Karen Guthrie from My View From My Window

Today we have a Guest blogger, she’s speaking on last series topic, about writing and a dash of publishing put in. She’s a strong writer, and very inspirational. Everyone take the time to check out her blog, and give a big hand to Karen. I’ll be over at her blog sometime today or tomorrow, so go take a look!

Thank you for letting me share a few of my thoughts with you today.

“Travel the world and get paid for it!” read the ad. Something sparked in me when I opened the newsletter and read those words. The desire to write – cards, letters, my journal – lived in me for years. From that day, the desire began to grow. Slowly, at first, the spark began to smolder, I fanned the embers to flame by learning all I could about the basics.

I wanted to write a Memory Book for my children. It would be just for them so they could see past the mother and grandmother to the woman inside of me. I searched my memory for the stories I would include and as I remembered and wrote, the flame grew.

As I thought of how to fan the flame of my writing into a vocation I asked myself these questions:

1. “Why do I want to be a writer?” The answer came:

I love to express myself through words and I want to share God’s love and His amazing character. I also want my children and grandchildren to know who I am and remember our family history: how God has blessed us, loved us, protected us and led us through the years to make us into the people – individually and as a family – we are now.

2. “What is my Ultimate Goal?” What do I want? How do I want to use my writing talent? What message do I bring to this world?

I want my family and the world to see the wonder of God in the everyday of life, in the natural world around us, in people, in God’s church. All these reveal who He is and how wonderful and caring He is to have created this place for us.

I want to serve Him by showing Him to others. He has created me: this need to communicate, the oral and written words, the grammar skills, the person that I am – flaws and all. I want to praise Him! I want to bring the knowledge I have of Him from my heart and soul out through my fingers to others.

I want to help my sons and their families realize that only our spirit and what we do with spiritual truth is eternal. I want them to see, know and value their Christ
I want to be real. To lay aside the masks I wear and be the real me. I want to find out who I am – become real – and show that part of myself to the world.

I want to give to others. I want to mend hearts and hurts and ease the aches. I want to find and show kindness and compassion.

I want to be used by God to touch lives for Him.

3.”What do you believe is your purpose in life?” I believe my purpose in life is to:

· Love, worship and serve God

· Love and serve my husband and family

· Do good in the world by loving and serving others

· I am to share the Lord God and His love, grace, mercy, righteousness and holiness with the world beginning where I am then working out from there.

I believe I am to share what I have learned and am learning from God. I love new places and see the wonder of God everywhere. I feel awed by God’s amazing glory. No one else can express my feelings. No one else is like me. No one else has had my exact life experience so the way I see life now is like no one else.

God has gifted me with an enthusiastic, optimistic spirit and a passion for people. I have a need to share God’s grace in the beauty of the world around us with others. I do this by writing cards, letters, e-mails and, most recently, through my blog.

I read that ad, ordered the writing course it offered and began to study. I never became an actual Travel Writer, that’s not my calling, but I did discover the fire that burns within me. It gives me heat and passion for life. The coals burn brightly and the flame will last this lifetime.

Thanks so much Karen.