REMAIN IN THE VINE by LINDA WOOD RONDEAU

REMAIN IN THE VINE by LINDA WOOD RONDEAU
Friday, February 16, 2024 by Patti Shene

FEATURED BOOK: Lessons Along the Way Volume 1

AUTHOR: Linda Wood Rondeau

PUBLISHER: Elk Lake Publishing

GENRE: devotional

SERIES OR STAND ALONE: series

TARGET AGE: primarily women ages 35+

IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME AUTHOR LINDA ROUDEAU TO THE OVER 50 WRITER. LINDA ENCOURAGES OLDER WRITERS TO STAY GROUNDED AS WE AGE IN THIS CHALLENGING AND CHANGING WORLD.

REMAIN IN THE VINE

Linda Wood Rondeau

Age need not wither the spirit. "They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green... (Psalm 92:14 NIV).

How does one stay attached to the vine when the aging process attacks our bodies? This is a question I ask myself as an older writer.

As I interact with many of my senior friends, view social media posts, and visit with older neighbors, I am struck by the remarks of loneliness, discouragement, and frustrations associated with growing older. For the older writer, grieving can impede our willingness to continue on the journey God has given us. Grieving takes energy and time to recover. When losses come in bunches, coping is more difficult, and the drain on our mental and physical strength can be staggering.

We ask, “Where have all my creative juices disappeared to?”

Others of us may be challenged by inflation causing a strain on our fixed incomes and diminishing or discretionary spending. Dwindling purchasing power may curtail normal ways of coping, especially with the push to finance our own marketing: going out to dinner, partaking in recreational sports, going to professional sports, going to the theater, or even trips to see loved ones.

If our book sales sag, we wonder if we should keep on keeping on.

Adding to our challenges, and for me, perhaps the most difficult, are constantly evolving technologies.

Take the phone, for example. When I was young, our family was ecstatic when private lines became the norm for everyone, though my parents still insisted I keep conversations short. Within a few years, we could call people within our area code without extra charge. Today’s smart phones challenge me. Remember what icon does what and where it is on my phone, my arthritic fingers create messages that look like foreign code, and the constant lookout for Wi-Fi when on the road. Now that texting has replaced emails for the large part, I feel as though I’m learning a whole new process of communication.

I remember how thrilled I was when the word processor came into popular use. Couldn’t wait to buy one. Though I was still a writing hobbyist, I found the word processor much easier to use than a typewriter. At least, with my aging brain, it was easier to fix mistakes! But something more to learn.

We bought a Commodore for our first computer. More things to learn.

And as time marched on, computers became more and more complicated, the old ones outdated within a few years. As my writing career progressed, my dependence on technology has increased dramatically while my cognitive functions need a jump start every now and then.

And so technology we never imagined in the 50’s and 60s continues to evolve; and with each invention and improvement, time and energy must be expended to learn a new way of doing things. My younger self couldn’t understand my mother’s reluctance when I bought her a CD player. “Take it away. I can’t learn one more new thing!”

As for our writing, we not only have to adapt to changing tools, but our narratives (if we write contemporary prose) need to reflect the day in which we live. We must keep up with the changing times. People don’t talk, drive the same cars, or even do church as they did when we were younger. Every day brings a new methodology that demands I forsake the old way of doing something.

Seniors, take heart.

Stay in the vine.

Of course, if you’re a believer, the vine is our Faith. And that is unshakable as long as we remain anchored in the positive.

There are other vines as well.

The vine of humor. When life gets complicated, we can choose to wallow in despair or learn to laugh at our overcrowded schedules, looming deadlines, and our oops, realizing difficulties know no age; and we are not immune.

There is the vine of determination. Purposeful living can help us meet challenges head on.

And there is the vine of accomplishment. The more difficult the challenge, the more satisfaction we gain when we have managed the hurdle.

We need not wither because we are older … we can still bloom in our sunset years.

BLURB FOR Lessons Along the Way Volume I

Life is a school where God is our teacher.

These brief devotionals take us on a journey of discovery. God is indeed with every step of our journey, pruning, teaching, disciplining, and comforting us to transform us into his image.

From the cradle to the grave, he watches over us like a tender father.

Adapted from the author’s many years as a contributing columnist to the religious page of an upstate New York newspaper, each devotional contains a Scripture passage, a key verse, an anecdote and prayer.

Grab your morning coffee and learn of Him who has loved you with an everlasting love.

Amazon Buy link

INTERIOR BIO FOR LESSONS ALONG THE WAY VOLUME I

Life is a school where God is our teacher.

He can change our worst past into our best future, a common theme in the author’s works inspired by her many years as a social worker. Her writing career has spanned beyond the printed page as a mentor, editor, teacher, and encourager. She and her husband currently reside in Hagerstown, Maryland.

The author is a breast cancer survivor and a recovering food addict. A Toastmaster graduate, she enjoys speaking to groups about her experiences as well as the writing life. You may contact Linda:

website, www.lindarondeau.com

SUBSCRIBE TO PATTI’S BLOGS HERE

Comments

Carole Brown From Ohio At 5/13/2024 11:16:08 AM

Linda is always a good for a great devotional. And a terrific author. Thank you, Linda!

Reply by: Patti Shene

Hi Carole. Thank you for stopping by and sharing with us!

Kate Darroch From Devon, UK At 2/18/2024 10:11:26 PM

Thank you for these encouraging words. All the writers I know are much younger than I am I felt that I was the only writer in the world struggling to cope with ever-changing tech, so now that I know I'm not alone, I feel much better about my struggles

Reply by: Patti Shene

Hi Kate. So glad you stopped by. Believe me, you are definitely not alone in this struggle to keep up with the technology and all the many changes in the writing and publishing industry. Thank you so much for letting us know you were here. Blessings on your writing!