EXCERPTS
DEVOTED
TO WRITING by Nancy Robinson Masters and Maurice Parsley
Mallow
WRITE THERE WITH ME
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit
of power….
2 Timothy 1:7 NIV
When I waved goodbye to that last second grade class and went home to retire after 21 years as a teacher, I had a plan in mind. I planned to write books for children. Reading to my students each year had instilled in me a desire to pen my own stories.
When I saw an ad in the local newspaper offering a creative writing course, I eagerly enrolled. I’m not usually timid; however, when I arrived at the door to the classroom the first evening, nagging doubts filled my mind. They threatened to push aside years of inspired intentions. I was about to be the student, not the teacher.
Would the other participants intimidate me? What if some of the others taking this class were my former students? Would there be difficult assignments? Why, oh why, did I enroll in this course?
I took a deep breath, prayed for courage, and turned the doorknob. Something wonderful happened! During the next 12 weeks, I discovered that writing was not so much about my ability, but God’s dependability to be “write” there with me.
Lord, thank you for giving me the courage to walk through the doors You open for me.
WRITE NOW!
Describe how you felt the first time you went alone to a place you had never been before.
READY AND WAITING
If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western
horizon, you’d find me in a minute—you’re already there
waiting!
Psalm 139:9-10 MSG
Have you ever been asked who you would choose to have with you if you were marooned with one person on a remote island? Some might choose a famous movie or television star; others might name a sports hero. I would choose my husband. However, the writer of Psalms assures me there would be three of us on this island because God would be there waiting for us when we arrived.
Some days I am ready to go live where there are no telephones, radios, televisions, or doorbells. Just me and my pen, paper, and a laptop! No distractions, no interruptions. I imagine being there with Him would cause unlimited numbers of words to flow from the rough drafts on my paper into finished prose on my laptop, and then sail through cyberspace to millions of eager readers.
Admittedly, the possibility of this happening to a retired schoolteacher is about as remote as that island is from Brady, Texas. No matter where I am, God is always going to be there with me. He is the unlimited source of my creativity. Never mind the noise and distractions that surround me—surrounding myself with His presence is the secret to achieving my writing goals.
Ever-present God, I claim your promise that wherever life takes me, You will be there. Impress upon my heart that success is not shutting others out, but letting You in.
WRITE NOW!
Who would you want to have with you and God if you were marooned on a remote island? List nine reasons why.
PLEASE, BE SEATED
“Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve….
Mark 9:35 NIV
Old-time pilots like to brag that they learned to fly by the seat of their pants. This refers to the early days of aviation when airplanes had few reliable instruments. A person learned to fly by listening to the sounds and reacting to the feel of the airplane moving through the air as they sat in the cockpit.
The Scriptures are filled with examples of seat-of-the-pants believers. Zaccheus sat in a tree to see Jesus. A beggar sat by the road to speak to Jesus. Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, sat on the floor to listen to Jesus.
The Lord talked about sitting down to count the cost before beginning a project. Before He fed more than five thousand men, plus an unknown number of women and children, Jesus told the disciples to tell the people to sit down. He often sat before He performed a miracle, broke bread, or spoke words that changed lives.
While a few writers claim to do their best work standing, most authors
write by the seat of their pants. They keep their seats in their chairs
and don’t get up until they finish
the job.
Please be seated!
Lord, keep me sitting down in order to lift You up.
WRITE NOW!
Keep a toy whistle near the chair where you write. Each time you get up to do something that isn’t related to what you are working on, blow the whistle on yourself.
DEVOTED
TO WRITING by Nancy Robinson Masters and Maurice Parsley
Mallow
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