The kitchen is my comfort zone where creativity comes alive when I start cooking. So I keep a notebook or a journal nearby when I make something handcrafted, whether from the tip of my pen or the bottom of my pan. Then creativity flows freely as I make time daily to write from my heart what cannot be found on the pages of someone else's journal, while cooking up at home the food that is not already served somewhere else.

Take a moment today to identify your creative comfort zone-it may be in the bustle of a bookstore, in a quiet corner of your house, or even in an outdoor sanctuary-and get busy writing!

Write Your Vision

A new year means seeing life through a different lense than last year. So why not take this opportunity to write your vision for 2013? It could look like a letter to yourself that stays tucked neatly in your night stand for you to read from time to time. Or it could appear as public as a blog post for your readers, a mission statement for your business, or a vision casting for your family. However private or public your vision may be, it ought to give you the opportunity to flesh out your feelings on paper without falling back on facades. An original vision always bears more beauty than a copy of last year's or a replica of someone else's. So seek inspiration where it may be found and take a moment to write your vision for 2013. Happy New Year!

Weaving Words

Raw fibers weave into a fine fabric, creating a beautiful blanket that offers comfort and warmth to the worn and the weary. In a similar way, story starts with a simple sentence with words weaving into words to create an authentic literary art. That same story can also serve as a covering that offers comfort and warmth to blanket the worn and the weary.

When was the last time you curled up to read or write a really good story? My New Year's Resolution is to do that more often.

Christmas letters speak from the warmth of our memories. They also collect all the comfort from the year and transform it into a treasured word art for those who truly cherish Christmas. Every year I try putting on paper what's been placed in my heart, whether it's the memory of a family vacation or the moments that can never be replaced. How does your Christmas letter take shape before shipping out to the ones you love?

My Quiet Time Interrupted

sim·i·le [sim-uh-lee]
noun
1.a figure of speech in which two unlike things are explicitly compared, as in “she is like a rose.” Compare metaphor.
2.an instance of such a figure of speech or a use of words exemplifying it.
(www.Dictionary.com)

The Holy Spirit came as the Comforter in the quiet of my morning. He reminded me that fear is like a ghost trying to haunt me. But if I am not afraid of ghosts, then why should I believe my fears? Then my sweet time with this Holy Guest got interrupted by an angry hum growling through my kitchen window. The sound of a lawn mower sure had its way of disturbing my quiet time.

What are the intrusions that interrupt your time with God? Or what are the fears you are believing?

My Thoughts Personified

per·son·i·fi·ca·tion   [per-son-uh-fi-key-shuhn]
noun
1. the attribution of a personal nature or character to inanimate objects or abstract notions, especially as a rhetorical figure.
2. the representation of a thing or abstraction in the form of a person, as in art.
(www.Dictionary.com)

If I linger too long with my thoughts, then criticism creeps in and crowds out joy. And just as perfectionism pushes away grace, performance proclaims it's always better to be busy. Then comparison complains that I need to work harder in order to keep up, while loneliness tries to taunt me. So I call on my good friends, surrender and salvation to come and keep me company.

Some Word Art

Some artists work with clay, others work with paints. I work with words.