Author Tricia Goyer shared two pearls of wisdom with her son, a recent homeschool graduate:

1. “Cory you’ve worked hard and you’ve excelled in your studies, but for your future my advice is not to work harder. Or even to work smarter. But to abide in Christ. Even machines can be trained to do work, but only men and women - guided by the Holy Spirit - can bear fruit that lasts for eternity.”

….and….

2. “If at first you don’t succeed, go back and do it like your mother taught you.”

“Tune our hearts to sing your grace.” ~ C.S. Lewis

Twice this week I’ve heard the expression, “So many books, so little time!” All the more reason to be selective, wouldn’t you say? Life is too short to fill our minds with junk.

“That is a good book which is opened with expectation and closed in profit.”
~ Amos Bronson Alcott

“I suggest that the only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little farther down our particular path than we have yet got ourselves.” ~ E. M. Forster

“Choose an author as you choose a friend.”
~ Sir Christopher Wren

“Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all.”
~ Henry David Thoreau

What books come to mind as you recall those that deeply impacted your life? Care to share?

“Cease to inquire whatever the future has in store, and take as a gift whatever the day brings forth.” ~ Horace

“Be like the bird that, halting on its flight awhile on the boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings.” ~ Victor Hugo

“I have held many things in my hands and I have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess.” ~ Martin Luther

There’s nothing like a good quote at the right time:

“Today a new sun rises for me; everything lives, everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me of my passion, everything invites me to cherish it.” ~ Anne de Lenclos

“Kind words smooth all the paths of life and smiles makes burdens light, and uncomplaining friends can make a daytime out of night.” ~ Carrie Jacobs Bond

“When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems that you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” ~Harriet Beecher Stowe

“Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love, and the future to His providence.” ~ St. Augustine

“The greatest gift we can give one another is rapt attention to one another’s existence.” ~ Sue Atchley Ebaugh

As I perused my lovely Mother’s Day gifts this morning, each one reflected the specialness of the giver and warmed my heart. But more than gifts or praises, we mothers desire something more precious than store-bought sentiment - the gift of time. I love my children, but not for the gifts they bring. The gifts are a sweet representation of their love, but their presence in my life means more than I can describe.

On that thought, God nudges me. Is He trying to tell me something? After all, writers busy themselves with many a project, trying to honor Him with thoughtful, well-put words. In the process, we sometimes forget what He desires most. As much as words and stories bless His heart, He just wants us. If we but spend precious time with Him, the words will come.

A good week to concentrate on the Giver, and not so much the gifts. Let us honor God with all we write, but remember that good writing flows from a bountiful relationship with Him.

He is the Author and Perfector of our faith, amen?

“I have learned, on my journeys, that if I let a day go by without writing, I grow uneasy. Two days and I am in tremor. Three and I suspect lunacy. Four and I might as well be a hog, suffering in the flux in a wallow. An hour’s writing is tonic.” ~ Ray Bradbury

So many times we hear folks say, “I’d love to write but I don’t feel inspired.” The inspiration comes as we write, does it not?

One friend laments the time issue. According to her, writing is a waste unless she’s able to devote whole days to the process. Most of us learn to lay claim to smaller blocks of time or else we’ll never write. When I worked full-time (with way too much overtime) for 6 years, I still managed to blog and submit occasional articles. Not saying it’s easy. I’m just saying…

Another misconception: “If the writing is too hard, it’s not meant to be.” Not necessarily. Some will abandon a writing project once it involves discomfort. The reasoning? Too much blood, sweat, and tears. To quit is always a personal choice, but maybe we should count the cost. Because most writing in general includes grueling phases we’d rather not experience. But they pass. It’s good to remember that if the Lord calls us to write something down, we can absolutely trust His enablement.

Writing is not easy. And sometimes our misconceptions are mere excuses. Like a friend reminded me the other day, we’re either called or we’re crazy. I had to laugh. Yes, but moving past a few misconceptions will get us over the hump.

What writing have you put off for far too long? Why? I’d love to hear about it.

“When you embark upon creative work, it will push your personal boundaries. It will open up parts of yourself with which you have been unfamiliar. It will cause you to ask questions of your life. It will insist that you come up with names for things that until now you haven’t examined carefully at all.” ~ Vinita Hamptom Wright, The Soul Tells a Story

“Let all my words sink deep into your own heart first; listen to them carefully for yourself. Then, afterward, go to your people.” ~ Ezekiel 3:10-11, TLB

We write our experiences down too quickly sometimes. Certain events need to simmer. Particularly when we’ve been hurt.

Before we gain a right perspective, we need the Lord’s insight. Otherwise, our words aren’t ready. We need a certain healing before we tackle strong topics, or else we’re merely grinding an ax.

Yes, it’s still true - everything in life is fodder for the writer.

But all in good time.

“Where would art historians be if they knew nothing of the Bible? How much sense would Rembrandt’s Prodigal Son make without the story it illustrates?” ~ Sandra Glahn

My friend, LeAnne Martin, has a new feature at Christians in the Arts called the Roundtable. Recently she interviewed fiction writer, teacher, and speaker Sandra Glahn:

LeAnne:
Why do you think Christians should care about the arts?

Sandra:
The Bible is filled with places where we see God’s passion for art. In Genesis He makes the world, animals, humanity. In Exodus we see Him giving fantastic instructions for a beautiful tent complete with a wardrobe for those who serve in it. In Leviticus we see him creating all sorts of symbolic ways to express His holiness. Fast forward to Ezekiel or Hosea where we see him giving bizarre instructions to serve as object lessons…

For the rest of this exciting discussion, visit:
Why Christians should care about the Arts

~ ~ ~

LeAnne’s purpose for the blog is “to encourage artists who are Christians struggling to integrate their faith with their art.” She wants to help us understand the value of the arts in our own lives and in becoming more involved in the arts to help reach the world for Christ.

Meet LeAnne Martin
Link to Christians in the Arts.