Thinking to myself about limits and disappointments, weariness and pretense, I wrote this in my journal. I know the word failure can be contentious - it's not a popular word to apply to ourselves - but despite all the positive self talk in the world, and the way we can spin our failures to be steps towards success, I believe there are still days when we feel/know our failing deeply. This 'think' is for those days. *** Quit pretending
that you have it all together, that your dreams came true and you look upon your life with satisfaction. The truth is and you know, know, know it
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A writer doesn't need to have a PhD, they don't have to have a Masters either. You can train to be a writer by writing, and reading other writers. But I have found writing courses useful in my writing journey. When I did my Masters in Writing and Literature a number of years ago, I loved thinking and writing my way through the features and issues of writing for children and young adults. In my research thesis, I analysed how Christian spirituality is depicted in texts for young adults. I found it both fascinating and inspiring. But there were more questions, and I was keen to try my hand at writing creatively in this research space. So... I embarked on my PhD/Doctorate journey. But what exactly am I researching?
This is my favourite cup.
Or it was. Until last week when it slipped, hit the kitchen tiles and splintered all over the place. I'll admit, I almost cried. Why? Because this wasn't any old mug. It was my 2023 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference cup. It was big, blue and full of memories with every sip. And now, it's broken. What a cute little book!
The Wake-Up Prayer is a lovely rhyming picture book. It’s written by another Penny (I love hearing about Pennys who write books!), Penny Cooke and is her first children’s picture book. With delightful illustrations by Jareb Bramlet, this book tells the story of a little bear who is curious to learn how to pray and in particular, how to pray in the day. Her questions about the wake-up prayer come from wondering about the traditional 'Now I lay me down to sleep' prayer. The little bear wonders how praying in the day may be different, or similar, to praying before bed. Am I allowed to say I have found another favourite Christian children’s book? The Creator in You is a delightful, gently rhyming, picture book that challenges and inspires young people (and their adults) to think outside the box regarding what we ‘do’.
Now, I know we are supposed to see ourselves as ‘human beings’, not human doings’, but ‘doing’ is also part of what God has called us to. And that’s what this book celebrates. It rejoices in our call to creativity and worthy work. |
The Penny DropsIn high school I used to write what I'd call 'thinks' - little bits of writing about whatever topic or issue I was mulling over at the time. I still write these little pieces. Categories
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