Are You Steadfast?

While studying a passage in Psalms the other day, I found a word that intrigued me—“steadfast”—and began looking at other places in the Bible where it appears. As with all interconnected verses, it became difficult to know where to stop! One led to another which led to yet another and so forth. And each had a slightly different meaning, yet all helped shed light on the original verse. Such it is with God’s Word, a true light for our path no matter how far afield we might stray in our thinking.

When we as Christian writers follow the calling God has placed on our hearts to write for Him, we often find this same kind of web-style network impacting our writing. Perhaps you need to look up more information on a type of food that would be served at a Medieval banquet and then you find another rabbit trail to pounce on in the midst of this research. And before long, an entire morning is gone and the novel’s next chapter still lies unwritten. Yes, you have learned a great deal about Medieval life but nothing significant regarding the original question of what foods to describe on the plates of those attending the feast. Yet, is it wasted time? Not by a long shot!

And in the same way when God reveals another piece of His character to us while pursuing a specific word study, we often learn more than we bargained for. And learning is always good!

In this case, I learned in Psalm 112:7 that my heart does not have to fear bad news if my heart is holding fast and trusting in God alone. My heart will be secure and where He is, fear is not! Even when the darkness surrounds me, verse 4 in that chapter tells me that His light springs forth. Nothing my enemy can do comes close to this miracle and for that I am deeply grateful. I have this verse cross-referenced with Isaiah 26:3-4, a well known passage that reminds us He will keep us in His perfect peace when our hearts are strong in His love. So when faced with trouble, these words reassure me that all my plans will be worked out in His timing if I lay my hands on God’s truths to keep me steady. And this is what will keep me safe and secure as I navigate through life.

How does that apply to my writing? In plenty of ways! When I’m awaiting word on a contest entry or a submission to an agent or publisher, there is no need to worry or fret over what the answer will be. I can rest in the knowledge He is in control of that situation and has a better plan than mine ever could be for my future as a writer. It might be a resounding yes, but even if it is a no, I don’t have to be anxious. And believe me, so far I’ve had abundant experience with this! Have I always reacted the way He wants me to? Sad to say, not at all. But the times I do His peace is so real I can taste and smell it oozing through the words on the page before me.

“Yes, Laura, I’m still here and still in control. And yes, Laura, I have a great plan for your writing not far up ahead. Keep at it, stay steady and strong. Be steadfast and the riches of My rewards will be greater than you could ever have imagined.”

Do I trust Him? Absolutely! Will I obey and let Him work this out? You bet! He is the CEO of my writing career and when He shows me the next step, I have only to step forth in confidence and faith that He has a purpose behind His command. Mystical? Not on your life, just simple, child-like faith that He is my God. I hope you can say the same today, that He is yours, too! If not, I would love to share with you how you can feel that same assurance of your soul for all eternity!

The Legacy in My Bible

Like most people, I have stuck notes of all kinds in the pages of my Bibles (I have two, a large study one and a slimline one to take to Sunday School and church so I don't have to lug that big one on Sunday mornings!), carefully placed there down through the years. In addition, I have underlined and made countless notes in the margins of almost every book as I have studied the Scriptures in the course of Bible studies, SS lessons, church services, devotional times--whenever God has spoken to my heart over the years. But never did I imagine I was creating a lasting legacy by doing so, until recently when a friend's testimony touched me deeply.

When my friend’s mother passed away not long ago, she inherited her Bible and to her great delight discovered a treasure beyond compare. It seems that her mother had done the same thing I have, tucked away various items that had meaning to her from time to time down through the years. One of those was a poem she had written to her children about her own death but they had never read! In addition, the verses she had underlined in her studies now serve as a silent testimony for her daughter to a living faith that has survived beyond the grave. Nothing could replace that!

Readers and authors alike must keep pace with the rapid and dramatic twists that technology offers or risk becoming lost in a whirlwind of confusion and frustration. What was considered a novel approach one week quickly is replaced by one that is essential in the publishing industry, for example, and ignorance can be the death knell for a writing career. This includes methods for personal Bible study as well as for leisure reading, research purposes, and advanced learning situations.

Some people glide into this revolution easily and with great enthusiasm; others have to be dragged kicking and screaming. Often I find myself in this latter category, I must admit, but I am taking “baby steps” to immerse myself into social media, for instance, that a few years ago would have been unthinkable. There is one area, however, at which I draw a hard and fast line. And when my friend shared her feelings about her mother’s Bible that day, it was a monumental revelation to me. What if her mother had used an online version of the Bible with all those priceless notes lost for all eternity?

So I pose this question to you now, as my friend did that day: what kind of a legacy are you leaving behind in your Bible, however unintentionally? Will it be something that future generations will someday tap into in order to know you more fully and understand your faith walk, and perhaps thereby experience a powerful change that will echo throughout eternity, long after you are gone? Or will it be an item of technology that no one even remembers how to turn on? I pray how I walk this road will honor God and bless my children in the years to come!

THE RAVEN AND THE LILY

The other day I was reading a passage in Luke that struck me in a different way than ever before. It is found in Chapter 12, verses 22-29. Jesus was teaching His disciples about trusting God to provide our needs, and He used as an example the ravens of the air. Jesus reminded them they do not sow or reap and don’t have barns to fill with extra food, yet God feeds them. And then He hammers home His point by saying, “And how much more valuable you are than birds!”

This is made even more graphic when you consider the fact that ravens are considered unclean by Jews. They wouldn’t touch one on purpose for anything. But God still considers them worthy of provision and protection. He doesn’t wait for them to somehow become magically clean overnight. Instead, He cares for them in their so-called contaminated state. Just as He does for me.

But Jesus isn’t through with His lesson yet. He goes on to tell us to consider the lilies of the fields, how they don’t work, either. But Solomon, considered the most wealthy and prosperous man of the Old Testament days, did not have glory equal to this simple flower. In spite of my lack of faith, He will take care of me as He does the lily and the raven, who do not endure forever. He clothes me—that is, provides for my basic needs—even if I do not, or can not, lift a finger to provide for myself.

Another point of interest from this story is the fact that birds do go out to seek food but lilies are stuck in the ground and must wait for nourishment to come to them in order to survive. It matters not what I do, only that God provides.

Salvation cannot be earned, no matter how hard I work. It is a gift from God’s heart. He offers it to each of us and I am humbled to have accepted that gift from Him. It has changed everything for me!

When I write, I can only do so much to get something published. I have to use discernment and wisdom to know where to submit; but in the end, it is not my decision. It is left up to others. I can pray for them to choose publication for my book but I cannot force it to happen. I must stay put and wait for God’s nourishment and reward to be showered upon me. Yet I must never give up hope! When the time is right He will provide, for He has called. That I know. The waiting is hard but not impossible!

Meanwhile, I study and learn more about my craft and get the submissions done. They will never bless anyone sitting in a drawer or trapped in my computer. And I pray for patience to wait on His timing and His answer. I may seek other venues—as the raven goes out to seek food—but in the end, I am more like the lily. If we can work at it, we should. Other times, we simply wait.

Which are you today, the raven or the lily?

Victim or Victor?

When writing suspense, authors work hard to pace the action so as to build the tension and keep readers turning pages as fast as they can. Whether it’s a murder mystery with a ticking clock or imminent peril from an unknown source or dangerous monsters lurking nearby, the point is the same. Let the reader feel the character’s anxiety and fear by writing this character into a corner where things just couldn’t possibly get any darker. And then let it!

Make chaos erupt with every scene, turn things upside down and inside out, show the unexpected and dreaded. Your character needs to be a victim to some extent so the reader can empathize with her and thus identify with her dilemma, so she will care whether she lives or dies. Explore the potential in this suspense and build it yet again to another climax as soon as is feasible and hit your character with still another unbelievable yet real crisis. And keep it up until you leave the reader breathless and completely hooked on your story, not daring for a moment to put the book down. Grow the character through overcoming these obstacles and push her relentlessly when she wants to give up. These are the makings of “real” life, even if it’s in a book!

We’ve all read novels and short stories about victims but sometimes they are not sympathetic. If they willingly remain in the situation and continue to be abused or threatened or imposed upon with no hope in sight, readers will quickly lose desire to continue the story. So it is a fine line between creating this victim mentality or writing about one who is victorious over her circumstances and challenges. Be careful about allowing your readers to drown in the victim mode; always pull the character out of the fire at just the right moment to sustain interest and likeability, while drawing a believable character who won’t turn off the readers.

And you know what, our lives are the same way. When God granted us breath & brought us into this evil world, He also surrounded us with much beauty to prevent our becoming overwhelmed. The Scriptures tell us to focus on the good things in life not on the negative ones. We may feel doomed to live IN all this mud, but we can rise by His power and learn to live ABOVE it. Are you creating a lifestyle for yourself where you are constantly a victim, where someone else is always to blame for all the bad things that envelop you? Or are you allowing God’s Spirit to help you soar on eagle’s wings above the mess of our world and catch hold of the victory He offers?

Whether you are forming a character for your latest book or fine-tuning the attitudes and motives of the real world around you every day, let His victorious strength boldly take you to the skies instead of wallowing in the muck. Which will be your dwelling place in the coming week—that of victim or victor?

Wolves and Writing

The other day I read a Cherokee Proverb and it spoke strongly to my heart about my writing. Perhaps because right now my focus has been on writing about various Native Americans. But I choose to believe it’s because I also focus on knowing God’s Word and the philosophy behind it comes straight out of the Scriptures.

According to the Proverb, there is a battle between two wolves inside all of us. One is evil. It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, lies, inferiority, and ego. [My words here: This sounds familiar, doesn’t it?]

The other is good. It’s joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth. [Hmm, seems I’ve heard this somewhere before, too!]

The wolf that wins? The one you feed.

Today, are you feeding the evil wolf inside you? Are you allowing God’s Spirit to be squelched when you express your human nature and its basest elements? What about your writing? Is it uplifting and helpful to others? Or does it tear down and destroy with its selfishness and sarcasm?

Or are you feeding the good wolf in your heart by allowing the Holy Spirit to speak through the words you write to bring healing and comfort to others? Even with fiction you can do this. But are you? Before you speak or write, do you ask yourself if it will help another or possibly cause hurt or shame? Do you ask God to bless those words to His purposes?

My writing is inextricably linked with my faith because everything in my psyche is steeped in it. I cannot separate the two, though at times I write more for the secular market than for the Christian one. But my goal is always to bring inspiration and hope. I sincerely desire for the good wolf inside my heart to win the battle and hope my readers can sense that at all times.

This week as you write, find the good wolf and help him come out. Don’t allow a prolonged battle to rage for it will diminish the power of your words. What you feed on, is what you are—a rough paraphrase of Jesus’ words to His disciples. Seek the positive and it will show up in what you write, and you will experience showers of blessings because you did!

Hard Work--Me?

Last week I shared a verse from the Bible that has great meaning to my life and to my writing. This week I want to add one more verse that has impacted me as well.

Proverbs 14:23 says in the NIV, “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.” I can’t tell you how hard this hit me when I first read it in light of my writing. As I wrote it down to post by my computer, I wrote across the bottom of the card, “Stop procrastinating and WRITE!” All day long I can say am a writer but until I do it, my words are empty and meaningless. God takes them and creates purpose according to His will when I get out of the way and allow Him room to work through those words. However, I must do my part first before He will have something to work with!

Not only does the verse have application for my writing; in my daily walk through life, it rings true as well. This nation was founded on such a principle, in fact. One of the vital components of the Mayflower Compact was that everyone who wanted to eat must work. You can’t order the corn to grow and turn around to find steaming hot corn on the cob sitting on your table. Likewise, my husband (who is a homebuilder) can’t organize the blueprints and subcontractors for a house and sit back and watch it happen. He must work at it and keep others doing so before a finished product—and therefore profit for our business—can happen.

Many today unfortunately suffer from serious financial poverty, but far more are afflicted with emotional, mental, and/or spiritual poverty. They are equally devastating, just not quite as noticeable to a casual observer’s eye. How have you been the victim of these in the past? Or perhaps one of them holds you in its bondage right now. Emerging from it is no easier than from financial poverty but the good news is, it can be done with God’s help. This verse is a good starting point. You were created for purpose and for enjoying the work your Heavenly Father designed for you. So get to it!

We all suffer from some form of poverty from time to time and the key to defeating its hold on us lies in these simple words from Proverbs. Whether it is for our writing or for our personal lives, we must work hard to achieve our dreams. Living in obedience to His principles helps us focus on the essential and keep things in perspective as we await His blessings. It’s not a matter of luck but of confidence in God’s promises, not of talking about it but doing it.

What will you do this week to identify your areas of poverty and design a game plan to change destructive patterns and unleash God’s blessings? And no more excuses, get to work on your writing now!

Trust Versus Creativity

Much of my strength and wisdom in life has come from God’s Word. Why should my writing be any different? When discouragement threatens to rob me of creativity, when distraction attempts to block out my focus, when life gets in the way of life, nothing picks me up like searching Scripture for a sense of direction or confirmation.

One verse from The Message sums it all up. Matthew 6:34 says, “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

The Lord has a plan for my life that is for good and not for evil, intended to give me purpose and meaning and hope for the future (this is my own paraphrase of another verse!). Trouble is, my enemy also has a plan for my life. It is counterfeit, though, designed to get me off track and therefore too busy or exhausted to fulfill the one intricately woven by my Creator. Fretting over whether or not I will have the ability to complete a story God has put on my heart, or spending time wondering how I ever believed He had called me to write for Him means I am not walking in obedience to this verse. What my Savior has called me to do, He will equip me sufficiently for doing. Plain and simple truth. So do I believe it? Of course!

When taking numerous plot threads and weaving them together into a cohesive whole, as the author I need to know where I am going, right? Maybe. We’d all like to see the next step in our writing—or in life. But then it would not be trust. If we can see ahead, there is no miracle involved as it plays out. My writing style is such that I like to lay out my ideas at the beginning in intricate detail, leaving nothing to chance so I don’t box myself into a corner from which I cannot emerge without dismantling at least part of the story line. Sounds nice and neat, doesn’t it? Let me tell you, it doesn’t always work out that way!

For years I’ve heard the advice that authors should allow their characters to tell their own story instead of imposing an external plot on them and forcing them to comply with its boundaries. It made sense but I didn’t understand how it was supposed to actually work. I mean, these people aren’t real, right? So how can they form the story line?

In writing my novel From Now Until Forever I discovered first hand the truth of this advice. Just as in life, I had to take a step of faith at the beginning, to start the writing process without fully knowing what came next. Word after word and paragraph after paragraph, slowly but surely God’s Spirit was unleashed in each person I had created, and before I realized it, these people took over and began to change the direction of the book. For instance, I had a minor character who was slated to appear only in the opening scene but who very soon became a major one. The whole story became richer and deeper as he spilled out the details of his evil life. This didn’t excuse his behavior or motivations, only explained them better than I was doing. Every time he threatened the heroine or plotted against her, the man became more believable—even as I shuddered while writing the words. Thankfully, my emotional, spiritual, and physical well being wasn’t being attacked! Or was it? Sometimes I couldn’t be certain, so I knew my readers would feel the same way, thus drawing them deeper into the life of at least this one character. And once he was unleashed to do his mayhem, everyone else spoke up as well, demanding equal time. God took care of the tomorrows with this book when I began listening to Him in the moment.

And He can do the same for you right now. How will He speak to you today? Share with me the wisdom He reveals from this simple verse. How exciting the future can be when He is in control!