Creativity Wins

I slept later than I planned to this morning--in some ways, that's a good thing, but it leaves my writing time shorter.   Let me use my shorter time this morning to make a list of creative stuff that's bringing me joy:

--I have signed up for an online journaling class.  It will involve sketching and readings from Open the Door: A Journey to the True Self by Joyce Rupp.  I first heard about the class in the summer, and I decided to use some birthday money for this experience.  I bought the supplies over time.  Yet when it came time to actually sign up, I hesitated.  I was worried about the time my online teaching is taking.  I worried about the fact that Thanksgiving came in the middle of the class. 

In the end, I decided that there's never a perfect time for a class like this.  So I signed up.

You can sign up too; it's not too late.  Let this description tempt you:   "Journaling can be practiced as a spiritual discipline and prayer, a way to process the Spirit’s stirring in our lives. Paying attention to moments, words, music can nudge us toward creating, so that we too can participate in the conversation. A journal is a way to mark this holy work."

The class starts on Sunday.  You can find more details here. 

--I got this Facebook message from Wendy, (who blogs here):  "My congregation's nurture committee is planning a soul card activity for All Saints' Day. I wonder if I could use the image of your Oscar Romero collage card in the newsletter invitation and/or as an example for the activity. If so, I can copy the image from your blog. If not, no worries, but know I was inspired to suggest the activity by your card, so you get credit either way. Thanks!"

Of course I said yes--I am so thrilled when anything that I do inspires others.  And I'm wondering about discernment and dreams of the future and if there's some way I can fashion a career in this direction.

Here's the card that inspired Wendy:

How interesting to think that when I made that card, back in 2011, I would have nominated Romero for sainthood, but I had no reason to think that would ever happen.  And now, he is a saint.  How quickly change can happen.

--Let me finish by acknowledging that we are living in dark times.  I began my writing time on my theology blog, praying by way of writing in this post.  I am thinking of what I wrote in 2016, and that I feel more despair these days.  But even though I don't know how we'll do it, I still believe that our creativity will get us out of this mess, and thus, it's more important than ever to be creative.

Here is part of the 2016 post:

Yesterday morning, I wrote these words on my Facebook wall: "For those of us feeling fretful on this election day, I say, "Be not afraid!" We are a nation of quilters, adept at taking frayed scraps and turning them into comforters. We are a nation of tinkerers, who can take metal scraps and turn them into cars and computers. We will be OK."

Last night, I wrote these words: "No one will listen to my political predictions ever again. I've been wrong so often in this election season that I may never make political predictions ever again. No matter how these last few states break, I would never have predicted this night."