Monday, September 9, 2013

A Prayer to Matter

A prayer to Matter

Dear God,

Today help me to matter.
Not to just BE matter, aimlessly taking up room on this earth, but to actually make a difference.
Help me to matter in the way that brings people to you.
Grant me the blessing of remembrance that I may keep in my mind this fact:
The only thing that means anything at all is Love.

When the baby cries, let me hold him and kiss him a hundred times.
When my girls walk in the door from school, let me show them love.
Let me throw my arms around them and tell them how special they are.
And when I correct their course, let me do it in love, in a way that doesn’t command but invites them to use their agency to be better people.
When my husband walks in the door, bless me with a listening ear and help me to ease his burden instead of adding to the weight.
Then I will be a mother and wife who matters.

Lord, please remind me to speak the kind words I think of those around me; that my love for them will make a difference in their day instead of floating away unused and unknown.
And when I, inevitably and unfortunately, think unkind or angry things bless me with a broader view and help me not to be influenced by limited vision of the situation.  

And finally Lord, I ask thee please, to help me love myself.
If today I happen to do something that matters in the world’s definition of mattering, please bless me with the self-assurance to give thee the Glory and keep my mouth shut about it.
Instead remind me of my true light—that is through thy son and in thee.  I am yours, a part of you and if for no other reason than that alone, I do matter.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

A Couple of Tips

The novelist, Jeana Watters, recently directed me to a speech given by an award-winning writer on coaxing the muse.  Here are the main things I took from it and the link if you're interested. 

http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1714&tid=2

1. Read
2. Make a daily habit of writing
3. Let your writing lead you.  Don't get so married to a specific idea that creativity isn't allowed to flow.
4. Revise your work.
5. Fall in love with the world around you.  Be observant.
6. Be a well rounded person.  Insights garnered from other disciplines make you a better writer.