What story has changed your life?

Today I've got a devotion running on Proverbs 31 and Crosswalk.com called "... and she lives happily ever after."  If your read my blog before you might recognize it.  It's based on a post I wrote awhile back.  If you are visiting for the first time, I bid you welcome. 

This devotion was inspired by something I read on someone's blog.  She's not a personal friend, although I feel I know her after reading her blog for a few years.  Perhaps you know her too.  Her blog is called Especially Heather.   She came to She Speaks last year, although I didn't get to meet her.  If I had, I would have told her in person how much her writing has meant to me.  I'm hoping I can tell her today.

Although I don't read Heather's blog regularly, when I do, I spend some time catching up.  If you don't know Especially Heather, she has faced some serious challenges for a young woman, including cancer and having a special needs child.  

On the day I visited, I read a post where she wrote something that reached down deep in my soul, grasped hold of the edges  and whispered vehemently for me to pay attention.  Although I can't quote her, she said  she knows her story is going to end well, one way or the other. 

Those simple words about her story ending well, caused me to step outside my rut and see the bigger picture.  I'll be honest, seeing the bigger picture is hard for a woman like me.  I'm the one who cuts bunches of grapes into handy individual sections, irons her children's t-shirts and doesn't go to sleep until all her teenagers are safely in bed.  I don't do "big picture" easily.   I'm a keep-your-head-down, worry-about-the-details type of gal.

But Heather's words have really stuck with me.  They remind me of what I know to be true about living as a Christian: This moment is important, but it doesn't define me.   I was created for a bigger purpose.  I may face challenges, both major and minor, but they shape me, not crush me. 

Remembering that my story ends well causes me to lift my head and get perspective.  This isn't the end.  It's just a chapter or maybe just a  page in the story.  There will be a happy ending for those of us who love Jesus and follow Him.

Today I'm thankful for stories.  I'm thankful for Especially Heather who is willing to share her story, for thousands of authors (some published, most not) who write faithfully to craft life-changing stories, and for the Author of the greatest story of all.

To celebrate stories, I've got some books to giveaway.  As an editor, I often get preview books, and I'd like to share some today.  One book is Ann Voskamp's latest, "one thousand gifts." To win, simply answer one of the questions below, and make sure you include a way for me to contact you.  I'll select a winner at random (using random.org) on Saturday, so please check back.

What book (besides the Bible) has changed your life in some way?  How?

What author (besides God and the authors in the Bible) has changed your life.  How?
This question is to include all those incredible writers who haven't been published ... yet.

Are you wondering what book I read?  I'll tell you.  It was "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. I then read the follow-up book titled "World Without End."  They were both rough for a historical romance reader like me.   Can you tell I really like happy endings?   And I"m determined?

In His Love,
Glynnis

Word of the Year for 2010

If you love language like I do, you'll like this post.   Just this weekend, the American Dialect Society announced their selection for word of the year for 2010.  It's:  app.

Although it was fun to hear the winners in the different categories, I actually liked some of the runners up more.  Here are the winners and runners up.  Other than "app," I don't use any of them.  Apparently I need to get "in the know." 
WORD OF THE YEAR:   App application program for a computer or phone operating system. As in "there’s an app for that," an advertising slogan for the iPhone.
RUNNERS UP
nom:  onomatopoetic form connoting eating, esp. pleasurably. Can be used as an interjection or
noun to refer to delicious food.
junk as used in junk shot (attempt to fix BP oil spill), junk status (Greece’s credit rating), don’t ouch my junk (protest against TSA pat-down procedure).
Wikileaks as proper noun, common noun, and verb.
trend verb: to exhibit a burst of online buzz


There are number of categories, but here's one more:

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED:   trend Verb: to exhibit a burst of online buzz.
RUNNERS UP
hacktivism Using computer hacking skills as a form of political or social activism.
-pad Combining form used by iPad and other tablet computers (ViewPad, WindPad, etc.).
telework Term used at federal level for work by an employee away from the office.


Just for fun, what word did you hear used in 2010 that you either loved ... or did not like at all? 

In His Love,
Glynnis

If life is a story, what page are you on?

I recently read "Pillars of the Earth" and "World Without End" by Ken Follett.  Both were 1,000 pages and consumed me for months.  I read them based on a recommendation from someone I respected.  However, while there is much good in these books, there are parts that are uncomfortably real.  In fact, at times unnecessarily real and graphic.  I don't recommend them for those with gentle spirits.  They are upsetting.

Both books ended well, but there were times during the books when I was ready to put them down.  The protagonists were just too mean.  The plot too painful.  The abuse, greed, and vindictiveness too ugly to dwell on. 

If those books had ended badly, I would have been very disgruntled at spending months of my life on them.

And, if I hadn't read them completely, I would have been frustrated too.  If I had only read, say ... page 560 ... or page 702 ...  I might have thought the story was hopeless.  I might have thought the villains won.  Or the hero and heroine never reconnected.   If I only read one chapter, I might have thought justice was an impossible dream.  Or those in poverty will always stay that way. 

But now, after reading the book in its entirety, I can see the amazing story.  The plot progressed, there was tension, conflict and eventually resolution.   Good did eventually triumph.

It got me thinking that our lives are a bit like that. For those of us who have accepted Christ, we know we have a happy ending. One way or another, our story will end well. But not every chapter or page in our story is happy.

Today might be page 452 for me.  And on page 452 there is conflict.  There is tension.  If I only read this page, I would have a very different view of the story. 

Yet the Author of my story has a purpose for every page and chapter in my life.  He's got a story in mind and is building and developing the plot every day.  No story is conflict-free.  No story is complete without a challenge.  Victory is empty without a struggle.

Today, I'm considering my life as a grand story.  I know the ending.  Good triumphs. The victory will be sweeter because of the struggle.   Today is not the story.  It's just page 452.

In His Love,

Glynnis

Should you let go of an old dream?

Thank you to all of my sweet sisters who took the time to post a comment last Friday and over the weekend.  I loved reading them!   Thank you so much.  I picked a winner at random, and am happy to announce that Alycia Morales will be receiving the book, "Your Secret Name."  Alycia, I've sent you an email, but if it didn't go through, please email me at editor@proverbs31.org with your mailing address!

I've got lots of books to give away, so please keep reading in the coming weeks for other opportunities.

Speaking of winning books, earlier this year I won a book on Michael Hyatt's blog titled "Linchpin: Are You Indispensable."  The author is Seth Godin, and I happen to think he's one of our generation's most brilliant thinkers.  Basically, the book is about setting yourself apart in your chosen field ...  but it's more than that.  It's really about making a difference in a society where following the traditional systems doesn't work. 

Godin asserts that too many of us have been trained to wait for direction from someone else.  We are afraid to share an idea that might appear stupid or try something that might fail.  Instead, we let fear dominate and keep our potentially brilliant ideas to ourselves.  After all, it's safer to stay in a rut, where no one can tell us why our ideas won't work.

But what a boring waste of your God-given talent.  I see women all the time who have a dream in their hearts they nurture and protect by never letting it out.  And when they do, it's just for a moment, before it's safely tucked away where no one can label it "impossible."

Then there are those women who have dared to pursue a dream, only to face one obstacle after another.  What brave women those are, and they always earn my applause!   I see this repeatedly in publishing.  Writing a book is a heartbreaking dream to have, because to do it in the traditional way depends on many other people's agreement. 

Just yesterday I read a quote in the chapter titled "There is no Map"  that spoke to me.  Godin says:

"The challenge is in understanding when our effort can't possibly be enough, and in choosing projects and opportunities that are most likely to reward the passion we bring to a situation."

As I read this I thought of my publishing journey.  All my life I've loved to write, I got a degree in writing and have written professionally my entire career.  It seemed natural to write a book with all that writing experience.  And yet, the reality is that there's more to writing a book than just writing.  Authoring a book requires three equal parts: 1)  fresh & relevant ideas 2) excellent writing and 3) promotional savvy.  In today's publishing world, the author actually has more responsibility to sell the book than ever before. 

Some of my friends are inspiring, marketing-savvy and strong writers.  They've got what it takes to be a success as an author.  But what about those people who might have two of those three elements?  What is there for them?

That's where Godin's quote opened my eyes.  Maybe for some authors, the effort it takes to market a book is  too much given their personality or current situation.  Maybe, given the author's topic, no amount of effort will ever be enough to catch the interest of an acquisition editor.  And maybe, that author's passion would be better directed to another avenue than traditional publishing.  After all, that's certainly not the only writing of value, but the dream is hard to release.  Is there fear that in releasing the dream, there will be nothing left?

I wonder if some women are holding on to an old dream - not just of writing a book. Perhaps, given today's culture and climate, the fulfillment of that dream wouldn't have the same result as 10 years ago.  But the dream is still closely held.  And, in the holding of that dream for so long, the passion is diminished or even extinguished. 

Today I'd like to challenge you to consider if your passion and talents would be better directed to a different project, dream or opportunity.  Are you holding on to an old dream that, in reality, wouldn't be the same if you achieved it now?  Sometimes we have to let go completely of an old dream, in order for God to replace it with a new, custom-designed dream.

Hopefully these thoughts aren't too deep for your Monday.  But it's what's been weighing heavy on my mind since I read that quote.  Really, it's prompting me to think about what I really love about writing, and if I've truly pursued that which is the most effective use of my talents. 

What are your thoughts on this topic?  Have you ever held on to an old dream for too long, and missed out on other opportunities?  Or fulfilled a dream only to realize it didn't really satisfy, or use your talents in the way you thought it would?  I'd love to hear your comments.


In His Love,
Glynnis

Random thoughts on writing and concrete thinking

First, a sincere "Thank You!" to all our veteran's today.  I appreciate my American freedoms even more knowing it came at the cost of your sacrifices.  May God bless you all.  If you know a veteran, take the time today to call or send a note of thanks.

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Recently I developed a new class for writers, called "Ten Ways to Sabotage Your Writing."  It came about after years of rejecting approximately 95% of the articles submitted to the P31 Woman magazine.  Not all of these articles had poor sentence construction or improper grammar.  Some were technically well-written.  So why were we rejecting so many?

Figuring there had to be commonalities that killed a piece, I started to dissect the weaker points of articles.  Hence the new class. 

If you are interested in the class, I'll be teaching it at the opening writer's session at She Speaks next year.  Registration should start in January, so check back with me and I'll announce it.  Or visit www.SheSpeaksConference.com in January.   After that, we'll offer it as a webinar. 

Coming up with labels for these saboteurs proved challenging.  After developing what I thought was a creative title for the talk, the subtitles fell flat.  Boring.  It brought to the surface one of my personal limitations:  I'm a concrete thinker. 

Being a concrete thinker is helpful in certain settings.  It's why categorizing and organization comes naturally.  It's how I can help an author focus on a main point, and eliminate distractions in writing. It's also why titles trip me up every time.  Titles require the author to fnd a quirky play on words, double entendres or be daring enough to attract attention.  

Yep ... not me.

Every once in awhile I stumble on a charming, delightfully intriguing title, and you would think it was Christmas morning!

And so ... somehow getting back to one of my main points ... (rambling is allowed in blogs) ... one of the ways writers sabotage writing is to start sentences with too many pronouns, especially "I."  This is common when writing a first-person article.  Here's an example: 

Old: I know that I am not perfect and complete yet, but at least I’m now walking in the right direction.

My rewrite: Perfection is a future hope. For now, at least I’m on the right path.

The title of this sub-point in my talk is:  Frequently write with pronouns

Yawn ...

However, today, on VisualThesaurus.com (my new writing best friend), author Michael Lydon posted an article with the perfect title for this writing problem!  Brilliant.  Concise.  He calls it:  Narcissism. 

Since you can not copyright a title, I'm going to borrow this word for my talk.  So if you show up at She Speaks 2011, and hear that my second tip is "Narcissistic Writing," you'll smile and know you heard it first here.

And hence my two final writing tips:  

1. Read as much as you can on the craft of writing.  
2. Admit your weakness and get help from your more abstract-thinking friends.

And of course, plan now to attend She Speaks to hear the rest of my tips.  Hopefully by then they will all have better titles.

In His Love,

Glynnis

Pursuing Excellence in Ministry

When my son Josh was in junior high, he took guitar lessons.  He had played bass guitar for three years, but wanted to expand his skills.

Josh has a laid-back personality, which made him a joy to raise.  But that relaxed attitude wasn't sitting well with his guitar teacher.   This teacher was a professional musician with high standards.  Rightly so.  He was one of the best, and expected a good effort from his students.

But his style clashed with Josh's personality, and the teacher was often frustrated because Josh hadn't practiced enough to master whatever skill had been taught the week before.  Very soon we realized it wasn't the best fit for Josh at that time.  Although Josh wanted to play guitar, the truth was he wasn't putting forth much effort. 

At one of our last appointments, the teacher spoke with me privately.  He knew we were Christians, and he was too.  He shared his personal frustration about the Christian youth he had taught:

"Sadly, the people who have most reason to pursue playing with excellence, don't."

I've never forgotten that statement.  He was right.  I didn't agree with his generalized negative observation - I'd seen plenty of musicians offering their best.  My son did have potential and became a wonderful guitar player and worship leader for the youth of our church. 

But I agreed with him about Christians having the best reason for pursuing excellence.

As Christians, the Bible tells us that whatever we do, whether it be making dinner, cleaning the bathroom, going to school, or serving in ministry .... whatever we do .... we are to do it as if for the Lord.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3:23-24) 

I thought about that teacher because I'm teaching some conference calls on writing to She Speaks graduates.  These women are pursuing excellence in their writing.  They are investing money and time in the calling God has put on their lives.  They are taking hold of the vision God placed on their heart and are going for it.  With passion and abandon.  I'm so proud of them.

In two weeks, our speaking conference calls begin, and many of those same women have signed up for those.  In case you didn't attend She Speaks, or are looking for a way to invest in your own speaking ministry, I also want to share an ongoing service that P31 is offering for speakers.  It's called the Next Step Speaker Services.  Amy Carroll and Karen Ehman are offering a speaking critique service for an affordable price. They can help you with:

• Message Development

• Message Evaluation
• Creating Compelling Marketing
• Ministry Organization

They just started it a few months ago, and we are all trying to help spread the word.  This is a way you can pursue excellence in your call to speak. 
Even if you don't want to invest any money right now, visit the Next Step Speaker Services website for informative articles on speaking and a free weekly speaking tip.


What passion has God put on your heart?    And how are you pursuing excellence in it? 

Feel free to use this blog as a place to declare your intent to offer your best to the One who deserves it.

In His Love,

Glynnis

Lack of Discipline or Misplaced Productivity?

An online writer's group posted a thought-provoking question.  The panelist reminded us of the Staple's ads featuring an "Easy Button."  And then asked what makes writing easy.   "What makes the time fly and words fly and fingers fly for you?"

It's a great question.  This past month has been very busy.  She Speaks always adds more to my to-do list. My children were getting ready to go back to school.  And I've been playing catch-up after having those same blessings home all summer.  Writing has fallen to the bottom of my priorities.  It's not been easy at all.

What makes writing easy for me?   Being anywhere but home.  Starbucks.  Borders.  Barnes and Noble.  The library.  You name it.  I could write on a bus, the park, or the curb outside of QT.  Basically, anywhere my work computer isn't.

But I should be able to write at my desk!  I say with a pout. 

It's a beautiful desk, and all my writing resources are within arms reach.  My wonderful dog Kona sits at my feet.  My husband is just upstairs in his office if I need to bounce an idea off someone.  The microwave is ready to reheat my coffee and I can look at my rose bushes outside when I need a refreshment break.

But there are also e-mails sitting in my inbox.  And no, I can't fool myself by shutting down Outlook.  I know they are there - taunting me with needs to be met.  There are projects sitting in my desk-top file holder.  My phone rings.  The dogs need more water.  Life happens all around me and I can't turn it off.  I'm wired to respond. 

So I've castigated myself for my lack of discipline.  Other people can write at their home desks. And so should I.  Right?

But I'm tired of berating myself.  And I'm not even sure it's really a lack of discipline.  What if it's misplaced productivity?

If I'm most creatively productive in a certain environment, then I should play to my strengths. Many artists believe environment is crucial to creativity.  Think of Monet in the French countryside.  Thoreau by Walden's Pond.

Perhaps for me it is identifying that two distinct personalities reside within my person:  1) The administrative leader  2)  The creative writer.  Those two personalities require different fuel and nurture.  They also require different settings at times.

So instead of fighting myself, I'm investing in myself.

If you are my area this week, at a Border's Books, you might find me in the cafe, sipping a mocha and writing.  Come join me and we'll start a group of people who love to write, like Emerson and Thoreau in Boston, or Lewis and Tolkien at Oxford.   Well ... I know that's dreaming high ... but it's fun to think about.

In His Love,

Glynnis

Establishing a Platform for Writing a Book

I'm going to announce a winner of the Beehive Apron today, but I'll do that at the end of the post. 

Before that, I want to share an insight I've had recently regarding establishing a platform for ministry - specifically a book writing ministry.

Next week I leave for She Speaks.  It truly is the highlight of my year.  If you don't know about it, please read more here.  It's for women who are called into some kind of writing, speaking or women's ministry.   This can be leading a neighborhood Bible study to speaking in arenas with thousands of people.  Or from writing a history of your life for grandchildren to writing a book.  And I get to direct the writer's track.  I still kind of pinch myself that God lets me do this.  I have so much fun while helping to equip women to advance God's kingdom.  Recently I read a passage that has application in this setting.

In my daily Bible reading I came across a passage I never remember reading.  Maybe that's because I haven't spent a lot of time in 1 Kings.  But tucked in the middle of chapter 20 read these words:

"The king of Israel answered, 'Tell him: 'One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off'.''"   (1 Kings 20:11 NIV)

Beside the fact that I've never had to write a sentence with two sets of single quotes inside it, this passage has an amazing truth  relevant to a challenge many authors face today.   And that's establishing a platform for selling books, and convincing a publisher it's enough to warrant a publishing contract.

Getting a book published is harder than ever.  There's a bottom line for 95% of all authors (specifically non-fiction):  You need to have avenues for selling your own book. It can't all fall to the publisher, because traditional book-selling avenues (Christian bookstores) are struggling.  So, publishers need authors who have a platform.   It's a partnership.

But establishing a platform is a challenge for an author.  It takes years to establish a good network of connections.  A blog following.  Speaking and teaching opportunities.  Newsletter subscribers.  Or build a ministry from the ground up.  Yet it only takes a few weeks or months to write a book proposal. 

When I read this verse, it reminded me that it's easy to write about what you WILL DO in establishing a platform.  It's easy to have big plans.  It's fun to talk about your vision.  It's much harder to actually do the work, week after week, month after month, to establish that platform. 

I write from personal experience.  I'm trained as a writer, so that's where I've always started.   However, today's writing climate actually reflects a truth I've learned about being a Christian:  Your insides have to match your outsides. 

This verse calls me back to a place of truth.  A place of digging in to the work God has called me to before I write about it.  Words spoken by Ahab king of Israel thousands of years ago, speak to me today:   "One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off."

Now, I have chosen a winner for the cute beehive apron.  Normally, I just pick a number at random and that's the winner.  But when I read that Melissa is a beekeeper with four hives, I knew she needed this apron.  Melissa- I didn't see an email address or way to contact you.  Please send me an email at editor@proverbs31.org.    If I don't hear from Melissa by next week, I'll pick another winner.

May the Lord bless you today!

In His Love,
Glynnis

She Speaks Scholarship Giveaway

Have you ever had a dream?

A dream that you tucked deep in your heart, and were afraid to even speak it? 

Every year women come to the Proverbs 31 Ministries She Speaks Conference with just such dreams.  It may be a dream to write, or speak. It may be a dream to lead a women's Bible study, or start a ministry to unwed mothers. 

As the director of the writer's track at She Speaks, I meet women every year who are wondering if they have what it takes to write.  They might think the dream is foolish ... because who would read what they have to say?  But the dream beats so hard in their chest they just had to come to the conference.  However, they tenderly protect that dream, even as they put themselves out there for all the world to see.

Is that you?  Do you have a dream to write but haven't taken the first step?  Or have you been writing for awhile but know God is prompting you to take the next step in your writing journey?

Today, I have the privilege of announcing a contest to help someone take that next step of obedience in their dream to write. 

Thanks to the generosity of author extraordinaire, Cecil Murphey, I will be giving away one scholarship to attend the She Speaks 2010 Conference, held July 30-August 1 in Concord, North Carolina.   If you haven't heard of Cecil Murphy's amazing newsletters for writers, you'll want to click here to subscribe for free! While you are there, spend some time reading about Cec.  He's coming to the conference and will be speaking to all the writers, and meeting one-on-one for some informal coaching.

And to win it, all you have to do is write an article that would be appropriate for publication in the P31 Woman Magazine.  We'll pick one article as the winner.  In addition to winning the scholarship, we'll also publish that article in the magazine.  Kind of like icing on the best cake you have ever eaten!

We may also select some honorable mentions, and will publish those if we do. 

So - how do you win this amazing prize?  Here are the rules for the She Speaks Scholarship Contest:

1.   You must not have attended She Speaks in past years. 

2.  Write a 500-1000 word article that would be appropriate for publication in the P31 Woman Magazine.  See the guidelines on the link to the magazine, and see archived feature articles for a sample of our style. 

3.  Only enter one (1) article per person. 

4.  You can either attach the article in a Word document or include it in the email.  Include a creative title and your name.

5.  Email the article to me at editor@proverbs31.org  on or before Thursday April 15, 2010 at midnight.

6.  If you have a blog, please help us promote the She Speaks Conference by writing about this contest and linking to the She Speaks Conference site.   If you want to post the She Speaks button on your site, feel free to copy it.  But it is not a requirement. 

7. The winner of this contest will be awarded a scholarship for the cost of one person’s registration for the 2010 She Speaks conference.

The value of this scholarship is $575 which includes your conference materials, conference registration, 2 nights at the conference hotel and meals associated with the conference. Please note it does not include any travel expenses. Also, you will be assigned a roommate or you have the option to pay the extra charge for a private room. This scholarship is transferable, but only for someone who has not attended the conference.  It cannot be traded for cash.

Your article will be evaluated by the P31 Woman editing team, and we will announce the winner on April 21st.

This is the first year we have scholarships to offer, and we are thanking God and Cecil Murphey for this opportunity.   Please pray about what to submit.  And, if you aren't a writer, please send a note to someone you know who is. 

As always, I welcome questions.  Post them on this blog and I'll answer them for all to see.

In His Love,
Glynnis