The Best Writing Week

This week has been the best week regarding writing that I can ever remember.
Monday—inspired by retreat, started blog (this really is a big step for me-kind).
* Saw that the first article I ever sent to Brio in 2003 was featured on Focus on the Family’s main Web page. Nice to think it’s still having influence, especially since I wrote that at one of my lowest points in life. God used it to show me HE is in control.
Wednesday—discovered my roommate is a great editor. I already thought she was pretty cool, but being able to give honest, constructive criticism gives her quite a few points in my book. Well, I don’t have a book, but if I did…or should I be positive and say, when I do?
* Boss offered to send me to the Writing for the Soul Conference in February. I save $800, get huge opportunity. Very exciting!
Thursday—queried Relevant about writing a book review. Won said yes! I regained confidence after he rejected last idea with silence.
* I am so proud of my writing group, the committed, passionate, talented Christ-following girls that they are.
C—(not me) can she tell a story! I delighted in the true account of making a cowboy a jeweler. She’s great with kids and adults. I can see her as a wonderful public speaker and/or author if she takes the courage and time to pursue publishing. But writing group is a start, no?
J—funny and quirky-cute. She’s going to be a famous young-adult/Western/sci-fi novelist soon, I’m sure.
K—superb essayist, elegant hostess, I could go on and on…
R—helped me out in a huge way with a last-minute music review. Passionate and talented in many ways. Boosts my ego by always telling me I’m beautiful, wonderful, great--but she is all of these. Everyone needs a friend like her.
Praise the Lord for all of this!

DCB Collision

One of my favorite albums EVER releases today. I've had the privelage to have been listening constantly for the past couple weeks.
The David Crowder Band amazes me with their diverse musical style; the ability to make praise songs, techno, and bluegrass all sound good is amazing to me. I highly recommend listening to the album, and reading what it's all about.
Here's a little snapshot:
DC says the atom on the cover is "improper in its depiction of particle matter. We know in fact that electrons do not circle in elliptical paths around a nucleus. And this is the difficulty with symbols. They are never quite proper. They are always a bit broken...This is the essence of art. We are creating broken containers...
This music, broken, improper and inadequate in its response, is rooted in that hope. The Kingdom of Heaven is here and now and coming
...Here it comes, a beautiful collision is happening now.”
The album ends with DC being interviewed by stumbling stupid-sounding journalist whom I can totally relate to, as I've been very ignorant when interviewing artists before. But at least I appreciate the poem, The Lark Ascending, that Crowder partially recites by George Meredith (1828–1909), which I'm including here:

He rises and begins to round,
He drops the silver chain of sound
Of many links without a break,
In chirrup, whistle, slur and shake,
For singing till his heaven fills,
’T is love of earth that he instils,
And ever winging up and up,
Our valley is his golden cup,
And he the wine which overflows
To lift us with him as he goes:
Till lost on his aërial rings
In light, and then the fancy sings.

This is a test

Imago Dei. In God's image I am created. The Master Creator spoke and there were mountains, flowers, trees, then me.
I relearned this weekend at an artists/writers retreat that we are created is God's image to re-create.
Yes, this is a test. I am now venturing into blogger land as an attempt to exercise a creative gift of writing.
I'm quivering like a golden aspen leaf ready to fall off its branch. But I'm ready to fly, to risk, to try.