Some things really excite me. Overhearing one of my kids talk with a friend about Jesus is one. Eating a chocolate-dipped ice cream cone is another.

A big event for me is a combination of experiencing something new and having an intelligent thought. We call these ah-ha moments, when something clicks and the lights go on.

Sometimes these instances of clarity are painful, sometimes hilariously hopeful, but they always change me in some way. My most important ah-ha moments have focused and redirected my life.

One of those came for me nine years ago when I attended the God Uses Ink writers’ conference for the first time. I was not a writer, or at least, not in any recognizable way. I had never had any of my newsletters, Christmas plays, children’s stories or articles published, but I did have an interest in communication. And I was writing. So when two of my friends suggested I come to the conference, I was intrigued and I went.

Wide spectrum

I met more than 100 people from a wide spectrum of Christian traditions who wanted to write-to hone their craft, to market their work, to communicate.

I cannot say if I was more encouraged by those who, like me, were inexperienced and unpolished and who constituted an informal brotherhood of novices, or by those who had found their voice and niche and were not only writing, but actually being read.

I do know that I discovered the bridge that would take me from one point to the other. A workshop leader opened up for me the world of magazines and books, explaining step by step how to contact editors, submit work and deal with rejection (and deal with rejection?and deal with rejection...). And become a writer.

This was not an academic exercise. It was one of those experiences that would change me. It was the beginning of a journey into the world of publishing-magazines, books and of course, this newspaper.

I have been back every year to learn from my mentors and now, as I am able, to lend a hand to a beginner who is looking for that bridge.

In the month of October we held the first edition of Write! Montreal, a satellite version of the God Uses Ink (now Write! Canada) conference.

Our goals as organizers were expressed in buzzwords like "to provide information and training? and ?to facilitate networking." In my heart, I knew I just wanted to hear somebody say, ah-ha.

So I watched and listened.

"I thought I was alone, like Elijah. It’s like God is telling me that he has many, many writers in this city. These people are like me."

"This came at the right time. Now I know what my next step will be."

"Dieu veut que j’utilise mon don pour lui [God wants me to use my gift for Him]."

"I can hardly wait to go home and start writing."

Uncanny sence

The sense of déjà vu was uncanny. The memories of my first writers’ conference rekindled that sense of call and the challenge to explore new avenues, always growing, always moving.

And I realized something else. New experiences can be very exciting. Whether in discovering our gifts, starting a new job or beginning our walk in faith, there is a special energy that motivates us when we face changes and new challenges. But novelty isn’t everything. There’s a lot to be said for stability. Perseverance, routine and sometimes drudgery are the backbone of great accomplishments.

The writers, artists, students, preachers, spouses, and Christians that I admire most do not live each day with that glow of wonder in their eyes. In fact, sometimes they look bored. They even complain because it’s hard. But they keep doing what they’re doing because it’s worth it.

And by doing it much, they eventually do it well.

Ah-ha.