Write His Answer

If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father.
He loves to help. You’ll get this help,
and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it.
Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.
People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves.
Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way,
adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

James 1:5-8 MSG

 Good morning everyone –

This week I’m in the process of finalizing the faculty and workshops for the May 16-19 Colorado Christian Writers Conference.  (Secure online registration opens February 1.) Each year it seems more challenging. I know more gifted authors I’d love to invite, and Father keeps expanding my connections with agents and editors. It would be easy to “worry my prayers,” especially when I consider the cost of flying in a large faculty. I always intend to shrink the faculty but, as usual, that hasn’t happened. Check out the website. We now have 62 on faculty and our eight continuing sessions are in place. (Yes I know the file name for the continuing session’s page says 2011. I’m still trying to learn Expression Web 4.)

If we’re honest, we often feel overwhelmed and even clueless about what to do next. What should we write? Where should we send it? How can we effectively market not ourselves but the message Father has given us? How can we build that “platform” we’re told is so important?  And how do we fit in everything we feel we need to do in days that are already packed full?

I’m so grateful that I don’t have to figure this out on my own – that my Father and yours “loves to help.”  It’s up to us to seek Him and to listen.  He will give us the guidance we need through His Word, through what are clearly “God-incidents” and not mere coincidences, and through the counsel of others.

I appreciated the counsel one of our faculty members gave last Thursday in her blog. Amanda Luedeke is a literary agent with MacGregor Literary. In her third post on tackling the “Platform Monster,” Amanda gave eight easy steps for success in article-writing and why it’s a great way to build your platform. I encourage you to read it and to look at the opportunities CCWC offers to connect with 13 editors who represent 18+ periodicals. Exciting! (My writing ministry began with writing for Christian periodicals. The 1,000+ sales Father enabled me to make I’m sure have reached more readers than my eight published books.)

One final word – warning! Be sure to seek the Lord first. Look at the precarious position this fisherman got himself in when he hooked a bull elk!

Father, please help us not to run ahead of You or to lag behind. Remind us to look to you for the guidance and wisdom we need.

Photo from a conferee who wrote: This guy from Texas was fishing this week on the Big Thompson outside of Estes Park. It was his first ever fly-fishing venture. A crowd gathered on the highway to take pictures, including a Denver Post guy. One of the pics is on the front page of the Denver Post.