"The Creative Process of Writing is a Liberating and Therapeutic Experience"
www.virtualwritingcoach.com
April, 2008
In This Issue:
1. Preview
2. Publisher's Note
3. Renovation of the Heart
4. Helpful Hints
1. Preview
The Writer's Connection explores the creative process of writing and the interplay between thoughts, feelings, and actions.
We are an interactive community of authors and readers who share ideas to enhance our knowledge, skills, and experiences in
writing fiction in any genre, but our emphasis remains mystery and suspense thrillers.
Published monthly, the Newsletter offers writing tips for authors, coaching suggestions, editing, and marketing information.
Topics are presented from the perspective of Keith Barton and represent only his ideas on producing your first manuscript,
and are provided to the general public. Because we are an interactive community of writers, other viewpoints are welcomed and may be
printed in future monthly newsletters with permission from Keith Barton.
2. Publisher's Note
April, 2008
Dear Writer's Connection Subscriber,
This month's newsletter features: Renovation of the Heart
3. Renovation of the Heart
Dallas Willard is perhaps one of the more enlightening philosophers and theologians of the 21st century. His latest book,
Renovation of the Heart* focuses on six components of self: thoughts, emotions, will, behavior, social relationships,
and soul. The central point of his book is spiritual transformation only happens as each of the above dimensions is transformed
to Christlikeness under the direction of a regenerate will interacting with constant overtures of God’s grace. (pp 41-42).
Beginning with heart/will/spirit, Willard likens this to the "CEO" of one’s life which navigates one’s life toward good and away
from evil. The human struggle is to view the soul as lost and ruined with each dimension of the person as dysfunctional. Sin does
not make a person worthless; sin makes a person lost. For a heart to be "radically evil" means that it has made me God in place
of God. Those who enter into Christian spiritual formation must set aside the desire to secure, promote, and indulge one’s self
while learning how to enjoy a loving relationship with God and others (p. 66). Self-denial is not a technique defined by behaviors
(shoulds) that legally define good. This was the central core of the Old Testament. Being "dead to self" makes a person less
sensitive to social slights and physical discomforts and opens the way towards a goodness to the soul.
Willard borrows from Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) with his VIM (Vision, Intention, Means) anagram. The vision of life in the kingdom
through reliance upon Jesus makes it possible for us to intend to live in the kingdom as he did. The means is the life story of
Jesus Christ as found in Scripture which helps us to identify with new responses that are like those of Jesus.
Willard identifies four dangers in our thought life: pride, simple ignorance of fact, slowing desires to guide thinking, and
allowing destructive images into our minds. The anecdote is to draw from Scripture into our minds and make them central tenets of
our thoughts which lead to behavioral change and action. Bluntly, to serve God well we must think straight; and crooked thinking,
unintentional or not, always favors evil (p. 106).
Willard views feelings as fostered and sustained by ideas and images; thus, it is important to manage our feelings to become
Christ-like. We are to open ourselves to love, joy, and peace: first by receiving them from God and from those already living in
him, and then as we grow, extending love, joy, and peace to others in attitude, prayer, and action (pp 136-137).
For Willard, character is where the rubber meets the road. He defines character as the inner core of one’s being that is driven
from our hearts and points our actions in consistent harmony with God. When thinking of those influential people in our lives what
do we remember most about them? Do we think of feelings? Behavior? Decisions? Bodily features? I don’t think so. Those who
influenced us either positively or negatively were defined by their character—that central core defined by heart/soul/spirit
leading to informed and consistent decisions that glorify God and those in communion with Him and a de-emphasis of self and ego.
*
Renovation of the Heart, Dallas Willard, NavPress, 2002.
Helpful Hints:
- Prepare a boxed lunch for a homeless person and deliver it to the first needy person you see. Seek them out.
- Take a few minutes and write your life as a fairy tale. Begin with "Once upon a time". What legacy do you wish to leave
to your family, friends, acquaintances, and to those who didn’t know you?
- Practice the discipline of solitude at least four hours this week. Ask God to reveal to you any areas of your life for
which you are unwilling to pray Jesus’ prayer in the garden. Then pray for God’s grace and abandonment of your own will.
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About Keith Barton, Ph.D.
Dr. Barton received his Ph.D. in 1972 from the University of Texas at Austin and has been a practicing therapist
for over thirty years. He is currently enrolled in MentorCoach and is accepting new clients.
He has been an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina,
consultant to Fortune 500 companies in executive development, founded
and managed Texas Community Living Ventures, Inc., in 1986 for providing
group home services to persons with mental retardation. Keith founded
and has been running a clinical practice in Northwest Houston since 1990.
He writes part-time with the goal of completing one novel a year. His desire to coach others derives from his passionate
interest in helping others become attuned to their creative powers of storytelling.
Dr. Barton has training in coaching, cognitive and family therapy and health psychology. He has published articles, made
presentations and conducted workshops about:
Anxiety and achievement
Stress management
Self-esteem
Communication skills
Marital/relationship enrichment
Wellness issues
The relationship between psychology and spirituality
