“My thoughts are completely different from yours,” says the Lord. “And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.”  Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT

Ever feel like the world is just passing you by? Recognition is given to those who might have only striven a short while towards the same goal as you; choices for teams or projects are made that don’t include you; you are excluded from an event you’d been anticipating for months-maybe even years.

It’s so easy for us to forget that God is well aware of everything detail of our lives. Everything happens according to His plan. Envy is a sin that burns too readily in our hearts as our emotions war with God’s plans. We want recognition for that which we’ve worked hard for. We don’t readily understand how someone who has not put in the hours, paid the dues, worked their way up the ladder can reap the rewards we’ve striven so hard to attain.

As writers, maybe we’ve poured over a plot that just isn’t gelling together for us, yet our critique partner can pop viable GMC concepts off like 4th of July fireworks. Maybe we’ve entered contests only to receive feedback and scores that hold our entries back just short of making the finals again and again. Maybe you have 10 unpublished manuscripts looking for a home and someone in your local writing chapter announces at the meeting they sold their first book…the first book they’ve ever tried to write…and it’s taken them a whole year to do it.

Putting it in all too human terms: Life isn’t fair.

But God is. God has perfect timing for us.

God knows exactly what he’s doing. We need to trust in His Divine judgement. As another verse, Jeremiah 29:11 comes to mind — “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” — remember God doesn’t forget a thing. He knows our hopes and dreams. He loves us. Wait on Him.

Have a great week!

Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. 1 Timothy 4:13 NLT

Paul directed Timothy to read the Scriptures, encourage believers and teach them. Has the mission changed since that challenge and directive so many years ago? I don’t think so. The message Jesus directed his disciples to spread is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Read the Scriptures. Encourage one another. Teach the masses.

In this day of unsolicited phone calls, junk mail, incessant television commericals, we are being pestered on every side to try the new and different. Invitations to attend social events come at us from all sides.  The concept of multi-tasking has taken on a life of its own. The desire for peace and quiet can become overwhelming. How can we be a help rather than a hinderance?

Where friends and acquaintences may balk at an invitation to attend a church service or any other organized meeting, the suggestion of reading a novel at their leisure is something easily accepted with no strings attached or timetable assigned. Though some may scoff at fiction being a viable vehicle for spreading the Word, in truth, many have found a seed planted in their hearts through the innocent enjoyment of reading an Inspiration romance.

As writers, we read the Scriptures so the Message of Salvation runs as a vibrant thread true to the Word of God. We reach out to other writers and encourage their journey, knowing God has chosen us to travel the same path but with unique goals He has placed in our hearts. We teach by the examples we set in every Christian fiction novel we write.

We, alone, can not bring a soul to salvation. We but plant the seed through the call to write placed on our hearts, and leave the harvest to the Lord.

Blessings as you face the week ahead!

“Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouragd by the size of the task, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.” 1 Chronicles 28:20 NLT

The context of this verse refers to King David building the Temple to house the Ark of the Covenant. But really? Is it so different from what God instructs us to do everyday as His will? As with all facets of our lives, God calls each of us differently, but in respects to my writing, His command to do the work and not be discouraged by the size of the task for the Lord God, my God is with me, strikes a chord deep in my soul.

The road of our calling is difficult to traverse at times. For me, I work full-time outside the home and return in the evenings to responsibilities that include my home, family and commitments. And writing. Most days it’s difficult to juggle everything together.

But, reading verses such as this one, reminds me that God gave me the calling to write for Him. To bring the stories He gave me bumping around in my head to the page and share them. For God to share them with whomever He pleases. But he can’t share them unless I prove faithful and write them. He hasn’t assigned this calling and left me to try and figure out how to hold up my end of the deal. No. He’s there with me every step of the way.

He will see to it that all the work related ot the Temple of the Lord is finished correctly.

God is there to lead me, to guide me, to inspire me.

All I have to do is the work.

Have a blessed week, my friends!