Hello there! Hope you’re all having a good week thus far. With the beginning of the month came new postings on myMISSIONfulfilled, including an article I contributed on my call to the ministry. Here’s a quick little sneak peek of “God called ME (and Other Things I’ve Learned as a Woman in Ministry).”
I really enjoyed the chance to reflect on some of the things that I’ve learned as a woman who also happens to be called to minister, and I hope the article is an encouragement to young women who may face some of the same challenges. Be sure to click through to myMISSIONfulfilled to read more about the things I’ve learned as a woman in ministry.
Until next time, grace and peace.
Look what arrived in my mailbox the other day. Proof that I actually DO work from home! As a writer, there’s nothing more satisfying than seeing my name in print, especially when my article makes it onto the cover. Love it!
I wrote this summer jobs feature for the May 2011 issue of ec magazine. I’ve written for ec several times before, and it’s always fun to get an e-mail from Mandy {a sweet friend who also happens to be the editor} in my inbox.
The article includes tips and stories on how to land a summer job, from the application to the interview to the money. The top 10 list of jobs for teens to avoid {not pictured below} is an added bonus. I was really pleased with the way the article turned out, and I hope you’ll check it out. Here’s a little sneak peek for you:
You may purchase the May 2011 issue of ec from LifeWay Christian Resources. For all of you Southern Baptist folk, you’ll probably see some copies on a literature table at your church pretty soon.
Happy reading!
Until next time, grace and peace.
It’s been a while since I’ve written in detail about my writing projects. Lately, I’ve been wrapped up in two major contracts, one of which is Prime, the new Bible Study by Student Life. I signed on to write six lessons for this study, and I’m really excited and honored to have been a part of it. I’ve written five of the six, and honestly, I’ll be a little sad to wrap it all up, but I’m hoping to start teaching through this study with my girls in the fall.
Prime is a 48-week study divided into eight 6-week sections, and the entire study is all about living for God above anything else. The lessons talk about being holy, spiritual disciplines, stewardship, the book of James, big questions that we wrestle with, and more. If you’re looking for new curriculum to start with your students in the fall, I can’t recommend Prime highly enough, but, of course, being one of the writers, I’m biased. It’s not available for purchase yet, but it will be ready for the new church year starting in September.
Just thought I’d give you a little more info on what’s keeping me busy these days. More on my recent writing projects to come later!
Until next time, grace and peace.
I used to be an avid reader. I devoured books. Inhaled them. I would stay up all hours of the night to finish just one more chapter, which, in actuality turned into reading the entire book in one sitting. I loved books. When I was a little girl, my mom would take me to the library, and I’d max out my library card on Nancy Drew mysteries and Sweet Valley Twins volumes. In high school, my obsession with Mary Higgins Clark novels led me to read every single book she ever wrote. In college, I read anything and everything I could get my hands on.
Then I went to seminary, and my days of reading for pleasure ended abruptly. I had no time to read for pleasure after I finished reading for class. And let me tell you: there was lots of reading for class. We read books and wrote reviews to sharpen our critical thinking skills, and apparently those skills needed lots of sharpening, because I read hundreds of books and thousands of pages for my classes.
During each semester, I compiled a list of books that I would like to read, if only I had the time. But I never had the time. I always imagined that after graduation I would pick up where I left off in my love affair with books.
But it seems that books and I are still taking a break in our relationship. I honestly do not remember the last book I read from cover to cover, and that’s a shame, because we really did have a good thing going back in the day.
I’m trying to repair our broken relationship, but it’s not easy. My attention span just isn’t what it used to be, and sometimes taking a nap is a lot more appealing than opening a book. But I’m trying. I started by purchasing one of the books on my wish list: The God I Don’t Understand, by Christopher Wright. And I’m making progress. Just last night I turned the page on chapter five.
In addition to actually purchasing a book, I have also signed up as a reviewer for Book Sneeze, a book review program offered by Thomas Nelson. Basically, I receive free books in exchange for blogging book reviews. I like free books. Don’t you? I should be receiving my first book soon. Don’t worry, I’ll tell you all about it later.
Reading is a discipline that I have neglected lately, but it’s a discipline that’s absolutely necessary for any writer. All good writers are voracious readers. That’s just how it is. You cannot be a good writer unless you are first a good reader. I’m afraid that the drought in my writing life is directly tied to the drought in my reading life. Reading introduces me to fresh ideas and even sharpens my critical thinking skills.
I guess the professors knew what they were doing when they forced us to read.
But I will never forgive a certain church history professor for making me read all 736 pages of Creeds of the Churches. Never. I’m just saying.
All of this thought about books has made me wonder what everyone else is reading these days. What’s on your nightstand? What should I add to my reading list? Go on and tell me. I want to know!
Until next time, grace and peace.
{image credit here}
I’ve had a really hard time knowing what to do with this site, and over the weekend, I finally realized the root of the problem. I launched this site last year because I wanted to establish myself as a writer, and I needed a platform from which to do it. But when I did that, I divorced the writer in me from the rest of me. It became difficult for me to post because I pressured myself to only post perfectly written specimens of my writing ability. That made for a very dull blog. Sorry.
When I tried to separate my writing life from my real life, I lost all my material, and I think it’s time to reunite the two. So, in the next few weeks, there are going to be some big changes around here. I’d like to introduce you to myself: the real me: the mom: the stationery designer: the wife: the photographer: me. I hope you enjoy what I write about this crazy life I live.
In addition to some changes in content, there will also be some changes in posting frequency. Starting April 1, I’m committing to a month of almost-daily posting. For five days a week, I will write at least 1,000 words. What I have to say may be mundane and uninteresting, but I will be flexing my writing muscles again. It’s really been too long.
But now, I have to dry my hair before Micah (she’s six months old now!) wakes up from her nap. Expect to see more of me around here, whether you like it or not!
Until next time, grace and peace.
