Writer's Group

My two daughters have always had a fascination with mechanical typewriters and have purchased several at various garage sales over the years. For them, there is just something satisfying about putting down thoughts, dreams and stories to the clickety clack of typewriter keys. Of course, the mood for writing can be enhanced by a row of candles, a vase of sunflowers, a string of pearls and perhaps sealing wax to close up a letter to a special someone. But probably nothing is as inspiring as having a group of friends who want to read your stories – friends that love you and love writing stories themselves. They understand the desire to write, the hard work of the process and the sweet success of a well-received story. My girls and I have been in a “Writer’s Group” for over five years with lovely ladies who inspire, encourage and cheer each writer on. Just about every month we meet to share laughs, food (lots of that!) and the stories of our lives.

Marriage is Like Dancing

I just finished reading a book entitled Marriage is Like Dancing. The author, Richard Eyer, a retired pastor and chaplain, wrote this book after he and his wife began taking ballroom dance lessons for the first time after almost forty years of marriage. He soon realized that the partnership in dancing paralleled the partnership between a husband and a wife. In his book, he discusses the importance of the man leading and the connections needed to dance well and to have a good marriage.

My sister and her husband have been married for twenty years, and during a recent vow renewal ceremony, her husband read her a quote by Elton Trueblood. “A successful marriage is not one in which two people beautifully matched find each other and get along happily ever after because of the initial matching. A successful marriage is a system which persons who are sinful and contentious are so caught up by a dream and by a purpose bigger than themselves that they can work through the years in spite of the repeated disappointments and make the dream come true.”

He told my sister at the ceremony, “This has been our dance, my love – all the spins, all the dips and all the twirls… may we always be ready to make life’s difficult sacrifices and may God grant us the courage to weather them. May we be honest with one another , always and forever trusting in the love of the Lord.”

This blog is dedicated to PJ and Susan. They have danced well. Dance on.

Anna's Encouragement

One aspect of life that everyone needs is encouragement. My dear friend, Anna, is an amazing young woman who has a heart to share her faith, her music and even her love for dance. She went to Uganda for a month this past summer to be an encouragement to the people there. She helped in various schools, assisted in putting on festivals and made friends everywhere she went. Anna is a talented musician, and she was able to take a violin with her on this trip. She used the violin to encourage the people with music and even had the opportunity to teach several groups the Virginia Reel and play fiddle music for them while they danced. It is fun for me to think that some of the music and dance that we use to build community here on the Central Coast made its way to Africa to encourage the people there. I know that, through Anna’s gift, the people of Uganda were blessed.