In the months following Micah’s birth when I fell off the face of the planet, a few of my articles were published on myMISSIONfulfilled.com. I also had a couple of articles run in LifeWay’s ec, but I haven’t gotten those scanned yet, so if you’re interested in reading my latest published work, myMISSIONfulfilled will have to do.
When Mary (the former editor of MMF) asked me to write an article about life with a newborn, I thought it would be easy, especially since she asked for a journal-style article. Since I keep a journal anyway, I thought writing the article would be a breeze. Ha. Silly me. I neglected to acknowledge the fact that having a newborn changes everything, and finding the time to sit down and scribble a few lines in my journal was nigh impossible. But I did it anyway. And I’m glad I did. Newborn Life is the result.
Before Micah was born, I wrote a two-part series on God’s love for the nations. The first article, We, the People of the Nations, explores how God demonstrates his care for all the nations, not just the people of Israel, in the Old Testament. The second article, Talking with Ting, talks about opening our eyes to the nations that are among us.
Back in August (the last days of my pregnancy), MMF ran Working for Peanuts: How Microenterprise Gives Women a Hand Up. I was particularly excited about this article, since it gave me a chance to write about Northern Empowerment Association, one of the ministries we visited in Ghana. I also got to share some of the photos I took on the trip.
And finally, one day Mary was looking through leslieannjones.com and she found an entry that she liked. She asked if she could use Identity Crisis on MMF. How could I refuse? The article appeared on the site in late September, and I completely forgot about it until a few weeks ago.
Hope y’all enjoy looking through some of these articles. In the past couple of months, I’ve begun writing for MMF again, so expect to see some more links in the near future.
Until next time, grace and peace.
What a crazy time it’s been. Such is our life, I suppose. We’ve spent the past week with family, and it has been wonderful, but let’s admit it, everyone likes to get back into the routine of everyday normal life. Am I the only one who needs a vacation from vacation when we return home? Anyway, my parents left a few hours ago, and life is back to normal here in Iuka. Micah’s napping, and I’m poking around on the internet for a little while. I should take a shower. Or figure out what’s for supper. Or take more pictures of my notecards to post on my etsy site. But I’m not. Maybe later.
Last night I was flipping through a copy of Southern Living. I’m not sure what month. Maybe it’s January’s issue? Anyway, the magazine had a “Best of the South” section, and in it, it listed Rowan Oak, home of William Faulkner, as the best literary stop in Mississippi. I haven’t read Faulkner since my freshman year in college, and I admittedly didn’t have much of an appreciation for his style. Maybe it’d be different now. Perhaps I’ll revisit some of his stories. But I digress. I was intrigued by Faulkner’s hesitancy to leave home. Only at home was he able to write. In fact, the article said that when President Kennedy invited him to dinner at the White House, Faulkner actually turned down the invitation because he thought DC was an awfully long way to go just to eat supper. Crazy. But I understand. As a writer (who writes less often than she should these days), not only can I not write unless I’m in my own space, but I also cannot write unless my space is ordered. Right now there are magazines, notebooks, an empty ramekin, and a package of batteries on my desk. There are bills in the inbox. Baby food coupons tucked in front of an insurance statement. No writing will get done until those things are taken care of. Not that I have any assignments at the moment. But that’s beside the point.
I feel like I’m finally getting to a place in this new life of mine where I can return to being me. In an article I wrote for myMISSIONfulfilled about the first weeks of motherhood, I said that I never wanted to lose my identity after having children. So many women I know forget who they are. They leave behind their entire life to become known as their child’s mother. I was so afraid that I would become “Micah’s Mommy” and quit being myself. Don’t kid yourself. The danger is real. I never wanted to quit being me just because I had also become a mother. The past four and a half months have been a struggle because it’s a fight to maintain my sense of self when I spend all day every day taking care of my infant. It would be so easy for my life to be all about her. But it’s not. Being Micah’s Mommy is just one part of my life. It’s just one facet of who I am. And it’s just one task that God has called me to complete. He has also called me to write. And to speak. And to teach. And I’m finally in a place where I am able to do those things again. Thank goodness.
Another famous Mississippi writer, Eudora Welty, said that living, not reading, made her want to write. I have been living for the past several months. Now it’s time to write again. I’m itching to stretch my literary muscles. It’s time to blow the dust off my portfolio and start sending it out. Don’t choke on the cloud of dust!
I’ve been writing for myMISSIONfulfilled, a Woman’s Missionary Union Web site geared toward young women, for the past couple of months, and I wanted to point you in the direction of some of the articles in lieu of posting a real entry. Happy reading!
Ancient History: How Archaeology Enhances Our Study of Scripture. Archaeology has made the news a lot lately as talk about the ossuary of James and the discovery of the Gospel of Judas has brought it to the forefront of our attention. But archaeology is more than bone boxes and controversial ancient documents. . . . It can actually enhance our study of Scripture.
Parthenon, Shmarthenon: Paul’s Speech in Athens. Thoughts of ancient Greece bring to mind gods, goddesses, philosophy, the Olympics, and the Parthenon. Paul’s words about idolatry weren’t spoken in a vacuum. He was looking right at the Parthenon when he talked about temples built with human hands, and still he proclaimed the superiority of God.
Losing My Voice: How the Psalms Helped Me Find It. When I was so frustrated with God that I didn’t know what to say, Psalms gave me the words I desperately needed and taught me how to pray again.
According to Philip Jenkins, professor of history and religious studies at Pennsylvania State University, Christianity is becoming a “thoroughly globalized international phenomenon that tramples all of the boundaries and distinctions that we’re used to.
…Christianity is far from dead; in fact, it is thriving in unexpected places among unexpected people. Christianity and the message of the Bible resonate with people in the Global South, the nations of Africa, Latin and Central America, and most of Asia.
Jenkins lectured at Beeson Divinity school in March 2008. This month, the Beeson Journal published a brief article I wrote about the lectures. To read the article and find out more about Jenkins’ research into global Christianity, click here.
Want to be a runner but don’t know where to start? You may be dreaming of running a marathon next week, but developing the discipline to run consistently takes time and patience. Here are some tips to help you get started.
I’ve started writing short articles for LifeWay’s essential connection, a magazine for teenagers with the tagline God + Life + Fun. Writing these articles has been fun, and I look forward to writing more in the future. “Running Rundown” ran in the January 2009 issue of the magazine in the Life:Essentials section.
To read the rest of the article and brush up on your running skills, click here.
