CREATE...

During Covid lockdown, my younger sister, Goretta,  decided to take up knitting again. This time her new interest was in crochet. She began with scarves and hats, then bigger projects came to mind. I received a lovely gift of a bedspread. It has become my winter delight when the evening's are cold and chilly.

Then, a friend began to take seriously, her interest in photography. Although confined at first, opportunities came to go places, with camera.  She now has an Exhibition of her work on display in the local Library.

To me, this is a perfect example of how important it to be creative, and follow whatever we are inspired to do, creatively.  

My saving grace during Lockdown was my interest in Creative Writing. Even when inspirations seemed slow to come, I began writing about a girl called Josie, a young teenager. Each morning I would write her story.  After awhile, it became a necessity to add to her story, an enjoyable habit, and how sad I was when her story came to an end.

I was again faced with the desire and need to Create!

 

INTRODUCTION to CREATIVE WRITING:

INTRODUCTION to CREATIVE WRITING

 by Vera Cait

Creative Writing is an Art Form whereby  we use WORDS to express ourselves.       Poetry is a good example where the written words instil emotions and memories, moving us to find pictures in our minds of what the words are telling us. 

 At other times, we can find ourselves expressing passion by a selection of words, similar to Valentine Cards.  One doesn't often tell a person how much they love them, yet the written words on a card will do just that.  

Perhaps a little over the top, yet which one of us would not be impressed with receiving a Valentine Card? 

The Written Words can also be a form of Therapy.  By writing down the feelings or memories we have about a certain incident, the words can act as a Stress Buster, allowing us to become aware of hidden traumas buried in the depths of our minds

To be Creative with Words, all we need is Pen to Paper, and Time to write.

Believe...

 Today I met a young person, a young mother with a husband and one year old child. She wanted to give me an envelope with money enclosed.

Her story related to many years ago when she visited our Shop with a friend. The money is to pay for something her friend had stolen from the shop and gave it to her. 

Now that she has become a born-again Christian, she feels compelled to pay for what was stolen, and to apologise. She believes that to follow Christ we must be honest and make up for any mistakes or wrongs that one has been party to.

I accepted the gift of money, then invited her and her husband to have tea with us.  I explained that I am a believer in the Catholic Faith, and introduced her to a book by Saint Therese.  She took a photo of the cover, but not the book.

We sat in our Studio and had tea and biscuits.  I was impressed by her faith, yet a little sad that she would feel obliged to point out the faults she believes exist in the Catholic Faith.

What we believe is very personal and must be respected, yet if we truly believe in our Faith, are we morally bound to share it with others?  I ask the question because that is what I tried to do many years ago, to go out and preach the Gospel, and let all peoples know that God is a God of love.

I believe and I wonder...

ASPIRATIONS

Our ASPIRATIONS denote who we are. 

When I aspire to dance, I become a dancer

When I aspire to swim, I become a swimmer.

and when I aspire to write, I become a writer.

Whatever I aspire to become, will become my reality, will be me.

Pen to Paper, fingers on the keyboard, let's write!

 / 

BEGIN AGAIN...

Coming to the close of a year of many adventures and challenges, one can wonder about the future? What steps can be taken to help this wonderful World of ours become a better place, one that will be an encouragement and protection, especially for the new generation of people / children who will only have our guidelines to help them.

What can I do to create a better place / a better World ?

My answer is simple, yet also complex, because I believe in God, the Creator of the Universe and all that pertains to who we are and where we are.  Will my belief be good enough to make a difference?

Reading the life of St. Therese, I came across a quote from her... 'One person, striving for sanctity, is more pleasing to God than many others living a good, yet complacent life.'  

Does that effect me and my life?  I wonder, because I would relate myself to the complacent person. I know about saints whose lives show us what sanctity is all about, yet I cannot imitate them.  I must be the original person that God has created me to be.

Perhaps the answer to saving the World and being the best that we can be lies in our honesty about who we are, truly, and follow up with a life that values and lives a life of loving and caring, responding to the inner voice that prompts us to love, always.

LOVE HEALS

 Christ has given us a strong command, 'Love one another as I have loved you'.  This is not an easy example to follow, especially when we might even doubt God's love for us.

Perhaps that is where the difficulty lies, in becoming aware of the truth that God loves each one of us, regardless of how good or bad we might be.  This is hard  for us because by nature we measure love according to how we are loved etc. And, also when we are not good, we can feel ashamed and wish to hide, believing that we are not worthy of love.

God is Love, and so does not measure love according to feelings and responses, as we so often do.  When love is genuine, then it does not judge the actions of others, it simply focuses on the Presence of God which is noble and pure.

One example that might make this clear for us, is seen in the love of a mother for a child.  The 'child' who might well be an adult, can be far from good or holy, yet still, the mother's love will not fail. Love is love, regardless.

When we are able to believe in God's love for us, we will have the power to love, and experience how love heals!

 

BEAUTY

 'Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder...' so we are told, and how true that is. When our hearts are captured with delight at the sight of another person, or something of artistic value, we immediately respond with love.

You could say, this is the way God has formed us. We are made in His likeness and therefore we cannot but rejoice at the sight of beauty.  An innocent child will display the wonder of the soul and God's love for each one of us.

I visited Fatima, in Portugal, awhile ago and was touched by the knowledge of who was chosen by the Blessed Virgin, three little children, to carry the message of love to the whole World.  Through their innocence and obedience to Our Lady, we have confirmation of just how much God loves each on of us.

Of course, we have this wonderful World of ours, sending out messages of beauty as seen on Earth and the Universe at large. We just have to open our eyes and hearts to the beauty that surrounds us.