Writing Prompt - The garden #2

Still getting the creative juices flowing! Today, I'm posting my response to the prompt.

 

The Garden

Photo by Dawn M. Hamsher, 2013

Lush and bright

Colors explode in every shade

A rainbow for the senses

Man and woman hold hands and walk

Constantly bathed in warmth and light

Man pets the lion and woman the lamb

Daily, God embraces His children.

His loving presence is all they know.

Everything is perfect and right with the world.

God’s creation in The Garden is good.

If you'd like to join the prompt, write in comment section!  Next response to "The garden" prompt will be posted next week.

Writing Prompt - The garden

Photo by Dawn M. Hamsher, 2013

It's been awhile since we've done a writing prompt! We need to get those creative juices flowing! Here's one for the end of spring.

The garden

Sandy James is going to start us off with her response.

God’s beauty is so evident in the garden; glorious yellow irises, snow white peonies, purple alum standing so regally , a cacophony of columbine colors and carpets of green grass barbered just so. With such a cold Spring, we’ve just planted small tomato plants whose labels promise fruit within 80 days – an eternity!

Did those plants try to grow? Did they try to be what God created them to be? Did they water themselves? Or grow their roots? Hmmm…
 

What about us? We’re God’s creation created for His enjoyment. But boy it’s hard to be what God wants me to be. I have to make intentional decisions to do what’s right, to live right, to make myself behave properly and act like a Christian. It takes a lot of effort to water and feed myself so I’ll grow up to be beautiful and strong. I know the plants don’t have to do anything for themselves but that’s the way they’re created. It’s different for me. I’ll end up a failure, good for nothing if I don’t take care of myself I don’t want to make God angry or disappoint Him after all He did or me! Right?

Wrong! We can accomplish nothing without God’s enabling power. We are only who we are because of Christ in us, the hope of glory. We have His beauty inside us and the more we surrender to Him, the more that aroma of beauty and love is released in our lives. He is all the while in us both to will and to work for His good pleasure. And ”the good work HE’s begun in us, HE will complete”. It’s not about what we DO, but what we BEcome by drawing close to Him and allowing Him to work in us and through us – by cooperating with Him, seeking His heart in all things.

He’s planted us on this earth to grow and be a demonstration of His love and beauty. All we have to do is say “yes” and watch how His garden grows. 



by Sandy James, 2013

Next response to "The garden" prompt will be posted Friday, May 31.

Writing Inventory

Taking inventory of the role writing plays in our lives helps us to acknowledge what’s working and to pinpoint what areas still need work. In the context of writing for Jesus, our strengths are areas to be grateful for. Identifying weak areas can direct our efforts to improve The Writing Center at UNC Chapel Hill offers writers a self-inventory that can provide useful insights into our writing.

What kinds of writing do you do on a regular basis?

What is your favorite kind of writing? Why?

Describe yourself as a writer using five adjectives.

What is your biggest challenge as a writer? What kinds of critiques have you received from readers?

What is your greatest strength as a writer? What do other people normally praise about your writing style?

If you could change one thing about your writing or your writing process, what would it be?

Have you changed as a writer over the last five years? If so, how? Why?

Describe yourself sitting down to write an important piece of writing.

Where are you?

What are you writing with? (A computer? Pen and paper?)

Is there music or other distraction in the background?

How do you feel? (Anxious? Excited? Relaxed? Nauseated?)

What are you thinking about? (Your audience? Your ideas?)

Did you find this exercise helpful? What did you learn about your writing that you had not realized before? What area will you take steps to improve upon this week?

The Writing Group Starter Kit

© 2010-2012 by The Writing Center at UNC Chapel Hill. 

Used via Creative Commons License 

What Does God Want Me To Write?

Does this question cross your mind? 

What does God want me 

to write?

He gave me a passion for writing, so He must want me to use it for His glory and for His kingdom. But what exactly? How do I find out what I should write about?
 


Several weeks ago, as I prayed this question for myself, God gave me an answer. He told me to write a Bible study for writers. Wow. My first thought was AWESOME! My second thought was I AM NOT QUALIFIED. Then, God told me he would equip me. 

As I write the study, I seek God's guidance every step of the way. I do the following (and you can too) to know what God wants me to write.

Call on the Holy Spirit, Pray, Read Scripture, Meditate,

Praise and Thank Him, Sing, Humble Myself, 

Ask Him, Wait for Him, Then write

Have you asked the question for yourself? Do you seek to know what God wants you to write? Would a Bible Study on this topic be something you'd be interested in doing? 

I'd love to hear your feedback!