God Is,,,

And I'm back.  I haven't forgotten to share my writing from My Unedited Writing Year, I just haven't had anything that seemed blog-worthy over the last 10 days of exercises.  But today, my friends, is the day I finally felt bloggable again.  So, bloggable may not be a real word, but oh well - I'm a CREATIVE writer, not a journalist.  😉  

Anyway, back to the task at hand. Today is day 20 of this journey, and the prompt for today was to write a "God is" list using metaphors, characteristics, etc.  Just a little disclaimer - since this is a writing exercise, I was shooting for more creative ways to describe God rather than verses that already describe God.  And now that all of that is out of the way, I present my God is list.

- God is more beautiful than the most heavenly sunset

- God is the architect of all, with designs so grand our imaginations could not capture even a sliver of them.

- God is my knight in shining armor.  He rescued me from the tower of darkness and showed me that light existed.

- God is a greater father than all earthly fathers combined.  

- God is mind-blowing and unpredictable.

- God is intensely personal - He sees us bare and unkempt and does not turn away.  He sees the minute details of our lives and cares about them.  He sees our fragile hearts and holds them gently in His hands.

- God is the original creative mind - designer, author, painter, sculptor, composer, and everything in between.

- God is the friend we are designed to need, but the friend we don't invite out with us.

- God is not our life raft - He is the ocean, powerful and consuming.

- God is the champion for the underdogs.  He lifts them up when the world beats them down.

- God is our ultimate defender.  He will fight for us when nobody else does.

- God is infinity - and beyond.  (Okay, so I had to toss a funny one in!)

- God is the joy in our successes and our struggles.

- God is exceedingly patient with us, the petulant children who regularly disobey and ignore Him.  Imagine if our children disobeyed us with the same frequency with which we disobey God.

- God is the ultimate thrill ride.  He leads us from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, upside-down, backwards, and back again.  The ride is terrifying in the moment but leads us to the greatest exhilaration we will ever know.  

And that is all for now.  I hope you have enjoyed today's episode of As the Blog Turns (Ha!) and I look forward to hearing your thoughts.  

The Funny Thing About Clean Slates

My Unedited Writing Year Day 6 

What you may know about me already if you've known me for a while (and you may not know if you don't know me well) is that God occasionally gives me songs.  I am an average singer and I cannot play any instruments beyond a difficulty level of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, which makes this all the more amusing, because I am literally the only person who knows how the songs sound.  I hear snippets in my head with full instruments and such, but I cannot possibly express any of that - only the lyrics.

So - for today's writing prompt if was just a "word of the day" (or "phrase of the day") with no additional guidance.  I originally started a story and couldn't think of anything that wasn't really cheesy, but was writing the first sentence when this song came to me.  I will warn you, it's probably really bad because I usually just get a snippet and I'm left to fill in the rest, but I actually like the premise (which was one of the snippet I got).  Second warning:  Some of this came to me in my head as a rap - I'm not sure why since I'm usually not a huge rap fan, but none the less, that is what I heard.  So, without further ado the unedited rough rough rough rough rough rough rough draft of this song that came to me about the phrase "clean slate."

The Funny Thing About Clean Slates

(Rap)

I once was a slave to my sin 

Then I found a new way, a new friend

But I just keep messing up again and again

And I can't figure out when my new life begins

(Sing/Chorus 1)

The funny thing about clean slates

Is there's always a trace 

Of the past you can't face

The funny thing about clean slates

Is that you can't run and hide

From the fears you've denied

(Rap)

I know that God has shown me his love

But I can't help but feel that I've never enough

For our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven above

And I can't stop trying to prove that I'm tough

(Chorus 1)

Because the funny thing about clean slates

Is there's always a trace 

Of the past you can't face

The funny thing about clean slates

Is that you can't run and hide

From the fears you've denied

(Bridge) (x3?)

You have a purpose

There is true meaning

You will get through this

Sin is defeated

(Rap)

I can't run away from the pain that I feel

But I've learned over time that God will heal

All the wounds I've kept hidden when I finally reveal

What I've been pushing away, refusing to feel

(Chorus 2) 

The funny thing about clean slates

Is that God shows His grace

Through what we try to erase

The funny thing about clean slates

Is God using our hurts

To bring others new birth

The funny thing about clean slates

Is that God leaves us our stories

To help bring Him glory

That's it for now.  If you've read this far, I can only say THANK YOU for putting up with what is probably the worse rap you've ever heard/imagined.  Tune in next time for another episode of my journey through My Unedited Writing Year.  

A New Adventure

 Hello Friends!  Long time, no see!  I am fully aware that I have been completely neglecting my blog for quite a while, but recently an acquaintance from church posted on Facebook about a book that seemed like a good opportunity to get me back into the groove of regularly writing.  The book is called My Unedited Writing Year: 365 Invitations to Free Your Creativity and the Writer Within.  (By Hope Lyda)

The plan is to use this as a springboard to get me back into a regular writing practice now that I have dealt with many of the things that have been holding me back these last several years.  I will share some of the more amusing writings here on my f blog (which will be mostly for my sake since I'm pretty sure that nobody reads this anymore) and hopefully I can power through it even when life is pulling me in seven different directions.  I have a tendency to give up the things that are important to me when somebody close to me needs something.  I have struggled with boundaries and I am working to try to care for myself so that I can be stronger and more energized to care for others.  So let's kick this thing off with a few affirmations that I just need to keep reminding myself of (cue cheesy inspirational music):

My dreams are important to me.

I was made for this.

I will honor my commitment to myself

I will finish this journey one step at a time.

Alright - that's enough of that.  Cut the music.  Let's get this show on the road.  

Today I will be sharing the writing I did in response to the particularly cheesy prompt offered up for day 3.

Ding-Dong Special Delivery?

A miniature poodle is sitting on your porch.  On her forehead is a sticky note which reads: "Read me, then feed me."  A scroll is clipped to her jeweled collar.  What does it say and what happens next?

I was just returning home from my afternoon run, eager to get a cool drink of water and sprawl out on the couch.  As I approached the front door, I noticed something white and furry on the second step of my porch.  I advanced slowly to see what it was and when I was about three feet away, the fluffy bundle suddenly leapt to its feet and charged at me.  I let out the breath I had been holding, and eyed the creature before me.  I was temporarily relieved when I saw that it was only a miniature poodle - then I remembered that I strongly dislike miniature poodles.  Not because I'm afraid of them, but I certainly didn't want it hanging around in my neighborhood.  All that yapping and squealing.  No way.  

And what was up with the note on it's head?  Or perhaps I should say HER head, because only a SHE would wear that hideous bejeweled collar.  And what's that clipped to her collar?  A scroll?  Oh heck no.  I will not let this annoying creature weasel her way into my home, no matter how sweet she looks.  I crouched down and crept closer to this intruder and when I was close enough, I reached out my front paw and smacked her.  BAM!  Right in the nose.  As I slinked away from the scene of the crime I could heat her whimpers growing quieter and quieter as she scuttled away, surely off to find another unsuspecting family to fall for her pathetic cute and cuddly act.  

As I rubbed against the bottom rail on my way up the front stairs, I noticed that she had dropped her scroll as she ran away scared.  I managed to unroll it with my front paws and inside I found only three words - YOU'RE NEXT, CAT!