Writing as a Sacred Art

November 22, 2010

Lovely Words Vol. 25

Filed under: Blog Carnival — C. J. Stegall-Evans @ 6:43 am

Welcome to the November 22 edition of Lovely Words. In honor of Thanksgiving, let’s all take a little time to reflect on the people and things that make us grateful. We at Lovely Words are grateful for our readers; thank you so very much for hanging in there as we incur growing pains. Everyone, please have a happy, healthy Thanksgiving.

Who Inspires You.

 
Laura Grace Weldon presents Thanks To Mom, We Tried Turkey Farming posted at Laura Grace Weldon, saying, “As a way of honoring my mother, we tried raising pastured turkeys.”

Writing

 
Shaheen E Lakhan presents Free Will is NOT An Illusion posted at Brain Blogger, saying, “Many scientists think that free-will is an illusion. That is, intentions, choices, and decisions are made by subconscious mind, which only lets the conscious mind know what was willed after the fact.”
 
 
Erin Pavlina presents Believe It and Achieve It posted at Erin Pavlina – Spiritual Wisdom for Conscious People, saying, “My twin sister and I started playing basketball when we were 10 years old. My father was elated as basketball was his favorite sport. He taught us all the basic skills and worked with us every weekend at the gym to improve our game, then he signed us up for a local community basketball league…”

Inspiration

 
Laura Grace Weldon presents 9 Amazing Reasons To Be Optimistic posted at Laura Grace Weldon, saying, “Hope builds when beautiful, often little-known wonders are uncovered. Find out how things are getting better in surprisingly wonderful ways.”

Poetry

Missy Frye presents Where are We? The Importance of Place posted at Incurable Disease of Writing, saying, “Poet, Anne McCrady says, “a great poem, like a photo or a postcard or a painting, begins by creating an image for the audience to consider.”"
 
Madeleine Begun Kane presents Hairy Limerick posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.
Laura Grace Weldon presents Poetry Diet posted at Laura Grace Weldon, saying, “Is it possible to sustain ourselves by poetry?”

 

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Lovely Words using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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© 2010 C. J. Stegall-Evans (All Rights Reserved)

November 16, 2010

Meditation for Writers

Filed under: Life — C. J. Stegall-Evans @ 6:43 am

By C. J. Stegall-Evans

Writers should meditate on a daily basis because clears the mind, renews the spirit, and helps to fill that empty void. Meditation clears the mind by allowing for moments to just be; you have no future no past just this moment. Meditation renews your spirit in that it’s like a mini vacation where you come back refreshed and ready to take on your life.

 Meditation is like a vacuum cleaner in that it clears out the negative voices that tell us we can’t do this or that. It stills that voice that is always trying to under mind our sense of self-worth. It helps to fill that empty void by getting rid of all the clutter; getting rid of the clutter makes room for our prayers, religious, and/or spiritual practice to take root and actually fill us up.

 Meditation helps us to stop retelling all those old stories we tell ourselves about our lives. Stories like this person is to blame for my down fall… the world is against me… why try…. In meditating we are able to live more fully in this moment realizing there is nothing we can do about the past and if we wish to build a better future, we start right now in this moment.

 Meditations is a must for writers in order to see life as it is rather than creating mental models for individual and putting people into the little box of who we think they are; such as, if we work together and you think I’m a jerk, then that’s the lens through which you view my every action. No matter what I do because of the mental model you have in your head about me it’s going to perceived as a jerk move.

Meditation frees the writer to see people as themselves rather than a series of acts. When we see people as individuals and expect the best from them we will be amazed at how often they rise to meet your expectations. When are free of the negative voices that weigh us down, we are also pleasantly surprised when our own lives begin to surpass anticipated outcomes. So, right now in this moment, take a few seconds and just breathe.

November 8, 2010

Lovely Words Vol. 24

Filed under: Blog Carnival — C. J. Stegall-Evans @ 7:56 am

Welcome to the November 8, 2010 edition of Lovely Words. Please enjoy our quietly beautiful selection of articles that are perfect for a chilly fall day.

Inspiration

 
Laura Grace Weldon presents Letting Beauty Go posted at Laura Grace Weldon, saying, ““Best not get attached to Beauty,” I was warned by people older and wiser.”
 
Erin Pavlina presents The Secret to Forgiving Yourself posted at
Erin Pavlina – Spiritual Wisdom for Conscious People, saying, “Have you ever made a mistake you thought was so bad that you simply couldn’t forgive yourself? So bad that you sunk into a depression and were unable to move on? Why are we so hard on ourselves? Why can’t we forgive ourselves for our mistakes? How long must you flog yourself before you are…”

What Inspires You

 
Nikki Hodgson presents I heart Grenoble posted at Never A Dull Moment.

Poetry

 
cindy bell presents Joy: A Haibun posted at The Graphic Haibuneer, saying, “A haibun”
Madeleine Begun Kane presents A Limerick Loser’s Lament  andElection Results Madness  posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog

Writing

Amy Waterman presents The Writing Club posted at Waterman Words, saying, “Is writing a solitary activity or best shared in the company of others? I discuss whether or not joining a writing club can help you with your writing … or hold you back.”

Peace

 
Jim Edwards presents On the Inside; You’re Not Growing Old!  and Henry Loeffler’s Miracle Testimony  posted at EverydayChristianFamily.com, saying, “Words expressing how older people feel and my friend’s story of finding peace when near death.”

List

 
Joanaa Tiger presents 50 Best Books for Presidential History Buffs posted at mastersdegree.net.
 
Lindsay Samuels presents The 50 Most Hated Characters in Literary History posted at Library Science Degree, saying, “Characters of both the purely hated and “love to hate” variety make appearances here to encourage improvised games of comparison and contrast. Pretty much every literary character will have his or her defenders – particularly popular romantic leads – though a hefty proportion of them seem to inspire as much disgust as delight.”
 

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of Lovely Words using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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© 2010 C. J. Stegall-Evans (All Rights Reserved)

November 3, 2010

The World Stopped

Filed under: Life — C. J. Stegall-Evans @ 3:11 pm

By C. J. Stegall-Evans

It rained last evening and the world stopped. The world stopped to look at the individual droplets rolling down the screened patio until they all merged and were simply wet. The rain is so thick you can barely see beyond the screen. We all have important things to do, yet, the world stops to listen to the weeping rain.

 The world stopped because a good rain is like a good cry, it renews your spirit. It makes you feel like no matter what has gone wrong in your life everything will be okay. Rain is such a charming part of nature; you have to love its churning sound; the way it showers the world making everything fresh and new. I imagine God is patting Him or Herself on the back so pleased to be the official sponsor of rain.

Last evening’s rain  was an answer to a prayer, for we all need a little rain in our lives from time to time so that we may stop and get that cozy feeling of just being. No future, no past, just rain. A tranquil rain is like a symphony for the eyes and ears; it captures your attention and enthralls your imagination.

Last evening’s rain with its dark clouds gave an ethereal quality to an already beautiful world. I can almost hear God say, “Rain, yeah, well done, well done.” Amen. So remember the next time it rains to stop watch the show nature puts on just for you.    

 

© 2010 C. J. Stegall-Evans (All Rights Reserved)

November 1, 2010

The Most Essential Word

Filed under: Life, Writing — C. J. Stegall-Evans @ 2:07 pm

By C. J. Stegall-Evans

The word “because” is one of the most essential words for writers. Although, it is quite utilitarian in nature it also possesses a certain poetic quality. I use because often, some examples are I Write Because and Because…, but the Beatles use it best.

Because is such a simple word yet it has such emotion pull. We are more inclined to listen to others when they give us a reason. Because is a lovely word not necessarily in its sound but in its varied uses and its ability to evoke emotion. John Lennon writes, “because the sky is blue it makes me cry.” What better reason to cry?

Because not just a valid word for writers, we all use it. Apologies go much better if you say “Please forgive me because you are so important to me, I never want to hurt you.” Someone would have to be made of ice to overlook an apology like this.

If that does not make you give the word because a little more respect then listen to this: because has been scientifically proven to be the most persuasive word in the English language. People seem to respond to it because it strikes a cord somewhere deep within the subconscious and compels others to listen to your reasoning.    

Will you get your way every time just by using the word because; absolutely not, but it will ensure others will listen to you. This is part of life we all want to be heard, loved and appreciated.   

 

2010 C. J. Stegall-Evans (All Rights Reserved)

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