Tag: hope

Categories
Bestsellers

Interview with Award-Winning Author Carol Graham

award-winning author

Can you share a little about your recent book?

A true story of beating insurmountable odds can be stranger than fiction. From the moment her story opens with border guards wielding guns and threatening arrest during interrogation, to overlapping traumas spanning decades, you bite your nails, get angry, cry, laugh and shout when she consistently comes out as a victor, instead of a victim.

Nothing about Carol Graham or her memoir, Battered Hope, is conventional – yet it speaks to anyone who has ever experienced trauma.

When Carol tried leaving her abusive first husband, he had her gang-raped and left for dead, compounding her already compromised state of health.  Surviving an ugly divorce but later marrying the love of her life, she was devastated when diagnosed with ovarian cancer and told that without a hysterectomy she would die.  She refused to accept that and gave birth 14 years later.

While lying in the hospital being treated for spinal meningitis, Carol received a devastating phone call.  Her house had been destroyed through vandalism; her husband’s business partner depleted their bank accounts, stole their diamond business, and disappeared.  Carol called her husband in Johannesburg, South Africa who had already received the terrible news and was standing on the ledge of the 19th-floor balcony about to jump.  The ringing phone stopped him.

Carol and her husband were later arrested on trumped-up charges by former business partners and their only witness committed suicide days before the trial.  Her husband was convicted and went to prison.

At the same time, Carol’s heart had been broken when their adopted son was ripped from her arms after the birth mother demanded him back – a year later. 

Carol and her husband lost two soaring gemstone businesses to business partners who stole everything and left them penniless.

Years later a car accident caused her husband severe brain injury and doctors warned him after being bedridden for seven years “This is as good as it gets.”  

Does this sound like a life of misery?  Possibly.  But instead of defeat Carol saw victory in every situation and never ever gave up hope.  She used each trauma as a stepping stone to a better life.  As a result, her memoir and talk show have benefited thousands of people worldwide.

When asked the question “How did you stay sane?”  Her response: “God knew the end of my story. When there was only a thread of hope, I never let go!”

Through all these experiences, she conveys how to handle grief and loss, to win over defeat, never allowing bitterness and unforgiveness to rule, to stay focused and persevere through any trauma, and most importantly….NEVER, EVER GIVE UP HOPE!

Why do you write? Do you have a theme, message, or goal for your books?

After writing my memoir, I began writing articles, stories, and another book based on miracles and the hope God gives each one of us. 

How long have you been writing? 

15 years

And how long did it take you to get your first major book contract? Or are you published non-traditionally? How did that come about?

My first book was self-published

Which of your books is your favorite?

My memoir is my life so must be considered a favorite. But the one that is changing lives and making an even greater impact, is currently available as a course online but not yet published. This is the one I teach at seminars, workshops, and coaching sessions on how to pray the answer, instead of the problem. Consequently, it is special.

Tell us about an award you won that was particularly meaningful.

The One Woman Fearless award was especially meaningful. My daughter nominated me for the award because she watched me live as an example of a woman who never gave up, always trusted God, never complained, and showed incredible strength. At the award ceremony, everyone was impacted and I received a standing ovation. 

How long does it take you to write a book?

About a year

What’s your writing work schedule like?

One day a week

What has been your greatest joy(s) in your writing career?

Hundreds of people have accepted Christ as their savior after reading Battered Hope.

My book on miracles is changing lives more than I imagined possible.

Could you tell us about a dark moment in your writing career?

Ten years ago our son left us with no warning and no explanation. Although difficult, I was able to write many articles and teach in various venues how to deal with estrangement – often more difficult than the death of a child – there is no closure.

How many times in your career have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you?

Remarkably, I rarely am rejected and cannot recall any except the occasional story for Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Where do you get your ideas?

My personal life experiences and what I teach in my prayer courses.

Who is your favorite author to read?

Harlan Coben

What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would have heeded?

Accept criticism and learn from it is my advice.

What are common mistakes you see aspiring writer’s make?

Writing a book that has been written before. I will rarely read or endorse an idea that has already saturated the market.

Where/How do you recommend writers try to break into the market?

Social Media

Carol Graham is the author of a fast-paced award-winning memoir, Battered Hope. In 2015, Carol received the Woman of Impact Award from Focus on Women Magazine and Author of the Year for her memoir, Battered Hope. In 2018 Carol received the global award for One Woman – Fearless which is given to women who have faced their fears and are making the world a better place for women to thrive.

Carol hosts her bi-weekly talk show Never Ever Give Up Hope which has an international audience in over 140 countries.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Purchase Battered Hope on Amazon: –

Purchase How to Pray the Answer – Not the Problem

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

How to Write Tactful Fantasy and Science Fiction During COVID-19

Writing during a global pandemic is probably not something you thought you’d be tackling. Writing is hard enough by itself!

But handling history well, whether you’re living it or researching it, is part of being a writer. Recently I saw an article that stressed how one publisher is not particularly focused on dystopian writing because of the current state of the world.

They stressed the importance of finding hope through historical events. Fantasy and Science-fiction can be used to build that hope, if done rightly. Here are a few ways to use the current global crisis for the benefit of your readers:

Enforce your writing with historical moments.

Countless moments have shaped history, and therefore storytelling, as a whole. This is one of them. Going back often helps us move forward.

As you plan, draft, or edit your current work-in-progress, focus on historical moments that looked bleak but ended in a brighter future. Draw inspiration from these moments and allow them to influence your writing. Readers need hope, and you’re one of the best people to give it to them.

Use history to teach.

The Civil War brought tension between family members and friends. The Great Depression was a drastic life change for many. COVID-19 is a different circumstance bringing similar emotional responses. Research those who lived during historical moments, look up their stories, and choose different aspects of these very real people to influence your characters.

For your protagonist, consider drawing different character traits from figures who experienced global moments in different centuries. Combine some of these characteristics into a fictional character, add your own twist, and use your character to bring hope to your story. This will show readers what characteristics still bring hope today.

Look to the future.

History shows us how to interact with the future, what to do, and what not to do. Science-fiction in particular points to the future. As you craft your story, pour yourself into world-building and research that will make readers want to escape into your world. Layer in supporting characters and scenes that will inspire your readers to return to their own world wiser, and with more hope, in how to handle their present circumstances.

Writing is a powerful tool. While writing for entertainment may not be our primary focus right now, it can be used to teach, inspire, and bring hope. Now more than ever it’s important to write powerful stories and strong characters. Let’s be the writers who encourage readers in a dark time. Write on!

Sarah Rexford is a Marketing Content Creator and writer. She helps authors build their platform through branding and copywriting. With a BA in Strategic Communications, Sarah equips writers to learn how to communicate their message through personal branding. She writes fiction and nonfiction and offers writers behind-the-scenes tips on the publishing industry through her blog itssarahrexford.com. She is represented by the C.Y.L.E Young Agency.

Instagram: @sarahjrexford
Twitter: @sarahjrexford
Web: itssarahrexford.com

Categories
Embrace the Wait

Survival Tips for the Waiting Part of Writing Tip #14 – Stay on Mission

I’m writing this post at a time when our world is in shut-down mode. Stores are closing their doors, travel has been restricted, and the term self-quarantine has suddenly risen from the shadows of the past and roosted in our everyday vernacular. Life right now seems like a sci-fi WIP—being written by a pantser. And yet again there’s the … waiting. Waiting for answers, waiting for a cure, waiting for some assurance that this virus won’t be the tiny straw that breaks the world’s hope.

Ah, but we know the true author of the story, and we know that He is where our hope lies. None of this has taken God by surprise. He’s still on His throne and still in control. So, what do we do during our time of waiting?

Here are a few tips to help us stay on mission.

  1. – Social distancing does not have to keep us apart. Can you imagine how much more difficult the separation would be if we did not have the benefit of technology? I shudder at the thought. Now is the time to take full advantage of every online networking opportunity available. Our connections with each other are vital to God’s plan. He created each of us to fit together like puzzle pieces for His purposes. Wouldn’t it be just like the enemy, that schemer, to use this time to divide and conquer us? We can’t let him. We must choose to band together in every safe and possible way. I’ve added some links below to help with this.
  2. It has been said that the instruction to fear not occurs exactly 365 times in the Bible. I’ve not counted these occurrences for myself, but I believe it. It’s as if God doesn’t want us to live one single day in fear, so he gives us a verse for each day.  One important thing I’m learning about fear is that it has zero power in my life when it is brought into the presence of God’s perfect love. His perfect love casts out all fear. But wrangling that fear from the confines of my worry and anxiety and casting it into the truth of God’s love—requires trust. In this time of uncertainty, when it’s hard to discern truth from fiction, one thing is sure. We have a God who can be trusted. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. May we all move into that trust and away from fear.
  3. Many of us have extra time on our hands now that the demands of our overly-busy lives have been temporarily suspended. With fear out of the way, let’s use the spare time to move forward into our callings. Let’s draw near to God, deepen the relationships we have with our families, write something every day. Remember, this period of waiting is not a bump in the road—It’s a springboard. As C.S. Lewis once said, “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”

Scripture: 1 John 4:18, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

Fun Fact or Helpful Resource:

Here are some great ways to connect with others online:

  1. Join a critique group where you can share your work with other writers and receive valuable feedback. There are many out there. But Word Weavers Intl. is my fave.
  2. There are private writers’ groups and clubs you can join online. Serious Writer has a club that I love. They not only provide networking opportunities, they offer training and other amazing perks.

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
Child's Craft

Christmas Grief

Christmas is usually crammed full of jingle bells and jolly times. But not always, and not for everyone.

Just as Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year it can also be the most miserable time of the year.

As a child my Christmases were filled with anticipation and joy and iced cookies with lots of sprinkles. My parents loved hiding gifts and surprising my sisters and I with unexpected delights.

But when I grew up life didn’t center around Christmas surprises and goodies anymore. Life was hard at times—even at Christmas.

My husband suffered from depression. At times it was debilitating for him. And those times almost always included Christmas. His PTSD from serving in Vietnam made matters worse. December seemed to be the lowest time of the year for him.

Don’t get me wrong. Both my husband and I loved Christmas. He wasn’t usually a fan of shopping, but for Christmas he pulled out all the cash he could and bought all the gifts he could for those he loved. He was a very generous man. I’m thankful for many happy memories of him pulling off surprises and finding unique ways to gift every member of the family with cash.

But beyond the gift giving he struggled to have the “joy” that Christmas is supposed to bring. That meant our children and I faced some unique challenges trying to keep the season merry and bright.

Late into our marriage my husband got professional help with his depression and that made celebrating Christmas a little easier for him (and us) for about ten years.

In the midst of that time a tragedy happened in our lives. Our son died unexpectedly of a heart attack. He was thirty years old.

That drew a dark curtain over the next few Christmases at our house. How could we celebrate? How could we enjoy jolly times without Stephen?

How We Dealt With It

It took time. Nobody wants to hear that answer. But it is true. It takes time to heal from a grief so deep you can hardly breathe.

It took determination. We had to make up our minds that we were going to find something in Christmas that we could enjoy.

It took avoidance. Yes, we deliberately avoided certain aspects of Christmas that our family had traditionally enjoyed. Stephen loved pecan pie. I had made one for him every Christmas since he was four or five years old. But not the Christmas after his death. Nor the next, nor the next. It was probably ten years before I could make another pecan pie and enjoy it.

Our Christmas tree was decorated with little kid-made ornaments from our children’s youth. But not the Christmas after Stephen’s death. I packed those ornaments away and didn’t pull them out again for many years. I bought shiny new ornaments and decorated our tree in a totally different fashion. It was the only way I could bear to look at it.

Other things changed, too. The hole in our hearts was so deep that we had to find different ways to celebrate or be sucked down into that black hole of grief.

It took prayer. Not the “bless this food” or “lay me down to sleep” kind of prayer. It took submitting my heart to God’s perfect will. It took throwing myself into the arms of Jesus and crying on His shoulder. It took whining and pouting and beating my fists on God’s chest. It took prayer that leads to surrender to the greater will of my loving Father. It took learning to trust that He always knows best.

It took permission. We were counseled wisely to give ourselves permission to be sad. To let the sadness play its role in our Christmas. Over the years I would sit down before Christmas and stroll through old photo albums remembering the vacations, birthdays, Christmases and graduations. I would spend that day crying and letting the sadness cover me like a quilt. But I knew that the next day I would get up from that position and move forward with the things families do to build new memories of Christmas and other important events.

Time, determination, avoidance, prayer, permission.

They helped us to find a new way to celebrate and a way to find new joy at Christmas.

In my grief I learned to see Christmas through God’s eyes a little, I think. Was it a joyous event for the Father? Or did He grieve because His Son was far away in a strange place surrounded by sinful people? Did He weep because He knew what His Son was going to endure in the years after that Silent Night?

Maybe God’s full and complete joy came not at the manger, but at the empty tomb.

That’s where I find my Christmas joy—at the hope of the empty tomb.

Jean Hall lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary. Her premier picture book series Four Seasons was recently signed by Little Lamb Books. Jean is a member of the SCBWI, Word Weavers International, and the Kentucky Christian Writers. Visit Jean at www.jeanmatthewhall.com, on Facebook at Jean Matthew Hall, and on Twitter as @Jean_Hall.

Categories
My Writing Journey

Thanks, Tony Robbins

“Janine?” Where are you?”

I don’t know why my husband asked me that. He knew where to find me– in front of the computer, squirting eye drops in my blurry eyes.

Yep, I’d spent another all-nighter spiffing up my manuscript. After twenty-two years, a renowned publisher had asked to see the whole thing. As I pounded the keyboard, giving Answered Prayer a final twice-over, I wondered how many nights I could go without sleep. (It was four, minus a couple two-hour naps.)

My writing journey started in the summer of 1996. I had purchased a set of “Personal Power” cassettes from Tony Robbins. At the ripe-old age of thirty-eight, it was time to figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up. For thirty days, I walked the high school track and let Tony’s voice seep into my head:

“The past does not equal your future.”

and

“Decide today who you will become, what you will give, and how you will live.”

I got the message. I wanted to become a writer. And not the kind who pens killer grocery lists on the back of the electric bill.

I went back to college, took a couple of computer and creative writing classes, and began my writing journey.

I wish I could say my first book was good. Calling it bad is a compliment. I still cringe when I think about it. If you’re a writer, you understand why. Your first book, though a labor of love, is fraught with newbie errors: POV changes mid-paragraph, a plot so crooked it rivals a dog’s back leg, and characters so boring they put themselves to sleep.

But it was my start…

With the love of God and 19th-century westerns deep in my soul, I began the second book. And for the past twenty years Cassandra Jane Pickett and her ruggedly handsome (of course) love-interest, Matt Atkins, have visited agents and publishers, in hopes someone would see their worth and give them a shot. (Well, yes. I revamped and edited their story so many times, it barely resembles its auspicious beginning).

But I’m happy to say their dreams, and mine, have not been in vain. The editorial director at Kensington Publishing is reviewing Answered Prayer even as I write this article.

As I wait by my computer with bated breath (Eww!), I hold hope Answered Prayer will see the publishing light of day.

Hmm… Tony Robbins was right. The future can look brighter every day.

Janine Mick Wills is a former pastor’s wife with a B.A. in Christian Ministry. She received The Grace Way Bible Society Award from Ambassador Baptist College for high academics and Christian character. She has used her training to help women grow in the grace and knowledge of God (Titus 2:3-5). To this end, she created a page on Facebook  called Growing in Grace by Janine Mick Wills. Janine has published articles in many magazines, including NovelAdvice, an online site that gives advice to aspiring novelists. She was also a columnist and freelance reporter for The Tomahawk (Mountain City, TN).

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
Child's Craft Uncategorized

Let Jesus Do His Thing

I traveled to India with Samaritan’s Feet earlier this year, which I’ve already shared a few experiences in this blog. Please, let me share one more. It was our commission to wash children’s feet, place new shoes on their feet and pray with them. The shoes were merely vehicles in which we could pour Jesus’ love, hope and joy on those children. However, when we were going to a government school in a Hindu village, we were instructed not to pray with the children nor hug or even touch them much as touch was not a part of their culture. Okay then. How in the world were we supposed to pour the love, hope, and joy of Jesus on these children without touching them nor praying with them? And so we were on our way.

Those of us in the feet washing stations gently washed the children’s feet, asked them questions through our school-aged interpreters and placed new shoes on their feet. For many children, this was the first pair of shoes they had ever worn besides flip-flops. So we jumped with the children or taught them to run in place to try out their shoes. Then we sent them out to the courtyard to Jeffrey and Laura. Laura showered them with toy bracelets, rings and airplanes we’d brought and she loved on them. Jeffery led the children around like the pied piper. He had them repeating every move he made and soon they were laughing and giggling like only children can. Then we heard Jeffery shout, “I AM LOVED!” and the children quickly echoed, “I AM LOVED!” He marched and danced around with the children following. “I AM BEAUTIFUL!” And the precious voices echoed his words. As we washed the children’s feet, they anxiously awaited the opportunity to join in the parade. We quickened the process so they could participate with Jeffery and Laura. Soon the whole school was marching around giggling and shouting, “I HAVE JOY! I HAVE HOPE!” These children spoke Telegu. They had no idea what they were saying, but they seemed to be having the time of their lives.

The next day, Caleb Sir, our Indian host, sat us all down before our next excursion and showed us a newspaper from the village that day that featured a picture and article of us! He translated it for us and it basically stated that a group of foreigners from far away America came to wash our children’s feet and give them new shoes. In the process, they brought the children so much joy, hope and love that we are forever thankful for them. Wow. The word “Jesus” was never spoken in that village that day, but Jesus did His thing. He loved on those children and poured His joy and hope on those children through the feeble, unworthy travelers with Samaritans Feet. We just needed to let Jesus do His thing.

And we need to let Jesus do His thing in our writing. We may not have to preach and shout Jesus in bold letters to get our points across. We may not have to end all our stories with scripture or a prayer. Perhaps the word “Jesus” won’t even be mentioned in our work. But Jesus can still shine through. If we cover our writing in prayer, write what He leads us to write, or step out into new territories, if that’s where He’s leading us, then Jesus may still be seen. While we can’t physically touch our readers or hug them nor pray with them, Jesus can still touch lives through our writing. It may be that our work brings love, hope, joy, laughter, distraction, encouragement, wisdom, or knowledge to a reader. We may never know, but let’s write with our hearts focused on Jesus so He can do His thing.

I must sadly add that last week Jeffrey was killed in an accident. He was on another mission trip. While our hearts are broken over the loss of this incredible God-loving young man, so many lives were touched through His life. Jeffrey brought love, hope, and joy to children in a way they had never experienced because he let Jesus do His thing through him – even more of a reminder for us to let Jesus do His thing through our writing and through us. Don’t put it off any longer. Others may need to read your message today.

I miss you Jeffrey. You brought love, hope and joy to us, too. Thanks for touching my life.

Categories
Grammar and Grace

Grammar and Grace

The concept of selecting a good product. Computer generated 3D photo rendering.

Hello, I’m Hope. A long, long time ago I used to teach English on the college level. I taught literature and essay writing, business writing, and technical writing. I also got to teach grammar.

I loved teaching commas and semi-colons and apostrophes except for the whiners and complainers who hated it, the jokers who couldn’t understand why they needed punctuation after the dreaded English class.

You may also ask why punctuation is important. It’s important because commas, and periods, and semi-colons are like road signs in traveling. You need them to help you and your readers along, to help you understand where you are and where you’re going. Lynn Truss addresses the necessity of punctuation in her humorous book, Eats, Shoots and Leaves.

Untitled

Grammar, mechanics, word usage—all are important to telling your story in the clearest, best way, and isn’t that the goal of writers?

In this column, I’ll try to help you understand the finer points of using commas and the correct pronoun among other writing questions because I’m one of those people who carries a pen and is ready to use it to add a needed apostrophe or, more times than not, to delete an errant apostrophe floating on hand-lettered signs at checkouts.

I also love wordplay and diagramming sentences. Yes, really. In fact, I have a book on the subject—Sister Bernadette’s Barking Dog: The Quirky History and Lost Art of Diagramming Sentences by Kitty Burns Florey

Categories
Touching Soul and Spirit

Identity: Who Are You?

Who you are is your identity. What you do is your vocation, your calling, or your talent. But it’s not your identity.

One of the first things a detective will establish when investigating a missing person who has purportedly been found or a body that has been discovered is to ascertain a precise indentification. The “who are you?” question must be answered to bring closure to the case. The police look at identity markers like fingerprints, dental records, and DNA, which are unique in every person. These are essential in determining an accurate identification. That person’s vocation, hobbies, talents, and calling may be important in the investigation, but when the missing person or the body is identified, who that person is matters more than what that person does.

You are not what you do! It may consume most of your time. You may find great joy and value in it, but you are not what you do—you are who you are. So, who are you?

[bctt tweet=”What you do is your vocation, your calling, or your talent. But it’s not your identity. #inspiration #truth #calling” via=”no”]

You were created in the image and the likeness of God. You are like God but you are not a god and never will be (even if your fans think you are). As a Christ follower, you are a son or a daughter of God. When Jesus saved you, you became a new creation. The old you was swallowed up in grace. When God looks at you now, he sees the real you, not the writer, the author, the pastor, the teacher, or the Indian chief. And, he is pleased with his handiwork and the progress that has been made.

When we live our lives based on what we do we will always be disappointed in who we are at that moment. I remember fondly the first book proposal that was accepted, the first book published, and the first award one of my books won, but none of those things determined my identity. I tried to find my identity in them but they left me empty, unfulfilled, and wanting more. What I do is enhanced by knowing and understanding who I am. It never works the other way. I am a son of the living God and that does not change. I am redeemed and secure in Jesus Christ. And best of all, I am a new creation. That is who God says I am, and that’s really all that matters.

Now it’s your turn.

  • Who are you? Think about that for a moment and try to put it in one sentence. It will be tougher than you think.
  • What makes you—you?
  • Are you at ease with who you are right now?

Discovering who you really are will only enhance what God has called you to do.

Categories
A Word in Season

Words for the Weary

We can share life-changing words to weary people.

I love it when God packs a whole sermon into one Bible verse.

The prophet Isaiah wrote, “The LORD God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens me morning by morning. He awakens my ear to hear as the learned” (Is. 50:4).

What a word for writers.

God wants us to be learners. We keep growing, reading, and learning. If our well runs dry for long, we won’t have anointed words to share with others.

God gives us words to share with weary people. It’s amazing how one word from the right source can change our lives. My shelves are filled with books and magazines that God used at specific points in my life to speak life into me. The Lord knows how to connect the right word with the right person at the needed time.

As we write, we ask God to use our words to encourage weary people – people who need a word from God through our pen.

God wakens us in the morning. Here is a tremendous verse of why DSCN4765God wants us to start the day with Him. Beginning the day in praise, in Scripture meditation, and in prayer, we position ourselves to fix our eyes on God. Sometimes we are the weary ones who need a word from the Lord to encourage us. We start our day with Him, knowing that having words to share with others begins by allowing His Word to soak into our hearts and minds.

God wants us to be listeners before we are writers.  We are to “hear as the learned” or “listen like one being taught.” God wants us to develop listening ears. The Holy Spirit walks through life with us. Pay attention to that voice inside. He may give you ideas for future projects, promptings on where to submit your work, or ways to encourage other readers and writers. As we allow God to teach and train us through the winding pathways of life, we grow in our understanding and ability to have words to share with others.

He gives us words in season to share with fellow pilgrims. Let’s stay on the journey together.

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