by Niki Turner
It's hard to believe Inkwell Inspirations is celebrating its second anniversary. So much has happened in the past two years!
On Mondays we peek into current events. I took a little trip into our dusty archives to review the Current Events posts from 2011. We've covered everything from superheroes to Charlie Sheen; from the royal wedding to missionaries in the Amazon jungle. When it comes to current events, there's no shortage of potential topics!
In the last month we've had unusual earthquakes in Colorado and Virginia, and Hurricane Irene threatening to drown Manhattan and distribute calamity from North Carolina to Maine. In the last year we've seen tornadoes wipe out entire American cities. This summer threatens to rival the Dust Bowl for high temperatures and lack of precipitation in the south-central U.S., and last spring we witnessed the erasure of an entire section of Japanese coastline by an epic tsunami.
The natural disasters barely outweigh the crazy political goings-on. From the overthrow of long-time Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, to children rioting and looting in the streets of London, to members of the U.S. Congress behaving like ill-mannered children choosing sides for the dodgeball team in P.E. And now we have Libyan leader Gaddafi's creepy scrapbook filled with pictures of former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
(Seriously? Gaddafi is a scrapbooker?)
Meanwhile, behind the scenes, people are making connections, building relationships, praying for one another, and trusting God to be true to His word, regardless of what's going on in the world at large. Nowhere has that been more true than here at Inkwell Inspirations, even though most of us have never met "in the flesh."
In the last year, the Inkies have experienced the heights of success, from new publishing contracts, to contest finals, to acquiring new agents, to first releases; to the valleys of health problems, family issues, changes in employment, financial distress, and more. We've been blessed with the addition of new Inkies and said farewell to some old Inkies.
Via email, we've prayed one another through the birth of new novels and new (sometimes TOO new) grandbabies; through requests for full manuscripts and requests for additional medical tests; through novel edits and surgeries; through the pain of maturation and confusing contest results; and through rejection letters and the passing away of friends and family members.
Again and again throughout the year, we've praised God for the value of community, for the privilege of being part of a collaboration of writers who, although we come from different regions and denominations and backgrounds, have Jesus Christ in the center of our lives.
"Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as [sisters], be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:8-9As I read through the New Testament, I'm convinced the Apostle Paul would have been encouraged by the depth of Christian love and concern in so many of our online communities.
I firmly believe it is God's desire that each one of us has a community of believers (the 3D kind and the online kind) with whom we are free to share our hopes and dreams, faults and failures. Plugging in to those God-ordained connections may require something as simple as leaving a comment on a blog post, or something as complicated as attending a small group or orchestrating a meeting for coffee with a "3D friend" during the week (complicated for all of us introverts, anyway).
So as we jump into our blogoversary week, I'd like to say THANK YOU to Inkwell Inspirations – members, readers, guest bloggers, etc. – for enriching my life in so many ways!
Niki Turner is feeling her way through a new season of living. She turned 40 last year, became a grandma in April 2011, and at the end of June, she and her husband turned over the pastorate of the church they planted 13 years ago and are now "recovering from the effects of heat" while God prepares them for their next assignment.
Aww, Niki, I'm getting choked up. I've got to say that when we first started gathering around the Inkwell I had no idea what a central part of my life this would soon become. I am in awe of the way God has brought us all together. And when I say all, I don't just mean the contributors, but also our readers and commentors. You all have enriched my life immeasurably!
ReplyDeletewell, I've been stinkin' weepy lately and this one did it, too.
ReplyDeleteThank you Inky sisters. God has really blessed me.
It's been quite a year or TWO!!
Hooray for all the ways He's used this group to minister to each other and to others.
Niki. I owe you.
Lisa, pass the kleenex
Community. Fellowship. Encouragement.
ReplyDeleteNiki, your post reminds me of the early years of the Church. They built a community so strong that they didn't need Evangelism 101 courses to teach them how to share the gospel. People were drawn to Jesus because of the love the Believers have for one another.
Community is not just a tv show.
So happy to be a part of it. Love you all.
ReplyDeleteAw, I wasn't weepy until I started reading the comments, girls! Can I say "ditto" (again) to each of you?
ReplyDeleteGod is good, and He has great things in store!
I'm still learning my way around, but it has certainly been entertaining and enlightening to be part of the gang. I'm so enjoying getting to know everyone. :)
ReplyDeleteGroup hug!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the moving post, Niki. And thanks to my Inky sisters, our guests, and readers. I feel so blessed to have (e-)met you all. While our community might be over the computer, it's very real and precious to me.
Happy Birthday, Inkwell!
Time sure does fly. I'm coming up on my second anniversary as a blogger as well. We've come a long way, baby!
ReplyDeletePlease pass the tissue my way, too. Niki, this is lovely. I really feel blessed to have you all in my life.
ReplyDeleteI can't help but ask... Seriously? Ghadaffi scrapbooks? Pictures of Condi? How did I miss this truly bizarre story?
Congratulations, ladies on two great years. I can always count on your blog for some interesting reading. And it's wonderful to hear how supportive you are of one another.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading the comments, I was glad to know I wasn't the only one to tear up. Thank you for the warm welcome to this wonderful group! You all are a blessing to me.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDeanna and Barb, we are SO glad to have you along!
ReplyDeleteTracy, amen! Happy blogoversary to you, too. Love your blog!
Suzie, it's true. They found the scrapbook in the last week or so. Truth really is stranger than fiction!
Sandra, THANK YOU! I hope our readers know we love them and pray for them as well!
Susie... GROUP HUG BACK!
(p.s. Sorry I've been absentee today, filling in at the paper again!)
Happy Anniversary to all! It really has been an amazing two years. I'll second Lisa's sentiments... when we started this, I thought it was just a great way to build professional connections. But the sister-ship and group support has been worth far more than anything. You ladies are awesome!
ReplyDelete