Meeting this Saturday

February 4

10 am to noon

Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff, in the Barn

 (red building on the right as you enter the property)

Our discussion will focus on tapping into our 

God-given creativity

Get the encouragement you need, whether you're an accomplished writer, 

beginner or somewhere in between.

Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and new,

Barbara

barbarahigbyhope.com

January's Focus Point:

The Power of a Word

How many of you choose a word for the year? My word for 2017 is clarity. There are reasons far too personal to share in this setting but one area where I want clarity is in my writing—not how I write, that goes without saying—but in what I write. I feel conflicted by competing desires, good ideas and worthy goals and acknowledge that, as valuable as they may be, having too many possibilities can deter productivity.

Proverbs 4:25-27 says, “Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left....”

The phrase I want to focus on is this: “take only ways that are firm.” There are many ways, opportunities that are worthy, but I believe God will position us on a firm footing to accomplish what He has for us at this time. Options and creative ideas abound for each of us—we’re writers, creative by our God-given nature—and I hope we all keep lists with every brilliant idea we have, but we must to fix our gaze, make a level, firm place to stand, and do one thing at a time really well.

Take away thought: The blessing of creativity is a river that requires channeling. We must quiet our hearts and ask, “God, what would you have me do now?” and then do it wholeheartedly.

Requested Recipes!

We had a great time at our annual brunch. In addition to great fellowship and goal setting, we enjoyed a delicious array of foods. In response to popular request, here are some of the recipes you asked for:


Sticky Buns - Ann VanHine

1 1/2 loves of frozen bread dough

1/2 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

1 tsp of cinnamon

1/2 pack of butterscotch pudding mix (COOK & SERVE not instant)

1 stick of butter

walnuts or pecans

Put a layer of walnuts or pecans in 13X 9 baking dish. I do spray pan with PAM. cut dough into 12 pieces and lay on nuts. In a bowl, combine the sugars, pudding mix and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the dough. Cut stick of butter into 12 pieces and place one piece on each piece of dough. Place in oven overnight. In the morning prick the dough with a fork and then bake at 350 for 30 minutes. After done cut around the edges and flip over onto serving plate.  Enjoy!

Salmon Spread - Maude C. Pych

1 14.75 oz. can salmon, red preferred

8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. horseradish

2 tbs. lemon juice

1/4 c. parsley, minced

1/2 c, onion, minced

dill, thyme and/or sage, minced (optional)

red bell pepper, minced (optional)

1/2 stalk celery, minced (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix well. Shape like a fish.

Use a slice of pitted ripe olive for fish-eye

Use pimento or sliver of red pepper for mouth

Sprinkle with dried dill, if desired

Decorate platter

Serve with crackers, carrots, celery

Be creative. Vary spices.

Winter Salad - Susan Panzica

Dressing:

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons finely chopped onion (or dry minced onion)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup oil

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Salad:

1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces (about 10 cups)

4 oz. (1 cup) shredded Swiss cheese

1 cup cashews (I use pecans or whatever)

1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1 apple, cubed

1 pear, cubed

In blender container or food processor bowl with metal blade, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard, and salt. Cover; process until blended. With machine running, add oil in slow steady stream, processing until thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds; process a few seconds to mix.

In large serving bowl, combine salad ingredients; toss to mix. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat.

Notes:

Swiss cheese can be omitted for non-cheese eaters.

In summer, I substitute strawberries, blueberries, mandarin oranges, mango, etc.

I usually pare the pear, skin can be bitter.

BON APPETIT!!

         

         

Reminder - this Saturday!

Wishing you all a Happy New Year! 

At our next meeting on Jan. 7, 2017, we will hold our annual brunch 

(postponed from our usual December so that more people can attend). 

We look forward to breaking bread together as we continue along our writing journeys. 

For the brunch, here are the signups so far. If you aren't on the list and would like to bring something, please just hit reply or email: njcwgroup@gmail.com. If you're new to the group or just not able to bring something, please come anyway! 

Quiche - Leslie

Sticky Buns - Ann

Bagels - Nancy

Salmon Spread - Maude

Fruit Salad - Brian

Winter Salad - Susan

Juice - Jack

Beverages & Paper Goods - Barbara

***

Come prepared to share writing goals for 2017!!

We will continue our focus on story (for both fiction & nonfiction writing),

and if there's interest, we'll talk about the possibility of creating a NJCWG anthology.

***

New Year's Brunch coming up!!

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year! 

At our next meeting on Jan. 7, 2017, we will hold our annual brunch 

(postponed from our usual December so that more people can attend). 

We look forward to breaking bread together as we continue along our writing journeys. 

For the brunch, here are the signups so far. If you aren't on the list and would like to bring something, please just hit reply or email: njcwgroup@gmail.com. If you're new to the group or just not able to bring something, please come anyway! 

Quiche - Leslie

Sticky Buns - Ann

Bagels - Nancy

Salmon Spread - Maude

Fruit Salad - Brian

Winter Salad - Susan

Juice - Jack

Beverages & Paper Goods - Barbara

***

Come prepared to share writing goals for 2017!!

We will continue our focus on story (for both fiction & nonfiction writing),

and if there's interest, we'll talk about the possibility of creating a NJCWG anthology.

 *** 

December's Focus Point

A blessed Christmas to our members and followers. May your celebration of Christ's birth be meaningful and rich. 

Since some of you requested it, I posted this morning's Focus Point below.

Blessings to you & yours,

Barbara

barbarahigbyhope.com

The Power of Story, part 2

Last month we talked about Jesus’ story telling. If anyone possessed the wisdom and knowledge to cut directly to the heart of the matter it was Him - He didn’t need to weave stories to convey His point. Could His reason for storytelling have been because it is easier for us to grasp and remember truth through a story?

Jesus’ stories were not for entertainment; they always had deeper meanings—take-aways, if you will. As His people we can present deep truths through stories as well. Last month I shared this takeaway from Cec Murphey's website: Stories convey truth, sometimes better than stated principles. 

Luke demonstrates this in his 18th chapter with these words: ¹Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ² He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. ³And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him… We know this as the parable of the persistent widow. Jesus told the story “to show them…” He did not tell them to always pray and not give up; He told the story and the story told them, impressing hearers with a story not easily forgotten.

This season many people will read the story of the first Christmas from the Bible or a retelling or both. This beloved "story" is not about the elements that have grown precious to us. It is not about a journey, full inns and a manger bed. It’s not about glorious angels making a surprise visit to sleepy shepherds. It’s not about foreign dignitaries following a star to honor a baby King. The purpose of the story is the takeaway - eternal life for all who believe the Christmas Babe is their Messiah.

As Christian writers, our stories have the power to convey God-ordained messages that offer life.

Take away thought: Story may be our greatest show-don't-tell tool and our most powerful method to convey truth.    

Join us this Saturday

Our next meeting is Saturday, November 5 

 10 am to noon, at Cornerstone Christian Church in Wyckoff

In the Barn - red building on the right as you enter the property

Digging In 

Come prepared for a unique creative writing exercise.

Also, November is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), 

which calls writers to produce a 50,000 word novel during the month.

 This Saturday I'll invite you to consider a different writing challenge - 

The ShoStoWri Challenge.

Get the encouragement you need, whether you're an accomplished writer, beginner or somewhere in between.

See you Saturday,

Barbara

barbarahigbyhope.com