My Grand Experiment by Bobbi Junior

I am not one who seeks the limelight. Now, don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with seeking centre stage, especially when we have such a wonderful message to share with the world.

It's just not for me.

I did give it my best effort during my first few years as a serious writer. Agents and publishers, queries and synopsises, guesting and launching, tweeting and tooting.. I read and learned, signed up, joined up, and followed up… I tried it all.

My conclusion? I am an unasbashed combination of reluctance and stubbornness.  My writerly friends helped me come up with an appropriate logo for my brand – a Beige Amoeba.

I'm fine with that! Let me chat with people one on one, let me e-mail on a personal level. But after a couple years of journeying through the reverberations of a published book on a hot topic, I have with relief accepted the fact that while I am compelled to write, I am not compelled to speak, to market myself, or to promote my work.

And I know I’m not alone.

That settled, I now had a problem.

I had completed another book.

What do you do with a manuscript when you refuse to engage in any of the publication routes?

Stubborn? Yes. But I’m also pragmatic. If When The Bough Breaks needed to get out there, I believed the Lord would find a way, and he did. At a writers' conference a presenter uttered the magic word.

SERIALIZATION!

Did you know that Charles Dickens published The Pick Wick Papers by instalments in his local paper? Harriet Beecher Stowe did the same with Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

If it worked for them, why not for me? I already had a blog and 27 followers. I was off to a great start.

I announced my plan on TWG’s Facebook page. Friend NJ Lindquist sent a timely article giving cautions with this sort of publication. I weighed my plan against its points of concern. No worries. Chapters were already short, so suitable for blog posts. The book wasn’t evolving as I posted. It was already complete and had been professionally edited by friend and writer, Patricia Anne Elford, so no chance of veering outside the plan.

In the blogging world, pictures are important. Fellow writer and artist, Ramona Furst teamed with me to create a distinctive original image for each chapter.

Best of all, marketing could be left to God.

THE PROCESS

I spent a morning formatting and scheduling the first dozen chapters to go out every Saturday. Within a few weeks my e-mail list had more than doubled (Well, yeah, I started with 27 subscribers. But now I’m up to 60+. For a reluctant self-promoter, this is success.)

I share each new chapter on Facebook, others share it as well. When the Bough Breaks is available to the cyber audience as the Lord chooses.

An unexpected joy comes from the fact that people can comment on each chapter, in the moment. Some have e-mailed privately to share their own experience. For me, that camaraderie is a blessing.

So there you have it. Publication by instalments. For an introvert who wants nothing to do with marketing, but wants the story out there in the public realm, it’s a perfect solution. As for finding the right reader, our Lord can direct people to my blog as he pleases. That’s works for me.

Bobbi’s new book, When The Bough Breaks tells of the 1985 loss of a much wanted baby in. Published chapters and other publications are listed on her website www.bobbijunior.com. 

Writing as Worship

Why do you write? Because the characters won't leave you alone? Because it's your favorite way to be creative? Because someone needs the message you have been given? Because you don't want to waste the talents God has given you?

How about this: because writing is an act of worship?

For a Christian, worship is an expression of reverence and adoration for God. Is this reflected in how and why you write? Let me explain.

I write fiction by the seat of my pants. I have very little (read: no) idea what will happen until the words form from my fingertips. Sometimes I stop and stare at the computer monitor when some strange bit of motivation comes to light, or the plot does a 180. Huh, I think. So that's where the story is going.

This process is both terrifying and exhilarating. I'm on my 23rd manuscript — what will be my 16th published work when it releases in August — and I have absorbed, somewhat by osmosis, the pacing necessary for contemporary romance. Somehow it always comes together.

Trust me. I would plot if I could, but there is a big black nothing at the end of my feeble flashlight beam. I'm fairly organized in Real Life™. I expected to be fairly organized in my writing.

God knew me better than that. God knew that if I had the ability to plot, I might become smug. Full of pride, even. "See this book? It's pretty good, huh? I wrote it."

By the simple act of holding the gift of plotting beyond my reach, God made sure I'd remember that it's not all about me. I don't write good books because I'm so talented. I write good books because, every single day, I struggle to find where the story needs to go next. Every single day, I depend on Him.

I used to ask God to bless my writing and use it for His glory, like some kind of Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. I craved this little gold star. A little pat on the head. A little thank you from God for a job well done. See? I did something for God and He likes it!

My daily prayer is so different now. I have become aware — maybe we call this maturity? — that God does not actually need me to do specific things so He can accomplish His will here on Earth. I am not the key. He can do it without me. He can do it without you. He's God. We're not.

But He wants us. He doesn't need us, but He wants us.

Now when I sit at my computer in the morning and reread the last scene in preparation for today's writing, my prayer is different. It's more like this.

"Lord, here we are today. You and me, together. What do You want to teach me through today's writing? I'm honored to create something with You, the eternal Creator. With You, not for You. I can't thank You enough for the opportunity to reach into people's lives. Those readers You're inviting to this story — what do they need, Lord? What does this story need to say to them from You? What do my characters need to say and think and do to make this story resonate with Your message? Lord, thank You. Please guide my fingers, guide my mind, to create this story for your glory. In Jesus' name, amen."

And as I align myself with God's vision every morning, I begin to type. To record the story that unfolds in front of me. To write as an outpouring of worship.

Am I perfect at this? Uh… no. But I am learning that the most important story relationship is the one between God and me. If I am sharing His words as I type, He will find the readers to share them with, whether they be few or many. It's His story to do what He wants with. My job is to honor Him by faithfully acting as His conduit.

How about you? Is writing an expression of worship for you?

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local food movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily ever afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.

Valerie writes where food meets faith and fiction in her Farm Fresh Romance series and Riverbend romance novellas. Visit her at ValerieComer.com.

The Girl - by Peter A. Black

It’s the big day! Three double-decker buses roll to a stop, kissing the kerb. All is abuzz. Little kids, teens and adults – mums and dads, singles and seniors, are herded aboard. Today’s the Annual Sunday School Outing, eagerly anticipated; a highlight excursion to a country park by the banks of Lochwinnoch.


Three Buses like those in the background

Fun galore – races for every age group and lots of prizes; sneaking off with a couple of pals to explore, then falling into the water and getting soaked . . . again, this year? Brief, stiff lecture about wandering off.



Credit: Lochwinnoch.info

Breathe it in – the familiar smell of wood-fire smoke, blending with the mellow odor of damp woollen clothes drying out. Body gradually warming up in chill Scottish air, fingers cradling a cup of hot sugary tea. Hmm. Lunch – everyone gets the same: a tasty Scottish spiced-sausage pie, fern cupcake, Blue Riband caramel wafer bar and a big round, icing-topped cherry-in-the-middle jam-filled Empire Biscuit, or maybe a shiny red-and-green apple.

~~~
What a grand view from the upper deck! Almost all are aboard now – all two-hundred-plus of us. Church door and gates are locked, Mr. F              climbs on board our idling bus. Engines roar and gears engage. We’re off!

Her printed cotton dress moves gently in the breeze. Her brown hair – not too short, but not too long, either – doesn’t hide her endearing round, rosy cheeks. What do her eyes say, as she stands all alone, gazing up, eyes scanning the windows? The lower deck? The upper deck?



Source: MRM Black

I gaze into those eyes; a fleeting second is all I have. What do I see? Disappointment? Sadness? What does she feel?

Mystified?

Abandoned?
Unsure?
Afraid?

Left behind, all alone . . . on a city side-street, outside the padlocked gate of a church.

What will she do now? What will happen to her?

I’m on the bus. I’m ten.
She’s . . . three-and-a-half, maybe four.
~~~
I’ve wondered about that little girl more often than I can recall during the more than six decades since that day.

She tugs at my heart every time.

~~+~~
Peter, now retired from fulltime pastoral service, is an author, inspirational columnist and songwriter living in Southwestern Ontario. He enjoys singing and playing sacred music and praise songs – especially for his friends in a number of residential care facilities and in area congregations.

~ Raise Your Gaze ... Mindful Musings of a Grateful Heart

~ Parables from the Pond

Contact 

 

Evangelizing No More - Eleanor Shepherd

           

As Glen and I were driving along in the car, we were discussing a workshop that I will be facilitating soon on my book, More Questions than Answers, Sharing Faith by Listening. Writing the book taught me some important principles about evangelism. Here are some of my discoveries.

God is at work in a person’s life long before we come along, drawing them into an awareness of their desire for Him. We need discernment to probe this so we can cooperate with His purposes. For example, if someone is struggling with fear, we can provide a secure environment to examine the reasons for their fears. With their self-discovery, we may have occasion to assure them God knows their fears and will not abandon them to their enslavement. 

Perhaps, our friend struggles with loneliness. While we can try to be available to them, we can assure them that when we are not nearby, they are never completely alone. God is always as near as a prayer. They can be confident that He will send those they need to be with them, when they need them. Whatever we face, we need never face it alone or be overwhelmed by fear. The Lord has promised His presence, when we reach out to Him in our need.

Another discovery about evangelism is that it is not a separate exercise divorced from the rest of our lives. It is a part of the journey. From the time that we are born God is ready to welcome us into His forever family. For some of us it takes a long time on the road before we finally really hear and respond to His invitation. Along the way, the Lord continues to send people who provide opportunities that encourage us to move closer to Him. Someone takes the time to listen to our real frustrations about the way our life is going and the way our dreams are not being fulfilled. Knowing they hear us creates an opportunity to face ourselves, learn more about who we are and to gain a better understanding of our real needs.

On this journey, when a person comes to faith, rarely is it a result of a single conversation with a single individual. The Body of Christ is composed of many members. Usually several of them play a role in helping us respond to God’s call to open our hearts to Him. Someone may casually share some key truth that has transformed his or her life, just on the way by, and that thought launches us on our search for truth. Another may recount the transformation that has taken place in their own life, as they have tentatively begun to put their trust in God. That makes it seem feasible for us to do so. Someone else might offer evidence of an answer to prayer or share a Scripture that has been meaningful to them. They authenticate the spiritual disciplines. Another friend may point to a glorious sunset or majestic peak and recognize these as gifts from a Creative Father. 

            When I was younger, I had the impression that each of us, as individual Christians was responsible for bringing a number of people to faith, on our own. As I have grown in my faith, I discovered my importance was far less than I imagined. What really counts is what God does in bringing people to faith. He allows us to play small parts in the cosmic drama that unfolds in a person’s life as they come into a relationship with the Eternal One. Knowing all He does, and my small role in His life-giving project, effectively remove all the pressure from me and enable me to be genuine in my interactions with others. There is no need for me to go around evangelizing. 

Word Guild Award
2011   

Word Guild Award
2009