A Step
in the Write Direction
November
24, 2014
Update:
Our eight-month-old
daughter had pneumonia and was in the hospital on her first Christmas. Finances
were tight, so I took in two books of stamps to get her a Christmas gift. I laid
the stamps on the counter to look at the catalog. When I turned around, my
stamps were gone. "Where are my stamps? They were right here?" I asked. No one
answered. Almost crying, I said, "Our little girl is in the hospital. These
stamps were for her Christmas gift." Still no one responded, and I left the
store empty-handed and in tears.
Fast forward five years: We had
moved to Arizona due to my husband's arthritis. Our son's eighth birthday was
coming up, and a coworker asked what we were going to buy him. "He wants a
basketball," I answered, "but we told him he'd have to wait because his dad is
sick and out of work."
The next day this lady handed me
two books of trading stamps. "Here," she said, "use these to get your boy his
basketball." Sharing the two stories with my sister, she said, "The second lady
made up for the people at the store who
took your other stamps."
I had never thought of it in that
way, realizing how long the stolen stamps had stayed in my memory. I had told
the story over and over again and, with each retelling, the hurt returned.
However, I had almost forgotten the friend who gave up her two books of stamps
so our boy could have a happy birthday.
What are you thankful for this
year?
Thought for the
Day:
And
help us to remember
That
the key to life and living
Is
to make each prayer a prayer of thanks
And
every day Thanksgiving.
—“A Thanksgiving Prayer,” Helen
Steiner Rice.
Song for the Day:
Great is
Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning
by morning new mercies I see;
All I
have needed Thy hand hath provided.
Great is
Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
"Great Is Thy Faithfulness," Thomas
O. Chisholm
Laugh for the Day: One year
after our pastor urged us to start giving thanks for everything, I took it to
the limit. If our girls griped about doing dishes, I told them to be thankful
they had food to eat. When they complained about the boy in children's church
acting up, I told them to be thankful at least he was in church. On and on it
went until the whole family got tired of it. It came to a head one day when I
received a letter from our publishing house. "See," I boasted, "being thankful
pays off. Look! I sold a story!" I
opened the envelope and pulled out—a bill!!
Writer's Tips: (from unpublished
writers' devotional book. Note: I
think I have a publisher who'll pick up this book after the first of the
year!)
The Stone of Defeatism
Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This
is the victory
that has overcome the world, even our faith (1
John 5:4).
“It is
interesting to note how the news of the outcome of the battle of Waterloo was communicated to England English
Channel , and then by semaphore from ship to shore. The message had
four words. Only the first two were communicated because a heavy fog descended
suddenly. What got through was only, ‘W-e-l-l-i-n-g-t-o-n d-e-f-e-a-t-e-d.’
That’s all the
relay saw on the tower of Winchester
Cathedral England
Are we living
today with only half a message when God wants to give us all His promises? Are
we living in defeat when God wants to give us victory? Bertha Munro, in her book
Truth for Today, says that “More than conquerors isn’t just barely
squeaking through. It’s victory with a margin.”
We say, “I
can’t write.”
God says,
“I’ll help you.”
We say, “I’m
afraid of being rejected.”
God says,
“My Son was rejected also.”
We say, “I
feel so alone.”
God says,
“I’ll surround you with mentors who will be glad to share their knowledge and
encouragement.”
Stephen
Arterburn, talking about David facing Goliath, says, “[David] could have said,
‘Goliath is so big. I can’t win!’ Instead he said, ‘Goliath is so big—I can’t
miss!’”
God did not
design us to be losers. He made us to be winners!
Have a good week spreading
the
gospel
through the printed page.
Donna
Clark Goodrich
·
A
Step in the Write Direction—the Complete How-to Guide for Christian Writers
(with assignments throughout);
original copies now on sale for half-price--$12.50, $3.17
s&h)
·
The
Freedom of Letting Go (with
discussion questions; can be used in S.S. class or small group); original copies
without questions now on sale for half-price--$7.50, $2.69
s&h)
·
Healing
in God’s Time (story
of Dave Clark, songwriter of 25 songs that have gone to #1 on the charts); was
$15; now $10, $2.69 s&h)
·
The
Little Book of Big Laughs (105
purse/pocket-size book of clean jokes); up to 4 for same
s&h--$2.32
·
Preparing
Your Heart for Christmas (31 Advent Devotions)$5,
plus s&h
·
Michigan and Ohio
Cookbooks; half-price $5 each,
plus s&h
·
Grandmother, Mother, and Me
Anthology
(stories, poetry, and recipes);
·
Grandfather,
Father, and Me Anthology
(stories, poetry, and recipes)
·
Celebrating
Christmas with…Memories, Poetry, and Good Food
(above
three anthologies now half price--$12.50, $3.17
s&h)
No comments:
Post a Comment