THE LOGBOOK

My Writing Life

A logbook is a daily record of a ship's speed, progress, etc., and of the events in its voyage. (Webster)

This will be a weekly record of my writing progress and the events that come my way while voyaging the seas toward the home port of authorship. It is meant for other writers, readers, and lovers of words.

This week I'm spending some time editing a non-fiction book for a friend, "Victory Over Anxiety and Depression." It's an excellent book with a strong spiritual theme, perfect for anyone who is being tossed in the seas by their williwaws of anxiety and depression. I may offer occasional excerpts later.

Besides writing a new Eternal Perspectives devotional column, I am also in the final editing phase of my novel for children aged 8-12, WILLIWAW WINDS. My story is based on the true experience of my son and four others who were dramatically rescued from a storm of williwaws as they headed home from a six-week season of hair crab fishing in the Bering Sea. See "Galley Fare" for an excerpt.

GALLEY FARE

Excerpt from WILLIWAW WINDS by Sally Bair

"Hey, Horn! Get up here on deck pronto."

I throw my journal in my duffel bag, hoist myself out of my bunk, and wobble out to the deck where the cold, bright sunlight of late October meets my eyes. My muscles itch to kick Freddy in the shins for interrupting my writing--and calling me Horn again. I hate that name. But there's little energy or strength left in me after lying on my smelly bunk puking my guts out from seasickness. I'm only now beginning to feel halfway alive again.

"The skipper says to hurry, Horn. We're almost to the fishin' grounds," Freddy tells me and then laughs. "Should see yerself stumblin' out of the bunkroom. Shoulda got some good shots with that fancy camera ya brought along." He grins crookedly, wickedly. "Ya really are a greenhorn. Green around the gills, that is."

Greenhorn or not, I hate the name. Why did I get stuck with a crew mate like him?

Please let me know what you think of this beginning. I need your comments!)

AT ANCHOR

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES (a weekly devotional column)

What an Exchange! The gray, winter fur that deer shed becomes spring nesting material for birds. Faded, fragile leaves of autumn fall and then decompose, adding nutrients to the soil so other plants can grow. Dead trees become havens for bugs and birds. When the trees fall they become refuges for many critters.

God has planned it so nothing in nature is wasted. Years ago people wasted nothing also. When I was young, my mother transformed cast-off clothing and hand-me-downs into pretty, new outfits. We reused glass containers. We fixed our broken bicycles and cars and radios. We mulched our gardens with grass cuttings. We conserved our water. We mended our socks. There was no such thing as waste in our family. In fact, many families considered waste to be extravagant—even sinful.

Today we live in a throwaway society. But because of economic hardships, many people are learning how to recycle and conserve.

God’s ability to make something new out of the old is amazing. He’s in the make-over business not only in nature but in humankind. As He causes nature to revitalize itself, He teaches us through His Word how to make sure that process continues. And He shows us how to revitalize our bodies and minds.

It’s our souls He’s most concerned about, however, and there is no greater miracle than the transformation of a person’s soul. Such a miracle happens because God sent His only Son, Jesus, to be the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. Only through the shedding of His blood could we be reborn … renewed … transformed.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Becoming new doesn’t require us to mend the rips and tears of our souls or recycle our nasty, destructive habits that steal our peace and joy. What it does require is to allow those bad habits to die, like a decayed, fallen tree, so God can transform us into a new, spiritual house—a habitat that will draw others to His protection and sustenance and love just like the critters are drawn to His natural homes of refuge.

Lord, thank You for Jesus’ promise given in Matthew 11:28-30. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Amen.