Today I am joining Kate Motaung in an online discussion of a book, “On Being A Writer.” The writing prompt is “When did I first call myself a writer.
Am I a writer? The book “Lord, I Am Listening,” encourages journaling your prayers. The year was 1992 and my journal’s name The Quiet Heart. A notebook filled with college lined paper and dividers, a place for prayers, plans, and poems. Journaling my prayers became my life. [Tweet “Writing to God is my avenue into my soul”] Sometimes raw emotions spilled across the pages. God knows my heart, my pain, and my joys. Years passing lined books filled with my heart-felt cries to my loving Father God. Many answers to prayers like my son graduating from high school, finding his life time partner, marrying her, having grandchildren, healing of my marriage, changing jobs as a nurse. Currently I use a formal journal by Becky Tirabassi, My Partner Prayer Notebook.
Writing my prayers is the first formal writing I did. Returning to college for my Bachelor’s Degree and my Master’s Degree writing on topics, such as tuberculosis and my thesis explored if teaching nursing students about HIV would their attitudes change in caring for the person with AIDS added to my experience. A promise that the thesis would be published motivated me. However, I completed and received an A there was no publication. School ended in 1999. During this time, i enrolled in a children’s writing course. I really wanted to publish stories for children. However, at the end of the course, another dead-end, no published children stories. Journaling my prayers continues and is the only writing until 2010 when Proverbs 31 ministries offered a blog hop. What is a blog hop? How do I get a blog to share? My first blog is at http://www.diana157.wordpress.com.
So as I write I will answer the question, “When did I first call myself a writer?” Although I have had my current blog over a year, only recently did I grasp the concept that I am a writer. This year in April, at Best Buy and I said the words, “I need a small lap top to travel with so I can write while I am away, I am a writer.” At the end of April, weather caused a delay of five hours delay of my flying to Oklahoma, I had my new lap top, I wrote a blog in the airport and I finally realized, I am a writer. Even if no one reads the words that God gives me, I am a writer.
Praise be to God that I have this amazing outlet for the words that are in my head. I have a peer at work Marleen who gives me encouragement. My friend Kath encourages me to submit my writings. My friend Barbie allows me to guest post, she is a computer guru, and she made my blog so special that I feel like a princess writing a blog. I guess that is better than kissing a frog! Beloved, I have no idea where this will lead writing for God but I do know that for each of you that read my words I am so thankful. So I leave you with a challenge, grab a journal and write, write your prayer start with praise and end with thanksgiving. You maybe a writer also. Someday I will write full-time.
