The writer, homemaker, wife, mother, grandmother, hiker, sewer, cook, author of Biblical fiction, and devotional writer; all for His glory and by His help.
One early morning last week, as a slice of light roused the darkness of night, I listened to a sleepy old owl hooting his droning call.
It was lovely.
Early morning has always been a treasured time for me. There seems to be a stillness settled on the earth. Well, until the crafty crow craws.
I don’t sit sipping coffee on the back porch. Nor do I run around accomplishing tasks. I linger, still in bed, writing or reading. My favorite read, you guessed it, God’s Word.
Is it easy to dive into the Bible at the break of dawn? No, sometimes I need to just ‘do it’ as I am aroused from my sleep. Almost always alertness follows, even with excitement, as God teaches me something new.
In the morning’s stillness, my mind is like a sponge sopping up all it can. Clutter from the day hasn’t crowded my thoughts. Maybe this is a picture of being still before God.
May each new morning bring you a yearning for the Word of God!
Slow and steady flows the day, the seasons now at hand where owls hoot before break of dawn and crows crowd skies.
Slow and steady passes day, that some, so busy, miss pleas of elderly loved ones frozen in time waiting, waiting, waiting.
Slow and steady a babe wails for milk or change or warm embrace; as mama’s cell phone chatters like scolding chipmunk in a tree.
Slow and steady is the broken heart who longs for commitment now gone, washed away in the storm of difference; yet hopeful one day to be cherished.
Slow and steady the grieving heart, as loved one has departed this busy world; where geese fly south and leaves tumble to earth returning to dirt.
Slow and steady?
My feet have been set upon the Rock, the miry clay has washed away; slow and steady, yes! Also, truly established and steadily growing.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.
Psalm 40:2
We were designed to go at a slower pace, to ponder, to process thoughts one at a time, to focus on the face in front of us with tender care. And when we try to go at computer-speed, we miss out on what’s important in life.
In the iconic parable, Aesop tells of a race between a fast but often-distracted hare and a slow but relentless tortoise. Readers are supposed to be surprised when the tortoise manages to defeat the hare, coining the phrase “slow and steady wins the race.”
I’m Patti Wolf your host at Christian Flash Fiction. We are into a second month of scribbling spiritual sand through fiction. If you’re a reader, enjoy! If you’re a writer, please join us.
Have you ever felt that your possessions own you? Or maybe every purchase you make brings a bit of contentment for only a short time. Today’s prompt can bring great wisdom. Things of this world can be enjoyable, but let’s remember we have a greater joy coming. One in which there are no returns.
Let the quote below from the book of Ecclesiastes 2:17 be your guide in our next prompt.
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Your Prompt Verse
‘ Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind,’
A Few Rules:
Be creative with your 300 words or less not including your title
Include the prompt in quotes
Take time to read other posts
Make sure to use the whole quote somewhere in your story
Play nice, try to encourage not tear down
This is a weekly prompt which has a weekly limit
In the comment box add your name and enter the direct URL to your answer to the prompt
On your blog, please provide a link back to Christian Flash Fiction. So others can be blessed
Under the Sun
The wind tossed about brittle leaves. Sunlight danced happily on the water’s surface. I strolled through a pile of leaves. They made chattering sounds with every footstep.
Having a second home was to be a haven away from my busy life. If only I would have realized earlier the effort needed in maintaining more possessions.
“Work, work, work!” I grumbled to chattering chipmunks complaining in the trees.
‘Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun.’ It had been a long weekend of laboring in the heat. Indian Summer had come early. Yet, things needed to be done before winter set in.
That morning I was staining the deck swatting wasps. Later, while cleaning the gutters I realized the woodpeckers had drilled holes in the siding. More work was at hand. Lawn care, boat maintenance and window cleaning was a continuous process.
I was tired! All the work ‘was distressing to me’!
“Lord, what was I think.” I muttered into the wind.
A flock of geese flew overhead. They were on their way south for the winter.
“Lord, those birds make life look simple. ‘For all is vanity’, doesn’t Your Word tell me that?”
Breathing in the crisp fall air I felt a peace settle over me. I had spent so much time taking care of the things I owned that I had put off my time with God.
“Lord, forgive me. I have been ‘grasping for the wind’ instead of resting in You.”
“But now Christ is risen from. the dead, and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” I Corinthians 15:20
Almost everywhere I look fruit is ripening in gardens. Even on Sunday mornings, when I arrive at church, bundles of produce wait patiently for eager hands to take them home.
As fall ushers in, there is a bounty before us. But it is not only the physical world that offers such riches.
In the Old Testament the first fruits were those which sprung from the ground first. They were often gathered and offered to God. It was a type of peace offering from man.
A beautiful picture is created when we study the offering Jesus gave, Himself. First the bitterness of death and then the sweetness of being risen from death. Why? He was a representation of what was to come for those who would accept His great sacrifice. It was for each individual who would repent, believe and follow Jesus to an eternity with Him.
What does that mean on a Monday morning for those who follow Jesus?
The Holy Spirit was given to the believer to help equip those who follow Jesus. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. This is how we can start Monday mornings.
Ripe fruit is everywhere. Share a little with those around you!
I’m Patti Wolf your host at Christian Flash Fiction. We are into a second month of scribbling spiritual sand through fiction. If you’re a reader, enjoy! If you’re a writer, please join us.
Have you ever felt you have compromised what you believe in from the Word of God? Maybe dark shadows hide your light? That can happen when we are not being true to God. Let the quote below from the book of Romans be your guide in our next prompt.
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Your Prompt for Week is from Romans 13:12
The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light
Romans 13:12
A Few Rules:
Be creative with your 200 words or less not including your title
Include the prompt in quotes
Take time to read other posts
Make sure to use the whole quote somewhere in your story
Play nice, try to encourage not tear down
This is a weekly prompt which has a weekly limit
In the comment box add your name and enter the direct URL to your answer to the prompt
On your blog, please provide a link back to Christian Flash Fiction. So others can be blessed
The Darkness of Conviction
It was late and I was finishing the dirty dishes. As I looked out the dark window a strange feeling overwhelmed me.
“Lord, ‘the night is far spent’. How long before ‘the day is at hand?’”
Work had been hard. There are things a follower of Christ just can’t do. My struggle was justified. I needed this job. How could I wake up another day and walk in the Light?
The last sermon at church had brought conviction. ‘Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness!’ My pastor’s words dug deep in my weary heart.
I thought there is no room for compromise.
The last of the dishes clanged as I stacked them. A tower of plates, bowls and cups balanced awkwardly. They teetered as I placed the last plate atop the rest. I adjusted the items so I could put a pan over everything.
I stared at the overloaded strainer. My compromises at work had piled up like dirty dishes. Something needed to be done. I knew what it was. ‘And let us put on the armor of light.’
I smiled. A tower of dishes and a metal pan taught me a lesson. Tomorrow I would walk in the light of Christ.
You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
James 4:14
Most mornings, of late, a mist seems to cling to the earth early in the morning. The sun is rising a bit later. Summer is beginning to take a bow. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.
The seasons seem to change quickly, especially in Wisconsin. Life can be like that. Families torn apart, job changes due to personal conviction, countries being led by evil rulers and poor news from the doctor. There are so many ways our lives can be turned up-side-down.
Yet, doesn’t God say He is with us always? He is the One from eternal past and through eternity itself. Why do we doubt? Perhaps, it’s human nature. Whatever we face this week, God already knows about it. Wait on Him.
Within hours of finishing this post one of my grandkids had a seizure. After several hours of testing, nothing was found. Those few hours seemed endless and now there will be weeks of wondering if it will happen again. Worry and concern will try to take my focus off God. That is when I will remind myself, “God already knows about it.” Then I will wait on Him! Won’t you please join me in trusting God this week?
“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12
Newly Released Jacob’s Narrow Journey Calling of Messiah
book 2 in the “I Am the Light” series (both available on Amazon) free download for kindle unlimited participants
Jemi’s Noble Quest
Come meet Jemi as she travels back in time to the first days of Creation. Weep and cry with her as she discovers her inner spiritual abilities. Join her as she trusts God through trial after trial. Jemi’s noble quest will not easily be forgotten, as this young woman seeks the meaning to her life.
Scene Images from Jemi’s Quest (online photo credit)
For years during Jemi’s childhood, she listened to the great stories of Job’s sorrowful but rewarding life. She spent her days dreaming of ancient creatures; Behemoth with his bronze stature and Leviathan from the depths of the sea.
Jemi is now ready for a journey. However, she will experience things unbelievable along the way of her noble quest. Time and time again, Jemi will struggle and fail. Yet in the end, her heart will be drawn to the memories of an ancestor who showed fortitude in the most extreme circumstances
Jacob’s Narrow Journey
“Jacob’s Narrow Journey” reveals that the true journey is not through the desert sands, but rather the personal wilderness that we all encounter. Pilgrimages can serve to instill a true peace which we all can encounter in a growing relationship with God.
Scene Images from Jacob’s Journey (online photo credits)
In an adventure, not soon to be forgotten, Jacob makes a spiritual journey into manhood as we travel with him in “Jacob’s Narrow Journey”. This is the sequel and second book in the “I Am the Light” series. It reveals the continued saga of life which is centered during early New Testament times. The story unveils a sincere scenario of the hardships, joys and even a bit of true love.
Jacob’s bloodline filters down from the Biblical character of Job. Jacob’s mother, Jemi, has kept their heritage alive with recounted tales. A shadow of her earlier adventures, from the first book in this series, “Jemi’s Nobel Quest”, builds on the continued foundation for her family.
Travel with Jacob’s family as they are uprooted. The reader will journey from the Great Sea, through the desert and end at the Sea of Galilee. During their travels they will meet all types of controversy. Each storm of life will touch them in different ways.
As a writer, I am always observing. Yesterday morning was no exception. A couple hundred blackbird flew overhead, in the sky, as I was walking my dog. This is my second encounter with a murmuration. It’s a surreal moment in time. Unfortunately, I did not have my cell phone on me to snap a photo. By the time I went back to the house to get it, the moment was over.
What moments will you miss this week? Are you in touch with the Spirit’s leading? If not, dig into the Bible and reconnect with Abba , Father!
Too Late Only Empty Skies
Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness
Psalm 143:10
Although Starlings are not the only birds that do it, a murmuration is a term more specifically used for starling flocks. Starlings use murmuration to confuse predators and to keep warm. Most other birds “flock together” to travel long distances and flocking reduces their energy expenditure
I’m Patti Wolf your host at Christian Flash Fiction. We are completing our first month of scribbling spiritual sand through fiction. If you’re a reader, enjoy! If you’re a writer, please join us.
This past week one of my son’s best friends suddenly died. He left behind a wife and two young children. It has been 36 years, this month, that my husband suddenly passed away leaving me with two very young children.
As most know, the sting of death is always with us. Perhaps, it’s a way of keeping the memory of a loved one alive. I would never have survived the grief I endure without a loving, caring, compassionate God!
Your Prompt for Week 5 is from Psalms 56:8
“You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?”
A Few Rules:
Be creative with your 144 words or less not including your title
Include the prompt in quotes
Take time to read other posts
Make sure to use the whole quote
Play nice, try to encourage not tear down
This is a weekly prompt which has a weekly limit
In the comment box add your name and enter the direct URL to your answer to the prompt
On your blog, please provide a link back to Christian Flash Fiction. So others can be blessed
A Bottle of Tears
It was early morning. I strolled out the front door. Hopelessness encompassed me.
“Lord, why?”
The night before a mist from heaven fell as I left the hospital. Tears for my grief, I thought.
“Lord, ‘You number my wanderings’’, but not this. I have two children to raise without a father!”
I crumble to the ground.
A mourning dove called in the distance. It was a sad sound which filled my heart.
Tears streamed down my face. I could cry a million tears and still there would be more.
Looking up I said, “Lord, I ‘put my tears in Your bottle’ for this is when I need You the most.”
It was then I asked, “ ‘are they not in Your book?’”
I stretched my hands upwards. No matter how difficult the weeks ahead, I would trust in God.
In an adventure, not soon to be forgotten, Jacob makes a spiritual journey into manhood as we travel with him in “Jacob’s Narrow Journey”. This is the sequel and second book in the “I Am the Light” series. It reveals the continued saga of life which is centered during early New Testament times. The story unveils a sincere scenario of the hardships, joys and even a bit of true love.
Jacob’s bloodline filters down from the Biblical character of Job. Jacob’s mother, Jemi, has kept their heritage alive with recounted tales. A shadow of her earlier adventures, from the first book in this series, “Jemi’s Nobel Quest”, builds on the continued foundation for her family.
Travel with Jacob’s family as they are uprooted. The reader will journey from the Great Sea, through the desert and end at the Sea of Galilee. During their travels they will meet all types of controversy. Each storm of life will touch them in different ways.
“Jacob’s Narrow Journey” reveals that the true journey is not through the desert sands, but rather the personal wilderness that we all encounter. Pilgrimages can serve to instill a true peace which we all can encounter in a growing relationship with God.
Scenes from “Jacob’s Narrow Journey”
“I Am the Light”series
Jemi’s Noble Quest
Jacob’s Narrow Journey
Ruth’s Empty Road (TBA)
Jacob’s Narrow Journey: Calling of Messiah available on Amazon
Patti Wolf 