How to Shatter Bloggers Block: A Poem

Written by, Andy Lee


All day long I've wondered....
"What should I write?"
The blinking cursor on my computer screen
Has mocked me with delight.


I've searched the caverns of my brain
Looking for the perfect story
Crawled through cobwebbed memories
Only to decide they were all boring.

Don't I have something wonderful to tell?
Something that will change a life?
Isn't that the purpose of this job?
Is that holding me back or my pride?

But then I remembered that nothing is easy
Nothing that matters deeply in life.
And yet I often take myself too seriously
I must find balance between grace and strife.

That's when the fear that chained my hands
From tapping on the keys,
Was shattered like shards of glass
And my brain was suddenly freed.

My fingers began to type the first
Sentence of this benign poem
And joy was restored to my heart
As a new blog post was born.

Yes, we write to make a difference
We write to tell a story
But writing has many purposes
Otherwise, it would be boring.

So, the lesson learned my writing friends
When writer's block dumbfounds
Just simply begin typing your first thoughts
And words will abound.

For just the right purposes
Whether laughter, learning or tears.
Trust the One whose called you to this.
He will be faithful all your years.




With Joy,

Bio: Andy Lee is a mentor for Word Weavers International, an inspirational speaker, and Christian Living writer. She's a self-proclaimed Bible study geek who loves to teach others how to dig into the ancient languages of the Bible where it breathes.This Oklahoma girl loves living on the coast of North Carolina with her husband and three almost-all-grown-up children. Find her words of encouragement at www.wordsbyandylee.com. 

Times of Uncertainty Prove God's Faithfulness

Photo by JoAnne Sylvia

Written by: JoAnne Sylvia

Psalm 13 (NIV):

    How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?

      How long will you hide your face from me?

    How long must I wrestle with my thoughts

      and day after day have sorrow in my heart?

    How long will my enemy triumph over me?

    Look on me and answer, Lord my God.

      Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,

    and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”

      and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

    But I trust in your unfailing love;

      my heart rejoices in your salvation.

    I will sing the Lord’s praise,

      for he has been good to me.

This psalm takes me back to the grief...the pain of separation after being married for 20 years, followed by an unexpected divorce. I believed that my husband and I would grow old together, that when the kids were grown, we would travel across country in an RV like my parents did.

I could not understand how God could have let this happen. I felt deserted and confused.

Even I didn't know what a wreck I was after the divorce, until I woke up from the nightmare of a sick rebound relationship which I often call "The Year of Hell."

In the years that followed, I wondered what was wrong with me, that I couldn't find anyone right for me to date, let alone, marry. It seemed like I was alone for a long time, but in retrospect, it wasn't that long, and I was never alone.

God was with me the whole time. My guardian angel walked beside me, shaking her head in exasperation. And Jesus, the Good Shepherd, was always there, lighting the path of love that led back to the fold.

Jeremiah 29:11 was my life preserver.

    "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give your hope and a future."

Maybe God wanted me to be single so I could accomplish more, because relationships do take time and effort, even the good ones.  And the unhealthy relationships, well, they can be insanely distracting, taking us way off course...

(Or maybe not off course, but learning what we need to change to be ready for the gift.)

What I know now is that I had to work on me, and be a better parent and draw closer to God.  I had to love myself and do what was right for me as a single person.  I kept going to the church where I felt accepted and cherished. I kept working and learning, singing and enjoying creation. I kept putting one foot in front of the other, loving the family and friends who walked beside me.

And God did have a plan!

The Lord has been good to me, with many blessings, including bringing my soul mate to me when the time was perfect.

In times of uncertainty, I must remember God's mercy and let my heart rejoice! 

Photo by JoAnne Sylvia

Bio: JoAnne Silvia has worked as a substance abuse counselor for over 26 years. She is currently working on the memoir, Perfect Timing, Lessons in Love, Faith and Perseverance, with her husband David, her high school sweetheart who found her after 39 years of no contact when the time was right. You can find more of JoAnne’s writing on her blog: “Anything is Possible,” at Joannaoftheforest.wordpress.com

My Little Pony

By Angie Mojica-Barnes

     I was reminiscing with a good friend about all the toys I wanted as a child but never got. I was the fourth of five children in a single parent home and money was always tight. I recalled to my friend that the one toy I always wanted was a My Little Pony horse. I did get the off-brand one once, but to my trained little girl’s eye, I knew it was NOT the real deal. What made it bittersweet was that my cousins, my usual playmates, owned a slew of them. How I loved playing with those ponies, and my cousins too.

     After swapping stories of lost childhood longings, I promptly forgot about the conversation and went to work. During my lunch hour, I walked by a lake engrossed in my thoughts. It was a lovely spring day and I came to stand at the edge of the lake on the grass. Glancing down at my feet, I saw what at first looked like a blur of hairy colors. Curious, I bent down, picked it up, only to discover it was a My Little Pony! It was the real deal, a pink and purple miniature Pegasus; it was lying in the grass waiting for me to find it. It even had the logo on the bottom left leg. I put in in my pocket and walked on, my heart swelling and a lightness washing over me.

     I have often wondered at times if God heard my prayers and forgot me while he was handing out good things to others. It was as if I looked at God through the lens of a broken glass, while he still looked at me as the little girl whom he loves perfectly. God gave me a sweet reminder that day, in the form of purple plastic. I will tuck it away in my heart and remember he does not forget.

Isaiah 49:15 says: Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you.

What about you friend? What has God done for you that you need to remember today?

Angie Mojica-Barnes is a native of Wilmington, North Carolina. She is a secretary by day and a writer by night. She loves Jesus, dancing and all things encouraging.

Dancing Through the Pain

By Beth Jarrott

In my mid-30’s, I was sick, in constant pain, and weighed a mere 89 pounds.

I sought help from numerous doctors. Only they had no answers.

                                                                      Photo courtesy Sigrid Gombert/Gallery Stock

Pain radiated from the lower left side of my back to under an anomalously, protruding left ribcage. The pain was so intense at times that I could only breathe in quick, shallow breaths. Worse still, was the unrelenting nausea. At one point I was so dehydrated, I had to be hospitalized.

I knew something was wrong.

Horribly wrong.

Over the next four years my symptoms continued. Although the pain lessened some, the nausea remained and I grew thinner and weaker by the day.

I felt helpless.

Comfort came in the form of Psalms. As a child, I’d memorized Psalm 23. Only now did I understand the true depth and breadth of David’s words.

                                                                             Photo Courtesy Kevin Kelly

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.

While in this valley of unexplained sickness, I decided to embrace the pain. Lean on God. And dance like David.

I was a member of a Davidic (Hebrew) dance troupe and drew succor from worshipping like King David. One evening while rehearsing an especially difficult maneuver, I twisted too quickly. I dropped to the floor as pain shot through my left side. It felt like I’d cracked a rib. The following morning I called an orthopedic specialist.

 

Dr. Jenkins was young, affable, and seemed genuinely concerned. He ordered a bone scan to assess for trauma or fractures that are otherwise difficult to locate during a normal x-ray.

Following the scan Dr. Jenkins entered the room with a worried expression and asked, “Were you born without a left kidney?”

Both shocked and alarmed, I answered, “No. I should have two kidneys! Why?”

 “Your bones are fine, but only your right kidney appears on the scan.”

                                                                           Photo courtesy Clare Kendall

Immediately, I was whisked to the hospital where a battery of tests determined I did have a left kidney, only it no longer functioned. Consequently, a Nephrologist was summoned where he performed a left nephrectomy (kidney removal).

As the Nephrologist removed the dead kidney it crumbled in his hands. He said it was a miracle it had not turned gangrene. Apparently my kidney died because the ureter, the tube that carries urine from the kidney, ruptured. As a result, it leaked toxins into my body and caused me to become very ill.
 

Were it not for the dance incident, my health would have continued to decline. I thank God for the mysterious way He worked on my behalf.

As for me, I’ll continue dancing through the valleys.

                                                                     Photo courtesy favim.com

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

The Lord works on our behalf every day. Can you identify ways He has miraculously intervened on your behalf?

-Beth

Beth Jarrott is a native of Wilmington, North Carolina, where she lives an Encore Life  with her husband, Tom, and their two granddaughters, Grace and Bella. For over a decade she traveled throughout North Carolina providing self-esteem programs in youth prisons, detention centers and training schools. She is also a writer, speaker, lover of Jesus, and in the summer months she can often be found dipping her toes into the great Atlantic Ocean. Visit her blog: My Encore Life of Raising myGrandchildren. (click on link)

Security in Troubled Times

by Nivine Richie

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne,

high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

– Isaiah 6:1 (NIV)

The call went straight to voice mail. I was on my way home from an overseas trip and I tried to call my husband at his office, but I couldn’t reach him. Normally the receptionist would have answered; it was the middle of the day after all. Instinctively, I knew something unusual was going on.

When I finally reached my husband, he told me the whole story. The partners of his firm had arrived at the office unexpectedly that morning and announced that the firm would be closing its doors. He and a few other employees would be offered transfers to California, but the rest would be offered severance pay.

I was stunned. We lived in south Florida, and California was a universe away. In one 10-minute phone conversation, my world came to a standstill. As a stay-at-home mom with two children in diapers, I immediately began running through scenarios of how we would make ends meet once my husband’s paycheck came to an end. My comfortable, secure life was about to change. Suddenly nothing seemed permanent. 

In Isaiah 6, Isaiah’s world had suddenly come to a standstill too. King Uzziah died after having reigned for 52 years. Everything was upside down. But in spite of the upheaval Isaiah and the rest of the country would experience, Isaiah describes God seated on His throne in full splendor. A great contrast between a dead earthly king and the Heavenly King, alive and unshaken.

We all have earthly kings: jobs, homes, families, friends. Our sense of security is disrupted when we discover these kings are unreliable or fleeting. But just as the people in King Uzziah’s day were reminded that the Lord was still on the throne, we can be encouraged when we remember that He is our King as well. Others come and go, but our King of Kings never fails. 

                                   

The day my husband’s job went away, my young family was shaken. Isaiah 6:1 reminds me that I can take comfort knowing that when earthly “kings” die, my God is still seated on His throne and He has my future safely in His grip.

Can you identify any earthly kings in your life that pale when compared with your living King of Kings?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the author:

Nivine Richie is a women’s Bible study teacher in Wilmington, N.C., where she lives with her husband and two teenage children. A university finance professor, she is actively involved in the Christian faculty association on campus. Nivine has participated in and taught many small group studies over the years. She seeks to help others launch their own small group studies and is available to speak at women’s events.

Her new book, Enduring Faith: An 8-Week Devotional Study of the Book of Hebrews, is available from

Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/1941103111/

or

Barnes and Noble at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/enduring-faith-an-8-week-devotional-study-of-the-book-of-hebrews-nivine-richie/1119840476?ean=9781941103111

Visit her at www.unfoldinghisword.com to find tools to help you grow as a small group leader.

Contact her at nivine@unfoldinghisword.com

on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/UnfoldingHisWord 

or on Twitter at @UnfoldHisWord

Stormy Night

By Mirjami Budarz

 Middle of the night

I wake up to beating rain,

water hitting at my windowpane.

My room, so dark,

long shadows, scary sounds,

my heart starts to pound.

Lightning, roaring thunder,

I pull up the blanket,

tuck my head under.

Where is my teddy bear,

the one with a loose eye and a little tear?

I search the corners of my bed,

just then I feel his velvety head.

Come here my teddy bear,

I need your hugs, comfort and care.

Again, lightning strikes, loud thunder.

Why don’t you speak to me bear,

are you awake, I wonder?

Mama, mama, I cry; come here,

I need you to hold me, to be near!

Mama, mama...

She walks into the room,

not a moment too soon.

I feel her warm hand on my cheek,

I hear a soft whisper; go back to sleep.

But first, we'll say a prayer,

for God watches over us,

always ready to comfort and care.

Dear Jesus, you calm the storm, the Bible says,

do it right now in the heart of your child,

cast away all fear and worry,

and do it soon, please hurry.

(Awana devotional by Mirjami Budarz - 10.1.1998)

When the stormy nights emerge, we, the children of God, young and old alike, are called to cast all our fears and worries upon God, for He cares for us.

Such precious knowledge, yet it's easy for me to pick-up the messy bundle of troubles again...and again, and then struggle stooped sorrowfully under the burden, unable to live fully the life God has for me.

During the inevitable storms of life I need to remind myself often that I have a privilege and instructions to drop-off my burdens by God and to leave them there. He wants me to trust Him completely and be a shelter in my storms and the comfort and peace in my heart and mind.

God yearns to talk and walk with me. I am neither forsaken nor alone in my mundane troubles. I am cared for and cherished by my creator. He loves me in spite of my shortcomings.

That motivates me to emulate the faith of a little child, to live with exuberance and look ahead with confidence, knowing that with God all things are possible, and that he holds the future.

The terrors of an unforeseen stormy night must yield to the light of a new morning, one brimming with promise of new mercies, hope and possibilities. For that I'm forever thankful. It puts a big grin on my mature face and dance into my step.

How about you?

...Don't be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6

...Cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you...Psalm 55:22 

...his mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning. Lamentation 3:22

Bio:

Author and artist Mirjami Budarz was born in Finland after WWII into a large displaced Karelian family. Later she moved with her family to Germany and eventually the United States retiring in Wilmington, NC, with her husband in 2008. A short story of Mirjami’s was published in Guidepost’s, Unexpected Answers and she has illustrated two children’s books.