I have been radio silent for a while on this blog as I work on my Master’s Degree in Secondary Education. I also teach high school accounting and personal finance. I’ve done a lot of writing, just not here on the blog. Each week I write two discussion question responses and somethings two papers or I might create a PowerPoint presentation or lesson plan. Needless to say, my writing life has kept going, just down a different road.
I end my first year as a teacher next week and I’m glad I survived. I learned to never underestimate the time and energy it takes to teach our young people. The amazing gifts of the teachers I work with are poured out every day. I don’t know a teacher who only works school hours. Most will be taking classes this summer. I know I will. Many are up late grading papers, writing lesson plans or crafting some sort of unique project to make school more interesting.
Hats off to all teachers. I’ve always known this to be a difficult yet rewarding profession because I watched my mom care for her students with notes on their English papers to encourage them. I witnessed my sister Kathy tenderly care for the 4th graders she taught for over 30 years. My brother, Jack, retired last year from over 30 years teaching automotive technology at a college. While they retire from the career they love, I’m just getting started.
Why teach, you say? Because I’ve always felt called to share what I’ve learned in the years I’ve worked in the accounting profession. Over twenty years ago I wrote on a devotion in my Bible, “Is teaching for me, Lord?” Each time I’d come to that devotion, I’d write another note. “Perhaps teaching Bible?” “Maybe I’m supposed to teach by writing books?” “Lord, is this me?”
He answered with a resounding, “Yes, this is you,” when I was laid off from my job. I learned shortly thereafter that I qualify for a retraining program. I took a long shot and asked if I could retrain to be a teacher. I was accepted into the program and in June spring I started classes at Grand Canyon University. Then this part-time teaching job came to me and I’ve been able to put what I’m learning right to use in the classroom. So now I get to teach students how to take care of their own money and how to account for someone else’s books. I also get to teach English which I’m thrilled about. I’ll be student teaching English classes next fall. I feel like I’m following in my mom’s footsteps and that makes me smile.
I want to encourage you today. If you are at a crossroad in your career and want a change, it’s never too late. If you think you are too old, you aren’t. The world needs you. So ask the Lord, “Is this for me, Lord?” It is my hope and my prayer that you hear “Yes it is, my daughter.” or “Yes, it is, my son.” He is faithful and gives you the desires of your heart.
Bless you,
Gigi ]]>
Greetings Writing Friend,
I have not met a writer yet who didn’t say it took courage to put pen to paper and tell their story. After all, it is scary to wonder what your critique partners or best friends or potential readers will say about the piece of writing you share.
“If we had to say what writing is, we would have to define it essentially as an act of courage.” Cynthia Ozick
I remember creating a children’s book for my high school freshman English class. This teacher, Mr. Crnich, loved the red pen and always gave feedback on my work. I had a lot of fun writing my story of a sweet little bunny who permanently scarred his bunny ear when a rose thorn poked a hole in it. He had to learn to live with looking different. I loved my little story and it took great courage to turn it in. Especially because I don’t consider myself an artist and I illustrated it myself.
Had we not had that assignment, I may never have thought of myself as a storyteller. But the encouragement from Mr. Crnich gave me the courage to see myself as a writer.
Dictionary.com defines courage as “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.
I often think of the cowardly lion from The Wizard of Oz when I think about overcoming courage to write one of my stories. 
What did he do to gain the courage to approach The Wizard?
- He admitted he was scared.
- He surrounded himself with encouraging people.
- He used positive self-talk.
- He was afraid, but he did it anyway.
When I was writing my first book, Caregiver’s Devotions to Go, I was afraid. Did I really have thirty stories to tell? Would the editor like them? Would anyone read my book?
Here is what I did to get through to the end.
- I admitted I was scared. I asked for prayer to help with my fear.
- I met weekly with my friend and mentor, Cheryl Penn, and we talked about devotional ideas. I read her the stories and she helped me polish the prose.
- I reminded myself that my stories matter and sharing them would help others.
- When I wanted to quit, I pressed on and wrote anyway.
Just today, I received a note in the mail from a reader.
Dear Gigi:
I love your book, Caregiver’s Devotional to Go: The Women’s Devotions to Go Series.
Please send me one more. I hope this money is enough. I saw you at Philipsburg, Montana where I bought three at the After Five group. My mom, Frances Glynn, Carol Bowen and I all love the book.
It’s the best spiritual book I’ve ever read and I’ve never been much of a reader. Carol has read it several times.
I don’t have internet so that is why I’m writing you.
With Love, Thank you, Sandra R. Matesich.
If you are looking for courage in your writing, let me know and I will pray with you. I’d like to suggest a book that might help. It is called. The Courage to Write [How Writers Transcend Fear] by Ralph Keyes – author of The Writer’s Book of Hope.
May God Bless you with the courage to write that next sentence.
Bless you
Gigi Devine Murfitt
www.GigiMurfitt.com
I love reading fiction and often come up with ideas for sharing stories from my childhood and the beauty of growing up with a large family in a small town.
Last year I took a six week online class titled “Writing Fiction Like a Pro.” I loved it! I took one of the story ideas I’ve tossed around in my head for many years. After learning some cool techniques, it flowed into a three-act play structure and then I boiled it down to a raw outline form. I was on my way!
Now I’m ready to take it to the next level.
This weekend I’ll be headed to the Inland Northwest Story Crafters Retreat in Spokane.
I am ready to ignite my career as a novelist!
Susan May Warren is teaching at the 2014 My Book Therapy Storycrafter’s Retreat.
I’m showing up with an idea – and I hope to leave with a story and everything I need to ignite my journey to publication.
This is a private, intensive retreat with only 16 participants.
It is time to invest in my writing dreams.
I am beside myself excited!
I just finished one of Susan May Warren’s 2014 Christy Award winning novels titled Take a Chance on Me.
It is a story of love and forgiveness. I related to so many of the rich and raw characters.
It takes place in the small lakeside town of Deep Haven. I found myself rooting for each character in the Christiansen family as they struggled with relatable issues of grief, anger and unforgiveness.
With each chapter came a new twist in the developing romantic relationships from this beautiful little town in northern Minnesota.
I can’t wait to start another one of Susan’s many novels and learn from her talented writing style. I hope you’ll check out some of her books.
Here is a link to the bibliography of her many books. http://www.susanmaywarren.com/novels/bibliography/
I hope you’ll come back and share some ideas with me as I formulate the story lines for the series I have in mind.
Have you ever wanted to write a novel?
If so, why not now?
Tell me how I can encourage you in your writing.
Bless you with ideas that flow.
Gigi
#Storyteller ]]>
Bless you today with sunshine and hope as we enjoy the first few days of spring.
I’ve seen rain, snow and sleet and sun as I traveled across Washington and Idaho into Montana and back again.
This weekend, I’m in Spokane Valley at the Inland Northwest Christian Writer’s Conference.
This morning, I attended the “Live Free, Write Free” session taught by James L. Rubart.
He played a clip from the 1991 film, Defending Your Life written and directed by Albert Brooks. I loved this quote from the movie.
“Fear is like a giant fog that sits on your brain and blocks everything. Real feelings, true happiness, real joy. They can’t get through that fog. But you lift it and buddy you are in for the ride of your life.”
Fear.
The thing that stops us from living free and writing free.
With regard to my writing life, sometimes I fear:
- I have nothing to say in my writing.
- No one will read it.
- It is just no good.
I’ve been dealing with fear all my life.
- Fear of man.
- Fear of standing up for myself.
- Fear of rejection.
- Fear of disappointing others.
- Fear of not being good enough.
But God is not the author of my fear. The enemy of my soul wants me to be afraid.
Scripture reminds me of this:
2 Timothy 1:6-8 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Through my friend James L. Rubart, God reminded me today to trust Him to help me live free of fear so I can write free and be who God has called me to be.
Let’s help each other to live free of fear so we can be used by God to bless others.
What fears keep you from living free?
Bless you with power and love and a sound mind. Let’s make this a #NoFearNewYear!
Gigi
I promise not to put you to sleep!
I’ve been challenged to write a blog every day during the month of October.
It’s called NaBloPoMo
No that isn’t a trecky new language – but it stands for National Blog Posting Month
It is similar to NaNoWriMo which stands for National Novel Writing Month. That happens every November in the novel writing world. Some day I will participate in NaNoWriMo so I can get this novel out of my head and onto the page.
There are all sorts of groups and sites and prompts to keep us writers writing.
NaBloPoMo gets the blogger’s fingers dancing on the keyboard. It’s especially good for someone like me who gets too busy to blog. The challenge to meet the goal will keep me going.
Check it out! http://www.wikiwrimo.org/wiki/List_of_timed_artistic_challenges
During my own personal NaBloPoMo journey, I may not post every blog entry here at GigiMurfitt.com because I also maintain a blog for Gabriel’s Foundation of HOPE at www.GabesHOPE.org
So check out both to get the latest about what’s going on in my world.
I’m excited (and a little nervous) to be more active on my blog.
I hope you’ll meet me here for a chat or to be inspired as I write from the heart.
I’m thinking it may be as simple as posting a question to start a conversation.
It’s a new season.
It’s a new day.
So here is the question for October 1, 2013
What is your favorite thing about the fall season?
Please post your comment below.
Let me know if there are topics you’d like to see on my blog.
Here we go!
God Bless your heart
Gigi
PS – Come back here tomorrow for my answer to the question!! ]]>
I’m blessed by two or three hours of writing time each week while my son, Gabe, attends his college group nearby.
Last week I decided to devote my Wednesday blog posts to sharing ideas and links that help me along my writing journey. I hope they are useful to you too. Let’s share ideas to help each other Write Right.
Write On.....
Today I’d like to share a useful tool I learned about from my friend Lesley McDaniel. It is called Pro Writing Aid – Free Editing Software and is a writing analysis program.
To check it out, I drafted a blog post. Then I cut and pasted it into the software for analysis. It popped up a report that told me my writing needed work because of a few issues like cliches, sticky sentences and redundant words.
I am always looking for ways to improve in my writing. This Pro Writing Aid editing software will be very helpful.
Check out Lesley’s blog for some other ideas to help you write tight.
Are you writing this summer? I hope so! Keep those juices flowing.
God Bless your writing!
Gigi ]]>