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Guest Post from Kathy Collard Miller

November 15, 2013 by Marlene Bagnull

Journey Out of Ministry

by Kathy Collard Miller

Over a period of 30 years, I’d written 49 books and spoken in 30 states and seven foreign countries. God had used me in mighty ways, yet the counselor sitting before me exclaimed, “That has nothing to do with Jesus!”

Nothing to do with Jesus? I’m glad there was nothing in my mouth because my sputtering would have spread the food all over her face. How could she possibly say such a thing? I had done it all in Jesus’ power and for His glory. Was she crazy?

But after processing her words, I looked at my husband, often my cowriter and cospeaker, and we knew it was true. The four days of intensive counseling had brought us to this point of seeing the selfish motives that drove much of our ministry. What we gained from the applause and affirmation was more important than God’s glory. God was more interested in our motives than our accomplishment. It was a humbling moment.

When the counselor brought up a possible sabbatical, tears sprang to my eyes and Larry gulped back emotion. We nodded and knew we had to be willing to give up ministry forever. Otherwise, we’d make it business as usual at the end of a short time.

Although it was a relief to enter a time of rest, it was heart wrenching. I’d just had a new book released. Without my marketing, it went out of print quickly. I worried about for my reputation. Certainly, I would be considered a flake. Over and over again, I chose to trust God.

And thus began an intensively intimate time with God, spending every day reading, praying, and journaling, along with more counseling. I called it the “Beloved Woodshed” as God took me to the spiritual woodshed to reveal motives and unholy, sinful reactions. Tears, confession, repentance, surrender became every day’s journey with God.

And it was gloriously freeing. Though difficult facing my sin, it was like shedding layers of filthy clothes. We were becoming more holy and pleasing to God.

But would God call us back into ministry? The glow of intense time in His presence over-ruled my worry.  After 18 months, we sensed God releasing us. We were excited and thrilled. Yet scared. What would it be like? I planned to send out an announcement about my availability to speak. I anticipated the welcome replies I knew would come. I was back!

But the Holy Spirit caught me in my tracks. Already, I was drinking from the well of applause and affirmation. I realized God was not releasing me to market myself but only consider whatever doors He opened.

Then Larry’s 91-year-old mother, Audrey, was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, which includes paranoia, delusions, and hallucinations. She moved in with us. What had happened to the release for ministry? Now we faced caring for a woman who accused us of trying to kill her. And for two-and-a-half years, we again learned our value was in Christ without any appreciation from a demented woman. God worked more “Beloved Woodshed” transformation. I tried not to worry that the longer I was gone from ministry, the harder it would be to re-enter.

In the midst of that sabbatical God designed a third. For six months I had intense sciatic pain and could offer nothing of value to others as I laid in bed helpless. I learned another facet of how my value was based in God alone. Only after surgery did my pain slowly subside.

Now, three years after my surgery, God has actively opened doors. Partly Cloudy with Scattered Worries, the book that quickly went out of print when I went into sabbatical, is being re-released. My 50th book has just been accepted and will be published Spring, 2015.

Through it all, my trust in God has grown and my worry has subsided. God knows what He’s doing!

BOOK SUMMARY AND BIOGRAPHY:

It is possible to worry less through trusting God more. Regardless of the storms of trials, temptations, worry, uncertainty, confusion, or regrets that you’re facing, you can trust God more. Partly Cloudy with Scattered Worries offers a conversational style, personal testimonies, practical illustrations, and solid biblical teaching for breaking anxiety and the devastating effects of worry. Each chapter includes Discussion Questions for individuals or groups, along with a “Letter from God.” In addition, a profile of a woman in the Bible who struggled with or experienced victory over worry is featured in each chapter to inspire every reader to see God’s hand in her life.

Kathy Collard Miller is a speaker and author. Her passion is to inspire women to trust God more. She has spoken in 30 states and 7 foreign countries. Kathy has 49 published books including Women of the Bible: Smart Guide to the Bible (Thomas Nelson) and she blogs at www.KathyCollardMiller.blogspot.com. Kathy lives in Southern California with her husband of 43 years, Larry, and is the proud grandma of Raphael. Kathy and Larry often speak together at marriage events and retreats.

Order at: http://www.amazon.com/Partly-Cloudy-Scattered-Worries-Collard/dp/193849976X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1380319647&sr=8-2&keywords=partly+cloudy+with+scattered+worries

Posted in Pondering Biblical Truth, Writer's Life | Leave a Comment »

In Dry Times

September 21, 2013 by Marlene Bagnull

I love the fall! Well, not the crisp mornings and evenings when it’s too cold to sit on my back porch. But still I do love this season of harvest, the roadside stands bursting with apples and pumpkins, and the beauty of the falling leaves that my grandkids rake into piles and then scatter as they jump into them.

What I don’t love is the times when my creativity feels as dry as the leaves that crunch under my feet.

Father, thank You for reminding me of this chapter from Write His Answer that I wrote years ago. Help me and all who read this to follow Your drought emergency instructions.

Next weekend, September 27-28, I’ll be teaching my Write His Answer Seminar in Cheshire, CT. I know it will be a time of refreshment and renewal for all of us. Please come if you can or order the CDs.

Write His Answer cover

But O my soul, don’t be discouraged.
Don’t be upset. Expect God to act!
For I know that I shall again
have plenty of reason
to praise him for all that he will do.
Psalm 42:11

“I’ll never run out of ideas,” I’ve often said. With a file drawer full of notes and manuscripts in various stages of completion, I felt certain that periods of dryness, or writer’s block, which I heard other writers complain about, would not affect me. But then something happened that was far worse. I felt empty inside!

The Evil One began to fill me with doubts. “You so often fail to live as a Christian,” he whispered in my ear. “How can you expect to help others? You’re nothing but a hypocrite. You have no business trying to be a writer.”

Every time I sat down at my desk, I got a tension headache. Increas­ingly I began to dread facing the work I had always loved to do. “Maybe it is time to quit,” I said to my husband one evening. “I’m willing to work hard and to face rejection, but if I don’t have anything to share . . .”

Paul put his arms around me. “You’ll feel inspired again. I know you will.”

“But what if God doesn’t want me to write anymore?”

The phone rang. It was an editor asking me to write a series of devotionals. My heart pounded with excitement. An assignment on a Sunday evening from an editor, right after I had questioned my call.  It couldn’t be a coincidence! I thanked God for showing me that my writing ministry wasn’t over.

With new enthusiasm I sat down at my typewriter the next morning, but still I felt empty. Ideas wouldn’t flow. I turned to the discouraging task of resubmitting manuscripts. As I plodded along, the whispers grew more intense. “You’re a failure. You don’t have what it takes. God can’t use you.”

I couldn’t get to sleep that night. I tried praying, but God seemed distant. Suddenly I remembered something Lee Roddy told me when I was struggling to complete my first book. “You’re listening to the wrong voice, Marlene,” he said.

The burden began to lift as I thought of Lee’s words and the Scriptures that point to Satan as the father of lies. He is the Christian writer’s great adversary. He is intent on destroying our writing ministries, our homes, our lives.

“But God,” I prayed, “it’s sometimes so hard to discern your voice. The enemy’s whispers seem so true. I do fail to respond to situations in Christlike ways—to practice what I preach. It’s easy to believe those failures make me unworthy to share your Word.”

“Condemnation is the work of the Evil One,” God reminded me. “My Spirit brings conviction of sin and the strength to overcome him. I know you’re not perfect. None of the people I use are perfect. They are willing people. Are you still willing, Child?”

“Oh yes, Lord,” I said as I fervently prayed that I would again expe­rience the anointing of his Spirit. “Please speak to me so that I can write the words you want me to write.”

The next day my writer’s block lifted. Sentences began to flow—not in perfect form or structure—but then that never has been my experience. I always spend a lot of time rewriting and editing. But, praise God, I again had words to rewrite and edit!

Since then I’ve experienced other times of dryness. They seem almost cyclical, like the droughts that periodically occur in nature. I know God allows these times in my life to teach me valuable lessons about the importance of letting my roots grow down into him (Col. 2:7). And so, I endeavor to follow his drought emergency instruc­tions in James 4:6-10:

1. Humble yourself before the Lord and ask him to remove any false pride (v. 6). Affirm anew that he is the Source of your creativity.

2. “Submit yourselves, then, to God” (v. 7 niv). The NIV Interlinear Greek-English New Testament reads: “Be ye subject therefore to God.” The Greek word for “subject,” hupotasso, is “primarily a military term, to rank under” according to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words. We need to remember that God is not our buddy or our errand boy. Rather, “all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church” (Col. 1:16-18 NIV).

3. “Resist the devil” (v. 7 NIV). Put on the helmet of salvation (Eph. 6:17) to protect your mind from the Evil One’s accusations. Pick up the shield of faith to “extinguish all the flaming arrows of the Evil One” (Eph. 6:16 NIV).

4. “Come near to God” (v. 8 NIV). Whether you feel his presence or not, spend an increased amount of time in prayer and in his Word. To stop your mind from wandering, pray aloud or write down your prayers. You might also want to read Scripture aloud. Grab hold of the promise: “Forever, O Lord, your Word stands firm in heaven. Your faithfulness extends to every generation, like the earth you created; it endures by your decree, for everything serves your plans” (Ps. 119:89-91).

5. “Grieve, mourn and wail” (v. 9 NIV) over the ways you fail the Lord. Ask him to make you a cleansed vessel through which his power can flow.

6. “Realize your worthlessness before the Lord” and allow him to “lift you up, encourage and help you” (v. 10).

I praise God for the way “he lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire, and set my feet on a hard, firm path and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, of praises to our God. Now many will hear of the glorious things he did for me, and stand in awe before the Lord, and put their trust in him” (Ps. 40:2-3).


Responding to God’s Call to Write

Expand on the drought emergency instructions by using a concor­dance to find additional Scriptures for these key words and phrases:

Humility

Submission

Resist the Evil One

Draw near to God

Repentance

Forgiveness

__________________

Unless otherwise noted Scripture is from The Living Bible.

From Write His Answer—A Bible Study for Writers. Copyright © 1990, 1999 Marlene Bagnull. With space for journaling, Write His Answer will not only encourage you, it will become a record of your writing journey. Copies can be order from me securely online and at a discount. Click here for excerpts and ordering info.

Posted in Called to write, Overcoming self-doubts, Pondering Biblical Truth, Publishing journey, Writer's Life | 2 Comments »

Wrong date, free book, and more

September 13, 2013 by Marlene Bagnull

I goofed in yesterday’s blog. The West Branch Christian Writers Conference in Jersey Shore, PA (not far from Williamsport), is October 19 not October 9. This conference offers a lot at a very reasonable price.

I also failed to mention that the Vine and Vessels Christian Writers Conference where I’m keynoting on October 19 is in Seaford, DE.

And I’m sorry I forgot to add to the list:
October 18-20 – New England Christian Writers Retreat, Plainfield, NH. Click here for the brochure for this special event.

Free Book – Lori Hynson, GPCWC Writer of the Year and author of SuperGal vs. God is offering her book FREE on Kindle starting today and ENDING Sunday! It’s a great read! Go to www.amazon.com and type in SuperGal vs. God to download the book. If you don’t have a Kindle, there is an app on the same page that allows you to download to your smartphone or other device. PLEASE DOWNLOAD, even if you already have the print book. You would be doing my friend, Lori, and yourself, a HUGE favor! After reading, if you’d take a couple of minutes to write a review on Amazon it would be much appreciated.

GPCWC’s Pacesetter Award went to Vicki Chandler, author of Heart Eyes – Beth and the Bullies. This beautifully illustrated story shows children how they can make a difference. It includes follow-up questions adults can use to guide discussions about how to prevent bullying. Vicki has a burden for children who are ignored or bullied. She says, “I know that everyone wants to be included. Everyone has something they wish everyone knew about them. Maybe it’s the hurt they feel. Maybe it’s the talent they’d like to share. Everyone has feelings, hopes, and dreams. My big dream is that children across the nation will begin to choose their friends in different ways. Children will not be popular simply because they are pretty, rich, smart, or just the right size. Everyone will be included. Even those who look differently, speak different languages, have a disability…Their differences will be celebrated. Their hidden talents will be discovered. That will happen if more children see others with their heart eyes.” I HIGHLY recommend this book. For more info and a link to order either the paperback or ebook go to http://hearteyes.net.

Rise and Shine Movement – Carolyn Ruch is “an author, speaker, writer, and mom on a mission — to educate and encourage adults to talk to the children they love about sexual abuse. Because sometimes the only thing between you and protecting your kids from Childhood Sexual Abuse is a conversation.” Her website includes a wonderful FREE video of her picture book that every parent and grandparent needs to share along with help for “beginning the conversation.” Please join the movement. We can and must make a difference!

Father, thank You for Lori, Vicki, and Carolyn and so many others who have committed to “write Your Answer.” Keep us all on the growing edge spiritually and professionally through Your Word and through the opportunities to fellowship with and learn from other writers. Bless us as we seek to serve You every day this fall.

 

Posted in Called to write, Publishing journey, Writer's Life | 1 Comment »

Opportunites for writers this fall

September 12, 2013 by Marlene Bagnull

Some of you are probably heading to the ACFW conference in Indianapolis. (Father, thank You for all You have done and are doing through ACFW’s ministry. Bless this year’s conference in Ephesians 3:20 ways.)

For those who don’t write fiction or who do but are unable to go, here are some other opportunities for you this fall.

September 19 – Greater Philly Christian Writers Fellowship begins our 31st year of ministry. We are now meeting in my Lansdale home about five minutes from the Lansdale exit of the NE ext. of the PA Turnpike. We will meet monthly from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm. For directions, more info, and dates click here.

Lansdale Critique Group (women only) – This group meets every other Thursday evening also in my home. If you’re seriously pursuing a writing ministry and are looking for a small group to hold you accountable to “finish what you started”(2 Cor. 8:10 TLB), call me at 484-991-8581.

September 27-28 – Write His Answer Seminar – Cheshire, CT – I’ve given this seminar over 50 times around the nation and have seen Father use it in Ephesians 3:20 ways. The seminar includes two Bible studies, five workshops, and a critique session. For more info click here.  The nominal registration fee increases by $10 after September 21. If you don’t live in the northeast, I want to encourage you to order the CDs and approximately 40 handouts. Click here for more info.

September 28 – Lancaster Christian Writers – LCWF’s Fall Kickoff with Christian publisher Dean Drawbaugh teaching a three hour clinic, “The BookSeller: Nine Qualities that Generate Book Sales.” Click here for more info.

October 11-12 – East Metro Atlanta Christian Writers Conference – Along with Cec Murphey I’ll be keynoting at this conference and teaching two workshops. Click here for info.

October 19 – Vine & Vessels Christian Writers Conference, Seaford, DE – I’ll also be keynoting at this conference and teaching two workshops. Click here for more info.

Also October 19 – West Branch Christian Writers Conference in Jersey Shore, PA – Jeff Gerke is keynoting. Jeff has served on the faculty of the Philly conference and frequently is part of the Colorado conference since he lives in Colorado Springs. He’s a great teacher and writer. For more info and to register click here.

CDs and MP3s from the July 31 – August 3 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference are available. Click here for the link to the order form. The entire conference of 54 workshops, 37 continuing sessions, 5 keynotes, 4 panels, Teens Write, Pastors Write, and the Thursday Specials (“Prepare for Persecution,” “A Culture in Peril,” and “Compassion, Justice, Advocacy”) – more than 100 hours of instruction – can be ordered as MP3 files on two DVDs for only $159 postage paid. CDs of individual workshops are also available.

CDs from May 2013 Colorado Christian Writers Conference also available. Click here for the link to the order form.

Father, You know how quickly fall becomes packed with so much to do. In the midst of all our busyness please teach us to be still and to listen for Your direction. Show us how to fit writing Your answer into our hectic lifestyles. Help us to believe, to really believe, that  You can use the words we write to make a difference in the lives of our readers.

 

Posted in Publishing journey, Writer's Life | Leave a Comment »

An elk fell on my head and other news from Write His Answer Ministries

August 18, 2013 by Marlene Bagnull

elk that bit me 

It’s true! An elk really did fall on my head. He lost two legs and his left antler.  And me?  I could have lost my eye if he had fallen just an inch or two lower on my head. Instead Rob Cook’s son had the opportunity to play doctor and use an ace bandage to hold a bag of ice on my head. And my husband has had to look at the growing black and blue mark on my forehead and around my eye this past week.

How did it happen? The same as so many events in our lives.  It was not something I saw coming. It was an accident. I sat down in a dining room chair and shoved it back against my hutch where Mr. Elk had safely resided out of the reach of my grandkids for the past 3-1/2 years. The hutch moved and he fell – onto my head. 

Father, thank You that I was not seriously injured. Thank You that he did not fall on Cindy Watkins and Margie Vawter who spent a lot of time in that same chair pre and post conference. And thank You that my laptop was not on the table when it happened.

It would be all too easy to view this as a conference battle scar and to allow the evil one to steal my joy. But I am choosing to “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you [for me] in Christ Jesus” (1 Thess. 5:16-18 NIV).

Directing the conference(s) has not gotten any easier through 30 years of ministry, but the joys have certainly multiplied beyond what I could have ever asked or expected in the beginning (Eph. 3:20).

What about you and your ministry of written words and spoken words as Yolanda Powell reminded us in her powerful keynote at GPCWC? Do you view rejection as an “injury,” or do you choose to “keep your eyes on Jesus” realizing that He never promised it would be easy to serve Him? Do you learn from your experiences submitting your work to editors or, ideally, first to your critique group? Are you teachable and willing to rewrite your manuscript until it is the best it can be? Or will you keep making the same mistakes because you refuse to listen to advice?  Hopefully my husband can repair my elk, but I’ve learned my lesson. Mr. Elk is never again going to sit up high where he can fall on me or anyone else.

As you continue on your journey to publication, I want to encourage you to check out the Write His Answer bookstore and to order CDs from both the Colorado and Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference. The entire Greater Philly conference (over 100 hours of workshops, continuing classes, keynotes, and panels) are available as MP3 files on two DVDs for only $159, postage paid.

If you live in New England, I want to encourage you to come to the “Write His Answer” Seminar I’ll be teaching in Cheshire, CT, September 27-28.

Most of all I want to encourage you to keep on “writing His answer” for men and women, boys and girls who need to know Him.

Posted in Called to write, Colorado Christian Writers Conference, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Publishing journey, Writer's Life | 1 Comment »

The story behind Christian Devotions Ministries and their mission to launch writing careers

July 23, 2013 by Marlene Bagnull

Eddie Jones Apr 2013 

Audio Interview with Eddie Jones
by Donna Brennan

Click here to listen to the interview.

Eddie Jones is an author, speaker, and publisher. He is a co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries and is always looking for someone who can write good devotions.

At the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer’s Conference on July 31 – August 3 Eddie will teach a workshop about working with a small press and another workshop on Thursday during Teens Write. And, of course, he’ll be taking pitches for devotions and books.

I sat down with Eddie on the deck of the main conference building at the Colorado Christian Writer’s Conference in Estes Park and got him to answer a few questions. As we sat taking in the view, Eddie spoke about the various websites that comprise Christian Devotions Ministries and how each one got started. He also shared how Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas got started, and a bit about what kinds of books they’re looking for.

It was a beautiful day although a bit windy. I was able to filter out most of the noise from the wind, but I wasn’t able to filter out the giggles and footsteps of a happy child playing on the deck. Still, I think what Eddie has to say is so interesting you’ll barely notice much of the background noise.
____________

It’s not too late to register for the conference and to request an appointment with Eddie.

Posted in Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Publishing journey | Leave a Comment »

Building the Wall

July 21, 2013 by Marlene Bagnull

Becky Spencer

Guest Blog from
GPCWC Faculty Member
Becky Spencer

How my heart grieves for our nation! I read in Ezekiel this morning where God said He looked for someone to build a wall, for a man to stand in the gap–but He couldn’t find anyone.

I asked Him what He meant; Ezekiel wrote this during the 70 year captivity, but it referred to when Israel was being warned. Jeremiah was a man weeping and praying and warning over Israel, yet that one man wasn’t enough.

When a nation/culture has been infiltrated with great waves of evil, one man can’t stand against it enough to change the direction they’re heading. Not when the prophets are prophesying lies, the priests are fleecing the people, the princes are also taking advantage of everyone for gain, and the papas have neglected their duty to teach their children God’s holy ways.

We can still build a wall, but it will be more for our own families, churches, and communities while there is still a little crack of daylight seeping through. We can still stand in the gap through intercession.

Building the wall–edifying ourselves in our most holy faith and taking care how we build on the foundation laid, which is Jesus Christ. Teaching line upon line, precept upon precept.

When it has been neglected and twisted for so long, what will it take to sway a culture? They don’t believe the Bible is God’s Word, so it holds no significance to them–certainly not enough to change.

It still has to happen one person at a time as we love them in Jesus’ Name and teach those who have ears to hear. Not everyone trapped in this junk is hateful to the Name. Some are simply ignorant, but hungry.

Too many have become angry and militant, even those who once claimed to love Him.

Hope and Rick [see below], both of your sessions will be well worth attending. Hope, you are SO right on that we must prepare; persecution isn’t coming–it’s already here and heating up.

Marlene, thank you for making this kind of teaching available at the conferences. It’s so relevant, and we need many to pick up their pens as ready swords.
__________________

Becky Spencer is ministering in Swaziland July 8-23. A kingdom of a million people with the highest incidence of AIDS in the world. Experts estimate that almost half of the population is stricken with the disease. About 200,000 children have been stripped of their parents. And 20% of the children in this kingdom have to fend for themselves with no adult present to feed them or send them to school. To learn more about Becky and Grand Staff Ministries click here.

Because we’re living in critical days, the July 31 – August 3 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference is offering these special two-hour sessions on Thursday, August 1. Concerned Christians from the community (not just those who consider themselves to be writers) are encouraged to come to one or more. For more info and to register click here.

Prepare for Persecution – C. Hope Flinchbaugh (10:00 am – noon)
More Christians have died for their faith in the last century than in the previous 19 centuries combined. The Christian church in America has not walked this way before, but Jesus has promised that we will overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. Is God calling you to “write His answer” for Christians in the last days? Bring your pen!

A Culture in Peril – Rick Marschall (1:00 – 3:00 pm)
What can one Christian do in the face of our nation’s spiritual crisis? Rather than a traditional lecture, this is a forum where we will grieve for our nation’s ills and encourage each other as God’s warriors to defend biblical principles. You’ll come away with a clearer idea of what you can do, where you are, with what you have!

Compassion, Justice, Advocacy – Steven Lawson (3:30 – 5:30)
Are you concerned about human trafficking, orphans, abortion, the poor, racism, the handicapped, the hungry, the oppressed, and so much more than is close to the heart and call of Jesus? If God has given you a burden to be an advocate, to tell a story, or make a cause or issue known, let’s discover how we can be most effective.

Posted in Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Praying for our nation | Leave a Comment »

Connecting with Your Audience

July 20, 2013 by Marlene Bagnull

Tim Shoemaker color

Audio Interview
with Tim Shoemaker

by Donna Brennan

Click here to listen.

Tim is a fulltime author and speaker. He has written several books packed full of fun devotions for parents to do with their kids, and has more recently turned his talents to writing suspense for middle grade readers. My boys are enjoying Tim’s Code of Silence—every chapter seems to end with a cliff hanger.

At the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer’s Conference on August 1-4, Tim will be teaching a continuing session called Take Your Fiction to the Gym where he’ll be sharing plenty of tips, tools, and techniques for making your writing stronger and getting your manuscripts in shape to compete out there in the publishing world. He’ll also be leading the Thursday morning Bible study lesson—you don’t want to miss that.

I met up with Tim at the Colorado Christian Writer’s Conference in Estes Park, Colorado and got him to sit down to answer a few questions. He’s as interesting in person as he is on stage. Tim shared why he came up with all those crazy—and effective—ways to teach lifelong biblical principles. And, if you’ve ever seen Tim speaking in front of an audience and wondered how in the world did he get some of those props he uses to the conference center or church where you see him, Tim shares a little bit about that as well.

Posted in Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference | Leave a Comment »

Called to Write

July 19, 2013 by Marlene Bagnull

Write His Answer cover001

Our neighborhood was no longer quiet or safe. A group of rowdy teens had claimed it. After a night of their partying, empty beer cans littered our manicured lawns. It also was not at all uncommon to find paint sprayed on cars, flat tires, and smashed lawn furniture. The targets for their vandalism were those who dared to suggest that they quiet down or go someplace else.

“What next?” we wondered and worried, especially when it became evident that drugs were involved. We knew we should do something, but what? The police regularly patrolled, but they seemed as helpless as we felt.

One night the kid brother of a gang member climbed a pole by the trolley stop and was electrocuted by the wires above the tracks. He was only thirteen years old! “Oh God,” I wept, “was there something I could have done that might have saved his life?”

I’ve asked similar questions when I’ve viewed documentaries on world hunger, human trafficking, homelessness, orphans, AIDS, child abuse . . . But the problems are so big and I again feel so helpless.

The family—the most basic and important unit of society—is under attack. Christian homes are far from immune. Divorce, adultery, the battering of women and children, incest, and teen suicide happens in our homes, too. Immorality is rampant. Violent crime is increasing. Our environment is being destroyed. And our children, both before and after birth, are at risk.

Where is God? What is He doing about it? I believe He’s calling people like you and like me to: “`Write my answer on a billboard, large and clear, so that anyone can read it at a glance and rush to tell the others'” (Hab. 2:2, TLB).

When the Lord first brought this verse to my attention, I was not at all certain He was speaking to me. I knew Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I knew without a doubt that He is the answer to man’s deepest needs, but I doubted my ability to write that answer in a compelling and effective way. I had never gone to college or taken a course in creative writing. I also had never shaken the enormous inferiority complex I’d been carrying since childhood. It didn’t take me long to conclude that He must have meant that verse for someone else.

Then I recalled a familiar Scripture: “If anyone publicly acknow­ledges me as his friend, I will openly acknowledge him as my friend before my Father in heaven. But if anyone publicly denies me, I will openly deny him before my Father in heaven” (Matt. 10:32-33, TLB).    

Certainly my refusal to write was not a denial of Him, or was it? “Lord,” I prayed, “You know I don’t ever want to deny You, but I don’t see how I . . .”

“It’s not a question of your ability,” I felt him assure me. “You really can do everything I ask you to do with the help of Christ who will give you the strength and power” (Phil. 4:13, TLB).

I tried a whole bunch of “but Lord” excuses. They all sounded hollow next to His promise to help me. “But,” I continued to argue, “I don’t even know what You want me to write. I know You’re the answer, but how do I say that in a way that someone will publish?”

“Write out of your life experiences,” I felt the Lord say to me. “Make yourself transparent and vulnerable so others can see what I have done, and am doing, in your life.”

The choice was clear. The Lord had given me my instructions. To refuse would be an act of disobedience. Yet, it wasn’t easy to admit on paper, for the world to read, that I often failed to handle both big and little problems in a Christ-like way. I didn’t want people to know that I’m not a model Christian, that my faith falters, and that some days I feel over­whelmed and inadequate. But I also knew the Lord had taught me many things through my struggles—lessons that could perhaps be used to help someone else.

I swallowed my pride and began to write about “Battling and Defeating Depression,” “Coping with Ingratitude,” and “Praying About Everything.” I discovered that the answers He’d given me could be a source of help and reassurance to others who also asked: “What’s the Matter with Me?” or “Do I Have to Be That Honest?”

Making myself more vulnerable, I began to write about my life as a wife and mother. I admitted that “It Takes Two to Tangle” and that sometimes I’m guilty of “Taking It Out On the Ones I Love.” I sensed that the most difficult things for me to share could be the very words someone else needed to read. Yet, the more prolific I became, the more my mailbox was stuffed with returned manuscripts. Sometimes they came back faster than I thought the U.S. Postal Service could deliver them! Others, like my first book manuscript, sat on an editor’s desk for five months only to be returned with a form rejection slip.

“Do you think it was easy for Me to go to the cross?” the Lord asked me one day when I grumbled about the mail. Stung by the truth of His words, I immediately apologized for forgetting how much He had suffered for my salvation.

“Neither is it easy for you to follow in My footsteps,” He said gently. “But what I ask you to do, and what I will enable you to do, is to `put aside your own pleasures and shoulder your cross, and follow Me closely. If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for My sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live'” (Mark 8:34-35, TLB).

Real living—from the world’s standpoint, the life of a Christian writer hardly measures up. Few of us will achieve fame or fortune, or even earn a minimum wage for the hours we struggle to put words on paper. But in the light of eternity, long hours, poor pay, and rejection slips mean nothing if even one life is touched.

The needs are urgent and, I believe, the time is short. We dare not assume that we will always have the freedom to print and distribute Christian literature. “`All of us,'” Jesus said, “`must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent me, for there is little time left before the night falls and all work comes to an end'” (John 9:4, TLB).    

I still feel inadequate. I still doubt my abilities, but I do not doubt the One who has called me. I am choosing to risk and persist, knowing that “Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day!” (Hab. 2:3, TLB).

Responding to God’s Call to Write

 Do you believe God has called you to write his answer? Why or why not?

 What issue most deeply concerns you? Is there something God may want to say through you?

 What is the biggest thing that causes you to doubt that He can use you?

 Choose, today, to give Him your doubts and say yes to His call to “write His answer.”
_________________

Chapter 1 from Write His Answer—A Bible Study for Christian Writers. © 1990, 1999 Marlene Bagnull. For more excerpts and to order click here.

There is still time to register for the July 31-August 3  Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.

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It Comes Down to Faith

July 17, 2013 by Marlene Bagnull

10-1113tm-vector2-3103Do 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? Are you putting off registering for the Colorado Christian Writers Conference or 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.”Dream%20With%20Me_album%20cover

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.

Posted in Called to write, God's promises, Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference, Overcoming distractions, Overcoming self-doubts, Pondering Biblical Truth, Writer's Life | 1 Comment »

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