A Step in the Write Direction--November 17, 2014--Procrastination

A Step in the Write Direction

November 17, 2014

Update: While listening to Lawrence Welk the other night, they sang the song "Let Me Be There." As I listened to the words (see below), I thought how appropriate it could be for the Lord speaking to Christians. He always wants to be there for us, even—and especially—when we fall. He just wants to be there, but we have to ask….He has truly been with our family this last week: while sharing at my bestest friend's funeral (how do you select two or three memories from 69 years?), and having our son in the hospital for two days with what they thought was a stroke (it wasn't, but he has to see a neurologist). Just like we want our children to ask us when they need something, our heavenly Father is waiting for us to ask—and He'll be there!

Thought for the Day: "I went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged. I had pieces that were rewritten so many times I suspect it was just a way of avoiding sending them out" (Erica Jong, bookbaby.com). (See Writers' Tips on procrastination below.)

Song for the Day:

Wherever you go, wherever you may wander in your life
Surely you know I'll always wanna be there
Holdin' your hand and standing by to catch you when you fall
Seeing you through in everything you do

Watching you grow and going through the changes in your life
That's how I know I'll always wanna be there
Whenever you feel you need a friend to lean on here I am
Whenever you call you know I'll be there

Let me be there in your morning, let me be there in your night
Let me change whatever's wrong and make it right…

All I ask you is let me be there

 —John Rostill, John Henry, Lyrics@EMI Music Publishing

Laugh for the Day: Two elderly ladies met on the street and hugged each other excitedly in recognition. They chatted for several minutes, then one of them said, “I recognize you but for the life of me I can't recall your name. Please don’t be offended, but would you tell me your name?”

The other lady stared at her, shocked. Thinking for a minute, she answered, "How soon do you need to know?" (Thanks to my writer friend Kitty Chappell for this one.)

Writer's Tips: (another stone that needs to be rolled away—from unpublished Writers' Devotional Book).

The Stone of Procrastination

Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know

what a day may bring forth (Proverbs 27:1).

A little story made the rounds years ago. It went like this: A man dreamed that he attended a meeting of the board of directors in hell. Satan had expressed concern that business was not increasing as fast as hoped. He asked for suggestions.

One demon volunteered to go back to earth and tell people that there is no heaven. “We’ve tried that,” Satan said. “It doesn’t work.”

Another offered to convince men that there is no hell. “That won’t work either,” the devil said.

Then a clever demon in the back of the room rose. “If you let me go,” he said, “I can fill this place. I won’t tell people there is no heaven or hell. I’ll just tell them they can get right with God—tomorrow!”

Sound familiar?

“I’m going to be a writer—someday.”

“I’m going to start on my book—someday.”

“I’m going to attend a writer’s conference—someday.”

You may be writing now, but you’re not submitting your work to editors because you’re afraid of being rejected. Or you may already be writing, but only what you want to instead of what God has called you to write. One writer friend wanted to write about her missionary experiences, while God was leading her to write about the religious cult she had left. She finally obeyed, and her book has become a best-seller.

If you’re one who has been procrastinating, it’s time to stop talking and begin acting. These hints may help:

            1. Write your goals in detail.

            2. Write a target date.

            3. Make a “to do” list.

            4. Divide your goals into bite-sized pieces.

One pastor said that he has buried a lot of people with the music still in them. Don’t let the following be said of you:

            The greatest of workers, this man would have been

                                    Tomorrow.

            The world would have known, had he ever seen

                                    Tomorrow.

            But the fact is, he died, and he faded from view;

            And all that he left here, when his lifetime was through,

            Was a mountain of things he’d intended to do

                                    Tomorrow.

                                                —Author unknown

 Have a good week spreading the

gospel through the printed page.

Donna Clark Goodrich

dgood648@aol.com

www.thewritersfriend.net

http://donna-goodrich.blogspot.com

·           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)

·          Michigan and Ohio Cookbooks; half-price $5 each, plus s&h (depending on number ordered)

·          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

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A Step in the Write Direction, November 10, 2014--Trained to Write for Him

A Step in the Write Direction

November 10, 2014

Update: Sunday morning, at 1:20 a.m., I lost my dearest friend of 69 years. Kathy and I had known each other since second grade and shared many great experiences together, including a 14-day tour of Great Britain. I shouldn't say I "lost" her, though, as you only lose something you don't know where it is—and I have no doubt where she is today. When we were in England, we saw Balmoral Castle where the queen was staying and visited Crathey Chapel where she attended church. Just as we left we saw a team of horses pulling a carriage. "The queen is leaving the castle," the tour guide told us. "If we had time, we'd pull over and watch her pass, but we have to stay on schedule." So we missed seeing the queen, but as shown in the song below which was sung so beautifully in church yesterday, Kathy is now in the presence of the King. I'll miss you, Bestest! You brought a lot of joy into my life!

Thought for Today:

I'm a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world (Mother Teresa).

Song for Today:

In the presence of Jehovah,
God Almighty, Prince of Peace
Troubles vanish, hearts are mended,
In the presence of the King

            "In the Presence of Jehovah," Geron and Becky Davis

Laugh for Today:

A lady, taking music lessons, was nervously singing her first solo in church.  She came to the phrase, "the fairest of ten thousand," and her voice broke on the word "ten."  She tried a second time and failed.  "Give me my note again," she told the organist and she made the third attempt in vain. Then came a voice from the audience, "Why don't you start over and try for five thousand?"

Writer's Tips:

Trained to Write for Him

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,

a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who

correctly handles the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15).

Donna Otto tells of a friend, a city girl, who loved plants and decided that gardening was a hobby she’d like to explore, even though the only gardening tools she ever saw in her parents’ garage were a lawn mower and an edger.

She started by reading articles and books and discussing her project with gardening friends. She received a wealth of tips and hints, but when the time came to actually break the soil and start the garden, she found herself stuck.

She explained her problem to Donna. “I have all this information, and I know what I want to do in this garden, but I still don’t have any idea what to do with a hoe!”

What a lesson for writers! We’ve all met people who have a talent for writing, but don’t know what to do with that talent. They’ve read articles and books, talked to friends, attended conferences. They know what they want to do, but when they “break the soil”—put the first word on the page, and eventually finish their manuscript—they don’t know where to go next.

I’ve always liked the slogan Reg Forder, director of American Christian Writers, uses: “Trained to Write for Him.” We may have all the talent in the world, we may be totally inspired, but we need training.

Writing is no different than any other field of work. No one with a mere interest in medicine would attempt brain surgery, nor would someone who can play a few notes on a violin join a symphony orchestra. Yet we often hear someone say, “I want to be a writer,” and think that desire is all that is necessary.

The exciting thing about being a writer is that we never stop learning! No matter how long we’ve written, no matter how many manuscripts we’ve sold, there’s always something new to learn. And we learn by reading writers’ magazines and other authors’ works, attending conferences, meeting with editors, talking to other writers. Grammar rules are updated, publishers’ needs change from year to year, snail mail submissions evolve into e-mail attachments. If we’re going to continue to be successful, we have to keep up with these changes.

There’s one important point to remember, however: We can read every writers’ magazine published, every book on writing, attend writers’ conferences, join writers’ groups, but unless we sit down and write, we won’t be a writer. Some people want to have written, like a girl who “wanted to be a returned missionary.”

It has been said, “Knowledge plus action produces change. Knowledge alone is not enough.”

If you haven’t yet attained your dream of being published, what steps can you take to further reach this goal?

 Have a good week spreading the

gospel through the printed page.

Donna Clark Goodrich

dgood648@aol.com

www.thewritersfriend.net

http://donna-goodrich.blogspot.com

A Step in the Write Direction--November 3, 2014--God's Ways Are Not Our Ways

A Step in the Write Direction

November 3, 2014

Update: Typing the words of today’s song brought back memories. In 1958-60 and 1964-65  I worked at the Nazarene Publishing House. The music branch of NPH was Lillenas Publishing Company, one of the largest music publishers in the U.S., named after Haldor Lillenas who wrote the song below. In 1959, Lillenas passed away and we went to the funeral home for the viewing. He was 74. After we left the room, we then went to another room at the same mortuary for the viewing of our Sunday school teacher’s two-year-old daughter. I couldn’t help but think what a full life Lillenas had and what a legacy he left while the little girl barely had a chance to live. I wonder what legacy she would have left. Then I wondered what legacy I’ll leave when my time here is done. Something to think about!...Yeah! Our daughter and family got here late tonight from Oklahoma. We’ll see them tomorrow…and the next day….and the next. So nice to have them back “home.”

Thought for the Day: “Try not to confuse motion and progress. A rocking horse keeps moving but does not make any progress” (Family Variety Puzzles & Games, October 2014, p. 144).

Song for the Day:

The burden that once I carried

Is gone, is gone.

Of all of my sins there remaineth

Not one, not one.

Jesus, the Saviour, hath ransomed me,

Bearing my sins upon Calvary,

Giving me glorious liberty;

My burden of sin is gone.

            —Haldor Lillenas, “My Burden Is Gone”

Laugh for the Day:

"Please go easy on the bill for repairing my car," the minister told the mechanic.  "Remember, I am a poor preacher." 

"I know," replied the mechanic.  "I heard you last Sunday."

Writer’s Tips: (This week I’m sharing a thought illustrating why God’s ways are not always our ways. It doesn’t refer to writing, but it may help someone going through a situation they don’t understand.)

For Elmer’s Sake

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord (Isaiah 55:8).

“Lord, why have you let Mother linger so long? You know she’s ready to go.”

It was two o’clock in the morning in December 1982. Sitting in the tiny, smoke-filled waiting room of the Intensive Care Unit, I thought back over the events of the last eighteen months: my mother’s cancer surgery, the chemo treatments, my eight trips between Arizona and Michigan, and the final surgery which led to the coma in which she now lay.

The week before, the doctor had told me “24 to 48 hours” and I had summoned my brothers and sister who had come, along with some of their children, to be by Mother’s bedside. Day after day we waited and watched. “She quit breathing,” someone would say and we’d rush to the cafeteria to get a family member. But by the time we returned, the breathing had begun again.

Exhausted, and needing to return home for a statewide Christian writers seminar I was leading, I often found myself alone in this little waiting room, praying and questioning God.

On this particular night, however, I was not alone for long. A man in his middle sixties made his way into the room, dragging his IV stand beside him.  “How are you doing?” I asked him.

“Not too good,” he answered in a low voice. “My doctor told me today I have only six months to live.”

We chatted for awhile. Then he asked why I was there and I told him about my

other.

“How did she handle it when they told her?” he asked me.

I shared with him about her Christian faith which had kept her all through the years, and also that many people had been praying for her.

“I used to pray,” he admitted, “but I don’t anymore. It’s too late.”

“It’s never too late,” I told him. Reaching into my purse, I took out my New Testament and turned to John 3:16.

“Listen to this verse,” I told him. I read the words, putting his name in the appropriate places:  “For God so loved Elmer, that he gave his only begotten Son, that [if] Elmer believes in him Elmer shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Elmer read the verse again, then he looked up and asked, “Does that mean there’s still a chance for me?”

“That’s exactly what it means,” I answered. I explained the gospel message simply and then asked if he would like to pray. He bowed his head and repeated the words I said to him. When we finished, he said, simply, “Thank you,” and left the room.

The next day while walking down the hall I looked up and saw Elmer coming toward me. His head erect, he shook my hand and said, “It’s okay. I’m not afraid to die now.”

Then I knew why God had let my mother linger for so long. It was for Elmer’s sake.

 Have a good week spreading the

gospel through the printed page.

Donna Clark Goodrich

dgood648@aol.com

www.thewritersfriend.net

http://donna-goodrich.blogspot.com

A Step in the Write Direction—the Complete How-to Book for Christian Writers

Preparing Your Heart for Christmas

The Freedom of Letting Go

Healing in God’s Time

The Little Book of Big Laughs

Christmas Anthology

Mother/Grandmother Anthology

Father/Grandmother Anthology

A Step in the Write Direction--October 27, 2014--The Stone of Discouragement

A Step in the Write Direction

October 27, 2014

Update: As I shared in my book The Freedom of Letting Go, I’ve been able to let go of my yesterdays.  However, I’m having more trouble letting go of my tomorrows! This past week with 3 new health issues for my husband, my sister’s eyesight worsening, and my daughter and family moving back here from Oklahoma and waiting for word on a church opening, I’ve found myself trying to figure out how to solve these problems on my own. One sleepless night, it’s as though the Lord said to me, “Are you trying to do My job again?” Then I happened to think of the words of a poem my mother wrote years ago when my dad left her after 22 years of marriage: “One day at a time.” So that’s my new prayer. (In fact, it might even be the old song, “Moment by Moment.”) Maybe that’s what one of you need today too, so I’ll be praying for each one who reads this.

Thought for Today: “As thy day, so shall thy strength be” (Deuteronomy 33:25).

Song for Today:

Day by day, and with each passing moment,

Strength I find to meet my trials here.

Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,

I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.

He whose heart is kind beyond all measure

Gives unto each day what He deems best,

Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,

Mingling toil with peace and rest….

The protector of His child and treasure

Is a charge that on himself He laid,

“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”

This the pledge to me He made.

—“Day by Day,” Carolina V. Sandell-Berg

Laugh for Today:

Wife to husband: What do you think of your new secretary’s typing skills?

Husband: Well, she does use the biblical method.

Wife: What? ‘Seek and ye shall find?’        

Husband: No, she doesn't let her left hand know what her right hand is doing.

Writer’s Tips: (from unpublished writer’s devotional book)

Rolling Away the Stone

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was

very large, had been rolled away (Mark 16:4).

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices to anoint the body of Jesus. But as they neared the tomb, they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” Good question! How could they have known that the stone had already been rolled away?!

Have you ever felt that a huge stone blocks your dream to be a writer? Perhaps it’s the Stone of Discouragement. Luke 3:5-6 tells the story of Peter, a professional fisherman. When Jesus told him to let down the nets, he said, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything.”

Does this sound familiar? “Lord, I went to a conference. The editors told me to send them my book manuscripts. I did, but I’ve heard nothing.” “Lord, I’ve submitted my book fifteen times, and every time it comes back with a form rejection. They don’t even tell me why.” “Lord, I sent out twelve articles a month ago and haven’t sold anything.” “Lord, I’m quitting. My nets are empty.”

The note on this passage in the Nelson Study Bible (nkjv) says, “This is Peter’s statement of faith. The fisherman noted that he and his companions had just failed to make a catch at the best time for fishing, the evening. The circumstances were not good for a catch at the time of Jesus’ command.”

But what was Peter’s response? “Because you say so, I will let down the nets [again]” (emphasis added). And what happened? He “caught such a large number of fish that [his] net began to break.” So many fish that he had to call his partners in other boats to come and help him, and they “filled both boats so full that they began to sink” (v. 7).

Let down your net again. Only the Lord knows what you will pull up this time!

                        Chance is always powerful.

                        Let your hook be always cast.

                        In the pool where you least expect it

                        will be a fish. (Ovid)

If the stone of discouragement is blocking you today, find a scripture to hang onto and write it down where you can see it often.

 Have a good week spreading the

gospel through the printed page.

Donna Clark Goodrich

dgood648@aol.com

www.thewritersfriend.net

http://donna-goodrich.blogspot.com

A Step in the Write Direction--October 20, 2014--Time Management

A Step in the Write Direction

October 20, 2014

Update: The Bible says that we don’t know what a day may bring forth (Proverbs 27:1). How true! Friday I hung up the phone after talking to my brother, and my husband said, “Something’s wrong. You’d better take me to the E.R.” Well, all you women know that when a man says that, something is wrong. I let him off at the E.R. door,  parked the car, and by the time I got in there, they had him in a exam room. Took a lot of tests and it turned out his magnesium level was low (never heard of this) and he had a bladder infection. Seven hours later we went home with a prescription for antibiotics. He’s better now, just real tired….Two more weeks and our daughter and family will be moving back here from Oklahoma. They’re still waiting for word on a church opening. Appreciate your prayers!...Sent in a one-page proposal for the caregiver book. If that passes the committee, then they want a full proposal, so I need to get busy and get a couple of chapters ready, just in case.

Thought for the Day: The only way God can show us He’s in control is to put us in situations we can’t control (unknown).

Song for Today:

Yesterday, today, forever,

Jesus is the same.

All may change, but Jesus never!

Glory to His name!

            “Yesterday, Today, Forever,” Albert A. Simpson

Laugh for Today:

Auctioneer: What am I offered for this beautiful bust of Robert Burns?

Man in crowd: That ain't Burns, that's Shakespeare.

Auctioneer: Well, that shows how little I know about the Bible.

Comment on last week’s blog: Beautiful, Donna....your opening really spoke to me. We have a strange guy attending our church. Don't know what's wrong with him but he stands right in front of the big screen because he can't see well, his equilibrium is off, wears strange clothes and one time didn't take his meds and had to be dealt with strongly and left church. BUT one day I chatted with him...he was the most gentle, humble soul and I felt a love for him at once. The deacons watch him closely for signs of trouble but the more we learn about him, the more we understand. Thanks!

Writer’s Tip: (from unpublished writer’s devotional book)

“I Don’t Have Time”

There is a time for everything, and a season for

for every activity under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Would-be writers, and even those that sell on a regular basis, all complain they don’t have enough time. The following three words will help in this area.

1. Goals. Make a list of your long-range goals. Do you have an idea for a book? Make a list of what needs to be done before you can start writing. Will you need to send out surveys? Write down the questions and the names of people you want to interview.  How about research? Plan a trip to the library and note the books and reference material available. Jot down a list of Internet resources. Then set a goal for each month; i.e., by the end of January you’ll complete research or send out surveys for chapter 1, and so on. Other long-range goals can include sending out a specific number of articles or queries a month, taking a correspondence course in writing, or setting up a marketing file.

2. Priorities. A pastor told his congregation that their lives could be changed in a week if they formed the habit of making a daily list of things to be done, and then rearranging them in order of priorities. Is writing on your list of priorities, or is it something you do only when you have some spare time? This may depend on how you view your writing—as a hobby or a calling. Harold Ivan Smith says, “We are called to write and I feel we will be held responsible at the Judgment for the people who are hurting that we could have helped but didn’t because we didn’t write what God laid on our hearts to write.”

3. Planning. Plan your day in advance. If you have to be away from your computer for a while and have some waiting time, take along a writing book or a rough draft to edit, or take a writing pad and begin something new. Time spent waiting in a car or in a doctor’s office can be fruitful moments. Study the people around you; develop character sketches; jot down conversations to use in future stories. While waiting in line at the supermarket, check out magazines for possible markets.

The minutes are there waiting. Make the best use of them. You are called to write, and God will help you make time for this important calling.

List today’s tasks in order of priority. Where is writing on your list?

Have a good week spreading the

gospel through the printed page.

Donna Clark Goodrich

dgood648@aol.com

www.thewritersfriend.net

http://donna-goodrich.blogspot.com

"A Step in the Write Direction"--October 13, 2014--How You Influence Others Without Knowing It

A Step in the Write Direction

October 13, 2014

Update: We attended the memorial service Saturday of a man from our church, thinking there wouldn’t be very many there. Although he had attended our church for 16 years and never missed a service (wearing his motorcycle jacket), and I saw his name every week on the prayer chain, I had never taken the time to get to know him because he was a little “odd” as one person put it. (I found out during the eulogy that this was due to a traumatic brain injury when he was in his early twenties.) Imagine my surprise to see the sanctuary almost completely filled, including three or four rows of CMA members (Christian Motorcyclists Association). Several paid tribute to his life, his dependability—even walking 9 miles one day to work when his cycle broke down, and especially his knowledge of the Bible. “I wouldn’t argue the Bible with him; he knew more than I did,” one man said. And even the pastor remarked that Stephen often corrected him when he made a mistake. I left the service with regret, sorry that I hadn’t taken the time to get to know him better. It was truly my loss!

 Thought for the Day: Remember, we usually can't choose the music life plays for us, but we can choose how we dance to it. Make yours a beautiful memory (Anonymous; taken from Wes Tracy’s “Manna Morsels”).

Song for the Day:

I will not boast in anything

No gifts, no power, no wisdom

But I will boast in Jesus Christ

His death and resurrection

            —Stuart Townend, “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”

Laugh for the Day:

A woman  traveling by train was talking with her seatmate.  "I've been to San Jo-say," she said. 

"You pronounce that wrong," he told her.  "It is San Ho-say.  In California you pronounce all J's as H's.  When were you there?" 

The lady hesitated, then said, "In Hune and Huly."

Writer’s Tips: (from unpublished writer’s devotional book)

The Other Side of the Fence

Let us not be weary in doing good, for at the proper

time we will reap . . . if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).

Sometimes we wonder if our writing helps anyone. We pour out our hearts in a book, an article, or a poem, but unless readers respond, we don’t know what effect—if any—our words have had.

A young woman who loved flowers set out a rare vine beside her back fence. Day after day she cultivated it, but it did not bloom. One morning an invalid neighbor, whose back lot adjoined the young woman’s, called her saying, “You can’t imagine how much I enjoy the blossoms of the vine you planted.”

Walking around to the neighbor’s backyard, the mass of luxurious flowers on the other side of the fence amazed the young woman. They were blooming—but she could not see them from her own yard!

A friend received a call from her sister who said, “I had a nice visit with you last night.” She had taken her husband to the hospital for emergency surgery. “While I sat in the waiting room,” she said, “I picked up a magazine and read one of your poems about Christ riding through the storm with us. Those words encouraged me until my husband came through the surgery with no complications.” My friend told me, “Little did I know when I wrote that poem while I was going through a trial years before, that one day it would help my sister 2,000 miles away.”

We may never know how many people our writing has touched until we get to

heaven. This is illustrated by a song titled “Faces” by Rodney Griffin in which he didn’t think he had done anything that would last eternally. But when he got to heaven, God told him to turn around and “Then He showed me the faces of the ones who’d come because of me.”

Can you remember a time you were tempted to quit because you didn’t see any results?

How can you encourage a fellow writer experiencing a discouraging season?

 Have a good week spreading the

gospel through the printed page.

Donna Clark Goodrich

dgood648@aol.com

www.thewritersfriend.net

http://donna-goodrich.blogspot.com

"A Step in the Write Direction--the Complete How-to Guide for Christian Writers"

"The Freedom of Letting Go"

"Preparing Your Heart for Christmas--31 Advent Devotions"

"The Little Book of Big Laughs"--105 pages of clean jokes

A Step in the Write Direction, October 6, 2014--The Red Sea Place in Your Life

A Step in the Write Direction

October 6, 2014

Update:  When I was younger, I saw the definition of FAITH as: Forsaking All I Take Him. But I saw another on Facebook recently I like even more: Forwarding All Issues to Heaven….I often say that my husband is a “professional worrier,” and that if worry was an Olympic sport, he’d take home a gold medal….Such a good sermon yesterday: “Remember not the former things…Behold I will do a new thing…I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Today, do you have the Red Sea in front of you and armies behind you—nowhere to go? You’re blocked in? Stand still! He’s still the God who makes a way through the sea!

Thought for the Day: When you can’t see it or feel it, He’s still doing something! (Pastor Ira Brown).

Song for the Day:

Stand still and let God move, 
Standing still is hard to do 
When you feel you have reached the end, 
He'll make a way for you 
Stand still and let God move

                        --Bill & Gloria Gaither

Laugh for the Day:

A man in the deep South was about to jump from a bridge when a passerby saw him and tried to talk him out of it.  "For the sake of your mother, don't do it," the passerby pleaded. …"I don't have a mother."  … "Then think of your father."  … "Don't have a father."  … "Well, then, think of Robert E. Lee."  … "Robert E. Lee.  Who's he?"  … "Never mind, Yankee, go ahead and jump."

Writer’s Tips (from unpublished devotional book for writers):

“I’m O.K., You’re O.K.”

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself to others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life

(Galatians 6:4-5 the message).

The first writers group I attended was made up of mostly beginning secular writers. More than a critique group, it was as the old song says, a “mutual admiration society.” No matter how poorly something was written, it received the response “That was great! You should have it published!”

Later I attended another group of professional secular writers. Unlike the first group, these writers were grateful for helpful suggestions to make their work better. They had all sold—and boy! had they sold. You could hear it in every meeting, each one attempting to surpass the other in the number of queries and sales. (Unfortunately, I often hear the same thing at Christian writers’ conferences as each one sitting around a table tries to outdo the others in the amount of sales and contracts.)

Beginning writers are often awed by the successes of those around them—almost to the point that they hesitate to submit anything. They don’t realize that the others have been writing for years, or they may have had more advantages that make writing a little easier for them (it’s never easy). Or some may envy their fellow writers who have written and sold books, while they are writing only devotionals and short stories.

God has not called us to the same type of writing. Our talents are diverse. Thus, we should not compare ourselves with others; rather, we should be faithful in writing what He has called us to write.

In the Olympic games, many countries are represented, but there is only one torch. As the games end, the athletes from these countries stand together for the closing ceremony—no longer in competition but as one. The athlete who barely qualified may stand next to the one with the gold medal.

When we arrive in heaven, we’re not going to be divided into neighborhoods labeled published” and “unpublished,” “book writers,” and “devotional writers.” We’ll all be together, and God will say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant[s]” (Matthew 25:23).

We have different writing talents, but we carry only one torch—the banner of Jesus Christ.

Have a good week spreading the

gospel through the printed page.

Donna Clark Goodrich

dgood648@aol.com

www.thewritersfriend.net

http://donna-goodrich.blogspot.com

 

www.thewritersfriend.net
"A Step in the Write Direction--the Complete How-to Guide for Christian Writers"