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Archive for the ‘Called to write’ Category

7 Reasons Why You Need to Come to the Colorado Christian Writers Conference

Posted in Called to write, Colorado Christian Writers Conference, Marketing, Promotion, Publishing journey, Writer's Life, Writing Fiction, Writing Nonfiction Book Proposals, Writing Nonfiction Books on May 2, 2013| Leave a Comment »

1.       To learn the craft of writing. Okay, maybe you’ve been writing for many years, but there is always more to learn. Master craftsmen will teach workshops and continuing sessions that, as one conferee said, are the equivalent of a semester college course in writing.  You’ll learn from authors like Bill Myers whose books and videos have sold over 8 million copies or Gayle Roper, an award-winning author of 45 books. And they are just two of the 55 authors, editors, agents, and publicists serving on this year’s faculty.

 2.       To learn the craft of marketing your work to potential publishers. If you’ve gotten more than your share of rejection slips or have yet to get your first rejection (I’m sorry, it goes with the territory of being a writer), CCWC’s track of six hour-long publishing workshops will provide practical help. In addition, Cindy Lambert is teaching a two-hour Wednesday early bird workshop on “Crafting a Winning Nonfiction Book Proposal.”  You also can choose Tim Shoemaker’s continuing session, “How to Get Published!” or Kim Bangs’ continuing session, “Nonfiction Books.”

3.       Face-to-face opportunities to pitch your work to editors and agents.  At CCWC you get FOUR 15-minute one-on-one appointments with the faculty of your choice. Because we have such a large faculty, there’s still a good possibility that you’ll get your top choices. On Thursday afternoon you’ll have the opportunity to sign up for additional appointments with faculty who still have openings. In today’s publishing world, the only way to connect with many agents and editors is through meeting them at a conference. Check out our helpful spreadsheets of their editorial needs. Our authors are also available for appointments. They can point out the strengths and weaknesses in your writing, answer questions, and provide helpful guidance.

4.       To learn the craft of marketing/promoting your published work. And yes, it’s a craft, and not one that comes naturally to most writers.  I’ve often said that the reason I quit Girl Scouts is because of the stress of trying to sell cookies.  Whether or not you like marketing, the fact is that you hold the key to the sales of your book.  But the good news is that it’s a craft that can be learned. Thomas Umstaddt’s continuing session, “Obscure No More,” will teach you how to build a powerful online platform. We’ve also got a track of six hour-long marketing workshops.

5.       Friendships with other writers. My closest friends are writers I’ve met at writers’ conferences. In amazing ways writers connect deeply with one another more quickly than I ever have in the chit-chat before and after Sunday morning worship services. And we need each other. A key verse for me that I’ve experienced and sought to follow is 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “Encourage each other to build each other up” (TLB).

 6.       Inspiration and encouragement to keep on keeping on. Our general sessions and keynotes will challenge you not to give up. I’m especially looking forward to the closing keynote Saturday afternoon, “Finishing Strong,” that Tim Shoemaker has stepped in to give because Tim Baker had to cancel.

 “Often we can feel less and less equipped to cope with the battles of life,” Tim Shoemaker says. “Job problems. Medical issues. Financial concerns. Emotional wounds. All of these and more can make us feel like we’re past our prime. Whether it is feelings of fear, inadequacy, or feeling the best of life has passed us by, we can easily fall into a sense that we’re sidelined and that God doesn’t really have anything critical for us to do. We can get relaxed. Complacent. It is a surrender of sorts.  A neutralizing thing.

“First Corinthians 16:13-14 says ‘Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.’ These are great verses for many Christians today – men or women. I’d like to break down those verses a bit. And I’d like to encourage the people not to give up. Not to quit. Not to let down their guard. But instead, to finish strong. To keep fighting. To be an example to the next generation. To fight for the loved ones in the next generation. We do that through who we are, and as writers, we influence people through the words we put on paper.

“I’d like to recruit people to active duty to be in the fight – to be the person they should be and the example they should be. Some of the greatest works God does through people is not when they have money, influence, strength, or power. It is when those things are gone or greatly diminished from where they once were that God often uses a person.”

7.       Direction from the Lord. Each year, and this is my 17th year directing CCWC, God meets us on the mountain and changes lives. He has a plan for you and for your writing.  He is the One who makes the impossible possible.

So there are seven reasons you need to prayerfully consider coming to the May 15-18 Colorado Christian Writers Conference. I could easily list many more! Partial scholarships are still available if you need financial help to come that your family, friends, or church are unable to provide.

There’s still time to register and to request appointments. Housing is still available on the YMCA’s campus, and the YMCA will do roommate matching to lower the cost. None of the workshops or continuing sessions are filled because of the YMCA’s large classrooms. And there’s even still space in two of our clinics – the “Speakers’ Clinic” with KPOF’s Roy Hanschke and “Get Them Coming to Your Blog/Website” with Megan Breedlove whose website has held one of the top two spots in Google search terms for more than three years.

You’re welcome to contact me if you have questions at mbagnull@aol.com or 484-991-8581.

God bless you and your writing – Marlene

 

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Crisis of Confidence

Posted in Called to write, God's promises, Overcoming self-doubts, Pondering Biblical Truth, Publishing journey, Writer's Life on April 26, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Grumbling face cropped


When I am weak,
then I am strong—
the less I have,
the more I depend on him.

2 Corinthians 12:10

Suddenly everything seemed to be getting in the way of my writing. Other things, good things, were demanding time and energy. I didn’t see how I could say no. When I walked past my office and felt a twinge of guilt, I told myself my hectic schedule was only temporary. Besides, I couldn’t let people down when they were depending on me.

 

One day Anne Sirna, my writing mentor, helped me to see what was happening. “You’re running from the very thing you most want to do,” she said. “You’re running from your writing. Don’t you see?” she explained, when I looked puzzled. “New writing opportunities are stretching before you and, to put it bluntly, you’re scared. You’re protecting yourself from the possibility of failure by becoming so involved with other things that you have an excuse not to write.”

She’s right. I am afraid of failure, I admitted to myself. I don’t have confidence in my writing ability. And I have been saying yes to other things to avoid having to prove myself.

“It’s a cop-out to see yourself as a failure,” she continued, as if reading my thoughts. “You’ve served your apprenticeship. It’s time to move on—to make a commitment to being successful even though success is a lonely and risky thing.”

Everyone who is serious about writing will face similar turning points when the choice must be made—move ahead or turn back. Repeatedly, we will be forced to ask ourselves whether or not we are willing to risk failure, if doing God’s will is more important to us than the acceptance and approval of men.

It is not just beginning writers who feel anxious when starting a new project, or mailing a completed manuscript. Even established writers know their work may not be accepted. Success brings with it a heavier responsibility to produce quality work. Self-expectations, as well as the expectations of editors, become greater. At any moment a “crisis of confidence,” as Anne calls it, can occur.

It can be triggered by many things. We may feel trapped in an interminably long period of writers’ block. An editor may require a rewrite of something we felt was our very best work. A manuscript we were sure would be accepted may be returned. It may even be a manuscript we wrote on assignment. I remember when that happened to me. I was devastated! Besides the blow to my ego, I felt I had let the editor down. He expected me to produce something he could use.

I had reached one of those turning points. I could choose to play it safe and turn down future assignments. I could accept them (and even seek them) despite my feelings of inadequacy. Or, I could give up and quit.

I remember flipping through the pages of my Bible. Colossians 1:29 leaped out: “This is my work, and I can do it only because Christ’s mighty energy is at work within me.”

Knowing that Paul wrote those words from prison made them even more meaningful to me. I imagined how the Evil One must have used that time to try to persuade Paul to question his call. Surely he did not miss the opportunity to remind Paul of past failures, as well as the times of hardship and hostility. Paul’s spirit had absorbed rebuffs and criticism, even from fellow Christians. His body carried the scars of beatings and lashings.

“Is it worth it?” Satan must have whispered more than once. “If God really called you to be a missionary, then why is he allowing you to rot here in prison?”

But Paul chose to remain true to his call to spread the Good News by writing letters that might otherwise not have been written. “What has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,” he wrote (Phil. 12 NIV).

But Paul met the Lord on the Damascus Road, I thought to myself. He knew Jesus more intimately than I do.

Yes, I could argue that Paul had a greater measure of faith because of these experiences. Yet he also knew what it meant to go from tremendous spiritual highs to deep lows and to be plagued with a thorn in his flesh. If, as some commentators suggest, Paul had epilepsy or an eye disease, it must have caused him to wrestle with doubts. How could he preach if he might have a seizure, or write if he could not see?

God did not remove the thorn. Instead, he told Paul, “I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people” (2 Cor. 12:9). Paul chose to rely on this promise and to affirm: “When I am weak, then I am strong—the less I have, the more I depend on him” (2 Cor. 12:10).

The cure for a crisis of confidence is to re-examine in what, or more importantly, in whom, we have placed our confidence. “I know the one in whom I trust,” Paul wrote to Timothy (2 Tim. 1:12). That’s the key. It’s not self-confidence, but God-confidence!

“Stir into flame the strength and boldness that is in you,” Paul counseled Timothy (2 Tim. 1:6). Does that mean he expected Timothy never to be afraid? No! “I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling,” Paul admitted to the Christians in Corinth (1 Cor. 2:3). And he didn’t go to Corinth until his second missionary journey!

“Stand steady, and don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord,” Paul encouraged Timothy. “Bring others to Christ. Leave nothing undone that you ought to do” (2 Tim. 4:5). The NIV reads, “discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

If a crisis of confidence is holding you back from the work you know you have been called to do, it’s time to acknowledge that it’s not self-confidence you need but God-confidence. It’s time to learn what it means “to be a living demonstration of Christ’s power, instead of showing off [your] own power and abilities” (2 Cor. 12:9). And instead of running from opportunities to serve the Lord, you need to continue to focus your life and your ministry on the “firm, tested, precious Cornerstone that is safe to build on. He who believes need never run away again” (Isa. 28:16).

Responding to God’s Call to Write

Fear of failure, rejection, writer’s block, or not measuring up, can all create a paralyzing crisis of confidence. Read and reflect on the following antidotes to fear, noting beside each reference how God is personally speaking to you.

Psalm 9:10

Psalm 16:8

Psalm 25:3

Psalm 34:4

Isaiah 41:10

Philippians 1:6

1 John 4:18

Unless otherwise noted Scripture is from The Living Bible.

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To Believe

Posted in Called to write, God's promises, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Overcoming self-doubts on April 19, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Do you put off doing things because you don’t believe you can do them? Do you have half-written manuscripts waiting to be finished? What about ideas that you’ve tucked away – somewhere? Has an editor or agent you met at a conference requested your manuscript, but you’ve never gotten around to finishing and submitting it? Are you putting off registering for the Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference because you’re uncertain that you have what it takes to get in print?

Yes, procrastination is a very real foe, but I am convinced the real reason we procrastinate is because we don’t believe we can do something. And actually, that’s true! We need God’s enabling to do the work He calls us to do. The key is knowing what He is calling us to do. The Living Bible paraphrase of Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do everything God asks me to do with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.”

It comes down to faith – to believing in the One who calls us and choosing to say “yes, Lord, here am I.”

I want to encourage you to read aloud the “Writer’s Statement of Faith” below. You may need to read it aloud several times a day. I know I do! I also want to encourage you to watch this video of pre-teen Jackie Evancho singing “To Believe.” Yes, Father, help us to believe that we really can make a difference and bring peace – Your peace – to our troubled world.

A Writer’s Statement of Faith

I have strength for all things in Christ Who Empowers me-I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength in me, [that is, I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. Phil. 4:13 amp

Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies, so that God will be glorified. 1 Pet. 4:11 TLB

[Not in my own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in me – energizing and creating in me the power and desire – both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. Phil. 2:13 AMP

My strength must come from the Lord’s mighty power at work within me. Eph. 6:10 TLB

In Him in every respect I am enriched, in full power and readiness of speech (to speak of my faith), and complete knowledge and illumination (to give me full insight into its meaning). 1 Cor. 1:5  AMP

Now I have every grace and blessing; every spiritual gift and power for doing His will are mine during this time of waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 1:7 TLB

I actually do have within me a portion of the very thoughts and mind of Christ. 1 Cor. 2:16 TLB

I can be a mirror that brightly reflects the glory of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3:18 TLB

I will commit everything I do to the Lord. I will trust Him to help me do it and He will. Ps. 37:5 TLB

I will lean on, trust and be confident in the Lord with all my heart and mind, and choose not to rely on my own insight or understanding. Prov. 3:5 AMP

I will commit my work to the Lord, then it will succeed. Prov. 16:3 TLB

Sharing Christ is my work, and I can do it only because Christ’s mighty energy is at work within me. Col. 1:29 TLB

I will be strong and courageous and get to work. I will not be frightened by the size of the task, for the Lord my God is with me; He will not forsake me. He will see to it that everything is finished correctly. 1 Chron. 28:20 TLB

I need to keep on patiently doing God’s will if I want Him to do for me all He promised. Heb. 10:36 TLB

I m convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in me will continue until the day of Jesus Christ – right up to the time of His return – developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in me. Phil. 1:6 AMP

His mighty power at work within me is able to do far more than I would every dare to ask or even dream of – infinitely beyond my highest prayers, desires, thoughts or hopes. Eph. 3:20 TLB

From Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers. For more excerpts, click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.

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Proclaiming Truth in Perilous Times

Posted in Called to write, God's promises, Our Christian witness, Pondering Biblical Truth on April 12, 2013| Leave a Comment »

I had just given one of my Christian writers’ seminars in our nation’s capital. Many of the people who attended made commitments to write God’s answer. Fervently, I prayed for them and myself that we would be faithful to God’s call.

That evening, my hostess took me on a tour of the city. I had been to D.C. several times during the day but never at night. In the moonlight, the buildings were even more magnificent. But I was not an awestruck tourist taking in the sights. Rather, I began to grieve. It was as if God was showing me the heartbeat of my nation, and the heartbeat was weak.

As we left the city an hour later, we drove past the Lincoln Memorial. “Child, not one stone will be left standing on another,” I felt the Lord speak to my heart. Never have I been so aware of His presence, so sure of His voice. I wept for the city and for my nation.

“Are you sure it was the Lord?” people have asked me. “I wish I thought it wasn’t Him,” I’ve replied. Only time will tell. What I do know is that Jesus is coming—perhaps soon, perhaps in my lifetime and yours. And I’m reminded of Jesus’ words before He went to the cross. “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4 NIV).

When I wrote this chapter in 1999, millennium fever had even non-Christians believing that history is moving to a climax. So many pieces of the end-times puzzle were falling into place—even more so today thirteen years later. World peace hangs by a slender thread as North Korea threatens to launch missiles, Syria is engaged in a brutal civil war, and Iran continues to threaten to wipe Israel off the map.

Financially our nation is teetering on the brink of collapse. Morally we’re in a free fall. The persecution of Christians is intensifying, and technology now exists for the mark of the beast.

I am not about to set a date for the Lord’s return or pretend to be an eschatologist. Most of Revelation and Daniel remain a mystery to me. I’ve read a couple of end-times novels and really don’t care to read more. The scenario of what may be right around the corner could make for sleepless nights, especially since I don’t know whether the Rapture will be pretribulation, midtribulation, or post tribulation. My gut-level feeling is that God isn’t going to zap us out of the dark days that are coming when the light of Christ’s love will be most desperately needed. But I may be wrong. So may the pre-trib crowd. Again, only God knows.

Even Jesus said, “No one knows the date and hour when the end will be—not even the angels. No, nor even God’s Son. Only the Father knows” (Matt. 24:36 TLB).

So what do we know in these days of uncertainty? Where do we find security if the nest egg we may have been able to accumulate was wiped out in the recession or a prolonged period of unemployment? How do we let our light shine in the encroaching darkness?

“Be prepared, for you don’t know what day your Lord is coming” (Matt. 24:42 TLB). Just as no one expected (at least I certainly didn’t) that the USSR would collapse or the Berlin Wall crumble, the Lord’s coming will be just as unexpected. “The world will be at ease—banquets and parties and weddings—just as it was in Noah’s time before the sudden coming of the flood; people wouldn’t believe what was going to happen until the flood actually arrived and took them all away. So shall my coming be,” Jesus said (Matt. 24:37-39 TLB). We need to live in a state of expectancy rather than allow ourselves to be lulled into complacency or a business-as-usual, laid-back approach to the work of ministry.  

“Stay true to the Lord,” the apostle Paul wrote from a Roman prison (Phil. 4:1 TLB). If we are to proclaim truth to our dying world, it is critically important that we understand what truth is. More than ever before, we need to be grounded in His Word, so if it were to be taken from us, it would, indeed, be buried deep in our hearts. Not only do we need to know the truth, we need to be committed to the truth, regardless the price tag. Now is not the time to compromise, not the time to bow the knee to any other god than the Lord Jesus Christ. No matter how harmless it may seem to “bend just a little” so as not to offend, not to be seen as a fanatic, we must never forget that Jesus said, “I am the Way—yes, and the Truth and the Life. No one can get to the Father except by means of me” (John 14:6 TLB).     

“Let not your heart be troubled,” Jesus said. “You are trusting God, now trust in me” (John 14:1 TLB). Even though the world as we have known it may seem to be spinning out of control, we need to remember that none of what is happening is taking God by surprise. He is still in control! He is “the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End” (Rev. 21:6 NIV). And despite the turmoil around us, He promises the gift of peace of mind and heart (see John 14:27). We do not need to fear nor be consumed by worry. He has promised not to abandon us or leave us as “orphans in the storm” (John 14:18).

Yes, the future seems frightening. The unknown strikes fear in many people. But as Christians, we do not need to get caught up in dire doomsday predictions. We know how it all ends! “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God” (Rev. 19:1 NIV). We can and must “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23 NIV). In His strength, and through His power, we can lay aside all of our self-doubts and feelings of inadequacy and boldly “write His answer.”

Responding to God’s Call to Write

Read the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3, asking the Lord to speak to you and strengthen you for the work He is calling you to do.

_____________
Excerpted from Write His Answer—A Bible Study for Christian Writers by Marlene Bagnull.  Phoenix, AZ: ACW Press, 1999. © 1999 Marlene Bagnull. Click here to order an autographed copy at a discount.

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Making the Impossible – Possible!

Posted in Called to write, Colorado Christian Writers Conference, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Overcoming self-doubts, Publishing journey on April 8, 2013| 5 Comments »

I knew God had called me to write a book. What I didn’t know was if I could do it. As my friend, Gayle Roper, once said, “There’s a big difference between a book and a magazine article – like 250 pages difference.”

To be honest, there were days the last thing I wanted to do was work on the book. The evil one’s lies grew louder and more insistent. “What makes you think anyone would want to read what you’ve written?” My self-doubts intensified. I wanted to run from what I still knew God was calling me to do.

“He who believes need never run away again,” I read in Isaiah 28:16 (TLB).

Exactly 365 days after I had committed to finish the book in a year, I completed the manuscript. And then the waiting began. Some of you know that the manuscript was rejected by 42 publishers over a five year period. Finally, the 43rd editor to see the manuscript accepted it for publication.

Looking back I’m amazed that I didn’t give up. I certainly wanted to give up. But God wouldn’t let me, and I’m so glad I didn’t. Had I given up, eight other books would never have been published. I wouldn’t have known the joy of serving on the faculty of over 70 Christian writers’ conferences and giving my one and two day writing seminars over 50 times around the nation. The Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference would not have been birthed 30 years ago, and the awesome privilege of directing the Colorado Christian Writers Conference for 17 years would never have happened.

What about you? Is God calling you to write an article or story, a book or even a screenplay? Does it seem impossible? Do you feel you lack the writing skills to make it happen? Are you stuck and the words aren’t flowing? Do you have a completed manuscript that you’ve not been able to sell? Are you discouraged and ready to run from God’s call?

I know the Colorado or Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference can be a turning point for you and your writing ministry. It’s not too late to register for the May 15-18 Colorado conference and to schedule one-on-one appointments with FOUR editors, agents, or authors if you attend Thursday through Saturday. Secure online registration for the July 31 – August 3 Greater Philly conference will open April 15.

Trust Father to make a way –

  • Logistically – Friends babysat my three children so I could attend the St. Davids Christian Writers Conference for a number of years.
  • Financially – We often “have not because we ask not.” I want to encourage you to approach your church family and your friends if you need help. They may welcome the opportunity to invest in your writing ministry. My pastor paid for my first writers conference and provided the accountability I needed afterwards to not waste what he invested in me. The conferences do not have any full scholarships to offer this year, but partial scholarships up to 50% of the cost of registration are possible. The scholarship application is not yet posted for the Philly conference. For Colorado’s application click here. Time payments can be arranged if necessary.

Lord, I believe. Please help my unbelief. Help me to have faith in You knowing that You can make all things possible.

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Overcoming Procrastination

Posted in Called to write, Colorado Christian Writers Conference, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Overcoming distractions, Overcoming self-doubts, Publishing journey, Uncategorized on January 9, 2013| 6 Comments »

Procrastination is a sin;
it brings me endless sorrow.
I know I should stop doing it.
I think I’ll start tomorrow!

No doubt you’ve seen this poem or something similar. I checked the Internet to attribute it and found 4,390 entries! Obviously procrastination is a hot topic that, like the old game of hot potato, we quickly toss (pass the blame) to someone or something else. Really, isn’t it easier to blame someone else for causing us to procrastinate or to move to another task to avoid doing the thing(s) we know we need to do?

While no one is immune from procrastination, I think writers are especially prone. I’m not pointing an accusing finger at you – I’m pointing it at myself. Despite the chapter on “Overcoming Procrastination” that I wrote for my book, Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers, I struggle with procrastination as much or perhaps more than others. How else could I have written that chapter? I’m an expert! If you’re curious about what I’m learning (but sadly not always applying), click here to read the chapter online.

I especially struggle with procrastination when it comes to planning the Colorado and Greater Philly Christian Writers Conferences. I know Father has entrusted these conferences to me. Watching Him work and do Ephesians 3:20 things each year (it’s now 31 years for Philly and 17 for Colorado) is one of my greatest joys. It’s just the getting started that’s hard. Well, okay, the entire process is hard! I know I’ll face computer challenges and overwhelming to-do lists and time pressures that will stretch me far beyond my abilities, my limited IQ (it’s amazing how stupid my computer can make me feel), my wisdom, my strength . . .

And that’s the problem! I procrastinate when I focus on me – on my self-doubts and feelings of inadequacy rather than trusting the Lord to enable me to do what I can never do on my own. Although the world says dependency on anyone or anything but ourselves is weakness, like the apostle Paul I’d rather embrace my weaknesses knowing that “when I am weak, then I am strong – the less I have, the more I depend on him” (2 Cor. 12:10 TLB). God-confidence is far better than self-confidence!

Will you ask the Lord what He wants you to do – to write – this year? And will you then commit to do it in His strength and for His glory?

P.S. The website for the May 14-17 Colorado Christian Writers Conference  is now updated with the 2014 faculty and continuing sessions. Lots more info coming soon. The website for the July 30-August 2 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference still has 2013 info but I can tell you that Cec Muphey will be on faculty. I hope you’ll visit again, pass the URL on to friends, and save the date! There’s still lots of work to do but as Aristotle said, “Well begun is half done.” I’m excited and hope you will be too.

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God’s Call and Our Responsibility Hasn’t Changed!

Posted in Called to write, God's promises, Our Christian witness, Praying for our nation on November 7, 2012| 6 Comments »

Whether you feel exhilarated or disappointed by the results of yesterday’s election, one thing is certain–God is continuing to call His people to humble themselves and pray, to seek His face, and to turn from our wicked ways. And His promise is also certain. He will hear. He will forgive. He will heal our land (2 Chron. 7:14).

Many prayer initiatives for our nation have been a hallmark of this election season. I’m praying they will continue and that our resolve to address biblical issues will not fade. “Make the most of your chances to tell others the Good News,” the apostle Paul wrote. But he also said, “Be wise in all your contacts with them. Let your conversation be gracious as well as sensible” (Col. 4:5-6 TLB).

Our nation is bitterly divided by harsh words from both the right and the left. Will you work to bring healing that our nation again will be “one nation under God”? That doesn’t mean compromising what we believe, but rather waiting on the Lord for His answer (Hab. 2:1) and then speaking and writing His truth in love.

Years ago Dennis Rainey asked, “What causes you to pound the table and weep?” Will you commit to write about those things? Whether you write for the editorial page of your newspaper, your blog, your church newsletter, or incorporate your heart burden into a novel as C. Hope Flinchbaugh, Kathi Macias, and Jeanette Windle (all who have served on CCWC and GPCWC’s faculty) so powerfully do in their issues fiction, God can use you to make a difference.

In Him – Marlene

P.S. Click here for a free Bible study handout, “Called to ‘Write His Answer.’”

I encourage you to visit Hope Flinchbaugh’s blog and read today’s post, For God, Family, and Country, the Day After.

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Addressing the Issues

Posted in Called to write, Our Christian witness, Praying for our nation on September 25, 2012| 9 Comments »

I’ve watched this youtube video several times. Each time I am deeply stirred. I believe it is one of the most powerful and important videos ever produced. I encourage you to watch it and to ask Father how He wants you to respond to its message.

To keep in mind: Webster’s definition of catholic is “of, relating to, or forming the church universal; relating to, or forming the ancient undivided Christian church.” I respect my Roman Catholic brothers and sisters and join with them in taking a stand for life, but I also challenge all followers of Jesus Christ to remember that it is by our love the world will come to know Him.

Below is an article I wrote over 20 years ago that was published in Standard, Vista, and Lookout.

What About the Mom?

“More than one million abortions are performed in the United States each year!”

The young woman continued, with compelling conviction, to speak of the rights of the unborn child—the child created in God’s image. She cited Scripture and historical documents to prove her points and to show how, until the last two decades, the church had stood against abortion.

I was glad my church was taking a stand and that the pastor had invited this young woman to speak. I agreed with everything she was saying, but my heart cringed at the way she said it. I looked around trying to read the faces near me, but in my mind’s eye I only saw the face of a dear friend. I remembered the haunted look in her eyes.

“Can you have lunch with me?” she asked after the close of one of the weekly Bible studies I led. “I need to talk to someone.”

For the past few weeks Linda* had been unusually quiet and pale. I had been worried about her.

“I’d love to,” I replied. “But please don’t fuss.”

I didn’t need to worry. When we got to her house, I was amazed at the clutter. Linda always had been a fastidious housekeeper.

“What’s troubling you, Linda?” I asked. “You haven’t been yourself for weeks.”

Her eyes became even more haunted. “I—I haven’t told this to anyone,” she said. “Please promise me you won’t repeat it. I feel so awful for what I’ve done.” She began to sob. 

I took her hands in mine. “Nothing you have done could be that awful,” I said.

“But it is! God will never forgive me. I’ll never forgive myself.”

Haltingly she told me how she hadn’t been feeling well. When she went to the doctor, she learned she was pregnant.

“After Susan* was born, Tom* and I decided three children were enough. We were taking precautions to prevent me getting pregnant again. But—but I was, and the doctor said it wasn’t a normal pregnancy. He recommended an abortion.”

I waited in silence as Linda struggled to control her sobs.

“I didn’t want to have one, but the doctor kept saying it was for the best—that my own health was being endangered. It was awful. Not just the physical pain, but the feeling that a part of me was being ripped from me. It wasn’t easy like he said it would be and—and it’s never going to be easy again. I can’t live with myself during the day or sleep at night. I want to die.”

“No, Linda. No you don’t,” I said trying to comfort her. “This time will pass. You’ll see.”

Linda just shook her head as tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

“You did what the doctor recommended. God knows that. He isn’t condemning you.”

“I killed my baby,” she sobbed. “How can God forgive me for that?”

I prayed with her and tried to assure her of God’s forgiveness. We talked for another hour but I’m not sure anything I said helped.

Linda never again mentioned the abortion. I could feel her shame and embarrassment. It was obvious she wished I’d just forget what she had told me. Eventually she moved and I lost touch with her. But I never forgot her.

My thoughts flashed back to the present. Were there other Linda’s in the congregation—women who had made the decision to abort based on a doctor’s recommendation? Were they still struggling with the guilt that had nearly destroyed Linda? And what of the ones who were victims of rape or incest? Or those who had been frightened unwed mothers?

I’ll probably never know how those words affected the women who were listening that day, but I do know how they affected me. I saw how I was guilty of using the same strong rhetoric as the speaker. In my crusade to save the lives of unborn babies, I had undoubtedly inflicted pain on the mothers who had aborted them. Instead of ministering comfort and hope, I, too, had spoken words of accusation and condemnation.

“God, forgive me,” I prayed. “Help me to care not just about the unborn baby but also about the mom—to love her as much as You do.”

_________________

*Names have been changed.

As Election day approaches, I believe it is critically important that we not be silent about the issues that concern us. Father, give us a holy boldness to be “biblically” rather than “politically” correct. Help us to speak and write words that are “gracious as well as sensible” (Col. 4:8 TLB) and that will draw our nation back to you.

Check out America for Jesus, “a national solemn assembly” in Philadelphia, September 28-29 – http://www.afj2012.org/

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Deployed!

Posted in Called to write on September 22, 2012| 1 Comment »

“Our society strives to avoid any possibility of offending anyone—except God. Yet the farther we get from God, the more the world spirals out of control.” – Billy Graham

If you’ve not read Billy Graham’s July 24 prayer letter, “My Heart Aches for America,” I urge you to click here.

When Craig von Buseck asked at this year’s Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference how many believe our culture is in peril, most every hand was raised. The question now is, “What would Father have us do?”

I’m often reminded of the words of a dear friend who grew up in Switzerland prior to the start of World War II. She said, “The church in Germany saw what was happening, but the church in Germany was silent.”

Father, please save us from complacency and stir us to action.

Cindi Clover, a GPCWC conferee, shared the following with me. I believe it is a word from the Lord. Be watching for her crossexaminations.wordpress.com blog.

I saw a large army of people in ranks, row upon row, each person standing straight and at attention.  However, instead of holding a gun, each person was holding a larger-than-usual fountain pen.  It was evident that the people were those who were trained to use their pens, much as a soldier has been trained to use a weapon.

As I watched, I suddenly saw light being released from each of the pens in sort of a spray that looked like a headlight beam, only wider.  As this was happening, the army began to be “deployed,” each marching forward and then going off in a particular direction.  Some went to the right, some to the left, and some forward.  The interesting thing is that each knew exactly where to go; there was no hesitation or milling around or changing direction.  Each had been given specific orders from the Lord about what to do; in short, each had been “deployed” on a specific mission.

I believe that what I saw is an encouragement to those whose calling it is to “write his answer” in the coming days.  Each is called to write perhaps on a different topic or in a different format (books, articles, scripts, etc.), some fiction, some non-fiction, to various age groups, and in various genres. But each, having been called by the Lord, knew exactly what his or her calling was.  Leaving the “ranks,” which I believe represented the conference, none was confused about what he or she is being called to write.  The light represents God’s answers to questions, His perspectives on topics, and His worldview in general.  The important thing about the pens is that they represent weapons in the spiritual realm.  When we write what the Holy Spirit has given us, we are doing warfare as we spread the light – the truth of the Gospel – into a dark world.

I will “write” why this picture is significant to me.  For many years, the Lord has been showing me where this nation is headed and about the hard times – economically, politically, and in terms of natural disasters – that He is going to allow to come upon this nation for the sake of turning our society and culture back to Him (redemptive purposes, not so much punishment).  The fact is, things are going to get more challenging (worse) than they are now.

A year ago, in August of 2011, the Lord told me that He is, and will continue to, “shake everything that can be shaken – down to the very foundations of our lives – individually and nationally.”  He said that the purpose for doing this is to expose to everyone WHO IS WILLING TO SEE the conditions of the various foundations in our lives.  In other words, upon what foundation have we built marriages and other relationships? finances?  health? (etc.)

When we examine what we are trusting in regarding these things, we will find that in some areas we may have strong foundations, in some partial foundations, and in some, no foundations that would survive the storms that are to come in the future.  This is a crucial time to listen to the Lord and to repair any foundations not exclusively built upon Him and His Word. We are not to wait until the storms come to do this.

The problem is that people don’t know how to do this.  Therefore, they will need what the Lord has “deployed” us to write so that they may prepare for the challenging times ahead.  As things get darker and more difficult, people will be more willing to listen (as they always are . . .) and more opportunities to share His answers will become available.  In some way or another, we are all called, as writers, to proclaim a message equipping people to “prepare” for the times to come.  And personally, I believe that this is the greatest calling there is.

Father, please strengthen my faith and my resolve to allow You to use me to “write Your answer.”

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A sense of urgency

Posted in Called to write, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Our Christian witness, Praying for our nation on July 24, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Please make time to read Joel Rosenberg’s blog. Below is just a portion of his July 23 post that so resonates with what I believe Father has been speaking to my heart.

I am deeply concerned for our nation and feel such a sense of urgency that we must “write His answer” – now while the doors to print and distribute Christian literature and the Internet are still open. It’s why I continue directing the Colorado and Philly Christian Writers Conferences even though I am old enough to retire. J But I can’t and won’t retire from the work Father is calling me to do or turn people away because they can’t afford to come.

If you’re already registered, please pass this on to your friends.

If you live within a couple of hours of Langhorne, PA, please tell your friends and church family about our Thursday Specials that are for ALL concerned Christians – not just writers. The issues they will address are critically important.

It you’re not yet registered, it’s not too late. Walk-ins are welcome, and I will waive the additional $15 walk-in fee if you bring a copy of this email or blog. Come just for a day if that’s all your schedule allows. Or for one of the morning or evening keynotes that are free of charge. You can register online.

And pray!

Please pray for the people of Aurora and the testimony of God’s people to bring hope and comfort.

Please pray for the August 1-4 conference and for our faculty and staff.

And please pray for our nation!

From Joel Rosenburg’s July 23 blog:

Is this evidence of the early stages of cultural implosion? I believe it is. As I note in “Implosion: Can America Recover From Its Economic & Spiritual Challenges In Time?”, “Alarm bells are going off all around us. Lights on the dashboard are flashing, Warning! Warning! Yet America is sleeping through the alarms, blind to the warning lights. And tragically, for the most part, the Church — God’s chosen instrument to bless individuals, families, communities, and nations — is asleep as well. I shudder to imagine where we are heading if we don’t wake up soon, plead for the Lord’s forgiveness, and ask Him to use us to love our neighbors and revitalize our country….”If My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:145)….America is on the brink of collapse. We desperately need God’s mercy. Without His grace, we will implode. It’s not a matter of if but when. Thus, now is the time we must urgently ask the Lord to give us a sweeping series of spiritual revivals in every part of our nation that will culminate in a Third Great Awakening. Whether God decides to say yes is up to Him. But let us not compound our many national sins by failing to get on our faces before Him and implore Him to pour out His Holy Spirit and save us from disaster.”

Looking to Jesus, the only answer – Marlene

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