  Spiritual
This week: Edited by: larryp
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A wise lover values not so much the gift of the lover as the love of the giver.
~~Thomas á Kempis
If instead of a gem, or even a flower, we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, that would be giving as the angels give.
~~George MacDonald
Pleasure is spread through the earth
In stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find.
~~William Wordsworth |
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The Gift of Writing
The task is to recognize that you are uniquely special, have something to give, some talent no one else shares in quite the same way. This gift needs to blossom so we can appreciate and enjoy the benefits of it and acknowledge you for it. You owe this to yourself and to all of us to honor your gifts, for only when you share your unique joy with the world does the entire world benefit. Every advance mankind has known has come because of someone's effort. Don't let shyness rob you and the world of the power and the passion that lies within you. No one can be all that you will be except you yourself. Follow your passion.
~~Joel Garfinkle
When I applied for and accepted one of the four positions as editor for the Spiritual Newsletter, I promised that I would not use this site newsletter as a platform for my religious beliefs. I still stand by that promise, for I feel that no one has a right to impose religious beliefs upon another person. I am a Christian with strong spiritual beliefs and I think everyone, in one way or another believes in something. It is a characteristic of the human race to believe. I feel no necessity to defend my beliefs or to challenge another to defend his or her beliefs. I believe that people will see who one is by his actions, regardless of what the lips profess. Much like with creative writing, it is about ‘showing,’ not ‘telling.’
Having said this, I want to be transparent, removing all masks or pretenses in my life. More than a few members of Writing.com have commented on my poetry and my reviewing, asking how I acquired my skills. I consider any ability I may have to write as a gift, really, a gift from the God I believe in. I began writing when I was around the age of 52, mostly non-fiction. Two years later, after meeting the woman who is now my wife, I wrote my first poem, a love poem to her. About a year later, I wrote my first real piece of fiction. Somewhere in that span, I began reviewing here at Writing.com.
I don’t have a degree in writing, or a degree in anything associated with writing. I don’t have a degree, for I did not graduate college. Please don’t see this as a statement against higher education in any way or the benefits of a degree in writing; this would be a foolish view. It just didn’t happen for me, for a number of reasons.
I went into the military straight out of high school, and after being discharged four years later, I enrolled in college. In high school, I loved English classes, but I wrote nothing in the line of creative writing and seldom understood poetry. In college, I majored in psychology and took one creative writing class, writing only one short story, which didn’t impress many people. After two-plus years, I dropped out of college.
In the years that followed, my gift of writing was idle. I raised four children and was married for twenty-five years, when the marriage ended in divorce. I was heart-broken and lonely and sunk into a deep depression. When I went to counseling, I was told I needed to take care of my spiritual being. In my life, I had been acquainted with Christianity, but never truly lived it. One day, an event happened when I reached a point I knew there was a God and that he cared for me. The event changed the course of my life.
My ‘spirit-eyes’ opened and I began to see the world differently. I began to write in a spiral notebook, as instructed by the counselor, and discovered I loved to write. I wrote a few non-fiction articles, mainly relating the spiritual aspects of movies I viewed. I met Melody, now my wife, and began writing poems and love letters. I discovered Writing.com and began to improve my writing skills through reviews received and workshops. After a year’s time, for personal reasons, I had to end my membership with Writing.com. A year later, I returned and continued to improve my writing skills and built the courage to publicly review others – a brand new skill that needed developed and continually improved. Now, the reviews I give and receive are beneficial to my ‘poetry bank’ and hopefully provide assistance for other writers.
I believe when we are endowed with a gift in any art form, we have the responsibility to be the best we can, honing our art skills. I became a student of poetry, researching and studying, improving with the help of fellow writers. I have much to learn, and I passionately desire to learn, to improve, and always be ready to take the next step.
My story shows it is never too late to start. I began with small steps, and I believe small beginnings are important. Those who want to ‘have it all together’ from the beginning will soon be disappointed. Natural talent will only bring limited success, at best. Like anything of value, writing requires hard work and determination. It requires a certain amount of tenacity. I remember when I took on the challenge of learning to write poetry in iambic meter. It seemed like an overwhelming task - almost impossible - but I pressed on and finally developed a working knowledge of metered poetry, and the learning still continues.
Thank you to those who helped me and continue to help on this wonderful journey called writing. It is my desire to help others become passionate about writing – and hopefully about life. Thank you to those who faithfully read the Writing.com newsletters. I hope you find them beneficial.
Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons.
~~Ruth Ann Schabacker
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That's why we call it the present.
~~Babatunde Olatunji
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From around Writing.com, for your reading enjoyment:
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Dear Kansaspoet,
I enjoy reading your newsletter. I have been going through some struggles this past month and have not been able to be as active in WDC as I was use to being. Yes, I am a WDC addict! Yet I find it very therapeutic to my mind as well as to my soul. I have one more eye surgery to deal with and I hope that I will be able to get back into the grove. This is the only addiction that I can say that I want to keep, regardless of if I can see or not!
Thanks again for another great news letter.
daveshugerbehr
What you wrote in your newsletter about our emotional traumas is the same feelings I have been having about my son, which is why I was inspired in writing. I would like to submit a chapter from my book which is about 2000 words long.
Thanks,
Brown Sugar
brown sugar 
Kansas, a wonderful newsletter. I know so well that cave you mention; in my depression I retreat also. Yet, I have to peek out and find the light, too. Many of us are wounded warriors, and If I can give just one person on this site encouragement, a good laugh, or even asking if their poem about suicide is a cry for help - well, it helps me more than it may help them. It draws me from my cave, and gives me a sense of purpose again. Thanks for the inspiring words! I always enjoy reading your newsletter - and thanks for editing my poem. You were spot on in your suggestions!njames51 
Larry,
I have a poem that sums up what you wrote about retreating into a "cave" to avoid life, to avoid people. If you like, you may feature it in a future Spiritual NL. The "she" in the poem is me.
Pen Name
WDC is indeed many things to many people. When I joined I knew that my stories were good, but my writing skills were lacking. There is a big shift from being a storyteller and a story writer,and only by placing my works on here for review by others was I able to make that shift.
A great place to learn, when good reviews are given. The site also allows us to see other writers works and to sometimes get ideas rom them. Newsletters are a plus for all. Keep up the good work. Peter Yule
Peter Yule
I have also found unexpected support here. Like you, I tend to withdraw when I go through tough times. Recently I have been through a tough time with my father-in-law, who just took a turn for the worse with Alzheimers. I have found the folks here not only supported my writing, but had many words of encouragement on my personal trauma as well. Thanks WDC, for being a great place to become a better writer AND a better person! Your support in all areas is appreciated.
faithjourney
I LOVED your piece in the recent newsletter. It was elequent, straight-talk and just plain awesome!
"Wounded healers" is a perfect name for people who pass on their light of information to others who are stumbling around in the dark. I've always believed that something good can come out of something bad...eventually. More times than I can even count, I've met people who are struggling to find some ray of light to help them l light their path. When we meet such people, we can sumetimes give them a piece of the puzzle they are searching for.; a small piece or a large piece or even several pieces. Sometimes they stay around for a long time, sometimes they make only a brief stop. But the encouragement of words goes with them and that is never wasted. Another thing I find extraordinary about being a wounded healer is that while we are helping someone else we are also healing our own wounds as well. Isn't that amazing and wonderful!
Anyhow...thanks for a great newsletter!!! Well done!!!
Best regards...Lee
maylee
Your comments and suggestions are important and appreciated by the editing team of the Spiritual Newsletter.Thank you for your faithfulness to read the newsletter.
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Spiritual: July 16, 2008 Issue [#2502]
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