latterdayauthors.com

[Gary McCallister]

[Janie Van Komen]

Gary, I agree with that.

I also have a very deep thought concept about the unity of the spiritual self and the physical self. As per the story told to children about death with the glove on the hand, the general consensus is that the spirit is the only entity and simply uses the physical body as a dwelling place during mortality.

In my opinion, if this were totally true then there would be no conflict between the spirit and mortal temptations such as addictions and indulgences like overeating etc. I believe that there is some kind of duality of our nature.

For lack of a better example, I liken it to, say, a Bishopric. A Bishopric functions only as long as the Bishop has the calling. The Bishop has the final say, however, he is influenced and can concede to the opinions and suggestions of the counselors who are indeed separate from him in person, but one in function.

Somehow the Spirit has the ultimate say or decision, however, it is definitely influenced by the personality of the spirit and can yield to it's opinions and suggestions (some good and some bad, I think). And the ultimate idea here is that while in this mortal probation a person learns how to be of one heart and one mind, not only with his God, but with himself.

We all know of this duality, at least on some sublevel, because it's referred to in cartoons with the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other. We refer to it when we say something like, "I said to myself..."
Who is doing the talking? And who is doing the listening?

Every day is a situation of trying to unify the body and spirit, but just as when the Bishop is released, the counselors no longer have a part in that Bishopric, when the spirit leaves the body, it no longer can exist without the presence of that spirit. (I know that's pretty bad analogy, but it's the best I can come up with at the moment.)

[Gary McCallister]

That's a pretty good analogy, I think.

And analogy and metaphor is how we think and learn. That is because our brains are actually sense organs for the physical world. "Spirit", "faith", "freedom", "love", etc. are abstractioons and the only way we have to talk about abstractions are with analogy and metaphor to the real world. Just try and talk about any abstraction without using physical analogy or adjectives. We talk about LOUD colors, BRIGHT ideas, BACKWARD people, political RIGHT and LEFT, HIGH mindedness, LOW lifes, etc.

I believe that we learn a lot of what we were sent to earth to know by the time we are five. Some very simple concepts build the mind and the spirit. We become so used to powerful ideas and skills that we devalue them over a long life time (like reading). Right, left, forward, back, up, down, in, and out are essential ideas.

I have had a hobby for several years now of trying to identify the simple powerful fundamentals of life, the Gospel, science, writing. It is sort of never ending and useless, but entertaining.
_________________
Gary McCallister
http://www.onemanmormonbluesband.com/home.html
http://flaming-moth.blogspot.com/
http://beebarbeeranch.blogspot.com/

[Gaynell Parker]

It is an honor and a wonder to me to be associated with those of you with such deep insights. I want to thank you for the thoughts you have shared. I have long felt that while our spirits are connected and part of us, we are still separate entities, with the frailties and weaknesses associated with the carnal mind. We can seek for and work toward perfection, but it takes humility, desire and determination to overcome the 'natural man' and the inclination for such habits that we develop. When we come to realize that without our Father and the Savior's help we can't do this, then we are able to take that step toward spiritual growth and overpower the weaknesses inherent in the body. I totally agree with the fact that the resurrection will be a joining of the two together.
thanks for sharing this enlightening thread.

_________________
http://ldspaz.blogspot.com/

Writing is life

[Gary McCallister]

I asked this question under news, but it probably doesn't belong there. This seemed to be close as it is aboput journals, and my question is about blogging (web logs).

I have started two blogs. Each time I quickly becxame discopuraged with technological difficulties, and with the feeling like it was a deep dark hole and no one needed to know my ruminations. But obviously, many people, especially writers, maintain them. Would anyone be willing to share with me their successes, their feelings about the value, or other thoughts.
_________________
Gary McCallister
http://www.onemanmormonbluesband.com/home.html
http://flaming-moth.blogspot.com/
http://beebarbeeranch.blogspot.com/

[sachiko]

Feelings about the value of...your ruminations?

I like 'em. I think you have a neat way of looking at things, original without being snarky, which is an enviable quality.

The value of writer's journals?
Um...to keep our pen hands in shape...? I use mine to vomit my self-obsessed, embarassing thoughts into. You guys don't seem to have those, though, so mebbe a journal isn't so crucial to you.

The value of journals in general?

I think journals help us to see ourselves from God's perspective, who see our hearts, but also has an eternal outlook. I think that's why everyone should journal. It's a secret weapon to fight against the natural forgetfulness and ingratitude of the Natural Man (or Natural Woman, which I know follows logically yet sounds like a cheesy rock ballad).

I also love to look over the shoulder of other people struggling to write and finding their way through thorny issues--motivation; distraction; getting things DONE. Just things like, how they reworked a scene to make it exciting, and how did they do it? By reading it to a spouse? To a writer's group? Asking a magic 8-ball? Inquiring minds want to know!

I want to know that my worrying over a plot point for an hour is normal and not a sign in irreversable writing mental retardation.

So, basically, I'm gunning for other people with issues like mine--How do I write? How do *I* write? What and how do I write it, especially if I intend to build the kingdom with it, and not just make a buck?--to journal a sort of LDS fiction-writing "Are You There God? It's Me, Sachiko" help book.

HTH?
_________________
Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulders, and Your hand over my mouth.

http://sachikosays.livejournal.com

[Gary McCallister]

[sachiko]

It's better for us all if we don't force people to explode from lack of winding their bag (or bagging their wind). It causes a nasty mess and the carpet cleaning people complain.

And I really, really wish I COULD pick the brain of a writer. I mean, besides my brain, I'd just be getting my own sloppy seconds. Someone else's brain who has gotten past my little detour on the learning curve.

It's frustrating to me that if I wanted to learn a tricky piece of woodworking I could ask a local carpenter or get a Norm Abrams DVD or something, and yet when I'm struggling with a very nuts-and-bolts issue with writing I feel lost at sea and happy writers all about me, in their cruise ships, so glad they're not still among the sharks of--okay, this metaphor is getting a little maudlin.

Suffice it to say, I'm this close to nabbing a writer, or editor, or publisher, and interrogating them after making them take sidium pentathol.

Or chocolate, whichever they prefer. (chocolate-covered sodium pentathol?)
_________________
Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulders, and Your hand over my mouth.

http://sachikosays.livejournal.com

[sachiko]

Sorry; I've been happily doing my 2000+ words a day. I am very, very joy-ed to report I have gotten A Writing Habit. I've taken down that particular mammoth.

But I've taken it down only to see a herd of mammoths thundering towards me. In the lead is the mammoth of Plotting and Structure, and he's tossing his tusks in a very unfriendly fashion.

I've realized I've got 150 pages of here'n'there, but I need to decide my books' structure to start planning scenes and ticking them off a list.

And I don't. Know. How.

Please, someone, tell me how you did it, and hand me a atlatl.
_________________
Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulders, and Your hand over my mouth.

http://sachikosays.livejournal.com

[Gaynell Parker]

I guess I don't worry so much about structure until after I've finished the story and find something that doesn't work. I just write. Sometimes I have an outline -- but rarely. The story I just finished I actually did the whole character scetch that they recommend. I knew about their past, their wants, and their reason for being in the story. I knew how I wanted it to end. I knew what I wanted for the climax. So...I just write around those things.
The first of these two books I wrote as an off shoot. This one has the same characters (sort of) but it's not as defined, and as my critique group has gone through it, I've realized lots of it is going to be axed. So, it just depends on the story in your head. What are you writing about...where do you want it to go? How long do you want it to take to get there? What is the full purpose of the story?
that's all I can give you...
_________________
http://ldspaz.blogspot.com/

Writing is life

[sachiko]

Gaynell...in other words....this is the part in the movie where the protagonist asks a really difficult question, and the mentor smiles mysteriously and says, "What does your heart tell you?" Yes?



No, I know. I know that if I'm going to learn this skill and be able to use it, I've got to slog through until whatever it is clicks in my own personal head.

Thank you for the companionship (and the mysterious smile).
_________________
Lord, keep Your arm around my shoulders, and Your hand over my mouth.

http://sachikosays.livejournal.com

[Gary McCallister]

Personally I hate mysterious smiles. And winks. I never know what they mean. And with winks, they happen so fast you aren't even sure if they winked or not. So what is a person supposed to do then? I told my wife if she is going to wink, make it real slow and obvious. At me of course.
_________________
Gary McCallister
http://www.onemanmormonbluesband.com/home.html
http://flaming-moth.blogspot.com/
http://beebarbeeranch.blogspot.com/

[Gaynell Parker]

_________________
http://ldspaz.blogspot.com/

Writing is life