The Work of Writing

For some, the newsletter is a chore likened to a root canal; for some it comes fairly easy.

None of us have "arrived."

I found the following to be helpful as regards writing, whether a newsletter, a blog, or just a note of encouragement:

By Mary Jaksch

Do you want to be a boring writer? No, of course you don’t!
But how to avoid it?
Do you sometimes read a piece that moves at an agonizingly slow pace? I do. Well, let me be honest here - I tend to read only the first paragraph, and then I put the boring book aside or flick over to another website.

Boring is bad. Boring is slow.

Enter Sol Stein. A master-editor who knows a trick or two. His book “Stein on Writing” lies on my bedside table and is a source of constant inspiration.
Stein’s take on ‘boring’ is that we need to accelerate the pace of our pieces. This means compressing the perceived flow of time.

Pace is often the deciding factor whether what we write is read, or not.

That’s especially true when it comes to stuff we publish on the Net, as internet savvy readers all seem to suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder.

The good news is that we can learn to control pace in our writing.

Sol Stein suggests three techniques to speed things up which can be used in fiction as well as nonfiction.

1. Use short sentences

   Here is an example:
   I stopped. The silence was awful.

2. Use frequent paragraphs

   Frequent paragraphs move the reader forward. One way to use frequent paragraphing is to use dialogue. Because each line is really a separate paragraph. While it’s enlivening to use direct dialogue in non-fiction, it’s sometimes difficult to find a way to place it. Another way to use dialogue is as a conversation with your reader. Here’s an example by Brian Clark in this Teaching Sells Report:
   

   Want to have a profitable online business?
   Here’s the part where I tell you all about how fabulous it is to have a purely online
   business.
   And then I tell you how you can have the lifestyle you want, live where you want,
   and have unlimited income potential-all from publishing online.
   What’s that?
   You mean you’ve already heard all that stuff?
   Oh… You’ve already been sold the dream, over and over.
   Now you’re looking for a way to make the dream come true that actually works?
   OK.
   Let’s just jump straight to that part.

That’s beautifully written, isn’t it? It’s engaging and enlivening. The reason it’s enlivening is because of the pace is accelerated through ultra-short paragraphs.

3. Use jump cuts

   Sol Stein suggests skipping about two thirds of your words in order to increase the pace. Here are two of his examples:
   

   Version A:
   In the morning he would shower, brush his teeth, shave, dress in a suitable business suit with shirt and tie, get down to the kitchen I time to have his coffee and then rush off to the station, but he’d frequently missed his train anyhow.

   Version B:
   He washed his body, shaved his jaw, drank his coffee, and missed the seven-thirty-one.
   (This is what John Cheever wrote in his celebrated story “The Country Husband”)

So, here are Sol Stein’s three techniques to accelerate the pace - all ready to put into your writer’s tool box. But don’t just leave them in there. Bring them out and use them next time you wonder whether your piece is boring.
Do you think they would work for you?

What Can I Do For Them?

Do I agree with everything in Bill Dillon's book, People Raising? Nope.

But this is worthy of repetition...

"Whether raising missionary support or funds for your organization you need to be appreciative of those who give and pray for your ministry and many do this sacrificially. From time to time you stop and ask yourself, "What in the world can I do for them?" Obviously you can't begin to match their gift with a similar gift back, to them but one thing you can do is to provide the gift of time. Take the time to call, email, visit and minister back and let them know what God is doing through their gifts and through your ministry."

Warning! Warning! Warning!

This is a very timely warning for us all. If your first thought is "hah, that doesn't apply to me" I suggest you check the location of your head. Okay, maybe that is too blunt at 5.45 on a Sunday morning...but after thirty plus years of ministry I, like most of you, have seen coworkers crash and burn; and even at my advanced age I must "guard my heart; above all!" And so much you, dear friends.

Here's the article from Paul Tripp's Shepherd Press newsletter:

Guard Your Heart!

"It began innocently." These words have been used by many to describe the beginning of some event that resulted in personal devastation. Most recently, these words were used by South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford at the press conference in which he described the events that led to unfaithfulness to his wife. Governor Sanford stated that he met his future lover innocently, with a note of irony. They had a conversation eight years ago in which he counseled her to stay with her husband and not divorce him. The Governor went on to say that emails followed that conversation, and they began to develop a remarkable friendship over the next eight years.

It began innocently. This phrase, however sincere, offered no protection for Mark Sanford, his family, or the woman he was trying to help. There is a reason that the Bible warns so strongly to guard your heart. Proverbs 4:23 is emphatic:  Above all else guard your heart! None of our actions are truly neutral. Even when seeking to help this woman eight years ago, about an issue where he appeared to be well-intentioned, Governor Sanford did not guard his heart. He did not protect the intimacy of his marriage. How did he fail to guard his heart? He did not provide the accountability necessary to guard those close to him. He could have provided this woman with the name of a competent counselor. He could have brought his wife into the conversation right from the beginning. Instead, he chose to “help her” himself.

For all of you who are parents – please listen to Solomon’s warning. For all of you who are parents in public service or ministry – please listen to Solomon’s warning. Talking with another person of the opposite sex who is not your spouse about intimate relational issues, without open and immediate accountability, is dangerous. It is not innocent; it is a high risk activity. When there is open discussion of intimate relational details with someone, there is always the possibility of things going horribly wrong. Christians have an enemy who is like a lion looking to devour the foolish of heart. The flesh is deceitful and it is at war with the Spirit. It cannot be trusted. Governor Sanford went on to say that he and his future lover went on to develop a remarkable friendship over the next eight years. Sadly, what was remarkable about it was that the relationship led to full blown adultery. This friendship was built upon deceit and misplaced trust. A s the governor said, his actions were first and foremost selfish. Selfishness is not the path to guarding your heart. Self pity will not guard your heart. Enjoying conversations about intimate relational struggles, with a woman who is not your wife, is not guarding your heart. Rather, it is the precursor to disaster. God has provided the family and the church for protection for God’s people. The marriage relationship must be guarded with relentless diligence. Don’t have conversations that you cannot speak openly and freely about with your spouse. As soon as intimate issues come to the surface in such conversations, be like Joseph—flee!! Urge the other person to speak with someone who can truly, objectively help him or her. Many relational failures in the church community happen simply because hearts are not being faithfully protected. Trying to help someone else’s marriage by talking privately with one of the spouses is asking for trouble.

Governor Sanford’s affair is high profile. But sadly, thousands of low-profile marriages in the church are put at risk daily because hearts are not being guarded with fierceness. Learn the names of those in your church who are reliable counselors. When someone comes to you with marital troubles, immediately point them to these counselors. Then let them know you are informing your spouse of this conversation. Tell them that you will also encourage an elder or pastor to check up on them. Following this practice is an important, effective way to guard your heart.

Please consider carefully Solomon’s warning:
"Above all else, guard your heart, 
               for it is the wellspring of life"

Dessert, Anyone?

From the folks at People Raising:


"As you raise funds, the challenge always is looking for new contacts. One of the ways to successfully accomplish that is to have a donor provide a dessert time and invite friends. On one occasion, I asked one of our donors to do that and they gladly agreed. At that desert time, I was introduced to a gentleman who you knew very little about me and my ministry. During our time together, he caught our passion and vision. He then began to support the ministry. He also caught the vision of introducing his friends to our ministry who then caught the vision and started giving financially. Whether raising personal support or fund raising for your organization sharing your passion and vision with one individual can help extend your network and increase the number of those who can support your ministry."

Why Do Some of our Students Stagnate

I just posted this on my "regular" blog (CHECK IT OUT HERE), but I think this is so vital, so important, and so often missed that I will gladly risk giving you a double (or triple) dose here:

In the great book, "The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind Shift that Changes Everything" the authors make a statement regarding, specifically, church ministry that I insist is directly applicable to those of us involved in youth ministry (meaning, how many "good" students who are trying to live right and do right are thinking, "What do I have to do to get my youth leader's attention???)

"But if we pour all our time into caring for those who need help, the stable Christians will stagnate and never be trained to minister to others, the non-Christians will stay unevangelized, and a rule of thumb will quickly emerge within the congregation: if you want the pastor’s time and attention, get yourself a problem. Ministry becomes about problems and counselling, and not about the gospel and growing in godliness.

"And over time, the vine withers."

Praying for our Supporters

I am reasonably confident we all invest time praying for our support - but may I ask how much time you spend praying for our existing supporters?

Don't know what works for you, but I have, in addition to other written prayer needs, 31 pages for each day of the month, and I randomly write each of my supporters on at least one day. So, if I'm disciplined, there is at least one day per month when I pray for a specific supporter.

Some of them communicate specific needs, and those go on the list, perhaps daily, dependent on the need.

Of course we are hopeful that our supporters are praying regularly for us, but, bottom line, we can't do much about that (except communicate regularly our specific needs), but we can do something about how we pray for them.

The Ten

Without getting into my feelings about the issue, I get a tad snarky when someone asks me to sign a petition or pass on an email about getting the "Ten Commandments" back in school....I just say I'd be glad to sign if they can tell me the Ten. None have ever been able to.

As we all know, so many of our students (and, sad to say, their parents) are woefully ignorant of basic stuff...like, for instance, the ten commandments. Here is a link that may prove helpful: CLICK HERE