Reaching for Rainbows

I saw a fantastic post over at www.kissandtellya.com and one of the things I'm always telling (and retelling) myself is that no dream is off limits. I tell that my to kids too. The world is waiting to put limitations on everyone.

Those who refuse to acknowledge their inner limitations are the ones that touch the sky. So when it seems your dreams-those rainbows you want so badly- are out of your reach just stretch a little more and don't stop until they're yours.

Back in the Saddle

I've been off the loop for a while but I'm back in the saddle ; - ) and I'm here to talk about something that I've been hearing a lot about lately.

Writing is such a subjective topic. What one person likes, another hates. For the Christian, the line can grow even more narrow. There is a lot of judgment in Christian circles over what's considered 'acceptable' writing.

To force yourself to write for one particular market or genre because 'that's what a Christian would do' is not only wrong, it's a form of legalism-bowing to unspoken (and many times spoken) man-made 'rules'.

For the writer who writes for the 'secular' market, there is often a type of shunning that goes on. It's subtle, but it does exist. It's a dismissal, a judgment of a writer's level of spirituality if she/he doesn't write for the Christian markets.

Some people forget that Jesus had a 'secular' trade.

If you have the gift of writing, don't worry about where the story will fit or what people say. Just write.

Are You a Free Writer?

"Writing is a form of personal freedom. It frees us from the mass identity we see in the making all around us. In the end, writers will write not to be outlaw heroes of some underculture but mainly to save themselves, to survive as individuals." ~ Don Dellilo

Do You Know Steve Errey?

If you don't, you might want to check him out. He's a a confidence coach and he wrote one of if the best articles I've ever read about writing. It was called '5 Guaranteed Ways to Hate Your Own Writing'.

It's one of the most important articles you'll ever read about your writing. You can read about it here.


http://www.copyblogger.com/hate-your-own-writing/

Who Will Try to Take Your Dreams?

If you're a writer, you know that at times the journey gets frustrating. It gets tiring. Rejections sting. To add insult to injury, along comes someone who attempts to pull you down. Sort of like the old crab in the bucket.

That's why if you'll put a bunch of crabs into a bucket, they'll all stay in because when one on the top tries to escape, the others pull him back down again. Back in the bucket. Don't achieve the goal. Stay just like the rest of us.

Who are the people in your life who hit you with the negatives and try to get you to stay in the bucket?

I read a great post about that today-I get Copyblogger in my email-great site by the way-and there was an article in there titled '10 Pathways to Inspired Writing' by Matt Cheuvront. In the article, he had a hyperlink to the following post:

which is here

It's a great read for anyone-even if you're not a writer-about how to deal with people who try to discourage you from following your dream.

25 Days of Praise: Day 5

I'm praising God today that my oldest teen is home from the hospital. I'm praising God for another one of His reminders. On Saturday, in the mail, I got a package from a dear friend and in that package was Grace for the Moment Daily Bible-it's a compiliation of writings by Max Lucado. Anyway, I read Saturday's portion and it talks about how that basically the Christian life is a climb (I picture climbing up a steep mountain) and that the Holy Spirit is the harness and His Word is our rope. We might have a misstep and stumble, but the harness was strong and the rope held.

When families go through times of illness or deal with chronic conditions, there are times when there's the sensation of falling. I read that part on Saturday, right when I needed it.

So I'm praising God that we're all home again. that He used a dear friend as a vessel to bring His reminder. I'm praising God that His is the rope that will never fray.

25 Days of Praise: Day 4

I haven't blogged since December! Over an entire month. It's not that I didn't have anything to say (or to praise God for) it's just that I've been busier than usual. Sometimes when things get hectic around my house with the schedules and all the health stuff, I find that God will often send me little 'reminders' that He knows the situation and it's in His hands, that He loves me and that there's a sweet peace with Him.

Sometimes, the days do seem like they're made of three T's. You know them. Toil, Trials and Troubles. You work hard and things go wrong left and right. You get through one trial and another takes its place. Trouble is an unwanted breakfast, lunch and dinner guest and then wants to sleep over to boot. Those are the days that when I hear that gentle reminder-of His love, His provision, His unending watch over me, it always brings a lump to my throat.

So today, I praise God for the reminders. For the God He is. I praise Him for never leaving, never forsaking.