This past month I {half-heartedly} participated in the Creativity Boot Camp put on by Madeline Bea. I would have liked to have done much more with it (and probably will go back and do just that in the near future) but until then, will be trying to participate more in The Sunday Creative that she is hosting.

And without further adieu… here is my entry for this week…

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An Open Heart {a fairytale}…

 The little girl began paging through the Bible on the end table as she sat next to her grandmother in an oversized chair at the corner of the cozy living room. Suddenly she stopped and looked at the page more intently, then to her grandmother and back at the Bible.

“Grandma, why do you like this Bible verse so much?” the little girl asked.

“What do you mean?” the grandmother said.

“The words are highlighted AND underlined. That means it must be REALLY special. Mom only underlines the words in her Bible” the young girl explained.

The grandmother straightened herself up in her chair and began speaking softly. “Let me tell you a story.”

“Once upon a time there was a young woman who was fair and beautiful. She had much going for her in life… a loving family, wonderful friends and a job she was very good at. But she wanted to be much more than that. You see, this girl had already done some extraordinary things in her life – like travelling the world – but there was something missing. Love.

“So one day she set out on her journey to find love, only to find that she ran into setbacks and roadblocks all along the journey. She looked and looked for the person that would be her lifelong companion. But no one appeared. And eventually her heart grew dismayed and she settled into a life where she thought she would be alone forever.

“The young woman stopped looking for this companion and instead focused on learning more about herself and her faith. She began studying the Bible very intently and came upon this verse in Proverbs during her devotions one morning.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

“So the young woman continued her studies and learned that she had closed herself to the possibility of being loved. She had stopped trusting that God would provide a husband for her. She had stopped believing that was beautiful.

“But as she continued studying her Bible, she learned that she was beautiful and that God loved her. She found that God delighted in her adventures and was sad when she felt lonely. She continued to learn and wanted to keep learning more.

“And then one day her Prince Charming came along.”

“A prince… really grandma!?!” The little girl exclaimed.

“Well, he wasn’t really a prince. And even when this man came along, she wasn’t really interested in him as more than simply a friend. After all, she had been hurt before. But with the help of God, she had opened her heart to become a friend to him and trusting again. She began to share her hopes and dreams. She began to share her fears. The man did the same. They each found it so easy to talk to one another. They became best friends.

“Soon they were dating and talking more often, and then trust between them grew into love. Then one day, this man asked her to marry him.”

The little girl interrupted suddenly, “Oh grandma, that’s wonderful!”

“Yes, it was. And they did get married in a beautiful wedding ceremony with that verse highlighted. Because without trusting in God, the woman may not have opened her heart to the man. She may have looked past him when they met or not returned his call.

“40 years later, I still love your grandpa so much. He is still my best friend and God continues to show us new things… including the joys of having a granddaughter just like you.”

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Have you ever had an idea where you wanted to stop everything to write about it, accomplish it, or journey through it?

I had that last night. As I was brushing my teeth. Let me tell you how hard it is to try to process an idea while brushing said teeth while wanting to be writing it all down. IMPOSSIBLE. I don’t think I made it in time to write all of the ideas… but I got most of them. And then I thought of writing this blog post.

Sometimes God places ideas within that burn, that develop and have a voice before the words even reach the page for me. These ideas come from seemingly nowhere and take on a life and a character all their own. They become a part of me.

Or is it that the ideas have always been there and that God is now simply letting them loose within me because I can handle the challenge or I have experienced something that will help it resonate with others.

As some of you know, I’m an aspiring writer. I haven’t shared a lot of my work recently because I simply have not been writing – outside of this space – regularly. As I wrote about habits yesterday… this is another habit I need to change. I need to become the writer that God has given the ideas to so that He can be glorified through them.

But as with any habit it’s so easy to get distracted. To find yourself busy with reading the latest book, or on Facebook/Twitter, or maybe even just simply watching your favorite television program. Distractions come so easily.

And the distractions must be fought.

God planted this seed of an idea within me a couple of weeks ago… and last night it took life. It grew roots. I can’t wait to see where this idea — this blessing — is going to take me. I’m sure it will be quite a journey, but I know it will be worth it.

Recently a friend of mine sent a note along via Facebook including a wonderful poem about Christians. The poem I read had given credit to Dr. Maya Angelou and it read as if she had written it. However, in the course of wanting to give credit to where she had published this, I found out that she had been given false credit. I’m not sure why some choose to take words from one and give them to another – more famous perhaps – author, but that was the case for the poem you will read below.

As a Christian, I am often labeled in some sort of fashion that put a negative view on what I believe. Most of the time I don’t let it bother me, mainly because I know who I am and what I believe. I know that I can be a hypocrite at times. I know that I am not perfect. I try to be the best person I can in all circumstances.

But I also need to learn, I need to get myself into the Bible each and everyday and strive to be better than who I was the day before. While I will never be perfect — no human being can be — I can still strive to help others, be a friend to those in need and set an example to kids (and maybe even adults) around me.

Here is the original version of the poem…

When I say “I am a Christian”
© 1988 – Carol Wimmer

When I say, “I am a Christian,” I’m not shouting, “I’ve been saved!”
I’m whispering, “I get lost! That’s why I chose this way”

When I say “I am a Christian,” I don’t speak with human pride
I’m confessing that I stumble – needing God to be my guide

When I say “I am a Christian,” I’m not trying to be strong
I’m professing that I’m weak and pray for strength to carry on

When I say “I am a Christian,” I’m not bragging of success
I’m admitting that I’ve failed and cannot ever pay the debt

When I say “I am a Christian,” I don’t think I know it all
I submit to my confusion asking humbly to be taught

When I say “I am a Christian,” I’m not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible but God believes I’m worth it

When I say “I am a Christian,” I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache which is why I seek His name

When I say “I am a Christian,” I do not wish to judge
I have no authority — I only know that I’m loved

*today’s lyric title: Carrie Underwood – “Jesus, Take the Wheel”

This week I am participating in a Christmas creative writing swap… and I have had soooo much fun with it!!!

I was paired up with Pam from Reflections of a Neurotic Writer. I love her poem below… and when you are done reading it — go check out my creative piece.

Do you like to write short stories or poems for fun but are afraid to show anyone what you have written?

Well, I have the solution for you. Come join our Creative Writing Swap. It is kind of like blog swap but instead of switching blog posts you will be swapping stories or poems. It is a way for you nervous nellies to get your work out there and for other more confident ones to reach a broader audience.

Well, I’m working with Pam from Reflections of a Neurotic Writer on this. Just go to her website here and in the comments leave your name, email address (don’t worry only she can see it), your url, and possbily what kind of writing you might be writing. That way we can pair you up with someone similar.

*photo credit: Lamy Vista @ Flickr

Recently I joined a new blog community for writing and today is our first “challenge” or story. When I got back into writing earlier this year, I wanted to share stories here — or feature more of my writing here, but just didn’t find the “time”. (You know how time can be an elusive thing!) So now I am “making” the time.

And here goes nothing…

This week our challenge is to find a person in public and study their character. Make a story surrounding them. Build them into a short essay.

Her hair blew out of her cap as she stood at the bus stop. The newly dyed blonde locks swirling in the cold air as she stood silently waiting for the bus to arrive, waiting for her ticket out of this mess. There wasn’t much left for her here. Even though it was the big city, she felt lost… alone… and most of all misguided.

Josie was escaping from the reality that had grabbed hold of her and Greyhound was her ticket out. This ticket cost half of her savings to trek across the land in search of something new. Searching for a new identity without changing who she really was or what she believed. Searching for a life where she would be sought out for her talents rather than used for them.

The roar of the bus grew louder as it came barreling down the street. As it stopped in front of the old army building, Josie took her last look at the place she grew up. The place that had given her hope but had also shattered her dreams. A place where she played hopscotch and jumped in the water from the fire hydrants on hot summer days. The alley where she had her first kiss and the stairs where she had broken her leg only a few months earlier. The apartment where her parents raised her, giving her a lifetime of memories, now sitting empty and abandoned.

Inching closer to the door, Josie lifted her backpack of belongings on her shoulder and secured her long hair under her cap once again. She wasn’t prepared for all of this, after all it was a spur of the moment decision. She knew hiding wouldn’t fix anything, but she also knew that staying could keep her a hostage in the life she knew. All she wanted was something new, but still something familiar.

Climbing the steps on the bus, Josie followed an elderly woman carrying a quilted bag. The bag was heavy and the woman struggled to maneuver it past the other passengers already seated. The woman took the first available seat, one of only a handful left. Josie scanned the bus looking where the other seats remained and chose to sit next to the woman she followed, hoping that she wouldn’t be asked a million questions about why she was here.

The woman said “hello” and Josie responded back with the same, and both turned back to facing the front of the bus. As the bus door closed, Josie felt relief coming upon her. A sense of peace, hope perhaps, that everything would get better. That she would find a way to live.

I’m at a loss for blog words today. Don’t worry… I have plenty to say – just may not be appropriate to put here. It’s been one of “those weeks” already. Oh well… it will get better. It just has to.

So in lieu of this… and because I haven’t put a lot of my writings up here yet, here’s a short poem I did a while back. Enjoy…

Sometime in the past week, I stumbled upon a creative writing swap at Reflections of a Neurotic Writer. Since I am working to become a writer (in whatever sense I can…) I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to share something from my life… something that came from my heart… and have a guest blogger here so you all can read something new, different.

My guest blogger today is Leah from the Five Blondes. I spend WAY too much time reading and catching up with her and her sisters lives yesterday than I really care to say. It was shameless… and it made me late for my walk. (oops.)

The theme for this first creative writing swap is… Friendship.

Things She Already Knew

She sat.
Tense.
Scared and alone.
Paralyzed by a hurricane of anxiety.
She had to do something,
So she wrote.

Fear.
Alone.
So alone.
What do I do?
They don’t understand.
Unloved.
Help.
HELP.

She called her greatest friend.
And cried.
Finally,
she cried to her.
And she was thankful for her greatest friend.

She was laughing,
A little while later,
When she found the note.
The shaky letters
Anxiously spelling out
Things she needed to say.
Her eyes shone
When she read it.
And she smiled.
As she recalled the night,
Not very long ago,
When her life seemed blank.

Today,
Her life was full.
So she called her greatest friend.
Together,
They laughed.
And silently thought of that dark night,
Not very long ago.
And her greatest friend told her
Things she already knew.
You are not alone.
You are loved.
You always were.
And she was thankful for her greatest friend

You can read what I have written here. Hope you all enjoy the swap! I will definitely be doing more of these!

Interested in reading more creative writing? Here are more that I found posted this morning from the group that was formed (there may be more, but I don’t have their blog info as of yet!)

Pam – http://neuroticwriter.rachieann.com/wp/
Mich – http://whoismich.blogspot.com/
Doug – http://douggoff.com/blogs/index.php
Daisy – http://australiandaisy.com/2009/09/09/my-frail-back-pics-36-38-and-a-bloggy-swap/

I was on a really good streak, almost a whole week in fact. Staying on plan – getting my workouts in – but lacking sleep again. I don’t know why this is… but I’m coming up with a new plan.

With all of the positives, I’m back on track and below goal weight once again. Feeling really awesome about that. Tonight (even though I didn’t want to), I went and did strength training workout and then got a short walk in as well. Tomorrow is my kickboxing class… which I am super excited to go back to after missing a week.

However, with the lack of sleep comes bad choices. Although not as bad as they could be I guess. I am finding that I am eating more at work during the day (I may have to ban myself from having food at my desk soon), but it’s not necessarily all that bad. Just too much of the “good” stuff.

I am going to try to salvage the damage i’ve done in 4 days for the remainder of this weekend. As I already said, I’ve got kickboxing (can you tell I’m excited about this?!?)… then going up to the cabin with my aunt & cousin. I’m really excited to “get away” for a bit – sit at the beach and hopefully get some much needed reading and writing done.

Speaking of writing, my “creative writing” has been a bit lacking lately. I put so much into it for a while, but then I set it aside. I need to pick it up again this weekend and re-commit myself to writing 3 pages a day. No.Matter.What. If I want to become a writer – the solution is simple – I.MUST.WRITE.

Hope all of you have a wonderful long weekend.