Part of the Journey

After I made the announcement on Monday about Pix-N-Pens, I went into an unexpected time of sadness - I finally realized I was grieving horribly over saying good-bye. Several of my friends have been praying for me, and one sent a note that reminded me that God moves us into and out of things for a reason. So, even though I'm still sad at saying good-bye, I'm now excited to see what's going to happen next. Aren't you?

Words fail me as I think of what I want to say to our team of writers here at Pix-N-Pens.

Debbie, Suzanne, Phee, Kathy - you've all been such a blessing to me. I've watched each one of you grow in so many ways, and I'm so very proud to have experienced that. Your talents amaze me as they inspire, encourage, teach, and minister to all of us. THANK YOU from the depths of my being for sharing yourselves with us, for your compassion, for your dreams, for your beauty, for your dedication, for your faithfulness, for the many struggles you've gone through to make you who you are. THANK YOU most of all for your friendship. You have blessed me beyond measure, and I will always be grateful.

I leave you with words of a Psalm that speak tenderly this morning:

Sing to the Lord a new song;

      sing to the Lord, all the earth

Sing to the Lord, praise his name;

      proclaim his salvation day after day.

Declare his glory among the nations,

      his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

                                 Psalm 96:1-3 NIV

A new song. I like that.

Blessings

I too am sad that Pix-N-Pens has reached the end of its life, but am grateful for the opportunity to be part of it. This blog has opened up two worlds for me – Christian fiction and Christian writing. When I retired a few years ago, I finally had time to pursue my love of writing, which I had shelved for far too long. When I ventured into the Christian publishing marketplace, I discovered a whole new world of e-books, publishing on demand, and blogs.

As a writer, the Pix-N-Pens posts on writing and editing have been invaluable to me. Both Debbie and Kathy have taught me how to hone my skills. Writing book reviews has taught me other skills. I’ve learned to write for a deadline and how to organize my thoughts and convey them to you clearly and concisely. But maybe the most important thing I’ve learned is to care about my fellow writers. Before writing each book review, I’ve had to ask the Lord to help me be honest and compassionate. I wanted my readers to know what to expect, while being as helpful to the writer as possible. I didn’t like every book I read, but I wanted to be as encouraging as I could. I’ve learned that writing is not just about my words; it’s about the Word speaking through me to challenge and encourage – even when I’m writing about fiction.

As a reader, I’ve enjoyed so many books I would have never read. I hope that my short journey through the Christian market has helped you find some treasures too. I would list my favorites, but there are too many. I never dreamed that my fellow Christian writers had so much creativity and talent.

Thank you, Tracy, for opening the door for me. I know you’ve done that for many other people and I pray God’s blessings on you.

Endings

Well, all good things eventually come to an end. As you are already aware, Pix-N-Pens, which is a very good thing, has reached that point, and I am sad about its passing. But an ending means the fulfillment of something. It means that object has done its job. It also marks a new beginning. When a flower fades and sets to seed, it has accomplished its purpose. Each seed is a promise of of the future generation. In its way, that analogy is so fitting for my time here at Pix-N-Pens.

I value this site most for the experience it has given me. I learned through my time here to write efficiently. I learned what ideas work and what does not. It is harder than you'd think to continually come up with new and interesting material. I also learned to write with a speedy turnaround. With one article done, I knew there were only seven days until another was due. Pix-N-Pens kept me on my toes. Then there is the process of putting it all into readable words. So many times have I been pleasantly surprised when something I wrote became a "hit" with readers. I know now to embrace even the smallest ideas.

I learned here as well something about myself. I found out how much I really love photography. It feels as natural to me as breathing. It is the fullest expression of my inward thoughts and dreams. How fulfilling it is now to write it all down! Repeatedly discussing the same subjects again and again has engrained them into my thinking. It has expanded my horizons beyond one blog to other websites, such as Steve's Digicams where I now write frequently. Without my time here, I would not have achieved that.

"Whodathunkit," that day when Tracy Ruckman approached me, sight unseen, to write about photography, that I would come this far? I mean, she didn't know me from "Adam's housecat" and yet, here I am. Thanks, Tracy. You have become a precious and dear friend and outstanding mentor. You have poured into my life a freedom through writing that I would never have found on my own. I am so grateful.

I have gained so much from my time here, knowledge, good friends, and people willing to take time out of their day to read what I've written and view my work. That is where my biggest thanks goes - to you, the readers. Thank you so much.

If you'd like to continue reading my latest articles, you will find me at my blog (you can subscribe via email), hanging out on Facebook or at Twitter. Also, remember to look for me at Steve's Digicams.


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Suzanne Williams Photography
Florida, USA

Suzanne Williams is a native Floridian, wife, and mother, with a penchant for spelling anything, who happens to love photography.

The End of a Season

Change is always hard - and yet it is an integral part of life. We grow by changing ... we develop by changing ... and we become stronger by changing. As Pix-N-Pens draws to a close, I believe it is the start of a new season, not only for myself, but for the others involved as well. It will require change - saying goodbye to old routines and then incorporating new ones as opportunities come along.

Tracy has done a fantastic job with Pix-N-Pens and I'm grateful that I've had a chance to be part of her team. I've learnt a tremendous amount through writing my column every week and it's helped me capture in words what I do with my writing. Thanks to all of you who've read my words and commented over the past couple of years. You've been a real encouragement.

I'd love to stay in touch so please look me up on Facebook or follow me on Twitter or my blog. If there's one thing I've learned in my years of writing, it is this - you cannot function alone. You need like-minded people to stand with you, inspire you and tell you when a piece of writing needs serious attention!

Until next time, this is my prayer for you:

The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;

The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Numbers 6:24-26

A Bittersweet Announcement

Greetings, Pixels.

I approach this post with a mixture of reluctance and excitement. But I keep reminding myself that life is full of seasons, and as the Bible tells us, there is indeed a time for everything.

This week will be our last week here at Pix-N-Pens. I've asked our writers, my precious friends, to pen their final thoughts in their columns this week, and then on Friday, I'll say a final goodbye.

Since Pix-N-Pens started in 2007, we've become acquainted with so many special people, and we've been honored to share books, knowledge, photos, and tiny snippets of our lives with you, our readers. We're grateful for the time, and want you to know how very much we appreciate you.

So why are we ending our run here? Hopefully without sounding flippant, my only answer is, "It's time." Our lives have all changed drastically since we began, and as always with change, new things come into our lives, while old things must be let go.

You'll still see us around - we're all on Facebook - so please, say hello when you can.

I'll be back Friday for some closing thoughts, but please join us all week to celebrate and reminisce.

THANK YOU.