Why Life, Love, and Legacy?
As many of you have noticed, and commented, I’ve revised my blog to talk about topics around life, love, and leaving a legacy. But why have I made this change? Because all three matter to me.
Life? Yes, that’s a broad category, but for me, life is about spiritual things—growing closer to God, touching others’ lives with His love, and becoming more like Him. It entails speaking and writing to bring life to others, and it’s a primary calling for me. When I write, I want life to come out of the words I put on paper. And when I speak, I want to bless people with my words.
Love? As you know, Tyndale Publisher has published two of our premarital books, and my husband and I are passionate about helping couples prepare for the adventure of marriage and remarriage. But I also deal with marriage, divorce, arranged marriages, and loving your spouse well in my novels—and in life. So love will be an ongoing topic you’ll read about regularly.
And Legacy? Ah, blame it on my three beautiful granddaughters! I had no idea that becoming a grandma would cause me to consider the importance of leaving a lasting legacy, making a mark on the next generation, and proactively pouring into their lives as it’s done. Yet it’s also caused me to look back at the past and see what kind of legacy came before me—whether good or bad. And then, when I began to write historical fiction, well, that cast a whole new light on how people lived, what kind of legacy they left, and why we need to intentionally leave a legacy of love, peace, hope, and faith for our loved ones.
So there you have it, and while these are my plans, I’d like to know what you would like to hear about. I don’t write these blogs for me—they are for YOU! So talk to me. What would you like to hear about? I’d love to know!
Kindred Spirits
Anne of Green Gables is one of my favorite books—and movies. The book was a bestseller in 1908 and has been made into movies, cartoons, stage plays, and more. It’s a literary classic that tells about the adventures of an orphan girl named Anne Shirley who ends up living with—and becoming family with—an old maid and bachelor siblings, Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, who live on a farm on Prince Edward Island, Canada.
It’s a simple story about the journey of a girl finding her way in a small town, in school, and in relationships. Anne is always looking for “kindred spirits”—people whom she can relate to and love—whether it’s a best friend, a caregiver, or her future husband.
As a novelist, my job is to create characters who become kindred spirits with the reader. Characters who come alive, inspire the reader, and provide life lessons along the way. As readers, we want to relate to the characters, whether they are contemporary, historical, or fantasy.
Just like us, these characters are on a journey of change, and the reader gets to go on a journey with them. They evolve and grow, have successes and make mistakes, just like us. And we become kindred spirits with them as we learn from their story.
In my novel, readers experience the journey of two women—one, an 1850s Irish immigrant and the other, her great-great-granddaughter. Both face many challenges and changes, just like us. And both experience growth, successes, and failures, like us. And, I hope, become kindred spirits to the readers.
The book characters who become a part of our lives are ones who live real lives, face real sorrow and heartache, experience love and loss. And, I believe, draw closer to God in the process—ideally, just like us. How all that happens is as unique in our own individual lives as it is in the hundreds of thousands of book characters’ lives. That’s what makes reading fun, exciting, and inspiring. And that’s why we love to read.
Who are your favorite book characters, and why? I’d love to know!
Write Your Story
I’ve got an earworm that just won’t leave. It’s a song that won’t stop repeating in my mind and in my heart, day and night. But I don’t think it’s just because it’s a catchy tune. It is truth. Profound truth, at least to me.
Ever since I became a Christian over three decades ago, I’ve desired for God to write His story on my heart and in my life. Each chapter has held lots of ups and downs, just like any good novel does.
I’ve owned an operated a Christian preschool, teaching little ones to love Jesus and know His word. Then, as a Language Arts teacher, I taught 4-8th graders to love words and love writing, all the while raising two wonderful children.
Later I wrote missions curriculum, had my own newspaper column, became a magazine editor, and then was the editorial director of 12 publications. But it’s never been about the jobs I’ve done; it’s been a journey of letting Him write His story with my life. From the day I turned my heart over to Him, I knew that my life has never really been mine—and His plans have always been good.
And now, with two published non-fiction books, He is writing a new chapter in my story. As a novelist. He is “the source of the rhythm that my heart—and my imagination and my pen—keeps on beating”, and it sure is fun.
As Francesca so aptly sings, I am an empty page. I am an open book. And I want my history to be His legacy. So, when all is said and done, all I can say is “Lord, let me be Your work of art!” Thanks, Francesca!
“Write Your Story”
by Francesca Battistelli
They say
You’re the King of everything
The One who taught the wind to sing
The Source of the rhythm my heart keeps beating
They say
You can give the blind their sight
And You can bring the dead to life
You can be the hope my soul’s been seekin’
(chorus)
I wanna tell You now that I believe it
I wanna tell You now that I believe it
I do, that You can make me new, oh
I’m an empty page
I’m an open book
Write Your story on my heart
Come on and make Your mark
Author of my hope
Maker of the stars
Let me be Your work of art
Won’t You write Your story on my heart
Write Your story, write Your story
Come on and write Your story, write Your story
Won’t You write Your story on my heart
My life
I know it’s never really been mine
So do with it whatever You like
I don’t know what Your plan is
But I know it’s good, yeah
(repeat chorus)
Author of my hope
Maker of the stars
Let me be Your work of art
Won’t You write Your story on my heart
Write Your story, write Your story
Come on and write Your story, write Your story
Won’t You write Your story on my heart
I want my history
To be Your legacy
Go ahead and show this world
What You’ve done in me
And when the music fades
I want my life to say
I let You write Your story, write Your story
Write Your story, write Your story
(repeat chorus)
Author of my hope
Maker of the stars
Let me be Your work of art
Won’t You write Your story on my heart
Write Your story, write Your story
Come on and write Your story, write Your story
Won’t You write Your story on my heart [x2]
Time. Trust. Truth. Teamwork.
Communicating through writing is what I do day in and day out, so I thought I’d share a fresh way to remember a few elements of communication whether you use them verbally or in writing. I hope they will remind us how to successfully communicate well with others.
Time matters. When you have no margin in your life to write or to talk with your loved ones (especially your spouse), then communication becomes stilted, scattered, and stifled, whether written or oral. In this crazy world of busyness, you simply have to schedule time to write or communicate with those you love. Be intentional about it, and revisit your schedule when it slides, because it will. Even if you only make 10-15 minutes a day a scheduled, intentional time to write or to talk with your mate, it’ll strengthen your communication journey. It may take turning off the TV, phone, computer, etc., for a certain amount of time, but it’s well worth it. And then, annually or semi-annually, get away and intentionally write or talk about your hopes, dreams, and desires spiritually and relationally.
Trust matters. You’ve got to build trust into your communication, whether written or verbal, and you have to keep it strong. Stay faithful, servant-hearted, humble, and empathetic in your communication. Be caring, affirming, and attentive to your audience, whether that audience is your spouse or a million readers. Be approachable, responsible, gracious, and forgiving with your writing critiques or with your spouse. Sounds hard? Not really. All this looks a lot like l-o-v-e.
Truth matters. Of course we don’t want to be untruthful, dishonest, or liars. But many times, our “truth” is only our opinion, our perspective, our bias instead of biblical truth. We need to build biblical truth into our communication and add big doses of grace, love, and humility. And we must speak and write the truth—in love—as Ephesian 4 commands us.
Teamwork matters. Build a team spirit with your spouse or with your critique group, editor, agent, and others who are with you on the journey. My husband is my greatest fan, my trusted first editor, and my gentle critic. As you work with your team—in whatever you do—your communication will blossom and you’ll be more successful in your endeavors. Accept the different opinions that each of you may have, even celebrate them, for they are what creates great communication, written or verbal.
How do you make time to write and/or communicate with your loved ones? I’d love to know!
Hungry for Attention
People today are starved for attention—successful people, homeless people, big people—and little people. We all want relationships with those who have a caring ear, eyes that communicate compassion and understanding, hands that touch with meaning and gentleness, and a heart that lets us feel God’s love. But how often do we meet those kinds of people, whether in person or through books?
One of my characters met a woman who changed her life by the simple act of listening. This dear woman saw a hurting single mom and showed her God’s love.
In this world of distractions, do we give our full attention to others like Jesus did? Do we really pay attention, especially to our spouse and children, our family, and friends?
Giving others our attention is an active, intentional choice to care enough to push away all the other distractions—our agenda, the noise that fills the room, the obligations of the day, and the distractions that constantly compete for our attention.
To truly give our full attention to another, we have to focus, concentrate, and block out everything else. And in this world, that sure isn’t easy.
I doubt it was easy in Jesus day either. Jesus was a busy man. He was completing the greatest ministry of all time—in just three short years.
There were the constant crowds. The Romans. The Pharisees. The disciples. All potential distractions. But He chose to give His complete attention to those who really needed it. Jesus chose to give His full attention to each and every individual He was ministering to at the moment. Jesus gave His heart with abandon. Jesus cared.
There was Zaccheus, blind Bartimaeus, the woman at the well. There were the lepers, the lame, the crippled. And how about the woman who touched the hem of His garment? He could easily have passed by each one of these individuals, not even noticed them, not even cared. He could have chosen to not give them His attention. But He didn’t.
Attention-giving touches the deep need for intimacy, for the need to feel valued, for the need to be understood. We all have these needs—from the newborn baby to the elderly person in the nursing home, and we instinctively know if that attention is genuine or if it is fake—like the attention a car salesman gives us, the kind we all despise.
I must admit that I am too often like that salesman, not out of manipulation but simply out of exhaustion or distraction. It’s all too easy to hear but not listen, to see but not perceive, to touch but not heal, to respond but without true heartfelt love.
As the saying goes, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!” Whether it’s your spouse who is sharing his or her heart with you, a toddler needing a hug, a preschooler frustrated with putting on his shoes, or a friend who’s had a tough day, giving each of these our full attention shows him or her that we really care.
How do you give your attention to others? I’d love to know.
Creating with the Creator
When I coach aspiring Christian writers, one of the first things I encourage them to do is to form a writing life that’s based on biblical values. In the secular culture we live in, that is often not on the top of the list, yet it is a critical part of making your writing life strong and healthy. But how do we do that?
First, put God first in your writing life. Talk about Him as if He’s right there with you, because He is. Make Him an active member of your writing journey. He’s there with you at the dinner table, when you watch TV, when you play, work, talk, or write. He’s there when you go to bed, when you dream, when you create.
Be sure the Bible is your primary source of information about doing life and communicating through your writing. Keep it on your coffee table or on your kitchen counter, and use it often. Grab it and read a Proverb or Psalm at breakfast. Memorize a verse. Talk about it.
Make church one of your primary social activities. If you have children, find a child-friendly church, and let it be an important part of your community. Make friends with other families in the church, and participate in the life of the church. And if there are other writers in your faith community, fellowship together often.
Worship at home, because worship just isn’t for Sunday. Prayer and worship should be a part of each and every day. Pray at meals and bedtime, but also pray in the car and other times. Play worship music and enjoy a time of praise and worship as a normal part of your writing life.
Enjoy creation. Creation and the Creator’s beauty are all around you. And because you are a writer, learn from the Creator how to create! Talk about God’s creation regularly. Acknowledge who made your fingernails or your eyelashes or the bird that flies outside your window. Touch, feel, smell, see—experience creation and worship the Creator. And make it all a part of your writing.
Appreciate life. Instill a deep sanctity of life in your relationships and in your children. Talk about how God made each of us unique and special. Intentionally counter the lies of our culture that says preborn babies and old people are expendable and that life is cheap. Talk about how precious life is; don’t just think it, say it! And write it! When a baby is born or a person dies, talk about what God thinks about these events and what it means to our world.
There is a multitude of ways that you can create a Christian culture in your writing life. What are some ways you do this? I’d love to know!