Showing posts with label Dani Pettrey.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dani Pettrey.. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Diluting The Call

My church is about one hour of beautiful Montana driving away from my house. After services I listen to one of my favorite radio programs, "From the Top." 

This show gives teens opportunities to perform their music on stages such as Carnegie Hall. Regular performers are from Julliard, Interlochen, and some school in Cincinnati I can't remember, to mention a few. 

The show leaves me breathless. How can young men and women excel in their gift at such young ages? Why didn't they choose to hang out with their friends every evening after school? Why did they get up before six am every day? 

Here is their secret:

Devoted young men and women sometimes travel seven hours to get to school or private lessons, in addition to practicing long hours. The performances confirm the fruit of the teen's tremendous dedication to their music specialtyAny teen musician choosing to give half  or an almost effort would be eliminated from their program. 

They Develop their skills through years of concentrated training with tutors, private lessons, group work, book work, homework, practice, redoing, relearning, renewing their desire to perfect their skill. Their thoughts dance around their specialty, working through concepts and difficult skills. So focused.

They Destroy incorrect fingerings, out of tuned phrases, incorrect breathing passages, misinterpretations of the piece, tone, intuition, vibrato, and pace.

As a Christian Fiction writer I should do the same . . . and more. 

I should Dedicate my writing each day before my fingers touch the keys or my thoughts set in motion. Why would God want to bless anything else?

I should Deliver nothing less than 100% of what I am able to do. I have a love painting in my home, painted by my oldest daughter when she was in kindergarten. It was her best and a work she felt very proud to present to me. It is lovely. As she grew her skills grew. The 100% presentations changed with her skills. God does not expect me to do more than He has given me talent for at the time. Neither does He expect me to do less.

I should Demonstrate God's calling. Not saying (telling) words like "God gave me this story and so I wrote it. Instead show what God gave you by devoting your time, developing your skills, destroying incorrectness, dedicating your work to God, and delivering nothing less than 100% of what God gave you.


This post was inspired by the last reading challenge in which I read Submerged by Dani Pettrey. The plot of this romantic suspense novel was superb. 

I am going to take a brief sabbatical from my Why Writers Should Read series. My next post will appear the week after the ACFW conference. I can't imagine not having something splendorous to report.

Since my website is new, I sure would like to gain followers. Would you stop by and consider becoming a follower? www,maryvee.com


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photo courtesy of amazon.com and freedigitalphotos.net


This blog post is by Mary Vee
Mary lives in Montana with her husband and loves to hear from her three college kids. She writes contemporary Christian fiction with a focus on the homeless population and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

Visit Mary at her website www.maryvee.com
 Step into Someone Else's World 
  
Ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids http://www.mimaryvee.blogspot.com/
Email: mimary_vee@yahoo.com

Winner of Exemplary Program for American Christian Schools International: Grocery Store Ministry for the Hungry