When it Rains it Pours

Despite the literal truth of this statement flooding my community as you read this, I can’t help but feel the full torrential force of life’s storms. When the wind is raging and the rain won’t relent, there are times when we feel hopelessly swept away in the flood of our trials.

Grief, finances, failures, illness, relationships.

Dreams.

All the pieces, big and small, that make up a life.

Sometimes it feels like the things we fight most fervently for are the first things ripped from our grasp while we flounder in the ever swelling problems threating to dishearten and drown.

Whether it’s weariness or resignation to that inevitable ebb and flow of life’s ups and downs, the crushing weight of those raining problems can leave us hesitant to hope for the sunrise. The rainbow. The promise of deliverance. Hesitant, or maybe desperate, to cling to that small, sometimes rapidly fraying, thread of faith holding us together.

Ever been right there? In desperate need of a lifeline?

Right there, in that perfectly catastrophic storm, the truth you need the most can fall on deaf ears. Those spoon fed assurances are easier to swallow when you aren’t up to your neck in the deep end, battle weary and gasping for breath. When that storm front is bearing down. When the dark cloud blinds you to the light breaking just out of reach. 

Assurances like…

“God won’t give you more than you can handle.”

“His yoke is easy.”

“Cast your cares on Him.”

“The Lord is my strength.”

“This, too, shall pass.”

“He has not given you a spirit of fear.”

“What the devil meant for evil, God can turn around for good.”

All powerful truths. And yet, all, at times, feel as cliché as the title of this post.

Ever fought against a current? Not quite as easy as it looks, is it? And in that same way, activating our faith, walking the walk, surrendering control, just being still can feel about as difficult as walking on water.

But you know… how we feel doesn’t change what is.

Your doubts, your weaknesses and struggles don’t change the fact that God’s got it. That he will not leave you. That no matter how alone you feel in your storm, he can and will intervene to calm the raging sea and keep you from going under.

Your feelings in your overwhelming moment of despair are sorely unmatched for the truth of who has you, your current pain, and your future triumph in His hands. In the middle of that storm, the water is high, your fear is powerful, your eyes can’t see what’s ahead. They are stuck, right there with you, on the bleak, blinding chaos.

Don’t panic. You’re going to bungle it at times. You will take on water. You will, without a doubt, get wet. 

And that’s okay. Sometimes we need to fall in to wash some stuff off. To remember we are not in control. That, though He didn’t cause your storm, He can still command the waves.

Thank God.

Rest and know. The flood will not take you because, whether you grasp it or not, you have the ultimate life raft at your disposal. What you feel does not have to define who you are.

An heir. A testimony. A champion.

And held.

Just keep swimming toward help … He’s closer than you think.

<3 Amy

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Amy Leigh Simpson writes romantic mysteries with honesty and humor, sweetness and spice, and gritty reality covered by grace. When she’s not stealing moments at naptime to squeeze out a few more adventures in storyland, she’s chasing around two tow-headed miscreants (Ahem)—boys, playing dress up with one sweet princess baby, and being the very blessed wife to the coolest, most swoon-worthy man alive. Amy is a Midwestern-girl, a singer, blogger, runner, coffee-addict, and foodie. Her Sports Medicine degree is wasted patching up daily boo boo’s, but whatever is left usually finds its way onto the page with fluttering hearts, blood and guts, and scars that lead to happily ever after.

Check out her NEW romantic mystery novel FROM WINTER'S ASHES! Available NOW!

One Word: Joy

It’s pretty easy to take New Year’s Resolutions too far.

Most of the time that’s not my problem. I don’t take them far enough. But sometimes the reason behind most New Year’s Resolutions is that we’re not satisfied. There’s something we need (or want) to change and we make a resolution to do it.

Why do we wait until Jan 1? It looks cooler, I guess.
Inspired by my youngest daughter, (and a year of grumpiness), I've found my One Word.

How did my youngest daughter inspire my choice?
Here's the gist:

Every day, at some point in the day, my youngest daughter used to say this phrase “I love this day”.

Every day. For almost an entire year.
I was reminded of this sweet response as I was going through my journal for 2012. 2012 was a great year for our family and my youngest daughter oozed sweetness and light to us (she still does).
I'd been praying for my "One Word" for 2016, but as I read over this 'memory' my heart felt a 'deeper' call. …This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Rejoice.
Find your Joy.

My 'now' 15 year old. This is a personality picture :-)

Many times we allow everything else expect the Lord to rule our hearts and direct our emotions. Instead of having a thankful heart, we find  ways to be discontent.

So my One Word for 2015 is JOY- Intentional Joy. The kind that is determined to focus on truth rather than circumstances. The kind that looks upward instead of all around me for answers. The kind that focuses on who God is and what He has done, instead of what I do not have.

Joy can be found in every day, and it is the byproduct of most of the stories we read and write. We write stories of hope...and hope produces JOY!

It doesn’t mean trials, pain, and difficulties will not come. Those are a given in this world. But it does mean that my attitude should reflect the hope of Christ. My vision should be from heaven-shaded glasses instead of darkened by my grumblings.

My choices should reflect someone who rejoices in the Lord and knows who holds her.

And when I fail to ‘love the day’ (as most of us fail at our resolutions at one point or other), I can be grateful in the knowledge that I cannot ‘rejoice in the day’ without God’s help (and his constant reminder).

There is so much to find hope and joy in when you are loved with so GREAT a love as God’s love.

What is your One Word for 2016? How do you hope it will help direct your heart and mind toward the Maker of this New Year?
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Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she is the mom of 5 great kids, speech-pathologist to about fifty more, lover of chocolate, jazz, and Jesus, and proud AlleyCat over at a group writing blog, The Writer’s Alley. Her debut historical romance novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in May 2015, with the second arriving in February 2016. Her first contemporary romance debuts in April 2016. You can connect with Pepper on her website at www.pepperdbasham.com, Facebook-  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pepper-D-Basham or Twitter at https://twitter.com/pepperbasham

Pizza with Laurie: Thoughts on Christmas, Chaos, and Praise

In this installment of Pizza with Laurie, I'm inviting you to put the chaos of Christmas aside and take a seat at my table for a slice of warm, cheesy pizza and conversation :)

---

I have this really weird picture in my head of Mary sitting on the couch in her house, counting kicks of the strong baby boy variety. Paying attention to every twinge in her body. Waiting for Jesus to come.

That’s nothing like the picture of her life as she waited for her baby to come. She went from the blissful stages of engagement and planning a wedding to preparing for motherhood. She had lots to plan. Lots to explain. And every time the angels came, they said “Do not be afraid.”

But was she really? Unafraid of what it meant to carry not only a precious little life within her -- but the life of the Messiah she’d read about in the prophecies since she was a little girl? Did it hurt her to have to explain the reality of an Immaculate Conception to doubting friends and family members with shame and condemnation in their eyes? Did it stress her out to be removed from her “nest” to a strange place of limbo for the mandatory census when she should have been scrubbing the proverbial baseboards and putting the finishing touches on her nursery?

Did she have even a fleeting moment of doubt because things didn’t go how she’d always planned?

For many of us, Christmas brings out the crazy. Stomach flus, snowstorms, family drama, cancelled flights, backordered Christmas gifts, burned dinner rolls, blindside divorces, year-end budget cuts, and the frenzy of work parties and church plays create an equation that invites chaos. Things that are out of our control, that ruin our most sparkling expectations for the season -- maybe a little how Mary was naturally inclined to feel as a human being when she brought the Son of God into the world in perhaps the lowliest of places.

And sometimes all of that overshadows the real reason for Christmas cheer, the fact that “God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.”

I think it’s safe to say Mary had her moments of fear about the whole thing. She was a new mom, after all. But if you look at the Bible and all of its interpretations on the birth of Christ, the most she says on the subject is a passage called The Magnificat, a song of praise.

From Luke 1: “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.”

The chaos of failed expectations, unexpected events, and things beyond our control are an inevitable part of life. Whether everything goes according to plan this year or not, my strong hope and prayer is that we can be like Mary. That in the eerily quiet aftermath of the chaos, hope will push past the rogue voices of loneliness, frustration, and pain as we focus on what the Lord has done for us. And I hope that we will praise Him in the way we love this Christmas.

---

Laurie Tomlinson is a wife and mom from Tulsa, Oklahoma, who enjoys stories of grace in the beautiful mess. 

She is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and received the Genesis Award in 2013 (Contemporary) and 2014 (Romance). 

Her work is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary.

You can connect with Laurie here:

Facebook - AuthorLaurieTomlinson

Twitter - @LaurieTomlinson

Web - www.LaurieTomlinson.com

Dry Bones, Dry Writing, and Heavenly CPR

Ever had one of those days? Or months? Maybe even years?

You know what I mean? The kind of dry season in your life where beautiful blossoms of creativity and peace of mind seem to be few and far between. A drought of the soul or the heart or inspiration?

For the past month, my life has been one crazy change after another. Between a move, new job, my kids’ emotional reactions to the move, and the responsibilities involved in getting settled in a new state, writing has gone to the back burner….maybe even out the kitchen door.

The learning curve on this new job is incredibly steep and after work, then unpacking boxes, then encouraging my kids, my brain has NOTHING left for my fictional worlds. Nothing…not even DESIRE! That’s a first! I’ve always WANTED to write, but I find myself too pooped to even want to write.

Which then leads me to doubt and discouragement and….worry.

Worry is such a joy-killer, because it’s really just fear with a different name.

So….um…..what do we do if we’re afraid, discouraged, and working with a bunch of dead, dried out inspiration?

In Ezekiel, God is sending lots of encouragement (and miracles) to the prophet by reminding him of who HE is. The God of miracles and judgment and healing and….life. In Ezekiel chpt 37, God takes Ezekiel to a large valley filled with dry bones….in fact, the Bible says ‘very dry’ bones. So these weren’t newly dead guys – they’d been dead for a while.

God tells Ezekiel to prophecy over the bones and….the valley of very dry bones became a living breathing army. God sums up the reason for this miracle by saying this in verses 11 & 14, “Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’” & “I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land.”

What does this have to do with my writing dry spell? What can overcome my fear?

God’s power and love.

His power to revive our hope and his love to overcome our fear.

God made sure I got the message this weekend when I was visiting a consignment shop in search of a good find, preferably a painting or portrait to place over my writing desk. I’d searched for two weeks with only VERY expensive pieces peaking my interest…until Saturday. Now, I don’t know what kinds of paintings you like, and this one may not be your favorite choice, but it suits me PERFECTLY!!! The painting AND the verse – because it spoke directly to the dry part of my heart and reminded me of God’s presence, power, and love.

(It fit the room well too J)

See the verse? “And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” Isaiah 32:18

Peace and rest for our fearful hearts comes from knowing our Father’s love for us and trusting in his power to enable us to do what we cannot do on our own.  It not only gives us a ‘sure dwelling’ for our weary souls, but it empowers us to find inspiration in the simple, every day, and the extraordinary. We may not need a literal ‘valley of dry bones’, but if God can revive the bones in my own skin….I’m okay with that J

How about you? Have you ever had a ‘dry spell’? What do you do when you feel discouraged or worried?

 

Whispers of Hope and A Giveaway!

             I write
                               and write 
                                                     and write.

Words spill forth, inspired by my God. Words pour out from the depths of my soul. But somewhere along the way, I squeeze words out from human expectation--from a desire to create without regard for the One who created me. Sometimes, I smudge that line between 'inspired by His word' and 'inspiring words that sound good'. I stumble and crash into a barricade of selfish desire to create words that manipulate hearts the way I want to.
When we're in the business of inspiring and creating as writers, sometimes, we should step back and make sure our hearts are in line with the Only One who can truly inspire. It is during my own season of stepping back to remember Truth in God alone, that I received Beth Moore's devotional, Whispers of Hope, 10 Weeks of Devotional Prayer.

Whispers of Hope has three major areas that offer hope to any woman of God, and definitely any writer longing for intimacy with the most Perfect Author of our stories:

1.  Scripture Focus:

For thirteen years, I have delighted in Beth Moore's studies because of the mere fact that I walk away from each amazed by the intricacy of exploring original meaning and divine connections among Scripture from Old to New Testaments. In typical Beth Moore fashion, her newest devotional does not disappoint with Scripture-laden application that doesn't skim the surface, but digs deep and often explores the original language to give greater understanding. 

2.  Deep Prayer Formula:
Since the book's main focus is on prayer, it has space for guided prayer journaling. This excites me. Before I ever sat down at a computer to write my first story, I wrote by hand...and I journaled. Using Beth's acronym has probably been the most eye-opening aspect of this devotional book. I have found that in using this acronym, my prayers organically flow and guide me in a thorough outpouring of my heart to the Lord, especially because Beth suggests thanksgiving should flow throughout each of the sections. This is where my selfishness flees and humility is given room to grow!

Beth uses P.R.A.I.S.E, to form the prayer.

First, P is for Praise. The best way to take the focus off of my stuff, is to reflect on Him and Who He is.

Next, R is for Repent. This is something I so easily forget to do, but it's vital to stepping forward in intimacy with Him. When I can ask for forgiveness, I feel like I can be used by God in more extraordinary ways since I don't have sin weighing me down.

A is for Acknowledge. Acknowledge his Authority in our lives. Beth says, "We can praise God all day long with our lips yet never deliberately surrender to His lordship with our hearts." This is something that made me take that step back in the first place. I was trying to claim authority over my life and my writing when it really is not mine at all.

I is for Intercede. To pray for those the Lord brings to mind. Another great way to get the focus off of me!

S is for Supplication, which is in perfect order in this acronym. My family always says, "I am third"--God, Others, then Myself. Once we've focused on God and others, praying for our needs and desires brings us to a deeper dependency and intimacy with God.

Beth Moore, Living Proof Ministries

And finally, E is for Equipping. Asking God to equip us the rest of the day is a great way to close in prayer, and for us writers, look forward to God answering this specific part of our prayer!

3.  Christ-Centered Life Application: 

I picked up Whispers of Hope during a season of spiritual wrestling. My heart was heavy with lies uncovered, and truths yet to be found out. I was in a place where I had focused on myself, assuming my will could measure up to God's--especially when it came to my dream to seek publication. And when I discovered my self-centered way of thinking, I found refuge in sloughing away my fluffy self-talk and focusing back on the One who deserves all attention. Just a glimpse of how the devotional met me first off, see what Beth says after exploring the story of the tower of Babel on page 11 of her book:

"God's response? "If they're this foolish and self-centered, they'll try anything.' Brick after brick, we humans sought to determine our own fate. Despite all the efforts, we never imposed our will on God, but God imposed His on us." In every daily devotion, you can be sure to find poignant life application that will meet you where you are at. It is through Beth's examples and deciphering of Scripture, that the Word becomes alive and applicable to your own life in a unique way.

My season of stepping back from all that influence me, and the fleshy desires of my heart, is certainly not one of a backward journey from God. With this God-focused, Scripture-centered devotional from Beth Moore, my heart is filled with whispers of Hope from the One and Only Author of my story. And with a heart in line with His,
           I write
                               and write 
                                                     and write.

***Want the chance to win a copy of this amazing devotional?? Please let me know in the comment section!***

Please share of a time when you needed to just step back and return your focus on God, whether in writing or just in life!

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Angie Dicken first began writing fiction as a creative outlet during the monotonous, mothering days of diapers and temper tantrums. She is passionate to impress God's love on women regardless of their background or belief. This desire serves as a catalyst for Angie's fiction, which weaves salvation and grace themes across historical cultures and social boundaries. Angie is an ACFW member and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Trumanizing Your Life...Your Story

I watched The Truman Show last night and it made me sad. This one man, Truman, had lived his whole life in a controlled environment. He was born on the show and was the star of the show. On a special set that included a whole town, Truman was the only person who didn't know they were on a TV show...a show that had been going for 30 years. The poor man lived a life that wasn't really real. His best friend was an actor who acted like his friend. His mother wasn't a real mother, but just a woman acting like a mother. Even his wife wasn't in love with him - she pretended to be in love.

And Truman wasn't content. And the audience was uncomfortable.

It got me to thinking how we are often like the creator of The Truman Show. We want to control everything in our lives. We want our children to be perfect and successful. We want our house to be spotless and "model-home-decorated". We think if we write a certain number of manuscripts, read great books on writing, or attend as many conferences as we can, we will finally get a publishing contract. We want to control the outcome of our lives.

I don't know about you, but isn't it hard...even impossible...to make our lives like we want them? There comes a point when we have to release control, let God be God and trust Him for the path He wants us on. We live life fully, trusting that God has our best just around the corner.

I think sometimes as writers, we are much like that creator of The Truman Show. We have a path lined out for our heroine and methodically write the words to take her down the path we have created. Sometimes though, we have to let our characters really live and go the way they want to go. Characters take on life when we let them breath and experience all that the pages have for them...whether good or bad.

Good fiction needs a compass, but a great story needs life and freedom. Freedom to fall hard. Freedom to live big. Freedom to love with abandon. So let your characters live free on the page and see what happens. Trust God for His timing in finding your story a home. The journey is just as important as the destination.

Are you letting your characters really come alive on the page? Do you allow them freedom? Or do you like to keep them on the straight and narrow?

TWEETABLES:

Is your manuscript Trumanized? Find out at The Writer's Alley. Click to Tweet

Are you letting your characters living free on the page? Find out at The Writer's Alley. Click to Tweet


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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is a minister's wife and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born an

Relentless Love

Many of you have read the unforgettable novel, Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers. It is the retelling of Hosea and Gomer from the Bible. It is the story of a sacrificial love...a relentless love.

In the story of Hosea and Gomer, God tells Hosea to marry a prostitute and Gomer is the lucky one. They marry, have children, and Gomer is unfaithful. She runs off and carries on with other men. She leaves the security and love of Hosea and returns to her old life of sin. But God tells Hosea to go after her; to taker her back and love her. This love is the love God has for us.

Even though Gomer married Hosea and had his children, she wasn't really "present" in the marriage. She did not commit to Hosea. She did not work on the relationship. She just went through the motions. Sometimes we are guilty of the same thing. We go to church and sing the songs and say the prayers, but really our heart is far away. We just go through the motions, week after week, doing our duty without investing ourselves, heart soul, mind, and body. What we need is the kind of love God shows us through Hosea.

We need a sacrificial love. Real love is not always easy. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes we are disappointed. But real sacrificial love is the kind of love we are called to. This kind of love is worth the effort, because the fruit it brings is abundant and there is great power in it.

We need a relentless love. God loves His creation and draws it to Himself. He is not after condemnation. He is all about restoration and renewal. No one has run too far from the Lord to be restored to Him. This is the kind of love God wants us to have for Him. He wants us to hunger and thirst for Him. To long for Him. To desire Him above all else. He wants our love...a relentless love.

It's this kind of love that truly makes the world go around. We may write romance and happy endings, but we must always remember the wooing of God's great love. He is the lover of our souls and the One who writes the best love story of all.

So tell me, what do you do to remember His relentless love? How do you work on your love for Him? Or, who in your life shows you God's love best?


TWEETABLES:

Exploring relentless love at The Writer's Alley.
Click to Tweet

Relentless love...the best kind of love to give and receive! The Writer's Alley
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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is a minister's wife and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she writes historical romance filled with fun, faith, and forever love.

Our Publishing Plan, or HIS?

I've often wrestled with justifying this journey to publication because I am writing for God....if I don't do it as an offering to God, then I am selfish and vain. So, by acknowledging the gift of writing is from Him, I must seek publication for Him. It seems noble, right? A noble reason for publication—to do something for God.

What if the Truth is the exact opposite? What if all the plans I've made for God...using the writing gift to become a published author and do something for Him, while noble in itself, is exactly what God doesn't want from me? What if, all my planning has stopped me from resting in God, and if I would just calm down and give Him the reigns, His plan for me is so much better?

What would this do? Would it stop my striving and force me to wait upon the Lord? Because, who in all humility would suggest that their plan for God is better than His plan for us?

In my recent Beth Moore Bible study, David: Seeking A Heart Like His, Beth brought to light this idea as we studied 2 Samuel 7. David is finally at rest with his enemies subdued, and his kingship in place. Yet, he begins to perseverate about living in a palace while the Ark of the Covenant is placed in a tent. David thinks he must build a house for God. A noble quest, right? The Lord comes to His prophet, Nathan, and declares, in Beth's paraphrase, “David, you won't build a house for Me. I'm going to build a house for you.”

What if I begin to look at my goal of publication, not as “building God's house (or kingdom)” but as God building a place for me in His kingdom? So if the publishing isn't happening yet, maybe, just maybe, He's still carving out the path?

When we truly receive this writing journey as a gift from God, there are a few things that should happen to surrender our plans and let Him take over:

We “Relinquish Control”: When we are the receiver, we don't have control over when we receive the gifts. How many times have I strived to bestow the gift of publication upon myself? How many late nights do I spend tweaking this and that, and deciding, “maybe if I enter this in ….or maybe, if I develop this scene exactly according to their guidelines...then maybe this will be my break!”

When we relinquish control of our plans to achieve the next step to publication and surrender to God's great plan for us, then we have the ability to submit to Him, walk this journey according to His commands for us, and just plain old rest in the fact that He's with us!

We REST in our Appointment: David was suppose to rest. After fifteen years of running from Saul, God's promise of the throne had finally happened. And what's more, his enemies were at bay. But David couldn't rest for long—and God set him straight. It wasn't about what David would do for God, but what God would do for the line of David. And David finally gets it when he says in 2Samuel 7:28-29:

“And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant. Now therefore, let it please You to bless the house of Your servant, that it may continue before You forever...”

As Christians, we also have God's blessing through the Resurrection of Christ:

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3

Beth pointed out in her study: "We already have the blessing!" And as writers, we already have the gift! Now, let's rest in knowing that, and wait upon the Lord to plan for us abundantly.

“But those who wait on the

Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with

wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be

weary,

They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Give God the Glory: Even though we receive a gift from God, He ultimately receives the Glory. So while I might have thought it was the other way around—that my giving my gift back to God through publication will bestow His glory, that isn't right at all.

“Every good and perfect gift is from above.” James 1:17

Just as God gave us a gift to write, His plan to reveal that writing to the world will come in due time. It's all about His gifts to us...not the other way around.
God wants to give good things to His children, and maybe if we completely trust Him, His good things might just AMAZE us! Could David have ever thought that his son would have the awesome honor of building God's temple? And furthermore, that his very bloodline would bring forth the complete atonement for sins for the entire world, through Jesus Christ?

HOW MUCH blessing came forth when David switched from his plans for God, to trusting God's plans for him!

I hope I can do the same, and rest and wait for His amazing plan to unfold! How 'bout you?

*pictures from creationswap.com 

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Angie Dicken first began writing fiction as a creative outlet during the monotonous, mothering days of diapers and temper tantrums. She is passionate to impress God's love on women regardless of their background or belief. This desire serves as a catalyst for Angie's fiction, which weaves salvation and grace themes across historical cultures and social boundaries. Angie is an ACFW member and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Are You Lighting the World? How About Your Stories?

photo by sommai
freedigitalphotos.net

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." -Jesus (John 8:12)

This is the second "I AM" statement by Jesus and it is one that we have all heard before. It is one that we gloss over, because we know it and believe it. But have we really looked at it for what it is?

Light was the first thing God created. It was necessary not because God needed to see, but because the earth and all that was created on it needed the light for life. It gave warmth. It gave the plants needed nutrients. It even gives humans needed vitamins to keep us healthy (Vitamin D!)

And what is darkness? It is the absence of light. When we follow the light of the world, Jesus, we don't walk in the darkness, because His light dispels the darkness.

When exposed to the light, we see ourselves for who we are and the darkness in us flees. We see the life of His light and become lanterns for His light to shine through. Or you can look at it like we are mirrors, reflecting the light of Jesus for others to see. Whether we are vessels or mirrors to His light, we are to shine for Jesus in this world.

A Note To Writers:

As a writer in the CBA market, we write to glorify God. The words we put on the page should ultimately let the light of Jesus shine through. Whether it is through redeeming a rogue, softening a hardened heart, or saving the life of a sinner, your stories should always reflect the grace and mercy of God through Jesus. 

How are you letting the light of the world shine through your manuscripts? How are you weaving the light of life throughout your stories?  

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This post is brought to you by

 Sherrinda Ketchersid

Sherrinda is a minister's wife and mother to three giant sons and one gorgeous daughter. A born and bred Texan, she writes historical romance filled with fun, faith, and forever love.

On Being a Timothy with Carol Moncado

On Being a Timothy

Jason

This is a blog post that's been floating around my head - rather nebulously - for quite some time. I'd planned to put it on my personal blog, but when Pepper approached me about guest blogging here on the Writer's Alley, I said yes and, well, then, I sorta freaked out. What on God's green earth could I possibly have to contribute to a group such as this? And then in the weekly preview post, Casey said I was "always fun". I don't know that this post truly qualifies as fun, but I will include this picture of my friend Jason, because it'll make all y'all smile even if you don't know him.

Because this is the look he gave me when I asked him about this topic when our families had lunch on Sunday. The topic? Being a Timothy. I asked if he'd ever preached on it (he's currently a youth pastor) and he hasn't, but he talks about it all. the. time. (as attested to by my husband) That's not to say we talked about it much that day, but at least there's a pic to make us all smile ;).

So who's Timothy?

Alley Cat Casey Herringshaw with the fabulous Julie Lessman; Me then Pepper with Ruth Logan Herne; Casey with Tina Russo Radcliffe

Being a Timothy? Who's Timothy? The guy in the Bible. He's got two books named for him, you know.* But those aren't just books. They're letters, written to Timothy by Paul. Surely you've heard of Paul. Paul-the-apostle-formerly-known-as-Saul-the-killer-and-persecutor-of-Christians**

See, Paul is Timothy's mentor. That makes Timothy the mentee (but not, however, the Mento) or disciple. Paul was put in Timothy's life to teach him. To train him. So that one day Timothy could train others. So Timothy could become Paul.*** One day, Timothy would become the mentor and train others. Okay so. Paul. Timothy. They've got a good relationship going on. Paul is sharing his wisdom, the things he's learned throughout his years spreading the Gospel and communicating with God with the next generation. Timothy is soaking it all up. But then who's Barnabas?**** Barnabas is the guy who worked with Paul. His contemporary. In many ways, Paul's equal. But he is very appropriately named. Barnabas means "son of encouragement". He was the one who encouraged Paul, helped Paul, traveled the road with Paul.

Application to writers

One of my favorite Barnabases

Okay - so what does all of that have to do with you? A writer? Most of the blogs out there on being a Paul/Barnabas/Timothy seem to have to do with discipleship/ministry/etc. (see links at the end of the blog) but the theory applies across so many more areas than that. Parenting. Music. Computers.***** And writing.

At some point, all of us start out as a Timothy. We don't know much of anything about how to properly format for contests. Or which agencies you can query multiple agents and which ones you can't. Or where the best blogs are to find this stuff out. We all need a Paul (or two or three or seventeen) to help us figure that stuff out. Sometimes those relationships turn into something long term.

Sometimes it's a simple email from a favorite author saying "Check out ACFW. They rock and can help you from here." Sometimes it's for a season (for instance, just one manuscript). Pauls will read through manuscripts or parts of manuscripts or contest entries and help you figure out how to tone down the dialect or point out where you're telling when you should be showing - and maybe, just maybe, when an adverb really is the way to go. And we also need a Barnabas. Someone who's right where we are - or who has been recently. That person who is struggling through poor contest showings on that manuscript you - and they - thought was going to be the big breakthrough. Who cry with you when you accidentally kick an editor out of his/her seat at dinner (don't ask). Who convince you that hiding out in the hotel room for the next three days *isn't* the answer. Who know just what to say when you cry the following: Why am I wasting my time? And everyone else's? And the money that goes into contests and conferences and web hosting and everything else?

How it applies to YOU

Me with two of my favorite Pauls - Candy Calvert and Beth K. Vogt

We all go through seasons. Most of us spend a lot of time being a Timothy. I know I sure do (just ask Pepper). There's *lots* of times when I need hand holding or to cry on the phone to my long-lost-literary-twin (that's Pepper, btw) about how this isn't gonna happen. Or lament to Joanna that I didn't final (again) and could she please look at the score sheets for me because after that rejection from (insert major publishing house here) last week, I just don't think I can take it and may have to delete everything in my Dropbox.



Me and my Pepper - a Paul and a Barnabas (and I'd like to think sometimes I have something to help her so maybe a Timothy, too) wrapped up in one pretty package

Many of us (yeah, I mean me - someone please tell me I'm not alone!) walk around afraid that one day we're going to call one too many times. That the Paul in our lives is going to be like "Grow up and get over it" then change their number/email address/Facebook settings so we can't get to them. A lot of times, though (and this realization came to me as I wrote this blog), we're in mutual Barnabas relationships. Relationships that exist for the purposes of encouraging each other. Not really one mentoring the other. Neither is necessarily a "Paul". But that person who loves you enough to look at you and say, "Sweetie, I love you to pieces and that's why I won't let you go on American Idol.

Because you can't sing and I'd hate to see you humiliated on national television." One day you might be the Paul (because, believe it or not, if you've been doing this for any amount of time, you know SOMETHING you can use to help someone else). The next day you might be the Timothy. And another day, you're the Barnabas. All in the same relationship.

I struggle almost daily with feeling too much like a Timothy. Always taking. Never giving enough back. Always needing that extra support. Wondering when my friends are going to turn their backs. Or ignore their phones/emails because it's "that Carol again." I do what I can. Give back what I can, but maybe it's something inherent in all writers, not just me. That feeling that no matter what we do, the relationship isn't symbiotic******. That we're the parasites and our friends, the hosts, will eventually walk away.



Me with Jessica, Kristy and Joanna - three of my Pauls, Barnabases and Timothys

But I think it's time for all of us (and by that I mean me) to take a deep breath, do what we can, don't try to overwhelm our Pauls and Barnabases and trust that they love us. That we go through seasons. That our needy season will be followed by their needy season. That Paul and Barnabas, even though they eventually went separate ways, remained friends. Sometimes that happens. God brings people into our lives for seasons. To be Pauls. To be Barnabases. To be Timothys. Our goals should be the same. To become a Paul. To encourage like a Barnabas. To not be afraid to admit that, sometimes, we're a Timothy.

*Appropriately and creatively named I Timothy and II Timothy **Not his real name ***No one thinks I mean that literally, right? ****Not to be confused with Barabbas - the guy who was released so Jesus would be crucified. *****I do hope all y'all have a Paul when it comes to computers. Someone who knows more than you and is willing to help. ******A fancy word meaning mutually beneficial. But you knew that.

A God's Eye POV of Character Development

Pepper here :-)

As many of you know, last weekend I attended the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference in Indianapolis.
Leave a comment today for a chance to win Making Waves by Lorna Seistland - she was signing books at ACFW!!!!

 Tim Downs was the keynote speaker. His presentations were fabulous – filled with humor, insight, and enough gravity to weigh your heart down to your shoes. In a very good way.

Seriously. He challenged us.

So it got me to thinking. That’s right. Me. Thinking. Are you scared yet? ;-)

One of the elements which make for a fabulous story is the ensemble of characters in a book. The mesh of various personalities.

Is your heroine memorable? Your hero?

How about the way they blend together, your whole cast, to bring about the journey you started on page one?

Characters are important, vital, the heartbeat of a novel– a masterpiece of the author’s skill, creativity, and design. Each one serves a specific purpose within the grand scheme of your novel. You shouldn’t just toss in Cousin Melville unless he has something to contribute to the overall story. He’s strategically placed.

Just like you and me from God’s POV.

Each character He’s placed in His story is specifically designed to serve a purpose. All parts of the body of His best prose.

In the writing industry we hear so much about…

What editors want for their publishing houses?


Where publishing trends are heading?


Which rules to keep and which ones to break.


How to create memorable characters, page turning plots, and meaningful conflict –

And all of those hold important places in making us better writers who write compelling stories…

But at the bottom of it all, of our writing and our lives, there is one simple truth:

We are called to glorify God.

From the words of our mouths to the ones that flow from our fingertips – we have a unique calling. We are all characters in a massive story, a saga from the beginning of time. In this compilation of dramas, comedies, tragedies, and adventures, there is the scarlet ink of God’s redemption stamped on each page – within each soul. It marks us, motivates us, and modifies our thinking.

And we can’t help but express it. Not if we understand what that red-stained hope really means.

If we view ourselves from the vantage point of God’s creation, characters developed for a specific purpose in His story, then it changes the way we live AND the way we write.

The bottom line is that the attitudes of our hearts guides the direction of our pens

Or

Our perspectives influence the choices in our keystrokes

Who we believe God is – and how we see ourselves within His world directs everything we do.

To say it from a Biblical POV, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks…” (or writes).

And this overflow may come out in an overt way, splashing onto the pages of our novels through Bible verses and conversion scenes – or it may weave its way subtly through the message of our books, barely noticeable except to a reader who is ready to ‘see’ it.

We are each uniquely gifted to make an impression on the people God brings into our lives in the flesh, or vicariously through our writing.

And in God’s story, no one is a minor character. Some may end up being recognizable names like David, Peter, Mary, or Paul – and others names we may never know, but they are strategically placed in God’s story to fulfill a mighty purpose in a quiet way. Just like the characters we write.

Stories are the same way. Some will SCREAM of God’s redemption – shouting for the sinner to find hope in Jesus, but others will woo with words and paint pictures through stories, without one overt mention of the salvation plan.

And God will use them both – for His glory.

God’s characters are all paged together for the perfect story, all moving the story forward to its climactic and glorious ending ;-)

At the ACFW banquet, author Janette Oke called our books “paper missionaries”. I like that, because missionaries know, as the rest of us should understand, the call to change someone’s character isn’t up to us – but the AUTHOR of that character’s life. Only the creator of that character can truly change him/her.

In the grand story of life –

We may write the words

but God writes the heart.


What's some of the best writing advice that's ever reprioritized your writing?