A little salt goes a long way by Pamela Mytroen

I don’t see God’s supernatural hand when I’m in the midst of a storm; I see it after the calm. After that wounded day of 9/11 in September of 2001, I had responded by writing an article, which I had taken to our local newspaper. It was rejected. However, I was offered a job as a correspondent, which softened the “blow”. I began writing feature pieces for the paper but I was restless. I desired to share Christ with my community, to point the way to Truth.   

The world’s thinking had shifted as the smoke from 9/11 dissipated into the clouds. Christ was embraced at first as people grieved, but the thunder of suspicion and skepticism towards Christianity began to rock our world. I felt that if I didn’t quickly share truth with people, that our chances might crumble like the twin towers. The editor had assigned me to write human interest pieces and I was not allowed to venture out of that role. How could I write for Jesus in our paper now? 

Previously, the Pastors of our community had written a weekly column in the paper, but over time, as the Pastors moved on and a new editor was hired, that column disappeared. I longed to see God’s Word in print, taking on advertisements and news. I began to pray about it and God began to nudge me to take action.  

God whispers, seldom shouts, but it’s a whisper made of fire that burns deeply. I don’t like to be the one to give feet and action to my dreams, but God believes in us; isn’t that amazing? So He wouldn’t let go. I was and still am fearful about leading. A storm of doubt always rages inside me when I need to talk to people and make something happen, but God’s whisper had shot through me and I needed to obey.  

I could send an email to the newspaper office with my desire to see this column start up again. No, too impersonal. Or I could call. Again, too easy for the editor to say, “no.” I knew I had to go in person, which unsettled my stomach. I approached one pastor and shared my idea. He liked the idea of writing for the paper, but said he was too busy to help me. So I approached another pastor, who was very young, and new in his position. “Yes, of course, I’d be happy to come with you.” I suspected that our inexperience and youth wouldn’t stand a chance against this seasoned, curmudgeonly editor. I’d been told that the new editor was very secular and wanted nothing to do with Christianity in her paper. “She will run you out of her office,” one said. Another said, “She won’t publish anything Christian. I’ve been trying for 3 years.” I really hoped the editor wouldn't be there when we went to see her or that the office would burn down before we arrived. Anything to avoid being chased from her presence. Just before we went to the Times, this young pastor and I bowed our heads and prayed that God would open the hard heart of this editor. 

We were ushered into The Editor's office. She jabbed at her keyboard as we stood before her. She asked what we wanted while she scrolled through her screen, harrumphing and sighing. We sat down. She looked at us over her glasses and I shared how I would like to see this type of column start up again. The young pastor enthusiastically talked about his ideas of writing for the Times. 

I will always remember what happened next. The editor crossed her arms over her chest and stared at us. She said nothing. The silence condemned me – why did I think this had been a good idea? Then, she leaned back in her chair. It was one of those reclining office chairs. She kept her arms folded and continued to stare at me. My perspiring hands slipped on the plastic arms of the chair. Not only would she reject this crazy idea, but she would probably not trust me to write any more feature pieces. Her chair creaked as she leaned forward, preparing to announce her judgment. I uncrossed my legs, and planted my feet, ready to flee from her presence. 

The words she said burned their way into my imagination and seared my doubts to a crisp. “Yes,” she said, picking up her pen. “That is exactly what our paper has been missing.” 

The young pastor, who had believed all along, chatted with her and they began to put plans in place. It would be called, “Pass the Salt” The word count would be 300 and pastors from a variety of denominations in town would take their turn writing every week. About that time I began to breathe again and we left the office together. That was almost 20 years ago.

The salt is still being "passed" every single week. Storms continue to happen since 9/11, but during every one that our nation, province, or community endures, the Word of God is shared by our pastors. Like a rainbow, it arches over the fear and devastation and gives hope and light to our community. 

As I look back I see that although God’s whisper is so gentle, and can be snuffed out, that is how He guides me. He is so wise. He fought the battle in the heart of an editor. He paved the way to transform lives, and all He asked of me was that I take His hand, go along with Him that day, and watch Him do something amazing. We serve an extraordinary God who whispers calm into a storm. 

The Writer’s Bread of Life by Nina Faye Morey

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.

Whoever comes to me will never go hungry,

and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

~ John 6:35 NIV

The Word of God nourishes and supports me so that I am able to remain faithful, focused, and fruitful on my writing journey. I look to God’s Word for:

Inspiration

My heart is stirred by a noble theme

as I recite my verses for the king;

my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

~ Psalm 45:1

Scripture is a great source of inspiration for my writing—both fiction and nonfiction. I often draw on Jesus’s parables for short story ideas, and I regularly employ His technique of using everyday experiences to illustrate my messages. The themes and plots Jesus employed in His parables could certainly form the heart of many insightful, present-day novels. For instance, the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32) provides the essential plot for a coming-of-age story. The Book of Revelation formed the foundation of possibly the best-selling Christian fiction of all time, the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. The Saviour’s Second Coming, the Pretribulation Rapture, and the End Times all served as the backbone on which they built their plots. Many of the themes, ideas, and characters contained in the Bible provide wonderful sources of inspiration for powerful and profound stories.

Guidance

Your word is a lamp for my feet,

a light on my path.

~ Psalm 119:105

There are times in the middle of a piece when I’ve lost my sense of direction and feel uncertain about the path I’m taking. No matter how lost I feel, God’s Word always points me in the right direction. It shines a light before me, so I don’t stumble down a treacherous path and fall in the darkness. There are also times when Scripture counsels me on how to deal with those cynical critics who make disparaging comments about the references to Christian faith in my writing (1 Peter 3:15).

Reassurance

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible,

but with God all things are possible.”

~ Matthew 19:26

Whenever I’m plagued by self-doubts, this verse bolsters my spirits. My attempts to write may be going nowhere and success might seem beyond my reach, but I know I can rely on God’s help to do what appears impossible. I may be an imperfect vessel, but His Light will shine through the cracks (2 Corinthians 4:7). Another Bible verse that helps me persevere when I encounter those inevitable potholes on my writing path is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”

Affirmation

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm.

Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to

the work of the Lord, because you know that

your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

~ 1Corinthians 15:58

It is easy to get discouraged when I experience rejection after rejection. But if I wish to serve the Lord and truly believe in what I’m doing, it’s much easier to maintain my resolve. As a Christian writer, I believe that God has blessed me with this gift and called me to create (Ephesians 2:10). He plans for me to prosper, giving me both hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). While those who consider themselves worldly give me cold shoulder, I must remain firmly committed to my purpose (Proverbs 16:3). Since the Lord desires that I serve Him through my writing, I must put on His armour of light so that it may shine within me—and through me light the darkness of the world (Romans 13:12).

These are just a few of the Scriptures that sustain me as I pursue my writing path. What verses provide nourishment for your writing journey?

Photo Credits: Pixabay

Love Talks by Linda Aleta Tame

Imagine having the ability to understand all mysteries.  Wouldn't that be incredible?  Or having all knowledge or faith to move mountains?  Amazing!  But without love, it says in 1 Corinthians 13, I am nothing.  That gives us a pretty good picture of how powerful love is.  God is love after all.

I can think of few events that compare to the loving conversations I've shared with family and friends.  These love talks  have powerfully affected my life, changed my world view, opened the doors to many opportunities, and simply given me direction.  Oh I could tell so many stories, but I'll just share one that involved my mom.

I was seventeen and a brand new single parent.  My darling little daughter had been soundly sleeping in her make-shift crib, a dresser drawer.  She stirred quietly, and I confidently got her up to feed.  I knew what I was doing, I'd done it for five days already in the hospital.  But unlike the nights in the hospital, she didn't immediately go back to sleep, and there were no nurses to take her to the nursery if she didn't.  I was overwhelmed with a grave sense of inadequacy.  It was a heavy blanket smothering me.  A deep sadness rose in me.  Had I made the right choice?  Maybe I would be a terrible mom.

I called for my mom across the hall.  "Mom, if you just help me this one night, I promise I'll never ask again," a promise I never kept.  Knowingly, Mom offered her arms for the squealing pink bundle.  Once little Robin was settled, Mom asked if we could have a little talk.

"Honey, I will always help you as much as I can, but I want you to know something.   You are going to be a wonderful mom.  You are strong and able, but that's not the most important part."

I didn't feel strong or able at all.  I was terrified of what I'd done.  I had even argued with social services, who thought it best for me to give my baby up for adoption, and now I wondered if maybe they were right.

"You will always have your whole family behind you, dear.  Remember that when you feel overwhelmed.  But most of all, remember how much you're loved, and how much you love your precious little daughter.  Love makes it all possible.  You can do this, and I know you can do it well."

Oh my dear sweet mother.  Her words went right into my soul.  She knew me better than anyone else in the world, and she thought I could do it.   My daughter now has six of her own children.  She's a marvelous wife, mother and a genuine, loving woman.  In spite of whatever mothering inadequacies I might have had, there was never any shortage of love.

Robin Shanda

My mother's little love talk sent me on my way to the responsibilities of being a mom.  It gave me the courage and confidence to overcome the difficulties of parenthood, and to fully cherish the beauty of my daughter and later four sons.

Life is about loving.  Love is the greatest of all things. God is love after all.

God is Love  

1 John 4:8

Photo credit :  Hubble Space Telescope Website

Called to Write - Sulo Moorthy

C.S.Lewis once wanted to become a great poet. A ruling passion to achieve acclaim as a poet controlled him at one time. But after he came to Christ, another passion, his passion for Christ, must have over-ruled  his earlier desire, because in one of his letters he openly admitted that his frantic desire to succeed as a great poet became almost an idol to him that God had to put an end to it.

 C.S.Lewis, we have come to know and love through his writings, is well known internationally for his prose writing rather than for his poetry. If the author had clung to his dream of becoming a poet and not yielded to God's guiding, the world might have lost the chance to enjoy the reading of the Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, Mere Christianity.

I chuckle at the thought that even I once wanted to become a great writer. The truth is, until I turned 50 I had no idea what the word freelance writer truly meant. Creative cooking was my passion, not creative writing. Tired of being the guinea pig for my recipes, my husband decided to divert my attention by asking me to write a cookbook. His suggestion sounded splendid in my ears, but what did I know about writing a cookbook?  Luckily, I came across a writers' correspondence course in a magazine and decided to enroll in the hope of writing my cookbook. But by the time I finished my course, I had completely forgotten about writing a cookbook. Instead, I started to write inspirational articles and devotionals for Christian market.

 It's amazing how God's leading takes us to places where we would have never thought of going.  I never intended to become a writer. But, here I am pounding the keys and writing stories or posting blogs. There are days when I want to just want to quit writing. But I don't. The following should give you a clue.

Once I was going through my old journals, when I came across something I had written some years back. It was the Lord’s Prayer I had written for my own understanding. I didn’t intend to share it with anyone or ever thought of submitting to any publication. But something within me nudged me to submit it for publication. I quickly discarded the idea, thinking that no publisher would ever want to publish something  written by a lay person like me on the Lord's Prayer. There's no way I'm going to send it to any publisher, I said to myself and tried to push the thought away. But the nudging kept on going.

 Finally I gave in, and submitted the article to the Edmonton Journal with the least expectation of  getting an acceptance. I was living in Saskatoon at that time and  I had no way of checking whether my article was published or not unless I went to the local library to get the Edmonton Journal. But I didn't bother to do that.  Three Sundays  later I received a phone call from a woman asking me whether I was the person who wrote the article, Let's pray with a clear understanding in the Edmonton Journal. When I said yes, she started thanking me for writing the article and telling me how it had helped her to better understand the Lord's Prayer. I had no idea how she obtained my phone number,  but we spent at least a half an hour talking on the phone that morning. Her phone call surely affirmed me that when I'm called to write, I've to trust and obey.

I could point to the above reason as something that made a significant change in my writing life and keep me going.

Quotes from the World's Bestseller - Pamela Mytroen

While quotes from authors motivate me to write, quotes from God convict me to write. Here’s a few I have taped to my computer center to keep me on track as I write:


How’s this one for saying it straight to the heart:


“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life” (Galatians 6:4,5 The Message).


The following passage is a blend of different translations from 1 Timothy 4:14, 15, 16


14 “Do not neglect your gift (NIV).
15 Put these abilities to work; throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone may notice your improvement and progress (Living Bible).
16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; (NASB).
16b Persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you” (NASB).
Isn’t that exciting that people will be saved because of what we write!


Sometimes I feel guilty for taking time to write because I enjoy it so much. Do you ever struggle with that? In the following passage God reminds me that I’ve been given freedom by God, not guilt. But this freedom comes with a responsibility to serve others:


“You have been given freedom: not freedom to do wrong, but freedom to love and serve each other. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: Love others as you love yourself.
25 “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:13 and 14 and 25).


How much weight do our words carry? God says they are sacred:


“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, (writes) he should do it as one speaking (writing) the very words of God” (1 Peter 4:10, 11a NIV).


And one more. In those reflective moments before sleep, I wonder if I am running ahead of God instead of letting Him lead the way. This scripture is my prayer:


“Search me, Oh God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting”
(Psalm 139:23,24 NIV).


When I feel discouraged or lazy about writing, these scriptures keep me on task. I’m sure there are many more. What scriptures has God used to guide you in your writing life?

~ Pam Mytroen

Letting Lucy Lead by Marcia Lee Laycock

I’ve just returned from four days on the road, traveling to various communities and speaking to Christian women’s groups. Three of those engagements were in a large city that I’m not terribly familiar with. So I took the time before leaving to check on the internet for the locations of each event. Using an internet application I was even able to find out exactly how long it would take me to get from A to B. I printed out the directions and maps and felt well prepared. Just to be safe I also took our trusty GPS along.

For those who might not know, GPS stands for Global Positioning Satellite. It truly is an amazing little gadget. You type in the city and address and a screen lights up with a map and your position is monitored as you drive. Then a friendly voice tells you where to go and when to turn right or left. As I turned it on before leaving for a venue that was in the very heart of the city, I thought there would be no way I could get lost or confused. Famous last words!

You see the map and directions I had copied from the internet did not match with what my GPS was telling me. To make things worse I was heading into the downtown core at the height of the morning rush hour. The traffic was bumper to bumper. The radio had told me there was a city-wide teachers’ convention on that morning so the traffic was expected to be even worse than usual. Great, I thought, and my information is contradictory.

As the lilting GPS voice (I call her Lucy) directed me to turn right, I glanced at the written directions I had printed out. Turning right didn’t make sense. I turned left and ended up where I didn’t want to be. Then I remembered my husband telling me about the training given pilots in the military. They are taught how to fly blind – literally. The cockpit is covered so they can’t see a thing and have to rely entirely on their instruments to take off, fly and then land the aircraft. The number one rule is, believe what the instruments say. Don’t rely on your own understanding.

So I turned left and found myself heading into what looked like a residential area. That made me nervous. But Lucy said turn left, so I did. Then left again, and suddenly I was at an intersection. Left one more time, and Lucy triumphantly announced I was “arriving at destination, on right.” I looked up and sure enough, there was the hotel where the meeting was being held. Letting Lucy lead me had proven the best course. There was no need to worry.

Sometimes it doesn’t seem to make sense to follow what God wants us to do. Logic can dictate a different course of action and we often worry. But God’s ways are higher than ours. Like Lucy, He is able to see from a clear vantage point. He knows the beginning and the end and the winding route in between. He knows exactly the best route for each one of us.

Proverbs 3:5&6 says it best – “Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”
God will always get us to where we need to be. No need to worry.

Marcia is the winner of the Best New Canadian Christian Author Award for her novel, One Smooth Stone. visit her website - www.vinemarc.com