Get to Work
Be strong and courageous
and get to work.
Don’t be frightened
by the size of the task,
for the Lord my God is with you;
he will not forsake you.
He will see to it that everything
is finished correctly.
1 Chronicles 28:20 (TLB)
Okay, I get it! I’m not King Solomon. I certainly do not have his wisdom, and I’m grateful God has not asked me to build a temple. But the work He is calling me to do can seem just as overwhelming. Impossible, really, if I don’t stay focused on the Lord and on His promises.
What about you? Do you have an idea for a book that you’ve safely tucked away into your “someday” file? Or maybe you began writing it, but then you allowed doubts to creep in. Perhaps you actually finished a couple of chapters only to be crushed by the less than enthusiastic response of an editor, agent, or your critique group.
I can’t guarantee that investing in the July 26-29 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference will open the door to publication. But I can assure you that you’ll learn tons, make new forever friends, and hear from the Lord if you’re listening.
The bios of our 56 faculty members are finally online along with their editorial needs, areas of expertise (they really want to help you), and the services they offer. It took me almost a week of solid work – work that wasn’t any easier just because I’ve been doing it for 33 years. I added the amazing charts that Barb Haley, our Appointments Coordinator, prepared to help you determine who to request for your free one-on-one appointments.
Remember, at the Philly conference you get FOUR free 15-minute appointments if you attend Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Even better, if you’re among the next 20 to register, you’ll receive an additional BONUS appointment.
Father, please help us to believe, to really believe, that You can use the words You are calling us to write to make a difference in our hurting world. Help us to focus on the needs of our readers and Your promises instead of our self-doubts.
He who believes need never run away again.
Isaiah 28:16 TLB
But the actual writing and learning how to use the great tools we now have is just part of what we need to do. I began writing on an old manual typewriter. Well I’m not as old as this antique typewriter although I do remember my grandfather had one in the basement. My first manuscripts for publication were created on a blue Royal with keys that got tangled when I typed too fast.
The introduction of the Selectric typewriter and that marvelous spinning ball greatly increased my productivity. And to be honest, when computers were introduced, I was not at all interested in giving up my trusted Selectric and learning something new. (I really didn’t think I was smart enough!)
“Not good enough.” I heard those words frequently when I was growing up. It seemed no matter how hard I tried, I was not good enough.
Someone has said you’re not a professional writer until you’ve received one thousand rejection slips. One thousand! That’s a lot of disappointments, especially if, like me, you’ve struggled all your life with feeling rejected.
The above excerpts from chapter 26 of my book, Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers, ring as true today as when first published 25 years ago. 
Write His Answer 