How to have Bible values in what we write

A couple of weeks ago, I started a Discussion in the Christian Poets and Writers group on LinkedIn with the question, “Is the Bible an essential part of your work as a Christian poet, writer, editor, or publisher?”

One of our CP&W members responded with another important question, “How do we keep biblical values in our writing?”

I replied by saying something about how poems and writings in almost any genre reflect our Bible values then gave an example of “Blue Bloods,” one of my favorite TV shows that is "secular" but often ends by showing the biblical value of a family sharing a meal. People used to sit down and “break bread” together regularly but seldom now. What made the scene even better, though, was a televised demonstration of faith as the family prays before the meal – not with heads bowed symbolically but with full audio given to the prayer.

With that in mind and spirit, I went on to say in the CP&W Discussion that I’m not worried about Christian poets and writers omitting biblical value. Presenting godly values will just happen – naturally and supernaturally too, but what I failed to add is that this hinges on how well we know the Bible ourselves.

That thought has been on my mind even more since the CP&W conversation put it there because I then started to notice clever or catchy sayings that sound wise being posted by talented Christians, who might not know the difference between biblical values and what just sounds good. These poetic but pithy words seem sagacious yet have no nutritional value for spiritual growth because they just aren't true!

So how do we know if our writings have Bible value and not worldly ones that sound biblical but may merely be half-truths?

The best way, of course, is to know the Bible well, then keep on reading.

We can also research whatever does not sound right. The Biblegateway.com website eases such searches for words or phrases, but if that doesn’t reveal the real word on a hard-to-pinpoint topic, ask your pastor, preacher, or priest.

Look for clues, too, as you discern the difference between biblical values, popular expressions, or wise-sounding-sayings. Such words as “always,” “never,” “every,” or other absolutes may sound nice and pretty yet seldom be true.

This last word is, therefore, first and foremost: Pray!

Whether we write novels, poems, devotionals, children’s stories, nonfiction articles, or television scripts, our God-given values provide a strong spiritual antidote for remedying the contagious, ungodly values currently making the rounds!

If we ask God to help us speak clearly, ring truly, and be biblically accurate, we will communicate no ungodly dis-ease, but, in word and spirit, ease our readers into the true and healing word of God in Christ.

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© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved, but pass it on!

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Writing Bible studies

Christian poets and writers who read the Bible often feel drawn to writing Bible guides but think the lack of a degree in biblical studies will hold them back. This can happen but might not!

A manuscript written according to the guidelines of your denomination’s official publishing house might not require a college degree if you have been teaching a Sunday School class or leading a Bible study group for several years or if the Bishop of your diocese agrees to proof the manuscript.

Self-publishing what you have written offers an option too, but self-published manuscripts, e-Books, and Print on Demand (POD) book sales succeeds mainly if your work is well-known and biblical soundness trusted. To build a following, many Christian writers begin with a Bible-based blog until enough followers want the articles in book form.

Regardless of the publishing route you take, consider these basics for writing Bible studies:

Pray for God to inspire and direct your thoughts and interests toward the project you’re to do.

Know the Bible – really well, preferably in several translations.

Select a topic you want to research such as the biblical word on work, marriage, or family.

Type any key word(s) relevant to your topic into the Search Box on a Bible website such as Biblegateway.com.

Investigate scriptures from a variety of translations.

If you want to use one version only and have a few hundred scriptural references, you need to find out if the publisher allows this. If not, just write to ask for permission. Or use the King James Version in the public domain.

Besides knowing the Bible, knowing your topic, and knowing which translation you plan to use, you need to know your potential readers:

Does your topic lend itself to group discussion or private reading?

What age group will most likely be drawn to your topic?

Will the study focus on the concerns of new Christians or church peoples?

What format do you plan to use? For example, you might provide background info for a group leader to use with scriptures for everyone to look up followed by pertinent questions to help readers or participants apply the Bible to their own lives.

If you plan to write for interdenominational groups or Christians from any church, see “Getting to know the whole Body of Christ” on the Christian Poets & Writers blog.

Begin your research with prayer. End with prayer, and invite your readers to do the same!

May God bless your work and give you the prayers to pray!

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© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved, but pass it on!

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Social Networking for fun and profit

The “profit” part of the above title will, most likely, occur in ways besides money, but that can happen too – and actually has for me. Not only did I get a couple of writing gigs from a “Call for Manuscripts” on Twitter, one assignment paid well the first time then again a year or so later as a reprint. I have also been “found” by poets, writers, and editors who want my professional opinion through a paid critique or writing consult.

Usually, though, the profitable part pays off by connecting with other Christian poets and writers and hearing what they have to say. It’s sort of like having a church group to uphold us in shared goals to:

Spread the Good News of God’s forgiveness,

Love one another despite our denominational differences, real or imagined (but often the latter,)

Overcome "bad press" about Christianity,

Up-build the Body of Christ.

If we’re going to get any writing done, however, we need to pray, focus, and be left alone to write! The Presence of God remains with us, but sometimes we just need information or encouragement from a Christian counselor, especially if that person happens to be a poet or writer who has a clue about what the life of a Christian writer is like. (If you’ve ever tried to explain what you do to a non-writer or almost anyone vying for your attention, you know what I mean.)

So with prayer and the hope of common-union with one another and profitable service for the Body of Christ, I recently began groups for Christian Poets & Writers on Facebook and LinkedIn. Why both? They’re like two different body parts with bodily functions that might overlap, but not much!

The Christian Poets & Writers group on Facebook gives us a chance to post frequent updates about our plans, blog postings, upcoming events, and encouraging words that God brings to mind and spirit. We can quickly respond with a “Like” to encourage other poets and writers, too, or add a comment, or “Share” info relevant to our other Facebook pages.
If you're a member (free), post your full URL and ask to be added to the blogroll. To keep this work encouraged and going, add the Christian Poets & Writers blog to your blogroll and list of recommended sites too. Thanks and blessings.

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©2012, Mary Harwell Sayler

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Tips for taking good pictures take less than 1000 words

Poets, bloggers, and writers who want good photographs to illustrate their words do well to learn how to take publishable pictures. A digital camera, including the one on the back of your cell phone, can do a good job for you, depending on your goal and camera settings. For instance, smaller sized picture will work nicely on your blog or website, but, if you hope to photograph a book cover, poster for your poem, or illustration for a print magazine, you will need the most pixels your camera has in its highest or “raw” setting.

To capture all sorts of outdoor scenes, wildlife, travel spots, sports events, plants, and people in natural, God-given lighting, keep these tips in mind:

Pack light, but carry your camera and small notebook everywhere!

Become an inconspicuous part of the scene.

Crouch down or climb higher to get a fresh perspective.

Late morning and early evening usually provide the best natural lighting as light and shadows play, whereas an approaching storm can add high drama.

Take several pictures of the same subject, using different settings each time.

Keep your composition uncluttered.

The presence of people will add interest to most photographs, but you’ll need written permission for each face that shows.

Get as close to your subject as you can without distorting the image or creeping anyone out.

Interact with people and places. Experiment. Practice.

The more photographs you take, the more you will get the results you want, so be sure to keep those extra batteries handy, and have fun!

© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler.

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Repent and other words to clear vision

When I woke up this morning, I immediately started thinking about the new group for Christian Poets and Writers on Facebook, so I asked God, “What do you want me to say today?” Immediately, one word came: Repent.

Since I really would like for the group to multiple and be blessed and not shrink in horror, I argued. “But God,” I said, “that is not a word any of us wants to hear!”

Immediately, the impression came: Sure you do!

God then brought to mind one of my favorite Bible verses: “First, remove the log from your own eye, then you will see clearly to remove the tiny specks from the eyes of other people,” my paraphrase of Matthew 7:5 and Luke 6:42, but you get the picture! If you’re a poetic writer, you’ll also recognize that as the literary device known as hyperbole that Jesus often used in getting across a crucial point and helping us to remember.

But back to repentance:

Is there the remotest mote of a possibility that we might need to repent as individuals who love God and are called to write in every genre?

Do we want, no, need discernment before we write?

Do we need to see clearly before we address any vision God might have for us and our ministries as poets, writers, editors, and publishers?

Will we admit to flaws we have before pointing them out in other people?

Repentance brings a cleansing to the soul, heart, mind, and spirit. We can do this in private. We can do this communally as a church, and we can consider what changes we might help to make in this wonderful nation – One Nation under God but never above the LORD of Lord and King of Kings and President of Presidents Whom we truly elect to Preside over us and our lives.

Well, these are the kinds of thoughts that began to come before I got up, before I remembered the date: September 11.

And I have no word on that, but pray.

Pray especially today with what the Bible calls a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for, today, we actually recall what that sacrifice means.

So this day, let's agree in prayer to praise God for every good gift.

Let us thank God for the work we have been given to do to help heal the church Body of Christ and the body of believers in this nation.

Let us remember that “repent” does not mean to dwell on our sins or mistakes but “to turn” to God – to re-turn with a clearer vision of Who God Is and who we are in the Body of Christ.

So even if it is a big sacrifice or heavy effort today, please let us renew our belief in the whole and wholly goodness of our Almighty God.

Let us accept and believe in the need we all have to unburden ourselves regularly of even the tiniest sense of guilt or wrongdoing.

Let’s live and write as though we truly, truly believe in the salvation and redemption of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who Is with us now and forever, even today.


© September 11, 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler says all rights reserved to God. Pass it on, and pray others do too.

Interviewing for a job

About the time I finished school, a new bred of job placement companies had begun to spring up all over the place. The idea was for you to fill out a bunch of forms about your interests, education, and previous work experience (I had none), then talk to a local career placement person who would match you up as closely as possible with jobs in the area that needed to be filled. If that potential employer hired you, the placement company then received one-fourth to one-half of one month’s income as payment for their service.

Today government services have something similar for free, and so do Internet services. This sounds great, but the one-on-one rapport and local-to-local support is just not there. However, all the news about the jobless rate had given me no cause to pause to consider this until my now-grown children told me, “I don’t know how to get a job!” It occurred to me then that might be true for you or your now-grown children too.

Lord knows, Christians are worthy of their hire! In fact, the Lord says that clearly in Luke 10:7. The first step, however, is to know what God wants you to do. Perhaps that might be to go into journalism or host a Christian talk show or work on a medical team that will help you prepare for a mission trip someday. Or maybe you need a job to pay the bills but not drain your creativity as you focus on your writing ministry.

Remember, too, that Christian poets and writers have the joy of knowing that any job or career will give you something to write about, so nothing is ever wasted! And, in Christ, we especially need to remember – again and again in the Christian life – that all things will and do come together for good for those who love God (Romans 8:28.)

With those pivotal thoughts in mind, consider these suggestions:

Pray.

Listen.

Be honest with yourself about yourself.

Forget about money for a minute. (Yes, I know you need it. So do I, but this cannot be the guiding force in life, and you know why! To refresh: “No one can serve two rulers for you will hate the one, and love the other; or you will hold to the one and disdain the other. You cannot serve God and money,” Matthew 6:24. You can, of course, serve God and get money, but you cannot get God and serve money. That's just how it is.)

List a key word for anything you suspect you’re “good at” or feel drawn at all to do.

List your natural talents and God-given gifts, whether they seem marketable or not.

Also list any experience God has given you or education provided in your areas of interest.

Pray for God to bring all of the above together and to bring to mind job possibilities for what makes you uniquely you.

Look for work in that area, even if it's only a starter position.

If asked to apply online, follow the guidelines. Then arrange to follow up with a one-on-one, local-to-local meeting, so the potential employer can see you face to face and see that glow of God in your eyes. (If you care about God, you have it. I promise!)

Also, very important at any in-person interview, relax! Take that proverbially calming deep breath, and be yourself - your best self, of course :)

Most importantly, trust God your Heavenly Father to love you enough to know what you need, to close doors that aren’t quite right for you, and to give you a gentle nudge in the right direction – right because it’s right for you.

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©2012, Mary Harwell Sayler.

May God bless you and the work to which you have been called.

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Writing power outages

Poets and writers encounter down times in their writing for a variety of reasons, ranging from power outages to phone interruptions to feeling uninspired. Every time you get a new computer or upgrade software, you probably experience down times, too, as it takes time to save time working in and through electronic equipment that may be new to you.

Regardless of the reasons for the power outages in your writing life, those downtimes can bring uptimes for placing your fiction, nonfiction, children’s stories, devotionals, Bible studies, church curriculum, and poetry with journals, e-zines, book publishers, or your church’s denominational publishing headquarters. To do this:

Study book catalogs and back issues of periodicals and magazines you subscribed to, got at church, or bought from a newsstand.

Notice the topics, tone, style, and length of the manuscripts published in your genre.

In a word processing file, list every publisher who publishes work similar to yours. Add info about their editorial requirements and contact information. Or make a 3x5 file card filed alphabetically for each publishing company you like.

If your power loss does not include an electrical outage or lost hard drive, research literary journals, book publishers, church publishing headquarters, and e-zines on the Internet.

How?

Study publishing companies as you browse through titles in online bookstores such as Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, and the shopping pages offered by the publishers themselves.

Check out literary journals and e-zines readily found on the Internet.

You’ll find new publishing possibilities through social networks too.

When inspiration returns you to writing again, you’ll be ready to plug in your powerful words to the publishing markets you found during downtimes that cause upturns in your publishing credits or book sales.

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© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.

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Looking for good when bad things happen

I admit it: Pollyanna stories shaped my thinking, and Psalms of trust and thanksgiving took it from there. Sounds nice, but this tendency to look for the good in bad situations can be a big, big problem – for me and you and other people too! How? Timing.

Looking instantaneously for good can squelch emotions and cover up unattended injuries before they're drained, cleansed, and treated, so wounds get septic instead of healing well.

Looking for good right away when other people go through hard times can make them feel frustrated and alone with no one to understand their anguish – sort of like Job felt in the company of his “friends.”

If we happen to give advice or write manuscripts meant to help, help, help people during difficult times, the above problems can make our words come across as unrealistic and syrupy or judgmental and holier-than-thou.

Back to that thing called Timing.

Immediately looking for good – first thing – before responding with sympathy, empathy, or some kind of kind acknowledgement seems, well, insensitive. That’s true for ourselves, too, as we face our own problems and concerns. For instance, telling ourselves, “It’s okay,” denies the facts and feelings at hand, making them seem in-valid.

The truth is: It’s not okay! But, thank God, it will be. Won’t it? That depends.

A good thing about bad things is having them remind us to reassess our priorities.

A good thing about bad things is having them to shake us up enough to look and pray for more options to broaden our search, get creative, and expand our views or borders.

A good thing about bad things is the opportunity to remember the goodness of God and how our Perfectly Loving Heavenly Father wants only the best and blessed for us.

Bible verses such as Romans 8:28, the Lord’s Prayer or Our Father, and many Psalms of lament that end in trust and thanksgiving also help us to remember what we believe.

Life can get really hard! Situations and worries can overwhelm. And again and again, we have to ask– and answer for ourselves – the most important question in our lives:

Do I trust in God or not?

Oh, I pray you do! And I pray I do, too, as I look for God to bring good from worries about family, interruptions at work, outcomes on medical tests, and recompense for a direct lightning strike last week that fried all of our electronics then struck our checkbook!

May God encourage us this day, give us the prayers to pray, and help us to see the good that only our Good God can bring.

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© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler. Thanks for sharing these blog articles with your church or writing group and letting people know where you found them. For brief articles on a variety of Bible topics, see Blogs by Mary – and pass them on!

What is Truth?

In an Internet discussion room for poets and writers, someone recently asked, “What is poetic truth?” Since members come from various countries and backgrounds, the answers varied too, reminding me that what's true in your or my personal experiences might not speak for every reader. For example, my Christian writing life in rural FL does not offer the same day-to-day “reality” that people deal with, say, in New York City or Alaska or China.

Despite the potentially countless variations, the truth is, we all have the same basic need for water, food, shelter, and love.

We all bleed. We all have the same basic body parts – and so does the Body of Christ.

As I considered the question of truth, poetic or otherwise, what especially came to mind was Pontius Pilate's timeless question: "What is truth?" According to chapter 18 of the Gospel of John, Jesus told Pilate, “You rightly say I Am King, and for this cause I was born. For this cause I came into the world that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth will hear My voice.”

At that point Pilate asked his infamous question, “What is truth?” But then as soon as he had posed what he apparently considered to be an unanswerable or rhetorical question, he immediately went back to the religious leaders and said, “I find no fault in Him (Jesus.)"

Do we?

If we find fault with other Christians in our own church or other denominations, does that not also find fault with the Body of Christ?

And what about my personal preferences or individual needs? Does my reality as a toe or fingernail of Jesus show the same perspective as seen from someone else’s muscle-bound shoulders or perked ears or eyes that don’t need my glasses to correct myopia?

What is reality?

What is truth?

At some point, each of us will answer Pilate's question in a way that satisfies us. And – from that central truth we accept for ourselves – our lives, actions, choices, ways of processing information, ways of living, and ways of writing – will extend out as spokes (pun intended.) The words we speak and write and act upon will, like spokes in a wheel, connect us back to Jesus Christ as our center hub – the Central Truth in our lives.

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© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler. God bless your sharing these words with people in your church or on your blog, and thank you for letting people know where you found them. For brief blog articles on a variety of Bible topics, see Blogs by Mary – and pass them on!
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And may the loving heart of the loving Christ – Who resides at the heart of our God and Father of Love – become the center point of all truths that extend out from us in our poems, prayers, writings, and every word spoken in Jesus’ Name.

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Brand, platform, and digital writing: an interview with Krissy Brady

Krissy Brady, a freelance writer and the owner of Krissy Media Ink, is working on her first novel, poetry collection, and screenplay but has already authored The Freelancer's Guide to Starting Right and Staying Strong and other titles available on her website and also Amazon. Dedicated to keeping the passion for writing alive, Krissy fluently speaks the digital language poets and writers need to keep their careers up to Internet speed, so I’ve been eager to interview her in hopes she’ll help those of us living In a Christian Writer’s Life to be informed about the Digital Age.

Mary Harwell Sayler: Krissy, Christian writers often begin their writing life with a sense of ministry or a calling to write about a particular topic. To get our writing ready for the digital age, however, we keep hearing about the need to “build a platform” or a “brand.” Can you briefly define those terms for us?

Krissy Brady: Absolutely! A platform is essentially the representation of your writing career as a whole – articles you write, books you publish, blog posts you write, classes you teach, etc. – all of which connect back to your platform.

It's a common misconception that your blog is your platform, when in fact your blog is one piece of a much bigger puzzle, though often your blog becomes the visual representation of your platform. That's why there's so much emphasis now on "defining your target audience" and "defining your niche," because your blog becomes the central location for all that you're doing to become an expert in your field. You want to use your blog to connect with your target audience, the people you're writing for who will eventually purchase your writing and products.

Defining these things gives you the opportunity to build a brand around your platform –the "look" of your platform and products – and build a successful writing career based on what you're most passionate about. Your platform, and the brand you design around your platform, all become pieces of your writing career as a whole.

Mary: What steps do you suggest to start this building process?

Krissy: The best place to start when deciding on what your platform is going to be is to ask yourself: What am I most passionate about? What do I want to be known for?

Create a manifesto that describes your ultimate goal for your writing career. Your manifesto will help you to determine what your niche is going to be and the target audience you're going to reach. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. It just needs to be a description of the core of why you have to write; why writing is so engrained in you, and what you want to do with it. We all have a need to write; it's the why that will set you apart.

Mary: Good point!

Krissy: It's important to remember, too, that your platform is about your audience, not about you. In what ways do you relate to your audience? What emotional void are you going to fill for them? Then create a profile of who your ideal audience member is. It really makes the difference!

Mary: Yes! And obviously you have chosen other writers for your audience, but in the present economy, how can any of us hope to earn an income for our work?

Krissy: Multiple income streams can include such things as selling freelance articles to publications, offering copywriting services, blogging for other blogs in your industry, and creating and selling eBooks, as well as creating and selling eCourses.

Many writers become overwhelmed by this, but if you leave yourself completely open during the learning process, you'll find that it will inspire you, and motivate you to write more than you ever have before. If it weren’t for my platform, I wouldn't be a full-time writer today.

Mary: Those of us who have been writing a while have built our publishing credits – sometimes extensively – only to discover that print books don’t stay in print very long. And most of us also want to make our books more accessible to readers, which makes e-books sound like a good option. Since you have already endured that learning process, would you tell us how to go about this? The fewer and simpler the steps, the better!

Krissy: The two best pieces of advice I can offer in terms of eBook publishing is to thoroughly educate yourself, and make sure you don't rush the process.

Here are steps I recommend:

1. Write down a list of eBooks you'd like to write for your target audience. That way, during the education process, you can take notes specific to your goals.

2. Educate yourself about the entire process. The education process is essentially set up in three sections: learn how to set up a Kindle eBook, how to effectively set up sale pages for each of your eBooks on Amazon, and how to market them through your platform.

3. Plan ahead of time how your eBook production line will go (each step you'll complete in what order), and you'll be well on your way to establishing yourself.

Mary: What else do you advise for those of us considering e-books?

Krissy: I would recommend creating a Word document that's essentially going to be your blank template, and type your eBook directly within the template. This is a huge timesaver as opposed to writing out your book and then trying to format it afterward.

Mary: Let me interrupt a sec to inject a hotlink to Microsoft on creating Word templates and to reassure those who think they have not done this before – you probably have! Basically, creating a template just means setting up your page format with the page size, margins, and font you want.

Besides that important suggestion, Krissy, what other time-savers do you suggest?

Krissy: I know what it's like to be a writer on a tight budget, but I highly recommend you have your eBook professionally edited, and a professional cover designed. A cover can literally make or break your sales. In order to be taken seriously as an indie author, you have to go about it seriously.

I would also recommend learning how to set up a blog tour, so that when your book is on the verge of launching, you can set up a blog tour with top bloggers in your niche. It's recommended you start planning the blog tour up to 2 months before your eBook launches in order to create a tour that will impact your sales in a positive way.

I find that the further ahead I begin to plan any writing or marketing, the better things turn out. It leaves room to take care of potential snags along the way and vastly improves your learning curve since you're not in a rush. Make sure every eBook you put out is the best it can be, and this can become a solid income stream for your writing career.

Mary: Thanks, Krissy, for all of your good help – and for reminding me to research the correct spelling for e-books. After searching the Internet, I discovered there isn’t one!

I noticed you use eBook, which is the current terminology among digital publishers and writers, whereas I use e-book, which is what usually appears in the print dictionaries I favor. If our readers do not like either of those choices, ebook provides another option, but even spell-check in Word won’t take our word for that.

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© 2012, Mary Harwell Sayler, all rights reserved.

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How to handle the heat

With heat waving a red flag across the country this 4th of July week, I thought you might welcome timely tips from an almost native Floridian who hopes to help you find your cool.

Dress for the heat. Wear loose-fitting cotton, gauze, linen, and other natural fabrics. Or, wear synthetic clothes designed to absorb moisture and let air flow.

Scan and then back up your important family documents and photos. Make backup copies of your manuscripts and other computer files too. Having backups is important any time, but if the heat brings storms, flooding, or fires, a flash drive or DVD enables you to keep all of your essential files with you.

Keep curtains closed during the day, and blinds drawn or tilted upward.

Instead of turning the air conditioner down to a super low temp, make it higher than normal, so your sunglasses don’t fog as you go out and your electric bill doesn’t punch through the roof. A few degrees might make a difference, too, in helping your community to avoid brownouts or blackouts as electrical usage soars.

When going out, apply UV protection or sunscreen to every exposed inch of bare skin, including the tops of your feet if wearing sandals and top of your head if lacking hat or hair.

Drink more water than usual, and have plenty of drinking water stored at home.

Always, always take drinking water with you in the car.

Never leave kids, pets, or people of any age closed up in a vehicle for even “just a sec.”

Keep cash in small bills on hand in case the electricity goes out, which means that stores cannot process your credit card.

Keep your car filled with gas in case electricity goes out, shutting down electrically-powered gas pumps. If things heat up too much, you might also welcome a drive to an air-conditioned church, mall, or movie theater.

To cool down without a/c, sponge icy water over pulse points in the forehead, temples, inner wrists, ankles, and back of the knees. (This helps to break a fever too.) If the water just doesn’t seem cold enough, don’t apply ice directly to the skin, but do add a cap of rubbing alcohol to the water.

If you’re outside long enough to feel drenched, you might need more salt than usual or an electrolyte-balancing drink. I also make my own energizer drink with one spoon of honey melted in a tad of warm water before adding one spoon of natural apple-cider vinegar then filling the glass with cool water, stirred and iced.

Plan light meals for hot weather – for instance, an all-veggie dinner or a fresh salad with all-natural, preservative-free dressing and cubes of canned tuna or slices of stir-fried chicken or salmon on top.

Buy bags of charcoal for outdoor grilling instead of heating up the kitchen.

Stock your kitchen with fresh, watery fruits or melons and foods that do not have to be refrigerated.

Vow not to sweat the small stuff nor stuff your mind with thoughts of anything hot.

Pray to keep your cool.

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© 2012, Mary Sayler

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What to do if your work weighs you down

One of the biggest problems I’ve had over the years as a Christian writer is getting overloaded with “good work.” Demands and deadlines appear, while time disappears too quickly—a problem Jesus also encountered in His work.

So if your work-schedule has become too burdensome or sent you scurrying around at warp speed, the best response to the title is “nothing.” Just sit down a while. Rest up. Pray. Read a Psalm. Read this poem:


Laborious
by Mary Harwell Sayler

The spider owns the air
on which the web is woven,
the bird that patch of sky.

Why does my work weigh me down?

In the beginning, the Creator made work
an invitation,
not the chore that later came
when the garden got
left behind.

Rampant ideas
tangle untended.

Money mars motivation.

Time demands priorities.

Deadlines jangle,
words juggle
to fit a perfect page.

Enough!

May this day be woven
of sky and air and Holy
Spirit.

Let God be
the center
of the air, the work, the
weave.


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© 2012, Mary Sayler, all rights reserved. The poem "Laborious" appears in Mary's poetry book Living in the Nature Poem published by Hiraeth Press © 2012.
May the peace and quiet of the Lord be with you always.

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