Building a Body of Work by Sandi Somers

 

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,

and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

2 Corinthians 9:6 

 In my early years of writing, I wasn’t too prolific or consistent. I had written many drafts and sometimes bubbled with more ideas than I could handle. But publish them? Not so much. During Fall Conference last year, the Lord prompted me to finish more. It’s no wonder that over the last few years, He’s given me a challenge and promise: “Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. From this day on I will bless you” (Haggai 2:19).

As I began more diligently to finish and publish, I thought of many principles of finishing that the Lord has been teaching me. If you are like me, here are some values that can make a huge difference in your approach to finishing well.

First, thank the Lord for His purpose for your writing. Then thank those who are inspiring you to spread your wings and publish more, those who have been models and mentors for you. I can think of a number in our IWO and InScribe who’ve done just that for me.

 Forgive yourself if you haven’t yet built up a body of work or if you’ve wasted years in finishing. You have untapped potential, ability, and skills. Begin now and believe God: “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…” (Joel 2:25). As you claim this promise, His Spirit will empower you to publish what you thought you couldn’t do.

 Enlarge the vision of what you can do. You can be like Abraham who listened to God's directive: “Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you” (Genesis 13:17).  Launch out and write blog posts, op-eds, personal essays, long-form articles, devotionals, and newsletters. Venture into podcasts and speaking engagements…Your vision will grow as you follow through on God’s assignments.

 Be faithful in creation. Put in the hard work and stick with the projects God has called you to write. The Apostle Paul advised us: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23). At the right time, He’ll open the way for greater publishing and ministry.

 But above all, pray. Thank the Lord for your potential. Be as Jeanette Oke who said she saturates her writing with prayer. Wait before the Lord and He will anoint your message.

 Your work matters. God intended you to make a difference. The world is hungry for your stories. As you publish, you can trust that God will get your work into the hands of those who need to hear our Spirit-inspired writing.

 It’s vital that we finish well. One writer recently described her dream of entering heaven.  God asked her, “Where are all the books I wanted you to leave on Earth?  Why have you brought them with you?” This was a stark reminder to be faithful in the writing God has appointed me to do. I want to hear the Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21).

 God wants you to rise to your calling. Are you ready to take the next step?

“Your words are the most powerful tool you will ever own.

Don’t let another day slip away without using them to weave a better future for yourself and those you care about.”

~Matthew Kelly~

 

Just Bloom by Carol Harrison

(photo by Kelsi Tooke)

Months after writing a post on my word for 2020 being bloom, I look back on this year that has been one like no other. God continually reminds me to just bloom. Circumstances without and within factor into my emotions, my daily activities, and even family time. Yet God’s Word continues unchanged. His directions remain the same as they have been since the beginning of time.

I contemplated what the word bloom meant to me, its meaning, the verses God showed me to go with the word, and how God continued to unwrap more of its meaning as I flipped the calendar from one month to another. Just as a plant takes times to grow before the maturing happens and a bloom appears, so my life and abilities take time to grow, allowing maturity or a movement closer to it at least. The bloom is the completion of a cycle for the plant – a finishing of what had begun as the seed sprouted.

The longer I spent searching for the meaning to this word, bloom, in my life this year, I felt God encourage me to complete some projects which had been left unfinished for too long. Life held many uncertainties in January as my husband faced serious health issues. I needed to stick close to home, long before COVID restrictions forced it to become a daily reality in most of our lives. Limitations outside the home gave me opportunities to revisit long shelved writing projects and bring them to a stage of fruition. They needed to see the light of day, develop into something stronger, and finally be shared with others when the time was right.

No more excuses. No more procrastination or comparing myself to other writers I admired, and finding myself wanting. 

After all, one flower doesn’t quit blooming because it looks different than the plant next to it. With a renewed sense of purpose and peace at blooming where God planted me, I pulled out a book of short stories I was co-authoring and the two of us revised, put them in an order, had them edited, and sent them to be printed. Making Crooked Places Straight had been a work in progress for almost three years. But the time was just right for this book full of stories of hope and God’s fingerprints in people’s lives arrived during a time of fear and hopelessness for many people.

I pulled out a project to edit for a lady with learning disabilities who needed help with her story. My procrastination on this is something that filled me with regret. Yet the magnitude of help required seemed such a daunting task. God prodded and nudged me to grab hold and trust Him. Her excitement at receiving printed copies of her story brought tears to my eyes, chastised me for waiting so long to begin the revisions, and also allowed me to thank God for helping me bloom a little more.

Then I grabbed a huge project off the shelf. I quit procrastinating on my first novel, A Home for Susannah, and asked God to take away my fear, my urge to compare myself to others, and to enable me to work on it, if the time truly was right. Hours passed as I revised, took the suggestions of a couple of Beta readers, and finally sent it off to the editor. Back and forth we went. Changes complete, the book became available in September.

I am a work in progress. The nasty invaders of comparison and feelings of inadequacy still try and choke the bloom right out of me. Relying on God’s grace and all sufficient help to clear those cobwebs and thistles is needed every hour of the day. There are many moments of teaching, refreshing my memory, and reminders to trust God and not waste time worrying about what He is asking of others.

The brave little sunflower in the picture, waving in the winds of changing weather, shorter than most, has lots of room to grow but the bloom adds colour to the gritty side of a highway. It waits for its seeds to be filled, never complaining of the harshness of its environment, or how different it looks. It just blooms.

2020 has been a year of change as the unexpected took hold. It has been a year of finishing projects and jotting down more ideas waiting to be filled out and released into the world. It has been a year of personal growth, of being willing to let go of the things that hold me back. God has been working on helping me realize the value of being who He wants me to be instead of a copy of anyone else.

Flowers need the rain and the sun, the dark days and the bright ones too. Everything has a purpose. There are times this year, I have been tempted to give in to the tough situations, throw the covers over my head, and quit trying to bloom. Then God sends reassurance, affirmations, friendships, and those who encourage and support. I dive into His Word to find those promises of how unchangeable God is and how He will supply all our needs. I look at the flowers that bloomed in the summer, enjoy their bright spots in an uncertain world, and ask God to help me continue to bloom where I am.

Just bloom – that beautiful process of becoming all God wants me to be. Don’t give up when difficulties engulf but remember the truth of Philippians 1: 6, “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Then I can know the truth of Paul’s words in Philippians 3: 12-14 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But the one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

 

 Carol Harrison lives, writes, and sometimes even wants to quit from her home in Saskatoon. Yet she wants to allow God to help her bloom right where she lives. She appreciates those who offer their words of affirmation and challenge her as she shares stories to help others find a glimmer of hope and a glimpse of joy.

Marching Off The Map by Bob Jones

How ironic.

That was my first thought when I read the theme for the IWO March postings. 

"Like Abraham of old, where is God calling you to chart a new territory?"

Call me Abe.

After 29 years as a pastor at North Pointe Church - formerly known as Central Tabernacle – my wife and I felt God’s prompting to conclude our ministry here.

North Pointe is family to us. When we arrived in 1990 we prayed to be a blessing to the church family. We always knew that one day our departure would be a blessing as well. That day came on February 17, 2019. 

Our goal is to finish well. We were not quitting. It’s always too soon to quit. Jocelyn and I wanted to finish well. That meant leaving the church in a position of health, strength, and poised to grow.

Ministry Staff of North Pointe - appreciation luncheon - Feb. 2019

North Pointe has seen God’s favor and has grown from 495 people in 2006 to over 3700 in 2019. We are experiencing our highest attendance in our 102-year history. More people have made decisions to become Christ-followers in the past eleven months than at any time in our history. North Pointe has a reputation as a respected, come-as-you-are church in our community and across the nation. We have a devoted, talented and young ministry staff, which will be led by our associate pastor who has been in place for 14 years. The future looks very bright.

We’ve taken this step of faith with nowhere to go. We’re confident that the next step will appear now that we’ve been responsive and obedient. God has never failed us. 

Our future is uncertain but when everything is uncertain, anything is possible.

In 330 BC, Alexander the Great had conquered the Persian Empire and become ruler of most of the known world. With the greatest army ever assembled he decided to continue his push eastward. His army had been as unstoppable as well as his ambition: He wanted to rule the entire world. But when the army reached the Himalayan Mountains, the leaders came to Alexander with a concern: They had literally gone beyond the boundaries of their map. 

They would need to march off the map.

So like Alexander and Abraham we are charting out a new territory. I’m creating a new blogsite and ministry start-up as I write this. My plan is to continue writing and being whatever help I can be to pastors. There are a couple of books in me that I plan to transfer to print over the next 24 months.

First out of the gate will be “The Velveteen Pastor: A Journey Of Becoming Real.”

The last five years have been exciting as the denominational leaders of the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada invited me to participate in the Church Revitalization Network. Travelling across the country and speaking at pastoral conferences gave me rich insight and confidence that God is renewing his Church in Canada.

It’s a happy/sad time - an ending and a new beginning. Like Caleb entering the Promised Land at age 85 (long may his tribe live) and asking for the toughest terrain to take, I’d like to apply my experience and empathy to serve leaders in the trenches on the frontlines who bring good news to Canada.

One of my life verses is “Be strong and courageous…do not be terrified, do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:6,9).

March on!

I am a recovering perfectionist who collects Coca-Cola memorabilia and drinks iced tea. My walls are adorned with our sons’ framed football jerseys, and my bookshelves, with soul food. I write to grow hope, inspire people to be real, forge an authentic faith in Jesus, and discover their life purpose.

Please follow my writing at REVwords