So sorry. Snopes.com (I should have checked) said the self-test and drinking water is not true. But the needed encouragement that “God is with us” is truth that will never change.
I just received the following from a friend:
Since I know I’m in the group that is vulnerable to pneumonia and suddenly find that I am older—also a risk group, this brief piece gives pertinent information and advice to follow that would help you know if you should seek treatment BEFORE the fever, etc. I believe that while the other information about washing hands, keeping hands out of our faces, is pertinent—this information could be lifesaving and make us proactive in our own behalf. Please read.”
From a friend at the Stanford hospital board. This is their feedback on Coronavirus:
The new
Coronavirus may not show sign of infection for many days. How can one know if
he/she is infected? By the time they have fever and/or cough and go to the
hospital, the lung is usually 50% Fibrosis and it’s too late…Taiwan experts
provide a simple self-check that we can do every morning. Take a deep
breath and hold your breath for more than 10 seconds. If you complete it
successfully without coughing, without discomfort, stiffness or tightness,
etc., it proves there is no Fibrosis in the lungs, basically indicates no
infection. In critical time, please self-check every morning in an environment
with clean air.”
Serious excellent advice by Japanese doctors treating COVID-19 cases: Everyone should ensure your mouth & throat are moist, never dry. Take a few sips of water every 15 minutes at least. Why? Even if the virus gets into your mouth, drinking water or other liquids will wash them down through your throat and into the stomach. Once there, your stomach acid will kill all the virus. If you don’t drink enough water more regularly, the virus can enter your windpipe and into the lungs. That’s very dangerous.
And now for some encouragement. There’s no better place to find it than in God’s Word:
God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble. And so we need not fear even if the world blows up and the mountains crumble into the sea.” Psalm 46:1-2 TLB
It’s been almost a week since our daughter told us we should not leave our home because we are both high risk. She did our grocery shopping and left the bags on the back porch. Deb is a physician, so even though this seemed drastic, we listened. Given the spread of covid-19 (the county we live in now has the highest number of cases in Pennsylvania) and the national emergency that has been declared, I’m grateful.
As schools close around the nation and daily more events are cancelled, I’ve wondered what to do about the May 13-16 Colorado and July 22-25 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conferences. I honestly don’t know. Right now all I can do is pray and wait and see.
I have assured those on Colorado’s faculty that I will understand if they feel they need to cancel. Of course, the same is true for conferees who have already registered. I will refund anyone who feels it is not wise for them to come. The faculty and program is not yet finalized for the Philly conference.
Although I certainly hope and pray summer will bring an end to the virus, at least through the end of March I’m not going to focus on the conferences but instead invite you to join me in the following:
Pray, and not just tomorrow, Sunday, March 15, that President Trump has declared a national day of prayer. Pray daily for local, state, national, and world leaders that they would make wise decisions; for those who are ill with covid-19 and their caregivers; for medical scientists to develop an effective treatment and vaccine.
Pray much for others.” 1 Timothy 2:1 TLB
Balance time reading and listening to the news with digging into God’s Word. Of course, it’s important to stay informed, but if we pay attention only to what the world is saying and not to how God will speak to us through His Word, we’ll add to the panic that also threatens to become pandemic.
The whole Bible “is God’s way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone.” 2 Timothy 3:17 TLB
Encourage others through posting on social media words of reassurance and hope from the Scriptures.
Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.” 1 Peter 5:7 TLB
Use the gift of words Father has entrusted to you to write blogs and posts to encourage readers to trust the Lord during this time of uncertainty.
Encourage each other to build each other up.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 TLB
As your daily routines are disrupted, ask the Lord, “What do You want me to do today?”
Make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good.” Ephesians 5:16 TLB
Friends, let’s rest in the fact that none of what is happening has surprised the Lord or made it impossible for Him to intervene.
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 NLT
Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him, and he will respond to us as surely as the coming of dawn or the rain of early spring.
Hosea 6:3 TLB
Spring is still nine days away, but my daffodils are almost ready to pop. Lifting their heads to the warmth of the sun they are not bound by the date on the calendar that says it’s not yet spring.
Father, I want to be like my daffy daffodils and respond to the warmth of Your love and the assurance that even in the midst of the coronavirus You are with me and have a plan.
This morning I loaded Barb Haley’s incredibly helpful charts of editorial needs and areas of expertise on the website for the May 13-16 Colorado Christian Writers Conference. You’ll find them by clicking on the links at https://colorado.writehisanswer.com/facultymarkets.
You’ll find about 9 other charts on the website as well as specific info for each of our 55 faculty members.
I’m continuing to prepare for the Colorado conference and trusting that by May we will have seen an end to this virus. Should it continue to spread and restrictions are placed on travel and large gatherings leaving me no choice but to cancel the conference, I will, of course, refund registration fees. But let’s pray that the conference will not only take place but be even more anointed and life-changing than the past twenty-three CCWCs.
Let the peace of heart that comes from Christ be always present in your hearts and lives, for this is your responsibility and privilege as members of his body. And always be thankful. (Colossians 3:15 TLB)
And, Father, help us to press on to know You and to dig deeply into Your Word so that we will be better equipped to “write Your answer.”
I don’t remember whether or not Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow two weeks ago. It really doesn’t matter since he doesn’t have a strong track record of being accurate. Still, I can hope spring is on the way even though right now half of the U.S. is gripped in an Arctic blast. A Google search says the spring equinox that marks the astronomical first day of spring doesn’t happen until March 19. I just have to wait, but at least I have a date!
Christians called to “Write His Answer” often feel stuck in a deep freeze with no date or assurance it will end. But instead of burrowing under the blanket of discouragement, we need to brave the cold. (Yes, these snowdrops really are blooming in my garden.) We need to keep writing and keep trusting that God will enable our work to get in print in His perfect timing.
As we wait, we also need to ponder what’s most important. Is it getting our name in print, especially on the cover of a book, or the journey of how we get there? Are our lives, not just our words, bearing fruit?
Bearing Fruit
A Bible Study Based on John 15:1-5; Colossians 2:7; Galatians 5:22-23; Jeremiah 17:7-8
Fixing our eyes on Jesus . . . (Hebrews 12:2 NIV)
LOVE – He loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20 NIV).
Do I love my readers?
Is love my motivating force?
How much of myself do I give them?
What about loving my editors, especially the ones who reject my manuscript?
Loving people who make demands on my time, who take me from my work?
JOY – For the joy set before him [Jesus] endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2 NIV).
Is my joy dependent on acceptances, praise, success?
Do I rejoice in taking up my cross (Mark 8:34-35), or look for easier ways to serve the Lord?
PEACE – “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you” (John 14:27 NIV). We never see Jesus uptight even when demands on him were so great that “he couldn’t even find time to eat” (Mark 3:20 TLB). See also Colossians 3:15.
Do I have his peace when I’m interrupted?
When I’m facing a deadline or blank computer screen?
When doors do not open for my work?
PATIENCE – Think about his patience as sinful men did such terrible things to him (Hebrews 12:3 TLB); his patience on the night he was betrayed when even his disciples did not yet understand who he was (see John 14:4-11).
Am I learning to wait patiently on the Lord?
How patient am I with editors, family members, myself?
KINDNESS – Because of his kindness you have been saved (Ephesians 2:8 TLB).
Do people (editors, family, friends) see Christ in me?
Am I gracious?
GOODNESS – He went around doing good (Acts 10:38 TLB). Greek – agathos describes that which “being good in its character . . . is beneficial in its effect.”*
Is my writing benefiting my readers?
How can I “do good” with my writing?
FAITHFULNESS – He has enriched us, gifted us, strengthened us, called us, and is faithful (see 1 Corinthians 1:5-9).
Am I being faithful to him?
Am I using the gifts he has given me?
GENTLENESS – “I am gentle and humble” (Matthew 11:29 TLB). Greek – meekness, prautes: closely linked with humility, a fruit of power not weakness,not fighting against God, the opposite of self-assertiveness and self-interest.*
Have I argued with the Lord lately?
Am I on an ego trip?
SELF CONTROL – Jesus responded. He did not react. He was always in control of his feelings, words, actions (see Mark 3).
How much self-control did I exercise the last time something or someone irritated me?
What about my self-discipline?
Do I daily relinquish control of my life to the Lord?
*From Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.
Over half of the faculty is in place for the July 22-25 Philly conference. Now a full three days plus an opening keynote Wednesday evening by Liz Curtis Higgs. Registration will open April 1. https://philadelphia.writehisanswer.com
For more than 20 years I’ve been typesetting the 16-page conference brochures on Quark, a desktop publishing program similar to InDesign. Since I write the copy to fit, it’s not a job I can delegate. And really it’s a task I enjoy – that is, when I don’t encounter problems.
Perhaps my joy (okay, pride) in opening registration four days early for the May 13-16 Colorado Christian Writers Conference was why typesetting the brochure was more difficult than usual.
I’ve got a laptop with a huge hard drive and lots of memory, but clicking on the over 50 text boxes in the two pages below was laborious. I clicked and clicked. When a box finally opened, I couldn’t find the cursor. It was taking forever just to typeset these two pages, and I still had another 14 pages to finish!
The above does not include our keynoters or continuing session and clinic instructors. You can see who they are at https://colorado.writehisanswer.com.
Finally ready to send to the printer
Wednesday afternoon, two days later than I had planned, I finally uploaded the brochure to the printer, or rather I tried to upload it. Can you imagine my dismay when I kept getting the message, “The file appears to be corrupted”?
Three hours and two calls to the printer later, I was assured they had the file and everything was fine. But the next day I got an email that they did not have the file. Would I “please upload it again.”
Unbelievably, Friday morning they called. Yes, same message! But now they admitted the problem was on their end. They said they would expedite the printing so I’d have the brochures in time for the February 22, Writers on the Rock conference. (If you live in Colorado or Wyoming, click here for info on this great one-day learning experience.)
I was more than ready to move on to the next thing I needed to get done that I hoped wouldn’t be another challenge. No such luck. (Well, luck has nothing to do with any of this. I am so beyond my own abilities and dependent on Father’s enabling.)
Facing another challenge
Again I faced not one but two challenges. I tried and tried to get the workshop grids posted on the website so they were readable. After hours of no success, exasperated, and at the “end of my rope,” I blogged “When you think you can’t . . .” promises from God’s Word. But I confess, I did give up (temporarily) and move on to the next thing on my never-ending to-do list.
Again, technology had me stumped and frustrated. After typesetting the mini-poster and Teens Write flyer below in Quark, I couldn’t create the needed PDF to send them to the printer. I tried to find answers in the 450+ page manual. I did multiple Google searches. Even got a Just Answer tech. He tried everything he knew and said, “You need to contact Quark.”
I found a Quark tech online. Turns out my 2018 version of Quark is not compatible with the latest Windows 10 update. What? It was when I purchased it a year ago. The 2015 version that I typically use had created the needed PDF for the conference brochure. (The learning curve for the later version is so daunting that I rarely use it, but for some reason I couldn’t get the file I needed to update for the poster and Teens Write to load in 2015.) I couldn’t move the mini-poster and Teens Write flyer I created in the 2018 version to the 2015 program. I was stuck! (Yes, this is getting complicated. Stick with me, please.)
While I was relieved to know it wasn’t my lack of computer know-how, I wasn’t thrilled with the need to purchase an upgrade. And, of course, I encountered issues getting the upgrade to work! Again, I needed tech help, but PTL Quark included a full year of free support.
It was another long and exhausting day. I didn’t get near as much done as I had hoped to accomplish.
I’m so grateful Father helped me to persevere when the evil one tried to convince me that I had hit a brick wall that I was not smart enough or strong enough or young enough to scale.
What about you?
While hopefully you’re not encountering the technical challenges that are so often a part of my experience, I know you face other challenges. The blank computer screen can be intimidating. Writing for the Lord isn’t easy. None of us will ever fully master the craft or understand all the intricacies of grammar and punctuation. And building a platform and finding a publisher are daunting tasks.
I’m often reminded of the challenges Solomon faced when his father commissioned him to build the Temple. I cling to the Lord and to the words He gave David to speak to his son – and to me and to you:
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)
I know I’ll continue to face challenges, but God’s love and mercy never fail. PTL the new version of Quark is more user-friendly and isn’t hanging up. And now I’m able to create readable images directly from Quark. Hurrah!
Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. Proverbs 3:5 AMP
Refuse to believe the evil one’s lies that you can’t do what God is calling you to do.
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
Keep your eyes on Jesus.
Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God.
When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! Hebrews 12:2-3 MSG
Claim His promises.
I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power. Philippians 4:13 TLB
Don’t give up!
And let us not get tired of doing what is right, for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up. Galatians 6:9 TLB
Praise Him in joyful anticipation of conquering the impossible in His strength.
Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. Ephesians 3:20 TLB
I love surprises! But waiting has never been the part I love. I’d beg my mother to give me a hint – just a little hint. I didn’t want her to totally give away the surprise. That would spoil the fun of wondering what the surprise might be.
I remember one Christmas when my curiosity got the best of me. I hunted through all of my mother’s favorite hiding places until I finally discovered the tiny outfits she had made for my Ginny doll while I was in school. Christmas morning just wasn’t the same.
When someone tells me a secret and makes me promise not to tell, I have to bite my tongue. Although I’m busting to tell, a promise is a promise.
But when I’m in control, when I’m the giver, keeping a surprise a secret is part of the fun. I love being a tease and getting the eager recipient to play guessing games. I remember the time I had my children squirming in the back seat trying to figure out where we were going. Their squeals of excitement when they discovered the surprise was a puppy is a memory I treasure.
Even more exciting are the times when I surprise myself by accomplishing something I didn’t think I could do. Like the first time I overcame my fear and sang a solo in church. Or the first time I gave a day-long writers’ seminar. Just before the last session, my voice was gone. I remember desperately praying for help. And Father answered. My voice returned and was stronger than at the beginning of the day. That really was a needed surprise and a miracle since I did not have a microphone.
Just this week I surprised myself by beating a self-imposed deadline. I think it was a first! If you were with me online on Tuesday for the workshop I presented on Patricia Durgin’s Facebook Live Marketers on a Mission Summit, you were the first to know that registration for the Colorado Christian Writers Conference is open. I beat my February 1 deadline by four days!
You can view the workshop, one of my favorites – The Power of Story, Turning Personal Experiences Into Print – by clicking here. Presenting a workshop online via Zoom was another first for me. The amazing technology even enabled me to use my PowerPoints. Another surprise was that I could figure out how to do it, but Patricia is a good teacher!
Just as I enjoy giving and receiving surprises, I believe our Heavenly Father receives even more joy in surprising us with blessings. He wants our lives to be an exciting adventure of discovering the surprises He has for us when we put our trust in Him.
This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise, God handling all the details. Ephesians 3:7 MSG
I hope you’ll visit the website for the May 13-16 Colorado Christian Writers Conference. Everything has been updated except for the conference brochure and Barb Haley’s amazing charts. Wow! That’s another surprise. I’m about a month ahead of last year! Thank You, Father!
I want to encourage you to register early. If you’re among the first 50 to register for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (we offer optional early bird workshops on Wednesday afternoon), you’ll receive a bonus appointment for a total of SIX free 15-minute appointments with the faculty of your choice based on availability.
Obviously, by registering early it is much more likely that you’ll get your top choices. You won’t be able to request your appointments until the charts of editorial needs, areas of expertise, and availability for paid critiques are online, but as long as you get your requests to us by April 15 and are paid in full by then, you’ll get preference based on the order in which you registered. Sounds complicated? It really isn’t, and we’ve got lots of how-to info online under Appointments to help you understand our system, make the best choices, and be prepared to get the most out of the time you’ll spend one-on-one with our faculty.
Plans are also surprisingly well underway for the July 22-25 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference. The conference is back to a full three days and begins Wednesday evening with a keynote by Liz Curtis Higgs.
Yes, I love surprises! What about you? Have you recently been surprised by a blessing you didn’t see coming or by something Father enabled you to do that you didn’t think was possible?
Patience is a fruit of the Spirit, but I confess it’s often sadly lacking in my life. Especially when it comes to learning new technology (or trying to), patience is not something I possess. Knowing that patience grows through testing, I admit that I avoid praying for patience. It’s easier to simply give up!
Hasn’t the technology that is part of day-to-day living gotten ridiculously complicated? I got a new smart phone, but it makes me feel dumb! I purchased a book (of course, since I’m a writer). But seriously, did I really think I would take the time to read 697 pages? iPhone the missing manual does have a good index and lots of illustrations, but I’m impatient. I don’t want to take time to study a manual. I want to immediately be able to use my iphone. After all, it’s supposed to be “intuitive.” Well, maybe for some.
Then there’s the daily challenge of wrestling with my computer. Instead of thanking God for all it enables me to do, I waste valuable time grumbling when I could and should be tackling the learning curve.
But today I made up my mind to stop moaning and groaning about HTML, HyperText Markup Language. It’s known as “the most basic building block of the Web.” Just the name makes me feel hyper, but it’s something I’ve known I need to learn to more effectively manage my four websites. So today I finally got started on a Udemy course, “HTML, CSS, Bootstrap.” It took some searching because I purchased it over a year ago. (Yes, I also struggle with procrastination!)
Amazingly I somehow had the patience to get through the first 14 lessons. (I didn’t pray for patience, but I did ask Father to “Please show me how to do this.) I’ve still got much to learn, but it was enough to enable me to copy, paste, and revise some bootstrap code (something else I need to learn) in the website for theColorado Christian Writers Conference.
It took all afternoon, but I’ve now got bootstrap working to display two photos and text on the top of the Continuing Session page that will adjust to all different size screens. Thank You, Father!
Like a kid in a candy store or with a new toy, I’m revising the bootstrap code to add pictures throughout the website. Check out the Continuing Sessions page by clicking here. The eight sessions are all in place and I’m excited. (The link is not yet available through the menu at the top of the page. That’s a challenge for another day!)
The learning curve is not just something I need to grin and bear when I’m dealing with technology. It’s a key to my growth in all areas of my life – personally, professionally, and spiritually.
Study [learn and keep learning] to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed. 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV
For those who seek to serve the Lord through the ministry of writing there is also a learning curve. And it can feel really steep. That’s why we need to “encourage each other to build each other up” (1 Thess. 5:11 TLB). And it’s why I’m directing the Colorado Christian Writers Conferencefor the 24th year and the Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference for the 37th year. Someone has said they are the equivalent of a semester’s course in college. I doubt my first book would have ever gotten in print had my pastor not sent me to the St. Davids’ Christian Writers Conference over 40 years ago.
Father, You know how easy it is to get frustrated and discouraged by the learning curve. Forgive us, forgive me, when I grumble rather than trust You to help me do what feels impossible. You are so faithful!
What difficult task, that you’ve been putting off, do you need to tackle?
Today is my birthday! Turning 75 is one of those sobering birthdays like my 40th. Hard to believe I’ve lived 3/4’s of a century!
A friend sent me a link to this hilarious video. What a wonderful example of creativity.
Happy Birthday, by Beethoven? Bach? Mozart? – Nicole Pesce on piano https://bit.ly/2QJYBPX
I can only play simple melodies (sometimes in two-parts) with my right hand. But He’s given me – and YOU – other gifts. In fact, His Word promises in Ephesians 4:7 (TLB):
Christ has given each of us special abilities— whatever he wants us to have out of his rich storehouse of gifts.
Do you believe it? And if you do, are you using the gift(s) He has given you to further His Kingdom?
One day all those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior will stand before Him. I have no doubt one of the questions He will ask us is, “What did you do with the gift I entrusted to you?”
I have invested 37 of my 75 years in directing the Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference (24 years directing the sister “Write His Answer” conference in Colorado). Each year there are more challenges – not, I believe, because I’m “over the hill” but because the evil one knows his time is short. My purpose continues to be
toencourage and equip writers in all stages of their journey to write about a God who is real, who is reachable, and who changes lives.
Father has given me the special birthday gift of enabling me to have the faculty in place for the May 13-16 Colorado conference. Last year at this time because of my husband’s fall and long recovery I had just begun planning. Our faculty includes 3 agents, 20 editors, 17 authors, 9 other professionals, and 10 staff. Nineteen are new to CCWC; 6 were not with us last year. You can see who is coming at https://colorado.writehisanswer.com.
About half of the faculty is in place for the July 22-25 Philly conference. See https://philadelphia.writehisanswer.com. Wednesday evening Liz Curtis Higgs will launch the conference by keynoting. Then, new this year, will be a full day of workshops on Thursday as well as Friday and Saturday.
If you’re not able to come to Colorado or Philly, I encourage you to check out the other Christian writers conferences around the nation. I believe attending a conference is the best investment you can make in your writing ministry.
You’ll find a list in the 2020 Christian Writers Market Guide. I have copies available at a discount (click here) or you can subscribe to the online edition. It really is a must-have resource as is a subscription to The Christian Communicator.
But the most important thing you can do to grow your gift is to grow closer to the Giver. In this new year I urge you to dig into His Word more deeply than ever. How else can you “write His answer”?
Write His Answer 