Scripture – Almost An Author

Creating Community

A visit with college buddies reminded me of the bonds we create over shared experiences. The photo album teased of younger days and adventurous ways. We laughed at hair styles and commiserated over the drama of life. What kept hearts united after thirty years of separation?

It’s that thing called community—the place where we invest in each other’s dreams and aspirations, celebrate successes and mourn losses.

When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours. Romans 1:12 NLT

Exercise:

1. Writers at all levels need a support system. Be a writer who champions other writers. (Almost an Author) Be their cheerleader. See how it returns to encourage you as well.

Encourage one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV

2. Are you a part of a writers’ group? If yes, how do you speak life into the others? If no, why not start a group? Choose a location, time, and advertise. Have a dessert, a short lesson, a fifteen-minute writing exercise, and prayer. The effort of showing up results in a forged bond of friendship that celebrates words.

Let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on. Hebrews 10:22-25 MSG

3. Pray for other writers. Ask God to inspire their words, provide creative outlets, and multiply their influence. Prayer banishes jealousy and pushes out competition. It affirms there is room at the table for all. Let prayer build your esteem for yourself and others. Let it embolden you to be God’s ambassador with your words

Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly. Ephesians 6:18-20 NIV

Your words matter. May they be used to build relationships, kinship, and prayer.

How will you create community for other writers?

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

When Words Mean Life or Death

“The king’s scribes were called… and it was written… to every province according to its script, and to every people according to their language…”
Esther 8:9 (NAS)

By the word of King Ahasuerus, Mordecai and Esther commissioned a letter giving Jews the right to defend themselves against attack.

By the word of the king, Haman was carried out from a banquet to hang on the gallows.

Your word probably doesn’t carry the same menace as those in the book of Esther, or, does it? Every day we have opportunity to speak into lives around us. The way we speak will carry life or murder for the hearers. Murder? Isn’t that a little harsh? I may not utter murderous threats like Haman declared against Mordecai, but my words can cut down someone’s esteem or reputation.

Queen Esther was so aware of the power of words, she asked Mordecai to fast and pray for three days. (Esther 4:16)

I believe every writer is called to use their words to inspire, motivate, and encourage people near and far, for such a time as this. (Esther 4:14)

Exercise:

1. Look at your text messages for the last 36 hours. How can you inspire, motivate, or encourage in your texts?

2. Look at your social media posts from the last week. What can you do to inspire, motivate, or encourage through your posts?

3. Look at your email archives for the past month. How can you send out letters that inspire, motivate, or encourage your recipients?

In uncertain times, people need inspiration, motivation, and encouragement. (Isaiah 40)

Articulate God’s Word responsibly; it’s a matter of life and death!

“Thanks be to God who leads us, wherever we are, on his own triumphant way and makes our knowledge of him spread throughout the world like a lovely perfume! We Christians have the unmistakeable ‘scent’ of Christ, discernible alike to those who are being saved and to those who are heading for death. To the latter it seems like the very smell of doom, to the former it has the fresh fragrance of life itself.

“Who could think himself adequate for a responsibility like this? Only the man who refuses to join that large class which trafficks in the Word of God—the man who speaks, as we do, in the name of God, under the eyes of God, as Christ’s chosen minister.”
2 Corinthians 2:14-17 (PHILLIPS)

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 www.sallyferguson.net