I Thought I'd Never See It Published

 

I've never had this much trouble formatting or publishing a book - ever!  Non-fiction is a whole different animal from fiction. Just compiling the content, all taken from my popular blog posts, took me weeks. 

The editing took months as the posts needed to be revamped in book form. The cover took several more. Once all of this was done, the technical challenges for non-fiction formatting were another nightmare. 

Two full days I struggled with technical issues, but it's done and now live on Amazon in both paperback and eBook. 

Whew! 

A God for All Seasons 

Through tears, sorrow, joy, and even humor, these personal true stories, scriptural quotes, and meditations encourage and give hope through all the seasons of our lives.

 Come, spend a little time in prayer and contemplation. Lift your eyes from the mundane and the ordinary and gaze upon the divine wonders surrounding us, evidence of God’s direct involvement in our lives.

He may whisper to us in the quiet of a hospital room or shout at us through a storm. Wherever we are, he’s there, comforting, encouraging, and strengthening.

“For all things have their season.” Ecclesiastes 3: 3.

 

Some of My Favorite Things

What Next?

Photo by Free Photos from Pixabay

That question has been on my mind for the last few weeks. What should I write after I publish the last book in my series? I have several story ideas in mind, none of them in the same genre as the series. Are they what I should write?

The Lions and Lamb series had a purpose. The stories allowed me to share some of my personal experiences while highlighting certain criminals and their crimes. The other stories would be different and not considered Christian like the series.
I prayed for guidance.

Odd coincidences began with Sunday services. First, the opening song was Lion and Lamb. The next song mentioned the African plains. God had my attention, but what was the message?

Today, Good Morning, Lord by Joseph T. Sullivan, had this:

Inspiration

Good Morning, Lord.
Thank you for all the creative people in our world, artists of all kinds: 

sculptors, authors, songwriters, painters, musicians, architects.
They can pick up our spirits and carry us away from the humdrum and routine; 

they can lead us to nobler thoughts.
Help them to use their talents for the noble, the inspiring, the uplifting.
They have such enormous capability for good; their collective influence is powerful.
Inspire them with your creative spirit, Lord.
Help them to show us how to look up at the stars, not down at the mud and the puddles. 

Amen. 

If I doubted the message, my devotional, Living Faith, added this by Elizabeth Duffy: “… try to be governed by those who can still look at the stars at night…”

Those words reminded me of a dream I had a few months before my second husband passed away. Jesus told me I would never look at the stars alone. Now I understand that not only will I not be alone, I am to bring others with me by offering inspiration and hope through my writing and my art. The subject doesn’t matter as long as it glorifies him.

Serendipity

Serendipity: the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.

George Ballas had a moment of serendipity at an automated car wash and invented the Weedeater. Spencer Silver, a scientist with 3M, discovered the adhesive used in Sticky Notes while looking for a super strong glue for aeronautics. Mary Anderson conceived the idea for the windshield wiper while sitting on a NY trolley car.

We have all experienced moments of serendipity, but may call it by another name: inspiration. Writers say they receive inspiration while pursuing other tasks: showering, driving, dining, walking, watching TV, conversing. Inventors obviously receive inspiration while doing other things outside of the lab, or while researching for other ideas. It’s the same for any profession.

My devotional, Breakfast with God, by Honor Books, takes this one-step further by stating that God is the Master behind serendipity. While we are busy looking for the answer to prayer in one direction, He sends something better from the opposite direction. And why not? He is our Creator, the Creator of the entire universe.

How like him to be directly involved in our daily existence: guiding, teaching, comforting and inspiring. I've experienced this in many aspects of my life, including my writing. Seemingly out of nowhere comes an idea so perfect I am in awe. Of course, I’m awed. It wasn't my idea. His ideas are always better.

The lesson gained from these experiences is recognizing them and acting, not just shrugging them off. Imagine if the discoverers of the above inventions had not acted on their inspirations. Not only would their lives be different, so would ours.

We can take this even further to include the other things God inspires us to do: the nudges to help, to comfort and to love. The list is endless. However, if it’s important, God will do more than nudge. Sometimes He throws us off a cliff and we either fly or fall. With faith and trust, we soar. 

What Really Matters

While many authors will never win a Pulitzer for literature (particularly yours truly), we all aspire to that coveted list: the NY Times Best Sellers. It is akin to winning the literary lottery and the idea that success means huge sales and a large bank account sucks you in the moment your book goes on sale. I know better, and yet the siren still calls.

Of course, all authors write in order to have their book read, but for the Christian author their audience is dictated by their genre and ultimately by God. A wonderful book just released by Terry Burns and my friend, Linda Yezak, Writing in Obedience, confirmed this insight. In Lions and Other Things (Why I Write), I explain how I came to write this particular book, And Then Came a Lion. Terry and Linda validated that experience. I am not alone in this regard, as their book clearly illustrates. I have joined the ranks of thousands called to write for the Christian market. Some receive a calling while others offer their work to Him. Both are following His will.