I was lucky to get a writing assignment from a house that publishes a devotional book for people with intelletual and developemental disabilities. I was asked to use a really helpful tool on Microsoft Word that edits for a certain grade level. This tool is so amazing, because it checks for sentence structure, vocabulary, etc. Though the audience for this devotional is adults, I was advised to use a third grade setting. And something really rewarding happened.
I got to boil down comments on a scripture passage to very elementary thoughts. I kept asking myself why I usually think this relationship between God and us humans is so complicated. Why do I think I always need more information? Like what influenced the author of the book, or what some theologian thinks of this precept or that. I get so deep into thinking I need to know the mind of God (unfathomable) and understand the purpose of our living. I get lost in the history of the church, the personalities that shaped the different translations and proclamations.
I find I can put all I need to know in a few sentences. God loves us more than we can imagine. We struggle and grieve and fail and reach out to God. God is there. In the pain and sorrow. Then, we sing and shout for joy in the midst of the sweet things life brings us, the chances we are given to try again. And God is there. In the first breath of a newborn, the hug of a loved one, the encouragement of those who have lived long and seen much and still greet the new day with a will to live. And the names we call our organizations or churches, the programs and dogma, those may not have much to do with the truth of the matter. God was God before the written word, before the cosmos came into fine focus. Nothing I write will change the nature of God. Even if I get some details wrong, all I really need to know is this simple truth: nothing can separate me from the love of God. It's elementary.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Little Feathers: Enough
Little Feathers: Enough: I saw a video of a bunch of adults behaving like idiots at a Black Friday sale of cell phones at a Walmart. I was really sad that the word C...
Enough
I saw a video of a bunch of adults behaving like idiots at a Black Friday sale of cell phones at a Walmart. I was really sad that the word Christmas was even associated with such behavior. I don't want the world to think that is how Americans act, and I don't want anyone to think that sad commentary on human nature has anything to do with Christmas.
I decided a long time ago that Christmas has very little to do with giving or receiving gifts. I love to find presents that seem perfect for loved ones. But Christmas is so far beyond that process. It is, for me, a magical time that has to do with a story about being loved. A story about the gift of hope. Even the story of Santa isn't about possessions, it is about a magical guy who loves to bring a surprise to children. He doesn't make the latest cell phone up north. Or a tablet. Or even Chanel #5 with Brad Pitt on the box. He makes toys, and delivers them around the world because it is fun to give children a treat. And because there are a lot of children who need some help believing that life is full of hope and love. It isn't the toys that give them message, but done right, it is the knowledge that someone cares about them.
The whole question of how much is enough, and how we can fill that hole of insecurity that drives our commercial world is one that strikes me as really worthwhile. How can I make that point in my children's books without preaching? How can I somehow come to terms, through my characters, with the notion that I am enough already? That I have enough already. That nothing I can buy will keep me safe from the uncertainty that fills our airwaves and consumes our awareness.
No one I know is immune to the siren call of a buyers high. I find myself eying the latest and greatest, thinking I need this or that. But I don't. If I did not get anything new at all for years, I would still have everything I need.
The things I love most about Christmas are the intangibles. The family singing carols together. Getting out the decorations and reliving Christmases past with loved ones who are gone, or times when life seemed simpler and easier mentally, if not physically. Times when the dancing eyes and warm hugs of our children were magic enough. Baking the goodies that transport my senses to the magical place of good memories. Sitting by the fireplace and looking at the tree, saying it is surely the prettiest it has ever been. Which is kind of funny since it is stored in a bag and assembled each year. But this year's tree will for sure be the prettiest we've ever had.
I love Christmas. And I want to remember it as it was intended. Hopeful. Generous. Shining with a soft glow of memories. But as more than a time gone by; as a chance to live today with a purpose. Tomorrow can take care of itself. Christmas for today is about sharing with those who do not have enough, who need the gift of love or food or clothes or toys to help them feel the hope. It is about giving our hearts to the people we have been given to love. And, about the peace that fills our hearts and minds because we know that we are loved beyond measure.
I decided a long time ago that Christmas has very little to do with giving or receiving gifts. I love to find presents that seem perfect for loved ones. But Christmas is so far beyond that process. It is, for me, a magical time that has to do with a story about being loved. A story about the gift of hope. Even the story of Santa isn't about possessions, it is about a magical guy who loves to bring a surprise to children. He doesn't make the latest cell phone up north. Or a tablet. Or even Chanel #5 with Brad Pitt on the box. He makes toys, and delivers them around the world because it is fun to give children a treat. And because there are a lot of children who need some help believing that life is full of hope and love. It isn't the toys that give them message, but done right, it is the knowledge that someone cares about them.
The whole question of how much is enough, and how we can fill that hole of insecurity that drives our commercial world is one that strikes me as really worthwhile. How can I make that point in my children's books without preaching? How can I somehow come to terms, through my characters, with the notion that I am enough already? That I have enough already. That nothing I can buy will keep me safe from the uncertainty that fills our airwaves and consumes our awareness.
No one I know is immune to the siren call of a buyers high. I find myself eying the latest and greatest, thinking I need this or that. But I don't. If I did not get anything new at all for years, I would still have everything I need.
The things I love most about Christmas are the intangibles. The family singing carols together. Getting out the decorations and reliving Christmases past with loved ones who are gone, or times when life seemed simpler and easier mentally, if not physically. Times when the dancing eyes and warm hugs of our children were magic enough. Baking the goodies that transport my senses to the magical place of good memories. Sitting by the fireplace and looking at the tree, saying it is surely the prettiest it has ever been. Which is kind of funny since it is stored in a bag and assembled each year. But this year's tree will for sure be the prettiest we've ever had.
I love Christmas. And I want to remember it as it was intended. Hopeful. Generous. Shining with a soft glow of memories. But as more than a time gone by; as a chance to live today with a purpose. Tomorrow can take care of itself. Christmas for today is about sharing with those who do not have enough, who need the gift of love or food or clothes or toys to help them feel the hope. It is about giving our hearts to the people we have been given to love. And, about the peace that fills our hearts and minds because we know that we are loved beyond measure.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Little Feathers: Trending Now...
Little Feathers: Trending Now...: We live in the age of the Great Compare-athon. Suddenly everything everyone is doing, saying and being is out there for us to see. Or, to be...
Trending Now...
We live in the age of the Great Compare-athon. Suddenly everything everyone is doing, saying and being is out there for us to see. Or, to be more correct, the versions of themselves they want people to see are out there. To say that social media is changing society is an understatement. And the fact that money can be made from tracking trends and garnering preferences takes the momentum of the phenomenon to warp speed. Never has so much been made of the need to be "with it". Or at least, never has it invaded our space so silently and totally. In many ways it has extended the High School-esque social climbing way on into the adult world. Want to fit in? Want to be popular? Want others to think you are hip and amazing? There is a fix for any perceived social weakness. If you don't believe me, read the ads on the margins of facebook. Will I really be happier if I buy the revolutionary new product discovered by the woman who covered herself in something scarlet and lumpy? You know, the woman all the dermatologists hate because she is cutting into their business.
I started thinking about his because I read some advice from a children's writer, saying that if we want to make money we should look to see what is trending in children's books and write to that theme. Yikes! That seems like such a bad idea. But I do notice a huge effort in that direction. Just search YA novels about vampires and you will see what I mean. Or picture books about bodily functions.
It just doesn't fit for me. Any more than I can put myself in skinny jeans or that must-have neon puce jumpsuit. I still have to be myself, and in this brave new world of keeping up with the current trend, I'll just have to start my own trend. I'm trending myself. So much more freedom! Who knows, maybe I'll still sell more books. But I'll definitely enjoy writing what comes out of my own imagination!
I started thinking about his because I read some advice from a children's writer, saying that if we want to make money we should look to see what is trending in children's books and write to that theme. Yikes! That seems like such a bad idea. But I do notice a huge effort in that direction. Just search YA novels about vampires and you will see what I mean. Or picture books about bodily functions.
It just doesn't fit for me. Any more than I can put myself in skinny jeans or that must-have neon puce jumpsuit. I still have to be myself, and in this brave new world of keeping up with the current trend, I'll just have to start my own trend. I'm trending myself. So much more freedom! Who knows, maybe I'll still sell more books. But I'll definitely enjoy writing what comes out of my own imagination!
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Little Feathers: Roots And Nuts
Little Feathers: Roots And Nuts: A nut doesn't fall far from the tree. I heard that as a kid, and at first I thought I was simply being called a nut. And while that may be t...
Roots And Nuts
A nut doesn't fall far from the tree. I heard that as a kid, and at first I thought I was simply being called a nut. And while that may be true, the real meaning of the saying rings true for me as well.
I don't think it necessarily means we are bound by nature to be the behavioral spitting image of our parents. But I do think we grow in the shadow of a tree and our world view is very influenced by the type of forest surrounding us. Not determined by it, because we do have the power to decide who we are, but still influenced by it.
I was a late bloomer. I was slow to grow up (still working on it) and sometimes wonder if that is one reason I like to write children's books. I heard once, at a Highlight's for Children writer's workshop, that our imaginations are sometimes sparked, engaged, jump to warp speed, at a certain age. And that is the age of children for whom we do our best writing. It is part of the genre argument...pick one and write it and that's who you are as an author. As my current publisher, Richard Tate, told me, we don't walk in to a bookstore and wonder what kind of book we'll get if we buy a Danielle Steele or a John Grishom. We know. Publishers want that for their authors.
I've fought that notion. I say to myself that I need to write in different genres. I loved write for hire work I did for Augsburg Press, daily devotionals for adults. I loved writing Sunday School materials for High Schoolers. I loved writing musicals with my partner, Edie Elkjer. We wrote for middle grades. Then I wrote musicals for our church High School group. I love writing rhyming stories... the first thing I sold was a rhyming story about a frog king that Highlights bought. And my picture book that is now under contract with Tate Publishing is a rhyming story.
So, what about that tree analogy? What kind of a nut am I? I think about the literature I loved the most when I was a kid. It was any hero's journey where some good came out of the struggle. It could be Homer Price, it could be the Narnia Books, it could be Peanuts cartoons. I always loved it when hope at least glimmered, and people (or creatures) had the opportunity to become their best selves.
I'm still hoping I can publish my YA novel about a Soviet ballerina in the '60s. It may have to be under a nom de plume! We wouldn't want readers to wonder what kind of nut was inside once they know Judy Beglau is a picture book writer! Some people like the mixed nuts. But I guess if you are an almond purist you don't want hazelnuts mucking up your taste buds!
My mom is a really good writer. As a teenager I was struck to my bones by a poem she wrote just for herself. And she was always making up rhymes for coworkers' going away parties, etc. And my grandfather, her dad, published a book of poems. So....when I'm wondering what kind of nut I am, maybe the answer doesn't fall far from the tree. If my alter ego wants to publish a YA novel she'll just have to get her own publisher!
I don't think it necessarily means we are bound by nature to be the behavioral spitting image of our parents. But I do think we grow in the shadow of a tree and our world view is very influenced by the type of forest surrounding us. Not determined by it, because we do have the power to decide who we are, but still influenced by it.
I was a late bloomer. I was slow to grow up (still working on it) and sometimes wonder if that is one reason I like to write children's books. I heard once, at a Highlight's for Children writer's workshop, that our imaginations are sometimes sparked, engaged, jump to warp speed, at a certain age. And that is the age of children for whom we do our best writing. It is part of the genre argument...pick one and write it and that's who you are as an author. As my current publisher, Richard Tate, told me, we don't walk in to a bookstore and wonder what kind of book we'll get if we buy a Danielle Steele or a John Grishom. We know. Publishers want that for their authors.
I've fought that notion. I say to myself that I need to write in different genres. I loved write for hire work I did for Augsburg Press, daily devotionals for adults. I loved writing Sunday School materials for High Schoolers. I loved writing musicals with my partner, Edie Elkjer. We wrote for middle grades. Then I wrote musicals for our church High School group. I love writing rhyming stories... the first thing I sold was a rhyming story about a frog king that Highlights bought. And my picture book that is now under contract with Tate Publishing is a rhyming story.
So, what about that tree analogy? What kind of a nut am I? I think about the literature I loved the most when I was a kid. It was any hero's journey where some good came out of the struggle. It could be Homer Price, it could be the Narnia Books, it could be Peanuts cartoons. I always loved it when hope at least glimmered, and people (or creatures) had the opportunity to become their best selves.
I'm still hoping I can publish my YA novel about a Soviet ballerina in the '60s. It may have to be under a nom de plume! We wouldn't want readers to wonder what kind of nut was inside once they know Judy Beglau is a picture book writer! Some people like the mixed nuts. But I guess if you are an almond purist you don't want hazelnuts mucking up your taste buds!
My mom is a really good writer. As a teenager I was struck to my bones by a poem she wrote just for herself. And she was always making up rhymes for coworkers' going away parties, etc. And my grandfather, her dad, published a book of poems. So....when I'm wondering what kind of nut I am, maybe the answer doesn't fall far from the tree. If my alter ego wants to publish a YA novel she'll just have to get her own publisher!
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