Lost

19 Feb 2015 Leave a comment

by Sabryna in Uncategorized Tags: ,

Lost.

Writers’ Wednesday

18 Feb 2015 2 Comments

by Sabryna in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , ,

Are you a writer? If you journal, blog, write poems, lyrics, short stories, fan fiction, columns in your weekly parish bulletin, organization newsletter, or maybe even in your area magazine–if you do any of these things then you are a writer. You don’t have to have published novels, short stories, non-fiction books and magazine or periodical pieces (although if you have, you can mentor the rest of us.) Having said that, I want to encourage my fellow writers–and you know who you are!–to do whatever it takes to write more and see where it takes them. Maybe you’ll be motivated to start a blog. Or perhaps you’ll keep a private notebook of your creative outpouring. Writing, for some of us, is like a love-hate relationship. We love it when we’re writing. We hate it when we have writer’s block. Wherever you find yourself today, or sometime this week, do one small thing to nudge along your writing practice.

Here’s my example. I had another post written yesterday to put up today but then my computer ate it so instead of breaking into sobs and giving up (after all, it was close to bedtime and I do my best writing in the mornings) I just started over with something completely different and this is what came out. Hopefully someone finds it takes them to the next level in using their creativity. After all, if you’re not using it you could be depriving the world of something it needs and very well will make a difference in someone else’s life. I get that we’re all busy and sometimes feel too tired or uninspired to write. Just don’t let life pass you by without sharing your gift with the rest of us because we need to hear from you.

Shrove Tuesday

17 Feb 2015 3 Comments

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Lest I forget, here’s my favorite verse for this day of feasting before our days of fasting (“There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven…” Ec 3:1, NJB)

Wherever the Catholic sun doth shine
There’s music and laughter and good red wine.
At least I’ve always found it so.
Benedicamus Domino!

Hilaire Belloc

 

 

Too Much Tuesday

17 Feb 2015 Leave a comment

by Sabryna in Uncategorized Tags: , , ,

I have decided I’d like to try blogging about when there’s too much of something in my life. Here’s a prime example:

“The worst way of speaking is to speak too much. Therefore speak little and well, speak little and gently, speak little and charitably, speak little and amiably.”

St. Francis de Sales

So, for Lent I am going to give up my habit to let my jaws start flapping the instant there’s an audience for whatever is on my mind and it feels like my head will explode if I don’t immediately share the idea, inspiration, information, or just plain old issuing forth on whatever subject is currently on “play”–a.k.a. rant mode (son’s nomenclature). In essence, I will be fasting from such frequent freedom with my tongue. This will be tough. It may even be laughable to those who know me best. I know I was surprised to find, upon meditation, that this was the direction the Holy Spirit was nudging me in. But be that as it may, I will give it my best shot. The downside for you, gentle reader, is that I am not placing that fast on my writing. So if I become even wordier and take longer than usual to make my point, I apologize in advance; Lent only lasts six weeks.

I am sure this will be the hardest thing I’ve ever given up for love of my Lord’s immense sacrifice for me and all of mankind, but it also will be a huge blessing to my family if I can even remotely pull it off (plus they provide built in accountability!).

Lord, have mercy!

Small town living

16 Feb 2015 Leave a comment

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aquinasetc's avatarAquinas, Etc.

A heartfelt THANK YOU to the gentleman with the snowplow who helped me clear my driveway this afternoon, so that our two cars could get out! Now that’s the sort of thing that doesn’t happen (much, if at all) in big cities. Small towns have their advantages. Now I will be able to go to work tomorr- uh, well…every silver lining has a cloud 🙂

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Writers’ Wednesday

11 Feb 2015 Leave a comment

by Sabryna in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , ,

I’d like to try featuring some regular posts about writing, writers, and perhaps even my own experience with working on crawling out from under my shell as a writer. So today is my first plunge into this venture. Join me as we explore together something that, I hope, will be of interest to those of us who are newer to this craft. Those of you who are more experienced are encouraged to fill the com box with your own inspiration, tips, resources, etc. Since there is so much written about writing I know I could just share favorite authors on writing, websites, and writing services but what I’d like to do is go beyond that, although I’m sure I’ll include a fair share of them along the way. Here we go!

I’d like to start with sharing a post from a wonderful author, blogger, and generally amazing online influence on me who has been an enormous inspiration to me long before I began blogging but was longing to do some kind of writing other than journaling. It didn’t hurt that during the years I homeschooled our approach to learning was so similar. I always wished she lived near me so I could meet her in person—still do!—because I felt we had so much in common. The versatile woman I speak of is none other than Karen Edmisten, a convert to Christianity (eventually Roman Catholic) from atheism, who has multiple book credits, has written for magazines, and maintains a unique online presence–plus she loves naps, as do I (an added bonus, in my opinion).

The story of how she came to find her own writing vocation can be found here:

http://karenedmisten.blogspot.com/2008/09/vocation-surrender-and-writing.html

I’ve reread it multiple times since first seeing it and printing it out for my own personal motivation to push past my fears about pursuing writing. But although I set up a blog domain, it took me until 2011 to overcome my anxiety about writing for anyone’s eyes other than my journal’s, even though I had published an article in a small magazine for the homeschool community in 1995, despite not yet having any children (the article being on infertility). In the intervening years, my chronic anxiety levels had become amped up and it wasn’t until the past few years or so that I was diagnosed with mood disorders, which explained, in part, the difficulty I was having with my writing (or lack of it, other than in fits and starts).

In my case, I think the biggest problem was I always secretly wanted to write fiction but never felt I was creative enough to do so, so much so that even when I would get something down on paper it started to overwhelm me almost instantly and I gave it up almost as soon as I started. Non-fiction is another matter. I can gab on my blog almost as easily as I can rant (my son’s favorite term for when I speak at length about any topic). Then one day it finally occurred to me: why am I trying to mentally think of myself only as a writer if: a) I write fiction, and b) I get published? I owe my release from that self-prison to Marshall J. Cook, author of Freeing Your Creativity: A Writer’s Guide—How to write more and better than you ever thought you could.

 

This quote of his from that very book is what finally liberated me:

“Not all writing has a large audience—or any audience at all. We write because we want to, because we need to, even because we have to. We write for what the process of writing can do for us and to us. For some of us, writing is as much a part of life—and as necessary—as breathing.”

Now I just try and follow the old adage, “Write what you know.”

For what it’s worth, the “Coach” (Marshall’s nickname) maintains a fun, contributor-friendly monthly newsletter for writers. I have found it a refreshingly unstuffy e-zine that always leaves me pondering both serious matters as well as usually laughing so hard it results in some level of inconvenience; a small price to pay for inspiration. You can find it here, including back issues:

http://continuingstudies.wisc.edu/writing/extra-innings/

So, if you also are a writer—and if you write then you are, whether or not it’s for anyone else’s eyes—what is holding you back from taking the next step in developing your craft? Or if you’ve already done that, it would be great to hear what helped you get over that hump.

Until next time…fellow writing nerds, keep writing if you want to keep breathing (not really, but it sounded cool!).

We all have problems…

05 Feb 2015 Leave a comment

by Sabryna in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

I think everyone should see this video. In less than three minutes you will be better educated, (hopefully) more compassionate toward those with mood disorders, and know how important it is to know the signs for both yourself and your loved ones’ sake.

We all have problems...

At Ease in God

05 Feb 2015 Leave a comment

by Sabryna in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , ,

“Let God be the air in which your heart breathes at ease.”

St. Francis de Sales

Wowzers! What a difference that would make in the life of those of us who struggle with—okay, are plagued by—constant anxiety and/or depression, self-doubt, a lack of purpose, etc. I can barely imagine that as I’ve had anxiety issues all my life but only recognized them for what they were during the past few years. Whether they are neurological in origin or related to trust issues (with God and/or other people)—or a need to control or have everything perfect—anxiety issues will suck the life right out of you without you even realizing it.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a loving family member or friend who can help you to see this and you get help, things will get better. I promise. But you will always have to work at it, because that’s just the way anxiety is. It’s not going to give up its hold on you because it doesn’t want to and in a way you don’t want it to either—it’s probably your modus operandi, your coping mechanism, your safety net. You somehow convince yourself if you just think enough about these things—especially all the things that might happen—it will somehow help. Let me assure you that it won’t. But if you work at not being anxious, you will learn to be less anxious.

Here’s the best authority I know on the subject. Jesus told us,

“I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and what you are to wear. Surely life is more than food, and the body more than clothing! Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are? Can any of you, however much you worry, add one single cubit to your span of life?…So do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Mt 6:25-27, 34

Interesting “coincidence”: when I went to my new Bible–not one that’s been opened to favorite passages yet–to verify my reference and flipped forward to Matthew, being pretty sure it was there in the Sermon of the Mount–it opened immediately to the page for chapter six; I love it when that happens!

I’ll also share a couple of my favorite authors’ writing on this topic because they are also worriers who have learned many valuable lessons from their own struggles and have been willing to share them with others. The first is my choice of spiritual reading for this Lent. It may seem like an odd choice for that purpose but I believe the more practical we are in applying our faith the faster we can grow in union with Christ. The second choice is by a well known author who has also written extensively about ADHD, which also often comes with anxiety, as do bipolar disorder, depression and other mood disorders, something I know about firsthand.

For Lent I’ll be rereading writing coach, novelist, and general all around great guy Marshall Cook’s excellent How to Handle Worry: A Catholic Approach, along with its companion workbook, HTHW: ACA—praying your way through anxiety. As Marshall says in the introduction:

“If you’ve been suffering for a long time, change may seem impossible. By yourself it would be. But with God, all things are possible. Use this book as a guide as you surrender yourself—including all those worries—more fully to God.”

Disclosure: from what I recall from my first read a few years ago—as a convert to the Catholic Church from Protestantism 10 years ago—this book and its workbook can certainly be used by non-Catholics. There are just occasional times when there will be references to faith practices which differ.

The second book, Worry: Hope and Help for a Common Condition—Turn chronic worry into a positive force in your life, is an excellent read in its own right by the wonderful writer and well-known psychiatrist Dr. Edward Hallowell and concludes with a wonderful chapter on “50 Tips on the Management of Worry Without Using Medication”—not that the author is against medication, as he is not, but he brings a whole person approach to the problem because that is what it as well as other neurologically based conditions require.

I hope you will find something in the above that will help you to breathe more easily in God.

Works of Art

28 Jan 2015 2 Comments

by Sabryna in Uncategorized Tags: , ,

While praying this morning, I included–per usual–a Scripture that I’ve claimed for myself for over a decade during my daily devotions; however, not just on my behalf but also for my oldest nephew, then my own son, and later my youngest nephew, as a special aunt/mom blessing to pray over them. I had it memorized in the NKJV or KJV (can’t remember which, the latter being the translation of my childhood when I learned to love memorizing Scripture—thanks, Mom & Da’!). This morning I looked it up in a Christmas gift from my folks, (thanks again!), The New Jerusalem Bible—as I’ve been primarily using JB and RSV-CE translations for over a decade now and loving them, as well as several others. (After all, I’ve got a “shiny thing” brain & have been nicknamed “The Information Station” by my husband so I like to have lots of options when it comes to what God has told us since I don’t read Hebrew or Greek, like some people I know).

But, as Adrian Monk would say, “Here’s the thing.”

“We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus for the good works which God has already designated to make up our way of life.”
Ep 2:10 NJB

Did you see that? I’m a work of art! What’s more, so are you (if you are baptized; if you’re not, see your nearest priest or pastor if you’re ready to repent and renounce your former way of life)! So, let’s get on with living the Good News that Christ died for our sins and we are no longer a slave to them; we are “works of art” and should be getting on with our way—His way—of life, the Abundant Life. It’s not easy—He never said it would be (instead, to the contrary), but He promised that in the end all would be made right and we’d enjoy eternity with Him, which is the best motivation I’ve got for getting out of bed each morning.

And now that I know I’m a work of art, I’m even more motivated to get those things done on my To Do list (as well as the ones that will just pop up as part of His way of life for me today)…but first I’ll have just a little more caffeine<g>.

Oldies but Goodies

18 Jan 2015 Leave a comment

by Sabryna in Uncategorized Tags: , , , , ,

I ran across the first quote today—which then reminded me of the second—and thought I’d blogged about them and sure enough I had. So, dipping into the archives, here we go again. I hope it will help encourage your focus to be “spot on” the way it did for me.

Here’s the first:

When we have a simple intention, we are less occupied with the thing to be done. We do all that we do not only for God but so to speak in Him. We are more aware of Him who works in us than of ourselves or of our work.

Thomas Merton, No Man is an Island

BTW, while checking my facts about this quote online I ran across the following post that does a lovely job of further explaining, in layman’s terms, what a simple intention might look like in practice. Enjoy!

http://www.conversiondiary.com/2010/11/right-intention-vs-simple-intention.html

And the second:

God remains in you in order to hold you up.
You remain in God in order not to fall.

St. Bede the Venerable

Good words we all need to hear (or at least I do…and pretty much all the time!)

Have a lovely Lord’s Day…

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