Dancing Word Writers Workshop

with Janet Chester Bly

April 15, 2002

 

Hosted by: Anne McDonald

Dancing Word Publisher/Editor

*This chat has been edited for clarity

Anne McDonald: Let's get rolling. We'll open in prayer, then I'll go over protocol.

Lord, thank You so much for Your grace and faithfulness. We ask that you minister to each person here tonight. You know each one of our needs. Meet us where we are, Lord. Please be with Janet as she shares with us. Let our conversation honor You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 

Protocol reminder: type ? for questions ! for comments and ga when you are finished. Please wait to be called on in turn.

 

Tonight, I have the distinct pleasure of welcoming Janet Chester Bly. Janet has been a real blessing in sharing her expertise with us. Tonight, she'll help us get our priorities straight. (lol) Janet, thank you for coming.

 

*Annie turns the floor over to Janet

 

JanetCBly: Thanks, Annie! When we first moved to this small town in north-central Idaho from busy S. California, we intended to have the leisure to devote ourselves full-time to our writing ministry, which we have done. But it has not turned out exactly as we expected.

 

Many other ministries and duties have been added that claim our time and attention. But these are crucial too in keeping us focused in the real world. Steve pastors the only church in town, plus he is the town's mayor. I am the church music director, teach a SS class for challenged adults, serve on the library board, plus our children and grandchildren live nearby. We have a flood of visitors at various seasons of the year and we do a fair amount of traveling.

 

In the meantime, Steve averages six books per year and I average two. It makes for a full and taxing life at times. Balance is a constant challenge and we are not sure we ever get it perfect! Sometimes we fight to keep the details of community from crowding out the writing commitments. We never have quite as much time as we'd like for the writing! That's a frustration. :)

 

But it is absolutely essential that as writers who want to impact readers) lives that we have some kind of intense involvement with people relationships. And service to the church using whatever other spiritual gifts we have is vital.

 

Above all, maintaining our lifetime relationships is a key priority. But our lives can be so crammed with people sometimes, they seem to interfere with our projects and goals. What to do?

 

People can be seen as obstacles, rather than the main purpose. Or, our lives can become so project centered, we lose the zest, the spirit that comes with intimate contact with people. Relationships are the key to giving true, lasting value to any kind of project and besides it's the main way the Lord disciples us!

This last year has been incredible with the demands outside of writing, yet constant contract deadlines loom too. Steve has begun to mark his calendar with days that are x-ed out in red, which means we make no commitments on those days. He is not to be disturbed unless it is an emergency. Also, we have determined to take overnighters every four to six weeks to do nothing but READ. This is in addition to research trips.

 

I have been forced to stick a note on my computer to keep me from being consumed with e-mail that says, " WRITE FIRST!" Meanwhile, life happens--all those unexpected details that require our attention and usually involve people or duties.

 

How can we give the proper attention to people when projects demand to be done? Here are a few ideas that have helped me on a day-to-day basis of making choices.

 

First of all, determine your key relationships, those persons that must come first when duty and nurture development calls. For me, it is God my heavenly Father, my spouse, my immediate family, my friends, my church family, my extended family, my neighbors, my e-mail friends, and any God calls me at that moment to serve. That's a whale of a lot of people and you have them too.

 

How do I figure out who or what is important today?

 

1. READ THE INSTRUCTION BOOK . I try to see each day from God's point of view by committing the day to Him, by living it by a theme verse (such as Colossians 3:17 of Ephesians 2:10). I try to do each task and relate to each person by consciously bringing it/them to Him and His attention. Letting God into every part of my world, just as it exists right now, without changing a thing until He leads me to, allows Him to show me His priorities and gently lead me into His focus for my energies and abilities.