Drinking From My Saucer

 

 

 

Drinking from My Saucer by John Paul Moore

I thank God for the blessings
That His mercy has bestowed.
I'm drinking from the saucer
'Cause my cup has overflowed.

That’s what I was doing this last weekend as I attended a Christian Writers’ Retreat. Drinking from my saucer because my cup of blessings was running over. This has been my year for retreats since it hasn’t been but a few weeks since I came home from a writers’ retreat hosted by Books & Such Agency for its clients. That retreat was great out in California, but because I was working toward a deadline I wasn’t able to relax and enjoy quite as much. First deadline has been met. Second deadline was met last Tuesday which freed me up to enjoy these days getting to know lots of new writers. Well, not writers new to writing, but writers I hadn’t met before. Two days of great discussions and workshops about the business of writing. But some of the best parts were the late night conversations in the hotel rooms or the getting to know each other over the tables at lunch or dinner.

I’ve been writing a long time. My first book was published in the general market in 1978, but for most of that time I wouldn’t have been able to name over three other authors that I knew well enough to speak to on the street. Then I began writing inspirational fiction and that changed. Just as there is a brotherhood and sisterhood in the church, there is that feeling among Christian writers. I feel that connection with a few other writers in the general market now too. I’ve met a few people at book fairs in the last couple of years that I love sitting next to so that we can talk. This weekend that number mushroomed as I met so many new friends. Encouragement was popping up everywhere as well as great advice like being present in the moment. Rick Pitino used to say that a lot when he was coaching Kentucky. He probably still does, but I don’t hear his coach’s show now, but he called it the “precious present.” We can’t always be looking back or looking ahead. No need in robbing today’s joy with yesterday’s sorrow or tomorrow’s worries. Revel in the good things of now. And if the now is a hard time for us, give it over to the Lord.

But my “precious present” this weekend was good. It was a blessing. Such a blessing that my cup is running over and I’m drinking from the saucer. The above quote is one verse of a poem written by John Paul Moore some years ago and was then turned into a song. Great words to the entire poem. But I’ve also heard some people say that if you’re drinking from the saucer because your cup is overflowing, maybe it’s time you shared some of the goodness from your cup with others. The writers at the retreat were doing that as we shared with one another and tried to keep everybody’s cups overflowing with encouragement, wisdom and inspiration.

Hope your cups are overflowing with joy too so that you can drink from your saucers.



Writers' Retreat and Fun in Sunny California

No picture and I'm a day late. I'm doing my Wednesday blog on Thursday. Not only Thursday but Thursday in California and that means I'm even later. But it's not every time you can sit on your veranda watching and listening to the ocean crash against the rocky beach in your fancy hotel supplied robe and write back home to your friends. Okay, that was taking a germ of truth and turning it into fiction. I do have a very tiny veranda but it's still dark (my head can't get off Kentucky time) and the cord for my lap top that won't hold a charge isn't long enough to reach. And although the ocean is out there and making that great crashing noise it is on the other side of the hotel. You know where those people who weren't too cheap to pay the extra whatever amount of dollars to have that ocean outside their windows are sitting on their verandas. At least will be when the sun comes up. But I am writing home to friends and being very sorry I didn't bring the cord to connect my camera to the computer so I could share one of the beautiful pictures of the ocean with you.
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I have seen the ocean a lot because who wants to stay in her room when you can go out and walk beside the ocean. It's a beautiful place with a lot of history. I'm learning all about Cannery Row and why it's called Cannery Row. That's due completely to John Steinbeck's book. The town grabbed the name and now it's a tourist destination with lots of shops and restaurants. No more sardine canning factories.
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But back to the retreat. It's a fun time my agency Books & Such have organized to give their clients a chance to relax and learn and meet each other. I've never been to a writers' retreat. This is my year for firsts. I went to my first writers' conference and now a retreat. This is similar to the conference. I'm not holing up in a quiet secluded corner writing a bestseller. Some of the other writers here might be and I'm sure our agents would have no problem with us skipping some of the sessions if that was the result. I am getting some great writing tips and promoting tips and best of all meeting so many new writing friends. I met Lauraine Snelling who has to be the sweetest lady in the world. She endorsed my novel, Angel Sister, that's coming out in February. Even better, she gave me the friendliest hug when we met Tuesday night. There are famous writers all around me and I'm hoping their knowledge is rubbing off on me. I keep telling people you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but then in my heart I'm not all that old. I think I probably can learn a few more tricks.
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I'll be sharing more with you in the weeks ahead. My blog imagination has been grabbed by several ideas and you know you're going to have to be looking at some of these pictures I can't upload right now. LOL. But I'll close today with the two words that have been ringing in my ears since I heard Kyle Duncan, an editor with Bethany House, talk yesterday morning. He said to be encouraged. And so I am. I hope you are too - that you are encouraged on this day and that you carry the seeds of encouragement with you to share with others. Thanks for reading and I'll be anxious to talk to you Sunday. I'll be back on Kentucky time then for sure.