To Reach or Not To Reach…Five Minute Friday

It's Friday and I'm actually writing the Five Minute Friday post ON FRIDAY! Can I get a standing ovation for this?  A high five?  No?   Oh well…this is the post where I join Kate Motaung and the Five Minute Friday writers.  It's where we all write on the same word prompt of the week.  The idea is to write freely for five minutes…no editing, no over thinking, no worrying about grammar or punctuation.
So here goes.

Reach

Reach for the stars.

Reach out and touch someone.

Reach your destination.

No one is beyond the reach of God….

Reaching is work. Reaching is striving.

Reaching is…

a funny word when you say it over and over.  reach…reeeeach…..reeeeeach. But I digress…

                                                                                                                     Reach

Reach within to find yourself.

We reach out because we need something…or is it because want something?

Sometimes we get what we want, but we reach again…it wasn't what we thought it was.

No…that's not really the best way to find myself…to find what I need. Do I really know what I need?

Reach…reeeeeach…reeeeeeeeeah! Is that a cry for help?


Look at the sunflowers.

They reach for the sun…

Or do they turn to the sun…the sun reaches down to nourish the flower…to give it life.

So…

 I stop reaching and turn to the Son…and He meets me right where I am.

Planted here in this desert land…dry and parched, drowning in the sands of time.

He reaches down…

He makes me bloom, bringing rains to refresh,

 the warmth of His face to bring life to these dry bones.

And so I reach out to God….

Turn my face to Him, extend my arms, my heart, my whole being to Him.

Not tight-fisted to grab hold in desperation…no…with open hands…freely

Reaching out to surrender… my life, my longings, my heart. my stubborn will...

To Him,

Who "rescued me because HE delights in me"!

He reached down from heaven and rescued me: He drew me out of deep waters. He delivered me from my powerful enemies, from those who hated me and were too strong for me. They attacked me at a moment when I was weakest, but the LORD upheld me. He led me to a place of safety; He rescued me because He delights in me. ~Psalm 18:16-19

Do you long to be reached down to, or are you still reaching?
Let Him reach out to you my friend!

I'm joining Kate Motaung and the  Five Minute Friday writers today.

Click over and join the fun!

Battling Within the Walls…Let it go!

So I'm a pastor's wife…not only a pastor's wife but a church planting pastor's wife.

I rarely write just from this perspective because, for me, being a church planting pastor's wife is just part of the flow of my daily walk with the Lord. I would choose to work in the church in some capacity, whether I had the 'title' or not.  I did before I became a pastor's wife over 30 years ago, and I continued  even when we took 13 years off from the ministry. I never took a break from God's people, His Church, or the local body of believers.

I believe, as the Bible says, the 'Church' is the Bride of Christ and that the located ministry of the church is God's design to encourage one another in our daily walk with Him. As it says,

And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encourage each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. ~ Hebrews 10:24-25

We, as the body of Christ, need a local body that will not only encourage us, but also be a place where we can go to encourage others. It should be a safe haven, a place of healing, but also a place where we are challenged to walk closer to God daily.  A place that helps us learn to 'practice the presence of God' every single day of our lives.

We should leave each service ready to show the world in which we live…our homes, our workplace, our communities…the love of Christ. Not just with our words but with our actions.

That's how it should be and is for the most part.  But the local body of believers...wherever it may be located is made up of many types of people. We are all in different places, or levels of maturity, in our walk with God and some have yet to choose the path that God has for them. We are all capable of falling away from the life God has called us to, even as far as falling into the traps set by the enemy.

But he that dares not grasp the thorn should never crave the rose.
Anne Bronte, The Narrow Way

As a pastor's wife, and particularly a church planting pastor's wife I have seen both sides of the same coin.

• The great reward of having front row seats to witnessing the amazing change that the Word of God and His Holy Spirit bring about in the hearts and yes, sometimes the circumstances of men and women's lives.  
• The heartbreak of those who, instead of choosing God's way, try to figure out life on their own…even though their present circumstances resemble a bad train wreck. As the hubs likes to say, "How's that working for you?"

Let me break it down on a more personal level:

The reward:

 I personally love to meet with women and teach them how to look at their lives through the lens of the God's Word, the Bible.

 It is so rewarding to see women grasp hold of the love that God offers as well as the wisdom from His word and begin walking it out in their day-to-day life. Living it out in their homes, their workplace, and their communities.

I am encouraged to see the joy that comes from applying the principles of the Bible to everyday living. To see a woman transition from a life of worry and misery to a life of peace and contentment, even in the midst of serious trials, is indeed a rewarding thing.

I love witnessing the transformation…seeing the light in their eyes as they begin to realize their true worth and beauty as a woman created in the image of their Creator. The realization that she is forgiven and redeemable and not forever broken and worthless transforms a woman like nothing else I have ever witnessed. The very countenance on her face changes as the reality of exactly who she is in Christ sets in…such a beautiful countenance as the Holy Spirit comes in to set up residence in her heart.

I feel like a proud spiritual mother when a woman begins to understand her own calling and watching her step out, as a baby bird leaves it's nest, and begin to serve other's in the way God intended. Not my definition of who she should be, but God's. Not pride in my part of this in any way, but so very proud of the way she has allowed God to direct her paths as she begins to grow into the woman she was created to be. A woman who finally understands her purpose in this life blooms into beauty; one who is confident, yet humble.

The heartbreak:

One of my greatest sorrows…seeing a woman begin to understand her standing with Christ and walk toward Him…only to find the road, or her limited understanding of it, too difficult to travel. She turns back at the first trial in the new life available to her…she begins to long for the old ways and turns back to what she was familiar with. Slipping back on the old life like a pair of familiar, comfy, and worn out pajamas.

Witnessing the broken and fallen men and women coming into the church, as well as those who still refuse to test the Lord to see if He is good. My heart breaks when I hear some of their stories…stories that only the enemy of the soul could orchestrate with the intent to destroy the heart and soul.  Yes we are all fallen…that's why we all need the redeeming work that Christ carried out on the cross so long ago.  We need a savior and it is a privilege to lead others to my savior and see them embrace Him as their own. But still…the stories break my heart.

As a pastor's wife, my heart breaks when I encounter those who are within the church body, taking on the personal mission of tearing down the pastor and/or his wife.  I have seen it and heard it told in the lives of many of my fellow pastor's wives, and heard the pain they carried from the attacks. But to be completely honest and open about this issue as it applies to me as a pastor's wife, I never really experienced the critical naysayers within the church directed at myself or one of my ministries, even of the hub's ministry, as I have, in recent years.  At a time when I need the encouragement of fellow believer's most, I have been either attacked or just left as an orphan of sorts.  And that is…well…heartbreaking.

I know that God's got my back. I rest in that. I try not to let the arrow's of critical naysayers affect my moving forward into this thing God has called me to.  It is really hard not to respond to the latest nit-picking criticism with the facts that would prove them wrong. The ones that have a tendency to get under my skin are the personal attacks given in a self-righteous tone by those who tend to be mostly talkers of the Word rather than doers of the word. But I know that it really doesn't matter. They will believe lies until they turn to God for the source of Truth and not to gossips.  It makes me want to cry out as the LORD did with His chosen people:

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. ~Matthew 23:37

The real issue is not against those people…it is not against flesh and blood. It is against the enemy of my soul…Satan. He enters into the battle with a vengeance when we are about the business of bringing people into the Kingdom of God. He hates that! He hates us. And the harder he battles against this mission the harder we will fight for God. I will not be discouraged by the minority …the skeptics, the doubters, the naysayers, the gossips, the jealous, or even those who are just angry at everything…we just happen to be on their latest list of people to criticize. Even when I want to just quit and run away, I will not. God is in control.

The enemy still has battles, skirmishes, to fight in this world and he does win from time to time, but the WAR has already been won. The enemy knows he is already defeated and he wants to take down everyone else in his path to destruction. Misery loves company, as they say.

The promise and the hope:

My choice will be to rest in the Lord.  I will surrender into His arms, into His peace, and into His rest.  He will be my sanctuary.  I will rest in the promise of His word:

The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. ~Exodus 14:14

He will go before me and fight those battles, clearing the path. Only His path will bring about that 'peace that passes understanding'…that peace that does not make sense in the midst of tribulation and trial.  When the world around me fails, He does not. And yes, even when we as individuals within the body of Christ fail to walk as He has called us to, HE does not. His love never fails. 


The truth is that ALL of us have theses battles in our lives, whether we happen to be a pastor's wife, a church planting pastor's wife, or a woman (or man) whose heart it is to love the Lord and serve. If we are about the business of our heavenly Father, we will face trials of many kinds in this life on earth (John 16:33).  But we have our Heavenly Father in the ring, fighting for us. As Paul says in Romans, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)  We have His promise in the Word:

No, in all these things, we are more than victorious through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! ~Romans 8:37-39

What are you battling today?  Are you ready to let go, and let God take over?

I'm linking up with Holly at Coffee for your heart today…a day late. :-)

 

A Reader's Response to Tears of a Clown

After reading my last blog post addressing the issue of depression, Jenni Saake sent a rather long and beautifully written response. Apparently it was too long to fit into my comment form on the blog post, so she private messaged me. While reading her response, I knew I needed to share this with you, my readers. Not because she was in agreement with my post, but because she writes from the heart of one who has traveled down the long and painful road of depression.  

Some of you may recognize Jenni's name as she also happens to be a blogger/author friend that I had introduced in a Writer's Blog Hop not too long ago. She is the founder of Hannah's Prayer Ministries and author of Hannah's Hope: Seeking God's Heart in the Midst of Infertility, Miscarriage and Adoption Loss. After a chiropractic accident at the age of 30, Jenni suffered 6 strokes, sustaining significant brain injury, and journals the spiritual and physical recovery journey on her blog at Stroke Of Grace.

I was so touched and encouraged by her response to my last post that I knew I needed to share her words with you here. It is my hope and prayer that you will be inspired and encouraged as well!

Jenni's Response:

Very well stated. So often the church at large wants to make depression a purely spiritual issue. That as long as you are a Christian you cannot possibly face depression and still be in a right relationship with the Lord. I love how you talked of the complex interaction between mind, spirit and body then said, "That is not to say that people who are Christians do not struggle with depression. Some do. But the answers to our deepest longings can be found in Him. Joy is not a condition of the heart that is brought about by the perfect circumstances in life. Joy is the hope in the One who is our salvation, our hope, and our grace, in spite of the pains, the wounds that we attain in this life on earth. Joy comes about when we allow those feelings of anxiousness, and fear turn us to God, remembering His goodness, even when our world seems to be falling apart; trusting the One who can bring us through the storms of life."
After my strokes I was deeply depressed (sudden blindness, hearing loss, serious nerve pain, loss of any form of self balance or ability to walk, could do that to a person!) but I surrounded myself with praise music, audio Bibles, and a couple months in when I could finally make limited use of a large print Bible, submerged myself in Scripture that way too. I prayed rather continually and sought the Lord daily, fervently. The pastor, elders, friends would come pray over me, with me. Still, I grew more and more depressed and quite suicidal for many months.
About 6 months in my doctor convinced me to try an antidepressant, something I had resisted up until this time, thinking depression to be purely circumstantial and needing greater spiritual discipline to come through the storm. We didn't get the medication correctly balanced the very first try, but it was a starting point. Within a few weeks, it was doing enough good that I could see small rays of hope breaking through my despair for the first time, enough so that I was willing to continue working with my doctor to find the correct dose (that, once achieved, offered a night and day difference!). As it turned out, the strokes had caused enough damage to specific emotional processing centers of my brain and the overall chemical balance of this organ, that short of God's divine healing, my brain was simply incapable of creating anything other than a deep, dark slimy pit where joyful emotions should be. The medication was providing a better balance of the chemicals my body should have already been producing on its own, but was simply incapable of now.
Once I got on the right dosage of medication, my body had also had many months to gain physical healing, so the circumstances, while still daunting, were no longer as intensely grim nor dire. I also gained insurance approval to start counseling, so I finally had professional help to start unpacking emotional baggage. When the mind and body were properly addressed, ALONG WITH the spiritual, then there was room for spiritual healing as well. My prayer, from the beginning had been "restore to me the joy of Your salvation" and God DID both renew a right spirit within me and overwhelm me with His joy.
At almost 3 years, I now walk with a cane, have mostly restored vision, have regained a little hearing, but the chronic physical pain issues become more intense all the time (and were horrid to start with). So if we are going purely by circumstantial issues, there are great gains in some areas and ongoing losses in others. But I will tell you, I would so much rather choose this physical pain along with restored hope, than the emotional/spiritual writhing of depression!
Lest you think I am making an argument for depression being purely chemical, physical or circumstantial, I still believe there is a great spiritual interplay as well. A year ago I went through several weeks of a slippery slide springily downward, back into the slimy pit. I couldn't understand what nor why this was happening. I was on the verge of calling my doctor and asking him to raise my antidepressant dose, when a STILL SMALL VOICE broke through to my heart to remind me I had been neglecting consistent time alone with Him over recent weeks. Oh, my life was filled with good "Christian things" but in the new-found business, one-on-one intimacy with the Lord was lacking.
I returned to Him, confessed my neglect, and recommitted myself to seeking out priority alone time with Christ. Amazingly, all traces of my heavy heart vanished within a few days! When I start to struggle now, as I still do at times, my first question is always honest self-evaluation of the state of intimacy I'm enjoying (or not) with my Heavenly Father. Often a little adjustment there will make an indescribably amount of difference! If it doesn't bring about immediate positive change, I now know there could be other physical or mental issues at play, so I think through recent dietary choices, physical exercise schedule, check my pill box to be sure I haven't been missing any antidepressant doses over the past week, and I have yet to face a time when the heart/soul, mind and body are all being cared for as they should that I could even fathom suicide as a viable option anymore!

Wow! I am humbled by your words, Jenni. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your journey with us!  It is my prayer that God will continue to bring about healing in your body, and that He will continue to use your story to encourage, to inspire others, and to advance His kingdom through your ministry.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.  ~2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Sharing your story may be a blessing to others. Be alert…God just may bring someone across your path this week. Are you willing to allow God to use you to be a comfort to someone else?

Read the article Jenni is responding to here: Tears of a Clown…Take Heart!

Resources:

The American Suicide Prevention Line: 1-800-273-TALK(8255)
Is Depression Emotional, Spiritual, or Due To A Chemical Imbalance? by Paul Meier, M.D.
Christians Get Depressed Too Films

Tears of a Clown…Take Heart!

So much is being circulated on the Internet following the sad suicidal death of Robin Williams this past Monday.  It is indeed a sad day when a man who brought light moments and hysterical laughter to so many would choose to end his own life, to succumb the mind-numbing, heartbreaking, downward spiraling thought processes that his own mental illness would lead to.

It is reported that he has battled addictions, depression, and more specifically bipolar disorder for a very long time now.  It just breaks my heart that this man who was loved by so many, and who, by all accounts, was adored by his own children, would make such a choice to take his own life. Leaving behind him a wake of grief and pain. This man who spent the majority of his own life making others laugh was indeed riddled by a deep inner sadness.

The words, 'tears of a clown, when there's no one around' come to mind when I contemplate the life of this man.  I have read many quotes attributed to Robin, but I believe the following quote to be most telling:

 I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone--it's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people that make you feel all alone. 

Perhaps it was not really the people around him that made him feel alone but his own inner struggles with depression. Feeling alone, even when surrounded by friends and family can be the hardest thing to deal with because by all accounts, that emptiness, the deep dark hole, should not exist.  But sadly, it does for many people who deal with depression.

I've struggled with how to deal with the issue of depression in this post.  I'm neither a licensed counselor nor a psychologist…so I will not presume to try and figure out what exactly went wrong in this man's life to cause him to take his own life.  I have not personally dealt with serious depression myself so I cannot speak from the standpoint of one who has 'been there'.

But I have walked alongside those who have...

As a lay counselor, I have learned that depression can be excruciatingly painful. It impacts not only the one depressed but family members and friends, as well. It can be debilitating to the point of not being able to do the things we all take for granted, like getting out of bed, taking a shower…just your normal workday can seem insurmountable. Depression is a multifaceted and complex issue, and yes there can be chemical imbalances at play, but it is usually a symptom of a deeper issue.

Depression has many origins, so it is important to determine all of the contributing factors before trying to find a solution. And please know that there is a solution. There is a way to cope with this debilitating condition.  Many have faced the source, whether physical or emotional, or inward emotional scars and pain, and have gone through the journey of the dark night of their own soul and have survived. Taking your life is not an answer to the pain and isolation you may be experiencing.

There are entire books written on this and there is a complex relationship between spiritual life and psychological health. I cannot address such issues in-depth in this article. But I will say that dealing with depression as if it is only a chemical imbalance can be a deadly mistake. The mind, body, and spirit need to be addressed if an individual is suffering from severe depression.

The answers are complex, but the deepest issues of our heart and soul can be answered from God's word.  True joy can be found in a real, deep, and abiding relationship with God. That is not to say that people who are Christians do not struggle with depression. Some do. But the answers to our deepest longings can be found in Him.

Joy is not a condition of the heart that is brought about by the perfect circumstances in life. Joy is the hope in the One who is our salvation, our hope, and our grace, in spite of the pains, the wounds that we attain in this life on earth.  Joy comes about when we allow those feelings of anxiousness, and fear turn us to God, remembering His goodness, even when our world seems to be falling apart; trusting the One who can bring us through the storms of life. Faith becomes even more of a reality when you learn to trust in Him, knowing that you are not alone. God is with you. He knows your thoughts and every intimate detail of your heart and soul…and He loves you. He is present even when you don't 'feel' His presence.

I don't believe that there is ONE approach to dealing with this issue. There needs to be a balance. You cannot just deal with the physical brain and ignore the heart issues. As I have already stated, there needs to be a multifaceted approach…mind, body, and spirit.

And then there's this…people who commit suicide are still making a choice. Yes, their judgment has most definitely been clouded by some kind of circumstances that have led to a depressed state of mind. But there are many who have dealt with depression and are still alive today. So if you are in the throws of depression please understand that your answer is not in taking your life.  That will only lead to pain in the lives of your family and friends.

You do have a choice…so make it the right one. Get help. Seek out a good licensed counselor. Tell God about your sufferings…He already knows everything about you. Giving voice to your pain and anguish to God will help. Open your Bible and read from its pages. Read the Psalms…David expresses every kind of emotional pain and turmoil imaginable. Memorize Psalm 130…in it David begins with expressions of despair but by the end of the psalm, we see despair replaced by hope.  The Word of God is not a bunch of dead letters on a page but is living and active and contains the power to bring your spirit alive and in alignment with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.  Allow it to be the salve that your spirit needs.

We live in a fallen world.  The enemy of our soul wants to destroy us by whatever means he can. He wants us to think that the fallen condition of this world is all there is…but he is a liar!

There is so much more…both in this life and the life to come for those who have chosen to accept the free gift of God's grace through the sacrificial death of His Son, Jesus Christ. However, even Jesus told us that we would have trials in this world. But He also left us with the promise of His peace…a peace that is beyond explanation in light of some of the trials, and temptations that we face. He tells us this in John 16:33:

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

My prayer is that you will allow the love and peace of Christ dwell in your hearts. Take heart and don't give up. You, who are suffering the throes of depression today, will someday have the opportunity to share with others your journey through depression and bring hope and the light of Christ's love to them.

There is a time…yet to come when God Himself will wipe away every tear. There will be a place of joy...pure joy, which cannot be diminished.  And in that place, you will take hold of the nail-scarred hand.  The very hand of the One whose unconditional, sacrificial love, and grace brought you through the raging waters to this place of calm and eternal joy and peace.

Hang onto the hope that is found in Him.

Update: A Reader's Response

Resources:

The American Suicide Prevention Line: 1-800-273-TALK(8255)

Happiness Is a Choice:The Symptoms, Causes, and Cures of Depression, Frank Minirth, M.D. & Paul Meier, M.D. 

Related Articles:

Is Depression Emotional, Spiritual or Due To A Chemical Imbalance? by Paul Meier M.D.

 Robin Williams and His Christian Faith/Christianity Today

Matt Walsh article on Robin William's death by suicide. 

What the Church Needs to Know About Suicide & Mental Health, Ann Voskamp

And So I Write...A Writer's Blog Hop

I've been on quite a long and unintentional sabbatical from writing. Sometimes it is good to just step back and reassess the what and why of this whole blogging gig.

Sometimes life just begins to take over and all those words remain floating in the recesses of my mind…anxiously awaiting that moment when the dam breaks and the words just flood out all over the white space….spilling over the edges in a mess of words looking for their proper setting.

And so…I begin…again. As I was anticipating what I would write about,  my sweet friend, Cheryl Lutz, invited me to participate in a summer Blog Hop. In this blog hop we not only answer questions about our own writing, but we get to introduce you to several of our own writer/blog friends…and it just keeps going.

I first met Cheryl through an online book launch group for Jo Ann Fore's book, When A Woman Finds Her Voice.  We are both Pastor's wives and have a passion for leading women to connect to the heart of God, and that common desire just 'sealed the deal' of our friendship. We also had the opportunity to meet and connect in 'real life' on a retreat in Tennessee and experienced that sweet bond that sister's in the Lord often find.  I just love her and I know you will too! Cheryl writes over at Securely Held, check her out!

And now for the questions. I have to say these questions are a challenge, as I have been pondering some of the very same thoughts in recent months.

What am I writing or working on?

This post at the moment. (wink)  Seriously, I'm always a work in process myself and my writing tends to reflect that.  I do have a book project that originally started out with a small group of women; each contributing a chapter of her own. However, something happened in the life of the woman coordinating the project and now the entire book deal has been dropped into my lap to do with as I see fit. I have already written a chapter of just over 9000 words, but it was meant to be a chapter that fit into a book that consisted of a collection of writings from mother's who have experience raising a special needs child. I don't even believe any of the original women stuck with the project long enough to get their chapters completed. So there's that. I think my next step on this project is a long talk with the marketing agent at WestBow Press on what direction I need to take…and much prayer!

I've also been working to improve the design of this blog. Learning a little HTML and tweaking things here and there to give it a more streamlined, clean look.  Eventually, I will be moving over to my own self-hosted Wordpress site, but my URL will remain the same as it is now.  What I need to be working on is writing consistently. SBICAW! Sit butt in chair and write! God has called me to this thing and I may flounder from time to time, but I will 'keep on keeping on'.

Photography has become quite a hobby and I am working on figuring out how to get some of my photos and graphics available for sale in the near future. For me, this hobby of 'clicking' and writing have and will continue to be connected. It just might evolve into something much different in the future. We'll see.

My latest most important 'work' is just being the best Gigi ever to my precious grandson, Judah. I love that little man!!








How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Great question! Any takers? Anyone?  Oh…right…I'm supposed to answer that one. I think at the moment I would be categorized as faith-based lifestyle writer.  There are many bloggers writing within this genre. My work differs because I write from my own experiences and my own observations from life around me.  No one else lives in my skin…and/or processes life in the same way that I do. I am not one to tell you every little detail of those life experiences, but just enough to bring across the point of my writing.  Which brings me to the next question...

Why do I write what I do?

I have actually written about this very question in a previous post. You can read it here: Write! That's All He Said. I think the very last paragraph of that article sums it up quite well for me:

I continue to write because I believe God has called me to this thing. I will probably never be a well known writer, but I'm okay with that because I believe God will use the words that He has given me to further the work of His Kingdom here on earth. I believe He has and will continue to use me to encourage my readers in seeing every part of the culture in which we live through the lens and filter of God's Word. And that is enough for me!  

As I have said before, "When He says go…go. When He says do…do. When He says WRITE…I'm going to write!

How does my writing process work?

Wait!! There's a process?

I think the process for me goes back to SBICAW:Sit butt in chair and WRITE!  Yes, it's true. When I sit down to write and make myself begin the words start to flow out of my crazy brain, through my fingertips out onto the page. It's true…I just have to make myself begin writing and it happens.  Sometimes the writing is proceeded by much research, depending on what prompted me to begin an article in the first place.  I have also written about this flow elsewhere on my blog, in the form of a poem, which I find amusing as my mother was the poet in our family. I write prose. You can read it here: Write…Wings to the Words of My Heart. (It's a quick read).

I have found it easiest to begin writing when I participate in a regularly scheduled link-up, such as Lisa-Jo Baker's Five Minute Friday post. She gives a one-word prompt during a wild and crazy fun 'twitter party' on Thursday nights and then 100's of bloggers join in the exercise of writing in five minutes an unedited free flowing post on that one word. We then all link up on Lisa-Jo's page on Friday!  I have to admit though that even in this, I break all the rules. I only participate sporadically and when I do it usually takes longer than five minutes to write…and then…sometimes...I do the unthinkable. I  edit! Gasp!! But the original intent of the exercise is to just get us writing.  Sometimes I do it in the 5 minutes and other times, not so much. Either way, it's a win-win for me when I choose to participate in the link-up.

The actual process goes something like this:
When I write I tend to just let the words flow just to get them written down. I might stop for a tea break, and then go back and read back over what I had written, editing as needed. I will do read-through several times before hitting the 'publish' button.  It helps to step away for a few hours or even overnight and come back with fresh eyes and go back over it; this time with an eye on grammar, spelling, and clarity. Inevitably I will read it after it has been published and see something I missed in the editing process. At some point, I just have to 'let it go' and pray that God will use my words to encourage and inspire.

And now for the fun part!  I get to introduce you to some pretty awesome ladies! 

First, I would like to introduce you to my friend, Donna O' Shaughnessy. I'm really not sure how long I have known Donna but we met and have gotten to know each other through two different Facebook groups, Better Writers and Better Bloggers. Also, we both participate (rather sporadically) in the Five Minute Friday link-up community.  I love her passion for life, family, Jesus, and photography! Oh, and 
when you visit her page be sure to ask her about 'river-tiquing'. 

Born and raised in good 'ole Brooklyn, NY, Donna, the hubby, and their 4 amazing children moved to the beautiful mountains of NE PA just over fifteen years ago. At City Chick in the Country, she discusses Faith, Family, and Facing {Mid}Life head on! As the empty next draws near, she is anticipating the post-parenting years and is excited for whatever God has in store. She is passionate about Christ, inspired by photography, and LOVES all things NYC! 
You can visit Donna's blog, City Chick in the Country, to hear words of encouragement, or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Next, I would like to introduce you to a wonderful friend, Jennifer Saake, whom I have just had the privilege of getting acquainted with earlier this year.  We actually connected because I had planned to host an (in) Real Life Conference meet up in our area and she was interested in attending with a few other ladies. I ended up going to Tennessee to do a combination Book Launch/(in)RL meetup Retreat instead and did not get to meet with Jennifer. We did find that we have some things in common…dealing with the aftermath of a stroke.  Of course, while I have never suffered a stroke, I do understand some of the struggles with rehab because my son, Brad, has gone through this.  Jennifer leads an online group of the most amazing Christian women who all deal with brain injury in one way or the other and encourage one another on the journey.  You will love getting to know Jennifer as I have.

"InfertilityMom" Jenni Saake, by God's grace, has been married to her college sweetheart for 22 years and they are parents to 3 living miracles here on earth and 3 beloved children awaiting them in Heaven. She is the founder of Hannah's Prayer Ministries and author of Hannah's Hope: Seeking God's Heart in the Midst of Infertility, Miscarriage and Adoption Loss. After a chiropractic accident at age 39, she suffered 6 strokes, sustaining significant brain injury, and is blogging the spiritual and physical recovery journey at StrokeOfGrace.blogspot.com

Visit her blog, Stroke Of Grace, to hear her amazing story and find out about her latest book project. Connect with her on Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest.

Last, but certainly not least, we're going over the pond to introduce you to my longtime friend, Selena Jones.  Selena and I met many years ago in Indiana. We were both serving as youth sponsors at White River Christian Church in Noblesville, Indiana.  Our daughters were good friends, so we naturally became friends.  We moms have to stick together!  Selena was an accountant from Texas, but don't let that accountant title fool you…she is so.much. fun!  We had lost track of each other through the years and then reconnected on Facebook and discovered that we have more in common now…both being bloggers and loving photography and travel.  Since working alongside her in Indiana, she has experienced some rather drastic and adventurous changes in her life. She met and fell in love with Matthew(a.k.a. The Englishman), married, moved to England and has been travel blogging ever since with her 'prince'. She has won numerous awards as an expat travel blogger and when you visit her site you will see why! I have vicariously traveled through Europe and beyond while reading her posts! I hope to one day actually get together with her again(in person), on her turf…because, after all, why meet here in Nevada when we could be having tea in London? Right?!

This is how she describes herself:
Meet Selena: An American expat living in London. Not your typical, adventurous travel blogger. "I'm a Texas accountant who married a globe-trotting Englishman. We're now living in London and exploring the world. Travel+Photography+Blogging = Happiness.  I'm way over 40. I hate carrying a backpack, too heavy.  I don't own a pair of hiking boots, binoculars or an Outback hat.  You will never catch me rock-climbing, bungee-jumping or sky-diving. I refuse to do anything that involves, a harness and a waiver. I'm not very adventurous and I quite enjoy my comfort zone.  But, I am a traveler and a blogger."

She and 'the Englishman' travel and write together about their travels…and I would just disagree on one thing. This woman loves adventure. ;-)     You can read more about them and their adventures…um, travels at Oh, The Places We Will Go.  You can connect with Selena on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. You can follow her on Instagram to get a look at some of her amazing photos!

And now I must come to a close on this post, my part of this blog hop is over. I hope this has been as much fun for you as it has for me! Each of these ladies will be introducing three more writer friends next week, so be sure to check back with their blogs to discover more amazing bloggers! One last thing.

What is your passion? What questions would you need to answer in order to pinpoint that passion, that burning thing that won't let go? Perhaps it is God's call on your life. So don't ignore it. Just do it!