Do The Write Thing Publishing’s Weblog

Today’s exercise for writers is to write down the first line of at least 10 story ideas….just one line. You have all day to do it. They can be for a children’s picture book, a novel, a non-fiction book, or even a biography…the type of book doesn’t matter. You can even write the first line of a variety of different books. That’s it…ten first lines and you’re done. Keep going if you get inspired, but that is your minimum requirement for today. If you need to step away from the computer at any point, take a note card or pad of paper with you so that you can write while you’re doing other things. Just write down ideas and you can perfect them later.

My first one is …….

“She turned the knob with tiny fingers that were smudged with dirt from the garden….”

I came home the other day and found my teenage son looking at the computer.  At first I didn’t notice what he was doing, but something caught my eye and I went back to check….  I asked him, “What are you doing?”  He looked at me with that expression kids get when they’ve been caught doing something they shouldn’t.  You may be thinking…”Uh Oh!  She caught him.”  But that’s not it.  He was looking at the ARMY’s website…checking to see how to enlist and what jobs are available for a high school graduate.

The swirl of emotions that rushed through me left me out of breath.  I couldn’t stop the tears that came time and time again in spite of his assurances that he would never just show up and tell us he’d enlisted.  (But truthfully, I’m not so sure that’s something he can promise.)  Everything that I am screamed “NO!” inside my head.

When my son was born he had a difficult birth and almost died.  During those days that we spent in the neonatal unit praying for his healing, I relinquished him back to God to do with as He saw fit….or at least I thought I had. In every area of his life I tried my best to let God lead my son wherever and however He desires.

But as I looked up into my son’s brown eyes, now within inches of my own, my heart was gripped with fear.  This was the one scenario I hadn’t imagined… This was the one area that my heart would never let me go.  I never once considered the possibility that I would have to watch him walk away from me in a military uniform…not knowing when I’d see him again - or IF I would see him again.  Even though I thought my prayer all those years ago was one of complete submission to God, standing here next to my 6′1″ little boy - who is now every inch a man - I realize that it wasn’t.  My submission to God’s plan still had limitations and I had to admit that my willingness to allow God to lead was contingent on God leading to a place that I agreed upon.

I even said to him now, in a choked whisper, “I already heard the words, ‘He might not live.’  A mama ought not have to hear those words about her child more than once in her life.”  But my son is so patriotic and so brave that he can’t imagine not going if he is needed.  I counseled him that it was a noble choice, but one best left until after college so that he would enter the service as an officer….to set the groundwork for a better career.  But he saw through me immediately.  If he takes 4 years to go off to college, who knows what might happen to change the world….or at least to change his mind in that amount of time?

I’ve realized in the days since that moment that the brave ones aren’t only the ones in uniforms.  Their families must also be brave.  To wallow in my fear for my son would diminish his bravery and his love for his country.  If I love him then I must support his choice and be just as brave as he is.  This is a choice.  It does not come easily.

A wise man from our church tells all the teenage boys, “Life is about choices and consequences.  Some consequences are good and some are bad…but life is about choices and consequences.”  So this is my choice.  My heart is hard-wired to protect my child and so it screams, “Don’t do this!”  But if he does…and this choice hasn’t yet been made…but if he does, then my choice will be to try to match my bravery to his.  That is my choice.

….updates to come….

Last night we experienced storms in the OKC area…but not the raging, scary ones, just the sneaky, destructive ones. Not only did the storms steal sleep, comfort, and some much needed rest, it also wreaked havoc on a roof here and there and tore down some light poles.

Storms teach us so many lessons. They can sneak up on us or blow in from far away, allowing us time to prepare, dread their appearance, and be filled with fear. Storms are sometimes short and powerful or long and discouraging. They shake us to the core, and can leave us feeling powerless and afraid.

But sometimes we are a part of the storm. We can be an instigator of the storm in someone’s life by talking about them (gossip). We can stir up storms that are beginning to wane by reminding others of the storm’s existence, or we can be like Jesus and calm the storms that seem to leave everyone else cowering below deck.

I wish I could say that I’ve learned this lesson completely. Last week I confess that I became a part of the storm when someone pushed my buttons. Now I have to choose between allowing that failure to ruin my faith walk today or taking control of the storm, thereby calming it for myself and for all involved.

One of my newest friends has a verse on her facebook that says:

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. James 3:9-10

My prayer is that all the words that come out of my mouth will reflect the love that Christ has poured into my heart. This is much easier to do when I write….for when I write I have time to think, to pray, and to revise. But my mouth so often speaks quickly and without enough thought or prayer….then it is too late to revise what has already been spoken.

May God grow me to the place where the words that I speak are as full of Him as the words that I share when I write.

Janet Sikes Anderson
DoTheWriteThing@cox.net

I have an old sweatshirt that my husband gave me…..ok, he didn’t really give it to me, but it’s mine just the same. He came home from Florida without a gift for me, so I chose this shirt as my gift. They say unexpected gifts are the most fun, right? It really doesn’t matter any more that it was more unexpected to him than it was to me.

Over the years this has become my favorite sweatshirt. My Shark Shirt is rounded and soft in all the right places and is stretched to fit all my places. I wore it while I was pregnant nine years ago and I’m wearing it still. We had a blessed cold snap the other morning, and I pulled it out to wear it to take Hey Dog, our loveable old golden retriever, to the vet. It’s a little worn in places and droopy in others, but it is much loved and will fall apart before I give it up.

There’s more to this shirt than longevity, though. It’s predictable. I know how it will feel before I put it on. I know how comfy I will feel while I wear it and I know that there will be at least one friend who will put her arm around me and ask, “How is everything going?” because she knows I wear my Shark Shirt when I need to feel better.

But not everything in life can be this predictable and yet we spend a great deal of time planning things as if we could count on them to work out exactly. We are genuinely surprised when our agendas fall apart and we ponder about what force in the universe might be working against us and our plan.

I like to plan, and I especially like it when my plans work, but I’ve found that I really shouldn’t have that expectation. But I try so hard to make things work smoothly. Sometimes I think that more planning must be the answer to the disorganization in my life. But I have a friend that holds onto her plans so tightly that they are like a security blanket. She must follow her plans to the letter, no matter what. Her inflexibility often leaves her and those around her feeling frustrated. Because I see her struggle I’ve learned to write on my calendar in pencil. One of my favorite sayings is, “Pencils have erasers because everybody makes mistakes.” Changes are certainly not all mistakes, but they can make us very uncomfortable, like a sweater that’s pulled too tight in places.

The idea that our lives are a tapestry is probably right on the money. Yes, we have many wonderful experiences that cause our lives to be a vivid woven pattern of laughter, tears and hum drum moments. But our lives are also woven into the tapestry of the lives around us, touching lightly in some areas and clinging strongly to those of others. And like us, they are naturally thicker in places and thinner in others. But by being woven together we are stronger and our lives are richer.

Embracing the imperfection that comes from one thread being pulled a little more tightly than others can happen. It can be as easy as a mom smiling and truly loving the smudged, misspelled cards that come from the loving hands of her children. The imperfection of them is what makes them charming. The heart-felt effort is what creates the love within the masterpiece and the unexpected irregularities of our life patterns are what will make us smile when we are old.

Janet Sikes Anderson
Copyright May 17, 2004

A woman stood in front of the painting, squinting at its details. As she gazed at the famous signature of the artist, the light within the image seemed to draw her in. She stepped closer, leaning in, feeling as if she could step into the scene.

From across the room the light and shadows had seemed to blend, but as she drew closer, the light became more distinct, calling to her. All she could think was how much more lovely the painting was in person than the pictures of it she had seen in books and on the internet.

This woman’s experience with the painting is much like the way the Light of the World draws us to Himself. From a distance we may only see a beautiful image, expression or idea. But as we step closer to Him, His Light pulls us ever closer, making each facet of His character more clear.

How often have we gazed at the incredible works of famous artists, admiring their skill and insight, yet looked at ourselves as unworthy to reflect the beauty and character of the Master who lives within us? It’s easy to think of our Lord as a loving Creator, but we must never forget that He is the Master and we, as humble as we feel in our service to Him, are His Masterpiece!

Let your Light shine from within so that your true beauty will draw people to you so that when they do, they will feel that they, too, can step into new life with the Master.
Janet Anderson
Becoming Women of God
Women’s Ministry Publication for FBC, Edmond
October 2004

There’s a children’s song about poor, old Michael Finnegan that repeats itself over and over…

“There was an old man named Michael Finnegan.
He grew whiskers on his chin-egan.
Shaved them off, but they grew in again.
Poor, old Michael Finnegan. Begin again!
There was an old man named Michael Finnegan……”

The song repeats each time you get to the end. Many of us are caught up in a cycle of sin followed by repentance and forgiveness that is as pointless and repetitive as this song.

So often when the choice is placed before us to sin or not sin, we choose our answer through the flesh, not the Spirit. Later, remorse eats at us, and at first we try to justify what we’ve done. But for those of us who belong to the Lord, there will come a time when there is no place we can go for relief from our guilt, but to God. Pouring our heart out to Him, we make sincere promises to be more faithful, begging for His cleansing forgiveness.

But our sin/repentance/forgiveness cycle is as repetitive becomes as repetative as our annual New Year’s Resolutions. How many years have we resolved to eat less and exercise more or to spend less money but spend more time with those we love? How many times have we failed in those resolutions?

The futility of our being a better person in our own strength escapes us and we try over and over again to BE good enough and never sin. But we’re going to sin. We know it. God knows it and the devil knows it. Our problem is not in acknowledging that we will choose sin over righteousness once in a while, but in trying to pretend that we can do it ourselves. We’re like a toddler, trying to dress herself for the first time, who refuses help from Mom or Dad, saying, “Do it MYSELF!”

But we don’t have to do it ourselves. He will grow us into the person He wants us to be if we just let Him do the work.

Just like children, we all grow at our own pace. We will have growth spurts and times of slower growth. The growth spurts are the times when I can see what feels like progress. In these times I find that I’ve been spending more time in the Word and more time fellowshipping with Christian friends. I can see myself becoming more like my Heavenly Father, but I also know that it’s in these times that Satan is harder at work, looking for ways to pull me back into my sinful pattern.

It’s easy to sin. It’s easy to fall. At our house we have a saying for when things spill, fall, or are otherwise unruly. “Gravity happens.” But just like that toddler trying desperately to do it myself, I also know that when I figure out that I really can’t do it all myself that God is waiting right there, with arms outstretched, to pick me up, brush me off and help me begin again.

Janet Anderson
Copyright December 5, 2004

In the midst of all that happens here
As time pours by year after year
Pursuing all that I hold dear
I fear.

But while collecting prized possessions
Friendships wither due confessions
Treasure blossoms wisdom dons
Weathered skin begins in season.

And in this vain appointed hour
Compliments surround, devour
Glory sings, redemption flowers
Dare to live or choose to cower
Fear dies.

Hope of life, fear of living
Lest not let it keep from giving
Love away by watering daily
Those God gives to you in time
To love forever when time shall die.

Janet Sikes Anderson
Copyright September 4, 2004

The first step of faith Abraham took the day God asked him to sacrifice his beloved son was literally to take that first step. Abraham got up, called to Isaac, gathered the wood, and began to walk his talk. When Abraham “believed” God, his belief was more than a thought. It was action.

God knew what the outcome of the day would be. He already had the ram in place and He was ready for Abraham’s response to His command. God did not need Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. God wanted Abraham to sacrifice his love and his need for Isaac. . . and he did that with every step he took. The works were not for God’s benefit, but for Abraham’s. God used every one of those long, heart-breaking steps to grow Abraham’s faith.

Abraham never forgot that day or what God had done. He never took for granted that God gave Isaac back to him. The walk up the mountain was ultimately for God’s glory, but the journey was for Abraham and for Isaac. Isaac also acted in faith by obeying his father’s instructions even though he didn’t understand. By acting on their faith, they learned that they had faith and that their faith was alive.

How real is your faith today? What action have you taken to allow God to show you your faith is more than a warm fuzzy? Stand up, take that first step, and follow God up the mountain so that He can show you His might and complete your faith journey. Don’t worry if you fall down now and then. Abraham was an old man when he climbed that mountain and God helped him every step of the way. He will help you as you step out in real, active faith to show you your faith is alive today. What is He calling you to do that you have put off? Today is the day to take that first step.

Janet Sikes Anderson
Copyright July 18, 2005

My children brought home their school pictures the other day and I gazed at their beautiful faces, captured in that static moment for all time. Stopping for just a moment I trimmed them, labeling each one by grade, year and age. As I worked, I looked into their young faces and thanked God, again, for these gifts.

It wasn’t long ago I was caught up in a mind-numbing cycle of to-do lists and projects and I had lost sight of what’s truly important to me. One evening I was explaining to my daughter that I couldn’t sit down and read with her. “Honey, Mommy’s busy right now,” I sighed and told her. She looked sad, but accepted my answer. She’s grown accustomed to my being unavailable and it broke my heart. I wanted to sit down with her and enjoy a few minutes of being lost in a story together, but to do so would mean being unprepared for things I’ve promised to do. “Why do I feel like everyone wants something from me?” I wondered. The burden of so many demands was beginning to weigh me down and I felt that I was on a never-ending hike with too much gear.

That moment was it for me. I realized that I wasn’t living up to my goal of being not just a good parent, but being a good parent in a real relationship with both my kids. I wanted them to know that I’m here for them, no matter what. Most of all I wanted to put down that heavy pack and enjoy a nice leisurely walk with the people who matter most to me.

The commitments I made at school, church and scouting events created a cycle of activity that wouldn’t allow the luxury of just hanging out with my kids. When I did take a moment to step away from the never-ending stream of projects, the time spent on anything but the project felt like a burden rather than a privilege.

So I started the long process of extricating myself from the volunteer machine, and believe me, this is a long process. But when these tender years are gone, the loving giggles and silly bedtime stories are gone with them. I’m still in the process of decluttering my schedule but this battle for our time never ends. I’m learning to pray earnestly for God’s direction when a wonderful opportunity presents itself.

Stepping back brought some much-needed perspective to this dilemma and I was able to think rationally about what I want my children to remember about their childhood. I realized that most of all I want them to remember that I was a part of it. I also want them to know that they are a precious gift, straight from God, not a burden that I’m resigned to bear.

Janet Sikes Anderson
Copyright April 5, 2004

8 Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable-if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise-dwell on these things. 9 Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.   Philippians 4:8

My daughter’s birthday is coming up soon and the only requirement that I gave her for her birthday party is that we could not have it at our house…it had to be somewhere that I didn’t have to clean up before or after. I can’t bear the thought of my friends coming to my house and seeing the dust and clutter that are, at times, a part of our lives.

But my heart is another story. Knowing that the God of all creation wants to live in my heart gives me a very compelling reason to keep it clean at all times. Knowing that I can’t do it myself is very humbling, but He has cleaned it for me and I want to make my life and my heart a comfortable place for Him. He has only asked me to stay in the Word to let Him guide my thoughts and actions. I just have to keep from littering my life with worldly things.

I’m so thankful that from all the earthly tabernacles He could have chosen for His own, He chose to live in my heart. Because of that, I am reminded that every thought I think and every word I speak will be heard, seen and experienced by my Lord. With that in mind, I cling to the words in Philippians that beseech me to think on things that are true, honorable, just and pure. In this simple verse God implores us, not just to keep our thoughts on good things, but to dwell on (live in) thoughts that are lovely, commendable, of moral excellence and praise.

But when I fall, God is not only a guest in my heart, but a caretaker as well. He restores order and cleans my messes lovingly. Repentance is a powerful cleaner and God uses it liberally, mixed with grace and love.

As His children, we are to care for others in this same way. When you hear of someone who is struggling, lift them up. Encourage those who have fallen. Be God’s hands and feet for those who need Him, and pray for those who need His cleansing power.

Janet Sikes Anderson
Copyright February 11, 2008