Writers are Artists by Catherine Sercombe

I was a capable reader as a child yet I still begged my mother to read aloud to me; I would close my eyes and enter a world where I could savour the flavour of music, inhale the aroma of colours or float as easily as a helium balloon. In that world, every house had a way of escape through a secret passage, and enough room to share with a small Swiss bear who loved meringues.  I could conjure a landscape of snow-covered mountains, perilous rope bridges spanning treacherous chasms, labyrinthine underground caverns and I had the courage to conquer them all.  In the realms of my imagination, my artistic ability knew no bounds … a state of being that was quickly dispelled in real life by my year eight art teacher.  The value she placed on my practical art work convinced me I had better explore alternative career options – I gave up art and learned to touch-type.  But one day, I discovered the Reader’s Digest’s Towards More Picturesque Speech and a seed of possibility took root.

Words are a wonderful medium to work with – and they’re free!  I’ve been collecting and collating them for years.  I’ve discovered some absolute beauties.  The dictionary is a treasure-trove.  We writers can mix words together and spread them out, stack them, blend them, rearrange them.  There are endless combinations to explore.  It does take some effort, gathering tools, learning techniques, developing skills.  It takes time and dedication to produce any worthwhile work of art.  But what a privilege and joy it is to indulge the artistic muse and create more picturesque speech.

Writers are Artists – Catherine Sercombe © 2011

Tongue-tested words, selected and ordered, 
glued into patterns or crazily paved,  
mosaic montage or serpentine path    
to step out and search
or sit still and dream –
a world to explore
or snapshot of life.

Tongue-tested words, soothing or seething,

waves at the beach or crabs in the sand,
motion that rocks the cradle of souls
or crashes and churns
soft sand into grit –
a pincer of pain
or pillow to sleep

Tongue-tested words, drifting and floating,
clouds in the sky or scum on a pond,
ethereal beauty or rank saturation
of raw sore emotion
from dark fetid swamp –
truth has its beauty
and ugliness form.

Tongue-tested words, the laughter of children  

dancing and singing a rhyme in the sun,
music and mayhem, myst’ry and meaning,                     
daisies and daydreams
or we’ll all fall down –
sing me some wisdom
and I will be wise.

Tongue-tested words, surreal and confusing,

colours on canvas, flame upon glaze,        
unyielding marble till hammer and chisel
chop off the dross
and the sculpture appears –
writers are artists
creating with words.

 

 
Catherine Sercombe is a wife, mother of three, education business manager, tutor and creative writing student who lives in Toowoomba, Qld.  Described in Christmas Tales from the Upper Room (2012, Pantaenus Press) as ‘a creative and talented writer whose work reflects an infectious love of language’, Cathie says, ‘From A to Z, surely the best writing begins and ends in God.  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1-2). That’s an epidemic worth spreading.’  

Blogging bonuses

In July 2009, after much help from our daughter in setting things up for me, I began my own personal blog. Since then, I have written a new blog each week—227 all up! On top of that, I write occasional blogs for this site and for two others. Yet why would I choose to spend time writing so many, when I could be focussing on my next novel or non-fiction book?

As far as my own personal blog (joanneberthelsen.wordpress.com) is concerned, I think it’s good to discipline myself to write something new each week, where I often reflect on lessons God is teaching me from Scripture or from my writing or from life in general. It helps fine hone my writing skills and also reinforces those lessons from God for me as I put them into words for others to read. And others do read them, judging by the various comments I receive via my blog or via Facebook, where I post my blog each week. As for contributing to writers’ blogs such as this one, I like the idea of encouraging other authors in some way and also sharing what I have learnt from my own writing journey.

But around three years ago, my blogging paid off in a different way. One day, a gentleman from Strand Publishing contacted me, asking if he could include two of my blogs in his volume 40 Aussie Stories he planned to publish in 2011. I was delighted and of course said yes. Apart from anything else, I discovered the book would include my author bio at the end, which would help promote the five novels I had written at that stage. Yet there was even more good news. Via a link on the sidebar of my blog site, this publisher had also discovered my friend Kerry Osborne’s blog (mrsozzie.wordpress.com), thereby finding several more short stories he wished to include in his upcoming collection!

The following year (2012), both Kerry and I found our blogs included in a new volume from Strand Publishing, Inspirational Stories for Aussie Women, and again we were delighted. Then earlier this year, we were asked if we would like some of our blogs included in yet another short story collection, Aussie Reflections. Because this year has been so busy for me, I had almost forgotten about the whole project until around two weeks ago, when my sparkling new copies arrived on my doorstep. This time around, my friend Kerry’s five stories and my own three that have been included make up almost a third of the book!

I love how God orchestrates things in ways we could never imagine, don’t you? I didn’t even know such books of Aussie stories existed initially, yet somehow my blogs have found their way into them. Not only that, but in these past three years, I have sold many copies of these volumes of short stories on my book table, alongside my own novels—particularly at secular venues. Who knows who will get to read these books? Who knows who will read our blogs when we put them out there in cyberspace? I know God does. So let’s keep listening to him and writing the things he puts on our hearts to share with others!

Jo-Anne Berthelsen lives in Sydney but grew up in Brisbane. She holds degrees in Arts and Theology and has worked as a high school teacher, editor and secretary, as well as in local church ministry. Jo-Anne is passionate about touching hearts and lives through both the written and spoken word. She is the author of six published novels and one non-fiction work, Soul Friend: the story of a shared spiritual journey. Jo-Anne is married to a retired minister and has three grown-up children and three grandchildren. For more information or to purchase her books, please visit www.jo-anneberthelsen.com or www.soulfriend.com.au.

 

 

 

MY FEISTY FOREBEARS

Grandmother and Great Aunts

For some strange reason I wish I could just sit and talk with female family members that came well before me.  I guess it's a touch of nostalgia or plain wishful thinking.

What would they have thought about my writing career? Would they have enjoyed reading what I write? I have a sneaking suspicion they would. They had the Brontes and Jane Austen of course, but not the plethora of faith-based novels we have today. Maybe they'd be shocked at the way we portray our feisty heroines...no, on second thoughts, I reckon they'd be thrilled. Yes, come to think of  it, some of the family tales told and retold down the years involved some exciting (for those times) scrapes and adventures. None of these girls seemed to be "under the thumb" of their lord and masters. Or were they simply not admitting it?

> To look at  my great great grandmother you would say she appears to be a disapproving type, but surely her expression is only because the photographer
was fiddling with his apparatus and her corset was killing her. However, my
darling tells me I can look at him like that at times when I am merely thinking of some plot twist and that takes concentration! I would hope she'd enjoy reading my stories.

My sweet faced great grandfather left his beloved wife to go to Heaven. She was desolate And maybe, according to my mother, that's why she became rather pessimistic. She began every sentence with "The worst of it is," before she ever got to the best of it. I suppose there is some merit in looking at the downside of something before committing oneself. No, I don't think she would have liked my heroines who tend to be optimistic even when one thing after another goes awry. Great grandma turned out to be a very practical no nonsense type of lady. And no wonder when she had three lovely young girls to take care of. Her dreams had to be tucked away while she looked after her daughters' future. A hurdle many young widows had to face in those days.

My feisty heroine, Megan Trevallyn, gets a lot more than she bargained for when she meets Captain
Charles Cantrell. This included two little surprises
with the outcome of being transported as a felon to a far flung colonial penal settlement of New South Wales - a world away from all she has known and
loved.

The question for her to face is, will this be a land of 
perdition ... or promise?

Although fiction, in my research I discovered this scenario was all too common in our early history. Yes, we had many convicts who had committed awful crimes, but there were always those who had arrived on our shores innocent of the crimes for which they were penalized.

While capturing this story I asked myself whether I could have survived such an ordeal and I knew deep down I couldn't have without the Lord.

 I am so pleased my historical romance with elements of intrigue is now online at Amazon Kindle at a reasonable $3.99.

* Rita Stella Galieh will leave this week for on an In Step Together Tour of Thailand with Thai interpreter, Somchai Soonthornturasuk. Her husband George is a violinist cum preacher and she sketches with Rembrandt pastels while he speaks. They will minister in Government Buddhist high schools, hospitals, men and women's prisons, orphanages and Christian churches.

What is Christian Fiction?

“Every good story, well told, is a moral story” 

Ben Marshall*  

Over the last few months CWD contributors have reminded us 1) of the call not water down our faith just “to fit in” to society and 2) thechallenge to write fiction that connects with non-Christians. And for others, the aim is just to write good fiction. This forms part of a wider debate among faith inspired writers about whether or not to write “cross-over fiction” – fiction that breaks through the Christian “bubble.” The debate can become very passionate as different writers take a strong stand on what they believe to be paramount.

So, what is “Christian fiction”? Do we need “cross-over” fiction?  Where do you stand on the spectrum between a strong, pure message and culturally relevant fiction?

It seems that in the U.S., “Christian fiction” is strictly defined – no sex scenes, no swearing, avoidance of controversial or unsavoury subjects (such as drug use, unwed mothers, avoidance of (extreme) violence). It often includes saintly characters, conversion scenes, long prayers and scripture verses. These strict criteria don’t necessarily reflect the Australian Christian fiction scene and there is a move to write edgier fiction even in the U.S. Nevertheless, the criticism of such highly sanitised fiction is that it is unreal and a total put off to most non-Christian readers. Such fiction is written by Christians, published by Christians, sold almost exclusively in Christian bookshops (or shelved in the Christian section of secular bookshops) and read by Christians.

In reaction to this ghettoisation of Christian literature, a number of vocal Christians seek to write fiction for the general market, for example Mike Duran, PortYonder Press (PYP). Chila Woychik of PYP wants fiction “devoid of preaching, Bible verses, conversion scenes” and prefers fiction that deals with “universal themes.”  

Other less narrow definitions of Christian fiction include fiction that is prepared to deal with the nitty gritty of real life in the context of (redemptive) Christian themes; fiction that portrays a Christian world view without necessarily having conversion scenes or overtly Christian content; or even fiction that is written by a Christian. After all, Christians are engaged in most occupations. Do Christian builders only build churches and other religious buildings?

As I think about all this, I wrestle with a number of questions:

•           If characters are so saintly that they never struggle with temptation or the realities of modern life or fail in any significant way, isn't this escapist? Not only does it not connect to people outside the Christian bubble, it gives Christians a dubious picture of what it means to be a Christian.
•           Could the Bible be published under such strict criteria? It deals with realities of life, tells the stories of prostitutes, incest, massacres, murderers and doesn't spare the details.
•           Does all Christian fiction have to conform to one template? The Bible is composed of 66 books – different authors, contexts and genres – some put prayer, conversions scenes, revelations, supernatural occurrences etc at the forefront (Genesis, Exodus, the Gospels, Acts) while others are more subtle (e.g. Ruth, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Esther, Jesus’ Parables) or highly symbolic or cryptic (Parts of Ezekiel, Daniel, Revelation). In fact Esther doesn't once mention the name of God though His presence and actions are clearly implicit in the story.
•           On the other hand, if prayer, reliance on scripture and even miracles (God at work) are a genuine part our Christian experience, why shouldn't these be portrayed in our fiction?

While the Christian fiction scene in Australia doesn't seem to display such passionate polarisation, these questions are still relevant. In many ways, it reflects the difference stances on how Christians should engage with the wider society. Should we be part of a holy enclave (a beacon of light against the darkness of night that draws people to them), should we be ambassadors of hope (who learn the language and rub shoulders with people Jesus died to save) or is it our job to change society (moral crusaders against decay)? Jesus uses the analogy of both salt and light - a light on a hill that attracts but also salt which needs to mix with the world to do any good (Matt 5:13-16). We are to be in the world but not of it (John 17:15-16). This is as much about who we are as what we say. Jesus embodied this – as both the light of the world and the incarnational saviour who eschewed religious jargon and rubbed shoulders with the wrongdoers.

Western society is changing and at a rapid pace. It is becoming increasingly secular, postmodern and even (in some quarters) virulently anti-Christian. We need to be its salt and light.  So let’s avoid being hermetically sealed off from society – so foreign that we might as well be speaking an unintelligible language. On the other hand, let’s beware becoming so like everyone else that we have lost our life giving “savour”.

Our God loves variety. We can see this in the created world, in the nature of the Bible, in the body life of His people (one body, many parts and giftings). In fact, the health of the body depends on the functioning of its different parts. Love builds the body up, disunity destroys it (1 Cor13).

So let me encourage you to be true to the calling God has given you. Hold on to the truth of the gospel, the need to incarnate it to a dying world and to do everything in love. Let’s acknowledge that what it means to be a Christian writer is different for different people. Let’s continue to encourage each other and to explore what it means to write as Christians – whether this is overtly Christian, cross-over or just good fiction that subtly radiates the grace of God.

Jeanette O'Hagan

Jeanette lives in Brisbane, has practiced medicine, taught theology, spoken at various groups & is currently caring for her children, studying writing at Swinburne & writing her Akrad series.

* Ben Marshall (commenting on J Mcleod's post)

  Images by Jeanette O'Hagan 

Find Jeanette at:

http://jeanetteohagan.com/

https://www.facebook.com/JeanetteOHaganAuthorAndSpeaker

http://jennysthread.com

http://fantasytrekkers.com

Some other posts by Jeanette:

http://christianwritersdownunder.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/saints-seekers-and-sleepers.html; http://christianwritersdownunder.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/the-world-of-books.html; http://christianwritersdownunder.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/a-thorny-gift.html

Continuous Creation: a work in progress

Writing is a continuous creation. From the initial thought to the final production of a printed page our books are a Work In Progress.

Creation is not as simple as saying, let there be words on the page. Our creations go through various stages as we bring them to life.

An idea, a character, a place or a story gets under our skin and won’t let go. We dream, jot ideas in notebooks, make Pinterest boards and have discussions with writerly friends as we flesh out our masterpiece.

Once we have some sort of shape, we begin to stretch it out like bread dough, hoping it the yeast will expand the mix and get it ready to be baked.

Just when you think the dough is ready, it’s time to pummel it into shape once more. The first draft is a rough manuscript and editing or kneading takes place as we pummel it into shape again.

Then we give it to the consulting editor who gives the dough a further pummeling and really gives the manuscript a beating. Often, we feel like the dough as it gets to this stage. We wonder if we have what it takes to see this thing through. We groan and struggle to get that one sentence just right.

By the time our manuscript has been through several revisions and is deemed ready to submit to a publisher, we may think it’s ready to deal with the heat in the oven, but there’s more to do.

By the time our work is published, it needs to get out into the world. Marketing is another process that is a WIP. Just because you have a product to sell doesn’t mean people will find it.

When the reader finally picks up the work, they create their own story as they read. While guided by our writing, their imaginations recreate the stories and make it a personal experience. Hopefully, our work is good food for their souls.

 What keeps us going?

Thankfully, we are part of a creative community that encourages one another. Whether it is through our blogs, conferences, retreats, Facebook or critique groups we share the creation of our work.

We may be the authors of our books, but without the inspirers, encouragers, friends, editors, reviewers and publishers in the process the final product would not be the same.  

Isn’t it like that in all areas of our lives?  Our lives are continuous creations. We evolve and change as time goes by, we are works in progress. If we are not changed, we are not growing.

Where there’s no progress, there’s no growth. If there’s no growth, there’s no life. Environments void of change are eventually void of life. Andy Stanley

Even with people around us in our writing communities, our friends, family and professional colleagues who help us, it’s not enough to keep us strong during times of progress and change.

Psalm 121: 1-2 says:

I lift up my eyes to the hills.
    

From where does my help come? 

My help comes from the Lord,who made heaven and earth.

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2) and journeying with Him, and all those who He has placed in our lives, is how we survive and flourish in this journey of life and writing. 

For me, it’s not an either/or situation. I need all of these influences in my life. I need to eat of the Bread Of Life and allow Him to work in me. My writing, and my life, will be much better for it.

Elaine Fraser

www.beautifulbooks.co

The Exam Paper by Anusha Atukorala

For close to 15 years I’ve written a long newsy email to my Mum each night. She’s done the same – written a long newsy email to me. We never run out of things to ‘talk about. As I enjoyed her email last night I chuckled over a certain paragraph. Here it is.

“Before I go to bed, I must tell you about another strange dream I had. I saw a list of questions typed as if for an exam paper. When I read No.1, this is what it stated: "Describe, in sequence, the beauty of the Magnificent Seven". And I woke up with that. What do you make of it? Could "in sequence" mean, in order, from Ranmali down to you? And is it the beauty of each of your characters (not to mention your faces), that I have to describe? Wow!”

I can’t help but laugh out loud as I read it. What an interesting examination! What an interesting question! ‘Describe in sequence the beauty of the Magnificent Seven’. “The Magnificent Seven” is the name my 6 siblings and I called ourselves when we were young. Many decades on, we are still ‘The Magnificent Seven’ – grown up now with our own magnificient babies who also have grown up.

I’ve been reflecting on four words from her ‘Exam paper’. Describe, Sequence, Beauty & Magnificent. Here are a few questions for us to ponder on today.

Describe
If I described my own journey in one sentence it would be something like this: An amazing God breathed adventure, writing stories and creating books, composing songs and scribbling poems; seeking to please my God and to bless my world through my writing.

Have you enjoyed your writing journey? Has it taken you places? Were there any frustrations? 1. How would YOU describe your journey?


Sequence
The sequence of events that made me a Christian writer was simple. I loved to write from the time I was little. And did. But I travelled on a long meandering path at first – Lab Technician, Computer Programmer, Full time Mum, Volunteer - were some of the detours I trekked on. Till one beautiful day God tapped on my shoulder. He soon led me through a magical door into the enchanting world of Writing. Being a Christian writer has been thrilling, energising and deeply fulfilling. I love it. I love it. I love it!

2. What sequence of events led you into your own calling as a Christian writer?



Beauty
We Christian writers have stories to share. Stories that spring from our imaginations. Stories that happen to us. Stories that are versions of real life situations. Stories that are yet to be told. The Christian life is filled with beauty, truth and goodness. You and I know the Source of these three commodities don’t we? I see so much beauty around me through my Creator’s Handiwork that I love adding beauty into my writing.

3. Do you intentionally weave beauty into your stories?


Magnificent
I believe you and I have a magnificent calling; don’t you? We are called to share Him with the world. We each do it through different genres it’s true – but we use just the one amazing tool. Words. The Word Himself is what it’s all about after all. And so we writers are unique. We get to use words just as He did. The world was breathed into existence through a word from the Word? So yes, I believe it’s a truly magnificent calling.

4. What do you find magnificent in your own writing journey?


Lest your head is spinning after reading all my questions, let me hasten to add that no, it is NOT an exam paper. So you don’t need to answer any questions… unless you like to. May there be beauty in your writing journey. May there be magnificent moments in your life with God. May there be joy! May our Creator God help us as we seek to create new stories inside the One Amazing Inspiring Story of God.



Anusha Atukorala is a writer with a passion. Jesus turned her world right side up since He entered it almost 4 decades ago. He has given her a song in her heart and she can’t help but share it with the world. Please visit her at her website ‘Dancing in the Rain’ to say Hello and to dance in the rain with her. http://anusha-atukorala.webnode.com/

Going Bananas!

Bananas are great. They come prepacked, are flavoursome and visually appealing. They are also easy eating, healthy and versatile. This brings me to the conclusion that bananas provide a great model for writing!

No, I’m not going fruity on you! The simple banana draws out some great points

Being prepacked, they are clean. This, to me, equates safe for eating with no hidden lurgies that can make you feel unwell post-consumption. I think that after-effects are a really important consideration for a writer. What will we deposit in the heart and mind of a reader of our work?

Like a banana, a writer has a distinct flavour (or voice) of their own. This is something a reader comes to recognise. A writer needs to be committed to honing and developing this trait and allowing their voice to mature. Just as a green banana leaves a tart set to your teeth, an underdeveloped voice can miss the mark and leave a distasteful tang. Developing our writing skills is not only a commitment to bringing out the best in our craft, but providing the best experience for our readers as well.

Is our writing easy eating? This could be interpreted in a number of ways, but I’m going to take the angle of ‘choreless’ reading. Some writers do this so well! Their writing immediately engages their readers, and no matter how short or long the text, it provides an experience that leaves you feeling grateful for having read their work. Definitely something to aim for!

As a writer, are we versatile? If you’re anything like me, there are certain styles of writing you prefer over others. It can be easy to invest solely in a familiar, comfortable style. This is fine, but if you are called upon to make a banana split instead of a smoothie, it helps if you’ve challenged yourself creatively in the past. A great way to do this is by joining a writers’ group, especially one that sets frequent writing challenges. (Don’t you always see bananas hanging out in bunches? :) ) Writing courses are also a great way of challenging our comfort zone and providing valuable opportunities to have our work critiqued by fresh eyes, enabling us to become more proficient at our craft.

All these things can increase the health of our writing – just like eating bananas, really. :)

Adele Jones lives in Queensland, Australia. Her writing is inspired by a passion for family, faith, friends, music and science – and her broad ranging imagination. To find out more visit www.adelejonesauthor.com

Picking up the pen again by Jo Wanmer

    A couple of weeks ago, interested parties gathered from across Australia and New Zealand. We came together at the Caleb Conference to celebrate writing . It was fun. It was helpful and inspiring. (Wombats are pictured on the left)
     I, however, felt like a fraud. Was I really a writer? Does one award-winning, published book qualify me as a real author? These feelings reminded me of the first time I walked into an Omega Writers meeting. Or tried to walk in. At the door I couldn't enter. I retraced my steps to the car. How could I even think of walking into an author's meeting? Yes I'd typed 80,000 words. Did that mean I could walk through that door? Surely I'd be looked at strangely. 
    However I needed help and lots of it, so I turned and crept in. That was the beginning of loads of encouragement, massive learning, shared expertise, and the birth of a passion for quality writing. 
    Three years later again I fought the same feelings. I haven't written for over a year, except for blogs and a few articles. And I stopped blogging in May. Surely I have disqualified myself. However, as I had prepaid for the conference months earlier, my husband insisted. 'Go! You know you want to write more. You must not give up.'
    Yes, my daughter's circumstances have been difficult and family always comes first. My creative brain was swamped in a sea of medical drama and overwhelming tiredness. I had laid down the pen and walked away.
    Somehow, whilst listening to speakers, sitting in workshops, and praying with friends, my thinking balanced.I have had quite a few articles published. I am more than a freak flash in the pan, more than one amazing God story. That story was the initial impetus, the beginning.
Listening and learning, I came away inspired to write, to get my novel out of mothballs, to push on. A few days later a friend sent me this poster.

     So I am writing. This blog may not be well crafted, but it is here! I must write, write a little every day.
    As soon as I made that decision I was hit from behind my the same medical monster.Two consecutive nights I spent in an emergency department, supporting my granddaughter. Tiredness swamped me. Even today, after 10 hours sleep, my armchair calls me.  As I type, my fingers hit the wrong keys and the page is covered with red lines, highlighting my ineptness.
    At Caleb conference I learnt to stay in the creative brain. Editing is for later. So resisting the urge to silence red squiggles, I continue to drop random letters on the page.
So I have begun. Next an article, maybe a poem and then - watch out book, here I come.

Jo Wanmer writes from an untidy desk in Kallangur, Qld. Her Book 'Though the Bud  be Bruised' won the Caleb unpublished manuscript award in 2011. There are other books, both fiction and non-fiction racing around her head, looking for a way past the brain fag!

Just Pick A Cup!

It never ceases to amaze me how the Holy Spirit seeks out and uses everyday experiences to teach me lessons; profound lessons that often bring conviction and correction as well as encouragement and blessing all rolled into one neat little object lesson. 

Once such lesson came mid-2012. It was a 'normal' day; our 3 year old son was finishing his lunch and asked me for a drink of water. . . 

"Mummy, I'm very drinky." 

"Okay, I'll get you some water."

"Not that cup, mummy!"

"Why not?"

"I don't like the white cup!"

"Okay, fine; how about this cup?"

"No."

"This one?"

"No."

"This one?!"

"No."

"The green one?"

"No."

"The blue one?"

"No."

"The red one? The orange one? The one with your name on it?"

"No! No! No!"

"Well I can't give you water if you won't take a cup!"

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I froze on the spot. Tears came as the revelation overwhelmed my soul; God wanted more than anything to bless me, but I had to choose a cup! 

You see we had just, (quite literally the previous evening), decided that after 18 months at our "new" church, it was time to move on. I say "we" but it was really me.  I earnestly plead my case to my husband, "I'm miserable, I haven't connected with anyone, there are too many 'issues,' it just isn't working." He eventually conceded, and called our connect group leaders to tell them of our decision. They strongly encouraged him to reconsider, to give it some time. He agreed, but I had made up both our minds. We were leaving.

And now, not 24 hours later, here I stood, in the presence of the Holy Spirit, vulnerable and yet expectant. Through the beautiful, gentle love of the Holy Spirit, the facade of my heart was removed, and I could see the truth behind my discontent; fear. Surprisingly, not of being disconnected, but rather the opposite, of actually reaching out and letting people see the 'real' Helen. Of putting down roots and daring to say, "Yes! We will commit to this particular church - this cup - which God is offering to us." 

It came as no surprise that my husband had been feeling uneasy about the decision all day at work; what a relief for him to find my heart so changed from the night before! He immediately rang our connect group leaders and, with great humility, let them know that we would be seeing them the following morning after all. 

We've now been at this church for a little over 2-1/2 years and are slowly growing into it. I'll admit that sometimes I feel like ditching my cup, gathering up my roots and making a break for it; but then God brings His comfort and love, and I find peace. And taking a deep breath, I drink from His beautiful, bountiful river of blessing.

Oh yes, my cup truly does run over with blessings from my Lord. 

You prepare a table before me
  in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
  my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me
  all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
  forever.  Psalm 23:5-6

Walk What We Write by Nola Passmore

 

A piece I’d written on hospitality appeared on the Upper Room devotional site recently.  Is it a coincidence that we had a rush of guests and requests for visits round about the same time?  My parents stayed for a weekend, my cousin flew out from England for a week-long visit, a missionary friend asked if she could stay for a week in November, and a New Zealand friend asked if she could visit in January.  Now it’s great to see all these people, but we’d never had so many house guests in such a short period.  I couldn’t help thinking that God was prompting me to apply the hospitality lesson I’d advocated in that devotion.

One of the editors from the Upper Room also asked if I could do an additional blog post for the web site.  I wrote a piece about how God had challenged me to go part-time in my job so that I could spend more time writing.  As I sent off my faith-filled blog, I joked to my husband that I wouldn’t be surprised if God tested me on that too.  A few days later, God did indeed challenge me to take an even bigger leap of faith.  How could I fail to do what He’d asked, knowing that my article was about to appear?  So I took a deep breath and stepped out again.

The lesson in all of this is that we should just write bland, unchallenging material so that God won’t ask us to do anything about it.  No wait, that’s not it!  Though my husband did say I should check with him before sending anything else out. J

God wants us to practise what we preach, or maybe in our case, “walk what we write”.   I’d like to say that I have this principle nailed, but I don’t always get it right.  For the last few years, I’ve contributed pieces to an American devotional book and I often find myself reading something I’d written a year before and thinking, “Whoops … haven’t been doing that”. Fortunately, God is ever patient and merciful.  He doesn’t expect us to be perfect, but He does want us to try to live the things we’re writing about. 

In James 1:22, we’re told “do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says.”  Maybe as writers, we could add, “do not merely write the word … do what it says”.  It’s not always easy, but it certainly makes for a more authentic witness.  Isn’t it wonderful to know that God is so intimately concerned with our writing endeavours, that He takes them seriously and uses them to mould us into the people He wants us to be?

I'd be interested to hear about times you’ve been challenged to apply something you’d already written.

 

 

Nola Passmore is a freelance writer who has had more than 90 short pieces published in various magazines, journals, and anthologies (including true stories, devotions, poetry and short fiction). She has a passion for writing about what God has done in her life and encouraging others to do the same. (Some call it "nagging", but she calls it "encouragement").

Having the eternal view by Susan Barnes

The year I became a Christian, Larry Norman recorded a gospel album called, "Only visiting this planet". At the time the thought that earth was not my permanent home was attractive. The apostle Paul had this in mind when he said, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). I liked the idea that what I saw was not all there was. It had the air of adventure.

However time past, I married, started a family, bought a house. It became easy to put down roots and forget I was only a visitor. The idea that I am only visiting was no longer exciting. I had responsibilities that I enjoyed, raising children, maintaining a home and planning a future. It took effort to remind myself that what I see is temporary while God sees the eternal.

One of the reasons that Abraham, Noah, Enoch and Abel were commended in the hall of faith is because they remembered they were only visiting. Hebrews 11:13 reveals their attitude, "admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth." Likewise Peter writes, "Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles" (1 Peter 2:11).

When I have the view of a visitor it helps me cope with life's little irritations as well as the tragedies because I know there is more to life than what I see. When I find myself getting annoyed by temporary inconveniences, computer crashes, power cuts, car break downs, I pause and ask myself – will this matter in 5 years time? Will I even remember what I was upset about in 10 years time? Is it really worth worrying about now?

I can cultivate the attitude of a visitor because I know God sees the eternal and nothing can thwart his plans. I can trust him with my future.

Self-Publishing on the Kindle Platform

 

Success ... Last week I uploaded Rita's first Kindle e-Book (Rita Galieh’s Signed Sealed Delivered). I am usually pretty good with these things, but it took me half a day just to wade through all the preliminaries, and then a few more hours before the book was actually online. I know that many people have already written about this topic, but I thought you might appreciate some sequenced shortcuts and pro-active tips.

Tips for obtaining a US Tax ID: 
Before you can do anything else, you need a US tax ID. After sifting through all sorts of IRS forms, related sites and forums, I finally found some good news: to get an Employer Identification Number (EIN), also known as Federal Tax Identification Number, is easy.  If you have a registered business name here in Australia you can get this number for your business. If not, you can get it in your own name as a personal identity. You do not have to employ anyone to receive an EIN.

• Here’s what to do: call the IRS on 267-941-1099 (use a world clock to find the time difference) and ask for an EIN.  For the cheapest way to ring the US, use Skype or a similar service. You will need your Australian TFN and answer a few questions before they can issue your EIN over the phone. The official confirmation may take up to 3 weeks to arrive in the mail. Your EIN will last for life, so you will only ever have to do this once.

Tips for W-8BEN Form: 
Once you have an EIN, you can use it to fill out the W-8BEN form required for any publishing done in the US. Some online publishers want you to mail the completed W-8BEN, others let you upload a PDF, and Kindle KDP will do it for you online during your account registration process. Download the actual form: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw8ben.pdf. For instructions regarding this form: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw8ben.pdf 

• Part I, number 6 of the form: This is where you write your EIN number and tick the EIN box. By the way, an SSN or ITIN is an Individual Tax File Number, which you DON’T need (http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Individual-Taxpayer-Identification-Number-%28ITIN%29).
• Part II, number 10: In order to pay only 5% withholding tax on book royalties, you need to claim the relevant tax treaty between the US and Australia in Part II, point 10, of the W-8BEN. This treaty is Article 12. If you are using the hard copy form to send by mail, for the reason you are using the W-8BEN form, write "Australian author self -publishing via US distributor." When going through the kindle process, this isn’t necessary. They know this is your reason :)

Tips for Kindle Account and Upload: 

• Go to www.kdp.amazon.com and sign in with your Amazon account. If you don't have one, you can sign up for a new account on that page. Simply follow the prompts. 
• You will arrive at the kindle direct publishing page showing your Bookshelf. If this is your first book to be published, this page will be empty.
• Remember that you don't have to sign up for KDP Select at this stage. This is the program where you allow kindle exclusive rights for 90 days so that you can offer your book for free for up to 5 days. I would suggest to start with the standard process and select 35% royalties. If you change your mind later, you can enroll in the KDP Select program at any time on your Bookshelf page.
• Now finish setting up your publishing account. At the top right hand corner of your Bookshelf page you will see a notice saying, ‘Your account information is incomplete.’ Click ‘Update Now’. This process will take you through your personal information and automatically produce the W-8BEN form. You will need to agree to the digital signature and have your EIN and Australian TFN ready. Bank Account details can be omitted as non-US residents will be paid by cheque anyway (ensure that your mailing address is correct). 
• Before starting the actual upload, it would be helpful to have the following ready to go: the formatted manuscript according to Kindle guidelines (Word docx works well), a good quality cover picture, which is at least 1000 px along the longest side, your ISBN if you have purchased one (not essential), author and other contributor information, and your book description.
• Do a quick trial on your own kindle. Send your formatted Word doc to your kindle via email and see how it looks on the actual device (easiest if you have the kindle app on your PC or laptop – right click – send to kindle). It's a good idea to do this trial also for your iPad/Android Tablet and smartphone. If you don’t like something on any of those devices, you can play around with changing it in your Word (or other format) document BEFORE the actual upload.
• Uploading your book is easy. On your Bookshelf Page, click 'Add new title' (yellow field, next to 'Actions'), and simply follow the prompts ... easy ... you're done.

I hope this post will be helpful to those of you who are thinking about self-publishing. I certainly wish that someone had posted something like this BEFORE I made my first attempt :)

Margaret Lepke is a counsellor, educator and freelance writer. Find out more about her at www.drlepke.com.au.