Showing posts with label Christ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christ. Show all posts

Monday, April 18, 2011

The Anointed Author

“An author can pen a book without the anointing, but only the anointed author can write words that carry the weight of God to accomplish eternal purposes in the lives of readers.” -Priscilla Shirer, Anointed Tranformed, Redeemed Workbook


I recently took a study on David called, Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed by Priscilla Shirer, Beth Moore, and Kay Arthur. Yes, three amazing women teaching about an amazing God! I was excited to hear Priscilla, because she used examples of mothering and writing as she spoke on being anointed. Right up my alley!;)

 I write this post to give Christian writers encouragement to continue on this path, with the awareness that you are chosen to live an anointed life in all you do, even in writing!

Natural vs. Supernatural
As believers in Christ, we are all anointed to live in a “supernatural way” in our daily lives. Priscilla illustrates it in the following example:

The Task: Mother two small children
The Natural Accomplishment: Take care of their daily needs, and    provide a home for them
The Anointed Accomplishment: Instill in them a love for the Lord and a desire to serve Him

As a Christian fiction writer, I follow in her example and write:
The Task: Writing novels
The Natural Accomplishment: Create stories with word pictures, intriguing plots and characters.
The Anointed Accomplishment: Weave Christ through the story to touch the heart of the reader and bring glory to God

Sometimes I sit and struggle with weaving spiritual truths into my writing. I get swept away with the plot, the characters, what I assume the reader wants, and then realize I have turned my back on my anointing.
God is faithful though, and I know I am truly anointed to display God's truth in fiction, because of the unsettled feeling I have when I write away from His will. When I submit to Him again, He blesses me with an A-ha moment that knits His truth so perfectly in my writing.

Opposition to Our Anointing
Just yesterday, I was getting back into my wip, after a month hiatus (yikes!) and started down a path that wasn't necessarily against God's will, but was more of an easy way out for me as the author, and could have stolen away the impact I would have on my reader and ultimately fall short of bringing God His glory. Priscilla talks about opposition to the anointing, using King David's constant opposition as an example. But we all know that we have an enemy, and if we are doing something to bring God glory, that enemy will certainly show up! She says:

PDPhoto
“We have an enemy. He seeks to divert us from the course set for us by our Father. Once we are saved, our enemy cannot destroy us, but he will work hard to distract us. It seems he most likes to startle us when we have just closed our eyes and turned our chins upward to enjoy a sunny patch in our existence.” Priscilla Shirer, Annointed, Transformed, Redeemed Workbook

For a writer, that “sunny patch” is when the writing pours out, or your work advances in a writing contest, or you get a new idea for a story you can be passionate about...it is at these moments that you protect your calling, cling to prayer, focus on the God you seek to bring glory...because at these moments, opposition to our anointing will attack at full force.

In the study workbook, Priscilla says:
“We can stand firm against the Enemy's attacks because we stand on a foundation of unwavering faith and trust in the truth of God's word.”

Remember, Friends, you are writing for a divine purpose as an anointed author. And even though we can stumble, even in our fiction, in our salvation we can't fall so far that God steals away His purpose:

“Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:57-58, NASB).

Monday, December 27, 2010

My Top Nine (Ten?) Christmas Moments

A Merry and Bright Christmas!
I hope you have had a wonderful Christmas weekend, among family, and most importantly, focusing on the God who bestowed a wonderful gift to us in His son, Christ Jesus!

I decided to give you a top 9 Christmas moment countdown of my life (I wasn't really present for number 1 :)). Even though these are quick glimpses into my life, I can reflect on each memory and see it as potential brainstorming material for writing authentic characters, grounded themes, or believable progressions in my fiction. Because they are from my own story, I can remember the feelings, the smells, sounds, and impressions made...giving me a whole bunch of templates to choose from!

Do you find parts of yourself or your story layered within your fiction?


10. Redefined Focus: A 9 year old girl learns that Santa isn't real, and appropriately remembers it most by her dad's blaring of Jesus Is Born Today! by the Oakridge Boys.

9. Pure Child-like Joy: A 7th grader jumps up and down like a preschooler when her Christmas culminates in a Nintendo gaming system!

8. A character stepping forward from the faith line: A newly saved college student drags her dad and sisters to church on Christmas morning.

7. Love brings fullness: A couple celebrates their first Christmas together in a tiny apartment, but with lots of love and family all around.

6. Redefining goals: New parents spend their Christmas day dragging their 4 month old son from house to house, and swear that they will start their own traditions next year!

5. First impressions can be misleading: On Christmas Eve, a 15 month old boy runs through the house and shuts himself in the bathroom when a loud noise might mean that scary Santa has arrived.

4. Obstacles towards a climactic point: A soon-to-be mother of two, watches the clock strike midnight on Christmas eve/day, in a labor and delivery unit, only to be sent home a couple of hours later, with no baby yet!
White Christmas 2010

3. A perfect blend of character and motives: A family of four prepares for a cozy Christmas, with hot chocolate, Christmas movies, and two little boys who can't wait to see Santa and give him their list!

2.  Simple truths: A family of five, almost six, celebrate Christ's birth and the joy of gifts, on a very white Midwest Christmas day!

A very young couple!
1. Ultimate inspiration:  A young couple birth a special baby boy, among the rejoicing of angels and the humility of shepherds,  eventually changing the hearts of generations until the end of time.