Worship

It's fun Friday and I get to throw caution to the wind as I join other adventure writers here.

The writing prompt: WORSHIP

I love what LisaJo says this morning: You already ARE a writer. No need for publishing, no need even for followers. Do words bubble out from the pool within? Do you write for yourself even if no one will read it?

You are a writer.

It takes courage to place our thoughts and feelings into concrete form of pen-and-ink, or let them flow through our finger tips to keyboard onto the screen.

What are we afraid of?

not writing perfect prose? by whose standard?

not painting our words like Monet? or LisaJo?

.

I so enjoy reading LisaJo's posts. She creates beauty with her talented way of creatively and uniquely  forming words into picture ideas.I would love to have more of that skill. But I have my own unique voice. And so do YOU.

Even if we all share the very same message, we each have a distinct way to convey it. When our words post in a blog or FaceBook, those for whom it is meant will read it. Have you had the experience that you have a "lightbulb" moment when an idea or message that you have heard a hundred times is illuminated for the first time in your understanding? That is why we need to keep writing-we never know just who needs to hear our words at the very moment in their lives when we write them.

Caution to the wind. Write from you heart.

Write for One, and that is WORSHIP.

  
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Last

I really enjoy these Five-Minute Friday writing sessions. Knowing that I can produce some thoughts onto the screen and only expend a  few moments in a packed schedule, leaves me feeling satisfied. Ideas for blogging come to me like the consistent waves of the ocean upon the sand. But a damn stops the ideas midway; the damn of "life." I am too busy LIVING to stop and W-R-I-T-E. Not a very good existence for one who wants to write. 

But, one must live the experiences in order to write, right?

Every author that I have read about writing, exhorts of the mandatory need of disciplined writing-even, when there seems to be no time. Well, unless my blog posts have the subject structure that I want to present them in, I do not post them. I fear they be just incoherent ramblings (kind-of like I am doing now ; )

So enough rambling and let's write! for five minutes. LisaJo Baker's prompt today is LAST.

GO:

The afternoon sky is hazier than last month. Grass is drying into a wheat-tan color. The newspaper is full of colorful flyers advertising back-to-school sales.

The last days of summer are here.

Two boys now grown preparing for the first days of college. Mama preparing her heart (and celebrating inwardly!)

Mom freezing corn for home-made chicken corn soup that will fill the nostrils with aroma mid-winter.

Canning tomatoes for fresh spaghetti sauce.

Washing curtains that are neglectfully covered with puffy, gray dust.

School-clothes shopping even though the girls are HOME-schooled.

One daughter changing dance academies. Another gaining a new tutor.

Mom also starting graduate studies, making preparations to register a non-profit organization.

So much change.

The last days of fervent ice cream licks, the tongue trying to beat the melting-heat, will soon be over.

Reluctant hearts relinquish the inevitable last days...but looking expectantly ahead, knowing that Last Days mean there are First Ones ahead.

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Story

Hello. How are you today? It is Friday, already! Moreover, it is August 2nd!!! Can anyone believe that?
Twenty-three more days till school lessons start. Not quite ready yet. There is so much I want to do before I begin lessons (for my Masters in English literature). We have not eaten enough ice cream nor gone to the drive-in....

But, TODAY. Today, I am going to sneak five minutes to write before I go in the yard and determinedly relieve my flower beds of weeds.

LisaJo's writing prompt is STORY.

Go:

Who doesn't like a story with a happy ending?

I think that is why I prefer nineteenth century literature over twentieth.
Life in the nineteenth century was neat, orderly, square with predictable endings.
At least, that is the manner that many authors treated the stories.
Stories representing what society wanted: clean-cut answers
to difficult situations. Of course, this was not reality.

Reality was stories of black slaves receiving slashes that cut open their skin.
Irish immigrants, starving, sailing to America in hopes of finding life only to
work their fingers to the bone pounding railroad ties into the earth.
But denial, or rather perspective is a powerful tool.

The twentieth century brought two World Wars that broke any idealism.
Cynicism replaced faith, hope, and trust. The stories written largely reflect the
chaos in culture and within. Stories with unraveled endings.
Dystopias replace the warmth of the hearth.

But what is a story without hope? not one that I care to read.

Can you take a story with despair and from a hopeful perspective write a new ending?

How will you end the story of your life?

STOP.

All by Grace,
Nicol

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Liebster Blog- Friends

Celebrating the

AWARD!  Yeah!

This was new to me; I love the idea. 

As Jennifer from "Renewing Housewives"

so graciously bestowed the Liebster Award to me,

I in turn choose five blogs that are as the German word "liebster" means

"dearest, friend, or love".

 This award is shared and given to up-and-coming blogs that have less than 200 followers.

To be honest, the five blogs that I chose to bestow the Liebster Blog Award to, may have more than 200 followers.   However, they are each "dear" to me in different ways and worthy of your visit.  Please let them know that Nicol from LOV sent you.

My five chosen blogs are~

Makingajoyfulhome.blogspot.com - Amy has a very blessed way of finding joy in the journey.

angietolpin.com/category/blog- This Amy has the heart to Leave a Legacy Purposefully.

TheCrimsonCoveredFarmLife.com- And this Amy- a pure coincidence! has a safe haven for encouragement, especially reaching out to victims of assault and rape.

BeTwixtandBetweenblog.com- Shelley's vocation is to encourage mentoring for Moms and young ladies.  Visit Shelley's home page then click on the top bar for the blog- you and your daughters will love it!

DeepIntoLove.com- Craig has incredible spritual insight and writes about it in a most creative, vulnerable, and intelligent way.

All of the above blogs are kindred spirits; they all promulgate godly living, homemaking, mentoring, and loving Jesus- all subjects close to my heart.  Visit them and I am sure you will be as blessed as I am.

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A Growing Award!

Wow! Oh my goodness!  Ladies Of Virtue Blog has received her first award!  Thank You!  What a wonderful surprise and encouragement!  God is good.

                                              
The "Liebster" is a German word meaning "friend, love, or dearest".  This award is shared and given to up-and-coming blogs that have less than 200 followers.  THANK YOU Jennifer from Renewing Housewives- I do so appreciate it!  Tomorrow I will discuss this "dearest" award and my five picks with you.

Today, I want to incorporate The Gypsy Mama's prompt of GROWING to share my heart with you.
This writing exercise is only to last for five minutes, so I will undoubtedly run  out of time.

GO.

When you are passionate about something you want to share it with the world.  Or at least influence as many people as you can.

A message, a topic, a vision which can change lives- "the Goodness of the Lord and the radiant life He gives us as Women."


So I pray, I write, I share, I ask for encouragement for myself through all of my life's blunders, I seek out wise women, I study, I live, I experience, and the passion grows stronger.

The numbers are small.  My reach could seem insignificant.  But YOU are reading (and I pray that you are encouraged).  I read YOUR words and I am encouraged.  Keep writing. I will too.

We water and we will grow as He adds to us.

STOP.

Have a blessed day dear friend.

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Aspiring Writer's Giveaway!

Every writer wants an audience.  But it is a work of sanctification to write for One instead of the masses.

I am still being sanctified in this area; I still need help.  When I read the title to a fellow blogger's new ebook Notes to Aspiring Writers- Your Dream, God's Plan  I got interested.  She asked me to give a review and I was happy to do so.  Thus this post.

Brooke L. McGlothlin shares the journey of her writing metamorphosis.  She begins wanting to be a published author appreciated and adored by her readers through the path of traditional publishing means.  God changes her desires and she is changed as a writer. Through His wooing and love He helps shape her desires into His plans for her.  She now writes with the guidance of One for One.

She bears this journey candidly.  She is honest and spritiually insightful.  I could relate; some of her experiences have been mine.   Yes, I agree this is a "little book with a big message".  If you have any dream this book will encourage you place all of your dreams in His hands.   If you are an inspiring writer you will want to read it too. 

And you can receive a FREE copy from LOV!  Leave a comment concerning anything of your writing experience- how you began, what you love to write about, what your writing dreams are....AND send me an email with your email address. (mrsepple@ladiesofvirtueonline.org)  Next Tuesday the winner will be announced!

Journal Thoughts

I am kind of in a dark funk right now...I HAD wanted to begin a series about "Ladies Of Virtue".  What is a Lady?  Who are (we)?  What is virtue and how does it effect our lives?  How do we become virtuous?

All of these scrumptious nuggets waiting to be rolled into one delectable pastry that would last weeks.

However- LIFE happens.

"The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." -Proverbs 16:9

I had recently said that I am taking a writing hiatus.  I still am of sorts.  I presently am not writing where I really need to study scripture to deliver to you an inspiring article of Truth.  Just now though, I had to look up "steps" in the concordance....It means "pace"- which unequivocally, exactly fits what I am trying to say!  I have so many ideas to share with you, subjects to study.  The "LOV Journal" was meant to inspire women to LOVE being women, being godly women, and to see the Beauty that surrounds us.  That is my gift of exhortation in a nut shell.  Look for the pretty, look or the positive, look for the silver lining in the cloud.  Those phrases are what I diligently communicate to myself and try to share with others.  I do not like ugly things; I do not like to share ugly thoughts, feelings, the stuff that makes me feel more like beast than human.

But presently, the Lord has slowed my pace to almost a standstill. My strength is gone. The brightly burning embers are dim.

I understand that as I am comforted through hard times I am enabled to comfort others.  But most of the content of my HARD stuff deals with those closest to me.  Out of respect for them I cannot, do not write about the struggles we endure.  However, the other night I was writing in my journal- you remember, the old faithful friend with soft pages and ink swirls that remains faithful with your secrets?  Your BFF that is always as close as a reach-to-the-draw away?  I was writing when the thought occurred to me that I should post this particular entry.

So what you see below- is ME... raw, unedited (well, with name removals and se- adjustments for privacy)- written by the woman who yearns to be a Lady of Virtue.

"writing- feel compelled to- _ just blew up at me.  Hard to believe that it took h-- this long; I was waiting for it.  -e's all upset- how can -e go to work away to make a living when I am falling apart?  Really, __ is half of it.  I would have screamed at __ right now and shut the door. __e is crying because I am making __ sleep in __ own room.  If I do not, I think that I will go clinically nuts.  Such is the state my __ can get me in.  Still I can hear __ annoying, pitiful attempts of whining/crying to get my attention.  It is annoying me because __ is trying to sleep on the other side of the wall.  I'm putting ear plugs in soon.  Why do I let my ____ stress me out this much?  I haven't even mentioned  what happened with ______.  My heart feels like it exploded and all that is left are shards of glass lying on the floor.

I feel that if I let myself I could
a) scream and scream loudly till my throat is hoarse

b) physically b--- one specific ____

c)get in a car and drive to (who cares?) and not even look back

All but for God's grace.

....but I feel that it (His grace) is a tiny trickle, one small drop to quench the thirsty parched throat of one who has just traversed the Sahara.  Or I feel like I am hanging over a precipice with only a thread to hold on to. -not a sailor's well-trained knot of thick cord- just one thin thread- the kind that you would darn a hankie with.

Why does it feel like that when His grace is sufficient?"

enough.

abundant.

Perhaps tomorrow I will post some more.

A Reason to Write

Quiet.

The Quiet.  How delightful!  "What should I do?  How can I use this time?  I do not want to waste it!"

All four of my children gone out of the house.  They are playing, shopping, dancing, outside of these four walls called home.  Mama left alone.  Delightful.

..."hmmm....what should I do?  Isn't this what I always dream of- some QUIET, UNINTERRUPTED TIME?" 

"read a magazine....yes, nonchalantly, as though I have not a care in the world, I should grab a cup of tea and skim the pages of a magazine that I never have time to read.  But I should post on my blog.  Don't I always desire more time to write?"

Yet what should I write about?  ordinary events have been happening.  Rain pitter-patters on the earth.  My Golden Retriever gazes at me with a bored look in her eyes.  Usual stresses of Life to deal with.  Laundry piles.  Arguing siblings.  Light bulbs that need changed.  Those things that you are probably experiencing right now.

Why do I even have a BLOG?  There are so many women out there in the gargantuan cyber community that have better things to say and more attractive ways to say it?

Oh, no.  Not this conversation with myself again.

Then I see my penned handwriting on already aged paper. The date read October 10, 2006.

"For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise... from elsewhere, but you and your father's house will perish.  And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and this very occasion?"

~Esther 4:14, Amp.

Those words the Strong yet ever so Patient and Gentle Voice gave to me after much prayer and contemplation about the birth of the Ladies Of Virtue ministry site years ago.  I do not think that I have read them since and here they are tucked into a binder.

The words on this yellowing page continue.

"I had just prayed that the Lord would bring women needing encouragement to this media outlet...that He would give me wisdom, a keen style of writing and eloquence in my speech.  Most of all a deep love for Him, His Word, and those that He would cross my path with."

Today, I suppose that He knew that I needed that reassurance again.

That One voice CAN make a difference.

to YOU.

to ME.

my words, though they be feeble attempts to capture His workings of my soul, can speak healing to YOUR soul.

So I place my fingers to this keyboard and write.

For if I write for only ONE then I do His will.

If I write for only one-  then I prayerfully concede that you are blessed.
You are encouraged.
You are strengthened in this journey sometimes dark.

Are you that one?  for which I write?

For I am here.  You are here.  And He IS.

"Two are better than one and a three fold cord will not be quickly broken."  ~Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Do you know that you have something to speak about?
That you have been ordained for this very moment to share?
That YOU have been brought to the kingdom for this very thing?

Is it the words to your co-worker?
a sister?
a neighbor?

Speak His words.
Write His words.
Share His words.

The string of letters that you string together may be just the wisdom of jewels that will enrich the feeble soul.  Or the chain of pearls that beautify the worn and weary heart.

I will string together my letters.  Will you too?

for I may be that ONE that needs them.



Would you like to apply for the She Speaks scholarship?  Visit http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/03/how-christians-create-art-she-speaks-scholarship/