Behind Jericho - by Bruce Atchison

Deliverance from Jericho is my memoir of how I ended up in a residential school for deaf and blind children. For six lonely years, my parents sent me five-hundred miles from my home in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta for months at a stretch.

Because I lived so far away from Vancouver, British Columbia, I was only allowed to return home during Christmas and summer. Additionally, my parents paid for the train tickets so I could visit for two Easters and the government paid for one Easter plane trip home.

These experiences scarred me deeply. For decades, even the mention of Jericho Hill School made me depressed.  I also suffered from bad dreams about being back there.

But thanks to a radio show called Hope in the Night, I learned how to deal with the traumas of my past. The host, June Hunt, told me that I could hand over the pain and those bad memories to Christ and he would heal my soul. Furthermore, she said I would have to keep on doing this as those bad thoughts would surface over and over for a while.

Thanks to this technique, I felt ready to write about my experiences a few years later. Doing so gave me the ability to release any claim I had on being a victim of that injustice. It also helped me explain to others what I went through.

Better still, our Lord experienced far worse injustices so he can identify with us. Hebrews 12:2 (KJV) says we should be, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

We know too that a day will come when our sorrows will be no more. Revelation 21:4 (KJV) assures us of this. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

I should add that June Hunt's method is based on the scriptures. We read in 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV) that we should be "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

How wonderful it is that our Lord and Master understands our grief. He truly cares for us in so many diverse ways. This is something the world will never experience apart from him.

How to Have a (Good) Marketing Attitude by Glynis Belec

     Writing is my heart passion. Business is my reality. 

I thought about comparing my career as a writer to a love/hate relationship. But then I got thinking how easily I can psyche myself into something. I definitely don't love marketing but I don’t actually hate it, either. I prefer not to do it but I don’t hate it even though I think I hate it.

All my life I have loved writing. Then once I learned writing for the serious scribe is actually 50 percent the written page and 50 percent business, I knew I had to expand my horizons and do it with a willing heart. Otherwise (I know me) I would be prone to whining and then I would convince myself how despicable marketing is and I wouldn't do it. 

I have learned that I choose my attitude - good or bad. I have discovered that if I pick good, only good will come out of it - even if things go bad. If I pick bad it ends up bad every time. I sought to have the 'somewhere in between' attitude. It never works. It always ends up bad, too. 

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that 'hate' isn't my issue, 'not knowing how' is more like it.

Resources are good when you want to learn how to do something. I've found a great Resource that never seems to fail. It sure has changed my marketing attitude. How about I share? 

1. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.    Colossians 3:23

• remember that we are not out to please man with our brilliant marketing schemes. We are intent on glorifying God with how we go about sharing our words. I won't pay for reviews, I will earn them
• I will glean some information from all these people who tell me they know how I can sell a thousand books in one day (as long as I buy their product) but I won't fall prey to their 'get rich schemes' at all costs. 
• I will try my best to make a good, doable plan for promoting my work.

2.  Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant          than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

• I won't mock others or think I have the upper hand when it comes to making contacts 
• I am grateful that God has blessed me with a passion to write, but I will also encourage others to grow in their craft

• I will help others market their books because I know that when we help others we benefit the most. And when I help others market their books, I won't do it for selfish motives but purely because God doesn't want us to be rivals, but sisters and brothers on the same path

3.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,         

    faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                Galatians 5:22-23

• It is much more fun to be nice. 
• I started a Facebook group a while ago and we now have close to 500 members. I LOVE talking to my Angels (I call them) about writing related topics. God has stirred a passion in my heart to help promote Canadian authors who write and engage readers who love to read quality work. I will admit, I started out with a little motive of building my 'tribe' and then using it as a marketing platform. It has become much more than that. God has used my wimpy idea to build some great relationships and allowed us to have some super conversations. I rarely plug my own books, but it feel so right what I am doing. 

4. Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for       you. 1 Peter 5:7

• One of the best ways - or maybe THE best way for me to sell my books is to speak
• When I first felt the nudge from God to speak I was dragged kicking and screaming, thinking what a lousy job I would do. Oh, I am a drama queen from way back and have graced the stage numerous times. The difference, though, was I always had a script - and the story was not mine to be told. I heed God's direction now and I love telling my story and sharing about so many things. God has blessed me with the gift of hope and laughter and I love to share that gift with whomever will give me the time of day. And often, blessings follow with the back of the room sales. 

5.  The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count      slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that          any should perish, but that all should reach     

     repentance.                                                                                          2 Peter 3:9                                                                                                                                                           

• My brain wants to rush the process and I sometimes feel that I am not doing it right because I don't have at least 100 reviews on each book or people battering down my door begging to buy my books. 
• Then I remember my timing usually always differs from God's. He's been pretty patient with me over the years so I try to do the same. 

I could go on and on. Each day I get inspired. No, I have not turned in to Suzie Q Brilliant Marketer. I never will. But I found that once I changed my attitude and looked at marketing and promotion and everything business related from an "I can do this with God at the helm" attitude, I found it a much more pleasant task. 

Marketing isn't easy. Nor is brain surgery or waiting on unruly customers or building houses. But changing my attitude is. 

For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 1 Timothy 4:10

~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~

                                                  

Glynis

How Does My Writing Impact My Readers? by Janis Cox

Thanks to FreeDigitalPhotos.Net by imagerymajestic

Frederick Buechner said:

I wish that I had told my writing students to give some thought to what they wanted their books to make happen inside the people who read them.

So far I have one published book - a children's book called Tadeo Turtle. Definitely the book has a purpose - to teach children and parent and grandparents that each one of them is special in God's eyes.

This is also the theme of my blog, He Cares for You. Because I truly want people to believe what the Bible tells us:

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7, NIV).

I have discovered that the more I read the Bible the more I start to understand the mind of Christ. And that is a good thing. Because I believe I am to "feed His lambs".

 I can't feed them unless I have been fed by Him.

All the writing I do starts with my learning it first from the Bible. Then I can share what I have learned. In my fiction books there is a lesson to be learned. So the characters are like me working their way through their lives and being taught by God through all their interactions.

Starting next week I am taking a blogging holiday for a month. I need that time to reassess where God wants me to spend my time. I plan to be out in my community watching and seeing where God is working and then following Him. I plan to spend more time in study and prayer. I plan to see my family as we are returning from our winter home (we are snowbirds).

I am excited. I have more energy in the past few days just getting last minute things figured out. God has been faithful in giving me lots of fodder to work with.

I love writing and I don't want to stop. But I am willing to stop if that is what I hear from God in the next 4 weeks. I want to be sure that this is the path He wants for me.

I would ask that you pray for me during this time of renewal.

I have written on this subject at Under the Cover of Prayer.

Am I Spinning My Wheels?

Is God Working Through Me?

So yes I am thinking about what I am learning and what I want my readers to learn as well.

Tweetables:

What do you want your books/writings to make happen inside your readers? (tweet this)

How does my writing impact my readers? (tweet this)

Janis Cox, a retired school teacher and small business owner, found a new passion in writing in her retirement. A writer since 2003, Janis co-ordinates a group blog called Under the Cover of Prayer. She is also a contributor to a group blog called Family and Faith Matters.

Janis is the author of the award winning children’s book, Tadeo Turtle, published by Word Alive Press. She is the author and watercolour illustrator. For more information visit Janis on her website He Cares for You. She is a member of The Word Guild and Inscribe Writers Fellowship.