Wow, I had decided I would continue to post some of what I wrote when I first did Jen Hatmaker's study guide in the back of her book A Modern Girl's Guide to Bible Study. I was trying to find the post I'd started but the draft has disappeared for some reason. As I was scrolling through all my posts, I saw a bunch of drafts. So I decided to open them all up and saw that I'd already typed up about 5 days worth of quiet times from when I did it over a year and a half ago. I figured I might as well … [Read more...]
It’s Time to Stand Strong
I haven't felt like doing my personal quiet time for a while now. Ever since I got sick where my stomach felt nauseated for over two months last August. I just have no desire to do it at all anymore. I've prayed about it but the desire is still not there. Well, I decided to spend the last couple of hours literally going through many, many reading plans on bible.com. They have tons to choose from and probably add more to their database all the time. I have now saved over 80 different plans … [Read more...]
Life’s Too Short
As I sit here and look outside my upstairs window, the landscape is blanketed in a snowy winter wonderland. While we slept last night, snow fell, leaving about 3 inches on the ground. The trees are covered in the beautiful purity the snow brings. It’s December 1. Christmas is only days away now and we are in full-fledged shopping mode to get all the gifts for the ones we love. As this time of year always comes around, Mari is never too far from my mom. She never far from my thoughts, but, … [Read more...]
The Journey with Elise Stone
Please welcome this week's guest Elise Stone for The Journey. She answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey? I was raised a Christian. I went to Sunday School and church every Sunday, sang in the choir, attended the youth group. I wrote my first story in kindergarten. I suppose “wrote” is exaggerating a bit. I drew a series of pictures, cartoon panels, and my mother wrote the words underneath. Both God and writing were very important, albeit separate, … [Read more...]
The Journey with Holly Michael #acfw
Please welcome back this week's guest Holly Michael for The Journey. She answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey? God has worked in a mighty way in my writing journey, beginning from the day that I quit writing. Yes, that’s right. About fifteen years ago, a stay-at-home mom with three small children, I grew frustrated upon receiving yet another rejection letter. I was so done writing query letters. With the two oldest in school, I put the baby in a stroller … [Read more...]
Sorry it took so long… #acfw
I sit here this morning thinking back on the last couple of months, and the time seems to have flown by. Only eight months ago I sat up in my room with my husband discussing with him why I felt I needed to go to the ACFW writers conference in September. Besides that awesome friends I'll finally get to meet in person (Joy Avery Melville, Julie Lessman, Dineen Miller, just to name a few :) ) and the fantastic workshops I'll get to go to, I'll have that rare opportunity to pitch both my fiction … [Read more...]
The Journey with Sylvia Bambola #acfw
Please welcome this weeks guest Sylvia Bambola for The Journey. She answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey? Years ago God spoke to me about writing a novel for the secular world. I believed it. I received it. There was no doubt in my mind that it was God even though He sounded nothing like Cecil B. DeMille. So, for two years I worked feverishly until finally the great American novel was ready. I had amassed a list of all the publishers I planned to favor with … [Read more...]
Day 39: Keeping a Journal
I love keeping a journal. I typically go for long periods of time without writing in it but when I do it becomes a daily ritual. Right after Mari died I told Keith I had to get a journal. What I wrote in there were all my very raw and exposed emotions. Sometimes it felt like I wrote the same things over and over. It's one of the ways that helped me through my grief. And then one day I had tons of thoughts swirling around in my head. But I had a different feeling this time about writing … [Read more...]
Day 12: Patience
Let me just say that of all the gifts God has bestowed upon me, patience isn't one of them. I might be good at things like scrapbooking, crocheting, cross stitching, computers, and even writing, but I have such a low threshold for being patient. Don't get me wrong, man do I wish it was better. I have come to accept this lack of quality as it is. It's something I have to work on on a day in and day out basis. I remember the day I found out I was pregnant with Mari. It was June 12, 1999, only … [Read more...]
Day 6: Daring to Tell
I wonder how many closet writers there are because they're scared to get out of their comfort zone, daring to tell what's rolling around in their brains. Fear can be a great force within ourselves. It can stop us from doing so many things, things even God may want us to do. We have to remember that God will give us the strength we need to do things according to His plan. In our own human form we are weak and vulnerable. It is through Him that He gives an invisible shield of … [Read more...]
