Spend It All
Many years ago I came across these words from Annie Dillard in her wonderful book The Writing Life. It spoke to me as a writer, editor, and speaker:
“One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better. These things fill from behind, from beneath, like well water. Similarly, the impulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.”
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From our “You-can’t-make-this-stuff-up” department come this and this.
I think you mean “her” wonderful book.
Another great female author on writing is Anne Lamot. Check out Bird by Bird and some of her other books.
Singing patriotic songs in church is like going to your in-laws house & raving to them about how great your ex-boyfriend/girlfriend was.
Brett – Where did that come from? Thanks. I made the correction. I’m sure Annies everywhere will appreciate the feminine pronoun.
Jeanna – love the comparison.
Wow. I am way more bothered by the second guy since he once (briefly) held a seemingly high level position in the SBC.
Tasteless and vile, yes. And not new. And not unique to Obama. Bush 43 was the object of a great deal of comparably loathsome hate speech throughout his 8 years in office.
What this proves, of course, is merely this: some people, across the spectrum, have no sense of where to stop, where to restrain themselves.
As for qb, qb hopes Obama lives a long and healthy life, continues to spend his time on Broadway, catching shows, delighting Michelle with expensive dates at taxpayer expense (really, qb encourages it), being a wonderful father to those wonderful little girls, and thereby keeping his grubby, busy paws off the Founders’ incredible experiment in personal liberty. Alas, no doubt qb shall be sorely disappointed. November 2010 can’t get here fast enough.
qb
qb,
You used to be a voice of reason and humor on this blog. But lately you’re just bitter and growingly paranoid. Only jumping in to defend a political ideology. (For heaven’s sake, a few posts ago you had to grind an off-topic political axe inside a post about Mike’s deceased daughter Megan! Have you no shame? Or is this win at all costs, ideologically speaking?) Your defensive crouch and bitterness is changing your voice (as we experience it on this blog), poisoning the better part of your intellect and the better angels of your nature. I, for one who liked your insights, hate what I see happening to you.
I said this on another blog in another context recently, but …
When we start thinking so highly of our nation and our rights and our political convictions that we are convinced God is completely behind us about them and only them, we need to remember the angel’s response to Joshua’s question in Joshua 5:13-14.
No wonder church membership is declining! I do not remember reading about “bring your gun to church day” in any of Lyle Schaller’s books. Also, I must have skipped over the imprecatory prayer chapter in Richard Foster’s book on prayer.
These troubled times we live in should be a great time to bring people to Christ. As followers of Christ, we know that our hope is not or has never been in a political party, govenment, or even a Church.
Thank you, Keith.
The church recently stood either in silence or, in many cases, even open endorsement of the government’s brutal torture programs at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. We’ve made our nation into an idol, denouncing any blasphemer who dares question it as a “traitor” and a “terrorist sympathizer.” Where’s Bonhoeffer when you need him?
A local game warden in a small east Texas church reached for his money to put in a collection plate as it passed by. Somehow, his small pistol he kept in a pocket came flying out, hit the old wooden floor and skidded all the way to the front of the podium. He calmly got up, retrieved it and said “pardon my pistol preacher”. It caused little commotion among the church-goers.
Don’t want the first part of this blog to be overlooked….spend it all. What a joyous thought to just let the blessings God sends everyday overflow. Spend it, more is to come..”They are new every morning”.
Thank YOU, Sandra!
Though I am not a speaker or a writer, Annie Dillard’s words still resonated with me. My immediate reaction was to read her words as they relate to life: “spend it all,” hoarding nothing for later, giving it all away, savoring every moment, knowing that His mercies are new every morning.
As a writer and a human being, I love Annie Dillard’s quote. Thanks, Mike.
I appreciate what qb had to say.
There were lots of hateful, mean-spirited things said about our previous President by Christians on the left. I don’t remember them being rebuked on this blog…..
Praying for the President to die…celebrating the constitutional rights of Americans in worship…at what point do Christians share in the body and blood of Christ, proclaiming the Lord’s death until he comes?
Grace and peace,
Rex
While I thankful that law-abiding citizens have the freedom to carry their guns (yes, even to church), I don’t know why a church would see the need to celebrate it in a special service.