Eeks!
Spring is abounding and so are RWA chapter contests. Alas, my spiritual gift is not tabulating information to post in an informative info blog.
But I know someone with "the gift."
http://seekerville.blogspot.com/
Just on a side note, in case anyone was wondering, I do have the spiritual gift of receiving. When you feel the need to give (jewelry, chocolate, a day at a spa, publishing contracts), just remember I am here to receive.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Chocolate and Peanut Butter for Life
Seriously, some of us have deadlines, some don't. Some excel under them, some live in denial of them, some gain five pounds after eating chocolate to get through them.
My only real deadline right now is the entry deadline for the Touched by Love contest (April 1st, in case you were wondering). The last three days my inbox has been flooded with entry forms and entries, yet in the midst of this ugg-I-need-to-make-a-spreadsheet-listing-all-the-entries stress, God reminded me of something bigger.
Over the last ten weeks, I've been doing the new Beth Moore Bible study, Esther. It's amazing. You can download her video series through itunes or on lifeway.com. Well worth the price even if you don't do the actual study itself. Together, though, the videos and Bible study are amazing.
Why? Because often times, things alone are good. Like chocolate. But pair it with something and it goes from good to great. Take that Hershey's choclate bar and dip it into a tub of Jif peanut butter. Ummm. God certainly has those two things on His heavenly buffet table, and they're calorie free. My secret idea is they're the fruit on the Tree of Life.
Anyhoo, last night was the last video session. During it, Beth talked abouthow Queen Esther, with full authority, wrote a decree and whatnot. What stood out in my spirit wasn't what Esther did. It was what Beth said next. I tried to write verbatim, but pardon any me additions.
"While we are complete in Christ, we will never fulfill our destiny unlesswe operate 'together with.' We need people to go, to do things 'along with.' You might be surprised what they bring out in you. The joy is unspeakable."
God used that to remind me of all the ladies over the years who have beenmy "along withs" in my writing journey...and still are.
Over on Charlotte Dillon's online RWC list, writers like Lynne Connelly, Allison Brennan, Shirley Jump, and Linda Windsor helped me understand deep point of view and how to judge and critique.
Over at Romance Divas, Jax Cassidy and Kristen Painter gave me an opportunity to share my crazy links of life to writing. I never saw my self as an article writer, but there I was doing it. Best part is that through R-Divas I met Camy Tang who encouraged me to join ACFW. Camy didn't just introduce me to fellow Christian writers, but she directed me to writing resources that have greatly expanded my knowledge of writing, as well as humbled me in the process.
Through ACFW, I met Therese Stenzel who began the ACFW European historical writers chapter (His Writers). There I met Laurie Alice Eakes. If you want someone to coddle your ego, don't ask Laurie to read your manuscript. She's like one of those obsessive Olympic gymnastic coaches. You'll suffer every day of practice, but odds are you'll turn out a gold-winning performance or at least something worthy of a Wheaties box.
Oh, and then there are the ladies of the Seekerville blog. Oh. My. Stars. They're like Krispy Kreme donuts that are actually healthy and good for you. (Sorry to break anyone's heart if you believed Krispy Kremes were already that. Just tell youself they're like eating baby angels so they can't be that bad for ya.)
I say all this because yesterday I received two or three e-mails from Touched by Love entrants thanking me for simply sharing with them Camy Tang's blog post on how to properly format your manuscript for a CBA publisher. Don't assume everyone knows how to properly format a ms.
For you published authors, editors, and agents (Kelly Mortimer is a great example of the latter and her involvement in His Writers), never underestimate the impact you have in the lives of an unpublished author. Posting here on the ACFW list, on your blog, etc, are little nuggest of blessings to writers desperate to learn. You are a "together with" and "along with" who help us in our journey...even if it's for one step, such as learning why we should use one space after a sentence instead of two. (If I ever have a dog in a ms that bites, s/he will be a mutt.)
Last year during the Touched by Love contest, authors like Susan May Warren, Chery Wyatt, and Linda Windsor gave our finalists the most amazing and personalized advice on how to improve their manuscripts. Trust me, all my dislike of making spreadsheets of the entries meant NOTHING to me when I was reading over what those ladies wrote to the finalists. Yes, it does pay to be a category coordinator.
So I ask, in the midst of all this chatter about deadlines, who has been an "along with" for you? And have you ever been unexpectedly blessed by being a "together with" for someone?
And no, I didn't just say this to get folks to volunteer to judge the Touched by Love. Although, if you have the time....
:-)
Gina
Touched by Love SC & LC coordinator 2009
My only real deadline right now is the entry deadline for the Touched by Love contest (April 1st, in case you were wondering). The last three days my inbox has been flooded with entry forms and entries, yet in the midst of this ugg-I-need-to-make-a-spreadsheet-listing-all-the-entries stress, God reminded me of something bigger.
Over the last ten weeks, I've been doing the new Beth Moore Bible study, Esther. It's amazing. You can download her video series through itunes or on lifeway.com. Well worth the price even if you don't do the actual study itself. Together, though, the videos and Bible study are amazing.
Why? Because often times, things alone are good. Like chocolate. But pair it with something and it goes from good to great. Take that Hershey's choclate bar and dip it into a tub of Jif peanut butter. Ummm. God certainly has those two things on His heavenly buffet table, and they're calorie free. My secret idea is they're the fruit on the Tree of Life.
Anyhoo, last night was the last video session. During it, Beth talked abouthow Queen Esther, with full authority, wrote a decree and whatnot. What stood out in my spirit wasn't what Esther did. It was what Beth said next. I tried to write verbatim, but pardon any me additions.
"While we are complete in Christ, we will never fulfill our destiny unlesswe operate 'together with.' We need people to go, to do things 'along with.' You might be surprised what they bring out in you. The joy is unspeakable."
God used that to remind me of all the ladies over the years who have beenmy "along withs" in my writing journey...and still are.
Over on Charlotte Dillon's online RWC list, writers like Lynne Connelly, Allison Brennan, Shirley Jump, and Linda Windsor helped me understand deep point of view and how to judge and critique.
Over at Romance Divas, Jax Cassidy and Kristen Painter gave me an opportunity to share my crazy links of life to writing. I never saw my self as an article writer, but there I was doing it. Best part is that through R-Divas I met Camy Tang who encouraged me to join ACFW. Camy didn't just introduce me to fellow Christian writers, but she directed me to writing resources that have greatly expanded my knowledge of writing, as well as humbled me in the process.
Through ACFW, I met Therese Stenzel who began the ACFW European historical writers chapter (His Writers). There I met Laurie Alice Eakes. If you want someone to coddle your ego, don't ask Laurie to read your manuscript. She's like one of those obsessive Olympic gymnastic coaches. You'll suffer every day of practice, but odds are you'll turn out a gold-winning performance or at least something worthy of a Wheaties box.
Oh, and then there are the ladies of the Seekerville blog. Oh. My. Stars. They're like Krispy Kreme donuts that are actually healthy and good for you. (Sorry to break anyone's heart if you believed Krispy Kremes were already that. Just tell youself they're like eating baby angels so they can't be that bad for ya.)
I say all this because yesterday I received two or three e-mails from Touched by Love entrants thanking me for simply sharing with them Camy Tang's blog post on how to properly format your manuscript for a CBA publisher. Don't assume everyone knows how to properly format a ms.
For you published authors, editors, and agents (Kelly Mortimer is a great example of the latter and her involvement in His Writers), never underestimate the impact you have in the lives of an unpublished author. Posting here on the ACFW list, on your blog, etc, are little nuggest of blessings to writers desperate to learn. You are a "together with" and "along with" who help us in our journey...even if it's for one step, such as learning why we should use one space after a sentence instead of two. (If I ever have a dog in a ms that bites, s/he will be a mutt.)
Last year during the Touched by Love contest, authors like Susan May Warren, Chery Wyatt, and Linda Windsor gave our finalists the most amazing and personalized advice on how to improve their manuscripts. Trust me, all my dislike of making spreadsheets of the entries meant NOTHING to me when I was reading over what those ladies wrote to the finalists. Yes, it does pay to be a category coordinator.
So I ask, in the midst of all this chatter about deadlines, who has been an "along with" for you? And have you ever been unexpectedly blessed by being a "together with" for someone?
And no, I didn't just say this to get folks to volunteer to judge the Touched by Love. Although, if you have the time....
:-)
Gina
Touched by Love SC & LC coordinator 2009
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