Tag: Faith

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Devotions for Writers

Zachariah’s Silence

devotions

Zachariah said to the angel, “Do you expect me to believe this?”

Luke 1:18 MSG

Do you have a hard time believing what God’s Word says to you?

Imagine seeing an angel and still being incredulous. That’s what happened to a priest in the Temple. His once-in-a-lifetime turn sent him into the altar room to offer incense. An angel appeared and talked to Zachariah. The Message says, “Zachariah was paralyzed in fear.”

He caved to unbelief.

This was a guy who spent his whole life preparing to serve. Verse 6 says Zach was blameless and upright, so what soured his attitude? He wasn’t new to the faith or unschooled about God’s power. He sat under the greats learning about the wonders God performed to free their people in Egypt and how Elijah was transported to heaven. He knew about the powerful flood and the six days of creation. What was the sticking point? “I’m an old man and my wife is an old woman.” Luke 1:18 MSG

What does age have to do with God’s ability to bring a baby into the world? That baby, John the Baptist, was sent to prepare hearts for the Savior to come. Zach’s disbelief came at a huge cost. He had laryngitis for nine months.

Exercise:

1. Read the full story of Zachariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1:5-25. What observations do you make about his response to Gabriel. Look up different versions to find other clues.

What is the difference between disbelief, like Zach, and questioning, like Mary (Luke 1:34)?

2. Come with expectation. In Luke 1:8-12, Zach was startled. He wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary to happen. When you sit down to write, do you expect God to show up and enlighten your thought process?

How can you approach your writing time as an act of worship to the Author of words?

3. Know you have been heard. Luke 1:13 gives a sigh of relief to years of praying for a baby. How often did Zach and Liz think God had forgotten them? How do you pray for your WIP? How will you respond when God answers?

4. Take joy and delight in the message. In Luke 1:14, Gabriel says there will be much celebrating. How will you start a party over your book baby? How will your words point to the Messiah and prepare hearts for His second coming?

At what cost do you hold onto unbelief?

Has your pen stilled? Break the silence to proclaim the Good News!
Sally Ferguson

Over 140 of Sally Ferguson’s devotionals have been published in Pathways to God (Warner Press). She’s also written for Light From The Word, Chautauqua Mirror, Just Between Us, Adult Span Curriculum, Thriving Family, Upgrade with Dawn and ezinearticles.com. Prose Contest Winner at 2017 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.

Sally loves organizing retreats and seeing relationships blossom in time away from the daily routine. Her ebook, How to Plan a Women’s Retreat is available on Amazon.

Sally Ferguson lives in the beautiful countryside of Jamestown, NY with her husband and her dad.

Visit Sally’s blog at sallyferguson.net

Categories
Embrace the Wait

Survival Tips for the Waiting Part of Writing Tip #20 – Remember Who is in Control

During this season of uncertainty, life can often feel as if it is spiraling out of control. We can’t control the virus, we can’t control the fact that life as we once knew it may never return, we can’t control the stark division this political climate is causing, we can’t control the weird weather—seriously, fire tornados and land hurricanes?

As writers and authors—we can’t control the increasing closure of brick and mortar bookstores, we can’t control lost face-to-face opportunities to speak and promote, we can’t control the slow response time of publishers and agents, and we can’t control the ever changing landscape of the publishing industry.

But don’t lose heart. The truth is, we never really were in control. Our current global circumstances haven’t increased the things beyond our control; they’ve just made our utter lack of control more apparent. We serve a God who is not surprised by these events. He was, is, and will always be … in control.

Here are a few things we CAN do to move forward while we wait and trust in Him.

We CAN take advantage of every virtual opportunity available to further our craft and platform. Online conferences, Zoom meetings, social media events, and digital training opportunities are becoming the wave of the future. We don’t have to leave our home to take advantage of these opportunities, and who doesn’t enjoy the freedom of wearing lounge pants while participating?

We CAN use our time wisely. Many of us find ourselves with extra time on our hands these days. But it can seem like that time is wasted if we don’t treat it purposefully. Priority lists are always helpful, but long lists can seem too overwhelming. Start with three goals per day. I know if I can check off at least three boxes by bedtime, it motivates me to do more the following day. And beware of the great time parasite—too much social media.

We CAN choose to have a positive attitude. Our world is full of frustrated, scared, angry, divisive people. But we don’t have to be lumped into that group. In fact, we are called to be a light in this dark world. By using our writerly superpower—words—and combining them with love and truth we can be a force of encouragement and joy in a world that desperately needs it.

Scripture: Ephesians 5:16, Matthew 5:14, Proverbs 16:9

Fun Fact or Helpful Resource:
A great resource for online, affordable training is Serious Writer Academy. Their courses are categorized by genre and you can go at your own pace.

ANNETTE GRIFFIN BIO

Annette Marie Griffin is a award-winning writer who speaks at local women’s group meetings and women’s retreats on the topic of biblical womanhood and finding our identity in Christ. She is the Operations and Events Coordinator at a private school for special needs students and is the editor of their quarterly newsletter. She has written custom curriculum for women’s retreats and children’s church curriculum for Gateway Church in San Antonio, Texas where she served as Children’s Ministry Director and Family Program Director for over twenty years. She and her husband John have five amazing children and two adorable grands. She’s a member of Word Weavers International, ACFW, SCBWI, and serves on the Board of Directors for The Creative Writing Institute.

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History in the Making

Hospitality in Writing

History in the making

Have you ever read any books by Shel Silverstein? Since 1963, his poems and drawings have delighted countless children and adults. Even though we lost “Uncle Shelby” in 1999, new generations are still discovering and enjoying his work today.

I appreciate his wit and wisdom and simple illustrations in The Giving Tree, A Light in the Attic, and Falling Up to name a few. He is silly and sad, yet profound in his work. Few have ever done it better.

But in Where The Sidewalk Ends, Shel does something really special. He graciously invites us into his world with this poem titled, Invitation:

If you are a dreamer, come in,

If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,

A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer …

If you’re a pretender, come sit by my fire

For we have some flax-golden tales to spin.

Come in!

Come in!

I love that. The idea of showing the reader they are welcome, to invite them to come in and ‘sit a spell’ is an idea as old as Genesis, the first book to display hospitality.

The Bible teaches that acts of hospitality or inhospitality reveal the good or evil of a person or a community.

Christianity Today.

Our Christianity is on full display in our work. We willingly allow others in to observe us in our most vulnerable state, where our beliefs are vividly displayed in our prose. In the Bible, hospitality was shown in the host’s home. In the craft of writing, our readers take us into their homes when they buy our work. It would appear that we become the guest, but actually, we want them to enter the world we built and enjoy themselves. Therefore, we remain the hosts.

So how do we nurture a spirit of biblical hospitality in our work so a reader knows we love Jesus?

I believe we must come to the end of ourselves. We cannot trust or boast in our achievements, we cannot wallow in our rejections. We must find ourselves at the altar laying it all down at the feet of our Lord and Savior. We must allow the Holy Spirit to open us to the mystery of inviting others in, not just to our work, but our lives.

Come in! Come in! Sit with me in my world for a while. Let me offer you a little bit of me, let me warm your soul and make you feel welcome. And while you’re here, I pray you see Christ in me.

Grace to you and peace be multiplied,

KD Holmberg

K. D. Holmberg is an author, blogger, and freelance writer. She is a member of ACFW, Word Weavers International, and a founding member of the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. She is represented by Hartline Literary Agency. A retired flight attendant, she has traveled and lived all over the globe. She and her husband, Keith, love to golf and live in South Carolina. You can find more about her: Facebook @authorkdholmberg, twitter @kdeniseholmberg, and website kdholmberg.com

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Writer Encouragement

Remember our Veterans with your writing

Since it’s Veterans Day, this will be a somewhat nontraditional “Writer Encouragement” column. However, the message is as important as any I’ve likely written before: Remember our veterans.

Write about them. Encourage them and their families by acknowledging their sacrifice for our country. Look for ways to feature their stories and submit them to periodicals. Never let our country forget that freedom is not free.

I happen to be a “Blue Star” mom. In other words, I have a son who serves and has, since 9-11 crashed into our world and changed our lives forever.

When he joined the military, we had just found out that my only daughter had an inoperable brain tumor. I prayed and prayed and hoped he’d not go in. But the Lord had other plans. I knew that and gave him my blessing. It was one of the hardest sacrifices I’ve ever made.

And now his wife and children make that sacrifice, and do so, time and again, as his military rank advances and his responsibilities grow. He has saved many lives and won many medals.

This photo was taken several years ago when my son’s daughter was just two and he’d just flown home from a deployment.

Yet it comes at a cost as his wife and children carry on without him being their time and again. As his mom, I often am unable to even get a text to him just to see how he is. That’s where being a prayer warrior for him and other military members helps keep me sane as I entrust him into the Lord’s hands.

I encourage you writers to bring their stories to life. There are thousands of veterans and active military out there. Don’t let their sacrifices be ignored or forgotten. Be sure to protect their privacy—especially if they currently serve— because revealing their personal info can put them or their families in harm’s way.

We can’t all serve our country. But we can tell the sagas of those heroes who have been on the front lines.

Carry on.

Elaine Marie Cooper has two historical fiction books that released in 2019: War’s Respite (Prequel novella) and Love’s Kindling. Love’s Kindling is available in both e-book and paperback. They are the first two books in the Dawn of America Series set in Revolutionary War Connecticut. Cooper is the award-winning author of Fields of the Fatherless and Bethany’s Calendar. Her 2016 release (Saratoga Letters) was finalist in Historical Romance in both the Selah Awards and Next Generation Indie Book Awards. She penned the three-book Deer Run Saga and has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies including the recent Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive, Live Happy. Scarred Vessels, a novel about black soldiers in the American Revolution, will release in 2020. You can visit her website/ blog at www.elainemariecooper.com

Categories
Mastering Middle Grade

An Interview with Martyn McGrath

This month we continue our series of author interviews with Martyn McGrath, creator of the Trials of the Hopebreather series.

KM: Can you tell us a little about why you write for a middle grade audience?

MM: I write middle grade because I remember that time of life fondly – particularly the magic of reading – and I want to engage that audience with my writing. I keenly remember searching and searching for new authors whom I could trust, especially fantasy authors. They always seemed to be so rare, so when I found one that I liked, it was as if I’d discovered the secret room and picked the lock on the time-worn chest, only to find that the treasure within was even more valuable than I’d dared imagine. The middle grades are vividly experienced years; I was greatly impacted by what I read, and knowing that, I cherish the opportunity to have an impact on young, vivacious minds. 

KM: As a person of faith, I’m particularly interested in how/if faith plays a part in other writers’ experiences. How does your faith inform what you write and/or how you approach writing?

MM: As a reader, I believe there are stories that matter and stories that don’t. The stories that reveal something amazing about my God – whether they do so implicitly or explicitly – those are the stories that matter to me. Those are the stories with real power because they are directed to the highest purpose of language: the glory of God. So, when I write by faith, it means that I do so approving of what God approves, disapproving of that which is sin, and striving to engage my readers in thinking about heavenly things. As Job notes, God sometimes sets darkness in our paths, so writing by faith is not always light and joyous. But to write about a way of darkness is not to take gratuitous pleasure in it, which is a key distinction between what is good and what is evil. 

KM: Would you mind sharing with us a little about your writing journey?

MM: My love for writing began at a young age. But pursuing writing seriously, and put together a plan of what I hope to accomplish with my writing? That came much later. I’m still in the early stages of my writing endeavors, so by no means have I hit all those goals. But sooner or later, I had to stop practicing and hesitating, and just go for it. I decided to go indie so that I could take things at my own pace and experiment with how and what I wanted to write. Proverbs 29:25 says that the fear of man is a snare, and I had to face that truth, because when I started, I was almost paralyzed by a fear of what others would say about me and my work. I still struggle with that from time to time, as I’m sure many authors do, but every time I do, it’s a reminder to be sure of my motivations before God. Being right with him enables me to go forward boldly, trying to do the best I can. 

KM: What advice, encouragement, or suggestions do you have for aspiring writers?

MM: There is no one path for writers. For a long time, I thought there was, as if there were secrets known only to a special and enlightened few. But you are unique; don’t try to force yourself into a mold or solve problems the way that everyone else does. Be patient with yourself and your work, and understand that a master writer is decades in the making – savor the journey, be ready to learn, and you’ll find it to be a deep and rich pursuit!

Martyn McGrath’s debut novel Door to Altharia is the first book of Trials of the Hopebreather series. He is a graduate of the University of Alberta and currently resides in Ontario with his wife and two daughters.

Kell McKinney earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in documentary studies from the University of North Texas. She’s a part-time copywriter, double-time mom and wife, and spends every free minute writing and/or hunting for her car keys. Connect with her on Twitter @Kell_McK or kellmckinney.com.

Categories
Embrace the Wait

Survival Tips for the Waiting Part of Writing

Tip #1 – Keep your eye on the goal

With three seconds left on the clock all Tim could think about was advancing to the state championship finals. He’d spent his whole high school career in anticipation of this one moment in time. How many parties had he missed because of practice and workout schedules? How many hours had he spent muddling through math homework to make a passing grade? How many opportunities had he passed up for this chance? Too many. But it would be worth the sacrifice in just a few short moments.

He swiped the beaded sweat from his brow, took a deep breath, and sized up his opponent. Tim had no doubt he could tip the ball when the whistle blew. But regaining the ball and making the winning basket would take focus, skill, and more than a little luck. The shrill scream of the whistle ignited the passion burning in his muscles and fired Tim into action. He tipped. He grabbed. He dribbled. And … he scored, right as the buzzer sounded! An eerie silence filled the packed gymnasium. Then—an explosion of garbled outcries erupted from the crowd. Tim had made the winning shot …  all net, right into the other team’s hoop.

Had Tim invested the hard work required to excel at the game? Yes. Had he made the right sacrifices and set the right priorities to develop his skill? Yes. Had he given his all at crunch time to ensure a win? Yes. The problem? He had lost sight of the correct goal.

Although specifics vary, I think it’s safe to say that most Christian writers share one common overarching goal; we all want our writing to reflect our faith. We want the best of us—which is Christ in us—to shine brightly from the page no matter the genre. So we literally write our hearts out for Him. In the beginning that’s so easy. He is our muse, our driving force, the narrator of all our penned words. But when the work is done and we descend from our writing high there’s often a valley at the bottom of that hill.

It’s called waiting.

In the wilderness of waiting there are plenty of distractions that can lure our attention away from the goal. During that seemingly long stretch of time between a finished piece of work and the payoff most of us will encounter pitfalls like rejection, discouragement, comparison, self-doubt, and worse. We’ll talk more about each of those things in future posts. But above all else if we can learn how to focus on the right goal, no pitfall will ever entrap us.

So let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith … and our writing. He’s busy at work during that waiting wilderness—molding and making us into who He has called us to be. The wait may seem like a monotonous and irritating waste of time, but I love how Pastor John Piper describes the silent work of God’s sovereign hand; “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.”

Scripture—to help keep your eye on the goal:

Hebrews 12:1-2, Psalm 121:1, Psalm 123:1, 2 Corinthians 4:18, Isaiah 26:3, Proverbs 3:5-6

Fun Fact—to help keep your eye on the goal:

The famous and inspirational book Chicken Soup For The Soul ONLY became a became a best-seller and award winning series AFTER a whopping 144 rejections! Chicken Soup’s author, Jack Canfield wrote, “If we had given up after 100 publishers, I likely would not be where I am now.” He went on to say, “If you have a vision and a life purpose, and you believe in it, then you do not let external events tell you what is so.”

 

Annette Marie Griffin is a award-winning writer who speaks at local women’s group meetings and women’s retreats on the topic of biblical womanhood and finding our identity in Christ. She is the Operations and Events Coordinator at a private school for special needs students and is the editor of their quarterly newsletter. She has written custom curriculum for women’s retreats and children’s church curriculum for Gateway Church in San Antonio, Texas where she served as Children’s Ministry Director and Family Program Director for over twenty years. She and her husband John have five amazing children and two adorable grands. She’s a member of Word Weavers International, ACFW, SCBWI, and serves on the Board of Directors for The Creative Writing Institute.

Categories
My Writing Journey

Am I Good Enough?

Talented. Well-intended affirmation sculpted my ego into a thin glass spine. Unaware of how fragile my assurance would soon prove, I ventured into the world of writing conferences. I could invite publishers to join my team of encouragers.

Let’s just say things didn’t go as I had expected. Publishers didn’t coddle me with praise-padded enthusiasm. My misplaced confidence took several critical blows.

Ego properly shattered, I limped to my room. Crawled into a fetal position. Bawled. I no longer believed in myself. I doubted the talent with which others had defined me.

After a snot-streaked, prayerful cry, the Lord stood me back up. Reminded me to follow the call. I resolved to continue writing, keep trying to pursue the work God set before me.

But, the question had etched itself as a skipping album in my mind. Its haunting words would play over and over in my head for years to come.

Am I good enough?

For years, I strove to extinguish my doubt by improving my skill. I went to many workshops, conferences, and writing retreats. I learned a wealth of new craft insights and enjoyed priceless fellowship with other struggling writers.

Yet self-doubt and temptation to give up dogged my heels. I strove harder to emulate the techniques of successful writers. With each new level of training, I merely realized how much more I had yet to learn.

Then, I heard best-selling authors admit they’d heard the question, too.

One day, I cried out to the Lord, “I’m not good enough!”

You’re right. I’m glad you realized that. He responded. But I AM.

Now, I place little faith in fleeting matters of talent and success. Why settle for them? I’m intimately connected to the most creative source in the universe. He’s not merely adequate. He trumps all insufficiency, owns the patents on our gifts, eliminates the very concept of failure.

I still hear the question sometimes. The enemy isn’t the creative one. He re-uses his original strategies. Pride. Discouragement. The temptation to believe fulfilling God’s purpose depends on whether I’m any good.

Scripture confirms none of us are any good. “There is no one who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:12). Thank God we don’t have to stake our confidence in ourselves.

The Lord encourages us to offer him our best. He calls us to serve him with excellence. If called to write, we should attend conferences and hone our craft. When doubts arise, we must stake our faith in something greater than our own effort, however. The Lord alone holds the right to define us and to determine our calling.

Author, speaker, licensed counselor, and life coach, Tina Yeager has won over twenty-two writing awards. She publishes Inkspirations Online, a writers’ devotional, and mentors five chapters of Word Weavers International. To book her as a speaker, coach, or manuscript therapist, check out divineencouragement.com or tyeagerwrites.com.

Tina adores embracing new friends, so feel free to offer hugs to her avatars at Facebook , Twitter , Instagram tina.yeager.9, LinkedIn , Goodreads, and Pinterest

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My Writing Journey

The Wavering Writer

Doubts assailed me as I stood on the mountain anticipating my first Christian writers conference. Fear tainted my excitement, and I wondered if coming was a mistake.

Was this God’s plan or just my idea? I’ve dreamed of this venture for years. Friends deem my efforts as publication-worthy, but will an agent agree?

Writing for God. Wow, what a blessing! But did He choose me for this kingdom work? Surely not. I’m a fair judge of writing and mine is okay—well, maybe good—but not excellent.

With thoughts swirling, I recalled some self-talk and prayer that had occurred after I’d accepted what I believed to be God’s call to write. Shortly after I began to study and practice the craft, I read articles authored by friends and silently declared, That’s it. I won’t do it! Their writing is great, but mine isn’t. God certainly didn’t call me to write.

The Lord interrupted my internal tirade and asked, “Jeannie, are you willing to write with the gift I gave you even if it doesn’t appear as profound as someone else’s?”

His question dissolved me into a puddle of tears and I cried, Yes, Lord, I will. I offer this gift back to You.

As God reminded me of that encounter in prayer, my paralysis on the mountain turned into grateful obedience.

During the two years following that first conference, I contracted to write devotions for two compilations, contributed to a Selah award finalist, started writing for Refresh Bible Study Magazine, and published a poem. What amazing blessings and confirmation for this wavering writer!

Last year, when Beebe and Katy Kauffman envisioned the Bible study compilation, Heart Renovation: A Construction Guide to Godly Character, I shunned fear, trusted God, and joined the team as a new Bible study writer. Then, this past spring, I established what I call “my fledgling blog” to try my wings at encouraging readers. With each opportunity, God helps me grow as a Christian and a writer.

Doubts still sneak in, but when they do, a heavenly shoulder tap reminds me of God’s call. Recently, after reading a friend’s blog post, those doubts resurfaced.  

Dena’s post has a great format and clear focus. Mine, not so much. Maybe I shouldn’t even . . . Wait. Stop! I’m comparing again and finding myself lacking.

Father, transform me into the writer You want me to become. I pray, “Teach me the way in which I should walk; for to You I lift up my soul” (Psalm 143:8b NASB).

Praying and reading Scripture redirect my thoughts to God’s plan and produce peace and assurance. I’m thankful God walks with me through “Doubt Valley” and sets my feet on the mountain of His grace while teaching me to serve Him through writing. God doesn’t always call people who are experts, but He continues to prepare those He calls.

Do self-talk and doubts hinder your writing? If so, what gets you back on track?

Jeannie Waters adores family time and cheering for the Georgia Bulldogs. She teaches English as a Second Language part-time and leads an English/Bible study. Jeannie writes for Refresh Bible Study Magazine, and she contributed to these compilations: Breaking the Chains and Heart Renovation: A Construction Guide to Godly Character (Lighthouse Bible Studies), as well as Just Breathe and Let the Earth Rejoice (Worthy). Visit her at jeanniewaters.com or @jeanniewaters44 on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Categories
Write for His Glory

No Matter What

This month we celebrate Father’s Day.

What an awesome time to reflect on our amazing Heavenly Father and all He has made possible for us. Be encouraged by the words of Jesus, Paul, and Peter (verses are from the Amplified Bible translation).

16 For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He[even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. (John 3:16-17)

27 Peace I leave with you; My [perfect] peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. [Let My perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.]  (John 14:27)

3 Blessed and worthy of praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ, 4 just as [in His love] He chose us in Christ [actually selected us for Himself as His own] before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy [that is, consecrated, set apart for Him, purpose-driven] and blameless in His sight. In love 5 He predestined and lovingly planned for us to be adopted to Himself as [His own] children through Jesus Christ, in accordance with the kind intention and good pleasure of His will— 6 to the praise of His glorious grace and favor, which He so freely bestowed on us in the Beloved [His Son, Jesus Christ].  (Ephesians 1:3-6)

1 Peter, an apostle (special messenger, personally chosen representative) of Jesus Christ,
To those [elect—both Jewish and Gentile believers] who live as exiles, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia [Minor], and Bithynia, who are chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by the sanctifying work of the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace [that special sense of spiritual well-being] be yours in increasing abundance [as you walk closely with God].
3 Blessed [gratefully praised and adored] be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant and boundless mercy has caused us to be born again [that is, to be reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose] to an ever-living hope and confident assurance through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 [born anew] into an inheritance which is imperishable [beyond the reach of change] and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected and shielded by the power of God through your faith for salvation that is ready to be revealed [for you] in the last time. (1 Peter 1:1-5)

No matter what challenges you face…

No matter what experiences you’ve had with your earthly father…

No matter what hurts you’ve suffered in the past…

No matter how many sins you’ve committed…

[bctt tweet=”No matter what…. …your Heavenly Father is there for you, reaching out to you with open arms of love. ” username=”@marygscro”] God’s promises are true, His love for you is limitless, His mercies never fail but are new every morning. His peace is yours for the asking through His son Jesus Christ.

Won’t you ask today?

 

Mary Graziano Scro, a graduate of Christian Communicators Conference, is an inspirational author, speaker, and blogger who intuitively weaves analogies and personal testimony with practical biblical teaching. Whether “live” or at the keyboard, Mary loves sharing what God has done in her life to encourage others about the awesome life God has planned for us, IF we are willing to choose wisely in our everyday lives (John 8:31-32). And it’s not only about us – the more we invest in our own unique relationship with Jesus, the more visible He is to a world that desperately needs Him.

You can reach Mary on:

Facebook: Mary Graziano Scro https://www.facebook.com/don.mary.scro

Twitter: @marygscro

LinkedIn: Mary Graziano Scro  https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mary-scro/11/600/a4b

Blogs: Life Is Not A Formula at www.marygscro.com

Categories
Write for His Glory

The Journey From “I Can’t” to “I Will”

The journey from “I can’t” to “I will” starts with brutal honesty.

“I can’t give up my coffee.”

“I can’t give up my bedtime snack.”

“I can’t ______________.”

These responses are often heard when someone is instructed to give up certain things so they can become more healthy. Sometimes it’s a doctor, sometimes a friend who has achieved success. Either way, the person starts out defeated by a belief that they are a victim to some unseen force that is stopping them from making the right choices.

I’ve often been like that toward God with my writing.

“I can’t write every day, I don’t have time.”

“I can’t follow a schedule, I’m too unstructured.”

“I can’t do this, I don’t know how and it’s too hard.”

It’s easy to say “I can’t” and take on that victim mindset. But what I’ve really said is…

“I won’t take something else out of my day to make time to write.”

“I won’t discipline myself.”

“I won’t pray, trust God, and step out in faith.”

Saying “I won’t” is rebellion, pure and simple. I am not a victim, I have the power to choose. Unless I see that, take ownership of my choices, and repent, I will remain a helpless victim and see little or no change in my writing life. God wants to give me His best, and by digging my heels in and refusing to obey I’m saying, “Not interested, don’t trust you, I want my way.”

Hmmmm, isn’t that where everything started back in the garden?

To move forward, we need to be brutally honest with ourselves and admit that whether we say “I won’t” or “I can’t”, the result – and the rebellion – is the same. [bctt tweet=”When we say “I can” and “I will”, we demonstrate our faith and trust in God. The doors He can then open for us are truly amazing!” username=”@marygscro”]

Is anything we can do on our own worth the cost of missing His will for our writing?

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has granted me [the needed] strength and made me able for this, because He considered me faithful and trustworthy, putting me into service [for this ministry],    (1 Timothy 1:12, AMP)

Can we all make the journey from “I can’t” to “I will”?

Yes we can…if only we WILL!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary Graziano Scro, a graduate of Christian Communicators Conference, is an inspirational author, speaker, and blogger who intuitively weaves analogies and personal testimony with practical biblical teaching. Whether “live” or at the keyboard, Mary loves sharing what God has done in her life to encourage others about the awesome life God has planned for us, IF we are willing to choose wisely in our everyday lives (John 8:31-32). And it’s not only about us – the more we invest in our own unique relationship with Jesus, the more visible He is to a world that desperately needs Him. You can reach Mary on:

Facebook: Mary Graziano Scro https://www.facebook.com/don.mary.scro

Twitter: @marygscro

LinkedIn: Mary Graziano Scro  https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mary-scro/11/600/a4b

Blogs: Life Is Not A Formula at www.marygscro.com

 

Categories
Child's Craft

Keep the FAITH in your Writing

Keeping the faith in your writing can be difficult. I remember sitting on my back porch with a rejection letter in my hand just sobbing. I had received the go ahead from this publisher to send in my full proposal. I’d been waiting in anticipation for several months and believed this was the publisher the Lord had provided. I’d worked so hard to perfect this manuscript but then it came. The dreaded rejection letter. It wasn’t what they needed at the time. Rejection letters weren’t new to me as I’d already received a year’s worth of them, but for some reason, this publisher hurt me the most. I just wanted to quit.

Have you been there? Are you experiencing this or something similar now? It seems that rejection letters aren’t sent so much anymore, as the dreaded silent treatment. No news is not good news in these cases. Luckily my youngest daughter, saddened at seeing her mom sobbing at that time, cuddled next to me and said, “You have to write, Mommy. You’re a writer.”

That was just what I needed to hear at the time to gradually snap me out of my Writers Pit of Despair. We all have one. Some of us visit it more than others. But believe me, we all have them.

What do we do when we don’t have a precious toddler telling us that we have to keep writing?  I think it’s okay to visit the pit once in a while for a brief pity party, but don’t set up camp down there. Claw your way back out. Keep the FAITH. That may sound cliché but I’ve come up with an acronym of FAITH for writers to keep us out of the pits of despair.

F – Fully believe in God’s anointing of your gift of writing.

God gave you the gift of writing for His glory. We don’t know what that means to Him, but we are to use the gifts He’s given to us. You may be asking, “How do I know if He’s given me the gift of writing or not?” People who do not have the gift of writing know it. They don’t like anything having to do with writing. They probably don’t journal, they dreaded writing assignments in school and don’t doodle in idle time. They aren’t looking at the world differently. They may not even enjoy reading. But if you can’t NOT write, you’ve probably got the gift.

A – Actively write or create. God is the Great Creator and I believe loves to see everyone creating in one form or another. Even when you’re visiting the pit, reach for a pen and your beautiful journal (life is too short to use ugly journals) and scribble your thoughts, your feelings and prayers down. Scratch out a note to your mother. Write a letter of praise to God. Draw. Color in those new adult coloring books. Make a craft with your child. Paint. Organize a drawer. Cross stitch. Sew. Find something to create to get your creative juices flowing again.

I – Involve yourself with other writers. Join a critique group. Word Weavers has local chapters all over. See if there’s one close to you or check out http://www.meetup.com/ to find local writers groups. Attend a conference to network with other writers. Join a writers group on facebook. Get creative to find other writers. You know they’re out there.

T- Thank God for your inspirations, for your time to write, for blessings and anything else that comes to mind. Giving thanks brings joy. In fact, giving thanks may be what lifts you out of the pit.

H – Hope, have faith. You have a hope in Jesus and in His love for you. Believe he has the best in mind for you and will use you and your writing in ways you probably can’t even fathom at this point. Be open to His leading. Believe in Him. Believe in your gifts and have FAITH.

Know you’re not alone in this. Anybody who claims to be a writer will receive a rejection or ‘silence’ at some point or many points. Rejections are the battle scars that show we’re writing. Keep writing and keep the FAITH.