[6]Too Much: A Quiet Journal Shared Aloud

Also, an announcement

First, a message from my heart to yours… Friends, for a few months, I’ve had subscriptions turned off. There were a lot of life changes going on in my caregiving duties. I didn’t know if I had the capabilities to fulfill my promise to subscribers. Therefore, those of you who supported with a paid subscription have not had a donation withdrawn. I will be turning subscriptions on again on Saturday, May 23. I want to give you plenty of notice to go into your account and make any changes should you need to do so. I didn’t want you to experience a surprise. Of course, I am filled with gratitude if you stay as a supporter. But I also know that life changes, and a monthly subscription may not be needed right now. I want you to know there are no hard feelings. Hugs!

And now…my journal…

🕯 Begin Here (Settle In)

Even though I did halfway clean my desk, I find myself drawn to my sofa to write. I think I truly know the reason. Our dog, Denver, loves to snuggle beside me in the early morning writing sessions. If I’m seated at my desk, he’s destined for his dog bed. Granted, it’s a “too much” bed probably, large enough for a Great Dane and his little 17-pound body gets lost in the middle. But, yes…I prefer sitting on the sofa for writing because I cater to my dog’s comfort.

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✨ This Week, I Noticed…

I received a little text from our grandson. He’s 13, growing like a weed, and smart as a whip. Yes, there’s a lot of Texan colloquialism in the previous sentence. In other words, he’s almost taller than me, and he just received some academic awards last night. He will also be inducted into the National Junior Honor Society next week. I am a proud Meme. But the thing that “tickled me pink” (made me smile and feel grateful) was his text the other night. He had once again read the chapter book I wrote a few years ago. It was the story of our “throw-away dog” and how Denver came to be a permanent member of the family. Our grandson knew I had some outlines and ideas about a series of books based on Denver. He told me, “Meme, I want to read those books. You’d better finish them.”

You talk about a prompt to help a writer shift her priorities, that was it! A few little words, and a grand shift in my writing plans. I had been working on a memoir. It was an area of writing I wanted to explore, and I paid for and took a class on the subject. I planned to spend the end of Spring and the summer months pulling it all together. Plans change, right? Of course they do!

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📖 Scripture I’m Sitting With

When our grandson prompted me to return to the drafts I hadn’t touched in three years, two scriptures came to my mind.

Isaiah 55:8, “The LORD says: “My thoughts and my ways are not like yours.”

Proverbs 16:9, “A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”

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🌱 A Gentle Wondering

Have you ever felt the prompting to change your direction, your course, the plan, purpose, and project for your writing? I struggled with this a few years ago. My inner voice told me that changing before a project was finished was a procrastination fed by fear. And, perhaps it was many times. So many ideas, so little time to write (and then didn’t finish).

But there are times when the change is God-sent. No time writing is wasted time. I know that God knows my steps, the strokes of my pen, and the flow of my fingers across the keyboard. He knows what I’m ready to write. He also knows what words need to germinate for a season.

The original storyline with Denver included our other little dog, Zak. We had him for almost 15 years before he crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Having to let him go sort of stole the spark in my heart for writing their fun little stories. Then, compounded with caregiving, I didn’t have the heart or energy to spend on the writing project anymore. My mind and heart were tired.

Thankfully, I’m in a season of rebirth and recalculating my steps. And, my heart was ready to hear that my grandson wanted to read the stories. Now, I have a fire inside to finish the three books before he enters High School. I have 1 ½ years. No pressure, right? YES, PRESSURE. But, it’s a good pressure!

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🙏 A Soft Prayer

Lord, teach me to trust the twists and turns in life, including my writing life.

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✍️ An Open-Handed Invitation

I invite you to simply notice if there’s a stirring to change the course or trajectory of your writing. What will you do with that stirring in your heart?

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🌙 Closing the Page

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of words.

Hugs,

Kim