Writing

What’s Next?

| Marie Griffith

Last year, I took my commitment to grow as a communicator to another level when I attended the Speak Up Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I signed up to attend again this year, but was stressed over the time away from my family and the time off from work. I almost backed out.

I’m thankful I made the trip, because it was exactly what I needed. I didn’t believe it was possible for this year’s Speak Up Conference to be as outstanding as last year’s, but it exceeded my expectations again.

I reconnected with friends, made new ones, and learned a wealth of new information from the remarkable staff of publishing and speaking professionals. I’m summarizing my time at the conference this year differently than I did last year, because this year’s conference was a heart check.

The conference was exactly what I needed because I was reminded of a few things.

First, I was reminded God loves the broken and uses us too.

That’s all He has, because we’re all broken and we all, deep down, want to know our lives matter. We all want the day in and the day out of our lives to mean something, to know it’s not all a waste.

Sometimes, it’s easy to think there’s no way God could or would use the mess of my life for His kingdom purposes. But He has, He does, and He will.

Second, I was reminded why I do this.

God gave me the gift of writing, so I write to share my story, others’ stories, and the story of Jesus and how I’m learning to follow him wholeheartedly. I write to encourage, inspire, and connect. To give hope, to make you ponder a question you’ve never asked before, to make you laugh or cry. To help unlock a memory stored away. I write to help you see someone in a different light, or help you start the journey of forgiving, or put into words what you can’t seem to.

I write to pass it on.

If my experiences teach you something, reveal a truth, make you think about something you’ve never thought about before, or simply make you feel less alone, that is enough.

Lastly, I was reminded of Who this is all for. It’s all because of Him and for Him. When I gave my life to Jesus decades ago, I told Him to take it all. I meant it with all my heart, but I had no idea what I was in for. All I knew was He loved me and I didn’t want a life without Him. I’ve said yes to Jesus again and again since then and I’m saying yes now.

So what’s next? What do I do with all my ideas and dreams?

I’ll seek Him and pray. I’ll keep following Jesus, living my life, and loving the people God gave me. I’ll serve my family, do my job, and look for ways to love others. Prayerfully, with a heart to do it all well. I’ll learn as I go with plenty of mistakes. I’ll pray for opportunities to teach and serve and share my stories. I’ll write and I’ll dream.

And I’m more ready and determined than ever to live like it matters and inspire others to live like it matters.

What about you? What are your dreams and what’s next for you?

 

Photo by Raul Petri on Unsplash

 

 

 

Hope Has Feet

| Marie Griffith

Last week I wrote about making headway. Sometimes the headway is painful. Sometimes it’s slow and feels like no headway at all. I used my running journey as an example because lately my running is terrible. My body hurts. I can’t get my breathing right. And my pace is off. Since then I’ve had two fantastic runs!

I came close to talking myself right out of the first one. It was freezing outside when I woke up before the sun. I dreaded the run already and had more time to dread it while my windshield defrosted. I struggled to be positive on my drive to the park, but I ran my goal and it felt great. And I had another good run today. Maybe I have my running groove back.

I do know this: If I hope to be a runner, I have to run. Or sometimes barely jog. Or maybe I alternate walking and running. But I keep at it. I do the work of running. So what if I go through a season of painful off-paced running? I still do it.

It’s that way with anything we hope for.

If we hope to publish a book one day, we make the time to write. We hope to go to grad school, then we find out what it will take and do it. We want to travel, then we do the work of saving and planning. We hope for a good marriage, then we learn to love our spouses the way we want to be loved, and do the hard thing of loving when it’s not easy. We hope for deep friendships, then let’s be the kind of friends that make it possible. Anything we hope for must be worked for.

Hope doesn’t wait around for something to happen. Hope is not an idle wish for things to get better. Hope has feet. Hope compels us to move forward. Toward our goals and dreams, and the people in our lives. Hope moves us patiently and steadily in the direction of all the good things, all the God things our hearts desire.

Even a long season of waiting can be a hopeful and purposeful time of growth. But hope always looks and moves forward.

What is it you hope for? How are you moving toward it? Have you ever lost hope?

Thank you, Joanna Schley, for the sweet photo.

The Take Away

| Marie Griffith

Last week was a a life changer for me. My heart was refreshed, my confidence renewed, and I was reminded of why I do what I do. I attended a conference called Speak Up, a speaking and writing conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I will glean from the abundance of all that was shared at the conference for a long time. There’s still a lot for me to sort through but I know the people I encountered and the knowledge I gained are what impacted me the most.

The People

The most significant take away:  new friends, colleagues, and mentors who want me to succeed and are willing to share their knowledge and help me grow. They not only shared their expertise, they shared the stories of their lives. The kinds of stories that caused hope to grow in our hearts. The conference director, keynote speakers, other writers, an editor with a large publishing house or author of several books. Speaker to thousands or one just starting out. It didn’t matter….all were generous with their knowledge, stories and encouragement.

I was able to participate in a critiquing session at the conference. Authors, publishers, editors or literary agents were given samples of our writing to read aloud. The group then offered encouragement, feedback, and critique of our work. This was the first time professionals evaluated my writing and I’m thankful for the opportunity to hear from them.

The Knowledge

Without even meaning to, I learned a whole new vocabulary last week. I know what a pub board is and what literary agents and acquisition editors do. I learned how important felt need is to a book proposal and the process of a book getting published from beginning to end. I didn’t take the speaking track but I learned so much from those who did during our conversations at lunch or mingling in hallways.

The breakouts were valuable sources of information and practical advice on a variety of topics. I now have a collection of resources I’ll use over and over again as I take my next steps.

But what now?

I Work.

If I do nothing with the knowledge and renewed confidence I’ve gained then my time at the conference is wasted. I’m better equipped to do the work of writing and sharing what I write and what it takes is work. Lots of it.

Having a simple system or plan in place will help me stay focused and disciplined with the work. At least it will make the work more manageable.

Where Are You

Where are you in pursuing the dreams of your heart? What are your gifts and talents? Your work or craft? God gave them to you and they’re meant to be used to offer the world something wonderfully unique.

Each of you has received a gift to use to serve others. Be good stewards of God’s various gifts of grace.   1 Peter 4:10

Whatever your craft, passion, or dream – people, knowledge, and work are important influences.

Gather with others who share your passion or those who want to learn your craft. Whether they’re experts or newbies, the ideas and know-how exchanged will be beneficial. Who better to give feedback than someone who knows or wants to know your craft?

Surround yourself with people who believe in and encourage you. It’s important to have others who will remind you of why you do what you do and dream what you dream.

There are lots of ways to get the knowledge you need. Take classes offered at your local college. Join a club or read a book. Ask a master if you can watch and learn. And remember……you can Google and find a You Tube video of almost anything. Make a habit of learning something new about your passion every day.

Now the work.

Practice doesn’t always make perfect but it makes us better. Make time for the doing of your craft. For some of us this means it happens after a full day’s work, dinner, and laundry. A calendared plan will help get you through your low energy levels. This is also when those encouraging friends and mentors will remind you why you do what you do and give you the boost you need to keep at it.

One of the keynote speakers, Bruce Martin, quoted a verse in his talk. My verse. The one I’d underlined and highlighted and starred years ago because it said what I felt so strongly!

But if I say, “I will not mention the Lord
    or speak anymore in his name,”
his word is in my heart like a fire,
    a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;
    indeed, I cannot.     Jeremiah 20:9

This is why I do what I do. More than with the words I write…..but with my life…..and how I live it. Every part of it. The good parts and the messy ones. My life at home and work. My writing and speaking. Who I am with the people who love me and those who hurt me. Who I am with strangers and friends.

Let our craft, passions, and dreams…….let our entire lives tell of the One who gave them to us.

Photo by Clem Onojeghuo on Unsplash

 

Am Learning

| Marie Griffith

I’m attending my first writer’s conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This means several things.

First, it means I know I’m a writer.

Second, it means I’m telling others I’m a writer.

Both of those are remarkable because only a few years ago I wouldn’t say it. I thought it and part of me knew it, but I kept it to myself except to those who knew me best.

Attending this writer’s conference means some other things. It means I’m eager to learn from others about what to do with my writing. It also means I’m willing to make an investment in learning my craft.

I’ll share more about it after I’ve had time to process everything I’ve gained from being here, but I can confidently say after two full days of the conference that it’s one of the best investments I’ve ever made. It’s better than I anticipated and the knowledge, support, and encouragement I’ve received is priceless.

What’s your craft? What are you passionate about? What do you dream of doing?

I encourage you to take a step toward your passion. Make an investment to learn all you can. Connect with others who have the same dream.

And see what happens.

“You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house.”     Matthew 5:14-15

 

Photo by Ian Schneider

 

 

Out of the Dark

| Marie Griffith

My life was changed forever in 2013. Everything I thought I knew……..wasn’t.

The next two years brought more difficult circumstances and what felt like too many changes. I didn’t realize how all of it affected me until I started getting better and part of what helped me come out of the dark was writing about it.

Slowly, tenderly……..a little at a time, I shared the stories on my blog.

Those smaller stories came together as a whole story and were recently published in Shattered Magazine.

When I posted my stories, I didn’t know they would go any further. I wrote the stories for the same reason I write anything…..to let others know they’re not alone, to give hope, teach or encourage, to help unlock a memory, or prompt a question they’ve never thought of asking before.

Maybe it will do one of those things for you.

Here’s a link to the story:  Darkness Couldn’t Win

 

 

 

 

Order

| Marie Griffith

I straighten my desk every day before I leave my office so that when I come in the next morning it’s in order. I like a clean slate to begin my work for the day.

But there was no order on my desk when I returned to work from a week long vacation.

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My desk was covered with file folders, reports, notes, invoices and other things to do. My colleagues stacked the work in my inbox and when it was full, they piled the work on my desk.

I enjoyed sorting through the work, crunching the numbers, verifying reports, returning calls and emails…….catching up.

My work as an accountant relies on order and systematic processes.

But my writing does as well. The way I use words and combine them determines how they are read and understood. Do they make sense? Do my words say what I want them to say?

Without order numbers and words are jumbled messes and have no meaning at all.

 

“Why is it that we understand playing the cello will require work, but we attribute writing to the magic of inspiration?”                      Ann Patchett

Sunscreen

| Marie Griffith

I watch the moms on the beach slather their kids with sunscreen. Some moms use a gentle, nurturing touch when rubbing the lotion on the kids’ backs, little arms, faces and even tops of the ears. Other moms do it like they’re covering a piece of brisket with a special rub recipe. As thoroughly and efficiently as possible.

If Mom had used sunscreen she’d been one of the brisket moms. I never knew sunscreen existed when I was a kid. Maybe Mom didn’t either. On beach vacations we swam and played all day in the scorching Florida sun until our energy ran out and our baked bodies needed food. My face and shoulders always burned the worst. My face hurt but not like my shoulders. Every movement meant my shirt rubbed against my tender, red skin and this made trying to sleep miserable. My sisters and I lay there, legs wide apart, arms spread away from our bodies because we didn’t want any part of our bodies touching any other part of our bodies.

But the burn wasn’t enough to keep us out of the sun the next day. We wanted to be back in the water so Mom slipped a large t-shirt over our bathing suits. This provided no protection for our faces but at least our shoulders and chest didn’t re-burn.

By the time I was wise enough and old enough to rub my own body down with sunscreen I opted for baby oil instead. This fair skinned, freckled, strawberry-blond haired chick was going to be as tan as the rest of the girls in high school. Only I wasn’t and never would or could be. But I tried. As a young adult I paid to lie in a hot bed of tanning bulbs that turned my skin only slightly golden.

Thankfully at some point, I accepted my fair skin. I appreciate it and and care for it now.

Mostly.

I’m more efficient than I am thorough and I lose track of when to reapply sometimes.

After my beach trip last year, a friend asked me, “I thought you were going to the beach?” After I told him we were there for a week, he said, “Oh, you don’t look like you got much sun.”

I guess I’m more thorough than I think.

 

Face Your Fear

| Marie Griffith

Earlier this week, a story I wrote was published in Shattered Magazine. This is a first ever for me and something I’ve wanted and waited for a long time.

But I almost didn’t write the story.

The stories I write are remembered ones…..the ones I’ve lived and felt. This one was going to be an altogether different way of writing a story and I wasn’t sure I could do it.

Instead of letting my fear of failure scare me out of trying, I took it on. I knew I would learn from the experience even if the story wasn’t published. The online managing editor worked with me during the process and I was right:  I learned so much!

First, I realized I have a lot more to learn about writing for publications like Shattered Magazine. I also learned the importance of doing things in spite of being afraid of them. This is one of those lessons I seem to have to relearn again and again.

During the process of writing the story I made another decision. I’m a writer so I’m going to write. I will submit a book proposal at the speaking/writing conference I’m attending in July.  This is another new and scary thing for me but I know whatever the outcome, I will learn from the process.

And that’s a win-win!

I urge you to do something new and scary this week. Set a goal, move toward a dream, make a plan, have that conversation you’ve been putting off, ask the question, start the project. Face your fears and go for it!

Because it matters!

Live like it matters.

The story I wrote is about Zach Williams and his journey to freedom. You can read the story here.

 

 

The 2016 Rundown

| Marie Griffith

I look forward to 2017 with even greater anticipation than I did 2016. And 2016 didn’t disappoint. It was a wonderful year of growth and I did a lot of new things. In one of my January posts, titled Rising, I reflected on the amazing things I saw because I made a change and decided to do something new.

Some of the “first evers” for me in 2016:

  • Ate the Paleo Diet for 12 weeks
  • Ran an 8K in May
  • Ran the Spartan Race in Nashville in August
  • Ran a 10K in October

I chose to take on these physical challenges and have learned from all of them. Mostly I learned the importance of training and doing it with others. There’s something special about being part of a group working together toward a tough common goal. I wrote about it in my post Together.

There were more new things for my family in 2016. In February we moved from our home of 13 years into my newly renovated childhood home. Our home is beautiful but there were some adjustments for us. We are no longer in a rural area and it interfered with my morning runs. I lost my running groove…..or so I thought. I just had to embrace the new and wrote about it in Embrace the New.

Throughout the year I continued issuing my Live Like it Matters Challenges but I wrote more than ever about my childhood and the legacy my parents left. Living in my childhood home has brought a flood of memories and it’s been a wonderful gift of healing, new perspective and renewed gratefulness. Some of those posts are Memory, Groundwork, Quitting, and Mama.

We went on our annual trip to the beach with many of our favorite people. It’s a special place and does our hearts good to be there. I highlighted it in my post This Place.

My son moving to Texas last year for a job, then moving to Colorado this year provided a lot of inspiration. His courage to take bold steps into the unknown is fascinating. We visited him in October and it was one of the best trips ever. I wrote several posts as a result of the trip: Possibility and Shine are two of them.

I was finally able to put into words some of the difficulties of 2013, 2014 and part of 2015. I’d start the posts, then stop. Try to start again, but no words. They just wouldn’t come. More times than not, something is worked out within me when I write and I knew I needed to write about these things. At last something broke inside of me and the words came for the first post called Linger. It took months for the other healing posts to happen but I found the words. I’ve received more comments on those posts than others because everyone has experienced loss, grief and heaviness. Those posts are called Gone and The Dark .

We had a great holiday season. We gathered with family and friends several times. On Thanksgiving I ran my 2nd Turkey Trot and significantly improved my time. Our son came home the first week of December so we celebrated Christmas with the extended family early. Christmas gets more and more special with each passing year.

God is good and 2016 has been full of blessings. But what God did within my own heart in 2016 is the most momentous. He has given me a clearer view of what’s important. I want to love extravagantly because that’s the way He loves me.

Now I will let Him teach me how to do it.

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