Floating Body Parts

By Lucy Nel

Did that cause a shiver to run down your spine? If your imagination is anything like mine, gruesome images of severed hands or feet floating in the air probably exploded in your mind at a title like that.

Relax.

Take a deep breath.  Have a cup of Joe.

No gore today, folks.

The floating body parts (FBP) I’m talking about are tricky pests that sneak into our creative writing. And recently I’ve been spotting them again in my fellow writers’ works. Don’t despair. Last year, this was one of my major stumbling blocks in my own writing. Just a year ago, I had my manuscripts peppered with FBP’s. One strung after the other.  My beautiful little darlings. I was oblivious to them. I never managed to spot those invaders.  And I didn’t mind them in the least, because I was being creative.

But trust me; some people are not so lenient. I’ve seen editors’ slaughter ’em without remorse. (I’ve had an editor leave a dozen snarky comments on one of my earlier peppered-with-FBP’S-darlings-manuscripts. Ouch.) The hard truth is, we might not mind the little sweethearts, but some people in the publishing world do not find them acceptable.

In the end, we need to be able to spot those pesky FBPs and remove the outrageous ones from our writing. Show no mercy! 

Earlier this month, I had my manuscript edited by Linda(If you need an editor extraordinaire, this is the gal!), and am proud to say, I had one. Only one. And a mild one at that! So I let it slide. (Run along my cute little darlin')

Now, you’re probably anxious to find out what a floating body part is.

To put it plainly, it becomes known as a FBP when you attribute an action to a body part, (Hands, feet, eyes are normally the biggest culprits - at least in my own writing.) instead of to the character. 

Allow me to give you some examples of the ones I had in my previous manuscripts, and how I fixed them.

Then:

He leaned a massive shoulder against the door.

Now:

He leaned against the door.

Then:

His head twisted

Now:

He twisted

Then:

Her hand flew to her mouth

Now:

She covered her mouth

Then:

Her eyes searched the room

Now:

She searched the room

Then:

His fist pounded on the door

Now:

He pounded on the door

Of course there are trickier ones that are more acceptable. Sometimes you really can’t word them in a different manner. Like “She rolled her eyes” , “Raised her arms” or “Lifted his foot to inspect the sole”.

Am I saying you need to chop every FBP you have? Of course not, but some are just so outrageous, they might be too distracting to your readers. I hope you found this helpful, in the end, it’s still your decision which FBPs you want to keep, and which you’d rather cut.

Until next time,

Be blessed

~Lucy

For an amazing and hilarious example of FBPs, check out this blog!

Sarah Tipton’s parody of FBPs 

The Power of a Story

By Robin

Stories have always been important to us. Long before they were on ipads, Kindles, and Nooks; before they were in paperback, hardcover, or leather bound with handstitched spines; before they were transcribed one painstaking word at a time on parchment and vellum, they wielded a sort of power in our lives.

In ancient days the most skillful Story-teller would gather his audience round a communal fire, and regale them with tales of the heroic warrior who left his maiden to fight a battle. And the audience would listen, rapt, shushing fussy babes, pulling loved ones close, wondering if the hero would ever make it back to his love.

That’s the enthralling power of a story.

Legends were born who are still with us today. Beowulf and King Arthur still hold us transfixed in our modern world. We still boo and hiss at their villains: the brutal Grendel, and the wicked sorceress Morgana La Fay. Even though we know how the story ends—we’ve known for twelve hundred years—we hang on till the end, wondering if good will prevail.

That’s the transcendent power of a story.

In the fourth century, the world changed forever. Rome converted, and with it, most of its territories, stretching far west, to include a little island nation full of Britons. “Before Christianity,” according to the Norton Anthology of English Literature, Edition 6, Volume 1, “there had been no books [in English].”

This is my decades old, frayed, taped, beloved Norton, read by every NWMSU student who majored in English during its tenure.

Time passed, invaders became residents, and the language, a jumbled comingling of Saxon (Germanic) and Norman (Italic) evolved into Middle English. That’s when the Story-teller harnessed his power by putting words onto a page. He became the Writer.

By the twelfth century, the Writer began to use the themes of love and war, which were so often connected in the world of the chivalrous knight, as a means of exploring psychological and ethical problems (again, according to the Norton Anthology). That's when men began to see themselves in the character of the knight. They watched as the knight navigated trials contrived by the Writer, and weighed the knight’s emergence as victor or downtrod against what they knew about themselves, their world, and their God, wondering what they would do in the place of the knight.

That’s the self-actualizing power of a story.

This has all been true since the first evidence we have of stories being told orally round the fire. It was true before, in the dark of cave dwellings where no remnant was left for us to study and marvel at. It’s true because our Lord is the ultimate Story-teller. It’s the medium by which he brings us to himself. “In the beginning,” begins the story of a bridegroom who goes after his bride.

We are enthralled by it, wondering if she will take his outstretched hand.

We read the same passages again and again in our study, captivated anew by the transcendent, never-changing truth.

We see ourselves in it. We are the bride, looking down at the bridegroom’s outstretched hand, a hand we don’t deserve. We come to know our own wretchedness by reading of his holiness. We take his hand, accept his mercy, and we are made new.

That’s the transformative power of THE story.

Stories born of human minds cannot hold the same power over us. We need not fear them, ban them, censor them, burn them, or hide them.

Even dangerous stories, terrible stories, and stories written by authors who hate God and his good gifts have the power to make us think.  

That, friends, is when the magic happens! That's when the Story-teller's power becomes the Story-hearer's power. The Hearer, gifted by the Creator already with the ability to reason and reflect, now possesses the power to revere or reject the truth of the Story-teller. 

It's an amazing power, isn't it? The power to think. Analyze. Critique. Decide. Whether the stories are good or bad, thinking about them makes us smarter, more mature, more aware, more compassionate, better human beings. It opens our eyes to new ideas--right ideas and wrong ideas. That doesn't matter. What matters is we use our power to think about what we're reading, and grow from it.

This is why we crave stories which do more for us than entertain. It's why our love of story has endured many thousands of years, and why it will continue long after our culture changes, our borders shift, and our language evolves all over again. 

We may not read our stories on Kindles and ipads in a hundred years, or a thousand years, or ten thousand years, but we will, in some way, be gathered round the communal fire to hear the skilled Story-teller weave us a compelling tale.

Unlike us, the story will endure. It will never die.

That's the power of a story.

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3 Quick Tips to Make Your Story Amazing

What writer couldn't use some quick tips to make a story pop with amazing details? I know I could!

Have you ever read a story that just felt kinda meh? Perhaps the dialogue was good, and the characters were interesting. The plot might have even been fresh and original. But something was missing. Something was flat. You weren’t drawn in to the setting. You weren’t really immersed in the story.

Transporting an audience to another world takes some skill. It’s not enough to plonk words haphazardly on the page.

Nope.

A writer has to beguile their readers.

Tease them.

Tempt them along with sensory details that fill their minds with the sights, sounds, smells, and feels of the setting.

There’s nothing better than reading a well-crafted description that makes you forget you're simply reading a book. Instead it seems like you’ve got a seat, front and center in all the action.

Some of my favorite authors are the ones who string words like colorful beads on a necklace, one after the other, until I feel like I’m right there in every part of the scene.

Here are my top 3 tips to help you create a story people will LOVE to read:

Tip #1. A fantastic setting makes a story shine! 

Take the beginning of chapter two from Elizabeth Marie Pope’s YA novel, The Perilous Gard:

The rain threaded and beaded every branch and leaf and twig, dripping mournfully at the jarring thud of the horses’ hoofs. It clung to the shoulders of Kate’s heavy cloak and glistened in the long gray folds of her riding skirt. The instant she raised her head, it began to gather on her lashes like tears.

Can’t you imagine yourself riding through the forest in the rain? Doesn’t your very skin feel cold and wet? You also get a sense of tone from this passage. Kate doesn’t seem very happy, does she? And not just because she’s stuck on a horse with water dripping all around her. No. The repetition in the first sentence of branch and leaf and twig as well as the comparison of the rain to tears on Kate’s face all add to the despondency of the moment.

Before you start to shiver, consider Madeleine L’Engle’s description from Many Waters, a companion to A Wrinkle in Time. L’Engle’s heroes, Sandy and Dennys find themselves whisked away from their freezing New England farmhouse only to be dumped in a desert.

They were standing on sand, burning white sand. Above them, the sun was in a sky so hot that it was no longer blue but had a bronze cast. There was nothing but sand and sky from horizon to horizon…The brazen sunlight beat down on them. After the cold of snow and ice, the sudden heat was shocking. Small particles of mica in the sand caught the light and blazed up at them.

Wow. A completely different scene. Now, instead of the rain beating down on me, I’ve got sunlight saturating every pore!

And did you notice how in both of these descriptions, the authors use what the reader can see as well as what the reader can feel?  That's the perfect intro for my next tip:

Tip #2. Make your descriptions do double-duty!

The best writers will make sure their word choices pack a punch in more than one way.

Take, for example, a single sentence from Mary Weber’s Storm Siren:

The yellow flags above me snap sharp and loud in the breeze as if to emphasize my owner’s words that yes, she’s quite aware such a high count is utterly ridiculous.

Weber could’ve used the verb wave or billow to describe the movement of the flags, but snap gives a perfect visual and auditory clue that puts the reader right in the middle of the slave auction with Nym.

Tip #3. Don't overlook the rest of the 5 senses!

It’s not enough to add sight, sound, and feels to your story.

What about taste? That's an important detail that immerses the reader more fully into the scene.

Look at this passage written by Laura Ingalls Wilder and tell me your mouth isn’t watering:

Ten pancakes cooked on the smoking griddle, and as fast as they were done Mother added another cake to each stack and buttered it lavishly and covered it with maple syrup. Butter and sugar melted together and soaked the fluffy pancakes and dripped all down their crisp edges.

Every time I read Farmer Boy, I get hungry. Every. Single. Time.

And finally, there’s smell. Some studies claim that smell serves as a powerful aid to memory, so don’t forget to saturate your reader’s sense of smell with unforgettable details.

I always enjoy Rosemary Sutcliff’s narrative because she includes this important sense like here in The Shining Company:

I mind the scent and colour of raw new wood and green thatch and great tubs of washing water that smelled of herbs. And, fingering its way in from somewhere outside, the fat reek of beef stew.

These scents greet the hero, Prosper, at the end of a long journey, and the familiar smells add to his feeling of homecoming. Perfect!

Each one of these authors are masters at adding sight, sound, feels, tastes AND smells to their story. And these are the details that make a manuscript shine.

So the next time you edit your story, double-check that your setting immerses your reader, your word choices do double-duty, and each of the senses are used to your advantage. Your descriptions will be sure to keep your readers engaged and turning the pages for more.

And have fun!

Any quick tips you'd include in this list to make a ho-hum story fantastic?

Critique partners, 'dry spell' and publishing jitters. - By Deanna Fugett

I want to brag on my amazing crit group for a minute. Not only are they a constant source of inspiration and help, they are my friends.

Recently I have been struggling with not knowing how to finish my second book. It's been a frustrating experience not having direction or knowing how or where to end it. I'm a 'panster' writer so I fly by the seat of my pants, hoping it will end somewhere perfect. It worked with my first book, but not so with my second.

I also have been struggling with confidence since I got my publishing contract. Like, oh crap, am I ready for this? Is my book ready for this? Having my first real big doubts about my writing journey and if I can really pull all this off. I asked for prayer for these concerns and the responses for my crit partners blew me away. Not only were they going to pray for me, but they covered me in timely, wonderful advice and love. They are my treasured jewels and I couldn't ask God for a better group of ladies to tread this exciting journey with. I got permission to share their beautiful words below.

"Oh boy, the classic dry spell. It's always a dark place to be, isn't it. We can't always run on creative drive. But hey, sometimes a long break is just what the mind needs to replenish the book building juices. Diverting your attention to something else is often a great refresher, but if you're also seeking other ways to get back in the game, I can only offer what I occasionally do to get myself in the mode. I watch or read material that inspired or is similar to my work. Returning to the very roots I started from and/or exploring how others have handled similar material helps a lot. I also like to deeply analyze what I have already written and my ultimate plot goals. Or I re-examine my characters - dissecting them, revisiting what makes them tick, and reflecting on what moral, ideal, or virtue they're supposed to embody. Oftentimes, that includes comparing them to other well-written characters and understanding why they work and how. Or, I pick apart a flawed story, and consider what I would have done to fix it. Sometimes, I find lots of good and bad ideas by simply doing that. Or I just relax, listen to music, and play a video game. Still, this is what I do to incite new ideas. Results may vary. Prayer is likely your best solution, though. Let's be honest. All us sub-creators get the ultimate mojo from the ultimate Creator. Just don't let this dry spell get you down. We've all been there at least once in our lives." 

- Hannah Colvin

"Let me explain first: my mentor and friend is well known in the CBA world. She sent me a simple email asking if I was ready for the conference. Here are the first two lines of my response: "Does one ever feel like they are ready if they aren't published? Even if they are?" Then I unloaded about my self-doubt. You see, last year, I had an editor write a horrible, nasty note no one who pays to go to a conference should have to read (I've tried to chalk it up to her "bad day," but there  is no excuse). She knows all of this. She is multi-published. She gets invited to ghost write. As a matter of fact, a pretty big celebrity has "her" book coming out this year and my friend wrote it. So, my friend has been there and climbed through the trenches. 

She wrote the best response. It was a long email, telling me how she just met with another big name and that when another day passes, she wonders if she is good enough. She ended with this, and it is so appropriate: 

   "I too completely trust God, so what the heck is wrong with me, I keep asking myself today. I had to stand outside for a while under the stars and just simply praise God to regain a little perspective, be reminded of just how big He is - beyond what I can guess or comprehend. Just wanted you to be encouraged that you'll always feel this nuts - ha!! I'm such an encouragement tonight, aren't I?" 

-Sarah Bennett 
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.bennett.37454?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/author_sbennett?lang=en
Blog: https://roshambosaveslives.wordpress.com/about/

"I got stuck writing my book 2 too. Somehow I pushed through it, made it to the end, and started book 3. Then I got stuck again in a similar spot. I thought I was done for. It felt impossible. I wanted to scrap the whole thing and forget about it. But then I had the thought, "I've done this before. I figured it out once. I can do it again." I filled in what was stumping me with a vague, sort of skeleton outline, just to get me to the next scene. I wasn't worrying about setting, or even writing in complete sentences. Just getting the characters from A to B--where they needed to be to continue the story. It worked! I got over that hurdle, pounded feet to the finish line, and went back later to clean up the part where I had been stuck. Give yourself permission to suck right now. It can always be fixed.

On the confidence issue, I struggle with that a lot. It's not always a bad thing. Sometimes it helps me see flaws and cheesiness I couldn't see when my confidence in how great it was blinded me. Talk to God about it. Tell him where your mind is at. Ask him to either put you at ease, or open your eyes to how you can make it better, spur you to make the changes, and restore your confidence in what you've created." 

- Robin Scobee
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRobinScobee/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/robinscobee
Blog: http://robinscobee-author.blogspot.com/
Blog: http://quillsandinkblotts.blogspot.com/p/robin.html

"I'm not sure I have too much new to add, but first of all I would say to make sure you're getting sleep and taking care of yourself. I feel like my creative juices dry up every time I hit a level of being really tired and stressed. I also agree with Hannah's suggestion of reading to get inspiration - reading something I'm excited about always makes me eager to get back to writing. I also agree with Robin's advice to just get something written without worrying how good it is. I feel like once you have something there it's less intimidating than the empty page.

As far as the confidence in your book - I'll just echo the others to place your trust in God. Your writing will never be good enough for every single person that reads it, but we all believe in you, as does your publisher, and if you're trying your hardest (which you obviously are), God will be pleased by your efforts. And I'm sure this is a natural phase for about-to-be-published authors to go through and hopefully something you'll be able to work through soon." 

- Laurie Lucking

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLaurieLucking/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/laurielucking
Blog: http://www.landsuncharted.com/p/laurie.html

"I will be praying for your inspiration. Robin, I might just tape that fantastic quote of yours to my desk. "Give yourself permission to suck right now." What a breath of fresh air. We all know how that feels, trying to write the final draft instead of the first one. I've heard it said that you can always edit what sucks, but you can't edit what you haven't written. 

I faced the same total block in January. I decided to take a break from fiction to write another teen Bible study. I sat staring at my blank computer screen...for days. Then I cried...for days. Satan was after my confidence and my identity. Everything I wrote didn't feel good enough. I didn't feel qualified, and I had the looming deadline of getting this book self-pubbed before I leave. I had to grab my Bible and read Ephesians 6 out loud a few times to get my moxie back. 

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Eph.6:12) 

I'm not the kind of person who blames everything on the devil, but I know that he is more than happy to take advantage of our exhaustion, our insecurities, and (Lord help us!) our hormones. In II Corinthians 12, Paul talks about the messenger of Satan sent to "buffet" him. That Greek word for buffet literally means to punch continually in the face. Anyone else had a week like that lately?

You were meant to write this book. It's not just your job. It's your calling from God. Don't let the enemy tell you that you are anything less than a conqueror in Christ. This book coming out is going to touch people. Be confident of this very thing: He who began a good work in you will complete it until the Day of Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

So there's my spiritual advice. My practical advice: Take a day off. I know that might not be possible, but at least give yourself the freedom to uni-task. Give your brain a break. 

I love the suggestion of reading. But sometimes, my brain isn't even up for that. Sometimes you just need you some Netflix. I'm serious. Take in a movie that's not even close to what you're writing, and don't dissect it looking for plot devices. God commands us to take a Sabbath and rest in Him. There's nothing wrong with that. Just enjoy it. 

It's going to get done. I promise. Take heart. You've got this, girl! I believe in you." 

- Hannah Duggan

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/hannahdugganauthor/?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/author_hannah_d
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Hannah-Duggan/e/B00C1KKWDC
Blog: https://authorhannahduggan.wordpress.com/

"Regarding not knowing how to finish the second book… what works for me might not work for you, since every person has their own unique way of brainstorming that works best for them. But I’ll still explain what I do, in case it helps. I go to bed with a pad of paper next to me. As I’m falling asleep, I let my thoughts drift toward my book. Sometimes I’ll think about the specific problem I’m trying to solve, or other times I’ll just think about the characters and whatever events happen right before the part I’m stuck on. I’m not actively trying to solve the problem as I lay there, which would keep me awake. I’m just picturing my characters’ interactions so that my book is on my mind as I fall asleep. Then, as I fall asleep, my mind starts creating its own story with the characters. The hardest part is waking up enough to write down any good story ideas your mind generates. Every time I’ve been too tired to write down a good idea, I could never later recall what the idea had been. This probably only works for light sleepers, like me. Everyone else had great ideas too… taking time off or watching/reading other material.

Regarding the second item… I think what you’re feeling is probably normal, but that doesn’t make it any easier to deal with! For myself, I had a serious problem with worrying about everything (even tiny things) to the point that I had trouble sleeping every night, up until a few years ago. I finally kicked that habit. I came to the realization that the reason I worried so much was that I was overly concerned with what other people thought of me. To some extent, we’re supposed to care what other people think. For instance, it’s good to avoid the appearance of wrongdoing, not just wrongdoing itself. We want to be good examples of Christ-like behavior, after all. But I had gone overboard and was focusing too much on what other people thought. In so doing, I had neglected to focus enough on the opinion of the one person who matters… God. Look at the people in the Bible who were completely following God, like John the Baptist. Other people must have thought he was a freak, surviving by eating locusts and wearing animal skins. But he was so focused on God that he didn’t care what other humans thought. Yet God was still able to use him for great good. Likewise, God can use your book for good, whether it’s a bestseller or not, and whether everyone universally loves it or not. Maybe a small number of people who read it will be massively impacted by it, in a way that’s life-changing. Sometimes that’s how God works. As long as you focus on God, it will be okay. And that’s a hard thing to do. Really, really hard, when we have so many distractions around us. But after this life is over, we’re all going to be glad about the times we did properly focus on God, and wish we had been doing that our entire lives."

 -Anonymous 

I strongly encourage any of you readers to follow these wonderful ladies on their websites, author pages and blogs. They are inspiring, encouraging and have such a great heart for the things of God. 

Thank you ladies for letting me share your hearts and words. 

-Deanna Fugett

Is the Lord telling me to cast out my net?

https://pixabay.com/en/winter-season-snow-cold-old-cabin-208847/

I’m a private kinda person. With 99% introvert qualities. Seriously, if I could, I would probably live in a (comfortable) remote cabin and thrive. Give me my husband, my little dude and my laptop and I’ll be good to go. Wait. Add my Pugs, please. And books. Lots of books. Okay… and Wi-Fi. Hehehehe. I said comfortable, remember?

Because I struggle connecting with people, and opening up, I’ve never submitted any of my work to a traditional publishing house. I’ve been writing for eighteen years this year, dreaming about publishing my stories, all in the comfort of a hermit-like-writer environment. Why? because, REJECTION stings. I’m sure everyone knows that. The idea that my work gets rejected for whatever reason, terrifies me. (Perfectionism streak.)

Eventually my husband (Bless him) grew tired of my whining and convinced me to join ACFW's. I think 2013… or 2014 perhaps? Anywho, I joined and only then did I start putting my work out there in the Scribes Loop (Online critique group – I recommend joining ACFW’s to anyone hoping to enter the CBA publishing world.) for OTHER people to read. *Gasp.* That’s also where I found most of my amazing crit partners.

Somewhere along the journey the idea of indie-publishing became more and more appealing to me. See, indie-publishing is mostly a one-man show. No need for you to approach unnecessary people. If you want, (you probably should) you hire an editor. If you can, you do your own cover work. No rejection. No damaged pride. Also, you’ll be in charge. Whooop! But I realized after some introversion that my reason for finding the indie-publishing world enticing… was wrong. 
I was being disobedient.
Deep down I knew I wanted to pursue indie-publishing to avoid rejection. Then Deanna posted about her publishing journey,and the more I mulled over her post, the more the following scripture came to my mind:

Luke 5:3-6Amplified Bible (AMP)

³ He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little distance from the shore. And He sat down and began teaching the crowds from the boat. ⁴ When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon [Peter], “Put out into the deep water and lower your nets for a catch [of fish].” ⁵ Simon replied, “Master, we worked hard all night [to the point of exhaustion] and caught nothing [in our nets], but at Your word I will [do as you say and] lower the nets [again].” ⁶ When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their nets were [at the point of] breaking;

A simple act of obedience yielded a tremendous catch. It would’ve been missed unless Peter obeyed.

So now I’m being obedient and polishing a novella to pitch to a traditional publishing house.
Am I terrified – You bet’cha!
Will I be traditionally published? I don’t know.
If I get rejected, will it sting? Of course.
Will I sulk and cry and indulge in chocolate and ice cream ? Probably. 
But, I reckon there’s something that I need to learn and that’s why I’m gonna listen to the Lord. I’ll give y’all an update when I actually do sub my novella, and the outcome. Of course there's the  option of approaching other publishing houses if I get rejected this time, and that gives me hope. And I might just attempt it.

Maybe after this lesson, I will have the Lord’s peace and finally be able to pursue indie-publishing.

I guess all this rumbling can be summed up in one question: Is the Lord telling you to cast out your nets on the other side?

I hope this will inspire you to do some self-introspection and yield to the Lord’s will.

Until next time, be blessed.

~Lucy

Writing for a Sovereign God

By Robin

I have a journal in which I write almost exclusively about writing.

This is the story (told partly in retrospect) of my life, my work, my heart, over four and a half years of writing. It tells the story of why I started. It tells of my victories, frustrations, insecurities, triumphs, and doubts as I've walked this writing path. It tells of my great love for God and for the craft of writing fiction.

It's interesting to thumb through the pages I've filled so far (a hundred or so) and see the same theme pop up about every other month. I cruise along for weeks, writing, making progress, pleased with my work, and then--screech--the same niggling questions slam on the breaks.

What am I, that the Lord should be mindful of me?

What is my mouth, that it should speak?

My hands, that they should write?

My words, that they should be heard?

I have to spend a day, or two, or a week, working them out for myself before I can take my foot off the break and ease into traffic again. You would think, after all this time, after all the pencil-scrawled words poured out attempting to answer these questions, I'd have figured it out by now. I haven't.

I still find myself wondering if I'm not actually His most unfit servant. I am beset by pride every day, at every turn. I am wrong about so much. I don't have some special access to God that isn't available to every other believer in His creation. I didn't actually hear or sense His specific words to me: "Here is a story from Me to you. Go forth. Do well."

Some days my countenance is brought so low, I'm so convinced my writing is terrible, and nothing will come of this, and I was crazy to ever think it would, the only thing that keeps me from giving up is the sight of all the empty pages in my journal yet to be filled. I can't bear to think that my writing story is over yet.

It was begun in 2011, during a season of personal and professional chaos, before I fully understood what I was doing, where I was going with it, or why I was doing it. But it was begun. In the canvas of my life, a thread was knotted behind the scenes, the first stitch was laid, then the second, then the third.

Not by me. I am nothing on my own. Like the Psalmist who also asked, "What is man, that you are mindful of him?" (Psalm 8:4) I know from whom my life, my breath, my worth, and my work comes.

The sovereign God who brought the universe into existence, the Author of history, the Redeemer of mankind, the Beginning and the End--that same God--took the time in 1979 to breathe into being a new life, one chosen before the foundation of the world, predestined to love and worship Him. (Ephesians 1:3-5)

And that I do, just as He ordained.

It's when I think I've got to have all the questions answered that the magnitude of His sovereignty becomes paralyzing. How do I know if I'm supposed to be doing this? If I'm the one to be doing this? If my labor will ever yield fruit in this life?

Because it may not. 

That's not up to me, no matter how hard I work, no matter how many revisions I sweat and cry over, no matter how much I try with my own power to make it good enough.

It's. Not. About. Me.

How wonderful, the thought. How freeing! 

The future is not mine to know or manipulate. My destiny, on earth or in heaven, is not in my hands, thank God. How I would screw it up if it was.

He's the One who chose me.

He's the One who made my mouth to speak.

He's the One who strengthens my hands.

He's the One who gives me words.

God will do what God will do. I am simply to follow the thread.  

My dear writer friends, the cry of my heart is that you too would cling tightly to the thread that was begun in the canvas of your life, even if you don't yet understand what to do with it. Even if you can't see how there will ever be fruit from it. Even when doubt and insecurity slams on the breaks. Work diligently, knowing the thread was laid by a sovereign God, and He knows what He's doing.