The Ultimate Social Network for Writers

I’ve heard it time and time again that writing is a lonely profession.  I’m somewhat inclined to agree with that because we have to be alone to get our thoughts out and into the physical world.  But, today I realized there is a social network that completely erases the loneliness.

I’m currently editing my novel “Pieces” which I plan on releasing in the spring of 2014.  As my eyes sweep over the pages I realize that other people could be watching me since I’m in a public place while enjoying a coffee.  For the next few minutes I keep myself in check as my book causes emotional responses.  I’m laughing and then I stop.  I grit my teeth and pull my fistful of hair until my scalp hurts.  I reposition myself in the seat while smiling at the screen.

I think, “What are these people around me thinking about me and my reactions?”  That leads to the thought of me on a couch with a therapist.  I would pour out my questions and concerns about my characters and ask why they had to do the things they did.  By the end of the session my therapist would deem me crazy for actually thinking the characters I create are real.  I’ll take the crazy pill because my characters are a part of who I am, therefore they are real.

Do any of you writers out there feel the same way?  A character may start out as an idea, but somewhere along the way they become real.  If something bad happens to them, then it hurts us.  If something good comes into their lives, then we’re happy for them.  Some may say to change the story if something bad is going on, but it’s not that easy.  For some of us writers the story unfolds and it’s like history; it can’t be changed.

This is when I realized that writing is NOT a lonely profession at all.  The social network for a writer is greater than any social network available to everyone else.  Facebook can never have as many available friends and events going on as the worlds and characters my books offer me.  I can sit and think and social network for hours.  “Christina, what’s happening today in Bakersfield, California?”  “Mel, how are you going to propose to her?”  “John, are you going to make it through this journey with Claire?”  “Dougan, why did you pick up that hitchhiker?”  “Hayden, how deep does your love for your father really go?”  And the answers start pouring in.  At that point my fingers hit the keyboard and make it happen.

You see, our characters entertain us beyond imagination.  It’s not a false reality that some psychologist might argue.  These people are real and their lives are imprinted on us as writers.  Reality is more beautiful because they exist.  It’s not crazy.  What’s crazy is thinking that the world could go on without these pieces of us existing.  Because of that the ultimate social network for writers will always be in our minds.

 

Personal Relationship with Jesus Christ.

There’s a simple question that has been diluted over time.  The question was posed to some of us while growing up, some later in life.  Once the question was asked and time moved on it becomes ease to forget the powerful meaning behind it.  “Do you want a personal relationship with Jesus?”  The question could have been phrased differently, but there is a key in there I want to take a look at; Personal Relationship.

 

All of us have relationships, some romantic or plutonic and others biological.  In the intimate relationships they all started out with speaking to the other person.  The development of that relationship might have started slow; with respect and astonishment that someone blossomed into feelings deeper than friendship.  It could have started with fire and passion, adventure and intrigue that could only be defined as crazy love.

 

Remember those early dates way before talks of marriage?  You might have written notes or bought a simple card.  You could have constructed a poem or bought flowers.  Maybe you made reservations at a nice restaurant and caught a movie before staying up all night and just talking to that other person.  You listened for hours on the phone while they chatted about everything possible.  Think about all those hours and days and weeks you put effort into that relationship that gave it a foundation to where you are today.

 

What about Jesus?  Maybe you said that prayer, opened your Bible, read it every day, went to church every Sunday, joined a ministry, became a missionary, help your local Christian outreach programs, pray every morning and night, and fill your schedule with honest deeds for Christ.  Maybe you’re not that outgoing.  If you’re an overachiever, prayer warrior, or silent Christian you may have lost focus on the very basic definition of your proclaimed faith; a personal relationship.

 

Think of the best relationship you’ve ever experienced with another person.  Now, think of the best thing they ever did for you.  Was there a sacrifice on their part; money, time, effort, etc…?  Now watch this.

 

 

 

Jesus did this with you on His mind.  He endured more than just flogging and humiliation.  He carried a cross up the mountain of despair in your life.  He planted that cross and was nailed to it.  He died with you on His mind.  It doesn’t stop there.

 

 

 

When you wake up Jesus should be on your mind.  You should give Him at least a minute to thank Him for that sacrifice and talk to Him.  Listen to what He has to say.  See where He wants you to go for the day.  Tell others about the best relationship you have on this earth.  Strive to become closer to God just like you strived to be great in every other relationship you’ve been in.  A personal relationship doesn’t start with a prayer and get refueled on Sunday mornings.  A personal relationship comes to life with a prayer and fuels your every movement and every breath.

 

 

Movie clips from Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ on youtube.

Golf: The Writers’ Sport

Most people know that writing can be a lonely profession.  Most of our work comes from the mind, therefore thinking takes up a large part of our time.  What’s the idea?  Where does the story go?  How can I make this character stronger?  How much do I edit?  Once finished with research, planning, writing, and editing the entire process usually starts again and continues until a finished product emerges.  There is only so much human interaction in the actual writing process which means we have to be alone to write.

 

Golf happens to be the loneliest sport on earth.  You may start with a group or a partner, but you probably will only see them in the tee box and on the green.  Your ball slices and theirs cuts.  You hit it straight and they venture into the woods.  You play in the sand and they search the rough.  But golf is great for the writer.

A writer thinks a lot and the golf course offers plenty of time to do that.  After a tee shot there’s a couple of minutes until you get to your ball and again after you hit with an iron.  In that time I think about my book project.  Do I like where the story is going?  Is there a connecter I can place early on and reveal at some other point?  Is he going to die and what will that do to the other characters?  I even think about book covers and what would best exemplify the entire book with one image.

Golf and writing have a lot in common.  There are funny moments; I almost hit the group playing beside us.  There are tragic moments; the ball bounce off a tree and landed in the lake.  There are adventurous moments; I had to trample over thorns, under branches, around trees to find my ball in the woods.  And there are peaceful moments; the ball soared like an eagle for two hundred and fifty yards.

You see, golfing is a story in itself.  The writer is the main character who has a mission.  They are thrown right into the action.  They have little time to defeat the enemy; themselves.  They have their weapons, distractions, suspenseful buildups, climaxes, agony, and revelations.  With each trip to the golf course they have one question on their minds; will this be a page-turner or a flop?

Too Much Pain.

You’re standing there because He told you to.  So, why does the weight on your shoulders feel so heavy?  You went down that path and it didn’t lead where you thought it would.  You’re right back in the same place.  You grew closer to God because you didn’t want to feel this way again.  He promised you a different outcome.  The waters are rising.  You fall to your knees because you don’t know what else to do.  You scream out to God, but you no longer have a voice.  The water rushes over you and knocks you back.  You’re struggling to stay afloat.  Wind and waves crash against your face.  You frantically try to keep your head above water.  Your arms are burning and your legs cramp up.  The last ounce of will leaves your body and you realize how broken you are.

You start to sink.  You’re reaching up for help as the salty water enters your mouth.  Your throat burns.  You can’t breathe.  Tears are streaming down your face.  You cry because the pain is too great to deal with.  Life wasn’t supposed to turn out this way.  Where are you to go when the skies are dark and you can’t see past a decision you haven’t even made yet?

You’ve already reached out to everyone you know for help.  They prayed a thousand times just as you have.  Yesterday was better, but today returned with force and left you hurting.  God took a vacation and forgot about you.  You’re alone and dying from the inside out.  Tomorrow will never be as bright as the past you long for.  Darkness overtakes you.

In that moment you feel more alone than you ever have in your entire life.  You’re done talking to God.  You want to turn to something else because your trust has been shattered.  You simply want to escape the pain.

That’s when the brightest light you’ve ever seen pierces the darkness.  An explosion from the surface of the water opens your eyes.  You see an arm reaching down to save you.  The hand grabs yours with force and pulls you up.  You emerge from the waters.  Ferocious winds tear at your clothes.  Howling winds shriek past your ears.  Lightening slashes the night skies.  A massive tidal wave is heading for you.  This time you won’t be able to survive the onslaught.

“Hold me,” He whispers.

You peel your face away from His chest and notice Jesus holding you tightly in the storm.  You look into His eyes.  The peace in them transfers to your soul.  He sees the fear resonating from your eyes and opens his mouth.

Gently he speaks, “Peace, be still."

 

The tidal wave falls like rain.  The winds, rain, and lightening evaporate.  The ocean beneath your feet turns placid.  That’s when you realize you’re standing on water.  It’s the first miracle in a long line of gifts God is about to impart in your life.  All you have to do is keep holding on.  Hold on to Jesus.

You're An Overcomer!

Mandisa has an awesome song out right now that inspires the weak and hurting with phrases like “Stay in the fight ‘til the final round” and “You’re not going under”.  She tells us that God isn’t turning His back on us anytime soon.

This prompted a thought about why we need God so much and what drives us into His arms.  Fear is a major part of that drive.  In our weakened state we become fearful of the unknown.  Will I be able to make next month’s rent?  Will my kids have food on the table?  Will I have to find another job?  God, are you going to show up and do something to help me out?

I searched the Bible about fear and found that God has been driving home a message to His people for thousands of years; Fear Not!  God isn’t afraid of anything because He knows what tomorrow will bring.  He wants us to stop worrying and release our fears.  Why?

Matthew 10:28  “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell.”  God wants us to fear Him only.  That’s a deep reality to grasp.  Seasons will pass, things will come and go, people will enter and leave your life for as long as you have breath in your lungs, but letting fear drive your emotions or actions does not help.  Fear only God for he has the power to destroy the soul and that is all that matters in the next life.

Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and salvation; Whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”  God ups the ante here.  He’s telling us that He gives us strength to get up and go on.  We shouldn’t be afraid of tomorrow because He is with us and will provide for us.  Do you ever feel that you can’t go on?  Is there anything else more powerful than that eclipsing feeling?  Sometimes all we need is strength because movement seems impossible.  God will give us strength.  He tells us that again in Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

If we haven’t been convinced yet God tells us in 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”  God did not give us a spirit of fear to worry about small things in this life.  He gave us power, love, and self-discipline.  God wants more than anything to show us love and for us to take that love and show it to others.  There is power in that.  He wants us to be Overcomers of our fears so we can experience His greatness each and every day.

God’s Pumpkin Spiced Latte

I’ve been seeing and hearing so much about pumpkin flavored coffees, snacks, pies, and about every other imaginable food and drink where the delicious additive is combined.  Tis the season for pumpkin scented candles, air fresheners, and automobile deodorizers.  Many say it is a seasonal trend that peaks around Thanksgiving, but holds steady during the fall months.  Is it a farfetched connection to ask if we are God’s pumpkin spiced latte sometimes?

Seasons come and go in our life where we are more active, have more energy, and feel better connected to those around us.  Statistics show that during the holiday season of Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas more people experience depression than any other time of the year.  I tell you, let God make you trendy this holiday season; just like the taste of pumpkin spice in everything you consume this fall.

You might be prone to depression because of a lost loved one, a divorce, an unexpected death of a child, debt, or other struggles this holiday season.  I heard something new from a guest speaker this last Sunday in church.  He said, “I am thankful for debt in my life.  It helps me realize how much I owe of myself to someone else.”  He wasn’t talking about financial debt, but the debt he owes his parents for the direction they pushed him in life.

So, as the holidays come pray something simple to God.  Tell Him you want something different this year.  You want Him to use you in a way He never has before.  Ask Him to show you joy each day and share that joy with others.  Ask Him to bless you, so you can bless others.  Pray for your enemies and everyone you come in contact with.  Read the Bible just a little bit more than usual.  Pumpkin spice will come and go.  Starbucks will no longer have the drink when spring rolls around.  Don’t fade out like that and wait for another season of usefulness to come along.  Ask God to make you his Pumpkin Spiced Latte and keep yourself on the menu year round.

Love Alone Is Worth The Fight

What is love?  Webster defines it as an intense feeling of deep affection.  Google brings up music videos and philosophical explanations on its attachment to sexuality.  Some say love is a weapon.  Others argue that love doesn’t exist at all.  I say, love cannot be attached to the fear of being hurt in any way, form, or shape, or it wouldn’t be love at all.

Love is in all of us.  If you instantly want to argue, then I can delve into the darkest scenarios possible to prove love’s existence.  Even a killer is touched by love, but lacks conscience to lead them down the right path of expression.  With those full of hate they are choosing the opposite and that choice alone shows their battle against love’s existence.

Love is caring for others.  You want to see them blessings shower their lives.  You care about their outcome.  This feeling may prompt the spirit of giving and sacrificing.  It becomes acceptable for you to suffer for their gain.  In your suffering you feel satisfaction because they are prospering.  The sacrifice can range from the unpleasant feeling of eating at a restaurant you would rather not all the way the ultimate, sacrificing yourself.

Love can be biological.  One loves their mother because of that relationship alone.  Mom nursed, raised, protected, and sheltered you and a piece of your core shows appreciation by the feeling defined as love.  Love can be chemical; that feeling of satisfaction before, during, and after sex.

One thing for sure is love cannot change.  Love is either present or absent.  Love can grow or diminish in the same way water can be poured into or out of a cup.  A simmering love can find a source of fuel and ignite into a burning inferno.  A raging love can be put out in an instant and vanish.  But love cannot change.  It changes you.

Love has a lengthy list of side effects that include, but are not limited to: happiness, joy, peace, kindness, patience, gentleness, caring, faith, and hope.  Love puts a smile on your face when it’s raining outside.  Love brings tears to your eyes when your daughter gets married.  Love sends chills down your arm when he whispers in your ears something romantic.  Love washes away the fear and comforts you in the storms of life.  Love replaces words of anger.  Love helps you wait, so you’re not alone.  Love gives hope when there doesn’t seem to be a way.

All this being said; love alone is worth fighting for.  Love brings too much positivity with it to be ignored or without.  Some days or even years can go by without love present.  You should have your sword and shield in hand and be in the middle of the battle.  Swing away at hate.  Stab frustration until it bleeds out.  Conquer fear and raise your sword high above your head and shout in victory, “I choose love!”  For without love we are a hollow shell waiting to be shattered.

It’s Not Enough!

You’re a thousand miles away tonight.  I stretch out my hand, but you don’t take hold.  I look to the skies and see beauty, but you’re missing.  The wind stirs the leaves in the trees all around me, but you no longer dance on the breeze.  I’m empty.  The fire is gone.  How could you leave me?  You knew I would need you right now.  Where do I go?  How do I continue?  How do I start again?  All I see is this massive mountain before me, the desert behind me, and crowded woods surrounding me.  Where did you go?

Keep walking.

 

Twigs slap at my face.  Thorns tear at my limbs.  Rocks catch on my feet and make me stumble.  Fallen trees beat my legs.  Snarled branches keep the sun from me.

 

Step out of the forest.

 

Miles of land lead to the mountain.  I don’t have the strength to make it in this open area.  It’s too far of a walk.  The sun burns my skin.  It’s too bright out here.  Where am I supposed to go?

 

Stop walking and run!

 

My legs burn.  I don’t have the energy for this.  My chest hurts.  There’s not enough oxygen in the air.  Sweat stings my eyes.  Okay, I’m at the mountain.  It’s so tall.

 

Climb!

 

The ground is unstable.  The earth slips beneath my weight.  My fingers are bleeding from clawing at gravel and gripping jagged boulders.  My knees hurt from lifting my weight higher.  I look back and fear falling to my death.  Bats escape a cave and slap at my head.  Small trees uproot when I try to get a hold of something to pull myself higher.  My arms hurt.  The top appears, but there’s nothing up there.  I finally reach level ground and fall to back.  I’m exhausted.

 

Catch your breath.  Lay there for a moment.  Rest.

 

I’m so tired.

 

Now, stand up.  Get to your feet.

 

But I’m—

 

Stop talking and look around.

 

Thick clouds hover above my head.  I reach up and touch them.  Cold moisture covers my hands and erases the cuts.  I turn to see a rainbow in the distance.  The beautiful colors somehow relax the aching muscles in my arms and legs.  I take a deep breath.  The clean air relaxes my lungs.  My chest no longer hurts.  A gust of wind knocks me to a sitting position.  The breeze washes away the gashes and bruises on my legs.  I sit and look at the forest in the distance.  It seems so small from up here.

 

I brought you to this place to show you something.  Do you see where you came from?  Remember the struggle in the woods?  Remember dreading the run?  Remember climbing this mountain?  Look closer.  The forest should have killed you.  The open field should have consumed you.  The mountain should have shaken you off.  But they didn’t.  You were not alone.  What do you see from here?

 

Tears stream down my face.  My body grows warm as you wrap your arms around me.  I see defeat.  I see impossibilities.  I see death.  I see that I couldn’t see a way through all that.

 

I am the way.

 

The darkness surrounding my journey dissolves.  A great light transforms all below to majesty.  I see strength developed from the journey through the forest.  I see endurance given from the journey across the field.  I see perseverance gained from the journey up the mountain.

 

You see victory with Me.  Now, go back.  But this time realize that I am with you.  This time do not try to do it on your own.  Open your eyes and see the struggle as I do; a blessing.  During the climb I will be the solid ground beneath your feet.  During the run I am your strength.  In the darkness I am the light.  In the your struggle I am your faith.  I am the way.  And the truth.  And I am your life.