Reliving Memories

Life always throws ups and downs at us. Ray and I have been having quite a few of them these last couple of years. Although we have both had some relatively minor health issues, we are still active but do realise we seem to be doing less and getting weary faster. Sound familiar anyone?

We had a wonderful few weeks again over Christmas and New Year with our family and friends.

This year we added our celebrations of reaching the mile-stone of being married for fifty marvellous, happy years..

We can only give thanks to our wonderful Lord for all His has done for us over all these years.


Seeing the DVD of our old wedding photos and singing a couple of the songs we chose for our wedding day brought back beautiful memories.

Fifty years is a long time and there had to be that touch of loss also as we saw images of some dear family and friends who are no longer with us. There are some of these folk in this photo I just have to share here of course.

We accept sorrow because God does comfort and bring back joy. Although our faces now may show the ups and downs of the years, this shows only a little of the great joy we have been given over all these years in our marriage.

Here is another photo to show our family now. God is still bringing us great happiness through our children as we watch their faithful walks with him. In the years to come may it also be true for each of our precious grandchildren.

Ray on Monday - I Sit As Time Flows By.




Our first son. . . 

 



. . . he sleeps



Here I sit,

  Time flows by

     As though a stream.

I see it not

  Yet, it passes by.

     I care not.

I’m on duty.

  My grandchild sleeps

     Weary and worn out,

Wrapt in dreams,

   Renewal underway.

      Contentment I feel,

          Privileged,

  To sit beside him 

    As time flows by.



Our second son
with his first son



Memories arise,

  Years come back,

     Beside a bed I sit,

One of our children

  Sick or injured sleeps,

    Trusting eyes shuttered.

Snuggled under blankets

  Yet with untucked hand

     Firmly holding mine

Sleep’s therapy tasted,

  Parents concerns eased,

    Faith’s prayer a comfort.

We count it an honour

  To have sat there

     As time flowed by.



with first grandson



Once again I sit

  Beside a little one,

    And time trickles by.

When his eyes open

  Secure he’ll feel,

    Reassured.

With a smile,

  A big, big stretch,

    He’ll recognise me.

Refreshed he’ll be,

  Blessed I’ve been.

    So it’s worthwhile,

My point of view,

  To sit beside him

    As time flows by.

                              ©R.N.Hawkins 20/04/2012

Romance Writers of Australia conference “Taster” in Tasmania

How much value do writers put in sharing conferences together?

Last year an email to all members of RWA in Tasmania from the RWA Event Coordinator started it.


With old friends at 2007 conference

 Over the 20 years since their annual conferences over a weekend commenced, I have only missed going to a handful. Last year I was unable to attend the conference across Bass Strait in Melbourne, so I greeted the idea of having an RWA Tasmanian Roadshow here in 2012 with enthusiasm. Unfortunately, I had several commitments booked already this year so felt compelled to state that while I was very happy about this, I would be too busy to be able to help very much with the organising of this one day seminar.

Famous last words?

First of all a decision had to be made where this special one day event could be held. One multi-published author in the south near our capital, Hobart, was facing surgery in the new year and unable to help. Another keen supporter there also would be out of the state for some time at the beginning of the year. It seemed there were at least three of us in the north who were able to look into venues. Bit by bit, I became more and more involved, especially when Launceston area was decided on. Different responsibilities were divided up amongst the three of us and another couple of writers in different parts of our island state.

We wrote down the names of speakers we would like to have share workshops and speaking sessions with us. I became the Speaker Liasion and so became more and more involved. I wonder how many of you are smiling at me by now – especially those who know “Mary just can’t help herself!”

For far too many years I wrote without regular contact with other writers. We lived in a country city hundreds of miles from Sydney when I went to my first ever writers seminar in Sydney. It is now many, many years since that wonderful day which helped confirm my dream of one day becoming a writer. There was only irregular contact with other writers after that for years until a small number of folk interested in writing for the romance readers began to meet in out town and I heard about the new organisation, Romance Writers of Australia was being commenced.

A short time after becoming a member of the fledgling RWA, in one of their newsletters I read about a new bookclub of Christian Romance novels by being commenced in Ohio. I will be forever grateful to the editor of that HeartsTalk margazine for the information that eventually led to my first contract and first book published.

In previous blogs I have shared other photos from conferences.

Here are a few more of writers at RWA annual conferences over the years. Some I have met for the first time and always a delight to put faces to author's names on books I've enjoyed. Other writers seeking to be published have been met year after year and how wonderful to be able to see them after they too have been published.

So now, I am looking forward to be able to help provide this opportunity for other romance writers to hone their skills, to encourage them in their journey to publication. We are thrilled that we have three wonderful, multi-published authors coming to share with us at the RWA Tasmanian Roadshow on May 19th. While this will only be a one day event we are trying hard to make it a true “taster” of some of the things writers can expect from the annual RWA conferences.

Meet our special guest speakers!

All three are multi-published, award-winning romance authors in different romance sub-genres.

On the left meet Melanie Milburn from Tasmania. We are so proud of our "home-grown" author!

On the right is Ebony McKenna from Victoria who writes Young Adult books.

And Fiona Lowe also from Victoria is published in medical romance novels.

It is a big commitment for these generous writers to take time from their own busy schedules to share their expertise with us.

Registrations are now open but close on April 20th. Please have a read of what is in stoer – and while it is a taster it will be every bit as digestible and nourishing as we can make it for one day.

Do click HERE to read about this very special event - the RWA Tasmanian Roadshow. This is a first for us here and we are excited about being able to offer this in our island state.
Remember that as wonderful as this will be, it is a mere Taster of what writers feast on at the annual conference - this year to be held at the Gold Coast in August. While on the RWA website do check it out also. I might meet you there!

Why Do I Read–and Write–Christian Fiction?

Why do I read Christian fiction. The answer is simple—well, to me anyway.

Although I also read many other books, I especially enjoy books of the kind I enjoy writing myself of course. Most important to me though are books published by Christian publishers. I know I can trust them not to contain scenes and language I find so offensive they drag me right out of entertaining stories so much it makes me regret spending my money. I love books and it does take a lot to make me want to throw a book at the wall, or even into the garbage bin.

I’ve been a bookworm as long as I can remember. After being old enough to devour all the books on my parent’s shelves, the first actual Christian novel I remember reading was a gift given out to students of my Sunday School. I was only nine years old when given “The Open Door” written by Eileen Heming in the Gateway Series released by Lutterworth Press (London) way back in the 1940s.

As you can see, I still have that book. Over the years I read it so many times the cover became so tattered I carefully covered the book in brown paper and glued the photo of the poor young girl confined to bed on the front. This book had a profound affect on me. It told me how hard it is for anyone confined to lie flat in a bed for many, many months and how different folk from her own church either helped or upset her Then of course there is the day her spine was healed enough for her to actually be able to sit up for a while at the Easter church service.

The injured girl’s name was “Mary” and perhaps also may have been another reason the ups and downs she had to face made me, at such a young age, think deeply about being a Christian.

On the last page, her father tells Mary, “We can look back, now, and see the blessings hidden in everything that’s happened...” and goes on to sum up the good and bad things which had happened to her and the family.

And then these last words were so important for me at that very beginning of my own journey with Jesus:-

     “I’m sure I’ve learned more in these last few months than in all the years before,” said Mary. “I feel as if I’d been at school with the Lord Jesus.”

     “That’s a very good way of looking at troubles,” said her father. “At school with the Lord Jesus—well, only good can come of that.”

Only six years after being given that book my own father died. Was this perhaps one way God was preparing me to know the truth of Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

About that same time I read the first Christian novel by an Australian author, Marjorie Buckingham, called “In All These Things”. It was based on the verse from Roman 8: 37: “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

As I look back now over many, many year of the ups and downs of my life, with a full heart I can say I have proven time and time again the truth of these verses.

So, hopefully now the reason why I write Christian fiction is obvious.

As these books and many others have done for me, my hearts desire is that readers may not only be entertained by my books, but that God will use them to show the truths of His Word in their own lives.

Here January 26th is called “Australia Day”. This is a special historical time of looking back down through our years to the European settlement of the Great South Land. However, also today we have many ceremonies across my beloved country to recognise and welcome new naturalised citizens to Australia. With them, we look to the future. My prayer is it will be one that includes devotion to God and His ways.

And so as I look back, I also look forward to reading—and writing—more Christian fiction.

I would love to hear from other readers and writers about any books that have had a significant affect on them over the years.

A Writer Glances Back and Looks To the New Year

My early morning devotions today had the theme “Facing the Future.” Ray’s devotional post last Monday was Facing the New Year and my thoughts and prayers this morning went back, way back over the many years of my writing, especially those first days of new years. And there have been many of those now! I dragged out my diaries to what I wrote at the beginning of new years, but don’t be afraid.,I won’t bore you with a personal history here! I think you can read enough on my website and blog.

Over the years I’ve heard it said so many times that a “Writer” simply writes. I had no idea I was a “Writer” over those many years I wrote in my diaries and later those long letters back home after I left for the “Big Smoke” of Sydney. They sure make interesting reading now. Interesting? Well, I do have to confess cringing at too many of the things that teenager wrote back then and also a bit disappointed there are only a very few actually written on December 31st or the first day or so of January. So that shows one thing has NOT changed – simply too busy to write over Christmases and New Year’s Days.

But then I noticed that so many thoughts I had then over the past years and about “facing the future” are similar to today’s heart of mine.

Way back in 1958, this young woman starting her “7th month of nursing training” wrote, “Well, it’s been a disastrous year in one way but full of new experiences. New friends made, old friends seldom seen but some old friends becoming dearer still.”

(Oh, and the photo here was taken on graduation night four years later!)

On January 2nd, 1959 the “writer” in me wrote, “Well, the New Year is here with all its promises and disappointments.” And of course that happened as it does still.

I went off to Bible College in the beginning of 1963 where I sure did make many “new friends”, including the wonderful man I have now been married to for over 47 years. The writing in the old diary since that year is very spasmodic with only several yearly summaries of key events. A shame, but “Writers” do move on to other kinds of writing like I did with College assignments, then that Writers Course after Ray read my diaries when we had been married a couple of years. Of course then there were articles, short stories and novels. In the last year that has even extended to trying to write these blog posts to share – which are not easy for a writer who now finds it easier to write a chapter of a book!

So, I’ve looked back through these old diaries this morning and while I am humbled at what God has given me over the years, the joy, the peace, the love and purpose in life, those events are all in the past. Even though they show me now the changes the years have wrought in me, the main thing in this writer’s life has only deepened – my personal devotion and commitment to continuing to seek out what God wants of me this New Year and trying still to obey Him. Will it be to keep writing more books? Will it be to try and be a mentor for other writers? I know it will not always be easy to listen to God, to always obey Him, but this morning’s devotions in James 4:13-17 stood out to me - especially verse 15. Let us remember to say with James, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do (write too?) this or that.”

Oh, and should add I am spending next Week from Sunday at the Poatina Faith and Arts event as a leader for the Creative Writing – Fiction elective. – if the Lord wills of course! Will not be able to post here next week so will fill you in Thursday week.
Click HERE to go to the Poatina Faith and Arts Website!

Ray on Monday: Different Christmas Candles

On Sunday I shared in a Church service where candles had a feature role. These were not so much referring to the Light of the world at Christmas. Rather, they were candles of remembrance for those who had died. People had an opportunity to light a candle and reflect upon a loved one and pray to the Lord, thank Him for the person’s life, faith and influence.

Christmas has so many emotional stirrings and not all of them good. The loss of a loved one especially around Christmas can turn a joyful event into one of grief. When I read the first Christmas story I find that the coming of Christ was into a world of sorrow, fear and anger. (Sounds similar to today doesn’t it!) He came as Saviour yet the forces of this World fought against Him, even in His childhood. In Luke’s account, a man named Simeon told Mary she would have an experience as though a sword had pierced her soul.

Christmas doesn’t cancel out the loss and sorrow of life. Its promise is that the Lord God has come to stand with us in it. To achieve such a relationship Jesus had to become our personal Saviour. Only then could the swords which cut, hurt and maim be blunted, resisted and their cuts healed. In effect, one of the features of celebrating Christmas is to take heart in the fact of our Lord sharing in our history.

Christmas in our History

Christmas time they tell me

Is for peace, joy and family.

All I can see is rampant misery

Across homes, hearts and countries.

Christmas faces the darkness

With its message of forgiveness

Christ’s unfading light

To guide us through life’s long night

Christmas time has its crosses

When again we taste our losses

With memories bitter sweet

Our minds determine to keep.

Christmas candles cause reflections

Calming sorrow’s hypertensions

The symbol of its flame?

Christ’s comfort in our pain.

Christmas the Bible tells me

Is God sharing our history

With love’s testimony

To hallow all our memories

©Raymond N. Hawkins 2011