twain. “All you have to do is cross out the wrong words.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>Ha!</i>
If only it could be that easy!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">What
has been <i>your </i>experience with writing?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Some
people find writing stress-free at
first, but later it becomes a struggle. It can be discouraging. And even
mysterious. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>Some even
wonder whether it’s worth finishing.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i> </i></span></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>Don’t let
that happen to you!</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.micksilva.com/">Mick Silva at Higher Purpose Writers</a> offers this perspective:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“Every
writer who’s finished <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">has taken
the axe into the woods <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
carved out their path <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">where
there seemed to be none before. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">They
broke through their blocked way <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">swinging
word after word after word.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">So
persevere—word after word after word! Your first draft won’t be ready to publish
but you’ll definitely be one step closer. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Most people who have finished writing their stories and placed them in others’
hands had to work to: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">learn
the writing craft, </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">apply
what they learned, </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">join
good writing groups, </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">revise
their manuscripts,</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">edit
them,</span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
refuse to give up, often year after year.</span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Such
authors did not likely succeed because they were gifted writers. Getting that story
in print was <i>not </i>a breeze.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">They
were always trying. Always growing, always working. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>You
can do this.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Envision
where you want your memoir to be six months from now, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and then twelve months
from now. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Focus.
Commit. Persevere. Be steadfast, unwavering.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Remember:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>One story
can change a life. <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b> </b></i></span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b><i><b>Who needs
to read yours?</b></i></b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b><i><b><br /></b></i></b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVUoo50B8jsVCJA8225EsLgA-HXhVeN4YCPr7j5klgotGNslmGDg348cNTs4SRLddYInV6wh-Yr859H6mwGD7C4wQYBDWWDXbvpX6_n25-B5AXawOJD5-QPV6sjZIqDbUh7oZOTVLGYxytsptre3EjDgq5cC3brqsyoczEostKdQAXL_9XoN3kvYRBD_Jq/s600/MTwaiQuote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="355" data-original-width="600" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVUoo50B8jsVCJA8225EsLgA-HXhVeN4YCPr7j5klgotGNslmGDg348cNTs4SRLddYInV6wh-Yr859H6mwGD7C4wQYBDWWDXbvpX6_n25-B5AXawOJD5-QPV6sjZIqDbUh7oZOTVLGYxytsptre3EjDgq5cC3brqsyoczEostKdQAXL_9XoN3kvYRBD_Jq/w400-h236/MTwaiQuote.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><b><br /></b></i></b></i></span></div><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-2743523053875061752023-09-19T11:54:00.001-07:002023-09-19T11:54:52.550-07:00Tuesday Tidbit: A prayer for you as you write your memoir<p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Here’s a special prayer for you, the writer of your memoir:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“Sovereign Father . . . </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I lift up my voice in confessing
total dependence on You. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I believe that You are the author of my life </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
destiny. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I know that the work You began </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">when you called me to follow You </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">will
continue to develop to fruition. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Help me move forward in keeping with Your
vision. . . .<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Think Your thoughts through me, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>speak Your truth through my
words</i>, </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and <i>enable Your best for others </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>through what You lead me to do</i>.” </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">(Lloyd
John Ogilvie, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Moments-Lloyd-John-Ogilvie/dp/0736901329/ref=sr_1_1?crid=7PE3X8YD069X&keywords=quiet+moments+with+God&qid=1695139399&s=books&sprefix=quiet+moments+with+god%2Cstripbooks%2C95&sr=1-1">Quiet Moments with God</a>)<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I love that. Don’t you? I especially cherish this thought: “<i>Enable
<b>Your best for others</b> through what You lead me to do</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">What a <i>privilege </i>God has given us to <i>serve Him</i> <b>and </b>to <i>bless
others through our stories!</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">There you have it, a little Tuesday Tidbit.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hOOnPIK2DlQIhdoN071Ud9cxI43EdZHriPhk56EkTVj1PXwKFrQF-bVlcQpo029yZsO0xsgW6hgj8XiuZuAKBxRMSABjnLy1UR2wNfE8cKkSmcS4pCjrxK62j69YOp3NqsNCAeSPUGYlNNgZ0QqfDnjgY5ojitXUGcGBvzATJc6KWg9D9HpV1mWCM3Cb/s551/OgilviePrayerfor9%2019%2023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="551" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hOOnPIK2DlQIhdoN071Ud9cxI43EdZHriPhk56EkTVj1PXwKFrQF-bVlcQpo029yZsO0xsgW6hgj8XiuZuAKBxRMSABjnLy1UR2wNfE8cKkSmcS4pCjrxK62j69YOp3NqsNCAeSPUGYlNNgZ0QqfDnjgY5ojitXUGcGBvzATJc6KWg9D9HpV1mWCM3Cb/w400-h259/OgilviePrayerfor9%2019%2023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-16286674844977745342023-09-12T07:46:00.000-07:002023-09-12T07:46:32.968-07:00This is so fun: “Where are you from?”<p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Today
I’m delighted to share with you <i>one of my most favorite writing projects ever. </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I
have a hunch you’ll love it, too. It’s called <b><a href="http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html">Where I’m From</a></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Based
on a piece by George Ella Lyon, you can take a jaunt—a pleasant meander, a
treasure hunt—that leads you to “the sources of your unique you-ness that you’d
never considered before,” according to her old website.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html">George Ella Lyon’s Where I’m From</a> begins this way:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">‘I
am from clothespins,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">From
Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I
am from the dirt under the back porch.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">(Black,
glistening,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">it
tasted like beets.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I
am from the forsythia bush<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">the
Dutch elm<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">whose
long-gone limbs I remember<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">as
if they were my own. . . .”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">(<a href="http://www.georgeellalyon.com/where.html">Click here to read more of her piece</a> and how she got started with this adventure.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Here
is an excerpt from the “<a href="https://annkroeker.com/2011/06/30/there-and-back-again-where-im-from/">Where I’m From” essay Ann Kroeker wrote:</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“I
am from the persimmon tree, ripe fruit dropping, splitting, squishing soft into
the grassy lawn below. I am from sweet-spring lilac and lily-of-the-valley. . .
. I am from soybean and corn fields, hay and straw, and Black Angus cattle. . .
.” (Click here to <a href="https://annkroeker.com/2011/06/30/there-and-back-again-where-im-from/">read more of Ann’s essay</a>.)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">My
own attempt to write of where I’m from has been <i>great fun</i>. And it’s <i>many pages
long!</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Where
are you from?</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Your
own <i>Where I’m From</i> essay <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">is
<i>valuable material for your memoir. </i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">It
adds <b>details </b>and <b>richness </b>and <b>pizzazz </b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
<b>personality </b>to your stories.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Lyon’s
template (which I can no longer find online) suggests you write something like
the following:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I
am from ______ (specific, ordinary item), from _____ (product name) and _____.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I
am from the _____ (home description . . . adjective, adjective, sensory
detail).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I
am from the _____ (plant, flower, natural item).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I
am from _____ (family tradition) and _____ (family trait), from _____ (name of
family member). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I
am from _____ (something you were told as a child).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I
am from the ________________ (description of family tendency) and ____________
(another one).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I
am from _____ (representation of religion, or lack of it). Further description.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I’m
from ___________ (place of birth and family ancestry), and ___________ (two
food items representing your family).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">From
the ___________ (specific family story about a specific person and detail), the
______________ (another detail), and the ______________ (another detail about
another family member).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I
am from _____________ (location of family pictures, mementos, archives and
several more lines indicating their worth).</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Lyon’s
template is a good place to start</b>—<b>but think of it as a jumping-off spot</b>. Feel
free to <i>soar way beyond it. Branch out in new directions.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i> </i></span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">For
example, consider including: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">song
lyrics, poems, Bible verses,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">sounds,
sights, smells, tastes, textures,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">popular
hobbies and pastimes,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">hairstyles,
shoe styles, and fashion trends.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">What
information, even <b>everyday stuff</b>, might your kids, grandkids, and great-grands
never guess about you?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>A
word of caution:<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>Writing
“Where I’m From”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>can
be addictive.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>Keep
a pen and paper on your nightstand.</i></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJ7UuGwv2dHJ-Mmgut746x0VnIfBSiTEcnNHdJ6dSfgVJnMznfKmFkqBRdGnAwSeG5vBS5I4r4jAODvdPqQyhlG1Q0-3jcHsq8KMH4Kd2VVwBKAfUou_DGqemJhK-eJn8LxpEwvJUcajMmHekOvBFbQk3guMkcid4-9s_bEks1zvK056HSxVX6NsoAV6Z/s599/GKquoteCreativity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="599" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJ7UuGwv2dHJ-Mmgut746x0VnIfBSiTEcnNHdJ6dSfgVJnMznfKmFkqBRdGnAwSeG5vBS5I4r4jAODvdPqQyhlG1Q0-3jcHsq8KMH4Kd2VVwBKAfUou_DGqemJhK-eJn8LxpEwvJUcajMmHekOvBFbQk3guMkcid4-9s_bEks1zvK056HSxVX6NsoAV6Z/w400-h240/GKquoteCreativity.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /><i><br /></i></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-19120648163980986802023-09-05T10:39:00.000-07:002023-09-05T10:39:39.882-07:00Personal news: I’m a great-grandmother!<p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Our
oldest grandchild just gave birth to little T.T., making my husband and me
great-grandparents! His birth has been a joyous event for this big family.
We’re all celebrating.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">And
once again I am convinced that we—<i>you and I</i>—must share our stories with our
families.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Tell
me: Did you know your great-grandparents? Mine died before I was born.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">If
you never knew your great-grandparents, perhaps, like me, you have many
questions—about their personalities, talents, experiences, values.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">I’m
also very curious: Am I shy like one of them? Am I afraid of something that one
of them also feared? Is my dry sense of humor like theirs? Do I look like one
of them, speak like one of them, think, love, or giggle like one of them? Do I instinctively
treasure something one of them also treasured?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Maybe,
like me, you wonder: If they’d have known me, would they have loved me? Would
we have enjoyed each other? What activities would we have done together? What
would they have taught me? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Did
they love and serve God? If so, how did that impact the ways they chose to
live?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">What
stories about themselves and their ancestors would they have told me? What
adventures did they have, what challenges, what heartaches? What failures, what
successes? What obstacles did they overcome? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">And
<i>this is so important</i>: If I had known their stories, <i><b>what lessons would they
have taught me? </b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">How
would I have lived my life differently? </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Would
I have avoided certain mistakes? </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Thought
differently? </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Sought
different goals? </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Chosen
a different profession? </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Been
a kinder person? </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">A
better spouse? </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Parented
my children differently? </span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Had
a stronger faith and commitment to God? </span></li></ul><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">There’s
a reason J<b>esus said</b>, “<b>Go, tell your family everything God has done for you</b>” (Luke
8:39). Write your stories for your kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids.<i><b> <a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2020/07/sharing-your-stories-with-your-family.html">It’s the most important job in the world</a></b></i>. (Be sure to <b>click on that link</b>.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Include
<b>humor, mystery, romance, pets, childhood escapades, teenage pranks, athletic
competitions, parenthood, hard work</b>—the list could go on and on. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Always
examine each account, connect the dots, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
<b>explain what God was doing through them all</b>, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">often
behind the scenes.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">If
you’re about my age, you realize <b>you might not live on this earth much longer</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“<b>We
will all die one day.</b> T<i>hat is one of the few things we can be sure of</i>,” <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bread-Journey-Daybook-Wisdom-Faith/dp/0060663596/ref=sr_1_1?crid=330FR5MPULH95&keywords=Bread+for+the+Journey&qid=1693931266&s=books&sprefix=bread+for+the+journey%2Cstripbooks%2C158&sr=1-1">Henri Nouwen wrote.</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“<i>But
will we <b>die well</b></i>? That is less certain,” Nouwen continued. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“Dying
well means . . . <b>making our lives fruitful for those we leave behind</b>. The big
question . . . is . . . ‘<b>How can I prepare myself for my death so that my life
can continue to bear fruit in the generations that will follow me?</b>’ . . . . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“<b>Dying
can become our greatest gift if we prepare ourselves to die well</b>.” (Henri
Nouwen, <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bread-Journey-Daybook-Wisdom-Faith/dp/0060663596/ref=sr_1_1?crid=330FR5MPULH95&keywords=Bread+for+the+Journey&qid=1693931266&s=books&sprefix=bread+for+the+journey%2Cstripbooks%2C158&sr=1-1">Bread for the Journey</a></i>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>Prepare
yourself for your death <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><b>by
writing your stories.</b></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Teach
your kids, grandkids, and great-grands about keeping a <b>commitment</b>, <b>working
hard</b>, being <b>kind </b>and <b>honest</b>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b><i>Teach them about God.</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Inspire
them to <i>handle tragedies with tenacity and faith</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Help
them choose c<i>ourage over fear, generosity over stinginess, integrity over
cheating, compassion over meanness, thankfulness over ingratitude</i>, and so much
more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<b>The world’s greatest wisdom passes through
stories</b>,” <a href="https://prowritingaid.com/art/600/Why-You-Should-Learn-to-Tell-a-Good-Story.aspx">writes Kathy Edens</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Take
in what Kathy says:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>The
world’s greatest wisdom <o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>can
flow through <b>your </b>stories!</i></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLd3CNxcbsCWqrG2oqeIV9b9wUA2p8NLFMaOJpuAPI9V_FfbsNP3RbJSXQdDux04aKl52kOPRn1ruxnnB25jWtgyg5ryNqCi8zD-wy0zNpBw8eIyPJzgeYk5t7w6JCiRrTuBZQbViExR9Kd7A-BI5T6NFgjHKv3EsSnYvHvR05dw5aaWUh1ia83qs-1oYJ/s500/LJO%20for%208132019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="310" data-original-width="500" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLd3CNxcbsCWqrG2oqeIV9b9wUA2p8NLFMaOJpuAPI9V_FfbsNP3RbJSXQdDux04aKl52kOPRn1ruxnnB25jWtgyg5ryNqCi8zD-wy0zNpBw8eIyPJzgeYk5t7w6JCiRrTuBZQbViExR9Kd7A-BI5T6NFgjHKv3EsSnYvHvR05dw5aaWUh1ia83qs-1oYJ/w400-h248/LJO%20for%208132019.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /><i><br /></i></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i><br /></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3180411212335315424.post-28065989736205903942023-08-29T08:11:00.000-07:002023-08-29T08:11:02.965-07:00Your memoir’s ultimate purpose: You are a God-designed link between generations past and future<p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Have
you given thought to your memoir’s ultimate purpose? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Whether
your answer is <i>yes</i> or <i>no</i>, here’s something to think about:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">We
learn from the Bible why God acts on behalf of His people: <i><b>so that</b> they would
know Him</i>: “Then you will know that I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 6:6-7, 1
Kings 20:13, Ezekiel 37:5-6, and Joel 2:19-27) and <i><b>so that </b>people would see Him
and praise Him.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">God
does the same nowadays: He assures us of His love and faithfulness by doing
things for us, sometimes in earthshaking ways, but<i><b> usually in everyday ways</b></i>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">So
here you and I are, writing our stories—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">about
high school athletics, about being a Boy Scout,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">or
about falling in love, or raising babies, or teenagers,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">or
foster children;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">about
starting careers, or finding a best friend,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">or
climbing mountains,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">or
wrestling an octopus,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">or
serving in the military;<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">about
going bankrupt, or having cancer,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">or
suddenly finding ourselves widows,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">or
being homeless, or orphaned,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">or
blind, or lost. . . . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">And
if we look deeply and examine it all and <a href="https://spiritualmemoirs101.blogspot.com/2022/11/back-to-basics-connecting-dots-of-your.html">connect the dots</a> (<i>click on that link</i>),
we discover <b>God was with us every second and every day,</b> working on our behalf.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Oswald
Chambers said it this way: “Never believe that <b>so-called random events</b> of life
are anything less than <b>God’s appointed order.</b> Be ready to discover <b>His divine
designs anywhere and everywhere</b>.” (<i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Utmost-His-Highest-Oswald-Chambers/dp/0929239571/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2XTT5F4ABR8E4&keywords=my+utmost+for+his+highest+by+oswald+chambers&qid=1669758500&s=books&sprefix=my+utmost%2Cstripbooks%2C115&sr=1-6">My Utmost for His Highest</a></i>)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Make
time to search for what He has done for you—<i>often in seemingly little, everyday
ways</i>—and <b>never doubt that He can use your stories to help readers see Him, know
Him, and praise Him</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><i>It
still boggles my mind—God established this ingenious plan—for us to teach our
children and grandchildren what we’ve seen Him do—because He knows that both we
and they will benefit if we know, love, and follow Him.</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Take
in this paraphrase of Psalm 78:2-7:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">We
will tell our children,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
the generations that come after us,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">God-shaped
family stories our parents and grandparents<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">passed
down to us.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Let’s
not hide them<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">from
our children and grandchildren.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Instead,
let’s tell stories of what we have seen God do—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">His
power and might, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
the glorious and praiseworthy things He has done—<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">so
that we and they will praise Him.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">God
commanded our ancestors<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">to
teach such things to their children<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">so
they in turn would teach their children<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">down
through the generations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">This
is His plan to help all of us<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">grasp
and remember His deeds and miracles<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
live faithfully according to His ways.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">With
that in mind, <b>here’s an important tip</b>: <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Everyone
resists those who get preachy <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
have a holier-than-thou attitude, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">so
instead of harping on do’s and don’ts, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">tell
stories that will help young people <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">discover
for themselves what’s important about God.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><b>Stories
are powerful</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">“<b>A
story is up to twenty-two times more memorable than facts alone</b>,” according to <a href="https://www.theologyofwork.org/the-high-calling/blog/power-storytelling-life-well-lived#.VBR9IUco7IU">Professor Jennifer Aaker</a> of the Stanford Graduate School of Business. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Your
story can entertain, cause readers to laugh, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">or
cry, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">or
both, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
they’ll remember your stories <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">longer
than lectures or preaching. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Readers
can take in the wisdom you learned, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">avoid
mistakes you have made, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
make their own good choices. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">They
can navigate through their own difficulties and mysteries, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">make
sense of their own lives, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
have a sense of direction for the future. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Your
stories can soften and strengthen hearts, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">pass
on hope, and offer grace.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">The
following captures <b>my vision</b>—<b>my prayer, my heart’s desire</b>—for the memoir
classes I teach and for this blog:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Great
is the Lord and most worthy of praise. . . . <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">One
generation will commend Your works to another; <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">they
will tell of your mighty acts. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">They
will speak of the glorious splendor of Your majesty, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
I will meditate on Your wonderful works. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">They
will tell of the power of Your awesome works, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
I will proclaim Your great deeds. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">They
will celebrate Your abundant goodness <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">and
joyfully sing of Your righteousness. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">(Psalm
145:3-7, NIV)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">Make
a conscious decision to<b> write your memoir as a celebration of God</b>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">As
George Herbert said in the quote below, </span><b style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">consider
yourself a secretary of God’s praise</b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;">.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKi-Aw6zVIvtZOar9uXJUrHn9f5egL9ARz_H5mSSOl7ngeP6oGE8wzEgBmIHk7auwb6PU0A3D4dKJ4xmF1RTo3zTuZuHotucsX1MLLp5gFsZ6XV8XdHrQs1HZKSMhc1CgMUaiODlG0TwDPAVGBnLuDzefVqJdqDEc6AUxAI-dHC615SnMVtQBUY7EOe-f7/s500/George%20Herbert%20quote%20copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="371" data-original-width="500" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKi-Aw6zVIvtZOar9uXJUrHn9f5egL9ARz_H5mSSOl7ngeP6oGE8wzEgBmIHk7auwb6PU0A3D4dKJ4xmF1RTo3zTuZuHotucsX1MLLp5gFsZ6XV8XdHrQs1HZKSMhc1CgMUaiODlG0TwDPAVGBnLuDzefVqJdqDEc6AUxAI-dHC615SnMVtQBUY7EOe-f7/w400-h296/George%20Herbert%20quote%20copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #444444; font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Lindahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06961495299893766830noreply@blogger.com0