Writing Challenges and Goals Revisited

Yesterday was an odd kind of day! I was scheduled to deliver the message at an assisted living/retirement community and had planned to act out a "fictitious" woman from the bible who had witnessed the last supper. Oops! Nobody told me they changed the time from 11:00 to 1:45! So much for that, though I learned some interesting things as I researched Passover and read all four accounts of that night in the New Testament.

On the way home from not delivering the message at 11:00 I remembered that one of my friends was scheduled to present at the Richmond Christians Who Write Meeting. Though I had planned not to go so I could spend time with my husband and do some things around the house, I decided to attend the first part of the meeting so I could hear her presentation. God was all over my day! My friend delivered a powerful message about obstacles writers face (I think it ended up being 15) and how to overcome them. It was amazing to hear the scripture she relied upon to overcome each one in her own life!

I had just this past week given myself (yet another!) kick in the pants to get back on track with writing as God desires. I've honestly been spending too much time "diddling" and not enough doing intentional, serious writing. The meeting yesterday gave me the additional push I needed!

Yesterday I submitted 2 poems to one contest and a short story to another contest. I haven't been diligent about submitting for several months and it felt good to get back on track.

I'm reposting my goals and scripture focus that I established and shared in January. The women at Christian Women Take Root sponsored this exercise and I'm glad to have it as a reference. I had this page posted over my computer at some point. Don't know where it is now. . . hmmm . . . The scripture focus is John 16:33 from the Amplified Bible.

My action goals are Pray More, Write More, Be Gentler With Myself, Spend More Time with God. The white blocks adjacent to each 1/4 of the circle contain specific activities that will assist me in accomplishing the goals. (If you would like to do one for yourself, I used Powerpoint to make a "presentation."

Here are some links to previous posts where I offered encouragement for writers. Hope these are timely for you--and helpful.

http://godlygraffiti.blogspot.com/2009/04/are-you-experiencing-writers-block-or.html

http://godlygraffiti.blogspot.com/2009/04/bible-writers-friend-and-refuge.html

One of the things that stands out from my friend's presentation yesterday was her statement that we are ordained by God to write. It's not about us--it's about the Word of God through us. That alone is reason to write! I don't want to get to heaven and have God ask me why I didn't write more of what He told me to write!

My friend also shared that when we are in line with God's desire, He takes care of the details--time, circumstance, creativity, inspiration. All we have to do is obey. I like that!


"Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness" (Isaiah 30:8 NIV).