More than Writers

Guest post, by Angela Jelf   You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail – Isaiah 58v11 (ESV) I’m looking for the slightest sign of growth. A new bud on my cream roses. A clump of geranium, suddenly fuzzy with flowerheads. An elegant Iris, about to burst open, its petals as dramatic as the ruffles on a flamenco dancer’s dress. Eighteen years ago, our garden was an eyesore. It consisted of a patchy terraced lawn, flanked by two strips of dry, stony earth. The only thing growing in it were barrow loads of vicious-looking prickly weeds. Back then, I knew next to nothing about gardening. But I loved flowers. And I’d learned from watching my mum, that lovely gardens don’t just happen by chance. They require work. And so, I rolled up my sleeves. Digging out those weeds, many of which had deep taproots, was back-breaking. The soil was heavy clay; the type that literally sticks to your boots after a downpour and dries out like sands of Arizona in the sunsh

 Guest Post by Lesley Crawford (posted by Rosemary Johnson)  It is hard to believe that almost nine years have passed since I plucked up my courage and hit “publish,” releasing my first blog post into the world.   Until then, my writing had been in journals, for my own eyes (and God’s) only, but eventually I had to give in to the growing sense that God was calling me to share my words with others.   It felt like an act of faith – sending my words out, unsure how they would be received. Would anyone want to read them? Could God really use them? Where would this journey lead? Nine years on, I still ask these questions, but I have also been encouraged to see all that God has done in that time, often working in unexpected ways.   Writing has opened up new opportunities and led to some wonderful new friendships. It has built my confidence and helped me find my voice, not only in writing, but also generally in life. And there have even been some of those rewarding moments when people hav

  Posted on Behalf of Elaine Langford, Guest Blogger. What’s your favourite writing resource? Many will say Wikipedia, and others may use reference books they bought. I’ve just rediscovered the joy of using my local library. Wikipedia has the advantage of being available at your keyboard. However, I’m wary that the content can be edited by anyone so not 100% reliable. I love my shelves of books as much as anyone but know some reference books get out of date very quickly. I know libraries have been more than physical books for some time, with audiobooks, eBooks and films available to ‘borrow’ via downloads. Yet I have not used one since using the onsite computers for free access to Ancestry when researching family history. Whenever I move, I always join the local library. This time, they signed me up for an online membership too. As well as reserving books, you have direct access to resources like Who’s Who and the Britannica Library. When I heard that a magazine was asking for