Questions From a Writer’s Journal

/ pastorpete51 / 5 Comments

I find as I grow older that I still don’t know the answers to the questions that I had when I was younger but am more at peace with not knowing. But I am discovering along the way that the Holy Spirit is helping me to begin asking some of the right questions.

I thought it might be helpful for others who also for one reason or another enjoy putting words together. If you are a Christian writer then we share a struggle with questions that are unique to that calling. Why am I writing? What are my motivations and goals? Money? Notoriety? Guilt? Loneliness? If we had x-ray vision and could see into hearts we might find out that some books we enjoyed reading have been born from motivations we never imagined. This morning I was touched when I came across this passage from the Apostle Paul as he invites us to look over his shoulder and peer into his writer’s heart.

Take a moment and let his words sink in and then ask yourself as I did today; “Are my words really born out of my own tears and personal experience? Do I really care about my readers or am I simply vying for their attention? Do I have a heart of love for my readers and are my goals for their good or is it all about me?”

Those are hard questions but I am convinced that finding the answers is more than worth the time and effort. What about you? What kinds of questions are you struggling with today? May you truly have a blessed week as you seek the Lord and write as He gives you stories to tell and words to say.

A Little Firefly

/ pastorpete51 / 7 Comments

 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:15 KJV

One of my favorite old time songs from church is “This Little Light of Mine. It reminds me of a night when our boys were small, and we lived in a tiny second floor apartment. One night my wife thought she heard a sound coming from the children’s room. Since our flashlight was buried somewhere in a kitchen drawer, she just carefully worked her way through the dark towards their door. I half woke up as she got out of bed, but when I heard her voice suddenly pierce the night with “Oh! Oh!” she had my undivided attention.

“What’s going on?” I shouted sitting bolt upright ready to rush to her rescue. By this time though the startled little scream had been replaced by peals of laughter. “You wouldn’t believe it!” Nancy said as she quickly slipped back into our bedroom. “I was in the right middle of the kitchen when a firefly lit up no more than an inch in front of by nose!” That tiny bug had everyone’s attention, not because of how impressive the candlepower of his light, but because he chose the darkest night to shine it.

With all the problems going on in the world around us we can easily get discouraged and feel like our little light won’t make much of a difference. But it just may be that God has called you to give just a little flash of His love to someone on the darkest night of their life!

A Little Daffodil

/ pastorpete51 / Leave a comment 
A little yellow daffodil
Was born one April day
And with a smile poked out her head
And shouted, “Spring! Hooray!”

I’ve come to open up my blooms
No time to waste or hide
And Then I have to grow my leaves
And stretch roots on every side

But when the sun was called to bed
And soft shadows came to creep
Our little tired daffodil
Laid down her head to sleep

“O child” God said and gently smiled
“I know there’s lots to do
But now just resting in my arms
Is what is best for you!”



A Little Yellow Daffodil by Peter Caligiuri © 2021 All rights reserved
Use by permission only