“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves” (2 Cor. 4:7 NLT).
Sometimes I feel like an empty, broken container with nothing left to offer anyone. Maybe I’ve stretched myself too thin with commitments, I’m exhausted, or I’m faced with physical, emotional, or mental limitations. (more…)
“What do YOU have to say?”
When I spoke to a close friend about sensing God’s direction to pursue writing for publication, his question disturbed me.
I don’t believe my friend meant to discourage me with his heart-rending question. But his question just echoed the doubt that I had already heard in my heart: What do I have to say? No one will believe me or listen to me!
Read about how I faced my doubts and fear of humiliation in my post today in A Common Bond. [Click here to read my post on a Common Bond.]
What doubts and fears have you faced as you pursued your dreams? Leave your comments below. I’d love to hear your story!
Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: “What! You too? I thought that no one but myself ….” (C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves).
Every writer dreams of discovering a new treasure chest full of writing prompts.
Today, I discovered one right at my fingertips, when I clicked on my Facebook “friends.”
Stories. Every friend reminded me of a story or at least one unique characteristic or value. And as I read my list of friends, I realized again what a blessing friends have been in my life.
Gifts. Each one of my friends represents a gift from God to me. And I pray that I never take the blessing of friendship for granted. My friends have taught me more about myself and my world. And they have helped to transform me into the person I am today. And they continue to influence me on my faith journey.
Memories. I’ve walked through some difficult times with many of my friends. And I’ve experienced some of my most valued moments in life with my friends.
As I thought about some of my childhood friends, I remembered stories from elementary school or junior high. When I thought about some of my high school friends, I thought of several great and some “not-so-great” moments.
Some of my lifelong friends witnessed my wedding. Others stood by me during the birth of my children and even my grandchildren. Many of my friends supported me through the death my parents. Others helped me pack, or I helped them pack, when we moved away from each other.
I made new friends with each move. I never forget some of the friends I made during my journey as a non-traditional college student. And some of my first writing colleagues encouraged me as I began my journey as a writing instructor.
Dreams. As I pursued my journey as a writer, I discovered even more treasured friendships. We’ve shared our dreams and visions, and we’ve prayed for each other as we pitched ideas to publishers, agents, and other writing professionals at writing conferences.
My writing friends encourage me as we confess our doubts and fears to each other. And they inspire me with their insights into the world of publishing. We celebrate our successes and mourn our failures together. We encourage each other when rejection or frustrations overwhelm us.
As I stretch beyond my comfort zone with speaking, blogging, marketing, and new technology, my friends offer a listening ear or an encouraging nudge.
Inspiration. I’m thankful for the friends who inspired this writing prompt idea today. I hope this post encourages you to write down some of your stories about the friends in your life.
What treasured friendship came to mind as you read this post? I hope you will share your story of friendship with us as a comment to this post.
What can we do for God that will please Him?
I’ve tried to do the things that I thought pleased God, but my good deeds never seemed to be enough when compared to the standards set before me.
When I sought answers to my question about pleasing God, I found some inspiring biblical examples of others who sought God’s approval and blessings.
Today, I’m sharing some of my insights on the WordServe Water Cooler.
Click here to read my post on the WordServe Water Cooler.
What do you think pleases God? Leave your comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
Have your fears ever tempted you to run from a challenging opportunity?
As I prepared to walk into my first teaching experience in a college classroom, I felt the weight of my fear.
What if someone questions my authority? Who am I to be teaching college freshmen to write? I’m still a student myself!
Read about how I faced my fear of teaching in my post today in A Common Bond.
Click here to read my post on A Common Bond.
Has someone ever questioned your authority? What did you do? Leave your comments below. I’d love to hear your story!
“ … Words are powerful; take them seriously” (Matt. 12:36 MSG).
Several years ago, in a workshop for Christian Leaders and Speakers (CLASS), Christian communicator and author, Florence Littauer, taught us to ask ourselves two questions before standing in front of an audience to speak.
(more…)1. Do I have anything to say?2. Do people need to hear it?
