By Your Love for One Another

Our collaboration from 2012

John 13:34-35 (NIV)

³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

What a wonderful community we have as Australian Christian Writers.

 Having lead Omega Writers for four years, I’ve had the privilege of seeing connections made, friendships formed, cooperation enacted, partnerships agreed upon. In the few years since I passed that mantle onto Penny Reeve, that glorious network has continued to grow. It warms the heart to see a thriving community of Christian writers. As our region of the world is small (in numbers) there is so much to be gained by standing together to encourage and promote creative writing.

But that doesn’t mean we will always experience roses and sunshine.

 The closer we become, the more chance there is of us finding out each other’s faults. This likelihood is increased when authors choose to work together in cooperation on certain projects.

Just like every other family or community, there is going to be diversity of character, personality, experience.

Each of us will have a different way to write; a different way to discipline our process; different achievement goals; different perceptions of God’s Grace, and how it works; different social justice understandings, and how they should work. Goodness, we will barrack for different teams in sport, or won’t follow sport at all.

The thing about this wonderful colourful depth of experience and personality is that it is like two echidnas falling in love. How they come together must be done very carefully.

The thing we all have in common is our love for God, through the wonderful saving power of His son, Jesus Christ. That, and our passion for engaging a message of hope through writing.

Through my work with various Christian leadership and creative teams, I have found that this diversity means I work with leaders who don’t always agree. But so far, the grace of God in our midst has allowed most leadership teams to find consensus and move forward in grace and peace.

Most writers are leaders. A person who can discipline themselves to learn and apply from conception through to product is a person who has the ability to lead themselves, and most likely others around them.

I’ve worked in Christian leadership situations since I was sixteen. I’ve seen the good, the bad and the beautiful over forty something years. Sometimes we can be ugly. Sometimes we are offended. Sometimes we are reactive. Sometimes we are tired. Sometimes we are frustrated. And sometimes others see a version that is not our best self.

What do we do in these situations?

The opening Scripture: “…everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” sounds like good advice, but if we are honest, we don’t always feel very loving. Sometimes we’d like to give someone a piece of our mind.

In my long experience of conflict management (can you believe I’ve ever had conflict in my life? Joke) loving someone means submitting everything to God and asking for his wisdom and grace. We need His strategy in how to navigate towards restoration and His peace.  It isn’t always easy. Actually, I’ve never found it to be easy. 

That is the thing about love. If it is easy, it probably isn’t deep, abiding, Christ-like love.

I have a strong and bossy personality. A number of people have told me this over many years. I don’t like hearing it, as it’s usually delivered in a derogatory sense. Sure there might be a chuckle to go along with it, but I want to believe I’m a sweet easy-going personality. Needless to say, there has been more than one occasion when I’ve put my foot in my mouth, and followed it up by opening my mouth to change feet.  I don’t want to hurt anybody. But it is an inevitable part of being a strong and confident personality. So what do I do when someone reacts.

My human nature wants to fire up and shoot back, but the grace of God, which has grown to some degree in my life, calms me down, and I pause to reflect.

What have I done to cause this reaction? Has the other person got the wrong end of the stick, or have I been insensitive? Either way, I need to open up dialogue when the time is right, and apologise. Sometimes the apology goes like this: “I’m sorry that you were hurt by what I said. I perhaps didn’t express myself properly. This is what I really meant.”

Sometimes I realise I have been insensitive and what I said was a trigger or unnecessarily harsh. I just need to straight up apologise.

I have learned, however, that waiting for the right time is important. Blundering into a volatile situation, even with the best intentions, often adds insult to injury. Best to wait on God for His timing. But I keep the situation before him in prayer, and ask for the courage, grace and wisdom to reach out when it is right.

As our Christian writing community continues to grow, and as many of us form connections and working relationships, I encourage us all to reflect on the love and grace of God.

 One thing I know we would all want is for those around us to know we are Christians by our love for one another.

Blessed be the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

 

Please look out this month for the release of 'My Funny Valentine' box set of sweet clean rom coms (NB not Christian Fiction). Our romantic comedy 'Daring Mr Darcy' is featured in this set. Loads of fun from Carolyn Miller and myself. Available for pre order now.

Also, a group of Australian Christian authors (+ one Kiwi and one American) have banded to release a series of contemporary Christian romance novels. The Trinity Lakes Romance series will start at the end of February with Narelle Atkin's 'Never Find Another You'. Available for pre-order now. 

My title, 'The Ocean Between Us' will be released next month.

 Meredith Resce, author of the 'Luella Linley - License to Meddle' series and the 'Heart of Green Valley' series. For more information please visit her website www.meredithresce.com

 

 

Finding Inspiration

 

 

Normally, this time of year I’m travelling. Autumn in the northern hemisphere is my favourite time to travel. Italy, France, Norway, Finland, Vermont, Maine, and Canada are all beautiful in the fall. 

 

For the last fifteen years, I’ve travelled for at least two months of every year and every time, my mind was expanded as I experienced new languages, new places, and met new people. 

 

My writing is inspired when I am experiencing new things. 

 

My faith also informs my writing. Ideas that are God-breathed and God-inspired flow out of my soul like no other.

 

Things in everyday life inspire me–people I meet and things that happen all spark my creativity and inform my writing.

 

I guess we writers are like magpies. We collect inspiration in so many ways.  We catch snippets of conversation, enjoy art, watch movies, see plays, read widely, get intrigued by news items, laugh at, or thoughtfully consider, Instagram memes, and so much more. 

 

Sometimes though, we need to be intentional about inspiration. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the lockdowns, and travel restrictions, I found the well of my inspiration running a little dry. 

 

So, I’ve done a few things lately to try and inject a little more inspiration into my life. Here are four things that have been inspiring me: 

 1. Volunteer: I’ve begun a volunteer job at my local church in their community services department. In this role, I interview people who need emergency relief. The church provides food vouchers, help with bill paying, fuel vouchers, and referrals to others services if required. 

 

Of course, I didn’t just do this to inspire my writing. Writing is a big part of my life but doing something in my community to help others is something I love doing. I’m sure that a by-product of the experiences of working in this environment will inspire something in my writing. 

2. Attend A Workshop or Retreat (in-person or online): Recently, I attended a workshop on the topic of writing your story with self-compassion. During the day, I was able to write a new ending for a novel I've been working on for years. 

As we shared our writing in small groups, I was inspired by the other writers in the group. I was challenged when I shared my own work. I still feel nervous tension when reading my work aloud, but I love being challenged to keep stretching and dreaming.

The Omega Writers Conference is running an online retreat on October 8 and 9. Why not consider signing up and joining others to be inspired? 

3. Do Something Way Out of Your Comfort Zone: In August, I signed up for a songwriting course. I’m not a singer or a musician, in fact, I’m the only non-musician in the group. Why on earth am I doing this? 

I thought it might help me to look at writing in a different way. I think doing the course will help develop my writing brain in a new way. Perhaps it will help make my writing more poetic and rhythmic. Perhaps something will be sparked as I listen to other's stories, songs, and music.

The last week of the course requires us to perform the song we’ve written. I’m not sure how I’ll fulfil that requirement but there are some helpful people in the class who said they will help me. 

 

4. Study Something New: Next term, I begin Italian lessons. Since I can’t travel to Italy at the moment, I thought that I’d learn more of the language before I go back one day.

 

There’s so much that has been taken away from us during the Covid-19 pandemic but it doesn’t mean that we can’t still be inspired. We just have to find different ways to live a life filled with inspiration.

 

Do you need a creativity boost? Why not try doing something new that will push you out of your normal routines?   

 

What have you been doing that inspires your creativity lately? 

 

 

 

 

CWD Member Interview – Elaine Fraser

 

Question 1: Tell us three things about who you are and where you come from. 

1.     I used to be an English teacher and began to write seriously in 2005. 

2.     I live in Perth, Western Australia in the hills.

3.     I just published my eighth book. 

 

Question 2: Tell us about your writing (or editing/illustrating etc).  What do you write and why?

I write non-fiction inspirational books, YA novels, blogs, magazine articles, performance speeches, and commercial women’s fiction novel. 

 

Each one of us has a purpose that’s beyond ourselves and we should use our gifts and talents to help others in any way we can. My books have a strong social justice theme and encourage kindness and compassion. 

 

Because of my teaching background, I always have a message in mind when I write. Every story, whether it’s non-fiction or fiction, expresses ideas about love, sacrifice, and redemption.

 

I hope that readers are left with the knowledge that God loves them beyond anything. No sin is too big that God can’t forgive. No problem is too small for God to be concerned with. God cares about every facet of our lives. 

I hope my readers relate to the characters in my novels. Relate to characters who may have the same questions they do and feel that they’re not the only ones who struggle. They’re not the only one who is still working things out. 

 

Question 3: Who has read your work? Who would you like to read it? 

I started out writing inspirational non-fiction and fiction for young adult women aged 13+. 

In 2014, I began writing blogs for Kinwomen, a network of women bringing together women of all ages, cultures, education, abilities and passions to share life and wisdom.

 

My women’s fiction novel is written for women in relationships and recognises the complexity of why people stay or leave. 

 

Live Your Story Promise is my latest inspirational non-fiction book and it’s directed at a more general audience–both male and female. 

 

 

Question 4: Tell us something about your process. What challenges do you face? What helps you the most?

 

Last year, Covid threw me a little at first and my writing slowed up. I became a bit stuck. During the second half of the year, I got myself together and decided to finish all that I’d started. 

 

The best tip I can give is to never stop writing, even when you feel stuck or motivation seems to have disappeared. I kept writing little bits here and there and all of a sudden I had enough to publish. 

 

Even writing for fifteen minutes a day for two hundred days of the year at about two hundred words each session will add up to about forty thousand words. If you also include a few long days of writing, a retreat, and a few shut up and write sessions here and there, you could easily write double that in a year. 

 

Maths was never my strong point at school but numbers are helpful when quantifying your achievement or setting goals. 

 

 

Question 5: What is your favourite Writing Craft Book and why? 

I have a few key craft books, but the most helpful one is Lisa Cron’s Story Genius.  It will teach you how to frame your story using your character’s origin story. I used her model to plan my last two novels and it has saved me a lot of time. 

 

Question 6: If you were to give a shout-out to a CWD author, writer, editor or illustrator – who would they be?

I have two editors from the group who I’ve worked with for several years. Nola Passmore and Iola Goulton. These ladies give so much more than they know. The confidence I get from the encouraging comments in between the corrections has been so, so helpful when I’ve felt like giving up. Iola Goulton and Nola Passmore have become my go-to editors when I need a professional and thorough edit that is both pedantic and encouraging. 

 

 

Question 7: What are your writing goals for this year? How will you achieve them?

The first half of the year has been about getting three books out: Books Four and Five of the Beautiful Lives Series –Scarlett Love and Finding Joy and Live Your Story Promise–my latest non-fiction book. 

The second half of the year will see me doing yet another draft of a book I’ve writing for several years. It’s a women’s fiction novel and I really want to get it finished by the end of the year. 

 I’ve also got another book I’ve begun plotting and I’d like to make a start on writing it. 

 

Question 8: How does your faith impact and shape your writing?

How doesn’t faith affect my writing? My faith constantly informs my writing and reflects my relationship with God. I can trace my relationship with Him through my writing over the years. All the questions, the prompting of the Spirit, the challenge to be Christ-like, my prayers, hopes, and dreams are all found in my writing. 

 

Even my latest work in progress, a secular work, has a character named Joseph who loves a woman who has had a child by another man and he loves her as if she were the purest, most precious woman on Earth. I only just realised that Joseph had these Biblical qualities when I wrote the synopsis when I finished the latest draft. 

 

Even when I’m trying to write for another market, ideas of love, sacrifice, and redemption permeate my thinking. 

Elaine realised she wanted to be a writer at ten years of age when the words flew off the page during a creative writing lesson. 

 

She studied English and Education at university and went on to spend many years as a high school English teacher teaching others how to write.  

 

In 2005, Elaine took the plunge and began writing full-time. Since then she has published eight books and blogs at www.elainefraser.co

 

Elaine’s passion is to write about real issues with a spiritual edge. 

 

When she’s not travelling the world in search of quirky bookstores or attending writing retreats in exotic locations, she can be found in the Perth hills sitting in her library—writing, reading, and mentoring writers. 

The Hover Manoeuvre

 

FreeDigitalPhotos.net/debspoons

As writers, our pens and keyboards are our mouthpieces, and just as ‘death and life are in the power of the tongue’ (Proverbs 18:21), so too are death and life in the power of everything we scribble or tap out, often with little thought.

It seems to me that social media encourages some fairly loose tongues to be converted to some equally destructive words on the screen. The effect is often instant and, once out there in cyber-space, it’s hard to take those words back or pretend the comment was never made. A quick search through someone’s social media posts can reveal much about a person’s attitudes. It’s a snapshot of the soul. And that should give us pause for thought.

 

 

It should also keep our fingers hovering above the keyboard until we’ve thought through our reactive responses. It’s so much easier to blurt out an indignant comeback when we’re not up close and personal with our alleged adversaries. Anonymity gives us false security and an overinflated sense of our own outrage and courage. Keyboard warriors abound and sadly, Christians are not exempt.

FreeDigitalPhotos.net/holohololand

 

 

 

In the current state of a country (indeed, a world) under significant stress, I am witnessing more and more people being attacked over their differing political and social views. Disagreement is fine. Judgement is not. Ridicule is not. Insults and put downs are definitely a no-go area, and unfounded accusations and outright abuse are serious boundary transgressions. They hurt! Scripture is extremely clear on this point.

James 1:26 speaks out strongly!

‘If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.’

 

 Proverbs 15:1 makes our responsibility clearer still.

‘A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.’

 

Does it mean we need to be silent on important issues? Not at all.

Anger, in and of itself, is not sin. The way we express it, however, can be, and too often is. I wish I could say I’m not guilty of this particular transgression but I am. I confess I’m extremely frustrated with people posting about their inalienable rights to not wear a mask, use social distancing and hand sanitizer, and to flout the gathering size regulations, all requirements that have entered our reality since the advent of COVID19. If you could only hear the words buffeting around inside my head as I hover my hands over the keyboard, you might be a little shocked.

Ten years ago, I’d have ‘let rip’. And, shamefully, I may even have been proud of it, as difficult as it is to admit. These days I hover (mostly) and if, as I wrestle with myself, I can’t find a way to righteously express myself, I scroll on by. Not every post needs my questionable wisdom. It’s been a long and winding road, and one I see so many people, Christian or otherwise, struggle to navigate.

I’ve found the following Scripture from Romans 12:20 particularly reassuring. It strengthens my resolve.

‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’

 

What if we witness a brother or sister mocking, judging or belittling someone who holds different views, on social media?

Galatians 6:1, directs us as follows:

‘Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.’

It’s not easy to find the right balance and sometimes, no matter which approach we use, it will fall on deaf ears and the online abuse will continue. What to do then? It seems harsh, but here it is.

Proverbs 22:10:

‘Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarrelling and abuse will cease.’

Clearly, when push comes to shove, abuse is not to be tolerated.  Do your best and if all else fails, hit that ‘unfriend’ button and reclaim your peace. But don’t forget to hover first. We might later regret a hasty decision and it will certainly be awkward to explain. Tricky, isn’t it?

Happy hovering!

Melinda Jensen

 

Melinda Jensen has blogged extensively on emotional and psychological abuse and is currently enjoying a sea change from writing fiction to writing non-fiction, self-development books. Who'd have thought? A keen student of human nature, she's had articles, short stories and poetry published in a variety of magazines, newspapers and journals, having juggled single-motherhood and chronic illness for about 25 years. She's still almost sane and definitely has a heart for God and a yearning to bring a couple of books to fruition this year. Apart from that, she's besotted with cats, makes jolly good fudge and is living her dream on an acre and a half of beautiful soil bordering rainforest. On that note, she’s extremely passionate about the natural environment God has gifted us all with.