Studio WISE…a mosaic of literacy, history, and creativity

Man, do we live in a noisy world!    Horns are honking.  Music is blaring. Tires are screeching. Machines are roaring. Everywhere we wander, there is noise.  Soft noise. Loud noise.

Noise typically is “unwanted sound judged to be unpleasant.”  It is also defined  as “any sound that is undesired or interferes with one’s hearing of something.”  I often think about how little quiet time with no noise that most of us really have.  Quiet time for me has to be planned in a strategic manner, or it just does not happen.  Lately, I have begun to think about all the noise we are bombarded with from social media and the news.

That kind of noise is ” irrelevant or meaningless data or output occurring along with desired information.”  It seems that what once was news is now noise.  Most people I talk with are operating on  “information” overload.  For me, I think it’s more “noise” overload than ” information.”  Sometimes there seems to be no way out of it.  We stick headphones in our ears attempting to shut out the noise with more noise.  We get busier.  We shop. We eat.

I say it’s time to turn down the noise.  We do not have to be consumed by social media or news stations.  We CAN take back our lives, our time!  Pick up a book.  Write in a journal.  Pray. Meditate . Visit a friend. Write a letter. Hug your children. Paint a picture. Feed some animals. Clean a house.  Tutor a child. Visit a nursing home. Call your parents. Listen to good music.  Talk to your spouse. You get the picture.

Turn down the noise and turn up the love.

I was reminded recently after a funeral of a friend that we all leave a legacy, something that will remain even when we are gone.  We are writing our legacies every day, all day, with choices we make and all we do.  Are we leaving the world better than we found it?  We all will leave a legacy of some kind, either a positive one or a negative one. As you ponder this, please use the following topics to journal or as topics of discussion.

1. What have I done today to change the life of someone?

2. Do my friends and family members know I love them?

3. What is my purpose in life? What am I doing to fulfill this purpose?

4. What causes do I support and why?

5. What do I want people to say about me 25 years after I’m gone?

Happy journaling.

I think we all have been guilty of concentrating too hard on how writing looks on the paper without thinking really about the content of what is being said.  Writing conventions do matter, but let’s teach them in context.

      C     onventions occur within context.

     O    rganization is paramount.

     N    ever give up on success for all.

     T     each the writing process.

      E     xpand ideas and vocabulary and engage the audience.

e X    amine  your own writing to improve.

       T     echnology is used as a tool.

You can find us  on Facebook at  “Studio WISE Madison GA.”

We had our “Journaling Through Grief and the Holidays” event last night which was a joy in itself.  Twelve of us gathered in the living room after a light meal to absorb all the nuggets of information that Cheerful Hearts Ministry shared.  A special moment for me was hearing that it is ok to cry and to feel…really feel… as we walk out our stories and that there is no grief without love. I looked at the precious faces of all that were gathered and was reminded that we can find small, simple joys even during times of hurt and rebuilding. No one had the same story or reason for being there, but it was evident we all were there to heal or to aid in the healing of others.

My small, simple joys of last evening:

* Steve’s renditions of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”

* Pimento Cheese

* The aroma of fresh, warm coffee

* A hug from a new friend

* A new magnet for my frig

* A warm coat

* A new idea for “Being Still and Knowing that He is God…”

Until next time,

SL

Have you ever thought, really thought, about all the little things we take for granted?  I seem to do that more these days.

I awoke at 4:00 a.m. this morning tossing and turning, wishing I could get just a couple more hours of sleep before heading out into the day.  Straightening the covers, turning my pillow, counting sheep (in my case, counting all I needed to do…)…nothing seemed to help.  I gave in hesitantly, crawled out of the warm bed, and decided it was too early to make coffee but made it anyway.

My new book, Devotions from the Kitchen Table,  and my “Always be Grateful” box had been calling my name for a day or two, so I sat down at the small, round table to read and write, still wishing for a few more hours of shut-eye.  The wonderful aroma of the coffee filled the quiet, peaceful kitchen, and I began to settle in to the idea that I was awake and needed to take advantage of this extra bonus of time.

I read two pages, then another two, and two more until I had accomplished quiet a bit of reading for these tired eyes.  I then began to write my gratitude list and found I had so much more to say than I thought.  The coffee was ready, so I grabbed a Christmas mug and decided I wanted milk in my coffee though I usually drink it black.  As I opened the refrigerator, there in front of me sat a container of eggnog that I hadn’t opened because, according to the label, it has 190 calories per 1/2 cup!  Who wants to ruin a diet before 5:00 a.m.!  I decided to open it.

I poured a little of this  thick, warm-yellow lusciousness  into my cup and brought it to my lips wanting to savor every little drop.   Then it hit me. I wanted eggnog in my coffee!  I added a little more eggnog, poured in the piping hot coffee, stirred the mixture slowly, and sipped.  I sipped again…and again…

Before I knew it, I opened my gratitude box and added “Eggnog in my coffee”  to my morning list and decided maybe I woke up for just this small, but significant,  joy that I would’ve missed in the usual rush of the morning.

* Simple, often unnoticed moments of joy

* If only…

* Best advice I ever had…

* What makes a good friend?

* God’s creation …

* My best quality…

* I wish I could…

* If I could go back…

* I can’t go back, so…

* I feel at peace when…

* I remember when…

* My happiest memory of _____ is…

* The greatest lesson I have ever learned is…

* I have talents to share…

* The things I miss the most are…

* A color that makes me think of…

* A memory that makes me cry…

* A memory that makes me laugh…

Our first event went well with ten in attendance on a cold and rainy Monday evening. We are looking forward to the December event when we work through how to best grieve through the holidays.  We will have a speaker,  hot soup, and Greta will be back to sing again.  She blessed us all with her Lauren Daigle song and  “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles.

If you can’t make it to the meetings but want to journal where you are, I want to remind you that there is research to support the benefits of journaling.  Writing seems to have a bigger effect than typing on a keyboard, and some research suggests men reap more benefits than women (maybe because they bottle up their feelings…)  I found this interesting.

My next post will include journal prompts that might help.

We are so excited to be co-sponsoring our first Journaling through Grief event on November 12.  Grief wears many faces, so providing a monthly opportunity for folks to fellowship over a light dinner and speaker warms my heart.  We all have experienced grief in some form…death, divorce, loss of a friendship, moving away from family, sickness, life as it once was…so everyone is invited to participate.  We will also discuss ways to cope daily, including journaling. More information is included on the Morgan County Chamber of Commerce (GA) website.

Writing is such a therapeutic activity, one that is often taken for granted.  Research is available that supports writing. especially journaling, even going as far as to explain how it can strengthen our immune system, help us sleep, manage depression, and facilitate our thinking through problems.  It’s also a way to grant immortality by leaving behind our stories.  We all have stories in our hearts that need to be shared.  Journaling with a favorite pen and cup of coffee nearby can be a very beneficial activity for all of us.

We begin with asking what we want to write about in this journal.  Will we be reviewing or reflecting?  Be still. Calm down. Focus.

Investigate in your head your thoughts and feelings about whatever you choose.  Set a time limit and just start writing.  Read over what you’ve written with introspection. Sum it up.

Like most new skills, journaling takes practice, but it can be so helpful to those going through the grieving process. It is well worth the efforts.