Playing around with a Prompt

Prompt: The foliage was thick enough to conceal her while providing the perfect vantage point.

Here's the story I came up with (flash fiction again).


The foliage was thick enough to conceal her while providing the perfect vantage point. Agnes had been winning the blue ribbon at the county fair for her Dutch Apple Pie for years and Mabel was tired of coming in second. It had taken her some time and not a little effort to climb the tree outside Agnes' kitchen window, but from here she could see every move her neighbor was making.

Unfortunately, taking notes while balanced on a tree limb was not as easy as she thought it would be. When Agnes pulled a bottle of brandy from under the sink and poured herself a shot, then put a shot into the pie. Mabel was so surprised that she lost her footing and tumbled from the tree.

So, while Agnes won the blue ribbon once again, Mable just ended up black and blue...but she did buy herself a bottle of brandy.


(Copyright © 2010, 2011 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)

Demolish Negativity!

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)

We are often bombarded with doubt, discouragement and negative thoughts that cause us to question our abilities, our purpose and even our worth.  If we entertain these thoughts for very long, they can overwhelm us and we soon find ourselves feeling totally useless - without direction or a sense of purpose.

Where do these negative thoughts come from?  There are many sources; things people say to us, things we say to ourselves, things the enemy (Satan) whispers to us - lies we believe

We need to weigh these demoralizing thoughts against what the Word of God says and do what the scripture above says, and then demolish those thoughts that are in opposition to what God says. We need to take those negative thoughts captive and make our every thought obedient to Christ.

Sometimes unforeseen circumstances of life leave us wondering if we will still be able to fulfill our purposes in Christ...if He will still be able to use us.


Diane Rose is known as The Amazing Quilter (http://www.theamazingquilter.com). When life threw her a curve ball, she experienced doubt and discouragements. In her confusion she cried out to God and he gave her a new direction, but still the same purpose - to help others in whatever way she could, whether it be a cup of coffee, a word of encouragement, or a hug.

Let her story inspire you to push away those thoughts that defeat us and fill our minds with the truth of God's word. He has a plan for you!

(Copyright © 2010, 2011 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)

Flash Fiction - The Bell

Prompt: "She pulled the curtain aside and peered into the darkness as a tear slipped out and trailed down her cheek."

The Bell

She pulled the curtain aside and peered into the darkness as a tear slipped out and trailed down her cheek.

What a difference 24 hours makes. Last night at this time, she had been sleeping soundly when she heard the school bell ringing.  It was a small bell she had given her Father so that he could summon her in the night if he needed anything.

This time it was only to say that he was thirsty, but when she brought his glass of water, he had fallen back to sleep.  He slept a lot these days, which was good, because when he was awake, his body was often wracked with coughing fits and pain.

She would hear no bell tonight, for just before noon today, Father had slipped away. It was a quiet transition from this world to the next, but for the anguish in her heart as she watched him go.

Just as she thought she would not be able to bear it, a ray of sunshine came in through the window beside his bed and stole across his face, then disappeared again.  “He’s with me, now,” she heard in her spirit, and although her heart was breaking, it was also rejoicing with the knowledge that he was with Jesus and that she would see him again one day.

She looked up at a hazy moon and whispered, “Good night, Fathers.”

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(Copyright © 2010, 2011 Jan Christiansen. All rights reserved.)