Do Not Worry

Posted on April 9, 2015 by bethrachg

I recently moved Mississippiacross the country, well, from south to north. It was a huge move. Think hot and now cold. This time last year I lived in Louisiana, where the Mississippi River empties into the Gulf, and now I live where the river freezes over, at least the top layers. But hey, I’m loving it! Except the move created a lot of additional work in my life on top of everything else I have going on, which frankly might be too much. After all, I home school three boys and I write books. Writing books means a lot more than you might think—writing a book is a huge endeavor all on its own. But these days, there’s more, so much more to be done.
With the shift to digital age, authors have to do much more than simply write their book—they have to blog in multiple places, and Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and the list just keeps going. Where in the world does a person find time to write a book? Much less live life.

 Take time to smell the roses or maybe play a game of Scrabble.

Hence I recently found myself waking up every morning and dreading the day. Have you ever done that? If so, then read on. I’ve decided this has everything to do with having too much to do and failing at everything. I’m afraid to face the day. Fear has resulted in dread. I’ve been so overwhelmed I’m starting to have panic attacks. Because I’m a driven person, I heap even more on my plate—my goals and thing I’d like to accomplish.

 More, more, give me more.

I keep thinking this isn’t the life Jesus wanted me to live. Too much busyness isn’t what Jesus wanted for us, is it? When you think about it, He changed the world one step at a time. One person at a time.

 

He just walked along the path and took care of things as they came His way.

 

He wasn’t thinking about his long to-do list and wondering how He would ever get it done. We have a tendency to think far into the future, grabbing every potential opportunity—things we don’t want to miss—onto our plate. I think we might do this out of fear, too. We’re afraid we’ll miss something. Add to that, we worry about the future.

 

On that note, I have to share something I thought was profound. Did you ever see  After Earth with Will and Jaden Smith?
In the movie, Will Smith said this about fear.

“Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That is near insanity. Do not misunderstand me danger is very real but fear is a choice.”
― Will Smith

What good words!
Granted he was talking about the fear of a very real monster in the movie. But I can easily apply that to my dread of tackling my lists of tasks–facing my monsters of the day! My fear that I’ll fail.

 

 FEAR IS A CHOICE.

 

So maybe I need to take a deep breath when I wake up in the morning and chill out. Be at peace with whatever comes my way, my to-do list. Maybe I should just live the day as it comes instead of believing everything is so urgent.

 

Like Jesus says, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34

 

Maybe instead I should wake up and think, “This is the day the Lord has made and be glad in it!” (my paraphrase of Psalm 118:24)

 

It’s a choice.

 

I invite you to do the same. Who is with me?

 

goddard-LR-new-4 (2) blackandwhitebackfire coverElizabeth Goddard is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than twenty romance and romantic suspense novels and counting. To find out more, visit her website at http://elizabethgoddard.com

COMING SOON: Backfire, (Mountain Cove book 3) Fleeing Alaska and cutting all ties could be the only way to survive…but it would mean leaving her heart behind.

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Lessons from the Mudroom by Julie Arduini

Posted on April 8, 2015 by juliearduini

Even though it hasn’t quite felt like spring as much as I’d like it to, I have started spring cleaning.This is our first full year in the house so it’s been fun figuring out what needs cleaning and what to use. So far I’ve steam cleaned, dusted fixtures, polished paneling and now it’s grout time.

I started in the mudroom. With my knees to the floor and a brush in my hand, I scrubbed the tile. I watched the floor transform from muddy and dull to clean and sparkly. As I rinsed and dried the floor I thought about the Lord and my life. Where I’ve been. Where I am. Where He is directing me. It was a time of contentment. I saw results with the floor and was getting excited about life.

Then I opened the door.

There before me was the rest of the floors.

Dirty, grimy, muddy, lifeless floors.

And my anxiety started.

I only blocked so much time off the day for the project. 

I planned it in increments.

I have to finish the floors.

What if people saw them looking like this?

And then that still voice dropped a nugget that I know was heaven sent.

“Remember, this is a work in progress. Remember, YOU’RE a work in progress.”

Oh. Right. Cleaning grout, at least if I’m going to do it right, takes time.

89135-Stop-Beating-Yourself-Up-You-Are-A-Work-In-ProgressThose changes that bring me closer to Christ, it doesn’t happen in a day.

There will even be days I take a step back.

And I need to confess and move on.

Because like the summer construction that tied traffic for light after light, I forgot over winter how long the process was because it was finished. And it was a great product.

And like the mudroom, each day I’ll work on the grout. And it will all be sparkly and clean.

Just not all today.

And I’m going to be okay with that.

Do you struggle with wanting everything done at once? Do you see yourself as a work in progress?

Image from Love This Pic

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Coming Across as Christ by Kristen Heitzmann

Posted on April 3, 2015 by kristenheitzmann

crucifixTwo incidents in close proximity have given me the chance to examine how I come across–from both sides. First, after the Weekend With the Writers, I received an encouragement that moved me like a brush of the Holy Spirit. One of the attendees mentioned some things she had observed that touched her. The incidents she described were ways I had interacted with specific individuals, little things–it seemed to me–but I realize now they were not little to others. Reading her note, I was flooded by knowledge that it was Christ in me that became visible through my actions, his abiding tenderness that reached out and was present and gracious. What a privilege to be a vessel of kindness and encouragement in ways I was not even particularly aware of.

The other happened this week. After an altercation with someone in my household, I was in a grievous mood. My normal mode is to withdraw. That can have a negative connotation, but it keeps me from from saying things I will regret, things that injure and can’t be taken back–even though my husband claims to find them more amusing than injurious. I also attempt to get my thoughts back in order. It is not creative time. It is time lost, if I can’t break through it.

On this occasion, I put in my noise-cancelling earbuds, cranked up the playlist on my phone and went about doing other things. This would have been fine, except another person in the household spoke to me from above and behind. It was a perfect storm of oblivion and offense because–neither seeing nor hearing–I walked away without response, clueless to the impression being made. It escalated into a day of misery for the ignored party–of which I was still completely unaware. Had I not closed in to my own affront and frustration, the Spirit could have worked through all of it.

I’m often overcome during Holy Week by sheer sadness at the thought of Christ’s suffering and amazement that people could be in his presence and not see. Then something like the incident I described makes it clear how easy it is to close not only my ears but my heart as well. On this Good Friday, as we meditate on the sacrifice Jesus made for our salvation, may our ears and eyes and hearts be open to the sorrow, to the cruelty, to the loneliness and infirmity, to the whip-strokes, agony, and death that our own selfish actions brought upon our Lord. Vow, with me, to let that reminder soften any blows that come our way, so that in all things we can respond in ways that others watching will see Christ and not our all too human shells.

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Easter Memories by Tara Randel

Posted on April 2, 2015 by tararandel

Hallelujah, the Lord is risen!

This Sunday we celebrate Easter. For some of the world, it’s a day of bunnies and candy treats found in a basket. But for those who serve the living God, it is a day reflecting on the ultimate gift of love.

When my children were little, I didn’t get caught up in all the bunny decorations. So unlike Christmas, the consumer stress is nowhere near as crazy. Sure, my girls got baskets with candy, but I made sure they understood what this day truly stood for.

For a few years, our church held a sunrise service where were we enacted the final days of Jesus leading up to the time of His resurrection. My daughters participated, excited to be rising before the sun rose. The area where we held the service was close to our home, so when we got out of bed, we put on our costumes and walked in the dark, ready to play our parts. Because we were outside, the story was narrated over the microphone, so we acted out the scenes as he told the story. Every time it got to the part where Jesus carried the cross, the song Via Dolorosa played over the speakers. My heart swelled in my chest, just to imagine the suffering Jesus went through. It still haunts me whenever I hear that song.

I was proud of my girls for wanting to take part of the service. They never complained about taking the time to practice or performing the actual day, even when they were teenagers and didn’t like rising if the sun hadn’t been up a few hours. It’s a family memory I will never forget.

Now, I have one daughter in heaven, who gets to see Jesus in a way we will never understand until we stand before Him. It will be an honor when my time comes, to see the Living God , hopefully with my daughter by my side. My other daughter still lives on this earth, so we celebrate together on this side of heaven.

I hope your Easter Sunday is a special day, spent with your loved ones. Take the time to think about the sacrifice Jesus made for us, as well as his joyful resurrection. He is alive!

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’” Mark 16:4-7

Jesus told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. Luke 24: 46-49

 

 

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Join the Beauty

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Maureen Lang

Spring is a great reminder of the creativity God used to bless us with all of the beauty surrounding us every day. Gray landscapes turn colorful, from budding trees to yellow daffodils. Even in the city, little plots of grass return each year to remind us that nature’s wonders are still there, beyond the concrete and asphalt.

Soon my irises that look like this:

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Will turn to this:

Screenshot 2015-04-01 08.52.35

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bible says we’re created in the image of God. We know no one has seen God face-to-face apart from the form He took on through Jesus. But one of the ways we do know we resemble God is the same bent toward creativity. We may differ on the definition of a beautiful creation, but we don’t differ on how we react when we see it: with pleasure.

So today, rejoice in the beauty of the awakening earth around you. Notice it! Thank God for it! And then join in the beauty by exploring and sharing your own creativity the way God gifted you to do. Maybe God inspired you to tell a story, to sing a song, to write a note to a friend or welcoming people into your home or business—or even simply blessing a stranger with a smile. Let’s spread a little beauty!

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Unexpected Points of Connection by Camy Tang

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Camy Tang/Camille Elliot

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Recently, one of the twenty-somethings who is part of my worship team at church told me about a new game she and other kids are playing called Tsum Tsum. You create an account in an app called Line, and then download the Tsum Tsum app and sign in with your Line account.

Apparently a lot of people at church like using Line for instant messaging with family and friends overseas such as in Japan. Since my church is bilingual with a Japanese language service, we have a lot of people who have relatives in Japan, and they use Line to keep in touch.

But Tsum Tsum is a game designed by Disney, and they use Disney characters in a game that is very similar to Bejeweled Blitz. The game captured me because the characters (called “Tsums”) are absolutely adorable! And then the game became really addictive. Since I work at my computer, I have to get up and walk around every hour. Tsum Tsum is perfect because I can walk around and play on my phone for 5 minutes, then go back to work.

But what also happened was that it gave me something to talk about with the kids at church. Many of them play Tsum Tsum and they’d add me as their Tsum Tsum friend because your friends can send you hearts, or lives. You use one heart per game, which is about a minute, and you get a new heart every 15 minutes. But if you have friends, they can send you hearts so you can play more games.

I would talk Tsum Tsum with the kids at church, discussing the different Tsums (which have different abilities) and how to get more points. Some kids at my church are freaky good at Tsum Tsum, but I’ve found that I can hold my own with most of them, which is really neat!

This simple game has drawn me closer to the younger people at my church. I see their names each week as I play Tsum Tsum and they give me hearts and I give hearts back to them. We have something to talk about after church on Sundays. I am not deluding myself into thinking I’ve suddenly become “cool” to them, but I’m not as much as a fuddy-duddy as I used to be, I think. 🙂

Any of you play Tsum Tsum? Be sure to add me as a friend on Line! My user ID is camy_tang.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF GATHERINGS

Posted on March 26, 2015 by yvon63

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.” (Hebrews 10:25)

This is a scripture that Christians are more than familiar with. We gather together at church on Sundays or Wednesday nights, or in our homes for Bible study and fellowship. Relationships with other Christians are important so that we can pray, share each other’s burdens and talk about the commonality we share—faith in Jesus Christ—and we should have a deep abiding love for one another. Meeting like this brings encouragement and keeps us marching forward, holding our heads high in the midst of a brutal world.

The same can be said for writers, and especially Christian writers. I recently moved to Minnesota from Texas. Most of my life I’ve lived out in the country, or in a region that made it difficult to meet with other like-minded people with any meaningful frequency. But now I live close enough to meet with other writers. And not just any writers, but Christian writers, many whom I’ve known from online writer’s groups and conferences. Through virtual meetings and once-a-year conferences, I’ve developed deep friendships, and grown as a writer.

But nothing can compare with meeting with others in person. Face-to-face.

Now I understand the meaning of the scripture from Hebrews completely. Meeting with Christian writing friends in person since I’ve been in Minnesota has bolstered me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Encouraged and inspired me. I believe that I will grow as a writer like never before. (I hope)

And this is the whole point of the scripture in Hebrews. Gathering together for encouragement and prayer and talking to people who understand you like no one else is an essential part of a Christian’s walk. An especially important part of a Christian writer’s development.

So if you’re dreaming about writing the great Christian fiction novel, I implore you to meet with others. It’s vital to your spirit, Christian walk, and your work as a writer.

Blessings,

Elizabeth Goddard

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I AM WHAT I SAY by Vicki Hinze

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Vicki Hinze

I am what I say by Vicki Hinze, Christians Read

I AM WHAT I SAY: The Power of Self-Talk

 

What is the power of words? Our words? What we think and what we say?

I’ve been listening to people talking about everything and nothing, and what I’ve heard has captured my attention and is troubling. It’s what’s being said by people about themselves, about others, and about challenges, and even about their successes.

We know from the Bible that our words have power. Speaking them carries power and creates the reality. We’re warned:

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs: 18:21 (NIV)

 

Mark 11:24 tells us: “whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Over and again, we read throughout the Bible that the spoken word has come to pass, and we’re encouraged to guard our minds and our mouths because what we say will direct the course of our future.

 

Maybe because I’ve been thinking about this, I’ve noticed more what we’re saying and how we’re saying it. Maybe we’ve always spoken negatively about ourselves and others because, well, it’s human. But whatever the reason, we would, in my humble opinion, be wise to pause and consider the consequences of our words on us and on others.

Let me share a specific example:

A writer friend and I were conversing and I shared something with her. Later it was mentioned, and she didn’t recall our conversation. “I am losing it. I keep forgetting things.”

Weeks later, she repeated that—“I can’t remember anything anymore.”

Now, she’s saying that same thing far more often—and it appears to be true. She does seem to have a lot more trouble remembering.

That benign example got my attention, and what’s happened memory-wise got me to thinking. We’ve all heard, “I am that I am.” And we know what it meant. What we might not have recognized—at least, I didn’t at the time—is that we are what we are, too.

If we believe we have a poor memory, we’re accepting that as real and valid and a part of our nature. It’s part and parcel of our personal, I am. And believing it—when we speak it, we voice our belief for better or worse—we grant it authority. We’re saying it our thought that our memory is poor carries our conviction that our memory is poor. Therefore, our memory is or becomes poor because that’s what we’ve deemed it. We have exercised our free will choice on the matter.

We’re all going to have negative thoughts from time to time. They’re human, as natural to us as breathing. They are attempts to influence our spiritual selves. But thoughts are fleeting. And if we don’t act on them, they flee, fade and fall away.

If we don’t voice them (with our focus or our spoken words), then we deny those negative things authority. They’re powerless without the authority of our free-will choice.

My point is we should exercise care what we say we are because, if we believe it and grant it authority, we will become it. This makes the way we see ourselves and how we talk with and about ourselves extremely important.

The Proverbs verse tells us the tongue has the power of life and death, and if we love it, we’ll eat its fruit. It doesn’t say we’ll eat the good fruit and not the bad fruit. Or we’ll eat the positive fruit and not eat the negative fruit. It says we’ll eat the fruit. All of it.

To me, that’s good and bad, which means how we talk about ourselves is directly relative and it impacts our future.

I’ve long said we need to guard our minds. You can’t fill your mind with trash and pull out treasures. (You reap what you sow, right?) I think we should extend that to our mouths.

What comes out of our mouths about ourselves and others should be constructive, positive, honoring us and respecting God. Good fruit bears good fruit.

Will we always do it? No, we’re human. But we should try. Hard. Our futures, I am convinced, rely on it.

Blessings,

Vicki

________________________

VICKI hinze, reader group news online community

Vicki Hinze is a USA Today Bestselling Author. She has written over 30 novels, 4 nonfiction books and hundreds of articles in as many as 63 countries. She is also a columnist for Social N Global network and a former radio talk show host.

 

 

 

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A Spark Serves by Vicki Hinze

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Vicki Hinze

vickihinze, a spark serves

 

 

A Spark Serves: Soul Food and the Heart-Weary Christian

 

 

It’s almost Easter. A revered time for people of faith. The most revered time for Christians. Today, I need to chat. That’s right, to chat. I need to talk with like-minded people—people who believe. My soul needs food.

 

Most Christians go through times of sheer weariness. We tire of the faith struggles in our own lives and in our society. Our freedom of religion is being interpreted by some as freedom from religion, and we’re frustrated by it and weary of it.

 

How can we not be? We look around and see children exploited, young girls being programmed that sexy is better than virtuous (look at the magazine covers targeting teens). We see a barrage of attacks against even Christmas trees with governors wanting to call them holiday trees, and Christmas break being tagged winter holiday. We see our leader insist that Christian statues be covered during a speech at a Catholic college and yet he speaks beneath a banner that includes a photo of the father of terrorism. We know important things seem, well, upside down, and now comes a push to rename an Easter Egg Hunt a Spring Egg Hunt.

 

What? We have Christians being crucified for their faith (literally and figuratively) and we (as taxpaying citizens) are giving them billions of dollars. Why?

 

All this is just the tip of the heap, as you well know, but it’s sufficient to relay the reason for the weariness.

 

We trust God, we celebrate Easter. We do not waiver on it being the holiest of holidays in Christendom. The Resurrection… It’s awe-inspiring and humbling. And even those who are not Christians should respect that.

 

If they did, I doubt we’d be living in a culture of deep corruption. In a society where half—yes, half—of the children born are born to unwed mothers. Our values have eroded and our ethics along with them. We’ve buried our moral compass. Allowing it to happen, doing nothing to prevent it, condones it. And what we condone, we own.

 

I’m not an idealist or standing on a soapbox or suggesting we become raging zealots, but I am suggesting that I’m weary and I know other believers are, too. For me, I’m battling it, determined to follow our beliefs and to refuse not to support them. In other words, the PC police can forget it. They have their vision of PC and I have mine, and this weary soul is opting for faith.

 

The weariness is not to the bone. Close, but not to the bone. In part, I thank Roma Downey and Mark Burnett for that. Yes, the star of Touched by an Angel and the reality show guru. They did the five-part series The Bible that aired on the History channel.

 

Okay, so there’s been a lot of controversy on the show itself. Of course, there has. But considering how many don’t and never have read the Bible, and considering that this series is the only exposure they’ll get to the Bible, can’t we see the good in it? The series is like a missionary to the U.S. And if you’ve seen the religious decline (which has been actively sought by factions within and outside this country), you know we need a revival of spiritual matters and food for our spirits. Give us that and the other problems decline. We know it. Our country was built on the premise of putting God first. Through diligent effort, particularly in the past forty years, we’ve had our identity muddied and now we’re muddled. For that reason, while some might find fault with The Bible’s production, I’m celebrating it.

 

It’s said to have been #1—most watched. The Examiner had an article on it that said Hollywood didn’t understand why the series was so popular. It confounded them. We, of course, know exactly why it’s popular and why other films or series like it will be popular, too. People are three-dimensional—physical, emotional and spiritual—and our spiritual selves are starving!

 

Simple. So very simple. We need soul food! We don’t just want it, we need it.

 

So I watch the fourth part of the five-part series, and I notice the commercials. Christianbooks.com had one. Walmart had one. Advertising the Bible. I’m sure there were others, but these were on when the advertisers caught my attention and snagged my thoughts. And I sat there feeling extremely emotional. An ad for the Bible. The BOOK. The Word of God. I’m choking up again now.

 

This is good. Even if you disagree with exactly the way this or that is done in the series, you’ve got to see that this series and these kinds of commercials (which are wholly suitable for viewing by all ages [and that certainly can’t be said for many, many ads or shows]) are good.

 

I hope that this series continues to spur an avalanche of films with spiritual themes that get people to thinking and talking and exploring and searching. I hope it spurs a mountain of ads that are constructive and respectful. But most of all, I hope it touches hearts. The weariness and emptiness and longing that crushes so many in our society can be filled by faith. We know it can, and I pray soon those who didn’t know that discover it, too.

 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to watch an early evening program with your family and not have to change the channel because of inappropriate content? To have shows with content that is constructive and inspiring to viewers?

 

I boldly dare to dream that this starts a trend. One that renews faith, depletes weariness in believers, and offers all who want it a path out of the darkness and into the light. Wouldn’t it be terrific to see a swell of enthusiasm that leads to truth and contentment replace the current destructive behaviors that assure the absence of both? Who knows? Maybe, just maybe, that spark will ignite a flame and those who choose to walk and live outside the light will at least respect the rights of those who choose to walk in it. That would be refreshing, and constructive.

 

What I know is this. I write books to help the broken heal. I read books that inspire and enlighten. I view films for the same reasons. And I know that this morning my heart is less weary. A series and some commercials and because of constructive, faith-filled content, my soul is less weary.

 

And I know that without a spark, there is no flame. A spark serves. And if you think about it, doesn’t it kind of remind you of the mustard seed…

 

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WOULD YOU READ ON? by Kristen Heitzmann

Posted on March 13, 2015 by kristenheitzmann

My topic for the mini-conference is writing compelling stories. Thought I’d take this chance to see if I practice what I plan to preach. So be honest now…would you read on?

WRITERS’ QUARREL © Kristen Heitzmann

Devin Bressard scarcely blinked when Grace tossed her sweet tea in his face.

His eyes went flat as hammered steel, his tone even flatter. “Feel better?”

“Waste of a good sweet tea.”

“Sorry for your loss.” He took a napkin from the arm of a server instantly beside him.

He wasn’t sorry for anything. She snatched her purse and stood. “It’s a perfect end to this fiasco.”

“I hope you don’t expect me to stand.” His eyes flicked to the ice cubes nestled in his lap like dice.

“I wouldn’t expect it of you anyway.” She stalked past the gaping Manhattan diners. Throwing a drink at Devin Bressard had not been on her things-to-do-before-thirty list, but she inserted it and dragged a bold, red line through.

His failure to appreciate her prose or connect with her characters was one thing. But to scorn the tragic twist in the plot? To say it gave him the best laugh of his week, the bellyache kind he hadn’t experienced since childhood? What ever happened to professional courtesy?

She swallowed the lump that had no business in her throat. Readers anticipated the twists that plunged her characters into predicaments he found amusing. She nodded to the maître ‘d, accepted her coat from the attendant, and slid a tip into his palm.

He caught her hand. “Can I buy you a drink, Ms. Evangeline?”

“Thank you no. I just disposed of my last one.”

Her novels were humorous—in the repartee—poignant and triumphant. Emails, tweets, and blogs proved the stories touched people. Her interviews and appearances were overwhelmingly positive. Why should she care what one man thought?

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Encouraging Young Writers by Julie Arduini

Posted on March 11, 2015 by juliearduini

One of the things I promised God I would do as a writer is encourage others along the way. My take is if I can give information and resources to help accelerate their journey, why not?

I’d rather view this business as a family rather than a competition.

Last month I was able to spend time with junior and senior high school students at Youngstown Christian School as part of their literacy week. I shared my story, that I wasn’t in honor classes nor was I encouraged to write for a living. I was told to make safe choices and understand I was weak in grammar. Although I entertained friends with my daily fiction, I listened to the voices that told me to put that stirring on a shelf. I made sure the students knew that if God put that passion in them, nothing can take that away.

I then distributed a writing prompt and gave them ten minutes to choose one and craft a story around it.

The choices included:

  • A teen eating dinner while watching the news receives personal instruction from the anchor.
  • A student closing up a store at the mall encounters a mom with a stroller begging to enter the establishment.
  • A young man who opens an envelope and learns the results to…
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Three of the five Youngstown Christian students featured on the Write Integrity Press website. Photo: Shelley Murray

We had so much fun with this. The school is a melting pot of suburban and inner city experience and the kids reflected their reality into their writing. I saw humor that you can’t manufacture, it came straight from their gifting and made me laugh. The creativity really impressed me.

I shared on Facebook how much fun I was having and Tracy Ruckman, publisher at Write Integrity Press, read that and offered to feature my favorite prompts on the WIP website. I love that Tracy believes in building others up as much as I do.

The student prompts are available for reading and I’d love for you to take a look. Who knows? You might be reading something from a future bestselling author.

Read the writing prompts here.

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Following God’s Directive by Camy Tang

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Camy Tang/Camille Elliot

I am not perfect but I really do try to do what I think God wants me to do, no matter how scary, or crazy, or unpleasant that seems to be.

However, I’m not the best at hearing when God’s trying to speak to me. It could be because I am just bad at listening, although I’ve worked at it to get better over the years.

But about two and a half years ago, I heard a really clear message from God about a book He wanted me to write. It’s a different genre, and a different audience, and I bobbed my head and said, “Yes, Lord, no problem. I’ll finish the contracts I have and then work on it.”

And I never did. I got more contracts, which seemed like blessings from Heaven considering how much we need the money to pay the mortgage. But they distracted me from the book He wanted me to write.

Well, lately I’ve been feeling God gently reminding me about that book. It seems every Bible study I do and every passage I read is talking about fulfilling God’s purpose for you and following His instructions.

Yes, two and a half years is a really long time for God to wait for me to start work on this book. God’s been pretty patient with me, all things considered.

So after a lot of prayer and talking it over with my husband (who, ironically, has been nagging me for two years about the book God asked me to write), I’m finishing a contracted manuscript due this month (in a week, actually) and not submitting proposals to my publishers, so that I can have contract-free time to write this book that God wants me to write. It’s super scary but also super exciting because I’m looking forward to writing the book!

By the way, the genre is dystopian. It probably won’t be for the Christian market, but it’ll be a clean read. Pray for me!

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The Promise of Spring by Tara Randel

Posted on March 5, 2015 by tararandel

While the parts of the nation are digging themselves from an especially snowy winter, the temperature is rising in Florida. After watching the news and seeing piles of snow in the Boston area, I remember why we moved to the Sunshine State years ago. The sun is shining and the days are warm enough for short sleeves and shorts. Azalea’s are blooming, which means other plants are starting to bloom as well. Before you get envious, let me just say; blooming plants…cue in the allergies.

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I’ve always loved the beginning of spring. I know we celebrate new beginnings around the first of the year, but as spring brightens up the world around me, I can see what the new year has to offer. I’m filled with expectation and ready to take on the new projects. There’s a spring in my step, if that doesn’t sound too cliché. (Blame the writer in me.)

 
But sometimes before we celebrate the spring, we have to get through the downtime of winter.

 

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: Ecclesiastes 1:1

 
Over the last few months, I filled much of my time studying the Word of God. I’m probably like most people. When I’m not consumed with a project I have to make time for one-on-one with the Lord. I took this winter to get my priorities straight and enjoy the wisdom the Word shares with me. Sometimes I’d tackle subjects that are personal, other times I’d do a Bible study. No matter what I did, it always brings me to an new place in my relationship with God.

 
I love the image of the bride waiting for the bridegroom. I view my study time as preparation for the days to come. The beauty of the spring days remind me of the things God has in store for me. Anticipation for the wedding day.
I encourage you to take time out of your day to read the Word. Spend time in the presence of the Almighty. If you have done so, even the weather won’t bother you. It’s all about perspective and keeping your eyes on what is important.

 
After a dry spell, I’m excited to have been offered new writing opportunities. There is nothing better than knowing I can take the talent God has given me and share it with others. I’ve never considered writing a job. No, I consider it a precious gift.

 
….but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. Psalm 1:2-3

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I’ll Come Back When You’re Over It by Vicki Hinze

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Vicki Hinze

Vicki Hinze, over it, Christians Read

 

A few years ago, I went through an experience that resulted in me re-evaluating my life and what I was doing with it. It wasn’t a fun process, but it was a worthy one.

 

I culled things and, frankly, some people from my life. Those who sought to build themselves up by tearing me down. Those who looked me in the face and lied to me. Those who deceived me and betrayed me and felt no remorse for doing so—even felt justified in doing so.

 

It wasn’t easy. It was difficult, but it was necessary. With the gift of hindsight, I see how much joy and balance these people were draining from my life. It wasn’t their fault, by the way. They didn’t take a thing that I didn’t give them. I recognized it and stopped giving, and I am a better person for it.

 

One of the most difficult things I changed was what I was writing. I’ve always had a writing rule not to write a book I didn’t love. I’ve always written books with suspense, romance and mystery in them—in just about every genre except horror. I love thrillers. I love suspense, mystery and romance. And if I put all those elements in a book, then I’m a really happy writer.

 

The other thing I did that many didn’t realize was include a spiritual element in my books. I’ve always been a spiritual person, and after this experience, I wanted to bring that element out of the background—the motivating factors for characters’ actions—and into the foreground. And so I did in the Crossroads Crisis Center series.

 

It was a scary move. I had a strong career going in the general market and frankly I wasn’t sure how I’d be received in the inspirational market. I did the Crossroads three books and then three more in the Lost-Inc. series. They all did okay. Reviewers and Readers were for the most part positive. But there were some who were not happy with reading more about the spiritual element.

 

I received one note that sticks with me. In it, the reader had a bit to say about this “change” and that she loved my writing and when I got over this phase, she’d be back.

 

That letter sort of encapsulated the whole of the responses. Some liked it, some didn’t, some saw very little difference from what I’d been writing, and some absolutely, positively hated it.

 

This created challenges but also blessings. I had to evaluate my reaction and my resolve. It was, simply put, a test. What I discovered during the process was that I am—and really always have been—a bridge walker.

Most haven’t heard that term and there’s a reason for that. I kind of created it to describe what kind of writer and person I choose to be.

 

At one end of the bridge is the secular or general market. At the other end is the inspirational market. In the middle is where I am. Not fully accepted on either end, but doing what I’m called to do, walking the bridge.

 

At first, this troubled me. I felt alone. But in the years since that experience, I’ve discovered that most of us are on that bridge. We have faith, we believe, and we do our best to walk in faith. But we live in a secular world, and many in that secular world are lost and wounded and seeking something. They gravitate to us because we’re not “over the top” or so far removed from them in their lives that they feel getting to a spiritual place is impossible for them. They fear they’re so far removed from the spiritual that they’ll be judged and found lacking.

 

Some believe that people of faith are all about being judgmental and harsh and their own experiences have left them feeling they’ll never measure up or being accepted much less find their place. With very few exceptions, that’s not been my experience, but many have experienced it.

 

I see now, these folks too are on the bridge. They seek more, want more, need more from and in their spiritual lives than they have now, but they can’t seem to find a place where they belong and feel valued.

 

That’s proven the case in my life and in my writing. And it’s why I’m writing series like the Shadow Watchers. Those characters were born in Crossroads Crisis Center and continue in their own. THE MARKED BRIDE is the first book in Shadow Watchers. It’s a Bridge-Walker book and hasn’t been out long enough to gauge whether or not it’ll be accepted by readers. So far, feedback has been good from inspirational and secular readers. One secular reviewer commented she hadn’t realized it was inspirational until it came up that the protagonist prays on everything important in his life. That’s been about the only remark on this end, and it kind of surprised me. Until I read that comment, I honestly thought all spiritual people prayed on things important to them. So I learned something important to know there.

 

Anyway, my point is that a life-altering experience isn’t something you get over. One day, I hope my writing will enjoy the secure footing it once did. I can’t believe that I was brought to this kind of writing and I won’t be brought through it.

 

Either way, the spiritual demands that we do what we believe we’re called to do. I am on solid ground on that front, and the rest will work out as it’s intended. Your prayers on this would be greatly appreciated.

For these reasons, notice is hereby given that, until directed otherwise, I’ll remain on the bridge, doing what I can to help others heal, and hoping it’s enough.

 

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Book Release-UNTRACEABLE by Elizabeth Goddard

Posted on March 1, 2015 by bethrachg

Hi Friends!

Today is release day for UNTRACEABLE, book 2 in my Mountain Cove series for Love Inspired Suspense. UNTRACEABLE is the story of survival under extreme pressure, and the resulting spiritual battle when we wonder where God is during the struggle.

While UNTRACEABLE can be read as a stand alone novel, I hope you’ll start the series with BURIED and meet the characters there first to get the most powerful emotional experience.

NO WAY OUntraceable CoverUT

On a daring mission, search-and-rescue specialist Heidi Warren and her team step onto an icy Alaskan mountaintop. . .and right into a trap. A stranded gang of thieves holds them at gunpoint, forcing them to serve as guides along the treacherous path. Menaced on all sides by dangerous weather, deadly terrain and murderous criminals, Heidi desperately needs someone to trust. But her rescue partner, Isaiah Callahan, is keeping secrets from her. Secrets that ended their chance at a relationship before it could even begin. Yet her survival depends on finding a way to trust Isaiah when a blizzard starts closing in and her options start running out.

Mountain Cove: In the Alaskan wilderness, love and danger collide.

Order you copy today at:

AMAZON!

HARLEQUIN

Or Visit my website for more purchasing options: ElizabethGoddard.com

Many blessings!

Elizabeth Goddard

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