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NEW Write to Impact Lives Conference

January 10, 2018 by Marlene Bagnull

Feb banner

Looking to overcome winter doldrums and jumpstart this year’s writing?

A brand-new conference is coming up quickly this February 9-10 (Friday/Saturday) in Lansdale, PA (just off the north/south PA Turnpike) at Towamencin Mennonite Church (Friday afternoon) and Dock Mennonite Academy (Friday evening and all day Saturday). Friday night lodging at the Holiday Inn is $89 plus tax with roommate matching available to split the cost with one, two, or three other writers.

A small but highly qualified faculty will provide three inspiring keynotes, valuable 20-minute paid critiques and marketing consultations, a “Build Your Platform Panel,” and in-depth teaching.

Sarah Bolme, teaching a 4-hour learning lab Friday afternoon on Going Indie. Sarah is the author of the award-winning Your Guide to Marketing Books in the Christian Marketplace and the director of the Christian Small Publishers Association (CSPA).

Karen Ball, teaching a 3-hour session on Taming Fiction Dragons. In her more than 30 years in publishing, Karen has built fiction lines for major publishers and worked with some of the best authors, including Francine Rivers and Karen Kingsbury.

Bill Watkins, teaching a 3-hour session on Writing that Changes Lives. In his 35-plus years in publishing, Bill has worked with authors such as Mike Huckabee, Charles Swindoll, and Josh McDowell. He is an award-winning author of 7 books and senior editor at BroadStreet Publishing Group.

Jim Watkins, teaching a 3-hour session on The Five Rs of Nonfiction. Jim is an award-winning author of over 20 books and 2,000 articles. He has spoken across the United States and overseas.

Karen Whiting, teaching a 3-hour session on Developing a Personalized Marketing Strategy for Your Book. Karen is a freelance writer and award-winning author of 25 nonfiction books.

Feb flyer for webFriday evening,  in addition to Bill Watkins’ keynote, Christians Are Hateful – The Cultural Challenge for Today’s Christians, includes author interviews and a book signing. Bring your book(s) to sell and sign.

Click here for the conference flyer.

And for more info and to register click here.

Conference Bonus:

An extra bonus for conferees is to attend and participate in the Munce Christian Product Exposition (CPE) February 11-13 at Eden Resort in Lancaster, PA.

Munce, the largest association of independent Christian bookstores in North America, holds two CPEs each year, the second in Nashville, TN, in the fall.

It is a real privilege to come and interact with 100+ bookstore owners. Karen Whiting will do a special training at the CPE in how to make the most of this exciting opportunity including: 

1. There are several limited spots open to sign complimentary copies of books for retailers at the Sunday afternoon (4:30 – 5:30) author personality event. Authors need to provide 50-80 copies of their book to give retailers. This is a great opportunity to get your book in the hands of retailers who might choose to carry the book, or have you come to their store for an event. You can include your speaker one sheet, bookmarks, and other promotional materials.

2. Experience a book trade show. The exhibit floor is open on Monday and Tuesday plus there are workshops on marketing and other retail topics. You’ll see the latest in products and have the opportunity to talk to retailers and sales reps (you cannot interrupt the sales happening between retailers and sales people).

Click here for the schedule. If you’re interested in attending, email Karen at authorkarenwhiting@gmail.com.

Posted in Craft of writing, Get your book in print, Indie publishing, Marketing, Platform building, Promotion, Writing Fiction, Writing Nonfiction Books | Leave a Comment »

Overcoming the Biggest Obstacle

January 8, 2018 by Marlene Bagnull

Matt mountain.png

What is the biggest obstacle you face in accomplishing what God has called you to do?

For me, it’s faith – or rather, to be honest, lack of faith.

Despite all the amazing things I have seen Him do, when faced with a new challenge, I still struggle to trust Him. Some mountains seem too big, too steep, too treacherous. It’s easier to question His call, to explain why I’m not the best person for the assignment, to suggest He choose someone else who is more qualified.

But then, I remember,

 You can never please God without faith, without depending on him.
Hebrews 11:6 (TLB)

I think of the exciting adventures I would have missed if I’d said no. More than that, I would have missed the lessons learned through needing to depend on Him. Most of all, I would have grieved the One who has been and is so faithful.

What mountain are you facing? How can I pray for you?

~ *~ *~ * ~

To encourage you as you climb your mountain:

Written by the women who are part of Linda Evans Shepherd’s Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA). Click here for a free subscription.
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I’ve been a member since Linda founded AWSA seventeen years ago.  It’s an incredible group of over 450 women. Click here to view a message from Linda and receive a free gift.

 

 

 

 

Between the Lamp Posts front cover

 

 

 

 

I was blessed to edit this book last fall and was so impressed with it that I purchased copies for fifteen of my friends for Christmas. I encourage you to visit Becky’s website and watch her video where she talks about why she wrote this devotional book. There is also a link to order it from Amazon or Kindle.

 

 

 

Posted in Called to write, Overcoming self-doubts, Pondering Biblical Truth | 4 Comments »

More on Overcoming Obstacles

January 3, 2018 by Marlene Bagnull

Obstacle # 4 – Self-doubts

This is a biggee for me and for most writers.

If you think you are beaten, you are
If you think you dare not, you don’t,
If you like to win, but you think you can’t
It is almost certain you won’t. . . .

Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!

― Walter D. Wintle

The  bottom line? It’s normal to have self-doubts. In fact, it’s far better to doubt our abilities and thus, hopefully, to be teachable than to have an inflated ego.  But it’s critical that we not doubt the One who has called us and who promises:
Now you have every grace and blessing; every spiritual gift and power for doing his will are yours during this time of waiting for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:7 (TLB)

Nurturing our doubts not only can cause us to give up before we even begin, we grieve our Heavenly Father when we focus on our self-doubts rather than Him.

I’ve written a lot about self-doubts in my book, Write His Answer – A Bible Study for Christian Writers and on this blog. See my June 2013 post and the link you’ll find in it to an interview with best-selling author Joel Rosenberg and his battle with self-doubts.

Obstacle # 5 – Lack of fellowship with other writers

I will always be grateful for the pastor who paid the way for me to go to my first writers’ conference about 45 years ago. Little did I know that conference would change my life and lead to a 35 year ministry directing the Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference and 22 year ministry directing the Colorado Christian Writers Conference. Both 2018 conferences are in the planning stages with registration scheduled to open February 1 for Philly and April 1 for Philly. I’ll begin posting info on the websites soon.

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But a once-a-year conference isn’t enough! Check out the new day and a half Write to Impact Lives Conference February 9-10 in Lansdale, PA.

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Beyond going to conferences, you need to be part of a critique group. A morning group meets one Thursday morning a month in my Lansdale home. An evening group for advanced writers also meets in my home every other Thursday evening. For info go to http://writehisanswer.com/critiquegroups. Sorry men. Both groups are for ladies only.

CWMG 2018
You’ll find info on critique groups around the nation in The Christian Writers Market Guide 2018. This 578-page must-have resource is available through the Write His Answer Bookstore for $19.99 (retail $22.99). It’s also available through a monthly subscription.

I also encourage you to subscribe to The Christian Communicator to keep your Market Guide updated and for helpful articles.

I’ve been writing for the Lord for 45 years, so I’ve got more obstacles to address and how to overcome them. That’s the key – not to be blindsided by them. We need to remember the Girl Scout motto, “Be prepared!”

Click here for a Goal Planning Chart that includes columns for expected obstacles and how you will overcome them along with Scripture promises to claim.

I’d love to hear what obstacles you are facing and to pray for you.

Posted in Overcoming self-doubts, Writer's Life | Leave a Comment »

Overcoming Obstacles to Your New Year Resolutions

January 2, 2018 by Marlene Bagnull

This year I will

I confesss – I did not make any new year resolutions! But then I haven’t made any for many years. Why? Because I know I’m better at breaking resolutions than making them.

I do believe in goal-setting. Why? Because goals are something that require me to work to make them happen.

Dreaming instead of doing is foolishness,
and there is ruin in a flood of empty words.
Ecclesiastes 5:7 TLB

Setting and reaching goals also increases my dependence on the Lord for I’ve learned that without His help I will surely fail.

I especially need His help to identify and overcome the obstacles that will defeat me if I allow them to.

Obstacle #1 – Not enough time
“When we say we don’t have time, we’re not stating a fact but a priority,” Dwight Robertson said in a keynote at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference a number of years ago. What is fact is that we all get 24 hours in a day – no more and no less. We don’t find time, we make time for what is most important to us. But . . .

Obstacle #2  – Procrastination
Someone has said,

Procrastination is a sin
It brings me so much sorrow
I know I should stop doing it
I think I’ll start tomorrow!

But why do we choose to put off until tomorrow what we should do today? Click here for the answer in my article, “Overcoming Procrastination.”

Obstacle #3 – Time-Wasters
For me, and more than likely for you, too, one of the biggest time wasters is my computer that is supposed to save me time! Beyond the unexplained glitches that always seem to occur when I’m on deadline, I’m increasingly frustrated by  technology that keeps advancing faster than I can keep up. I’ve often said, if only someone would sit down with me for an hour and walk me through the stuff I can’t figure out . . .

I’m glad that in my effort to find the bottom of my inbox I didn’t delete this email from Udemy. I hadn’t heard of them, but their well-written email offering online courses worth as much as $200 for only $10.99 compelled me to view sample lessons. The price break is only good for nine more days, so I encourage you to check them out.  This tutorial especially captured my attention:

WordPress for Beginners 2016 – Perfect for authors & bloggers
Seven video hours of 77 lectures without any technospeak!
https://www.udemy.com/

Check tomorrow’s post for more obstacles and how to overcome them. And be sure to “Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor” (Hebrews 12:2 TLB).

Posted in Goal-setting | Leave a Comment »

Our annual Christmas Letter

December 24, 2017 by Marlene Bagnull

Christmas tree lg 2017
Dear friends –

We are praising God for His presence in our lives during the blessings and challenges of 2017. He is so faithful!

A springtime blizzard in Colorado that dumped 41” of snow during the Colorado Christian Writers Conference was an unbelievable challenge. I’m so grateful many conferees heeded my email to come early and attend the Wednesday afternoon workshops free of charge before the roads were not passable.

The time pressures that go with directing the Colorado and Greater Philly Christian Writers Conferences were more intense than ever thanks to events beyond my control.  A slow recovery from surgery prevented one of the Colorado keynoters from coming. I knew Father wanted me to bring the message. I’m grateful for the new handicapped bathroom at the Y where I hid Friday afternoon to prepare a rough outline and PowerPoint slides. As someone has said, “I could write a book.” Having directed over 50 conferences, I definitely have a lot to share. It’s on my never-ending to-do list!

Paul’s fishing trips resulted in several fish dinners this year. His help around the house and running errands enables me to be in full-time ministry.

We’re thankful to live within walking distance of our three grandkids – well, walking distance for them but not for us. It’s becoming obvious that I’m not going to be able put off the replacement of both knees much longer. Paul’s arthritis makes walking difficult for him too.

September 30 we brought home an eight-week-old puppy. Emmy is a Labradoodle and the most energetic and strong-willed puppy we have ever had. She is definitely keeping us and our nine-year-old Golden active.

Emmy & Lady & tree 2017

Our oldest daughter, Sharon, and her husband, Howard, are both finally getting disability benefits. Please pray for them and the health challenges they face daily.

Our son, Rob, Nicole, our daughter-in-law, and their two dogs moved out the same day we got Emmy. We miss them but are so happy they are  in a beautiful new home of their own.

Deb, Rob, and our three grandkids have had an exciting year of travel including two weeks in Europe.

As another year draws to a close may you know His peace and joy because He came and is coming again.

Posted in Writer's Life | Leave a Comment »

The Gift

December 22, 2017 by Marlene Bagnull

The Gift

Many memories come to mind
as I reflect on the years that have flown by
and on Christmases past.

I remember the little artificial tree
that sat on the buffet next to my bed in the dining room.
I’d fight to stay awake at night to gaze at that tree
and pretend what it would be like
if Daddy believed in Jesus and celebrated Christmas with us.
Maybe then he would let me have a real tree.

I stopped believing in Santa Claus
the year my stocking was filled with coal.
Later that day Daddy gave me two walking dolls.
“You don’t deserve them,” he said
“but I worked hard to get them.”
I hated those dolls.

Memories are powerful.
They can cause us to live in the past and miss the present.
They can even destroy our hope for the future.
But the One whose birth we celebrate on Christmas
came to save us from bondage to a painful past.
He has set me free!

Posted in Pondering Biblical Truth | Leave a Comment »

Tug-of-war

December 21, 2017 by Marlene Bagnull

Tug of war

As you prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth, do you feel like you’re playing tug-of-war with conflicting priorities and all you need to get done?

Sadly, it’s all too easy to be so focused on our to-do lists (yes, I have more than one!) that we miss what’s most important.

Emmy, our four-month-old Labradoodle, is so full of energy and spunk. She is not intimidated by the fact that Lady, our 90-pound Golden, is three times her size. Emmy is focused on getting that toy, and when she does, on playing keep-away.

Of course, our lives are far more complicated. We don’t live to play, but we do need to pray to live – to really live in the center of God’s will.

Father, I pray for myself and my friends. Help us not to be intimidated by our to-do lists. Clearly show us what You want us to do and give us Your strength to do it. Keep us focused on what really matters  and determined not to squeeze You out of our busy lives. Give us Your peace and joy!


My Christmas gift to you . . .

I have just opened registration for the new Write to Impact Lives Conference February 9-10 in Lansdale, PA (just off the Lansdale exit of the east/west PA Turnpike). For published and not-yet-published authors this 1.5 day conference will give you the jumpstart you need to complete the book Father is calling you to write.

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For more info go to
http://philadelphia.writehisanswer.com/writetoimpactlivesconference.

If you register by the end of the year, I’ll be glad to gift you with my book, Write His Answser – A Bible Study for Christian Writers, or James Watkins’ book, Communicate to Change Lives in Person and Print. Jim is one of our keynoters. He will also teach the continuing session,  “The Five Rs of Nonfiction.”

New WHA cover

Communicate Change Lives


And your gift to yourself . . .

I want to encourage you to save any monetary gifts you receive this Christmas to invest in the Colorado or Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.  Or ask your family to gift you with the conference.

There are presently 42 editors, agents, and authors on faculty for the May 16-19 Colorado Christian Writers Conference with more to be added. Held at the YMCA of the Rockies on the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, why not rent a cabin and bring your family? By the end of the year I hope to begin updating the website. Registration will open February 1.

I’ve not yet begun planning the July 26-28 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference. YES, the conference is continuing! I am praising God for the new location of Dock Mennonite Academy in Lansdale. Lodging at the Holiday Inn, just five minutes away, is $109 a night (plus tax). Share your room with one, two, or three writing friends and bring the cost down to $27, $36, or $55 a night. (We can help with roommate matching.) The new format of a 2.5 day conference (instead of 3.5 days) will also lower the cost both in time and money!

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Have a blessed Christmas because He came and is coming again!

Posted in Colorado Christian Writers Conference, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Writer's Life | Leave a Comment »

A “Merry?” Christmas

December 16, 2017 by Marlene Bagnull

Guest blog by Barb HaleyBarb Haley apr 2016 cropped

8 Days until Christmas, and I was thinking …

Unfortunately,
Christmas isn’t MERRY for everyone.

Physical or emotional, chronic pain touches every part of our lives. All day. Every day.

For many, the Christmas season can be the toughest time of the year! It accentuates life’s struggles and often increases a sense of despair and heartache.

Lord, Get Your Needle—I’m Falling Apart at the Seams offers hope as it tackles the tough issues of pain, depression, and loneliness with tender honesty and leads the reader to the loving arms of God. Others have read the book and posted comments on Amazon like the one below.

This book is amazing! Barb GETS IT! She knows what she is talking about when it comes to chronic pain. As a sufferer of chronic pain and failed surgeries, I know what it is like to deal with depression, frustration, and the feeling that God has turned his back on you. The thought that you have to pray harder, read your Bible more, and just keep a positive attitude is everything that Barb talks about as lies from the pit of hell. She talks about how important it is to rely on community and suffer well and suffer real. This book is AMAZING and I would recommend it to anyone who is suffering from chronic pain, or if you have a friend or family member in chronic pain, this will help you understand how to help them!

Perhaps you know someone like this. Someone who is struggling and wishes he/she could blink and the painful Christmas season would be over. If so, you might consider sending the book as a gift in order to provide hope and encouragement.

I’ve lowered the price to make this gift available for as many as possible. May God use the book as an extension of His love, care, and healing.

Barb book

Available on Amazon – http://amzn.to/2AWbDTP

 

Posted in God's promises | 1 Comment »

Why? Why? Why?

December 10, 2017 by Marlene Bagnull

Guest post by James N. Watkins

If you have children, nieces and nephews, or younger siblings, you know that a three-year-old’s favorite word is why.

“Johnny, hold my hand while we cross the street.”

“Why?”

“Because I don’t want you to run out in front of a car.”

“Why?”

“Because if a car hits you, you’ll be hurt or killed.”

“Why?”

“Because if it’s a contest between a thirty-five-pound boy and a three-ton SUV, the truck is going to win every time.”

“Why?”

“Because the laws of physics state that mass plus momentum equals . . . Just take my hand!”

And on itgoes-right into adulthood!

“Why didn’t God heal my friend?”

“Why do bad things happen to good people?”

“Why do I still have acne at 50?”

I’ve worked up way too much spiritual perspiration trying to answer why my second-grade Sunday school teacher committed suicide, why I was laid off from the perfect job in publishing—twice—or why bad things happen to such good people as you and me.

I have learned that while why is often a futile question, God is more than willing to answer other questions. But, like the popular game show, Jeopardy, the answers are in the form of a question.

What can I know?

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:5-8).

So, while I’ve struggled with hundreds—probably thousands—of questions about God’s workings, I have grown in my knowledge of who he is. While agonizing about an estranged relationship, I burst into tears—for God. I had described to a friend my pain: “It feels like my heart has been cut out with a chainsaw, run over by a logging truck, and then fed through a wood chipper.” If I was feeling this excruciating pain for one broken relationship, how was God feeling about billions of heartaches? It was one of the few times I actually felt I understood God.

I can also find the answer to . . .

How can I grow?

I’ve always leaned into Romans 8:28:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (NIV).

But what is that “purpose”? The very next verse answers: “To be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). So do other verses:

“And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image (2 Corinthians 3:18b).
“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1).

That’s our purpose! So ask, how can I grow more like Christ through this difficult time.

Who can I show?

Second Corinthians 1:3-6 has become one of my favorite passages in encouraging me while I’m going through terrible times:

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all ourtroubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer” (NLT).

The Greek word translated comfort is paraklesis. It is a calling near, summons for help; a prayer, a plea; exhortation, admonition, encouragement; consolation, comfort, solace, refreshment; or a persuasive speech, motivational talk, instruction. And it’s feminine case. No one comforts like a mother.

We offer our best comfort to those experiencing what we have personally gone through.

So, sorry, we can’t always answer the why questions, but we can answer these three.

Condensed from The Psalms of Asaph: Struggling with Unanswered Prayer, Unfulfilled Promises, and Unpunished Evil by James N. Watkins. Browse and buy at jameswatkins.com/asaph/ 

Psalms of Asaph

Jim is a gifted author. Thank you, Jim, for “writing His answer.”

Jim was on faculty the first year that the Greater Philly Christian Writers went from a day-long seminar to a two-day conference some 30 plus years ago. I can’t begin to count the number of times since then that he has served on faculty.  I’m delighted that he will keynote and teach a three-hour workshop at the new Write to Impact Lives Conference in Lancaster, PA, February 9-10. More info coming soon at www.writehisanswer.com.

 

Posted in Pondering Biblical Truth, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

December 7, 2017 by Marlene Bagnull

Reblogged with permission. Yes, we MUST pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all her people.

With President’s historic yet controversial decision on Jerusalem, Evangelical leaders call Christians around the world to pray for the peace of Jerusalem as never before. [Here’s the statement we just released from the Alliance For The Peace of Jerusalem.]

joelcrosenberg's avatarJoel C. Rosenberg's Blog

Joel-TempleMount2

Time and again, Jerusalem lies at the Epicenter of the momentous events that are shaking our world and shaping our future. This week is no exception.

As a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen — and a Jewish Evangelical — and most recently as a new resident of Jerusalem where my wife and kids and I now live, these issues are not just theological or theoretical for me. They’re personal.

Lynn and I love Jerusalem — we love both Israelis and Palestinians. We love them dearly and equally, as we believe God does. We don’t want to see any more divisions or violence or terror or injustice of any kind. There has been too much suffering, too much bloodshed. We long to see peace between the two sides. We pray and work for the day when both peoples can truly live side by side, and amongst each other, in safety and security and…

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Posted in Issues, Our Christian witness | 1 Comment »

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