My
sweet hubby, Jim, returned from the garden with sad news. Bugs had eaten the
squash he had planted the day before—his dreams of fried squash and squash
casseroles gracing our summer table were dying along with the pitiful leaf-stripped
plants. Only two of five plants survived the bugs’ destruction.
The
death of Jim’s garden dreams!
I
recently attended the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and
enjoyed wonderful classes, excellent teaching and sweet Christian fellowship. Amid
the joviality, I also watched some fellow attendees come from their appointments
with acquisition editors and agents with tears in their eyes. Their novels,
Bible studies, and other Christian projects had been rejected. The death of
their writing expectations too had come to pass.
What
did Jim do after discovering the dead plants? He replanted!
Jim
bought organic sprays to keep the bugs at bay. Once again dreams of bountiful
squash creations filled his head.
What
do the conference attendees that watched their dreams die on the vine need to
do? First, I believe they need to pray about their rejected projects and
remember it was that single work that was rejected, not themselves. If God
still tugs on their hearts, telling them their work is worthy and is from Him,
they may want to do a rewrite or ask another writer, or group, for a critique
of their work. A fresh set of eyes can catch mistakes or give a different
perspective. In other words, like Jim, they may need to replant. The rejected
projects may be reborn in another form; I have seen devotions become Bible
studies and novellas grow into novels.
The
replanted squash look grand today. I spent the afternoon looking for new
recipes, finding myself dreaming of fresh summer squash becoming the
centerpiece of a dinner on our back deck.
Dreams
reborn!
I also
looked at the works I pitched at the conference. I found new ways to improve
each one. I felt inspired to write a new poem and my spirit soared as my
writing dreams received a soft sweet spray from the Holy Spirit.
I’ll
keep you informed about Jim’s lovely little garden and my garden of works for
the kingdom.”
My
sweet blog readers, have a beautiful start of summer and, you that are writers, plant new works in progress. Writing
friends remember we are writing about a place where moths and vermin cannot
destroy (Matthew 6:19-21).
All
this writing has made me hungry. I think I will mosey down to the newly opened
vegetable stand and find something for supper. Yep, I live in the South and we
have supper.
Come
go home with me,
Dee
Dee
SQUASH CASSEROLE
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked squash
1 small onion, finely
chopped
1 can cream of
chicken soup
½ cup milk
¼ cup melted butter
or margarine
1 cup shredded
cheddar cheese
1 egg
2 cups crushed cheese
crackers
salt and pepper to
taste
Preparation:
In a large mixing
bowl, mix together all ingredients except for crackers. Spread into a greased
baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and
sprinkle cheese crackers over the top. Return to oven for another 15 minutes.
Hi DeeDee! It's so good to see you posting :)
ReplyDeleteHope your time at BRMCWC was fruitful. I hope to go next year. And I hope the squash take root and the bugs take leave!! I love squash :)
Hugs from VA,
Susan
I agree with Susan -- so nice to be reading your most recent post! Replanting - re-purposing - never giving up - is key to this writing journey, and life in general.
ReplyDeleteYour post reminded me of my grandmother's yummy stewed squash. I don't have beautiful plants like Jim's, but I do have a Publix nearby. ha! I'm envious.
Thank you for the encouraging post, Dee Dee. Love you!
DeeDee! The garden is a constant teacher. I, too, have just planted little squash and cucumbers and daily watch to scout for trouble. So far, so good. I will send you my favorite squash casserole with high hopes of a great harvest. Much love and great to see you writing!!
ReplyDelete