Write Now!
This blog started as a 'Lenten Writing Project', where we wrote each day in Lent. Now that Summer is here, let's keep up the discipline of writing with a weekly writing challenge! A prompt will be posted each week and anyone is welcome to join in and post their writing here or participate just by reading it.
Every writer has their own special light to add to this blog and all of your writing offerings are appreciated, whether poetry, prose, essay, thoughts, lists or comments and encouragement.
by Pat Mason
ReplyDeleteHe would describe us and speak to us as His "Beloved".
The world around us and the people around us might tell us otherwise, and often do.
Which of the two voices we choose believe will greatly determine our life's path.
“You are a beloved child of God.” Such powerful words, life-changing words; words that tell me I am loved completely, in my deepest innermost parts; loved by God for exactly who I am.
ReplyDeleteBut many people don’t know, or haven’t heard in a believable way, that they are loved unconditionally. And they desperately need to hear they are loved. Deep down, they are afraid they are not loved, truly loved, for who they are. This is especially true, perhaps, for people who are different in any way from society’s standards and expectations.
Bishop Mark Hanson makes a beautiful response to the problem of bullying, one of the ways in which people are “told” they are not loved by people or by God. Listen to his words at this link: http://youtu.be/VJOhjLXJmaY
I will try to be sure that my words help others to know they are a beloved child of God. I want my words to be words that heal, not words that harm. Amen
Rough Draft
ReplyDeleteIf I were a book manuscript, a cautionary fable perhaps,
I suppose its author would consider me
a rough and ragged and unrefined beginning,
a bare-bones space holder for what the final product,
revised and edited and enriched, could be, given enough time and effort.
I’m what some writers might call a sh**ty first draft.
But the reason early attempts at writing stories
are so unashamedly called rough and ragged and sh**ty,
is that there is an expectation of more,
an anticipation that improved iterations are in the works,
that the next versions will be more readable and maybe, eventually, publishable.
And that’s all I can hope for.
—Dave Patneaude
nice.
DeleteDolphin:
ReplyDeleteRecently I saw a dolphin splash joyfully in the water. He came up out of the water and looked at me as if to say, it is time to come and play. My way of honoring God's creation is to try and learn from his beloved creatures. The message from the Dolphin was: "You are too serious, enjoy life, go have fun!" And when I listen to this message I am also caring for myself.
JackieD
This was a hard one for me to write about. Except, one question kept coming up. In all the things I do to take care of myself why is it that sleep always seems to get the short end of the deal? I'll make an effort to exercise and try to eat well and read and pray but sleep can always wait. Maybe it just more of an issue than it used to be..
ReplyDeleteSleep: a good night wasted.
ReplyDeleteSleep: who needs it?
Sleep: it's what's for babies.
Sleep: once every seven days is about right.
Daughter of God
ReplyDeleteby Marlene Obie
Here she is, beloved daughter
She's unconditionally loved you know,
watched over, waited for,
nudged a little sometimes,
cheered for when she gets it,
forgiven seventy times seventy times
now, ongoing, beyond infinity,
walked with through fire,
listened to always,
tucked into sleep.
She beats herself up
when she thinks she's failed me.
For what was it now?
I have crowned and robed her
and given her a vision of
mercy, peace, justice, compassion,
the kingdom of Jubilee,
which she can't help but share,
speak out, and promote
where she walks, rests,
works and plays.
This is my beloved daughter
in whom I am well pleased.
Is God ever so swept up with love for me that God wants to kiss me and give me a big huggie – like I often find that I want to do with my 2-year-old? I’m watching her crack herself up with her little jokes and it’s cracking me up to watch her talk to herself and make herself laugh – is that the same for God when I write all my “humorous” stuff that I think is soooo entertaining? My heart just melts and I want to enfold my daughter in my arms and kiss her a million times on her beautiful forehead –I’m constantly amazed at what a beautiful, talented, cute special person she is – a little light in this world. Does God do that for me? Did I miss God’s huggie when it happened because I was too busy? Maybe this is it – watching my daughter right now.
ReplyDeleteFebruary 28 2012
ReplyDeleteOK, I'm a day late. Even God took the 7th day off to rest, but now I'm back on track. Back to Prompt # 7
Sara,
Beloved Child of GOD
My sweet, broken butterfly:
I gave you wings
That others untimely opened
Yet I AM always with you.
I AM with you through all the
dark crevices and corners;
tears and terrors of the World,
protecting your Soul.
I celebrate with you as you wonder
at the dazzling rainbows of light and life by day;
and when you watch the stardust form patterns of light by night.
We will walk and dance together,
until we meet, again,
face to face
with my Bright, as Crystal,
Son
at the End.
I love you.
s.h.
Thanks a lot Mom, now I am crying ; ) Beautiful poem.
DeleteI'm going to stay anonymous with this posting, but that's funny, because any of you who know me, will recognize it's me. But the topic intimidates me. I suppose I'm playing the "shy" card.
ReplyDeleteI've always understood--and believed--that God loves everyone. Everyone. People who don't believe, people who start wars, people who need Him. But I'm not sure I grasped the concept of "Child of God," until tonight.
I believe the concept of God loving everyone, but I never felt worthy. Why would He notice me? care about me? so much else for Him to handle, why bother with me? what did/could/would I do that might deserve His recognition? I never believed in Me.
Seeming to change the subject, I have a story to share. I've always been an affectionate person. I love to share my love, my appreciation, with people in my life. Was on the phone a few weeks ago with my dad, and we started talking about my loving nature. I relayed my memories of always wanting and giving hugs as a young girl, and how no one else in the family seemed to. He said, "Yeah, your mother and I wondered where that came from." The conversation went on to reveal that neither he nor my mom were comfortable demonstrating emotion; when I was so cuddle-seeking, and love-expressing, they couldn't figure me out. (They grew to embrace--pardon the pun--my ways, but I didn't know until now that my innate attitude of affection was foreign to my actual parents.)
Cut to this writing prompt. Cut to me not understanding how God could or would want to pay attention to me. (Ha! Cut to psychotherapy session with me realizing that my parents' not understanding me, hence, not wanting to attend to me, might lead to me thinking that my Heavenly Father might not want to deal with me either...)
Cut to Lenten Service, Feb 29. The prayer: "My God, the soul which you have implanted in me is pure. You created it, you formed it, you breathed it into me..." Maybe my parents didn't implant my soul. Maybe God did.
I think I might have come to the conclusion tonight, that maybe I am a child of God: given to my parents to bring them emotion; given to my children to teach them emotion; given to my friends to help them realize emotion.
Maybe He created me. Maybe He more than notices me. Maybe He works through me.
dear wanting to be anon - that prayer from the lenten service is a traditional jewish daily prayer. what a blessing to say that to ourselves and to our god daily, huh? :)
Deletepeace to you.