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Hi! Sherry Kyle, here, writing from my laptop in central California with a word of encouragement for you.
Romans 15:13 says,
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
(def) hope: 1. to have a wish to get or do something or for something to happen or be true, especially something that seems possible or likely. 2. To believe, desire, or trust.
What is your hope today?
Ask and you will receive that your joy may be full
John 16:24
Greetings, Elizabeth Baker is writing to you on a stormy night surrounded by the welcome sounds of rain. It’s the perfect night for reflecting on some of the astounding promises Jesus left for our encouragement and, although they sometime contain an element of mystery, these promises offer much more comfort than a drought breaking rain.
A conundrum is sometimes defined as a riddle inside an enigma wrapped in a mystery. It’s also a fair description of more than one scripture that has challenged me through the years. Like today’s verse on asking and receiving. I read it and immediately get lost in a tangled web of sentences that all start with but or what-if.
Yet, when the journey of reason becomes so convoluted I think I may never find my way back, I take a tip from an atheist who’s writing I have always admired. Mark Twain said, “It ain’t the parts of the Bible I don’t understand that bother me. It’s the parts I do!” If I’ll back off and focus on what I know instead of getting lost down rabbit holes, life—and scripture—make a lot more sense.
For this verse, what I know is when I ask Jesus for something and receive it, the cycle is a whole lot of fun!
I was going through a particularly wearisome time of spiritual dryness. I had just finished one book and was casting about trying to envision the next, but nothing was working and I drifted into such a slough of despond that I wasn’t sure I cared if I ever wrote again. Too much hard work. Too little reward. God had many excellent writers in His fold. He didn’t need me.
That was when I picked a prayer journal from the shelf and began thumbing through. I was amazed at how many victories had slipped by without my notice. Troubles had been solved. Growth had taken place. Moods had changed. And, all of it had progressed almost stealth through my days. Where had I been when that prayer was answered? Why didn’t I notice the cloudy mood I prayed about was lifted in less than seventy-two hours? I pulled down another journal. Forgotten memories surfaced like neglected friends. With such a body of evidence demonstrating that my efforts and choices made a difference in life, what gave me the right to think new dreams, new prayers and new horizons weren’t worth pursuing? The experience was like coming up from under water and taking a deep breath of fresh air. Just like Moses had assured the Israelites, remembering yesterday created courage for tomorrow. [1]
There are still many things I don’t understand about this verse. I haven’t got a clue how Jesus could give such a powerful blank check to humans who have a penchant for making unreasonable, selfish requests. I don’t understand why sometimes when Christians make perfectly logical, needed request; they don’t seem to receive from God. But I know I am a weaker, sadder person when I fail to grab hold and bask in the sunshine of each answered prayer no matter how small or large.
[1] Deuteronomy 7:18
Aloha from Karen Whiting. CAN treasurer
I Love speaking to Moms, Women, Writers, and well, anyone who shares similar passions. I also find that there are many ways books get promoted when I speak, beyond the actual time I stand and talk.
It starts the moment I get a speaking engagement with the meeting planner letting people know I'll be coming and my posting the event to my website upcoming appearances. There are several ways to maximize the promotional possibilities.
Genesis 1:1
Hello! Maureen Pratt here with my first CAN Blog post. I've been asked to write once a month about writing - one of my favorite topics! Today, I'm going to start off with a topic that sometimes confounds many writers - "writing short." As I'm the author of a 600-word syndicated, international column, I'm steeped in this style with each piece I file. And, more than ever before, we use this kind of writing, especially on the Internet. But it can be so difficult to adapt "big" thoughts into "few" words (for us...the Author of the Bible did it so beautifully!) Here are some suggestions for better, pithier posts and paragraphs:
Hello from Pamela Meyers
I’ve been asked to write a series of blogs about how my debut novel came to be and what was entailed in its ultimate publication last November. Especially how the conceptualization relates to marketing the book once it was published. Like a proud mama, I’m always pleased to talk about the birth of my baby. Isn’t that how we authors come to think of our stories, be it your very first novel, or your hundredth?
What better combination is there than a good romance coupled with a who-done-it mystery written cozy style? At least to my point of view, that’s always a dynamite combination. Since I was a girl, I loved reading mysteries. Think Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden. As I grew into my teen years, I started reading romance stories. One of my favorites was called Geneva Summer, which was set in my home area of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. I devoured that book, not only because it was fun to read a story set in places I knew well, but also because I couldn’t wait to see if the hero and heroine ended up together at the end. Of course they did, as all good romances go.
Continue reading "My Journey to Publication & What I've Learned Along the Way" »
In book two of the “Freedom” series, readers find Mara fighting against her attraction to Bible college student Jonathan Flannery even while wrestling with risking her own precarious safety to become involved in the rescue of another girl who is pregnant and desperately wants to escape her captors and save her own life, as well as her child’s. Halfway around the world in a brothel in Thailand, a young girl is rescued with the promise of being reunited with her younger sister who was adopted by an interracial couple in the States, friends of Jonathan’s family. Meanwhile, Jefe—Mara’s uncle, who held her as a sex slave in his brothel in San Diego for years—seeks revenge for Mara’s testimony that put him behind bars for life. Will his underworld connections be successful in kidnapping and killing the girl who believes she has finally won her freedom?
Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 40 books and ghostwritten several others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences. She won the 2008 Member of the Year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) as well as 2011 Author of the Year by BooksandAuthors.net. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al.
This new release information was uploaded by Cecelia Dowdy. Happy reading!
You have not chosen me but I have chosen you.
John 15:16 NKJV
This is Elizabeth Baker with you today, bringing a word of encouragement and sharing a verse that more than once pulled me from a pit. As writers we face a lot of rejection but knowing we have been chosen by Jesus can provide balance and joy.
Only hours before His crucifixion Jesus looked around at the men who for three-and-a-half years had given up everything to follow Him and said, “It is not that you have chosen me, but that I have chosen you.” This was not a statement minimizing their sacrifice but a truth to hold on to if they would weather the fast approaching storm.
Being chosen by Jesus, made them secure. Because He knew their past, nothing back there need haunt them. He saw it all from the beginning and chose them anyway.
Because He knew their present, He was never surprised or disappointed by their weakness. He knew their problems better than they did and He chose them anyway.
Because He knew their future, no sin they might commit, no failure, no laziness or anger or misconception on their part would ever make Him turn away. He knew these things from the beginning and He chose them anyway.
But there was more.
Being chosen meant that Jesus had a goal in mind for their life. They were chosen to bear fruit. They would never drift without purpose or direction. If in the future they felt their life was going nowhere or wondered about the meaning of it all, they could rest. He had picked them for a purpose and He will not let that purpose fall flat.
Yet, above the security and purpose involved in being chosen, there was one more privilege that outshone them all. Because they were chosen, they had direct access to God the Father. As the fruit of character and life grew inside them, they would know more what it meant to ask “in Jesus name.” Using that name, they would ask and asking, they would receive.
Remembering that He had chosen them would provide security and courage in the dark hours just ahead. It was a solid rock in the coming storm.
And, it can also be a rock for us. After all, we’ve been chosen, too.
Greetings from Jennifer AlLee here in slightly-overcast Las Vegas. Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, which may explain the love in the air. As authors, we feel the love when readers buy our books. But how do we share the love with them? Answering this question is not only a sweet thing to do, it’s a good marketing move.
Highland Crossings by Laurie Alice Eakes (and others)
Head to historic North Carolina where a brooch unites the lives and loves of four women. Dangerous accusations force Seona to leave Scotland with the brooch in tow, but will she find peace before her past is revealed? Years later, Fiona hopes to recover the brooch only to wind up on the whipping block. Can she trust the man who comes to her rescue? Seren sells the brooch to open a confectionery, but will the precious heirloom be lost to a hopeless dream? When the brooch is stolen, can Brynna reclaim it before she loses something even more valuable?
This new release information was uploaded by Cecelia Dowdy. Happy reading!
These things I command you, that you love one another.
John 15:17 NKJV
Greetings from the piney woods of East Texas! I’m Elizabeth Baker with a word of encouragement of your Monday.
As a writer, I notice things like verb tenses and plural nouns and misplaced modifiers. I suppose that’s why it jarred me a bit when I realized I had read John 15:17 hundreds of times and never noticed the plurality of “things” and the singleness of “love.” While grammatically correct, I found the contrast curious. How was this statement different than Jesus’ statement in verse twelve when He said His “commandment” (singular) was for His disciples to love one another?
A singular command would have been enough. No questions. No room for argument. Just do it. But in this verse Jesus refers to many commands. It is as though He said, “Look at it all. Listen to it all. Follow it all, and learn to love.” Part of “all” were surely the His examples for these were how He demonstrated the commands at work in everyday life.
When it comes to love, one of the most powerful examples had occurred only hours earlier. The disciples had been arguing on the road to Jerusalem. They maneuvered for position and split into fractions. Who was the most important? Who deserved the greatest honor? Their actions were anything but loving.
For three and a half years their Master had talked of love, but these hard-headed humans didn’t seem to get it. So, when they got to where they were going, He demonstrated love. He took off his robe, wrapped a towel around His waist and one by one washed their feet. He was their servant. He loved them by putting them first.
Love is an attitude. Love is a pliable nature and humble spirit. It isn’t enough to observe a commanded action then check it off the list. Love is a habit; a way of life. Love makes the way easy for someone else. Love offers humble service. It is many things we do; many things we say.
February is a month of love with a celebration of romantic love right in the middle. In America, we celebrate love by giving flowers and cards and candy while retailers make a profit. This is not bad. Romantic love should be celebrated. But a far more true and accurate celebration of real love occurs when a weary mother puts her own need for rest aside and feeds a baby. Love is celebrated when a wealthy businessman resist the temptation to expand his marketing in order to give a bonus to the workers. Love takes flight when a spouse sticks with a difficult marriage believing it’s best for the children.
No wonder Jesus used a plural noun. Expressions of love are as varied as human experience. Every command He gave, every example He left, are all ways of loving and much, much more. Anytime one person puts their own comfort, benefit, desires aside in order to lift another up, there is love. It is the essence of “these things” as Jesus commanded.
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