the grain of sand in my shoe

"It isn't the mountains ahead that wear you out, it is the grain of sand in your shoe." author unknown

Judson Tower on the grounds of the Green Lake Conference Center. My goal this particular day was to climb to the top.
 

But first I had to climb these 70 steps. Wouldn't have been bad except that they were not spaced evenly. I was panting by the time I got to the top.

Here I am at the top of the hill of the Tower. Now I only have 120 stairs more to go.

When I got inside the Tower, it took me a minute to find the stairs. I was expecting wide cement steps.
















But instead there was a spiral staircase encased in a cement. I realized that if I made it to the top I would be hyperventilating from claustrophobia and not from exertion.





Would it be worth it?

 

I think so. The view was fantastic, but it was still the satisfaction of having climbed to the top that made it worthwhile. Then I just had to survive the trip back down.  

Green Lake Writers Conference Recap

Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 1 John 2:7



Here I am sharing my devotion Wednesday night. I will probably post that here next week.









Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. 1 John 2:8 


The members of my workshop. Myself, Jean, Mary, Jean and Rita in the back row. Eleanor (who turns 88 next month), Darlene and Barb in the front row.

I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. 1 John 2:12 



Our instructor Mary Pierce really liked the gift we got her. Mary is a wonderful teacher, writer, counselor and friend.

 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 2 John 1:5

This is a view just outside of our hotel at the conference center. That's Judson Tower, which I climbed one day. It wasn't the 120 stairs that got to me, it was the circular staircase within a cement tomb which almost shattered this claustrophobic's resolve. 

John seemed to do a lot of writing. He was called from God. I'd like to think that I am too.  


This log cabin was built in 1840 and is the oldest structure on the grounds of Green Lake Conference Center.

And now I suppose I have started something.
The Writers Feet.
I don't know sometimes what is in my head, but I guess you can at least see what's on my feet.

The Dance of the White Flag

As you probably know, this past week I attended the Green Lake Christian Writers Conference. In search of an appropriate inspiration for today, I read through my notes from the wonderful group of speakers. You probably don’t want to hear tricks for getting past writer’s block or how to edit your entire book. Instead, you want to read something you can apply to your own life.

The workshop I attended, with Cynthia Ruchti, was “The Anatomy of a Novel.” Sounds heavy, doesn’t it? Gives you flashbacks to High School English class and wishing you had a pillow. This workshop was far from a boring lecture. In addition to spending the morning laughing and sharing, I wrote meager notes, all of which were gems. (My notes weren’t so hot, it was the content that was great.)

Here’s one. “The Dance of the White Flag.” That sounds very poetic, very deep. If we wave the white flag, we surrender to the enemy and we’re doomed. But note that the quote says “dance”. Dance sounds more like you have a partner.

The take on it for us as Christians is that showing the white flag is not a bad thing. Yes, it is surrender, but to whom are we surrendering? Do we have a partner?

Our dance partner is God and we need to surrender to Him. Wave the white flag for Him. Surrender your troubles, your trials, your battles. Turn it all over to God. Dance with that White Flag, knowing that it isn’t your fight alone, it is His.

Help us against the enemy; human help is worthless. With God on our side we will win; He will defeat our enemies. Psalm 60:11-12 Good News Translation