Showing all posts tagged write31days2018

In Homemaking, Life in General, Writing Life

Day 11: Door #write31days2018

Author Kiel LemonPosted on Leave a comment

Since moving to a more affluent area last year, I have been somewhat reluctant to open my door and invite people over. We currently live in a rather small, shabby old rental house with lots of quirks and annoying little problems that we can’t change since we don’t own the place. I haven’t decorated much since we know this is a temporary situation. It isn’t the color scheme I would choose if I owned the house, and the kitchen is far from ideal. I feel, quite honestly, a little embarrassed to have people over because I know that most of our friends have much, much nicer homes.

But I have to get over that embarrassment if I want true community. I have to be willing to open the door and be vulnerable because when I do, I show love for others in a very tangible way. The fact of the matter is that other people rarely seem to care about what the house looks like. They just want to feel welcomed, heard, and seen while they are here. I have to remember that. I can help the people I invite in feel comfortable, despite the color on the walls or the weird layout of the kitchen. By being open and loving, I create an atmosphere that says, “Come in and be yourself. I have opened the doors because I care about you.” And that is what really matters.

This post is part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes and Write 31 Days blogging challenges. Find all my posts in this series under the tag “write31days2018.”

In Faith Talk, Uncategorized, Writing Life

Day 10: How #write31days2018

Author Kiel LemonPosted on Leave a comment

There are so many “how” questions I could write on. I had trouble deciding which direction to go with this one. But in the spirit of the theme of community, I settled on exploring the question “How are you doing?”

These days we commonly ask “How are you?” as a greeting, not an actual question to which we expect an open and honest answer. But I think we also long to have someone look us in the eye and really care about the truth. How are you really doing, friend?

How is your health? How is your walk with the Lord? How are you doing with that new habit you are trying to form? How are you doing in your marriage? How are you doing as a parent?

These questions can bring up pain points in our lives, but we need the accountability of these questions in order to really be honest with ourselves and others, to really make a change. If I am afraid even to ask these questions of myself, I certainly wouldn’t want someone else to ask me.

But there is such great value in having a trusted friend who is not afraid of the truth of our messes and not shocked by our disfunction. I pray that I will find such a friend in time, and even more that I will become one for someone else.

This post is part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes and Write 31 Days blogging challenges. Find all my posts in this series under the tag “write31days2018.”

P.S.- If you came looking for this week’s Wellness Wednesday link-up, I should tell you that this month I am taking a break from hosting in lieu of the Write 31 Days challenge. The link-up will start back up in November with fresh content, so please check back then!

In Uncategorized, Writing Life

Day 9: Inspire #write31days2018

Author Kiel LemonPosted on 2 Comments

Since one of the my themes for the Write 31 Days challenge is “creativity”, today’s prompt word inspire is the perfect chance to explore that topic a bit. I have just started getting back in touch with some of my more creative endeavors after a period of dryness and feeling uninspired, so the connection between creativity and inspiration is relevant to me.

Sometimes I think I have put too much stock in feeling “inspired” to be creative. I am finding here lately that I need to just start doing something creative, whether I feel the desire to do the thing or not. Because in the process, I either get inspired or I at least feel a sense of satisfaction at having exercised my artistic muscles. 

For example, just last week, I cleaned out my much neglected knitting basket. I found two projects that I have worked on a little bit here and there without finishing them for over 3 years. I picked up one project the next night and started moving the needles and yarn again for the first time since last winter. It wasn’t that I was particularly inspired to finish the piece. But it felt good to be making something with my hands, nonetheless. I had forgotten the satisfaction of watching those little rows add up and take on a new shape.

For me, working on something artistic, even without the initial inspiration, actually did inspire me to begin working on more creative projects, especially those involving more than just a computer screen and keyboard. I think this is one of those cases in which the feelings follow the action, and after that the feelings can fuel the action!

This post is part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes and Write 31 Days blogging challenges. Find all my posts in this series under the tag “write31days2018.”

In Faith Talk, Writing Life

Day 8: Comfort #write31days2018

Author Kiel LemonPosted on Leave a comment

I have been contemplating the idea of comfort often of late. There are many ways we seek comfort in life: comfort food, comfy clothes, a cozy blanket on the couch, hot tea on a chilly morning. And those are just examples of physical comfort. As modern Americans, we do not like to be uncomfortable. We like to be happy and healthy. And when we are uncomfortable we want to fix it.

I’m not saying being comfortable is all bad. We need some level of peace and rest in life to recover. But this life is not free of pain, discomfort and inconvenience because we live in a sin-sick world. We will always have struggle and pain here on earth. The pain of earthly life points us to look forward to the relief of all hurt in heaven.

I am saying that instead of seeking to avoid all pain and numb all discomfort, we need to learn to deal with it. Where can we go for the ultimate soothing of our souls? Jesus. He is the Comforter. He alone can give us the inner peace and rest we need as we travel this weary land. He understands our needs. He knew hunger, thirst, weariness, pain, abandonment, poverty… Because He knows our need, He is the one we must seek for true and lasting comfort. Let’s lean into Jesus, the Comforter of our souls.

This post is part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes and Write 31 Days blogging challenges. Find all my posts in this series under the tag “write31days2018.”

In Faith Talk, Writing Life

Day 7: Hope #write31days2018

Author Kiel LemonPosted on Leave a comment

I took a little liberty with the timer on this one today because I wanted to try something different. It has been many years since I have tried writing any poetry, and this is a rather sorry attempt. But in the spirit of the “creativity” part of my theme this month, I decided to give it a shot anyway! Enjoy!

When Hope Breaks Through

When hope breaks through,
The darkness flees.
When hope breaks through,
My heart soars free.
Amidst the dark and stormy nights,
I find a deep and lasting peace,
When hope breaks through.

When hope breaks through
I lift my song.
When hope breaks through
The hurt and wrong,
My soul at last can find its voice.
My spirit sings the whole day long,
When hope breaks through.

When hope breaks through
The captives dance.
When hope breaks through
The vast expanse,
The Lord will win the victory.
And fear won’t have a fighting chance
When hope breaks through.

This post is part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes and Write 31 Days blogging challenges. Find all my posts in this series under the tag “write31days2018.”