Thursday, April 05, 2018
Meeting - Change of Date Reminder
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
NJCWG News
- Kathy Rupff won the Spirituality Award for her poem, "Your Love Heals Me." Additionally, she won the Judge's Choice Art Award for her painting, Transformation, and first place in Art-Mixed Media for her collage, Aslan. Her work can be viewed at www.kathleenrupff.com.
- Maude Carolan Pych won the Judge's Choice Award for her Purim poem, "Queen Esther, Brave & Beautiful." Read her poem here.
Maude's recently published book of poems Wonderhoods is now available. Ordering information can be found on her website.
Susan Panzica's young adult allegory, The Quest, has just been published and will soon be available on her website at susanpanzica.com.
APRIL MEETING CHANGE: We will meet on the 14th - the second Saturday, not the usual first Saturday of the month. Time & location are the same but we will meet on the second floor (enter door closest to the parking lot).
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
Meeting this Saturday
March 4, 10 am - noon
Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff,
in the Barn (red building to the right after entering)
Saturday's topic:
Seasoned writers and writing hopefuls are all welcome.
Hope to see you Saturday,
Barbara
barbarahigbyhope.com
February's Focus Point
Today we will talk about aphorisms, those clever statements
that speak volumes with a modicum of words. I had fun looking through New
Testament letters to discover the use of what can be considered aphorisms,
though I never thought of it that way before. They are not the author’s last
words but fall near the ends of the letters and concisely summarize what the
writer had more fully explained earlier. This is what I found:
“Finally, …rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage
one another, be of one mind, live in peace.” (2 Cor 13:11)
“Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body
the marks of Jesus.” (Gal. 6:17)
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put
on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's
schemes.” (Eph. 6:10-11)
“Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble
for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.” (Phil.
3:1)
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Phil.
4:8)
“Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to
please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord
Jesus to do this more and more.” (1 Thess. 4:1)
“Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may
spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.” (2 Thess. 3:1)
“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be
sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.” (1 Pet. 3:8)
Take home thought: Be
concise, clever and creative to present a memorable nugget of inspiration.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Story Callout
Heaven Sightings
From James Stuart Bell:
|
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Meeting this Saturday
February 3, 10 am - noon
Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff
in the Barn (red building on your right as you enter)
Saturday's focus:
The Point Is… In a Nutshell… Finally…
Image compliments of Zazzle.com |
How aphorisms add clarity, define purpose, and assist memory.
aph·o·rism \ˈa-fÉ™-ËŒri-zÉ™m
Bring one or two writing samples, such as a blog post, for our discussion of aphorisms and their value.
Our group encourages experienced and novice writers. You are invited to check it out and see if it's a fit for your needs.
I hope to see you Saturday,
Barbara barbarahigbyhope.com
January's Focus Point
Joy in Writing
When I was a child I learned the
secret of joy in the form of an anagram—J-O-Y: Jesus first, Others second, Yourself
last. But long before it was contrived as a cute anagram, Jesus spoke it as
profound truth. Quoting from Deuteronomy, He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your
strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.”
This sure-formula for joy in life,
also gives us joy in writing.
God first. Every creative thought, sudden
illumination, and golden truth we discover is not original, but comes from God.
It is His call, His gift, His message, and His inspiration that speaks to our
hearts and draws us to our keyboards. When we are mindful of that, we are
focused, motivated and energized—we have purpose that transcends personal recognition, a
meaningful hobby, or hopes of a paycheck.
Secondly,
think of others. How often are we reminded to think “reader first?” If we’re
not writing for readers, we can simply journal. Journaling is easy,
communicating is work, but love for others will incite us to action. It will
propel us to take the time and make the effort to write, and write well for the
benefit of our readers.
The
third aspect of the equation is you. The fulfillment, satisfaction and—yes—joy that is ours when God is first and others
are second cannot be found any other way. When I put myself first, I never have
enough, am not good enough, and can’t be satisfied. The biblical order is the
way to fulfillment.
When I
respond to God’s inspiration and use His gifts to bless my readers, I experience
joy in writing.
Take home thought: When it comes to writing, glorifying God is my reason, enriching others is my goal, and joy is my
reward.
Wednesday, January 03, 2018
Need inspiration? Find it this Saturday!
Kick off 2018 with a dose of writing inspiration at NJCWG's first meeting of the year.
Published and novice writers are invited. Find encouragement for your writing endeavors.
Barbara
January 6, 10:00-noon
Cornerstone Christian Church, Wyckoff,
in the Barn (red building on the right as you enter)
Saturday's Focus: The Joy in Writing
We will share our writing goals for 2018 and discuss the hindrances that hold us back, as well as the joy that propels us forward.
Published and novice writers are invited. Find encouragement for your writing endeavors.
Barbara
Image compliments of thepreachersword.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)