Just a note to let you know I'll be doing some upgrades over the course of the weekend, time permitting. So, if you come across some broken links or if things don't look quite right, that's the reason. I'm not a CSS or HTML expert, but am trying to learn. :)
Thanks for your patience.
--Liberty
Friday, July 29, 2011
Under Construction!
Monday, July 25, 2011
The Meaning of Liberty
I don't, as a rule, do two posts for the ChristianWriters.com blog chain in a month. And, technically, this isn't a part of the blog chain for July...
However, someone made a suggestion to me, and it was hard to resist.
You see, if you're new to Word Wanderings, my name is Liberty. It's kind of a strange name (although, I've learned my daughter's name is even less common. However, my name only gained significantly more popularity than hers after 2001.)
Upon learning of my name, I've gotten a variety of responses. As a young girl, I'd be called "Liberty Bell" or "Statue of Liberty" on the playground. I hated it, and still do to this day, although I will use both to illustrate how my name is spelled if someone's confused.
I also get questioned as to whether my parents were hippies (which is the funniest response I've ever received) and whether I was born on the 4th of July. Nope, I share a birthday with Elton John, Dannika Patrick, and Apollo 13 astronaut James Lovell. The last one, I'm happiest about.
Most people hear "Liberty" and think "Freedom" or "America" or "weirdo." (I may be making that last one up. That's only because they don't know how idiosyncratic I am!)
No, my name was given to me by my parents because of the Scripture verse 2 Corinthians 3:17, which says, in the New American Standard Bible: "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty."
I always just thought it was a cool place for my name to come from. But, in recent days, I've been thinking about the verse some, especially in light of an online seminar I watched last week with Dave Ramsey about personal freedom and having an economic recovery. A lot of what he talked about wasn't just monetary, but spiritual as well.
Which goes back to my namesake verse.
There is an incredible freedom that comes from knowing Christ. That's what this verse talks about, that by knowing Christ, knowing His Spirit, you're free.
It's a different kind of freedom than one we normally celebrate every July 4th, or other days if you live in other regions of the world. It's one where we're free from the guilt of our past wrongdoings. We're free from burdens. The Spirit is there to take those from us, to make our paths as easy as possible. We're not guaranteed a life free from strife or trouble, but we can get through those trials easier when we have liberty in Christ.
I'm no theologian, and I don't pretend to be. But, this passage has become much more meaningful in recent weeks, especially as I observe the despondency in our country.
What kind of impact would be made on said despondency here and abroad if more of our people would turn to God instead of "almighty" government? What do you think that country and its citizens would look like?
Until next time,
Liberty
Monday, July 18, 2011
Where You Write
I think I'm in a minority where writing is concerned.
I've trained myself to write anywhere. And, I do mean ANYWHERE.
Most writers I talk to have one, maybe two places where they tend to write. At a desk, maybe at their kitchen table.
While I've got no desk currently (we got rid of it prior to moving last year--thank goodness, it was a pretty heavy desk, and huge, too!) I do a lot of my writing at my dining room table. It allows me a good ear to hear my kids as they play and nap. I'm close to the kitchen if I'm cooking something (although, I do sometimes forget that I have something on the stove or in the oven... and that's when the smoke detector goes off!) If I print a draft, it's easy to get up and pull it off my printer, which, because of the size of our apartment, currently sits on top of a filing cabinet (out of little hands' reach) in the corner of our dining room. And, if someone comes to the door, I'm right there to hear the knock and answer.
But, while about half of my writing goes on at my table right now, I've found I'm just as productive--and sometimes more productive--in other places. In no particular order, here are some places I write:
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| Lake Kanopolis in Kansas... a place I could work at! |
- The Couch
- The Recliner
- In bed
- In the front seat of the car while my husband is driving.
- The driver's seat (while in park, of course!)
- At a picnic table
- At a coffee shop
- At a library
- During a political meeting or two (probably when I should have been paying attention, too!)
- On a boat
- On a beach
My current favorite spot is in bed, but I don't do that unless I'm actually ready to go to bed, and just waiting on TMOTH. But, if there are nights where TMOTH falls asleep in the recliner or on the couch, I can work for a while into the wee hours of the morning.
Where you write doesn't matter--as long as it's a place you're comfortable with, and where you have the things you need at your disposal. I'd be the first to admit that some of the places I write--the beach for instance--aren't the most productive, and I may only get a little editing done or write a few paragraphs.
I think it can be advantageous for a writer to be able to write anywhere, especially if they're frequently on the go or have constant interruptions. As I write this post, I've gotten up three times to check on cooking, tend to my potty-training daughter, and get my son up from his nap. The dog has been growling at strange noises in the apartment building, the TV is on with The Sound of Music (which I've been singing along with!), and the radio is on four feet from me with the talk radio station.
My question for you today:
Where do you write? Do you have to have one location devoted to writing, or are you more like me--you bounce from location to location with ease?
Until next time,
Monday, July 11, 2011
A Call For Freedom
Freedom.
It's something many Americans celebrate during the month of July, usually corresponding with our Declaration of Independence Day, July 4. Many honor the real reason behind the day off from work, but many view it as a day to barbeque, go to the lake, get drunk, and maybe watch some fireworks.
As I watch many of our freedoms dissolve for a variety of reasons, I like to think the Founders--the Thomas Jeffersons, James Madisons, George Washingtons, John Hancocks--would be appalled at the state of American "freedom" in 2011. Our "freedom" allows millions of innocent babies to be murdered every year. Our "freedom" is being told we must purchase health insurance. Our "freedom" demands more than 25% of our paychecks every year.
I could go on.
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| Photo by JackieMBarr |
I'm not making an exception simply because the ChristianWriters.com blog chain topic is Freedom for July. I am continually bothered by the freedoms that are being encroached on day in and day out. Because I don't want to get legally groped at an airport, I don't fly any more. I've been threatening to get my private pilot's license for years, and if I had the dinero to do so, I'd have it.
Freedom is something to be treasured. It should be something honored, and others shouldn't trample on it, whether they be for so-called "good" reasons or not. As Americans, we should fight all efforts to thwart our freedoms, whether they be from Islamic terrorists or from members of congress. When freedom is gone, we perish. To thrive as a people, as a nation, we need to be free.
As a mother, I want to leave my kids freer than I feel I am now. It would be the greatest gift I can give to them.
I hope you'll check out the rest of this month's bloggers on the blog chain. I'm sure not all of them will be quite as partisan as mine. *grin*
Until next time,
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