Mid-Week Motivation
Starting Your Day out Right
The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:21
In our women’s Bible study at church, we’re watching a video series right now called Conversation Peace, by Mary Kassian. The focus is on the importance of learning how to transform our speech so that our words ultimately bring glory to God. Mary shared that the average person says nearly 48,000 words per day — which is like a whole book manuscript!
What kind of book will you write today? Will your book be something that blesses others and draws them closer to the heart of God? Or will your words tear others down, and make them wonder if there even is a God? Mary Kassian says that if we write a book each day with our speech, then we’re forming our own libraries through a lifetime of our words. What kind of volumes will our libraries hold?
As writers, we know our words often come from our fingertips as well as our mouths. As you begin your day, I pray that you, my writing friend, would ask God to bless the words of your mouth and your fingertips — that He may use YOU to bring glory and honor to His name. It’s a very high calling indeed!
Is Your House in Order?
Cleaning, parenting, marriage, organization tips, etc.
We’ve recently made the difficult decision to sell our home to reduce my husband’s work commute ( three hours round-trip). So, as we’re preparing our house to go on the market, I’m starting to go through the rooms wondering how they’d look to a realtor or potential buyer. Yesterday, I replaced several cluttered clumps of framed pictures and knick-knacks with vases of fresh-cut dogwoods from our backyard.
The beauty of white blossoms arranged in a cobalt blue vase on my front table is stunning in its simplicity. I feel recharged to attack every room with this goal in mind: declutter and simplify. Why do I have to wait until my house is ready to go on the market to live this way?
Clutter saps our energy and steals our joy. As writers, we may have a hard time letting go of books, magazines, or even newspapers because we like words — words are inspiration and research materials! Yet, like Jesus, we need to learn that it’s the people we love and live with who bring us joy; not the stuff. Keeping a less cluttered and more simplified home will help us say “no” to our materialistic urges and “yes” to a more peaceful mind. A home that is a restful haven is one where our creativity will be set free as well.
Afternoon Pick Me Up
Writing Inspiration
What plans do you have for your writing this summer? Is there a conference you’d like to attend, or do you have a long weekend retreat etched into your calendar? If you’ve got a long-term deadline or goal coming up, break it into smaller, bite-sized pieces that you can work toward a little each day.
If you’re writing a novel, try to flesh out one scene today that will advance the plot toward your resolution. If you’re working on non-fiction articles or books, work on one section or chapter. Everything you read, see, or hear today can be fodder for your long-term project.
For me, this means instead of blogging my devotional thoughts, I’m writing in a file toward the long-term goal of a book proposal, then a book (hopefully!). This also gives me a cache of unpublished material should an editor need a quick turnaround on an article or work-for-hire project.
What’s For Dinner?
Poppy Seed Chicken
You’ll need:
- 4-6 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
- 1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
- 1 carton (8 oz.) sour cream
- 1 roll Ritz crackers, crushed
- 1/2 stick margarine, melted
- 1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained (or you can substitute slivered almonds)
- 3/4 tsp. poppy seed
Line casserole dish with diced chicken. Place water chestnuts on top of chicken. Mix chicken soup and sour cream in separate bowl, then spread over chicken and water chestnuts. Melt margarine and mix with crushed Ritz crackers. Layer on top, then sprinkle evenly with poppy seed. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with rice and green beans. Kids seem to really like this chicken casserole! Serves 6-8
A Restful Night’s Sleep
I will proclaim the name of the Lord.
Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
Deuteronomy 32:3
Some days are filled with encouraging news and events; others are filled with disappointments. It’s hard to go to bed and sleep well if our hearts are heavy from discouragement. I wonder how Moses felt when he knew he would never get to enjoy the fruits of his 40 years of labor. All that wandering around the desert — then God tells him he will die without ever seeing the Promised Land!
It surprises me every time I read Moses’ song in Deuteronomy 32. He proclaimed these lyrics before blessing the twelve tribes of Israel, and then he died. He accepted God’s plan, even though it wasn’t what he’d hoped for. Yet instead of whining and complaining, Moses used his last remaining days to bless and strengthen those around him.
When you’re feeling discouraged, think of someone you can reach out to and lift up — with kind words or prayer. In going outside of your own troubles, you’ll encourage someone else. That’s what leads to a restful night’s sleep.
