Wary Writer Syndrome

From the time I was a little girl, I remember hearing adults speak about ways to encourage reluctant readers to fall in love with books. Times really haven’t changed much. People are still trying to inspire children to read.

Today I’m not going to talk about reluctant readers, but a disorder that is just as crippling—Wary Writer Syndrome! My hope today is to inspire someone reading this post to pick up your pen and start writing the stories God has placed within you.

I’ve suffered from the dreaded Wary Writer Syndrome myself from time to time, and have met some of the most talented and amazing writers, who suddenly stop writing because they were plagued with this dreaded bug. Their writing dreams were snuffed out in an instant because they succumbed to Wary Writer Syndrome.

Whatever you do, don’t stop writing! The way to become a better writer is to write, rewrite, write again, and then write some more.

Wary Writer Syndrome is self-destructive and a type of self-sabotage. The battlefield is in our minds. Inferiority and insecurity, if left unchecked, have the power to end a writing career before it begins.

Here are a few tips to help you stay on the “write” track:

• Pray and ask the Lord to enlarge your writing territory. Ask for His blessings as you sow seeds of hope in your stories. Then start writing the pieces as He directs and prepare for a harvest.

• Don’t compare yourself with others. There will always be more talented writers and there will be less gifted ones. You’ll suffer with a deflated ego or an inflated one. It’s best to just be yourself and write from your heart the stories God has given you.

• Keep honing your writing skills. Never lose a humble, teachable spirit. Remember our wise heavenly Father exalts the humble.

• Prepare for publication. Develop as a writer and submit your best writing to publishers. There will come a day when all your “preparation” will meet “opportunity.” When that day comes, you will be ready and thankful you didn’t give up and succumb to Wary Writer Syndrome.

So what are you waiting for? Dust off the cobwebs from your favorite writing corner. Pick up your pen or fire up your computer and start writing today.

George Fox

Because the economy was drastically unstable, the villagers turned inward, caring little about the affairs outside their own town. Little did that sleepy town realize there was one among them who would shake all of England. (quote about the boy George Fox)

I always enjoy reading about the lives of people who have laid down their lives for the Cause of Christ. Today I read about George Fox, the founder of the Quakers, who lived through persecution after persecution yet humbly shared his faith in Jesus with everyone God brought across his path.

As a boy, George struggled socially. He was a misfit and a loner. I'm not quite sure why I was so moved by learning of his disposition and then years later see how God used him, but I was.

For twenty-one years now my husband Paul and I have invested in the lives of children and young people. Lighthouse Academy, a Christian school in the church where my husband pastors, was started in August 1988. Monday through Friday, Paul stands before the students in Opening and shares truths from God's Word. The students come in every flavor. We have our extroverts and introverts, too, like they did in George Fox's day. I guess the word that continues to resonant in my soul about our precious students is POTENTIALITY! We don't know how God may choose to use each one of them, but we can be sure He will.

I pray each child whether gifted or not will sense God's love for them through our lives. I never want to be guilty of prejudging a child and thinking God cannot use him or her. The Spirit of the Lord uses ordinary people to perform extraordinary feats!

I wonder if you or I are mentoring a future George Fox. A child that through our eyes doesn't appear to be of use in God's vineyard, but through God's eyes can shake the world. God sees things differently than we do. As the old saying goes... He doesn't look for ability, but availability.

George Fox's story has left a deep impression on my soul this New Year. I hope I am not guilty of being "sleepy" and not realizing what God is doing in the midst of my community. I pray every child the Lord sends through our doors will feel loved and come to know God has a Divine destiny for their life. After reading about George Fox, I don't think I will look at a child the same ever again.

Going Under for the Lord

Last night we had a baptismal service. Six precious souls went "under" for the Lord.
I thought some of you might enjoy seeing some of the pictures.

I'm still singing "They Baptized Jesse Taylor." :-)

Dixie