I am

I am but a miniscule fragment
of God’s imagination
A grain of sand
on the Seashore of Life
And still I matter.
I am because HE IS.

© 2005 Stanice Anderson www.stanice.com

Stanice On Writing

I’ve been writing since I learned how to construct a sentence. One of my poems was published in school magazine when I was nine years old. It seemed like, in the millisecond, my happy childhood ended, as the verbal and physical abuse at home escalated. Coupled with being raped at 14 years old, I was emotionally silenced and sequestered by the secrets. I remember making a vow to myself—“No one must ever know.” Therefore, the written word became my saving-grace.

As I grew older, I attempted to show the world a well-adjusted, funny, and extraverted woman. It was only in my writing that my real voice could be heard. It dared to whisper a different story. Words befriended me, flowed from my soul, and spilled onto thousands of pages over the years. However, as if by tried by a jury with my warped sense of self as foreman, most of my pieces were sentenced to life in file folders neatly stacked in corrugated boxes and exiled to the backside of closets.

Resurrected Dreams, one of the stories in my memoir, I Say a Prayer For Me: One Woman’s Life of Faith and Triumph, best describes my relationship with the written word.

“Out came the sun and dried up all the rain. In my forties, writing found me again. It helped shatter the chains of my painful and shameful past. Words fed my starving spirit and soothed my aching life. In spite of the fact that I abandoned the words and left them to die by the side of the road, they waited for me at the crossroads of life to point the way, ‘Just believe!’ they insisted that we and you are one.’ The itsy bitsy spider went up the spout again.”

As an exercise of my belief, I send my words out into the world.

© 2005 Stanice Anderson, Author and Inspirational Speaker, www.stanice.com

4 Candles

Be Still

Recently, my ex-husband called me to wish me a Happy Birthday. As we talked I shared with him what was going on in my life. He listened and then offered these simple words. “Be Still.” As soon as he said it, the fullness of God’s Word sprung up from my heart like a child’s abruptly opened jack-in-the-box. “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10). It confirmed for me that God was using my ex-husband to speak His Divine wisdom into my life.

That wisdom was carried upon the wings of forgiveness—set up long before the Lord put on this man’s heart to call me with the Word. It was God’s love poured into our hearts that enabled us to ask and receive forgiveness from each other and to also forgive ourselves—long ago—which opened the doors wide enough for moments like these.

The next day, during the Feast on THE WORD Gathering in my home, as I shared my testimony of my ex-husband’s call, and others present shared their testimonies, the Holy Spirit led us to a prophetic Word. It was like Part II of an already awesome Word. The promise that results once we each determine to ““Be still, and know that I am God." in whatever situation we find ourselves.

"You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.' " 2 Chronicles 20:17 (New International Version)--Personalize it by saying your name.

I believe that this blog entry is like a rock thrown by the Holy Spirit into a still, clear lake. It is producing a rippling effect of clarity and promise into our lives today. Receive, Partake, Feast on THE WORD and be encouraged.

© 2005 Stanice Anderson

Courage

Courage is not the absence of fear but going forward in spite of the fear. Whenever, I’m fearful, the Word I’ve hidden in my heart--so I can call it up whenever the need arises is 2 Timothy 1:7. “God has not given me a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Also, check out the two new slide shows complete with me singing original music in the background. Links are posted on www.stanice.com.

© 2005 Stanice Anderson