There is an activity that I ask my students to participate in early during the semester, one that hopefully makes the point I intend it to make.  I assign a particular text to read, asking them to take seven notes as they read.  Now, this text is highly selected because of the point the author makes about practicing one’s craft of writing.  She introduces “writing” as something that we can fall in love with & something that we just cannot live without if we are to exist.

On a sidebar:  I agree 100%!

After my students have read Dillard’s text and taken their seven choice notes, we then gather together to share our notes, adding peer’s notes to our own list (I know, this is most definitely a teacher’s trick to convince her students to write more notes than the assigned seven).  I, in fact, have taken twenty notes during my individual reading because Dillard just has so much to say about the “love of writing.”

Once our notes have been shared and recorded, then I pull out a particular paragraph from Dillard’s text and ask my students to do something that I normally encourage them NOT to do—I ask them to copy her words, her punctuation, her paragraphing, & her style—word-for-word.

Now, if you are an English instructor, maybe you have incorporated a similar task into your writing class, but if not (a teacher of English), then maybe this assignment seems odd (just as it does to my students when they are in the midst of ‘copying’).

• I listen as they copy the words.
• I listen as they copy the unique use of punctuation.
• I listen as they copy the unusual syntax.
• I listen as they copy the theme (the point) of the paragraph.
• I listen.

Yes, I listen, and I am not disappointed because my students always receive exactly what I hope—an appreciation for another’s craft of writing & an understanding that writers have much to learn from other writers.

Volla’

• That is exactly what I hope my beautiful student-writers will gain as they participate in this small assignment.
• That is also exactly what I pray my beautiful students receive as we begin our time together as a writing community.

&

• That is intuitively what I so desire they gain—an appreciation for what their peers have to teach them about “how to write better & better & better” as days pass by.

In reading Scripture each morning and selecting one passage to copy, I have found that the Word of God has taken on a whole new experience for me.  Truly, there is value in reading the Bible.

• We read it silently.
• We often read the words aloud.
• We sing the psalms.
• We memorize & quote it to others.
• We hide it within our hearts.
• We type the words in the order the biblical writers have composed.
• We absorb the Word of God into our soul.
• We encounter GOD in every word, phrase, clause, sentence, & passage.

We praise our LORD because we do!

This morning, I found myself reading a Psalm of David, and as I read it silently over and over, I found that my reading of the words became slower and slower.  As I absorbed the Word of God at a slower pace, I found what I believe the LORD was teaching me today.

Then I began to type the Scripture, copying the words of David, carefully copying his punctuation, capitalizing what he chose to capitalize, and following his syntax to a “T.”  As I did, then I began to focus upon what the LORD was attempting to show me as I read His Holy Word.

Let us pause to praise our LORD!

My LORD reminded me this morning how HE is my—

“inheritance and my cup; . . .”

How HE draws boundaries around my life & places me in most—

“pleasant places; . . .”

“Indeed my heritage is beautiful to me.”

My LORD in His mercy—

“counseled me; . . . “

In fact, My LORD even continually teaches me during each—

“night, . . .”

“I have set the LORD continually before me; . . .”

Because I have, & because He resides within me, my life, my faith, my foundation will—

“not be shaken.”

“Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; . . .”

Satan cannot have me!

For the Devil cannot take me to the depths of his most horrible dwelling place—

“Sheol; . . .”

“Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.”

Let us pause to praise our LORD!

“You will make known to me the path of life;

In Your presence is fullness of joy;

In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.” (Psalm 16: 11 NASB 1995 Translation)

There are places, areas, and “just right” lines that our LORD has gifted us with, and these are ours to absorb every morning.

Thank You, LORD, for giving to us YOUR PRECIOUS WORD!

• May we read & learn & absorb what our Father has to teach us.
• May we find peace, comfort, & wonderful rest right where we are—within the covers of the Bible.