YET ANOTHER DIVINE INTERCESSION
Using what I learned in a recent Bible study on Jonah, I am viewing the latest twist in my life as a divine intercession rather than an interruption! Thanks to Priscilla Shirer’s insight and wisdom out of God’s Word, the Lord is slowly changing my heart & my mind to accept this philosophy. And now I face the greatest challenge of all in my husband’s pending liver transplant.
Perhaps someday I will write about this and maybe even laugh about it in some respects, but right now it requires all my energy and focus just to put one step in front of the other as we go through this process. It is mind-boggling in how complex it is to get onto the national registry and fearsome in its implications, not only for the immediate future but for years to come. Yet, God has been over all this ground long before we came along on the path and because He goes before us, I know we can succeed! All I must do is keep my eyes on Him and my mind in line with His wisdom, and He will be both my front guard and my rear guard, ready to do battle as needed. No matter how He chooses to play this out, my hope is that we will stand firm in an unshakable faith rooted in His Word and heart.
Where does this leave my writing? At the moment, I honestly do not know. I cannot continue to make it the highest priority overall as I have been doing, but in between the moments of drama and danger, I intend to plow ahead with this calling in spite of all the enemy is doing to hamper my efforts to write for the Lord. After all, there is always revision later to “clean up” the sloppy and emotional structure I might put on paper in the midst of this situation. If He intends for me to write, not even this latest obstacle can stand in HIS way!
Thank you, dear readers, for staying with me through what's ahead and forgive my distraction and lack of attention to my commitment to post on this blog. God has a purpose and a plan and even when I cannot clearly see what that might be, I’m excited to walk by my husband’s side as He reveals the adventure awaiting us later this year. I pray that my writing will bring Him much honor regardless of the pain in my heart—and perhaps because of it! I couldn’t do this without the faithful prayers of many others and the courage of my husband, both gifts from the Father at a crucial time.
Many showers of blessings await us and I’m excited to be on this journey of faith with each of you!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Tools For Navigation, Part Two
Last week we examined the navigation tools of the map, compass, and rudder. If you didn’t have a chance to read about them, please check with the archives list as it will enhance this week’s post a great deal.
Sail – This tool is of great value to a sailor for it saves him a tremendous amount of work and effort. He can still move without it but only by the sweat of his brow. Of course, it is of no use when caught in the doldrums. The writer knows that without that wind to blow into his sail, he will go nowhere as well. His creativity is what fills his sail with the push to form ideas into plots and vague character traits into people who leap off the page and into the hearts of readers. For the Christian, this tool is the breath of a mighty God who is in control of the seas, the winds, and the weather on land and water alike—and our writing as well. He brings to our lives the incredible beauty of nature all around us that makes life so enjoyable and gives us the promise of an eternity in a Heaven beyond description.
Common Sense/Experience – This tool is priceless for the sailor, for it offers him a vast array of memories of similar situations and solutions from which to choose as he navigates new waters. This one pulls all the others together into a cohesive whole and is the reason Naval Commanders must prove themselves before taking the helm of a battleship or destroyer. The ability to make those instantaneous hard choices are what separates them from the less-experienced men who might hesitate one moment too long, resulting in disaster for everyone on board. The same goes for a writer, who needs to have at the very least some amount of knowledge under his belt before venturing out into the dark unknown of publishing. That can include but is not limited to an advanced college degree; but, even someone with an insatiable hunger for learning about the industry can be solidly grounded without those letters following his name. A prevalent attitude is that a multi-published author knows more simply because he has “been through it before” and to some extent this is very true. However, on a few occasions even professionals seem to lose their way with an arrogance that allows them to become lazy and refuse to do on-going study of their career field. The bottom line is that at times one without the first-hand experience but a broad understanding of the industry can be a better choice for an editor. For the Christian, the longer we walk with the Lord, the more instances we have of His mercy, grace, and provision. But if we waste that time and don’t stay immersed in His Word every day, we are of no more use to Him (and maybe less!) than someone who is an infant in his faith. We have to learn to listen to our God-given instincts, pay attention to our intuition, and seek His wisdom to make them all work. Using the tool of these life experiences combined with reading voraciously to learn more produces a richening and deepening of our fellowship with Him beyond measure.
It is my prayer these Tools For Navigation will aid you in your journey, whether as a Christian or writer or both!
Last week we examined the navigation tools of the map, compass, and rudder. If you didn’t have a chance to read about them, please check with the archives list as it will enhance this week’s post a great deal.
Sail – This tool is of great value to a sailor for it saves him a tremendous amount of work and effort. He can still move without it but only by the sweat of his brow. Of course, it is of no use when caught in the doldrums. The writer knows that without that wind to blow into his sail, he will go nowhere as well. His creativity is what fills his sail with the push to form ideas into plots and vague character traits into people who leap off the page and into the hearts of readers. For the Christian, this tool is the breath of a mighty God who is in control of the seas, the winds, and the weather on land and water alike—and our writing as well. He brings to our lives the incredible beauty of nature all around us that makes life so enjoyable and gives us the promise of an eternity in a Heaven beyond description.
Common Sense/Experience – This tool is priceless for the sailor, for it offers him a vast array of memories of similar situations and solutions from which to choose as he navigates new waters. This one pulls all the others together into a cohesive whole and is the reason Naval Commanders must prove themselves before taking the helm of a battleship or destroyer. The ability to make those instantaneous hard choices are what separates them from the less-experienced men who might hesitate one moment too long, resulting in disaster for everyone on board. The same goes for a writer, who needs to have at the very least some amount of knowledge under his belt before venturing out into the dark unknown of publishing. That can include but is not limited to an advanced college degree; but, even someone with an insatiable hunger for learning about the industry can be solidly grounded without those letters following his name. A prevalent attitude is that a multi-published author knows more simply because he has “been through it before” and to some extent this is very true. However, on a few occasions even professionals seem to lose their way with an arrogance that allows them to become lazy and refuse to do on-going study of their career field. The bottom line is that at times one without the first-hand experience but a broad understanding of the industry can be a better choice for an editor. For the Christian, the longer we walk with the Lord, the more instances we have of His mercy, grace, and provision. But if we waste that time and don’t stay immersed in His Word every day, we are of no more use to Him (and maybe less!) than someone who is an infant in his faith. We have to learn to listen to our God-given instincts, pay attention to our intuition, and seek His wisdom to make them all work. Using the tool of these life experiences combined with reading voraciously to learn more produces a richening and deepening of our fellowship with Him beyond measure.
It is my prayer these Tools For Navigation will aid you in your journey, whether as a Christian or writer or both!
Monday, April 4, 2011
TOOLS FOR NAVIGATION, PART ONE
As we sail through life we all know there are many obstacles to getting where we want to go in safety, with ease, and in a timely manner. I’ve been studying the book of Jonah this past month and my most recent lesson sparked some thoughts on the above topic. God provided several tools we can use for the purpose of finding our way, and these are appropriate for writers as well. Due to the length, this will be done in two parts, beginning this week and completed with next week’s post. Be sure to read both!
Map – We need this tool to get an overview of the area and to help us gauge the distance involved in arriving at our destination. For a writer, this would be an outline of some type for the book or story, whether simple or detailed. For the Christian, the Bible is our “map” and contains the specifics if we will read it. Some maps require only a brief glance but most demand a more focused study. It always helps if we have a goal to work toward before setting out on a journey!
Compass – This tool quickly pushes us back on track when we have wandered away. I would say for the Christian this would be favorite verses committed to memory that will come to mind instantly when we are in need and provide whatever help we require at that time. For a writer it might be a chapter summary that will display what we have missed in our writing that must be included, or what we have added that doesn’t belong there. In any case, using this tool leaves no room for doubt as to what is going on and we are remiss if we fail to consult it as we go along.
Rudder – This tool remains hidden to the sailor, with only a large stick-like apparatus on the deck to indicate something larger lies beneath. The single most important part of a boat, no one wants to be caught without one! In the hands of a skilled sailor, a rudder can push a boat through the roughest of waves and against the greatest of storms or it can lead you onto the shoals that surround you under the water. Determine the type of material your rudder contains and change it out if it isn’t strong enough to serve your ship. For a Christian, the rudder would have to be the Holy Spirit. He directs us on the trip when we use Him properly; we ignore Him at our peril. Writers would sometimes term this tool as being that elusive “muse” that brings inspiration and force to their writing. Attempting to put words on paper in its absence leaves much to be desired in the reality of the scenes we depict but when we allow God’s creativity to guide us He brings our ideas to life in ways we never could have dreamed!
I do pray these thoughts will bring many showers of blessings to your heart this coming week! Be sure to read next week’s post as well!
As we sail through life we all know there are many obstacles to getting where we want to go in safety, with ease, and in a timely manner. I’ve been studying the book of Jonah this past month and my most recent lesson sparked some thoughts on the above topic. God provided several tools we can use for the purpose of finding our way, and these are appropriate for writers as well. Due to the length, this will be done in two parts, beginning this week and completed with next week’s post. Be sure to read both!
Map – We need this tool to get an overview of the area and to help us gauge the distance involved in arriving at our destination. For a writer, this would be an outline of some type for the book or story, whether simple or detailed. For the Christian, the Bible is our “map” and contains the specifics if we will read it. Some maps require only a brief glance but most demand a more focused study. It always helps if we have a goal to work toward before setting out on a journey!
Compass – This tool quickly pushes us back on track when we have wandered away. I would say for the Christian this would be favorite verses committed to memory that will come to mind instantly when we are in need and provide whatever help we require at that time. For a writer it might be a chapter summary that will display what we have missed in our writing that must be included, or what we have added that doesn’t belong there. In any case, using this tool leaves no room for doubt as to what is going on and we are remiss if we fail to consult it as we go along.
Rudder – This tool remains hidden to the sailor, with only a large stick-like apparatus on the deck to indicate something larger lies beneath. The single most important part of a boat, no one wants to be caught without one! In the hands of a skilled sailor, a rudder can push a boat through the roughest of waves and against the greatest of storms or it can lead you onto the shoals that surround you under the water. Determine the type of material your rudder contains and change it out if it isn’t strong enough to serve your ship. For a Christian, the rudder would have to be the Holy Spirit. He directs us on the trip when we use Him properly; we ignore Him at our peril. Writers would sometimes term this tool as being that elusive “muse” that brings inspiration and force to their writing. Attempting to put words on paper in its absence leaves much to be desired in the reality of the scenes we depict but when we allow God’s creativity to guide us He brings our ideas to life in ways we never could have dreamed!
I do pray these thoughts will bring many showers of blessings to your heart this coming week! Be sure to read next week’s post as well!
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