It's not about me

There I was trying to get my dinner started. I was also about to wave goodbye to my man as he went to the gym that evening. I hurriedly wiped my hands on my kitchen towel and scurried to the front door to kiss him goodbye. As Shan reached the door however, he stopped short. He’d forgotten his bottle of water. Oh! I went back to the kitchen while he filled his bottle with water. A minute later he was off. I left my lentil curry gurgling merrily on the stove as I returned to the front door.

He kissed me goodbye and walked out. But…. a minute later, he turned back again. What was it this time? His phone. Oh. I shook my head slowly. Hmmm…! This time I waited at the front door till he returned with his phone. I smiled and waved goodbye to my hard working man as he reversed out of the garage. Then I rushed back to the lentil curry on the stove before it overflowed.

Does that sound familiar? It happens often in our home. Not just when my husband goes out but when I go out as well. Many times I’ve had an annoyed son open the door for me when I’ve had to return quickly (after I’ve gone out), because I have forgotten something. As irritating as it is to him when I do that – I’m sure he knows that I’m not doing it on purpose. And likewise – of course I know my husband doesn’t do it to rub me the wrong way either. He’s a busy man with much to remember – so it’s not surprising that he forgets a few things now and then. After all, we are both on the right side of 50!

It makes me ponder on other situations. Like when someone says something mean to me. Or treats me badly. I know that it’s often nothing to do with me. And all to do with them. Perhaps they had a bad day and they have taken it out on me. Or they are hurting over a difficult circumstance. And don’t realise how they sound. It’s a good idea not to take everything personally. Because very often, contrary to what it seems…. it’s not about me.

What about our writing? Do we take the ups and downs of a writer’s life too seriously? I’m sure I do. The rejection from a Publisher is not about me. But about my work which could improve. The seemingly harsh words from my critique group are said in love – to help me improve my writing – not to bring me down. The sparse number of likes or comments on my blog is not a rejection – simply that people have been too busy to read it. It’s not about me.

Recently after I’d posted my blog, I had lots of positive feedback from my blog contact list, 23 likes on the blog, 10 likes on Facebook….. all of which caused me to get dizzy with delight. I’d never had 23 likes on a post before. I must have done something right.

And so, the next week, I eagerly checked how many likes I’d got on my next blog post. Had be at least 10, right? Wrong. I had only 2 measly likes on my latest blog. I could not believe it. I felt sad for a little while. But after some thought and reflection, I started to laugh at myself. Perhaps it was a good thing I’d received only 2 likes that time. I’d asked God to keep me humble. Maybe He was answering that prayer.

I realised that I became so excited about those 23 likes that I’d forgotten my original motivation to write my blogs in the first place. It was to inspire, encourage and bless others. Who cared how many likes I had? If I had touched one heart or blessed one person it would be enough. It is not all about me. That’s for sure.

Am I puffed up and full of myself? As a Christian writer – it is not all about me. It is all about God. And His kingdom. Am I seeing His perspective? Or has the god of this world blinded me to seek for results that lift me up? Shouldn’t I rather look to please God and to walk in His ways? To follow His plans for me. It’s only too easy to get off track, isn’t it?

Am I doing what God requires of me? That is the question.

Writing is a big part of my reason for living. I love to write – to inspire, to encourage, to challenge, to bless. I hope I will publish lots of books; and become a Writer after God’s heart. But let me not forget… it is not about me. It is all about God. And His Kingdom.

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” Mathew 6:33



Anusha loves life. She is passionate about Jesus and the difference He has made in her life. Writing is one of the many things she loves to do. Invigorating walks on cold winter evenings, connecting with family and friends, writing contentedly at her computer, connecting with people, singing and making music, sharing the love of Jesus – these are some of her passions. Do drop in at her website to visit her – Dancing in the Rain. http://anusha-atukorala.webnode.com/

Strength and Dignity

Recently I’ve been preparing to speak to a women’s group about the woman of Proverbs 31, a woman who was clothed with strength and dignity. This passage made me think about common images of women today, with all our rights, demands, opportunities and modern ideals, which have many running around like mad women in a tizz with so much to do and never enough time. This is more often an image of the harried, stressed and busy - not a good look; at best tough and successful in worldly terms, but far from the image of strength and dignity.                                                                          

I believe there’s a danger for us, even as writers, to have such a tight schedule of writing, editing, promoting, selling, speaking, along with all the other commitments of our lives, that we can end up being seen by others as overwrought, frustrated and tired.

The difference between a woman of today and the Proverbs 31 woman; this woman who was so praised, and called blessed and a blessing by children and husband, had nothing to do with being rich, nor with a botoxed face and small waist. And it wasn’t that this ancient woman had little to do. She was incredibly productive, professional and acclaimed.

Still, she was not so busy from daylight to dawn that she had no time to stop and speak words of wisdom or kindness, and to pay loving attention to her family.  She seemed to go about her days, weeks and years, with poise, elegance, serenity and planned purpose.

This passage again brought home to me the valuable lessons that we can learn from the past, and especially from the stories and images from scripture.  It also brought to mind an old version of the 23^rd Psalm that I think says it all.

The Lord is my pace-setter, I shall not rush. He makes me to stop and rest for quiet intervals. He provides me with images of stillness which restore my serenity. He leads me in the way of efficiency through calmness of mind and his guidance is peace.                                                                                                                             Even though I have a great many things to accomplish each day I will not fret, for His presence is here. His timelessness, his all-importance will keep me in balance.                                                                                                                        He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of activity by anointing my mind with his oils of tranquility, my cup of joyous energy overflows.   

 Surely harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruits of my hours and I shall walk in the pace of my Lord and dwell in His house forever.    

Toki Miyashina, Psalm 23 for Busy people

Not that the original isn’t also very beautiful, but what an appropriate message for us in the 21^st Century!  

Carol Preston 

www.carolpreston.com.au

www.amazon.com/author/carolpreston

Are you Ready

   Are you ready? Ready for the unexpected? Ready for the new thing?
   Revival is coming to Australia. As a writer, are you prepared? As a reader are you open?
   Two thousand years ago, Jesus came at the fullness of time. He came when everything was ready. The Roman empire supplied roads and communication systems that had never been seen before  The stage was set for the Good News to travel the known world quickly and efficiently.
Revival was been prophesied for this nation for over 200 years and the time is ready. Although there have been mini outbreaks in places, our nation has never seen a big revival. It is now imminent.  Across our nation  stories abound of the Spirit moving in power. My Facebook feed reports miracles and healings daily here in Australia.
   About six weeks ago, we saw an amazing miracle at our church . A young lady from England came to Australia for a holiday. She was deeply depressed and had lost hope. The first day here she stumbled across our church. Three weeks later she went home renewed in spirit, but also with restored sight. Yes, you read that correctly! She had been totally blind in one eye. One morning, after prayer in a home group the previous evening, she woke with near perfect vision in that eye. (See her story here)
   A blind eye opened! Here in my Aussie church! Amazing.
   The Spirit is on the move and I'm excited! So writer - get ready.
   With every move of the Spirit, there comes new revelation. God opens his Word in new and fresh ways.     These revelations will be written in blogs, e books and books to spread the message to the world. All is ready. Messages can travel the world in a nano second! But the world is also suffering information overload.    So as writers we need to ask God for the messages and the communication methods that will be noticed!       And we need to keep our ears to the ground and know what God is doing.
   Along with readers, we need open minds. The greatest enemy to revival is an attitude that says "I know."
We've read the Bible. We've heard the sermons. When we think we know what the passage says, our minds switch off, unconsciously. But this is a time when we need to deliberately turn on! Turn our hearts toward the heart of God and be open to His thoughts, His revelations. We then apply them to our lives.
   The day after I wrote this blog, I sat under the teaching of Brian Simmons, one of the most revelatory teachers I have ever heard. He put it this way.
             The on-ramp to revelation is  "I don't understand, Lord. Show me."
             The door to revelation isn't a sharp mind, but a spirit that is tender toward God.
   As Christian writers, we have never had such an opportunity. God is pouring out new revelation, doing a new thing. Lets catch the wave and fill our writings with new understandings that will inspire our readers

PS. Check out Brian Simmons and his range of books. He is translating the bible one book at a time, restoring the passion to the Word. I really love his translation.


Jo Wanmer (Check out her blog) is on a road of learning, desperate to be transformed, degree by degree, into His image. Her book, Though the Bud be Bruised, is also transforming lives, bringing healing and hope. 

Returning to a dream

This is my first post on this blog, and, to be honest, I've been feeling a little daunted at the thought of sharing something. For some reason, I have no problem adding posts to my own blog...

My journey to being a writer started when I was in high school. Writing was my escape from life and a way I could shine. I won some awards, including a cash prize, and even had a couple of plays performed at church. One piece I wrote had the school Welfare Coordinator asking me if everything was OK at home as it was a realistic story about child abuse.

When I finished high school, there were no creative writing courses at university and writing wasn't considered a career choice, so I studied journalism. To cut a long story short, life got in the way and I stopped writing, until I started blogging around 2006. At last I was writing again.

A few years ago, I closed down a business I had run for around 9 years and came back to creative writing. I have been writing short stories, tried my hand at novels, and written picture and chapter books for kids. Right now I'm waiting for two flash fiction pieces to be included in an anthology - my first published work.

It's amazing looking over the last 15 or so years and looking at what I've done and seeing God's hand at work. When I finished school I tried to get a picture book published. It was good, just not great and was rejected. Now I know that I needed more life experience to have a more realistic story and I'm editing it to get it to the stage it can be published. Even with my business experiences, I'm drawing on these experiences to write a series of short stories. This experience is also going to help when my books are published as far as marketing and the business of being an author.

I'm currently returning to my dream of being an author. Every day taking baby steps while juggling working and being a single mum to two gorgeous boys who are my biggest cheer leaders. All the way trusting God to continue to bring people into my life to help me along the way as well as inspiration for amazing stories.

________________________
Melissa Gijsbers is a budding author and mum of two gorgeous boys. Her blog is www.melissawrites.com.au

Upside-down Spiritual Vision

Did you know that the human eye, by itself, sees everything upside down? It's the work of the brain to take the images we see and turn them right way round. 

As I thought about our human physiology I realised that this is exactly how the Holy Spirit works in our spirits. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 we read that,

"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."

And in Romans 1 we read of the results of this upside-down spiritual vision,

 ²¹ For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Though  they claimed to be wise, they became fools ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles."

We are certainly living in times when people's vision is upside down; good is condemned as evil, evil is celebrated, even encouraged in so many ways. God is seen as the enemy, whilst the devil is welcomed into society and hell is seen as either not real, or a "cool" place where rebels will revel in their earthly life's deeds. We are seeing "multi-faith" prayer summits that acknowledge all gods as equal to The God, and the removal of the name of God from the public; tolerance is the new norm - for all religions and beliefs and
creeds . . . except Christianity.

We live in troubled times, friends. And as uncomfortable as it might be, we really do need to ensure that our spirit's eyes are 100% trained on our heavenly Father and seeing things the right way up, and are not being fooled into thinking that wrong is the new right.

As devoted as we are to our Lord Jesus, we can be tempted to question whether our inner eyes are seeing things correctly, or if we need to perhaps "tweak" our focus; we start to question what we know to be true and are tempted to refocus our vision. Perhaps we are being too dogmatic about certain issues; tithing, attitude, swearing, marriage, faith, sex, these and other areas of our lives suddenly become blurry, and we need to reset our sight. The question is, are we resetting our sight to God's defaults, or to the world's?

May the Lord continue to give us clarity of sight and wisdom in all things, and the strength and courage to stand true when times of testing come.

Blessings,

Helen.

The Number Line of Faith

I was having some great conversations with people about the gospel on our short-term mission trip to New Zealand.  We gathered each night so that the team leader could record the daily statistics to send back to the mission organisation and I would eagerly tell about my experiences.  The only problem was that my efforts didn’t seem to count.  Unless I’d gone through an entire Christian tract with someone or led them in a prayer to receive Christ, there wasn’t a box to tick on the tally sheets.  I felt like a bit of a failure in my evangelistic attempts until I remembered something I had heard about the number line of faith. 

Think of someone’s spiritual journey as a number line that goes from -10 through zero to +10.  At -10 the person is far from God and not receptive to hearing about him.  As the person moves closer to zero, they’re more open to spiritual things.  Zero is the point at which they become a Christian. As they read the Bible, pray, and learn more about God, they grow in their Christian walk and move further along the number line of faith.  That gave me a new perspective.  I wasn’t a failure if someone didn’t become a Christian when I shared with them.  I could still help them in their journey.  It also reminded me that God is the one who does the converting.  He’s already working in someone’s life long before I talk to them.  I may come across them when they’re -7, -1, or +4; but I can join God in His work.  Others may have different roles in that work, but it’s not up to us to compare ourselves to them.  We’re all part of a team just as Paul and Apollos were part of a team (see 1 Cor. 3:3-9).

So what does this have to do with writing?  I recently read an article that looked at the debate about whether Christian novelists should stick with Christian publishers or try for the mainstream market.  In that article and elsewhere, there has also been discussion about what should or should not be included in a ‘Christian’ novel.  There are arguments on both sides and it’s not my aim to canvas them here.  As I’ve been reflecting on this, however, I wonder if the number line of faith could be a helpful tool in thinking about the markets for which we write.

Which segment of that number line do you see as your main audience?  Are you called to help new Christians learn about what it means to be a follower of Christ?   Do you want to challenge mature Christians to move from complacency to action, or help them work through deeper issues of life that don’t have pat answers?  Maybe you feel led to reach those who are seeking, but have not yet committed to one faith over another.  Your writing might help them consider the claims of Christ and move them towards accepting Him as their Saviour.  Other writers may be more concerned about those who are currently far from God and the aim is to bring them to the point where they will at least consider spiritual issues. 

Each audience requires a different kind of writing.  Someone at -9 will be turned off by scripture references in the first few pages of a novel, whereas someone at -2 might be quite happy to read about characters who pray when they’re in difficult situations.  Rather than debating whether we should aim for Christian or mainstream publishers, we should seek God about the direction to take, hone our mission statements, and then aim for the appropriate market.

Of course the reality is not as neat as the examples I’ve given.  The same book can have a number of layers that touch people at different stages of their spiritual journeys.  The same author may also write different books that are pitched at various types of readers.  However, thinking and praying about the audience we hope to reach can help us to be more focused and effective in our writing. 

Which side of the number line best gels with your mission statement?

 

Nola Passmore is a freelance writer who has had more than 80 short pieces published in various magazines, journals, and anthologies (including true stories, devotions, poetry and short fiction). She has a passion for writing about what God has done in her life and encouraging others to do the same. (Some call it "nagging", but she calls it "encouragement").

 

Getting into the game

It is surprising to me that God pushes the most unlikely people into limelight. Calvin, pastor and reformer, said this: “Being by nature a bit antisocial and shy, I always loved retirement and peace…But God has so whirled me around by various events that he has never let me rest anywhere, but in spite of my natural inclination, has thrust me into the limelight and made me ‘get into the game’ as they say.” *

Luther, was also thrust ‘into the game.’ He never wanted to leave the monastery but he was thrust into a teaching position and ultimately birthed the reformation.

Then, of course, there was Moses, thrust into the limelight when he met a burning bush. David, when he thought was going to visit his brothers but found himself face to face with a giant. And Amos, a shepherd taking care of sycamore-fig trees (Amos 7:14), thrust into the role of prophet to Israel. None of these people went seeking fame or even attention yet God had other plans for them.

One of my favourite verses is: “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life” (1 Thessalonians 4:11). I am an introvert who loves peace and quiet and avoids being the centre of attention. Yet I find there at times when God thrusts me into the limelight. Like being a writer, for example. Writing is not an occupation where you would expect to be thrust into the limelight. Yet in today’s publishing climate it has become an important part of an author’s role to have a public profile.

I recently came across this quote by Elton Trueblood and found it very challenging: “To make your life small when it could be great is sin and heresy.” It would be easy for me to make my life small – to write for my own pleasure and not put my work out in the public arena; to avoid speaking opportunities and not look for publishing prospects. Yet I know to be faithful to the call on my life I need to ‘get into the game’ and take the steps that will lead to my writing being read by a wider audience. While I may not be entirely comfortable with where this may lead, I can rest in the character of a loving God whose plans and purposes for my life are always good.

*Shelley, B. Church History in Plain Language. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2008: 256-257

*****

Susan Barnes likes to write inspirational articles, book reviews, and reflections on Bible passages and regularly blogs at: http://abooklook.blogspot.com.au

Lest We Forget

    

     They came for us at 1 am. 

    A hot meal and drink were waiting. I ate and drank the food and it sat, like lead in my stomach. When we were finished, everyone dressed in silence and I kept thinking about that meal and wondering if it was my last. What made me lie about my age? My thoughts drifted to home. What was mum doing right now? Did they miss me? I could picture my younger sister collecting eggs, could almost hear the hiss of the fire as dad stoked it ready for breakfast.

    I want to go home.

    I wasn't alone. No one spoke. Orders were given in whispers in case the enemy, only a few miles away, were forewarned about our arrival.

    My hand shook as I stowed my great coat into a pack. I rolled the sleeves of my tunic up to the elbow. I saw the whiteness of Jimmy's arm and realised it was so our own men could identify us in the dawn light.

    The occasional curse was muttered as we made our way down ladders and into boats. The air was so still, with hardly a breath of wind. Most of the space in our small boats was taken up with boxes of ammunition, water and rations. I watched as Jimmy passed shovels and wire cutters to the men in the other boat.

    At 3.30 am we set off. The remaining men stood on deck and took their caps off, circling their arms above their heads in a silent wave. I could feel icy tentacles slide down my spine. I clamped my jaw shut to stop my teeth from chattering. Fear rose and no matter how hard I tried, the silence and pitch black night seemed to taunt me. From the look on Jimmy's face he felt the same.

    I think it took 30-45 minutes for us to reach shore. My feet were numb from being crammed beside a box, and my shirt was damp from mist. The first glow of dawn started to brighten the sky. Rising from behind the hills the sun was the colour of lemons growing on our tree at home.  

    We weren't even off the boats when the first popping noises were heard. Someone yelled for us to get to the trenches. The flashes of rifle fire reminded me of fireworks. I saw Jimmy jump out of the boat, and land in water up to his chest. One minute he was standing there, the next he was floating face down. A pool of blood darkened the water around him.  

    We'd been mates since we were little, Jimmy and me. I couldn't just leave him there. Not like that. I half slid out of the boat and grabbed him by one arm. I tried to drag him onto the beach, but he was too heavy. I felt a sharp pain, like someone had elbowed me in the side and fell over. I could hear screams and gunfire and someone yelling for us to keep going.

    I tried to stand but couldn't. My legs didn't work. I'm cold and tired. So tired. There are dozens of men floating around me. Smithy and Colin…and Jimmy. I can feel the water closing over me. 

    I want to go home. 

_________________________________________________

Lee Franklin lives in WA on a property with her hero husband, amazing son and sweet sister-in-law. Oh, and a myriad of animals. She encourages everyone to attend their local dawn service, and show those who fight for our freedom the respect they deserve so much.

I was blind but now I see

I was blind but now I see 

Have you ever really thought about that famous line? Until recently I hadn’t thought much about what it is like to be blind – or deaf for that matter. That is, until I read The Story of My Life by Helen Keller. As you probably know, Helen was both blind and deaf.

Helen speaks of being unable to communicate, to even think with clarity. Words were unknown to her – a strange concept to those of us who have acquired language from infancy. She likens her isolation as a child to a ship lost in a great fog, trying to find the shore, waiting in the fearful unknown, the silent darkness.

Then came love in the tangible form of Miss Anne Sullivan, her teacher. Knowledge and understanding would soon be hers. Her eyes would be opened as ours are when our Saviour comes to find us: He who opens our eyes that we may see, our ears that we may hear.

…knowledge is happiness, because to have knowledge – broad, deep knowledge – is to know true ends from false, and lofty things from low… and if one does not feel in these pulsations a heavenward striving, one must indeed be deaf to the harmonies of life.

Helen’s writings are a timeless demonstration of this, from the awakening of her heart, mind and soul when her teacher came in her childhood, to her burgeoning growth in academia.

However, what struck me most was her sheer gratitude and pleasure in living. Helen Keller saw more beauty and colour in the opening of a single bud than I ever have in a field of wildflowers. Her ears heard the approaching thunder while seeming to lack the ability, and she heard the warmth of a friend’s voice in the simplicity of their presence. She was excited by life; she was grateful. She lived and loved every moment. Miss Keller shares the detail in the darkness, the solace in the silence, hope and joy in all things.

Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content… So I try to make the light in others’ eyes my sun, the music in others’ ears my symphony, the smile on others’ lips my happiness.

Helen talks of books as though they were familiar friends that granted her eyes and ears. They were a window to other worlds, cultures, places, friends and foes, adventures and longings of the hearts of others. Her joy makes my own gratitude pale into shadows, but I am not sad or guilt-ridden at this—rather, I am challenged.

I read her expressions with a sense of a torch being passed, and I share this now with my fellow writers. How might we meet the challenge to give senses to the stories being tapped out on our keyboards? As a writer I long not only for life to be breathed into my words, but that the life in them be wholly unconnected to me.

Can my words be alive with the sense of the Saviour? Can they breathe humanity in an almost soul-like quality?

Trying to write is very much like trying to put a Chinese puzzle together. We have a pattern in mind which we wish to work out in words; but the words will not fit the spaces, or, if they do, they will not match the design. But we keep on trying because we know that others have succeeded, and we are not willing to acknowledge defeat.

How true those words. I find it odd that in taking a look at what it is like to be without sight or hearing, I feel better prepared to put my puzzles together.

In a word, literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourse of my book-friends.

What I gleaned from Helen Keller’s writings will stay with me forever. My question is: will our own impressions made permanent in ink, make the same impact? I’m interested to hear your thoughts on the matter.

All quotes from The Story of My Life by Helen Keller