Browsed by
Category: Devotions

When I read John Kings’ description of finding names for book characters, I flipped in my Bible to the Genesis passage where God gave Adam the “naming” task.
“There were around 70 main characters in Centennial, and to find names that sounded appropriate for the parts they played, as well as being in keeping with their family origins and their time in history, was an important and pleasurable part of our research, rather like a game of literary Scrabble.”
“Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.” Genesis 2:19 (niv)
The Bible doesn’t say Adam whined. There is nothing recorded that says, “But God, I’ve never named anyone before.” No, Adam named every living creature and we know God continually said, “And it is good.”
Those helping Michener name the characters for Centennial didn’t whine, sometimes in their discussions they argued over what they believed a character might say or do, but mostly they enjoyed building the cast on paper.
What task has God given you? Maybe not naming animals or people, but if you complete the task without complaint will you hear the Lord say, “And it is good.”
Prayer: Our gracious father in heaven, help us to welcome with open arms whatever you call us to do for you. Amen
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but he who hates correction is stupid.
~Proverbs 12:1
Read your email thoroughly before you reply.
Freelance newspaper work is tough. When I wrote a weekly column for the Plattsmouth Journal, I interviewed many gospel singers. Many times I interviewed individuals “cold,” no website to give me background. (The calls reminded me of years before when I sold pre-need cemetery arrangements. I stuttered in the beginning—but got the job done.)
Once when I needed to interview a country gospel soloist, someone gave me her email. I sent questions. She shot back immediate answers—and added a note. I read her answers, but didn’t digest the material in her note. Later I sent her a quick email, “Is there a time I can call you? What time zone are you in Texas?”
She emailed me, “I’m in Omaha—how about now.” I re-read her email and found all the information I needed.
Because of my haste, I apologized with a red face. The experience reminded me of other lessons I learned the hard way. Spiritual lessons. If I’d slowed down and taken time to pray and then listen to God before bringing up a sensitive subject with my husband or my co-worker, my tone of voice and my attitude—could they have been softer, more understanding?
Prayer: Lord, you are never too busy to listen to me or to advise me. Help me to slow down long enough to not pray and go, but pray and know before I speak. Amen
Photo by Deb Heartscribeforhim

 

“I rise before dawn and cry for help;
I have put my hope in your word.”
~Psalm 119:147 NIV
In years gone by my husband and I spent time in the woods. He liked to fish in the quiet early morning hours. I loved to sleep away from home. In the quiet, no husband and no phones, I took time to renew my energy—to spend time reading my Bible.
Often I used those hours at the campfire to write my weekly newspaper column, “Sunshine and Smiles.” By the time Gary filled the cooler with his mess of fish, I felt well rested, my spirit well nourished, my commitment for the week completed and ready for time to share coffee with him, my best friend.
Not everyone has time for a campfire, but everyone can make the opportunity to start the day refreshing their mind, body and soul reading their Bible.
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
~Psalm 63:1 niv
A lot of the US is in drought, a dry and weary land where there is no water; many souls are spiritually dry—come to the water—seek Him.
Prayer:  Thank you Lord for being our continual source of refreshment. For giving us moments of peace and quiet even when we don’t have the opportunity to camp. And thank you Lord, I never had to clean a fish. Amen
You’re blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom,
   when you make friends with Madame Insight.
Proverbs 3:13 (msg)

Recently Pastor Aman of an Arabic Christian church preached in our morning worship. A translator stood to his right, sometimes looking puzzled. Pastor Aman repeated his phrases and the translator would smile and give us his English version.

Before giving us his scripture for the day, Pastor Aman said, “One day I followed a taxi with a bumper sticker that said:

Don’t follow me because I myself am lost.”
 
What a great bumper sticker for writers. We need to choose wisely in whom we follow, Jesus first, author fan pages with wisdom and also good informational blogs. No matter the genre we write, we need to study God’s Word, and ask Him to guide our minds and fingers.
These Proverbs spoke to me today:
Dear friend, guard Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life;
don’t for a minute lose sight of them.
They’ll keep your soul alive and well…

No need to panic over alarms or surprises,
or predictions that doomsday’s just around the corner,
Because God will be right there with you;
he’ll keep you safe and sound.
Proverbs 3:21-22, 25-26 (msg)
Prayer: Father, thank you for reminding me to guard my mind and soul. Thank you, too for the promise You will be with and guide me in all my ways. I only need to ask. Amen
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving,
present your requests to God.”
Philippians 4:6 (NIV)
A foot long word lover!
A few weeks back I read a post where Cec Murphey said, “When we try to correct sloppy writing we don’t have to become sesquipedalians (look it up). Say it in direct, easy-to-understand words. If we do, we communicate. Get it? We actually communicate with readers and they understand what we mean.”
I looked up Sesquipedalians. It means “given to using long words.” The Latin sesquipedalis means measuring a foot and a half.
In some of my first writing I used the Thesaurus to find extraordinary words. It didn’t take me long to understand that a foot and a half word stopped the reader mid-sentence and editors didn’t appreciate my efforts, either.
Scripture is written for the average reader to understand. Jesus said, “Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” John 14:1 is simple and direct.
PRAYER: Lord, you know writers struggle to find ways to keep readers reading. Help us to ask for your guidance and not be afraid when we submit an article. Amen

 

“I am the Lord your God,
Who teaches you what is best for you,
Who directs you in the way you should go.”
Psalm 48:17b (NIV)
 
It’s good to study successful authors. James A. Michener sold forty books. In reading “In Search for Centennial,” Michener wrote, “I am not interested in writing anything which does not concern me immediately and deeply, and if I do write I want to do so in a way that summarizes all the knowledge I have at that moment…I write in order to educate myself, to organize my thoughts, to discover the depth of my own convictions—” (pg 77)
I could have written the above. Those are my feelings and the sentiments of many of my author friends.
The only difference between Michener and those in my circle of authors is what is foremost in our minds. Michener traveled the world and wrote history—great history. Books we can gain knowledge from. The writers I know up close and personal are concerned deeply about keeping God focused and hope in some small way to change hearts and minds for Him .
Prayer: Father we thank you for the opportunity to write for you. Direct our paths today. Amen

 

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17 (NIV)
 Savannah and I have found a treasure house, well actually, a Goodwill Warehouse where all the goodies are in bins. You need to dig to find something. Find things I did.
Baskets, stuffed animals, a shelf—exactly what I wanted for outside—and books.
“Grandma, you really want that book about James Michener?” she asked. She wrinkled her nose at the torn book jacket.
“Wait till you see inside,” I said. “It’s the story of how James A. Michener wrote Centennial.” That didn’t mean anything to Savannah, but I remember the book and the NBC 25 hour mini-series well.
Born in 1907, Michener grew up during the depression. About 1937 he started thinking about a western saga; it was 1972 before he put his thoughts on paper. He hired John Kings to help with the western history and Tessa Dalton for photography. For a full year, the trio with Michener’s wife traveled gathering data.
Kings wrote In Search of the Centennial, my suburb find, in response to requests from Michener readers for an insight into the man. My interest isn’t in Michener the man, but Michener the author. The years he spent writing one book, the many people he met along the way, and the laborious editing. The labor he poured into everything he wrote, the precise preparation, and the sixty books he read before he put pen to paper about the west.
Prayer: Father, may we dedicate ourselves to whatever our task might be, whether we write a history book like Michener, our true life experiences, or a novel. May we be committed to make every word be pleasing unto you. Amen
“I will say of the Lord,
“He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
Psalm 91:2 (NIV)
The fireworks nearby sounded like many bombs going off. One after another, they exploded. The noise frightened Paddy dog. When I saw his fear I thought of the countries at war where people live with gunfire day and night. Children who grow up under terrorizing threats against their families or maybe they have lost their parents to enemy fire.
What about our US troops fighting for our freedom? Not everyone is in a war zone, but they live for months and sometimes years in another country, deployed away from their family and friends.
And what about our wounded military who have returned from Iraq, Afghanistan or maybe even a peaceful country, their bodies mangled or their family in crisis? My heart is both sad and glad. I hurt for those who don’t know our American freedom. I am glad for those of our country who willingly serve that we might celebrate our freedom.
Prayer: Father, may we continually remember those serving our country at home and abroad. Lift them in prayer often. May we remember you are our refuge in times of trouble, our fortress, our God in who we can trust. Amen.
“It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife,
but every fool is quick to quarrel.”
Proverbs 20:3 (NIV)
The first critique group I joined taught me to listen to the advice given and not to defend what I meant to say. The lessons were hard. Seven women, all well-published authors, didn’t have time to waste.
We started on time. We brought enough manuscripts for each one to read along. No one read their own article—less chance to correct oneself while reading. One by one the women commented. Once you voiced your opinion, you couldn’t speak again until everyone had finished.
I might have quit after the first day—my feelings were wounded. But I believed God had called me to write and I’m stubborn enough show up again. And I did.
Did I have my feelings hurt again? Yes, more than once. But I learned more from that group of women than I had in years. They were tough, they were thorough.
Recently I saw a quote by Jack Cavanaugh:
“If God told you to write – how DARE you stop writing
because you got your feelings hurt or somebody didn’t like it.”

I find it difficult to praise the Lord when I’ve spent hours editing and reediting and another writer says, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand….” But over the years I learned not to let my emotions stop me, to listen more, and go back to the keyboard and edit again.

Prayer: Father, may all of us learn to appreciate every piece of advice given. To understand those critiquing any manuscript want only the best for the author. May we praise you for the opportunity to serve you while we rewrite once more. Amen
Patience
“It is not good to have zeal without knowledge,
nor to be hasty and miss the way.”
Proverbs 19:2(NIV)
During the great depression Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia named the lion mascots for the New York Public Library, “Patience” and “Fortitude.” He said the New Yorkers possessed these qualities.
“Patience” is what every grammar coach needs.
My first coach Thelma sent every submission back to me red-inked. A few years later, seven-well-known authors invited me into their critique group. They marked up my manuscripts in many colors. From the beginning of Wordsowers, Audrey became my critique partner. She persistently drove to my work place weekly to edit my materials. I think I wore her patience very thin.
I felt passionate about writing, but many times I left a critique session discouraged. Sometimes I cried in frustration.
Fortitude
 “Fortitude” and my desire to please the Lord helped me go back to the keyboard and submit corrected copies. Sometimes an article went through a dozen or more crits before my patient coach said, “It’s ready. Send it.” Even then, several manuscripts rejected because of length or style.
The year I made a writing goal to have double the rejections from the year before, I accomplished the goal—my sale volume doubled also.
Prayer: Lord, give us an awareness of where we need to polish our materials. Help us slow down, study, study, study and listen to others that our words may glorify you. Amen