Writing for posterity - the good, the bad and the boring?

By Lacey Gunter

I have recently started to get into genealogy. FamilySearch.org has done a major overhaul of their website and tools, making genealogy work dramatically more accessible and interesting.  One nice thing they have added is the ability to post pictures and stories about deceased ancestors. Looking through these pictures and reading stories about my ancestors has helped me to see these were real people who have had an affect on my life and has helped me to feel more connected to them.

Reading through these ancestral stories really highlights the importance of keeping a personal journal for ourselves and our posterity. How will the story of our life get painted if we choose to be silent on the matter. Will your posterity get the messages you are hoping to pass on to them?


What should these messages look like? It seems like a certain subset of the LDS faith (and likely in other Christian faiths) believe only positive, happy, wholly faith affirming stories and messages should be written in journals.  In essence, leaving out our doubts, mistakes, misgivings, failures and painful or embarrassing experiences.  On some levels I  understand this mode of thinking. It's difficult to admit and reveal one's imperfections. However, I find this idea short-sighted and superficial.  

The 'everything turned out just like it was supposed to' stories are nice to hear once in a while, but I find myself less moved or inspired by them. I find myself much more moved by the stories of relatives facing an awful or difficult situation, expressing their true feelings of hurt, doubt or fear, but hearing they eventually soldiered through somehow and found a way to cling to or come back to their sometimes wavering faith.  These stories make the person seem so much more real and relatable and help me to develop an appreciation and love for the kind of person they were.

But what about the dull, the mundane and the every day?  Let's face it, life isn't always exciting or romantic. It involves a lot of typical day to day repetition. This is where I struggle in my journal keeping. How do you keep your motivation and drive up when most things seem to feel the same as yesterday? I don't really know the answer to this, but I would love to hear from any of you who have figured it out.

However you do it, I encourage you to actually do it! Don't be silent in this one part of your life. Who needs the messages of you heart more than your posterity? Today is as good as any day to start.

Skinny Cow and Electrical Tape - These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

by Mare Ball

It's getting chilly here in Florida, and I'm enjoying making apple dumplings and wearing my snowman sweater now and then.  (I'm normally in flip-flops and shorts.)  Facebook is full of gratitude posts, and I'm thinking of trying a new cranberry salad recipe for Thanksgiving.

I love autumn.  It's my favorite season.  I was married in October solely because that's when trees show off their colors.  I love the cool breezes in November and the fact that Christmas is peeking around the corner.

I won't be posting again until Black Friday, so I wanted to share a few things I'm grateful for this year - outside of family and relative health, which I recognize every year.  These are just simple things that make me smile.

1.  My gym, where membership is only ten bucks a month.  I don't make it there every day, so I appreciate the fact that I'm wasting only thirty-three cents on the days I'm not checking in.

2.  My PT Cruiser.  It fits my behind.   

3.  CVS weekly sales.  Nothing beats .99 Puffs or Dawn dish washing liquid. 

4.  Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches.  We've gotten away from fat ice cream completely and don't even miss it.

5.  Fresh salmon all year round.  With maple syrup and a bit of lemon. I only wish it was thirty-three cents a day like the gym.

6.  That Mom, who's fairly reserved, can still make me chuckle.  Like the fact that she calls her pantiliners "ipads." 

7.  Coconut oil.  It's a great moisturizer and, mixed with baking soda, a wonderful, natural toothpaste. 

8.  Dental hygienists and proctologists.  No, really.  What if no one wanted those jobs?  Just imagine. Whatever they're paid, it's not enough.

9.  Pocket calculators.  I haven't had to do math in my head for a decade.  And I wasn't very good at it then.

10.  Can openers that take off the lid from the side, so there are no sharp edges.  This enables me to use the lids and cans for all kinds of things.

11.  Electrical tape.  I've just discovered it's a super craft tape, and it comes in all kinds of colors.  It enables me to make stuff like this.
                                                           
                                       

(Notice the tin can with no sharp edges.)

12.  My clothesline.  I hang clothes out all year long.  I feel like I'm pulling one over on the electric company.  I'm sure it doesn't care, but it makes me feel like I'm smarter than the average bear.

13.  IKEA.  I love roaming around in that store.  The plastic bag holder and the washcloths with loops on them make me so happy.

14.  Flannel sheets.  We use them all the time, even in the summer.  Cotton sheets are crinkly and loud.

15.  Cream of Mushroom soup.  You just can't replicate that stuff.  I've tried, and I've failed.  I bought two cans today.  Green Bean Casserole, I'm ready.

16.  Those Liberty Mutual commercials where the tree drops on the car, or the car door gets snapped off by another car whizzing past - they crack me up every time.  Humans.   

17.  Cookie cutters.  I've collected all kinds over the years, and they bring such creativity and fun to sugar cookie dough.  If I had to carve swans or reindeer by hand, we'd just have circle cookies cut out with a glass.

18.  That God's graces are new every day.  Because, everyday, I need a do-over.
   

Mid-November

-a post by Jeanna Mason Stay (who has written absolutely nothing of interest on her writing blog since the dawn of time . . . and yet, she continues to link you to it)

I tend to write blog posts that are way too long, and then I have to slash them a great deal. And then they are only sort of too long. Well, in one of my editing rounds for my last blog post, I cut out a part where I said that since my next post (this one) would be in the middle of NaNoWriMo, it would probably look something like this:

“Well, it’s the middle of November, and I have nothing brilliant to say because all of my brain power has been sucked up by trying to get through this stinking novel. So, um, have a great day!”

And that was going to be it.

Well, I’m happy to say that now it’s the middle of November, and I pretty much have nothing brilliant to say because all of my brain power has been sucked up by trying to write this really atrocious novel that maybe has some seeds of awesomeness that are really deeply buried in manure. (At least that’s a good thing, I suppose—seeds in manure should theoretically grow really well, right?)

So, um, have a great day!*

*And because this is probably the dorkiest post ever, I will supplement it with someone else’s motivational awesomeness. Someone recently shared this with me, and it was a wonderful reminder of one thing it takes to be great. My favorite part: “The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.” So go forth! Begin again, fail again, succeed again. In writing, and in life.

P.S. In other news, I’m barely keeping up with my NaNo schedule, despite having started off with a bang. For various reasons, it turned out to be a rough time to write a novel. But still plugging along—because something is better than nothing.

And how are you all doing?

30 day service binge

by Charla Schneider
Last month my husband’s parents, siblings and in-laws all got on the phone for a ‘book club’ conference call.  Since we are all busy people and don’t seem to have time for an extra book in our lives we’ve decided that short articles are sufficient conversation fodder.  We discussed an article entitled “Be Anxiously Engaged” which is a great article about how important it is for each of us to reach out to others.  The author weaved in a metaphor and described the seemingly heroic and selfless efforts of bees.  They’re busy, hardworking and dedicate their lives to the hive.  Bees get a lot done and they make a miracle food that nourishes and heals.  So we all committed at the end of the phone call to pray for inspiration each morning to see opportunities to reach out, help, connect with the people in our lives.  Binging has never been so satisfying.  I haven’t moved mountains, I haven’t fed Calcutta, I haven’t found the cure for cancer – I’ve just been a little bee who I think has found the right flowers to pollinate.  Sometimes the problems of the world seem overwhelming and we perhaps are tempted to think less of our little drops in the ocean but this little experiment has made me feel happier and more connected to the people in my life.  I must say that with the limited time I have, I treasure the opportunity to engage the universal powers of heaven and allow them to direct me and enlighten me on how best my limited time and energy can be spent.   I highly recommend indulging in this kind of binge.  It’s even better than chocolate – I promise.

SPRINT TIME!

It’s SPRINT TIME! If you want to join in, just leave a comment below. Check in again at 10:15, 10:30, 10:45, and 11- leave comments and word counts.

*yawn*

Here we go!

It Matters to Him (and another sprint!)

by Kasey Tross

I don’t know about you, but unless I’m writing something specifically related to the gospel, I always feel a little weird praying about my writing. I guess I just feel like unless I’m using my talents to directly “build the kingdom”, I’m actually doing something selfish- even wrong.

So as I’ve shared before, I’m working on writing my first novel, and it’s a YA paranormal mystery/romance. Nope, no gospel stuff in there. But I’ve been dedicating quite a bit of time to it, so I figured that as long as I go to Institute class during the week and keep up with reading my scriptures maybe it would all even out in God’s eyes. (This sounds totally crazy to me as I write it but I’m just trying to be honest here.)

Well, the other morning I was reading in a book I have called “A Year of Powerful Prayer.” It’s my morning routine to read one entry in this book (there are 365) and then say my morning prayer. On that particular morning the entry was by John Bytheway, and he said,

“Sometimes I’ve wondered if the things I pray about are too trivial or too unimportant when compared with everything else going on in the world. At least I used to think that until I had my own children. Now I think differently. If something is important to my five-year-old, it’s important to me, no matter what other problems are on my mind.”

He went on to share Alma 34:18-26, and paraphrased it with more modern language, and identified things we might pray about. He said, “Pray for all of these things because it they’re important to you, they’re important to God."

I thought about all the things that are important to my kids, things that I know are probably not essential to them becoming the people I hope they will someday become, but they are things that make them excited and happy. For example, my son loves Lego Ninjago. I listen to him go on and on about various ninjas, helped him choose which of the massive Lego sets he wanted to spend his birthday money on, got him a Ninjago shirt for him to wear on the first day of school (last year AND this year) and even played some Spinjitzu with him on occasion. It’s important to me because it’s important to him and it makes him happy. Could it be possible that Heavenly Father might feel the same way about me and this book?

After I read the passage in the prayer book I thought, “Hmm. Okay, well maybe it’s finally time to pray about this. Maybe God is okay with it.” I’d always been too afraid to pray about it. What if He said no? But this time I decided to give it a shot- face the music and accept whatever answer I was given.

I tentatively explained to Heavenly Father that I was working on this book. And that I really wanted to finish it because-

And then suddenly it was as if He was finishing my sentence for me.

He said, “because you’ve wanted this ever since you were a little girl. I know.”

I had this overwhelming feeling of peace and joy that brought tears to my eyes. It was as if He was telling me, “I want this for you because you want this for you and I’ll be with you every step of the way. You’ve set a goal for yourself- a worthy goal. I want you to succeed.”

Needless to say, it was a huge weight off my shoulders. I no longer feel like I’m tiptoeing around. (Ha, like that would actually work, right?) I feel like the Lord is my partner in this and He is my biggest fan and cheerleader. I feel like I can do this work with His blessing.

So, speaking of work, I’d like to help us all progress with a WRITING SPRINT again tonight. Again, we’ll start at 10pm EST (9pm CST, 8pm MST, 7pm PST). Just go to the blog a few minutes before and I will have a NEW post up for the sprint. Leave a comment and say hello to let us know you’re participating. NaNo-ers- I can pound out 2,000 words in a 1-hour sprint, so this could be a great way for you to literally SPRINT ahead in your word count! And checking in every 15 minutes really helps you stay motivated. See you tonight!

Oh, and don’t forget to start your sprint with a prayer... ;-)

Have you ever felt a little bit sheepish about what you’re working on? Did you think to pray? ;-)

Love of a Lifetime

 

Most people learn faith from experiences that they go through. At times, when you have no other choice, but to have faith or give up. I learned about faith and love from my grandparents. Their “love story” truly shaped who I have become.

It was a time that money was rough, and family mattered. My grandparents were ready to start their life together, but with Merle, my grandma, still in High School they would wait a little longer to marry. Life seemed perfect, until a letter came in the mail. Jerry, my grandpa, was being drafted in the Army for a year. It didn’t alter their plans too much only by a few months, but they were both scared of that year apart. Only one month after he left something changed everything. Pearl Harbor was bombed and WWII had begun.

Pictures and letters were the way they could communicate and my grandpa described it as “Gold to me”. The year passed and he was still far from family and the wedding was put off. He put in requests for a furlough to go home, but they were all denied. One year, turned to two and then three. It was the most difficult thing for them to go through.

My grandma saw friends get married and start their lives together. All she could do was wait. And she waited so faithfully.

 

Grandpa got word that they were moving out and were not told the destination. As they got closer they were explained the mission, Iwo Jima, Japan. The initial attack was several days and nights, but they remained on the island for months. Still throughout the years both were faithful and still in love.

Just before he was gone for four years he returned home to his family, friends and Merle. They couldn’t wait any longer, they were married seven days later on November 7, 1945.

Throughout my life I heard the story over and over again. It helped me know that true love does exist and I can get through anything. September 23, 2012 Grandma passed away. It was so hard to see my Grandpa without her. After being apart those four years, they never wanted to be separated again. Among my Grandma’s scriptures there were some “Scripture Study” notes that she had typed up.

“D&C 121:7-8 Thine afflictions . . . Shall be but a small moment, and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high.

Thoughts: Trials and troubles are mandatory, misery is optional.”

It is so true. I feel that because of my grandparents’ examples I have been blessed to endure things and learn from them, rather than complain or suffer. Just this last Tuesday on November 5, 2013 Grandpa decided he was ready to join his wife. He passed away 72 years after he left his sweetheart to be part of the Army and two days shy of their 68^th wedding anniversary.

 

Picture on the left was taken in 1940 after they got engaged. The picture on the right I took of them November 2009 for their anniversary. My grandpa just told me a few weeks ago that this was his favorite picture of him and grandma. I was looking at it and realized that the pose is so similar to the one from 1940.

 



A week before he passed away Grandpa said he was going to die and he was scared. It was so hard, several family members were there to comfort him. I held his hand and told him how much I loved him. I told him that if he did leave us, he had Grandma waiting and he would be okay. I said if you don't we are all here for you and it will be okay. I didn't know how else to comfort him. This morning I was thinking of that moment and remembered a letter that he wrote Grandma while in the Army. He was scared. He was leaving on a ship to an unknown destination. He felt for sure that he was going to die and wouldn't make it back home. I am thankful both times Grandpa made it home to his sweetheart Merle.  I am thankful for both my grandparents' love and faith that got them through hard times.

#1 January 23, 1942 -March Field, California

Oh darling, if only you were by my side I could face anything, but without your sweet words of encouragement I feel kind of weak at times. It’s not that I’m afraid to face what I’m required to, but it’s just that without you there is a vacant place in my life. You have become such a necessary part of me, that to take you away from me is like taking away all that life means. But as long as I know that you are still back there loving me, makes this waiting much easier. So long beautiful, until next time, keep smiling. Remember sweet itto honey dear that I love you more every day.

        Yours, Jerry

I had the opportunity to write their obituary and was honored. As I wrote it I was reminded of their faith and love. I am so blessed to have two amazing people and wonderful examples in my life. I am thankful for an amazing Savior and Heavenly Father who are always there  when we need them.

Alma 32:21

21 And now as I said concerning faith—faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true

-Dani Oldroyd
www.sharingapplesfamilytree.blogspot.com
www.familystorytelling.com

Grumpy Writer

post by Betsy Schow

I'll admit I've stared at this blinking cursor for at least an hour.

I've typed. Hit backspace. Then typed a few more things. Then closed the stupid browser.

Now I've realized the problem--I want to be a hermit.



No man is an island - I'd like to prove that saying wrong and be tropical to boot.

After a year of interviews, facebooking, blog touring, book touring, taking care of hubby's health problems, being primary chorister, I am ready to be set on an iceberg and be drifted off to sea. Just give me a kindle and a credit card and I will be totally good.

My daughter, Lily, is like that everyday after school. She's 6 and has a sensory disorder. After a full day of stimulation she comes in the car and covers her ears, not wanting to hear one more thing. It used to drive me nuts, now I completely get it.

I feel like wearing a shirt that says "I promise I'm not a jerk, I just have issues."

Anybody else get like that, and what do you do to recharge your emotional battery?

An Outline is an Epidural for Writers

By Nikki Wilson

When I was pregnant with my first child, I was sure childbirth would be a simple thing. I just knew people were over exaggerating how hard it was. I went into the birth with an open mind to epidurals or medications, but I was sure I wouldn't need them. After all, I'm a pretty strong person, right? Well, needless to say when the contractions started my eyes were opened to just how difficult it was going to be. I had regular, hard contractions for 36 hours. When I was finally admitted into the hospital to have the baby, I'd been without sleep for two nights and I was tired and I hurt. I even told my husband that I changed my mind. I didn't want to give birth to our children, I wanted to adopt. There was such a horrified look on his face at that point. When the nurse asked if I would like an epidural, my husband was nodding yes along with me. I did ask that they make mine double. I think she listened because once the epidural kicked in, labor became a whole different thing entirely. I was able to relax and enjoy the process. I asked the nurses all kinds of questions, I was able to be excited about pushing and other parts of the process. I was able to pay attention to all the details. The things I didn't notice before because I could only focus on the pain. At one point, I remember hearing a woman in another room screaming like crazy. I turned to the nurse and pointing to my epidural, saying, "You gotta get her one of these!"

Now how does this story relate to writing? When I first heard about Nanowrimo, I was sure it would be a simple thing. I just knew people were over exaggerating how hard it was. Well every year I attempted Nanowrimo, I heard people talk about outlines and how wonderful they are. But me? I'm a devoted pantser (I fly by the seat of my pants when writing). After all, I'm a strong writer and I can do it without the help of a stinking outline. And I did! I actually won Nano a few years ago by pantsing my way through it. But to say it was difficult is an understatement. The hardest part was the idea of all the rewrites it was going to take (I was on my fourth or fifth rewrite when I put the whole thing on hold.) It was difficult for me to ask myself if maybe I was a little hasty dismissing the whole outline thing. After all, I do try to keep an open mind. So I decided to give outlining a try. I spent the two months before Nano this year, shaping and sculpting a magnificent outline. I tried several different methods and found that a combination of three types is what works for me. Now as I begin Nano I find that I am enjoying the process so much more. I'm not discovering the plot as I go, I'm enjoying it instead. I get to pay attention to all the details because I no longer have the labor pains of pushing out a plot. What a magnificent experience! And when I hear a fellow Nanoer scream out in frustration and pain, I have to restrain myself from holding up my outline and saying, "You gotta get one of these!"

Now I know epidurals aren't for everyone and outlines may not be either, but it never hurts to keep an open mind. ;0)

Here are some methods on outlining that helped me:

"Million Dollar Outlines" by David Farland

Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessings of Heaven

by Katy White

A few weeks ago, I received a voicemail from a representative in my stake asking if I would substitute teach seminary during the first week of November.  I can't tell you what my first thought was, because, honestly, there were a few competing ones.  On the one hand, being a seminary teacher is my dream calling.  I love working with the youth and I love studying and teaching the Gospel.  On the other hand, it's November, and as you've heard ad nauseam, it's NaNoWriMo.  And for the first time in my life, I'm participating in it and bent on finishing.  And on the, um, third hand?  It's 6 AM seminary.  Which means getting up in the 5's, something I vowed never to do again once I quit working unless it involved a cute, screaming little munchkin.

So I was torn.  I knew I wanted to teach seminary, but I also knew that I wanted to devote all of my spare time to writing for the month of November.  During that few seconds of hesitation (that's really all it was, thankfully), this line from the hymn, "Praise to the Man," came into my head:  "sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven."  I knew that the sacrifice I would make if I committed to teaching seminary would be minimal; it wouldn't compare to the countless, important sacrifices that people make every day as they live lives that are far more challenging than my current state.  But I knew, too, that Heavenly Father isn't concerned with our comparative obedience and sacrifices.  The little things count to him.

I returned that voicemail quickly, telling the representative that I would be happy to teach seminary.  Then I prayed to the Lord that I would find the right balance between studying and preparing for lessons and developing my writing talent through the NaNo challenge.  I felt great at the end of that prayer, like Heavenly Father was only too happy to help me find that balance if I would let him.

I've only taught a few days so far as I write this post, but I'm already thrilled with the balance.  I've felt excited each of the mornings I've taught seminary so far, and I've been very happy with how receptive the kids have been to the Spirit and to the lessons.  I've managed to keep up on my NaNo writing and, thanks to a writer's retreat Friday night and all day Saturday with the lovely and talented Gina Denny, I'm actually a few thousand words ahead of my goal!  So far, I've had a clear vision of where I should go next, and I pray every day for continued help from the Lord.

I don't know what will happen with this novel, but I know that Heavenly Father is blessing me in ways that I wouldn't have deserved had I turned down the call to serve in this manner.  Sacrificing writing time for service time has been a pleasure and a blessing, and I hope that I can remember this next time I'm asked to serve, however great or small the request.

“There are many of us that are willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things.”

– D.L. Moody