![[Mom]ents](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezsKcipyh0PdYWL1wKC-7VMdj5INdM-TAuiuzgtbEZSdcWn5LJeWwQ-XmXX61ikeBkQ-IQQY32-vAUyaHXIx9roV_e8trtAKHQFwxKmxviqP_rOrh28qnmqGFvCmxgkxt_QnEY6e2Xp0/s1600/momentsheadingbanner2.jpg)
P
utting pen to paper has always been quite easy for me. I love to write.
utting pen to paper has always been quite easy for me. I love to write.And then there was motherhood…
With the birth of my daughter in 2005, I changed from a pen fanatic into a freedom writer. Freedom writers do not only write with pen and paper, they use all kinds of objects and different methods to capture thoughts, inspirations and revelations. Like the tissue paper in your diaper bag; the lipstick in your vanity case; the back of a till slip- get the picture? Oodles of doodles: very poetic.
Ever felt like you just don’t seem to be able to journal as before; that most of your notes are incomplete? You are not alone! And so, this article is a delightful tribute to all moms; may it encourage you to continue in your unique and often futile-seeming efforts of creative expression midst the daunting challenges of mommy mania.
“The pen is mightier than the sword.” Is it mighty enough to conquer the mayhem of life in the suburbs of sin? I guess… in the end the pen far outlasts the sword’s efforts of reformation. Where the sword uses fear, the pen often persuades with idealism; love; hope. The sword transforms through physical force; the pen envisons through thought and meditation and can change the hearts of multitudes simultaneously.
I hope that this article will inspire you: it includes some great and not-so-great tips on becoming a topnotch mommy writer… worth some musing (I think).
Within my newfound liberty as freedom writer, I have written with just about anything writable on anything available at the time and truly hope that the future of technology includes a cell phone that can transcribe your every word.
However, in the absence of a personal transcriber, I have asked for advice from numerous moms on putting pen to paper. Some suggestions I have tried… other suggestions I admittedly have not had the guts to put into practice. One such suggestion was to have a pen and notebook next to my bed at night and as my mind gets filled with weird; wonderful thoughts and revelations, to promptly capture it more concretely. However, turning on the bedside lamp in the middle of the night WILL cause major disruptions in our marriage: my husband, a hunk, may sooner turn into the incredible Hulk than what I can get those thoughts out of my head and onto the paper!
Other suggestions included a magnetic memo pad and pencil on the fridge; a small journal booklet in your bag, inspiring yourself by reminders on your phone, a laptop, a chalk board and chalk and so forth and so forth and so forth. For a long time I didn’t enjoy writing because I wanted it to be perfect… beautiful words, beautifully written and so I didn’t write at all since it was not possible to be the belle of the ball-point pen. Then, of all the suggestions, simplifying and acceptance of the status quo has made the difference for me: I have come to terms with the fact that most of my journaling will be incomplete. And subsequently I have traded my perfectionista-periodicals for a makeshift-manuscript, a merger of grocery lists, notes, to-do lists, quiet times, special memories and my daughter’s art… all in one book. A basic beaut!
On pondering the power of the pen, I have to admit that the art of writing- truly an art for a mom with a toddler- need to be mastered to some degree for us to move forward with God. There is something about putting pen to paper -perhaps its permanence- that makes it so appealing. What a privilege to read the Word of God. I am thankful for the saints of the past, heroes of the faith like David; Paul, who took the time to write to God and about God! I have come to realize that it is not how you do it that counts, but just that you do it! You need to find what works for you and then stick to it. The reality is that it will initially take practice to use the pen again but the rewards are worth it!
The Bible says in Heb 4:12 “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart”.
Truth is: the pen IS mightier than the sword…
Yet, we should not limit God to letters and lines in our lives but allow Him to write on the tablets of our hearts. The Word of God – Living and Active- was not meant to only be penned on paper but to manifest in our lives, making Christ visible to the people around us.
I will therefore continue with my attempts, however feeble to scribble down the revelations I received through the Word of God, through teachings or revealed by the Holy Spirit so that I may be transformed by the renewal of my mind- meditating on the secrets whispered to me by my Beloved…
So here’s to oodles of more doodles!
With the birth of my daughter in 2005, I changed from a pen fanatic into a freedom writer. Freedom writers do not only write with pen and paper, they use all kinds of objects and different methods to capture thoughts, inspirations and revelations. Like the tissue paper in your diaper bag; the lipstick in your vanity case; the back of a till slip- get the picture? Oodles of doodles: very poetic.
Ever felt like you just don’t seem to be able to journal as before; that most of your notes are incomplete? You are not alone! And so, this article is a delightful tribute to all moms; may it encourage you to continue in your unique and often futile-seeming efforts of creative expression midst the daunting challenges of mommy mania.
“The pen is mightier than the sword.” Is it mighty enough to conquer the mayhem of life in the suburbs of sin? I guess… in the end the pen far outlasts the sword’s efforts of reformation. Where the sword uses fear, the pen often persuades with idealism; love; hope. The sword transforms through physical force; the pen envisons through thought and meditation and can change the hearts of multitudes simultaneously.
I hope that this article will inspire you: it includes some great and not-so-great tips on becoming a topnotch mommy writer… worth some musing (I think).
Within my newfound liberty as freedom writer, I have written with just about anything writable on anything available at the time and truly hope that the future of technology includes a cell phone that can transcribe your every word.
However, in the absence of a personal transcriber, I have asked for advice from numerous moms on putting pen to paper. Some suggestions I have tried… other suggestions I admittedly have not had the guts to put into practice. One such suggestion was to have a pen and notebook next to my bed at night and as my mind gets filled with weird; wonderful thoughts and revelations, to promptly capture it more concretely. However, turning on the bedside lamp in the middle of the night WILL cause major disruptions in our marriage: my husband, a hunk, may sooner turn into the incredible Hulk than what I can get those thoughts out of my head and onto the paper!
Other suggestions included a magnetic memo pad and pencil on the fridge; a small journal booklet in your bag, inspiring yourself by reminders on your phone, a laptop, a chalk board and chalk and so forth and so forth and so forth. For a long time I didn’t enjoy writing because I wanted it to be perfect… beautiful words, beautifully written and so I didn’t write at all since it was not possible to be the belle of the ball-point pen. Then, of all the suggestions, simplifying and acceptance of the status quo has made the difference for me: I have come to terms with the fact that most of my journaling will be incomplete. And subsequently I have traded my perfectionista-periodicals for a makeshift-manuscript, a merger of grocery lists, notes, to-do lists, quiet times, special memories and my daughter’s art… all in one book. A basic beaut!
On pondering the power of the pen, I have to admit that the art of writing- truly an art for a mom with a toddler- need to be mastered to some degree for us to move forward with God. There is something about putting pen to paper -perhaps its permanence- that makes it so appealing. What a privilege to read the Word of God. I am thankful for the saints of the past, heroes of the faith like David; Paul, who took the time to write to God and about God! I have come to realize that it is not how you do it that counts, but just that you do it! You need to find what works for you and then stick to it. The reality is that it will initially take practice to use the pen again but the rewards are worth it!
The Bible says in Heb 4:12 “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart”.
Truth is: the pen IS mightier than the sword…
Yet, we should not limit God to letters and lines in our lives but allow Him to write on the tablets of our hearts. The Word of God – Living and Active- was not meant to only be penned on paper but to manifest in our lives, making Christ visible to the people around us.
I will therefore continue with my attempts, however feeble to scribble down the revelations I received through the Word of God, through teachings or revealed by the Holy Spirit so that I may be transformed by the renewal of my mind- meditating on the secrets whispered to me by my Beloved…
So here’s to oodles of more doodles!
Much love, Liezl
