Friday {in focus} ~ In Someone Else's Words

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

{2 Corinthians 3:1-6}

This Friday in Focus is a little different than usual. The above is one of my favorite verses to turn on myself as a mirror. Is my epistle one of Christ or one of myself? Does it minister to others? Or is it bitter and selfish, keeping the glory of God buried or hidden beneath my own dingy exterior wall? Will my friends and family and those who I work for receive encouragement or love or a glint of faith and hope when they look upon this epistle? Or will they read a horror story of how lousy my day has gone or review the creases of an argument that occurred before I walked out the door that morning?

It's one thing to be transparent and hang your dirty laundry out for all to see so you can receive others' commendations for how horrible you should be allowed to feel in any given circumstance. It's another to be transparent with the love of Jesus, sharing your testimony of how His blood overcame your worst nightmare in this earthly life to bring you into a place of His grace and glory.

There are a few books on my desk right now that I am savoring every word of. Why? Because I've gotten to know the authors, and every one of them is an epistle of the heart of Jesus Christ. I love every one of them. You know you're close to an author when you can hear their voice reading their written word to you. The Pastor you've listened to for twenty-plus years, who has lead you and challenged you to grow in your walk of faith. The woman whose voice resonates in your heart because she thinks like you when you always thought you might be weird. The woman who takes those things you've hated about yourself but realized there was a purpose for them and exposes the weirdness for what it really is - the image and likeness of God. The woman who tells you its okay to find your voice and use it; others will listen. You have something to say. And the women who continue to encourage you onward in your own writing dreams. These are the hearts I love to read, who I perk up in my seat and listen to as they spill their hearts across the written page.

The Word of God is most important. His truth comes first. But He's also blessed us with fellow epistles to glean from. Others who understand our deep desires and heart needs. Today I celebrate them. Who do you enjoy fellowship with and the opportunity to glean from? What living epistles do you enjoy reading? Who has turned your life upside down for the kingdom of God?

Here are a few of mine mentioned above and where to find their writings:

Pastor Robert Engelhardt - Speaking in Tongues (Heaven's Language)

Mary DeMuth - Not Marked / The Wall Around Your Heart

Jo Ann Fore - When a Woman Finds Her Voice

Laurie Wallin - Why Your Weirdness is Wonderful

DiAnn Mills - The Dance of Character and Plot 

Edie Melson - The Write Conversation 

Am I There Yet? Preparing for a Writers Conference

Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference is just around the corner. Only 8 days away! I've been preparing for weeks. Months. Writing like a madwoman, hoping to complete my first draft of my novel before then. That deadline has come and gone, but the novel is underway - well underway.

I've also been doing several other things in preparation. Gathering devotions, flash fiction pieces, articles - things to share with editors and/or agents and/or authors who would like to see a sample of my writing. I bought a new suitcase, because our carry-ons are too small to pack for a week and our large suitcase has a broken wheel. I organized my binder, bought my travel-sized toiletries, and have spent hours in prayer.

And then came the dreams. Staring last week, I've wondered if I'd make it. I find myself asking God, "Am I there yet?"

In the first dream (which replayed a second night...must be it felt I needed to see it again), I had a family emergency in New York which put me in a place where I'd miss my flight from New Mexico. I didn't make it.

In the second dream, I missed my flight by minutes because I kept forgetting to pack something. I would get to the car and turn back to the house to add one more item to my mostly empty suitcase. Multiple times over I did this. I woke laughing at myself, the one who makes a list and crosses things off as she adds them to the luggage. No way would I really miss my flight because of this. But again, I didn't make it.

Last night I dreamed I made it. But with all four of my kids in tow. Which plain tuckered me out, so I missed the opening session. In the dream, I fell asleep and forgot what time it was. I woke up at 7:30. A little too late. I hate being late.

So, as my dreams invade my excitement, I continue to prepare. Now my preparations include prayers covering all who will be traveling and that we make it. And we don't forget anything. And that we keep our focus on Jesus as we prepare our pitches and our submissions and our hearts as we hope to continue on the career path He's chosen for us. And that all will go smoothly and conference will be as fantastic as it ever is.

We're almost there!

Deep Roots by Edie Melson

A man will not be established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous will not be moved. Proverbs 12:3

Last weekend our family traveled to Mississippi. For those of you living in Mississippi or Louisiana, you know that the Labor Day Holidays were spent watching Tropical Storm Lee come onshore.

We were fortunate enough to be in Jackson, so all we experienced was a soggy weekend. It began raining thirty minutes after we arrived and didn’t end until after we left. The drive back to South Carolina wasn’t much fun, either.

Driving back along the interstate I couldn’t help but notice numerous trees down on the sides of the road. Although they were huge trees, it was obvious the damage hadn’t come from high winds. But there were enough toppled to make me curious about the cause.

As I considered the soggy chaos, I realized the prolonged soaking rain had been the culprit. These particular trees, although still attached to seemingly large root-balls, hadn’t developed the extended root system necessary to anchor them in near flood conditions. Simply put, the rain had loosened the dirt, and without the root depth to anchor them, they’d fallen to their deaths.

Studying the unfolding scene outside the car window led me to wonder about my own root system. These tall trees had appeared strong and stable, but they lacked the strength to survive when calamity struck. I had become confident in my own ability to cope as of late, but truthfully, would I be able to weather disaster in my own life if it appeared?

God used this scene to remind me that only when I dig deep into a relationship with God will I find the strong foundation necessary to weather the inevitable storms of life. So how deep are your roots? Join me as I take time and dig in, anchoring myself to the only one able to provide security.

Edie is a freelance writer and editor with over 16 years experience in the publishing industry. She's a prolific writer, publishing over 700 articles in 2010. She also has a popular writing blog www.thewriteconversation.blogspot.com and is a frequent contributor to many others. As a sought after writing instructor, her heart to help others define and reach their dreams has connected her with writers all over the country. In keeping up with the leading edge of all things digital Edie has become known as one of the go-to experts on Twitter, Facebook, and social media for writers wanting to learn how to plug in. Fighting Fear, Winning the War at Home, is one Edie's latest projects. This devotional book for those with family members in the military is now available. She's a member of numerous professional writing organizations, including The Christian Pen, The Christian Writer's View I and ACFW, where she serves as the Editor for the Southeast Zone Newsletter and staff reviewer for Afictionado Magazine. She's also an assistant proofer/editor for the Voices E-zine, a publication of My Book Therapy and a part of the My Book Therapy Special Teams Blog. Married 30 years to husband, Kirk, they have raised three sons.

Just In Case...

...you've been wondering if I disappeared, I have not. I have been super duper busy over the past month, and against my will, my writing hasn't been as frequent as I'd like it to be. What have I been up to, you ask? Well...

I spent a week in NY visiting family and friends and moving stuff around again. During our stay, I took a lot of great pictures of my grandparents' farm, which Grandma has recently sold. I figured I'd better get the photographs of the memory-filled place before I didn't have that access anymore...

 The Farmhouse

 The Hill

Grandpa's Hill stands for cows grazing in hilltop pastures, casual walks up the path just because, deer hunting stories and many trophy bucks throughout the years (just ask my husband).

The Barn
Many childhood days were spent jumping from new heights in the hay mound, helping Grandpa milk the cows or bottle feed calves, and feeding the chickens...




On our return from NY, we decided to actually enjoy part of our vacation, and we drove the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. Our 16 hour trip turned into 20, but I was able to get some fantastic photographs, like these:

I had one day after our trip to NY to rest and get organized before I headed off on my own to the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer's Conference. It's always amazing to me when God orchestrates something in my life. He set me up with the best roommate I could ever hope for, the best teachers a girl could want, and the encouragement that I desperately needed. I left from there knowing that I have a definite call on my life and with all of my questions answered. I also met the greatest people around - other wierdos like me...we're really not that wierd...unless we're milking each other. But, I don't have that picture...

Me with...Vonda Skelton, Edie Melson and Mary Denman, & Michelle Medlock Adams

 

Since my return, I have managed to write a little bit. I plan to do a lot more writing once the children are finished with school. In the meantime, I have been pouring myself into the education of my four lovely children. Some days are easier than others. Sometimes I see a hint of normalcy in our crazy life. But through it all, God's presence is in our midst. I couldn't be more thankful.