FOR THE LOVE OF WRITING

 

A young girl in the blog once asked me ......  'what can you tell me about writing?'

She apparently loves to write, as one could easily see in her blog. Big talent with writing, that I could see and so did others who came to view her blog. But she wanted more. And she was feeling downhearted as she hoped for bigger attention in the blog.

I said....

There isn't much I could say that you don't already know and perhaps may even know more than I do on some stuff. But if you must ask then allow me to humbly share a few things which I have learned though the writing years.

1. Write from the heart --- When the heart is in the writing it comes out real and true. Let your heart speak. Sometimes the mind puts in a lot of things into the writing, things which you don't necessarily have to or need. Shed the ego. When the heart speaks, the thoughts come clearer.

2. Make it simple --- Simplicity is beauty. No need to gild the lily, so to speak. Simplicity stands on its own strength and beauty. Write that even a seven-year old kid can understand you. No unnecessary frills. No big words to boggle the mind. If there is a simpler way to say it, then use it.

3. Write because you love to write --- Whether you get dozens of readers in your blog or fewer, don't let that influence your writing. The writing must continue because you just love doing it.

4. Write about what you know --- How can you write about roses when you haven't stepped foot in a rose garden at all? Welcome experience. Read books. Talk to people. Make regular deposits to your knowledge bank. Learn... and keep learning. Make mistakes but learn some more.

5. Writing is a gift --- Just like other gifts which a wonderful God has so generously bestowed on everyone. Appreciate it; thank God for it. Nurture it. Build dreams with it. Breathe life into it.

These aren't all. I still have much to learn... to grow... to write more. And I intend to do that until my fingers drop. :-)

To encourage her further, I found these lovely inspiring images on the internet and thought to post it here along with this piece. Keep at it, girl; just keep writing because you LOVE to write. God bless you!

LIFE IS NOT ALL ABOUT YOU OR ME

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Here are beautiful lines read from a lovely book written by Pamela Steinke -- "Good Morning... God". This book is a permanent among others more of best loved books gathered through the years of reading. It has bravely survived the many efforts of sorting out stuff for donation to worthy groups. It will be around for a longer time still as it continues to work its magic to my mind heart and soul.

Allow me to quote ................

REACH OUT
Matthew 10:39

"Do not allow yourself to get wrapped up in self. Instead, let yourself be wrapped up in ME,  in your involvement with others. It is a rich world to those who seek to reach out beyond the bounce of their own existence. It is a world filled with wonder, filled with the splendor of sharing and reaping! Reach out to others, give of your time, your talents, your riches. Reach up and reach out and your life will be filled with treasure. Reach out in my NAME and be free."

Unquote.

A friend to whom I shared this with had this to say to that....  "Oh that's easy for one who has most everything in life. Having no bills to pay, no tuition to think about, no rent to worry about, no family squabbles that get on one's nerves, no messed up relationships, no uncertain future, no fear of losing a job, no illness draining one's energy and resources." And so much more she had on her list of burdens.

But I guess she didn't realize that those burdens are not her monopoly because we have them too, some or maybe all. And if it's not on that list, it could be something else of great or greater concern too, as far as we each are concerned. Of such is life. We know that, don't we?

Allow me to share my thoughts......

Certainly life is more than just our worries and woes, of burdens and strife. That it's not only the individual 'us' who live on this planet. To put it straight... life can't be just all about you or me.

As a person and individual, I operate in my own little corner of the world, true. And I try to work it the best way I can. But there also exists a bigger circle around me of family and friends, and a much bigger circle around that of neighborhood and community, and an even a huge circle winding round everything of country and the world.

Life is certainly not all about me. The years have taught me that we all stand connected in ways big and small. But sadly we seem to try to ignore that one simple truth. Instead we keep on building walls, fences, ideologies, philosophies, religions that serve the idea of the self.

The opposite is true... life has taught me that we thrive better if we all work together.... are joined with a common cause of wanting a blessed life. Thus we can move forward faster, dreams better realized, civilizations develop faster, generations improve one after the other, even mother nature revitalizes, and all living creatures live content in their unique original niche as Divinely designed.

God says 'Reach out' ... life is not just all about you or me or them. HE says we all stand connected. With that life can be far more richer.

God bless you all!

GOD, TEACH ME

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When I saw this in my inbox this morning, I couldn't let it go. It's such a beautiful prayer. Such blessed comfort. Had to bring it here because I know that somebody somewhere today needs to see this too. Blessings to you all!
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God teach me to be patient, teach me to go slow,
Teach me how to wait on You when my way I do not know.

Teach me sweet forbearance when things do not go right
So I remain unruffled when others grow uptight.

Teach me how to quiet my racing, rising heart
So I might hear the answer You are trying to impart.

Teach me to let go, dear God, and pray undisturbed until
My heart is filled with inner peace and I learn  to know Your will

By Helen Steiner

(Thanks, Mr. Quote Man; it's appreciated. And thanks to the internet for such apt images.)

I HAVE NOTHING AND YET EVERYTHING IN MY BACKPACK

I was sitting there enjoying my green tea frappe... yes, Starbucks... where else?! :-) While waiting for my daughter who went to National Book Store on an errand I overheard this conversation from the next table not far from mine. In a group of middle-aged women, one matronly-looking woman spoke.... "Ay naku, pera-pera lang yan. Tingnan mo lang kung gaano kabilis ang solusyon kapag nabigyan mo na."  -- In essence that meant ... "It's all about money. Money buys everything."

That got me to thinking. Back in the house as I sat at my desk the thoughts came tumbling out and I wrote...........

There’s nothing else I know. There’s no supernatural formula I could easily summon up to solve problems with. There’s no wise guru to teach me some special mantra to erase worrisome cares and woes. There’s no big fat bank account to ease my way through the rough and tumble grind of earthly struggle and strife. There’s no magic potion on my shelf which I could conveniently pluck out and slip into a mean person’s coffee to bring about a change of heart or mind.

But I know this.....

I travel through life’s journey with this special thing packed tightly inside my backpack. It’s a small thing lest you think it’s a grand magnificent piece of heavy treasure stacked in there alongside other stuff. But it is a treasure indeed and it glows albeit often small, sometimes strangely, at times falteringly, even faintly, neglected at some point, at odd moments I don’t feel it and yet its flame won’t snuff out nor disappear into thin air as you think it easily might. It glows steadily and amazingly considering it’s just the size of a mustard seed. It’s there regardless of how I feel.

I have my share of tough times too just like we all do and those things don’t and won’t stop because that is just what life is made of. I'm just a weak puny human being trying to make it in this crazy world. Yet I can say this much that it’s like I always land on a bean-bag each time. Faith is like a soft self-inflating bean- bag which catches you every time you fall. Oh maybe you’ll get some bumps and bruises here and there but who wouldn’t with a fall no matter its size. And yes you will feel depressed, lonely, disappointed, angry, afraid, sad and everything else miserable in the book of life. All of life is about feelings, too.

But it doesn’t kill you. In fact, it’s like warm comforting arms wrapping around you in a big glorious divine hug. It simply makes you feel so good that you always want to cry so much relieved. It’s like something or SOMEONE tells you ... ‘It’s okay, don’t be afraid; I’M here.’

It’s just wonderfully there. I, with blessed joy, thank God for this gift and treasure.

POSITIVITY - IT'S A WINNER ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT IT

"Life is a grand  party where no one gets to meet the host or stay to the end."  --- Robert Brault 

A very positive and optimistic point of view on life which I honestly don't get to hear often. But we do know by experience that life is everything but a grand ball. And yet, it can be the grand party you may wish it to be if you so choose it. Just a matter of attitude and a huge dose of positive thinking. That's what it said in a book I had recently read.

Life is tough as we hear it often said and as often as we have been told about it. Consequently we get to experience it ourselves as we get down to the real thing in our respective lives. While many would groan and whine going through the fire, there are some amazingly who would simply dance through the flames. And what may be the difference there? Yes, you're right, it's attitude... a positive attitude towards life.

And as I have learned, a positive attitude springs from a positive mind. But how does one describe a positive mind? I think it's one that believes in possibilities, in potential, in hope, in faith, and in believing that there is ONE up there who cares what happens to you down here. So if HE CARES, what could hold you or us back from anything good?!

An ounce of positivity is a pound of _________. So you fill in the blanks according to what positivity did for you. Maybe somebody out there needs to hear it. :-) Pass the positivity around. It's a winner any way you look at it.

(Thanks, Mr. Quote Man, for the quote. And thanks to the internet for the wonderful images.)

Blessings, everyone!

I THINK THEREFORE I WRITE

Whenever I feel the nudge to write I don’t just sit at my desk and words come flowing out like flood waters out of a broken dam or like a wild horse which has broken free from captivity now running wild and free. It doesn’t happen that way. Starting off with this magical nudge, I sit at my desk with my fingers poised over the keys waiting as my thoughts begin to churn. A phrase comes out and I type it. A paragraph comes next and I type that too. Then a pause wiggles in to which my eyes take advantage of wandering outside my window looking out to the blue sky or admiring the tree branches traipsing in the wind. A distraction you might say but not really. Thoughts don’t stop just because you look somewhere else. Well, at least it does that to me. It continues the process of thinking yet further enhanced by and with the observed nuances of a scene, thing, activity, or sound carried in by one momentary second of perceived distraction.

And the writing continues because the thinking cranks up to high gear. Now the typing picks up speed trying its best not to miss every word every thought. Then again another pause... something akin to vigorously running a long mile and coming to losing your wind and so you stop. But does the thinking stop too?

It does not. I may want to walk away from my desk with a new intent to grab a nice cup of coffee and too decide to sit back and relax enjoying it but my thoughts would still keep on tossing and turning ideas in my mind. It does not care about the coffee but it does care about my experience of it. Yes, more food for the thought and for the writing.

My mom, bless her soul, summed it up long ago with this......  ‘You think ... therefore you write.’

This post is also meant to encourage others out there who love to write to .......  connect with your thoughts and W-R-I-T-E !!

Blessings, everyone!