How To Accomplish God Inspired Works… Look at it as if it were cheese! by Melanie Fischer

Huh? What does this have to do with cheese?

God gives us dreams and desires. Often these are BIG ideas. They are big, because He is big. At first, when the undertaking is still a dream, it is thrilling. When we step up to the starting line though, we can easily become exhausted by all the details.

A grand ambition like writing a blog, a novel, or perhaps a series of novels has a lot of moving parts. How does one accomplish such tasks without becoming overwhelmed?

1.      Picture the project as a giant block of cheese.

Step back and envision what the entire piece will look like. Your destination does not have to be crystal clear in order to start. The key here is to understand the general direction of the works that the Lord is calling you to, and understand that it is part of a big picture.

2.      Take a bite.

You would choke if you tried to eat an entire block of cheese at once. And, if you just stare at it with a mindset that it is “too big and impossible to eat” it will remain a chunk of cheese forever. The only choice left is to take one bite at a time. Take a deep breath, trust God to direct each mouthful, then take a bite. God is honored when we step out in obedience and begin.

3.      Keep chewing.

Focus on ONE bite at a time, and do not stop until you swallow. Once the going gets tough it is easy to quit or assume that we are on the wrong path. Some steps are long, and hard. It is through this process though that the Lord shapes us. So keep at it!

4.      Savor each bite.

Sometimes we do not end up where we thought we were going. Perhaps this is God teaching us to rely entirely on Him and lean not on our own understanding. So enjoy the scenery because you may never be back.

5.      Digest.

If we are not cautions, we can get wrapped up in our own labor and miss God’s work. Be careful not to overlook the miracles along the way, and certainly do not miss out on opportunities to share them.


No matter the size of the block of cheese, keep stepping back to gain focus on the works that you have been called to. Take one bite at a time and keep at it to completion. Enjoy the journey and don’t miss the Lord’s hand in all you do.

Even if you are lactose intolerant, works done for the Glory of God is one block of cheese you can digest.


Photo by Patrick Hoesly - Photo Pin

Writing Resources - Lynn Dove

As a writer, "seasoned" or otherwise, we are always on the look out for great resources.  I compiled a list on my blog Word Salt to some very helpful websites that offer a variety of information from marketing, promotion to how to write better.


Here are a few of the helpful links to websites, blogs etc.  For the complete list I invite you to go to the Word Salt blog. 

Agent Query - great resource for finding an agent, writing query letters etc.

Authors on the Net—online community of authors with resources and information on promotion

The Book Club Network Inc. – finding Hope in reading groups

Christian Authors Network – marketing strategies etc.

Coffee Break for Writers—monthly newsletter offering news, markets, interviews, and more

Doing It Write—weekly e-zine for writers from writer, editor, and book consultant Helen Ginger

Faithwriters.com – opportunities to post your own articles and get articles for your blog or website

John 3:16 Marketing Network – promote book launches and encouragement for writers and authors

Michael Hyatt.com – Informative blog by Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers

Rachelle Gardner.com – blog about books, marketing, etc.

The Vessel Project - web design, book reviews, marketing, promotion

The Word Guild – connecting, developing and promoting Canadian writers and editors who are Christian

Word Salt – author interviews, writer’s tips, book reviews – for those called by God to write, and for those who love to read the Word.

Writer’s Write—information about books, writing, and publishing

Writer’s Write Journal – writing life stories for the inspirational or religious markets

When writing feels like walking on water - Violet Nesdoly

"To me the story lacks drama. I think it needs more conflict, more suspense, more changes in pace and more growth in Bezalel himself."

These were the words I read about a quarter of the way through a one-page document titled "Critique of Destiny's Hands" on January 3, 2012. They were the considered opinion of a wise and astute writer friend whom I had contacted, just before Christmas, to give me feedback on my book-length story.

My first reaction on reading her whole critique was panic. What have I done? I asked myself, as I thought of my signature, newly dry on the publishing contract I had already signed, and the people at the publishing house, eager to get on with the job. My friend's words conjured up a hefty rewrite that could take weeks, maybe months to complete. Could I even make this story work?

There was another problem. Hubby and I were one week away from a much anticipated vacation to Hawaii. So I wouldn't be able to tackle this for at least three weeks as I wasn't about to wreck our dream holiday with writing work.

You know the command, "Pray without ceasing"? Right about then, that's what I began to do.

Also about then, I kept bumping into advertisements of James Scott Bell's Elements of Fiction Writing - Conflict and Suspense. Ping! Wasn't that the very thing my critiquer said my story lacked? And so the night before leaving on our trip, I downloaded it onto my Kindle, along with his Revision and Self-Editing. I might not be able to work on my story, but at least I could read about how to salvage it.

In hindsight the timing couldn't have been better. The break gave me distance and an objectivity that I needed. I started playing with the ideas my friend had thrown out and getting new ones—all executed, in my imagination, with the techniques and finesse that JSB explained and demonstrated so well. By the time I returned from our warm January break, I was eager to get on with the job.

Of course, working out those things in real time was another matter entirely.  It took six gruelling weeks of concentrated effort with many ups and downs and  sleepless nights before I emailed my publisher the revised document, hoping that I had hit the mark. The words of my editor at Word Alive Press: "...let me tell you how much I enjoyed your manuscript. I found this to be utterly captivating and well-written. Well done!" brought a huge sigh of relief. 

Looking back on this whole experience, I'm quite sure of one thing: the way this happened was no accident. For if I had known the amount of work still needed on the book, I would not have contracted to publish it, and it would not be around today.

All that to say, when you find yourself walking on water, push aside the panic with prayer. Get help. Work really hard. Keep looking at Jesus' face instead of the waves. And one of these days you'll be scrambling back into the boat with a stronger faith, and maybe you'll be a better writer too. 

- Violet Nesdoly
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Need a break from the 21st century rat-race? Travel to a different time and place via Destiny's Hands, a new novel recently released by Word Alive Press.

Experience Egyptian slavery, the exodus, crossing the Red Sea. Meet Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Hur, and Bezalel.  Eat quail and manna. Drink water from rocks. Live the temptations and questions of wilderness wandering.

Find out what readers are saying and where to purchase HERE.

Website: www.violetnesdoly.com